Disclaimer: This story is INSPIRED by Rowling's "Harry Potter" books. For a full disclaimer on what I've created (a few characters) and what Rowlings has created (everything else!), please see Chapter 1.

Author Note: Please be aware: this work is A/U, so I've taken some creative liberties. So those of you who are not keen on writing that deviates from canon, you are forewarned. I hope you'll still read and enjoy the story. Constructive feedback is always welcome! This chapter has been reposted with an update - thank you, Elaine, for catching my Bill/Charlie mistake. It is all fixed now!

Rating: R (for some sexual content and violence in later chapters)

Go raibh maith agaibh:

Leonora K… Thank you for your reviews, and mea culpa for not mentioning you in a chapter before this. Hope you keep enjoying the story!

Evenstar Elanor (a.k.a., Elaine) and Lady of the Dog Star… Thank you both for the copious and well considered reviews. I appreciate the thought you always put into it. Thank you as well for playing Muse when I am in dire need of assistance! Hope you enjoy the fruits of your brainstorming (in later chapters, not in this one, sorry!)

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Chapter 7: Bad Blood

Serena stifled a yawn as she hurried along the expanse of lawn towards her classroom. Her professor's robe billowed about her as her long stride churned the air. She had been up late the previous night meeting old friends and acquaintances from her own years as a student.

I should have gone to bed earlier, she grumbled to herself. Today's going to be a terribly long day shaking hands with parents.

Suddenly the most delightful scent slowed her stride. She realized that she was just coming up to the potions room and she turned into the doorway.

"Professor Snape?" she called. Snape was behind his main table. The bottles and flasks that covered it contained liquids of all sorts and colors. On the wall next to him was the most well stocked apothecary of herbs that Serena could possibly imagine. But the scent that had drawn her in had a touch of lemon and some sort of sweet spice, possibly cinnamon.

"May I help you, Professor?" he asked.

"What is it you're brewing?" she asked. "I can smell it from the hall and it is just delightful."

"Tea, actually," he said. "I brew it every year before I need to talk to the parents."

Serena chuckled. "I see you're looking forward to this as much as I am. What's in it?"

"The base water is boiled and then simmered for an hour, then allowed to cool in a flask outside overnight to absorb starlight and moonlight. It has lemon and cinnamon in it for attainment of success, as well as some mulberry to instill strength. And it has a small bit of rowan in it as well."

"For protection," she said.

"Indeed. It needs to brew for another few hours. If you'd care to sample some, I could have some sent over to your classroom."

She took a deep breath, letting the clear citrus flow in through her, clearing her still-sleepy mind. "I would love to sample some."

"I'll send it when it is ready."

"Well, I'll be late for my first meeting if I tarry any longer. Good day, Professor, I'm sure I'll see you at dinner."

Severus watched her dark hair swing around her shoulder blades as she left the room, and then a look of consternation covered his face as he realized how pleased he was that she'd noticed his brew and stopped to ask about it. He turned to get something off the shelf and caught sight of his reflection in a small mirror on the shelf. Looking at himself for a long moment, he made a decision.

"You've gone on long enough, Severus Snape." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "All you do is think about her. It may end in utter defeat, but if you don't do anything about this you are no more than a coward. And she isn't the kind of woman who would be interested in a coward." At the banquet, he decided. That will be the day.

He turned back to his table just as the first student came in with his parents, and they looked serious. In her own class, Serena's first student arrived as well. As she expected, it was Oliver Wood.

"Good morning, Professor Castleton-Black," he said.

"Good morning, Mr. Wood."

"I'd like you to meet my parents, Angus and Margaret Wood."

Serena shook their hands. "Mr. and Mrs. Wood. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's ours," said Mrs. Wood genially. "Oliver speaks of you frequently…"

"Aye," said Angus. "That he does. I played Quidditch, too, in my day, and I've always followed the House teams closely. Oliver and I used to follow your career together. Bloody good player you are. I can't wait to see the alumni game. The match ups in the teams are brilliant…"

Serena suddenly understood where Oliver's fervor for the game came from.

"Angus," his wife said, "We're not here to discuss Quidditch. We're here to meet Oliver's teachers…"

"Yes, yes, of course. How is Oliver doing in your class?"

Serena smiled at Oliver and the young man blushed a tiny bit. "He's doing quite well. In all of the classes he participates and has been quite keen to assist after class, but since his grades are excellent, I've encouraged him to work with some of the students who aren't doing as well."

"I'm so glad to hear that," beamed Mrs. Wood.

A few other sets of students and parents came in a moment later and Mrs. Wood took both her son and her husband by the arm, interrupting a series of questions about how Serena trained for her Quidditch games.

"Angus, Oliver, other people want to talk to Professor Castleton-Black. We should move on to another teacher."

"Well, yes, but…"

"No, Angus. We need to go." She threw a look at her husband and son that Serena could only call long-suffering, but revealed how much she adored them both, despite their apparent obsession with the sport of Quidditch.

About a half hour later, a soft voice made Serena turn around.

"P… Professor? My Gran wanted to meet you," Neville Longbottom tried not to stammer. Next to him, his grandmother stood ramrod straight, wrapped in her stole, peering out from beneath her heavily feathered hat with keen eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you ma'am," said Serena.

"Thank you, dear. My Neville seems to be doing adequately in your class?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Serena. She smiled at Neville. "He has a firm grasp on the basics, but I think he needs to have a little more confidence in himself to really show some progress. He and I have discussed ways to help him be not so self-conscious in class."

"Well, I want him to know all he can. His parents paid the price when they came under You Know Who's scrutiny."

"Gran!" Neville didn't like talking about what had happened to his parents at the hands of Voldemort.

"I'll do my best," said Serena. "I must commend Neville on his insightfulness, however. While he doesn't answer in class often, he as a gift for understanding the true nature of a situation, and that is a gift not many can claim."

Neville smiled under the praise. "Thank… Thank you, Professor."

"Yes," said his grandmother, "thank you. I think you'll do quite nicely as an academic addition to Hogwart's. Good day, Professor." There was ring of final approval in her voice.

"Good day," answered Serena. I didn't realize my tenure rested on your approval, Serena thought with some humor, but I am glad you think I'm worthy.

Just as the Longbottoms left the room there was a tremendous commotion in the hallway. Serena chuckled to herself as the entire Weasley clan boiled into the room, shepherded by Mrs. Weasley.

"Come along, come along!" she ordered.

"Really, woman," said Fred. "We're not children!"

"You're my children, George," she snapped back.

"I'm George," said George with an exaggerated whine.

"Can't even keep your sons straight. For shame," sighed Fred.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and rolled her eyes as she pushed past the twins and towards Serena. Two steps ahead of her was a young man, clearly a Weasley, who Serena didn't know. He was tall, with an affable smile, and he wore his hair longer. It was tied back in a ponytail today. He looked a bit like a rock star.

"Professor? I'm Bill Weasley. We're playing in the Quidditch match together."

"Ah! It's a pleasure to meet you, Bill. I've heard excellent things about you. Your brothers are all talented players. It must run in the family."

"Professor," said Mrs. Weasley, "I'm so glad to meet you. Our children have all spoken highly of you." The Weasley's mother was a roaming ball of energy, but Serena guessed that she'd have to be with that many children. She was wearing a knit sweater with burnt orange stripes that clashed garishly with her red hair.

"So, how are the Weasleys doing in Defense Against Dark Arts?" asked Mr. Weasley after he, too, shook Serena's hand.

"Very well. Ginny's class has only just started the basics, but she's made excellent progress towards mastering those."

Mrs. Weasley beamed at her only daughter.

"And Ron is much improved from the beginning of the semester."

"Improved?" Mrs. Weasley looked from Serena to her son.

"Well, Ron's first test results didn't come out as high as either of us would have hoped…"

"Oh, really?" Mrs. Weasley folded both of her arms and stared at her son, with a tremendous amount of emotion underscoring those two simple words. Ron went pale.

"Ooo," said George.

"You're in trouble," mocked Fred.

"Bloody hell," muttered Ron.

"RONALD WEASLEY! Mind your language!"

"You're in bigger trouble now," laughed Fred.

"Boys! Enough," said Mr. Weasley. "Ron, your mother and I will talk to you later."

"And what about these two?" asked Mrs. Weasley, "they haven't been unbearable have they?" She was well aware of the penchant her sons had for pranks at the school.

"They've been no trouble at all," said Serena.

"No trouble?" She could hardly believe it.

"No. None at all. I had a long conversation at the start of the semester with Fred and George to let them know what would and wouldn't be tolerated in my classroom. I think we came to a very clear understanding. Didn't we, gentlemen?"

"Yes! Very clear!" they said in unison.

Both Fred and George had a vivid recollection of Serena telling them that they wouldn't like what happened if they pulled a prank in her class. They hadn't believed her and one week into the class, they tested her. As soon as they tried to set their charm, both boys were covered with an itchy, tingly sensation. Moments later they were covered with short, purple quills. The class howled with laughter while Serena had watched them with a level gaze. After class, she'd asked them to stay and she gave them the potion that would cure them. She let them go but only after warning them that if they attempted to prank her again, the purple quills would seem positively simplistic.

"The last thing you want," she'd warned them, "is my complete and undivided attention." The Weasley twins, as rambunctious as they were, weren't fools and they new better than to cross the final line Serena had drawn.

Soon the Weasleys departed and, for a short time, the flow of students tapered off and Serena took the moment to write a few details down in her lesson planner. Engrossed in what she was writing, Serena heard footsteps but didn't look up.

"So. It really is you." The voice had a silky quality that nearly masked the malice laced throughout it. She remembered that voice from her own days at Hogwart's.

"Malfoy." She didn't bother looking up.

Several sets of feet stopped in front of her desk. Serena continued to write something in her journal and put her pen to the side. Finally she raised her eyes up and forced herself to smile.

"Ah, multiple Malfoys," she corrected herself. In front of her were Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa. In front of her was their son, Draco, and next to him, the man who had spoken. Lucius' younger brother and Serena's former classmate at Hogwart's: Malificus Malfoy. Serena let her eyes travel over the group. It was almost frightening how similar Lucius, Malificus and Draco looked. All blond. All with that signature Malfoy sneer.

"Mr. Malfoy," she said, standing up and offering her hand to Lucius, and patently ignoring Malificus. "Your son is doing very well in his studies in my class."

"Delightful." Lucius smiled insincerely. "However, I do hope you're challenging him enough. These have become troublesome times, and I would not have my son ill-prepared to face the world."

"The students seem to have responded well to the variety I've put in the curriculum."

"I don't see how a Quidditch player managed to get a teaching position here," sneered Malificus. "And in Dark Arts no less?"

"If you have a question about my credentials, I would suggest you either speak with the Headmaster, or perhaps with your brother. He is on the Board of Governors for the school, after all." Her voice was crisp at best.

The skin around Lucius' eyes tightened. He hadn't wanted Serena on the teaching staff, but Dumbledore had more power to hire professors than he did to block them.

"Well," Lucius said slowly. "This has been delightful. Professor Castleton-Black, thank you for taking the time to see us. Narcissa, Draco, let us go."

"My door is always open, Lucius, if you ever have questions," she answered.

The Malfoys turned to leave, but Malificus didn't move. He just stood and stared intently at Serena. He took two steps closer to her and she could smell the hint of cologne. She raised an eyebrow and refused to look away, keeping her face as neutral as she could, despite the roiling emotions twisting inside her.

Malificus smiled as he leaned forward and said in a low voice, "We have unfinished business."

"No, our business is quite finished. There is nothing more between us but bad blood, Malfoy."

Malificus scoffed under his breath, and then he turned on his heels and followed his brother and nephew out the door.

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Whew! A longer chapter than normal. Hope you enjoyed this one. Please read/review and let me know what you think!