AN – Nothing you recognize is mine.
Severus Snape knew that he was late for class. Unfortunately, the stairways were not cooperating. He needed to reach the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor, but somehow every staircase he tried led him down instead. Now he was almost to the dungeons. Bugger. Increasingly worried, he looked around for someone to help him. The corridor was unusually empty. The bell must have rung. He was late and he was responsible for a group of students that were four floors above him. Damn. Then he caught site of Professor Burbage at the top of the stairs. He quickened his pace, and called out to her, "Charity! What is this nonsense? The stairs are on the blink!" The muggle studies professor didn't turn around or acknowledge that she had heard him. He called out again as the stairs swung suddenly to the left, "Professor Burbage! I need your help!" When the stairs came to a sudden stop, Snape lurched to his knees, but Burbage remained standing. Snape tried to stand, but found that his feet couldn't find purchase. He looked to Burbage again, and saw that she was facing him now from the top of the stairs, but she watched him with only detached interest. "Charity, please!" Snape implored.
It was then he saw that the stairway had been made slick with blood. A dark stain was growing on the front of Burbage's chest as blood continued to run down the stairs. "There isn't enough water in the Black Lake to wash this," she said with disapproval. "Rather, this will turn the lake red, Severus." But it wasn't Charity Burbage who was speaking. It was Lily. Lily Potter, covered in blood, standing at the head of the stairs, calmly appraised Severus Snape.
"Help!" Snape shouted in his empty bedroom at Spinner's End. A dream. A dream. Snape sat up in bed. The shirt he'd worn to bed was soaked with perspiration. It was the night before Snape moved back to Hogwarts, and evidently this fact concerned him. Giving up on sleeping for the time being, Snape rose from his bed and resettled himself at his desk. He'd been going through his old defense against the dark arts lesson plans, re-familiarizing himself with the curriculum and making adjustments. Luckily, it was only about a year since he'd taught his last Defense lesson (as far as he was concerned) and he was able to remember most of the changes he had intended to make when he'd still thought there'd be a possibility he'd be teaching the same subject the next year.
As he had worked his way through, however, he realized how the quality of lesson plans significantly decreased as the year wore on. I suppose being a double agent and the only one who knew about Albus's condition impacted the attention I devoted to my profession. Really, as I think about it, it's a miracle if anyone learned anything at all those last couple years before the final battle; what with a good portion of the faculty either being in the Order or a secret Death Eater at any given time. It might not be so bad – teaching - without everything else on top of it. As long as I manage to not make a fool of yourself around Lily again, that is.
Severus tried to refocus on the papers in front of him. Well, at least she liked my potions lesson plans he thought with a mental eye-roll before resuming his work.
The next morning, Snape met McGonagall at the beginning of the grounds. The witch looked genuinely glad to see him. Her left hand patted his arm while her right shook his hand. "Welcome back Severus!"
"Thank you, Minerva."
"Let us hope you don't get it in your head to crash though any windows this time."
"Oh, one never knows," Snape smiled.
The two began the trek towards the castle. "Well, first thing is straightening out the housing situation. As you know, Professor Potter is currently living in the suite adjacent to the potions classroom. Since you are to be head of Slytherin house, I expect you'll want one of the other dungeon level locations. One is a bit bigger, so I imagine that will be your choice – I had the house elves begin to prepare it. Let me know if it isn't to your liking. You can ask Potter herself about all your books and whatnot. Lunch will be served at noon, you can join the rest of the faculty then and I can introduce you to everyone, or reintroduce in most cases."
They walked in silence for some time, when the headmistress spoke up again. "You know, I really am glad to get this opportunity to… renew our friendship Severus. It always pained me to think that we parted on such bad terms, before you… died."
"The fact that you despised me my last year was the result of my deliberate actions. It means I was doing my part adequately…. I don't take offense" Snape answered.
"If there's anyone I should be angry at, it's that old fool, not even telling me he was dying!" McGonagall said.
"He never told anyone everything... you were… safer not knowing Minerva."
"That doesn't mean it doesn't sting…. I see now that I never truly knew him. Just the parts he wanted to show me."
Severus remained silent, but nodded. He saw Hagrid approaching across the lawn. The groundskeeper waved at the pair, and hurried over to them.
"Severus! Good to see yeh! It's bin to long friend." At first, it appeared he was about to hug him, but perhaps suddenly remembering the former Headmaster's disposition, refrained. Instead, the big man grasped Severus's shoulders and gave him a good shake.
"Likewise Hagrid," replied Snape.
After finally extricating himself from the pleasantries the half-giant required and being dismissed by the headmistress until lunch, he found himself alone, heading towards his new quarters. When he entered the rooms, the house elves stood at attention. Snape inspected the suite. The furniture and other amenities were satisfactory, but it was otherwise empty. He hadn't decided how and when he would ask for his personal effects back from his previous room. No rush, he thought. Satisfied with his new living situation, he left to inspect the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Snape was in the middle of rearranging the seating scheme, desks floating in the air, when he heard a knocking at the door. He turned to see Neville Longbottom and a vaguely familiar female teacher poking their heads into the room.
"Hello sir," Longbottom said, "good to see you here!"
Snape raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, I never liked how Honeycolm had her desks. You are quite right to change it," said the woman.
Mill? Hobbes? No, that's not it, thought Snape. Oh yes…
"I am glad I have your approval Professor Bentham." At least these two didn't appear to harbor any designs of embracing him.
"Ah, well, I suppose we will see you at lunch, Professor," said Neville.
Snape turned back to the classroom, trying a formation with a large space in the center and short rows pushed against the walls on either side. This will do.
At lunch, Snape was subjected to the same sort of greeting from the rest of the faculty. Flitwick even slapped his back and called him "my good man!" (he was standing on a chair at the time). Trelawney had shaken his hand and then turned it over as if to give his palm a quick inspection. He snatched his hand away with as much dignity as possible, and saw that most of the teachers had taken their seats. He found himself sitting between Vector and Bentham. Lily sat two seats down, and from what he could gather from the glances he snuck in her direction, she was completely absorbed in her food. Turning to Vector, Snape struck up a conversation about advances in their respective subjects in the years he'd been gone. Alright, this isn't so terrible. You can manage to ignore each other for a semester. Easy.
AN – Ten points to your house if you caught the Shakespeare reference. This chapter is dedicated to any teachers who've started having "Teacher Dreams" as the beginning of the new school year approaches.