AN: I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I claim no rights over any of the Harry Potter characters. I do however claim rights over my own and this story.

A Thunderous Silence

Chapter 11

Warning Signs

Monday morning began our routines again. Nick and I met our fellow teachers at the table for breakfast. While my cousin looked well rested, I felt far from it. During the night Severus had been woken three times. Once by McGonagall who was dragging a third year behind her by the ear, once by a first year who had a sudden bout of homesickness, and once by the Slytherin Perfect who reported a commotion going on in the Slytherin Common room.

I had a new found respect for those who were heads of houses.

Before I could face McGonagall to see if she had discovered that I had been with Severus last night, the flock of owls swooped into the Great Hall. Most of the teachers received the Daily Prophet each morning, to keep up with what was going on within our world. Dumbledore would always receive several letters while most of the other teachers would receive one or two.

Today, Nick received an owl from a friend in Spain. He smiled as he untied the letter from its foot and gave it some food. He laughed while reading the message and then turned to the bird. "If you wait up in the owlry, I'll send a reply with you tonight. You can rest and eat there."

The owl hooted and then rose up into the air. No sooner had it left then a great horned owl flew head long into me. It rose up once more and landed on the back of my chair. The bird wiggled its leg at me expectantly, demanding I remove the letter.

I took the letter and opened it up, while the bird helped itself to my breakfast.

Dear Alexis

I hate when people call me that, I thought to myself.

Mona has informed me that you chased her out of your father's house with a muggle torture device. While I believe the woman is exaggerating, I can picture you throwing something at her. If you are to do it again, at least let me be there.

I smiled for I knew there would be many more opportunities to throw things at my mother's head.

However, the reason for her visit still stands. You need to return to our family so that you can be trained and to purify your magic.

I rolled my eyes. I was beginning to dislike the word pure.

While I understand you are teaching, which I am happy to hear you are doing something, we would like you home as soon as possible. Perhaps the winter break?

I rolled my eyes, there was no way I was spending any of my breaks with that part of my family.

If you do not respond to me, I will be forced to visit you at Hogwarts. I'm curious to see if you really do have a room full of toilets.

I bit my lip, I wouldn't but it past him to come and get me.

Please listen to us Alexis, the seers have been seeing several disturbing things. I doubt you want to relive the Unforgivables again.

Love Your Cousin,

Samuel

I turned the letter over, and penned a quick "thanks, but no thanks" response. Those looking into the future have been wrong before, and I was banking on the idea that they were wrong this time.

The owl accepted my response, and took flight once more. It had left me little in the ways of what used to be my breakfast.

"That was quick," Severus said, from where he read the Daily Prophet.

"Samuel?" Nick asked.

I nodded.

Nick sighed. "Please tell me you gave him something of a response, because he will show up to the castle."

"Who is Samuel?" Severus asked.

I took out a piece of parchment and wrote, "A cousin from my mother's side."

Just then the first set of bells rang, signaling to everyone that class was to start shortly. In the back of my head I groaned. Severus didn't let too much of his emotions show, but a simple twitch in his eye suggested his dislike of mornings. Nick gave away more of his emotions, but it was drowned out by the student's collective groan.

Nick and I walked to our classroom together. Then at the last minute, Nick realized he had forgotten something, suspiciously, and ran back to our rooms to go get it. I entered the classroom and began to write on the board for our fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin class.

They were already squabbling amongst themselves. I managed to figure out it had something to do with Potter and his friends setting up Draco to get in trouble. It was Monday and they were already beginning to give me a headache.

"I should hex you into next week!" Draco yelled.

What Malfoy should do is hex himself into a class where he would learn the difference between mute and deaf.

Harry snarled. "Try it Malfoy."

I waved my hand, and I heard cries of surprise, as I knew the spell had sent their wands flying out of their hands.

"What a shame too," Nick said. I turned to see him in the doorway, holding Harry's and Draco's wands. He must have caught them on his way in. "Today is a practical day, I guess this isn't going to be a good day for your houses point wise."

I nodded my head towards the time turners in the back of the classroom as both Slytherin and Gryffindor lost fifty points apiece. Then I turned to look at Nick, we both nodded as he walked up to the front of the classroom.

"We have also decided that you two will both be serving detention," Nick said as we both stood in front of the classroom. He placed a glass ball on top of our desks. I'm glad he had remembered it for today, because I had forgotten.

Class went by fast; the students would take turns trying to perform a very complicated hex towards the glass ball. It was designed to receive the hexes without harming itself or anyone around it.

The students however had terrible aim, and Nick and I were ready to block anything that could harm anyone.

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy sat quietly in their seats. At the end of class, they approached Nick and I, holding out their hands for their wands.

Nick and I turned to one another and nodded in agreement.

"You'll get them after your detention tonight," Nick told them.

"My father will…" Draco said.

"I have charms…." Harry said at the same time.

My fist made contact with the desk, which easily silenced the arguing boys. I folded my arms and stared down at them, my face set in a cold mask. It was a face that I usually reserved for the most idiotic things that Greg and other hockey players could possible think of doing. It always got the message across.

Both boys hung their heads and exited the room. We watched them leave and I magiced the door closed behind them.

Nick turned to me. "So what should we have them do during detention?"

I looked around the room, my eyes resting on the bookcase that Nick and I had yet to organize.

"I like this plan," Nick said with a nod.

The day past by quickly, since we were letting all of our classes practice the new spells they had learned. Thankfully, we only had one mishap. One of the sixth year Ravenclaw girls had been hit by a particular nasty spell. I escorted her, along with several of the Ravenclaw girls, to the hospital wing. Then I ushered the crying girls back to the Great Hall for dinner, silently convincing them that their friend would be fine in Poppy's capable hands.

"Thanks for taking care of that," Nick whispered to me. Crying girls had never been his thing.

Snape sat down next to me while McGonagall sat down on Nick's other side. The Heads of Houses were not pleased.

"Why did Potter not have his wand?" McGonagall demanded.

Snape looked at me coldly. "Malfoy didn't have his either. I heard a great deal about it."

"We took them away so we didn't have to send smoldering ashes to the hospital wing," Nick said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, both of them could do with a short lesson in humility."

McGonagall made a slight noise in the back of her throat, and I couldn't tell if it was approval or disgust.

"They'll get their wands back tonight after they serve detention," Nick promised.

That seemed to be enough for McGonagall, as she left the subject alone. She, however, was not done with us. "So how did Nick get those bruises? And when did you get so horrible at Glamour charms Alexis?"

Dinner concluded, and the three of us had managed to feed McGonagall a fake story about our weekend. It explained the bruises without mentioning our almost slip up around muggles or the fight that Severus' dark mark had caused.

As we got ready to leave the Head Table, Severus whispered in my ear, "After you are done with the detention, meet me in my rooms."

I nodded, before heading back to my classroom with Nick. Potter and Malfoy had met us there. They were glaring at each other, each blaming the other for being wandless.

"You will be organizing those books," Nick said. "We want them organized by author and then the titles should alphabetical."

The two boys got to work, silently for the most part. Occasionally we heard them arguing over the exact order of the books. Sometimes the foreign name of an author messed them up. Nick ignored them as he corrected some scrolls from the second years while I worked on the scrolls from the seventh years.

"This looks like a ball, may I join?" a male voice said from the doorway.

I looked up to see a tall man with a golden brown hair pulled back by a black clasp. He was clean-shaven, and the dress robes he wore were impeccable. They were more than impeccable, the silver buttons could have glimmered without the help of candlelight and the black matched that of a moonless sky. His shoes were polished to perfection and stood in a way that held command over a room. My cousin Samuel, if nothing else, looked amazing.

"Hello Alexis," Samuel said with a smile, "I told you I would come to visit. Now please answer me this, is there truly a room full of toilets?"