Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; if I did I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. Yeah. Think about it. I also don't own the story title, it belongs to Paul Oakenfold.
Chapter 14: Substitute Squabbles Part 1Anna scowled at her food as she pushed it around the golden plate with her fork. All she had wanted was to return to her rooms, but she had unfortunately run into Sprout on her way.
The Herbology professor had then insisted she make an appearance at dinner, considering Anna had missed breakfast and lunch. So here she was in the Great Hall, thoroughly depressed and seated amongst the crowds of happily chattering students and professors.
Anna placed her fork down upon the table and pushed her plate away. Her gaze moved from the plate of uneaten food to the empty chair beside her.
Bloody grumpy git, she thought as she scowled at the Potions Master's unoccupied chair.
Why ever did she like him? All he did to her was snap and snarl. All they did together was fight. Yet she had feelings for him, despite all this and despite what Dumbledore had told her. Feelings she didn't quite want to acknowledge at the moment.
Anna frowned and shook her head slightly. As if anyone would want to admit they had feelings for him!
A sigh passed her lips.
It was all far too confusing at the moment.
She shifted her gaze down the staff table. Dumbledore was laughing at something Flitwick had just said, Hagrid appeared to be loudly discussing the finer points of caring for Fwoopers with Madam Hooch and Michael appeared to be lost in thought as he absently ate his food.
She watched Michael for a moment, wondering vaguely what he was thinking about.
Anna gave her head a little shake and returned her attention to the Great Hall where students were rising from their seats to return to their dormitories. The teachers were starting to rise from the table as well.
"Annalyse."
A voice stopped Anna as she was about to leave. Turning around she looked up at Dumbledore.
"Yes?"
The old wizard smiled softly at her.
"I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you,"
"Of course, Albus."
He nodded.
"Severus must remain in the Hospital Wing for a few more days. Since you have fewer classes than the other professors at the moment, I was hoping that you would be able to substitute the Potions classes until he is better. Normally I would ask for a substitute teacher to come to Hogwarts, but seeing how it is only for the last week of term…" He trailed off and smiled at her again.
Anna stared at the Headmaster for a moment. She had been ok at Potions when she had been a student, but would she be able to remember any of it now?
"It is just for one week Annalyse."
She gave the Headmaster a small smile.
"Alright, Albus."
"Thank you Annalyse. Now go get some rest." He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and the two left the Great Hall.
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Sunday passed in a haze for Anna. She spent the entire day in her office, something that was both good and bad in her opinion. Good because she managed to evade the other professors, two in particular, and bad because she had to read dozens of essays on the Earth's moon, a task that made it quite difficult to stay awake after the tenth essay.
She even managed to dig up a few old Potions textbooks in the library to refresh her memory for the coming week's classes. As Sunday drew to a close, she felt fairly confident that she would be able to bluff her way through most of Snape's classes.
Anna awoke Monday morning to a rather dull day, the snow falling gently outside her bedroom window to settle on the sill in sugar-like mounds. Rubbing her eyes, Anna rolled over in her bed and yawned. Monday… Monday… there was something she was meant to do today…
"Aw heck!"
She had to substitute Snape's Potions classes!
Anna practically flew out of bed and into the bathroom, ignoring the mirror's annoyed comment at being woken so early. In a blur of water and clothes, Anna was out the door and tugging her robes on over her dress as she ran towards the dungeons.
"The students are normally the late ones, not the professors!" she muttered to herself as she ran down the halls, passing startled ghosts and students.
Anna ran down a flight of stairs, two at a time, to reach the dungeon Potions classroom and came to a skidding stop at the heavy wooden door. Panting, she leant against the cold stone wall to catch her breath and compose herself before entering the classroom.
Tucking stray strands of her wet hair behind her ears, she pushed on the heavy wooden door and stepped into the classroom.
"Good mor – "she paused in the doorway and looked around, puzzled.
There were no students.
The dungeon was empty.
Confused, Anna put her hands on her hips as she gazed around at the empty tables and chairs. "I could have sworn…" she frowned and then gasped as an icy sensation ran through her body, announcing the arrival of Sir Nicholas.
"Do pardon the intrusion, but I noticed you running through the hallways in quite a rush," Sir Nicholas said as he floated around the dungeon "I thought I might let you know that the first of today's Potions classes is not until after lunch."
Anna stared at the ghost.
"Oh." Was all she said.
"Yes, well, good luck then." Sir Nicholas gave her a smile before disappearing through one of the stone walls.
"Thank you!" Anna called out after him.
No class until after lunch. Anna poked her tongue out, feeling quite the idiot for not checking the timetable Dumbledore had given her on Sunday. With a shrug and a sigh, she looked around the dark, dingy room and crinkled her nose in disgust.
"This is the kind of place he teaches in!" her gaze fell on the jars lined up on shelves containing things she would rather not name and the dead plants in the corner. Her nose crinkled again at the smell of various 'exotic' potion ingredients, a smell which seemed to have seeped into every available surface and corner of the classroom.
"If his office is anything like this, he could certainly use a woman's touch." Rolling up the sleeves of her robes, Anna drew out her wand. "He hasn't even got any Christmas decorations!"
She walked around the stone classroom, wand at the ready. "Well, I've got some time to spare I guess." With a slight smile on her face, Anna got to work on giving the Potions classroom a makeover.
Anna worked on the classroom throughout lunch, barely noticing the growls emanating from her empty stomach. When she started decorating the shelves containing the jars of suspicious objects, she decided that it was probably a good idea that she hadn't eaten.
"What possible use could anyone have for these things?" she muttered to herself as she conjured thick strands of green and gold tinsel to hide the jars from view. A thick green wreath decorated the classroom door, tinsel in various colours hung in thick strands across the shelves around the room and a small Christmas tree stood in a corner behind the teacher's desk. Anna had even been to visit Professor Flitwick and borrowed some of his fairy lights.
All the decorations made the room far more inviting, and the golden candles that were scattered everywhere certainly made the dungeon feel warmer and happier.
"A bit of Christmas cheer sure does make a difference." Anna smiled to herself as she tucked her wand away and gazed around the room. Even she felt happier now, not at all angry or depressed anymore from the visit to the Hospital Wing the other day.
"Wow!"
A group of third year students were just filing into the classroom. All of them were looking around in surprise.
"Look at the lights!"
"And the tinsel!"
"Professor Snape never puts up decorations!"
The excited third years took their seats and Anna couldn't help but grin at them.
"Just don't tell Professor Snape!" Anna told them as they got out their quills and parchment. She fully intended to have the classroom back to normal before Snape returned, since he probably wouldn't take too well to the 'Christmas cheer' she had created. And so, with a smile on her face, Anna began the first of the week's Potion classes.