This is a re-upload. A lovely guest review brought to my attention that the last chapter file got corrupted, and whole sentances were missing from the chapter. So let's try this again lol.

This chapter is basically a big thank you to my readers, as it features OC's from 10 of my followers over on tumblr. It's pretty self indulgent, but I hope you still enjoy it :"3 A list of credits for said OC's will be at the end of the chapter!

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Thirteen students.

Three Gryffindor's, three Hufflepuff's, FIVE Ravenclaw's, and (to your great surprise) two Slytherin's. You had been expecting more Hufflepuff's, but honestly hadn't expected any Slytherin's. Maybe the climate had changed since you were a student, but it was hard to imagine a world where any Slytherin was interested in the day to day lives of the muggle population. You realized you were being judgmental, which wasn't a good thing on your first day of class, but… seriously? Two Slytherin's?

You were waiting (hiding) in your office. You didn't want to enter until the bells had chimed, and were watching your first ever students settle into their muggle style desks. Some clearly seemed excited to be there; taking seats towards the front, organizing their quills and parchment, throwing curious glances around the room at the assorted 'artefacts' that lined the walls. Others seemed… less enthused. Sitting towards the back, already gazing up at the analog clock on the far wall above the blackboard. You hoped it was to figure out how long before the class started, and not how long before it ended.

They were all third years, which you were grateful for; it would be a first class, a first lesson, with zero expectations. You were slightly dreading taking over the older level classes, trying to gauge where Charity Burbage had left off, fearing you were going to teach them crap they already knew, or blast way ahead and leave them with gaps in their education. At least with third years, you could take comfort in the fact that they were blank slates, and you felt an odd little thrill at the idea of watching this group of students grow up in your class. These kids were going to be your kids. Assuming they didn't drop out of course…

One thing at a time, Gwen.

The bells chimed, and that was your cue to finally exit your office. You took a deep breath, holding it for a count of three before letting it out. It's go time. You adjusted your tie-dyed robes (under which you wore long sleeves and pants, thank you very much, Minerva), ruffled your fingers through your hair, before finally pulling open your office door and striding confidently into the first day of the rest of your life.

"Good morning, class!" you announced cheerfully, offering what you hoped was a sunny and definitely not terrified smile as you clicked the office door shut behind you. Several students looked over their shoulders to greet you, some smiling excitedly, other looking bored, and still others looking utterly confused by you(r outfit), before offering a smattering of 'good mornings' with mixed levels of enthusiasm. Ah yes, good, things were already going well. You kept up your smile as you briskly walked the length of the room, before situating yourself between the blackboard and instructor's desk and turning to face your first class. It was much easier to see who was eager to be here, and who couldn't care less, from this vantage point. Superb.

"My name is Profess-"

Before you could even get your second sentence of the day out, you were interrupted by the sudden clang of the classroom door being thrown open. You were gratified that you hadn't been the only person in the room to jump with fright, and almost everyone twisted around in their seats to see who had barged in. Heart pounding from the shock, you watched, bewildered, as a brown haired, green eyed Slytherin boy came swaggering into the room, looking entirely too pleased, for reasons you couldn't even begin to divine. He didn't apologize for interrupting. He simply strode right up to your desk, holding out a slip of parchment with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

You blinked stupidly for a moment, before taking the parchment from his outstretched hand and unfolding it carefully. Your heart started thudding in double time as you recognized familiar cramped, spidery handwriting, and your brow furrowed as you began to read.

Professor Goode,

Mr. Keelan Drake appears to have taken a sudden interest in Muggle Studies between last night's feast and this morning. Your class does fit into his schedule, and I know there is space available, so I was unable to deny him the opportunity. I warn you that he isn't a particularly passionate student, academically speaking, and I'm unsure of his true intentions for wanting to take your class. However, the choice to admit him is yours.

-Professor Snape

You pouted slightly at the return to professional titles, but you figured there were certain images to uphold now. You looked from the note to Keelan, and felt heat pick up in your cheeks. You realized suddenly that his grin was not actually smug… but smitten. Hopeful eyes and a lazy grin, his bottom lip actually caught between his teeth. Perhaps the boy's intentions weren't obvious to Snape, but they sure were obvious to you.

"Take a seat, Keelan," you acquiesced, perhaps against your better judgement. You had to hold in a snort as you saw him pump his fist in the air, before turning around to join his fellow Slytherin's at the back of the classroom, both of whom were eyeing him like he was absolutely bonkers. You opened up the narrow center drawer of the instructor's desk before dropping Severus' note within and snapping it shut.

"As I was saying," you continued, trying to shake off the interruption with another smile. "My name is Professor Goode, and welcome to Muggle Studies." Not that you'd had any grand speech planned, but you'd certainly lost your momentum with that interruption. The Slytherin's were whispering from the back of the rows, and a couple of Ravenclaw girls were shooting them nasty looks over their shoulders. You cleared your throat, moving around the desk to stand in front of it instead, leaning you backside against it.

"Now," you intoned a little louder, gaining back a bit of the attention you had lost. Geeze, you'd never considered this part of the job. Severus had the ability to command a classroom with the venerable power of his sheer disdain. You feared you were going to have to work for your respect. "You're all third years, correct?"

There was a mumble of agreement across the classroom, any earlier enthusiasm seemingly sapped. But you nodded at their compliance and clapped your hands together once, an innocent gesture of gratification that did its job by getting them all to look at you again. "Excellent!" you exclaimed, looking disproportionately excited about this. "That means you've never taken this course before. Which is fortunate, because I've never taught it before."

Oh thank god, some of them actually laughed. You felt a wash of relief at the sounds of snorts and suppressed giggles that erupted from the center of the room. There were a few dissenting eye rolls of course, and a Gryffindor girl with bushy brown hair sitting in the front row looked vaguely scandalized, but you could deal with that. You could prove yourself.

"Some of you may be wondering about my credentials, and to be fair, I tend to wonder about them myself. Allow me to assuage your fears. Or perhaps exacerbate them." More quiet chuckles, more utter mortification. You resumed your pleasant smile as you pushed yourself up off of the floor to sit on the desk, crossing your legs at the ankles as you leaned forward. "I'm reportedly a half-blood, however I grew up entirely muggle, raised by my muggle mum, until I was 11. Obviously. I started attending school here at Hogwarts in 1983, where I was sorted into Hufflepu-"

One eccentric looking boy with auburn hair and bright green eyes burst into sudden rancorous applause, and he was soon joined by the other two students, a tan skinned brunette girl, and a pale boy with sandy blonde hair. They were the only Hufflepuff's in the class, and you felt an odd mix of pride and dubiousness, unsure if you were being made fun of, or if they were being genuine. But then you remembered that they were Hufflepuff's, so of course they were being genuine. You couldn't help yourself; you laughed, pleased that most of the other students looked amused with the antics as well, rather than annoyed. Well… most of them anyway. The Gryffindor girl in front still appeared incredibly unamused.

"Thank you," you insisted, motioning for them to sit back down, and your face was actually starting to ache from smiling, but in a pleasant way. Like you weren't expecting things to go this well. You continued on, bolstered by having such a receptive group of kids. "I was sorted into Hufflepuff, and graduated three years ago with my Masters in Potions." A few raised eyebrows. You weren't surprised. Such a statement raised a lot of questions, you were sure, so you pressed on in an attempt to answer them preemptively. "Potions didn't work out so hot, unfortunately. But Dumbledore, doting philanthropist that he is, sought me out and asked me to teach Muggle Studies, and I accepted, seeing as I have 21 years' experience in the field." Another smattering of snorts and giggles, along with a few awed looks, as well as a few skeptical ones. You couldn't blame them. You hadn't graduated with a Masters in Muggle Studies, after all.

"Now that I'm done talking about myself," you gazed out over the diverse array of faces and houses that sat before you. "It's time for me to get to know you." You slid off of the desk, your boot heels clacking on the floor as you straightened up. "Show of hands, how many of you were raised muggle, or have a muggle parent?" You were expecting maybe one or two students. You knew there would be a certain amount of interest, even from muggle-born students. But you had to control yourself from physically balking as you watched six students lift their hands, nearly half of the class. Even more interesting than the sheer number, was the fact that at least two of them were Slytherin's. They just kept surprising you today.

But… your restraint could not control your sass. "So… Wow, like, what…" You drew your eyebrows together, shaking your head minutely. "What are you even doing here?"

There was another eruption of laughter, and while some of the students with their hands raised looked sheepish, most of them were actually the ones laughing. You smiled sympathetically at those who were less than satisfied with your joke, and lifted both hands pacifyingly to get everyone to settle down. "Alright, okay. So…"

You paused, crossing your arms over your chest, before lifting one hand to tap your fingers against your lips. "How many of you are taking this class because you're genuinely interested in learning about the wizarding perspective on muggles?" More hands shot into the air this time, and some quite eagerly at that. More than half the class sat with their hands up; a promising statistic. But that, of course, left those whose hands were conspicuously on their desks. Still, you nodded, satisfied.

"Good! I'm glad to see that. I hope I don't disappoint you. Finally…" You took a dramatic pause, before arching one eyebrow in a fine imitation of a far more menacing professor. "How many of you are here because Muggle Studies is a soft option?"

There was a pause, stunned faces looking up at you, before glancing around to see if anyone was taking the bait. There was no way that there weren't at least a few kids that were here because Muggle Studies was an undemanding class. You kept your brow arched as you waited for someone to fess up, and after a few seconds, they finally did. Two of the Slytherin's (one of them being the boy who had just arrived, Keelan), and much to your dismay, the only Hufflepuff girl. There was some nervous laughter, and some dirty looks being thrown toward the back of the class, but you just smiled again, actually laughed, because you were pleased that they were at least opening up to you.

"Thank you for your honesty," you capitulated, leaning back against your desk again as you watched them all lower their hands again. "I hope you end up enjoying the class despite that. To give you an idea of what you're all in for, in this first year of the course, we're going to be covering the expansive answer to the age old question: how do Muggles get by without magic?" Eye rolls from some of the muggle raised students. You could practically hear them collectively think the word 'electricity', and you grinned as you continued. "Now, Muggle Studies does go all the way up to N.E.W.T. level, so over the course of your education, should you choose to continue with the class, we'll cover everything from the daily lives of muggles, to their history and its direct effects on the wizarding world, as well as some more theoretical ideas, such as: why does muggle technology continue to steadily advance, while wizards are basically still in the dark ages?"

That caught some of their attentions. Creased eyebrows, as if the thought of muggles being advanced in any capacity was a foreign concept, to near comical wonderment as if they were considering this idea for the very first time. Some of them were already taking notes. You had to reel them back in.

"That's a lot to chew on, I know," you leveled, smiling sympathetically at some of the more bewildered faces. "But don't worry about it today. Like I said, today I just want to get to know you. We're gonna be stuck with each other for the next ten months, possibly even the next five years, and I would prefer this to be a class you actually look forward to, instead of one you just have to go to. Or worse, one that you dread."

That seemed like something of a foreign concept to them as well. Which… you could understand. Even when you had been a student, you didn't recall having a Professor that took a special interest in actually getting to know all of their students. Heads of Houses made the effort, of course, and one could always get to know a Professor on a more personal level. But you always wondered if, say, maybe McGonagall would have been a little more understanding if she'd just taken an interest in her students as like, actual people, instead of treating them all like vessels made for receiving knowledge.

You were teaching Muggle Studies. So you were going to teach like a Muggle. When you had been little, long before ever knowing you were a witch, you would have teachers that made it their main mission to actually get to know their entire class on an individual level. Of course, they typically had the advantage of teaching the same group of kids every single day, for several hours a day. But you were determined to make the same effort for each of your classes. You knew not all of them would be receptive, and that was okay. But what was important to you, was making it known that you could be trusted. That you could provide guidance, not just in this class, but outside of it as well. You had been fortunate, lucky even, to have found a mentor, someone you could trust and rely on, while you had been a student, because without that, you surely would have fallen apart with worry and doubt. But not everyone had been afforded that same luxury. And that… was a shame, really.

"I'm not going to make you all stand up and state a fun random fact about yourself," you promised, returning back to the space between the blackboard and the desk. You opened one of the side drawers, retrieving the third year roster and smoothing out the list. "But when I call your name, raise your hand so I know who you are, and if you feel so inclined, tell me why you decided to take Muggle Studies." There had been thirteen names on it yesterday, but a fourteenth had magically appeared, surely within the last ten minutes. Typical.

You smiled a little as you moved back around to the front and sat yourself up on the desk again. "And yes, it's totally okay if your answer is because it's an easy A. It won't hurt my feelings." More nervous giggles, more exasperated eye rolls. But at least everyone seemed to be engaged, which was all you could hope for at this point. Peering down at your roster, you read off the first name at the top of the list. "Lucas Amari?"

"Here!"

Lucas was a scrawny Ravenclaw boy with dark hair, dark skin, and a really unfortunate combination of acne and glasses. He looked rather anxious as he held his hand up in the air, and you smiled in a way you hoped was soothing, in an attempt to calm his nerves. He kept his hand up as he spoke, voice stuck in the awkward space between mature and prepubescent, all halting and squeaky. "I come from an all wizarding family, and I, uh. I was encouraged to, take the class so that I, uh. So that I could get to know my, my muggle-born friends better…" He kept glancing from you, to the Gryffindor girl with the fizzy brown hair that was sitting right in front of him, and you thought yes, he certainly did want to get to know a certain muggle-born friend better.

"A noble cause, Lucas. Thanks." It took him a few moments to realize he could put his hand back down, and you had to really concentrate to keep from giggling. Poor kid. You were rooting for him, though. Next on the list… "Neptune Anderson." Cool name…

For a pretty cool kid. One of the Slytherin's in the back, with unruly black hair and an olive complexion, raised his hand casually. He was unreasonably handsome for a thirteen year old, clearly having matured a bit sooner than, say, Lucas. You also couldn't help but notice the glint of silver under his nostrils from a poorly concealed septum piercing. Much too cool for school. Had his parents allowed that or had he done it himself? "My dad's an astronomy teacher at University of Manchester," he explained easily, and you blinked in surprise. That was interesting. Explained his name, possibly. "I just thought it would be cool, to see things from both sides, since like… I guess a lot of muggle and wizard stuff actually overlaps? Like astronomy?"

You beamed, because that was exactly the sort of thing you wanted to hear. "You're absolutely right." You glanced around at a few confused faces. "Muggles study astronomy just like we do, just in a much different way. Like, by actually sending people into space, for starters." You chuckled at a few of the alarmed looks this news received. Did pure-blood kids really not know about space shuttles? "That's something we'll explore in this class; how we actually have a lot to learn from muggle science. Thank you, Neptune." He shrugged a dismissive shoulder, but you could see his tiny, pleased grin even from the back of the classroom.

"Next is… oh…" You frowned sheepishly as you squinted down at the next name on the register. "Lou… Looowv… Luuurv…"

"Lou-ve," cut in a copper haired Ravenclaw in the front row. She was pale and petite, and despite your struggle to pronounce her name, she was smiling understandingly. "Louve Campbell."

You had the decency to look properly abashed, returning her smile gratefully. "Louve Campbell," you repeated, and she nodded reassuringly.

You only smiled wider as she held her hand up obediently and said "Present," before lowering her hand back into her lap. "I know you said muggle studies is a soft option but I'm here because I was looking for a challenge. I grew up with magical creatures and divination, but I don't really know anything about muggles." She wasn't ashamed by her ignorance; just factual. And you could appreciate that. You'd certainly felt the same way, coming from a completely muggle background and knowing next to nothing about real magic.

"Well, I think we'll be able to change that. Thanks, Louve." The girl smiled again as you correctly pronounced her name, looking quite contented that she'd made a good impression.

You referred to the list again. Ah, another interesting name, but one you were sure you'd be able to pronounce this time. "Sun-jung Dove?"

"Meee!" The Gryffindor girl was practically jumping from her desk with excitement, her arm high in the air as she leaned against her desk. She wore her long black hair in pigtails, but despite the girlish style, she struck you as rather tom-boyish, with a surprisingly roguish grin and a prominent scar on her left cheek. "I want to become an Auror! I know Muggle Studies is not required but I thought it would be smart to take it, since Auror's have to protect muggles from dark wizards as well!" You wondered if this girl always spoke in exclamation points. But her proclamation made you smile all the same. She reminded you a little bit of Lawrence if that regard, though you were certain that he hadn't taken Muggle Studies.

"That's very prudent of you," you commented, and the girl continued to grin as she sat back down. "I have a friend who's on his way to becoming an Auror. He was not so sensible, but I think it's a smart move, especially if you're going to be working for the Ministry."

"That's what Percy said!" Sun-jung exclaimed with a giggle, and you blinked, momentarily stunned. Percy… Weasley? Oh god, no, was he going to be taking your class? You had known his brothers Bill (a year ahead of you) and Charlie (a year behind) fairly well. Well… you knew Bill fairly well, as you'd had a brief tryst with the Head Boy in your sixth year. But… that was neither here nor there. The point was that you also knew Percy, and you remembered that he was insufferable.

But that was a problem for another day (Friday, to be exact, when you would be teaching seventh years). For now, you still had all of these third years to get through. You consulted your roll call for the next student before calling out "Hermione Granger?"

She shot her hand up so quickly, you wondered if it was something she regularly practiced in the mirror. "Present!" It was the Gryffindor girl with the wild brown hair who had been giving you dubious looks all class, as if she were simply appalled by your lack of credentials. As she lowered her hand and sat up primly, you had a feeling that she was going to be a handful. "I wanted to take Muggle Studies because, even though both of my parents are muggle, I think it will be fascinating to study them from a wizarding standpoint."

There were some muffled groans and eye-rolls from the rows behind Hermione. Lucas Amari whipped around, doing his best to try and glare down whoever had done it. Though Hermione's cheeks were quite pink, she maintained her calm and determined features, as if she were used to this sort of treatment. Which… made you feel bad, for thinking she would be trouble. There was nothing worse than being made fun of just because you were curious. So, you smiled gently to her, nodding encouragingly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to see something you're already familiar with from a new point of view, Hermione. More wizards and witches could stand to adopt that sort of mentality." Hermione bit her bottom lip, dropping her gaze down at her folded hands, and you got the feeling that she couldn't agree more.

You passed a warning glance over the rest of the class who had deigned fit to groan at the girl, and you were rewarded with a few gazes averted in shame. Content that at least some of them had been thoroughly chastised, you moved on to the next name on the list. "Dakota Halton."

"Here." The Ravenclaw student had barely raised their hand up over their head, and you actually had to crane your neck to get a good look at them from where they sat behind Lucas. Thick glasses, a mop of brown hair, and a round face that was still holding on to baby-fat, Dakota had a nervous, overworked air about them. Which was alarming since it was literally the first class of the first day. They glanced up and down at you sporadically, as if unable or unwilling to maintain eye contact. "You said we only had to answer if we felt inclined…" They trailed off, eyes finally staying planted on their desk.

You maintained your kind smile, and nodded in reply. "I did indeed say that," you agreed, before turning your attention back down to the list. Making your kids uncomfortable was the last thing you wanted, so if they wanted space, you would provide it. Though you would be keeping an eye on Dakota, you thought to yourself, surreptitiously smudging your thumb against the paper next to their name, leaving a magical imprint of a star beside it. You had to suppress a grin, pleased that you had managed to pull off a bit of wandless magic for the first time in months. "Marina Hart?"

"Right here!" Another Ravenclaw girl sitting in the front row, with brown skin and a sleek bob haircut, lifted her hand briefly, before jerking her thumb to the side. "And I'm in the same boat as Hermione. Another muggle-born just wanting to see things different." Marina looked like she had been buzzing to say this from the moment the other students had scoffed at Hermione. Hermione, for her part, looked a little shocked, another blush climbing up her cheeks. You wondered if they were friends outside of this class. If not, you hoped you'd just witnessed the formation of a new friendship.

"I'm glad to hear it, Marina. I hope the class is enlightening for you both." You winked at Marina, a more intimate 'thank you' for having Hermione's back, and the girls grey eyes lit up bright, a stunning contrast to her dark skin. You were about half way through the roster now, and were pleased to see that everyone still seemed fairly engaged. "Leigh Hawkins," you called out next, and saw a pale hand climb up in the back of the class.

Another Slytherin, with straight, dark blonde hair that hung around her shoulders, and a curiously blank expression on her narrow face that could be read as either being bored or laid back. She looked incredibly tall for her age, her legs stretched out into the aisle from under the rather cramped desk. You could relate to that. She used the hand she'd had in the air to casually push a swath of hair behind her ear, before deadpanning, "I'm just here because I heard you have a record player."

This was met with a smattering of laughter, and you found yourself joining in. You nodded, looking over your shoulder at the stand where you did indeed have both a modern turntable, and as well as an old fashioned gramophone. The turntable was yours. The gramophone came with the classroom. Behind this stand was a stately bookshelf that you had defiled with an ungodly amount of vinyl records, on loan from your mother. "You heard correctly," you confirmed, turning back to smile across the room at Leigh. "You all will learn quickly that I'm a huge fan of muggle music, and we're going to be listening to quite a bit of it, if I can get away with it. In fact," you tapped your finger against your bottom lip in thought. "I'd been toying with the idea of allowing whoever scores highest on tests to choose a record for the day…"

"Then Hermione is going to be picking all of the music!"

This was followed by more laughter, the protest being blurted out by the only other Gryffindor in the class, a dark skinned boy you hadn't gotten the name of yet. Hermione was red in the face again, and looked on the verge of burying her face in her arms and hiding under her hair. You smiled ruefully, narrowing your eyes a little at the boy who had spoken out, before informing him that "You better get used to her taste in music then." That shut him up, and you smiled pleasantly as you passed a glance over Hermione, before returning your attention back to Leigh. "That being said, you're welcome to drop by during my office hours, if you're interested in listening to records with me. I wouldn't mind that at all."

Leigh threw you a peace sign with her fingers, and you grinned in response. Oh, you could see it already; your classroom full of assorted students during your off hours, doing their homework and taking turns picking out records. You found you actually quite liked the vision, deciding you would ask Minerva if such a thing would be allowed. Muggle Study Hall. Then again, you sure had spent an awful lot of time in the dungeons during Severus' free periods when you'd been a student… you were sure it would be fine.

"Next is… Chrysanthemum Kanker."

"You can call me Chrissie, Professor!" The final member of the front row was a plump Ravenclaw girl, with rosy flushed cheeks and hair remarkably similar to your own, all wavy blonde tresses. The only difference was that she appeared to be a ribbon aficionado, her hair pulled back with a great big bow and matching bows dotting her uniform and bag. "I'll be honest I'm totally obsessed with muggle technology. Just ask Marina, I was practically drooling over all of the cool stuff in here!" Marina nodded matter-of-factly from her spot beside Chrissie, and you knew a pair of besties when you saw one. The muggle-born witch and the muggle obsessed pure-blood. A perfect pair.

You grinned at having the odd assortment of rotary phones and toaster ovens that dotted the perimeter of the classroom called 'cool stuff' but you supposed to someone who didn't know better, it was pretty cool. "We'll be going over a lot of muggle tech this year, so I'm sure you won't be disappointed." Chrissie was practically vibrating with excitement. You would have to mentally prepare yourself to field a lot of questions from that one. Unless Marina could take over for you.

"Ernest Macmillan?"

You heard a slight groan, followed by a couple of giggles, and you looked up, frowning, as (finally) a Hufflepuff boy raised a hand. "Could you call me Ernie, Miss?" he asked reluctantly, and you smiled apologetically as you nodded. At least you were young enough to still be a Miss instead of a Ma'am. The list in your hands had magically added the nickname in parentheses next to their real names, you realized. It had done the same for Chrissie as well. He smiled gratefully, before explaining, "I guess I'm like a lot of other folks; all magic with no idea about muggles. My mate Justin is a muggle-born though, and he told me I should take the class so I can stop asking him so many questions."

You joined with the chuckles from around the class this time, nodding your understanding. You didn't want to embarrass the boy any further, but you had to ask. "Let me guess… did you try to call him on the telephone?" Ernie groaned again as he buried his face in his hands, muttering 'don't remind me' as he sank down against his desk. There was more laughter, but there were also a few sympathetic nods and shoulder pats from around him. You smiled understandingly. "Don't feel bad. That's, like, a rite of passage between magical and muggle raised friends. One of my old school friends spoke into the wrong end of the receiver for a solid five minutes before I simply hung up on her."

You weren't sure if that actually made Ernie feel better, but you saw a few pairs of students exchange embarrassed glances with each other, and knew that he wasn't even the only one in the class to have done something similar. You let the chatter die down, before calling the next name. "Alright. Irene Morgan?"

"Mhm." The only Hufflepuff girl this time, raised her hand from beside Ernie. She was a pretty girl, with dark tanned skin and sleek brunette hair, but she looked… just painfully bored with everything. And you forced a smile as she told you what you already knew; "I'm here for the easy A." The elicited more snickering, and you were pleased to have a class with such good humor, but it sort of broke your heart to hear this, especially from your own house. But then Irene smiled abashedly, and shrugged one shoulder coolly. "Though I guess… I do get kinda homesick sometimes. Will we really get to listen to muggle music?"

She sounded so hopeful, that you felt your heart break again, but for a much different reason this time. You nodded in confirmation, waving behind you towards the shelf full of records. "You bet we will. And a lot of it too. I'm sure I'll have something you like, but if you happen to have any records, or even CD's, I've got a stereo system too, you're welcome to bring them into class. Or like I said, during office hours." Irene simply nodded, propping her elbow in the desk and putting her chin in her hand, in a poorly concealed attempt to hide the smile from her mouth. Good. So she wasn't a total lost cause to the Easy A.

There were only a few students left on the roster, and you could see two boys in the center of the class, practically shivering with anticipation at finally having their names called. "Alder Moss?"

"Hi!" The eccentric Hufflepuff boy that had started your round of applause at the earlier lifted both hands in the air like he'd won a prize or something. There were black studs in his ears, and lavender polish on his nails, and he looked just absolutely delighted to be here. "I'm Alder! My mum is a witch, and my dad is a muggle, and sometimes, like…" His bright countenance seemed to falter a little as he realized what he was saying, so he leaned back in his seat, shrugging a little. "It's hard to keep it separate, you know? Statute of Secrecy and all. I'm hoping maybe I can figure out a way to… like, combine both worlds?" His tan cheeks were tinted red suddenly, and the Gryffindor boy beside him reached over to shake his shoulder. Alder smiled back over at him, before looking back up at you.

And you smiled back, nodding with understanding. "That can't be easy," you conceded. "But I think your ambitions are admirable. I hope my class can help you achieve that. Coexistence is what we should all be striving for, with muggle and magic folk alike." This was something that Charity Burbage had believed in whole-heartedly. You'd read about it extensively in her notes and recommended texts while you were preparing for the class, and you decided it was something you wished to adopt as one of the core principals of your class. Alder looked sheepish as he rubbed at his cheek, but he nodded in agreement. Cute.

So… that left... "Rory Scarlett?"

Alder's Gryffindor friend raised two fingers, holding them to the side of his forehead in a mock salute. This kid was undoubtedly a heartthrob, you could just tell; smooth, dark skin, a modern and stylish haircut, not to mention dimples for days. He had a pair of sunglasses perched on his head, and you could tell that his uniform had been subtly transfigured to be utterly bespoke. He also had painted nails, just like Alder, and you wondered if they painted them for each other. "I'm here 'cause Alder's here," he answered with a casual shrug, and then you were wondering if they did more than just paint each other's nails. "And also because muggle fashion has been off the charts for the past decade. I honestly think David Bowie has to be a wizard."

Your hand flew to your mouth as you burst out into sudden giggles, a few other students joining you, though not for the same reason, you were sure. It took you several long moments before you managed to get a hold of yourself enough to speak again. "You know, that's not the first time I've heard that theory, but I could teach a whole class about how that's absolutely impossible." Rory looked faintly crestfallen, but you winked as you added, "That's not to say his stylist isn't a wizard, though." And then the boy was smirking again, and you wondered if he would stay in the class once he realized this wasn't going to be a course on haute couture.

Rory was supposed to be the last on the list. However, one more name had been added just below his, and were extremely curious to find out why this particular student had decided to take Muggle Studies. "Last, but not least, Keelan Drake."

"Right here!" he called from his place in the back of the class, between the other two Slytherin's. He was leaning back in his chair, waving his hand like you were much further away than you really were. He still had a sort of goofy smile on his face, and you arched a brow to encourage him to answer. "Oh right, uh…" He floundered a bit, looking towards Leigh for help, but she wasn't offering any, and neither was Neptune, both Syltherin's studiously ignoring their counterpart. "I just… you know… wanted to expand my horizons?" Neptune snorted, and Leigh tipped her head back to hide her rolling eyes, and you couldn't help but smirk. Yeah, he'd definitely come for the view.

"As good a reason as any," you offered, and his lopsided grin only went dreamier. Oh boy. You'd have to keep an eye on him too. Or perhaps talk to Severus about him.

You let go of the list, watching it flutter down to the desk, before smiling widely out over the class. "Well, that was absolutely enlightening. Thank you all for indulging me. I feel like I know you better already." The class seemed to have loosed up considerably. Those who had looked loath to be there, actually were looking pretty contented now. And those who had been barely able to contain their excitement were… still looking super excited, but they might have at least cooled it down a little. You looked over your shoulder at the clock above the blackboard. "We've still got a fair amount of time. I'm not going to give you any assignments on the first day, but I'd at least like to give you an outline of how the semester is going to go, if you'd like to jump on some early reading. But… First thing's first."

You grinned. You had been looking forward to this moment for weeks. "Put away your quills and ink. You won't be needing them in this class." Hopping off of your perch, you walked back around to the other side, ducking under the desk, before popping back up with a small cardboard box. You scanned the room, finding many bewildered faces, but also several inexplicably pleased ones. Ah, nip that in the bud right now.

"That isn't to say you won't be taking notes," you clarified, and those excited grins turned into pouts. "You just won't be taking notes with those." You waved your hand towards the quills and inkpots that were still on Hermione's desk with a little shooing motion. They still looked baffled, but slowly began to comply, dropping the feathers and bottles into their bags. "In this class, I insist that you make use of the single greatest muggle invention of all time, in my humble opinion." You reached into the box, reverently lifting one of the items from it, poised delicately between your fingers. "May I present to you," you gave it a satisfying *click*, "The retractable ink pen."

Snorts and snickers again, and you smirked a little yourself. You couldn't help but be a tad dramatic. "Don't scoff. You're taking muggle studies! So why not study the muggle way?" You stepped around the desk with the box in your hand, counting out the number of students in each row, and dropping a stack of pens in front of Chrissie. She took one excitedly, before passing the rest behind her. You continued on down the line, placing bundles before Marina, Hermione and Louve as you continued to monologue.

"There's no need for quills that split and get bent up. No need for ink bottles that shatter in the bottom of your messenger bag two weeks into your first year of Hogwarts." Confused glances, both at you and at their fellow students, but you simply plowed ahead. "The same ink bottle that completely ruined your Charms and Transfiguration text books, and utterly destroyed the first essay you'd ever written for Professor Snape." Gasps of horror. Groans of empathy. You nodded solemnly, confirming that you weren't even exaggerating. "Oh yes. That happened. You can ask him yourself." (You wondered if any of them would actually have the cajones to do so.) "I used muggle school supplies for the entirety of my student career here at Hogwarts."

You dropped the box back onto the instructor's desk as you stepped back behind it. You watched as the more clueless students fiddled with their new pens, testing them on their notebooks, or clicking the button with incessant satisfaction. The muggle-born students also looked a little confused, as if questioning all of their life choices before this moment. You smiled broadly, your chest swelling with excitement; that giddy feeling one gets at the beginning of a long anticipated journey.

"You're going to learn that muggles aren't all backwards and primitive," you explained, leaning your hands against the desk. "In fact, I think you'll discover that in some cases, it's quite the opposite. Wizards seem repelled by innovation." You gazed out over the faces of your new students, from those gawking at you with rapt attention, to those arching their brows with skepticism. And that was okay. You welcomed skepticism; it meant that they were open to the possibility of doubt. "If you learn nothing else in this class, I at least want you to walk away from it with a sense of curiosity. I want you to question everything. And I want you to remember that just because something is traditional, doesn't mean it's practical."

-0-

OC Credits! Find them all on tumblr!
Rory Scarlet, Sun-jung Dove and Alder Moss belong to blooeyedspazz
Irene Morgan belongs to allonsymexgirl
Dakota Halton belongs to xerphena
Marina Hart belongs to nekonian
Lucas Amari belongs to etheriasnow
Louve Campbell belongs to starry-mess
Chrysanthemum "Chrissie" Kanker belongs to zult-of-zephyr
Leigh Hawkins belongs to sadttitude
Neptune Anderson belongs to the-lone-librarian
Keelan Drake belongs to severusslugclub