OK.. Well, I write with a few other girls in a German Harry Potter Roleplaygame. My charakter, Samantha, got involved in really much stories in the last months but as the following is the most intensive plot, I tried the impossible and picked it out. I had to change a lot of the story and leave out a lot of things but that was necessary to make a story out of a RPG. Nevertheless this story about a young trainee teacher in Hogwarts would never have been possible without the gang from the RPG. *hugs and kisses*
As this is the very first FanFic I ever wrote ( and in a foreign language *yikes* ) I only publish the first part and continue depending on the REVIEWS I hopefully get someday.
Oh.. ~ means ~ that somebody thinks. :)
Let's get it on...
PART 1 SAM
I.
She took a deep breath and counted down to ten as her father had taught her."Dos..Un.. Ok here we go.." It always helped when she was nervous or anxious. Then she opened the door of the teacher's room. Familiar faces turned towards her. It hat only been six years since she left Hogwarts. She smiled shyly, closed the door and heard a soft voice beside her. "Ah. There she is. We are complete now." She turned her head and looked in the wrinkled face of Albus Dumbledore who outstretched his hand. His blue eyes twinkled over the half - moon glasses. "Welcome to Hogwarts, or should I say welcome back?" He pushed her gently towards the sitting teachers. "My dear collegues, I want to introduce you a new member of our staff. This is Miss Samantha De Escobar. We chose her out of 100 candidats from the Witch and Wizard University who wanted to finish their last year as a trainee teacher here in Hogwarts. Some of you might still know her as a Gryffindor student. As her subjects are Defence of the Dark Arts and Mugglestudies she can take the whole Defence teaching instead of assisting it, until we have finally found a new teacher for that. Take a seat, Miss Escobar and welcome to the other side" He winked to her and showed her a free chair. Sam smiled in the faces of Prof McGonagall, Prof Sprout, Madame Hooch, Prof Flitwick and Prof Daybridge, the Mugglestudies teacher she would assist now.. Formerly her teachers, now her new collegues.
Everybody nodded or smiled back, except of the last face her eyes met. Pale and cool it looked towards her as she took the seat next. "Professor Snape, nice to meet you again" she said, trying to keep her voice lax. His black, empty eyes flashed. Snape nodded towards her. She turned her face again towards Dumbledore nervously pushed away a streak of hair with her left hand. A fine silver ring was its only piece of jewellery. On its top a deep green emerald sparkled in the fire light.
After the conference she waited outside the room, leaning at the wall. Many new tasks she would have to face in the next days. Not speaking of her very first lesson on her own. But in addition to that there would be a big celebration in Hogwarts soon . Dumbledore had his jubilee as headmaster ( he wouldn't say to her which it was "Long enough" he had grinned.) and she was in the organisation team. Anticipation made her feel all excitedly and happily. She had not to wait long until the person she was looking for left with hasty steps the room. "Excuse me". The man in the nightblack gown turned around and made his robes wave. "Yes. Samantha" Snape's eyebrow rised and he crossed his arms. He gave her name an ironical stress that changed her nervous face into a slightly annoyed one. "Oh. I see. Obviously you got my owl" she said and raised an eyebrow as well. "Yes, indeed, I got your letter out of the jungle. It was very.. emotional, Samantha" Snape replied with a cynical smile. Sam hated her full name. And the way he pronounced it nearly made her furious. "I never got any answers. And I want to have that clear before we start to work together" she said and her black eyes were full of anger. "I don't have anything to say to you about that.. matter" he sneered and blundered out "matter" so contemptuosly as if it was a desease or something else very uncomfortable. "Nothing but: There are things that better stay where they belong: In the dark." He turned around and left her alone, staring angrily in the left corridor.
II.
"Left.. Right.. Left.. Ok. Fix it". Sam was standing in the middle of her new office surrounded by boxes full of books, brushes and tins of paint. A man in a green gown and a white doctor's coat stood on a wooden chair and tried to put a big painting on the wall. He stepped down the chair and wiped the sweat off his face. "Damn heavy those" He pointed on the other paintings which were yet on the wall or still piled up in the corner. It all were living portraits and obvioulsy not very amused being moved and pushed around like that. The one which was just fixed on the wall showed an old knight who suspiciously peered along the frame of his portrait. "Oh I am sorry.. I forgot that you are not used to lift anything heavier than a stethoscope, Dr. Robin Brush" Sam sniggered and laughed. The young man stepped towards her and kissed her nose. "As soon they are teachers they become arrogant" he grinned. He looked around in the small tumbled office and then on his watch. "Do you think you come along without me? I said Dad I would help him with the shop this afternoon" He put his arms around her waist. She smiled "No worries. I am stronger than I appear. And I have this one" Her hand with the emerald ring waved. "Ok then.. I am leaving this place.. Bad memories. Guess who I met on the corridor" He shivered "Our good old friend from the good old days.. Prof Snape" If that name awoke something in Sam, her face didn't show it. "Oh yeah.. did he recognize you?" she asked and focused a portrait. The stone of her ring began to glow green. "Yes he did. "Brush.. what are you doing here? And where did you get this coat? Bought it on a flea market?" " Robin tried to imitate Snape's voice. Sam continued staring on the picture which suddendly started to move upwards. Directed by the hand with the glowing emerald it flew onto the wall and moved until it was over its hook. Sam lowered her hand, the ring's light faded. "Don't take him serious..." "Did we ever do that?" She smiled to Robin "Umm.. not really". They kissed goodbye.
III.
The staff room hummed with the eager discussing voices of the Hogwart's teacher. Sam sat on her seat next to Prof. Snape. Nobody noticed the glow of the emerald on Sam's left hand which she kept half in the long sleeve of her robes. Nobody could hear or see the dialogue of Sam and Snape which was only mental, made possible by her special gifts as a telepath. ~ You were not very happy about this decision, weren't you. ~ Snape's head moved not an inch. ~ I wasn't indeed ~ his dark voice sounded deep in her thoughts. ~ Aren't there enough candidats? Better ones? Or are you such a untalented Defence of the Dark Arts teacher that they had to take him back? ~ Sam eyes darkened. Without moving her lips she contered this mean comment ~ You are the one who claims since my arrival that the Defence should not be taught by such a, I quote ' young, unexperienced witch ', quotation end as I am. Well, you should be glad that they have another teacher now. Oops. I forgot. It is not you. What a pity.~
The staff had voted with a clear majority for the comeback of the former Defence teacher. Sam had not given a vote - she knew too less about this man, except of what she read in the newspaper - and except of the rumours. With rumours, she didn't believe in them. She knew how easy somebody was aim of the daily gossip - out of own experience in the few weeks she was here now. The young, pretty trainee teacher had been seen one time too often in the dungeons and, as Mdm Pince told everybody who wanted to know and everybody who did not, too, in the library with a certain companion. So teachers and students rumoured very soon that there was more between her and the Potion's master than only a collegual relationship. Sam didn't care. She didn't give a dead Flobberworm about that as she knew that it was not true. On the contrary: It kept the truth out of sight, in the dark, and that was good the way it was.
IV
This was the day Sam thought on her way to the Great Hall on a cool, clear Monday morning. Today the old / new Defence teacher would start again. Sam was curious and dissappointed at the same time. She would loose the main teaching and would be an assistant now in Defence, like she had been in Mugglestudies all the time. Sam loved her classes but knew that this had been an unique and extraordinary chance which had been too good to last forever.
She entered the Hall and sat down. Tired looking pupils and teachers dropped in by and by, one of them Severus Snape who looked as if he had pure lemon juice in his tea cup. Heads moved when Dumbledore entered, accompanied by a tall, good-looking, still quite young man. He had light brown eyes and hairs who showed grey tresses which somehow didn't quite fit to his youthful smile. The Headmaster went with him to the head of the table and it became silent. He spoke "So many letters reached me, pleading for his return. About ten times more owls I had to write to him, but finally he agreed to take at least the Defence lessons for the rest of this term. So please welcome back Prof. Remus Lupin." Enthusiastic applause rose. Only younger student's, who didn't know him anymore and nearly all Slytherins didn't join the cheering. Lupin looked slightly flattered and thanked with calm moves of his hands. The pupils went back to breakfast, chatting and laughing. Lupin shook hands with old colleagues. When he reached the end of the table and saw Snape his face turned cooler. "And Severus.. Hope our teamwork will be as good as it was..." "Lupin - I keep an eye on you" Snape grumbled with dangerous low voice. "You may have convinced the Ministery and old man Dumbledore, but not.." "So you are Professor Lupin?" Sam interrupted quickly. She had detected a frightening stream of wrath and anger floating between Lupin and Snape. Empathy, the ability to feel certain strong human emotions, a part of her gift, had helped often in such critical situations. It seemed to work out this time as well. Lupin turned towards her and his face relaxed. "Yes indeed. And who do I have the pleasure to meet?" He smiled and sat down next to her. "Samantha De Escobar" she replied, ignoring Snape who watched them with still angrily glowing eyes. "Trainee teacher. I will assist you in Defence." - "Oh I see, you are the new young talent that had lead Defence all of her own.. the director's words" Lupin said still smiling as he saw Sam's face blush. He grabbed a slice of toast and eyed her face, thinking. "I know, this sounds quite clumsy, but I am sure I met you before." Sam glared but just one second until she found back her control. "No, I am afraid we never saw each other before." she answered, trying to sound not nervously. Lupin leaned back in his chair, chewing. "I am sorry, but I am very sure. Your face is so familiar to me.. De Escobar.. this isn't an English name is it?" Sam pushed back a hairtress and answered "No it isn't, it's Spanish. My mother is English and my father Spanish." He didn't stop viewing her face. "Spanish.. hmm" She couldn't help but risk a quick look to Snape who listened with tense. "See you in the conference, I got to go." She stood up quickly and left the room. Lupin looked towards Severus but he avoided every eye contact.
V
With the high pile of books in her arm, Sam couldn't hardly see where she set her feet. So she didn't recognize that the table she was heading to was already occupied. "Do you need a helping hand?" a friendly voice asked and before Sam had time to answer somebody released her arms from the books. It was Remus Lupin who settled down again with the book he head been reading before. "' lo" Sam said and added "I hope I don't disturb you?" "Never" Lupin grinned. "I am here because of you!" "Me?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Yes" Lupin pushed the large book towards her "I was so sure that I know your face." Sam read the title of the book he was showing her "Hogwarts Yearbook.." She swallowed driely. Lupin flicked the pages until he found what he was searching for. "It is astonishing..look." Sam hold her breath. The picture Lupin was pointing out showed a small group of dark-haired, Latin looking youngsters in poncho like robes among Hogwart's students. "The Southamerican Exchange students" was printed below. "See." Lupin seemed not to recognize how puzzled Sam was. "That's me.. that's Severus, and next to him.." Sam did not want to look as she knew what she would see. But finally she turned her eyes toward Lupin's finger. Yes, there was an about fifteen year old Snape, pale and skinny, with the same sinister and grim look he had nowadays. And next to him, holding his hand and just tiptoeing to give him a kiss on the cheek, stood a Southamerican girl. She was slim, delicate, with half-long black shiny hair and fine features in a slightly tanned face. Except of the colour of her cool green almond-eyes she looked exactly like Sam.
Sam didn't say anything. Lupin gently put one hand on hers. So close to her he could smell a sweet touch of rose perfume coming from her hair. "Miss Escobar, I am a wizard and used to believe in many things. But two things never belonged to that: I don't believe in rumours. And I don't believe in chance. The first you get to know when you come back to this schools are rumours. You know the gossip about me, but do you know the ones about yourself?" "Rumours about me are as false as those about you" Sam said quietly. "I know. You don't have any affair, but is this .. chance?" He nodded towards the open book. "I met this girl about twenty-five years ago . She could be your twin. And she was the girlfriend of Severus Snape. Her name was.." "Clara." Sam looked into his surprised face. "Clara Vasquez. She is my mother. Severus Snape.. He is my father."
VI
"I don't know why I am telling you all this" Sam sat in a cosy armchair in Lupin's office and looked into the fire. "Is it because you are such a good listener or because I am such a lousy liar?" She blew into a mug of hot tea in her hands. Traces in her face showed that she had cried. Lupin looked at her, a moment hesitating. Then he answered "You needed to talk to somebody, keeping all this so long hidden. You had to give vent to your feelings" - "I suppose you're right." Sam rubbed her eyes. "I never spoke to anybody about that. Not even with my parents. And Severus.. We never lost a word about it.. or her." She sipped on her tea. "I am afraid I can't tell you anymore, I never really knew Clara very well. How long have you been in Southamerica to search her?" - "About a year. It lasted ages to find out everything, I started with nothing.The archives of the orphanage I was given to after her death burned out completely. My parents adopted me without knowing anything about my past. It's so .. funny. I went around the world to search for an answer and it was all the time here, in my school, in front of my desk, seven years long. I thought he just hated me without any reason! No one had worse marks than me in Potions, no one had more detention than I had, he even kept me once in at my sixteenth birthday! And he knew it all the time.." She shook her head angrily. " Even when he knew I would come back he didn't do anything. I made the first step ... like usual." Her face was red with anger. Lupin walked over to her and sat down in front of her. "Hey..don't waste your precious energy in being angry. Don't blame him. You have a family, you had a nice childhood. There is no use.." He watched her and pondered. "You like him, don't you." It was a statement, no question. Sam didn't answer. She just looked to him, shook her head to free her face from the long hair falling over her shoulder. They sat awhile in silence and drank their tea. Sam finally smiled. "I think I have some work to do. Thanks for listening." Sam smiled so sweetly that he felt his heart beating. "No matter, that's what collegues are for, Miss Escobar" he replied pleasantly. She rose from her armchair. "For you it's 'Sam'." - "Um.. Remus" he said after a pause and touched his chest. "Well then.. thanks again and see you.. Remus." She turned around when she passed him on her way out and touched his arm quickly. The touch and the sound of her voice saying his name sent shivers down his spine. Long after Sam left the room Remus stood in the middle of the room, breathing deeply through the nose, spreading his nostrils to catch the rose scent which was mingled with the air she had passed.
