Must You Be So Miserable?
Chapter Four - Absolutely Bloody Terrified
A/N: this chapter is really short. The next one is longer. This story is going to be reeeeeaaaaaaaally long. And it WILL get better!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. You know how it goes.
***
Absolutely Bloody Terrified.
`Oh my God! This is it! Help! Why am I this nervous? I think I'm going to be sick! Can't they just guess who I am? Does he have to announce me? Uh oh! I think I'm swaying! I'm going to be sick!'
She was terrified. She'd been on edge all day. Constantly checking for the students out of the window. She'd gone through so much coffee it was incredible and she just didn't want him to announce her. She didn't want to have to sit at the high table, where they could all see her. She hadn't been this nervous at her interview. She couldn't remember when she was last this nervous. Her hands were shaking.
"Right then everyone," Dumbledore began, "The students will be here at any moment. We'll run through the routine one more time." Severus folded his arms, bored, "You'll all take your seats before they get in, and everyone knows where they're sitting. Minerva will bring the first years in, we'll do the sorting, I'll introduce Beth, you just need to smile when I say your name, we'll do the announcements and then we'll eat. Remember, now we're back at work, we're supposed to use professional titles instead of first names. I think I can hear them, everyone in their seats."
Beth nodded and swallowed hard in an attempt to ease her painfully dry throat. Her heart was banging so hard she was sure it was trying to break out of her ribcage, her palms were sweaty and nausea was washing over her like waves crashing on the shore. Someone, most probably Hilda, clapped a hand on her shoulder and told her to calm down. She took her seat in between Severus and Minerva's empty chair (she'd gone for the first years) and began needlessly smoothing the bottom of her blue fitted shirt and the sleeves of her black over robe. Then the paranoid new teacher began dusting non-existent dust from her black boot cut trousers.
"Nervous?" Severus whispered, amusement evident in his voice, as she checked the bun she'd managed to get her hair into.
"Absolutely bloody terrified," she murmured distractedly. The doors banged open and she jumped, hearing him snigger. Students in their black robes swarmed in and seated themselves at their house tables. She was painfully aware a lot of them were looking her way and talking.
"Calm down!" he told her sternly out of the corner of his mouth.
"I can't!" she whispered back, turning to see him staring at his own house table.
The sorting seemed to drag on forever. She worked out which house was which and whose house was who's and eventually came the part she'd been dreading.
"This year we have a new addition to our staff," Dumbledore told his school. Beth's stomach knotted itself, "I would like you all to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Beth Calto." The school clapped and she smile, feeling her cheeks warming a little, "Professor Calto is rather new to all of Hogwarts so I trust you will behave and not spin her any stupid lies about the castle. Now for the usual reminders - no magic on corridors, stay in your own common rooms and as you all know, the staff room, staff wing and Forbidden Forest are all strictly out of bounds. That said, let us eat!"
Knowing that the students were eating instead of looking at her, her stomach untied itself.
"That was more terrifying than my actual interview," Beth said to Minerva.
"We've all been there. I'll always remember the way I felt at my first start of term feast."
"Did your stomach knot itself?"
"My stomach disappeared altogether." The older witch smiled reassuringly, "More gravy?"
Minerva waited until Severus was talking to the person on the other side of him before she spoke to Beth again.
"Beth," she whispered, " you need warning about Severus now that we're back at school."
"Oh?"
"Listen, don't be upset if he starts completely ignoring you. Severus has his `reputation' as a bit of an arrogant pratt, in lighter terms, so don't expect him to be friendly at work."
"Oh, I've already worked that one out. The only thing he's said to me since the kids got here is `calm down'. I'll just be ready to throw back whatever he gives." She said smiling wickedly.
"That I'll look forward to seeing."
***
She was thoroughly relieved when the students left for bed but she was terrified of tomorrow as she would have tot each her first classes. Sleepily, she climbed the stairs to the staff wing, bid her neighbours goodnight and decided she wanted a hot shower and an early night.
Thirty-five minutes later she emerged from the bathroom wearing blue shirt and trouser style pyjamas and ran a hand through her loose hair, letting the stubborn, thick brown waves fall either side of her face. The fire was warm and the kitchen she'd filled with modern, pale green units was bright. While waiting for the kettle to boil, the considerably less nervous woman sorted her outfit for the next day. She'd been told teachers could wear whatever they wanted (within reason) as long as they wore the typical long, floaty over robe. The only wizarding clothes she had were black over robes.. She picked one of the outfits she wore when she was teaching in Wales: dark blue boot cut jeans, a maroon turtle neck jumper and black boots. Turtlenecks suited her well and she was the sort of person born for jeans.
Beth finished her drink and cleaned her teeth. Clambering into bed she was sure the pillows were calling her to them. She smiled. Tomorrow was the official start of a whole new chapter in her life. She was no longer Beth C. the English teacher, she was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor ant Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor Calto. Professor B. A. Calto. It had a nice sound.
Chapter Four - Absolutely Bloody Terrified
A/N: this chapter is really short. The next one is longer. This story is going to be reeeeeaaaaaaaally long. And it WILL get better!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. You know how it goes.
***
Absolutely Bloody Terrified.
`Oh my God! This is it! Help! Why am I this nervous? I think I'm going to be sick! Can't they just guess who I am? Does he have to announce me? Uh oh! I think I'm swaying! I'm going to be sick!'
She was terrified. She'd been on edge all day. Constantly checking for the students out of the window. She'd gone through so much coffee it was incredible and she just didn't want him to announce her. She didn't want to have to sit at the high table, where they could all see her. She hadn't been this nervous at her interview. She couldn't remember when she was last this nervous. Her hands were shaking.
"Right then everyone," Dumbledore began, "The students will be here at any moment. We'll run through the routine one more time." Severus folded his arms, bored, "You'll all take your seats before they get in, and everyone knows where they're sitting. Minerva will bring the first years in, we'll do the sorting, I'll introduce Beth, you just need to smile when I say your name, we'll do the announcements and then we'll eat. Remember, now we're back at work, we're supposed to use professional titles instead of first names. I think I can hear them, everyone in their seats."
Beth nodded and swallowed hard in an attempt to ease her painfully dry throat. Her heart was banging so hard she was sure it was trying to break out of her ribcage, her palms were sweaty and nausea was washing over her like waves crashing on the shore. Someone, most probably Hilda, clapped a hand on her shoulder and told her to calm down. She took her seat in between Severus and Minerva's empty chair (she'd gone for the first years) and began needlessly smoothing the bottom of her blue fitted shirt and the sleeves of her black over robe. Then the paranoid new teacher began dusting non-existent dust from her black boot cut trousers.
"Nervous?" Severus whispered, amusement evident in his voice, as she checked the bun she'd managed to get her hair into.
"Absolutely bloody terrified," she murmured distractedly. The doors banged open and she jumped, hearing him snigger. Students in their black robes swarmed in and seated themselves at their house tables. She was painfully aware a lot of them were looking her way and talking.
"Calm down!" he told her sternly out of the corner of his mouth.
"I can't!" she whispered back, turning to see him staring at his own house table.
The sorting seemed to drag on forever. She worked out which house was which and whose house was who's and eventually came the part she'd been dreading.
"This year we have a new addition to our staff," Dumbledore told his school. Beth's stomach knotted itself, "I would like you all to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Beth Calto." The school clapped and she smile, feeling her cheeks warming a little, "Professor Calto is rather new to all of Hogwarts so I trust you will behave and not spin her any stupid lies about the castle. Now for the usual reminders - no magic on corridors, stay in your own common rooms and as you all know, the staff room, staff wing and Forbidden Forest are all strictly out of bounds. That said, let us eat!"
Knowing that the students were eating instead of looking at her, her stomach untied itself.
"That was more terrifying than my actual interview," Beth said to Minerva.
"We've all been there. I'll always remember the way I felt at my first start of term feast."
"Did your stomach knot itself?"
"My stomach disappeared altogether." The older witch smiled reassuringly, "More gravy?"
Minerva waited until Severus was talking to the person on the other side of him before she spoke to Beth again.
"Beth," she whispered, " you need warning about Severus now that we're back at school."
"Oh?"
"Listen, don't be upset if he starts completely ignoring you. Severus has his `reputation' as a bit of an arrogant pratt, in lighter terms, so don't expect him to be friendly at work."
"Oh, I've already worked that one out. The only thing he's said to me since the kids got here is `calm down'. I'll just be ready to throw back whatever he gives." She said smiling wickedly.
"That I'll look forward to seeing."
***
She was thoroughly relieved when the students left for bed but she was terrified of tomorrow as she would have tot each her first classes. Sleepily, she climbed the stairs to the staff wing, bid her neighbours goodnight and decided she wanted a hot shower and an early night.
Thirty-five minutes later she emerged from the bathroom wearing blue shirt and trouser style pyjamas and ran a hand through her loose hair, letting the stubborn, thick brown waves fall either side of her face. The fire was warm and the kitchen she'd filled with modern, pale green units was bright. While waiting for the kettle to boil, the considerably less nervous woman sorted her outfit for the next day. She'd been told teachers could wear whatever they wanted (within reason) as long as they wore the typical long, floaty over robe. The only wizarding clothes she had were black over robes.. She picked one of the outfits she wore when she was teaching in Wales: dark blue boot cut jeans, a maroon turtle neck jumper and black boots. Turtlenecks suited her well and she was the sort of person born for jeans.
Beth finished her drink and cleaned her teeth. Clambering into bed she was sure the pillows were calling her to them. She smiled. Tomorrow was the official start of a whole new chapter in her life. She was no longer Beth C. the English teacher, she was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor ant Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor Calto. Professor B. A. Calto. It had a nice sound.