Dedicated to Christina and her staple gun. :)
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Glory sat at the head table with Lucius by her side and nervously picked at her breakfast. She had been through a lot, both at the hands of the Death Eaters and as an Auror, but nothing could have prepared her to teach a room full of teenagers. She had been one of them not too long ago and she couldn't imagine standing before them and having them listen to her.
"You'll do fine," Lucius murmured, reading her body language easily. "Don't be so nervous."
"How is it that being pursued by Voldemort seems so insignificant when compared to teaching?" she asked, then forced a hollow laugh. Her hand curled tightly around the arm of her chair and she glanced over at Lucius. "Teach the class for me. Please?"
He smiled and gently touched the hand that was holding so tightly to her chair. "You know I don't have the experience you do."
"Sure you do . . ." Glory trailed off and grinned. "You were part of the Dark Arts."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Ha ha," he said sarcastically, then pulled back his hand and went back to his breakfast.
"There's the sarcastic and bitter man I'm so used to," she said softly, elbowing him gently. "I'm serious though, would you teach the first class?"
Lucius glanced at her sideways. "I can't and you know it."
She sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I do know it. I'm just very nervous about it."
Lucius nodded. "I can imagine."
"I'm not sure how they'll react to me."
"Trust me," a deep voice drawled from her right, "they will be fine."
Glory glanced up to see Snape standing nearby. He met her eyes for a moment, then pulled out his chair at the head table and sat down. He reached for the goblet in front of him and took a long drink before addressing her again.
"Compared to the other teachers these children have had, I'm sure you will be a breath of fresh air," he said.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
Snape waved his hand in the air. "They've had an absolutely ridiculous line of teachers so far. A Death Eater disguised as an Auror, a werewolf, Voldemort himself and, of course," he paused and sneered, "Gilderoy Lockhart."
Glory nodded. "I've heard of him. He was quite the star a few years back, wasn't he? Not to mention all those books he wrote. They were quite incre-" she stopped short when she noticed the look on Snape's face. His lip had been pulled further back into the sneer and his hands were both clenched into tight fists on the table. She frowned and was about to ask Lucius what Snape's problem was when she noticed the same expression on her guardian's face.
"Wow," she murmured. "Everyone sure seems to be a big fan of Gilderoy."
"He didn't write those books," Lucius said at the same time as Snape burst out, "He couldn't teach a class on anything but his hair!"
"He's a stuck up, self righteous jerk who can't do anything right. And I hate his hair," Lucius growled.
Snape's eyes narrowed. "The most useless man I have ever met. I swear by Merlin's Wand, if I ever hear one more comment about Gilderoy Lockhart and his three time award winning smile I will hunt him down and . . ." he trailed off and looked back at his food.
"Five time award winning smile," Glory corrected, trying to hide the grin building on her face. "And I like his hair."
Both men glared at her and Glory bit her lip. They both looked like they would tip over their chairs as they leapt up to scream at her if she said another word about Gilderoy Lockhart, so she just smiled and went back to her breakfast.
"At least you have something in common," she said, unable to stop herself.
Apparently that comment didn't warrant a response from either man as Dumbledore took his place at the centre of the table, smiling gently at Glory when she caught his eye. He stared out over the school, taking in the new students and the ones he had been watching grow for years already. They were all talking, chattering with their friends about the school year to come. Glory followed his gaze as it crossed over the Slytherin table, then paused on a handsome dark haired boy at the Gryffindor table. They boy obviously felt the Headmaster's gaze on him because he turned, then smiled widely and waved. Glory took in the green eyes and the glasses, then her eyes fell upon the scar of his forehead and she smiled in recognition. That handsome boy was the great Harry Potter.
"He'll be in your first class of the day," Snape said from down the table. "Seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins. They'll be coming straight from Potions so I wouldn't expect you to see any cheerful Gryffindors."
"They don't like Potions?" Glory asked.
Snape almost smiled at her comment, but just shook his head instead. "Oh no, they don't like me."
Lucius paused in his meal to cast a dark glance in Snape's direction. "There aren't many people in this world that still like you, Severus."
Both of the former Death Eaters stared at each other over the table for a long moment, the tension between them too strong to ignore anymore. Snape's hands were unconsciously clenching into fists, though the rest of his demeanor remained unchanged. Lucius, on the other hand looked ready for the fight that might break out, he looked as if he were hoping it would.
Glory's hand fell on Lucius' wrist and he glanced sharply at her. She stared at him, her fingers tightening slightly on his arm and shook her head slightly. Lucius sighed and glanced away, then nodded and went back to his breakfast.
"Don't start anything," she murmured to Lucius, then shot Snape the same look. "Both of you need to get past some things."
"I would tend to agree," Dumbledore said in a soft voice, then spread his hands and stood. "Welcome back students! Another year is beginning and your classes will begin today. I want to take a moment before breakfast begins to introduce you to our newest professor, Glorificus Beckwith. She will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and my trust lies with her completely. She is a retired Auror and a former student at Hogwarts and I am sure you will find her lessons stimulating and interesting." He smiled, then clapped his hands. "Enjoy your meal."
"Stimulating and interesting?" Glory murmured, staring at her food. "Now I have to be stimulating and interesting?"
Lucius offered her half a smile.
"I'm doomed," she moaned.
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Glory sat at the head table with Lucius by her side and nervously picked at her breakfast. She had been through a lot, both at the hands of the Death Eaters and as an Auror, but nothing could have prepared her to teach a room full of teenagers. She had been one of them not too long ago and she couldn't imagine standing before them and having them listen to her.
"You'll do fine," Lucius murmured, reading her body language easily. "Don't be so nervous."
"How is it that being pursued by Voldemort seems so insignificant when compared to teaching?" she asked, then forced a hollow laugh. Her hand curled tightly around the arm of her chair and she glanced over at Lucius. "Teach the class for me. Please?"
He smiled and gently touched the hand that was holding so tightly to her chair. "You know I don't have the experience you do."
"Sure you do . . ." Glory trailed off and grinned. "You were part of the Dark Arts."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Ha ha," he said sarcastically, then pulled back his hand and went back to his breakfast.
"There's the sarcastic and bitter man I'm so used to," she said softly, elbowing him gently. "I'm serious though, would you teach the first class?"
Lucius glanced at her sideways. "I can't and you know it."
She sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I do know it. I'm just very nervous about it."
Lucius nodded. "I can imagine."
"I'm not sure how they'll react to me."
"Trust me," a deep voice drawled from her right, "they will be fine."
Glory glanced up to see Snape standing nearby. He met her eyes for a moment, then pulled out his chair at the head table and sat down. He reached for the goblet in front of him and took a long drink before addressing her again.
"Compared to the other teachers these children have had, I'm sure you will be a breath of fresh air," he said.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
Snape waved his hand in the air. "They've had an absolutely ridiculous line of teachers so far. A Death Eater disguised as an Auror, a werewolf, Voldemort himself and, of course," he paused and sneered, "Gilderoy Lockhart."
Glory nodded. "I've heard of him. He was quite the star a few years back, wasn't he? Not to mention all those books he wrote. They were quite incre-" she stopped short when she noticed the look on Snape's face. His lip had been pulled further back into the sneer and his hands were both clenched into tight fists on the table. She frowned and was about to ask Lucius what Snape's problem was when she noticed the same expression on her guardian's face.
"Wow," she murmured. "Everyone sure seems to be a big fan of Gilderoy."
"He didn't write those books," Lucius said at the same time as Snape burst out, "He couldn't teach a class on anything but his hair!"
"He's a stuck up, self righteous jerk who can't do anything right. And I hate his hair," Lucius growled.
Snape's eyes narrowed. "The most useless man I have ever met. I swear by Merlin's Wand, if I ever hear one more comment about Gilderoy Lockhart and his three time award winning smile I will hunt him down and . . ." he trailed off and looked back at his food.
"Five time award winning smile," Glory corrected, trying to hide the grin building on her face. "And I like his hair."
Both men glared at her and Glory bit her lip. They both looked like they would tip over their chairs as they leapt up to scream at her if she said another word about Gilderoy Lockhart, so she just smiled and went back to her breakfast.
"At least you have something in common," she said, unable to stop herself.
Apparently that comment didn't warrant a response from either man as Dumbledore took his place at the centre of the table, smiling gently at Glory when she caught his eye. He stared out over the school, taking in the new students and the ones he had been watching grow for years already. They were all talking, chattering with their friends about the school year to come. Glory followed his gaze as it crossed over the Slytherin table, then paused on a handsome dark haired boy at the Gryffindor table. They boy obviously felt the Headmaster's gaze on him because he turned, then smiled widely and waved. Glory took in the green eyes and the glasses, then her eyes fell upon the scar of his forehead and she smiled in recognition. That handsome boy was the great Harry Potter.
"He'll be in your first class of the day," Snape said from down the table. "Seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins. They'll be coming straight from Potions so I wouldn't expect you to see any cheerful Gryffindors."
"They don't like Potions?" Glory asked.
Snape almost smiled at her comment, but just shook his head instead. "Oh no, they don't like me."
Lucius paused in his meal to cast a dark glance in Snape's direction. "There aren't many people in this world that still like you, Severus."
Both of the former Death Eaters stared at each other over the table for a long moment, the tension between them too strong to ignore anymore. Snape's hands were unconsciously clenching into fists, though the rest of his demeanor remained unchanged. Lucius, on the other hand looked ready for the fight that might break out, he looked as if he were hoping it would.
Glory's hand fell on Lucius' wrist and he glanced sharply at her. She stared at him, her fingers tightening slightly on his arm and shook her head slightly. Lucius sighed and glanced away, then nodded and went back to his breakfast.
"Don't start anything," she murmured to Lucius, then shot Snape the same look. "Both of you need to get past some things."
"I would tend to agree," Dumbledore said in a soft voice, then spread his hands and stood. "Welcome back students! Another year is beginning and your classes will begin today. I want to take a moment before breakfast begins to introduce you to our newest professor, Glorificus Beckwith. She will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and my trust lies with her completely. She is a retired Auror and a former student at Hogwarts and I am sure you will find her lessons stimulating and interesting." He smiled, then clapped his hands. "Enjoy your meal."
"Stimulating and interesting?" Glory murmured, staring at her food. "Now I have to be stimulating and interesting?"
Lucius offered her half a smile.
"I'm doomed," she moaned.
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