Sarah wasn't ready to go back but she took the job any ways, it had been so long since she had anything to do with her world. Chills went up and down her spine as she settled in. Her classroom was orderly though, it was at the top of the tower, the last teacher had cleared out rather well.
The last professor had suddenly 'seen' herself taking a year off from the school and they needed a quick replacement. Why she had been chosen was beyond her but she accepted when they asked.
Pulling out her bag she produced a great many things. First she pulled out a five foot tall tea tree placing it in a corner near a window as she drew the drapes. Next came Chinese food containers with sets of tea cups in them. Then came different table cloths from Peru, Australia, America, India, South Africa, any place you can think of. Then she pulled out pillows and blankets throwing them over the chairs to make the room more comfortable. Next she produced a small book case, put it on one side of the fireplace then enlarged it.
Unlike the other teachers she had the whole tower. On the first level was the class with a joint office. Then above that was her bedroom with a small sitting room and bath. Supposedly the other teacher never left the tower except for once, so it amazed Sarah that she took a whole year off.
"Sarah?" A voice asked and she turned to see the headmaster. "Is there anything else you will be needing?"
"No sir."
"Albus," he corrected.
"I'm sorry, it might take me a while to call you that sir," she smiled.
"Quite alright," Dumbledore smiled; "the opening feast will begin in half an hour. May I accompany you down to the great hall?"
She smiled; "that would be fine."
Together they made it downstairs and took their seats as the students had already sat down at their tables. Three or four of the seats at her table were open, including the one to her left. Hagrid sat to her right ringing out a sleeve to his coat. "First year fell in. Had to scoop him out," he explained.
"Good thing you were there then," Sarah smiled doing a drying spell for him, leaving Hagrid blushing.
Professor McGonagall soon lead a group of first years in, one little boy was sopping wet. She set the stool out as the hat began to sing, but Sarah didn't notice. She was looking at a fifth year at the Gryffindor table with jet black hair.
"It's amazing how much he looks like James isn't it Princess?"
"Moony?" She asked astonished, her eyes as big as tea kettles. Professor Lupin sat next to her, his sandy hair had a few gray streaks in it but all and all he was the same boy she had run around the halls with. "What are you doing here?"
"Why Sarah all this time goes by and all you can ask is what am I doing here?" He said giving her a mock hurt look.
"You're the one who left," she said returning her attention to Harry Potter.
"I am sorry about that Sarah, I would of tried to reconcile if I could of found you," he said a little annoyed.
"I had a lot to outrun Remus," she whispered.
"Water under the bridge, water under the bridge," Remus said reassuringly as he patted her shoulder. "Come look at Harry. He's happy isn't he?"
"Yes but can you confirm that you-know-who doesn't want to kill him?" Sarah asked.
"That's why we're here," Remus said grimly; "keep our word to Lily and James, right?"
Sarah forced herself to smile as she nodded to Remus. He seemed content with this answer and a violet appeared on her plate as Dumbledore began to announce the new teachers.
"It is my pleasure to introduce you all to the new teachers for this year," the headmaster said happily. "Rejoining us this year for Defense Against the Dark Arts is Professor Lupin." The room erupted into applause as Remus stood, the only ones who didn't cheer were the Slytherins.
"Some things never change," Sarah muttered as he sat back down.
"Ahh yes, Professor Twentry has taken a year long break. Now I know all of you are very disappointed with this news," Dumbledore said eyes twinkling, "but we have an excellent replacement for this year. Professor McKinley."
Sarah stood accepting the gracious applause. "watch out Sarah," Remus warned as she sat down; "I think some of them might form crushes."
"What are you talking about?" She asked looking out over the children some of the boys were looking at her, ok, most of the boys were looking at her. But that didn't mean anything right?
"None of you girls could ever see how much you were stared at. It use to drive us all crazy," Remus shook his head.
"In defense of Rachel and Lily, I still say you were all paranoid."
"Well if Prongs or Padfoot were here they would back me up and put you in your place," Remus said nonchalantly. Then it registered what he had said and both friends sat quietly as the food appeared on their plates.
"If they were here Harry wouldn't be alone. He'd be surrounded by our children," Sarah spoke softly.
Remus gave her a sympathetic look; "don't dwell on it Sarah." She nodded taking some potatoes from a deep dish.
This was the class that she was excited about teaching and was also dreading. The fifth years, Harry was in this class, it was going to take a lot of will power not to hug him. "Hello class," she said emerging from her office. Casually she walked across the room sitting on the teacher's table making a bit of an uproar at her lax attitude. "Now I'm sorry but I'm going to treat you like first years for the first week," Sarah smiled and she finally noticed it had some effect on the boys. "Now for roll. Lavender Brown? Seamus Finnigan? Hermione Granger? Ah yes, Miss Granger."
"Yes Professor?" She asked crossing her arms.
"Professor McGonagall informed me of your... History with the last professor. I hope I am more to your liking," Sarah smiled at the mousy hair fifth year prefect. "Now where was I?"
After finishing roll Sarah smiled at the class waiting for them. "What are we learning about today professor?" Seamus asked since no one else was talking.
"Well it really is up to you," she smiled; "I don't really like to have a set schedule, after all life is not run on such a schedule. Now there are a few things everyone must go over by the end of the year so Professor Trelawney will be able to continue your education but otherwise I would rather have everyone working on individual projects. Since you're in your fifth year I don't really feel I have to hold your hand through this unless you get to something difficult. For the first few weeks I will evaluate each of you on how you can do the simple tasks; I'll be looking for faults so we can work on those through out the year. But I don't feel like torturing you the whole year so after you pass a test you'll be free to explore any part of Deviation you wish."
"Anything?" A red headed boy asked.
"Ron Weasley?" Sarah asked as he nodded; "as long as it's within school rules, anything."
The rest of the hour went smoothly with everyone reading tea leaves. Lavender tried to tell Harry he had the grim in his cup when Sarah corrected her point of view by saying she was holding the cup the wrong way and that it was in fact a sword. When class ended Sarah only heard laughter about there not being a death notice this year.
(A/N): this was a story I came up with at one in the morning and felt like posting so if anyone would like me to continue please let me know.
