**Disclaimer, JK Rowling is the big cheese, I'm not trying to profit from her success, nor defame her characters (hey I'm making them happy, they deserve it) Any character or locations you don't recognise are the creation of my own imagination, yes I do possess one even though I am writing fanfiction.**

A/N This has been reformatted under the suggestion of Elizabeth so it should be easier on the eye.

A couple of minor tweaks have been made under the watchful eye of Devon_Severus.

Chapter I

It was the first of September, and she was waiting outside the winged boar gates. It was nine in the morning, but no one seemed to be around. Looking around again, she eventually noticed the bellpull. She pulled it, and the gates swung open. Ambling towards her was the biggest man she had ever seen, his misty breath matching the fog swathed around the castle.

'Good mornin', Professor. Welcome to Hogwarts.' She put out her hand a little nervously and this man shook it carefully as if she were a china doll and might break.

'Nice to meet you…sorry I didn't catch your name?'

'Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Grounds and Keys.'

'Theodosia Vespertin. I am the new Potions Mistress, from The Medical School. I left Durmstrang last year.'

He looked at her carefully when she mentioned Durmstrang, and then he smiled and proffered a seat on the sledge he has been pulling.

'On our left we have the lake, with a fine specimen of giant squid. Worth a few squid he is!' Hagrid laughed. She made a mental note of this. Hagrid carried on his tour of the grounds.

'Here we have our Quidditch pitch. You do have Quidditch in Azerbaijan don't you?'

'Yes, but Durmstrang's not in Azerbaijan.' Hagrid ignored this and carried on talking about Quidditch.

'Gryffindor have James Potter. He's that good an' all we're hoping he's going to play for England.' As he said this, a man with the most effervescent white beard she had ever seen stepped out from the small door that was cut into the main doors of the castle.

'Professor Vespertin, how nice to meet you. I am Albus Dumbledore.'

They shook hands; his hand seemed to crackle like static electricity when she touched it. He looked at her over his glasses. 'Bring your case into the hall here; it shall be sent to your room presently. Now, for a tour of the castle.'

Theodosia had been lead to believe it was a little bigger than Durmstrang.

It was bigger than Durmstrang.

A lot bigger than Durmstrang.

Finally they ended up in the dungeons, after an explanation of the nature of the Houses. Dumbledore opened the door for her. The Dungeons were not as dark as one might expect, with windows cut into the cliff looking out over the lake letting in the morning light.

'This will be your classroom. There is no heating down here, so make sure you keep the cauldrons simmering, otherwise you'll be teaching ice blocks, not children. Through that door at the back are your office and your quarters. He demonstrated the charm. 'Now, I have all sorts of arrangements to make. Please excuse me.' And he disappeared through the open door.

Theodosia looked around her new domain – rows of desks, a couple of workbenches for projects and ingredients stacked on shelves in the periphery of the room. All present and correct. She found the sink and filled the cauldrons, setting them to simmer gently on the burners. The very back of the class room seemed a bit dark and Theda wondered if she could rig up a mirror or something to get more light back there. She checked the drawers for chalk and found a new packet labelled, 'with regards, Prof. Celius Carter.' This former Potions teacher was showing an almost Teutonic level of organisation and efficiency.

She wandered in her new office; the obligatory Things Floating in Jars lining the walls cast a green light into the room. On the desk was more evidence of the previous teacher's orderliness – a folder marked Potions classes September 1977to June 1978. She looked inside; there were registers, for all but the First-years, waiting to be filled in with purple ink. She sat in the chair and the cushions magically adjusted to fit. In her room her suitcase was lying open on her bed; the clothes had been hung up in the wardrobe and her books piled on a chair.

At around half four a memo flew out the fireplace and into her lap. It read:

Professors and Staff

Be in the staff room at five. Students arriving at half past. Feast to start at six.

She arrived in the staff room promptly at five. Some other teachers were milling around the biscuit tin and she walked over to introduce herself. They had closed ranks around the biscuit tin, and she eased her self into the circle next to Hagrid. Professor Dumbledore noticed her.

'Ah, our latest Professor. Everybody, this is Theodosia Vespertin, fresh from the Durmstrang Institute.'

'Theda, please.'she said

This was followed by nods of recognition. A youngish man with a green velvet cap and small glasses put out his hand. 'Monti Latymer, head of Slytherin House.' She shook his hand. She then shook hands with a number of other teachers, including Minerva McGonagall (Transfiguration), Shiela Dunkle (Defence Against the Dark Arts) and Hetty Crates (Herbology). They looked at her, some with open suspicion, they were wondering if she was a spy.

She helped herself to a biscuit aware of the eyes watching her. Then Monti Latymer winked at her and said,

'You do know they are real flies don't you?'

She stopped chewing and looked at him. He laughed wickedly, and Shiela Dunkle hit him on the arm,

'Monti! Stop it!' She looked at Theda. 'Don't mind Monti, he has a strange sense of humour.'

Monti smirked unrepentantly. Theda smiled, not wishing to appear humourless.

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "The students will be arriving in five minutes. To the Great Hall, everybody!'

***

After an initial scuffle over who got the space where the mead usually materialised, the teachers settled down to wait for the students. Theda contented herself with watching out for her cousin –not that his golden curls would be hard to miss.

The Seventh years stalked in first, looking a little bored at the thought of another Sorting ceremony, and settled themselves at the heads of the tables. From looking at their robes, Theda could see that the table on the far left was Gryffindor, the two middle tables were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and the table nearest to her was Slytherin. As Theda watched, more and more students poured through the doors, Glancing round she saw on the Gryffindor table a face which was distinctly pureblooded, she tried to think of the families that usually got sorted into Gryffindor, the Weasleys often did and others but she didn't dream for a moment that it could be Sirius Black. He too was watching out for someone. He had a carefully prepared paper aeroplane in his hand and his grip tightened as he saw his target advancing to join its friends at the end of the Slytherin Table. Theda followed his gaze. As the target drew level Black drew back his hand and threw the plane, but at that moment Gilderoy noticed Theda and started waving, the target sidestepped to avoid be smacked in the teeth by the frantic waves. The paper plane flew under the table and exploded, making a group of girls, who were watching Gilderoy, squeal.

Theda waved more subtly at her blonde cousin and smiled apologetically at the tall, thin boy whom her cousin had dislodged. He looked behind him, then when he realised she was smiling at him he smiled just a tiny bit and for a moment looked vaguely familiar. He then turned to Theda's cousin.

'Sit down,' he ordered. The girls that had squealed stared at the prefect. The prefect stared down his nose at Lockhart and Lockhart sidled away from the girls and sat at his own table. 'Thank you, Lockhart.'

Lockhart smiled vacuously and Severus glared back. At the far end of the table, Gerard Rosier and Geoffrey Wilkes were discussing the new teacher.

'Any idea what the totty's teaching?'

'No idea, not my kind of crumpet though.' They both sniggered

'I reckon Sev'll be smitten, don't you?'

'Well, he is the one with the ginger fetish.'

'You keep your sick fantasies to yourself,' said a voice behind them.

The two boys twisted round in their seats and looked at Severus. 'Actually, we were discussing your sick fantasies, Sev,' said Rosier

'We know how you feel about Evans,' added Wilkes.

Severus pushed Wilkes out of the way and sat down.

'I've told you I don't know how many times – that 'thing' with Evans was one of Black's ever-so-funny little jokes.'

'Well, at least we agree on that. It was very funny.' Rosier started sniggering and set off Wilkes. Severus ignored them and changed the subject,

'Where's Rod?'

'Bella dragged him off somewhere. They're probably in the common room choosing sofas. Cough. Cough.'

'Gez, you do realise that you're not supposed to say 'cough, cough.' You're supposed to actually cough.'

'Sev's being pedantic and Gez's being obscene. Another year has well and truly begun,' said Wilkes to no one in particular.

While this has been going on the first years had come in and were now milling around at the end of the hall and Theda idly watched them, looking nervous. Professor Dumbledore called for quiet and the Sorting ceremony began. After hearing the first verse of Hat's song, Theda pulled her own hat down over her ears and looked again for her cousin. This time he was sitting half way down the table in front of her and writing something on a piece of parchment. Theda watched as the girls sitting opposite him leaned over the table to see and put their hands over their mouths to stifle their giggles. Their little game was interrupted by a pair of first years who had been sorted into Slytherin and wanted to sit down. When the Sorting was finally finished Dumbledore stood to make the start of term announcements.

'First and foremost, may I introduce our new Potions Mistress Professor Vespertin. She has come here from Durmstrang as part of her doctorate. Please make her welcome.'

There was a general buzz of conversation when Durmstrang was mentioned. Wilkes and Rosier smirked at each other. Theda smiled at the faces that had turned to look at her, thinking I haven't come from Durmstrang, I've come from Denmark. She could see Gilderoy's teeth as he smiled at her from his harem. Dumbledore made a few comments about House points and prefects and the feast began. Theda unperturbed by Monti's jokes about the food, tucked in as heartily as anyone.

When the feast was over, Theda, knowing only that her office was in the dungeons somewhere near the Slytherin common room, so she followed the first year Slytherins and their dark haired prefect. When she had learnt that the Slytherin password word was 'antitransubstantiationalist' and was in the process of wondering just what kind of person made up that kind of password, when the prefect noticed her.

'Professor?' He had forgotten her name. 'Is there a problem?'

'I was wondering if you could possibly show me the way to my office? I only arrived this morning and…' She trailed off. She didn't want to appear inept, after all; first impressions counted.

'Why certainly, Professor. My pleasure.' He smiled, and Theda had to admit this prefect did have an oleaginous kind of charm which matched his hair. They started walking.

'So, Professor,' said Severus. 'What is it like at Durmstrang? It sounds fascinating.'

'It's a lot smaller than Hogwarts, hence the orientation problems. But Durmstrang, it is very disciplined, and we don't have Houses as such.'

'But lessons-wise, isn't a lot of emphasis put on the Dark Arts?'

'Only in an intellectual way, we never apply it. As I said, Durmstrang is disciplined.'

Severus seemed a little disappointed at this. 'Professor, your English is excellent. Did you learn English at school?'

'No, my mother is English. You appear to have the misfortune of knowing my cousin Gilderoy.'

'Lockhart's your cousin?' goggled the prefect.

Theda nodded. 'Unfortunately, yes. Anyway I'm not at Durmstrang now; I've finished my first year at The International School of Magical Medicine in Denmark.'

He stopped by a door which had a plaque engraved 'Professor T. Vespertin' on it. Theda ran her finger along it and opened the door. She turned and faced her guide. He was staring into middle distance, wondering what the T stood for.

His thoughts were interrupted by Theda. 'Thank you, er..?'

'Severus Snape, Professor.' With this he held out his hand. Theda took it, expecting it to be a sweaty paw, but was pleasantly surprised to find it soft and rather cold. He smiled again and sloped off to bed.

Theda closed the door and went into her bedroom. As she cleaned her teeth she thought about all the people she had met during the day. As she was getting into bed she thought about the people she had met, and as she fell asleep, she remembered the soft cold pressure of the handshake on her hand.

In the Slytherin dorm, things were not so peaceful. When Severus had arrived back at the dorm he had found it booby trapped with a bowl of water from the washstands.

'Welcome back, Severus,' called Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rosier and Wilkes laughed.

'One of the New Bugs said you'd gone off with the new Prof,' said Rosier.

'We thought you might need cooling off.' They laughed and Severus dripped over to his bed and changed into his blue stripey pyjamas. Once tucked in he combed his hair as the other boys talked about Rod's girlfriend Bellatrix Black and price rises in the tuck shop.

'So Sev, what's she like?' asked Lestrange, turning the subject back to Severus's supposed rendezvous.

'If I knew, you would be the last person I'd tell.'

'You'd tell Black and Potter before telling me? Me, your oldest and dearest friend?'

'Alright, then you'd be the third to last person I'd tell.' With that, Severus turned out his lamp.

'Anyway you shouldn't talk about teachers like that. It's disrespectful.'

Wilkes muttered something that sounded like uptight bastard and Severus threw a shoe at where he thought Wilkes's head was. A satisfactory grunt of pain and more muffled insults came from under Wilkes's blanket as Severus drew the heavy green curtains on his bed.

(: Thank you to my beta readers Sheena, Aeishya and Devon_Severus who have all been a great help :)