Disclaimer: I don't own them. Really. I'm a poor, starving college student
with three cents and a coupon for free fries at McDonalds that I found in
the couch last week. Instead of writing papers, I write abysmally bad Harry
Potter Fan Fiction that would make J.K. Rowling scream in horror. Please
don't sue me.
A/N: I know it sucks. I know it's horribly cliched, and the only reason why I'm posting it is because my friends are making me. Please be gentle, cause I'm scared as all hell to post this. I've written a lot more than what I'm posting, but I just thought I'd test the waters to start with. Really, it's your standard fanfic, with some hotness thrown in. I enjoy reading these as they take valuable time away from my actually doing homework. So please read it, try not to scream too loudly and bludgeon yourself and tell me what you think.
Never in her whole existence had Rosemarie Bacall felt so conflicted. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a symbol of security to her, and some of Rosemarie's happiest memories were of her days as a student there. But now she was a professor, not a student, and Rosemarie was certain that this experience at Hogwarts would be nothing like her first. In spite of her misgivings, she had promised Albus Dumbledore. And there was the matter of Simon and Emma. It was time they received proper training- something she had been unable to follow through on in the past few years. Rosemarie could recall countless conversations with her sister Helen on the subject.
"If those two don't receive some proper instructions, they will end up no better than Squibs." Helen admonished in that tone of voice she used on the children when they had been riding broomsticks through the house.
"I realize this Helen. But there is really nothing I can do about it. You could always train them yourself you know." was Rosemarie's standard response to her sister's scoldings.
"Oh yes. Let me train them, when we have among us a woman who could have been an Auror, had it not been for that lying, traitorous, git you almost married. Honestly, Rosie, I don't know what gets into you sometimes."
That was the closest the two of them had ever come to mentioning him. Of course he would be there. That was where most of her apprehensions lay. If it wasn't for her promise to Dumbledore, and the twins, Rosemarie would have gotten right off the Hogwarts Express, and gone back to working as a barmaid in the Leaky Cauldron. Rosemarie sighed, and looked out of the window in her compartment, allowing her mind to go back to the conversation she had with her children the night before.
Simon and Emma were twins, and while their appearances were similar, their personalities were as dissimilar as they could possibly be. Simon had thick, dark hair that was almost always in his eyes, which were such a deep, dark brown that they looked almost black. Simon was constantly-and unintentionally-getting himself into trouble. It took all of Rosemarie's resolve not to laugh, and maintain her stern look, when he would troop back into the house with polka dots all over his face.
Where Simon was loud, Emma was quiet. She had the same dark hair as her brother, but she took after her mother in that the hair was in a constant state of poof ball. No matter how hard Emma and Rosemarie tried, neither of them could control their hair for any given length of time. The only difference between Emma's appearance and her brother's was that Emma had deep blue eyes. Emma was very shy around strangers, but she had a temper that no one suspected. Once, Simon had broken Emma's favorite magical tea set, and she had gotten so mad, she had put an invisibility spell on his broomstick and refused to tell him where it was for a week.
"Mum! Does Harry Potter really go to Hogwarts? I'm only asking because Emma fancies him, and she wants to get his autograph!" Simon burst out as the children ran into the house. Emma suddenly turned a bright shade of red and glared back at her brother. "Simon, what have I told you about making fun of your sister? And I do not want the two of you treating Harry Potter like a freak show. He is a student just like you two, and I want you to treat him that way, understood?" Simon and Emma both nodded quickly, hoping to go back outside and play. "Now, do you remember what I said about what to call me at the school and in classes?"
Simon sighed. "Yes, Mum. We're supposed to call you Professor Bacall in classes and if anyone asks, you're our Aunt, because we haven't got a father and people will think it's unsuitable for an unmarried mother to be teaching their children. Honestly, mother, sometimes I think you consider us babies."
Rosemarie gave her son a horrified look. "Simon! I never said that! I just thought things would be easier for you and Emma if..."
"I know, Mum." Simon interrupted. "But Em and I are eleven. We know all about that sort of thing."
Rosemarie had no response to that.
"Can we go back and play now?" Simon asked, sensing that his mother had nothing more to say.
"Yes. Go on. The train leaves at 11:00 tomorrow morning, and I want the two of you ready by 9:30, alright?" Rosemarie sighed, as she realized the last part of her speech had been directed at the door. The children had already disappeared back outside. Rosemarie had never told the children much about their father-something that bothered her constantly. Simon and Emma just assumed that he had left one day, mostly because that was what she told them. The truth was that she had left him. Even now, almost twelve years later, Rosemarie felt her face get hot at the thought of how he had used her. And hurt her. Yet, here she was, on the Hogwarts Express, headed right for him again. When Rosemarie was being honest with herself-something she was doing less and less these days-she admitted her reason for insisting the children call her Professor was not simply to save them from ridicule. The man wasn't a complete moron-she supposed even a cretin like him could do basic addition and subtraction. It wouldn't take him long to figure out whose children they were, and if Rosemarie thought she was in trouble now, things would be much worse if he knew. Did Dumbledore know? She suspected he did, considering he knew the children were hers and that she had been engaged to that...
Rosemarie was startled out of her thoughts as the Express came to a sudden stop. It took her a moment to realize that the train had arrived at the station. Simon and Emma had followed the rest of the students off the train, and were now looking at the seven-foot tall form of Hagrid with awe. Rosemarie gathered her things quickly, and hurried of the train. Hagrid had his back to her, and was directing the first year students to the lake where a string of boats were waiting to take them across. "Firs' years this way!" He called out happily.
"Hello, Hagrid." Rosemarie said excitedly. Hagrid had been one of her favorite people at Hogwarts. Hagrid turned around and looked at her confusedly for a moment, when suddenly recognition dawned on his face. "Rosie!" He said as he gave her a bone-crunching hug. "What are yeh doin' here!"
"Well Hagrid, it's a bit of a surprise actually. I suppose Professor Dumbledore will tell everyone tonight at dinner." She paused uncertainly. "Do you know how I'm supposed to get to the school?"
Hagrid grinned at her. "Are yeh sure you doan want ter ride across the lake with me an' the firs' years?" He winked. "Dumbledore said the new professor was supposed ter take a coach up ter the back entrance, and I guess that must be yeh!" He led Rosemarie over to the first coach in line, and put her bags in the coach for her. "See yeh at the sortin'!" Hagrid waved as the coach pulled away from the station.
Rosemarie barely remembered the ride from the station. All she could think about was what to say when she saw him. She hadn't spoken to him since that night. He hadn't even tried to find her; not that she wanted him to find her, but he could have at least put in the effort. Rosemarie felt sick as her coach pulled up to the back entrance of the school. The last time she had been there was a cold, rainy evening in October, and she had been a week from her due date. As the memories came flooding back, she gathered her bags, and walked miserably up the steps. Albus Dumbledore was there waiting for her. "Rosemarie. We are delighted that you've decided to join the teaching staff here. At your request, I have kept your hiring a secret. You can leave your bags here for the time being. Now, why don't we go into dinner, and then afterwards Minerva can show you to your office and room." Rosemarie was dying to ask where he was, but she didn't dare. She simply followed Dumbledore into the dining hall, up to the teacher's table. Rosemarie let out a sigh of relief-he wasn't there yet. Just as she was about to ask where he was, the doors of the Great Hall burst open, and the first years entered with Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. Professor McGonagall announced the beginning of the sorting ceremony, and brought out the hat. Rosemarie watched as the first years stepped up to the stool, and placed the hat on their head. Simon approached the hat nervously, and waited patiently until the hat called out "Gryffindor!" A loud cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table, and a grin spread across Simon's face as he made his way over to his new house. Emma was next, and she looked as though she was about to be sick. Rosemarie could swear she was shaking as she sat down on the stool and waited for the hat to sort her. "Ravenclaw!" The hat announced, and this time the loud cheer came from the direction of the Ravenclaw table.
Rosemarie barely paid attention to the rest of the sorting, devoting all her attention to looking for him. Where was he? Had he been fired? The last student was sorted, and after the applause died down, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make his traditional first day speech. "Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts! I would like to take this opportunity to tell you all how pleased I am to see you all back, and in the case of the new students, I hope you do as well at Hogwarts as the other students. Before we start in on the feast, I would like to introduce Professor Bacall, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, to you all." Rosemarie stood to acknowledge the applause, but as soon as she did, she realized she had made a grave mistake. He had entered into the hall during the sorting, and was now staring at her with a look that wavered somewhere in between incredulity and disgust. Rosemarie found herself staring into the eyes of Severus Snape.
Shaking, Rosemarie sat back down as quickly as possible and engaged herself in conversation with Professor Sprout who was sitting to her left. "Professor, I hear you have a rare breed of puffpods growing in Greenhouse 4." And that was it-Professor Sprout spent the entire meal discussing the difference between the European variety of puffpods versus the rarer, African puffpod. Rosemarie was bored out of her skull, but at least she could spend the remainder of the meal avoiding him. She could tell by his expression that he had no idea she was going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, in fact, she was a little surprised that he hadn't gotten the job considering...
Rosemarie had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice that the students were now leaving the Great Hall. Professor Sprout was long gone, having sensed that Rosemarie's interest in Herbology was nothing more than pretense. Professor McGonagall was attempting to get her attention, and Rosemarie could tell from the look on her face that she had been trying for several minutes. "Rosemarie? Are you alright?" She asked in a concerned tone.
"Oh, yes thank you Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry, I'm just a little tired from the journey."
"Please, dear, you're a professor now-please call me Minerva. Well, come along now, we'll collect your bags and I'll show you your rooms." Rosemarie followed Professor McGonagall that out of the Great Hall and down towards the back entrance where she had left her bags. Even in her head, she couldn't think of Professor McGonagall as Minerva. "Albus and I are so thankful we have finally gotten a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin was by far the best we had, and Mad Eye Moody would have been excellent had it not been for..." McGonagall stopped speaking suddenly and gave a sharp cough. "Yes, well. As I was saying, all the staff here are very pleased you decided to take the job."
Did she dare say it? "All the staff, Minerva?"
At this, McGonagall's face went bright red, as though she had suddenly remembered something that would have made her previous comment embarrassing. "Yes, dear that's what I was saying...ah! Here's the staff room-would you like to go inside and have a look around?" She opened the door to let the two of them in, only to realize that two professors were already inside talking.
"Albus, why was I not consulted as to her hiring? You know how I feel..." Professor Snape's voice rang out angrily.
"Severus, I have told you time and time again that the past is what it is- none of us can change that. Perhaps it is time you moved on. She obviously is ready to, considering she has agreed to take up a position here." Dumbledore answered calmly. "There are many things you do not know, Severus."
"She is a deceitful harpy, and it would be better for everyone involved if we simply said there was a mistake, and asked her to leave."
Professor McGonagall shut the door quickly, her face even redder than it was before. "Ahem, that Professor Trelawney must be up to her old tricks again. Why don't we go see your room now?"
Rosemarie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Really, Minerva, it's alright..."
"Yes, yes, come along this way. I hope you find your room comfortable. This castle can get awfully drafty at night." McGonagall was about to drag her away, as the staff room door opened. Professor Snape stormed out of the room, and nearly walked into Rosemarie.
Rosemarie felt as though her stomach was suddenly loaded down with Hagrid's treacle fudge, but she managed to maintain her composure. "Hello, Severus." She said calmly.
His face had gone dead white, and his black eyes glittered angrily. "Rosemarie. I hope Albus knows what he's doing in hiring you. We can't have you running off in the middle of the night when there are students to be taught." His voice was icy, and he was looking at her with the utmost loathing.
Rosemarie's eyes flashed angrily back at him. "I see you haven't lost any of your acidity over the years. However, I seem to remember you being much more adept at insulting people. Of course, I suppose all that time you spent serving the Dark Lord took a toll on your intelligence."
He simply smirked at her, his eyes still glinting. "My, my, Rosemarie. It appears you finally grew a spine and learned some infantile insults to go with it. I trust you won't be spending your class time provoking Peeves and thinking of ways to booby-trap my office like the sixth years."
Rosemarie felt her face growing hot, and her hands were clenched at her sides. Rosemarie hated him so much in that moment that she nearly slapped him across the face just to get rid of that hateful smirk. "Oh I've learned a lot of things Severus." Her voice was as icy as his was, and it took all her strength to maintain her composure. "Particularly not to align myself with a man who has such a large inferiority complex, that he torments his students. A man who lies to his fiancée, and betrays the one person who trusts him. A man who is so vile, so disgusting, that he is no better than those who killed innocent people, all in an attempt to..."
Rosemarie was cut off by Dumbledore's calm voice. If she hadn't been so infuriated, Rosemarie would have sworn his voice was tinged with amusement. "Well, it's getting quite late. I think it's time we all went to sleep, don't you Minerva?"
McGonagall nodded her head sharply. "Come along, Rosemarie. I had better show you to your rooms now." She said stiffly, before bodily dragging Rosemarie down the corridor with her.
Almost from the exact moment Dumbledore had interrupted them, Rosemarie had been horrified at her behavior. Classes hadn't even started, and already she was insulting one of the other professors right in front of the Headmaster. "Bloody broomsticks, Minerva! What have I just done?" She moaned as soon as they were out of earshot.
Minerva McGonagall's mouth, which had been set in a thin line, twitched into the beginnings of a smile. "If there had been students around, I have to say that I think your insults would not have gone over so well with Albus-particularly those that hinted at a close relationship between Severus and the Dark Lord. However," she paused, her eyes twinkling at Rosemarie "I have to say, that you were quite inspired my dear. Ah, here's your room. Your office is connected to your chambers-we find it is easier on the professors that way. It will be the door on the right when you walk in." McGonagall began to walk towards her own room, then stopped as though there was something she had forgotten to mention. "I really must say again how pleased I am that you've come here to teach. I truly feel that your tenure here will be most...exciting." She once again allowed her eyes to twinkle at a very confused Rosemarie for a moment before continuing back down the hall.
Rosemarie let herself into her room, and wearily set down her bags. Her room was small, but the fire burning in the grate gave it a cozy feel. A large four poster bed was to the left of the fireplace, and sapphire velvet curtains adorned both the bed and the solitary window. Her trunks were sitting beneath the window, which had a spectacular view of the Whomping Willow. A squashy blue armchair had been placed in front of the fireplace, and a House Elf had been thoughtful enough to put a footstool in front of it. Rosemarie decided to leave her unpacking for later and just crawl into bed. Once she had finally settled into bed, she couldn't sleep. No matter how hard Rosemarie tried, her body refused to relax. She was worried about her classes, and how she would perform as a professor. She was worried about Simon and Emma-had they eaten enough at dinner? Were they warm enough in their dormitories? Most of all, she was worried about her confrontation with Severus. She was infuriated at herself that she had allowed him to provoke her in front of Minerva and Dumbledore. Yet she grinned when she remembered the expression on his face as he ran into her in the corridor. Horror mixed with...what? Disgust, anger and there was something else lurking behind his eyes. Something she hadn't seen in years. As Rosemarie finally settled down to sleep, she thought about Severus' eyes, and how for one fleeting second, his eyes had been filled with pure, unmasked, lust.
A/N: I know it sucks. I know it's horribly cliched, and the only reason why I'm posting it is because my friends are making me. Please be gentle, cause I'm scared as all hell to post this. I've written a lot more than what I'm posting, but I just thought I'd test the waters to start with. Really, it's your standard fanfic, with some hotness thrown in. I enjoy reading these as they take valuable time away from my actually doing homework. So please read it, try not to scream too loudly and bludgeon yourself and tell me what you think.
Never in her whole existence had Rosemarie Bacall felt so conflicted. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a symbol of security to her, and some of Rosemarie's happiest memories were of her days as a student there. But now she was a professor, not a student, and Rosemarie was certain that this experience at Hogwarts would be nothing like her first. In spite of her misgivings, she had promised Albus Dumbledore. And there was the matter of Simon and Emma. It was time they received proper training- something she had been unable to follow through on in the past few years. Rosemarie could recall countless conversations with her sister Helen on the subject.
"If those two don't receive some proper instructions, they will end up no better than Squibs." Helen admonished in that tone of voice she used on the children when they had been riding broomsticks through the house.
"I realize this Helen. But there is really nothing I can do about it. You could always train them yourself you know." was Rosemarie's standard response to her sister's scoldings.
"Oh yes. Let me train them, when we have among us a woman who could have been an Auror, had it not been for that lying, traitorous, git you almost married. Honestly, Rosie, I don't know what gets into you sometimes."
That was the closest the two of them had ever come to mentioning him. Of course he would be there. That was where most of her apprehensions lay. If it wasn't for her promise to Dumbledore, and the twins, Rosemarie would have gotten right off the Hogwarts Express, and gone back to working as a barmaid in the Leaky Cauldron. Rosemarie sighed, and looked out of the window in her compartment, allowing her mind to go back to the conversation she had with her children the night before.
Simon and Emma were twins, and while their appearances were similar, their personalities were as dissimilar as they could possibly be. Simon had thick, dark hair that was almost always in his eyes, which were such a deep, dark brown that they looked almost black. Simon was constantly-and unintentionally-getting himself into trouble. It took all of Rosemarie's resolve not to laugh, and maintain her stern look, when he would troop back into the house with polka dots all over his face.
Where Simon was loud, Emma was quiet. She had the same dark hair as her brother, but she took after her mother in that the hair was in a constant state of poof ball. No matter how hard Emma and Rosemarie tried, neither of them could control their hair for any given length of time. The only difference between Emma's appearance and her brother's was that Emma had deep blue eyes. Emma was very shy around strangers, but she had a temper that no one suspected. Once, Simon had broken Emma's favorite magical tea set, and she had gotten so mad, she had put an invisibility spell on his broomstick and refused to tell him where it was for a week.
"Mum! Does Harry Potter really go to Hogwarts? I'm only asking because Emma fancies him, and she wants to get his autograph!" Simon burst out as the children ran into the house. Emma suddenly turned a bright shade of red and glared back at her brother. "Simon, what have I told you about making fun of your sister? And I do not want the two of you treating Harry Potter like a freak show. He is a student just like you two, and I want you to treat him that way, understood?" Simon and Emma both nodded quickly, hoping to go back outside and play. "Now, do you remember what I said about what to call me at the school and in classes?"
Simon sighed. "Yes, Mum. We're supposed to call you Professor Bacall in classes and if anyone asks, you're our Aunt, because we haven't got a father and people will think it's unsuitable for an unmarried mother to be teaching their children. Honestly, mother, sometimes I think you consider us babies."
Rosemarie gave her son a horrified look. "Simon! I never said that! I just thought things would be easier for you and Emma if..."
"I know, Mum." Simon interrupted. "But Em and I are eleven. We know all about that sort of thing."
Rosemarie had no response to that.
"Can we go back and play now?" Simon asked, sensing that his mother had nothing more to say.
"Yes. Go on. The train leaves at 11:00 tomorrow morning, and I want the two of you ready by 9:30, alright?" Rosemarie sighed, as she realized the last part of her speech had been directed at the door. The children had already disappeared back outside. Rosemarie had never told the children much about their father-something that bothered her constantly. Simon and Emma just assumed that he had left one day, mostly because that was what she told them. The truth was that she had left him. Even now, almost twelve years later, Rosemarie felt her face get hot at the thought of how he had used her. And hurt her. Yet, here she was, on the Hogwarts Express, headed right for him again. When Rosemarie was being honest with herself-something she was doing less and less these days-she admitted her reason for insisting the children call her Professor was not simply to save them from ridicule. The man wasn't a complete moron-she supposed even a cretin like him could do basic addition and subtraction. It wouldn't take him long to figure out whose children they were, and if Rosemarie thought she was in trouble now, things would be much worse if he knew. Did Dumbledore know? She suspected he did, considering he knew the children were hers and that she had been engaged to that...
Rosemarie was startled out of her thoughts as the Express came to a sudden stop. It took her a moment to realize that the train had arrived at the station. Simon and Emma had followed the rest of the students off the train, and were now looking at the seven-foot tall form of Hagrid with awe. Rosemarie gathered her things quickly, and hurried of the train. Hagrid had his back to her, and was directing the first year students to the lake where a string of boats were waiting to take them across. "Firs' years this way!" He called out happily.
"Hello, Hagrid." Rosemarie said excitedly. Hagrid had been one of her favorite people at Hogwarts. Hagrid turned around and looked at her confusedly for a moment, when suddenly recognition dawned on his face. "Rosie!" He said as he gave her a bone-crunching hug. "What are yeh doin' here!"
"Well Hagrid, it's a bit of a surprise actually. I suppose Professor Dumbledore will tell everyone tonight at dinner." She paused uncertainly. "Do you know how I'm supposed to get to the school?"
Hagrid grinned at her. "Are yeh sure you doan want ter ride across the lake with me an' the firs' years?" He winked. "Dumbledore said the new professor was supposed ter take a coach up ter the back entrance, and I guess that must be yeh!" He led Rosemarie over to the first coach in line, and put her bags in the coach for her. "See yeh at the sortin'!" Hagrid waved as the coach pulled away from the station.
Rosemarie barely remembered the ride from the station. All she could think about was what to say when she saw him. She hadn't spoken to him since that night. He hadn't even tried to find her; not that she wanted him to find her, but he could have at least put in the effort. Rosemarie felt sick as her coach pulled up to the back entrance of the school. The last time she had been there was a cold, rainy evening in October, and she had been a week from her due date. As the memories came flooding back, she gathered her bags, and walked miserably up the steps. Albus Dumbledore was there waiting for her. "Rosemarie. We are delighted that you've decided to join the teaching staff here. At your request, I have kept your hiring a secret. You can leave your bags here for the time being. Now, why don't we go into dinner, and then afterwards Minerva can show you to your office and room." Rosemarie was dying to ask where he was, but she didn't dare. She simply followed Dumbledore into the dining hall, up to the teacher's table. Rosemarie let out a sigh of relief-he wasn't there yet. Just as she was about to ask where he was, the doors of the Great Hall burst open, and the first years entered with Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. Professor McGonagall announced the beginning of the sorting ceremony, and brought out the hat. Rosemarie watched as the first years stepped up to the stool, and placed the hat on their head. Simon approached the hat nervously, and waited patiently until the hat called out "Gryffindor!" A loud cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table, and a grin spread across Simon's face as he made his way over to his new house. Emma was next, and she looked as though she was about to be sick. Rosemarie could swear she was shaking as she sat down on the stool and waited for the hat to sort her. "Ravenclaw!" The hat announced, and this time the loud cheer came from the direction of the Ravenclaw table.
Rosemarie barely paid attention to the rest of the sorting, devoting all her attention to looking for him. Where was he? Had he been fired? The last student was sorted, and after the applause died down, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make his traditional first day speech. "Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts! I would like to take this opportunity to tell you all how pleased I am to see you all back, and in the case of the new students, I hope you do as well at Hogwarts as the other students. Before we start in on the feast, I would like to introduce Professor Bacall, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, to you all." Rosemarie stood to acknowledge the applause, but as soon as she did, she realized she had made a grave mistake. He had entered into the hall during the sorting, and was now staring at her with a look that wavered somewhere in between incredulity and disgust. Rosemarie found herself staring into the eyes of Severus Snape.
Shaking, Rosemarie sat back down as quickly as possible and engaged herself in conversation with Professor Sprout who was sitting to her left. "Professor, I hear you have a rare breed of puffpods growing in Greenhouse 4." And that was it-Professor Sprout spent the entire meal discussing the difference between the European variety of puffpods versus the rarer, African puffpod. Rosemarie was bored out of her skull, but at least she could spend the remainder of the meal avoiding him. She could tell by his expression that he had no idea she was going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, in fact, she was a little surprised that he hadn't gotten the job considering...
Rosemarie had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice that the students were now leaving the Great Hall. Professor Sprout was long gone, having sensed that Rosemarie's interest in Herbology was nothing more than pretense. Professor McGonagall was attempting to get her attention, and Rosemarie could tell from the look on her face that she had been trying for several minutes. "Rosemarie? Are you alright?" She asked in a concerned tone.
"Oh, yes thank you Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry, I'm just a little tired from the journey."
"Please, dear, you're a professor now-please call me Minerva. Well, come along now, we'll collect your bags and I'll show you your rooms." Rosemarie followed Professor McGonagall that out of the Great Hall and down towards the back entrance where she had left her bags. Even in her head, she couldn't think of Professor McGonagall as Minerva. "Albus and I are so thankful we have finally gotten a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin was by far the best we had, and Mad Eye Moody would have been excellent had it not been for..." McGonagall stopped speaking suddenly and gave a sharp cough. "Yes, well. As I was saying, all the staff here are very pleased you decided to take the job."
Did she dare say it? "All the staff, Minerva?"
At this, McGonagall's face went bright red, as though she had suddenly remembered something that would have made her previous comment embarrassing. "Yes, dear that's what I was saying...ah! Here's the staff room-would you like to go inside and have a look around?" She opened the door to let the two of them in, only to realize that two professors were already inside talking.
"Albus, why was I not consulted as to her hiring? You know how I feel..." Professor Snape's voice rang out angrily.
"Severus, I have told you time and time again that the past is what it is- none of us can change that. Perhaps it is time you moved on. She obviously is ready to, considering she has agreed to take up a position here." Dumbledore answered calmly. "There are many things you do not know, Severus."
"She is a deceitful harpy, and it would be better for everyone involved if we simply said there was a mistake, and asked her to leave."
Professor McGonagall shut the door quickly, her face even redder than it was before. "Ahem, that Professor Trelawney must be up to her old tricks again. Why don't we go see your room now?"
Rosemarie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Really, Minerva, it's alright..."
"Yes, yes, come along this way. I hope you find your room comfortable. This castle can get awfully drafty at night." McGonagall was about to drag her away, as the staff room door opened. Professor Snape stormed out of the room, and nearly walked into Rosemarie.
Rosemarie felt as though her stomach was suddenly loaded down with Hagrid's treacle fudge, but she managed to maintain her composure. "Hello, Severus." She said calmly.
His face had gone dead white, and his black eyes glittered angrily. "Rosemarie. I hope Albus knows what he's doing in hiring you. We can't have you running off in the middle of the night when there are students to be taught." His voice was icy, and he was looking at her with the utmost loathing.
Rosemarie's eyes flashed angrily back at him. "I see you haven't lost any of your acidity over the years. However, I seem to remember you being much more adept at insulting people. Of course, I suppose all that time you spent serving the Dark Lord took a toll on your intelligence."
He simply smirked at her, his eyes still glinting. "My, my, Rosemarie. It appears you finally grew a spine and learned some infantile insults to go with it. I trust you won't be spending your class time provoking Peeves and thinking of ways to booby-trap my office like the sixth years."
Rosemarie felt her face growing hot, and her hands were clenched at her sides. Rosemarie hated him so much in that moment that she nearly slapped him across the face just to get rid of that hateful smirk. "Oh I've learned a lot of things Severus." Her voice was as icy as his was, and it took all her strength to maintain her composure. "Particularly not to align myself with a man who has such a large inferiority complex, that he torments his students. A man who lies to his fiancée, and betrays the one person who trusts him. A man who is so vile, so disgusting, that he is no better than those who killed innocent people, all in an attempt to..."
Rosemarie was cut off by Dumbledore's calm voice. If she hadn't been so infuriated, Rosemarie would have sworn his voice was tinged with amusement. "Well, it's getting quite late. I think it's time we all went to sleep, don't you Minerva?"
McGonagall nodded her head sharply. "Come along, Rosemarie. I had better show you to your rooms now." She said stiffly, before bodily dragging Rosemarie down the corridor with her.
Almost from the exact moment Dumbledore had interrupted them, Rosemarie had been horrified at her behavior. Classes hadn't even started, and already she was insulting one of the other professors right in front of the Headmaster. "Bloody broomsticks, Minerva! What have I just done?" She moaned as soon as they were out of earshot.
Minerva McGonagall's mouth, which had been set in a thin line, twitched into the beginnings of a smile. "If there had been students around, I have to say that I think your insults would not have gone over so well with Albus-particularly those that hinted at a close relationship between Severus and the Dark Lord. However," she paused, her eyes twinkling at Rosemarie "I have to say, that you were quite inspired my dear. Ah, here's your room. Your office is connected to your chambers-we find it is easier on the professors that way. It will be the door on the right when you walk in." McGonagall began to walk towards her own room, then stopped as though there was something she had forgotten to mention. "I really must say again how pleased I am that you've come here to teach. I truly feel that your tenure here will be most...exciting." She once again allowed her eyes to twinkle at a very confused Rosemarie for a moment before continuing back down the hall.
Rosemarie let herself into her room, and wearily set down her bags. Her room was small, but the fire burning in the grate gave it a cozy feel. A large four poster bed was to the left of the fireplace, and sapphire velvet curtains adorned both the bed and the solitary window. Her trunks were sitting beneath the window, which had a spectacular view of the Whomping Willow. A squashy blue armchair had been placed in front of the fireplace, and a House Elf had been thoughtful enough to put a footstool in front of it. Rosemarie decided to leave her unpacking for later and just crawl into bed. Once she had finally settled into bed, she couldn't sleep. No matter how hard Rosemarie tried, her body refused to relax. She was worried about her classes, and how she would perform as a professor. She was worried about Simon and Emma-had they eaten enough at dinner? Were they warm enough in their dormitories? Most of all, she was worried about her confrontation with Severus. She was infuriated at herself that she had allowed him to provoke her in front of Minerva and Dumbledore. Yet she grinned when she remembered the expression on his face as he ran into her in the corridor. Horror mixed with...what? Disgust, anger and there was something else lurking behind his eyes. Something she hadn't seen in years. As Rosemarie finally settled down to sleep, she thought about Severus' eyes, and how for one fleeting second, his eyes had been filled with pure, unmasked, lust.
