For disclaimer see ch. 1 and prolog!
~Chapter 2~
~Hogwarts~
Sarah woke up the next morning, sleepy and tired, she hadn't gone to sleep until late, after three, she hadn't been able to sleep Sirius had kept her up with his cries of "No! Not my Boxers! Not my Favorite boxers!" they had haunted her until he had fallen asleep. She groggily got up and looked at her alarm clock, it was seven, she was expected at Hogwarts around eight, an hour from now. She walked over to her closet and grabbed her clothing for the day before walking into the bathroom to shower. She turned the hot water on and waited for it to be perfectly hot for her before stepping in. She let the heat wake her up as she washed.
When she was finished she went into her bedroom and finished her packing. She had what she needed, and some extra's, like a couple of Shakespear's plays, including her two favorites; A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. She dragged her things to the library, where the rest of here things were, she was planning on apperating there, and bring her things in her pocket. After shrinking them and placing them in her pocket she walked into the kitchen to find everyone else already up. "Morning everyone, I hope you slept well!" she said cheerily, as she glared at Sirius, she had to use more makeup then usual to hid her new bags wouldn't go away.
"We're fine!" the Weasley twins stated as they nearly inhaled their food. Sarah smiled at them, they were leaving that day as well but to open their prank store in Hogsmeade later that week and they had to stock their shelves and ready themselves for the customers. Walking over to Harry she gave him a hug and told him to be a good boy and ignore Sirius; who looked offended and walked out of the room, Sarah smirked at this and kissed Remus' cheek after telling him goodbye she walked into the back yard and found Sirius gently swinging in a swing, like she did when she had troubles on her mind, concerned she walked over to him to see what the matter was.
"Something the matter Padfoot?" she asked, using his old nickname.
"I'm just getting a bad feeling about you going to Hogwarts by yourself, I think something might happen." he replied, startling Sarah he wasn't usually this serous.
"I'm a big girl Sirius, I can handle myself." she told him.
"I know, but I just get that feeling, mind I come with you, I mean just until we get to Hogwarts? I can turn and leave then, but I don't like the feeling." he stated.
"Sure you can come with me, I'd like the company," she said earnestly. "Maybe Dumbledore can find you a job, like oh I don't know, helping Remus with DADA?" she said. In truth she had the same feeling that something might happen, and she trusted Sirius like she did Remus, they were her brothers, well maybe only Remus was in reality, but Sirius felt like a brother to her. They walked to the apperating point and soon were standing in Hogsmeade. They looked around and saw people milling around walking around aimlessly. She smiled at Sirius, happy to have his company being here by herself would have reminded her of her old school days when she came here with Lily and their friend Rachel. She quickly reminded herself of why she was here and promised herself she would think of her school days later.
Upon arriving at Hogwarts, they proceeded to Professor Dumbledore's office. They arrived and saw him at the entrance to his office; he looked at them smiling warmly. "Sarah, you're here." he said.
"Yes I'm here, it's so strange coming here to teach, I remember roaming these halls as a student, and trying stay out of the Marauders path of pranks." Sarah smiled, as she remembered. "But now look at me, I've befriended a Marauder, have or had a brother-in-law Marauder, and my brother is a Marauder, I have connections with three of them!" she laughed at what had happened, Sirius and Dumbledore laughing along with her.
"Yes, amazing how things happen over time isn't it? But now my dear we need to get to business, I asked you to take Minerva McGonagall's responsibilities as Transfiguration professor, and I would also like to ask you to take over as head of Gryffindor house." he said.
"That will be fine, um, would you have a place for Sirius to work, I know it's rather last minute..." Sarah asked.
"As a matter of fact I do, I was hoping he'd come and help Remus with his class beings that it would be rather difficult to find a substitute for him or any of the teachers." He replied.
"Thank you headmaster." Sarah said, Sirius echoing her thankfulness.
"No thank you, and you may call me Albus, it's only right, since we are all on the staff, we should be on a first name basis, however that may not happen with Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and yourselves, Sarah and Sirius since Remus and Sirius played pranks on Severus while you all were in school, and Sarah you were looped into this by your relation and defense of Severus, of whom took it the wrong way." He said, it still amazed Sarah and Sirius how he seemed to know everything, and read their minds. "I'll have Severus show you to your rooms, oh, and Sarah, would you mind sharing a room with Remus, to keep him company, I'd have Sirius in there, but I think it would give off the wrong impression." He asked.
"That will be fine, I don't mind, and I doubt he will mind." She said, with her response, he turned and left. "So you're to help Remus teach his students, that will be interesting, you're teaching your godson... and I'm teaching my nephew, come to think of it." Sarah said before becoming lost in her sudden train of thought. Just then Severus appeared, walking away from general direction of the Great Hall. He motioned for Sarah and Sirius to follow, and Sirius did, not knowing Sarah was still lost in thought. 'Severus Snape, he was always crushing on Lily in school, and a couple of times I think he was rumored to have liked me.' Sarah shuddered as he remembered, before going back into her train of thought.
"So, Black, how much did you have to beg Albus to get a job?" Severus asked.
"Why would you care? Oh, that's right, you want that job, I didn't beg, I was given it to help Remus and I'll thank you to keep your nose in your own business." Sirius retorted.
'Hmm, wonder why Sarah didn't stop me from saying that? She's not even talking to me right now, not scolding me? Is she still thinking and didn't...Shit, she's still back at Dumbledore's office thinking I bet. "Severus, wait up, I have to get Sarah, she didn't see us and is, why am I telling you, it isn't like you care!" he said before running back to find Sarah still in the same spot in the same position. "Sarah, come on Snapes here to show us to our rooms!" He said, she didn't hear him, turning around he saw Snape walking up to them, black robes billowing out somewhat gracefully behind him.
"Well I'm waiting, if you don't mind I have some things I need to finish before school starts." he snapped.
"You try taking her out of one of her trances, it's hard, wait don't try she'd kill me." Sirius said, getting a sudden idea that would have her fillet Snape and get her out of her trance and he wouldn't get hurt. 'I'm so smart! Yea!' he thought.
"Then stop me." Snape said, falling for the trap. "If she kills you then I won't have to." he said. The then walked over to her and waved his hand in front of her face to no avail. After trying several things he came up with one last idea that should work; kissing her, not on the lips, but the cheek.
"What are you gonna do now?" Sirius asked, knowing the last resort would be what he was going to do, Snape didn't know her well enough to know that stating something of importance to her would snap her out of it as well. Smirking to himself he watched as Severus kissed her cheek and Sarah suddenly snapped out of her trance.
"WHAT THE...why the hell did you just do that?! I have no feelings for you and I doubt I ever will, so please; NEVER SO THAT AGAIN!" Sarah exclaimed, her face beet red in anger; then as suddenly as she was angry she was calm and peaceful. "Now would you kindly show me to my rooms?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey. After she was shown her rooms and started to unpack, and set her wards up so she wouldn't have to worry about stray students seeing her and her brother on a full moon. She wasn't a werewolf, like Remus she was an Animagi. She opened the 'door' to her shared compartments and turned to look at what is was in reality. She was a picture of a nymph in a forest; she was laying on a tree branch and looking into a pond. Looking up the nymph saw Sarah and waved.
"Hello, are you to come up with the password or am I" she asked.
"Whichever." the nymph replied.
"You can." she said.
"Alright, the current password is Waterlily to enter." she told her. Sarah thanked the nymph and walked off in search of Sirius.
Remus looked at the remaining residents of the house. He was taking Harry and Ron to Diagon Alley for their school supplies. "George, Fred, what will you two be doing while we're gone?" he asked.
"We were planning of visiting Hogsmeade, to find a place to rent out for out shop." George told him.
"Alright, please tell Sarah and Sirius I say hi and will be there later this week with Harry and Ron if Albus doesn't mind."
"Alrighty then consider it done!" the twins said before going to Hogsmeade. Remus shook his head before looking at Harry and Ron and flooing to Diagon alley.
Once they were there Harry and Ron walked off with Hermione and Ginny to buy their supplies, Remus upon remembering something ran after Harry. "Harry, this is the money Sarah wanted me to give you for your supplies, you're not to pay for your tuition if you live under her roof." he told him before walking into the robe shop to get himself some badly needed new robes, dress and casual alike.
When he was done getting his robes he went and sat down at a free table at the ice cream parlor, and waited for Harry and his friends who showed up five minutes later, bags bulging with their school supplies. Harry walked over to Remus and handed him the leftover money. "It's alright we can buy ice cream with the left over money." he told Harry, he didn't want them to overheat on the fine hot August day that it was. (It's too cold here in America! Well San Francisco area n e who...) When they finished their sundaes, Harry and Ron walked off in the direction of the Quidditch store, Hermione and Ginny went to look at make-up a store was having a sale of some sort and Ginny wanted to see, and had dragged Hermione along with her.
Remus looked at two people of whom were looking at Harry with interest, on of them reached up and pointed to something and their sleeve rolled up their arm and he saw a distinctive mark; they were death eaters. He quickly got up and followed Harry and Ron. He looked behind him and saw no one was following him, or Harry.
'I'm just being over cautious, Voldemort is dead, Harry killed him with Sirius and Ron's help, I saw that, and i heard the Death Eaters swear to avenge his death, but how will they?' he thought to him self. He shook his head and walked into a book store and got a book he'd been looking for before walking into Flourish and Blotts to buy some quills and parchment. Then he met up with Harry and Ron and the three went back to the house; after saying good bye to Ginny and Hermione.
Sarah looked at Sirius and sighed before resting her hand in her palm again. She had found out that Sirius had tricked Severus into getting her out of the trance and she'd gotten him back and what did he do in return? He had charmed her class room upside down. She shook her head, maybe she should ask Severus for some of his headache potion, she had a throbbing one at the moment that wasn't going to leave her anytime soon. She looked up and saw someone waving at her, she looked at the figure and saw Remus, Harry and Ron. "Hey you three, how long have you been here?"
"Since this morning." Harry replied, walking up to the raised section of the great hall to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Harry it's good to know that there is some good left in this world what time is it any way?" she asked.
"Going on eleven thirty, what happened any way?" Remus asked, he saw the tired look on her face.
"Go ask Padfoot." she said before standing up and walking out of the hall, avoiding Sirius as he walked into the hall.
"Hey Moony, how are you? Long time no see." he greeted.
"Stuff it Padfoot, what did you do now to get Sarah to ack this way?" Remus asked. Harry and Ron looked at him, their eyes echoing the question. No one saw Severus enter the hall.
"He tricked me, whilst Sarah was lost in thought, to get her out of her train and I didn't know how and I kissed her cheek; Sarah upon finding out the truth transfigured Sirius's favorite shirt into a rubber duck and is the only one who can change it back. Sirius found out it was her and spelled her classroom upside down, and only he can undo it. He only will if Sarah changes his shirt back, and get him another rubber duck, and she won't do that until he apologizes for tricking me, and changes her room." he told them before taking Sarah's empty spot and ordering something off a menu that was left there for the teachers incase they got hungry.
"Why'd you do that?" Remus asked Sirius.
"Thought it'd be funny?" he told him sheepishly.
"Well it wasn't was it? Now go tell Sarah and Severus you're sorry and change her classroom back." Remus told Sirius in a stern voice, Sirius nodded his head bashfully and walked over to Severus and apologized, then walked off to find Sarah.
"Harry, why don't we get settled for the rest of break and put our things away?" Ron asked. He and Harry walked off and weren't seen until dinner, they had gone off to fly around the Quidditch pitch.
Sarah and Sirius walked into the great hall the morning school started and watched the students look over their schedules. She sat down and started to eat when several letters were dropped onto her plate and she saw her owl, Snow, land on the head of her plate and look at her. She scratched it's head and gave her some bacon before reading her mail. She opened the letter and saw a note from Harry, and read it, upon finishing it she replied on a piece of parchment he had provided and gave it to Snowy who flew over to Harry and dropped it off then flew back to her. She opened her next letter from Sirius from the look of it. It read:
Sarah-
I hope you slept well and classes are going to go well for you, they should you are talented and know it. I know you will not mix up anything you teach, I guarantee it. I have an idea for a prank to two on Snape if you're game. Talk to me during break. Thank you for the support you gave me, you're like a sister to me! Stay like yourself; there's a proverb I read a while ago it goes like this: dance like no one watching; sing like no on e listening; and live like every day's your last. Some Irish guy came up with it. I'm gonna come up with some little saying to end my letters to you from now on.
Love ya,
Sirius,
P.S. Padfoot and Luna the prankster duo forever.
P. S .S. that doesn't sound good, oh well, it reminds me of James and Wormtail. (I hate him, so glad he was killed by Voldemort)
P. S. S. S. You and I are the pranksters now, right?
~Sirius
Sarah smiled at his note and looked at him, he was looking at Remus and talking about something with him. She looked at her third and last letter, and opened it.
Sarah-
I hope you aren't scared of the dark, you'll be in it soon enough. You and the Potter boy. Beware Voldemort's followers still live.
Sarah looked at the note again and shook her head, it was a fake, a prank to keep her on her feet. It happened to all the teachers. She justified, but Remus didn't get one, and Sirius didn't either. She looked at the person next to her and decided to tell someone. She looked at Severus and changed her mind, she'd tell Remus later. 'No, he'd worry too much. I'll tell Severus during break.' she told herself before leaving to go to her class.
Once in there she started to write on the chalk board, she wrote her name and sat down and looked to se who she was teaching first: sixth year Slytherins. She sighed and looked through her plan for the day she was just reviewing this week. The class walked in and took a seat, she looked at the class and knew who would be disrespectful at first glance around the room, she saw Lucius Malfoy's son, Draco. She smiled at herself knowing she was going to have fun this year, she had stories of parents and she would tell the if the child was good in her class.
"Good morning class, I have rules for this class, and I expect them to be obeyed with no exceptions, unless I give you one." she said, she pointed at a students quill with her wand and it became a piece of chalk that flew into her hand. Some of the students were interested, but most weren't. "I want you all to copy the rules onto a piece of parchment and memorize them, there will be a test later this week, I won't say when. The team with the most correct answers will get fifty points. Here are the rules." the chalk went to the board and started to write.
1) Tardiness will result in a five point deduction
2) Five tardies earn a detention
3)homework in on time earns one point
4)late work results in a two point loss
5) early work will earn three points
6)talking back earns a detention
7) smarting off earns point loss
8) good behavior earns points and treats.
"Alright class, I trust you're finished?" she asked, when all but three heads nodded she looked at the three. "Who are you three? Names please?"
"I'm Draco Malfoy, this is Crabbe and Goyle." said Lucius' son. 'I knew it!' she thought to herself.
"I see, firstly I want to know why you three haven't finished yet, and secondly why don't you let Crabbe and Goyle talk for themselves?"
"We were tying to read them. And they don't like to talk."
"You're like your father trying to sound smart that will be five points from Slytherin. You, what's your name?" she asked a girl in the back.
"Dominique." the girl replied.
"Can you read the board?" she asked.
"Yes I can Professor Lupin."
"Thank you. Now Malfoy, I want you to sit closer to the front and copy the rules off the board." she told him. When class was closing she looked at the girl she had called on in the beginning of class, Dominique.
"Malfoy what class is next for your class" she asked.
"Potions." he replied, he had lost Slytherin twenty five points and gotten two detentions, and was now getting to understand what it meant to smart off. 'His father did the same thing, and the same thing worked of him.' Sarah had remembered.
"Dominique, would you please give this to Professor Snape for me when you go to his class?" she asked. Dominique nodded and walked up to Sarah's desk. Sarah finished her note and handed it to the girl as a bell rang signifying the end of the first class of the year. Her class left and in came her sixth year Gryffindor class.
"Hello, I'm your new teacher, and head of house, professor McGonagall is taking the year off to celebrate the graduation of a pair of pranksters. I have some rules that are to be followed, and will be strictly be reinforced. Please copy them and memorize them, there will be a test later this week to see if they have been memorized, the winning team will receive fifty points." she said.
The class went by quickly and soon they had their first break. Sarah was just about to walk out of her office to find Sirius when Severus walked into the room. "You wanted something Sarah?" he asked.
"I received a letter from someone and I think it is a prank of some sort however I'm not sure. I wanted you to look knowing your, erm...history." she finally said.
"Alright then let's see it." He said. Sarah handed it to him. His face became paler than normal.
"Well?" she asked.
"It's a threat if I ever saw one, when did you get it?" he asked.
"This morning, with my mail."
"Why didn't you show me then? I was sitting next to you?"
"Yeah, like I will in front of the whole school, and besides I thought it was a prank, I wanted to ask, because well I wasn't sure." she said.
"Well it is, just a minute." he said, he reached into his pocket and produced a small bag, in which he took a pinch of powder from and tossed it into her fireplace. "Albus, I need to speak with you. Please come here." he said into the emerald flames. Soon Albus was standing in her office talking to Severus about her letter.
"What am I supposed to do about the letter? Act like I never got it?" she asked.
"No, we're going to have to have you and Harry under a strict watch for the next few weeks. If it is a threat then we will be ready to defend you and Harry, if it's a prank then you'll be free and you and Harry will never know you that there was someone following you for your protection." Sarah nodded her head, letting it all settle in.
"Then won't a memory charm be needed to stop me from remembering this conversation until the danger is passed?" she asked. Severus nodded, along with Albus.
"Alright. Don't worry, you will only forget this conversation, and the events that lead up to it, like the letter and your meeting with myself and Severus. I must go now, Poppy wanted to talk to me, something about my teeth and sweets I believe." he said. Sarah smiled and shook her head as he left.
"So you're to do the spell?" she asked. She wasn't all to happy about that.
"Yes." Severus said, then he cast the spell and she forgot. Just then however, Sirius walked into her room, wondering why she hadn't come out yet. He had seen Severus cast a spell and he didn't know why, or what it was, but no one did that, especially not Snape.
§ Author's Ramble...§
I need a title, I don't know one!!! I hope you enjoy the story so far, you should be if you're still reading it I think n e way... oh well, enjoy! And flames will be used to boil water for my yummy tea! I couldn't come up with a title, but tried to come up with a fitting one for the chapter. Thank you Paige for coming up with a title, it doesn't completely fit, but you're the first kind person! Thank you everyone who reviewed, it is greatly appreciated! I hope you all enjoyed chapter two! Three will be up when I finish it!!
