The next week things went smoothly for Taranis, she'd finally introduced herself to the new professor, Remus Lupin and had apologized for not doing sooner. He smiled as he acknowledged the fact that working with Snape could have that affect on anyone. While not unattractive he was fairly small for a man, and thin. He appeared to be a calm quiet person, and she sensed by the haunted look in his eyes, that he was a troubled man.
Her work with Severus was going well, as they were both very diligent in their task he seemed to accept and even value her opinions. Late on night they sat together over a glass of wine, work put aside for the day after both claimed headaches.
"I am curious to know how it is that you took, and I assume passed your NEWT in potions in your first year?" He sat on the couch nonchalantly, feet up on the ottoman, wine glass perched on the arm.
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Looking over at his raised eyebrows she continued, "well Severus as I don't consider my personal history idle conversation I think it fair that in return for a rundown on my life you'd be willing to recompense?"
He opened his mouth to protest and then closed it as he reconsidered. He had never spoken of his past to another person, not that anyone had ever asked him, and anyone of consequence to him was already aware of the basics. It felt odd to be with a person who had no preconceived notions about him, no preset standards for his behavior. She did not despise him for his actions and that was oddly unnerving. It's true they would, after all, be working together for what could be a very long time. While he wasn't comfortable speaking of his past, it might be acceptable for them to have an understanding of each other. In the end his curiosity got the better of him and he agreed.
"Here goes," she started, "fifty or so years ago my parents along with a small group of others set up the wizarding community in the states. They organized the ministry, the wizards council and the prison. My mom and dad, with a lot of help from the mountain dwarves, planned and built Stormhaven and that's where they remained and still do as headmaster and mistress. I believe I mentioned my mom's the Divination instructor?" He nodded and she sighed and continued, "suffice to say my childhood was not happy and so to keep me busy my father taught how to play the guitar, and I still play but I didn't want to do that all day, so he taught me potions, he bought me books and I taught myself most of them. It was absolutely the most wonderful, fascinating thing ever.
At the beginning of my first year I was horrified to learn that none of the other students had much prior experience with potions at all, and the professor at the time, Churkle eventually realized that I knew everything the graduating classes did. Thank goodness too, I couldn't imagine seven years of Remedial Potions. So with a bit of coercing I was able to take my NEWT with the seventh years. I was a teacher's aide for a while, and then I did a lot of experiments, I worked on quite a few dark potions for the Ministry later on." Severus shot her a questioning look, "the Ministry in the states is a bit more open to that sort of thing than they are here and I was in a safe environment so. . . . it was ok with them.
I also did a lot of work with dark curses. My parents believe that it's not the spell but the person who uses it and all that junk, so they were a lot more open in what they taught and in their suggestions of research material, well mostly it was my dad.
"Now I'm off track, I'll add that after graduation I went to a muggle university for a while, I took a bunch of classes on molecular biology and biochemistry. I thought that sort of thing was really fascinating, how they manipulate the smallest particles and I put that to use and spent a couple of years on the Merlin stuff."
"That, I suppose explains those odd symbols throughout your books."
"Aha, and I also put those guitar lessons to use playing in a band on the weekends, I miss that a lot sometimes. When the post at school opened up I took it and settled down. I still played with the band during the summer until I was injured a few years ago, I pretty much stuck to the school after that. Six months ago I was attacked and hurt pretty badly, Mom and Dad were really shook up and since Dad knew about the post here, he decided it'd be best if I got away for a while. So here I am."
Severus sat through her story listening quietly, so she was something of a child protege. Unfamiliar with the ways of the wizarding community in America he was still surprised that they had allowed her to study the dark arts at all, little own conduct her own research. It would be interesting to discover exactly what that research was and what her experiences in the dark arts entailed. Her last comment about being attacked bothered him and he wondered if someone else was even more interested in those studies.
"You were attacked?" she nodded, they were silent for a few moments, "were you hurt badly?"
"Yes, you could say that," not wanting to go into that any further she changed the subject, "ok your turn."
Severus sat for a moment before he began, "My childhood was also unpleasant, my mother was a loving if frail creature and my father was very cruel. He enjoyed abusing her and did so often. My mother did everything she could to prevent that abuse from extending to me. Eventually my father began to let his 'friends' take pleasure in her abuse as well."
Taranis was shocked when she realized that he meant they were allowed to rape her, how horrible this must have been for a child.
"The summer before I was to begin at Hogwarts, my mother killed herself. She came to me that night, she told me that she loved me and begged me to forgive her. I knew what she was planning and yet I did nothing to stop her."
"Oh Severus I'm sorry," she said, "that must have been awful for you."
He nodded, "needless to say I was not interested in making friends at school and so put my time into my studies. Potions was my best subject, though I did well enough at the rest. Unfortunately I had to return home during the summers and my father's cruelty turned to hatred of me. I was after all my mothers' son. She was weak he said, and so was I., and he gloried over the fact that he had pushed her over the edge and of how he hoped his son would soon follow."
Pausing to fill his wine glass Severus stood, arms crossed, leaning against the desk ans he continued, "Somehow I managed to make it through school, bitter and angry I ended up with a dangerous group of wizards. I did not mourn my father when he was killed. I later discovered that they had killed him, my, so called friends, likely for his transgressions against me, but I'll never know for sure. Dumbledore managed to help me escape what would have been a dangerous path in exchange for my services to the Order. He offered me a position at Hogwarts and here I am. I have done horrible things, and expect no apologies from me. I am not nor ever will be a nice person and you would do well to remember that. I stay here to aide Dumbledore and because I am able to conduct my own research. Thus, I am the last in a long line of pureblood wizards."
"You're young, you could still get married." He snorted as she got up to pour herself another glass of wine, thankful that they shared the same taste in at least one thing.
"I assure you I have no desire to spend the rest of my life with some insipid little git just to sire an heir."
"What if you fall in love?"
"Why Professor Aislin, haven't you discovered that I have no heart?" his brows rose in mock indignation.
"Well Tin-man, you never know when your gonna meet up with the Wiz," she responded with a sly grin.
"Who is the Tin-man and which wizard are you referring to?" he inquired, looking puzzled.
Taranis chuckled, "they're from and old muggle movie Severus. The Tin-man has no heart and he goes to see the Wizard to get one, only when he gets there he finds out that the wizard's a fake and that he had a heart the whole time and didn't know it. The moral of the story is, nothing's impossible Mr. Mann. For what it's worth," she grinned at him, "I think you're nice too."
"What! Be sure you will never hear that word used in reference to me. Barbaric, fiendish, ruthless, vicious, bloodthirsty, savage to name a few, but nice?" he snorted, "not likely."
"Oh, don't forget ill tempered, sneaky, angry, boorish, crude, tasteless, rude, uncivil, vulgar, unseemly and ill-bred, but I find you pleasant enough most of the time."
"I am NOT ill-bred," he responded innocuously, "although I'm glad to see the rest was not wasted on you."
"I'm just glad I'm not one of your students," she said with a low throaty laugh.
Severus sat considering their conversation. She had proven to be a tolerable work partner, he thought as he eyed her where she sat cross legged on a stool. "You don't wear your robes much," he didn't mean to say it out loud, but for some reason he heard the thought escape his lips regardless.
"And you wear yours all the time," she looked at him, as he stood and took his frock off, tossing it casually over a chair. "Hmm, better, but I hope that doesn't mean you want me to put 'mine' on. It's too bulky and gets in the way, I don't like to be restricted."
He suppressed a grin, "you could just forego clothes altogether."
Taranis grinned, was he being sarcastic or was that a joke, "I had thought about it, but as I'm sure it wouldn't distract you at all, chemical burns can be pretty nasty so I decided I really should wear something."
Halloween weekend was upon the school. Taranis thought cheerfully as she sat at her desk as she was planning a bit of mischief. A few days prior she had been roaming the halls, invisible of course, and happened upon that 'dear' little Malfoy boy and his chums plotting to hex some students. She'd missed the part about what hex and who, but then as she could surmise the 'who' part, the 'what' could be filled in later. After class she'd asked Harry, Ron and Hermione to stay and they'd all had a good laugh as she put a 'bounce off me' spell over them and sent them off to get ready for the feast.
The great hall was gorgeous as usual, decorated with jack-o-lanterns, bats and black cats, she chose to wear all black of course, as well as one of those pointy caps she hated in general, but seemed to fit the bill for the occasion. The feast lasted late and Taranis had a great time with the other instructors, Remus Lupin, she decided, was a hoot. Her stomach actually hurt from laughing so much. She noticed Draco and his goons leave the party early, and about thirty minutes later she watched as Harry, Ron and Hermione slowly made their way out the side door. At their exit she excused herself and followed them.
Severus watched her laughing at Lupin's boring jokes and felt his mood sour at all of the attention she paying that werewolf. She had barely even glanced at him, not that he had expected or even felt like conversation, he had half-expected her to sit next to him. Instead he sat alone and brooding until he noticed her tracking that Potter group. Her sudden departure was curious, why would she be following the group? Was there something afoul that he wasn't aware of? Snape abruptly pushed back from the table and followed her out the door.
She was moving quickly, up several flights of stairs and as he was not as agile as he used to be, lagged behind a bit. Eventually he heard Professor Aislin's voice from around the corner, "ten points from each of you! I'm sorely disappointed that you would do such a thing, you should be ashamed of yourselves."
As the Potions Master came around the corner he noticed three jack-o-lanterns in the corner, their faces were those of Malfoy, Crab and Doyle and while they could not speak in that form, the faces were moving as if they were trying. "Professor Aislin, wouldn't you think ten points each is indeed a paltry punishment for such a malicious act?" Snape eyed Ron suspiciously, "twenty each and a week's worth of detentions would be much more appropriate," he drawled in that rich baritone.
Taranis considered this for a moment, "yes, I'm sure you're right, I'm afraid a harsher punishment would be in order." She turned toward the pumpkins and shook pointed her finger at them, "twenty points from each of you and I'm sure Mr. Filch can find something ingenious for you to do in detention for the next week."
"What?" Snape demanded, "why are you taking points from them," he pointed at the pumpkins, and then glared darkly at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "These three are clearly the culprits, why on earth would Malfoy hex himself!"
Taranis looked to where the three stood with empathy, the poor children were frightened to death. "He didn't 'mean' to hex himself Severus, but unfortunately since these Griffyndors had been enchanted by a Bounce Off Me spell, "she spread her hands, "that's what happens." The potions master whom a moment before had been looking perplexed, was now beginning to realize her implications. "You three better get off to bed," she pointed off with her thumb, and they made a quick exit.
"And how may I ask did that particular spell get cast in their direction?"
"Your boys here aren't bright enough to plot somewhere discreetly. I didn't catch their whole conversation, but I caught the gist. I wasn't sure Harry was the target, but It was a very good guess wasn't it." Taranis yawned into her hand ignoring the scowl she was getting from the dark man towering over her. "Well, I'm going to bed Sevs, I'll leave you to take care of your boys. Night."
Snape looked at her petit form as she strode down the hallway, and then back to where the three jack-o-lanterns sat against the wall. He cast the counter spell and turned the three Slytherins back into their human form.
Draco immediately started yelling, "you're not going to let her get away with that are you? She tricked you the insipid wench!"
"Mr. Malfoy, she is 'not' a wench, she is Professor Aislin and I will expect you to remember that in the future, do I make myself clear?" Snape spoke slowly, enunciating each syllable crisply as he leaned to look the boy directly in the face.
Draco stifled a sneer as he responded, "yes sir!" and the three started to walk away.
"Oh and Malfoy," the boy turned, "she is right you know. It was stupid of you to get caught. 'Don't' do it again!"
As Snape stormed of to the dungeon he surmised, if he had over heard the boy plotting he would have swooped right in and bullied them to the ground. He sighed, alas, once again the woman had proved to be an interesting distraction . . .