CHAPTER 3
PREPARATIONS
Some things never change! Hogwarts was one of these special things. There was always that hint of over activity and rush after the peace of the holidays. All the staff coming back after the holidays relaxed and ready for the new session. Discussing their numerous escapades during the summer, gossiping, sharing news while working –listing the books ,course plans, sending the owls and numerous other arrangements for the arrival of students. Not many things had changed at Hogwarts during the last few years. But this year there were going to be new professors not for one but two posts. The Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher Professor Remus Lupin had finally decided to join his wife Nymphadora Tonks as an auror, a profession where his expert skills could be more aptly utilized. He would have done that sooner but was tied up because cure of lycanthropy was still in developmental stages. But last year not only was it developed and patented by Professor Severus Snape, but quite successfully tested on Professor Lupin. The war had brought about some startling things one of them being development of a strange sense of kinship between Lupin and Snape. A friendship which had astounded everyone. Lupin had never actively participated in his friends' notorious attempts to humiliate Snape but had never actually rebelled against them either. But his fair nature had allowed him to see the unfairness of his friends' sometimes unwarranted attacks and consequently he had never quite had the same enmity or sense of bitterness against Snape as the rest of the marauders had always had. Rather he always felt a bit guilty where Snape was concerned. He always had a fleeting suspicion that their cruelty had played a big part in Snape's turning over to the dark side.
Lupin's closeness to Snape had bought him closer to Tonks too, who like all married women wanted the rest of the world to get married too. She was the only one who ever succeeded in making Snape laugh with her silly but absolutely adorable antics not least of which were about finding the right match for him. Whenever Lupin saw Snape laugh it tied his heart in knots. The laughter simply transformed him . It just made Lupin wonder what Snape could have been had his life been any different than the way he had known it. Even he thought that it was still not too late for Snape to have the kind of love, companionship and happiness he deserved and wanted him to find the right kind of person for himself, but unlike Tonks he wasn't as verbal about it. Partly because he knew that it would be very difficult to find the right kind of person for Snape . A complex person like Snape needed a lot of unconditional love, understanding , and a kind of maturity and sensitivity which would let someone look beyond his cold and cruel demeanor. He knew that inside this tough exterior lay a very insecure person, a very sensitive and vulnerable person, very susceptible to the hurt inflicted by others. And if Snape started caring for the wrong kind of person it might as well destroy him. All these considerations led him into believing that Severus was better off alone till the fates decided to intervene and so he did not encourage Tonks too much about setting Snape up with someone neither did he push Severus too much about the issue.
Remus Lupin was not the only one deciding to quit Hogwarts this year. Even Pofessor Flitwick had decided to take an early retirement this year to go on and stay with his numerous grandchildren in the countryside.
The much coveted position of DADA teacher was offered to Severus by Dumbledore this year. But somehow over the years he had simply lost all interest in this post. As it was his hands were too full what with all his research work and all. The only reason he was carrying on with the task of being potions master at Hogwarts was because Dumbledore simply wouldn't let him quit. And even if he had been interested in DADA post this year he wouldn't have accepted it because over the holidays his devious Slytherin mind had hatched a plan. He had decided that he would try atleast once to get back Hermione. And the only way to be in her proximity was to try to get her back at Hogwarts anyhow! He had learnt a lot about those two over the years by being around Minerva at the head table and pretending not even to hear one word but in actuality hanging on to every word of her incessant chatter about her all time favorite student ,her correspondence, her achievements, her husband ,her child and what not……. So snape had known that Draco and Hermione weren't doing all that well financially and would jump at the chance at a well paid job at Hogwarts that too for not one but both of them. It wasn't a very hard task to suggest this in a roundabout slytherin way to Minerva so that she thought it was her idea to begin with.
And not surprisingly Hermione and Draco were coming to Hogwarts this year to fill in for the Charms and DADA
Posts respectively.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All the bags were packed.They were ready to leave in a few hours time for Hogwarts. Draco was coaxing Sara to eat her breakfast and drink milk. This was a daily ritual between father and daughter. Frankly speaking Draco had spoilt the little minx rotten. He was crazy about her and she knew it. She had him dancing on her fingertips. A hint of tears and Draco was ready to go to the ends of the world for her. This was the only subject of disagreement to Hermione and Draco. He couldn't tolerate her saying even one harsh word to Sara and she didn't like him bending in to all Sara's wishes. Sara was turning out to be too much of a Slytherin for Hermione's comfort.
" Yes…. there was no hint of a gryffindor about that young lady…a true Slytherin if ever there was one! And a spoiled brat at that !! Merlin save Hogwarts from her!!!" Thought Hermione quite frantically.
Actually she was very edgy today …..and so everything seemed like such a big deal to her…..she was feeling as panicky as a teenager facing her first love…….
"Ohno, I wont think about him, no no not yet please..!"She begged her mind as it brought her his images; triggered by the words 'first love' it seemed. "I better concentrate on something else…"she thought urgently trying to divert her mind and started observing Draco and Sara again.
Draco was now giving sara a piggyback ride. She looking as proud as a queen on throne and he beaming with joy!
She sighed, never could she have thought of Draco in this way during their school days ever! How much he had changed over the years,it was unbelievable. No one would have ever guessed there hid such loving and fatherly man inside that cruel and haughty exterior. But she had seen his tender side so often that it didn't surprise her any longer . Even during the early part of their marriage he had been unbelievable………..
She always sick and irritated because of her pregnancy hormones…… their limited finances, as she had refused to have much help from friends or family and he being disowned by his family… ……both working day and night………. no house elves……such difficult times….and he had worked so hard…insisting on doing most of the housework himself to let her rest as much as possible, it had been so funny in the beginning ….he couldn't even boil water or do any of the basic housekeeping…….but he had learnt all of it so sincerely and determinedly……..
Always treating her as a princess …something even Harry and Ron had never done. She felt so special whenever she was with him ! And he was so ecstatic when Sara was born………as if she was his own……..she sighed again.
It was a secret known only to Draco and Hermione that Sara wasn't actually his child….not that anyone could ever have guessed the way he loved her even more than Hermione could ever have. He had been the most perfect father……..changing diapers and caring for the baby in every way when she was born…….even if it meant virtually no sleep for many days in and going to work with red eyes and haggard face……the only time he had been ill tempered was when sara was sick , even if it was just teething fever or cough or cold, he would look as if it was the end of the world, fussing around the kid endlessly! And she, the naughty little minx, actually loved being sick just to see him the way he was, so much did she enjoy getting him in that state…..many times she would overeat icecream to get a sore throat and would say proudly to Hermione in the midst of a coughing and giggling spasm, "Daddy would be so upset now! He will even scold you for not taking plopper care of me!!" All the while looking at her intently with those deviously impish black eyes of hers!
It was all those things over the years that had earned Draco the confidence and respect from Hermione's friends and family who had all been very skeptical and disapproving over their hasty marriage and his intents! But now they adored him even more than Hermione!! The thought brought smile to her face …. the father and daughter were now indulging in their favorite game of tickling each other and laughing madly………bringing a lump in her throat.
She sighed again…….Merlin knew what fate had in store for all of them ……she wasn't very happy about going back to Hogwarts….she still didn't trust herself enough for that…but apparently Draco did, for to her utter surprise he had accepted the offer unflinchingly and without another thought……saying it would mean a better future for Sara.
She would have to be very careful not to break that trust…….
"But would she be able to?" She thought with an aching heart, rubbing her unsettled stomach with her cold and slightly trembling hands!