Chapter 1 ~ Reunited
The tension was so thick he could taste it. What could he say to her? He couldn't tell her about Black, she would take it worse coming from him than from anyone else. He stood in the doorway of his own office as she sat in his chair, looking over his notes for tomorrow's lessons with an amused smile on her face. Finally she looked up and noticed him.
"You teach the Slytherins and Gryffindors together?" she asked quietly. He grimaced, but felt relieved. This at least was familiar territory.
"It gives me a chance to prove what an evil git I really am," he replied, glowering menacingly. She smiled at him, but his expression didn't change, and her smile faltered quickly.
"You're wearing your school mask, Sev. There's no one here to intimidate. Smile." It was a direct order, and she gave it with all the authority of a lifetime friend. He smiled. It felt foreign, until she returned it and jumped out of the chair to throw her arms around his neck. Then it felt like the right expression entirely.
"Do you know how long I looked for you?" he whispered, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so sorry."
"It wasn't your fault. I made the choice, and it was the right one. Papa would have sacrificed you to protect himself. You had the mark, so they would have handed you over to the dementors. You might never have made it to Azkaban. I couldn't let that happen. But how did you get a job here? Even with Riddle gone, I can't believe Dumbledore would – "
He cut her off, pulling away to look at her. "Riddle's not gone, Mur. And Dumbledore has me teaching here because I'm spying for the Order."
Her mouth fell open and she let him go abruptly, taking a few steps backward. He waited as she swallowed hard and looked away. Finally she turned back around. "You went to Dumbledore that night, then, before James and Lily – "
She didn't finish. It had been just over 15 years, and it was still hard to admit that they were dead. Severus nodded, parking himself on one of the student desks as she fell heavily back into his chair. They were awfully close to the topic he hoped to avoid.
"Where've you been, Mur?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Papa shipped me off to America to catch dark wizards." Muriel looked up in time to see Severus' eyes widen. He had looked all over that blasted country!
But she misunderstood. "I've caught over 200 in the last 15 years. Only had to kill 32." She smiled grimly as he shook his head. Apparently there were a lot of dark wizards in America. But he had always known she would be a good Auror. There had never been any question.
It was nearly two in the morning when their conversation was interrupted by Professor Dumbledore. Naturally, when he had seen their reaction to one another in the hall, he had determined whom the sorting hat had brought.
"Professors?" he inquired as he pushed the door open slowly. "I was wondering if I might have a word with you?" Severus and Muriel looked up. Mur scowled. She had never much liked Dumbledore, but what Sev had just told her about how the man had helped him made her rethink her expression. She carefully fixed a blank look on her face as Severus answered.
"Of course, Headmaster."
"Welcome back, Professor Deesia. It has been too long." He looked at her with his twinkling eyes over the spectacles she remembered so well. It seemed he was willing to accept the Sorting Hat's wisdom and hire her.
"Thank you," she answered stiffly, shaking his outstretched hand.
"I believe that before the term begins we should discuss Mr. Potter's extracurricular studies." He paused, looking pointedly at Severus, who looked away.
"James and Lily's son?" Mur asked quietly.
"Looks just like James," Dumbledore replied, nodding as Mur's eyes filled with tears. She and James had never quite gotten close, but Lily had been a very good friend. Being back at Hogwarts brought the pain so much nearer.
"I believe that it would be in everyone's best interests for the boy to learn Occlumency, since he seems to have a strong mental connection to Voldemort."
"Riddle," Muriel corrected, before he could continue. Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, and even Severus turned to look at her, though he had hoped to stay out of this conversation entirely. "Scum like him don't get the honor of choosing their own name. He's a mud blood. He can deny it all he wants, but he will always be the one thing he detests the most, and I for one will take every opportunity to remind him of it."
Both men stared at her for a moment. She wasn't angry, or upset. She just stated facts. Dumbledore smiled. Obviously Muriel Deesia had changed very little.
It was decided in short order that she would take over the Occlumency lessons, so that Severus wouldn't have to. Then Dumbledore left. By the time she hugged Severus again and said goodnight, it was nearly four AM, and she was starting to wonder how she was going to stay awake through her lessons tomorrow.
The tension was so thick he could taste it. What could he say to her? He couldn't tell her about Black, she would take it worse coming from him than from anyone else. He stood in the doorway of his own office as she sat in his chair, looking over his notes for tomorrow's lessons with an amused smile on her face. Finally she looked up and noticed him.
"You teach the Slytherins and Gryffindors together?" she asked quietly. He grimaced, but felt relieved. This at least was familiar territory.
"It gives me a chance to prove what an evil git I really am," he replied, glowering menacingly. She smiled at him, but his expression didn't change, and her smile faltered quickly.
"You're wearing your school mask, Sev. There's no one here to intimidate. Smile." It was a direct order, and she gave it with all the authority of a lifetime friend. He smiled. It felt foreign, until she returned it and jumped out of the chair to throw her arms around his neck. Then it felt like the right expression entirely.
"Do you know how long I looked for you?" he whispered, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so sorry."
"It wasn't your fault. I made the choice, and it was the right one. Papa would have sacrificed you to protect himself. You had the mark, so they would have handed you over to the dementors. You might never have made it to Azkaban. I couldn't let that happen. But how did you get a job here? Even with Riddle gone, I can't believe Dumbledore would – "
He cut her off, pulling away to look at her. "Riddle's not gone, Mur. And Dumbledore has me teaching here because I'm spying for the Order."
Her mouth fell open and she let him go abruptly, taking a few steps backward. He waited as she swallowed hard and looked away. Finally she turned back around. "You went to Dumbledore that night, then, before James and Lily – "
She didn't finish. It had been just over 15 years, and it was still hard to admit that they were dead. Severus nodded, parking himself on one of the student desks as she fell heavily back into his chair. They were awfully close to the topic he hoped to avoid.
"Where've you been, Mur?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Papa shipped me off to America to catch dark wizards." Muriel looked up in time to see Severus' eyes widen. He had looked all over that blasted country!
But she misunderstood. "I've caught over 200 in the last 15 years. Only had to kill 32." She smiled grimly as he shook his head. Apparently there were a lot of dark wizards in America. But he had always known she would be a good Auror. There had never been any question.
It was nearly two in the morning when their conversation was interrupted by Professor Dumbledore. Naturally, when he had seen their reaction to one another in the hall, he had determined whom the sorting hat had brought.
"Professors?" he inquired as he pushed the door open slowly. "I was wondering if I might have a word with you?" Severus and Muriel looked up. Mur scowled. She had never much liked Dumbledore, but what Sev had just told her about how the man had helped him made her rethink her expression. She carefully fixed a blank look on her face as Severus answered.
"Of course, Headmaster."
"Welcome back, Professor Deesia. It has been too long." He looked at her with his twinkling eyes over the spectacles she remembered so well. It seemed he was willing to accept the Sorting Hat's wisdom and hire her.
"Thank you," she answered stiffly, shaking his outstretched hand.
"I believe that before the term begins we should discuss Mr. Potter's extracurricular studies." He paused, looking pointedly at Severus, who looked away.
"James and Lily's son?" Mur asked quietly.
"Looks just like James," Dumbledore replied, nodding as Mur's eyes filled with tears. She and James had never quite gotten close, but Lily had been a very good friend. Being back at Hogwarts brought the pain so much nearer.
"I believe that it would be in everyone's best interests for the boy to learn Occlumency, since he seems to have a strong mental connection to Voldemort."
"Riddle," Muriel corrected, before he could continue. Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, and even Severus turned to look at her, though he had hoped to stay out of this conversation entirely. "Scum like him don't get the honor of choosing their own name. He's a mud blood. He can deny it all he wants, but he will always be the one thing he detests the most, and I for one will take every opportunity to remind him of it."
Both men stared at her for a moment. She wasn't angry, or upset. She just stated facts. Dumbledore smiled. Obviously Muriel Deesia had changed very little.
It was decided in short order that she would take over the Occlumency lessons, so that Severus wouldn't have to. Then Dumbledore left. By the time she hugged Severus again and said goodnight, it was nearly four AM, and she was starting to wonder how she was going to stay awake through her lessons tomorrow.