Chapter Ten
It had been two years since Voldemort fell; two years since they had buried Lily & James Potter. The world was so much different now. Severus had been cleared of any involvement with the Death Eaters, they were quite a lot of people who hadn't believed the verdict and even more who had objected to his appointment at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but that had been two years ago. Former Death Eaters were still being arrested; many were still going to Azakaban. The rumours about the return of the Dark Lord had stopped. Severus knew differently though, thanks to the potion he had created for him Voldemort's mind still lived.
There was one thing Severus Snape could hardly believe. Sirius Black, the bully he had known since school, the best friend of his sworn enemy had betrayed the Potter's to their death. In school Black had done anything for money or for personal gain and it wasn't see how he had become to betray the Potter's, it was the sheer evilness of the incident that had bothered Severus.
His existence at Hogwarts was a lonely one. Few of the other teachers would associate them in their activities, either it was because they knew of his past or it was because they were uncomfortable treating someone who had not so long ago been their student, as an associate.
Severus found he did quite enjoy teaching, but only when the class was willing to learn, a lot of the time he had to deal with people who certainly didn't want to be in his class and simply caused problems because if it. Over the two years he had developed a reputation as an extremely strict teacher, people didn't come to him with homework excuses, they came to him with completed works done to the best of their ability, fearing detention if it was anything less.
It didn't bother him that he wasn't a popular teacher, he preferred to be left alone in the evenings. Many of the popular teachers were often invited to play chess or other such things with their students. Sometimes he did feel a pang of jealously, the company would sometimes be very welcome. He did however get on remarkably well with the Slytherin pupils and spent a time of time in the common room with them, either playing chess or simply marking work at one of the great desks. There was something very peaceful about the common room.
He looked at his watch, it was nearing half past eleven. He was the only person sitting in the staff room, it had been like this a lot of late. He had been tempted several times this week to mix himself a sleeping potion, but he knew that would not help. He couldn't sleep because he was afraid to sleep; his dreams lately had been filled with the most terrifying images and memories faceless corpses who he knew he was somehow responsible for. He stretched and stood to make himself a cup of tea.
"Good evening, Severus." A cheerful voice behind said.
"I don't think you can call it evening." He replied without turning. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Coffee please, milk two sugars. I suppose it can't technically be called evening, for me this is morning."
"How do you cope, surely your pupils are fast asleep during your lessons."
"Oh the dedicated ones are awake, those are the ones I prefer."
"I prefer the dedicated ones as well, there are so few of them though." He handed her, her coffee.
"We don't usually talk, do we Severus?"
"Indeed not, Professor."
She laughed, "you sound like a student, Severus! Professor, really... It's Annie." There was a silent moment, "I went to school with your wife."
"Really?"
"She was in the year above me. I don't suppose you'd have remembered me, we never spoke but I did see you occasionally in the library."
"I have pretty much successfully managed to remove all memories of my times here."
"I'm not surprised, they pretty much treated you like shit."
This surprised Severus; the only people he could ever remember feeling sorry for him where Sophie, Lily and on the odd occasion Remus Lupin.
He shrugged; "I probably deserved it."
Sinistra took a sip of her coffee. "How old is your kid now?"
"She's almost five."
"Five? So, she's started school. How's she liking it?"
"She finds it boring, her teachers say the only times of the day when she is controllable is music time, story time and number time."
"Number time?"
"Yes, it's pretty amazing. She has this... addiction to numbers. I'll take her shopping and as I add something to the trolley she'll tell me the price and tell me how much the total shopping trolley is."
"That is pretty amazing."
"Greta, that's my sister, said that I should perhaps consider getting her piano lessons or something."
"Have you thought about it?"
"I don't really know. My mother taught me to play the piano when I was about her age, but is it right to make a child do one hours piano lesson and make them practice?"
"She might really like it."
"She might well do, but... well, I don't like the idea of inviting a stranger into my house or taking Tara to a strangers house."
"Bit of a protective dad, eh?"
"I have to be, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her."
"So, what do you do when you work here?"
"My sister has just started to do a post-graduate degree, she needed somewhere to stay and Tara pretty much adores her. Greta's hoping to work specifically in paedatric medician."
"She's in good hands."
"She hates me when I come home; doesn't talk to me for at least a day."
"Have you thought about moving to Hogsmede? Tara could go to the local..."
"She's not got a magical bone her body."
"Oh...I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, I haven't told anyone else. In a way I'm glad. Six years from now she would be coming to Hogwarts, you know I'm not the most popular teacher around and I don't really want Tara to see me...working. I'm sad that she's not magical, but I'm also glad."
"Beginning of last year."
"She still could be magical, they do say that children..."
"Of mixed parentage take longer to develop abilities. I know. That's what the doctors have all said, but I know in my heart that she's not magical."
"Have you told her?"
"I'm planning to when she's older. I'm still thinking through how to explain why I didn't tell her earlier."
"How about you tell her that you were scared?"
"The downside to having a kid with brains is that I don't think that would work. I've got another six years or so to think up a reason."
"So, what do you do for fun?"
"Sorry?"
"Well every time I've seen you you're usually sat alone marking or reading, I've not seen you do anything else."
"How did we get onto this?"
"I'm a very spontaneous person." She touched his nose before disappearing out of the staff room.
Severus sat very still for a few moments, not quite understanding what had just happened. Annie Sinistra, the mysterious professor of Astronomy, also a very lovely looking woman, he been taking to him about Tara, suddenly she was asking him what he did for fun! This was all very strange, but he had enjoyed her company. Part of him felt slightly warm.
The next couple of nights he found himself deliberately staying up late in the staff room just so he could talk to her, or just see her. He had told himself it was simply because he found her conversation interesting, but he knew that there was a different reason. During the day, Professor Sinistra dominated his thoughts, she was the first person he thought about when he woke up and the last person he thought about when he went to sleep. This is ridiculous, he told himself frequently, you can't fall in love with her, you hardly know her. She was also most likely to have a boyfriend or husband.
"Hello Severus, can't sleep again?"
Annie Sinistra said as she walked into the staff room and saw the young potions teacher reading in the corner.
"Erm... Yes, yes."
"Surely a potions teacher like yourself just needs to mix up a sleeping draught?"
"I don't like to." He stood up; "actually I had another reason. I was hoping to speak to you again."
"I'd rather hoped you would."
They talked long into the night, until it was time for Annie to go teach her class of NEWT level Astronomy students.
"Listen, Annie... I hope you don't think that I'm being forward or anything but would you like to go for a drink sometime?"
"I'd love to."