After dinner, Professor Albus Dumbledore spoke a few welcoming words to the new faculty members and he also explained to them what would happen the next day. The students would be arriving tomorrow night, the sorting would take place, and then the next day would be classes.
"Please take a few minutes to introduce your selves to the new members of our staff here at Hogwarts," he announced before he gently fell back into his seat.
The professors stood up from where they had been eating dinner. Dumbledore watched them with amusement as they slowly crept toward one another acting as though they were five year olds on their first day of Kindergarten. Several teachers gathered around Maria to welcome her back to Hogwarts but some were less social and kept to themselves. Severus Snape was one of the less social people but that changed as soon as a rather short blonde walked toward him.
"Hello my name is Dominique De Long Cre. I'm the new Divination teacher and you must be?" she asked as she smiled brightly. Snape was caught off guard by her presence. She seem to light up a room. It was incredible that she even introduced herself to him. He was not what the world would call 'attractive' and he knew this. He had become accustom to this since his early days at Hogwarts. Women just weren't that interested in him.
Still, with his sour looking expression he replied," Severus Snape. I am the Potions teacher."
"Oh of course! Maria told us about you. I don't think you're nearly as bad as what she made you out to be. That look you have plastered on your face could use some improving," she started to laugh a little bit but Snape's expression did change one little bit. What is with this guy? I'm trying to be nice to him but he just seems annoyed with me.
Does this woman ever shut up? Why I came to dinner I will never know. I could have just told Dumbledore that I didn't feel well. What is she doing? She is STILL smiling. That can't be healthy to smile that long. It is quite addicting though. Am I beginning to like it? No! That's absurd.
"Well Professor if you don't mind. I think I might go around and introduce myself to the others," he nodded in agreement and she left.
On the opposite side of the room, Arina was looking up at a man that must have been five feet taller than her. His beard was untamed and his robe a bit shabby.
" 'Ello my nam' is Hagrid. I 'each Care of 'agical Creatures," bellowed Hagrid.
"Hello my name is Arina Hesaro. I will be the new Quiditch instructor," she said weakly still be stunned at the man's size.
A few feet away Maria and Minerva were laughing and talking about old times. Behind them though Siera was standing by herself. She, like Snape, was one of the less social people. I can't believe classes start the day after tomorrow and I haven't even begun thinking about what our first class should be about. Well I can start the first years off with Muggle means of transportation and then the second years can start with …ummm oh god I have no clue!
A tall sandy haired man then tapped Siera, on the shoulder. She jumped forward a bit startled by the instant conclusion of her thoughts. She turned around to see, with great disgust, Remus Lupin.
"I'm sorry was I interrupting your thoughts?" he apologized kindly.
"Actually you were," she paused for a moment before asking him why he tapped her.
"Well you were here alone and I didn't really like the way we first met so I wanted to start over again." He extended his hand for a shake and Siera hesitantly extended hers as well. " Hello my name is Remus Lupin and I'm not sure if I have seen you around here," he said with a look of utter innocence that almost made Siera laugh uncontrollably instead she just smiled.
"Hi. My name is Siera Scarlet. I'm the new Muggle Studies teacher," she said matching hiss tone off voice.
"So now that that is out of the way. What were you thinking about so hard? I nearly made you fall down just by tapping you," Remus laughed.
"Oh that. I was trying to think what I should teach on the first day of school. I have not a single clue!" Remus looked somewhat quizzically at her.
"I'm sorry but Muggle Studies is not my expertice. If it was then I would be teaching that then."
"Well your no help!" she play hit him on the arm. They just started to laugh quietly.
A few minutes later Dumbledore stood up silently. The room suddenly got very still and quiet. Dumbledore glanced across the room at the now smiling faces of his staff. He had watched his Kindergarteners introduce themselves, laugh, hug, and he even saw Professor Snape smile after Ms. De Long Cre left him. "Well it looks as if we as if most of you now know our new professors. However I suggest that two of our veteran staff members could stay behind for about half an hour and answer any questions that these lovely ladies have. Remus and Severus could you two kindly stay behind?" The two gentlemen nodded in agreement although Snape sneered at the thought of having to be with Remus. "Thank you. Everyone else is welcomed to retire to your chambers. Good night." The room quickly emptied until Siera, Dominique, Maria, Arina, Remus, and Snape were alone. Remus introduced three of the ladies to Snape, Maria already knew Snape.
"It's so nice to see you again, Severus," she said with a slight sneer. Snape forgot if he had replied or not. The only thing he remembered were Dominique's words 'you're not nearly as bad as what she made you out to be'.
"Well who has a question?" he asked politely.
"I do," Arina chimed in., "Maria told us something about moving staircases. Well what happens if we get stuck in between them?" Snape laughed inside but looked disgusted outside.
"No need to worry, Ms. Hesaro. No one has been stuck yet so it won't be an issue," he answered.
"Now Lupin that is not true. Mr. Longbottom had his robe stuck in between the staircases in his third year as you can very well remember," Snape corrected Remus with great amusement.
"Oh yes. Poor Neville."
"That brings us into my question," chimed in Dominique," how are the students here? I've heard a lot about a Harry Potter. Is he trouble or something?" Snape opened his mouth to answer that question but Remus stopped him suddenly.
" I can handle this one, Sev. Harry," he paused for a moment," Harry is a good boy. He has had a rough time." Remus looked down at the floor and decided that he would have to explain this sooner or later to the ladies. " His parents were killed by a very powerful wizard when he was very little. Every year since he has been at Hogwarts he has had to overcome obstacle over obstacle and he has done remarkably well. A couple of years ago he found out that Sirius Black and I knew his parents so we became very close. That was almost ruined this summer when we tried to defeat Voldemort. Sirius almost died in the process but he is fine now and Voldemort is dead." He took one more pause so he could finish the rest of the story, the harder part to tell. " His helpers though, Death Eaters is what they are called, they are still out there and are very angry that we killed their ruler. They will stop at nothing to kill every single person that was a part of that. They will kill anyone who even knows one of the few who defeated Voldemort. Which means it is very likely that you will be in danger for most of the year."
The four women stared at the two men in complete and total shock. Maria even was stunned; she had not heard any of this for she was over in the United States. She didn't have the faintest idea that Sirius was close to dead. The fact that she was in a dangerous situation also scared her.
Siera broke the silence with a few encouraging words," We can handle it. We're adults. We can do this." Remus smiled gently at her. He knew that the Death Eaters could kill in an instant but he couldn't ruin this. They needed some comforting words and him saying 'you know they can kill faster than you can say don't kill me' was not the best idea.
The other women smiled at Siera. They nodded and replied with simple 'of course we cans' and things.
"Well if you don't mind after that bit of interesting news I think now is the best time to go to sleep," claimed Dominique with a yawn.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I think we should all sleep we have a long day tomorrow," Siera suggested. They all nodded and stood up. Everyone started walking out of the Great Hall except Remus and Maria.
"Remus?" she asked quietly.
He turned around and groggily looked at Maria. "Yes?"
"Well," she started off in an authoritative voice but then slowly crept into a sheepish child like sound," could you get Sirius to come here? I would like to see him again."
A smile appeared on Remus's face. He knew Maria was going to try and get Sirius back. He could remember the night that they stopped seeing each other because Sirius went on and on about it all the time.
Flashback 16 years agoA shadowed face man was sitting on the cranberry red couch his dark eyes glowing from the burning fire. His long jet-black hair hanging to his shoulders made him look handsome anyway you cut it. A lovely woman sat next to him, holding his hand as she laid her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat; one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard. She was listening to thing sound of his breathing trying to time it where she would breathe at the same time he would so they could rise up and fall down at the same time. A few moments later she rose up from his chest and gazed into his eyes.
"Sirius, I love you. I have never felt this way about anyone in my entire life," said Maria La Dai.
"Maria," he quietly said," you know as well as I do that we can't have a relationship now. Voldemort is slowly rising into power. It would be too dangerous to start a relationship now." Sirius Black regretted saying those words to her. He could see the tears welling up inside of her eyes.
"Are you saying that we are through?" fighting to hold back the tears.
"I'm afraid so. Maria I didn't mean for it to be like this. I didn't realize that this would happen."
He glanced down at the floor afraid of seeing her tears spill out onto her face. Maria grabbed his face and brought it to meet hers. He could plainly see now that the tears were disguised as hate now. "That what would happen Sirius? Voldemort has increasingly become more and more powerful every year and you didn't REALIZE that this would happen?" she screamed.
"I didn't mean that Maria!" he yelled.
Maria stood up from the couch and in one swift movement grabbed her coat from the couch and walked toward the door. She swung her head around to meet Sirius's face. He had followed her to the door.
"What did you mean Sirius?" she asked with more calmness in her voice this time.
He waited for a moment and then replied quietly," I didn't realize that I would fall in love with you. I'm just not ready Maria."
Her tears were not disguised anymore as they trickled down her face making her mascara streaking her face. "Well then I guess it's over," she said with bitterness in her voice. She quietly walked out of the apartment. Maria didn't turn back to look to see if he would follow her because she knew he wouldn't.
Present"I'm sure I can arrange that. I'll see if he can come tomorrow night. Is that alright with you?"
"Tomorrow?! So soon? Why? Never mind. Yes that's fine Remus," she said kindly. For the second time that night she embraced him very thankful that she had a friend like Remus.
"Oh I can never get tired of those," he sighed. He looked down at her and said,"Come on we need sleep." She started to laugh but then it carefully morphed into a yawn. They quietly made their way up the stairs but when they were closer to Maria's room they heard a blood-curdling scream from Dominique's room. Remus ran to see what was the matter and opened the door to see an empty bed. He searched the room and didn't find Dominique anywhere. There was a note though. He opened it to see a blood written note saying:
She will be killed.
Remus slowly closed the note. He knew one of the Death Eaters had taken her.
A/N: So like it? I hope so!!! R/R!!