Disclaimer: Nope...characters still aren't mine...except Leah.

Mithril-Moony: Yay for you, my first reveiwer. I have discovered that when english teachers drillproper comma usage into my head, the less I actually want to use it.

Chapter Four:

Little had happened in the week and a half that Severus had been back at Hogwarts and he was more than happy to back into a semi-normal routine. It was still strange that he only had to teach classes three days a week, and had the other two off to do errands and work for the Order, but he was still happy. His classes seemed to like Leah and were showing signs of improvement in their own potions work; whatever that girl was doing was having a positive effect on his students and he was grateful for it.

He had discussed with Leah sitting in on one of her classes to see how she operated and functioned as a teacher and she was perfectly willing to allow him this honor, after all they were still technically his classes, as long as he chose a fourth year or below class. Apparently the older students were having more personal approach to potions making and she didn't want him to upset their "flow."

He entered the classroom at nine o'clock sharp, the time that the second year Gryffindor and Slytherin potions class was supposed to occur. Instead he found only Leah sitting in the front desk, grading papers and listening to music from a muggle contraption that she had charmed to work despite the wards on Hogwarts. He had to hand it to her, she was certainly gifted when it came to bending the rules.

She seemed to feel his presence because she looked up at him. "Hello, Severus. The class will be here shortly."

Severus nodded and took a seat in one of the back desks and waited a few minutes taking in the music that was bouncing off the walls. It was a lively beat, however the lyrics were about some man who was being a mother or something. It was strange, but catchy and it wasn't long before he started to nod his head in time with the music. Soon enough, second year students began to file into the classroom and one younger girl named Mari squealed and began to sing along with the lyrics of the song. Lia looked up and began singing and dancing with the little girl, and soon most of the class was dancing and singing along with her. Once the song ended Leah turned off the contraption and the students settled down in their seats, looking eager to learn.

"Okay, so today I promised you a story and a question. Let's see, John, I think it is your day," said Leah, looking at John, a Slytherin boy who seemed excited to ask her a question. Severus was wondering what she meant by a story and a question, but his own questions were soon answered.

"Well, I was wondering why you have an American accent if your from London," he asked, looking shy in front of the older woman, which Severus thought was amusing because around him he was always loud mouthed and obnoxious.

Leah smiled and took her usual story telling place on top of Severus' desk. "That is a great question, John. After I graduated from Hogwarts' I moved to America to do research for the ministry over there. I lived in California for about five years before I came back here to work and finish my research."

The class leaned forward eagerly as if they were waiting for something and Severus realized that she had only answered the question, not told a story. He found himself leaning forward curious about what Leah had done with herself for five years in America.

"Alright, story time, let me think," she said, tapping her fingers on her knee, "Ah-h! Okay, so how many people here have a best friend?" Almost everyone in the classroom raised their hands. "Good, that is what I thought. Well, my best friend is a man named Jackson, Jack for short, Mable, and he and I worked together in the American Ministry. We hated each other for months and one day our Minister, Mr. Grafton, assigned us to work together on a project. Now, needless to say we didn't want to cooperate, and we would do everything in our power to mess the other one up. Well, one time we really did mess something up and ended up blowing up half of my apartment building, and from that moment on we were best friends. Can anyone think of why?"

The class was silent and Leah waited patiently for someone to raise their hand. Severus was surprised at the amount of patience this girl had, first she allowed them to be about five minutes late and now she had asked them a question they were refusing to answer. He thought students should respect teachers more and he was growing red with anger. Leah, of course, noticed that he was about to blow a fuse and spoke up.

"Sev, please, calm down," she said, while the entire class turned to look at their Potions Master, "It really is no reason to get upset. They will answer when they discover the lesson in the story."

She was right, for not a minute had passed and a boy raised his hand. "That friendships can be made out of the unexpected and that we should always have an open mind to people."

"Ah-h! Bingo, my boy, ten points to Slytherin. Now for today's lesson we will learn the usage of the Draught of the Living Dead."

The class continued on for the rest of the time, Leah asking questions and waiting patiently for the students to answer. Severus was surprised when she didn't get mad at one boy for using his potions textbook, and even more surprised that when another girl challenge his usage of his textbook she merely commented on his resourcefulness. Leah had said that it was a good idea to memorize potions and ingredients and things, however unless you need to recall it from memory you might as well use what you have. The students were eager and active and all seemed to have passing marks from Leah, and she treated Slytherin and Gryffindor fairly; taking away points when needed and giving points when deserved. He was shocked at what watching this girl could teach him about life.

The class ended and the students filed out, handing Leah the paragraph they had written towards the end of the period on how they were going to have a good weekend; it was an odd assignment but both the students and Leah seemed to enjoy it. He figured she was a great teacher and that her young age helped her gain her respect. At exactly eleven o'clock the seventh year class poured into the classroom, on time, and she looked over at Severus expectantly. He really didn't want to leave, but he had made a promise not to interrupt the "flow" of her older classes.

As Severus exited the classroom he wondered what exactly the "flow" of her older classes meant, and how she had the authority to kick him out of his own classroom. On a technicality, they were still his classes and he had the right to watch over them as Leah taught, however he knew he couldn't do that. But why? If it was any other woman teaching he wouldn't have a problem using his power-but Leah wasn't any other woman.

As he roamed to corridors-which was a new obsession since he was unable to sit in his quarters during class time- he thought about Leah. He found it harder and harder to get the young woman off of his mind these days, in fact, he was lucky if he could go an hour with out some sort of thought about her. She was beautiful with her long, black hair and her deep blue eyes that were a window into her soul- she could mask any feeling on her face and with her body language, but the second you looked into her eyes you could tell exactly how she felt. He figured she didn't mask her feelings there on purpose, that a part of her wanted people to know how she felt.

Apart from her looks, Leah was still magnificent, and it was her personality that really stuck out in his mind. He had known Leah since she was born, always hanging around with the oldest Black sibling and her husband. She didn't look much like her parents and she acted far more different from them. Leah had been sorted in to Gryffindor, had a strange attachment to muggle-borns, and was brave and loyal beyond belief. She could probably give Potter a run for his money, he thought.

It was true, while Potter and Leah were both forced to walk a certain path in life, Leah did hers with much more grace. While Potter played the angst-ridden hero without pause, Leah never once complained or let her raw emotions show. Perhaps it was because she is older and more experienced than Potter, but then Severus thought about what he had heard back in Dumbledore's office. The new Guardian is chosen at the age of fifteen after the old one passes away. She was forced into her training, her life, around Potter's age, and even then no one had any idea who she was. She had secretly protected them from half way around the world forfive years now.

Severus found himself in an old astronomy tower, used back before his school days at Hogwarts, but there was something about this old dusty room that seemed used and loved. He looked around the circular room and discovered an old fireplace that was meant to keep students warm on cold December nights and a series of small windows about the room used for star gazing. He guessed that this tower was used during winter to keep students out of the harsher elements, while still allowing them to star gaze.

He walked over to the nearest window and looked out across the grounds of Hogwarts; it was a splendid view. He didn't hear the latch on the door catch as he was lost to his own thoughts as he peered out the window, and he didn't notice a young vixen starting a fire or sit down on an old worn couch. She sat there quietly watching the Potions Master. When he finally turned around he jumped and put a hand to his heart.

"Jesus! Don't do that to me!"

Leah smiled, "Sorry, Sev, I didn't mean to scare you." She stared into the fireplace and Severus noticed she was worried about something.

"Hey, what's wrong Leah?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Huh," she said, returning her eyes to him as he sat down next to her, "Oh, well I have a favor to ask of you." He nodded, and she pressed on, "Well, for Christmas holiday I have to go back to California and it seems that Dumbledore wants me to take some students along with me for a 'learning experience'. I just, well, could you go with me?"

He looked at her for a moment, wanting to make her sweat, but knew he would say 'yes' ultimately. There was no way he could deny anything to Leah. "Yeah, of course, who are we taking and what are we doing?"

Leah squealed and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him backwards. She pulled a list out of her pocket and unfolded it. "Okay, well, this is the part you don't like. I am taking seven students, all from seventh year potions."

"That sort of narrows it down, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, well, here are the people who made the list. They were compiled by Albus and I. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini." She looked up at him, a nervous smile on her face, hoping he would agree.

"Well, as much as I don't want to spend my holiday with the Gryffindorks or the annoying Slytherin brats, for you I will go-" and before he could finish Leah jumped on him again and showered him with thanks.

He looked at her as she ran out of the old astronomy tower muttering something about finalizing plans with Dumbledore. He wondered why she had to go back to America, but didn't miss the nostalgic look in her eyes earlier when she was talking about it. He also wondered how she knew where this old tower was, but figured it was a question for another day. He put out the fire and exited the room, never looking back.