Chapter 2: Dragon wings
I travel to the back room to work on a calming draught, I have a feeling I might need it today, when my newest familiar catches my eye.
"Kalila my sweet, what are you doing?" Kalila is a dwarf dragon, she will only get to be about 8 feet in height, and right now she sits at about 4, she is unique even among the dwarf dragons, her coloration is an unusual black and purple. She spits a small puff of smoke, showing her indignation.
"You don't like him either, do you? No I don't suppose you do; no one truly does I think." I add a pinch of lavender to the cauldron the liquid inside turning a sky blue, perfect. "I suppose I should owl Dumbledore and let him know I shall be attending, though I haven't seen anyone in 10 years so I don't know why I should start now." Why now of all times, after 10 years of hiding could he have a reason for wanting to draw everyone together?
I don't get a chance to think about my self imposed question as I hear the chime of the bell that tells me another patron has entered the store, I quickly move to see who has entered, "speak of the devil" I grin, damn that man always was omnipotent.
"Professor, so nice to see you, how have you been?" I greet as I exit my store room.
"Fine, fine, my apologies for intruding Madame however I have a request to make of you."
"Please continue." A wave a hand at the chair next to the counter, I lean back against the counter my hands folded in front of me open to listening.
"I know you have your shop and that beautiful dragon," I look back to make sure she is still hidden, not certain how he knew about Kalila but he always did know more than he let on, "but I seem to be short a professor for the last half of term and being as you are so accomplished in what you do wondered if you might step in."
"Might I first inquire as to what happen to Professor Kilari?"
"Certainly, it seems that our deer Professor Kilari cannot fill the shoes of the Professor Snape and is tired of being compared to such an accomplished Potions Master. I'm finding keeping Potions filled is almost as hard as Defense Against the Dark Arts used to be. But Professor Lupin does very well now that his Lycanthropy has been cured, that really was an amazing breakthrough you created." Having his praise felt good, but all I did was pick up where Severus left off, I did it for Lupin, and he needed a chance at having a normal life again. I wonder if he ever married Tonks? I decided to contemplate that later, right now I needed to focus on whether this was something I was prepared to do.
"You know that I will not take any of the Slytherins bull shit and will put them in their place should they deserve it!" It was more a statement than a question and Albus knew that. "But…I will accept your offer and teach under the condition that I not have to change anything of my appearance and I'm referred to as Professor Mishka and not Granger. I prefer my mother's name." I know Lupin will recognize me, he always could, wolf sense or not, but I'm sure he'll follow my wish of not being Granger. I don't know what I just got myself into, I suppose I'm making my debut a few weeks early.
"That is acceptable. I shall inform the other professors of your arrival, and Hermione, I'll see you Monday." With a twinkle he was gone, though I swear that man floats and not walks.
"What a fine mess you have gotten yourself into Hermione, teaching at Hogwarts, going to this damn reunion in a month's time and associating with Draco Malfoy, this day just couldn't get any worse."
Ringing of bells
"Then again I could be wrong!"