Chapter Three: Start of Term
Summer came to a crashing halt as it did every year. Just when one's slug – like routine was set term would begin. Evelyn pouted at her reflection, she had grown accustom to her informal summer clothes and bare feet. She was now wearing her "Teacher clothes." Her hair was tied back in a bun and she looked almost as old as she felt. The start of term always brought excitement. In her youth Evelyn looked forward to getting to eat and catching up with her friends that she didn't see on the train. Only her first year did she ever feel scared in the great hall. She now felt terror knife through her in just thinking about it. Squaring her shoulders she pointed a finger in the mirror and said with more confidence than she felt.
"You are going to be just fine, damnit." Even to her, her voice sounded falsely strong, but it would have to do.
The teacher's table had always been 'the other side.' Rarely did she as a student even look at the high table in front of the room, now she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Albus and Minerva were always seated and in idol conversation. Severus was also there; he was giving her a pointed look and patting the seat beside him. Apparently he had asked the new defense against the dark arts teacher to switch seats. She was grateful. The new DADA teacher had taken her seat where Evelyn would've sat, at the end of the table. Evelyn was going to need to thank her some time.
"Hey." She said sitting next to her friend, trying to push the insecurity out of her voice.
"Hey yourself." Severus said giving her a small smile. He gave her the once over, she looked the essence of professionalism in a starched white shirt with a big ruffle collar and cuffs. Her jacket and skirt was tailored made and reminded him of something his grandmother's era would've found fashionable. She took her seat and he felt immediately her anxiety. Evelyn's slim hands were clutching the arms of her chair with such intensity that her knuckles were bloodless. Severus had never known his friend to look so distressed in all of their joint lives. She was positively shaking. Wordlessly he pried her hand off of the arm of the chair and allowed her to grip his own like a vice. He could feel the bite of her nails into his skin. He tried to ignore the sting.
"What are you so worried about?" he asked looking at her, their height difference was hidden by their sitting position. Her eyes were bright behind her thick – framed glasses, anticipation was making her wait.
"You know bloody well I'm scared shitless." She snapped at him. Students were filing in and Severus dropped there hands behind the table.
"You shouldn't be. All you have to do tonight is stand when Albus says your name. No words, no judgment. Tomorrow you start class, simple as that. You don't have to worry." He told her in a soft tone. They kept their conversation so quite that their foreheads about touched. Just then Minerva walked in with a line of first years. Evelyn and Severus sat up very straight and adult like as they watched the proceedings.
A long, long time ago, when I was newly sewn, a line of youth walked upon me their faces fairly shown. For you see these youth they were the start of Hogwarts history, where they'd sleep and who'd they be was the mystery left for me. T'was four friends who thought of the school, but only Gryffindor knew the tool that would organize all you see.
Gryffindor wanted the gallant, brave, and strong, he knew there will would never do then wrong.
Ravenclaw was for the wise and eager, their minds ready to fill and their eyes ready to see. Intellect could not be meager.
Slytherin was not one for skimpy confidence. Cunning and sly - he found the traits stunning.
Hufflepuff wanted the loyal she cared not for background. Only for heart, the shear size of it sets her favorites apart.
On your head I go and I will show where you will be. I've seen it all. You'll be fine; there are no safer hands than mine.
The sorting hat finished its song and the ceremony began. Evelyn still had Severus's hand in a death grip, he no longer felt her sting, instead he felt nothing at all. Albright, Melinda was the first student to take her seat on the stool; she carried herself with poise and was the fist Slytherin. Evelyn dropped Severus's had so they both could clap, it was then that she saw the angry red crescent moon of bloody nail marks that was on his hand.
"Oh!" Evelyn gasped looking at her friend's hand. She touched one of his marks lightly with a willowy finger and looked up at him apologetically. He looked down at her when he had heard her gasp.
"It's a scratch." He said lightly as Bennet, Adam became a Hufflepuff. Evelyn whipped out her wand and muttered a healing charm before he could say another word. One by one the glaring red marks were washed over with a wave of skin, in a flash his hand bore no trace of her savage nails. Their eyes met again and they smiled. Friends.
Bethany Marcus looked down the table at the place she should've occupied. She had done this several times since being asked by the potions master to switch seats with the mythology professor. Not the Bethany minded. Severus Snape had always put a bit of a fright into her. The mythology professor was certainly a pretty little thing Bethany noted. She and the potions master must've had something or other between them. They had shared several candid glances and private conversations, and that was in the last twenty minutes. Bethany didn't miss the hand holding that was going on either. At one point their foreheads had touched as they talked. Her parents use to do that. The sorting progressed and so did the meal. Bethany kept an eye on the couple down the table from her; they laughed and talked with each other and their fellow staff members. After the meal the mythology professor approached her.
"Thanks for switching with me, I appreciate it. I'm Evelyn." She said shaking Bethany's hand.
"Bethany. No problem. He always put the chill in me. Far braver are you." Bethany saw no reason to lie to the woman.
"He has that affect on some, I've known him too long, it's lost its leverage." Evelyn said.
There was a blonde head coming full tilt towards her… that was the last thought Evelyn had before that blonde head and the body it was attached to collided with her and sent them both to a tangle on the floor.
"Ohmigod! Are you OK?" she asked scrambling to her feet and offering her assistance. Evelyn got to her feet and dusted herself off. She looked at the girl who was standing in front of her with a look of pure terror on her face. "Please don't take any points, I'll do anything! Sprout would kill me…." She said hurriedly. Evelyn smiled at the Hufflepuff girl in front of her. She had pretty flaxen hair flying freely around her.
"What class are you going to?" Evelyn asked she wanted to make sure that the girl didn't die at the hands of the Hufflepuff head of house.
"Mythology. And I think I'm late." She said.
"Tell ya what sweetheart. You go to class; I'll take care of the rest. Don't run." The girl must be a sixth year if she was a fist period student.
"I'm off like a prom dress." She said leaving with a grateful smile. Evelyn laughed and gave her a five minute head start before making her way to the class room.
Evelyn breezed in to find everyone seated.
"'Morning all. This week we'll be doing absolutely noting. Except letting me get a feel for who you are and let you do the same with me. Before I do role I'll give a few opening remarks. I'm Evelyn Blair; I don't really care what you call me, with in reason. I pretty much respond to anything. You'll probably be called by nickname or name variation, I'm terrible with formal names, but I'm pretty good with things like Sevvie – Kins or Evie. I'm gunna take role, give a shot and tell me anything I need to know name wise, I apologize in advance for all screw ups. Abbott, Hannah?" Evelyn said looking up as a girl in the front row right claimed her name. Evelyn read off a few names, finding that all the Hufflepuffs were on the right, Gryffindors on the left. She recognized some surnames; their parents were of her generation.
"Longbottom, Neville?" A boy in the back raised his hand; he was sitting next to the girl from the hall. Evelyn recognized him both by surname and appearance. Frank and Alice had been friends of hers in school, Alice had been very close. When Evelyn had heard the news years ago it broke her heart. Their son reminded her of that. He looked so like his mother but there was enough of his father in him to make the boy a cute young man. Alice would be so proud.
"Melee, Tessa?" Neville's companion and prom dress girl from the hall raised her hand. Evelyn's heart broke a few more times as she remembered the children's parents or leapt as she recognized the students; Severus had described several students that she would meet. He seemed a bit cynical.
"Weasley, Ronald?" she said bring her roll to an end as Severus spoke in her head. If you've met one Weasley, you must meet them all.
"Are we sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin." Evelyn said setting aside her roll and smiling at her class, it felt good to be at the board again. "Mythology is perhaps the world's oldest "religion" with versions the world over. The Greek and Roman era was defined by gods and goddesses who reigned over heaven and earth, and in many ways, their myths inform the religions of today. However, mythology is not limited to Greeks and Romans. Every culture has, in its past (and sometimes in its present) a set of deities who watch over them, test them, punish them, but above all else, teach them. You will have two years study of various myths from various cultural areas as well as a touch base for some modern day religions. A lot of what is used in a witch or wizard's life is derived from these early philosophies. But I won't boar you further, so with out ado I will hand out the test. Don't worry they aren't for marks," she said hearing the groans of many students. "I just want to see how much you know about myths already. We'll take this same exam again towards the last day of the school year. If you improve I will take the difference and make it extra credit." Evelyn said assuaging her student's discontent. She walked down the center aisle and handed the student a stack of pages. At the back of the class she informed them that the last page was a meet and greet for her and not of importance. The class bowed their heads and got to work and Evelyn was able to sit at her desk and watch her first class tick and scratch away.
Evelyn took her seat next to Severus at the teacher's table for lunch; Bethany must've decided that she liked the end, or Severus had asked her to change seats for good. She smiled at the teacher at the end before turning to the friend on her right.
"Hey." She said smiling at him.
"Hey yourself. How'd it go?" He asked.
"Peachy. They're good kids. I recognized a lot of them. I could be a mother." She said, Severus nodded. Over Shepard's pie and fried chicken the friends discussed their classes. Evelyn hand had Gryffindor and Hufflepuff sixth years first period where she recognized almost the entire class, and Seventh year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Severus had had Seventh year Slytherin and Gryffindor, followed by Sixth year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Then fifth years and fourth years. On Mondays and Tuesdays he had no free periods. Severus listened and laughed as she told him about her first interaction with Tessa Melee.
"Tessa Melee is quite a character. For a Hufflepuff she isn't bad." Evelyn hit him and gave a mock – insulted gasp. "I like her; she's a lot like you." Severus finished looking down from the teacher's table to rest his eyes upon the blonde head of Miss Melee.
Crash! Severus looked up from his desk to see the potion Tessa Melee had been working on spilling all over the floor. Dreadful klutz. He thought glaring at her.
"Surf's up, sir?" she said.
"Detention's up, Miss." Severus replied feeling the vain by his eye twitch. Tessa gave a flip of her hair and pulled out a day planner.
"Today's Tuesday, right? Gall, I'm booked full, how about…" She licked her fingers and flipped a few pages. "Next Thursday? Is Thursday good for you?" The class laughed, Severus did not.
"Angling for another one?" He asked sarcastically.
"I will not be swayed by your sweet words of temptation!" She said holding up a hand.
"That was just in her fist year." Severus said as Evelyn laughed. "Her second year she hugged me, on 'Strict orders from Professor Dumbledore.'" Evelyn laughed again.
"She does sound like quite the character, is she like that to everybody?"
"I asked once, during one of our many detentions together. She said that she was 'Hard on me' because she had heard from everyone that I was the only living heart donor. I think I've liked her ever since. She has no qualms about walking up to me and chatting about this and that like I was a normal human." Severus said.
The rest of the day went by fine. The afternoon brought Slytherins and Ravenclaws. She recognized more names, especially the Slytherin students. There was Lucius' son who looked very much like his father. And there were the Crabe's and Goyle's sons. Both big and funny looking, very much like their fathers. There were a few students that frightened her from Slytherin, but she chided her self. Passing judgment was not something a teacher should do. Besides she had given many speeches to her classmates back in the day about judging based on appearance or house.
On the whole it was a good fist day and Evelyn collates upon her bed that night happy and tired.