Chapter 2
"I don't see why I am here."
"Oh don't sulk boy. You would think you were one of the students."
"Well I am not. I am the -"
"Potions Master and do not forget it. Yes Professor, we know. Now, I have something I need to say to you." Minerva cursed herself. She hadn't got something she needed to say to him, she had something she had to tell him. Before Potions Master Severus Snape stormed into the staff room in his usual moody manner, they had all drawn straws. And she had drawn the short one. While she sat with him, everyone else pretended to be engrossed in either their issue of the prophet, or their cups of tea. But they were all listening.
"Well?"
"Well we have a new teacher arriving today. And I am concerned, with a few others…" she gave a death glare to a chuckling Lupin. This had been his idea after all. "That you will be less than polite to our new member of the faculty."
"Me? Less than polite? Surely you jest." He rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping from every word.
"This is what I mean Severus." He gave her a look. "I mean Snape."
"Better."
"We are colleagues. You are permitted to call me Minerva, yet you don't."
"It is called professional courtesy, McGonagall."
"It's down right rude is what it is." She stopped herself and took a deep breath. "But that is beside the point."
"And what is this point you are trying to prove?"
"The point is, you are going to be purposely unpleasant to this girl from the moment she walks through that door. Aren't you?" she stated more than asked.
"Perhaps." He looked away, as if bored by her.
"I knew it. I knew you would be. You have no intention on being pleasant to this girl, do you?"
"If I said yes…"
"You would be lying."
"Then no."
"Snape!"
"Would you have preferred me to lie, and say yes, or tell the truth, and say no?"
"I would have preferred you to be civil with her. She is new and new ones haven't lasted very long here in a long time. With our track record of teachers. The last thing we need is for you to scare her off, and have us black marked as a hazardous place to work. She is our last chance to make the prophet, and the rest of the Wizarding community, that we are a safe, well functioning place to work and learn." She folded her arms very Snape like. "Not have the first outsider to come in, be scared off by 'The Potions master'."
"I will do my best."
"You didn't mean that."
"No, I didn't." she sighed with both frustration, and despair. "Did you expect something along the lines of 'I will be really, really nice to the punk kid the educational section of the new ministry have sent to be part of our 'little family', and not be mean at all.' Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Perhaps, if you had meant it." She sighed, this time with defeat. "I have tried. Just…think about it."
"I will think of nothing else." He rolled his eyes, and stood up with her. Minerva moved to sit with her colleagues to discus her failure with Snape, or, 'mister up his own ass, antisocial bastard' as some of the students called him. And Lupin.
While Snape walked over to the other side of the staff room, and pulled a flask from the inside of his robes. It wasn't as if he had taken up Mad eye Moody's drinking habit or anything, but he liked a swig of whiskey whenever he was feeling stressed.
The first day of term and already he was having Minerva after him. The reason he had brushed her off so quickly, is because he had already had a longer, 5 hour version of that talk the day before.
With Dumbledore.
Show manners, he says, be pleasant, he says. How about I introduce her to my collection of Paroxysm potions instead. He smirked evilly, as he took a mouthful of strong firewhiskey. Then, Dumbledore walked in, and everyone looked to him.
"Welcome, welcome. As you all know, today is the first day of term, and the day our new teacher will finally arrive. Her passport was lifted by a Muggle, so she had to wait until it was returned. It wasn't hard." He chuckled. "After seeing that the stolen passport moved and he letters seemed to dance around the pages, the Muggle thief soon tried to dispose of it. That is how the Ministry officials were able to retrieve it, as the Muggle tried to burn it." He chuckled again. "It is very lucky that Wizarding passports are flame proof, is it not?"
"Yes headmaster." Minerva smiled, glad to have him here. Talking to Snape had greatly depressed her. "And speaking of our new blood, where is she?"
"Lost hopefully." Snape muttered, and Minerva gave him a dead eye.
"Now see here Professor Snape. Mss Consensio happens to be the next in line to take over head of Gryffindor house. So I will be looking out for the poor dear. And I suggest you are more civil, as she will be attending all meetings regarding the houses from here in."
"Great." He said snarkily, and wore his usual scowl.
"Well." Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Yes, yes true. Professor Consensio will be the future head of Gryffindor house, but firstly, a teacher here. And so, we must treat her as such." He looked over his half moon spectacles at Snape. "Right Severus my boy?" Snape didn't reply, and simply looked out of the window in a bored fashion. "But back to what you first asked Minerva." He said on a brighter note. "Mss Consensio will be arriving in time for the great feast today. She will be arriving on the Hogwarts express along with the students."
"She might be mistaken for one of the students." Snape snickered to himself, but Lupin's keen hearing picked it up.
"I think not Severus ol' boy." He chuckled. "I have seen her. She is no mere girl." Snape raised a brow, and was about to retort to him, when Lupin stood up. "And I believe I will have to go with Hagrid this evening to collect her, right Headmaster?"
"Yes Remus, that would be good of you."
"No problem." He smiled, and began to walk out. "I could meet Tonks at the station…" he walked out the door, in his own world, as others stood.
"We shall all meet together in the great hall in a few hours, yes?"
"Indeed Headmaster." Flitwick nodded, and shuffled his way out. Snape waited until everyone but Dumbledore had left, and made his way to the door.
"Oh, and Severus?" he scowled at the door, and looked over his shoulder at his headmaster. "Remember what we spoke of. I happen to have met this girl in her younger days. She is rather-"
"Sensitive, yes, you have said." At least a million times.
"Good, now, let us speak of better things." Dumbledore wore his sweet smile, and put his hand on the dark teacher's shoulder. "I hope to see you taking up my offer of teaching an after hours class. It doesn't have to be potions either."
"Then you will be disappointed, sir." He added and shrugged him off. "I will be in my quarters until it is time for the feast.
"Very well boy." He chuckled. "And until it is time for you to meet our new teacher."
"Yes, I am delighted." He growled and mumbled to himself all the way back to the dungeons. He sank into his comfy chair by an already roaring fire, and conjured a bottle of whiskey to his waiting hand. "I will be delighted if she slips on the platform steps and breaks her ankle. Or her back, I am not fussy." He sipped his drink. "As long as everyone will stop talking about her, I will be fine. You would think she is something special." He remembered when they went over her profile.
Well, he did in his quarters, as Dumbledore had taken it upon himself to owl it to him. "20 years old, a mere girl herself. Pah." He put his bottle and glass down, to resist getting plastered before the great feast. "Even I was 30 before I started." He thought to himself. "At least I am not a Muggle. At the age of 37, I would look half dead by now." He smirked, glad of the perks of being a wizard. Wizards and witches live far longer than Muggles. He still looks in his late 20's, where muggles his age would looked nearer to 40.
Snape straightened off his usual attire of black, almost demonic robes that made him look like a dungeon vampire. Oddly enough, that is a question all the first years always ask after having him for potions. 'sir, are you a vampire?'.
He remembered the last one who said that, and he said yes. That was, until the little brat ran off to their head of house, Minerva of all people, and cried their eyes out. He had to then give him a detention and explain to him the differences between vampires and humans. He then gave the brat another detention, and made him clean out all the cauldrons with his bare hands, no magic.
But Snape had to admit, to himself, that it was more than amusing seeing the boy walk all around the class room to avoid him, with a scarf tightly around his neck.
He folded his arms, and looked over to the mirror. I really need a hair cut. His hair had grown very long over the holidays; it now came half way down between his shoulders, and elbows. At for once, the sign that he hadn't taught over a dozen smouldering, sizzling or smoking cauldrons yet, his hair was soft and clean. He placed his wand in his inner robe pocket, and scowled. There was no way he was going to tie his hair back in a bobble, like a girl, but he had his mane of jet black hair down his back. He was a long haired man, great.
He walked out of his quarters, and waved his hand. The door locked, and he made his way to the great hall.
The trains will have arrived already, so he didn't have to worry about being asked to 'help the newbie' by an eager Minerva.
So he made his way to the great hall, and pushed the doors open. He made his usual dramatic entrance, with all the first years seated away from the house tables, shivering at the mere sight of him. This made an evil smirk cross his features, as he took his place at the main table. He said one from the end on the left to onlookers, the right to the centre chair. The chair, where Dumbledore sat. or now stood, as he held his goblet up in the air.
"Now that all are here, we may welcome the new ones amongst us. First of all, I say welcome to the new students, who shall soon join their new friends and families in one of four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. And secondly, I welcome a new teacher here, called Mss-" then, the doors slammed open and in came three running figured. Snape raised his eyes from his nails to the three. One was large, wore a large brown coat with a black beard.
Hagrid.
The second was greasier than he even he was, and had rotting yellow teeth.
Filch
But they were chasing someone, who was running towards the table. At the last moment, they tripped over their own hooded cloak, and landed in a heap on all fours before the headmaster.
"Got you!" Filch ran round Hagrid, and grabbed their arms. He pinned them behind their back, very painfully from the look of it, and they arched their head back. This let Hagrid come up behind them, and grab the top of the hood.
Snape's fingers around his wand were still tight, a habit from darker times in his life.
"Now, let's see whose under 'ere." Hagrid pulled the hood back, and there was a gasp.
Snape couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The hood fell back, and long curly locks of golden hair bounced with life, falling forward from the hood. Her hair covered one eye, leaving only one brilliant emerald eye to scan the table franticly for someone. Her skin was a healthy peach, and her rose lips were parted as she panted. It was obvious that she had been running for quite a while. Filch yanked the cloak from her, and Snape saw more. She was very young, her shapely figure showing that much at the least. Her clothing consisted of a long green gypsy skirt, covering even her feet. She wore a black corset over a white off the shoulder gypsy shirt, with bit baggy sleeves but drawn together around her wrists. The ends of her cuffs were frilly, as was the low semi circle neck of her off the shoulder shirt.
She looked very much like a gypsy, in clothing, and the way she moved. Her body language was withdrawn, cautious, but most of all frightened. "No wand." Filch used a sensor over her, and nodded. "I can't find one. But she knew how to get here, so she is a witch." He threw the cloak at Hagrid, as he took her wrists again behind her back. She looked in pain from his manhandling, but she made no sound.
Snape had to admire that, not giving in to pain. And her one visible green eye never left Albus.
"Argus!" Dumbledore's sudden roar made everyone, even Snape jump. He was furious, but why? Albus was never furious. "I did not accept your application to prolong your position here, to be a ruffian towards other members of staff!"
"…other…members of…staff?" he jumped back, as if the new woman had burnt him. "But, but she wouldn't tell us the password, she wouldn't tell us who she was, or why she was here, or-"
"Well now I am telling you, that this is our new teacher." Albus turned to the woman, as she brushed herself off. "I apologise my dear. Please, your seat is at the end of the table." He indicated the forever spare space next to Snape, and Severus looked to Albus with a look of outrage. "I apologise again." But the blonde haired woman nodded with a smile, obviously not one for grudges, and walked with what little dignity she had left to her seat. "Now, if you don't mind returning to your duties, and if you Rubeus will take your rightful place at the teacher's table, we shall begin the sorting." Filch quickly ran off, and the sorting began.
She couldn't believe it. She got off he train like she was told to, at Hogwarts, only for two of the staff members to chase her through school. They wanted to keep her on the damn train and send her back! How rude!
Luckily she slipped past them both, an amazing feat from the size of the Care of magical creatures teacher, and ran through the school. She knew if she found Albus, she would be alright. And sure enough, she was.
She looked to the man she was sat next to, and then snapped her eyes away from him. He had been looking at her, with his dark eyes. He had also turned away upon being caught staring, so when she looked back, he wasn't looking.
She looked over his long raven black hair, it looked like a soft silk, and she wanted to just reach out and touch it. His skin was very pale though, and he wore a lot of black. Everything was black other than the briefest bit of white on his cuffs. Her long golden hair still naturally curled to cover her right eye, and she leaned over the table, to get a better look at him. She saw he had a strong nose, and defined facial features. You wouldn't go forgetting his face just like that. His body looked lean and he defiantly had strong, muscular arms.
She saw him raise a black eyebrow, and his face started to turn towards her.
She quickly looked down at her empty silver plate, and placed her hands on her skirt, over her knees.
"So we have a gypsy for a teacher this year." His voice was rich, yet ice cold. It made her shiver slightly. "Why not, we already have a werewolf." He remarked, and looked her up and down. Although her shoulderless top covered her breasts, they still bulged out her top. He being a man with straight tendencies, had to mentally smack himself for looking at her bust, before looking up again. Luckily for him, she hadn't even looked up from her plate yet. He waited, and she still said nothing. "I am Professor Snape, the potions master." There, I was polite. My part is done. He waited, but she simply looked to his chest, not to his face, smiled sweetly, nodded, and returned to looking at her plate. "Did you hear me?" she nodded. "Then perhaps you might find the decency to reply when I am talking to you." He said even colder than before, and she even flinched from his tone of voice. But she still said nothing. "Who are you?" he decided he didn't like her. She didn't even have the grit about her to look him in the eye, or even speak to him.
Him, Severus Snape, the snarky bastard himself was trying to be 'civil', and she was ignoring him!
That was the point, where civil, went out the window. "Or perhaps gypsies only talk when you shove silver into their hands. Or don't you understand me? I always thought gypsies were illiterate, uneducated vermin. I bet you are not even a witch. Parlour tricks perhaps? Is that your new post here? To teach false, Muggle magic?" she tensed, and looked away from him. She looked hurt, but still she didn't reply to him. He snarled and sat back in his chair. "Pathetic." He spat at her, and then looked to the hall.
The students were now sorted, and Dumbledore waved his hand. Food immediately appeared on everyone's plates and the students dug in like feeding time at the zoo. Severus cut a piece off his steak, and looked over to the new teacher.
She hadn't touched her food.
She looked ridged, terrified.
He thought she might have been stupefied from how still she was. "Are you alright? You look a little pale." But he didn't sound concerned.
That was it; she stood up and made a swift walk towards the doors. Snape raised a brow, and watched her leave. Before she vanished through the doors, he saw her bring the back of her hand over her eyes. She was crying? What is wrong with her? He rolled his eyes, and began to eat his meal. However, he got an elbow in his side from Minerva when he was done, and he looked up into her furiously beedy eyes.
"Now was there any need for that?"
"She was rude to me first. I had every intention and even implemented the act of 'shivery' and was a perfect gentleman. She shunned me first, and so I reverted to acting like myself."
"You fools Severus." She shuck her head, and still too angry to speak, turned away from him.
Albus had also seen, and sent a requesting look at Lupin. He was on the very end of the other side of the table, and he nodded. He soon left, and Snape saw this. He 'humphed' and drank his wine. Serves her right. I was civil with her, she wanted to be rude with me. I just gave her more of her own medicine than she could handle. He smirked, and licked his lips. Well, she wants to be curt with me, I will show her curt. I will make her regret ever coming here. He smirked, and turned to Albus, who started another speech.
Remus looked around after closing the doors to the hall, and couldn't see anyone. But it was only two weeks from the next full moon, so his hearing and werewolf senses had already started to pick up. He could smell distress and tears. He turned right, towards the entrance hall, and followed the soft whimpering noises. Soon, he came to the main stair case, and saw a blonde haired girl on the steps. He thought it was a girl, as she was sat on the bottom step, her arms folded over her knees, that were against her chest, and her long golden hair fanned over her head and arms like a perfect veil.
"Hello?" he spoke softly, and slowly approached her. She gasped and snapped up.
He then saw the girl, was very much a woman, with red cheeks and tears falling silently down her face. She looked shocked to see him, and then looked to her knees. "My Name is Professor Lupin. I teach Defence against the dark arts." He sat next to her, like he did when he found James sulking over Lily somewhere in school. Here was one of those places, actually. Just during the day.
But it was very late now, and the half moonlight shining through the high windows on the scene, was the only light. "But please, call me Remus." He smiled, and held his hand out to her. She looked at it, smiled, and took it gratefully. "So, why are such tears on such a pretty face?" she smiled, and chuckled silently. She pulled out a pad and paper from her sleeve, and a quill from the other. Lupin watched her curiously, until she handed him the pad with writing on it.
I have just met the potions master.
"Ah, well. Then I totally understand." He chuckled. "He can be quite harsh. To everyone. All the time. Without fail." She chuckled again, and wrote more on the pad. Whipping away another tear as she did.
He is like no one else I have ever met. She sniffled, and he read on. No one has been able to upset me so much before.
"He has a knack for that." He then looked at her curiously, but glad she was smiling. "But may I ask, why are you replying with a quill and pad, and not just telling me?" she looked at him for a moment, before smiling. She put her hand on her throat, and shuck her head. "I don't understand." She then placed her right palm up, and clicked with the other hand. A long roll of parchment appeared in her hand, and he looked for a wand. He found none. "That was impressive." She nodded thanks, and passed him the parchment. He read it over, and made an 'ah' sound of understanding. "I see, you literally can't speak. I apologise." She shuck her head and held her hands up. "But I should have deducted that myself. I mean." He chuckled. "Never mind."
At last, Severus Snape was able to leave the great hall before everyone else, and make his way to the dungeons. To do this, he had to go to the main entrance, and then go down to his 'domain' as he called it in his mind. As no one else ruled there. He heard voices however, and decided to listen in. he soon heard that infuriatingly cheerful chuckle of the wolf boy, and a shine of gold. He walked near the stairs, and used a spell to conceal himself from the werewolf's senses. "But I should have deducted that myself. I mean." He chuckled. "Never mind." Snape raised brow, and saw the scene playing out between two stone bars of the stair case. "So, what is your name?" she pointed to the top of the paper. "Oh yes, Mss Procella Consensio. May I call you Procella?" she nodded. "Well, Procella. I will walk you to your quarters. They are on the ground level, as is your office and private quarters. But don't worry, no students will come near there." She smiled and he hooked her arm with his. "And as for that greasy git Severus." She rolled her eyes. "Remember not to go near him or talk to him, and you will be fine. Alright?" she nodded politely, but Snape became infuriated.
So it was Lupin who told her to remain silent near me. Was that their plan, to prevent her from enduring me? Well, we shall soon see about that. I will force her to speak with me, even if I have to enrage her, or intoxicate her with one of my potions to do it. He watched as Lupin walked her to the left, away from the dungeons, and down near his own quarters. He didn't know why, but just seeing Lupin holding her arm and laughing with her like that, made an angry monster in his chest snarl for him to rip them apart.
But he didn't.
Instead, he went his own way to his quarters, to rest for the next day of lessons.
He would deal with her later.
Procella, that is Latin. I will soon find out what for…and I will break you before you know what hit you. You little wench…Procella.
