Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or any of the X-men. The same can be said of the wonderful world of J.K. Rowling. I am not making any profit, but simply having fun. I did however create Emma Winter.

Memories and dreams are in italics.

Edited in March 2021 during lockdown.

Ororo escorted Emma to straight to Xavier's office when they arrived at the mansion. The weather goddess had become friendlier to the new teacher after showing Emma her powers. The way that the young woman had shown almost a childish innocence at the display of Ororo's gift somehow warmed the woman's heart. It had not been the reaction she was used to when she showed her power to someone. Usually, people were scared and wary of powers they could not understand. However, Emma Winter had seemed fascinated with the power emanating from Ororo.

"Charles, I just arrived with the new teacher," Ororo said walking into the office with Emma waiting anxiously outside the office. The young witch didn't know why she was so nervous; perhaps it had been the suspicious glances that Ororo had given her in the car when she said she didn't know what mutants were. It made Emma doubt not only that she was the right one for the job but it had made her wonder how she would do out there in the muggle world where she couldn't use any magic that could be detected by the Ministry of Magic or others that might want to harm her.

"Thank you very much Ororo," a warm, stoic and very surprisingly British voice replied from the room. Emma had wondered about the connection between Dumbledore and Xavier. Knowing he was a fellow Brit explained a few things like how the old wizard had been able to pull a string to upstate New York.

Ororo pointed Emma to go inside and closed the door behind her. The young witch was then facing a middleaged bald man who was sitting in a wheelchair. His blue eyes shone with warmth and compassion as he looked at the newest member of his staff.

"Miss Winter I presume?" he asked in a deep voice that didn't hide the authority he unconsciously transmitted to everyone. Charles Xavier was surprised to see how young miss Winter was. She did not look much older than Rogue or Bobby even though her eyes shone with the light of someone that had seen too much in a short life.

"Yes, I am, it's a pleasure Mr Xavier," Emma said politely shaking his hand that held hers warmly and with surprising strength to them.

"The English and their code of conduct," Charles chuckled and saw her face flush at his words.

"I am sorry sir; I have spent most of my life in a boarding school. It comes naturally to me," Emma said not adding that the wizarding community was similar to a Middle Ages society when it came to courtesy. That part she wisely left out.

"I have lived in America far too long to mind it anymore. As they say, I have loosened up quite a bit. Please call me Charles," he said smiling at the young woman who was watching him curiously as if she had a million questions to ask him. Xavier liked to see that; it showed an intellectual mind when curiosity was so apparent.

"Only if you call me Emma," the young witch said warmly and smiled in thanks at the professor when he pointed her to sit down in front of his desk.

"I would like to get to know you a little bit, even though you have tremendous recommendations for someone so young," Charles said as he steered his wheelchair behind a large desk before pulling up a printed out paper that had her details on it.

"You have been working as a history teacher for two years? But you are so young hardly older than some of my students here," Charles asked curiously and the young woman blushed furiously. How on earth was she supposed to get through the interview without mentioning the words magic, war and witches?

"I graduated at eighteen years old and was offered a teaching position at my old school right after graduation. Now two years later at twenty, I am ready for a change. So here I am," Emma said and gave Charles a shy smile.

"What ages did you teach there?" Charles asked scribbling down the details she gave him. The professor liked to have details written down, in case of anything happening as one could never quite know in the world of mutants.

"Fifteen to seventeen years old were the ages of my students."

"How did the discipline go? After all, you were so close to their age?" Charles asked with curiosity. Many mutant children had been brought up in terrible circumstances and would automatically fight against anyone that tried to control them, even if it was in their own best interest. Adding their sometimes-violative powers on top of unruliness and things often became quite explosive quite literally in some classes.

To Charles's surprise, Emma chuckled grimly at that statement. At least Xavier was honest in his surprise of her age and she liked him even more for it. She was young on the outside she knew, but her soul felt ancient after all the heartbreak she had gone through in her life.

"I assure you the discipline was not the ... that was not a problem," Emma replied curtly. Her association with the most dreaded professor at Hogwarts had quickly solved any discipline problems she had ever had. The bat of the dungeons had a reputation that exceeded beyond Hogwarts, especially after the war. No one wanted to cross him or anyone who was associated with him in any way.

"Ororo was surprised that you did not know of mutants," Xavier said studying her reactions as he said so. It worked she looked at him with an astonished expression on her face.

"I never had, that's very true but she has nothing to worry about. Hang on how did you know that she had been surprised?" she asked suspicious. The weather goddess had not left Emma's sight since they first met at JFK.

"I'm telepathic," Charles said simply not enjoying the way his new teacher paled. Charles Xavier was used to many bad reactions from normal people and even mutants when he admitted what his power was. Emma's reaction was nothing out of the ordinary, but the discomfort was something he regretted seeing on the young woman's face.

"Right," Emma replied curtly, her dark eyes studying the professor warily. Emma tested the occlumency barriers that she had put in place before arriving at the school, they were there and so far unbroken. Her strength had never lain in that field so the barrier was never strong, but it was still intact.

"Do not worry. No member of my staff, or myself, will ever read your mind without your permission while you are here. That would be extremely impolite," Charles said gravelly knowing full well what people thought in general of telepaths. Emma's dislike was very high, closing in on Logan's and that was a far cry from a normal reaction. Charles wondered what she wished to hide because clearly there was something that Emma Winter did not wish to share with anyone but the professor had given his word and he would respect her privacy and not invade her mind without permission.

"I have your word? I would be extremely uncomfortable knowing that someone read my mind without my permission," Emma said in a serious tone. It would just somehow make her feel more at ease. Merlin, how the noble mind of Dumbledore had rubbed on her like giving your word meant anything in today's world.

"Of course. We all have our secrets," Xavier said solemnly and the young woman nodded in agreement. The professor was not surprised, most people hated the thought of someone having the ability to be able to enter their mind without their permission.

"Now this is the number of your bedroom and this is the key to it. You chose yourself if you want to have it locked or not, but I assure you there is no need for it here as there is no danger from us who live here," Charles said warmly as he handed her a key to her room.

"Thank you," she said pocketing the small metal key into her jeans.

"You should rest and tonight at dinner I will introduce you to the rest of the staff. Be downstairs at seven," Charles said warmly and watched the new teacher smile shyly to him before grabbing her things and exiting the room.