"Uhm, no hon... I don't think that the... uhhhh... what were they again?" I said, looking at the sweet, bright face of Luna Lovegood.

"Snorfled Warflacks." She chimed.

"Right... I don't think they plan to visit the school anytime soon. They have barriers for that sort of thing." I said as matter of factly as I could.

"Really?" She said hopefully.

I nodded, "Definitely."

"Thank you Professor Tingstrom!" She said, hugging my neck.

I patted her back, "You're welcome."

She smiled and skipped off too... wherever it was she went.

I shook my head and chuckled. It seems that I've become the mentor for Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood... I'm not sure how I feel about that really... But, anyway, they always come to me for reassurance, answers, assistance, etc. They're not the only ones though, just the main ones. Personally, I liked life much better when I didn't have to be the manual to it. I mean, what if I say something completely stupid? I've been known to do that... Oh well, fuck me...slams head on desk

"Are you feeling alright Katherine?" I heard Remus ask me.

I looked up at him, "Yeah, about as well as is to be expected."

He chuckled, "Well, alright. If you say so."

I nodded.

He came in and sat in front of my desk, "So how has your day been?"

I shrugged. "Yours?"

He smiled and shrugged.

I laughed. "It's amazing how talkative we've become."

He laughed. "Ah yes, amazing." He tapped his fingers on the armrests of the chair he was sitting in.

I raised an eyebrow, "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

He looked at me, "You never told me how you knew about Pettigrew."

"I never told you a lot of things."

He raised his eyebrows, "True..."

I smiled at him, "It's nothing you need to worry about Remus."

He nodded, "Does this have to do with you knowing that I was a new professor without being told?"

"Yes." I said straightforwardly.

"And you're not going to tell me?" He asked.

I shook my head, "Not right now. Maybe someday."

He nodded, "I can respect that."

I smiled, "Thank you."

He smiled, "You're welcome. I suppose we all have our secrets."

I nodded casually, "I suppose... Would you like some tea?"

He smiled, "Sounds good."

I smiled and nodded, "Alright, I'll go get it." I got up to make the tea.

----------------------------

I jumped as I felt a small body wrap it's arms around me and nuzzle into my tush. I looked down and saw Mabel Rochester, a first year, grinning up at me. "Hi Professor Tingstrom!"

"Hello Miss Rochester, is there a reason you've decided to jump out at me today?"

She nodded, "I'm happy to see you!"

Yes, but why? "sigh Miss Rochester, I am your teacher, not your mother. It isn't really appropriate for you to be hugging me all the time."

She looked about to cry, "You don't like me?"

I sighed and bent down to look at her in the face, "It's not that hon. I like you fine, and I'm glad that you're happy to see me. But you can't just go around hugging everyone that you like just because they pass by."

She gave me an innocent look of confusion, "Why not?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but realized that I didn't really have a good answer to that question. "You know what? Never mind. Hug whomever you want, whenever you want."

She grinned, "Yay!" She hugged me around my neck.

I patted her head, "Yeah, yeah... But now I really must get back to my classroom. I have a class in ten minutes."

"Oh! Ok! I'll see you later then!" She grinned and skipped away.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Why rip her from that pleasant little world of hers prematurely?

"I suppose I'm lucky since none of my students like me enough to jump out and hug me." I heard one of my favorite voices say from behind me.

I turned around and smirked, "Oh, I don't know... Luna probably would if she wasn't afraid you'd kill her for it."

Severus smirked, "Exactly why I keep her under that impression."

"Oh, you're no fun." I chuckled, grinning at him.

He smiled slightly, "So I've been told."

I rested my shoulder against the wall, "And to what do I owe the pleasure of you not ignoring me to?"

He rolled his eyes, "Dumbledore wants to see you."

I sighed, "He didn't happen to mention why did he?"

He shook his head.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh goody goody. If he wants me to try his new lemon drops again I may be forced to hang myself... or him."

He chuckled.

I smiled at him, "I'll see you later Severus... maybe."

He raised an eyebrow as I passed.

---------------------

"You wanted to see me Headmaster?" I asked, walking into Dumbledore's office.

He turned and smiled at me, "Ah yes. Professor Tingstrom, I would like you to meet Sirius Black."

A man that I hadn't noticed before stood up from the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. He had long black hair, was pale, skinny, but reasonably handsome I suppose. He smiled at me, "So this is the Katherine Tingstrom that I owe my life too."

"I suppose I am. Though I wouldn't usually record myself as a 'this'. I'm more of a 'whom'." I said, only a little snotty.

He looked surprised, "Well, yes, I'm sorry?"

I raised my eyebrows, "I forgive you."

He smiled and walked towards me, stretching out his hand. "I would just like to thank you for what you did."

I shook his hand, "You're welcome. But I didn't do it for you."

He raised his eyebrows, "I guess you didn't... but wasn't it an added bonus?"

"I suppose." I said calmly.

He frowned just a little, "I'm sensing that you don't like me?"

I chuckled, "Well, it's not precisely that I don't like you... no wait, yes, it is."

He looked shocked, "Whatever for?"

"None of your business."

"None of my business?"

"Exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me. You've interrupted my class schedule." I smiled at Dumbledore, "If that is all?"

Dumbledore looked surprised but said, "Yes, that's all."

I nodded and then went back to my classroom. If they caused havoc in my room while I was away I'm taking it out of someone's ass.

--------------------

"You're very late!" Hermione said as I walked through the door.

I put my hand on my hip and glared at her.

She blushed, "But I forgive you?"

I huffed, "For today's lesson we'll be talking about..."

"Excuse me, Katherine?" I heard a voice say from behind me.

I turned around and glared, "Mr. Black, just what exactly gave you the impression that I wanted you to follow me?"

He gave me puppy dog eyes... gag. "It's just; I think that someone has given you the wrong impression of me..."

"HARRY POTTER!" I yelled.

Harry stood up.

"Doesn't this belong to you?" I hissed, pointing at Sirius.

Harry nodded.

"Well. then. you. should. get. him. out. of. my. classroom. before. I. give. you. both. detention!" I growled out. Sirius didn't seem very deterred by my threat. "With Professor Snape!"

They both went wide eyed at that and Harry took Sirius by the elbow and said, "Come on Sirius."

"I'll just talk to you later then..." Sirius said as he was ushered away.

I rolled my eyes and looked back at my class. They were all wide eyed. "What?"

They all shook their heads and some of them said, "Nothing!"

-------------------------

I was walking down the hallway when someone jumped out of the shadows. I glared at him, "You're getting on my last nerve Mr. Black."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I don't like you thinking... whatever it is you're thinking about me." He said, walking up to me.

I sighed and rubbed my temples, "Mr. Black, you're not getting it. I don't think about you. At all. I know how odd that must seem to you, but it's true. The only thing that makes me think about you at all is the fear that you'll jump out at me... again."

He took my hand, "Couldn't you call me Sirius? Please?"

I took my hand out of his hand and pointed at him, "If you don't stop pestering me... I'll tell Remus you've been stalking me all day!"

He chuckled, "Is that some sort of threat?"

I crossed my arms and glared at him.

He was silent for a moment, and then said, "You wouldn't really..."

"I would prefer not to tattle on you like a child, but I will if I have to."

He thought about it for a moment, "Alright then... I'll speak with you some other time..."

"No, you won't! What do I have to say to get you to leave me alone?"

"What's going on here?!?" A very angry Severus yelled, coming from behind me.

Sirius glared at him, "This isn't any of your concern Snivillus."

Both Severus and I glared at him when he said that. Severus looked down at me. "Has he been bothering you?"

I nodded, "He's been at it all day."

Severus glared at Sirius, "Funny, I thought that even you were intelligent enough to eventually take a hint Black. Though I shouldn't be surprised to find out the contrary."

Sirius looked at me, "And you're alright with him saying this."

"Mr. Black, what exactly made you think that I care one bit about your feelings? I don't know you, you're not my friend, you're not my lover, and you're not a student of mine. You're just some man that I happened to help out by doing something I would have done anyway. And I don't appreciate you assuming that means we have some sort of relationship. We don't. And pestering me isn't going to get you into my good graces either."

Severus smirked and said, "Come along Katherine, I'll show you to your destination."

I smiled sweetly, "Thank you Severus."

He took me by the elbow and was about to lead me away when Sirius said, "Are you his girlfriend?!?"

I looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Mr. Black, my personal life is none of your business."

"That's not an answer!"

"I'm not dignifying the question with an answer. Goodnight Mr. Black." I said, turning back to Severus.

He smiled and led me to where I was going.