Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Harry Potter characters. The only ones I own are the ones that come from my own head.
Chapter three: Student Time!
"Come on Matilda! Get in this dress!" I said frustrated at my darling baby girl.
"Can I help Sam?" Ginny asked as she walked in Matilda's room, where I was failing at putting Matilda's dress on her.
"Yes, can you get her in this dress while I change?" I asked, hopeful that she'll say yes.
"Sure." She said, laughing. "I can't turn down the puppy dog look in your eyes!"
About 15 minutes later, we were all ready and were heading to the Great Hall. We got there in silence. When we got there, I took my spot next to Severus as Ginny cautiously climbed into the other seat next to me. I set Matilda in my lap and placed a toy lion, snake, eagle, and badger, for the Hogwarts houses, in my lap.
"I like the snake the best." Severus drawled from next to me.
"Typical, I like all of them except the snake." I said smiling at Matilda, who was banging the eagle and the lion together.
"Really, and why is that?" Severus asked with a smirk.
"You know that I never cared for the stupid rivalries between the houses."
The conversation was interrupted by the loud return of the students. Soon after, the first years came in, led by tiny Fillius, to be sorted. After the sorting, Fillius took his seat and food appeared on the golden plates. Hermione Granger, the new transfiguration teacher, was sitting on the other side of Ginny, so she had someone to talk to.
"Still taking soft foods too?" Severus muttered.
"Yeah." I answered.
"How's Matilda?" he asked after a minute of silence.
"She's loud, hates baths, but I love her more than anything else." I replied.
"It's strange how the students haven't seen a baby or wounded teachers before." Severus said with his familiar smirk. It was true to say that every single teacher had a scar or two, but I guess mine and Severus' were the most noticeable. I kept seeing the students staring in my direction.
"I guess they're curious between whose baby this is," as I said this I stated playing with one of Matilda's dark brown curls, "and why I jumped in between you and Nagini."
"Why did you jump between me and Nagini?"
"I felt you didn't deserve to die by a stupid snake." I said after a moment of thinking. We finished eating in silence. When I was done, I fed Matilda her bottle and let Ginny, Hermione, Minerva, and Sybel hold her.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts!" Minerva said as she stood to give a speech when the desserts had disappeared. This caused very loud clapping, making Matilda cry. I quickly quieted her down, but the students had already noticed and started staring at me and Matilda again.
"As some of you have realized, we have some new members to the staff table. I am the new headmistress. Professor Snape is once again the potions teacher. Professor Lechen is the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. We have two teacher apprentices: Ms. Weasly and Mr. Longbottom. As some of you are wondering, the baby is Matilda, Professor Lechen's daughter." This news immediately started whispers, "Before you guys get too chatty, I'd like to inform you to stay out of the Dark Forest and Professor Hagrid has gotten his magic privileges back. Now, off to bed!"
"Sam, could I see you in my office in ten minutes?" Severus said in his lazy drawl.
"Sure. Ginny, time to go." I said as I picked up Matilda and her bag and stood up.
"Coming Sam." Ginny said.
"When we get to our quarters, can you watch Matilda? I have something I need to do."
"Sure."
As the three of us walked to our quarters, I heard the whispers and saw the stares from the students. They weren't that quiet about it either. Their gazes slid from Matilda to my neck.
It seemed like eternity before I dropped Matilda off with Ginny and got to Severus' office.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in." he said.
I opened the creaking door and closed it behind me.
"Sit." Severus said, pointing at a chair. I felt like one of the many students he had given detention or sent to his office.
"Why'd you call me in here?" I asked as I took sat in the chair on the opposite side of the desk that he was on.
"I want to know the truth. Why did you jump between me and Nagini?"
"You mean to tell me that you ignored for over a year and know you want to talk?" I said, not hiding the hurt and anger in my voice.
"It wasn't safe to talk. Even now some of Voldemort's minions are out there, plotting revenge!" Severus' usually calm voice had become loud and angry as he said this.
"I'll see you around." I said as I got up to leave. The nerve of some people!
"Sam, wait!" he called out to me.
"Why should I?"
"Why did you try to save me?"
I paused in the doorway and said, "I told you already." before walking out the door.
"Quiet." I said as I walked in the classroom. The first years, who had been whispering about me, instantly became silent.
"I am Professor Lechen and this is Ms. Weasly. I know a lot of you think I was a death eater in training two years ago, I wasn't. I was merely there to make sure the Carrows didn't kill any students. In fact, I was part of the Order. I love to joke around and I'd appreciate if you stopped staring at my neck. Now, take out a quill and a piece of parchment…
The lessons continued and all of the students relaxed around me. It was really nice teaching them and Ginny really enjoyed teaching them too.
"Quiet!" I yelled, sending three sparks from my wand. "If you guys want to goof off, then you won't get to fight the Bogart!" that quieted the loud third year Hufflepuffs and Slytherians. "Good, now let's get in a straight line behind David. Ginny, make sure they don't fight. Now, I'll teach you what to do before I open the chest containing the Bogart."
After about three weeks of lessons, the students finally trusted and liked me. I even heard a few rumors about some seventh year boys liking me. I hope those rumors are false! Some, however, were surprised to find I was part of the Order of Phoenix. Being in the Order helped me teach them how to defend themselves and others from evil wizards. This also helped them respect me more, which was a huge bonus!
Lessons went one every day. Ginny and I taught about dementors, bogarts, the unforgivable curses, mad giants, spiders, harmful spells, vampires, dueling, and a lot more! Soon I found it to be October 30th and teachers were preparing for the annual teacher's dance the next day. While students made up stories about what each teacher was going to do.
"Sam!" Poppy called out to me at dinner as she came to sit next to me. "Are you going to dance with Severus tomorrow night?" she whispered as she sat down next to me.
"Not like you'd even remember if I did. You always get too drunk at parties and dances," I replied, annoyed that she, once again, brought up me and Severus.
"You guys are perfect for each other! You look like you could be his sister. Both of you are sarcastic and flare up easily. Even how you two met at the Order meeting seems to show that destiny pulled you guys together." Minerva, who was sitting next to her, almost skirted milk out of her nose because she was laughing so hard.
"Wow Poppy!" Minerva finally managed to say. "I bet Sam completely believes you in every way possible and will follow your advice! Just a warning, Sam, the last time I followed Poppy's brilliant wisdom I ended up in detention for three weeks!"
"I bet that's your plan, Poppy! If I get put in detention, then you'll be able to babysit Matilda more!" I exclaimed.
"Where is Matilda anyway?" Poppy asked through her laughter.
"At my mum's house." I replied.
"Will we ever meet your mother?" Minerva asked.
"Probably not. She's a muggle." I said, picturing my hard working mum.
"What about your dad?" Poppy asked.
"He was a wizard, but one of Voldemort's minions who died in a fight."
"But none of those idiots had the last name Lechen." Minerva said.
"I have my mum's maiden name. She divorced my dad when I was finishing my seventh year. When he left and joined Voldemort's ranks a few weeks after the divorce, I changed my last name to Lechen."
"How did he die?" Poppy asked and Minerva shot her a death stare.
"I killed him."
"What!" Minerva and Poppy squawked, drawing the eyes of students.
"He found out where Harry, Lily, and James were and was trying to get the news to Voldemort. I-I couldn't let him do that, so I killed him." I said. I didn't really care that he was dead. I know that sounds heartless, but he was never a father to me. Ever since I was little, he tried to make me do bad things.
"I'm terribly sorry." Minerva said.
"He was never a true father." I said, "He often hurt me and my mum. I'm just glad he's not hurting anyone anymore."
"Is that why you look like-" Poppy started.
"Yes, that is why I look like I haven't seen the sun for months, look deathly skinny, and boney." I answered with a smirk.
"See! Both you and Severus smirk all the time…."
I sighed as I tuned one of my closest friends out.
The night went by and nothing unusual happened until Severus came to my quarters and was acting very strange. I have a bad feeling he overheard my conversation with Poppy and Minerva. I sighed, laying in my bed, as my mind began to wander. First about Severus, then about my family, then to teaching, then to Ginny, then to my coworkers, and finally back to Severus. I had no idea why my mind keeps going back to him. I guess it's because if I don't dance with him tomorrow Poppy will murder me, bring me back to life and kill me again. I sighed, turned over, and fell asleep, picturing that adorable smirk of his.
Author's Note: I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. I'll update the chapters if I see any errors. Thank you for reading! Please comment!