Remembrance of Things Past
As the morning light crept into the windows of her new office/quarters, Celeste paced in and out of the light, fidgeting in her teacher's robes.
Sirius groaned from his chair near the fire. "If you're going to pace, avoid the creaky floorboards." He opened on eye to observe her blearily. "Why are you pacing, anyway? You aren't nervous, are you? They're a bunch of kids. How hard can it be?"
"I haven't taught students since...well, since we were in hiding from Voldemort and the Death Eaters." Celeste admitted. "And even then, it was Mathematics for muggle students. Now? Now, I'm going to be teaching at Hogwarts! I'm going to be Professor Lupin...the second. That terrifies me, just a bit."
"You'll be fine." assured Sirius, stretching as he stood from the chair. "Arithmancy was always your best subject, and you Lupins seem to be natural teachers. Dumbledore wouldn't have asked you to come if he didn't have faith in you."He crossed to Celeste and settled his hands on her shoulders. "Besides, this is only breakfast. I think you can handle breakfast."
Celeste laughed as she stepped away from him. "You're right. One thing at a time. I'll come back for you afterwards. Dumbledore is giving me the official tour, which means we will probably see Harry."
"I'll be here, shouldn't be too hard to find, I'll be the only dog in the room."
She waited until he had transformed and curled up by the fire before she left for the Great Hall. In so many ways, Hogwarts had not changed since she was a student, the portraits lining the walls all looked familiar as they called to the few students rushing by.
Celeste smiled as a curly haired, fifth year Gryffindor girl walked by, arms and bag filled with books. She hadn't been quite that studious during her time here, but it wasn't an uncommon occurrence to see her bring a book or two to breakfast. Her reverie was broken as Hagrid joyfully called out to her.
"Celeste! Celeste Lupin, I ain't seen ya since ya were a kid!" Hagrid grinned, pulling her into a massive hug as she approached the teachers' table. "Dumbledore said yer comin' here t'teach. How's yer brother? I ain't heard nothin' about 'im since...well..." he trailed off, looking slightly ashamed at himself.
"Remus is fine." Celeste assured with a smile. "He's keeping a low profile right now, but he is doing as well as can be expected."
"Good. I like yer brother. It's just a shame about all that...business." Hagrid pushed his massive frame away from the table and nodded to Celeste. "Won't keep ya none. I got some flobberworms that need attending to. Glad to see ya' here. Good luck with yer classes!" He called as he lumbered away.
From the other end of the table, Severus Snape's attention to Madame Pomfrey's conversation was destroyed. His dark eyes narrowed, as he watched the newcomer taking a seat between Dumbledore and Flitwick. He scowled at his unwelcome emotions: irrational anger over her sudden appearance, jealousy to see her looking so happy, and a quicklysuppressed twinge of joy. Trying his best to return his attention to the conversation, he failed and scowled harder each time he found himself unintentionally staring her direction. Anger winning out, he rose from his chair, muttered an apology to Madame Pomfrey and slid away into the shadows, making his escape from the Great Hall and Celeste Lupin.
When he finally made it to the sanctuary of his dungeon office, Snape slammed the door behind him as he cursed under his breath. "It was bad enough having to deal with her brother when he was here...now her! To see her every day, knowing..."
"Dad?" A thin, black haired girl asked hesitantly. She pushed the book she had been studying away and crossed to her father. "Is everything okay? You look..."
"Lexia? What are you doing here? Why aren't you in your Common Room?" Severus snapped, pushing a hand through his hair as he glared down at his daughter. He tried to calm himself as she visibly shrank before his gaze. "Lexia, I've told you, you are a student here, you have to stay in the Slytherin dorms, not my office."
"I know. It's just...I was wondering...if I really belong in Slytherin house. No one is very nice to me there." Lexia explained quietly, fingering the edge of her jumper.
"Why wouldn't you belong in Slytherin? Who isn't nice to you?" Snape asked harsher than he intended.
"Um...no one. Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. You're right...I should be in my common room." Lexia grabbed her book and bag before scurrying out the door, head down.
Snape sighed at the closed door. He would be the first to admit, he wasn't the best father. Truth be told, he spent the majority of her life avoiding his daughter, like she was some unknown and horrible possibility. He had married Lexia's mother...but why? Not out of passion, that much was certain. He heard students whisper he once drank a potion to turn his heart to ice. His life would have been easier, less complicated, if that were true. He hadn't really loved Clara; they both knew the marriage was a mistake before it even occurred. They went through with it though, out of some overwhelming desire for normalcy in such turbulent times. Lexia had been born at the end of their first year, Clara dying from complications of childbirth soon after. Severus left the newborn with Clara's mother, an elderly witch living in Southern France, telling her it was for the child's protection. Lexia lived there, attending Beauxbatons, until that past summer when the old witch had passed away. Now she was here, a new sixth year student, and he was completely out of his depth.
"I was never meant to be a father, clearly." He muttered, snapping himself out of his thoughts. Gloomier thoughts regarding the reappearance of one Celeste Lupin began to settle over him as he sat down, heavily, at his desk.