Disclaimer: Yeah, right. Like I could be JKR. I don't even live in Scotland like she does.
Life For Rent
Chapter 27
"Don't forget your essays on the history and properties of simbelmyne are due on Monday. Mr. Feldman I'd like to see you in my office please."
Several students in Hermione's first year potions class 'oohed' at the young Hufflepuff who was blushing bright red at having been singled out by the professor. Hermione suppressed a smile and shooed the rest of the class out of the room. Isaac Feldman was an exceptionally bright and eager young student and over the last two weeks had proven that he was just as excitable in class as Hermione had been. He constantly waved his hand with every question and just like Hermione, sometimes blurted out the answer without being called upon. And similarly to Hermione, he didn't realise how disruptive his behaviour was.
At the last staff meeting Hermione was pleased to learn from the other professors that splitting the classes between all four houses was having an effect on camaraderie, particularly among the younger years. Hermione noticed that at the very least she was giving and taking points in a consistent rate among all four houses now. She also gave a detention to a group of fifth years who decided to use their last potions lesson to try to develop a kind of firewhiskey that does not cause a hangover rather than brew the blood replenishing potion they were supposed to be working on. The group consisted of a member from each house and they had all sat at lunch together that day still discussing their potions 'project' and behaving quite mirthfully.
Hermione settled behind her desk and waited patiently for Isaac Feldman to shuffle nervously in. He stood just in front of the doorway looking at Hermione uncertainly for a moment before stepping fully into the office. Hermione gave him a warm smile and gestured to the seat in front of her desk. He sat a little less reluctantly than he'd entered the office.
"Relax, Isaac, you are not in trouble." Hermione noticed that he did relax a little with the use of his first name. "Biscuit?"
Hermione opened a tartan tin of biscuits that she had sitting on her desk. Severus had given them to her just that morning saying they were from Minerva. Hermione chuckled a little at the memories of Professor McGonagall giving Hermione biscuits out of her similar tins when she was a student. Isaac continued to look at her curiously but he finally reached out and took a ginger newt.
"How are you liking Hogwarts so far? Are you making friends?"
Isaac swallowed his bite of cookie before answering. "It's really fascinating. I read Hogwarts a History before I got here so I am keeping track of all the stuff in the book that I am seeing here."
"I read that book before I came here as well. I am a Muggle born so I was a little worried that all the other kids would be ahead of me so I read a lot about the wizarding world the summer before my first year." Hermione said warming up to the boy even more. He was definitely a lot like her and she noticed how he pointedly did not answer her question friends. Hermione already noticed that he really didn't have any.
"I'm Muggle born too."
Hermione offered him another biscuit and took one for herself. "I know. I imagine you feel like you have a lot to prove but trust me, just because a child is raised in a wizarding home does not mean he or she will be any better at magic than you."
"I just kind of thought that they would have had practise and learned more about wizarding history already." Isaac replied honestly.
Hermione stood up and walked over to a bookshelf behind her desk. She skimmed through the titles before finally settling on a title and pulling it off the shelf.
"Isaac I want to get right to the point. You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age. I read all my textbooks before school started and I practically memorised them. I devoured any literature on the magical world that I could find because I was afraid, just like you, that I would be behind all the kids with magical parents. In class I was eager to prove myself and answered every question even without being called on, just like you."
Isaac blushed a deep red and looked down at his hands.
"Don't be embarrassed, Isaac. I really wish that I had a professor sit down and tell me what I am about to tell you. It may have hurt my feelings at the time but it would have helped me a lot. I might have been able to make friends more easily and I would have spared myself a lot of teasing." Hermione stopped talking to measure his reaction to her words. He was still blushing slightly but he looked more sad than he did embarrassed.
"I don't understand." He said quietly.
"If you raise your hand every time I, or any other teacher asks a question, will any other kid feel like they need to participate in class?" Hermione asked him.
Isaac looked down at his hands for a moment before responding. "I guess not."
"That's right. All I am saying is that if you put yourself out there every time, the teacher is going to have to eventually start ignoring you so that the other kids have a chance to learn and participate. It is nothing personal but I do know from very personal experience that it will make you feel really horrible. I used to do the same thing and it wasn't until I was an adult that I was finally told why I was ignored as a student by some of the teachers I respected most. I want you to participate but I think it would be good for you if you toned it down a little bit. Raise your hand a little less often and give us teachers a chance to call on you. Do you think you can handle that?"
Isaac nodded but he was still looking at his hands. The remaining bit of his ginger newt had been pulverized to a fine powder and he was dragging his finger through the mess.
"I'm sorry. I just really wanted to show everyone that I am just as smart as them." He mumbled.
"There is absolutely nothing to be sorry about. You are smart, we all know that and I understand your fears. When it comes to the history of magic and spells, and potions ingredients you are probably ahead of the curve even amongst the Pureblooded students. But, there are some things you wouldn't know because you were raised in a Muggle home. Like how to ride a broom for instance. As I got older and spent more time in wizarding homes I discovered a whole world of things magical that I couldn't have learned from books. For example, it is tradition for a wizard to receive a watch when he comes of age, did you know that?"
Isaac shook his head.
"I want you to read this book." Hermione finally handed him the book she'd pulled from the shelf.
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard?" Isaac asked flipping through the pages and looking up at her incredulously. "It looks like children's stories."
"They are." Hermione answered settling back into her chair. "Wizarding children and Muggle children are taught different tales that teach morality and values. There was a time in my life when that book taught me more about what it is like to live in the Wizarding world than any other book I could ever read. These are the things that Hogwarts can't teach you and you only learn if you live in a wizarding house hold."
"So, you are giving me this so I can learn more about what kids learn if they have magical parents?"
"Exactly."
"Thanks Professor."
"I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to discussing the book with you. Remember the things I told you, okay?"
Isaac picked up his bag and stuffed the book inside. "I will."
"Have a good weekend, Mr. Feldman."
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Severus casually flipped through Robert Glitch's student file. He remembered the Ravenclaw as a student but he didn't stand out in his memory. He didn't have any estranged parents or relatives or Death Eater associations. The Glitch's remained neutral through both wars and he didn't get in any kind of trouble as a student. Severus came to the conclusion that Glitch was just an arrogant toe rag with an attitude problem. Perhaps his years of mediocrity had finally caught up with him and he was bitter. Severus was no psychoanalyst and he was not about to look into the man's history any further. Minerva's letter in response to Severus' questions was not much more helpful. Severus picked up the letter and skimmed it one more time.
Severus,
I hope all is going well for you. I must admit that I am settling into retirement quite successfully. The weather in Majorca is quite divine.
As to your inquiries regarding Robert Glitch, I cannot tell you any more than I already have. I understand that he has a bit of childish streak in him and is a sub par teacher but he was the only applicant I had for the position. Perhaps you will find better luck and a more suitable replacement will come along. Try not to be too hard on any potential teachers though, Severus, we all know that you are the best and not every teacher will meet every one of your standards. In the meantime you will have to deal with Glitch, who forgive my pun, is aptly named but if he is handled correctly could be made to go away. So sack him, or make him quit, you choose.
Please give one of the enclosed tins of biscuits to Hermione and keep one for yourself. I also enclosed an adorable little shirt for Caris that I found here on the island. Good luck Severus, and please don't bother me again unless it is a true emergency or unrelated to the school. If I get bored of my retirement you will be the first to know, and only then may you pester me with more Hogwarts issues.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva
Severus put down the letter and picked up the little shirt for Caris. In the front in bright green letters were the words, 'My mummy is a witch' and on the back it said 'and my daddy is a wizard.' Severus shook his head at it and set it down vowing to never put it on his daughter. Heaving a great sigh Severus cleared his desk and picked up some parchment and a quill. It was time to go observe Glitch's teaching. Severus chose to observe the seventh year DADA class first since it was the most specialised and advanced. If Glitch wasn't up to standard with the older students than that is all Severus would need to send him packing. He was willing to take over the classes himself for awhile if he had to but he really didn't want to terminate a teacher his first year. He was afraid it would instil fear in the staff and that was opposite of what he was trying to achieve.
Severus arrived in the classroom approximately two minutes after class should have began but when he entered the room several students were engaged in a lively conversation and Glitch was nowhere to be seen. Severus settled into the back of the classroom unnoticed and made a note of Glitch's tardiness. Three minutes later Glitch finally arrived in the classroom tousle haired as if he had just woken up from a nap.
Glitch scanned the classroom smiling at the students like Gilderoy sodding Lockhart before noticing Severus in the back recesses of the room. His smile faltered slightly but he quickly recovered and raised his hands to shush the class. Severus made unnecessarily big show of putting his quill to paper and taking more notes. When he looked up again Glitch's smile had slid completely from his face.
"Today we are going to practise the Avifors spell that is used to defeat dugbogs. In order to cast the spell you need to first levitate the dugbog and while it is in the air cast Avifors. The spell is most easily done in a team but your goal should be to defeat a dugbog on your own."
Severus made a few more notes on his parchment. Dugbogs were on the syllabus for fifth year OWL exams which disappointed Severus greatly.
"I have some stuffed dugbogs that we will practise on. Get into your teams and each of you take a stuffed dugbog out of that box." The class split up and with more noise than was necessary each team retrieved a fake animal from the box. Glitch went around the room animating each one. For the next half hour chaos ensued in the room. None of the students were able to successfully cast the Avifors spell and several black birds were feebly flapping around the room.
One group of students had abandoned the Avifors project altogether and were sending bat bogey hexes at each other. Glitch was paying no attention to them and was busy trying to show a couple of Ravenclaw girls the proper wand movements for Avifors. One of the students sending hexes at his friends quickly cast a shield charm to protect himself from a spell coming in his direction. The bogey hex bounced off of his shield and hit Glitch right in the face. The girl that he was helping shrieked in disgust and tripped over a dugbog trying to get away from the great flapping bogeys on his face. By then most of the students were either laughing or trying to get away from Glitch who was flailing about the room trying to locate the wand he dropped when the spell hit him. The room was in absolute chaos.
Severus stood from his chair in the back of the room. "QUIET!"
The class silenced immediately as Severus went about the room vanishing the dugbogs. Everyone returned to their seats instantly and was quiet. Severus restored the classroom whilst ignoring Glitch who was still trying to get the bat bogeys off his face.
"Detention, all of you, with me tomorrow morning at six. Class is dismissed." Severus said and the class didn't need told twice. Once the room was cleared Severus picked up Glitch's wand and used it to perform the counter curse. Glitch leaned against the nearest table taking great breaths.
"I want to see you in my office. Now." Severus turned and left the classroom without another word. He could hear Glitch walking behind him struggling to keep with his brisk pace. Once they arrived in his office Severus shut the door and rounded on Glitch.
"What was that? You were teaching NEWT students an OWL level lesson, you were late, and you had absolutely no control over your class. You didn't even demonstrate the spell before you assigned it. How am I as Headmaster of this school, supposed to accept that?"
Glitch backed up against the door his mouth working soundlessly as he attempted to retort. Severus turned his back on Glitch.
"Get out of my office. I will deal with you later."
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"Rough day?" Hermione asked Severus when he finally arrived at the Head Table for dinner.
Severus poured himself a cup of tea and took a drink before answering. "In a manner of speaking. I have suffered through worse days."
Hermione rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Of course you have."
Severus looked at his wife and felt instantly warmed by the light he saw dancing in her eyes. He reached under the table and squeezed her leg. "I will tell you what I can later. After dinner I have to meet with Filius and I am overseeing detention at six tomorrow morning with the seventh year Defence class."
"Oh, okay. Will you still be able to go with me to visit Harry and Ginny tomorrow afternoon? They are looking forward to seeing Caris, and I can't wait to see how much James and Lily have grown." Hermione said hoping he wouldn't cancel.
"Certainly, it will be nice to get out of the castle for a few hours even if it is to spend the afternoon at the Potter's." Severus smirked at her.
"Where's Glitch?" Hermione asked suddenly as if she just realised the seat next to her was unoccupied.
"Probably licking his wounds. I will explain later. What are you going to do this evening?"
"I think I will visit with Hagrid. It's been awhile and he loves Caris."
The half-giant in question was laughing heartily at a story Madam Hooch was telling him at the very end of the table.
"Alright, but be careful."
"Stop it Severus. He won't crush her or anything, and I will make sure he doesn't accidentally feed her to something either." Hermione laughed at his wide eyed look. He was such a strong man but when it came to Caris he turned into a complete jellyfish.
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The next day Severus kept the seventh years in detention for two hours. He spent the whole time lecturing them on their responsibilities on seventh years and going over their past curriculum in Defence with them. It wasn't much of a detention because it was just as informative for him as it was for them but he needed to make a decision about Glitch and the student's opinions were very relevant. Hermione insisted that Severus take it easy on Glitch because the students hadn't had a decent teacher in that subject to date and that they realistically couldn't know much. Flitwick on the other hand, agreed with Severus and was eager to rid the school of the man.
While Severus was coordinating the detention and Caris was asleep Hermione decided to grade some homework so that she could relax the rest of the weekend. When she was finished she was cheerfully walking through the dungeon hallways when she heard muffled laughter coming from inside a broom closet. She could tell from the voices that it was a boy and girl in there and afraid of what she might see she used her wand to open the door. She was about to immediately assign detentions to the cavorting students until she saw that one of them was not. Glitch was standing smugly behind a sixth year Slytherin who was straightening her blouse and looking at Hermione with a frightened expression.
"Detention Ms. Johnson and I will have to report this to the Headmaster. Go back to your common room." Hermione snapped at the girl who ran down the hallway without looking back.
Glitch leaned casually against the doorframe of the broom closet raised an eyebrow at Hermione.
"You are positively vile." She sneered. "How could you fraternise with a student?"
"What's the matter? Are you jealous? Besides, like you have room to talk." Glitch's eyes glinted malevolently as he took a step toward Hermione.
"I am most certainly not jealous, nor am I engaging in inappropriate behaviour with a student!" Hermione cried indignantly.
"Please, Snape, you're with the Headmaster. Like that didn't happen when you were still in school." Glitch took another step toward Hermione.
Hermione held her ground but she was beginning to feel frightened. "It most certainly did not happen when I was a student and how dare you question my or Severus' integrity?"
Glitch took the final step that brought him directly in front of Hermione. He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek. His eyes glinted dangerously and he leaned in close speaking in a low and seductive voice. "You sound defensive, Hermione. Are you questioning your integrity?"
Hermione flinched and took a shaky step backward but Glitch matched her and took another step forward. Hermione reached for her wand but before she could pull it out of her pocket to hex Glitch, he was blasted back into the broom closet. Hermione whipped around to see Severus standing with his wand raised his black eyes burning with fury.
"Severus!" Hermione took a few steps toward him but he raised a hand to stop her. With wand still raised he approached the broom closet where a dazed Glitch was struggling to his feet.
"You are no longer employed at this school. I will escort you off the grounds myself and the house-elves will gather your belongings and bring them to you." Severus kept his wand trained on Glitch.
Glitch glared defiantly at Severus. "On what grounds? I didn't do anything to her." He said pointing at Hermione.
"On what grounds? How about incompetence, inability to control your classroom, insubordination, and engaging in illicit behaviour with a minor student." Severus spat barely controlling his temper.
"It was consensual." Glitch shot back but even in his pea sized mind he knew it sounded childish and was the wrong thing to say.
"We'll leave that for her parents to determine. Let's go." Severus directed Glitch to walk in front of him but he turned to look at Hermione. "You go wait in our rooms. I will be there in fifteen minutes."
Hermione nodded and did as she was told. She hadn't seen Severus so furious in a very long time. She wondered how much of her short conversation with Glitch he'd heard but if she had to guess she would say most of it. Nevertheless she made her way slowly up to their private quarters. She checked on Caris who was still sleeping peacefully and then returned to the living room. Hermione paced restlessly until Severus returned.
"Severus!" Hermione cried again when he stepped into the room. Severus walked up to Hermione and wrapped her in his arms.
"All you alright, love?" He asked as he buried his face in her hair.
Hermione pulled him tighter against her and spoke into his chest. "I'm fine. I was worried about you. I haven't seen you so angry in ages."
"I wasn't angry with you. I heard the whole conversation as I was coming down the hallway. I saw Ms. Johnson, as well. Is she the student he was with?"
Hermione pulled away and took both of his hands in hers. "Yes. What are you going to do about that?"
Severus pulled her back into his arms, not ready to let go. "I don't know, I wasn't focusing on her. I used Legilimency on Glitch and I know what he was thinking. If I hadn't intervened when I did he would have tried to… he wanted to hurt you."
Hermione tensed at what Severus wasn't saying. "I can protect myself, Severus."
Severus pushed her away so that he could look at her. "I know you can, Hermione. But it's my job to protect you, so please let me do it."
Hermione stood up on her toes to kiss her husband deeply. "Agreed. Well, that solves one problem."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"You don't have to figure out what to do about Glitch anymore. Now you just have to figure out how to replace him." Hermione reluctantly broke away from her husband and walked toward Caris' bedroom to get their daughter who had finally awoken. Severus went into the kitchen to quickly make a bottle for his crying child.
"I already have an idea on a suitable replacement." Severus replied as Hermione reached a hand out for the bottle. "No let me, Hermione."
Hermione sighed and passed Caris over to her father. "Fine, but you have to let me take care of her sometime."
Severus raised an eyebrow at his wife but he smiled. "You do take care of her and you are wonderful at it. Besides don't you have to, you know… express."
Hermione laughed jovially at his comment. She realised that pumping milk was not the most glamorous thing she could do with her breasts but he still talked about it as if it was a very taboo thing. But he always watched with fascination whenever she did it in front of him. At first she was horribly embarrassed when he saw her doing it, but that soon went away. The last time he saw her pumping he actually conjectured on whether breast milk would make a useful potion ingredient.
"Actually I do so you're lucky this time. Who did you have in mind for a suitable replacement?" Hermione asked. "And please don't say yourself; you are busy enough as it is."
"It might have to be me for awhile until I do have a replacement. I will take the fifth through seventh years at least and try to delegate the other classes among the rest of you. I discussed my idea with Filius last night and he was very agreeable." Severus glanced at Hermione quickly. She had yanked off her top and was heading to the other room to express more milk for Caris. She really missed breast feeding and her chest actually tingled as she watched Severus feed their daughter. But the joy Severus got out of being able to feed Caris himself made up for it.
"Are you ever going to tell me who this person you would like to hire is?" Hermione called from their bedroom.
"Not until I am sure it will work out. Caris is falling asleep again already. Is she feeling alright?" Severus laid Caris back into her crib and felt her forehead. She didn't really feel warm but she usually didn't sleep so late in the mornings.
"She didn't sleep much last night."
"Really? Why didn't you wake me?" Severus approached Hermione and watched as she finished pumping and sent the bottles into the kitchen with a wave of her wand.
"You need your sleep too. Trust me; I'm exhausted so if you want to stay up with her tonight you are more than welcome." Hermione lay down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. "Come here, Severus. We have some time before we have to leave for the Potter's."
Severus shrugged out of his shirt as well and eagerly hopped on the bed with her. They hadn't made love since the school year started and seeing her in bed like that reminded him of how much he missed the more carnal side of their relationship. He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, pressing the length of his body against hers. "I've missed you."
Hermione pushed him over and quickly undid his pants. "Me too, Severus, and I want you now. Please."
Severus was eager to oblige and he had them both naked in an instant. Hermione's eyes were swimming with desire for him and she actually bit his shoulder when he bent down to suckle one of her breasts. Severus felt himself grow even harder and slid a hand down her stomach and finally into the apex of her legs. She was damp and hot and ready.
"Take me now, Severus." Hermione begged.
"Yes, my vixen." Severus murmured as he thrust himself into her. They both bit back cries of pleasure as he buried himself fully. It was only a moment before they reached the kind of steady rhythm that only practised couples are able to do. Hermione dug her nails into Severus' back as she felt her body tense for release and once again she bit back her cries of pleasure. Severus too kept himself quiet but Hermione could see the lust in his eyes and she could feel more than hear the low rumble that escaped his throat as he released inside of her.
Severus collapsed next to Hermione and pulled her close, savouring the moment while it lasted. "That was wonderful, my love, but next time lets take the time to put up a silencing charm. I enjoy when you are more vocal."
"You got it. So, who are you going to ask to take the Defence position?"
"Not now, Hermione, we just made love." Just then Caris could be heard crying from her crib and Severus jumped up. " I'll get her! You get ready to go to the Potter's"
Hermione harrumphed at Caris' timing. She was grateful they didn't wake her up with their lovemaking but she was dying to know who Severus wanted to hire and couldn't fathom why he was being so secretive about it. If only her sweet little daughter would have waited just a few more minutes… she could've got the answer out of him.
"Yeah, yeah…"
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A/N: So, this chapter has a little more 'day in the life of Severus and Hermione' for you. Plus a little more of that nuisance Glitch. It seems like you can never have a peaceful year at Hogwarts.
Thanks to whoopsydaisy beta extraordinaire! You should check her story Uncharmable if you like more Severus!
Please review! I know I have been making a few more mistakes than usual lately and I apologise for that but I have been crunched for time lately although it is getting better and I am not quite as busy I was. I don't need your reviews to keep writing but they really do make my world go round, I appreciate your opinions, advice, and the pointing out of the occasional error or two. And of course they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
