A/N: Hello again! I would just like to add a warning that there are a couple places in this chapter that mention instances of domestic violence. The first is right here in the beginning flashback/nightmare and the second is when Minerva is with Mia during her breakdown. Although they are pretty mild, you are more than welcome to skip over them if you are not comfortable reading that kind of stuff. Happy reading and see you in the reviews!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

Chapter 2: New Kid in Town

I was running, but where was I running to? Something was chasing me. Something terrifying. I could hear my breathing getting faster. Everything started to get dark. I tripped over something, and I started falling.

This is it. This is how I was going to die.

I closed my eyes as I felt the rush of wind pass by my face. At least I won't have to face this world anymore.

Suddenly, I landed with a thud on a bed. My bed. What in the world?

I looked around and I was back in my room in my old home. All of my belongings were there, it's as if I never left.

"Baby, is that you?" a man's voice came booming through the room.

I knew that voice. I don't like that voice. I tried to hide under my blankets, but in an instant, I heard him walking into my room and pulling the blanket back. I stared at him with frightened eyes, bracing myself for what was to come.

He looked at me with that menacing stare and that evil smile that he always had before he was going to begin.

"Don't look so scared, my love. We have done this before. You should be used to it by now."

"You will never get away with this," I spat at him. A swift hand to my face showed me where I belong.

"Oh, dear. That mouth will not do here." He shoved my body down onto the bed before proceeding to unbutton his pants.

Sweat dripped down my face as I abruptly woke up. My anxiety got the best of me again, robbing me yet another night of sleep. I wiped the sweat off of my face as I got out of bed to wash my face. The cold floor was welcoming to my feet. The fire had gone out some time ago, just a few embers crackling their last spark. I was relieved to feel the warm water automatically coming out of the faucet, and splashed it on my face. Much better. I wiped my face before sitting on the couch that faced the fireplace.

It was fairly dark in the room, except for the few torches that lit when I woke up. I sighed, covering my face and letting out a few tears.

Those years were horrible. I will never forget them, but I wish I could.

Maybe if my parents never got in that accident, none of that wouldn't have happened. I can't blame it on them though. It was my fault for letting that sorry excuse for a man into my life. And it is still my fault for letting him do all of those horrible things to me. I sobbed harder as more memories started to fill my mind. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to do something.

I got up to look for a familiar case. It had a distinct shape, so there was no mistaking it for something else. I found it leaning against my wardrobe, safe and sound. I opened the case to find my favorite guitar. It was custom made, colored blue and fit just for me. I decided to leave my room for somewhere more open. The cold air was welcoming to my skin.

Where was I going? I remembered taking these stairs to get down here, so I just retraced my steps until I got to the Great Hall. I looked around, wondering where to go. I decided to turn left and went down a new hallway. I probably went through 2 or 3 hallways before finding a garden with a greenhouse in the corner. I thought this would be a good place. I sat on a patch of green, leaning against the stone wall behind me. I positioned my guitar on my lap, and I started to play.

"Darling I will be loving you until we're seventy. Baby my heart can still fall as hard at twenty three," I started singing as I strummed the familiar melody. I was quiet at first, not sure how the acoustics would be in this place. Surprisingly, my guitar sounded beautiful as it softly echoed through the walls. I smiled, loving the noise. I could feel my anxiety start to dissipate yet again.

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time's forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home

The song sounded beautiful in here! I've never heard it like this before. My heart swelled as the strumming of the guitar put my mind at ease.

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone

And if you hurt me
That's okay baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go
Wait for me to come home

Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home

Suddenly, I saw a black figure out of the corner of my eye. I stopped playing to look up, but they were gone. Odd. Didn't know I had an audience. I went back to my guitar and looked out into the garden. I must have been sitting there for quite some time until I heard footsteps coming toward me.

"Ms. Taylor." I knew that voice. Sounds like Professor Snape. I looked up to see that I was correct.

"Professor Snape, right? Sorry, I heard that other teacher last night," I responded, noticing his jaw tightened. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome.

"That would be correct. Why are you here in the garden? It's…odd seeing someone here this early," he asked, eyeing me curiously.

"Couldn't really sleep, so I decided to walk around and found his place. It's beautiful." I noticed a faint smirk on this face, but it quickly went away. Was this his garden? I wouldn't peg him for having a green thumb.

"It would be to your benefit that you make your way back to your private quarters. I, unfortunately, passed Hagrid in the halls, and he seems quite excited to meet with you today. I suspect he will be by to see you soon," he said, resting his hands behind his back and staring down at me. Locks of his jet black hair dangled in front of his face as he looked down at me sitting on the grass. Usually I would be terrified when someone stared at me like that. When Lucas looked at me with those kind of eyes, I wanted to run for the hills. There was something about Professor Snape that made me...curious.

I stared at Professor Snape for a moment before shaking me head of my thoughts. "Then I should probably find my way back and get ready," I sighed, picking myself off the ground and swatting away the dirt that was on my legs.

Well, this was embarrassing. I was in shorts that barely covered me and a thin camisole with a lace trimming. He probably shouldn't be seeing me in that. I covered my face in embarrassment as I struggled to retrace my steps back to my room.

As soon as I was done with my make-up, Hagrid was knocking at my door.

"Be right there!" I yelled towards the door, hoping he could hear me. I slipped on my black pumps and yanked my black pea coat out from the wardrobe. This should keep me warm while we're on our tour. I took a quick glance at my reflection in a mirror then opened the door to an eager Hagrid.

I never realized how complex this castle was until I could certainly feel my feet crying. It was so beautiful, minus being so massive. How am I supposed to remember where all these different places though? Do they have a map that I can keep if I get lost? I sighed as we stopped in front of a door. I could hear muffled voices coming from behind it. It must be the rest of the staff.

"It looks like our tour has come to an end," Hagrid said, rather sadly. I smiled at him. I really appreciate him taking the time to walk me around. Saves me from getting lost on the first day of school.

"Thank you so much Hagrid. I really appreciate you doing that," I told him, patting his arm quite awkwardly. He scooped me in for a hug, and I couldn't help but laugh. He's a nice guy.

"Best be going through that door now. The staff meeting will be starting soon," he said, gesturing towards the door.

"You're not staying for the meeting?" I asked, curious. It'd be nice to have someone to sit with.

"This one is just for faculty, I'm afraid. But you know where my house is, stop by anytime!" He waved before walking off. I shook my head as I opened the door.

Ugh. The new kid is here. At least that's what it felt like. A majority of the teachers turned to look at me. I felt my anxiety rushing into my cheeks as I quickly found a seat in the corner. I took out a small notebook I had in my pea coat and a pen and started to doodle, trying to not bring more focus to myself. It felt like an eternity before I saw Auntie Minnie walk in.

"Mia dear, please come sit up front with me," she said, waving me to follow her. I gave a frustrated sigh as I got up and followed her to the front of the room.

"I liked my little corner," I whispered, sitting next to her.

"I know you did, you always liked sitting as far away as possible. I'm determined to change that," she said with a determined look.

"Auntie!"

"You'll get used to it," she said, patting my shoulder.

A few minutes later, Professor Dumbledore came in and began the meeting. It seemed pretty standard enough. They went over any new policies and changes for this year, and went over school events. Unfortunately for me, this went all too quickly.

"Now that we are all in the same room, I'd like to formally introduce you all to our new teacher for our new curriculum," the older man said.

Oh no. He's going to turn the spotlight on me.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Mia Taylor. Ms. Taylor, if you would come up please."

Damn it. Damn it all.

I cast a nervous glance to Auntie Minnie before slowly rising from my seat to join Professor Dumbledore at the front of the class. My breathing was so erratic and my hands were a sweaty mess. I hope I don't have to shake their hands anytime soon. I gave Professor Dumbledore a small smile before he continued.

"As you all know, the Ministry is now making a conscious effort to be more connected with the non-wizarding world. As such, they have approved Ms. Taylor to be our fearless leader in shaping the new Muggle Relations curriculum."

WHAT?! When was this information going to be relayed to me?! I took a steadying breath as I tried to digest what was just said.

"This new curriculum will cover anything and everything related to the non-wizarding culture, as Ms. Taylor seems fit. For the time being, she will have free reign to teach what she thinks would be important and would benefit our students. Once we have had a thorough variety of classes, the Ministry and Ms. Taylor will work closely to narrow down classes." Professor Dumbledore gave me an approving look. I shoved my hands in my pockets to hide my embarrassment.

"Ms. Taylor has come highly recommended from Professor McGonagall. She has an impressive list of academic accomplishments, along with a plethora of extracurricular activities to boot. Now, Ms. Taylor, would you mind sharing a little bit about yourself? Don't be too shy," Professor Dumbledore said, opening the floor to me. I drew a long breath before staring at the almost full room.

"With all due respect, Professor, but I think you summed up my life better than I could," I said. Maybe it can end here. Chuckles came from around the room. Auntie Minnie sat with that all too familiar smirk, but I could tell she was proud of me for being here.

"Excuse me, Ms. Taylor, but could you elaborate on where you are from?" one of the teachers asked.

"Oh, well, um, I was born and raised in the United States. While I was in high school I was already granted entry to some of the top universities in America. I chose to go to USC, which was probably an hour from where I lived. I graduated with two degrees." The room seemed to be confused by what I said. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat to help me clarify.

"For those of you who are not quite familiar with the non-wizarding world, those degrees can be considered the equivalent of completing two apprenticeships and achieving two Masters." Gasps and whispers erupted. What was the big deal?

"How old are you, dear? You seem quite young to have that kind of status," another teacher asked.

"Early 30s, ma'am. I graduated from USC about 8 years ago." This earned a gasp from a few of the teachers.

"That is certainly quite a feat, dear," Auntie Minnie said. I don't think she knew I had graduated with a double major.

"For as young as you are, you have quite a brain up there." I blushed as I tried to look away.

"How did you end up here?" Another faculty member asked.

"It's a bit personal, I'm afraid, but long story short: I was not in the best of places and Professor McGonagall offered me this position to get me out of some trouble. I couldn't refuse. Anywhere was better than where I was." I always say too much. I looked over to Professor Dumbledore, who gave me a nod.

"Thank you, Ms. Taylor. That will be all for now. It seems that we have run out of time. I wish you all a great school year." As everyone was gathering their bags and leaving, Auntie Minnie told me to stay.

"You did so well, my dear," she said, pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks, I guess. I think I'll be fine after a couple of days," I said, fiddling with my notebook.

"Ms. Taylor, I'd like to introduce you to someone, although I have the feeling you two have already met." I looked at the man that stood next to Professor Dumbledore. At least now I'm fully clothed and presentable.

"Severus Snape, this is Ms. Taylor, though I'm inclined to think she would like to be addressed as Mia," Professor Dumbledore said, winking at me.

"Pleasure," Professor Snape said flatly, extending his hand. I shook his, officially introduced now.

"Yes, we briefly talked last night and he saw me this morning in the garden." Auntie Minnie gave me a look.

"It's comforting to know nothing has changed," she said, knowing what I was doing. After all, she was the one that gifted me the guitar. I smiled at her, feeling a bit childish.

"Professor Snape will be at the forefront of helping you acclimate into the wizarding world. Seeing as you both share the same floor, we thought this would be the most logical choice," Professor Dumbledore said, eyeing the man. Professor Snape rolled his eyes.

"My office is next door to yours. I will send you my office hours." Geez, okay Captain Control Freak. Professor Dumbledore grumbled.

"Please don't mind his tone. Feel free to ask for his assistance at any time." Professor Snape's jaw tightened as he gave a stern look to the older man. This was starting to get uncomfortable. Am I that much of an inconvenience already? Auntie Minnie seemed to sense my discomfort and motioned for me to follow her.

"It was great to officially meet you, Professor," I said smiling at him. He gave me a respectful nod as I walked out.

"Don't worry about Severus. That's how he always is," Auntie Minnie said, guiding me to what looked like her personal floor. She mumbled something as one of the portraits swung open and we walked into her room.

"This place is amazing, I never knew places like this existed," I said, taking in the enormity that was her sitting room. It was similar to mine, but much bigger. Everything was bigger.

"Anything can exist, my dear, it's whether we chose to accept that they exist," she said, waving me to have a seat on the couch. The fireplace sprung to life as I sat down.

"These here are standard policies and procedures for the classroom." She pointed to several rolls of parchment that were on the coffee table in front of us.

"I suggest you read them and, if you must, make any changes. Seeing as this is a new curriculum, the Ministry has made the approval to let you revise as necessary, but final approval on the policies and procedures will still be through the Headmaster. You will not be teaching this term, as they would like you to take this time to get used to this new environment and prepare yourself for your upcoming classes. The Headmaster has approved for you to sit in anyone's class as you deem fit, given they have notice of your visitation."

I nodded. "Seems fair enough."

We sat there for about an hour as we went through how her classes were set up and how she keeps order in her classes. I know this will be tough for me, coming in with just some tutoring experience and being more comfortable with one-on-ones rather than me versus a whole class of students. After rolling up the last parchment, Auntie Minnie showed me where I would be having my classes. It was still in the dungeons, unfortunately, but in very close proximity to my office. This classroom was built as an extra classroom, but was scarcely used.

"I do have to warn you," she said, looking towards the wall.

"Severus conducts his classes right next door to you. During his tenure here, he has never had to share hallway space with someone. Please be patient with him until he gets used to you down here."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I will be that loud anyways. He will never know that I am in here," I assured her, looking around at the – my – classroom. She gave me a smile as I heard my stomach start to protest.

"Well, I assume it is time for lunch. Come now, let's join the rest of the school in the Great Hall."

I sighed in frustration, looking at the rolls of parchment strewn about on my bed.

"Where do I even start?"

How do I know what classes I should offer first? What knowledge do the students have already of my world? How do I establish a grading rubric?

This is way too much to take on. I walked out of my bedroom and stared at the fireplace.

"If there is anything you need, there is a small bag of powder atop the fireplace mantle. Just take a pinch, throw it in the fire and say 'Professor McGonagall's Office'."

I guess now is a great time to try this. I walked over to the small pouch that had the powder. It was green, and looked like sand. I dug my fingers in, pinched, and then threw it into the fire. Suddenly, green flames roared as I said, "Professor McGonagall's Office!" In a couple of seconds, Auntie Minnie's head popped through. It was like I was watching the Wizard of Oz.

"Yes dear? How can I help you?" the big head spoke.

"Auntie, I think I'm freaking out. Can you stay with me for a little bit?" She gave a nod as her head disappeared and she walked into my sitting room through the fireplace. I think I'm going to need a drink.

"What is wrong, my dear? Is it too overwhelming?" She rubbed my back as I sat on the couch. I cradled my head in my hands, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm sorry Auntie. I was looking over all the stuff for my classes and I just felt the room getting smaller." I sighed, slouching back.

"Is this ever going to get easier?" I am really hoping she would say yes.

"Mia, dear, I wish I could say yes, but I'm not quite sure of the origin of your anxiety. Certainly this was not a direct result of what happened to your parents?" Well, I must have forgotten to tell her about Lucas.

"Not exactly," I said, slowly opening the flood gates. I closed my eyes as I started to visualize what happened after my parents died.

"At mom and dad's funeral, do you remember a man named Lucas?" The older woman nodded.

"Yes, he was from your work, correct?"

"Yeah, he was my supervisor, actually. He offered me a position right after I finished college. I worked with him for about three years before mom and dad died. We had gotten close, so he wanted to come to their funeral. We started dating while you were with me. After you had left to come back here, we decided to become exclusive and officially started our relationship. He had suggested I move in with him so that I wasn't alone. I didn't want to though, so he took it upon himself to move into my home." I winced at her reaction. Mom would have done the same thing.

"Why on earth would you let someone do that?" I could feel the tears start to pool in my eyes.

"I loved him. At the time I did. Soon enough, I realized I made a huge mistake. He..." I could feel my chest constricting, and it suddenly got harder to breathe.

"He..." Suddenly I could hear his voice in my head, saying nasty things and making me feel like I was worthless. Naturally, I curled up into a ball and started crying. My vision turned black, and all I could feel was the couch beneath me and my tears streaming down. Suddenly, his face was all I could see. His slender jawline, blonde hair, and piercing eyes. He gave me that evil smirk, and I knew what was coming next. I instinctively curled even tighter into the fetal position, just waiting for that fatal blow.

But that blow never came. My vision turned black again as I felt liquid going down my throat. It was smooth, and tasted sweet like berries. There were two voices nearby, but they were muffled so I couldn't figure out who they were. My body felt so light, and I could tell someone was readjusting my position. I blinked, and felt more tears leave my eyes.

"...not normal," I managed to hear.

"She was... Lucas... Bad things." Yes, he did do bad things.

"Severe reaction... Dark magic..."

"Severus, you can't..." Professor Snape is here?

"Help her... Not right." Of course what he did was not right! Suddenly it felt like oxygen was being pushed into my lungs and I took a deep breath as I jolted into an upright position. Firm hands steadied me before I went crashing onto the floor. I blinked a couple of times while trying to steady my breath, looking back at Auntie Minnie, then at Professor Snape.

"Auntie, I am so sorry. You shouldn't have seen that," I started to say, tears threatening my eyes again.

"It was just, so bad. Lucas was a horrible man that made me do horrible things which ruined my life. Until you came back to give me this job." The older woman looked at me with sad eyes. I glanced over at Professor Snape, who seemed to be studying me. He looked focused, like he was trying to figure out something about me. I'm not sure what he's trying to figure out though. He just heard more about me than I would ever disclose to anyone. Ever.

He suddenly shook his head, then stood from his seat.

"I apologize, I assume this is supposed to be a private conversation," he said, making his way towards the fireplace.

"Thank you Severus," Auntie Minnie said, looking to the tall man. He bowed his head in respect.

"Once I have an update on our discussion, I will let you know." And with that, he left my room.

"I'm not going to risk you reacting like that again, so let's move on. What were you so upset about when you first floo'ed me?"

"Floo?" Is that what they call it when using the fireplace?

"When you used the fireplace, dear." I knew it.

"Oh, well, um... I was looking through all the things for my classes and I just don't know what I should try to teach first." I could feel my breathing getting faster, but I willed myself to stay as calm as possible.

"Well, judging by what just transpired, let's take things slow. What have you been doing to try and cope with your... situation?" I could feel her tense as she waited for my answer.

"I learned how to play the piano and I started playing the guitar more. I also started to dance."

"Hm. It seems that you're able to cope by engaging in physical pursuits."

"Playing the guitar and piano are not necessarily physical," I laughed. It felt good to laugh. Auntie Minnie chuckled at my horrible joke.

"Very funny. Well, why don't you teach a class on dancing? You surely can't accomplish your routines in here." I looked around the small sitting room. She does have a point.

"I don't know how that would be beneficial for the students. Dancing is more of an extracurricular, not really in the realm of academia." Maybe I can teach them the history of dancing? More bookwork than practical work sounds good.

"On the contrary, Mia. It would benefit them to get some physical activity in. Our Quidditch players are taken care of, but not everyone is on their house teams," she said, convincing me. I made a mental note to ask her about this Quidditch sport.

"It also benefits you," she said, laying her hand on my knee. "Teaching will certainly stress you out, but I know it will help that nasty anxiety of yours to stay out of your way." She took a breath before continuing.

"I know I was only with you for a couple of years. And I never saw you like this. I certainly don't want to see you like that again. I will do everything I can to help you get through this. I see you have been alone for way too long, and it's time for me to be the godmother you need me to be." I smiled at her, so grateful that she has taken me under her wing. She kissed me on the forehead before standing to leave.

"Classes start tomorrow. I insist you come and sit with me so you can see how I teach," she said, very matter-of-factly. I laughed, nodding.

"Sure, I'll sit in your classes tomorrow."

"Very good. Supper should be ready fairly soon. I'll see you in the Great Hall."

Chapter Notes: There were 2 songs used in this chapter. The first one is "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran ("Darling I will be loving you..." dialogue). The second one is "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran (the song immediately following, in italics).