Katherine stood in the modest office of Madame Baillargeon's Primary School for Magical Children, her letter of reference from McGonagall and resume clutched tightly in both hands. The school was tucked at the end of Diagon Alley, a cheery brick building covered with climbing ivy, large windows peeking into classrooms and artwork covering the glass. A small garden and playground wrapped around the back of the building, a shining bronze plaque with the school's name displayed above the doors proudly when she had entered. She had written the headmistress earlier that week, the deafening silence of the empty home driving her to madness in Severus's absence. She had contemplated McGonagall's recommendation in June; but now that she was all alone at Spinner's End, and her ledger at Gringotts looking more bleak with each passing day, she considered the recommendation more seriously.
She smoothed her camel colored skirt, eyes scanning over the pictures and drawings all over the walls. She picked off a piece of lint on the sleeve of her black turtleneck, hoping that the simple skirt and sweater combination was professional enough for an interview. She had been elated when the headmistress had written back to her, scouring her closet for the most professional clothing she could find. She let her eyes shift back to the art on the walls, no doubt created by students, all encased in simple black frames like fine works of art. She stepped towards the wall, examining one painting of a rather fat orange cat when the door swung open, Katherine straightening up to face the woman who entered.
Madame Baillargeon stepped into her office, a stout, plump old witch dressed head to toe in bright, buttery yellow, her pink painted smile radiating warmth. "You must be Katherine," she said, holding out her hand, shaking Katherine's with both hands, "A delight to meet you, my dear. Minerva speaks so highly of you,"
"It is lovely to meet you as well," Katherine said, "I appreciate you making the time to meet with me."
Madame Baillargeon released her hand, patting her impeccable white curls, "It really is my pleasure, Mrs. Snape. I was quite thrilled to receive your letter. Like I said, Minerva speaks of you in such high regards," she looked to the painting Katherine had been viewing, gesturing to the artwork, "I noticed you were admiring one of our student's masterpieces. A former student of mine painted that nearly 15 years ago. Her little boy is now in our Year 4 class. My, how time flies," her eyes twinkled kindly, "I have been in this line of work for nearly 40 years. Each student who has passed through these halls has touched my life in some way. I keep each masterpiece they make me; they're a reminder on the tough days as to why I continue in education."
Katherine smiled softly at her use of the word 'masterpiece' to describe the pictures on the walls. Madame Baillargeon turned to her, vibrant green eyes fixed upon the young witch, "What has your prior teaching experience been, dear?"
Katherine had assumed the question would be asked, yet the question seemingly caught her off guard, "Oh, well," Katherine collected her thoughts, saying nervously, "Er… I do not have any, Madame. I mean, I tutored other students while I was at Hogwarts, and my husband is an educator," she kicked herself for adding the last part, as if Severus's experience was somehow transferable to her by marriage.
Madame Baillargeon snatched a clipboard off of her desk, tucking under her arm and smiling brightly again, "Well, everyone must get their start at some point, I suppose," she said brightly, a certain assertiveness to her tone that made Katherine stand a bit straighter. The older witch gestured to the doorway, "I suppose a tour of the facility is in order, if you will follow me,"
Katherine nodded, following her out of the office, "Yes, Madame Baillargeon. Thank you,"
Madame Baillargeon waved a hand dismissively, red lacquered nails flashing in the bright lights of the corridor, "Oh, please. None of the children can pronounce my name. Everyone here just calls me Madame B,"
They passed classrooms as they traveled through the corridor, the school two long wings separating the primary and intermediate grades. Katherine peeked in classrooms as they passed through the small windows in the doors at teachers leading students in lessons. In one Year 3 room, a teacher used her wand to turn pages of a picture book, floating above the heads of students sitting on a circular carpet, watching the witch with wide, wonder filled eyes as the fair haired woman read. Madame B spoke as she led Katherine down the hallway, "Our school is relatively small, two classrooms to each year. You will be interviewing for a Year 1 position. Our former teacher had to move before the year started. Her husband's job at the Ministry required them to relocate," she explained, "Until we hire a replacement, both Year 1 classes are being taught by one teacher. Not exactly best practice, but we must make do with what we have."
Two red headed boys, twins from the look of their identical faces raced toward them in the hall. Madame Baillargeon stepped in front of them, hands on her hips, a stern look on her face. The twins came to a skidding halt, apologizing in squeaky voices and walking the remaining way to a classroom door, slipping in silently. "Two of our Year 3 students," she explained, shaking her head, "Twins. We are fortunate enough that they are in Mrs. Eynon's class this year. Quite rambunctious, those two. Strange, because they have had 3 older brothers pass through who were just angels."
Madame B continued her focused stride down the hall, her sunshine robes swishing around her ankles, "The school is free to all students, funded by the Ministry's education department. Students start at age four, and attend until age ten in preparation for Hogwarts. We teach them the basics, Hogwarts teaches them just about everything else," she explains, smiling warmly and touching the shoulders of a passing Year 4 class gently, the students greeting her. They reach the last door on the left, sounds of small voices and laughter seeping out into the hallway from the room. Across the hall, a door was opened to a dark, empty classroom. Katherine craned her neck to peek inside, Madame B following her stare.
"That would be the open Year 1 room. The previous teacher took everything with her. If you were to be hired, you would have a small budget from the Ministry to outfit your room. It is not much, education always gets the shaft from the Ministry. Excuse me for being so crass. You would receive three days to prepare your room before starting with your class," she explained.
She pushed open the door to a loud wild room, a rather exasperated witch trying to wrangle close to 40 four year olds to no avail. Madame B tucked her clipboard under an arm, clapping rhymically, the sounds cutting through the chaos. Katherine watched in amazement as the children all stopped, turning towards MB silently, repeating the rhythm in a synchronized clap. Madame B placed her hands on her hips once more, "My, what a ruckus you all are causing! Surely, Miss Amelia expects more of you all," she said sternly, eyes scanning across the room at the mess of papers, crayons, and books scattered across the classroom. She removed her wand from her robes, giving it a sharp flick, the supplies returning to their places in the room.
Her furrowed brow was then replaced by a cherry smile, "My little lovies, I would like to introduce you to my new friend. She will be joining you today while you learn," she said pleasantly, Katherine now aware of 40 pairs of eyes now on her. Madame B placed a hand on Katherine's shoulder, Katherine offering the children a smile, "This is Miss Katherine. She is here today to learn more about our fine school. Will you be so kind as to let her join you this afternoon?"
The children nodded excitedly, Miss Amelia calling for students to return to their rotations, the class toddling off to return to their activities. "Amelia," Madame B beckoned over the red headed witch, "This is Katherine Snape. She is interviewing for the other Year 1 position. She will be joining you for the afternoon to observe. Understood?"
"Yes, Madame,"
Madame B nodded, "Right then," she said, turning to Katherine, "Please, make yourself comfortable. You are welcome to interact with the children and ask Amelia any questions you may have. I will be back in an hour to retrieve you for the interview."
"Thank you, Madame B," she replied, the older witch turning on her canary yellow heel and pulling the door shut behind her.
Katherine turned to Miss Amelia, you watched her with a panicked expression, eyes darting from her to the children. Katherine offered her a reassuring smile, "I appreciate your willingness to let me observe."
The red headed witch laughed, a shocking sound from the downright frazzled woman. Amelia pushed her glasses up her nose with a long finger, "Please, whatever it takes to get a new teacher hired. My job has become downright miserable since taking on the second class," she said. Katherine noticed how misty her eyes had become since Madame B left, the noise level of the classroom rising again. She struck Katherine as a woman who cries often, "I really do hope you are hired."
Katherine shrugged, watching a little red headed boy who looked vaguely of the twins she had seen earlier clamber up onto a stool before the sink, washing his hands, "As do I. The school seems lovely."
"What are you currently doing for work?"
A pigtailed girl tugged on Katherine's skirt, holding up a package of biscuits, which Katherine took, opened, and handed back to the girl, who wandered away, " I actually have not been working," she said, "I graduated from Hogwarts in the spring, and I recently got married. My husband is a professor at Hogwarts and with him returning to work, I decided I needed to find something to do or before go mad from boredom," she explained.
Amelia scoffed, " I would much prefer to be a housewife than work here. Not that I don't enjoy my work, it has been thoroughly overwhelming with this many children. I would do unspeakable things to simply be a housewife at this point," she said, Katherine believing her, "And I think I would rather enjoy having my husband out of the house ten months out of the year, too."
As the hour passed, Katherine sat with the students in their centers, chatting and playing with the children. Students plopped in her lap, leaning into her as she asked them to identify the different shapes and colors of the blocks they played with. Amelia called all the students to the large circular carpet at the front of the room, a picture book clutched in her hands. Katherine stood, brushing the crumbs and bits of crayon off of her skirt. Amelia thrust the book into her hands, "Go ahead and start the read aloud," she said, "I need to use the little witches room."
Panic rose in Katherine's chest, Amelia making for the door, "Oh, I'm not sure if I am allowed to-."
"I'll only be gone a moment," Amelia called over her shoulder, slipping into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind her.
Katherine's mouth hung open, her protests lost to the shut door. She looked out at the little faces on the carpet, suddenly unsure of what to do as the class looked at her expectedly. She cleared her throat, mirroring what she had seen the teacher she had seen earlier in the day do and casted a levitation charm, the book hovering over the students' heads. "Alright, boys and girls," she called out, "we are sitting on our bottoms. Eyes up here," she glanced at the first page of the storybook, "Harold the Hippogriff needed a friend," she began.
As she read, the students watched her with intent, curious stares. She watched around the carpet, book floating beside her, students turning to follow her as she paced. The room erupted into giggles as she made her voice high and squeaky when the main character encountered an unfriendly pixie, Katherine smiling. As she read, she noticed a child poke at another student, the girl whining out, "stop it," Katherine shoothim the same stern look Madame B had demonstrated as she continued to read, the boy straightening up and placing his hands in his lap. The story came to a conclusion, Amelia returning and stepping back into the room. Katherine returned to her seat in the back of the room, Amelia leading the class through the letters of the alphabet, an enchanted scarf twisting into each letter in the air beside her. Madame B returned promptly at the end of the hour, smiling brightly at the class and wishing the children a good afternoon. She waved Katherine over, thanking Amelia again.
"How was your hour with the firsties, deary?" She asked, gesturing for Katherine to follow her.
"It was quite lovely, actually," Katherine replied, "I really did enjoy myself."
"I am so glad to hear that," Madame B said earnestly, leading Katherine back into her office, a yellow plumed quill scratching down notes at her desk.
"I see you have on pumps today," she said, snatching the quill and finishing the note herself, not looking up at Katherine as she wrote, "You will want to choose something more comfortable for Monday. You will be on your feet most of the day and will find anything with a heel will be hell on your feet after a few hours. Teachers report promptly every day at 7am, you will sign in when you arrive at the faculty room. All new teachers are granted 10 galleons from the Ministry to outfit their classroom," she stated, ripping a check from a leather covered check book in a vibrant shade of purple, holding it out to Katherine, "Monday, you may use the morning to shop for whatever you believe you may need. You will receive your books and curriculum to review and students will begin in you classroom on Wednesday."
Katherine's brows rose, staring at the check, eyes wide with surprise, "Madame, I don't understand. What about the interview?"
"Already done, deary," she said, offering Katherine another bright smile, "Each classroom has an observatory room attached. I was observing the full hour," She explained, amused by the look of shock that crossed Katherine's face, "You seem like a sure fit for our little school." She lifted Katherine's hand, placing the check in her palm and crossing her fingers over it. "I would recommend you take a walk around your room before you leave and make a list. It's a rather drab place at the moment."
Katherine sputtered out her thanks, her mind racing. The old witch waved her hand dismissively, taking a seat behind her desk, "See you Monday, 7 o'clock sharp," she looked up, pointing her quill at Katherine, "Flat shoes. With good arch support," she said firmly.
Katherine smiled, tucking the check into her pocketbook, "Yes, ma'am," she said, making for the door, "See you on Monday."
A few moments later, she stood in the empty school room. Comically small chairs and tables were the only things that filled the empty space. Three large windows filled the wall, looking out over the small school garden, a group of Year 4 students playing on the playground. Thin metal chains hung across the ceiling, adorned with clamped hooks for what she could only assume were meant to hold artwork. Otherwise, the room was bare. In need of a fresh start; a new beginning. She grinned, touching her fingers to her cheek as she scanned the room, her mind racing as she regarded what all she could do with such a blank canvas. A classroom, her classroom. A purpose.
But for now, she needed new shoes.
By 6:45am Monday morning, Katherine arrived at her darkened classroom, pushing the door open with a hip. Her arms were full with a singular box, which she deposited onto her desk. She flicked on the lights, a warm glow cast upon the room, early morning light flooding in through the windows. She had awoken early that morning, readying herself quickly and intercepting Severus's owl as she made a quick breakfast, leaving against the counter to read his well-wishes and love sent on her first day of work. She could only imagine the look on his face as he read her letter on Friday, excitedly sharing the news that she had gotten the job, only to read on that she would be working with four year old children. However, he had refrained from diminishing her excitement with his questioning or comments, writing back his excitement for her. That letter was now tucked in the cardboard box on her desk, along with a potted plant she had picked up from the grocery over the weekend, a few used children's books she had purchased from Flourish and Blott's before leaving Diagon Alley Friday afternoon, and a small pouch containing the amount of the check provided to her.
She paced the room, hands on her hips as she considered the empty walls and bare bookshelves. She stopped in the middle of the room, rocking from heel to toe in her new white canvas sneakers, still stiff, her thoughts running in a million different directions as she considered what to buy from the shops this morning to brighten up the bleak room. She had a little money saved from working over the past summers, enough that she was able to add a few extra galleons to what the Ministry provided; the bleak balance of her ledger at Gringotts making her that much more glad for the income she would be bringing in. However, as she stood in the empty classroom, she felt overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin.
A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to face the door, two witches smiling at her from the door frame. She recognized on as the witch she saw reading to her class on Friday; a thin woman with blonde hair that tumbled down her back in waves, dressed smartly in an orange sweater and matching tartan skirt, no older than 30. The other witch, similar in age, smiled warmly at her; the cobalt blue of her matching skirt and jacket complementing the deep mocha of her skin.
"We thought we heard someone rustling around in here," the woman in blue said, "you must be our newest addition."
"Good lord," the other woman said with a laugh, "Madame B wasn't bluffing when she said you were just a baby. How old are you?"
"19," Katherine said, nervously smoothing her dress, the women gasping and laughing at her response.
"Merlin's Beard," the blonde one cried, "I feel ancient!"
"I'm Veronica," the woman in blue said, holding out her hand, Katherine taking it in a firm shake, "This is Lydia. We're the Year 3 teachers. We're just down the hall from you. You alright?"
"Yes, thank you," Katherine replied, returning her smile, "I'm Katherine. I was just hired on Friday."
Veronica looked around the room, clicking her tongue, "You settling in alright? The crumbs the Ministry gave you buy you anything useful?"
Katherine twisted her hands, following the woman's eyes around her room, "I haven't been out to shop just yet," she said, eyes following Lydia is she circled her room, brandishing her wand in a sweeping motion, the chairs stacked on the desks tumbling into place on the floor.
"I find it's much easier to visualize your space with your desks arranged," she explained kindly.
Katherine smiled politely, nodding her thanks. She did notice a small difference with the chair down. "To be quite frank, I don't even know where to start."
Veronica nodded, the older witches looking at each other knowingly, "Oh, I remember my first year. I had absolutely nothing. It's quite an unsettling feeling to be tasked with so much with so little," she said, Katherine appreciating the acknowledgement. "We can help you put together a list of must-haves. It won't be much with what you are given, but it will be enough to get you started."
Katherine smiled, nodding graciously, "Thank you, that would be helpful."
Veronica returned her smile. Lydia snapped, pointing her wand at Katherine, "I believe I have an extra box of training quills in my cupboards from when I taught Year 1 a few years back! Let me get them for you!" She disappeared out into the hall, her loafers clicking against the polished tile.
Veronica's eyes lit up with realization as Lydia left the room, "Ah! I have a box of duplicate picture books I no longer need! Wait here," she said to Katherine, turning to leave as well. She stopped at the doorway, pointing at the box on Katherine's desk, "A word of advice, unpack the box on your desk. The less you have to unpack, the more productive you'll feel. Be back in a moment," she said before turning down the hall.
Katherine was left grinning in the center of her room, relief washing over her. She turned back to her desk, stepping behind the old, scratched and dented wooden desk. She lifted the potted pothos from the box, the green ceramic planter heavy and awkward. She placed it in a sunny space on the window sill, straightening it to her liking. She tucked Severus's letter in the top drawer of the desk, making note of the few quills and bottles of ink stocked in the drawer. She flicked her wand, the few books whizzing off to the bookshelves lining the wall under the shelves. She removed the last item from the box, a small wooden frame, as Veronica and Lydia returned to her classroom, arms full of different supplies that they plopped down on the empty tables.
Veronica clapped dust off of her hands, pointing out the different supplies, "Books, washable ink, sentence strips," she listed, "desk tags. Always buy the Muggle ones," she instructed, holding up rectangular pieces of cardstock adorned with teddy bears and blocks, "the illustrations don't move. It's less distracting for the firsties."
Lydia held out a box of fat, tiny quills that were meant for little hands. "Archie at Flourish and Blotts sets aside gently used books for us. Just tell him you work here now and he will let you go through the boxes." She informed her. Her eyes dropped to the frame in Katherine's hand, scanning over the photograph, "Is that your beau? Let us have a look!"
Katherine held out the frame to her new colleagues, smiling softly, "My husband, Severus. We've been married just over a month now."
Lydia clapped her hands, giggling as she took the frame from Katherine, Veronica looking over her shoulder, "Oh, young love! How exciting!"
"A Ministry wedding, brilliant," Veronica smiled, "I sure do wish my husband and I had done that. Would have saved me the misery of planning a wedding with my mother in law," she rolled her eyes, "What does your husband do?"
"He's a professor at Hogwarts," Katherine said, taking back the frame when Lydia held it out to her, "Potions."
"I take it Old Slughorn retired then," Lydia said, "Hufflepuff," she stated, pressing a manicured hand to her chest.
"Ravenclaw,"
"Gryffindor," Katherine stated.
Veronica held out a slip of parchment to her, "Just a few things to start off with. Every teacher needs them," she explained, Katherine glancing over the list, "We beat be going. Students arrive in 20 minutes and we should let you get to your planning," she said, waving Lydia out of the room to the door, "We take out lunch at 11:30. We eat in my classroom if you would like to join us."
Katherine nodded her head at the offer, waving to the witches, making a mental note to purchase a lunch while she was out, "I will see you then."
Veronica nodded, closing the classroom door behind her as she and Lydia exited. Katherine stood before the mix of supplies, inventorying the contents of each box and looking over the short list again. As she looked over the room again, a rush of calm washed over her. She walked to her desk again, collecting her pocketbook and sack of coins, tucking her list into her bag. She glanced down at the photograph once more, Severus smiling back at her. She smiled, tracing his cheek with a fingertip before placing the frame on the corner of her desk. She snatched her wand off of the desk, turned off the classroom lights, and pulled her classroom door shut behind her.