Chapter One
Rose still couldn't believe her good fortune. She had been accepted into Hogwarts' new teaching assistant program, now one step closer to her dream position as a professor.
She slipped on her scuffed heeled leather boots, her hands fumbling with the laces to tie them. She had stayed the evening at the Three Broomsticks Inn, choosing to arrive in Hogsmeade a day before her position began.
A brief letter detailing the position had arrived in the mail just two weeks prior, listing a start date of May 1st to prepare teaching assistants for their first school year. Only ten teaching assistants had been selected, one per subject, omitting the bulk of the upper-level extra-curricular courses.
After brushing on highlight and blush in the lavatory mirror, she waved her wand to smooth any wrinkles from her pink paisley dress, and silken any flyaway hairs from her waist-long, walnut-shaded locks.
Though the humidity of summer held Hogsmeade stubbornly in its grip, she fastened her light pink velvet cloak on, adding the matching gloves. A few years ago, she had learned a recipe for a potion one could soak their clothes in to make them comfortable in any weather — something, admittedly, only a specific niche of wizards and witches would actually use.
The potion itself was made of somewhat expensive ingredients, anyway, and the soaking solution took about three days to transfer their effects to the garments. Rose had saved the potions for only everyday pieces, or for clothing meant for braving the harsh elements.
Rose considered that she might not have needed to do all of that, she supposed, if her field work days were at an end (although, her potion ingredient collecting days would never truly be, and that was a field work of sorts). She knew she would miss those days — working to assist a PhD candidate for two years for little pay, camping on rocky bluffs to try to collect dragon bile samples to chemically analyze what produced their flamethrowing.
"I suppose I'm glad I at least won't have to do research eternally if I'm able to be a professor at a school," she muttered to herself, clasping shut her leather suitcase. The PhD candidate's research had been inconclusive, with critics even questioning his method and reasoning for the research.
Following that position, she had worked as an assistant to a Potion Master at a small shop in London for three years. It had been good experience and fun work, especially living in the city, but she grew tired of the monotony and lack of room for experimenting: something that had made her interested in potions as a young student.
Rose swept the inn room visually once more for forgotten possessions, checking her silver watch as she exited the room: seven-thirty, a perfect thirty minutes to leisurely walk from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts.
Rose was still early when she arrived at Hogwarts' main grounds. It didn't feel like five years ago that she had been a student here. Already she could envision the map of the halls, which classrooms were located where, where the best secret spots to hide away were. A passing wave of grief or nerves rattled her. She thought at any moment she could see her best friend throughout school, Olivia, lounging on a stone window ledge in the courtyard.
She settled at a stone table in the courtyard, overlooking a montane meadow. Already flowers were blooming, lush hues of gold, purple, and crimson against an emerald backdrop. They sparkled with dew in the conifer filtered morning beams, swaying even though there was no breeze.
It stunned her that she was back — returning to a place that held so much importance for so many years, so much anticipation every summer at her parents' house in London, wishing to be surrounded by fellow witches and wizards again.
Rose was startled from her memories as she noticed a few groups of professors and, most likely, fellow teaching assistants, begin to stream toward the great hall.
Gathering her suitcase and readying herself, she headed toward the Great Hall, her boots making a pleasant clacking in the cobblestone courtyard.
The Great Hall was decorated in a fashion Rose had never witnessed: the omnipresent candles that floated in the air above the grand tables were still present, but accompanied by a brilliant array of flowers, swirling and bobbing in time with the flickering of the candle flames. Vibrant green lanyards were swooped around the giant windows that lined the hall. She had never considered what the Great Hall might look like if it were decorated for the summertime.
The professors were gathered around the head tables behind Professor Dumbledore's podium, the nine other teaching assistants grouped around the student tables, already chatting.
Bullocks. I'm the last one here — all that after planning things so well this morning! Rose chided herself. She quickly found a seat beside a woman with dark skin and curled hair, set into two buns.
"Just made it," the woman said, her mouth quirked in a slight smile. "You know, they told us the last one here would be let go — funding issues, you know."
Rose laughed. "Maybe Professor Snape lied so he wouldn't have to deal with me!"
"Ahhh. You're the lucky bastard? Hats off to you. Oh, I'm Ella, by the way." She extended her hand.
Rose shook. "Rose. Let me guess, you're with Professor Sprout?"
Ella grinned. "Oh, did something give it away?" She had tied tendrils of a species of vine around her hair to hold the buns in place. They waved a little and danced about, like they were still living.
"Oh! Did you enchant them to do that? And what species is that?" Rose was mystified.
"Yep. Believe it or not, it's a cultivated form of Devil's Snare. No Devil at all, really, they can barely keep my hair in place some days, dastardly things." Ella cast her a sideways glance. "Let me guess … Ravenclaw?"
Rose clapped her hands. "Of course! How could you tell?"
"Not many people ask about these silly old vines. I knew I liked you for a reason. I was Ravenclaw, too, graduated four years ago."
"You were the class just a year behind mine! We must have had some courses together. I thought you looked familiar."
Ella started to reply, but was cut off by a loud booming voice, projected across the hall.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore stood at the wooden podium, his wand pointed at his throat to emphasize his voice. He wore his typical star and moon embroidered robes, this time a pleasant shade of light emerald. Perhaps the shade is specific to the summer, Rose thought, reveling in the idea that the Headmaster might have 'summer robes' made of a light linen.
He gazed down his half-moon spectacles at them. "It's wonderful to see familiar faces again. I hope this feels like a homecoming for you all. This is the first year in Hogwarts history that there have ever been permanent teaching assistants. I hope this will be the standard moving forward, though, of course, there can be no guarantees." He paused.
"There is a reason you were selected. You were chosen because you were deemed to be the best at your subject of study. I hope you do your best to not only focus on teaching the students, but also on learning from your professor. I hope this will be a mentorship program for all of you." He paused again, surveying them all.
"Now, enough chatter from me. You won't hear a peep from me until fall, this I cannot promise, but I hope to succeed in it. Please meet with your assigned professor and discuss your schedule for the week. Your flats will have your names on the doors; they will be in the same wing as the professor flats. Now, learn lots, prepare more, and don't forget to enjoy the summer a little. Off you go! Pip, pip!" Dumbledore clapped his hands.
Now was the time Rose had really been dreading. She had been a student of Professor Snape, so she knew what to expect. At school, she had skated by without being noticed due to her quieter nature and her advanced competence in potions. But now, faced with him as a sole coworker, she wasn't so sure of herself.
Ella elbowed her. "Good luck. I'll see you around, yeah?"
Rose barely had a moment to respond before Ella hurried off. Everyone was quickly dashing off to meet with their professor, no doubt nervous like her. Rose steeled herself, approaching the raised platform, shuffling around the crowd. Snape remained sitting at the large wooden table, hands folded before him. His long, dark hair hung in locks slightly in front of the left side of his face. He eyed her coolly, not breaking his stare.
At this moment Dumbledore took Rose's elbow gently, leaning in in confidence.
"Rose, I should say, I know this isn't the easiest of pairings." He said in a low voice. He gazed at her over his spectacles.
"Er — I, er, I can get along with anyone, Headmaster." Rose said, trying to stand a little straighter.
"Good, good. Well, that is part of the reason why I hired you. Just know, if you ever need any help or advice, you know where to find me." With that, he winked, and strolled off to check in with the other pairs.
Now or never, Rose, she thought.
She approached the table. "Hi, Professor Snape. I'm Rose, your new teaching assistant." She paused.
He blinked slowly. "Clearly."
"I was a student of yours five years ago, I'm sure you probably don't remember …" She trailed off.
His gaze didn't falter. "I don't."
"Oh-kay, well, I'm very excited to work with you, I know you're a highly skilled Potion Master —" Snape snorted at this. " — and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from you."
Snape stood, his black cloak falling in a sheet behind him. He towered above her, looking down his hawkish nose at her. "You will learn to help teaching be less of a burden to me. That is all I need you to do, and so that is all you will do."
Rose had expected him to dash off melodramatically after that statement, but he remained standing. She shifted her weight to her other foot.
"I have plenty of experience, I assisted with chemical field work in Romania with dragons for two years and worked as an assistant to a Potion Master in London for three years. So, I'm sure I can help you in any way you need in the classroom!" Rose tried to make the last part sound cheery. She grinned, hoping it didn't appear like a grimace.
He scoffed. "Traipsing around in dirt with vials and running a convenience store. Maybe I should be concerned for my job security." An unnatural grin curled his lips.
In the moment, Rose could stay calm, but, damn it, she knew she would cry about this later. Most likely.
"So, what do you have planned for today? And for the week?" She asked brightly.
Snape frowned. Evidently, he had expected more of a reaction to that. "You're dismissed for today. Meet me tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp."
"Right, eight a.m., and do I need to —" Before Rose could finish her question, Snape had swept away.
Rose stood idly for a moment, staring after him, then around at the other teaching assistants: some were chatting cheerily, some rather studiously. Rose picked up her suitcase and wandered off to locate her flat.