"— Filthy half-breeds, besmirching the house of my fathers —"
I woke up at once startled by the noise of Mrs Black's screaming and it took me a second to realise where I was. Stretching, I tuned around in bed instantly noticing that I was alone.
"Damn it, Meg" I mumbled to myself as I buried my face in my hands. Why had I let myself stay with Sirius last night? I mentally cursed myself but I knew deep down that I regretted nothing. It was like no time had passed between us and I felt a smile creep upon my lips as I remembered how we had barely made it into the bedroom before we were all over each other, his hands on my body, the feeling of him inside me… falling asleep in his arms merely hours ago.
"Will you lot get down here now, please!" I heard Molly Weasley's voice bellow from below. My hands fell to my side as I realised with a start - it was the first day of the new school term.
"Damn it" I muttered again jumping up out of bed, locating my clothes scattered around the floor and dressing at top speed. I glanced at myself in the mirror opposite the bed, makeup remained on my face from yesterday (although it didn't disguise the fact I had had very little sleep) and my long dark blonde hair was messy. I brushed my hands through it trying to make it appear slightly more acceptable and opened the door peering out and making sure that no one was around before I crept out of the bedroom.
I managed to make it to the first floor without seeing anyone before bumping into Harry who was dragging his trunk downstairs quickly.
"Sorry Professor" he quickly blurted out without looking back at me.
"Meghana" Molly had spotted me on the stairs after she looked up at Harry descending. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were part of the guard to Kings Cross?" She looked at me suspiciously.
"I-" I started trying to quickly think of an excuse as to why I would be here that didn't include me spending the night in Siruis' bed - but that was the only place my brain would go to. I spotted Remus looking at me through narrowed eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"-Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!" Molly shouted taking her attention off me as she spotted the huge black dog which had appeared at Harry's side.
Seeing this as an escape, I quickly stepped around Molly, slipped out the front door and exited the house, breathing a sigh of relief as I apperated to Hogsmead.
Hours later I was sitting at the staff table staring at Dumbledore's back as he stood up to address the students.
As much as I enjoyed my teaching position at Hogwarts, I felt that I really should be at the Ministry right now, trying to salvage what was left of my career there. My eyes snapped up when I caught Severus turning his head sharply in the direction of the end of the table. He was watching Dolores Umbridge pick up her bag and place it on the table before walking around the end of the table to stand next to Dumbledore.
What was she doing? I thought as I watched Dolores turn and smile at the students as she addressed them. I had heard that she would be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts but had forgotten after the summer's events. She spoke for what seemed like too long.
"-what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." She stopped talking and I watched her look around at the students once again before she sat down.
Dumbledore clapped and the rest of the staff followed his lead, I brought my hands together a couple of times before placing them down on the table in front of me. There was a brief pause where a few students clapped as well before Dumbledore stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."
"Seems to me as though the Ministry has finally found its way into Hogwarts at last" Severus whispered in my ear and I glanced at him nodding slightly as I looked down the table at Umbridge who was staring at Severus and I, smiling sweetly. I wasn't sure if I was happy to have a fellow Ministry worker working at Hogwarts or not, and felt a slight protectiveness rise in me.
"I still don't like it." Minerva was saying to me as I was walking alongside her carrying an armful of books "Her methods of punishments just do not sit right with me, Meghana"
I nodded in agreement but stayed silent as this was not the first time we had had this conversation, and my mind was currently occupied with other thoughts at the moment. Mainly of Sirius. We stopped abruptly as we turned the corner just metres away from Minerva's office.
"SHUT UP!" my eyes snapped to Harry who appeared to be shouting up at the ceiling.
"What on earth are you shouting about, Potter?" Minerva snapped, as Peeves cackled gleefully and zoomed out of sight. "Why aren't you in class?"
"I've been sent to see you," said Harry stiffly turning to face Minerva.
"Sent? What do you mean, sent?"
He held out a note and Minerva took it from him, frowning, slit it open with a tap of her wand, stretched it out, and began to read. Her eyes zoomed from side to side as she read it her eyes becoming narrower. She then passed the note to me which I briefly read, taking in that Harry had spoken about Volemort's rising and called Dolores a liar. I couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as I surveyed Harry over the top of the note. He was breathing heavily and looked furious.
"Come in here, Potter." Minerva said quickly as she opened the door to her office.
Harry followed her inside and I walked in after him the door closed automatically behind me.
"Well?" said Minerva, rounding on him. "Is this true?"
"Is what true?" Harry asked aggressively. "Professor?" he added in an obvious attempt to sound more polite.
"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"You called her a liar?"
"Yes."
"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"
"Yes."
Minerva sat down behind her desk, frowning at Harry and then said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."
"Have — what?"
"Have a biscuit," she repeated impatiently, indicating a tartan tin of cookies lying on top of one of the piles of papers on her desk. "And sit down."
I watched as Harry sank into a chair opposite Minerva and helped himself to a Ginger Newt.
Minerva set down Dolores' note and looked very seriously at me before looking at Harry.
"Harry, you need to be careful," I said walking around Minerva's desk, resting the pile of books on it and looking at Harry willing him to understand.
Harry swallowed his mouthful of Ginger Newt and stared at me.
"Misbehaviour in Dolores Umbridge's class could cost you much more than House points and a detention." I continued anxiously.
"What do you — ?"
"Potter, use your common sense," snapped Minerva. "You know where she comes from, you must know to whom she is reporting."
The bell rang for the end of the lesson and sound Minerva's office came the stupendous sounds of hundreds of students leaving class. "It says here she's given you detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow," Minerva said, looking down at Dolores' note again.
"Every evening this week!" Harry repeated, horrified. "But, Professor, couldn't you — ?"
"No, I couldn't," said Minerva flatly.
"But —"
"She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one." Minerva said with an almost finality to her tone.
"Just remember: be careful around Dolores Umbridge," I added softly as Harry's gaze snapped to me.
"But I was telling the truth!" said Harry, outraged. "Voldemort's back, you know he is, Professor Dumbledore knows he is —"
"For heaven's sake, Potter!" said Minerva, straightening her glasses angrily as she had jumped when Harry had used Voldemort's name.
"Harry, do you think this is about what the truth is? It's about keeping your head down and keeping your temper under control!" I snapped back at him.
Harry looked furiously up at me, looking as though he wanted to argue some more. I raised my eyebrows at him although I hated that he was so angry, but he needed to understand that this was not a game and that he was being reckless.
Minerva stood up, nostrils wide and mouth very thin, and Harry stood up too.
"Have another biscuit," she said irritably, thrusting the tin at him.
"No, thanks," said Harry coldly.
"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped.
He took one.
"Thanks," he said grudgingly.
"Didn't you listen to Dolores Umbridge's speech at the start-of-term feast, Potter?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "She said . . . progress will be prohibited or . . . well, it meant that . . . that the Ministry of Magic is trying to interfere at Hogwarts."
Minerva eyed him for a moment, then sniffed, walked around her desk, and held open the door for him.
"Well, I'm glad you listen to Hermione Granger at any rate," she said, pointing him out of her office.
Minerva shut the door behind him and turned to me, sighed and said "This is going to be a difficult year" and I nodded once again in agreement with her.
It wasn't long after Dolores was appointed High Inquisitor before I found Dolores herself in my classroom with her clipboard and her ugly flowery bag.
"Good morning Professor Megera," Umbridge said in a sickly sweet voice " I trust you are well today."
I flicked her eyes up to Dolores, managed a strained smile and continued marking the homework my 5th years had handed in at the start of the class. After Minerva had told me about her inspection with Dolores, I decided to myself that it would be best to have as little conversation with Dolores as I could.
"I thought I would start by asking your students a few questions if that is ok with you, Professor" said Dolores.
"I didn't think I had a choice in what you do Dolores" I said using the same strained smile I had before.
Dolores glared at me before giving a stupid tiny giggle and proceeded to interrupt the students who were supposed to be quietly studying.
The students that were questioned by Dolores answered in similar ways, that they enjoyed the subject and were happy to be taught by someone who worked in the industry. Dolores made notes, keeping her simpering smile plastered over her face but by the time she walked back to my desk, her expression had turned cold. I could tell that the class, although appearing to be reading and taking notes, were actively listening to every word.
I did not look up as Dolores approached me.
"Professor Megera, I need to ask you a couple of questions, do you have time now?" Dolores said as she leaned slightly on my desk.
"No time like the present" I mumbled still refusing to look at Dolores.
"I have it down here that you are employed at the Ministry of Magic," Dolores said and I slowly looked up at her frowning.
"Excuse me?" I asked her incredulously.
Dolores smiled a smile that was more like a sneer.
"Do you not understand the question, dear?" Dolores said sweetly.
"No, it's just - you know I do…you were on the panel that hired me," I said shaking my head slightly at the stupidity of this situation.
"And your position at the Ministry has recently come under question after you attended a trial you were expressly forbidden to attend and -"
"Successfully defended a person in need of defence as per section 87 of The Wizengamot Charter of Rights" I finished looking from Dolores back down at my paperwork and continued to write. I saw her turn to leave from the corner of my eye and almost sighed in relief.
"Oh, Professor Megera, if I may get your comments on one more thing."
I raised my eyebrows slightly but continued to write.
"Regarding your estranged husband - the mass murderer Sirius Black"
My hand jerked as I was writing and I heard a book falling off a desk as Dolores spoke Sirius' name. How did she know about that? I thought to myself, panic rising in my chest.
I blinked and swallowed before I forced myself to look up at Dolores who was smiling sweetly as though what she had just said was about the weather.
"I hardly think that is of any relevance," I said slowly.
"Oh, you're wrong Professor Megera. It is my job to reassure the parents of the students in this school that I have done background checks on all the teachers and staff" Dolores said "And given your - er - family background … I just want to make sure I've done my job thoroughly"
I stared at her for a beat before I forced a tight smile on my face.
"Of course," I said through gritted teeth.
There was another pause where we glared at each other before she raised her quill and said "No…Comment" as she wrote the words on the clipboard and with another nasty smile at me she turned and marched out of the classroom.
I glared at the spot where she stood before flicking my hand in the direction of the door making it slam shut.
"Don't you all have notes to take?" I snapped looking around at the class who were all now staring up at me. I ignored the few whispers I heard and glared back down at the paper I was marking, seething at what had just happened. This was beginning to get messy, and I wasn't sure I knew what to do about it.