Sharing is Caring
I’d been living in my new home for over two weeks now and it was really feeling more like a home with every passing day. I have spent quite some time discovering Cokeworth and some towns around it. It was nice and peaceful here, maybe even a bit boring considering the places I have seen in my travels. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though, almost everyone in this neighborhood kept to themselves. So chances were that not many people even knew I moved in here, since the home still looked pretty abandoned from the outside, like most houses here.
I had seen Severus once during this time; I just got back from getting some groceries when I saw him walking around the neighborhood. We had chatted for a little bit, him asking if I got settled in all right, again avoiding my offer to cook for him as a thank you for the other day. Most people would have given up, but I’m not most people. He didn’t answer, which meant he didn’t refuse either. So I was determined to thank him, whether he liked it or not.
The broth I had made this morning was cooling down in a container while I was dancing through my kitchen. I sang along with the Spanish song that was playing on my radio. I always loved to listen to music while cooking, or when I was reading, in the shower or just simply relaxing on the couch. I was gathering all kinds of stuff; my knife kit, two bowls, two sets of chopsticks, a fork (just in case) 2 Japanese soup spoons and of course all the vegetables, extra seasoning, ramen and some chicken thighs. Last minute I decided to not take a risk and take a frying pan, a cooking pot and some other utensils as well, since I had no idea what Severus had in his kitchen.
It was a bit of a risk what I was doing here to be honest, for multiple reasons. One he could not be home right now, two he could slam the door in my face as soon as he sees me carrying all this shit. What I feared most was number three; he hated this dish or my cooking. Still I needed to try at least, he could just like it after all. With a bag slung on each shoulder I stepped outside my house and made my way over to his. It was a beautiful day outside and I just loved the rare sunshine that was pleasantly warming me.
I felt my heart beat rise the closer I got and by the time I reached his door I felt it almost bursting out of my chest. I let out a deep breath and held my head up high before knocking. It felt like forever for Severus to open his door, he looked at me with his usual emotionless expression. He scanned me and raised a brow when he noticed the filled bags I was carrying. I just smiled for a moment, before pushing passed him not saying a thing.
“What are you doing here?” He asked while I made my way towards his kitchen, which was pretty easy to find since the lay out of his house was similar to mine.
I placed the bags on his small dining table in the kitchen and looked at him and simply shrugged.
“Since you never responded to my offer for dinner at my place, I thought I bring it to you instead” I simply stated looking around the kitchen, pleased that this looked similar to mine as well. I started to unload the bags, placing them where I needed them. Leaving the bowls and eating utensils in the bag, since I didn’t need them just yet.
“What gave you the idea that I wanted it at all” He drawled while he crossed him arms in front of his chest.
I had my back towards him as I poured the broth in the pot so it could heat back up and I shrugged once again.
“You never said no” I said before taking a knife out of my set and started chopping the vegetables. I was glad this was a fast and easy dish, because it felt a little uncomfortable with him staring at me while I was cooking. It still didn’t stop me, as he never asked me too. I cooked the ramen in the broth, so they could soak up some of the flavor while I got the last things ready. I took the two bowls out of the bag and I started filling them in the right order.
I placed the two bowls of ramen on the table and took out the chopsticks and spoons. I sat down and just started eating while Severus still stood in the opening of his kitchen. After a few moments he sat down as well, I looked towards him while he looked at the chopsticks with a raised eyebrow. I had brought two wooden pairs with me, since I guessed he never ate with them before, at home I usually used metal ones. The wooden ones are easier for first timers. I scooted closer to him and showed him how to use it.
Then I started to explain what was in his bowl. Starting with the obvious; the soft boiled egg, marinated pan seared chicken thighs, thinly sliced red bell pepper and some corn. After that; the chopped spring onion, bean sprouts and the wakame. Seaweed I bought at a small oriental I found by pure luck last week. He made a weird face when I told him about the seaweed and I just hoped he was still willing to try it. I had explained how I made the broth from chicken scraps I had left from the other day and seasoned it with miso, a soybean paste I bought from the same store as the wakame.
It took him some time, but eventually he got the hang of it, although a little hesitant towards some ingredients. A small smile was plastered on my face while we both ate in silent. He didn’t complain, nor did he make weird faces, so I slightly assumed he liked it. I lifted my bowl, finishing the last bit of the broth and he followed my lead, which made me laugh on the inside, thinking back to a scene in a Disney movie I saw once.
“You are one of the few witches I know that cooks without magic” He said while placing down the bowl.
“I like the process of making it, plus it taste so much better when you made it all yourself” I said with a smile.
“It wasn’t bad. I guess this is something you picked up in Japan?” He asked folding his hands underneath his chin and I nodded.
“Am I to assume you do the dishes without magic as well?” He asked revealing a small smirk.
“Oh hell no, I hate those” I said laughing and he took out his wand, making all the dirty dishes floating towards the sink. We had talked about all kinds of cuisine I picked up during my travels and everything I tried; even the ones I hated. He even poured us a drink, although the dishes were finished, making me stay a few more hours.
The rest of the week flew by and I had brought Severus a meal pack when I prepped too much for myself. I delivered it with an elaborate description on how to cook everything and when to add things. I even lent him a bowl and eating utensils, telling him not to hurry to give it back since I have a pretty big collection. An over preparation wasn’t the only reason though; it was another excuse to stall what I was doing now. I had spent every moment of this break avoiding grading the tests the fourth years had made who were interested in my class. Which I kind of regretted right now, since I had just over a week before I was leaving for Hogwarts again.
I had honestly wanted to explore my new home and its surroundings in the first few weeks and the rest of the time I just really needed a break from my teaching job. I had rearranged my small living room and bed room multiple times. Just like I rearranged all my books, first I had them categorized, next they were all in alphabetical order and now they were categorized and in alphabetical order in their categories (And even those were in the right order). Right now there was no delaying anymore since I needed the acceptance letters ready before the students got their class schedule. Which was sent out a week before the teachers returned to school. So I needed to send them to Minerva, who was in charge of that, tomorrow…
My legs where hanging over the back of the couch while my head was over the edge, making the blood flow towards it since I was slightly upside down. I grunted while I looked at a test made by a Hufflepuff student. I missed the grading session with Severus. Not only was it way quicker, but also unlike most people I actually liked his company. It’s not like he is the most talkative person, I mean the other day when I cooked at his house, I did most of the talking. Just for some reason I could focus better with him in the room. It was something about his presence that made want to work harder, wanting to prove myself somehow.
He also helped bring order in my sometimes over chaotic brain. While deeply involved in a discussion with myself, he always knew the right things to say or ask to resolve my dilemmas. I sometimes hated how he just knew the right answers right away after I had been working on that problem for way too long, but right now I wished I had that. This pressure made me work better one time while it could also drive me insane. Right now I feared it was leaning towards the latter.
I was almost at the end of the stack, and some of the answers I had read multiple times not really believing what they had said. I honestly wondered if some students attended a class in the last four years. It made it easier sometimes, considering that they didn’t have enough knowledge so it was an easy cut. I had decided to grade the knowledge part first, so after that I could look them all over and think about if they had the right mindset. After putting this test in the right pile, I sat up straight again wanting to take a sip of my beer.
“This could be interesting” I muttered to myself as I grabbed the last one. It was a Gryffindor student I had heard some things about from Minerva. She had talked about him especially during a Quidditch game day. How intensely driven and competitive he was with the sport and how sometimes it seemed he only cared about that and not his other schoolwork. So I was kind of surprised he would sign up for my class, since it had absolutely nothing do to with Quidditch.
“Let’s see what you got Oliver Wood” I muttered to myself before finishing my beer. He was one of the few students that had answered all the questions about Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts correctly. His knowledge about Potions needs some work though, still he had more than enough answers correct to pass on to the next grading phase. I immediately started the next part of the test starting with his, really curious about the rest of his answers. With some answers I even wondered if this was the same boy Minerva had talked about, because they came across real humble.
With a smile on my face Oliver’s test was the first to end up on the accepted pile and it got me pretty excited to do the rest. I looked up at my clock and noticed that is was almost midnight and I totally forgot to eat; something that seem to be a new standard for me if I was fully involved in my work. I got up, but instead of making myself something to eat, I grabbed another beer and went back to work. I just didn’t want to lose the drive I had right now. Plus I wanted to finish before it became an all-nighter.
That last week flew by just like the rest of the break and a small part of me wished I had just a little more time to myself, while the other part of me was excited to go back. On the day I sent the letters for the students to Minerva, I had gotten a letter from Albus informing me that Professor Humphry had officially retired and I was now the sole Music teacher. It was a bit scary though, since this was the first time I had 3 Martial Magic classes and now a fourth class would add to my full responsibility. I was thankful that one of those three wasn’t the real course, since it was the 6th years from last year that didn’t have to take an exam on this subject this year.
I was making my way towards the Great Hall, feeling a lot more confident and comfortable than last year. I greeted everyone in there with a big smile and was immediately pulled in a conversation about the summer break by Minerva and Filius. In the corner of my eye I noticed Severus arriving as well, a part of me wondering if the meal package I had given him had been good. I let it go for the moment while I stayed in my conversation. I had to admit it was good being back here and having people around me to talk to. Sure I saw Severus a few times, but he was the only one I had really talked to in the last weeks. For the rest of my time I had kept to myself, something I have done for years. This was the first time I genuinely enjoyed the company of multiple people.
We had just a few days left before the students would arrive and I sat in a room I mostly avoided in my first year. The teachers’ lounge. I had decided that it was time to mingle more around my coworkers, while still being careful of course. I was looking over the sheet music Professor Humphry had gathered in the last years and left for me. It wasn’t bad, just a bit boring to be honest. I was glad I had taken my sheet music as well, though it contained mostly muggle music, it brought a lot of diversity to this class. Filius joined me, since some of my students were also part of the Frog Choir and Orchestra that he conducted.
He had been really curious about my collection, since he didn’t know most of it. He had admitted that he thought that my predecessor was headstrong in his music choices and he was pretty enthusiastic about the creative freedom I was trying to give the students. We even talked about a little collaboration between us. Him wanting to join me in my class and me coming to a Choir or Orchestra practice. We had stayed there for quite some time talking about music and our other classes, when I proudly admitted I had everything prepared for Martial Magic and I was pretty excited about this school year.
After a while more teachers had joined us and slowly the conversation changed subject. Mostly about the new students, one in particular.
A famous one...
The Boy Who Lived…
Harry Potter.
It was clear the expectations from my colleagues where pretty high; most of them expected great things from him. While listening to everyone, all I could think about was how it could affect Severus. Since it’s the son of his childhood tormentor and the girl he loved.
One of those professors proudly told us that he had met the young wizard already in the Leaky Cauldron somewhere in the summer. He had been on a sabbatical last year after teaching Muggle Studies for a while. Now he was back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a position I knew Severus had been interested in as well. I felt bad for him that he didn’t get it, although he was so amazingly talented with his Potions.
I hadn’t made up my mind yet about Quirrel though, he was a pretty nervous man with a pretty obvious stutter. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, like most people did with me, still I couldn’t imagine him as someone skilled enough for this subject in comparison with Severus. I had never seen Quirinus in action, but with the way he acted he seemed more of a guy that uses his brain instead of his magic abilities. Still Albus hired him and he must have had a good reason to do so.
The big day was there and I was once again in front of my floor length mirror. Instead of the big nervous wreck of last year, I was looking at a confident excided Professor. After last year I felt I have earned the title, my class was a success and this year 15 new students had made it. Sure it was a smaller group than last year, but at least I was sure these kids could handle it. I had made the last small braid in my hair and I was gathering every lock to pull up in a high ponytail. I just really loved the way the braids add a little playfulness and edge to the hairdo, inspired by the female Vikings.
After one last check I simply smiled while turning on my heels, ready to go the great hall. Unlike last year, I wasn’t the last to arrive this time. It was Quirrel who sat down on the other side of Severus. I was mostly talking to Filius, who sat on my other side, but in the corner of my eye I noticed Severus in conversation with Quirinus. I couldn’t follow what they were talking about, but I guessed it was about his sabbatical. In the last two weeks, I had barely seen Severus among the others, just like last year, so he probably got the whole story from him like we did in the last two weeks.
Before I knew it, Argus had announced the students had arrived and I was on the edge of my seat. I had my hands folded underneath my chin and I had to do my best not to bounce up and down in my seat. I recognized most of my students from the last year and I greeted them all with a smile. A pair of happy red heads came in, mischief noticeable in their eyes even from the distance and they waved enthusiastically towards me. I chuckled and waved back; I was really curious what they were up to this year.
The hall fell silent as Minerva and the first years entered and my smile just grew bigger seeing those young ones looking around in awe. The sorting ceremony started and with each student applause and cheers followed.
“Harry Potter” From all across the hall gasps and whispers emerged for a moment, when the young boy nervously walked up to the stool. My mouth dropped a bit seeing the kid and the smile on my face faded a little. The untidy jet-black hair, those glasses, that thin face... He was a spitting image of his father. I felt some nerves coming up, not for me, but for the man on my left side.
How would he deal with a student not only being the son of his enemy, but also resembling him in so many ways? How would this affect him? Having to deal with that in his classes and in the hallways? I couldn’t just ask him that, seeing as he would probably start to wonder how I know all that and would most likely start digging in to whom I really am. Something I wasn’t ready to reveal to anyone yet. I was taking out of my trail of thoughts when the Gryffindor table practically exploded when Harry was sorted.
Of course he had to be placed in the house of his parents, most children followed the path of at least one of their parents. I had been no exception being placed in Slytherin just like my mother and father had in my days. The feast started and I went with the same choices as last year, realizing this just before I started eating. In the corner of my eye I had noticed Severus had stared towards the Gryffindor table for a moment and I knew that there was no way Severus hadn’t noticed the similarities between the young wizard and his father.
I didn’t take as long as last year to finish my plate; still I didn’t have the appetite to go for seconds. Instead I waited patiently for the desserts to arrive. The enormous smile reappeared on my face seeing that delicious chocolate gateau appear right in front of me once again. I grabbed a big piece once again and I couldn’t wait to dive in. Suddenly a small bowl with a big scoop of chocolate ice cream was pushed my way. It came from the man to my left and even though he didn’t look my way while doing that; I know he knew I was grinning like an idiot.
At the end of the feast Albus held his welcoming speech, announcing the return of Quirinus Quirrel taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He also mentioned the retirement of Professor Humphry and that I was taking over his music class. That moment, the silence among the students was broken by two voices that were loudly cheering, my guess it came from the Weasley twins. It made me grin, while Albus ignored it, although it was obvious he had found the reaction entertaining too. He ended his speech with the warnings about staying away from the Forbidden Forest and avoiding the third floor corridor. He led the school in singing the School Song, which still made the hairs on the back of my neck rise on how awful it was.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad song, just badly conducted by our sometimes chaotic Headmaster. I was absolutely sure that if either Filius or me had been in charge of this, it would sound so much better. Albus had sent the students back to their dormitories and slowly the students left the Great Hall taking the noises with them. After a while I rose from my seat, ready to go on some rounds with some of my fellow professors making sure that everyone had returned to their common rooms.
Walking through the dimly lit silent hallways I made my way back towards my dorm. It had been a quiet stroll through the castle, as I came across no wandering students. Which I had heard from Minerva was pretty normal on the first night. Everyone wanted to welcome their new house members to their place in the castle; making sure they where comfortable. On my way to my room, my body yearning for my bed so badly I swear I heard it calling me, I was slightly hoping to bump in to a certain someone.
Although I couldn’t straight up ask Severus how he felt about the whole Harry Potter looking just like James scenario. I could however simply ask how he was doing, since I barely saw him the last few weeks. I had seen him in Albus’s office when he briefed us about what the castle would be guarding this year. I wasn’t part of creating one of the seven rooms; I still was among a few that were informed about more details then other staff members. What was in the last chamber and why it needed the protection it has gotten. My head was exploding by the end of that night, hearing the possibility of Voldemort returning.
It wasn’t just Voldemort I feared and I still thought it was ridiculous how most wizards and witches feared of speaking his name. It was the consequences that came with his return, the possibility that my father getting out of Azkaban was one of those fears. After a sleepless night I had returned to the Headmaster’s office, expressing my feelings. He had responded that he wouldn’t have brought me back, if he couldn’t protect me from that man. It didn’t exactly calm me down, but what other choice did I have? Just before I left his office, he repeated what he said to me last year. To keep my eyes and ears open...
It was still a big mystery to me why he said that to me. What could I be seeing or hearing? Why couldn’t he just tell me what to look out for? That cryptic old bastard was really frustrating me again. I reached the hall of the teachers’ dorms, when I noticed Severus had just arrived at his door, looking my way.
“Have I thanked you yet for that delicious ice-cream?” I said as I came closer.
“You have not”
“Well in that case. Thank you, I really enjoyed it” I answered with a smile.
“How are you?” I asked, nerves slowly filling my body.
“Fine. Why?” He drawled while turning his back towards his door and facing me fully.
“No reason. It’s just I’ve barely seen you since we returned, or before that. So I just wondered”
“I’ve been occupied” He stated and I just nodded, not wanting to pry any further on this matter.
“Okay then. By the way, how was that ramen package I made you?” I blurted out, even though it was a question I had agreed with myself not to ask. He shrugged.
“It was okay” I felt the air between us slowly starting to feel awkward and I knew I had to leave him alone before I ruined things.
“Good night Severus” I said smiling, before making my way across the hall.
“Good night” I heard before a door closed. I had entered my own room and the second I did; my body felt extremely heavy. I got ready for bed as quickly as I could and let myself fall onto the comfy bed. Every inch of my body was thanking me for the rest I granted it, although my mind was still in overdrive. I looked at the ceiling, processing everything that passed my mind today. I had this bad feeling floating inside me, telling me that this year was going to be so different from last year. I couldn’t explain why, it was just a gut feeling I guess.