Unexpected

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

The pollutant smog from London's bustling and over-crowded atmosphere filled my lungs, as with persistent hastened breaths I hurriedly skipped towards the wall between platforms 9 and 10. The noise of London never left my ears as even in the smallest hours, people still worked and whirred their machines. Heavy metal and billowing voices rang through the air of the city in a sometimes unwelcome lullaby, but this was the place I called home and had done for most of my life, that was until this moment, the moment my feet propelled me through that thick brick wall in Kings Cross Station and I stepped out onto Platform 9 ¾.

The air caressing my face as my body moved between the muggle and wizarding worlds was unmistakably tainted by the smoke that was emitted from the stream train The Hogwarts Express. Observing the scene, the platform was packed with young witches and wizards, bidding goodbye to their families before heading back to their magical boarding school. I never experienced this as a child, I was a muggle born witch and my parents despite their good intentions were both adamant that I must not learn magic. So, when my letter for Hogwarts came my parents persistently waved them away and I was forced into attending a muggle school. I always knew there was something different about me, from my earliest memories I can recall I have always been set apart from other children my age. I could do things they couldn't even dream of and without even realising how and why I was doing it.

At the age of twenty-four it would appear odd if I was stepping onto this platform as a student, and fortunately I wasn't. Despite my unfortunate muggle education, I made it my mission to secretly attend Wizarding classes outside of my ordinary school. I had to wait until I was sixteen to do this without my parents really kicking up a fuss. I was practically an adult by this point, so they did not really have to power to stop me. So, from sixteen I worked incredibly hard, both in my muggle and wizarding studies and I excelled in both. So much so that one day when I was casually visiting Diagon Alley, not too far from my home, I saw an advertisement for an assistant teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I had heard so much about this place, ever since starting my wizarding studies and I had always wished I could have attended as a student, but that opportunity had long come and gone and a teaching assistant position was as good as any opportunity I was ever going to get. Up until this point I had been working in a shop in Leicester Square. The pay was terrible, and the muggle mangers had taken a bit of a dislike to me. I think they could tell that I was different. Working in retail was not my strong point at all, so naturally my application form for Hogwarts was dispatched within a mere few hours of seeing the advertisement for the position.

I wasn't expecting to get a response for my application, let alone an interview but somehow luck was in my favour and I was short listed and somehow through my faith in merlin, I got the job. I couldn't quite get my head around that fact that despite my lack of wizarding education from the age of eleven that I was chosen for this role but I was thrilled non the less and that is how I got here, stepping onto coach C of the Hogwarts Express. I almost tripped over my robes as I stepped up onto the train, which would have been a terrific start but thankfully I steadied myself and did not stumble.

My attire had changed drastically throughout my life. Growing up as a muggle you were expected to wear whatever everyone else at school was wearing. Terrible fashion trends that ended almost as quickly as they began, and for most of them, all I could say is thank merlin they did. As I became an adult and accepted my witch status, I started to dress in a way that expressed this. Perhaps not in the company of muggles but certainly in my own home or in the secret magical taverns and alleys that London has hidden away within her vastness. Today I was wearing my favourite outfit. I wanted to make a positive first impression so a wore something that expressed who I am. This consisted of a long forest green skirt, that draped along the floor at the back. This was embellished at the hem with orange and gold beading and embroidery resembling a cross  somewhere between fire and vines. This skirt was accompanied by a corset bodice that was fastened at the front with a row of buttons, this was also forest green and has very similar embellishments at the hem. This also had long sleeves which clung very tightly to my arms and even covered the middle part of my hand and finally looped around my middle fingers, creating a V shape. This was all covered over by a slightly darker green cloak which I slung over my shoulders. There was not much need for this adornment, but I wore it simply because I just liked the way it looked. My feet were protected by some simple dark brown leather button up boots which have a small kitten heel that made a clicking sound as I walked and despite all of this perhaps a little too excessive clothing, it did not distract from my tightly curled copper hair, which I allowed to flow freely in the breeze. I did indeed appear to be a very confident and intelligent witch in the way I presented myself but in this moment as I entered a cabin alone and sat myself down, I felt the nerves flow from the pit of my stomach and up into my throat. I had never been more nervous in my life; I had dreamed of this day for so many years and finally it had arrived.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a few moments trying to calm the nerves that had arisen amongst the pressure and angst for my new endeavour just as I heard the door to my cabin being slid open. My blue eyes snapped open and my head swung around to face the door. It was here where I saw a man, a familiar man fumbling into the cabin with his trunk of possessions and a copy of The Daily Prophet held in place under his arm. I had seen this man once before at my job interview, it was only a brief meeting in passing and for the life of me I couldn't put my finger on the man's name. I watched as he struggled with his trunk before lifting it and placing it onto and empty space on the seat opposite me before sitting himself down with a small upbeat groan placing his copy of The Daily Prophet onto a small table that stuck out from the bottom of the window between his side of the cabin and mine. He finally looked at me directly a wide grin spread across his lips. "Ah, Professor Turpin! What a pleasure it is to see you here. I was most pleased to hear it was you who got the job." The man said cheerfully before continuing, starting off the next sentence with a small chuckle. "You probably don't remember me, do you? So many names to recall and all that. Let's start again. I'm Remus Lupin, Professor for the Defence Against the Dark Arts." He re-introduced himself before lifting his hand and holding it out towards me. I smiled and leaned forwards ever so slightly, placing my hand into his palm, gripping firmly for a quick greeting shake before retracting once again. "Pleasure to meet you Professor Lupin. You got me right though, I'm Professor Turpin... Marietta Turpin." I announced in response to him before letting out a small chuckle of my own, I still wasn't quite used to referring to myself as a professor, that title still hadn't sunk in. "so, from what I hear, you are taking on the assistant position in potions class is that correct?" Lupin continued the conversation seeming genuinely curious as he crossed one leg over the other and placed a hand on his thigh. I nodded briskly "uh, yes that is correct. Potions is most definitely my forte." I chirped softly, Lupin letting a small smirk pass his lips once again as he reached his hand into his jacket pocket and slowly pulled out a bar of chocolate. "Then I presume you know all about the Professor you will be working with, Severus Snape? How do you find him? Has he quite frightened you to death by his hard, cold stares?" Lupin said still smirking and letting out a little snigger. My brow furrowed slightly at this question and I hesitated before opening my mouth to give an answer. "I uh, I haven't ever actually met Professor Snape. He was away on some other business when I had my interview and it was actually the Headmaster, uh, Professor Dumbledore who offered me the job." I said briskly, the words coming out almost so fast that it was difficult for anyone to understand me but Lupin clearly understood as his face slowly dropped from its previously cheerful expression. "Oh... I didn't mean to, Uh. Oh merlin... What I meant to say was, I am sure you will both work well together. He can be, uh... A little blunt sometimes but considering you both share an affinity for potions, I'm sure you will get on just fine." Lupin said, as he tried to retract his previous statement, but the damage had already been done and the fear had already intensified. This Professor Snape sounded like a potentially fearsome wizard, but maybe I was overthinking this. He could be lovely for all I know, but by the look on Lupins face I'm not so sure. I looked away from lupin, glancing out of the window as I nervously played with the rings that caressed the fingers on my small, soft hands. The train had already rolled out of Kings Cross Station by this point in our conversation and I gazed out of the window and watched as the train slowly chugged its way out of the city I called home whilst the familiar forecast of heavy rain beat down onto the thin glass. Trickles of water running along almost horizontally now as the train picked up speed and headed towards Hogwarts.

As I started to get lost in thought, staring out of the window I noticed movement in the reflection and slowly my thoughts came back to the present moment and I eventually removed my gaze from outside and turned back into the cabin to find lupin with an apologetic yet reassuring grin smacked across his face before noticing his hand hovering in mid air and pointed in my direction as he held the bar of chocolate he had previously sourced from his jacket pocket loosely between his fingers. "Eat. You'll feel better.".