A new professor at Hogwarts: a Severus Snape story

The Order

'Thanks to Remus and Severus, the centaurs have agreed earlier today to keep us informed about suspicious movements in their territories, and granted us right of passage if we need to intervene against any Death Eaters on their lands' Dumbledore seemed tired, not unlike most of us. It was Sunday evening, and we were all gathered around the kitchen at number 12, Grimmauld Place. 'And, as we have already discussed at our last encounter, the Vangardes have agreed, after a week-long persuasion carried out by Severus during the Easter holidays, to join our forces to ward off this new threat.'

Murmurs spread around the room. The truth was, nobody really trusted the Vangardes - the French magical law enforcement forces - and their guards, called protecteurs, since nobody really knew them. Well, nobody other than Dumbledore, apparently. And he seemed to be very confident about this.

'I know that, historically, the French magical guard has not been very friendly towards our Ministry' Dumbledore carried on 'but they have also felt the disturbances of the last war, and they know better now to help prevent the enemy from rising to power again instead of just protecting their own national borders. They also have, since the start of this year, a new leader, who I happen to know for almost 20 years.' More murmurs, this time with a tone of surprise. The identity of the French guard leader was always highly concealed, specially from outsiders. 'And they will be arriving here on the next Saturday to negotiate the terms of our cooperation.'

The pursuit of alliances had been going on for a while now. Since Dumbledore defeated Voldemort in the battle of the Ministry of Magic, rumors of former Death Eaters reuniting had been increasingly confirmed by several sources. What is more, there had been significant threats of attacks on the Ministry headquarters in the course of the last few days. Me and the other Aurors had the most exhausting week ever, and I still had to deal with the extra patrolling schedule as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Don't get me wrong, I really had my heart in it. But it had been undeniably draining lately. We could really do good with some French back up.

My eyes wandered back to her. Jane Mullin had just been introduced by Dumbledore as a new member of the Order, although he said that, initially, she would pick no patrol shifts and would collaborate instead by writing to her contacts in Eastern Europe, leaders and rulers to who she had work for, trying to establish more alliances against the Dark forces. She was two years younger than me at Hogwarts, but of course I remembered her. I mean, everybody remembered her.

'Theo?'

I almost had a heart attack when she entered the room holding hands with Snape. Ok, actually, I reckon everybody here nearly died of shock, but they did it because they had been pretty sure Snape had a bezoar stone where he should have a heart. My reason, however, was different. I got out of breath when I saw her because I had forgotten how disturbingly Jane looks like her cousin. Except for her eyes... Jane's were a chocolate colour instead of looking like those honey pools I could remember so well... For heaven's sake, mate, get over it.

'Theo?'

But they had that same breathtaking laugh. And the same knack to flee away. Nobody had heard from any of them since they graduated. But now Jane was here, in front of me, sitting on Snape's lap and rubbing her nose against his, leaving the entire room dumbstruck by that sight. Yet seeing her with Snape didn't impress me as much as seeing he and Lupin behaving so cordially towards one another. What was up with them? Jane clearly did something right for that bloke.

'Theodore?!'

Maybe Jane kept in touch with her cousin, maybe she knows where she is... Stop, Theo, give it a break. What difference would it make to know where she is now? Well, at least I'd know she's fine... maybe I'd hear she's married now, and I would move on... Yeah, keep lying to yourself, lad.