The assistant | Remus Lupin (on pause)

Slytherin

It caught people off guard, somehow. A nice Slytherin wasn't that common apparently. It caught that boy I knew off guard. It was probably why he never spoke to me after that tour. Even after I tried finding him he ran.

I fiddled with the cuff of the sweater I was wearing as they all processed the information.

Lupin broke out in another smile, stretching his arms out, "I can see it."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," he continued, ignoring the children's confused expressions, "I've found that the nicest of people I know are Slytherins."

Harry coughed into his elbow, although it sounded like he said "liar" oddly. Ron elbowed him in the back and Hermione swatted at them.

The rest of the train ride followed in suit, although as we were leaving the train car something was slipped into my pocket.

I rummaged around my pocket for a few seconds, finding a small piece of chocolate wrapped in gold wrappings.

I kept the chocolate in my pocket. To save it for later.

We all gathered into the great hall like I remembered, except I didn't sit with the children. I followed Lupin to the long table where all the teachers were saying their hellos to each other again.

"Oh Maeve!" McGonagall exclaimed, rushing from one end of the table to where she stood alone.

Some of the teachers looked towards me, trying to remember who I was.

"Hi Professor McGonagall." I greeted, letting her wrap her frail arms around me and hug me gently.

"Oh please call me Minerva." She huffed, "It's been so long."

"Yes yes, about three years." I looked back into her aged eyes. Her face got more lined, but she aged with beauty. She always did.

"You're still taller than me." McGonagall chuckled, looking up at her former student.

Snape, for some ungodly reason, decided to walk up to McGonagall and greet her.

"Minerva," he nodded lifelessly, "who is this?" He cocked one eyebrow and stared at me as if he couldn't remember me.

But he probably interacted with hundreds of students. And it made me glad he couldn't remember me.

"Maeve Reeves, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts assistant." McGonagall rolled her eyes.

That was the name! I didn't know how it could've slipped from my mind. It was such an odd and long name.

Snape looked from her to me, then back to her. Unimpressed and seemingly bored.

"Oh!" McGonagall exclaimed again, seeing Lupin and pinning her focus onto him, "Remus I haven't seen you in so long either!"

She hurried away, leaving me and the spawn of Satan next to each other. Well Snape wasn't that bad, however he always seemed to like to scare students. And to just be mean to them, especially me.

Even when I was in the house he prided.

"Just so you're aware," he started, "this isn't puppy-dog fairy land. This is actual work, not play or some job you can get without care. Do not give Slytherin a bad name since you want to be ... different."

I gasped involuntarily, not remembering that I had to have a filter, "So you do remember me." I whispered.

Snape groaned and turned away from me to sit down at his seat at the table. I only hoped I didn't get one near him.

"Having fun?" Lupin asked, appearing at my side as I walked around the back to the table to get seated.

"Shoot, you scared me." I laughed. Trying my hardest and best to keep Snape's words from getting to me.