My Blood [Severus Snape]

Chapter 2- Familiar Spells

After a long day of teaching rather unruly children, Diana found herself sitting in exhaustion within the staff room with Professor McGonagall as the Transfiguration Professor filed grades into a cabinet. She stretched out her legs in a mismatched cushioned chair. Her eyes grew heavy as the comforting fire in front of her warmed up the air around her like a toasty blanket.

"Careful, dear. Don't follow my old habits or you'll be teaching Muggle Studies for all of eternity." Professor Binns teased Diana with a chilly chuckle. She sat up straight in her chair as he rushed through her with a blast of cold air on his way out of the staffroom. McGonagall shook her head as Professor Binns seemed amused by teasing Diana. It wasn't often that Diana saw the Professor of Magic History so lively. It seemed the staff room was a room that all the professors could shake off their professional mannerisms and be themselves without watchful student's eyes catching them. Even McGonagall seemed far more relaxed in the dark chair she sat herself down in.

One professor who seemed to not shake their taciturn demeanor was Severus Snape. He sat at an old and beaten down table alone as he read the Daily Prophet. Diana found it particularly odd that a professor like Snape would even want to be around others in his free time.

"How are your classes going, Diana?" McGonagall asked curiously as she popped a teacup into her hand. The teacup quickly filled with hot tea before McGonagall carefully blew on it to cool down. Diana looked up from her gaze at the fire that emitted a warm orange glow onto the paneled walls. The cozy crackling of the fire brought Diana a sense of inner peace compared to the chaos of her afternoon class. Fred and George Weasley had charmed a toaster to chase Slytherin students around the classroom, disrupting her lesson. After reversing the charm Diana had to firmly warn all the students that jinxing Muggle items would wind them up in trouble with the Ministry of Magic. The students didn't seem as enthused about the toaster after it stopping hopping around the room with loud clacks of its metal interior.

"I've found it a little challenging, I confess. Some students seem to find the class not as challenging compared to their other classes." Diana answered truthfully. McGonagall didn't seem to be surprised by Diana's troubles. In fact, the only one who really seemed to react to the news was the quiet potions master who flicked the Daily Prophet newspaper down to stare at them both. Diana glanced at him nervously. His face remained unchanged yet his dark eyes seemed to light up with amusement.

"I don't believe any person here is surprised by this. Professor Quirrel made himself quite the laughing stock and branded the class as a joke," said Severus Snape with a derisive attitude. His voice drawled with no emotion. Minerva McGonagall turned her steely eyes over to Snape who now sat the newspaper down on the table to engage more in their conversation.

"That is not to say that you can't change the reputation of Muggle Studies. I'm sure if you keep a firm hold on the classroom that the students will wisen up." McGonagall added, trying to help Diana's feelings. Diana could still hear the laughter of all the students as the toaster chased after Marcus Flint, using its cord as a whip. It was hard for her to control a classroom filled with students not that much younger than her. Severus scoffed at McGonagall's encouragement causing the glimmer of confidence to subside deep in Diana's chest.

"Personally I think studying Muggles is a waste of time. I suggested to Dumbledore that the entire class be cut from the curriculum. Much to my dismay, the governors had already decided you would fill the role or else Dumbledore would have taken my advice." Snape said bitterly. Diana's eyes grew wide and her face flushed pink. This entire time she had thought Dumbledore was the one who wanted her there. Perhaps he never even believed she could teach a class but had to because the Governors of Hogwarts demanded him to. She wanted desperately to know more about what Snape knew about her hiring but remained silent.