Loving a Snake?

Chapter One - The New Professor

Tori Maxon walked up the stairs and into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was very excited, yet nervous about her new job as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Would the students like her? Would the staff approve of her? What would she do about Joshua?

Tori clutched her sleeping fourteen month old tighter in her arms as she headed to the Headmaster's office. The note that she had received from Professor Dumbledore after applying for the job said to turn left at the first knight, go straight through the trophy room, make another left, and go to the end of the corridor where the two gargoyles sat.

Tori stopped in front of the statues and whispered, as was directed in the letter, "lemon drop". Suddenly, the gargoyles sprang to life, startling Tori and waking Joshua. The child whined a moment before burying his head in his mother's shoulder.

Tori walked, cautiously, into the Headmaster's office and looked around. It was very interesting.

"Miss Maxon," said a voice from behind Tori. She turned around to find the renowned Dumbledore smiling at her, his eyes twinkling.

Tori smiled at the Headmaster and subconsciously loosened the grip she held on her son. "Yes," she replied, though she knew Dumbledore didn't need affirmation. She noticed the Professor's eyes revert to the little boy in her arms and began to explain. "This is my son, Joshua. I didn't have anyone to leave him with so I -"

Dumbledore raised his hand to cut her off. "I understand," he said, the smile widening. "It's alright... I happen to likildren. Why do you think I became a professor?" The eyes twinkled again and Tori smiled once more. "How old is the boy?"

"Fifteen months next Tuesday," Tori replied. She didn't seem very bothered, as most would have been, about Dumbledore calling Joshua "the boy". Before his death, Tori's father never called Josh by his given name - always "the boy" or "him"... he had once called him "little bastard" and Tori had nearly gouged his throat. But, like her father, she was not proud of the actions that led her to birth Joshua, but she had come to love him.

Dumbledore smiled, again, though thoughtfully, at Tori. "But what, I wonder, do you plan on doing with the young one during your time of teaching?"

Tori looked slightly aghast. She had planned to take Joshua to class with her, really; and so this is what she told the Headmaster. But Dumbledore merely shook his head, the smile still intact. "To a Darks Arts class? No, I rather think not." Tori gave the Headmaster a pleading look before he suggested, "Why not leave him with me?"

Tori smiled and shook her head. "Thank you, Professor, but I really don't want to force him on you. I can owl..."

"No," Dumbledore interrupted. "It's my pleasure. I have nothing to do during the day, and I'm taking a liking to the child. Please it won't be any trouble." Professor Dumbledore smiled at the child, who was staring at him in both curiosity and uncertainty.

"But he can be a handful once he's energized," Tori protested. "After he's eaten for example. I really don't think..."

"Nonsense. I am quite sure I can handle him, Miss Maxon. If you don't like the way I handle it, I will not be the least offended if you find someone else." Noticing that Tori was now thinking very hard about his offer, Dumbledore added, "Come now. Humor and old man, will you?" Tori smiled at Professor Dumbledore and nodded.

"Alright, then, but if he becomes too much of a burden, please tell me." Dumbledore nodded in agreement and looked at the bird sitting by his desk. Tori noticed it to be a Phoenix.

"Fawkes," he called it. "Go and retrieve Professor Severus Snape for me, please."

The bird did as it was told and flew away as Tori thought 'Snape... why does that name sound so familiar?' Just as she thought it, Fawkes flew back into the office, soon followed by a rather tall man with slightly greasy hair and a hooked nose. Tori gasped quietly, hugging Joshua very tightly to her chest. 'Oh my God,' she thought. 'It's...'

"You!" Tori and Snape whispered to each other.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrow and smiled in an amused, knowing manner. "I see you've met before."

Snape continued to gawk at Tori in horror as she glared at him. "Once," she said. After a moment, Dumbledore turned to Snape and gave him the instructions to show Tori to her room. After much protesting, Snape finally and reluctantly agreed.

"Follow me," he ordered. He lead Tori down a few corridors and stopped somewhere between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw corridors. "Here," he snarled. "Enjoy your stay." He glanced once at Joshua as Tori gave him a sarcastic and hateful look.

"I'm sure I will." Snape ignored her comment and, with one last glance, turned and walked away. Tori sighed as she entered her room and looked around. "Well," she said to Joshua. "I guess this is our new home."

~*~*~

That night, Tori had another of her recurring nightmares. She tossed in her bed, very oblis to the fact that Joshua was awake and watching her.

"Tori, go!" A blonde girl screamed, above everyone else's screams, to a crying and impregnated Tori. "Get out, now!"

Tori stared at the woman and yelled back in between sobs. "I can't! I can't leave you here! You'll need my help!"

"You won't be much help in the state that your in!" the girl screamed back. "And if you die, who will give birth to your baby?" The girl, despite her wounds and the circumstance they were in, smiled.

"To hell with the baby!" Tori yelled. She didn't want this baby. Why was it her problem if it died? She really didn't care... it was honestly what she wanted. "You can't take him on your own!"

"And if it becomes to much to handle, I can always count on Remus or Tonks to show up and bail me out! You need to go!" The girl turned to shoot another spell out of her wand and another scream was heard before one of the many Death Eaters fell to the ground. She turned her head again to look at Tori and opened her mouth to say something before...

"AVADA KADAVERA!" The blonde girl screamed and began to fall limply to the floor.

Overwhelming fear, sadness, and rage shot through Tori all at once, as she cried, "No! Sera!" She had started to run over to her friend's aid when she felt a hand grab her wrist and spin her around. She looked up into Remus Lupin's sorrowful face, tears streaming down her face. Behind him stood Arthur Weasley, Tonks, and Mundungus. Tori gave Remus a pleading look before he shook his head.

"It's no use," he said. "You can't help her. That was the Avada Kadavera. It kills instantly, you know that." Tori tried to pull her hand away, but failed and allowed herself to fall into Remus' arms and weep.

"Remus let me go," she begged. "If not for me, do it for Sirius. We can get him." Tori was one ouldn't bring herself to say the Dark Lord's name. "Do it for Sirius, Remus. Get revenge for what they did to Sirius." Remus shook his head again, though Tori couldn't see it.

"No. We can't, Tori," he said, his voice shaking. Sirius had been his best friend. It hurt him more than anything for her to bring up what Voldemort and his minions had done to Sirius. "We're not ready yet. And Harry has to kill him, remember? The prophet..."

"Screw the prophet!" Tori screamed. "Do you really believe that that tosser, Trelawney really predicted the Dark Lord's downfall? That's ridiculous!"

"She was right about everything up until now... Voldemort's uprising, and Harry's birth, everything!" But Tori wasn't hearing him. She had begun to cry uncontrollably again. Remus held her tighter and patted her back, letting her cry.

Tears rolling down her face, Tori woke up screaming, startling Joshua and ma him cry. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Tori got out of bed and walked over to Josh's crib, picking him up and hugging him to her. She kissed his forehead lightly and began rocking him to sleep and humming a song to settle him.

After he had finally fallen asleep, Tori sighed, and lay back in her bed to sleep.