An American Professor

Severus looked extremely uncomfortable after she asked him the probing question. She wondered if he hadn't heard her, so she repeated the question, "Why were you really on the Quidditch Pitch today?"

"I heard you the first time, I was just hoping you would give up on getting an answer. I thought you said it didn't matter."

Thinking about it for a moment, she retorted, "Well, I think that it does matter. I think that I have a right to know." She stared at him intently trying to gauge his reaction to her question.

"But you told Flitwick not to interrogate me." He was avoiding looking her right in the eye.

Erin sighed she was getting rather frustrated with him. "I'm not interrogating you. I'm asking you a simple question that does not require anything but a simple answer. So, quit avoiding the question."

"Well, I saw you leaving with Potter and well…" he trailed off.

"Well, what? That's not an answer. What was the problem with seeing me leave with Harry? You thought maybe we were having a secret affair and it would be a way to be rid of me?" she demanded impatiently.

"No, it's not that. See, uh, well, the most unsavory creatures seem to be after Potter, and well, I didn't think you were advanced enough to deal with it if he ran into trouble. Ok, well, that didn't exactly come out right." He tried again. "You heard what happened to Cedric Diggory last year." Erin nodded solemnly. "Well, I was worried you might be next."

"What? Those are completely different circumstances!" Erin stated before falling silent for a few moments. "I guess I can see where you were coming from," she said finally. He nodded. Erin remained quiet, but the conversation had taken an unsettling turn for her. Still feeling rather unsatisfied, she couldn't help but continue to question him about the incident and why he felt it was so important to follow her onto the Quidditch Pitch. "No, I guess I really don't see. Severus, why would they kill me? Not that I want them to, but why would they kill me if it's Harry that they want?"

"Same reason they killed Cedric, they don't care who you are, it's all about who you're with."

"Oh." She was quiet for a few more moments while mulling over his reasoning. She tried to quell the question burning on her mind, but before she could stop herself, she had asked him the question that she was certain would make him very uncomfortable. "How do you know so much about them and what they will do?"

He shrugged. "I grew up during the first reign of Voldemort."

Erin wanted to ask him more questions because his answer really didn't satisfy her. But she decided to let it drop, however, she silently logged away the fact that he had said 'Voldemort' rather than saying, 'You-Know-Who', like most of the other witches and wizards she spoken with in the past few months since discovering that she herself was a witch. She felt that there was definitely more to this than he was letting on.

At this point in their conversation, Erin figured she didn't have much to lose, and so she decided to ask another tough question. "Severus, have you figured out why you don't like me, yet?" Her voice was small, barely above a whisper.

He was silent for a while and she looked up to see if he'd heard her. Snape was gazing fixedly on her. Erin met his dark-eyed stare for a few minutes before retracting her question. "Nevermind, forget I even asked you. I guess it doesn't really matter after all." She looked down to break the eye contact, as she was feeling extremely uncomfortable under his intense stare.

"No, that's a question that deserves an answer. I think I disliked you so much because you didn't seem to be burdened by worrying about what others think of you. No, that's stupid, that's not it, I didn't like you at first because I felt that you weren't right for the job. I thought that they should hire someone else. I didn't agree with Dumbledore that he should allow you to teach when you barely knew about your own abilities. I didn't see how you could be an effective teacher while also being a student yourself. I don't like it when people don't take my suggestions to heart, and implement them. I guess I was taking it out on you." He raised his hand to fend off her impending protests. "But I was wrong. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that I was wrong about you and your ability to teach effectively, it was too late for me to take back all the nasty things that had passed between us."

Erin nodded and rolled onto her back. She was actually stunned by how candid he was being in regards to his own behavior. Contemplating his answer, she noted, "I notice you didn't actually apologize." Erin turned to him with a wry smile.

He laughed nervously and said, "Um, well, uh…"

"It's OK, Severus. I wouldn't want you to choke or something. I forgive you. I guess we're even. You treat me like crap, and then you save my life. Of course I would have jumped off the broom if it hadn't been heading right for you." She chuckled. "Anyway, all's forgiven. I myself didn't exactly make it easy for you to like me. I mean, I cornered you in your own office and bit your head off, not to mention making you a laughingstock in front of the entire school. Can you forgive all the nasty things I said about you and to you?"

He raised his eyebrows a little seemingly surprised that she was asking for his forgiveness. "Ah, had to get in one last final dig regarding your little displays for attention." He smiled when he saw her face twist in dismay. "I'm just joking, and I guess that can I forgive you, too."

Realizing that that was the best she was going to get, Erin pressed on. "Good, so now what? Are we friends or just civil to one another?" she asked nervously. Erin wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to hear him say.

"I don't know. Why don't we just wait and see what happens."

"OK, I can live with that."

They were quiet for about five minutes staring off into space. Erin wasn't exactly sure who started the conversation, but before long they were swapping stories, joking and laughing with one another. It came to them as naturally as if they'd always been best friends. They continued to talk nonstop until well after midnight when the conversation came to a dead halt as Snape asked Erin about her childhood. She felt all the comforts of talking with him vanish and the accepted pain of remembering her childhood years rushed back to her.

Snape apparently saw the pained expression cross her face for he asked with a great deal of concern. "Is your pain potion wearing off?"

Erin was quite surprised by his concern, but quickly answered, "No, the this pain can't be helped by something like a pain potion and it stems deeper than from a broken wrist. My childhood was not what you'd call 'ideal'."

"You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to." He seemed to be sorry for having asked such a personal question.

"Well, I don't usually talk about it at all, but maybe it would do me some good to get it out. I feel like I can trust you. Of course you realize that if I find out I'm mistaken I'll put such a hex on you like nobody's ever seen," she said half-joking.

Snape nodded looking intrigued and urged her to continue. Erin sighed deeply and began her story.

"Well, for starters, I don't know who my parents are. When the nuns found me, there wasn't any record of a baby being born in the vicinity. They found me on the church steps three days before Christmas. I was pretty sick from exposure. Even in Miami, you shouldn't leave a baby outside at night, obviously. The hospital determined that I was probably about a month old, and they checked birthing centers and other area hospitals, but like I said, there wasn't any record of an unaccounted for baby.

"I was more than sick when they found me. The doctors were convinced that I wouldn't make it. At one point, a priest was called in to give me the last rites. But I guess that I was pretty stubborn even back then because here I am.

"I was in the state's custody from that point on. They found me a foster mother who took care of me until I was five. That means that she wasn't my permanent mother, that is, I wasn't adopted, just sort of baby-sat full time by this woman. I mentioned that she was my foster mother until I was five, that's because she passed away when I was five years old. After that I got tossed around from house to house.

"Most of the time I was moved after I did accidental magic. I realize that now, but at the time I just knew that they moved me when I was 'bad'. I distinctly remember levitating one of my foster brothers when he kept hitting me. I slammed a door in a foster parent's face from across the room when he wouldn't stop yelling at me. The worst thing that happened was when a foster mother was beating me with a belt and it turned into a snake in her hand and tried to bite her.

"After that I figured out I was pretty different. I tried to be good and not mess up anymore, but no matter what, my temper seemed to flare up at some point and I'd end up being moved once again. It pretty much sucked, my childhood I mean. By the time I left for college I had lived in thirty different foster homes. The only thing I loved about growing up was going to school, which was why I did so well at it, and got to college with academic scholarships. I also got a few scholarships from being a supposed orphan. So, that's it, my life in ten minutes or less."

"Wow."

"I don't want your pity," she snarled a little more harshly than she'd intended. Raising her chin defiantly she stated, "I turned out just fine."

"I don't pity you, it's just another piece of the puzzle," he said quickly.

"Yes, I suppose it is," she said quietly.

"Erin?"

"Yeah?"

"I am sorry though, for your childhood I mean."

She looked at him and anticipated the pity she knew she'd find in his eyes. Instead she found that there was a glow of respect radiating from them. She met his gaze and said simply, "I told you, you don't have to be."

"I know." His eyes were sad, but he gave her a faint smile. Snape seemed to shift uncomfortably under her gaze, so she smiled back slightly.

"Thanks though."

"You're welcome."

A few minutes passed and they laid silently each deep in their own thoughts. Erin decided that she was glad that she'd shared something so intimate with Severus. It was nice to know that he was actually human. She hadn't spoken of her childhood to anyone ever. Even the social workers that would inevitably meet with her every time she was moved to a different foster house hadn't been privy to the information that she'd shared with Severus. It felt good to get some of that off of her chest, and she knew that she could trust that Severus wouldn't go blabbing about it all over the entire school. Erin wasn't even feeling sure she could have shared her childhood experiences with Dumbledore. She halfheartedly wondered why she had felt so comfortable telling her deepest secrets with Severus. She didn't mind sharing with him, but it wasn't exactly something that she wanted to show up in the Daily Prophet.

Erin listened closely as Severus' breathing even out, and she decided that he must have fallen asleep. She herself was feeling very relaxed. Her relief from sharing with Severus allowed her to drift off to sleep. Erin was unaware that after a few minutes Snape had murmured, "I think I may know who your parents are."

When she awoke the next morning, Erin felt extremely refreshed. She looked to Severus' bed, but he'd already left the room. She briefly wondered if she'd dreamed their talk last night, but dismissed the musing quickly. Standing up to stretch, she was eager to get to her rooms to take a shower.

Having seen Erin stand up, Madam Pomfrey darted to her. "Before you leave, Professor Worhli, I've got a few instructions for you." A half an hour later Erin finally was able to leave the hospital wing. She had to promise to return the following day for a checkup and then again on Wednesday. Erin had been particularly annoyed by the fact that she wasn't 'allowed' to go running for another day, and even at that she'd had to swear to only run around the field one time. It is better than nothing, she reasoned with herself, but not by much, she conceded.

As she reached her rooms, Erin felt a twinge of apprehension as to what she may find inside. Taking a deep breath she entered and saw with a great deal of relief that her rooms looked just as they had when she'd left them. Erin headed to the bathroom where she took a quick, hot, shower. Pulling a bathrobe on and leaving a towel in her hair she plopped into a chair in front of the roaring fire. She sat quietly enjoying the warmth emanating from the fire, and her eyes closed as she began to ponder the events of the day before.

Erin was startled from her reverie by a loud, "Ahem!" and fell out of her chair with a squeak. Snape's head was floating in her fireplace!

"Calm down. It's perfectly normal," he began.

"How can it be normal?! Your head is in my freaking fireplace!" she shrieked.

Snape chuckled. "It's Floo Powder, it allows us to communicate without having to actually go to one another's rooms."

"Oh, sort of like a videophone." Erin was slowly being to comprehend this new type of communication, and slowly rose to her feet.

"A what?"

"Nevermind. It's just a futuristic Muggle way of communicating. So, did you just want to freak me out by floating your head in my fireplace, or did you have a particular reason for 'Flooing' me?"

"Oh, of course I have a reason. Dumbledore asked me to make sure you were coming to lunch. He says you need to keep up your strength."

Erin looked down at her blue terry cloth bathrobe. "Well, I hadn't actually planned on coming, but if Dumbledore wants me to, I guess I'll go get dressed." She sighed deeply.

"You could always come down in that. I'm sure it would cause quite a stir. Next thing you know all the girls in school will be wearing their dressing robes to meals as the latest fashion trend." He was trying to keep a straight face, but he was failing miserably.

"Well, as tempting as that is, I think I'll go get dressed. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Good," and with that his head disappeared. Any thoughts that their conversation had been a dream vanished, and Erin wondered how they should behave in public. Should they keep up the façade of hating one another, or should they openly act friendly? Sighing deeply, she decided to leave those worries until later, and left the room to get dressed.

Erin muttered obscenities to herself, as she dressed. She was annoyed at having to leave her rooms, after only just getting back to them. However, she dressed quickly and hurried on to the Great Hall.

As she entered, she plastered a smile on her face and flashed it at Dumbledore. He didn't seem to notice the annoyance that her eyes beheld, as he smiled back to her warmly. Instantly, Erin felt a twinge of guilt and pulled her eyes from his to look at the ground.

Upon arriving at her seat, Ginny brought Violet to her. "Was she any trouble?" Erin asked worriedly.

"No, of course not."

"Thank you so much for watching her, Ginny."

"Anytime," she said with a smile and returned to her seat. Erin cooed at Violet who curled up in her lap and went to sleep.

Reaching for some food, Erin began to eat methodically. Snape wasn't present and neither was Flitwick, so she didn't have anyone to talk to. She was rather annoyed that Snape had checked to see if she'd be at the meal, and yet he hadn't bothered to come down. After a few minutes, she realized that she wasn't very hungry. She put a few rolls in her robe pocket for later, put Violet in the other one, and left the Hall.

Wandering towards the castle entrance, she decided to go outside. She was assaulted at once by the brisk October air. It was colder than January in Florida, and she shuddered to think about the winter to come.

Erin began to stroll towards Hagrid's hut. He was puttering outside, and when he saw her he treated her to a big smile. "How're yeh feelin'?"

"Fine thanks."

"Is Violet with yeh?"

Hearing her name the kitten began to mew in Erin's pocket. As she extracted the kitten from her pocket, Erin smiled realizing how attached the big man was to the tiny kitten. "You feel much like babysitting?"

"I'd love ta," he said enthusiastically.

Erin left Violet for her visitation with Hagrid and began wandering along the edge of the Dark Forest. She was halfway between Hagrid's hut and the greenhouses when she heard a rustling coming from the trees.

Erin's heart leapt to her throat. She'd heard plenty of horror stories about the creatures in the Dark Forest. Werewolves, giant spiders, centaurs, and other things so terrible she'd blocked them from her memory. Erin took a quick survey of her surroundings. She was in plain view of the castle, but Hagrid probably couldn't see her from his hut. Erin took a few steps back from the forest and turned to face the creature emerging from its black depths.