In the End

Chapter 2: Conversations

Joanna avoided Severus for the next few weeks until she was approached by Professor Dumbledore and told that she would be meeting the rest of the Order at Grimmauld Place. Once there, she would escort the Weasleys, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger to platform nine and three-quarters later that morning and accompany them on the train ride to Hogwarts.

Dumbledore also requested that she talk to Harry before they left. He only gave her one piece of advice: be honest. She had no idea what to do with that, though.

So she and Severus trudged down to Hogsmeade (in complete and awkward silence) and Apparated to just outside of Headquarters in London. Personally, Joanna couldn't believe that Dumbledore would return Harry to the place his godfather had once lived. She wasn't the least bit surprised when, upon entering the house, her senses were immediately overcome with fear, sadness, hatred, and every other horrible emotion imaginable.

It was very early in the morning, but she and Severus still managed to arrive before the majority of the other members. Once inside, he disappeared from sight and she was left standing alone in the middle of the hallway, staring in horror at the dozens of house-elf heads that lined the wall.

Just then, a young witch with bubble-gum-pink hair strolled into the landing and spotted Joanna.

"Can I help you?" she said curiously.

"Er, yeah, I s'pose," Joanna replied. "I came here with Professor Snape...Dumbledore sent me. For the meeting, you know? Uh..." She was babbling but she couldn't shake off all the bad feelings this house gave her.

The young witch eyed her for several seconds before she broke out in a huge grin. "You're Joanna Kent, then? The new Potions professor at Hogwarts and the newest member of the Order?"

Joanna breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "That'd be me."

"I'm Tonks," grinned the dazzling witch. "What'd old Snapey do, leave you alone in the hall?"

"Yeah, well, you know Severus," Joanna said dryly. "He's not exactly known for his social graces," Joanna added with a wink.

Tonks pursed her lips but then laughed out loud. "I think I like you," she said, winking back. "Let me show you to the kitchen. It's where we hold our meetings."

Joanna followed Tonks into the kitchen and saw only a couple of people sitting around the table. She recognized almost every one of them.

"This is Emmeline Vance," said Tonks, gesturing to Joanna's former dorm mate, "and Remus Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Severus Snape, as you know, Hestia Jones, Bill and Charlie Weasley, and Fleur Delacour," she finished, motioning to a stunningly beautiful blond witch sitting next to Bill.

Flower of the court, Joanna thought with a small smile.

"Everyone, this is Joanna Kent," Tonks said. "Joanna, these are some of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Welcome to the club."

Joanna grinned weakly and felt a rather pronounced blush creep up her neck. Hoping to divert some of the attention she was getting, she plopped herself down in the nearest chair, hoping to just stare at her hands. The Order had other ideas, however. She was at once inundated with questions about who she was, where she came from, if she went to Hogwarts, and so forth. Fleur, on the other hand, was listening in on the conversations the whole time and noticed something familiar about Joanna's accent that the others did not.

"Joanna?" she asked sweetly.

The woman raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Comment allez-vous?" said Fleur. Joanna bit her lip, but decided the others might as well know.

"Je vais bien, merci. Et vous?"

"Ça va, merci. Étiez-vous née en France?"

"Oui," replied Joanna. "J'étais née près d'Avignon. J'ai trente-six ans."

Fleur nodded, looking thoughtful. "Avignon?"

"Ouais...Pourquoi?"

"Rien," Fleur replied quickly, flashing a brilliant smile. Joanna noticed that all the men in the room reacted quite strongly to this and it was then that she realized there was more to Fleur Delacour than meets the eye.

"Vous êtes une vélane, n'est-ce pas?" Joanna asked with a small smile playing on her lips.

Fleur smirked and replied with, "Oui, un quart. Ma grand-mère était une vélane."

"Ah," was all Joanna said. She looked around the room and noticed that everyone was gaping at her with wide eyes. "What?" she asked innocently.

*~*~*~*

The meeting lasted forever and a day, but the best part was when she met Fred and George Weasley, two of Molly and Arthur's sons and, apparently, the pranksters of the family. They had recently joined the Order (much to Molly's chagrin) and Joanna couldn't help but notice a startling similarity between these two boys and another set of twins that were in the original Order back in the 1970s.

"Mrs. Weasley?" she asked the matriarch after the meeting was over. The older woman turned around and smiled brightly when she saw Joanna.

"Yes, dear?"

Joanna grimaced. Must everyone call me 'dear'?

"Er, yes..." she began slowly, "I was wondering if Fred and George were named for their uncles."

Molly's smile slid from her face and was replaced with such a horribly sad expression that Joanna immediately regretted ever asking the question. Then, she smiled feebly at the younger woman in front of her.

"Yes," Molly said quietly, "they were named after my brothers, Gideon and Fabian..."

Arthur, sensing Molly's emotional instability, swooped down upon his distraught wife.

"It's best to let me handle this, Joanna," he said softly, and guided his wife away from the commotion and into the hallway.

"Joanna? I was wondering if I could have a word with you, perhaps?" asked Professor Dumbledore. After speaking softly with the Headmaster for several minutes and agreeing to what he suggested, Joanna went back over to the table fully set on engaging Severus in a conversation when the kitchen door banged open. Four teens walked in and eyed her suspiciously before sitting down at the table and helping themselves to some breakfast.

The rest of the Order quickly cleared out (including Severus, who had practically sprinted for the door and grunted a "See you on the train") and Joanna was left alone with the adolescents. She took a seat opposite and watched as the four silently ate their meal.

"Um, hello," Joanna said timidly. The bushy-haired girl looked up and gave her a half-smile.

"Hello," she responded. "Er, do we know you?"

Joanna chuckled. "I'm afraid not. I'm your new Potions teacher." That got the reaction she was hoping for as four forks clattered onto their plates and the teens raised their heads in surprise.

"I thought that'd peak an interest," she said wryly.

"Who are you?" the boy she knew was Harry asked bluntly. He then turned red when he realized that that might be interpreted as rude to some teachers, but Joanna didn't mind.

"Like I said, I'm your new Potions professor. My name is Joanna Kent."

The bushy-haired girl was studying her intently. "My name's Hermione Granger," she said abruptly.

"Ah, Miss Granger," Joanna said with a knowing smile. "I've heard many things about you. Professor Snape told me himself that you were incredibly talented in Potions." Hermione's jaw dropped and she turned a bright shade of red, muttering a "Thank you" along the way.

Joanna then turned her attention to the two red heads sitting in the middle. "And you two must be Ronald and Ginevra Weasley, correct?"

They nodded dumbly, but Ginevra spoke up, saying, "We prefer Ron and Ginny."

"Of course. Forgive me," Joanna said, smiling. She looked at Ginny and said, "You were named after your second cousin Angela, right?" Ginny blushed and nodded.

"She was a wonderful person," Joanna said, briefly losing herself in a memory. She then turned her attention to the scruffy-haired boy in glasses, who was staring blankly at his plate and emitting such a feeling of loneliness that it made Joanna's heart break.

Composing herself, she asked, "And you must be...?"

"Um, Harry Potter, ma'am," he said, giving her an odd look.

"Ah, hello Harry," Joanna said, determinedly not looking at his scar but instead staring right into his emerald green eyes...Lily's eyes...

"I heard a lot about you, Harry, especially from Sirius." The response was instantaneous--Harry stood up so quickly his chair fell over, and the two girls rose and backed slowly away, whereas Ron stayed near Harry, as if he would be needed to restrain the young boy at some point.

"Shut up," said Harry through clenched teeth.

"Sit down, Harry," Joanna said calmly. Turning to face the other three, she said, "Ladies? Gentleman? Will you excuse us for a moment?" Hermione and Ginny looked nervously at Harry, then nodded and dragged Ron out of the kitchen. Turning her attention back on Harry, Joanna repeated for him to sit down.

"No," he said angrily. "I'm leaving." He then stormed over to the door, but Joanna beat him to it. With the wave of her wand, the door sealed itself and Harry could not get it to open.

"Let me out," he growled.

Joanna sighed. "Harry, I do not wish to keep you a prisoner. I merely hoped to speak with you. I will not mention Sirius's name again, should you so desire, but I must discuss something with you. Please, will you sit down?"

He glared at her before stomping back over to the table and throwing himself into a chair. Joanna sighed and ran a hand through her hair. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Harry, I want to treat you like an adult, but I'm finding it very difficult to do right now with the way you're acting."

Harry glared at her again, but then his expression softened and he mumbled an apology.

"It's quite all right," she said. "Now let's see, where to begin...I suppose from the beginning would be the best:

"Harry, my name is not really Joanna Kent and I don't really look like this. I had to flee England after the first fall of Voldemort and was forced into assuming a new identity. Now, before you ask, no, I cannot tell you who I am. I'm sorry, Harry, but it's for my own good and has nothing to do with you. It's for my protection. Do you understand? I've heard that you hate not knowing things."

Harry nodded and Joanna continued. "I don't know if you can tell, but I am slightly older than I appear. I'm actually thirty-six, which means I was in the same year as your parents, among others. I was a friend of your mother's. Um, should you ever want to ask about her, you're more than welcome to seek me out." Harry nodded again but his eyes were glazed over somewhat.

"I was also very good friends with...other people," she added quietly. Harry raised his eyes and nodded, this time with more emphasis. He had caught on; it would be up to him to come to her when he was ready.

Moving on, Joanna said, "I was in Ravenclaw, by the way. I dunno," she muttered uncertainly. "I know what I'm not supposed to tell you, but I still feel like I'm leaving a lot of things out. Do you have any questions for me, Harry?"

He looked contemplative for a few moments, then asked, "What about Snape? Is he still teaching?"

Joanna winced. "Professor Snape. Ah, yes...Well, see--he's your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"WHAT?" he bellowed, standing up again. Joanna rubbed her temples, an old habit she picked up at Hogwarts when she was first developing her abilities.

"Harry," she said sternly, "sit, please." He glowered at her for a moment and then flung himself back into his chair.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine, trust me. Stop apologizing. If I'd had Severus Snape teaching me Defense, I'd have about the same reaction," she said with a gentle smile. Harry looked up at her in shock and let a small smile play on his lips.

"Yeah," he said hesitantly, "he's not the greatest teacher in the world."

Joanna smiled but did not reply. "That's one of the things I need to speak to you about, Harry. Dumbledore would like for you to resume your Occlumency lessons this year."

The young boy looked up sharply, but then slumped his shoulders dejectedly. "Of course he does," he muttered darkly.

"However," Joanna continued, "Professor Snape will no longer be your instructor." Harry's eyes widened at this and he let out a loud whoop of joy.

"Who will be then?" he asked excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore?"

"Ah, no, sorry Harry," she replied. "Um, it'll be me. I hope that's all right with you."

Harry looked at her shrewdly before smiling slightly. "Believe me," he said, "anyone's better than Snape."

Joanna grinned broadly. "I know exactly what you mean, Harry."

*~*~*~*

"HURRY UP, YOU LOT! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" bellowed the formidable voice of Mrs. Weasley. The result was instantaneous as four bodies hurled themselves down the rickety old stairs of number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

"Sorry, Mum," panted Ron. "Fred and George hid my prefect badge and wouldn't tell me where it was." Little did Ron know that the twins had charmed the badge to say something rather crude. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed Ron's hand, pulling him towards the door and causing his ears to turn bright red.

Smiling knowingly, Joanna watched as Harry and Ginny fumbled around each other as well.

"Did you make prefect this year, Miss Weasley?" she asked.

Ginny looked horrified at the idea. "Oh, Merlin no! Who'd want to be a prefect for?" Harry and Joanna chuckled at this and the two youths also went to stand by the front door. Remus brought up the rear.

"It's good to have you back," he whispered softly behind her. Turning around, she grinned broadly and enveloped the werewolf in a huge hug.

"It's good to be back." However, no sooner had those words left her mouth did her flesh start to crawl and Joanna quickly pulled away from Remus.

"I'm sorry," she said, biting her lip and looking down at the floor.

"It's all right, er, Joanna," he said softly. "I know that's not how you really feel."

Joanna felt a large lump form in her throat and she was about to apologize again when the hurricane known as Molly Weasley squalled by, ushering the group outside.

"How will we be getting to King's Cross?" Joanna asked, grateful for the distraction.

Remus grinned wolfishly and she suddenly felt very apprehensive.

*~*~*~*

Much to Joanna's dismay, the group took the Knight Bus to King's Cross Station. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who hated the bus since Ron and Harry were grumbling rather loudly about it the whole time.

The trip itself was uneventful, boring even, and they arrived some twenty minutes before the Hogwarts Express was to leave the station.

"All right," said Remus, taking control of the situation. "Tonks and I will be going in first, then Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron are to follow in that order. Kingsley and Joanna will bring up the rear and then the rest of the Weasleys will join us. Understood?" Four sets of heads nodded in agreement.

"Right then," said Remus, who then walked over to the barrier with Tonks, casually leaned against the brick wall, and fell smoothly through to the other side. The four students then dutifully followed, and finally, it was Joanna and Kingsley's turn.

Once reaching the platform, disturbing memories caught Joanna off guard as she found herself lost in a plethora of images that inundated her mind. It had been right before her third year when the Death Eaters had attacked platform nine and three-quarters and Joanna felt herself almost reliving that fateful day...

"You okay?" Kingsley asked suddenly, his face full of concern.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yes. Sorry," said Joanna as she felt a flush creep up her neck. "Just got caught up in a memory."

"I know what you mean." He smiled knowingly. "Come on, time to get on board. You and Severus will be escorting the students back to school and they need you on the train...now, it would appear."

Joanna nodded and bid farewell to the handsome Auror. Climbing into the front car of the train, she was once again overwhelmed with old memories she thought were long forgotten. Discreetly wiping her eyes, Joanna made her way to the front compartment, the prefect's car.

Upon entering, she spotted Severus sitting across the room wearing his trademark scowl. The Head Boy and Girl were already in the car, going over their notes and talking in hushed voices. Joanna situated herself by the door--her distance from Severus was just an added bonus, really.

After a few minutes, the Head Girl raised her head and gave Joanna a questioning look.

"Are you our new Defense professor?" she asked. Joanna shook her head no but did not elaborate any further.

Sensing she wasn't going to get any more answers, the pretty girl turned her attention back to the Head Boy sitting beside her.

Slowly, the rest of the prefects made their way into the car. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger saw Joanna and gave her some weak smiles, choosing to hover closer to her than to Severus. She was amused at Hermione's expression when she saw the Head Girl.

"Hello, Cho," she said stiffly. Ron eyed Hermione wearily.

Cho gave Hermione a small smile and said, "Erm, hello Hermione, Ron. How are you? How's Harry?"

"We're fine, Harry's fine," Hermione sniffed, then pulled Ron into a seat with her, effectively ending the conversation. Joanna raised an eyebrow and bit her lip to keep from laughing. She glanced at Severus and noticed that he was looking extremely bored and was still scowling away. Suddenly the train jerked forward and they were on their way to Hogwarts.

As soon as all the prefects had arrived, Cho and the Head Boy--Eric Muskins, a Hufflepuff--stood up and called the meeting to order.

An hour later, the meeting ended, and Joanna had spent the majority of that time glaring daggers at Draco Malfoy, who was holding court at the front of the car. As the prefects dispersed, she reluctantly made her way over to Severus.

"Ready to go on rounds?" she asked brightly, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. It didn't work. He gazed up at her from under carefully hooded eyes and gave a slight nod.

To say that their walk together was uncomfortable was like saying Remus Lupin got a little moody once a month. Finally, Joanna couldn't stand the tension anymore. She stomped her foot loudly and grabbed hold of Severus's arm (risking the contact) and spun him around to face her.

"What?" he asked irritably. Joanna narrowed her eyes dangerously and jerked him forward, causing him to stumble.

"What is it?" he hissed.

"Now you listen here," she snapped back loudly, "I'm sick and tired of this. We are both adults, are we not? And colleagues! We should be able to at least act professionally around one another, despite what ever may happen between us in our personal life."

Severus's eyes darkened dangerously and Joanna soon realized that holding a loud confrontation in the middle of a train full of teenagers wasn't exactly the greatest idea in the world. Heads were poking out of nearly all the compartments and were gaping at them in awe.

Glancing back at Severus, she saw that he was looking positively murderous. Joanna swallowed nervously but stood her ground nonetheless.

Leaning forward, he stuck his face into hers and snarled, "This conversation is over." He then whirled around and stormed down the corridor.

She just stood there dumbly before turning back around and snapping, "What are you all looking at?" The heads immediately disappeared from view and the rest of the train ride continued without incident.

*~*~*~*

Joanna sat at the Head Table in the Great Hall--next to Severus, damn it--trying desperately to ignore all the curious glances she kept getting from the students. She was failing spectacularly.

"They probably think you're the new Defense teacher," Severus murmured with maniacal glee. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when Dumbledore tells them that I am their new professor." He then snorted loudly and his lip curled into what some might consider a small smile.

Joanna was saved from retorting when the doors to the Hall swung open and McGonagall came striding in, leading a large group of terrified looking first years to the front of the room.

Upon reaching the table, the professor placed the beat-up Sorting Hat on a small stool and it promptly broke into a song:

"As I have said before,
During this time of conflict,
We must stand together,
To defeat our common foe.
I speak not of Lord Voldemort
But, instead, of the four Houses.
For years, I have sorted you,
Since the time of our great Founders.
Together, we are stronger and
Apart, we are divided.
But in these Dark years that are to come,
I beg you to heed my advice:
Should the Houses stand divided,
Then the Darkness shall prevail.
Just remember, for Gryffindor, it was his bravery
That made him so well known;
Lady Ravenclaw, it was her brilliance
And Beauty that the world admired;
Dear Madam Hufflepuff would never back down
From what she felt was right and just;
And Sir Slytherin, whose cunningness and
Cleverness is quite surpassed by his heir.
Though in the end, two were enemies,
In the beginning, they were all the best of friends.
Remember this, as I sort you,
That you are not just a House; but
Instead, you are a student
At the Great and Mighty Hogwarts!"

Joanna's wide eyes reflected the reaction of the students and staff perfectly. She hadn't heard the Sorting Hat give a warning like that since she was in school, during Voldemort's first reign of terror.

Leaning over to Severus, she muttered, "Does it always do that?"

Snape pursed his lips. "It warned us last year as well. Apparently the Houses are not getting along well enough to its liking," he sneered. Joanna raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back to the Hat, which was currently sitting on top of Phyllis Ackerley's head.

After the incredibly long sorting was finished, Dumbledore stood up and started his usual speech.

"Welcome, welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. For those of you who don't know, I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster at this fine institution," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"First off, Mr. Filch has reminded me to tell you that there is a rather long parchment sheet posted outside his office that lists all the products that are currently banned at school. He advises you all to have a good look at it this year. Apparently, quite a number of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are now included on that list...

"Second, I just want to give another reminder that the Forbidden Forest's name is not just for looks--it is, in fact, forbidden, so please, do at least try to stay away from it." Joanna noticed that his gaze lingered on the Gryffindor table before moving on.

"And finally," he continued with a small smile, "I would like to introduce to you your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor...Snape."

Severus's lip curled and Joanna struggled not to snort at the deafening silence that had overcome the Hall. Finally, the Slytherin table burst into a raucous applause, followed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff clapping politely. The older Gryffindors did not clap at all.

Dumbledore held up his hands and the Hall silenced. "Yes, yes, congratulations, Professor Snape," he said kindly. "Now I would like to introduce to you the new Potions teacher here at Hogwarts--Joanna Kent."

Joanna stood up quickly, bowed slightly, and sat right back down, her face crimson from all the looks she was getting. She received a lovely bland welcoming, but she really didn't care.

Soon after, Dumbledore exclaimed, "Tuck in!" and the students and professors were happily eating away. Eventually the students began to clear out and Joanna made her way back to her chambers. Once there, she pulled on her nightgown and collapsed into bed. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a long day.

*~*~*~*

Joanna sat behind her desk, bobbing her knee up and down anxiously and making a chew toy out of her quill. She didn't know why she was so nervous--she had been a teacher in France, for crying out loud. But for some reason, this was different. This was Hogwarts.

Her first class of the day was a double period in sixth-year N.E.W.T. level, which meant that the class was going to be integrated with all the Houses. Joanna was vaguely aware of a bell ringing in the background and jumped when the dungeon door slammed open and students started pouring in.

The class was smaller, since only students with an E or O could get into her class, but it still contained a fair amount of people. She was impressed, albeit reluctantly; she apparently hadn't been giving enough credit to Severus. After the final bell had rung and all the students were seated, Joanna called out the roll. She had ten students in her class:

Boot, Terrence Philip, Ravenclaw
Goldstein, Anthony Samuel, Ravenclaw
Granger, Hermione Jane, Gryffindor
Longbottom, Neville Frank, Gryffindor
Macmillan, Ernest Brock, Hufflepuff
Malfoy, Draco Augustus, Slytherin
Nott, Theodore Milton, Slytherin
Potter, Harry James, Gryffindor
Weasley, Ronald Bilius, Gryffindor
Zabini, Blaise Marcus, Slytherin

"All right class," she said with a broad smile. "Wands away, backs straight, and attention on me, please. Welcome to your first day of N.E.W.T. level Potions..."

An hour and a half later, class ended, much to the delight of the students. Professor Kent was a no-nonsense teacher, but still fair. Many were already comparing her to a younger (and prettier) version of Professor McGonagall.

The Slytherins, naturally, hated her.

"Mr. Potter? A word, if you will," Joanna said before he could get away. "You two can stay as well," she said, gesturing to Hermione and Ron, "but please close the door."

Turning her attention back to Harry, she spoke. "Harry, we need to start on your lessons as soon as possible. I would like to try this Thursday at nine o'clock in the evening. Is that all right with you?"

"Er, yeah, I s'pose," he replied indifferently.

"Harry," she said gently, "whatever goes on in this room will stay in this room, understood? I will never betray your confidences, not even with Professor Dumbledore, unless it specifically has something to do with Voldemort, and even then, I will ask your permission before doing so, okay? You and I have to build up trust and I can't do that if you think I'll betray you or hurt you or something."

Harry blinked a couple of times before nodding. "Yes, ma'am."

Joanna studied Harry for a minute and finally found the source of his reluctance to study Occlumency--Severus. "Harry," she said again. "I am not like Professor Snape when it comes to teaching you Occlumency. I promise you that, all right? I'm not asking you to trust me right away, but I am asking that you at least give me a shot. Please?"

Harry gave her a small but genuine smile and nodded his head again. "Yes, Professor. Thank you."

"You're most certainly welcome, Harry," she said kindly. "Now off to class, you three. If you're late, just tell your teacher that I kept you over and if they have any problems to take it up with me. Have a good day."

"Thank you, Professor," said Harry.

"Good day, Professor," said Ron and Hermione.

*~*~*~*

It was by far the longest day of her life, and that was saying something, considering she'd been in Troudemort for six months. But it was over, thank God, and after the day she'd had, all Joanna wanted to do was flop into bed and sleep for the next eight years. Nevertheless, she still had to go to dinner. She wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing Severus right now; heaven only knows what snide things he'd remark to her tonight.

Resignedly, Joanna dragged herself out of her chambers and shuffled into the Great Hall. Situating herself in her usual seat, she happily noted that Severus was absent. Not a second later, however, he came strolling into the Hall. Speak of the devil, she thought dryly.

"Good evening," he drawled once he reached the table and sat down--next to Joanna. "How was your first day as the, ah, Potions professor?"

Joanna pursed her lips and forced a smile. "It went all right, as far as I'm concerned," she said coolly.

"I've had quite a number of Slytherins come up to me today to tell me that you've been docking points from them in class. Is this true?" he sneered. Joanna turned in her seat and glared at him.

"I'll have you know that I do not dock points from students unless I feel it is absolutely necessary, unlike some people I know," she snapped. Wheeling back around, Joanna proceeded to ignore Severus for as long as possible...which wasn't for very long, it turned out.

Snape leaned over, getting as close to her as possible, and whispered, "I did not mean to criticize. To be perfectly honest, I've wanted to do that for years, but my...position prevents me from doing so." Joanna gave him a look of surprise. "But be warned," he continued, "that my students are not used to being punished, even by me. Hell, especially by me. Just remember, you are teaching some students whose parents are known Death Eaters. It would not be prudent to make any enemies--"

"I already have enemies," Joanna hissed. "Real, grown-up ones, too. I am not afraid of these children. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to eat my dinner in peace. Good day to you."

Snape stared at her in surprise. Clenching his jaw, Severus focused on his dinner plate and found that he was not hungry at all. He didn't know why this woman was getting to him so much, but he discovered, much to his chagrin, that he actually cared what she thought of him.

*~*~*~*

"All right, Harry," said Joanna. It was Thursday night and she and Harry were in the Potions classroom for their first session together. "Did you study Occlumency or Legilimency at all this summer?"

"No," he replied dully.

"That's okay," said Joanna. "I get the feeling it might as well be the first time for you, am I right?" she asked with a cheeky grin, garnering a small smile from Harry.

"First off, I'm going to assign you some reading," she said, pulling a large tattered book out of her desk titled Occlumency & Legilimency: All You Needed to Know but Were Afraid to Ask. "There are twenty-seven chapters in this book. I want you to read one chapter per week, okay? Or you can read more than one, I don't care. But you must read at least one a week. That's non-negotiable."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Second of all," she continued, "every single night you will meditate before going to bed. I'm going to teach you how to in a few moments. But you must do this, Harry." He nodded silently.

"And thirdly..." said Joanna, looking around the dark cold dungeon room, "we're going to get more comfortable." With several waves of her wand the room changed: plush pillows littered the floor in varying shades of red and blue; all the tables had disappeared; the fire in the hearth roared to life; and the ceiling was charmed to resemble that of the Great Hall's--Harry could see every star in the sky now.

"Whoa," he breathed.

"All right," said Joanna, "tonight we're going to learn how to meditate. Professor Snape was...gracious enough to tell me that you were unable to clear you mind at night last year. Can't imagine why," she muttered under her breath, and Harry grinned a little. He was beginning to like this woman.

"Anyway, pick a pillow and sit down," she requested. Harry plopped down onto the closest red one while Joanna chose to sit on a blue pillow.

"Cross your legs like this," she demonstrated, and Harry copied her movements. The candles in the room suddenly dimmed, making the atmosphere much more peaceful.

"Now Harry," she said softly. "Close your eyes and listen carefully to my voice. I want you to concentrate on my voice, and my voice only, nothing else. Now, go on, close your eyes--yes, there's a good lad.

"I want you to take a deep breath...Good. But breathe only through your nose. Now take another one...Very good. Once more...Excellent, Harry. Every night, you will begin your sessions by taking three very deep and slow breaths, all in a row. Once you're relaxed, I want you to envision a wall of something. Behind that wall are the memories you hold dearest and those you want no one to see. Now Harry, the wall you think about can be made of anything, anything at all. Think of something that is indestructible, a wall that Voldemort cannot break through...What are you thinking about?"

Harry was silent for several moments before replying, "I'm imagining...a stone wall, like the walls here at Hogwarts, a place I feel safe...the only place Voldemort would never dream of attacking..."

"That's perfect, Harry," said Joanna. "Absolutely perfect. Now, whenever you need to use Occlumency, I want you to envision that stone wall erecting itself in your mind, shielding and protecting your thoughts, emotions, and memories.

"Are they behind that wall now, Harry? All those thoughts you don't want me to see? Are they protected?"

"Yes," he murmured breathlessly. Joanna nodded and bit her lip; this was going to be the hardest part.

"Are you ready, Harry?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes..."

Joanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath herself. She then raised her wand at Harry and said, "Legilimens!"

She was immediately inundated with images of Harry playing Quidditch, Harry studying, Ron and Hermione bickering, Ginny lying still on a stone floor in some kind of chamber--

At that, Harry's stone wall immediately blocked her vision and she was forcefully pushed from his mind.

Joanna stumbled a bit off her pillow and when she looked up, she saw that Harry was breathing shallowly.

"That was wonderful, Harry!" she gushed. She'd never seen anyone who could expel a skilled Legilimens from his or her mind so quickly before. Seeing him blush and shake his head, Joanna said, "No--really, Harry. That was exactly what you want to do: give them something, but nothing really important. And when I went deeper into your mind and saw Miss Weasley, you blocked me and pushed me away. Well done!"

"Thank you," he said shyly. They continued doing this for the next hour before Joanna glanced at her watch and let out a little yelp.

"It's after ten! Time for you to go," she grinned. "Don't forget to meditate again before you go to bed, Harry. Every night, all right?"

Harry nodded. "Same time next week?" he asked.

"Yep. And I'll remember to ask Professor Dumbledore for his Pensieve next time."

"What?" Harry asked. "Oh right," he muttered. "For your memories."

Joanna furrowed her brow. What just happened here? "No, actually. It's for your memories. I already own a Pensieve. I thought you'd appreciate being able to get rid of some you didn't want me to see."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You--you'd do that for me?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Well, of course, Harry," Joanna said, shocked. Then her shoulders drooped when the realization struck her. "Professor Snape didn't do that for you, did he?"

Harry shook his head and a low growl escape from Joanna's throat. "Well, like I said before, everything that happens in this classroom will stay in this classroom. I am not Severus Snape, I promise you that. It's getting late. Off to bed you go."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Harry. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Joanna watched him leave and changed the room back into the usual Potions classroom. She ran a hand through her hair and came to a startling conclusion: Harry Potter was a natural Legilimens.

Damn.

*~*~*~*

Two months passed by as Joanna further settled into her teaching routine and became more accustomed to the changes the school had undergone since she had been a student. She and Severus did not exactly avoid each other, but they didn't exactly go out of their ways to see one another either. Joanna was beginning to wonder if he could avoid her for the entirety of the school year.

But today was Friday, October thirtieth, and it was the weekend. Scratch that--it was a Hogsmeade weekend. It was going to be wonderfully relaxing, especially since Joanna somehow had not been given patrol duty tomorrow, even though she was the newest member on staff. Grinning, Joanna strolled into the dungeons and then abruptly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Er, Severus?" she asked incredulously. He was just standing there, hovering by the door. Was he waiting for her? Must've done something to his precious Slytherins that pissed him off, she thought crossly. "What is it? What have I done this time?" she barked.

"I was wondering if I could speak privately with you about something," he said stiffly. If Joanna didn't know him any better, she'd say he was slightly nervous. But she did know Severus; everyone gets nervous at one point or another, but he never let it show. Feeling her anger ebb away, she nodded, muttered the password, and led him into her quarters.

"You didn't change the password," he noted.

"What? Oh, yeah. Well, I kind of like Rachat," Joanna murmured distractedly. "So what can I do for you, Severus?"

"There's something I would like to discuss with you," he said, his face devoid of emotion.

"What is it?" Joanna asked in an anxious voice. "Did something happen with Voldemort? Was there an attack? Is he planning an attack--?"

"This calling has nothing to do with the Dark Lord," Severus snapped impatiently.

Joanna formed the shape of an "o" with her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "Sorry. Please, what can I do for you?"

Running a hand over his face, he mumbled, "Wangotownwimemorro?"

Joanna blinked several times. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, 'Would you like to go to town with me tomorrow?'" he repeated testily. Joanna's eyes widened and her jaw hit the floor. Did Severus just ask her out...on a date?

"Like a date?" she said, still wide-eyed.

Severus stiffened. "I suppose it could be interpreted as such."

"Sure," Joanna blurted before her brain could even process the information. "Are you on patrol duty tomorrow?"

"Huh?" asked Severus, clearing caught off guard by her sudden answer.

Joanna grinned. "Are you on patrol duty tomorrow?" she repeated.

"Oh. Ah, no," he said formally. Joanna's smile broadened.

"Excellent," she said. "It'll be a proper date, then. What time?"

"Same time as the rest of the students leave. No one will be suspicious of two teachers walking together. They don't know our patrol schedules."

Joanna eyed him for a moment, wondering if he'd take the bait..."What? You don't want to be seen with me?" she asked doe-eyed.

"You know that is not what I meant," he said, betraying nothing. "No, it's just that with my position in the Order and among the students in Slytherin and what with their families--" He was babbling but this woman had the strange affect of flustering him. He hadn't felt this out of control of his emotions in...well, ever.

Joanna smiled gently and laid a hand on Severus's arm, sending shivers up his spine. "I was teasing," she said. "Trust me, I don't particularly fancy our...well, whatever this is, to be spread across this school like wildfire. I like my private affairs to be just that: private."

Severus nodded curtly. "Excellent. All right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning then. Good night, Joanna."

"Goodnight."

*~*~*~*

"Hello, Severus," said a husky, definitely feminine voice. Startled, he looked up from the essays he was grading to find Joanna standing in front of him...wearing nothing but a smile. His jaw immediately hit the floor.

"W-what are you doing here? Like that?" he stammered, gesturing wildly. Her grin grew wider, her stormy eyes became darker, and Severus's pants grew tighter.

"I just wanted to get a, ah, jump on things, you might say," Joanna said in a sultry voice. She then strutted around his desk, leaned down, and brushed her lips against his. A wave of pleasure coursed through Severus's body as her fingers played in his hair.

"You really are overdressed," she murmured as she nipped at his ear, causing him to shudder in pleasure. A second later, Severus was completely devoid of all clothes and he wondered vaguely where she learned to do wandless magic...But all semblance of reason was lost when her hands began to caress his torso, going lower and lower until...

"Ohhhh," he moaned against her lips. She pulled her lips away and gave him a wicked smile.

"Liked that, did you?" she asked, biting a lip. Panting, Severus only managed to nod before he captured her lips again and pulled her body down onto his.

"Severus..."

"Mmmm?"

"Severus."

"Yes...? Mmmm..."

"SEVERUS SNAPE!"

"Wha--?" Severus jerked forward and collided painfully with his desk. He'd fallen asleep while grading papers. Joanna was not in his office and they certainly were not doing what he'd been dreaming about, though the pressure in his pants tried to prove otherwise.

"Severus Snape!" bellowed the disembodied voice. Jumping out of his chair, he rushed to the fireplace and found Minerva's head sticking out from the flames.

"What is it?" he asked irritably, looking at the clock on the wall. It was 11:37 pm.

"Sorry about the time," she said, giving him an odd look, "but Albus wanted everyone to know that there is a mandatory faculty meeting Sunday evening after dinner. I was just passing along the message. Goodnight, Severus."

"Thank you, Minerva," he mumbled. "Goodnight." After McGonagall's head disappeared from the flames, Severus ran a nervous hand through his hair and glanced down. Biting his lip, he strolled into his bedroom and decided to do something he hadn't done in the better part of ten years: indulge himself.

*~*~*~*

A/N: Thank you to everyone for the reviews! I appreciate every single one I receive *hugs* Special thank you to Abigail for being an amazing beta! Comments? Questions? Let me know!

Here is the translation for the simplest French conversation in the history of the world:

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And you?"

"I'm all right. Were you born in France?"

"Yes. I was born near Avignon. I'm 36 years old."

"Avignon?"

"Yeah...Why?"

"Nothing."

"You're a veela, aren't you?"

"Yes, a quarter. My grandmother was a veela."