Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter…or Smarties…

A/N: This is the first time I have written anything fictional since the middle of high school (8 years), so to ease myself back in, we'll start with a short first chapter. They'll get longer as we go on.

"But...I don't need an assistant."

Severus Snape was seated at his desk in his office residing in the dungeons of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was staring incredulously at the tall, much older wizard standing across from him. It was the night before the new semester, and the Headmaster had just given him some terribly frightening news.

"Yes, well, this is just a test-run," explained Albus Dumbledore with a barely-there sigh. "After last year's...mishap...with our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, we believe it may do the school well to ensure that any future prospective teachers are trained and ready for whatever lies ahead of them."

"That man was a dullard to begin with. I mean he could barely tell a werewolf from a vampire. He was not fit for teaching that subject, or...anything really," Severus exclaimed, rolling his eyes. Really, Dumbledore messed up big time by not choosing him, Severus, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Which is exactly why it is imperative that we train our future leaders of the wizarding world first before thrusting them into situations they are not yet ready to handle. Or their families. That poor woman's face as she had to bury her son's leg and arm…" Dumbledore trailed off, staring wistfully at nothing in particular.

"But...I don't need an assistant."

Dumbledore snapped his attention back to Severus and clapped his hands. "Too late! We have already interviewed and set up your new assistant over the summer." His eyes twinkled as he looked at the thin, brooding man sitting in his chair, looking more like a sulking child than the man of twenty-three that he was.

Only three years into teaching, and already Severus felt like he was worn out and ready for retirement. He worked alone. He knew just how he liked to set up his workspace. He knew where everything was in his office, storeroom, and classroom. He did not want someone coming in and screwing it up.

"Fine. Seeing as I really have no choice, when will they be here?" he asked the Headmaster, as his inner tantrum raged on within his brain.

"Fifteen minutes ago. I do believe they seem to be running a tad late," Dumbledore tutted.

Because that is exactly what Severus needed- an assistant that doesn't even have the common decency to show up on time.

Just as he was about to criticize Dumbledore for his faulty hiring skills, Severus tilted in his chair to look past the bearded wizard. He heard the sound of footsteps. Running footsteps. Footsteps that gradually grew louder, until, with almost a comical screech!, they stopped right outside his door.

Severus glanced back at Dumbledore, who simply remained standing in front of his desk with the hint of a smile upon his face and twinkle in his clear, blue eyes.

The door flew open and the shape of a body, silhouetted by the torch light in the corridor, emerged. The being, who Severus could only assume was his brand new assistant, flung themselves into his study and halted next to Dumbledore, wheezing and gasping for breath. "M-my apologies for my tardiness, Professors," they gasped.

Before Severus stood a young woman, of average height and average weight. Her hair, which was cut to a medium length bob ending at the middle of her neck, was auburn in color, albeit more on the brown side than the red side. Her skin was clear and pale, and her eyes would have been seen as conventionally "pretty" to the general population, if it were not for her heavy lids. Severus felt this matched perfectly with her tardiness, as her eyes gave him the impression of extreme laziness. Her robes, made of a deep purple material, were not brand new, but not tattered either. They appeared slightly too large for her frame, again, accentuating her slouchy, dead-beat "aura". If Severus were like any other hot-blooded male, he may have claimed that they "really did nothing for her figure." He was not like any other hot-blooded male, though, and simply thought it was unprofessional.

The only possible remarkable thing about her, was her eye color. In the murky study they appeared to be brown; yet, when the light from the candle upon the desk caught her face, her eyes shone with an amber, almost orange, fire. For a brief moment, he was startled by them.

This still did not make up for her overall laid-back, slacker appearance. Unsurprisingly, Severus was not impressed.

He sat straight in his chair and clasped his hands on top of his desk. He tried, with extreme difficulty, to make his face expressionless; however, his outrage at the fact that this person would dare be late to their first meeting, crept onto his face. His eye began to twitch and his knuckles turned white. Whether the woman saw this or not, she didn't seem to care. She was too busy trying to regain her breath, with her hands on her knees and beads of sweat (Oh, disgusting) falling onto the flagstone floor. Severus flicked his black eyes back to Dumbledore, as if he would be able to explain her behavior.

Instead, Dumbledore gave a soft chuckle and said, "May I introduce you to your new assistant? Severus Snape, this is Nora Springer." At the mention of her name, Nora shot straight up and flashed a smile. "She graduated this past year at the top of her class in both Potions and Arithmancy. I do believe you two shall make an extraordinary team and I hope that Miss Springer here will leave with much more knowledge about teaching than when she arrived, and able to take on whatever students may throw at her...figuratively and literally."

Severus stared at Dumbledore. "...Really?" No way she was at the top of her class.

He heard a tiny cough and slowly fixed his cool gaze upon Nora.

"I- I know I may not look like it -," she started.

"Noo…"

"But, I swear I am totally ready to take on whatever you have set for me!" she continued on. "Also, I promise...no, I swear, I will never be late again. I was just so nervous and I ran into Peeves on the way here and -"

Severus raised his hand to cut her off. "No excuses. I won't stand for them. You are responsible for all of your actions and must receive the consequences without complaint as they are served to you. Do you understand?" Nora nodded furiously. "Be in my classroom tomorrow at 7:30 AM sharp. We will discuss your duties then."

The whole time, Nora had been standing straight as a board, as if she were being lectured by a drill sergeant instead of a professor who was only a mere five years her senior. Her smile that was once so large upon introduction, gradually shrank as Severus spoke, before finally being reduced to a grimace. Once he finished his speech, it took several seconds for her to find the courage to speak to this somewhat foreboding figure. "Understood, Professor. Again, I apologize, and I will definitely prove you wrong of any doubts you may have of me."

Dumbledore, who during this exchange, had busied himself with examining the various preserved organs and odds and ends of creatures in jars along the walls, focused his attention on the two young people in the office.

"I couldn't have asked for a better introductory meeting myself. May I suggest we move this party to a more warm and lively location? I just procured a new Muggle sweet called a "Smartie". Miss Springer can tell us some more of her stories back from her schooldays. The ones she told to me during the interview process were quite thrilling."

Severus cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, Sir, I have to spend the night drawing up my class plans and also an outline for Miss Springer's duties tonight," he said. "As much as I would like to hear her riveting tales of adventure, I must regrettably pass." Please, leave before I have her thrown off the grounds.

"Ever the workaholic, Severus. You should really try to unwind some, don't you think? Come along, Miss Springer. Tell me again how our former Professor Slughorn slipped on a Horned Slug in your third year. I do quite enjoy hearing it."

Nora gave a small bow to Severus and exited his office with Dumbledore, regaling the Headmaster with tales of her time as a Hogwarts student. Severus on the other hand, practically ran to the door and slammed it shut as soon as they stepped foot into the corridor. With a heavy sigh, he ran his hand through his curtain of black hair and wondered where to even begin. He would have to think of a way to keep her busy and away from him for the majority of class time and after, if possible.

He fell into his chair and, grabbing his quill, began to outline his to-do list for the next week. He hardly slept anyway.

A/N: My goal for this is to be a slow simmering romance with plenty of silly antics thrown in. Maybe some drama!?