-1Severus Snape sighed. He had just finished putting his potion ingredients back in a precise order. Scanning the shelves with his dark eyes, he felt relieved; he had spent almost the entire summer devoting himself to the chore.

The moment he turned away from the shelves, a knock had come from the door of his classroom. "Enter," he said with a hint of sternness. Opening the door was the Headmaster himself, Albus Dumbledore. He was dressed in steel blue robes, and his half-moon spectacles sat upon his crooked nose; and yet, a gleam in his ever-young eyes hinted to Severus that he was to tell him something rather amusing.

I've no time for jokes, Dumbledore, he thought.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore spoke with his usual joyous tone. "I see you've completed the organizing of your stores. Not a feat easily achieved, I daresay."

"Thank you, Headmaster. But I suspect that you did not just come all the way to the dungeons to congratulate me," Severus said, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"No, I am afraid not, Severus. You see, I wanted to let you know that we've found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor."

Severus' stomach contorted itself, as if being engulfed with a dangerous acid. "Oh? Well then good for them," he said, the bitterness obviously present in his voice. For almost ten years, he's been denied the always vacant post of Defense Against the Dark Arts; and he knew precisely why. Albus Dumbledore did not trust him.

"The man who I've hired for the job was Remus Lupin. You remember him from your schooldays, I expect?"

Oh yes, how could I forget that unforgivable git. He did, of course, attempt to kill me in our sixth year.

"I do, Headmaster. But…what about his condition?"

"Yes, yes, I do have that taken care of. As you may remember, Damocles Belby recently invented a potion that eases the symptoms of lycanthropy. I was wondering if you would be willing to make this complicated potion, at least once a month." The usual gleam in Dumbledore's eye vanished suddenly.

Severus hesitated for a moment. Dumbledore's trust was what he craved. Turning down this request could possibly taint the Headmaster's feelings towards him. "Of course, Headmaster. I can prepare the potion for him. It'll be no trouble, none at all."

"Excellent, excellent!" the Headmaster exclaimed, the light in his eye returning. Clasping a hand onto Severus' shoulder, he said, "I know I can always depend on you, Severus."

Just as Dumbledore turned toward the door to leave, he look around at him again. "Oh, and if you haven't heard, Bathsheba has retired, due to ill health. So, that left me needing to find a new Ancient Runes instructor."

"Did you find one, Headmaster?" Severus asked, trying to hurry up the conversation so that he could be left alone to himself.

"Yes, I did. You do remember Audrea Burke, I suppose? She was a few years lower than yourself, a Ravenclaw?"

"Y-Yes sir…I do." Severus felt a bit sick. Maybe it was time to retire like Professor Babbling, too?

"Well, if I have done some research on Miss Burke, and she seems to have been an excellent student in Ancient Runes. I contacted her earlier last week, and she accepted the job."

"Oh…well then, Headmaster…"

"And I expect that you will treat Miss Burke as kindly as you treat all of your other co-workers."

"Yes, sir."

"Well with that said, I will leave you to yourself, Severus." And with that, Dumbledore turned around, and exited the dungeon classroom.

Severus had to find a chair. Seating himself at his desk, he took a deep breath. Audrea Burke, better known as Audrey, was going to work here this year. And who knows how long after that? Opening a drawer to his desk, he pulled out a picture. In the picture were two girls, one was clearly a bit older than the other. The one on the left was smiling shyly, her hazel eyes gleaming in the sunlight overhead; on the right was a girl with dark red hair, and brilliant green eyes, clearly laughing.

"Lily," he whispered, tracing the photo, eyeing the older girl, the redhead.

Then, his eyes shifted to the younger girl with chocolate brown hair. "Audrey."