Bright sunlight speared through the curtains and blinds of the bedroom window onto the sleeping figure. Brows furrowed together and Harry buried his face into the pillow. But soon he found going back to sleep would be fruitless. With a sigh, Harry propped himself up, and blinked blearily at his alarm clock. He groped for his glasses as he tried to bring the fuzzy world into focus. A yawn nearly cracked his jaw as he slipped the glasses into place. The clock came into focus, 9:45. With another sigh, Harry crawled out of bed and headed into the living room. 

From the kitchen, he could hear soft giggles and the sound of bells gently ringing. Quietly, he poked his head into the kitchen for a brief moment to see small pixie creatures laughing to themselves as they munched on the sugar cubes Harry had left out overnight. They swayed drunkenly as they rode their sugar high. Next to the open kitchen window, a large barn owl slept on a perch. Harry couldn’t help but to sigh despondently. Guess he was going to have to firecall McGonagall instead. 

With a flick of a wrist as he turned from the kitchen, the fireplace between the living room and dining room flared to life with a small fire. With another flick of the wrist, Harry summoned the jar of floo powder into his waiting hand. He stepped up to the quietly burning fireplace and with a small fistful of the powder tossed it into the blaze. As it flared a bright green, Harry knelt down to the floor. “Professor McGonagall’s office, Hogwarts.” and took a deep breath before he placed his head into the flames.

“Oh! Mr. Potter!” a surprised Scottish accent reached Harry’s ears. 

“Good Morning Professor. Sorry to call so early, I found my owl to be rather busy at the moment.” He wouldn’t necessarily call the bird busy, but waking the stubborn thing would prove difficult if Harry tried to wake him before noon. ‘Lazy bird.’ Harry thought as McGonagall approached her fireplace. 

    “Oh, not at all Mr. Potter. How can I help you?” she smiled at Harry and he felt himself relax a bit. He had been dreading talking to his former Head of House.

    “I was actually hoping you were free for an hour or so. I wanted to talk about the teaching position you offered me. If it’s still open?”

   

    “Absolutely, give me 10 minutes Mr. Potter to draw up a contract and I’ll be right over!” Harry simply nodded and pulled his head out of the flames. He coughed out some smoke and he stood up from his floor. He walked into the kitchen and pulled together a few teacups, put a kettle on to boil, and set the small dining table. Jareth, the lazy bird, had barely twitched a feather with the noise Harry was making. The pixies were still giggling at each other over the sugar cubes. Not wanting to disturb them, Harry simply pulled down a new box and set it on the table. 

Several moments later, Professor McGonagall was stepping out of his fireplace with a gust of ash and green flame. She smiled at the sight of the teacups and moved to take a seat. Her eyes spotted the pixies twirling on Harry’s counter top, but kept her opinion to herself. Just merely raised her eyebrows in surprise. The kettle began to whistle, finally startling Jareth from his sleep. He screeched at Harry as he passed the owl. “Hush Jareth, you know this is around the time I begin my day.” Harry sighed at the bird as he gathered the kettle and a few teabags.

“Odd name for an owl.” McGonagall pointed out quietly. Harry shrugged as he poured the steaming water into her cup.

“It was an old fairytale I came across about a year or so ago. Bloody bird is dramatic enough to be named after the Goblin King. He has somehow convinced himself he is royalty and that his sleep schedule should be the rule of the house.” Harry offered her a few teabags to choose from and she placed one in her cup.

    “I know an owl who is quite the same, actually.” she sipped the tea quietly after she had let it steep for a moment. “Now, about this contract Mr. Potter, I will mention that in the time that you are teaching Defense Against, that you will be shadowing another teacher during the semester.”

    “I expected nothing less from you Headmistress. I assume you already have a professor in mind?” Harry took a small sip of his own tea and glanced up at McGonagall, who was looking pointedly into her tea cup. “From that look, I would say you do.” Harry spoke after he set his tea cup down.

“I actually do, Mr. Potter.” She placed the cup back on its saucer and folded her hands on the table. “Though, I will also say, they requested this as well.” That caught Harry’s attention, he leaned towards McGonagall in curiosity. He watched as McGonagall pursed her lips in thought then sighed. “I find myself unable to decide to tell you now, or just let them show up at your doorstep.” She pulled out a small scroll of parchment paper from her robes. “But enough of that, let’s discuss your contract Mr. Potter.” 

Carefully, she unscrolled the parchment across Harry’s coffee table. Her beautiful handwriting was scrawled on the page and Harry had to hide a small smile. It had been a long time since he had first laid eyes on her writing. On his own Hogwarts letter no doubt. “Feeling nostalgic Harry?” she asked softly, and Harry glanced up from the parchment to her smiling softly as well.

“Just a bit.” he agreed with a wry smile. “So, do we need a witness or…?” he trailed off unsure. McGonagall laughed softly. 

“Not at all Mr. Potter. This is just an agreement between employee and employer. There’s nothing overly legal about this proceeding. It’s just going over what we expect of you as an educator and colleague, your lodgings during your stay at the school, and other minor details regarding your job.” She passed him the scroll to look over. “If you find anything that’s not to your approval, point it out and we can try to come to an agreement.” she picked up her teacup again to cradle it between her hands.

Carefully, Harry read through the words scribbled out before him. It all seem pretty standard for having to teach the students of Hogwarts. Until something caught his eye. "I get my own office?"

"All teachers get their own office Mr. Potter. Though the situation is possibly temporary, nonetheless you will get the same privileges and space as the rest of the faculty."

Harry merely nodded at this and continued reading. He couldn't find any reason to turn the contract down. Everything was in clear and precise wording. No hidden intent, just all there in ink on parchment. Quietly, he picked up his quill and dipped it into the inkwell McGonagall had placed while he was reading. 

"Do you have any questions Mr. Potter?" He glanced up at his former head of house.

"No, I don't believe so." And with a slightly shaking hand, signed his name at the bottom of the paper. He passed it all back to his now employer and watched as she signed next to his signature.

"There!" She spelled the ink dry and rolled it up nearly. "I'll send Severus to you in a week so he may take you to Diagon Alley to retrieve what you need for your curriculum. I'll see you in a month, Mr. Potter. Welcome back to Hogwarts." With that, Minerva stood up and stepped back into the fireplace and was gone in a flash of green fire. Harry sat still at his table, just staring at the empty seat. She failed to mention that Snape would be the one to help him.

Harry sat back in the chair and ran a hand over his face. Too late, he had already signed the damn scroll. Getting up, he stood at the sliding glass door to the open yard and flourishing gardens. Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower while the pixies danced around them giggling. 

Speaking of pixies, Harry turned to find the sugar-drunk pixies gone as well as the sugar cubes. He sighed and shook his head. Joanne would be pleased to hear about him taking the job and probably would need to go shopping.

He stepped into his biker boots and grabbed a small bag that was hanging by the door. He spelled the door closed and reset the wards for the day. Once he felt safe to leave he started on the gravel path to his landlord's house. 

The repeated crunch of the gravel beneath his boots lulled him into replaying the conversation with McGonagall. She had mentioned that a professor had volunteered to show Harry how to teach. Snape was coming to his home. Snape was the one who was going to get him started with his curriculum. Had Snape been the one to volunteer?

The thought alone made Harry pause in his next step. He stared out into the middle distance with the road stretched out before him. Snape had volunteered to mentor him. Willingly volunteered, and something about that statement, Harry found hard to wrap his head around. 

Deciding that he definitely needed to talk to Joanne, he kept moving forward. He needed an outsider's point of view on all this, he was too close and in some ways still jaded when it came to Snape. Harry knew it was all just a cover, but a part of him still twinged at the memories of being verbally berated by the older man, which led to memories of the Occlumency lessons. Harry tried not to break out in a cold sweat with those mental images. No, he was decidedly too close to the situation to have a level opinon on the whole thing.

As he got closer to Joanne’s home, he noticed she was standing at the edge of her driveway with another woman, and Harry could barely keep the smile off his face as he approached. “Joanne!” He called and the two women turned and he jogged up to meet them. The woman with Joanne was a few years older than Harry. Her long and fair hair was tied into an intricate braid with flowers woven through the shiny tresses. It sat stark against her tanned skin, and in the full morning sun, she looked almost ethereal. 

“Harry!’ she chirped and hugged him before Joanne could make the move. She smelled like incense and various spices and herbs. Her hazel eyes glittered in the morning light. “I’m so glad I get to see you while I’m here!” 

“I’m glad to get to see you as well Reika. How’s the trip going so far?” she pulled away and Joanne swooped in for a hug from Harry.

“Well, I can’t complain.” she smiled as she took Joanne’s hand when she stepped away from Harry. “I wanted to come back for a few days, the band and I needed a break, and I’m suddenly hoping the tour ends soon.” she kissed Joanne’s cheek who beamed under the attention. 

“Don’t end the tour early on my account. I have plenty to keep me busy darling.” Joanne patted Reika’s hand and pulled Harry into her free arm. “After all, Mr. Potter here could be taking a teaching job! So someone will need to keep the house tidy while he’s gone.”

Reika looked passed Joanne to Harry with her eyebrows raised. “Harry, are you really considering taking a teaching job?”

Harry ducked his head that the two pairs of eyes watching him and a shy smile graced his lips. “I’m more than considering the job. In fact, I signed the contract just a few moments ago.” The sound of joyous voices lifted to the morning sky and Harry found himself being scooped up by the two women only to be sandwiched between them and they cooed their well wishes and pride into his ears and hair.

“Oh, Harry. I am absolutely thrilled you took the job. I think it’s exactly what you needed.” Joanne let him go and patted his shoulders. “When do you leave?”

“Snape will be here next week to help me get what I need for classes and will teach me how to set up a curriculum.” and the name of Snape Joanne gave him a surprised look.

“The Professor Snape coming to our tiny town?” her smile wavered a tad and somehow Harry knew what the next question was going to be. “And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know.” Harry shuffled some gravel beneath his boots as they began walking towards the town. “Minerva told me he volunteered to be my teaching mentor. And I can’t help but feel confused.”

“Perhaps,” Joanne spoke slowly. “He needs closure from the war as much as you do. You saved his life Harry. That changes a man, no matter how you look at it. Perhaps doing this is his way of repaying you.”

“There’s nothing to repay!” Harry kicked a larger stone down the street. “I did what I thought was right at that moment. He was dying and I had the means to save him. He’s saved me loads of times before this. Even if I didn’t know about them.” 

“Be that as it may Harry.” Reika spoke up softly. “He may have questions or maybe doubts surrounding that incident. He may not so much as look at this as repayment but maybe a way to get answers. Perhaps he may gleam off your reasons by just seeing how you handle under his mentoring.”  

“Reika may be right about that.” Joanne patted Harry’s hand. “There may be a thousand different reasons to decide to step forward to be your mentor. I highly doubt any of those reasons are negative, Harry. Perhaps if you ask him why he may enlighten you to his motives. But you can’t be suspicious of the poor man.”

Harry bit his lip as he tried to soak all it in. This was why he sought out Joanne over matters like this. She always gave him a new perspective to look at. Tried to show him that there was more than what he could see and process. “Is it weird that I don’t want to let him down? But at the same time hope he’s just his usual git self?”

Joanne and Reika laughed softly at that. “You want to see him in a way you're used to.” Reika sighed with a smile still on her face. “Why are you so afraid to see this man any differently than you have in the past? You’ve seen the man when he was dying and bleeding out between your fingers. He gave you his memories, any of that should have changed how you see him.”

“And it did.” Harry sighed and looked up at the clouds passing over their small group. “But sometimes I worry he’ll treat me like nothing has changed. I’ll always be James’ son in his eyes. I don’t want to be that. I just want to be me.” When a long stretrch of silence followed Harry had to look to his right to see both Joanne and Reika looking at him with matching fond expressions. “What?”

“You’re concerned about what he thinks of you.” Reika’s face beamed with a wide smile.

“Harry also worries if Snape blames him for saving his life. The poor boy is so riddled with guilt and worry.” Joanne added sagely as they passed the first small shops of their little downtown.

“What else can I do to impress upon him that I just want to be Harry Potter? I would take anything from that man, but I’m not sure if I could take outright cruel spite. Not again.” he paused outside the Runes and Relics Shoppe and could only sag his shoulders slightly.

“Give him a chance Harry, he may surprise you.” Joanne patted him on the shoulder and he opened the door for her. “Want to get some warding for your house while you’re gone?” she asked as he followed her and Reika into the store. 

“If the Defense position is still cursed, I’ll need all the help I can get. I’m less worried about the house and more concerned about the office and the classroom.” Harry glanced around the shop looking at anything that might catch his eye to help with curse breaking.

“Why not just hire a Curse Breaker?” Reika lifted a crystal that was nearly the size of her hand. She held to the light, and rainbow colors spilled on her darker skin and fair hair. 

“The only Curse Breaker I know and trust is retired in France with his wife. I really don’t want to call him all the way to Scotland if I can help it. So, that means I’m on my own.” Joanne shot a scornful look and Harry added sheepishly. “Sort of. I don’t really know what I’m dealing with.”

A young man stepped out onto the upstairs landing and waved at them. A wide smile stretched his youthful face and Harry waved back as the youth took the stairs down nearly two at a time. “Harry, Joanne, Reika! Welcome back!” He was a few inches shorter than Harry, his nut brown hair was wild and windswept. It bounced with nearly every step he took. Freckles were scattered on his nose and cheeks like constellations. Reika stepped forward to embrace the teen.

“Chase! You’ve gotten so tall since I last saw you!” her laughter filled the shop and Harry saw Chase flush under the single minded attention. “When did you come back to town?” she held Chase out at arm’s length, still grinning ear to ear. At this, Chase’s smile faltered.

“Mom wasn’t doing too well and Luvia didn’t want me to keep living there. So, I’m moving here to help my sister with the shop in the summer and finish my schooling the rest of the year.” Joanne hugged the teen before Reika could pull him again. 

“Well, at least you’re here now.” The women stepped back and Harry had found himself drawn further into the store but not quite out of ear shot. “What school did your sister get you enrolled into?”

“Hogwarts, I think. Durmstrang was too far, and Luvia wanted me closer to here in case something happened.” At that, Harry turned to the teen.

“Hogwarts? Really?” Chase turned to him with another smile on his face. Though now, Harry could see through the fragile cracks.

“Yeah! She heard it was a great school and wanted me to get a proper education. Nothing against Illvermorny, but sometimes mom wouldn’t want to take me to get supplies. And not to mention, I missed a whole year which is why I’m living here now.”

“She heard right, Hogwarts is a great school. Lucky for you, I’ll be one of your teachers this year.” Harry smiled wanly at the teen as he brushed a finger against a dusty tome to read the title. ‘The Magi Opus’, definitely not what he was looking for.

“Then I’m looking forward to this school year! But I’m sorry to take up your time, did you need anything?” Chase watched Harry browse, and the older man nodded.  

“Is Luvia here? I might need a recommendation on curse breaking.” At Chase’s startled expression Harry quickly added. “It’s not for me personally. And it’s quite a long story, but no one is in any danger.” Chase let out a swift breath of relief then nodded quickly.

“Yeah, she’s here. Just go up the stairs, first doorway to your left. I think she’s doing her inventory count for our next shipment.” Harry nodded his thanks and quickly climbed up the stairs to the sounds of Chase, Reika, and Joanne chatting quietly in the shop below. 

Harry stepped into a room that was filled with boxes, merchandise, and books. It was rather cramped but there was enough room to maneuver around. In the furthest part of the room, Harry heard a woman muttering to herself as the sound of moving boxes scraped against the counters. “Luvia? Have you got a minute?” There was a startled sound and a rather frazzled looking woman looked above the stacks of boxes. She was nearly Harry’s age, maybe a year or so older. Her nut brown hair was pulled into a haphazard bun. Stray strands of hair curled and fell in her face. Blue eyes stared at green and Harry was about to speak again when Luvia waved her hand.

“Harry. Sorry, my inventory is a little…” she trailed off as he looked over all the boxes. “Well, you know.” she waved to the stacks filling the room. “I hate to ask this, but I need to make the order before I leave the shop for the day. Ask your questions and help with this would you?” she held out a clipboard and a quill. Silently, Harry took them and muttered an enchantment. The quill sprang to life and dipped itself in the large inkpot between them. Luvia’s own quill was scratching away as Luvia began to mutter numbers and items at it.

“What do you know of jinxes and curses?” Harry asked as he opened the first box. He counted out the items to the quill and the contents.

“Depends on the jinx and the curse.” Luvia responded after he finished muttering to her own floating quill. “What kind of jinx or curse are we talking about?”

“One that affects a teaching position.” Luvia nearly dropped the item in her hand in surprise. “I’m starting a job at a school that has never been able to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for more than a year. I was hoping you heard of something like that?”

“It’s an unusual jinx, I can tell you that. But it’s not unheard of. I have found evidence of similar jinxes in historical readings. Though it was the seat of a ruler, or even a position in court. Why a teaching position?” Luvia moved on to another box.

“That’s the thing. I don’t know. I’m not even sure if it’s actually cursed. But I want to cover all my bases before I try and teach for a school year.” Harry placed the lid of the box he finished and grabbed another one by Luvia. 

“Trust your gut Harry. If something is making you feel off, there’s a reason for it. Is the person who cast the spell dead? That’s usually a sure fire way to break the jinx or curse.” Then Luvia paused. “But you aren’t even sure if it’s cursed in the first place. Forget I asked that. Walk me through what you do know.” 

So Harry did, from his first year at Hogwarts with Quirrell all the way to his sixth year with Snape. And through it all, they worked through their boxes, Luvia only interjecting to ask questions or to clarify information. 

"I will admit, that sounds pretty cursed. But it also could be chalked up to poor hiring habits." Luvia was leaning against the table to stretch her back. "However, the fact it was so constant and there's almost a clear pattern really makes me wonder if it's a true curse." Harry placed a lid on another completed box. He leaned his full weight on his arms atop the table.

"I just want to make sure me and my students are safe. I don't want to take any chances with this Luvia." 

Luvia nodded. "No, I completely agree with you on this, Harry. But without you being in the epicenter, I have no idea what you'll need. Or if you even need anything. At the worst, the curse is still there. But, if the curse has been broken, you may just have to cleanse the space. Who knows what those former teachers left behind, and if any of them fully believed in this curse it could have manifested in a different way." 

"That's what I was afraid of." Harry sighed and opened another box. "Are you by any chance connected to the floo network?"

"Of course I am. And if you need anything, you can just floo or firecall me. I'll get you what you need." Luvia opened a new box and sighed. "Thanks for the help Harry. Chase has been too excited about the new school to help me focus."

"It's no problem. I got the answers I needed. Though, I'll let you in on a secret. If you want Chase to get the best supplies, get them as early as you can. Don't wait too long." Harry smiled at her softly. "Take it from a teacher." 

"Are you teaching at the same school I enrolled Chase into?" Luvia counted under breath.

"Yeah, I'll be teaching him Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's 15 right?" Luvia nodded, relief making her sag into herself.

"Yeah, though he'll probably have to redo his fourth year since he missed it." 

"Don't worry about it too much. Hogwarts offers tutoring and any additional classes to help him catch up to his peers. Does he have a wand?"

At this Luvia paled a bit. "No, Rita broke his wand in a fit. I have to try and find him a new one." 

"Ollivander's." Harry said without missing a beat. "His shop was where I got my wand. It should be the best place to get Chase a new wand."

"Thanks Harry." Her voice wavered and turned shaky with tears. "You've been so kind since you moved here. Turned into a real pillar of our community." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and took another shaky breath.

"As soon as I hear about school supplies, I'll send you a letter. Everything you'll need can be found in Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blotts for books. I'll ask Severus where he recommends getting cauldrons and aside from quills, stationary, spell-o-tape, and the smaller things that should cover everything. Also, Chase will need an owl, a cat, or a toad. I recommend owls so he can send you letters and you can send him mail as well." 

Suddenly he found himself being pulled into a tight hug and a soft sob was pressed into his shoulders. "Should we start calling you dad now?" She joked weakly against him. But he could feel gratitude pour off of her like waves. It made his eyes turn misty, but he knew he was just getting her emotional overflow. He hugged her back and she let go. 

"Thank you. For everything, truly." She wiped her eyes again. "This has been a huge relief. Luckily, I have plenty of money to cover for him this year. So you don't need to give me your bank account on top of everything else." 

Harry felt sheepish. He was going to ask if she needed any help to financially cover Chase for the school year, but now he was going to keep that to himself. "Is Margot's wife's shop still open?" He asked instead and Luvia checked the time. 

"Yeah, Amelia should be open for another hour before she closes shop for lunch. Did you need a new traveling case?"

"Yeah, the only case I have was when I was a student. I figured I should get a new one if I'm going to be a teacher now."  Luvia set aside her half completed box. 

“Then you should run along, I’ll take Chase out for lunch and close the shop for a few.” Luvia led him out of the store room and down to the shop below. Reika, Joanne, and Chase were right where he had left them when he was upstairs. “Chase, let’s close up shop and get some lunch. I’m starving.” she ruffled her brother’s hair as she walked past him. 

“Lunch sounds amazing.” Reika agreed and followed the siblings out. 

“Do you still have some shopping to do Harry?” Joanne followed him out with the other three. 

“Yeah, I need to make a stop at Amelia’s, then I need to head home and start to pack. Snape will be there in a week to help me get settled and get my supplies for my classes and I don’t want to be unprepared to leave at the moment’s notice.”

“Do what you need to do dear. Jo and I will treat the kids to a nice lunch. You run along and get everything ready.” Reika took her wife’s hand and gathered the siblings like a pair of mother hens off to lunch. Harry went in the opposite direction to reach the Crafting Maid. The streets were just beginning to bustle with the midday rush. Familiar faces waved to Harry as he made his way through the old cobblestone streets. The old stone walls in the town were overgrown with ivy, giving the village a rather whimsical feel to the atmosphere. THe bell chimed as Harry walked through the door. 

“Be a moment!” a voice called from the back and another woman stepped up to the counter to greet Harry. 

“I got it Amelia!” Margot was an older woman, about Joanne’s age with curly hair tied into a ponytail. The black ringlets were so tightly wound they looked like tiny springs. Brown eyes smiled warmly at Harry. “Hey Harry. Did you need anything?”

“Yeah, I just need a brown leather case to put clothes and personal belongings in.” Harry tapped the counter nervously and Margot tilted her head.

“Are you moving?” her voice turned quiet, like she and Harry were sharing a secret.

“What?” Harry looked confused then realization hit him in the head. “Oh! No, I’m actually taking a teaching job and I’ll be gone until the spring.” 

“Oh, well that’s a relief.” Margot laughed softly. “For a moment there I thought you were getting tired of our little quiet town.” Another woman stepped out from the back. She was a very petite woman, almost dainty looking but Harry wasn’t fooled. He has seen her lift a cargo of leather off a shipment. She was a lot stronger than her figure seemed. Her hair was ginger, but her eyes were steel gray. She placed her hands on her hips when she saw Harry.

“Figures you’d only pop in when you need something.” she was trying to look scorned but the tiny smirk in the corner of her mouth gave her away. “I heard you need a new chest?” Amelia stepped from around her counter and walked through her wares. “Were you looking for any particular make and model?”

“Not really, just something professional. I took a job for a teaching position at Hogwarts and I just need something to keep my personal effects in.” Amelia nodded and pulled a chest out to open for Harry.

“Oak wood, black leather finish, with a satin finish." She flicked the locks open and showed Harry the inside. The satin was baby blue and it shimmered in the late morning sun.

"It nice." Harry brushed his fingers along the satin. "What else do you have?" Amelia shut the case and pulled out another one.

"I have one with a mahogany base, black leather finish, and another satin inlay." She opened and the emerald green satin nearly took Harry's breath away. "You actually inspired this one." Amelia grinned when she noticed Harry's surprised look. "I'll sell it to you for a discount."

"Do you have one that's pine wood with a green inlay?" The chest was almost perfect, but it still felt like something was missing.

"No, but I can do a custom order. It would be ready in about a week." Amelia shut the steamer trunk and put it back on the shelf. "What kind of wood do you want for your base?"

"Pine if you have it?" Amelia shit him a rueful smile.

"Harry, when do I not have pine? Do you want a stain finish or leather?" 

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Stain, ebony."

"Green satin inlay." It wasn't a question, but Harry nodded at her anyway. "That should take me a few days. I don't have any other custom orders so maybe sooner."

"You'll know where to find me. This was the last thing I needed, but I'll need some smaller cases." Amelia nodded and led Harry through her shop and by the time it was closing time for lunch, Harry was well on his way back home.

The afternoon sun turned the day warm and Harry sighed as his shoulders relaxed in the heat of the day. The crunch of gravel beneath his boots was a welcoming ambient noise mixed with the life of spring. The wind ruffled his hair and Harry nearly leaned into the breeze.

He really hoped the next week would come by fast, but the anxiety of seeing Snape again made his insides curl. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but it wasn't exactly a good feeling either. He just wanted it to be over, the wait was going to be the end of him.