Teddy and Skyler

Skyler Taig walked into the Hogwarts grounds pulling her trunk behind her. She looked up at the carstle she hadn't seen since she was seventeen. She had missed the place. Giving up on pulling her trunk she levitated it in front of her and walked the rest of the way to the doors. She was really nervous, she'd been atisipating this day for a while, she had always wanted to work at Hogwarts. It had been a dream of hers since she first started school. When she got into the great hall the complexity of the carstle came back to her. Children walking around the halls and yelling and talking to freinds. She'd missed the place and was glad to be back again.

"Skyler," A voice rang out behind her. She turned and saw Ms. Matcarey.

"Professor." She said and walked over.

"No need for that Skyler, you're not a student anymore."

"I sort of am." She said. "Student-teacher."

She smiled. "Teddy Lupin should be here soon then all of us can do to my office."

The walk from Hogsmeade to the castle was identical to what Teddy remembered, although he hadn't been down the path in many years. The wind whipped up around him and he pulled his hand-me-down leather jacket closer to his body. It wasn't the right time of year to be cold, but he'd gotten used to strange things happening around Hogwarts. As he walked, his eyes changed from his father's hazel to a bright blue, as they tended to do when he was excited over something. He focused hard on not letting his hair get out of control; he had decided a mop of turquoise on his head was not very professional. His trunk bobbed behind him magically as he made his way towards the doors of the school. It was stuffed with his few modest possessions, along with the suitcase his father had carried when he first began teaching, marked Professor R.J. Lupin.

He entered the Great Hall with a sense of awe as his many memories from his school years came pouring back. He immediately spotted the headmistress and, beside her, a pretty young woman who looked to be a few years his junior. Harry (and this is what he'd always called him; Harry rejected "Uncle" or any other term of respect) had mentioned that their would be another new young member of the staff, student-teaching.

"Headmistress Matcarey!" Teddy cried, tipping his patchy black hat from his head and bowing slightly as he walked up. "I can't thank you enough for giving me a chance to teach here." His elbow creaked awkwardly as she shook his hand. "And who is this?" he asked, indicating the young woman standing next to her. "She looks familiar, but I'm terrible with names."

The wait for Teddy Lupin wasn't very long. He arrived about five minutes later and walked over. His eye's were a bright blue, a very pretty bright blue. Skyler blushed slightly and looked down at her feet. "And who is this? She looks familiar, but I'm terrible with names." He asked once he got over. She smiled slightly and held out my hand. "Sklyer Taig, Hufflepuff, I was a few years below you." They shook hands. A few students were milling around the hall wondering who the new people were. The headmistress smiled at them and then turned to Skyler and Teddy. "Should we go to my office?" She asked. Skyler nodded.

The walk to the office was quiet, Skyler was still mariving at the castle. She had forgotten what it was like to walk through the halls, forgotten how the sounds carried from other floors. She smiled, she loved Hogwarts. There was an air of mystery to it that no-one could discover, no-one could grasp. Skyler shook her head at herself she was acting like a Ravenclaw, she laughed. Two boys ran past and Ms. Matcarey stopped long enough to tell them not to run inside. I smiled.

We got to the headmistresses office and she gave the password. The room was just how I had remembered it. I had only been there once or twice in my seven years but it was still stuck in my mind.

"Skyler Taig, Skyler Taig," I muttered under my breath as I shook her hand, making sure I connected the name with the face. I had always been a bit forgetful but as I looked at her face a bit more I felt like I remember seeing her hanging about with a few Slytherins sometimes; she had been one of the only Hufflepuffs who hadn't looked down on my having friends in all of the houses. He watched her carefully as they headed towards the Headmistress's office; she looked so happy and nostalgic, and he was relieved to find that he wasn't the only one that had missed Hogwarts so much. He loved the way that he could hear footsteps echoing down every corridor. When a pair of young boys ran by and got reprimanded by the headmistress, he laughed in remembrance of his classmates, and he felt a pang of sympathy when he saw a young girl with a Hufflepuff tie who had gotten the edge of her robes caught on a suit of armor. He had always been a bit clumsy himself (they said that it came from his mother) and he almost gave a cheer when she finally pulled it loose and hurried past, probably late for whatever class she was headed for.

Finally, they reached the headmistress's office and entered. Teddy remembered it well from the times he had been called up. Everyone expected a lot from his because of his parents, who had fought in the Second War. When he lost his homework or got detention for being repeatedly late, or maybe got caught after losing his tie for the millionth time, he would end up in the office, being told that he should live up to his parents' names. It had made him feel sort of down sometimes, thinking that he wasn't making them proud, but he felt now that his life was on the right track. He sat down in the chair across from the headmistress's desk.

Skyler conjured a chair and pulled it up to the desk and sat down on it. She looked at the portraits on the wall, most of them were sleeping or fiegning sleep she wasn't sure which. Dumbledore was watching them bright eyed. Skyler had heard about Dumbledore (who hadn't) and she sort of wished that she'd been able to meet him. But he had died a few years before she was born. The headmistresses sat behind the desk and smiled at the two of them.

"It's been a while since we've had someone so younge teaching here." She smiled. "Professor Potter and Professor Laurence will be glad for the extra help in their classes." Skyler figited with the sleve of her robe. "It's nice to see how fast you two exelled to become teachers, with you Teddy already qualified and having a teaching degree and Skyler you're getting there." She smiled again and Skyler still figeting smiled back. She hadn't actually properly taught before, so teaching students was a big step for her. "Don't worry." Ms. Matcarey said. "You'll do fine, it's just like when you used to take classes in your later years but this time if no-one listens to you you can punish them." She smiled slightly. Skyler made a sound between a laugh and a cough. "For both of you but moslty more you Skyler you will just watch the classes for a little bit before teaching, this isn't as directed at you Teddy because you have taught before and all, but Harry can dicide all this with you Teddy." she smiled. "You will start attending the classes on Monday, so it gives you three days to get yourself familiar with the castle again. I will annonouce your positions at dinner tonight, now come lets go get you to your rooms."

Skyler nodded trying to take it all in. Her head was a whirl of thoughts and feeling.

Teddy was happy to look up and see that Dumbledore was smiling down at them. He would have talked to them but would have felt almost rude talking to a portrait when there two living people in the room to talk to. He listened to the headmistress's speech and nodded. "Even though I've taught before, this is going to be a big step for me. There's a big difference from teaching children in cottages for a few Sickles here and there and actually teaching at a wonderful place like Hogwarts. I'm sure Harry will do a good job helping me learn how to handle a whole class full of kids. I remember how much trouble they used to cause...." He glanced over at Skyler who was looking a little overwhelmed with everything. He nearly tipped out of his chair but quickly balanced himself as he leaned over and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, it's not so scary as it all sounds." He perked up at the mention of rooms. "Finally I get to see where the teachers were staying all those nights I slept in the room with 5 other snoring boys." He smiled good-naturedly and his eyes turned from blue to hazel as he remembered his years in the Hufflepuff dorms with his friends. It always reminded him of the stories about his father and his friends, the Marauders. He tugged at the zip of his leather jacket absently -- this was from Sirius, one of those friends. And he had Harry, who was James's son, who was the third. Sometimes there was another name mentioned, always just too low for him to hear, and he didn't care to listen anyway. He stood up quickly and waved his wand at his trunk. "Onward to the rooms!" he cried, and Mrs. Matcarey shook her head at him.

"I sometimes wonder how you didn't end up an adventurous little Gryffindor," she said, chuckling lightly, and led them out of the office and into the halls.

Skyler smiled sligthly and grabbed the handle of her trunk, she felts like pulling it isntead of magicing it right now. Ms. Matcarey took us to our rooms which were weirdly enough next to each other.he frowned suspicously at the wall. "I dont remember these doors being here when I was here." Ms. Matcarey laughed, "Cause they weren't." Skyler gave her a puzzled look. "If we have more staff the rooms more rooms convienietly seem to pop up. Part of the magic at Hogwarts I suppose. The hard part is usually finding the rooms, but thankfully these two were next to each other." She smiled. Skyler nodded slightly. "Well I'll leave you to unpack, see you at dinner." She walked off. "Yeah..." I muttered, I turned to look at Teddy. "Well I guess I'll see you later." I smiled at him and took the door on the left into my room. It was niceley sized, had a desk some furniture, fireplace and a bed so I was content. I wasn'tone who wanted or needed alot of random junk in a room or a house. I unpacked the little I had brought and put my notebook on my desk and some essays and folders with other stuff into the draws. I took our a quill and an essay I had to finish and dicided that till dinner I may as well work on it.

I was surprised and slightly pleased to see that my room was just next to Skyler's; it'd be easier than being next to one of the older professors who would treat us like children more likely than not. Then again, I was always a little suspicious when Hogwarts did things like this. I wondered what kind of plans the castle might have in store for us as I opened up the door. The first thing I spotted was the fireplace, which I immediately pointed my wand at and set it to blazing. The bed was a four-posted just like the ones in the dorms but the hangings were plain black instead of in house colors. I opened up my trunk and took out all of my clothes, which were few, putting them into the small wardrobe that was provided. I set out my quills, ink, and a few favorite books on top of the desk and smiled to myself. It was a nice, simple room, and much better furnished than most of the places I'd slept in Wales, where I spent a few weeks with each family during the school year. Pulling my father's briefcase from the trunk, I set it next to the door; it contained all my notes and materials for class and I would need to remember it as I went out the door each day. That was quite a task for me as half the time I couldn't remember where I'd put my own socks. I sat down at the desk and wondered boredly what to do.

Skyler got bored of doing he essay for Uni, it wans't particually interesting and she had a couple of weeks to finish it. She put the essay back in the draw and got her shoulder bag to put things in it she woudl need on Monday, if she didn't pack it now she would forget all weekend and end up forgetting it on monday altogether. She put her notebook in it and some notes. Some quills and some loose parchement. She didn't really have much she needed to take. Hanging her bag over her chair she went to stack books on the minis shelf and put her clothing away. She sighed and wished that Muggle electronics worked in Hogwarts, she was more one for Muggle music then for Wizard Music. By the time dinner came she was slightly jittery and nervouse, the first and seconds years from her last year would now be six and sevnth years, she wondered if she'd reconise any of them. Probably not. She left her room and nearly walked straight into Teddy,

"Er..Sorry." Skyler muttered smiling briefly. They walked to the great hall in silence,

Just as Teddy was sitting at his desk, contemplating turning a small pocket folder full of parchment into a type of journal, there was a knock at the window of his room. Had there been a window there before? Ah, it was Hogwarts, it was just as likely to have magically appeared.When he opened the window it was Aunt Ginny's (yes, she was Aunt Ginny to him but Harry was just Harry; it never failed to confuse people, including Teddy himself) owl, Socrates, with two letters tied around his leg. He quickly untied them and let the bird nip at his finger affectionately. He regretted that he didn't have anything thing to feed the owl before it went on it's way. "Go up to the owlery if you want some food," he said, feeling a bit silly talking to an animal, but owls generally knew what you meant for them to do. Socrates flew away and Teddy quickly closed the window so as not to let too much of the air outside into the room. He was about to sit down on the bed and open his letters, but he realized that it was time for dinner. It wouldn't do not to be there when his new position was announced to the students. Besides, he wanted to see Harry.

He hovered outside his door for a moment, wondering if he should knock on Skyler's and see if she wanted to walk down with him. The decision was taken from him when Skyler stepped out of the room and nearly into him. She apologized but he waved it off; he understood little embarrassing moments like that as that seemed to be what his life was made of. When they got to the Great Hall it was hard for Teddy not to go and sit down among the Hufflepuff students at their table, just a lingering old habit. Instead he spotted Harry at the table with all of the teachers and their was an empty seat next to him, clearly meant for Teddy. He walked over and sat down nervously.

They stepped into the hall and Skyler smiled and looked up at the ceiling, it was like the sky outside and she could never get over the complexity of that magic. Looking at the tables she felt to urge to go and sit with her house, it would at least be more interesing then listening to the professsors drone on about stuff that I didn't really want to listen to. Skyler sat down next to Teddy nervously, she wasn't used to seeing the hall from this angle, truth be told she didn't like it. She felt in the spot light and would prefer to be surronded by her house mates then professors. Skyler felt extreamly out of place and her eyes kept darting around the hall.

Ms. Matcarey stood up and at once the hall felt silent. Skyler had to refrain from laughing, it was as the sound switch had been turned off, she'd forgotten how everyone listened to the headmistress at assembly, at Marsherla the studnets only half listened. "I'm pleased to announce." She said, her voice carrying across the hall. "That we have two extra members of our staff for the rest of the year. Professor Lupin, who will be assistant Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and Professor Taig, a student teacher from Marsherla University who is training to become a Transfigaration professor."

Skyler nervously stood up managed not to trip on the chair leg and sat back down. Once the meal started she served herself some tomato soup.

Teddy stood up nervously when his name was called and he gave a friendly wave. He let his eyes wander to the tables where he knew all of his "cousins" were sitting: James, Rose, and Lily placed together at the Gryffindor table, James's Head Boy badge shining on his chest; Albus at the Slytherin table, sitting next to a boy of mixed race that he didn't recognize; Hugo gesturing animatedly toward the front of the room while the Hufflepuffs around him nodded and smiled. He didn't spot Roxanne, who he knew should be at the Gryffindor table, but it was a good chance she was off causing some sort of mischief as it was her last year and she would be trying to make her mark. He mentioned this guess to Harry who smiled at him and then turned back to the professor on his other side -- they seemed to be talking about some sort of law on goblins that was going through at the ministry. Teddy wondered whether it was any good to be considered an adult when they were so ridiculously boring.

As he helped himself to some lamb chops he turned to Skyler who had taken a seat next to him. "Feels weird to be up front, doesn't it?" he asked through a mouthful of food before realizing how rude he probably looked.

Skyler laughed at Teddy talking through a mouthful of food and nearly spluttered soup all over the table, as it was I caused myself to somehow choke on the mouthful I was eating. I coughed violently a few times and went a deep purple when a few of the professors turned to look at me. "Yeah," I said to Teddy pretending nothing had happened. "It's odd, you can see everyone and they can all see you, you can't hide next to your peers." I took another spoonfull of soup and pushed away my bowl having enough of it. I grabbed a handful of potato chips and picked up my fork attempting to spear them on it. "Chips are finger food." I grumbled giving up and just picking it up with my hand not caring waht the other professsors said.

"It's nice to be back." I said more to myself then to Teddy. "Though in a way I wish I was still a student and could get away with not brining homework to class and being out late or not wearing the uniform properly. It'll be weird to be the person who can tell people off for doing that." I smiled slightly. "Well it's still a learning experience."

"I doubt I'll be telling many students off for wearing their uniform. Reminds me too much of myself, I think. I guess I'll get used to it at some point." I said, repeatedly trying to keep a spear of asparagus balanced on my fork. I glanced over at Skyler, who was eating her chips with her fingers, so I simply picked up the stalk and bit down. Maybe it wasn't quite finger food, but it seemed to want to run away from my fork. "It's going to be so different from what I'm used to. Most of the families I taught for in Wales were poor, and I didn't have to worry about uniforms or anything. It was just a bunch of kids at their dinner table, trying to remember the difference between hinkypunks and grindylows or something like that." I stopped talking as I realized I'd probably bore her with tales of my old job. "You're still in university aren't you?" I asked, giving up on all the asparagus and noticing a pile of corned beef sandwiches. Now that was my kind of meal.

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah true, I remember I was wearing green socks one day, the professors thought I'd gone mad." I smiled at the memory. "Yeah I am, I started the year before last, or the one before that because I travled for a few years." I shrugged and finished my chips, dessert had come so I got a berry pie and some icecream. I succeded in not spilling it down my front as I ate a mouthful, Icecream was my favourite dessert but it disliked me immeansly and I had somehow always managed to get it all over me. I smiled at the memory and scooped up some berrys. Which I succeded in getting on my robes. "Dammit." I exclaimed scooping them up with the spoon. I looked at my robes and frowned. "And I'm completly hopeless with household charms yippie."

I smiled sympathetically at Skyler as she scooped the berries from her shirt. "I gave up on dessert years ago, it doesn't agree with me. I can vanish that if you'd like me to, once dinner's over. I had to learn tons of household charms when I would babysit all of my little cousins." I smiled as I noticed there were chocolate chip cookies and picked one up; that would be relatively mess-free. As I bit into the corner a shower of crumbs rained down on my robes and I sighed. "Looks like I'll be cleaning myself up as well," I said, shrugging and stuffing the rest of the cookie in my mouth.

I smiled. "I suppose so." I finished my dessert without spilling anything else on me. Teddy and I talked about random stuff that didn't really lead to any other conversations until one of us thought of something esle to say. Dinner ended and I got up somewaht too qucikly got my foot stuck on the chair leg and tripped over. "Ow." I muttered from the floor getting up and brushing myself off before kicking the chair. "Ow dammit, the chair is hard." I hopped around on one foot for a few seconds then feel over again. Throwing my arms up in exasperation I sighed, "Ok a give up." "Having fun Skyler?" A voice asked. I turned around and saw Ms. Matcarey, blushing red I got off the floor, "That chair, hates me." I said matter-of-factly.

I finally did laugh as Skyler toppled to the floor. I had had many a wrestling match with the chairs here in my day, so I knew how she felt. "I don't think it hates you really, just isn't used to you," I said cheerfully as she got up off the floor. I quickly vanished the crumbs from my robes and the berries from Skyler's. I was about to say something to the Headmistress when I remembered the letters I had waiting back in my room. "Would you excuse me? I have something urgent waiting in my room." My eyes changed from hazel to blue again as I got excited to see who the second letter could be from.

I watched as his eye colour changed from hazel to blue. "Your a metoamorphus aren't you?" I asked him trying to remember from my days at school. The headmistress let us go and we both walked back to our rooms together. "It's pretty neat, I wish I could, I'm also studying to become an animargus just to improve my transfiguaration and that it would be cool to turn into an animal." I smiled. Being able to turn into an animal would be pretty cool, and Skyler had thought so since she found out about Animagus. Very few witches and wizards were registered animagus, there were a handful of unregistered ones.

"Yeah, I'm a metamorphmagus, I get it from my mother. Normally my hair would be blue but I didn't think that would be proper for a teacher." I demonstrated, letting my hair turn to turquoise. "It comes in handy sometimes but it can also get embarrasing if I lose control of it." She started talking about wanting to be an Animagus and I was impressed. A lot of people thought it would be cool to change into animals but not many were willing to work hard enough to do it. "My dad's friends were Animagi, unregistered, mind you, but they could turn into animals nonetheless. I don't think I'd have the patience to work on it. Plus, I don't even want to know what kind of animal I'd turn into. Something awkward, no doubt."

I smiled. "Aww but you look really cute with blue hair." I blushed slightly then. "Yeah, being able to do it whether registered or not is quite impreasive." I looked at my feet akwardly. "Why wasn't your dad one?" I asked truely curious. If his freinds were, wouldn't he? I blushed again. "Sorry, personal question, you don't really need to answer it..." I looked at the ground. "Well...er night." I went to open my door thinking how stupid I was.

I looked down at me feet when she told me my blue hair looked cute and I tried hard not to let it turn pink from embarrassment. I cringed slightly when she asked about my dad, but caught her elbow before she could escape into her room. "No, wait, it's okay. I mean, it's not like it's a secret or anything. My father was a werewolf." I paused a moment before quickly adding, "But I'm not!" People had a tendency to think that I would be just like my father. Hell, even my parents had thought that I might turn out that way, but instead I got my mother's weird ability instead.

I nodded and smiled. "Now would be confusing if you were." I muttered and had to stop myself laughing. "You could be a blue furry menance. But it's ok, really, as weird as it sounds. It's sort of cool in a weird way." I frowned I was making an idiot of myself. "Like not that i'd want to be one but er...I dont have a problem with them." I ran a hand through my hair, "Sorry, I'm babbling like an idiot. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled as she tried to handle the delicate topic. People generally got weird when things like that were mention, but it surprised me when she said she didn't have an issue with it. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Hope you sleep well." I turned around and ran straight into my door and gave a loud cry. "I think I'm going to have a dent in my forehead now," I muttered, opening the offending door and walking in.

I sat down on my bed and glanced at the two letters. The first was from Aunt Ginny which meant that I didn't have to look at it right away; if anything urgent was going on with her I could find out from Harry. The second had "Teddy" written on it in a handwriting that looked vaguely familiar. I opened it up.

Teddy,

It's been ages since I've seen you. Actually, I don't think I've seen you since the day I left for my seventh year of school; you were leaving for university and I doubted my owl would make it to Moldova. I tried to keep up on how you were doing through Uncle Harry, who says that he mailed you through Muggle post often. By the time you got to Wales I didn't know what I would say to you, or even if you would want to hear from me. Dad said that it was silly to be thinking about you anyway when there were boys right here at home, but Mama said that love knows no boundaries. She's always saying lofty things like that and sometimes it makes her accent come back, the one that Aunt Gabrielle still has from living in France. I know it's kind of silly to tell you that I loved you, after all these years apart. And I didn't even tell you that I loved you back then, I don't think. But I did and I really wish that I could see you again sometime soon. I don't expect it to be a date, just a chance to see an old friend.

Love from the whole family (minus Dad)
Victoire Weasley

I dropped the letter and lay back on the bed. I hadn't seen Victoire for five or six years. It was actually an awkward situation come to think about it; the last time he had seen her, James had caught them kissing goodbye on the Hogwarts Express. When word got around to her father through the Potters, he had been furious. He had never really liked us being together because I was a few years older, and I decided that it would be easiest if I just left and didn't try to carry on with her. I was too confused to write back to her tonight and I decided that I'd go to sleep.

I laughed when I heard something bang, we were both such Hufflepuffs. I shut my door behind me and fumbled for a light switch before realising that there probably wasn't one. Getting my wand I waved it and the lights turned on. I yawned exhusted. I changed quickly and got into the four poster bed, it reminded me of my years at school when we'd shared dorms with our housemates. I'd missed my dorm mates once I had left school, although everyone had complained of Rinna's snoring, I found it impossible to sleep without come the end of the year. I waved my wand and the light went out. Rolling onto my side I smiled, I was back at Hogwarts.