𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

Monday, February 11, 1991, 9:20 am.

Hecate was already informed about the new teacher who was supposed to replace her. She just didn't know the person was going to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts instead of her. She thought it was going to be Severus' new assistant.

She was on her way to the staff room to meet the new teacher and she was aware she was a few minutes late, but she knew Dumbledore was going to forgive her that. When she got to the door, she saw Severus leaning against it, watching her as if that was the only entertainment he had.

"You're late." He pointed at the clock above the door.
"Yes, I know, Sir, I can tell the time."
"Again." He added and this time he pointed at the time planner on the wall.
"Yup, I can read too." She said cheekily and wanted to get inside, but he was still in her way.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?"
"Move!"
"Yell at me one more time and I'll give you a better reason to scream." He replied quietly and she froze.
"How about using the magic word?" He continued and she responded sarcastically: "You mean Alohomora or Expelliarmus?"

He was just about to reply something in anger, but he heard Minerva behind him: "Severus, is Hecate already here?"
He sighed and moved out of her way, she walked past him and smirked.
She took her seat and Dumbledore began to speak, "So, good morning everybody, this is Professor Quirinus Quirrell. He will be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Hecate froze. She loved potions, maybe more than DADA, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to deal with being Severus' assistant.

After the meeting, she stayed inside to talk to Minerva. When everyone finally got out of the room, she said: "So DADA teacher. Mhm."

Minerva looked at her confused a bit, "Hecate, I thought you loved potions. I didn't want to take it from you and nor did Severus."
"What? So this is all your work?!" She turned to him and he sighed, "You really have to learn to be more thankful."

"Thankful? For what? For getting me stuck with you for the rest of the time I will spend here? Oh yes, I certainly need to be more thankful!" She narrowed her eyes and stepped forward so she was just a few inches from his face. "This is the last thing I wanted." She said more quietly.

Then she took the papers he brought with him to the staff room and wanted to hit him into his chest with them, but he caught her hand and despite the tight grip, he took the papers from her very gently. She tried to free herself but unsuccessfully, he was much stronger than her.

"That was rude, what about your manners?"
She looked up at him angrily but didn't say anything.
"I can't hear you." He kept taunting her.
"I apologize, Sir." She spat and he released the grip.
"Very well, you're learning quickly." He smirked.

She just pushed him aside and got out of the room immediately and did not forget to slam the door behind her.

Minerva, who was watching them the whole time, looked at Severus and tried not to laugh.
"What?" She asked a bit confused but very entertained.

___________________________________________

Thursday, May 16, 1991, 8:30 am.

After a few months, Hecate got used to it. She helped Severus every day and learned how to tolerate his presence. She was there every lesson and didn't have anything else to do, so it wasn't that difficult to handle it.

"Pass me the bottle."
Hecate burnt Severus with her look. He didn't have to be this cold. She passed him the bottle he was asking for and 'accidentally' pushed his hand away.

He looked at her in shock. "What was that meant to be?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor." She said with pretended grief and he narrowed his eyes, "You're insufferable."

___________________________________________

Monday, August 26, 1991, 7:50 pm.

"They just took the letter and threw it out, they didn't even give the poor boy a chance to read it," Minerva muttered and Hecate looked at her with an evil look on her face.

"How about to just write about a trillion more letters and contaminate the entire house with them, which will maybe force them to give one to the boy?"
Severus looked at her in shock and a smile slowly appeared on Minerva's face.

"Will you two make a potion to duplicate the letters?" She asked and Hecate immediately got up and headed to the potions laboratory, not leaving Minerva behind. Severus just sighed and followed both women.

Dumbledore just smiled to himself, knowing he hired the right people for his school.

___________________________________________

Sunday, September 1, 1991, 8:00 pm.

It was the first day of school again and Hecate was proud of herself to survive a year as a teacher.
But this year was going to be different. Maybe it sounded a little dramatic, but Hecate was excited. Harry Potter started his school years at Hogwarts.
Severus seemed more annoyed than usual, which wasn't very pleasant, but Hecate got used to it.

"Severus didn't seem very happy today, did he?" Asked Minerva.

She and Hecate were in McGonagall's office after the sorting ceremony and dinner in the great hall.
They were preparing themselves for another exhausting year full of trouble.
The Weasley twins were third years by that time, which meant an improvement of their pranks, and as if it was not enough, another Weasley had arrived.

"Well does he ever?" Replied Hecate with a smirk.

"I still don't know how are you able to survive the whole day with him in the dungeons." Sighed Minerva and added: "He seemed much more bothered than the other days."

"Maybe he's worried because of that new Weasley boy... After last year with the twins, I'm not surprised." Hecate wondered.

"But if you look at Percy Weasley-"

"Yes, I know he's a prefect, but he just doesn't really fit in the family, does he? I don't want to be cruel, but he's just completely different, the other Weasleys always reminded me of..." Hecate wanted to finish the sentence but stopped.
She promised herself not to think about it too much as she knew it always ended up crying on the bathroom floor.

Minerva knew very well what she wanted to say and she also knew very well she wasn't prepared to talk about it yet.

___________________________________________

Friday, September 6, 1991, 4:30 pm.

"Hey, Hagrid." Said Hecate when he opened the door.

She decided to visit him, as she got the information he had to bring something from the Gringots' bank. It was supposed to be a secret, but she was naturally curious, so she just had to know.

"Hello, Hecate!" He answered with a smile. He was so sweet.
"I heard you had a trip to get Harry to Hogwarts and you had some work to do at the Gringots', right?"
"Oh yes, Harry is such a cutie, but those people he had to live with...The Dursley's...I don't understand why would Dumbledore-"
"Yes, Hagrid, that is all very interesting, but-"
"Yeah, I know it's Dumbledore's decision...Well I'd love to know how are yer lessons with Sev!"

Hecate cussed in her mind. She came to him to find out more information about the job he had, not to chatter about the vicious dungeon bat.

"Yes..." She replied slowly. "It's not as bad as I thought..."
"Oh that's amazing! I'm glad you two got along!" He said grabbing his coat.
"Well not exactly, but-"

"Anyways thank ya for the little chat we had, I have to go now, I've got some work in the forest. Bye for now!" He said and headed to the forbidden forest.

Great, really amazing, absolutely perfect! I discovered absolutely nothing, she thought and made her way back to the castle.