JULIET {remus lupin}

NINETY THREE

September, '90

On the 1st September, Juliet was met at the Hogwarts gates by Severus Snape, she was taken aback by how much the man had changed. He looked far older than she did, and severely stressed. His lip curled over at the sight of her and she saw him sigh to himself. Juliet held her breath, remembering that he was a colleague, and that they ought to be civil with each other. He opened the gates without a word and led her to a carriage where the pair sat opposite each other. Juliet kept her eyes on the castle as they got increasingly closer, a knot forming in her stomach. 

Home, home, home.

Severus watched her eyes widen and understood, he still got the same feeling every time he saw Hogwarts like this, even after all these years, it was still utterly magical to him.

"I'll never get tired of this," Juliet said quietly.

He looked to her, "me either."

The witch met the man's eye and still felt a ball of hatred inside of her that she had always had for Severus Snape. Sure, she hadn't despised him the same way that the marauders had, and she had never bullied him, but he would always be one of them.

"How long have you been teaching here?" She asked politely.

"A few years," he replied curtly.

"Dark arts?"

He huffed a little, "potions."

She stiffened a little at that, they had that class together in school. That was when Sirius told him about the whomping willow, about Remus. She remembered Snape had tried to confide in her and she had shut him down. He had told Lucius to ask her about 'Dumbledore's Secret'. He had gotten her into trouble. She dug her nails into her palm as she clenched her fists, knowing that sudden outbursts of memories was going to be inevitable here. 

"I see. I'm doing astronomy."

"I heard," he said shortly and Juliet rolled her eyes. Some things never would change.

Upon arriving into the great hall before the students Albus Dumbledore greeted the witch, shaking her hand and leading her over to the teachers table, as he left to speak to Mcgonagall Juliet found herself sticking to Severus' side, embarrassed that she knew no one and felt so completely out of place.

"You get used to it," he said to her. "I found it very odd to be sat up here as well, initially."

January, '91

Working at Hogwarts truly felt like what Juliet was always meant to do. Since beginning in September, she had glided through her first four months with great ease, professors treated her with respect, and the children were seemingly none the wiser about who she was. The castle was as beautiful as it had always been, and she really was happy. Everywhere had it's memories, though. The lake was Regulus, their chats there, their arguments. Being in the corridors at night after students were in bed reminded her of Remus, of her patrols. And the great hall was all of the marauders, she would sit at the staff table, eyeing the Slytherin table, remembering herself there laughing with Arabella, Ophelia and Persephone, gossiping about Narcissa and Lucius, or watching in part amusement, part disgust, at whatever the marauders were doing. For the first few months, such memories had made her heart ache

Like every Hogwarts teacher, she had her favourites.

"Professor," a cheery voice said.

Juliet looked up from her desk and smiled, "Tonks."

"How was your Christmas?" The witch asked.

"Fine, thank you. Yours?"

The seventh year witch sat down at her desk, she always arrived early to speak to Professor Blair, and found herself wishing she had taught at the school for much longer.