Defending Heart

Chapter 1: The New Job

This story was inspired by this pic ⬆️⬆️
Artist Credit: semierotichogwarts on tumblr.

Harry Potter sighs deeply, scouring his son James' school reports with a look of despair and disappointment more in himself than James. The 4th (turning 5th) Year is brave and confident and smart. His charisma makes everyone like him - except his teachers that is. James is the class clown and despite passing most of his pre-OWL exams last year his behaviour has been written up by several of his teachers for setting off charms in class, sneaking out, playing pranks. Honestly Harry doesn't mind that - it'd be hypocritical if he did considering his own history at Hogwarts. What fills him with anger and throws reason to the winds is one report which says James has been bullying people.

Harry Potter was raised by bullies. The Durselys, a family so vile it doesn't bear to think about. It affects him deeply to see anyone treated like that, but for his own son to treat someone else that way? It makes him quiver in his chair, dropping the reports and burying his head in his hands, about to sob. Hermione, his wife, looks up from her desk across the office. She's the Minister of Magic and the amount of paperwork she has is enormous. The Time Turner helps through. "What is it, Harry?" She puts her quill down, concerned.

"It's James, he's been bullying other students," Harry sniffles, wiping away his tears. "Like, physically bullying them, not just teasing," but that would have been bad enough. Hermione sighs through her nose and examines the patterns of wood grain in their floor.

"So what are you going to do?" She asks.

"I can't confront him, that would just make him angry," Harry reasons, staring back at his own paperwork. "I know Hogwarts is looking for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Maybe if I was more involved in his school life I could understand it better?"

Hermione blinks. "You're willing to uproot yourself for this?"

"I need to be more involved anyway," he explains, opening his laptop and searching for the job application he remembers seeing. "And this means more money for us, and Dumbledore has been pushing me to get more involved in Hogwarts. Besides, it's my forte and I'm more than qualified,"

"True," Hermione agrees, her lips curling into a small smile. "You'd be a great teacher, Harry,"

"Correction: you'll be a great teacher," she grins, nodding in agreement and leaning in to kiss his cheek so softly. 

*

Severus slumps into his seat in the vast hall, black and white contrasts splitting the classroom in half. Two rows of Slytherin, two of Gryffindor staring blankly at the teachers' desk towering at the front, above theirs. It's black, reflecting off the ceiling in a modern sheen, carved elegantly from accursed obsidian. Severus looks down from the desk and frowns to see a sloppily folded page of parchment on his desk in the crude shape of an airplane. He opens it skeptically, reading the handwriting.

Can't wait to show everyone how much a scared-y cat you are, Snivellus. Catch ya after class, better be on your guard.

He knows who sent it, of course. Eyes slide across to glare sardonically at the Gryffindors but not the entire group. While Severus regards their bravery as foolish and their brazen hubris repugnant he respects their determination, especially that of his intrepid friend Lily. He respects the virtues of the Gryffindors when they aren't being utilised to degrade and humiliate him. And usually thy aren't unless James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and that rat Peter Peddigrew are in control. They can rot and die for all he cares - lazy slackers, especially James, who make his life at Hogwarts a living Hell.

He looks over at them to see James, the leader of his little clique idiotically named The Marauders grinning over at him and sticking out his tongue to the extreme amusement of his idiot followers.

The paper is plucked from Severus' hands by a man in his mid thirties. Clean shaven, smiling brightly with untameable black hair falling around his face, his chartreuse eyes glimmering through thick round glasses. "You shouldn't be passing notes in class," he chides, the parchment disappearing in his hand in a small kerfluff! And puff of smoke. The entire class shine their eyes onto this new teacher. Some swoon, but all stare at him.

Severus hasn't seen this with other teachers. New teachers always get attention, gaining curiosity often for their powers, abilities, niches. But this is different, and Severus can not fathom why, until the new teacher strides to the front of the class, standing charismatically before them all. His pearly white teeth make the Slytherin boy uncomfortable, as does his lively expression. An innocent, genuine kind of person Severus finds difficult to tolerate.

"What's the big deal?" He groans, sliding forward on his elbows and burying his head between them. A pencil spins between his fingers, watched by lazy eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange, a psycho by even his standards, glances at him with wild eyes through her even wider hair.

"Are you kidding?!" She whispers, voice like a smile.

"No. Who is he?"

The new teacher walks to the front of the classroom, tweed coat a welcome contrast to the robes they're so used to. He turns and smiles at them again, balancing on the balls of his feet with that Type-A personality of his. "Hello. I'm Professor Potter," the murmuring intensifies. "And I'll be teaching you Defence Against the Dark Arts," he announces happily.

The class begins to trade loud, shocked whispers of-

"It's really him!"

"Harry Potter!"

"...defeated the dark lord..."

Until it becomes formless murmuring around Severus' ears, drowned out by James's much louder bragging arrogantly that his father is the new teacher. Severus stares up at the teacher and for the first time observes the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, concealed by his fringe. "An yes," Bored with this entire embarrassing debacle, he leans his head on his elbows to sit back and watch the entropy.  "Our new celebrity,"

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Sorry this chapter is so short!
My first attempt at a snarry so go easy, and gimme feedback please 💜