FicWad

Chapter 3



DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?





Anastasia Twigg-Jones, swinging her leather clad leg over the back of the silver and black Harley-Davidson, took off her goggles and looked up at the towers rising into the star filled night sky.



"What have I gotten myself into?"



Shaking her head, she removed her gloves and dropped them and the goggles into one of the saddlebags hanging on the side of the bike, which expanded and then contracted to catch and store them. Patting the bike's headlight she started up the stairs.



"Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Goodnight, Tut."



Entering the front hall, the first thing she saw was Dobby, waiting at the base of the marble staircase.



"Well, hello!" She stooped down to be on Dobby's level. "Who are you?"



"I is Dobby, Miss, assigned by Professor Dumbledore to be your helper tonight. What can Dobby do for Professor Twigg-Jones?"



"Let's see .. I know my luggage arrived on the Hogwarts Express, so that's already been put upstairs in my quarters?"



"Correct, Miss, but I is not unpacking yet, as I is not knowing what you is want to be putting where."



"Right...well, we'll sort all of that out in a bit. Now, though, I'd love a little something to eat, as I missed the Welcoming Feast. Could you be a dear and put together a tray for me and bring it upstairs?" Anna Twigg-Jones smiled and added, "If that wouldn't be too much extra trouble?"



"Dobby would be pleased to do so. Does Miss have any favorite foods?" he inquired.



"Oh, just a little of this and a little of that, so I can nibble while I, or rather, we unpack. It's going to be a long night, Dobby." Professor Twigg-Jones smiled ruefully.



"Yes, Miss. I'll go to the kitchens right away, but is Miss knowing her way to her chambers?"



"Yes, Dobby, I know the way," she replied, then stood and glanced up the staircase. "Indeed I do."



Dobby ran off toward the kitchens and Professor Twigg-Jones started up the stairs. As she disappeared around the corner, Severus Snape stepped out of the deep shadows of the hallway that led to his dungeon office.



"A long night, indeed," Snape muttered under his breath. After waiting a minute or two, he followed her upstairs.



X # X # X



Professor Twigg-Jones arrived at the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, paused, took a deep breath and opened the door. All heads turned and Neville jumped up, exclaiming, "/Aunt Anna/!"



Framed in the door they beheld a tall, well built, leather clad, smiling woman with flowing hair and bright inquisitive eyes.



"Neville/, my /dear boy, look how you've grown!" she beamed at him as she advanced into the room and received a big hug from Neville.



Ginny, Hermione and Luna checked out her clothes and long auburn hair. Ron and Harry exchanged startled looks. This is Neville's Godmother? Noticing their collective openmouthed, astonished stares, Professor Twigg-Jones laughed as she headed over to Dumbledore, to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.



"You were expecting some gray haired old prune, I gather?" Anna questioned, turning to face them.



"Oh! No!" "What? No, no!" "It's just .." "I mean .. blimey!"



"It's ok. I'm used to that kind of reaction," she laughed. "People expect Healers to be old, craggy and boring. You're saved! I'm NONE of those."



Professor Twigg-Jones removed her leather jacket and tossed it over one of the student desks.



"Neville, introduce me to your friends," she instructed him, waving a hand to indicate the other students.



"Oh! Yes, well," Neville started, looking around at the group. "This is Luna Lovegood."



"Luna. Are you any relation to the publisher of the /Quibbler/?"



"That's my father."



"Splendid! I've had my subscription address changed to Hogwarts so I don't miss an issue."



Ginny and Hermione exchanged looks and snickered softly.



"Ginny Weasley."



"Last time I saw you, Ginny, you were just a baby," said Professor Twigg-Jones, smiling, "being taken home from St. Mungo's. You were only two days old and as pretty a baby girl as I have ever seen. Arthur and Molly were just thrilled about having a daughter after all of those boys."



Ginny blushed furiously.



"This is Hermione Granger, Aunt Anna," continued Neville.



"Ah, yes, your father was my late husband's dentist, my dear. Lovely man. I have met you mother, also. A thoroughly delightful woman." Anna tilted her head, adding, "It's a small world, isn't it?"



"Yes, it would seem so," Hermione stammered.



"And this is Ginny's brother, Ron," Neville explained, indicating the tall red headed boy standing next to Hermione.



"Ron, I have a box to deliver to you from your brothers, Fred and George. I love their shop and when I told them I was going to be coming up, they packed a box of...what did they call it...oh, yes, 'Emergency fun supplies'. I think they had their doubts of you successfully smuggling it past Molly. It's somewhere in that pile." She airily waved a hand, indicating the numerous boxes and crates surrounding the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom. "I'll find it when I unpack."



"Oh, ah, well, thanks. I think," Ron stammered, looked slightly taken aback.



Leaning toward him, she whispered, "Better reserve judgment 'til you see what they sent you, eh."



Turning, she looked at Harry and a knowing smile spread across her face. "Last but not least..." Neville started to introduce him.



"Harry Potter!" Anna Twigg-Jones finished the sentence and to Harry's great surprise, gathered him into a hug. "I grew up with your father, Harry." She released him and then poked him in the chest. "And I was very nearly your Godmother, too. I was one of your mother's best friends. We'll have to have a long cozy chat some afternoon at tea, what do you say? I'm sure you have lots of questions about James and Lily."



"Yes," stammered Harry, stunned by this news. "I can't even think where to start."



"Tell you what; why don't you write all of your questions down and I'll try my best to answer them."



Turning, she looked over at Dumbledore, commenting, "Albus, you look splendidly magnificent, as usual."



"And you are as vivacious as ever, my dear. Welcome to Hogwarts, Anna."



"Yes, welcome to Hogwarts, Anastasia," drawled a deep voice from the back of the classroom.



X # X # X



Professor Snape was standing in the doorway. How long he had been there was anyone's guess. Closing the door behind him, he advanced down the aisle between the desks to join the group at the front of the classroom. He opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated as Professor Twigg-Jones turned around to face him. The look of pure loathing on her face was enough to make him come to a complete halt. Whatever it was Snape had been about to say died in his throat as he slowly closed his mouth and one eyebrow went up in question.



"Severus Snape/," Professor Twigg-Jones hissed his name. "I've been swearing to myself for almost /fifteen years that the next time I came face to face with you, at the very /least/, I'd walk up to you," she advanced toward him, "curl up my fist," which she raised to show him, "call you a sorry .. no good .. low down .. worthless .. dirty old .. mangy .. egg sucking /dog /.. and hit you just as hard as I could!"



Pausing, she lowered her hand and relaxed. "BUT/, thanks to /your lucky stars and Albus Dumbledore, you're still standing here and not on your way to see Madam Pomfrey, sporting a cut lip, bloody nose or a black eye." She turned away from him and started to walk away. "However .."



"Still in possession of that appallingly bad temper, aren't you, /little girl/?" Snape sneered, crossing his arms.



"Little girl!" She froze in her tracks, turned and walked back to Professor Snape. "/LITTLE GIRL/?"



As she reached him, he looked down his nose at her and smirked. Quick as a flash, she lashed out, striking him with a resounding /SLAP/, the force of which staggered him sideways. Snape turned back with an angry scowl on his face, hand on his cheek, to find Professor Twigg-Jones' wand pointing at him, inches from his face.



"I'll take that as a /yes/, you consummate /bitch/," Snape spat at Anna, his eyes boring into hers.



"Severus!" Dumbledore took a step toward them.



"NO/, Headmaster!" Anna's voice was cold but distinct as she glanced toward Dumbledore. "He /is correct. I can, admittedly, be quite a bitch, but," focusing on the Potions Professor, "if you EVER call me 'little girl' again, Severus Snape, I swear by all I hold dear, I will/ not/ hesitate to blast you into next Tuesday and you know the reason why. /DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR/?



Her voice trembled with rage but her hand remained rock steady. They glared at each other for a long, long moment, oblivious to the small group watching them.



"Crystal," Snape hissed through his clenched teeth, but she didn't move or lower her wand.



"Anna .. ANNA .. remember our conversation," Dumbledore said, breaking the silence.



Professor Twigg-Jones glanced down, then back at Snape, put her wand back in its loop and reached up with both hands to grasp his face. He jerked away, staring daggers at her.



"Oh, Severus, for heaven's sake, I'm a fully qualified Healer. Let me check for damage," she said, exasperated, hands on her hips.



He hesitated, looking to Dumbledore, who nodded. Snape lowered his hand, grudgingly. Professor Twigg-Jones felt gently for his jaw joints.



"Well, I didn't dislocate your jaw, more's the pity." She glanced at his cheek. "The redness will fade, and it doesn't look like it'll bruise ...you'll survive." She turned and walked over to stand next to Neville.



The students were all open mouthed again. They could hardly believe the quickness of her actions or the mood shifts. She knew Snape? Went to Hogwarts with him? What happened fifteen years ago? When Harry's parents died? When Neville's were tortured? What the bloody hell was going on?



"Where was I," Professor Twigg-Jones started again, sweetly, "before I was so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes, your lucky stars. HOWEVER/...I've been informed of certain circumstances that I was /not privy to at the time. So, as I find you standing in front of me now, I will..." At this point she turned to face Snape. "Walk up to you..." Which she did, slowly, as she continued, "put my arms around you..." Which she almost did, stopping just short of reaching him, arms held out slightly in front of her. "Give you a hug and say..." She took one more step, tears brimming on her long lashes, as she finished in a husky whisper, "Hello, Severus, shall we let go of the past, and live here in peace?"



The silence that greeted that statement was deafening. No one so much as blinked.



"A truce then?" Snape growled. Anna nodded.



Finally, Snape reached out and shook her hand. "Hello, Anastasia," he answered softly. "Welcome back to Hogwarts."



Anna laughed, shook hands with him, then threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. Grabbing her shoulders, Snape pushed her away from himself and held her at arms length.



"Unhand me this minute!"



Looking up into his eyes, she crossed hers and then winked at him. Snape's eyebrows shot up.



"Silly, exasperating woman." He looked up and rolled his eyes, which made her throw back her head and laugh out loud.



Dumbledore started to applaud, which shook the students out of their frozen positions. Hermione and Ginny were grinning and whispering to each other. Ron and Harry exchanged quizzical looks and shrugged. Luna tilted her head and looked thoughtfully at them. Neville, however, hung his head, turned and started to walk away. Professor Twigg-Jones saw him and excusing herself, left Snape and went after Neville.



Professor Dumbledore had walked over to Professor Snape to shake his hand and engage him is quiet conversation. Snape rubbed his cheek absently and Dumbledore chuckled.



X # X # X



"Neville .. wait!"



She caught up with him as he reached the door.



"I'm very happy for you; finding a long lost school chum and all that. Bravo. Splendid," Neville mumbled, staring at the floor.



"Neville, look at me." She reached out and touched his arm. Neville slowly raised his eyes and seeing how serious she was, frowned. "Neville, Severus is an old friend, but long ago things happened, changed, changed again and the world moved on...we moved on. I trust Dumbledore. He trusts Severus; so I will trust him. But/, please remember, first and foremost, I am an Auror. Not a Healer or a teacher, an Auror. Mad Eye Moody was, and still is, my teacher and mentor and /his first rule is?"



"Constant vigilance," Neville replied automatically.



"Correct. So, although I'm giving Severus a second chance, as Dumbledore has, I trust him about as far as I can throw him. At least until Voldemort is history and all of the Death Eaters are dealt with. I understand your feelings about Professor Snape, but I promise you, I would never do anything to put you, this school or the wizarding community at risk. I need you to know I would die fighting to save any or all of you and I won't hesitate to act against anyone, /even old friends/, to keep that promise. Neville, I'm not asking you to change your attitude towards him, but please, won't you at least trust me?"



"I trust you, Aunt Anna. I just can't like or trust Professor Snape. Yet."



"Fair enough for now," she sighed. Giving Neville a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Professor Twigg-Jones led him back toward the others.



X # X # X



While that conversation was going on Ginny and Hermione were discussing Snape and Anna Twigg-Jones.



"Wow .. that was some slap! Woman after my own heart!" Hermione whispered wickedly.



"What was with that hug, though?" Ginny pondered, peeking around Ron to check on Snape.



"I think she's keeping him guessing, on his guard, off balance. Or else she has a really wicked sense of humor like Neville said! Or a bit of both," replied Hermione, with a giggle.



"But what happened between the two of them fifteen years ago? Was she attacked by Snape or Voldemort? Was she there with my parents, or Neville's?" Harry wondered aloud.



"There're the first three questions on your list when you two have tea, eh, mate?" suggested Ron.



"I think this affair will be very interesting to follow. Snape loves her." Luna looked over at Neville and his Godmother talking. They all swiveled to look at Luna. She shrugged. "Watch and see. He's loved her for ages. She just doesn't realize it .. yet. Wonder how it will turn out?" Luna glanced at Snape.



"You're starting to sound like Rita Skeeter, Luna." Ginny grinned at her.



"How'd you figure he loves her? This is Snape we're talking about!" Ron asked with a snicker.



"My point, exactly. He took that slap but didn't get as mad as you'd think he would, for a teacher who'd just been smacked in front of six students. He wanted to hug her. I could see it in his eyes; he wasn't as mad as he sounded," Luna replied sagely. "So, it's logical; he loves her."



Their smiles faded quickly. They watched Professor Twigg-Jones rejoin Professors Dumbledore and Snape. Neville walked up, looking slightly less stunned.



"What'd she say to you, Neville?" asked Ron.



"She says she trusts Snape about as far as she can throw him, but she'll give him the benefit of the doubt, for now, for Dumbledore's sake." Neville shrugged. "I trust her judgment."