ALRIGHT JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS: HARRY POTTER AND IT'S AFFLIATED CHARACTERS BELONG TO JK ROWLING. ARIELLA CROSS HOWEVER DOES NOT AND I CLAIM HER! :]

"You seem to be faring well, Ella." Albus Dumbledore smiled when a young woman jumped. Her blonde curls bounced as she turned quickly to face the aging wizard and her face lit up with a smile. Her amethyst eyes twinkled as Albus tilted his head to the side.

"Oh! Professor Dumbledore! You've not aged a single bit!" She spoke softly, her voice tinkling like little bells.

"It's Albus now, I think, Ella." He replied as he allowed the woman to hug him tightly. Ariella Cross pulled away, still smiling brightly as she ushered him to a nearby empty desk.

"What brings you here, Albus?" She asked as she conjured two cups of tea out of thin air. Albus smiled as he accepted the offered cup.

"I have a favor to ask of you, my dear." He responded as he took a sip of the tea. Ariella stared at him before nodding, telling him to continue.

"I would like you to come teach at Hogwarts." He continued as Ariella's eyes widened.

"But...all the positions were full, I thought! What's happened?" She asked in a mild panic. Dumbledore smiled softly before placing his hand up in a gesture of comfort.

"Calm yourself, Ella. I merely need a replacement while one of my teachers recuperates." He answered as Ariella calmed down. She put her hand over her chest and sighed.

"Oh. Well of course I'll fill in for them. Anything for you Albus." She responded softly with a sweet smile that Dumbledore was sure melted the hearts of many of the men she came in contact with. Dumbledore smiled in return before leaving her to her packing.

"School starts September..."

"First. I remember." She replied before he could finish and he smiled before disappearing with a pop. Ariella smiled before turning to her small office. She was sure they would be alright without her. Besides the ministry would simply fill her position as quickly as possible.

"Wait..." Her eyes went wide in realization.

"He didn't tell me what subject!" She exclaimed in horror.

"Ariella Cross?" Minerva McGonagall asked in surprise as Dumbledore nodded, his eyes sparkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Ariella Cross?" McGonagall reiterated as he nodded again. She smiled.

"Well at least it is someone I will enjoy." She remarked as Dumbledore chuckled.

"Minerva, you enjoy everyone." He replied as she shook her head before leaving the headmaster to his headmaster duties that he always seemed to be skiving off.

"Albus, when is she due to arrive?"

"Tomorrow."

"Very well. I'll prepare her room. Good evening."

"Good evening Minerva."

"Miss Cross, how wonderful of you to make it."

"Albus! You didn't tell me what subject I would be teaching, so I didn't have any idea of what to plan for lessons and now..." Ariella stopped as Dumbledore raised his hand.

"My dear, you fret too much on the small details." She scoffed.

"Small details are classroom location, class sizes, student names. Big details are name of course!" She replied exasperated. She walked beside the jovial man with grace as her trunk floated effortlessly behind them. Her robes billowed in the wind and she pulled them closer to her.

"How was your summer?"

"What class am I teaching?"

"Enjoyed it, I hope."

"What class am I teaching?"

"Mine was lovely, dear."

"What class am I teaching?"

"Such impatience in today's youth." Dumbledore sighed sadly as Ariella glared at him in annoyance.

"Albus Dumbledore, what class did I give up my ministry job to teach?" She asked with her slender arms folded across her chest.

"Oh, very well. History of Magic." He replied as if to answer was losing a game of some sort. Ariella's eyes widened.

"Whatever happened to Professor Binns? He couldn't have died! He was a ghost, wasn't he?" She asked in worry.

"Professor Binns had a run-in with Peeves and is well recuperating." Dumbledore replied easily as he led Ariella up to the castle by the small of her back. She pursed her lips at the memory of Peeves.

"I never did like him. I think you should get rid of him."

"Then how would future generations of students suffer?"

"Stuffy old teachers and piles of homework are torture enough, if I remember correctly." She responded with a smile as Dumbledore chuckled. His voice echoed eerily in the almost empty castle as they passed through the front doors.

"Albus." A surprised voice was heard as Ariella and Dumbledore looked up to its owner. Severus Snape stared at the young woman next to the headmaster. Her blonde curls and amethyst eyes reminded him of someone he had known in his youth.

"Ah, Severus! This is Professor Cross. She'll be filling in for Cuthbert while he recuperates." Dumbledore introduced the woman as he gently pushed her toward the potions master.

"Good evening." She tilted her head forward to acknowledge him. He stared at her.

"Well come along, Ariella dear. Your quarters are up these stairs." Severus froze when he heard her first name and refused to move even after she had left his presence. Finally he forced himself to return to his classroom, where he knew he'd be able to think in peace and without being disturbed.

"Who was that?" Ariella asked as she walked beside Dumbledore who smiled.

"Severus Snape, the potions master." He replied. Ariella stopped, frozen by her school memories.

"Come along, Ella. I'm sure he's forgotten all about your years in school together." Dumbledore reassured the blonde as she finally continued to walk with him.

"He's going to hate me. I just know it." Ariella groaned as she made her way to the Great Hall for dinner later that night. She took her time getting there as she reminisced her school days. She giggled as she recalled a painful memory with the wall she had her hand on.

"Professor Cross." A dark voice brought Ariella out of her memory induced daze and she turned to face its owner with a scowl.

"It's not very nice to sneak up on people, Professor Snape." She replied curtly. His dark eyes narrowed on her as she brought herself up to her full 5' 4" height, trying to look menacing. The past Slytherin studied the past Gryffindor with scrutinizing eyes. She hadn't changed much. She seemed to be the same height and size. Her hair was longer and her eyes calmer. Her ivory skin appeared flawless and smooth as dark, long lashes fanned her eyes. He sneered before sliding past her, narrowly avoiding her scent.

"Do not stand in my way." He growled before disappearing around a nearby corner. Ariella pursed her lips and scowled. Trust a Slytherin to ruin the mood, she thought sourly as she made her way to the Great Hall. She took note of the empty seat next to Severus and quickly decided on the chair at the other end of the table next to McGonagall.

"Well, my word! Is that Ariella Cross?" Poppy Pomfrey exclaimed as the rest of the staff table finally caught sight of the smiling witch.

"I'll be. It most certainly is." She continued as Ariella finally reached them and smiled softly at them.

"Good evening, professors." She greeted sweetly as she was surrounded by the other staff members.

"How are you, my dear? Are you filling in for Cuthbert?" Filius Flitwick asked as Ariella nodded.

"Yes." She answered easily as McGonagall smiled.

"It's a pleasure to see you are doing so well."

"Thank you." Severus scowled at his goblet. Trust a Gryffindor to turn a simple dinner into some sort of party, he thought angrily as Dumbledore watched him out of the corner of his eye. His eyes twinkled mysteriously as a calculating smile came across his face and he turned to watched Ariella sit between McGonagall and Pomfrey with ease. She easily chatted with the older staff members as Severus ignored her and she him. McGonagall took note of their animosity toward one another but let it pass. She knew the history between the two younger professors. Everyone knew the history.

"Severus." Severus looked toward Dumbledore as he called out to him.

"I'd like it if you escorted Ariella to her classroom tonight." He requested as the woman and man involved tensed.

"I thought you've already done it, Albus." Severus responded, hoping to get out of it.

"It must have slipped my mind. But I'm much too busy now, so will you do it for me?" He asked, his eyes twinkling. Severus sighed, knowing he'd never be able to say no to him.

"Very well." He answered curtly as Ariella frowned.

"Albus, I know very well where the History of Magic classroom is." She inserted, hoping to get out of this tour with her past.

"You never know, Ella." He replied easily with a smile as he took a bite out of a tart. Ariella sighed before brushing her curls back in frustration. McGonagall chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry so much. After tonight, the two of you will be so busy you'll barely see one another."

"I hope so." Ariella replied, taking a swig out of her goblet, suddenly wishing the pumpkin juice would replace itself with firewhiskey.

After dinner, Ariella begrudgingly followed Severus toward the History of Magic classroom. Ariella had the urge to shove her boot up his ass the entire time.

"Unbelievable." She growled when they reached the classroom. Just as she suspected, the classroom was the same now as it had been when she had come here as a student.

"Yes, well. Good night." Severus began to leave until he stopped.

"Why did you take this job?" He asked suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Because I didn't know you'd be here." She scowled as he sneered before leaving her alone. She suddenly felt very alone in the dreary classroom before deciding to return to her room to sleep off the uneasiness she felt. When morning came, the uneasiness had dulled and Ariella smiled. Today was the day she'd finally see how students looked from the staff table. She grinned and practically bounced to the Great Hall for breakfast. She noticed Severus' absence and her grin widened.

"Hmph." And his voice killed her good mood instantly. Severus watched her wild grin disappear when she noticed his presence and smirked. He took pride in being able to sap her joy right out of her system. She'd be less annoying this way.

"You're in the way." He sneered as she crossed her lean arms across her chest.

"This great big doorway and you want to walk in the same path as me?" She asked in annoyance as her amethyst eyes darkened. He ignored her and made his way to the staff table, taking his usual place at the end of the table, closest to the Slytherin table.

"Stupid, snarky git." Ariella mumbled as she made her way to the seat several places away from

Snape. She finally took note of the blonde man sending flirtatious smiles toward her and frowned.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, my ravishing beauty." He replied cheekily as he kissed her hand. She jerked it back and smiled awkwardly.

"You must be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, right?" Ariella questioned as he nodded proudly.

"Indeed I am." He responded, showcasing his brilliant smile. Ariella fought back the urge to punch his pretty face in. He reminded her of a con man, conniving his way into getting what he wanted. He reminded her of the git sitting at the far end of the table. As if he knew she was thinking about him, Severus looked up and met her eyes. They locked eyes for only a moment before tearing away from one another in anger. Ariella sighed. And she had been hoping this year would be relatively peaceful.

After breakfast, she avoided Gilderoy by dipping into the library, easily hiding behind rows and rows of books. She smiled, pleased with herself.

"Hiding are we, Cross?" A vicious voice spat as she twirled to face Severus who held several books in his hands.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Now sod off, git." She growled in response as he smirked at her.

"I wonder how much Lockhart would like to know where you're hiding..." He hinted as her eyes grew wide.

"You wouldn't." She hissed as his smirk darkened.

"I would." He replied before leaving her frozen behind him.

"There you are!" Gilderoy exclaimed as Ariella cursed under her breath. She'd kill Severus in his sleep for that, she thought angrily as she pretended to not hear Gilderoy and disappeared into the hall, hoping to lose him in a secret passage or something.