A Thunderous Silence

Chapter Four

First Day Impressions

“Lexie, please hurry, I want breakfast,” I heard my cousin groan from the other side of the door. He had dropped the mean, uncaring, adult act the minute we were out of sight of the students.

I knocked on the door twice and went back to taming my hair, which was and still is untamable. My scarlet robes swirled around my ankles and legs moving with my body. At that moment, I almost made a sound with my voice for I wanted to screech my displeasure as my dirt blonde hair escaped me again.

Nick jumped back in surprise I as pulled the door open and stormed towards the Great Hall, my hair swaying around my face.

“She hasn’t changed at all,” McGonagall laughed happily as I took my place at the teacher’s table.

Dumbledore smiled and patted my shoulder. “If anything, she’s even worse than how she used to be.”

It took a second, but slowly I remembered what they were laughing about. They were laughing about the countless times I had stormed into the Great Hall with one of the Maroaudor or one of my male cousins at my heals, unsure how to react to the delicate situation. For once someone was saying I was the same as I always was.

“Good morning,” I hear a silky voice whisper. It was Severus.

“Good Morning, Sev,” My idiot cousin said as he finally caught up with me.

Severus took a moment to glare at Nick before turning to me. “Professor Lexington, I would like to know how you would care for the boy to be punished?”

His voice was the smoothest I had ever heard it. The last time, on that night I had been attacked, his voice had been panicked and he almost croaked. I knew that he was covering up what he really wanted to say and how he really wanted it to sound.

Over the years that silence had reigned over me, I had actually learned what different tones of voices meant for different people. Like Seth, when he wanted something he almost sounded childish, but right before a game his voice deepened and grew in volume so he had a battle voice that anyone warrior would envy.

“Why are you being so formal with Lexie, Severus?” McGonagall asked slyly. “I have been expecting an invitation to yours and Lexie’s wedding for years by now.”

I chocked on my orange juice.

Behind his dark eyes, I saw Severus thinking things I was probably best to just leave alone for my own sanity.

“Why would you say something like that?” Nick asked. I shoved a piece of toast in his hand and grabbed him by the collar of his robes and dragged him out of the Great Hall. He waved the toast at our colleagues. “See everyone at lunch.”

Laugher and the exchanging of memories followed us out of the room. I was so preoccupied with the conversation that had gone on, I nearly ran over three students.

“You really need to watch where you are dragging me,” I heard Nick said as he pulled me up by my elbow. “Sorry you three, my cousin has a slight ego problem. Well look at that, it’s James’s boy, man you look like your dad. And a Weasley too! Are you one of the twins Dumbledore warned us about?”

“Nope those are my brothers, Fred and George. I’m Ron,” the red head said.

“Hermione Granger,” the girl with the two boys said happily.

“Heard about you from Dumbledore too, said nothing but good things about you,” Nick said flirtatiously. While Hermione blushed, I paled and slapped Nick’s head. I then resumed dragging him towards our classroom.

Nick rubbed his neck. “What was that all about?”

I turned on him and punched him square in the jaw.

“You’ve been spending way to much time with Greg.”

The first class we had that day included Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all of whom were still in shock from their first encounter with us. There was also a platinum blonde hair boy with the last name Malfoy attached to his first name.

“This can’t be right!” roared Nick and went to go find Dumbledore.

I took out a piece of parchment and scribbled something about drowning Nick in the Lake that night when everyone else was a sleep.

The door slammed open and the students began to enter and took their seats. For a second I panicked. When I was younger I was loud enough to make people to listen to me, but how to communicate to these little monsters.

Snapping my fingers, what I wanted to say was written in the air. “As you already know I am Professor Lexington and the idiot who just left is my cousin, Professor Fairsweather. Now I’m sure you are curious why there are two teachers this year teaching the dark arts, when you were all still quit young, I was attacked by Death Eaters, and have yet to regained the ability to speak.”

“Well we have a mute and an idiot,” Malfoy said. “Dumbledore should just given Professor Snape the position.”

This was going to be fun. I waved my hands and it hit one of the four time turners in the back of the classroom. It turned around counterclockwise ten times.

“I have just taken ten points from Slytherin, and I assure you I have no regret Malfoy. When I post your name, please stand…” I wrote. As I put up each different name, a different kid rose. At some point Nick returned and sat behind the desk sulking.

After I had every named paired with a face, I started the first lesson, for myself. I wanted to see how smart these kids were.

“Where do you think the dark arts came from?” I wrote in the air.

Hermione raised an eager hand and I nodded. “The dark arts original started in the Middle Ages during the time of the black plague.”

“Professor Lexington is looking more for why they started and not when. And they didn’t start during the black plagues, they’ve been around for a lot longer than that,” Nick said rubbing his eyes.

To my surprise the class erupted into chaos and they started to jeer and laugh at Hermione.

“Not so perfect, are you Mudblood?” Malfoy yelled over the noise.

I snapped. With a wave of my hand Malfoy was flown up into the wall and hit it hard. He looked honestly scared.

“Put him down Lexie,” Nick whispered into my ear. I did and Nick pounced on Malfoy the minute his feet were on the ground. “If I ever hear that language in my classroom again Malfoy, I’ll have you expelled. For right now that’s another hundred and forty points from Slytherin and a detention for you. Now how about you answer the question?”

Malfoy was too scared to answer the question.

“The dark arts began so wizards could protect themselves from creatures like banshees,” I heard poor Hermione whisper, unsure of herself.

I took a piece of paper from my desk and scribbled down a quick note and handed it to Hermione. “Well done. Ten points for answering the question and another thirty for putting up with that abuse. I would like you to stay after so I can talk with you.”

Together Nick and I managed to get the students to think about the theories and ideas surrounding the dark arts. One student asked how come the dark arts were so broad when obviously they were more defined subjects with in it.

“Well, some places do break it up a little more than we do here at Hogwarts,” Nick said with a warm smile. “Professor Lexington and I know several people who went to America to continue their studies into magic. They owled us and said that the University they were at had no Defense Against the Dark Arts, but actually several classes that focused on one aspect of the dark arts.”

The bell rang and the students left for their next class. As I had asked her to, Hermione stayed behind. I waved Nick out of the room and he kindly obeyed.

“Sit down Hermione. No need for you to stand.”

“What…How…?” the confused girl jumped in surprise.

“It’s me Hermione. I’m a skilled Legimacy. What I want to know is if you are going to be okay?”

“Yes.”

“I one time stepped in between two Slytherins, one of whom was my friend. When I asked if he was okay, he said yes. I later caught him ready to jump off the Astronomy tower.”

“Was he okay?”

“That boy I stopped from jumping became your Potions Master.”

“Professor Snape?” Hermione squeaked.

“Promise me you’ll come and talk if it comes to that, I know how easily pride is bruised,” I said to the girl. “And Hermione, one more thing, please do not inform Professor Snape that we had this conversation.”