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Once in a Blue Moon	By : madilayn Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 1698 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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1 September - Hogwarts - evening

Pilar took her seat at dinner that evening self-consciously. She watched the students entering, and looked keenly at them - especially those in her house ‘ Ravenclaw.

Then, as her gaze swept the hall, she caught her breath - feeling as if she had seen a ghost. Her face went pale - the only colour on her face seemed to be her dark hair and blue eyes.

She felt Lupin touch her on the arm, ‘Pilar ‘ you all right?’ he asked, waving slightly at the boy.

She grasped his arm ‘Who is that?’ she croaked, still pale.

Lupin looked closely at her. ‘That,’ he said drolly, ‘is Harry Potter. And yes. He does look extraordinarily like his father.’

Pilar felt her colour returning, and she took a quick sip of wine from her goblet. ‘Extraordinarily like him. Bet he gets sick of hearing it.’ She looked at Harry - he and two others were waving and making signals at the staff table ‘ and she looked along at Sirius who seemed to be answering.

‘So,’ she drawled, ‘Tell me all about it.’

Lupin laughed and filled her in. By the end, Pilar was writhing in her chair with glee - squeaking with laughter. ‘Sirius - a godfather? A good example, and all that?? Sirius Black? The Sirius Black? Sirius Black whose favourite hobby used to be seeing how many girls he could get into the rose bushes? ‘ Her laughter bubbled and gurgled over the staff table. ‘I can’t wait to see this!’

‘He doesn’t do too badly,’ said Remus. ‘But it does take a little getting used to.’

‘And who are young Harry’s companions in crime?’

‘Apt description. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Keep on your toes when teaching that trio,’ put in Professor Flitwick from further along.

‘Never mind,’ said Pilar airily, ‘I don’t have trouble controlling my classes. In fact, if it follows from my American students, they will probably hate me.’ Try as she might, her voice took on a snarl and bitterness she couldn’t conceal.

She continued to look around as the sorting ceremony took place. The Slytherins seemed to be their usual slimy selves ‘ their ringleader a boy with white hair, shadowed by two gorillas. ‘A Malfoy for sure,’ she thought.

Her Ravenclaw students seemed to be the normal noisy bunch - and the Hufflepuff students were also chattering noisily.

She noticed the Gryffindors all seemed to have a sense of great confidence ‘Good for them,’ she thought, and wondered how she could instil that confidence in her own house.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were surprised to see both Sirius and Lupin at the top table. Even more surprised to see the woman sitting between them, chatting. They watched her talking to Lupin, and were even more surprised at the amount of contact he accepted from her. It was nothing much - a touch on the arm, or the hand.

They knew he tended to avoid it.

Harry had also noticed her reaction to him.

‘Who is she,’ he wondered to the other two.

‘Well, a teacher obviously,’ said Hermione.

‘Yes, but of what? If Lupin is here, then he is teaching Dark Arts.’

‘And look at Snape’s face,’ Ron put in, ‘He’s definitely not happy.’

‘Well, she’s certainly amused about something!’ said Harry, ‘and I can’t help but feel that it’s something to do with us.’

The sorting ceremony finished ‘ and the new first years were welcomed to their houses. Dumbledore stood for his beginning of year speech.

‘Welcome new students, and old, to Hogwarts. As you can see, we have some new and old faces to welcome to the staff.

‘Firstly, Professor Trelawney has left us, and has not been replaced. Therefore, all divination classes are cancelled.’

‘What a relief,’ Ron whispered to Harry.

‘Secondly, we welcome back Professor Lupin, who will be one of our Defence against the Dark Arts teachers.’

A buzz ran around the school. One of them?

‘He will be joined by Professor de Lisle ‘ an old student who has been teaching at the Salem Institute and has re-joined us. They will be assisted by Mr Black.

‘As part of your Defence studies this year, you will also all be taking a course in combat ‘ and the Duelling Club will be reinstated.

‘I am sure that you will find Professor de Lisle very good at what she does. I know that her house, Ravenclaw, will welcome her back eagerly, and the rest of you will give her the respect and attention that she deserves.’

Dumbledore sat down, as the school applauded politely. The feast appeared - and everybody tucked in.
After dinner had ended, Pilar wandered towards the Ravenclaw common room. She entered through the secret hole and emerged amongst a scene of chaos.

‘What on earth,’ she said - dodging something that flew towards her. ‘What is going on here?’ she said loudly, hands on hips, and glaring about the room for the culprits.

The room stilled and she was faced with the cause of the disturbance. Two first year students were scuffling on the floor. Reaching down, she grabbed two collars and hauled them upright.

‘Gentlemen,’ she said with heavy sarcasm ‘I am sure that you are finding this discussion fascinating, but this is not the time nor place.’ She put them down and looked down at them ‘Dormitory. March. Now.’ she said. ‘Oh ‘ and congratulations on finding yourselves the recipients of my first detention here.’

She looked around, ‘I am sure the house prefects will have an absolutely fascinating explanation as to why they did not stop this,’ she drawled. ‘And will be only too happy to put in writing that explanation. My desk. Tomorrow evening.’

She swept out of the room cursing to herself. ‘Stupid, Stupid, Stupid,’ she muttered to herself, ‘why couldn’t I have handled it better?’ She took a deep breath and leant against the wall. The truth was that she always found it easier to take refuge in anger and punishment, rather than finding cause. Standing up again, she went to her room, sitting down and looking at herself in the mirror.

She had not wanted to be a teacher ‘ a career wished upon her by her exile. Pilar gazed at herself - wishing as she had for her whole life, that she was different. That she was better looking. That she had her greatest wish - to be the wife of the man she loved - caring for their children.

That she had made different choices. She sighed. Nobody had ever bothered to see what she wanted.

The cycle of bitterness continued.

2 September - Hogwarts - morning

Pilar woke late the next morning - her night had been full of unfulfilled dreams. Dreams of what might have been. Dreams of hope - what might be. And dreams of terror of what lay before them all.

It took her a few minutes to remember where she was - the room she had known in Salem - with it’s cheerful windows, had been replaced by a stone chamber - that - as yet - had taken on none of her character.

She got out of bed and headed for the shower, absently taking a sip out of the cup of tea sitting on the low table as she did so. Anyone looking at her would not have recognised the austere Professor de Lisle. Her dark brown hair rioted down her back in long curls, and her face was uncharacteristically soft.

She looked like that younger woman - the woman who had hoped for a future.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom. Her unruly hair tamed and drawn back into a bun - sternly pulled back from her face. She knew that bits would gradually escape, but didn’t care. She dressed as usual in dark trousers, boots and a white shirt. She picked up her long leather coat and put it on.

She sighed as she did so - he had always liked seeing her dressed like this. Probably why she had continued to do so, a link to him through all their years apart.

All of a sudden, the tea intruded on her thoughts. ‘I definitely didn’t make that!’ she muttered to herself, and noticed it was still hot. ‘Heating spell,’ she thought, ‘smart tea.’ Then she noticed the piece of parchment next to the cup, and picked it up.

Scrawled across it were the words ‘Good Morning.’ Pilar smiled to herself at the gesture. Typical of him - the caring and the flirting. Two could play at this game.

She left her room feeling much brighter - perhaps this was a new chance for them. Perhaps the hope from almost 20 years ago could be rekindled. She decided to try to be the person she had been then - and hoped that she could find that girl within her.

She bounced into the great hall and up to her seat. ‘Good morning’ she said brightly, absently putting the teacup down - not realising she had taken it with her. ‘I’d like to give my thanks to the person who left the early morning tea. I needed it!’ she said, and tucked into a plate of cornflakes - calculating as she did so how she could snag some bacon before the two men beside her got it all.

‘Are you ready for your first class, my dear?’ asked Dumbledore from further down the table.

‘Oh yes ‘ I’m ready,’ she said, ‘I just hope the students are.’
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Once in a Blue Moon