Chapter Text
7 YEARS LATER
Having worked as a teacher for more than a handful of years now, I knew exactly what I was walking into. I knew what sort of questions why students were going to bombard me with the moment I stepped into the room, which was exactly why I took a few seconds to prepare myself. Seventh-year students were nosey buggers, appearing to grow even nosier the moment they entered their seventh year. It was almost as if they didn’t want to focus on their upcoming final exams and were doing anything to not have to focus on their own lives.
Drawing in a breath through my nose, I breathed it out deeply through my mouth. I should’ve been used to this by now, but I really wasn’t. Not that it mattered - I was here to do my job. Reaching out a hand, I turned the handle of my classroom door and pushed it open. Stepping into the room, I paid no mind to the way all chatter stopped at the sight of me and instead, I shut the door behind me and returned to my desk.
It was just the first lesson of the school year - nothing more.
Putting my bag onto the desk, I drew out my copy of the textbook and finally addressed the class. “Good morning, everyone.”
I received varied greetings before the barrage truly began. The students spoke at once, loudly asking various questions and over time I’d perfectly honed the ability to pick out individual questions from amongst the noise. Unfortunately for me, because I was able to do that, I knew just what sorts of questions were being asked of me. The students didn’t want to ask me any questions about Transfiguration, no; they wanted to ask me questions about my wedding.
With a sigh, I contemplated giving up. Instead, I decided to take a leaf out of my new husband's book. Putting the textbook down with a gentle thud, I didn’t bother sitting behind the desk. Instead, I walked around the front and sat on the desk. Crossing my legs at the ankle and looked over my students who, seeing the position I took, slowed their questions. Not completely, but still.
“Alright,” I spoke over the students, and they finally fell silent, all watching me. They all knew that I was tight-lipped with my personal life, the way any Professor should be with their students. Not that Harry was like that and it bugged me to no end. But maybe he had a point; nip it in the bud. “Just this once, this one lesson only I’m going to indulge you. So get your questions over and done with, you won’t get this chance again.”
At first, there was silence, as if the students couldn’t quite believe what I’d said. The silence lengthened and just as I went to hop off the desk to begin the lesson, the floodgates opened.
“Why weren’t we invited to the wedding?” someone called from the back of the room.
“Your chambers were moved,” this time a male voice declared.
“Where did you go on your honeymoon?” that one was from my left.
“I saw the pictures in the newspaper and - ”
“Ok!” I called out loudly, interrupting them all. “One - we had a small wedding. Two - Harry and I, we’re sharing chambers now.”
Jeering and whistling went through the classroom and I channelled my inner unimpressed Poppy Pomfrey, I kept my cool, even as blood wanted to rush to my cheeks. Instead, I waited patiently for the noise to stop.
Eventually, it did, and I carried on, “We spent two weeks in Bali for our honeymoon and finally, yes, the newspapers did manage to get pictures. They weren’t invited and they’ve been taken to court already for infringing on our privacy.”
My students nodded and for a second I had the barest flicker of hope that the point about infringing on privacy would stick. Of course, it didn’t. My students continued with their line of questioning and I answered them all, apart from the inappropriate ones, until they grew bored. Maybe Harry had been right all along, once you satisfy all their curiosity, they’d have no more questions left to ask. We finally managed to return to the true focus of the lesson and I took my place behind the desk.
Distributing the syllabus plan to the students with a quietly murmured spell, I took my time talking through it and highlighting the parts that would be important for the essays I’d already planned for them. In the end, the students finally asked me some Transfiguration related questions which I gladly answered and the bell rang.
Slowly my students rose, packing away their belongings and I turned to prepare for my next lesson of the day; it would be the third-year Gryffindors if memory served. There was a faint knocking on the door that I barely paid much mind to, I was too busy trying to find the third year syllabus,
“Morning, love.” Startled, I looked up sharply towards Harry who had entered my classroom and walked right up to my desks without my noticing. To my mild dismay, I noted faintly that the students were no longer walking out of the room like they had been doing mere moments ago.
“Harry,” I greeted back, smiling up at him even as I wondered silently what he wanted.
“You left this in the room.” He held out a parchment that I gratefully realised was the third year syllabus.
“Thank Merlin,” I accepted it eagerly. Smiling thankfully up at Harry, I let out a sharp, surprised gasp when he ducked his head down to give me a quick kiss. From behind Harry, I heard some of my students giggle. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to chastise them. Instead, when Harry drew back, I murmured, “These students are far too involved in our lives.”
“Oh well.” Harry tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, “At least this is what’s the most interesting part of their lives whilst at school - their teachers' relationships. Whilst we were at school, we were all too focused on staying alive to worry about who was dating who.”
“You’re right,” I conceded, I would much rather my love life hold their fascination than have them terrified that they might die. This was much better.
Chuckling, Harry marvelled, “Would you look at that? You can admit I’m right.”
“Don’t push your luck, Potter.”
“I won’t, Potter.” He dropped another kiss on my forehead, “I need to get going before my students arrive. I’ll see you at lunch?”
“It’s a date.”
Harry drew away from me and walked through the students without paying them much mind. My eyes followed him out of the room before returning to the students whose curiosity had returned tenfold.
Sighing, I gestured them all away, “Lesson’s over - get a move on. I’m not writing late notes for anyone.”