By the Empty Fire Grate {Maria and Albus}

[Albus Dumbledore]

Albus firmly pressed the tips of his fingers together so that they formed a perfect triangle in his lap, the lines in his hands pronounced in the dim light of the teacher’s lounge. It was rare that he had nothing to do; between trying to keep Hogwarts open with rumors of Tom Riddle continually surfacing, running the school as if there were no threats, and managing the Order of the Phoenix, he felt he barely had time to breathe.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against his favorite high-backed scarlet arm chair and rested his elbows against its hard mahogany arms. Professor Kettleburn was sitting in the corner opposite him, absorbed in grading what looked like a pile of papers as high as his head. The poor Care of Magical Creatures professor looked too busy to be disturbed, and Albus was too appreciative of the comfortable silence to interrupt.

It was only a matter of time before Tom finally came into the open and struck terror into the hearts of the wizarding world. He would be after muggleborns, no doubt, but no one would be safe this time. Albus’s thoughts strayed distantly to Grindelwald, and his bright blue eyes grew distant. No, Riddle would stop at nothing until he achieved what he thought to be the ‘greater good’. It was simply his way. The ambition and pride sparked from his childhood of pain would drive him to no end. But why didn’t he see it before?

I did. I did see it before. He told himself, scratching his forehead wearily.

The door of the teacher’s lounge opened with a faint click, and Albus straightened in his chair. He attempted to smooth out his flowing violet robes of fine velvet while standing slowly. Was old age finally catching up to him? “Ah, Maria,” Albus said, inclining his head in a slight bow towards the new Charms teacher. He hadn’t gotten much time to speak with her, but he found her respectable and quite charming nonetheless; a perfect addition to the Hogwarts staff.

“Good afternoon!” He smiled softly, nodding to a chair across from him separated by the dark and empty, charred black fire grate. Albus held out a gnarled hand, palm up, and a small yellow wrapped candy appeared in the center. “Lemon drop?”

[Maria Sanchez]

The Charms professor could think of no better way to spend her Saturday afternoon than being lost in the corridors of Hogwarts. Well, actually, she could think of dozens of other ways to spend her time, but the preferred spending of her time would have been a bit complicated at the present moment. The poor woman...she was lost on one of the many corridors of the school and had no idea where she was. However, though it was a bit frustrating, she didn't particularly mind it at all. Maybe being lost was the best thing for her.

Sighing, the woman walked slowly down the corridors. She had been wandering about for about an hour or two at first in search of the bathroom but had no luck. Her urge to use the lavatories was completely absent now, and she was just, well, walking. Her eyes scanned the portraits hanging on the walls of the corridors with interest as she walked, for they were moving and smiling and even talking to her. She had never seen such a thing before. She figured that it was some magical way that the pictures had been developed, but never once in all her fifty years had she had or seen pictures such as those. It intrigued her and caused her to walk slower so that she could look at them and study them a bit further. However, one of the pictures snapped at her for staring at it so long and rudely asked her to leave. A bit frightened, the poor woman continued down the corridors in search of anyone or anything.

There were several doors lining the stone walls of the corridors and the woman wished very much to explore them, but she opted against it and continued walking. Her feet carried her deeper and deeper into Hogwarts until she finally reached a door by which sat two stone gargoyles. She looked at them with slight interest and then glanced at the plate attached to the door. It was worn and faded, so she had trouble reading what it said. Once she deciphered the text, she realized that it was the staff lounge. She touched the knob of the door and allowed her hand to linger there for a few moments before she turned it. The door opened slowly with a creak, and she stepped inside. Once inside, she closed it behind her; the door clicked as she did so.

The room was extremely dim, so the older woman had trouble seeing things through the faint light present. When she heard her name, she jumped slightly and turned around to notice the tall and slender figure of the headmaster through the darkness of the room. She put on a forced smile and nodded lightly in his direction. “Headmaster,” she said in a faint and accented voice and then swallowed as she smoothed her own scarlet robes self-consciously. She sighed inwardly before she heard him speak once again, this time offering her the seat across from his.

Saying nothing, the woman advanced towards the seat and smoothed her robes beneath her before she lowered herself into the seat. She sat back against the comfortable seat and crossed her right leg over her left in a very feminine way; only the tips of her black heeled shoes could be seen from beneath the material of her robes. She cleared her throat faintly and then looked at him as he held out a hand in which he had a piece of candy. He offered it to her, but she lifted a hand and shook her head lightly. “Oh, no thank you,” she said to him. She hated turning down things people offered her because she knew it may make them feel bad, but she really did not like lemon drops; she didn’t really want candy either.

[Albus Dumbledore]

His eyes lingered on Maria for a few moments and waited for her to sit before taking his own chair again, as was only polite and customary for a gentleman in the presence of a woman. Albus slowly closed his hand around the lemon drop and placed the small candy in a fold of his cloak, wrapper crinkling. “At certain times I seem to forget that not everyone shares my liking for them,” he mused aloud with the hint of a shrug though his stooped shoulders barely moved. “I suppose it’s the fact that I, myself, would never turn down a lemon drop if willingly presented to me. It is hard to put oneself in another’s position. They are simply my favorites.”

Albus sank into silence and studied Maria over the top of his rimless spectacles, blue eyes alight with thought and mystery. She seemed slightly uncomfortable and distant; although what more was to be expected in a grand new castle full of people she had never met before? “I do hope you’re enjoying your first day,” he said curtly, thin lips curling into a good natured smile that caused the wrinkles in his pale face to deepen. “I assure you, the hallways will become much less confusing the greater your time here, as any place. The stairways, however, are not quite so kind,” he paused for a few moments, more for a dramatic effect than anything else.

“Just yesterday I was making my way from the 6th floor corridor when the staircase decided to shift. Needless to say I ended up walking straight into a broom closet instead of my office. Gave me quite the shock.” Albus carefully placed his hands together in the same steeple formation they had been in before Maria arrived. He was confident she would warm up soon. There were traces of a hard life in her chocolate eyes that he noticed right away. “If you need anything at all, I’m sure anyone here is willing to help. You’ll find the staff and students all accommodating, except Peeves. The best thing to do if you meet him down a corridor is run straight the other way!” Letting out a short laugh, Albus leaned back.

“My office is on the first floor, not far from the Great hall. I’m sure you remember it from your interview, yes? Behind the large stone gargoyle? He will admit you without a password, I’m fairly sure, but if ever in doubt I’m a fan of muggle candies.” Silence rose between them again, as Albus began to quietly hum a little song that had been stuck in his head all day.

[Maria Sanchez]

The woman’s chocolate gaze watched the headmaster in silence as he seated himself into his own seat across from her and became comfortable. She shifted somewhat in her own seat as her hands fell gently into her lap. Her fingers ran gently along the fabric of her robes in a nervous sort of way as she looked around the staff room and noticed that she and the headmaster were not alone. Another professor was sitting off to the corner of the room by himself where there was enough light to grade what appeared to be several papers for his classes. She swallowed and wondered if she would have that many papers to grade once her classes started. Of course, now that she thought about it, that really wasn’t anything to worry about. What she was really worried about was whether or not the students would enjoy her class. And, upon further thought, she realized that that was one of her least worries. What she was really worried about was whether or not her daughter was alive and well and whether she would ever find her.

When the headmaster spoke, the woman jumped slightly again and turned her attention towards him. It seemed that even the smallest and subtlest things caused her to jump. She was still trying to get used to her life without her husband or two children. Before she lost them all, she had not been anywhere near as jumpy and easily spooked as she was now, but it seemed that the loss of them had changed her quite a bit. She noticed that she now had more fears than she ever did even as a child and it was quite interesting for her to feel the way she did. Now that they were gone, she realized that her family had been her strength and the reason for her supposed bravery. What was she going to do now—run around being spooked all the time? She didn’t want to have to live in fear, but it seemed that it was turning out that way. She feared so many things without them…

The headmaster mentioned that he oftentimes forgot that not everyone liked lemon drops as he did. She smiled faintly and nodded in understanding. It was not unlike them as humans to forget at times; she forgot many things a lot of times as well. He explained that he would never turn a lemon drop down. She nodded again in understanding and allowed her voice to fill the atmosphere around them. “I prefer an actual lemon; the artificial flavors don’t suit me well. Besides, lemons are healthier for you than a piece of candy.” She gave a light nod as if she had proved a point and then fell silent once again. She continued to run her hands along the fabric of her robes somewhat nervously and self-consciously as she looked around the room.

Her eyes were still trying to adjust to the darkness of the room as compared to the bright corridors from which she had come only a few moments before. She blinked a few times, and the candlelight caught in her chocolate gaze and caused it to have a yellow-green tint. The slightly graying parts of her usually dark brown hair caught the illumination of the dancing flame and shined a but more through the darkness, much like the whole of the headmaster’s beard had been doing the entire time. She blinked and studied the contents of the dark room. There were a few mismatch sofas and chairs along with a small coffee table in the center of it all. The wallpaper was also quite odd, but the woman admired it anyway. Even though she would have never put mismatch furniture or tacky wallpaper in her home, she liked the homey feel it seemed to have and felt slightly more relaxed. It also helped that the headmaster was trying to start conversations; it just made her feel bad that she was not holding them for very long.

“Oh, yes, Hogwarts is amazing; I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said to him simply and offered a much more real smile. “I didn’t think I would like it at first because I felt so out of place, but I do. It’s different. And…I need different.” She fell silent and felt that she had said enough to tell the headmaster she was really enjoying Hogwarts for her first day of being there. She looked down at her hands as they started to wring together. She could feel her palms becoming sweaty. Was it really that warm in there or was it just her?

The headmaster spoke then of the corridors and staircases and how they tended to confuse people. He then told Maria of his venture to a broom closet instead of his office. The woman looked slightly surprised. She knew the staircases changed, but she had yet to experience them changing while she was walking across it, and she hoped she would never have to experience it. However, knowing her luck, she knew she would have it happen to her several times during her career as a professor there. Of course, if she learned them quickly enough, she could train herself to avoid them. Even though training herself to avoid the moving staircases sounded like a good idea, she could not help but feel somewhat depressed at the thought of it. Before she learned the stairs, she would have to get stuck on them as they moved. Oh, what fun that would be…

She uncrossed her legs and sat a bit more comfortably in her seat. She lifted the heels of her feet from the heeled shoes she was wearing as she tucked her legs and feet somewhat beneath the chair as she was seated. The toes of her feet were pointed inwards towards each other, but it was a rather comfortable way in which she was sitting, so she did not care what she looked like. She leaned a bit more comfortably against the back of her seat and blinked a few times. The headmaster offered anyone and everyone’s assistance in the school to her, should she need it, and she nodded a simple thanks to him. He then mentioned this thing called Peeves, and Maria lifted her brows. The poltergeist? She had heard much about him from her song and daughter about how he was a menace and could not be trusted for anything. She knew already to steer clear of him.

At the mention of remembering where his office was, Maria felt her face flush with slight warmth and rosy redness. She knew of its whereabouts vaguely and felt embarrassed at the fact that she could not guide herself to find it without having to ask where it was. She had been in there one time, for the interview, but she could barely even remember what it looked like aside from the lovely velvet-like interior and wooden desk behind which he sat. She shook her head and looked him in the eyes, which she managed to see through the darkness due to their brightness. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry,” she told him apologetically and tried to picture the large stone gargoyle and the things surrounding it but was having no luck. Why was her memory deciding to fail her now?

[Albus Dumbledore]

“It’s quite all right, Ms. Sanchez,” Albus replied gently, lifting his chin as he spoke. He glanced over to the door of the teacher’s lounge and imagined the corridors beyond with their firm stone walls. “Exit this room; take a left, down a flight of stairs, through the high stone archway, across the Great Hall, quick right, and up another flight of stairs. Statue should be the third on the left, if I’m not mistaken. A fine stone griffin, and quite loyal as well,” his eyes returned to normal from the blank stare. He was back from being lost amongst his castle.

“Ah, I apologize.” Albus said, clearing his throat. He noticed Maria continually sinking into silences, her thoughts showed in the lines of her face. She looked young for her age, but there was pain, oh yes. She had experienced more than any woman should have to bear. Whatever it was, he was certain she would cope. It was her business, and he was never one to meddle, considering if anyone wanted to be left alone with their problems it would be himself.

His blue eyes twinkled as they examined her, often told his gaze was like opening someone’s soul and reading it like a book. The thought always made him laugh. True, he was a skilled Legimens, but he would never put the power to use unless it was absolutely necessary. People’s minds were highly delicate entities, and not to be pried into. It wasn’t only a violation of trust, but of privacy as well. That, he believed, was one of his greatest fears. For his secrets to be known to the world would be a nightmare. His soul to be suspect to another human being would be the worst punishment of all. Perhaps he deserved it, yes. And perhaps he didn’t. There wasn’t a day that went by that he hadn’t thought of Ariana; her small body, soft blonde hair, and large blue eyes.

“Different is always good. Sometimes a change of pace is exactly what we need. Good for the soul, and good for the mind,” Albus winked slightly. Maria was getting more comfortable, it seemed. Her change in posture was one indicator, but he mainly noticed it in her eyes. They were growing accustomed to the dim light, to the rather tacky furniture, to his quirky personality. He smiled.

“You have your lessons planned and ready, I assume?” Albus asked conversationally, drumming his weathered fingers on the blocky wooden arms of his chair. “Don’t worry about being stern with any of the students,” he spoke lightly, knowing that there was something going on in Maria’s mind. His chatter was more for himself than anyone else, really, because it kept his mind from his own thoughts and feelings; there was only so much darkness one could take in a day.

“Especially Potter and Black. More than a handful, those two,” he said wearily. Just that morning the two had approached him in his office, demanding to join the Order of the Phoenix. At first, Albus outright refused. Two fifteen year old boys living for danger and risk? That was the last thing he needed; worrying about them on top of everything else. But no, he made them promise not to go looking for trouble. With much reluctance, they did, but there was a feeling in his gut… always that feeling with them. They would join in time. And they would be of much use.

“Anyhow,” he waved a hand in the air nonchalantly. “Have you visited the Three Broomsticks yet? I’m aware it’s not far from your cottage. The butterbeer is fantastic, I must say.” His eyes flickered to the window where the sun was beginning to creep lower towards the mountains. Dinner was quickly approaching, and he had to be there to make his customary speech. He gave an inward sigh. Another year, another feast, another speech. But he loved it more than anything.

[Maria Sanchez]

Though her husband was no longer alive, the woman still preferred being called ‘missus’ over ‘miss’ for the simple fact that she felt it took away the purpose of her entire marriage. At the thought, she gently fingered the ring on her left hand using those of her right and sighed outwardly. She recalled the three simple words her husband had engraved on the inside of the ring especially for her and closed her eyes momentarily to think of them and how his voice sounded when he said them to her in the sweetest of ways while they were alone in the dark. She twisted the ring of white gold around her finger and looked up at the much older man sitting across from her as he spoke and explained to her how to get to his office from there room they were presently occupying. She listened carefully and tried to picture herself walking down the corridors. It seemed easy enough, but that wasn’t to say she would forget as soon as she walked from the room. What if she needed to get to his office and was not coming from the staff lounge? There were many things that could boggle her brain and cause her to forget something as simple as the directions to her employer’s office. She usually had a pretty good memory, but over the past year, she had had trouble remembering things. Her thoughts were always consumed on something other than what they needed to be focused upon. She just hoped that her job there as a professor would help her learn to keep her focus once again. It was, after all, a school in which she would be teaching, and schools helped you learn. Though she was an adult, she still had a lot to learn and relearn. It was whether or not she wanted to learn it that determined if she needed to actually pay attention to learn it.

At the mention of her lessons and whether or not she had them planned, she bit her lower lip and realized that she was a little more behind than she would have liked. She had aspired several years before to become a professor somewhere in the magical world, but Emilio had come along and prolonged her from doing so. He had not done it one purpose, of course. If anything, it was actually her fault. Her sister had asked her to sing with the group at her wedding, and Maria had taken the offer since she knew how much the wedding meant to her sister. But then again, Emilio had asked her to join that little band of theirs, and she had grown quite attached to the small band and its leader. She could honestly tell anyone that even if she had a chance to go back in time and change it, she wouldn’t. While she had not particularly enjoyed the national attention she received from her slight amount of fame, she had enjoyed showing her people the devotion to their country, and she also enjoyed performing with her husband and their close friends. She would openly tell anyone that as well as any other stories they wished to hear about it. She was willing to share with those who wanted her to share with them. That depended upon the other person, though. She was not one to give out more than needed to attract attention. She was not conceited in any way, shape, or form. If anything, she was a bit unpretentious—too unpretentious for her own good.

“Not quite,” she responded honestly and glanced in another direction so that she would not have to make eye contact and look into his amazingly blue eyes. Each time she saw his blue eyes looking at her, she could not help but feel slightly uneasy. It wasn’t that he made her feel uneasy, but the color of his eyes was nothing that she had really seen before. She was used to staring into the eyes of her husband or children; their eyes had been extremely dark, much like hers. Now that she no longer had their eyes in which she could gaze and lose herself, she only looked at her eyes in the mirror each morning when she woke up and each evening she brushed her teeth and combed her hair after a shower. When she looked into her own eyes, though, she saw a many different emotions. She saw the happiness trying to break free from the sadness and pain from which she had suffered for the past months. She finally saw the tears she had willed herself not to cry for the longest periods of time, for she cried sometimes as she gazed into the mirror and pictured things from the depths of her mind that she so desperately wished she still had. Many times she wondered why God had pained her so, but she stopped wondering shortly after she had started. Everything happened for a reason, and it seemed that God needed more people to protect his heavens and the people beneath the skies.

She was doing it again. She was getting lost in her thoughts and not paying attention to what the people around her were doing or saying. She sighed inwardly and looked back at the headmaster as he spoke. If it wasn’t for the way his subtle voice could be so disruptive, she would not have heard anything he said in regards to the fact that she need not be stern with the students, especially Potter and Black. She said nothing in response to what he had told her. She had never planned to be too strict with the students. She would merely be herself and handle things accordingly. She nodded simply to show that she heard what he had said to her; nothing was more important than simple acknowledgement.

“The Three Broomsticks?” she repeated and thought of all the small shops in Hogsmeade that surrounded her cottage. She recalled the joke shop, the sweet shop, and the shop that she considered the ‘scary’ shop. As her mind searched for more and more places in the small village, she realized that The Three Broomsticks was really not that far from her cottage at all. She shook her head in response to him but allowed her voice to be projected through the thin atmosphere around them.

“No, I don’t think I have been there yet… I’ve been busy trying to unpack things from boxes and make my new house feel like home.” She looked down at her hand still resting in her lap and sighed inwardly to herself once again. She blinked a few times and then sighed a bit outwardly and shook her head. “I haven’t had much time for anything.”

[Albus Dumbledore]

“Well that settles it, then!” Albus replied somewhat firmly, though his voice remained soft and even. Was it Minerva who had said his voice had a soothing power; that no matter how terrible or great the situation, just a word would from Albus Dumbledore would put anyone else at ease. He rested his hands over his stomach and smiled. Despite Maria’s unresponsiveness, he knew she was at least listening to him. Although she was torn about matters lost within her own mind, she was serious about this job.

“Drinks on me. I’ll introduce you to some of the regular customers. The barmaid, Evelyn Rosmerta, had her when she was eleven,” Albus grinned widely as he reminisced about his old student. It couldn’t have been that long ago, no. Ten years? Why was it that it always seemed like yesterday? Why was this moment just a tiny grain of sand slipping from his outstretched palm? “Charming young woman. Well, she lives above the bar now and makes quite a good living.”

Albus sighed, appreciating the fleeting silence. “That is the gift of teaching,” he said softly, taking his own turn in wandering through his thoughts. “Watching your students blossom into something they weren’t before. Even the most subtle of changes. If they can make their own choices for the better, than you have done your job. And that’s all you can do.” But Tom Riddle made his own choices.

Clearing his throat, Albus shook his velvet sleeve down his forearm and held a gleaming gold watch to his eyes. “We should leave for the feast soon, Maria,” he said, turning around and noticing Professor Kettleburn had already departed. “Grains of sand…” he muttered, smoothing out his flowing silver beard.

[Maria Sanchez]

The silver-haired man spoke to Maria of Evelyn Rosmerta, the owner of The Three Broomsticks. The woman’s chocolate gaze fell upon him as he spoke, and she nodded lightly when he said that he would have to introduce her to some of the usual customers of the small pub. She was not sure she actually wanted to venture out in the village yet, but it would probably be in her best interest to do so since she lived there. Dumbledore spoke of how she lived above her place of work and how she made a good living. Maria tilted her head before speaking, her voice light, almost distant. “Anyone can make a good living even if they have no money. All you need is time and appreciation for life and what it has given you. What makes life worth living is the people in it and the love you receive from them as well as the love you give in return; love is the greatest money there is.” Her voice trailed off and fell in line with the silence.

Talking to the headmaster reassured her in many ways, she realized that now. She had been extremely nervous upon her arrival and interview at Hogwarts, but he had welcomed her with open arms and made her feel right at home even though she knew this was far from there. She did not know what it was about Albus Dumbledore that made her feel a little more at ease. Was it the way in which he spoke, the light pitch of his voice, or was it those twinkling blue eyes that seemed to give the reassurance? Whatever it was, Maria was sure that she would not have trouble fitting in once she was used to the place and got to know some people. The headmaster had already reassured her of that. At first she had not really believed him, but now she did. She had a reason to, especially since they shared the overall philosophy of teaching: Students were like blossoming flowers that you helped nurture and grow from a seed into a flower.

The woman nodded her head and wrapped her arms around her waist before leaning forwards. She looked quite uncomfortable sitting the way she was, but it settled her somewhat and that was a good thing. She swallowed and rocked back and forth a bit as she sat there and knew that the headmaster may have been questioning her actions within his head. Though he may have been wondering what she was doing, she knew already that he wouldn’t say anything to her about it. He seemed to respect other people’s words, actions, and thoughts, and he was not a person that seemed to invade the privacy of another. For this, Maria was extremely grateful. Most people probably would have questioned her, and she would have to talk about it; those were always awkward or emotional conversations on her part. Whether the person she spoke with felt the same way about the conversation, she didn’t know.

“Teaching is one of the most rewarding career options one can have. I just wish I could have started teaching years ago. I feel like I’ve forgotten everything because there’s a huge break between my years of education and now—my teaching.” She sighed aloud and shook her head. Maybe it was better that way. Even though she had never taught before, she felt extremely comfortable with it. She always saw herself as a teacher, ever since she was little. Emilio had stopped her from doing that, though… not on purpose, but he had. She felt her lips curve into a faint smile at the thought, but she immediately returned them to their previous position as he mentioned that they should head down to the feast soon. She nodded her head lightly and turned to look at the professor who had been sitting in the corner. He had already left and she hadn’t noticed?

[Albus Dumbledore]

“You have many years still, Maria,” Albus replied softly, the twinkle in his eyes still alight when he spoke. It didn’t ever seem to fade or retract, and held everything in its glow with equal fondness; most like a father looking at all his children and favoring all of them, never just one. He was over a hundred years old now, and few knew his true age. Many guessed, oh yes, but it was blind and faceless. Not just another old man. It was as though he was timeless; as though he had lived far longer than any human being should have to live, and see more than any should have to see. What people didn’t realize was that death was only the next great adventure. Instead of trying to conquer it, Albus would undoubtedly welcome it with open arms. But then what would become of the rest? His school needed him. His children… the students needed him.

“And those years that you do teach, I’m sure you will have a great affect on many young lives. Now that the transition in yourself, from student to teacher, is over, you can view objectively and recall a time when you were in the very same place. The cycle will continue, even after we’re gone,” he sighed wearily, and the lines in his face became more pronounced. He was growing tired, physically, emotionally, and mentally. There simply couldn’t have been a worse time, with the approaching threat of war ever dark and looming. Voldemort was like his shadow; just as strong, just as willing. It was heartbreaking that once, he was just as power hungry. Only his shadow had no stoop or long silver beard. He had charm and persuasion, and an army of loyal followers at his hands. Albus was left with what? A few of his students who were willing to fight, when they could barely even produce a full Patronus yet? He laughed softly to himself, hoping that Maria missed the irony in his voice, and didn’t catch the fade in his eyes. No, he would never let the twinkle fade. If he would hold onto anything it would be the hope that some good could come out of this yet. His time wasn’t for a long while.