The boxes were weighing down her arms as she struggled to close the car door. Her breath came out in white puffs against the semi-dark surroundings. It was quite early in the morning, but all new teaching staff were required to arrive earlier, preferably a couple of hours, than the students would.

The building the teachers were staying in was similar to student dormitories, however, due to its grandeur and significant size compared to normal student areas, high ranking pupils such as the student council resided on its first floor. They'd been given an initiation day (yesterday) to go over these procedures by the kind faced Kain, the secretary of the student council, with a slightly bored Marius in the background.

Barney kindly smiled at her limping figure, before sighing gently. "Do you want my help with that?"

She let out a sharp exhale as she nearly tripped on a small pebble at his abrupt question.
"Ah! You scared me, bro."

The top box wobbled and Y/N couldn't catch it in time as it fell to the ground, scrounging her possessions on the cold pavement.

"Ah... that's inconvenient. We were five feet away from the door..." Barney sighed.

"Would you like any help?" The voice that had appeared out of virtually nowhere, made Y/N and Barney jump. Y/N turned to see Marius, leaning against the wall of the dormitory, grinning at them. She found herself flushing— how unprofessional! She didn't know why at all, but the way he was looking at her made the women feel—

"A-Ah! Marius. What are you doing here? Yesterday Kain mentioned students arrived later— unless we've got the time wrong?"

That statement from the female teacher made him chuckle, in which he apologised and held a graceful hand to his face. "Not at all, Miss L/N. Kain refrained to mention the student council arrives at the same time as you." He gestured his hand at their surprised expressions. "It's a fairly new suggestion, one a member of the council put in."

"I-oh. Then I suppose it's alright for you to help?"

Marius smiled, quite innocently, at that. "Yeah. Lemme help."

His sudden change in attitude made her start. I mean, of course, he talked differently to her. She was his superior, a person he ought to treat with respect.

She suddenly felt odd, guilty. "You don't need to be so formal."

"Actually, he does." Y/N whirled to Barney, surprised. She'd never heard the man so triggered.

Unbeknownst to the teacher, Marius was glaring with malicious intent. A rival? So soon? He tched, waving it off when Y/N asked him if he was alright. He leant over, picking up the supplies on the ground.

"I think Mr. Grace is correct. I better get to my dorm." Marius handed the stuff to the H/C haired who nodded.

"Y-yeah. Well, I'll see you again soon, Marius."

As soon as he left, Sylvia's voice emitting from her little red car. "Did I miss anything?"

•

Teachers were put in rooms of two, and Y/N was grateful to be put with her oblivious friend. Sylvia was quite easy to deal with. The woman only ate ramen and lettuce so she was pretty slim.

"Isn't it odd?" Her roommate suddenly quipped.

"What do you mean, Sylvie?" Y/N was unsure of her reasoning for anything "strange".

"Well, it's just that we're so far away from Barney and the other males, and closest to the students. Are we the most responsible ones, or is it something else?" Maybe there was a slight hint of panic detected in both females, but it was so quick, you could hardly tell there had been any tension at all.

Y/N let out an uneasy laugh. "Such the detective! You're so funny, Sylvia. You know, that paranoid side of yours."

Sylvia was still deep in thought, and barely acknowledged when Y/N addressed her next.

"We should go greet the other teachers, we pretty much have a life contract here. We might as well get on."

•

A blonde, sickly looking woman was staring at Y/N as she descended down the steps with Sylvia clutching her arm. The glare was suspicious, and Y/N couldn't help but feel shaken.

She removed her gaze from the blonde, though she wasn't sure the latter had done the same. Best not to check.

Barney, with a very good looking man, was approaching the two.

"Y/N! This is Remus. Remus Buckler. He's also an English teacher this year."

"Oh! That's fascinating! It's a pleasure to meet you." They shook hands, his significantly bigger than hers, an extreme tan gracing his features.

Barney and Sylvia left for the food, the woman snickering at Y/N, knowing she'd left her with the hottie. She internally whined. Why couldn't she go get food with them?

She pouted, bottom lip sticking out in quite a cute, unprofessional manner.

"So..." so his voice was as sultry sounding as it seemed. She plastered a smile. "How are you liking it so far?"

"That's yet to be determined. I just hope the students like me."

He laughed a little. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, they can't fire you even if the students don't like you, it depends on the quality of the work you teach, and what they produce out of it." (RIP Remus)

Her confidence felt surprising well-built after that statement. A soft, genuine smile graced her lips. "...thanks... Remus? Do you mind if I call you that?"

"It's no problem. I suppose I can call you Y/N?"

"Please. I'd prefer if everything wasn't so serious. It would take my mind off the fact that this is the most elite school in the area."

He laughed once again, a little louder. Oh, nope, his laugh was one of those psycho ones that were funny in private but in public you have to put the hand up and pretend you don't know 'em.

She quickly sent a goodbye glance to Remus, who wasn't catching her eye as he was attracting the attention of people who have laugh fetishes.

Y/N approached Barney and his female companion, who were sipping their tea. Well, punch. "Y/N, Y/N, he seems to like you~."

"He's a little weird Sylvie. You take him."

She snorted over her punch. Y/N didn't really know why. She wasn't that funny.

The H/C haired girl shrugged, sighing into some F/F that happened to be residing on the counter. Unfortunately, the familiar feeling of being watched weighed on her back all evening.

"Uh— guys, excuse me. Need the toilet."

They were busy greeting others teachers and barely managed a nod in acknowledgement.

•

Once the other teacher was quite certain no one had followed the two, she went to grasp Y/N's forearm. Not hard enough to cause any damage, but enough so that escaping the awkward situation afoot.

"Why were you staring at me? Have you got a problem? Something wron—?"

"I saw you this morning. With Marius."

Oh my, did they have some sort of forbidden realtionsh—

"I know what you're thinking, and no. But be careful. He's dangerous."

Y/N did not pose the reaction she wanted. Though she supposed After semi-kidnapping someone that they don't.

"Why are you telling me this? Are you crazy or something?? How can you say that about your own student?"

The blonde woman sighed. "Look kid, I've been here longer than you. I have experience, and I know things, okay? So trust me when I say—."

The woman in front of Y/N gasped, eyes widened and for the first time that Y/N had seen her, she seemed to leak a real emotion: fear.

"W-what? Wait! What do you mean?"

When she coaxed no reply, she leant against the wall, sliding down until the low hum of radiator dominated as the loudest sound in her head.

"I actually never got her name. It's easier than referring to her as 'blonde lady' or something."

Even as she saw the blonde woman turn away, starting to scuttle back into a lit part of the dorms, a stare was fresh on her.

She sat up, with lightning like tendencies. A shiver passed through her, clutched her forearms to keep them from shaking in time to the hum.

If it wasn't the blonde lady, who's been watching me all evening?

She bit into her  thumbnails, practically fleeing the scene to find somebody. Anybody.

•

School starts in next chapter. See ya then.