Hullo ullo! How are you all doing today? I've been quite lethargic as per always but hey, at least I have a chapter for you!

I want to thank the following people for being wonderful enough to leave me a comment: SylviaKerne, Lovestoread456, thestoryreader99, Lizaluvsdoggies, Anon and pennyg. Thank you for your lovely reviews, this chapter is for you guys!

Thanks as well to those who found this story worth alerting/favouriting: RoseWeasley929, JACKY10CM, IncertCleverHPReferenceHere, Lovestoread456, thestoryreader99, w0nderstruck, and stuffasdreamsaremadeon.

Well then, carry on!

Chapter Two

Rose was at her desk when she received the manila envelope containing the details of her new identity. It appeared in her in-tray at precisely 10:03 AM and having been waiting for it with barely restrained impatience since she'd gotten into work an hour ago, she lunged for it instantly.

Her heart beat slightly faster as she pressed her wand to the purple wax seal with the insignia of The Oracle stamped into it. It recognized her magical signature and opened easily. Sliding her thumb under the seal, Rose braced herself for the worst and drew out the sheaves of paper.

Her name was written in green ink on the top left corner and below that:

Name: Catriona Walker née Cooper

Age: 21

Occupation: Unemployed

Blood status: Half-blood

There followed a list of her hobbies and details of the contents of her bank account which were so impressive as to cause her eyebrows to shoot up.

The other sheets were falsified documents consisting of her birth certificate, various awards, apparition license and OWL and NEWT results which were less than stellar (Only three Outstandings and one Acceptable!)

As she turned to the final document, her breath hitched. It was a certificate of marriage. Well, of course she'd known that her alter ego was married hence the 'née Cooper' but…a sneaking suspicion entered her mind.

No…surely not. Even Higgins couldn't be that sadistic. This would completely jeopardize the whole operation!

It couldn't be…was Scorpius Malfoy meant to be Kyle Walker otherwise known as her husband?!

Xxxx

Overall, Rose thought she'd handled the situation rather well. She'd knocked on Higgins' door and waited patiently to be let in. She'd then calmly taken a seat and laid the offending certificate on his desk. She'd crossed her legs and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to start laughing and tell her that he'd been kidding, had she enjoyed the joke, ha-ha!

Calvert Higgins did no such thing. He merely raised an eyebrow and studied her as if she was something he'd found floating around in a jar of diluted bubotuber pus. "You're here to waste my time, aren't you?" he asked, with the air of one who'd resigned himself to having to face idiots every day of his life.

"Yes," she'd confirmed, not bothering to set him straight. After all, he was the Boss. He would fix this.

"Well, have at it then. What's bothering your pretty little head now?"

"I'd thought that it'd be rather obvious," she answered coolly. "Somebody somewhere has made a mistake and has married off this poor Catriona lady to a complete sod. I'm sure you will be rectifying the situation?"

Higgins rolled his eyes. "It's not a mistake, Rose. You have to pretend to be Mr. Malfoy's wife and there really isn't a damn thing you can do to change my mind."

Rose tried, she really did, but she couldn't prevent an undignified "Why?!" from escaping her. "There must be another way!" she insisted. "I really don't see how this is going to work. We can barely stand each other. Five minutes in the same room and it's a warzone for everyone within a ten mile radius! How on earth are we supposed to act like a…like a…" she dropped her voice conspiratorially and hissed with as much disgust as humanly possible, "….couple?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way," drawled Higgins, perusing the day's edition of the Daily Prophet; best to be informed about the competition after all. "Now if you're done whining, kindly get out."

Rose gritted her teeth and seriously considered hitting the infuriating individual across from her with a heavy, blunt object.

Instead, she snatched up the troublesome piece of paper that proclaimed her as the wife and beloved of one royal git and stalked angrily out of the room, making sure to slam the door on her way out.

Ensconced safely behind his newspaper, Higgins rolled his eyes as the decorations on his walls rattled.

xxx

As Rose reached her cubicle, she was greeted with a most gruesome sight: Malfoy was lounging around in her chair, feet up on what had once been a neat desk and was eating- oh, Merlin, he was eating her super-secret-emergency-stash of Honeydukes' finest!

"You!" she hissed, eyes spitting with rage. Actual purple sparks shot out of her wand and he cast an amused glance in its direction.

He took his time raising his eyes from the wand in her hand, gaze lingering on her chest and neck before meeting her eyes.

He smirked.

Rose physically felt her mind snapping.

She was practically frothing at the mouth. "Stop leering at me, you ignorant buffoon! Have you or have you not seen the complete botch up in our particulars?" She waved the marriage certificate at him as threateningly as one can wave a piece of paper.

He raised an eyebrow, placing another square of rich, expensive chocolate into his mouth. "I don't see what the problem is."

"Stop eating that!" she snapped, snatching the Honeydukes bar from his hand. "And what do you mean you don't see what the problem is?!" she mimicked his voice in a high-pitched, singsong manner and tried to ignore the way he looked at her- as if she were the world's biggest idiot. Yeah, she got a lot of those kinds of looks, ninety percent of which were from him. "How can you be okay with being married to be me, you prat?"

He shrugged. "I must be a masochist."

At her blank stare, he sighed exasperatedly. "I'm joking. I don't want to be married to you either, you harpy. But it's a good cover for the assignment and I really think you ought to be more professional."

Rose gasped and bridled at this attack. "I can be professional!" she protested.

"Prove it."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Rose glowered at him.

He laughed, looking delighted. "Did you just growl?"

"No!" Damn.

"Whatever, Cat," he said, getting up and plucking the chocolate from her slack grip. "See you later."

He was gone before she was done spluttering indignantly.

xxx

Cat.

Honestly!

Just because her name was Catriona. Rose rolled her eyes with unwarranted vehemence at the thought of her new name. She refused to acknowledge the fact that she'd really rather liked it at first. But it was tainted now. All because of that….graaarghh!

Pulling her mind back to the present, she knocked on the door of the Burrow. She had to inform her parents about her latest assignment and tell them to not contact her by owl for a while as the assignment would be starting in just a few days. Once undercover, she was at risk of blowing the whole operation if an owl bearing a letter addressed to Rose Weasley found its way to her.

Catriona Walker. She grimaced. Got to get used to that.

The door swung open and she blinked, lowering her fist.

"Rosie!" her dad crowed delightedly. "Give us a hug!"

She was pulled into a massive, bone-crushing embrace and before she knew it, she'd been dragged into the drawing/dining room where various members of the Weasley clan were gathered around the fireplace for their weekly lunch at Molly and Arthur's place.

"Look who's here!" Ron announced loudly, shoving her into the room.

Rose had a second to register with surprise that her mother was also present (she often could not make it for these Friday lunches due to an emergency at work) before she was tackled by various members of her over-large family.

"Rosieeee!" squealed Dominique excitedly as James gave her another hug that crushed the breath out of her poor lungs.

"Can't. Breathe." she rasped out, choking slightly.

"Oh, sorry," James said unapologetically and thumped her on the back. She keeled over the couch and landed face-down on the carpet.

Pulling herself to her feet in as dignified a manner as she could muster, Rose brushed off her jeans.

She greeted Albus with great relief, secure in the knowledge that he at least would not attempt to choke the breath out of her by way of greeting.

A sumptuous meal and three helpings of dessert later, Rose was lolling back in her chair, attempting to inhale despite the vice-grip her jeans had on her waist.

"I'm going to be going undercover for an assignment in a few days," she informed the room at large.

"That's great, Rose! I know better than to ask for details, of course," Hermione said, smiling at her daughter.

Rose returned the smile but felt guilty knowing that her parents worried each time she had to go on one of her investigative assignments. If the unnamed source was indeed right, then her parents had every reason to worry. Which, of course, was precisely the reason for the instatement of the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule.

"Yeah, Rosie, it's great," James said around a mouthful of trifle pudding. If she hadn't known him for twenty one years, Rose would have considered it beyond belief that he was still going strong on the food. Even Fred had put down his fork ten minutes ago.

As it was, suspension of disbelief was required for preservation of sanity when one grew up a Weasley.

He waved his fork at her. "If you get into trouble, just call me, I'll whoop the bad guys' ass."

Rose grinned at him. "Thanks James. I don't think that'll be necessary though. I do have a partner this time."

Ron jerked up from his stupor. "Wha'? Is it a guy? It's not a guy, is it Rosie?"

Rose was saved from answering when Hermione smacked Ron's arm warningly. Rose however, had turned slightly red and didn't miss the knowing look Dom sent her.

xxx

Much later, back in the quietude of her own apartment, Rose unwinded in her tub, leafing through the information she had about her assignment.

She'd been given access to an Oracle account to fund the items necessary for her to stay in character.

But right now, it was time to do her homework. It was time to get to know Catriona and Kyle Walker.

Well, there ya go. I hadn't been planning on updating so soon, so you all ought to reward me. ;)

The next chapter will be longer!