Sorry for the delay everyone! I had no idea it had been so long since my last update. I was distracted by Second Chances, I suppose. I hope you enjoy, and to those who think Osiris is the watcher, well, you'll just have to wait and see. The name Osiris doesn't really have any special significance. I thought an Egyptian name would be appropriate since they worshipped cats, but I couldn't use Bast since I wanted the cat to be a male, and I couldn't think of any cat-related male Egyptian names, so I picked Osiris.

"But the woods are fully leafed," said Roel. "Is not springtime already come?"

"'Tis Faery, love."

-Dennis L. McKiernan, Once Upon a Spring Morn

Sarah stumbled tiredly into Great Hall and slipped into an empty seat between Minerva and Xiomara. Ordinarily she avoided breakfast at Hogwarts. The first time she had attended, the morning owl post had made her flinch, and she had been twitchy throughout the meal. She had wavered between keeping an eye on the barn owls in the room, and avoiding looking altogether. Her colleagues had noticed her unease, and she had passed it off as the result of an incident with an owl years ago. Which was true, in a way. It was a shame, though, as Sarah did like owls.

Today, though, she was sick of cafeteria food, and any attempt to cook in her present state of exhaustion was bound to end badly.

"Coffee," she moaned, allowing her head to thump against the table and reaching blindly for her mug. The women on either side of her snickered.

"Too much blood in your caffeine system?" Xiomara asked teasingly.

Sarah mumbled something unintelligible and nursed her cup of coffee. "Don't you dare glare at me, Severus Snape," she said, voice carrying to where he sat at the Head Table, "as if that's not your third…" she glanced at a spot on the table out of the corner of her eye, "fourth cup of coffee." She smiled her thanks tiredly at the small goblin near the plate of eggs, rather surprised it could count even that high. It was attempting to adjust a pitcher so that someone's hand would knock it over.

The professors who heard her comment laughed softly. Sarah leaned back in her chair, sipping her drink and waiting for the caffeine to kick in.

"What on earth have you been doing?" Minerva wondered.

"Term paper," Sarah sighed. "It took longer to finish than I thought it would. I was up all night, and I just emailed it in to the professor before I came here."

"E…mail?" Dumbledore asked, puzzled.

"It's a way to send messages, papers, and other things instantly," Sarah explained.

"Fascinating," the Headmaster murmured.

"Post's here," Xiomara said suddenly. She paused, and squinted out the window. "Minerva, Dumbledore, there's a black owl. Lagging behind."

No one questioned her. The Head Table was on a dais, making it easier to see out of the window, and the Flying Instructor had eyes like a hawk.

"We've told them time and again to send it privately so that we can break the news without the whole school witnessing," Minerva hissed angrily.

Sarah had heard of the Ministry's black owls with their black envelopes, providing notification when a close relative died in the war. Idiots with no sense of compassion to send such notification to a student in front of the school at the breakfast table.

Quite suddenly a plan took form in Sarah's mind.

"'Mara, get to the entrance as quickly as you can without drawing attention, and be ready to summon the owl. I'll provide a distraction."

"What are you – "

"You'll see, now hurry," Sarah interrupted in a low voice, ignoring the curious looks.

The owls were just beginning to arrive when Xiomara got into position next to the doors on the other side of the Great Hall from the Head Table. Quickly, forcefully calming her nerves, she walked along, and then around the end of the table closest to Snape and the Slytherins. "This is for you, Tonks," she murmured. Suddenly she tripped, falling to the floor as a large assortment of dishes and goblets crashed down around her. Chatter ceased and a surprised silence fell as the students in the Great Hall turned to stare at her, transfixed by the wreckage. Sarah felt her cheeks burn, and she pushed herself into a kneeling position.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice pitched perfectly so that all in the Great Hall could hear her clearly. Frantically, her movements jerky with embarrassment, she attempted to collect the dishes, making a great clattering of noise. As she clambered to her feet, however, she slipped on the scrambled eggs, and the plates in her hands flew into the air, scattering bits of food all over the area. A scattering of students were laughing cruelly, but most watched in horror as Snape bore the brunt of this new bit of clumsiness.

"Sorry!" she yelped, rushing over with a napkin. "It was an accident – I wasn't – I just," she stammered, tilting her head forward so that her long dark hair hid her face, as though she were struggling to keep her composure. In a near silent voice, lips barely moving, Sarah murmured, "Does Hooch have the owl?"

A flicker of surprise was all that escaped his contemptuous expression. "Enough," he said coldly, slapping her hands away. The man sneered at her ineffectual attempts. "There is such a thing as magic," Snape sneered condescendingly, as a flick of his wand restored his robes to cleanliness.

Sarah took this as her cue and quickly left through the side door most of the staff used, as the students returned to their meal and conversations. "Ah thank you, ah thank you," she murmured to herself, smiling smugly as she walked towards the main entrance where Xiomara no doubt waited. It had been some time since she had last participated in a performance of any sort.

She wrinkled her nose at the state of her clothes, and flicked some bread out of her hair. Ugh.

Hearing voices, she looked up and was surprised to see Minerva talking quietly with the Flying Instructor, black envelope in hand. The owl was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, you got here quick," she said to Minerva.

The two witches jumped and stared at her, wide-eyed.

"I don't suppose you could do something about the mess?" Sarah questioned uncertainly, motioning to the mess.

"Right," Xiomara said, shaking her head. "You look disgusting."

"I feel disgusting," she replied dryly as Minerva scourgified the food away.

"That was all an act?" the Deputy Headmistress asked incredulously as they moved away from the doors and headed in the direction of the Dumbledore's office.

"But of course," she said with a small bow. "I am a former actress."

"You were good," Xiomara complimented with a laugh. "I knew you were going to do something, and even I wondered if all of that was an accident."

Sarah's stomach growled and she winced. "I never did get any breakfast," she said forlornly.

"Come, I'll accompany you to the kitchen. 'Mara can wait for Albus."

The two ignored Hooch's pouting and headed off to get Sarah something to eat.

"Who was the letter addressed to?" the young woman asked softly.

Minerva sighed, closing her eyes briefly as a weariness settled on her shoulders. Another death, and another, and another, and another….

"Katrina Gerrison," she replied. "Fourth year Ravenclaw."

A whining noise, and the sound of claws tapping on stone disturbed them, and they both turned to face a corridor to their left. Sarah had a glimpse of a shaggy black and white sheepdog and blinked in confusion. Merlin?

Then she noticed the small saddle attached to the dog's back.

"Ambrosius?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

He gave a soft woof and wagged his tail happily as he bounded over to greet her.

"You know this dog?" Minerva asked as Sarah knelt down.

"He belongs to a friend," she replied, scratching Ambrosius behind his ears. "But I have absolutely no idea how he got here, much less why." Sarah turned to address the 'noble steed.' "Why are you here, Ambrosius? Where's Sir Didymus?"

Ambrosius whined, his tail between his legs.

"Ah," Sarah said with a wry grin. "He was ready to go off on another quest of his?"

The whimpering seemed to confirm her assumption.

"All right, I suppose you can hide out up here. But you'll have to stay outside," she said.

He barked and trotted off in the direction of the Entrance Hall.

"Smart dog," Sarah commented as the two women resumed walking. "Much more sensible than his owner."

"Are you sure you should leave that saddle on him?" Minerva asked. "And what was he doing here without his owner? Do they live near here?"

"He's accustomed to the saddle, and it's best we leave it on him. Otherwise Didymus would be a bit…concerned. I really don't know how he managed to get here, and no, they're not from around here." Sarah suppressed her urge to snicker.

One evening a few days later Sarah stood in front of the mirror, alone in the staff room, carefully keeping one eye on the door. Ambrosius had returned home after Sarah had managed to talk Sir Didymus out of yet another nearly suicidal quest.

"It'd be better if the little missy would just bring us through," Hoggle grumbled. He was always grumbling.

"I know Hoggle, and maybe someday I will. But it's just too risky. I promise I'm being careful," Sarah said quietly.

"Aye," he scowled. "Yeh jus' can't keep outa trouble."

"Apparen – "

Sarah was cut off when the door opened and a troubled Headmaster stepped in. She turned to face him, a glance out of the corner of her eye confirming that Hoggle had disappeared.

"Ah, Miss Williams," he said distractedly. "If anyone needs me, would you be so kind as to direct them to the Infirmary?"

"Of course, Headmaster," she said. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Dumbledore replied calmly. He turned to leave and paused. "If you happen to see Minerva or Pomona, would you be so kind as to tell them that I am looking for them?"

"Sure," she replied distractedly, and he left in a swirl of colorful robes. Once she was sure she was alone again, she moved over to the couch.

"What's going on, Gralshek?" she asked a small, spindly goblin.

"Wolf-man hurthurt," he chattered excitedly. "Brought in. Bleed and burnburn, touched by shiny metal. Smell bad."

"Thank you," Sarah said, frowning in concern. Remus Lupin was the only werewolf she knew of. Instinct told her it was him.

The goblin grinned at her, showing off a row of fangs before scampering off to cause mischief.

Sarah turned to the mirror. "Remus Lupin, I need you." An image appeared in the glass.

She had discovered this by accident a short time ago. It had never occurred to her that she could observe people and places Aboveground in a mirror like she did with the Underground. It hadn't made sense that the Underground portal could work with anything not of the Underground. Sarah assumed that the abundant magic of the school provided an additional 'boost,' so to speak.

Poppy and Severus were hovering near a man in a cot. The former looked worried, the latter had his usual scowl as he forced several potions down the stranger's throat. Remus, Sarah guessed. His breathing was labored and pained. Two large gashes on his chest oozed blood and pus, and she fought to keep from being ill. She assumed from Gralshek's earlier words that it had been silver that had caused the injuries.

"My God," she murmured, horrified. It didn't look good. Not at all.

Letting the image fade, she immediately contacted Camille.

"Do you know how to treat werewolves?" she asked without preamble.

"I do," Camille replied after a surprised pause. "You don't often get werewolves in the Labyrinth, but there are several packs that roam the Underground."

Sarah described what she had just seen in detail. "No matter what they did, he didn't appear to be getting any better," she concluded. "I don't think they know how to cure the silver poisoning."

The healer nodded. "Give me time to gather my herbs together, and I'll help."

"Thank you," Sarah said, visibly relieved. "We'll have to wait until the panic dies down, and you might want to bring some sleep dust with you. Maybe an hour?"

"I'll be ready," Camille promised, and she disappeared.

A little over an hour later Sarah found herself outside of the Infirmary. She slipped inside silently, careful to open the door no further than needed. A quick look around showed that the beds were empty, but a curtained off section caught her attention, and she made her way over. Peeking in, she saw Tonks sitting next to Lupin. In the faint light Sarah could see tears on her cheeks.

Sarah drew back and glanced toward Poppy's office where the nurse was no doubt keeping an eye on monitoring spells. Moving away to a deserted corner of the Infirmary, she managed to catch her reflection in a window, and murmured under her breath, "Camille, I need you."

She blinked, and the small, lithe Healer stood beside her. A nod of greeting, and Camille placed her hand in front of her mouth, palm flat and facing the ceiling. Light sparkled off of the small pile of dust, and she blew gently. Glittering motes danced in the artificial breeze, some of it making its way through the cracks around the door to Poppy's office, and the rest settling inside the area housing Tonks and Lupin.

"He's over here," Sarah said after a moment, leading Camille over the injured werewolf. She settled herself in an unoccupied chair near Tonks and leaned back to watch the Healer get to work, all the while pondering what to cook for her in payment.

Sarah used a portkey from the Hospital Wing after Camille left, to reduce the chances of getting caught. She returned late the next afternoon, only to find Tonks waiting for her in the library.

"Hey," she said, and was surprised to be yanked into a fierce hug by the pink-haired Auror. "Um, nice to see you too."

"Come on," Tonks ordered, tugging her out of the library. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Sarah didn't put up a fight, although she did remind her friend that she was supposed to be working.

"This is more important," Tonks said firmly. "He almost died." Her voice broke at the memory. "He should have died, but I fell asleep and now it's like a miracle because he's healed."

It was a good thing Sarah knew what was going on, or else Tonks' explanation would be extremely confusing.

At last she found herself before Remus Lupin. The werewolf still looked weak and tired, but he was no longer sweating and contorted in pain. A quick glance at his bandaged torso, and she noticed that there was no more bleeding through the bandages. Tonks was positively beaming.

Oh yes. Sarah definitely owed Camille.

"So this is Remus Lupin," she commented absently. "It's nice to finally meet you."

At there surprised looks Sarah could have hit herself. Tonks hadn't introduced him yet. She wasn't supposed to know who he was.

"Er." She shifted uncomfortably. "You are Remus Lupin, right? I guess I just kind of assumed. I mean." She grinned mischievously at her Auror friend. "She's told me so much about you, and she was ecstatic when she was dragging me off to meet you."

Tonks blushed, which was quite an accomplishment considering her Metamorphmagus talent.

"No, you are correct," Remus said, studiously avoiding Tonks' gaze. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

"I was attacked on my way home," he said vaguely, "and they managed to get me with a silver dagger. You know about my…ah, furry little problem?" He looked worried, tense, waiting for the fear and rejection that inevitably came when people discovered his condition.

Sarah burst out laughing. "Yes," she said, calming down after a moment. "She did mention it. I'm glad you're okay. That must have hurt like hell, if some of those werewolf stories are true." She gave him a genuine smile, and, to Remus' surprise, Moony relaxed in her presence. There was a feeling of respect rarely ever given to humans, and even then not upon meeting them for the first time.

Remus eyed her with renewed curiosity. There was certainly more to Sarah Williams than met the eye. And he was relieved. Here was someone who wouldn't judge him, wouldn't fear him and treat him like filth. She was a Muggle, someone who would be all but helpless on a full moon, and she treated him as an equal, whereas most of the Wizarding World looked down upon him for something he had no control over.

Sarah snapped her fingers. "Ah ha. That's right, I was supposed to beat some sense into him, wasn't I?" she addressed Tonks.

Tonks' eyes widened in apprehension. "You were joking!" she said desperately.

"Nope. Now shoo. Don't worry, I'll be done soon." Sarah forcibly ejected Tonks from the Hospital Wing, as Remus watched in amusement. His amusement faded somewhat when she turned to give him a determined look, hands on her hips. He recalled that she had used the phrase 'beat some sense into him.'

"I have a question for you, Remus," she said seriously. "Do you love Tonks?"

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. He sucked in his breath in surprise.

"No excuses, no avoiding it. Yes or no?" Sarah said, gaze boring into his.

"I…. Yes," he sighed, almost inaudibly. "But it's not that simple. I'm a werewolf, and then there's the war and the age difference."

"It may not be simple," Sarah interrupted, "but it's not so complicated as you seem to believe. She knows that you're a werewolf, and I have no doubt she understands any implications far better than I do. At most, she simply avoids you during the full moon. Common sense. And yes, you may be in the middle of a war. You shouldn't waste what time you have.

"As for an age difference." She snorted in amusement. "That's hardly anything. Have you seen our Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress?"

Remus chuckled weakly. "They're determined to do nothing about it, aren't they?"

"Denial," Sarah agreed, shaking her head. "Remus, if you can see yourself with Tonks, if you care about her, tell her. See what happens. She's miserable without you, you know."

He looked at her doubtfully, but nodded in acquiescence. "I'll speak with her," he agreed.

Sarah grinned at her sudden nervousness. "That's better," she said. He looked so sweet, almost bashful. "You know, if Tonks didn't have dibs, I might go after you myself."

She guffawed at his sudden panic and stuttering. "I'm joking," she laughed. "I'll go get her now."

He stopped her. "There's more to you than meets the eye, Sarah Williams," he said, and sensed her unease. "You've made me quite curious."

Remus noticed the way she avoided meeting his eyes. "You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat." And then she was gone.

A moment later a worried Tonks entered and made her way back to Remus' bedside. "What did she do?" she asked apprehensively.

Remus smiled, almost shyly, and said, "Sarah simply knocked some sense into me."

Sarah leaned against the open doorway, watching the scene with some smugness, although too far away to hear any words.

"I definitely owe Camille," she murmured to herself. "He looks much better."

"Indeed," a voice commented, and Sarah jumped.

"Don't do that," she gasped, hand over her racing heart. Her hands were trembling from the sudden surge of adrenalin, and her pulse pounded in her ears.

"I do apologize, Miss Williams," Dumbledore said from behind her with a quiet chuckle.

She snorted, but merely said, "Call me Sarah. Miss Williams makes me feel like I'm in trouble."

"Sarah, then. As long as you call me Albus."

"Okay," Sarah said absently, looking around for a way to escape. He had heard way more than she wanted him to, and she certainly had no desire for any sort of confrontation. A soft meow drew her attention to the ground. Thank God.

"Osiris!" she exclaimed, and reached down to pick him up. "Come to remind me about work?"

Sarah turned to Albus. "I should go. I'm supposed to be working, and my boss may take it into his head to fire me if I'm not there soon." She flashed him a quick grin, and he laughed softly as she hurried away. His eyes remained trained on her figure, and she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her back. She restrained the urge to run. That would be rather suspicious.

Oh yes, Albus Dumbledore thought to himself. She is definitely hiding something.