When they stepped out of the fireplace in Snape's office Freddie immediately looked around for Ziggy. He wasn't on the shelf he'd been on when they'd left and something was different – the door to Snape's private room was open. He put a hand out to stop her and drew his wand.

"Stay here," he breathed quietly, his senses alert. Freddie stood where she was told but drew her wand as well as Snape entered his quarters.

"Who's in here?" he barked. Freddie didn't hear any reply. She checked the wards on the door and found them intact.

"The door hasn't been opened," she called to him. He didn't respond. Concerned she started towards the open door when Snape stepped out, Ziggy under one arm.

"Your pet was asleep on my pillow," he said, dumping the kneazle in her arms. He turned and closed the hidden door with a tap of his wand. "How did he get in there?"

"He's a clever boy. Yes you are, aren't you, clever boy," she praised, giving Ziggy a kiss on his fuzzy head. She carried him over to her usual chair and sat down.

"I find it hard to believe a kneazle could find the hidden entrance to my quarters," Snape said. "But I can detect no trace of human presence."

"Maybe Noelle or one of the house elves left it open while cleaning?"

"They don't clean during the day and Noelle knows better. It had to be him," he said, looking down at Ziggy thoughtfully. "I'm impressed."

"Me too," she said, kissing Ziggy again. "Clever boy."

Ziggy was purring loudly, looking overall pleased with himself.

"He didn't make a mess or anything did he?" Freddie asked, looking up at Snape.

"Surprisingly, no. Nothing was disturbed, he was just asleep. On my pillow."

"Sorry," she said with a grin, though she wasn't really. She thought it was hilarious that Ziggy had found the secret entrance to Snape's bedroom just to go to sleep on his bed. Snape rolled his eyes at her and crossed his office to tap on the hidden entrance to the Brewing Lab.

"Do we need to brew something?" Freddie asked, leaning forward to put Ziggy on the floor. She grimaced as she did. She was sore all over. Transforming back and forth all day, then getting spectacularly fucked, had certainly taken its toll. Still, if Snape needed help brewing...

"No," he said before she could get up. "Stay. I'm just getting something."

Freddie relaxed back into the chair. Ziggy leapt back into her lap and pushed his head under her chin affectionately.

"I missed you too," she chuckled, stroking his head. "You should've come with us. The Ministry fellow would've found you 'gorgeous' and 'spectacular'."

She heard Snape scoff audibly from the other room and she smirked at him when he came back into his office.

"What?" he asked moodily.

"Nothing," she said quickly. She sort of loved that he was jealous but she wasn't about to start that argument.

"I am not jealous," he said aloud, striding past her to sit at his desk.

"Oops. You have got to stop doing that," she said, quickly throwing up her Occlumency to guard her mind.

"I told you, I don't realize I'm doing it. Besides," he said, pulling his chair up to his desk. "You need to work on keeping your Occlumency employed at all times. It should be second nature, something you do without even thinking about. If I can enter your mind so easily, others can too and you know what that could mean for...us." He said the last word softly and a little awkwardly. Their eyes met across the table and she was the first to look away, down at Ziggy who she was still petting.

"I would know if it was anyone else, I think," she said, but would she? She'd never had anyone but him in her head. "But I see your point. I will work on it."

"Good," he said approvingly, then leaned across the desk to place a tiny vial in front of her. "Pain-Relieving Potion, as promised. Enough for four doses."

"Thank you," she said, surprised. She had forgotten he'd said he'd give her something for pain.

"Use it sparingly," he warned as she slipped the vial into her purse.

"I will," she promised. "...You also said I could turn in early and sleep as long as I want, didn't you?"

"I did. You tired of me already?" he teased. "We've only been together the entire day."

"Tired, yes, but not of you. You don't know how bad I hurt right now. All that transforming and...other activities," she said. Their eyes met again and they shared a quick smile.

"I know the pain you are in, little girl," he said softly, starting to reach across the table to her but thinking better of it. "Without your Occlumency...your pain is my pain. I know how your muscles feel knotted throughout your body...that your long bones – the bones in your arms and legs – feel splintered and your joints feel like they have sand in them when you move. I know your left shoulder hurts especially bad from the last fall you took before we left. And I know your pelvis and hips are sore, though you don't mind that so much. I take credit for the last ones." He smiled again and Freddie blushed but chuckled.

"You're right on all counts," she admitted. "...How come I don't know when you're in pain?"

"You only get what I want you to get from my mind...most of the time. You are not yet skilled enough to choose what to hide from me – or from anyone who might penetrate your Occlumency."

"No one can penetrate my Occlumency," she said proudly.

"That may or may not be true, Winifred. It is true that I cannot. It is unlikely anyone in this castle can either – although sometimes I suspect Dumbledore may be more skilled at Legilimency than he lets on, I do not believe it a skill he enjoys using. It does not do to be needlessly vain or overconfident in your ablities," he said and she saw him look down at his left forearm and flex his hand absently. "There may be someone out there who could tear through your defenses like wet parchment..."

"The Dark Lord?" she asked quietly and his head jerked up quickly. "Why would he? Even if he came back, why would he bother with someone like me?"

She thought she saw a flicker of worry cross his face, but in a blink of an eye his expression had cleared and was unreadable once more.

"You should go to bed, Winifred," he said. "I know you are tired."

"Yeah, but..." she hesitated. He'd looked worried, hadn't he? She tried to feel his emotions, but he was closed off to her.

"Go get some rest, little girl," he said smoothly. "There is nothing for you to worry about tonight but going to sleep and feeling better. And for me, grading these fifth year essays before I do the same."

"I could help you grade," she offered as he pulled a stack of parchments to him. "I don't mind staying up longer."

"You're too close to my Slytherin 5th year students," he said, waving her off.

"I can be impartial. You don't trust me?" she asked, slightly wounded. 5th year was Amelia's year and she'd taught their class as well as graded their essays before. She wasn't any easier on them than he was, grading-wise.

"I do trust you. But not tonight. I've asked enough of you today. Go to your dormitory, go to sleep. I don't want to hear you whining again tomorrow about being sore."

She scowled at him but stood up from her chair – and bit back a groan. He gave her a knowing look and she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Don't be such a child," he said dismissively and she grinned. He picked up his eagle feather quill and dipped it in red ink to make the first mark on the paper he was reading. Freddie put her bag over her shoulder and opened it, dumping all the Animagus books in it that she'd left on his desk earlier. It felt like 50 pounds had been added and she winced.

"You could leave them here," Snape said absently, not looking up from his work. "Just like you leave your record player in my lab half the time."

"No, I'm fine," she said stubbornly. "I've got it. And I'll take my record player, too."

She thought she heard him mutter something under his breath that definitely contained the word 'hardheaded' but she ignored him. She went into the lab where she'd left Daniel's record player the other day. She liked listening to music while she brewed potions and it was convenient to leave it in the lab – and she knew Snape didn't mind that she did, but she was feeling particularly stubborn. Her bookbag was crammed full of books but her purse had an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. She opened her purse and scooped the record player into it carefully, along with the stack of vinyls. It didn't affect the weight of the bag at all.

God bless whatever witch or wizard came up with that charm, she thought to herself, hanging the purse off her other shoulder.

That would be Master Wythe Nicholls in 1629, Snape's voice chimed in her head.

Know it all, she responded, rolling her eyes even though he couldn't see her.

You do know it's illegal to use that charm for personal use? It's regulated by the Ministry of Magic.

Eh, I've done worse illegal things, she replied smugly, thinking of all the poisons they had brewed, not to mention their entire relationship.

Not illegal, he said, sounding pained. Just against school rules. You are of age.

"Yeah, okay," she said aloud, leaving the lab to find him still working at his desk. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He looked up from the essay he was reading long enough to send her a withering glance. She just smirked.

"Goodnight Professor Snape," she said innocently. "Come on Ziggy."

"Goodnight, Miss Gray. Sleep well," he said without looking up again.

Freddie took the wards off the office door and left with Ziggy trotting after her. She glanced at her watch as she walked down the corridor towards the Slytherin dorms. It was only just 8 o'clock, not even curfew yet, but she was tired. Exhausted. Her mind was on her bed and the little vial of pain potion in her pocket as she entered the Common Room and headed for her dorm.

"Freddie!" a voice called and she slowed down for Amelia to catch up with her. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since dinner last night. 'Course I know you were asleep earlier, but still... How did it go last night? Did it work? Did you become an Ani-"

"Chill," Freddie said hastily. She wasn't sure she was ready for her entire House to know she was an Animagus. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it."

Amelia followed her into her dormitory which was empty, much to Freddie's relief. She dumped her bookbag and purse into her trunk after taking her wand out of her purse. She put her wand on her bedside table and sat on the edge of her bed. Ziggy jumped up beside her and she proceeded to tell Amelia about the events of last night, leaving out the part about drinking with Snape both before and after they'd gone outside.

"Can I see?" Amelia begged. "Please Freddie, I want to see you become a kneazle!"

"Yeah, alright," Freddie said with an inward grimace. This was only going to hurt more. "There's just one thing – you can't watch me transform back from kneazle to human. I haven't quite got the hang of transforming with my clothes yet. Apparently it takes a while."

Telling her friend wasn't nearly as embarassing as telling the wizard at the Ministry of Magic.

"Seriously?" Amelia asked and to her credit she didn't laugh, but she was biting back a smile.

"Yeah it sucks," Freddie said with a grimace. She pulled the curtains around her bed so she would be able to kick Amelia out to have privacy to transform.

"Wait so does that mean- uh, nevermind," Amelia said quickly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What is it, Amelia?"

"Well, uh, so does that mean that in the forest last night Snape, uh," she whispered, looking around quickly. "You know, saw you naked?"

"Oh please. Don't be a perve. He was very professional," Freddie insisted, feeling her face start to grow warm but using her Occlumency to stop the blush in its tracks. "He had grabbed my clothes and my bag and followed me into the woods. When I changed back he didn't even look."

Amelia was staring at her wide-eyed from the foot of her bed and Freddie sighed inwardly. She needed to get her off the subject of Snape.

"It was sort of horrifying," she admitted sheepishly. "And it gets worse- you asked where I've been all day? Well I had to go to the Ministry of Magic to register as an Animagus this afternoon. Why I had to do it today I'll never understand, but it's supposed to be important to do it as quickly as possible. Like, you can go to Azkaban if you don't register."

"Seriously?" she asked, appalled.

"Yeah. So I spent all afternoon practicing transforming." She purposefully didn't mention that she'd been in Snape's office and Amelia didn't ask. "From the time I woke up this afternoon until it was time for my appointment at the Ministry at 4. I must have transformed 500 times but I still couldn't get the hang of transforming with my clothes. All I did was make myself really sore," she said with a grimace. "So I had to tell the Ministry man that I couldn't transform with my clothes on which was absolutely mortifying."

"I bet," Amelia said, looking horrified. "Was he at least hot?"

"Ew, no. He was like 200 years old," she said, so startled by her friend's question that she had to laugh. "He was an old student of Dumbledore's apparently, Charles Dearing."

"Probably a Gryffindor, that sounds like a Gryffindor name," Amelia said, wrinkling her nose.

"Maybe. Anyway, he was very understanding, says it happens all the time to young Animagi- oh, and he told me I'm the youngest Animagus to register in over a century."

"Wow! That's awesome!"

"Yeah." For a moment, she considered telling Amelia about how pressured she'd felt to be perfect. That being the youngest Animagus in a century wasn't all its cracked up to be. But Amelia was her student as well as her friend and she didn't want to show that sort of weakness. "So the Dearing guy put up a privacy screen for me to change behind. It wasn't a big deal. I transformed, he took some measurements and wrote down my description – and he kept saying how 'marvelous' and 'beautiful' and 'amazing' I was." She rolled her eyes and Amelia laughed. "Then I went behind the curtain, changed back, put my clothes on, and I was done. No biggie." Except that I feel like I've been trampled by a hippogriff.

"Cool. Soooo-? Come on, do it! Let me see!" Amelia said excitedly, jumping up on the bed.

"Okay, okay," Freddie said, bemused. "But only for a minute. I'm really tired. And get off my bed with your shoes on, you're getting dirt everywhere."

"Okay, just a minute, I promise.," she said, jumping down. She adopted a serious expression, her blue eyes bright, and clasped her hands behind her back. Freddie chuckled and shook her head. She grabbed her wand from her bedside table, since it would be quicker and hopefully less painful that way. She shifted effortlessly into her kneazle form, able to picture herself clearly as she'd seen in the mirror over Dearing's desk. Her velvet dress pooled around her and Freddie stepped out of it, shaking her furry head.

"Oh my god!" Amelia squealed, making the fur on Freddie's back stand on end and her ears twitch. "Freddie that's amazing!"

"Shhh!" Freddie tried to say but it came out as a hiss. Amelia looked alarmed and Freddie could feel her emotions just as clearly as she could Snape's or Ziggy's. She was scared, the hiss had scared her, and there was a primal sort of instinct she felt to run away. Like the instinct to run from a bear or wolf. It's okay. I won't hurt you. Just be quiet, Freddie thought, trying to push her thoughts to Amelia like she had Snape. She tried for a full minute, but Amelia's worried expression and scared feeling didn't change. Finally she realized – she had no way to communicate with her like she had Snape.

She thought for a second, then she put her paw to her mouth, trying to make a 'be quiet' gesture and Amelia seemed to get it.

"Oh sorry," she whispered, kneeling down on the floor to get a closer look at Freddie. "Are your ears sensitive? They're really big!"

The kneazle part of her brain felt slightly offended. Big ears? Her ears were perfect, just like the rest of her. She turned away from Amelia, brushing her tail across the girl's face as she did, then leapt onto the bed. Ziggy was waiting for her, purring, his green eyes shining bright in excitement. "Mum" passed between them and Freddie gave him an affectionate lick, which made Amelia giggle. Freddie's ears flicked in annoyance. She knew Amelia meant well and that she was her friend, but Kneazle-Freddie found her to be somewhat annoying. Excitement and awe radiated off of her, just like it had Dearing, but Freddie found it infinitely more annoying coming from her friend. She'd wanted to show off for Dearing, she didn't want to for the giggling girl who was staring at her now.

Maybe I'm just tired, Freddie thought, absently grooming her front left leg. Even in this form her shoulder hurt more than anything else. She'd jarred it when she leapt onto the bed.

"Good lady" she heard from Ziggy and looked up to see Amelia was petting him and he was purring loudly. "Good lady. Mum. Good lady. Nice."

Nice is a new word, Freddie thought to herself, padding across the bed to sit beside Ziggy. Amelia reached out a hesitant hand as if to pet her, then seemed to think better of it and focused her attentions on Ziggy. How do you know Amelia is good? Just because she's nice to you? Although, Snape's not all that nice to you and you call him 'good man'. How do you know? How can you tell who is 'good'? Have you ever met someone 'bad'?

Ziggy didn't understand her, of course, but when she thought the words 'good man' he perked up and looked around, radiating happiness. "Good man?" He looked towards the door excitedly, as if he expected Snape to come around the curtains any moment. "Good man?"

Oh, no, sorry. No Good Man, Freddie pushed her thoughts towards the smaller kneazle. Good man not here. Not here.

It took a moment to get the message across but eventually Ziggy's whiskers drooped and she felt his disappointment. She found his affection for Snape curious. She'd never seen Snape display much affection for the kneazle – he would pet him every now and again, but even that seemed awkward, like he wasn't used to it. I wonder if Ziggy only loves him because I do?

"Love" came from Ziggy and he pushed his head under her chin affectionately and Freddie felt herself start to purr. "Love Mum"

She felt overwhelmed with emotion and if she'd been human it might have brought tears to her eyes. Ziggy loved her. Of course he did, she raised him, she was his mum. Did he know how much she loved him too?

Love Ziggy, she thought back, hoping he understood and giving him another lick. Love Ziggy, love Ziggy. Mum loves Ziggy.

Ziggy purred even louder then lay down, curled around her front paws.

"Awww," Amelia said softly, still kneeling beside the bed, watching them with bright blue eyes. "That's so cuuuute. He's like your baby, Freddie."

Freddie looked at her friend and purred her approval. Finally, Amelia had said the right thing.

"Except he doesn't look like you," she continued and Freddie stopped purring abruptly. "You're both really pretty, but he's brownish-red and you're grey with spots."

Grey with spots?! Freddie thought, affronted, her ears laid back. Grey with spots? I am so much more than 'grey with spots'.

"Hey – you're Freddie Gray and you're grey," Amelia said, giggling like it was the funniest thing in the world. Freddie rolled her eyes, except her eyes didn't roll in kneazle form – she just blinked. She sighed internally and gave Ziggy a final lick before stepping away from him. She used one paw to point to the curtains surrounding the bed and looked at Amelia pointedly. Out, she thought forcefully, though she knew the girl couldn't hear her.

"You want me to step out so you can change back?" Amelia asked, looking curiously at her paw. Freddie bobbed her head yes.

"Okay, but – can I see your claws? Just real quick and then I'll go," she promised.

Freddie rolled her eyes – again just a blink – and extended her claws.

"Oooo," Amelia said, her eyes wide. Freddie felt amazement and a trickle of fear from her friend. "They're really long and they look sharp!"

Damn right they're sharp, Freddie thought proudly, digging her claws into the mattress. The animal part of her brain wanted to slice it, to rip it open, but she was able to keep a handle on it.

"You really scratched Professor Snape with those, huh? Bet you practically fileted him," Amelia said and Freddie's proud feeling vanished and her whiskers drooped. She wasn't proud of hurting Snape. That had been very bad. Her guilt turned to anger and she pointed at the curtains again, claws retracted.

"Okay, I'll step out. Let me know when I can come back in," Amelia said, getting to her feet.

Looking at Amelia's retreating form, for just a split second, Freddie felt a desire to attack her, to jump on her and scratch her. She was so surprised she dropped her paw and sat with it tucked under her body, as if to physically restrain herself.

I don't want to hurt Amelia, she thought, alarmed. She's my friend. That would be really bad. Why do I want to hurt her? I've never wanted to hurt anyone like that before, not on purpose. ...I need to change back. This isn't good.

Ziggy was still curled up where she'd left him, watching her. She sent a Mum loves Ziggy towards him real quick, then leapt from the bed, transforming as she did.

Freddie landed on her human feet but immediately dropped back onto the mattress, breathing heavily. Merlin's beard that hurt, she thought, reaching for her wand. Her shoulder screamed in protest at the movement and she stopped short and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. She turned her head slightly to look and saw that a dark bruise had formed on her shoulder.

"I should've gotten Bruise Cream," she muttered to herself.

"Did you say something Freddie?" Amelia called from the other side of the curtain. Thankfully the anger Freddie had felt had disappeared as she transformed. She felt no ill will or negative feelings towards Amelia at all.

"Just a second," Freddie called back.

She forced herself to her feet and looked through her clothes – which were mostly spread out on the floor from earlier – until she found some pajamas. It was a green silk winter set that she knew would be warm as well as comfortable. She tried to bend to pick them up but found that she couldn't. She picked her wand up from the bed with her uninjured arm and transferred the wand to her left hand. She didn't know if the magic would hurt so she took a deep breath and braced herself before she did the spell. The slight wrist movement hurt a bit but the magic itself didn't and Freddie was quickly clad in the silk pajamas. The silk felt good on her skin and she sat back on the bed with a sigh, knowing she had to call Amelia back in before she could go to sleep.