The next morning the two showered together, then shared a pot of tea before Snape announced that he had to go to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Albus will expect me to be there," he explained after draining his second cup of tea.

"I'm going with you so I can say goodbye to Ada," Freddie declared, quickly putting her cup down and shifting into her Animagus form.

"No," Snape said firmly, but she ignored him. She walked to the door with her tail held high and sat down to wait for him to open it. Snape glowered at her, then drew his wand. Freddie couldn't figure out what he was doing until he flicked his wrist and his her with a spell that forced her body to contort. She found herself sitting on her butt on the floor in front of the door, completely human.

"Hey!" she protested. "That's not fair!"

"You're not going to the Great Hall. You shouldn't have been there last night," he said, annoyed, as he stowed his wand. "What if someone recognizes you?"

"You didn't even see me last night! Besides, who would recognize me? Everyone just thinks I'm a cat. Well, pretty much everyone."

"Minerva?"

"No, McGonagall didn't see me," she said hesitantly. "...Moody did."

"Mad-Eye Moody saw you?" Snape asked through clenched teeth.

"So did Dumbledore!" she added hastily. "He said something to Moody, told him who I was I guess."

"That's why I couldn't have you here all year. I don't need Moody poking his nose in my business."

"That wasn't even the real Moody this year!"

"But it was last night. And real or not, that old Auror does not trust me. I'm not giving him any ammunition to use against me."

"How am I ammunition?" Freddie scoffed.

"Do you not understand what it would mean if people knew about our relationship?" he asked, clearly annoyed. "Someone could use you to get to me. They could threaten you to get me to do whatever they want, impersonate you to get close to me, or worse."

"Nothing like that is going to happen from me going to the Great Hall to say goodbye to my friend," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll be in my Animagus form the whole time."

"You said goodbye to her last night," he retorted.

"I – how long were you stalking me?" she asked suspiciously, then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I told her I'd come say goodbye this morning before she goes back to France."

"You'll see her again in a few weeks. She's still coming to my – our – house, isn't she?"

"Yes, but that's weeks away. I still have to go and say goodbye."

Snape scowled and didn't move from his desk.

"It'll be fine, Severus," she insisted. "I'm going down to the train station right after to meet up with Tonks."

Snape still didn't seem convinced. She walked back over and went around his desk to where he was still sitting. His scowl disappeared as she leaned down to kiss him.

"It'll be fine," she repeated and he sighed. She could tell his resolve was weakening so she grabbed his hand and tugged him to his feet. "Come on, let's head up. I know you're hungry."

Snape said nothing but allowed her to lead him to the door. As soon as they were in the hallway Freddie let go of his hand and shifted into her Animagus form. She heard Snape sigh again and she looked up at him and purred. He grunted and started walking down the corridor, Freddie trotting along behind him.

As they exited the dungeons Freddie could hear the sounds of students already in the Great Hall eating breakfast and more footsteps clomping down the Grand Staircase from the higher levels of the castle.

"Is that your cat, Professor?" asked a somewhat timid but familiar voice. Freddie jerked her head around to see Hermione Granger coming down the stairs with Crookshanks in her arms, a freckled-faced boy behind her. A Weasley, Freddie thought to herself. That must be Ron. I wonder where Ziggy is...

"No, Miss Granger," Snape sneered in his most icy voice. "I would never keep such a useless animal around."

Freddie felt briefly offended, both at Snape calling her 'useless' and at Granger calling her a cat when the clever Muggleborn definitely knew better. Bloody Gryffindor, she thought, her tail lashing in annoyance.

Snape strode off into the Great Hall while Granger's face flushed bright red. Freddie wondered if she might cry.

"Annoying git," Weasley muttered to his friend as soon as Snape was out of earshot. Freddie felt a growl rising in her throat and bit it back.

"He is not a git, Ronald," Granger said hotly, blushing a shade harder. "He's a Hogwarts teacher."

"I don't know why you bother," Weasley said, shaking his head. "Come on, Hermione. Harry's probably waiting for us."

Freddie narrowed her eyes as the pair walked past her. She'd never heard anyone but herself defend Snape. Certainly not a Gryffindor. What was her deal?

Annoyed, Freddie waited a few minutes until she was sure Potter's friends would be sitting down and immersed in their breakfast before she left the Entrance Hall. She followed a pair of young Ravenclaws who were immersed in conversation and slipped into the Great Hall behind them. She stayed a step behind them, unnoticed, until she could disappear beneath the breakfast table.

She found Ada in the same seat she'd been in last night, though this time there wasn't anyone beside her. The Beauxbatons must be late risers, she thought as she poked her head from beneath the table and put her paws on the bench beside Ada. Her friend seemed to be nodding off into a cup of tea but started when Freddie appeared.

"Freddie," she greeted. "I hoped you'd be here. I don't usually eat breakfast this early."

Freddie purred and bumped her head against Ada's arm affectionately.

"Do you want some breakfast?" her friend offered and Freddie bobbed her head yes. She glanced up at the staff table and saw Snape glowering at her, though no one else was paying her any attention. She smiled at him, though she didn't know if he could tell when she was in this form, and ducked back beneath the table where Ada began dropping food for her.