A/N: As of late, I have been obsessing over Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar

A/N: As of late, I have been obsessing over Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar." Therefore, I found ways to stick lyrics from this fabulous musical into my story. Those parts are credited to Sir Tim Rice. I love Judas Iscariot! (My apologies to whomever may be offended by this statement, but you probably haven't seen Jerome Pradon's awesome performance! If you have, you will concur.)

Chapter 9: Revelations

The change in Professor O'Kenly did not go unnoticed by the rest of the Hogwarts staff and students.

The morning after Severus' and Mallory's dinner, it was a miracle that Minerva McGonagall didn't die of shock! Mallory breezed into the hall that morning bright and early. She took her usual seat, next to McGonagall. "Good morning, Minerva," she said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mallory. You seem to be in high spirits today."

"Why, of course, Minnie! Why is it strange for me to be so?" Mallory laughed heartily at herself. McGonagall's jaw dropped in surprise. She had never heard the young woman laugh like that before! "Where's the food? I'm famished!" Just as she spoke, a good helping of egg, bacon, and rolls appeared on her plate. Mallory picked up her fork and began to wolf it down hungrily. This was quite different from her habit of picking at her meals like a bird.

"Mallory, are you okay?" McGonagall asked warily.

"Never better!" she affirmed between mouthfuls of scrambled egg. "See?" Mallory grabbed McGonagall's wrist and pressed the other woman's palm against her forehead. "Perfectly normal!"

By now, McGonagall's eyes were as wide as her mouth. She looked shocked or scared or maybe both.

"What's this, a new form of palm reading?" a sardonic voice behind them asked.

"Severus!" Mallory jumped from her chair and took him by the arm. "Minerva seems to think that I am ailing. What do you think?"

Snape examined her forehead for himself and shrugged. "Very healthy," he confirmed, and smiled.

McGonagall was practically choking. She looked between the two of them: the way they smiled at each other, the way their eyes met . . . It was far too much for the older woman. She stood abruptly. "Excuse me," she said, and left.

"If anyone seems to be out of sorts, I'd say it would be Minerva. I hope she's going to see Poppy," Dumbledore said. He'd been watching the entire scene from his place at the high table.

Her classes were far less monotonous, too. But her glee while talking about vampires with her fifth years was slightly disturbing. After the class, Professor O'Kenly called Hermione Granger to the front. She rolled her eyes at Ron and Harry and told them to wait for her.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked with fake sweetness.

"I think you've waited long enough for this, Miss Granger." Mallory extended her hand toward Hermione. Hermione just looked at it quizzically, then she remembered, and her smile lost all its falseness as she shook hands with her Dark Arts professor.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Two of O'Kenly's seventh years took great notice and interest in her new demeanor. "Can I help you, boys?" she asked as they approached her desk at the end of class.

"We couldn't help but notice the new you," said George.

"And it's time for you to 'fess up," said Fred.

"To what?" she asked, a little amused.

"You're in love – "

"And we have a bet on with whom."

Mallory gripped her quill hard. She did not expect such a blatant question. Besides, who were they to assume such a thing? They even had bets going on this?! With much restraint, she smiled at the twins. "What do you mean?"

"Well," George said, "which one of us is it?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Which one are you in love with, me or George?" piped Fred.

Mallory laughed as she rose and came around from behind her desk. She stood between the two boys and placed a hand on their shoulders. "Let's just say that I love the both of you equally."

The twins made disgusted faces at each other. "Sorry, Professor O, but we don't go for that." They quickly left their professor alone, laughing. Teenage boys, she thought. Why does everything with them have to be sexual?

She gathered up her papers and headed out of the class, but was blocked by a dark figure. "Excuse me, Severus, but I need to get going."

"Going where?"

She rolled her eyes and scowled. "To see if there's a pub!"

"My, harsh," he said, leaning back against the doorframe and placing a foot on the opposite side, blocking her exit. "Some may say you're spending too much time with me."

"Yes, isn't that nice?" She grabbed his leg and pushed it roughly off the wall. "Next time, I'll break it!"

"I'm sorry. Take a joke, will you?"

"I didn't think you needed to be told, but you're no good at jokes."

"I know."

"Jerk," she said, smiling.

"Thank you."

She shook her head and went on her way.

As everyone else tried to figure her out, Mallory tried to work it out herself later that night. I've been changed, yes really changed/In these past few days, when I see myself, I seem like someone else. I don't know how to take this; I don't see why he moves me. He's a man, he's just a man . . . She couldn't deny that Severus was the biggest part of her transformation. She couldn't say it was love yet. Who was she to judge that? For sixteen years she had been void of any such emotion. Maybe it was just her unused hormones kicking in after all these years. Well, whatever it was, it scared the hell out of her, but at least she could cope with it better now.

She was ready to shut her eyes and drift off when a spot upon her chest began to burn slightly. She had discovered that was a sort of intuition, and knew exactly what it meant. She flung her robe around her and headed for Dumbledore's office.

Unbeknownst to her, someone else was heading in that same direction. They practically collided in the hall where the entrance to the Headmaster's office sat. "Bloody hell, Severus, scare me to death, why don't you?" she gasped. "What are you doing prowling this late at night?"

"One can ask the same of you," he growled, scratching his left forearm.

His action made something in Mallory's mind click. Something her father told her. Something about a nervous habit certain people pick up . . . He noticed how she was staring and stopped abruptly, but he was too late. Moving faster than he thought she could, she grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve. Her eyes widened as the black skull glared up at her. Her breathing became ragged.

"Please, let me explain."

"No," she whispered harshly, and she backed away from him, one hand reaching inside her robe. He only saw a flash of metal. The pain didn't register right away, but the dagger she held was reddened by his blood. She had sliced his left cheek. "You son of a bitch, you lied to me! Damn you, you lied to me! You're one of them!" Her tears turned to screams and she lunged at him again.

This time, Severus had a chance to react and he grabbed her wrist, the dagger only inches from his throat. The struggle carried them both to the floor, her on top of him. "You will die," she spat.

"Not today." He finally forced her to release the blade. Giving up, she collapsed and lay atop him, sobbing. Severus just stayed there, catching his breath, uncertain as to what to do. His ultimate decision was to push the dagger out of her reach and wrap his arms around her. Her tears were soaking through his clothing, and this combined with everything else was making him uncomfortable. With effort, he brought both of them to a standing position. He held her close as she still muttered curses and threats into his chest.

"Oh dear."

The soft voice made Severus turn. Dumbledore had bent over and was picking Mallory's dagger up off the floor. The old wizard stood and took in his two professors: Severus, blood smeared on his face, looking dismayed; and Mallory, crying and using words that Dumbledore hadn't thought she knew. "My office, the both of you," he said finally.

Mallory pushed herself away from Severus and unsteadily followed the Headmaster, with Snape not far behind. In his office, Dumbledore ordered the two to sit in the two chairs in front of his desk while he took his place behind it. He took a moment to examine the two of them. Both had their heads bowed and eyes downcast. For a moment, the old man was able to clearly picture the two as students sitting there. He could see the pale, black-eyed boy with a quick temper and antisocial tendencies; the quiet girl who thought herself to be without a friend in the world and shut herself up in her own isolation. Both of them loners, both orphaned, both so sallow. He never realised how alike the two were. "Now, I want an explanation for what that encounter was all about and why it had to occur right outside my office."

"He's one of them," she said so low, she was barely audible.

"One of what, pray tell?"

"He's a bloody Death Eater!" she screamed, panting and glaring at her raven-haired companion.

"Yes, well, that gave her no right to attack me with a knife, the psycho-bitch!"

"Enough! I will not stand such language from either of you! Now, clearly this has all stemmed from a misunderstanding. To cure this dilemma, I think it's time that the both of you were finally straight with each other. Who wants to go first?" He looked between them. Neither of them tore their eyes from their feet nor spoke. "Fine, then I shall do it myself. Mind you, I can and will give or omit any detail as I see fit. Agreed?" No one moved. "Good."

"Let's start with you, Severus, shall we?" The younger man finally looked up and gave him a pained expression, but made no further attempt to halt the Headmaster. "Yes, Mallory, Severus was once, a long time ago, 'one of them.' A year before the Dark Lord's fall, he came to me and confessed everything and even told me to turn him in. That he was willing to suffer Azkaban in penance. I didn't believe that the young man needed to suffer Azkaban. I looked into his eyes and saw all the suffering and regret in the world already. I presented his case and spoke on his behalf at the trial. To prove his trust, he was made a spy. He continues with this mission today. He's no more a Death Eater than you are."

He finished and looked for Mallory's reaction. The menace had left her features. Now her face showed deep thought and slight confusion. "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why did he decide to confess?"

"I'll leave that to Severus to explain." They both turned their eyes to Snape, who silently shook his head.

"Moving on, then," said Dumbledore.

"Sir," Mallory interrupted, "Professor Snape is already aware of my story and my loss, no need to rehash it."

"Maybe so, my dear, but I believe he is most interested in your whereabouts on those nights you seemed to disappear."

"Yes," Snape confirmed, eyes glinting, "very interested."

"Severus," Dumbledore continued, "remember what part of your duties you were finding most difficult?"

"Yes," he replied, confused at this seemingly random question, "giving you some idea of location, layout, and our numbers. I mean, you'd need a bird's-eye view to get that sort of information."

"That's where I come in," Mallory decided to take over. "I'm an Animaga."

Snape was skeptical. "Nonsense, I've been through files of both the British and Irish Ministries digging up dirt on you, and there is no Mallory O'Kenly on any Animagi lists."

Mallory gave a snort. "I thought you quicker than that, Severus! Why would the Ministry put a spy on record where she could be easily discovered? Bloody hell, Severus, you are such a clot!" She undid the top fastenings of her robe and pulled down the collar of her nightshirt to reveal an orange pentacle marked upon her chest. The same marking as on . . .

"The dove!"

"Very good, Severus," she said, redoing her robe. "You are not a hopeless case after all."

"Well," Dumbledore said, standing, "now that you are both enlightened, we all should be off to bed. I hope you two will do what I expect of two mature adults. You are dismissed. Mallory, you'll get your dagger back tomorrow."

Mallory and Severus descended the winding staircase in silence. They came to a stop in the hall, turned, and faced each other. "I am so sorry, Mallory, for lying to you. Can you forgive me?"

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she said, looking at the wound that everyone had seemed to ignore during the course of events. She licked her thumb and tried to clean away some of the dried blood on his cheek.

In movements almost unconscious, he grabbed her wrist, and quickly his other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close. He bent his head and kissed her full on the lips. She was rigid from the initial shock of her new situation, but soon she relaxed and returned the passionate kiss as her free hand found its way to his neck. Finally, they released from the simple and basic need for air. Both were flushed and breathing hard. He tried to pull her close again, but she took a step back.

She couldn't quite meet his eyes as she spoke. "I better be off to bed. After all, we've got classes in the morning . . ." With that, she practically ran to her room.

Severus took a more leisurely pace back to his own chamber, smiling to himself the whole time.

The Divine List of Reviewers:

Anna (Once again, big hugs to my Beta! Don't worry, everything will work out in the end, okay?), Firebrand, Potionsmaster (Where's that ball rolling? Hmm . . . ), Severian (Yes, very cool *wicked grin*), madam rose wine (*dramatically* Don't waste your tears on me.), Melissa Ivory, Iphigenia (I MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!), thumper, sierra-céline (I really don't know French, my Beta is the French scholar.), Soul Seeker (Time To Say Goodbye), Lilith Morgana (Mallory was a very closed student and had the ability to practically be invisible, just as she wanted. That's why Snape won't remember her. Plus, I gather Hogwarts is bigger than your old school.)