Moira retired to her room to unpack the few belongings she had brought with her. Most of her clothes and supplies, she had to have shipped to Remus'. Surely, no mail truck came to Hogwart's, and Remus had agreed to accept her belongings.
Unfortunately, to retrieve them, she would probably have to see Sirius. Curiosity caused her to look forward to the owl that announced her packages had arrived, but at the same time, it had been so long. The last time she had seen him, her colleagues and taken him into custody and dragged him off the street.
"One thing at a time," she sighed as she opened her suitcase and began unpacking her clothes to hang up. She removed a stack of clothes, but her eyes settled on the wand she had laid aside on her bed. Thoughtfully, she picked it up. It wasn't very long, eight inches, and a dark mahogany color. The grip, carved with ancient Celtic runes, still bore the scorch marks of the past. How odd she hadn't noticed before. She swished it through the air, leaving a trail of tiny silver stars. A smile spread across her face as she slid it up her sleeve for the first time in many years.
When Moira reached to put away the rest of her clothes, she heard a voice behind her.
"Oh no, Professor. I will put those away for you." A house elf was running across the floor, its wide eyes bulging.
"No, really, I don't mind," she said, hanging up a blouse.
"It is my pleasure." It pulled another blouse from her case.
"Tell you what," Moira said, staring down at the elf with her hands on her hips. "I wanted to take a bath, but I didn't bring any salts. Do you think you-?"
"Yes! Yes, it is my pleasure!" The elf disappeared, leaving Moira to finish her task. It didn't take her long. She didn't have much with her. She laid her brush on a vanity table, then removed her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. A glimpse in the mirror drew her attention to her arm. She hardly noticed them now, the little scars that made their way up her arm, reaching just above where the collar of her shirts sit. Most people didn't notice them, but they stood out to her now, ever since Remus had asked about them. Moira looked sadly down at her hand where Sirius' ring had left a red scar around her finger. She touched it gingerly as if it would burn her even today. She had worn the silver ring around her neck while she was recovering. It had been too painful to wear. And then? She couldn't even remember where she had placed it.
With a sigh, she stripped off the rest of her clothes and, grabbing her robe from the bed, went into the bathroom. The house elf had already drawn the bath. She lowered herself into the water, letting the steam sweep over her as she immersed her head, then lay back to relax.
An hour later, Moira was brushing the curls out of her hair. Giving up, she knotted it at the nape of her neck and slipped into a deep green robe for the faculty dinner. Tonight, she would be introduced as a new teacher for the second time in her life.
She sat next to Minerva McGonagall, who was very smiled brightly at her. Hagrid grinned when she waved from across the table.
"Moira O'Shaughnessy! Image you back at the school! Always like to see students come back."
"Thank you, Hagrid. I heard you finally received a teaching position. Congratulations."
"Care o' Magical Creatures. Dumbledore gave it to me two years ago, same year your friend Professor Lupin was here."
Moira heard a huff beside her and turned to see Snape sliding into the chair beside her.
"Severus," she said flatly. "It's a regular reunion these days."
"It's good to see you too, Moira," he answered darkly. "I thought you had buried yourself in a cave somewhere."
"Kind of like learning there's no Father Christmas, isn't it?"
"Very close."
Their attention turned to Dumbledore who was lightly tapping his glass with a spoon. The table quieted and the headmaster addressed his staff.
"Another year is about to begin in our school. This is a very promising year with many bright students returning to us, one of whom is with us right now. Moira O'Shaughnessy, as many of you may remember, was a student here several years ago, and is returning as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I know all of you will make her welcome."
The staff applauded politely. Dumebledore made a few more announcements before food appeared on the table and the staff began to eat.
"Do you plan on staying longer than your predecessors?" Snape asked.
"I plan on it. You don't have any gossip so parents demand my resignation, do you?"
"The slip about Remus Lupin's condition was not intentional."
"He trusted you."
"Remus was a fool."
Moira eyed him carefully.
"I'm not."
"The last time someone was this openly hostile toward me, he turned out to be a Death Eater."
"Don't worry, Severus. My hostility is all me."
"You've gained some personality since I last saw you."
"A few years tracking your school chums will do that."
"We're all on the same side here, Moira. In case you haven't been informed, there are greater dangers than me out there." He glanced at her hand as she raised her wine glass to her lips. "What happened to your hand?"
"That question has come up a lot lately."
"Rosier?"
"Why do people keep asking when they know the answer?"
"Scars are a conversation piece."
"Maybe where you come from."
"After dinner, come to my office," Snape told her, lowering his voice.
"Why?"
"I assume you are not here merely to teach. You are a former Auror. Not many people know that, but I do. If you are going to be hunting Death Eaters at this school, there are some things you should know."
"And you're going to tell me?"
"Yes. Albus and I will."
"So tell me, Moira," said McGonagall, drawing her attention away from Snape, "what have you been doing all these years?"
After dinner, several members of the staff remained in the Great Hall to chat. Snape rose and spoke into Dumbledore's ear, then motioned for Moira to follow the two of them. They did not speak as they made their way to the dungeon where Snape's office was located.
"Is all this really necessary?" Moira asked as Snape shut the door behind them.
"It is," he answered. "Most of the staff is not aware of the information you are about to be given." He leaned against his desk, but this movement did nothing to hide his tenseness. It was screaming at Moira's trained eyes.
"This is one of the most secret pieces of information you will be given while you are here, Moira," Dumbledore said. "And in trusting it to you, Severus is trusting his life to you." Moira glanced curiously at Snape, who had remained silent. "You understand the importance of this, do you not?"
"Yes. Snape's life is at risk. For what?"
Snape rolled his sleeve up to his elbow and held his arm out for Moira to examine. Burned into his inner arm was the Dark Mark, Voldemort's brand for all his Death Eaters. Moira examined it closely and found that it was real.
"I don't understand."
"Severus is a Death Eater, or at least, he was. About two years before Voldemort's downfall, he became a spy for us."
She stared at Snape.
"So you're a double agent?"
"Double agent?"
"Don't tell me Voldemort has a Death Eater at Hogwarts and doesn't expect information in return."
"All information Severus gives is cleared through me first," Dumbledore answered. "Voldemort knows only what I wish him to know."
"Who else knows about this?"
"Besides yourself? Cornelius Fudge, Alastor Moody, Minerva, Filius, and Sirius Black," Snape answered grimly.
"That's an impressive group. And why are you telling me?"
"You are here to help protect the school and the students." Snape folded his arms across his chest. "As such, you will have your ears and eyes open at all times, even without realizing. It's what you've been trained to do. In order to do my job, I will be disappearing at random. My activities can be very suspicious to those who do not know. I'd prefer you know before you kill me."
Moira remained silent, unsure what else to say. This was quite a piece of information she had just been given.
"Albus, you trust Severus?"
"With my life, and the lives of my students," Dumbledore replied confidently.
"Then so do I. This information is safe with me."
Dumbledore nodded as Moira reached out and shook Snape's hand.
Remus flicked his wand, causing a mop to steer its way around the kitchen tile as he wiped down the counters with a rag. It the next room, he could hear a vacuum seeping through the carpet as Sirius put away books and papers and a hundred other items which had cluttered the living room. Moira's belongings had arrived and she was coming tonight to retrieve them. Remus was glad Sirius had been so nervous about her visit. It only helped to hide his own excitement at seeing her again.
Sirius walked in carrying a large vase of daisies.
"What do you think?" he asked. "Coffee table?"
"I'm not sure those flowers make the right impression," Remus answered, trying not to laugh.
"Why not? She likes daisies."
"Of course. Daisies are very feminine. And we are two men living together with daisies on the coffee table."
"Oh. Yes, I can see what that would imply." With a wave of his wand, the entire vase disappeared. "I guess I'm trying too hard."
"Just a bit."
"Okay," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "What else needs to be done?"
"That depends. Were you planning on smelling like wet dog?"
"Shower. Yes. I can do that," he said, wandering off toward the bathroom.