9/5/1988

Abigail's first breakfast at Hogwarts wasn't exactly what she had planned, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She had gone about her usual morning routine, choosing more traditional robes for her first day, and opened her door; dumping three redheads of varying sizes at her feet. Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley had smiled cheekily up at her from the floor. It was a given that they would be excited to see her, but she hadn't expected them to show up at her door so early in the morning.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to be teaching this year?" At her mild frown Charlie swallowed his bite of waffles before continuing. "Did dad know?"

Abigail set her cup down on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch.

"He did. I asked him not to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise and your faces when you saw me, ah, I wish I had a camera. You were all so wide-eyed and slack jawed."

"So I guess dad's going to have to find another partner for some of his cases." Bill said. Percy shook his head.

"He's probably pretty disappointed. You're still going to visit though right?"

"Well I haven't exactly quit. I'll still be working for the ministry doing my usual cases during the summer; but you're crazy if you think I'd ever stop coming by just because I'd quit working there."

"That's great!" Charlie said.

"So what happened with Professor Cole?" Bill picked another piece of toast from the pile. "Are you responsible for Muggle Studies becoming mandatory?"

"Bang on. I'm not sure what happened with Michael Cole. All I do know is that Dumbledore spoke to a friend of mine, but she was unable to help. So she sent him to me. I told him it was a condition of my employment that the studies become mandatory. "

"I'm glad he agreed to it." Charlie said. "Maybe it will teach the Slytherins some tolerance."

"They're not the only ones who could use it." Percy said sagely. "I've heard a Ravenclaw or two talking down about them."

"It's present in all houses." Bill said. "I've heard it in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor as well."

"Don't worry. I'll do my best to show them Muggles aren't so different from us and that they're more than they assume them to be." Abigail uncrossed and re-crossed her legs. "Perhaps I can help with some other prejudices as well."

"That would be nice." Charlie said. "They treat a lot of creatures like they're beneath us just because they're different; like they're primitive or less intelligent or lack the same emotions as we do. I've spoken to the Centaurs. They're not like that!"

"And what were you doing in the Forbidden Forest?"

He froze for a moment, his face going slack. Then he was smiling sheepishly.

"Uh huh. That's what I thought. I swear you're like a young Newt Scamander." She shook her head. "Do your best to stay out of the forest this year. Do. Not. Let me catch you catch you in there."

"Yes, ma'am."

Percy and Bill grinned and snickered.

"All right." Abigail checked her watch. "Breakfast is about over. Did you three get your schedules from Professor McGonagall before you came down here? If not you better go grab them and get to your classes before you're late."

"We have them." Bill grabbed his bag and stood.

"Good. Hugs!" She squeezed the three of them, ruffling the red hair she loved so much. "Have fun. I'll see you soon enough; and don't forget to call me Professor in class!"

"We won't."

Somehow she doubted that.

9/12/1988

To say that she was surprised would be an understatement. O'Connor was sure that their weekly meetings would be silent brooding affairs with the two of them shooting each other glares while they thought the other wasn't looking. She had no desire to be friendly with a man who was surely biding his time until his master's return. After her declaration the night they first spoke she couldn't imagine he would want to talk to her either.

In a strange turn of events Snape shocked her by asking about her abilities as a Metamorphmagus during their second Monday. Apparently there was a fifth year Hufflepuff girl who shared her gift. He had noticed that Nymphadora's emotions tended to affect her appearance and was curious as to how she planned to deal with that. Did she keep the disguise 24/7 and was there a chance her real identity could be discovered if she couldn't?

"And just what makes you believe I'm in disguise?"

"You appear to be between the age of twenty-five and thirty; and yet there is no record of an Abigail O'Connor having attended Hogwarts between the years of 1969 and 1982 who matches your description."

"I didn't attend Hogwarts. I was schooled in Ireland." She replied flippantly. "Surely Dumbledore told you that when you interrogated him about me."

"He did; however, your delight at this year's Hufflepuff students and the banner in your bedroom say otherwise. You really should check your surroundings better when creating a memory for someone to view."

O'Connor stared at him.

Little fucking shit…

"So it begs the question; if you're not her, then who are you?"

"Regardless of what you may think you know I assure you I am Abigail O'Connor. I like your Hufflepuff house because she was the only founder who seemed to think every child deserved an equal chance at a worthwhile education; not just those who were fool heartedly brave, inordinately intelligent, or of pure blood."

Snape gave her a look like he clearly didn't believe her and rolled his eyes.

"Humor me. Let us pretend that I believe you. I still want an answer to my questions."

It was her turn to roll her eyes and she threw down her half eaten Samosa.

"Fine, then." She clapped the crumbs from her hands and let them drop to the arms of her chair with a slap.

"No. I do not have a problem keeping my appearance during times of strong emotion. I haven't for almost a decade, and no it was not an easy feat. Yes I am capable of keeping an appearance of my choice 24/7. I have trained rigorously to be able to maintain a form whether I am asleep or unconscious. I was able to do so using a combination of Occlumency and stasis spells. I would have to be unconscious for an extended amount of time to lose my form.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"How is it that you and the Headmaster came to this arrangement? How do you know each other?"

Snape's eyes trailed over her bookcase as he spoke.

"We don't know each other. I was recommended to him by a previous student of his. She could not join his cause due to extenuating circumstances. Since I work for the ministry as an undercover agent already and I'm a Metamorphmagus she gave him my address."

"And you just agreed to join his resistance?"

"That's hard for you to believe?"

"What do you get out of this?"

"Why do I need to get anything out of it? "

"Why do you have such a hard time answering my questions? Is there something we should know? Are you perhaps the double agent that can't be trusted?"

"What is it with you? Why do you care if I trust you or not? Besides, I'm not the one who was a Death Eater." She snapped. Snape opened his mouth to argue further but she held up a hand and brushed by him. "I'm afraid your twenty minutes are up. My class needs me."

O'Connor held the door open for him, her forest colored eyes piercing him with a fierce glare. He returned it with just as much fire and swept out the door without another word.