She should have known things were going too smoothly to last. They had made it three weeks with minimal conversation that was at least insipid when it did occur. Then she had to go and make a complete haymes of it; and boy did he eat her head off. She always was too stubborn to let things go. It wasn't like she didn't have a good reason. No one knew why Snape switched sides. They were just supposed to take Dumbledore's word that he had. Anyone would have to be daft not to question it. It was just too bad she didn't stay the noble course.
"So what did make you switch sides, Snape?"
His form went rigid where he sat before the fire. The room seemed to drop a few degrees.
"I don't believe that is any concern of yours. Suffice to say that I did and leave it at that."
She scoffed and dropped into the other chair.
"I'm just supposed to take your word for it? Like no one has ever told a lie to save their ass before? I don't think so." He glared at her. "So what happened? Did you join up and see what they were really about? Did it all get a little too real for you when they started slaughtering innocent muggles for fun? Did you think you were just going to tout your wizard supremacy and rally for the end of the Statute of Secrecy and that would be it?"
Snape slammed his book shut and shot to his feet. She waved her hand furiously and another ward settled over the door with enough energy to rattle the wood in its frame. O'Connor left her seat and prowled around the chair like a predator stalking her prey. He glared down at her; wild eyed and dangerous.
"I despise people who think they're better than others just because they have even a little bit of power or wealth or prestige." She waved a hand to punctuate each word. "We have magic therefore we're better. Muggles have survived millennia with nothing more than their wits and ingenuity. They should be applauded for all that they have done and come up with. No magic to do everything for them."
Her eyes were as wild as his now. She finally had a Death Eater in her grasp and she was going to show him just what she thought of his ideals. She was going to bring the pompous shit down a notch.
"Wizarding kind thinks they're so dissimilar, so evolved. I've seen the way your ministry and MACUSA treats magical creatures. We're all human. We all have the same propensity for prejudices and fear of those who are different than ourselves. Voldemort and you Death Eaters; surely you realize your similarities to Hitler and the Nazis. Wizarding kind is no different than muggle kind.
"So what made you do it Snape? Did you need to put down others to make yourself feel better, to feel like you had control, had power? Do you think they're so primitive they needed to be ruled? Or were you too much of a coward to stand against him that you decided it was better with than against?"
There was a bang and she stumbled back with a cry, her arm burning with the force of his stinging hex. His eyes were like a wild animals and his face was white, patches of red high up on his cheeks.
"Do not call me a coward!" Two steps brought him almost nose-to-nose with her. "I see through you and your self-righteous indignation. What is it O'Connor? Perhaps it is you that is the coward. I don't remember hearing of you during the first war. One Death Eater all by himself isn't too frightening is it? It's much easier spouting your self-righteous harangue at me than putting your life on the line during a war, isn't it? Craven witch!"
The slap echoed around the room and Snape stood frozen with his head turned to the side. O'Connor looked shocked at what she had done and covered her mouth with a shaking hand. She didn't try to stop him and turned away as he grabbed his bag and left the room, her door slamming against the wall with enough force to break the latch. Dark grey eyes framed with glistening lashes stared into the fire.
"You really make a holy show of it sometimes, Abigail. Way to go."