A little over a week had passed since the incident in the Forbidden Forest and Snape had eventually stopped glaring at her at meal times and in the hallways. He had conceded it wasn't really her fault. That hadn't stopped him from amusing himself with her fear. It seemed to be his form of retaliation for his wounded pride. The man really hadn't appreciated having to be half carried through the woods back to his rooms.

So sensitive. Not that he doesn't have reason to be I guess.

She adjusted her blouse and vest as she observed her first years playing with some muggle appliances. They were making their own breakfast today. Across the room an older student who was a muggle-born was assisting for the first portion of the class. Snape would be there shortly for their usual meeting and she couldn't leave a bunch of eleven year olds alone with electrical appliances they'd never operated before.

It was nearly halfway through the class when Snape finally showed up. He was wearing his typical scowl and gestured impatiently for her to come with him. She pulled on a cloak similar to his and followed. Her heels clacked across the stone floor as she jogged lightly to catch up to him. Something seemed to have put the man in a worse mood than usual. Hopefully he didn't try to take it out on her. She really didn't feel like arguing.

Best get it out of the way then.

"Ok, what's the story? You seem even moodier than usual."

She leaned against her desk and picked up the tray of chocolate and ricotta cassatelles. As always she offered and he rolled his eyes.

"If I take one will you finally stop asking?"

"Probably not." She grinned. His lips parted in a grimace. "What do you have against my food anyway? It's not like I'm going to poison you."

"No. I'm sure if you were to try and do away with me you'd find a manticore or some other such creature to chase me across the grounds." He surprised her by taking one of the pastries. It took great will power not to gawk at him and see if he liked it.

"So? Out with it. What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"You are aware of the missing cats and owls that are plaguing the school, correct?"

"Yes. One of the girls in my class just now was quite upset."

"It seems the list of missing creatures is growing." He placed a piece of parchment on her desk. Chickens and roosters, horses, reptiles, and dogs have all gone missing from Hogsmeade."

"What?" She snatched up the paper and scanned the list of residents and their missing pets. "So it's not just the school then. This could be a bigger problem than we originally thought."

"Yes. Albus would like for us to take a look into it."

"Us? What are we? Hogwarts PD? Shouldn't this be handled by the ministry's people?"

"You are "ministry people"." He reminded her. "I think he was quite amused with himself. He suggested it because we did so well together in the forest."

"I'm sure he was."

"You play chess?" He stood in front of her bookcase inspecting her collection of books about wards and spell detection. On the shelf below them were a variety of fiction and non-fiction, both muggle and magical, and her few wizarding games. His eyes rested on the Gobstone set.

"I do. My grandfather on my mother's side is a fan. He insisted I learn." He nodded lightly, his eyes still on the wizard's marble game. "Did you play Gobstones?"

"My mother did." She was surprised at the softness of his reply. He gave himself an imperceptible shake and lifted her chessboard. "Do you have any skill in the game?"

"Would you like to find out?" She smirked. "Tonight after dinner. My office or yours?"

Five days later it became obvious that the missing animal cases were a much bigger problem than they thought. Silvanus had come to Dumbledore first thing Saturday morning and reported that overnight his Runespoors had gone missing; and it didn't stop there. The centaurs of the Forbidden Forest had been waiting for Hagrid when he woke up. Overnight someone had taken several Kelpie, two Demiguise, two Occamy, and raided four eagle nests.

"It can't just be one person." O'Connor said. "To be able to take so many creatures in one night, they had to have had help."

Snape gave a hum of non-committal.

"What? You don't agree?" He sighed heavily and glared at her from the corner of his eye.

"I am trying to be understanding of your fear. However, if you continue to bump into I may just tie you to a tree and leave you there until I am finished."

"Oh. Sorry."

She grinned sheepishly and backed off a few paces. They were back in the Forbidden Forest and looking for anything they could find about the missing animals. If it weren't so important she never would have agreed to it. Snape never would have let her hear the end of it if she backed out, either. As it was he had teased her for most of the day before they went out. Karma was a bitch though. She'd spent most of the trip practically walking on top of him while trying to look in every direction at once.

"It's still light out, O'Connor. They'll be bedded down until sunset." He sneered.

"I know that. It doesn't make it any easier to shake the fear." She pulled her duster tighter and crossed her arms. "Do you think the person Firenze saw may be connected to the guy we saw in the Unicorn glade?"

"It is possible." He gestured forward. "There. That's the area he saw him in."

It was a relatively small clearing, surrounded by small shrubs and littered with small Boom Berry bushes. Snape held up a hand to stop her and raised his wand.

"Homenum Revelio." They waited a few moments, but no one was revealed to them. He walked to the center of the glade and revolved slowly. "Appare Vestigium."

Gold powder erupted from the end of his wand and settled over the area. Several pairs of footprints appeared alongside some golden squares. She guessed they were the boxes the poor creatures had been stuffed into. Snape placed his wand against the prints and muttered Revelio. Three figures holding various creatures appeared and they watched as they shoved them in cages and shrunk them to fit in their pockets.

"Him."

They surprised each other by pointing out the same man at the same moment. He stood at the very edge of the clearing in shadow and appeared to be giving directions to the other three. Snape circled the golden figure trying to take in as much detail as he could. O'Connor judged the man to be just under six feet, but built like a brick shit house.

Something shifted in the underbrush and they both fired off a spell. O'Connor's went high and to the right. Snape's took a chunk out of a tree just to the left of their observer. The stranger was coated in a chameleon spell. They blended seamlessly with their background until they moved. As they dodged the spell the appearance of the tree rippled before a figure in a black cloak was revealed.

"Stupefy!"

"Immobulus!"

Both spells were deflected and the figure ran.

"Go!"

"Right!"

They took off in a sprint bobbing and weaving through the trees. However fast they moved, he seemed to be just that much faster. He was smart as well, expertly keeping trees and bushes between him and their spells. Snape growled in frustration and sent a look at O'Connor. A mocking laugh left her.

"What am I? You're personal flourist?" She snapped and leveled her wand. "Herbivicus!"

The forest exploded into movement, bushes growing all around until there was a barrier surrounding them and their quarry.

"Impedimenta!"

"Incarcerous!"

He slowed to a crawl as her spell struck him squarely and toppled forward when the ropes from Snape's wand wrapped around him.

"Stay there."

"Aren't you a gentleman?"

"Just keep an eye out for anyone else." He snapped at her and knelt down to roll the stranger over. She couldn't suppress her gasp. It was the owner of Honeydukes. Ambrosius Flume.

"The Imperius Curse?"

"Yes, Headmaster. It is apparent that the real perpetrator sent Flume to spy on us while we were investigating the disappearances in the forest."

"Does he have any idea how long he may have been under? Is it possible he may have been under previously?"

"It looks like he may have been under its influence since the start of the year." Abigail replied. They were seated in Dumbledore's office discussing the night's events and their conclusions.

"While we were in the forest I was able to bring up an image using a tracking spell. It showed three men caging the creatures they had taken. One of them was very close in height and build to Flume. It is likely that he's been forced to help collect these creatures for some time now."

"Whoever this man is, he's smart Dumbledore."

"You've figured out it's a man?"

"Tonight we did." Abigail leaned forward. "When Snape brought up that image, there was a fourth man standing back from the other three. He seemed to be the one directing the others, but it seems we both noticed it at the same time."

"He was a puppet as well?"

"Yes. One meant to throw anyone off the trail. We think one of the three men loading the cages was the one really running the show. He moved very cautiously, as if he were constantly checking his surroundings as discreetly as possible. From what we were able see we compiled a small description that may be able to help us narrow down our suspects."

"Really?" The headmaster almost seemed surprised, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that said he had expected nothing less from them. Snape pulled a piece of parchment and a quill from Dumbledore's desk.

"Yes. He's slightly taller than me. Perhaps six foot four and roughly 250 pounds. Left handed. Wand is about twelve inches."

"You noticed all of that so quickly?"

"No. We've been using Legilimency to take a closer look at our memories of the scene. It was quicker than coming up here to use the Pensive and then speaking to you about it."

Dumbledore's eyes flickered and he gave them a wry smile.

"You two really are quite the team. If I didn't know any better I'd say you've worked together for years." Snape rolled his eyes.

"I recommend a thorough investigation of everyone in Hogsmeade to ascertain if anyone else is under the curse."

"I think that is a wise decision, Severus. First thing tomorrow I'd like the two of you to take Minerva, Pomona, and Filius and do just that. Oh, and let's just keep this between the six of us."

"Of course."

"Yes, Headmaster."