The sound of students' chatter filled the Magical Theory classroom. It was well over time for the lecture to begin, and their professor was no where to be seen. Several rumors began to spread amongst the students pertaining to their teacher's whereabouts. The assumption of lycanthropy was the most popular.

The door, which had closed itself at the time class should have started, bursted open of its own accord. All students turned their attention to the doorway. Agnes - Professor Blackwood to the students - marched into the masses. Her robes were disheveled and her hair unbrushed. Professor Blackwood hadn't even bothered fixing up her hair in its usual bun.

Professor Blackwood glared at the students before making way to her desk. She managed to mutter, "Study period," before flopping into her seat. She laid her forehead across her hands, appearing to go to sleep.

"Excuse me, Professor… but what about the lecture?" A Ravenclaw boy dared to speak.

Agnes glared. "Pardon?"

"Our lecture for the day. We were to continue the advanced study of the Nature of Magic."

"You have your textbooks, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but as a professor at Hogwarts, it is your job to educate us," the Ravenclaw challenged. "You haven't even given us an assignment to do."

"Then do work for another class. I don't care just as long as you're quiet."

The Ravenclaw boy was silenced along with every other student in the room. Professor Blackwood had never been in such a foul mood. Eventually, the students realized that Professor Blackwood had been serious and began to study one class or another. Some saw this as an opportunity to complete homework assignments they hadn't done for other classes.

With the sounds of flipping pages of books and quills on parchment, Agnes managed to drift off to sleep. If Dumbledore found out and had a problem with her actions, he knew where to find her.

The sun was going to set any minute, now. The students would already be on their way to dinner. If they weren't, they would be soon.

Agnes' mind loved to play tricks on her. To plague her. To haunt her with her memories. To remind her of what she had done.

Agnes sat alone on the bank of the Black Lake. She had a bottle of Pink Moscato wine in her hand. Though it was a wine with a very light alcohol percentage, it was the only wine Agnes cared for. A simple spell will refill the bottle need she run out. That's all that magic was good for - refilling alcoholic beverages. Though it wasn't wise to drink as a professor at Hogwarts, it was the only way she had ever found to be able to keep her composure after a night like the one she had found before. It clouded her thoughts. Even if it was only for couple hours; it was enough for Agnes to regain her composure.

The sound of footsteps on the soft grass of Hogwart's grounds were heard before Agnes saw the steps' master. It was coming from the way of the Forbidden Forest. Agnes readied her wand. There was no telling what it could be coming out of there. It was almost nightfall, for Merlin's sake! The fact that the footsteps could be heard indicated that it was a rather large creature approaching. Had to be ready for anything, right?

The steps came closer to the edge of the forest, and closer to where Agnes sat. Agnes raised her wand. "Aye, aye, aye! Easy there! I'm come 'n peace! I'm 'armless!"

Shocked at first, Agnes did lower her wand. Upon realizing who she had almost obliterated, she rolled her head to the side in a dramatic gesture. "Merlin's beard, Hagrid! Don't go dallying about the edge of the Forbidden Forest sneaking up on people. You'll get your bloody brains blown out!"

"My 'pologies, Professor, but I swear I didn' know anyone was here."

Agnes shook her head with a smile (one that could barely pass for friendly). "Don't worry about it, Hagrid… I'm sure you'd be going off to your hut, then."

"I was. But i' seems a' though you look a bit down."

"Thank you for worrying Hagrid, but I assure you-"

"Ah-uh-uh; I won't 'ave you 'ere all on your lonesom' mopin' about aside o' the Black Lake."

Agnes shook her head without any real emotion. Hagrid stood where he was - a couple paces to her right. "You min' talkin' about it?"

Agnes paused and contemplated her words. She didn't know what she should share and what she should keep to herself. Hagrid was okay enough… But still; can't trust anyone in this world.

"Have you ever been in love, Hagrid?"

Hagrid paused. Agnes could tell that she had baffled him. Hagrid contemplated his own words. Finally, he said, "Well, no, I can't say that I 'ave."

"Ah," Agnes nodded. "I see." Agnes took another drink from the wine bottle.

"Why do ya ask?" Hagrid's curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Just like a cat. Agnes smiled at her thoughts but said nothing.

More awkward silence. Agnes thought she'd be used to it by now. It was the anxiety of not knowing what the other person may or may not do that unnerved her. Agnes saw Hagrid turn as if to leave from the corner of her eye. "I'm 'ere ta listen if ya be needin' someone ta talk to."

Hagrid stood in his place for a good amount of time. Feeling as though the conversation (if you could call it that) was over, the big hairy man began to take his leave.

"I've been believing in something so distant," Agnes had another swig of wine. Hagrid stopped. He half-turned to face the witch sitting on the bank. "As if I was human."

"But cha are human, ain't cha?"

"I mean a normal human - a muggle." Another sip of wine. "I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness in me. All the promises that I had made..."

Yet again, more awkward silence. The alcohol was easing its way into Agnes' bloodstream, so the awkward feeling was gradually slipping away. Hagrid took a tentative step toward her. "Well, go on, then."

"As much as I'd like for the past not to exist, the truth of reality is that it very well still does. As much as I'd like to feel like I belong here, all I feel is this cruel wanting. I have nothing left, Hagrid."

Hagrid was directly behind Agnes, now. He was close enough that he could see the tears trying to collect in her eyes. Hagrid outstretched a comforting hand, but thought better of it. The hand came back down to Hagrid's side. He only stood where he was. To the man's surprise, Agnes leaned back until her head rested against Hagrid's shins. They both watched as the sun disappeared underneath the watery horizon. Neither of them said a word.

Hagrid had long left her to sit on the bank alone. Agnes could tell she had made him slightly uncomfortable. Somehow, Agnes had found it funny. Is that really so wrong?

Agnes had been alone for quite a good while. At least an hour had passed since Hagrid had left. Agnes didn't mind. She enjoyed the solitude. It comforted her - most of the time. The crickets chirped and the bull frogs, and any other amphibians, sang their nightly songs without a care in the world. As much as Agnes was enjoying her time on the bank, it was time for her to head back to the castle. She didn't know if the giant squid often ate humans, nor if it could even reach her on the bank's edge, but she wasn't going to give the creature any chance. The trek back up to the castle was a surprisingly long one. Agnes briefly wondered just how much alcohol she had consumed, but it didn't matter, for she was finally emotionally numb.

The dungeons were calling to her. The sweet, musked smell warmly welcomed her. Her brain was dancing about as she weaved through the cold corridors. She was home.

Where's Carolyn? I haven't seen her in such a long time. I wonder how my dear cousin is fairing.

"Oof!"

Did she run into a wall? No, of course not. It was much too soft to be a wall - much too warm. Agnes raised her eyes to try and identify the warm and squishy thing that was blocking her path. She found dark eyes looking down at her own.

"My word, Severus! When have you grown to be so old looking? You were much more appealing to the eye than you are now."

A temporary flash of anger, and then it was gone. "Out for a night stroll, are we?"

Agnes' head bobbed side to side in a playful manner as she smiled. "On the contrary! Just returning from a relaxing evening sitting on the Black Lake's edge."

"Interesting. That explains why you weren't at dinner; or at any other meals within the passing weeks."

"Oh, don't be silly Severus! I've been to meals," Agnes laughed.

"I suppose, then, that you were equipped with an invisibility cloak, is it?"

"Ha, I don't own one of those contraptions! How silly of you."

"Are... you drunk, Miss Blackwood?"

"What on Earth gives you these ridiculous assumptions, Severus?"

"Yes, of course you are," Snape took it upon himself to answer his own question. "That would explain why a student reported to the Headmaster that his teacher had been sleeping during class instead of doing her job."

"Oh really," Agnes beamed with intrigue. "Which professor was it?"

"You, you drunken imbecile!"

Agnes' body grew instantly cold. A tingling sensation erupted into various places on and in her body.

Her... a teacher? At Hogwarts? But she was a student. Wasn't she? "What year is it...?"

"A year that a professor at twenty-seven years of age should learn to stop behaving like a child!"

Agnes' mind began to sober up. She was a professor at Hogwarts. She was twenty-seven years of age. And she was a - no, she wasn't; the past was behind her now. She was twenty-seven and Severus around thirty or thirty-one.

A memory of a younger Agnes flashed into view. Little Agnes stood in a dark corridor of the dungeons. Soft murmurs and sniffles of crying protruded from around a corner. Little Agnes sat down on the cold dungeon floor and weeped for the crying person.

Agnes returned to the present moment as she pushed those memories down into the hole they belonged.

"Don't do that!"

Severus' shock morphed to anger as he stepped forward. "You... I see, now. You've always been such a good little spy. No wonder you were in his favor. What gave you that right? How dare you even think-" Severus turned away. He knotted his fingers from both hands into his hair in frustration. Was Severus Snape rendered speechless?

"They always hurted you."

"And just what business is that of yours?"

"She always hurted you."

Silence.

Severus fractionally tilted his chin up and to the side. He squared his jaw. "I don't know what you're talking about."

A facade. Typical Snape.

Agnes' mind may have been sobering, but she was still quite drunk. "You're too loyal for your own good."

"You're no different you slithering swine! Have you asked yourself just where your loyalties li-"

"No, you bloody fool! To her."

Silence (again).

More silent death glares. Glares that only Severus Snape could conjure.

"You pull away to face your pain over the fear that you're afraid to let yourself find. You try to heal your broken soul. You wander aimlessly; and you'll continue to wander 'till the end of time in a futile search."

Severus remained silent. This witch really was a spy - and a bloody good one.

"Tear away from her. She's dead, Severus." Agnes took the drug out silence as her chance to leave.

The witch's words had shaken Severus to his very core. He stood planted in his spot. For once, the Potions Master was dumbfounded and speechless. She had no right!

But she had every right.

I apologize for my absence. My 16 wk old kitten suddenly became sick in the middle of writing this chapter. She's all better now there. Here's to another chapter! :)

~ DJ-Kyoto