"Good morning, Rachel. I trust you slept well?"

"Good morning, Albus. Very well, thanks. Good morning, Professor Snape." Rachel smiled at Albus, but flinched at the outright hostility in Severus Snape's eyes. Recovering, she sat in the empty chair in front of Albus' desk and busied herself with setting up her laptop. Rachel could feel Snape's glare, could practically taste his disapproval of her 'muggle technology' or whatever. Her instinct to respond, to establish her dominance, was almost overwhelming. In her mind's eye, she saw herself shifting to lupus, knocking Snape to the ground, and holding him there, growling menacingly, until he bared his neck in submission. She managed, however, to limit her reaction to a single low growl. Well, Rachel thought, so much for non-threatening.

She chanced a glance in his direction, but Severus was studiously ignoring her and she took a moment to study his appearance. It looked like a good night's sleep had been very good for him; he looked years younger than he had just last night. He'd also washed his hair and his color looked a bit better. Something else seemed different, too. Her brows knit together as she tried to puzzle out what it was, but Albus interrupted her thoughts.

"We have much to cover this morning, why don't we get started?"

Inside a minute, Severus' appearance and his rudeness were pushed to the back of Rachel's mind as Albus began directly addressing issues he had only hinted at or glossed over entirely during their previous visit. He explained that Voldemort's return had been summarily denied by the Ministry of Magic, and so no steps were being taken by their government to prepare for the inevitable war. Albus then briefly described the conversation he'd only just had with an ally, who happened to be kinfolk, in the Dept. of Magical Affairs. Inside a week, Rachel would have a new identity as a witch and licensed teacher. With the problems at the Ministry, Albus was also determined to ensure that Rachel could in no way fall under its jurisdiction, so he'd drawn up a contract which ensured that, as a citizen of the USA, Rachel would be bound by its laws as well as the current Hogwarts rules and regulations. Albus assured Rachel that, while his precautions might not be necessary, he felt it was important that at least one instructor at the school would not be required to answer to the Ministry for anything whatsoever.

Then, to Severus' obvious displeasure, Albus began to tell her about the Order of the Phoenix and their secret preparations for the upcoming battle, explaining that within the next few days their base of operations would be set up and ready for inhabitants.

"This, Rachel, is where I must ask your forgiveness for my actions." At her puzzled look, Albus quickly continued. "Very early this morning I spoke with your mother, and she was able to put me in contact with your pack. My primary goal in speaking both with your mother and your pack was to learn more about you – your character, temperament, etc. In short, I needed to be certain that I'd made the correct decision in hiring you. But I had a second purpose as well. I spoke with them at great length, and Aton, Pascale, and John have all agreed to join our fight, just as you have. They are prepared to move into our base and begin assisting in any way that they can. They await only your approval before they come. Again, I apologize for not speaking with you first, but I hope you understand that at the moment, it is imperative that we move swiftly and decisively."

Rachel was quite shocked, but not at all angry. Albus was, of course, in charge of Hogwarts and now her employer, so it was his right to act as he saw fit. And she was actually relieved that he'd wanted character references. Frankly, his instant job offer, coupled with the horror stories of some of the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, had left her feeling more than a bit concerned about Albus' hiring practices

Her shock actually stemmed from the fact that Albus had taken care of so many of her concerns overnight. He'd talked to her mom, so their upcoming conversation would probably go much more smoothly. He'd come up with a solution for bringing over her pack – a better solution, in fact, than any she had come up with herself. Of course, he was also working with a lot more information that she was.

Sparing just a moment to lament all the planning that had now gone completely down the drain, she brought up her email account. Might as well get this over with now, she mused. "I'm sending them an email right now, Albus. Aton will get them to England by plane or Moon Bridge as soon as possible. Do they already know where they're going?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Severus look at her in shock. He must have expected her to become angry.

Albus smiled. "They do. They'll be meeting the Weasleys, and then they will all be going to the base together. And I thought you'd like to know, Molly tells me that her children, Percy notwithstanding, have reacted quite favorably to the news that you are, well, more than you appear at first glance."

Overall feeling relieved, Rachel nonetheless was concerned about something Albus had said. "Percy notwithstanding?"

For a moment, Albus looked very old, and very tired. "I'm afraid that Percy's ambitions can lead him in rather unfortunate directions. But it is not my place to explain further."

"Albus," Severus said, speaking for the first time, "Fascinating as it may be, why are we discussing the Weasleys?

"I simply thought Rachel would like to know how her cousins, well, second cousins reacted to the news that Rachel was not merely a squib after all."

"Cousins?" Severus turned his malevolent gaze toward Rachel.

Their eyes met and locked, and though she was growing steadily more irritated by his behavior, she was still not intimidated. In fact, she felt a sudden desire to pass on that good old mom-ism that if he wasn't careful his face could get 'stuck that way', so he'd better watch out. Just as she opened her mouth to issue the warning, he turned to face Albus once more.

"Interesting. Please do continue Headmaster. I'm certain that, at any moment, it will become clear why my presence was required this morning," he drawled.

It hit her like a bolt of lightning. Severus' behavior and words were keeping her off balance. She'd used similar tactics while sizing up opponents and allies. Rachel was disgusted with her performance thus far – if she were Severus she would certainly be unimpressed. Dammit, she swore internally. Hoping she could work out her frustration later, she resolved to remain calm and unemotional for the rest of the meeting. With any luck, she'd be able to find something large and evil to pummel in the forest.

Rachel refocused on Albus, who was detailing the work that needed to be done to get the map room ready. As the room would be functioning on many of the same principles as the Marauder's Map, the work was to be done largely by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. But Albus, Severus and several other members of the Order would be placing the many wards and charms on the room and around the school that would be necessary to make the room function the way Albus had described earlier.

Although her presence was not required for the project, Rachel took detailed notes. Better, she thought, that she knew when Black and Lupin would be showing up. Judging by what Ron had told her about the events of their third year, Severus was sure to be in a foul mood any time they were around, and she thought it best to be prepared for it.

Albus leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. "Now, Severus. Is there anything you did not include in the message you sent that we need to know?"

Rachel shifted her gaze to Severus. He would have sent Albus the message before he was attacked, so obviously there was something Albus needed to know.

"They never saw me, Headmaster. Only a small fraction of the curses that were sent in my general direction actually found purchase. Fortunately, as that slight damage has been taken care of, I can resume my activities immediately."

Rachel stifled an impressed grin. That 'slight damage' would have had a lesser man whimpering, curled into a ball on the floor. She assumed he downplayed the injury partly so that Albus would not make a fuss. It also suggested that her assistance was not actually required. In a rare 'glass is half-full' moment, Rachel chose to believe it was a backhanded thanks as well.

"How close are they to trusting you?" Albus asked. "Do the Death Eaters believe that you support Voldemort?"

"All but a few are convinced. Pettigrew is one of the few that still doubts my loyalty, or so Lucius has informed me. I gather that Voldemort believes Pettigrew to be an imbecile, so it is possible that his doubts will work in our favor."

"Then perhaps you will not be required to sneak into the next meeting?"

"Whenever that is," Severus replied. "Voldemort advised them that it will be necessary to keep activities to a minimum for the time being. They want you discredited, believed to be no more than an old fool, before they strike."

Albus smiled. "Excellent. Even with Minister Fudge's best efforts to accomplish their goal, that should buy us a fair amount of time. And it will leave you free to assist Rachel in cleaning out the Dark Forest."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Severus replied in a cold, clipped tone. "Surely, Headmaster, if Miss Ayanami is 'more than she appears', she should be capable of handling the forest on her own."

Rachel managed, with considerable effort, not to react, except to turn her face back toward Albus. Inside, she allowed herself to feel good and hurt. And she rethought her assumptions about the cause of Severus' behavior. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him gripping the arm of his chair hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, indicating anger or fear, probably both. She factored in the rest of his reactions to her and…bingo. Well, it was about time she ran into someone who was scared of her, Rachel thought miserably. And it would just have to be the first guy she'd been attracted to in over four years. Otherwise it just wouldn't be properly ironic.

She refocused on Albus, who looked pissed. His mouth was a hard line. "I am certain that Rachel is more than capable of handling the forest alone; I would still like you to accompany her, Severus."

Severus drew breath to respond, but Rachel got there first, and she was proud of her steady tone. "If Professor Snape does not wish to be involved in the project, I can certainly handle it by myself. I'll just need a list of what I may and may not kill. Is there anything else we need to cover?"

Rachel was damned uncomfortable, and needed to leave, and soon, so she could have a good cry. She allowed her intense need to flee to show in her eyes, hoping Albus would understand and allow her the chance to escape with her dignity intact.

"No, my dear, I believe we are finished for the time being," Albus assured her softly.

Rachel nodded, pulled a manila folder out of her bag, and handed it to Albus. "Here, this contains the Judogi pattern I promised you, as well as my recommendations for class size and age division. Now, if you will excuse me, I have much to do today."

She had packed away her laptop as she spoke. She stood, nodded to Albus and Severus in turn, offered a quick, "Gentlemen," as a goodbye, and turned and walked out of the room.

Rachel shut the door quietly behind her and slowly walked down the stairs, breathing deeply. But when she reached the huge emptiness of the corridor, it hit her – she didn't have anyone to run to here. Her pack was still a continent away, as was her family. And, as it was the middle of the night in California, she couldn't even call anyone. Waves of loneliness crashing through her body, tears began to fall. Breaking into a run, she prayed that her instincts would lead her out of the castle.

"Severus, that was entirely uncalled for. I am disappointed in you."

Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes at Albus' tone. "Angry and patronizing at the same time, Albus; that's quite an accomplishment."

Albus stood and walked to the window and looked out over the grounds. "This is not funny, Severus. Not in the slightest. That girl needs you, needs the both of us right now more than she knows." Albus turned to look directly in Severus' eyes. His eyes had lost their customary twinkle; steely resolve had replaced it. "Fix it, Severus. You will be working more closely with Rachel than anyone else on staff."

Severus walked over to the window and stood beside Albus. "Frankly, I do not know if I would even be able to 'fix it', and I certainly have no desire to do so. Why don't you ask Vector?"

"Professor Vector, of course, is kin to Rachel's people as well; to her own tribe, I believe. But Professor Vector has very little experience with Defense Against the Dark Arts and at any rate is not here, nor is she is a member of the Order. No Severus, you will work with her."

Severus' mind was whirling. Rage, fear and confusion all fought for dominance…and at the moment confusion was winning. "Albus, what makes you so certain that she needs us?"

Albus was once more looking out the window, and he looked as though he was waiting for something. The silence stretched on for what seemed an eternity, but may have only been a minute or two.

Just as Severus gave up on ever having his question answered, Albus pointed a finger out the window. "That."

Severus looked out to see Rachel running, full speed, across the grounds. As he watched, she tripped over something and went sprawling. She lay unmoving for a few moments, then rolled onto her side and curled herself into a little ball.

"Look more closely," Albus stated, pulling a pair of omnoculars from his voluminous robes and handing them over.

Severus obligingly looked through the omnoculars. She had been crying, and seemed to be trying to catch her breath. She looked miserable, frightened and lost…and so very young. A light bulb clicked on in Severus' brain. "Albus, how old is she?"

"Her twenty-first birthday was just last week," Albus informed him.

Lovely, Severus thought, he'd been frightened of a girl who was little more than a child.

"But this has nothing to do with her age," Albus continued, still looking out the window. "Think of what had happened by your twenty-first birthday; you had just joined the Order, had you not?"

Severus silently thanked Albus for not actually stating that he'd been a Death Eater for nearly three years. And Albus might not be concerned about her age at the moment, but Severus was certain he would be once the castle was filled with hormonal teenage boys. That, he thought, might actually be mildly entertaining. But these thoughts were not helpful at the moment. "So, what is the problem? Why is our new instructor curled into the fetal position?"

"In the past four years, she has not spent more than two or three days at a time without some sort of evil to fight, and those days were generally spent planning their next attack, or lining up new projects, as one of Rachel's packmates informs me. She sounded quite concerned, as she thinks Rachel has stayed so busy to avoid dealing with past trauma. That should sound familiar, eh Severus?" Albus asked, arching an eyebrow in Severus' direction.

Severus merely rolled his eyes and motioned for him to continue.

Casting him a mildly disapproving look, Albus obliged. "Aside from that, she has not spent much, if any, time alone in those four years. Garou, as a rule, are not solitary creatures, and Rachel is no exception. Frankly, with all the other upheavals in her life, loneliness is simply not something she can cope with."

"If this is so difficult for her, why did she accept the job? And, while we are on the subject, is there in fact any way in which offering a muggle fighting class is not insane? Not only will Pomfrey have an aneurysm at the news, such a class will certainly attract Voldemort's attention. You do realize that I will have to inform him of this? My loyalty would certainly be called into question if I did not," Severus reasoned.

"Of course, of course. The answer to your first question is quite simple – she believes she is needed. She knows that most Garou dislike and distrust wizards, and that very few would be willing to help us. I've no doubt that most would find it amusing to merely sit back and watch as our own prejudices destroyed us." Albus paused, giving Severus time to consider the point.

"Now, as for Voldemort. I've no doubt he will be very angry when he inevitably hears of a required muggle course at Hogwarts. But, I believe Rachel's bloodline will interest him far more. The Ayanamis are one of Japan's oldest wizarding families, and her mother, Madeline, is descended from the Weasleys and the Kings."

Severus started. "Her mother is Madeline King?" he asked sharply.

"King-Ayanami, actually, with a hyphen. But yes. Didn't she hold an advanced Potions seminar here during your seventh year?" Albus asked, his tone innocent.

Of course she did, Severus thought, but Albus had already known that. He knew that Rachel was the daughter of one of the few decent people who'd ever been kind to 'the greasy git', that she'd been one brief, shining spark of light and hope in an otherwise hellish part of his life. Knew that Rachel's mother was the woman who'd called Sirius Black an 'arrogant twit'.

Severus idly wondered if it would really be wrong, given the situation, to pound Albus' head against the wall for a few minutes. "This information would have been much more useful before I met her."

"So that you could trade one set of prejudices for another, Severus?" Albus shook his head disapprovingly. "Perhaps you could use this experience to learn and grow?"

God, no one could possibly blame him for pounding the Headmaster's head against the wall until he saw double, Severus thought. He closed his eyes to try to control the desire to make Albus bleed.

"I believe I'll just leave you alone to think," Albus whispered as he crept from the room.

For perhaps the hundredth time, Severus wondered how such a manipulative bugger was ever sorted into Gryffindor.