From the moment she had been given the long-coveted top spot in the Department it had been lurking in the back of Morwenna's mind that there was a young man at the Daily Prophet she had determined she would speak to at the earliest opportunity. She didn't know for sure that he was like her of course, but their conversation, the hints woven through their entire interaction had practically raised the hackles on the back of her neck: as though the wolf inside her recognised the one inside him.

Either he was a werewolf or Mr Kieran Abernathy had inexplicable quickened her heart for some other reason she didn't like to contemplate. In both instances life did not look good for the young man.

Awkwardly rapping her fingers against the oak desk she had inherited at long last she waited, each sound that came from the antechamber outside her office making her eyes twitch to the door as she waited for it to open and for him to be shown in. When another door closed and footsteps walked away she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. This was absurd. She was a grown woman being interviewed by a political reporter, that was all. She might have imagined the rest. Might be about to make a colossal fool of herself as she carefully hinted at the truth with a script she had rehearsed for days to make sure it was as opaque to someone ignorant as it was transparent to somebody that knew.

On the other hand, if she was upfront, who on earth would believe him? He was a journalist and she a respected public servant. Unless the Ministry decided to follow her home and monitor her during the full moon how would they know? Could they do that? Would they do that? The head of the werewolf capture unit might work under her but he was no fool and a lead was a lead and-

Finally a knock came at her door and she beckoned the visitor inside in a voice steadier than she had anticipated.

"Mr Abernathy, thank you so much for coming to see me."

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat