"If I could find him... Yes, but he’s not here and she needs help now." Cash said sternly "and in case you haven’t noticed, *you* my brother are the only mortal among us." Cash softened his tone when he saw the look in Remus’s eyes. "I know what happened Remus, you must know that she holds you blameless.... Please, for her sake, for all of our sakes. Lie with her, hold her, touch her. She needs to feel you, she needs your warmth and your love" placing his hands on Remus’s shoulders he turned him to look at Angel. "If you care for her at all, help us heal her."

"They are right" Mohrg agreed softly "she has been given all of the magic and knowledge that we possess in hopes that it will heal her. But she needs more, she needs something deeper than simple power or strength."

Remus sighed as he looked at her, if he didn’t know any better he would have thought she was drunk, but he knew it was the blood, she had told him once of the effect it had on her kind. To humans it was addictive to the point of being deadly, but to the Sidhe it was a powerful elixir. To Cat in particular it was a connection, a way of bonding, Remus could only imagine what she was going through, all three of them had given up their blood to her. Three sets of emotions, memories, desires all added to her own. She was probably half mad with confusion by this point.

Remus slowly walked over as Mohrg stood to make room for him "She’ll need some blankets,.... Cash are you sure about this?" Remus asked as he looked up at Cash’s pale, drawn face "Merlin’s beard..... Cash, you need to feed. NOW!" he could see the skin becoming taunt as he watched "how much did you give her?" he was beginning to look more like a skeleton than a person.

"As much as I could and then some." Cash replied wearily "and I intend to hunt as soon as you promise me you will care for her. You know what needs to be done, you’ve done it before. I was there when Diedre removed the curse from her blood. I watched over both of you" Cash’s voice faltered as the very cells of his body began screaming for blood. "Promise me!" Cash croaked.

Remus stared in horror at Cash’s transformation "I will do everything I can...." Remus looked down at Cat and felt a deep longing for the closeness they once shared "but what if..... Cash I’m only human.... ..only a man.... and...." Remus took a deep breath "Cash she is beautiful and vulnerable, and I am part animal" he admitted as he blushed crimson.

Cash smirked as he walked towards a window and flung it open "Do you think that would upset me? Or her for that matter? I know how close you both are, and how close you once were." Cash leaped up on the window sill as the wind whipped his clothes around his now skeletal frame "Do what ever you feel is necessary.... Keep her alive, keep her safe." Cash extended his hand to Raul who was looking a bit worse for wear himself. "We will be back as soon as we have fed, we are far too dangerous to the students until we are satiated." Cash leaped onto one of the lower roofs as Raul headed towards the forest. Cash had sensed a new group of deatheaters approaching, some were already inside the castle. Cash smiled wickedly, say what you will, but timing was everything in life.

Cash quickly slipped back inside the castle through one of the many hidden passages that ran through the school. He had stopped fighting the pain as soon as he realized Remus would do whatever was necessary to keep Angel alive and well. He had no doubt it would be very hard on Remus, but he was a good man, he understood clan and Angel had always been very fond of him, if anything did happen between them, he would never hold it against Remus. Actually he would worry more if nothing happened between them, they where both young, attractive and healthy, and despite their claims they both felt drawn towards each other. Cash himself had both seen and felt it the night they had danced for the students.

Cash’s ears pricked up as he heard approaching footsteps, but they weren’t a mans, they were a woman’s, and a young one at that. Cash sighed as he realized it was a student, he wasn’t sure which posed a bigger threat to her at this point, the approaching deatheaters or his hunger........

Remus sighed shakily as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair, "Mohrg are we *sure* about this? Is there any other way?" he just didn’t think he could trust himself with her right now. It had been a bad transformation this month it was more painful than usual, and he was feeling lonely and neglected himself, his mind had constantly drifted back to those few short weeks that they had been a couple, they had been the happiest of his life. She had always been so attentive towards him, holding his hand, kissing him, letting him hold her as much as he needed to. He loved her, there was no denying it, but he would never step over that line, he couldn’t for everyone’s sake. Sirius was like a brother to him and no matter how tempted he was, he would never betray Sirius, it would kill him.

"There is no other way" Mohrg responded "I do not understand why you hesitate so, most men would kill for the chance to lay with her." he stated as he averted his eyes from Remus’s.

"Most men are fools." Remus replied bluntly "I love her dearly, I can’t deny that. But she and Sirius love each other more than even they realize. I will not do anything to harm that love." Remus sighed as he pulled back the covers on Cat’s bed and gently lay down next to her. "I wish Sirius were here, he should be doing this, not me." .........

Cash quickly located the student he had heard walking the halls, it was Jamie Krafty, his favourite Ravenclaw. He smiled wickedly for a moment as a horrible thought crossed his mind, only to be shaken off by his conscious, he could never harm her, a nibble here or there maybe, but nothing more. He darted in and out of the shadows as he followed her, she was heading directly towards the deatheaters, he had to do something and quickly. "Jamie" he whispered hoarsely "Jamie"

He watched as she paused and turned to see who had called her name "Hello?" she asked fearfully "Is anyone there?"

Cash winced as he heard her heart beating quickly in her fear, he could practically taste her blood from here.

"Jamie... it's me. Cash" he said weakly "you have to leave.. *now* it's not safe for you here. There are deatheaters all around..." he saw the look of terror on her face as soon as the words passed his lips.

"D- d - deatheaters" Jamie stuttered as she physically shook herself, she had seen what they had done to people, she had been at the Quidditch Cup when they had attacked. "Cash... where are you. Please... I don't want to be alone right now" she pleaded.

"Trust me Jamie, you don't want to see me right now" the poor kid was frightened out of her mind, and seeing him would only make it worse. "I'm not looking my best, I need to drink... you need to get back to your house" Cash pulled himself into the shadows as Jamie walked towards the sound of his voice. "Jamie..*no* you're not safe around me right now." he urged as her hands reached out for him.

"Of course I am." she replied sincerely "I know you would never hurt me. I could see it in your eyes when we danced." Jamie gasped as her hands finally found Cash's frame "Cash? What happened, you're so thin...." Her eyes opened wide as he stepped out into the dim light, she found it hard to believe that this was the same handsome fellow who had nearly stole her heart only a few weeks earlier. "Oh my god... Cash? What can I do for you? You need to see Madame Pomfrey." all thoughts of the deatheaters had left her the moment she saw him.

Cash for his part was torn between being amused and crying over her compassion for him. "There is nothing anyone can do for me Jamie,... I need to feed, badly. Only blood can help me now." he sighed softly. He watched in amazement as Jamie reached up to touch his drawn face, he could see the pain in her eyes as she looked at him. "Am I really that horrible to see?"

"Only because I know this isn't you." Jamie replied, her voice practically a whisper "You can have some of mine if it will help. I can't stand seeing you like this." Jamie said as she blinked back her tears "it isn't fair for you to suffer, you are always protecting us, I've seen you and the others, every night I see you patrol the halls, and there hasn't been a single attack since you've come here."

Cash smirked "life isn't fair Jamie, although I am touched by your concern" he admitted as he tentatively reached out to touch her cheek with his gnarled finger. He was shocked by the appearance of his own flesh, how could she stand looking at him, much less touching him. "You have to leave Jamie" he said firmly "as much as I care for you, you are not safe around me now. I can hear the blood coursing through your veins..... and it's all I can do not to attack you right now." He would have cried if he had any blood in him at all, her concern and compassion had touched him deeply.

"You don't need to attack me" Jamie said softly "just promise you won't kill me.......

Remus gently wrapped his arms around Cat and positioned himself so her back was up against his stomach. It felt so strange to be in this position again, the last time he had held her like this her mother had just cut her free from the large stone slab they had tied her to during her one and only transformation. Remus sighed deeply as he allowed himself to snuggle up against her, he smiled as he remembered how soft and fragrant her hair was. Closing his eyes he clenched his jaw as he tried to think of anything but her lying in his arms.

Remus began by babbling on and on about what they had done today in Hogsmeade, what his lesson plans for the next day were, anything he could think of to stop himself from doing something they would both regret. He smiled as he felt her body growing warm against his own, he knew Cash was right about her needing to be touched, what was it her mother had told him? "The mystery of the touch, it heals us when we are broken" he whispered as he rubbed his cheek against hers. He gasped softly as he felt her snuggle into him, causing a delightful, if not appropriate sensation to course through his body. "I’m never going to survive this Kitty" he sighed "If you don’t kill me Sirius or Severus will" he whispered in her ear as he kissed it softly....

Cash couldn’t believe what Jamie had just said, he was going to refuse to even discuss it when he heard the deatheaters approaching quickly. Grabbing Jamie by her wrist he pulled her down the hall and in through the first doorway he saw. Unfortunately it turned out to be a large linen closet. "Oh just ducky...." Cash moaned "I tried to get you out of here and end up getting us trapped." He tried to ignore the heat coming off of Jamie’s body, it was positively intoxicating to him, he wanted to taste her, he wanted to share in the warmth of her mortal blood. Cash shuddered when he felt Jamie’s hand on his arm, he had to get her out of here, he was losing his self control and he would never forgive himself if he harmed her.

Cash turned to face Jamie, to tell her to run while she could, but it was too late for that. The deatheaters were only a few yards from where they stood. Cash would never be able to protect Jamie in his current condition, in fact, he wouldn’t be able to protect himself either. He was ancient as Gangrel’s went, he only needed a little blood to regain his strength, and she had offered. "Jamie... I’m so sorry.." he said as he pulled her against himself and quickly bit into her neck, the relief flooding through his body was just as amazing as Jamie’s warmth. Cash cradled her in his arms as he forced her neck to bend, allowing him more room to sink his teeth into her. He sighed as he felt her soft skin yield under the pressure of his fangs as the pounding of her heart became a sort of tribal beat to his predatory ears..........

Raul wiped his mouth as he finished draining the second deatheater, how fortunate they had picked tonight to arrive at Hogwart’s, almost as if they had know of Angel’s condition. A snarl escaped Raul’s lips as the thought of someone planning such harm to his dear Angel played in his head. Raul mused for a moment *his Angel* he was just as bad as the rest of them, as if she belonged to anyone, save perhaps her clan. Raul kicked over the first deatheater with the toe of his shoe, he hadn’t seen this one before he was new. The other one however he had seen in Albus’s office the day Angel had accused the blonde one of killing her mother. Raul was wondering what else Cash had neglected to tell him about Angel’s history when he heard someone walking loudly through the forest. Crouching as if to attack, Raul snarled as the figure stepped into his path, luckily Raul’s reflexes had returned with the infusion of fresh blood "Sirius!!!!! What are you doing here?!" He bellowed as he saw the wizard "Don’t you know what has happened?" he watched as Sirius stared at him with red-rimmed eyes and a tear-stained face. "Snap out of it wizard" Raul continued "or don’t you care that Angel may already be dead? ......

Cash felt his body growing soft and warm as he cradled Jamie in his arms, gently pulling the blood from her veins, he sighed when he felt her wrap her arms around him as he lowered her onto a bundle of linen. Cash felt all of her desires and memories as her blood flowed into him, revitalizing his body and his soul. She was so wonderfully tender, Cash was sorely tempted to give her exactly what she wanted from him, but now was not the time. He needed to protect her from the deatheaters as much as himself. He kissed Jamie gently on the neck as he removed his fangs from her succulent flesh. He allowed himself a moment to linger over the scent of her skin before he removed himself from her arms. He watched as her eyes fluttered open but remained unfocused, she was drunk from the sudden loss of blood, but no lasting harm was done. Cash knelt down next to her "Stay here Jamie dearest" he whispered "I need to stop the deatheaters now. I’ll be back for you shortly to return you to your room." Cash ran his now fleshy fingers over her soft cheeks "I’m sorry I couldn’t take my time with you...." he added as he rested his hand on her stomach, delighting in the quiver of desire that was running through her flesh.

Cash walked towards the closet door, turning quickly he took a last look at Jamie to make sure she wouldn’t try to follow him "sleeping already.... tsk, tsk..." he laughed softly as he placed his hand on the doorknob and bared his fangs ferociously. He had taken only what he absolutely needed from Jamie, but there were deatheaters on the other side of the door, making their way down the hall towards the students. He would feast gluttonously on them, all of them.

Remus wasn’t sure what he should do, Cat was becoming more responsive with every passing minute. Every time he stroked her cheek or kissed her neck she would react making him both more excited and more embarrassed. He knew he shouldn’t be the one laying with her, he had sworn an oath to never get close enough to harm anyone ever again. He kept praying that Sirius would show up, he should be the one with her, he could love her and protect her, he would make a wonderful husband for her. Remus hugged Cat tightly as he thought about her future, she and Sirius would get married and finally have a family, Harry would have parents and maybe a little brother or sister to play with. Remus smirked as he chuckled to himself *a* little brother or sister, more than likely a small brood knowing those two.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts of her future happiness that he hadn’t realized what he had been doing until he heard Cat moan softly. Remus froze as he realized his hands had been roaming over her body, caressing her gently as she slept, the whole time he had been planning her future for her. "I’m sorry Kitty, I swear I didn’t mean anything....." he whispered softly as he tried to move further away from her, only to have her snuggle back up against him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to resist his urges much longer, not with her so close to him, and apparently quite willing. Remus’s hand trembled as he ran it over the soft curves of her body, kissing her neck tenderly, he paused once again as he heard her moan deeply. Laying his head against hers he closed his eyes tightly and tried to think of Sirius.