Cash gently rubbed Harry’s wrist, bringing the blood to the surface “Are you ready Harry?” he asked, seeing Harry’s nod, Cash placed his mouth against the thin skin of his inner wrist. Biting as quickly and cleanly as possible, Cash’s sharp fang’s tore through Harry’s skin like razor blades, he heard one sharp gasp from Harry as the blood poured into his mouth and straight to his soul.. ..

Harry gasped as he felt Cash’s fangs puncture his skin, he was vaguely aware of Sirius’s concerned stare as his godfather rushed to his side, supporting him as the emotions and images flooded his mind. Harry felt things he had never thought possible, all the love he held for his friends, the apathy for the Dursley’s, his crush on Cho, his unspeakable fears, his hidden desires….they all flooded out of him with his blood. All the time, he could feel Sirius holding him, reassuring him that everything was fine, that he would always be there to protect him.

Harry fought off the swoon as he felt Cash’s arm around him, lifting him out of Sirius’s arms and laying him gently on his bed. “Harry, come on, don’t pass out on me yet.” he heard Cash telling him as he felt something warm and wet pressing against his lips.

Harry tried to turn his head, but found his body wasn’t responding to his wishes. He nearly choked as the warm liquid flowed into his mouth and down his throat, bringing new images and knowledge with it. Harry felt as if Cash was inside of him, all of his thoughts, his emotions, everything he had ever known flashed before Harry’s eyes, causing Harry to feel overwhelmed momentarily.

Harry heard Cash’s voice echoing through his mind, instructing him to latch onto one stream of thought and ignore the rest; it was the only way to preserve his own sanity. Harry quickly focused on a pleasant memory of green mountains and crisp breezes. Delving deeper into the thought, Harry felt the warmth of love and happiness flooding over his soul as he looked into the emerald eyes of a child with long red hair. She couldn’t have been more that 7 years old, she was sitting on Cash’s knee, begging him to tell her another story as she clutched a strange doll in her small hands. Harry focused in on the small rag doll, it looked like a werecat with ginger fur and bright green eyes. He heard Cash’s laughter ringing through his mind as he wondered why she would have such a strange toy.

“Because she’s her mother’s daughter” Cash’s voice replied.

“Cash? Can you hear me? I thought these were only memories, how can you be here?” Harry asked, as a momentary panic seized him, what if something had gone wrong? What if he was losing his sanity?

“Relax Harry” Cash’s voice sang out, “everything is going fine. You and I are linked now, just like Angel and I. You’ll never be alone again, I’m part of you now, just like you’re part of me.” the voice when quite for just a moment before he added, “Ask me anything you want Harry, we have no secrets from each other now. Look and learn, and never, ever be afraid to ask me anything.”

Harry sighed contentedly as he allowed the images of Cash’s mind to fill his mind’s eye. He had grown accustom enough to look at more than one memory at a time now. Taking a psychic step back, Harry gasped as he saw all the faces staring back at him, it was just like the dream he had had about his family. “Cash? Who are all these people?” he asked as he stared wide-eyed at the vision.

“Clan Harry, your family. Going back through the threads of time, listen to what they’re telling you Harry. Listen closely.”

“Always,. . ..always……always existed, we always have and always will, we don’t fear death anymore than we fear life. As long as we have each other, the clan will survive and flourish, we will protect you as you will protect us. There is nothing the blood and love cannot overcome. Harry almost wept over the intense love they offered him. This is what he felt like when he was with his mum, it was such a sense of comfort and security to know how much she loved him. How far she was willing to go to protect him, to nurture him, to let him know he would never be abandoned again. Look to us for the answers you seek. . . .we see into your heart, just as we have seen inside Catrianna’s and Deirdre‘s. Simply ask us and we will reveal all we know to you.

“I can ask you anything at all? You won’t keep secrets from me? Not even to try and protect me like the other adults do?” Harry asked, wondering if he could really trust the memories of Cash’s mind.

“More than memories child” a soft voice said as woman’s face appeared in front of Harry. She was probably in her fifties, but still very beautiful, her hair was long and blonde and her eyes reminded Harry of his mum and Tris. “So you are the grandson I have heard so much about. I can see why my Kitty is so taken with you. the woman said as she smiled warmly at Harry

“Excuse me,” Harry said softly, “but who are you? And I look like whom?”

The woman laughed daintily, bringing goose bumps to Harry’s skin. “You don’t know me? I am Diedre, I am Catrianna’s mother. And you look like my baby girl and Sirius Black, I always knew they would make amends, they were destined to be together. I knew that from the moment I saw them together.” She said as her image and voice faded away.

Harry’s heart skipped a beat when he realized he was speaking with his own grandmother, the one the MoM had murdered years before. “Cash?!! Its Diedre, its my grandmother; mum’s mum.” He immediately felt Cash’s presence hushing his mind, calming and comforting him. “Cash, can you show me more? Can you show me what Diedre meant?”

In reply, Deirdre’s image grew momentarily brighter as she seemed to pull back a curtain, revealing her own memories for Harry to see. . .

The first thing he saw was his mothers, both of them, laughing and talking together on the same green mountains he had first seen in Cash’s memories. They were holding hands, whispering back and forth as they kept looking behind them. Harry strained as he tried to see what they were looking at. “Dad?” Harry whispered as he saw his father and Sirius walking several paces behind the girls, smiling and elbowing each other, as if trying to convince each other to do something. Harry watched with amusement as Sirius grinned widely and winked at his father, right before dashing towards Cat and sweeping her off her feet. Harry smiled as he heard Cat yelling at Sirius to set her down, all the while laughing and holding him tightly as he ran across the grass with her in his arms. Harry could feel the love pouring out of their hearts for each other as Sirius gently set her back down, kissing her passionately as her feet touched the deep green grass.

“Please oh please, let it be like that again.” Harry begged “I want them to be together again. I want a family, I want to know Sirius won’t be hurting all the time. He needs someone to love him too.”

“Hush Harry,” Cash’s voice replied as the images grew dimmer and dimmer, “you need to rest now, the blood is working its way deep inside of you.”

Harry realized he was now hearing Cash with his ears and not his mind. The last thing Harry remembered was Cash stroking his face as Sirius held his hand, both of them keeping a protective eye on him. “I’m no longer alone” Harry thought “I have clan, I am clan.” he thought as he slipped into unconsciousness . . .

Sirius watched Harry and Cash intently, ready to spring into action should anything happen to his godson.

“Don’t worry Sirius” Cash said softly “he’s only sleeping. He’ll sleep for an hour or so, nothing to worry about at all.” Cash opened his bright blue eyes and looked directly into Sirius’s worried ones. Pulling Sirius away from Harry’s bed, Cash smiled widely as he saw the fatherly concern written on the wizard’s face. “That’s right Sirius. He’s fine, and more to the point, he’s now linked to me and as soon as the Tremere’s spell fades away, he’ll be linked to the rest of the Grangrels through me.”

Cash grabbed Sirius’s arm as the wizard turned to walk back to his godson. “Sirius…it’s your turn now” Cash informed him “and before you argue let me explain something to you. I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood, I care and worry about you every bit as much as I do Harry and Angel.” He explained as he placed his hand on Sirius’s shoulder. “You are kine to me Sirius Black, and within the next few weeks, I hope to make you clan as well.” Cash tightened his grip on Sirius’s shoulder as he felt the wizard attempt to pull away from him. “Don’t try to fight me Sirius Black, I won’t let you sacrifice yourself to the Tremere. And don’t bother trying to deny it, you’ve already made up your mind to die before allowing Gustavas near this school, let alone Angel and Harry.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Sirius questioned sarcastically “I thought you would be happy to know I would die for them.”

“I already knew that you dope.” Cash snapped back, “but then what? Hmmm? If you’re dead, what chance will Harry and Angel have at a happy life?” Cash shook his head “Listen to me Sirius Black, and listen carefully. There is a very, very good chance I will not survive my next encounter with Gustavas, he’s been measuring me up each and every time we’ve met.” Holding up his free hand to stop the inevitable argument, Cash continued “I need to know if anything happens to me, you, Sirius Black, will be here to protect them, to take them home, to love them.”

“You know I will Cash” Sirius replied softly “but I can’t force her to accept me. I can’t *make* her love me, no matter how hard I might try. . .” Sirius never got to finish his sentence.

Cash, growing tired of reminding Sirius how deeply Angel ‘s feelings ran for the wizard, took matters into his own hands, and fangs. Instead of using his wrist, as he did for Harry; Cash forcefully pulled Sirius to his chest and sank his fangs into Sirius’s neck. Making a deeper, more intimate connection as he took a long draught from his friend. Cash’s arms instinctively wrapped around Sirius, supporting him as he felt the wizard’s knees buckle and his breath coming in shallow gasps. . . .

Sirius didn’t understand what Cash was so upset about, he would do anything to protect Harry and Cat, and that included dying if need be. Not that he was looking forward to it, but if she had truly chosen Snape, well, there just didn’t seem to be much of a future for him at Hogwarts, or anywhere else for that matter. Just as Sirius opened his mouth to argue the point, he felt Cash’s strong arm wrap around his back, practically crushing him against his chest. But before Sirius could even register the discomfort of Cash’s rough hug, he cried out in shock as he felt Cash’s fangs sink into his neck as the Gangrel drank deeply from him. Sirius’s mind rebelled against what was happening, he knew full well that by tasting his blood, Cash would be able to hear, feel, and see everything that had ever happened to Sirius in his life. And as much as he loved Cash, he simply was not willing to share his pain or hopes with anyone, not yet, not until he knew he had Cat’s understanding and support.

Sirius grunted as he felt his legs give way under him, instinctively he reached out, embracing Cash to prevent himself from falling. “Cash….no” Sirius croaked out weakly as he passed into the same unconsciousness that had taken Harry. . .

This time it was Cash’s turn to swoon, he knew Sirius’s feelings ran deep, he was an emotional man, but this was beyond anything he had ever expected. Cash sighed softly as all of Sirius’s emotions washed over him, all of his fears, loves, hates, desires, it was all there, nothing was held back. Losing himself to the ecstasy of pure emotion that had poured into him with Sirius’s blood, Cash bit down harder, only stopping when he heard the tearing of flesh. Knowing he was about to go much too far, Cash reluctantly pulled away, watching as Sirius’s head tilted backwards, hanging limply as he blacked out.

Cradling Sirius protectively in his arms, Cash carried him to Harry’s bed, laying him next to his sleeping godson. Cash shook his head in disbelief at the horrors his friend had suffered through, the pain he had been forced to bear for over half of his young life. Cash almost wretched as the despair and horror of Sirius’s years in Azkaban rose within him as the blood travelled through his body. Reaching up to wipe the pink, blood-tinged tears from his eyes, Cash shuddered as he heard Sirius’s screams echoing through his mind.

By the gods, what had this man suffered through over the past two decades? He had lost everything and everyone he had ever loved in his life. His parents, his friends, his position, his wealth, and of course, his love. Cash marveled at the resilience and resourcefulness and courage of the wizard, he had survived even the darkest of days for no better reason than he refused to allow them to win. Lifting Sirius in his arms, Cash looked at him critically as he lay next to Harry on the bed. Sirius certainly looked older than his 36 years, much older in fact. His face was slightly drawn with many lines showing around his eyes and mouth. His hair was much too long for his thin frame, and he was badly in need of Angel’s healing touch.

“Maybe this will help you my friend” Cash said softly as he tore open his own wrist, first healing the wound on his neck before pressing his wrist against Sirius’s lips. “It’s time to end your suffering Sirius. Harry has a family now, but it won’t be complete without you. I saw into his heart and mind, just as I saw into yours and Angel’s.” Cash explained softly, not sure if Sirius was even listening. “You will be clan Sirius, you will raise your son, you will have the children you want, and she will be your wife. And I will watch over you and them the way I have always watched over all my descendants, proudly and fiercely”

Cash winced as he felt Sirius pulling the blood from his wound, despite, or perhaps because of, everything the wizard had been through he was incredibly strong for a mortal. Feeling tired and fuzzy himself, Cash curled up next to Harry and Sirius, his wrist still firmly pressed against Sirius’s mouth. Cash couldn’t help but wonder which of his memories Sirius would choose to focus on, he hoped it would be the one where Angel opened her heart to him, showing the deep love she held for Sirius. . . .

Sirius felt as if he were drowning, so many thoughts and memories invaded his mind, but none of them were his own. He saw the sword slash through his chest, cutting open a huge wound from his shoulder to his belly as the invaders were driven out of MacLeod land. His twin sister sobbing over him, trying desperately to heal him, her fiery hair streaming over his face as his mother called for her great-great-grandfather, the oldest Gangrel among them. He felt the now familiar tearing of his skin as he was embraced, he felt his mother and sister cradle his body as the blood burned through his veins, rushing to heal the mortal wound.

He saw the throngs of Romans chanting and jeering the latest philosopher as he stood on the corner, shouting about the illusions of life and death. He watched several young men pull the man to the ground, pummeling his with their fists and harsh words as he himself looked to his aged companion and escorted the elderly man away from the fracas. The image faded, only to show the crowded streets of New York City, the blare of traffic was almost deafening to his sensitive ears, but he had to find someone, he had to get her to safety, back to her clan were she belonged. He felt the anger explode within him as he burst into the room, only to see several large men abusing a tiny blonde woman. His sight tinged with red as he tore into the men, ripping them into shreds for daring to harm his clan.

He then looked to see Diagon Alley, his eyes flitting about nervously, searching every face for the one he was looking for. Spying an incredibly huge man with wild, unkempt black hair, he quickly darted into the doorway of a shop. He could feel the corners of his mouth smile as his eyes locked on the young boy who was walking along side the half-giant.

Sirius tried to pull himself from out of Cash’s memories, he search for a familiar thought, anything that would help him survive the surge of emotions and information. He caught a glimpse of Dumbledore’s office and quickly latched onto that thread, hoping it would take him back to his own mind. Instead, he saw a weeping Albus Dumbledore, his arms wrapped tightly around a sobbing girl. He heard the headmaster trying to console her, telling her he was positive it was a mistake, that if she would only agree to speak to Sirius, here, now, in front of himself, he was certain they could set things right. Sirius watched as the memory looked deeply into Dumbledore’s sad eyes, he had never seen such pain written on the old man’s face in his entire life. He heard the memory tell him ‘No, I want to go home Uncle Alby, I can’t stand the pain anymore. I can’t stand seeing them together, it hurts me too much.. . .and I have other concerns now, it’s not just me anymore.” Sweet mother of heaven, it was Cat, his Cat, it must have been the end of their sixth year.

Sirius searched deeper into the thread of Cat’s memory, he dug into her mind, fighting against the current of time to witness their past again. There they were, laughing and teasing each other on their way to the pitch to practice Quidditch. He saw the depths of his own eyes as she looked up into them. “Oh Cat, why oh why didn’t you listen to Dumbledore? Why didn’t you insist they drag me into his office to talk?”