“Not a chance baby doll. Wake up and take it straight like a real woman would.” Tris countered, a slight edge to her voice.

“I consider myself a child until I get at least five hours of sleep, come back later.” Cat replied, pulling the covers over her head, enjoying the warmth of her bed and dreams of love.

“This is serious Catrianna Marzia MacLeod. Knock it off and wake up before I drag you out of that bed myself.” <>P That got Cat’s attention; rarely did Tris use her full name in the context of a threat. Slowly pulling the covers down, she peeked over the edge of the quilt to see an extremely tired and frustrated looking Tris. “I guess it’s too much to hope you look like that because of Remus, huh?”

“Don’t even go there,” Tris snapped, “this has to do with you, not me.”

“Okay, first of all, I had NOTHING to do with the men joining us yesterday, I was as shocked as anyone else.” Cat began; assuming that was what Tris was going to talk about.

“Not exactly ‘anyone’ else” Tris remarked sarcastically, “Orpha and Merlin seemed to have planned things VERY nicely. Moved up the timetable on the prophecy by at least ten years according to Maharet. And you do NOT want to know what she thinks of the whole affair. Which of course is why ‘I’ am here.” she groused, flopping on the bed next to Cat.

Cat stared at Tris for a few moments before lifting the covers, “Come on and join me then, you look like you could use the warmth, but I don’t have enough blood to offer you any.”

Tris nodded, “That’s obvious, you’re nearly as pale as I am. But that is part of the reason I’ve been sent. The entire Clan has noticed, and has remarked on several things over the past week. First; the relationship between you and Sirius, second; how much Harry looks like ‘his father’, “ she added, a tinge of disgust in her voice. “and lastly; your rather obvious symptoms.” Tris paused and stared at Cat, waiting for any reply at all. Sighing deeply when she realized Cat was NOT going to volunteer any information, Tris proceeded.

“You know you have no right to lead Black on, don’t you? Have you told him its not your decision, and let’s face it, none of us believe Maharet will allow him to be your husband.” Tris hesitated, softening her tone when she saw the pain-filled wince cross Cat’s face. “Okay sweetie, let me make this as to the point and painless as possible” she sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around Cat. “Are you pregnant, and if so, who is the father?”

“I don’t honestly know if I am or not Tris,” Cat sighed, barely holding back her tears, “One day I’m positive I am, my breasts are tender, I’m lightheaded, I feel ‘something’ fluttering about. Then the next day or two, - nothing - nothing at all. I don’t know what to think. But if I am, than Severus is the father, he’s the only man I’ve been with in over a year, actually, close to two, I’ve been alone since Seth was murdered.”

Tris nodded, she had no intention of opening that wound, it had been a horrible thing and none of them needed to relive it. “How far along in your cycle are you? Maybe we can figure this out.”

“Only about 26 days, so its still another 20 days until I’m even due again, so even erring on the side of caution. I won’t know for certain for at least 35 more days.” sighing deeply she added “At least I should be sure by then, but with all the jumping between worlds, I haven’t exactly been ‘on time’ for several cycles.”

“Oh wonderful” Tris groaned, “I can tell you Maharet is ‘not’ going to be satisfied with that answer.”

Cat narrowed her suddenly anger-filled eyes “I can give you an answer to take back to her. She won’t like it anymore than the one you’ve got now, but it would make me feel a whole heck of a lot better.”

Tris raised an eyebrow, it had been a long time since Cat had shown such an open display of anger towards Maharet. “Mind yourself, you know what Maharet can do…”

“And she knows what I can do” Cat retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, “and its not just me anymore. I have my son back, the same son she denied me fourteen years ago, the same son she insisted must be left to fend on his own. And when I refused to adhere to her judgment, she used my own father against me. I left then Tris, I left and went into the veil, a place where even ‘she’ can’t follow, but my son can…”

“Don’t make threats like that!” Tris insisted, clamping a hand over Cat’s mouth to keep her quite. “That is all the reason she needs to do something drastic, and this time, I won’t be able to protect you……Listen, just stay calm, take care of Harry, and until we know whether you are or aren’t carrying a child, take it very, very easy on the drinking tonight. I know it’s a holiday, but …..”

“I know, and I have no problem with one glass of wine, and trust me, I ‘can’ make that last all night. I just keep adding ice and allow it to melt” she winked, “that way no one notices a half empty glass and tries to fill it or anything.”

Tris laughed, “Is that how you do that, I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I need to restrict someone’s drinking without them knowing it. Come on, you and I both look like we could use some rest, and you’re right, I need warmth.” she added as she pulled Cat closer to her. “Maharet’s been in an absolute mood since Orpha publicly challenged her the other day.” she shook her head to signify she didn’t want to discuss it as Cat gasped. “Later,….. and we’ll need to talk about you and these wizards later as well.” Tris insisted as they both cuddled under the blankets and fell asleep……

“Come on Severus” Rick teased, “I promise there is no blood in it, or plasma…or…or..uhm….help me out here Angus.” he laughed as Roel howled at him.

“You two are going to be fun” Angus groaned “the sun hasn’t even set yet, and you two are doing your darnedest to get him sloshed, aren’t you?”

Rick immediately grinned and winked at both Angus and Sev, “Honestly? Yes, I thought it might help him relax a little. Although having had a run in or two with a drunken wizard, trust me, I wasn’t about to let it get ‘that’ far.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Rick” Sev deadpanned, “very happy to know you have no faith in my self control.”

“I have a great deal of faith in your self control, that’s why I’m here trying to encourage you.” he insisted, then quietly added. “You’ve been through a lot over the past week Severus. And I know the whole situation with Angel is weighing heavily on your mind. I do NOT want you to get drunk, that is just a foolish thing to do. But I would like to see you relax for once, even if its only to humour me or to shut me up.”

Cash snorted, “That will be the day, you quiet” he teased, winking at Rick as he carried an old, earthen bottle. “But I thought we might respect the holiday with a small toast. And if Snape doesn’t want to join us in Clan traditions, then let him be, it’s his choice.”

Severus’s ears pricked up when he heard the term ‘clan tradition’, this is the sort of thing Rick and Angus had been trying to explain to him. He needed to accept the clan if he even hoped to have a chance at winning Catri back. “No, Cash, I ….I honestly do not mind. Rick has a point, perhaps a little relaxation may be just the thing.” he replied, sounding and feeling more than unsure of his decision.

Cash didn’t even try to hide the look of shock on his face. “Really?!” he grinned, “There may just be hope for you yet wizard.” he added as he pulled out the ancient cork stopper from the even older bottle. “This is truly an ‘olde family recipe” , I’ve made it the same way for over two thousand years.”

“And amazingly enough, no one’s died…..yet” Roel teased, “So, what are we up to?” Roel grinned, rubbing his hands together as if in anticipation of mischief.

“Down boy” Cash chuckled, “We’re not at home, remember that. The school is inhabited by mortals, children and other ‘breakable’ creatures. And of course the Tremere is still out there somewhere.” he added, his voice sinking as a darkness crossed his eyes.

“They still have not found him?” Sev asked, concern evident in his voice. “The students will begin to return in a few days. We always have students who return early, we need to keep them safe. I had hoped those hunters would have found him by this time.”

“So had I, but I have faith in Brutus. He’s tired of being immortal, he wants to join his family in the grave and he can’t do that until his brother dies by his hand.” Cash noted the look of shock on Severus’s face, obviously Rick hadn’t given him the whole story…..

Paddy grinned as he handed Edana to Sirius, “Just don’t jump around with her too much,” he warned, “she’s been fussy today, I think her tummy may be bothering her.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll be just fine,” Sirius cooed, gently rocking the baby girl, a look of pure happiness on his face. “her Uncle Sirius knows just how to take care of that.”

“Uncle Sirius, huh?” Remus repeated, chuckling as his friend’s smile became even wider. “Let me guess, ….you’re trying to give Kitty a not so subtle hint?”

“Trust me, I haven’t been hinting, I’ve been outright saying.” Sirius laughed, his eyes still focused on the child in his arms. “I’ve missed out on so much Remus,” he added softly as Remus sat next to him, “I always thought I’d be the father of a houseful of children by my age, I distinctly remember wanting more than one. I hated being an only child, it was so lonely sometimes.”

“Look around you Padfoot, even an only child would never be lonely here. Take Harry for example, even if you take away the girls trying to kiss him under the mistletoe, he still has quite a large group of playmates.” Remus laughed

“They aren’t ‘still’ after him are they? Cat’s right, I need to have that talk with him and soon.” Sirius sighed, he had always expected having ‘the talk’ wouldn’t be all that difficult, but the more he thought about it, the more daunting it was becoming. After all, the way he phrased things may well influence the way Harry viewed things for the rest of his life. “Do you think I’ll ever be a father Remus? To my own children I mean.” he asked as he cradled Edana with one arm, allowing her to grasp the fingers of his free arm with her chubby little fists.

Remus smiled wistfully as his eyes misted over, “I’m positive you will Padfoot, absolutely positive.” he could hardly believe this was the same boy he had known in school, he had been handsome, brash and arrogant then, so sure of himself. Then after his escape from Azkaban it was always the haunted, fearful looks, the whimpering in his sleep, the half starved and straggled convict, and now, now he looked like the man he always should have been. His looks were still handsome, but not as stunning as they had been in school, and he had matured so much emotionally. True, he was still prone to bouts of manic depression or joy, and if pushed he did have a vicious temper, but for the most part he had become accepting and patient of so much more. He would make a wonderful father, Remus was sure of it.

“Talk about a perfect picture” Katie sighed as she and Colin walked over. “I think you should give Colin some lessons Sirius. He’s still a bit nervous around the babies.” she teased.

“True, ….I’m terrified I’ll drop one” he grimaced, “that soft spot scares me to death.” he confided quietly as Katie turned to wave to one of her cousins. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll do something wrong?” Colin asked as he knelt down, gently rubbing Edana’s cheek with his finger.

“Nah, she’ll let me know if I do” Sirius grinned, “and I understand about the soft spot. But they’re a lot more sturdy than you think. Want to hold her?”

Colin quickly raised up his hands, “No thanks Sirius, I’ll leave that sort of thing to you. Besides, I don’t want Katie to get any ideas, I’ve only just gotten up the nerve to giver her the ring. I want to wait until midnight though.”………

Rick laughed as he watched Severus try to keep up with Cash, it seemed to have become some sort of competition between the two, and as usual, Cash was determined to win. “Severus, I think you’ve had enough, and that includes the debate as well.” Rick warned as Cash poured them both another drink and continued to argue the evils of centralized government while Severus insisted a strong, central body of government was necessary to keep peace, order and promote the general well-being of the populace and economy.

“Don’t try to bail him out now” Cash chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the debate, “I want to hear him justify the used of political threats against the importation of ideals and beliefs.”

“Give me an example, Cash, just one…” Severus insisted, his voice somewhat louder than usual, but every bit as deep and silky.

“You want me to narrow it down to one?!” Cash retorted, laughing even harder as the professor scowled and waved his hand dismissingly at him. “That’s it, walk away….everyone else does.”

“That’s because you don’t know when to stop” Angus yelled out, “if you two are going to debate, at least make it something the rest of us are interested in.”

“Yeah, like music” Roel agreed, “How about you potion master, do you like music?”

Severus smirked, “I have found myself growing fonder of it…..In fact, I very much miss hearing Catri singing as she graded papers. It seems she is always singing or humming….”

“Our whole clan is like that” Rick explained, “in fact, considering the time and the night, I’m willing to bet she’s singing right now.” he slipped an arm around Sev’s shoulder to help steady the professor, “Take it easy Sev, you’ve had enough for a while. This is ‘much’ stronger than what you’re used to” he warned as he escorted the wizard to his chair. Seeing Cash standing to leave, Rick questioned him “You planning on coming back Cash?”

“Yeah, just want to check up on the students and teachers, not to mention see how Raul and Brutus are doing.” Cash stated as he stretched his arms high above his head. “Clear your head fast wizard,” he smiled, “I intend to finish this conversation when I get back.”

“Just go” Rick chuckled, rolling his eyes as Cash laughed at him, “stop being a brat and go, he’s not one of us, its going to take a bit longer for him.” turning to Severus, Rick asked, “Would you like something hot Sev? Coffee or tea?”

Severus found himself grateful for Rick’s ever watchful eyes and gentle words, it was such a welcome change from the other men he dealt with. He imagined that Albus must have been much the same as Rick when he was a young man. “I wish I could hear her sing now” he sighed softly, “I miss her so much.”

Rick looked long and hard at Severus before turning to Angus and Roel “Guys, can you two give us just a few minutes? I need to talk to him, privately.” Roel and Angus exchanged glances and nodded, as long as Rick was with him, the wizard was safe enough.

“We’ll be back in say….ten minutes or so?”

“Fine” Rick nodded, waiting until the door closed behind them before kneeling in front of the potion master. “Are you going to be alright Severus? This is the first time you’ve spent any amount of time in your office since the attack. I just want to make sure it isn’t too much.”

Sev smirked and shook his head, “No, Rick, everything is fine. I’ve been through worse and this is ‘my’ office, ‘my’ sanctum sanctorum. I refuse to be chased away by fear or threats.” he stated firmly. “The only thing that would make life better for me is Catri, I do truly wish I could see her again. Do you know if she ‘is’ coming back?”

“As far as I know, yes, she is intending to return. Along with several nieces and nephews, may I add. That is why the Caitiffs have joined us,” Rick explained, “we won’t risk our children, and if any of us so much as ‘thinks’ there may be a problem, the children, including Harry, will be returned to Fernglennis at once.”

“So Harry Potter is finally safe from Voldemort? I can stop worrying about him?”

Rick stood up and kissed Severus’s forehead as he did so, “Why don’t you let us worry about that. Besides, you’re almost done with that viewing potion over there, ….aren’t you?” Rick asked knowingly, amused by the deep blush spreading across Severus’s face.

“You mean you knew? This entire time you knew what I was doing?” Snape asked.

“Of course I did, after all, ‘you’ gave me the books to study.” Rick winked. “Go on, take a quick look before Cash and the others get back, but be warned Sev, you may not like what you see. Remember, she’s home now, among her clan, and most of them are more than happy to push her into Sirius’s arms.” he added gently.

Sev nodded numbly, he knew Rick was right, but he just had to see with his own eyes. He had to know one way or the other if it was even worth hoping for anymore. Walking unsteadily towards the silver bowl on the table near his desk, Sev added the last two ingredients, powdered nightshade, and a small quartz crystal.

The viewing potion began showing him forms almost immediately. Tears began to trickle down Severus’s pale face as he saw Black, only instead of holding Catri, he was holding a baby girl, who was wearing a bright red dress for the holidays. She reminded him so much of Serenity, even down to the wispy curls framing her round, dimpled face and the happy smile. Sev winced as he continued to watch Black coo and play with the little girl, smiling tenderly as the baby made a game of grabbing his finger and seeming quite please with herself when she caught a hold of him. Why couldn’t it be him there holding the precious little girl, waiting for Catri to join him.

Almost as soon as Severus had thought it, he saw Catri walking towards Black and the baby, a tender smile on her face as she watched the baby smile and laugh. He watched as Catri kissed the baby, stroking the child’s soft hair as Black’s free arm encircled her waist. And now Potter had joined them, he had taken the baby’s hand and kissed it, as if he was her big brother. They looked like the perfect little family, he thought, wincing painfully as he realized how unwanted and unneeded he was. His body tensed, however, when he saw a large creature, one with leathery wings and horns pulling Catri away from the others. He expected Black or Potter to stop him, but instead, they both laughed, shaking their heads at her. If only he could hear what was happening, and why weren’t they stopping the creature.

“Let me help you, Severus”

Sev froze as he heard Cash’s voice, the Gangrel must have been standing next to him for some time now. He waited for Cash to overturn the bowl, or to strike him for spying on Catri, but instead the vampyre gently touched the bowl, causing it to reverberate with the sounds of the scene in front of them. As the view continued to widen, Sev stared with amazement at the assortment of creatures surrounding his dear Catri. His eyes flitted between Catri and Black, waiting for the men to run to her aid, although judging by the sudden burst of laughter, perhaps she wasn’t in as dire a situation as he originally thought.

He gasped loudly as he watched her twist in the creatures grasp, easily turning to face him as the winged beast smiled and placed his large hand around her waist. Sev’s face was the picture of confusion as he watched Catri waltz with this monster, only to begin singing, in what he could only assume was Gaelic, as other couples joined them. “I don’t understand” he whispered.

“That much is obvious Severus,” Cash sighed, “these people are our clan, our family, including the non-human ones, and believe me, she and Harry are safer there than anywhere else in the world.” Making the teacher look him in his face, Cash continued, “Normally I’d be a lot more upset than I am about you spying on her. But Sirius ‘is’ her husband, and its obvious she loves him dearly. I know you love her, and she cares deeply for you. But your reaction to our clan is reason enough to declare you unworthy of her. You sneer at the very people she lives for.”

“I wasn’t sneering, I was concerned for her” Severus responded, his voice wavering as he continued to watch Black hold the little girl while Catri’s entire family smiled and nodded at him. He didn’t even try to hold back his tears this time, he was so tired of trying to hold onto hope. As he started to descend into despair, he was startled back to the here and now by the feel of Cash’s cool hands on his face, gently wiping away his tears.

“Severus, you have to stop this” Cash whispered softly as Rick quickly came to Sev’s side. “Look at them, look at her,” he insisted, pointing out members of their clan, “That big guy you are so worried about, his name is Bruid, he’s married to Siobhan, their daughter will be coming back to school with Harry and Angel. And her, the woman with the silver hair and bright eyes, that’s Orpha, Angel’s aunt. One of her most loyal and ardent supporters, she is almost totally responsible for keeping the crones as far away from Angel as they are. And him, the one next to Sirius, playing with Edana, that is Wallace, he was her teacher.”

“Cash, go easy on him” Rick pleaded, “he’s had a bad time of it, and her letter didn’t exactly help.”

Cash shook his head, “Something’s not right about that letter, not if it said what you told me it did,” he commented, “but all that aside, he needs to understand ‘this’. These beings are our family, our life. You just don’t seem to understand what that means. Although I still have hope for you Severus Snape, Rick tells me you have a deep heart, one that is yearning to be filled by family. I trust Rick in these things, so I‘ll give you the benefit of the doubt”…..