Pushing himself away from the wall, Rick listened silently at the door for a few moments, just to be sure neither of them were in need of outside assistance. He fought against his own worried mind as it begged him to open the door and take a peek at them, just to be sure. But that was the last thing they needed right now, in fact, he had the distinct impression the best thing that could be done was to lock them in a room with no distractions, no obligations, …..just them and all of their emotions and secrets…

“Rick?” Moira whispered as she placed her hand on his back. “Aunt Orpha wants to see you, now. And don’t worry, like we said earlier, true love and all.” she added, giving him a soft, reassuring smile as she drug him away from the door…….

“Cat, gra…..what are you going to do now? And why did you cut yourself like that?” Sirius asked as he pulled Cat up onto his lap and pressed her head against his shoulder. “I’m sure Rick could have gotten enough blood from someone else, and he certainly didn’t need to bottle it.” he added, a slight edge to his voice. He had been so tempted to stop him, to make him leave her alone, but he knew from the moment she had heard about Roel that there would be no convincing her. But still, Rick should have known better, he could have asked someone else, she was already so pale and tired.

“Shhhh. I don’t want to think about this right now, Siri. I want to go back to blissful ignorance, it was so much easier when I thought he either used me or hated me for leaving without him.” Cat admitted as she nuzzled against his chest, sighing as she felt him tying a makeshift bandage over the cut on her arm. “And Rick needed my blood to keep Roel alive….or to make his passing easier.” she whispered. “I can’t believe Cash didn’t tell me the truth about all of this, Roel is as much my concern as his, I should have been told….I should have ‘known’, I should have….”

“That’s enough, gra.” Siri insisted as he continued to stroke her long, soft hair, “I’ve had to live my entire adult life with what ifs and if only’s, trust me, its not a life you would like, or deserve. And I think we both know why Cash kept this from you, Gustavas would like nothing better than to see you dead, or worse. He could have left Roel alive to lure you back, to give himself another chance to kill you. Cash knows that as well as anyone else, and I’m sure he wanted to spare you the torment.” he added, kissing her head lovingly as he cradled her in his arms. “How does that saying go? Ignorance is bliss? If we never found out about any of this, our life, our choices would have been so much easier.”

“Are you talking about Roel or Severus now?” Cat asked as her eyes drifted towards the stack of letters Rick had left for her. “You know I have to read them, I owe him that much.” she closed her eyes as she felt Sirius’s grip tighten around her and a deep sigh escape his lips.

“I know you do,” he all but choked, “but I don’t want to lose you, gra. I know what you told me about your clan wanting me to stay no matter what. But Cat, I could never look at you as a ‘sister’ or anything else. I love you, I want to have a family with you, I want Harry to be our son, I want to grow old with you.” he whispered hoarsely, “I want to be with you a hundred years from now, both of us chubby and smiling, sitting in rocking chairs watching our great-grand children playing in the yard.”

Cat blinked back her tears, how could love hurt so much, how could she feel so torn? And why was the sudden knowledge of Sev‘s continued affections causing such a conflict within her? “Fat and smiling, huh?” she teased, as much to ease her pain as his, “You’re not bald are you? You know how much I love your hair.” she felt his arms tighten around her once more as he buried his face in her thick hair.

“I remember, you gave me three kinds of grief when I cut it short, you made me swear to never do that again…and where, exactly, did you and Lily find that spell to make it grow back again? I’ve only ever seen potions that could do that, most spells give you hair all over.” he chuckled, relieved to hear her teasing him, but still so very worried about their future together.

“Lily…..I miss her” Cat sniffled as she wrapped her arms around Sirius. “She would always listen to me, let me vent, calm me down and then tell me what an idiot I was. We had the whole ‘ya-ya’ thing going on.” she laughed sadly as she wiped at her eye, only to feel Sirius tilting her face up towards his own.

“No more tears, gra, not tonight…I feel like we’ve been crying all day” seeing Cat wasn’t going to be dissuaded quite so easily, he added. “Except of course for that half hour or so Siobhan was trying to measure me.” he grinned wickedly when he saw Cat roll her eyes. “And YOU, what did you think you were doing? I’m lucky she didn’t toss me out into a snow drift or something.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, “I’m sorry, I guess I had forgotten ‘exactly’ how ticklish you really are.”

“Sure you did,” he winked, “and I’m Snape’s best friend. Come on, lets get you up to bed.” Sirius stated as he yawned. “Tomorrow promises to be a ……’revealing’ day.”

“Sirius, are you going to be able to sleep?” Cat asked as they stood up and made their way towards the door.

“Probably not, what about you?” he smiled tenderly as he felt her hand slide into his own. Seeing her shake her head no, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he pulled her close and slipped his arm around her waist. “Want me to keep you company?”…….

“Alright, Rick, out with it, the entire story from beginning to end.” Orpha insisted as she stared down at Rick, Moira and Siobhan on either side of her.

“Aunt Orpha, please,…..you can’t tell me you think it was wrong for me to tell her the truth about this, any of this.” Rick replied firmly. “It’s her life, she has the right to….”

“I am not disagreeing with you about what she does and does not have a right to know. However, I AM asking you what made YOU do this, and now of all times.”

Rick knit his brow as he rose from his chair. “What do you mean, ‘now of all times’? Has something else happened?” seeing the glances being passed back and forth amongst the women, Rick shook his head and slumped back into his seat. “Maharet, she’s gotten herself involved, hasn’t she?”

“Did you think she wouldn’t?” Siobhan asked, “We’re only now realizing the harm that hag has done to Kitty. That poor child, she should have told us.” she said sharply as she knocked her sewing off the table, scattering pins and fabric across the floor.

Rick stared at the mess on the floor and then to Orpha, “What is it, what aren’t you telling me? Has something happened to Angel? She seemed fine, upset but fine.”

Orpha raised her hands, invoking silence from everyone in the room. “Rick, as we have recently found out, a great deal has happened to Kitty over the past two decades, much of it unpleasant and painful. But right now, I want you to tell me what makes you think this professor is worthy of her. Why does he have your support in this matter?”

Lowering his eyes and staring at the floor, Rick took a deep breath and thought over his words carefully. “Its not exactly my support,….but I feel for him, Aunt Orpha. I know what its like to be denied the woman you love, to hold her in your arms and think that you have finally found the one for you, to expect to be able to spend the rest of your lives together only to find her stolen from you. You can‘t hold her ever again, but your heart doesn‘t understand, it dies a little more each day until you can‘t even feel it anymore.”

Orpha smiled sadly as she heard his words, she knew losing Fiona to an arranged marriage had hurt him, but she hadn’t realized how deeply it still effected him. “Rick, please, I can’t lose you now.” she insisted as she tilted his face upwards, forcing him to look into her eyes. “I want you tell me, in any way you feel comfortable with, exactly what Severus Snape can bring to this clan, to Catrianna. What can he offer her that no other man can?”

“Does that mean he still has a chance? I thought you and Cash had already decided for her?”

“That doesn’t mean it can’t be revisited. The more I hear about this man, the more interested I become. Now, come, ..walk with me and tell me everything you know about him, both as a wizard and as a man.”

Rick nodded as he stood up, but hesitated when he saw the pained look in Siobhan’s eyes. “What else is going on? I feel like I’m not being told the whole truth. Siobhan?”

“Kitty was attacked today, by boglachs. Duncan managed to weasel the truth out of Harry after Sirius drug her away from dinner for lying to him. It seems her skirt was stained with blood, her blood, we were so happy to see her back that none of us noticed.” she explained, wringing her hands with worry. “Duncan is in a right state, he went to go after her but Harry prevented him. He’s his mother’s son through and through, and more powerful than any of us imagined.”

Rick nodded “He would have to be to stop Duncan.” looking around the room and listening to the voices echoing through the house, Rick knit his brow as he looked back to Siobhan. “I don’t hear or feel Duncan anywhere, what happened, where is he?”

Moira stepped next to Siobhan and wrapped her arms around her. “Duncan was in a horrid temper, screaming and swearing about what he would do when he found out who did this to her. Bruid decided it would be best to take him away…..we ‘think’ they went to the bog to see if anyone was left alive, but Harry said Kitty torched the bog so they could escape, and then Mac Lir unleashed his anger at the same spot. We are just hoping Duncan isn’t going to do anything foolish.”

Rick walked up to Siobhan and wrapped his arms tightly around her as he hugged her to his chest. “Don’t worry about them, Siobhan, Duncan’s temper is quick to burn itself out. Beside, Bruid is with him, he’s strong and smart, he won’t let Duncan do anything too foolish.” Seeing by her eyes she wasn’t convince, he smiled softly as he added, “I swear to you, Siobhan, if they are not back by the time Aunt Orpha and I are done talking, I will personally find them and bring them home. Even if it means rendering our dear Duncan unconscious to do so.”………

Albus yawned deeply as he stood up from the table. “Come Arthur, Molly will be worried about you by now. And my old eyes are finding it hard to stay open, so unless you’ve found something….”

“I think I have.” Arthur Weasley grinned as he held out the old-fashioned scroll styled parchment for Albus to read. “Careful, its rather old, but so far it is the only reference I have regarding any formal contact between the Sidhe world and our own.

Albus adjusted his glasses as he peered down onto the now open scroll, “Carrig MacLeod, 1493, supposedly offering help to end the Black Plague while searching for members of his clan that became lost while ‘jaunting’ through dimensions, last heard of near Liverpool.” Albus set down the parchment, “It also mentioned his brother, Shane, any news of his whereabouts?”

“The only thing I managed to find was a side note regarding his marriage to one of the ancient houses, it was scribbled on the side of one of those scrolls over there, one with the blue velvet ribbons.”

“An ancient house you say. Was it by any chance Black, Harper, or O’Hara?” Dumbledore asked, his eyes glancing at the stack of scrolls and thick, leather bound books.

“I can’t be positive, but the name Harper is sounding familiar to me.” Arthur replied as he moved to find the correct scroll.

“Let it be, Arthur, I think we have found all the information we need for tonight. I trust Molly will have kept your supper warm for you.”…..

Mohrg was finding himself more and more amazed by this strange mortal, this potions master, that had so entranced their Angel. Raul’s opinions regarding the man weren’t all that far off, he was arrogant, angry and extremely cold towards them, but there was something more there, something just under the surface. The man was in constant pain, he heart had been so thoroughly trampled over the passing years that it was hard to believe it could even beat, let alone feel anything resembling love. Yet it did.

“Professor Snape?” Mohrg whispered, “Where did Rick go? We had thought he would be our greatest obstacle tonight, yet when we went for you, he had been gone for quite sometime.” He watched with great interest as the wizard hesitated and almost seemed to blush.

“I asked him to run an errand for me, I knew Minerva would want him to be out of the way.” he blurted out quickly, “I thought it would seem less suspicious coming from me.” he could tell Mohrg didn’t believe a word of it, but thankfully it didn’t seem as if the Nosferatu had any interest in pushing the issue.

Mohrg nodded slightly, acknowledging he had heard Snape’s reply, “And what of this volunteer? Who would willingly accept a fate such as this?”

Severus shook his head, “I have no idea, I had thought perhaps Roel had been chosen, considering his condition was caused by the Tremere, but I cannot imagine Minerva willingly…..

“I am the volunteer Minerva told you about.” a voice spoke up from out of the darkness of the forest.

Mohrg and Severus jumped at the sudden sound, their faces full of surprise and relief when they saw who had spoken.

“Brutus?” Mohrg questions, “But why, I have heard that you are the only one who can destroy him. Don’t they need you…” he became silent when he saw the hunter raise his hand in a request for quiet.

“Which is exactly why I should be the one to do this. I am the only one who can stop him, it is MY fault my clan brother suffers the pains of final death, this falls to me and me alone.” he watched as the wizard and Nosferatu exchanged uncertain glances. “There is no discussion, this is my choice, my duty.”…….

Rick swallowed hard when he realized Severus was no where to be found, at least not in the school and he was afraid to search any further mentally just in case Cash or Raul picked up on his thoughts. “Come on Sev, don’t do this to me, I finally managed to get Duncan back home in one piece, I want you back in the same condition I left you in.”

“Vampy wampy looking for something?” an annoying voice rang out overhead. “I know where they hide the blood lollies, want me to show you?”

Peeves, just what he needed. “You’ve tried that trick already, Peeves.” Rick snapped, “Besides, there are no girls around to be frightened out of their shower stalls, so give me a break and go away.” He knew as soon as the words left his mouth, they had been a mistake, now the poltergeist would follow him everywhere. Thinking quickly he added, “Besides, you don’t have the courage to go after what I’m looking for.”

A wicked, gleefully cackle filled the air as Peeves zoomed around Rick, finally coming to rest a few feet from his face. “Vampy wampy going to hunt someone, eh? Gots a cravin for somethin juicy?”

Rick looked up at Peeves, brushing his long, dark hair off of his face as he revealed a fanged grin and eerily glowing eyes to the ghost. “Yes, juicy and cold blooded. The blood baron has given me permission to feed from his head of house, …….do you think he’ll let me try a taste of you too? I know for a fact Snape has potions that can turn a ghost solid enough for me to sink my fangs into.” grinning with malice, Rick took several predatory steps towards the poltergeist, opening his mouth ever so slightly as he licked his rapidly growing fangs.

Rick paused as Peeve’s eyes bulged out of his semi transparent face, just before the ghost shot straight up through the ceiling without so much as another word. Rick lowered his head, causing his hair to cascade over him, obscuring his face as he tried to stifle the noise coming from his mouth, but it was a losing battle. Throwing his head back, he let out a deep, throaty laugh as he recalled the look of fear and uncertainly on Peeve’s face, the last time he had seen anything like that was the night he had watched Dawn’s children and they insisted on watching a Scooby Doo marathon. He could almost hear Shaggy and Scooby asking where the ghost went.

“Well, someone’s in a good mood.” Fang commented as he came to see who was laughing so loudly. “Care to share the joke? I could use a good laugh, or aren’t you allowed to talk to me either?”

“What are you going on about? Why wouldn’t I be allowed to talk to you? Has something happened?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Fang sighed, “Ever since she’s gone back home, none of the Gangrels give me the time of day, its like you’re all avoiding me or something.” “Even Cash?” Rick asked as he walked towards the Garou

“Especially Cash, I miss him. If it weren’t for Mohrg befriending me…”

“The Nosferatu? You’re kidding, right?” Rick asked, a look of undisguised shock on his face.

“What? You vampyres are too good to bother yourselves with someone like…”

“Shhhh, Fang, stop.” Rick whispered as he wrapped his arms around the Garou Alpha, hugging him tightly as he reassured him. “I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it. I was just surprised is all, the Nosferatu aren’t exactly known for being friendly. And unless I’ve been kept in the dark, I have heard nothing about any member of my clan being upset with you or yours. Maybe Cash is just preoccupied, I know I’ve barely seen anyone since I’ve been taking care of Sev.” he paused as he heard Fang give a disgusted snort. “Alright, lets hear it….”

“How can you befriend him at all? Its his clan that’s been causing all the trouble, one of his own nearly got your Angel killed. I thought Cash was going to lose his mind when he couldn’t wake her up, and all that blood.” Fang closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. “Your clan becomes friendly with someone like him, and shuns me and mine, the ones you brought here as allies. It isn’t right.”

“No, it isn’t” Hamish’s voice rang out as he came down the hall, “but we have our orders, and until we know who the spy is, we must be careful.”

“You don’t actually thing Fang is a spy?” Rick asked incredulously.

“No, but what if someone pretended to be him and we discussed things openly with him? Or maybe he passes too close to the range of a telepath, or a dozen other scenarios.” Hamish explained. “Fang, I’m sorry, I know this hurts you, but it isn’t about you, or your clan, or anything other than wanting to keep everyone as safe as possible. Someone, somehow is getting information that they shouldn’t, the only way to figure out who and how is to keep narrowing the circle of people who have access to that info.”

“Which, I would assume, is why “I” wasn’t told about any of this?” Rick asked, an accusing tone in his voice.

“Partly” Hamish began, the tone in his voice saying more than any words ever could. “and partly because we need you to concentrate your efforts somewhere else. And speaking of the rotter, where is he and why aren’t you there with him?” Hamish watched with interest as Rick became uncharacteristically silent, his eyes turned towards the floor.

“I wanted to see Roel, I’m worried about him. Severus is nearly healed, Brutus is watching over Gustavas, he should be safe enough, shouldn’t he?”

“He’s got a point, Hamish” Fang agreed, “and Roel is clan, doesn’t that mean more than babysitting some greasy twit? I mean, from what I heard, he isn’t doing very well.”

Hamish bowed his head to hide the tears forming in his eyes, “Yeah, I know, he just won’t come around. I don’t think he wants to go on……Rick, you go talk to him, I don’t know, maybe you can get through to him. I’ll keep my ears open and let you know if anything goes after or even near your professor. Besides, Cash needs a break, he’s hardly left Roel’s side since this happened, I think he blames himself.”

“Hamish, are you going to be alright?” Rick asked as he turned Hash’s face towards his own. “Is he still that bad?”

“Worse, I don’t even think Angel could save him now, not that we gave her the option.” he added, the disgust thick in his voice. “Come on, Fang, if you don’t try to talk about what’s going on here you can tag along with me”

Fang shot Rick a knowing look “Can I make rude sounds?” he asked, knowing the sort of reaction Hamish would give him.

“Knock yourself out, fuzz ball.” he replied, grinning in spite of himself.

Rick shook his head, it was amazing how easily Fang could bring Hamish out of his bad moods. But then Hamish always saw Fang as a child, and an amusingly hyper one at that. Patting the phials of Angel’s blood which had taken the place of Severus’s letters, Rick quickly made his way to their haven to check up on Roel…….

“Remus? Do you mind some company?” Tris asked as she gently rapped on his bedroom door. “I was hoping to talk to you about Kitty and Sirius, are you busy?”

“Of course not, just doing some reading” Remus beamed as he closed the book he had borrowed from Kitty. “How is Duncan, has he gotten back yet? Has he calmed down?”

Tris nodded, “Yes, Bruid and Rick brought him back a few minutes ago, he’s a bit sloshed, but at least he’ll sleep.”

“Rick is here? Where is he, I haven’t seen him since we left.”

“He’s gone now, but I need to talk to you about ’why’ he came here.” Sitting next to Remus on his bed, she tucked one leg under herself and got comfortable. “I need you to tell me ’everything’ you know about Severus Snape. Not just the bad things, I am fully aware you and Sirius don’t care for him, but this is important, and I need an objective description from you.”

“Well, you don’t ask for much, do you?” Remus smirked as he sat next to her. “I’ll do my best, Tris, but you have to understand, he’s not a very likeable person. He detests Sirius and I, and you’ve heard Harry’s point of view regarding him.”

“I know, and I don’t understand it. He is the sweetest person around Kitty, attentive, polite, soft spoken, but when he’s around others, particularly men, he seems to just… I don’t even have a word for it.”

“Really? Because I can think of several, but none fit for a lady such as yourself to hear, of course.” he grinned, laughing as Tris pushed him playfully.

“Be serious” she asked, as she pulled him up.

“I can’t, I don’t have enough hair to be Sirius….and if you keep hitting me, Miss MacLeod, I will insist you kiss it and make it feel better.” Remus added, blushing ever so slightly as Tris’s blue eyes met his own.

“Don’t tempt me, Mister Lupin, I might get carried away and take a bite or two.” she teased back, smiling softly as she saw the pink flush creeping across his cheeks. Feeling it might be better to finish her conversation before things went to far, she casually shuffled herself a little further away from Remus, and continued “Now, before I forget why I came here this late, please, tell me the truth about Severus. Is he fit for clan life?”

Remus took a deep breath, “Honestly, I don’t know. I personally do NOT think he is.”

“Why?”

“Why? Tris, step back and take a good look at him. Not as Kitty’s family or protector, but as a person. How often have you ever seen him be kind to anyone BUT Kitty? Has he ever smiled at you, or said hello, has he behaved as the sort of man you would want to raise your clan’s children?” Remus gave her a knowing look, smirking as Tris remained silent.

“Granted, I’ve recently found out a few things about Severus’s life that do soften my opinion of him, such as losing his wife and child and finding out what a truly horrid life he had inside his father’s home.” Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, he explained. “Olia was a bit ‘over zealous’ one night, she pulled all sorts of things out of his mind, and then decided to share with me” he grimace. “I’ll freely admit I discovered a newfound respect for him that night, and I would never doubt his abilities as a teacher, his methods - yes, his skill - no. But I cannot forget that he hasn’t suffered anymore or any less than many of us, differently, yes, but still, we haven’t turned cold and heartless towards everyone.”

“It could be his way of protecting himself from anymore harm, some people deal with pain differently.” Tris suggested.