Severus raised an eyebrow, giving her a cautious look. “Do you think he is aware of your plan? He would not interfere, would he?”

“I wouldn’t put it passed him.” she stated flatly. “He tends toward the martyr at times like this. With any luck he will be too preoccupied with Roel to realize anything is happening here.”

Severus fell silent as Raul walked up, “Are we ready? Brutus has asked me to …….narrate ….for Gustavas’s benefit, he wants him to realize what is happening to him. He wants him to feel the terror and helplessness he has inflicted on others.”

“Is that wise? Won’t it give him the chance to counteract our spells?” Severus questioned.

“No, he is using all of his strength to hold us out.” Minerva stated. “Raul, once Professor Snape and I have reinforced the containment spells, you may feel free to do as you wish, just be careful to stay out of the way. I do NOT want any accidents.”

Raul nodded his understanding, artfully avoiding having to look at Snape “I promise you Minerva, I don’t intend to give him any chance to do ANYTHING but die, hopefully very slowly, and very, very painfully.” ……….

Cash knit his brow as he left Minerva’s rooms, “No one here, no one in her office….no Raul anywhere to be found, the Garou are avoiding me, Mohrg is not answering my call.” he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright, that’s it, I’m going to make sure Snape is safe and talk to Hamish, though how Rick managed to talk him into watching the Slytherin is beyond me.”

“Hamish isn’t watching the Slytherin” Joshua stated as he and Coco approached Cash, “he’s with Fang. We just passed him on our way here.”

“Is everything alright, Cash?” Coco asked, “I heard you summoning and I was afraid something else had happened.”

“I’m not sure Coco, but right now I’m a bit concerned about what Josh here just said. So, Hamish abandoned Snape and went off with Fang?! That doesn’t sound right, he may not care for the bloke, but he would never abandon his post, its just not like him.”

“What if its not really Hamish?” Coco suggested, “Didn’t you tell us that Gustavas appeared as Remus to Harry in order to lure him into a trap? Well what if someone is pretending to be Hamish to get to Snape?”

“Or someone could be posing as Fang to get Hamish out of the way.” Josh suggested, “Either way, its not good.”

“No its not good” Cash snapped, “Coco, find Desiree and tell her what’s happening, Josh, I want you to go back and stay with Hamish and Fang. If one of them isn’t who he should be, I doubt he’ll do anything in front of a witness.”

“Where are you going?” Coco asked as Cash pushed passed her.

“To see if Snape is still alive. And Heaven help us all if he isn‘t.” ……

Severus guided Minerva to Mohrg’s side as soon as she had completed her portion of the spell. “Make her rest, Mohrg. She is the only one who can finish the last part of the spell, no one else can transfigure Brutus but her.” Seeing the Nosferatu nod, Snape pulled out several flasks from his cloak and walked to the edge of the pit were his cauldron was heating. He felt every eye on him as he spoke the spells and mixed the ingredients together, creating a thick, blue fog which flowed out of the cauldron and down into the pit. Pulling out his wand, Severus took several deep breaths as he completed the incantation, completely activating the potion, causing the fog to become solid and sticky.

Gustavas laughed demonically “Fools, do you think you can break down the barriers I have created? You don’t have the power or the knowledge, only I determine when I shall rise…”

“Quite right,” Minerva stated, “Raul, if you care to explain to the beast now, feel free. He won’t be coming out of there any time soon, actually, if my calculations are correct, he won’t be able to escape for at least three hundred years. More than enough time for him to waste away and go mad, I believe.”

Raul smiled wickedly as he looked from Minerva to Gustavas. “More than enough, provided of course you consider him ‘sane’ now.” Raul walked to the very edge of the pit and glared down at Gustavas. “So, the mighty Gustavas, feared by Kindred everywhere, even by his own clan and sire. How the mighty have fallen.”

All he heard in reply was Gustavas’s disdainful snort.

“Disregard me if you will, beast, but your fate has now been sealed. You are absolutely correct you know, we can’t force you out of this little pit of yours.” Raul’s face turned into a nasty smirk as he continued. “I truly hope you enjoy your little haven, you find it comfortable, yes? Good. Because it is now your tomb, your living tomb. And that substance that is filling up the pit, you‘ll find that very interesting as it slowly eats away your flesh.” He unceremoniously stepped away from the edge and checked with Mohrg and Minerva, it would be nearly fifteen minutes until they were ready to place the next spell.

“Is that the end of it?” Mohrg questioned, “I had thought you would make more of a ‘production’ out of this, especially considering how your clan has suffered.”

“I am FAR from done with him” Raul agreed, “I simply find silence a bit more dramatic at this point. Let his mind run with what we might possibly be doing, I feel confident only Minerva would ever come up with this option. I’m sure we’ll hear him howl when he is told of his true fate.”

Waiting several minutes more, Raul sauntered to the pit once again “Ah, good, you’re still with us, and still too weak to climb out I see. Or maybe its just a bit hard with only one hand. Tsk, tsk, tsk…. Our dear Angel, she does have quite the nasty temper, she must have inherited that from Cash, don’t you think?” His face remained a mask of politeness as Gustavas let loose a stream of obscenities. “Do you know what I find especially fulfilling, not to mention ironic about your death? It is the fact that Angel will be credited with your demise, after all, it was she that took your hand. Oh, and just so you don’t wonder what’s happened to it. We cut it up, sent a finger to each of the five allied conclaves on the continents so that the Prince’s could each call a blood hunt. We sent your palm to Asia, on the off chance the Khan decided to call the Assamites to order. It seems you have no shortage of enemies, even your own clan is refusing to protect you now.”

“I don’t need anyone’s protection.” Gus roared. “I am undefeatable! Or haven’t you heard of the prophecy? Only my dear brother, Brutus, can slay me, and he is a worthless, pathetic fool.”

“Perhaps not as worthless or pathetic as you think, brother.” Brutus stated as he stood next to Raul. “You see, I am an integral part of this spell, and I’m not going anywhere as long as you live. So its in MY interest to see you dead, and I intend to do just that.”

“Well, I would wish you luck, but I wouldn’t really mean it.” Gus smirked as he struggled to pull himself away from the thick, bluish goo they had sent into the pit with him. He hissed as it came in contact with the stump of his arm, burning it as it tried to climb up and into his open wounds.

“Minerva, are you nearly ready?” Brutus asked as he turned his back on his brother.

Severus watched silently as the scene played out before him, it amazed him to see how calm and accepting Brutus was, almost as if he welcomed this fate. Sev wondered if it was truly bravery on Brutus’s part, or something else, perhaps it was the same sort of inborn nobility that Cash and Catri seemed to possess. Or perhaps it was nothing more than a sense of duty and guilt over his brother’s actions. Whatever the case, Severus could do nothing less than give this man his respect……Sev gave a mental pause as he realized what he had thought. His respect, to a vampyre, never did he thought he would see such a day. But then again, since spending so much time with Rick and the others, he was truly beginning to rethink his beliefs. He doubted he would ever get to the point of referring to them as ‘family’ the way Catri did, but still………

Orpha sighed deeply as she looked out towards the Eastern sky, “Nearly dawn, and I still don’t know what to do with Kitty.”

“I wouldn’t worry about her, my dear, she seems to have matters well in hand.” Merlin grinned, “I’ve just left her room, she and Sirius are sleeping soundly, it seems they have put today firmly behind them.”

“Really?” Orpha asked, seeming slightly surprised. “Tell me they’ve consummated something and maybe ‘I’ can sleep soundly.”

“Alas, my sweet, that I cannot do.” he stated as he stood next to her. “It seems they are both still fully dressed, but at least this time he had the sense to remove his boots….or are they still lurking under her bed? Never mind, it doesn’t matter, BUT I do have other, …interesting… news for you.”

Orpha raised an eyebrow and gave Merlin a tired glance. “How interesting? Enough to keep me awake, or enough to give me happy dreams?”

“A little of both perhaps. It seems that while our dear Sirius and Kitty are cuddled and cosy in her bed, our Tristessa has decided to do the same with Remus in his bed.” then, with a goofy grin on his face, he continued, “What is it with that girl and werewolves? They can’t seem to resist her…”

“Or her them.” Orpha agreed “And Remus is such a sweet boy, he deserves to be happy, do you think this will lead anywhere for them?” “Oh, I would say that is a very real possibility” Merlin smiled, “But tell me, what does Rick have to say about the professor? I’ve been terribly curious about him, will we be going to visit him soon?”

“Sooner than we imagined, Rick has made several convincing arguments for the man, although when pushed, he does side with Cash. You do know I am considering invoking the law of Maeb, don’t you? If all things are equal and no one is willing to step aside.”

“MAEB? Orpha, you can’t be serious? Do you honestly think either of them will agree to such a thing? Its my understanding neither of them can stand each other, much less be expected to share Catri in such a way. The laws of Maeb were not meant for a situation like this. They were made at a time when our women had been slaughtered by our enemies, when the men outnumbered the women nearly five to one. It was a way to continue the clan without having wars break out over who would be able to marry whom, and even then, it was usually kept within a family. Brothers marrying a woman, raising their children as clannad, not enemies…”

“Do you really consider them enemies? Don’t you think they could come to an understanding? For her sake.” Orpha asked.

Merlin paused as he thought over what she had said. “Even for her sake, I have my doubts. Sirius and Remus, yes, I could see them co-existing quite peacefully in such an arrangement. But Sirius and Severus?” he sighed deeply. “Orpha, I think you are playing with fire by even suggesting it.”……..

Mohrg offered Minerva his hand as she rose to her feet to meet Brutus. He was still in awe of the way she handled herself, so confident, so determined, so willing to sacrifice for her clan and her students. These were the sort of allies his clan needed, strong, honest, fearless. He cringed mentally as he thought of the disservice Prince Daithi had done to both Clan MacLeod and his own hunter when he had sent the young Caitiff to spy on them here. Not only was Cobryn left to suffer intense physical pain, but also the emotional pain of being ostracized by the other clans. He hoped that the young Saralonde would be able to ease some of that pain and comfort Cobryn. But so much remained to be seen, such as whether or not Roel would survive the wounds he received protecting the hunter.

Whatever the outcome, Mohrg’s choice was clear now. Even in the absence of Angel, the reason that they ‘thought’ her clan agreed allow him to come, her clan had gone above and beyond all definitions of duty to keep not only the students, but all inhabitants of the school safe from danger. When they returned to the school, he would have to contact his clan brother, their Prince, and tell him that Clan MacLeod and Clan Nosferatu should waste no time in becoming truly allies. And then, once the gears had been set into motion, he himself would hunt out this spy amongst them, as proof of his good intentions to Clan MacLeod and those that they held dear.

Feeling his senses rear up once more, Mohrg sighed deeply as he joined Minerva and Brutus near Severus’s cauldron. “Minerva, we must make haste. Cash has called out for me yet again, and dawn is fast approaching, I am unsure which will arrive first.”

“I’ll fill the blighter in on the rest of the plan.” Raul stated, giving Brutus a long hug before returning to the edge of the pit to torment Gustavas.

“Are you prepared, Brutus? You still have time to chance your mind if you wish.” Minerva reminded him gently.

“No. This is the only way. He must be stopped and I am the only one who can stop him. Besides, I welcome the oblivion, I just wish it were final, I want to join the rest of my family.” Brutus insisted as he took Minerva’s hand in his and kissed it softly. “Please know that I accept this willingly, no one has had to convince me of anything, I hold no one to blame, save my brother and my own inability to slay him prior to this.”

Minerva nodded her head as she blinked her eyes, doing her best to keep her tears at bay. “I swear, I will make this as quick and as painless as possible. Once we begin it will not take long at all.”

“Then by all means, begin as soon as possible. The longer we wait the greater the chance of something stopping us.” Brutus prodded gently.

Raul muttered under his breath as he prepared for what was to come. How could it have come down to this? Olia was dead, Roel was well on his way to joining her, and now Brutus; nearly half the clan destroyed in little less than a month’s time. But at least Olia and Brutus died for a cause, to save others, to protect the ones they loved. He could find some measure of comfort in that fact. But Roel, why was he doing this? Cash had begged him to feed, Hamish had threatened, Angus had cried, and still nothing.

Swallowing his anger and helplessness, Raul stood on the very edge of the abyss, foolishly close to the horrific contents of Gustavas’s pit. He smiled as he watched the Tremere attempt to fight off the goop the Slytherin had sent into the hole with him. Perhaps Professor Snape was useful for something after all, he thought as he watched the ongoing battle with the ‘edax leech’ as Minerva had referred to it. “Enjoying your new companion? He certainly seems to be warming up to you, although I‘m told he‘s not much of a conversationalist.”

Raul laughed wickedly as the Tremere growled and ranted at him. “That’s it, scream your lung out for all I care. It will be the last that anyone hears from you ever again….So, shall I tell you what we have planned for you, or would you prefer we keep your final death a surprise?”

“Fool, haven’t you realized yet? It doesn’t matter if you strip the flesh from my bones, take my head, rip out my heart. As long as Brutus is not the one to kill me, NOTHING kills me.” he cackled. “I will rise up again, over and over, until I…”

“You will never rise again, brother.” Brutus stated calmly as he stood next to Minerva, “Not unless you have the courage to end your worthless life. And after a few centuries of starvation and having your flesh eaten from off of you, you may well find death as welcome a thought as I do.” Turning to face Professor McGonagall, Brutus squared his shoulders and held his head high, “Minerva, I am ready.”

Raul dropped to his knees as he pulled Gustavas’s attention back toward him. “He’s right you know, nothing you do now will stop us, or him. I told you earlier, you’ve created your own tomb, Minerva has added sturdy walls, and Snape has given you a burial shroud. But it is your brother who will give you the greatest gift of all; his life. You see, death does not frighten him, in fact, he welcomes it.” he explained, smiling as Gus’s eyes grew large with the dawning realization that they may in fact have found a way to stop him.

“Let me explain it to you in simple terms” Raul continued, “we don’t expect that creature to kill you, or more precisely, we don’t expect you to stay dead. However we have seen to it that there is only one way in or out of your little hole in the ground, and that is up. Now you may ask ‘what is the point of that’, well, I will gladly tell you.”

“We wanted to make sure you couldn’t dig your way around or under a very special stone that will cap your hole. I’m sure you’re familiar with places like Stonehenge and New Grange, well our dear Minerva has taken a trick from the ancients and decided to do the same with you. Now, I see that doubting look on your face, and you’re absolutely right, we can’t change you into stone. You have dark magic protecting you, but, were this is a will, there is a way, and we have found that way. As Brutus has told you, his is an integral part of the spell, and he will remain as long as you live.” Raul smirked mirthlessly as he saw a shadow of panic cross Gustavas’s face. “That’s right beast, HE will be turned to stone. He will stand guard over you, with the very simple condition that he cannot be moved from his spot, and he will only transform when YOU touch him. So the moment you attempt to escape, your brother will be there, sword in hand, to slay you.”

“You can’t!! You don’t have the power.” the Tremere ranted.

“True, ‘I’ don’t, but Minerva MacLeod McGonagall does. And that little beastie the Slytherin sent down to keep you company will assure you never gather enough strength to undo the spells that bind you. Only death will set you free.”

Brutus nodded to Minerva as he heard his brother screaming with anger and desperation. Drawing his sword, he stood dead still as she pointed her wand at him and cast her spell. He was expecting to feel as if his heart were being torn out, or perhaps pain as his limbs turned to stone. But he felt nothing, not even a tingling, yet he knew she had done it. His eyes became dim, and his hearing faded, but he took comfort in the last thing he heard, ….his brother screeching in anger and fear as the darkness took them both……..

Molly paced the kitchen as she waited impatiently for Meg to arrive, granted it was horribly early, dawn had barely broken. But she had finally gotten the owl, Charlie’s owl, with his reply to her letter. She clutched the parchment to her bosom as she smiled from ear to ear. She could already picture the smile on Meg’s face when she showed her the letter, and she saw how anxious Charlie was to meet her.

Molly smirked to herself as she thought that Arthur’s suggestion of including a few photos of Meg may help persuade Charlie, that boy was his father’s son through and through, but at this point, it didn’t really matter to her. Charlie may FINALLY have a steady girlfriend, Percy seemed rather intent on Diane, now all she had to do was find a nice girl for Bill and keep the twin out of mischief, and life would be good. In fact, the new year seemed to be starting off wonderfully….

Sirius sighed with contentment as he cuddled closer to Cat, bringing the warm quilt up around their ears as he pulled her tightly against his chest. He grinned as he used his toes to rub the sole of her foot, knowing how ticklish she was. He watched as she squirmed in her sleep, fighting to not wake up as he continued his assault. “Come on, gra, let me see those pretty eyes of yours.” he whispered in her ear, laughing softly as her hair tickled his nose. This was the way he wanted to start everyday for the rest of his life; warm, content and full of hope.

Looking passed her, he saw more snow falling through the part in the heavy damask drapes. What a difference two years made, he had been so sure he would never live through another winter then, he had been so sick, so frail, so devoid of hope. It had only been the thought of Harry’s safety that gave him the strength to carry on, to live through the frigid snows his only goal back then was to kill Pettigrew to keep his godson safe. Imagine his surprise when he found that Harry actually wanted to stay with him, that he didn’t mind his shabby appearance or tarnished reputation. And best of all, that his godson had inherited James’ love of practical jokes and Quidditch.

He was pulled out of his memories by Cat cuddling against his chest and sighing softly. Tenderly, he brushed her hair from her face and simply stared at her, she was so beautiful. Lightly running his fingers across her cheek, he smiled as the softness and warmth of her flesh sent a tingle through his body. He drew a finger over her lips, watching as they parted under the gentle pressure of his caress. Not being able to resist any longer, Sirius kissed her softly, tangling his fingers in her hair as she returned his kiss.

“Maidin mhaith, mo ionúin bean céile” Sirius whispered as Cat blinked her eyes open, a sleepy smile on her face.

“Bean céile? How long have I been asleep?” she teased as she kissed him once more. “Although if Duncan shows up claiming you thought I was your wife may just be your only chance of surviving.” her smile widened as she heard Sirius laugh happily at her teasing.

“Actually, gra, and this may come as a surprise to you, but Duncan likes the idea of me marrying you.” it was his turn to smile as he saw the look of pleasant surprise in her eyes. “He and Luke had a rather long conversation with me yesterday while you and Harry were gone. That is after he chased after me, whip in hand, but I don’t hold that against him,” he added quickly when he saw the flash of anger in her green eyes. “I would have done the same if I were him. It seems Meg thought she was being funny, teasing him as it were, but there are some things you just can’t tease a big brother about….”

“Oh, no, Sirius, what happened? Are you alright? Did he hurt you? And why do you have such a goofy grin on your face?” Cat asked as she stared at him.

Tightening his grip, he forced her head to his chest as he hugged her tightly. “Its just so nice to know how much you still care about me, gra. After yesterday I was afraid it was all over, I swear I never meant to drag you off like that. And then after we woke up and Siobhan put me in my place, only to have Rick come by with those letters.” he sniffled softly as he continued. “I honestly don’t think you understand how much you mean to me. When I saw the blood on your skirt and you couldn’t look me in the eyes. Gra, I thought my heart was tearing in two.”

“Shh, Siri, that’s all over and done with now. Harry and I are safe and sound, we’re back home with you and the rest of our clan. You don’t need to worry anymore.” she assured him, “And as for those letters, you know I have to read them, ….I should have read them last night, but I was just so tired. To be honest, part of me dreads going through them, it was so much easier for me to believe he couldn’t see passed the ‘monsters’ I call my family to have a real relationship with me. I should have known better, he’s far more noble than most people give him credit for, even me sometimes.” Cat became very quiet as she felt Sirius’s body tense up “Siri, what is it?”

“Don’t make me live without this, gra. Don’t make me live without you.” he urged, “I ‘know’ you’ve always had a soft spot for Snape, much to my eternal dismay, but do you love him enough to spend the rest of your life with him? Do you honestly think Harry would accept him as his father? Would your clan?”

“Oh, Siri, please, don’t start already. I’m not even awake yet.” she pleaded as she nuzzled even closer to him. “Besides, I haven’t had the chance to read those letters yet, for all I know he’s decided a cross-species relationship just isn’t going to work.”

“That I should be so lucky.” Sirius dead-panned, laughing as he heard Cat growl softly at him. “Well, I see you still aren’t a morning person, Miss MacLeod. Shall I run now? Or would you like to beat me up a little first?”

Cat smirked as she opened one eye and stared at him. “Cheeky monkey” she teased, only to tickle him playfully for a few minutes. They both laughed as they rolled around on the bed, each of them trying to tickle the other into submission. It felt good to play, to be carefree, even if only for a few minutes. After all, how long could she put off reading Sev’s letters, if she wanted to be truthful with herself, she should have staid up and read them last night, she was no more tired than she had been for the past several days. But she didn’t want to know what she was sure was written in those letters. If he had wanted to break it off with her, it would have been one simple letter, not a dozen or so. He loved her and she knew it, a fact that would have thrilled her if it weren’t for Sirius. Why couldn’t she had found out he was still single a day earlier, it would have prevented all of this.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Cat growled playfully as she dove on Sirius, pinning him to the bed as she straddled his chest. “Give up?” she threatened, her hand posed to tickle him right under his arms. She couldn’t help but smile as he laughed at her, they both knew he could have thrown her off at any time, but as he always said, she was a ‘determined little red head’ if ever he saw one.

“Alright, gra, I give up, you win. So, now what are you going to do with me?” he asked, a smug smile on his face.

“Nothing, you’re too willing, no challenge.” she grinned, giving him a quick kiss as she rolled off of him and out of the bed.

“Hey, were are you going?” Sirius pouted, “At least give me a rematch.” he insisted as he moved to get out of bed as well.

“Stay in bed and get some more rest, Siri. I’m just going to take a shower and wash my hair, you relax…..and ‘try’ to behave.” she added, shooting him a warning look.