Cat sighed, sitting up and hanging her head in shame “I knew if I conceived they wouldn’t force me to marry, they wouldn’t want to risk my getting upset and losing my child. Even if they wouldn’t accept the father, it didn’t matter.. . . It would buy Harry and I some time, and if I had a daughter.” she winced painfully as she realized how machiavellian her actions had been. “I used him, I didn’t mean to. . .I knew my clan would never accept him, I knew I could use that as a way out.” her tears spilled as she finally admitted out loud what she had known in her heart for weeks. “He loves me Sirius, he loves me more than I can even comprehend. I know I could stay with him, at least for a while, but he’d smother me with his ways. He doesn’t understand my clan, he thinks we’re monsters” she wailed, “I want to have a family, I want Harry to have a father and brothers and sisters, I want to be able to love my husband, not just tolerate him.”

Sirius pulled her tightly against his chest and hushed her tears “I will never let them force you into marriage. I love you Catrianna MacLeod, no one will ever take you from me again. And I swear, if I have my way, Harry won’t be an only child for long.” within the flash of an eye, he held the promise ring in his fingers. “Catrianna Marzia MacLeod” he stated softly “take this as my promise to you.”

“Sirius….I can’t” she whimpered as she stared into his tender eyes, “my father…my clan.”

“Your clannad seems to approve of me” he added hopefully as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Trying to both soothe her and to remind her of how much they truly meant to one another.

“To say the very least” She smirked as she thought of how quickly Duncan and Cash had taken to Sirius. Aunt Orpha and her god father adored him, Harry saw him as the father he never had the chance to know…..even Mac Lir was chomping at the bit to meet him. “Sirius, do you know how much I love you?” she asked quietly, the tears still falling from her reddened eyes.

“Hmmmm, just a little less than I love you?” he teased, a goofy, yet heartfelt smile on his face. “Cat, please, if you won’t wear it on your finger, at least wear it over your heart. ……. That’s what I did with it while I was enchanting it. It’s what you did with the last ring I gave you. I always want you to remember how much you mean to me.”……….

“Rick? Has something happened?” Severus asked, placing his hand on the vampyre’s shoulder. “You seem unusually quiet tonight.”

“Its nothing, Sev, just thinking is all.” Rick replied absently, his mind obviously very far away.

“Roel?” Sev guessed.

“Yes, and more.” he sighed, turning around to face Sev. “Hamish and I had a little chat not that long ago. He told me why he’s been behaving the way he has….. I thought it would make me feel better to know, but I only feel more disheartened than before.”

“Do you want to discuss it? Or would you prefer silence?” Sev asked, a warm smile on his face.

Rick shook he head, “Its silence and secrets that kill us, Sev. Take it from someone who has learned that the hard way. And I doubt that its any ‘clan secret’, I’m sure Angel has told you about Maharet.”

Sev knit his brow, “The name is vaguely familiar, she may have mentioned the name in passing, but I don’t recall ever hearing any stories about her.”

Rick raised an eyebrow and smirked, “You’re kidding? You haven’t heard of the most ancient and conniving of the crones? I’m honestly surprised, she’s made a real trial of Angel’s life.” Rick’s smile widened as he saw the look of immediate dislike in Sev’s eyes. “She and Magnus, Angel’s father, got into a real fight about her coming here this time too. But luckily Magnus watches out for his little girl, and he’s not afraid of Maharet, in fact, I think part of him blames her for Deirdre’s death.”

“I thought Diedre was killed by death eaters?” Sev gasped, his eyes wincing as he fixed them firmly on Rick. “Is this Maharet somehow involved with the Deatheaters or Voldemort? Is Catri in danger?”

Rick shook his head, “Not as long as she has Orpha, Cash and Magnus firmly on her side. Maharet is a devious old bat, manipulating peoples lives….and wombs…for the sake of some stupid prophecy she ‘claims’ will save our clan and the world at large. Personally, I think she’s an absolute nutter. You can’t live as long as she has and not lose a good portion of your mind.” he sneered. ……..

Drew shook his head sadly as he placed the tarp over what was left of Sergio’s mangled body. “I’m sorry, Sergio. I know we didn’t like each other much, especially towards the end, but I never wanted this to happen to you.” he sighed. He meant every word he said, he never once thought that his primogen, Lino, would take out all the anger and fury that he held against Drew on the old, mortal craftsman.

It had almost made Drew physically ill to see the broken body of his long-time companion scattered about the shop. He had to chase away the stray dogs and other scavengers who had sniffed their way here, entering through the door Lino had left wide open, as if tempting the mortal world to see what he had done. But what was worse, was the knowledge that Sergio’s death was as meaningless as it was cruel. The old man wasn’t keeping Drew from going to the wizarding school as Prince Daithi had commanded, it was someone else entirely that had made him delay his departure.

“Drew?” a female voice whispered from outside the window, “Drew, what is it? I felt your pain, are you …..”

“Luna?!” Drew gasped, “What are you doing here? You aren’t safe here anymore.” He hissed as he threw open the window. “Stay right there, don’t move, don’t talk, nothing, just stay there.” he insisted as he grabbed his travelling bag and ran out of the door, closing it tightly behind him.

He saw her olive skin all but glowing under the waxing moon. Her long, black hair, gently curling around her shoulders. But most of all he saw those amazing eyes of hers. “Luna, you need to take your son and sister and get away from here. Go someplace warm, Italy or Greece maybe. Someplace with plenty of sunlight. Go now and don’t come back.” he insisted.

“Go?! Go where, we don’t have any money, you know that. If it weren’t for your kindness and influence, Becky, Nicoli and I would be out on the street, and possibly dead by now.”

“Luna, my dear girl, if you don’t leave now, and Lino finds out about you, I promise you, you will all end up like Sergio, even your little boy.” Drew insisted. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it gently as he tried to explain. “The Prince wants me to do something for him, it wasn’t a request. They felt Sergio was somehow standing in the way of my leaving to accomplish this task, so they slaughtered him. If they find out it was concern over you and the others, believe me, they will waste NO time in killing you as well.” Digging into his bag, he pulled out a small package. “I was afraid this would happen sooner or later, so I made arrangements a few weeks ago, just in case.”

“Take this package home, pack everything you can carry, and go to the docks. There is a ship there, called “Safehaven” the captain owes me a great deal. He’ll do whatever you ask of him if you show him the talisman inside this package. There is also enough money to keep you and the others for a few weeks, if you spend it wisely.” he hung his head as he added. “I would have taken more money if I had known it was going to happened this quickly, I thought I had more time to ….”

“Shhh, Drew, don’t apologize. You have done more for us than anyone, even more than my own family.” Luna insisted as she kissed his cheek. “But tell my why we need to go somewhere warm? Why not just to another city?”

“Because warmth means light, sunlight; we don‘t do well in sunlight. And Lino is a vindictive sort of fellow, if he can’t hunt you down, he’ll send one of the clan to do it. But the further South you go, the less power Daithi and his conclave wield. You have a better chance of surviving if you go to the South, but stay out of Arabia, the Assamite reside there, they will kill anything, they say its their divine right.” he spat…….

“Fred, I’m warning you, if you so much as touch ANY of that food.” Molly warned as pots and pans rattled behind her, and a rolling pin hovered ominously over the heaps of dough.

“But, Mum, we’re starving. And look at all this food,” he whined, “who is going to miss a piece here or there?”

“I will” she stated firmly, “Now get off with you, this is for supper, Charlie is coming home, and with any luck, Meg will be able to get here and meet him. Has she owled yet?” Molly asked, placing a hand over her stomach as she felt it flutter, she hadn’t been this excited about anything since Ginny made it into Gryffindor. She looked up just in time to see Fred snatch a dumpling from one of the large platters sitting on the counter. “Fredrick Archibald Weasley” she growled, sending a wooden spoon off to chase him.

Percy jumped quickly aside as he saw one of the twins tearing out of the kitchen, a large wooden spoon soundly whacking his backside as he stuffed something in his mouth. Waiting until he was sure the way was now clear, Percy tentatively stuck his head into the kitchen, only to see his mother cooking mounds of food and muttering something about the twins under her breath. “Mum?” he called out softly, not sure how safe it was to approach her at the moment.

What! Oh, Percy dear, its you.” Molly stated, immediately softening her tone. “What is it dear?”

“I was just wondering, about Meg…..did she say if she was bringing her sister with her?”

“No, Percy, she didn’t say anything one way or the other. Although I am getting worried, I thought for sure she would have owled me back by now. Harry told Ron that that silly little owl of his would be able to get to ..”

“You sent PIG?” Percy sighed as he shook his head. “Mother, whatever were you thinking? That owl is nearly as unreliable as Errol, Meg may not get her letter in time.” He almost bit his tongue as he saw the look of absolute horror on his mother’s face. Obviously, he had said the wrong thing, a fact that became even more apparent as he saw tears welling up in her eyes. “Wait, Mum, I have an idea!” he blurted, eager to stop any waterworks before they started. “Professor Dumbledore MUST know how to get a message to Miss MacLeod quickly, after all, she is a teacher. I’m sure if Father floos him a message.”

“Yes!! Yes. Percy, you always were such a bright boy.” Molly beamed as she planted a large kiss on his forehead, embarrassing him as she headed to the large fireplace to contact Arthur. …….

“Maybe we should let them out now, it’s been too long” Duncan fretted as he walked towards the door, only to be tackled by Paddy.

“No, absolutely not! You agreed to this, we all did, you made a pact with us Duncan.” Paddy reminded him, “We all agreed that they needed a little push, AND we all agreed this was the best way.”

“I know, I know,” Duncan sighed, “but the more I think about it the more wrong it seems. Do you realized what he’s probably doing to her right now?” He asked as he nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “We might as well have tied her to the bed and stolen her clothes….”

“Duncan” came Luke’s stern voice. “Don’t you dare. Paddy is right, we discussed it, we agreed, we did what we had to do. Or do you want the clan to deny Sirius in favour of this other wizard, the one who hasn’t even seen fit to find his way here to her?”

“No, of course not. You both know I think Kitty and Sirius make a great couple. Heaven knows he’s the only man she’s not run away from in the last ten years, and its obvious how much they love each other.” he smiled softly as he continued. “And to see them together with their son, and your little Edana. I haven’t seen Kitty so happy in years.”

“So WHY are you so worried, Duncan?” Paddy asked, his voice full of exasperation.

“Why?! Because she’s MY baby sister. I’m supposed to PREVENT things like this from happening, not mastermind them.”

“Sit down and shut up.” Luke snapped uncharacteristically. “First of all, she’s MY baby sister too. Secondly, YOU didn’t mastermind this, I did. So if anyone has a fit over this, they can answer to me. Thirdly, and for you, most importantly ‘I’ am the only one who can open that door now.” He paused as he saw the look of shock on their faces, “That’s right, brother. I knew you’d get cold feet half way through this so I decided to add a few extras onto those spells I cast. And before you open your mouth, don’t. I have been watching Sirius like a hawk, every move he takes, I’ve known about. All those nights he’s slipped into Kitty’s room? He’s done NOTHING to her, because she’s asked him not to.”

“That was different, Luke. She could have left at any time, she could have called for one of us to protect her, she could…” Duncan began.

“Call US to protect HER?!” Luke interrupted, the sarcasm thick in his voice. “Duncan, do you have ANY idea at all what the words coming out of your mouth are saying? This is Kitty, our Kitty, the one who has such a bad temper that Father had to intercede before she wiped out the entire race of trolls from the highlands. The one who only a day or two ago torched an entire bog with bolts of lightening and hell’s fire.” he took a deep breath before continuing “Is this the little sister you think wouldn’t be able to protect herself from the man that loves and respects her? The man who has shared her bed and shown the restraint to NOT do anything she didn‘t want him to do?”

“You know what I mean.” Duncan sighed, “We’ve basically given him carte blanche to do as he pleases with her.”

“Yes, we have, she hasn’t. And I know him well enough to know he won’t force her. Besides, if nothing else they can have a nice long talk and maybe a good night’s sleep. Kitty’s been telling me she’s wanted to get him away somewhere private so they could finally have a good heart to heart. It seems every time they try here, someone or something interrupts them.”

“So, anymore words of wisdom for me, brother mine? Or is that talk about Sirius’s noble spirit supposed to sustain me until you decide to get her out of there?” Duncan asked.

“You want wisdom? How about this? Paddy, if he makes any move to leave this room for ANY reason, you have my full permission to do whatever is necessary to restrain him. And by the way, that includes knocking him out.” Luke looked over at Duncan and grinned widely, “I’d say that’s the wisest decisions I’ve made all night.” he quipped as he went back to reading his book, pointedly ignoring the glares Duncan was casting at him……

Harry, Sara, Calli, Zach, Meg and Amber were sitting in the family room, playing a rather boisterous game of snakes and ladders, much to the amusement of the clan. And Harry had to admit, he had never seen such a physical board game in his life. It was obvious that Calli was getting tired of Zach manipulating the dice, as he would call out the number ’he’ wanted to show up every time she threw them, inevitability causing her to slid down a ladder. He looked up as he heard Siobhan giggling at them as she fed Edana. “Aunt Siobhan? Can I feed her?” he asked, surprising himself and the others.

“Are you sure you want to, Harry? Wouldn’t you rather play?” Siobhan asked as she smiled warmly at him.

“I can play later.” he stated as he eagerly joined Siobhan on the sofa, “Besides, I should probably get some practise in now. Sirius says its only a matter of time before he and Mum have a baby.”

“Oh, does he now?” Siobhan commented, grinning widely as several members of the clan elbowed each other, smiles spreading across their faces.

“Starrrrryyyyy” Calli whined as her puppy came bolting into the room, sliding to a halt and toppling the game pieces. “You bad, bad girl. What have you been up to, you look guilty.” she stated as she picked up the fluffy golden puppy and cuddled her. “Look, Harry, you have a baby and I have a baby…..well, sort of.” she added, laughing good naturedly as Harry rolled his eyes.

“Yeh, sure, Calli. I can’t wait to see you try and diaper her.” Harry teased as he placed the bottle in Edana’s mouth, grinning from ear to ear as she quickly latched onto the bottle, suckling noisily. “Wow, she’s really hungry isn’t she?”

Siobhan smirked, “She’s always hungry when your Mum is around. But seeing as how Kitty was the only mother she knew for the first few weeks of her life, I guess that’s not surprising.”

“Mum was Edana’s mother?” Harry asked, a confused look on his face, “Then why did she leave her?”

“Her god mother, actually” Siobhan corrected him, “and she had to leave her here with us, she couldn’t take her to your school. And trust me, Harry, NOTHING could have stopped her from going to you, although several people did try.”

“You mean Voldemort and his death eaters?” seeing the questioning look in her eyes, Harry explained. “The very first time I saw Mum was in the great hall. Hagrid brought her in, they both looked a mess, it was pretty obvious they had been in some sort of fight.”

“Yes, Harry, that is true, but as I’m sure you’ve come to realize, your mother is more than capable of handling herself in any situation.” an all to familiar voice spoke out from the now greenish flames of the fireplace, making sure to cut off Siobhan before she could answer Harry’s question.

“Professor Dumbledore?!” Harry gasped, smiling widely as he saw the headmaster grin back at him, winking through his half moon glasses.

“Yes, Harry, I trust you are enjoying your holidays?” he asked knowingly. Then turning to Siobhan, he added, “And I trust you have managed to keep him out of trouble, Lady Siobhan.”

“As if any child of my clan could be anything but trouble.” she replied, laughing as she mussed Harry’s hair. “But as you see, he’s already grown up a great deal. Taking care of his little sister, helping his uncles, and wait until he stands up, he must have grown at least four inches since he’s returned home.”

Harry felt warm and tingly inside as he looked around the room at his clan, his family. They were all so proud of him, so affectionate and kind, it was the family he had always dreamed of having; the family that loved him. Looking back to Dumbledore, Harry managed to blink away his tears of happiness as he heard the headmaster ask him to stand. He thought he saw a momentary flash of sadness cross Dumbledore’s face as he stared at him, but within moments, it was gone, replaced by an approving smile and nod.

“Lady Siobhan is quite right, Harry. You’ve sprouted up over the fortnight, you’ll be catching up to Mr. Weasley at this rate.” he added, knowing how much Harry had envied Ron’s height. “But I must confess, my true reason for calling was not to look in on you, Harry, but to find you cousin, Meg. It seems Mrs. Weasley is in a state, something about Charlie arriving soon.”

“CHARLIE!!!” Meg squealed as she rose to her feet and ran to the hearth. “What about Charlie? Did Molly want me to meet him tonight?” Meg started to blush as she heard everyone, including Albus Dumbledore chuckling over her reaction.

“Actually, Meg, I believe Molly has planned a rather elaborate family dinner tonight. I am concerned about her intentions, however.” Albus added, hinting that Molly seemed to have more than a simple family dinner planned for them.

“I certainly hope so,” Meg gushed, “I’ve been wanting to meet Charlie ever since Harry told me about him. Is he as nice as everyone says? Does he like animals too? Do you think he’ like me?”

“Meg!” Siobhan sighed, “How do you expect Albus to answer such questions. And what did you think you were doing? Going to meet a man without a clan escort. Its positively shameful. You will NOT be allowed to go.”

“WHAT?!!!! Aunt Siobhan, you can’t be serious!” Meg wailed, “I’ve been waiting for him to come back to the Burrow since before ….”

“And ‘when’ exactly did all this come about?” Siobhan interrupted, “I don’t recall hearing about this boy before just this moment. How did you come by this family, how do you even know they’re safe to be around?”

“Uhm, that would be my fault.” Harry stated softly, holding onto Edana tightly as if by her mere presence she could diffuse the situation. “Charlie is my best friend’s brother. Mum knows most of the family, we went there last week, remember?” he asked, hopefully.

“You went there last……oh, wait a moment…. Is this the family of redheads? The one whose little girl came by a few weeks ago and spent the afternoon shopping with Kitty and my Sara?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” Harry smiled, relived that Siobhan was now calm and back to her usual self. “Ginny Weasley, she borrowed one of Sara’s dresses. One of the twins ruined her ball gown and Mum thought …”

“Ginny?” Sara chirped up, “Mum, can I go with Meg? I want to talk to Ginny again, I want to find out more about Albus’s school.” she asked excitedly.

“Who said Meg’s going?” Siobhan asked, “She needs a member of the clan to escort her, a MALE member Sara, you don’t count.”

“I’ll take her.” Harry offered, “I know the Weasleys’ very well, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I tagged along. I mean if I count.” he added tentatively.

“Of course you do, Harry, but I’m not sure if you know the customs well enough to be her escort.”

“What does he need to know?” Meg huffed, “Harry; don’t let him touch me were he shouldn’t, don’t let me touch him were I shouldn’t and be sure to make nice with the parents…….did I miss anything?”

“I certainly hope not.” Albus interjected, reminding them that he was still there and waiting for a reply. “Siobhan, in all honesty, Molly Weasley is a good woman. She’s been hoping to find nice girls for her sons to date, and having so many of them, I imagine it is not an easy task. I have every faith in her and Arthur to make sure nothing happens that any of us would find fault with. And I also know that she would be thrilled to have Harry join them, she considers him a seventh son.”

“Seventh son? Hmmm, red hair, large family….does she like to cook?” Siobhan asked.

“Does she ever.” Harry grinned, “She might even give you competition if you let her.” he added, winking at Meg as he realized what this meant.

“Oh, really?” Siobhan grinned, “Its been a long time since I’ve had any competition in the kitchen…….. All right. Meg you can go, IF Harry goes with you as an escort.” Hearing Sara whimper hopefully, Siobhan sighed, “Fine, you can go with them, IF this Molly Weasley will have you.”

“Don’t worry, she will” Harry grinned as he handed Edana back to Siobhan. “Come on, lets get ready.” he called out to the girls, only to realize they were several steps ahead of him. “Sarrrraaaaaa, come on, wait for me.”

Siobhan turned back to the flames as she heard Albus chuckling, “Don’t encourage them, Alby, they don’t need it.” she mused as she placed Edana over her shoulder to burp her. “I assume there is more than one reason you popped in on us.”

“Indeed, Orpha left me a note asking me to speak with her about professor Severus Snape. Is there anything I should know about?” he paused as he heard a loud crash followed by Sara’s laughter and Harry groaning about eye shadow. “I see he’s fitting in very well, the girls are already tormenting him.”

“Oh, yes, he’s a MacLeod through and through, no doubt about that.” Siobhan grinned, “And as for this professor, he’s been the topic of several discussions here, but this is hardly the time or the place to go into that.” she added, pointedly casting her eyes towards the other children in the room.

“Quite,…..I imagine Orpha will be in contact with me soon. I will let Molly know Meg, Harry, and Sara will be joining them for dinner. I am most certain she will not mind in the least, and judging from the tone in Arthur’s voice, if Meg doesn’t get there one way or another, there will be no living with Molly. I understand she’s been cooking all day.” he added, smiling brightly as he faded from the flames.

Albus sighed as he returned to his desk, shaking off the cold shiver that threatened to overtake him. He had been caught off guard when he called on Fernglennis, he had expected Harry to be a bit changed, but nothing like that. He didn’t look nearly so much a child anymore, he was truly becoming a man, and seeing him there like that, holding the baby…….he looked so much like his father, Albus felt as if he had stepped into the past, into Godric’s Hallow, and into the Potter home.

The only thing missing from Fernglennis that he had expected to see, however, were Kitty and Sirius. It wasn’t like either of them to leave Harry alone….not that one could be truly alone in Fernglennis, not with the size of that family. But still, where could they be?……

Severus walked silently through the halls with professor McGonagall, he had finally convinced Rick that Minerva, as a member of Clan MacLeod, was more than capable of watching over him. Especially now that Gustavas was no longer the threat he once was. He was strangely thankful for Minerva’s presence this evening, while they usually stood on opposite ends of nearly everything, she was a person he respected and to some degree, admired. “Minerva, what can you tell me of a member of the MacLeod’s called Maharet?”

Minerva froze mid step, her eyes straight forward. “Who told you about her? Certainly not Kitty.”

“No, Catri has mentioned her in passing, I believe, but Rick said something tonight that concerned me. I am worried that Catri may be in danger from this woman.” Snape explained, hoping it would be enough of an explanation for her.

“Odd, that seems to be the prevailing opinion of my own clan as well.” She admitted, immediately regaining her composure. “What, exactly, did Rick say that has you so troubled, Severus?”

Severus shook his head, “It was not just what he said, Minerva, but the way in which he said it. Although if you want me to point to one specific statement; it would have to be the one regarding her ‘manipulating wombs’ for some prophecy.”

Once more, Minerva froze mid step, only this time she turned to face Severus fully, her lips clenched into a tight bow. “And when did Rick become such a gossip? Should I assume he has told you about Orpha as well.”

“Orpha? ….No, although I do recall Catri mentioning her with great fondness. I presumed she was a favoured Aunt of hers.”

Minerva nodded, her lips still pursed tightly together, “Yes, she is. Although I must tell you, Severus, I don’t know how you manage to keep the death eaters from realizing who you are. You are NOT a very good liar. Rick mentioned her too, …..didn’t he?”

“Perhaps, in passing” Severus insisted, not willing to let Rick take the blame. “But Catri has mentioned her several times…..”

“What, exactly, did Rick say?” Minerva insisted, refusing to let the question slide. “Severus, do not try to lie to me, I have know you since you were eleven years old. I walked you up these very steps, I placed the sorting hat on your head. I’ve worked side by side with you for nearly two decades. At the very least, that entitles me to an honest answer.” she insisted, a hard glimmer in her eyes.

Severus flinched slightly, feeling as if he ‘were’ once more eleven years old, and she was not his peer but his professor. It was a feeling he hated, but one he found very difficult to quell. “He stated that Orpha, Cash and her father Magnus were the ones keeping her safe from Maharet.” he sighed, “He also stated that he believe Maharet was working on her own, but I disagree, I think she is working with Voldemort.”

“Why do you think that, Severus?” Minerva gasped, “Have you heard something? I must know immediately if you have.” she held her breath as she waited for him to respond. If Maharet actually was working in concert with Voldemort, then all of their hopes and plans were all for nothing.

“No, but it would make complete sense if she was.” Severus explained. “Gustavas was working with the death eaters, although I have the distinct feeling he and Lucius did a great deal without Voldemort’s consent. They knew exactly when we had left, and yes, they ‘could’ have gotten that information from watching my home, but how many people truly knew that is were we where going? And there is one other thing that makes me think a member of Catri’s…uh…your clan is working with him.”

“Yes?” Minerva encouraged, “For the love of heaven, Severus, spit it out.”

“Voldemort wants Catri alive. He has stated several time that she may be injured as badly as needed in order to bring her to him, but she ‘must’ remain alive. He wants Potter dead, he would prefer to kill him himself, but he’s not particularly picky on that matter at the moment.”

“I don’t understand, Severus. Why would he want Cat to be left alive? She’s far more dangerous to him than any of us?”

“Exactly my point. But if what Rick said about Maharet ‘manipulating wombs’ is true….Catri, to my knowledge, does not have any children,” Seeing the look on McGonagall’s face, Severus quickly corrected himself. “at least none that she has carried herself. So it would make sense that Maharet would need her alive as well, would it not?”

“Yes, I suppose it would.” Minerva replied, not sounding convinced, but obviously not dismissing the idea completely. After several minutes of quiet, Minerva spoke again. “Will you be joining Albus and I for dinner tonight? It would be a chance to discuss both the new security arrangements and the new students.”

“New students?” Snape replied, his mind clearly on other things.

“Why, yes. Surely you’ve been told before. Cat is going to be bringing a few new students with her from Fernglennis, Harry’s cousins.”

“Ah, yes, she had mentioned that, it must have slipped my mind. I trust they will all be placed in ‘your’ house, Minerva.” it wasn’t a question.

“No, they’ll be sorted just like any other student would be.” she stated, allowing herself a small smirk as she saw the flash of ‘concern’ cross the potion master’s face. “Why, Severus, is something wrong, you look….ill.”

“No, no, I was just remembering the sort of student Catri was. Can I at least assume there will be no bogs, swamps or other murky bodies of water making their way into my office?” he half-growled.

Doing her best not to laugh out loud, Minerva nodded, “Professor Snape, shame on you. You know very well that she did that purely by accident…..not that I could blame her. Frightful woman, she should never have done such a thing to a student.” she shook her head sadly, “You do realize that it was the pressure put on her by Mandragora Morano and Cybill that finally caused her to leave. Somehow it does seem fitting that she replaced Cybill though, poetic justice if you will.”

Severus nodded, although in his heart he knew it wasn’t the pressure from the two teachers that had so hated Catri that had made her leave. It was a broken heart over that scoundrel Sirius Black. He and Catri had had so many discussions over that year, some of which broke his heart. To hear her going on and on about Black, while he stood there listening to her, to bashful to tell her how much ‘he’ cared for her. Fearful that she would reject him as so many others had, but he had her friendship, not even Black and his cronies could rob him of that. If she needed help, if she wanted advice, ‘he’ was the one she went to, not them.

“Minerva? Will she be coming back? I’ve only had two letters from her…”

“They weren’t from her, Severus.” Minerva replied gently, “I thought Rick would have told you. They were forgeries, someone took her letters, she never would have been so cruel to you, you must know that.” she smiled softly as she saw him nod.

“Yes, he did tell me. But I ….. Why hasn’t she come back yet? She must know about the Tremere by now?” Severus asked bluntly, the words spilling out of him before he could stop them. “She must know its safe for her and Potter. She knows I would never let anything harm her. She knows I lo…I mean, she …” he sighed, turning his head away prepared to return to his dungeon.

“Severus. Stop.” Minerva called out gently. “I have not spoken with her directly, however I have spoken with Orpha at great lengths. If it comforts you at all, she does think about you, she’s even gone so far as to illicit the Gangrels and others to make sure you are kept safe. I am told one of her letters was an invitation to Fernglennis,” she paused as she saw a flicker of hope dancing in his dark eyes. “Apparently, she had thought it was ‘you’ who no longer had any interest in her. She had thought you simply ignored her request, she had no idea about her letters being stolen until Rick went to her. But you ‘must‘ understand this, Severus, she lives for the clan, just as they live and die for her. The decisions regarding her future are not entirely hers to make.”…………….

Harry could barely contain his excitement as he, Sara and Meg stood at the front door of the burrow. Not only was he going to spend some time with Ron, but he was acting as a member of his clan, his family. He was to chaperon Meg and Charlie, making sure Meg behaved herself. He smirked as his fingers rubbed the notes Colin had made for him, regarding what was and was not allowed. “You ready, Meg?” he asked, only to feel her fingers digging into his arm as she grabbed onto him.

“No, no…wait… how do I look?” she asked, straightening out her dress and primping her hair. “Do you think I look like he expects me to? Do you think he’ll like me? What if he doesn’t? What if I’m not pretty enough? What if he’s disappointed…”

“What if we freeze to death waiting for you to get the courage to go inside?” Sara deadpanned. It was obvious she had no tolerance for such indecisiveness. “Either he’s gonna like you or he won’t. If he does, yippee; if he doesn’t you can either get over it, or put a spell on him and make him like you anyway.” she added, sticking out her tongue and chuckling as Meg growled at her.

“MEG!!!” Molly nearly screamed as she flung open the door, “Thank heavens, we were afraid Pig hadn’t gotten to you.” she explained, bustling the trio into the warmth of the burrow. “And Harry” she added, wrapping him in a matronly embrace, “what a wonderful surprise, you’re staying for dinner, of course.” she insisted.

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry grinned, “Do you mind if our cousin Sara stays as well, she wanted to see….” Harry paused as he heard a shrill scream coming from the living room. Before he knew what was happening, he saw a streak of long red hair flowing passed him and knocking him to the side as it pounced on Sara. “Uhm…. She wanted to see Ginny.” he finished, smirking as he realized the red streak was merely Ginny rushing to see her friend.

“Oh? Are you a Hogwarts student as well, Sara?” Molly asked kindly.

“Not yet, but Aunt Kitty says I can go back with her and Harry. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come, I want Ginny to tell me all about it…you know, from a ‘girls’ point of view.” Sara grinned.

“oh, I see. You’re the girl with the dress.” Molly replied, slightly put off by the look of girl. She seemed a bit too wild for her taste, and if that dress was any indication,

“No, I’m the one with the ‘father’ who buys all the dresses. I won’t even wear half of them. But I’m his little girl” she stated, clasping her hands angelically and blinking her eyes. “Truthfully? I’d just as soon wear my brother’s hand me downs, they’re much more comfortable. Oh, and can I see Quidditch while I’m here, or is it too late for that tonight.”

“You know about Quidditch?” Fred asked, popping out from behind the door and smiling as he made Sara jump.

“Only what Harry’s told me. But I bet I’ll be able to beat any of you by the time I get to Hogwarts.” she added, crossing her arms over her chest as if daring him to disagree with her.

“Well, aren’t you the spunky one.” Arthur laughed as he walked in on the conversation. “Well, Molly, looks like your skills as a cook have brought them out of the woodwork. Hello, Meg” he added, kissing Meg on the cheek, “You look wonderful. Are you excited about meeting Charlie?”

“M-me nervous? What would make you think that?” she asked, doing her best to appear calm and collected.

“Well,” Sara chimed in, “the mismatched shoes would probably be the first clue.” she teased. “You may want to take care of that before prince charming arrives.” she added, laughing as the twins stood behind her, clapping her on her back.

Sirius smiled softly as the candlelight reflected off of the ring Cat was now wearing around her neck. Gingerly, he slipped his pinky through the ring and ran it along the golden chain he had fastened around her neck a few hours ago. It had taken some convincing on his part, but at least he knew now that it wasn’t lack of love for him that made her push him away, but fear. Fear of what he would do when he found out about the time she had spent with Snape. Fear of his reaction if she should be carrying his child, and fear of hurting both he and Snape. Part of him did a strange little wince and shudder as he realized that she still carried very strong feelings for Severus Snape, but in his heart he had always known that, it was one of the reasons he still hated him so much. But he also knew that if Cat would have been able to simply turn her back on Snape…..well, as the saying goes, what’s to stop her from doing the same to him.

That was probably the worst part of the whole sticky mess, even worse than the lack of physical closeness he so yearned for. It was knowing that a small part of him wanted her to feel torn, have feelings of tenderness for Snape; to know that she hadn’t turned into a ‘love them and leave them’ sort of person. And she was right, if she had chosen Remus instead of Snape, things would have been much worse for all of them. Remus was the only ‘true’ friend he had left, and as students, Sirius had resisted the urge to steal Cat away from Remus, all for the sake of friendship. He doubted very much if he could do any less now, although it would slowly kill him to watch Remus and Cat make a life together, having the children and life that should have been his.

Forcing those thoughts from his mind, he leisurely brought the ring to rest over her heart, taking time to savour the softness of her skin as his fingers travelled over her curves. His smile widened as he heard her stir in her sleep, reacting to his touch, it was positively intoxicating. Bringing his lips to her ear, he whispered, “Do you love me, Cat? Do you want to have a family? Do you want to spend your life with me?”

“Yes…. Yes…. Ask me again tomorrow….and your fingers are cold.” she sighed sleepily, startling Sirius. She smiled wearily as she felt his strong arms pulling her close to him, sheltering her in his protective embrace. She couldn’t even being to describe how much she adored his affectionate ways, every little touch seemed to bring her heart closer to him. But hadn’t finally Severus begun to understand that their last day together? Hadn’t he reached out for her on several occasions, gently grazing her cheek with his fingers, or laughing softly as she played with his fingers.

She smiled inwardly as she recalled one of their many conversations. She had been sitting in his office, waiting for him to finish the last few parchments from his seventh year advanced class. She had meandered over to his desk and was suddenly struck by his long, tapered fingers. He had literally jumped when she slid her fingers in between his, giving her the strangest look, as if questioning her sanity. “You have the prettiest hands I have ever seen on a man.” she had meant it as a compliment, but he had immediately withdrew from her, pulling his hands as deeply into his sleeves as he could. “Is that why you wear your sleeves so long?” she teased, “To hide your lovely hands?”

“I do NOT wear my sleeves long, the are the exact length……”

“Yes you do, the sleeves fall to your knuckles,” she corrected him, “and don’t try to argue with me, Sev, I’m a woman, I know clothes.”

“Lovely, now you sound like my mother.” he shot back, obviously embarrassed by the attention. “I assume you want me to shorten my sleeves for you now?”

“No. I think its cute, actually. Its rather like a secret that only I understand.” she replied, trying to get him to smile. And smile he did, a wide and stunning smile that all but took her breath away. That was when she had reached out to touch his face, only to feel him tense as her fingers drew near. It was so obvious that he had never been touched except to be either beaten or to procreate. He had never know the simple affections that she took for granted.

Goddess, how was she ever going to find the strength in her heart to leave him, abandon him to the coldness of the world. If he didn’t hate her by now, surely he would when she told him that she still loved Sirius, the man he had continually warned her against. How would she ever be able to stand there and watch his heart break or even worse, to harden once more. Tanta Minnie had mentioned several times what a change there had been in Sev since she took over the Divinations position, and even Poppy and Hagrid had made similar comments to her. She couldn’t bear to think of him returning to his dank dungeons, to be alone in the cold, dark rooms….turning into his father.

“A knut for your thoughts.” Sirius whispered into her ear as he gently nibbled the lobe, causing Cat to squirm in his arms. “Still ticklish as ever, I see.” he grinned. “Hmmm, now what was it I used to do to get you to scream….” he asked knowingly.

“Don’t you dare, Mr. Black.” Cat warned, she could think of several things he had done to her in the past to make her scream and NONE of them would be a very good idea right now. “Sirius!!!!! No!!!” she gasped as she felt him reaching towards the soles of her feet.

“Come on, gra. You won’t let me have any other fun…….will you?” he smirked.

“No, I won’t. Now stop it.” she insisted between giggles. “Siriiiiii” she whined as she rolled onto her belly trying to get away from him.