Cat sighed deeply as she watched Severus walking back to the school, he had wanted her to accompany him but she had made an excuse to stay behind. As much as she loved the affection and attention he showered on her she had to think of Harry first. And Harry simply was not warming up to the idea of Severus as her husband at all. She was beginning to dread the whole idea of the Yule Ball at the moment, or more precisely the days immediately following it. As much as she was drawn to Severus, she could not ignore her son's feelings, so unless something drastic happened over the next few days, she would have to use that time to gently separate herself from his affections. Cat put on her cloak as she headed towards the door "Poor Saffron, I wonder what he did to chase her away... its not like her to just abandon anyone like that." Cat was lost deep in her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice. She turned as smiled as she saw Sirius approaching.

Sirius stalked towards Cat as she left the greenhouse. If she wanted to hurt him, if she was trying to repay him for what had happened in school, she had. He watched as she wrapped her cloak around herself to try and block the effects of the chilling winds. He knew he should be worried about her, she was still too weak to be out in this cold, but at the moment he didn't care. All he wanted was to see her cry, to see her feel the same pain he was feeling. Stepping out from the tree line Sirius confronted Cat about Severus "still carrying on with him I see" he spit venomously, as his eyes narrowed at her. He watched with satisfaction as her face became pale and drawn. "I see you two have gotten quite *cozy* again." Cat was shocked by his reaction, but too tired to stand and argue, the emotional roller coaster she was on was simply taking too high a toll on her. She had more than enough on her mind, she didn't need to be playing games, she had Harry to think about, and her clan. Minerva was right, her father had protected her against an arranged marriage for far too long, even Mac Lir had mentioned the same thing when he showed up in Hogsmeade a few weeks ago. "Sirius, please.. We're not in school anymore, I'm old enough to choose whom I kiss" she said flatly as she turned to walk away, refusing to bring up old ghosts.

If she thought she was just going to walk away from this, she thought wrong. Sirius grabbed her arm roughly and spun her around to face him. "How could you" the tears where threatening to spill "How could you run to his arms?" Sirius wasn't sure if he wanted to slap her or kiss her, he loved her more than any other woman in the world, and she had just crushed his heart.

"What do you care who I see?" Cat asked tersely, she was still feeling the pain and weakness from the last few days, she didn't have the strength to argue this over again, Sirius had his own life, she deserved to have one as well. "I'm not your girlfriend anymore, remember. You broke up with me years ago Sirius Black. You left me hurt and humiliated while you ...... Never mind, I'm not going to relive this again." she said as she closed her eyes against the familiar pain.

"Maybe this is why I did it.... You've always wanted him, haven't you. Even when you were with me." Sirius screamed angrily "Tell me the truth, were you pretending it was him, his hands, his lips.. Every time I ever touched you,.... you were wishing it was him” Sirius paused for a moment, and then, in an eerily quite voice, “Where you wishing he could have been the first one to take you? Or did you just settle for me?” he accused.

Cat stood there aghast "How can you say that to me Sirius Black. I loved you." Cat screamed back as her tears fell "You were the first man I ever loved. I never thought of anyone else, I never thought there *would be* anyone else. I thought we would always be together. But *YOU* had other ideas, you used me and then you betrayed me... you're no better than Peter" she sobbed as she once again turned away from him. She didn’t want him to see the pain and tears he was causing her, he didn’t deserve to see how effective his words were.

"Peter!!!!! How dare you compare me to that treacherous coward??!!" Sirius bellowed as he wrenched her arm and forced her to look at him "You heartless shrew.... At least now I know why I left you, and I'm glad...." he lied "I hope you and Snape have a whole houseful of greasy, miserable children. Or better yet I hope you have none. No child deserves to have to live with some bitch whore for a mother." he regretted his words the moment they left his mouth, he could see how deeply they had cut her. And worse, he knew he didn’t mean a word of them. He loved her, and she was breaking his heart, why couldn’t she see that. He wanted to drag her into the forest, to make her listen, to kiss and hold her like he used to. He was about to do just that when he felt the stinging pain across his face.

Cat's eyes grew wide with pain and fear, Sirius had never laid a hand on her before, not like this. As she struggled to free herself from his vice like grip, he continued his tirade. It wasn't until he started talking about children that her anger finally overwhelmed her pain. She looked Sirius full in his eyes and struck him forcefully across the face. "What is it to you??!!!! Why do you even care who I see. ... go home to Esmeralda and your children Sirius, I'm sure they miss you." Cat sobbed through her tears as she finally managed to get away from a numb and trembling Sirius.

Cat ran off towards the school, her skirt flying in the air behind her as the tears streamed down her face. Sirius hadn't changed after all, he still hated her, all his kindness and caring over the past few weeks had been nothing but a farce. How could she have fallen for his act again, how could she have allowed herself to fall for him.

Cat was sobbing loudly as she walked unsteadily down the hallway towards her room. She felt the searing pain in her heart again, she would be lucky to survive the night at this rate, she had gotten too excited and had certainly overdone it physically. Well if Sirius wanted her dead, he may have just succeeded where Malfoy and the other deatheaters had failed. Cat clutched at her heart as she felt another flash of pain, all she could think about was Harry, she didn't want to leave him, not again. She blinked her eyes quickly as she tried to fight her way through the pain, she had to survive, if for no other reason than for her beloved son. Cat's breath was becoming labored and unsteady as she leaned up against the cold stone walls. She knew she was going to pass out at any moment and she wondered if she would ever wake up again.

Cat called out for help, hoping that her clan would hear her silent yet frantic screams before she completely lost consciousness. She needed Cash or Tris, if she was going to die, she would asked to be embraced, she couldn't leave Harry all alone again, she had to protect him, she loved him, he was her little boy. Just as she started slipping from consciousness she felt strong hands cradling her gently as they guided her to the ground.

"Angel?!"

She looked up through bleary eyes and smiled happily, it wasn't who she had though it would be, but he would do. Reaching up to touch his face Cat felt herself beginning to fade "Raul.... I can't leave Harry.... please" she whispered as she passed into unconsciousness.

Raul's face was the perfect mask of fear and pain, the Angel, Cash's Angel... this could not happen, not to her. Very gently Raul picked her up and carried her to the hospital, he would let the witch take care of her until he could find Cash or Tristessa. If she was to be embraced into Clan Gangrel, it should be done by her own family, although if worse came to worse he would take it upon himself to embrace her into the Clan himself. Looking down at her pale tear-stained face, he gasped as he saw the blood mingled in her tears "My Angel, .... please you must be strong. You must wait for your family" he whispered as he held her even closer than before. She needed healing, whether it was Tris's touch or the magic of this world was of little consequence to him. Raul thanked the gods that the students were still at Hogsmeade, it made it that much quicker as he sped through the halls towards the hospital. Within moments he saw the doors to the hospital wing, he didn't bother stopping, he simply used his body to protect Angel's as he burst through them. Yelling loudly for the witch who healed, Raul gently set Angel on one of the beds as he heard the witch bustling towards them. "It is her heart" he said without even bothering to look at the witch "do what you can, I will find her family" he ordered as he allowed himself a few seconds to trace the tracks of her tears, knowing it may be the last time he ever touched her as a mortal.

Sirius wanted to run after her, but he was rooted to the very ground by his pain, it tore at his soul like a raging beast. What had he been thinking? What had ever possessed him to say such horrible things to her? He didn't mean any of them, it had just hurt him so badly to see her in Snape's arms, after all it should be him holding her like that, not Snape. Sirius looked up to see Cat disappearing into the school, her hands over her face, she was still sobbing. Sirius closed his eyes tightly as he fought back his tears, he had just ruined everything he had fought for. In less than ten minutes time, he had destroyed all the trust he had worked so hard to rebuild with her.

Trudging numbly towards the forest, Sirius let his tears flow, it was over.... He had not only lost her, he had chased her away, just like last time. Sirius stumbled as his tears blinded his eyes, but he kept walking, he wanted to lose himself to forget everything that had ever happened to him. As he felt his soul sinking into despair he screamed out in his pain and anger "in the name of love...why??!!" he sobbed loudly as his jagged breaths caught in his chest. Sirius dropped to his knees as he wept uncontrollably, everything worth living for was gone. All of his hopes and dreams had died today, and even worse... it had been at his own hands. Sirius felt his thin frame as it racked with his sobs too thin, she had thought he was too thin, not that she would care anymore, she must hate him now he thought as he doubled over in his anguish. Even the twisted tortures of Azkaban was preferable to this misery, at least there he knew the torment would end when the dementors grew bored of his screaming.

Memories of the happiness and joy he and Cat had shared flashed through his mind as he ground his hands into the dirt floor of the forest. He had to stop thinking about her, it was over he would never hold her again, never feel her soft, warm breath on his neck as she slept peacefully in his arms, never feel her sigh as she melted into him when he kissed her. A painful groan escaped Sirius's lips, how could he have been so heartless, so cruel. But how could she love Snape, how could she let him kiss her, let alone touch her like that. Sirius felt a cold, sharp pain every time he remembered watching them in the green house, he had been so ready to rush to her rescue.... Sirius threw himself on the ground and gave up fighting, he wept uncontrollably for his lost dreams, grinding his hands into the dirt until they became bloody. .

Cash heard a heart wrenching sound echoing through the forest "Hey ... Tris, do you hear that?" he froze as his sensitive ears tuned into the sound "sounds like someone crying. Are the students back from the town yet?" he asked.

Concern flashed across Tris's face as she squinted in the late afternoon sun "No.. The students won't be back until supper" she hated taking the day shift but she, Cash and Raul were the oldest and the strongest. "Want to go check it out?" she asked knowingly.

"And what sort of guardians would we be if we didn't?" he smirked as he saw her roll her eyes "Race ya?" he asked as he grinned madly and started running.

"Hey.. No fair, get back here and do it right you brat!!!" Tris yelled as she bolted after Cash. They raced through the forest at break-neck speeds, darting around trees and beasts as if they themselves were nothing more that beams of light dancing in and out of the shadows. Cash slid to a halt and grabbed Tris as they came upon the source of the sound.

It was a man with dark unruly hair in a grey robe laying face down on the dirt. It didn't take Cash long to realized it was Sirius on the ground, crying something about Cat. Anxiously turning to Tris he asked "Some things happened, we need to talk to him." he said as he walked towards Sirius, only to be held back by Tris. Cash looked at her quizzically "What???"

"Stay out of it Cash" Tris said softly but firmly "they have a long history together, he broke her heart once already. I don't want to see it happen again, she's been through too much as it is."

Cash looks back at Sirius sobbing on the forest floor, "Are you sure it was only her heart?" he asked her. Tris simply shrugged her shoulders as she walked away towards the school. Cash sighed deeply, he wanted to talk to Sirius, to comfort him, but he had no idea what to say. Cash hung his head as he turned away from the tormented form of Sirius.

Tris and Cash were having a heated discussion regarding Sirius when Raul called to them. "Cash.. Tristessa... hurry, it's Angel" he yelled as he bent over to try and catch his breath "I think she's dying" he saw the looks of horror flash across their faces "she doesn't want to leave her son, she has asked for the embrace."

"NO!" Tris yelled as she pushed Raul out of the way, heading quickly towards the hospital. Raul turned to follow her, only to feel Cash's hand on his shoulder.