Raul could see Cash was trying not to cry "I am sorry my brother, but she was so weak I barely heard her, and I was only a few hundred feet away. By the time I got to her..... I was able to stopped her from hitting the floor" he felt his own tears trickling down his face. This could not happen to her, she was their Angel, their shining, happy, loving child. "Will she join us when she is embraced?" he asked softly

"NO!!!" Cash hissed "She will not be embraced, and she will-not-die" he spoke through clenched teeth "she is the last of my kind, she must have children, she must have daughters." he told Raul as thick blood tears began to drip down his face. This couldn't be happening not now, and not to her, he had been by her side since the day she was born, Diedre had known she would be her last child and a target to their enemies. Grabbing Raul roughly by the back of his shirt, Cash spun him around to face were Sirius laid "Do you see that?.... Look at him!!!! He *loves* her, he will father her children, they will have a long and happy life together" Cash was sobbing openly now "she won't die... she can't" Cash said weakly as he dropped his hands from Raul.

Raul watched the two men as they wept, he was lost, he had no idea what to do for them, he was a warrior, Cash had always been the one to deal with things like this. Raul did the only thing he could think of, opening his arms he wrapped Cash in a brotherly hug and let him sob. "She needs us my brother" Raul whispered hoarsely "she needs her clan, now more than ever. Our sister is waiting for us.."

In the few minutes it took Raul and Cash to get to the hospital wing Tris had already taken control of everything. She had mentally summoned Mohrg from his slumber to aid her in healing Angel as best they could. Poppy Pomfrey was nearly frantic, she kept insisting Cat needed to go to St. Mungo's immediately, it wasn't until Mohrg placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes that she had sat down quietly.

"St. Mungo's can't help her" Tris sobbed as she tried once again to heal Cat using the magic of the Sidhe "and I can only keep her alive for so long. I'm not mortal anymore, I don't have the link with life and death that I had before the embrace" she explained "She needs time to heal... and strength to stay alive long enough to be able to heal. Right now the only thing keeping her alive is her love for her son."

Cash closed his eyes tightly an hung his head as he spoke "Tris, we have to keep her alive. You know that as well as I do, if she dies, if she's embraced...." he sniffled as he turned away from them. Wiping at his face with his sleeve he continued "There has to be something we can do to keep her alive Tris. She needs strength, we can help her with that... what else?"

"Her heart Cash, her heart is damaged that is why she's dying" Tris said softly as she cradled Cat in her arms. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing another child, she had already buried so many. She had sworn to herself on the day of Diedre’s murder that she would never allow another of her children to be taken from her.

"How can her heart be so weak when it is full of so much love" Mohrg asked quietly as he watched Tris's red tears flow silently down her porcelain skin as she held her child to her chest. They were both so beautiful, and so very fragile he could hear the shuddering of Angel's heart as it fought to keep her alive. "I know several potions that may help her, but they are very potent, they alone may kill her in such a weakened state" he said as he touched her hair, he couldn't imagine what would happen if she were gone from them.

"Make it." Tris said as she looked at Mohrg with pleading, blood rimmed eyes "I will make her strong" she heard Raul begin to say something but cut him short "she is *my* child, I am her great grandmother. I will *NOT* allow her to die, not as long as there is anything that I can do for her" She paused when she felt Cash's hand on her shoulder.

"We will both make her strong" Cash said softly "she is my child as well." Cash looked at Mohrg "How long will it take you to make this potion?"

Mohrg shook his head "Less than an hour, but it must be given immediately. Can you keep her alive and strengthen her in that time? I don't want to lose her either, she and her son are the only two mortals who have never shrunk from me. I have a great fondness in my heart for her." he said simply as he gazed lovingly at the three of them. In his heart, they had already become his family and it tore at his soul to see them in such pain.

Cash placed his hand on Mohrg's "I thank you Mohrg of Nosferatu, for all that you have done and continue to do for my clan."

Mohrg looked into Cash's eyes he could feel the sincerity of his words. He nodded solemnly as he quickly left to make the potion that would hopefully save the Angel's life.

Poppy cautiously approached the remaining three vampyres "Is there anything that I can do?" she asked "I have some potions..."

"No,.. Thank you, but no" Tris replied "she is far beyond your abilities now, in fact you may wish to leave. We will have to share our strength with her if she is to survive. Humans tend to find it unsettling"

"Unsettling... what exactly do you mean *share your strength* what do you intend to do to her?" Poppy asked, becoming increasingly alarmed. She watched as Tris scratched across the inside of her own wrist with her fingernail, causing a huge gash in her flawless skin. As it bled she held it up to Cat's mouth and forced her lips over the cut. Poppy felt queasy as she watched the blood trickle from the sides Cat's mouth "What are you doing to her?" Poppy cried.

Raul quickly took Poppy by the arms "We are keeping her alive until Mohrg can save her life." he explained simply as he guided her towards the doors of the hospital wing "You have no patients here, and she is our concern." he said soothingly "Go and find Albus Dumbledore he needs to be told." Raul urged as Poppy nodded her head numbly.

"You're absolutely right I should find Albus, and the other professors." She looked up into Raul's chocolate eyes "Do you know what happened to her? She was so well this morning..." she watched as Raul shook his head.

"I heard her call out while I was in the halls. When I got to her she had already begun to fall to the floor" he explained sadly "I do not know what caused her to be like this" he added as he looked over to where Angel was being tended to by Tristessa and Cash. He watched as Tristessa stroked Angel's hair while she held her wrist to her child's mouth, sharing her strength with Angel, just as Angel had shared her blood with them. Raul felt a pang of guilt, maybe that was why she was so weak, when the deatheaters had stopped coming in such large numbers Angel and Remus had allowed them to feed from them. "Please, find Albus and bring him back quickly" Raul pleaded as he sent Poppy on her way.

Poppy quickly ran down the hall towards Dumbledore's office she had to find him, or Professors Snape and Lupin. Someone needed to know what was going on, if only today hadn't been the Hogsmeade trip. As Madame Pomfrey turned the corner she caught sight of Professor Sprout walking out of Dumbledore's office "Saffron!!! Get Albus, Cat is hurt, badly" she yelled loudly.

Professor Sprout stared at Madame Pomfrey with terror in her eyes "Hurt?! How? What did he do to her?" she gasped.

Poppy stopped dead "What do you mean he? Who he? And where is Albus?"

Saffron shook her head as her grey hair fell out of her hat "Dumbledore isn't here, I was just looking for him myself. I didn't know what to do" she took a deep gasping breath as she tried to remain calm "This is all my fault, I knew he was angry. I never should have left her alone, not with him."

Poppy grabbed Saffron roughly "What-are-you-talking-about?! WHO did you leave her with? What happened?" she asked pointedly

Saffron closed her eyes and sighed "Professor Snape. He came to the green house an hour or so ago, he practically pushed me out of the door. And then he locked it, I couldn't get back in he used a new spell. I came to the school and waited, but when she didn't show up I came her to find Albus. I should have tossed him out on his ear." Saffron said as she looked at Poppy.

"Snape was angry" she sighed "I'll wager Cat finally made her choice, and she must have picked Remus Lupin if Severus was that angry. He absolutely dotes over her, I honestly believe he is in love with her" Poppy explained as she headed towards the main entrance of the school. "The carriages should be arriving any minute, we have to find Dumbledore or Lupin immediately. Those vampyres are doing something to her... and I don't like it" Poppy said as she and Saffron hurried to the door.

"Tris.. Tris honey... that's enough" Cash said gently as he pulled her wrist away from Angel's mouth. "You can't risk giving her anymore blood"

Tris glared at him "She's not strong enough yet. I have more than enough to spare" she argued as he sat down on the other side of Angel.

"Not if you're going to get to Maharet you don't" Cash said gently "I need you to find her and talk with her" he held up his hand as Tris began to argue "No. ... Tris I am the oldest, and Maharet will not discuss these things with a man. She *will* discuss them with you." he sighed as he saw Tris's eyes begin to well with tears again. "Now Tris, that won't help anyone.... I swear I will take care of her, even if I have to bleed myself dry. But you *must* find Maharet and ask her what to do, if Angel joins us. . .” Cash shook his head sadly, not wanting to accept the possibility. “We need to know what to do. Alright?"

"But you have less blood than any of us, you starve yourself so the younger ones can feed." Tris reminded him "How can you share your strength..."

"He is not alone Tristessa" Raul said softly "I know I am not Clan MacLeod, but I am Clan Gangrel. I would gladly share myself with her, she has done no less for me." he confessed as he felt the glare of Cash's eyes. Raul hung his head guiltily, he remembered all to well the pleasure he had derived from feeding off of her. He had been weak and irritable with hunger and she had searched him out, she had felt his pain. He had managed a smile for her when she pressed her soft, warm hands against his cold cheeks, but she knew it was a farce, she had quickly taken him by the hand and led him to her rooms. He thought she would call Cash to aid her, to help her protect the students from his barely suppressed hunger, but instead she had held out her wrist to him.

Raul felt his senses awaken the moment Angel had offered herself to him, he had never expected her to be so charitable towards him, after all, she hadn’t known him for very long. Her sacrifice only made him love her more, he gratefully took her wrist and held it to his lips, he paused to give her wrist a gentle kiss before slicing through her skin with his razor sharp teeth. He heard her gasp softly as he pulled the blood to himself, suckling at her wrist as a child would its mother’s breast. The moment the blood touched his tongue the sharing begun, he sighed peacefully as visions of her laughing and playing with Cash and Tristessa flooded into him, their fondness for each other, the familiar bond they shared, all of it was there. Her memories were caressing his soul, as her blood filled his heart, both filling him with bliss. “My sweet Angel” he sighed as he pulled his lips from her delicate wrist, healing her with his own blood as he did so.

Catri had seemed surprised that he had stopped so soon “You can’t be satiated already?” she had asked “you’ve barely taken any, even Cash needs more than that.” she had asked, her lovely eyes so full of concern for him. She was right, the huger was still burning within him, but he had seen something else in her blood, something that had resounded within him.

“It is enough to slacken my thirst” he responded as he caressed her face, reveling in the softness and warmth, and the fact that she didn’t pull away from him. Feeling bold, he kissed her tenderly on the cheek, drinking in her warmth, just as he had drunk her blood. “You have tasted us as well, haven’t you?” he asked as he rubbed his cheek against hers. He missed being so close to a mortal woman, he wanted to hear the soft beating of her heart become a pounding rhythm under his gaze, his touch. He began kissing her throat as his hands moved over her sides, caressing her tenderly. Very gently, he pushed her onto her bed . . .

Catri sighed as she felt Raul rubbing against her, she had completely forgotten he effect her blood had on Vampyres. She should have known better than to let him drink directly from her, she should have slit her own wrist and allowed some to drip into a cup for him. The physical bond, her acceptance of them, it was far to intoxicating to them, . . .and to her. She let her head be nudged back as Raul went from rubbing his cheek against hers, to lightly kissing her throat, just as he had done at the dance. She gasped as he maneuvered her onto the bed, “Raul. . .Raul, no. . .” she said gently as she placed her hands on his chest “you know I can’t.”

“You can and you want to” Raul responded “I tasted it in your blood. You are as lonely for another’s touch as I am” he confessed as he leaned over her, forcing her to lie down as he crawled on top of her. “I swear to you my Angel, I will not violate you. But please, let me know release, let me release you.” he sighed as she stared at him, her face was flushed with embarrassment, she had obviously never expected him to know such things about her.

He felt her trembling under him, not out of fear, but of an uncertainty. He could plainly see her need, it was written in her eyes, in the way she breathed. “Please, my Angel, I still hunger, but your blood alone is not enough.” so saying he began kissing her on her deliciously full lips, she seemed to hesitate for a moment before kissing him back. He sighed as he felt her arms wrap around him, this is what he truly needed, as much if not more so than her blood. “Let me taste you again my Angel, I still thirst.” he whispered into her ear, he felt her move her arm from him, she was intending to offer her wrist to him again. “No Angel, not like that” he crooned as he once again kissed the warm flesh of her neck. He felt her gasp and sigh when he began to nibble seductively on her sensitive skin, as his hands worked their way over the curves of her body. He felt his heart grow full with adoration as she arched her back under his knowing touches.

“Yes my Angel” Raul sighed “surrender yourself to me. Allow me to do as I will, allow me to treat you as a woman should be treated.” he said as he sunk his fangs deeply into the ivory flesh of her neck. A shudder passed through him as she gasped loudly, clutching herself against him as the euphoria of the vampyres kiss filled her body and soul. Raul felt her blood fill his mouth once again as she moaned softly, the only thing more intoxicating than the press of her body was the trust in her heart. He realized how dangerous a situation this could be if he lost control, he could drink her dry in a matter of seconds. But the thought hardly passed her mind, she trusted him to protect her, to keep his word not to violate her. She trusted him as she trusted her own clan.

Raul felt the tears welling in his eyes as an overwhelming joy filled his heart, Angel belonged to him, at least as long as his kiss lasted, she had surrendered to him willingly, trustfully, completely. Reaching down, he lifted her long skirts as he opened her legs and knelt between them. He vowed to keep his pledge to her as he pulled deeply from her blood, he wanted to know her, understand her, he wanted to see her true heart. He saw the faces of her brothers and sisters pass by him, her father’s smile, her mother’s soft voice, Cash teaching her how to read the ancient texts and telling her stories of days pasts as Tristessa would look at them, smiling brightly. Raul wrapped one arm around Angel’s shoulder, raising her neck towards him as his other hand cupped her through her panties. He shuddered as his hand felt the heat pouring out of her hidden secrets as he rubbed her gently causing her to moan once again.

Raul pressed his hand harder into her, he felt her back arching once again, pushing her breasts into him, as much as he wanted to suckle them, he knew if he broke his kiss the moment would end and she would turn away from him. Moving his hand to her breasts, he squeezed them firmly; loving the reaction it elicited from her, slipping his hand inside of her blouse, he quickly teased her nipples into firm peaks. He felt his own desire fighting to be release from its constraints, but he had promised her, and a vow was never to be broken. He pressed his fangs into her flesh as deeply as they could go as his fingers did the same to her. He didn‘t know which felt sweeter to him, Angel‘s warm sheath pressing around his fingers, or her blood and its memories caressing his soul. He hesitated pulling her blood as he worked her body into a frenzy, after all he had promised her relief , and judging by her response to his touches, she was well on her way.

Raul listened to her body as he held her in his kiss, the panting breaths, the sound of his fingers moving through her moisture, her soft sighs and moan and of course the pounding of her heart. He closed his eyes as he felt her climax nearing, his physical passion was ready to burst, but he needed more, he needed to see her heart. He needed to know what her heart’s desire truly was. “Show me” he pleaded softly as he took one last deep draught from her as she climaxed on his touch, the moaning and squirming of her body had caused his own passion to erupt explosively, causing a weakness he had all but forgotten could exist. He fell onto her, still holding onto his kiss as her climax reached her blood. This is what he had been waiting for, this is the balm he needed for his weary soul, he closed his eyes as her heart presented itself to him; the one she loved, the one she desired, it was their new friend, the wizard Sirius.

Raul’s head had swum with daydreams of her for several days afterwards, if he had been mortal he would have challenged Sirius, made her his lover, but things being as they were, he was satisfied to know she would accept him openly and without fear. She had never changed her response to him, even after he had seduced her with the kiss. She knew as well as he did that once he had bitten her like that she was helpless to resist him, for those moments she had become a virtual slave to him. But still she smiled sweetly at him, touched his cheek, accepted his gratitude for his release, but she never spoke of that day, he understood, neither would he. But she now held a special place in his heart, and he would defend and protect her to her final breath, even if it meant ending his own existence to do so.

"You were feeding of off her?" Cash asked numbly "Tris?" he waited as she nodded. Cash crumpled on the bed next to Angel as he held her hand tightly, tears once again falling from his eyes "We were all feeding from her.... no wonder she's been so weak. She should have said something. I should have known." he moaned guiltily.