Mohrg stared at Raul with a look of abject terror on his face, “Since when are the Gangrel shape-shifters?!” he asked angrily. “This is NOT the sort of thing you keep from an ally.”

Raul shot Mohrg an angry glance “The Gangrel are NOT shape-shifters.... the sidhe are... and unless you want to witness a massacre I suggest you help me hold him down until this passes. He won’t have enough control of himself to attack the right person, he’s too angry.” Raul quickly grabbed Cash from behind, only to be tossed off like a doll. Mohrg ran at him from behind and tackling him in the small of his back, managed to knock Cash to the ground. Raul quickly scurried up to the two Kindred and grabbed both of Cash’s wrist. Taking out a piece of indigo silk rope, he quickly looped it around Cash’s wrist as Mohrg looked on curiously. “Tristessa gave it to me, just in case this happened again.”

“This has happened before?” Mohrg asked as he struggled to hold Cash down “And you didn’t think to tell me....”

Raul shook his head “It only happens when he rages, the last time was when the Tremere Gustavas killed a child of his family. As I recall Gustavas himself was the only Tremere to escape. Cash tore through the rest of them without thought or mercy.” Raul shook himself as a chill ran through him “Seventeen Tremere and *he* killed them all in less than five minutes, he tore their hearts out, literally. Every corpse had its chest torn open and the hearts were scattered about the room, most of them squeezed into pulp. The Sidhe are powerful allies.... and deadly foes.” Raul said as Mohrg stared at him with astonishment.

“I knew Clan MacLeod was not human.... but I would never expect this from them.” Mohrg looked down at the still thrashing Cash and suddenly a thought occurred to him “Is Angel like this as well, can she change her shape?”

“Angel?” Raul repeated.

Snape slipped into the hospital wing just as the door to Madame Pomfrey’s office banged shut. He looked around carefully to see if any of the vampyres were still *tending* to Catri. That was when he realized Catri was no where to be found. He walked silently over to the only unmade bed in the ward and felt his stomach cringe with fear and guilt when he looked down to see the blood stains on the bed sheets. There in large splatters was his beloved Catri’s blood, he closed his eyes and shuddered as he imagined what those vampyres must have done to her. Even the charmed bracelet he had given her would never be able to protect her from something like this.

“The bracelet” he whispered softly as he searched his pockets, “where is it?” he fumed as he became more and more anxious. Finally he found what he was looking for, a small metal disc that opened up like a pocket watch, revealing a watery substance on the inside. “Find the wearer” he spoke forcefully as the watery substance began to move and shift, it quickly became a map of England, then of Hogsmeade et al, then of Hogwarts itself. “Yes, yes I know that.” he said impatiently “but *where* in Hogwarts?” He waited as the substance kept shifting its shape it finally settled on what appeared to be a hallway “lovely, there are only a few hundred of them in this school” he drawled as he snapped the disc shut. Severus suddenly heard two men yelling loudly at each other from within Pomfrey’s office. “Lucius Malfoy” Severus said as he narrowed his eyes, he would never come here alone, he must have brought others with him.

Severus felt a terrible pang in his heart, what if it was deatheaters that had Catri and not the vampyres, at the very least the vampyres *seemed* to have a sort of fondness for her, they didn’t seem the type to make her suffer. But the deatheaters would take no greater pleasure than from hearing her scream in pain and horror as they did unspeakable things to her.

Severus quickly ducked behind a screen as he heard the office door open. Lucius Malfoy was still screaming as he stomped out of the hospital and out into the hallway.

When Cat got to a safe distance, she let go of the charade and nearly collapsed into the wall, she hurt, her body, her mind, and her heart was pounding in her chest, it was so hard to breathe. She felt a bit dizzy, flashing between hot and cold, she thought she was going to pass out right there.....suddenly she felt a warm hand on her arm.

“Remus?” she asked softly as she blinked her eyes to clear away the fog.

“No, its me... Harry” he said as he looked at Cat with concern “What is it? Can’t you see?”

Cat cleared her eyes enough to see Harry with Snuffles, and poor Harry looked terrified, Cat smiled weakly, “its alright Harry, just a bit tired” she said weakly, trying to ease Harry’s concerns.

“Cat..... you look like you’re about to fall over, what’s wrong” Harry asked anxiously “not another episode?”

“No sweetie, still the same one” she replied softly “it took a lot more out of me than I realized” she couldn’t tell him about Sirius or Lucius, he had enough of his own worries, besides she was just too tired to explain anything anymore, she just wanted to sleep, to let the bliss of oblivion wash over her.

“You should be in bed, or in the hospital...” Harry insisted as he looked from Cat to Snuffles.

Severus waited until he was sure Lucius was not coming back, he quickly slipped inside Pomfrey’s office, he wanted to find out from Lupin where Catri was and what Lucius had to do with it.

The moment Professor McGonagall laid eyes on him, he realized what a horrible idea this had been. “Professor Snape!” Minerva snapped as she saw him enter the office “you have been accused of attacking Catri. Apparently she was quite fine when you forced Professor Sprout out of her own green house” she reminded him, she was tired of playing games, this was her family they were toying with “now she is attacked again by Malfoy, do you all want her dead?”

“And Remus, why did you let her go off alone, I can handle Malfoy just fine on my own” she added as she slammed her hand on the desk, making several of the glass bottles jump “find her, she is too weak to be left alone. You know as well as I do her bravado was nothing more than an act.” She rounded on Snape as she saw him heading out, presumably to help Remus “Severus you stay here, we need to talk” ignoring her, Snape tried to leave, Minerva narrows her eyes, when she spoke you could almost see the frost hanging on her words “don’t make me stupify you professor.”

“I can’t go to the hospital Harry” Cat cut him off in mid sentence “Lucius has already been there, if he thinks I am to weak to protect myself or this school...... the game is over Harry, and we lose.” she gasped sharply as the pain hit her heart again. She was trying to hide her pain from Harry, he didn’t need to see this.

Harry turn to look at Snuffles, he needed someone who knew what to do, Cat needed help, but Snuffles turned his head away from them. Sirius was still hurt over what he had seen in the greenhouse, it didn’t just break his heart, it had shattered it, along with any hope he ever had. He saw Harry look at him with pleading eyes, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. He turned his back to her and walked a little way down the hall, only to turn and see if Harry was alright.

He watched as Harry narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders as he glared at Snuffles “fine I’ll take care of her, she’s *my* mother” he whispered. Suddenly Cat moaned as she slumped against the wall and slid down, clutching at her heart. Harry was besides himself, he thought she was dead for a few moments until he heard her gasp for air, it sounded like she was drowning.

Cat started talking weakly, barely even whispering. Harry knelt down next to her so he could hear what she was saying “Don’t be frightened Harry, I’m not afraid of death, I never have been” she winced as the pain came again “Shhhh, it’s going to be alright Harry. I love you and I won’t leave you no matter what” she reached out to take his hand as the tears fell from her eyes “I’ve lived with death everyday of my life Harry, I’ll fight him if that’s what it takes to stay here with you. I promise I won’t leave you alone, not ever again. You are my son and they can’t make me leave you”

Harry was sobbing loudly as he held onto Cat “You have to hold on. Please mum. Someone will be here soon. Cash or Remus or Snape.... please.. .don’t die” he told her as he watched her slip into unconsciousness, her head slumped forward as her long hair fell over her face. “NO!!!! MUM NO!!!”

Sirius became terribly alarmed as Harry began to yell. Rushing back towards them, he felt his heart freeze when he saw Cat, it didn’t matter how much he tried, he loved her and he would never stop loving her. And right now the only thing more horrible than the thought of her loving Snape was the thought of her dying. Transforming he knelt next to Harry and scooped Cat up in his arms, “Harry, walk ahead of us and make sure no one is in the way” he ordered as he took control of the situation “we need to get her into bed *now* before she gets any worse”

“This is going to get worse?!” Harry cried as he reached out to touch Cat’s cheek, she felt like ice now. “She’s dead isn’t she?” he asked Sirius as his tears began to flow again.

Sirius didn’t know what was breaking his heart more, seeing Cat practically dead in his arms or watching Harry sob as the realization of losing another mother began to hit home “No Harry, not yet, and with any luck it won’t even come close to that. Now! Listen to me, I need you to make sure the hall to her room is clear, if anyone sees me.... well it’s a problem we just don’t need right now...okay?”

Harry nodded numbly as he walked down the hall checking to make sure no one was around, he could hear Sirius walking a few steps behind him. He turned to see Sirius looked down lovingly at Cat, he watched as he kissed her forehead and whispered something to her. Before Harry realized where he was, he saw the door to Cat’s rooms. He quickly opened the door to her rooms and then ran immediately to open the door to her bedroom. “Sirius... .hurry” he urged as he ran back to close the main door behind him.

Sirius placed Cat gently on her bed, she was still breathing but completely delirious, she was speaking a mixture of Gaelic and English. Sirius recognized some of the words, it was the prayer for the dying. He pulled his finger through his hair as he realized how truly desperate the situation had become. “Harry, you should go back to the tower now. There’s nothing you can do here.” The last thing he wanted was for his godson to see this, “you’ll need rest for tomorrow. I can stay with her until you wake up..”

“NO! I’m staying” Harry insisted “I’m not going to leave her, I can’t, she’s my mother, Sirius...I love her, I can’t abandon her..... Please, let me stay here with you.”

Sirius grabbed Harry and hugged him tightly as he closed his eyes, how could he tell Harry how bad this was. She *was* his mother, anyone with eyes in their heads could see that, but this was going to be painful and horrible, as much as Harry may want to stay with her, it would just be better if his last memories of her were happy ones. Pulling away from Harry, Sirius placed both hands on Harry’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “You have to leave Harry, I don’t want you to have to witness this. I swear to you Harry, I will stay with her until this is over” Sirius sighed shakily as he took Cat’s hand in his “one way or the other.”

Just as Harry opened his mouth to argue, they heard a soft rapping on her bedroom door. They looked up to see Albus staring somberly at them. “Minerva told me what happened. How is she?” he asked softly as he saw the tears on Harry’s face.

“Not good” Sirius replied softly “and from what Cash and Raul have told me there really isn’t anything else they can do for her.” he said flatly as he ran his finger along her cheek. “There is nothing more any of us can do, except wait and hope.”

Albus sighed heavily as he walked over to them “I should notify her father. He should be here for her.” he shook his head sadly “I promised him I would protect his daughter. She is his heart and soul, if she .... Magnus will never forgive me, or himself.”

Harry looked up at Albus with pleading eyes “Isn’t there anything you can do, or Madame Pomfrey? You must know some sort of magic to help her.”

“If only I did” Albus said as he placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder “but I do not have the connection with her that others do” he said as he looked pointedly at Sirius “it would take a deep and meaningful connection to both her heart and soul if we are to have any chance of saving her.”

Sirius looked at Albus with teary eyes “Do I understand you Professor Dumbledore? Is that all it will take?” he asked as his voice choked with emotion.

“It is the only chance she has Mr. Black. What was it Diedre always said?” he asked aloud as he looked deeply into Sirius’s eyes “Something about a mystery to the touch I believe.”

Sirius nodded numbly, he understood exactly what Albus meant, Cat had done it to him so many times, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it himself. “Albus, would you please take Harry to his tower? I promised him I would stay with Cat.”

“Of course Sirius. I trust you will let me know if I should summon her father.” Dumbledore reminded him softly as he turned Harry to leave “Come now Mr. Potter, there is nothing more any of us can do for her tonight. I am quite certain your godfather will take good care of your mother.”

As Albus and Harry left Cat’s bedroom, Harry paused and looked up at Albus “Is she going to be alright? Please, please tell me there is something we can do.” he pleaded

“I am afraid it is all in Catri and Sirius’s hands now Harry” Albus explained gently as he locked the door to her rooms behind him, no point disturbing them now, if her family needed to get in they would know how to reverse the spell. “She is in a very dangerous state of health at the moment, but with a little luck and a great deal of love, I am positive Miss MacLeod will recover quickly.” he added as he smiled. As Albus escorted Harry towards Gryffindor Tower they ran into Remus.

“Albus, Harry... have either of you seen Cat? She disappeared after Lucius Malfoy showed up and I haven’t been able to find her.” he said, panting slightly, it was obvious he had been running through the school trying to find her “I came up here hoping she would go to Harry. But no one’s seen so much as a hair of her.”

“Relax Professor Lupin. Miss MacLeod is in her room, with Mr. Black. I am confident he will everything within his power to make sure her recovery is a speedy one.” Albus explained as his eyes twinkled brightly behind his glasses.

Remus looked completely stunned “Sirius? He’s with her?” his voice was somewhere between surprise and regret. Remus grinned at Harry “Looks like her chances have just increased dramatically.”