Disclaimer: Everything except for Catherine is the property of J K Rowling

Warning: Sexuality. Do not read if you are offended by sex or sexuality.

Chapter 9

Catherine woke up late the next day. She grinned to herself as she remembered what happened the night before. Getting dressed, she leaned down and kissed Severus and told him she'd meet him in the great hall. He muttered something in his sleep and she left the common room.

When she got back to hers she found Lily sitting in the common room waiting for her.

"Good morning, Sunshine! Had a rough night?" she asked brightly.

"Rough, yes, but not in a bad way." She said mischievously.

"Oh, tell me! Tell me!" Lily said excitedly.

Catherine laughed out loud and told her about the night.

"Was he any good?" She asked.

"'E was amazing." Catherine answered truthfully. "For sure ze best ever."

"Wow…" was all Lily managed, smiling as they made their way to the great hall.

The Christmas holidays were over and that meant hard work and lots of studying for the fifth years. All the Professor's kept reminding them that their O.W.L's were coming up soon and they have to be prepared. It was a little unnerving, but Catherine was calm. She had already done all this. She had been working hard on her homework, but was also spending a lot of time on her English writing and reading. Which she can happily say she was improving immensely.

Before they knew it Easter was among them and everyone in the fifth and seventh year were getting really nervous. Students were having panic attacks all around. Catherine had heard quite a few say they were too stupid to do exams and she laughed at them when they said that. Meanwhile she was studying hard with Lily and Severus in the library any chance they got, but Catherine was getting uneasy for other reasons. Severus had made some new friends in his house and they just gave her a bad feeling. Severus himself seemed to be pulling away from her and he seemed to be getting darker and darker. She had spent several more nights with him, and he was usually fine then, but once with his friends, he changed. Lily had noticed to and tried to talk to him, but he just got really irritated and stormed away, later apologizing for his behaviour. Catherine was hearing rumours about what they got up to in the common room and they made her sick. Yet every time she approached Severus about it, he just laughed it off and said it was nothing. He soon started getting rougher in bed and would sometimes get angry if she wasn't in the mood to do something on a particular night. Finally after a month of dealing with this, she decided she couldn't anymore. Their exams were starting in two weeks and she couldn't take the added stress. She decided to go talk to him. She found him outside alone one warm evening and went to go join him.

"Hey," she said.

"Oh, hi." He replied.

She sighed a little hurt by his lack of enthusiasm at seeing her.

"I was wondering if we could talk?" She asked quietly.

He shrugged, "I suppose," he said.

"I want to know what's wrong wit' you? Your be'aviour is 'orrid and you act like you don't care for me, or for us anymore. If zis is ze case Sev, zen just leave me, stop playing games wit' me. Eets not fair for ei'zer of us." She said, surprised to feel tears in her eyes.

He looked at her and sighed. "This isn't what I want Cat, I love you, more than anything and I'm so sorry for hurting you. I don't mean to, really. I just get carried away. It's all for laughs, that's all Cat, just laughs." He said putting his arms around her and kissing her. She hated herself for responding to him, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Eets evil Sev, just evil." She said pulling away from him. "Please stop doing eet. I want ze old Sev back, ze one I fell in love wit'" she said sadly. He smiled at her and kissed her again. "Okay, I promise." And they started kissing passionately and eagerly, both silently wondering if this was the last kiss they would share together.

The next day Catherine was summoned to professor Dumbledore's office. Feeling terrified she made her way up to his office. She knocked on the door then walked in. He gestured to the seat on the other side of the desk and she sat down.

"I called you here Catherine to give you bad news." He started, and she paled at this.

"Last night there was another Death Eater attack, in a village in Surrey."

She swallowed hard having a feeling what was coming.

"And I am so sorry to say, but your aunt and uncle were killed in this attack." She sat there in complete shock, not knowing what to say or do.

"I am so deeply sorry," he said, cupping her hand with his, "But there is more." He said quietly, and she looked up at him wide eyed, terrified at what other news he could have for her. "The Dark Lord has a target, and that's why he attacked the village. His target is you." He finished.

She gulped, "M-me? Why me?" she stammered.

"Because Catherine, you are the only person who has survived his Killing Curse and he thinks you are extremely powerful and would like to recruit you as one of his Death Eaters. Of course you may choose this path if you like, but knowing you, I'm positive you will not. If you choose to not join him, he will kill you; he will find some way to kill you. Even if he needs to keep you locked up for years before he figures out how." He explained. She nodded, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry, she tried to swallow before saying, "So what now Professor Dumbly Dorr?"

"Well, you need to be protected. I have found you a home with an all wizarding family where everyone in the house is a trained wizard. They have agreed happily to take you in until you turn seventeen."

She nodded, "Do I know zem?" she asked.

Dumbledore smiled, "Yes as matter of fact you do. You will be living with the Potter family. James has already been informed I'm sure, by his mother."

She paled even more at this statement, "Now Catherine, you are excused from classes for this week, study hard, next week is your last week before exams. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to come see me, and once again, I am so sorry for your loss." He said and she gave him a weak smile and walked out. She didn't know how to feel about it, she barely knew her aunt and uncle, she had spent last summer with them, but that was the first time in almost 10 years. She walked back to the common room in shock, walking in she took a seat in an armchair and stared off into space.