The Ties That Bind (4/?)

By: Shendra

Shendraz421@aol.com

Category: Romance/Mystery/Drama

Keywords: Snape, Voldemort, Draco, telepathy, 7th year

Rating: R

Spoilers: All four Books

Summary: An old friend falls back into Snape's life, only to mysteriously disappear again. Voldemort returns, demanding loyalty this time around. Will he ever be defeated? Will Kate ever be found? Will Snape ever get laid?

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Kevin and Kate/Katie are mine, so if you want to use them, let me know first, mmkay? Corvus the raven came from J.L. Matthews… a great idea, if you ask me.

Credits at bottom.

CHAPTER FOUR

Katie paced her room impatiently. She'd been to the library but found it locked. Madam Pince was obviously out, and there was nothing else to do.

'Hmm…' Katie thought to herself, 'Maybe Albus is in. I wouldn't mind seeing him.'

So she headed back down the stairs, thinking about Severus and the boxes that were back in her room, still unopened. She had spent a lot of time thinking about whether she should open them or not, but in the end, decided she would do it later.

Still deep in thought, Katie took the steps casually and suddenly found herself thigh-deep in the trick step she'd forgotten to jump.

"Oh great," she moaned, "really just great!" Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she sighed. It was nearly impossible to get out of the step on your own, and as an adult it's harder. Some children are just nimble enough to get out, but Katie had never been. And no was no different. She could always call Severus to come help her, but he said he was going to go out again after they got back, so she didn't know if he was still here, or what. Her only choice was to wait for someone to come along.

It was ten minutes before she heard footsteps and voices from the hallway around the corner from the bottom of the steps. She was stuck and couldn't lean far enough to see who it was, but she could hear what they were saying.

"So you need any help settling in, Remus? I could send some house elves down to assist you…" an older, gentler voice said.

"No," this voice sounded just as gentle, but younger and weary, "I'm fine. I did it on my own before. It's not like I have much stuff anyways."

"Alright, let me know if you change your mind."

The footsteps came closer and Katie saw the edge of some robes, then a pair of worn shoes. She looked up to see the back of a thin man, his brown hair graying, and his dark blue robes patched and frayed at places. He was facing Albus but not saying anything.

Albus, on the other hand, was gazing right at her, his mouth open slightly in shock. He was dressed in dark red robes, and his silver hair twinkled in the evening torch-light. Quickly, he shut his mouth and looked at the thin man in front of him, then back down at Katie. A look of worry flashed over his face, but disappeared as he walked past the other man and reached out with his hand.

"Here. Let me help you out." He said quietly, his face contorted in concentration.

She grasped his hand and he pulled hard. Her leg suddenly freed, Katie looked over Albus's shoulder to see the other man, who had turned to face them.

She gasped and her hand instinctively went up to her mouth. He looked positively horrified, as if he'd seen a ghost. Then…

"Kate!"

Katie felt her knees give out, and she hit the steps hard, holding onto the rail for support. The man rushed forward to help her, but Dumbledore held a hand out and stopped him.

"Wait." He said in a soft voice, and the man sighed but didn't step back. Katie just kneeled on the cold cement, her eyes glued to the man.

Finally, she spoke, her voice shaking with emotion. "R-r-remus?"

He glanced at Dumbledore, then nodded. "Kate," he whispered, "Kate, I'm so sorry… oh God, I'm so sorry." He held out his right hand, and she stood up. Walking past Dumbledore, she took Remus's hand and he pulled her into a tight hug. They stood like that for over a minute, Katie shaking all over and Remus fighting tears while burying his face in her shoulder. Dumbledore stood back quietly, watching the two. Finally they broke apart, Remus dabbing at his eyes with a tissue.

From the top of the stairs, soft footsteps could be heard, then a quiet voice.

"Katie?"

"Down here, Severus," she replied, and stepped into view at the bottom of the stairs.

He walked down to meet her.

What's going on? He implored her, staring from her, to Remus, to Dumbledore, who merely smiled. Remus avoided his gaze, and looked down at the floor instead.

Nothing, Severus. I was just…

She took his hand and squeezed it. Let's go.

He nodded and Remus looked up.

"Kate…?" He said quietly, and Severus glared at him.

"I'll see you again." Katie replied, lacing her voice with finality. Then she turned and led Severus back up the steps, making sure to skip the trick one, while Severus scowled behind her back.

Once in her bedroom, Katie sighed and lit the fireplace, then sat on her bed and watched Severus pace. He'd been tense since he'd found her with Remus and Albus, but she couldn't figure out why. Jealousy? Nah, he wasn't the type… especially since they weren't a couple. But then, what could he have against Remus? Maybe she could ask him.

"Severus, what do you have against Remus?" it all came out quickly, before she could stop it. He froze in his tracks and stared at her incredulously.

"What?"

"Uh… well, you don't seem to like Remus much, why?"

There. Severus had twitched. His voice was toneless, yet anger laid underneath his words.

"I don't like Remus. I never have."

"But why?"

"Why do I have to tell you? What were you doing with him there anyways?"

"Why do you care? What difference does it make? And why do you think I have to tell you?" Katie was feeling anxious and angry. How dare he act like this! She expected him to slap her, or even storm out, but what he did surprised her. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his.

"Katie," he said in a no-longer angry voice, "Listen, you probably don't remember this, but when we were back in school, Remus and I didn't get along. His friends and I didn't get along. He hung out with James Potter and Sirius Black, who managed to make me… very miserable while we were here at Hogwarts. He's a… he's a werewolf, Katie, and when we were at Hogwarts, he and his friends played a very cruel joke on me that would have resulted in my death if one of them hadn't chickened out halfway through. Remus has never apologized and I am not going to forgive him unless he does." At this, he frowned and looked away.

Katie said nothing, but ran this over and over in her head. A plot, a joke, on Severus. Surely she could remember what had happened, right? It was in their fifth year, and OWL's were a little over a month away. Katie was in the library when she heard talking from the other side of a large bookcase.

"I'm going to teach that slimy bastard a lesson." The first voice muttered angrily.

"Sirius, what are you talking about?" another boy whispered to him, and Katie had peered around the corner of the bookcase at them.

The tall, muscled teen was baring his teeth and clenching his fists. "That oily git made a fool out of me today in potions. He added beetle legs to my potion when I wasn't watching, and the whole thing was ruined!"

"How do you know it was him?" the second boy said, his black hair falling messily in his face as he scanned a large tome.

"Who else would do it? Besides, I saw him walk past my cauldron a few minutes earlier. I should have saw it coming. He's probably still hacked off about you beating Slytherin last week, Prongs."

Prongs? Katie definitely didn't recognize that name, but somehow she thought it must be a nickname. Besides, she recognized him as James Potter, Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. His friend was Sirius Black, an unruly Gryffindor that constantly picked on Severus. They'd gotten in so many fights, she couldn't even begin to count.

They didn't say much of interest after that, and soon headed back to their table with a few books, where they met up with Remus. None of them had seen her spying, but she saw Remus look up and smile at her when his friends weren't watching.

That night was a full moon, and Katie remembered seeing Remus sneak off to the shrieking shack just after dinner. His friends disappeared soon after, claiming they needed to study for their OWLs. Severus had left just before her, saying he needed to see Professor Lestrange about the Potions essay she'd given them earlier.

A few hours later, Severus appeared in the common room, seething with anger. He brushed right past her and stomped up to the dorms, then slammed the door to his dorm behind him. A minute later, Katie followed him up, not even bothering to knock before entering. His dorm-mates had grown used to seeing her there, and most of them were downstairs anyways.

Severus was laying in his bed on his back when she came in, glaring at the ceiling. He didn't look over when she said hi, or when she sat down next to him. She placed a hand on his chest and sighed.

"Those bastards. I'll get them for this, oh yes, I will." He growled and covered her hand with his.

"What happened?"

"Just another 'joke' from that those pompous assholes. I've been tracking Lupin's disappearances for a while now, and Black comes up to me after dinner…"

Severus explained that Sirius had sent him to the Whomping Willow, and showed him how to get past it by prodding a knot in the stump. He'd left, telling Severus to follow the path to the Shrieking Shack and he'd find out where Remus had been sneaking off to. Halfway down the path, he'd been confronted by Potter who, out of breath, had told him that he couldn't go to the Shrieking Shack because Lupin was a werewolf and would kill him if he did.

At this, Severus pounded the bed with his fist. "That smug bastard. He had the gall to come 'rescue' me, then lead me back to the castle to 'make sure I got back okay'." He growled and Katie stroked his hair.

In the present time, Katie jerked out of her reminiscing as Severus stood up.

"Katie, please. Just tell me what you were doing with Lupin. I want to know."

His black eyes gazed pleadingly back at her, and he kneeled in front of her. He took her hand again and she stared down at him.

"It was nothing, Severus," she lied, praying he wouldn't be able to tell how nervous she was. "I just met him and Albus in the hall, and we exchanged greetings. I was just about to go back upstairs when you turned up." Shrugging, Katie stared down at his hand in hers, his thumb stroking the back of her fingers. Finally, he stood up.

"Fine. I just… I don't want you to get hurt by him. He and Sirius are still friends, and… well, I don't want them to do anything to you. You understand." Then, feeling like he'd said too much, he turned and walked out. Down the stairs and to the dungeons, he thought about Katie, and the look on Remus's face. A look of pain, surprise, fear, but mostly longing. Severus knew what that was, alright. He felt it all the time. The longing to be happy, to be loved and accepted. To finally get rid of this damned Dark Mark.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Remus following him. When he finally reached his quarters, Severus dug through his pocket for his wand to unlock the door. Remus took advantage of this moment and spun Severus around by his shoulders and slammed him up against the wall.

"What the-?" Severus exclaimed, grasping Remus's wrists, but he didn't let go. Instead, he felt himself being raised off of the ground by his robes.

"Now you listen here, Snape. I want to know what's going on between you and Kate, and I want to know NOW!" Remus growled at him, his face red with anger.

"What's it to you?"

Tightening his grip on Severus's robes, he raised him a little bit higher. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think you have the RIGHT to talk to her? To touch her? Tell me!" this last bit was screamed at Severus, and Severus flinched.

"Put me down, Lupin. You don't know what you're doing. What if somebody comes along?"

"Let them!" Remus still growled, but a little quieter. He glanced down the darkened hallway, and seemed to take in Severus's words. After a moment, he released Severus, stepping back.

Severus slumped down against the wall and took a couple deep breaths. He didn't know Remus was that strong, but he supposed looks could be very deceiving sometimes. Straightening his robes, he chanced a look at Remus.

The man was still flexing his hands, glaring at him. "Now," he said quietly, "Tell me. What's going on with you and Kate?" The way he said it, Severus thought, it was more like an order than a question.

Severus stepped forward, using his height as an advantage to loom over Lupin. "You tell me. What's it to you?" Remus glared at him, but didn't say anything, so Severus continued.

"What's the matter, Remus? Jealous?" he smirked.

When Remus reached back, Severus knew exactly what he was going to. The only thing was, he didn't think fast enough to duck. In fact, his last thought before he felt the blow was "That looks like it could be quite painful."

And it was. Remus's fist slammed into Severus's jaw, sending him flying backwards.

"Damned werewolf strength," Severus cursed as he hit the floor hard, and then he blacked out.

Credits go to the parties mentioned above, and also Cassandra Claire and J.L. Matthews, whose stories I've been reading lately, so if any of their quotes, ideas, or even characters make their way into here, it's their fault for writing their stories in such a way that it makes a permanent indent in your mind. Go read the Slytherin Rising stories by J.L. Matthews, and the Draco trilogy by Cassandra Claire. Go read them now and you WON'T be disappointed! So thank you, girls, for writing those wonderful, awesome, great stories and not being mad if any hint of those stories makes it into mine. In fact, if anyone wants to believe that I took my ideas for this story from them, that's fine, because they're wonderful writers, and to think that I am even close to being as good as them is an honor.

Next chapter: School's back in, and the Trio is back, along with Draco and the rest of the kids. What will they think of Katie? And what *is* in those boxes?