Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks to everybody that reviewed! Billiejoe, thanks for pointing that out for me. I really wanted Severus to be in a situation where he's insecure though..hehe. Snapegirl1...sorry but alas I don't go into alot of details with poor Sev and his injuries and suffering, and he does make a quick recovery. They'll be more pain and suffering on the way though...I'm so evil.

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Katherine could not remember a day that had been filled with such pain and dread. The morning passed in a blur as she helped Poppy heal Severus, who passed in and out of consciousness. Dumbledore came by once, only to check on Severus and to tell her that things had been 'taken care of', and that he needed to speak with her as soon as she was able. It was nearly afternoon before Katherine felt she could leave Severus's bedside. Poppy had gone to deal with a dueling accident, and Severus lay sleeping peacefully. His head was wrapped tightly in a white bandage, and his right arm was in a tight sling. Thankfully, they had been able to cure just about everything else.
"I'll be back." Katherine said in a tired voice.
Severus stirred, but did not awake.
Just as well, she thought, she still had to tell him about last night. She could not imagine how he would react when she told him that she had killed Lucius Malfoy, and done it without a second thought. She could not even say she had done it to save Severus, there were many other spells she could used that would rendered Lucius immobile, but still alive. In truth, she didn't know why she had done it. Perhaps it was the thrill of having the upper hand for once, of knowing that she could end this now and forever. And she had, but she didn't feel the happiness she thought she would. Instead on a hollow ache plagued her, knowing she had taken a human life, and in turn left a young man fatherless.
Climbing the stairs to Dumbledore's office and giving a few half hearted guesses at the password, she let herself slip deeper into a feeling of darkness. When the door finally creaked open, she found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, looking very tired.
"I'm glad that you've come." The aged headmaster said, crossing the room at once to met her. "I've been waiting for you."
Katherine nodded dully, and allowed Dumbledore to lead her to a comfortable chair and pour her a cup of tea.
"Can you tell me what happened last night?" He said after a few moments of silence.
"Yes." Katherine said in a hoarse whisper, tears of shame starting to well up in her eyes.
"We went to Hogsmeade." She explained in a careful tone. "Severus found some students trying to sneak into the village, and we took their brooms. Later, I rode one back with Severus. Lucius Malfoy had been waiting for us. He knocked us off the broom, and then threatened to kill Severus."
Dumbledore nodded gravely, in truth he had guessed as much from what he had heard from Hagrid and the two seventh year students that had come to him pale faced and shaking this morning, begging not to be expelled.
"So I used the killing curse on Lucius." Katherine said, her throat starting to close up with emotion.
"Did you intend to end Mr. Malfoy's life?" Dumbledore said in a whispered voice.
Katherine sat very still and silent for a few moments, staring down at the floor. A few tears slowly slid down her cheeks, but her face betrayed no emotion.
"I don't know if I did." Katherine said in a hollow sounding voice. "I never thought I could take the life of another. I would rather die myself than do it again."
Dumbledore slowly nodded, and reached over and took Katherine's hands in his own.
"There are very few choices that are simple in this world." He said firmly. "And even more scarce are those that come without sacrifice."
Dumbledore gave her hands a final squeeze, and then rose slowly. Katherine reached up and brushed away the tears that clung to her thick black eyelashes.
"Narcissa Malfoy and her son have been informed early this morning. She is coming to pull him out of Hogwarts. I cannot say that under the circumstances that I blame her."
Katherine's head jerked up at the mention of Draco. She had not been ashamed for taking Lucius's life, but the guilt she felt for leaving a young man fatherless was overwhelming.
"What will happen when the...when they...hear of this." Katherine tear filled eyes darted around the room, a rush of fear growing unexpectedly in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't intend for you to find out." Dumbledore said, pouring himself another cup of tea. "It will be a sacrifice to lose our spy, but I will not risk having you both put in even further harm. No matter how unstable the man might have quickly become, Lucius would not have acted without Voldemort's blessing. I have feared for some time that Voldemort that suspected Severus was less than loyal, and this has only confirmed that fear. You are both not to answer the dark mark's call, not under any circumstances. You will be safe at Hogwarts, for now at least."
Katherine's stomach dropped, but she managed to offer a numb nod of her head before rising out of her chair on unsteady legs.
"I should go check on Severus. Thank you for all your help." Katherine nearly whispered.
She knew this would a great blow to Severus. She could sense that he took pride in his ability to help Dumbledore, and he would not like being robbed of this duty. The walk from Dumbledore's office to the hospital wing seemed to last forever, and the nearly deserted hallways seemed more cold and unwelcoming than ever. As she passed by the stairwell that led down to the dungeons, Katherine froze in place at the sound of the familiar voices that echoed up the stairs. Her heart racing, she managed to dive behind a large suit of armor, her heart pounding so fiercely in her chest that she feared it would burst.
A stony faced Narcissa was the first to step from the shadows, her eyes narrowed in a look of harsh burning anger. Draco slowly followed, looking extremely limp and unkempt. His shiny blond hair and ruffled, and his face was red and splotchy from crying. Even now his fierce gray eyes shimmered with tears, looking out dully onto the suddenly cruel world around him. His two large friends, Crabbe and Goyle followed closely behind, levitating Draco's trunks in front of them. The strange party moved slowly through the hall, until they disappeared around the corner. Katherine slid down to her knees, crumpling into a small ball behind the suit of armor. The headless metal helmet turned and looked down at her, and Katherine buried her head in her hands.
She wasn't sure how long she sat there, hidden in the shadows. Students passed by every hour or so, walking together in large clusters. They all seemed to be talking of the same thing, Lucius's 'mysterious' death, and Draco's subsequent flight from school.
"Do you think he'll come back?" A very short Slytherin girl asked, pausing in front of the statue to pull up her socks.
"I heard his mother in the common room this morning." The girls companion said in an excited voice. "She told Crabbe and Goyle that he's going to be educated from home from now on. She said she can't stand this place, and that Dumbledore is going to get his soon enough."
Katherine waited until a dull numbness returned to her aching chest, and once again walked the deserted hallways like a ghost. When she reached the hospital wing she fond Severus and Poppy in the middle of some sort of battle. Poppy was trying to force a thick green potion down his throat, but Severus kept pushing the glass away. Both their voices echoed loudly in the nearly empty wing, so it was impossible to hear what they were carrying on about. Poppy and Severus both fell silent when Katherine walked in, her clothing rumpled and her eyes red and puffy from tears.
"I'll...you can take this later." Poppy said very suddenly, setting the glass down carefully on the night stand.
She then rushed from the room, shooting Katherine a look of concern. Katherine managed a weak smile, and took Poppy's place in the seat next to Severus's bed. Severus pushed himself into a sitting position with his free hand, wincing at the sharp pain this involved. He stared at Katherine for a few movements, waiting for her to break the uneasy silence.
"You look better." She said at last. "I was afraid for you."
"I've been worse." Severus offered. "I feel better already."
"Good." Katherine whispered, avoiding Severus's gaze.
"The headmaster told me what happened. You didn't do anything that I wouldn't done in your place. He seems that he was nearly losing his mind, and the ministry would have found him sooner or later. At the very least you spared him from the dementor's kiss."
Katherine's head jerked up, and she gave Severus a small very sad smile.
"I suppose so." She whispered. "I just wish...I feel very bad for his son."
"Yes, it will be a horrible blow to the boy." Severus said honestly. "But Draco is strong, and it was time for him to come out of his father's shadow and grow from a spoiled young boy into a man capable of making his own choices. It's a horrible way to do it, but perhaps Draco will realize the truth of the path his father followed."
"His mother pulled him out of school." Katherine said, surprised that Severus's words were in fact making her feel a bit better.
"I wouldn't have expected anything less from Narcissa. He will be inducted soon at this rate, I only hope he will realize soon enough that it would be a mistake."
With his free hand, Severus reached out to Katherine. She slipped her hand into his own, and allowed the warm comfort of his skin against her own to flood into her bruised and battered soul.
"You really should drink that." Katherine said, nodded her head towards the potion sitting on the bed table. "Before Poppy comes back and has a fit."
"I can't wait to get out of this place." Severus moaned, sinking down into the bed's soft white linens.
"You just don't know what's good for you." Katherine whispered, tracing her hand over the soft cool skin of his forehead.
Severus snorted, and shut his eyes. Katherine stayed by his bedside until nightfall, when she too began to doze. She awoke a few hours later in the bed beside Severus, tucked away warmly in the blankets.
"Thank you Poppy." She murmured, rolling over and falling back into a deep untroubled sleep.