A/N: This is a revised edition of the original chapter, posted because on occasion I miss something important and, by doing such, end up changing the whole meaning of the chapter.

If you are just that interested, the change you will find between the chapters is near the end, and involves changing the word 'had' to 'hadn't'.

For those who have the read the chapter already, save yourself the time and just read the last seven paragraphs again.

Disclaimer: You know, after two year of doing this, it amazes me that you people haven't figured out yet that I actually am JK Rowling, and I have decided to start giving away for free that which I usually sell for more money then you will see in your lifetime and......*Breaks down into a giggling fit*...Oh dear! I'm sorry. I just knew I couldn't get through that with a straight face.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Where We're Headed

Despite her words, Orion couldn't help but see changes in Katlin over the next few weeks after her surgery. Physically she recovered well enough, but he wasn't so sure how she was handling things emotionally.

For starters, she out-rightly avoided ever going into the wing of the house where the nursery had been. If she needed anything from that part of the house, she sent Tets to get it. The rest of it she simply buried so deeply inside of herself, to look at her one would never know anything at all had happened.

Orion did his best not to interfere with how she chose to handle things. Richards had strongly cautioned him against trying to impose his views on her about the situation. 'Everyone handles things like this in their own way. So let her.' had been his warning. And Orion tried his best heeded it.

For himself, Orion took a more philosophical view of the whole matter. While he was disappointed, he was much stronger in favor of the 'planning' side of things. He, for one, had never intended to start his family out of wedlock. 'Right and proper' was the way to do things.

Something that was strongly on his mind one night as he rolled over on his back with a very contended sigh.

As he lay staring at the ceiling a slim, white arm crept its way over his chest. Orion wrapped his arm about Katlin's naked shoulder and pulled her closer to him as she cuddled up against his body.

"Meitz!" He exclaimed softly with a light chuckle. "That was too good for words."

Katlin gave a soft, contented sigh of her own. "So I heard." She replied.

Orion sighed happily again as he let his body relax over the soft mattress beneath him. Making love with Katlin was almost always a uniquely pleasurable experience in and of itself. But sometimes it was just extraordinary.

Tonight it had been extraordinary.

What the woman could do with her body Orion swore half the world hadn't even thought of yet. All things she had conjured up just to please him. To make sure that when they had to part in the morning, the sole thought on his mind was how fast he could get back to her.

A determined hand with talented, well practiced fingers slowly slid up his thigh under the covers. Orion chuckled slightly.

"Why Ms. Griss." He commented as the nails lightly brushed over their destination. "I do believe you're trying to seduce me."

Katlin gave a lazy sort of half smile as she watched her hand's progress under the white satin sheet. "You think so?" she asked.

"I would hope so. Hate to think I've been wrong all these nights."

Katlin pulled herself up until she was leaning over him, a shower of dark auburn silk cascading over his face. "Well, I have news for you." She informed him. "You have been."

"I have?"

"Yes." Katlin replied, leaning down and kissing him lightly on the lips. "Because half the time it's been you doing the seducing, Mr. Black."

Orion smiled at her as she slipped back into his arms and happily cuddled back up against him.

They lay for a long while like that. Orion watched the sky slowly begin to pale with the coming morning. Early morning was rapidly becoming his favorite time of the day. When they would both wake up, but still have a good hour or more to simply spend together before either had to leave. Living together was definitely one of his better ideas. But it was still a bit incomplete to him.

He sighed quietly at the thought, brushing a bit of the silk auburn hair back from his lover's face as he stared down at her.

"Katlin?"

"Hmmm?" Came the sleepy reply.

"Where do you think we're headed?"

Katlin shifted slightly so that she could see the window. "Well, it's not too late." She replied, turning to him with a eager smile. "How about round two?"

Orion laughed softly. "No." He corrected. "I mean.....from here?"

Katlin pulled up closer to him, lightly biting his ear. "Round two."

Orion eased her back. "I meant further than the next five minutes, Love."

Katlin sighed as she settled back into his arms. "What does it matter, Orion?" She ask. "We're together. We're happy. What does it matter where we're headed."

"Don't you ever wonder?"

"No." She replied, cuddling up to him again. "I'm happy right where I am."

"In the arms of your Auror lover?"

"Yup."

Orion gave a happy sigh as he nestled against her hair. "Who would have ever imagined we'd end up together, hey?"

Katlin shrugged. "It's not so strange."

"Really?"

Katlin shifted again until she was laying back against her own pillows. "My Dad was a German and My Mum was English. Those two should never have gotten together. And they met during the war. But my Dad met my Mum, they fell in love, and politics be damned. They met, they fell in love, they got married. That was that."

Orion sighed contentedly as he closed his eyes, "Sounds nice."

Katlin caressed her hand slowly down his chest. "It was. They really loved each other."

"Maybe that's what we should do, Katlin." Orion suggested casually.

Katlin pulled up with a happy smile. "What? Love each other? Great! Round two!"

Orion just managed to grab hold of her to stop her from landing right on top of him. "No." He told her. "Not that. At least not now. I meant the other part."

"What?" Katlin asked. "Meet?" She grabbed his hand and quickly shook it. "Katlin Griss. Deatheater. Pleased to meet you. Wanna shag?"

Orion held her back again. "Noooo." He stated a bit firmer. "Keep going."

Katlin stopped in her attempts to jump her lover and slowly pulled back. "Orion, all that leaves is getting marr....." But Katlin stopped herself in mid-sentence.

Orion smiled at her. "There we go!" He announced happily as he watched the realitazation dawn in her eyes.

"You.....you want to........get married?"

"Why not?"

"Orion!" Katlin stated sharply, pulling up to her knees in the bed. "Will you be serious?"

"Sounds kinky." He replied. "Maybe later. Never knew you had a thing for my younger brother though."

"Orion!" Katlin stated again. "We can't get married."

"Why not?"

Katlin held her arm up, clearly showing the dark mark burned into the skin. "Helloooooo! Deatheater? Auror? Not a match made in heaven, Orion."

"Do you love me?"

Katlin stopped short as she stared back at the man next to her. Nothing but complete sober seriousness showed in his eyes past his love for her.

"Well?" Orion asked.

Katlin gave him a small smile. "You know I love you. Why do you ask me things like that?"

"Because people in love usually get married. But you seem less than enthusiastic about the whole idea."

Katlin through back the covers and quickly crawled out of the bed. "Everything to you is black and white." She stated, grabbing her robe off the small silk covered bench at the foot of their bed. "And I applaud you. If you can actually manage to live your life that way. But Orion, face facts. There is nothing black and white about our relationship. And in that we have to accept certain limits that it has. Among them, we can not be married."

"Why not?" Orion stopped her before she disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Katlin paused for a moment, clearly thinking over her answer. But finally she turned back to face him. "Because we can't."

Orion sat in the bed, facing the closed door with a deep frown. She hadn't thought that long just to say 'because we can't'. Whatever answer she had been thinking of, he hadn't gotten it.

But he didn't feel he had to go far to find the answer she hadn't wanted to give him. It was the same answer that had been between them since the day they met. The same one that always stood between them. That steered her, manipulated her, and demanded everything of her to the point there was no room for anything...or anyone else in her life.

Voldemort.

A small smile crept its way across Orion's face as he continued to stare at the closed door.

She worshiped the man. Had willingly dedicated her life to him and his cause. But where would that faith be if she knew the truth?

The smile continued to spread.

She just needed to see the truth.