Disclaimer: As much as I would love too, I don't own anything that has been previously mentioned in the Harry Potter Books.

Author's Note(s): Sorry I didn't put Volde's plan in the last chap. It'll be in this one or the next one. Promise.
There's a bit more romance too, but not much Ron & Hermione because I can write Ron very well.

The Tale of a Dragon
Ch16: An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Draco woke with an arm lying over the top of him that wasn't his own. It was Harry's. He gasped when he saw the scratches that covered the Gryffindor's body, and then swore when he saw his upper arm wrapped up in blood soaked bandages.

Draco knew that was where the infecting bite was and Harry's complexion was a sickly colour and he was feverish.

'Was I this bad when I was bitten?' Draco got out of his half of the bed and Harry whined and rolled over where Draco had been a second ago, burying his face in the pillow and subconsciously inhaling deeply.

Draco smiled slightly and he sighed. He went into the private bathroom, got a washcloth and a hair-tie then soaked the cloth in cold water and cast a cooling charm on it to make it even colder.

When he got back Harry still had his head buried in Draco's pillow. He tied up the shoulder length hair roughly so the back of Harry's neck was exposed. He rested the cloth on his neck and pulled the blankets up higher.

Not completely sure what he was doing, Draco sat on the bed and picked Harry up and sat him on his lap, still wrapped up in blankets. He dabbed the sodden washcloth over his mate's face and then undid some of his buttons of his shirt and dabbed it on his chest, while holding the boy close to him.


Remus sat at the table where the Order members were having a meeting. It was about Draco and the recent 'discovery' about his lycanthropy.

Kath had her sleave rolled up so her mark was visible. She was explaining that hers didn't work either, so it came out light grey, instead of red. Apparently the first time she was summoned, the mark changed and had a blood red outline around it, which became permanent, but changed to black when she was summoned.

"It's so unfair," she complained, "His is silver and mine is grey. Silver is so much cooler then Grey! Why can't mine be silver?"

"Kathy… Shut up."

Kath looked at Severus with concern in her eyes. He had his elbow on the table and his forehead leaning on it, looking down. And it wasn't like him no not have a witty (yet sarcastic) comment. The obvious display of vulnerability was incredibly uncharacteristic too.

She decided to ask him about it afterwards, correctly assuming that he wouldn't want attention drawn to it.

"I think it's obvious that he doesn't want him in his army anymore."

"Ahh, that's the thing, see?" Moody said mysteriously, shifting in his seat so he could put his elbows on the table. "Why not? He wants Dark Creatures for his army, so, why reject a werewolf that's the son of on of his most loyal followers. Because his planning something, that's why!" He slammed his fist on the table. Severus winced. "He wanted us to find him."

"Why would he chain him up in a room them?" Asked Remus.

"Why would he put chains on the walls that lead to the skylight, use weak chains to chain him up, have no guards, and be away from the mansion." Moody countered smoothly.

"You're just being paranoid. You always jump to con…"

"Katherine, Severus, do either of you know of what he might be trying to do?" Dumbledore interrupted.

"Mad-Eye's right Albus. He wanted us to get him."

"Do you know why?"

Kath glanced to Severus, expecting him to put his two knuts worth in, like he usually did. His posture didn't change.

"Not yet. But he should call us soon to brag." She said hesitantly. With another glance at Severus, she added. "Voldemort likes to do that."

'At least the word 'Voldemort' got a reaction out of him' Thought Kath, while Remus was thinking,

'I'm going to have to tell them about Harry and Draco. They're all going to blame me, even if there was nothing I could do. He would have found another was of getting bitten. At least it was by me, and not one that didn't know not to kill him. Dumbledore should understand about keeping mates apart.'

Remus nervously half-raised his hand. "Umm, I think there's something else we need to talk about."

Kath knew about Harry and Draco being mates, but decided it would be much more fun watching Remus try to explain then explaining it herself.

"Umm." His eyebrows met in concentration. "It's about Harry and Draco." Dumbledore smiled encouragingly, his eyes twinkling at full power. "They're life mates. And Harry is now a Werewolf too." Remus physically braced himself.

All the order members started talking at once, with three exceptions. Kath, who leaned back in her chain and watched, Remus, who looked like he would gladly crawl under a rock and stay there to die, and Severus, who didn't do anything.

Like he had predicted, most of the blaming was pointed at Remus. He flung his fork on the ground and went down to grab it, and didn't come back up.

Dumbledore held up a hand and everyone fell silent. "Life mates can't 'choose' each other when one is not a werewolf if the love is unusually strong. When they realize they love each other, they will stop at nothing to be together. It was for the best, I'm sure."

Remus appeared from under the table. There was a tense silence that Kath felt she needed to break.

"Hiding under the table, Remus, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Disgraceful behaviour for a Gryffindor."

There was the scatter of laughter and Remus smiled at her in a silent 'thank you'.

"Well, if that's it then." Severus said suddenly and stood. Everyone else followed his lead and stood to go, but he was already out the door.

"Katherine, may I speak with you?"

"Yeah, sure Albus."

Dumbledore didn't speak until the last person had left and closed the door. "I am aware of your condition, despite your efforts to conceal it."

Kath found herself blushing. "I'm going to abort, if that's ok with you. I'm only a month along, so I should be able to."

"Why? This pregnancy might be the very thing this order needs. Does Voldemort know you are carrying his heir?"

"No. I don't think he does. But it's a rape child. I don't want to have to explain it to my child when it's older."

"Is that the only reason?"

"That, and Voldemort's the father." She answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I would talk it over with Severus first if I were you. If you decide to keep it, you and Miss Granger can support each other until they're born."

"I'll talk to Sev. But, can you go tell everyone else as soon as possible?"

"Yes, I can. And may I say, congratulations on being able to hide it from Molly, as she seems to have a hidden talent at spotting these things out."


Severus lay on Kath's bed. His head was pounding in a way that made him feel like he was going to be sick, his nose was blocked, and he didn't have the energy to make a potion to help it go away. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach.

He heard the door open and soft footsteps approaching where he was. The mattress shifted as someone sat down.

"Sev?" It was Kathy. He'd know her voice anywhere. He gave a muffled groan. "Are you alright?"

'Do I look alright to you?' he thought, and was going to say, but he settled on another groan.

"What's wrong?"

'Damn it! I have to use words for this answer.' He turned his head to look at her. "I don't feel well, Kath."

She sighed sympathetically and placed a hand on his forehead. "You have a temperature, not too bad, but bad enough. You should get some sleep. You've been working too hard with the potions for Draco."

"I have to make some for Potter too now."

"I'll make them… Don't look at me like that. I can make potions almost as well as you can. And I need to talk to you about something when you're feeling better."

"Why not now?"

She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "No. I think I'll wait. You just worry about getting better, ok?"

"Ok. Kath?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring me a box of tissues please?"

"Sure thing, Sev."


Hermione crouched next to the toilet bowl, which was where she had spent most of the day. Ron sat on the bench next to the sink.

"Mia, you've been bent over that thing for ages and nothings happened. Can we please go get something to eat?"

"You can go Ronald, but I'll stay. I'm going to be sick."

Ron sighed. "If you're this determined to puke then shove your fingers down your throat."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron sighed again. "I'm going to go get food. Do you want me to bring you some?"

"No, it'll just make me sick."

Now it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. He left to go get something. On the way he ran into his mother.

"Hello Ron, dear. I haven't seen you all morning. How's Hermione?"

"She leaning over the toilet and won't move until she's thrown up. But it looks like it'll take a while before she does."

"Bring some to her, the smell should set her off." Said Kath as she passed with a box of tissues in her hand.

Molly nodded at Ron then looked back up at Kath, she raised an eyebrow. There was something about Kath, she could sense it, but it wasn't pregnancy, she didn't have that natural glow, and she should be getting tired and have morning sickness.

"Why do you have a box of tissues?" Ron called after her.

Kath apparently didn't hear, since she was already at the top of the stairs.

Ron decided to take her advice and he entered the bathroom with a plate carrying eggs on toast, which was more of a breakfast type of thing, not lunch, but he didn't care. He was eating an apple too when he entered.

He offered her a bite and that seemed to send he over the edge. She threw up so violently she didn't stop until there was absolutely nothing in her stomach, except stomach acid, and there was a lot less of that.

"Ouch." She wheezed afterwards.

"Mia, I'm sorry. Do you feel better now?"

"I need to go lie down now." She stood up and used some mouthwash before leaving. Ron flushed the toilet for her.


Harry opened his eyes and tried to blink away the blurriness from his vision. He realized someone had taken his glasses off.

He lifted his head up and had to hold his hand to his mouth to stop himself gagging. The smells swamped him and his head spun. He found his glasses one-handed while the other held his nose.

Something moved underneath him, he jumped and went for his wand.

"S'not there." Someone mumbled. Harry looked down and saw he was lying on top of Draco. He could tell Draco smelt like vanilla and lavender, and it seemed to relax him. Draco lazily opened one eye, then the other.

"Draco. Where are we?"

"Your room. How're you felling?"

"Dizzy, and my arm's sore, but apart from that, I'm fine." Draco reached up and ran a hand through Harry's hair.

"You didn't have too do it, you know. I'm not worth it."

"Yes, you are. I love you, Draco."

"And I love you, Harry."

Harry lent down and pressed his lips onto Draco's. He sighed contently and ran his tongue along the opening of Draco's mouth. He opened up and let Harry gain access. They explored each other's mouth thoroughly before Draco broke the kiss because he needed air.

Then Harry ruined the romantic moment by breathing through his nose. It made him choke and Draco sat up quickly. "Are you ok?"

"I can smell everything. And it's making my eyes water."

"Don't breath as deeply and… Do you know when you can kind of taste a smell?"

"Yeah."

"Concentrate on tasting smells rather then smelling them. It takes some getting used to, but it'll work."

"Thanks." They both lay down again, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry, and he nuzzled his nose in the crook of Draco's neck to swamp his nose with the smell of Draco, rather then that of the dusty house. Then he pulled back. "Oh! Sorry."

"Why?" asked Draco, generally confused.

"You don't like people touching your neck."

"Nah. It's ok if it's you, I don't know why though, but it doesn't bother me."

"Cool." He resumed his previous position and Draco sighed contently.


Kath tried not to wince when Severus sneezed. It was difficult, because hearing it would make even Voldemort himself wince, but she knew it annoyed him when people did, so she did her best not to.

"Bless you." She said automatically.

He had slept a very short, light sleep before he woke up with a cold. At least his headache wasn't as bad.

He had insisted on watching Kath brew the potions. She had a table set up in her (their) room with five full, small cauldrons on it. One cauldron had a potion to help Severus get better, while one of the others was to help him sleep.

One was for Draco to help with his cuts and bruises, and one for Harry to help him control his enhanced senses.

The last one was larger then the others and contained a potion to help with morning sickness. When Severus had asked why that one was bigger then the others, she had said it was because Hermione would need three months worth, so there needed to be more. He didn't believe her.

"That potion only keeps for one month, after that it's poisonous, you have enough for two."

"I didn't know it didn't keep." She kept her gaze locked firmly on the potion in front of her.

"Katherine." He said dangerously. "I'm not in the mood."

She made her way around the table to the bed and crouched next to it. Severus raised his head off the pillow, sat up and turned on an angle so he could see her.

"I need your help making a decision, Sev. This may come as a shock, but…" She looked down, her eyes pricked with tears.

'He's going to think I'm a slut. What the fuck am I doing? I should have just aborted.'

"I've been hiding it." She fought the tears, but knew it was hopeless so she let them come. "With every spell a-and potion I know." Her voice broke and she put her head down on the bed. Tears streamed down her face.

'This is so fucked up. Why do I have to 'talk it over' with him anyway? He's not going to want to be involved with this. He's not the 'fatherly' type.'

She felt his hand rest on her shoulder. This was the first time he had ever seen her cry, and it worried him.

"Kathy, come here."

"Oh, Sev." She whispered weakly. He pulled her up onto the bed and opened the blankets up for her, she crawled under them with no objections. He wrapped his arms around her, but didn't say anything.

He really didn't need to though. She felt that him just being there was enough.

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled into his chest once she had calmed down. "I didn't want anyone to know… I-I'm pregnant."

He raised an eyebrow. " And who, may I ask, is the father?"

"Voldemort." She whispered. Before bursting into tears again. Severus turned his head to the side, away from Kath, and let out a series of painful coughs that shook his entire body.

Kath reached up and put her hand on his cheek. It felt clammy. "I'm sorry, Sev. You don't need all this dumped on you. That's why I wanted to wait 'till you felt better."

"You needed to get it off your chest, it's fine. Now, what did you want my help with?"

"I need to know if I should terminate the pregnancy or not."

"Merlin." He buried his head into her hair. "That's your decision. I can't make it for you. But what I would do is take that potion off the heat. Or it's going to overflow." He pointed to the potion in the middle without looking up.

"Oh, fuck!" She flew out of the bed and went to take care of the potion. Severus chuckled hoarsely, but was cut off by a sharp pain in his arm.

Kath gasped and held her mark. The outline had gone from red to black.



Author's Note Number Two: Sorry if Kath is dominating the plot. But her pregnancy is important for the sequel.
Her pregnancy was made up on the spur of the moment to give Hermione some company.
Sorry if the 'Voldemort's heir' is a bit overused.

Sorry if Kath is dominating the plot. But her pregnancy is important for the sequel.Her pregnancy was made up on the spur of the moment to give Hermione some company.Sorry if the 'Voldemort's heir' is a bit overused.