Hello! See, I'm getting more efficient at getting these done. I've also been ill today, so I couldn't go into school, yesterday too. Hopefully this chapter's okay. It's a little bit bitty in places, skipping over bits that are unnecessary. I don't want to make the story too long, now, though since it's covering about seven or eight years, it is allowed to be long. (Take that saturnpyroprincess! Yes, I know it's long, but I need to try and keep a balance. Besides, it gets much faster paced now.)

Enjoy, we're starting to get into the nitty-gritty stuff now – this is war.

Don't hate me!

Chapter 36: Kidnap

6th July 1986:

Sirius, Kat, James and Lily had had wonderful honeymoons, enjoying the time off before they had to go back into the constantly fighting world.

"Time to get up, Kat." Sirius murmured, kissing his new wife on the cheek.

"Don't wanna." She grumbled pressing her face into the pillow.

"Tough. We need to be at work by nine, Kat, it's eight."

Grumbling and moaning, Kat finally got out of bed. She didn't want to. Being able to sleep in – nearly as long as she liked – was wonderful.

XXXXX

"Lookee here, it's the newlyweds!" A voice laughed as they entered the Auror Headquarters five minutes before nine.

"Good morning to you too, Frank." Kat sighed, looking tired.

"Didn't want to get out of bed, Kathryn? Or just… over-tired?" Alice teased.

"Do you really want to know?" Sirius shot back, knowing what moods Kat could get into when she was tired and cross.

Frank noticed the warning look. "No, actually, rather not."

"Anything new?" Sirius asked.

"Any news on that note from Voldemort?" Kathryn wanted to know.

Alice shook her head. "Nothing. I think he's waiting, Kat… Waiting to bring our nightmares to life."

Kat sighed in frustration. "What can he do? What can he possibly do now?"

The others shook their heads.

"We don't know."

"Potter, Orenda!" Moody yelled.

"It's Black!" Kathryn yelled back.

"It's Orenda whilst your husband is here. I'm not getting bogged down with mixing names." Moody shouted. "The Potters here yet?"

Kathryn frowned at his slightly paradoxical statement. "They just entered." She observed.

James and Lily walked in briskly, looking tanned under their uniforms.

"James, we've been summoned." Kat called.

James kissed Lily on the cheek as the two partners entered Moody's office.

"Okay, this is the case…"

XXXXX

21st July 1986:

Radella sighed and stretched as she walked out of St Mungo's after a stressful day working in the Spell Damage Department.

"Hey, Radella!" A familiar voice called.

The petite ash-blonde turned to see one of her best friends' elder brother.

"Hi, Jack. Shift ended?" Radella asked.

"Yep, just. You?" Jack responded.

"Mmhmm. Have you seen Kat and Sirius' photos yet?" Radella asked cheekily.

Jack winced. "And some I'd rather not have seen. A guy does not like to see his sister snogging someone – even if it is her husband!"

Radella laughed. "Never had that experience. I'd just feel sorry for any daughter born to the Weasleys."

"Oh?" Jack asked. "Why's that?"

"She'd have five older brothers. Six actually." Radella recalled. "I saw Molly in the Maternity Ward. She's pregnant again, just. She's sure it's another boy."

Jack looked at Radella sternly. "Now, now, Miss Leigh, you should not be breaking Healer-patient confidentiality like that!" He wagged a finger.

"Practically the whole ward heard." Radella rolled her eyes. "Molly loves children."

Jack nodded. "So does our Kit. Me, Joseph and Jonah have bets on as to when she gets pregnant."

Radella stared at him. "What? What happened to big brothers not wanting to know?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, Joe 'n' Joe, to use Kat's nickname, aren't going to settle down any time soon, if ever, and Poppy and I want to wait a few years after our marriage. So Kat, being married an' all, is next on the list."

"And your bet is?"

"Oh, I know what preventative she uses – Mum used to use it as well. She'll forget in a while. I said it'll be between the twentieth of October and the tenth of November." Jack smirked. "I know Kat. She'll forget."

"You are aware that you could just ask your Mum about it, right?" Radella frowned.

"That's cheating." Jack informed her. He frowned. "Doesn't Remus normally come to meet you?"

Radella nodded, a little sad. "He does. It's just… Full moon tonight."

"Oh." Jack stated, then realised. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

They both walked out of the building, wanting to take advantage of the dwindling sun.

"So how's the wedding preparations going? When are you getting married?" Radella asked.

"Autumn equinox. It's a family tradition." Jack explained. "We almost always marry on one of the stations of the year. The solstices and equinoxes are most powerful. We chose the equinox because of the balance of night and day. It will show us as equals."

"Why autumn and not spring?" Radella was curious.

"Poppy prefers the autumn." Jack responded as though it was obvious.

Radella gave a sigh. The talk of weddings highlighted what she could not have. Werewolves were forbidden to marry, and could not conceive children except with another werewolf because of the change in DNA structure. This had caused many worries for both she and Remus – Remus thought she would want marriage and a family, Radella worried he'd find a werewolf to love. Both had had to reassure each other so many times…

It was in these thoughts that Radella was caught off-guard.

"Stupefy." A voice snarled.

She dropped to the ground.

Jack whipped round, wand in hand, incanting a protection spell.

"Verath und stupefy!" Another voice said from a different direction.

Jack dropped like a stone to the floor.

"Are they the right ones?"

"Mrs Black's brother, Jack Orenda." One of them snarled, mocking Kathryn's new name. "And the werewolf's girlfriend. He and the others will be distraught."

"Particularly as he could not do anything to help." The lead Death Eater laughed. "Gather them up, and we'll get back to the base."

XXXXX

"KATHRYN!" A voice shrieked through Auror Headquarters. "KATHRYN! THEY'RE GONE!"

Kathryn stood, running, shocked to see Poppy Pomfrey screaming.

"Who? Who's gone?" She asked, grabbing the woman by the shoulders.

"Jack! He was kidnapped on his way back from work – Radella too! He's got them, Kathryn! You Know Who has them!"

"Voldemort's kidnapped Jack and 'Della?" Kathryn's eyes widened. "No!" She went pale, froze for a moment, before… "MOODY!"

"What is it, Orenda?" Moody yelled back irritably.

"Kidnapping. Jack Orenda and Radella Leigh, both Healers in St. Mungo's." Kathryn stated, before running to another office and yanking the door open. "Dad! Dad, Jack, he's been kidnapped!"

"WHAT?" Olden Orenda's voice roared through the Headquarters.

James had already grabbed Poppy. "Where? Where were they kidnapped from?"

"On the way back – they walked through Muggle London, only a little way down the street."

James swore – it was a busy Muggle street, magical residue would be hard to find.

"Okay, people, we have a kidnapping!" Moody yelled. "Muggle street near St. Mungo's – I want the Muggle Liaison team on it."

"Moody, what about us?" Sirius demanded.

"I'm sorry, Black, Orenda, Potter, you're too close to the victims."

At this, Kathryn swore furiously, flinging a glass across the room.

"Mystique!" Sirius warned her sharply. "Calm down!"

"How can I? My brother and one of my best friends are out there, with the Death Eaters, having Merlin knows what done to them… We can't even warn Remus tonight because he's indisposed and it would make the change all the worse for him… It's not fair!"

She was yelling by now, shaking badly, wanting desperately to hurt someone. This was the first time anyone close to her had been kidnapped.

"Kat!" Sirius yelled, grabbing her shoulders, and forcing her to look at him directly. "Kathryn! It is not over. Neither Jack nor Radella is any slouch – both know more Healing than the entire Auror Headquarters put together. They specialise in Spell Damage and Potions Accidents. Chances are they'll be able to help each other. Maybe they'll escape. We can't abandon hope!"

"I know. I just… just…" Kathryn let out a howl as tears came down her face. "This isn't fair!"

Lily was surprised to see such a strong reaction from Kathryn. She was so calm, usually, in control. And now…

'PMS?' Lily wondered, knowing how she felt. 'No, Kat's not that bad.' She winced at the tight emotions in the room. 'Maybe I should have chosen a different career. Is she… No, not that either.'

Then it occurred to Lily. Kathryn had spent five years in a coma after Voldemort's tender ministrations.

'She's scared that they'll come out like she did. Or worse.'

Then the final remembrance that Kat knew something of the future.

'What does she know?'

XXXXX

That night, dungeon at Voldemort's English base:

Radella woke up with a stinging headache. She was bound to the wall by her wrists and heavy manacles circled her ankles. Beside her, Jack was groaning.

"Jack?" She murmured.

"My head." He moaned. "Ugh."

"Mine too. Where are we?"

"I'd guess somewhere where – ugh – Death Eaters hang out." He responded, wincing in pain as his brain thwacked against his skull constantly.

"Well, well, my pretties, aren't you a sight to see?" A mocking voice spoke, a dry hiss at the doorway.

Lord Voldemort had arrived.

XXXXX

He'd had a hard time trying to get any information from them. Both – as Healers – had a certain degree of immunity to truth potions – obviously he had no Veritiserum – and were therefore useless, as they did not respond to torture either.

"Well, you seem to have nothing useful." Voldemort stated after hearing Radella recount the instructions for brewing a Blood-replenishing Draught for the third time. "Still, you can be fun. Let's see, ah, yes, Miss Leigh, would you like to see the kind of creature your beloved Lupin turns into on a full moon?"

He gestured to a window, the silvery light of the fat moon poured through it. It was so beautiful – and so deadly.

Radella began to shake. "No. No, please, don't."

"Ah, we have a little secret. What is it, Miss Leigh? Don't like blood-thirsty, savage werewolves?"

"I hate seeing what normal human beings have inflicted upon them every full moon, you bastard!" Radella screamed, knowing what Voldemort did to werewolves.

Voldemort snapped his fingers. Someone holding a vial of a silvery potion appeared.

"Ah, thank you. Yes, Miss Leigh, this way you'll never remember." He then sneered at Jack. "And you'll never forget."

The manacles holding Radella disappeared, she leaped up, attempting to run, but was gripped at the throat by the Dark Lord. He tipped the potion into her mouth.

"Yes, that's it. Now swallow…" She forced the potion down, unable to do anything else for fear of strangulation.

"And now… We wait, Mr Orenda. Or do you prefer Healer? It will be interesting, will it not, to see someone when they are first inflicted with lycanthropy?"

"You're sick." Jack informed him, furious.

"Maybe." Voldemort stated. "But then I am dedicated to purging our world."

"Well, why don't you kill yourself first, Tom? I have purer blood than you!" Jack yelled.

"Crucio!"

A thousand tearing knives. A million hot needles seared his flesh. Acid ran through his veins. Jack lasted a few seconds, before his mouth opened in throat-tearing scream.

And then it stopped.

"Do not call me by that filthy, Muggle name. You know nothing about me." Voldemort hissed. Then he changed. "Don't make me do that again. You wouldn't want to miss the fun, now, would you?"

The cell wall had become transparent. A werewolf was chained up at the neck, on the right hand side. Moonlight streamed into the room, giving a ghostly glow.

Jack struggled against his bonds. "No. No!"

And then…

Radella was thrown in, armed with nothing, wearing only a slip.

The werewolf soon tore that to shreds as it broke free.

Radella screamed, just once, as it bit down savagely on her shoulder. She fell, shuddering.

Voldemort watched in interest as she glowed in the light, and the werewolf was chained up once more. Radella shuddered, shivered, shrieked, once, twice, three times. The bite turned silver, and her hair gained two white streaks at the front from pain and shock.

Then all was still.

"Interesting. So newly turned werewolves do not change until the full moon after they're bitten. I see. Ah…" Voldemort's smile was sickening. "Your friends will be going frantic. Particularly your sister. I'll let you go. And then at the next full moon, I'll see how well a werewolf in their first transformation holds up under the Cruciatus Curse. Of course, I can't have you blabbing about that.

"Remember only the horror as that werewolf ripped through her flesh. Remember only the pain you felt as you could do nothing. Helplessness, despair, you're a healer and you can't help her.

"Remember it always.

"I wonder how well an Orenda will hold up under the Cruciatus."

"Crucio!"

XXXXX

22nd July 1986:

Radella groaned as she awoke. Where was she? She didn't remember anything since talking to Jack…

Jack! She looked around. He was right next to her, staring into space stoically. Both of them were unchained.

"Jack?" She asked, frowning. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong. "Jack? Are you alright?"

She noticed that she wore only a torn and bloody slip, there were wounds all over her body, but nothing too serious. She could certainly move.

"Jack, respond. Jack, how many fingers am I holding up?" She began testing him. Snapping her fingers, slapping him, singing – nothing worked. He was just in shock. He was catatonic. She swore, wishing she had a wand. He was shaking. Was this the result of too many Cruciatus Curses?

"We've got to get out of here." She muttered to herself. Sighing, she dragged Jack up, forcing him to stand, which he did. He seemed to vaguely respond to stimulus, but not much at all.

Warily, Radella approached the door. It was locked. She swore, caught a hold of her magic as Kathryn had always commented on, and gave it a hefty kick. To her utter amazement, it collapsed.

Next, she needed a wand.

"Okay," she told herself, "if I were a kidnapped person's wand, where would I be?"

XXXXX

Five hours later:

"We've got a signal!" Moody yelled.

"What?" Kathryn and Olden rushed forward.

"Exmoor." Moody stated. "The signal you've given your friends, Orenda. Davids, Laden, get out there!"

"And us?" Sirius demanded.

"Get to St. Mungo's and warn them that we've got a couple of kidnap victims on the way. Tell them who they are. Get them prepared."

"James…" Sirius stated. "Moony."

James nodded and Apparated out to where Remus would be picking himself up after a full moon. He was not going to be pleased.

Sirius and Kat grasped each other's hands and Apparated to St. Mungo's to prepare them.

XXXXX

Twenty minutes later, Laden and Davids appeared with a wounded Radella and catatonic Jack in tow.

Poppy, Elise, Kathryn, Sirius and Olden all stared at him.

Remus ran forward, ignoring everyone, as soon as he appeared.

"Radella!" He yelled. "Oh, Merlin, Radella."

"Remus!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

"What happened? James told me this morning you'd been kidnapped, and then –" Remus began.

"Remus, I'm fine. Just a few scratches and bruises." Radella noted her scratchy voice. "A sore throat."

Remus frowned. "You smell odd."

Radella looked at him. "I haven't had a shower –"

"No, I mean your scent. It's… different. But I don't know…"

"Shh." She placed her finger on his lips. "Let's not tell everyone, okay?"

Remus nodded, burying his head in her neck. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Er, Mr Lupin?" One of the Healers ventured. "We need to get Radella checked out."

"Oh!" Remus released her. "Yes, yes, of course. Check for potion traces." He smiled at her frown. "It might be the cause of that scent."

Radella nodded.

At that moment, a heart-wrenching scream rang through the room.

Poppy Pomfrey had sunk into her future father-in-law's arms. Except it looked like he wouldn't hold that position now.

Remus went forward. "What is it?" He asked Sirius.

"Too much exposure to Cruciatus during a memory brought to focus. We think something horrible must have happened, probably to Radella, that Voldemort had Jack focus on before he began using the Cruciatus. He's trapped in his own mind with no way out." Sirius spoke in a choked voice.

"Where's Kat?" Remus asked, frowning.

Sirius pointed.

Kat had sunk against a wall, knees drawn up to her chest, shaking. She was murmuring something.

"Kathryn?" Elise went forward. "Kathryn, what is it?"

"She was still Madam Pomfrey in the future. She didn't marry Jack. She didn't… She couldn't… I should have known… Should have known… What use are these visions if they don't help you save the ones you love!" Kat screamed. Grief was blinding her of what the future had to hold, she didn't care.

Her mother took her daughter into her arms, holding her as she would a child.

"It's not fair. It's not fair." Kat muttered.

Elise nodded, feeling the same torment – her visions had shown her nothing. "I know, sweet, I know."

Jack was taken up to the place he once worked in the ultimate irony – now he was a patient in the closed ward, mind broken from Cruciatus, the first of many.

XXXXX

Radella rested her head on Remus' bare chest, remembering the horror of the last few days.

"Will it ever get better?" Radella wondered.

"The war? What do you want me to say?"

"Lie to me."

"It's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after." Remus told her, giving an ironic smile.

"Liar."

"I know."

"If life were simple, we'd be able to get married and have a family." Radella sighed.

"'Della…"

"Yes, I know. I just… Poppy and Jack will never have that now. At least we have each other." Radella smiled at him. "Besides, we can pretend we can conceive children."

"Wh–"

Remus found his mouth stopped with a kiss.

But maybe they were not pretending as much as they thought they were.

XXXXX

Kathryn was sleeping restlessly. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

And when she did.

It was Alura and Damion. Damion was holding the hand of his young son Robert, he looked maybe eighteen months, if that. He held another child in a carry-chair, a small baby girl, maybe two months old. Alura had two other children, slightly older – twins perhaps – in a pram. They looked like they were going somewhere.

An airport. She saw the planes outside the window. They were approaching the check-in desk with their luggage.

"Flight MYT8-34 to New York." Damion stated.

"Name?"

"Jackson."

"Ah yes, four young children, right?"

"Yes."

The woman at the desk peered over. "Oh, they're adorable. Are they all yours?"

"No, the twins are my best friend's children, she… Well, she was kidnapped shortly after the conception. She's unable to care for them, and their father… he doesn't know about them. He's got a problem meaning he'd be unable to take care of them. And he's clinically depressed anyway. We've adopted them." Alura answered.

"Oh, those poor children." She smiled at Alura. "And aren't you good souls? Can't be easy, with two children of your own. Now, New York you said… yes, now, place the luggage on the scales…"

Kathryn jerked awake, breathing heavily.

"Oh God." She murmured.

"Oh God."

XXXXX

5th August 1986:

They were having one of their now more rare gatherings in The Three Broomsticks.

"Alura and I have an announcement." Damion informed them, looking excited.

"I'm pregnant. A month." Alura stated.

"Again!" Sirius looked shocked.

"Already!" Was Kat's question. "Good Merlin, you two work fast! What did you do, shake hands?"

"Hey!" Damion protested.

"I'm sorry, it's just, Robert was only born in April. I'm just surprised." Kat explained. She did some quick maths. The kids would only be about twelve months apart. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Alura smiled. "It was a bit of a shock for me as well. At least Robert was early April."

"You can't call him Robert forever!" Kevin Pierson (Robert's godfather) stated.

"He's right!" Sirius agreed. "What'll it be? Rob? Robbie? Bob?"

"Bert?" Kat smirked.

"Rob, I think." Alura smiled. "Probably Robbie while he's younger."

"Great, now, who's gonna buy the next round of Butterbeer?" James asked.

"You, you prick!" Kathryn stated. "You owe me from that bet two days ago. You were an idiot." She grinned at Lily. "I punished him, but you might want a turn."

"What did you do?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"Made his trousers icy cold. It's quite interesting actually."

And they dissolved into laughter, Kat trying to think as little about her brother's incapacitation as possible.

XXXXX

19th August 1986:

"Where's Remus?" Sirius asked Radella as they entered her flat.

"Full moon." She murmured quietly.

"Oh." Sirius slapped his head for his forgetfulness.

"Radella, are you alright?" Kathryn asked. "You didn't sound good on the Floo, and now I see you, you look worse. Is it work?"

Radella shook her head and flopped down in a chair. "I'm just really tired." She yawned as though to prove her point. "I feel really weak, and everything's just so much of an effort today. I think I've just got a bug. I threw up this morning."

"Lovely." Sirius pulled a face, showing he'd rather not think about it.

"So, how come you're here?" Radella asked.

"After what happened last full moon?" Kat asked, wincing at the memory. "We thought you might want some company after what happened."

Radella nodded. "Thanks, that's… that's a good idea."

Or was it?

As they chatted, there were others outside, carefully weaving a spell on the flat. And suddenly, the entire block went dark, and the rooms were stormed.

In seconds, thanks to the advanced Weakening Spell, the three friends were unconscious.

Lucius Malfoy held a malicious smile as he saw the bound bodies. "Take them to our lord. He will be pleased with our extra captives."

XXXXX

Alarms went off in the Auror Headquarters.

"Shit." James swore as he ran in. "What's happened?"

"Radella's place." Lily told him, frightened. "James, Radella's been kidnapped again."

He nodded, expecting it, but that did not justify the fear on her face.

"What else?"

"The Blacks were with her." Olden Orenda snarled.

"What?" James gasped, feeling faint.

"Sirius and Kat were kidnapped as well, James. They're at the mercy of Lord Voldemort." Frank stated.

"And with Kat's reactions to him…" James began.

"And her visions, which he strives to control…" Olden added.

"They don't stand a chance." Lily finished.

XXXXX

"Where are we?" Kat asked as she awoke.

"Why, Mrs Black, it's lovely to see you."

She and Sirius turned to look. And saw Lord Voldemort standing in the doorway.

XXXXX

A/N: Tell me what you think about the werewolf comments in here. And don't hate me for the cliffhanger.

Also, don't hate me for not updating my other fics – I'm having major writer's block – no ideas, nothing. I have a bad habit of not planning out fics when I write them. This is about the only one with a plan. The problem is writing – with school and everything it's tough to get motivated. Plus I'm re-writing my novel. Properly, cutting out all the bits that are very much eleven-year-old.

Also, you can thank my holiday in Fuerteventura for my now having a vaguely coherent plan. And the holiday was great!

Feedback, I need feedback! Speaking of, I had a flame. Apparently Kat's a Mary-Sue ('awful, really awful', and she wouldn't be taken seriously for 'blabbing about the future'. I'd like to point out to xseraphimx, that Harry Potter is a world of magic. Not only that but Kat's mother's line is known for dreaming of the future, and Kat's just woken up from a five year coma! Apparently my fic's on deleterius. I'm guessing this is a 'bad' thing? What's also annoyed me is the assumption that Kat is a Mary-Sue after reading one bloody chapter! You barely get a chance to know her character! He/she did say once nice thing. I have a 'wonderful writing style'. So it's just the plot she/he had a problem with, then?

Go read a different story!

Now, then, I promised cookies, didn't I?

Zekintha – I feel for you. It's not the nicest thing to read, is it? You get a cookie!

Eliot – yep, I'm studying Hamlet, Ophelia to be precise. Yes, you win a cookie. Enjoy!

And did I mention that my cookies are triple chocolate chip? Or plain with white chocolate chip, those are yummy! If you prefer, you can have biscuits though. Custard creams or bourbons?

Next challenge – what quote is included in the chapter, where is it originally from (episode wins extra cookies) and who said it to whom?

And if anyone wants to know – I have no chapters waiting. You get them as I write them, I'm afraid, so I tend not to go over them when I post them up – that comes later.

Ciao!

Lol, Tanydwr