--A/N: I just want to thank my reviewers. I write for my own pleasure and will therefore not beg for reviews, though I appreciate those who take the time to tell me how they feel about my story. I will try to update often, and as I have a large portion of the story written, I'm sure that updates will be frequent right now. Oh, and Sirius doesn't die in my story. In fact, my story is going to be pretty non-canon from where it starts so please don't complain if I don't exactly follow the books from the end of 5th year on. Ok, back to the story!--

Two hours later, Katrina was cleaning up empty pizza boxes and putting away the scant left-overs. She had reminded the students about their assignment before they had sat down to dinner, and now they were all clustered around the basement tables with their pens and paper. She had supplied them with the muggle writing implements and paper. It had taken some of them a little while to get accustomed to using the pens.

She went up to the living room and pulled out a novel to read. She curled up in the recliner and tried to concentrate on the book, but her mind wouldn't allow her to read. Instead she kept imagining the danger she and the students could possibly be in. There was little that she could do about it in any case, she told herself, but that did nothing to calm her thoughts.

She sat there for three hours, the students downstairs, when the ringing of the bell, which signified she had magical mail, scared the hell out of her. She flew from the chair and to the door, glancing at the monitor. She froze as she saw Severus' face, but when she saw the tightness to his features, she flew into action. She unlocked the front door and ran down the walkway. Opening the gate/door, she had to support him as he nearly collapsed.

"Severus?"

She got no response from him. His breathing was strained and most of his weight was on her shoulders. She took a deep breath, flung his arm over her shoulders, and began pulling him inside. She locked the door/gate and slowly led him across the lawn and into the house. She was glad there were no basement windows in the front of the house. She could only hope the students were all still downstairs.

She led him through the living room, pulling the door closed behind her, and led him to the stairs. "You have to help me, Severus. I can't carry you up them," she whispered to him.

His head rose slightly and he did help her, slowly raising each foot and ascending the stairs. The going was slow, but they didn't encounter anyone before they reached Katrina's room. She opened the door, led him inside and kicked the door gently closed. His weight was even more on her now, as if he were losing strength with each step.

She got him to her bed, knew there was no way she could get him under the covers, so she just helped him onto the duvet. He passed out and she had to straighten his legs on the bed herself. Once that was finished, she stood back, panting slightly from the exertion, and shook her head.

Sighing, she carefully removed his shoes and placed them by the bed. She searched his robes and found his wand which she took and placed on the bedside table. She looked down upon him and felt her heart lurch. Reaching down, she brushed a couple of strands of hair from his face. She could almost imagine she was back sixteen years in the past…

-- --

Remus' hand was on her arm, "Kat, you can't possibly be serious!"

She shook out of his light grip and turned to face him, "And why is that, Remus? Because he's in Slytherin?"

"Yes," he snapped. "Why can't you go to the graduation ball with someone from your own house? James has been asking you for weeks."

"Yeah," she said coldly, "He and half of Gryffindor, Remus, yourself included! Not to mention the boys of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Has it ever occurred to you that I may wish to go with someone who sees me as more than just a pretty face?"

They were in Remus' room in the Head students' tower. Remus stalked away before turning to face her again, "Why him, Kat? You know James and Sirius will go ballistic when they find out," he said quietly.

"So let them," she snapped. "I am going to ask Severus to the ball and that is that." She approached Remus and hissed at him, "And so help me, if you let them do anything to him, I will hex you so badly your parents won't even recognize you!"

He raised his hands in a gesture of defeat and stepped back from her. He gave her a small smile, "Ok, I'll try to keep an eye on them and keep them from doing anything stupid." He frowned over at her, "How can you even be sure he will go with you?"

She laughed lightly, "Oh, Remus, you are a dear but you are as oblivious as everyone else in our house. I've been seeing Severus for two years now. With graduation coming, it doesn't much matter if we make it public.

Remus' grey eyes widened, "Two years… Does Lily know?"

Katrina smiled and nodded. Lily Evans was her best friend and had been the only one to figure it out. "She's been helping me make excuses to get out of Gryffindor tower so I can spend time with him."

Remus took a deep breath, "Are you happy with him, Kat?"

She smiled and walked up to Remus. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder, "I'm very happy, Remus. We love each other very much and… well… we've been discussing getting married."

He gave her a small smile, "I'll do what I can to keep James and Sirius at bay. It won't be easy, but I'll do what I can."

She leaned up and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, "Thank you, Remus."

Remus had kept to his word and neither of his friends did anything to harass Severus right up to graduation. James and Sirius gave Katrina cold, angry glances, but Lily quickly put an end to that when she asked James to the graduation ball.

School ended and everyone began moving on with their lives. The deaths that had been occurring during their final year of school began to increase in number. Rumors of men in masks terrorizing muggles and wizards alike began circulating. People began disappearing and no one failed to notice that it was mainly the half-bloods and muggle-borns. A man calling himself Lord Voldemort claimed credit for these attacks and promised more to come.

Fear in the wizarding world was growing daily. The most mundane tasks outside the home were done with great caution. No one went out alone. Diagon Alley was a virtual ghost town.

Katrina and Severus were married in a small, very private ceremony three months after graduation. They didn't post the usual announcement in the Daily Prophet – no one did these days. Katrina's family was a very old and very wealthy one. They purchased the new couple a small home just outside London.

Severus was offered an apprenticeship with a skilled potions master. He had been the most gifted student in that subject in half a century.

Katrina, being quite skilled at hexes, had decided to take some time to do some research. For two years, she applied herself to the research of hexes and the creation of new counter-curses. She had quite a few papers published in prestigious journals.

For three years, they were happy. They had little to fear from the attacks going on in the wizarding world, for although Severus was a half-blood, his family was very old, and very well respected. They had also received certain… assurances… from Katrina's father that there was nothing to fear.

It was shortly after Severus had been called to visit Katrina's parents that his disappearances began. At first, Katrina thought little of it. She simply assumed that he was being forced to stay later with the potions master for complicated potions.

It wasn't until he began coming home exhausted, sometimes wounded, that she began to become truly worried. She tried to question him, tried to find out what was wrong, but he would simply ignore her. Their conversations became shorter, more clipped – when they spoke at all.

Two months after this began, Katrina realized there was something wrong. She had missed her period and certain foods were making her ill. She kept the thoughts in the back of her mind, knowing her husband was a skilled legilimens.

Severus was hardly ever home now, and when he was he avoided her. Then came the night where he came home so beaten, and so exhausted, Katrina had been forced to help him get to bed. That was when she had seen the mark on his arm. That was when her world, as she knew it, ended.

-- --

Katrina pulled an afghan over her husband – for they were still technically married – and shook her head. After she had cast the spell and disappeared from the wizarding world, Dumbledore had kept in contact with her. He sent her copies of the Daily Prophet that pertained to the war and to her husband. Dumbledore had also told her how her husband had switched sides, and had become a spy in Voldemort's inner circle.

By then, though, Maggie had been born and they had realized Katrina's daughter was a muggle. Katrina was well aware that many of her husband's beliefs coincided with Voldemort's, including his dislike of muggles. She had feared his rejection of their daughter and she had decided it was far easier – for both of them – if she remained dead to him.

But now he was back in her life, whether either of them liked it or not. The question foremost in Katrina's mind was why he was here, now. Why hadn't he gone back to the school? She knew from Dumbledore that Severus had taken quarters in the school after her disappearance.

She frowned and left her room, desperately needing a cup of tea to calm her nerves.