Katrina paced back and forth across the living room. Severus and Wormtail had been summoned over two hours ago and had yet to return. She stopped and glanced out the window into the growing darkness. She wished she could at least step outside, but Severus had warded the house upon his departure. She knew the ward was simply because of Wormtail, but it still stung.

Turning away from the dingy window, she headed for the kitchen. They hadn't yet had supper when the men were summoned and she was hungry. The morning sickness was under control thanks to one of Severus' potions.

Tonight, though, she decided to forgo calling Dobby. Instead, she pulled a tin of soup from the cabinet and went through the comforting motions of heating it on the stove.

She wasn't positive of the day, never mind the date, but she thought it was perhaps two weeks after Wormtail had first been sent to stay with them. Two weeks too long.

Pouring herself a glass of juice, she moved her bowl of soup to the table. She was halfway through her dinner when she heard the door open. She tensed, even though she knew only two people could easily enter, and waited as the footsteps approached. It was difficult to determine who it was, as the floorboards creaked and groaned with every step, so it was with relief that she recognized her husband entering the kitchen.

"Wormtail will no longer be staying here," he said softly.

She beamed up at him, rising from her chair and moving to embrace him. "That's wonderful news, Severus." He flinched away from her touch and she quickly stepped back. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," he responded, his eyes flicking around the room.

She swallowed hard, wondering what her husband had been through, but also knowing she couldn't ask him. Instead, she asked, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

His gaze slowly made its way back to her and he slowly nodded, "There's a vial with a blue potion in the small table beside the bed in my room…"

"I'll get it for you," she said quickly, hurrying off to do just that. She found the vial easily enough and noted there were only two remaining in the drawer. She hurried back downstairs and found him seated with his head on his folded hands on the table.

"Sev?"

His head slowly rose and he held out a hand for the vial. She handed it over and he uncorked and drank it quickly. The tension faded from the lines of his body almost immediately and she suspected that he'd been in a great deal of pain.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you," he responded, sounding exhausted now.

"Are you hungry? There's still some soup in the pan, it should be hot still…"

He shook his head, "I don't want to eat anything."

"Ok. Are you thirsty? I can make tea…" Katrina tried again.

"No, nothing, thank you." His head drooped forward a bit, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Ok, time for you to go to bed," she said sternly.

His gaze snapped up to her angrily, "I do not need to be mothered!"

"You do as long as you refuse to take proper care of yourself. Now," she grabbed his upper arm with her hand and helped him to his feet, "You are going to bed and you can get mad at me in the morning."

He grumbled as she led him to the stairs, but he didn't fight her help as he wearily took each step. She opened the door to his bedroom and led him inside and to the edge of the bed. Once there, she went to work on removing his robes. She shivered slightly as she realized these were his Death Eater robes, but she didn't hesitate in her actions.

She methodically removed his clothes until he was dressed only in his boxers. She pulled down a corner of the bedclothes and then maneuvered him so he was lying in bed. She drew some blankets over him and watched his eyes drift slowly shut. She turned, intending to let him sleep in peace, when his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. Moving to look at him again, she gave him a questioning look.

"Stay," he whispered, gently squeezing her arm, "Please."

"Ok, Sev, I'll stay. Just let me undress, okay?"

He nodded slightly and she could tell he was fighting sleep. She quickly undressed down to her bra and panties and crawled into bed next to him. His arms immediately wrapped around her, as if holding on for dear life.

"Oh, Sev," she whispered, reaching a hand up to stroke his hair as her other hand reached around him to stroke his back.

He tucked his head under her chin and began talking so quietly she could barely hear him. "He had a family of mixed blood tonight. The mother was a witch, the father a muggle, and two children. The children were too young to attend Hogwarts yet. Two little golden haired, blue-eyed girls. He… he killed their father immediately. Then, he offered the mother a place in his ranks. She… she refused and she was forced to watch both of her girls as they were raped and then their throats were slit. Then, and only then, did he cast Avada Kedavra on her." He was shivering by this point, and it was all she could do not to cry. "I wouldn't participate in the rapes. I claimed I didn't want to taint myself with mudbloods… I earned myself a handful of Crucios for my trouble."

Katrina's arms tightened around him as the shivers slowly abated and his breathing evened out. Only then did she allow her tears to come forth. She couldn't imagine what it took to go before Voldemort every time he was summoned, knowing that this was the type of thing he would have to deal with.

"Oh, Sev," she repeated before allowing her eyes to close and following him off into sleep.