Fragments of Us

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: None for this chapter

Chapter 55 – A Death Eater in the Ministry

Sirius levitated the tray in front of him as he opened the door to Kate's room. It was a bit late for lunch, having already turned 3, but knowing what was going to be happening later in the day, Sirius made one decision on Kate's behalf and let her sleep quite a bit longer than he would have normally done. Gaining entrance and closing the door behind him, he made his way over to the bed and set the tray on the table next to it. Casting a Stasis charm, Sirius ensured that the stew would remain piping hot, the French breads warm and crusty and the coffee hot. He smiled as he inhaled the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee; he knew Kate hadn't had any for several weeks and now he knew the reason for her abstinence. Sirius knew she would enjoy this almost as much as he enjoyed fixing it for her. He settled himself next to her on the bed, his body facing her and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Wake up, love," he whispered. "I've brought lunch."

Kate stretched, working out the kinks in her muscles then settled on her side, facing him again. "More eggs?" she asked, smiling, sliding her index finger along his cheek and across his lips.

Sirius crossed his eyes at her. "Think you're clever, do you?"

Kate nodded, smiling at him. "Mmhmm," she said. "Do you know what I'd love right now?" Sirius lifted his eyebrows in question. "A shower," she said.

Sirius leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. "I can help with that," he said.

Kate's expression sobered. "Sirius, I'm not at a point – physically - where I can…"

His eyes widened and he interrupted her before she could finish. "No! Kate…Merlin, no! I don't mean that we could – that I would expect you to – or that you would be well enough to …" Sirius stopped and ran his hand through his hair. "Katie," he said quietly. "It's not like that. If you're not well enough to stand in a shower alone, I would never think you were well enough for anything else. Trust me."

"I do," she said. "But given the number of times we 'showered' together, I don't think it's fair to ask for your help now that …this is awkward, isn't it?" Kate leaned over and kissed his lips softly. "I love you, but I think I'd prefer to have Molly there. She's the Healer, after all and probably used to this sort of thing."

Sirius nodded. "I love you, too, you know," he said, searching her face. "Really love you."

Kate nodded, kissing him again, tenderly. "I know, love," she whispered, stroking his cheek softly, her eyes closed, as she stayed close enough to him that their noses touched. Kate opened her eyes and gave Sirius one more kiss. Pulling back, Kate sat up carefully. To her surprise and delight, the room did not pitch and whirl quite as much as it had the previous day. "Want to call Molly for me?"

Sirius nodded and rose. "You sit tight while I fetch her for you. Once you've finished your shower, we'll have lunch." He gestured toward the table. "I've put a stasis charm on the food so it will still be good and hot when you're ready."

Kate smiled. "Thank you, love."

"Oh. Katie, listen," Sirius sat back on the edge of the bed. "Kingsley, Remus and Albus are coming by later. They want to speak with you about a development with the investigation."

Kate looked mildly surprised. "And you agreed?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, Katie-girl, I agreed. It's not my decision to make, after all. It's yours."

With another gentle kiss and a smile, Sirius left the room in search of Molly.

XXXXXXXX

An hour later, freshly showered, shampooed and dressed in Muggle stirrup pants and an oversized sweater that Tonks had been kind enough to include in a "clothing run" to Grimmauld Place, Kate was seated with in the kitchen with Sirius, enjoying lunch. While Sirius still thought Kate overly pale and, therefore, that she should be remanded to her bed for the remainder of the day, he lost that battle. Both Kate and Molly (whom he could have sworn would have come down on his side of things) firmly vetoed his suggestion of bed rest.

"She'll get no better if she does not adopt some semblance of normalcy," Molly announced to him. At Kate's triumphant snort, Molly advised her, "'Normalcy' within reason, young woman; you will not overdo. Are we clear on that point?"

Forced to agree, Kate was none too gracious at Sirius' smug smile when he heard Molly's follow-up comment. "Childish prat," she muttered to him as he held her chair for her at the table.

"Stubborn wench," he leaned down and jovially whispered in her ear before taking his seat to her right.

Molly didn't miss a thing. As she took her leave, she paused at the doorway, looking back at them. "Can I trust the two of you to behave yourselves if left alone?"

Sirius and Kate exchanged looks then burst into laughter.

"I can't speak for him," Kate chuckled. "But I'll be good – I promise."

Sirius shook his head. "She's been very ill, you know," he said to Molly, gesturing back at Kate. "Can't be held responsible for what she says." He saw the twinkle in Molly's eyes as she struggled to maintain her stern expression. Kate leaned over and smacked his arm with her spoon. "See? Violent tendencies. Perhaps you should stay," Sirius said, dropping the Healer a wink. "Give me some protection from injury."

Molly rolled her eyes. "If you're not going to promise to behave yourself, Kate has license to do whatever it takes to restrain you!"

They laughed again as Molly left them to their own devices.

"She loves you, you know," Kate remarked to Sirius when they were alone. "Quite a bit, I think."

Sirius looked over at Kate, his expression tender. "I'll admit that I feel much the same way about her," he said. "You know, she reminds me of James' mother in a way. Mrs. Potter always treated me like one of her own. It didn't matter who my family was or what mischief I got up to. She made me feel like I belonged. I'd never felt that before. I got a sense of what having a real mum must feel like. I've never felt that again – until I met Molly." He smiled at Kate. "She said I remind her of her own son, who died in the first War."

Kate nodded, returning his smile. "Yes, she told me that last night – while you were cooking."

"Now I have to deal with the two of you poking fun at me," Sirius said – and Kate would have felt a bit badly for him had she not seen the grin on his face while he spoke.

"You're such a git, Mr. Black," Kate said, reaching over and giving his hair a playful tug.

"Don't make me call Molly back out here to deal with you," Sirius said, capturing her hand and holding it tightly.

"You think she'll take your side then, do you?" Kate asked, squeezing his fingers gently.

Sirius nodded. "I do. She loves me, as you, yourself, pointed out earlier." His expression became wistful and he tightened his hold on Kate's hand. "It's sort of nice having a "mum" as opposed to a "mother" – particularly my mother, - even if it's only a make-believe one," he said softly. He smiled and brought Kate's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

"Not so 'make believe'," Kate said. "I think she enjoys thinking of you as her son, as well. And, what's the harm in that? If it makes the two of you happy to think of each other in this fashion, why shouldn't you? Personally, I think it's wonderful."

"Kate!" Kingsley's booming voice announced the quite early arrival of their visitors for the evening. "It's nice to see you sitting up and taking nourishment – even if you can't find a better lunch date than this reprobate!" he joked, gesturing at Sirius, while he placed a warm hand on Kate's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"What is this? 'Kick the Crap out of Convicts Week'?" Sirius asked, smiling at Kate. "Must have missed the advert."

"Kate," Remus' hoarse voice came from behind Kingsley, who moved to allow the werewolf easier access to his friend.

Kate was touched to see tears in her friend's eyes and she rose – under Sirius' watchful eye – to hug him. "Come on, you. I deserve a hug and I won't break," she whispered, putting her arms around his waist. Remus hesitated for a moment then brought his arms gently around her.

"We've been very worried about you," he murmured.

Kate looked up at him and nodded. "I know, but I'm going to be fine. I promise."

Remus smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Thank Merlin," he said.

Remus stepped back to allow their final visitor to greet Kate. Albus stepped up and hugged her gently. "I am most happy to find you looking so much better, my dear girl," Albus said to her, adding in a whisper, "and I am very sorry about all that has happened to you." Albus looked down into Kate's face and she knew immediately that he was expressing his condolences about the baby, as well. She felt her eyes fill and was grateful when he walked her over to Sirius, who put his arm around her protectively.

"Perhaps we would all be more comfortable in the other room," Albus suggested, leading the way. Everyone followed, with Kate and Sirius pausing for a few moments to allow her to collect herself.

"Ok, now?" Sirius whispered, dropping a brief kiss against her temple.

Kate took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's go," she said.

Once everyone was seated in the Great Room, Albus quickly brought Kate up to speed with all that had happened whilst she had been recovering. When he had finished, Kingsley repeated the news they had shared with Sirius the previous evening, finishing with Malfoy's demand for them to produce her as the victim of his alleged attack.

Kate listened intently, trying to quell the chill that the mere mention of Malfoy's name brought on. After awhile, she turned to Kingsley. "I don't quite understand, Kingsley. Didn't you tell the Minister that I was injured?"

Kingsley shrugged and nodded. "Of course. I told him that you were being treated at a private institution for your own protection and safety. He was quite put out when I refused to provide your exact location," he added.

Kate smiled vaguely. "Kingsley, do you think Malfoy could have used the Imperius curse on Fudge? They seem too close."

Kingsley shook his head. "Doubtful. Fudge is too ambitious – a real 'brown nose' as the Muggles call it. He'd do whatever Lucius asked of him without making the man wave his wand at all!"

"Why do you ask, Kate?" Albus wanted to know.

"He seems too wrapped up in Malfoy – too eager to jump through hoops to please him. Wondering where I am; agreeing to his terms in the interrogation/interview. I don't know. Fudge never struck me as Dark. Stupid, yes. Dark, no. He can't be completely stupid, however. I wondered if at some point, he had denied Malfoy and, in return, Malfoy decided to ensure Fudge's cooperation through some creative curse casting," Kate said. "But if it doesn't appear that way, then it could easily be my own overly-sensitive feelings about Malfoy."

"That would be completely understandable, Kate," Remus put in. "You've gone through a great deal at his hand."

Kate turned to Kingsley. "What would I need to do if I agreed to help with this whole 'interview' process with Malfoy?"

"Well, he requires that you be present during his meeting with Fudge and me. He feels that he is being accused of a crime and expects that his victim will appear to confront him. So, that said, you would need to be in the room." Kingsley paused. "Kate, I get the distinct impression that the man has something up his sleeve, but I don't know what. He may be planning to spring something on you during the meeting."

Sirius spoke up. "Is there any way of discovering what he might be up to before she meets with him?"

"We can try, of course," Kingsley said. "But there are no guarantees. Obviously, Kate would not be alone with him at any time; that's something I would not allow. She'll be protected, Sirius, I can promise both of you that."

Sirius nodded and reached for Kate's hand, entwining their fingers together. He said nothing further.

"I'm concerned that he not find out about this place," Kate said. "Fudge would automatically see it as yet another sedition attempt by Albus and sic his pet pit bull onto the case. With Dolores Umbridge running amok in the throes of her own paranoia, one hint of a 'secret room' on the grounds would make her explode. Unfortunately, the explosion would surely impact the kids. We're going to have to come up with an explanation regarding my whereabouts."

Remus nodded. "They'll probably ask why Kate wasn't taken to St Mungo's," he said to Albus.

"I'm a bit curious about that, myself," Kate said, looking at Albus.

Albus exchanged a glance with Kingsley, who nodded slightly. "Kingsley confided your news to me approximately two weeks before the incident in Hogsmeade," the old wizard told her. "Now, please do not become angry with Kingsley on this, Kate. He told me immediately after you had threatened to take your assignments into your own hands if you did not receive duties with more substance than he had been giving you. It was appropriate for him to do so."

Kate swallowed hard and nodded. Sirius squeezed her hand in support.

"Now, it was most fortuitous that he had informed me, as I was able to bring you here – and arrange for Molly Selkirk to care for you rather than send you to St Mungo's. As I'm sure you can guess, your condition would have aroused questions if it had become widely known. Look how easily Mr. Spear managed to overhear Molly's instructions to a subordinate; there are ears everywhere, Kate. How long do you think it would have taken someone to recall your previous relationship with Sirius – an escaped convict with a very high bounty on his head, indeed? And how long would it then have taken for someone to make an assumption about paternity? It would not have taken an overly large intellect to correctly guess that you and the notorious Mr. Black had resumed your affair and that you were, in fact, carrying his child." Albus reached over and patted Kate's cheek. "No, my dear girl, we could not have risked it – for your sake, for Sirius' sake – or for your Godson's."

Kate nodded again, offering a small smile to Kingsley, who looked enormously relieved that this secret was out and that Kate appeared to be reconciled to what had happened. "We will need to come up with an acceptable excuse. May I suggest that we consider stating that the recent mysterious death of a Ministry employee led you to consider an alternate treatment site? Because you are considering leaving it intact for future use, you would prefer not to disclose its name or location. Kingsley, would that work?"

The senior Auror thought for a moment, then his face split into a wide grin. "Brilliant! That's exactly what we'll say." He paused and looked at Kate seriously. "I have to ask you, Katie. Does this mean that you'll do it? You'll come in and sit in on his 'interview'?"

Kate glanced over at Sirius, who swallowed hard, but turned to meet her gaze. He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Your call, Katie-girl. You're the Auror; you make the decisions."

Kate's eyebrows rose a bit and she increased her own pressure on his fingers before turning to Kingsley. "Yes, I'll do it. When will the interview be scheduled?"

Remus held up his hand. "Kate, there's more. You need to know this before you decide for certain. Sirius, it concerns you as well." The werewolf turned a stern gaze toward Albus. "No secrets, Albus. We've already spoken of this and you agreed. They must be told everything before Kate's decision can be considered final."

Kate felt Sirius stiffen beside her and she knew that if she was feeling a bit anxious, his stress level must be well beyond that. "I can't imagine what's coming, Albus, but please tell us whatever it is that Remus is referring to," Kate said quietly.

Albus took a deep breath. "We are going to cast a protection charm on you before you walk into that room with him. It acts much like a glass shield that will surround your body and will deflect any attempted tracking charms or other, similar magic that Malfoy may attempt. We are virtually certain that he will be unable to permeate that shield."

Kate nodded. "But you are not certain."

Albus shook his head. "Not as certain as I would prefer to be. Therefore, I'm going to have to insist that you return here rather than to Grimmauld Place … and stay here until the outcome of this 'interview' is final."

Sirius shifted in his chair. "What do you mean by that, Albus? If the Ministry is just talking to Malfoy, wouldn't the 'outcome' be that he simply leaves?"

"Oh, no, Sirius, that's not what it means at all." Albus' voice was steely and the air around him crackled with power. "Kate will identify Malfoy as her attacker and will name the Cruciatus as the curse he used. It's an Unforgivable curse, Sirius. You know that that means."

"Azkaban," Sirius breathed.

"Azkaban," Albus confirmed. "A point that is undoubtedly not lost on Mr. Malfoy. He may have agreed to this meeting simply because he fears reprisal from the Ministry if he does not. He may also have agreed because he arrogantly assumes that Kate will not – or cannot – appear. However, there is also our other theory – that there's some other reason that he has agreed to this little meeting. One that we will not know until Kate walks into the room. I want to be prepared for all eventualities, however, to the extent that we can prepare."

"What does this mean for Sirius?" Kate asked them. "Will he have to return to Grimmauld Place even if I stay here?" She was unnerved when she saw Remus exchange a look with the Headmaster.

"Sirius must return to Grimmauld often enough to keep the Black family protections fresh and in place. As the current heir and resident, he must also ensure that Kreacher is kept in check…"

"But, Albus," Sirius interjected. "When I first arrived with Remus, all of the old protections were in place – exactly as my father left them. I don't understand why I would have to return to keep anything fresh."

Albus held up his hand. "Sirius, please. I do understand how difficult it will be to leave Kate and return to Headquarters. You are mistaken about the wards and protections, however. Upon your father's death, many of the protection spells morphed into a darker magic, recognizing only blood family – most specifically the next heir. If you were to go absent for a protracted period of time, it would stand to reason that those same types of changes might, indeed, occur again. It is Order Headquarters, Sirius. It cannot fall into the hands of any of your relatives."

Sirius looked away. "How often and for how long?" He asked.

Albus nodded. "I believe one overnight every two weeks or so should do it," he replied, adding, "Thank you, son."

"May I go with him?" Kate asked. "If it is simply for one night, what harm can come?"

"Katie, no," this time it was Sirius who answered. "It's not worth the risk."

"You are worth any risk," Kate said, her voice firm.

Sirius brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Thank you, love, but you misunderstood me. If there's some type of Dark magic attached to you, it will undoubtedly be keyed with a blood spell. That blood could only have come from Bellatrix, my dear, dear cousin. We do not know the extent of the damage such a spell could cause and, while I would not object to having Grimmauld Place blown off the map, so to speak, I should very much object to having you blown up with it. The plain truth is that if you do not enter Grimmauld Place again until Albus knows for certain that it is safe, we won't have to confront that eventuality."

"But what if we arrest Malfoy after his interview? Won't we be able to determine the safety then?" Kate asked.

"Not necessarily," Remus spoke up. "If Malfoy is able to attach any type of magic to you, it may not be triggered to be effective unless he's arrested."

"So, there's nothing we can do," Kate confirmed.

"Nothing," Albus said.

Sirius lifted his head and gave Kate a smile. "Well, Katie-girl, looks like you might have to actually do without me for a night every now and again. Maybe you and Molly can practice your knitting…or take some cooking classes to see if you can best my breakfast menu. I'll be fine."

Remus smiled. "I'll make certain that my schedule coincides with Sirius' visits so he's got company."

"We'll be bachelors together, Mooney," Sirius confirmed, raising Kate's hands to his lips briefly. "I'll behave myself like a true gentleman, however, love. Nothing for you to worry about."

Kate looked closely at Sirius' face. "Really," he added.

"Alright," Kate looked around the table. "Set up the meeting and I'll be there."

Kingsley nodded and rose. "I'll do it tonight," he said. "Kate, the sooner we do it, the better. If we allow you to fully recover, it will be more difficult to convince Fudge that you were a true victim."

Sirius looked up at the Auror. "When?"

"Tomorrow, if possible." With a nod to Kate and the others 'round the table, Kingsley left to return to his office and make the arrangements with Fudge – and Malfoy.