Chapter 18

"Are you out of your mind, Remus? We can't let her go back to Hogwarts! She is one of their most wanted now. It wouldn't be safe!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed.

"Molly, it's the only thing that she has asked for since she has been here, and the school is pretty safe." Lupin responded.

"Pretty safe?" The red-headed woman questioned, "Pretty safe? I wouldn't be surprised if the place wasn't crawling with Death Eaters by now! Honestly, Remus, what were you thinking? She is here for a reason. She was sent here so that we can protect her. We can't protect her if she is in that blasted school!"

"You asked Lupin to take you back to Hogwarts?" Theo asked quietly as he joined Cait at the formal dining room table.

She had chosen the spot because of its proximity to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley and Lupin were having their conversation, and also because once they calmed down and came to talk to her she would be ready to rationally negotiate with them. It didn't really matter what they decided on, she was returning to Hogwarts. There was no way that she was going to sit back while Draco was attainable to her.

"Yeah, I'm going back. It's my fault that he is in this mess in the first place. I have to make sure for myself that he is okay."

"Draco is pretty capable of self-preservation, Caity."

"Teddy, I'm in love with him."

Theo sat back at his sister's confession. He had known before either of them that they shared feelings for each other, but it was still a bit of a shock to hear the words come out of Cait's mouth.

Finally Theo nodded, "Just be careful, okay?"

Cait gave her twin a half smile, "As careful as I can be."

The halls of Hogwarts were exactly as Cait remembered them. Right now, though, they were quiet and empty. She had arrived at the school via the floo network in the Headmistress's office just moments before curfew. She had devised a plan though. She had guaranteed that she would be able to see Draco.

As she rounded a corner in the dungeons, she had to duck behind a statue to hide from a group of Slytherin sixth years. Down the corridor, she could see Draco heading towards the common room. She quickly and quietly approached him, shoving him into an abandoned classroom.

"What in the bloody hell-"

"Shh!" Cait demanded, silencing him with a hand over his mouth.

Draco's eyes widened when he saw her. His eyes traveled her body, drinking her in.

"Cait, what are you doing here? If somebody sees you-" Cait reached out and gently ran her finger along the bruise on Draco's left cheek. His breath caught at the soft brush of her fingers.

"I had to see you for myself. I was so worried that they were going to kill you," she whispered before she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

Draco kissed her back, letting his raw emotions pour into her. He had not fully accepted that she was safe until he had laid his eyes on her unharmed face. He tried not to wince when her hand traveled over his ribs, but he couldn't help it, at least three of them on his right side were broken. The death eaters had put a jinx on him that prevented him from using a spell to heal himself. They wanted him to suffer.

When Cait felt him stiffen under her touch she drew back from Draco. He wouldn't meet her eyes, which told her the answer to her unasked question.

"I'm fine," he insisted. But she ignored him and unbuttoned his shirt.

As she moved the cloth away from his torso, she sucked in a breath. She could see the large bruises that flowered across his rib cage, "Oh, Draco." she moaned, resting her head on his upper chest.

Draco brought his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "I'm fine, I'll heal. I'm glad to see you, Caity, but you can't stay here. If someone sees you here..."

"I just wanted to see you before I went home."

Draco jerked away from Cait as if contact with her burned him. "You can't go home, Cait! Why would you even possibly consider doing that?"

"Harry mentioned an object that he needed, something that would be important to Voldemort."

Draco winced at the use of the dark lord's true name. "If it's so important, Potter can get it himself."

"He can't Draco, because I think I know what and where it is. And if I am right, well, I'm not sure what will happen, but I need to go to the manor."

"Please don't go, Cait." Draco whispered.

It wasn't very often that Draco let down his shields, but he was doing it now and it was nearly breaking Cait's heart. The look in his deep grey eyes told her that he thought that he would never see her again if she went to the Nott Manor. He was probably right.

"I have to, Draco. What other choice do I have? I'm sure that the death eaters have been ordered to kill me on sight, so what choice do I really have? I can run away and hide or I can try to help take him down."

"There isn't a death threat hanging over your head." Draco finally told her, "I don't know what his intentions are, but the Dark Lord wants you alive when you are brought in."

"I can tell you that his intentions aren't to let me walk away unpunished, that's for sure."

Pulling her closer, Draco gently laid a kiss on her forehead before enveloping her in his arms. "At least stay the night with me."

"I have to go," she told him quietly.

"Whatever you are planning can wait until morning, Caity. Please."

"Okay."

Cait stared at the far wall as she listened to Draco's slow, even breathing and the steady beat of his heart. They had transformed the Room of Requirement so that it resembled Draco's bedroom. Cait thought back to the last time that she had slept in Draco's bed and remembered that it had also been the last time that she had had sex with him. This time it had been different, almost as if he were trying to give her a reason not to leave, and not just making love to her.

She hated herself for what she was about to do. She knew that if roles were reversed that she would hate waking up to find Draco gone. But she didn't have a choice. She couldn't face him and give him a proper goodbye. She wondered if that made her a coward. Did love make you a coward, or did it give you something to fight for?

Gently, she slipped out of his arms and began re-dressing herself. She pulled Draco's wand out of the pocket in her cloak and laid it on the end table before kissing him lightly.

"I love you."