Chapter 24

The next morning as she awoke to the need of emptying her stomach into the toilet bowl, she tried not to let the fear control her. Pregnant. Cait still couldn't believe it. How was she supposed to raise a child, let alone one that the Dark Lord intended to use? Even if Narcissa was successful in allowing them to escape from their honeymoon destination, where would they go? There was no where that they would be safe when he came to find them. He would probably kill Draco, then he would keep her alive just long enough for her to deliver the baby. Her child would be an orphan just like she was.

Cait put a towel to her mouth and tried to stifle her sobs. She needed to stop focusing on what could happen and start focusing on what needed to happen at the moment. She would not allow her child to be an orphan.

She needed to get up off the floor and stop feeling pity for herself. She needed to finish making the plans for her and Draco's wedding. She would give Narcissa the best wedding that she could hope for. The woman at least deserved that, especially with everything that she had risked for the two of them lately.

She didn't know how they would find help or where it would come from, but as of that moment she was 100% dedicated to finding it. She made up her mind that she would do absolutely everything in her power to keep her love and their child safe. She knew that even if something were to happen to her that Draco would raise their baby. She had seen it in his eyes when he had told his mother that he intended to raise his children away from all of this.

Standing, she headed for the shower, a new determination in her stride.

Caitlyn Nott was back and nobody better get in her way.

Draco was lounged on the settee, watching Cait's lethe form behind the changing screen. It reminded him of the many times that he had snuck down to her dance room and watch had a book open on his lap that he had been pretending to read, but he couldn't take his eyes off her shadow.

His mother had tried to argue that it was bad luck for the groom to see his bride in her dress before the wedding, but her words had fallen on deaf ears. She was told that neither prisoner would be allowed to exit the room except for when they attended the wedding ceremony. Draco had offered to make himself comfortable sitting on the floor of the bathroom, but Cait had told him that he would do no such thing. She pushed him down onto the settee and told him not to go anywhere with a small smirk playing across her lips.

Already she had tried on three dresses. His mother had a good eye, but he knew that Cait hadn't liked any of her choices thus far. All of the dresses had been exquisite, but they hadn't been quite Cait.

When she finally stepped from behind the screen wearing the fourth dress Draco's breath caught.

Cait looked beautiful.

The dress was an ivory color. If anyone had ever asked him to describe the difference between ivory, cream and beige he would have denied that he knew. But growing up around his mother, he knew the differences and this dress was certainly ivory. The top of the gown was made of a lace brocade-another piece of knowledge that he could blame on his mother. The fitted sleeves fell just past Cait's elbows and the neckline plunged just enough to show a modest bit of cleavage. The skirt of the dress was smooth and A-lined with a meager train trailing behind her. When Cait saw his face, she gave a slow turn, allowing him to take in all of the dress' small details. A thin trail of fabric covered buttons started near her bum and traveled all the way to the top of the garment. Draco had a sudden desire to run his hand down the line of buttons.

"I will take it that this is the dress," Narcissa chuckled lightly, looking between the two.

"Yes," they breathed in unison.

Narcissa nodded knowingly before she pulled Cait towards an arrangements of veils.

Once Cait had changed back into her day clothes, Narcissa had hung the dress near the closet and folded up the screen. She seemed to be lingering, unsure of what to say. Finally, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment.

"Caitlyn, this is for you, dear. Don't let anyone see that you have it." She gave each of them a surprisingly fierce and short hug before snapping for the house elves to take care of the supplies that they had used today and exiting the room.

Draco had watched as Cait stared at the parchment before slowly unrolling it and holding it so they both could read it.

Caity-cat,

I recently received four pieces of rather odd news-all of them from unexpected sources and all of them concerning you.

The first odd piece of information came from Neville Longbottom. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when he appeared at headquarters claiming that he had seen you running through the darkened halls of the castle late at night before sprinting across the lawns to a spot that allowed you to apparate off of school grounds. He told me that the following day Draco was summoned to leave the castle and that he hadn't seen either of you since. As you can imagine, this rather odd bit of information has made me worry about you, but I am now under so many restrictions that I can't even leave the location that I have been moved to-even I'm not sure where this safe house is located. Molly is furious at you and Lupin both, but mostly at Lupin for letting you go back to Hogwarts in the first place. She is afraid that if she takes her eyes off me for one moment that I will disappear like you have.

The second piece of information that I received was from Potter. He seems to think that your disappearance was partly his fault. He told me that before you asked to return to the school he had asked you about some sort of artifact that you might know about. Now he thinks that you left in search of it, placing yourself in danger. I couldn't help but think that that is exactly what you did. I know you Caity, and I also remember you mentioning one time that you had seen father hide some sort of artifact in his office when we were younger. I feared that you had gone there to look for it.

Then I got my third bit of information. This one was given to me from Lupin who had gotten it from Snape whom had received it originally from Narcissa Malfoy. Her letter said that father had been killed by the Dark Lord, and that you had witnessed it, Caity. I'm so sorry that you had to see it-that you have had to see both of our parents murdered. She also told me that you are safe for the time being. She wrote that she couldn't go into details about where you were or what you would be facing soon, but that for the time being you were alive and healthy. I still can't help but fear for you though, Caity.

The fourth and final piece of information that has been given to me came from an even more unlikely source: Blaise Zabini. He apparently stumbled upon some of DA's members and asked them to get a message to me. He told me that they lost the artifact (which was why father had been killed), but he also told me what it is supposed to be used for. Then he told me that they are planning your wedding.

Caity, I don't know what is going on, but I do hope that you are safe as I have been told. I miss you, and I hate all of this. I hate that they are holding you prisoner; that they are trying to use you to have a dark heir; that they are forcing you to marry Draco. The only good thing that I can see in all this is that at least you have Draco there with you. I know that he will protect you just like you have always tried to do for me. I trust him, Caity, and I trust that he will somehow help to get you out of this.

I've been talking to anyone who will listen to me, asking them for any information that I can get. So far no one knows for sure where you are. I have my own suspicions, but it is hard to get them proven. I will continue to brainstorm on how we will get you rescued.

Don't do anything stupid and come back to me soon, Caity-cat.

Love, Teddy

Cait blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear the tears that had started to build in her eyes. She missed her brother so much. She hated that he had to learn about the wedding from someone else and she hated that she wasn't able to tell him that she was pregnant.

"Zabini is feeding information to the Order... " Draco began, pondering out loud.

"Can we trust him?" Cait asked quietly.

"Maybe. He has never been a huge supporter of his, but he has also never openly defied his family. Maybe I will have a chance to speak with him during the wedding. He will undoubtedly be their with his parents." Draco answered just as quietly.

Cait offered him a small smile. "Perhaps we can make this plan work after all."

"And what plan would that be?" he asked her.

"Operation: Honeymoon Escape," she grinned. "If your mother can drop in conversation where she is sending us then Zabini can relay the information to the Order and then they can help us. It is incredibly risky, but it might be our best option. Maybe the Order can even help us break this curse and save our baby."

Now Draco looked at her with a small smile of his own. For the first time in weeks she was finally talking about plans of getting out and of the future. He pulled her to him and splayed a hand across her barely swollen belly.

For the first time he allowed himself to think about what it might mean if they could break the curse. What it would mean to start a family. They were young, but he had loved Caity for as long as he could remember. If she was willing, he would truly make an honest woman out of her and marry her all over again as free people. He would get a job and rent them a little flat and start a family.