Chapter 28

"The Malfoys will be here soon," Teddy told Cait as he threw himself unceremoniously onto her plush bed.

It was the first saturday following the start of the summer holiday and so that meant that Lucius, Narcissa and Draco would be joining Cait, Teddy and their father for dinner. It had become a yearly ritual between the families since the three younger members had started school at Hogwarts.

"Is it that time already?" she questioned, pulling knees up to her chest and resting her chin against them as she stared down at her twin who nodded.

"Draco owled me earlier. He seemed like something was bothering him about being home." Teddy continued as he stretched across the silky bed linens before rolling on his side to face Cait.

"I wonder what happened. Surely he hasn't gotten into a disagreement with his father that quickly? We've only just been home three days." Teddy shrugged at his sister's comments.

"Who knows. Sometimes I think that the two of you have a competition over who can irritate their father more," Teddy smirked as he put up an arm to block the pillow that Cait had launched at his head.

"There is no competition," Cait told her brother as she turned her nose upwards. "We all know that I am the clear winner in that category." For a moment, Cait was able to keep a straight face before both twins began to laugh. The subject had always been a joking matter between the twins and Draco.

Later that night, after a somewhat tense dinner, Cait found herself lounging in her brother's room while Draco stewed quietly. The blonde had been uncharacteristically silent throughout dinner. He hadn't yet told the twins what had him so pale and shaken and Cait was incredible curious to know what had caused the change in her normally stoic friend. Teddy had continued to press him for information, but as of yet he hadn't given in.

"We're your best mates," Teddy had told the boy, "You can tell us anything, no matter how bad it is."

"I…" Draco began, his voice wavering slightly. The change in Draco's usual confident demeanor had Cait slightly on edge. If it was something that frightened even him then surely it was something terrible. "I received a mission."

Cait felt her heart drop.

She hated Death Eaters and all things associated with them-it had been Death Eaters that had been the cause of her mother's death. She refused to associate with anyone who aligned themselves with the darkness. Sadly, she realized that that meant that she could no longer associate with Draco-Draco who she had slowly been falling in love with over the past thirteen years.

"And?" Teddy asked, tension creeping into his tone.

"I had to accept it," the blonde boy admitted.

Abruptly, Cait stood from her seat as she struggled to keep her face blank. She slowly and purposefully made her way out of her brother's room and towards her own. She had heard the murmur of voices coming from the boys before she shut her door.

Curling up under the covers, Cait allowed herself to shed a few tears over the loss of one of her closest friends. She couldn't believe that he would join the Dark Lord, that he would accept a mission.

Cait awoke to a fluttering sensation in her abdomen. It was a strange feeling, like maybe she had a fish swimming around in there. For a moment, she just laid there, her eyes closed as she waited for the odd sensation to subside. As she laid there, though, she realized that it wasn't an odd sensation at all, it was her baby!

Her eyes flew open at the thought, a smile spreading across her face, and the first thing-or rather person-that she saw was Teddy staring back down at her. The moment reminded her of the dream she had been having, only this time it was she who was sprawled on the bed.

She hadn't realized how much she had truly missed him until that very moment. Her heart swelled at just the sight of him. Throughout their entire eighteen years of existence, the twins had rarely been apart for more than a day or two at most. Having Teddy there beside her made Cait feeling like a missing piece of herself had finally been returned.

"Caity?" he questioned softly, his eyes troubled, as if he didn't believe that she was really awake. The look in his eyes told Cait that he was having the same feelings as she was.

"Oh, merlin, Teddy!" she exclaimed as she sat up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. I'm so glad you are alright, Caity," her brother murmured into her shoulder, squeezing her. "Draco told me everything that happened while you guys were at Malfoy Manor." At the sound of his name, Caity pulled back as a sudden flash of panic overcame her.

"Where is he?" she was afraid something might have happened to him. She couldn't remember anything after they had taken the portkey.

"He's over there," Teddy gestured towards a chair on the opposite side of her bed. "We had to slip him a sleeping draught. He hasn't left your side since you guys got here and we were afraid that if he didn't get some sleep soon he would end up in a healer's bed as well."

Cait stared at her husband's sleeping form. Even in his slumber his brow was slightly furrowed with worry. Or maybe it was sorrow, Cait thought as she recalled that Narcissa had been murdered right in front of lip quivered at the thought of her Mother-in-law. The woman had sacrificed literally everything that she had for she, Draco and their child to escape.

"Where are we?" she finally asked turning back to Teddy.

"We are at one of the Order's safe houses, but don't ask me which one," he told her with a half smirk trying to make her laugh.

"How long have I been here?" She could feel a stiffness in her joints that lead her to believe that it had been a while.

"About three weeks," he told her, sobering. "Draco told me about the baby."

"Is everything okay? Nothing happened to the baby, right?" She felt a bubble of fear rise up in her as she clutched at her abdomen-ignoring the fact that she had felt the baby moving within her only a few moments before. It was larger than she remembered it being, which she supposed was normal.

"The baby is fine. They think that something happened when you took the portkey from the island. Normally, portkey travel is safe during pregnancy, so the healers aren't really sure what caused the distress," he paused and looked away before he spoke again. "Some of the Order members were hoping that you would miscarry."

Cait's face paled and she gripped her belly more firmly. She couldn't imagine losing her baby. She knew that he was cursed and she could understand why they would think that it would be positive, but just thinking about it devastated her. This baby, despite its preplanned destiny, was a part of her and a part of Draco. She wouldn't let anyone harm it-she didn't care what she had to do.

Teddy recognize the protective look on Caity's face. He had been the cause of that protectiveness coming out of her on many occasions.

A gasp turned the twins attention to Draco who was glancing wildly around the room as he was startled from sleep. It seemed to take him a moment to realize that he was seeing Cait sitting up in the bed. Cait watched as his expression turned from startled to relieved. The furrowed line on his forehead softened. Then he was out of the chair and moving towards her. He pulled her to him and she could feel his silent sobs as she held him just as tightly.

"Thank merlin," he whispered into her heard Teddy stand and leave the room, giving the two their privacy. "I thought that I was going to lose you, too. Both of you."

"Shhh…" Cait tried to soothe. She was at a loss, she had never seen Draco like this before. "It's alright, I'm here and the baby is fine."

Draco nodded and was silent for a long time before he finally pulled back to stare at Cait's face as if he couldn't believe she was awake. Cait saw a dozen emotions flash through the blonde's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Don't apologize," she assured him. "I, more than anyone else here, know what you have been through over the last few months."

"I know," he sighed. "I know you do, I just…"

"I know," she interrupted.

She knew that he wasn't the type of person who expressed his emotions well or easily. He wasn't someone who felt like they could be weak or vulnerable. He hadn't been raised to feel that way. She had known him nearly her entire life and even when she hadn't agreed with his choices and she had cut him out of her life she had still cared for him. She realized that she had probably been in love with him for much longer than she originally thought.

"Caity, Draco?" Cait turned to find Teddy standing just inside the open doorway. "Molly made some stew. She was hoping that after the Healer evaluated Caity that the two of you would come downstairs and eat something."

Draco gave Teddy a nod, which surprised Cait a little. Draco had never been a fan of the Weasleys. She wondered what had transpired in the three weeks that she had been unconscious, but decided that as long as Draco was okay she didn't really care. Maybe Molly had been able to help him through some of the grief of losing his mother. If that were true, Cait was eternally grateful to the woman for being there for Draco when she herself had been unable to.