Sorry for the long, long, long break - I am almost finished my Paramedic course, just some hands on stuff now, so I will have a little bit more free time. I'm pretty determined to keep on going on this story!

This is in Snape's POV

A light breeze flicked my hair up as I stood on the balcony overlooking the Great Lake. Kate's voice haunted me since I left her in my bedroom.

It's true I love Lily, I will always love her, but what I have with Kate... it's so much more.

I clenched my fists.

"Why would she think such things?" I asked myself
"Because maybe she's right.."
"She's wrong"
"Is She?"

A memory of Lily flashed in my mind. Her smile... her eyes... her fiery hair. I imagined walking up too her, gently gliding the back of my fingers across her pale cheek.

I stopped my vision.

"What am I doing?"

I ran my fingers threw my hair, pushing it out of my face.

"Have I actually gotten over Lily?" I asked myself
"Of course, she's gone. She was out of your reach even before she was murdered."
"I know..".
"Then why are you screwing things up with Kate? Go tell her how much you love her."

I didn't move.

"Let... Lily Go." I told myself
"What if I don't know how...?"

I closed my eyes and an image of Kate appeared in front of me. Her sweet smile. Her glowing green eyes that sparkled every time she looked at me.

"I'm in idiot..."I said to myself

I quickly turned and headed down the tower stairs. I walked at a fast pace threw Hogwarts, but got stopped by Draco in a corridor.

"Professor Umbridge requests your presence, Professor Snape."
"Not now Draco." I said as walked past him.
"She said it's urgent." Draco insisted.

I turned around. Maybe it has something to do with Kate...

"Let's make this fast." I demanded.

Draco led me to her classroom two corridors away and up the stairs into her office. She sat there with Harry Potter and his friends. Wands pointed at all of them.

"Ah, Professor Snape. I'm going to need some more Veritaserum" Umbridge said, her voice sounding a bit shaky.
"I'm afraid you've used up my stock of Veritaserum on Ms. Chang." I said coldly.

Harry glanced over at me.

"Unless you plan on poisoning the boy, I'm afraid I have nothing." I added as I started to leave.

It made my stomach turn cold knowing that Kate wasn't here with Umbridge.

"He has Padfoot." Harry blurted out.

I turned around.

"He has Padfoot in the place where the thing is hidden!" Harry said eagerly.
"What is he talking about Severus?" Umbridge asked.
"I have no idea." I shrugged as I walked out of her office.

I walked in long, fast strides to the Great Hall. Something bad was going on.

"Padfoot... isn't that Sirius? Didn't Dumbledore tell me that?" I asked myself.

I continued to the Great Hall. Kate would know. I need to find her and get this straightened out.

She would be supervising the exam right now. I approached the entrance into the Great Hall and noticed all the rules and regulations were shattered and broken across the floor. Pieces of Parchment littered the floor.

"What happened?" I asked Finch, who was slowly sweeping up the glass and parchment mess.

"Weasley's" Finch grumbled.
"What about the exams that were taking place?" I asked.
"Got dismissed due to the mess." Finch replied.

I suddenly had a bad feeling. It was only confirmed when Reia came rushing up to me.

"Professor Snape" Reia said as she approached.
"Ms. Mookums, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Kate... Umbridge... Hurry!" She panted as she started running away from me.

I ignored Finch's suspicious glare and ran to catch up with her. I followed her to Kate and Reia's bedroom. I stopped at the door way. Reia slowly kneeled beside Kate's body on the floor.

"Kate..." I breathed as I quickly knelt to the ground on the other side of her.
"Umbridge... Cruciatus Curse..." Reia whispered as she tried to catch her breath.

I scooped her up in my arms. She lay lifeless in my arms.

"Kate, wake up." I said as I brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"She wouldn't tell her... Where Sirius was..." Reia explained.
"We need to get her to the hospital wing." I said as I stood up with her still in my arms.

"Professor Snape, what's...?" Madam Pomfry asked as we bolted into the Hospital wing.
"She was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse." I replied as I lay Kate down on the closest bed.
"What?" Madam Pomfry as she rushed to Kate's side.

I turned to Reia.

"What happened?" I asked.
"Umbridge came to the room and one of the Slytherin boys pointed his wand at me. Then Kate came in, and Umbridge demanded she tell her where..."

She stopped at looked over at Madam Pomfry was.

"Where Padfoot was." Reia finished.

My eyes widened. Padfoot was Sirius.

"Reia, Stay with Kate. I need to do something quickly." I said as I started walking towards the door.
"Wait what? Professor Snape!" Reia called out from behind me.

I ignored her and walked out of the Hospital wing. I needed to warn the order that Sirius might be in trouble according to Harry.

"She told me to get you!" Reia said as she chased me out of the Hospital Wing.

I turned around.

"What?" I replied.
"Her last words to me were 'Get Snape.'" Reia told me
"I'll be right back." I assured her.
"What's going on?" She asked me.
"Sirius might be in trouble." I replied as I headed towards the front doors to the castle.

I wasn't sure how accurate Potter was in thinking that Sirius is in trouble, but I had to find out. Not for Potter, but for Kate.

I sprinted across the grounds and out through the front gate. I would deal with Umbridge after I've sorted this thing out with Sirius. I can't believe that she would go as far as to use an unforgivable curse on Kate. She… Will… Pay.

I closed my eyes and pictures number 4 Grimmald Place. Air rushed all around me and when I opened my eyes. I was standing in front of an apartment building. I didn't waste any time, I climbed up the stairs and burst through the door. Lupin met me in the hallway.

"What's wrong Severus?" Lupin asked me.
"Where's the mutt?" I asked.
"What's going on?" Lupin questioned.
"WHERE IS SIRIUS?" I shouted impatiently.

To my surprise, Sirius appeared beside Lupin.

"What's all this about?" Sirius asked, glaring at me.

I didn't know what to say. I was expecting Sirius to be gone.

"Snape!" Lupin said as he tried to grab my attention.
"Potter said that a "Padfoot" was being held captive where the thing is hidden."I explained.

Sirius' eyes widened.

"Where is Harry now?" He asked.
"With Umbridge." I replied.

"Knowing Harry Sirius, he's going to try and find a way to save you if he thinks you're in trouble." Lupin discussed with Sirius.
"I know. We have to go after him." Sirius added.
"Right, I'll go round up the Order."Lupin said walking back into the kitchen.

Sirius gave me a glare and started walking back into the kitchen.

"Sirius…" I said.
"What?" Sirius asked, annoyed.
"Something's happened to Kate."I whispered.

Sirius grabbed the front of my robes and pushed me against the wall.

"What happened to Kate?" he growled.
"Umbridge." I replied as I pushed his off of me.
"Is she okay? What happened?" He asked angrily.
"Umbridge performed the Cruciatus Curse on her. She's in the hospital wing right now, but she's unconscious."I explained.

Lupin walked back into the hallway.

"The Order is ready, are you coming Sirius?" Lupin asked.

Sirius looked over at me.

"Go, I will look after Kate." I said as I turned to leave.

"Snape!" Sirius yelled.

I stopped and slowly turned around.

"For your sake she better be okay." Sirius threatened.

I ignored his comment and left the house. I did what I needed to do. Now I needed to get back to her.

I burst back into the Hospital wing.

"Is she awake?" I asked as I moved swiftly back to Kate's side.

Reia just slowly shook her head.

"Why did you leave?" She asked.
"It doesn't matter. I'm back now." I replied.

I stood up when Madam Pomfry walked up to us.

"How is she?" I asked.
"I can't tell until she wakes up." She said quietly.
"What about Umbridge?" Reia asked.
"I'm not too sure just yet. Umbridge and the Minister are very close. I don't think anything is going to be done." I replied, looking down at Kate's pale face.
"That's such bullshit." Reia hissed.
"It's called politics." I said.

Finch came in holding his cat, Ms. Norris.

"Professor Snape, I've searched the castle and it seems that Headmaster Umbridge is no longer on Hogwarts grounds." He informed me.
"What about Potter?" I asked.
"No sign of him either."Finch replied.

Did Umbridge take him somewhere?

Professor McGonagall stormed into the room.

"Would somebody please explain to me what's going on?" She demanded.
"Professor Umbridge and Potter are missing." I informed her, folding my arms.
"Well, it appears that Umbridge has been taken captive by the Centaurs." McGonagall said.
"What? What about Potter?" I asked.
"I have no idea where he is." McGonagall said.

I didn't know what to do. I looked back down at Kate. I already left her once. I wasn't going to do it again.

"And what happened with Ms. Black?" McGonagall asked.
"Umbridge…" Reia replied quietly.
"What do we do Severus?" McGonagall asked.
"I already informed the Order on where Potter might be headed. All we can do is wait."I said sitting down next to Kate.