Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

Chapter 5 Gone

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Kat asked coolly before taking a sip of terrible coffee. They were at the same diner she had met Dudley in a little over a month ago. She had been avoiding him for weeks and supposed he was doing the same to her.

Dudley sighed as the waitress brought them each a slice of apple pie. "I-I was going to pay you back. My luck was out… But-but I knew it was going to come back. It always does."

Kat stabbed her pie with her fork and as she took a bite, was glad to note that it wasn't terrible like the coffee. "I was under the impression that the therapist I set you up with wasn't wasting her time."

"She isn't," Dudley insisted. "But in September, I won a—"

"My friend was in my flat that day!" Kat yelled so loudly that the other patrons in the diner quieted down. She lowered her voice and added, "He nearly died."

"I didn't know," Dudley tried, but Kat was sick of hearing it.

"No. You didn't care," she hissed. She leaned closer to him so he could hear her. "You aren't always going to have me to back you up. One day, you'll bleed me dry just like you did your own mother!"

Dudley sneered at her. "I don't need your pity."

"Clearly you do!" she snapped. "If I'm not willing to give you something, you just take it! Well I'm not the servant under the stairs anymore! I don't have to clean up your mess!"

"You are such a hypocrite!" Dudley laughed bitterly. "When's the last time you went a night with drinking or smoking? Maybe you aren't 'out of control,' but you're just as miserable as me. If not more so."

His words felt like a slap in the face. She gave him a wounded look and could have sworn she saw a flicker of guilt in response. Trying to look angry instead of hurt, she jammed a fist into her pocket and threw a few bills on the table for the waitress before storming off.

Teddy frowned as he watched his dad jinx the doorknob to his other dad's bathroom. "Dad?" His dad jumped. "Daddy said that Kat's here and that you aren't 'llowed to prank."

"It's been four days since the moon!" Dad whined. "He's fine."

Teddy smiled shyly. Neither of his dads were willing to tell him why Daddy got sick during the full moon. They said they would tell him when he was older, but Kat said that Daddy was acting like a baby, and that Teddy should be patient since he was a big boy. Teddy didn't like being patient.

"Kat says we're to the movies!" Teddy said proudly as they headed down the stairs.

"Really?" Dad asked. "When?"

"Friday!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Friday?" Dad smiled. "Can I come?"

"No way!" Kat grinned when they finally made it to the foot of the stairs. "Teddy Bear is meeting my new boyfriend!"

"We cousins!" Teddy yelled happily.

"We're cousins," Daddy corrected softly. He ruffled Teddy's hair and gestured to the kitchen. "Kreacher made Dad's favorite for lunch."

Teddy giggled when Dad pouted. Dad hated chicken salad, so Kreacher made it all the time.

"So what's this about a boyfriend, Kitty Kat?" Sirius asked as he pushed around his salad. Of course that stupid elf had to mix it with his least favorite dressing.

Kat snickered and took a bite of her food, chewing slowly so he would have to wait for her to answer. "I suppose I got a little ahead of myself. No one's really my boyfriend until Teddy approves. Right Teddy Bear?"

Teddy nodded. "He has to like Quidditch."

"He does." Kat smiled as Sirius started sulking. "But he's terrible at it. I think you'll have to give him a few lessons. I always beat him back at school."

Teddy dug into his food and said with his mouth full, "I help him."

"I'll help him," Remus said absentmindedly. "What movie are you seeing?"

"Monsters, Inc.!" Teddy answered excitedly.

"I think we need to have dinner with this boyfriend," Sirius spoke the word as if it were a swear, "before we let him take off with our two favorite people, Moony."

"I suppose we should make sure they don't only have popcorn and candy for supper." Remus chuckled when Kat narrowed her eyes. Now that she was expressing interest in Draco, she knew that he and Padfoot were going to sniff him out to make sure he was 'suitable.' She knew because she did the same thing to Hermione and Ginny, which is why Hermione refused to tell her who she was seeing.

"If you scare him, I'm siccing Narcissa Malfoy on you," Kat mumbled.

Teddy hunched over to whisper, thinking that Remus and Sirius wouldn't be able to hear him. "Daddy says you gonna marry Drake."

As Sirius started choking on his food, Kat pretended to consider. "We'll have to see what you think of Draco first, Teddy. I can't marry a loser now, can I?"

Teddy laughed while Remus rolled his eyes and thumped Sirius on the back. "Nope!"

Many wondered why Severus was trying to cure lycanthropy. Draco heard people say they thought it was a way to redeem himself after the War, especially to Remus Lupin, but he knew better. Research projects meant grants from the Ministry, and with grants, Severus wouldn't have to teach anymore. He had already discovered cures for a few strains of Dragon Pox, earning him enough prestige to have the medical field take a former Death Eater seriously.

"I thought the date went well." Draco ignored the I don't care look Severus had on his face. "But mother wants me to give her an ultimatum in regards to the Muggle. She seems to think I am in a position to do that."

"Contrary to popular belief…" Severus adjusted the flame on his cauldron. "Potter is a very selfish creature, Draco. Threaten to tell Black about the Muggle. I'm sure he still believes in the fairy tale that her date with you was her first."

Draco almost laughed. "That will earn me a few hexes…" He hesitated, not sure if he could continue. Severus knew when and how to keep secrets, however, so he took the risk. "Hermione told me… That the Muggle split her lip open once. And that their fights often turn physical."

Severus tensed, and for a split second, Draco thought he actually cared about Katherine. "She won't leave him, Draco."

"What? Why?" His voice became a little high, and he blushed.

"Because that is the way Potter is. That is the way she was raised." Severus had such a cold indifference about him that Draco wanted to knock his cauldron over instead of waiting for him to continue. "In your fifth year, I was given the impossible task of teaching her Occlumency. To no one's surprise, she was terrible at it. Before Lupin and then Black, the only father figure she had beat her and starved her. I don't believe she sees her relationship with the Muggle as depraved as you see it."

Draco stared in disbelief. "Wait. You knew about-about whatever the bloody hell happened to her and let her go back there after fifth year?"

"That was where she had to be," Severus said simply, as if it was nothing. "A word of advice, Draco. The more you push her away from the Muggle, the closer she will be with him."

"That is where she had to be?" Draco repeated. "How can you say that?"

But Severus had shut down. He didn't realize that the potions master was talking about himself and his own mother more than he was talking about Katherine and Draco. "Get rid of the Muggle somehow. Potter doesn't have the mental strength to do it herself."

Stopping by Grimmauld made Kat feel a lot better after her failed meeting with Dudley. Her cousin wasn't talking to her but teaching Teddy how to fly a toy broom and taunting Sirius took the sting away. Remus sensed something was off, naturally, but he was nice enough not to say anything. Maybe because he thought being with 'Drake,' as Teddy mispronounced, would fix everything.

Kat wasn't so sure, but she was looking forward to Friday. She couldn't wait to see Draco's reaction to seeing a movie for the first time. She'd have to do something he liked next, she supposed.

The next day, Kat was scarfing down breakfast when Aunt Petunia called. Like any sane person would do, she didn't answer. Looking back, she should have answered it and hung up because it went to voicemail. Looks like she upset Dudley enough to actually get Petunia worked up. The woman rarely showed any emotion since Vernon died.

Beep. "Katherine! Are you really so ungrateful that you can't help out your cousin? We fed and clothed you for sixteen years, and this is how you repay us? I know how much money that Potter left you. What is a fortune to us is barely a penny to you! Dudley needed you to get him out of trouble, and you treat him like dirt beneath your shoe. Those men are threatening him! You said they hurt one of your abnormal friends. Get them put away! It's the least you can do."

No matter how old she was, Aunt Petunia could always make her feel like shit. The rest of the morning, Kat tried to go about her business as usual. Soon, she realized she had nothing to do but pace and feel sorry for herself. This was all Lenny and Travis's fault. If they hadn't shot Draco, she wouldn't have been as angry with Dudley. They had to pay.

Before she could stop herself and try to calm down, Kat found herself running off to her car and speeding towards the dump they called a flat. They almost killed Draco. They were the reason he started wheezing if he walked or stood for too long.

Their flat was empty. With a quick Alohomora, she was in.

Telling Ron would only get her into trouble, so Kat decided to hit them where it hurt and hope they were too stupid to figure out it was her. She pointed her wand in the air and cried, "Accio Money!"

A few wads flew her way, and she didn't hesitate to throw them out the window. Next, she found the drugs and stomped on the pills, flushed the weed. Finally, she settled on pure vandalism.

"Reducto!" The tele was busted.

"Incedio! Aguamenti!" The floor ruined.

Breathing heavily, Kat pocketed her wand and took out a permanent marker from her pocket. She wrote obscenities on the wall and started drawing an extremely inappropriate picture when Travis arrived.

"What the fuck?!" he screamed. The prostitute who was with him yelped at the scene and ran away as fast as she could in her heels.

Kat dropped the marker as Travis started stomping over to her. He was the bigger of the two, meaning she couldn't beat him in a fist fight. By the time she thought of apparating, his hands were around her throat.

Without thinking, she reached in her pocket for her wand and gasped out, "Stupefy!"

Draco was heading to a pub with Hermione when she got Katherine's Patronus. She had just finished with her classes, and Draco was asking her about law school, wondering if he should enroll or continue his apprenticeship with Father.

The silvery stag stamped its feet nervously. "Hermione?" Katherine's voice echoed out. "Are you alone? If not… Please go to the loo or something."

Hermione frowned, most likely unsure if she should take this privately or not. Because Kat had recorded the message, it didn't give her much time to decide.

"Ron arrested me! I thought he'd do me a favor and modify the guy's memory for me, and he fucking arrested me! I-I need you to bail me out! I'll pay you back as soon as I'm released from the Weasley and Longbottom tag team. And please don't tell Draco. I'm a little hurt, and I don't want him to go harpy on me."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but as soon as Katherine said she was hurt, Draco panicked and apparated to the Ministry.

Kat was so relieved when someone asked Neville to sign the paperwork so she could be bailed out. There was only so much of Ron's good cop and Neville's bad cop that she could take. If she wasn't in deep shit, she would laugh and give them the hint to switch roles.

"Katherine?!" Great. That certainly wasn't Hermione. "Oh Merlin! What happened to your neck?!"

Kat cleared her throat and wouldn't meet Draco's eye. "Erhm. My scarf was too tight."

Ron snorted. "Are scarves shaped like meaty fingers the new Muggle fashion craze?"

"I bruise easy," Kat muttered as she sunk into her seat. No wait. Draco paid her bail. She didn't have to stay. As fast as she could, she shot up. "Okay. Let's go." She grabbed Draco's sleeve. "I'll even have awkward dinner with your uptight parents again."

Unsurprisingly, Draco clenched his fists and refused to budge. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Unlike these idiots, who arrested you instead."

"She used magic on a Muggle, Malfoy." Ron opened his file, and Kat closed her eyes when he took out Travis's picture. "Recognize him?"

Although she didn't think it was possible, Draco tensed even more. "That's one of the men who shot me. The smaller one had the-the weapon."

Kat almost groaned when Ron took out another picture. He held up an old mugshot of Lenny. "You mean his older brother?"

"Yes, that's him." Draco started shaking, and Kat hung her head guilty. Her grip only tightened on his sleeve. "What happened? Did he attack her?"

Ron nodded, satisfied. He got up, probably to arrest the two criminal brothers. "You're free to go, Kat. She didn't seem hurt, Malfoy. But you can drag her to St. Mungo's if you want."

"Didn't seem hurt?" Draco snarled. "She was choked! If the healers find anything remotely wrong with her, Weasel, your head along with Longbottom's is going to be mounted to the wall!"

Ron shrugged. "We were too busy arguing with her. And do yourself a favor, Malfoy. Don't transform. You're surrounded by people just itching to use force on a Death Eater."

As he left, Kat covered her mouth to muffle a scream. She shouldn't be mad at Draco. She knew that… "Thanks," she snapped before she could stop herself. "Now I have to move and never see my Muggle friends again. People depend on me to babysit, you know."

Draco blinked at her harsh tone. For a moment, he looked confused. "Are you angry with me for identifying my would-be murders?"

Kat scoffed. "Of course not! Why would I ever be mad at Prince Draco? The perfect boyfriend who's willing to lower himself to watch a movie with my godson!"

"I don't understand." He was still confused, but now sounded like he was trying to keep his own temper in check.

Kat shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just having a shitty day. A shitty week."

Draco summoned a tissue from the interrogation table. "We'll go to the hospital. And then I'll take you to a guest bedroom in the Manor. No one will know you're there, and we can talk about it after you've had some rest."

Kat pushed him away. "I've been choked before, Draco. I'm fine. Just-just let me pack my things. I'll talk to you tomorrow. If you don't leave me alone, I'll say something I'll regret."

Draco stared dumbly as she ran off.

Father didn't believe him, but since Draco was going mad with worry, he apparated with him to try to remove the wards from Kat's building. Two days went by, and no one had heard a word from her. Not even Black or Lupin. She even barred off her floo.

"She probably has a lot of things to pack, Draco." Father put a hand on the doorknob to the flat and yanked his hand away, hissing in pain after the magic burned him. "This will take hours to remove. If we can at all."

"She was hurt," Draco pressed. "And what if she's with that Muggle?"

"We can always kill the Muggle," Father murmured as he inspected the door. He almost sounded hopeful. "Then there will be no threats to your mate."

Draco almost smiled. "You're just sore because Mother saw him in his knickers."

Father shook his head. "No. I—Oomphf"

Draco turned away from the door to see Father lying on the ground. "What the…?"

Before he could turn around, something cold and metal hit his head. Everything went black.

Kat knew she should pack her things like she said, but she was feeling so sorry for herself that all she could do was drink, have sex with Lou, and smoke weed until she fell asleep. She didn't want to dump everything and start her life over, but Draco yanked the rest of her old life away from her when he identified Lenny and Travis. It was wrong to resent him for it, but she didn't care.

Luckily, Lou was working when Mrs. Malfoy showed up. She imagined she wouldn't have been as civil as last time.

She was banging on the door, and Kat was so hungover that it took her a minute to realize the woman was frantic. "Where is my son?! I know you know where he is! Just like you know who tried to kill him!" Mrs. Malfoy was pounding on the door as Kat struggled to get off the sofa. "What? Are you going to do nothing again?! Open this damn door Katherine!"

Ignoring the pounding in her head, Kat opened the door and stared with half open eyes. "What are you talking about Mrs.—?"

Mrs. Malfoy slapped her in the face before she could finish. "He was trying to figure out if you were alright! And Lucius woke up in front of your apartment with a cut on his head. That was hours ago, and your stupid friends in the Auror Department can't find him!"

"What?" Rubbing at her eyes, Kat summoned a sobriety potion and downed it. Thank Merlin it was mint flavored. "I told Draco I would talk to him when—"

"When you stopped blaming him for something he can't control?" Mrs. Malfoy was near hysterical, but Kat could tell she didn't care. "He's falling in love with you, and you don't even have the decency to let him in your home!'

"Okay, okay." Kat held up her hands in surrender. "Did Lucius see anything? Never mind. I need to talk to Ron."

"My son is gone," Narcissa said through her tears. "He's gone, and you don't even care!"

"I care!" Kat grabbed her nearest cloak and hastily put it on. "And I know exactly where he is."

Poor Draco! If you want to know who took him, there's a clue in chapter 3! Thanks gr8rockstarrox, Guest, and justaislinn for reviewing!