Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

Chapter 6 Fight to the Death

Lucius was tempted to stun the aurors interrogating the Muggle and start threatening him. He was Katherine's cousin, the only one they could get a hold of. Narcissa was retrieving his son's mate, but that was taking too long for his liking. For all they knew, Draco was so badly hurt that he couldn't apparate. It was only a matter of time before… No, he couldn't bring himself to think it, not yet.

"Dudley knows." Granger was the only one who would lower herself by sitting next to him. How ironic, Lucius thought dryly. "But he's angry at Kat. And he doesn't know anything about magic. So he doesn't trust Ron and Neville when they try to explain things to him."

Lucius clenched his fists. "So he knows where Draco is?"

Granger hesitated but eventually nodded. "It wasn't Kat's friend Lou. Ron said he was arrested this morning and was bailed out an hour ago. So I don't know. The only other friends Kat has in the Muggle world are prostitutes. She babysits for them when they're in jail for the day. They wouldn't take Draco."

"And why would the cousin know?" Lucius was having a hard time keeping his temper under control. Draco was his only child, and Magic thought he belonged with someone like Katherine Potter. Ever since this all started, Lucius, for the first time in his life, wished they weren't Veelas. Then, they could convince Draco to marry Pansy or one of the Greengrass sisters. Potter would be left to rot in her own misery.

Granger glanced at the door the filthy Muggle was behind. "The people that hurt Draco back in October loaned him money. It's no coincidence that Draco suddenly went missing after he turned them in. The only question is where he's been taken."

"We can't apparate," Katherine said as she hurried Narcissa into the contraption Draco described to her not long ago. "The area's too crowded, and I don't want to deal with any Muggles seeing us. A Muggle has him… Actually, Draco must still be knocked out if he hasn't apparated by now."

Wrinkling her nose in revulsion, Narcissa only sat in the bright red machine because she knew it would lead to Draco returning home safely. Afterwards, hopefully she could convince her son to merely have a close friendship with Katherine. "Where are we going?"

Katherine didn't speak until they started speeding down the street. "The people who shot Draco… It was more their father I was worried about. That's why I was angry. He and his wife pretty much run Muggle London. I didn't think they'd do anything to Draco though…"

"Because you only could see how it affected yourself," Narcissa said stiffly as Katherine blew through a sign that said "STOP." Another vehicle beeped at them, causing her to jump when she realized it almost hit them.

Katherine didn't even bat an eye. "Don't worry about it. If a cop comes, I'll put a Notice Me Not charm on the car."

"Draco did say you were a terrible driver," Narcissa mumbled. Thankfully, the girl was slowing down. She was worried that she was going to be sick and hold things up.

With a small chuckle, Katherine parked. She frowned at a rather large apartment building that looked abandoned. "I wonder if I should wait until he goes to the club. No… He might not since he knows I'm coming…"

"Katherine…" Narcissa felt a balloon of anxiety well up in her chest. Draco was here. She just knew it. "I wanted us to bring the aurors."

"I don't have time to argue with Ron." Katherine turned the vehicle off but then thought better of it and turned it back on. "Keep the car running. If I'm not back in half an hour, come in and stun everyone you see. They're Muggles. They won't expect it."

"But—" There was no way in Hell… Narcissa wanted to go in and tear apart every one of those blasted Muggles that had her baby. How could Katherine expect her to sit around and wait? She had done too much of that during the War.

"But they won't let me in with someone they don't recognize!" Katherine hissed impatiently. "Trust me. It's easier if I just go in. I'll give Dan some money, promise him some more, and tell him that Draco will recant his statement about his sons."

He most certainly will not! Narcissa wanted to shout, but she had already wasted too much time. Reluctantly, she nodded and let Katherine go.

As soon as Katherine started to cross the street, a young man zipped past her on a bicycle. He skidded to a halt and glared at her, pointing at the car. Katherine said a few harsh words in return to whatever he said. It took Narcissa a moment to realize they were talking about her.

Finally, the young man sped off. Katherine swore and started for the building, casting a Notice Me Not charm over her shoulder as she went.

When Katherine reached the door, another man ripped it open and pointed something at her back before leading her in. It couldn't be a gun. Draco told Narcissa that guns were small. This metal contraption looked somewhat similar to his description, but this was much longer. Perhaps this was some sort of metal device that Muggles beat each other with. She was too far away to see if Katherine was afraid of it.

Every second felt like a year, but Narcissa waited. She saw more young men in bikes. Sometimes they yelled at scantily clad women shivering in flimsy coats. Other times they just watched them menacingly. She watched vehicles pick up the women and come and go. The air was heavy and depressing, and Narcissa wanted to be as far away as possible.

Hopefully Katherine and Draco would be out soon.

Kat made up that her wand was a wood carving that her mother was in the middle of making before she died and said that she always kept it with her for sentimental reasons. She was never here often, only when Lou wanted her to pick something up, but the Stefano family's bodyguards always searched her and took it, saying it could be used to poke someone's eye out. They had to have taken Draco's, so she wondered what they thought about it.

"The bitch is finally here!" the bodyguard called out as he rammed the assault rifle into her back. He roughly shoved her up the stairs. "I'm bringing her up."

A sarcastic barb was on the tip of her tongue, but Kat forced herself to hold it in. She was reckless and had a temper, but that didn't make her stupid.

She was lead to Dan's office and tried not to look at Draco when she saw him handcuffed to a radiator. Thank Merlin it was broken. As the bodyguard backed away to wait outside, she whispered harshly, "Apparate, you idiot."

Draco's eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. "K-Katherine…"

"Did you really think I bought that fucking barely finished wood carving sob story?" Daniel Stefano rose from his seat behind his giant mahogany desk. He was huge, a giant wall of muscle that would make Uncle Vernon look like Colin Creevy, and his face reminded Kat of an angry tortoise. "Try to apparate Kat and see what happens. You'd think the great Girl-Who-Lived would be able to detect anti-apparition wards."

Kat didn't bother. No Muggle would have such information. Instead, she paled and took a step back before trying her best to stand firm. She couldn't make a run for it with Draco stuck to the radiator. "I-I'll pay you back."

Dan raised his eyebrows. "You'll pay me back if you have to fuck your way across London to do it. You owe me hundreds of thousands of pounds for what you did in my sons' flat. But first, this little shit you call a boyfriend is going to get them out of prison."

Kat sneered at him. "He can't do that all chained up, now can he?"

He moved fast for such a big man, Kat always thought. With a growl, he was across the room in a flash and twisting her arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco trying to yank himself free. "He's going to leave, and you're going to take his place by the window."

Draco continued to try to free himself. "I'm not leaving her, you ape!"

Dan snickered and started advancing towards Draco, so Kat figured she had to try to distract him. "Then how come you never said anything? How come Travis got confused that time back I apparated to Lou's and arrived two minutes after I called and said I was leaving my flat?"

Dan tensed, and Kat felt bitterness coming off him in waves. "My sons are Squibs. They know nothing. My parents told me to divorce my wife after our second son was proved a Squib. I refused, and they disowned me. In a way, I disowned them too and took my wife's name."

"Oh?" Kat continued to stall. If she could long enough, Narcissa would take the hint and bust in to save them. "What was your original last name?"

Crabbe. Goyle. Bulstrode. Hell, even Malfoy or Black wouldn't have surprised her. For some reason, she was floored when Dan smirked and said, "Perhaps you know my mum. My name used to be Daniel Umbridge."

Because he was just starting out as an auror, Ron wasn't used to fighting crime and solving mysteries without Kat and Hermione. He was used to Hermione doing the research, and the three of them doing the fighting and figuring things out together. Now, it was all up to himself and Neville… And their supervisor, Proudfoot.

"You do realize that withholding information is a crime, Dursley." Neville was trying to be tough, but Ron had a feeling that he wouldn't hurt a fly unless he absolutely had to. Proudfoot said that made him a good auror, actually.

Ron leaned over the table, looming over Dudley. "I can make sure you don't get into trouble, Dudley. Kat told me how good you were doing. You wouldn't want to ruin all that hard work, would you?"

Dudley narrowed his small eyes. "Kat's a liar. I don't know where her bloody boyfriend is. I can tell you where Louis Hughes is though."

Neville shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. "Not good enough, Dursley. We need to know where Daniel Stefano has him."

"Stefano?" Dudley snorted, not bothering to pretend not to know who they were talking about. Foolish move, Ron thought. "If Dan has him, you'll start getting pieces of him soon enough. Or, if Kat's realized the guy you're looking for is missing, she'll already be there. She can use her…" He hesitated. From what Ron knew, he figured the oaf was still reluctant to talk about magic. "Her freaky powers."

Ron frowned. They were dealing Muggles. Malfoy should have apparated the second he became conscious. Before he could pull Neville aside to discuss this, the wards around the interrogation room fell, and Lucius Malfoy burst in.

"Where is my son?!" Malfoy demanded as he was being pulled out of the room. Ron and Neville glanced at each other and waved off the other aurors who were trying to drag him away. This could work. "I don't care how much money you want! I'll give your weight in gold if you tell me where he is."

Dudley blinked in surprised. He must not know what his weight in gold was worth, and Ron remembered when they were kids Kat describing how stupid her cousin was. Like he was proud of himself, he smiled and said, "One hundred thousand pounds."

Malfoy looked at Ron, probably not knowing how much that was and wanting to make sure he actually had that much money. Sighing, he did some quick math in his head. "It's about twenty thousand galleons."

"Done," Malfoy said without thinking twice.

"Umbrige?" Kat laughed awkwardly. "Well we can both agree that she's a bitch… Did you know—?"

"I don't give a flying fuck about my mother!" Dan barked. He turned away from Draco to face her. "What? You think that since I live in the Muggle world with my Muggle wife and Squib sons that I should be on your side?" He laughed. "Let me tell you something, Kat. I'd break your pretty little neck if it was even remotely in my way. Not all the good guys are tolerant of Muggles, and not all the bad guys are pureblood supremacists."

"Well you're in my way." Kat did her best to sound brave. "I didn't tell your dipshit sons to break into my flat. I turned fucking Voldemort into dust. You're lucky all I did was wreck a few weeks' worth of drugs and get them locked up for a few years. Kingsley would put them away for life if I pushed it."

Dan laughed and shook his head as if she were a misbehaving child. Before she could blink, he backhanded her and knocked her to the ground.

Kat's eyes widened, and she almost scrambled up. Draco grunting pain distracted her. He was starting to look like before, when he was trying not to transform. She could have sworn his hair even looked a little feathery. He must be too used to trying to hold in it to think about not doing so. It could be their ticket out of here.

"So you gave up magic? Just like that?" Kat forced herself to laugh. "For two idiots for sons and a wife who never leaves the house? Damn. That's like trading a galleon for a chewed up piece of gum to the sidewalk."

He fell for it. Kat closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain. Therefore, she didn't see that he hadn't given up magic as much as she thought. He still had his wand in his pocket, not in an underused safe like she expected. In no time, he took it out and said, "Crucio."

The second all the aurors started apparating in the street, Narcissa burst out of the vehicle while prostitutes fled and the extra aurors scrambled to modify their memories. She rushed over to her husband and pointed at the old building. "They're in there. It's only been twenty minutes. Katherine said—"

The sound of glass breaking seemed to stop time. Even the aurors who were about to storm the building stopped.

With a bird-like shriek, a creature that could only be Draco burst from the window of the top floor. He was covered in white feathers, with enormous wings for arms and monstrous claws for feet. The claws slammed a rather large Muggle to the ground and started shredding at his chest, trying to tear out his heart. Blood spattered everywhere.

"DRACO!" Katherine screamed from the window. Her head popped through the gaping hole that used to be the window and surrounding wall and looked almost comical. Right before her head disappeared to head back down, she yelled, "STOP IT!"

Narcissa grabbed Lucius's hand, knowing that Draco wasn't going to listen until he was sure the Muggle was dead.

Muggles were screaming and running around like mad while the aurors tried to control the utter chaos. They knew better than to try to stop Draco.

"He won't get in trouble," Lucius said faintly. Narcissa barely heard him through the screams.

Her eyes filled with tears as Draco slowly but surely started to calm down. "I-I should have been there for him."

Absolutely covered in blood, Draco swayed slightly and started to turn back to normal. Katherine had finally arrived and started sprinting for him across the street. She caught him just as he fainted.

"I think he'll be alright." Lucius almost smiled sadly when Katherine held him tightly and started sobbing. Sighing, he held Narcissa closely. "He's safe now."

At first, Draco didn't remember what happened. When he woke up and found himself in his bedroom with Katherine sound asleep on his chest, he sighed happily and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer to him. Then, unfortunately, reality set in.

"Oh my God," he said breathlessly, causing Katherine to awaken and shoot up like a snake ready to strike.

Her bright green eyes bounced around frantically until she thought to grab her glasses and shove them on her face. "Draco, I am so sorry. Let me get your mum. She's talking to some lawyers to make sure nothing can happen to you and—"

"Are you alright?" Draco blushed when she frowned. He must say that all the time. "You were hit with the Cruciatus right in the head."

"I'm fine. It was only once, and he didn't hold it that long…" Katherine looked down and grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry I ignored you. If I had just let you in—"

"Forget about it. I will." Draco squeezed her hand in return and added, "If you'll let me in now?"

Knowing he was talking about a lot more than her flat, Katherine swallowed and looked a little reluctant, but then looked ashamed of herself because of it. "I will."

Draco felt like a fool for being so nervous. His palms were sweaty, and he wasn't sure if he was overdressed for the theatre. He couldn't wear just anything to Grimmauld and was too embarrassed to ask Katherine what to wear. With a deep breath, Draco grabbed a bouquet of red roses and flooed to Number 13.

Katherine said that Black kept Grimmauld because he enjoyed tearing it to shreds and destroying everything dear to his mother while remodeling. Therapeutic, she said Lupin called it.

Draco only recalled visiting once and stopped going after his Great Aunt Walburga called him a halfbreed when he was four, but the house looked totally different from his fuzzy memory. Instead of dark and lifeless, it was warm, and the sound of a giggling child drifted into his ears before he could so much as step out of the fireplace.

"Look Teddy Bear! Draco brought Dad flowers!" Katherine exclaimed as a little boy laughed again while riding on her shoulders. She set him down and said, "You better go get him! He loves roses."

Draco narrowed his eyes as Edward ran off giggling. "Why?"

Katherine shrugged. "I like to mess with you." She blinked and did a double take. "Are you wearing dress robes?"

"Mother and Father always dress formally for the theatre." But his cheeks were already burning, and Draco was almost afraid to ask as glee filled her eyes. "They see plays all the time."

"Oh…" Katherine smiled brightly, and Draco noted to his humiliation that she was wearing Muggle jeans and a black t-shirt. "This date is already going better than the last."

Black watched his every move while they ate. Lupin seemed amused and every once and a while ran his thumb over Black's hand, the one with the knife in it, seemingly to soothe him. They sat next to each other, across from Draco and Katherine while Edward happily sat at the head of the table.

"Daddy says you knowed my gran," Edward informed him with a mouth full of potatoes.

"I said Draco's mother knew her," Lupin said softly. "I'm sure she has pictures of her as a child."

Lupin sounded hopeful while Edward looked merely curious, not fully understanding death. Draco wondered if the boy understood that Black wasn't biologically his parent. Probably not.

Nymphadora and her mother died in a fire during the War. A fire set by Bellatrix. Rumor had it that Lupin was taking a two week old Edward for a nightly stroll in his pram to allow Nymphadora to take a nap. He returned to find a house full of flames under a Dark Mark. Draco wasn't sure if he believed it though. Only an idiot would take an infant outside during the War. It hurt Mother that she didn't have the privilege of knowing exactly what happened, but Draco was afraid to ask Katherine, afraid that she would blame him again like she did for Dobby's death.

"She does," Draco mumbled. "Under her bed. And a picture of Nymphadora. Aunt Andromeda sent one the day she was born."

A thickness set in the air that made Draco want to kick himself. Lupin cleared his throat and looked at his plate. "I'm sure Teddy would like to see it one day."

"Yup!" Edward grinned, innocently oblivious. "Daddy said I comed out of Mummy's tummy. And she went to heaven two weeks later."

Draco forced himself to smile. The boy pronounced heaven as 'heb-been' and later sounded more like 'labor.' "Yes. I, erhm—"

"I have to use the toilet." Katherine's voice was thick, and she was ducking so her face was hidden behind her wild hair. He had a feeling that she was forcing herself not to run for Edward's sake.

"I'm sorry." If he had any idea where the bathroom was, Draco would have gone to find her. She probably ran as soon as she was out of Edward's sight.

"No… It's my fault." Lupin sighed tiredly. Black wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "All the pictures of her childhood were burned. I couldn't resist asking."

When Katherine returned, she acted like nothing happened and started teasing Black. "Hey, Teddy Bear, did you know Draco and I are going to give you a friend soon?"

"How soon?" Black snarled, causing Draco to involuntarily lean away from the table.

"I don't know…" Katherine shuddered and pushed her plate away. "I haven't been feeling well lately…"

"Sirius…" Lupin rolled his eyes when Black's face started to turn red with anger. He decided to ignore the other man and turned to Draco. "Kat's been telling Sirius she's pregnant since she was fifteen. And he's been falling for it every time for years."

"This is your second date!" Black shouted, making Edward laugh and clap his hands. Apparently he had seen this joke in action more than a few times…

"Oh Merlin…" Lupin sounded beyond exasperated while Draco wasn't sure if he should flee or not. "Katherine, one day, you're actually going to be expecting, and Sirius won't believe you. And you'll be put out that your announcement was ruined."

"Padfoot will always believe me," Katherine said happily while Black blushed and was so mortified that he tried to make himself small. She wiped her hands and threw down her napkin. "Enough of this. We need popcorn and mars bars, right Teddy Bear?"

"Sweet fish!" Edward yelled, copying Katherine and throwing his napkin, even though he wasn't using it in the first place.

Black gritted his teeth. "I have a few questions for Draco first."

"Too bad! The show starts in ten minutes!" Katherine grabbed Draco's arm. "Although I'm sure you want to know why he's dressed like this. And it's because we're getting married at the court house! Sorry Padfoot! Teddy's my witness."

"Why do you have to sound so serious when you do that?" Draco asked while they waited in line to buy tickets.

Kat smiled. "Sirius's face is too funny. I can't help it. It's not my fault a forty two year old man can't detect sarcasm."

Teddy tugged on her arm. "Up!"

Kat picked him up and grinned, knowing that Draco probably forgot to trade galleons for pounds again. "Do you know which bill is which?"

"What are you talking about…?" Draco's face fell. "Damn it!"

Teddy giggled. "You owe a sickle to the swear jar!"

Kat bounced Teddy on her hip. "Sorry, Teddy Bear. Draco's too poor for that."

"Then he shouldn't swear!"

"Katherine!"

While Edward giggled and yelled at the screen, Katherine leaned into Draco, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "The armrest has to be digging into your back."

Katherine shushed him. "You remind me of Randall."

Draco frowned at the chameleon like creature. He was a slimeball. "Thanks," he whispered. "You're Sulley."

"Oooh, forbidden love!" Katherine grinned when a mother behind them shushed her and then shoved a fist full of popcorn in her mouth. Draco had a feeling she thought the night was going perfectly. Between their talking and Edward's loudness, he had a feeling the other Muggles in the theatre were ready to have them thrown out.

Draco held his hand out as they walked away from the theatre. "Does Edward care if I'm the one apparating?"

"We aren't leaving." Katherine made a face at him like she thought he was out of his mind. "After the movies we go to the toy store."

Draco looked at his watch. From what he could gather, Edward was just under four. "It's getting late."

"Pssh." Katherine waved him off. Edward tried to mimic her but wound up spitting all over. "Kat and Teddy don't care about bedtime! We need a new movie and… an American football! Did you ever see one Teddy? You can't even really kick it!"

Edward's eyes popped out of his head in amazement. "No! Let's go!"

Katherine picked him up and grabbed Draco's hand and started dragging him to the nearest toy store. "Okay. But we can't go too fast. Draco has a boo-boo on his chest."

"Kiss it! Then it get better!"

Draco turned crimson at the mental image, making Katherine smile warmly and kiss his cheek before crossing the street. Maybe their second date wasn't such a disaster after all.

Next chapter is Lou vs Draco! In all seriousness, the last half of the next chapter is about domestic violence, so I'm sorry if it is upsetting for you.

I almost ended this chapter after the scene where Draco woke up in bed with Kat, but I decided to add more in since I missed last week, and gr8rockstarrox requested the movie date with Teddy. :)

Oh and the hint from Chapter 3 was when Lou said, "Forget about it, Kat. Their father sells a lot of coke at the club. Maybe you should control your cousin. Get an alarm. I don't fucking know."

Oh and thanks to Guest, gr8rockstarrox, and Sakura Lisel for the reviews!