Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

Chapter 8 Love

They slept for twelve hours. Draco was surprised he managed to, considering how Katherine slept the other night. However this time, instead being restless, she slept like a rock and clung to him instead of trying to crush him like before. The only reason he woke up the next morning was because Edward spotted him.

"You still here?" was the only warning Draco got before the little boy jumped into the middle of the bed. Katherine sighed contently but turned away from them. "Dad says you aren't 'llowed."

Draco blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes and was surprised to hear Katherine snoring softly beside him. They were just jumped on! "Yes… Well…"

"But Daddy wants to know if you want brekkie." Edward waited for him to answer while Draco's sluggish brain tried to recall who was 'Dad' and who was 'Daddy.' Black probably wouldn't offer him food…

"Erhm, let me…" Draco looked down at his rumbled clothes. "Let me call one of my house elves. I need to get dressed."

Edward frowned but started crawling off the bed. "Dad says you sleep in my bed instead tonight. So I can keep eyes on you."

"Wonderful," Draco muttered as Edward ran off to give him some privacy. He tried to wake up Katherine, but she didn't budge.

"We didn't know she felt like that," Lupin said before Black could interrogate him as soon as Draco entered the kitchen. Edward was chomping on toast, happily oblivious as he should be.

Draco shrugged, feeling extremely awkward. He should have just went home… Mother had to be worried. "I thought she just…" He glanced at Edward, not wanting to go into detail. "Didn't like me."

"Kat said she likes you almost as much as Gen Sow's chicken," Edward informed him with his mouth full.

"General Tso's chicken," Lupin corrected and smiled sadly. "That really means a lot, doesn't it, Teddy?"

Edward hummed in agreement and then laughed when Black pretended to try to steal his sausage from him. Reluctantly, Draco sat down and accepted a plate from Lupin. Katherine had to wake up eventually.

Draco was absolutely shocked that Katherine didn't wake up until supper time. Like a nervous new mother, he kept checking on her to see if she was still breathing. No one could sleep that long.

But she did and shuffled to the bath as soon as she woke. When she emerged, it was clear that she finally put Severus's salves to use and almost looked back to normal. Her face was only slightly red and puffy as she drowsily walked over to Black and hugged him.

"I'm sorry too, Kitty Kat," Black said before kissing the top of her head.

"Sorry enough to let Draco sleep over again?" Katherine asked lightly as she snatched a chicken leg off Black's plate.

"At least use a napkin," Lupin said with exasperation.

"No!" Black yelled at the same time. "He wasn't even allowed to last night!"

"But you said Drake could sleep in my room!" Edward protested loudly while Draco couldn't help but shrink in his seat.

"Actually—" Draco tried.

"Can I sleep in your room too Teddy Bear?" Katherine asked while sitting next to Draco and helping herself to some pumpkin juice.

Edward pouted but obviously didn't want to hurt her feelings. "I guess."

And so, that night Draco found himself crammed in an only slightly magically enlarged toddler bed. Between Katherine's snoring and Edward's hair changing colors in his sleep, Draco couldn't wait for the sun to rise so he could escape. To make matters worse, Katherine wrapped her legs around his waist at around two in the morning. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive the next hundred years of this.

"I'll need to invest in a bigger bed," Draco told Pansy the following morning while nursing his third cup of coffee. They were in his kitchen, and she arrived to see if he had returned from his two day disappearance. "Although I think I could get one a mile wide, and she'd still manage to find me…"

Pansy smirked. "I'll make sure to tell your mother of your adventures next time she's frantically searching for you."

Draco rolled his eyes and mumbled, "I'm twenty one for Merlin's sake."

"My mother used to say that yours is so overprotective because there's only one of you." Pansy sipped her tea and put down her cup with an evil smile. "If only there was another of you to distract her."

Draco wasn't sure how to respond to that, since Pansy and most of their friends were only children too. Her mother let her be 'free to make her own mistakes,' as she put it. "Right… So did Theo propose yet?"

Pansy snorted. She had found an engagement ring in her boyfriend's sock drawer months ago, but he had yet to find the courage. "At this rate, you'll be married first. I suppose there's no rush. But now that I know that he wants to…"

"Unless he's planning on proposing to another woman and is trying to figure out how to kick you out," Draco teased, enjoying being on the other end for once. The two of them liked to torment him mercilessly. Pansy scowled in a way that reminded him that even the older Slytherins at school used to fear her. "Propose yourself then."

"I want that ring!" she hissed, making Draco laugh at her. "You should see it! Prettier than anything you would pick out."

"Ah yes, the impeccable Nott taste," Draco drawled so she would crack a smile.

"Better than the Malfoy Most-Expensive-is-Best style." Pansy stuck her nose in the air. "You'll need help picking out Potter's. I don't think she'd tolerate a ring the size of a bolder. Plus, she's bound to get it dirty."

"So what would you suggest?" Draco asked, doing his best to sound uninterested. He reached for a scone but mostly tore it up. "One of those plastic rings with a blood pop attached to it?"

Pansy shook her head. "Potter has no fashion sense. But you'll have to get her something up to the Malfoy standards. In other words, you're screwed."

"Thanks." At this point, Draco hadn't even thought of proposing. It was a distant fantasy. They hadn't even said, I love you, yet. Yet. Suddenly, Theo didn't seem like such a coward.

"I can't believe I slept so much." Kat was at the mall with Ginny, looking for an outfit for the youngest Weasley to wear to the press conference after her first Holyhead Harpies game.

Ginny held up a pair of dangly purple earrings but put them back when Kat wrinkled her nose. "Well you were in a car accident." The lie left a bitter taste in Kat's mouth, especially since Ginny believed it without a second thought. "You're coming to my game, right?"

Pushing away her guilty feelings, Kat forced herself to nod. "As long as Teddy and I get free nachos."

"Why are you not twice your size?" Ginny complained halfheartedly. "Oh yeah. Because you only eat with Teddy or when someone forces you to."

"I know Mrs. Weasley," Kat whined with a smile when Ginny glared at her. She held up a black and white floral blouse, but Ginny rejected it almost immediately with a wave of her hand. "I'll eat better when my metabolism goes to the toilet."

"I'm looking forward to it." Ginny strode over to the shoes. "Black heels or green?"

"Green," Kat said, almost automatically. "Then you can get the green trousers—"

"You mean the puke green pants?" Ginny laughed when Kat pouted. "I'm thinking I'll get a black skirt and a dark green shirt. And then black robes over it."

"So you want to look like a Slytherin?" Kat joked, but Ginny tensed.

"Maybe a yellow blouse then." Ginny paused to look back at the shirts but ultimately turned back to the shoes to save her decision for later.

More guilt piled onto the previous guilt. Kat tugged on her sleeve. "I'm sorry, Gin."

Ginny kept her eyes on the shoes. "You were on my side. Until he came along."

"The ferret?" But Kat saw she was in no mood for jokes. "I wanted to give things a chance."

"You wouldn't have if it wasn't for the stupid Veela thing." Ginny picked up a display shoe but slammed it back in its place. "You would hate him just like me."

"I know," Kat said honestly. "But I'm happier now…"

Ginny didn't say anything. She took Fred's death hard, almost as badly as George. After Snape got off without a jail sentence, she didn't speak to Kat for nearly two years. Only after Kat explained the memories and how she couldn't bear to let Snape get the Kiss, did Ginny reluctantly agree to be her friend again. She saw it as a weakness in Kat, and because she promised not to tell Remus and Sirius, Kat let her.

The next day, Draco stopped by to visit Katherine and didn't expect Ginevra to be there. Hermione said they were still talked, but their friendship was strained. Ginevra glanced at him as he entered the living room but said nothing.

"Hey!" Katherine smiled brightly, but it didn't quiet reach her eyes. "Sorry. I didn't think you were coming. Ginny's first game's today, so the Lupin-Potter-Black family has to embarrass her!"

"Oh." Draco tried not to notice how rigid Ginevra's back became. She clearly didn't want him to ask if he could join them. "Are you free tomorrow then? I'm going on a business trip with Father for a few days on Monday."

"Just come over in the morning." Katherine put her face close to Ginevra's hand as she started painting yellow lines over the green polish. "If I'm not up, Teddy will be."

"Hermione wanted us to get brunch," Ginevra murmured. She was trying not to acknowledge his presence, which Draco tried to tell himself was better than her trying to pick a fight. "She said she wants to before her finals week."

Hermione would invite Draco. He could tell that's what Katherine wanted to say, but she merely thinned her lips and kept her eyes on Ginevra's nails. "Oh. I forgot…"

Ginevra narrowed her eyes. It was getting harder and harder for her not to say anything. Draco almost didn't blame her when she whispered, "Bellatrix was his aunt. Tonks's aunt."

Katherine tensed and shook slightly but pushed her feelings back down. No wonder she blew up on him the other day. She dropped Ginevra's hand but started painting the other. "And my aunt put a cat flap on my door and kept me in solitary confinement. Ginny, please… Today's supposed to be fun."

"I almost died in the Chamber." Ginevra sighed. "But I'm sorry… Kat."

Draco almost laughed. She had to add Katherine's name to let him know she wasn't apologizing to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Katherine."

She finally looked up and smiled, thankfully thinking that he understood. He didn't, however. Katherine was willing to stand up to anyone, including the Dark Lord, but she was afraid to confront someone she had been friends with for almost ten years.

Kat came home from her late morning with Ginny and Hermione to find Grimmauld empty. She felt like a teenager again, reminded of when the Dursleys would go out and forget to lock her door. If she was particularly hungry, which she usually was, she would eat herself sick. She almost felt like she had to do something that Sirius wouldn't approve of.

And so, Kat firecalled Draco. She didn't tell him at first and watched him sign some documents that were probably for the trip with his father. He looked so serious. Too serious for her liking.

"Drakey-poo!" Kat sang, doing her best thirteen year old Pansy Parkinson impression.

Draco jumped from his seat and spun around so fast that he nearly fell out of his chair. For a second, he must've thought she was Pansy. "Don't ever do that again."

Kat ignored him. "Come over! The godfathers are gone! This is not a drill!"

"What?" Draco frowned, probably not understanding the 'drill' part.

"Come on! This is a once in a life time opportunity!" Maybe that was a bit of an understatement since she had been living with Sirius and Remus for less than a week. Oh well.

Draco, almost fearfully, walked through the floo, but Kat didn't want to waste time teasing him about it. Silently, she grabbed his hand and hurried upstairs to her room.

As usual, Katherine tried to initiate their sexual encounters. Draco was tempted to let her as she unbuttoned his shirt after taking off her own, but he didn't want to risk Black walking in on them. Thank Merlin she shut the door with her foot after he entered. He was too nervous to remember.

She wore a lacey black bra and pressed her breasts against him as they sat facing each other on her bed. "I might get another flat soon. Then you can't say no."

Draco wanted to act natural, to tease her and pretend that Malfoys waited until marriage. However, he was too nervous to speak, let alone say something clever. He gasped when she wrapped her legs around his waist and inched closer to him.

"Kiss my neck," she instructed, trying to cover up her impatience with sweetness.

"Ever heard of please?" he somehow managed to say.

"But that would imply that I'm asking."

There was no way he was going to give her what she wanted now. Draco kissed her lips, her jawline, her shoulder. Katherine closed her eyes but that snapped open when Draco stupidly started to say, "I love—" The obvious hope in her eyes gave him stage fright. "Your family. I love your family."

Katherine froze. She knew what he was going to say, and for a moment, he saw a flicker of disappointment in her expression. Then, she threw herself backwards and started laughing hysterically.

"What...? They're… They're somewhat nice people." Draco was sure that he was the color of a tomato. He literally could have said anything else. Your hair, your eyes, the way you sleep, you.

Katherine wiped tears from her eyes before sitting back up. "I'll let Sirius know... Are you really that scared of having sex?"

So she didn't know. Her explanation for his outburst, unfortunately, made Draco feel even more cowardly. He looked away. "No. I…" He cleared his throat. "I just don't want to rush it."

"Wanna hear something stupid?" He was too embarrassed to respond so she went on anyway. "Before sixth year, I had sex with one of my cousin's friends because I was sad because I thought Sirius was dead."

Draco furrowed his brow. "That doesn't make sense."

Katherine went on as if she didn't hear him. "Piers Polkiss. A rat faced boy who was shorter than me… I didn't even like him. And he didn't like me. But his girlfriend had just dumped him, he had beer… and I thought it was my fault that Sirius was dead…"

"Wait. Was that the first time you ever…?" Draco's eyes widened when she shrugged. "Why?"

"I felt better in the moment. For a very brief moment." Katherine made a repulsed face that could have been regret. She looked like she swallowed something sour. "He told everyone, of course. I punched him in the stomach. And the rest is history… So even though I tease you, I don't mind that you're hesitant."

"I don't think it would be that bad." Relief rushed through him when she smiled. "I don't think you would feel the need to hit people if you talked about how you felt. Maybe not to them, but hopefully to me?"

Katherine's smile widened as she leaned over and hugged him. "Okay. Secret number one. I'm falling in—"

"KITTY KAT!" Black bellowed from downstairs. "WE BOUGHT YOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENT!"

"IT'S A SECRET!" Edward yelled worriedly, thinking Black was going to tell.

"Oh really?" Black said with false surprise. "Sorry Teddy Bear, I forgot."

"Sirius," Lupin chided. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Katherine snatch up her shirt. The werewolf called up, "We're coming upstairs, Kat. This is your final warning."

"What are you talking about, Moony?" Black asked loudly. Before Draco knew it, he was being silently shoved into Katherine's closet. A second later, Black opened the door. "See, Moony? She's reading. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Really?" Clearly, Lupin didn't believe it for one second. Draco held his breath, half wondering if he could hear him breathing. The sarcasm was so light in his voice that Draco could barely hear it when he said, "My apologies, Kat. And here I thought you were wrapping our Christmas presents."

"Har, har, har. You're so witty, Remus." Katherine snapped shut her book and gave Draco a chance to escape. "C'mon. I want hot chocolate."

Somehow, Draco managed to sleep through his alarm. That meant he only had a few minutes to say goodbye to Katherine before going to France for the week with Father.

He rushed over to Grimmauld to hear Katherine and Edward giggling in the kitchen. "Katherine?" he called from the living room. "I-I kind of have to go! I'll see you Friday night!"

The giggling continued. Draco, who was still waking up, rolled his eyes and figured he'd firecall her later. He was already late. "Bye!"

He was in the floo and just about to drop the powder when Katherine skidded into the living room. He was already starting to be sucked up the fireplace, but her timing was perfect, and right before he was completely gone, he heard her say so infuriatingly casually, "Bye, Draco! I love you!"

Finals week is fast approaching, so I decided to give you guys what I had. gr8rockstarrox last chapter was nearly 6,000 words, so twice as long as this chapter. :( Thanks for the review!

So, I was thinking of putting up a poll, but I don't think guests can vote… The problem is who Hermione's dating. I was originally going to have her date Snape, but then I realized that that is probably a terrible idea… So here are the choices:

Severus Snape

Blaise Zabini

Viktor Krum

EDIT: I created a poll since the Stats seem to be down. At least for me. So I don't know if anything else is wrong. So if you'd prefer a poll, its on my profile.