Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

WARNING:BRIEF sexually explicit content towards the end of this chapter. If you don't want to read it, skip the italics scene. You'll be able to figure it out in the next chapter.

Chapter 28 Unusual Affairs

Katherine barely listened as Weasley told them how the Lestrange brothers stabbed Longbottom several times with a sharpened rock before taking his wand and conjuring a row boat. She only held Edward, who was still sound asleep, close to her and stared at the wall.

"We've searched the area." Weasley glanced at the fireplace, hoping to get a call about Longbottom, who was in critical condition. "But they've probably past the point where they could apparate by now."

"So that's it?" Black demanded. "Look, I was all for getting rid of the dementors, but if they can escape that easily—"

"The guards were too busy with the five bodies they left scattered about the prison," Weasley defended before sighing. "They started another riot, but this one injured half the guards, and the other half was trying to stun the other Death Eaters. They killed one guard, three pedophiles, and a scam artist. At first, we thought it was some type of vigilante thing because they killed the pedophiles, but then we realized it was random. Whoever wasn't a Death Eater was a target. It escalated so quickly—"

"So what?" Katherine asked, finally joining in on the conversation. She was glaring at Weasley like it was his fault. "Teddy stops going to school, and we're stuck in Grimmauld? Its fifth year all over again, Ron! Only this time, I can't go anywhere. This was supposed to stop with us!"

"We're going to Lestrange Manor," Weasley said firmly. Draco doubted they would be there, but there was no place else they knew of. Mother often said that after they married, Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus were in their own little world. They hardly knew them, not that they wanted to. "They have nowhere else to go. Neville's wand isn't theirs. They won't be able to do much with it."

"They seem to be doing fine with it!" Katherine yelled, only lowering her voice when Edward whined in his sleep. "There are plenty of abandoned places out there. What if you don't find them?"

"We'll find them," Weasley insisted, with more confidence than Draco thought appropriate. "They didn't break out just for the heck of it." Katherine put a hand over her belly and suddenly wouldn't look at him, so Weasley turned to Draco. "Bring your family here. Don't leave under any circumstances."

"This is ridiculous," Remus said after trying for the fifth time to send St. Mungo's a Patronus. The hospital was on lock-down after an Imperiused healer tried to smother Neville. "I'm going down there."

"Remus!" Kat pleaded. She had been throwing up ever since Ron left and had a terrible headache, but it was hardly an emergency. Her face was a little swollen too, but she was pregnant and worried about the babies having to live in hiding. There was nothing wrong. "Please. It can wait until morning."

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Lucius growled. "They're toying with Longbottom. They aren't expecting us. I'll apparate to the front entrance."

"No! Don't!" Too late. Kat stared at the spot Lucius apparated from, not registering that he left without caring what she had to say. Ron told her months ago that the Lestrange brothers tried to put a hit out on him.

Ever since his lovely daughter-in-law started puking her guts out, everyone was doing nothing but staring at her for nearly an hour. She was carrying his grandchildren, and they were planning on twiddling their thumbs and watching her get sicker and sicker.

"Idiots," Lucius muttered when he reached for the doorknob of St. Mungo's London entrance. When it turned into a hissing snake, he jumped backwards.

"Potter's blood pressure was a little high last week, according to her medical records." Rodolphus smiled at him, showing off black, decaying teeth. "Did you know? Bas figured killing Longbottom would set her off."

Slowly, Lucius started taking his wand out of his pocket. He kept his eyes on Rabastan to try not to give it away, but when he threw Katherine's healer's head at his feet, he hesitated at the sight of her once bright, now dead eyes. That was all the time they needed.

Narcissa thought the days of waiting for Lucius to come home were long over, but here she was, watching the sun come up and trying to tell herself that everything was going to be alright. Around three in the morning, Severus came and gave Draco a mild Sleeping Potion to slip into Katherine's water. She snored through Draco flipping out on the youngest Weasley boy when they reported Lucius missing, and Narcissa was grateful. She didn't want anyone to try to talk to her, not when Lucius was being murdered. Would she know it when he died? She hadn't felt a thing since Draco was born.

"The skeleton." Narcissa swallowed as she watched Weasley walk up to her from his reflection in the window. She was still foolishly waiting for Lucius to apparate onto the front steps. "In Lestrange Manor. That's Bella's real mate. He died when she did. I-I don't know where she stored him, but I knew he was there."

Weasley nodded. "Do you have any idea—?"

"If I knew, I'd be there right now!" Narcissa shrieked before she could stop herself. "My husband will never see his grandchildren, will never see his family again because you couldn't do your job and put those dogs down!"

Weasley frown and walked away. He had more self-control then most. He didn't throw back in her face that Lucius was once one of those "dogs."

Everyone was searching. Everyone but her and Sirius, who spent the week coloring with Teddy. Kat felt useless, no worse. She was scared out of her mind. Draco was really close to Lucius, and although she didn't like him, she didn't want him to die.

Snape said he wasn't a healer, so he only gave her a mild potion to try to keep her blood pressure in check, meaning his recommendation was to stay in bed all day. They didn't even know if it was her blood pressure! She was just upset because she didn't want this for Teddy and her babies, a life of fear and hiding.

Her healer wasn't answering her letters, and whenever she brought it up, everyone just shrugged her off. The other night they were complaining about it. Kat was worried about that too, but didn't know what to do.

She was half asleep out of sheer boredom when her phone buzzed. Since she had literally done nothing for a week, Kat immediately perked up.

Hey, Kat! I've been meaning to call you! I saw you in the toy store the other day! Congrats!

Chanel. Kat hasn't heard from her in forever, but she did remember Draco saying she somehow got tied up with Flint. As in Marcus Flint, who claimed to be under the Imperious Curse during the War.

Slowly, Kat got out of bed and tiptoed out of her room as quietly as she could. She peered into Teddy's room to see that he and Sirius were sound asleep and surrounded by Legos. The full moon was tomorrow, so Remus was probably asleep too. They wouldn't even notice she was gone.

Before Kat could knock on Chanel's door, Flint opened it, trying to sneak out. Out of habit, she immediately took out her wand and pointed at him.

"Put that thing away," he snapped, sounding impatient. "Do you really think I'm with the Lestrange brothers?"

"Yes!" Kat hissed. "Considering they followed your master!"

"Who you killed," Flint whispered, dropping the Imperious façade for the first time. "They're going down, and everyone knows it. It's only a matter of time. Until then, I'd prefer my wife didn't find out about my Muggle mistress. I'm sure the aurors will connect her to me if they kill her."

Chanel was only a few years younger than her, but like Astoria, Kat would always see her as a little kid. The fact that Flint talked about her like that made her blood boil. "If you hurt her—"

"I'm paying for her to go to college and for her brat to be in private school," Flint growled. "We have an arrangement. Fuck your Gryffindor morals. Go home."

"Not until I see her." Kat didn't lower her wand as Flint rolled his eyes and stomped off. She should go home. Since Flint didn't lie and say he loved her, she believed he was telling the truth. Maybe she did have stupid "Gryffindor morals," but she didn't want her friend to get taken advantage of.

They had no clue where to look. Draco spent most of his time walking around London with Mother, who was convinced she would sense when Father was nearby. He didn't have the heart to disagree.

"Lucius was happy when he found out about the babies," Mother said quietly as they sat outside an abandoned factory that had nothing but rats and dusty machinery. "He just has trouble showing it. But he already bought a few toy brooms."

"I was worried about being like him," Draco confessed, feeling rotten as the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Cold. Distant."

"He tried." Mother put her face in her hands and sighed. "When you were a baby. But I think he found it easier to buy you things. The way your face lit up when he got you that broom made him smile to himself for days. I'm not saying it was right, Draco. But it was all he knew."

"I know." That was what scared Draco, that he didn't know anything else either. It wasn't until now that he realized he might not have the chance to talk to his father about it. "Why… I thought we would've at least gotten a ransom by now. Something. They didn't kill him yet. They couldn't resist showing it off."

"They're in Muggle London." Mother sounded sure of it, and Draco didn't press it because he thought she didn't have an actual explanation that did involve a feeling. He didn't want her to feel hopeless like he was starting to feel.

Kat felt out of place in Chanel's apartment. She hadn't babysat in a while, but the place didn't look all that different. Besides the pictures of Flint with Chanel and her son that is. He looked like he could be the boy's father as they ate ice cream together and went to the zoo.

"I know what you're thinking," Chanel said as she opened herself a beer and handed her a juice box. "But I don't love him."

"Really?" Kat smiled apologetically after her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "It's just he's a piece of shit, Nel. A manipulative one."

Chanel frowned but only shrugged. "There's no reason for him to manipulate me. He tried to hire me for your husband's bachelor party, but your husband paid me to leave. Marcus approached me after that." Again, she shrugged. "We both get what we want. He wants sex, and I want a future. My son deserves to go to a better school, and I want to become a nurse."
"I could've helped you," Kat muttered, feeling like a terrible friend. When's the last time they did more than send a few text messages?

Chanel smiled sadly. "I know. But you can't save everyone, Kat. I've had a… sucky life. And I know this isn't fair to his wife, but… But I'm happy. I have time to study and play with my son. I know you think I'm being taking advantage of, but I'm not. Don't worry about me. Worry about your baby."

"Babies." Kat felt numb as she tried to laugh and have lunch with Chanel. So neither her nor Flint had an real feelings for each other. They were both using each other. She felt sad for both of them.

At first, Draco thought Katherine was hiding, especially since Edward thought the same and was running around Grimmauld laughing as he searched. When the boy got bored and gave up ten minutes later, he started to feel sick. He was just about to start yelling her name when he spotted her trying to sneak in through the front door. She froze at the sight of him, looking absolutely terrified.

"Where were you?" Draco breathed out slowly as his heart started to pound. She was alright. There was no reason to blow up on her, like last time. "Where the fuck were you?!"

"Chanel's," she said quietly.

At a Muggle's house. Meaning there were no wards up. Nothing. Draco had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something he regretted. "I would prefer, if you stayed here," he ground out, "until they are caught or until the twins are born."

"I'm sorry," Katherine whispered. "I was worried because you said she was with Flint and—"

"And that's not your problem!" Draco yelled before he could stop himself. "Our children are your problem! You aren't the bloody Chosen One anymore! You couldn't even get into the Auror Academy!"

She frowned, making Draco remember that she didn't tell him that. Hermione did. Katherine quickly caught on and gritted her teeth. "They were wrong. I don't have PTSD."

"No," Draco snapped. "You've had survivor's guilt since you were fourteen! You said you didn't want this life for our children, then stop trying to be the fucking hero—"

"When were you going to tell me I killed my healer?" Katherine asked loudly as she tried to swallow back tears. "She always writes back to me. Within an hour. Even if it's after midnight."

"You didn't kill her," Draco muttered. He looked away until she sniffled. If only saying his uncles were psychopaths was enough of an explanation. He felt like an ass, but he didn't care what happened, as long as she was safe. "You didn't kill your mum and dad either."

"Yes I did!" she screamed, more upset now that he confirmed her healer was dead. "He wouldn't have killed them if they had just given me up."

"Do you really believe that?" Draco shouted back. Sometimes, he wanted to just shake her and yell, Don't you see how much we love you?! Usually, his temper got in the way though, and he said something stupid out of impatience. Like this. "Because he wasn't exactly someone who was reluctant to kill. They loved you as much as you love our children. Why is that so hard to understand? Why do you think you are so worthless that your parents shouldn't have loved you?"

"Shut up!" Katherine cried, making Draco realize yet again, that he was being too harsh. "You don't understand!"

"You did something stupid, Katherine!" he yelled. "Do you expect me to not care? You could've at least brought, Black, put some thought into protecting yourself! Even if you weren't pregnant, I don't want anything to happen to you!"

"I'm sorry." But she had this stubborn looked about her, like she knew she was wrong but didn't care. "I feel useless."

"You feel responsible," Draco corrected firmly. "Let it go, Katherine."

She only sneered at him. "That is so easy for you to say—"

"My father is missing!" he snapped. "I have a damned Mark on my arm, which is a symbol of wanting you and everyone you care about dead. People look at me like I'm some sort of monster, and rightfully so! Maybe I don't understand your perspective, but it sure as hell isn't easy! I love you, Katherine, and don't want anything to happen to you! Why is that so hard to understand?"

Silence. He wasn't going to apologize this time because for once, he didn't take it too far. At least, he hoped he didn't.

"If I keep everyone safe…" She pursed her lips and then confessed quietly, "If I keep everyone safe, then what my mum and dad did would be worth it."

It would be so easy to blow up on her, tell her that she was compromising the twins' lives for the "worth" of her parents' sacrifice. Instead, he decided to bite his tongue and pull her into a hug. "I love you."

Katherine tensed and waited for the "but." He was so mad at her, and she knew it. There was a tense air about them, since they didn't fully explode like they were both planning to. "I'm sorry… How long were you looking for me?"

Draco rested his chin on the top of her head, and didn't let her go, mostly so she wouldn't see him blush. "Erhm… About fifteen minutes."

"…You're a piece of shit."

"Thanks."

That night Draco pretended to be asleep as usual. When she thought he was asleep, Katherine would read her mother's journals to the twins. He found it so adorable and sweet that he didn't want to risk her stopping by telling her he was listening. He was just starting to doze after a story of her mother and Severus going to Hogsmeade when she started talking to them.

"Your dad's right," she whispered. "At least he didn't rub it in today. He can be a real jerk sometimes."

Draco tried his best not to move. He was the jerk? Wait until he told the twins how she stalked him sixth year.

"When I tried to be an auror," she went on quietly, "I had a panic attack during the obstacle course. Somehow the dummies looked like Death Eaters to me. I wanted to protect people, but I guess I don't have it in my anymore. So you're stuck with a boring old normal mum."

Katherine shifted and turned off the lamp. "Draco?" He didn't dare move. "I don't think I can be there when they arrest your uncles. I just can't do it anymore."

Draco didn't open his eyes until she started snoring. She sounded tired and defeated, making him feel guilty. Now that she wanted to let it go like he said, she wanted to separate herself from the War. Was that even possible?

November was coming to a close, and there was still no sign of Lucius. Narcissa didn't know why she told Weasley that Bellatrix's real mate was a Muggle. She couldn't remember her sister saying anything of the sort, but no matter how much she strained her memory, she came up with nothing. She just knew that what she told Weasley was true.

Narcissa sighed and turned off the light in her room at Grimmauld, trying to force herself to go to sleep. Tomorrow she would sit with Katherine and help her order things for her grandchildren through a catalogue. Pretend that everything was alright. That's what she spent the late nineties doing. She was already exhausted.

Lucius had finally proposed! Narcissa was so excited that she could barely contain herself. She had to tell Bella and flooed to Lestrange Manor as soon as she could. With a stupid grin on her face, she ran up the stairs and opened her sister's door without thinking.

The sight was too shocking to allow Narcissa to do anything but stare. Rodolphus was having sex with her, and if that was it, she would have closed the door and pretended she hadn't seen anything. He was her sister's husband after all. Unfortunately, there was more to it than that.

Rodolphus was taking her from behind, like an animal, while Bellatrix had another man, a man she didn't recognize, in her mouth. Narcissa was barely twenty and lived a sheltered life. She had never seen or heard of anything like this.

The man, a muscular brunette, spotted her first. "Bell…"

Bellatrix finally pulled away to look at her. Her eyes widened, and she turned to shove Rodolphus off of her. Narcissa started backing away when her oldest sister jumped off the bed and snatch up her robe. She looked absolutely murderous.

The sound of the door slamming made her jump. "You saw nothing," Bellatrix hissed. "Nothing."

"I-I…" Narcissa wanted to scream. Who was that man?

As if she had spoken aloud, Bellatrix answered, "My mate. Don't you dare tell Mother."

Narcissa nodded numbly and ran off.

The next morning, their families were out for breakfast to celebrate her engagement to Lucius. Narcissa tried to forget about what they saw yesterday when Bellatrix and Rodolphus sat down. He pulled out her chair and kissed her hand like nothing was wrong.

"Did you hear about the missing Muggle?" Abraxas asked dryly. "He claimed to be a psychic. Typical Mudblood. He probably snuck into our world and stole a respectable wizard's wand."

"Hopefully he's dead," Father said gruffly. Narcissa noticed that Bella didn't say anything, and, if she wasn't mistaken, Rodolphus looked mildly upset. Bella always agreed with Father. "This is why the Ministry should get rid of them. They killed someone else when they stole their magic."

"Do we have to talk about this today?" Narcissa watched Bellatrix out of the corner of her eye, but she barely reacted. That is, until they were alone later that night.

"How dare you?" her sister whispered angrily. "If we get caught—"

"What exactly are you doing, Bella?" Narcissa tried to be brave and not allow her voice to waver, despite the wand being pointed at her neck. Her sister wouldn't hesitate to use it. "Rodolphus—"

"Loves him more than I do, more than me." Bellatrix glared at her. "He's a filthy mudblood who never got his letter, thank God. No one needs to know about him. Not even you."

Narcissa blinked. "What?"

"Obliviate!"

Narcissa sat up with a start, absolutely drenched in sweat. Rodolphus loved Bellatrix's mate more than he loved Bella. He wasn't angry at Lucius for "allowing" Draco to be with Katherine. He was angry that he and Bella had to hide their relationship with her mate when Draco didn't. He was angry that the Muggle was dead. Narcissa knew how to find them.

Thank you Ern Estine 13624, Guest, and saroura92 for reviewing!

saroura92: I love the name Elena, but Damon and Elena being brother and sister is just wrong to me! My favorite part in the whole show is when Elena tells Damon he made all the wrong choices but that she's still in love with him.

Guest: James and Scorpius appear later. If you aren't reading the side story to this, you'll see in the Epilogue that Kat and Draco have a Weasley sized brood! ;)

Ern Estine 13624: We'll see more of the revenge next chapter, which will make more sense out of this one!

Oh and please vote on my poll! I can't tell who it is if that makes you hesitant. So far, only three people have and it's a tie between three names. :P