Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter Universe and I make no profit from it.

This is the last chapter for the Alternate Ending of Back From the Ledge. I truly hope that everyone reading this has enjoyed it as much as I have writing it. Thank you so much for taking the time to check it out. (And yes, this is really the end of Back From the Ledge - no other ending choices!)

Chapter 12 – The Truth Revealed

It was a cold late evening in March when a loud scream of happiness vibrated through the Hogsmeade workroom. George was sure the whole village had heard Kat's outburst of delight. When he walked into the workroom he was pleasantly surprised that her beautiful curls were a brilliant yellow, almost blindingly bright. She was looking at her arm and dancing in a happy circle. When she saw George, she grabbed both his arms and pulled him with her, causing him to laugh loudly.

"Why exactly are we celebrating?" George asked when she finally let him go. In response she held up both of her arms and grinned widely. Her left forearm still bore the blackened Bond Tattoo that she had shared with Fred while her right was perfectly smooth and blemish free. His eyes widen when he realized that her right arm was blemish free. "You did it?" She gave a small nod. "YOU DID IT!" He picked her up and spun her in circles again.

"We need to go see Draco!"

"Draco?" George was sure she'd want to see Severus first.

"Well, I mean they've had it longer than me and I want to make sure that it works on someone else before I go and make a fool of myself more in front of him. Plus I'm hoping that Draco will be able to convince Severus to come over so I can…if he lets me." Kat turned sullen again and quickly pulled up her shields.

Trying to keep her from folding back in on herself, George pulled Kat through the room and hurriedly flooed them to the Manor. They found Hermione and Draco in their library, both reading books, Draco's head in Hermione's lap as she lazily ran her fingers through his hair. They both jumped at the sudden appearance of George and Kat.

"Hey guys," Hermione blushed, "What's up?"

"I've done something a bit crazy and I'd like to know if Draco would be my test subject." Kat quickly explained what she had finally managed to do and how she did it. Draco was ecstatic about the possibility of not have the Dark Mark on his arm anymore and immediately agreed. "I have to warn you that I only had the disgusting thing for a few months and it bloody hurt to get it off. I have no idea how it will react to someone that has had it for years."

"I don't care," Draco smiled. "As long as I don't die, I'd do anything to get rid of the blasted thing."

"Alright, let's try it then." Kat asked him to remove his robes and shirt and had Hermione grab a couple cool towels and a glass of water. She sanitized the Dark Mark and added the balm she had created that would attach itself to the Mark itself and literally pull the poison out of him. She glanced up at him to confirm that he was prepared and she cast the complicated charmwork over the Mark. She gave a small nod to Draco, dropped her shields, and forced her power into the Mark. Draco started writhing in pain, screaming loudly and George had to help Hermione hold him down. Kat focused her magic onto breaking the connections the Dark Mark had in Draco's blood. Once she was positive that the connection was completely severed she had to quickly say the counter-curse she had created that would draw the poisonous ink out of his pores and into the balm. She started breathing heavily, the drain on her body intense. Finally the balm turned into a tarlike substance and fell with a disgusting plop to the ground. Kat withdrew her magic from Draco's arm and replaced her shields feeling as if she had just run a mile. She took a towel and wiped the rest of the balm off smiling as George yelled in happiness as he took in the now perfectly blank forearm of the former Death Eater.

Draco was looking much paler than normal but Hermione helped him sit up so he could look down. He started to cry when he realized that it was finally gone. "You did it. Thank you Kat, thank you. You made this for Uncle Severus, didn't you?" Kat nodded sadly. "I'll make sure that idiot is here. Do you think you can do it tomorrow?"

Kat was physically nauseous at the thought of walking into the room that she knew Severus was currently in with Draco. They had decided that it would be best if Draco and Hermione invited Severus over for lunch and then Kat, Loki, George, and Charlie (who had demanded to be present if Severus was going to be there) would just "pop" by. Kat thought it was deceitful but she knew that Severus did not want to be around her. They waited until the decided time for their sudden visit and then opened the doors to the sitting room where the three were having after lunch tea. Hermione was reading a book while Draco and Severus were discussing a new potion that had just been released. Hermione smiled when they came in, Draco showed no emotion, and Kat was surprised to see that he looked relieved to see her before it became blank again.

"Hi guys," Hermione stood up and walked over to them, petting Loki's head. "How are you all doing?"

"Alright, just wanted to check on Draco, make sure everything was healing correctly," Kat said smiling at the blonde. She noticed the questionable look Severus sent his godson. Draco smirked at him and then walked over to the trio while pushing up his left sleeve, making sure that his godfather could see everything that was happening. "Looks great! I'm so happy that it worked for you." She heard a sudden gasp and was startled when Draco's arm was pulled out of her grasp.

"What the hell?" Severus breathed. "What are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything Uncle. It's truly gone, all thanks to Kat here." Draco smirked at the stunned man. "Uncle you'll catch flies like that."

Severus turned to Kat and stepped towards her but Loki immediately pushed his way between them, growling deeply at the man who had hurt the person he viewed as his mother. Severus stepped back and raised his hands in surrender to the animal his gaze going to Kat's. "How?"

"I can show you." Kat stepped forward and motioned for him to remove his robes. How she yearned to do it for him, to touch him, to love him again. Well she could at least remove the last bit of his old Master off of him so that even if it was with her he could live a free life. She asked him to lie down on the sofa; Hermione had already gotten towels and water ready while Draco transfigured the sofa to not have a back so that people could be on either side of it. "It hurt quite badly for me and even worse for Draco so I think it might be best if we either knock you out or have you tied down." Severus chose to be tied down as he wanted to know exactly what she was doing.

Kat sterilized his arm and rubbed the balm over his Mark, trying to not react to the way his body shivered when she touched him. She had to close her eyes and inhale deeply before looking up into his dark eyes. "I am sorry about the pain. Are you ready?" He gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving hers. She held back tears as she cast the protection and drawing spells, taking his hand into hers and glancing up him again wishing she could tell him how much she loved him. Focusing her magic she dropped her shields and pushed the pain away of being so close to him instead concentrating on pushing her magic into the connections of the Mark. She felt herself falter the first time she heard him cry out, the tears falling down her face, and she was grateful when Charlie cast a silencing charm on him. I can do this. I love him and I'm doing this for him. It took a great deal longer for her to completely sever all the lines in his blood under the Mark as they were old and very strong but eventually she saw the balm become the sludge-like mass and drop off. When she was finally able to withdraw her magic she collapsed from exhaustion into George.

Severus was completely covered in sweat and he had bitten his tongue when he had first started shaking but he was surprisingly still conscious. Kat closed her eyes trying to steady her magic and not pass out. "Merlin, you've used up most of your stores haven't you love?" Charlie said, handing her a Pepper-Up potion. Kat nodded sleepily.

"How?" A weak, amazed voice asked.

Kat opened her eyes to see Severus staring at his now naked arm in bewilderment. "It's taken a few months but essentially I created a drawing balm that attaches itself to the poison in the ink and then I use my excess magic to sever the connections in the blood forcing it into the balm." Kat explained quietly, leaning away from George.

"W-why?"

"For you."

"What?!" Severus was furious with himself for being so stupid.

"I, ah, wanted to do something special just for you. You've done so much for everyone and they still look at you like you're one of them. And you're not. I wanted you to have a new life, the one you deserved to have all those years ago. You showed me that I could lov – that I wasn't as broken as I thought I was and I wanted you to know how thankful I was for you. I wanted you to be completely free of him." Kat felt the tears fall and quickly replaced her shields, not wanting him to know how badly she was hurting being this close to him.

"Y-you gave yourself the Dark mark, spent months working on this even after what I did to you, nearly blew yourself up, and then practically drained yourself of magic for m-me?" Oh Merlin, he sounded so angry. I fucked up again, didn't I? Kat didn't bother to look up when she nodded. "Oh."

"Oh? Are you fucking serious?" Charlie growled.

Kat sent him a sad smile. "It's ok. I'll be ok. I did this not for him to come back to me, I would have done this even if he had never wanted me. He deserves freedom. Everyone does." She stood up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I hope that you have a happy life Severus. A free life where you get to decide what you do." She turned to walk out of the room when a hand grabbed her and pulled her around.

"I was so bloody stupid," she stared at the sad face of the man she loved. "I let my anger take over and I didn't think. Please forgive me."

"Of course Severus."

"Drop the shields Katerina," he said quietly.

"I can't…it wouldn't be good for anyone." Kat replied shakily.

"I did this to you." She looked up again as his voice cracked. "I am so sorry."

"I forgive you Severus Snape. Now I really need to go."

"Please don't." Severus whispered. "Please don't leave."

"I can't stay so close to you Sev," the tears started again, her shields failing. "It hurts too much not to be able to touch you."

"Then touch me please. I will walk through hell if you'll give me another chance." She felt her heart leap his words. "Katerina I love you." She heard the gasps around the room and felt like she was flying. "I have loved you since the first time I heard you singing in the lab and I got to make your hair turn pink. You were my first true friend since Lily Potter decades before and I can't begin to tell you how jealous I was of Fred because he got you. I fell more in love with you when I watched your body grow with that amazingly strong son. And I felt completely broken when you left that I thought I'd forget how to live. I've been miserable since that night that I was so stupid but I didn't know how to fix it. I can't promise that we'll never fight or that it'll be easy but I promise never to hurt you like that again. Please come back to me."

"Really? Really, really?" Kat was stunned, hopeful, and honestly a bit terrified.

"Yes really," Severus smiled. "I truly do love you Kat."

"Y-Yes!" Kat jumped into his arms, her shields dropping and her hair turning the blinding yellow again.

"Just know if you break the Bond again we will keep our promise," Charlie threatened.

"What promise?" Kat asked.

"Nothing to worry about love," Charlie clapped Severus on the back. "This one is too smart to do something as dumb as throw a witch like you away – again."

Suddenly George started laughing. "What is so funny?"

"Oh Merlin," George tried to speak but started cracking up again. "He's loved you since before you Bonded with Fred."

"So?" Kat felt her hair beginning to spark.

"No need to get angry love, I was just thinking about how Albus said two soulmates normally resulted in a triad." George giggled again. "Can you all imagine Fred sharing Kat with Severus?" Suddenly everyone was laughing except for Severus who looked honestly disgusted.

"They would have killed us all," Kat said with a small smile. "As much as he joked around, Fred was not the sharing type."

"And neither am I," Severus growled.

Severus Snape was at yet another wedding dressed in uncomfortable dress robes as he watched happy couples twirl around in front of him. The difference though was he was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He smiled as he watched his beautiful rainbowed bride get spun again by George Weasley. "You know, I'd never imagine you to be for such a large wedding Severus."

Severus turned to the painted redhead and nodded. "I'd much rather have something smaller, preferably with no guests but she is worth it."

"She is. She always deserved the fancy dinner and extravagant white dress. She's as beautiful as I always thought she would be on her wedding day," Fred Weasley looked at the love of his life with longing. "Thank you for bringing her back, Severus. Keep her happy for me."

"The rest of my life," Severus vowed his eyes going back to the woman that had saved him. He felt his body warm when his eyes met with sparkling blue. It had been a long, hard road but in the end he had found his happy ending.

The End.