It couldn't be said that Kit was overjoyed about anything the next day, her previous sour mood having clung to her that night. It dug its nails in and latched on firmly, smirking as if to say it wasn't leaving for a very long time. Kit wasn't happy about how she'd tossed the whole night, nor was she happy that Evans made a racket when she finally decided to amble in at three in the morning. But Kit was moderately pleased to realize it was a Sunday and therefore she had little to do. She didn't think she could stand the idea of having class with her so-called friends for a whole day.
What had they been thinking? Kit groaned and pressed her face deeper into the soft cushions, willing them to smother her whole, or at least smother the endless chatter in her head. She knew that they'd all betrayed her, but that didn't mean she wanted to think about it endlessly. It hurt a little bit more each time she did. She didn't want to see Eric yet, since she didn't know how he'd handled the previous night's events, but she didn't want to stay in bed all day. She turned in the sheets and saw Lucius's cloak hanging over the foot board. Malfoy was pretty neutral territory, she decided as she rose from the pillowy mattress. She took a shower, hoping maybe the soothing hot water would wash away some of the thought in her head. And as steam curled under the door and fogged up the mirrors, she did begin to feel better. Not that she'd forgiven any of them, she just didn't have a pounding headache anymore. She turned off the water and stood in the foggy bathroom for a long moment.
Why would they even think that they knew best? Weren't they forgetting about the little brunette who's life they'd decided to control? Worst yet, why did they think she needed to change what she was or who she was with? Eric was a great guy! And apparently none had cared enough about how they'd treated her to come and find her when she didn't go back to the dorm after leaving the party. What great friends, Kit mused darkly as she changed. It was chilly out, so she pulled a Falmouth Falcon's sweater and tugged on a pair of jeans to keep out the chill. Scooping up the cloak, Kit left the dorms with her head high, but didn't meet an eye. She looked through Remus as he walked in and sped past Sirius too. She didn't know where James and she couldn't have cared less as she stepped into the main hall and began her descent into the dungeon. It didn't occur to her that she didn't know how to get into the Slytherin common room. Kit slowed and thought about the general area, knowing it was concealed into the wall. She knew which corridor it was in, but that was the extent of her knowledge. She folded her legs under her and waited in the middle of the hall, drumming her fingers to keep busy. She thought about what the Syltherin's would upon seeing her and hearing her request. None of them were too fond of Kit, but there was some sort of tension she didn't understand when she was around them. Like they were all waiting for Kit to do something. She didn't bother giving it much thought; probably Slytherin's just being strange.
"Katherine?" A voice asked, and Kit turned to see Lucius looking down at her. Snape was flanking him on his right said, Narcissa on his left. If there was one Slytherin she hated more than Snape, it was Narcissa. She was just cold to the bone. Kit wouldn't have been surprised if her heart didn't have a beat.
"I thought you'd want this back," she Rose and held out the cloak. Malfoy took it, his fingers just brushing her's in the motion.
"Yes, well," Kit shrugged awkwardly, not understanding the significance of the graze. "I'll be going," Narcissa gave a look that said she should be on her way and Snape's hand was already twitching to go to his wand. Boy, he was eager today.
"How are things?" Malfoy asked before she had a chance to move. Snape froze and looked at him, dumbstruck.
Kit made a noncommittal sound, not wanting to say too much in front of Narcissa or Snape. "Alright. No one said anything," she was surprised to hear a growl come from her own lips. Malfoy's lip twitched and he bowed his head.
"I knew they weren't good enough," he said solemnly. He turned and whisked his back up away, but not before they could both glare at Kit as they passed her. Lucius extended his arm and offered to walk her to the Great Hall. Kit hesitated, scuffing her runner against the stones.
"I'd better not. You know how people talk," and he did. But that didn't seem like enough of an argument.
"What are you afraid of, Katherine? That your friends will see?"
Kit scoffed, "If you could still call them friends,"
"Then why not spend your time around a higher calibre of wizard. One who won't try to run your life," he smiled at her, his blonde hair bright despite the lack of windows. Taking a breath, Kit nodded and took his arm.
"How were you after I left?"
"Fine. Tired; exhausted, actually. More than a little fed up," Kit rolled her eyes. It was too easy to bring all that stuff up again. There didn't seem much point in still talking about it. They had hurt Kit and now she needed time to heal and see if she could ever truly trust them again.
"I am sorry this happened to you," his voice was earnest, which made her stop at the doors.
"Really?" she asked. "I thought you would have been soaking it up. Isn't this what you try to do everyday to us?"
"Katherine, you mistake me for my friends. Just as yours have proven, not everyone within a group has the same opinion." Like all her friends choosing James while she picked Eric.
"Wow," she was going to have to wrap her head around the idea of a nice Slytherin. But she refused his offer to eat breakfast with him and instead went off to the Gryffindor table and sat down beside Eric.
"Hi," she said quietly. Eric nodded in greeting, still finding his porridge more fascinating.
"So it's true then?" he asked suddenly.
"What's true?"
"Potter's into you,"
"Well, I don't know." Kit pushed aside any doubts she had and turned to face Eric head on. "I'm not here to talk about him. I'm sorry I left the party without saying a proper goodbye."
"You seemed pretty upset," he stated.
"Yeah. Turns out my friends thought they knew better than I did." Kit gave him an apologetic smile, one he returned slowly.
"Do I have competition now?"
"With Potter? Hell, no," she was relieved to see that he relaxed. Taking her cue from him, she forced herself to exhale and enjoy the moment.
"Any plans for today?" Eric asked after a moment of companionable silence. Kit knew the answer before he'd finished asking the question.
"None," she smiled at him, her hands finding his. She wouldn't mind spending the day with Eric; she'd love it in fact. He didn't judge her or try to make decisions for her. She settled against him a bit more comfortably and felt his arms hold her a bit tighter.
"I don't know if I ever got a chance to tell you how amazing you looked last night,"
Kit smiled, flattered by his compliment. "Most of it was Rose's doing. I'm hopeless with most of that stuff." Kit did know how to put on make up, but she didn't have the skill Rose had. It made Kit wonder where her cousin had learned it at all. Durmstrang struck her as a rather masculine school.
"Why don't we find somewhere else to stay?" Kit asked and untangled herself from his grasp. A cruel thought ran through her mind as to where they should go. The Gryffindor common room was a perfectly justifiable place to be. What did it matter if James or anyone else saw, she wasn't dating James. She was dating Eric, and she wanted to sit in the common room. As they walked out, Kit couldn't keep from glancing at the Slytherin table. Malfoy caught her eye and smirked as she passed.
"Do you think the common room is a good idea?" Eric asked as they approached the Fat Lady.
"Why not? We deserve to be there, just like anybody else." Kit walked through the portrait, an uncertain Eric on her heels.
"Well, I know we are, but don't you think everyone will be a bit shaken after last night?" Eric's hands went instinctively to her waist she they entered. He tightened his grip when he saw her friends sitting by the fire.
"C'mon, let's go to my dorm." Eric whispered, if only to get her away from another fight. As it was, he could feel Sirius' eyes burning into his chest. He guided her to the seventh year dorm and pushed open the door, pointing to his bed. All the guys he shared a dorm with were out, thankfully. He watched Kit make herself comfortable on the red sheets and slowly made his way over.
"What's bothering you?" He asked once they were sitting side-by-side. Kit sighed and waved a hand.
"It's nothing," she said and fell back onto the pillows.
"Kit, you hardly fight like this with your friends. If you're unhappy, I want to know," He joined her, and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.
Kit smiled at him fleetingly and considered waving his question off again. He was kind, but she didn't want to whine. But, wasn't the fact that no one had listened to her in the first place what bothered her? Didn't she want someone to listen?
"You can tell me," Eric said softly. She was astounded at how kind Eric was, how understanding.
"They've been complaining about us dating. Them seem to think James is a better match." Kit gave a little huff and propped herself up on her elbows. "But what bothers me is that they don't even know you, they didn't even think to ask if I was happy with you. And not one of them came to apologize. Not to mention James broke Rose's fingers and ruined a whole party."
"Are you happy with me?" Eric asked.
"Oh, yes. Merlin yes," Kit gasped and held his cheeks to know that she meant it. "I would rather eat dirt than be with Potter And you, you're just perfect. You're kind and sweet. You play Quidditch and you treat me like a queen." She pressed her lips against his. "I couldn't imagine someone better." Eric smiled at her, his eyes warm and gentle. His hair was falling into his eyes again, in that adorable way. But Eric wasn't cute, he was handsome now. Thin, but lean with hair you just wanted to run your fingers through. Unable to resist, Kit did just that. Eric smiled at her and put a hand on her waist. She shivered in response, her own hand moving of its own accord. She would have figured out where that hand would have gone had it not been for the door flying open.
Assuming it was one of Eric's friends, Kit didn't pull away. Eric's grip on her wasn't relenting either. Neither of them looked away from the other and their thoughts were identical. Go away, was the unanimous thought, though it went unsaid. Kit's mind was off of the fight, or James or anyone else except for Eric, and at that moment, she didn't want it any other way.
But when she heard the very distinct sound of a female gasp, Kit jumped away, glancing at the frowning Eric before registering who was at the door.
"Rose?" Kit asked, somewhere between concern and annoyance. Okay, so the annoyance was winning out and Kit lifted herself enough to cross her arms.
"What?" She asked rather rudely, but she'd just been rudely interrupted. Eric's hands dragged across her skin as she sat up on the edge of the bed. Curiosity was beginning to stir within her, along with something else that had everything to do with the gossamer touch of Eric's fingers along her spine. When Rose finally caught her breath, she said something Kit hadn't been prepared for.
"James is missing," Rose said without preamble. Kit's eyes snapped up to her cousin, narrowing as they did so.
"Rose, it's Hogwarts. You can't go very far. He's fine." Kit knew Rose was scared for her new friend, but she was overreacting. He was probably sulking in a bathroom or something. Kit shrugged and nestled herself closer to Eric, who had sat up after realizing that Rose wasn't just going to leave.
"Katherine, the Headmaster is worried." That got a bit more of a reaction from Kit. Her eyes darkened as she told Rose to leave. Rose gave her cousin a look that clearly said Kit was being childish because she wasn't doing anything. But she shut the door behind her.
"Potter is a bit daft sometimes," Eric remarked, his hands finding her waist once again. Pushing the issue to the back of her mind, Kit turned and tried to resume what they'd been doing before the interruption. Eric was trying just as hard as she was it seemed. His lips found hers again and his hands began to explore her body.
James was missing. If Dumbledore was worried, it must be more than James locking himself in a broom closet. But Kit didn't care; he'd turn up once there was a big enough party looking for him so he could get the attention. That was who James was, although he'd never been this dramatic before. Maybe this was worse than she thought.
Kit tried to return Eric's embraces with the same vigour and passion, but she couldn't fight the worry anymore. She may have been angry at James (understatement), but he'd been her friend much longer than he'd been her enemy. And she was still angry at him, even more so because of this stunt he was pulling, but she couldn't stay there with Eric.
"Eric, stop." Kit began to pull herself away from Eric, but he held her fast. "Eric, I have to go find James."
"To hell with Potter. You're here with me now," he said, as if that answered everything.
"Yes, but I don't want to be if someone is in trouble." Kit began to fight harder against Eric's arms. Any other time she would have marvelled at his strength, but now it was just a nuisance. "Eric, let me go." She managed to get her hands from beneath his back and used them to distance herself from him.
"So, you're leaving me for Potter?" He spat, his fingers latching onto her forearms.
"I'm leaving you for a friend!" Kit used all her might and pulled away from him, storming out of the room. The door slammed behind her and she was down in the common room a moment later. Remus, Sirius, Peter and Rose all regarded her with emotions ranging from wary to disgust.
"Can we talk about our problems after we find James?" Kit snapped and bent over the map they produced. It was the infamous Marauders' Map, the one they'd just finished. Of course, Kit had worked on it with the rest of the boys, since she was good at Charms. But she didn't get a nice name on the front because she wasn't technically a Marauder. And she didn't have spiffy nickname. But they made sure she was just as connected to the map as they were. In the writing that made up the walls and lined the corridors of the map, Kit's name appeared regularly. It was sweet of them, not to mention when she appeared on the map, it was labeled as "The Goddess." That had been a joke that the boys had taken a bit too seriously. But there was no time to admire their handiwork now and they all leaned over to large piece of parchment.
They were shown on the map as a huddle in the common room, Eric and a few others in the dorms. A few people walked along the halls, though most were in the library or the Great hall.
"Start looking through the grounds, that way we don't risk our lives searching useless for him out there." Kit said, pointing to the parts outside the castle.
"Not to mention it's turned chilly," Peter said as he looked along the West side of the map. Remus looked at the North, Sirius the South and Rose and Kit picking through the East. There was hardly anyone outside, save for Hagrid, so they ruled out the grounds quickly.
"He couldn't have left the school." Remus said as he began to search the dungeons. Remus took the lead, dividing the school into sections and assigning each one to a certain part. Kit was to take the seventh and sixth floor. Rose and Sirius were to take the fifth and fourth floor, Peter the third and second, and Remus on the ground floor and the dungeons. If they found him, they were to go back to the common room and send word to the others using enchanted parchment planes. If they didn't find him by dinner, they were to all meet in the common room then go to Dumbledore.
Kit left with the rest of them and began her search. The seventh floor wasn't too busy save for the ten couples she'd walked in on, but besides the odd sound from an empty classroom, the floor was empty. James had done a rather good job of making himself scarce, she thought with a hint of bitterness. Although she doubted she'd go back to Eric when the search was over. He'd put himself above someone who'd been her friend for years. Then again, she had been fuming at him before, so maybe Eric wasn't fully to blame.
Kit shook her head and came to a familiar part of the seventh floor. The tapestry of Barnabas teaching troll to dance was at her back as she surveyed the stretch of wall before her. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? The one place that didn't show up on the Marauders' Map and the one place it would be near impossible to find him. James was smart, Kit had to admit. She began walking past the length of wall directly opposite the tapestry thinking over and over again, I want to find James Potter. When the door appeared, Kit paused before opening. Did she want to be the first one to find him? Did she even want to deal with the brunt force of pure anger that was bound to be directed at her? But as she recalled the number of times he was there for her, to comfort her and bring her down from a raging fury, she knew she had to be there for him. She turned the handle and slowly took in the scene before her.
Hundreds of pillows lay torn at her feet, feathers lining the entire floor. There were broken chairs, desks that had holes punched through them and a closet that was missing a door. Kit steep through the wreckage carefully until she could see him. His was pressed up against the back of a couch that was missing both its cushions. His eyes were red from crying and his knuckles were bleeding. If possible, he looked more disheveled than normal.
"You look like hell, James," Kit said quietly, trying to ease the obvious tension. He just glared up at her through his glasses. She met his gaze with a glare of her own, any thought of being there for him abandoned.
"Listen, don't get bent out of shape because someone had more guts than you did." Kit snapped when it became obvious that just talking was out of the question.
"Why Dennings?" James asked.
"Oh, so you'd act differently if it was Remus I was with? Or Sirius?" James looked up at her with such a furious look that Kit actually recoiled. There was a question obviously noticeable in his face. "No, I don't have a thing for Remus or Sirius! Merlin, it's like you think you have a right to me or something."
"I'm looking out for you,"
"Yes, because breaking my cousin's hand is 'looking out for me.' "
"I said I was sorry about that." But Kit was still talking over him.
"And glaring daggers at my boyfriend in really productive too, James. It's no surprise you don't have a girlfriend; I'd kill myself after one day with you."
"Kit, you don't mean that."
"Of course I do. James, it is like I'm being followed and I can't spend my whole life trying to please you and Eric since you both are intent on despising each other."
"Kit, you've spent almost everyday with me since we were nine. You can't mean that."
Damn James Potter and his logic. Kit took a breath and glared down at him. "You know what, James? I'm tired of this. If it came down between you an Eric, I would pick him. He doesn't come with baggage, nor does he try and control who I date. He doesn't hurt my family and I actually enjoy his company."
"I knew you first," James snapped after a moment's silence, as if that explained everything.
"Excuse me! You think that just because you knew me first means you have say on who I date? James, I'm not a house elf; you don't own me or tell me what to do." Kit huffed and rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour.
"I knew you first. I knew you before you were grown up or beautiful. I knew you when you were cute and annoying and thought it was fun to jinx my uncles. Before you knew who you were, when you were scared and insecure. I know the Kit that no one else sees. I know you better than anyone and it kills me to see someone love you without knowing you." James stood abruptly and left her blindsided.
What ever she'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. She felt as if someone had knocked the air out of her.
Ooh, drama! Things are changing quickly for Kit. There is more Malfoy drama to come in the next chapter.
Drop me a line, let me know what you think.
Dahlia
