Draco was kicked back in the slytherin common room. He was still pissed off about the fight but hanging out with a few of his mates had managed to lower his temper from a seething rage to a simmering bubble. He hadn't even seen it coming, one second he was sitting back laughing at Goyle and the next he was face down on the floor with his jaw on fire.

He rolled over and stared up at the blond, glaring viciously "What the hell, Kat?! Have you lost your damned mind!" he pushed himself up but the girl slugged him again. "Rapist!" she spat and kicked at him, her foot glancing off his ribs as he rolled out of the way "what are you bloody talking about?!" he snarled and stood up again, wary in case she attacked again.

"You raped her! Your scent was all over her!" she spat, oblivious to the group of people staring. "Who the hell are you talking about?!" Draco was confused and rather not appreciating her accusations. "Mana!" she lunged again but he was ready this time and pushed her away "Of course you'd smell me on her we sit beside each other in every class, we hang out...." he cut off slowly, he didn't want to say what else they had been doing, not in front of this crowd. People would talk and none of it would be nice but all of it would be about Mana.

"You raped her." Kat said again, low. "Stop saying that!" he nearly screamed it at her, "then prove it!" she spat back "Just ask her! She'll tell you damn it!" the conversation-- if one could use such a civil word for their current exchange --was making him feel distinctly sick in the pit of his stomach.

"She's in no state to tell me anything." Kat's voice cool, her words stabbing a shard of ice into his heart and chilling him to the bones. "What?" his face went through a series of emotions, he knew it must because the same emotions were fighting for dominance in his body. Fear and panic drew a tie.

"What happened?!" he demanded, grabbing Kat's arm hard "for gods sake tell me she's alright!" Kat stared at him oddly for a moment then pulled her arm away "...come with me..." she had lowered her voice now and turned, heading out into the halls and Draco followed.

She made a quick stop outside the Ravenclaw house, slinking in the shadows, which seemed to mould and shape her, and they very well might have for when she emerged Draco had to drop his gaze to his feet where the silver kitten darted past. She slipped into the Ravenclaws' quarters but was only gone a minute or two.

When she came out she was herself again and held a ball of black fuzz, which peered at him lazily with eyes almost the exact shade of his mistress's "She'll want him..." Kat pushed past and lead him now to the hidden doorway

~*~*~

She was asleep, huddled under the blankets when they stepped through, but it was obvious to Kat she had moved. She was wet now and the red silk of the pillowcase where her head rested was darkened to the shade of fresh blood as the water from her hair soaked into it. Majesty gave a soft murr and sprung from his perch in her arms, trotting towards the bed and leaped up, mewling softly and curling up in a fluffy ball beside his Mistress's head purring.

The familiar rumble from the half grown cat near her face seemed to be a soothing factor for the girl because no sooner did the beast curl up and turn on his motor did she shift beneath the covers, her slumbering body seeming to release some of the tension that wound it tight and the frown between her brows eased slightly.

Draco's own body felt twisted and taut, as if about to break suddenly apart. He moved closer slowly and stood at the bedside biting his lip hard enough that he tasted blood. He lifted his hand slowly "Draco d..." before Kat could get out the word 'don't' Draco had reached out and touched the sleeping girl, who promptly jerked awake and pulled back with a blood curdling scream, her eyes still glazed with sleep.

The cat on the bed bolted with a yowl and Kat cringed and pulled back with her hands over her ears. Draco winced but didn't draw away, instead crawling up beside the shaking girl and very carefully reaching out to touch her cheek, frowning when she cringed back from him. "Mana..." his took him a couple tries to actually get the word out through the thickness in his throat and the effort to fight back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes.

Mana whimpered when his finger grazed over her split lip or passed over the bruise, that covered most of her face, a little too hard. "Who hurt you?" Draco demanded after taking a hasty inventory of her minor injuries, the worst having been to her skull but Kat had taken care of that one.

She shook her head slightly, a sob catching in her throat before she fell against his chest, her fingers twisting in the front of his robes "Mama was right," she whimpered between sobs "it was a mistake to leave the Manor." Draco smoothed his hand gently over her hair until she pulled away "I want to go home... I belong in the Highlands."

She rubbed at her face to rid herself of her tears before noticing Draco staring at her "what?" she frowned "You're Scottish?" he cocked his head a touch "...yes?" she blinked and looked at him funny "what of it?" she really didn't see what the deal was. "You just... Don't sound like a Scot...." he shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair.

A sigh pushed through her slightly parted lips as she shook her head slowly "Daddy hired speech coaches. Said he wanted me to sound as educated as I was. Do you have a problem with that?" Draco shook his head, he really didn't want to start anything right now and she was starting to get that look in her eye that meant she could and would fight over anything.

"I want to go home." she said again and this time Draco nodded slowly "alright...tomorrow I'll take you to Dumbledore." "You don't have to go with me." she mumbled softly, looking away. He turned her face back to him and smiled softly then pressed a kiss to her forehead "I want to. Now get some rest."