True Love is Blind Chapter 9
Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?
Author's Note: So here, as promised is chapter 9! Sorry if it's not edited quite up to it's usual standard. I have been so busy lately between prepping for school, driving lessons, work, and trying to unpack my trunk from camp, but I have been writing and keeping up with the story. It may be a little while until the next chapter is posted, as I just started writing it today, but it should be up within the next one to two weeks (hopefully). For now though, I'll be trying to write it and edit it.
As always, this chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful fans, without whom there would not even be a story. You guys keep me going and inspire me to write (as well as to post things as quickly as I can). I'm so surprised with how well this story has been recieved, but I'm also so happy. It makes me ridiculously happy to see that I have a review/alert/favorite.
Anyway, enough of me rambling. Here's the next chapter
Chapter 9
As Dumbledore continued his speech, I found myself missing things from time to time. My mind was whirling. I kept thinking about class tomorrow, how I would handle the students, what we would be doing in class, although that was easy enough to guess; we would, no doubt brief the students on the standard introduction to the course along with the safety precautions.
Thinking of magical creatures immediately brought my mind to Charlie. I wondered if he was safe. He was back in Romania now, working on the reserve, as well as continuing to do work for the Order. Though I had been away from him for so much longer in the past, now that we were a couple, it was different. It was like my missing him was heightened. It was an acute feeling of missing something...I couldn't quite describe it, but it was almost as if he had left with a part of myself.
I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, though. I could not afford to miss out on any important information. If I was to keep my job with that hag from the Ministry overseeing everything that went on at Hogwarts, I had to do my best to give her no reason to want me gone. Well, no more reason than she already had, I mean I suppose she could not be blamed for worrying about the fact that I, a blind woman, would be teaching a class full of magical creatures, but that still did not dismiss the fact that I found her to be obnoxious and pompous.
I tried to listen to Dumbledore again, making it seem like I was paying full attention to his words, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
Just as soon as I had started to pay attention, though, the annoying, toad-like, Umbridge interrupted him, "Hem, hem."
I knew then, that she was about to make a speech. I was appalled; no one had ever had the gall to interrupt Dumbledore. This woman took the word 'disrespectful' to a whole new level. I could not believe some of the things she had said and done, and I had only known her for a few hours at most. I heard her chair scrape against the ground as she stood up from next to me. I tried my hardest not to make a face showing my displeasure. Behave Katrina, I scolded myself, there is too much at stake to risk this...think of what Dumbledore and McGonagall have said...tolerate her...kill her with kindness...anything to avoid being fired...what would Charlie think...there...do this for Charlie, think of how proud he'll be if you uncover something important.
Feeling sufficiently more calm and determined, I sat back, preparing for Umbridge's speech.
"Thank you, Headmaster," she simpered annoyingly, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was so high-pitched, it reminded me of a small girl. I could not help the rush of dislike that I felt for her. It seemed that she thought she was trying to fool people into thinking that she was innocent and kind, when in reality, I was sure that she was manipulative and cold-hearted. She might have fooled some of the other staff members, but she would not fool me, but that did not mean that I would give in to her taunting.
This was my job. I had to take it seriously. I couldn't let her get to me. I had to be strong, for the sake of the Order.
Again, my thoughts were interrupted by Umbridge, "Hem, hem. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say," she paused, probably to flash a phony smile at the gathered students, "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
I had to bite my tongue to resist laughing outright at that absurd statement. Though I could not see, I knew enough of teenagers and students at Hogwarts to be certainthat none of the "happy little faces" were smiling up at her. If anything, they were probably either half asleep, or taken aback by being treated and spoken to like children.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we will all be very verygood friends," she trilled. I almost snorted at this. Goodness, she was outdoing herself already. She had barely spoken two sentences and already I could not take her seriously. Though, I was sure, there was a darker, more sinister, side to this overly-friendly woman.
With another "hem, hem," she went back to speaking, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction-"
Yeah, because she would provide that 'careful' instruction, I thought bitterly.
"-The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generation lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
That's rich, I thought, considering within seconds of meeting me, she had judged me and essentially deemed me unworthy and a "potential hazard" to students. I could only wonder how many other Professors she would be dissatisfied with. From what I had heard from McGonagall, I was sure that she too was finding this speech as amusing as I was, if not thinking that Umbridge was full of crap, for lack of a better description.
"Hem, hem," she cleared her throat...another thing to add to the list of things about her that annoyed me, "Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. Then again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged," my mouth fell open at this; she was essentially saying that unless there was a direct purposefor bettering the education and community, that it should be discouraged...this woman was mental, completely mental, "for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation."
And those changes would surely be 'Ministry approved,' which essentially meant taking out any legitimately practical knowledge, and replacing it with filler. I prayed to whatever higher power there might be that this woman would not be here long. If she was, I feared for the future of the school...and it's students.
"...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgement," surely hiring me, a blind woman, would fall under her criteria for a so-called 'error of judgement,' but who had made her so high-and-mighty, to decide such things, "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
Finally her speech had concluded. Somewhere down the table, someone clapped. I assumed it was Dumbledore, in an attempt to be polite and civil with her.
"Thank you Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said, standing up once again, "Now-as I was saying, Quidittch will be held..."
I spaced out again, trying to process everything that she had just said. I knew Dumbledore's words were important, but I felt that this woman would do more harm than good for the school. I struggled to remember the words, but finally got the gist of it. I would write down what I could remember and owl it to the Order. This woman had the potential to cause much trouble, and the members of the Order needed to be aware. I was not quite sure if she was working for You-Know-Who, but her sickly sweetness was not fooling me. There was something more to this woman.
Her words about changes in schooling especially worried me. The lessons I had learned at Hogwarts had made me the witch that I was today. If it weren't for some of the spells I had learned at school, I might not have survived some of my investigative reporting sessions during my job with the Prophet. Those spells had saved my life, and from what Umbridge had said, I was sure that the students' educations were now at risk. And now that You-Know-Who was back, despite what the Ministry had to say about that particular topic, these students would need all the training they could get.
I would write a letter with Fred and George's help as soon as we were dismissed from the Great Hall. It would be good to have multiple perspectives on her, though for that, it might be beneficial to get Harry and Hermione's opinions, as the twins were not always the most serious people. Either way, that letter would be written. Even if the Order members already knew, at least it would prove that I was doing my job, and taking it seriously.
I was not stupid; I knew that certain members had doubted my capabilities in performing my duties due to the fact that, well, I could not see anything. However, I knew better than anyone that this perhaps actually made things better for me. A strange thought, I know...the idea that being rendered unable to see could actually be beneficial to someone, but nonetheless, I felt that there was some truth to the statement; I could hear exceptionally well and now could easily recognize voices. I could pick up on hushed voices that others might not even hear. Yes, I was self-conscious about the scars on my face, and yes, I could not cook or clean very well, and again, yes, I could not see people's faces or actions, but even despite all that, I now felt that this might even be a blessing in disguise. Especially now that I knew that Charlie did love me, no matter what I looked like. I suppose that before I was so afraid, fixated on the worry of being rejected for my appearance, but it seemed that now that Charlie and I were a couple, those worries suddenly seemed foolish.
I knew then that I would do my job and prove to everyone, even Charlie, that just because I was blind, that did not mean that I was a cripple or incapable of doing my part to aid in the efforts against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers, some of whom could be students here. If there was any information to be found, I would discover it. Of that, they could be sure.
The feast had ended and we were now sent back to the dormitories. The teachers would be patrolling the hallways for any students out of bed; however, I would not be asked to do this for a while, to say the least. Since I had grown unaccustomed to the hallways and corridors of Hogwarts in my time spent away from it, I would most likely not be able to walk alone through the halls at night, and if a student had stopped moving as they heard me approach, I would not be able to catch them, as I would not be able to see them. Then, there was the matter of the members of the staff who had expressed concern about this very thing, and I was sure Umbridge had been one of them.
Following a pack of Gryffindors, I carefully listened to their footsteps and managed to find my way to the common room. They laughed and went off in some other direction, but I would not hold that against them. There was still time before curfew. Outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, I heard a voice, Harry's voice to be precise.
"Err..." he said rather glumly. Typical. He probably hadn't had time to ask anyone the password, and if I hadn't came, would have been stuck waiting for someone who did know it, which was rather annoying, but I understood the need for the precaution. With things like the Polyjuice Potion, it was easy to impersonate someone else, and hence the need for a password to enter. It might be likely that an impersonator would not know the password, and thus wouldn't be able to get into the common rooms.
"Harry. It's all right. I know the password. Dumbledore told me before I came up," I said, stepping out of the stairwell and walking towards where I had heard his voice earlier. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"
"Correct," the Fat Lady said, and there was a subtle click sound as her portrait swung open like a door, revealing the circular hole that I knew was behind it. I climbed in after Harry, careful not to trip. What a sight that would be. The new professor tripping on her way into the common room. If I was to be successful in my job here, I had to make every effort to show that I could handle the responsibility, and, somehow, I didn't think that tripping, even if I was blind, would show that. In fact, I was sure that if I tripped, Umbridge would just use that to justify her statement that I could not protect myself, let alone students.
I had to be careful. To some people, this may have seemed daunting, having to be careful about all my actions and words, but for me, it only doubled my determination; I would prove that I was useful, even if I was blind.
As we entered the Gryffindor common room, I was greeted by the distinct smell of a fire, crackling in the fireplace. I heard hushed, excited whispers, people saying how wonderful it was to see each other again, discussing their holidays, and making plans for Hogsmeade visits. I smiled, reminiscing about my time at Hogwarts with Charlie...hmmm...perhaps I could convince him to visit me here on one of the scheduled Hogsmeade trips. After all, I was a teacher now and as such, could probably afford to at least try to get away with something of that nature. I made a mental note to ask Dumbledore about it later, possibly after a week or so of working, assuming that he was satisfied with the job that I was doing.
"Katrina!" Hermione's voice suddenly appeared near me. I had to fight the urge to jump. I hadn't heard her approach, as I was lost in thought, and she had startled me.
"Oh! Hello, Hermione. I wasn't expecting you to pop up like that. Are you all settled in yet?" I was trying to act nonchalant, to play off my nerves, and ignore the shiver that went down my spine at the thought that someone hadbeen able to catch me off guard.
"Yes, everything's fine. I've unpacked and gotten my things sorted already. I came to see if you wanted to go up to the dormitory with me. There's a separate room that has your name above it, Professor Westing," I heard the smile in her voice, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my lips. It was official; I was a professor at Hogwarts. Though I had never even considered the possibility before, I couldn't help the feeling of elation that I had at being called Professor.
"That's very considerate of you, Hermione. I'd love that. Let me just get my things," I replied, smiling at her.
Taking my wand out of the pocket of my robes, I reached out my arm, "Accio bags," as I held out my hand, into which my baggage flew. I grabbed it, groaning a bit at their weight. I should have listened to Mrs. Weasley when she said that I wouldn't need nearly as much stuff as I was bringing. Most of my clothes didn't even really fit me anymore, what with the weight I had lost during my self-inflicted seclusion, but I could always alter them magically. After all, I was of age.
"I can take one of those for you, if you'd like," Hermione offered.
"I'd actually really appreciate it. I've always been one to over-pack. Careful, they're a bit heavy," I chuckled.
"Oh, it's no problem. I don't mind at all,"
"I still appreciate it anyway," I smiled at her. "Now let's go get these things put away before bed. We've had a long journey here and I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to go to sleep."
She laughed happily, "I was planning on doing the same thing once I got my things sorted."
We walked up the winding staircase to the dormitories together, her warning me if there was anything in the way that I might be prone to trip or stumble over. I was happy to say that I made it up fine without any incidents. Good, I thought to myself, that's one less thing to worry about.
I heard excited whispers coming from the beds in the Girl's Dormitory as I entered. I smiled, thinking about my time here when I was a student. I remembered the excitement I had felt on the first night back at school; it was wonderful to see friends again after a long summer holiday.
"Oh, Kat-I mean Professor Westing, your room is right at the end of the hall," Hermione said, "I'll come set this down for you and then leave you to unpack."
"I can take it, it's no problem," I replied, holding out my hand for her to place the bag in.
After walking into my room, bags in tow, I took a minute to walk around, keeping one hand trailing along the wall, and the other searching for objects or furniture. Thankfully, all the furniture was up against the wall, except for the bed, which was facing the door. This was good; it meant that I would be able to move around without having to worry about running into something, or knocking over some priceless artifact.
During my exploration, I had discovered that there was a fireplace in my room. I smiled; I would be able to easily relay information to the Order...and talk to Charlie, wherever he may be...through the floo network. However, I knew that I would have to be careful about what I shared. I didn't know exactly how much power Umbridge had, but I was sure that she would try and use it, possibly even to watch the fireplaces. If that happened, I would have to be careful about how I shared any information that I garnered during my stay here, but that was an issue that I would face when I crossed it. For now, I would start to unpack.
Just as I opened my bag, I heard a commotion coming from the boy's dormitory. I flew out of the room and down the stairway, praying that I wouldn't trip, which thankfully I didn't. Once I was downstairs, I was floored by what was going on.
Seamus' distinct voice rang out in the silence, "Look... what did happen that night when... you know, when...with Cedric Diggory and all?"
My heart went out to Harry. He had spoken to me about this earlier in the summer, as I had explained how I lost my sight. What he had witnessed had really scarred him, and for him to have to constantly relive it, to be called a liar and fraud...I couldn't even fathom what he was feeling right now.
I ran up the stairs to the boy's dormitories, as I heard the argument continue, growing more and more heated.
Harry snapped at him, "What are you asking me for," he retorted, "Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you. That'll tell you all you need to know."
"Don't you have a go at my mother!" Seamus exclaimed.
"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar," said Harry.
"Don't talk to me like that!"
I stood there, still in shock, trying to figure out when to intervene. "Alright...stop it. That's enough," I tried saying. I was, of course, completely ignored.
"I'll talk to you how I want," said Harry, "If you've got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved, stop your mummy worrying..."
I knew Harry was trying to push Seamus' buttons now, with the jab at his mother. However, I couldn't exactly bring myself to feel sorry for Seamus, as he was being quite a prick, and I was sure that if I were in Harry's position, I would probably act the same way.
"Leave my mother out of this, Potter!"
"What's going on?" Ron's exhausted voice interrupted the feud.
"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.
"What?" Ron asked, bewildered, "Harry wouldn't do that- we met your mother, we liked her..."
"That's before she started believing every word the stinking Daily Prophetwrites about me!" said Harry, as loud as he possibly could.
"Oh," Ron said, finally realizing exactly what was happening. I would have laughed, as it always took him an absurdly long time to realize things, but I couldn't bring myself to do that just now.
"You know what?" said Seamus heatedly, venom clear in his words, "he's right. I don't want to share a dormitory with him anymore, he's a madman."
Those were the words that really drove me over the edge. "THAT'S ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU-STOP IT!" I roared.
The entire dormitory fell silent. "Seamus, you will apologize to Harry for the insults you've paid him, and for calling him a madman. You're entitled to your own opinions but that does not mean that you should share them-"
"Oh, of course, she sticks up for Potter. Stupid bloody woman...who does she think she is, running around like she suddenly owns the place," Seamus muttered softly enough so that I would normally not have been able to hear, but with my enhanced senses, I heard him perfectly.
"Excuse me, Mr. Finnegan, would you care to repeat that? Something me being a 'bloody woman who runs around thinking she owns the place,' hmm."
I didn't have to see his face to know that he stood there, shocked to the core.
"I-I-That's...that's not what I said," he stammered.
"Oh, yes, it is, though. I distinctly heard you. Don't lie; you can at least own up to your own actions. And as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," I said, making my voice as icy as possible, "I was going to ask Mr. Potter to apologize to you as well. I trust you two can handle that by yourselves."
"Bitch," I heard Seamus mutter.
"Really, now, Mr. Finnegan, I thought you would have learned the first time. I can hear you even when you mutter. Detention tomorrow night. Meet me in the Great Hall after dinner and we'll sort out your punishment," I narrowed my eyes at him, making my tone firm. "I ama Professor and as such, I expect to be treated with respect. I am part of Gryffindor house. Save the animosity for the Slytherins."
"Professor?" Seamus asked tentatively. Perhaps I was a bit too harsh with him.
"Yes?" I turned to him.
"I-I am sorry."
"I accept your apology. However, you will still serve a detention with me tomorrow night," I said. As much as I appreciated his apology, I couldn't afford to be soft on him- or anyone, for that matter- right now. I was just starting off as a teacher and, as such, needed to prove that I was not someone that could be walked all over. No, I needed to hold my own and show that I could defend myself, as well as dole out the necessary discipline, or else no one would take me seriously, and that was something that I could not afford to have happen.
Before walking out, I pulled Harry aside. "Harry...I know you were upset, and he was out of line, I'm not denying that, but you haveto be careful about offending people. If this happens again, I may not be able to step in without making it seem like I'm showing unfair preferences towards students."
"Sorry, I didn't even think about it that way," Harry said, sounding remorseful.
"Don't worry about it. It turned out fine tonight. I was only trying to ask you a favor. It would really help me out," I said, now feeling a bit bad for making Harry feel guilty. I was never good at dealing with knowing that I had upset someone, but I supposed that I would have to get used to it, if I was to be facing more situations like the one tonight. I had forgotten just how much drama could be created by students.
"I'll keep it in mind," said Harry.
"Thanks. I appreciate it," I said, yawning, the weariness finally settling over me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed."
I waved slightly at him and headed back into my room. I put a few clothes away in a dresser, and after changing into my pajamas, I curled up under the warm, fluffy covers of my new bed. Within a few minutes, I felt my consciousness slowly slipping away as the warm grasp of sleep wound its way into my mind, lulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep.