Catherine's POV
Draco found out pretty quickly.
"Kitty, what are you doing?" Draco asked as we sat in the unused classroom in the dungeon.
"Learning. Besides getting extra credit and being a prat to as many people as you can, what are you doing? Didn't your father want to send you to Drumstag because they actually taught not only the dark arts, but also how to defend yourself from them?" I asked as I sat myself on a desk.
"You're breaking school rules." Draco said as he walked over to me.
"And you did first year specifically to get Harry in trouble. You're doing it again, only with Umbridge's permission this time." I responded, then grabbed his hands and pulled him close. "Dragon, this is something important to me. He killed my grandparents, and though Papa has accepted guardianship over me, I'm almost certain that I will run into him soon. If so, I want to be ready for if he decides to just up and kill me." I nuzzled Draco's neck. "Remember what you told me when you joined the inquisitorial squad?"
"Vaguely." Draco said as he wrapped his arms around me.
"You told me that it wasn't just for extra credit. That you still couldn't stand Umbridge for what she's done to me, but you hoped that being the leader of her squad would not only give you special treatment with her, but give you the power to do certain things around the school. That you hoped to be able to keep her from punishing me. To trust you." I looked up into his gray eyes. "And I trusted you. I still trust you. And I ask the same from you. Trust me, Draco. Trust that I can handle myself, and that I'll be fine. I'm learning to defend myself, and I hope that puts you at ease at least a little bit." I leaned forward and rested my head against Draco's.
"A-Alright." Draco's voice wavered a little. "I'll trust you." Draco reached up and gently cupped my face in his hands. "Just be careful." I nodded as much as I could before he leaned forward and kissed me.
So the weeks continued, and I was happy to excel at most spells. Harry continually congratulated me on each spell done successfully, but he did that with everyone. But for me, it was special. And when I went with Draco on our break for our private time, because we don't plan to go there and snog, but to be alone and talk, figure each other out more, I'd tell Draco about the new spell we're learning or the one I was most recently able to master.
"Looks like Potter can teach you something useful." Draco said one day as we were just sort of cuddling on a desk. I nodded, before giggling. "What has you so damn happy?" He asked. I smiled.
"I'm using magic. I love using magic. And not only am I using magic, but I have you." I moved to straddle Draco's lap, draping my arms over his shoulders. "After everything that's happened this year, I don't think anything could make me any happier." Draco hummed.
"Is that right Kitty?" He asked. I nodded. "Not even a kiss?" My smile turned teasing.
"Oh, I'd prefer a thorough snogging. But I'll settle for a kiss." Draco smirked before bringing our lips together, which quickly went from kiss to snog. Tongues and teeth, hands wandering everywhere above the belt, though Draco is a gentlemen, so he didn't touch my chest, and he was careful while caressing my back. We pulled back for air, smiling at each other, when we heard someone clear their throat. We turned to see Blaise, smirking like the devil.
"As lovely as that show was, I was sent to clear out the rooms for couples doing indecent things by Umbridge." He said. Draco and I both stared at him for a second.
"You're not on the Inquisitorial Squad." Draco said, one hand mindlessly rubbing my upper arm.
"No, but I am a Slytherin, and she trusts me for some reason." Blaise said. I giggled.
"Yes, because you're as pissed about not being able to snog than the actual couples." I teased. Blaise crossed his arms.
"It's a stupid fucking rule. How can I expect to shag someone, if I can't even snog them." Blaise complained as he entered the room.
"You still shag." Draco said. "You just use one of these classrooms." Blaise smirked.
"True, but it's harder to convince someone to come down for a shag with those rules in place." Blaise explained. I hummed.
"So do Draco and I have to clear out, or are we free to continue snogging?" I asked. Blaise shrugged.
"I'm going to be an arse and say clear out. If I can't snog, neither can my mates."
"Wanker." I said as I turned to Draco to give him a deep kiss before sliding off his lap and strutting out of the room. "I bet you're just upset you lost the bet on Draco's and my relationship."
"That too." Blaise said as he and Draco caught up with me. "But you kissed him at the end of last year."
"Yes, and he didn't speak to me until the beginning of this one." I explained. Draco grabbed my hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. It seemed to be a habit he picked up as we walked through the halls. I think it calms him down when a lot is going on.
"What are you doing for the holidays?" Draco asked as we finally entered the common room. I hummed sadly.
"I don't know. I don't want to stay here if Umbridge is here, but I have nowhere to go." Draco pulled me close.
"Then I'll stay here with you." He said, hugging me tight. I smiled as I nuzzled against him.
"Thank you, Draco."
On Christmas morning, Draco and I sat on one of the couches in Slytherin dorm, sipping tea. My presents consisted of a new outfit from Hermione and a letter from the Ministry, saying that my belongings from my old house had been moved to Snape's house. Oh, and the locket Draco gave me.
"Can't get me a birthday present, but you can get me a Christmas present?" I teased, though I was also crying. The locket had a silver chain and was silver itself with, not an emerald snake, but an emerald dragon.
I had gotten Draco something a little more practical. A watch, that doubled as a magic compass, but could also store his wand if need be.
"Wow." Draco said as he hid his wand, bringing it out a second later, having it land perfectly in his dominant hand. "It's perfect." And he pulled me in for a thorough snogging.
"I love you." I whispered when we pulled apart. Draco blushed and looked away.
"Me too." And he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "No one else could make me feel this way." I smiled as we spent the rest of the day cuddling on the couch.
When classes began again, so did learning with Harry. It was all great. We were learning the Patronus charm. The happiest I ever felt, was probably actually this past Christmas with Draco in the common room. The locket he gave me rarely left my neck. To be honest, it was getting my letter and eating dinner with Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa. And I knew it would be strong, but every time I thought about my deceased grandparents, I'd get upset, so that memory would need to wait until I've healed.
My Patronus was a cat, lovingly rubbing against my legs, until something seemed to ram into the wall, causing the room to shake and everyone to turn. The mirror on the wall the door usually appeared on had broken. We could hear Umbridge, and with a quick spell, the wall was gone, and there was the inquisitorial squad and Umbridge. And Draco came into view, holding Cho by her robes.
In the following weeks, Umbridge had become the new headmaster, and I had almost broken that fucking blood quill in half. Once out of her office and listening to her announcements, I was ready to kill someone. Not being allowed less than eight inches near Draco was an interesting endeavour.
"So." I said as I sat on a couch with Pansy and Daphne while Draco sat on the chair across from me. "We all happy now?"
"Hell no!" Blaise said from his spot on the arm of Draco's chair. "First I could barely snog, now I can't even get close enough to anyone to whisper dirty things in their ear to get them to consider sneaking off. It's bollocks!"
"Glad we agree." I growled. "Nice to know that I can't even hold hands with my boyfriend. Hell, I can't even sit next to you during meals, Draco! I can only sit across from you. This." I said motioning between the two pieces of furniture we're pretty much forced to sit on. "Is not how I imagined my fifth year, nor my first relationship."
"There's nothing I can do about it, Kitty." Draco groaned. I crossed my arms. "What?"
"I thought the almighty Malfoy's could do anything." I challenged. "Can't turn to daddy for this, Dragon?" Draco's eyes narrowed.
"Cat." His voice held a tone of warning. I stood from the couch and approached him, making sure to leave that stupid eight inches between us. I saw his hands twitch. "I already did. His hands are tied." Draco sighed. A thought hit me and I wrinkled my nose. "Kitty?"
"I must be going mad." I said, sitting on the floor. "I actually considered going to MY father." I laughed bitterly. "This is stupid." I huffed out, before standing. "Wanna know what, fuck the rules." And I sat in Draco's lap and pulled him into a kiss. Correction, snog. When I pulled back, I smirked. "I'll take the fall for that." I said before giving him a peck on the lips and getting out of his lap, just in time for the door to open and Umbridge to come in.
"Miss. Smith, Mr. Malfoy-"
"Draco had nothing to do with it." I said as I stepped forward. "That was all me." I said, eyes flicking over to Draco. He looked scared. Good, make this realistic. "I mean look at him, he looks like he's about to shite himself. And as part of your little club, why would he break your rules." I shrugged. "I mean, I'm only his girlfriend. School comes first." Umbridge took a deep breath.
"Come with me, Miss. Smith." And I went to use the blood quill again. When I returned, Draco looked so worried, and I could tell he wanted to make sure I was okay, but he couldn't.
"Cat." Pansy said as she hurried over. "Are you alri-"
"No!" I screamed. "Stop fucking asking if I'm alright! I've just used a blood quill, you are NEVER alright after using something like that. I can't even find comfort in my bloody boyfriend because our new headmaster's a bitch!" Pansy flinched back. "I'm a veela's hair width away from going to my bloody father. I hate my father, and I'm about to turn to him and ask him to just come kill her. That's how bad this is." And I went to my room. It was lonely. Sevy had to be sent to Papa's because Umbridge didn't approve of me having a bat as a pet.
I cried myself to sleep, only to be woken by a nightmare because I wasn't allowed dreamless sleep anymore. Umbridge was going to kill me, if I didn't bloody well kill her first.
BOOM! Shit hitting the fan!