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Early the next morning, Riddle knocked impatiently on the door of Katherine's room. A few moments later, she appeared at the door, bleary eyed. She was wearing a thin silk nightgown, over which she had hastily wrapped a peach-colored dressing gown. Seeing Riddle, she stepped back, and let the door fall open wider.
"Elegant, as always, Miss Markova," he said with a smirk, eyes lingering on her messy hair.
Katherine rolled her eyes and walked back into the room, gesturing for him to follow. With a flick of her wrist, the door swung shut behind him. "To what do I owe the pleasure this morning, Riddle?"
Riddle sauntered over to her desk, picking up a small brass hourglass and examining it for a moment before setting it back down. "I believe I promised you an answer."
"So you did," said Katherine. Her interest was clearly piqued, but she attempted to keep her expression neutral. She began pulling the components of her school uniform out of her trunk. "But I'll confess, I wasn't sure you'd keep that promise."
Riddle turned to face her and leaned against her desk. "It would appear that if I want to successfully make a horcrux, I have no option other than to accept the terms of your offer." He twirled his wand in his hand absent-mindedly, watching for her reaction.
"How flattering to know that I'm your last resort," she said, slipping her dressing gown off and hanging it on the post of her bed. "Is it so terrible to spend time with me?"
"Not at all," said Riddle, his eyes raking over her scantily dressed form. "In fact, I anticipate enjoying it quite highly."
Katherine gave him a crooked smile before turning around to change into her school uniform.
"So," Riddle continued, "How do you suggest we proceed?"
"That's easy," said Katherine, looking over her shoulder. "We simply let people see us enjoying each other's company. It won't take long before they assume that we're in a relationship."
Now fully dressed, she walked over to the floor-length mirror. With a few motions of her fingers, her hair magically re-organized itself into loose waves hanging just past her shoulders, and her lips deepened to a rosy pink.
"And you'll set up the meeting with your associate, to discuss working with the werewolves? And show me how to make a horcrux?" asked Riddle, his eyes alight with ambition.
"Of course," said Katherine simply. "I'll write Leo later today."
"Then we have a deal," said Riddle, moving to stand behind her. He looked over her shoulder into the mirror, meeting her gaze. The dark excitement in his eyes sent a chill down Katherine's spine.
"Agreed," said Katherine, her voice sounding smooth and confident, not betraying the turmoil of excitement and apprehension within her.
He moved to open the door, and then turned to offer her his arm. "Then allow me to escort you to breakfast, Ms. Markova."
With a grin, Katherine scooped up her school bag with one arm, and placing the other hand gently atop his proffered arm, allowed herself to be led down the stairs to the Common Room.
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In the Great Hall, the two settled into their usual spots at the end of the Slytherin table and were soon joined by most other members of their house. The morning meal proceeded mostly in the usual fashion, but with a few small changes. A keen-eyed observer might have noticed that Riddle pulled Katherine's chair back for her before sitting down himself. They may also have noticed that Riddle prepared her morning tea, after politely asking, "Two sugars, if I recall?".
As for Katherine, she was her usual vivacious self. But this particular morning, she directed most of her attention towards Riddle, rather than spreading it amongst all the members of their group. When leaning forward to pick up the jam, she steadied herself by placing a light hand on Riddle's shoulder.
To another group, this may all have occurred without notice or speculation, but many members of Slytherin had been brought up in Pureblood society, where the slightest glance or handshake might signal a shift in politics and power. And so, watchful eyes took in each of these changes and pondered what they might mean.
"Shall we head to class?," asked Adeline, glancing at her watch.
"Regretfully, I have a prefects' meeting to attend," said Riddle, "But do you want to get together after class to study, Katherine?"
"Sure," she said sweetly, leaning forward on her elbows, doing her best impression of a schoolgirl with her first crush. "I'll be looking forward to it."
As Riddle got up from his chair, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "You're an excellent actress." He offered her a hand, helping her up from her seat.
"You make it easy to pretend," she said softly, so that only he could hear. He smirked and shot her a wink over his shoulder as he walked away.
"Abraxas, you're still coming to Potions, right?" said Katherine, as Riddle walked away.
"Regretfully, I am not a prefect, and do not have an excuse to avoid class this morning," said Abraxas. "So, yes."
Katherine laughed, and the pair of them excited the Great Hall, walking towards the dungeon where the Potions class was held.
After a few moments, Abraxas broke the silence. "So…you and Riddle, huh? Are you really doing that?"
Katherine looked at him appraisingly. "Would it bother you if I was?"
"No," he said calmly. "I can respect it. I mean, it's essentially a business arrangement, isn't it?"
She frowned. "Damn. I thought we were more convincing than that."
He chuckled. "I'm sure you were, to most. But us Malfoys, we're known for our conniving and exploitative ways. I've seen relationships of convenience before. And I know Riddle better than anyone."
Her dark eyes narrowed slightly, belying her irritation. "It is…a mutually beneficial relationship, I'll admit. But that doesn't mean it can't be pleasurable as well."
Abraxas smirked, enjoying her discomfort. "I'm sure Riddle's into some depraved shit in the bedroom, if that's what you mean".
At this, Katherine gasped and smacked him on the shoulder. "How dare you!" she exclaimed.
"What, you're suddenly too lady-like for that kind of talk?" he asked, laughing.
"Quite the opposite," she said, grinning. "I'm offended that you don't think I could be the depraved one."
"Oh, I'm sure you give as good as you get," he said teasingly, his silvery-blue eyes bright with humour.
He paused, then, his expression becoming somber. "That said, you're the one who already has bruises." He brushed her hair back from her neck, revealing a dark purple bruise that was starting to go yellow around the edges.
Katherine slapped his hand away. "I'm not fragile, and it's not your job to worry about me."
Abraxas shrugged nonchalantly. "Never said you were. But if that's what Riddle does when he's having fun, what's he going to do when he's angry?"
Katherine rolled her eyes. "If you'll recall, I've already been on the receiving end of Riddle's temper and I've come through it just fine."
She pulled out her wand and tapped it gently against her neck. The bruise faded away, blending in with the skin around it. "You know I'm not an idiot, Abraxas, and you know I'm not some delicate flower that needs protection. So why don't you get to the point of what whatever it is you're trying to say?
Abraxas stopped walking and pulled Katherine over to the side of the hallway. He waited for a few students to walk by, clearly not wanting to be overheard. Katherine tapped her heel impatiently, looking extremely unimpressed.
When there was a gap in the flow of students, Abraxas spoke. "All I'm saying, Kat, is that you're playing a dangerous game. Honestly, I respect you for being willing to take risks to get what you want, and I'm not going to tell you to stop."
"Good," she said, turning to go. "We're in agreement then."
He caught her by the shoulder, turning her back around. "You know I like you, right? I mean…we're friends, aren't we?"
"Of course we are," she replied, her gaze softening.
"Right," he nodded. "We understand each other. Which is why I feel the need to be honest with you."
"Spit it out, Brax," said Katherine, her curiosity finally piqued.
"No matter how much I like you, Kat, I've got to put my own ambitions first," said Abraxas, his voice smooth and confident. "And I've been Riddle's right-hand man for a lot longer than I've known you. So, if Riddle decides he no longer wants you around…I'm going to take his side, every time."
There was a pause, as Katherine took in what he'd said. She looked at him appraisingly for a long moment. "So, it's like that, is it?" she asked calmly.
"Yeah. It's like that." He met her gaze unwaveringly, his eyes steely in their resolve.
Another pause followed, before Katherine finally broke the silence. "I can respect that. So, we'll be friends so long as we're on the same side then?"
Abraxas ran a hand through his silvery-blond hair. "Exactly."
Katherine shrugged. "I wouldn't have expected anything different. We are Slytherins after all." She gestured towards the Potions classroom, and they resumed walking down the hall.
"There's going to be a lot of people nursing broken hearts once the rumors get out about you and Riddle," said Abraxas, in an effort to return to their earlier more jovial conversation.
Katherine laughed. "Well, there's always collateral damage. What about you, have you been breaking any hearts lately?"
Abraxas brought a hand to his chest, in a pantomime of heartache. "Only my parents, I'm afraid. They'll be heartbroken that I've failed to secure your hand in marriage."
"A true tragedy," replied Katherine, as they reached the door of the classroom. "You'll have to find someone else to occupy their daydreams."
"I've been holding a series of auditions, but so far, no one can compare," he said with a wink.
"Perhaps you should give them more hands-on opportunities to impress you," said Katherine, voice dripping with double-entendre.
Abraxas smirked. "Oh, believe me, I have. Celsia Rowle has had several callback auditions so far, but I may need a few more try-outs to decide if she's a good long-term fit."
"Celsia? The Hufflepuff?" repeated Katherine, surprised. "She is pretty, I suppose. A bit dull though."
"Well, not everyone can be as brilliant as you. I've had to lower my standards," said Abraxas, pulling out a chair for Katherine to sit down.
She laughed and sat down, plunking her bag on the floor beside her. "Oh yes, I'm sure it's torture having to fool around with all those second-rate girls."
"It's a heavy burden that I must bear," said Abraxas, taking the seat next to her.
As the class went on, they continued their banter, both happy to put aside the discomfort of their earlier conversation. Katherine was not concerned about Abraxas' declaration of allegiance to Riddle. After all, she had once considered herself loyal to Grindelwald, and so she knew better than most how quickly allegiances can change…
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At the end of her last class, Katherine left the classroom to find Riddle waiting for her outside. He took her books and offered her his arm. As they walked together to the library, several students seemed to whisper about them, glancing in their direction while speaking in hushed tones.
"So," asked Katherine in soft tones, "Has the rumor mill begun spinning yet?"
Riddle smiled. "Indeed, it has. As we hoped, a few of our housemates began gossiping about our flirtation this morning, and it has since spread to the other houses."
Suddenly, Katherine giggled loudly, and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes.
"Did I say something funny?" asked Riddle.
"Not at all," she replied, "but Lauren Smelters was walking by, and she's a notorious gossip, so I wanted to give her something to talk about."
"Well, it seems you succeeded," he said drolly, glancing over his shoulder at where Lauren was now engaged in a conspiratorial conversation with two Hufflepuff students.
They arrived at the library and settled in at one of the tables. For a while, they both worked on their respective homework assignments in companionable silence.
"Well, I've finished my essay," said Katherine. "Shall we move on to the theatrical portion of the evening?"
"Certainly, Miss Markova," replied Riddle, smiling. "I shall follow your lead."
"Try to keep up," she said with a wink. With that, she got up from her chair and walked over to one of the nearby bookcases. She stared at the books for a while, as though searching for a particular title, and then began reaching for a book on the very top shelf. She struggled for a few minutes, straining to reach the book. Her fingers were barely grazing the bottom of the book, when she was interrupted.
Riddle, having observed the scene from their table, had arrived to help. He placed his left hand on the back of her shoulder for balance, and then reached up with his right hand, his elegant fingers easily plucking the book from the top shelf.
Katherine turned to face him, and he handed her the book with a relaxed smile.
"Thank you, Tom," she said, blushing and looking up at him through her eyelashes.
"My pleasure," he replied. They held each other's gaze for a few moments, until Riddle reached forward to tuck a stray strand of Katherine's hair behind her ear. "I think they're watching," he whispered. "Should I kiss you now?"
"Not yet," she replied, with a sly smile. "We need to build some excitement first. When you kiss me in public for the first time, I want people to think 'Finally! I knew they were going to get together'."
"As you wish," Riddle murmured. Pulling himself away from her, he spoke more loudly. "Would you like to go to dinner together, Katherine?"
"I'd love that, Tom," she said breathily. The two of them gathered up their papers and books from the table they'd been working at and left the library arm in arm. Behind them, a few students watched them go, whispering behind their hands about the Head Boy's attention having finally been captured by none other than Katherine Morrigan.
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The next few weeks passed relatively uneventfully. Katherine and Riddle kept up their public act of being a courting couple in the early stages of their flirtation, while behind closed doors things were considerably more heated. Rumors abounded, ranging from romantic fantasies that Riddle would be proposing within weeks, to more cynical speculations that Katherine had entrapped him with a potion or some other nefarious means. A few students were clearly jealous, having hoped to romantically pursue either Katherine or Riddle themselves. Mostly, though, the student body adored both Katherine and Riddle and were therefore rooting for their happiness and success as a couple.
Of course, things were never as simple as they seemed at Hogwarts, and Riddle's group of Slytherins continued to meet biweekly in the Room of Requirement, furthering their plans for after graduation. The current focus was improving the members' skill in dueling, as Katherine had received Riddle's permission to begin training the women of the group in offensive magic.
Riddle had divided the Room of Requirement into two separate spaces. The usual group was assembled on one side, where Riddle planned to continue teaching them advanced curses and other dark magic. The other side was intended for Katherine to use as a teaching space as she introduced the Slytherin girls to the fundamentals of dueling.
Katherine stood facing her newly assembled group. Celeste and Adeline were standing close together, nervous expressions on their faces. By contrast, Eleonora Burke was vibrating with excitement; she kept fidgeting with her wand as though itching to use it. Victoria Carrow stood slightly off to the side, her mouth curving downwards in a bitter frown.
"I know this is new to all of you," said Katherine, addressing the group, "But I know you're all capable of practicing offensive magic. You're Slytherins, and more importantly, you're been chosen to be part of Riddle's crew. That means being willing to face danger and knowing how to handle yourself when faced with it."
"It might take time," she continued. "But I promise that if you work with me, I'll have you dueling as well as the boys before graduation."
"Please," scoffed Victoria. "What made you god's gift to dueling? Just because you're Riddle's whore doesn't mean you get to tell us what to do."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Really, Victoria? I thought we'd already established that I'm by far the better duelist between the two of us. If you'd like a re-match, though, I'd be happy to oblige."
Victoria sneered and drew her wand. "With pleasure. You won't catch me by surprise this time."
Katherine smiled and drew her own wand from her pocket. "I assure you, I don't need the element of surprise to win, Victoria. I could beat you with both hands tied behind my back." She paused, smirking. "In fact, let's make this more interesting."
"Hold this for me, Nora," said Katherine, as she tossed her wand to Eleonora, who managed to overcome her surprise in time to successfully catch it out of the air.
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Merlin, you're arrogant. But it's your funeral, I suppose, so do what you will."
Katherine strode into the center of the room, which had been cleared to create a practice space. She rolled up the sleeves of her dark school robes. Victoria moved to face her, standing about 20 feet away, with her wand still drawn.
"Count us in, Nora," said Katherine, her eyes remaining fixed on Victoria.
Eleonora cleared her throat with a small cough before speaking. "Alright. Bow on two, start on three. One…two…THREE!"
"Confringo!" screamed Victoria, swishing her wand wildly in Katherine's direction.
With a flick of her hand, Katherine deflected the curse, sending it careening off course to explode against the wall. She then began to spin one hand in circles above the other, conjuring a sphere of purple flame. Victoria saw this as an opportunity to attack while Katherine was distracted, and shot a Flipendo jinx at her. A golden jet of light blasted through the air straight towards Katherine.
Katherine stood her ground, and the Flipendo jinx slammed into her chest. She was knocked backwards, but stayed upright, skidding back several feet on the stones. She'd managed to cast some sort of a shield charm to absorb most of the impact.
An instant later, she had finished conjuring a large ball of purple flame, which she sent hurling towards Victoria. Quickly, she repeated the movement, shooting two more motes of purple flame through the air.
Victoria dodged the first of the ball of flame, but the second caught her squarely in the shoulder. Purple flames began to lick up the fabric of her robes, spreading quickly to engulf her whole upper body. She screamed roughly, the sound ripping itself from her throat, and dropped to her knees. Her wand clattered to the floor next to her, forgotten.
Katherine walked calmly up to Victoria's wand, and casting a nonverbal Accio, summoned it into her hand. "Finite," she said firmly.
The purple flames disappeared in an instant. Victoria stopped screaming but remained on her knees, shuddering for a few long moments.
"A neat little curse, that one," said Katherine cheerfully. "It doesn't really burn you, but it sure makes it feel like it does." Katherine gestured at Victoria with her own discarded wand. "You yield, I imagine?"
"Yes," croaked out Victoria, "Yield!".
"Excellent," said Katherine with a broad smile. "Now that we've settled that, let's split up and practice some basic disarming spells. Have you recovered enough for that, Victoria? Eleonora needs a partner."
Victoria nodded weakly, and Katherine tossed her back her wand. Extending a hand, Katherine helped pull Victoria to her feet. As she did so, she spoke quietly so that only Victoria could here. "Can we end this competition between us now? Are we good?"
Victoria looked at her with begrudging respect. "Can you teach me how to do that?"
Katherine responded with a simple nod.
"Then, yes, we're good," said Victoria.
The two of them held each other's' gaze for a moment before parting with the slightest of nods. Victoria paired off with Eleonora, while the Greengrass twins worked together as usual. Katherine circulated for the next hour or so, providing instructions and corrections where necessary. None of the girls were experienced duellists, but they all had good spellcasting technique, and quickly became proficient in basic disarming and blocking spells. Although they had a long way to go, Katherine was optimistic that her gamble would pay off. Perhaps, in time, Riddle would see that her advice to add women to his group held merit. After all, there's a reason that muggles burned witches as the stake and not wizards – because there's nothing so fearsome as a powerful woman.
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AN:
Please read and review! I love hearing all your thoughts and it makes me happy to know some people are still out here reading this even though I am the slowest author of all time haha.