Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
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Chapter SixGinny told Ron of their plans to go to Hogsmeade Saturday morning at breakfast. Harry wanted to come.
"No, Harry. You cannot go," Hermione replied in Ginny's stead.
"Well, why not?" asked Harry, as they begun to walk out of the Great Hall. Catrin noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were getting up as well.
"Because. Dresses are a girl thing. You'll just get in the way," Ginny replied.
"Well, I wouldn't mind helping you change," Harry said, eyes wide, feigning innocence.
Catrin snorted. "As would the rest of the world."
"Hey, I resent that!" Ron protested, "She's my little sister!"
"You have to admit though, Ron" begun Harry, "that she has got great—."
Harry never finished his sentence, because a purplish hex whizzed past his ear, a white one passing just over his head. Hermione and Catrin spun around, wands out, as three young boys faced them with their own wands out. The crowd around them was thinning, and Dean and Seamus were dragging away poor Neville, who had been the target of one of the curses that went awry. Harry turned around slowly, Ginny holding onto his arm.
"You'll be next, Harry Potter!" shrieked one of the boys, his eyes malicious.
"Yes! The Dark Lord is coming Harry Potter! Cannot you feel him?" cried another. They looked to be first or second years, thought Catrin, but she couldn't really tell. She noticed Draco and Blaise shouldering their way through the crowd, towards the boys. Both had annoyed looks on their faces.
The third boy said nothing, but whispered a hex that hit Catrin in the stomach and had her doubled over in pain. She thought it was the Cruciatus curse, but, given his age and inexperience, had only pained her in one spot. Ginny rushed to her aid, and Ron turned a deep red, the shade he got when he was angry. Hermione was whispering furiously in Harry's ear, but Catrin couldn't make out the words, but she could see Harry looked angry.
She looked up at the crowd of people. Some, those who had heard what the boy were looking either disgusted or horrified. She knew that the teachers would be on him in minutes, there were Dark detectors all over the school. For now, Draco and Blaise had control of the situation. Draco, looking much angrier now, had picked up the boy who hit Catrin with the curse and was holding him a foot of the ground by his collar. The boy, it seemed, was having a little trouble breathing. Blaise had grabbed the other two and knocked their heads together in a clichéd move, not hard enough to knock them out, but hard enough to hurt.
"You do not mention His name!" Blaise hissed at them. One boy shook his head, confused, but the boy in Draco's grip, managed to gasp something out.
"The Dark Lord rewards his faithful followers," he said, in a hissing snakelike voice.
"We told you already, don't mention His name," Draco shook him like a terrier, to enforce the message.
Harry looked slightly confused at this. Draco had been the source of torment about the Dark Lord for years, and now he was trying to shut up these kids? It didn't make sense, to anyone.
"Move!" Zabini barked, kicking the two boys in front of him, turning them towards the Slytherin rooms. Draco stood, talking in quiet tones to the boy he was holding up. There was a bit of nodding but much shaking of heads during this conversation.
McGonagall walked in, huffing madly. "All of you, back to your classes!" But it was said without the vigour and bite that McGonagall normally used.
Draco pointed wordlessly down the hall to where Blaise was now out of sight. McGonagall stormed down, her deadly intent obvious. Catrin was confused by this attempt to protect the boy in front of him. Snape walked in, eyes flashing.
"Go. You have classes to go to? Do you not?" When nobody moved he sighed, "MOVE!" he yelled. Everybody, except Draco and Catrin, hurried off. A morbid fascination, and the pain in her stomach, was what kept her from moving. She doubted that Ginny had noticed she wasn't gone, with all the students pressing around her to get away from Snape, but that wouldn't last long. The boy who Draco had been holding had been placed on the floor and ran off, in the same direction the Blaise had taken, disappearing around a corner.
Snape and Draco ignored Catrin, talking in hushed tones. As it was, Catrin was content to curl up on the floor, letting the pain continue, feeling it receding… but not fast enough. Snape, when he was done with Malfoy, walked over to her.
"Stand up, Kismet," he said. Catrin stood up as well as she could, Draco supported her by the elbow and Catrin leaned against the wall, pain flickering across her face. "Finite Incantum," Snape barked, and Catrin felt the pain slip away.
"Can you stand on your own?" asked Snape. Draco let go of her arm, but stood by, ready to steady her if necessary. Catrin managed to stand, though shakily.
Snape assessed her with a scrutinizing eye, "Does it hurt anywhere? Where did it hurt when the curse was on?"
"My…stomach," Catrin replied, answering the last question first. "It still hurts there…just a little. What was it?"
Snape ignored her question. And held his wand point over her, scanning for something. Catrin didn't know what.
"If it still hurts there could be internal damage," Draco commented, "That's normally a side effect of the Crucatius."
Catrin glared at him questioningly. "So, that's what it was then?"
"It was indeed the Crucatius. Although in an incredibly weak form, and it didn't spread like the normal Crucatius would. Probably because the caster didn't know how to cast it properly, and couldn't expand it like it does normally. I'm scanning for traces of Dark magic left in your system. If there are, even the simplest lumos will have the teachers running." He finished down at her toes, "You're clean. Take her to the hospital ward, if you will, Mister Malfoy, Madam Pomfrey will check for internal damage."
"Weak?" Catrin squeaked. Both men ignored her.
Draco held onto Catrin's elbow as they walked down to the hospital ward, again.
"You held up remarkably well, Miss Kismet," Snape said, startling bothe her and Draco. "Not many could have held up that well against the Crucatius, even in that dilute and weakened form." He stalked off with his usual sweep of robes.
"How do you know about the side effects of the Crucatius?" Catrin snapped at Draco.
The boy shrugged, an elegant gesture, "I'm Draco Malfoy, remember? Epitome of all evil, minion of the Dark Lord, famed harasser of Harry Potter and torturer of the month in Snape's dungeon."
"Well, I don't think you're that bad," Catrin said, before she could stop herself. She slapped her hand over her mouth, and kept it there, looking straight ahead and towards the Hospital ward.
She missed the small smile that alit on Draco Malfoy's face.
Several hours after they had originally intended to be in Hogsmeade, Ginny stood comfortably and elegantly on a slightly elevated stool in the Madam Malkin's Robes shop in Hogsmeade. The stool was floating in the air, next to which Catrin was standing on an identical one. The assistant at madam Malkins was being wonderfully helpful, and had shown Catrin and Ginny many different cuts of robes already. Witch's dress robes were becoming less and less like robes and more like Muggle evening dresses.
Catrin, who was nothing near as comfortable or as elegant, fidgeted while the assistant pinned up the hem of the dress she had chosen. It was an elegant gown, with a strapless bodice that tapered to one side and was covered by intricate embroidery and beadwork. The skirt was made of a material slightly heavier than silk, and covered in light chiffon. It was, Catrin had to admit, beautiful. She moved around, and felt the box tilt under her. The assistant pulled on the hem of her dress gently.
"Stop moving dear, I might prick you," she said, in her stately grandmother voice. Though she looked no older than thirty, she talked like an old lady. Catrin found it rather amusing, and shoved her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling.
Ginny, however, didn't. She giggled softly until she too begun to wobble.
Ginny had gone through more gowns than Catrin. The discarded ones were lying on a pile next to the box Ginny was floating on. The dress she had on at the moment, Catrin observed, was definitely the most figure flattering.
Heavy silk (of a rich plum at the moment) clung to her curves, while a lighter, almost completely transparent gauze of silk hung down, gathered in just the right places, let out at the hips with extra material inserted to make it billowy and shimmering. Catrin nodded her approval, as the assistant fluttered around her feet.
"I like that one, Gin," she said.
Ginny swiveled herself on the stool, considering the dress. "Really? I was thinking of something in a dark gold…like…a warm champagne colour."
Finishing up with her pins and needles, the assistant came over and stood at Ginny's hem. "This does rather suit you, dear," she said, absent-mindedly touching the fabric to make it change colours. It went from a pale gold, which reflected her complexion beautifully, to darker, almost tan champagne, that didn't really suit her at all.
"The first one was beautiful, dear," commented the assistant, reversing the colour and leaving it at the light gold it had originally been. Ginny nodded, feeling the thin silk that draped around the main part of the dress. Neither had cleavage charms on them, as some of the others they had tried on did, and were modestly covering. Suddenly the assistant clapped her hands like a small child. "And I have just the, oh, what do you call it, wrist thingy for you!" She ran to the other side of the room and clutched at a small box as she trotted back towards the girls. She opened the box so it faced Catrin and Ginny.
The girls gasped.
Inside were a multitude of tiny, fluttering gold butterflies. They were holding onto small bands, just the size that would fit on your wrist, holding up the hem of your dress, if you so wanted it. Otherwise, they were the perfect ornament for straps, neither of which the girls had or wanted.
"Oh…but…yes, I noticed, you don't need them do you?" the assistant said, slightly sadly. The butterflies were indeed beautiful, and Catrin knew she wanted one. But, those "wrist thingy"s were only for dresses that trailed — a lot — which neither of theirs did. The assistant then put the box back on the shelf, and Catrin signed to Ginny behind the woman's back.
Ginny, I want to leave!
Come on, Catrin, Ginny signed back, just let the woman change your dress back to ice-blue, and then we'll leave. I like these robes, are they a little to Muggle, though?
No, Catrin sighed and kept signing, Muggle robes are becoming all the rage in the wizarding world, and as long as they have some kind of magical aspect to them, they're acceptable.
Ah, Ginny said, I see. So what did you think of— The assistant turned around and wafted over to the two of them.
"Will that be all, dears?" she asked.
"Yes thanks," Catrin jumped in before Ginny could complain again. "Could you just change my dress back to that ice blue again?"
The assistant absently touched her hand to the dress and it changed colours, yet again. "If that would be all…?" She asked.
Catrin nodded and started to strip off the dress. Ginny did the same as the assistant left the room and closed the curtain to give them some privacy. Both girls hurredly changed, because although the room was heated, it was still chilly without any clothes on. Ginny head voices coming towards them when she was partially dressed. "Hurry up!" she told Catrin, jumping off the raised platform that they were standing on to change. Unlike the ones they had been on before, this one was larger and more stable, and it had two changing rooms on it. Catrin wobbled the platform and cursed their inventor.
Catrin was wearing ankle boots under black chords that were warmer than they looked, she had just got her blouse on and done up the first button, when the door opened. She jumped at the sound of a familiar voice and overbalanced the platform, tumbling down into Colin's arms.
Colin was closely followed by Draco Malfoy.
"Catrin! What are you doing here?" Colin asked.
Catrin glared and stood up as Colin placed her on the floor, finishing buttoning up her blouse and saving the last shreds of her dignity. "I could ask the same thing. In fact, I do, but I add a 'with him?' to the end."
"We got a detention, and were sent here to work. Happy now?" Colin pushed her out the door. "Off you go, it's bad luck to see your date before the dance."
"Wha—" Catrin spluttered as Ginny pulled her out of the room. She heard Draco's snide voice ringing out behind her.
"That's the bride at a wedding, Moron."
There were two short knocks on the door. Harry, standing alone in his dorm, was checking himself over for neatness. Who could that be? he wondered, before calling out, "Come in!"
The door opened and in stepped Catrin. "Hey Harry," she said, making herself comfortable on Ron's bed. She was wearing an ice blue gown, the bodice tapered to one side and intricately worked. She looked rather stunning with a sapphire necklace on, adding final touches to her dress.
"So, what's this all about?" asked Harry.
Catrin grinned widely, "I just wanted to tell you, although I'm sure Ron's already been over this with you, that if you hurt Ginny at all, in any way, I will rip you limb from limb. Boy who Lived or not, you will die if you hurt my best friend in the whole world in any way, got it?" Catrin asked.
Harry sighed, "I feel so left out. Hermione doesn't have a date, but when she does get one both Ron and I will defend her honour, you've got Ron and I, plus Ginny. Ginny has you and Ron, Ron has Ginny and I. But who do I have to defend my fragile heart and honour if Ginny breaks me in two? No one. Hermione wouldn't do it, not against Ginny. Ron wouldn't, it's his little sister and apparently neither would you!" Harry ended in a squawk and Catrin had to laugh at him.
"Trust me, Harry, if the Boy who Lived turned into the Boy whose Heart got Broken, plenty people would defend you. Mainly all sorts of women. Probably wearing nothing. Just… throwing themselves into your path to save you and be saved. Trust me, you'll love it." Catrin said, hugging him quickly before moving to the door.
"Hold on Catrin," Harry said, just as she started leaving.
"Yeah?"
"Naked, you say?"
Catrin stood against one wall in the Great Hall, bored. The dance was even more tedious than she'd thought it would be. She covered her mouth as she yawned, and looked at her wrist, before flicking her eyes up to the clock. Dumbledore said that at the end of the dance, there would be some kind of "countdown" but she had no idea what. Silently she hexed Ginny for making her take off her watch, and attend this insufferable ball. She blamed Colin for part of that too, as he was far too busy getting asked to dance by a million other people to entertain his own date. Although, she had told him it was fine to dance with them, and girl after girl had snatched him up without waiting for an answer.
"Catrin! Finally, I've been looking all over for you, one dance, please?" Colin asked, appearing at her side.
I think you're underestimating the sneakiness, she quoted of a movie she had seen over the summer, and shook her head. "I can't dance though, Colin," she told him.
"Catrin, come on, at least one dance," he said, laughing, "you owe me that for consenting to come with me!" He grabbed her fingertips and dragged her, reluctant but willing, onto the floor. He pulled her close to him as the music started.
Catrin had lucked into a slow dance.
"I bet you requested this song," Catrin said in Colin's ear as they moved slowly across the floor, sweeping in circles.
"And what if I did?"
"I will skin you and feed you to Fidget," Catrin replied, smiling at Colin's laugh. It felt nice to be safe and warm, held by Colin…but it wasn't really Colin she was thinking about… She shook those thoughts out of her head.
"Have I told you that you look beautiful?" Colin asked, moving his head so that he could look Catrin in the eye. She was startled by the genuine pleasure in his voice and the gleam in his eyes.
"Thankyou," Catrin whispered, feeling a traitor. She pushed the guilt down inside her, and let Colin hold her for the rest of the dance. She stayed with Colin as people shuffled around, getting ready for the next dance. And, for the next six dances, he thought she was his.
A song started with a soft introduction, and Catrin prepared herself to dance again with Colin when she heard a lilting familiar voice ask, "May I cut in?"
"Sure," replied Catrin, smiling reassuringly at Colin, before she knew exactly who was speaking. To tell the truth, Catrin was slightly sick of being dragged around the dance floor by Colin, who held her all too possessively and scowled every time some other guy so much as looked at her. Catrin was beginning to think that he some issues. Just some.
Colin looked at Catrin strangely, "Really?"
Catrin turned around to be facing a black robed chest. Afraid to look up, she raised her chin to see Malfoy's grinning face. She scowled, so that was where the "familiar" had come from.
"Hello Catrin," said Malfoy.
"Hello, Malfoy," Catrin replied curtly. She looked at Colin, she did really want him to stop fawning over her for a while, she figured that one dance wouldn't hurt. "I'll be fine," she told him.
"Oh God, I have to dance with you?" she asked.
Malfoy tsk-tsked in his throat. "It's rude not to," he said, placing his hand in the small of her back. Thrills raced up and down Catrin's spine.
Look at this stuff.
Isn't it neat?
The first lines of the song started, and Malfoy started to whisk Catrin to the other side of the ballroom. Who made up the stupid rule that it was "polite to dance with people's whose dance offer you'd already accepted" was an idiot. He was. And if it was Dumbledore, though she highly doubted it, he was no exception.
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Catrin tried to look as mad as possible. "So, Malfoy, been to any massive Death Eater orgies lately?"
He raised one eyebrow quizzically, and replied: "Yes, actually, my mother's cheese fondue was excellent, if you may permit me to say so." He took his hand out from the small of her back and pulled up the sleeve on his left arm, "See. No one's tattooed me yet."
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl,
The girl who has everything.
Catrin snorted, "For you, I hope they use a branding iron."
"Actually," he said, "they use a branding iron for everyone."
"Good God, you're a bunch of sadomasochists. It's true, isn't it? Voldemort's supporters are just a bunch of sadomasochists in disguise!"
"Sadists, maybe," Draco replied, his face darkening.
Catrin felt… sorry for him, she realised suddenly. Here he is, with an insane father, who serves an insane overlord. Oh, how merry his life must be. Yo-ho-ho and a bloody bottle of rum.
Look at this trove,
Treasures untold.
She decided not to say anything, incase she felt sorry for him, or said something that would cause problems later on. She let him maneuver her around the dance floor, so they were behind a crowd of people, nowhere near Catrin's friends.
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here you'd think,
Catrin listened to the music in silence. Some part of her — the honest part — wanted her to wrap her arms around Draco and hold him closer, another part — her more logical and less feeling side — wanted to push him away. She chewed on the inside cheek of her mouth, annoyed at her indecisiveness and the internal argument. She giggled aloud, slightly, it's like watching a soap opera, she thought, as she watched the two sides battle it out, and stayed neutral.
"What are you thinking?"
Draco's voice snapped Catrin out of her reverie. She blushed. "Nothing," she replied neutrally, traces of hate flaring back up in her voice.
"Doesn't look like 'nothing'. You get a certain look on your face when you're concentrating," Draco said.
"I said it was nothing," Catrin said, gritting her teeth.
"And I told you it wasn't nothing," he said coolly, gray eyes neutral.
"Fine! I was thinking about Collin's di—"
Catrin slapped a hand over her mouth, disgusted at herself for even beginning to say something like that. Inwardly she cackled at herself, amused that the tied down, serious Catrin Kismet could honestly think about some guys' … she couldn't even think the word without giggling.
Draco barked a laugh, cut short by a guilty look. Catrin laughed along with him. Now this is what I came for, a good time, she thought, and yawned.
"That is something I could imagine you thinking about. Nothing doesn't suit your mindframe," he said, brushing stray hair off her cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture.
"You could 'imagine me thinking'? Doesn't that sound wrong to you?" Catrin asked, skipping around the subject.
"No. My father says it all the time," he replied.
Catrin snorted, "Forget your father for just one moment, forget the death eaters, forget Voldemort and forget your life… what would you do?"
"What, right now?"
"Yes."
"Ah."
Draco leaned in suddenly and captured Catrin's lips with his own. When he pulled away his face was slightly flushed, in contrast to Catrin's beet red complexion.
"I see," she said.
"What do you see? Creevy standing over there, glaring at us?" Draco asked, grinning wickedly.
Catrin was overcome by guilt, "You are a horrible person," she said, "just for asking me to dance."
"No I'm not, I'm a guy. I was obeying my urges," he replied.
"You are so difficult Malfoy," Catrin snarled, happy that the song was finally ending. She smiled when she saw that Collin was coming towards her.
"Always smile," Draco said as he let go of her, bowing slightly. "It makes people wonder what you've been up to."
I want to be…
part of your world…
"Catrin, you look… pale, do you need something?" Collin asked. Catrin snorted inwardly. Pale?, she thought, I look pale? When I just got kissed by someone deemed "Hottest in School" by a 53% vote and I look pale? Like a bloody tomato, more like it.
"Uh, no thankyou Collin. Can we… go? I mean, I'm not feeling too well and I guess I never really liked dances or anything…" and I don't want you to see me caught in another clinch with Draco Malfoy, she added silently, hoping her face did not betray her.
Something that looked like guilt mixed with anger flashed across Collin's face, but then he composed himself. "Sure… I mean, if you want to, that's fine. I guess if you're feeling sick… after what happened this morning… you have every right to feel that way, I'll get our stuff?"
"Thanks Collin, meet me by the door? I just want to tell Ginny where I'm going, so she doesn't worry," Catrin smiled warmly at him, and watched as he smiled in anticipation back, guilt knotting her stomach. She peered through the crowd, looking for Ginny and Harry where she had seen them last. Fortunately for her they were getting close next to one of the knights in the Great Hall. Catrin smiled, Ron would be pleased with her for breaking them up. She hurried over to the other side of the room and discreetly poked Ginny, who glared at her.
"Sorry to break up your little rendez-vous, but I'm going. I'm sick and tired of this ball, plus I'm not feeling too well. Collin's meeting me out side," Catrin said. Ginny nodded.
"I think I'm sick too, lets go back to the common room. Or our dorm, for that matter. Coming, Harry?" she asked. She didn't need to, at the first utterance of her plans Harry had decided to go along. "You don't have to," Ginny added, continuing coyly, "I'm sure there's plenty here for you to do…"
"Shut, Ginny. I'll get Ron. And Hermione, if she isn't busy with someone else," he stressed, jerking his head towards another wall where Hermione was happily flirting with a Ravenclaw and Catrin didn't know.
"I think Harry's jealous. Hermione's never had anyone pay her that much attention before," Ginny said, as she and Catrin wandered in the general direction of the door.
"I know. But, then again, they never really noticed us either, did they?" Catrin replied, scooting around some chairs that had been pushed into a circle and then deserted. Catrin peered at what appeared to be a pair or panties draped over one of the chairs and decided to ignore… whatever it was. She covered her mouth and yawned as they neared the door, hoping to look tired so Collin would see that her excuse was feasible, but he wasn't there. She dropped her hand, and turned on Ron.
"Where's Collin?" she asked.
"Dunno. Haven't seen him since he got pissy when you danced with Malfoy. Why did you dance with Malfoy?" Ron answered, picking at his nails and ignoring Ginny and Harry who were standing on the other side of the suit or armour next to him.
"I already accepted before I turned around, before I knew who it was," Catrin replied, leaning against the wall with him.
"So, he's Malfoy, you didn't have to accept, or even go through with it, you know," Ron replied, indignantly ignoring the giggles that were coming from the other side of the Knight. Catrin knew that Ginny was stirring, and she knew that Ginny knew she was stirring, and Ron probably knew as well, but, she figured, that when your little sister's honour was on the line, it didn't matter how heated you god.
"Ron, some people believe in polite-ity-ness… whatever. Other than that, it was a crowded room, he couldn't lay a hand on me," she argued.
"Catrin, it was a crowded room, every Death Eater in Hogwarts could have laid a hand on you and nobody would have noticed."
"… Ron…?" Catrin asked.
"Yeah?"
"We're at Hogwarts, there are no Death Eaters."
"Death Eater's child. Child, I said. I said child."
"Good night, Ginny," Ron said, pushing Ginny up towards her dorm. He dragged Harry in the opposite direction, scowling.
Hermione laughed, "Come on Ginny, you'll see them again tomorrow. Dorm, now."
Ginny giggled at the thought of Catrin and Collin being left alone and pranced up the stairs, chatting happily to Hermione who looked like she was tired of hearing about Harry. Harry Harry Harry was all that was on Ginny's mind.
Catrin glanced around the common room. It was just coming onto eleven, and they were the first people back from the Ball. Obviously, since she had felt "sick" and decided to leave.
"Well, then…" Catrin said, turning towards the stairs. "Thanks Collin… I had a really nice time." Nice, she thought, interesting choice of adjective there, Kismet. Nice, not great, or funny, or wonderful or even good, just nice. You are truly the most oblivious person alive.
Collin seemed unaffected. "Hope you get better soon. Sleep well, Goodnight Catrin."
Catrin turned around and started walking towards the dorm. "Catrin?" Collin called out. She spun around slowly.
"Yes?" she squeaked. Suddenly, Collin was a lot closer than he had been before, she could hear his heartbead, feel hear own, thumping in her throat. She looked up at his eyes, they were so blue… ringed with a dark blue… almost black in the non-light of the Common room.
Collin lowered his head slowly, just a little bit, inch by inch, so his lips grazed her own. He stood up after a second like this.
" Night, Catrin."
"… Night Collin." Catrin replied… heading slowly up towards her room. Confused and guilty.
A/N: This chapter is a whole lot shorter than I intended it to be. It was a pain to write, and I'm hoping that I can get on with the action chapters soon. I'd like to thank Avadriel, for pushing me to write this chapter. And everybody who reviewed, it's great reading the reviews. If you'd like to tell me something, or yell at me for any reason, drop me a line. My email's in my profile.
Thanks again, as always, check back soon for more!
- Matrices