Draco sighed when he sat down at dinner. It had been a long day, and all he
wanted to do was see Katia. She was suppose to meet him at dinner, but
looking around the room he didn't see her anywhere. Hermione and Potter
were there, as were the Weasleys. Where was that girl, he hoped she hadn't
lost anymore of her family. It killed her to lose them, luckily there had
been no more deaths since the two at Christmas.
He stopped his train of thought as Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"As most of you know, Valentine's Day is this Friday. We will be having a ball Friday night for all students. It won't be as formal as the Yule Ball, so you can wear whatever you like. The ball will start at eight, and last.."
A familiar looking owl flew into the room, stopping Dumbledore mid- sentence. Everyone watched as the owl flew to Snape, who unnoticed by anyone before was holding his head with his eyes closed, almost as if he was in pain. Snape opened his eyes as the owl landed on his shoulder, and he looked at it in shock. It had no note, so he looked at it in slight confusion, then glanced over to the Griffyndor table, where his eyes widened even more.
The entire school watched him, surprised by his actions. He looked between the Griffyndor table and the owl a few times, his eye still wide, then he sat up straight and they saw he had realized something.
"Poppy, please come with me." He said standing up and the owl took of flying circles around his head.
Madam Pomfrey stood up, glancing at Dumbledore once, who nodded his head, unsure of what was going on.
"What is it Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows pinched together in slight confusion.
"It's Kat." He replied as he rushed out of the hall. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widen in shock, before she ran after him. Everyone stared at the closed doors in shock for a few moments, then Hermione and Draco stood as one and ran out of the room, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins on their heels.
Dumbledore shook his head softly. "Everyone, we will start dinner now. Please stay here until I return." He said as the food appeared. "Minerva, please come with me." He said softly turning to the women and the two made their way out and followed the others to the Griffyndor tower.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione ran out of the Great Hall as fast as she could. She noticed Draco was running next to her, and she thought she heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't really care, all she wanted to so was get to her cousin. She had immediately recognized Fearchar as she came into the room. She was puzzled as to why Fearchar was coming to Snape, without anything. Then she had seen Snape and was shocked to see that he looked to be in pain.
Then Fearchar had landed on his shoulder and after a few moments Snape stood up and unless she was seeing things, Snape looked scared to death.
"Hermione wait up." Harry called from behind her.
She shook her head and ignored her boyfriend. She had to get to her cousin, now. She and Draco started up the stairs, only to stop at the top as the stairs began to move.
"Hermione what is going on?" Ron asked trying to catch his breath as they waited for the stairs to stop moving.
"Something's wrong with Kitty, didn't you hear her father?"
"I know love. But you have to calm down." Harry said softly.
"I don't think this is the time Potter." Draco said rolling his eyes.
"Well, this certainly makes things difficult."
The seven of them whirled around to look up at Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Professors? What are you doing here?" Fred asked surprised.
"Same as you Mr. Weasley. We're going to see what is going on with Miss. Snape." McGonagall explained.
"Bloody hell."
"Hermione, what is it?" George asked unsure.
"The stairs have stopped. At a dead end. How in Merlin's name are we suppose to get to Kitty now?" Hermione explained pointing down the hall.
"It's ok Miss. Granger, I'm sure the stairs will reposition themselves soon." Dumbledore began.
"I guess so." Hermione said with a sigh.
"Mione, isn't that Kat?" Ginny asked pointing to a staircase across the way.
"It is." Hermione began, just as she started to call out the stairs Kat was stepping on moved, and she stepped on onto thin air. "Kitty!" she yelled as they all stared in shock as Kat fell towards the floor at an alarming rate.
~*~*~*~*~
Severus and Poppy ran as fast as they could towards Griffyndor tower. As they reached the painting of the fat lady, they waited while she opened to passageway, then ran up to Kat's room.
Severus tried to open the door and was ready to ring her neck when he found that it was locked. Taking out his wand he quickly said the unlocking spell, ignoring the look that Poppy was giving him.
"Severus what are you saying?" she asked
"It's an unlocking spell."
"Sounds like more than 'alohamora' to me."
"That's because my dear daughter never used a simple locking spell. It's one of the fairy spells."
"Oh." She replied not sure of what to say as the door opened. "Ekaterina?" she called as they walked in.
"Ekaterina!" Severus exclaimed as he ran over to where she lay on the floor.
Poppy joined him as they both knelt down next to the young women. "Ekaterina?" she asked softly. "I think she passed out Severus."
"Kitten. Wake up little one." He said softly.
A moment later Kat stirred and looked up at them.
"Ekaterina, what happened?" he asked slowly.
"Nothing Papa. I just was surprised by something." she said standing up and making her way out of the room.
"Why do I not believe that?" Poppy asked.
"Same reason I don't." he replied. "So what surprised you?" he asked as they made their way down to the common room.
"Just a letter I received." She replied.
"From who?" he asked as they walked past the fat lady.
"No one Papa." She replied as she reached the stairs.
"Kitten." He yelled when he saw the stairs start to move. He watched in horror as she continued walking, then began to fall.
"Kitty!"
Severus heard Hermione's scream, but he couldn't do anything. It was as if he was frozen, watching his only child fall to what could possibly be her death.
~*~*~*~*~
Kat fell through the air trying to grab her wand. When she looked up at the rapidly retreating figures of her friends and family. They weren't doing anything, she couldn't understand why, but then she focused more on them and saw the outline of a spell around them. That was the last thing they needed she closed her eyes, the last thing she wanted to see in this life was the ground racing towards her.
A few moments later she opened her eyes slowly. She should have felt some pain by now. Then she saw that she was floating slightly above the ground. She looked around, but didn't see anyone around. She looked up at the others and saw that they were just as shocked as she was. Then she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath she let the magic flow over her, feeling it, listening to it.
O dear Merlin! It was true, he was alive. The magic, it was his. How was she ever going to face this, everything she loved was slipping through her fingers.
He stopped his train of thought as Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"As most of you know, Valentine's Day is this Friday. We will be having a ball Friday night for all students. It won't be as formal as the Yule Ball, so you can wear whatever you like. The ball will start at eight, and last.."
A familiar looking owl flew into the room, stopping Dumbledore mid- sentence. Everyone watched as the owl flew to Snape, who unnoticed by anyone before was holding his head with his eyes closed, almost as if he was in pain. Snape opened his eyes as the owl landed on his shoulder, and he looked at it in shock. It had no note, so he looked at it in slight confusion, then glanced over to the Griffyndor table, where his eyes widened even more.
The entire school watched him, surprised by his actions. He looked between the Griffyndor table and the owl a few times, his eye still wide, then he sat up straight and they saw he had realized something.
"Poppy, please come with me." He said standing up and the owl took of flying circles around his head.
Madam Pomfrey stood up, glancing at Dumbledore once, who nodded his head, unsure of what was going on.
"What is it Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows pinched together in slight confusion.
"It's Kat." He replied as he rushed out of the hall. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widen in shock, before she ran after him. Everyone stared at the closed doors in shock for a few moments, then Hermione and Draco stood as one and ran out of the room, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins on their heels.
Dumbledore shook his head softly. "Everyone, we will start dinner now. Please stay here until I return." He said as the food appeared. "Minerva, please come with me." He said softly turning to the women and the two made their way out and followed the others to the Griffyndor tower.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione ran out of the Great Hall as fast as she could. She noticed Draco was running next to her, and she thought she heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't really care, all she wanted to so was get to her cousin. She had immediately recognized Fearchar as she came into the room. She was puzzled as to why Fearchar was coming to Snape, without anything. Then she had seen Snape and was shocked to see that he looked to be in pain.
Then Fearchar had landed on his shoulder and after a few moments Snape stood up and unless she was seeing things, Snape looked scared to death.
"Hermione wait up." Harry called from behind her.
She shook her head and ignored her boyfriend. She had to get to her cousin, now. She and Draco started up the stairs, only to stop at the top as the stairs began to move.
"Hermione what is going on?" Ron asked trying to catch his breath as they waited for the stairs to stop moving.
"Something's wrong with Kitty, didn't you hear her father?"
"I know love. But you have to calm down." Harry said softly.
"I don't think this is the time Potter." Draco said rolling his eyes.
"Well, this certainly makes things difficult."
The seven of them whirled around to look up at Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Professors? What are you doing here?" Fred asked surprised.
"Same as you Mr. Weasley. We're going to see what is going on with Miss. Snape." McGonagall explained.
"Bloody hell."
"Hermione, what is it?" George asked unsure.
"The stairs have stopped. At a dead end. How in Merlin's name are we suppose to get to Kitty now?" Hermione explained pointing down the hall.
"It's ok Miss. Granger, I'm sure the stairs will reposition themselves soon." Dumbledore began.
"I guess so." Hermione said with a sigh.
"Mione, isn't that Kat?" Ginny asked pointing to a staircase across the way.
"It is." Hermione began, just as she started to call out the stairs Kat was stepping on moved, and she stepped on onto thin air. "Kitty!" she yelled as they all stared in shock as Kat fell towards the floor at an alarming rate.
~*~*~*~*~
Severus and Poppy ran as fast as they could towards Griffyndor tower. As they reached the painting of the fat lady, they waited while she opened to passageway, then ran up to Kat's room.
Severus tried to open the door and was ready to ring her neck when he found that it was locked. Taking out his wand he quickly said the unlocking spell, ignoring the look that Poppy was giving him.
"Severus what are you saying?" she asked
"It's an unlocking spell."
"Sounds like more than 'alohamora' to me."
"That's because my dear daughter never used a simple locking spell. It's one of the fairy spells."
"Oh." She replied not sure of what to say as the door opened. "Ekaterina?" she called as they walked in.
"Ekaterina!" Severus exclaimed as he ran over to where she lay on the floor.
Poppy joined him as they both knelt down next to the young women. "Ekaterina?" she asked softly. "I think she passed out Severus."
"Kitten. Wake up little one." He said softly.
A moment later Kat stirred and looked up at them.
"Ekaterina, what happened?" he asked slowly.
"Nothing Papa. I just was surprised by something." she said standing up and making her way out of the room.
"Why do I not believe that?" Poppy asked.
"Same reason I don't." he replied. "So what surprised you?" he asked as they made their way down to the common room.
"Just a letter I received." She replied.
"From who?" he asked as they walked past the fat lady.
"No one Papa." She replied as she reached the stairs.
"Kitten." He yelled when he saw the stairs start to move. He watched in horror as she continued walking, then began to fall.
"Kitty!"
Severus heard Hermione's scream, but he couldn't do anything. It was as if he was frozen, watching his only child fall to what could possibly be her death.
~*~*~*~*~
Kat fell through the air trying to grab her wand. When she looked up at the rapidly retreating figures of her friends and family. They weren't doing anything, she couldn't understand why, but then she focused more on them and saw the outline of a spell around them. That was the last thing they needed she closed her eyes, the last thing she wanted to see in this life was the ground racing towards her.
A few moments later she opened her eyes slowly. She should have felt some pain by now. Then she saw that she was floating slightly above the ground. She looked around, but didn't see anyone around. She looked up at the others and saw that they were just as shocked as she was. Then she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath she let the magic flow over her, feeling it, listening to it.
O dear Merlin! It was true, he was alive. The magic, it was his. How was she ever going to face this, everything she loved was slipping through her fingers.