Draco looked up when he heard the tapping on his window. He opened the
window and took the letter from the owl, then watched the owl fly off.
Shaking his head he unrolled the parchment.
Mr. Malfoy,
I am writing to inform you that Professor Snape and Miss Snape have returned, and are in the Great Hall. You have permission to go to the Hall now.
Professor Dumbledore
Draco smiled and grabbed his cloak. Taking the parchment he quickly made his way out of his room and up to the hall.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione paced across the floor, ignoring the glare Ron was giving her.
"Hermione, sit down. You're making me crazy." Ron said in exasperation.
"Ron." Harry said warningly. "Hermione, come here." He said softly pulling her into a hug.
"Well, looks like we all got a letter from Dumbledore."
Hermione looked up at the door and saw Draco standing there. "Hello Draco." She replied.
"Hello, is Snape or Katia here?" he asked walking into the room and sitting down at the table.
"Not yet."
"Actually, we are here."
"Professor Snape." Hermione said after she had jumped three feet.
"Sorry about that Miss. Granger. But we are here."
"Where's Kitty?" she asked softly.
"I'm here."
Everyone looked up at Kat in shock. She looked like she had been through hell and back. She was standing mostly in the shadows, but they could still see her because her skin was whiter than any of the ghosts'. Her hair was down, tumbling over her back and shoulder. She was clutching a burgundy, white, and forest green plaid around her shoulders, which reached to her hips.
"Kat are you alright?" Fred asked, the first to find his voice.
"I'm fine." She replied as she walked into the room and sat at the end of the table, a good ten feet from any of them. "Really, I am." She continued when she saw Hermione's disbelieving face. "I've just had a rough day."
"I think we all knew that considering that you fell almost to your death four hours ago." Fred said rolling his eyes.
She smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I suppose. But I'm fine. And I will explain everything to all of you tomorrow. Right now I need to talk to Draco."
"But." Hermione began
"I think it's time that all of you returned to your dorms. Everything will be explained tomorrow." Severus said standing up and ushering them all out, ignoring their protests. After they were all out, he looked back at Kat and smiled, then closed the doors.
"What's going on Katia?" Draco asked after a few minutes of silence.
She sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I know who saved me tonight."
"Who was it?" he asked softly.
"Draco, we can't be together anymore." She said softly, finally looking at him
"What! Why?" he asked in shock.
"I haven't told you everything about me." She began
"You know I never cared about that." He replied quickly.
She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I'm betrothed."
"You're what?" he asked in shock once more, "How could you date me if you were betrothed?" he accused.
"I thought he was dead. His family thought he was dead. He disappeared when he was eleven. I was only nine." she trailed off.
He closed his eyes trying to figure out what to think. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I just tried to forget him. I was only a child when we were betrothed."
"Can you just end the betrothal?"
"It's more than a wizard's betrothal, it's a magical betrothal; one that only death can break. Besides, I don't want to break my betrothal, I love him."
Draco closed his eyes once more. He never thought he would feel this pain again after Shay died. He couldn't believe this was happening. He opened his eyes and looked at her, returning to his usual scowl. "Fine, then we are over." He replied turning on his heels and walking out of the hall.
"I'm so sorry Draco. More than you'll ever know. She said softly trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill after he was gone.
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Kat sat at the Griffyndor table by the door. Hermione sat at the other end of the table, and as far as she could tell, her cousin and the others hadn't seen her yet. She felt someone watching her, and looked up towards the head table and caught her father's eye. He nodded softly and gave her a small smile. She gave a half smile back then turned to Albus when he stood up.
"May I have your attention." Dumbledore began, then waited a few moments. "Thank you. By now I am sure that most of you have heard about yesterday's incident with Miss. Snape. Let me assure you that she is fine, and to put to rest the rumors that she is a ghost," he said with a smile, "as I know have been going around. She was actually saved by a young man who came to the school to see her. On another note, I would like to congratulate Miss. Snape on her coming marriage and good luck on her upcoming N.E.W.T.s Thank you."
With that he sat down and the entire room started talking simultaneously. Kat tried to ignore the whispers and looks being thrown her way. All of a sudden the room fell into silence. She looked up to see what was going on, only to see Draco had stood up and was looking at her. Slowly he turned and walked to the doors and left the room.
She closed her eyes and looked back down at her plate as everyone started whispering once more. She turned and looked up at her father to find him glaring at Albus. As she looked down the table, she found that every one of the staff members were giving him a dirty look. She looked at Albus then to find him looking around the room in shock. Knowing the old man he had probably thought Donovan's return was the best thing going.
She closed her eyes once more, enough was enough. She pushed her plate back then stood up. She ignored everyone when they stopped talking once more, then turned and walked out of the hall. It was going to be a difficult two months until she took her N.E.W.T.s in April.
Shaking his head he unrolled the parchment.
Mr. Malfoy,
I am writing to inform you that Professor Snape and Miss Snape have returned, and are in the Great Hall. You have permission to go to the Hall now.
Professor Dumbledore
Draco smiled and grabbed his cloak. Taking the parchment he quickly made his way out of his room and up to the hall.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione paced across the floor, ignoring the glare Ron was giving her.
"Hermione, sit down. You're making me crazy." Ron said in exasperation.
"Ron." Harry said warningly. "Hermione, come here." He said softly pulling her into a hug.
"Well, looks like we all got a letter from Dumbledore."
Hermione looked up at the door and saw Draco standing there. "Hello Draco." She replied.
"Hello, is Snape or Katia here?" he asked walking into the room and sitting down at the table.
"Not yet."
"Actually, we are here."
"Professor Snape." Hermione said after she had jumped three feet.
"Sorry about that Miss. Granger. But we are here."
"Where's Kitty?" she asked softly.
"I'm here."
Everyone looked up at Kat in shock. She looked like she had been through hell and back. She was standing mostly in the shadows, but they could still see her because her skin was whiter than any of the ghosts'. Her hair was down, tumbling over her back and shoulder. She was clutching a burgundy, white, and forest green plaid around her shoulders, which reached to her hips.
"Kat are you alright?" Fred asked, the first to find his voice.
"I'm fine." She replied as she walked into the room and sat at the end of the table, a good ten feet from any of them. "Really, I am." She continued when she saw Hermione's disbelieving face. "I've just had a rough day."
"I think we all knew that considering that you fell almost to your death four hours ago." Fred said rolling his eyes.
She smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I suppose. But I'm fine. And I will explain everything to all of you tomorrow. Right now I need to talk to Draco."
"But." Hermione began
"I think it's time that all of you returned to your dorms. Everything will be explained tomorrow." Severus said standing up and ushering them all out, ignoring their protests. After they were all out, he looked back at Kat and smiled, then closed the doors.
"What's going on Katia?" Draco asked after a few minutes of silence.
She sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I know who saved me tonight."
"Who was it?" he asked softly.
"Draco, we can't be together anymore." She said softly, finally looking at him
"What! Why?" he asked in shock.
"I haven't told you everything about me." She began
"You know I never cared about that." He replied quickly.
She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I'm betrothed."
"You're what?" he asked in shock once more, "How could you date me if you were betrothed?" he accused.
"I thought he was dead. His family thought he was dead. He disappeared when he was eleven. I was only nine." she trailed off.
He closed his eyes trying to figure out what to think. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I just tried to forget him. I was only a child when we were betrothed."
"Can you just end the betrothal?"
"It's more than a wizard's betrothal, it's a magical betrothal; one that only death can break. Besides, I don't want to break my betrothal, I love him."
Draco closed his eyes once more. He never thought he would feel this pain again after Shay died. He couldn't believe this was happening. He opened his eyes and looked at her, returning to his usual scowl. "Fine, then we are over." He replied turning on his heels and walking out of the hall.
"I'm so sorry Draco. More than you'll ever know. She said softly trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill after he was gone.
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Kat sat at the Griffyndor table by the door. Hermione sat at the other end of the table, and as far as she could tell, her cousin and the others hadn't seen her yet. She felt someone watching her, and looked up towards the head table and caught her father's eye. He nodded softly and gave her a small smile. She gave a half smile back then turned to Albus when he stood up.
"May I have your attention." Dumbledore began, then waited a few moments. "Thank you. By now I am sure that most of you have heard about yesterday's incident with Miss. Snape. Let me assure you that she is fine, and to put to rest the rumors that she is a ghost," he said with a smile, "as I know have been going around. She was actually saved by a young man who came to the school to see her. On another note, I would like to congratulate Miss. Snape on her coming marriage and good luck on her upcoming N.E.W.T.s Thank you."
With that he sat down and the entire room started talking simultaneously. Kat tried to ignore the whispers and looks being thrown her way. All of a sudden the room fell into silence. She looked up to see what was going on, only to see Draco had stood up and was looking at her. Slowly he turned and walked to the doors and left the room.
She closed her eyes and looked back down at her plate as everyone started whispering once more. She turned and looked up at her father to find him glaring at Albus. As she looked down the table, she found that every one of the staff members were giving him a dirty look. She looked at Albus then to find him looking around the room in shock. Knowing the old man he had probably thought Donovan's return was the best thing going.
She closed her eyes once more, enough was enough. She pushed her plate back then stood up. She ignored everyone when they stopped talking once more, then turned and walked out of the hall. It was going to be a difficult two months until she took her N.E.W.T.s in April.