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 driving me nutters." 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 turning around after she had jumped three feet.

"Sorry about that Hermione. But we are here." Snape replied softly.

"Where's Kitty?" she asked softly looking around for her.

"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?" George 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 replied 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 looking away from him, but still he saw the pain in her eyes.

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, and after I saw what I thought was his death..." she trailed off with a shudder, and he pulled her into a hug, wanted to take away the memories which hurt her.

"Can you just end the betrothal?" he asked softly.

She carefully stepped out of his arms and turned towards the table once more. "It's more than a wizard's betrothal, it's a magical betrothal; one that only death can break." She explained before taking a deep breath. Willing any emotion that would betray her out of her voice, she said the words that would make him hate her, even though they were partially true.

"Even then, 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, he wouldn't let her see him cry. He still had his honor.

"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. But she couldn't. Her knees gave out as she fell to the floor and cried over everything she was losing, but mostly for what they could never have again.

She loved Donovan, but not as she loved Draco, Donovan was the first crush she had. Draco was the love of her life, the other half of her soul. She only hoped that Draco would be able to love again, and not have to spend the rest of his life in the pain that she would spend hers.

She looked up when she heard the door open, afraid of who would be there to see her in her darkest hour. She pulled Donovan's plaid more tightly around her shoulders waiting for the person to come into the light, then nearly sighed in relief when she saw it was her father.

He quickly came to her and gathered her in his arms like he did when she was a child, not caring that they sat on the floor of the Great Hall, just letting her cry her heart out. Severus' heart broke for his daughter, she didn't deserve this pain, life, destiny. But, they had no choice, she was the hope of her people. And he couldn't protect her from destiny, no matter how much he wanted to.

They sat like that for hours, and the other occupants of Hogwarts were only left to wonder what caused such a heart-wrenching sound that softly echoed through the halls of the dark castle. Any who heard wished that they never experienced the pain that would cause such a sound, but none went to investigate, too afraid of what they would find.

~*~*~*~*~

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 paused 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 that 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, including Filch, was giving Albus a look of disbelief, or glaring themselves.

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.