Chapter 5 - Fear
By the end of the feast, Cat was feeling quite full and sleepy. When the prefects came to gather up the first years and lead them to the dormitories, Cat recognized them as two of the trio from the robe shop. She stood up to join them as she also didn't know her way. The tall red-haired boy looked at her with an expression of disdain, then turned to the assembled first years. "Well, my name's Ron and this is Hermione. We are the Gryffindor prefects. If you have any problems or questions, feel free to come to us. Two more people, Cat noticed, were standing just behind them. Hermione turned to them now.
"This is Alice and Bert. They're the newest Gryffindor prefects, you can also talk to them. Right, well, as I'm sure you're all quite tired, we'll head to the dorms. This way."
The four prefects turned and led the group out of the Great Hall. Cat lost track of all the corridors they went down, and twists and turns they'd made. She distinctly remembered climbing seven flights of stairs though, her legs were aching. Her old school hadn't been made of so many stories. Finally, they came to a large portrait of a woman in a pink dress. Confused, Cat turned her gaze to the prefects. Hermione turned around and addressed the first years.
"This is the door to Gryffindor Tower. The password is "Prosperitus" remember that." Hermione turned back to the portrait and repeated the password. It opened to reveal a round opening in the wall. Cat followed as the first years stepped through the portrait hole. Inside she found a comfortable looking room with a large fireplace, armchairs and tables. It was lit by torches along the wall and the decorations had a distinctly red theme. Across from the entrance she could make out two sets of stairs, which the prefects were now heading towards. Oh no, not more stairs! The prefects stopped at the base of the stairs and Hermione again turned to the first years.
"These lead to the dormitories. The boy's dormitories are that way. Boys, Ron and Bert will take you there. Alice and I shall lead the girls." The prefects split up followed by the first years of their genders and lead the way up the stairs. Cat and Hermione waited outside on the landing as Alice showed the first years their room.
"So, I'm not sure what year your in, I don't really know..." Hermione began hesitantly. Cat looked at her, and smiled slightly, though she doubted Hermione could see her very well in the dim lighting.
"Sixth. In my letter, Professor McGonagall said I was to be rooming with the rest of the sixth year girls."
"Alright. Well, then, I'll just show you. This way." Hermione led her up another couple flights of stairs, which seemed to twine around the tower. She paused at a door with a sign on the front that read 'Sixth Years.' She opened the door and Cat followed her into the room. Looking around, Cat saw four beds, arranged around the wall, pointing inward. The beds were four posters, hung with scarlet curtains and at the foot of each was a trunk. "That one must be yours." Hermione added, pointing towards a bed beside a large window, which had Cat's trunk at its foot. The bed beside her, on the opposite side as the window, was occupied, as was the one beside it. The last bed in the room sat neat and empty. Hermione went to that one and opened her trunk. Cat, who knew a dismissal when she received one, turned towards her new bed and bent to unlock her trunk and pull out her nightshirt. The two girls who were sitting up in their beds looked over towards where Cat was crouching.
"Hello," They greeted in unison. They smiled at each other then the one closest, a girl with long dark hair in a braid continued, "I'm Parvati Patil, and that's Lavender Brown. You're Caterina Malfoy, right?"
Cat nodded smiling, "Right, but call me Cat."
Parvati nodded and Lavender spoke up, "Are you, by chance, related to Draco Malfoy?"
"I am, by most unfortunate accident of birth. He's my cousin." During this discussion, Cat noticed that Marco had awoken and was now pawing at his carrier door and mewing loudly. She opened the door and he came bounding out, tumbling lightly across the floor and then pouncing into Cat's lap. She stroked his silky fur as he curled up in her lap.
"Oh! Isn't he just the sweetest thing!" Lavender and Parvati rushed over, cooing.
"Watch out, he's a bit aggressive." Cat warned as Marco let out a hiss. "But I think he's all bark.... er, hiss." She laughed as the kitten started to sniff at Lavenders fingers. Cat cast a glance in Hermiones direction, but she seemed to be sleeping. Which, she thought, isn't a bad idea. I'm exhausted. She left Marco in the two girls' hands and went into the little side bathroom to change into her nightshirt. By the time she came back, Marco was curled up on her bed and Parvati and Lavender were climbing into theirs. Cat walked over to the large window next to her bed, and looked out. It was now rather dark, the other girls having blown out their beside candles. Rain was still pouring down, splattering against the window. She thought about going outside, just for a bit, but the prospect of having to climb back up all those stairs convinced her not to. Instead she climbed back into bed. Cat pulled the curtains of her four poster around her, leaving a small crack so that she could blow out the candle in a moment. First she had to equip herself properly. She'd never admit it, but Cat was petrified of the dark. Not the night, for the stars and the moon or the light that even clouds sometimes cast were reassuring. No, what Cat was afraid of was complete and utter darkness, without any trace of light. Like it would be once she pulled the curtains totally closed and the light of the candle was gone. Cat reached down the front of her nightdress to the amulet she kept there, hanging on a chain around her neck. It was a small stone, circular, about an inch across and half an inch thick. By day, it was pure and solid black, but when all trace of light went out, it glowed like a piece of a star. She pulled it out of her shirt, leaned over and blew out her candle, and pulled her curtains closed. As she lay down, Marco curling up beside her head, she thought over her day and the people she'd met so far. Seems like Parvati and Lavender are nice enough. Hermione may take a little more to win over. But then, she is friends with Harry Potter so she's probably had nothing but grief from Draco. It's going to take a lot of work to get my name clean.
***
The next morning, Cat woke to the sounds of her dorm mates moving around, getting ready for class. She wasn't usually a late sleeper but she figured all the food from the feast the night before must have knocked her right out. When she finally roused herself, she looked around to see Lavender digging through her trunk, apparently looking for something and Parvati brushing out that long dark hair of hers. Hermione was no where to be seen. Cat got herself and dressed and groomed, french-braiding her hair, as was her habit. She looked over towards Lavender, who apparently had found what she was looking for. She wasn't sure yet whether she should consider Lavender and Parvati her friends. They were certainly nice to her, but she didn't want to intrude upon their close friendship. The two girls were just about out the door when Parvati turned around,
"You coming Cat? You'll miss breakfast if you don't hurry."
"Oh, yes, I'm ready. Lead the way." The three girls walked down the stairs, Cat listening in as the other two talked about some boy from Ravenclaw, who they evidently thought was quite good-looking. At the bottom of the stairs, Cat watched as Dean emerged from the boys stair. He was approaching Parvati and Lavender when he saw Cat and changed direction. Eyes downcast once again, he headed towards the portrait hole.
"What was that all about?" Lavender inquired, but received no answer. The three girls continued to the Great Hall where they ate breakfast and the prefects handed out their class schedules.
"Oh, no! How could they give us Potions first thing on a Monday morning? It's not right. Cruel and unusual punishment!" Lavender moaned over her schedule as Cat looked at her own. She had Potions first, then Charms, and Muggle Studies after lunch. She'd decided to take Muggle Studies about the same time that she decided to not be a Slytherin. It would be particularly helpful if she was going to be living on her own next summer. But Potions she rather enjoyed. She liked the way everything could be so precise and measured, or, if you were into experimentation, it could be quite unstructured, but it also required a lot of research and problem-solving. She turned to Lavender, "What's so bad about Potions?"
Lavender's face took on a horrified expression, "Oh, that's right, this'll be your first class here. It's Snape, he's the professor. And he's a slimy little git, always favours the Slytherins, as he's their Head of House. Hates Gryffindors. That's him there sitting beside Professor Dumbledore." She added as she pointed out a man in black robes, with greasy black hair and sallow skin. Snape.... I know that name from somewhere. Suddenly, alarm bells went off inside her head, Death Eater! A Death Eater teaching at Hogwarts! She wondered, panicked, how many people knew about this. Draco must certainly, but what about Dumbledore? She'd have to find a way to talk to him. With that thought, and the reassurance that he couldn't possibly do anything in a school full of trained wizards and witches, Cat went back to her breakfast.
***
Walking down a corridor that she had been informed would lead her to the Potions dungeon, Cat noticed that Harry Potter and company were walking about 20 feet behind her. She was alone, having had to go back to the dorms to get her textbook, quills and parchment. Occasionally, Cat would turn her head slightly and notice out of the corner of her eye that the group behind her was whispering and casting furtive glances her way. Making as if to scratch her ear, she slipped her wand forward from its accustomed place up her sleeve. She muttered the hearing-enhancing charm, "Ascoltare su!" and focused on the group:
"She's a Malfoy, what's she think she's doing in Gryffindor?" Ron's voice floated clearly to her ear.
"I dunno, Ron, maybe she just asked the Hat to put her there," Harry this time.
"But why would she want to? Oh! Hey, maybe she's been set to spy on you! Maybe You-Know-Who wanted her to get in nice and chummy with you so that he could keep tabs on you." Ron again.
"But Ron, I think he probably knows how Harry feels about Draco, why would he send a Malfoy? Why not someone totally anonymous?" Hermione's practical voice spoke up.
"Ugh, Hermione, don't call him 'Draco,' makes him sound almost human. And we wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about him, now would we?" Ron said, his tone teasing.
"Oh hush Ron, I was only trying to differentiate between the two." Cat smirked at the comment about her cousin, but was left with the thoughts about her being a spy. She supposed it could come across that way. Well, she'd just have to earn their trust somehow. She had a lot of work to do, that was for sure.