Chapter Seven
A/N: I fixed the review settings on my account, I didn't realize I was blocking anom. reviews. Doh! Sorry guys...and thank you to Enahma for pointing it out to me
Severus Snape looked as if he was dangerously close to having an aneurism. Katherine had been vaguely aware of his presence down at the other end of the table, but hadn't bothered to glance his way until now. He was clutching his silver goblet with a shaking hand, and staring out into the crowd of students with such intensity that she was surprised his eyes hadn't burned right out of his skull. A small part of her felt sorry for the man, who had probably just had one of the most embarrassing experiences of his life, but another part of her fought the urge to goad the students on. She once had a habit for trouble making that would have made the now nearly infamous antics of Fred and George Weasley pale in comparison. Even though those years of merry girlhood mischief had passed, a certain mischievous twinkle still gleamed in her eye often.
"Do know Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pomfrey asked casually.
"W-What?" Katherine snapped back to attention as a shiver of pure wickedness raced up her spine. Malfoy....No not here, Malfoy would not be here.
"I said," Pomfrey nearly yelled, "Do you know Draco Malfoy?" Katherine's heart plummeted, though she chided herself for it.
"No," Katherine tried to force her voice into its normal pitch.
"I don't believe so...why?" Pomfrey snorted and took a sip from her goblet of pumpkin juice spiked with fire whiskey (for medicinal purposes only, of course).
"Nothing. Only that he has been staring at you for near to a quarter of an hour now."
"That's Draco Malfoy!" Katherine exclaimed, causing Pomfrey to drop her goblet with a clatter. Severus leaned forward to look down the table, his signature "oh-no-you- better-not" look plastered on his face. Katherine ignored him, her palms sweating and her mind racing. Of course it was Draco Malfoy! He was a perfect mold of Lucius and Narcissa, his features matching theirs perfectly. She should have known it was him right away, when she had picked his face from the crowd, when she couldn't draw herself away from his cold blue eyes....
"Are you quite alright?" Madam Pomfrey was wiping up her spilled pumpkin juice. "Do need a calming draught? I would understand with all the excitement..."
"No, I'm fine." Katherine insisted. But what else was she to say? I have just seen the face of the little boy, now almost rightly a man, whose name I have cursed for the past sixteen years? They would think she had gone mad.
'Does he remember me?' Katherine nearly swayed under the heat of the room crowded with laughter, noise, and people. 'No, he couldn't. He is just curious. That must be it, merely curious.'
Katherine moved the food around on her plate, but couldn't will herself to eat. She could sense Severus starting at her from the other end of the table, and stared back at him just long enough to mouth string of expletives that would have made a customer of the Leaky Cauldron blush. Severus sat back in his chair with a start, and made no further attempts to even glance her way.
'He should learn to mind his own business!' Katherine thought with a huff. Though for some reason, she automatically wished she could take it back.
Down at the Slytherin table, Goyle was repeating yet again the insult that Ron Weasley had gleefully pronounced about Draco Malfoy. For once, this failed to get a rise out of Draco. He was looking more troubled than cross.
"What's the matter?" Goyle asked through a mouthful of food.
"Nothing you idiot!" Draco snapped, though it was clear something was the matter.
"Hey Draco!" Ginny Weasley shouted from across the room, taking a page from Ron. "Is it true that you have a crush on Snape's wife!"
Draco's body seized up, and he let out a frightful hiss.
"No, you impoverished little rat!" Draco spat.
"Oh...then its Snape you fancy then!"
Draco's mouth pursed into a single straight line. His overcome by a wave of anger that would have made even a lunatic blanche in fear.
"Say it again Weasley...." Draco began, but before he could finish his sentence Ron had jumped to his feet, and was jumping over tables like a rabid tiger.
Draco jumped up at once, his heart beating with a mix of anger and fear. He reached for his wand, his eyes narrowing in a frightful way...
Just as Ron reached him, the wand was thrown from his hand and he was pushed back by an invisible punch to the stomach.
"Potter..." He moaned in anger.
Harry Potter was in fact standing on his feet, his wand, and now Draco's wand as well, held securely in his hand. Hermione was on her feet as well, her arms clasped firmly around Ron's waist.
"Ron, stop!" She pleaded.
"No Ron!" Ginny piped in, her eyes wide.
"Enough!" Snape yelled, clearing off a good portion of the head table with the back of his arm.
The hall fell silent as the goblets, trays, and plates fell to the floor with a terrific bang.
"Always a taste for the dramatic..." Pomfrey whispered to Katherine under her breath.
But Katherine wasn't listening; she was rising slowly to her feet. Severus turned his head just in time to see her draw her wand, and point in directly at none other than Harry Potter.
"Oh no." Severus breathed. He should have seen. Of course she would go after Potter! Why hadn't he bothered to think!
Before Severus could act Katherine flicked her wand, and for a moment all fell silent. Then all Severus could hear was his own heart pounding, and the sound of a bone chilling scream.