Author's Notes: Happy Belated Birthday, Merwin! I don't own any characters. VOTE KERRY! Now presenting, Chapter 18!

Chapter 18

"Catherine," a fetching voice came from behind Aphrodite. "I do believe you are the most beautiful thing to grace this Earth." Catherine turned around to face a platinum blonde decked out in a green and silver wizard robe.

"Lucius," she giggled, "I'm beginning to think this infatuation for me is getting serious."

"Please except this as a token of my affection." Malfoy handed her a red rose that magically blossomed when it touched her hand.

"I'm afraid I cannot, I prefer white roses."

"OOOOOOO SHUT DOWN!" a guy bellowed, obnoxiously, as he defensively stepped beside Aphrodite.

"Sod off, Black," Malfoy snarled.

"I'm going to have to ask you not to speak to him like that," Aphrodite spoke calmly, but the bitterness in her voice was apparent.

"You don't know who this is though; he's a trouble-making scoundrel!" Lucius growled. "You're new here, but I could show you the ropes, make you comfortable."

"Are you saying that I'm dependent on others?"

"No—I'm saying—that it would be easier if you had help—or something," Malfoy stuttered.

"Oh, so, you're saying I'm not capable of helping myself."

"You're twisting my words around!"

"So, I'm a liar now?"

"You're insufferable!" Malfoy stormed away from a fuming Catherine and a laughing Sirius.

"That was interesting," she sighed and sat down on a red couch.

"Never a dull moment with that lunatic," Sirius nodded and took a seat next to her, propping his feet up on the table in front of the couch, and resting an arm on the back of it. "Oh, by the way, how's the Lily thing going, any progress?"

"Well, he likes her, as much as it bothers him to admit it—"

"That's him for ya'."

"Ya'? Please speak properly around me," Aphrodite scolded and continued on with what she was saying. "She is basically the same thing. She doesn't feel that she knows him well enough to commit, though."

"How can you know all this?!" Sirius gaped.

"I'm telepathic when it comes to emotions of love. Besides," Aphrodite yawned and put her feet on the table, too, before continuing, "I am a goddess, after all. Seriously though—"

"That's me!" he interrupted.

"You're so weird." And with that, Catherine stood up and transformed into her Goddess form. "That form is so bland and stereotypical."

"And the form you're in now, isn't?!"

"Well, at least it's my true form. I'm going to go create some "love triangles."

"For a goddess of love, you sure are evil, sometimes."

"Oh well," Aphrodite smiled and before she disappeared in a swirl of light and color, Sirius shouted to her that her sorting would be that night at dinner.

(A/N: what do you know, it's dinner-time, already.)

That Night at Dinner...

"Now that you have all eaten and drunken," Dumbledore's voice rang across the Great Hall and over the loud talking of the students, "it is time I introduce our new transfer student, who is visiting for a few weeks." Catherine stepped up to the front of the Great Hall, void of any fear or self-doubt a person would normally feel. "Catherine—er—what is your last name, dear?"

"Um—er—" she stuttered under Dumbledore's mistrustful glare.

"Olympus," Sirius interrupted.

"As in the home of the Goddesses and Gods?"

"No," she replied, regaining her poise and confident aura, "it's simply a family name."

"Very well." Dumbeldore nodded and gave her a forced smile and attempted to hide his distrust. "Now, Catherine, if you would please sit on that stool and place the Sorting Hat onto your head, we can get started."

"Alright." She walked over, though it seemed to most as if she were gliding, for she was so graceful, and took her place on an old, wooden stool and slipped the hat onto her head.

"Let me see, let me see," the Sorting Hat projected thoughts into her mind. "Lots of love, confident, a bit on the arrogant side, if you don't mind me saying. You seem to have a superiority complex, also. I do believe you would be best suited for Slytherin, but you are very sincere." There was a long pause in the Sorting Hats thoughts, just silence, eerie, blank, silence.After a few minutes the Hat finally started showing signs of life, an explosion, to be exact. "What happened?! I can't read any thoughts? Not even acclumency can prevent me from reading someone's thoughts, not even Dumbledore. Now, why, may I ask, can I not read your thoughts? It makes no sense!"

"Perhaps," Aphrodite hissed, mentally, "it is because I don not wish for you to be reading my thoughts. Perhaps, it is because you have no right to read my thoughts."

"My dear," the hat shot back, "it is my job to sort you, and I cannot do that with you being so stubborn and difficult."

"I don't want some shabby, old hat to tell me in which house my destiny lays."

"Yes, but you need me to tell you."

"That's quite alright, I think I'd rather choose my own house, thank you."

"Sl—Griffindor!" the house shouted and then collapsed into a heap as Catherine tossed the worn hat aside. Aphrodite resumed sitting next to Sirius at the Griffindor Table.

"What did you do to the hat?" Sirius glared.

"I just used a little goddess power to persuade him," she answered innocently and then planted a kiss on his cheek to "seal the deal."

"I think I'm in love," Sirius mocked batting his eyelashes and falling to the ground. She laughed, after realizing he was imitating Malfoy. "Goddesses aren't ones for catching on to jokes quickly, are they?"

She playfully slapped the back of his head, which made James, finally zoning into the conversation, spew Pumpkin Juice out of his nose and onto Catherine.

Aphrodite turned to face the culprit, who was still laughing, until he noticed her icy glare. James turned a lovely shade of crimson and started messing up his hair, compulsively.

"Er—sorry—I—I—I—." Sirius seemed to find this unbelievable amusing, seeing James stutter and get nervous in front of a girl (other than Evans, of course), and laughed maniacally and pretty soon, Remus had joined in. Sirius could tell she also found this highly amusing, but, in the good nature of keeping the joke going, kept a glare and her angry face going the whole time. "I—I—I—di—di—didn—"

"Prongs, mate," Sirius laughed, "get a hold of yourself. She's not actually angry with you."

"I can't believe you got him to stutter and blush!" Lupin said turning to face a beaming Aphrodite. "Catherine, you're amazing."

"Oh shut it!" James growled, in a bad mood from being the laughingstock of his friends.

"You're just cranky because she tricked you." Sirius stuck his tongue out at James and received more laughter.

"NO! I'M CRANKY BECAUSE EVERYONE FORGOT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY!" James exploded.

"It's your birthday?" they asked simultaneously.

"Yes!"

"Well, then," Catherine said, standing up, "this calls for a celebration. LISTEN UP, EVERYBODY! WE ARE GOING TO SING JAMES "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" GOT IT?!" Everyone nodded.

"ONE! TWO! THREE!" A horrible rendition of the "Happy Birthday Song" exploded from the out-of-tune singing Griffindors. It went something like this (A/N: The italics are "stage directions" Get it? Got it? If not, I don't care.):

HAAPPPYYYY James buried his head in his hands.

BIIIIIRTHDAAAAYY TOOOOO YOOOOOUUUUUU!

HAAAAAPPPPPYYYY Mary walked over to stand beside James and sing very loudly in his ear. BBBBBBBBBIIIIIIRRRRRRTTTTTTTTHHHHDAAAAYYYYYYYYY

The Hufflepuffs laughed at their attempts at singing.

TOOOOOOO YOOOOOUUUUUUU!

The Ravenclaw table beside them turned around to stare blankly.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO The Slytherins plugged their ears.

JAAAAAAAMMMMMEEESSSSSSS!

HAAPPPPY BIRRRRTHDAY TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!

James looked up to reveal a bright red face, causing the table to erupt in more laughter...with the exception of Sirius. "What? I thought that was gorgeous. Didn't you? Oh my Merlin! We should start a band! I could sing!" He received a roomful of blank stares and angry glares. "What?!" Catherine simply sighed and left along with the tons of other students that were now exiting the Great Hall.

Author's Notes: HAAAPPPPPP—oh sorry. Anyway, Happy B-day, Mary! You're now 14! (I hope) WHOO HOO!!!

Next Chapter: I forget...but I'll develop my plot and Catherine/Aphrodite more.

Future Events: Wouldn't you like to know.