"Ruined!" Draco shouted angrily, flopping onto his bed. "Ruined! Damned Weasleys!"
"It's not our fault," Kim replied, sitting on the edge of his bed while he fumed.
"Mark my words," Draco said angrily and tossed a hex at the lamp above in frustration, knocking it to the floor, "the Dark Lord will blame it on us!"
"But we got to kill some Muggles. I don't see what the point is..."
"You didn't kill any Muggles," Draco spat. "You only used the damned Imperius Curse to make that damned man and his damned son jump out of his damned five-story window. You might have used the Cruciatus Curse on the entire family, but you didn't kill anyone!"
"I did so! Jumping out a window is killing, is it not? And besides, it's not like I could have used the Avada Kedavra anyway," Kim hissed as the knocked down light burnt out. "Lumos." A light appeared at the tip of her wand. "You killed them all before I had a chance!"
"Yeah, well... fine," Draco said angrily, lighting his own wand. "Stupid Weasleys..."
Kim smiled in the darkness as he extinguished his wand light after a moment. Thank-you, Ginny. I really didn't want to kill you. Thank-you...
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"So you attacked some Muggles, instead, when you realized the Weasleys weren't there?" the voice of Lord Voldemort said icily.
"Yes, master," Kim replied, standing almost nearly straight and upright.
"Very good," he replied. "An excellent change in plans. Most of the sniveling brats that wish to become Death Eaters under my service would have come back without blood on their hands, so to speak."
His voice was like nails scratching on a chalkboard and his eyes were mere slits, like a snake's. In fact, the man called Voldemort resembled a snake in so many ways that if he had suddenly grown a forked tongue and began spitting venom at her, Kim would not have been surprised.
"Thank-you, master," Draco groveled, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes. Kim was disgusted at this behavior… Voldemort may be powerful, but there really wasn't much of a reason to be crawling around the floor as though he had suddenly found himself without any spine.
Voldemort seemed to have noticed this difference, as well, in his audience, but said nothing. He simply watched Kim with a keen eye. "Did you dispose of the Muggles properly?"
"Yes, master, I used the Killing Curse on them," Draco replied automatically and seemed to try and blame something on Kim out of his jealousy, "but she didn't. She used the other two curses."
"I used the Imperius to make a man and his son jump out a window," Kim hissed at Draco, becoming less impressed with him. "Isn't that killing? Isn't the Cruciatus Curse Muggle torture?"
Voldemort let out a high-pitched cackle and watched Kim in a way that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. "A true Death Eater! Hold out your arm!" It wasn't a choice… it was an order.
This is it, Kim thought through clenched teeth, there's no turning back now.
She did as she was told and suddenly felt a white-hot searing burn seem to cut through her arm. She gritted her teeth and refused to scream. A small whimper exited her mouth, but it could not be heard over the whispers that went around the circle of Death Eaters.
Then the worst part of the pain left. Kim dared herself a look at her left arm and saw with astonishment that a skull with a snake twisting through its mouth was imprinted there. She was doused with the horrible smell of burning flesh.
The Mark still smarted, but Kim ignored it with all her willpower. She kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes (very quickly, so she would not appear to be as spineless as Draco appeared) and thanked him only once before retreating to the shadows in between her father and Karl, where her new place was.
"And Malfoy junior," Voldemort said quietly. "You'll do well on a middle-rank." The process was repeated, but Malfoy gave an audible yell as it was burned into his arm.
Kim glanced at the stinging mark on her arm, feeling sick to her stomach at the awful imprint: no, there was definitely no turning back now…
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Kim went to her room that night, still quite nauseated by the disgusting mark on her arm. She had already come to hate the ugly brand and wished she owned a Time Turner, so she could reverse it happening in the first place. Quite angrily, she leapt onto her bed to brood, only to find a furry thing beneath her. It mewed and she jumped back up and screamed.
She stared at the little ball of fur that was in her bed. She walked over to it and picked it up, confirming her thoughts: it was a Kneazle.
"Hello, little guy, what're you doing in here?" she asked, carefully picking it up.
The tiny Kneazle mewed pitifully.
"Aww, you're so cute! You just need a mommy, don't you?" she crooned, glad to have her mind off the Death Eater christening for the time being.
Then Draco burst in the door, "Who screamed?"
"I did."
He looked at her and the Kneazle and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because of that thing?"
"He's cute, isn't he? I'm his mommy, 'cause he's an orphan... hey! I have an idea! Why don't you be his daddy!" she exclaimed. She knew Draco was angry with her, but he seemed to be too absorbed in contradicting her at the moment and temporarily forgot…
"No way!" he said taking a step backward. "Not me!"
"Oh, yes," she snapped. "Hey, little guy, you've got a daddy now, too!"
Draco grumbled a bit, but seemed to realize that his attempts to dissuade her were fruitless. "Fine. Just don't mention it to anyone…"
"I'm going to take care of you so you can grow big and strong like daddy," Kim cooed to the little Kneazle, who mewed pitifully again.
He was quite poor looking, as he was slightly bow-legged and had tufts of fur sticking up in odd places as though he had been through the mill. The corner of one of his ears was torn off and his tail seemed to be too long for him and his head slightly too big.
"I thought you were supposed to be a Death Eater," Draco said, sitting on her bed. "You're not supposed to be nice to it."
"Not it… him… and I'm allowed to be maternal, aren't I?" she snapped waspishly.
"My mother is about as maternal as an angry shrew," she muttered under his breath.
"And look how you turned out," she retorted.
Draco muttered to himself under his breath a bit, but otherwise ignored her. He paused for a moment before saying, "What are you going to name that thing anyway?"
Kim looked thoughtful for a moment before her face broke out into a grin. "Killer," she replied.
"Killer?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it a wonderful name?" she replied with a smile, stroking Killer's fuzzy head.
Draco was about to reply in a contrary manner, when Kim's dad appeared in the doorway and turned red, "Am I disturbing anything?"
"No, why?" Kim wondered, tickling Killer's little belly.
"Because I was looking for Nagini's dinner," he replied, watching the little Kneazle, "but I see you've found it already."
"What?" Kim replied incredulously.
"That Kneazle," he said, fidgeting where he stood, "is Nagini's dinner."
"This Kneazle," Kim retorted, "is our baby boy. Go find a rat or something. Maybe you can feed yourself to precious Nagini."
Wormtail muttered his hurried apology and left as Draco turned a shade of red that reminded Kim strongly of Ginny's hair color.
"I told you, I'm not claiming that thing!" he hissed.
"Oh, hush. Now get to bed," Kim snapped, hopping under her covers and placing the little Killer on her pillow next to her.
"I don't have to sleep with you, do I?"
"No…" she trailed off, giving him an odd look. It was true she'd rather be with him than Karl, but she had no desire to marry Draco, either.
Draco grinned, "Well, do you want me to forgive you?"
Kim sighed; she knew where this was going… "Yes, but you're forgetting that I'm not a whore, Draco: I'm not Nassandra," she reasoned, referring to the Death Eaters' resident whore.
"I never said where you had to put it," Draco teased, undoing his belt buckle, as his pants dropped to the floor.
Kim stared at him in all his Malfoy glory… then she grinned: "Awwww, Draco, that's so cute!" she exclaimed.
He turned brick red; "I really hate you…" he hissed, giving her a look, pulling his trousers back on and leaving very quickly, closing the door behind him and throwing the room into blackness.
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Kim wound her way back onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters with Draco, who was rather angry that she'd been held in higher regard than he in the Death Eater scale, for making him the father of her Kneazle, and for damaging his pride. He refused to speak to her, and in desperation, Kim pleaded with her father to give her an owl, lest he refuse her usage of his owl, as well.
Now, as Kim pushed the trolley containing her trunk and a cage with a lovely tawny owl perched inside, she realized that she would be able to send her own mail, although in code, as her father had warned her.
Killer was also looking much healthier and was peeking out of her pocket, with his large, tufted ears twitching at loud noises.
Wormtail had been very proud of his daughter when she had achieved a higher Death Eater rank than even he held. He was also very intimidated.
This had not kept Karl at bay, however. Kim had almost given in and given herself up to him on the last day of her visit, before deciding that a well thought out hex would be better. It was a narrow escape, however, resulting in her throwing an "Impedimenta" at him while dressed in nothing but her unzipped skirt and feeling very violated.
I will have to face Ginny, Kim realized with a pang. What would Ginny think of her? Kim wondered if Ginny had told anyone who had given her the information to clear out of the Weasley house for Christmas…
"Hey, Barkley!" a voice interrupted her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize that the voice was talking to her, "Hey, Barkley!"
"What?" she hissed. Her venomous temper had not gone away yet. It was James, who she found she'd forgotten all about over the holidays.
"Calm down," he requested, putting his hands up defensively. "I come in peace."
Kim was slightly taken aback by this comment. If she remembered correctly, the last time she'd seen James, their conversation ended with her punching him in the stomach and kicking him in both shins.
"What do you want?" Kim asked, although not in an unkindly way, just in case he'd decided to apologize.
"I have a message for you, my lady," he said with a mock bow. Kim rolled her eyes. "The Firey One wishes to speak with you. She's waiting in the compartment she saved for you."
"Firey One?" Kim repeated, knowing James was talking about Ginny. "And what am I?"
"Really hot. Go out with me, Barkley," James replied with a broad grin. "Please?" he added as an afterthought.
"You know, James," she said in a low voice. "I've spent all Christmas being stalked by a creep who's two years older than me. He still won't leave me alone, and keeps trying to force himself on me. Do you really think I'm up for you to hang around me all year with that hanging over my head?"
"Go out with me, Barkley, and I'll keep him at bay," James replied, throwing a mock-heroic pose.
Kim laughed: the thought of arrogant, trouble-making James trying to fight broad-shouldered, rough, angry Karl, who also happened to be a Death Eater, was funny. She could already picture the outcome…
"What about me going out with Terry?" she asked, hoping he'd go away if she feigned a relationship.
"I know you're not going out. You ended on a break on October fifteenth… the Loony One told me."
"Who, Luna? Don't call her Loony! Just because she's different... UGH! James, you disgust me!" she said angrily and stomped off to the front of the train, levitating her trunk and owl to the train. Killer mewed at James offensively.
"Barkley! BARKLEY! Hey! I'm sorry! Barkley!" James called after her, but she didn't turn around.
She flung open a compartment door and tossed her stuff inside. Eric and Ethan were already occupying it.
"Mind if I join you guys?" she inquired. Both shook their heads, so she flung her trunk on the rack and placed her new owl on top of it, who hooted indignantly.
"What's got you so mad?" Eric wondered, a sandwich in one hand with several bites taken out of it.
"Stupid boy in my year," she mumbled. "Did you have a good Christmas?"
"Nah. We're Jewish," Ethan replied, his mouth half-full.
"Really?" she asked, feigning interest to get her mind off James, Karl, Ginny, and everyone else that was bothering her. "Did you have a good, er... what do you celebrate?"
"Hanukah," Eric put in. "Yeah, it was great. Ethan tried to charm Dad's teacup so it would bite his nose..."
Ethan finished, "Well it ended up biting his nose… but it seemed to have something poisonous in its fangs, though, so we had to rush him to the hospital."
"Interesting," Kim replied, noting this so she could possibly use it on Karl someday.
"Anything dangerous happen on your vacation?" Ethan asked, hopefully.
"No, sorry," Kim lied. "All I did was work a lot."
"Oh…" Eric replied simply, tapping his wand to his shoe and accidentally making it grow twice its length before shrinking back again.
There was an awkward silence for a few moments as the train pulled out of the station. Eric opened his mouth as if to say something, when the compartment door slid open.
"Kim, Ginny's looking for you in the last compartment." It was Hermione, standing framed in the doorway.
"I don't want to talk to Ginny," Kim replied.
"Oh, come on, Kim," she practically pleaded, "you saved all of our lives: Fred, George, Bill, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and me... not to mention Ron's parents! She really wants to thank you."
"Well tell her I said 'you're welcome', then," Kim replied, grabbing a book titled Black Magic for the Advanced from her trunk.
"Oh, just come for 5 minutes, or I'll make James and Orlando escort you," Hermione snapped.
This seemed to hit a nerve. "Fine! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Kim screeched and snapped the book shut and put it under her arm before walking to the door, rubbing her throbbing temples.
Hermione led her outside and headed toward the back of the train. They were completely silent.
"So, how was your Christmas with Malfoy?" Hermione asked, trying to break the silence.
"Terrible," Kim replied simply, fondling Killer's ears.
"Oh, it can't have been that bad..."
"Well if your idea of fun is being isolated from the real world, trapped in a huge, gloomy mansion with several adults that can't wait to hex each other, and hoping you won't be raped by your future husband on the way to the loo, then yes… my Christmas was rather enjoyable."
"Was it really that bad?" she asked, looking slightly horrified.
"Yes."
"Sorry…"
"It's all right…"
"So… what are you reading?"
Kim held up her copy of Black Magic for the Advanced to show Hermione.
"That sounds... different..."
"Oh, it's very lovely," Kim replied sarcastically, "here's one page that might interest you..."
She began flipping through the book and it fell open on a page with a detailed picture of something called the Inside-Out Curse. The picture showed a woman being turned inside out so that you could see her insides.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione said quietly, quickly looking away.
"And the worst part is... I've got to learn it."
"You don't have to learn it if you don't want to," Hermione protested, reaching for the compartment door.
"I'm sure you know exactly why I have to learn it, Hermione, so please don't pretend you haven't caught on to me," Kim replied as she slid open the door.
Everyone looked up at them. Hermione sat down next to Ron and buried herself in a book titled Basic Dueling Skills. Kim scanned everyone in the compartment: Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
"Sit down why don't you?" Ron said through gritted teeth.
"Why should I if you don't even want me here?" Kim replied rudely.
"Watch your temper. I can give you detention - I'm a Prefect, you know," Ron replied angrily.
"And I've just spent a Christmas with Draco," she retorted, crossing her arms and leaning against the side of the wall. "I don't think you could have spent your holiday watching your father act like a sniveling coward, and trying to avoid two different guys, one of which wants to hex me to death, and the other who wants to rape me." Killer gave a feeble growl at Ron, which was less intimidating than his mewing. Ron looked at the little Kneazle for a moment.
"Listen, I'm sorry you had an unsatisfactory Christmas," Harry butted in, angrily, "but keep it in for now, or I'll take you off of the Quidditch Team."
"Fine," Kim replied and sank into the empty seat next to Ron, who Killer was still trying to growl at, dropping her book on the seat.
"What's this?" Ron asked, ignoring Killer for the moment and picking up the book. "Black Magic for the Advanced? What are you reading?"
"Open a page and find out," Kim replied, civilly.
Ron looked at her suspiciously and opened the book to a random page. "Ugh, that's bloody disgusting," he complained, closing the book with a snap and putting it back down.
"What did you see?" Kim asked, pleasantly.
"How can you read that thing? I saw a picture of a person shriveled up and gross-looking…"
"As, yes, one of my favorite curses - the Draining Curse. It drains all of the blood from your body. I've used it only once, but it was slightly difficult and it seemed to have a bad effect-"
"I didn't want to talk about it," Ron muttered.
"Oh, all right. I'll be going then," she replied.
Ginny muttered "Colloportus" under her breath and pointed her wand at the door, locking it.
"Alohamora," Kim exclaimed, and exited the compartment, grabbing her book with her. "See you later, Ginny."
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"Kim, you can't avoid me forever," Ginny called, catching up to her in the hallway.
"Watch me," she replied, coldly.
"Why do you refuse to talk to me?"
"It's for your own good and for mine," she replied stiffly.
"Well if it's only for our good, why did you stop talking to Anna and Lauren, too? The only person you're talking to is Luna! Why are you acting like this?"
"Go to class, Ginny."
"I'M IN YOUR CLASS!"
"Well then walk ahead of me," she snapped irritably.
"I won't talk to you about your warning if you'll just speak to me again!"
"Why does it matter? I'm a Slytherin in your eyes! Why should I be friends with someone like that?" Kim demanded.
It was true the only person that she was on speaking terms with was Luna, who didn't seem to really say much that was of importance, anyway. Kim opened the door and sat in the back. It was Defense Against the Dark Arts class… not her forte.
Ginny took her seat next to Kim, although there was plenty of extra places.
"Go away," Kim hissed.
"No."
"Fine, you stubborn mule, sit there! See if I care," she said, bitterly, pulling out the book she'd been reading on the train. Luna walked in dreamily and put her things down next to Kim.
"Hello, Kimberly," she said in her far-away voice.
"How'd the catching of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack go?" Kim inquired. For Christmas, Luna had gone on vacation with her father to Sweden so she could catch one of the mythical creatures.
"I think we saw one, but we weren't able to catch it," she replied happily.
"I hope you catch one someday, then," Kim replied and turned the page in her book.
"Miss Barkley, please put the book away," Professor Croft said, walking into the room.
Kim put the book away, huffily and rested her head in her arms on her desk.
"Mr. Gardner, what have I told you about doing homework in my class... what's this?" Professor Croft said, picking up the paper.
"It's nothing, Professor," Orlando replied quickly and fearfully.
"What in the dickens is this?"
"It's something I found on the floor, sir."
"Hmm… there's a student selling firewhiskey on the Black Market? And… hello, what's this? Someone's been buying Class C Non-Tradable items. Hmm, very interesting..."
While the Professor was reading out what was on the Black Market paper, Kim grabbed her book and began reading it again.
"Miss Barkley, I thought I told you to- GOOD LORD, GIRL! What are you reading?"
Kim tried to hastily shove the book back into her bag, but Croft took it and flipped through it.
"These are Dark curses. Why are you reading this book?" he asked her, peering at her through his glasses.
"It was a Christmas present," she murmured shakily.
Don't turn the page, don't turn the page, don't turn the page! She silently pleaded, when she saw that he'd reached the spot where her bookmark was. Don't turn the page!
Croft turned the page. Inside the open book were clear instructions on how to perform the Cruciatus Curse and its effects.
Croft looked at her gravely. "Miss Barkley, I will have to take fifty points from Gryffindor for this. I'm afraid you're also going to have to go to Professor Dumbledore. It will be his decision whether you will be expelled."
Expelled?
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