Chapter 5

The next day at four in the afternoon, Catherine walked into Professor Beckinsale's room, dropping her bag at her feet as she sat on a desktop.

"Good afternoon Care." The professor greeted, smiling at her.

"Same to you." She replied, also smiling brightly. Professor Beckinsale walked around to the side of his desk closest to Cate.

"So, did you understand the material we covered yesterday?" He asked, leaning back against his desk.

"Kind of." The young woman replied, flicking her hair behind her head, "Some extra work would help."

"Really now?" Beckinsale reached behind him on his desk, picking up a piece of parchment. "I've just finished marking your essay on it, and you got full marks."

"Oh!" Cate replied, acting surprises, "I guess I understood it better than I thought."

"I would have given you a mark above the total, but that's not allowed." He stood up properly, inching toward her. "Catherine, I know you haven't been coming for extra help. Your marks are among the highest in the school."

"Why else would I have come for an hour every week for the past three months" She replied nervously. Professor Beckinsale was right of course, why would she need help? The first time Cate saw him, she thought he was gorgeous, and he was only in his early-twenties. She had surprised even herself when she had agreed to extra help. She usually didn't sink that low. However, the more she got to know the man, the more she liked him. He couldn't possibly know, could he?

"Cate, I think we both know why you've been coming." Before she had time to reply, and before she knew what was happening, his lips were up against hers. And she was kissing him back.

"Professor . . . " She started, "This can't happen. You could be fired, and I could be expelled!"

"Not if no one finds out." Catherine looked up into his light brown eyes.

"Um . . . Okay." She agreed, even though her mother's voice was ringing in her head. Beckinsale smiled.

"I'll see you in a week." He said as Cate picked up her bag.

"Make it two, Professor, I've got extra dance next Friday, and you'll see me in class."

"All right. See you later, and, please, call me Gabe." He smiled, the two hugged, and Catherine hurried up to the common room.

"Where were you?" Ron asked as she sat down in the empty armchair between him and Harry.

"Getting some help with defence." She replied.

"Didn't you get full marks on the last two assignments we did?" Harry questioned.

"No." Cate defended, "What's new with you two?" She turned to Harry first.

"Not much." He responded, sighing lightly, "School's been putting a lot of work on me, but I'm pulling through." He then lowered his voice, "I had another one of those dreams a couple of nights ago."

"What happened?" Cate asked, leaning in a bit closer.

"It was in this strange house, I know I've seen it before, but this time, it was filled with people. Voldemort and his death eaters, and some other people dressed in all black, like the death eaters. They were younger, around our age. They had bruises on their arms, which looked like hand prints." Harry stopped, signifying that he was done.

"That's interesting." Catherine said, thinking hard, trying to decipher it.

"What'd'you think the hand prints mean?" Ron asked, his eyes wide. Cate's mind flew immediately to what her mother had said the other day.

'...any death eaters who had children are to brand them with the dark mark . . . '

"Of course!" She gasped, jumping up.

"What?!" Harry and Ron shouted.

"Nothing." Catherine replied, leaving the common room

The young woman ran down the hallways of the school until she reached Professor McGonagall's office. Panting heavily, she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" McGonagall asked as she pulled the door open.

"I need to use your fire."

"Go right ahead." She stepped out of the way.

"Thanks." Cate smiled, entering the office. Within a matter of seconds, she was at Grimmauld place. "Mum?!" She called.

"Kitchen!" Elena's voice called back. When Cate entered the room, Elena looked up from her paperwork. "Yes?"

"Voldemort's going to have all the death eaters he needs soon."

"How do you know?"

"Harry had one of his dreams, he said that there were younger looking death eaters that had hand prints bruised on their arms."

"Is that all?"

"Yes." Elena searched through her pile of papers for a blank piece, quickly scribbled something down, then turned back to her daughter as Cate sat down.

"What about Severus? Was his arm bothering him more than usual?"

"I wouldn't know. I didn't have potions today, and I was only in his class for twenty minutes yesterday."

"Catherine!" Elena was now annoyed, "Don't tell me you got kicked out of his class."

"It was for a good reason."

"What did you do?"

"Well . . . " Cate went on to explain the whole situation to her mother.

"How could he do this to you?"

"Mum, he kicked me out of class, it's nothing."

"I meant the fact that he hit you. Teachers are forbidden to lay a hand on students, and not to mention he's your father, for Christ's sake. Parents are NEVER supposed to hit their children. Did he get in trouble for it?"

"No." Catherine paused, "When you say that teachers are forbidden to lay a hand on students, does that apply in all aspects and situations."

"Of course."

"Even if the student was of age?" Elena looked across the table at her daughter, an eyebrow raised.

"You certainly are my child." She smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Cate, what you just said gave away that you're either seeing a teacher, or are thinking of it." Cate blushed. "See?" Elena smiled, "You should get back, dinner will start soon."

"You're right." Catherine stood up, hugged Elena, then left Grimmauld Place.