KNY: Once more, school, Spanish homework, and life get in the way of me updating. I hope this makes it up to you. I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP.

Note: The scenes with Malfoy do NOT mean the pairing is Cat/Malfoy. Unless I get a review requesting a Cat/Malfoy option, the pairing is officially Cat/Harry!

Cat/Harry fans: Cheer

IMNCTB chapter 4: What's the Catch?

Cat walked across the cobblestone courtyard, throat tight with unshed tears. The salty liquid pricked at her eyes as the teardrops tried to escape, but she swallowed hard and forced them back. She'd be damned before she'd cry again over something that stupid!

She glanced at her watch; it read 9:00. She had to hurry back to the dorm; it was already past the curfew hour, and she didn't want to get caught sneaking around after hours.

Cat turned her gaze to the star-filled sky, a lump attempting to form in her throat. What was wrong with her? She would never have cried over something that insignificant last month…

Footsteps echoing on the walkway brought her back from her thoughts. Cat inhaled sharply and frantically looked around for a place to hide.

"Who do you think we'll catch this time, Mrs. Norris?"

'Oh no! Filch!' Cat's blue eyes searched even harder for a hiding place. The footsteps came closer.

"In here!" a voice hissed as an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into the shadowed corridor.

Cat didn't dare make a sound. Her heart pounded in her chest and her nose was buried in her savior's chest. She heard Filch's footsteps stop as he looked around. Her breath froze in her lungs as the footsteps headed in their direction, when the sound suddenly stopped for a moment, then resumed in the opposite hallway.

She waited a few minutes after Filch's footsteps had faded from hearing before she pulled away. She let out a sigh of relief, and turned to face her rescuer.

"Thank you so much, I-" She stopped mid sentence as she met a pair of ice-blue eyes. She stepped back as her savior stepped out of the shadow into the moonlight.

"Draco Malfoy!"

"Yes. Surprised, Gryffindor?" the Slytherin Prince raised a slender eyebrow. His eyes glinted as sharp and clear as the stars above their heads while his white-blonde hair gleamed silver in the moonlight.

Cat couldn't believe it. Why would he save her from Filch? He made it very clear he hated all Gryffindors, and though she hadn't spoken personally with him very often, she had witnessed several of his and Harry's altercations.

Their first encounter had gone something like this:

It was in the hallway during the first week of school. Cat had heard many things about the Slytherin boy, little of them good.

"Hello Potty, Weasel, Mudblood," he sneered at them on their way to potions.

Cat had been rather offended at his treatment of her friends. She responded in a fake hurt voice. "No clever nickname for me? Why I'm hurt, Malfoy!"

"Shut it Skyler, I'm not in the mood to deal with psycho Gryffindor chicks right now" he hissed.


"The psycho Gryffindor chick, huh? I like it Malfoy! Hey, can I call you the Slytherin asshole!" she asked in mock enthusiasm.

It had pretty much gone downhill from there.

"Of course I'm surprised! Why would you save me? Is this some sort of trick?" Cat recovered enough from her surprise to narrow her eyes suspiciously at the green-clad teenager before her. You never knew what to expect from Malfoy.

"What? Why so suspicious? Isn't it chivalrous to aid a lady in need?" His voice was carefully sweet and innocent as he watched her for a reaction.

Cat snorted in a most un-ladylike fashion. "First of all, I am not some damsel in distress," she said, sapphire eyes glinting dangerously. "Secondly, suspicious? Me? Why would I be? I mean, our houses have such a good relationship." Her voice dripped sarcasm. To her surprise, the serpent laughed, a light, musical sound.

"Oh, you are most amusing, Miss…?"

'Figures. He can't even remember my name. Men!' "Skyler. Catrina Skyler."

"Miss Catrina," he said, sounding her name out on his tongue, tasting the word. "Lovely name."

"Cut the crap, Malfoy," she snapped, fed up with his niceties. "What do you want?"

He brought a hand to his chest, face expressing mock hurt. "You wound me, lady. I merely wished to assist a fellow classmate."

"I DIDN'T need your help, Mr. Malfoy."

"Of course, I didn't mean to imply that, I simply was passing by and thought that by helping you, it would make your escape easier. Besides, if Filch hadn't have heard you, he probably would have found me. You alerted me to his presence."

Cat considered this for a moment. He had a point.

"All right, sorry for being such a bitch, Malfoy," she said. "You didn't do anything wrong, I apologize for snapping at you." She gave him a nod and began walking towards her dormitory.

"Yes, I supposed you have reason for being a bit edgy right now," his voice said beside her.

Cat looked at him, startled. Then her eyes narrowed into vicious slits. "What do you mean by that, Malfoy?" she asked, guard immediately back up.

"I saw your exchange with Potter," he answered, voice soft.

Cat inhaled sharply, her heart pounding in her chest. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a horrid liar, Miss Catrina." The famous Malfoy smirk was up. "You're sweet on him, aren't you?"

Cat could feel her face turn fifteen shades of red. When did the cool autumn evening suddenly get so hot? "N-No."

Malfoy chuckled. "What's the point in denying it so emphatically? We're the only ones here."

She had stopped walking, feet frozen to the ground, eyes staring fixedly at the small crack in the cobblestones. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the ridicule she knew was coming.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

This surprised her even more than Malfoy's knowledge about her crush. "Why?" she asked, suspicious. It was unheard of for a Slytherin to be nice to a Gryffindor, much less Draco Malfoy, the "Slytherin Prince".

"Well, if you want the truth," he said, "I've seen you around school, and well, you're not bad for a Gryffindor. Especially a girl Gryffindor."

"Is this going somewhere?"

"I'm getting there!" They began walking again, his footsteps slapping the ground in a counterpoint to her own. "The big thing is, you're interesting, Miss Catrina. I've never seen anyone like you, and I'd like to learn more."

"Me?" Cat blinked. "What's so interesting about me?"

"What's so-?" Malfoy laughed. "You're a complete and total mystery to everyone at that bloody school. You have mud fights. You eat, walk, and talk like a boy. You punched out Marcus Flint! Hell, some people are wondering if you're even female!"

Cat felt the tears start to prick at her eyes again, but she viciously shoved them back.

"You're a girl, but you don't act a thing like the other girls." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "At least, until now."

She stiffened as she felt his cool gaze on her once more. "So you're just going to shut up about the whole thing? What's this going to cost me, blackmail wise?"

"Blackmail?" He seemed stocked at the mere suggestion. "Why my dear Catrina, I would never stoop to something so odious and low!"

She stopped walking a stared at him. He fidgeted under her gaze. "Okay, okay fine! I would stoop that low and have done it on occasion. However, that is not the case this time. I wish to help you."

At this, Cat stopped walking entirely and just stared at him as if he had grown purple hair and started speaking in Portuguese.

"What?"

"You. Help?"

"You act like it's unheard of for me to help out!"

"You, a Slytherin, would help me, a Gryffindor."

"Yeeeeeeeeeeees," Malfoy said, rather testily at this point. "I can be nice you know!" His eyebrow twitched.

Cat blinked, recovering from her shocked state. "You can?"

"Arrrrgh!"

She laughed, clutching her stomach. "I was kidding that time, Malfoy."

The Slytherin Prince glared at her before asking, "May I continue?"

"Sure," Cat answered, whipping tears off laughter off her face.

"Thank you. As I was saying, I thought you could use some help regarding your problems with your um… feminity."

Cat raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Such as how to dress," he answered, "Like a girl, I mean. I could show you how to walk, talk, act, and look like any girl you ever saw."

She blinked again. "How could you help me? I mean, it's not like you have any experience going shopping for dresses that make you look pretty. I least I hope not…" She eyed him warily.

"Of course not!" Malfoy snapped indignantly. "But I can give you a guy's point of view on women. Help you understand what guys like in a girl. I can transform you into the most spectacular girl at Hogwarts! You could have any date you wanted for the Christmas Ball, even Scarhead."

A rather happy, floaty feeling filled Cat's stomach at the thought of Harry looking at her like that other redhead. It would be wonderful.

"You can really do that?" she asked dreamily.

"Certainly."

Then Cat's fantasies came crashing down. "Why do all this? Just for some passing curiosity? Are you going to just turn me into the laughingstock of Hogwarts?"

Malfoy sighed and turned her towards him. "I already told you, Catrina," he whispered, "You are an enigma. The puzzle no one has been able to solve. I want to be the first."

"Can I trust you?" she asked, voice just as hushed and urgent. "Will you betray or humiliate me for a good laugh?"

He looked her square in the eyes, gaze deep and intense. "May I never play Quidditch again if I do."

"Deal, Malfoy."

"Draco. Deal, Catrina."

"It's Cat, please."

"Ah, but what is the point in having such a beautiful name if you don't use it? I'll see you tomorrow in the southwestern corridor. You're lessons begin after dinner."

"Fine… Draco."

He smiled at her, and walked away, leaving her at her dormitory. Cat smiled slightly. She might have a shot at winning Harry!

'Wait a minute… lessons?'

Malfoy smirked as he watched the Catrina girl enter her dormitory.

"How'd it go?"

He turned to the redhead who Cat had seen Harry with earlier. "Perfect, of course. Really, Vivian, how could you doubt me?"

Vivian sighed and shook her head, short red locks of hair bouncing around her face. "I never did, Draco."

"How did it go with Potter? Is he sufficiently infatuated with you?"

"Yes…" Vivian replied softly. "I still don't like this, Draco. It's bloody low doing this kind of thing and-"

"When I want your opinion I'll ask for it, okay!" he snapped. "Just continue with Potter and keep me posted." And with that he stalked off, leaving the girl alone, her emerald eyes watching him sadly.

"Draco… Will you ever stop? Will you ever realize why I help you no matter what?"

For the second time that night, a heart-sick girl raised her head to the stars above and said, "Please, someone help me…"

KNY: Malfoy's plan begins! What is he planning to do to Harry and Cat's relationship? Ruin it? Make it completely awkward for the two to be in the same room? Or in some weird way, will he really help them come together? Either way, as you all know, the road to romance is never smooth!

Ron: I knew he couldn't be helping out of the goodness of his heart!

Hermione: Malfoy has a heart?

KNY: Now, now, you two. Quit picking on Draco.

Ron: Okay…

KNY: R&R everybody!

Replies to Reviews

Lelyn Black- turns bright red T-Thank you! I really appreciate the Kudos and a review besides the "I like your story please update" reviews that I get every so often.

Miranda Potter- Kay, no Malfoy. I'm glad you're hooked! smiles proudly

Kat O'Leary- Thanks a bunch! If you think that was emotional tension, then you're going to beat me later! grins evilly My empathies for the lack of boy attention. I still have had no boyfriend. 'Tis the life of the bookworm. sighs Oh well, it leaves us free to drool over people like Harry, eh? smiles