KNY: Hi ho, all! I'm soooooooooooooooooooo sorry for the delay. Life has been insane lately, what with my trip to the Bahamas and actually having a social life (gasp, faint, die), not to mention getting a really weird part in a play-
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KNY: (eyes wide) Okay, okay, I'll get on with the fic! But fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirst... Replies to Reviewers!
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KNY: Sorry guys, it has to be done.
Replies to Reviewers
SGS: Sorry hun, you don't get Harry. ;) (hides from ninjas)
Kat O' Leary: Thank you so much my ever faithful reviewer! (huuuuuuuuuuge grin) I expect SGS and Kiki to review every chapter, I know them personally, but I really get a kick out of people I don't know staying with me through the whole story! (hugs)
this is how a heart breaks: Soooooooomebody's a Rob Thomas fan:) Thanks for the review.
Kiki: Here's your update, baka ferret. (ka-click) Prepare to die, ADD-rodent.
Disclaimer: Putting salt on the wound are we? Alright… I don't own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. If I did, there would be a few dramatic changes. Meh…
I Must Not Chase the Boys
Chapter 6: And One Hell of an Explosion
When Cat reached the tower, she raced to her dormitory, forcefully ignoring the female giggles coming from the boys' side.
'Damn, damn damn!' she thought, flopping down on her bed and punching the daylights out of her pillow. It was then that she noticed a necklace lying on her bedside table.
Curious, she picked it up and the note with it. It read: For communication. Only you can read it. Draco
'How… sweet?' Then, she glanced at the necklace and gave a low whistle. It was a small molded silver dragon holding a deep green stone. The whole pendant was slightly smaller than her palm.
'Communication?' Even as she mentally questioned it, silver words began appearing in the dark green jade.
Meet me in the Room of Requirement at 7:00 tomorrow evening to begin your lessons. Draco
Wondering how to respond, she tried simply willing the words to appear. That seemed to work, and a few minutes later, she had a message to send.
I'll be there. Cat
P.S. Thanks again.
Immediately, an answer came from the Slytherin boy.
No problem. ;) Draco
Cat blinked. Did he just send her an emoticon? Oh well, no time to ponder it now, bedtime.
Harry caught up with Cat as she headed out of Gryffindor Tower the next day.
He grinned at her. "Hey Cat, what's going on? Wanna get some extra practice on Quidditch done?"
She bit her lip and sighed. She couldn't tell him anything, not yet. "Sorry Harry, I already have plans." She started to walk faster, but Harry changed his speed to match hers.
"Okay, what plans? I'll come with."
Cat sighed. "None of your business, sorry."
His eyes were no longer cheerful. "Why not?"
"Because," She stopped to glare at him. "I don't ask you your bloody plans every day so give me some space! You don't need to know every freakin' thing I do."
"I would tell you my plans if you asked me."
She stopped yet again, and eyed him, fury matching fury. "Look, I don't ask you, so for all the times that you had plans and I didn't ask…I would really, really like it if you returned the same courtesy. Thank you and good night!"
Harry laughed, and she grew angrier. She punched him in the stomach, than ran off. He stared after her. He frowned, wondering, 'Where's Cat going?'
Cat arrived at the Room of Requirement, 7 o'clock exactly; she smiled at her memorization skills from the one time she followed Harry and Co. there. When she knew nobody was looking, she knocked on the wall.
A short, curvy bronze-haired girl answered the door. Draco then appeared, nodding at her. He smirked and pulled her in quickly.
Cat looked around to see what they had imagined. There was a giant white couch to her right, and three other people, a blonde, the redhead, and a black-haired one, were sitting on it. She looked twice, just to make sure she saw right.
"Draco—what the hell?" she glared at him.
"Sorry, Catrina, my friends are coming to help me fix you up."
"Oh," Cat said. It would take more than just one boy to accomplish the miracle she was hoping for. She took a seat in the black armchair next to the couch. She sat back, watching the four pairs of eyes observing her equally.
The one with raven hair was watching her like a hawk, and Cat was growing irritated, so she stared back equally. Cat couldn't take this girl's stare any longer, it was starting to scare her.
"Look, Scarecrow will you keep your eyes of fury off me! They're starting to creep me out." Cat glared at her, and saw from the corner of her eyes, the blonde girl start to fidget nervously.
"Umm, girls—," Draco began.
"Drak, shut it!" The black haired girl said, she had a voice to match the fury Cat read in her eyes. Reflectively, she saw the other three back away. Okay, now she was starting to get really nervous.
"Look, I didn't mean it. And I can see that you're going to make a scene or something over a harmless comment so let's just cut the crap."
To Cat's utter bewilderment and chagrin, the ebony-haired girl laughed. It transformed her face making her exceptionally beautiful. Cat sighed. If only I could look like that.
The blonde one noticed the look of wistfulness in Cat's eyes. That gave her determination to make things the way she wanted them to go. She took in Cat's customary hat, baggy shorts, and t-shirt. How long was her hair? She suspected it was short, hidden under that cap.
The bonze-haired one stood up, playing peacemaker and put herself between Cat and the black-haired girl. The tension was felt and the peacemaker put on her scolding voice that made the both of the other girls feel like children.
"Shouldn't we introduce ourselves first, Magiere? Cat doesn't know us."
The black-haired one, Magiere, laughed ruefully. "What? Do you want us to say, our names and favorite ice cream?"
Cat couldn't help but laugh too. Maybe she wasn't so bad. And, the joke was kind of funny although it seemed to bother the bronze-haired one. She kind of felt bad for her though, because she wasn't really accomplishing anything.
To her surprise, the short girl's voice came again with edges of steel. "My name is Arianna," she said forcefully, glaring at the black-haired girl, and then smiling at Car. Her eyes frosted to a light blue that had her a little uneasy. Then Ari smiled, and Cat let out another frustrated groan. Another supermodel. "And, my favorite ice cream is strawberry,"
Cat smiled and thought that it was a pretty nice crack for Ari over there.
The other girl with the head of glittering gold hair stretched out her long legs over the length of the white couch and closed her eyes. Cat would've sworn that the girl was a Gryffindor, but if that was true, what was she doing being in the same room with Draco, willingly?
"My name is Danica." She said, eyes closed, not paying much attention. "I've seen you play Quidditch and you're real good Cat, you don't mind if I call you that do you? Of course you don't. And I've seen you have mad skill in the sport."
"Um," Cat started, "Aren't you in Gryffindor?"
"Yeah. And?"
"It's just, I didn't expect anyone besides Slytherins to be here."
Danica snorted. "Well, I've learned that Draco over here isn't all bad, even if he does play Quidditch with that idiot--"
"Thanks Dani, so nice of you to introduce yourself, this is not the time to go off on a rant about Zane. Now Catrina, take off your hat," Draco pleasantly interrupted.
The change in conversation was so slick and clever that Cat found herself reaching for her hat without even thinking. She smiled at Draco, a knowing smile. "Ah. You almost got me there. I'm not taking off my hat and having you and your three supermodel friends laughing at my hair."
"Just take the damn thing off Birdbrain."
Cat glared at Magiere. "Where the hell do you come off calling me Birdbrain you overgrown hawk!"
Magiere's eyes glared maliciously. "You want me to come over there oh wise and strong one?" she mocked.
Cat glared with a malicious set of her own. "You can try!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, go ahead and do your best!" Cat stood up. Magiere stood up. They eyed each other like two animals about to battle.
"Be very afraid quaffle-head before I have to grab a stake and some garlic."
Cat lifted a sardonic eyebrow. "Oh, so is that what demons eat?"
Suddenly Magiere stood back and smiled. "You're not such a bad opponent," she said, then glared again, "now take off your hat," Then she took the hat off of Cat's head. It was so unexpected; she stood there like a deer in headlights. She flushed bright pink.
There was a simultaneous gasp from the crowd as her long red hair fell from the cap. It was shiny and fell in waves to the middle of her thighs.
"OH! And I thought that your hair was short!" came Draco's awed voice, followed by a low whistle.
"Why do you wear that stupid cap? It doesn't even look halfway decent," said Magiere angered. She had also thought there was something wrong with Cat's hair. Why else would she wear a stupid hat?
"Your hair blends in well. You look real exquisite with your hair exempted of that discolored hat. I am almost speechless," this came from Danica.
"WOW! How did you fit all that under that small cap Cat?" Came from Ari, "I mean I've seen you play Quidditch, but I never expected this,"
Cat looked at each of them as if they were crazy.
"You don't have to lie. We're supposed to help each other." She spoke as if she was talking to a kindergartener. "My hair is okay. That's it. It didn't mix well with my boys' image. But look at how it doesn't' work with my face, my nose it too big and off center, my ears are too small and my mouth is way too big."
Danica and Magiere exchanged looks and this made Cat nervous. Draco lounged back on the couch, groaning, and closing his eyes.
"She's so clueless." He muttered and Cat thought that he went to sleep.
Ari said determinedly to Cat. "It seems to me," He said with a raise of his eyebrow and a smile, "that you are lacking self confidence Catrina. Considering how hard you try at being a guy, it goes beyond me," she said in a bland English accent. It mixed badly with her Irish one. She had her nose upturned and reminded Cat of Cho, holding her nose to something foul.
Cat looked at Ari blankly.
"What's with the accent?"
Ari blushed and averted her head. "I was practicing for my acting career." She muttered and walked away blushing.
Danica spoke up, obviously sensing the ruffles in the water. "She is saying that your lack of self confidence contradicts with the confidence you muster in your portrayal of a man, assuming boyish qualities."
Cat looked at Danica blankly.
"Would somebody speak some friggin' English here? One speaks 'High-Class-Idiot' and the other speaks 'Dictionary'."
"What Danica and Ari are trying to say is that you don't have any self confidence and because guys are so pigheaded and stubborn and you hang out with them all of the time, it's hard to see how you don't have any confidence," explained Draco startling Cat since she thought that he was sleeping.
Cat looked at Draco, knowing this time that he wasn't sleeping. "Thanks for the translation."
Magiere stood up. "Now Miss Tomboy, it's time for us to get started."
"Wha-?" Cat didn't have time to get more than that out before Danica suddenly whipped out a tape measure and began calling out the measurements to Ari who then wrote them down.
"Hips: 36". Waist: 24". Bust:-"
"Yeeeeeeeeees?"
"None of your business, Malfoy!"
Said Slytherin snickered and sprawled on the black leather chair, his left leg hanging over the armrest. Magiere walked over to a door that suddenly appeared in the wall and opened it, disappearing inside. After several moments, she reappeared clutching a mass of blue and black cloth in her arms.
"Here," she said, shoving her armload at Cat, "Try this on."
"Um… where?" Cat asked tentatively, poking her head around the pile.
Wordlessly, Magiere pointed at another door that had appeared.
"Oh, okay." Cat then vanished inside the training room. Several minutes passed.
"Um, Cat?" Dani called, "Are you still alive in there?"
A muffled "Mmph!" came in response followed by a thump.
Ari sighed. "I'll go help her." And she walked into the dressing room to assist the struggling Cat.
Draco turned towards Magiere, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of outfit did you pick for her?"
The raven-haired girl merely smirked. "You'll see."
Soon, Ari emerged and joined the rest of them. "She's all straightened out."
"What was wrong?" Dani inquired.
"She had trouble with the laces."
"Laces?"
Ari opened her mouth to answer Draco's question, when the dressing room door swung open, answering it for her. Draco let out a low whistle.
Cat turned bright red from where she stood on the hardwood floor. She wore a black, off-the-shoulder undershirt that fell to her hands in beautiful bell sleeves. Over that was a cotton overdress shaded a deep blue to match her eyes and accent the redness of her hair which fell down her back in loose crimson curls. It was sleeveless and incredibly stretchy, clinging to her torso like a second skin. The dress fell to her ankles with slits up to a little above the knee, letting the material fall straight. The bodice was created out of beautifully worked black leather with a lace-up front. Black fishnet stockings covered her legs underneath a pair of black leather knee-high boots. A blue scarf covered her head in a rougish fashion, looking vaguely pirate-y. Large silver hoops dangled from her ears adorned with silver coins making them jingle every time she moved her head. Lastly, a small silver sword rested on her collarbone, hanging from a choker around her neck.
Magiere nodded in approval. "Yep. I like that one."
"I agree," Dani stated, "Not tomboy, but not to girly-girl either. More like biker-babe chic."
"You look good, Cat," Ari complemented the red-head, smiling softly.
"T-Thanks," Cat answered, smiling nervously. She met Draco's gaze wanting his opinion. The Slytherin Prince simply smirked and let out another low, wolf whistle, causing poor Cat to turn bright red once more.
"That one's definitely a keeper," Magiere said, getting to her feet and returning to the other room where she had gotten the outfit.
"No she's not," Dani replied cheekily, she and Ari following Magiere, "She's a chaser."
Cat began walking back towards the changing room, when she felt a hand brush along her bum. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. She turned around slowly, "Draco?"
"Yes?"
"Did you just touch my bum?"
"I touched your bum," he said with a nod.
"You touched my bum!"
"I touched your bum!" he proclaimed.
"Draco, Dani wants to know-
Ari had come up from behind, unaware of the situation at hand.
"Nnghhf! He touched my bum!" Cat exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Draco.
"You touched her bum!"
"Now, is this the part where I break out in song?" asked Draco thoughtfully.
"Psha!" Cat scoffed, pointing her wand at him.
"Ah, ah, ah, no magic in this room," he grinned.
Cat glared and kicked him on his shin, the natural instincts of a female kicking in. He yelped and grabbed for his leg.
She turned to go, and saw Ari's Ravenclaw prefect badge on her robes.
"Oh hell, you're a prefect..." Cat said wide-eyed.
"I saw nothing," she grinned.
Cat smiled, "Neither did I."
The next day found Cat walking to potions with Danica, with whom she had become fast friends.
"So Zane Cobriana is your little stalker?" Cat teased her golden-haired friend lightly.
"Ugh! And he is such a pain!" Dani snorted emphatically. Zane Cobriana was a Slytherin in their year, and more snakelike than your average Slytherin, but in a good way. He had long, perfectly straight black hair tied back in a low horsetail. His eyes were a deep red, naturally colored that way, and his pale skin made them stand out all the more.
"I dunno," Cat answered in mock seriousness, "I think he's kinda cute…"
"Please, I beg of you, take him away!" exclaimed Dani dramatically, "I got 5 boxes of chocolate and strawberries from him this summer."
"You didn't throw them away did you!" Cat gasped. Strawberries she could trust. They did not womanize her. They did not call her darling, or talk to her for that matter, unless they were coated with Erlenmeyer's Chocolate, which had alcohol in it, in which, yes, then they did seem to talk to her. Strawberries were her only love.
"No I didn't," Dani answered, sighing. "You may have them. I'll give them to you when we get back to the dorm, okay?"
"Yay!" Cat caught the surprised blonde in a bone-crushing bear hug. "Thank you!" And with one last happy squeal, she let go and bounced into Potions followed by Dani, shaking her head ruefully.
Meanwhile, just a few dozen feet behind them walked the little Gryffindor trio that Cat was normally with.
Ron was bugging Hermione about the homework they had the night before, but Harry remained strangely silent, lost in his own thoughts.
Why had Cat brushed him off like that? What was so important and secret that she didn't want to tell him? Her best friend? She hadn't come back until late last night and she had a plastic bag clutched in her hand. She was also humming and grinned broadly in an almost dazed manner. What could be the cause of her odd change in attitude?
A sudden thought crossed his mind. 'Did she get a boyfriend?' For some reason the prospect filled him with a strange mix of jealousy and a feeling of hollowness. Then he shook his head. 'Nah, this is Cat we're talking about.' So with that uplifting thought in mind, he walked into Potions, only to feel that sharp pain return.
Cat hadn't saved a seat for him like she always did. Instead she was sitting with that Danica Shardae girl. He felt his gaze sharpen into a glare as he noticed two particular Slytherins seated behind his friend: Cobriana and Malfoy.
Malfoy noticed his gaze and nudged his black-haired friend. Cobriana blinked for a moment, unsure of why the blonde Slytherin elbowed him, then saw Harry and raised an eyebrow in question. Malfoy whispered something that caused Cobriana to snicker, roll his eyes and go back to staring at Shardae.
Malfoy then met Harry's glare and smirked. He glanced at Cat, who had just laughed at something Shardae had said, and his cold blue eyes acquired a predatory gleam. Harry felt hot anger fill his chest at the look Malfoy was sending her. Every nerve in his body wanted to wring the snake's neck then and there. His hands twitched.
A touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality. "Harry?" Ron said hesitantly, nervous at the look of fury on his friend's face. "We probably should take our seats…"
Harry nodded tersely and turned away, forcefully ignoring the triumphant look on Malfoy's face.
Zane was staring at Dani, who was sitting in the front of the class. She tapped her quill against her lips, suddenly stopped, and slowly looked behind her at Zane. A look of disgust fell upon her face, and she rolled her eyes, facing the front again.
Seeing this, Draco smirked and scribbled down a message to Zane on a spare piece of parchment.
I should take pointers from you.
Teach me your ways.
He tossed it towards Zane and soon received a reply of:
Fuck off, you sod.
Draco smirked again and glanced over at Cat, jotting down a message
Hey.
Cat jumped when it flew to her head and furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement, picking it up off the floor. She turned her head to see Draco doing an unconvincing impression of being innocent. She was surprised he had written her a note, but replied anyway.
CLASS.
fling
I am aware.
fling
CLASS.
fling
You kid!
Cat sighed and crumbled up the note pushing it aside and continued to drum her fingers. But that, of course, wouldn't stop Draco Malfoy.
You're not even listening.
Draco, I'm feeling a tad annoyed with you now.
Moi? (me?)
Oui. (you.)
Non! (No!)
I tell you no lies.
That hurts very badly. Turn around and look into my most charming eyes; do you not see the tears of anguish and despair?
Is that what they are?
Marry me Cat, we can run away and live in my dormitory.
Cat flushed with embarrassment. Was he flirting with her? After a moment, she wrote back a similar reply.
Your dormitory? How tempting…
Of course it is! I live there after all!
Cat rolled her eyes at his cocky behavior, when Snape's cold voice was directed at her.
"Am I to assume you are taking notes on my lecture, Miss Skyler?"
"No professor. I'm not."
As soon as she said this, she heard people around the room suck in their breaths in anticipation of another verbal sparring match between the two.
'Who's afraid of the big bad potions master?' she mentally sang. She held her head high and gave him a cocky look. He looked so enraged, that Cat had to keep from laughing to his face.
"Tell me, Miss Skyler, what would you get if you mixed a drought of wolfsbane and dried monkswood?" he asked.
It wasn't not a very common question in potions. Mostly, students learned how to mix things. They didn't really learn what would happen if they mixed certain potions together. Cat happened to know because she and the boys had done their own little experiments.
"A concoction capable of giving the drinker temporary wolf-like qualities," she answered, textbook-perfect. Then she grinned cheekily.
"And one hell of an explosion."
KNY: And there you have it, my new chapter:) I thank everyone for their patience with me, I have ADD regarding my fanfiction and fanart. (sighs) Maybe I'll post some of the one-shots I have been writing in the meantime... Anyway, I promise that I will NOT stop this fanfic, "Runnin' With My Loverbeast" or "Earthbound Goddess" until they are done! (trimphant pose) (slips and falls on face) Owiee... :'( (cries)
Draco: (rolls eyes) Quit being a moron and close out the chapter.
KNY: (sniffles) Meanie. You're just mad that I made you a bit of a perv in this chapter.
Draco: Woman... (eyebrow twitch)
KNY: (eyes widen and starts crying again)
Harry: Quit picking on her, Malfoy!
KNY: (sniffles again) Thanks Harry. Would you mind closing us out?
Harry: (pats her head) Sure. Read and Review everyone, please!
KNY: You too, Ghost Readers! I SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!