Disclaimer: We own nothing but the plot.

A/N: what's this? Star and Luna have updated once again and in almost a week? The world must be coming to an end! Lol, as promised here is another chapter of your favorite horror story although there isn't really an horror yet but there will be…oh there will be…anyway, this is a little break from the main characters to try and get to know them a little better. Enjoy!

It was a couple weeks after the ball and the fateful kiss. Hermione had been avoiding Draco like the plague. She didn't want to talk about the kiss mainly because she knew she felt something for him that she thought she shouldn't.

Some of the students that had come from the United States were being sent back. The only American students that would be staying were Kat, Chad, Elena, Orion, Jordan, Dom., Sean, and Cynthia. The other parents felt that their children would safer at the Salem school of witchcraft in the U.S. then at Hogwarts where they facing the threat of Voldemort directly.

They would be getting three new students though. A girl named Kristen Jackson, Elena's cousin Laura Rodriguez, and a boy named Adam Brusell. They would be arriving in the middle of November.

That day soon came and as the group stood at the train station along with the four heads of houses and Dumbledore. The Hogwarts express pulled in and it let out three new students.

The first, Kristen Jackson was fairly tall, about five feet four and was in her sixth year. She had long blondish/brownish hair and had pale green eyes. Laura Rodriguez was about five feet two and was also in her sixth year. She had short brown hair cut in choppy layers and hazel eyes. Adam Brusell was a quiet one. He had short brown hair and chocolate eyes. He had a lean, muscular build and was about six feet.

"Welcome to Hogwarts students! I assure you that you will be received very warmly. I would like to thank you for deciding to join us this year and let us go over a few ground rules first." Dumbledore went through the usual routine and introduced the teachers and then stepped aside so that the others could see the new students. "Here are some familiar faces that you might recognize." He told the new students.

"Laura Linda!" Elena greeted her cousin warmly and hugged her. "My baby cousin is coming to study with me! This is so exciting!"

Laura soon began to run purple. "Elena…I need…air…"

Elena let go. "Oh, sorry. Hey Kristen!" Elena hugged Kristen while the others greeted Laura. Then the others turned the others to Kristen and then introduced themselves to Adam. They hadn't ever really met him before.

"Weren't you in like my charms class?" Kat asked Adam.

"Yeah. I was your partner all last year." Adam told her simply.

Kat blushed and apologized. " Sorry! I couldn't recognize you. You cut your hair."

Adam shrugged. "It's okay."

"Well then, it looks like the gang is all here." Orion said.

Laura and Kristen made up the final members of their little clique and now they had new friends. They walked up to the school with the teachers behind them. As Orion looked at Laura though, he could tell that she had changed. There was something about her although Elena was completely oblivious to it.

During school, the three newcomers adjusted easily. Kristen and Adam were sorted into Gryffindor and Laura was sorted into Slytherin. The others were surprised by the news that Laura was in Slytherin and they tried to hang out with her as much as possible. Kristen was the one who got the closest to Laura though. Laura and Elena seemed to be drifting.

Kat and Adam seemed to be becoming fast friends. They were taking all the same classes so they had a lot to talk about. Kat found out that Adam was a quiet one. He didn't really like to draw attention to himself. All the girls envied her for not only having one of the hot Gryffindor guys (as Harry, Ron, Chad, Orion, Adam, Dean, and Seamus were referred to) for her boyfriend. She was best friends with another one of them.

The girls told her that it looked like Adam had a serious crush on her and Kat just couldn't see it. Adam was nothing more than a friend and nothing else. They were too different for them to ever be together. Besides, she was in love with Chad. She had been for years and she was happy with him. Wasn't she?

She was having conflicting thoughts about them both. Eventually she went to talk to Elena. It was about two in the morning when she finally did though.

Kat pulled back the curtains around Elena's bed. Elena was tangled up in her sheets and had her mouth slightly open. Kat slightly shook Elena.

"Hey…Elena…wake up…hey…" Kat shook Elena's shoulder.

Elena stirred slowly. She groaned and turned onto her back. "Who is it?" she said groggily.

"Who else? It's me, Kat! Scoot over!" Kat climbed in with Elena and drew the curtains back around her bed and cast a silencing spell.

Elena untangled herself from her sheets and moved over to give Kat some room. She then looked at her clock and found she couldn't because of her curtains. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Around two in the morning." Kat said simply.

"Two! I have class in the morning! What the hall are you thinking waking me up at two in the morning!" Elena exclaimed loudly and sat up.

"I have to talk to you. I couldn't sleep." Kat explained.

"so what! Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean that I can't either!"

"listen to me! This is about Chad and Adam. I'm having problems."

Elena sighed and knew she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. "Tell me what's wrong then."

"I don't know! I mean I feel happy whenever I am with Adam. I can talk to him so easily and stuff. He is just so intellectual and he's so thought out."

"And what about Chad? What do you feel with him?"

"Frankly, I don't know. Lately it seems like a strain to be with him. Nothing is as simple as it used to be. Joking around with him isn't the same anymore."

"Really? It doesn't look like you two have been having problems."

"Well, it's called acting. I don't think that Chad knows I feel this way either."

"Well…you should talk to him about it. The worst that can happen is that you guys break up."

"But I don't want to breakup with him. I love him…. I know I do…."

"Well let me ask you this…do you think you love him just because you are supposed to or because you actually do?"

"I don't know…we've been together so long that I don't even know anymore. I like being around Adam but I love Chad. But, being with Adam is like a breath of fresh air and being with Chad is like what I am supposed to be doing. Like I'm supposed to be his girlfriend because I have been for so long."

"Well you know that it shouldn't feel like that right?"

"Yeah I know. I know that it shouldn't feel like that and I don't want it to. I'm so confused! Haven't you ever felt tired around Orion? Like it's a chore to be around him?"

"Honestly, yeah I have. But I always find some way to tell him that we need to be apart for a little while. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder so you never know."

"I think I will talk to him. I mean, I need this. Our relationship needs this. Thanks Elena."

"That's what I'm here for. But, if you ask me, that Adam is a little weird. Something is off about him. Now can I please go back to sleep now? I need to be wide awake for potions, although I think that Snape's ugly face will be enough of a wake up call."

Kat laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. You can go back to sleep now."

The two girls went back to sleep and the next day, Kat talked to Chad.

She led him outside to a secluded spot by the lake. He was looking at her funny.

"What's wrong kitty-Kat? You seem worried about something." He told her.

She sat down and motioned for him to sit down next to her. "I've just been thinking about us lately."

"What about us? We're fine." He said. "What is the matter with us?"

"Nothing. It's just that… doesn't it seem like a chore to be together now? Like it's not because we want to be together but because we think we have to be?" she tried to explain.

"Not to me. Why? Are you tired of me?" he said bluntly.

"No! Of course I'm not tired of you! It's just that I think that we need a small break from each other you know? I'm not saying that we break up just that we don't see each other for a while. Too much of a good thing can be bad you know?"

Chad stood up clearly hurt. "Oh so that's what you want isn't it? You want us to "take a break". Well all girls say the same and most couples never come back from breaks. If you want to break up with me then just do it already because I don't think that I can stand much more of this."

Kat felt tears forming. "No! That's not what I meant." Things were not going the way that she had planned.

"Then what do you want Kat? What? Tell me and I will do it! Just don't play these games with me that you just want to take a break or whatever, just give it to me straight!"

"I just feel that our relationship is a little strained right now. I know that you feel that way too. There is only so much time people can spend together before getting tired of each other."

"Oh, so you're tired of me, that's it?"

"NO already! I already told you that I am not tired of you! Just that we've been spending too much together!"

"I know what this is about now…" Chad stood up, "It's about Adam isn't it? You've fallen for him and just figured that you should end it with me so that before you do anything with him, you make sure you're not attached to anybody huh? Do you even feel anything for me? Or was this all a game?"

Kat had tears running down her face. It hurt her that he was saying such things to her. He had to know that she loved him. He just had to know that. "You know that I love you! This isn't about Adam or anyone else! This about us! You and me right now!"

"Really now? Don't act like you haven't heard the rumors. You know that they are saying that you and Adam make a better couple then you and I do. I know that you guys are all buddy buddy now. I know that you spend more time with him than you so with me. I'm not stupid Kat."

"I know that you aren't stupid. But I don't care what people say about Adam and me. I don't like him any other way then as a friend! I love you and no one else! Why can't you understand that? If you are jealous of Adam and me you don't need to be! Please can you understand that I just need a little time to myself?"

"Whatever Kat. If you need time then I'll give you as much time as you want, just don't try to do the good thing and try to keep me from getting hurt. If you want to be with Adam then go ahead and tell me. Don't lie to me." And with that, he left her crying by the lake, he was hurt and confused. He was scared that he was losing her girlfriend and the love of his life to Adam.

Kat was also hurt. She couldn't believe that Chad had said those things. She never me to hurt him and she didn't want to be with Adam either. She wanted to be with Chad but she just needed a little time to herself before she was with Chad again.

She went back up to the common room and saw that Chad was sitting with Orion and Ron. He didn't even look at her as she walked in. Kat ran up to her room and threw herself on her bed. She cried hard into her pillow. Eventually. Elena walked in and immediately ran to Kat's side.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" she asked concerned.

Kat looked at her with puffy eyes. "This is all your fault! You and your stupid break idea! This would have never happened if you had just butted out and let me figure this out by myself!"

"Whoa, whoa! What are you talking about this being my fault? What happened?" Elena asked confused.

"He probably hates me right now! I told Chad that we needed a break and it just blew up in my face! He's probably waiting to break up with me right now! You and your stupid ideas could have just left me the hell alone! This is all your fault!"

"How the hell is this my fault? If I remember correctly, you were the one that came to me so don't go pointing fingers! I never told you that you had to tell him that you guys needed a break! I was just giving you advice! Whether you followed it or not was not my problem!" Elena couldn't believe that Kat was blaming her.

"You are supposed to be my best friend!" Kat screamed at her and ran out of the room.

"I am your best friend!" Elena yelled back at Kat's retreating figure.

Kat ran all the way to the library and found a corner where no one was and cried silently. She had yelled at Elena without meaning to and now Elena was probably mad at her too. Kat felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see that it was Adam.

He looked very concerned. "Hey…what's wrong? What happened?"

Kat told him everything. She told him how Chad took it the wrong way and everything. Adam hugged her.

"Don't cry anymore. It'll be okay. He just doesn't realize what he's got I think that you are way better off without him."

Kat looked at him. "What are you talking about? I love him and I know that he loves me, we just need a little time apart."

"If he actually loved you then you wouldn't be in this argument would you? He wouldn't have blown up like that. He only wants you as his trophy, a girl like you deserves better."

"What are you talking about? He does not want me as his trophy. Chad would never do that."

"Then why was he so upset when you told him you needed a little break? If he actually cared then he would have been okay with it."

"No he wouldn't have been okay with it. He was upset because he cares about me. I mean…he has to care about me…I know that he does…"

Adam sat down next to her and touched her knee. "A girl like you deserves so much better than Chad. You are so smart and beautiful and a total catch. If he can't see that then he shouldn't have even tried to be with you. He doesn't deserve you."

"You think?" Kat was actually starting to believe him.

Meanwhile, after Kat had ran out, Elena stormed out of the dormitories into the common room and sat down next to Orion.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"It's Kat! She is actually blaming me for something that I didn't even do! All because of you!" she pointed her finger at Chad who was sitting on the other side of Orion.

He held both of his hands up. "What did I do?"

"You could have listened to Kat instead of just flat out yelling at her! You lunkhead! I could slap you right now!" she got up and began hitting Chad repeatedly on the head with a couch cushion. He tried to cover his head with his arms to somewhat protect himself. "You…stupid…lunk…head!" she hit him one last time and very hard. Then she began to hit him again.

"Ms. Del Rio! What are you doing?" Professor Mcgonagall yelled. She just had entered the room when Elena was in the middle of hitting Chad.

"Professor!" Elena whirled around the cushion was still in her hand. "What are you doing here?"

"If my memory serves correctly, I am head of this house. Now what are you doing assaulting Mr. Murray?" Mcgonagall asked.

"He's a complete lunkhead! He did something incredibly stupid and I am just giving him what's coming to him!" Elena explained.

"Ms. Del Rio, Hogwarts does not have a rule that states that another student may cause possibly permanent damage to another student just because they did something "incredibly stupid" as you

Like to put it." Mcgonagall told her.

"What damage? He obviously doesn't have a brain." Elena smacked Chad again with the cushion.

"Ms. Del Rio! I am going to have to ask you to put the cushion down and step away from Mr. Murray." Mcgonagall said shrilly.

"Fine…" she said defeated and threw the cushion back on the couch. "Do I have to?"

"Yes and follow me." Mcgonagall walked out of the common room. Elena followed closely behind but not before telling Chad to go after Kat.

Chad finally got up and went to look for his girlfriend. Kat and Adam were still talking in the library when Chad came in. he went to the corner where Kat always went and as he turned the corner, he saw that they were kissing.

Chad felt betrayed. After telling him that there was none else, she was sitting there kissing Adam. After telling him straight to his face that she only thought of him as a friend and there they were. She had lied straight to his face and he had actually believed her. Kat pushed Adam off of her hard and he flew backwards.

"What the hell-" she exclaimed and then saw Chad. Her eyes widened in horror. He would never believe her now. Not after he saw that. "Chad…" she began to say.

He cut her off. "No. Save it." Tears were forming but he wouldn't let them spill. Not over her. "I don't want to hear another one of your lies. I thought you were different but I guess I was wrong. You're just another whore. Some little slut that I actually believed cared about me but no more. I want nothing to do with you hear me? I don't want you to talk to me, look at me, be near me or anything like that. I want you out of life because you mean nothing to me anymore. Nothing." He walked away.

Kat called after him but he wouldn't even turn around. She looked at Adam who was still sitting on the floor. "You planed this didn't you! From the very beginning!"

"So what I f I did? He doesn't deserve you. No one does but me. " he told her. "I love you Kat. I can make you so happy. Happier then if you were with that idiot. Be with me Kat."

"never you psycho! I hate you! This is all your fault! I was a fool for believing you!" Kat yelled at him.

"Kat…don't act like you don't have feelings for me. Whether you want to accept it, this is all your fault. If you had been confident in your supposed love for Chad then this wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have developed feelings for me and you wouldn't have told that mistake of a boyfriend that you wanted a break. In short all of this is your fault and you know it." Adam walked away.

Kat collapsed on the ground. What Adam had said had hit home. She knew that it was her fault. She had let herself be fooled by Adam and in turn cost her Chad. To make matters worse, she had yelled at Elena without meaning to and probably lost her friendship.

She finally picked herself up and walked back to the tower. When she walked in she saw that Orion was playing chess with Ron, harry and Ginny were talking, and Elena was finishing a French braid on Kristen's long hair. Kat walked over to her but Elena got up and upstairs to the dormitories.

Kat followed her as best she could but with Elena's long legs, Elena was already up the stairs by the time Kat reached them. Kat went up and opened the door. She saw that Elena had drawn her curtains around her bed. Kat tried to pull them open but couldn't. she knocked on the bedpost.

"can I please talk to you?" she asked softly.

"You're not my favorite person right now." Was Elena's response.

Kat left. She felt so unwanted and lost. She reached the edge of the stairs. She was so tired of it all. So tired. She just wanted to sleep now. That's all. Kat could feel herself falling, almost like flying. she looked down to see the stairs below her and saw her feet were not on them but she was still going down them. She felt a sudden stop and a sharp pain she turned her head up and saw she was looking at the ceiling. she let her head fall back to the side and the last thing she saw before everything went black was a pool of crimson red liquid cover the floor and surround her head.

A few hours later, Elena wandered out of the tower looking for Kat. It was late and she hadn't returned. Even though she was mad at her, she was concerned. She looked to the bottom of the stairs and saw a horrible sight. The only sound to leave her mouth was one of horror.

"KAT!"

A/N: well there's a nice little cliffy for you guys. We know you guys are probably going to kill us but we needed a little more drama from the OC's and they are here for an important reason, which you guys will find out later. Please review and the next chapter will be filled with Draco/Hermione goodness. Haha. Bye!