A/N: Okay, this chapter should be a loooooooot longer than the last. Maybe even the longest yet...whatever!
Chapter Twelve: How Now, Brown Cow?(has nothing to do with the chapter!)
"So," Ron sighed, scooting over to let Hermione sit between him and Dean Thomas, "Snape's got a niece...I always pictured him as the 'spoiled-only-child' type!"
"Really! And I found it quite suspenseful," Fred began sarcastically, "that our ickle potions professor's niece be in Slytherin! Really, do they think that we expected her to be a Gryffindor?!"
"I'd love to see the look on old Snapey's face if that did happen!" Harry attempted a distorted and shocked face, twisting his mouth into a wide 'o' of horror. The table bursted out laughing.
"He'd probably kill her, then burn the Sorting Hat!" Hermione giggled with Ginny.
"So, where'd Kit go? I expected her to come right back after they announced her!" George gazed around the room.
"She might just be talking to McGonagall about her testing. She starts in two days, lucky her...gets a whole free day." Harry grinned as he spotted Kit running to the table.
"Hey! Ooh...sorry, had to get my testing schedule!" Kit sat down between Harry and Ginny, setting down two folded sheets of parchment on the table.
"What's that other paper for?" Harry asked, reaching to grab it.
"No!" Kit swatted his hand away, smiling, "It's just a p-permission slip for...extended library usage! Yes, that's what it is!"
"They never mentioned anything like that to us prefects!" Hermione retorted, scandalized.
"Well..." Kit blushed, "I got it...um, special!"
Ron snickered, "You're not a very good liar, are you?"
"I'm not lying!" Kit said, crossing her arms childishly in front of her chest.
"Just let me see it!" Harry reached for it again, this time swiping it before she could slap his hand away. "Hah! I'll just read this 'permission' slip..."
Harry unfolded the paper smugly, reading it to himself, "What!" He jumped up, but sat back down quickly.
"Harry, don't over--"
"Who gave you this? WHO, KIT?!" Harry exploded, getting stares sent from every table.
"I don't know, it just...just--"
"WHO?!" Harry asked again, still yelling. "You have to know! It didn't just magi--"
Harry bit his lip, getting sniggers and giggles from the surrounding children.
"What does it say?" Ginny asked meekly, trying not to laugh even more.
"Go ahead, Harry...read it!" Kit smiled, still giggling.
"Kit,
Prove you're not a goodie little Gryffindor and meet me by the Whomping Willow, if you know where that is...
-Unspecified "
"Wow...wonder who it is.." George gave Fred a weird look, "Lets see, can't be a Gryffindor---"
"Or any Hufflepuffs!" Fred added, looking at the tables curiously, "I doubt it was a Ravenclaw either."
"That leaves the Slytherins..." Hermione examined their table thoughtfully, "Pansy, perhaps?"
"Nope, she hasn't even met Kit." Ginny said, cupping her chin with her palm. "What about Blaise Zabini?"
"Logical, but again, he hasn't met her either." Ron sighed, then shared a word with the rest of the table.
"Malfoy..."
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Kit, Harry, Ron and Seamus sat in the common room, looking over thick tomes and textbooks, trying to tutor Kit. All Kit was worried about was her meeting, she had made plans to leave at eleven, without Harry of course.
"So you see, Transfiguring porcupines into snuffboxes is very simple! I'm sure you'll ace the test!" Hermione urged, smiling plasticly.
Kit knew no one had the heart to tell her that she stunk at Transfiguration. She wasn't the least bit good at it. She couldn't change a nail to button if her life depended on it. The only thing she expected to do the least bit well in was Divination, and maybe Charms...if she were lucky.
Her first attempt at the porcupine ended up ghastly. Seamus had to shoo away six first year girls, who were crying their eyes out over the mangled little porcupine, whose head had the appearence of a smushed handle, and it's leg were barely visible under the box that was it's body. It took Hermione ten minutes to make it normal again, after which Kit didn't have the heart to try again.
"Don't be afraid to fail, Kit!" Ron urged, smiling weakly, "I didn't even get box my first try!"
"Can we work on this tomorrow, I want to owl Derek." Kit pleaded, giving Harry puppy-dog eyes and a matching pout.
"Whatever, but don't blame me when you fail!" Harry sniggered as Kit gave him a hug.
"Thank you!" Kit turned to Hermione, "Do you have a quill I can borrow? I have to order new ones."
"Yes, come on, I'll take you to get it!" Hermione jumped up, followed by Kit.
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Dear Derek,
Sorry about leaving you guys so early, but, shockingly, I had to get back or I'd be missed! What was Madam Link going on about? Something about a grant for the orphanage...whatever, she's probably just senile! I miss you so much! It's only been two days, but I still feel weird being here, away from you and Kylie. Away from you most though.
I hope that you don't find someone else! Of course, with everyone at the orphangage, I doubt it! I think that Kylie and I were the only ones who you even talk too. Other than Kyle, that is! Guess what! Ikis can say my name now! She said it on the train, clear as bell, 'Katherine' it was so nice to hear her say that...I feel like her mother or something...
I'm getting kind of nervous now...I just know I'm going to fail these tests! I can't even make a simple little needle turn into a button! My tutors, the two Gryffindor prefects, don't seem to want to tell me that I'm horrid. It's really aggravating!
Well, I hope that you aren't going crazy without me! Tell Kylie happy birthday for me, I'll be sending her something a little later...I'm kind of stressed out right now.
Love you Always,
Snittie Kittie*
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
"Katherine, you can't go!" Ikis yelped, clinging onto the girl's neck, digging her claws in selfishly.
"Ow! Ikky! Get off, play with Crookshanks while I'm gone! I have to go, if I don't, I'll never know who sent me that letter!"
"Does Harry know you're going?" Ikis asked suspiciously, jumping onto Kit's bed.
"Yes!" Kit lied calmly, "He said that it was fine."
"Just because I'm an animal doesn't mean I'm stupid!"
"Are you sure about that?" Kit glared at the cat, grabbing her cloak, "Goodbye! Ereht Eme Kat...Ylki Uq!"
Kit teleported away, leaving the lilac kitten sitting there, glaring at the spot she had just been in.
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Kit shivered in the cool night breeze, leaning against the silent tree. She didn't know why it was called the Whomping Willow, it didn't 'whomp'...
"Where are you?" Kit whispered lividly, crossing her arms.
"Up here."
Kit looked up into the bare branches, searching for the source of the voice. She spotted the last person she expected to see...
"Nina? Nina Snape?" Kit grabbed a branch, hoisting herself up into the tree. "What do you want with me?"
The black haired girl smiled maliciously, leaning against the large limb she was laying on. "I was sent to make sure you showed..."
Kit clambered up beside her, taking a branch a bit higher than her's, "Then who did give me that letter?"
"He'll be here in a minute, I just have to give the signal and then..."
The girl cupped her hands in front of her mouth, whistling a tune shrilly. Another tune answered back, a little deeper than Nina's whistle was. Kit looked down to see someone running across the field, then climbing up the tree...
"So it was you?" Kit said, glaring at the blonde who had sat himself beside her.
"Yeah, good old Draco Malfoy!" Draco chuckled evilly, then glanced down at Nina. "You can go now..."
"That's no way to treat your old friend!" Nina giggled, her voice husky, not matching her dainty exterior. "See you later, Malfoy."
The girl jumped out of the tree, pressed a knot on the tree, and ran off into the building. Draco was looking after her, "After all these years, she still refuses to call me by my first name..."
"What do you want?" Kit narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms and leaning against the branch.
"Someone's rude today!" Draco laughed, looking at her with a smirk on his face. "I just wanted to speak with you, thought you might be interesting..."
Kit rolled her eyes, starting to teleport back when she heard a voice, "What is he doing? I can't see through these trees!"
"Did you hear that?" Kit glanced around nervously, "There it is again..."
"What?! Is it a teacher? I knew I shouldn't have told Nina..." Draco started to speak again when Kit covered his mouth.
"Shut up! It wasn't a teacher, it was a boy."
Draco looked at her evilly, trying to pry her hand from his lips. She moved them just as she heard another voice, sounding very familiar...
"I can't believe these two, can't they shut up for one second?! I can't hear what's going on..." It was definetly a girl, a very proper, very british girl, who talking very fastly.
"Uh, I think we should go inside, it is quite late!" Kit said nervously, "You have classes tomorrow, don't you?"
"Yeah...Can I say something first? Before I leave?" Draco leaned a little closer.
"What?" Kit hissed, trying to lean back, but finding the tree trunk blocking her, making her pressed against the tree, with a smirking Draco leaning in on her.
"This," Draco whispered, closing the gap and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Kit immediatley took action...
"Owwwww! What'd you bite my fuc--" Draco was silenced by Kit's hand, slapping him hard across his pale cheek.
"You filthy little bastard! I have a boyfriend!" Kit slapped him again.
"Oh...and I care?" Draco made a slight hand movement, trying to pull her close again.
"Get. Off. Of. Me. NOW!" Kit pushed him, shoved him actually, because a push implies some gentleness, causing him to tip off of the branch, and hit the ground below with a dull thud.
"I'll get you back for that, you bitchy little whore!" Draco snarled, storming off into the castle.
"I can't believe she slapped him!"
Kit jumped, she realized that by now she wasn't hearing someone speak out loud, she was hearing their thoughts. She hopped out of the tree, listening for more thoughts.
"Don't hit me...don't hit me!" The first male voice pleaded.
"She's far too close...she knows!" The female voice gasped.
Kit started to swing her hands around wildly, feeling something smooth and soft, then she grasped it, pulling at the velvety material. She slapped the person closest to her.
"You like to slap, don't you?" The boy hissed, groaning in pain, "Nice arm you got there..."
"Ron? Is that you?!" Kit gasped, wishing she hadn't just done what she had...
"Nope, it's just the queen of Hawaii, hiding out in Hogwarts! Yes it's me you dolt!" The voice hissed, the other two laughing.
"And me! I'm Harriet Tubman!" The other male voice laughed.
"Shut up, Harry!" Ron snapped, stepping into the light.
"And that just leaves Hermione, then?" Kit guessed, pulling the other two into the light, "Yep! Well, I guess everyone's just witnessed me getting attacked by Dr--"
"Attacked? He just kissed you!" Hermione protested, then her eyes got wide, "You almost called him Draco, didn't you?!"
Kit rolled her eyes. What was it with these people and their stupid "first-name basis" crap that they worshipped so highly? She didn't really care if his name was four syllables long, she'd still say the name, not the surname. To her, it wasn't a matter of friendship, it was just respectful.... Maybe that was it!
"Well," Kit began, but cut off. She heard a rustling behind one of the branches, then a muffled curse. "We're being watched..."
Hermione gasped, Harry and Ron both swearing under their breaths. They both looked at Kit expectantly.
"D'you reckon it's a teacher?" Ron asked quietly, edging towards her.
"Would any of your teachers climb up a tree to spy on us or would they just come up to us and hand out detentions?" Kit asked curtly, giving Ron a look of disgust.
"A student, then?" Hermione looked around nervously, "They'll snitch for sure! Oh, and I'm a prefect! Mother will kill me if I get it taken away!"
Kit hissed a shush at them, then looked up, "Is that you? You shouldn't be prowling in a Whomping Willow!"
"There! I see something up there...It's lilac and has a tail!" Ron said the words happily at first, then repeated them confusedly, "Lilac and has a tail...ugh! What was I thinking...I've gone off the deep end...broke my rocker..."
Harry glared at him, "Shut up! Who is it Kit?"
Kit smirked and shot a look of impatience at the three, "It's Ikis!"
Chapter Twelve: How Now, Brown Cow?(has nothing to do with the chapter!)
"So," Ron sighed, scooting over to let Hermione sit between him and Dean Thomas, "Snape's got a niece...I always pictured him as the 'spoiled-only-child' type!"
"Really! And I found it quite suspenseful," Fred began sarcastically, "that our ickle potions professor's niece be in Slytherin! Really, do they think that we expected her to be a Gryffindor?!"
"I'd love to see the look on old Snapey's face if that did happen!" Harry attempted a distorted and shocked face, twisting his mouth into a wide 'o' of horror. The table bursted out laughing.
"He'd probably kill her, then burn the Sorting Hat!" Hermione giggled with Ginny.
"So, where'd Kit go? I expected her to come right back after they announced her!" George gazed around the room.
"She might just be talking to McGonagall about her testing. She starts in two days, lucky her...gets a whole free day." Harry grinned as he spotted Kit running to the table.
"Hey! Ooh...sorry, had to get my testing schedule!" Kit sat down between Harry and Ginny, setting down two folded sheets of parchment on the table.
"What's that other paper for?" Harry asked, reaching to grab it.
"No!" Kit swatted his hand away, smiling, "It's just a p-permission slip for...extended library usage! Yes, that's what it is!"
"They never mentioned anything like that to us prefects!" Hermione retorted, scandalized.
"Well..." Kit blushed, "I got it...um, special!"
Ron snickered, "You're not a very good liar, are you?"
"I'm not lying!" Kit said, crossing her arms childishly in front of her chest.
"Just let me see it!" Harry reached for it again, this time swiping it before she could slap his hand away. "Hah! I'll just read this 'permission' slip..."
Harry unfolded the paper smugly, reading it to himself, "What!" He jumped up, but sat back down quickly.
"Harry, don't over--"
"Who gave you this? WHO, KIT?!" Harry exploded, getting stares sent from every table.
"I don't know, it just...just--"
"WHO?!" Harry asked again, still yelling. "You have to know! It didn't just magi--"
Harry bit his lip, getting sniggers and giggles from the surrounding children.
"What does it say?" Ginny asked meekly, trying not to laugh even more.
"Go ahead, Harry...read it!" Kit smiled, still giggling.
"Kit,
Prove you're not a goodie little Gryffindor and meet me by the Whomping Willow, if you know where that is...
-Unspecified "
"Wow...wonder who it is.." George gave Fred a weird look, "Lets see, can't be a Gryffindor---"
"Or any Hufflepuffs!" Fred added, looking at the tables curiously, "I doubt it was a Ravenclaw either."
"That leaves the Slytherins..." Hermione examined their table thoughtfully, "Pansy, perhaps?"
"Nope, she hasn't even met Kit." Ginny said, cupping her chin with her palm. "What about Blaise Zabini?"
"Logical, but again, he hasn't met her either." Ron sighed, then shared a word with the rest of the table.
"Malfoy..."
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Kit, Harry, Ron and Seamus sat in the common room, looking over thick tomes and textbooks, trying to tutor Kit. All Kit was worried about was her meeting, she had made plans to leave at eleven, without Harry of course.
"So you see, Transfiguring porcupines into snuffboxes is very simple! I'm sure you'll ace the test!" Hermione urged, smiling plasticly.
Kit knew no one had the heart to tell her that she stunk at Transfiguration. She wasn't the least bit good at it. She couldn't change a nail to button if her life depended on it. The only thing she expected to do the least bit well in was Divination, and maybe Charms...if she were lucky.
Her first attempt at the porcupine ended up ghastly. Seamus had to shoo away six first year girls, who were crying their eyes out over the mangled little porcupine, whose head had the appearence of a smushed handle, and it's leg were barely visible under the box that was it's body. It took Hermione ten minutes to make it normal again, after which Kit didn't have the heart to try again.
"Don't be afraid to fail, Kit!" Ron urged, smiling weakly, "I didn't even get box my first try!"
"Can we work on this tomorrow, I want to owl Derek." Kit pleaded, giving Harry puppy-dog eyes and a matching pout.
"Whatever, but don't blame me when you fail!" Harry sniggered as Kit gave him a hug.
"Thank you!" Kit turned to Hermione, "Do you have a quill I can borrow? I have to order new ones."
"Yes, come on, I'll take you to get it!" Hermione jumped up, followed by Kit.
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Dear Derek,
Sorry about leaving you guys so early, but, shockingly, I had to get back or I'd be missed! What was Madam Link going on about? Something about a grant for the orphanage...whatever, she's probably just senile! I miss you so much! It's only been two days, but I still feel weird being here, away from you and Kylie. Away from you most though.
I hope that you don't find someone else! Of course, with everyone at the orphangage, I doubt it! I think that Kylie and I were the only ones who you even talk too. Other than Kyle, that is! Guess what! Ikis can say my name now! She said it on the train, clear as bell, 'Katherine' it was so nice to hear her say that...I feel like her mother or something...
I'm getting kind of nervous now...I just know I'm going to fail these tests! I can't even make a simple little needle turn into a button! My tutors, the two Gryffindor prefects, don't seem to want to tell me that I'm horrid. It's really aggravating!
Well, I hope that you aren't going crazy without me! Tell Kylie happy birthday for me, I'll be sending her something a little later...I'm kind of stressed out right now.
Love you Always,
Snittie Kittie*
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
"Katherine, you can't go!" Ikis yelped, clinging onto the girl's neck, digging her claws in selfishly.
"Ow! Ikky! Get off, play with Crookshanks while I'm gone! I have to go, if I don't, I'll never know who sent me that letter!"
"Does Harry know you're going?" Ikis asked suspiciously, jumping onto Kit's bed.
"Yes!" Kit lied calmly, "He said that it was fine."
"Just because I'm an animal doesn't mean I'm stupid!"
"Are you sure about that?" Kit glared at the cat, grabbing her cloak, "Goodbye! Ereht Eme Kat...Ylki Uq!"
Kit teleported away, leaving the lilac kitten sitting there, glaring at the spot she had just been in.
*§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§**§~~§*&~*§*~&*§~~§*
Kit shivered in the cool night breeze, leaning against the silent tree. She didn't know why it was called the Whomping Willow, it didn't 'whomp'...
"Where are you?" Kit whispered lividly, crossing her arms.
"Up here."
Kit looked up into the bare branches, searching for the source of the voice. She spotted the last person she expected to see...
"Nina? Nina Snape?" Kit grabbed a branch, hoisting herself up into the tree. "What do you want with me?"
The black haired girl smiled maliciously, leaning against the large limb she was laying on. "I was sent to make sure you showed..."
Kit clambered up beside her, taking a branch a bit higher than her's, "Then who did give me that letter?"
"He'll be here in a minute, I just have to give the signal and then..."
The girl cupped her hands in front of her mouth, whistling a tune shrilly. Another tune answered back, a little deeper than Nina's whistle was. Kit looked down to see someone running across the field, then climbing up the tree...
"So it was you?" Kit said, glaring at the blonde who had sat himself beside her.
"Yeah, good old Draco Malfoy!" Draco chuckled evilly, then glanced down at Nina. "You can go now..."
"That's no way to treat your old friend!" Nina giggled, her voice husky, not matching her dainty exterior. "See you later, Malfoy."
The girl jumped out of the tree, pressed a knot on the tree, and ran off into the building. Draco was looking after her, "After all these years, she still refuses to call me by my first name..."
"What do you want?" Kit narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms and leaning against the branch.
"Someone's rude today!" Draco laughed, looking at her with a smirk on his face. "I just wanted to speak with you, thought you might be interesting..."
Kit rolled her eyes, starting to teleport back when she heard a voice, "What is he doing? I can't see through these trees!"
"Did you hear that?" Kit glanced around nervously, "There it is again..."
"What?! Is it a teacher? I knew I shouldn't have told Nina..." Draco started to speak again when Kit covered his mouth.
"Shut up! It wasn't a teacher, it was a boy."
Draco looked at her evilly, trying to pry her hand from his lips. She moved them just as she heard another voice, sounding very familiar...
"I can't believe these two, can't they shut up for one second?! I can't hear what's going on..." It was definetly a girl, a very proper, very british girl, who talking very fastly.
"Uh, I think we should go inside, it is quite late!" Kit said nervously, "You have classes tomorrow, don't you?"
"Yeah...Can I say something first? Before I leave?" Draco leaned a little closer.
"What?" Kit hissed, trying to lean back, but finding the tree trunk blocking her, making her pressed against the tree, with a smirking Draco leaning in on her.
"This," Draco whispered, closing the gap and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Kit immediatley took action...
"Owwwww! What'd you bite my fuc--" Draco was silenced by Kit's hand, slapping him hard across his pale cheek.
"You filthy little bastard! I have a boyfriend!" Kit slapped him again.
"Oh...and I care?" Draco made a slight hand movement, trying to pull her close again.
"Get. Off. Of. Me. NOW!" Kit pushed him, shoved him actually, because a push implies some gentleness, causing him to tip off of the branch, and hit the ground below with a dull thud.
"I'll get you back for that, you bitchy little whore!" Draco snarled, storming off into the castle.
"I can't believe she slapped him!"
Kit jumped, she realized that by now she wasn't hearing someone speak out loud, she was hearing their thoughts. She hopped out of the tree, listening for more thoughts.
"Don't hit me...don't hit me!" The first male voice pleaded.
"She's far too close...she knows!" The female voice gasped.
Kit started to swing her hands around wildly, feeling something smooth and soft, then she grasped it, pulling at the velvety material. She slapped the person closest to her.
"You like to slap, don't you?" The boy hissed, groaning in pain, "Nice arm you got there..."
"Ron? Is that you?!" Kit gasped, wishing she hadn't just done what she had...
"Nope, it's just the queen of Hawaii, hiding out in Hogwarts! Yes it's me you dolt!" The voice hissed, the other two laughing.
"And me! I'm Harriet Tubman!" The other male voice laughed.
"Shut up, Harry!" Ron snapped, stepping into the light.
"And that just leaves Hermione, then?" Kit guessed, pulling the other two into the light, "Yep! Well, I guess everyone's just witnessed me getting attacked by Dr--"
"Attacked? He just kissed you!" Hermione protested, then her eyes got wide, "You almost called him Draco, didn't you?!"
Kit rolled her eyes. What was it with these people and their stupid "first-name basis" crap that they worshipped so highly? She didn't really care if his name was four syllables long, she'd still say the name, not the surname. To her, it wasn't a matter of friendship, it was just respectful.... Maybe that was it!
"Well," Kit began, but cut off. She heard a rustling behind one of the branches, then a muffled curse. "We're being watched..."
Hermione gasped, Harry and Ron both swearing under their breaths. They both looked at Kit expectantly.
"D'you reckon it's a teacher?" Ron asked quietly, edging towards her.
"Would any of your teachers climb up a tree to spy on us or would they just come up to us and hand out detentions?" Kit asked curtly, giving Ron a look of disgust.
"A student, then?" Hermione looked around nervously, "They'll snitch for sure! Oh, and I'm a prefect! Mother will kill me if I get it taken away!"
Kit hissed a shush at them, then looked up, "Is that you? You shouldn't be prowling in a Whomping Willow!"
"There! I see something up there...It's lilac and has a tail!" Ron said the words happily at first, then repeated them confusedly, "Lilac and has a tail...ugh! What was I thinking...I've gone off the deep end...broke my rocker..."
Harry glared at him, "Shut up! Who is it Kit?"
Kit smirked and shot a look of impatience at the three, "It's Ikis!"