She had one, maybe two bites of her dinner before she eventually stopped eating and just stared down at the food in front of her. She had actually wanted to eat, but it felt like her stomach couldn't hold anymore. Instead she just took the last remaining drinks of her pumpkin juice before standing to leave for the common room. Or so she had told some of her housemates who had asked her where she was going all of a sudden. When she had finally left the Great Hall, all she had done was stood outside of the doors for a moment, contemplating whether or not she wanted to bash her head into the wall across from her or go tumbling down the seventh floor staircase. Hell, jumping off of the Astronomy Tower seemed like a good idea. However, she didn't know why she was contemplating any of this. She wasn't at all suicidal.

With her shoulders slumped Kate managed to drag herself to the nearest bathroom. She turned the tap on, watching the water run for a moment or two, just listening to the sound it made as it came splashing out of the faucet and in to the sink. Pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail before cupping his hands under the water, and letting it collect there before splashing some water on her face three times before finally turning the tap off. Glancing up at the mirror, which looked like every other bathroom mirror within the school, she couldn't help but to blink several times as droplets of water fell into her eyes She took her hands and brushed the water off her face before fixing her ponytail so that it would hold longer.

Now Kate looked into the mirror, suddenly thinking that she should have dunked her head into the water. Her bangs were already wet, and still dripping, and because of the cold water, she looked flushed. Her cheeks were tinged a shade of pink that one would get from laughing for too long. But, with her hair, that is bangs, wet she only managed to look somewhat ill. Well, that was absolutely brilliant. She didn't know what she was doing. She felt well enough, she had an appetite, just not when food was placed before her. Her forehead wasn't exceeding boiling point, and there wasn't a thing bothering her, either. Well, no that was an absolute lie if she ever did bother to think one up.

The Ravenclaw sniggered quietly to herself before holding her left arm with her right. Just with that one look into the mirror, she figured that she looked weak.

With a bit of grumbling Kate found herself out of the bathroom and into the corridor once more, this time headed for the grounds. It was too stuffy inside, she figured. Everyone was pretty much inside, and if a professor happened to ask where she was going, she'd simply say that she had left a book or two of hers out by the lake from when she was studying earlier before dinner. Even though she had been doing no such thing. she'd been with two of her housemates all day - for the most part, if not lying on her bed, attempting to figure out her homework, which was work that even a first year could do. Her mind hadn't been into it at all. In fact, her mind had been focused around a certain on her parents. Talk about some strange things to be thinking about instead of homework, or something normal. She had to be thinking about her parents all day. That was just asking for too much, thinking about two Death Eaters. Actually, it was very unheard of. Sure, Kate was the daughter, but that didn't mean that she liked her parents. Hell, she had never grown up with them!

Finally outside she stood for a moment, looking up at the sky. The sun was tinged a sort or soft orange red as the sun began to set behind the horizon. Of course, an October evening wouldn't be anything without clouds and a rather chilly breeze. It was the perfect October evening, and that was why she didn't particularly like it, or so she thought as she made her way around the side of the castle to the courtyard. It was a place to go, because she knew that no body liked to sit out in the courtyard in October. Most of the students didn't enjoy coming outside during the month, either. It was either rainy or just too cold. Of course, when December rolled around, everyone flocked outside for the snow. She was guilty of flocking out with half of the student population to be in the snow.

Once inside of the courtyard Kate pulled her robes closer around herself before taking a seat on one of the benches. She stared absentmindedly around at some of the wilting flowers, and some of the flowers that were charmed to change color depending on the season. She laid down on the bench, throwing on arm over her eyes. Today was just one of those days. And there seemed to be a lot of those days, too. Wonderful.

The Ravenclaw wouldn't be left by herself for very much longer, of course, as a certain Slytherin boy had decided to skip out on dinner altogether, and he too found himself in the courtyard. With probably less on his mind than the girl, but still enough to cause him to go outside. It had to have run in the family. At least it had to have run in the Black blood, that they had in common. After actually walking around the courtyard he had spotted his cousin laying on one of the benches, and gave a poke to her side which cause the girl to squirm.

"Budge up, will you?" He said, watching as his cousin gave him a fleeting scathing look before moving over on the bench to give him enough room. He laid down next to her, crossing his feet at the ankles, staring up at the sky above them. He didn't even notice when Katie and shoved her hands into her pocket and turned her head to look at him. There was a little resemblance between them. They had the same high cheekbones, and shape of the mouth so that when the both of them scowled, the scowls were identical. They could have been considered twins if either Draco's hair was the same shade of blonde as his cousins, or Katie's was the same white blonde as his. Katie, he figured, has the better deal. Her hair color was a natural shade of blonde, unlike his. "What?" he said, upon finally noticing his cousin looking at him.

The girl frowned, turning her head to look back up at the sky. "I go the mark, Draco. This summer," she said quietly, catching her cousins grimace at her words. She continued to frown. Neither of them had wanted to get it, and they had always betted that Draco would be the first to get it. But since Lucius was currently still in Azkaban it only figured that Katie would have gotten it first. "She charmed the whole house or something, because they were all just - asleep at the table when they took me. When I came back, they thought I had just been down the street at the park," she rubbed at her left forearm miserably. Not because it hurt anymore, but because it itched.

Draco winced. "Did it hurt?" He asked, clearly already knowing the answer seeing as his cousin had kicked him lightly in the leg. He snickered. Katie took his left arm and held to fingers to the fore of it before looking at it and saying, "Like hell." This time both of them snickered. They both knew that Draco was next in line. It wouldn't be long until Lucius Malfoy broke out of Azkaban with a few other Death Eaters, they both knew this too.

The two of them just lay there like that, occasionally poking, kicking, or smacking the other. It was only after Draco had ask the younger girl what she was going to do did she shake her head and frown. "I dunno," she said before wrinkling her nose. "Technically, I don't have to attend the meetings, because of my age. Bellatrix wants me to, though," Kate mumbled that last bit, but it didn't go unheard.

Draco closed his eyes, pushing the palms of his hands to his eyes. "Get help," he said. He didn't remove his hands. "Go to Dumbledore. I'm plenty sure that he'd be able to offer up some protection." Draco couldn't help but to wince remembering the last time that he had been pulled into the old mans office. The headmaster had asked if there was anything that had been troubling him, meaning Death Eaters, and Draco only shrugged and gave a 'No, sir.' Draco snickered. "Or there's Potter. He has that DA thing of his."

"No," Katie whined. "There's no way I'm going to Dumbledore. He may be our headmaster and all but just no," she said, completely leaving out the part about Harry. Of course, Draco noticed.

"Kate," the Slytherin said, glancing at his cousin out of the corner of his eyes.

"I'm not going to that DA thing unless you go with me."

"I can't go," Draco groaned into his hands before fully looking at his cousin. "Not after last year. I can't just walk in there like everything just perfectly - normal."

Katie scowled. "Bollocks," she snapped. "Draco Lucien Malfoy, I'm not going unless you go with me." The Ravenclaw crossed her arms over her chest.

Draco flinched. His full name. Of all things that she could have used, she had to use his full name. Bollocks to her, he thought with a scowl. Of course, there was no way of getting out of this, not when the girl had her mind set. All he could do was agree to go with her. Well, maybe he could find a way to get her to go without actually having to go himself. Well, it was worth a shot. "I'll walk you there," he said, glancing at the girl out of the corner of his eye. "And I'll meet you there when it's over."

The girl continued to scowl. "Fine, but I loathe you for this."

"And I can throw you in the lake."

"And I can owl Aunt Narcissa."

Draco scowled. That was one thing that the girl had over him. She always, like Pansy, told his mother when he was being absolutely rude. He couldn't yell at either girl without getting a Howler the next morning from his mother, reminding him to mind his manners and apologize. It had already caused the school to wonder when it was exactly that Draco begun to get reprimanded for something that he had down. Of course, the Gryffindor's had found it all loads funny. The threat used to be that the girls would tell his father; that never resulted in a Howler. He'd get punishment when he returned home for the summer.

For a reason that Draco couldn't fathom, Katie began to laugh next to him before she pulled her robes closer to herself before putting her head against Draco's. She was trying to stifle her laughter. "Know who you're taking to that ball that Dumbledore announced?" The girl smirked. She knew her cousin all too well. While he hated dances and balls, and loved to dance, simply because he was good at it. She also happened to know that Pansy was dead set on being his arm candy. That was what had caused her to laugh. Eventually, Draco understood as well.

"Bugger off you crazy bint," he scowled, jabbing her in the side. His cousin yelped.

"Why do I got to be the bint then? Prat." Katie drawled as best she could, but that fact that she was close to more laughter put a falter in it. She snorted in laughter. Finally biting down on her lower lip, and trying to avoid another jab in the side from Draco she sniggered. "You realize Pansy's bound to latch on to you if you don't figure out something. Plus, it's a Halloween Masque, the chance that she'll wear something that - centers around flowers, well, I'm only going to say that I wouldn't want her hanging off my arm for the entire night."

Draco sniggered. "She hates you, you realize. Pans' claims that you're trying to steal me away from her."

"S'good thing she doesn't know that I'm your cousin then," Katie paused to smirk. "And that you're gay."

"How you found out is beyond me."

"Well, no, you just scream gay."

While Draco scowled Katie beamed. It wasn't the fact that she had found out that he was gay, she told him was gay, and quite bluntly as well. It had actually been at the end of their last year his fourth year. Three days before the end of term. They had been sitting on the steps of the castle outside, watching few people pass, talking and the like. They were just eating their lunch that they had made, which was actually just chicken sandwiches. Then a ground of Durmstrang students had walked past, and Draco's eyes had followed them the whole way. Katie noticed this nearly choking on the bit of sandwich she had been chewing. When Draco had asked her what was wrong with her, she exclaimed in a hushed voice, "Draco, you're gay!" And that had been that. The next shock had been to learn that she was really right, too.

There was no way that anyone could steal Draco away from Pansy for the simple fact that she could never claim him. His interest was in blokes, something that Katie loved to point out as often as she could. It also made it so much easier to be able to talk wit her about her love life of all things. Then again, Draco also had to go about in his lewd way and ask if whoever her current boyfriend or crush was good looking.

"You're suggesting that we go together, aren't you?"

"So you want her to hang off you're arm then? Besides, no one knows we're related."

Draco put his head into his hands before groaning. This was it. He was doomed. He was going to the dance with his cousin. Brilliant. "Fine."

"Oh, and I'll need money for your costume."

Draco arched an eyebrow.

"C'mon, Draco! Have a little fun. I'll let you pick out mine?" Katie pleaded, nudging her cousin in the side, watching his he scowled. She knew perfectly well that he hated the idea. Loathed even. He was a perfectionist if she ever did know one. After all, he was the one who spent more time in front of his mirror than she did her own. It was actually a rather scary thought, but she had learned to get past it all, and settle on the reason being that he needed a boyfriend.

Draco continued to scowl. "And what do you plan on-"

"Leather pants."

"Kathryn Ryan Blair," Draco hissed. Leather pants? She wanted to get him into leather pants. Oh, she was just horrid. Or extremely perverse. He wasn't quite sure. But she certainly was sadistic in her own way. She was laughing once more. "There is absolutely no way I'll be wearing leather pants, queer or not."

Katie just continued to laugh. The simple fact that she had used her full name had set her off. She, of course, would have fallen off of the bench if he had added Lestrange in there, but could only be thankful that he hadn't. "What's the matter, Drakie-pooh, afraid that your arse will look absolutely horrible in leather pants?"

"No," The Slytherin sneered. "I'll have you know, Kitty, that my arse always looks perfect."

The girl sniggered. "What do you do then? Stare at your ass all day? Really, Draco, that's disgusting."

"Fine but you're wearing a dress."

"Draco, that's not fair! I hate dresses, you know that."

A smirk. "Oh, I know."

The girl crossed her arms over his chest, scowling. Dresses. It had to have been dresses. Katie continued to stare at her cousin, scowling all the while. While she was a girl, she didn't fancy wearing a dress. Skirts were as far as she would ever go. But When Draco had his mind set on something, and he clearly was, the was nothing to do but agree. Family or not, she couldn't find a loophole out of it. "Fine," she scowled holding her hand out. "Now, pay up, ponce."

Draco sniggered as he dug into his pocket. He pulled out a small bag of coins and set it in the girls palm. He propped himself up on his elbows and then continued to sit up. "Come on you lump," he said, nudging the Ravenclaw in the side slightly. "Best get inside before the professors and auror's start wandering around."

Katie groaned as she found herself being pulled to her feet moments later. It wasn't exactly long before the two of them were on their way inside the castle together. Between the two of them there was more talk of throwing Katie in the lake, and more talk of what she was going to force Draco to wear. The two of them couldn't contain their sniggers. The bright side of all of it? Neither of them would have to deal with Pansy the night of the Masque Ball. However, the each feared what the other had in store for them, costume wise.