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Back to usual.
With Christmas break over and students back in the castle, life has returned to normalcy at Hogwarts. On this particular morning in January, Kate is studying Charms at breakfast (she is up a bit early today) when Alden slides in beside her, as upbeat as ever.
"Practice today at five. I came up with quite a few new strategies over the hols - Orion already knows because I Owled him, but the rest of the team needs to have a proper sit down."
"Speaking of hols," she began, "how did your holidays go?"
"Oh, the Rosiers had their annual Christmas ball. I had barely gotten home and stuffed any food in me when Mother marched up with a pair of new dress robes and a standing order to be ready by six."
"Anything interesting?"
"If you count Cygnus Black drunkenly singing 'Three Wise Warlocks' in front of the guests, then yes, else nothing of note. I caught Druella snogging Malfoy in one of the closets."
"As expected."
"As expected." He stops to take another spoonful of fruit and yogurt when Tom walks in. "Good morning, Riddle."
"Morning, Greengrass." He turns to her. "Summers."
"Morning, Riddle - running a little late, are we?"
"Professor Dumbledore's essays - had to stay up a lot longer to complete the limitations of Animagi. I trust Astronomy is going well?"
"Much better, thank you - I've mastered 70 and will be done with the last 18 by tomorrow."
"Glad to be of assistance." He looks at her, a mischievous grin on his face, and she desperately wants to reach across the table and hit him on the head to stop that. "Well, I must get going now - Kate, a word, please?" She follows him outside, that grin still plastered on his face.
"You horrible, no good boy."
"I'm certain Greengrass can handle me amicably talking to you."
"I thought you and I have a reputation to uphold."
"This one-woman man will do his best to act unattached."
"You better - I don't want Walburga to strangle me in my sleep."
"In more pressing matters," he curls her fingers around a slim, long vial, a clear liquid encased in it. "There are different strengths of Veritaserum that I've stored in the Room of Requirement. Meet me outside the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy after Quidditch practice." She returns to the Hall, where Alden watches her with curiosity.
"Headmaster Dippet wants us to do a sweep of the upper floors tonight." The rest of the day passes in a blur, and after a satisfactory Quidditch practice, she heads in her playing uniform to the seventh floor.
"It's a miracle how you all manage to sweat buckets in January," he comments before pacing across the wall thrice, an ornate door materialising in the wall. "Here we go." She walks through the entrance into what looks like a makeshift potions classroom. "Been here long before me," he announces as they walk towards the many cauldrons lined up. "The rest of our antidote is here," Tom motions towards the cauldron set aside.
Kate is digesting the fact that firstly, the Room of Requirement isn't a myth, and secondly, she is standing in what could be one of the infinite iterations of this magical wonder. "What other forms of the room have you utilised?"
"Mostly the one that acts as a quiet space for studying, but this and one that acts as a Charms and Transfiguration practice area."
"How do you get in?"
"Just think of what you desperately need, walk past three times, and it shall appear."
"So you desperately need this spot on a routine basis."
"I prefer to employ the term determinedly." They spend an hour or so testing strengths and the effect of the antidote, Kate logging results into a diary. "I suppose we can move to practical trials soon?"
"By February end latest - I plan to cease all secondary activities from then and focus solely on NEWTS."
"Well said." He gives her a small, genuine smile as they exit. "I will see you at patrol."
"Astronomy lesson?"
"Bring your chart."
A fortnight passes by in the same rhythm of classes, studies and practice, the only interjection being their semi-final against Hufflepuff, which Slytherin wins with a narrow margin. They are three days from the final now, and she is heading to the common from the dormitory when there is a thud and an audible crack which sounds ominously like bones breaking.
Goddamned fourth years, she thinks angrily as Kate opens the door to the Slytherin common room, the sight greeting her a tad more disconcerting, because the Head Boy has just gotten his nose broken and lip split by their Quidditch Captain.
Orion is trying to restrain Alden while Abraxas pushes Tom's wand hand down, the latter glaring dangerously. "What is happening?" The quartet turns to her.
"Greengrass attacked Tom over something."
"And what is that something, Malfoy?"
"Well, that's what we're at a loss for, because I don't remember Riddle here saying anything."
"Black, Malfoy, could you clear out for five minutes, please?" Abraxas opens his mouth to protest but Orion is the smarter of the two, taking his friend along out the door. "What did he say to you?" She turns to Alden, who looks livid.
"Good Merlin, you can't ask me to repeat that - it's not something you discuss in civil company."
"Since you two behaved like a pair of ruffians, I hardly think we're in civil company." Tom steps forward, his taller frame imposing upon her.
"If Greengrass hadn't raised his fist, perhaps I wouldn't have been tempted to give him that gash across his cheek." She looks back at him, eyes flashing.
"You are about to be in a major violation of school rules, Riddle. Step back."
"It will the Head Boy's word against the Captain's," he replies coolly and she smiles humorlessly at him, in the same sharklike manner as his.
"And it will be the Head Girl's word against the two accused parties." You are just a boy I have snogged - Alden Greengrass is my best friend. He gets the silent threat, stepping back. "What did you say?"
"I did not utter a single word." This is a tricky situation.
"Why did this happen?"
"It concerned you," Alden says, and she turns back to him. "And I couldn't hear or see what he said a while back without acting upon it." What does he mean by see?
"I appreciate the gesture, but I can defend my honour myself, Greengrass." He doesn't answer, choosing to slam the common room behind him as he leaves. She turns to Tom, placing her fingers on his nose. "Tergeo." The blood clears up. "Episkey." The bones rearrange themselves, nose restored to its original condition, and she withdraws her hand from his face. "Don't make me shove Veritaserum down your throat."
"He asked me about Christmas Eve after the ball - I replied honestly."
"You could sugarcoat it to a tolerable level."
"I would want my best friend to know nothing but the whole truth, and given the closeness between the two of you, I would have wagered he would take it sportingly."
"People suffering from heartbreak take nothing sportingly."
"That is yours to remedy, Kate. I am willing to take punches but not your unsubstantiated blame, and it would be better if we had that explicitly outlined in front of us."
"Thank you for your candor, and I would suggest that we keep our interactions to a minimum, at least in public. I don't wish to risk any more fights." He laughs dryly, looking at her in disdain.
"I am not ashamed or afraid of my affections, but if you are, then sure, I'll toe this line of yours, my dear." The words prick her, and she lets them sink in as she heads for the grounds in search of Alden.
I'm not ashamed of anything - right?
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