Clouded Vision, Clouded Judgment

A week passed, during which Severus received a record minimum of trouble from the Marauders. Or perhaps he was just getting better at dodging their hexes. Only two of their tripping jinxes caught him, but he was lucky enough those days not to fall in a crowded corridor. Things were going well, especially when he walked into Potions to see Jory setting up her cauldron with Cat nowhere to be seen. It was bad enough that she was almost constantly trying to get him to talk to her, whether it was between classes in passing or out on the grounds during the weekend. He didn't want to deal with her during class.

Jory was in her regular seat, one over from his, and he didn't speak to her as he set up his cauldron and took out his book. Although she didn't speak to him, he could feel her anger and hostility towards him. It wasn't anything new to him, but he couldn't imagine why she felt that way when he'd done nothing to her. He sighed. He hadn't done anything to Potter and Black, but then again…

Suddenly Jordan scoffed indignantly, turning to face him.

"Cat is in the hospital wing," she announced. "Not that you care."

Severus didn't look at her, quietly turning the pages of his text book. He allowed his eyes to rake leisurely over the different pages, reviewing his notes while he waited for Slughorn to arrive.

"You're right, I don't care," he agreed simply, flipping a few pages forward.

Jory made a noise of disbelief, and he could see her eyes widen in his peripheral vision.

"She's there, because of you, you git!"

Severus rounded on her, eyes equally large at this accusation.

"Me!? I didn't do anything to her!" he yelped defensively.

Stepping closer, she glared fiercely at him. Severus' eyes narrowed to return the glare, his hand creeping towards his wand.

"James Potter and Sirius Black hexed her to have ears and a tail. Which, I might add, Madam Pomfrey is having trouble removing!" Jory snapped matter-of-factly, then snarled threateningly, "Now tell me that's not your fault."

Severus' hand froze inches from his wand. The corner of his mouth twitched, threatening to break into a smile. It was a cruel joke, but he had to admit it was a little amusing. Still, it wasn't his fault that Potter and Black had jumped her. He stared defiantly at Jory.

"It's not my fault."

Jory's eyes bugged out of her head and her nostrils flared widely. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she seemed to be holding herself back from attacking him. Rather than lunging towards him, though, she whipped around and returned angrily to her station. She handled her book so roughly that she ripped more than one of the pages, muttering to herself.

Severus worked quietly on his potion, though his mind wasn't as focused. He made fewer notes than usual and knew that he'd have to work on it again later in order to perfect it, but his thoughts were elsewhere. It didn't make sense for Potter to hex Cat, nor did it make sense for Jory (who was working rather violently beside him) to accuse Severus of getting her into that position.

He finished around the same time as the rest of the class, but with a considerably better potion. When he returned to his table after turning in his flask, Jory was gathering her books.

"I'm going to go visit her during lunch," she told him, raising her head as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Though I don't suppose you'd be interested."

Without waiting for him to respond, she lifted her chin and stomped out of the classroom.

Severus had not accompanied Jory to the hospital wing during lunch. After Transfiguration, however, he found himself wandering in that direction, rather than to the Great Hall for dinner. Perhaps it was pure curiosity that drove him or maybe the chance to see her humiliated for a chance.

It was quiet in the infirmary, which was nearly empty. He spotted Cat in a bed on the other side of the room. She was absorbedly reading a book, eyes slightly wide. There was no sign of cat ears on her head, although he noticed that she was sitting oddly, as though to accommodate a new addition to her rear end.

With a sigh, he ventured forward, clutching at his bag's strap. He made it to her bed, but she didn't seem to have noticed him. A bit uncertainly, he cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Cat cried out in fright, jolting and tossing her book into the air. Startled by her reaction, Severus leapt backwards with a small yelp. She turned to look at him, panting slightly, hair messily swept across her face. Her brow creased as she pushed her hair back. He nervously wiped his hands on his robes.

"Um. Hello," he said quietly, looking downwards. This had been such a bad idea.

"H-hi...Severus…" she said softly, sounding confused. "What are you doing here?"

Definitely a bad idea.

"Nothing, never mind," he mumbled, refusing to look at her. "I'll just…"

He turned and started to leave, but Cat said quickly, "No, wait, you don't have to leave!"

Perplexed, he pivoted to face her again. She'd lurched forward and was halfway to her knees, watching him. As she sank back, she told him quietly, "I just don't understand. I thought you were angry with me."

"I was. I am!" He fiddled with his bag, then sat tentatively on the bed across from her. "Your friend Jory told me…" He gestured to her.

Cat looked suddenly guilty, wincing.

"Oh…she…she blamed it on you, didn't she?" she wondered, and when he nodded, "I told her not to. It wasn't your fault…I…I started it. I kinda…"

She chewed on her lip a moment, looking guiltier and guiltier by the second. He said nothing and she continued slowly.

"I kinda...told him off… And then I…well…I may have...smashed his glasses. And he couldn't see and was…walking into things…"

For a long moment, they were both quiet. Severus was staring at Cat who, chewing on her lip again, was picking at the bedspread. Then he started to laugh. Quiet at first, and then trying to stifle it as Cat looked at him with wide eyes. She didn't seem to think it was very funny, but he couldn't help it. As he started to laugh harder, she shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't…c'mon…" she pleaded, looking worried. "Severus, stop it."

But a grin was spreading across her face as he clutched at his stomach.

"C'mon, it's not funny!" she scolded him, but it was followed by chuckling.

"Did he…did he trip over anything?" Severus asked between laughter.

Cat's amusement had grown louder very quickly, and she was doubled over. It seemed to take most of her strength to nod.

"Yeah! Over Pettigrew trying to pick them up!" she giggled madly. "He took Black down with him!"

Severus roared with laughter, sliding to the floor between Cat's bed and the empty bed.

They continued to laugh until they couldn't move, clutching at each other with tears in their eyes. It took them a few moments to catch their breath, quiet as they gasped for air. Severus was leaning against Cat's bed, and she was collapsed on the bed itself. He arm hung over the side and her hand was still loosely gripping his sleeve. With a satisfied sigh, Cat pushed herself into a sitting position and wiped her eyes. Severus pulled himself to his feet with some difficulty. Cat smiled at him.

"So. What made you turn on Potter, anyway?" he asked curiously.

The smile disappeared almost immediately. It was replaced with a stern frown.

"What do you mean turn—" She paused, then scoffed in disbelief. "Oh. My. God. Do you still think I'm part of their stupid little gang?"

Severus crossed his arms and scowled at her. She threw her hands into the air.

"You're unbelievable!"

"What, so you're just telling me it was a coincidence?" he challenged.

"Yes, Severus!" she said desperately. "That's precisely what I'm telling you!"

He looked away from her for a moment, then back.

"I don't believe you," he said slowly.

"Why not?!" Cat demanded, her tone the angriest he'd ever heard it. "There is no reason for me to lie to you and I've been nothing but kind! Why can't you accept that it was just a coincidence?"

Severus sighed and thought about it for a long moment. With a sad realization of his lack of trust for anyone, he shook his head.

"I don't know. But…I can't."

Cat's voice was both angry and tearful as she ordered, "Get out."

He obeyed, leaving with his head slightly bowed. At the door, he glanced back to see her holding her head in her hands.

As he walked down the hall, he lost himself in thought. This girl was unlike any of the other students at Hogwarts he'd met so far. The way she wouldn't leave him alone, how badly she seemed to want to patch things up between them. And she barely knew him.

He stopped in one of the empty halls, leaning against the wall outside of a deserted classroom.

Even if the almost-kiss had just been part of that prank, the conversation with him had been real. So had the gesture of buying him a chocolate frog and splitting her cauldron cake with him. And returning his book wasn't something she'd been required to do. If her conscience had been eating at her that badly, she could've just handed it over to Spike to give to him. But she'd waited to return it herself.

If it weren't for his strong suspicion that she was just pulling a trick on him, she might've been a good friend. Well, technically his first friend, since there was no way he could actually consider anyone in Slytherin to be that trustworthy. He sighed. It was a shame, but years of abuse and deception had destroyed his ability to trust anyone, and this girl, strange though she was, had not convinced him otherwise.