Hey everyone! So... it's uh... been a while, right? I've gotten a few reviews lately that were some serious guilt trips. Secret: guilt trips totally work on me. Sorry for making you wait so long! Just know I wrote this chapter in a hurry, so it might be a little raw. Hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: All the property of Rowling. So. Yeah.

Chapter 22:

The corridor was dimly lit as I shuffled my feet. My back was aching, and my face was mere centimeters away from Harry's messy hair. It was infuriating, but once we'd checked the map, we knew we would need the invisibility cloak. Umbridge was up and about. Already. It was only the first day of class and the hag was taking her reign.

Behind me, Ron and Hermione bickered through tense whispers.

"Shut up!" I hissed. Hermione sniffed and Ron swore at me.

Harry paused.

"It's this way, right?" he said, glancing at Hermione.

She frowned. "Honestly, Harry. It's to the left." Harry nodded and we trudged onwards, but I heard Hermione continue the sentence under her breath. "Go to a school for five years and you don't know where the lavatory is."

I was thoroughly lost, myself. Each hallway was as creepy as the next, cool gray stone that gave way to identical cool gray stone, old portraits that gambled or snored or flirted with each other. The occasional torch, and the less occasional teacher.

We had to backtrack several times, too. Snape roamed one corridor with hawk-like eyes, and he hadn't trusted me since I snuck out of Grimmauld place on Christmas day to see Tonks. It turned out she had been Arthur's partner, and had been more severely wounded—bitten in the neck. Now she was with Sirius, bedridden until further notice. And, as was becoming a trend, it was my fault.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind as we rounded another corner and Harry let out a triumphant "aha!" We ran into the bathroom after a loud mew erupted in the distance, and we threw off the cloak. I casted a quick silencing charm so no one would hear us, and Ron checked the stalls for Myrtle.

"Let's go then," I said, looking at the faucets. One of them had a tiny serpent engraved on it. Jackpot.

Harry followed my gaze, his jaw clamping. "This is absolutely necessary?"

I nodded.

He rolled his eyes and squinted at the faucet. A low sound emitted from his mouth then, an odd halfway point between hissing and gasping. A click, and several moments of churning stone later, we stared down a long dark hole.

"Wow."

Harry nodded, then looked at Ron and Hermione. "You lot don't have to come, you know."

Ron's chest seemed to inflate. "I'll go. Hermione, maybe you should stay. Keep watch, you know?"

She frowned. "I want to see it. I'm going."

Harry jumped in, wand out with a mild lumos charm. We watched the light fade into the distance. Ron and Hermione were still bickering.

Ron finally nodded. "Fine. Watch me do it first. It's like a slide, but careful you don't—"

Hermione rolled her eyes and jumped in after Harry.

I went next, my shoes crunching into small bones when I fell into the cavern. I made a face as Harry and Hermione brushed themselves off.

"This place smells gross," I said.

Harry shrugged. "There's a dead basilisk in here. I can't imagine they keep very well."

Ron tumbled out of the tunnel and we found the fangs.

"How many do we need?" Hermione said.

I handed her a dragon skin bag, one of four I'd ordered. "As many as you can fit."

"Be careful about the tips," Harry said. "They're still chock full of poison."

"That's what I'm banking on," I said.

"Why do we need these again?" Harry and I rode back up the tunnel on our brooms, Ron behind him as Hermione clung to me, clearly unsettled by the short flight.

"I promise, Harry, I'll explain it to you. But not tonight."

For once, my answer didn't upset him. He nodded and turned away, lost in his own thoughts.

When we got back to the bathroom, we threw the invisibility cloak over ourselves, narrowly avoiding Myrtle.

"Ron, stop bumping into me," Hermione said.

"It's this bloody bag," he said. "When did this cloak get so small?"

"Shut it, both of you, or I'll—" but we never found out what Harry would do, because Umbridge turned into the hall, wand at the ready. She was staring straight at us, frowning.

Harry led us to a small enclave marked with stained glass. Fred and I had made out there before break too many times to count, but though it normally provided a perfect hiding spot, tonight we were rats in a cage.

"I know you're there," she said, taking slow steps as her beady eyes searched everywhere for students out of bed. "And I can assure you at least a week's detention for this."

"She's going to look here," I hissed.

"I know," said Harry, "but where else was I supposed to go?"

"We can't afford to lose these!" I said. "They're too important!"

"I can hear you," Umbridge said. "And I will find you."

Hermione sloughed her bag from her shoulder, handing it to me. Then she turned to Ron. "Give your bag to Harry."

Umbridge was getting closer.

His eyebrows knit together. "But I—"

"Just do it!"

He followed her order, shocked, and before he could say anything else, she yanked him from under the cloak. She situated herself against the opposite wall as Ron glanced nervously at us. Then she yanked him against her just as Umbridge peaked into the enclave.

Ron pulled away as if he had been burnt, and his face was bright red as Hermione pretended to fix her hair and smooth down her shirt.

Umbridge frowned at the two of them. "What are you two doing out of bed?"

"Oh goodness!" Hermione said, a weak laugh on her lips. Her cheeks were as red as Ron's ears. "We were, um, we were patrolling the halls." She nervously tapped her prefect badge and Ron managed to pull his from his pocket.

Umbridge shined her wand around the enclave, but Harry and I were safe under the invisibility cloak. "Patrolling the halls, were you?"

Hermione coughed. "Er, yes, Professor."

Umbridge glanced around one last time, then pursed her lips. "I will be speaking to the minister about possible prefect reassignment. This improper behavior is absolutely reprehensible, and I will not have it in my—this school. To bed. Now."

Hermione pulled Ron away as he opened his mouth to speak, and Umbridge continued onwards until the hallway was dark and empty save for Harry and me. A few minutes of shocked silence passed, and then Harry began to laugh. I shushed him as we carried the large dragon skin bags up to the dormitory, but started laughing at the Hermione's heroics.

When we got to the common room, Hermione was waiting with Ron by the fire. They'd turned to us as the portrait swung open, and I threw the invisibility cloak off with a wide smile.

"You are a genius, Hermione. Pure genius," I said.

She smiled. "Thanks."

"How'd you come up with the plan?"

Her smile grew. "Oh, I just had two thoughts in my head: what is the most scandalous thing I could do, and what would Kat do?"

I snorted. "Like you could think one without the other. Anyways, mission successful. Let's call it a night."

"What else are we going to need?" Hermione said.

I knew she was baiting me. I knew the three of them wanted me to spill every secret, but I still didn't know if it was too early, how I could explain the next two years of their lives in a condensed story, if I would be telling them too much.

"It involves Professor McGonagall."

Hermione's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "We're going to steal from McGonagall?"

"No. She took it from me. We're just getting it back. I could do it alone—"

"No," Harry said. "We're in this together. Whatever this is." He muttered the last part.

We each took a bag and headed to the staircase. Harry went upstairs but I paused when Ron did. "Hermione, why, er." He coughed. "Why did you choose me and not Harry? For that thing with Umbridge, I mean."

I was out of sight, but I could see Hermione turn bright red. "Well, you know, Harry's already gotten into so much trouble. And, and… and you're a prefect. It's perfectly alright for you to be out of bed after curfew."

Ron nodded. "Right. Perfect. Makes sense."

The two turned away from each other awkwardly, and I sped up the stairs to make sure Hermione didn't see me. I laughed to myself as I hid the fangs. Then I pulled out my book on Occlumency. Snape and I were continuing lessons, and I had to work extra hard to make sure he didn't find out about the potion I hadn't been taking.

I got downstairs just in time to see the portrait swing open to reveal none other than Fred and George. Neither twin had talked to me since the night their father had been bitten, though the rest of the Weasleys had been quick to forgive me. Mrs. Weasley had caught wind of my knowledge of the event and had pulled me aside to let me know I wasn't to blame. I didn't believe her, but she said if Dumbledore wanted me to stay out of it, then of course it was to be expected that I should. Her eyes had teared up though. "I don't know what I would have done if—" she stopped herself then and smiled. "But Arthur's fine. Would you like some tea, dear?"

Fred glared daggers at me as I took a seat across the room from them. I couldn't concentrate on my book, staring at the same page on dreaming for an hour. Finally I stood up. The moment I did so, they began clearing up their stuff.

"Guys, listen—"

George spoke first. "We really don't want to."

I blocked their way. "I told you, I'm sorry, and if you would just—"

Fred slammed his book shut. "It's not just this, you know. It's not just that you kept your mouth shut about my father when you risked your life in a bloody terrible plan to save your mum. It's that there's more. I know it. There's more about the future that you won't tell me. Me, of all people." he left.

"It's complicated," I said, my eyes burning. "Fred—"

"Leave my brother alone," George growled, gathering up his things.

I watched him leave the common room with a heavy heart. Then I sat down and took a few deep breaths. It's better this way, I tried to tell myself. He'll tie me down. I can't be in a relationship. It's less complicated to be alone. But when I dragged myself upstairs, I didn't believe a word of it.

ooo

Er. So? What did you think? Reviews, as always, are appreciated.

I'll try to post a new chapter soon, but sorry guys, no promises.

Hope you're all having a lovely spring!