Open Your Eyes
Title: Chapter Three: An Old Man And A Hat
A/N: I've been busy. So this is coming out later than I had hoped but thank you for the reviews! C0mdLicAt3p, Edwardlvr2317, and Fallen-Hollow thanks! I really need to hear it because, I seriously thought that Kat's personality last chapter was slightly bipolar, but you guys seemed to like it I hope you like her in the morning too, I kind of gave her my older brother's attitude & pain inflicting actions in the morning, however he just swung his leg out with brute force…*reminisces of all the times I've been knocked into a wall by him* Kat does something just a tad different… Er, enjoy? XD
Disclaimer: IDON'. – I thought it would be less depressing if I said it fast…it wasn't. V.V
X.x.
~September 2nd~
"That's just wrong." "…And gross." "Yeah it is."
I tried opening my eyes but it was too bright, I grumbled instead. Who was the suicide risk that woke me up?
"Kat, are you awake?"
I am going to commit fratricide; Dray is going to die… I heard some whispering before a finger was repeatedly jammed into my shoulder. I groaned and managed to squint my eyes open enough to see the waist of the perpetrator.
"Kat, wake up already!"
How about I wake you up Dray? I shot my fist out and hit the boy right in the –Willy- and smiled as he sunk down to the floor in groaning pain. I pulled the sheet closer to my chest and closed my eyes, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep.
"Kat, you missed."
"The hell I did!" I sat up and stared at my brother. Who was just standing there smirking at me, several feet away. "Huh?" I heard a groan and looked down to see Blaise holding himself on the floor. "Oops, sorry Blaise. I thought you were Dray." He just nodded, I don't imagine he could do much more than writhe and moan after taking that hit. I turned back to my brother, "You're getting good."
He smirked and I saw the amusement dancing in his eyes, I wish he would just freaking smile. "You better get ready or we'll be late. I kicked everyone else out already so you can use that bathroom, Blaise and I'll be waiting in the Common Room downstairs." He started to turn and leave but stopped, "Don't take too long, we only have half an hour. Blaise lets go." He walked out and Blaise, limping, followed. I grimaced, I really would only inflict that on people that deserved it, Blaise was tricked into becoming my brother's shield. But enough of that, it's time to get ready…
"Finally! We only have a few minutes to eat before classes start!" Draco shot his mouth off the moment I appeared before them, I just rolled my eyes at him and continued past them to the door. I was hungry and my stomach was being rather vocal about it.
"Then hurry up Dray!" I heard their footsteps behind me, they echoed a bit in the stone dungeons. I looked around as we went; this place was kind of creepy. Not to mention cold, I hadn't thought the cloak necessary. It was early September and plenty warm, I didn't know if they were mandatory and I couldn't care less. If a professor got on me about it I'd just say I was new and didn't know which is true. I was spacing out, my shower hadn't woken me up completely, but I was shaken from my thoughts by a firm grip on my arm that was leading me through the doors of the Great Hall. Oops, I was about to pass it completely.
Blaise chuckled and dropped his arm, "Space much?"
"yeaa, thanks." I took a seat between them and tried not to drool when I saw all that was on the table in front of me. Was it a banquet every day? I could really get used to this. I began buttering a slice of toast and eyeing the muffin basket. It was going to get me into trouble…but I couldn't help myself from grabbing a small blueberry one and cutting it in half. I poured some coffee and began to dig in.
"Still full from last night?" I looked to see Blaise forking down eggs and I chuckled.
"Nah, I just don't like eating much in the morning. Mostly I just eat something so that I can have coffee without it hurting my stomach."
"I don't know how you drink that dreadful crap, it's disgusting." Dray commented I scoffed in response.
"You drink pumpkin juice; you can't get anymore disgusting than that!" I grabbed my coffee mug and took a sip.
"Wait, let me get this right, not only is that stuff horrid, it hurts your stomach and yet you're still drinking it?" I glared at Blaise and he went back to eating.
"It tastes good when you add some creamer, and it doesn't always hurt…just sometimes. And don't be taking my brother's side just because he's your friend. You don't know him like I do, he's actually an idiot." Blaise choked in laughter on his food and Draco gave a cry of outrage.
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
Blaise was laughing hysterically, and people were beginning to take notice of our argument but I couldn't care less. I was going to win this one.
"Are too, and I can prove it!" I shot Dray a look, letting him know exactly what I meant. His jaw dropped.
"You wouldn't." I smirked.
"Don't be so naive. You know I would."
"I'm confused." Blaise interjected, but he was ultimately ignored. Draco and I were focused on the other. His eyes narrowed to slits and I was simply smirking. One steam boat, two steam boat, three steam boat, I opened my mouth to speak –
"Fine, I give." Draco grumbled, I smiled victoriously.
"Andd?"
He looked at me through eyes of reproach, "You aren't going to make me-"
"Yes I am, say the magic words and I won't broadcast the stupidest thing you've ever done."
He was sneering at me as he sang, "Kat is the best, Kat is so smart, Kat is the closest to my heart…Happy now?" The table around us broke out into laughter and we both looked around. Apparently everyone close enough was listening in…
"Ecstatic." I grinned and began getting up.
"Where are you going?" Blaise asked through chuckles. Draco was too busy glaring at everyone and telling them to stuff it to notice the beginning of my departure.
"I have to go get sorted, I assume that lady," I pointed to the woman from last night that was passing things to other students, "is passing out schedules, I won't get one until I go to Dumbledore's office." I began to turn around but a grasp on my arm pulled me back. I brushed the hair away from my face and saw that it was Draco's hand that had stopped me.
"I thought that I was going to go with you, hold on." He began getting up but I pushed him back down.
"You have to get your schedule and go to class, I'll be fine on my own." I turned around and took a few steps before he called out to me.
"Do you even know where you're going?" I stopped in my tracks. Oops, I had forgotten about that part…I turned around and headed toward the Professor that was handing out the schedules.
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could tell me where the Headmaster's office is?" I was slightly intimidated, not gonna lie. She was like, bird woman or something. Tall, pointy nose, beady eyes…not to mention tall. She was towering over me! Well, almost everyone did, but that's not the point. She seemed to narrow her eyes when she saw the insignia on my robes but I think I'm just imagining that.
"Why do you need to know?" Ok-ay, maybe she did narrow her eyes at me…
"Because I'm new and I need to be sorted."
"Why didn't you get sorted during the sorting ceremony last night?" Because I didn't want to, duh.
"Because I didn't want to. Either way, I need to be sorted so I can get my class schedule." SO maybe I should have disguised the reason a bit more, but seriously, she was asking a lot of stupid questions…Bird-Lady. The woman gave me another look over before snapping her fingers at some random student and telling them to take me to the Headmaster's office. I rolled my eyes at her and forced myself to say 'thank you'. Though I can't say that it actually sounded genuine.
The student looked to be older than me but I didn't really care. It was a Slytherin girl, she had dark hair and tan skin, pretty, but I wasn't in the mood to chit-chat. So when she tried making small talk I just ignored it. I wasn't in the mood to play nice, I just wanted to get sorted already and get on with the day. Unfortunately it took a while to reach Dumbley's office. Okay, that was an understatement; it took for-ev-er. Did this guy think he was in a 'Where's Waldo' book or what! When we finally arrived she knocked a few times on a statue and it began to move…which was cool. When stairs appeared I waved a hand in dismissal to the girl and started climbing them. When I reached the top I knocked on the door and waited a few moments before I heard a voice calling me in.
Entering, I was surprised how whimsical and grand the room was at the same time. There was clutter and dust amongst grand bookshelves and portraits. My eye was caught by a bauble across the room and I started my way towards it before I even noticed my deviance in course.
"Over here miss Malfoy." I turned toward his voice and was slightly embarrassed by my distraction, I liked shiny things…I approached his desk and saw that he looked older sitting behind it this morning than he had last night. Perhaps it was just the way that the light was drifting through the window at an angle the seemed to accentuate the bags under his eyes and the multitude of wrinkles on his face. His eyes looked as sharp as they could ever be however, and I was a bit stunned to see them looking me over as I was him. It reminded me of back at Bauxbatons when the professors pets would be running around sniffing each others butts and seizing each other up. I smiled at the memory, I hated those stupid dogs. They were yappy little poodles and they never failed to give me a headache.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." I sat down and was a bit shocked at how comfortable the chair was. It didn't appear this luxurious, not that I was complaining.
"So it would appear that you transferred from Bauxbatons," He smiled, "Needed a change of scenery, or are you switching for other reasons?"
Was he digging for information? Or was he simply making small talk? "I wanted to be closer to my brother, I never wanted to go to Bauxbatons, and I certainly never cared for it much there." All of which was true; I did come here for my brother, Bauxbatons was my mother's stupid decision, and I couldn't stand the stupid girls there.
"Oh yes, your brother and your parents, how are they?"
He was definitely digging, and I'm done with it. "I'm not going to play games Headmaster. I don't know anything more than everyone else. My brother and I are innocent, and I would be grateful if you would drop it." I kept my gaze even, but I knew that I might have messed that up. I didn't say that my parents were innocent, just my brother and I.
His eyes were glinting and I knew that he noticed my mistake too. Not that it mattered much, unofficially pretty much everyone knew that my parents were Death Eaters, they just couldn't prove it. "You are so different from them, but so alike, aren't you?" He paused and popped a candy into his mouth; I wrinkled my nose at his choice. I didn't notice before the bowl of licorice snaps between us, I have never liked black licorice. He clapped his hands together and stood up, "But I think we better get to the matter at hand, shall we? You have yet to be sorted hm?" He walked across the room and pulled down the hat I had seen last night. He carried it back over to me and sat it on my head before taking his seat across from me. I tried looking up at it but could only manage to see the dark under rim of it, it stayed quiet for a moment, eerie quiet. I didn't particularly like it.
"Hmm, another Malfoy? Really? I wouldn't have thought so."
"Well I am, get over it. Aren't you just supposed to say 'Slytherin' and be done with it? Chop chop." Tired of straining my eyes upwards I lowered them so Dumbledore was with in my sights. He was looking with pensive eyes at the sorting hat and I.
"You my dear aren't as easy as your brother. I'm sure he's told you that I didn't even have to touch his head in order to sort him into Slytherin."
I nodded, half hoping to unsettle the old thing, "Yea, he's gloated about it."
"Of course he has, just like I knew he would. You see, I know the minds of every head I've ever been perched upon. Yes, that's right; I know your every secret." I snarled and reached my hand up to rip it off but Dumbledore shook his head.
"Everyone must go through this, do not remove the hat. If you do, you'll be finding your way back to Bauxbatons." I glared at him and shot some rather untowardly thoughts at the hat before lowering my arm.
"Tsk tsk, you definitely have the Malfoy rage young Katina. But you do not have the Malfoy heart."
The sneer couldn't have been removed from my features if someone had told me it would be Christmas all year. I was livid. "What exactly qualifies a 'Malfoy heart' eh? And what is this a therapy session? Can we get on with it!"
"Now now, you must listen to what I have to say." It must be enjoying this, otherwise it would just say 'Slytherin' and be done with it. "Yes, I am finding your predicament highly amusing but that's neither here nor there. You must know that Slytherin is not the house I would choose to place you in first. You are not a cruel one, and you will never be close to them. You have a very sharp mind, a mind of a Ravenclaw…Yes yes, I know, nothing but Slytherin will do." I froze, this hat knows everything, it knows that even I don't know exactly how enraged their actions would become if I wasn't sorted into Slytherin. The very things my mind thought up sent shivers down my spine. "You truly have a beautiful mind, but, I predict that it will remain that way. It may be twisted and pulled through some trials but you have the will to make it right again. Yes, yes…" This was crazy deep, and I was slightly embarrassed that Dumbledore was hearing all of what it was saying. Though no doubt that was his intention, to my irritation I realized that he might have even requested beforehand that the hat dig this deep. "Yes, you are quite right. I was asked, though that doesn't mean I had to do it." Then why did you? "Because you intrigue me. SLYTHERIN." Finally! I pulled it off my head as fast as I could and placed it on the desk before me. I couldn't stop myself from glaring at it. The idea that it knows everything about me was highly unsettling, I preferred to keep most people at somewhat of a distance.
I looked up when a leaf of parchment was placed in front of me. Dumbledore was smiling slightly. "There's your schedule, I do look forward to seeing how you progress this year."
I nodded, grabbed my schedule, and stood. "Thank you." I was almost out the door when –
"Oh, and your bags will be moved to one of the girls sixth year dormitories by tonight. That's all." I grimaced and headed to my first block. It was Defense against the Dark Arts, and I know Draco told me where it was this morning…It was on the fourth floor, I think?
By the time I got there it was almost over. Not that I'm upset about that or anything, but it was slightly awkward walking in late. Everyone turned and stared at me like I was some sort of mystical beast with six heads, well, maybe not like that…but they did stare! Other than that it wasn't a big deal that I was late, Snape was the professor. He's been over to the house a few times before and he knew who I was. He just nodded his head at me as I took a seat next to Blaise. I would have sat next to my brother but his…thing, was sitting next to him. So I sat behind him and tried not to barf on Pugsy.
The rest of the time I spent 'listening' to Snape's introduction to the class. How it wasn't going to be as easy as it had been for the past few years, how he wouldn't tolerate nonsense, blah blah. I hadn't realized that because it was the first day all the teachers would spend the hour talking about their criteria and expectations. It was going to be a very boring day…huh? My eye was caught by a red head a few rows ahead and to the left of where I was sitting. It looked like, Ron?
I bumped my elbow into Blaise's arm trying to get his attention; he was staring out into space just like I was.
"What?"
I nodded my head in the direction of Ron, "They have mixed classes here?" At Bauxbatons we weren't separated into houses or groups. And since we are here, I didn't think that they would mix the students into classes together, what was the point of separating them then?
He sneered, "Yea, though not all the classes are mixed the same way. It looks like we have to share Defense against the Dark Arts with them this year." I nodded at him and went back to looking around. I didn't feel that way about it; I couldn't feel hostility towards people I didn't know. They didn't even seem like people that deserved hostility. Hermione was frowning, but paying attention (so it seemed) to every utterance of a word from Snape's mouth. She had even nodded her head at me a little when I entered, she didn't just stare like Ron and Harry had. I looked from her to Harry. He looked unhappy as well, though I didn't image that he would be happy. He was sitting a few feet from the guy that broke his nose yesterday and was being forced to listen to Snape's drabble. His hand was holding up his head and his fingers were buried in his hair. I felt my lips curling up in a smile, his hair was incredibly messy but for some reason it didn't look bad. It was…cute. I didn't notice until too late that he had noticed the weight of someone's gaze on him. He turned his head to look me straight on, my mouth gaped open for a moment before I had the frame of mind to look away. I could feel my face burning but I couldn't quite wipe the grin from my face. The next five minutes or so I tried my hardest to keep myself from looking back over at him, and I succeeded, mostly.
Next hour was Divination which I had with Draco, thankfully his puppet didn't come. I wanted to sit with my brother. It was just as boring as Defense against the Dark Arts, I was hoping because it was one of my favorite classes that I wouldn't be as bored. But unfortunately, I was. There wasn't even anything to look at! SO I just sat there and annoyed my brother with tapping my fingers against the table.
When lunch came I was happy, I'd be able to eat and relax before going to History of Magic and Potions in the evening. Or so I thought. Apparently I wasn't privy to the knowledge that Draco and Pansy used lunch as a…erm, I think that they're making out. I hope that it's not anything more, because I was trying to eat and I could hardly imagine my brother sticking his tongue in her mouth without hurling. Blaise had laughed at my face when they started leaving the Great Hall. His amusement didn't last long because I through someone's creamcheesed bagel half at his face, which made me chuckle. I wanted to wait for Dray to come back; we were all in the same class. But Blaise informed me that if we waited we might all be late. I gagged and took the lead out the doors.
History of Magic was going to be the hardest class for me to get through all year. I really like History, it's interesting and all that, but who the hell hires a monotone teacher? That's like setting the students up for failure! Fifteen minutes in I was already lying to myself saying that it would be over soon; just to keep my eyes open. Draco and Pansy were in fact late, but because it was the first day back the Professor let them off with a warning. While I was glad he wouldn't have a detention, I was still sickened at why he was probably late.
When class ended I was practically running out the door. The idea of motion and being active was almost a squashed dream inside those four walls and I was pleased to be free of them for the day. One more class. It couldn't be any worse than History, right?
I was right, it wasn't worse. It was Potions, my favorite class, and it seemed to be a bit faster paced than the rest of my classes had been. The professor was named Slughorn, which made me smirk, but he seemed competent. After a short introduction he actually had us working in a competition. Felix Felicis 'liquid luck', Draco's eyes were swimming with want. While I had faith in my brother's potion capabilities, I also knew that I was just a tad better. I was so going to win this. Not that I knew what the hell I was going to do with it. I just knew that it would peeve him off if I was to win it over him.
So we got to work, I was concentrating my hardest but I couldn't help but to glance up at Harry every few minutes. He didn't appear to be following the instructions right and that had me a bit worried. Which was stupid, why would I be worried about that? And besides, Hermione looks like she's trying to help him. Half an hour later I was slightly miffed to see that my potion didn't turn out perfect, it was better than Draco's though, so I didn't feel that bad. And even I can't get a potion 100% right the first time I attempt it. Time was up and I sat back as Slughorn walked around the room surveying the potions. A few he wouldn't even get too close too, which made me feel more confident. I could still win this if everyone else didn't do so well.
When he reached our table I smirked when he shook his head at my brother's potion, "Not quite." It smelt vaguely of Beachwood when it wasn't supposed to. When he turned his attention to my potion he smiled, "So close, but you see, it's a little thick." I frowned, "Yea, I know." I could feel Draco's mocking eyes boring into me but I wouldn't look at him. I kept my eyes on the professor; I wanted to know if someone did better than me. For a while I was feeling okay, it didn't seem like anyone else had as much luck (so to speak) with the potion. When he arrived at Harry's table last I was surprised to see Slughorn smile after examining his potion. Whattt? Harry wasn't even doing it right! I looked at Hermione and she looked just as shocked as I was. I didn't even have to glance at my brother to know that he was sneering, he was rather predictable. I watched in silent amazement as Harry received a vial of Felix Felicis, while I was irritated that I didn't win, I couldn't pay much attention to that because of my wonder at how he won. Especially since he wasn't even doing it right. I didn't even notice that I was staring at him, until he looked over at me smiling. It faltered when our gazes connected, but neither of us made a move to look away. My brother shouldered me as he was passing, telling me that I better start moving before they leave me here. Rolling my eyes I grinned and skipped to catch up to them, it was dinner time.
Try as I might, I couldn't get Harry's face out of my mind. The way he had been staring was driving me crazy! It was almost like he was curious, but, curious about what? Even Draco noticed something was on my mind, but I just avoided his questions by shoving food in my mouth and shrugging at him. If I told him the truth he'd probably have an aneurism.