Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I think that's a given. I do own Cathia and the plot. That's about it, unless you count my crappy computer.

A/N: okay, I'm sorry 4 those people who have alerts on this story, this is not a new chapter, I just had to fix some spelling mistakes and repost it! Sorry!

Blaise walked into Cathia's room without hesitating or knocking. They only had about half an hour before they needed to be down at breakfast to get their timetables, and Cathia still wasn't up. Blaise had a feeling he would be doing this often, as Cathia was used to sleeping the day away.

Light streamed in through the windows, lighting up the room.

There she was, curled up in a tight ball at the very corner of her massive bed, all of the covers had been thrown onto the floor. She was shivering visibly from where he was standing. Blaise's heart swelled in pain at the sight. He knew why she did that. He knew why she subconsciously made herself as small as possible. And he knew why she wouldn't give herself the comfort of a big warm comforter.

He slowly made his way to her bed, concerned when he saw her face scrunched up in what could be confusion…or pain.

Eight-year-old Blaise Zabini stood straightly next to his mother who was chatting to people he didn't know. He surveyed the room; trying to find something entertaining that wouldn't get him in trouble, something that didn't involve the scary tall people who seemed to be everywhere.

Blaise squirmed in discomfort. He hated wearing his dress robes. They were uncomfortable and itchy. Yet he knew he had no choice, so not a single complaint was uttered from his lips, quite unlike any other eight-year-old in the world.

Except perhaps for Draco. Just at that moment Blaise spotted his blonde friend, standing next to his own mother who was talking to- Blaise shuddered. It was Draco's Uncle Mr. Lestrange. He was an extremely scary man, and Blaise had had one to many bad encounters with him. As a matter of fact he had had only one.

"Mother, may I please go speak to Draco?" He asked politely.

She nodded shrugging him off in a very unmotherly fashion.

Blaise walked towards his friend, head held high, not to fast, shoulders straight. It had been beaten into him so many times that it had become pure habit by now.

Once he reached his friend they nodded to each other before turning towards the adults.

Swallowing Blaise looked at Mrs. Malfoy, trying to shrink away from Mr. Lestrange's view. "Mrs. Malfoy, would you please excuse Draco and I? I would like to talk to him alone if you don't mind." He was relieved when he realized that he hadn't stuttered.

"Of course, Blaise." Narcissa replied with a smile. Blaise gave her a small smile in return. He had always liked Mrs. Malfoy. She was much nicer then her husband.

Draco and Blaise walked away, not speaking a word until they out of earshot. "Thank you so much for getting me out of there. And longer and I was sure Mr. Lestrange was going to start chewing my head off."

Blaise grinned. They didn't say anything else, both trying to blend into the walls as they slipped out of the ballroom. One of the advantages of having most of the parties that were held at the Malfoy Manor were they could sneak off to Draco's rooms where they won't be bothered by adults. Unless that is, they get caught, but there were to smart for that.

They made their way through the corridors, only speaking when absolutely necessary. They both knew there was still a chance of getting caught.

Once they were almost at Draco's private rooms they relaxed.

"So, what's been going on?" Draco asked, but a soft wailing cut off Blaise's response.

Young hearts racing slightly faster in fear, they turned in the direction they heard it from. Keeping their breaths as quiet as possible they were able to hear it again. One of the many guestrooms was in front of them and a soft sobbing sound was coming from the other side of the door.

With as much courage as he could muster, Blaise stepped forward, giving the doorknob a twist and pushing the door open. It was to dark to see what it was but a figure rushed away from view, into the darkest corner in the room.

Both Draco and Blaise jumped back in fear as the figure ran by, each swallowing soundly before making another move. It was Draco who rushed over to the wall and switched on the light.

A young girl no more then seven years old was huddled up in the corner. She was wearing a very fancy looking dress that was torn and frayed. Her eyes were red and tears ran down her cheeks. And that look of fear upon her face was one neither Blaise nor Draco would ever be able to forget.

"Please don't. Please don't hurt me." A meek voice sounded.

The young boys were stunned beyond belief and didn't move a muscle towards or away from the broken down girl.

Finally Blaise moved forward, bending down so he was at the same level as she.

His eight-year-old mind was in pure shock as she cowered away from him, practically trying to merge herself with the wall.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He said, reaching a hand out to her.

She stared at his hand with wide eyes, unsure whether to trust him or not.

"Really, I'm not going to hurt you." His eyes held so much truth and sympathy she couldn't help but comply. She took his hand, and he pulled her closer, ready to help her stand up when she collapsed in his arms, sobbing.

Startled Blaise wasn't quite sure what to do so he hugged her close and did his best to comfort her.

All the while Draco just stood there, wondering what the hell just happened, and how she had gotten in here.

Blaise flinched slightly as the memory of his first encounter with Cathia rushed through his mind. Cathia hated thinking about the past, and he knew that day was particularly hard for her to think about, but far from the worst. So was it so terrible that he found it to be one of the best days of his entire life?

Shaking the uneasy thought from his mind he looked back at Cathia, not really wanting to wake her, but knowing he had to.

"Cath! Cathia, come on, wake up!" he shook her slightly as he spoke.

"Hummphrh…" Cathia groaned, rolling over and covering her head with her arms.

Blaise smiled, amused. "Come on Cathia! There's less then half an hour before we need to be downstairs to get our timetables! You need to get up and shower."

Groaning again Cathia opened her eyes to look at her friend. "Don't want to." She mumbled out before closing her eyes again.

"Come on Cath, or I'm going to have to undress you myself and toss you in the shower!"

Cathia had buried her face into her mattress to Blaise was unable to see her light blush and how she smiled slightly at his words.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," but it was said wearily and it didn't sound like she was awake at all.

"Then get out of bed!"

Grumbling Cathia pushed herself up, and gave Blaise a glare before walking over to her bathroom.

Leaning against the closed door a small shiver ran down Cathia's back. She closed her eyes again and tried to steady her breathing. Once her nerves were calmed guilt spread through her mind. She hated betraying Blaise like that, like she couldn't trust him. Especially when she knew she could trust him more then anyone else.

She just hated to see him upset.

Last night's dream hadn't been particularly bad, but they had still rattled her. And Blaise would have been distraught to know she had lied when she had told him the nightmares had ended.

Eyes downcast in guilt she stripped and stepped into the scalding hot water of the shower. Silently she begged it to either wash or burn away her pain forever, but knowing it was a lost cause.

Ginevra walked into the Great Hall, solemnly, wishing she were back in the room of requirement, curled up in the warm bed instead of about to face her first day of classes in almost three months.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table and filled her plate with eggs and a slice of toast. While munching on her toast her eye roamed around the Great Hall, eventually resting on a certain blond-haired Slytherin.

Suddenly the memory of what he had said yesterday on the train came back to her, causing her to flinch slightly.

"I know if she ever required my 'services' I would be all to happy to please her."

What exactly had he meant by that? Surely he hadn't meant… Ginevra's face flamed up in the usual Weasley fashion. Of course he hadn't meant that! Malfoy hated her and her entire family. He thought of them as the lowest of the low, worse then the dirt under his shoes. There was no possible way a Malfoy would ever touch a Weasley with a ten-foot pole, let alone in…that way.

Shaking the thought out of her mind, Ginevra stared back down at her food. She wouldn't let herself think about things like that.

Still a burning thought in the back of her mind sparked up, telling her how much she wouldn't mind it if he did want to touch her. 'Shut up! You're sounding like such a slut right now!' she told herself, and although it was her who thought it, the thought still made her squeamish. She wasn't a slut; far from it. She wasn't anything like Lavender or…

A bright sparkle of gold glinted in the corner of Ginevra's sight. Turning her head she saw Cathia Netwick and Blaise Zabini entering together and headed for the Slytherin table.

Ginevra frowned at the sight. It just didn't look…natural. Cathia looked so bright with her golden highlights and her bright white and yellow outfit. In fact she wasn't wearing any part of the dark Hogwart's uniform robes.

She looked so out of place, smiling brightly and laughing at something Zabini had said. The rest of the Slytherins sat there solemnly, either sneering or smirking and glaring at anyone who looked them in the eye. She stood out like a beacon like a beacon of light. How ironic. Smiling or not, bright cloths or not, she was still a Slytherin.

Why was he a Slytherin? Ginevra asked herself for the millionth time. It just didn't make sense to her.

"Miss Weasley?" came a voice from behind her, and she spun around in shock, relaxing when she noticed that it was just McGonagall.

"Yes?"

"Here's your time table, if you have any questions you can contact me in my office later today." Saying that she left to give some other Gryffindor their timetable.

Ginevra looked down at her timetable. She had double potions first today. While any other Gryffindor might have groaned, she smiled, glad to be jumping right back into potions. Unlike any of the other Gryffindors she loved potions, probably because she had top scores and Snape didn't intimidate her in the least. That and…the whole theory of potions, it just made sense to her. It always had.

"Aww, Double Potions! First? It's to early to be dealing with the git." Ron's loud complaints flew to Ginevra's ears, and once she actually processed what he had said, she frowned in confusion.

Ron couldn't have double potions right now, she did, and Ron was a year above her. They weren't in the same Potions class, and never had been. Unless of course Ron had been bumped back a year, which wouldn't surprise her in the least.

She was about to get up and ask Ron when she noticed that over half of the students had already left the Great Hall. If she didn't hurry she wouldn't make it to Potions in time, and whether she was good at Potions or not Snape would be itching to take away Gryffindor points before they even had any.

Ginevra leaped down the steps as fast as she could; ignoring how the temperature dropped dramatically the second she was below ground.

The Potions room was in sight when her foot caught on a loose stone and she went tumbling down. The contents of her bag spilled across the ground, her inkbottles rolling away and her schoolbooks landing upside-down.

"Awe, damn it," she cursed under her breath, and started gathering her things together.

"Finally learned your place, huh Weasley? Down on the ground with the rest of the dirt, came a familiar drawl.

Ginevra scowled, but she couldn't help but notice that the usual malice was absent from Malfoy's voice.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked, looking up at him. But he wasn't looking at her. Instead his eyes were fixed on the floor a couple of feet away from her.

He shrugged in response, not saying a thing.

Confused, Ginevra decided to ignore him and resumed picking up her scattered things. She was about to stand up when a pale, well manicured hand was thrust in front of her face.

Malfoy still wasn't looking at her, and his face was void of the usual smirk.

Ginevra eyes the hand warily, trying to decide if this was some kind of trick. When she came up with nothing she gave in, and grabbed his hand, allowing him to help up.

Once she had steadied her feet Ginevra looked up to thank him, but found the he had turned away and was walking towards the Potion's room.

Eye's flashing with anger she followed him, mentally cursing Malfoys, their stupid arrogance and their surprisingly soft hands.

Stepping in the dark room Ginevra was relieved to see that class hadn't started yet and she was far from the last person to arrive.

She wasn't happy when she noticed that everyone else there was in sixth year.

Something must have gone wrong with her schedule. That was the only explanation. After all, whomever made the schedules had to make them for every student at Hogwarts, they were bound to make some mistake.

And now, as much as she dreaded it, she would have to confront Snape about it, in front of the entire class. And although it wasn't her fault at all, she was positive Snape would find some excuse to take points from her.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" Ron's confused voice rang throughout the potions room. Ginevra winced when she noticed that he had brought everyone's attention to her.

"Umm…" oh great. They were all staring at her. All but Malfoy, who seemed to be absorbed in his potions book.

"Oh, uh…I think my, uh my schedule had to be messed up. It says I have potions now, but uh, obviously I don't." Her blush became more prominent with every stutter.

"Really? Do you want me to talk to professor Dumbledore for you?" Harry eagerly asked.

Ginevra frowned.

"No that's okay. I can get it fixed myself," I'm not completely helpless.

"Oh…well okay…I guess…"

BANG!

Ginevra winced. Snape had opened the door with such force it had swung into the stonewall, emanating a large crashing sound.

"If everyone is not seated in the next ten seconds I'm deducting points," Snape snarled.

In a rush of bodies and chairs scraping against the floor everyone found a seat. Ginevra grabbed the first one she could find, never mind the fact that it was right behind Malfoy and Zabini.

Unfortunately Hermione sat with Neville while Harry and Ron sat together, although Harry threw her a wistful glance.

"If your small brains haven't figured this out already you are in a sixth year potions class, meaning you will have to work harder, longer, and more efficient then your previous years, Merlin help you. I'm still wondering how half of you passed your potions owls, but I guess we'll never know. Just remember that I won't hesitate to kick any of you out so…what is it Ms. Weasley?"

Ginevra suppressed a shiver as her growled out her name, and she instantly regretted raising her hand. "Uh…well, you see I'm not supposed to…"

"On the contrary Ms. Weasley, you are supposed to be here. It seems you have some skill in potions, something I would never expect from a Weasley. Dumbledore insisted that you be moved up a year in potions, and I couldn't very well object. Just remember, I'll be kicking you right back down if you don't prove yourself worthy of being here. As it is, you are not the only fifth year student who is in this class, but it seems she has neglected to show up."

Shocked Ginevra didn't hear a word of what he said after that. He continued lecturing the class as what he had said to her soaked in.

She had been moved up a year in potions? Sure, it was true; she had always found the subject easy, and actually rather enjoyable when it came down to it. She had always had top marks in this class; better even then what Hermione's had been. Still, she never even considered the possibility of being moved up a year.

A thought occurred to her and she raised her hand again, forgetting about Snape's wrath.

"What is it now Ms. Weasley?"

"Well, it's just that I don't have the books for this class, seeing as…"

"You'll just have to share books with your potions partner until you can get them."

"But I don't have a potions partner."

Snape let out a snarl, causing everyone in the first row to jump. "Yes you do, she's just not here at the moment. And that's five points off for interrupting me."

A few protestant murmurs started throughout the Gryffindors, but they quieted down at Snape's glare.

Ginevra frowned, annoyed, but decided to sit through the rest of the class without making a spectacle of herself again.

It was about half way through the class when the door hinges squeaked, and in walked Cathia Netwick, head held high, expression plane. She sat down next to Ginevra without hesitating and looked up to the front of the classroom, acting as if she wasn't late at all.

"Ms. Netwick, I assume you had trouble finding the classroom?" A bunch of the Gryffindors scowled, as he practically made an excuse for her.

Cathia shook her head. "No, not really."

Snape frowned. "Then may I inquire as to why you are so tardy?"

Cathia shrugged lazily. "I just didn't feel like showing up on time." She said, ignoring the looks all the Gryffindors and even some Slytherins were giving her.

"Ah." Snape seemed a little lost at this comment, but quickly recovered, "Well as you are new to Hogwarts I will let it slide just this once. Just don't let it happen again." With that he continued with the lesson.

After a few more minutes of lecturing Snape snapped at them all to get to work. They were to make any potion they learned last year, which was problematic for Ginevra, seeing as she hadn't taken the fifth year potions class, and had no idea what they had learned already.

"So, you got bumped up a year in potions too, huh?" Cathia asked, leaning back in her chair.

Startled Ginevra nodded, "Umm, yeah."

"Cool."

Silence.

"So I'm guessing you have no idea what we should make, huh?"

Ginevra shook her head quickly then looked back down at the table and her blank sheet of notes. What was wrong with this girl? Surely the other Slytherins had already told her that she couldn't be nice, much less make small talk with a Gryffindor, whether they had gotten along before or not.

"Hey Blaise." Both Zabini and Malfoy turned around. "What should we make for our potion? Neither of us took the class last year, so we really have no idea."

Zabini shrugged. "I don't know. We're going to do a pepper up potion, but I don't really remember much about what we did last year. I mean it was nothing you hadn't already taught me, that's for sure."

Cathia smirked for a second before frowning. "Wait, you learned a how to make a pepper up potion last year? Isn't that like third year material?"

Malfoy scoffed, "You sound surprised. I told you this place was overrated."

Cathia grimaced. "Yeah, I definitely won't disagree with that."

Ginevra scowled down at the table. How dare they insult Hogwarts, much less when it was under Dumbledore's control?

'Yeah, control all right.'

There it was again, that skeptical little voice in the back of her head. And for some reason it always seemed to be insulting Dumbledore in some way or another.

"Hey you could do that potion that makes you loose all your hair." Zabini suggested, grinning.

Ginevra started at that. She had never seen Zabini grin like that, or really at all. She was impressed with how much better looking a guy could be when he was smiling. And Zabini was one of the farthest things from ugly even when he was scowling.

'Wonder what Malfoy would look like smiling, eh?'

Ginevra's eyes zipped open. There was no way that she, Ginevra Weasley, thought that. It was just insane.

"What you mean the Universa Puter Saeta potion? Huh, I guess that would be cool. And we could keep some of the extras and slip it into Crabbe and Goyle's drinks while they're not looking." Cathia looked like a child on Christmas.

"Or while their looking. It's doubtful they'd notice, they're so thick," Malfoy drawled.

Ginevra's surprise was continuously increasing.

"Or they'd notice, they just wouldn't care. They'd need something to wash down all that food."

Potions continued in a similar manner. When they were dismissed Ginevra was surprised at how far she and Cathia had gotten in their potion, considering Cathia had been talking to Blaise and Draco the entire time. Once in a while Ginevra had even snaked in her own comment.

After the first few minutes had passed Ginevra's uneasiness about being surrounded by Slytherins passed and was replaced by another feeling she was more accustomed to; the feeling of being left out of a tight group of friends, and just watching in from the sidelines; the feeling of not being wanted by anyone, or anything.

It hurt a bit, but Ginevra was used to it, so she ignored it as best as she could. Now she was putting away their extra ingredients, and was in no hurry as she had an hour until her next class.

Turning around she almost ran into Cathia, as she didn't know she had been standing right behind her.

"Hey, I heard that you didn't have a potions book yet because you didn't know that you were going to be in this class. So, I just wanted to tell you that you could borrow mine whenever you need to. Who knows, maybe we could work on our essays together sometime. Of course Draco and Blaise would want to join us, but that can't be to much of a problem can it?"

Cathia spoke without missing a beat, yet she wasn't rambling. It was as if she had rehearsed her words ahead of time, and for all Ginevra knew she had.

"Umm, year sure. Maybe." With that the red head hurried out of the room, quite eager to get away from all the weirdness that was Cathia Netwick.

Back in the potions room Cathia was smirking. Just a few more steps, a couple months, and some navigating on her part, and Ginevra Weasley would be the happiest girl on earth.

"Just you wait Draco, just you wait."

A/N: Omg, I am so sorry. I said I'd have it up last Wednesday, but I didn't, and I'm sorry. Can you not hate me? Besides I wrote eleven pages and almost 4,000 words to make up for it, so you can't hate me too much!

I'd like to thank my reviewers MilasDrac, and JulieMalfoyZabini. Yes, there were only two. No, I am not happy about that. And if there are not a lot more for this chap, you might be waiting a long time for chapter five. J/k, I'm not that mean. But Next chapter is Cathia's first real encounter with the Dream Team! Should be exciting!

Anyway, please REVIEW! I love it when you do ;)