Before anyone gets on my case, I hate myself as much as you do for leaving it this long. Can't promise it won't happen again, but I'm trying. Sorry.
Katherine heaved a sigh as she flopped onto the train seat.
"You guys do that every year?" she asked the twins, who were snickering at her. She looked around for something to throw, finding what she was pretty sure was one of Lee's socks, and threw it at the them.
"Hey!" Lee cried, retrieving the sock and stuffing it in his trunk.
"Oh good, it was your sock," Katherine said, "Wait, how did one of your socks even get on the seat?"
"You just threw something at me without knowing what it was?" Fred demanded, looking horrified.
"Well it wasn't yours," Katherine pointed out, "So it wasn't likely to do anything disastrous."
"So, what actually happened?" Angelina interrupted, looking between the three red heads.
"I stayed at the Weasley's," Katherine explained, "Turns out that all of them are disorganised in the morning, even Percy and Ginny."
"Oh please like your perfect, how do you normally get here?" Fred demanded, everyone stared at him for a moment, including George.
"Honestly sometimes your mouth runs a head of your brain," Katherine sighed, a slight smile in place, "Normally Theodore and I would be packed the night before, giving us some time to sleep in, then our father would side along Apparate us with plenty of time to catch the train."
"Wait, you've Apparated?" Lee interrupted, Katherine just shrugged.
"Sure, it's one of those things that's expected to happen in the 'haughty taughty' pure-blood families," Katherine shrugged, "Like calligraphy and languages and such. It's not like it takes great skill to side along Apparate though, the other person does everything."
"Sometimes I wish you weren't so casual about all your amazing skills," Alicia informed her with a small frown, "Though it would be nice to know them before you turn them against us."
"Are you still not over that truth or dare game?" Katherine laughed.
"No, it was horrid, you hardly had to do anything!" Alicia snapped.
"We should play again!" Fred and George declared.
"I blatantly refuse to play truth or dare with you again," Katherine informed them, "I swear I will put a stinging ward around my bed."
"Stinging ward? Is that a thing?" Angelina asked sceptically.
"Well, there's wards and there's the stinging hex, I could work out a way to combine them," Katherine replied thoughtfully, "I wonder how long that would take, I'd have to make sure the spells didn't cancel each other out…"
"Ok! So, getting away from the complex talk of the people who actually study and stuff," Lee announced, "What are we doing this year?"
"Wait, do I need to seek out the money bag?" Katherine asked, returning to the conversation, "Is there going to be betting?"
"We can't bet, the first bet of the year is on the Defence teacher and we haven't met them yet," Katie pointed out.
"Him," George answered, "Lockhart, the author of all the books, he's the Defence teacher this year."
"No," Lee said in horror, "Can I drop out of school? Will you two run away with me and become evil megalomaniacs who destroy homework?"
"Yes!" Fred and George agreed excited, each of the boys received a smack over the head from one of the girls in the compartments.
"No one's dropping out of school," Katherine frowned (ironically she hadn't actually hit anyone), "You can just suck it up and put up with him for a year. It can't be that bad."
She received a few doubtful looks and raised eyebrows at that comment.
"Fine," she frowned, "I'll help everyone study to pass exams at the end of the year, and I kind of hate you all."
"Professor Katherine," Fred grinned, Katherine narrowed her eyes as he continued talking, "Imagine all the mayhem we can cause in your classes."
A few moments later found Fred himself with Spello-tape charmed over his mouth and had been shoved off his chair and onto the floor as he tried to pull it off. Tried being the key word there, considering that it was charmed on by Katherine who was glaring at him with crossed arms.
"You would think," she said darkly, "That after three years you would have learnt not to piss me off when I'm tired."
"Why don't you take a nap?" Katie suggested, trying to push the others back away from the corner, where they'd been cowering from Katherine.
"Katie, Weasley twins. Weasley twins, Katie," Katherine replied, "Never sleep in their presence if you value your dignity."
"Mmph! Rrmph!" Fred attempted to say, looking mildly offended.
"I don't care," Katherine scowled, sticking a sugar quill in her mouth, "Sit there and suffer, maybe I'll take it off before we get to the castle."
"Did you understand that or are you guessing?" Lee asked curiously, Katherine smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"He wanted to say 'We wouldn't dream of such a thing! Though mostly because you're scary when you get woken up,'" she replied easily, everyone looked to Fred who nodded his affirmation.
"How did you do that?" Alicia demanded, because, really, that shouldn't be possible.
"I am amazing," Katherine replied with a shrug, "Or maybe Fred's predictable."
"Rmph!" Fred objected.
"Whatever, you know that was just a jab at you, why are you so argumentative?"
"I think having Spello-tape over his mouth may put him in a bad mood," George said sagely, nodding seriously as he did so. Everyone stared at him for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. In the middle of the Katherine reached over and swiftly pulled the tape of Fred mouth.
"BLOODY MOTHER OF MERLIN!" Fred yelled, covering his mouth with his hand while Katherine tried to shake off the Spello-tape. This merely made everyone else laugh even harder and the two of them soon joined in.
"So why are they racing Katherine?" Katie asked curiously, sitting down beside Lee, Angelina and Alicia.
"They see to think it'll make them faster," Alicia informed her.
"Plus Katherine enjoys it," Angelina laughed, sitting up, "What'd you just have."
"Defence," Katie snorted, "A thrill, as always."
"Only a week and he's driving everyone barmy," Lee snorted, watching amusedly as Katherine did a cartwheel and the twins stumbled in surprise.
"He was driving everyone barmy after the first day," Alicia replied, with a roll of her eyes.
"No kidding," Katie nodded, "So, how long till you think the twins give up and accept she'll always be faster than them?"
"Well, we think she could have lapped them a few times already if she could be bothered," Angelina replied, watching them amusedly, "I'm pretty sure she's just attempting to burn of some of their excess energy."
"Or she's plotting to push them into the lake," Lee suggested as Katherine led them slightly closer to the bank.
"Would she do that?" Alicia asked, watching them slightly more closely.
"Well…yep," Katie announced, with a laugh as Katherine pushed the boys in, only a little ways away from them and took off away from the water, laughing loudly.
"Katherine!" the twins whined loudly, dragging their dripping self's up to the group.
"Yes?" Katherine asked innocently, smiling at them.
"Now were all wet," George whined, Fred nodded with a pout.
"I was bored of running," Katherine shrugged, "And it's not like it's the worst that's ever happened to you."
"Or you," Fred pointed out, leaping at her. Katherine pulled her wand instantly, but Fred was on top of her in a moment. "Ha!" he declared triumphantly.
"I'm still dry Fred," Katherine pointed out amusedly. Fred frowned and looked them both over for a sign of water. There was none.
"Huh," he said intelligently.
"Are you're spells getting faster?" Katie asked curiously.
"My reactions are faster, spells occur at the same speed," Katherine explained, still pinned under Fred, "Plus I'm getting into the habit of saying my incantations quietly, they're helpful traits with these two as friends."
"That's unimportant," George announced, "When do I get dry?"
"Ang, will you dry George? I'd hate to interrupt Fred's attempt to crush me," Katherine asked, allowing hers eyes to slip closed as she lay on the grass, "No, actually Fred, I'm having trouble breathing, get off."
"No," Fred pouted, Katherine sighed and suddenly shifted, flipping them over.
"There, you didn't move," she informed him, rolling off him and back onto the grass, "And I can breathe again, so we both win."
"Are you calling me fat?"
"No, I'm saying that when you lie on top of me it crushes my lungs, there's a difference."
"Is there?"
Katherine made a small, irritated noise, which sounded like confirmation.
"Muscle weighs more than fat," Katie offered helpfully, "I think you tired her out with the running."
"Nah, she's really been throwing herself into school work," George replied, "It's weird, like she's got way more to do than she's letting on."
Katherine's breathing had evened out as Fred watched her curiously. He looked back as George spoke, meeting his eyes and sighing. They'd talked about it a little, and they suspected that her father was being…stricter, now that her brother was at school, and had successfully maintained family honour and…stuff. They didn't follow any of the high class pureblood stuff. Either way, she seemed to be working twice as hard to get the same amount done, to say they were worried was a mild understatement.
"Yeah, we noticed that," Angelina nodded, George was now sitting beside her, "Alicia and I have been trying to work out how we could slip her a dreamless slip potion just to make sure that she is sleeping."
"That's a bad idea," Fred disagreed, "She'd be furious."
"No kidding," Alicia snorted, "But imagine what it's going to be like next year."
"Oh yeah, you all have your OWL's next year don't you?" Katie frowned, "That's gonna suck."
"We'll be fine," George shrugged, "We can study with Katherine and make sure she's not over doing it."
"That's a good plan George," Angelina smiled.
"Yeah, but can we not talk about OWL's? It's kind of depressing," Lee requested, the others laughed.
"Look on the bright side guys," Katie advice, "We won't be getting any important work for Defense right?"
"Fair enough," Alicia nodded,, laying back on the grass like Katherine, without the intention of falling asleep, "Bloody idiot."
"So, when do you think Oliver's going to start getting on your case about Quidditch?" Lee asked, the other's all groaned.
"Why would you do that?" Fred whined, "We were all happy and relaxed."
"C'mon, guys, it's not that bad," Angelina sighed, "And you love playing."
"Sure, playing, but we also love sleep," George pointed out, nodding seriously, "Sleep is good."
"I'm with the twins," Alicia announced, sticking her arm into the air.
"Mm, too loud," Katherine groaned, rolling onto her side, still sleeping. The others watched her curiously.
"She talks in her sleep?" Katie asked, looking to Angelina and Alicia, they shared a room after all. The girls both just shrugged. They normally slept longer than her anyway.
"Only when she's really tired," Fred answered for them.
"Or having nightmares," George added, "But that doesn't happen very often."
"And it's pretty easy to tell the difference," Fred finished.
"Guys, that's…a little weird," Lee informed them carefully, "Especially when the two who shared a room with her didn't realise."
"Before Fred realised he was terrified of Katherine right after she'd been woken up we used to attempt pranks on her when she slept," George explained, "Unfortunatly she seemed to recognised this possibility and made sure she had something to throw around the room before she got out of bed."
"I'm not terrified of her," Fred grumbled, "She's a weirdo."
The others laughed and Fred glared at them a little before he shrugged and joined in easily. It was starting to get late and they quietly discussed what'd be for dinner as they watched the lake.
"Guys," Fred said slowly, after a moment of staring at Katherine, "Who's waking her up?"
Silence fell for a moment as they each stared at her sleeping form.
"Shot not!" several voices yelled suddenly.
"That's not fair!" Fred whined, the others got up and dusted themselves off.
"We'll make sure to save you some food," Angelina promised with a smile.
"Thanks Angie," George smiled back, waving as she followed the others into the castle, when she was gone he turned to Fred, "Well, wake her up then."
Fred glowered at him while George grinned. They sat in silence for a moment until Fred sighed and cautiously moved towards their sleeping friend. He gently shook her, her only response was to mumble incoherently.
"Why do I have to do it?" Fred sighed, looking at George.
"Because you were the one ogling her in her sleep," George grinned, "You know you'd be making me do it if it was Angie."
Fred grumbled his grudging assent before turning back to Katherine. He shook her again and an annoyed look came to her face. He thought this was progress, until she rolled over, toward him, and was all but lying in his lap. A little ways a way he knew George was killing himself trying not to laugh but he refused to look at his brother. He took a deep breath and said, impressively calmly, he thought.
"Katty, c'mon, you need to wake up. It's dinner time, you must be hungry."
"Mm, food," Katherine mumbled sleepily, but she was moving more now, stretching a bit.
"Yeah, food, and if we don't get there soon it'll all be eaten," Fred said seriously.
"That's an exaggeration," Katherine mumbled, sitting up and stretching before she began rubbing sleep out of her eyes and blinked at Fred, "Besides, you two would come with me to the kitchens if I missed dinner. Though, partially because leaving me sleeping alone out here would be a really stupid idea."
"That we would, Kat," George assured, "No need to be threatening."
"Yeah, and how come you woke up so easily?" Fred asked.
"It's a matter of how and where Fred, the ground is nowhere near as comfortable as a bed," Katherine informed him seriously, "And I wasn't threatening. Did the others go ahead?"
"Yeah, they said they'd meet us for eating," George nodded.
"Let's get going, I'm starved," Fred declared, stretching languidly as he stood up.
"Me too," Katherine agreed, allowing him to help her up, "To dinner then?"
"After you," Fred and George both bowed, giving her rather extravagant bows.
"Why thank you," Katherine smiled, "Maybe I'll fall asleep on the grounds more often."
"If you do we'll have to start carrying you back up to the dormitory," Fred laughed, "That'd be a fun one to explain to McGonagall."
"Oh I can see it now," Katherine nodded, putting on an imitation of McGonagall, "Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley what are you…FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!"
"No good, it's not the same without the thin lips," George said wisely, Katherine's eyes narrowed and her lips became rather thin. The boys watched her warily for a moment before she burst into laughter.
"That, is incredibly difficult," she informed them once she'd finished laughing, "Now come on, I'm actually really hungry."
"Can you believe that bloody git?"
"Had half a mind to curse him myself."
"I hope Ron's ok."
"You heard Harry, they're taking him to Hagrid he'll be fine."
"There is no way that note would have been legit."
"Oliver's going to be even worse after this you know?"
"You guys are back early," Katherine greeted, sipping an unknown drink as the grumbling Quidditch team, minus Seeker and Keeper, came into the room. A familiar black cat was curled up in her lap and she was stroking it benignly. Taman merely purred blissfully, unaware of the disdainful looks she was receiving.
"What ever happened wasn't her fault," Katherine reminded them peaceably, "What happened to practise?"
"The Slytherins," Katie said darkly, sitting down on one of the sofa's.
"Apparently Malfoy bought his way onto the team," Alicia added, looking equally disgusted, "The whole team has Nimbus 2001's. Little prat."
"Oh," said Katherine lightly, continuing to pet Taman, "So, in summary, even with new brooms they're feeling so insecure that they cheated their way into taking your practise time?"
"…err."
"Life must be good when you can find the good side of things like that," Angelina smiled.
"Must be," Katherine agreed, "Now will someone tell me what you're actually upset about?"
"Well, that's just not fair," Alicia huffed, "I hate your 'I know everything' ability."
"Is that what you're calling it now?" Katherine asked with an amused smirk.
"Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood," Katie finally explained, Katherine blinked at her then looked down at Taman.
"Oh," was all she said, almost thoughtfully, then, "And?"
"And what?" Fred asked, "You want more than that?"
"Not necessarily, but you can't tell me that was it and no one did anything," Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Ron tried to curse him," George offered, making a slight face, "He's been having issues with his wand though. It didn't go well."
"He was spewing up slugs," Fred added, "They went to see Hagrid though, so he'll be fine."
"Ugh, not much to do with that curse though, it's more of a wait it out thing," Katherine nodded, looking disgusted, "Someone should really come up with a counter-curse."
"I feel we should worry about your clear knowledge on this, and yet, I can't bring myself to be surprised," Alicia huffed with a roll of her eyes, Katherine just smiled at her.
"Why don't you guys go get changed?" she suggested, "You can't want to stay in those robes all day. Her friends all gave their assent and disappeared off into their rooms. She sat for a moment before turning to Taman.
"Should I do something mildly evil?" she asked, Taman just blinked at her. Sighing Katherine nodded and pull a small box from her pocket. It held a minor curse, looking like a fairly simple silver ring. It's actually been a holiday project from her dad. Why she had it in her pocket? She wasn't about to leave it sitting around the dorm room. It was tied tightly and wasn't likely to be opened by accident. The curse itself wouldn't do extreme harm, it wasn't any worse than spitting up slugs. It'd be embarrassing though, and funny to anyone watching. In actuality it might not even be considered a curse. She'd been playing around with it.
"OK, take the note to Theo same as normal, and you know with one's Draco's bed, right?" Taman blinked and Katherine took that for understanding, "OK, off you go then."
She got up and opened the portrait hole, allowing the cat to make its way silently down the hall. She'd just sat back down when everyone else came back into the Common room.
"So what are we doing today?" Fred asked flopping down onto the couch. George promptly flopped down on top of him. Katie followed suit.
"Dog pile," Alicia shrugged, flopping on top of them.
"I'm not joining in with this," Katherine informed them while Angelina sat on the arm of her chair, "And I think you've killed Fred."
There was a muffled noise coming from the bottom of the bottom of the pile and Fred's arms and legs flailed comically before going still. Katherine and Angelina sat, watching, for a moment before they looked at each other.
"You, missed breakfast," Katherine informed her.
"Yeah, Ron made that pretty clear when he showed up," Angelina nodded.
"Ah, fair enough," Katherine replied, looking back to the pile, "Now I really think you killed him. George you killed your own brother. Your mother will not be pleased."
George gave a muffle reply and Katherine rolled her eyes, looking to Angelina.
"Your turn, I can't be bothered."
"Ok," Angelina sighed, "Alicia, Katie, are you two hungry?"
"Yes!" They both announced, heads shooting up.
"Then get off the two who'll fetch us food."
The other two girls both got up and, rather ungracefully, collapsed onto another couch. George allowed himself to slid onto the floor and Fred took melodramatic gasps of air. Katherine and Angelina laughed slightly before Katherine stood up.
"I'll go with them, be back soon," Katherine smiled, "Hurry up you two, look what I got."
Katherine waved the folded Marauder's map in the air and both the twins' heads shot up. Looking first at Katherine, then at each other, then at Katherine again.
"How do you keep doing that?" they demanded, jumping off the floor and following after her.
"What I miss?" Lee yawned, coming lazily down the stairs, "Hey, aren't you guys supposed to be at practise?"
~Later as the group heads to dinner~
"Did you see Malfoy?"
"What do you think happened?"
"Man, that was hilarious!"
"I heard Snape's furious."
"Wait, what happened to Malfoy?" George asked the air, nobody answered. The different groups kept mumbling and laughing amongst themselves. Upon entering the Great Hall Angelina, Alicia and Katie – the ones who tended not to get into trouble – immediately moved away from the other four as an enraged looking McGonagall approached.
"Boys, this time you have gone too far," McGonagall snapped as she reached them, people paused as they passed, this was always amusing.
"Have we?" Fred asked in genuine surprise, "What've we done?"
"Is this the Malfoy thing everyone's been talking about?" George asked curiously.
"You expect me to believe that you have nothing to do with Mr Malfoy's sudden inability to speak without bubbles coming from his mouth?" McGonagall questioned, all three of the boys' jaws dropped, "As if the fluorescent spots weren't enough, and that's not even mentioning the moths that keep coming out of his ears."
"Aw, I wanna see that so bad," Lee whined, Fred and George meanwhile seemed stuck between awed and horrified. Possibly disappointed.
"We need to meet this person," Fred said seriously, "We need to meet them and make them join us."
"And become an unstoppable force of nature," George nodded fiercely. McGonagall eyed the three of them sceptically while Katherine rolled her eyes.
"You lot really had nothing to do with this?" McGonagall demanded.
"We only wish," Fred and George sighed,
"Oh, Professor, when you work out who did it, will you tell us?" Lee asked excitedly, Fred and George both looked up at McGonagall with bright eyes. Katherine smacked herself in the face. McGonagall's eye twitched and for a moment it looked like she was going to roll her eyes, but then she merely shook her head and walked away, mumbling something to herself they couldn't hear.
"I think that's a no," Alicia offered, the twins pouted.
"I wonder who did do it though, they've got to have guts," Angelina said thoughtfully as they continued to their table.
"Yeah, I wonder," Katie said quietly, smirking up at Katherine as the pair walked a little ways behind the other, "Don't go bullying the younger years now Kat."
"I'll bully you if you tell the twins it was me," Katherine shot back, unable to hold back her own smirk, "And, really, Taman was the one who delivered it. It's not like Malfoy had to open the mysterious box that appeared on his bed."
"Please, you've known him pretty much his whole life, you knew he was going to do it."
"I bloody hoped it would, I didn't want someone else opening that thing," Katherine snorted, making a face. As she sat down she looked over at the Slytherin table. Theodore grinned at her, looking like he was with holding laughter. Good to know everyone was getting a good laugh out of it.
Because even the Slytherins laugh when a Slytherin gets it, if it's actually funny. Very little actualy happened in this chapter. Sorry.
As always I welcome ideas, and criticism I suppose, but I think I'd prefer ideas. R&R.