Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm a horrible person. I'm sorry I don't publish more often. Sorry.
"blah" = Bulgarian
"blah" = French
Katherine was, of course, right.
Not about Ron and Hermione, as Ron was apparently not talking to Harry anymore – which Katherine was not getting into because upset Weasley's where hard anough to deal with when they were her Weasley's, never mind Ron. Likely he would eventually relise he was being an ass, and Hermione would come to talk about how annoying it was that they made up like it was nothing and didn't consider all the stress they were under. Katherine had learnt a lot about Harry and Ron with her talks with Hermione, she needed more female friends– but about the amount of energy she needed.
Any time she wasn't studying she seemed to be chasing after one of her over-energetic friends. Never mind dealing with the new animosity between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and constantly having to work to avoid hordes of fangirls who seemed to be everywhere all the time.
"I quit!" Katherine announced, flopping onto the grass beside George and Danton, who were watching Fred and Ivana skip stones across the lake.
"What do you quit?" George asked. Danton just looked down at her curiously,
"Life," Katherine answered, staring up at the sky, "I quite life. I am exhausted and we haven't even gotten to the first task yet."
"Huh," George said with a raised eyebrow, then he shouted, "Fred! Katherine says she's quitting life."
"That was cruel and unusual," Katherine grumbled, glaring over at Fred.
"Vhat has happened?" Ivana asked curiously as she and Fred wandered over. Katherine scowled at the sky.
"Apparently we're tiring her out," George explained. Danton, on the other hand, pulled the daily prophet out of Katherine bag and offered it to Ivana before laying back down on the grass.
"The harpy of England!" Ivana exclaimed, "Vhat has she vitten now?"
"It's an interview with Harry," Fred said, reading over the Bulgarians shoulder, "Wow, this is worse than the stuff she writes about the Ministry. Apparently Harry willingly admitted he still cries about his parents."
"Really?" George asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yep, she's quoted him and everything," Fred nodded, before snorted and sitting beside Katherine, "You'd have to be an idiot to believe that rubbish. Especially with the lies she writes about the Ministry."
"The Ministry are idiots," Katherine pointed out, rolling her eyes to look at him, "And where do you guys get all your energy, because, seriously, you three have to be eating something I'm not. The amount of energy you have is unnatural."
"No, we just don't constrict ourselves as much as you do, and so it doesn't seem like such hard work," Fred said wisely, "We're having fun, you act like you're doing a chore."
"You're absolutely right," Katherine announced, sitting up suddenly, "Thanks, I'm outta here. Can you two get my bag back to the tower?"
"Wha-?"
"Sure thing Kat," George called, as she was already heading it the castle.
"Vhere is she going?" Ivana asked curiously.
"No idea," George shrugged.
"I have no idea what just happened," Fred snorted.
Ivana watched the pair for a moment, sitting herself beside Danton as the twins chatted. She glanced towards the castle Katherine had disappeared into before leaning down slightly towards Danton.
"We are certain they are not dating, yes?" she asked.
"They're not dating," Danton confirmed, "However there is still the ball so I would not concern yourself."
"You just don't want me bothering Katherine, do you?" Ivana pouted.
"Perhaps," Danton agreed lightly, "Besides, it is not our business. She has enough to deal with."
"Her father?" Ivana clarified, frowning slightly.
"He is worse than we remember him," Danton sighed, "Likely he will make the ball nothing but a nuisance to her."
"Then we must make sure she has fun," Ivana declared. Danton smirked slightly, murmuring to himself.
"My apologies Katherine."
…Meanwhile…
Fred was totally right.
Katherine hadn't even fully thought about it until he brought it up, but, Fred was totally right. She just needed to have some fun. No homework, no worrying about her crazy friends, no Rita Skeeter articles ruffling her feathers.
Katherine smiled mentally at the pun as she soared over the trees. She definitely hadn't been flying enough. Normally, though, she took her flights during the twins' Quidditch practises. They didn't have Quidditch this year and she hadn't thought about finding time to do it. Until now.
The twins got on well with Ivana and Danton, and they could always split up if they didn't get along. Fred and George were more than used to it being just the two of them, and Danton and Ivana were similar, to a lesser degree.
Maybe Fred and George were right, there was a lot of work this year, but it was the break (sort of) between OWLs and NEWTs. It wouldn't do any good over doing it and running herself into the ground. She could keep up with her work and relax. She'd been managing this long.
As long as there weren't too many surprises this year, aside from those that had already passed she would be fine.
"Come on Kat!" Fred yelled as Katherine made her way down the hall.
"I'm coming," Katherine rolled her eyes, "You've been to Hogsmead before, in fact we went last weekend, what's the rush?"
"Hogsmead," Fred just grinned. Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Hey Ron," she greeted, carefully hiding the frustration she currently felt towards the youngest Weasley boy for what he was putting his friends through, "You coming out with us today?"
"Yeah," Ron replied noncommittally. Katherine raised an eyebrow slightly, looks like he wasn't enjoying the separation either. Honestly, Weasley temper tantrums were no good for anyone.
"Are Ivana and Danton coming?" Lee asked curiously. He showed an unusual amount of interest for someone had only met the pair a few times. Katherine had her suspicions that he had a crush on Ivana, though if he did it was likely mostly based on her Quidditch knowledge, and not a serious thing. She'd asked Danton his thoughts and he'd just laughed, reminding her of how Ivana could be almost cruel with how she found her amusement.
He'd also demanded to know why Lee couldn't have a crush on him, but Katherine assumed, correctly, that it was just his unique humour coming through. The twins would love Danton's sense of humour if it wasn't for the fact he kept it so close to the chest.
"No," Katherine answered Lee, "I think Ivana's plotting something, she told me she couldn't come. Danton's keeping an eye on her. I think he's worried she's going to try and freak out the Beauxbatons girls."
"That'd be cool," Fred and George said with matching grins. Katherine rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, let's go," she suggested with a small amused smile "I could use a Butterbeer."
The group easily made their way into town, slipping into the Three Broomsticks with smiles to Rosmerta. Katherine forced the boys to go sit down while she got their drinks, and shared a smirk with Rosmerta.
A little later Hermione walked past the group, looking put out, and sat down by herself, pulling out what looked like her SPEW work.
"Hermione came on her own?" she asked, looking over at Hermione before looking towards Ron. All three of the Weasley's were being uncharacteristically quiet, Ron staring at his drink trying not to glance at Hermione, like he was every now and then, and Fred and George determinedly looking away from both Ron and Katherine, not wanting to get involved in their little brothers issues anymore.
Honestly, these three and their inability to cope with feelings.
"You'd think Harry would have wanted to get out for a bit," Lee said with a frown, easily missing the awkwardness of the other three boys. Whether on purpose or not Katherine didn't know. Ron's eyes narrowed now as he focused on the table Hermione was sitting at.
"Why don't you go sit with her?" Katherine suggested, since no one else was going to bring it up.
"No, I'll just bother her," Ron shook his head, returning to his drink, though he was still shooting partial glares towards Hermione's table.
"So where do you think Harry is?" Lee asked, and someone gave Katherine a light kick under the table. So they were aware of what was going on. Idiots.
"Probably in his dorm trying to pretend his life isn't in danger," Katherine offered somewhat sourly. Ron gave a small twitch that almost made him spill his butter beer down his front. Katherine should probably stop thinking about this. It wasn't really fair to get angry with Ron when she didn't know the whole story, and she wasn't always a saint when it came to emotional maturity either.
None the less she glanced towards Hermione again, considering joining her as the boys steered the conversation in another direction. That was apparently unnecessary, however, as she'd already been joined by Hagrid and Mad-eye Moody of all people.
Katherine easily returned to her conversation with the boys. If it had just been Hagrid she might have gone over, but, in contrast to Fred and George, she wasn't exactly a fan of Mad-eye.
She made a note to talk to Hermione later though. She knew how stressed the younger girl was.
"Vhere are you're friends?" Ivana asked, sitting down beside Katherine at the table. Katherine shrugged.
"I think they're trying to work out the first task," she offered carelessly.
"I thought they were just planning to skip class," Alicia snorted.
"No we've got charms next," Angelina shook her head, "They wouldn't skip charms."
"They're taking three classes each, they don't need to skip anything anymore," Katherine rolled her eyes, "They have more than enough free time."
"They are very clever," Ivana smirked, "I vish I could do that."
"You'd get bored with all that time on your hands," Katherine rolled her eyes, catching Angelina's eyes as she started to get up, "Go ahead, I'll catch up."
"Ok, see you Katherine," Angelina smiled, Alicia waved as they walked out together.
"It's a pity you two didn't come to Hogsmead," Katherine commented with a raised eyebrow.
"Ve have to be vith our own school sometimes," Ivana shrugged.
"Are you not supposed to be hanging out with me?" Katherine frowned.
"Ze tournament is supposed to encourage international co-operation," Danton supplied, "Zey cannot exactly protest eet."
"I suppose that's true," Katherine nodded, "Even if it's not working very well because so few Hogwarts students speak other languages."
"It is a bit boring," Ivana frowned.
"Can't really expect otherwise though," Katherine shrugged, "Hogwarts doesn't offer other languages and unless someone's parents speak another language there's not much inclination to learn more than one before you turn eleven."
"Zat makes ze school seem poorly put togezer," Danton chuckled.
"We had Dementors last year, something's poorly put together," Katherine snorted, "Anyway, I do actually have to go."
Katherine pushed away from the table, easily slipping though the crowds milling out of the hall on their way to class. She'd barely make it one time if she had to fight through the crowd, which was why most of the older students left earlier.
Most of them hadn't spent their time at Hogwarts running around with the Weasley twins.
Katherine slipping down a secret passageway and made her way unimpeded through the castle. She was almost at her classroom when she heard a familiar voice say quietly 'Diffindo'.
Katherine turned immediately to the voice she'd barely heard, half expecting to find the twins, even though she knew the voice didn't match. Instead of that she saw Harry hurrying forward towards Cedric, who was collecting the items that had fallen out of his recently split bag.
Katherine paused for a moment, weighing her curiouslity against the knowledge that it had nothing to do with her.
Her morality won out. It was always fifty-fifty in these cases of what she was going to do. She'd always been curious, even before the twins, and they hadn't made it any easier for her. With a sigh Katherine slipped into the charms class behind Cedric's friends, taking her usual seat beside Fred.
The boys were argueing quietly as they let over their parchment.
Still having trouble with Bagman then.
Katherine sighed again, siting back in her chair while she waited for Flitwick to start.
"Vell, it is certainly going to be an interesting task," Ivana commented as they stood in the stadium.
"Interesting?" Katherine repeated blankly, "I think about having to face a dragon like this and I can tell you my thoughts aren't exactly spells I knew as a fourth year. Or even one's that are legal."
"Didn't you read up on magical creatures in fourth year?" Fred asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," Katherine admitted, "But it takes multiple wizards to handle a dragon because their hide is so thick. Their weakness is their eyes, but if you attacked the eyes you'd probably use a conjunctivitis curse and that's not going to lead to a happy dragon."
"You would 'ave done well in ze tournament," Danton offered casually, smirking when Katherine gave him an irritated look.
"How would you get past," Fred asked curiously, "If it was you?"
"Play to my strengths," Katherine answered with a shrug, "Fly."
"Fly?" Fred repeated with a frown.
"Uh, yeah, distract it," Katherine covered, she'd actually been thinking of her animagus form, a dragon wouldn't see a bird as much of a threat, "If something's flying around it it'll have a hard time focusing on you on the ground."
"And you could do that with charms or transfiguration," George nodded, "Makes sense."
"Well, on the plus side Ron and Harry are friends again," Fred pointed out as they made their way back to the tower from the kitchens.
"Yeah, it only took a dragon," Katherine rolled her eyes, "Honestly, after that troll in first year making them friends with Hermione, and him making up with Ron after a dragon I'm beginning to worry about the basis of their friendships."
"We dropped a water balloon on you and you stunned Fred," George pointed out, "I don't think we can talk about questionable starts to friendships."
"That is a startlingly good point," Katherine frowned, "I used to make friends normally. Now its all water balloons and hair dye."
"Our friendship has grown strong from adversary," Fred declared proudly.
"Do you understand what you just said or are you just throwing words around?" Katherine asked with a raised eyebrow, easily dodging when Fred managed to toss a cupcake at her. Fred was not as lucky; Katherine pulled out her wand and dumped on his head.
"Katty!" Fred whined, "Now there's icing in my hair!"
"Good observation Fred," Katherine laughed easily, "But to be fair, you don't look much sillier than normal."
"You really want to go there," Fred challenged with a raised eyebrow. Katherine just smirked back and ducked behind George when Fred tossed a pudding at her. It got George in the face. Katherine and Fred both snorted.
"As good as ever," George informed them as he attempted to live the stuff off his face. Katherine snorted again.
"Here," she sighed as they got the Fat Lady, quickly cleaning both the boys up by vanishing the mess. The boys grinned at her as they entered the Common room. Katherine grinned, then she remembered; "Didn't you two what to put out something particular?"
"Oh yeeaahh," the boys said together, grins widening. Katherine felt a little bad about subjecting the other Gryffindors to the twins' new products, but at least they were the completed ones rather than the testers.
Some of those results were scary.
Still, there shouldn't be any real problems with the completed things. Besides, none of the Gryffindors staying up for the party were likely to have a problem with the anything once the shock wore off.
The party went excellently of course, with only the minor, if very loud, disruption of Harry opening his egg. Closely followed by Neville turning into a canary.
Katherine wouldn't exactly call her life at Hogwarts peaceful, between the twins and classes she always managed to have her hands full with something. Now that Ivana and Danton were at Hogwarts as well she was even busier. Ivana's energy could almost rival that of the twins all on her own.
Still, despite having to put up her overly energetic friends Katherine loved Hogwarts as much as any other student at Hogwarts. What she really enjoyed though, was the break from home. Her father was more than a little demanding, never mind all the pressure he put on her to make up for getting sorted into Gryffindor.
It was more than a little tiring, but at school she only had to worry about a few letters each years. Other than that she got to have fun with Fred and George, and hang out with Theodore without the expectations of her father looming over her head.
Of course that would change this year. Katherine really should have seen it coming. With all the important people and large events at Hogwarts this year, she should have seen it coming really, it was her own fault.
That didn't make the letter she was staring at any less infuriating.
"Katherine?" Angelina asked, concern in her voice.
"Katty? What's up?" Fred joined in, looking away from his discussion with Lee and George to look at her worriedly and then try to peak at her letter.
"Nothing," Katherine growled unintentionally, folding the letter and standing up, "I'm finished I'll see you later."
With that she turned and walked out of the hall. A few late risers moved out of her way, apparently believing she was prepared to curse them if they didn't.
She wouldn't have. Probably.
"Uh, what just happened?" Alicia asked, once the group had finished watching Katherine storm out of the great hall with her letter clenched in her hand.
"From her Dad," George said, looking over the envelope. He looked towards his twin who was, slowly, turning back to the group, a frown on his face.
"Hey, do you guys know anything about a ball?"
Sorry, again. God I suck.
Did you know at one point this was supoosed to be a short fic? Yeah...
Yule Ball next chapter! Hopefully sooner than this one. Sorry.