Kat woke up to darkness. She reached around searching for her wand and when she couldn't find it she began to panic. In her panic, she twisted and hissed when she felt her right leg move.
"You're awake!" A voice exclaimed from the side of her bed.
Kat jumped but relaxed when the lights turned on and she saw a sleepy Padma sitting in a chair next to her bed.
"Merlin. You scared me half to death Padma!"
"Sorry! I woke up when I heard you start moving. When you hissed I knew you were awake! How are you feeling?!"
"Exhausted. And my right leg is on fire. What happened?"
"Well, in case you hadn't realized, you're in St. Mungos. We were waiting for you when you got to Shell Cottage. I'm honestly surprised that you were able to apparate in the state you were in. The healers say that you were way past comfortable magical levels for apparation. That's why you feel so exhausted. But you splinched yourself. You were missing an entire chunk out of your right calf and your right thigh. You also were hit in the chest by a pretty nasty splicing hex."
Kat's eyes widened when she heard the extent of the damage.- She relaxed against the pillows but almost immediately she straightened back up.
"What about Draco?! Is he okay? Where is he?"
Padma stood up and gently pushed Kat back down onto the bed.
"Calm down, your leg still isn't healed yet! Draco's fine. He was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse but the healers have said that he'll be fine. Due to his, past, he seemed to have a higher tolerance to the after effects of dark magic than most. He'll be fine. He woke up last night."
Kat was unwilling to wait. She gently removed Padma's hands and sat up before swinging her legs around to the side of the bed. Ignoring the shooting pain in her leg she stood up beside the bed.
"Where is he?"
Padma must have seen that Kat wasn't going to budge because she quickly relented.
"Fine. I'll take you there."
Kat was incredibly thankful that Padma walked slowly to Draco's room. Despite that, she continued to hobble a good distance behind the former Ravenclaw. Unwilling to show weakness, she was hoping that Draco would still be asleep when she walked in.
When they walked in Ernie quickly vacated the chair next to Draco's chair. She walked with an unsteady gait over to the newly vacant chair. Unfortunately she didn't reach it before Draco woke up.
"What the bloody hell did you do to yourself?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." Kat muttered.
Ernie rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, if apparating with almost no energy left and then splinching a good chunk of your right leg is fine. Then yes. She's fine."
Kat ignored the glare that Draco sent her way in favor of staring Ernie down until he stepped a few feet away. She then turned back towards Draco.
"Really I'm fine. I'll be right as rain in a few days. How are you feeling?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"I've felt better."
He leaned back against the pillows before suddenly straightening.
"Wait, that means that you were the person who got me out of there?"
Kat was confused. "Umm, yes."
Draco exploded at Kat. "How could you? You know how dangerous that artifact is."
Kat, confused, took a moment before replying. "And your point is?"
"You risked everything by coming for me! You can't risk the mission for someone else."
By this point Kat had stood up and her voice had gotten rather shrill.
"Risk the mission? By coming for you?"
"Yes by coming for me! The artifact could've fallen back into their hands!"
Kat, now realizing exactly why Draco was angry, was both amused and exceptionally angry.
"Listen here, I took the artifact back before I came back for your sorry arse. I'm quite offended that you think so lowly of me, and that you think I don't care about you or these missions. Secondly, of course I came back for you. I care about you, you stupid git."
Without waiting for a reply, Kat stubbornly marched out of the room.
A week later and Kat was finally back in the office. She was lounging around in one of the chairs reading a recent book on Ancient Runes and their warding properties when Draco walked in. He wasn't alone however, Kingsley walked in behind him. Kat tried to catch Draco's eye but he wouldn't look at her.
"I want to apologize for the trouble that I've brought. I'm a liability to this team. I was caught and I'm so easily recognizable. If it had been a random bloke off the street, they wouldn't have known who he was and a lie could have easily been concocted. I can't keep putting this team or the mission at risk. So, I'm quitting."
What the bloody hell is this? This isn't how Malfoy acts. This is excessively self-deprecating. I'm confused.
But before Kat could voice a question, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room leaving a very confused group behind him.