The arrival of May posed an annual challenge for Hogwarts students. The allure of lush green fields and the gentle caress of the warm spring sun mirrored the magnetic pull blossoms have on bees. However, amidst this enchanting backdrop, the impending end-of-year exams cast a shadow. Audible sighs echoed through the air as young witches and wizards, engrossed in their studies, diligently revised Shrinking charms and the intricate ingredients required for the perfect Ice potion.
Gryffindors were further troubled by the upcoming last Quidditch match for the season with Hufflepuff. To secure victories in both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup, the lions had to finish the game with a lead of at least one hundred points. The stakes were exceptionally high, prompting extensive hours of strategic planning. Catherine, with two of her closest friends on the Quidditch team, not to mention her brother, found herself immersed in the mounting anxiety surrounding what was dubbed 'the match of the year.'
In the week before the fateful Saturday, the tension was reaching a boiling point. The boys were completely unable to concentrate on anything else. As a result, both Sirius and James, messed up their transfiguration task. James inadvertently granted wings to the porcupine that was meant to become a pin cushion, while Sirius's attempt resulted in a complete petrification of the unfortunate animal. To the astonishment of everyone, Professor McGonagall refrained from scolding the second-years and even speared them from any additional homework.
"I understand we're all feeling a bit tense leading up to this Saturday. I truly hope the Gryffindor team puts forth their utmost effort and manages to bring the Quidditch Cup back to my office. It's been nearly four years since it last graced those shelves." – explained the teacher, a slight blush colouring her cheeks, as everyone gathered their belongings and prepared for lunch – "Miss Plantier, may we have a word?"
Catherine nodded and patiently waited for the rest of the class to leave, sharing an encouraging smile with Remus, who had hesitated at the entrance. Once the last student left the room, the Transfiguration teacher closed the door with a simple gesture, directing her attention towards the girl before her.
"Miss Plantier, I wish to inform you that I've discussed your recent incident during the Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Thorne and Professor Dumbledore."
Catherine held her breath for a second. She had initially been surprised that her Head of House hadn't reacted immediately after her outburst in front of Thorne. The young witch hoped that since it had been almost a week, there wouldn't have been any additional consequences besides the detention she was yet to serve.
"Unfortunately, I did not succeed in getting Professor Thorne to revoke your detention." – continued McGonagall.
"I beg your pardon?" – Catherine said, staring at her teacher in disbelief.
'She actually tried to get my detention revoked? What's happening?' – the girl thought confused.
"You would need to report to Professor Thorne's office, tonight after dinner." – explained the older witch with a grim expression – "However, I would like you to promise me something."
"I'll do my best to control my temper." – Catherine assured her hastily.
"That's not what I meant, Miss Plantier, although such effort would certainly benefit your personal development." – the Transfiguration teacher shook her head, the corners of her mouth trembling slightly – "I would like you to promise that you'll notify me right away if Professor Thorne behaves in a manner which is not appropriate for a teacher."
Catherine slightly tilted her head to the right, carefully observing the Head of Gryffindor as she was regarding her in a completely different light. The black-haired girl felt a twinge of shame for misjudging Professor McGonagall. Witnessing the chemistry between her and the Thorne, Catherine had assumed the Transfiguration teacher was a lost cause, automatically deducting that she would take her colleague's side.
"Thank you, Professor," – the student finally answered – "I'll keep that in mind. I'm grateful for your care, but rest assured I've had my fair share of trouble for this year, and I'll stay away from any potential escalation with Professor Thorne."
"Glad to hear it." – nodded McGonagall – "Every point Gryffindor has counts. Now, off you go before you miss lunch."
'I have the feelingthat Thorne won't be happy McGonagall didn't take his side, especially if she went to Dumbledore. Not that the Headmaster did anything, apparently. Since I enrolled in Hogwarts, he hasn't even looked at me twice. So long for teaching me advanced magic.' – thought Catherine sullenly, walking towards the Great Hall.
Though, for her utter surprise, and moderate disappointment, Carter Thorne seemed completely indifferent that evening, when the girl presented herself at the door of his office. He just responded to her greeting and casually motioned towards a small desk that was placed in one of the corners of the room.
"Your task for the next two hours is reading the book you would find on the desk in front of you and take notes on the important passages." – explained the teacher and left the room.
Catherine stared after him for a few seconds, then took a seat and glanced at the hefty red volume, placed next to some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink.
'Mastering the Art of Fiery Spells by Emeric G. Infernius… well, it looks fitting.' – the young witch thought and opened the book.
"So, he just leaves you alone to read a book?" – asked Remus while he and Catherine joined Peter who had saved them two great seats among the red and gold crowd, buzzing on the Quidditch stands.
"And take notes." – added the girl – "I'm really confused what's his end game there."
"Maybe he had realised he made a mistake?" – suggested the Gryffindor boy.
"I doubt he's capable of such personal growth, plus if he did realise, he had made a mistake why didn't he revoke the detention?" – the young witch stubbornly tossed her hair back.
"I don't know, but he didn't bother you during the last class, did he?" – Remus replied.
"Yeah, he completely ignored me." – laughed the girl – "Apparently, he just can't do anything in moderation when it concerns me. Anyway, it's about time for the match to start."
Almost like taking her cue, the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff teams appeared on the field, prompting the students to erupt in cheers. The Quidditch pitch was lively with anticipation because the outcome of the game was about to determine the winner of the Quidditch Cup and most likely the winner of the House Cup.
The weather was perfect – bright, sunny, and clear, setting the stage for an intense match. The players from both teams were ready to perform at the top of their abilities, especially the Gryffindors, for whom the stakes were the highest. Patrick Blackwood shook hands with the Hufflepuff's captain and one of their Beaters, Caradoc Dearborn, before Madame Hooch's whistle signalled the beginning of the match.
Sirius didn't waste much time and swiftly got hold of the Quaffle, weaving through the opposing team's defence with breathtaking precision. He sent the big red ball soaring through the left goal hoop, completely outplaying Keegan Macmillan, the Hufflepuff's Keeper, and earning Gryffindor their first ten points.
In the skies above, James Potter was playing a game of cat and mouse with Hufflepuff's Seeker, Bennett Thornfield. Their broomsticks whizzed through the air, performing daring dives and barrel rolls as both of them pretended they were chasing the elusive Golden Snitch. The crowd below were getting agitated and excited after every sharp turn, very few people actually able to notice if the small golden ball was indeed anywhere nearby.
At this time, Greg McMahon was showcasing his extraordinary reflexes, blocking shots with a combination of nimble manoeuvres and strategic anticipation. Gryffindors erupted in cheers as he executed a gravity-defying mid-air save, preventing Hufflepuff from closing the point gap.
Twenty minutes later, the game intensified and Hufflepuffs finally managed to score some goals, mainly due to the remarkable synergy between Owen Spinnet and Daisy Diggory who were splendid Chasers and even better when playing together. Shortly after, Sirius orchestrated a perfectly timed series of passes between him and Marigold Weasley, creating a dazzling display of teamwork in their turn. The synchronised manoeuvres left the Hufflepuff Keeper bewildered and Gryffindor supporters roaring with approval.
After another twenty minutes, the score hung in the balance. It was then when James Potter spotted the glint of the Golden Snitch near the Hufflepuff hoops. The problem was that Bennett Thornfield apparently saw it too. The two boys darted towards the Hufflepuff field. James' flying, however, was better than his rival's. The Gryffindor executed a breathtaking corkscrew spin to dodge a Bludger, sent towards him by Edgar Bones, narrowly avoiding a collision with Bennett. With lightning-fast reflexes, James closed his fingers around the elusive Snitch, securing victory for Gryffindor.
The stands were all silent. Everyone was trying to calculate the necessary points for Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup. Then, slowly, and painfully came the realisation that the Snitch had been caught before Gryffindor reached the crucial 100-point lead. The Quidditch Cup slipped from their grasp, resulting in Slytherin being crowned the final winners.
Catherine saw how the crowd, dressed in green and silver, despite their team not even participating in the match, roared in delight. The young witch decided to leave the stands as quickly as possible, throwing a last glance back at Slytherins who were now carrying some of their Quidditch players on their shoulders. The platinum blond hair of Valeria Malfoy was clearly visible among the sea of her peers, making the black-haired girl physically sick.
'I guess, I did become too involved in Quidditch and House rivalry.' – sighed the girl, averting her eyes from the Slytherins.
Sirius Black was standing silently under the ice-cold water pouring from the shower. He didn't even move a muscle. His teammates had left long time ago, except for James who was still in there as well, judging from the occasional loud curses.
'What the fuck happened? We had the best team this year! Everyone was great, even Greg bloody McMahon… And yet, we've lost the Cup.' – thought Sirius and slammed his fist at the wall, finally finding the strength to get out of the shower and face the inevitable reality of their collective failure as a team.
The boy took his towel from the hanger, and glanced towards the sound of running water, coming from the last shower cabin.
"Come on, James! No point in spending more time there, mate. Let's face it – we've screwed up." – the boy shouted.
The water stopped abruptly. James Potter emerged, angry and flushed. He grabbed his own towel and kicked the innocent laundry hamper left there by the school's house-elves.
"I'm the only one who screwed up, Sirius, and I did it spectacularly! If I had been able to distract Thornfield, we could have won the Cup, but since he had seen the Snitch, it was already over."
"I know this, mate!" – Sirius said empathically – "It was either win the match but lose the Cup or lose the match and lose the Cup. You did the right thing."
"Why do I feel like a complete loser then?" – asked James bitterly, heading towards the lockers.
"If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way." – sighed Sirius, following his best friend.
"See, Moony? I told you there would be a party… a pity party, but still counts!"
The two boys heard Catherine's laughter, and almost simultaneously looked up to see her seated comfortably on one of the long benches in the locker room, leaning her back against Remus who was also sitting there and smiling gently.
"How very funny!" – said James sulkily. He went to his locker to grab his clothes.
"All Catherine's trying to say is that it was a great game and none of you have any reason to be ashamed, even though we didn't win the Cup." – Remus tried to mend the situation.
"Yeah, but at the end of the day, we've lost, and we'll be hearing about this from Slytherins perpetually." – groaned Sirius glumly.
"Big deal, they always find something to mock and tease us about. If it's not that, it would be something else." – shrugged Catherine.
"But this time they have a legitimate reason. We've lost because we were not playing as a team. We have such great players we became way too cocky after that first match, and we thought the Cup was as good as ours!" – moaned James, disappearing behind the opened door of his locker, in order to dress up.
"Well, now that you realise what the problem was, you could fix it next year." – suggested Remus.
"If we even make the team again." – groaned Sirius, pacing around.
"Of course you're going to make the team!" – said Catherine confidently – "Both of you are truly amazing and it had only been your first year playing."
"If we indeed do, I assure you that, it's going to be very different this time. For victory, I'm even ready to work with Greg McMahon." – Sirius nodded decisively.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it appears you're actually growing up and getting smarter!" – Catherine chuckled, winking at Sirius.
"Don't hold your breath." – warned James, emerging behind the locket's door fully dressed – "This determination will shatter the moment we're back on the pitch training."
"It won't!" – protested Sirius.
Something about the boy's facial expression made Catherine giggle. He looked like a puppy that had been caught chewing the sofa and trying to show its remorse by just being cute.
"Come on, James, let's leave so Sirius can get dressed and head back to the Common Room. You'll see that nobody blames you and people did appreciate the team and the efforts you put throughout the year."
"Oh, you can stay if you wish." – said Sirius cheekily – "It appears that you've developed a habit of sneaking uninvited into the Changing Room and it's not that you would see something you haven't seen already."
Remus and James burst laughing, and Catherine turned her head away, trying to ignore the heath radiating from her now completely red face.
As it turned out Gryffindors were indeed supportive of their team and while they couldn't hide the disappointment for not winning the Quidditch Cup, the majority considered this just a setback while being confident about the team's inevitable success in the future.
Peter Pettigrew was in fact so supportive that after the end of the game, he attempted to get some treats from the Kitchens to lift the spirits of James and Sirius. Unfortunately, Peter being Peter, combined with some bad luck, led to a week detention with Filch.
"He made me clean every bathroom in this castle with a toothbrush, I swear!" – the boy was complaining to James and Remus, while they were waiting for Professor Slughorn to allow them into the Potions classroom.
"I can't believe you managed to step on Mrs Norris' tail." – chuckled James.
"It wasn't on purpose!" – Peter objected defensively – "She decided to lie down just in front of the Kitchens' door… and she was not there when I entered. She was probably spying on me! That's why I hate cats."
"From what I see, the feelings are mutual." – James shrugged – "The scratches that Nyx gave you two weeks ago are still visible on your skin."
"This is not a cat. It's some kind of a demon!" – Peter snapped, feeling cold chills thinking about the blazing green eyes of the Kneazle.
"Who's a demon?" – asked Sirius, had just arrived with Catherine.
"Flame's familiar." – James giggled.
Catherine scowled and looked at Peter in such a way he felt ready to accept another week of detention with Filch if that would have allowed him to escape the present situation.
"No, she's quite a nice kitten… just a bit playful." – he tried to smooth things.
Thankfully, Professor Slughorn arrived at that moment, accompanied by the Slytherins, and for the first time ever, Peter was more than happy for the Potions class to commence.
Slughorn was in an excellent mood, a big part of it due to the Slytherin's victory in the Quidditch tournament. However, he proved himself to be a gracious winner and besides a few vague remarks he didn't comment on the matter. On the contrary, he decided to dedicate that particular class on revision for the upcoming end-of-the-year exams and allowed the students to brew whatever potion they wanted from the second-year curriculum.
Catherine browsed impatiently through the pages of her copy of Magical Drafts and Potions, wondering what potions Snape will choose. Realising the direction of her thoughts, the young witch hissed in annoyance. She felt truly pathetic. While she could brew excellent potions, she just couldn't get to Snape's level, and this frustrated her to no end.
"What's the matter?" – asked Sirius, who was chopping dragon liver nearby.
"I can't decide what potion I should make." – the girl lied immediately. There was no way in hell she would willingly admit she put so much effort into competing with Snape.
"You'll figure it out." – Sirius said confidently – "You have an excellent intuition, just make whatever you feel like making."
Catherine smiled faintly and opened the book at a random page.
'Girding Potion… okay, I've tried impressing Slughorn the regular way, and it didn't work. Maybe it's time to indeed follow my instincts.' – the girl thought and quickly started preparing the ingredients she needed.
They had learnt how to make Girding Potion sometime in December and Catherine vividly remembered the unbelievable stench the green liquid produced during the whole brewing process. The girl contemplated in front of her empty cauldron. Then, all of a sudden, she got an idea and quickly dashed towards the storage area, returning swiftly with a small vile of green mucus. She quickly gathered her two braids into a roll and pinned them on top of her head using her wand, making sure no hair would get in the way.
At the end of the class, Slughorn was moving among the steaming cauldrons, correcting some mistakes here and there. He spent good five minutes praising Snape's impeccable Confusing Concoction.
"Truly remarkable, but Severus, my boy, you do need to follow my instructions a little bit better next time. This is a potion we're yet to learn how to make next year!" – said the Potion Master, chuckling, without as much as a shadow of being disappointed by his student's blatant disregard for the task they were supposed to accomplish.
"I wanted a challenge, and I don't need to revise the second-year curriculum." – came the arrogant response by Snape, earning another chuckle by Slughorn.
Catherine felt the overwhelming desire to grab the Slytherin's cauldron and pour it on top of his head but instead she turned her attention to the professor who had finally arrived at her table.
"Now, what do we have here, Catherine?" – he asked, bending down to take a closer look at the Girding Potion which was just the right shade of forest green – "Is this a Girding Potion? But it doesn't have the specific smell it supposed to?"
"I made some modifications. It turned out that a little bit of Enlargeslug mucus completely neutralises the reek, produced mainly due to the doxy eggs and it does not compromise the intended effect of the potion." – the young witch explained to the beaming Slughorn, while quickly catching a glance of Snape's sulky face in the corner of her eye.
"Hahah, two stenches that counter each other! What a marvellous and ingenious idea, my dear girl! Ten points to Gryffindor!" – Slughorn said, clapping his hands – "I'm very pleased with the progress of the class and I'm positive that everyone is on the right track and will do just fine on the Potions exam! Keep up the good work!"
Catherine smirked with satisfaction and started collecting her stuff when she heard someone approaching.
"Catherine, dear," – said Slughorn, smiling – "I know this might be a little bit of a last-minute invitation but this Saturday I'm organising a small tea party for a few selected students. It's going to be the last one for the year and I would love if you can join us!"
"Thank you, Professor. I'll be delighted to attend your party." – immediately responded the young witch, feeling a rush of excitement through her body.
"Excellent! Five o'clock, on the little meadow next to the school herb garden!" – the Potion Master smiled broadly with the look of a spider who had just coughed a juicy fly – "It was a lot of work persuading Professor Sprout to let me use this place, believe me, but it's going to be a great party! Robes are not mandatory of course!"
"Looking forward to it!" – smiled Catherine, her mind already busy with plans how to approach her teacher in order to acquire the information she so desperately needed for preparing the Animagi Potion.
'This tea party is probably my last chance to achieve some progress on the Animagi transformation this year.' – thought Catherine while looking at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a cute knee-length white dress she borrowed from Lily, since she hadn't brought any dresses from home. It was a bit too short than the original design because Catherine was taller than Lily, but it wasn't unacceptable.
'It makes me look childish.' – concluded the young witch with a pout and daunted her ankle-high white sneakers. The shoes were much bigger problem but nobody from her friends had appropriate footwear, and she didn't have enough time to order suitable flats or small heels. Therefore, she decided to be adventurous and cast a Whitening Spell on her sneakers, so they can at least appear new.
'Well, my mom always says that one should not follow the fashion but create it. This combination does look stylish and cool at the same time.' – concluded the second year and with one final look at the mirror gathered enough bravery to leave the Gryffindor Tower and head outside the castle.
The party had almost been ruined by the sudden rain that poured in the morning, but in the afternoon the May sun was shining again, the sky was blue, and the only memory of the downpour were a few mud puddles glistering, scattered around the school grounds.
While Catherine stood in front of the castle, calculating how to safely jump across one such puddle she heard someone's steps behind her. She turned around and saw Valeria Malfoy, wearing a lace white dress, matching high heels and a beautiful hat, attached flawlessly to her platinum blond hair. Valeria looked extremely satisfied with her appearance.
The Gryffindor girl decided to ignore the newcomer. While they had never formally introduced each other or interacted in any way, other than that misfortunate spell aimed at Bellatrix Black, Catherine was certain that Valeria hated her. It was obvious by the way her pale blue eyes were sparkling every time she passed the other girl in the corridors or in the Great Hall. She was also going beyond her way to make some offensive comments about Muggle-borns or 'little scrawny girls who would do anything for boys' attention' every single time Catherine was within earshot range. The present situation seemed not an exception as Valeria approached the Gryffindor second-year, casting mocking glances her way.
"What're you doing here, staring at the puddle? Did you finally managed to get a good look at yourself and realised you dressed up while still asleep?"
"What do you want, Valeria?" – Catherine asked flatly.
"Eww, how dare you address me like this? Who do you think you are, Mudblood?" – the other girl screeched – "If you are to refer to me, you would address me as Miss Malfoy or Lady Malfoy."
"Lady Malfoy?" – Catherine couldn't resist but burst into laughter – "Talking about someone who doesn't know their place. You may dream of your family being aristocrats all you want, but the sad reality is that both you and I know, this is not the case."
"What do you even know, Mudblood?!" – Valeria hissed, stomping her foot.
"I know that despite your constant efforts, nobody from the aristocratic families wants to have anything to do with you. I also know that you would spend a mountain of gold if this would get you invited into one of the main families' gatherings. Ain't that right, Miss Malfoy?" – said Catherine, enjoying the other girl's face getting paler and paler with every word.
"These are just nasty rumours by jealous jerks like you, Plantier!" – screamed Valeria, beyond herself with rage – "You can pretend you're one of us Pure-Bloods but you're always going to be a cheap copy. Look at yourself! Wearing a dress and sneakers and all in white despite the fact it's my signature colour! You're just trying to imitate me and steal some attention for yourself!"
"Are you nuts?" – asked Catherine torn between laughter and disbelief – "How could I know you would be wearing white? You can't own a colour! What kind of miserable insecure girl are you?"
The last remark apparently triggered Valeria and she suddenly dashed towards Catherine in an attempt to push her in the mud. However, the black-haired witch quickly figured out the Slytherin's plan and swiftly moved out of her way. As a result, Valeria Malfoy plunged magnificently into the puddle. A piercing scream echoed through the castle grounds while the blond-haired girl was hectically trying to clean herself to no avail. Catherine carefully and gracefully jumped across the water at the far end of the same puddle and once safely on a solid ground, turned around and smirked at the wet and dirty Pure-blood witch on the brink of hysteria.
"At least now we're not wearing the same colour! It was very considerate of you to change because of me."
Catherine had to admit that Professor Slughorn did know how to throw a decent party. An elegant white table was placed in the middle of the fresh green meadow. At the centre of the table a porcelain vase was decorated with a lavish bouquet of white roses and lilies of the valley. The Potion Master was happily navigating the conversation, currently describing to Melisande Greengrass his newly acquired tea set, apparently being a gift from a former student of his who was representing the Ministry of Magic in Japan.
Catherine felt out of place. She knew most of the students around the table but only by names, and none of them had ever talked with her, therefore, she was just sitting quietly, and eating little pieces of the butterbeer scone she had helped herself with.
'This is not good. I need to get Slughorn's attention.' – she thought nervously.
"Hey, we meet again!" – the young witch heard a voice close by and before she could react Frank Longbottom took the vacant seat next to her and grinned wholeheartedly – "At least I'm going to have someone normal to talk with."
"I'm not sure how normal I am, but I'm also happy to see you here, Frank." – Catherine said honestly – "Do you come often to these parties?"
"Not really. He only invites me because of some relatives I have in the Ministry of Magic. I know you're here based on talent, but as you can imagine I also prefer getting attention for my own merits."
"Yeah, I see what you mean." – nodded Catherine, casually glancing at the other people around the table. She was positive most of them were here precisely because they had relatives Slughorn was interested in.
"Anyway, it's the last party for the year," – Frank continued – "he cornered me and Greg, insisting we should come this time. As usual Greg bailed out and I just couldn't say no."
"Does McMahon frequent these events?" – asked Catherine pretending to hold her end of the conversation.
"Greg? No, he runs away every chance he gets but Slughorn is incredibly persistent and there are just as many times you can decline an invitation without actually appearing hostile. That's why he usually soldiers through one or two events a year."
"How brave of him!" – Catherine chuckled sarcastically.
"Unlike most people at school I know you don't really like Greg." – Frank said carefully.
"Really? How so?" – asked Catherine, genuinely curious.
"Well, he told me that he wants to be your friend and you shoot him down every time. I understand you may think he's stuck up or something, but he's a really great person and an even greater friend."
"It doesn't seem he really needs my friendship when he has someone so loyal as you by his side." – Catherine noted, smiling.
Frank blushed and opened his mouth to protest, but he was silenced by the sudden and late appearance of Lucius and Valeria Malfoy. The girl had changed into a pale pink dress with matching shoes, but her face was paler than usual, and her thin lips were trembling from time to time.
"Ah, Lucius, you know better than being late for our last party of the year!" – Slughorn met the newcomers with a fake angry expression and burst into laughter – "And your sister is lovely as always – one of the most beautiful flowers of Slytherin!"
"More of a poison ivy." – Catherine whispered to Frank, who almost choked on the biscuit he was eating.
They had tea in relative peace, answering occasional questions coming from Slughorn. Catherine felt rather anxious because her Professor appeared truly interested in her parents' jobs had and she needed to improvise on the spot.
"They own a few companies that sell different products."
"Ah, how wonderful! You should bring some Muggle goodies for us to try next time!" – suggested Slughorn enthusiastically.
Scanning the faces around the table, Catherine determined that Slughorn's enthusiasm and curiosity about the Muggle world were not shared by the rest of his students.
"It would be my pleasure, Sir." – she quickly responded, attempting to butter up the Potion Master.
In about fifteen minutes, Slughorn invited everyone to have a stroll around the meadow, enjoying some light cakes and pleasant company. Catherine determined that this was her best chance, and she was just about to excuse herself in front of Frank when their path was blocked by a tall young man, dressed in a well-tailored beige suit. His platinum blond hair was shoulder-length and he kept it tied in a ponytail. The young witch thought that Lucius Malfoy would have looked very handsome if it weren't for something in his eyes that instantly made her distrustful of the wizard.
"What a beautiful weather!" – he said, smiling – "Would you care to join me for a brief conversation, Miss Plantier?"
Catherine didn't like this dangerous smile one bit. She was also certain about the topic of the conversation he wanted them to have. The girl felt annoyed. The episode with Valeria, while amusing, was already in the past, and she had no interest in revisiting it.
"Obviously, she's not interested, Malfoy! Leave us alone!" – said Frank, after a quick glance at Catherine's face.
"I don't remember asking you anything, Longbottom!" – Lucius snapped, while his right hand trembled slightly.
Catherine quickly assessed the situation. She didn't know Frank well enough, but she could see he would not back down to the sixth-year Slytherin, and this could end very ugly, destroying any chance for her to talk with Slughorn one on one. For this reason, she decided to play diplomatically.
"It's alright, Frank, I promise." – she turned towards Malfoy, her smile, mimicking his own – "Let's go then, Mister Malfoy."
"You are a smart girl." – he purred while both of them slowly walked side by side towards the end of the meadow. Catherine's mind quickly weighed her options. She had noticed Valeria engaging Slughorn's attention in a vivid conversation, and there was little doubt it was a trick to cover Lucius' absence. The black-haired girl felt her wand, which was concealed under her dress, securely tied to one of her thighs with some Spellotape she had borrowed from Marry. In theory, she could have been able to quickly reach for it, but she didn't know if she would have been a match for the older of the Malfoy siblings.
While Catherine was deep in her thoughts, they arrived at the deserted vegetable garden behind the Greenhouse Three. Without a warning, Lucius Malfoy drew his wand and cast some sort of a non-verbal spell towards Catherine. She managed to grab her own wand, but she was not fast enough to use a Shield Charm. Malfoy's spell, however, was immediately deflected and hit an old apple tree, causing a few of its branches to fall to the ground.
The wizard looked around hastily. Catherine felt a burning sensation and glanced at her right hand. The silver ring Greg had gifted her for her birthday was emitting intense heath.
'It's enchanted!' – Catherine thought with surprise – 'Why didn't he mention it? What a darn luck I decided to wear it today!'
"How did you do that?" – asked Lucius Malfoy, appearing more curious than angry about his failed attack.
"I believe the question is rather, what do you think you're doing?" – hissed Catherine, her wand finally in her hand.
Lucius laughed sinisterly, assessing the girl from head to toe.
"Where have you been hiding this piece of wood, little girl?"
"None of your business!" – snapped Catherine who felt that somehow the wizard across from her was not taking her seriously and was having way too much fun.
"You didn't think that you could assault a Malfoy and not pay the price for your impudence, did you?" – the blond Slytherin asked with a velvety voice.
Catherine raised her wand, eyes flashing, while her whole being was ready for a fight. The sixth-year didn't appear intimidated.
"You really need to learn your place. You're fun to play with, I'll give you that, but way too arrogant for the lowly Mudblood you are."
"Oh?" – exclaimed the black-haired girl mockingly – "And are you going to be the one to teach me my place?"
"It's a tempting idea indeed." – said Malfoy, casually flickering his wand – "Serpensortia!"
A huge green snake erupted from the tip of the wizard's wand and hissed violently at the Gryffindor, being just half a meter away from her feet. For her own astonishment, the young witch didn't feel any fear towards the animal. She just stood there, watching it calmly.
The snake seemed extremely agitated. It slid hastily through the fresh grass and lunged towards the girl with its thin long fangs bared and ready to sink into her flesh.
"How dare you! Back off this instant!" – Catherine screamed, suddenly beyond herself with unexplainable rage.
The snake stopped immediately and lay on the ground, appearing almost docile. Amid the hissing coming from the animal, the girl thought she heard the words 'I'm sorry, Mistress!'
'The fuck is happening?' – she asked herself, lifting her head and noticing Lucius' face, completely frozen in a strange grimace.
"You speak Parseltongue?! How could a Mudblood…" – he stuttered with a hoarse voice.
'Damn, what should I do? Why do I find out this just now?' – the black-haired witch thought irritated, and then she remembered this was the first time she had actually seen a snake in real life. Nobody could have known she was a Parselmouth because nobody had ever bothered to check.
"You're more interesting than I imagined." – the blond wizard finally spoke, overcoming his initial shock – "It's too bad that you have such a misfortunate blood status."
"What is this supposed to mean?" – snapped Catherine, struggling with her own confusion.
"It means you possess some rare talents, and you're certainly not lacking courage." – Malfoy answered deliberately. His lips curled into a faint smile – "Despite your efforts to fight and best all the snakes in the den, you remain nothing but a little bird. I would be sad if you become someone else's prey. You have my attention."
With that Lucius Malfoy left the vegetable garden and returned to the party, leaving Catherine utterly bewildered, staring at his wide back.
"What's wrong with him?" – she sighed helplessly, glancing at the snake that was now curled on the ground, sunbathing, and didn't provide any answers.