She did not see him much after that, teachers keeping them busy with piles of homework in preparation for their final exams in June. This was further complicated by their resolve to become Animagi. Sirius had put them onto it during the summer and they had been working hard at it since then. They did this in secret, using the Room of Requirement in the dead of night to read up on the theory and practice the skills needed to transform.
Animagi forms were generally similar to the Patronus you produce but personality did have an impact. Hermione, therefore, was quite adamant that she was going to end up as something cat-like, like Professor McGonagall, even though her Patronus was an otter. Privately, the rest of them thought that this was a hangover from her cat transformation in second year. Ron was still unsure, determined that he would end up as something silly like a pigeon, when he was more likely to end up a fox or something like that. For Harry, it only seemed right that his Animagus form would be a stag, just like their dad. Kathryn would've liked to be able to transform into a stag, but her Patronus had been a wolf ever since she had begun conjuring it and she felt that this was going to reflect in her Animagus form.
Two weeks before Christmas, an envelope made of thick parchment and addressed to her in purple ink landed on her plate at breakfast, delivered by an official-looking screech owl. She turned it over to see a large seal stamped on the back in matching purple wax.
"What are the Ministry of Magic doing writing to me?" she asked out loud, breaking the seal and opening the envelope. It contained, not a letter, but a piece of thick card with the same purple writing across it.
"You are cordially invited to the Minister for Magic's annual Christmas reception." She read out to the three of them. "To be held at the Berkshire residence of Cornelius Fudge on the twenty sixth of December." She continued.
"Well, someone's in the good books." Ron scoffed as he loaded his plate with bacon. "Dad's heard about that, never been to one though. He reckons it's how Fudge keeps all his rich pals happy, to keep them making generous donations. I bet Lucius Malfoy's right at the top of that list."
"I won't go then." She replaced the card inside the envelope.
"Oh no." Harry said with a mischievous look on his face. "Why not go and have a good time, just keep your ears open."
"After all, it's not snooping if you overhear it!" The four of them laughed.
They remained at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays, quite sad that it was to be their last one in the castle. They would miss the twelve gigantic Christmas trees, the roaring fire and their battle through the snow to get to Hagrid's cabin. And that was just what they were doing on the first day of the holidays. It took them fifteen to twenty minutes to get from the castle doors to his cabin on the edge of the forest. Their teeth chattered as they knocked and waited for him to open the door.
"Get in, get in." He said, almost pulling them over the threshold to keep the snow from coming in. "Tea?" they nodded, removing their hats, gloves and scarves. They settled themselves into chairs, Fang lolloping about their legs. He settled his head on Ron's knee and began to drool over his cloak whilst Ron scratched behind his ears.
"So, last Christmas here then." Hagrid said, handing them steaming mugs of tea the size of large jam jars. "I remember when ye lot just arrived here and now look at you!" His beetle black eyes crinkled as he smiled. "You're gonna be the finest Aurors the Ministry's ever had. To think yeh firs' teacher was possessed by you know who and now yeh practically teachin' the subject!"
He set a plate of rock buns on the table which they nibbled with care, Hagrid's cooking having never been that great. Sure enough, the rock buns did have the consistency of actual rocks.
"And you, Kathryn." Hagrid turned his eyes on her. "Invited to the Minister's Christmas do. Never saw that coming did we?"
"Well, I will be listening carefully throughout the evening Hagrid. I'm not going to be there for fun." She rested her mug on her knees.
"Oh enjoy yourself, why don't ye?" Hagrid shook his head. "It's Christmas after all. But you watch out for our dear friend Lucius Malfoy, he was gettin' too close for comfort las' year." Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at her with the same expressions that they had done last Christmas. "Knowin' what you know, it's easy to see what he was doin' and being polite didn't exactly help."
"I promise I'll be careful Hagrid, I was before." She smiled at him, placing a reassuring hand on his shovel sized one.
"Ah hang him; he'll get what's comin' to him, the good-for-nothin' Death Eater that he is." Hagrid dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand that would have knocked a grown man out.
"They all will Hagrid." Hermione's voice was sure, her face a steely mask of determination.
Their last Christmas was, as always, a spectacular affair. They woke to mounds of presents at the foot of their beds and spent a happy hour sitting in the empty common room opening them all. The castle was much emptier this year as there was no ball to stay behind for. Although this did give them the best chairs by the fire every night, it also meant that they had to suffer Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle at mealtimes. They were easily avoided however, and also easily seen off with a barrage of snowballs if they tried anything.
The three of them woke late on Boxing Day morning to find Kathryn already dressed and packed, ready for the trip down to London. After breakfast they waved goodbye to her at the front entrance as she drove away towards the gates in one of the Thestral-drawn carriages to avoid the thick drifts of snow. Once outside the castle grounds she disapparated straight to Grimmauld Place where Sirius was waiting for her. They ate lunch in the basement kitchen and then, as it was approaching three o'clock and she was being collected at five, she disappeared upstairs to change. After showering and drying her hair, she sat cross-legged on her bed in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt to open a final parcel.
Like last year, she had received an anonymous parcel when she had been in Diagon Alley; although this time she knew who it was from. For a second time, she peeled back layers of tissue and silk to reveal another, beautifully crafted dress. It was green this time; an elegant creation of silk in deep, emerald green that perfectly complimented her eyes. Long and flowing, crafted from the softest silks, it had off the shoulder straps that flowed into the beaded, shallow V-neckline. She was happy to find that she already owned green shoes and a green clutch so she did not have to panic about having no matching accessories.
Once she was dressed, she laid the large, emerald studded necklace that he had bought for her birthday around her neck; adding the bracelet, earrings and ring to complete the look. Sirius looked stunned as she stepped into the hallway; she smiled nervously back, slightly worried about attending such a formal event that was not a school ball. She wrapped a chocolate brown fur stole around her shoulders to protect them from the bitter cold, hugged Sirius goodbye and stepped out into the square. She was stood there for a matter of seconds before a purple Ministry car arrived. The Minister's home was situated near the village of Chaddleworth in Berkshire and the journey was a comfortable one. Thanks to its ability to squeeze through the narrowest of gaps and foil traffic jams, they arrived in exactly two hours; right on time.
She was surprised to find a gaggle of photographers lining the path towards the front doors of Fudge's stately country home. Although, when she thought about it, there were going to be a lot of important people there and Fudge wouldn't want to miss the publicity. She smiled for them, standing for pictures in the way she had gotten used to. Once she stepped through the door she was met by someone she supposed to be a butler who took her stole. She was then shown into a cavernous reception room where Fudge and a woman, who she assumed to be his wife, were greeting their guests. She stood and waited, gazing round at the elegant room and the many people already there.
"Why, Miss Potter!" Fudge exclaimed upon seeing her. "How delightful it is to see you again." He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "My, don't you look wonderful this evening." His eyes ran over her dress and jewels.
"Thank you Minister."
"I don't believe you've met my wife." He gestured at the woman beside him. "Please allow me to introduce Sarah."
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Potter." She said in a soft, friendly voice. She was quite pretty; with elegantly coiffed auburn hair, although Kathryn did notice that her face looked slightly strained. No doubt being the wife of the Minister for Magic wasn't as sugar-coated as it seemed. She would have been surprised if the stress of his job didn't have some impact on their lives.
She didn't recognise many of the people there, most were, she assumed, Ministry officials and the heads of various organisations and charities. She did recognise the Chief Healer from St Mungo's, having met him on a brief visit the year before. She could also tell, from the way they dressed and the way people addressed them that several of the people here were, effectively, the aristocrats of the Wizarding world; those who gave generously to give themselves power. Waiters in smart black robes were flitting about the crowd with trays of canapés or crystal flutes of champagne. She accepted one when offered, sipping it slowly, not really sure what to do next. Her interest peaked, however, when she heard Fudge greeting more of his guests.
"Ah, Lucius!" She heard him say. "Glad you could make it."
"Come, come Fudge. You know I wouldn't miss this." He replied. Kathryn turned round, a smile on her face, and looked across to where Fudge and his wife were standing to see not one, but two, blonde heads.
"And, of course, you know Narcissa." Fudge bowed to Mrs Malfoy and kissed her hand. Kathryn felt like the walls were closing in on her; all she could see was him and his wife and all she knew was that she was standing there in a room full of important and rich people wearing clothes and jewels that he had bought her. Moments later, their gaze met across the room and she felt her hand shake. She turned sharply on her heel and headed out onto the heated back terrace. She drained her glass and set it down on a table, being careful to avoid peoples' gazes as she walked towards the balustrade.
She braced her hands on the stone barrier separating the terrace from the lawns, willing her hands to stop shaking and her heart to stop pounding against her chest. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known that he would not be attending this event alone. She took several deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. Whilst stopping her shaking and returning her heart rate to normal, this seemed to draw more attention to the feeling of nausea that now lay in the pit of her stomach. Walking purposefully, she returned inside and headed straight for the table where canapés were spread out on silver platters. She hadn't eaten since lunchtime and, after swallowing several of the small hors d'oeuvres, the feeling of nausea subsided and she felt somewhat normal again.
People now began to approach her, introducing themselves and doing the customary double-take when she said her name. She ended up sitting on a sofa, listening to snippets of conversation going on around her and drinking more champagne. She thought that this was how she would be spending the rest of her evening when Fudge appeared at her elbow. She stood politely and found herself being led over to where the Malfoys were standing talking to the Chief Healer from St Mungo's. Kathryn reminded herself that they frequently made donations to the Wizard Hospital and was surprised that there wasn't already a ward named after them.
"Look who I've found." He announced when they reached the pair of them. "Sitting alone, now we can't have that, can we?" Kathryn tried to read his emotions in his eyes but they were blank; cold and grey, not like they were when he usually looked at her.
"Now," Fudge chattered on, "you know Miss Potter from school, obviously, Lucius. However, I don't believe you've met his wife."
"No." She looked straight at Narcissa Malfoy.
"Well, Narcissa, this is Kathryn Potter; Head girl, well, Joint Head Girl at Hogwarts." Fudge explained.
"A pleasure." She said in a cool, haughty voice, offering Kathryn a pale hand. Kathryn merely nodded and shook her hand for the briefest of moments, keeping her face impassive. "Joint Head Girl with whom?" she asked in the same cool tone.
"My best friend Hermione Granger." Kathryn announced bravely. Even though she was in the presence of the Minister for Magic, Kathryn was sure she saw Narcissa's lip curl. She had only met Hermione twice before, at the Quidditch World Cup final several years ago and then in Madam Malkin's before the start of sixth year. On both occasions she had looked at Hermione the way she would look at something nasty on the sole of her shoe. "My brother and Ron Weasley are Joint Head Boy too." She added, just to discreetly rub in the fact that her son had not been awarded the post.
They talked about trivial things for a while, Kathryn taking the time to discreetly study the woman standing in front of her. She was quite pretty, although rather pale and, like her husband, she reeked of money. Her blonde hair must have been about shoulder length but it was difficult to tell as it had been swept up into an elegant French twist. It was quite a contrast to Kathryn's relaxed waves that reached past the middle of her back. She wore an empire-line gown of midnight blue that reached the floor and had a necklace of matching sapphires around her neck, although it was not as lavish as the one Kathryn had around hers.
"Not long now." Mr Malfoy said to his wife, checking his pocket watch. "You'll have to be leaving soon."
"Leaving, so soon!" Fudge exclaimed. "Why is that?"
"My Christmas present." She explained with a smile on her face. "My wonderful husband is sending me to Egypt for the New Year!" She kissed him on the cheek and he smiled back at her.
"How lovely." Kathryn commented. "I've heard it's quite spectacular." She hoped that she was not blushing as she looked at the pair of them, knowing exactly why he was sending Narcissa away.
"It's a shame I can't come, but, work has to be done." He sighed, squeezing his wife's hand.
"Well, enjoy yourself. I wish we all had the luxury of being able to whisk ourselves away when we want!" Fudge laughed.
The Malfoys excused themselves not long after, heading out onto the terrace for a quiet word. Kathryn followed discreetly, standing hidden behind the dark red curtains that framed the large glass doors. She stood there, nonchalantly sipping champagne and listening to their conversation.
"So that's the famous Miss Potter, is it?" she sounded distinctly unimpressed. "Well, she is reasonably pretty, I'll grant you that. Although I can't see what people get so excited about."
"I have heard some call her beautiful." He offered by way of her defence. You for one, Kathryn thought with a smile.
"Well, they have no idea of lineage, do they?" she sounded put out by what he had just said. "And what was she wearing? I mean, how does she have the money to afford clothes and jewellery like that? It's not like she's descended from a wealthy family. And she is still in school."
"The rumours are that she is richer than most think."
"Well, no matter how much money she has, I don't see what made her think she could dress like that." she sneered. "That dress must have cost more than mine, I mean, look at how much silk there is." Lucius smirked discreetly, knowing for a fact that Miss Potter's dress had indeed cost more than his wife's.
"Well, she isn't a child anymore, Narcissa, and she is free to wear what she wants."
"That's as maybe but what about her jewellery?"
"What about it?" Lucius asked dryly.
"She can't actually own something like that." Narcissa remarked scathingly. "A teenager does not have the funds to buy a piece of that size; it must be on loan for the evening."
"From what I've heard, if she can afford to have her school uniform custom made for her by a couturier, then she could probably afford a piece like that." He remembered, having spotted one of the labels on the inside of her school skirt.
"Well, I find it insulting." Narcissa said in a superior tone. "It is like she is trying to be a pure-blood, trying to look like something she isn't. It is Miss Parkinson, not Miss Potter, who should be attending these functions dressed like that."
"I doubt that something so elegant will suit Miss Parkinson dear." Lucius commented. "She may be pure-blood but I doubt she has the elegance to carry an outfit like that off. Miss Potter, however, appears to be quite at ease."
"Lucius!" Narcissa gave a scandalised gasp. "Please don't tell me that you actually think her elegant? What would people say if they found out?" she sounded as if she thought the world was about to end.
"No, I am merely saying that Miss Potter demonstrates an amount of elegance and grace that Miss Parkinson, the girl that our son is seriously entertaining thoughts about marrying, has been severely lacking on the several occasions that I have seen her.
"Well, she shouldn't be here. I mean, where are the Flints? And the Parkinsons? The Notts? The Carrows? Some of the finest pure-blood families aren't here." She said in a barely audible tone that made Kathryn wish that she had an extendable ear to hand.
"Darling," he said in a hushed whisper, "there is a particular reason the Carrows cannot attend, if you'll remember."
"Oh, yes." Apparently, Narcissa had forgotten that the Carrows were both Death Eaters. "Still, some of the finest families are not here." She didn't seem like she wanted to concede defeat.
"Well, she does have a fairly high standing. I mean, apart from being one of the Potter twins, she's been a prefect and is now Head Girl at Hogwarts. She's also an amazing Quidditch player."
"Who keeps on beating our son, despite all he does to try and injure her!" Narcissa snapped.
"The fact that our son hasn't got half the talent she and her brother do is also a factor." Kathryn could imagine the smirk that would now be playing across his face. "I've seen her fly many times, and I'm telling you, serious injury will not stop that girl."
"Anyway, I personally don't think that she should be here. She's outclassed for sure." She sniffed haughtily.
"It's not up to you my dear."
"I know." She sighed. Moments later they returned inside. Kathryn quickly made herself as invisible as possible, backing as far up against the wall as she could to remain inconspicuous.
She watched them mingle for a little while longer from her vantage point on sofa by the fire. She saw Narcissa say her goodbye's to Fudge and his wife before kissing her husband goodbye and heading out the doors. Once it was certain she had gone, she saw him begin to discreetly search the room for her. She fixed him with a cool stare once he saw where she was and did not drop this look until he had made his way over to where she was sitting.
"Ah, ah." She said in a quiet, warning tone as he made to sit next to her. "Remember, to everyone here you're still a respectable, happily married man." She put some stress on the words 'happily married' but still spoke in an undertone. He revised his movement and took a seat on the chair nearby. "Besides," she went on in a dry tone, "I don't think you'd want to sit next to someone who, by rights, shouldn't be here. Don't you outrank me or something?" she sipped her champagne coolly, waiting to see his reaction.
"You heard?" he seemed genuinely shocked.
"Did you think I wouldn't want to hear what she has to say about me?" she laughed slightly, taking another sip of wine. "Thanks for the compliments, although they did nothing to change her mind." She smiled genuinely at him this time.
"Well, they're true."
"Only in the eyes of some. Oh, and thank you for the dress too. What do you think?" she gestured at her outfit.
"You are more beautiful than anyone in this room, and certainly not outclassed." She was surprised at the sincerity of his words. "Come on, Fudge was right, we can't have you sitting alone all night." He took her hand and led her back into the crowd of mingling people; introducing her to everyone he knew. She found herself shaking hands with innumerable Ministry bigwigs, many of whom came back for more; not believing that they were in the presence of one of the Potters.
Of course, Umbridge didn't look too pleased when Mr Malfoy reintroduced them; she looked disgusted to see her accompanying such a staunch supporter of the Ministry. She was her usual toad-like self and, as she excused herself, Kathryn made a small clicking noise with her tongue that sounded suspiciously like hooves. She gave a small chuckle as Umbridge jumped and looked wildly around for the source of the noise; at which Kathryn merely gave her a derisive smile that she had learned from him and turned her back on her.
Near the end of the night, Fudge got up and made a short speech, wishing them all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. She and Mr Malfoy were stood quite close to Fudge, facing the assembled people as they were, according to Fudge, his particular guests. Malfoy for his many generous contributions to various charities, and she as a representative of Hogwarts. All through this, thanks to them facing the guests, people did not notice the positioning of his hand; which was mid-way up her back and toying with her hair.
It was past midnight when she finally said her goodbyes, many people hurrying over to shake her hand one final time when they realised that she was leaving. She bade Fudge and his wife goodbye one final time before heading for the front door. The photographers had long disappeared and she was surprised to see a sleek black car roll up as she stood under the porch shivering with her breath rising in front of her. She noted the crest of entwined serpents where the manufacturers label would normally be. Seconds later, he appeared at her shoulder.
"Hang on." She muttered, producing her wand and conjuring a sheaf of parchment and a quill. Resting the parchment on her hand to write, she scribbled 'Staying overnight at the Minister's, see you in the morning.' She folded this up and scrawled 'Sirius' on the front and, taking her wand, tapped it three times causing it to vanish in a burst of golden flame. She waved her wand again and the quill vanished. Taking his hand, she allowed him to help her down into the soft black interior of the car. The thought of what people would think if they saw this crossed her mind briefly. The driver was seemingly oblivious to the whole thing; Kathryn assuming that he was paid enough to be so.
Once they were out of the gates and on the country roads, he pulled her very close, giving her the opportunity to doze against his shoulder as they sped through the night. As she had half expected, he was not content to let her doze there for the entire journey, and began to get impatient as they drew closer and closer to their destination. Shifting her in her half-asleep state so that she was sitting in his lap, he gently landed kisses on her collarbone, working his way up her neck to her lips whilst his hands stroked through her hair and down her back and hers wrapped round his neck.
They arrived at his Wiltshire manor quickly thanks to the car's ability to foil speed cameras and they exited in a very different manner to the way they had been back at Fudge's home. Now, his arm was firmly around her waist, guiding her along as they headed for the front door. He paused for a moment before they entered; whipping out his wand and giving it a wave. Through one of the mullioned windows she saw the paintings on the wall freeze and then be shrouded in black curtains. As soon as that was done, he whisked her out of the cold and into the Entrance Hall. Like the gentleman he was, he removed the fur stole from around her shoulders, kissing her on the cheek as he did so, and went to hang it up whilst she placed her clutch on a side table.
He took her hand to lead her upstairs, but lost the contact when she slowed down. He stood on the landing, watching her as she walked slowly up the grand staircase; teasing him by keeping her pace deliberately slow. Just as she was about to reach him, he moved away, this time teasing her. A playful smile flitting across her face, she followed him to the bedroom door, looking in to find no sign of him. She walked slowly into the dark room, not knowing what to expect. She heard something move behind her and she span round to find no sign of the person who had made that noise. She turned again to find him standing in front of her. She pressed a finger to his lips as he bent to kiss her, instead placing a steadying hand on his shoulder as she removed her shoes and stockings and tossed them aside. This only made him smile even more, his lips meeting hers as he slid the zip of her dress down and let it fall to her ankles.
It was now her turn, slipping his suit jacket from his shoulders and loosening his shirt as she kissed him. Before long they relocated to the bed, he sitting against the headboard whilst she knelt in front of him. By now, she had realised that she had past the point of caring what would happen and was almost content to remain in this situation for the foreseeable future. He wasted no time in tossing her silken underwear aside and was soon doing what he had found himself to be increasingly craving as time went by.
They finally drifted to the deep recesses of sleep at around four in the morning; Kathryn nestled in the crook of his arm. He lay awake for some time, however, silently pondering these unexpected feelings that were building inside of him. Was it possible that he had grown to love the serene figure that lay sleeping beside him? It went against every principle he and his family had stood for for generations. He pushed these disturbing thoughts to the back of his mind, putting them down to tiredness and alcohol, soon drifting off to sleep beside her.
She woke the next morning to find him gone. Looking at a clock, she could just see that it was nearly ten in the morning and there was sunlight streaming through the frosty panes of glass. The next thing she heard was a slight rattling and he came through the doors, dressed in a relaxed shirt and trousers, with a tray balanced on the tip of his wand. He set this on the end of the bed before bending to kiss her.
"Breakfast?" he gestured at the tray; loaded with toast, bacon, coffee and pastries. She reached over to the bedside table and pulled on her glasses.
"You actually made breakfast?" she asked in disbelief.
"No, I carried the tray up!" he laughed, kissing her again.
She was back in Grimmauld Place by midday, lying half asleep on the sofa in her room, despite his entreaties for her to stay for dinner. At least, she was asleep until she heard the commotion of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny arriving. She hurtled down the stairs only to crash headlong into them as they made their way upstairs. This caused chaos as the curtain covering the portrait of Mrs Black was dislodged and her screams rang through the house.
"Come on!" Kathryn shouted above the din and they headed up to her room whilst Lupin hurried past to sort out the portrait.
"Well, what was it like?" Hermione asked eagerly as Kathryn closed the door behind them.
"It was ok. Not really much to report." Kathryn said in an unconcerned tone, settling herself on her sofa in a manner not unlike the way a cat would curl up.
"They put you on the front page though!" Hermione whipped out the morning copy of the Daily Prophet and threw it onto the arm of the sofa. Sure enough, a smiling picture of Kathryn gazed up at them.
"They would do that, wouldn't they?" Kathryn sounded exasperated.
"For more see pages two and six to ten." Hermione read out loud before flicking through them. "Two is just about who was there, you apparently were Fudge's 'particular guest'." She read out to them, giggling slightly. "Lucius Malfoy was too though," she pulled a face, "eurgh, Fudge obviously has no taste. You wouldn't want to be considered in the same league as Malfoy, would you?" Kathryn shook her head, worried that she would blush if she talked.
"What about the other pages?" Harry asked.
"Probably Rita Skeeter on about how Kathryn's head is being enlarged by all this attention and how we should all be ignoring the pair of them!" Ron laughed, remembering the horrendous articles she had written about Harry during the Triwizard Tournament.
"The others, oh, they're the fashion pages!" Hermione sounded much more excited. The three of them crowded next to Hermione to get a better look. Another photograph of Kathryn stared out at them, the full length of the page this time. On the opposite page, there was a photograph of Narcissa Malfoy looking haughty as ever; a stark contrast compared to the warmth and friendliness that Kathryn's picture conveyed.
"There is only one word that could describe the outfit of Miss Potter last night;" Hermione read out, "style. Her dress and the way she complimented it with her jewellery and accessories speaks volumes of her innate sense of style. This girl definitely has it." Hermione paused. "Well they like you, don't they?"
"What else?" Harry asked.
"Blah, blah, blah; they go on about other people who were dressed well or, in some cases, those who were not."
"Why is Malfoy's wife there?"
"Erm, oh, here. 'The other fashion success last night was Narcissa Malfoy, wife of the Hogwarts Governor Lucius Malfoy. She showed that it is not only the younger generation who are capable of being stylish. She chose a classic look, again well complemented by jewellery and accessories. Could it be that these two epitomes of style have something in common? This reporter seriously doubts that the same person picked their clothes.'" Hermione finished reading. The rest of the pages were just full of pictures of the other attendees as they had arrived
"Not bad, not bad." Ron commented.
"The same person didn't pick your clothes, did they?" Harry asked, feigning concern.
"No!" Kathryn laughed.
"Yuk!" Hermione exclaimed. "If Lucius Malfoy picked my clothes, I'd send them back." The four of them laughed, Kathryn's stomach churning as she did, knowing it was highly likely that the same person had picked their clothes. "It's a lovely dress though." Hermione said wistfully.
"Hang on." Kathryn opened her wardrobe and pulled out the dress bag that contained it. She then dashed into her bathroom to change; reappearing minutes later to three stunned faces.
"Well?" she gave them a little twirl.
"It's gorgeous." Hermione said, awe evident in her voice.
"Pretty good." Harry agreed.
"Yeah." That was all Ron could add.
"Where did you get it?"
"Another mystery Christmas gift, I forgot to unwrap it back at Hogwarts." Kathryn explained.
"Like last year?" Harry's curiosity flared and, although he did not admit it, he was concerned about these mystery gifts that arrived for her.
"Yeah, no note or anything." Kathryn nodded before going back in the bathroom to change.
Once she was back in her jeans, she carefully steered the conversation onto safer waters; not wanting to risk accidentally letting something slip. They talked for hours, scanning the paper for anything mysterious that could be related to Voldemort. Nothing jumped out at them, the Death Eaters also apparently enjoying their Christmas holiday.
Their Christmas wasn't all that brilliant though, Hermione insisting as New Year approached that they should begin revising for their exams in June. This suggestion was not acted on, however, as they all had far too much homework to be getting on with for them to even think about revision.
All too soon their bags were packed and they had, instead of taking the Hogwarts Express, apparated back to Hogwarts. They pushed their way through the knee-high snow that blanketed the driveway towards the Entrance Hall and they arrived, after a fifteen minute slog, cold, wet and tired inside the cavernous hall. Once they had dumped their bags in their dormitories and changed into dry clothes, they headed back down to the Great Hall for a dinner of Shepherd's Pie. It was full of students just returned from their holiday and those who had remained in the castle. They did notice the absence of Malfoy anywhere as they walked through the corridors even though he had stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas.
This was explained, however, at breakfast the next morning. Malfoy was there as usual on the Slytherin table although they did notice that he looked slightly less full of himself than usual and other Slytherins seemed to be paying extra care around him, as if they were afraid of upsetting him. A minute or two before the bell for morning classes was due to go, Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent.
"Before you all go to cram your brains full of knowledge, I have a lamentable announcement to make. We must offer our condolences to Mister Malfoy on the unfortunate loss of his mother over the holiday period." Kathryn's heart skipped a beat. She looked quickly at Ron, Harry and Hermione who also looked stunned.
"The loss of a parent is possibly the most unpleasant thing one can experience." Dumbledore went on. Kathryn's stomach churned unpleasantly and she felt the colour drain from her face. She began to shiver slightly, the unpleasant way that you did when you're about to be sick. Hermione passed her copy of the Daily Prophet across the table, open at the obituaries page. Staring up at her was the same picture of Narcissa Malfoy that had been in after the Minister's reception. She took it and shoved it into her bag, trying her best to disguise her shaking hands.
"Our thoughts are, of course, with Mister Malfoy and his father during this distressing time." The bell rang and the entire school stood up, all heading out into the Entrance Hall and towards their first lessons. Ignoring Harry, Hermione and Ron's calls, Kathryn pushed her way through the crowd and sprinted up the stairs and towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She splashed across towards the toilet cubicles through Myrtle's usual flood and slammed the door behind her. She had just locked the door and set her bag down when her stomach contents evacuated themselves with spectacular speed.
She knelt there before the porcelain toilet, vomiting until she dry heaved; her body convulsing, sweat running in little rivulets down her face. She finally extracted herself and stood before the mirrors, bracing herself on a sink. Her face was ashen, her hair messy and her hands still shaking. She was about to leave when she rushed back into the cubicle and vomited again.
She finally made it to the common room just after the bell went for the start of their second lesson. She walked slowly through the corridors, her arms wrapped tightly about her to try and stop her shaking. Thankfully, the Gryffindor common room was deserted when she climbed through the portrait hole and she dragged herself up the stairs to her dormitory. She pulled the paper out of her bag and tossed it onto her mattress before dumping her bag on the lid of her trunk.
She shed her uniform where she stood and kicked it into a pile by her trunk. Instead she pulled on the large white shirt that she had acquired in Dubai, the soft cotton soothing her slightly, and a pair of loose pyjama bottoms. She did not bother to pull back the covers of her bed. With one shaking hand she wrapped the dark fur throw that he had given her in the summer around her shivering body. Summoning the last of her energy; she waved her wand and, seconds later, the deep red hangings fell and blocked out the light streaming in the windows.
She lay there, curled up beneath the fur, for the rest of the day. Sleeping fitfully, her dreams were haunted by Malfoy and, for some reason, his wife who she now saw dead at every turn. In one of the few moments that she felt reasonably alright, she read the obituary by the light of her wand. It appeared that she had died whilst in Egypt; bitten by a Runespoor, a particularly venomous, bright orange, three-headed snake. Although it was completely unrelated to her, she felt inexplicably guilty. Waves of guilt washed over her again and again causing her to dissolve into a shivering wreck. She was in no way to blame, but she felt indirectly responsible for having suggested the safari in the first place. Terrible thoughts ran through her mind. Had he orchestrated the death of his wife? Had he done it to remove all obstacles out of his path to her? She shivered again and pulled the throw further up over her shoulders.
She was unaware of time passing as she lay curled up on her bed. She was vaguely aware of hearing a bell ring as she dozed, although she had no idea which bell it was. She did not even hear the dormitory door open and close as three sets of feet walked softly into the room, having fallen into a deep sleep. Hermione carefully pulled back the hangings and looked in on Kathryn. It certainly was a sight. She was curled up, completely enveloped in her fur throw apart from her head. Her face was deathly pale and every so often a small quiver ran through her body.
"Bleurgh!" Ron exclaimed in a hushed tone. "What's that smell?" he asked, referring to the slightly pungent smell that lingered in the air. Hermione looked around and spotted the pile of robes at the end of her bed. Lifting up the black cloak, she sniffed them.
"She's been sick, you did see how pale she went at breakfast." She emptied all the pockets of her uniform before dumping the lot in a laundry basket. She returned to the bed and placed her hand on Kathryn's forehead.
"She's burning up; no wait, now she's freezing." Hermione looked slightly worried. "Come on," she pulled back the coverings of the bed, "help me move her." Harry and Ron pulled the throw from about her shoulders and gently eased Kathryn's curled up form up the bed so her head could rest on the pillows.
"When did she get this?" Harry asked, fingering the shirt cuff. Kathryn flinched and drew her arm back.
"Does it really matter?" Hermione hissed in a slightly irritated voice as she pulled the covers back up around Kathryn.
"Just wondering." Harry was sure he had felt some stitching around the cuff, almost like a monogram.
"She got it last year, I think." Hermione told him, pulling the fur up over Kathryn as well. "When she was down in London on work experience. You know what she's like with pyjamas, one day she'll be wearing a strappy top, the next it's an oversize T-shirt." Hermione went on, replacing Kathryn's wand and glasses on her bedside table, referring to the fact that his sister never wore proper pyjamas.
"Ok." Hermione let the curtains fall, blocking Kathryn from sight. "Just let her sleep." She told them in a hushed voice before turning and heading out the room.
For the first time in weeks, Kathryn had a dreamless sleep. There was no Lucius Malfoy waiting for her at every turn, no bright green light and high pitched laughter; just blackness.
She woke up refreshed, albeit starving; having eaten nothing since breakfast the previous day. She could still taste stale vomit on her lips and smell it on her hair though and, before any of the other girls were awake, she was dressed and strolling towards the prefects' bathroom. She took a long shower, scrubbing away the traces of the day before and shampooing her hair until it smelled of passion fruit.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were stunned to see her at breakfast looking perfectly normal and wolfing down porridge and toast like she hadn't eaten for a week. Looking across the Great Hall she could still see Malfoy, looking very dour, probably still in a mixed state of shock and grief. Kathryn steered her thoughts away from this, however, not wishing to make herself ill again.