Her arrival in the hallway of Grimmauld Place caused much fuss; partially because everyone wanted to hear about the match and in part due to the tip of her surfboard dislodging the curtain covering the portrait of Mrs Black. Her shrieks followed them up the stairs as they dragged her things up to her room. She dumped them on her sofa and then hurried back downstairs to say hello to everyone properly. Sirius hugged her tightly, glad to have her back, before Mrs Weasley pulled her into a gripping hug and persisted in telling her how glad she was that she was safe. Once she had extricated herself from her stranglehold she emptied a small bag of match souvenirs for them, including scarves, miniature models of the players, rosettes, posters and hats topped with tiny bouncing kangaroos.
"Brilliant!" Ron cried as he seized one of the models. "Did you meet any of them?"
"Yeah," she nodded her head enthusiastically, "I met all the Australian team when I went to the match in Dubai last year, except their seeker, they've added her to the squad for the actual contest."
"I told you Australia would win." Harry said, inspecting one of the rosettes.
"The opposition wasn't really that great though, they were all over the place." Kathryn agreed.
"We heard," piped up Tonks, "sounded like they hadn't a clue what they were doing."
"So, will we be seeing any of the Australian tactics in your own Quidditch final?" Lupin asked from his seat next to Tonks who was now gazing at him with an expression of adoration.
"I'd be stupid not to." Kathryn nodded enthusiastically. "They are an amazing team; I just hope mine will be acquiescent to a stricter training schedule."
"Oh we will!" Ginny sounded raring to go already. "If it means we can thrash the hell out of Slytherin I will train night and day."
"I'm not sure we will need to do twenty four hour sessions," Kathryn laughed, "but your enthusiasm is appreciated and duly noted."
"You're going to have to be really good then." George remarked.
"Got the family and friends to impress haven't you?" Fred continued his brother's sentence.
"What?" Kathryn was slightly bemused.
"You didn't think we'd miss your final match at Hogwarts, did you?" Sirius asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Well, no, but," her heart was racing; "I just didn't know that I'd have to put on my best show!" she laughed. "It'll be great to have you there; I love kicking the crap out of Malfoy when his Dad's watching but with you there it'll be even better." She might have laughed on the outside, but inside, her stomach had gone all tight and her heart was fluttering madly. Would this mean that her absence would be missed more easily and that she would not get to see him at all? She stayed and chatted about the match for a while longer, giving them a blow by blow account, before heading upstairs with Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny in tow.
"I'll say it now," Harry said in an annoyed tone as soon as the door was closed, "is there anywhere that scumbag isn't?" he flopped down onto the sofa and pulled Ginny down next to him. Ron adopted a similar position with Hermione sitting on the arm of his comfy chair, her hand playing with his hair. Kathryn settled herself cross legged on the fur rug and waited for the tirade of insults that were about to issue from Harry's mouth.
"I know, Harry, before you start."
"It doesn't matter if you know," he said sardonically, "it's the fact that Fudge hasn't realised yet." He tossed her the morning copy of the Daily Prophet. Sure enough, the photo of she and Lucius graced the front page.
"Well I can't exactly hex him in public, can I?" she said distractedly as she looked at the picture again and skimmed her eyes over the article. "That wouldn't do much good for my current standing in the good-books of Cornelius Fudge."
"She's right Harry," Hermione backed her up, "she can accomplish much more by staying on amicable terms with Fudge and his little clique."
"After all, a spy is better on the inside than on the outside." Ginny added, gazing up at Harry.
"I know, it's just annoying, no, maddening that he dares come so close." He gripped the sofa hard, as if trying not to lash out at something.
"He's arrogant Harry, that's why he dares to come so close. He is supremely overconfident in his thinking that he has escaped retribution." It hurt her slightly to speak of him in this way but she knew that anything less would be highly suspicious. "When he wants to be, however, and when the situation calls for it; he can be very charming. How do you think he has so much control over Fudge?" they all looked at her in surprise. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I actually like him when he's charming." She added quickly. Well, I'm actually saying that I love him when he's like that, the thought to herself.
"Well he'll get his comeuppance so you shouldn't bother yourself mate." Ron said dismissive voice. "We have bigger problems than slimy Lucius Malfoy."
"There's actually a much more interesting article in there, a few pages in." Hermione motioned her hand towards the paper that Kathryn had before her. Turning the pages, Kathryn soon spotted the headline. The words 'POTTER FOR POLITICS?' stretched across what appeared to be a full page on her potential career choice.
"Well, let's see what they have to say." Picking up the paper, she scanned the text and began to read. "Is the well known Kathryn Potter, the child that brought down he-who-must-not-be-named along with her twin brother Harry Potter, destined for a career in politics, this reporter wonders?" Kathryn read out loud. "She has been seen over the course of the past two years at events usually reserved for those within the upper echelons of power." She read on, skipping a few paragraphs of twaddle. "Her most recent sighting was at the Quidditch World Cup final in Australia where she was seen mingling with both the Australian and Swedish Ministers' for Magic as well as our own Cornelius Fudge and the well connected Lucius Malfoy. Of course, this is not her first meeting with Minister Fudge, having been in contact with him for several years now; and she is apparently held in high regard by out highest ranking politician."
"It's quite a contrast from when we were a pair of liars, isn't it?" Harry remarked scathingly as she paused.
"Well, at least we were proved right in the end." She continued to read the article. "According to Percy Weasley, junior under-secretary to the Minister; 'Miss Potter is held in very high esteem by Minister Fudge, he considers her an important personal friend and treats her accordingly'. This reporter is curious as to whether Minister Fudge's actions are completely heartfelt or whether he is merely grooming Miss Potter for a life of great power once his time is up. Such a motive seems most evident in his carefully calculated invitations. The Quidditch qualifier in January of last year, his Christmas reception and now the Quidditch final only this Thursday; all events that the esteemed Lucius Malfoy also attended."
"That's quite the speculation." Kathryn scoffed. "I am invited to some events where he is also a guest and suddenly they think there I reason to suspect some grand scheme."
"I suppose that they have to think of something to write seeing as the Ministry makes them hush up so many stories." Hermione shrugged.
"According to various sources within the Ministry," Kathryn read on, "she has dined with the Minister several times and is one of the first names to be considered on any guest list for official Ministry events. Of course, due to her school commitments she has so far been absent from many functions. Once her education comes to a close, however, will she be present at the Ministry far more often?"
"They have an interesting take on Malfoy's persistent attention to you." Hermione commented, sliding off the arm of the chair and into Ron's lap.
"Oh really?" she raised an eyebrow and found the appropriate paragraph. "Mr Malfoy, the handsome, recently widowed head of one of Britain's oldest wizarding families, has long had a reputation for his well-connectedness and generosity to worthy causes. He has been a close ally of Minister Fudge for many years now and has apparently been enlisted in the gentle coercion of Miss Potter into a political career. He has been seen with her at the England Quidditch match in Dubai last year, the quarter final between England and Italy this year where she joined the Minister and his party about halfway through, and the Final this week; apparently being put to the task of making sure that she is not forgotten once the political heavyweights arrive."
"I should hope not!" Hermione laughed. Smirking, Kathryn continued to read.
"Unconfirmed reports have also reached this reporter of his actions at the Minister's Christmas reception. I shall stress that it is uncertain if this occurred but, if it did, it would have serious implications for Minister Fudge's designs on her future life. It is rumoured that when, at the reception, she was sitting alone, Lucius Malfoy accosted her and personally made sure that she was introduced to every important personage in the room that evening. I shall say that these included Chief Healers' from St Mungo's, heads of the larger Ministry departments, professional Quidditch players and musicians as well as other prominent figures in Wizarding society."
"And did he do that?" Harry asked.
"Sort of," Kathryn shrugged, "but people mainly introduced themselves of their own accord." She continued to read. "Of course, one cannot help but wonder if Fudge has designs on this young woman that go further then her potential career. Whilst he is keen to make sure that she has the right political connections, could he possibly wish for more than a political relationship between the girl who lived and the highly regarded Lucius Malfoy?"
"What rubbish!" Ginny snorted. "I can tell him what he'll get if he tries anything like that."
"Recently widowed, Lucius Malfoy is one of, if not the most, eligible bachelors in wizarding Britain. Already well connected and considered a veritable pillar of society, what more reason does Minister Fudge need to encourage romance between the pair? Surely a union between these two would create one of the most powerful political dynasties that wizarding Britain has seen for a long while. Those who have seen them together have commented on their apparent familiarity and have surmised that there is more than casual acquaintance behind their smiles. Of course this is mere speculation, but you cannot deny that the possibility is there."
"That had better be speculation." Harry said fiercely.
"Hear, hear," Kathryn added dryly, "I'd sooner drink undiluted Bubotuber pus than entertain thoughts of marrying that vile man." She continued reading the final words of the article to them. "It can be sure that, with the guiding hands of Lucius Malfoy, as well as the attentiveness of Minister Fudge; our young Miss Potter is certainly being groomed for a life of great power and privilege.'" Kathryn finished reading.
"Interesting, isn't it." Harry commented once she had finished.
"Certainly, but thankfully on completely the wrong track." She folded the newspaper up and put it on the floor by her bed. "Fudge may be subtly grooming me to follow a career in politics, I don't know if he is or not, but Lucius Malfoy is definitely not playing nice at Fudge's request. He is playing nice to be perfectly malicious; he knows that I can't hex him in public and that I just have to put up with him and smile for the cameras." She spoke with a bitter edge to her voice although she did not feel it in the slightest.
"It'll have Fudge in an uproar, won't it," Ginny said from the sofa, "I mean, if he is really planning something like that because now he'll assume that you'll be on your guard."
"Yes, but Fudge knows that Harry and I don't trust the Prophet to save our lives; he'll think his plan, if he indeed has one, is safe."