"Get up!" – Lily Evans grabbed Catherine's hand and tried to drag her out of bed – "You've sulked here long enough. You're coming with me to Hogsmeade, and you're going to stop pitying yourself!"
"I don't want to go anywhere." – the black-haired girl muttered – "Just let me be."
"No way!" – the other witch shook her head decisively – "I know you've been through a lot, and I understand you feel insecure. But hiding in bed won't help you overcome it. Now hurry up and get dressed!"
Realising that Lily wasn't going to leave her alone, Catherine sighed heavily and crawled out from under the blanket. She shuffled to her wardrobe and grabbed the first thing she saw: a black tracksuit and an oversized hoodie.
Lily eyed her choice sceptically. "Are you sure you want to wear that?"
"Yes." – Catherine replied stubbornly, slipping the hoodie over her head. Her tone left no room for argument.
The two descended to the nearly empty Common Room, where the morning light cast long shadows across the warm, red-and-gold decor. Most of the students had already left for Hogsmeade. Only a handful of first and second-years lingered around, chatting in small groups. Mary who was waiting next to the exit, greeted them cheerfully and the three girls left the Gryffindor Tower.
The air was crisp and filled with the fresh scent of blooming flowers, as the sun peeked through fluffy clouds, casting gentle warmth over the schoolgrounds. A few mermen were playing not very far from the coast of the Black Lake, jumping above its calm surface and diving back with a splash. The village itself was buzzing with excited students running around and enjoying one of their last free moments before the inevitable rush to review for the looming exams.
After a brief stroll along High Street, during which Catherine couldn't shake the awful feeling that everyone was staring at her, the girls decided to stop at The Three Broomsticks for some refreshments. They had just settled inside when Madame Rosmerta brought over a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade. Moments later, Alice Fortescue entered the pub with Marianne Trundle in tow. Catherine groaned inwardly, wishing she'd thought to borrow James's Invisibility Cloak.
Alice waved enthusiastically. "Hey!" - she chirped, her bright smile lighting up the room - "I was wondering if you gals were around. Can we join you? I'm absolutely parched after two hours of walking!"
"Of course, Alice." – Lily said warmly, gesturing to the empty seats – "The more, the merrier. What did you buy?"
As the Hufflepuff eagerly unloaded her shopping haul onto the table, Marianne slid into a seat next to the black-haired witch. Her smile was polite, but Catherine barely mustered a nod in return.
"I heard what happened last week." – Marianne said, sounding concerned – "It's awful. Those bitches think they rule the school. Sirius is right—it's time someone put them in their place."
"Thank you but I'm doing fine." – Catherine replied flatly, pouring herself a glass of lemonade – "I don't need Sirius—or anyone else—starting a vendetta in my name. I can handle things myself."
Marianne raised an eyebrow, her expression wavering between offense and disbelief. "It didn't seem that way." - she said coolly - "Half the school saw you naked. We thought you might appreciate a little support during a hard time."
Catherine's grip on her glass tightened. "Are you speaking for Sirius now too?" - she snapped - "He doesn't need a spokesperson, last I checked."
"Merlin's beard!" – Marianne hissed angrily – "I thought we could still be friends, but apparently, you can't get over your jealousy. You had your chance with Sirius, but you played games instead—teasing him, acting like you were too good for him. Newsflash: a man will only chase for so long. Eventually, he'll choose someone who's actually loving, sweet, and satisfies his desires, not an ice queen who can't figure out what she wants."
Catherine stared blankly at the Hufflepuff, her jaw tightening. Her fingers dug into the table with such force she felt the sharp sting of breaking nails. The conversation around them had stilled; the other girls exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to do.
Thankfully, Lily stepped in, her voice sharp and commanding. "I think that's quite enough!" - she declared, her green eyes flashing - "Honestly, I hate it when girls only talk about boys. There are plenty of other things worth discussing. Like… what are your plans for the summer?"
"I've had enough socialising for today." – Catherine said stiffly, pushing back her chair and standing – "I'll head to Charmé Chic to see their new collection. Maybe I'll buy a Sorcerié dress. I can afford it, after all."
Marianne scoffed, tossing her glossy hair over her shoulder. "I'm not sure they have a kids' section, but you can try." – she smirked, enjoying the Gryffindor's reddening face – "Nice clothes help you look sexy, but only if there's something worth showing underneath."
Heat surged to the black-haired witch's face, and she clenched her fists. Without another word, she spun on her heel and marched out of the pub, her heart pounding. The Gryffindor couldn't trust herself to stay; the last thing she wanted was to explain to Sirius why she'd hexed his girlfriend.
The fourth-year ducked into the back alleys, avoiding the cheerful crowds of students. Her shoes clattered on the uneven cobblestones as frustration bubbled inside her. 'Should've stayed in bed.' - she thought bitterly – 'I can't believe I lost my temper like that. Marianne will gloat about this forever.'
The girl kicked an empty box in her path, sending it skidding into a wall. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake Marianne's words. The entire school knew she and Sirius had been snogging whenever they had the chance, but the implication that they'd gone further made her stomach churn. It left her feel childish and immature.
'No wonder he looked so shocked the other day.' – she thought miserably, her shoulders slumping – 'He must've been horrified by the comparison to Marianne. I can't believe I'm so unlucky with my appearance… the only ugly person in my entire family.'
She sighed, sinking into her misery as the distant laughter echoed through the alleyways.
"Levicorpus!" – Catherine heard familiar voice and quickly ran towards the direction where the noise had come from.
Her worst suspicions were confirmed when she turned the corner. There stood James, wand raised, a smug grin on his face as Severus Snape dangled upside down in midair, his robes flapping awkwardly around his knees. The Slytherin's face was a mask of fury, his black eyes burning with hatred. Sirius was leaning casually against the wall nearby, twirling Snape's wand in his hand like a prize, while Peter hovered close by, laughing nervously.
"What the hell are you doing?" – the girl's sharp voice startled the group.
"Damn, Flame!" – James turned to her with a chuckle, his grin widening – "You scared me. As you can see, we're teaching old Snivellus some manners."
"Go fuck yourself, Potter!" – Snape spat, writhing against the spell. His face had turned a deep shade of red from being held upside down, his stringy black hair dangling toward the ground.
"Careful, Snivy, or I might need to use a Cleaning Charm on that filthy mouth of yours." – Sirius said lazily, flashing Catherine a wink – "You're in the presence of a lady, after all."
The Slytherin unleashed a torrent of curses, his voice rising in pure rage, until his dark eyes landed on the young witch. His sneer deepened, and the fury in his gaze seemed to burn even hotter.
Catherine folded her arms, her patience quickly wearing thin. "I asked, what are you doing?" - she repeated, her voice now tinged with irritation. She didn't need this. Not now. Not with Slytherins already looking for excuses to pick fights with her—and her friends giving them exactly what they wanted.
"We told you we'd avenge you." – James said with a nonchalant shrug, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world – "It just so happens this one was easiest to corner. You know—seeing as he doesn't have any friends."
Snape erupted into another tirade of curses, occasionally mixing in spells that fizzled uselessly without his wand. Whether he didn't know how to cast them wandlessly or simply couldn't concentrate in his current state, it hardly mattered. Catherine's fingers twitched toward her own wand, but she forced herself to take a deep breath. The urge to hex every stupid teenage boy in front of her was almost overwhelming.
"I told you I didn't want you to get involved." – she said, her voice sharp and cold – "On top of that it wasn't even Snape who shrank my clothes."
"But he laughed!" – Sirius blurted defensively, his grip tightening on Snape's wand.
"So did half the school." - Catherine shot back, her eyes narrowing - "And not all of them were Slytherins. This is pointless—and it doesn't exactly make you look heroic, ambushing him three against one."
"Oh, come on, Flame!" – James protested, throwing up his hands – "After everything he's done to you, he deserves it. This isn't some duelling club where we have to play fair or be honourable."
Her eyes flashed with anger. "It's between me and him!" - she snapped - "I don't need you to fight my battles for me. If I wanted revenge, I'd hex him myself. Two wrongs don't make a right."
"Alright, alright." - James smirked, raising his wand- "No need to get all fired up over the dungeon bat. Liberacorpus!"
Snape fell to the ground with a painful thud, groaning as he hit the cold street. Sirius didn't even look his way, still twirling the boy's wand in his hand with a bored expression.
James, however, grinned at Catherine. "So, want to go to The Three Broomsticks? My treat—you can have whatever you want."
"I'm fine." – the young witch said curtly, lifting her chin – "I'll go hang out with Remus at the flower shop."
With that she turned around and left, leaving her friends behind.
James groaned, running a hand through his messy hair. "See? They've totally broken her spirit. She wouldn't have defended Snivellus if she was her usual self."
Sirius glanced at Snape, who lay on the ground clutching his ribs and glaring daggers at them. He shrugged, his lips curling into a careless smirk. "Whatever. We'll punish them all anyway. So what if he didn't cast the spell himself? His very existence is offensive."
James and Peter laughed as they strolled off toward High Street, leaving their classmate crumpled on the ground and casually tossing his wand beside him as they went. He grimaced, trying to push himself up, but his legs buckled, and he collapsed with a groan. The fall had been nastier than he thought. After a few more failed attempts, he managed to drag himself to a nearby wall and leaned heavily against it, breathing hard.
"Ha! If it isn't Severus?" - Rodolphus Lestrange's voice rang out, followed by the sharp clap of his heavy hand on Snape's shoulder. The force nearly knocked him back to the ground – "What happened to you, eh? You look like a giant chewed you up and spat you out."
The fourth-year didn't answer, his black eyes darting to both ends of the alley. The street was empty. Even if someone heard him scream, who would bother to help? Rodolphus wasn't alone, of course. Flanking him were Malachi Selwyn, his expression a mask of cold disdain, and Draven Nott, who was smirking like he'd already won whatever game they were playing.
"Not speaking to us, Snivellus?" – Draven sneered, taking a step closer – "What a shame. We came to offer you the deal of a lifetime."
"I'm not interested." – Severus said curtly, tightening his grip on his wand.
Rodolphus raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a sly grin. "Don't be so hasty. I know we've had… disagreements lately. But you've shown remarkable resilience. Pointless, but still..." - his grin widened as he shot a glance at Malachi - "So here's the deal: lift the curse off Lavinia and the other two girls, and we'll give you some gold. Enough to buy new clothes. Merlin knows you could use it—those rags of yours are an embarrassment to our House."
Severus gritted his teeth. Part of him wanted to accept the offer and be done with it, but he couldn't forget the state Lily had been in after the attack by those bitches. What if it happened again? He needed to drive the lesson home, regardless of the consequences.
"Thanks," - he said flatly - "but I'm quite content with the current situation."
The disbelief on Rodolphus's face was almost satisfying. Malachi, however, was less amused.
"You bloody son of a bitch!" - he snarled, his composure snapping - "Fix her face, or I'll make yours look ten times worse!"
"I don't care." – Snape hissed, his voice low and venomous. He raised his wand, his dark eyes locking onto Malachi's – "But if you try, be prepared to take responsibility for what happens next."
Selwyn's own wand was halfway out of his robes when Draven shook his head decisively. "Not now!" - Draven muttered, his sharp gaze flicking toward Rodolphus.
The latter sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed teacher. "Alright then. We'll do this the hard way." -his voice turned cold - "From now on, your life in Slytherin will be… challenging. And don't forget, Snape: at the end of the day, half-bloods like you are no better than Mudbloods."
Snape's lips curled into a mocking smile, though his stomach churned. "Do your worst!" - he said, his tone laced with defiance. At this point, what could they possibly do to make his life more miserable than it already was?