An Interesting Turn of Events

[Katalina Harker]

After finishing the first Charms lesson of the year, Kat was heading to the library to try and get a head start on the next few lessons as she was hoping to obtain perfect marks in all her classes this year. She had her messenger bag flung over her shoulder and a pile of books in her hands as she walked out of the classroom and up the corridor. Suddenly remembering that she had to ask Professor Lloyd something. Apparently she turned to quickly and lost her balance because she tripped, but by some miracle she managed to catch herself before falling. Unfortunately she couldn't prevent the armful of books from falling straight to the floor. "Well at least I was injury free this time!" Kat laughed to herself as she bent down to pick up the mess she'd just made.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace had not had a particularly terrific summer. He had spent most of his free time staring at the wall. Things might be more interesting if he could have used magic, but his age squashed any of that possibility. It didn't help that he hadn't really made friends during his fourth year at Hogwarts. Well, unless you counted Kat and his roommates. Kat was possibly no longer talking to him, and his roommates, well, were just that and nothing more. So he had nothing to do except read books, which he didn't enjoy doing, and listening to his mother prattle on about things that weren't important. Both of his brothers were older and each stopped only once. He could have played Quidditch, but he would be damned if he were to get on a broomstick.

The Slytherin boy had been more than ecstatic to return to school in the spring. Things here were less than exceptional. However, it beat the hell that was homeschooling, and at least he could get away from everyone if he wanted to. He had sat through his first Charms class without a peep. It was strange that he was going to be sitting his OWLs this year. He hadn't even thought about what he wanted to pursue in the future.

He was now killing time as he wandered out of the Charms classroom. He had a considerable amount of time before his next class, so he was moving along as slowly as could be. He felt as if ice had crept into his nerves, rendering his body solid as he saw Kat. At first he was going to leave her in peace- Merlin knew that the boy had caused her enough agony already. But when she dropped her books and went sprawling to the floor, he knew that he would have to do what any gentleman would.

Stepping forward and handing the Gryffindor girl two of the books she had dropped, he asked, "In a hurry?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat froze. She looked up at Chace and smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks. Leave it to me to drop a load of books. Klutzy Kat strikes again!" she joked with a small chuckle as she took the two books he handed her her. She stood back up and readjusted the load in her arms. "So, umm, how was your summer?" she asked as she tried to make sure she had a firm grip on her books and trying to fight the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 

[Chace Harker]

The fifth year Slytherin was not expecting the Gryffindor to respond so positively. However, he wasn't going to take up the chance for the world. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he retorted, "Happens to everyone, right?" He smirked. "Just maybe not as often."

Despite the fact that he had known Kat for over a year, Chace was still nervous around her. Even more so now. The butterflies had started, even though he knew that the butterflies weren't allowed anymore. He didn't deserve them. Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "Mine was okay. Didn't do anything but sit around at home. And yours?" He didn't expect to be having such a casual conversation so early, but it was something, right?

 

[Katalina Harker]

"I guess that's true," she said with a slightly genuine smile. It was hard to be mad at Chace no matter how much she wanted to be. And it was a new year after all, a clean slate so to speak.

Kat could tell that he was a bit stand-offish around her and if she was being honest she was being the same in return. Trusting him again was going to be a bit of a task, but she was definitely willing to give it a try. "I spent two weeks in Ireland and then two weeks in Canada with Andy, Cyndi, and Bruin. Was kind of sad to see it end, but it's good to be back at school," she said thinking that mentioning her roommate right now was probably a bad idea, but she tried to pretend like it was nothing.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner wasn't much on crowds this year. He wanted to be alone and take this free period to study. Sooner he passed his classes with flying marks the sooner he could emacipate from his parents and be out from under their thumb. Turning the corner he saw a tall boy he vaguely remembered from last year and a girl he definitely remembered. Last he'd seen her he'd bought supplies at the store she worked at. He thought fondly of her rose tinged cheeks and then scowled. That had been before everything changed. Before the world looked less bright, expectations dashed, trust crushed in anyone around him.

Deliberately he edged up until he stood looking down from the inches he'd gained over the summer down into Kat's clear blue eyes. He ignored the boy. Looking on her again made him feel like he was flying on the Quidditch court: reckless. His fingers brushed under her chin. "Hello Kat," his british accent thicker, his voice deeper than last they'd met.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat was just about to ask Chace something else when out of nowhere Sumner appeared, looking down over her. There was something about him that was different about him...something darker and troubled. Her heart started to race furiously when he touched her face and her face flushed scarlet. "Hi!" she said sweetly then remembered that Chace was standing there with them. She cleared her throat and said politely, "Umm, Sumner this is Chace...Chace this is Sumner." Feeling extremely awkward Kat just stood there for a moment glancing back and forth between the two of them.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner spared Chace a glance. He barely nodded his head. "Charmed," he said softly, his voice holding a vicious bite. He didn't want to make small talk with someone unknown to him. He wanted--he simply wanted to speak with Kat alone. "I can see you're busy," he sneered hatefully, frustration turning to anger. He turned to walk away.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"But...I...what..." Kat trailed off her eyes glazing over with moisture and a single tear escaping down her cheek. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked out loud, not really expecting an answer. Going over what had happened in the last minute or so wasn't making much sense which made a few more tears spill over. What in the bloody name of Merlin is going on? she thought shaking her head.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner winced when his back was to her. "Look," he clipped out, "it's not you, it's," he trailed off and his mouth thinned into a hard line when he glanced at Chace. No way in hell would he talk about his private business in front of a stranger. "Forget it." He turned and started to walk away.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat just stood there pitifully for a second. She looked back at Chace and gave him an apologetic look before taking off after Sumner. "Why won't you talk to me? I thou...I just...ah hell with it I don't know," she managed to squeak out before she started really crying. I freaking give up she thought to herself as she hung her head down.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner whirled around to face her and tell her to just leave it be when he caught sight of her tears. Ah damn. He forgot about Chace. He forgot about where they were and why what he did next was probably a bad idea. But some inner force pulled on him like marionette strings. He grabbed her and yanked her to him then his mouth came down over hers.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Surprise. That was the first emotion that swept over Kat when Sumner pulled her closer and laid his lips on hers. She'd been kissed before, but something about this one was different. Where as other kisses had been gentle and easy, this one was a bit more rough and full of some kind of desperation...and she liked it. She dropped her books and wrapped her arms around his neck, entwining her fingers in his hair and kissed him back with every fiber of her being. At the moment she didn't care where she was or who was watching, this was what she'd been needing all along and never even knew it.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner's long fingers gripped her back and buried in her short hair. His first kiss and yet it wasn't. It felt like he had done this with Kat a million times. It felt almost like coming home. He tasted her tears and shuddered before gathering her closer. He hadn't meant to hurt her or to make her cry. In the moment he'd seen her again he'd wanted nothing more than to hug her and pour his troubled heart out to his only friend in this wretched place.

Yet now his mind blended away into the background and she was no longer just a friend. Her lips were soft and yet clung and followed wherever his led. His head began to lighten until he was sure if he let go he would fade into the atmostphere.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat was completely lost in what was happening. When the Ravenclaw pulled her closer to him she felt like a wet noodle and she practically melted into him. With one hand still fingering his hair she moved the other down to his chest over his heart, which she could tell was beating just as fast as hers was. Feeling a little dizzy Kat reluctantly pulled her mouth away from his, but still remained in his strong grasp as she was afraid she'd probably faint if he let her go...and if she was being perfectly honest with herself she never wanted him to let her go. She looked him square in the face and studied him for a second. He'd definitely grown up a bit since the last time she'd seen him. He'd grown more handsome if that had even been possible, but there was something under the surface that had grown too. A maturity that seemed painful for him...a kind of maturity that someone their age really wasn't supposed to have endured.

 

[Chace Harker]

It took all Chace had not to gag. Out of nowhere, it seemed, a Ravenclaw appeared, not looking to be in the best of moods. It took a moment for the Slytherin boy to realize what was going on between the two, and when he did he wasn't sure what to feel. Disgust was immediately dominant. Chace had always had a minor crush on Kat- well, minor was a huge understatement- and seeing her snog another with such intensity made him sick to his stomach. He felt as if someone had brought a scalpel to his face and hacked it off.

Under the worst of circumstances, Chace had a tendency to revert back to his old ways. And this was definitely a circumstance of undesirable proportions. His hurt was blatant, although it came across in a particularly nasty sneer.

"Be careful! If you suck her face anymore it just might come off."

 

[Katalina Harker]

It seemed like time literally stood still when Kat was staring into Sumner's eyes...it was almost like looking directly into his soul and their was something that she found beautiful yet sad about it. Her breathing had finally slowed a considerable amount, but she kept her tight grip on Sumner until she felt she could stand on her own.

Reality came to a crashing halt when Chace got extremely nasty and for the first time since Kat had known him had actually acted like a Slytherin. She released her grip from Sumner and turned to face the other boy. She was pissed and she knew exactly why. As much as she had wanted it, things couldn't just go back to being all sunshine and daisies between her and Chace...what he'd done had really hurt her and there was no way of overlooking it. Kat glared at the Slytherin with her nostrils flared. "Were you thinking the same thing when you were snogging Andy?" she spat hatefully wanting to hurt him.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner felt at peace for the first time since learning his family's dark secret. Kat's blue eyes drew him in and as he searched them he knew she understood him. He didn't want to let go of her. If only he could just hold her for a while longer maybe he would be alright. At least for now.

Chace's sneering words penetrated the fog and she was gone from his embrace. He stood trembling finely with repressed rage. Easy. Take it easy.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace felt like a scumbag all over again as Kat turned on him, but there was no taking back what he had said. He immediately was on the defensive. Andy? Well, that was a cheap shot. "Andromeda? Snog? I think not." His expression was taunting as he chuckled, although he was far from amused. The Slytherin boy ignored the Ravenclaw completely. If the boy had a problem- that was good for him. "For someone who just played tonsil hockey you're being quite the b1tch."

 

[Sumner Drage]

Ah sh1t. Sumner was on him in two seconds flat. He pulled his bloody fist back from Chace's face and stood there trembling. "Say it again," he dared him softly. Aggressive anger, much like he felt on the Quidditch pitch, coursed through him. He wanted to keep hitting that smug face until it was unrecognizable.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat sucked in a breath sharply. Chace had just called her a b1tch. If he thought she was a b1tch then that was exactly what she was going to give him, but she was cut short. Before she could even register what was happening Sumner had punched Chace square in the face, drawing blood which made her a little queasy. She went a shade paler that her normal coloring as she swallowed back a lump in her throat. Kat grabbed Sumner's arm and tried to get a firm grip on it, but she could smell the coppery essence that was on his fist and her stomach turned again and she went sheet white. Breathing through her mouth so she couldn't smell the blood Kat grasped the arm she had a hold on a little tighter and then yanked on the trim of Sumner's robes, pulling him gently away from Chace. Dear sweet Merlin, we are all going to be in trouble she thought as the lightheaded feeling started to subside minutely. She had to admit though that it was a rather 'knight in shining armour' moment which made her heart flutter a little bit.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace wasn't expecting the blow, his head snapping back as the Ravenclaw boy's fist connected with his nose. The Slytherin recoiled in both shock and anger. He didn't even think about reaching for his wand. Possibly his pride had been hurt more than his nose, but he wasn't going to let that slide. "b1tch," he sneered as he swung at the kid. He had never been in a fight before, but he primal instinct kept him on his toes. He didn't even think about Kat. But why should he? He cared about her, that was true, but she might as well be dead to him now. He had to suffer for not moving on when he should have.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner's head recoiled. He hadn't moved fast enough to duck the fist flying his way. He staggered then swung at him again. The anger felt good. It cleared his head, adrenaline rushed through and gave him a sickly high. He wanted his blood on his hands. Most of all he wanted to hurt him for daring to disrespect Kat.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat was shaking from head to toe now, partly from anger and partly from fear. The smell of blood hung thick in the air now as Chace hit Sumner and drew blood back from him and it was honestly almost too much for her to handle. Feeling extremely lightheaded now she sat down on the cool stone floor and stuck her head between her knees, thinking about how incredibly horrible this was turning out to be. Taking a few deep breaths through her mouth she managed to stand back up with ease. "Both of you stop it...NOW!" she yelled at the two boys shaking her head. "And you, if you ever and I mean EVER call me a b1tch again I will personally cut your nuts off and hand them to you on a silver platter. Have I made myself perfectly clear?" she growled at Chace. From this moment on she wanted nothing more to do with him...she could say that she truly loathed the Slytherin boy. Turning to Sumner she did something that was very uncharacteristic and for some reason didn't bring on the urge to pass out. Kat took out her kerchief and reached her hand up to softly wipe away the blood from his face, being careful not to hurt him. "Are you okay?" she asked in a hushed tone, tears streaking her cheeks.

 

[Chace Harker]

Able to brace himself this time, Chace ducked Sumner's punch. He was about to throw himself at the Ravenclaw when Kat's voice rose above the din. He wiped at the blood that was trickling from his left nostril with his sleeve. Breathing came to him slowly, his chest heaving as he looked back to Kat. The way she was glaring at him was a million times worse than the threat she had uttered.

Standing up straight, his green eyes set on Sumner. But he wasn't going to go after the kid again. He felt as if his insides had been twisted out of him- leaving nothing but an empty shell. A little bit of hurt was betrayed in his gaze, but he would never admit his defeat. His voice was cold and calculating as he spoke, very much unlike himself.

"Fine then. I will bother you no more. I'm sick of trying." With that he turned out of the corridor, the hem of his robes lapping at his ankles. He didn't start to run until he was out of their sight.