In Front Of Me

4) "Aren't you done yet?" Draco shouted impatiently into the Great Hall.

"Are you going to keep screaming at me like that? Now I'm just going to take longer," she called back.

"I'm leaving then," he said, heading down the hall. Kat hurried after him, dropping her bag in the process. Her books and papers were scattered on the marble floor. Draco rolled his eyes, as Kat bent down to pick her things up.

"Are you always this damn cheerful?" she said, getting annoyed with his bitter attitude.

"Well, you're not exactly a pleasure to be around," he said coldly.

"Oh, and I suppose you are? I didn't ask for this. I would rather be lost for the whole year than stuck with a cynical asshole like you," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and starting down the hall.

"Well believe me, if I didn't have to do this, you would be," he said harshly.

"Well, I for one am not making you stay, so go then," she said, waving her hand at him.

"Maybe I will. Not like you're worth my time anyway. It's a shame I have to do this in the first place," he said, turning to go in the opposite direction.

"Well if you're stupid enough to duel with someone much smarter than you, then it serves you right," she said, knowing she'd hit a nerve.

"Are you saying Potter is smarter than me?" he asked, an incredulous look on his face.

"No. I'm saying fuck you and goodbye," she said, continuing on her way. Draco stormed off in the opposite direction shortly after.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kat was beginning to find her way around. She made her way to the library one night. Draco wasn't with her because he had a quidditch practice to attend to. She shrugged it off. He may have been good looking, but his overall personality was a bit sour to Kat. She entered, feeling slightly put out, seeing groups of people sitting together. She searched the place for an empty table. She made her way to the only one left by the window. When you looked out, you could see the sweeping landscape, and the dark waters of the lake. She was pleased with her table, and began her homework.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione looked around the library, disappointed that Harry and Ron hadn't arrived. She'd plainly told them six thirty, and they were two minutes late. Hermione was seated by herself, at a table behind a bunch of shelves filled with books about exploding potions, Blast -Ended Skrewt repellants, and what to do if your Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon gets a cold. In the process of locating her belated friends, Hermione noticed a girl she'd never seen before. She was sitting at the table adjacent to hers, flipping through some books. She realized she must be the new girl that everyone was buzzing about.

"Hello, are you new here?" she asked casually from her table. The girl looked up, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I just transferred here from France," Kat replied.

"I'm Hermione Granger by the way," Hermione informed her.

"I'm Katalina Christopher, but you can call me Kat," she said. Hermione glanced over at the girl's homework she'd been doing.

"Um...Kat," Hermione began awkwardly, "I was wondering if you wanted to sit at my table since we're both working on the same homework assignment," she finished. Kat smiled and joined her at her table. She was grateful, because she had been having a bit of trouble on her homework.

"So, what house are you in?" Hermione asked.

"Ravenclaw, and you?" Kat asked.

"I'm in Gryffindor," Hermione answered. They were disrupted by an arrival in the library. Kat looked up and saw a tall red-headed boy come in. His face was dusted with freckles, and his eyes a cheerful blue color. He was followed closely behind by another boy with scattered black hair, and piercingly green eyes. The hair on his forehead shifted as he walked, revealing a small lightning bolt scar. Kat's insides jumped. He was practically a celebrity to her. She looked to Hermione who wore an annoyed expression on her face.

"And just where have you two been?" she demanded.

"Harry and I were..." Ron began, but Hermione cut him off.

"I distinctly said six thirty. I don't know what to do with you two," she said. Harry and Ron took their seats. Harry next to Hermione on one side of the table, and Ron next to Kat on the other. They both realized, after a few seconds, that there was an unfamiliar face at their table. Hermione hurried into introductions.

"Harry, Ron, this is Katalina. She's new," Hermione said, a touch of annoyance still in her voice.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter," Harry said.

"I'm Ron We..." he stopped when she looked at him. Her eyes were so strange looking. "Weasley," he finished. She was rather plain, but those eyes were so peculiar. Ron felt his cheeks burning. He quickly looked away. Harry stared at him, but then opened his book and began his homework.

"So, do you like Hogwarts so far?" Hermione asked Kat, who was looking at Ron out of the corner of her eye. Hermione noticed this, and smiled to herself.

"Yeah, it's not that bad really. Despite this one really unpleasant Malfoy person. He's showing me around as a punishment for..." she stopped realizing that they must already know.

"Oh yeah, that's right. He is a right repulsive git, that Malfoy," Harry said, remembering Malfoy's reprimand.

"Now is that really a nice thing to say Potter?" Draco said, standing behind him.

"Don't turn around Harry. If you look at him, you'll turn to stone," Ron said, laughing. Kat laughed too, and Draco fumed.

"Hey Weasel," Draco said reaching into his robes, "I think I found something of yours," he finished. Ron glared up at him, waiting for his predicted wisecrack. Draco opened his hand to reveal a bronze Knut.

"I think you might have dropped your family's life savings Weasel. I'm being nice enough to bring it back to you," Malfoy said laughing. Ron's cheeks flushed scarlet.

"You'd better leave Ron alone," Hermione said. Her voice sounded weak, so Malfoy didn't take her seriously.

"Well, the Mudblood is defending her friends," Draco said, ready to say something when he was interrupted.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up Malfoy? I've had a long day, and I don't need your shit right now. Now, why don't you find some people that actually give a damn before you get your ass handed to you," Kat said, getting annoyed with Draco's attitude.

"Your lucky I have to show you around, or I would..." she cut him off.

"You would what?" she demanded, standing now, her hands on her hips. She smiled a devilish smile, and took her wand out of her robes.

"Oh, you're going to use that on me are you?" he asked, laughing.

"Hey Malfoy, I've transferred schools three times in the past couple years," Kat began, a strange look on her face.

"Yeah, I know. So what?" Draco asked.

"Do you know why that is? I would have thought they told you by now," Kat said. He looked at her puzzled, and she continued, Harry, Hermione and Ron all listening intently.

"Well, at every school, there's always this one person who gets on my nerves. I don't like when people get me mad. That last boy, I hexed him so bad, they couldn't find a container small enough for what was left of him. Needless to say, I got expelled, and now I'm here arguing with you," she finished, her glare never faltering, her face remaining gravely serious.

"That's not true," Draco said, laughing nervously. He didn't know why, but he believed her.

"Are you sure you want to test me?" she asked, raising her wand, level to his face. He merely laughed, but all the more anxiously.

"You look a bit like him," she said, a manic smile on her face. Draco, pretended to be interested in something else, and left them alone. Returned to her seat, receiving strange looks from the trio.

"Um...Kat..." Hermione started.

"No, it's not true," she said smiling. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's not?" she asked.

"Nope, my mom's job is the reason we have to move all the time, but that prat doesn't have to know that," she said, laughing. They laughed with her, thinking that she wasn't so bad for someone that claims to be a murderer.