We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

- The Party -

"I never thought my heart could pull me in two directions at once—like no matter who I turn toward, I'm still leaving a piece of myself behind with the other."

______________________________

Katherine stood in front of the mirror, unsure of herself in a way she didn't often allow.

Her hair had taken longer than expected. Soft curls now fell neatly over her shoulders, framing her face in a way that felt almost unfamiliar— less guarded, less practical.

She tilted her head slightly, studying her reflection.
The black dress was simple, but striking. It fit perfectly, clean lines, no unnecessary detail. It didn't try too hard.

It didn't need to.

Behind her, Pansy Parkinson watched with quiet scrutiny.

"You keep looking at yourself like you're about to change your mind," Pansy said.

Katherine exhaled lightly. "...I might."

From across the room, Veronica, already dressed and halfway through a glass of something strong, snorted.

"You're not changing. You've committed now," she said. "Besides, you look good."

Katherine raised a brow. "That sounded almost sincere."

"It was. Don't get used to it."

Pansy stood, walking over with purpose. She reached up, adjusting one of Katherine's curls with surprising precision.

"There," she said. "You look like you belong, Katherine."

Katherine met her own gaze in the mirror again.

For a moment, she didn't look like someone caught between things.

Between people.

Between choices.

"...Alright," she said quietly.

The Slytherin common room didn't look like the Slytherin common room.

Katherine stopped just inside the doorway, her eyes adjusting slowly as the space unfolded in front of her.

The usual dark, cold stone had been softened—transformed. Long sheets of deep emerald fabric draped from the ceiling beams, pooling slightly at the edges of the room. Silver accents caught the low light, glinting faintly like reflections on water.

The lighting itself had changed.

No harsh torches.

Instead, floating lanterns hovered at different heights, glowing warm gold and soft green, casting moving shadows that made the entire room feel alive. The enchanted ceiling rippled like the surface of a lake, slow waves of light passing overhead.

Music filled the air, low at first, then swelling, layered with magic so it wrapped around the room rather than just playing through it. It pulsed faintly through her chest, steady and rhythmic.

And the people—

Everywhere.

Slytherins, obviously—but also Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and, unmistakably, Gryffindors. Laughter rose and fell in waves, glasses clinked, voices overlapped in a constant hum of energy.

It was chaos.

But controlled.

Intentional.

The shift was immediate.

As soon as they entered the common room, the air changed. Not in a dramatic, theatrical way, but subtly. Heads turned, conversations paused just slightly before continuing, eyes lingering a second longer than usual.