Enchanting Expedition, a Story

Eight

Chapter Eight- After-Test-Parties and Planning

Kat waited patiently for the Hogwarts Express to arrive, as did Harry and Ron. They all ran to Hermione and Sky whenever they got off the train, Kat giving them both a quick hug before she had to leave with her Slytherin friends.

"Did you guys have fun?" Kat asks them.

"Yeah, one of the families threw a party that we all had to go to though." Draco rolled his eyes, Pansy copying his actions.

"Oh, that sounds fun." Kat chimed. "Or not..." She got different looks from her friends telling her that it was not a fun party.

"We have to go to one each year, and every year they're dreadful. This time, all of the first year Slytherins got books and new dress robes. Then they got what they asked for from their parents. Draco got a new wardrobe like and new supplies for Potions. I got a new wardrobe as well, with new beauty supplies. Oh, let's go back to the dork and I can show you!" Pansy dragged Kat off to the first year girls' dorm in the Slytherin dungeons. Draco shrugged and smirked when Kat sent a pleading look over her shoulder at him.

Once the girl were back in the dorm, pansy showed Kat the spell to get her makeup finished and how to make sure it was how she wanted. Kat used the spell once to just give her a natural look and it worked. Pansy said that Kat could use her supplies if she wanted because she had so many extras of everything.
The girls went to dinner that night laughing and talking about different things that happened to Pansy while she was gone. They were laughing about something Draco did at the party when they sat down next to each other across the table from Draco. When asked what they were laughing about by Draco, the girls laughed even harder.

"Are you guys wearing makeup?" Draco squints his eyes.

"Yeah, only a bit. We were just testing it out. Draco, are you ready for the semester exams? They'll be next week." Kat asks, stabbing a piece of food with her fork and eating it.

"Not quite, I've fallen behind a bit on my studying because of Christmas break. Mother and Father kept me too busy to study most of the time."

"Well, I think you guys worry too much on the exams. It's not like they'll be the O.W.L.s or the N.E.W.T.s! We still have another week to study anyways." Pansy continues to eat until she looks up at Draco's and Kat's faces. "Have you guys actually been studying for two months? I give up, I give up!" Pansy throws her hands in the air dramatically.

"Well, rumor has it that every professor has an essay as their exam. I've been doing a lot of reading over the break so I can help you guys finish studying if you want." Kat suggests, letting the others know.

"Yeah, I've still got a few sections of Potions and Magical Creatures I need to study. I could use a bit of help." Draco mentioned before taking a swig of his drink.

"You're in luck, got this book from Snape right before the break and have been reading it since! Haven't even learned about some of these potions yet!" She handed Draco the book, which he took graciously. "I'll probably talk to Hagrid to see what all he knows about some of the creatures we've learned about so far this year." She made a mental note to go down to Hagrid's hut later to take notes.

"I'll leave you to that, I'll probably just go to the library." Draco raised an eyebrow at her peculiarness.

"Suit yourself, Hagrid probably knows more than any of those books. There's only a few in there that have everything we've learned about so far." Kat shrugged and stood to go to her next class, not really feeling like eating breakfast this morning. "I'm going to go ahead and head towards Magical Creatures class, I'll see you guys in a few."
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Kat was walking back up to the castle from Hagrid's hut, she'd just gotten finished taking notes on the most important parts of each creature she'd learned about thanks to Hagrid. Unfortunately, her block was over which meant the day was over and she could either go back to the Slytherin dungeons or go to dinner. Kat chose not to deal with the loudness of dinner and to instead finish up her studying for Herbology. She'd then be able to start studying Charms a bit more, just to make her feel more confident when she took the exam.
Once she got to the Common Room, she sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, swung her legs over one of the arm rests, and started to read about the different uses for different magical plants. While studying, she accidentally fell asleep. Her dream consisted of Devil's Snare killing her as she struggled to get out of it. Draco, Harry, and Ron were unable to save her and all died as well.
She only woke up whenever she was shaken awake by Pansy, who told her that everyone else was almost there. Kat quickly sorted herself out and continued to read, reading a paragraph that said struggling only make Devil's Snare kill you faster.
Well, at least I'll remember that fact now. Kat laughed at herself.

"Kat, do you have those notes from Hagrid? You were right, the library didn't have any useful information that I didn't already know about these magical creatures." Draco barged into the room.

Kat handed over her notes and continued to study with Draco in the Common Room until she became too tired to even see the words. She said goodnight to her friends and let Pansy guide her up to the dorm.

When the tests finally came the next week, she was exhausted but ready for them. Hermione, Skylar, and herself had been studying nonstop the week before and when Kat wasn't studying with them she studied with Draco.
All of them aced without question while Pansy, Harry, and Ron all missed a few points.
Kat sent a letter with the good news to Molly and Arthur back home and was rewarded with praise in a letter when she got a response.

Results showed her and Draco being the top of the first year Slytherin class, and top 10 out of the entire first years. They were both rewarded 10 points each to Slytherin for such excellent work. Hermione and Skylar also got their houses 10 points.

Each house traditionally held a party the Saturday after exams, which brings us to Pansy trying to force Kat to wear dresses to the Slytherin party.

"Kat, please? You'll look so pretty in them and I've never seen you in a dress before, please!" They were on their way to the Common Room from History of Magic. Draco had already left with Crabbe and Goyle to leave Kat to her death.

"I don't know Pansy, I don't think I look that nice in dresses." Kat tried to reason.

"Nonsense, you probably just haven't found one that fits your body nicely! You can borrow one of mine, I have so many new ones from Christmas that I've yet to wear and some of them are so pretty!" Pansy continued to ramble even after they walked through the portrait-way to the Common Room.

Draco looked at the sight of Pansy hanging onto Kat's arm and gave Kat a smirk saying, 'now you know what it's like'.

"Don't you think Kat should wear a dress to the party, Draco?" Pansy interrupted her senseless babbling and went to hang onto Draco's arm instead.

"I don't think it's that kind of party, Pansy. Looks like we'll both have to try again for the Christmas party next year." Draco informed her, saving Kat from any further torture. Pansy sulked up to the girls dorm after being shaken off of Draco.

"Thank you, but you seem to forget how awkward it would be for your parents and my aunt and uncle whenever I go back home to them after the party." Kat sits on the couch, immediately feeling relaxed enough to sleep.

Draco sat up from laying on the couch. "Is that why you always say no? Oh, the petty rivalry can cease for one meeting! Are there any other reasons you say no?" Draco raises an eyebrow.

"Yes actually. I don't want to intrude and I still think your parents wouldn't like me." Kat brings her knees up to her chest to be more comfortable.

"I think you underestimate how big our house is, we have many guest rooms for you to choose from. If you want, you could have an entire hall to yourself. Also," he pauses to really look at Kat, "you don't know that my parents would dislike you if you haven't met yet! Besides, I like you so it must be good enough for them."

"That sounds incredibly lonely, and you know how awkward I am! I'd have to be near you almost as badly as Pansy to make sure I don't do anything wrong!" After thinking about what she said, Kat corrected herself. "Maybe not as bad as Pansy but you get it. I would not be able to have room very far away from yours and that sounds weird but shut up."

"I'll send an owl to mother and father asking if it would be okay for you to stay a few days over Spring break. After they respond with a yes, because they probably will, then you can send one to your aunt and uncle saying that all transportation will be handled by us. You can leave Kings Cross with me and after a few days at our house, you can spend the rest of the week with your family. Hah, planning that was a cinch!" Draco jumped up and started writing the letter to his parents.
Kat laughed and shook her head because Spring Break was all the way in March and it was still January; Draco was getting hyped a couple of months too early.