The Cast of Love

Chapter I: Meeting the Girl

     "You may go back to your common-room, Malfoy." A Ravenclaw girl said with a look of spite, even though Draco hadn't a clue who this student was. Draco Malfoy stood up and gripped his book tightly. As he walked back to the Slytherin common-room, his shoes clacked on the stone floor, and sent a cold echo through the empty hallway. In his hands, he clutched the book he had been reading before being more-or-less kicked out. Draco sighed, his teeth clicking at the end of the exhale. It was the chilling month of December; which made it impossible to breath without a misty-spiral escaping from one's mouth. In a few weeks, Draco would return to the Malfoy Mansion for the holidays, and he would usually be unhappy until he returned to Hogwarts and--this year was no different. Draco returned from his thoughts as the painting in front of the Slytherin common-room spoke, "Password please." "Fork tongue." "Very well, here you go."

     The fire-warmed room was hushed into a silence as Draco entered. In his mind, Draco knew this year, his 5th year, was going to be difficult. The Dementor's had tortured students into fear, and a spine-chilling feeling followed everyone throughout the school. Draco slumped down into a sunken-in, leather chair, and looked at the crackling fire. "Draco, did you hear, someone at another school got stuck as a rat for a week. It was after another student tried a transformation spell on them. Isn't that hilarious?" Draco's 'friend,' Blaise, chuckled, and threw a flavored jelly-bean at the wall. "Really? Couldn't they just have changed him back? What a waste of paper ink." Blaise went silent at his friend's response, "Yeah.." he chucked another bean at the wall, this time knocking over a small, metal goblet, "Anyways--I'm going to head to my bed and get some rest. We have McGonagall tomorrow." Blaise grabbed his bag of jelly-beans, and skipped up a curved stairwell to his room. A few other Slytherin's mumbled in agreement, and headed to their rooms as well. This went on until the fire was nearly dead, and there was only one other Slytherin left. She was short with straight, dark-brown hair that went a little bit past her shoulders. Despite purple-ish dark circles, her dark brown eyes sparkled, and Draco noticed her nose was red as she sniffled. She appeared to be playing with a floating, glass marble with blue-green mist in it.

     Due to boredom, Draco shifted in his grand, leather chair, and looked over at her, "I'm assuming you'll be heading to your room soon? Like the rest, I mean." The girl set down the marble and smiled, "I'm not sure, I don't actually have McGonagall tomorrow; I have potions with Professor Snape. What about you?" Draco smiled, her voice was deeper than he thought, but she sounded thoughtful, "I dunno, I have potions as well--funny, I've never seen you before.." She gave a humored-smile, "Yes, well--I just transferred to the potions class. I would have had McGonagall, but I didn't feel like being turned into a rat." Draco couldn't help but laugh at this. "Alright, then. Good to know--anyways, I'm going to head to the dorm to sleep." The girl nodded and waved 'goodbye.' As Draco rounded the corner, the stone stairwell now blocking the view of the common-room, he suddenly stopped and poked his head out to look back, "What's your name, by the way?" "Katherine." "Katherine?" "Yes, Katherine Mae-" Katherine seemed to hesitate like she was thinking about something, "Or you can call me Kate." After a few seconds, Draco continued back up the stairs, calling out, "Okay--goodnight, Kate Mae."

     Draco plopped onto his bed, the other students in the room already asleep. He could even hear Blaise snoring softly. Draco looked at the ceiling and smiled, it felt good to have something seem normal this year.