chapter 42

Despite her proficiency in Occlumency, Draconica struggled to mask the flush on her cheeks. Her thoughts stubbornly replayed her recent encounter with the object of her desire, leaving her with a feeling of soreness that was hard to conceal. Although her robes camouflaged the telltale signs, a discerning observer might notice that she was moving a bit awkwardly.

Fortunately for her, a friend with a keen eye was nearby. Daphne immediately sensed that Draconica had been up to something mischievous when she returned to the Slytherin common room. Along with Tracey and Astoria, the trio of witches showed remarkable restraint by leading her to Daphne's room before launching any inquiries.

"So? What happened?" Daphne asked, her tone direct and unabashedly curious. Draconica's cheeks burned a bright red as she allowed her façade to crumble. The other three girls exchanged knowing glances, their curiosity piqued. They leaned in, eager for the details... However, Daphne was met with an amusing sight as she noticed Astoria, seated behind her sister, resting her head on Daphne's shoulder, clearly fidgeting with excitement. Noting her sister's antics, Daphne tousled Astoria's hair, shaking her head with a bemused grin. "Do you really think you can keep this from Astoria?" Daphne remarked playfully, her disbelief evident.

"Mhmm..." Draconica muttered, clearly aware that Astoria's energy made it nearly impossible to keep secrets from her. Still, she hesitated to share such intimate details, especially considering they were about a topic as delicate as what had transpired between her and the young wizard. Unfortunately, her friends weren't giving her any escape route.

"Come on, tell us! How did your secret rendezvous with the boy-wonder go?" Tracey urged. Sighing, Draconica began to recount her tale...

~/ *** \~

Meanwhile, Harry stood just out of sight of the Gryffindor common room, grappling with the weight of his actions. As the reality of his encounter with Draconica settled in, he frantically thought of ways to shield himself from Alicia and Angelina's inevitable wrath. There was no doubt they would unleash their fury for cheating on Katie...

Unfortunately, his mind, still hazy from the previous night's pleasures, failed to conjure a suitable defense. With curfew looming dangerously close, Harry realized he could no longer evade the consequences. After a quick prayer to any deity willing to listen—hoping for just enough left of him to be buried properly—he approached the portrait of the Fat Lady and, after providing the password, entered the common room.

To his surprise, Katie wasn't there waiting with a frying pan or something equally threatening. Instead, she appeared just as he settled in, fixing him with a piercing glare.

Despite his firm grasp on Occlumency, Harry couldn't hide the evidence of his night with Draconica. Thankfully, Katie wasn't going to publicly drag him through the mud. Yet he sensed that a private confrontation was imminent. Nodding for him to follow her to a quieter part of the room, Harry sighed in resignation. As they reached a secluded corner, Katie shoved him against the wall, her demeanor intense. He didn't resist; he knew he deserved whatever was coming.

"It was her, wasn't it?" Katie asked, though it was clear she meant Draconica without naming her. Harry took a deep breath and nodded, realizing there was no point in lying—truth would only lessen his punishment. "Bastard!" she hissed, delivering a sharp slap that he accepted without protest. Then, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there alone.

'That went better than expected…' he mused, wishing for survival through the next day when Angelina and Alicia would surely find out about his betrayal. As if summoned by thought, the two girls appeared to witness Katie disappearing into the girls' dorms...

~/ *** \~

When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the sterile white ceiling of the hospital wing. The unmistakable scent of antiseptics confirmed he was in Madam Pomfrey's care. Thankfully, he didn't have to piece together how he ended up here; the consequences of his own recklessness and the subsequent wrath of Alicia and Angelina were all too clear.

He couldn't quite remember the specifics of what had transpired, but the dull ache in his arms indicated that it hadn't been pleasant. His self-reflection was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey's entrance.

"Mr. Potter, you're awake!" she exclaimed. "Thank Merlin! You had us worried when you were unconscious for almost three days." Wednesday, he noted. Not great—Snape wouldn't be pleased about him missing Potions class. "Now, can you explain how your housemates did this to you? I had to mend at least twenty fractures in your right arm alone. You're lucky you've got a thick skull, or you'd be spending the next month here with me."

'Note to self: don't make the vixens angry. Surviving their wrath once is enough.' Harry reflected. "Well, I broke a promise to them," he replied, intentionally vague.

Madam Pomfrey regarded him for several seconds before deciding not to pry further. "In that case, I suggest you keep your promises next time." He nodded in agreement. "Now that you're awake, I'll be able to release you soon, once I'm satisfied with your healing." Probably in a couple of days, he considered, quietly grateful for the time to catch up on his homework, with Hermione undoubtedly forwarding him the notes on what he needed to do.

Harry's suspicions about Snape were confirmed as he looked over the homework notes left for him. He faced an additional two feet of parchment on the Skelegro potion just for his absence from class, plus an essay on poison antidotes they'd covered. Utterly infuriating, he sighed heavily and began writing, trying to ignore the nagging pain in his hand.

~/ *** \~

After his release from the hospital wing that Thursday afternoon, Harry's first stop was the library to return the books he had borrowed. On his way, he paused to take a look at the house points hourglasses. It was clear that Alicia and Angelina had lost more than one hundred fifty points each—likely in addition to other punishments, given how viciously they'd retaliated against him for hurting Katie.

Upon entering the Gryffindor common room, he met the fierce glares of Alicia and Angelina, which could have reduced him to atoms if looks could kill. Surprisingly, Katie appeared less furious than the other two vixens. Yet, with the way she studied him, he knew approaching her would lead directly back to the hospital wing—a place he had no desire to revisit.

Thankfully, no one seemed aware of the real reason for his (albeit deserved) break-up with Katie, for which he was sincerely grateful. He already had enough problems without the entire house ostracizing him. Sighing, he made his way to where Hermione and Neville were huddled over their History of Magic essays. As anticipated, they wanted to know why he'd been absent for four days. He relayed the same explanation he'd given Madam Pomfrey, and while Neville bought it, Hermione's keen instincts told her there was more to his story. Here, however, she chose not to press further but kindly offered advice on how he might reconcile with the Gryffindor vixens. Harry listened, fully aware that none of it would be enough to mend the deeply hurt feelings of Katie.

~/ *** \~

The following week proved exceedingly difficult for Harry, as the trio of vixens continually shot him death glares whenever they shared the same space. The tension made him reluctant to even approach them for forgiveness—an apology he felt he'd never obtain from Katie or the other two who were now serving detentions with Professor McGonagall for their reactions.

Yet, deep inside, Harry held onto hope, wishing for an opportunity to express his remorse sooner rather than later. It would have been less harrowing had he taken something tangible from his encounter with Draconica rather than just memories. Unfortunately, she remained as aloof as ever, evading any sign that something had transpired among them.

Gladly, the vixens began to show signs of easing their grudge three weeks later, but Harry found it difficult to muster the courage to approach them. The basilisk he had faced in the Chamber of Secrets now felt less intimidating compared to the trio of furious Gryffindor vixens—especially when they were huddled together.

Eventually, he seized a moment when Katie was alone in the common room. Knowing she was the one he had hurt most, he decided to approach her first. Summoning his Gryffindor courage (a struggle when his Slytherin instincts screamed at him to stay away), he carefully stepped closer.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked coldly, her voice icy. "I want nothing to do with the bastard you are," she retorted, resentment palpable in her tone. Harry hung his head, acknowledging her anger without defending himself.

"Katie..." Ignoring the fierce glare, he made a tentative attempt. "I know I've hurt you in the worst way and that there's no way to repair what we had…but I still beg for your forgiveness." Her silence weighed heavily as he continued, "I realize there's nothing that can fix our relationship, nor do I deserve to ask. But could you at least grant me the chance to be your friend again?" The silence stretched on, feeling like an eternity. Finally, after what felt like ages, Katie replied:

"I suppose I can give you one more chance to be my friend, Potter."

"But you'll owe me for this," she added, a warning evident in her tone. Harry nodded, feeling grateful.

"You're an amazing person, Katie. I don't deserve it," he admitted.

"No, you don't," she reiterated. "But I'll give you this one chance anyway." With a sigh of relief, he thanked her and departed, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. The relief was nearly overwhelming, perhaps deserving of a powerful Patronus—a corporeal one, even.

However, he still needed to apologize to Alicia and Angelina—a debt to settle since he was responsible for their detentions, albeit indirectly. Gaining their forgiveness would be far more challenging. Ultimately, he had to convince Katie to intervene, asking her to urge her friends not to hex him when he approached them to seek forgiveness.

In the end, after he approached Professor McGonagall with a desperate plea to reduce their detentions, he managed to get the girls to somewhat forgive him, although it cost him a promise to finance their next trip to Hogsmeade.

~/ *** \~

Meanwhile, Sirius Black was panting heavily as he finally ascended the rocky path leading to the valley where Hogsmeade lay. Weak and incredibly hungry—having not eaten properly since his imprisonment in Azkaban over twelve years ago—he pushed himself onward. His mission was singular: capture the real traitor who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort. Nothing would deter him—not hunger, not Auror patrols, not even Dementors.

Finding refuge in a secluded cave, the infamous escapee transformed back into his human form, filthy and emaciated. He examined a wand he had pilfered from a passerby while traversing southern Scotland. Though it wouldn't be an ideal fit, he hoped it would at least suffice to stun the rat who had wronged him, allowing for the chance to expose Peter Pettigrew as the real traitor and finally clear his name.

With hopes of seeing his godson Harry once again—wondering if he had inherited his parents' charm and wits—Sirius forced aside the fantasies of reunion and set his focus on the mission. But first, he needed sustenance. Transforming back into his animagus form, he continued toward Hogsmeade, driven by desperation to find something to eat...