Katherine had become very quiet and more observant, it was as if she had had the life sucked out of her. Her friends were worried sick and Tom had become more cruel to everyone around him.
They sat in potions class with their usual partners.
Tom was doing all the work as Katherine sat quietly at a good distance from him.
"Katherine could you pass the-" Tom began but stopped when he noticed that she was staring at particularly nothing out the window. He grabbed the ingredient himself.
Black and Lestrange whispered to each other, loud enough for Tom and Katherine to hear.
"Do you think she's alright?" Black asked.
"Does she look alright to you? It's looks like she has the life drained out of her." Lestrange replied.
"Should we talk to her?"Black suggested.
"No he won't allow us, besides, seeing her like this is torture for him too"Lestrange finished.
Tom shot them a look and reached into his pocket for his wand, Black and Lestrange has fearful looks on their faces.
Katherine watched this happen, how had she not noticed before. So blinded by a love that might not have even existed, she didn't notice how much her friends were struggling.
Katherine stood up from her seat which caused all attention to transfer to her. "Professor, may I be excused?"
Slughorn could never deny a request from his star student "of course."
Katherine quickly left the classroom, not even bothering to pack up her things.
"Professor, may I also be excused? You see, Katherine hasn't been feeling well lately and I'm afraid that something is wrong." Ophelia said.
"Yes of course" Slughorn said immediately with a worried expression.
Ophelia practically jogged out of the classroom to find Katherine. She ran into the common room and up to the girls dormitories where she found Katherine lightly sobbing.
"Katherine, what's wrong." Ophelia asked, taking a seat beside her on the bed.
Katherine threw her arms around Ophelia "everything." She sobbed.
"Please tell me." Ophelia said as she comforted her.
"You have to promise not to tell anyone."
"I promise" Ophelia replied.
"I think Tom's been lying to me this whole time, I think he's been lying about everything. I can't talk to anyone because they're all in Tom's death eater group, I think you're the only one." Katherine said and pulled out of the hug. As she did, she accidentally pushed Ophelia's sleeve up revealing the death eater mark.
Ophelia saw what Katherine was looking at and immediately pulled her sleeve back down.
Katherine stood up and moved away from Ophelia with tears forming in her eyes "How could you!"
"Katherine please, I'm still your friend." Ophelia said.
"No, no you're not." She said and ran out the dormitory door.
Ophelia tried to follow her but ended up losing her. She began to panic, classes had been dismissed and students were piling in into the hallways, making it impossible to find Katherine.
"Where is she?" Asked a deadly voice behind her.
Ophelia turned around to come face to face with an angered Tom. "I don't know, I lost her."
Tom pulled out his wand and held it to Ophelia's neck " you lost her?"
"Stop please, we have more important things to be doing, we have to find her" Black butted in, saving Ophelia from immense pain.
Tom lowered his wand and turned to the rest of the group."Split up and search the grounds." He instructed.
Everyone went their own ways leaving Tom in the busy hallway. Tom already had an idea as to where she might be.
He climbed the stairs to the astronomy tower hoping to find her there. To his luck, she was there. The cold air blasted in through the open roof.
"Go away." She was the first on the speak.
Tom took a step towards her "Katherine, please tell me what's been going on with you."
"You want to know what's been going on?!" She snapped. "It's you!"
"I don't understand, I haven't done any-"
"Don't think I don't see our friends cower away from you in fear. Don't think that I don't see you reach for your wand from time to time, threatening to hurt them!" She finished.
Tom clenched his fists, on one should be aloud to talk to him like this. "So you're upset because I have power."
Katherine had a look of disbelief on her face "you think I care about your power? I don't give a damn about your power!"
"So what are you upset about!" Tom yelled.
"Im upset about all the lies that you've told me, put me under the illusion of love. I'm upset about what you've become, a monster!" Katherine yelled back.
Tom lost his grip and pulled out his wand "SHUT UP!" He yelled and before he could even think twice about what he was doing, he had used a spell and just made a grave mistake.
Katherine went flying back and bashed into the wall behind her, her body then fell onto the ground. Tom dropped his wand onto the floor and stood frozen in disbelief of what he had just done.
Katherine weakly sat up, pain bashing on her body. She touched the back of her pounding head and saw that her shaking hand was covered in blood.
Tom ran over to her, getting on his knees to her level. "Katherine I..." He reached his hand out.
Katherine used her arms to push herself away from him in fear of what he would do to her next.
What had he done? The person he loved most was scared of him. "Please don't me afraid of me."
Footsteps ran up the stairs to the astronomy tower. Malfoy and Ophelia entered and stared at the shocking sight in front of them. Katherine lay on the floor, cowering away from Tom, blood seeping into her shirt. Tom beside her with his hand stretched out about to do who knows what.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" Ophelia yelled and ran towards Katherine.
"It was an accident... I didn't mean to hurt her." Tom whispered but he knew that a part of him was lying. At that moment when he used the spell, all his intentions were to hurt something or someone.
Abraxas stood with his back facing them, seeing Katherine hurt and covered in blood was all too much for him.
"Please Katherine-" Tom began.
"Stay away from her!" Ophelia yelled.
She helped Katherine stand up. Katherine did something, she didn't know why but all she wanted right now was to get away from them, she ran. Her body ached and the pain stabbed her from everywhere but she kept running.
"Katherine!" Abraxas called out after her.
Katherine kept running until she was outside. She didn't know where she was going but she needed to get away, she ran into the forbidden forest. Sharp branches cut and scratched her skin and the blood continued to leak out of her head, before she knew it, she was unconscious on the forest grounds.
***
Tom sat on the chair next to her bed, holding her hand. She was in the infirmary, deep cuts and scratches covered her arms. How could he have done this to her? She was right, he was a monster.
Dumbledore walked in with heavy guilt weighing him and stood next to her bed. Tom was in no mood to talk or even care why he was there.
"This is my fault" Dumbledore began, his voice cracking from the sadness. "If I knew what would become of her... I wouldn't have given her the file."
Tom looked up at Dumbledore, confused. "What file?" Tom asked.
"I thought... I'm so sorry for what I have done." Dumbledore said.
Before Tom could ask anymore questions, Dippet walked in. "How did this happen?"
"She was found like this in the forest" Dumbledore informed.
"We'll ask her when she gets better" Dippet said. "Albus, if you would follow me." Dippet said, gesturing at the door.
"Of course "Dumbledore said and followed him out the infirmary door.
Questions filled Tom's head, what file was he talking about.
The door opened again and Ophelia ran in with a yellow folder in her hand.
"What's that?" Tom asked.
"I found it under her mattress, it's your file." Ophelia informed and handed Tom the file. "How is she?"
"Get out" Tom demanded.
"Please, she's my friend too" Ophelia said.
"Now." Tom said pointing at the door.
Ophelia sadly left the room, looking at Katherine one last time before she closed the door.
Tom opened the file and read the first page, nothing. He turned the page and saw a section circled, he read it over and noticed that the words "conceived under a love potion were highlighted.
Anger filled him. "YOU STUPID STUPID GIRL!!" He yelled.
"Did you honestly think that I didn't love you?"
He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to hurt her anymore than he already had.
"I do love you."