Katrina woke in her room. It was almost as if the whole kidknapping had been a dream. She was still in her pajamas, she was under her covers. It would be easy to pretend that she had slept soundly through that night and had just awoken to justified peace and bliss. But that was not the case, and she knew it. She could feel the weight of the curse that wretched man had placed on her, and she could feel the chafing on her wrists from the bindings he had used.
She tried not to think of how he was able to get her in and out of her room so efficiently without arousing suspicion. Unfortunately, she had much, much, bigger problems at the moment. She slipped out of bed, donning her Beauxbatons uniform and brushing out her blond hair, which had become quite long by this point. All the girl at Beauxbatons wore their hair long, and cutting wasn't necessarily discouraged, but Katrina knew better than to take that as a green light. She rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe she was thinking about such petty concerns as the length of her hair at a time like this.
She sat at her vanity to pin her hair out of her eyes and touch up her makeup. Her heart sank as her eyes caught on the pictures tucked in the edges of her mirror. She reached out, her fingertips brushing on the edges as she reminisced fondly.
The first was taken at the end of her last year at Hogwarts. Rose and Scorpius was wrapped around each other in a fond embrace. Rose's head was laid on his collar bone. One hand wrapped around his back, and the other rested on his chest. Scorpius hugged her close. They both smiled happily. Katrina and Albus were on either side, giving the couple bunny ears. They were laughing. As the picture moved, they bent over in laughter, exchanging glances, and Rose sighed happily.
The second was taken her first week at Beauxbatons. She, Parisa, Sabrina, and Bella were sitting on a bench in Beauxbatons' dining hall. They were wearing their school uniforms. Their arms were thrown around each other's necks. They laughed cheerily. They had become fast friends, and Katrina couldn't be more grateful.
The third was of her and Albus after the first task. Initially, they each had their arm wrapped around the other's shoulder. They smiled. Then Albus, reached down, sweeping Katrina off her feet and into his arms bridal style. Katrina shrieked in surprise as her arms wrapped around his neck. They laughed.
Katrina cried. She slid off her chair and collapsed on the floor. She wrapped her arms around her legs and put her face in her knees as hot tears streamed down her face. She didn't make a sound. If anyone heard her, she risked Albus' safety. And that was something she could not do.
But even though it was protecting Albus, the fact didn't make the task any easier. Her heart ripped to shreds imagining her life without him in it. This would tear there friendship apart. He would be hurt and disappointed. Why wouldn't he be? She was leaving him, betraying him, without any explanation why. In his eyes, she would be gripping the knife in his back. She couldn't bear that thought.
She lay on the floor for quite some time. Finally, there was a knock on her door.
"Kat?" Katrina furiously wiped her tears at the sound of Parisa's voice. "Are you feeling better? Madame Maxime asked me to check. If you need anything-"
"I'm good!" Katrina said a little too quickly. She winced at the crack in her voice. She held her breath, waiting for Parisa's reaction.
"If you're sure...."
"I'll be out in a minute, Parisa!" she said, relief flooding her. She would have to be more careful. Even when she thought she was alone, Albus was at risk.
"Alright! We'll wait for you! Hurry! Don't want to be late for breakfast!"
"I'll be quick!" Katrina wiped her tears on her old Hufflepuff scarf. Her hand flailed about, searching blindly for her wand, which she had discarded carelessly on the floor after the Yule Ball the night before. The palm of her hand grazed the wood and she grasped it. She rested it's tip on her cheek.
"Machozi Kavu." Her tears dried, and her red eyes returned to their normal color. She checked herself one more time in the mirror, smoothing a few flyaways. Her eyes caught once more on the third picture. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled she pushed down all emotions.
She had lost her mother before she was old enough to remember her.
She had grown up in a place where no one loved her.
She had been teased, bullied, and ridiculed all her life.
She had spent her first four years at Hogwarts in a closet, afraid to confront her fears.
She had been kidnapped,
tortured,
hurt,
bruised,
broken,
betrayed,
abandoned,
lost,
afraid,
confused,
alone,
rejected,
and neglected.
And there would be so much more suffering to follow.
But this would be the hardest thing she would ever do.