Lucy POV
"Lucy it's gorgeous!" Kat says and I hold up a green and black and gold dress with a snake design on it.
"Hold on, is that a snake on your dress? I'd have thought that you'd have had a wolf or badger, but a snake? Unless, it's there to symbolize someone you wish could be there tomorrow night..."
"Huh. I could have sworn I put a wolf on there to represent dad... Where did that snake come from?? Oh now I remember, I made two, one with a wolf the other with a snake. Though, I only meant to make the one with the wolf.."
"I plan on offering one of these dresses to Annabelle and I will most likely sell the other ones."
At this, Katherina frowned.. "Lucy, can I ask you a question? Why are you still friends with Annabelle? She turned her back on me when I needed her the most.... She chose to believe Rita Skeeter's lies, rather then to trust me. I just don't understand. How can the two of you be so forgiving toward her? First Henry asks her to the Yule ball and now, your making a dress for her date with him? How could you?" For a moment, Kat looks heartbroken but she quickly masks it with a look of anger. "You know what, it doesn't matter. I don't care. I should go. You have a lot of dresses to work on and I still need to focus on my task for the next challenge. I'll see you later Lucy." Kat says her voice laced with sadness, bitterness and a hint of jealousy. With that, she turns and rushed out of the room as tears begin filling her eyes. I close my eyes and sigh. I hear a welcoming voice.
"You know why she's upset don't you?"
She feels betrayed. First she's betrayed by Annabelle, a girl who's supposed to be one of her closest friends. Then the boy she has a crush on what's his name, Harper, Harold, Harrison?"
"Henry?"
"Yes Henry, that's the one. He chose the very girl who turned her back on Kat over her and agreed to be her date for the Yule ball without hesitation."
"Wait, I'm confused. I thought Henry asked Annabelle to the ball?"
"Nope. Though he's entirely clueless, Annabelle is well aware of how Kat truly feels about Henry. She knew that Kat was planning to ask Henry to the Yule ball so She intentionally asked him to the ball just to be spiteful. To top everything off, you are making a dress for Her date with him. I'd feel betrayed too wouldn't you?" Tom asks with a sigh shaking his head in disapproval.
"What do you want me to do Tom? They are all my friends...."
"That's where your wrong Lucy. Katherina's not your friend, she's family and family should always come first... Why did you make a dress for Annabelle after what she did to Katherina? Not to mention the cruel things that she's says about you behind your back..." Tom mutters.
"Because we are the unlikely four.. I don't want to loose anyone's friendship.. You wouldn't understand."
"What wouldn't I understand? Oh. I get it. I wouldn't understand because I didn't have friends when I was in school is that it?" Tom asked with bitterness, irritation and hurt in his voice.
"No. Bloody hell Tom! That's not what I meant.... I just, I don't want to loose anymore of the people that I love. I don't want my friendships to wind up the way my mother's did."
"What would make you think that I wouldn't understand Lucy? I know how much your friends mean to you."
At this, Lucy sighed. "Alright Tom, I will tell you everything. "When Mum was alive and was a student at Hogworts she became friends with this other girl. Her maiden name was Black. Bellatrix Black."
"Ah. Yes. Bellatrix Lastrange Voldemort's most loyal follower. She's do anything for him including bearing him a child."
"My Grandparents on my mother's side were proud purebloods. The Smiths which was my mother's maiden name, were popular because as I most recently discovered were related to one of the founders of Hogworts, Helga Hufflepuff. They made it their business to be friends with all of the pureblood families. One of which was the Black family. My mum
met the Black sisters Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda at a party and they became close friends. However, she was closest with Bellatrix. In fact, they became an inseparable pair. Wait, what did you say about Bellatrix?"
"That She's Voldemort's most loyal follower and would do anything for him including baring him a child?"
"Well, yes actually. Hold that thought. We can discuss that in a little bit. I'd like to finish telling you about my mum and Bellatrix if that's alright?"
"But of course." Tom replies with a slight nod.
"Even when Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa were sorted into Slytherin and Mum into Hufflepuff they still remained close. In mum's fifth year, she and Andromeda were invited to a weird sister's party at Hogsmead inn. That's where she started fancying dad and they fell in love. Mum wanted to tell Bellatrix the truth and she tried. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way she wanted. She started inventing up stories about getting a part time job At Olivander's wand shop or at Gringots, when in truth she was spending time with dad. When the truth was revealed it wasn't pretty. Bellatrix kept insulting dad insisting that his "kind" shouldn't be allowed to be able to study magic. She also insisted that Mum's being with dad would taint her family's reputation. She was continuously calling dad names like half breed and other cruel names. Ultimately though it broke her heart to do so, she ended her relationship with both Narcissa and Bellatrix and married dad. They joined the order of the Phoenix."
"I see. And your worried that history will repeat itself. Is that why You've been so sad lately?.."
"Yes. My friends are fighting, I know Kat is angry with me and feels both hurt and betrayed by my actions. I have no way to make her understand...."
"I think part of the problem is that Kat feels hurt and a bit jealous that you'd make a dress for Annabelle and not for her... That and she really likes all four of the dresses that you've made. Have you considered maybe making a different more plain one for Annabelle? One that wouldn't make her stand out?"
At this I gasp, "nothing should ever be plain when it comes to fashion." I reply playfully pushing Tom.
Tom chuckles "I was simply saying that perhaps, you should consider making Annabelle's dress less unique and more like the dresses the other girls will be wearing. She doesn't deserve to be given a unique and beautiful dress as these. Especially not after everything that she's done.
Lucy was troubled by Tom's last statement. "What do you mean after everything that she's done?"
"I shouldn't have said anything. It doesn't matter. You must do what you think is best."
Katherina POV
I was hurt that Lucy would agree to make a dress for Annabelle after what she had done to me. However, that wasn't the reason that I was angry with Annabelle. The truth was that I had overheard Annabelle mocking Lucy behind her back on numerous occasions. Calling her all sorts of cruel names and spreading cruel rumors about her. I even discovered that she was behind the distribution of the letters that put Lucy in the hospital. And though I refused to admit it, part of the truth was, that I was jealous. I was both jealous and hurt that Henry had asked Annabelle to the dance.
I was jealous that Lucy had agreed to make Annabelle a dress for her date. I was jealous because I still didn't have a date for the dance nor did I have a ballgown for it. I was jealous of how beautiful the dresses that she'd made for Annabelle and her self were. I felt hurt that she hadn't considered making me one However, I hadn't asked her to make me a dress, so, in a way, it was partly my fault. Yet, I shouldn't have had to ask. After all, technically, we were family.
"Hello Katherina." A voice said pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Grayback? What are you doing here? How did you get onto Hogworts grounds?" I demand. I know that I should be afraid of Grayback, but for some reason I wasn't. It was as if I knew that he wouldn't hurt me.
"I have my ways." Grayback replies with a chuckle. "I hear congratulations are in order." I looked at Grayback quizzically and he flashed me a smile. "On your entry into the Tri-Wizard tournament. Though, for the first time in the tournament's history there are actually five contestants."
"I wanted to wish you luck. It is a very dangerous tournament. By the way, I hear your friend Henry chose that Annabelle girl over you." At this my eyes flash in anger and I let out a low growl causing Grayback to chuckle once more. "So it is true."
I looked away from him as I tried to fight back tears. Instantly I felt someone lifting my chin and brushing them away. I looked up to see a young man about my age with piercing blue eyes and hair that almost looked as if it were white. "Eyes as beautiful as yours should never hold tears."
"Who are you and what are you doing here with Grayback? Are you a part of his pack?"
"Before I answer that, you must answer a question for me. Tell me, Katherina, do you think Grayback is a monster because of his condition?"
"No."
"Then why all the hostility? What has Grayback done to deserve such scorn?"
"He brutally murdered my best friend's mother and he's continuously threatening her. Though I fail to understand why."
"What can I say? I'm a big bag wolf." Grayback replies flashing me a smile.
"We can't always control what we do when we are in our werewolf form."
"You think that I don't know that? Lucy's father is a werewolf and it's all Grayback's fault."
"Oh?"
"He intentionally attacked him when he was a child."
"How else was I going to change his father's view of werewolves? If Remus's father had, had his way, all werewolf's would be eradicated."
"So in revenge you attacked an innocent child? You'll forgive me if I fail to see the logic in that. Also, you can' use your lycanthropy as an excuse for why you killed Mrs Lupin. You were in your human form when you killed her."
"True. Rose was quite delicious and I bet Lucy is just as sweet."
"You stay away from her!"
"Or what? What's a little lamb like you going to do? Your way out of your league sweetheart. I won't hesitate to rid myself of you, if you get between my granddaughter and myself."
"Enough!" The young man growls as he gazes intently at Grayback. "What say you to these charges Fenrir?"
"Guilty. What do you plan on doing about it your majesty? You can't reverse my granddaughter's father's transformation. Nor can you bring Rose back. What's done is done. It's in the past and that's where it needs to stay. As for Lucy, she will eventually have to accept that she belongs to me. Oh. I see Remus didn't tell her. We made an unbreakable vow. I would let Remus have a family but, his first born child belongs to me. When she reaches 16 she will become a werewolf and a member of my pack wether she likes it or not. I am growing tired of waiting I want her to be mine now....
However, I will bide my time until the proper time. As for you, your highness, of have no authority here. It's beyond your jurisdiction. Katherina, allow me to introduce you to his Royal highness, Prince Julian Vincent Ares Alucard . Though most of his friends just call him Draco meaning son of the dragon." Grayback said with a fake bow.
"Prince? Of what?"
"Why the prince of the vampires and werewolf kingdom in the United States of course." Grayback replies flashing me a smile.