Chapter 105: An Apple Far from the Tree (4)

Regrettably, Catherine's hopes were shattered with a literal explosion. Saturday morning saw the entire school spilling out of the castle and into the Quidditch stands. Swathes of students, bedecked in vibrant red and gold for Gryffindor, or green and silver for Slytherin, brandished banners and placards, blew whistles, and chanted fervently in support of their respective teams. While Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs traditionally sided with Gryffindor, Slytherins remained self-assured, seeing themselves as the top contenders.

Catherine and Remus had chosen to avoid sitting close to the cheering squad, despite Peter's disappointment. Instead, they opted for two seats right next to the tunnel through which the players entered the field.

"We can wish them good luck just before they start!" – the young witch exclaimed eagerly, clapping her hands with anticipation.

At that moment, a loud bang shook them all, and screams erupted from everywhere, mingling with heavy smoke billowing out of the Gryffindor Changing Room.

"What in Merlin's name just happened?" – Remus shouted over the chaos.

"I don't know, but I need to make sure they're okay!" – yelled the girl, leaping from her seat and weaving through the panicked crowd of students.

"Flame! Wait! Don't go!" – Moony called after her, attempting to follow. However, amidst the confusion and rush toward the exit, he lost sight of her.

The girl began coughing as she entered the tunnel, heading toward the source of the commotion. She could make out dim silhouettes ahead when a bright stream of light narrowly missed her left ear.

"Sirius! Are you alright, mate? What's happening there?!" – James' muffed voiced came from behind the barricaded Changing Room door, which was partially obscured by debris from the explosion.

"Protego!" – Sirius's voice echoed from somewhere to the left – "These idiots blew up the whole tunnel! Are you hurt, James?"

"Nothing major!" – answered his friend – "We'll come help you! Stay away from the door!"

"Don't do it!" – screamed Catherine, who had swiftly assessed the situation – "The construction won't be able to handle another blast! Stay there, James!"

At that moment, a hex landed at the young witch's feet, forcing her to step back immediately.

"It seems we're going to hit two birds with one stone!" – laughed Bellatrix, emerging from the smoke, wand at hand, pointed at Catherine. Narcissa appeared just behind her, also ready to fight – "You'll learn not to mess up with the House of Black!"

"Apparently, you also need to learn that!" – yelled Sirius, jumping in front of Catherine, blood streaming down his face from beneath his hair – "I'm not going to allow you to lay a finger on her!"

"And how are you going to stop us, cousin?" – chuckled Bella – "We already took out the whole Gryffindor team, and we're three, while you are one and a half if counting that Mudblood!"

"Well…" – Sirius said with a cold smile – "At least in that regard, we're kind of equal."

"What is that supposed to mean?" – the back-haired witch asked grumpily.

A fresh wave of screams came from the outside, followed by the sound of people running and spells being cast.

"I would say that the Slytherin team has also been naturalised." – sneered Sirius – "Who would have thought that a bag of Doxies could cause equal harm to triple Bombardment Spell? And considering Flame is stronger than Cissy and my little brother combined, I think you would choke on your words, cousin!"

"Confringo!" – yelled Bellatrix, beyond herself with rage.

"Locomotor Wibbly!"- Narcissa followed suit.

"Flexifortis!" – shouted Catherine.

"Speculo!"- Sirius cast a Reflection Spell.

The two curses of the Black sisters collided with the barrier created by Sirius and Catherine, merging into a single stream of orange light that got redirected and struck the surprised Regulus as he emerged from the smoke. The boy screamed and crumpled to the ground, his leg now bleeding profusely. Yet, the conflict raged on. Undeterred, the four teenagers raised their wands once more.

"Go for Cissy, I'll handle Bella!" – Sirius hissed at Catherine.

"Hurlement Sonique!"

A brief flicker of blue light danced between the duelling students before erupting into a thunderous boom, the noise being so strong it hurled them all away.

"What do you think you're doing?" – the angry voice of Lucius Malfoy pierced through the chaos, reaching the green-eyed girl as she struggled to rise to her feet. She glanced at Cissy, who looked terrified and visibly shaken, staring at what Catherine presumed was Lucius' face somewhere behind the Gryffindors. Bella's expression mirrored Sirius', showing no signs of remorse.

An abrupt, powerful gust of wind swept away the remaining smoke. Catherine felt an eerie sensation, like chills running down her limbs. She no longer needed to turn around; she was certain the teachers had arrived shortly after Malfoy.

"Why is it always you?" – the weary voice of Professor Thorne resonated, though he didn't spare her a glance as he and Dumbledore passed by, focusing on freeing the Gryffindors from the Changing Room.

"Miss Black…but why?" – Professor Slughorn asked desperately, appearing on the verge of tears.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall was shouting at Sirius, occasionally casting angry looks at Catherine, apparently uncertain of her level of involvement in the incident. Feeling utterly out of place, the young witch moved a bit back and noticed Regulus Black still on the ground, clearly in a great deal of pain, holding his leg and biting his lip. Something in his expression reminded the girl so much of Sirius that she felt his suffering almost physically. Kneeling beside the Slytherin, she extended her hands over the wound and concentrated. A blue light enveloped the gash, and Regulus' breathing became less erratic. Yet, the pain persisted, evident in his involuntary groans.

"Shut up, or I might change my mind!" the witch hissed, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. In what felt like hours but was, in reality, only around two minutes, the wounds vanished completely, and the pain subsided. Catherine sighed with relief and rose to her feet, swaying with exhaustion. Leaning against the nearest wall, she witnessed Dumbledore and Thorne escorting the Gryffindor team out of the Changing Room and toward the exit.

The Headmaster briefly glanced at Regulus on the ground, then met his student's green eyes with a smile and nod of satisfaction.

'Well, at least I accomplished something this year!' – the girl thought, observing McGonagall and Slughorn leading the Black family out, with the Head of Gryffindor still reprimanding Sirius.

"Miss Plantier, return to your Common Room! The Headmaster will make an announcement later on!" – McGonagall instructed, turning toward Catherine as she finally remembered her other student – "Don't wait for Mister Black, he has a lot of explaining to do!"

Catherine nodded and closed her eyes for a second. Healing another person evidently took a toll on her. She began to move slowly toward the exit, but dizziness overcame her, and she took a step back, bumping into the solid chest of someone. The intoxicating scent of amber and leather filled her senses, and she realised she was alone with the only wizard she genuinely feared.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Little Bird." – Lucius Malfoy said apologetically – "I warned Narcissa to make sure, you were not involved in whatever they planned for Sirius Black. I assure you that she's going to pay for disobeying me."

Summoning all her courage, Catherine turned to face the Slytherin with a stoic expression. "As I've already told you numerous times, Malfoy, I don't need your protection! I'm not in the mood to entertain you! As a matter of fact, I'm tired of all these games you're playing with me. I can't fathom what you could possibly want from me."

"What do you think I want from you?" – asked the Head Boy with an amused smile.

"The whole school knows what kind of sick, perverted things you fancy, but unfortunately for you, whips, chains and dog collars do not interest me in any shape or form." – the girl declared firmly, her cheeks flushed, as she attempted to hold her ground.

"People like talking about things they do not understand. There's nothing sick about what I do. It's just a way for those who experience life differently to get what they need. If you're curious when you're older, I'd happily show you it's about much more than 'perverted things' as you expressed yourself so eloquently. – Malfoy said with a smirk – I told you, Little Bird, you have my attention, and I've been thoroughly enjoying our interactions during the past year. You've awoken my curiosity, and I can't stop thinking how much more you have to show me."

Before Catherine could react, she found her wrists pinned above her head against the nearest wall in a gentle but firm manner as Lucius bent over and whispered huskily in her ear. "Even this ridiculous haircut couldn't extinguish my interest. If anything, I started wondering if I would also enjoy playing with boys. You're such an inspiration, Miss Plantier!"

Catherine felt her face burning red. She wanted to say something snarky, but her mouth was perched, and she couldn't breathe right, let alone fight against the seventh-year. The most disturbing part was that she didn't really want to fight. Suddenly, she heard his laughter as he released her. Hesitantly, she looked at him, noticing an arrogant smirk playing on his lips.

"I love this expression!" – he chuckled – "Forgive me, Little Bird, I wanted to get one last glimpse of it before I leave Hogwarts. One never knows how long it will be before we see each other again."

Catherine's cheeks burned hotter if that was even possible. She felt like a complete fool. The ease with which Lucius Malfoy could sway her from one extreme emotion to another left her bewildered and incensed at her own weakness. She pursed her lips and glared furiously at the Head Boy.

"If it's up to me, we shall never see each other again. Farewell, Lucius!"

"Such a brat!" – giggled Malfoy, then he swiftly bent down again and planted a brief peck on the top of the girl's head, leaving before she could grasp what was happening.

"Goodbye, Catherine!" – Lucius purred as he walked away, out of earshot.

***

The atmosphere in the Gryffindor Common Room that evening was thick with gloom. Dumbledore, deeply disappointed by the outbreak of violence between the two houses and considering the year's previous incidents, made the difficult decision to cancel the Quidditch tournament for the remainder of the season. The students' frustration surpassed mere annoyance. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, in particular, directed their ire towards Gryffindors and Slytherins, feeling unfairly punished for actions they didn't commit.

Every member of the Black family lost fifty points, and they received detention for the rest of the school year. This outcome, however, resulted in a positive for Gryffindors since they had only one Black in their house. James was simply devastated, torn between anger and sympathy towards Sirius, and he opted to retire to bed early.

The main offender sat in a dark corner, contemplating all the time wasted on practice. He had never anticipated such a severe punishment and believed that the tension in the outside world was slowly creeping into Hogwarts as well, resulting in Dumbledore complete overreaction. Sensing someone's presence, he quickly raised his head and met Catherine's cheerful smile.

"Aren't you mad at me as well?" – he asked with a sigh, picking at a loose thread on the carpet.

"No." – the girl replied, taking a seat beside her friend – "I know you didn't intend for things to turn out like this."

Sirius smiled appreciatively, draping his arm around Catherine's narrow shoulders. "Thanks, Flame! You're the best!" – he murmured.

"I know." – the young witch giggled – "Plus, you know, there's one silver lining to all of this."

"What is it?" – asked the boy surprised.

"I didn't get detention!" – Catherine burst into laughter.