invisible string! → ron weasley

xiii. the christmas party

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"OI, KINLEY!" KATES LOOKED UP from her textbook to see a furious-looking Cormac McLaggen storming her way, but she wasn't bothered in the slightest. She knew precisely why he was so angry with her, and she honestly loved it; maybe, just maybe, it would knock his ego down a level or two. Maybe.

"Afternoon, McLaggen," she said cheerfully from her favorite armchair, looking as if she were about to have a casual conversation with a friend. He stopped a few steps away, glaring down at her. Classes were still going on for most of the underclassmen and it was a beautiful day out, meaning the common room was nearly empty. Kates figured that was probably a good thing, for she could already see this wouldn't be a particularly quiet conversation.

"Granger says she's taking you to Slughorn's Christmas Party." He said the words with great distaste, but again, Kates wasn't bothered. Seamus and Dean, however, were on the alert from their spots on the adjacent sofa. They always did fancy sticking up for her, even more so after the incident on the train. She found it endearing, if not occasionally bothersome.

"She is," she replied simply.

"I was going to take her," he snapped back.

"Well, it appears you lost your chance." He took a step closer, and Seamus and Dean set down their books rather loudly. Neither Cormac nor Kates reacted. Kates dropped her smile and stood. "You're vile, Cormac, everyone knows it. Hermione deserves far better than you." In spite of her words, she spoke calmly and gently. He looked taken aback, but quickly recovered.

"Like you've got room to talk. Aren't you dating a suspected Death Eater?" If Kates wasn't angry before, she was now. Her eyes narrowed. Seamus and Dean stood abruptly, but she replied before either of them had a chance to say anything.

"I would never stoop so low," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "You're just like them, you know. Cruel and selfish to the end—" Cormac made a move, but whether he was going for his wand or preparing to throw a punch no one knew, because Seamus and Dean had him in an instant. They practically shoved him out the portrait hole, slamming it shut behind him without a word. Kates was still fuming when they rejoined her, but the presence of her best friends and the reminder that she had gotten under his skin were all she needed to calm back down. She removed her hand from her wand, which was where it had been resting since Cormac brought up Carrow.

"My heroes," she teased in an effort to lighten the mood, but her friends were still fuming.

"That right foul piece of—" Seamus began heatedly, but Kates cut him off with nothing but a set of raised eyebrows. He cooled down instantly.

"Are you all right?" asked Dean, and Kates sat back down, the others following in suit.

"I am. In fact, I think it's rather brilliant, don't you?" They gaped at her, so she chose to elaborate, a smile gracing her features once more. "It's always nice when we can bruise his ego a bit." And soon her friends found themselves smiling too.

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SLUGHORN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY was all any of the sixth and seventh years could talk about as the event grew within a week's reach. It reminded Kates of the Yule Ball, only a bit more niche; everyone was trying to take someone, and if they weren't in the Slug Club then they were desperately trying to get asked. With the membership in the club being rather small, it stirred up a bit of drama, which made for exciting and amusing days during class breaks and nights in the common room.