Kitten; Fred Weasley

51

* * *

When Draco was carefully showing Catina around the manor they made small talk. Draco, like everyone else in the manor, was surprisingly nicer than what Catina had witnessed in school and been told by other people. He was like a small child in a mask, at school he put on a facade to seem as if he was a bad boy who wasn't afraid of anyone and would challenge anybody. But really, Draco was a boy in need of a giant hug. His mother was most certainly loving towards him, she protected him at all costs but his father (from what Catina had seen) put a lot of pressure on him to be the perfect son. He most certainly wasn't perfect, but he was just right.

The pair stopped in one of the living rooms, sitting on the sofa so that Catina could have a short rest before the tour continued. Her body still ached and her stomach was getting used to real food again. She was slowly gaining her confidence back whilst talking to Draco, she seemed comforted by his company as he did with her also. He opened up to her about things he had kept suppressed within him for years and she also opened up to him with things even Fred had no idea about.

"Draco?" Asked Catina as the boy ran his fingers through his hair, staring off out of the window towards the gathering of thick, tall trees that hid the back of the manor from the outside world.

"Cat?"

"Why is everyone being so nice to me?"

Draco chuckled, "because you are a lovely girl. They want to care for you and I, make sure we are safe with everything going on. But, between you and I, I still believe the best place for us is Hogwarts, although, my father would disagree. He doesn't like Dumbledore, but I believe, for all the man's faults, he just wants a school of happiness. He wasn't us all to succeed in life and fulfil our potential."

"They really care?"

"Of course they do. Not all bad people are completely bad."

"But not all good people are completely good..."

Catina's shoulders slumped and her bottom lips stuck out a little. She looked positively down in the dumps and Draco reached out his cold, pale hand and rested it on her nimble, scarred hands. "Who are you talking about? The Weasleys?"

"They don't like me. Ginny and Ron say they do and showed it on the first day back at school but I don't think any of the others truly do. Mrs Weasley and George certainly don't especially since I dated Fred-"

"I think you're wrong. About George anyway. He was probably being protective of his twin. He likely saw you as a threat since him and Fred are practically tied at the hip. It's frightful really. He's probably scared to care because caring too much can cause you to lose something."

"Can it really?"

"Yes, Cat, of course it bloody can! If you were to think constantly about what others think of you, you would not only lose your confidence but your mind. Choose what you care about wisely, after all, once you care, it'll take a long time to stop."

That evening, Catina was on her way to the bedroom, freshly washed but her hair dry because she had only washed it the night before when Bellatrix stopped her. She raised her honey hand and selected a curl from Catina's hair and twiddled it between her fingers. With piteous eyes she said, "dear, nobody has ever shown you how to take proper care of your curls have they? Your hair needs so much more care. Come on, I'll show you."

She led the girl back into the bathroom where she selected shampoo, conditioner. Catina got on her knees, leaning her head over the side of the bath as Bellatrix began to wet her hair. Once fully saturating her hair, Bellatrix applied the shampoo and then the conditioner. She fully cleansed her hair and rinsed out the soap before Catina's was able to sit up properly. Then she took her wand and dried her hair before applying coconut oil to moisturise it.

When that was done, Catina stood up and looked in the mirror. Her hair was so much healthier looking! She smiled and turned to the master behind it all. "Thank you."

"That's not it yet, Cat, we don't have any proper hair wraps for your hair but I'm sure one of Cissy's large silk scarfs will do. That'll help maintain your hair in the night. I'm surprised nobody told you all of this before."

She shrugged, "I don't get told much to be honest."

"Well then, we ought to change that, don't we?"

* * *

Fred kicked the door shut at 12 Grimmauld Place and sunk to the floor with his head in his hands. He was trying to come up with some new ideas but all he could think of was Catina. She hadn't been found yet but he was due to return to Hogwarts soon for the rest of his school year and being at school was not his idea of fun.

"C'mon Freddie, think a massive dragon made of fire that will chase people! How cool is that? Charlie would probably be smitten and want to marry it- mate, she wouldn't want you sulking all the time, she would want you to be happy-"

"You don't know what she would want! You don't know what makes her happy! You just know how to make her feel like the underside of Hagrid's shoe." Fred snapped tossing his sweater at George who caught it swiftly.

George didn't react. He was right- as usual thus he remained silent. His mouth grew dry as his quill scratched against the parchment paper sitting down calculations for specific ingredients in order to make the dragon.

The door bust open, lurching Fred forward (he wasn't expecting this) and Ginny rushed in. "They have a lead on where Cat could be!" She grinned and instantly Fred perked up. "Apparently deatheaters were spotted in the Ashdown Forest a few days ago and a young, mixed girl was with them. That must be Cat!"

"Are you generalising all mixed girls to look the same?"

"No, of course not! I'm not a racist bigot, I'm just saying that the description given was a group of deatheaters were spotted and a mixed girl is with them. It's more than likely Cat. That means we can bring her home to Grimmauld Place."

"Grimmauld Place isn't her home, Ginny, not really." Said George. "Her home is, soppy-git's heart over there!" He pointed at Fred.

"It's true. She has her own sofa in there for her to chill on."