(Katrina)

-10 Hours Ago-

   I found myself being unable to sleep. Again. Ever since that stunt James pulled in the Great Hall, Lily and Alice have been acting weird towards me. When I asked them about it, they just said they were excited to see their families over break. In my heart, though, I knew they knew I was hiding something. Something James Potter didn't want them to know about.

  James... the arse who dragged me out of the Great Hall in front of the entire student body. And I had to spend Holiday with him. It was just peachy.

  I should get packed. I only have about an hour or two before my week of purgatory.

  "Lumos." I whispered, my fingers brushing across my wand on the bedside table. A soft light illuminated my bed.

   Shoving the blankets from my body and getting up off the bed, I tiptoed to the bathroom with a change of clothes and my toiletries. All of my muscles ached from Quidditch practices that Alice and I had set up after our loss against Slytherin. Team moral was spiraling, feelings of inferiority slowly moved their way through everyone like a plague. And it didn't help that James stopped attending after our "falling out". I was just hoping that the break would give everyone a chance to relax before the season started up again in January.

   I pushed my way into the shared dormitory bathroom, still lit by candles from the previous night. The low light was welcomed by my tired eyes, like easing into a warm bath. I set my stuff down at the closest sink and began washing my face. I sighed internally at the nice feeling of washing sleep, or lack thereof, from my face. Grabbing a hand towel to pat the water from my skin, my eyes snapped up to my reflection in the mirror as I reached for some moisturizer.

"Holy shit..." I whispered, taking in the face staring back at me.

   The reflection in the mirror was not my own. A completely different person stared back at me, save for the same look of confusion that I had to assume graced my face as well. My eyes and hair were both grey, like I was 16 and 60 at the same time. And my skin looked as though I had been dead for days. I could see every vain in my cheeks as they spidered up my temple and disappeared into my hair line. In short, I looked like a ghost. A very alive ghost, but a ghost nonetheless.

   I stifled my urge to scream and cry at the same time, choosing instead to try and make everything better with make up. I took out some concealer, dabbing just a bit under my eyes before I realized this wasn't going to work. The concealer was about a million shades too warm, as my skin was quite literally as white as a sheet. I rubbed it off with the back of my hand, deciding to try and use my powers. I had never changed my skin tone before, but there was a first time for everything.

   I closed my eyes, letting the world around me fall away to nothingness. The center of my power came from my brain, allowing me to appear to everyone else as I perceive myself.

   "Please," I whispered to it, "the hair and eyes I can live with. I can't go on looking like a ghost."

   If I expected a response, I did not get one. I peeked out of one eye into the mirror again to find Katrina "Ghost Face" Rose looking back. Nothing had changed. My powers were just... blocked.

-The Present-

   The train ride was nothing like I had expected it to be. I expected James being an arse, me being even more of an arse, and our friendship (or whatever we had) imploding in front of us. Instead, he got his apology, and I got mine.

All was well, right? Wrong.

   I couldn't tell you why, but something was off. After our argument and the eventual apology, we were strange now. When we talked, made a joke, or even looked at each other, I felt like James was trying to keep me happy. He agreed with whatever I said, even if I knew I was saying something that was sure to set him off. I even explained why the Montrose Magpies shouldn't have won the Quidditch World Cup last year (they are his all-time favorite team) and I didn't even get an indignant grimace. He just smiled. It was weird. I had never seen him like this. Was he tiptoeing around me? Did he mean to? Why?

I guess I always thought he would fight with me. That there would always be something that we didn't agree on, something to talk about. But now, our conversations didn't have substance, and I missed our little quarrels and debates.

"Katrina?" Sirius' voice brought me back to the present. We were sitting in a Muggle public-use transportation vehicle, or a "taxi" as they call it. James' parent's estate was in the countryside just outside of a rather large Muggle city. Of course, they used a strong concealment charm to hide it from non-wizarding view, so the taxi could only take us so far. "We have to go now." Sirius told me, leaning to open the door on my side of the car.

When I stepped out, I was taken aback by the beauty of the house in front of me. It was the most gorgeous French country estate I had ever seen. I mean, I knew James' parents had money, but this was absolutely ridiculous!

"James!" I exclaimed excitedly. He was getting our luggage out of the vehicle as he looked at me with a grin. That smile... "You never told me you lived in a place like this! It's just beautiful!"

"Yeah, it's- er, quite the spectacle." He said with a slight chuckle. I could tell he felt weird about me complimenting his home, even if he wasn't the most humble wizard often times. And, if he had been acting normal and not like a complete stranger, I knew he would've taken every opportunity to show off. "C'mon, let's get inside. My parents are dying to meet you, I'm sure." He payed the driver quickly and began to walk up the long paved driveway (that was absolutely spotless, by the way. Not a single snowflake anywhere).

✧

When we reached the arched door way, no doubt leading to a grand foyer, James turned to me. "I want you to be prepared because," He sighed. "My parents are a bit much."

With that, he knocked on the door exactly three times. He didn't even have time to put his hand down before the door flew open to reveal a tall lanky woman, and a short portly man. Both were wearing matching Christmas-themed sweaters and Santa hats. And smiling like psychos.

"JAMES!" They wailed in perfect unison, throwing their arms around their son affectionately.

"Oh, honey! We couldn't wait to see you!" The woman who I assumed to be his mother spoke first. She had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen, with delicate features complimented by her perfectly-pinned dark chocolate hair. "How is school going? Have you eaten? Where is that dang cat?" On cue, Yaga jumped down from his place on Sirius' shoulder and rubbed against her ankles. She squealed in joy, scooped him up from the ground, and began peppering his little orange head with kisses.

The man, James' father, backed away from his son, seemingly to get a better view of him. Apart from his height, he was beginning to bald at the crown of his head, the auburn hair on his head looking rather thin. He had James' eyes and his nose, and apparently his taste in glasses. The two looked almost identical, save for the height difference.

"How are ya, son?" The gruffness of his father's voice surprised me. I hadn't expected it given how petit he was.

James looked like he was going to answer the question before his dad continued. "Ya know, I've been planning this Christmas all year, I just knew it would be a good one. I mean, here you are looking healthy and well-rested, sounds like the makings of a good Christmas to these old ears!" He turned to Sirius, who stood almost a head and a half taller than him. "Sirius! Good to see you, mate! How have you been?"

Sirius smiled politely, "I've been well, sir."

"Good, good, that's all very good." He went back to yammering on about the weather or a co-worker of his doing something dumb.

I began to feel somewhat awkward as I stood there in front of these two people whom I had never met. And whom no one was bothering to introduce me to.

James seemed to realize this as well and cleared his throat. His mom seemed to snap out of her kitten-induced coma and return to the conversation. "Oh! Dear me, where are my manners?" She looked me over, her sapphire eyes boring into mine, but not in a bad way. "My name is Euphemia, and this is my husband Fleamont." She leaned forward and took my hand in hers, smiling kindly. "And what was your name again, dearest?"

"Oh, I'm-," James cut me off.

"Katrina Rose, my girlfriend."

✧

Whaaaaaaaatttt???

Ya just got punked, dear readers. Take that, as they say. What do you think of this fun little twist I've thrown in? It's only a rollercoaster from here, folks, so strap in and hold on tight.

(But, so sorry it's a little short. There's probably more I could've thrown in, but I gotta save something for future chapters, now don't I??)

Thank you all so so so much for your continued support. You all inspire me and make me so happy. Remember to vote and comment any thoughts, rants, or randomness that comes into your head!! Love you all xxx