"Ms. Rose! Wake up!"

SLAP!
I woke with a start. A wand was about 2 centimeters from my nose. I glanced up and saw the face of Professor Mcgonagall glaring down at me, her lips drawn into one of her signature frowns. I lifted my head quickly, ignoring the chuckles from around me.
"Professor, I'm so sorry, I stayed up late studying and-"
"Ms. Rose, you must realize we have very few weeks until your mid year exam. Please try to stay awake." She stated with a scowl and marched back to the front of the class.
The night before, I had been up till around midnight prepping for Quidditch tryouts. I had been writing down plays, trying to budget for a better broom, and practicing anti-cheating hexes. Mostly though, I was trying to distract myself from the bumbling idiot that was James Potter.
Remember when I said I was getting to like him? I was quite wrong. Lately he had been more egotistical and loud than ever. He would bombard me in the halls, getting close to me, all to make me angry. And when I lashed out at him, he snickered, sometimes even called me cute, and sauntered away.
It sickened me. But, I couldn't think about that. I had to study for midterm exams and get ready for Quidditch tryouts. Working along side James will just be the price of success.
The lesson ended and I packed up my books. I looked to James and his disciples. They were huddled, speaking in quiet voices two rows behind me. I rolled my eyes, then looked over at the Slytherins. And I caught an even more nasty sight. Two words: Lucius Malfoy.
Now, most people at Hogwarts were fair, just people. Even Potter would never hurt anyone undeserving. But, Malfoy, he was a different story. There were theories why he was so nasty to students from different houses. Maybe it was because his mother didn't hug him enough, maybe he was forced to eat only Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, but I thought the most likely problem was he was just downright mean. It was in his blood, coursing through every vein. And now, he was staring at me.
I knew that stare, that's the stare that means I'm going to get hexed into the next life because of my 'betrayal' to my family's lineage at Hogwarts. So I quickly put my book bag over my shoulder and rushed out of the classroom. But I wasn't fast enough.
"Katrina Rose." Someone snarled behind me once I reached the court yard. I sighed.
"Malfoy." I turned to look at him. He wasn't tall by any means, but nonetheless intimidating. He had his nameless goons standing behind him like brick walls. One I did recognize, a small boy, with greasy black hair and a sallow face. Severus Snape, Lily's personal lackey. She was his 'epic love' and she reluctantly viewed him as a 'friend'. Now, he was kicking his foot at the stones of the courtyard and staring at the ground.
"Still a loner I see. Maybe if you weren't such a failure at being a Slytherin unlike the rest of your family, you would have friends. A group."
"I do have friends. And other places to be, so if you'll excuse me." I turned to leave, but felt the sting of a spell hit my back.
"Stupefy!" The word processed in my brain two seconds after I felt myself go rigid and fall to the ground.
Now, I'm sure this would've been comical from anyone else's standpoint, but for me, all I knew was now I had a broken nose, possibly a dislocated jaw, and a bruised or cracked rib from the dead weight of myself crashing to the ground. I grunted as I felt blood slowly drip from my nose onto the ground. Malfoy muttered something to his cronies and I heard them walk off, laughing.
Another pair of shoes came running towards me and flipped me over. I looked into the hazel eyes of Potter.
"Katrina, oh Merlin..." He murmured and lifted me from the ground. He managed to stand me upright and I saw students standing around the courtyard perimeter, watching me. They watched me get paralyzed, they didn't warn me or tell Malfoy to back off.
'Katrina Rose, do NOT cry.' I firmly repeated this like a mantra, but I couldn't help it. I felt hot tears sting my eyes as James and now Sirius carefully lifted me and carried me to the hospital wing. By the time we got there, I was balling, well as much as you could while paralyzed. Tears fell hot and heavy, rolling down my face. I must've been a sight for Potter and Black, a bloody nose, a bruised mouth, along with black mascara tears streaking my face.
And yet, Potter didn't laugh, or cringe. He smiled at me, took out a napkin (why did he have a napkin?), and wiped my tears. If my face wasn't caught in a constant look of shock, I would've smiled.
He kept saying, "You're okay, Kitty. Don't worry. Madam Pomfrey will fix you up."
Black, on the other hand, his face was bright red from embarrassment. We must've looked quite weird to anyone passing.
In the Hospital wing, Potter and Black set me on a hospital bed and Madam Pomfrey started working on me immediately.
"Rennervate!" A brilliant flash of red light and I was able to move again. The first question she asked me was inevitable.
"Ms. Rose, who was cruel enough to do this to you?" She asked while she collected the necessary items to fixed my nose.
She touched a cotton ball with some liquid that stung when is touched my nose and I winced.
"It was, er, uh..." I trailed off. I couldn't decide whether to blame Lucius or not. Surely him getting in trouble would only make him more likely to try something again.
"Malfoy. It was Lucius Malfoy." I finished, casting my gaze downwards as she tried to find the broken bone.
"Oh, I see. I wouldn't put it past that boy, his head isn't right, but don't tell anyone I said that." Madam Pomfrey snickered and put some kind of liquid in a small container.
"And that James Potter," She continued, "He is a good kid, right? I mean he looked so concerned for you, I practically had to push him out the door."
I smiled, I had failed to even realize he left, "Yeah, he really doesn't take no for an answer sometimes."

And in that moment, I thanked the heavens for that.

✧

I'm so sorry for these walls of freaking text. Editing is in progress ;-;