The Krum's seaside cottage still stood as proudly as could be, and Cait was pleased to be there as an official Krum that summer. The rest of the school year had gone swimmingly, with Doblest being victorious in pursuit of both the Quidditch and House Cup. Professor Vulchanova was most delighted at the dual victories, and even excused Cait early from her final lesson, knowing full well that there would be a celebration in the common room. While Cait had danced with Branimir and enjoyed the evening, she still couldn't shake the dirty looks that Vasilisa had given her throughout the year, and was determined to spend the summer figuring it out.

Cait was delighted that Branimir had opted to join them at the cottage for some of the summer, although Vlad and Lina—Tatko and Máyka, she quickly reminded herself—were a little on edge about their relationship. Initially, Cait thought that it had to do with protectiveness, and that they didn't want her and Branimir to get too close to one another. However, after speaking to Annie about it, she discovered it now had to do with their familial relationship. Nevertheless, there wasn't much they could do, save for forbidding them to see one another, but Cait was convinced that they thought it would fizzle out eventually.

As per usual upon arrival, Viktor threw himself into helping Vlad unpack, and Cait and Annie attempted to stifle their giggles at the youngest Krum siblings' movements. Once they were all inside and Tessy had banished their trunks and other belongings upstairs, Cait lowered Verena onto the ground, while Annie released Alida out a window for an early hunt. Viktor, who would be starting his first-year at Durmstrang in the autumn, had already begun his research on magical familiars, and had constantly told their parents that he was responsible enough to care for something that utterly depended upon him.

It took them a few days to settle in and re-learn the summer routine but, once that happened, things ran much smoother at the cottage. Cait had finally decided to reveal to Branimir, who had showed up after a week, the extent of her powers, and both Vlad and Lina had put up precautions around their portion of the beach. Knowing that they wouldn't want to get a call from Vlad's Auror co-workers from the Bulgarian Ministry, Cait was perfectly all right with the compromise put in place. Taking her boyfriend by the hand and leading him from the cottage and down to the water's edge, Branimir was a little confused as he felt the buzzing of magic around them, likely concealing them from all the Muggles vacationing around them.

"All right, you've got me down here," Branimir said, a hint of uneasiness in his tone, almost as if he was attempting to convince himself that Cait wasn't a deadly form of Kelpie. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

Cait bit her lip, squeezing Branimir's hand before dropping it. "You know how secretive I've been about my lessons with Professor Vulchanova?"

Branimir nodded. "Yeah. Everyone in my year was taking bets as to what these lessons were really about."

Cait raised an eyebrow at the unexpected information. "Oh, really?"

"I didn't participate!" Branimir said quickly, throwing up his hands. "It wasn't like that, Cait, I swear to Merlin!"

Cait sighed, knowing that, when it came to secrets surrounding teenagers, that rumors were likely to abound in great numbers. "Oh, very well then. What was the consensus?"

"That you were being trained to fight in the war," Branimir said softly.

Cait's brows knit together. "I don't understand. What war? Surely you don't mean the war against You-Know-Who and his followers..."

"Precisely," Branimir replied.

Cait shook her head. "Why would I need to be trained to fight? The war's over. Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who nearly five years ago..."

"His Death Eaters are convinced that, one day, he will make a return," Branimir said gravely to Cait, whose blood ran cold at the declaration.

"Why?" she whispered.

"They didn't find his body," he said softly. "That has convinced people enough that he's in hiding somewhere, biding his time..."

Cait turned towards the water, suddenly ill. "All those poor people..."

"Cait, it's all right," Branimir said, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "The British Ministry of Magic knows it can depend upon our ministry, as well as the many others throughout the Wizarding War, for assistance if need be. You need not fret, as we'd be perfectly safe, given that we've got magical blood in our veins..."

"It shouldn't matter!" Cait suddenly screamed, an onslaught of magic suddenly thrumming through her at the notion of further suffering, and her knees buckled. No sooner had she touched the surface of the water, but did it suddenly resemble a typhoon, and she was yanked out with the tide that came with it. Struggling to keep her head above water, Cait abruptly became aware that it was not her legs treading water, but a tail of a mermaid.

"Cait!" came a shout from the house then, and, looking up, Cait saw Vlad and Lina unexpectedly running down the beach towards her, while Branimir stood helplessly and frightened upon the shore line.

"You need to calm down!" Vlad told her. "Your powers are manifesting themselves into a water storm, and the damage would be far too great!"

"Listen to my voice, Cait," Lina said quietly, almost as if she wanted her calmness to be a guiding light for her adopted daughter. "I want you to focus on it, and allow yourself to calm down, and guide you back to shore."

Cait focused on nothing but Lina's voice and, almost as quickly as it had come, the violent waves around her dissipated, and she was promptly brought back to shore. As the water gently brought her back onto the sand, she reached for Vlad, who promptly got her out, with assistance from Branimir. The pair of them immediately drew back when they spotted Cait's mermaid form for the first time, and Cait sighed, lowering her eyes.

"I... I didn't know, about this part," she said, gesturing to her tail.

Lina, after giving a cursory glance around them, drew her wand, and whispered, "Ad hominem syreni," and Cait's tail promptly changed back into her legs.

Vlad conjured a towel for her, wrapping her up expertly, while Lina helped in drying her off, after observing that Cait was likely in shock. "What happened?" Vlad demanded then, and cast an angered look at Branimir.

"I... I told her about the rumors surrounding her lessons with Professor Vulchanova," Branimir told him, looking uncomfortable.

"Teenage rumors should have no bearing upon—"

"Vlad," Lina said, cutting across her husband and shaking her head at him. "You know very well how invested teenagers can be. They're quite different than adults, as you well remember. Be a bit more compassionate, please."

"No matter how much I may care for Branimir, my dear, he has upset our daughter, which is something I will not—"

"Tatko, please," Cait managed to get out, still shivering beneath the towel, causing Lina to cast a Drying Charm upon her. "Bran didn't do it to upset me. I asked him about the rumors. And before you try and tell me I'm covering for him because he's my boyfriend, you're mistaken. If he truly upset me deliberately, well, Annie would be the first to know, but I'm sure it'd get back to you eventually..."

Vlad sighed. "It seems to me that your hydrokinetic abilities have evolved to the point where, if you're faced with an extreme emotional reaction, you will phase into a mermaid," he observed, and dragged a hand down his careworn face. "Well, this certainly complicates things..."

"Of course she's bound to be emotional, Vlad, especially at this age," Lina put in, holding Cait close, almost as if to let her know that she wasn't condoning her husband's words. "However, I think that, with more lessons from Albena next term, she'll be able to better control her emotions, to the point where it won't be as much of a problem."

"Can you do that, Cait?" Vlad asked, affixing his eyes to his younger daughter. "Can you keep attending lessons with Albena, so as to better control your emotions?"

Cait swallowed, but nevertheless nodded her head. "Yes. I believe it would be worse for me if I let it slip all that I could do. Who knows what people would do, if they knew the extent of my powers and abilities?"

"They'll have to go through me first," Branimir declared.

Cait gave her boyfriend a small smile; despite everything that had happened, she wasn't upset, not at him, anyway. "And I wouldn't doubt that for a moment," she assured him.

. . .

Tȗrgovski Tscentȗr never seemed to change, and, as they arrived via the Floo in The Rose Saloon and waited for Vlad and Lina to clean them up, Cait and Annie looked on as Viktor was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Viktor wanted to go to the Spectral Shoppe almost immediately, wanting to pick out his familiar. However, Vlad and Lina informed Viktor that they would have to meet with Gregorovitch first, so as to find out which wand would ultimately choose their only son.

Finally, after promising Viktor that he could have as much browsing time as needed to select his familiar, Viktor trooped towards the wand shop. Once inside, and after re-introductions were given to Vlad, Lina, Annie, and Cait, the wandmaker turned to Viktor, a smile upon his aged face. Nodding his head, he talked Viktor through the wand selection process, and waited patiently for him to utter the Summoning Charm.

"Accio," Viktor said, his voice clear.

It was then that there was some rustling from the back, and Gregorovitch held out his hand for the box, which came flying towards him, without looking back. He took the box and opened it slowly, showing off the wand within, and gestured for Viktor to pick it up. "Ah, ten and a quarter inches, hornbeam, dragon heartstring," he said, and watched Viktor's movements with it. "Ah, it appears to be quite rigid," he observed, as Viktor held the thick staff in his hands. "Well, go on, then, Master Krum," the wandmaker said, nodding in approval. "Wave it about and attempt to cast a spell with it."

Viktor held the wand aloft, which curved slightly and was not straight at all, and said, "Accio," once again, causing one of the knick knacks that the wandmaker had upon his check-out counter to zoom towards Viktor, who caught it effortlessly.

"A Seeker, I see," the man said with approval, nodding his head, while Vlad and Lina gave one another worried looks. "Ah, well... That will be ten Galleons, then," he announced, and puttered over towards the counter, after taking the knick knack back from Viktor.

Once all their books were procured, with Cait and Annie getting an extra one that term, as they were to officially begin Care of Magical Creatures, Viktor bounced in the direction of the Spectral Shoppe, fully prepared to get his familiar. Lina looked on indulgently, while Vlad reminded his son to remember all the reading he'd done over the past several months. As the family slipped into the store, the wizard in charge greeted them and, once he understood the purpose of their visit, informed them to look to their heart's content, as selecting a familiar was a serious business.

Viktor passed the cages filled with Kneazles and the ones filled with rats, not getting that warm and fuzzy feeling that one typically gets from furry little animals. The lizards or owls didn't appease him either, and he shook his head when Vlad even suggested them. Rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet, he finally whipped around at the sound of a whimper from behind him and, upon stepping closer, saw the pen which housed a new litter of Crup puppies. Viktor's demeanor immediately changed from discouragement to delight as he stepped closer, and let out a small coo as one Cruppy planted its paws upon the pen, its forked tail wagging back and forth, and looked up at him with intelligent black eyes.

Viktor, without hesitation, lifted the little mite and soothed it, running his hands through its soft, white fur. "Roderick," the young wizard said softly, naming the Cruppy for a British Quidditch Seeker by the name of Roderick Plumpton, who was still alive and kicking. "Tatko," he said, and turned to Vlad, "this is the one."

Vlad looked indulgently down at his only son and ruffled his hair. "Of course he is," he said, and gently petted the Cruppy, who leaned into the touch. Walking up to the counter while Cait, Annie, and Lina helped Viktor in picking out a collar, leash, and a smattering of toys for the new addition, he asked, "How much for the Cruppy and all his necessities?"

"That comes out to," the wizard behind the counter said, looking over the hoped-for purchases the women of the Krum family had helped Viktor select, "eighty-three Galleons, two Sickles, and twenty-three Knuts."

. . .

Vlad and Lina managed to navigate with three children that year, as opposed to two, to the train station in Sofia, while Annie and Cait showed Viktor to the wizarding platform. Once the three of them had gone through and gotten out on the other side, Vlad and Lina quickly moved to enter it behind them. Stepping towards the train, Cait and Annie showed Viktor where to hand off his trunk, and explained that their robes would appear in the compartment. They further informed him that he was permitted to bring Roderick into the compartment he chose, should he not wish to continue to be with Cait and Annie. However, much to his elder sister's delight, Viktor opted to be with them, and they said a quick goodbye to Vlad and Lina, before making their way into the train and grabbing a compartment.

No sooner had they sat down and let out their respective familiars than the door opened once again, and Branimir and Vasilisa stepped inside. Vasilisa greeted Annie, ignored Cait, and moved to sit with Viktor, and began lecturing him about his first-year. Annie proceeded to mediate between the familiars, ensuring that they had plenty of space between them, while Branimir caught up Cait in his arms and kissed him.

"How are you?" he asked, for it had been a month since they had seen one another.

"I'm fine," Cait assured him, pulling him onto one of the cushioned seats and nuzzling up against him fondly. "And how are you?"

"Fine, promise," he told her, running his hands through her hair. "I promised Uncle Vlad that I wouldn't provoke you deliberately..."

Cait sighed, nodding to herself. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. Annie kept warning me that Professor Gushtanov might take my mermaid status and run with it."

"We won't let that happen," Branimir declared, wrapping his arms around Cait, and holding her closely against him. "Nobody will get by me, Cait. I swear to Merlin."

Cait pressed herself closer to Branimir, feeling secure for the first time in a long time, and it would have been a complete feeling, were it not for the heated glare that Vasilisa was currently sending her way. "I know, Bran. Thank you," she said softly.

The sweet trolley went by at the appointed hour, and Viktor gladly spent a worthy amount of Galleons to satisfy his sweet tooth. Then, when they got closer and closer towards the Durmstrang grounds, the barrier within the compartment was erected, and the young men and women were sequestered to one side each to change. Cait was thankful that Annie automatically took the space in the center, as she was worried that Vasilisa would make fun of her breasts, which seemed to be growing like godforsaken weeds.

Upon arrival, the four of them said goodbye to Viktor, who trooped off with the other first-years, while Vasilisa proceeded with her prefect duties. This left Branimir to escort Cait and Annie up to the school, the cool night air nipping at them, despite the thickness of their robes. Once they were inside and had entered the Stolovaya, they promptly made their way over to the Doblest House table, and slipped inside, with Cait sitting in between them. Clutching at Branimir's hand as the rest of the students filed in, she found she was a bit nervous about Viktor's arrival, and wondered which house would ultimately be selected for him.

She needn't have worried.

Viktor, alongside Poliakoff Uritsky, were sorted into Doblest House. Viktor and Poliakoff seemed to get along swimmingly, despite the latter's abysmal table manners. Despite this, he seemed like a sweet-enough individual, and Cait knew that Annie would write home almost immediately to inform Vlad and Lina about the sorting. Smiling to herself at the turn of events, Cait attempted to continue ignoring Vasilisa as the feast began.

"I just don't understand it," Cait whispered, once she and Annie had gone to their dorm, and while their three friends were utilizing the loo.

"Understand what?" Annie queried.

"It's just... It's enough now," Cait said, hands on hips, as she paced the room, thankfully not tripping on her long, white nightgown.

Annie, perched upon her four-poster and clad in a similar nightgown, shook her head. "Cait, I'm sorry. You're my sister, my best friend, and I love you, but you're going to need to give me a bit more to go on than that. I'm not a mind-reader, you know..."

Cait threw her hands up into the air, before she threw herself down onto her bed, staring at the impressive scarlet canopy, and bit her lip. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but it's been going on long enough..."

"What's been going...?" Annie stopped herself then, and sighed, propping herself up against her great many pillows, and shook her head. "Oh. You're talking about Lisa, aren't you?"

Cait pursed her lips, before turning on her side to look over at her sister. "Yes. It just seems to have gotten worse, now that I'm with Bran and all..."

"I would've initially chalked it up to over-protectiveness, because you know their secret, but she's gone too far..."

Cait pushed herself upwards then, and peered closer to Annie. "She's been giving me dirty looks and not speaking to me for nearly a year, Annie. While it's immature at best, I hardly think that her behavior constitutes going too far..."

Annie flushed and lowered her eyes. "I thought for sure that Bran would've told you..."

"What?" Cait queried.

Annie sighed, running her fingers through her dark hair as she proceeded to braid it, as she often did, before going to sleep. "The rumors, while he wasn't a part of them..." She shook her head. "I thought for sure he would've..." She clicked her tongue then, but finally forced herself to keep right on speaking. "Lisa was the one who started them."

Cait sighed, deflating ever so slightly upon the surface of her bed. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to hear about that development," she muttered. "She has it in for me, I knew that, but to actually say something so hurtful..."

"It's what she said within the rumor... I think Bran deliberately told you the tamer version, not to keep it from you intentionally, but so as not to hurt you..."

Cait blinked. "What? 'Tamer version'? What does...? Annie, what aren't you telling me?" came Cait's whisper as she attempted to figure it out for herself.

Annie swallowed, visibly upset, but nevertheless continued with her methodic task of braiding her hair. "You know what the rumor entailed?"

Cait nodded. "Yes. That Professor Vulchanova was training me for the Wizarding War. It's all a bunch of bull anyway, Annie. You know that I'm too young, not to mention not even British, and while I know that they're our friends and allies, I've got no reason to participate..."

Annie sighed. "I know that, Cait."

Cait squared her shoulders, knowing full well that her thoughts surrounding the issue would never leave her alone unless she knew the answer. "Well, what did she say, then?"

Annie finally finished braiding her hair, and let the rope fall as she gripped at the scarlet coverlet covering her bed. "Lisa implied that it would be good for you to fight in the war, especially now, because you don't have a handle on your magic..."

Cait blinked. "That wasn't all, was it?" she whispered.

Annie lowered her eyes and shook her head. "No, it wasn't..."

"Tell me," Cait demanded.

"Because you don't have a handle on your magic, Lisa implied that you would probably die in any war you were faced with, and that it would be a good thing..."

Cait felt as if she'd been punched. "She... Lisa wants me dead?" she whispered.

Annie sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I can't answer that, because I haven't asked her. I suppose it has to do with me not wanting to know the answer completely..."

Cait wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing them up beneath her chin. "I don't know what I did to make her so angry," she whispered. "What could I have possibly done to Lisa, wherein she thinks the only way for justice to be served, is my death?"

. . .

On the final Friday of October, Cait was all too pleased to miss out on the whole goblin tradition that Durmstrang had, as she was to have a lesson with Professor Vulchanova. Her Head of House had received a missive from her father over the summer months, informing her of the new and rather unexpected development pertaining to her powers and abilities. Albena Vulchanova then decided that a new strategy would be implemented, and the sooner, the better.

Once Cait had arrived in her chambers that evening, the Magical Theory professor requested for her to close the door, as she sat by the fireplace. Cait did as she was told and stepped forward, affixing a curious gaze upon her most favored professor. The woman gave her a small smile back, knowing that it was now or never.

"Please, sit down, Cait," she said, and Cait sat. "I don't know if your parents informed you of this, but I received a letter from them over the summer months."

Cait nodded. "I believed that to be the case, ma'am. They informed me that they would be keeping you apprised of any developments relating to my... Well, I confess that I still think of them as abnormalities," she admitted, hunching her shoulders.

Professor Vulchanova nodded her head, not about to snap at her student, wanting Cait to fully realize how safe a place this was, and that she could speak freely there. "They told me about you taking shape of a mermaid."

Cait nodded a second time. "Yes. It was a truly shocking development, ma'am."

"I can imagine," she said softly, "as it was for me when I made my transformation."

Cait immediately looked up at the woman, her mouth falling open, as she shook her head, as if she were trying to clear it. "I... I don't understand. You're not a mermaid, too, are you?"

The woman laughed good-naturedly. "Oh, Merlin, no, Cait," she assured her. "No. But I was around your age when I transformed into my secondary form for the first time. It was, to say the least, quite a shock."

Cait nipped at her lower lip, but finally forced herself to nod. "Um, ma'am, not to be impertinent, but would you mind telling me what your secondary form is?"

"Not at all, my dear," the woman replied, before getting to her feet.

Albena Vulchanova spread her arms out then, and her hair seemed to fall down like a dark waterfall of its own accord down her back. As she focused on the earth magic rippling through her, Cait thought that she could sense a difference around them, and let out a gasp as her professor's chambers changed around the pair of them, and they were standing in some beautiful woods. Professor Vulchanova placed her hand upon a tree, and was now garbed in a luxurious-looking tunic, in a moss-green color, with a beryl gemstone hanging from around her neck, as well as embedded within a golden circlet, placed just so around her head. The tree, the moment she touched it, glowed gold, and the golden beam seemed to flash around them, to the point where it danced along the trunks of each tree around them both.

"You're a Nymph," Cait breathed, truly in shock.

"Specifically, I am a Hyleoroi," she declared with a smile. "I am a watcher of the woods. What many students of Durmstrang don't know is, there is a fairly sizeable forest just over the peak of the highest mountain. It is these woods that I am entrusted with, and where we stand now," she went on.

"But... There is no snow," Cait whispered.

"An enchantment," Professor Vulchanova explained, "wherein I can make the weather bend to my will, should I wish it, but never abuse the power. I thought spring would be a good place to start, when I knew it was high time to bring you here."

"Why spring?" Cait wanted to know, looking over the various plants and flowers around her, and found everything to be utterly beautiful.

"Spring symbolizes rebirth," the Magical Theory professor told Cait. "You, in an essence, were born again when you took on your second form. It is a most beautiful thing, one only known to a portion of the wizarding population."

Cait fingered one of the trees closes to her, and felt a delightful zing of earth magic corresponding to her water abilities. "There is so much more of the world for me to discover, isn't there?" she asked.

Professor Vulchanova smiled, dropping her hand from the tree, and permitting the forest to return to her chambers. She was again gilded in the traditional teaching robes, and her hair found its way back up into her typical bun. "Yes, I am afraid we never stop learning," she informed Cait, and Cait smiled at the sight of the beryl pendant at her neck.

Once the lesson was over for the evening, Cait slipped from the woman's chambers, knowing that she would have to be back to the Doblest House common room by nine. As she made her way down the corridor and towards the staircase, which would take her directly there, she was suddenly in the same hallway as the headmaster. Although she saw the man on a daily basis, she hadn't spoken to him directly since he had arranged for the Krums to care for her.

"Headmaster," she said, and moved so that she could get to her common room.

"Do not rush off on my account, Cait," he said.

Cait's skin crawled at the familiarity of the man, but pushed it aside. "I'm sorry, sir. I only meant to get back to my common room before curfew."

Headmaster Karkaroff nodded to himself, fingering at his beard. "Yes, I suppose so. How was your lesson with Professor Vulchanova this evening?"

Cait inwardly sighed; of course, given that it was his school for the time being, it was only natural that the man knew about any additional lessons his students had. "It was fine, thank you, sir," she managed to get out.

"I'm pleased to hear that you've decided to go the route of controlling your abilities, and that you understand just how connected to your emotions they truly are."

Cait forced a smile onto her lips. "Yes, sir. I'm learning as much as I can, and Professor Vulchanova provides a comfortable environment in which to do so."

The headmaster looked her up and down then, and something in those dark eyes of his caused something within Cait to grow uneasy. "I notice you've been spending quite a bit of time with Branimir Bonheur of late."

Cait nodded at him. "Yes, sir."

"Are you and he involved in a romantic relationship, then?" the man asked, stepping closer. "I cannot help but think that such a relationship would be a conflict of interest, given your familial relationship."

"One that was brought about through adoption, sir," Cait told him, struggling to keep her temper in check. "There is no blood connecting me to Branimir."

"Ah," said the man, looking disappointed. "So, the pair of you are involved."

"Yes, sir," Cait said softly.

"He is sixteen, you know," the man informed her, "due to turn seventeen in three months' time. I cannot help but think that such an age difference is inappropriate."

"I will be fourteen by the time his birthday comes to pass, sir," Cait responded.

"Nevertheless," the headmaster said, stepping closer, "it is my duty to keep students safe. How am I to know the pair of you are being safe?" he said, and Cait squirmed with discomfort as his fingers ran down from her hair, to her cheek, and stopped just beneath her collar bone. "I cannot help but think that you are being used, my dear."

Cait thought she would bring her dinner up at the endearment; sure, it was all right when her family or Professor Vulchanova took such liberties, but the headmaster doing so? The thought and the meaning behind it made her uncomfortable. "While we are private about our relationship, sir, I can assure you that every precaution is being taken."

"I don't want to hear such things, not from you," he suddenly barked, and lowered his hand from her collar bone, and gripped at her arm. "You will remain pure, Cait."

Cait wanted to struggle to get away from him, but found herself much to shocked to even attempt to do so. "Sir?" she whispered.

"You are to remain pure until such a time as your parents find a suitable husband for you."

Cait's insides writhed with a combination of rage and discomfort. "Sir, I hardly think that we should be discussing..."

"As I said," the man replied, gripping her arm harder, enough to ensure that bruises would be there the following day, "I am to ensure the safety of my students. As such, part of your safety involves your purity. I won't have you sullied, Cait," he went on, before releasing her arm and moving his hand upwards to caress her cheek once again, and, this time, permitted the pad of his thumb to stroke against her bottom lip. "Wouldn't want such a delicate and beautiful flower such as yourself to give into the wanton ways of a teenage boy..."

Cait gave a stiff nod, knowing that it would be better for her if she agreed with the man, at the very least, on paper. "Yes, sir," she replied.

"Very good," he said, and smiled in a possessive manner down at her, before stepping back and away from her. "Now, run along back to your common room."

"Yes, sir. Goodnight, sir," she managed to get out, before walking as quickly as she could past the man, although her insides swam with nerves as she felt his penetrating gaze upon her as she turned the corner, towards the common room. Once inside, she was relieved that neither Branimir nor Vasilisa was about, and promptly went upstairs. It may have been a Friday, but Cait wanted an early night, especially after what Headmaster Karkaroff had put her though.

Cait let herself into the third-year girls' dorm, and shut the door behind her. Verena appeared to be out late for a hunt, and she didn't begrudge her familiar such a thing. Shaking her head, she promptly went into the bathroom and stripped off, stepping into one of the shower cubicles and turned the water on hot. She couldn't understand what possessed her, but all she knew was that she absolutely needed to get the fingerprints from the headmaster off of her. Sure, it wouldn't take the memory away, but, at the very least, she could give herself the illusion that she was clean again.

By the time she'd finished and gotten on her dressing gown, she trekked back into the common room, depositing her laundry into the basket for the maids to take, and perched upon her bed. It was when her friends came inside the dorm that she, once again, plastered a smile onto her face and make small talk with them as they, too prepared for bed. Shaking her head, she summoned her comb and pulled at the tangles in her hair, using the pain of each momentary snarl as a distraction from the overwhelming sense of foreboding that she felt.

"Cait?"

Cait dropped her comb at the sound of Annie's voice, and stared at her sister, forcing herself not to tremble, and accepted her comb back, once she'd handed it over. "Thank you," she managed to get out, forcing a smile back onto her face.

Annie looked her over. "You don't sound like yourself."

Cait scoffed, shaking her head at her sister, and turning away from her. "What do you mean I don't sound like myself? Of course I do..."

Annie shook her head, but Cait didn't notice, as she was still facing away from her. "No, I think something's going on with you..."

Cait shook her head at her. "Drop it," she whispered, turning around to face her. "Please, Annie, can we just drop it?"

Annie looked shocked at the sudden change within her sister's demeanor; normally so confident to the point of shocking, now, Cait was outright begging Annie. "Did... Did Bran do something to you?" came her whisper.

Cait shook her head, taking off her dressing gown and tossing it to the foot of the bed. "No. I haven't seen him since dinner," she replied, and turned down her bed.

Annie immediately got to her feet and yanked at Cait's arm, the one that the headmaster had grabbed, and pulled it upwards. She let out a gasp and staggered backwards, taking in the finger marks of bruises, currently etched upon her sister's arm. "What...? What...?"

"Nothing!" Cait snapped, getting into bed, and whispering, "Nox," in the direction of her lap, before pulling the chords of her curtains. "Go to sleep."

. . .

Cait was sitting at breakfast the following Wednesday; she was an absolute wreck, and knew full well that Nikolina would bench her, should she continue to act the way she'd done during Quidditch practice that weekend. Of course, Nikolina was plenty distracted, what with Viktor becoming Doblest House's new Seeker, but she still found time to inform Cait that, as a Chaser, she was just as important, and that she wouldn't be permitted to show the team up. Cait ignored the conversations around her, and was pleased that Branimir hadn't pressed too hard, while she dragged her spoon along the surface of her steaming porridge.

When the screeches of the owls suddenly loomed overhead, Cait didn't even bother looking up, as she barely showed any interest in her morning meal. It came as a shock, however, when Alida landed before her and Annie, with two letters attached to her legs. Annie took the one with her name on it, while Cait tentatively reached her hers. Alida was rewarded with a delectable piece of sausage from Annie for her trouble, before she swooped off and away.

Annie broke the seal upon her letter, letting out a shout of indignation, and shook her head at its contents, altogether shaking with rage.

"What is it?" Branimir asked.

"A summons for courtship," she said bitterly.

"It's only natural," Vasilisa informed her. "You're the first daughter from a well-to-do Pureblood family. Of course courtships are going to begin, now that you're fourteen."

Annie muttered under her breath. "I'm to meet him at Tulipa Tearoom in Durm Selo, upon the occasion of our first Durm Selo trip," she said bitterly, fingering the missive. "At least we'll be meeting in public. We won't be able to hex one another..."

Viktor looked around Branimir's shoulder then, and chuckled with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry in advance," he muttered.

"How bad could it be?" Cait asked, surprising herself by speaking at all, and Annie wordlessly handed her the letter. Cait blanched white, especially at the name of the family who had formally asked for Annie's courtship—the Antonov family, and Stefan would be the one to be courting Annie in the first place. "Merlin," she whispered.

"What's your letter say?" Annie asked, snatching her own letter back.

Cait sighed, realizing she would have to read it eventually, and opened it up.

I've seen to it that you'll be excused from Care of Magical Creatures this morning. Please come directly to my office.

No dawdling.

Headmaster Karkaroff

Cait felt awash with several emotions then, but she knew that the end result of this mandatory visit to the headmaster wouldn't be good.

"Cait?" Branimir asked, placing a hand upon the small of her back, startling her slightly. "Is everything all right?"

Cait nodded. "Yes, yeah," she said, folding up the letter and putting it into her back. "I... I just need to be alone," she managed to get out, leaving her uneaten breakfast right where it was, as she stumbled out of the Stolovaya, her feet automatically taking her to the headmaster's office, and somehow, someway, she knew that there had been a Compulsion Spell attached to the letter he had sent her, thus bringing her closer and closer to her potential doom.