Her locket hung heavy on her chest as she stared down at her neatly made bed.  Her cloak was in her hand, her boots were laced up, and her wand was tucked securely up her sleeve.  She was ready for this.  She was.  She knew the ritual.  Every single spare moment for the past week had been completely devoted to learning the ritual with Sasha, preparing her small part in it so she knew what to expect and how to react if things went wrong.  Contingency plans flipped through her mind one after another, her eyes unseeing she was so preoccupied.  Finally, Katy turned away and left her dorm.  The common room had a few people in it, those who returned from the dance early or those who had yet to get their costumes set.  A fairy was fluffing the tail of a half-dressed werewolf over by the fire.  She didn't give anyone much notice, just kept her head down and made for the exit. 

She exited into the brightly lit section of dungeon corridor with huge barrels that marked the entrance to Hufflepuff just down the way from the kitchen.  She stepped to the side and paused for a moment to check all of her pockets again.  She couldn't afford to forget a single thing.  With what she and Sasha were about to attempt, there would be no time to come back if she did.  The moment, however, also gave that tiny niggle of doubt to make its reappearance.  Her hands shuddered briefly but violently as she tied her cloak securely around her neck.  Her jaw clenched and she shoved the doubt down.  Her mother had been senselessly taken from her.  She had no one left in this world.  She had to say goodbye and she'd do whatever it took to get the chance.

Jay took a deep breath as he paced outside the Great Hall in full costume, debating whether or not he should go in. He had been waiting outside the entrance to the Great Hall for what felt like hours watching every kind of costumed beauty enter and a few come back out without a glimpse of the curly haired brunette he was hoping to catch. Jay hadn't been able to help himself. There was just something about Katy that was running through his head every spare minute he had. None of the girls at Beauxbatons had this kind of effect on him.

After watching another wave of giggling girls entered the Great Hall Jay gave a frustrated sigh and started to move down the corridor. He had heard whispers amoungst the other students that the Hufflepuff rooms were down near the Kitchens. Now all he had to do was figure out where the Kitchens were and he'd just have to go from there.

He walked blindly down to the dungeons hoping to catch of glimpse of her. Thankfully it wasn't long before he caught her rounding a corner and heading towards him, "Katy!" He jogged up to her and pulled the hood of his costume down to show off his blue eyes in the torchlight, "Hey, I've been looking every where for you." He looked her over, "You're not in costume?"

Katy pulled up short as she rounded the corner.  She was so tense that when Jay ran up to her she reached for her wand.  He revealed himself though and by the light of the torch on the wall his eyes were darker than she knew them to be. She looked down at her dark and practical attire and then licked her lips uncomfortably.   "No," she confessed.  "I won't be wearing a costume tonight."  Her voice echoed with truth beyond just the face value of her words.

"I'm sorry, Jay.  I won't be going to the dance tonight."  She clutched the edges of her cloak and brushed past Jay, heading to the Entrance Hall for her meeting with Sasha. She hadn't made it more than a couple of steps before a thought occured to her and once it did, it couldn't be pushed away no matter how much she wanted to.  She stopped and heaved a huge, defeated sigh.  She had to ask.  "Why are you down here, anyway?"  She pivoted to look over her shoulder at him questioningly. 

Jay's grin faltered at her somber tone. He looked confused and a little disappointed. Maybe she just didn't like dressing up. It wasn't as if the English didn't celebrate, the bustle up at the Great Hall was enough evidence of that so he couldn't understand why she was wearing anything spectacular like the rest of the girls her age. The grin fell completely when she said she wouldn't even be going to the dance and he turned, completely dumbfounded, watching her walk past him. This definitely wasn't what he was expecting. He was hoping to find her in some incredible get up that completely suited her, and that he'd be able the make a grand entrance with her on his arm.

Now he felt as if he had missed something. Had she mentioned before hand that she wouldn't be attending? It was true that they hadn't been able to spend all that much time with each other over the past month. Even though he was studying abroad he was still in his final year and preparing for his NEWTs, which he'd be sitting while at Hogwarts. He had homework overflowing in his room but had tried to make some time, as little as it was, between meals and study breaks to talk with her, try and make her laugh and to just genuinely enjoy her company. Had he not been trying hard enough that he had actually missed something that would cause her to act this way?

Jay was brought out of his silent and fervent contemplation when she suddenly asked what he was doing down here. He hadn't occurred to him how weird it would seem, for a Beauxbatons student in full costume to be waltzing down endless corridors in the dungeons instead of burning up the dance floor in the Great Hall. The blush that came to his cheeks looked rather ruddy in the torchlight and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I uh, well honestly I was looking for you."

"Looking.... for me?" Katy asked, confused.  She shifted and looked around the dark, empty corridor as though an explanation might be written on the walls.  "I don't understand.  Why would you be looking for me?  Shouldn't you be at the dance?"  Katy smoothed her immaculate pleated skirt and tried not to consider the possibility that he wanted to go to the dance with her.  It seemed horribly unlikely and she didn't want to get her own hopes up too much.

She shuffled her feet.  "I'm sorry you came all the way down here looking for me.  I'm not going to the dance.  I can't.  Something came up and I have to take care of it."  Talking to people didn't come naturally to her but she had an innate understanding of other people's motivations even if she couldn't act on that understanding.  She didn't want Jay to think she was avoiding him or anything.  The ritual was tonight.  It was soon.  She ought to go but... she was torn.  She liked Jay, she really did.  She figured she had time to speak to him and clear this up.  She'd just have to hurry afterwards.

The blush stayed on his cheeks at her confusion. He knew he hadn't exactly been forward about how he felt about her (mostly because he was still figuring that out for himself) but he thought it was somewhat obvious that he was at least interested in her. After all he had come all this way just to see if he could escort her up to the dance. Now that she wasn't going he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed about the whole thing. This definitely wasn't how he had envisioned the night going, "Well I had been hoping -"

He trailed off as she stood her ground, speaking of a previous engagement that was more important. Unfortunately this only served to make him feel worse. Was he supposed to know about this? Had she mentioned it the last time they studied together and he had simply forgot? Or was it something that she deemed more important than the dance but not important enough to tell him about? He wasn't sure which was worse and his stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with over active worms.

"Is it anything I can help you with?" He did his best to smile trying not to show how embarrassed and disappointed he was feeling. It wasn't like he had gone into the dance anyway, his entire night had been centered on spending time with her, finally.

Katy was torn.  Part of her wanted to step towards him and ask what he'd been hoping for when he came down here.  The other part, however, wanted to back away quickly when he offered to help her.  She didn't want to involve him in this.  She didn't even want him to know about it.  What would he think of her if he knew where she was going and what she was going to do?  He'd probably hate her.

His thin, wavering smile compelled her to move forward, despite her fear and hesitation.  She wanted to erase whatever doubt kept those eyes from sparkling like they did when he smiled at her on every other day.  The way she felt when he did so was new and strange but if felt so good that she didn't want to lose it.  Nor did she want to be the cause of any such negative emotions in him.  She often had that effect on people but that didn't mean she liked it.  She would change it if she could.

"I'm sorry," Katy said so softly it was practically a whisper.  "I would love nothing more than to go to the dance with you but I -"  She paused and looked down at her fingers held in front of her belly.  It was true that she wanted to go.  She wanted to be a normal girl who did normal things like dance with boys and laugh and smile but that wasn't her.  It never really had been and it looked like it might never be.  Besides, this was her mother she was talking about.  She had to do something.  "There's something I need to do and tonight is the only chance I'll ever have.  If I don't go do it now I will probably never get another chance.  I'd tell you more but it's a secret.  I'm sorry."  She'd looked up into his face to convey the earnest intention behind her words but looked guiltily down at her hands again when she finished.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Jay wanted nothing more to do than to rush forward and pull her into his arms but he held back. While still hurt and disappointed he was thankful for his sense of perception. The tilt of her head, the look in her eyes and the quaver of her voice was enough to tell him that she really meant her words and was rather upset about not involving him and likewise not being able to enjoy the festivities with him. He was feeling torn himself - hurt that she couldn't confide in him, especially since it was painfully obvious how important this was to her and disappointed that neither could he help or pull her away.

"Hey," He said quietly and took her hand in his forcing her to look up at the contact - with that deer in headlights look she always got whenever he touched her, "It's okay. If this is as important as you say, who am I to stop you?" Though if he had an idea of what she was about to attempt he would have done everything to pull her away.

He squeezed her hand, "I just, I wish . . . I wish I could help." He dropped her hand hoping she didn't catch on to the fact that he hadn't finished his sentence the way he had wanted to. He wished he could help but more than that, he wished he was just as important, that he was someone she could trust enough to let him in on the secret.

He took a step back and nodded behind him, "I guess I should leave you to it." He turned to leave and even took a few steps before looking back and giving her a sincere look, "I want you to know, that no matter how bad things get, I'm here for you Katy and I hope you can get to the point where you can tell me anything. I want to know, I want to be there for you."

Katy felt sick to her stomach.  He was  too kind to her, too understanding and she didn't deserve it.  There were so many reasons why she didn't, not the least of which being the fact that she was moments away from meeting Sasha and attempting a necromancy ritual that would allow the two of them to speak with the dead.  He squeezed her hand but he might as well have squeezed her heart.  He almost completely dissolved her will with his sincere blue eyes.

In fact, Katy was a hair's breadth away from spilling her secret.  She stepped forward and opened her mouth to admit to all of the painful things she'd been experiencing and the horrible plans she'd begun to make.  But the thought of Sasha kept her quiet.  These secrets didn't belong to her alone.  If she told Jay about the ritual and he told on them, then Sasha would also be in trouble for it and Katy couldn't bear the responsibility of that, should it happen.

Tears pricked at her eyes when he spoke about being there for her no matter how bad things got.  She wanted desperately to believe that.  She was beginning to, despite her better judgment.  Barely able to contain the tears, she darted forward, grabbed his face between her small hands and leaned up to plant a kiss on his lips.  It was quick and chaste, but firm.  She pulled away and backpedaled, looking mildly panicked.

"My mother died last week," Katy blurted out.  "She was the only one I had left.  This, what I'm doing tonight, it's closure.  After tonight, I'm all yours."  She said it like a whispered promise but it was far from it because it was hope, rather than a certainty.  She hoped she could move on but it was unlikely.  "But I really have to go now."  She looked down the corridor towards the Great Hall.  She wanted to go without him following her up.  It wouldn't do if he saw her going to the Forbidden Forest with Sasha Schlagenweit.  Talk about arousing suspicion. 

Jay was momentarily taken aback by the sudden and quick kiss but it left a heat burning there that brought him back to his senses. He suddenly wished he hadn't pushed. It was none of his business, she had obviously suffered greatly and he couldn't blame her for keeping it a secret. Everyone grieved in their own way and Jay was feeling like a right idiot for making her admit it. He had pulled at her heart strings on purpose. While for a noble cause, he had truly wanted her to know he was there for her, he felt as if he had betrayed her somehow. He felt like he had manipulated her into admitting something that should have been left unsaid.

He took a deep breath. There was nothing he could do about it now and she wasn't screaming at him either, which meant that while he had wormed it out of her there was a part of her that had wanted to tell him to begin with. He didn't press any further. This was something private, something she needed to do on her own. If she could get closure on her grieving there was nothing he was going to do to stop her. She needed this and he was more than willing to let her have it, then he could be there to help her heal the rest of the way.

"After tonight, I'm all yours."

Despite the somber air that was between them Jay couldn't help the smirk that twitched at the corners of his lips, 'Then let me give you something worth coming back to." He crossed the small distance between them in a matter of seconds. He slipped a strong hand behind her waist and the other under her hair to the nape of her neck, with a gentle pull he pressed her lithe little body into his own and trapped her lips in his. It felt like one of those moments in the movies when time slows down and romantic music starts to play. His kiss was longer than hers had been and gentle and yet passionate. When he finally released her, his blue eyes were sparkling again in the torchlight.

Strength, solid and supportive, enveloped her almost before she knew what was happening.  His warm hand was laid out on the back of her neck and his other arms was around her lower back.  She just stood there and allowed herself to be kissed because she was shocked that this was happening.  To her.  This was happening to her and it was absolutely surreal. 

Her eyes drifted closed although it wasn't clear to her whether she did it because she was truly getting into the kiss or because she was trying to push back the stinging in her eyes.  She felt like crying because everything was just too much.  He was so nice, so strong, and she felt like she was pulled in too many different directions.  Her mother's death, the ritual, school, and Jay to name a few.  In her confusion and desperation to just be normal for a second, Katy pushed herself against Jay and returned the kiss clumsily but passionately.  Her hands wrapped around his neck, he fingers buried into the extra cloth of his costume's hood. 

Jay released her but Katy didn't let go of him.  Instead, she buried her face into his shoulder and clung to him for a moment.  Only then did she pull away and look into his eyes, which glittered in the light of the torch.  She backed away slowly.  "I have to go now, but I....  I'll see you in the next couple of days."  She couldn't promise anything more.  so much was uncertain.  She only knew that, even though she didn't deserve Jay, she'd be back because she'd never felt so normal before.  Not since she was little, living with her mother.  "Bye," she whispered then hurried down the corridor to the Entrance Hall.  She hoped she could trust Jay not to send a professor after her for being out after curfew.