Polishing up [Caleb]

[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

Wandless magic she was much more adept at it now, she could do more things without a wand now, but there were some things she had yet to master. Like any other ability, it took a lot of practice to be able to perfect wandless magic, and Katherine had been attempting to master this skill for years now. She was good at it, but she didn’t want to just be good she wanted to be great at it. If she perfected everything she could, she could be the best healer that the wizarding world had ever seen. She brushed a strand of blond hair from her face as she made her way down the stairs, she had been retrieving her book from the astronomy tower and she was now headed towards the library. The only real sound at the moment was that of her shoes clicking against the staircase, and the movement of the staircase with the occasional yell from a portrait. She had a special nook in the old place where she could practice alone and not be interrupted by anyone else. Well she knew one person would know where she was, but he was never a bother to her. Either way she liked using this space to practice because it was far away enough that no one would hear the noise she was making by trying to get things to come to her, and she could always find books she needed.

She gave a small wave to the librarian as she walked in between the shelves retrieving every book possible that she could find on wandless magic. She put a spell on them, allowing them to levitate but follow her as she walked in between the shelves. She reached her spot soon enough, she levitated the books to the nearest table as she organized the little nook. It was kind of dusty, she knew that cleaning spells were next on her list of things to learn. After all learning how to perform spells to clean objects would come in very handy at her mother’s atelier. After all the place always had to be spotless, and now that she was seventeen she could help her mother do a bit of cleaning without actually putting in any effort. Not that Katherine didn’t like work, she loved helping her mother, but it was always much easier to use magic to help with these things. She dusted off one of the chairs as she decided that she would practice levitation without her wand, it was one of the things she had most trouble with when she had first been learning, and she hoped that now she was an expert at it. Sure enough she managed to get the chair at an acceptable height before she lowered it back down to its original position. She paused for a moment, trying to think of what could be next on her list. Cleaning spells were definitely a must, but she hadn’t been able to master having objects come towards her, it was basically accio without words or wands. Yes that definitely would be one she had to begin practicing on, she muttered quietly to herself in an assuring way that she would be able to do this. She focused on a book in an opposing shelf when she felt a presence behind her, she would have tensed if she didn’t already have an idea of who was behind her.

“Sneaking up on people is bad” she teased lightly.

[caleb]

The common room was filled with nothing but studious Ravenclaws trying to get in those last minute facts or words down before class the next day. Everyone seemed so busy and Caleb felt as if he was in the way. Unlike most of the Ravenclaws he didn't need to study much, he seemed to remember things with more ease than his fellow students so he never spent hours haunched over an endless amount of books as a way of entertainment. Pushing himself up off the chair near the fireplace he decided to go see what he could get into.

Closing the door to the Ravenclaw tower Caleb began his decent down the long set of stairs. As he reached the bottom he saw a flash of wavy blonde hair across the hall. She seemed in a bit of a hurry heading down all those flights up stairs. Caleb watched her for a moment, taking in her scent. Caleb was quite sure that his best friend was heading to the library to work on her wandless magic. Usually he was the one who always sat in there with her, keeping her company as she practiced for hours. Sometimes it was rather amusing when Katherine was having a hard time, but he was always there to support her struggles and try and cheer her up when she had a particularly hard day.

Caleb slowly followed her, keeping his distance just to see how far he could track her without her taking a bit of notice to him. They finally reached the fourth floor and she veered off in the direction of the library. Caleb had been right about where she was heading. He continued on behind her as she caused books to follow her to her corner. She began to work on levitation with use of a chair. Then she paused, as Caleb was behind her, and spoke. "I wasn't sneaking up behind you. I've been following you. Different story." He said with mock hurt walking from behind Katherine and into her view.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

Normally she was good about sensing when he was around, but if he had been behind her long and she hadn’t noticed that meant that she hadn’t been paying very good attention. Then again sometimes she tended to get caught up trying to focus on whatever it was she was working on. And she had been pretty determined to walk to the library today, either way she turned slightly to face him a smile on her face. She knew that he was joking, there was no way he could even be hurt because she hadn’t said anything bad to him. It was funny, even though they did spend a lot of time together, she often felt weird when she wasn’t with him. Most people said it was because it was a habit of hers, after all humans were creatures of habit. But either way she was glad to see him, though she wondered what it was that had brought him out of the Ravenclaw tower. After all they hadn’t really agreed to meet today, she had been planning to practice alone today, but his company was always welcome. She completely abandoned the idea of calling the book in the opposite side of the room towards her, though it was still present in the back of her head that once she started to focus again she could get back to that.

“Most people would label that as stalking Caleb” she teased lightly, “I thought you’d be in the Ravenclaw tower with all the other braniacs, it’s why I didn’t try and look for you to come with me”

She knew that the whole Ravenclaws being smart was a generalization, but they did seem to be the most dedicated to their studies. Not that Katherine could say she wasn’t dedicated to her studies because she definitely was. But she also knew when it was time to drop the academics and have fun, (well now that she had developed her wandless magic to a degree that she could relax about it a little more). Not that learning ever ceased really and she knew that, but she could have a little more fun with her magic now that she didn’t always have to rely on her wand. Either way she was going down a trail of thought that really wasn’t at all connected to what she was supposed to be focused on. She could hear a few people shuffling around the library but they were basically alone in her little spot. It was the good thing about knowing secret corners in the library, it always made it easier to talk securely with friends without fear of being overheard. Then again this was the library so there was always a chance that someone could overhear you. Either way she was curious as to what had brought him out of the common room and what had made him trail behind her. He had said that he was following her which meant that he had been behind her for at least a good amount of time, which made her wonder just how long he had been trailing her.

“Not that I don’t enjoy your company, because I obviously do” she said, “But really why were you following me?”

[caleb]

The library was quiet as usual which always made it the ideal place to study or get things done. Which was exactly what Katherine had planned to do here. Practicing in their own secret corner had become like a routine almost. Never really at the same time each visit but usually a couple times a week the pair could be found here. Although Katherine was the one who did all the work while Caleb sat in a chair for moral support. He really wasn't interested in learning such things as wandless magic in this moment in time, he preferred to have something left to study when he graduated from school. Caleb always thought that Katherine was in a rush to learn every bit of magic in the world but he also knew the softer, laid back side of her which he liked a great deal more than this determined worker bee.

"I can't help whats in my nature. I'm a natural born stalker." Caleb said with a small smirk on his face. "Its one of those traits that the ladies seem to love." He joked. Katherine was well aware of his lack of a romantic history with the opposite gender. The blonde hufflepuff girl was one of the few friends he really had in this school and the only one that was a female. Caleb had been terribly shy all his life and Katherine was someone he always felt he could be himself with.

Caleb walked around to the usual chair he sat in and looked over Katherine. He couldn't help but smile a bit while he stared. "I was honestly just bored with all those braniacs, so I thought I'd come find you. I was going to check here first but I saw you in the halls and just followed you." Caleb told Katherine.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

“Oh I’m sure they are all just fawning over your stalking abilities” she teased lightly, “They must line up outside of your door”

She found it funny that they would often joke about these types of things, the idea that they both had basically nonexistent love lives but if Katherine was honest she preferred it that way. She wasn’t sure what it was, maybe it was just the fact that she didn’t feel as comfortable with any boy as she did with Caleb. Yes there were certain guys that she felt comfortable with, but Caleb was the only person who could say they knew her inside and out. She was always determined, especially when she had started to play with the idea of learning wandless magic. So most people would see her for that, they would see this ambitious hufflepuff who always worked hard. But she was also always happy, bubbly and she loved to have fun with those she cared about. That was her more laid back attitude, and she usually was only that laid back when she was with Caleb, so it made sense that no other boy had really been involved in her life. Plus it was hard to really try and get involved with someone when you weren’t really sure about your feelings about another person. Either way Katherine knew that Caleb was probably one of the few people she would never grow bored of being friends with.

She watched as he took his regular chair and she turned back around to focus on the book she had been trying to get to come to her. Nonverbal spells were harder for her to do, so she knew she would have to focus a little more, but of course Caleb answered her and she turned her attention back to him. She bit back a smile as he replied that he had grown tired of all the braniacs, and she was sure that he had. She knew that her best friend was very intelligent, he just wasn’t as hyped up about studying as other Ravenclaw’s were. Katherine knew that some of them were so into studying that it was all they really did and if she was honest she would have grown bored with them too. She liked studying, she worked hard at it, but it was also vital to have fun and enjoy yourself. Yes it was good to have ambitions but those only got you so far in life, there were other things that should have been just as important as doing well in school. It didn’t surprise her that he had chosen to follow her, he had done it a few times in the past. She usually caught him before they actually arrived at the library but she had been a bit preoccupied this time. Maybe it was just the whole idea of the closer she got to Christmas, the closer they got to second term and then that meant leaving Hogwarts forever. That made her realize that maybe practicing her magic wasn’t as important as spending time with Caleb. That thought stayed in her mind as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Well you know I love your company” she said, “So are you all ready for all the fun school events that are coming up?”

[caleb]

The chair was made out of brown leather which felt cold against his skin as he sat down. It was a welcoming feeling seeing as his body temperature always slightly rose whenever he was around Katherine. He didn't know if it was a condition he had, maybe he was just allergic to something she wore. Or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that as the years went on Caleb slowly began to see Katherine in a whole different light one that shined directly on her. Her eyes scrolled over her for a moment as she had her back turned to him. Was it worth it to take a chance right now?

Caleb sighed lightly afraid to take the plunge. He pushed his dark hair back from his eyes. "Now wouldn't they be considered the stalkers if they lined up at my door?" He asked her chuckling slightly. Caleb thought about how nice it would have been girls if had really waited outside his door for him, how his life would be different if girls found something attractive about him. But sadly he had diminished that hope early on in life by being quite shy and awkward. But Caleb didn't wish to change anything about his past because he felt completely happy with the few friends that he had; especially Katherine.

"Yeah I am actually. Its great that they have these events going on this year though I know others will struggle with trying to stay focus on school rather than all the distractions. But I'll manage just fine as I'm sure you will." He said with a smile. "How did that last ball turn out for you?" Caleb asked curiously.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

She was still facing him, if anyone saw her they would say she was observing him but she really wasn’t. She heard him sigh and she wondered just what was wrong, people didn’t tend to sigh unless there was something wrong. She knew they had a very open friendship, Katherine basically confided everything to Caleb because he was the one person she trusted explicitly in the world outside of her family. She had often made it clear to him as well that he could tell her anything and that she would always be there for him. She hated people who said they were your friends and ended up abandoning you in your time of need. She had always promised herself she would never be that way towards anyone, after all friendships, like relationships, were maintained through communication. If you weren’t open with your best friend, well then there was something wrong. But she knew that asking him if something was wrong was probably not the way to go. He would tell her, and of course she didn’t want to look like she was prying either. So she knew that she probably shouldn’t say anything. But he went back to her earlier comment, so that had to mean that everything was okay, right? Either way she smiled at him, giving a light shrug. Technically that was the truth, but then again it depended on the circumstances.

“Not necessarily, stalking means that they follow you everywhere” she pointed out, “So unless they are following you everywhere, they wouldn’t necessarily be stalking you”

She knew that this subject was a light one for them, it was something they could both joke about. If she was honest she didn’t feel like she had to have romance when she had Caleb, she loved to spend time with him. She was certain if she ever did date someone, they probably wouldn’t take well to her having a male best friend, especially one she was so close too. That tended to bring problems that Katherine would have just preferred to avoid. She was happy with the way her love life was (or she could delude herself into thinking that because she was good at that too) and she didn’t need to be dating someone to feel completely happy with herself. He said that he was glad that the events were happening, and they were kind of fun. There was so much commotion and all of the balls that the school was putting on, they were actually kind of fun. He asked her how the masquerade ball had gone, and well if she was honest she hadn’t even gone. She had stayed in her room most of the night, just reading books and eventually just turning in early. She knew that was boring, and that she probably should have gone just to see who she would have gotten paired up with, but she just hadn’t felt the need to go. It actually would sound a bit pathetic, now that she thought about it, but she would have no problem admitting that to Caleb because he was her best friend after all.

“I didn’t end up going, I had no date and well I wasn’t sure who they would pair me up with” she said, “I might opt out of the Yule ball too, it kind of hard to be around all those couples”

[caleb]

A small frown creased his lips as Katherine corrected him in his logic. Although his face showed that he was disappointed he had been out witted it truly didn't bother him at all. The two usually always played this little game of finding the loop holes in their logic, it seemed that she had won this round. "Score one for the Hufflepuff." He said taking his index finger and swiping it in the air as if marking a board with a line. His frown instantly turned into a smile after that. "Today just might be your day." He teased. Not that either of them really won much more than the other, the teasing was just in good fun.

"Yeah it was a dangerous risk attending that ball. A lot of them ended up with people they never would have normal been around. I can't wait to hear all the stories floating around the school with all the hype of the strangest people hooking up." Caleb said with only slight amusement. He really wasn't a one for gossip but it sometimes he just liked to know what happened. "I didn't attend either. Just didn't want to risk it." Caleb said. He was saddened by the thought that Katherine was considering ditching the yule ball. "I'm sure someone will ask you." Caleb said. Perhaps he would if the time was right. Maybe that would be the right time to take it to the next level between the two of them. His year was almost over and he would need to make a move sooner or later.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

She knew him well enough that even though he had a frown on his face he was okay. This was one of the things that they managed to do a lot. Most people believed that if you were a hufflepuff it meant that you were more or less left over. But of course Katherine was just as witty as any Ravenclaw, just because she wasn’t in that house. She loved being a hufflepuff, just because a lot of them were pretty carefree so it made for a fun environment. Either way she knew that they could probably go at the witty comments for a while, and neither one took it too seriously. After all Katherine had no issue dealing with the fact that Caleb was very able to outwit her, just as she was sure he had no issue with her outwitting him once in a while. It was always best when your friendships were stable enough that you could have nice little battle of the wits and still come out as the best of friends. She gave him a smug little smile when he said that today might be her day, giving her shoulder a slight shrug. She knew that she could very well not be very witty, it all just depended.

“Isn’t it my day every day?” she asked, “I’m kidding, but hey at least no one can say that I’m a complete airhead. Because some people are under the impression that blond means airhead”

She nodded when he said it was a dangerous risk to attend the masquerade. That had been one of her fears, being stuck with someone she completely loathed and then end up having a terrible night when the masks came off. Not that Katherine could actually say she loathed people, but she was pretty certain some people loathed her. Most of the Slytherin’s looked down on her because she was a “mudblood” and then adding the fact she was a hufflepuff well it was all just bad. Not that she cared much about it, but she could only imagine the horror of realizing she was with a blood purist all night making idle chit chat. But she knew that there would be a lot of gossip going around about what happened at the ball, after all it was the perfect pool to gather it from, a night where you had to spend the night with a person behind a mask and from what she had heard there had been a lot of people who had ended up kissing the people they had been paired up with. She nodded when he said that he hadn’t wanted to risk it ether, that had been her worry too. She wasn’t much for taking risks randomly, unless it was absolutely necessary. He said that someone would probably ask her to the Yule ball, and she gave another small shrug. She really wasn’t expecting it, and well she wouldn’t be completely heartbroken over the idea of not being asked. Did she want to wear a pretty dress and spend the night dancing? Sure. But was it vital to her happiness? Not necessarily.

"I won’t be too saddened if no one does, I mean I’d love to go but I’ll be okay with just staying in my dorm” she said, “I’ve more or less gotten used to the idea that I’m more of a wallflower than anything else. So why worry about it?”

[caleb]

Caleb let out a small chuckle at Katherine trying to claim that everyday was her day. It was hardly ever, not that he meant that in a rude way but Caleb would always find a loophole somewhere in her or anyone else's logic so it made it hard for anyone to go up against him. But Katherine did have her days where she would surprise him in out witting him with the smallest error. It seemed that she was off to a good start today but Caleb would surely catch up before the day was over. "Not everyday, I have to win some too." Caleb said with a smile on his face. As for the blonde comment well it was a stereotype that many blonds actually proved to be true but in the case of Katherine, well she was smarter than plenty of other people, hair color not excluded. "I don't think it helps that your blonde counterparts really aren't that bright or tend to play up the stupidity for a boy's attention." Caleb offered. "Ever consider dying your hair?" Caleb asked though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. That she would want to stay as blonde which would be fine by him.

"You should not spend every dance in our dorm." He chastised her. Even Caleb wouldn't do that he would attend the ball alone rather than miss out completely. "I can take you if no one else decides to ask you, I don't really have anyone else in mind to go with." Caleb said, hoping that she would take that offer because she was the only person he truly wanted to go with.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

“There’s no rule that states such a thing” she said with a smile, “Plus there are days when you just can’t catch up”

She knew their little game was just pure fun, and she would have no issue with knowing that Caleb was smarter than her. After all he was a Ravenclaw and they were known for their intelligence. Not that Hufflepuff’s weren’t intelligent either, every house had their odd people out. Either way she knew that her ability to beat him at word play really didn’t matter so much. She was very much content with her intelligence, she wasn’t some bimbo who basically had nothing in her brain. Obviously given her hair color most people would be quick to assume that she was some airhead that basically had nothing in her brain and needed help with every little thing. But she knew that Caleb didn’t see her in that way, even if he joked around about her hair color she knew that he understood that she was by no means stupid. She worked hard, she studied as much as any other student at Hogwarts sometimes she went beyond what was necessary. She had high aspirations and no stereotype was going to stop her from doing that. She knew that if she wanted to be a skilled healer she had to know so many things, and that knowledge alone drove her to success.

“Eww no, I can’t imagine not being blonde” she said, “Plus I like to surprise people who just imagine I’m an airhead and realize I’m really not. It makes life more fun that way”

She knew that he was only joking and he by no means was making it an actual suggestion. She did love her hair color, it was something she had inherited from her mother, and her eyes from her father. She also loved her hair and would never think of putting any chemical to change its appearance. Sure there were products that she used, but it wasn’t hair dye. She looked at him once again as he said that she shouldn’t spend every dance in her room. She knew this was true, but she just felt no need to attend either dance if she was just going to stand there all night and stare at all the blissfully happy couples. Even though romance seemed to be the farthest thing from her mind at times, she sometimes wished she had it. It had to be nice to be in love, and just want to see the other person every minute of the day. She knew that she felt something for Caleb, but it wasn’t something she could easily identify. It could be said that she loved him because he was her best friend, but there was something else too. But she didn’t want to mess up her friendship with him, after all they had been best friends for seven years, that wasn’t something you just threw away without thinking. And if she was honest she hadn’t been interested in anyone romantically in years, and she was starting to think she never would. She had lost all focus on what she was doing now, keeping herself more focused on Caleb, more than anything else.

“Aww that’s a sweet offer Caleb” she said with a smile, “If you really don’t want to go with anyone, I’d love to go with you”

[caleb]

Caleb relaxed in the chair, stretching his legs out for optimal space. It wasn't often he was given the chance to relax for his head was usually in a book or an essay, even though he did seem to learn quite quickly, he was always on the next thing as soon as his finished the original task at hand. But whenever Katherine invited him, or he just popped up, to the library so she could practice her magic he always was able to kick his feet up and take a load off. He found peace in watching her work and enjoyed seeing her beam at her accomplishments. He never really understood what exactly he was feeling toward his best friend but Caleb usually chalked it up to expected friendly emotions. It wasn't as if he had any other close friends to compare it to. Caleb was just afraid to admit to Katherine what he was truly feeling for her which was something far greater than friendship. But it didn't seem likely, at least to him, that the pair would work out. But these were his own usual doubts that plagued his mind.

Caleb chuckled at Katherine's comment. "Some days being the key factor there." Caleb said, a grin on his face. Caleb simply loved the banter between them, it was easy and casual; very natural. Her reaction to the suggestion of dying her hair lived up to what he imagined. He honestly couldn't see Katherine any other way, the blonde hair just fit her innocent nature. "Are you telling me that you've never thought of dying your hair green?" He asked in mocked shock. "It might fit you." He added teasingly. Green by far was the worst color she could dye her hair and Caleb hoped she would stay the way she was.

Caleb smiled lightly when Katherine said she would love to go with him, though he knew the situation was only brought upon due to their lack of a social life outside of each other. But he would take it anyways. He shook his head as to say there was no one else he wanted to go with. He stood up and pulled out his wand, turning his back to Katherine. He grabbed one of the cushions off the chair he was previously sitting on and tapped it once while muttering a spell under his breath. The cushion quickly turned into a yellow rose. He turned around and held it out to Katherine. "Let me formally ask you to the ball." He said. "Katherine would you attend the Yule Ball with me on Christmas?" He asked shyly pushing his hair away from his face.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

She enjoyed having Caleb with her when she practiced just because he was always great support. Even if he just watched her, it made her feel better to know that he was there with her ready to comment on anything. Usually they had their little verbal squabbles, nothing too serious, it was usually in a teasing manner. They had been best friends long enough to know not to take those moments seriously and it kept their friendship light and happy sometimes. Obviously it helped that they enjoyed each other’s company and Katherine knew that over the years she had grown used to the idea of always having Caleb around. There was something else there, obviously, but given that she didn’t have much experience in what the feelings could mean she just connected them to the idea that they were best friends and it was normal to feel those types of things. At least that’s what she often told herself to not make herself think too much on it, and she turned her attention towards Caleb as he chuckled. She playfully stuck her tongue out at him when he said that some days was the key words in their conversation. She could feel her eyes widen just at the idea of ever changing her hair color because she loved her hair.

“Oh please I bet I can so match you in a battle of the wits” she said with a smile, “And no that would be a horrible idea. I was born blond, I will always be blond. I’m very happy with my hair color”

She knew that if she would have had the chance she probably would have gone to the masquerade with Caleb if she would have had the chance. It might have been fun with him, not that she hadn’t enjoyed spending the night doing all the different things she had accomplished. But of course no one was allowed to pick their dates to the masquerade, so she had been hesitant about it. Either way she knew that the Yule ball would be fun just because she’d get to spend the night with Caleb. She had just turned her attention momentarily back to what she had been originally doing when she saw him move from the corner of her eye. Her gaze then shifted to look at him again, and she watched as he turned the cushion into a rose. She smiled, forgetting that she was just about to get working back on her own magic and she shifted her whole body in his direction. She took the rose from him, bringing it to her nose for a second. It was one of the things she loved about magic that anything could be transfigured into a flower and it would feel as if it had always been a flower. Roses were her favorite flower, she had a book of pressed flowers actually something she knew was technically a muggle hobby but it was something she enjoyed doing when she was very little.

“Of course I’ll go with you Caleb” she said with a smile as she learned forward to give him a hug.

[caleb]

The library was rather quiet, except for a few students who happened to be in the area studying but they were out of sight. So Katherine and Caleb were left to themselves which was a rather typical situation for them. It was one of the main reasons Caleb was so close to Katherine because they never really had anyone else fighting for their attention. Whether that was because they were so unwanted or just completely content with their own friendship that others didn't matter Caleb wasn't quite certain. But Caleb wouldn't complain about the social life he had been dealt, he had been raised to prepare for this sort of outcome being what he was and all. Not everyone approved of vampires, let alone half breeds.

Caleb chuckled lightly at Katherine's sureness of winning a battle of the wits against him. Not that he doubt her ability but he was rather skilled at it. "Perhaps you might win the battle, but the war is mine to claim for victory." He said with a playful smirk. "Well at least you have confindence." He said with a more sincere smile. It always suited Katherine to be sure of who she was, one of the reasons that Caleb found that more than friendship feeling popping up quite often.

Caleb stood there for a moment suddenly feeling nervous even though he knew Katherine would accept but the formality of it all just made him a bit shaken up. She grabbed the rose from his fingers and brought it to her nose. She looked so beautiful standing there with the rose to her nose. Then he was engulfed in a hug and he slowly wrapped his arms around Katherine. Her hair smelt so much more heavenly than the rose he had just given her. "Great. We will have a blast. Do you have a color in mind that you might like to go in?" He asked knowing most date color coordinated.

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[KATHERINE ANABELLE HUGHES]

She liked how quiet the library was, just because it allowed her to focus on her tasks quite easily. The only reason she had gotten adept at wandless magic, apart from the fact she had been pretty good at it before, was that she liked to be able to focus. Having Caleb with her was basically second nature, he wasn’t a bother to her, and she enjoyed having him there. He was that constant presence in her life, that she always wanted around. Obviously people teased her about that all the time, they often said that she had been dating Caleb for years, without actually dating him. Obviously it wasn’t something she was comfortable with, because the fact that people thought there was something more going on between them, made her feel weird. She cared about Caleb, a lot more than she should, but she wasn’t sure if the idea of them dating was a good one. Especially because she cared about him so much, that if they ever did date, and then it didn’t work out she would basically lose the most important person in her life. And that wasn’t something she wanted, it’s why she often told the people who said those things to her that they were being ridiculous and left it at that. She shook her head, leaving those thoughts behind as she tried to focus on what Caleb was saying.

“Oh you believe the war is yours?” she said with a teasing laugh, “You poor delusional boy, the war will so obviously be mine. And of course I have confidence, I know I’m skilled”

That last part was said as a joke, because even though she was confident about some things, others not so much. She was very much confident in the area of school, magic in general because she practiced and studied and she overall worked hard. But if you asked her about her confidence level in other areas, most of them social, well that’s where things to complicated. Katherine was basically this bubble full of energy and she loved to have friends and just be social. But she was always a bit guarded in the idea of who she trusted, Caleb was the one person she trusted completely and well that had an effect in her social life. She talked to her classmates, and had other friends, but most of her time was spent with him. She was completely okay with that, because he was just that important to her, and she honestly felt no need for anyone else to be a part of her life. It’s why it felt right to go the Yule Ball with him, even though most girls would be going with their boyfriends or whatever, she would be going with her best friend. She was pretty certain they would have as much fun as any of the other couples there, because they always had fun when they were together. It was just the way things were for them most of the time, it was what made their friendship so special. She felt better when he hugged her back and she stayed like that for a few seconds before he asked about the color of her dress.

“Red, I have this really nice red dress my mother designed when she found out the school was having a ball” she said, “So you have to wear red, if you want to coordinate”