Contort

“Are you lost?” Ron Weasley tripped over his words as he slowly but surely approached the petite brunette.

“Not at all,” Karas smiled, “My room is just too crowded.” The young woman placed her hands behind her back and inhaled deeply.

Ron's chin dipped into a nod as he kept his pace slow. The two finally met in the center of the stone corridor. Its walls began to warm with hues of gold and pink sunlight, signaling the awakening of a new day.

“You're the new girl, right?” Ronald coyly asked. He already knew the answer. Obviously.

It was all over before it began. The playful conversation. The need to impress. Laughing. Teasing. She'd stormed into his life like an unexpected gust of wind that took his breath away. Ron knew the doe eyed brunette that held his gaze was going to be something special and his intentions of mindless, casual conversation blew up in front of him the moment Karas smiled. He couldn't get enough, she had to be his.

“Oh, blimey, what if my breath smells? What if she can't stand the sight of me?” Panic flooded Ron's mind and his clammy palms began to itch. He became frightened at the fact that his tongue was drying up in his mouth, then he wouldn't be able to talk. “What if I forget to breathe? Oh, bloody hell!”

“Ron?” Karas questioned while stopping mid-sentence, realizing that Ron was more focused on his own appearance than hearing what she had to say. He kept adjusting his robes and smoothing out his hair.

“Yeah?” Ron responded, though his words sounded more like a gasp and his blue eyes were drastically widened.

Karas laughed, “Are you alright? You look as if you might faint.”

Ron shook his head and tried to secretly wipe the sweat off his palms on the side of his robe. “I'm fine.” His ears flamed at the tips and he offered Karas a half smile.

Kara's studied him closely before continuing their previous conversation.

“I'm alright with being adopted though,” Karas breathed as she rested her head against the stone wall she was leaning against. She was already growing tired of her act. Hold it together, Nagini.

Ron was standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets, he was looking off to the right when he realized he'd missed everything she'd previously been saying.

“Sorry, what?”

Karas ran a hand through her short brown hair and laughed, “You're completely distracted, aren't you?” You filthy, puke. I make you nervous, don't I?

Ron's stomach rumbled in response.

“I'll take that as a yes,” Karas playfully rolled her eyes, then pushed her back off the wall.

Ron laughed nervously, inwardly cursing his inability to appear somewhat normal around this young woman. Karas was inwardly cursing what she was about to do.

“Come on,” She linked her arm with Ron's and gave him a nudge. “Let's get breakfast.”

“It's nice to meet you, Karas.” Harry Potter smiled warmly at her as he grabbed a hearty helping of eggs from the platter in front of him. Karas sat in the company of Gryffindors, each running their mouths about topics she found entirely worthless. If she was able to have her way, she'd give the worms something to really squeal about. A smirk tugged at her lips as the pleasant thought lingered at the forefront of her mind.

“Thank you,” Karas replied to Harry Potter and she suppressed the urge to gouge out the boy's eyes with the fork in her hand. She decided that twirling the utensil in-between her fingertips was a smarter choice. No gouging today.

“It's nice to meet you too, Harry.” She faked a smile and met eye contact with Ron who sat closely beside her.

“Your little toy seems to be doing her job well,” Alastor Moody, who is the death eater Barty Crouch II, whispered to Severus Snape at the staff table. The man jerked his torso to the right, receiving a chorus as snaps. He exhaled at the relief of tension in his spine.

Snape turned his attention across the room. His black eyes watched Karas Haylett grasp the Weasley boy's arm and laugh at an unheard joke. “Her job isn't over yet,” Severus spoke quietly then pressed his thin lips together tightly, continuing to stare.

“No,” Mad-Eye Moody's voice growled, muting a belch that rose from his throat after drinking from his liquor canister. “The fun has just started.”