Possessions

The rain poured down, gently rapping on the window. Oh, how I longed to be out there, feelling the drops of cool rain slowly drip down my face as it washed all troubles away. I had been sitting by the window resting my head on my fist for about half an hour, just watching the rain fall and create puddles, I guess that if anyone had walked by and seen me, they would have thought I was waiting for someone to come home or somthing to happen. I wasn't though. I simply had nothing better to do for the next two hours until the party. My dad was a huge, successful business man and tonight he was dragging me and my mom along to one of his corporate parties. Of course my mom wanted to go, she had no reason not to. I mean, she would have tons of people to brag to about how she's married to the V.P. of the company. Me, on the otherhand, I had begged and pleaded to both my parents to let me stay home but I got the same response from them both, "Now Katherine, we want to make a good impression at this party and the best way for that to happen is to have the whole family attnd." Not being in the mood to protest, I simply moaned and walked away frustrated.

My mom then walked into the living room, and when she noticed me two seconds later, she almost had a fit. My hair was simply down and striaght and I barely had any makeup on. The only way in which I had gotten ready for the party was by getting half dressed into my dress. By "half dressed" I mean that I had put my dress over my pj pants. I hadn't even put on shoes, I just had on a pair of socks. After all, there were two hours until we actually had to leave, what was the rush? And besides, with my it's not like my mother couldn't do any magic to help me. I was almost of age but not just yet.

"Katherine! What are you doing? Why aren't you getting ready?" My mother walked over to me with a slight anger in her step.

"Huh?" I was suddenly knocked out of my daze, "Oh, well, I'm almost ready. And besides, we've still got two hours left."

"Almost ready? Your hair isn't done, you haven't finished your makeup, and you sitll have to finish getting dressed. Now get upstairs. At this point in time, almost isn't enough!"

Yeah well it's not like I can use my magic to get ready or anything like you. I thought.

I stood up and made my way slowly up the stairs to my room. I finished my makeup, took off my pj pants and socks, and put on my shoes. As for my hair, I thought it was fine. I had always thought that it looked good when it was down and straight but apparently my mom wanted it to look more elegant. After all, this wasn't just any party, it was a "corporate party." Big deal! What reason should I have to even care for these stupid things? I mean come on! What teen would honestly care to go to any of these things.

I went back down to the living room and paraded around my parents, who now stood looking each other over. I walked like a model on a runway, striking poses every so often and showing off my dress. It was a black dress that fell just below my knees and had white trimming on the jagged edges. The straps were thin and came up to a halter top, also trimmed with white.

Despite having to go to the boring party, I was willing to try to make the best of it and so I continued to parade around my parents, though a little more slowly now. My father gave a small chuckle at the site of my performance, but my mother was too focused on how everyone looked to have even a little fun.

"Katherine," My mother's voice was firm, "stop prancing around like a little kid. You've got to grow up and frankly, this is the time to do it. Now if we're all ready, let's get our coats and go."

I stopped immediately after I heard my name. As my mother spoke her stern words, she didn't even look at me. Her concentration was on my father's bow tie and making it as perfect as she possibly could. I guess she had given up on perfecting me though because she didn't comment on my hair anymore.

I sat in the backseat of the car, drawing small pictures on the fogged windows. My parents were focused on the party, but I was fine with that. My attention was on hiding the small set of earphones as I listened to my ipod. My mother always had something to disagree about with something I had or did and as far as my ipod, it was just "worthless technology that does nothing a radio can't do." In my opinion, the only reason she didn't like it or any other technilogical devices I had was because my mother was simply illiterate when it came to any kind of technology.

After riding in silence for about fifteen minutes, my mother turned on the radio and classical music engulfed the rock music playing in my ear. My face cringed as I turned my ipod up to block out my mother's music preference. I could see my mother over the top of the passenger seat and could tell that she was swaying with the music. Actually this was the only music she could sway to, had she tried to ever dance to anything other than her classical shit she just couldn't, she was otherwise absolutely tone deaf and had absolutely no sense of rhythm.

"We're almost there," My dad announced as we turned down a long winding road.

"Where is this place?" I asked,"In the middle of nowhere? And I don't see why we had to drive here."

"You'll see Katherine. Your father and I have been here before, it's a magnificent place really. And you are completely aware that you cannot yet disapparate young lady." My mother turned to look back at me and I turned away to hide my earphones.

Turning back around she added, "Aren't you so excited? I've always loved these."

Oh my God! You've got to be kidding me. The only reason you like these fucking things is because it gives you a goddamn reason to brag to every other bitch there about how much better off you are because your husband is the damn V.P.! Seriously mom, get a fucking life.

"Oh yeah," I played out my sarcasm, "I love 'em."

As we got further down the road, I noticed an enormous building beginning to loom over us; the closer we got, the bigger it got. It seemed to be an old Victorian building, almost like a palace that a queen would live in. The stone building had some sort of gargoyle things carved alone the corners too. It really was a strange place and yet it seemed to intrigue me. I had the urge to run in and begin exploring, but I knew that I couldn't, I had to "behave myself".

"Well, here we are," My dad announced proudly.

"Alright then," My mom said. And with a deep inhalation she added, "Let's go."

I quickly put away my ipod and got out of the car. There were a few other people who were just arriving as well but we were early so not too many people would be here just yet. I walked behind my parents up the large set of stone stairs that led through the huge oak doors and into the main hallway. The moment we entered people began to crowd around and talk with my father, my mother standing next to him and smiling like she were the one being spoken to.

Pathetic

Eventually, we entered a massive room that had fancy, dressed up tables around the perimeter and a large wooden dance floor in the center. We all took our seats and soon almost every seat was full. Our table was reserved especially for the President and Vice President of the company so we got to sit at the very front of the room. Being already tired of my father's co-workers, I got up and moved to an empty table in the back of the room and listened to my ipod until it died because I hadn't charged the battery the night before.

"God I'm so stupid!" I said to myself as I put it away and got up to go explore and make at least some use of this time.

Just as I had almost gotten out of the room I heard someone call my name.

"Katherine!" I turned around to find my mother rushing toward me with a huge smile on her face.

Oh God, now what does she want.

"Katherine, there's someone that you simply must meet!" She grabbed my arm and began pulling me toward another room connected with this one.

This room was quieter and a little less..fancy looking. It looked more like a meeting room for about a hundred people, very official but with no middle table for an actual meeting. I saw my father not too far off from the entrance talking with a very important looking man wearing what seemed to be a brand new grey suit. His brown hair was beginning to grey and he definitely wasn't the thinnest man I had ever seen. He carried himself well, the way that an important man would and spoke to my father in a booming voice that would have rung throughout the whole building had it been empty. Next to him stood a just-as-important looking boy who looked to be around my age. He had brown hair and stood almost stiff, like the soldiers do in the army, and the big man next to him was the general.

"Here we are," My mother announced our arrival as all three men looked in our direction. I couldn't help but notice that the boy seemed to stare just a moment longer and look me up and down as he did so. I quickly looked to my father who had a warm, inviting smile spread across his face. I returned his smile and took my place between him and my mother, though they gently pushed me slightly forward.

"Katherine," My father spoke warmly, "This is the C.E.O. of our company, Mr. Daniel West, and this is his son, Michael West."

I shook both their hands, avoiding extended eye contact with Michael.

"Your father has mentioned you quite a bit Miss Sendra," Mr. West informed me as he shook my hand.

"Oh please," I replied, "call me Katherine. And he has? I was never told of this."

I looked to my father and gave him a what-exactly-have-you-said-about-me look.

"Well, of course," My father said quickly, regaining his voice, "You've achieved quite a lot over the past few years and I can't help but be proud of my daughter can I?"

"Yes," Mr. West began, "Your father has told me all about your academic achievements. He's a very proud man you know, and with very good reason."

Mr. West smiled a warm, kind smile. It seemed that for some reason he was almost as proud as my own father seemed to be.

"Well," My mother broke into the conversation, "Why don't you and Michael leave us adults to talk hm? You two can get to know each other better while we all discuss our boring adult things."

I looked quizzically at my mother but had no time to say anything before Michael took my hand.

"Come on," Michael said as he led me out of the room, "let's go somewhere less crowded."

I felt that I should have protested, something about Michael and the manner of haughtiness in which he and his father both seemed to live was both appalling and disgusting, but the need for relief from all of the adults and talk of business urged me to follow him toward the staircase on the left side of the entrance.

"Where are we going?" I questioned as he led me up the stairs and toward a large wooden door just opposite where we had come from.

"Just away from everyone else. In here," He held open the door and I walked in. The room seemed like it had been an office of some sort or other. The only thing missing was a desk at the very back of the room. There was a whole wall full of books and a number of comfortable looking chairs and loveseats.

I moved toward the wall crowded with numerous books and began skimming my finger over the titles, looking for something that would catch my attention when I heard Michael's soft footsteps coming up behind me.

"You know," he breathed into my ear, "our parents meant for us to meet. They had this whole plan to get us together or whatever. You know, seeing as both of our father's are quite high up in the business hierarchy it would just make sense."

Still staring at the book my eyes had last come across I answered, "I don't think so."

"And why's that?"

I turned to face him and looked up into his eyes, "No one should be together unless they want to be."

"Well I must say, when my father had told me of this I was rather upset about it. But of course I was completely unaware of just how beautiful you were," He said as he reached his hand up and brushed it gently against my cheek.

I quickly moved away and turned to face him again, "What are you doing?"

"Katherine, it's inevitable that you and I will be together. Why are you fighting it?"

"You don't even know me! You know my name and that's about all I would assume. You have no right to touch me or even tell me that I have to be with you."

I turned to leave but felt his grasp on my arm as he spun me around to face him, his expression showing his growing anger, "Our parents have had this planned since we were both born, I've accepted it and now you've got to. You are going to be mine and nothing you say or do can or will change that. Do you understand me?"

His grip tensed and I could feel the blood in my arm almost stop it's circulation. I was beginning to fear him and with perfect reason to. Then just as the tears began to well up behind my eyes the door opened and I saw Michael look toward it over my shoulder.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" A new voice came.

"No, no you're not," Michael shot one last look at me before releasing my arm and walking out of the room, probably returning to his father and my parents to report my behavior if anything.

Of course I'm going to be in trouble. He's going to twist everything and I'm going to be wrong because I won't accept him as my stupid boyfriend. The stupid git. I thought to myself as the tears began to slowly creep down my face. I hadn't even noticed the new person walk toward me and gently place a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" The voice sounded strong, but concerned.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you," I sniffed and turned to face the person, quickly wiping my tears away.

"Are you sure? You can't be too fine if you're crying," he asked again, concern still etched in his voice.

"No really," I said, still keeping my gaze to the floor to avoid a flood of tears if I looked this guy in the face,"I'm fine. I just-I should be getting back downstairs."

And with that I quickly walked past him, gently brushing against his arm as I did so, though not purposely. I had to get away from this room and from everyone. I walked back into the huge hall where the tables were set and soft classical music was still playing. My parents and their new friend were up at the front table recently rejoined by Michael and another new face, probably the President, whom I had not yet had the chance to officially meet, and at this point I didn't want to either. I took my previous seat at the empty table in the back of the room and put my head down. Not very long after, maybe fifteen minutes or so had gone by, and I heard someone approach me. I kept my head down and pretended not to notice. Whoever it was, though, took the seat beside me and I felt their gaze on me. I hoped against all hopes that this person was not Michael and simply would not say anything. I did not want to talk to anyone at the moment and least of all did I want to see or talk to Michael. Luckily, school would be starting in a month and Michael West was not one of the many students I had seen or befriended at Hogwarts, so I highly doubted that he and I would see much of each other during the school year. I honestly don't think I had been so relieved for a school year before.

A/N: It's my first story so just let me know what you think. New chapters soon.