A/N: The chapters of this story will be based off of songs by The Material. The story will be centering on the Gryffindor Quidditch team (minus Harry) post-graduation. I don't own the lyrics, the band, or any of the characters. ;) Please read and review! Constructive criticism is also welcome.

"I've been keeping up appearances, but this smile's wearing thin

Let me out, let me out. I think I might drown…"

Katie Bell felt the breath caught in her chest, her silent sobs causing her shoulders to heave up and down slowly. Tears stung her eyes as they coated her cheeks like rivers. She sat in the living room of her one-bedroom apartment, the lights down low. She felt alone. She felt lost. She felt confused. She felt guilty.

More than all of that though, she felt fear; fear of disappointment and fear of letting go.

She closed her eyes tight as she tried to focus her thoughts on things that would make her feel better, but the thoughts that greeted her only made the nearly crippling guilt she felt that much heavier on her shoulders. Her first thought was flying, but she couldn't do that here. She could never do that again. The thoughts that followed made the tears fall harder. Katie didn't even think that was possible at this point, but as she let out a small yell of despair she knew it was.

"Live life as a muggle, or never set foot in this house again." That was the ultimatum her parents had given her at graduation. Those were the words that stole her very soul.

She'd told Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, and Oliver. Being the youngest she'd been the last to graduate, but they all came out to support her, smiles on their faces. Little did they know what to expect the next day. Each received an owl telling them that Katie would never see them again, that family was the most important thing in life, and if she gave that up she didn't know what she'd do with herself.

She never received an owl back.

Katie fell into a deep depression for months after she graduate from Hogwarts. Her parents tried their best to make her see a therapist, but how can you tell a therapist that the one thing you want more than anything is something that they'd never believe.

All Katie wanted was magic. She craved it for months. Every single day she reached for her wand, but her parents had kept it from her. For months she did nothing but eat, run, and sleep. She wanted nothing to do with the muggle world. She wanted out. Then she eventually started going to beauty school to become a hair dresser. She managed to lose herself in her work long enough that the life she spent 7 years living seemed like a distant, far-off dream. It had been 8 months since graduation. She got an apartment by herself, and gotten a job at a hair salon around the black. Her apartment was only a few blocks away from her parents. They were pleased, and visited about every other day. At least one of them would stop by. They "wanted to make sure she was doing alright." And she was…

Until she received a letter. It was delivered only an hour earlier, by owl, to the window of her apartment.

It was a recruitment letter for the Appleby Arrows.

Miss Bell,

We've received word from Oliver Wood of Puddlemere United that you'd be a suitable chaser for our open slot. We'd love to have you at tryouts next week. Found it a bit odd that someone of an opposing team would try and give us a leg up, but he attached a letter addressed to you, so, we didn't open it.

Hope you see you next week.

Sincerely,

Derek M.

She felt the tears pooling at her eyes before she even decided to open the letter from Oliver, and as soon as she did the tears never stopped.

Katie,

I waited as long as I could to write you this. I wanted to write it to you the day you graduated, but I refrained. But…a spot opened up on the Arrows, and I couldn't let it pass you by. I know you said you're not coming back, but I'm not letting you give up on yourself that easily. I know how much you loved love the Appleby Arrows.

Come home. We all know this is where you belong.

Take care,

Oliver

Her heart shattered.

Both of the letters now lie discarded absentmindedly on the floor. Katie was sobbing into her living room pillow, feeling a million different things at once. She thought she'd gotten over missing magic. She was finally happy with her muggle life, however mediocre and bloody boring it may be. She was… content. No, she wasn't. She was miserable!

And that realization, the realization that she needed… that she wanted to let it all go was more overwhelming than she'd ever imagined it would be. She knew her parents would hate her, undoubtedly. She wondered for a moment where her loving, caring parents went. Where were the parents who assured her when she got her letter that they loved her even though she was different? What happened to the parents who told her that she wasn't a freak?

She inhaled deeply, letting out another choked sob before looking up at the owl in front of her. She had a decision to make.

But, if she was really honest with herself, her heart hade made its decision the day she graduated from Hogwarts. It was her head that lead her in the wrong direction. As the owl made a small coo-ing noise. She glanced at him, her heart breaking the slightest bit more. Only this time, it was for her family.

She walked slowly to the kitchen, wiping her red face free of tear residue and taking out two pieces of paper. She looked around for a pen, grinning only slightly as she found one. Success!

On one sheet she scribbled only three words before giving it to the owl.

I'm coming home.

"Take this to Oliver Wood," she stated loudly, and the owl was off and out of her window in a flash.