She hoped they wouldn't come back. The dreams, the pain, the visions it had all nearly stopped after her time at St. Mungo's. But they returned, in full force, after the war. She sometimes wondered why she had gone back, when she had no need to. She could just as well have stayed out of the entire affair. A part of her knew the answer, though. She rarely held grudges, but she had wanted her revenge on the wizard who had caused her so much suffering. She had her revenge, but she paid the price for it.
She would often wake up, screaming into the empty apartment and sweating from terror. At other times, her coworkers often noticed her staring off into the distance, and not responding to their calling her. It all culminated into her superiors noticing her absentmindedness and giving her two months' leave.
She hadn't noticed how much time had passed, sitting inside her dark room, knees huddled up, only ever getting up if she needed to. Until, she heard her door burst open.
She frowned. There were Wards on it, and there was no way her Muggle coworkers would be able to break them, and she had long since lost contact with her Hogwarts friends.
She was very surprised to find familiar brown eyes lit by the dim bedside lamp, staring into her own. He seemed speechless, unable to form any words but a gasp.
"Oliver?" she asked haltingly, squinting in the light. Her voice sounded so unlike her own that for a moment she wondered if it was.
"What happened to you?" he asked, sitting down beside her and filling the glass on the bedside table with an Aguamenti.
She shook her head as he handed her the glass.
"Katie," he said, his tone firm but warm.
"T-the dreams...They're back," she whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it even more true.
Oliver draped his arm around her and pulled her closer.
"Locking yourself away isn't the way to stop them."
"I didn't know what to do. They won't go away," she muttered, burrowing into his jacket.
"I have an idea," he said, quietly.
"What is it?" she asked, seeing his expression.
"You're smiling. It's sort of scary."
She laughed, biting into a juicy strawberry. She knew what he meant, though. It had been too long. It was good to be out in the open again, without letting her fears get the better of her. They visions had subsided, eventually, but they didn't seem as terrible even when they did come back. All she had to do was call Oliver or send a Patronus, and her would be there in moments. Occasionally, he'd bring Angelina or Alicia too.
Sometimes, she wished she could be there for him in the same way, but he left soon after she was feeling better, each time.
Except tonight, she realised. He had stayed. For her.
Notes: Written for the 500 Different Pairings Challenge and the Great School Bake-Off
Pairing: Katie Bell/Oliver Wood
Baked Good: Mint Julep Cupcakes:1. Vanilla cake (Character: Katie Bell) 2. Bourbon sauce filling (Food: strawberries) 3. Peppermint whipped cream (Spell: Aguamenti) 4. Mint leaf for garnish (Dialogue: "You're smiling. It's sort of scary.")