For Emily. Slight references to my fic The Distance Between Them. However, you don't have to read that to understand this.

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Katie is sitting across from him, honey brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Her hair is pulled back ungracefully. She opens her mouth to speak several times, but always ends up closing it again.

And he's been here before. He knows what she's going to say. He just wishes he didn't. He gives her a half-hearted smile. "It's okay, you know," he assures her. Even though it's not. It's far from okay.

Maybe that will always be the problem. He never realizes there is a problem until it's too late to fix it.

She shakes her head. "We don't deserve this," she whispers. "I can count the number of times we've seen each other in the past six months on one hand, Ol. And maybe we get three months off before training starts back up."

He nods. Because he can't refute the truth.

"It would be easier if we were on the same team."

"Yeah," he murmurs.

He looks around the flat that they share. But it doesn't really look like theirs. Sure, there's his stuff and her stuff laying around; there's not really any of their stuff. They have been living together for the past two years, and they've made no progress to make it their home.

It almost as if they were just roommates instead of lovers.

He turns back to her. And she looks beautiful, as always. It just makes his heart hurt more. "You're right. We don't deserve this."

She stands and crosses the short distance between them. She presses a kiss to his cheek. "I do love you, Oliver." She pulls away. "I just don't want to hold you back. We both know that Quidditch is what we love the most. I won't give up Harpies, like you won't give up Puddlemere. Which means I can't be there. You need someone there for you. Promise me you'll find someone."

It's the same reason his relationship with Percy fell apart - his love for Quidditch, his inability to be there. He wonders if he's programmed to be alone for the rest of his life, if his love for Quidditch will drive everyone away.

Oliver gives her a soft smile despite everything. Leave it to Katie to still want his happiness. "Only if you promise the same. Find someone who will is able to go with you. Find someone who can be there."

She closes her eyes and nods. "I promise."

"I'm sorry I can't be that person," Oliver whispers.

Katie's eyes snap open, sadness swimming in them. She frowns. "I'm sorry I can't be that person either." She hesitates. "I'm going to stay with Leanne. I'll be back for my stuff later."

Oliver shakes his head. "You don't have to do that."

"This was your place long before it was ours. I won't drive you out of it."

Oliver closes his eyes. He doubts he'll stay here much longer anyway. Too many memories of the time that he did share with Katie present for him to want to stay. But he doubts that argument will get past Katie, so he doesn't say anything.

"Okay, if that's what you want."

He doesn't have to open his eye to know that Katie is gone. And he's just left with his own thoughts.