The seventh-floor corridor had seen many Gryffindors race down it through the years. Some were rushing to class, eager to learn or eager to not get in trouble; others were escaping Filch or one of his previous incarnations after setting up and setting off a prank. In the earlier centuries of the school's history, some students had sprinted down this hall as they dueled. Now this hallway saw two fifth-year girls running, not in pursuit of knowledge, freedom, or valor, but in pursuit of their best friend.

"Why are you running from us?" shouted Alicia Spinnet.

"We know why you're running, Katie!" Angelina Johnson shouted at the same time. Laughter made the aforementioned Katie slow down, and her friends caught up to her. Although they weren't running anymore, the three girls kept a speedy pace as they headed to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

They dutifully supplied the password and stepped into the common room. Alicia started to head toward one of the deep scarlet couches, but Katie caught her eye and with a quick head motion, implied that the conversation was to be held upstairs-if Katie was going to admit anything to her friends, she wanted to do her best to insulate it from the common room gossip.

Alicia and Angelina glanced at each other—if Katie's run earlier hadn't confirmed suspicions, her furtiveness now seemed to. They loyally followed their friend upstairs.

They headed to the fourth year girls' dormitory. Katie was thankful to see it empty, and not just because of her worry of gossip. While she had no specific quarrel with her dorm mates, they didn't get along. It wasn't an issue of differing personalities, but one of age. Katie's birthday was in early October, and an unfortunate situation with her muggle father had postponed her Hogwarts letter and arrival by an entire school year. At the start of the fall term, Katie had turned sixteen—two years and a wealth of maturity older than the girls she lived with.

"Okay, sit." Angelina commanded. She waved her wand and muttered a spell under her breath to ensure that they were alone and wouldn't be interrupted, then quickly motioned to Alicia to lock the door. Once the task was completed, she turned to Katie, now sitting on her bed. "Okay, spill!"

Katie began to look as though she would cry, but complied with her friend's order. "I wasn't feeling great, so I went to the Hospital Wing. I thought maybe I was pushing myself too hard and figured she would just give me a Pepperup Potion or something".

Her friends nodded, understanding. Given Katie's unusual age situation, she had spoken to Professors McGonagall and Flitwick about working to take the O.W.L.s in their subjects a year early so she could start on the N.E.W.T. level coursework early enough to keep up with her peers. Along with her ambitious studies, Katie had Quidditch practice. The practices had technically ended a few weeks earlier, when Gryffindor had won the championship, but Katie still flew several times a week. Sometimes she, Angelina, and Alicia would run some drills, sometimes she would race Fred and George, sometimes Oliver would challenge her to see how many goals she could get past him, and sometimes she would just fly by herself to feel the freedom her broomstick gave her.

Alicia's nodding became more pronounced—she was no longer just agreeing with her friend, but pressing her on to continue.

Katie recognized her friend's insistence to continue and swallowed. "Well, anyways, you know Pomfrey. She's not just going to give you a potion and tell you to leave. She pricked me with her wand, said some spell…" Katie cut off, taking a deep breath. She seemed to decide that her best course of action was to not draw the Healer's pronouncement out any longer. "I'm pregnant".

Her friends' eyebrows rose, but with clear effort they stayed calm. After several moments of silence, Angelina broke it. "Who?" She asked.

This broke Katie's resolve. "Oh my god, I have to tell him".

"What? Who? Katie?!" Alicia continued. Katie winced, struggling to make eye contact with her friends. She looked up and took a breath, but still couldn't make herself open her mouth.

"A Gryffindor?" Angelina asked. Katie nodded. "Our year?" She shook her head. "Sixth?" Another shake of disagreement. "Fourth?" Angelina doubted that this would be the case given Katie's distaste for her own year of classmates, and the glare that accompanied the shake of her head made Alicia smirk.

"So, seventh." Angelina said. Katie closed her eyes and nodded. Angelina considered the seventh year Gryffindor boys. The only ones she knew more than in passing were Percy Weasley, the Head Boy and Fred and George's older brother, and Oliver Wood. She knew that Katie, as a fourth year, probably wouldn't know any besides those two either. She also knew that Percy Weasley was pretty committed to his girlfriend, Penelope.

Katie must have realized that this detail would reveal the identity to her friends. Trying to keep her voice firm, she said, "Oliver Wood."

….

Not even a month earlier, Katie wouldn't have had any doubt about where to find Oliver— if he wasn't in the common room writing Quidditch plays, he'd be in the air. As she headed out to the school grounds, she cast a glance to the skies, but found them empty. She didn't expect him to be flying today anyways. It was the first week of May, and although Oliver had been talking to a few scouts about a potential career in Quidditch, he still was planning on taking several N.E.W.T.s. Even Oliver couldn't justify too much flying when there was so much studying to be done.

Katie headed to his favorite study spot, which tended to change. Oliver, in an attempt to focus while studying, usually positioned himself along the lakeshore, as far around as it took him to be out of earshot of any others studying. Sometimes he had to go so far that he was closer to Hogsmeade Station than to Hogwarts. Today, for whatever reason, fewer people were studying, so he was only about halfway around the lake.

When Katie approached him, he was taking a break from his schoolwork. He was standing, facing the lake and facing away from his textbooks. Katie strode briskly to his side, silently enough that he didn't notice her until she was by his side. "Kates!" He smiled immediately. She struggled to return the expression. He turned to her, putting his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. "What's up?"

"Oliver—I'm pregnant."

The smile didn't slide off his face immediately. It seemed as though he was too shocked to even change his facial expression. Gradually, however, his face turned to a look of concern. "It's m—"he cut himself off. "Of course. I didn't mean…you know. But…" he exhaled. His eyes widened. "McGonagall's gonna kill me. And my parents…and your parents…" He glanced at Katie, knowing she had issues with her father.

"Pomfrey sent them an owl," she said, putting emphasis on the last word. "Needless to say, he was angry enough just to see the bird. Upon hearing the news…well, I'm disinherited". She couldn't keep her voice steady and broke into tears as she finished her statement. Oliver immediately enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey, hey. We'll get through this. My parents have always been supportive of me. They'll be a bit disappointed, sure, but they can help us. And I'm seventeen, Katie. I'm an adult. I will be there for you". She buried her face in his chest. Her tears continued as her grip tightened around his waist. He didn't let go of her—he wouldn't.