DISCLAIMER: People, Places and things you Recognise were Invented By JK Rowling. Sorry if you thought they weren't.

A bit of dancing... a lot of broken-hearted confessions...

Hope you enjoy!!

--

Katie

"I guess you've got a date for it then, Kates?" Fred says pointedly. Oliver looks up at the conversation before him, a hesitant expression creeping across his gorgeous features. I look at him and he smiles slightly, and then averts his gaze again.

"Me?" I actually laugh. "Yeah, OK, and pigs fly."

"Well, they do if you make them." George says fairly. "No date then?"

"No, George, no date." My tone is tired, flat, bored, unfulfilled.

"Oliver, you've not got a-" Fred turns to Oliver and grins widely.

"Oh, no. not this again, Fred." Angelina says tiredly, "Just let them get over themselves." Then Roger Davies stops behind her, one hand racing through his shaggy brown hair and the other folding across his chest.

"Alright Katie?" He grins. Roger Davies is grinning at me. Me? I look around behind me. Nope. No other Katies are in the room.

"Yeah, thanks, Roger." I try to offer a smile back but my face has suddenly set solid. I feel sick. I feel sick.

"Have you got a date for the…" He starts, then changes his tone to that of flattery, "Of course you-"

"No. No, she doesn't." Alicia offers for me. I kick her under the table, "Well, you haven't." She whispers indignantly.

"You wanna come with me?"

"What?" I blurt before my brain catches up with my mouth. "You want to take me?" Utter disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah, I kind of do." He smiles briefly, and then is distracted by me pushing my spoon around the bowl in front of me.

"C-Can I think about it?" I stutter, desperate to get away all of a sudden. "For a day or so?"

"I-well, yeah, I suppose so." he suddenly looks broken, surprised I've not said yes immediately. "Charms on Friday, then?"

"Yeah. OK. See you then, Rodge." He disappears and Angelina grabs my arm.

"Roger Davies just asked you to the dance. Oh. My. God." She squeals. "Why-did-you-not-say-yes?!"

"Because-I-don't-want-to-go-with-him." I hiss at her. "You know who I want to go with." I glance at Oliver, who is now staring at me. I push my breakfast away from me, feeling sick again, and stride away from the hall.

Fred catches up with me as I get to the third floor corridor.

"Where did you come from?!" I yelp and jump backwards as he appears jogging down the stairs in front of me.

"Passageway," He folds a piece of parchment into his pocket and looks up at me. "Sorry for earlier. What're you going to do?"

"Tell him I don't want to go with him."

"You'll break his heart."

"Who? Roger? No way." Fred's eyes widen and he stares at me.

"No, no I guess not. Roger won't die if you tell him no." he grins and turns away, pulling a face. "What colour's your dress?"

"Scarlet." I pause and look at him, suddenly suspicious. "Don't tell anyone." he nods, but I don't believe him at all. "Not even your brother."

"I swear." he says, "And why can't I tell George? We are your Godbrothers."

"Fine. Tell George." I grin and hug him, we link arms. "But nobody else." My hands smooth down my robes and he looks at me like I'm insane. "Sorry, nervous habit."

--

"Katie," Oliver catches my arm after practise, "Uh… I-"

"Yeah, c'mon, Oliver, you keep doing this."

"I-don't-want-you-going-to-the-dance-with-Davies." I stop and lean forward to look him in the eyes. He's genuinely concerned for me, doesn't think I can make a good enough decision myself.

"Why not, Oliver?" I say, and from his expression I can tell a little smile is playing around my mouth.

"Because…" He stops and breathes out, looks around to see Fred and George looking down at their kit and smiles, "Because I can't let a Gryffindor player go out with a Ravenclaw. Especially not Davies." He pauses and takes my hand, examining my fingers, "Especially not you. You know what he's like - he hit Henrietta Kallis when they were dating." That doesn't surprise me. When he loses at Quidditch, my god, he's a bastard to the Ravenclaw team.

"OK, Oliver, but… understand this," I look at him, "I can't go to the dance on my own, and I can't be seen to turn Davies down. It'll be a one time thing-"

"I know Katie, but I love you," Wow, did he say that?! Oh my GOD I can't believe it, "like a sister," he adds hurriedly, as if he has realised what he said. Oh. Oh, bugger. "And I don't want to see you hurt."

--

I didn't tell him. I tried, four times. I just opened my mouth and closed it. Five times. So I'm sitting here, on the edge of my bed, waiting to look at myself in a mirror, and knowing that I've made possibly the worst decision of my life.

"Katie!" Angelina looks at me. "You look… gorgeous," she breathes as she fits the orange corsage around her wrist. I force a sarcastic smile at her back and roll my eyes.

"Thanks." I frown. "I'm going to clash with my date." Angelina frowns at the sarcasm in my voice. "Can you hide me forever?"

"No." Alicia makes me jump as she bounds in from the ladies room down the corridor, wearing the gold-orange dress she had shown me a month ago, "But I can do your makeup." and while I'm protesting, she grabs most of my face and puts a very soft slick of gold eye shadow and a little blush on my skin.

"Oh, God, Lici, I look like… like a…" I'm cut off rather quickly as Angelina grabs my arm and drags me, awkwardly, as I'm in high heels, down the stairs to the common room and the Quidditch team greet me. Oliver, Fred and George are wearing black suits, not dress robes, and they all match in varying shades of red, scarlet and crimson ties. Angelina kisses Fred's cheek, and he links arms with her, disappears out the portrait hole with her, Alicia and George go, leaving Oliver and I staring at each other.

He's wearing a scarlet tie. Same colour as my dress. I feel oddly conspicuous, as he looks me up and down, approval etched in his features. It's only then that I realise he's never seen me in a dress before.

"Kates," He mumbles as I turn to leave, "You look beautiful," I smile.

"Thank you." I say, my voice quivering like Robin Hood's bow. If he says another word, I will keel over and die.

"Kates…" He starts, but Fred grabs my arm, drags me outside the portrait hole, and makes me stand flatly beside him. Edwin Brown has his camera and insists on getting photos of the whole Quidditch team. I sigh as I stand beside Oliver and patiently smile; he gently puts his arm around my waist and reassures my terrified and embarrassed self.

"Katie," He murmurs in my ear, watching my every move as I turn to see Roger Davies waiting for me just away from the Gryffindor portrait hole. He waves and I return the favour, but as I go to walk towards him, Oliver catches my forearm, "Kates, look after yourself," I nod and smile.

"Will do, Oliver," He grins, I rub my forearm as I always do when Oliver talks to me like a human being, and he smiles.

"Will you save a dance for me?" He says suddenly as I turn to meet Roger. I look back at him.

He seriously is gorgeous. His hair is everywhere, his eyes, gorgeously blue and wild, are staring hesitantly, but expectantly.

"Oliver, I'll save…" I pause and look at my feet, clad in, for once, high heels, something other than trainers or Wellington boots. The thought makes me smile and I look back at him, "I'll save the last dance for you."

With that, I smile, blush and turn to Roger. He's wearing a deep, solid blue tie and a black suit. That compliments his general tone perfectly. All the boys look marvellous tonight.

"You look stunning." He says sincerely, his eyes darting all over my body. "I didn't know you would… clean up so well."

"Thanks Roger." He touches my shoulder and then takes me down to the great hall.

--

A/N: Oh! My word... it's a little mad at the moment, but read on, good people, read on...

Hope you enjoyed!!

Please R&R if you have time

xx