A/N: Katie sits at a table alone watching her past teammates pair off. KBOW. RxR. FxF.

Submission for:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Speed Drabble

Hogwarts Fair 2014 Challenge/Competition : Niffler Lucky Dig

Hogwarts Casino 2014 Challenge/Competition: Bar

Represent That Character! Challenge II

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Katie sat a table near the drinks bar. It was somewhat of a reunion held by the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, anyone who played on the world's greatest team ever and their guests. She could see Harry and Ginny and her round belly. She saw Ron and Hermione sitting at another table. She saw Angelina and George, who looked sad that one person was still missing from the group. She saw Dean who played for a short time, and she saw Cormac trying to flirt with a few girls that had tagged along with Ginny. Alicia was somewhere around though Katie couldn't see her right now. And there were the younger ones who she hadn't really gotten to know.

Katie took a sip of her own drink with a sour look on her face. She would have had someone to carry with her as well, but he just had to sleep with that whore from work. She frowned. She had known they were getting chummy but she never thought he would actually do something like that to her. She loved him, or she thought she did. Katie took another swig. All men were dogs.

"My, my, Katie. Never thought I'd see you drink alcohol. You used to be so against drinking during Hogwarts," a smooth voice said as he fell into the seat beside her.

Katie almost spat up her drink. She didn't expect anyone to be watching her. Everyone else was having such a good time. Why would they notice her, the single one at the drinks table?

She cleared her throat and then said, "That was then, Oliver. Everyone grows up."

Oliver smiled and said, "True, but you're hitting it kinda hard there. It smells like some of that strong muggle stuff."

Katie hadn't even noticed. She had just picked the first thing she saw and realized she liked the taste. She had been drinking a bit of it but still didn't feel any different.

"If it's strong, then it isn't working yet," she said plainly while taking another long drink.

Oliver frowned and then asked concernedly, "So why are you trying to get to the point where it works?"

Katie sighed before putting her glass down on the table, "I just want to forget everything for just one night. A lot as been happening, not all of it good."

Oliver said, "I'm sorry to hear that, but alcohol is not the answer. Trust me on that. Let me get something else for you."

Oliver rose from the chair beside her and she looked back at the crowd. Harry and his friends were standing by the food table. Ginny and her friends were still being bored out of their minds by Cormac, though one seemed to be obviously infatuated with him. George and Angelina were talking with Alicia. Dean had disappeared now.

A glass of water was placed in front of her. "Thank you," she said to Oliver as he took a seat next to her with his own glass.

"So you don't drink?" Katie asked. She had known him to have a drink now and then, especially with the twins.

Oliver shrugged before saying, "A lot happened to me too, and me and alcohol were best friends then. But I realized I was going a bit overboard. I saw a specialist and now I haven't touched alcohol in a year."

Katie was surprised but she said nothing. Oliver continued, "That's how I know alcohol doesn't actually make you forget. I still remember those things that drove me to drink the way I did, but now I cope with it differently."

Katie nodded and said, "Well, that's good for you, Oliver. I'm glad you overcame your problem."

They sat in silence before Katie asked, "So who did you come with?"

Oliver looked away and said, "No one. Haven't had a date since I started drinking."

Katie felt so horrible for bringing it up. Now she realized why he had started in the first place. Katie was about to apologize for putting her big foot in her mouth when someone switched on some light music. All the couples began to pair off and Katie looked forlornly at the dance floor: Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Angelina and George, Dean had found Alicia it seemed, and Cormac was sharing himself between two girls.

There was a tap on her shoulder, "Do you want to dance?" Oliver held out his hand to her with a small smile.

Katie smiled back and accepted, allowing him to lead her into the crowd. They swayed in the time to the music, talking about anything they could think of until there was nothing more to say. She laid her head on his chest, the soft thump his heart in her ear. She closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe there was a better way to forget everything than drinking.