This chapter brings me into the double digits!! I can't even begin to tell you how into this story I've been the past few days. I was so anxious to update because I wanted to get to this chapter, this point. That being said, I probably won't be updating once a day now. I do actually have a semblance of a life. Maybe you'll get lucky though and I'll get too excited to keep my story to myself and update over the weekend. Anyways, I think you'll all enjoy this chapter :)

CHAPTER 10 - GIVING IN

Grasping my hand much tighter than was necessary, Oliver hauled me up the marble staircase to the second floor. He pulled me through corridor after corridor, and shot a troubled look at the wall when we passed through the corridor where the Heir of Slytherin had left his mark. The blood, though having been dry for weeks, still glittered ominously. It took me a second to find my voice.

"Oliver, where are we going?" I asked quietly. Something about his countenance was putting me on edge.

He didn't answer, but at that exact moment, he tugged me into a room on the left side of the hall and shut the door behind him. There was no light in the room, just the faint glow of the moon hiding behind the clouds filtering through the window. Once my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I gathered more of where we were. Desks were skewed across the floor, each with varying amounts of dust, and a large bookcase stood by the door, home now to only a rather large spider in her web. I cringed. The only time I was okay around spiders was in potions, and even then, they were at least dead. I stared, unable to take my eyes off the arachnid, when I heard loud, fast footsteps.

Oliver was pacing, back and forth at lightning speed, so fast he should've worn a hole in the floor. His eyebrows were furrowed in a straight line, deep over his eyes. I tilted my head to the side.

"Oliver?" He froze for a moment and looked up at me with wide eyes, but he said nothing. Pointing to the big desk nearest him (probably the professor's), he motioned for me to sit, and continued plowing a path in the dust-frosted floor. I shrugged, still not sure what to make of the odd situation, glanced nervously one last time at the spider, and then made to sit down on the desk. I had to brush off a wall of dust; obviously, this room hadn't been used in years.

Knowing I wouldn't get a response out of him, I sat on top of the desk in front of him and just watched him and flitted back and forth. If he hadn't glimpsed at me at least once every rotation, I would've thought he'd forgotten I was there. I went back to monitoring the too-large-for-comfort spider. It hadn't moved yet, so I nearly fell off the desk in fright when the spider speedily crawled down the side of the bookcase and scurried underneath the door.

"Katie." I jumped again at the sudden sound of Oliver's voice.

"Oliver, what is this all about? What happened back there?"

He stepped quite close to me then, a dead serious look on his face.

"Katie, do you know what a Parselmouth is?"

I shook my head.

"A Parselmouth is a person who can talk to snakes."

"So Harry was talking to that snake?"

"Yes." His expression held no amusement. I didn't understand what was wrong.

"Well, so what? I mean, it's kind of weird. And Slytherin's mascot is a snake, so it's kind of...unfortunate, but..." Oliver's eyes peered into mine and I knew then what he was about to say was something I wasn't going to want to hear.

"Katie, Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth."

That was all I needed to make the connection. My heart shut down before it picked up at full speed.

"But, Oliver, you can't possibly think that...." I didn't say Harry's name. I didn't want to speak the truth. That would've meant acknowledging my fear.

"What else am I supposed to think?"

"I don't know. Think about Quidditch or something. Nothing's ever stopped you from doing that before."

He glared at me then, but not with the hate-filled eyes from before. "This is serious, Katie."

"But it can't be Harry! You know him as well as I! He's a good kid, he'd never hurt anyone." My voice sounded desperate.

"Whether my seeker is the Heir of Slytherin or not, that doesn't change what's happened, what's happening." He swallowed convulsively.

"What do you mean?"

"Filch's cat, that Creevey kid, and now this. Katie," Oliver's face grew hopeless, "I'm terrified you'll be next."

I looked at him with eyes just as forlorn as his. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I slowly wrapped my arms around him from where I still sat on the rickety desk. His quick, unsteady breaths tickled my ear.

"Oliver," I said, leaning back to see his face, "shouldn't I be the one going to pieces?"

"Aren't you scared?"

I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut. " I'm terrified."

This time, I felt his arms wind themselves around me. He pulled me into him and held me so tightly that I felt nothing would get to me, nothing could get to me. I felt safe.

"Shh, Katie. It's okay," he whispered in my ear. "I promise I won't let anything hurt you. Please don't cry."

I was sobbing now, the true realization of horror hitting hard and hitting fast.

"But - what if it - is me?" I blubbered between sobs. "What if I'm - next?"

His arms constricted around me. "You won't be. You can't be."

It was all too much to bear. The rational side of my mind shut down and my subconscious kicked into full gear. The tears stopped.

"Why would you care if I was next?"

Oliver jerked away from me and an angry look crossed his face.

"How can you say that?"

"I was under the impression you hated me."

His eyes softened, but his expression was still uncomfortable. "I could never hate you, Katie."

"Then why did you want me off the team?"

"Didn't George tell you I was sorry?"

"He did, but you-"

"Katie, I'm sorry. So sorry. I only did those things because I was mad at you for... before. I didn't really mean any of it. I overreacted. I was dumb and an idiot. But you know that, you know I'm an idiot. I'm so stupid for-"

"Stop, Oliver." He looked up at me with a hint of hysteria on his face. "I get it. It's okay. It was my fault in the first place. I'm sorry for everything I said and did."

"No. I'm sorry for forcing myself on you. I just... I care about you a lot, Katie. Much more than I should." He looked down at his hands.

I swallowed nervously. Of course he would bring it up. Of course.

"Look, Oliver, I care about you too. You're one of my best friends. " As I said it, I knew it was true. "But please don't do this. It's too much."

"It's not like I can help it." More anger.

"Try... or something. Can't we just be friends? I can't change my feelings, Oliver."

His eyes connected with mine: at first, they were in pain, but the pain dulled. "Okay," he sighed. "Just promise me you'll be okay, Katie."

My mouth ran dry. "I promise," I breathed, though it wasn't really a promise I could keep. He pulled me to his chest once more and I shivered as I thought of the future and the Chamber of Secrets.

So there you have it? Do you think Oliver made up for being such a huge jerk at practice? What about while dueling? Oh, and if you review, tell me what country you're from! It's always interesting to find out who exactly is reading this. Until next time, cheerio!