"Talk…" I repeated, my voice emotionless. I barely recognized the fact that Oliver was already leading me out of the Great Hall. I didn't have the energy to protest. My stomach growled in protest though as we started our way up the maze of stairs up to one of the higher floors. I needed food in my system I thought as I wrapped an arm around my stomach and wordlessly let Oliver continue to lead me our unknown destination. "Oliver where are we going?" I finally asked looking around not recognizing where we were at all.

"Somewhere to talk..." He said not looking back at me, his hand on my back still leading me steadily ahead. ", in private." I scoffed, finally trying to break contact with him. I folded my arms across my chest, and moved more over to the side. He paused and looked at me, his eyes hard with determination.

"You don't need to hold me hand Oliver I can follow just fine without your help." I said sarcastically, my voice irritated. I didn't feel like being treated like a child.

"Wasn't holding your hand" he said placing his hand back on the small of my back. I rolled my eyes, and moved out of his touch once again. He let out a loud sigh. "What?"

"Don't touch me." I said simply.

"You'll never get to where I want to go unless I lead you." He said trying to direct me again."

"I have eyes, I can see where your going." I said dryly. He stopped and sprinted forward quickly then came rushing back to me, spinning on his heel and smiling at me dizzily. I raised an eyebrow, and let my mouth drop. What the-

"Not unless I do that." He said.

"Your so funny." I said sneering at him as he continued to grin at me.

"I know." He said grasping my elbow and tugging me along once more. What a queer. This little charade was really starting to piss me off. But I'm figuring I might as well get this little 'heart-to-heart' over with so I can start taking charge of my own life once more without the help of him. It was another 5 minutes before I figured we had been walking down the same hallway back and forth 3 times before I stopped.

"Is there a reason we just did that?"

"Did what?" he said stopping in front of a door that I hadn't noticed just till now.

"You know…that thing where we were just walking back and forth…and back and forth." I said as if I was speaking to a 3 year old.

"Yes" he said and pushed me through the door that he was holding open. Always the gentleman that one, I thought with a sigh. "Sit." He said pointing to a chair, in the middle of the room. There was also a small coffee table filled with all sorts of small foods and knick-knacks to munch on. I immediately grabbed one of the candies laying on the table and bit into it. Oh chocolate, is there ever a time in the day when I shouldn't eat you? No. Is there ever a time in the day when I should talk to myself…no matter if it's out loud or not? Maybe…

I sat there eating in silence as I watched Oliver silently pace the width of the room. His eyes flicking over to my position ever 20 seconds.

"I'm not going any where Oliver don't worry." I said, happily munching on some more food. He stopped a frown on his face.

"Your sick." He stated. I turned my head away, a frown now creasing my features as well.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I'll take care of it." I said finally looking at him again.

"You can't get through this alone you know." He said.

"I can do anything I put my mind to." I replied sarcastically.

"You're bulimic."

"I'm more of an infrequent binge-purge kind of a girl, but that's more or less changed. So yes I guess you could call me bulimic." I said dusting off the crumbs on my lap from the strawberry tart I had just consumed. A chair appeared at the opposite side of the table and Oliver took a seat in it. His eyes bore into me. "Stop it." I barely whispered. Are eyes locked and I felt the undeniable shame creep through my system.

"Stop what?" he asked just as quietly.

"Looking at me like that. Like you know, like you have some sort of idea what I'm feeling, what's going through my head. You have no idea." I said my voice a bit louder and harsher. A more defensive tone too it.

"I never said…I just want to help."

"Well your help isn't wanted."

"Well your going to get it!" he said standing. My jaw dropped and I let out a loud scoff. "I'm not going to just stand by and let you kill yourself like, like Jane." I stiffened and stood as well.

"You leave Jane out of this, this has nothing to do with her!"

"Nothing to do…nothing to do with her? Are you bloody insane!" he said looking at me wide eyed. "It all started with her! She's the one that got you into this mess, got you hooked!"

"It was nobody's fault but my own!" I screamed. A could feel the flush climbing up my neck as I tried to blink back the tears that were well forming. "I did it, it's my fault and I'm taking responsibility for it." I said. "I can do it." I said wiping at my eyes.

"Not alone."

"Yes alone!"

"No, and I'm not going to let you! All those pills, you really think you can just stop?" He said leaning across the table a bit. I shuffled back.

"…yes." I said doubting myself.

"I doubt it, for merlin's sake you doubt it."

"You be quiet damnit!" I said pointing an accusing finger at him. "This" I said motioning at myself. "is all your fault."

"Taking responsibility ay?" he said sneering at me. I glared at his tone of voice.

"I changed for you." I said my voice icy. I saw his eyes soften slightly and felt a bit of guilt in my accusation but held strong. "All those jokes…all those comments." I said rubbing my forearms slightly. "They don't always make a girl feel remotely good about herself."

"I didn't know." He mumbled.

"No one ever knows." I said looking at him with teary eyes. "You see it happen everyday and you think of it as nothing! You'll walk by a group of people, and…and they've singled some one in the group out. Taking there turns at the person. Boy or girl, it happens all the same. And they just want to fit in." I said holding his eyes. "And so we don't say a thing, and you adjust to it. You just want to be something that they'll approve of. And it happens everyday, and nobody does a thing about it. Not the person doing all the changing because they're scared of that, rejection. And certainly not the people unknowingly causing the change because they're so blind to everybody else feelings"

"Katie…I didn't even realize."

"You wouldn't. You've never been in that position."

"They're just joking!" he cried out exasperated.

"Well some people don't take jokes like that well! They take it seriously. They take it to heart because all they want is that recognition!" I yelled at him.

"Like who!"

"Like me!" I screamed. I covered my face with my head taking in a few deep breathes, allowing a few tears to fall. Gathering myself back up. "How can you not see?" I said pushing the hair out of my face as I finally looked at him. "How can you not tell, that all this change I've made has been for you?" I said. The shock on his face told me that we were both feeling the same thing. I couldn't believe I had said that out loud. Admitted this fact to him, it was scary, and weirdly freeing.

"I just want to help you get better."

"I can do it on my own." I cried. "Why won't you let me do it on my own?" I said sitting back down, looking up at him defeated.

"Because you mean to much to me, for me to lose you so soon." He said coming around to my side. "What happened to Jesse?" I turned my head away, realization of that certain fact sneaking up on me as I clamped a hand over my mouth, closing my eyes and going over the scene in my head. I hurt her. I did serious damage, but I didn't mean to. I was just so upset, and everything was happening so fast.

"I hurt her Oliver." I said. "I did it, she's in the hospital wing lying in that bed, because of me." I said breathlessly. "What do I do?" I asked. I paused. My eyes widening as I clutched my stomach. "I need a bathroom." I felt the familiar unpleasant sensation of food rushing back up my system. I didn't even need to take a pill now. I searched the room and in the corner found a stall. I rushed to it, sliding over to the toilet and letting everything out.

Tears feel down my face as Oliver helped me up and out of the stall. I rinsed my mouth, and we sat back down on the couch. I didn't want him to see me like this. I could feel the potions and spells I had taken to putting on each day wearing off, after not having renewed them.

"Katie what have you done to yourself?" he asked enveloping me into a huge hug. I let myself lean into his embrace. It was the only place I felt safe.

"It's not like I wanted to be this person. I never intended it to go this far." I whispered, not even sure if he could hear.

"Just let me help you Katie." There was a long silence as I thought about his offer. I found myself nodding against his chest, his embrace tighten. Maybe help wouldn't be so bad. "Come on, we need to get back downstairs, there's suppose to be something going down at the Great Hall. He led me back down. His arm wrapped around my waist possessively. I didn't mind, and never once did I complain as he sat me down right next to him in the Great Hall. The usual gang came around him. All of them offering their greetings. I saw them exchanging a few glances with Oliver, and all he could do was give them one hell of a smile, that inclined them to wear there own goofy smiles as well.
The Hall filled with all students, gossip about the most resent news still hot. I shifted uncomfortably realizing I was going to have to talk to Professor Dumbledore.

"Attention students." Professor Dumbledore called over the students, hushing them down. "It is my pleasure to introduce a guest speaker Mrs. Bedford." The students clapped politely.

"Hello everybody." She said, her smile wide as she conjured herself up a seat and looked over the crowd. "This isn't going to work." She said more to herself as she stood up. "Everyone please stand." We all did, steeping out of our seats until everyone was standing. Then with a switch of her wand the long tables were gone and round tables with 5 seats to them were placed around the room. "Please everyone take a seat, no more than 3 people from the same house at one table." The Great Hall was in a frenzy as students tried to pick seats with friends, or who they might get along with. I was lucky enough to be sitting with Oliver, a Hufflepuff, and two second year Ravenclaw girls. "Much better." She approved.

"Today I would like to talk to you about an assortment of things. One of major concern really with your age group called 'peer pressure'. Could somebody please tell me what 'peer' means." She waited patiently till a small boy answered with the correct answer. "And 'peer pressure'?" Another answer was coaxed from the teens and preteens. "Now what do you all think are some good ways to say 'no'."

The Great Hall reminded silent for about oh…4 minutes. Which really was quiet something. I tentively raised my hand.

"Yes you," she said acknowledging me.

"Just say no…" I said.

"Very good! Why not just say no, hmm? Sounds simple. Sounds easy? But we all know its not. Why not say no with a reason, or just walk away right after saying no it's not that hard…"

"That's not true." Said a boy from Slytherin in maybe his 5th year.

"Oh isn't it." Said Mrs. Bedford, her voice innocent.

"No. It's…hard. It's not like your friends or 'peers' make it easy."

"They constantly bug you, nag you" voiced another girl from Hufflepuff I believe. "And if you say no."

"It's the end of the world?" The speaker supplied. A few laughs were released, the tension in the Great Hall breaking silently. "What do you all think are some major pressure's put upon teens like you today?" Answers were easily flying through the air.

"Drugs!"

"Drinking!"

"Being to fat!"

"Being to skinny!"

"Not being smart enough!"

"Not being cool enough!"

"Magic overdose!"

"Sex!"

Yells of approval came from everybody at the suggestions. The woman nodded her head in right agreement.

"Right then, how about we talk about sex than shall we?" laughter and snickers filled the Hall. What a subject. "Well come on now? Why is sex such a big deal?"

"Because boys are…well…" a bunch of girls laughed, most of the female inhabitance of Hogwarts did, filling in the blank.

"Hey now! You birds led us all on, and what are we suppose to do? Huh?" Many males cheered their approval.

"Oh yes and you want us to just put out because of your needs? We're not all sluts!" said somebody from a near by table. Many fights started to break out and the speaker got everybody calmed down.

"Okay so…sex is a big thing." She smiled. "You all know the consequences, and its not just kids. It's diseases, some incurable even by magic." The Hall was silent once more. "I'd just like to say, that if you do…get around to doing the deed. Needless to say that your not all going to wait for marriage I'm sure plenty of you who have already done…'it'" snickers rose through the Hall. "Be safe." She said, the tone of her voice the strictness. It wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"What about looks?" somebody yelled in the back.

"What about them?" she asked back.

"Um…that's something that's really…pressured." The girl who was asking the question replied.

"Is it so bad to be comfortable, and not be wearing what's in?" she questioned the girl.

"Well…"

"Yeah." I said speaking up. "All the time you have people just, analyzing you, sizing you up, measuring your worth. Everyday. And you don't want to be a loser, or some dork with no fashion style what so ever. You just want to fit it. And that means dressing the part." I said.

"Meaning you have to have the right body." I nodded my head. Mrs. Bedford covered every single topic brought up. The entire thing ending up over 1 ½ hours long. My topic was covered with such…maturity it surprised me. And getting to hear what everybody else thought on subjects was, enlightening to say the least. I would have never thought my 'peers' would have the same views as me, especially because of the houses they were in.

She was finishing up her speech. Everybody was hanging on there seats listening to her words. Her experiences, she really connected with us, all of us in the Great Hall that day. She definitely made her mark at Hogwarts.

"Now…I would like to offer help to anybody who would like to talk about anything that might not have come up in to discussion today, or just something they would like to speak to me about in private. Your secrets are safe with me. I promise you that. I'll have groups set up to for more serious cases who want help, with others like them to help them get through it. Please feel free, even now if you wish to come back to that door, and into that room. Anybody is welcome." She gave one last smile. "It really was a pleasure to be able to talk to you all today. Really." Students and teachers stood and cheered as she departed into the back room. And as Dumbledore put the Great hall back to its original settings students began to mingle back into there own seats. But I couldn't take my eyes off that door. Oliver was guiding me towards a seat but when we reached our destination I kept walking.

I walked over to that door, that room, and I went in. I wasn't the last to do so either.

Changes were going to be made in my life. Changes that needed to happen now.

I am ready.

A/N: wow could I wait any long! NO! WOW could I be any sicker? Yea! Right now I'm the lucky girl with tonsillitis and am not getting better! I know its pretty fun you guys should try it out sometime. Anyway I need your help!

Who do you think should also be in that group?

Are there problems you'd like me to address more thoroughly in the next chapter?

Do you want to see JESSE LIVE OR DIE?

Yes I want to please you my readers, so please any input would be most welcome. I'd love to hear them! And just…THANK YOU! All of you every reader every reviewer! I wouldn't be doing this without you! Thank you so much for putting up with my long absence, gah I don't like them either. I'd also just like to apologize for this chappie, b/c I'm sure there are many mistakes in them. Unfortunately my editor is in bed, b/c it is 4 in the morning where he lives. Yeah New years funnnnnn. But I wanted this chappie up so I'm just sitting here, chilling listening to some AAR, you know getting this chapter dun. Okay anyway, thank you once again for the reviews!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!