"Kon'nichiwa radies and Jeffrey, wercome to the Ueda home," Satoshi exclaimed in what he deemed to be quite an accurate Japanese accent, bowing grandly as he opened his front door. It had been a couple weeks since summer vacation started, and Satoshi invited his best friend and that friend's two cousins over for a visit at his house. Caitlyn rolled her eyes pleasantly, Jeffrey put on a beamish grin, and Catherin giggled plus returned a little bow herself. Before any of the four companions could speak, Satoshi's younger sister Sakura walked up onto the porch and ducked around the trio standing there.

"You know Sato, not all Japanese people say r's for l's, that is such a stereotype," she indicated.

"Well excuse me, Little Miss Sunshine. And it wouldn't kill you to say 'hello' to our guests," Satoshi mused, fingering his sister's reddish-brown ringlets. He tilted his head slightly as he noticed the envelope atop the pile of mail Sakura had just retrieved. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to it as the girl muttered something about being able to see Jeffrey every day, seeing as he lived down the street.

"It's a letter from that damn aunt of ours," she sighed, closing the door with her foot since everyone had entered.

"I like this girl," Caitlyn snickered, which earned her a light kick in the back of the shin by Catherin.

Satoshi's eyes widened slightly and he grasped Sakura's arm. "Whoa whoa whoa, watch the LANGUAGE, girl!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him incredulously. She shook her head slowly in time with her drawled out words. "You bloody hypocrite...I learn it from you, you know."

An almost insane laugh erupted from Satoshi's vocal chords. "Ah, this is a true fact." His face lit up as another person stepped into the living room from a door leading to the stairwell. "Oy, Shiro! 'Morning, mate! Slept in today, hm?" It was obvious that Shiro's usually tidy hair wasn't brushed, and his extremely casual clothes (a plain blue t-shirt and baggy sweat pants) were crinkled quite a lot. He froze right in the middle of scratching his head and blushed madly.

Caitlyn squealed like a kid in a candy shop and skipped over to the young teenage boy. "SHIRO! Hi there little buddy!" she shrieked, hugging him tightly in an awkward position that had one arm wrapped around his back and the other pressing his head into her shoulder. His blush intensified, yet he somehow seemed more… at home.

"Little-? Caitlyn, I'm taller than you now."

Giggling, Caitlyn winked and held him out at arm's length. "Blimey, you are aren't you? A whole 2 inches I'd say… But you're still younger, thus making you my little buddy."

Shiro managed to slink over to his brother, who was cracking up silently and leaning into Jeffrey for support. "I don't know if I should be glad she's over that disturbing depressed phase, or terrified that she's probably out of her mind…" Satoshi simply shrugged, attempting to reduce his snickers.

"Oh, hey Jeffrey! Hi Catherin! It's good to see you," Shiro added, standing up taller and briefly straightening out his disheveled hair. His eyes lingered on Catherin for a second as she said her greeting in return, and it looked as if he wanted to ask her something, but he quickly shut his mouth and averted his gaze. When Sakura pressed the letter from their aunt into Shiro's palm, he glared at it for a moment before exiting the room with his sister in wake.

Once the four friends were alone, Satoshi plopped down on a sofa and motioned for the others to do the same. "So, there you have it. Try not to let Sakura catch you on fire with her eyes, and give Shiro a break- he's having woman problems."

Catherin furrowed her eyebrows together in concern. "Yeah? How so?"

Satoshi crossed his legs, casually draping one arm around Catherin's shoulders and the other around Jeffrey's. "He's crushing big time on someone. I can tell, being the," he used a French accent for the next sentence, "master of love zat I am. However, I am going to try something new and not even ask who the special girl is; I'll wait for him to talk to me about it."

The twins gripped onto each other overdramatically, drawing in deep gasps. "Who are you and what have you done with Satoshi Ueda!"

Satoshi simply tousled their hair and uncrossed his legs. "Well. I might as well tell you why I've gathered you all here."

Jeffrey raised one hand nonchalantly. "Hey, I don't need a reason. I'm here about every opportunity I get."

"True that, Jeffy. But this is a special occasion. So check out what little ol' me got a hold of." Out of his jeans pocket, he whipped out a stack of slightly crumpled but still official-looking tickets. All joking seeped out of his friends' faces; their jaws dropped and eyes bulged simultaneously.

"Are those…?" Caitlyn began.

"Tickets to the Quidditch. World. Cup," Satoshi assured her, nodding with every syllable he spoke. "Five of 'em. One for me, one for each of you, and one for Mr. Dopple. Y'know, the dude that's been taking care of it since my family croaked…" He spoke casually despite the fact that he still choked up inside at the reminder of his parents' death.

"Where are the Dopples, by the way?" Catherin inquired.

"Mr. Dopple's working but Mrs. Dopple's grocery shopping, she'll be home soon," Satoshi answered quickly. "Anyhoo, the Weasleys are coming separately, I plan on meeting them there… You guys wanna come? It's in a week."

"Uh, DUH!" Caitlyn and Jeffrey insisted immediately (Caitlyn had perked up noticeably at the word "Weasley"). Satoshi smiled expectantly at Catherin, who nodded and sent a big grin his way. Ah, what a smile she has… Satoshi turned his eyes toward the ground, suddenly feeling far too close to the blonde Hufflepuff.

Catherin tilted her head slightly, her high ponytail bobbing with the action, and she pressed her index finger thoughtfully against her chin. "I wonder if we could ask Gaia to come?" she wondered. Caitlyn gave her a look that said "Are you serious?" while Jeffrey planted his face against the palm of his hand. Satoshi, on the other hand, laughed affectionately.

"You see, my dear ditzy blonde, there are a couple problems with that. One: we don't have another ticket. Two…" His expression became more serious. "The biggest Quidditch fan I know is Seamus Finnigan."

Catherin was silent for a few minutes afterwards.

The companions sat chatting for about ten minutes until a knock sounded from the door. Satoshi skipped over to answer it, readying his Japanese accent but instead having a paper bag handed to him. "Take this to the kitchen, please," instructed the gentle voice of Mrs. Dopple. Blinking, Satoshi immediately did what he was told and ducked when the elder woman used her wand to send the remaining groceries flying into the room he was headed to. She smiled tiredly at the teenagers sitting on the couch, the twins looking slightly stunned. "Nice to see you again, Jeffrey. And you girls must be Catherin and Caitlyn?"

"Yup, that's us," Catherin piped up, getting to her feet to be polite. Caitlyn did the same, and Jeffrey figured he might as well stand too. Mrs. Dopple shook both girls' hands in turn.

"Ah, I've heard so much about you… Good things, though, all good things." A slight smirk played on her lips. "I'm going to start dinner, you kids are welcome to stay and eat," she indicated.

"Ooh, what are you making?" Catherin wondered aloud.

"Pizza from scratch," the woman answered. Caitlyn and Jeffrey simultaneously grinned at each other.

"Oh my god. When we were little, whenever the girls' mum came to visit- their mum is my dad's sister- me, Dad, Caitlyn, and Aunt Dianne would made pizza just like that… Dear little Catherin couldn't be bothered and played with her dolls instead," Jeffrey recalled in a both fond and teasing tone.

Mrs. Dopple deepened her smile. "Did you now? Well, if you'd like, you could come and help me out with it," she remarked.

"Cool, that could be fun!" Caitlyn chimed. Jeffrey nodded his agreement, the two cousins feeling quite like kids again.

"Meanwhile I'm going to bond with Catherin," Satoshi declared a bit loudly, leaning his elbow on the shorter girl's shoulder. Mrs. Dopple raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, but didn't argue when he dragged her to the staircase. Sighing under her breath, she motioned for Caitlyn and Jeffrey to join her in the kitchen.

Catherin's heart fluttered in her chest as she followed Satoshi up the stairs. Their relationship was so unique. They'd kissed. They'd held hands. They'd been on unofficial dates. Yet they weren't girlfriend and boyfriend. Still, they couldn't possibly say they were "just friends," with all the things they obviously felt for each other… There really was no other way to describe their relationship besides how Caitlyn had put it: reserved for each other.

"Sorry it's a… bit messy," Satoshi apologized as he opened the door to his bedroom. Posters of Quidditch players and Muggle girls hung at odd angles on the wall, plus dirty laundry, empty boxes, and assorted knick-knacks covered the floor.

"Oh, yeah, just a bit," Catherin mocked good-naturedly. Her grin slipped away and she blushed, though, as she stepped over a pair of Satoshi's boxers. Satoshi laughed and threw himself backwards onto his unmade bed, patting the space beside him. Catherin lay down there. "You wanna know what the cutest thing is?" she said.

"Tell me."

"Those pictures above your fireplace..." Catherin was referring to images that displayed all 6 of the Ueda kids when they were babies, then magically flashed out to show more recent pictures of them. The recent pictures hadn't been updated, though, since the death of the 3 little ones and their parents.

A sad smile crept onto Satoshi's previously very bright face. "Oh, yeah… Mum and Dad were really good at making adorable kids, huh? I mean…" He motioned at his own face, resulting in a laugh from Catherin. Her fingers absently brushed across Satoshi's; she made to pull her hand away, but he grabbed hers firmly in place. "Funny, how my dad was totally Japanese yet only Sana and sort of the twins came out looking Asian…"

Now it was Catherin's turn to show a poignant grin. "You really loved them, didn't you?" Satoshi heaved a sigh.

"You know it… I know their ages were pretty far apart, but maybe they could've been buddies with Ethan," Satoshi whispered. Tears briefly swam into Catherin's icy blue eyes. Before she could comment, Satoshi added, "And I beg to differ with what you said before." He rolled over to face the girl beside him. "I think the cutest thing ever is you."

"That's so cheesy," Catherin breathed, allowing one tear to escape and the others to dry up. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized how utterly close to Satoshi's face she was: there was but a centimeter between their noses. She desperately wanted to yank her hand out of his grasp since it was embarrassingly beginning to sweat, but Satoshi didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, he laced his fingers more comfortingly with hers, and then…

It happened in a flash before either of them was aware it was occurring. At first, it was an innocent peck on the lips; however, they silently agreed that wasn't enough and dove in for a more noticeable one. Catherin rolled onto her side too, making their task much easier to achieve. Catherin slid her arm under Satoshi's ribs and rested it on his back while he expertly caressed her cheek. The non-couple gazed lovingly at each other before closing their eyes and kissing once more. An unfamiliar fiery desire leapt into Satoshi's chest. He wanted this… He wanted this so badly, and would never have this opportunity any time soon… So he took a dire risk and seized his chance.

Satoshi rolled over again, resulting in a yelp from Catherin. He adjusted her position so that her head was pressed against his pillow, as if she was simply lying down to sleep. Leaning over her with his knees planted on either side of her waist, Satoshi was completely in control. He knew her heart was beating a mile a minute, and he saw the fear sweep across her eyes, but he would never hurt her… His thoughts must have reached Catherin because the inhibition in her features decreased a bit.

Just to be sure, Satoshi murmured, "I won't hurt you, Catherin. Not now, not ever."

The blonde girl managed to nod her head. "I know." Smiling in relief, Satoshi gave her a sweet peck on the nose before continuing with his actions. He pried her fingers off of his back and gently pinned her arms against the bed. Even so, if she showed any sign of wanting to get away, he'd back down immediately. For the time being, at least, she didn't seem eager to escape, so he gave her a passionate kiss in order to help loosen her up.

"Sato… I don't like how you're holding me, it feels like you're preparing to slaughter me or something," Catherin muttered airily. Without a word, Satoshi freed her wrists and instead slipped one hand behind her head and the other under her hip. Catherin quickly rested her hands against Satoshi's back, gripping his shirt as if expecting him to leave her if she didn't hold onto him.

Now it was clear that their lips wouldn't be away from each other's any time soon. Their mouths repeatedly mashed together, pulling partially apart every 5 seconds for a gulp of air before returning to the act. Satoshi daringly slid his hand underneath Catherin's tank top, resulting in a shiver of pleasure when his cooler skin met the area above her ribs. "You are so damn skinny, woman," Satoshi mumbled. Catherin simply smiled into the next kiss. A gentle moan escaped her semi parted lips as Satoshi continued to stroke her ticklish skin with his fingertips.

Come about a minute, Satoshi feared that their repetitive, relatively bland kissing was getting old. So, he tried a new strategy. He pulled his face away, chuckling as Catherin ended up kissing the air and blinking in confusion. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt Satoshi's lips meet that special space between her jaw bone and neck. She flinched when he nipped her, so he decided it best to just deliver many heated kisses to the area he knew she'd find so sensitive. It was obviously effective: her hands were now tangled in his sort-of-long hair, her eyes were shut lightly, and sounds of pleasure occasionally arose in her throat.

Soon enough, Satoshi thought he'd spice it up even more. Since his legs were getting tired and his neck was getting stiff from having to bend over Catherin, he slid down so that he was laying literally on top of her. She didn't seem to mind his weight, though. He blushed as she teasingly unzipped his jeans, but she quickly squeaked: "Ew, like I'd really want that!" and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. With a half smile, Satoshi began delivering a trail of moist kisses from her earlobe down her jaw, halting at her chin and moving up to her mouth.

There was one last thing he wanted to do without going too far, if he hadn't already crossed the line. He ran his tongue across the area where Catherin's upper and bottom lip met. Catherin recoiled for a moment, until she realized what he was requesting. Her conscience demanded that she push him away from her, but the offer was so irresistible… Catherin opened her mouth just a bit and allowed Satoshi inside. She did the same to him without any protest in response.

If Catherin's heart wasn't already beating fast enough, it sure was now. Here she was, French kissing Satoshi Ueda, her hands up his shirt with his fingers removing the tie in her ponytail to release her bleach blonde hair, his body pressed against hers, the heat of both the moment and the room making them sweat…. Were Satoshi's jeans getting tighter-?

If only the non-couple had been less absorbed in what they were doing and more alert to being called down for dinner; if only Satoshi hadn't let his bedroom door unlocked… "Sato, Catherin, dinner is- MERLIN'S PANTS WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Shiro stood in the doorway, mouth hanging open and blue eyes bulging nearly out of their sockets. Satoshi stumbled off the bed and onto his feet in a flash, his eyes almost as wide as his brother's. Catherin sat up in a daze, hastily wiping Satoshi's saliva off of the places where he'd kissed her the most and making to pull all of her hair back into a ponytail. The three stared at each other in a tense silence until Shiro released an uneven sigh. "And I thought I had girl troubles…" he muttered.

Satoshi and Catherin didn't talk throughout the entire dinner, unless it was to compliment the food, ask for something to be passed, or comment on someone else's remark. Guilt the size of an elephant weighed down on Satoshi. Catherin wasn't even his girlfriend, and he'd just nearly made love to her… Not to mention he was only 16, her 15, if they had taken things just a bit farther what would have happened? He felt so dirty, so violating… Dismissing himself from the table, he delivered his plate to the kitchen sink and ran his hands through his bangs. Unaware that Catherin had silently followed him, he thought it safe to whisper aloud all his jumbled thoughts.

"Why do I always have to bloody mess with the poor girl's head? We insist that we won't date until we're older, but I just keep making moves at her… I'm taking advantage of this whole 'on-hold relationship' thing, showing I'm a single man and snogging whoever the hell I want, yet I've got Cath in a chokehold! I'm flaunting around with all these other girls while I feel like I'm just not letting Catherin choose anyone else, even for a little bit…" He jumped with a gasp when Catherin gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Catherin! I…! I-I'm sorry, first off…"

Shaking her head, Catherin pressed a finger to Satoshi's lips. "Shush. Sato, you're impossible to be mad at…" She paused. "Okay, don't quote me on that one. …But, it's not your fault that everything you do makes me wanna be your girlfriend now… I know that waiting is for the best. Like we've said, we'll probably end up tired of each other if we get together when we're just kids… And what we just did? Well…" Catherin blushed, a combination of shame, sheepishness, and slight joy appearing in her features. "Now I just know that I've got even more to look forward to."