DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognise was invented by JK Rowling
Hope you enjoy!!
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"Once and for all, I'm going home." She lingers in my doorway for a minute, runs to hug me and whispers the words again, then smiles and disappears from the doorway with that low crack! that accompanies apparition.
-x-
-Katie-
It's raining. Pouring down as I get to the graveyard, stare into the gloom for a second and tighten my grip on the flowers hanging limply by my side. Slowly, taking care not to step onto any of the graves for fear of inferi, I make my way down to my mother's grave.
"Emily Bell," I murmur as I crouch down beside her grave, take out the old flowers there and place the new ones in. "Remember Angelina?" I whisper, "You met her in first year."
I almost hear her murmur yes.
"She named her baby girl after you." I feel a tear drip down my face and look up and down to make sure nobody's watching. I'm on my own. "And I ran, mum… I ran."
"Katie?" I look up and jump to my feet, drawing my wand. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. "I figured this would be the last place you'd go… especially today." I lower my wand as the figure steps from the rain-mist
"Yeah, well…" I can't meet his eye, his shoes seem so interesting, all of a sudden. "Why wouldn't I be here? It was her birthday."
"I figured… you've been acting so weird lately, Katie…" He steps closer to me and makes the gesture that asks if he can hug me. I nod and he wraps his arms around me, almost lifting me off my feet.
"Hey… put me down!" I shriek with laughter, then remember myself as he sets me down.
"I've… where have you been?"
"Somewhere." I whisper back, unwilling to reveal anything to him.
"Katie, I've been worried sick about you." He curls his arms around me and looks into my eyes. "You have to tell me… please? Where have you been?" His voice… he's begging, there's no other emotion but love and fear in his words.
"I've…" A small pause, "Don't worry. I'm alright.. That's all that matters, right?" He half nods.
"Are you… going back to the flat?" He asks in that same, terrified voice, after a minute of just staring at me.
"Later on… tonight." I smile at him and he smiles back, then I decide to tell him the truth. I can't be a hypocrite, "But-"
"Oh, Katie!" He pulls me into a deep kiss and I can barely breathe for a second. I push him away after a second and he stares at me. "What is it?"
"I have to tell you… George kissed me." His face contorts into one of heartbroken confusion. "I pushed him away, but he kissed me."
"B-but… why-wh-you must be joking?" He bursts out laughing and I look at him, shaking my head, silencing him almost immediately, "No? Bu-but Katie… ho-howcouldyoudothat?"
"I told you," I murmur, "I pushed him away." He looks at me like I've slapped him, then pulls me closer and holds onto me.
"I love you for telling me the truth." I hear him whisper. It takes all the strength I have not to yell 'hypocrite' at him at the top of my voice. The rain has plastered my hair to my face and my top is starting to stick to me. I realise I want to go home
"It's no problem." I whisper, "I guess… you know why I ran then?"
"Last week?" He whispers. I nod and he returns the gesture, "I… yeah. I should probably have said something. Done something for you… made you feel… better."
"It's alright… I kind of… talked with George… he told me I should talk stuff out with you before I came back to the flat…" He nods and smiles.
"Katie… I'd do anything for you… you know that." he offers me his hand and, for once, I think we're going to get somewhere with our conversations, our relationship. He holds onto my hand as I crouch down beside mum's grave and touch the headstone.
"This is Oliver, mum," I whisper quietly, "Remember, my old Quidditch captain?" I smile at him and he squeezes my hand, "He looks after me, mum, I love him… and I think… if the offer's still open… we're getting…" He nods and smiles at me, letting me know I'm right, and that, in reality, the offer had never closed.
"We're getting married, Mrs Bell." He whispers, gently touching his fingertips to my mother's name on the cold, grey stone. "I hope that's alright with you… I know you don't know loads about me, but I know Katie would love you to… let me look after her." I blink, waiting for the line to come, that line that would send me sobbing, drive me further away from him. He looks up at me and smiles, holding out his hand, indicating he's ready to leave.
He didn't say it. Why didn't he say it? The one thing mum would have hated him to say… the one thing he would have regretted… the thing to give me another excuse to run. I know I shouldn't be like this, especially because I love him with everything I have, but I can't help it if I'm scared…
Why is he perfect? Why… didn't he hurt me this time?
"Why didn't you say it?" I ask as he takes my hand and carefully laces our fingers, edging towards the gates of the cemetery.
"Say what?" He looks down at me and pulls his cute-but-confused face.
"Why not say that 'You're not like any other man… you're different to all the others out there.'… the thing that every man says to the woman he loves?"
"Because every man I know has said that. And it's nowhere near the truth."
I adore him.
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A/N: I'm not going to say anything, except:
I'm incredibly sorry for not updating yesterday, I was working on a thirty minute lighting sequence, involving about thirty different light-states and I didn't get home until late. Then we went out for dinner...
But I feel bloody guilty. I'm sorry!
I hope you enjoyed it…
Another Update will be soon... tonight, possibly after Eight (UK time)
Please R&R
xxxxx
