Chapter 3: The People you run into in the strangest places
Harry was fleeing for his and Katie's lives. Or better put, he was flying for their lives. A simple delivery job, Harry thought. That's what he'd been told before departing for Romania. This was just one more reason for Harry to seriously dislike his former headmaster. If Harry didn't know better he would think that Dumbledore was possessed by the now deceased Lord Voldermort and was trying to kill him.
The only good thing to come out of this delivery job was that he had found his friend and former Gryffindor Quidditch teammate Katie Bell along the way. She was currently unconscious, having been knocked out by her now deceased boyfriend. Harry felt a slight pang of guilt over the older man's demise but considering that Katie was sporting several large bruises on her face, the guilt was barely staying with Harry as he flew above the dreary landscape.
A flock of ravens, their talon's razor sharp as Harry could attest to, were currently in pursuit of the fleeing witch and wizard. Harry was grateful his Firebolt was faster and more maneuverable then the ravens. The vampires that had sent the ravens after Harry had armed themselves. Their weapons raised, the they began firing at the young man. Harry pulled into a step climb and clutch his broom handle with one hand while holding Katie close to him. When he was high enough he shot through the clouds, using them as cover to fly away from the vampire dwelling.
~~**~~ ~~**~~ ~~**~~
It was several hours later that Katie finally regained consciousness. She shot out of the soft bed she found herself in and looked around in a panic. She noticed that her wounds had been slightly healed and bandaged, and her ragged clothes were gone and new clothes were sitting on a chair to her left. She looked down to see a nightdress covering her body, but she still retained her own undergarments. Katie rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom. She flipped the switch and cautiously examined the room. No one was inside. She then proceeded to look herself over in the mirror.
She had been held prisoner at the vampire castle ever since her love (her love, what a joke, she thought) had tricked her into coming to Romania. Katie didn't know what he had planned at the time but it became all to clear to her upon meeting the vampires that he was attempting to barter Katie for immortality. The vampires were intrigued by this offer to say the least. Katie gathered by what she overheard as she was being restrained that they were considering using her for breeding stock. They didn't plan on turning her. Before the deal could be sealed and Katie violated, they were interrupted by the arrival of a diplomat from the Ministry of Magic. Katie, realizing this could be her one and only chance screamed for help. Dylan (her now ex-love) began striking her. Katie continued to yell until Dylan, completely enraged struck her so hard that he rendered her unconscious.
Katie noticed the faint traces of a bruise on her left cheek. She suddenly felt very dirty and quickly turned on the shower water. She carefully removed her nightdress and undergarments and slipped into the now warm water. Retrieving a bar of soap, she began to clean herself off. She sat under the spray for quite some time. She had let Dylan touch her so many times that she didn't think she would ever feel clean again.
When the water started to cool Katie turned it off and exited. She was momentarily taken aback when she found her nightdress neatly folded on the counter but no undergarments. Someone had been here, she thought to herself. Wrapping herself in a towel she grabbed the nightdress, and carefully looked out into the room.
On the bed she noticed a parcel and a flower. Katie cautiously walked to the bed. There was a note under the flower.
I hope I didn't scare you when you got out of the shower. I took
your old clothes and had them burned. I didn't think you wanted to be
reminded of your ordeal. I had to wait for you to shower before I
could take your undergarments. Enclosed in the parcel You will find
all new ones (I needed the old ones for your sizes). Also, in case
you were wondering I didn't peak In the shower so don't fret.
-HP-
"HP?" She said aloud.
There was a knock at the door. "Just a moment." Katie called out reflexively.
Katie quickly threw on her nightdress, and enchanted her hair to look presentable. She grabbed a silk robe that was lying out for her, covered herself, and then walked over to the door and opened it. Standing in front of her was none other than Harry Potter. Katie couldn't believe it. She wrapped her arms around the seventeen year old young man and began to cry.
Harry just held her for a moment then asked, "Can I come in?"
"Please." a crying Katie offered. Harry followed her into the room.
"What are you doing in Romania?" Katie asked.
"Well for starters we're not in Romania anymore." Harry said chuckling. "Second, I could ask you the same thing."
Katie smiled slightly at his comment. "I thought you could use a little humor. I was delivering a message from the Ministry for Dumbledore. The last favor I will ever do for the Ministry and Dumbledore I might add."
"I'm glad you arrived when you did Harry." Katie said. She then related everything that had happened to her since her departure after his fifth year at Hogwarts.
"I now have no guilt over leaving him to the mercy of the vampires then." Harry told her.
"Let me see that bracelet." Harry said. Katie held out her left arm. Drawing an enchanted blade from his back pocket, he picked at the seal and was finally able to remove it from Katie's wrist.
"There you are, now you can use your wand again." Harry told her. Katie smiled and thanked her savior. "Tricky little things these anti-magic bracelets."
"So what has been going on in the life of Harry Potter since I last saw you?" Katie asked.
Harry had joined Katie on the bed. He leaned against the headboard, sighed, and began pouring his heart out to the blonde witch. Katie sat across from him and listened. She couldn't believe what he had been forced to do. Katie had not been in contact with the Weasleys since she and George parted ways after graduation. Katie had initially taken a Ministry job and that was how she had met Dylan. Dylan later asked her to quit her job so that he could support her. She had not realized at the time he did it to control her. She was forced to cut all ties to her former friends, including Angelina, Fred, and George.
"I'm so sorry Harry." Katie told the younger man.
"I'm going to America tomorrow. The arrangements have been made and I will most likely never return." he told Katie.
"What's in America?" Katie asked.
"A fresh start." He told the former chaser.
"Do you..." Katie began.
"Do I what?" Harry asked.
"Do you, do you think you'd like some company?" she asked hesitantly.
"Katie.. you have."
"Nothing, I cut all my ties when I was with Dylan. Family, friends, everyone and everything all for the sake of love. No I have no one, just like you." She told him.
Katie moved closer to Harry, and looked into his eyes. The look was a pleading one and Katie knew what his answer would be before he told her.
"Get some rest, we leave early tomorrow."
He was about to get up but Katie stopped him.
"Can you just hold me.. I.. I just need to be held tonight." Katie pleaded.
Harry took the blonde witch into his arms and affectionately held her to him. Katie quickly drifted off into sleep. Harry watched as she smiled and he could tell that for this moment she was happy. He was momentarily happy as well. This was the first time in Four months that he had been at peace. The only regret that he had was that he was now partially in Dumbledore's debt for this happiness.
Harry was fleeing for his and Katie's lives. Or better put, he was flying for their lives. A simple delivery job, Harry thought. That's what he'd been told before departing for Romania. This was just one more reason for Harry to seriously dislike his former headmaster. If Harry didn't know better he would think that Dumbledore was possessed by the now deceased Lord Voldermort and was trying to kill him.
The only good thing to come out of this delivery job was that he had found his friend and former Gryffindor Quidditch teammate Katie Bell along the way. She was currently unconscious, having been knocked out by her now deceased boyfriend. Harry felt a slight pang of guilt over the older man's demise but considering that Katie was sporting several large bruises on her face, the guilt was barely staying with Harry as he flew above the dreary landscape.
A flock of ravens, their talon's razor sharp as Harry could attest to, were currently in pursuit of the fleeing witch and wizard. Harry was grateful his Firebolt was faster and more maneuverable then the ravens. The vampires that had sent the ravens after Harry had armed themselves. Their weapons raised, the they began firing at the young man. Harry pulled into a step climb and clutch his broom handle with one hand while holding Katie close to him. When he was high enough he shot through the clouds, using them as cover to fly away from the vampire dwelling.
~~**~~ ~~**~~ ~~**~~
It was several hours later that Katie finally regained consciousness. She shot out of the soft bed she found herself in and looked around in a panic. She noticed that her wounds had been slightly healed and bandaged, and her ragged clothes were gone and new clothes were sitting on a chair to her left. She looked down to see a nightdress covering her body, but she still retained her own undergarments. Katie rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom. She flipped the switch and cautiously examined the room. No one was inside. She then proceeded to look herself over in the mirror.
She had been held prisoner at the vampire castle ever since her love (her love, what a joke, she thought) had tricked her into coming to Romania. Katie didn't know what he had planned at the time but it became all to clear to her upon meeting the vampires that he was attempting to barter Katie for immortality. The vampires were intrigued by this offer to say the least. Katie gathered by what she overheard as she was being restrained that they were considering using her for breeding stock. They didn't plan on turning her. Before the deal could be sealed and Katie violated, they were interrupted by the arrival of a diplomat from the Ministry of Magic. Katie, realizing this could be her one and only chance screamed for help. Dylan (her now ex-love) began striking her. Katie continued to yell until Dylan, completely enraged struck her so hard that he rendered her unconscious.
Katie noticed the faint traces of a bruise on her left cheek. She suddenly felt very dirty and quickly turned on the shower water. She carefully removed her nightdress and undergarments and slipped into the now warm water. Retrieving a bar of soap, she began to clean herself off. She sat under the spray for quite some time. She had let Dylan touch her so many times that she didn't think she would ever feel clean again.
When the water started to cool Katie turned it off and exited. She was momentarily taken aback when she found her nightdress neatly folded on the counter but no undergarments. Someone had been here, she thought to herself. Wrapping herself in a towel she grabbed the nightdress, and carefully looked out into the room.
On the bed she noticed a parcel and a flower. Katie cautiously walked to the bed. There was a note under the flower.
I hope I didn't scare you when you got out of the shower. I took
your old clothes and had them burned. I didn't think you wanted to be
reminded of your ordeal. I had to wait for you to shower before I
could take your undergarments. Enclosed in the parcel You will find
all new ones (I needed the old ones for your sizes). Also, in case
you were wondering I didn't peak In the shower so don't fret.
-HP-
"HP?" She said aloud.
There was a knock at the door. "Just a moment." Katie called out reflexively.
Katie quickly threw on her nightdress, and enchanted her hair to look presentable. She grabbed a silk robe that was lying out for her, covered herself, and then walked over to the door and opened it. Standing in front of her was none other than Harry Potter. Katie couldn't believe it. She wrapped her arms around the seventeen year old young man and began to cry.
Harry just held her for a moment then asked, "Can I come in?"
"Please." a crying Katie offered. Harry followed her into the room.
"What are you doing in Romania?" Katie asked.
"Well for starters we're not in Romania anymore." Harry said chuckling. "Second, I could ask you the same thing."
Katie smiled slightly at his comment. "I thought you could use a little humor. I was delivering a message from the Ministry for Dumbledore. The last favor I will ever do for the Ministry and Dumbledore I might add."
"I'm glad you arrived when you did Harry." Katie said. She then related everything that had happened to her since her departure after his fifth year at Hogwarts.
"I now have no guilt over leaving him to the mercy of the vampires then." Harry told her.
"Let me see that bracelet." Harry said. Katie held out her left arm. Drawing an enchanted blade from his back pocket, he picked at the seal and was finally able to remove it from Katie's wrist.
"There you are, now you can use your wand again." Harry told her. Katie smiled and thanked her savior. "Tricky little things these anti-magic bracelets."
"So what has been going on in the life of Harry Potter since I last saw you?" Katie asked.
Harry had joined Katie on the bed. He leaned against the headboard, sighed, and began pouring his heart out to the blonde witch. Katie sat across from him and listened. She couldn't believe what he had been forced to do. Katie had not been in contact with the Weasleys since she and George parted ways after graduation. Katie had initially taken a Ministry job and that was how she had met Dylan. Dylan later asked her to quit her job so that he could support her. She had not realized at the time he did it to control her. She was forced to cut all ties to her former friends, including Angelina, Fred, and George.
"I'm so sorry Harry." Katie told the younger man.
"I'm going to America tomorrow. The arrangements have been made and I will most likely never return." he told Katie.
"What's in America?" Katie asked.
"A fresh start." He told the former chaser.
"Do you..." Katie began.
"Do I what?" Harry asked.
"Do you, do you think you'd like some company?" she asked hesitantly.
"Katie.. you have."
"Nothing, I cut all my ties when I was with Dylan. Family, friends, everyone and everything all for the sake of love. No I have no one, just like you." She told him.
Katie moved closer to Harry, and looked into his eyes. The look was a pleading one and Katie knew what his answer would be before he told her.
"Get some rest, we leave early tomorrow."
He was about to get up but Katie stopped him.
"Can you just hold me.. I.. I just need to be held tonight." Katie pleaded.
Harry took the blonde witch into his arms and affectionately held her to him. Katie quickly drifted off into sleep. Harry watched as she smiled and he could tell that for this moment she was happy. He was momentarily happy as well. This was the first time in Four months that he had been at peace. The only regret that he had was that he was now partially in Dumbledore's debt for this happiness.