Katie stirred and opened her eyes blearily. Cold dark stone roof... grey... thought Katie as she listened to the faint sounds in the background, I'm in the hospital wing... Then Katie jumped as she heard the door slammed, and sat up quickly. She blinked and peered at the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office. "Hello?" Katie whispered nervously, "Madam Pomfrey?" None answered, so Katie crept out of the bed quietly and tip-toed into Madam Pomfrey's office.

A single lamp was still flaring on the wall, occasionally, tiny embers sparked out on the cold grey floor. Her desk, standing impressively in the center of the otherwise bland room was messy with papers, and her chair looked as if somebody had stood up in a haste. Katie shivered and hugged herself. The fireplace was spewing up a few wisps of smoke. Katie then walked outside, closed the office door and went back to her bed.

Different coloured lights were splaying on his pale face, making him glow. The lights were chasing each other, running across and falling down and jumping around. Katie gasped and quickly ran towards the window. She smiled softly as she saw the northern lights playing across the dark sky, lit only by their bright yet soft colours. She wished she had her broom with her, so she could just fly straight to the aurora, and dance with the waltzing lights to the tune of whispering midnight wind and feel the silky smooth feeling of the starlight on her skin. Katie...

Katie snapped her head back, her mind jolted down from the flitting lights of the Aurora. Katie spun around and saw Oliver mumbling her name, "Katie... Katie..."

Katie bit her lip and grabbed the dry rag beside a bowl of icy cold water on top of the bedside table, she quickly wettened the rag with the water and wiped Oliver's forehead. A few beads of water rolled down Oliver's forehead but was caught by his long eyelashes. Katie thinned her lips and ran her finger gently along Oliver's eyelashes, It's longer than mine! Gay boy! How-- BANG!

Katie whipped around and stared at the flustered and pouting nurse, she quickly placed the rag beside the bowl and quickly crept in her bed while the sulking nurse was still grappling for something in a chest. Katie peek through her eyelids and saw Madame Pomfrey pull out a bottle out of the chest, she could see wisps of coldness shimmering above the chest before disappearing. Katie widened her eyes, So that's what that chest contains! BEER!, Katie grinned as she thought about the reaction she would get if the Twins knew about this.

Oliver peered at the ceiling through his damp eyelashes, "Katie?" he whispered softly. He had seen her looking surprised as she quickly took away his finger from his fluttering eyelashes when they had heard a bang. He had seen her soft brown locks whipping around, attacking his nose with a scent that sang shrilly, ORANGES!, and her small pyjamas that showed a slice of her enthralling golden skin and the way she leapt into her bed so gracefully... Damn! I'm getting softer and softer everyday...

Katie turned to peek at Oliver in her bed, Madame Pomfrey was still sitting on a chair, drinking her beer rather grumpily. She could still see the reflection of the northern lights being reflected on Oliver's face. Katie bit her lip as the itching to go out and fly grew bigger and bigger inside her. Katie tried to distract herself by squinting at the facial features of Oliver when she saw Oliver turn and felt a pair of laser beam on her face. Though she couldn't see Oliver looking at her [That damn eyelashes!], she knew that he was looking at her and that made her flushed. Then she saw that kissable lips turned in a smirk at her and then she saw a glint of melted chocolate shaded eyes flashing underneath those thickly-lidded skin. That made Katie bolt up straight and caused Madame Pomfrey to sputter out the mouthful of beer, and hastily hid the bottle underneath a bed. Katie then turned to Madame Pomfrey and ran out of the bed and grabbed her sweater and rushed out of the hospital wing while shouting, "I forgot to do my homework!!!"

Katie grinned as she saw the fluttering Aurora above her and mounted her broom. She was quite happy for the good excuse she had given and that the Aurora was still there. She then flew straight up to the sky, her skin tingling with anticipation of the smooth texture of the flowing northern lights. Then she had burst into a land filled with colours and splendour.

Katie laughed as she tried to follow the formation and waves of the dance, though she failed miserably, she was having a wonderful time, she had escaped from her miseries, from her past, from her problems, from everyone. She was alone here with this glowing dancing lights to keep her company.

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free
I wish I could break all the chains holding me
And I wish I could say all the things that I wanna say
Say 'em loud, say 'em clear

And at that moment, she knew how it felt to be free, to be broken free by the chains that the person had used to keep her in his reign, that she will never be abused by saying what was on her mind. She was a part of the flowing lights in the Aurora, she was one of them, a spirit with equal sins and good deeds, a fairy laughing as it danced around the ring, an elf running lithely from one evergreen tree to another, she was anyone but herself, she was unburdened, she was really free.

Then the lights came to a stop abruptly, jolting Katie to her senses as she stopped, hovering thousands and thousands of feet above the earth, her face blank, but her eyes suddenly shadowed. Katie began her slow descent to the ground as the wind whipped her cold and stinging. It was gone, her friend. Her... her... temporary escape.

Katie stumbled to the green field, and lay on the dewy grass face-down as the sky began to take a slight bluish tint. It was dawn. She will never escape from the clutches of that... that man. Her torturer, executioner. The Death Reaper. And then, an owl hooted and dropped a parchment beside her, and flew off.

Katie sat up and blinked at the sky, searching for any owls but finding none, she looked down at the parchment, it was black. Black... the only person that wrote her using black parchments was her brother. Katie stood up numbly and stuffed the parchment into her pocket and walked back into school. Her mind was a blank as she uttered the password and collapsed in the Common Room. She glanced at the fireplace, there was no fire, the room was cold as it was outside. Katie sighed and pulled out the letter and unscrolled it,

Dear Kath,

I'm on my way to Hogwarts while you're reading this. Dumbledore and I have to discuss your school fees. You know we haven't paid him since your 5th year, and it's your 7th now, your last. Dumbledore said it didn't matter, but you know I don't like owing people.

I'm going to stay over at Hogwarts for a day only, I'm sorry if it seems brief to you, but I'll settle the matter with Dumbledore quickly so you and I can spend more time together after that. We rarely see each other in the hols since I'm busy working.

I'm sorry if this seems immediate to you since I know you're an organized freak, but hey, it's good to have some changes.

I've been drinking the potion to keep my illness under control, Kath, so don't worry.

Love ya,
Derrick.

The potrait door then opened and in enter a tousled-haired Oliver with his hand stuck in his hair, making it even more messier. Oliver saw Katie sprawled on the sofa, with her face looking at the other direction. He went towards her and sat on the table beside the sofa, "Katie..." he whispered, "I need to talk to you."

Katie turned to face him, her face was clearly pissed, "What?" She snapped, and faced the other direction again.

Oliver scrunched his mouth and gently touched his shoulder and said firmly, "Look at me."

Katie closed her eyes in agitation and brushed his hand off, "No!"

Oliver then stood up, pulled Katie into a sitting position, and turned her around to face him. He saw her clenching her eyes shut tightly and grinned. Then he stopped and shook her gently, "Katie, please..."

Katie bit her lip and shook her head furiously, she could feel hot tears burning her eyelids, wanting to go out, Why the hell am I crying?! No... no...

"What's wrong Katie?" asked him, his voice full with worry

Katie sobbed and crawled into his lap and huddled, still sobbing, "Mama..."

He hugged-- "Katie!" -- her and whispered, -- "Katie? Why are you crying?" -- "It's okay Katie, they're in heaven now..."

Katie looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "What about brother?"

Smiling, -- He hugged her, crushing her into his chest, her hands stroking his hair, her legs folded on his lap, her arms suddenly encircling his neck.

"Please don't cry, Katie, I'm useless at these stuffs..." Oliver pleaded as he smoothed hair and rubbed her back, his mind was reeling with desperation, What the hell can I do?!

Katie opened her eyes and saw Oliver's black robe up close and personal. She shook with fear, -- he hugged her against him, she could smell the soap the Hogwart's elves used in washing up, and he whispered, "Dare will be back, and take care of you."

Oliver tilted Katie's chin up, her eyes glazed and her lips were partly opened.

"He'll always be back."

Katie shut her eyes, spilling the burning tears against her cheek and buried her face on Oliver's shoulder, "Hold me"

Oliver's mouth dropped open, "Hold you?!" he sputtered as dirty thoughts reproduced in his mind. Katie's answer was only more head-burying into his shoulder. Oliver grinned nervously and hugged Katie tight with one arm while the other reached and his fingers drew words on her neck.

"Katie, I think you're not in the mood to hear this but I'm really sorry when I said that you were just my chaser, because you're not. You're not mine, Katie, but you're my friend. And I care about you."

*You can't do anything, you're useless, a piece of trash. Rotten." He laughed as his hands groped all over Katie's body.

"I'm nothing to you," Katie whispered, her eyes taking in the milky-white skin of Oliver's neck.

Oliver hugged her tighter, and stroked her cheek, "You're more than anyone else is to me in this school."

"Don't be fooled by what they say, dear Katie... Don't be fooled when they say they love your or they care about you, or you meant something to them,"

Katie's hand turned into balled fists, her eyes closed with such ferocity.

He sneered and continued, "You know that you're nothing. You're just a body, Katie, a body made to please me."

Katie's eyes snapped open and she sat straight up and stared into Oliver's eyes, "You're lying."

Oliver grabbed her wrists, and Katie winched. He pulled her left wrist up, "Stop doing this, Katie, please."

Katie pulled her wrists away and glared at him, "Why do you care? And how did you know?"

Oliver smiled faintly at Katie and circled his arms around her waist and pulled her closed, "I saw you doing that in the field. Don't do it anymore, please? I won't know what to do if you're gone."

Katie gritted her teeth and looked away, Stop pulling me closer! I'll kiss you if you do!, and caressed her wrist, "Because you're one chaser short."

Oliver's eyes darkened and he gently turned her chin towards him and leaned in, "Because I l--"

"KATIE!" exclaimed someone as Oliver and Katie both sprang apart, blushing madly.

And there stood Professor Dumbledore and a tall, handsome young man with messy brown hair and sparkling grey eyes, Katie sprang up and shovelled her hands into her pockets and smiled, "Hi Der."

an: okaaaaaay! sucky ending! but so what? i don't care! nyaha!

to itefaq: your reasons are valid, i too have just finished my exams which i am sure will fail me, pah! anyway, thanks, and the bastard with a cigar, well... let just say... well, let's just not say at all! 8D

to PsYcHoJo: well, strange is good, ain't it? 8P

to pOkElilpupe: lol, she really hafta get rid of those doesn't she? But Ollie's fine now, and fine enough to kiss someone i'd say.

to dracosgurl_chrissy: i like draco and hermy too, but this is one of my top 2 faves! the other is katie and percy, lol.

to little red3: thanks, AND HOW COULD YOU FIND OUT MY SECRET?! i admit, i went to dictionary.com. i do not have a sliver of knowledge in me that can construct a french sentence 8P

to everyone else: WEE! i lurve you too, yay!