Spexy: I hope you like how this part goes.

orliNkeira: You mean I have to wait…darn it!

Ariana: It's the best name around.

Elvenrarehunter: Now, I shall reveal what happened! Awww, no worries. You don't have to stress out and try to review EVERY chapter.

I just couldn't be that mean and leave you guys wondering for a week what happened to everyone. So here's the next chappie.

Disclaimer: Don't own Potter. Rowling own Potter.

Deception

Katie sat on her window seat, knees hugged to her chest, watching the raindrops splatter against the glass. Mother Nature had to cry for her because she could not cry anymore. After a week of crying, she didn't feel as though she had a single tear left to shed. Her whole body was simply empty and numb.

Everyday, she waited for Dumbledore or Fawkes to arrive at her flat with the terrible news that Oliver was gone. George hadn't even come back with news, which she took as a bad sign. It felt as though she was waiting for her life to end.

She got up and stalked over to her coffee table. There was a small snow-globe in the center with a picture of the two of them in it. Oliver had given it to her about a week after they started seeing each other. She snatched it up and hurled it across the room before falling onto her couch and burying her face in a pillow. Much to her surprise, however, she didn't hear any glass shatter or even a dull thud as it hit the wall.

Her heart nearly stopped as she looked up to see what had happened.

"Oliver?" she croaked, her throat raw from emotion, "Is that really you?"

His face was pale, and he was covered in more cuts and bruises than usual. A new scar could be seen on his scalp where his hair had been cut short to care for the wound. None of that mattered though. He was alive, the snow-globe resting in his hand.

"I guess Quidditch does have real life applications," he said hoarsely, dropping the snow globe onto the couch.

She jumped up and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. He held her as close as he could, never wanting to let her go again. She was all he had thought about since he woke up at a hospital in the middle of Turkey. He had known that the Order, including George, had received word of the disaster, but no details. There was no way to send word to Katie that he was alright without raising a few suspicions.

"What about Fred and Angelina," she asked, "George said someone was dead. Please don't tell me it was one of them."

"Fred is fine," he assured her, "Angelina was hit by the Cruciatus though. She's alive but permanently on desk duty."

Even though she had thought all of her tears were gone, she cried with relief.

"When George told me someone was dead, I thought…"

"It was Derek," he fought back his own tears, "Malfoy hit Derek with some curse, we've no idea what it was. It barely grazed me."

Katie's stomach turned at the knowledge of how close she'd been to losing Oliver and that he had lost a good partner. Oliver and Derek had been working together since Oliver had joined the Order. They trusted each other implicitly. It would be hard for him to work with someone else.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver. Is there anything I can do?"

He pulled her even closer.

"Just let me hold you."

 Katie awoke as she felt the couch cushions shift and opened her eyes. Oliver was trying to get up without disturbing her.

"Leaving already," she groaned, smiling at his shirtless body.

"No. I just need to pee."

"Ah, well then, by all means," she waved towards the bathroom, "I'll find us something for dinner."

She rolled off the couch and stretched her muscles. It was wonderful to fall asleep in Oliver's arms, but very tough on the back.

"Miss Bell."

Katie became incredibly grateful that Oliver had gone to the restroom as she turned to face Dumbledore.

She attempted to sound nonchalant, fervently hoping that Oliver would hear her and stay hidden in her bathroom.

"Dumbledore, what are you doing here?"

He looked around the room as though he were searching for something. Katie carefully nudged Oliver's shirt under her couch with her foot.

"I came to inform you that your friends returned safely from their mission," he said, "but Mrs. Weasley was severely wounded."

"Will she be alright?" Katie asked, knowing that she couldn't reveal what she already knew.

"She will no longer be able to take regular assignments. However, she will be placed on desk duty, and in a few weeks, she might have enough strength to come visit you."

He turned as though he were going to leave, but stopped. "An interesting thing to note, Miss Bell: Oliver was sent home today, but we can't seem to locate him anywhere."

Her legs went numb. Dumbledore knew. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was well aware of what she and Oliver had been doing.

"The only places I know of that shield human presences are those inhabited by Blue Flame members. Of course, they all know how dangerous it would be to have an unauthorized person in their flat."

There was a warning tone in his voice, and Katie could feel her heart pounding in panic.

"Of course," she managed to reply calmly.

He turned around and looked straight into her eyes. For a brief moment she feared that he would delve into her mind, reading her secrets. She knew that she would be defenseless against that power.

"Have a good evening, Miss Bell, and be careful."

He disappeared, and Katie let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding.

"I suppose that means Dumbledore has figured it out," Oliver commented as he emerged from the restroom, a grave look on his face. "Katie, this is getting dangerous."

"Dumbledore can't prove anything," she retorted, "It doesn't even matter if he knows. He can't tell the Ministry. Then he'd have to admit that he's been bringing people to see me."

"I suppose you're right. We'll just have to be more careful."