Note: Actually, the story is set in the last week or so in November at this point.

"Where's Fred and George?" I asked, looking around.

Oliver looked nervous. "That's just it, I don't know. When I came back to my room after I was with you, they were gone. Percy's having a heart attack. I was hoping that maybe you knew where they were...."

I looked at him and shook my head, "I don't know."

"Damn," I hear him mumble.

"They're probably just sneaking out somewhere, totally harmless."

"I know they're probably harmless, but have you wondered why they have cancelled classes? They only do that when something is seriously wrong. Well, something is seriously wrong and we can't find Fred and George!"

Oliver was stressing out.

"Why did they cancel classes?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't know."

Oliver started looking around frantically. "Oliver, just relax!"

He took a deep breath. "I know, I know. I'm just worried."

Oliver didn't relax. I exhaled. "Oliver, if it's really serious, then someone will find them, like Percy or one of the teachers, or even Harry. Just relax."

It was silent for a second as I stared at Oliver, trying to figure out a way to get him relaxed.

"Oy, Wood!!" A voice yelled, "Katie!"

We looked down the corridor. Both red headed brothers, Fred and George, were running towards us full speed and breathless.

"Weasley!! Er...Weasleys!!!" Oliver yelled, "Where have you been?! I've been worried sick!"

George took a deep breath, "Shut it, Wood, you're not our mother, thank goodness."

"Where were you guys?" I asked.

Fred, who was still trying to catch his breath, said, "We found out what all the...we found out everything!"

"And?" Oliver asked excitedly.

Fred's smile fell. "We swore not to tell, but we can on Wednesday."

Wednesday was two days away, it was Monday now.

"Why Wednesday?" I asked.

"After everyone leaves," George said.

"Leaves?"

George nodded grimly. Oliver and I exchanged looks.

"I guess we can tell them this part," Fred said to George. George nodded.

"Because of what's happening, Dumbledore's having everyone who goes home for Christmas usually, go home tomorrow. They won't come back until the holidays are over."

"That gives us more than a month!" I said shocked.

Oliver frowned. "What about the Quidditch season?!"

Fred shrugged. "Half as many matches, but they count twice as much."

After that, no one said anything for the moment.

"Dumbledore's announcing everything tonight at Dinner."

With saying that, the twins left, leaving Oliver and I alone.

"Well, at least they're all right," I said, trying to be optimistic. Oliver, who's whole life revolved around Quidditch, looked crushed. "It's all right, Oliver," I said.

He nodded silently. I sighed and put my arm around him, pulling him close to me.

"Better to screw up the season and keep people safe than possibly losing some of the team members," I said, trying to comfort him.

He nodded. "What about our match against Slytherin?" he asked me.

I shrugged. Oliver remained silent. He drew away from me and began walking towards the Common Room. I followed. He stopped, smiling suddenly.

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

I stopped and frowned. "Christmas again?"

He nodded. "Yes, Christmas."

"Are you going to tell me the reason for all this Christmas talk?"

Oliver shrugged. "Are you going to stay here at our lovely Hogwarts, or are you going home?"

I thought about it. Maybe I would go home this year, I had about a month vacation. Nah, I might as well stay, I could do with some alone time. Alicia and Angie always left for the holidays. It's not like my family would miss me or anything anyways.

My parents were separated and Christmas and summer were always times of debate. They always argued about who would get me for the holiday. It was typically changed every year. My mum during summer, dad for Christmas, then dad again for summer, and mum for Christmas. But then, one parent had me for two holidays in a row, being unfair. One full year with only one parent wouldn't work either. I think this year I'll just save them their bickering and stay.

"I think I'm staying here, what about you?"

"Well, if you're staying, I'll stay."

He smiled. I was still confused.

"Why does it matter what I'm doing for Christmas?"

Oliver stepped closer to me. "Katie, no classes and almost no one else here. Think about it...."

I thought about it. "You're just staying here to be alone with me?"

He shrugged and then nodded. I stared at him. "I don't know if that's a good, sweet thing or a devilishly planned thing."

"Think whatever you like. I'll go home for the holidays if you like. I was just thinking about being with you."

I smiled. "Well, there's going to be no one here, I need someone to talk to."

Oliver grinned. He reached over and slid his arm around my shoulders, rubbing his hand over my bicep over and over. It comforted me. Christmas this year was going to be interesting.

-------------

Dinner. I sat with Fred, George, and Oliver, for Angie and Alicia had abandoned me to talk to Harry.

Halfway through Dinner and still no announcement from Dumbledore. I looked up at him at the large table in the front of the great room. He looked nervous, fiddling with his pudding. I looked at George; he was waiting, too.

I didn't eat much, I wasn't feeling like it. I was waiting for Dumbledore's speech to be over and then for Dinner to be over. I moved my plate from in front of me almost to the middle of the table. I crossed my arms on the wood and rested my head.

Oliver looked over and put down his fork. My head was turned away from him. I felt a familiar hand come in contact with my back, stroking it. I let out a loud breath. His hand left me as I heard Dumbledore's chair slide back.

I lifted my head so quickly my head spun. Ow.

"Students, I have something very serious to speak to you about. I would not do this unless it was absolutely necessary. It is. It has come to my attention, from the Ministry Of Magic, of course, that Lord Vol-" shudders and screams come from the students, "I'm sorry, Lord You-Know-Who has once again come to power. This is not as before. This is the most dangerous of times. Although Hogwarts is extremely safe, everywhere is dangerous.

"It has come to my attention that, although this is the safest place for students, parents have insisted that those of you come home. I am changing the Christmas Holidays so that they now begin tomorrow to when they usually end. For those of you who stay the Christmas Holidays usually, you are welcome to stay here. Those others will leave tomorrow morning on the Hogwarts Express and are not to return until the holidays are over.

"All classes are, as of now, cancelled, and all Quidditch matches are postponed. Resume your dinner and then go back to your Houses. For those who are leaving tomorrow morning, please pack all your belongings. I wish you all the safest of holidays."

Dumbledore sat down. Suddenly, as it did all through the speech, students erupted in talk. Hushed whispers and comments were made about the happenings. I heard Hermione talking about this as an 'outrage'.

I looked around. Fred and George were looking around.

"So, You-Know-Who is coming into dangerous power again, so that's why we get time off?" I asked them.

They nodded.

"Are you guys going home?"

Fred and George looked at each other. "Mum might not want us home. Says we cause too much trouble."

I gave them a harsh look. "Your mum would want you home, believe me."

They shrugged. "Ron may go home, but we might stay."

George looked at Fred. "I might go home to practice and get better for Quidditch. If we're postponing the matches and having less of them, we'd better be good."

Oliver looked up. That was what he wanted to hear. "Good idea, Weasley," I heard him say. They started talking about the Chudley Cannons or something. I was out of the conversation.

I didn't feel good. I kept feeling something strange. It was like having déjà vu but you don't know what you've felt before. Sort of like you know something's going to happen. This something was bad. Maybe I was just having some kind of ESP. Something. I just couldn't figure out what.

Jeez, if Trelawney knew that I got déjà vu and ESP all the time, she'd flip. Good thing she didn't know, and I wasn't in any hurry to tell her.

I got up and left the dinner table, bound for my room, the Common Room, anywhere. Anywhere that was away from here. I heard footsteps behind me as soon as I left the Hall. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. Not even Oliver.

I felt a hand grab mine and, without looking, I tried to pull away. He was strong and held me back.

I turned around. "Oliver! -"

I looked up. It wasn't Oliver. It was Cedric.

"Katie, what's wrong?"

I shook my head, "Nothing."

He smiled. "I heard you and Oliver got together."

I nodded quietly. "Are you staying for the holidays?"

Cedric nodded. "Are you?"

I nodded. There was a lot of nodding going on. I kept averting his gaze.

"Do you know if Cho is going?"

I was almost stunned by his comment. "I don't know," I said.

"Oh, Okay. Well, I'll see you later."

And with that, he was gone. I took a deep breath and went to the Common Room. I gave the Fat Lady the password and stepped inside. It was dark and the fire was the only light, save for a few sparsely lit candles. I felt like something was dragging me down. Nothing should be, I was together with Oliver Wood, I should be overjoyed. 'I am', I told myself. Somehow, I didn't believe it.

I sighed and went to the window. It was dark. I sat down on the window frame and looked outside. I could see the Forbidden Forest from where I sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. It didn't look so awful in the daytime, but at night, it was horrific.

I looked through the dark, trying to make out any shapes in the night. I couldn't see anything. I heard someone come into the Common Room and I wondered who it was.

"Hey, Katie, we're gonna start packing, wanna come?"

I realized it was two people. Alicia and Angelina. I looked over at them and shrugged. Than I thought that if I wasn't in the Common Room when everyone else came in, I wouldn't have to talk to anyone else.

I got up and followed them. Angie went off to her room and Alicia and I went into ours.

"Sorry you can't get away from this place," Alicia said, getting her trunk out of the closet. I shrugged at her comment, sitting down on my bed delicately.

From her dresser, she piled clothes into her trunk. A few books went into it as well. After almost everything was packed, she went back to her bed. She got on her hands and knees and withdrew from under the bed a large tin.

Alicia set it on the bed and sighed.

"Now, Katie, Angie and I are leaving you the donut stash," she told me, "Help yourself in times of need, or, whenever. Make sure it's always full."

I frowned. "Am I supposed to sneak down to the kitchen or something?"

Alicia grinned. She knew more about this than I did and she loved it.

"It's a special tin Angie and I got at Hogsmeade a while back. Once it's empty, put the lid back on and tap it three times. The next time you open it up, it's full with donuts again. It's great."

I smiled. A never-ending supply of donuts, what's bad about that? Alicia finished packing and she left to go check on Angie, to make sure she was actually packing.

I sat alone in my room on my bed, thinking about what was going to happen this Christmas. It was an elongated vacation and I was going to be spending most of it with Oliver. I smiled just thinking about him. I wondered where he was and what he was doing right now.

I looked around my room. All of Alicia's stuff was jammed into her trunk, leaving her side of the room empty. I realized how lonely my room was going to be without Alicia and Angie always in it eating their never-ending supply of donuts. But then again, I had Oliver, and he was all I needed right now.