Thank you:

nihcole-sumpter

Life's Gifts

Chapter 12: Ghosts

The blond sat there in the girl's bathroom on the second floor looking up at Moaning Myrtle. Skipping class hadn't been hard and no one came in here. No one wanted to come in here since the fiasco in Harry Potter's second year anyway. Maybe that is why she liked it here. "Myrtle, do I always make the stupid errors people say I do?"

"Well, that time in fourth year was pretty dumb and your thing with Brooke today roused some arguments," the ghost said. "Everyone think that you broke Roger because he was cheating on you. Several students think you are ice princesses. Many Hufflepuffs think you are dating Cedric for status. Ravenclaws think you were dating Roger for a social position, even though you have one already. Flint's kind love you because you have money, are pureblood, and pretty a large feet to them." White form glanced down at the girl, "I hate to be frank with you but why are you dating Cedric."

"I honestly couldn't tell you why I am dating Cedric. Why I agreed to is simple I wasn't sure how I felt about Oliver, but now I am even less sure. Feeling bad for not telling Ange and Lica why I am dating him but in all truth I don't know anymore." Katie looked up at Myrtle, "I guess it is a mystery, but he is nice and considerate. That is more than we can say for most people."

"Brooke and her family, you mean. They were never considerate; I think that maybe one of them might have been here when I was alive." Myrtle after thinking about being alive fled. "Thank you Katie for listening to me."

"Myrtle, I am the one thanking you here!" Katie said as she stood to see if she could make it to her next class, which was some history. Looking outside she saw that people were moving to their classes and quickly walked to her class. Sliding into a chair she stared at the board. Seeing Oliver slid in next to her she said, "Do you think I was mean to Brooke?"

"I think Brooke is after your money. She doesn't like the fact that the stock market calls you one of its princesses. She gloats over the fact that she doesn't cut herself. So the answer is no, I don't think you were mean to Brooke." Oliver said as he pulled out some parchment to take notes on.

"And what do you think about me dating Cedric?"

"That is a question you would not normally ask. Cedric is not after anything you own, but he does not love you. He never could and never will and you couldn't love him either." Oliver looked at her and waited, "Why are you dating him is the question, Katie? That is a question I want the absolute truth about, no lies or half-answers, Katie."

"He makes me remember who I am Oliver. Funny, charming, witty, all the girls like him. Nothing that makes them hate me more than they already do. But why am I dating him, the one question I honestly don't have an answer for. A reason, yes, but I don't wish to tell you that."

Just then the class started but Oliver looked at her the entire class time. Watching her, he was the reason he knew it. If only she would give him a chance, he knew she had seen him and Lyra. Lyra had kissed him, he hadn't stood a chance. It seemed like an eternity to him before the class was over and he could ask Katie one more thing:

"Katie, why did you lie to the others, last night you were on the pitch and you said that you were at the owlery."

"Oliver, if I had told the truth they would have known I had seen you. They would have figured out that you kissed me. Angelina would have figured it out or Alicia would have. Blindness to my emotions isn't something they have." Katie said before she rose and started to walk off.

At dinner that night everyone was astir. Something had happened, something big.

"When is Dumbledore going to tell us?"

"I wonder if it has to do with the Park-Laines."

"Double-to-nothing it has something to do with that Bell girl."

"New student is the only possible answer."

Whispers flew from every corner of the dining hall. No one knew exactly what was going on only that is was something big, something that in its own right could be expected. Then Dumbledore told them:

"Today I received word that we will be hosting a new pair of students. Their parents have decided to remove them from another school and bring them to Hogwarts. They shall be in sixth year, I hope you all will make them welcome. You shall treat them like anyone else even though they parents do own the Firebolt company."

Katie gasped, "Those two I bet it is Kent and Mara. I own 20 percent of that company and met their children once. Kent was always the lady's man according to his father. Mara, well Mara is beautiful, she is amazing, even I was struck dumb and we were only fourteen at the time."

All heads around them looked up, if the pair was as upstanding as was said everyone would be all over them.