Disclaimer: I don;t own HP, we all know that by now.

Okay, I know that I said that I'd post this earlier, but a lot of things have happened and I actually found that I needed to edit a lot of things since I just found the main story that I wrote to be...well, kinda a let down. So anyway, here's the final story, and I hope you all won't think it's super cheesy or whatever. Please keep in mind that I was listening continuously to Leaving On a Jet Plane, Iris, and Hanging by a Moment.

Our Goodbye

By: distorted prep queen

Casting one last look at her now now empty apartment, the lone figure hauled her heavy duffel bag over her shoulders, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she grabbed her roller bag with the other hand. 5:00 A.M.flashed across her watch as she glanced at the shimmering object. Deciding to hurry, she quickly apparated, her heart somehow becoming heavier than it already was.
Katie Bell stood there looking at the wooden door to apartment, her heart feeling as if it had suddenly decided to stop beating. How she wished she didn't need to do this, go leave everything and everyone she loved behind her. 5 minutes passed and she still hadn't moved from her spot from the carpeted hall. 'Should I even tell him? No...yes...maybe just a letter...no...'

But quickly glancing at her watch, she quickly made up her mind, realizing just how much time she had left. In an attempt to calm herself, Katie began taking a couple of deep breaths, her arm reching out tentatively before knocking lightly against the door's surface.

In no less than 10 seconds after, the door swung open to reveal a tall man, his body lean from years of playing quidditch and his dark brown hair shaggier than usual, clearly showing that he had just woken up. For that one moment as she watched him try to make himself more presentable in his rumpled clothing, the circumstance she was in seemed to disappear and in its place was a state of simplicity that Katie used to find herself in not too long ago. And so she smiled, her nose crinkling slightly as the edges of her pink lips tugged upwards.

"Katie?"

But just as soon as it came, all this dissapeared, leaving Katie once more misrable.

"Hey, Oliver." she whispered softly, her usually glittering emerald coloured eyes betraying the smile she had just put on as they looked at him dull.

"What're you doing here so early in the morning?" The keeper inquired groggily, his Scottish brogue coming out even huskier than usual. "What happened to our usual routine of me bursting into your bedroom and dragging you out of bed?"

Katie managed a small smile at his little comment, her eyes flashing slightly as a new wave of pain hit her. "Uh, Oliver, can we go inside?" she asked, the idea of revealing everything to him in a public place like the hallway.

Oliver slowly backed out of the doorway as he began to signal her to come in, a questioning look in his dark amber eyes as he gazed at her figure mutely. But it was only when Katie fully entered the apartment did he notice the luggage she was carrying, his eyes suddenly snapping wide open.

"What's going on, Kates? Wher're you going?"

Katie found herself cringing slighty as Oliver mentioned her nickname, the feeling of betrayal towards everyone mounting even more. Biting her lips, Katie began shifting her eyes around the spacious living room as she tried to gather as much courage she had at the moment. But she had barely even began when a quick glance at the man in front of him made her sigh resignedly, the sight of his eyes imploring her answer becoming too much to bare.

"Do you remember, Oliver, the time Dumbledore owled me to come visit him the last month?" Seeing his nodding head, Katie took in another deep breath, her voice once more coming out softly. "Well, he told me that he needed someone to oversee some things he needs done outside since he needs to be here."

Looking up, Katie spotted something unreadable passing through his darkening eyes. A moment of uneasy silence passed both, the mere presence of it already managing to unnerve her. Finally, Oliver regained his thoughts before breaking the silence at last.

"So I take it that you volunteered." There was something about the calmness and impassiveness of his voice that startled Katie who replied with a slight nod. Another short interval passed before Oliver spoke once more, the emptiness in his voice now filled with a mix of hopefullness and fear. "Can you at least tell me where you're going? Or even if I can visit at all?"

Katie then quickly averted her eyes to the floor, the tone of his voice tugging heavily at her heart. She couldn't even tell him why she had to leave; that was a given rule that she had already promised to abide to after joining the Order of the Pheonix. In fact, the reason why she had to leave was to become the official ambassador between the Order and the American Ministry of Magic so that they could also provide aid in the war that was udoubtedly going to occur soon. But aside from this rule, the one she really didn't want to follow was that about not being allowed to see anyone she knew to decrease any chances of the mission ending up sabotaged or getting someone- maybe even herself- killed by supporters of Lord Voldermort.

At a loss for anything to say, Katie walked across the room before gently sitting beside him on the couch he had seated himself on. "I'm sorry, Oliver. If there just weren't consequences to me telling you where exactly I was going, you know I would. But someone telling me that you've been killed and knowing that it was because of me would be just to much to take." she whispered, her voice suddenly turning hoarse as an image flashed through her mind, pain once more gripping at her chest.

"How long will you be gone?" This time he didn't answer her with silence but instead turned to look at her, his eyes now slightly glazed as he gazed at her as though already knowing the answer.

"I- I don't know..." Katie answered truthfully, her ability to lie suddenly slipping away as she watched his eyes close suddenly, his breathing suddenly becoming deeper.

They sat there quietly before out of nowhere, Oliver extended an arm and carefully pulled Katie into him. This simple gesture quickly sent her to tears, the many that she'd been holding back for the past twenty-four hours that she had used instead to try preparing for this meeting. But here she was, Katie continued to sob right onto his chest, her hands fisting around the soft material of his sweatshirt. Oliver on the other hand comforted her like so many times before, his hand gently stroking her soft golden tresses as he began to whisper into her ear.

"Shh, it's okay, Kates." He cooed repeatedly soft words like these to the fragile girl beside him while he himself was trying to remain strong for Katie when he himself was pretty close to doing the same himself.

"I am so, so sorry...Oliver, I never intended..."

Slowly, he lifted her chin towards him, the curious look in his eyes once more taking her by surprise. "'Sorry'? Sorry for what?"

Katie sniffed gently, teardrops still escaping as she answered miserably, "For everything- going through all these years of putting up with me and my stubborness and then going off to leave you without so much as an explanation as to why."

But Oliver only looked at her, the smallest of smiles appearing on his handsome face. "There's nothing to say sorry for, Katie. If you weren't here with me all these years I probably wouldn't be who I am right now since I know there are a lot of things that you've taught me that made me choose everything that I did."

And so for an hour the two remained sitting as they both relived all the memories they've managed to gather together going back from their first meeting on the Hogwarts Express over eight years ago. It was when Oliver started narrating their last week with the whole Gryffindor quidditch team during their seventh year did Katie begin to lean into his chest as she began tuning his voice out slightly. Instead she began fiddling with the beautiful silver ring on her finger as she studied the two intricately designed circles that was made to intertwine in the middle. In fact, that ring, alike the one Oliver himself wore, was a promise ring that he had given her back in their last year after she herself had given him his.

"Hey, do you remember the time when we caught Fred and Angelina...Kate's, are you alright?" Oliver pasued for a while once more peering at her curiously after realizing that she was no longer listening to the story.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I wasn't listening Oliver, I just got a bit distracted..." the blonde said vaguely as he watched her fiddle once more with the silver band, a happier look coming over his face.

"Do you remember the time I told you about how my mum was screaming bloody murder when she out I was gonna give it to you?"

"Oh yeah," Katie couldn't help but giggle lightly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You even told me how she was already planning the wedding."

A comfortable silence passed between the two before Katie suddenly broke it by removing the ring and turning back to Oliver. "Here, I know that you gave this to me but I don't want to keep you back from somone you might find, especially in this case where we both don;t even know if I'm even going to be able to come back." Shakily, she then held out the ring, the lump in her throat managing to become larger. "With the many fan girls you have, I'm sure you'll find someone else special who I know you'll deserve."

Looking like a cross between bewildered and confused, Oliver mutely slipped back the ring over her right hand's middle finger. "Don't worry about me waiting, Kates. You know that I'll be here when you do come back. Besides," Oliver continued, a playful tone now lacing his voice, "I don't wanna be there when my mum starts attacking me for bringing it back to her when I know she's already picked out the flowers and music."

After some time, the two found themselves in another conversation when a fire coloured pheonix suddenly swooped in through one of the windows that had been left open in the living room. Katie looked at the animal, a large lump building up in her throat as she realized that it was Fawkes. Already she felt the tears coming as she began to turn to Oliver, who at this moment seemed to understand what was happening.

This was it.

This was the last time she'd ever be the same Katie Bell everyone knew before having to start anew in a place so far away.

This could be the last time that she'd ever see Oliver.

But as she sat there frozen, Oliver stood up somewhat shakily before helping her up and handing her her bags. Everything suddenly seemed to be such a blur, everything looking as if they were all in slow motion but at the same time, feeling as though they were all quickly moving away from her. After finally snapping out of her trance, Katie found herself standing there in the middle of Oliver's living room, all luggage in hand, and he standing just as quietly across her. In the silence did Katie feel the streams of hot tears uncontrollably run down her cheeks, though the feeling was quickly replaced by that of hands tenderly cradling her face, his thumbs gently wiping away the glistening teardrops.

"Kates, don't cry, you know that'll just make it harder for both of us." Oliver softly pulled her once more towards him, her body suddenly clinging onto his as though if it ever did let go, would suddenly break into pieces. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other as soon as you come back." he continued as he tightened his hold on Katie, once more trying to sound convinced despite his cracking voice and the fact that it his vision was also starting to blur from the tears he had been forcefully holding back.

Katie leaned back slightly before resting her forehead against his, her breathing still ragged as she studied his face for one last time as though trying to etch everything she could see into her mind. Oliver on the other hand, was also doing the same, he himself trying to remember even the exact shade of pink her lips were, up to just how her hair seemed to fall slightly over the side of her face.

A rustling from Fawkes's feathers though did bring them back into the painful reality about the painful goodbye they knew was coming up soon. Closing the tiny gap between them, Katie began slipping her arms behind Oliver's neck as his own encirlcled her waist. They stood that way, just staring once more in each other's eyes, before he slowly lowered his head, their eyes still locked in a gaze up until that moment when their lips finally met. And just as their eyes flicked close, both quickly lost themselves into the kiss; Oliver used one hand to support the small of her back as the other ran lightly along her side, and Katie simply cupping his face withing her arms as she leaned even closer to him.

Finally the two leaned back from each other, both flushed as they regained once more their breath. But still they remained tangled up in each others arms, their foreheads resting against each in an attempt to lengthen these last moments they had with each other. No matter how tempting it was though to stay like this, Oliver and Katie knew that they just couldn't- she had to leave and he had to stay here. And so, more than reluctant, the two stepped away from each other, once more placing a large gap between themselves.

"Goodbye, Oliver." Katie muttered softly, her fingers quickly trying to wipe away the tears that continued to fall. "See you again soon. I promise to look for you as soon as I get back. Please find a way to break all of this to everyone and tell them that I'm so sorry for everything having to be this messy."

"Sure, I'll tell them. And, Kates, remember to take care of yourself and remember what I said a while ago, I'll be waiting for you."

And with the final whispers of "I love you" exchanged, Katie put on a small smile as she looked at Oliver before finally apparating from her spot, Fawkes quickly following her suit as he swiftly flew out just as he had entered.

So, wat do you guys think?