When Katie woke on Halloween morning, her features broke into a huge grin. She had been waiting for this day for a week and a half. Throwing the covers to the side, she jumped out of bed and strode to her trunk, where her clothes were already laid out.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," said Leanne, getting up as well.

"Blimey," said Rose from her bed, looking up. "Katie's the first one out of bed?"

"With clothes all laid out, no less," added Rhea, now sitting up.

"Is the sky going to fall down on our heads today?" Chloe asked while lazily rolling over.

Katie smiled. "No. I've just got something important going on today," she answered. She hadn't told even Leanne about her meeting with Cedric, and she didn't plan to, in case word got to Cedric's fan club and she ended up in the hospital wing with bat wings sprouting from her face. She didn't put anything past jealous teenage witches. But at least she could let her dorm mates in on at least part of the secret.

"What? You're going to drool over the Quidditch supplies, ask usual?" asked Rose.

"No."

"Something special," Leanne mused, "Don't tell me…"

"You've got a date?" Rhea burst out.

Katie felt her ears turn pink as she finished pulling off her pajamas.

"Great Merlin!" said Chloe, now sitting bolt upright.

"Who is it?" asked Rose, now hopping out of bed.

"It's not really a date," Katie replied as pulled her shirt over her head, the blush now spreading to the rest of her face.

"Oh, come off it," said Rhea, beginning to get ready for the day as well. "You're red as a Howler. You can tell us."

Katie shook her head as she continued to dress "I don't want to jinx it," she responded.

"Katie…" Leanne started. Katie caught her eye and gave the slightest shake of her head. Leanne's mouth opened, then shut again and she returned with the slightest of nods. Katie was sure she had guessed, but she knew Leanne was no gossip.

"Please tell us," Rose pleaded.

"Sorry, ladies," Katie said.

"You know we'll find out anyway," Chloe pointed out.

"I know," Katie replied with another smile as she finished clasping her cloak.

"So why not tell us now?" asked Rhea.

"Patience is a virtue," Katie responded calmly. She brushed her hair so it shone a beautiful mahogany-brown.

"Patience was my grandmother's virtue," grumbled Rose. "Come on, Katie."

"Like you already said, you'll find out," said Katie, "So why worry about it now?"

"But--"

"Oh, leave her alone," said Leanne calmly. "She doesn't have to tell if she doesn't want to."

Katie made her way past Leanne. Leanne looked up at her with a good-luck smile. Katie responded with a covert wink.

"Have a good day, ladies!" Katie called, kissing her hand and raising it at them with great theatricality. She had closed the door behind her before the girls could answer.

Leanne smiled at the door as it closed. "Well, she's certainly gotten more confident."

"I don't know if I like it," said Rhea, "Since when does she get to be a so secretive?"

"You're just jealous that Tomboy Kate's got a date and you don't," teased Chloe. She promptly ducked as a pillow came soaring to where her face had just been.

Katie was positive that Hogwarts had never served a better breakfast. Maybe it was the glorious periwinkle hue of the enchanted ceiling that lightened her mood. Either way, she felt as happy as she had on her birthday. Angelina and Alicia sat next to her just as she was finishing her glass of orange juice.

"Well, we're up early today, aren't we?" Alicia asked jokingly.

"Don't happen to have anything important going on today, do we?" Angelina teased.

"Now, why would you say that?" Katie joked right back.

Angelina smiled and grabbed a couple strips of bacon.

"That hair potion really did wonders on you," Alicia mused, looking her over.

"Yeah, thanks for letting me use some," Katie replied.

"You know the windswept ponytail look doesn't exactly bring out your best features," said Alicia.

"Lay off, Alicia. Katie can be a tomboy if she wants too."

"I'm just saying…"

Katie, however, was a bit disturbed by Alicia's comment. "Do you think Cedric won't like me if I'm not really pretty?"

Alicia sighed. "I can't say either way. But he's a very handsome boy, and handsome boys generally like pretty girls."

"Oh, Ali, you're just saying that because of Roger Davies."

"Am not!"

"You have to admit they have a lot in common, though," said Katie, being glad that she could tease her friends for a change, instead of being the brunt of the jokes herself, "with that whole tall, dark and handsome thing…"

"Not to mention that they're both Quidditch captains…"

"Oh shut it, you two," said Alicia, a blush rising to her face. "Just because I have high standards…"

"Too high," said Angelina.

"Oh, and you'll take whatever bloke rolls around, will you? Do you fancy a go with Percy?" Alicia retorted.

"No way!"

"Then you're not one to talk, are you?" Alicia demanded.

"How about Lee Jordan?" Katie asked. "I hear how he's always commentating about you: 'And there's Johnson with the Quaffle, Johnson, the most talented and beautiful of the Gryffindor Chasers. Marry me, Angelina! I know you're still single, Fred told me!"

Now it was Angelina's turn to blush as Alicia snorted into her porridge.

"I knew you ladies couldn't help but talk about me," said Fred.

"Morning," said Angelina, still red in the face as the twins sat next to them.

"Salutations, o most 'talented and beautiful of the Gryffindor Chasers,'" responded George.

"Please don't tell me you heard all that," Angelina grumbled.

"But of course," Fred replied with a grin.

Angelina turned a deeper shade of scarlet and lowered her head so close to her bowl of cereal that if it'd been any closer, Katie would have sworn she was trying to drown herself in her milk. The rest of the group chatted animatedly through breakfast. After a few quiet moments (which were quite out of character) Angelina allowed herself to be swept back into the lively conversation. When Angelina and Alicia had finished, Katie joined them as they bade farewell to Fred, George and Lee then started off towards the entrance hall.

As Katie crossed the Great Hall in the wake of her friends, she could feel the spring in her step. In only a few hours, she would be meeting with Cedric in Hogsmeade! She felt so light, it was as if she was walking on air. Then a thought struck her.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Katie as her whole body went rigid.

"What?" asked her friends in unison as they turned back to look at her.

"I forgot my gold up in Gryffindor Tower!" Katie groaned as she started to walk again.

"Oh, well…" Alicia started.

"It's okay. I'll go run up and get it, you two go on ahead and I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks."

"We can come with you," offered Angelina as they stepped into the entrance hall.

"No, it's okay. I'll be with you in a jiffy," replied Katie.

Angelina shrugged. "Okay."

"We'll see you, then," said Alicia, waving her off.

Katie turned and bounded up the grand marble staircase. She sped along second-floor corridor before turning into a tightly-spiraling staircase, coming out on the fourth floor, streaking around a corner and up yet another stair and jumping the vanishing step. She was getting exhausted. At Oliver had never required as much physical training as her Muggle football coaches. They had been downright brutal, but at least her first year here she hadn't been quite as winded as she was now. Maybe she should have stuck with it over the summer…

All thoughts were blown from her mind, however, as she collided with something rather firm. There was a crash as she and whoever she had just run fell over onto one of Hogwarts' many suits of armor. Then, all she saw was black.

"Katie…oh, please wake up, Katie!"

Someone with a deep voice was shaking her gently by the shoulders. She mumbled something incoherent as her eyes slowly opened. Her attention immediately went to the nasty throbbing sensation at the back of her head. The face of Oliver Wood filled her vision.

"Oliver?"

"Are you okay?"

"Head's a little sore," she admitted, sitting up and placing her hand gently on the part of her skull that was pulsing madly. She winced. It was very tender.

"Well, I'd say so, after getting clobbered by a steel helmet!" he exclaimed.

He held up the suit of armor's helmet for her to see; there was a bit of a dent in it.

"Woops," said Katie sheepishly.

"Up you get," Oliver said, offering her his hand.

Katie took it and he hoisted her from the floor. As soon as that was done, he pulled out his wand, swept it at the pieces of armor strewn across the landing and called, "Reparo!" Shin guards, chest plate, and gauntlets all flew up and back into place. Once it was finished, Oliver fixed the helmet in its place.

"Thanks," said Katie.

"What the blazes were you doing, Bell?" Oliver asked, stepping back and admiring his handiwork.

"Just, um, running up to the tower."

"You were going so fast, I almost thought you were flying!"

"Yeah, I—"

"Just watch where you're going next time," he said, glancing at her before starting down the stairs, "I can't have my Chasers getting injured before our first match!"

"Yessir," Katie answered obediently to his retreating back.

Shaking her head, she continued up to the tower, though at a slower pace and being very mindful not to run into anyone. She could have run into Snape and he probably would've found ways to take a hundred points from Gryffindor. She could just hear his oily voice saying "Rudeness to a Professor, that's twenty points…Reckless behavior, that's thirty points…Now, now, destroying school property, I believe that's another fifty points from Gryffindor..."

She shuddered at the thought. If she had been in Slytherin, Katie might have been one of Professor Snape's favorite students. But because she had ended up in Gryffindor, her gift with potions went without praise. Rather, he seemed to consider her one of the seven horsemen and glared at her sourly from behind his curtain of greasy black hair when he could find no fault with her brew. This train of thought occupied her until she reached Gryffindor Tower.

The common room and dormitories were far less crowded than usual occupied by only first and second years, as well as a very distraught-looking Harry. She attempted to smile at him kindly, but he seemed not to have seen her. Once in her dorm, she found her mother's necklace waiting on her bed side table with a short note from Hagrid apologizing about the wild Niffler's behavior, and saying that "Daffodil" would be quite well-trained. Katie shook her head at the odd choice of name as she clasped her mother's necklace around her neck once more. Then, she found her pouch of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts and stuffed it into her pocket.

After an uneventful trip back to ground level, Katie stood in the dwindling line of students in the entrance hall. Filch leered at each student in turn as they said their name, then looked down his long roll of parchment and ticked their name off with a scowl. When it came Katie's turn came, Filch scrutinized her quite suspiciously. Other students might have withered under his gaze, but Katie stared him squarely in the eye as she announced her name. She was used to this unusually harsh stare; it was the one Filch reserved for the Weasley twins, and anyone with whom they had close contact. Finally, Filch frowned, being able to find nothing wrong with her, and shooed her out the door as he put quill to parchment. Katie took a large gulp of fresh, late autumn air when she stepped out of the castle, and headed down to the castle.

The grounds were a bit muddy from the previous week's rain, but nonetheless pleasant. Katie could see Hagrid beginning to prepare the gigantic pumpkins in the patch next to his hut. It was rumored that he used engorgement charms on them, even though he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year. No one had yet figured how he was still able to cast magic. When she reached the gates with the statues of winged boars, her stomach plummeted despite her jovial mood. Two dementors, cloaked and hooded in a mass of dark, molding robes, flanked the way. Taking a deep breath, she walked as calmly as she could up to them. Both of them turned their heads, and it seemed to Katie they were both focusing whatever they had for eyes directly on her. She could feel all the happiness and excitement she had felt about this day bleed from her as if a drain had been unstopped. She closed her eyes as she passed between them, trying not to pay attention to the way her insides were freezing. She heard the little girl—her younger self start to cry again. Katie broke into a run, cold sweat starting to bead on her face, only slowing when the crying had stopped and the sick feeling in her stomach had lessened.

As she entered the town, her insides began to unclench and her mind cleared. She took deep breaths to calm herself and focused on the sights and sounds of Hogsmeade. Tendrils of smoke drifted up from the various shops and the coins in her money bag jangled merrily as she walked down the High Street. She said hello to a couple fourth year Ravenclaws she knew as they exited (and she entered) the Three Broomsticks. The cozy Hogsmeade watering hole was brightly lit and packed as ever when Katie stepped into it. She loosed her cloak from around her body as the warmth of the crowded establishment wrapped itself around her. She stood on tip-toe briefly until she spotted Angelina and Alicia hailing her from a small table off to one side. Katie nodded at them in recognition, then made her way to the bar to order a Butterbeer from the voluptuous owner, Madam Rosmerta. At last, she sat down with her friends and took her first swig. She immediately felt her insides begin to thaw again.

"What took you so long?" Alicia asked.

"I ran into Oliver," responded Katie lightly, "literally. And smashed that old suit of armor just below the fifth floor. Again."

"Ah…to be graceful as a swan—" Angelina started.

Katie winced. "Don't remind me, and you're starting to sound like the twins."

Angelina immediately shut her mouth. Alicia snickered.

"Honestly Katie," Alicia said as she avoided Angelina's glare, "I don't know how you ever got into sports when you're so clumsy."

"I'm coordinated," Katie replied, "that doesn't mean I'm graceful."

"Here here!" called Angelina.

Katie smiled as they all clinked bottles in a toast.

After a while, Angelina and Alicia wanted to get out and shop. Katie was uneager to leave the warm haven of the Three Broomsticks, but she also knew her friends wanted get out with her for a while before her rendezvous with Cedric. And so the three of them wound their way out of the cozy canteen and stepped out onto the muddy high street. Katie tried to keep her mind on her friends and their jokes as they visited Scrivenshaft's. Alicia already needed more parchment, a fact which horrified Angelina.

"We're only two months into the year!" she blurted out. "How can you possibly have run out?"

"I haven't run out, I'm just getting low, and it's because I've already begun making study sheets for the end of the year," Alicia responded, glancing longingly at a beautiful eagle-feather quill.

"She's absoruddylutely insane," Angelina muttered quietly to Katie, who was making it appear as if she was looking at color-changing ink. In reality, her mind was fixed on one o'clock. As she covertly peeked at her watch every now and again, the minutes seemed to be passing ever more slowly.

But finally, the appointed hour did dawn. Katie said goodbye to her friends as they walked out of the Hogsmeade branch of Quality Quidditch Supplies. Both older girls wished her luck, and headed down to Honeydukes as Katie turned the other way for Zonko's. She could see the joke shop's weathered sign swinging over the door just ahead, but no Cedric. Walking up to the door, she peered inside at all the students crowding around shelves and cases. She spotted to the Weasley twins huddled with their heads together in a corner, with Lee Jordan standing a little ways away, surveying some very colourful boxes on a nearby shelf. He caught her eye and waved. Katie returned it, then turned away. It didn't appear that Cedric was inside, either. Shrugging and telling herself that she would be happy to wait, she went outside and leaned against the window of the brightly-lit front display.

The minutes ticked even slower, if that was possible, as when she had been waiting to come here in the first place. She looked at the ominous clouds rolling in from the horizon. Two minutes passed. She scanned the street up and down, looking for any trace of him. Five minutes…seven minutes…ten. She felt like a tennis fan, looking back and forth and back and forth and back… She checked her watch. Fifteen long, torturous minutes had passed since she was supposed to have met Cedric. Up until now, she had been thinking of all the things that could have happened to make him just a little late. Maybe he had lost track of time, maybe the errand was taking longer than he had thought. He hadn't even said what the errand was, after all. Maybe it was something very complex, something he had to go to several stores for. But now her mind began to think horrible things. More specifically, that she was being stood up. Maybe this was some cruel joke. Maybe he had noticed how many times she had tried to talk to him and how many times she had looked longingly at the Hufflepuff table. Another part of her mind firmly refused that Cedric would do such a thing. He was a Hufflepuff, after all, a house known for its fairness. And he had always been such a gentleman before… Why would he have told her about his father, and been so kind to her when she had broke down, if he only wanted to hurt her? But after twenty minutes had passed, Fred, George and Lee came out of the store.

"Hey, Kates," said Fred, "What's the deal?"

"Been Confunded or something?" asked George.

Katie shook her head. "I was waiting for…someone, but they haven't shown up."

The twins looked at her concernedly, as if she was their own little sister. For all their pranks and mischief, they could be caring nonetheless.

"Come on," said Fred, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "Let's go to Honeydukes."

"But—"

"Whoever you're waiting for can find us there," said George, copying his bother and leaving Katie sandwiched between them.

"But—"

"Well, that's settled, then," Fred said as he strode off, pulling Katie with him.

Katie made only feeble attempts to resist. The fact of the matter was that she was too numb to care. The boy of her dreams had just pulled off her greatest nightmare and she wasn't about to forget it in a hurry. She trudged along between the twins, with Lee pulling up the rear as they walked down the High Street to Honeydukes. Katie's nose met the smell of sweets with less enthusiasm than ever before. If she'd had her druthers, she would rather puke than eat candy at the moment. She let herself fall into such a distemper that she frowned disapprovingly at the warm and welcoming lights that filled the shop and all the students blissfully picking through Honeydukes vast wealth of confections.

"Hey, Katie," said Lee, pointing to a shelf. "Look! They've got a great deal on Chocoballs!"

Katie glared at the large glass jar he was pointing at. Chocoballs. Cedric's favourite. Just what—and who—she didn't want to be thinking about at that particular moment. She tried not to scowl at Lee for drawing her attention to them—she'd already taken her anger out on one innocent bystander this year.

"Katie!"

Katie froze. Had she just imagined hearing that voice?

"Katie!"

There it was again. Was it possible to have repeat hallucinations? She turned around. There was Cedric, pushing through the crowd towards her, clutching a bag in his hand, his cheeks flushed. Katie turned back to Lee.

"Give us five, Lee," she said with a grin.

"Hi Katie!" said Cedric, coming to her side. "I'm really sorry. It took way longer than I thought and—"

"Don't worry about it," said Katie jovially. "Care for a Chocoball?"

"Um, well, I was going to get some…" he started.

"I still owe you for that Chocolate Frog," Katie reminded him.

"Nonsense!"

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Cedric. You're late, so I get to buy you Chocoballs if I want to."

"So this is the bloke you were waiting for?" Lee asked, raising an eyebrow at Katie as he handed her the sweets.

"This is Cedric Diggory," Katie said, "I don't know if any of you've met?"

"Don't believe we have," said George, pushing his way up in front of the slightly bewildered Hufflepuff. "Enchanté, Monsieur."

Fred bumped his brother out of the way. "Allow me to introduce us. I am Gred, and this is my brother, Forge."

"And if we hear about you doing anything to Katie—"

"That's enough, George!" Katie interrupted. Cedric appeared slightly nervous.

"Well, we'll be off then," said Lee, grabbing both his friends by the back of their cloaks.

Fred and George gave Cedric a warning look.

"Come on, guys!" Lee added in a pleading hiss. The twins grinned at each other, then simultaneously tackled Lee to the floor.

"Ow! Gerroff!" came Lee's muffled voice from beneath them

Katie nudged Cedric and they turned away.

"Sorry about them. They're a little, um, over the top," she said.

"I noticed," Cedric replied dryly.

"So, anything you wanted to buy here? And don't say Chocoballs."

Cedric closed his mouth and grinned. "I can't weasel my way out of this, can I?"

"Nope," responded Katie cheerfully, "I've been in the same situation with Angelina and Alicia plenty of times, so don't even try."

"I'll take your word for it."

Cedric glanced around at the tall shelves lined with all manner of Magical and Muggle sweets alike. They spent the better part of an hour there, walking out with bags filled with Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizbees, nougat, Exploding Bon-Bons, Pumpkin Pasties and some of Honeydukes famous chocolate. Katie's mood had completely reverted back to butterflies-in-the-stomach excited. She could forgive Cedric anything, especially when he had such a good excuse.

"Here," she said, holding out her package of Chocoballs to him. "Don't forget these."

"I wish I could've," he said with a grin. "You're too good for me, Miss Bell."

"Consider us even," Katie responded. "And please don't call me by my last name. Only Professors and Oliver do that."

"Wood—I mean Oliver—calls you by your last name?"

Katie shrugged. "See? You do it, too. I guess it's just a guy thing."

"Guess it is," Cedric mused.

"It's weird, like boys are scared of being too close to their mates," Katie thought aloud as they both took a seat on a bench outside of the post office.

"Girls are almost too close with their friends, though," said Cedric. "It seems like you can read one another's minds sometimes. That's scary to us blokes."

"We understand each other so well because we actually talk about things. You blokes seem like you're always have to act tough. But our way, when something happens, we already have the other gal's background and know how she's going to react. It can get a bit much at times, though."

"You seem to have thought about this a lot," said Cedric with a laugh.

Katie smiled as her heart skipped a beat. She loved being able to make Cedric laugh.

"Not really. I've just spent enough time with both sexes to get how each one works."

"Well, you certainly come across as pretty smart about it all."

"Thanks."

There was a slightly awkward silence as they both stared at the people traversing the High Street. Cedric pulled out the bag of Chocoballs.

"Do you want one?" he asked as he opened it.

"I told you, they're yours."

"Yes. I know that. And I'm offering one to you, as one does when they have something," he finished sarcastically.

"Well, then I suppose I shall have to accept, as one does when one is offered something as scrumptious as a Chocoball," Katie replied in similar fashion, taking one and popping it in her mouth. She felt her extremities become just a bit warmer as she bit down on the delicious chocolate. Not quite as revitalizing as after the dementor on the train, but still effective. Then, she remembered the dementors flanking the school gates, and hearing her own little self crying…

"Cedric?" she asked thickly.

"Mm?"

"Wha—" she swallowed the sweet. "What happened to you when the dementor came?"

Cedric shrugged, finishing his Chocoball as well. "It was cold…and it felt like someone was squeezing my insides…"

Katie looked at him expectantly. There had to be something else. Were she and Harry the only ones that couldn't take the dementors?

"Don't worry about it, Katie," he said, catching her look. "Dad says Dementors make you go through the worst things in your life and, well, I guess I just haven't had a whole lot of bad things happen to me."

Katie nodded, but didn't feel all that reassured.

"Just don't think about them," said Cedric, again reading her expression quite accurately. "Let's talk about something else. What do you do in your free time? Over the holidays and such?"

"Well, we never really go anywhere, Da being a postman and all," said Katie, thinking, "I try to find a pick-up Quidditch game whenever I can…"

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Well, I play this Muggle sport, football, once in a while…"

"The one where they kick the Quaffle, er, ball around?"

"Yeah."

"Anything else?"

"Well, I like to cook sometimes."

"Because your dad's so bad at it?"

"Well, that's why I started, but I really like it, now. They have these shows on television—do you know what that is?"

Cedric nodded.

"So they have these shows and they tell you how to cook things. And I like coming up with things on my own, you know, getting ideas and trying it out. I think that's why Potions is my best class."

"Really? I thought all Gryffindors…um…well, I'd heard almost all of them were really bad…"

"Hogwarts myth," Katie said.

Cedric smiled. "There seems to be a lot of those."

"Like Hufflepuffs are all a bunch of duffers?" Katie teased.

Cedric's smile widened. "Cheeky little thing, aren't you?"

Katie grinned back, "I do my best."

He checked his watch. "I suppose you've already stopped in at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Yes, but I don't mind going back" she replied quickly. Catching herself, she added casually, "I mean, it's not a big deal."

"I'd like that," he said, standing up, "I haven't got a chance yet."

"So, what do you do in your free time?" Katie asked, rising to follow Cedric.

"Oh, lots of things…"

Katie gave him a playful glare to let him know he couldn't get away with being vague. He caught her eye and smirked.

"Well, I like to dance," he said sheepishly.

Katie raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. Mom insisted on teaching me when I was little. I fought her every step of the way. It was horrible, having to tell my mates I was going to dance class when they were out having dungbomb wars, but Mom said it was something that I'd appreciate later in life."

Cedric, ever the gentleman, opened the door to the Three Broomsticks and motioned for Katie to enter first. She thanked him shyly as she stepped past him into the busy pub. She led the way up to the bar, where Madam Rosmerta halted her conversation with a attractive-looking wizard long enough to fill their order of two Butterbeers. Katie wasn't really that thirsty, but she knew it would be awkward if she just sat there and watched Cedric drink.

"So, have you started to appreciate it yet?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Some girls seem to find it attractive," he said.

Katie was surprised by this comment at first, but then noticed the searching look in his eye. He wanted to see her reaction, but she didn't have to give him one. Instead, she cracked a smile.

"They do?" she asked coyly.

He shrugged again. Katie guessed he was trying to remain casual.

"Some. I don't really get to do it very often, though."

"I suppose there really isn't an opportunity out here," Katie sympathized.

"I always get to over the holidays, though," said Cedric. "We always host or go to other parties around Christmas, so there's plenty of time then. Mom always makes me dance with her at least once."

"I've never been very graceful," Katie admitted.

"Well, I could teach you sometime…" Cedric offered.

"Oh…no, thanks. I mean, I wouldn't want to waste your time," Katie responded hurriedly.

"I guarantee, if you can play sports—especially Muggle ones—" he added as she opened her mouth to protest that Quidditch really didn't involve very much physical activity, "you can dance."

"Well, I don't—" she started.

"Come on," he pleaded.

Katie drained the last of her Butterbeer to give herself time to think. She had to be insane for even considering this. Especially after she had just run into someone and toppled a suit of armor earlier that day. That was it. She was out of her mind. She'd just have to politely say no. But when she put the empty bottle down, she found herself mesmerized by his beautiful gray eyes.

"Um, I guess," she heard herself saying, as if from across the room.

"I can give you a quick lesson right now, then we should head back up to the castle," he said.

"Ri-Right now?" Katie gasped.

"You're not weaseling your way out of this one!" Cedric exclaimed gleefully.

Katie groaned. She'd done herself in this time.

"It's not going to be that bad," he reassured her as they stepped out onto the High Street once again.

"Can we at least go someplace where no one will laugh at me?" asked Katie

"No one's going to laugh at you."

"Please," she pleaded.

"Oh, alright," he relented. He headed off towards the lonely road leading to the Shrieking Shack.

After the road took a bend and they were out of sight of the main road, Cedric stopped. Finding the least muddy patch of dead grass possible, he set down his bags. Katie followed suit.

"Okay. Waltz first, because it's the easiest. All you have to do is count to three."

"I don't think I can do that," said Katie with mock disappointment.

Cedric shot her what would have been a dirty look except for the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Now, we stand like this…"

He swept her into his arms with considerable speed and grace. Katie jumped as he place his hand on the small of her back.

"This arm up here…" he said, guiding her left hand up to his neck.

Katie's nerves were going crazy. Every ounce of her brain was on his hand on her back, and the feel of her hand against the warm, smooth skin of his neck. She had to remind herself to breathe.

"Now, I take this hand," he said, taking her right hand in his left.

Again, she almost jumped as her senses started buzzing wildly.

"Arms up!" he said, raising their joined hands up to shoulder height and bringing the hand on her back up almost to her arm pit. He looked down. "Feet together."

Katie immediately jumped to bring her feet side-by-side.

"Now, just get the feel of this position," said Cedric calmly. "You're not going to have to do anything but move your feet, okay?"

Katie nodded. Her heart was racing. And she knew it wouldn't be long before she fell over; she wasn't used to standing up this straight. The benefit, however, of finally standing erect, was that Cedric wasn't too much taller than she was. She only had to tilt her head a little to look into those gorgeous eyes…

"We'll just do a simple box step for now," Cedric said, breaking her train of thought. "Step straight back on your right foot, and I'll step with my left. Okay?"

Katie only nodded. Step back. Right foot. It sounded easy enough.

"Ready…and…go."

Cedric pushed her forward gently with his hands, and stepped towards her. Katie responded by taking a huge step back and losing her balance. It was only Cedric's strong grip on her that prevented her from becoming a muddy heap in the road.

"Steady now..." he said as she righted herself while going pink in the face. "That was alright, just not so big a step. Let's try again."

Katie nodded.

"Okay. Ready and go."

Katie was more prepared for his subtle push this time and stepped back only as far as she could keep on her feet.

"Good. Now the second move is to the right. No, sorry, my right, your left. After the step back with your right foot, you step to the side with your left foot and then bring your right foot up to it. Got it?"

"Okay," said Katie hesitantly.

"I'm going to be guiding you with my hands, so if you ever need to know what you're supposed to be doing, just follow my hands."

"Right."

"Okay. Now, starting with the step back…ready and go."

Katie did even better on the backwards step this time, but hurried the sidestep and then crossed her right foot over.

"Okay, let's try that again," said Cedric after she had untangled her feet. "It's real easy, just one, two, three."

"Sorry," said Katie, blushing quite profusely now.

"It's okay. You should have seen me at first," he added with a grin.

Katie couldn't help but smile back. It was a wonderful feeling, being this close to him. She could smell his deodorant, and the Butterbeer on his breath…

"Once again," Cedric interrupted her thoughts once more. "Ready and go."

They stepped one, two, three together and came to a halt.

"Very good. Now we just do the same thing, only stepping forward and to the other side, like a box. Guess what it's called?" he added sarcastically.

Katie rolled her eyes. Her arms were staring to hurt, staying up and rigid like this for a while, but she did her best to ignore it. She was a Chaser, after all, and needed strong arms. Maybe she should start doing push-ups to build muscle?

"Ready and go," came the familiar cue.

Katie concentrated on what she was doing and found that, as Cedric had said, it really was quite easy. When they finished the first box, Cedric said to keep going. He quietly counted "one, two, thee" under his breath for her as they traced the box with their feet again and again. Then, Cedric pushed her lightly to the right with his hands. Katie, remembering what he had said earlier about him guiding her, rotated (despite a slight stumble) in the indicated direction and kept stepping.

"Good," said Cedric with a smile. "We'll just take it around this road."

One, two, three. One, two, three. Katie and Cedric waltzed their way in a circle around the bend in the road. Katie was positively elated. Here she was, being taught to dance by the cutest boy in school, one hand on his neck and the other clasped in his own. The sight and smell of him filled her mind. She took mental pictures she was sure she would treasure forever, of Cedric's face as he guided her around this secluded space, just the two of them. Katie had never been happier.

When they finally came back to where their bags sat, Cedric took his right hand from her back, lifted his other above her head. Katie followed the motions, and found herself spinning, her arm extending as she swirled away from him, then came to a halt, slightly breathless. Cedric smiled and bowed to her. Katie at first bowed back, then remembered she was supposed to curtsy, and ended up doing a very wobbly hybrid of the two.

"See? It's pretty easy," Cedric said, as he finally released her hand.

"At least I didn't have to think about where we were going," Katie admitted.

Cedric laughed. "No, that's my job. You're just there to enjoy the ride and look pretty. That's how waltzing works."

"I think it's a genius idea," she replied with a smile. "If only life worked that way…"

"Don't go getting ideas," he warned, though returning her smile as he picked up his bags and handed Katie hers. "Well, we'd better get back to the castle."

"Okay," said Katie, trying not to let her reluctance be detectable in her voice. "Thanks for the lesson."

"You did well," he complimented.

"I had a good teacher," she replied.

Cedric blushed. "Katie, I—"

"What?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat.

"I think you'd be a really good dancer," he said.

"Oh," Katie wasn't sure whether to elated or depressed, "Right. Well, let's get back. I don't want to miss the feast!"

Cedric nodded and fell into step with her as they strolled down the muddy lane back to Hogsmeade.