Late Summer, 1997

Several weeks later, Oliver was glad that he and Katie had an already-established meeting place outside of the magical world. But that didn't stop him from apparating to a point several blocks away from the muggle café and then walking there to meet Katie. The walk gave him time to establish that he hadn't been followed.

This time it was more difficult to find Katie, as they were meeting in the midst of what appeared to be the lunch rush. He managed to spot her within a few moments, though, and made his way through the crowd to the booth she was seated in, this time slipping into the seat beside her.

"You heard from Fred?" Oliver asked without preamble.

"Angie," Katie corrected, slipping her hand into his in the small space still separating them. "But she said she had it from the twins." She surreptitiously checked their surroundings. And, once she ascertained that no one in the busy establishment seemed to be paying the couple any attention, she lowered her voice and continued, "I can't believe the Ministry fell to the Death Eaters…"

"And they must have taken control of the Prophet as well," Oliver said with a small sigh, slumping back into his seat, but squeezing Katie's hand in a comforting manner, "Because they haven't mentioned the takeover at all. They even had an article saying that Scrimgeour resigned."

"Have you…Did you see this morning's Prophet?" Katie asked slowly.

Oliver nodded. "Well, sort of, anyway. We had an emergency meeting with management today before my copy got delivered. But it was about that Muggleborn Registration Commission. Puddlemere's considering pulling out of the league until the War ends. They didn't exactly come out and say as much, but it'll be to protect any muggleborns involved with the team."

"I don't think there's going to be any Quidditch until this war ends; Holyhead has already pulled out," Katie stated. "There was a press release just this morning saying that the Harpies have suspended their season. They didn't give any reason for it, but I think people will figure it out easily enough."

"Is that why you're back from vacation early?" Oliver asked.

Having been recruited to the Holyhead Harpies with the completion of her schooling in late June, Katie had joined the team just before the start of their mid-summer break. With the time off, she had gone on a short vacation with her parents out of the country. She hadn't been due back for several more days, still, and Oliver had been surprised—but relieved—to receive her letter that morning.

Katie nodded. "We had a team meeting this morning, too, but I got back late last night. I bought a ticket for muggle transportation back to England as soon as I got Angie's letter, even before I heard from the management in Holyhead."

"Did your parents come back with you?" Oliver asked. He knew that Mr. and Mrs. Bell had been intending to travel for a bit longer while Katie got started with her training camp.

"No," Katie said shortly. "They…they aren't coming back."

A look of alarm spread across Oliver's face at this announcement. "Did something happen to them while you were away?"

"Oh, no!" Katie said swiftly. "They're both perfectly alright," she reassured him. "It's just…you know that my mum is muggleborn, right?"

Oliver frowned. Had he known that? Certainly he knew that Katie was half-blood and had been raised in both the muggle and magical worlds. But while he had known that her parents were a witch and wizard, he had never actually made the connection that one or both of them must not have been raised that way.

"And she wasn't very long out of Hogwarts when the First War broke out," Katie continued without waiting for a reply. "She's told me stories about what life was like for her back then. She once told me that she reckons she only survived because she had dad to keep her sane. And when I got the letter from Angie, both of them were hesitant to return to England. In fact, they decided not to."

"And they let you come back without them?" Oliver questioned, still frowning. He knew what Katie's parents had gone through in the past year, had sat by their sides practically every day in their daughter's hospital room. They wouldn't have let Katie out of their sight so easily if they knew the War had escalated.

"No, they didn't," Katie told him. She bit her lip before continuing, "I…well, I snuck out in the middle of the night. I made sure to leave a note telling them not to come after me." It was her turn to frown now, "I'm pretty sure they'll listen to it."

"Oh, Kates…" Oliver said with a sigh, releasing her hand so that he could wrap her in a hug. Katie immediately buried her head in his shoulder, gladly taking the comfort he offered.

"I just feel so lost, Oliver," Katie's voice was muffled as she spoke into his shirt. "Things shouldn't have come to this, but I won't sit idle while everyone I know fights. I joined D.A. for a reason, and I just want this war to end."

"We'll just have to take it one day at a time and we'll get through it," Oliver said firmly. "We'll start with today. Where are you staying?"

"Alicia and Angie's," Katie replied. "I couldn't go home. Not right away, anyway. I didn't apply for an emergency international portkey because now the Ministry doesn't have a record of me returning to the country. I'll go home after this to gather some things so that I can move in with Angie and Alicia."

Oliver frowned slightly, his expression otherwise thoughtful. "Do you have to move in with them?"

"Well I can hardly stay at home," Katie told him, finally shifting her head so that she was looking up at her boyfriend rather than speaking into his shoulder. "With me gone, the house will appear deserted if that ridiculous Commission sends people looking for mum."

"No," Oliver corrected himself, "I mean, does it have to be the two of them that you move in with?"

Katie's shrugged as much as she could with Oliver's arms still wrapped around her. "They offered the space to me. And I'd rather not get my own place, so that the Ministry can't happen across some record of where I live. I know they'll want to question me for mum's whereabouts."

"But…" Oliver began slowly, "What if…what if you moved in with me instead?"

Oliver couldn't look down at Katie as he felt her stiffen suddenly in his embrace. Instead, he kept his gaze focused on the empty seat across from them. Oliver would freely admit to himself that he was nervous about what her answer would be. This was definitely not where he had seen this conversation going when it began. Indeed, his offer to have Katie move in with him had been a rather spur of the moment thought. But he definitely couldn't help thinking how very much he wanted her to agree to his proposal.

"Do you really want me to?" Katie finally asked, her voice cautious.

"Yes," Oliver said immediately, finally looking back down at her. "I really do. You could have my spare room." He grinned suddenly, "I've been to Angelina and Alicia's flat…you'd be sleeping on the couch there."

"This is true," Katie allowed and Oliver saw that a lighthearted expression had come to her face for the first time during that day. "Having my own room would really be the main factor in moving in with you. We both know that I have plenty of other boyfriends willing to take me in."

"None of them are as good looking as I am, though," Oliver argued playfully. "So that's another thing I have going for me."

"This is also true," Katie agreed, a full-out grin spreading across her face now.

"So you'll do it, then?" Oliver asked hopefully. "You'll move in with me?"

"Why yes, Mr. Wood," Katie replied, "I do believe I will."

A matching grin appeared on Oliver's face at her words and he leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

Yes, the War was now in full swing and raging all around them, but they still had each other. But, as Oliver had already stated, they would get through it. They just needed to take it one day at a time. Together.