30th April cont'd

Words failed me. The stadium erupted. Ron, Hermione, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, Fay and a few randomers from other years and other Houses all hugged me. I couldn't get over it, GRYFFINDOR WON THE HOUSE CUP! I screamed as loud as I could and we all ran for the pitch to congratulate the team.

Harry had been raised onto the shoulders of those in the crowds along with the rest of the team. He still had the Snitch tightly clasped in his hand. Katie, Alicia and Angelina were all in a group hug, mid-air, surrounded by a cluster of friends joining in on the ground. Katie leaned down to kiss Bernie. Fred and George were fist-pumping into the air, smiling from ear to ear. Oliver was bawling his eyes out, snot and all. 'We won the cup!' he repeated. Percy was jumping up and down like a maniac, any sign of being Head Boy had momentarily gone out the window! I was completely deafened by the noise. Professor McGonagall approached her team, the tears tripping her worse than Oliver's, but at least she had a tissue! This was definitely one of her proudest moments. I certainly wasn't going to forget this feeling any time soon.

The team were carried towards the stands where Dumbledore stood waiting. Ron, Hermione and I pushed our way to the front, claiming we had a right to be there, being the Seeker's best friends and all. They formed a huddle where Wood was presented the enormous Quidditch Cup and he kissed it before lifting it high in the air. The cheers from the crowd were exhilarating! Immense pride took over Gryffindor House as we all celebrated together. A multitude of photographs were taken by Colin Creevey to commemorate the moment. Wood then handed the cup to Harry and he lifted it high in the air, I had never seen Harry so happy.

I caught the eye of Oliver and grinned at him, shouting, "Congratulations!" He waved for me to join them on the stands. I shook my head. I was certainly not a part of the team and was never going to be. I saw both Fred and Angelina approach me and take me by the arms, grabbing me and dragging me towards the stand. I stood in the middle as the team surrounded me in one massive hug. They were such lovely friends. Then Oliver shouted, "CREEVEY! GET A PICTURE OF OUR TECHNICAL ADVISOR!"

"Really, Oliver?"

"Your move helped us win the game, Kathryn!" Katie shouted over to me.

"YOU WON THE CUP!" I threw my arms around the team once again, hugging them all individually and stood between Oliver and George as Colin took the photo they insisted on. I felt so out of place. I looked up at George who was smiling down at me, I shook my head, I couldn't believe it.

McGonagall provided a buffet up in the Gryffindor Common Room that evening as the celebrations had been ongoing all afternoon. Fred and George returned to the Tower continually with sweets and drinks and chocolates. The partying was much better and much more enthusiastic than ever before. Fred and George were often the centre of attention, telling jokes and making fools out of themselves. They also had the opportunity to show off some of their products they had made at home. The three girls were surrounded by friends and those wanting to hug them or get autographs (mostly first years asked for these) and they danced as though they had no care in the world.

After we ate, they brought up a drink I hadn't tried before- firewhiskey. George, for the first time that day had approached me and took me over to the side to speak to me on my own, "Sorry, I've been a bit… preoccupied."

"Don't you worry one bit." I smiled, biting my lip slightly, "Congrats. You are now even more popular within the school. I can't believe how amazing you all were! That elbow in Boles' face was rather impressive." I winked at him.

"It wouldn't have happened without you. I knew it was pure gold that day you put Wood in his place, he had us perfecting that move Fred and I now refer to as the 'swooning Kathryn' every practice."

"Stop talking nonsense, George, I just spoke and some words came out." I put my hand on his shoulder and playfully pushed him off.

He leaned in a little closer, "Perhaps you should do that more often." He coughed a little as he giggled and then handed me a bottle of firewhiskey, "I brought this over for you."

"Are you sure it's safe?" I looked at him curiously.

He looked thoughtfully at me, "As long as you don't drink too much. After about 5 you'll probably get a bit tipsy, but I'm not saying no, I'd like to see you let your hair down again!" he placed his hand on my hip.

"Maybe I'll just try this one for now, eh?" I took a sip of the liquid which was warm and pleasant as it went down my throat, leaving an aftertaste of fire causing me to cough. "WOWZAH! That stuff's good!" The two of us laughed together and stood chatting together for a while, not about anything in particular, we always found something to talk about. This was before he got grabbed by his friend Joseph who wanted to show him a new trick.

"How are you drinking that stuff?" Hermione slipped in beside me.

"How are you not?" I laughed, starting in on my second bottle, "It's amazing!"

She raised an eyebrow at me, "Well, I suppose it's an alternative to butterbeer."

"I'm so proud of them, 'Mione, all of them, I feel like a proud mother!" I confessed, "They all played brilliantly and before you ask, I merely told Wood, one time that one of his defensive moves could be improved on the field if he tried a particular technique. It was the team that implemented it, therefore I did nothing, really."

"Whatever you say." She walked over to Ron whom she had been spending a lot of time with lately. It was good to see that they weren't fighting. I watched from afar. I saw Harry being high-fived and toasted, I'm sure he felt like he was on cloud nine.

Next thing Colin Creevey was standing beside me, holding his camera and a bunch of moving photographs. "I think you'll like this one." He said nervously to me, handing over a photo of me with the team, smiling like an eejit. "Or this one. But you're not looking at the camera as much…" he slipped a second photo into my hand. This particular one captured George and I smiling at each other, and then looking at the camera, our eyes gleaming from happiness and excitement. My heart stopped for a second as I thought about the way he was looking at me. I glanced over at him where he was standing with his friends. He was staring at me already. "You don't like it…" Colin's voice lowered.

"No, Colin, its perfect. They're both perfect!" I went to hand them back to him.

The small blonde-haired boy grinned at me, "No, they're for you!"

"Thank you so much!" I smiled at him, "I can see you being a professional when you're older, you know."

He smiled at me and went to find his next target. He was such a sweet little boy.

"I see Creevey gave you a set of photos too! Let me have a look!" Oliver had approached me and started speaking before I had a chance to react. He was swaying slightly on the spot, with a permanent smile on his face, firewhiskey in hand. I showed him the group photo and he smiled, "I'll sign the back of this for you, it'll be worth something some day!"

"That sounds like a lovely idea! You massive big head!" I joked and agreed, I would have to get the rest of the team to sign mine. He borrowed a quill sitting on one of the tables and signed the back of my photo and then handed it to me.

"Sign mine?" he asked, giggling.

He'd definitely had too many firewhiskeys, "Sure." I took the quill and signed my full name, making it look pretty and curly.

"Beautiful." He admired it, moving the photo closer and further from his eyes, "I really need to get some air," He said, "will you keep me company?"

"Alright!" I said, it was rather warm being cooped up in the Common Room all afternoon. Earlier I had changed into one of my pretty checked skirts and a maroon blouse, my tie still around my neck, showing my support for Gryffindor, but was still roasting! Oliver finished off his bottle of firewhiskey and tried placing it on the table beside me, but dropped it to the floor, I watched as it rolled under the sofa out of sight and then we left through the portrait door, "How many of those have you had?" I asked him, realising we were now alone.

"About… 5?" he spoke, "Possibly 4" he added, "Maybe 6." He wracked his brains. Oliver babbled on talking nonsense or Quidditch or something in my ear as we made it to the doors in the Entrance hall and started our walk around the school grounds. It had just gone half 7 and the air was still relatively warm and the breeze was refreshing as I breathed in the smell of freshly mown grass.

"Did you know that the last time Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup was when Charlie Weasley was captain? He was the person who taught the team the stop, drop and roll technique. I really do think it was pure genius of him, but then you came along and gave us a new sequence of moves, now officially known as 'the Kathryn', how did you do it?" Oliver asked, but as I opened my mouth to respond he had started onto a new topic, "I can't believe I won the cup! I lead the team to victory! I just can't get over it…" he continued on and on and on…

We were almost finished a circle of the gardens and were heading for the courtyard when Oliver asked, "What happened between us? We were good, you know…" That was one thing I wasn't expecting to hear from him. Quidditch, yes, but what was with the sudden change of tone?

He even gave me the opportunity to answer, "You mean when you were a self-centred-"

"I know I was an arse and I'm really sorry about that…" he seemed genuine, but at the same time had had enough to drink for me to not take him all too seriously.

I nodded, "We've discussed it, we're better off as friends!"

"See that's the thing, I don't think so." He put his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes, he was no longer swaying. "I think we would be good together, again."

"Oliver…" I sighed. I didn't want to hear this conversation. I walked towards the courtyard.

"I'll promise not to be an arse again. I really want to make it up to you…" he pleaded with me.

I shook my head, "It's not going to happen, you hurt me, Oliver."

"Give me a chance to make it up to you."

He stood closer to me and I kept taking steps back, "You're leaving school next month, for good!"

He grabbed my arm tight, "There's things I wanted to do before I left school… and yes, I've only got a matter of weeks left but that won't stop us! I don't live too far away! I can meet you in Hogsmeade, I'll write to you, I'll-"

My heart started to race, I couldn't get away, "I'm a third year, have you thought about how ridiculous this is?"

"The heart wants what it wants, Kathryn… and I. Want. You." Oliver pressed his lips against mine.

I pushed him off, "No! Don't! Oliver, please let me go!" His grip got tighter as he pushed me up against the wall in the corner of the courtyard. I could feel his breath on my cheek as I turned my face away from him. I really had nowhere to move. I could smell something other than firewhiskey off his breath. I tried not to panic.

"I told you, there are a few things I want to do before-" his fingertips brushed my thigh.

"NO!" I shouted, trying my best to cross my legs. I fumbled for my wand, realising it was in my jeans from earlier. I forgot to lift my wand. What Witch forgets her wand? Now I started to panic.

"Shhhhhh…" Oliver spoke softly, rubbing my cheek with his thumb, moving a piece of my fringe out of my eyes.

I took a few deep breaths, "Lets… talk about this… How about we umm… sit over there, on that wall?" I tried to break free.

Oliver leant down, his face close to mine again, "I know you like me, I know it can be daunting on your first time, but here's a secret for you… It's my first time, too." He whispered loudly. He exaggerated as he bit his lip and kissed me again except harder, my head hit the wall behind me and I turned my face away from him as soon as I was able, desperately gasping for air.

"This is wrong, Oliver. You need to let me go, you need to, please!" I pleaded. I thought I was going to be sick. His fingertips brushed my thighs again, further up my skirt. "AHHHHHHH! NO! OLIVER! GET OFF!" I screamed. I hit him. I thrashed and I kicked. He punched into my stomach, I felt like all the air had been squeezed out of my lungs. Then Oliver's knuckles collided with my left eye and pain seared through my body at a new, heightened sensitivity.

Oliver kissed me again, stopping me from screaming, I bit him, his lip started bleeding, "You're feisty, aren't you?" he pinned me up against the wall with both hands. The look in his eye was maddening, like he was going to do all he could in his power to hurt me. He was too strong, I couldn't overpower him, "Look, I've got protection!" he started to open the packaging, ripping it with his teeth.

I cried out.

"I can't Oliver, not now, not-!" his hand went further up my skirt, and I tried to turn away from him as he bent over, then he got a hold of my underwear and started to tug, but I knee-d him in the chin and he was forced to let go.

He carefully brushed away my tears, "I don't mind if it's your time of the month! It makes the experience all the more… natural." he took a hold of my tie and loosened it, pulled it over my head and used it to tie both my hands behind my back. I was powerless against him as he proceeded to pull me in closer into his body. I could feel his heartbeat against my face as I tried to push him away.

"HELP ME!" I screamed as loud as I could. I felt suffocated by the feeling of entrapment. My head started spinning, the ground felt like it was moving.

"SHHHHHH!" he put his hand up to my mouth, scratching my cheek. In doing this he released the pressure on my body and with all my might, I thrust my shoulder into his jaw. "AOW!" he screeched. Taking a firm hold of me again.

"HELPPPPPP!" I could hardly breathe, I was so afraid as he took out all the buttons of my blouse, one by one, "NO!" I shouted, "NO OLIVER! GET OFF ME!" I pushed him and kicked him where I knew it would hurt, but he only grabbed my leg and told me he wasn't ready. I spat. I head-butted him. My knees were shaking so badly and I dropped to the ground, but he picked me back up again. He fumbled with the buttons. Losing patience, he ripped the shirt clean off me. I was stuck. With no way out. My whole body was shaking, my tears were clouding my vision, "OLIVER PLEASE, STOP! GET OFF ME! LET GO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO-" he was about to unclip my bra.

"SHE SAID GET OFF, WOOD." I heard a familiar voice. I wondered if it was part of my imagination. I could have collapsed; my breathing had become so erratic.

The voice must have been real as Oliver let go of me and turned. My knees buckled and I crashed to the ground, my face hitting the flagstones cutting into my skin. I was now blinded by my tears. I desperately tried to release myself from the tie around my wrists. I stretched the material and cut it against the sharp edging of the wall behind me. Once released, I frantically tried to wipe the tears from my eyes. My hearing had become muffled. I didn't know who was standing around me or if Oliver could come attack me again. I couldn't steady myself to get up and run. I grabbed onto my head, to make sense of what was going on, to stop the world from spinning and tried to scream, but then I couldn't hear a thing.

I felt a pair of strong, warm hands on my arms and a cloak was wrapped around me. I held onto it for dear life, pushing myself away from them. I desperately wiped my eyes, trying to focus until the red hair came into view.

"It's me, Kathryn!" I heard the voice again, "Kathryn, take deep breaths for me! Oh Merlin, you're bleeding…"

I took deep breaths, holding the cloak up to my nose, the smell was familiar, my thoughts were racing as I tried to work out who it was. Whose voice? Whose smell? Whose touch?

"George." The tiniest of voices escaped my mouth.

"Yes Kathryn! It's me! Come here!" he pulled me into a tight embrace and held me there. I took deep breaths until I was no longer hyperventilating. I wiped my eyes so I could see a little more clearly. I looked up into George's panicked face. I put my shaking hand onto his cheek and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You just saved my life." I managed to say.

Seconds later, Madam Pomfery, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Lupin were surrounding us. Madam Pomfery was seeing to Oliver first as he was lying, unconscious on the ground a few metres away.

"What happened, Miss Pink?" McGonagall placed her hand on my arm to comfort me.

I cried all the more, "Oliver tried to- he tried to-"

McGonagall gasped. "He didn't!?" she asked.

I started to breathe heavily again, "He- he touched my upper thigh and my underwear and my chest and-"

"He ripped the shirt off her- I saw it… I heard her screaming-" George's arm was still wrapped around me, supporting me, I don't know if I'd be able to steady sit on my own, "I ran as fast as I could…"

I felt like I was going to throw up again. It took me ages to gain some control over my breathing. "He's had a lot of firewhiskey," I added, "We just came down to get some air-" I saw Oliver's unconscious body being lifted into the school. The world started spinning in front of me, I felt like I was falling into a bottomless pit where this feeling would never end. I let out a loud cry.

"Let's get you inside…" Lupin spoke softly, the colour in his face gone, "Do you think you could walk for me?"

I nodded and held onto George and Lupin for dear life. I was violently shaking, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. Dumbledore passed McGonagall a blanket to put around me, but I felt no warmth. Once I was steady, I was guided into the building I had been living for almost three years, yet tonight it felt like a maze, a place I had never been before and McGonagall's office seemed so far away. She swiftly made me a cup of sweet tea and watched me intently as I tried to orientate myself back into the room. Back into reality. I wondered if it was easier to close my eyes, but the flashbacks were unbearable.

"You can go now, Mr Weasley. I'll collect your statement later."

"No." I almost shouted, "Let him stay." I grabbed a hold of him. McGonagall granted my wish and George took my hand and didn't let go.

Lupin took a seat beside the desk in front of me, "Whenever you're ready, Kathryn."

I told them everything. Every last detail. I pointed at a doll where he touched me. But he never went further than my thigh. "He cornered me, he would have done much worse if George hadn't of-"

"Okay, I think that's enough…" McGonagall said, seeing that I was distressed.

Lupin grabbed me a chocolate bar from his pocket, he must carry the stuff everywhere! I gave half to George as he gave his version of events.

"But how did you know to follow me?" I asked him.

George hung his head, "Oliver has had a thing for you all year, we all knew it, but you broke up with him and he's been trying for ages to figure out how to get you back. But he told me earlier that he was going to get back with you today 'if you wanted to or not.' I'm sorry, I should have said something, I should have warned you, but when he was talking to you and took you away I knew something was up, so I tried to follow but Fred was being a bit of an idiot and I had to explain to him, to tell him to get help, so I lost you, but then I heard you screaming and came running, I swear." He spoke so fast it was hard to comprehend.

I assured him, "I don't know what I would have done without you…" the tears started to fall again and then next thing I was crying uncontrollably.

George looked at me, his eyes full of regret and sorrow.

A box of tissues was placed in front of me.

"Professor," I asked, looking between the three in front of me, "What am I going to do?"

"You do what you need to do and we are all right behind you." McGonagall spoke strongly, but I could see that it was difficult for her. She took out her handkerchief and blew her nose. Dumbledore momentarily rested a hand on her shoulder. She stood away from her desk and wrapped both arms around me, trying to comfort me, she promised me that everything was going to be alright.