I do not own any Harry Potter Characters.
Chapter 3:
The news of Oliver and Katie had spread like wildfire. When lunchtime rolled around the story had changed to Katie and Oliver had snogged on the way home. Katie was mortified.
Later in the day she noticed Marcus, making his way across the Quidditch pitch, directly towards Oliver Wood. "Oh no, this can't be good" She muttered to herself. When the boys were feet apart, there was shouting and then Marcus shoved Oliver making him stumble back.
Katie rushed over as fast as she could only catching the end of the conversation. "She would never go for a bloke like you" Oliver yelled. Teachers scrambled across the field, wanting to break it up as soon as they could.
"Still mad that she kissed me first?" Marcus quipped back. Students had started to circle around them, wanting to watch the scene unfold.
"Doesn't count if you have to force yourself on her." Oliver threw back. Marcus's fist connected with Oliver's face and the boys tumbled to the ground. It was not long before the teachers had made their way to them breaking them up apart and bringing them into the school.
In her gut she knew that Marcus had been angry, with the way he had gone after Oliver. Was it jealousy? No, there had to be a better explanation then he plain ol' liked her. Otherwise that meant that he had feelings, and those feelings were hurt.
Eventually she found the girls in the common room. When she asked to speak to them, they went to their room and she told them everything that had happened with Marcus. All the while the two girls sat there gawking at her. Alicia was first to voice her opinion "That's the first time I've heard of Marcus punching someone. I mean sure he can be a prat, but he doesn't just go beating people up."
"Which one do you fancy?" Angelina asked as she sat with her stomach on the bed elbows digging into the mattress while her fists supported her chin.
"Oliver is a great friend, but I think that's all it is. I mean sure I could see myself dating him, but we're just friends." Before the girls could even assume that meant that she liked Marcus, she nipped it in the butt "That doesn't mean that I like Flint though. He's rude and arrogant."
"You should give Oliver a chance" Alicia said.
"I don't think he likes me, not like that" Katie defended.
"I don't know, all I'm hearing is a bunch of excuses on why you can't." Alicia reasoned.
"I guess I could try to put myself out there" Katie gave in with a pout.
Katie stayed up late that night, still feeling unwell. Her head pounded as she sat in front of the fireplace in the common room. Watching the fire, she could hear footsteps coming down from the boy's dorm rooms. A tired looking Oliver padded down the steps. "Is that seat taken?"
She let out an almost inaudible snort, shaking her head no. "Are you okay?" Katie asked noticing the bruise on his left cheek bone, where Marcus had hit him. She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers against the side of his face.
"I've had worse, plenty of bludgers have hit me in the face" He spoke softly. "You doing, okay? You don't look well" placing the back of his palm against her forehead.
"Just a really bad headache is all" She mumbled. "Oliver, I hope you know, I don't like Flint." Katie said sounding confident.
"What about you and McLaggen?" He asked.
She smiled "No, I don't like him either." He lifted his hand, lightly playing with her hair that dangled in front of her face. Brushing it behind her ear he started to lean forward, their noses touching. Katie leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed her lips to his, it was a sweet kiss, and she smiled into it.
The following morning the owls soon started dropping letters and packages to students. She eyed the ceiling looking for her family's owl, surprised when an owl she didn't recognize dropped a package in front of her. Inside was a leather-bound red journal. Theodore's name was signed at the bottom of the letter that joined the journal. He explained that the journal had been her mothers. Was she supposed to give it to her mom?
Unsure of what was inside she tried several unlocking charms on it but remained unsuccessful. She huffed. Katie debated on asking her mother about it, but decided against it. Her family had already been radio silent on her for a few weeks now. Katie couldn't help but worry that they somehow knew that she had snuck out to Hogsmeade and spoken with her brother.
A month before Katie was to return to Ilvermorny Mr. Bell told her he wanted her to stay at Hogwarts. Quidditch would be canceled at both schools this year due to the Triwizard Tournament. He told her to enjoy the year off but to practice whenever she could. Which was weird since he was so strict on her training. Chalking it up to the fact that the Tournament only happened every five years.
The night before school started, Katie had just finished showering, and was sitting at her desk, the red journal her brother had given to her sat in front of her. She had spent all her free time trying to open it, but was failing miserably. The magic within the notebook kept it shut firmly, and Katie was unable to cast any spells on it or risk being expelled. Maybe her mother would know how to open it? Or would she know exactly where Katie got it from?
Small quiet footsteps could be heard walking past her door, recognizing the sound as her mother Katie quickly tried to stuff the book into her desk. Looking up she saw her mom's head peaking out from behind the door. Katie was unsure if she had hid it in time, her heart began racing. "Want to have some tea with me?" Her mother, Caroline asked in a soft voice.
Nodding her head Katie got up from her desk and followed her down to the kitchen. Water was already boiling on the stove and Caroline went about the kitchen getting the tea bags ready and setting a cup in-front of Katie.
Excusing herself, her mom left the room. As she stirred in her sugar, she could hear her mom in the living room fumbling through things. "You need help in there?" Katie asked loud enough for her to hear in the other room.
When no response came Katie went to get up, only to see her walking back into the room, something clenched in her hand. Joining her at the table, her mothers fingers grasped Katie's slipping a round metal object into her hand.
Katie rolled the pendant over her palm, it was a silver round pendant with turquoise wrapped around it in a spiral. "It's so pretty, thank you."
Caroline quietly explained "That necklace…" but before she could finish the sound of a throat clearing broke them both apart. Looking up to see her father, Cassius standing at the kitchen door, a look of anger on his face.
"Katie go upstairs, your mother and I need to have a word." The words were stern and final. Katie glanced to her mom, a flash of worry appearing on her wrinkled face before disguising it with a small smile.
"Go on Katie, listen to your father" she chided.
Looking between her parents she nodded and went upstairs, her tea long forgotten. From her room she couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the anger in her dads tone was unmistakable.
The following morning Katie was dressed and completely packed up to return to Hogwarts. Finishing her breakfast Katie was surprised her mom wasn't up yet, she had always been the early riser of the house. While Cassius sat at the table reading the morning paper, with his coffee mug in hand. "Where's mom?" Katie asked politely.
"Sleeping, don't bother her she had a headache this morning" he explained gruffly not bothering to look up. "Get ready we leave in 5 minutes."
"Okay, I just need to grab my broom." Katie lied excusing herself from the table, and walking straight to her parents room. Not wanting to leave with out least saying bye to her mother.
Opening the door Katie peaked around the door, shocked when she caught sight of her mother. Who was currently seizing on the bed, her body flailing with the spontaneous movement. Katie screamed for her dad, not knowing what else to do. Then everything else happened so fast, Katie trying to hold her mother in place, crying and screaming. Mr. Bell arriving and accessing the situation. "I need to take her to St. Mungo's, get to the train station." Her dad commanded walking over to his wife, and picking her up from the bed. "Now" he yelled at Katie, before apparating away.
The room was filled with an eerie quiet, the only sounds coming from Katie as she continued to sob. Getting up from the floor, Katie made her way downstairs to where her trunk, Capone in his cage and her broom sit almost forgotten by the front door. Wiping her face, with her sleeve. Katie tried her best to stop crying before grabbing the port key and disappearing with her belongings to Kings Cross.
Katie stood on the platform frozen, tears about to spill at any minute. When her friends spotted her, they ran as fast as they could forgetting their trunks behind them. Latching onto the blonde girl and hugging for what seemed like an eternity.
Finding an empty compartment, they sat together, and Katie vented. "What if she dies?" Katie continued to cry burying her face in her hands.
"Oh, honey. I'm sure she will be fine, they have the best healers at St. Mungo's" Alicia whispered rubbing her back in small circles.
By dinner that night, she still had heard no word from her parents. Needing air she excused herself from dinner and made her way out of The Great Hall, heading towards her common room.
When she felt her throat start to choke up, she paused, knowing she would not make it in time. Katie could hear footsteps approaching her as she dashed into an empty classroom locking it behind her. Sliding to the ground with her back to a wall. Her body heaving with each sob.
The footsteps stopped in front of the door, and the doorknob jiggled a bit. "Princess, open the door." She continued to cry, knowing who it was and choosing not to respond. "At least move out of the way so I can kick it down."
Fearing he would bust it down, Katie fiddled with the lock from where she was sitting, and scooted away. When the door opened, she kept her eyes down. Shutting it behind him, he crouched down in front of her, arms draped over his knees. "What's wrong?" he kept his distance from her. Green eyes scanning her over, a look of concern on his face.
"What do you want Flint?" She cried out. "Why are you even here?" She pulled her legs to her chest, and buried her face in her arms. Her body was still shaking as she sucked in a deep breathe, holding it. Katie knew she needed to calm down.
"Would you even believe me if I said I cared?" He asked in a comforting voice.
There was a long pause before she struggled to take a breath, whispering "My mom, I don't…" her voice kept cracking the words almost refusing to leave her lips. "She's in the hospital, I don't know if she's alive."
Marcus sat down in front of her and pulled her to his chest. "Shh it's okay, I'm sure they are doing everything they can for her." He whispered in her ear. His left arm held her firmly around her waist while his right tangled into her hair, tucking her head underneath his chin.
"I couldn't help her." She cried. He continued to stroke her hair as she calmed down.
The next morning Katie finally received word back from her dad, her mom was stable but was put in a temporary coma like state while the healers figure out what happened to her.
Weeks went by and soon it was Halloween weekend. She was spending a lot of time in the library now a days looking up spells that would open the journal. Often enough finding herself waking up to the librarian telling her the Library was closed. Strangely though, Katie would find herself waking up from these dazes, standing in hallways, usually down the hall from the Gryffindor wing. Alicia and Angelina often being the ones to find her.
"I think someone has been using memory modifying charms on her" Alicia whispered to Angelina. "It started happening after she met her brother."
"What do we really know about him?" Angelina questioned.
"I think our best bet to get information about him, is to ask another pure-blooded family." Alicia knew it had to be discreet. Katie could not know they were going behind her back. Over the next couple days, they had asked all the pure-blooded Gryffindor, Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's, coming up empty. Not knowing what else to do, Alicia sighed. "I think we need to ask Flint."
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." — Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban