I do not own any Harry Potter Characters.
Chapter 5:
The end of December arrived and with it came the night of the Yule ball. She had wanted so badly to just go home needing to talk to her mother in person, but Alicia and Angelina convinced her to stay. So here she was, attending the ball in beautiful midnight black long-sleeved backless dress. After the opening ceremony, Katie and Oliver joined hands and danced.
He pulled his face back slightly looking down at her and whispered, "I love you." He had finally said it, they had been together for 10 months now. Waiting a moment for him to continue, he cleared his throat waiting for her to say it back.
That was it? Expecting a small speech at the least, about how he loved her eyes, or how she made him feel. Just I love you. She felt a tightness in her chest, almost a doubtful feeling. "I love you too"
Their lips brushed in a soft kiss, and when he pulled away, he smiled at her. She should want this. He was an amazing guy, and he did and said all the right things.
They finished the song and she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Walking out of the room and onto a patio. She made her way down some steps and found a small bench. Shouldn't she be happy? Life could be simple with him.
Then she heard him "So can we expect to hear wedding bells?"
She smiled and shook her head looking up at him "I'm way too young."
He looked handsome, dressed in all black dress robes, a smile on his face. He sat down next to her giving her a smoldering look. "Well, hurry up I plan to be your second husband."
She smiled lightly "and the first?"
"Not even the head Auror would find the body" There was a glint in his eye, and his face brightened as he smirked. She couldn't help but let out a snort.
"You trying to end up in Azkaban?" Was she flirting back with him? She couldn't tell, everything felt so muddled right now.
"Is that a hint of concern for me?" He nudged her with his arm smiling down at her.
"Oh, definitely not" she was smiling in the glow of the moonlight.
"You look gorgeous tonight" He whispered, sliding his hand around her, holding her lower back. When she heard his voice, she felt content. Happy even. "I know you have feelings for me."
"Don't push it" She sighed lightly. This wasn't the night for this, her emotions were in a turmoil state right now. Her head was pounding and there was no way she was thinking clearly.
"You know he's not the one for you, I can see it all over your face. Love isn't supposed to be simple." Simple, there was that word again. It seemed to haunt her.
"I'd rather have simple then complicated" Katie muttered.
"For once tell the truth" He pleaded with her. "You have feelings for me, just admit it." He couldn't hold back anymore, couldn't pretend that she wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"I do" She whispered a tear falling down her cheek.
"Katie, I love you." Rubbing the tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "and it's not because I can't have you. I love that you're strong, yet so kind to the people closest to you. Katie you are everything I need, everything that I want in a partner. I am yours if you'll have me." He said helplessly.
Truthfully, she had pictured what it would be like, to be in a relationship with him. Witnessing in her mind them doing normal things, like holding hands in the hallway. They say there is no harm in daydreaming, but there is. She stopped for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. "I can't."
"Are you sure you're not confusing comfortably with being complacent." he brushed the hair out of her face, tangling his fingers through her blonde hair.
"I'm with Oliver. You don't understand." Katie pulled her head back, freeing her hair from his hands. She had never realized that it could be so hard to struggle to keep her hands off him, digging her nails into her palms.
"Oh, trust me I do" There was something in the air, a watchfulness laced with anger. "Speaking of the bloody wanker, here he comes now" He said with malice laced in his voice, as he watched the other boy walk toward him. Marcus sat up from the bench squaring off his shoulders.
"Katie, is he troubling you again?" She hadn't heard Oliver get mad often, but he was livid now. Hands clenched in fists at his sides, and a fire burning in his eyes.
"Look at you. Coming to save the day, Wood the knight in shinning armor." Marcus sneered. It was crazy to her, watching how quick he could put a wall up when someone else appeared.
"She's never gonna like you" Oliver shot back.
"Even if I wasn't in the picture, you two will never last." Marcus said contempt flattening his voice. Katie gawked at him."She's not going to end up with you."
Oliver shoved Marcus as hard as he could "Have you seen yourself? You're a real trophy Flint."
"Deep down, you know that she doesn't love you. If she did, do you really think she be out here with me, instead of inside with you?" That was the last straw Oliver fist connected with Marcus, who didn't even attempt to block it. Almost like he wanted to be hit. Oliver gave one last glance at Katie before storming off.
She felt ashamed to know that she was a part of their animosity towards each other, just a symptom though, not the disease. Knowing their rivalry started in Quidditch didn't ease the tension she felt.
"Why do you always have to be such an asshole?" Katie asked. Unsure if there was any truth to what he had said.
He sighed before placing his hand on her cheek "You're the one who dating that wanker."
She was beyond frustrated with him. "I hope it was worth it, because we aren't friends anymore." Katie felt helpless to what had just happened, having been too weak to stand up for Oliver. Realizing there were parts of her personality that she didn't like very much.
Katie found Oliver in the common room looking rather distraught. Leading her up to his room they sat on his bed, awkwardly unsure of what to say. Katie was the first one to break the silence. "I'm really sorry for what happened."
"You love him, don't you?" His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.
"I don't know." A tear slid down her cheek and her throat felt like it was closing.
"Katie, I can't be second best. It's over."
Alicia was the first to get back to the room to find Katie crying on the bed. She could do nothing but stare in shock as Katie told her the events of the night. How both boys had admitted to loving her, the fight the they had and how Oliver had broken up with her.
"Listen, why don't you head to bed. I'll help you tomorrow and we'll come up with something to say to Oliver." Alicia reassured her. Katie nodded her head, she got into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
On a mission Alicia ran from the room looking for Angelina, finding the girl easy enough. "We need to talk" before filling her in on the details of what she knew. They headed outside looking for Marcus Flint, who was still sitting on the same bench, head buried in his hands. He almost looked human. "Flint, you are a son of a bitch" Angelina screamed going right up to him, with not a care in the world.
"What do you want" He sighed, noticing who it was, he stood up. Arms crossed over his chest in his usual stance, his icy mask back in place.
It was Alicia's turn to question him."Why can't you just leave her alone?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He shrugged his shoulders acting nonchalant.
"Flint, you just tried to end Oliver and Katie's relationship. You need to back off." She jabbed him in the stomach with her finger, as if scolding him like a child.
"She doesn't love him" He said in a softer voice.
"Flint you better hope you didn't go muck everything up for her." Alicia was seething mad. Her friend was a wreck because of this asshole.
"I heard back from my father." Marcus said changing the topic. The girls went silent both almost forgetting they had asked him for help in the first place. "Katie's father is the one who requested for Theodore to be released, even gave Azkaban a large anonymous donation. For someone who claims to hate his son so much, I can only assume it's for some sort of revenge, or using him as a fall guy. I think you guys got the wrong bad guy. There's rumors that he poisoned his wife for having secret meetings with her son. We need to…"
Before he could finish his sentence something in the distance caught his eye. It was Katie headed towards the forest, still clad in her pajamas. Angelina was the next one to spot her running off after Katie while Alicia stood her ground in front of him.
"We don't need your help anymore, you're not her friend. Get out of here." Alicia was stern making sure he knew he was not welcome, before chasing off after Angelina and Katie.
Not long after she reached Angelina's side who was tailing Katie. "Do we wake her up?"
"No let's see what happens" Angelina whispered back. Alicia debated this for a moment unsure. The best shot they had would be to see who she met with or what she did. So, they followed her through the woods keeping as quiet as they could.
"I think it's an Imperius curse" Alicia whispered to Angelina. "See how she's in a trance-like state? It's the only thing that makes sense."
They headed deeper and deeper into the forest, Katie stumbling as she walked through the overgrown roots. There was an eerie chill in the air as the girls hid along the trees. Suddenly watching in horror as Katie was walking straight toward an Acromantula. Glancing around they noticed they were surrounded, all in the trees above them. The two girls began shuffling to find their wands.
"Arania Exumai!" A deep voiced yelled followed by a blue light shooting at the closest spider. Marcus Flint came running through the woods heading straight for Katie, who was still just walking forward. He grabbed her wrist attempting to pull her in the opposite direction, but Katie was disoriented and confused, there wasn't enough time for that. Marcus turned his body away and hauled her onto his back, looping his arms around her bent legs. He broke out into a sprint, willing his body to go as fast as possible with the extra weight.
The two other girls began running as well, chasing after him. When they made their way out of the woods Marcus placed Katie on the ground. Hands gripping her shoulders as he searched her eyes "Are you okay?"
"I uh… think so, what happened?" Katie looked disheveled and confused.
"Your friends almost got you killed." He glanced up at Alicia and Angelina glaring at them "You ungrateful traitors." His voice was cold and filled with revulsion.
"We were only trying to help" Angelina seemed shaken, her arms wrapped around her body.
"Oh, that's bloody brilliant!" He was beyond angry.
"We didn't mean…" Before Alicia could apologize, Marcus slid his hand to Katie's back and led her away from them.
They walked in silence for a while before Katie couldn't wait any longer "What happened?" Clearly, they did something bad enough that they let her walk away with Marcus. When he explained what happened, she was stunned.
Not speaking until they arrived at her common room entrance he turned to her, eyes softening. "I want to apologize for tonight, What I did was wrong."
"Yes, it was." Katie retorts her tone sharp.
"Listen, if you lose your memories again let me know. Goodnight"
"Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike." — Albus Dumbledore