Katie

As they walked down the streets of Diagon Alley. Or rather, as he dragged her down the street, she couldn't help but shiver with terror. A pure-blood wizard with his half-blood slave.

And it was at this moment she knew for certain she was a coward. That she had been placed in the wrong house.

She was not a real Gryffindor.

Hermione would be plotting for her escape. Ginny would most likely be kicking and screaming at her master. Even Luna would be driving her master mad well with her own brand of madness. Adorable as it was.

Strong Alicia, would die before she let anyone do this to her. And her sweet Angelina? She was certain Angie hadn't even been caught yet. She prayed, her friend never was.

But her? Weak and pathetic Katie Bell? Well she simply cried her heart out. This man had broken her heart yet again. And yet she followed him like a willing lamb waiting to get slaughtered instead of the brave lion she was supposed to be.

But all of the times he had done it before, she had chalked it up to him being an idiot boy. But this, this felt sinister.

He had bought her. Some pretty words and she would have given herself to him willingly. Years ago. All she had wanted were some kind words from this man she had obsessed over.

Even now, despite knowing what he had was an expert at finding excuse for him after all. And yet he would rather spend 15,000 galleons to rape her.

Weak Gryffindor. Ugly chaser. Stupid student.

A weak, ugly, and stupid Kathryn Bell with her pathetic crush on this childhood bully.

Why hadn't she listened to her mum and pa?

First Year

"He saved me from breaking my neck, Mum. Just swooped in like hero and caught me without a sweat. A Slytherin hero." The wonder and hero-worship in her voice hadn't been hard to miss. Her Muggle mother had looked amused while her Wizard father had seemed horrified.

"A Slytherin hero Kasey? Our daughter has lost her mind. Maybe we should rethink our stance on France."

"Hush, Camelot. She's eleven, no harm in crushing on a knight in shining armour who saved our daughter's life." She'd beamed up at her mother, as she'd winked down at her.

Second Year

"Stop her Wood! She's acting like a stupid troll." Her friend Angelina hissed from behind her. But she ignored it, as she looked at her object of fascination with determination.

"Well that would make them the perfect pair Johnson. Her troll brain and his troll face."

"He's going to destroy her little heart."

"She has to see for herself what fucking an evil prat Flint is Angie. You learn and you live." Alicia stated.

And learned she had, when she'd gone to congratulate him on his win against them.

"Don't bring your pathetic creepy arse where it doesn't belong you stupid little Gryffindor."

She tried to convince herself she was simply heartbroken that he'd ruined Quidditch and good sportsmanship for her. Her tears weren't for him.

Third Year

When she'd witnessed the incident between Malfoy and Hermione, her disgustingly weak heart had whispered how at least he hadn't used that disgusting name for her.

When Ron was throwing up slugs, she had chanced a look at him and was shocked to find his steady gaze on her.

That had never happened before, not in her first year, and most of her second. To him she had never existed.

And she was coming to accept that fact, except he'd saved her again just last night from Adrian Pucey's wrath of having gotten in his way earlier this week when he tried to curse her friend.

"Don't wander around so late you stupid Gryffindors." Her eyes had widened in hurt and annoyance except for the teasing light she had seen in his eyes.

Not a word had been shared between her and the prefect, as he walked her back to her house.

And just like that, she was in his orbit again.

Fourth Year

She was positively moping these past few weeks. She had realized that this would be the last year he'd be here.

A part of her was glad that she wouldn't have to hear the salacious rumours that followed the Slytherin Quidditch captain or see him with his little girlfriends. A part of her would suffer with jealousy, as long as he was there.

Either way would hurt. But it would hurt more not to be able to see him.

Fifth Year

He was staying for another year. Her heart had squeezed at the thought.

She wished she could tell all of her fellow Gryffindor friends who made fun of him, that he wasn't stupid.

He wasn't mother Theresa, but he wasn't Draco Malfoy either. He wasn't, well as bad, as he had been. Or they thought him to be.

He wasn't Cedric Diggory, but he was far from ugly. He wasn't a chore to look at. At least not for her.

But these were things she could easily say without being as infatuated as she was.

But there were things she knew beyond the surface.

Because how could she explain that she knew he was the smartest student in his year, or had been, without giving her secret away.

That she was a little stalker. It should have made her feel bad. But this one bad habit gave her a giddy thrill.

Or perhaps it was just all him.

Her time spent in the library hadn't entirely been for studying.

Sixth Year

She missed him. But this one day she was glad he wasn't here. It would hurt too much to see him dancing with another girl.

Her first Yule she hadn't found a date (or cared to) had certainly made her miserable through the night. And then the following year she hadn't been able to pay attention to her date because she had to tolerate watching him with her.

And the worst of it all was, she couldn't even compare.

Daphne Greengrass was everything she was not.

Beautiful. Pureblood. Slytherin. Rich.

The only thing they had in common was their blonde hair.

Seventh Year

Pain. That was all she felt her last year of high school.

The Quidditch magazines with him and his girlfriends.

The fights with her family begging her to leave everything and come home.

The torture that the cursed necklace had put her through was horrible.

How could something…someone…so beautiful be so painful?

Perhaps it was time to leave.