CH 71

Harry had not seen Katie since convincing her not to attack Beauxbatons' champion in the middle of the Great Hall. It had only been a couple of days, but he was beginning to worry.

He didn't even know what he had done that had upset her. Fleur was a Triwizard Tournament champion and, though Katie was tough, would have demolished her with ease. Harry had not wanted to see her hurt, especially as there hadn't really been a reason for Katie to be angry in the first place.

Sighing, he turned to watch the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower, fingering the unopened letter from his godfather and leaning on the balustrade. Katie would come out for breakfast eventually, then he would able to speak with her and work out what was going on. If it was to do with Fleur, which was the only thing he could think of, then he would make sure Katie didn't feel jealous or threatened by her. He wasn't all that concerned by the french witch. She seemed haughty, proud and arrogant, though occasionally he glimpsed something more, like when he had leant her Hedwig to write to her sister and seen, for a moment someone that reminded Harry of himself. That instant had been a few seconds long and he had considered opening up just a little to her, then she had insulted him again, implying that his age meant he was somehow unable to have ambitions or dreams he could fulfil.

Harry had quite enjoyed throwing her own words back in her face to spite her. It had felt very justified. Fleur Delacour, then, was in no way a threat to Katie, nor had she done anything to enrage her. It confused him completely.

He would just have to hope that her anger, which might have been exacerbated by the Firewhiskey she had drunk at the Three Broomsticks Inn, had passed. Not that there is a reason for her to feel like that in the first place.

It was several long minutes and many more neutral or cold looks from his housemates before she appeared.

'Katie,' he greeted her warmly.

'Harry.' She looked very upset for some reason. He hoped whatever had caused it was not because of him. Harry rather thought he could grow to like Katie quite a lot.

'Are you ok?' He asked the question very carefully, swallowing nervously when her face fell even further.

'I did something very stupid,' she admitted in such a small voice Harry could hardly hear her.

'If it's to do with what happened in the Great Hall then it doesn't matter,' Harry assured her. 'I don't know why you were so angry with Fleur Delacour, I just hope it wasn't to do with me.'

Katie gave him a shocked look. 'Do you not see how she affects everyone around her?'

'They all stare at her,' Harry remembered. He had found it amusing that for once he was not the one being stared at when he entered a room.

'She's part veela, Harry,' Katie explained. 'I overheard Hermione telling the other guys in your year. They all stare at her because she uses her magic to charm them into liking her.'

'I've never noticed it.' Harry had felt the affects of the Bulgarian veela at the World Cup, but felt nothing from Fleur Delacour. Hermione was probably right, she normally was, but Harry had never felt any affects from Fleur Delacour.

'I know you don't,' Katie smiled. 'In the Great Hall, after you laughed, she tried to use it on you even though we were clearly together. You didn't even flinch, but I was so angry...' She trailed off, whatever had upset her clearly resurfacing in her mind.

'I didn't realise,' Harry confessed. 'I didn't know why you were angry.'

'She tried to steal you with her magic and then,' Katie's lip trembled, 'then you defended her.'

'I'm sorry,' Harry apologised, guilt flooding through him as he realised how it must have seemed to her. 'I didn't know. I promise.'

He had hurt her feelings so carelessly, so sure he was right that he had never even tried to consider things from her point of view.

I should have paid more attention and known what was going on around me before jumping to conclusions. Salazar was right; there was still too much he did not know.

'I know you didn't,' Katie's eyes were gradually filling with tears, 'but I was so angry with you that when Roger Davies asked me to the Yule Ball in the corridor afterwards I said yes immediately.'

All of the guilt that Harry felt evaporated. Roger Davies. The one who Fleur Delacour rejected before trying to charm him had asked Katie to the Ball. It was blindingly obvious he had done it to get back at Harry for managing to get Fleur Delacour's attention when he could not, and Katie had agreed to go with him.

How could she?

'I'm so sorry.' Katie's eyes overflowed and tears began to pour down her cheeks. 'After the Ball we can go on another date,' she half-suggested, half-begged through her tears. 'I really enjoyed our first one.'

Harry didn't understand. He would have never considered doing what she had, no matter how angry he had been, and surely she could just tell Roger Davies she had changed her mind.

He's considered quite attractive among the girls, a cold, spiteful little voice reminded him. Perhaps Katie is a little taken with him too.

Harry wanted to ignore the voice that sounded chillingly like Tom Riddle, to defend Katie and cry out she was innocent, but the little ball of cold had settled where his heart was and all the words he might have said froze somewhere in his chest.

When he didn't say anything Katie stumbled forwards and collapsed into his chest. He closed his arms around her to hold her up. Her tears were warm as they soaked into the shoulder of his robes, but they were the only warmth he felt from her. The comfortable, pleasant heat he had felt before had vanished completely.

'I was going to ask you to the Yule Ball,' he wondered aloud, the words coming straight from the cold ball in his chest. 'I sort of assumed we would eventually end up going together after you asked me on a date.' His voice came out very flat and devoid of feeling. 'I turned down Ginny for that and I was about to ask you now because I wanted to make sure you didn't worry about Fleur Delacour.'

Somehow Katie's crying had grown harder at his words and the warm, wet patch on his shoulder spread to encompass part of his chest and upper arm.

Harry waited for her tears to cease and then drew back as she dabbed at her face with the sleeve of her robes. Katie's eyes were red and her cheeks shiny. Somehow after crying she looked even cuter than before.

If she had looked like this yesterday I might have kissed her.

Harry had no desire to kiss her now. The idea simply seemed wrong.

'I think we could have made a good couple,' Harry told her with genuine regret, 'but I guess we'll just have to settle for being something else instead.'

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