Romance Americana

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"Kaitlyn Ashlinn Morgan!!!"

Kate jumped out of bed. Even though it was three days after the final match of the season, she was still kind out of it.

"Wha...?"

There was a face floating in the air above her bed. It was her mother's face. She was in bed with... oh shit. She grimaced.

"Morning, mom."

"Kaitlyn, explain yourself."

"I fell asleep three days ago after the final Quidditch match of the season. You just woke me up."

"Why is Shannon's brother in your bed? Why is he even in your room?"

"He feel asleep too... look, mom, why did you AirZap me, at," she looked at her bedside clock," six in the morning? It's only, what, midnight in Chicago, isn't it?"

"Yea, but I wanted to talk to you. I miss you!"

"I miss you too, Mom." Kate sighed under her breath. She loved her mother, but, like almost every teenage girl, her mother could do nothing but annoy her at times.

"So, how was your little game?"

"Match, mom, just like volleyball. It's a Quidditch match. And it was fine. We tied."

"You tied?" Her mom turned, shouting for someone. "Jack! JACK! Wake up!"

"Ma! Don't wake Daddy up!"

She turned back to her daughter. "Why is it that you call me 'Ma', but you still call him 'Daddy'?" She turned around again. "Jackie, can you tie in Quidditch?"

"Maria, you woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me a sport's question? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Jack, answer the question."

"Anything's possible. I guess so, why?"

"Kate did. She tied with... Who did you tie with, Kate?"

"With Gryffindor." Her mom stared back at her with a blank expression. "Harry Potter's team, mom."

"That's wonderful!"

"Thanks, mom, but I really do need my sleep..."

"Of course, dear. I'll leave you alone now. 'Night. And get that boy out of your room. Oh, and some woman named Victoria called for you. Adios, mi hija."

"Adios, mamá."

The AirZap bubble disappeared. Kate flung herself back onto the mattress next to Matt. So Victoria had called. But why bother her parents? Why not AirZap her herself? It could only mean one thing. Voldemort was close. Time to talk to Harry; see what he could tell her.

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Harry woke up, feeling light, lighter than he ever had before. He shifted, feeling a warm body next to him. He smiled. It was his Hermione. He leaned over her body, and issed her neck. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey."

"Good morning, Harry."

"C'mere you. " Harry grabbed her hips and pulled her to him for a kiss...

There was a knock at the door.

He sighed, and muttered under his breath. "Shit," then he called out. "Yes?"

"Harry, it's Kate. Can I come in?"

He rolled his eyes and Hermione. "Kate, do you make a habit of dropping in one everyone?"

"Of course. Now, may I come in?"

"Not right away, I'm not exactly clothed..."

"I'll send Matt in."

"... and neither is Hermione."

Harry and Hermione nearly burst out in a fit of giggles when they could practically hear the blush in Kate's voice. "Oh...Oh, God... Harry, Hermione, I'm sorry, I'll see you down at breakfast... God I'm sorry..."

While this was transpiring, Hermione had gotten up and had fetched Harry's robe off of a nearby chair. She went to the door, opening it rather abruptly, and clearly taking Kate by surprise.

"Hermione, I'm sorry that I.."

"You know, Kate, had I not known any better, I'd say that you're a bit flustered right now." She said this with a simple, sweet smile.

Kate seemed to recover, although only slightly. Hermione looked over the redhead's shoulder and saw Matt laughing hysterically. "Funny, Hermione. We'll see you whenever we see you. And Hermione, if you plan on keeping him in bed for long stretches at a time, make sure he has plenty of fluids. Wouldn't want him... tiring in the middle of anything now would we?" She gave them both a wicked little wink. "But forget that, when you two feel like leaving your room, we need to talk, a'ight?"

Hermione nodded, said her goodbye, and closed the door. She turned to the bed. "Now, Mr. Potter, where were we?"

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"I can't believe you nearly walked in on him and Hermione, Kate! My God!"

"Shut up, Shannon. I didn't think that they'd be shagging like crazy when I knocked."

"Now who's acting British? Shagging? What happened to our, dear, crass American actress?"

"Shannon Lydia Quinnlin, I will and can kill you over breakfast... or I can let you give Ron a goodbye kiss, if you prefer. I can wait."

Ron looked perplexed. "Your middle name's Lydia?"

"Yeah, you gotta problem with it?"

"No... I don't know... just forget it."

Shannon caught sight of Kate laughing. And they weren't little lady like laughs either... they were big belly laughs. "What are you laughing at? What's so damn funny, Kaitlyn Ashlinn Morgan?"

It was Matt's turn to laugh. "That's it, Matt, keep laughing if you wanna find yo' ass out side of the common room tonight. As for you, Quinn, my dear, don't blame me if my parents were drunk off their asses when they named me."

"Figures, considering they're Irish."

Seamus looked up. "What've you got against a decent Irishman???"

"He's got a point, Quinn. What have you got against us?" Kate gave her a devilish smile.

"Two against one, no fair!"

Just then, Benny came over. Shannon knew she was in for it now. Benny was one of the biggest..." Shannon, you know that the Irish stick together more than any other group of people. How the hell do you think Democrats have lasted so long in Chicago?"

"Good point." Shannon went back to her breakfast. Ron looked perplexed.

"Um, Shannon, I don't get it."

"You'll understand when you get to Americana."

"Oh... hey you two. I hear you guys had an interesting run in with Kate this morning." He looked at Kate as he said it.

"Ron, you're an idiot."

Harry looked at his best friend. "It's good to know that your girlfriend has such a high opinion of you."

Hermione sat at the table, right next to Kate. They looked at each other, and burst into giggles. This was going to be one interesting brunch.

"I see you took my advice, Hermione. Harry looks well hydrated."

"I hate to admit it, but it was rather good advice... but I think he needs to eat more pineapple... "

Kate spit out her pumpkin juice, hitting Ron square in the face. Kate, Shannon and Hermione burst out laughing. Kate wiped her eyes. "Yeah, just make sure he lays off the asparagus!"

Matt leaned past his girlfriend, giving the other boys quizzical looks. "Do either of you know what the hell they're talking about?"

"No mate, sorry," was Harry's reply. Ron was too busy trying to wipe the pumpkin juice out of his eyes to answer. But he did manage to tell Kate off.

"Nice job, Kate. Who the bloody hell taught you to drink? I'd have thought they'd teach you to swallow at the very least!"

Kate's eyes went steel gray. All of the Americans knew this was a bad sign. Benny, naturally, decided to comment.

"Weasley, you damn well better pray to God that she's not wearing heels. She gets some good aim and distance with those babies."

Kate ignored him. She just went straight for Ron, giving him a sickly sweet smile. "Hmm... I'll have to work on that. But, Ronnie, who taught you to eat? My littlest cousins mange to get less on their bibs in a week then what you have on your sweater right now." She winked at him to show she was kidding, defusing what would have been a situation way to hard to bring her current topic into. She took another sip of her pumpkin juice, set it on the table, and licked her lips. She could feel Matt grab hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She took a tighter hold on his hand, leaning back in her chair.

"My mother sent me an AirZap around six this morning. She said that Victoria had called the house, looking for me." She eyed every one of them. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Benny nodded. "The shit's gonna go down, and soon. But why did she call at the house? She knows that you're in England."

"I know, Ben, I've been wondering that myself. It would have saved me half of my embarrassment this morning if she had." She smiled at Matt, her smile widening as he blushed. She had told him how her mother had found them. "The best I can come up with is that Victoria is afraid that they'll track us. Which is why I needed to talk to Harry." She turned and faced him. "Harry, and I'm asking Hermione and Ron, too, so feel free to jump in at any point, what happened the last time you dealt with Vold- " Ron cleared his throat. "Sorry, what happened the last time the three of you dealt with You-Know-Who?"

The Trio glanced at each other, and then looked down. Last time had been nearly as bad as when Cedric was murdered.

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Sixth Year

Middle of the Forbidden Forest

Harry looked up; Voldemort stood over Ron. The boy was knocked out. He tried crying out in desperation.

"Ron!!! Ron, wake up! Ron, you've got to get up!"

Voldemort's slit red eyes seemed to look into Harry's very soul when he met his gaze.

"Potter, keep silent, and you may prove to measure up to your father. But feel free to keep screaming if you chose. It may help me have the will power to torture your friend instead of just killing him."

Harry struggled with the man holding him while he watched Voldemort pull two items out of his robes- his wand, and... a knife. He stilled instantly. Oh shit. That wasn't good.

How typical was this? He, Hermione, and Ron had been snooping again. Hermione had found what she thought was a suspicious picture in his photo album of his parents. She had been right, of course, and it had lead them to Riley "Killer" McKinney. It seemed that good ol' Killer had been the one responsible for getting Wormtail to convince Sirius to give up being the Potter's secret keeper. As Riley pushed his knees further into Harry's back, Harry ceased to wonder why the called him Killer.

The man wore all black, and on the inside of that black leather jacket of his were places for his knives. Harry was filled with a hatred for the man, for he now knew that Killer had been the one to land Hermione in the Hospital Wing. But at least she wouldn't end up dead, which was the apparent direction of Harry and Ron's futures. What surprised Harry the most was that he wasn't thinking about himself. He was relieved that Hermione was safe, although regretful that he hadn't told her...

"Potter, on your feet!"

He stood, and was suddenly bold. He didn't have his wand, but he somehow knew that Voldemort had no power; he was simply too weak. It Voldemort did feel well enough to kill Ron, he would have by now. He showed no mercy to Cedric; why would it be different for Ron?

"Potter, do you have any idea as to why I've kidnapped you?"

"No. Explain it to me."

"Potter, have you been to America?"

"No, never. Get to the point already, damn it. If I'm going to die I'd rather make it in time for tea in heaven instead of being late, if you don't mind."

"I grow weary of your insolence. Kneel, and silence, boy!"

Killer felt that this command was best enforced by kneeing Harry in the back. Harry hit his knees and almost laughed at it all.

"First you tell me to stand, then you want me on my knees. I'm beginning to think that you really have no plan..."

He received a sharp slap in the mouth for that remark. He could taste the iron of his own blood in his mouth. At least he was now sure that he was alive. Harry snapped his head up. What was that? He had heard something in the woods. The easy confidence he had had moments before evaporated. Please, he thought, dear Lord, don't let it be any more of them... but why are you so worried, Potter? You have nothing to live for... no girlfriend, no parents, death would surly be better than life back on Privet Drive... but I DO have something to live for. I don't wanna die before I kiss Hermione. Before I tell her at the very least. Thank God she's safe in the Hospital Wing... Just then, Voldemort's voice snapped him out of his brief revere.

"Potter, to pay for that, I think I'll just kill you friend here..."

Voldemort raised his wand, prepared to bring it down on Ron.

"AV..." He had barely gotten out the first syllable of the curse when a giant tabby cat came out of no where, and launched itself at Voldemort's face. McGonagall! There was no other tabby with those kinds of markings. And following behind her was a large, familiar black dog. Sirius had come to save him. He had "Killer" on the ground screaming, blood pouring from his throat; some killer he had turned out to be. Harry almost felt sorry for the man. He was young, twenty if he was a day, with blonde hair that held just a hint of red. He could have had a life full of promise, a family, kids, everything Harry wanted but knew he probably wouldn't get. He was stuck between loathing the man for wasting his life, and envying him for the possible normality. What a fucking paradox!

He snuck over to Ron, keeping his eyes on what was going on with Voldemort and McGonagall. She had gone back to human when she knocked the wand and knife out of his hands, and now had her own wand trained on him. Harry grabbed the knife and went to work on Ron's bindings. When he was done with them, he gave Ron a few taps on the cheek to wake him. As soon as the red head's eyes opened, he motioned for silence. Then, the pair turned their attention to McGonagall and Voldemort. Both had lines of blood running from various wounds on their faces. Voldemort spat blood before he spoke.

"You got away this time, Potter, with your teachers and friends to save you, but be forewarned, my heir is at the school. He will over take you, and one close to you, and even the Americans with their egos and weapons and little tricks will not save you! I'll see you back here next year, Potter, same place and time! I swear it, one of us will be dead by this time next year!"

And with almost comical effects, Harry watched as a plume of bright, obnoxiously bright purple smoke rose, hiding Voldemort. When it cleared, all that could be seen were snakes slithering through the tall grass and away. Harry made to go after them; he'd killed every one of them if that what it took to find Voldemort, but McGonagall stopped him.

"Back to the castle, Potter, the Headmaster can solve this problem."

Harry looked at his Head of House, eyes filled with doubt, but he listened. Ron needed treatment, and he wanted to see how Hermione was doing.

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Return to Normal Time

Kate stared at Harry. A year of training had prepared her and her friends for what they needed to do, but Harry, Ron and Hermione had just had it thrown at them. That was rough. And Kate now knew that she had underestimated them.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Harry. Voldemort said same time and place, right?"

"Yes."

Kate hated to be an ass like this, but she needed this information if any of them wanted to make it back home alive. "Do you remember what the date was, or the time, or place, or anything?"

"Yeah, it was the day after final exams ended. June... 6^th or 7^th, something like that. It was late, around midnight. I could take you to the exact glen in the woods too, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Harry. We can check it out some other time, though. A'ight, people, we have a date, time, and area. Let's arrange for some surveillance."

Kate stood up and left the table. Harry looked at Benny.

"What is it, Benny?"

"That last part that Voldemort said. That sounds pretty foreboding, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded, and Benny left to eat the rest of the food at the Slytherin table. Harry couldn't help thinking, yes, it does sound foreboding, Benny. Let's just hope you and the rest know what you're doing.

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