Life Is For Living

"So," a voice said startling Katie, "made a decision yet?"

Katie turned, relieved to see Roger standing there. "Uh, not really. I mean, I don't even think I'm going to go."

Roger gave her a look that said he didn't believe her one bit. He walked along beside her a bit longer before talking again.

"So, where are you headed this fine afternoon?"

Katie smiled. "Tutoring."

"You need tutoring?"

"No," Katie said looking insulted. "How could you jump to such a conclusion?"

After watching Roger stutter for a moment, she smiled. "I'm tutoring a student if you must know. Professor Flitwick asked me as a favor last year and it kind of carried over."

"Ah," Roger said composing himself, "so, who's the lucky person?"

Katie laughed. "I don't know about that. But it's Cedric Diggory."

"Heh, bet Wood hated that last year."

"You have no idea," Katie said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to be late if I don't get up there."

"So," Roger said, "going with me or not? I've got girls torturing our dorm guard."

"I'm sure," Katie said rolling her eyes. "Well," she said thinking, "I think I'll decline."

"Fair enough," Roger said, "I'm sure you've got boys torturing The Fat Lady."

"No way," Katie said, "I'm as undesirable as a flobberworm."

"Kate, you really need a mirror," Roger said squeezing her upper arm affectionately before walking away back the opposite way.

Katie shrugged it off and walked off in the direction of the room she tutored Cedric in. Upon arriving, she was enveloped in a hug.

"She said yes, Kate, she said yes!" Cedric said enthusiastically.

Katie patted Cedric awkwardly on the back. "Ok, and the she and the question would be?"

Cedric pulled away and grinned. "I asked Cho to the dance."

Katie squealed and hugged him again. "That's great!"

She stepped back from him and cleared her throat. "All right, let's get to work."

****

Katie flopped down in the vacant seat beside Angelina later that afternoon in the common room. Angelina had a slight blush covering her cheeks, and Alicia was trying not to giggle.

"What's wrong with you two?" Katie said confused.

"You missed it, Kate. Fred just asked Ang to the Yule Ball," Alicia said, looking as if she was suppressing the urge to grab Katie and spin her around.

Katie looked at Angelina and grinned. "So, he finally did it."

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Angelina asked.

"He's liked you for a while, but he was scared you didn't like him," Katie explained simply.

She was well aware of those feelings. She'd had them for so long in regards to Oliver. Angelina looked at her curiously.

"Huh," she muttered before going back to looking out the fire.

"So, where'd the twins get to? I've got to ask them something anyway," Katie said lightly, hoping they wouldn't ask what.

"Fred said something about an owl, so maybe they went to the Owlery," Alicia said helpfully.

"Thanks, Alicia," Katie said standing carefully, and wincing slightly.

"You ok, Kate?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah, just sore from tutoring Cedric," Katie said, and realizing how bad that sounded, continued, "I had to have him practice the Charms on something. And well, my legs worked."

Alicia winced for her, but smiled. "It's so nice of you to tutor him."

"So people keep telling me," Katie said hobbling out of the portrait hole.

As she made her way to the Owlery, she ran into Fred and George coming toward her. Katie crossed her arms over her chest and grinned at Fred.

"So, you asked her, eh?"

George laughed as Fred sputtered. "Yeah, cool as a cucumber he was until we left the common room. Nearly wet himself."

Fred smacked his brother and seemed to regain his composure, somewhat. "Did not."

Katie giggled. "Good comeback there, Fred."

"So, what about Davies asking you?" Fred said, arching an eyebrow at her.

"So what? I told him no anyway, which is why I needed to find you guys."

Fred and George looked at each other, utterly perplexed.

"Why?" they said in unison.

"Is Lee going to the Yule Ball with anyone?" Katie asked honestly.

George smiled. "No, I don't think so. But I'm sure he'd go with you."

"Do you know where he is?" Katie asked, trying to shut out what George had just said.

"I think he said something about going to the library," Fred said shrugging, "You could check there."

"Good, I need to get a book from there anyway," Katie said, following Fred and George back to the common room.

She ran up to her dorm and grabbed the pass for the book she needed from the Restricted Section, and then headed off to the library. After getting the book she needed for Dumbledore's essay from Madam Pince, she scoured the library for Lee. Just as she was about to give up, she saw him walk into the library. She waved her free arm to get his attention, and he walked quickly over to her.

"What's going on, Kate?" he asked, looking around them for signs of any other students, "Anything wrong?"

"No," Katie said, "but I did want to ask you something."

"Sure, go on," Lee said, leaning against the book shelf and watching her carefully.

"Well, I just told Roger I wouldn't go to the Yule Ball with him. It would be too awkward. But I don't want to be stuck by myself either," Katie said slowly, "and I was wondering if you'd go with me."

Lee looked at her quizzically for a moment before smiling. "Of course. What are friends for?"

Katie sat her book on the window ledge behind her and flung her arms around Lee.

"Thank you so much, Lee."

****

A few days later, while picking at her dinner in the Great Hall, she felt someone sit beside her.

"Hello, Katie Bell," the person said, and she could tell they were smiling.

"Hello, Christian Madden," she said turning to face him, "how are you this festive evening?"

Christian laughed good-naturedly. "I'm doing well. But I'm afraid I was sent over here on a rescue mission for your friend Cedric," he said lowering his voice, "Very covert. Are you up to the task?"

Katie darted her eyes back and forth, playing along, before leaning closer to him. "Oh, I'm up for it. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, first off, is there anyone you know who does not have a date to the Yule Ball and would be willing to go with Fleur?"

Katie laughed.

"Ok, well maybe not willing," Christian said, "but able."

"Roger Davies," Katie said, as Roger popped into her mind, "I turned him down just a few days ago. He might still be free."

"Good. He's a Quidditch player, no?"

"Yeah. Chaser. And a Captain at that," Katie said winking.

Christian was getting ready to speak when something caught Katie's attention behind him and she shushed him. Ron Weasley was walking out of the Great Hall with Ginny, but he paused as he passed Fleur and Cedric and turned to face them. She didn't hear what was said, but Fleur looked horrified, Ron turned a violent shade of red and ran from the room, and Cedric looked bewildered.

"I think Ron just attempted to ask Fleur out," Katie said, slightly amused, "The poor thing."

Christian sighed. "Veela are terrible beings," he said honestly, "But I think we better move now," he said looking over his shoulder at their targeted pair. "Point out this Roger Davies for me please."

Katie pointed out Roger at the Ravenclaw table for Christian and he nodded.

"Ok, I'll distract Fleur and lead her to Roger and you can rescue Cedric."

Katie nodded and followed Christian over to Fleur and Cedric. Katie walked up to Cedric and stood beside him. Christian cleared his throat behind Fleur, and she turned around, her back now facing Cedric and Katie. Katie grabbed Cedric's hand as Christian began speaking in very quick French to Fleur. She lead him towards the door and they snuck out of the Great Hall unnoticed by Fleur, who was now being led over to Roger.

"Oh, I hope he forgives me," Katie said, slightly giggling, before she realized she was still holding Cedric's hand, "Oh! I'm sorry, I-"

"It's ok," Cedric said giving her hand a squeeze. "Thanks for rescuing me."

"So, does this make me the knight in shining armor and you the damsel in distress?"

Cedric laughed out loud. "In this instance, yes. Yes, it does."

He put the back of his hand flush against his forehead and sighed. Katie laughed.

"Well, I better be getting up to the dorms. I have an essay for Defense I need to finish, and I haven't even started reading the book."

"When's it due?" Cedric asked, finally letting go of her hand.

"Next week."

"Good job, Kate."

Katie smiled. "Yep. That's me. Katie Bell, procrastinator extraordinaire!"

"Well, good night then," Cedric said, smiling.

"Night Cedric," she said before making her way up the marble staircase.

****

She worked on the essay that night until her hand was so cramped, that she could barely unwrap it from it's place around her quill. She set everything inside the book from the Restricted Section, after she was sure the ink was dry, and placed it in the bottom drawer of her dresser. As she laid down to try and get to sleep, she eyed Mikey, who was perched on her bedside table. She reached out and snatched him up, cuddling him against her chest. She fell, almost instantly, into a fitful sleep.

***

She felt something pull behind her belly button and suddenly she was in a graveyard. Looking around, she spotted Cedric and Harry. Each of them had their hands on either side of a cup, like a trophy type cup. She tried to call out to them, but found her voice was gone. She ran over to them, but her hand went through them. As if they were ghosts.

The boys were talking and looking around, but Katie couldn't hear them either. Suddenly a shape appeared before them, and suddenly it was as if the sound had been turned back on.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted the figure and a jet of green light hit Cedric.

Katie screamed out and watched the shocked look on Cedric's face as the curse hit him and he fell to the ground. As he lay spread eagle on the ground, Katie dropped to her knees and tried to touch him. But her hand continued to move through him. Large tears rolled down her face in an endless stream and she turned to see who had done this.

She saw Harry hunched over, heaving, a few yards away from her. She looked in front of her and just before she was pulled backwards, exiting the graveyard and heading toward the unknown, she glimpsed the man. Peter Pettigrew with a strange bundle in his arms.

***

"NO!!!!" Katie screamed, sitting up in bed.

She was drenched in a cold sweat and she was shaking like mad.

"Katie, what's wrong?" Angelina said pulling aside her curtains.

"Nothing," Katie said, cursing her voice for sounding so shaky, "just a bad dream."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Katie lied, "yeah, I'm sure."

****

Katie pulled her sweater down over her head, ran a brush through her hair and bolted from the dorm. It was early, possibly around six in the morning. She couldn't sleep after the dream she'd had, so she decided to get dressed early and go see Severus. Tell him about this dream. It was different from the others. From the visions. But she had to be sure. She had to be sure what happened in her dream was not going to happen to Cedric.

She made her way down to the dungeons quietly. After checking thoroughly that she was not being followed or watched, she entered the Potions classroom. As she suspected, Severus was already up and at his desk, his attention focused on a large stack of papers.

"Whoever it is, I would advise that you come back at a later hour. I am very busy and I will not pause to take points."

"Severus, I need to tell you something," Katie said boldly, gaining his attention.

He stood immediately, flicking his wand at the door and charming it shut.

"Please, have a seat," he said, pulling up a chair himself.

Katie told him her dream in great detail. About the lack of sound and how she couldn't touch Harry or Cedric. About Peter and the mysterious bundle in his hands. About the graveyard and the sensation she could only equate with a portkey.

Severus stared at her for a long moment after she had finished speaking.

"I know you don't want to hear it," he said slowly, "but that may have, indeed, been a vision."

Katie felt tears pricking her eyes and she turned away from him.

"Why is this happening to me?" she said quietly.

"I don't know, Katie. But I will inform the Headmaster after breakfast and we will decide what to do from there," he said, trying to sound comforting, but Katie thought he just sounded detached. "Why don't you head down to the Great Hall early. The rest of the school should be arriving soon."

Katie nodded numbly, and left the classroom after Severus had taken the charm off, but she didn't travel to the Great Hall. Instead, she opened the large wooden doors and headed out onto the snowy ground. She made her way over to her rock and climbed atop it.

Severus must have been mistaken. It couldn't possibly have been a vision. Cedric wasn't supposed to die. What had he done? Why would he be killed like that? He was just nice and sweet and never did anything wrong. She wiped stubbornly at her cheeks and looked out over the lake, eyeing the Durmstrang ship with distrust.

Feeling as if she was being watched, she climbed down from her rock and made her way back inside. She entered the Great Hall to find a small batch of students already there. No Gryffindors though. She sat at the Gryffindor table and waited for the already miserable day to officially begin.