Oliver Wood and the Heritage Curse

Freezing but sweaty and caked with mud, Katie stumbled back from quidditch practice with Angelina and Alicia.

"I swear Wood was out for blood tonight," Angelina grumbled.

"He couldn't even skip practice while Harry is in hospital!" Alicia added.

"He was right though," Katie replied and they approached Gryffindor. "Owl post," she said to the Fat Lady and the picture swung backwards. "We do have to keep practicing despite Harry's injury, especially so that we're more prepared to deal with this weather." Angelina and Alicia made murmuring noises that indicated they didn't agree but were too tired to respond further. Alicia left Katie and Angelina for the fourth year dormitory and the two fifth year chasers tromped up the stairs to their dormitory.

"Katie, I know something is bothering you - you wouldn't look at or talk to Wood all night and you were playing ever harder than usual." Angelina kicked off her disgusting shoes - the quidditch field was a muddy wasteland after all the rain - and propped her broom up in a corner.

Katie didn't at all feel like talking about Oliver. The news from Emma of three hours before still pounded in her head to the rhythm of her accelerated pulse rate. She had only made it through practice with the help of a forbidden charm. Intoxicating Charms were dangerous and unpredictable and therefore prohibited at Hogwarts. Katie, however, so far simply felt giddy and light-headed and was enjoying those mild initial effects of the charm.

"Nothing is bothering me," Katie said, her voice escalating and falling as she spoke. "Oliver can do whatever he wants and that's just fine with me."

Angelina narrowed her eyes at Katie. "If you say so . . ."

"Oh I do." Katie smiled calmly and finished changing her clothes. Her thick hair had half-fallen out of its long, tight braid and was damp and muddy, but she didn't try to fix it.

"Well I'm going down to the common room," Angelina announced, still eying Katie suspiciously. Katie knew that Angelina must have an overwhelming amount of homework since she was letting Katie go without fully explaining her strange behavior.

"Okay, I think I'll stay up here," Katie sang.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Angelina told her. "I think you're losing your mind."

Although Katie was jumping around in circles singing "Lost my mind, lost my mind," Angelina left. A few minutes later Katie snuck through the common room and escaped back through the portrait hole. For the first time ever, Katie was searching for Davies.

Katie sprinted up and down hallways, dodging into classrooms and peering behind statues. She was propelled by a store of magical energy until the Intoxicating Charm began to wear off. "Where are you!" she exclaimed, just as her legs gave out and she crumbled to the floor. "How is it that you always find me but I can't find you?"

"I'm right here," Davies replied. "All you had to do was turn around."

Katie pushed herself to her knees and weakly turned around. Davies stood over her, a concerned expression reflected in his eyes. "Roger," she said faintly, pulling her legs forward and sinking back against the wall.

"You look terrible," Davies replied, sitting down beside her. "What did that idiot do to you?"

"It's not so much what he did to me as what I did to myself. I used an Intoxicating Charm and now my head is throbbing." Katie pressed her hands to her head trying to relieve some of the jarring pain. It felt like a crack had begun on one side of her skull and was slowly growing.

"It's wearing off. You ran so much that you used it up. But that's good. The pain will be gone in a minute."

"Got a lot of experience with them?" Katie asked, her head now burrowed between her legs.

"Once was enough," Davies replied, his voice quiet and sympathetic.

Katie groaned as a last burst of pain exploded in her forehead. For a full minute she thought she would never be able to lift her head again, but finally the pain passed. "I'm never using an Intoxicating Charm again. That hurt like - I don't know what, but worse than getting hit in the head with a bludger."

Davies smiled at her mildly. "Well the effects aren't totally gone yet -- just the pain. Now tell me what he did that made you use the charm."

A new pain began in Katie's head as she remembered Emma and Oliver. "He kissed Emma," she explained, beating her abused head against her knees.

Davies sighed and let his head thud against the wall. "You knew this would happen sooner or later."

Katie looked up at him. "In my head I did. But my heart still hoped things might work out differently." Even in the dark Katie could see his sympathetic expression clearly. But there was something else in his eyes as well that she couldn't figure out. They sat very close together, almost touching, but to Katie the tiny space between them felt like a huge canyon. She physically ached to cross that gap and to feel the comfort that she somehow knew would come from his touch.

"You and your heart." Davies shook his head. "It finally betrayed you."

"I tried so hard, but I just couldn't fix things. Now look at me." Katie's eyes met Davies' eyes and suddenly she felt a rush of feeling in her numbed muscles. Davies' chisled facial features were softened by a tenderness that frightened her.

"I am looking at you and all I see is that you did the best you could."

Before she fully knew what she was doing Katie tangled her fingers in his wild hair and kissed him. Davies remained almost frozen as she had when he kissed her, but he gasped slightly. She felt him falter, his fingertips resting on her neck, and waited eagerly for him to return her kiss. But suddenly he pulled away.

"Katie I can't let you do this!" he exclaimed. Katie sat half way on his lap, one hand still knotted in his hair, the other clutching his shoulder. "You are just reacting to the charm. Tomorrow you're going to wake up and wonder why you were kissing me and realize that you still like Oliver - that is if you even remember which you probably won't because of the charm. And you're using me, which just isn't fair," Davies said, pulling her hands away from him and shifting her back to the floor.

Katie stared at him, breathing heavily in her anger. She wanted to hurt him, to see his handsome face bleed and his caring eyes marked by bruises. Darn his ability to control himself. Darn him for being right. "You bloody hypocrite! Using you! It's okay for you to kiss me twice for no reason at all but when I kiss you suddenly you're all concerned about me getting hurt? This has always been about you -- you never cared about me. My heart is shattered and whether or not you are here I am going to curl up and bleed out the broken remains of my heart. But I am asking you to please help me just this once."

Davies had never looked so stricken. "Come here," he told her, pulling her completely into his lap and cradling her head against his chest. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his cleanliness and warmth. "Although I am on record as saying that I think this is a bad idea," he added.

"Whatever you want, Roger." Katie knew he was right but lacked the strength or will to stop herself from committing such a pleasant and comforting error.

"Do you remember the first time I kissed you?" Davies asked, stroking her hair. The mud in her hair and on her face left a strange imprint on his impeccable appearance.

"Vaguely," Katie replied although it was one of her clearest memories.

"You were only a third year. You were so upset about Oliver after the first day of quidditch practice. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to fix everything so I kissed you."

Katie laughed. "And I was so startled that I hit you. Sorry about that."

"That's okay, I deserved it." Suddenly Katie was sprinkling little kisses across his face with tempting confidence.

"Katie," Davies managed to say, holding her head still with both of his hands. "I never should have kissed you those times and I'm sorry. As much as I would like to let you kiss me now I'm not going to be able to resist you much longer. If we kiss it should be under better circumstances than this. Now I think I should get you back to Gryffindor."

Katie sighed and nuzzled her face against his chest, her fantasy solution to the hurt caused by Oliver and Emma crushed by reality. "You're right. Thank you. But I'll go back to Gryffindor by myself," she said, not wanting at all to move from his lap but knowing the moment of escape was over.

"You have no idea where you are right now," Davies replied, briefly resting his face against her head. "There's no way you can get back to Gryffindor."

Katie laughed. "You're right, I'm completely lost."

Davies effortlessly stood up with Katie in his arms. When he set her feet back on the ground her arms were still wrapped around his neck and they stood for a moment, hugging tightly. "C'mon," Davies whispered, releasing her hesitantly. "I'll walk you back."

*

Emma spent three restless days in her room until her parents' unexplained daily disappearances and sullen nightly returns, Oliver's distance, and her own solitude drove her out. She stomped up to the undisturbed attic of her half-muggle, half-wizard house and haphazardly searched through piles of stuffed boxes. The boxes were labeled neatly in her mother's handwriting but stacked by use of her father's magic. Emma could pull down a box with her wand and even discover the label without retrieving a box but she had to physically examine the contents to know for sure what a box contained. Obscurely labeled boxes, such as "summer of 1982" she explored by throwing things out over her head. In only half and hour the floor was covered with papers, dishes, strange clothing, disheveled books, and other items.

As Emma first surveyed the clutter a quiet voice questioned, "For what does Miss Emma look? This mess will not make her parents happy. But Marnie will help Miss Emma if she can."

Emma smiled at the house elf who looked up at her endearingly, her wide eyes unable to conceal excitement at possibly being part of Emma's endeavors. Emma and Marnie were friends more than master and servant and Emma communicated more with Marnie from Hogwarts than her parents.

"Maybe you can help me, Marnie." Emma cleared a space on the floor, carelessly tossing things back into a box marked "Mementos From First House," and sat down so she was at eye level with the doting house elf. "In one of the diaries you sent me my mother talked about one night when she was visiting my father - a night when something happened that I know is important. I need to know what happened."

Marnie's clear, dark eyes pooled with tears as she stared sheepishly at the ground. "I do not know that. Marnie did not serve masters Emily and Naim until Miss Emma was a baby." She rocked back and forth sadly, scrunching the tattered sheet she wore every day.

Emma sighed. "Well, it's alright. I'll just keep looking. You can help me if you want."

"No wait!" Marnie clutched Emma's hands suddenly, smiling broadly. "Marnie remembers nw! There is another diary, a real diary that Master Emily keeps hidden from Master Naim. That diary maybe will help Miss Emma!"

Emma almost tumbled down the narrow stairs, following the frantic house elf. Marnie skittered into Emma's parents' room and burrowed into a closet. In a minute she emerged, a small book in one hand and a shoe caught on her large ear. Emma pulled the shoe carefully off Marnie's head and took the book from her. She sank down on her parents' bed, Marnie jumping up and down in front of her excitedly.

"Marnie will let Miss Emma read by herself but hopes that Miss Emma will tell Marnie later if the diary helps. Marnie cannot peek at such secret things." With that the house elf ran from the room.

Emma peered at the book in her hands, sensing that finally she would learn the truth. The book was simple and blue with the family symbol etched on the front. Emma carefully opened it, turning several pages filled with her mother's neat handwriting until she found the date that corresponded with the first letter she had read in the diaries.

"I don't think I will ever forget what happened - I know it will forever haunt our family if Naim and I are married. But in my fear I feel that I have to write something." Emma's heart pounded as she read the first sentences of the diary entry. What had happened to frighten her mother so terribly? she wondered. She read on, half-excited and half- scared.

"Neil is so angry that he may never speak to Naim again. Elizabeth and I will never be friends, our children will never know each other, and two families will be caught in a feud all over something that no one can explain. I wish that Naim would listen, but he has a right to be prideful. If Remus couldn't even convince him, no one will. What a change from two weeks ago. The worst has happened. But most of all I fear the Heritage Curse."

Emma flipped frantically through the pages of the diary, looking for more, but it was the last entry. She slammed the book shut in frustration, and as she did a picture fell on her lap. Emma picked it up and examined it carefully. It was obviously a muggle photograph - gray and faded, the figures frozen. But she recognized her mother and father, smiling, in the front of the picture. Behind them was Roger Davies - or what must be Neil Davies, Emma realized -- his hand on her father's shoulder as he smiled at a forth figure. Elizabeth Davies, Emma decided, peering at the beautiful girl. Emma turned the picture over and saw that it was dated just a week before the diary entry.

Emma took the diary and returned to her room, her head throbbing with questions. What exactly had happened to cause such fighting between her parents and the Davies? Why was her mother so afraid? What was the Heritage Curse? Did all of this have anything to do with the broom or her illness?

Emma stretched out on her bed, tucking the diary and picture underneath her pillow. As she did so she noticed a letter lying on the floor. "Stupid owl," she muttered. "Couldn't even come to find me." She picked up the letter and opened it, suddenly distracted by thoughts of Oliver. It was indeed from him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you before you left," Emma read. "I hope you don't think that I am angry about what happened. I was just surprised and not sure how to react. Please write me and tell me how you are doing and when I can see you. Oliver."

Emma sighed, releasing half of her fears from the past three days. She had been terrified that Oliver would never speak to her again, that she had scared him too much when she attacked Davies. She had wanted to write to him but out off fear had not. Now she ripped a piece of paper out of her mother's diary and quickly wrote:

"Thank you for the letter. I wanted to explain what happened but I never got the chance. When I see you we can talk more about it. I don't know if they will let me come back to Hogwarts, but I'm going to do everything I can to be back after vacation. Emma."

Emma found her family owl, Perrin, asleep in the kitchen. She awoke him with reprimands and sent him off with the letter for Oliver. Then, suddenly remembering the mess in the attic, she ran upstairs to clean it up before her parents returned from their mysterious trip. Emma suspected that they had been meeting with Dumbledore and other important people at Hogwarts and probably Mr. Davies to talk about her future at Hogwarts. So far, however, they hadn't said anything about it to her. That night, however, they came to talk to her in her room where she was resting after the strenuous job of reorganizing the attic.

"Emma," her mother said gently, sitting down on the end of her bed. "Your father and I have spent several days talking with Professor Dumbledore and researching your condition. We're sorry to have left you out of this but it seemed better to give you a few days to rest."

Her father also sat down on the bed and Emma pulled herself up to face them more directly, not wanting to feel like an invalid as she sometimes did. "Despite some peoples' efforts to keep you out of Hogwarts," her father said with a slight growl in his voice. "We and Professor Dumbledore are willing to let you go back if you want to. We realize that it could be quite a struggle after what happened, but we also know that you have a lot of friends at Hogwarts. So the decision is up to you."

Emma smiled but inside she wondered what her parents were not telling her. "I want to go back," she told them firmly. "But please don't keep me out of things. I need to know what's going on. It is my condition after all."

Both her parents nodded and smiled but seemed afraid. Emma hugged them with a strange mix of joy and panic in her heart.

Davies suffered three very similar days as Emma, pacing in his room while his parents disappeared, haunted by guilt and stricken by Katie's distance. During the day he refused to speak to anyone and during the night he wandered through his house, sleeping only briefly in corners or at the bottom of the stairs. At two o'clock in thmorning on the fourth day of painful solitude his mother found him huddled on the stairs and confronted him.

"Roger, you can't go on like this," she said gently, sinking down on the stairs beside him.

" You haven't spoken or slept or eaten since we came for you. You wouldn't let Madam Pomfrey touch your wounds and . . . sweetheart, please tell me what happened. It will not help you to keep it inside."

Davies lookedto his mother's pleading eyes and shook his head slowly. "I just want to know why," he said hoarsely. Why does dad hate the Baxters so much. When he heard Emma was on the team with me it was like he broke open and all this hatred poured out. And the second I saw he was angry I felt the hatred inside me too. I didn't know why, it didn't make sense, but it grew until I despised her so much that I would do anything to get rid of her."

He hesitated, choking over the words. "When she pushed me," he finally managed to continue, unknowingly pulling on his thick curls as he pressed his face against his knees. "I suddenly realized that it didn't make any sense at all, that I had no reason to hate her or do the terrible things I had done. And it was like I stepped outside myself and became me again. But I am so ashamed that I cannot live with myself."

His mothtroked his hair soothingly but at the same time wiped away tears from her face. "You need to forgive yourself first. Hatred is horribly powerful and causes people to do irrational things. What's more important is that Emma is alright. We heard today that she will be allowed back at Hogwarts if she chooses to go. Your father tried to protest but . . . hopefully there will be a chance for you to reconcile with Emma."

"I don't think even that would take away my guilt but I am happy to hear it." Davies spoke more calmly, soothed by his mother's words, but petrified at the thought of facing Emma. "If you knew what I tried to do . . ." he said more to himself than his mother. She didn't ask for an explanation.

"And what about Katie?" she asked instead.

Davies sighed deeply. "I think it's time to give up on that. I don't deserve her anyway."

"Oh I wouldn't give up yet. I think she believes that you are worthy of a relationship. Besides, I like her. That alone is reason for you to keep trying."

Davies laughed for the first time since the incident in the shed. "That may not be enough to convince her."

His mother smiled and tipped his chin up to look in his eyes. "Maybe not," she conceded.

"But you have other qualities, just like your father."

For the rest of the night Davies lay in bed, thinking about his confession and his mother's advice. He knew he had to face both Emma and Katie but feared their reactions. His mother also lay awake, thinking about her son's description of his behavior and trying to divine why it seemed so strange. It couldn't be completely natural, and if it wasn't, she needed to know what magic had caused it.

The day after Christmas holidays ended Davies noticed a definite coldness on the faces of the other students as he boarded the train to Hogwarts. It had taken a week to convince his concerned father to let him return but now that he was leaving he wanted to run away. Rumors flew through the train like electric current, once-adoring girls shuffling away from him nervously and haughty boys smirking at the telltale scars on his face.

"Yes I got beat up by a girl and yes I intended to hurt her," Davies muttered as he pushed to the back of the train.

"They'll get over it in a week," an amused voice responded. Davies turned to see Jaeson Riley, smiling in his usual open and friendly way.

"You're speaking to me," Davies commented, leaning against a closed compartment.

Jaeson cocked his head, narrowing his clear blue eyes. "I'm your best friend, moron, of course I'm speaking to you."

Davies raised his eyes. "I didn't know I had a best friend," he remarked.

"Well, I know you're not the most social chap but I still take that as an insult. I am the one who wanders all over Hos to find you every morning, defends your completely irrational behavior, and makes sure you always have enough hair gel. That should be enough."

Davies shrugged thoughtfully. "I guess you're right."

Jaeson sat down abruptly on his large trunk and replied, "I would say something appropriately bestfriendish but I fear that would only confuse you more. Instead I will say that I don't care what happened. You can tell me sometime if you want to, but whatever." He jumped back to his feet. "Now, I have a date with some quidditch plays and I believe Katie is in the last car on the right."

"Um, thanks," Davies sputtered as Jaeson waved over his shoulder, dragging his trunk behind him.

Davies shook his head, wondering how he had managed to collect a best friend, and even more baffled because he had been looking for Katie when Jaeson found him. "How did he know?" Davies shrugged and continued to the back of the train. He hesitated outside the door of the last car on the right until his fear of the other passengers finally drove him to knock.

Katie gasped as Davies entered the car. He was impeccably clean, his hair arranged carefully and clothes neat, but he looked like he had showered and dressed simply to force himself awake. His eyes were rimmed with lines and shot with red. The many facial scars seemed to strain against his smooth skin. The affect was unsettling and Katie knew he would probably never again be the perfect Roger Davies from before his encounter with Emma.

"Roger, I . . . " Katie began but got stuck between "I'm happy to see you," "You look horrible," and "If you come one step closer I will scream." She had worried about him all vacation, nervous because she didn't know what had really happened and confused by her intense feelings for him.

Davies sat down on the far corner of the bench across from her. "You are probably wondering why I'm here," he said quietly, staring at the floor. Katie could only nod, troubled by his overwhelming discomfort. She was used to a Davies that pinned her against he wall and kissed her against her will. Even though she knew his quieter and more understandiside she had never seen the shame that now shadowed his face.

Davies tried to look at her but couldn't raise his head. "I want to confess to you that I, well, I did everything. I cursed Emma't broom, I stole the diary, I treated her horribly, and when she attacked me I . . ." he stuttered and Katie leaned forward.

"You what?" She couldn't resist pushing him for answers after two weeks of aching to know what he had done.

"Well, since I couldn't get her off the team by any other means, I decided to be very nice to her. If I could get her to like me I figured I could talk her out of being on the team."

Katie stood up and walked to the back of the car, trying to contain her disgust. "So what you're saying is that you tried to seduce Emma in order to get her to quit your own team, even though she's probably your best player? You're going to have to explain yourself a little better." Katie stood stoically in the corner, clutching her fists. She shook slightly at the thought that maybe Davies had also been pretending with her all along.

Davies could see the hurt and shock in her eyes. Any chance I had with her is gone, he decided, and then also that he had nothing to loose. He calmly related the wrath of his father, his own strange and unexplained sensations of intense hatred, and the shame he experienced after Emma attacked him. When he finished he stood up and said, "That's the best I can explain it. I'm sorry Katie. I wish I could take it all back. I just wanted you to know. I'll leave you alone now." He pushed open the door but Katie called after him "Wait. Roger, I believe you. I believe that something strange is going on in all of this."

Yanking the door shut, Davies turned slowly to face her. "Thank you," he said hesitantly.

"Sit down," Katie told him and he did, watching her questioningly. "When is the last time you slept?" she asked him as she positioned herself next to him.

"I don't know," Davies replied, once again unnerved but this time by her closeness. "I slept a little."

"You know that it's Emma you really need to apologize to, not me."

Davies nodded, his eyes drifting shut. "I know."

"Well, we will go together to talk to her. But first, put your head back. You need sleep," Katie told him gently.

Davies didn't even reply before he fell asleep. As the train jolted his head slipped to Katie's shoulder. "Naturally," Katie muttered. "You know I don't have the will to move you," she whispered. Katie struggled for an hour not to touch his face or press her lips to his hair. Finally her shoulder hurt so much from the pressure of his head that she gave in to temptation and slipped her arm around him. In his sleep Davies shif, tucking himself closer to her. His face rested against her neck and Katie could feel his steady warm breath. As she lifted her hand to touch his face and then dropped it in her lap, resisting, she suddenly remembered the events of the night she had taken the Intoxicating Charm.

For the first time she relived that night fully and clearly, and it left her stunned. "For all that you messed up this year you're still a pretty amazing guy," she whispered. "I just can't believe how I acted. I guess if you could be so controlled that night I can be now. I just wish that I knew how you felt about me. Maybe you were just being gentlemanly. It's a good thing I wasn't conscious of what I was doing or I would have been pretty embarrassed." Katie fell silent and looked around the car trying to distract herself from the boy sleeping on her shoulder. The car wasn't very distracting but she found herself wondering about Emma. She didn't even know if Emma was on the train but hoped so. Maybe I can finally fully understand what is going on if I talk to both Roger and Emma, she thought.

Another hour passed and Katie spent most of it wondering what Davies would do when he woke up and found her arm around him. She finally decided to shift him back to the wall when she found herself looking into his open eyes.

"I'm sorry if this is my responsibility," he greeted her, sitting up and stretching.

Katie pulled her arm away from him awkwardly. "It's the fault of the train," she explained.

"I could tell. Are you ready to look for Emma?"

Davies pulled at his curls. "My hair is all messed up. I can't go out like this."

"Stop touching it," Katie responded. "You're making it worse." She smoothed the barely-rumpled locks and smiled. "There, now you are fully presentable."

They walked through the train, knocking at each car. Most of the occupants made some excuse and quickly shut the door when they saw Davies, but a few asked him how he was doing. At one door no one responded and Katie curiously shoved the door open, Davies peering over her shoulder. The two distracted occupants didn't even notice the intruders but Katie quickly pulled the door closed. She stared at Davies, finally squeaking, "That was my best friend!"

"And my best friend!" Davies added.

"I need you to confirm that they were kissing.&rdqu; Katie still gripped the door handle, her other hand resting on her forehead.

"They were kissing," Davies confirmed. "'I have a date with some quidditch plays,'" Davies scoffed. "Very funny, Jaeson. More like a quidditch player."

"Why didn't Angelina tell me?" Katie demanded.

"I don't know. I think sometimes these things sneak up on people," Davies answered.

Katie looked into his eyes and for a moment thought his arm would come to rest above her head and he would kiss her like he had that night in the corridor. It was a perfect opportunity . . . but instead they continued searching for Emma. When they found her car they could hear her talking excitedly with someone. (Both were relieved because they feared that if she was with Oliver they might walk in on a similar scene as with Angelina and Jaeson).

"I don't know what the curse is, but my mother was very worried about it," Emma was saying. Katie knocked and called "Emma?" before pulling open the door. Emma, sitting next Oliver, smiled when she saw Katie but her face darkened as Davies followed.

"What does he want?" Oliver demanded, but Emma quieted him.

"They only way we're going to solve this is with his help," she told Oliver, squeezing his hand.

Oliver glared at Davies who held his hands up defensively. "I would be an idiot to try to hurt her again," he said, indicating his scarred face. "Besides, I came to confess."

Oliver acknowledged him with raised eyebrows, but remained on the edge of his seat, as if ready to pounce. Davies and Katie sat across from Emma and Oliver and Davies gave his confession. When he came to the part in the shed Katie interjected, "What he's trying to say is that he attempted to seduce you."

At this Oliver jumped towards Davies, but Emma grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She was smiling slightly as she said, "Is that what you were doing? You know, for being one of Hogwarts top crushes you are pretty bad at seduction."

Davies, face red, stared at the ground. "I know. But I wasn't planning on you attacking me."

Emma sighed and said, "I think you should take it as a lesson. Now, why did you do all of this?"

Once again Davies explained his strange emotional responses - the intense rage and guilt. When he finished Emma was staring at him intensely.

"Did your head hurt sometimes, as if all the emotion was beating against it and ready to explode?" she asked. Oliver and Katie looked at hear curiously but Davies responded, "Yes. Often. I thought it was because I couldn't sleep well."

Emma shook her head. More likely you couldn't sleep well because oit. Davies, I think you have the same condition I have."

Davies looked at Katie who was gripping his arm while staring intently at Emma. "What condition?"

"Well, that's the problem." Emma sighed deeply. "I don't really know what it is. But I have an idea."

"I've been wanting to know what my father's grudge is about for a long time," he explained the day that classes started again. He sat in the library with Emma, Katie, and Oliver for more dquo;espionage" as Oliver put it. While they talked an occasional student, glancing curiously over their shoulder at the unusual combination of companions, perused the muggle studies books surrounding their table. The appearance of Emma and Davies together only worsened the already strange rumors.

"I thought they would lock her up," an awestruck third year whispered to her friend as they scampered away from a scowling Emma. Emma ignored them and dropped three books in front of Davies saying, "Well hopefully we will finally find out what is going on." She sat down at the table and added, "Just remember that my mum is muggle and may not have known exactly what she was talking about. So the curse may not actually be called the 'Heritage Curse,' in fact it's probably not."

"So what are we looking for then?" Oliver questioned, exasperated, pushing his mini-quidditch set out of Davies' curious gaze and leaning over Emma's shoulder.

"I have no idea." Emma patted Oliver's head, smiling as he scowled.

"I've looked at more books this year than in the rest of my life," he muttered.

Emma pushed a book in front of him and ruffled his hair. "It's good for you."

The four sat quietly for several minutes, sorting through the huge books, until a voice interjected, "Davies, you've forgotten we have a game in a week."

Jaeson Riley leaned over the table between Davies and Emma. Without looking at him Davies replied, "I haven't forgotten - we have practice tomorrow night and every other night this week."

"I think you forgot," Jaeson shot back.

"Hm," Davies acknowledged him, turning a page in his book.

The four ignored Jaeson until he asked, disconcerted, "What are you doing with all these books?"

"What were you doing with all those 'books' on the train yesterday?" Davies responded casually.

"Oh, well . . ." Jaeson sputtered. "I think I'll go now."

Davies smiled with amusement, still not looking at Jaeson, and Katie snorted. Jaeson, face red, disappeared. Katie and Davies couldn't contain their laughter and Oliver and Emma watched them, baffled.

"What was that all about?" Emma demanded.

Davies couldn't stop laughing, but Katie motioned for Emma and Oliver to lean in closer.

"Angelina and Jaeson . . . yesterday . . . on the train . . ." she sputtered between giggles.

"No . . ." Emma exclaimed. "Angelina and Riley?"

"What!" Oliver insisted, pulling on the now-laughing Emma's arm. This only made Katie, Davies, and Emma laugh even more. Oliver finally caught on, muttered, "Ohh . . ." and then started laughing as well. Everyone in the library stared at them and Madam Pince glared ferociously.

Katie controlled her laughter first and whispered harshly, "Shhh! Roger, Emma, Oliver, c'mon! Madam Pince is going to come over here!" Oliver sobered almost immediately, and by biting his bottom lip Davies calmed down within a minute. Emma, however, had to bury her head against her arms on the table, her body shaking with laughter while Oliver patted her back to sooth her. Finally she looked up and whispered, "Sorry. New potion hasn't quite set in yet."

"That's okay," Katie told her, sighing. "But maybe we should get back to work."

Emma, Oliver, and Katie returned to their books, but Davies watched Emma for a minute. Her unusually dark and gleaming eyes reminded him of the intense brilliance of his own eyes, and even more so when her emotions took over. We do share something, he realized, amazed. Although he began to read his book on curses again he glanced at Emma every few minutes wondering what their connection was.

After half an hour of silence Oliver suddenly casually asked Davies, "You play Slytherin, don't you?" although it was obvious that he already knew whom Ravenclaw would play in the upcoming match.

"Yes," Davies replied equally casually. Oliver raised his eyes as if surprised and Davies felt a tinge of irritation.

"Better for you if we loose, isn't it?" Davies questioned, staring intently at his book.

"I suppose so," Oliver responded nonchalantly, also staring at his book.

Katie and Emma watched the exchange warily, each ready to restrain the hotheaded quidditch captains, but Oliver and Davies ignored each other for the rest of the evening.

"We might as well get to bed," Emma announced as the last studiers left the library.

"We'll try again tomorrow."

The mystery was forgotten, however, for the next three days as Davies pushed the Ravenclaw team through an almost destructive training schedule. Every moment they were not in class the weary team members ran play after play until they could no longer move. Davies' frenzy ignited a determination in the three other quidditch captains. At all hours of the day Hogwarts students witnessed not only organized practices but also spontaneous quidditch lectures in the hallways, intense arguments about strategies, and exasperated players running to hide from their captains.

Late in the evening on the third day Katie hobbled back from practice blinking back tears. Every muscle in her body felt like it would snap, a sensation only worsened by her violent shivering. They had practiced in an abusive snowstorm, whipped and beaten until even the Weasley twins begged Oliver to end practice. Katie, desperate for warmth, had not even wanted to change in the locker rooms with the rest of the team. Now, however, she fell against a wall, lost in the dimly-lit castle and too exhausted to continue.

"Where am I?" she muttered desperately, not even trying to look around. She rested with her face against the wall for a few minutes, struggling to hold back her tears. "I can do this. I can practice in horrible conditions and not be a wimp. I can find my way back to Gryffindor," she declared. But when she turned around she still didn't know which direction to walk.

"Argh!" she exclaimed when suddenly a figure appeared from around the corner.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" Davies asked.

A mix of relief and nervousness at the site of Davies triggered Katie's tears. She hadn't spoken to him since the night in the library, but had wondered about him all through the tedious practices. Now as he stood in front of her, his arm resting above her head and his cleanliness and warmth invading her senses, she shamefully wiped at the tears and whispered, "I was just going back to Gryffindor after practice."

Davies rubbed away the remaining tears from her chilled face and responded quiety,

"Wood should not have you out practicing in this weather. You are freezing. He's going to make the whole team sick."

"Your team was out as well," Katie said defensively, not looking in his eyes as she tried to stop the sudden heat rushing through her body.

"I sent my team in as soon as the storm started," Davies defended himself. He brushed the snow off her cloak.

"Don't do that," Katie protested, grabbing his hand and then dropping it abruptly. Davies raised his eyebrows and Katie, shuffling nervously, explained, "If you do that your hands will be cold."

Davies calmly took her hand in both of his and rubbed her frozen fingers. "Is that better?" he asked quietly.

"Y . . . yes," Katie stuttered. She stared intently at him as he took her other hand.

"The truth is that I only let the team go in because Cho looked like she couldn't stand up anymore. So I really can't say that I'm any better than Wood."

Katie smiled mildly. "Quidditch captains are all the same."

Davies nodded. "Yeah, we are." He drew her hands to his lips and breathed on them gently. The tingling in Katie's stomach escalated.

"Roger," she whispered. "Why don't you just kiss me?"

Davies eyes widened in surprise as he smiled coyly. "Only if you threaten to rip my earrings out again."

"If you come one step closer I will rip those earrings right out of your ears . . ." Katie broke off as Roger's lips met hers. He pulled her arms around his neck and Katie's fingers entangled in his hair as she returned his kiss.

"I've been wanting you to kiss me back for years," Davies murmered, hugging her tightly against his chest.

Katie pulled his head down and kissed him again. "Well I appreciate that you didn't give into me the night I took the Intoxicating Charm"

Davies sighed. "You're welcome. It wasn't easy. But I knew you wouldn't remember it and the thought of kissing you and having you not remember hurt enough to stop me. As for the two other times that I did kiss you, well, I don't have an excuse for that." Davies started to pull away from Katie, suddenly ashamed, but she pulled him back.

"Hey, it's okay. I understand why you did it and I know you do too. You don't have to be ashamed."

Davies sighed as he hugged her tightly. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"What did I do to deserve you?" Katie replied. They stood silently until Katie asked,

"Just out of curiosity, if a girl who is part-veela shows up next year to participate in the

Tri-Wizard Tournament you wouldn't go off into the bushes with her during the Christmas Ball, would you?"

"Not if you're still here. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Just thought I'd check."

"Okay," Davies replied, and kissed her.