By Myself, But Not Alone ((Seth))

[Katherine Newcombe H4]

With every step that Katherine took, she felt her stress slowly melt away. Last night had been another long one. It had taken hours for her to fall into a disturbed sleep, and, once again, it felt like she had just spent the night kicking off her sheets only to immediately pull them back on. The morning sun slowly warmed her as she jogged around the school grounds, causing her to perspire slightly, and Katie smiled when she thought of how she must look. Not only would she have dark circles under her eyes, but now her face would be flushed, and her blonde hair even more untidy in its ponytail. At least no one can see me this early in the morning , she thought wryly. She continued to run, quickening her pace occasionally as she navigated through the snow covered ground, knowing that it was more than the busy past few days that were leading to her insomnia.

Katie had sent a letter to her sisters more than two weeks ago; a simple letter, inquiring about their health and activities, and she had yet to receive a reply. It usually took her sisters only a few days, and the letter Katie would receive would be bustling with news. Biting her lip, Katie screamed at herself not to get too emotional or upset, and sprinted towards the nearest tree. She reached it quickly, and leant against it, panting for breath, before sliding towards the soft ground. A small bird flew over her, and she watched it with a small smile. Katie knew how she often overreacted when it came to her sisters; two little girls who meant more to her than anyone else in the world. The only people she cared more about were her parents. She frowned at the unpleasant thought. Even though she wanted to hear from her parents, thinking about them was too painful. Every time she did, the same questions ran through her mind: had they received her letters? Why hadn’t they replied? Why had they allowed Aunt Edwina to take her and her sisters away from them? And, as usual, she had no answers. Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, she pictured her sisters once more. They were both much younger than she was, and especially after all they had gone through, Katie felt responsible for them. If something had happened to them, Katie would never forgive herself.

Time passed slowly as she sat underneath the tree, and Katie watched the snow falling in silence. It was truly beautiful, and she soon found herself more relaxed than she could remember being at Hogwarts. It was as if, underneath this tree, nothing could touch her. In this place, her sisters were fine, their letter in the mail, her parents were waiting for her at home, and Edwina had never come to Scotland to take them away. Her eyelids began to fall, and a deep calm washed over her. Snow fell on her arms and legs, but Katie didn’t have the strength to brush them off her. Her breathing became even, and for the first time in several days, she had a peaceful sleep.

Katie wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, or if she had even been asleep, when she heard footsteps approaching her. She groaned softly, opening one eye slowly to see who was there, and then closed it again. The first truly wonderful sleep she had had, and she had to be woken. Sighing, she opened both eyes and stretched her cold, stiff arms, and smiled slightly.
“Who do you think you are, disturbing my slumber?” She joked softly, rubbing her eyes.

[Seth Wright]

“Chace!” Seth called excitedly, his fingers wrapped around the windowsill and his nose pressed to the small window in their dormitory. His brown eyes sparkled, lighting up his face as he stared eagerly outside, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet from exhilaration. “Look! It’s snowing!” Gaining Chace’s attention, the other boy made his way across to peer over Seth’s shoulder. It was indeed snowing, though not too heavily. Still, it was enough to have already littered the ground white, as though a thin blanket of icing had been laid on top of the Grounds. Seth continued to grin happily, then turned to Chace with a twinkle in his eye. “C’mon. Race you outside.” Before Chace knew it, Seth had grabbed his coat off the bedpost and had shot out of the dormitory. A grin formed on Chace’s surprised face, and after a second, he gave chase after his best friend too. Seth naturally reached the Grounds first, his foot sinking into snow an inch deep and creating a large footprint. Laughing, he turned around to wait for Chace to appear. When he finally did, he stuck his tongue out in his usual childish manner, teasingly saying, “Beat you.”

However, Chace was never one to back down, and before Seth knew it, he had been tackled to the snowy ground with a loud thump. “Ow!” He yelled in protest, arms and legs flailing, but Chace was a heavy bundle, and his weight stopped Seth from getting away. “Cheater!” Seth complained, his voice turning whiny, lips beginning to pout as Chace sat on top of him, triumphant. “God, it’s freeeeezing!” Seth suddenly yelped as he moved his head sideways, only for his mouth to touch cold snow. His hair was filled with specks of dusty white, and some were already melting into his scalp from the heat from his body. Protesting some more, Seth finally overthrew Chace off him, pushing him over and quickly staggering up, brushing the snow off his arms and legs. “That wasn’t fair. When did I say I wanted to make a snow angel, eh? Now I’m all… wet.” However, despite the irritated outlook Seth was emitting, a grin lingered on his lips. “Now it’s your turn.” Seth turned to Chace with an evil glint in his eye. “C’mere!” He yelled, rushing after a now escaping Chace. “Chace Coxen, get your butt back here!” Seth screamed after him as the two boys tore across the Grounds, carefully cutting across students making snowmen and having mini snowball fights. Finally, the Hufflepuffs halted against a large barren tree, fighting for breath, and both collapsed into fits of quiet laughter. Seth slid on the bark to rest against the bottom of the tree, his head tilted backwards to rest there and stare up at the clear skies. Chace mimicked him, and the two best friends sat side to side in unusual silence, just admiring the beautiful scenery.

“I’ll get you next time.” Seth said confidently, breaking the silence and grinning at Chace. His best friend merely snorted and said something that made Seth jump up indignantly. He grabbed a handful of snow from the floor, and launched it at Chace. However, both boys were Quidditch players with fast reflexes, and Chace jumped out of the way just in time. The snowball crashed into the tree, but Seth immediately ducked and grabbed another handful of snow, a feral grin on his lips. “I won’t miss this time.” He called tauntingly, knowing Chace was hiding behind the tree. Just as he finished saying it though, a large lump of snow was thrown his way. Seth quickly jumped sideways, the snowball narrowly missing his ear by a centimetre. “Hah! You miss--” Before Seth could finish his proud sentence, a snowball sailed over his head. “Whoa, dude, watch where you’re throwing that thing!” Seth yelled at Chace loudly, cheeks puffing and breath turning white in the chilly air. “Play by the rules! One bloody snowball at a time!” Glaring at the silent, unmoving tree, wishing it would burn to ash, Seth approached it gingerly, waiting for the moment Chace struck with a barrage of snowballs. However, when he finally neared where he had seen his best friend before, there was no one there. Blinking in confusion, Seth looked glanced up and down, wondering where Chace had disappeared to, when all of a sudden, his collar was being stretched from behind, and cold snow was shoved down his back. Giving a piercing shriek of fright from the cold and surprise, Seth jumped a feet in the air., “CHACE!!!”

It was an hour later Seth found himself trudging, half wet, across the Grounds, muttering obscenities directed at one Chace Coxen under his breath. “Sneaky little git… Deserved everything he got… Next time… Next time I’ll get him…” His numb fingers were buried in his coat pockets, having forgotten to bring his gloves in the hurry and excitement this morning. Seth fiddled around for his wand though, finally drawing it out and nervously muttering a spell to rid himself of the dampness of his clothes. Seth was always a little anxious at performing Charms spells; it was the only subject which used the wand a lot that he was capable at, but he still worried he’d perform something stupid and give himself buck-teeth; or even worse, render himself unconscious. Snorting at the thought as the successful charm quickly dried his clothes, Seth stuffed his wand away again. He was heading back to the castle without Chace, who had disappeared somewhere; hence why Seth was a little grumpy. But he would find his best friend, and he would exact his revenge. Seth was half-smiling from thinking about it. It was then he noticed a figure under the tree in the distance, and frowning a little, Seth made his way over. As he approached, he realised it was a younger girl, probably in third or fourth year; he recognised her as someone from his house. Her eyes were closed, and Seth assumed she was asleep. “Sleeping outside in this weather?” Seth mumbled to himself, standing some distance away to make sure he wasn’t disturbing her. “Isn’t that really stupid? What if she gets pneumonia?” Seth was internally analysing whether he should wake her up or not, when the girl began to stir. Surprised, Seth was about to leave, realising he was probably imposing on someone else’s business (and he needed to find Chace to get his revenge anyway), when the girl said something. Seth turned around, just about catching her soft words, and blushed bright red. “Um, er, so sorry, I was just passing through and saw you were asleep and thought you might just catch a cold or something… I’m really sorry.” Wringing his icy hands, Seth avoided the girl’s gaze in embarrassment.

[Katherine Newcombe H4]

Katie placed her hands back at her side, and stared up at the student. She thought she recognised him, and was certain he was in her house, but didn’t know his name, and was hesitant to ask. It was bad enough that he had found her like this; she didn’t want to force him to stay longer than necessary. Not knowing what to say, Katie stared at the ground with a small, shy smile. It took a few moments for what she saw to make an impact, but when it did, she widened her eyes and laughed in disbelief. Her feet were now covered in fresh snow, and Katie wondered how long she had been lying underneath the tree. She glanced up at the top branches, and realised they too were covered with another layer of snow. She had assumed that it would get warmer as the morning progressed, but as an icy wind wrapped around her, she realised the sun was behind a dark cloud. Any warmth that had been there was now gone.
“How long have I been here?” Katie asked herself, realising that everything around her was covered with a lot more snow than she remembered. Every extremity was stiff and aching, and when she wriggled her fingers, she found it difficult. Her feet were also reluctant to move from their position in the snow, so Katie pushed them underneath her so she was in a sitting position. She glanced awkwardly up at the boy.
“I’m so sorry to have to disturbed you. I didn’t mean to fall asleep; I guess I was more tired than I realised,” she said shyly, her cheeks burning. It was embarrassing to be found asleep in the snow, and even more so to be having trouble in front of him now. She struggled to her feet, only to have her cold knees buckle underneath her, and fell back onto the cold, hard snow.
“Oh!” She gasped in surprise, before nodding to herself.
“Oh, oh, yes I was right. The view is so much better from down here,” she said, desperately trying to make him believe she had meant to do that. Conceding it probably wasn’t very realistic, she smiled self-consciously.
“I’m fine, really. So, if you have to go, feel free to go!” Katie grit her teeth and rose once more, resting one hand onto the trunk of the tree to steady herself. She turned her body to face the direction of her dorm, her smiling face hiding her bewilderment.

It made her uncomfortable that someone had watched her while she was so evidently struggling, and she hoped he would take her at her word that she was fine. It was her own fault for falling asleep in the snow, so she should be the one to ensure she got back to her dorm safely. Katie was her own problem, and didn’t want anyone else worrying about her. Not that he was worrying about me, she thought, frowning. He was concerned, which is far less humiliating. From the time Katie had been taken to live with Edwina, she had taught herself to only rely on herself. The abandonment of her parents and the pain her aunt had inflicted had made her resilient, and although she was protective of her sisters, she was not used to being protected herself. While she had been living in London, there had been a few older women who had been worried about how unhappy she and her sisters were, but instead of being grateful, she had been confused and suspicious. What was their motivation? Were they doing this for their own gain? Katie hated being so suspicious, but while her sisters’ wellbeing was at stake, she hadn’t been willing to risk putting them in a worse position. Looking back, Katie realised that she also could’ve taken them out of their situation, but was glad she hadn’t taken that chance. She shook her head, turning her thoughts back to the boy. She knew it had been several years since she had moved to London; however, it still made her anxious at the thought of someone helping her. The fact she couldn’t think of a selfish motivation for the boy was moot. She didn’t need help; she had proven that when her parents had forgotten to write, and she had to look after her sisters at Edwina’s house. If she needed help, it meant she couldn’t do it on her own, and that scared her. Katie had to do it on her own; it was the only way she could help her sisters, both now and when they eventually came to Hogwarts. If she didn’t, then she wasn’t taking care of them; the person who was helping her was. And she didn’t trust anyone other than her looking after her precious sisters.

Taking a few hesitant steps, Katie felt her legs beginning to warm. She smiled and rubbed them, promising herself she would never sit under a tree when she was tired again. Her nose itched, and she rubbed it absentmindedly, before taking another triumphant step.
“Oh yeah,” she cheered herself softly, before covering her mouth as she coughed. Even though she had seen her fair share of snowy winters, it still delighted her when she watched her breath. Laughing softly, she continued to take her steps one at a time, until her leg gave way and she fell once more into the snow. Katie exhaled patiently, wiping the snow from her face and clothes, and tried to stand once more. Her knees shook, and her legs felt weak, but Katie was determined to do it on her own. Everything seemed to ache. She finally got herself standing again, and took another step. This time, it was only on her second step that she fell. Her forehead felt as if it were beginning to bruise, so she lay motionless for a second, gathering her strength. While she lay, Katie tried to wriggle her legs until they were underneath her once more, finally raising herself until she was sitting. She stared ahead and sat in silence, wondering what she should do. Should she ask the boy for help? Glancing behind her, Katie groaned when she realised the tree was only a few feet away.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, covering her face with her hands, and then jerking them away. Why hadn’t she worn gloves? She inspected her dry, red fingers in alarm, and then shot a sheepish glance at the boy.
“Would you please be able to help me?” She asked softly, wondering if he would think her weak for not being able to do it on her own. She coughed again, and rubbed her eyes. She was so tired.
“I only need to get back to my dorm,” she said weakly, momentarily closing her eyes.

[Seth Wright]

“Um…” Seth stared at the younger girl, looking utterly lost. “I, um, don’t know. I was just passing through…” He repeated in case she hadn’t heard him the first time. “I promise you I didn’t do anything!” Seth tried again, then winced at his sudden outburst; that just made it sound like he had done something. God, he was such an idiot. Feeling his ears glow red in embarrassment despite the freezing temperatures, Seth was about to apologise for his uncanny comment, when the girl started to speak again. “Oh no, you didn’t disturb me. You know, I was just walking by, doing my thing…” Seth scratched his head and laughed nervously. “It is a bit, um, insensible to sleep out here.” He added a bit bluntly, but quickly flushed again when he realised what he’d voiced aloud without thinking. “Um, I mean, you might get pneumonia or something…” It seemed the girl was feeling just as awkward as himself, because she was blushing a bright red, quite visible against the purity of the snow.

Seth was shifting from foot to foot nervously, his cold fingers stuffed into pockets to keep them warm. He watched the girl trying to stand up, and almost yelped when she fell right back down again. “Oh god, are you--” Seth began in alarm, surging forward to try to help her. Maybe she had caught pneumonia or something! What would Seth do then? But the girl brushed off his worry immediately, as though her falling was what she had intended. Seth gave a doubtful frown, but backed away a step, his arms still hanging out in case she fell again. “Um, are you sure? You don’t look so good…” Although the girl was still blushing, Seth could clearly see how pale she was in the face. He was no doctor, but he could swear she was almost as white as the snow. He was about to voice his opinion, offer to take her to the Hospital Wing, when she told him quite firmly she would be fine. “Uh, okay… if you insist…” Seth blinked, putting his hands back into his pockets. “I’m in no rush though… so… do you want me to help you back to the castle anyway? Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing. Or, um, get a butterbeer. It’s good for getting rid of feeling cold.” Seth gave a small smile, beginning to relax somewhat in her presence.

Seth watched wearily as the girl began to take slow, careful steps, her hand still holding the tree for support; she was obviously either in pain or she couldn’t walk well because of another reason, hence her hesitancy. He continued to worry for her well being, and so decided to stay with her unless she demanded he leave. She hadn’t said anything of the sort yet, but she had offered him the chance to go if he wished. But Seth didn’t have anywhere he needed to be right now; he wasn’t lying when he said he was in no rush. At the moment, besides this girl’s situation on his hands, all Seth was thinking about was getting payback on Chace for the earlier snowball fight. But that could always wait. Anyway, knowing Chace he was probably hiding in some really good place with a book, waiting for Seth to give up and let it go. Seth pondered his best friend’s whereabouts silently, but his eyes darted back to the girl when she began to speak, but couldn’t finish her sentence because she started coughing. Concerned, Seth took a step closer to her, a frown on his brow. “Um, look, I don’t know you, but… like, are you going to be all right? I’ll stay with you until you’re back inside the castle or something, because I don’t want you collapsing on me. And don’t worry, you’re not taking up any of my time. Oh, but if you don’t want my company, you know, I’m quite happy to go away too, because lots of people find me really annoying and stuff. And by the way, I’m Seth.” Seth took a breath after his long introduction of a sentence, giving the girl an awkward smile. She was a good deal shorter than him, so he could stare down at her head, flaxen locks falling across her face.

Seth stayed beside the girl as she continued to struggle, waiting for any commands or pleas for help. He wasn’t a strong man for his age, but he was strong enough to carry this girl back to the castle if necessary. However, Seth knew it wouldn’t be right to do so unless she asked him, or gave him permission to. He didn’t try to carry Eva without question – most likely she would bite his head off. Eva was such a headstrong girl, after all. Sometimes Seth felt like it would be her one day carrying him; the thought was a scary one he hoped would not come true. Seth’s face was a visage of worry as he continued to survey the girl, who had decided to sit down again in the midst of the blanket of snow. She was evidently too weak from the cold – sleeping out here had been a really bad idea! Seth was about to open his mouth to offer to carry her, when she spoke first, apparently cursing her situation. He remained silent, listening, subdued by her (shock horror!), until she turned to him and asked her quietly to help her.

A large wide grin split onto Seth’s face, and he gave a soft chuckle. “I thought you’d never ask.” He said jovially, stepping in front of her and crouching down so she could climb onto his back. She looked awfully light. “Of course I will. I’ve been wanting to offer my help for the past five minutes.” Seth said, amused at the girl’s behaviour and relaxing fully in her presence. Younger students were always easier to socialise with, and Seth felt like this girl was harmless. Seeing as she was the one burdened with a problem and was therefore being very quiet, Seth naturally took on his usual elder brotherly role of being the dominant speaker. “Sure thing, princess.” Seth joked as he motioned with his hands for her to climb on. “Which house are you in? You’re a Hufflepuff too, right? That’ll be easy for me.” Seth wondered what was taking the girl so long to climb aboard, and looked around with a reassuring smile. Perhaps she was scared of him. “Trust me, I won’t drop you. I don’t have much muscle, if that isn’t obvious already, but I could probably carry two of you if I wanted to.” Seth said with a grin.

[Katherine Newcombe H4]

Katie eyed Seth suspiciously, wondering if he could in fact carry her or just thought that he could. He had been honest when he said he wasn't very big, but she soon conceded that he wouldn’t have offered if he even suspected she'd be too heavy. At the very least, she could always get off if it did prove to be too much for him. She rose wearily from the snow and climbed shakily onto his back, wrapping her arms around him so she wouldn’t fall off.
“I’m Katherine. I’m a third year Hufflepuff,” she said, grateful that he was keeping the atmosphere light. It was hard enough for her to accept his help without having to also explain why she had been sleeping in the snow. Katie rolled her eyes. That had certainly been a bright idea. A light sprinkling of snow fell once more, and, now that she was safely on Seth’s back, Katie allowed herself to really appreciate it. The branches of the trees around her were covered with a thick layer of snow, and Katie immediately wished she had some way to capture the beautiful image. Deciding to forget all about her family, and the fact that she wasn’t completely in charge, Katie pointed at one particularly beautiful tree.
“Look! Gosh, it’s marvelous. Don’t you think it’s marvelous? I love snow” She said excitedly.
“I can’t believe how much has fallen this morning. It must’ve been a whole foot,” Katie said, and then laughed at her exaggeration. She looked up at the sky and grinned, feeling lighter than she had in years.
“I’m not usually this talkative, you know,” she explained patiently as she felt a cold wind brush against her face. She coughed slightly, but then returned to what she was saying.
“I’m actually pretty shy, normally. Not that you’d probably believe that. For a shy person I seem to be really talking your ears off.” With another laugh, Katie gazed out at the trees. She remained silent for a few minutes as she quietly took everything in, and promised herself she would recreate it in her journal that night.

As another cold wind touched Katie’s face, she shivered and pulled her cloak more tightly around her. Suddenly that butterbeer Seth had spoken about earlier seemed like a really good idea; while she doubted that she needed to go to the Hospital Wing, she did need a nice, warm drink. She wondered briefly whether Seth would come with her if she decided to go there instead of her dorm, and then widened her eyes in surprise. Katie knew she had been making progress with her confidence, however it wasn’t usual that she was able to speak very well with someone new, let alone actually go somewhere with them. What had made her so comfortable around Seth? Maybe it’s because he’s older, she thought, or because he’s in charge of the situation. I’m subordinate to him in a way, and I never let that happen. Katie chuckled softly at her incessant need to psychoanalyse herself, and lifted her head to see where they were.
“Thanks for doing this,” she said softly. Even though she knew Seth couldn’t see her, she gave him a small smile before resting her head again on his back. Perhaps when she was back at her dorm she could wallow in self-pity for allowing someone to help her, but for now, she was just going to enjoy not having to worry about anything.

It was relatively easy to forget about her problems as Seth carried her out of the grounds, especially when she couldn’t stop thinking about his concerned face as she struggled in the snow. He was awfully nice, and Katie knew it couldn’t possibly be for his own gain. What was there to achieve by helping her, other than a sore back? Katie smiled sheepishly at the thought. She knew that everyone had a part inside of them that was unselfish, giving and kind, but in her quest to protect her family, she had disregarded that knowledge in order to rely solely on herself. Had that been wrong? Had she simply taught her sisters not to trust anybody? No, Katie told herself, I taught them to be careful. No matter how much good a person has in them, they can still hurt you, and they had experienced too much hurt for me to allow that to happen. Katie still believed that there was good in everyone, something she was seeing that more and more around her, but she also knew that it would take a long time before she trusted someone with all her heart. She sighed. Why couldn’t life just be simple? Why couldn’t there be good people and bad people, and you knew immediately which was which, and what you should do? Instead, good was intertwined with bad, and while she was still positive and kind, she had difficulty trusting anyone. Katie shook her head in amusement when she realised that instead of “relaxing” she had been worrying again, so she turned her attention back to the snowy grounds before her.

Katie let out a soft cough as the pair continued their travels, rubbing her chest to ease the pain. She was surprised that Seth had been able to carry her so far, especially since she hadn’t even been able to carry herself a few feet, but remained silent. It had taken a short while, but the shyness that had plagued her for years had made a quick return, and Katie began to regret talking so much. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so chatty, or when she had talked so much nonsense! The gap of silence increased, and Katie desperately wished for something to say to fill the hole. A few random words floated through her mind, but she shook them away. She needed to find something wise. If she could, then she would feel as if she were repaying Seth for his generosity. Katie bit her lip when nothing came to mind. Perhaps something that was just profound would suffice. At least that way she would seem like someone worth helping. Minutes passed, but still Katie could find nothing of importance to say. It seemed as if anything wise she thought of sounded clichéd and anything profound sounded pompous, and she didn’t have the strength to think of more.
“You know, some people call me Katie. You can call me Katie, if you like.” It wasn’t profound, and it certainly wasn’t wise, but it was the truth. And it was better than whatever she had been talking about earlier.

[Seth Wright]

“That’s right. Hold on tight.” Seth chuckled as the girl climbed aboard his back gingerly and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t want you falling off now, do we?” When she had finally made it onto his back, Seth extended his arms behind to grasp her securely, carefully standing up. He didn’t want to frighten her; she was in a state of cold shock as it was. “Nice to meet you, Katherine.” Seth said jovially, beginning to walk rather slowly from the weight of Katherine on his back. As he had expected from judging her appearance, she was pretty light – lighter than Eva, that was for sure. Then again, his sister was in fifth year and had a lot of muscle to account for. Most likely she had more than Seth did, which she of course found hilarious. “I guessed you were in Hufflepuff. I was sure I’d seen your face around before, you know. I’m not the best person with names and faces though, so if I forget you by tomorrow, don’t hold me against it.” Seth chuckled wistfully, looking down at his large footprints left in the snow as he walked across the Grounds. “So do I. Snow is real beautiful. It doesn’t come often to, so we’ve gotta treasure it and appreciate it whilst it hangs around.” Seth grinned, glancing up at where Katherine’s voice was indicating. The scenery at Hogwarts when it snowed was absolutely breath taking. Seth loved it here, he really did. Sometimes, he loved Hogwarts so much it made his heart ache. Sometimes, he didn’t even want to go home. Sometimes, he could forget his hardworking, long-suffering mother, his merciless father; that home which had never really felt like home to Seth.

“I used to hate the fact that snow disappeared, you know.” Seth said a little pensively as his legs paused to admire the large blanket of snow that had descended on the castle and its grounds. “But then I realised that was what made snow so beautiful in the first place. Not all things last forever – it’s beauty certainly doesn’t – so we have to love and cherish it here and now.” Seth inclined his face around so Katherine could see the side of his growing smile. He resumed his trek after his statement, not really knowing why he was in such a reflective mood. It was probably because snow brought out memories and thoughts within Seth that usually didn’t surface. “It’s like this every year.” Seth commented after Katherine, grinning and looking up at the sky for a split second as he walked. “Spring comes and wipes it all away, but winter comes again too. Next year we may have even more. I haven’t seen this much snow since my second year.” Seth smiled warmly, hoisting Katherine carefully higher on his back as he could feel her sliding a little. He gave a small smile when she admitted she didn’t talk this much normally, but almost stopped in his tracks when she coughed again. He would definitely need to take her to the Hospital Wing. But she resumed her talking, and all seemed fine. Seth let her talk, glad he was able to keep quiet and not talk over. When she concluded, he gave a low chuckle. “I’m not talkative with strangers. I’ve gotta admit, I’m kinda scared of them, you know? But with my friends, I’m very, very chatty. I could probably talk your ears off, Katherine.” Seth grinned.

“I believe you.” He added, smiling as they neared the castle. Only a short distance to go. “People don’t usually believe me when I talk about myself, but I know better than to not listen. When people can find the courage to talk about themselves, and the trust to confide in someone else, that person should listen, don’t you think?” Seth questioned, a little more to himself than to Katherine. “I’m a total chatterbox, I can’t ever stop talking. It gets me in trouble a lot.” Seth laughed wistfully, memories hitting his mind. As a large breeze passed through the area Seth was trudging through, he felt Katherine shudder from the cold on his back, and paused again in worry, a frown creasing his forehead. “You’re cold.” Seth stated anxiously, wanting to turn round to look at her but couldn’t. “Maybe I should try a warming spell? We’ve been taught one… I’ve just never been good at doing spells… But we’re almost there…” Seth toyed between getting Katherine to the Hospital Wing as soon as possible and administering a spell to the girl himself. He couldn’t trust his own skills though; he was scared he’d mess it up. Anyway, he couldn’t exactly perform it with Katherine on his back. “C’mon. I’m gonna walk faster. Hang on. I’ll get your to the Hospital Wing, kay? You’ll be okay when we get there.”

With a determined expression Seth began to walk faster through the snow, nearing the castle entrance. He barely caught Katherine’s thanks, but smiled when he did hear the barely audible words. “No problem.” Seth returned with a bright smile. “I’m glad to be doing this. It just shows I’m not worthless.” Not letting Katherine ponder on what that really meant, Seth ploughed on. “Oh look, we’re finally back in the castle.” He grinned , walking through the doors briskly. Katherine was beginning to get quite heavy on his back. After a long silence, in which Seth was immersed in a rare inner meditation about life and everything general, Katherine began to talk again. Seth had wanted her to get some rest, not overexert herself, but smiled anyway. “Sure. Katie it is. You can just, um, call me Seth. You can’t really shorten my name.” Seth chuckled, and wouldn’t scratched his head had he had the hands to do so. “You don’t have to worry about talking, Katie.” He said in all seriousness, passing a few students who looked at them with odd expressions. Seth almost laughed, but speeded up for Katie’s sake. “Keep your strength. We’re almost there. I can do enough talking for both of us. Now, let me see… we, I mean, I, could talk about classes.” Seth shrugged, feeling Katie’s head on his back. “My favourite is Potions, even though I hate Snape and he hates me. He’s always hated me for being better than everyone else, but it’s the truth and he can’t change it. I didn’t learn a single thing from that man.” Seth’s declaration was quite loud, and he was lucky no Slytherins or the professor himself was walking nearby. “I just have a knack of it, you know? I’m not much good at anything else. The other NEWTs subjects I’m taking are tolerable… I got Es in them, but I don’t feel that good at them. Charms I was always pretty bad at to start with… I somehow scraped it.” Seth admitted with a shameful cough.

[Katherine Newcombe H4]

“Classes?” Katie asked sleepily, her body unable to continue producing the amount of energy she had previously exhumed.
“I love Potions, too. I don’t think Snape notices me much, though. I pretty much keep to myself,” she mumbled. Suddenly, everything Seth had told her about the snow overwhelmed her. It was true; the brief moments of joy that came with snow were soon replaced with disappointment when it went. Katie had always felt sad when the snow melted away, even when she knew that it would come back the next year. She sighed. Why was she dwelling on something that upset her so much? Seth was right; she did need to rest. It worried her that she could feel so energetic and then so lethargic within the space of a few minutes, and even more so when she heard her own coughing. Perhaps she did need to go to the Hospital Wing after all, she thought as she frowned.

Katie barely heard Seth as he continued to speak about his classes, and she wondered if she had actually spoken at all. What was happening to her? She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. Where had her fight gone? It annoyed her how apathetic she felt; she wanted to jump off Seth’s back and run back to her dorm. She didn’t want to go to the Hospital Wing. The last thing in the world she needed was to be told she was sick. She wasn’t sick, and would continue to tell herself that until she had proved it to everyone around her.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she muttered, touching a hand to her forehead. It didn’t feel warm, and convinced her that she was alright. She could feel her strength returning, and hated being in such an unnecessary subordinate position.
“Seth, can you please just drop me off here? I think I know my way back now.” The words flew from her mouth, and Katie was surprised at how commanding she sounded. She knew that Seth would be reluctant; he had, after all, offered to use a warming spell on her, however, Katie was determined not to go to the Hospital Wing. She had classes to attend, homework to complete and morning runs to enjoy, and she couldn’t do these if she was in a bed.
“I just realised I’ve been overreacting. I’m not really that cold at all, and I’m definitely not sick. I’m very grateful for all that you’ve done, but I think I can do this on my own.” The words sounded strange and distant to her, but she didn’t care. Katie, the one who was always in control, was back. She knew how kind Seth had been in helping her, but she could do the rest on her own. He didn’t need to waste any more of his time.

Katie slid off Seth’s back easily and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Although she still felt a bit unsteady, she forced a cheerful look and smiled at Seth.
“So, I should probably be on my way, as you should also.” Every word of hers sounded formal and distant, and Katie hoped Seth wouldn’t be offended. She was extremely grateful for all he had done for her, but now she just had to get away and be independent once more. Turning so that she faced the dorms, Katie smiled again, before moving confidently away. Already her legs felt stronger. Snow still fell around her, and she had to resist the urge to dance in it. One step at a time. Her footsteps grew deeper and further apart as she continued her journey towards the castle, and it wasn’t until she walked about fifty feet that she tossed a glance at Seth. Even when she was craving independence, she was normally never so rude. Squaring her shoulders, she returned to where he was standing and glanced up at him shyly.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been acting more erratic by the minute. My thoughts are just so jumbled at the moment, and it just…uh…it hurts,” she said, inhaling deeply. Her chest was beginning to feel as if it were about to break, and she leaned on Seth so she could remain standing.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she repeated as she touched her hand. It was cold and clammy, and looked as if it were grey. The sight amused her, and she started to laugh.
“My hand is grey.” A few beads of sweat decorated her forehead, and Katie felt almost light-headed. The sights around her turned to a blur of white, and she gripped Seth’s arm to stop her falling over.
“I’m sorry, I’m just feeling really weird. It’s like I’m spinning. All I can hear is my heart.” At first the loud sound of her heartbeat terrified her, but soon it became comforting, and distracted her from the almost intolerable aching in her chest. She moaned softly as she stared up at Seth.
“I’m not in my dorm.” Katie’s eyes widened as she realised that her surroundings were not what she remembered. When had her walls been painted white? Where was her bed? She couldn’t find her bed. Panicked, she turned to the boy in front of her for assistance.
“I’m lost. I can’t find my bed. Please, help me find my bed!”

What a horrible noise! Katie thought as she opened her eyes slowly.
“Can you please stop that noise?” She asked the person next to her softly. As she turned, she realised she wasn’t where she had thought she was. Instead of her dorm, she was sitting in the snow. The breeze she had presumed to be a fan was the curling wind of winter, and the person she was assumed was her roommate was actually Seth.
“Seth?” All she could remember of the last few minutes were pain and confusion, but she knew Seth. He had helped her when she had fallen asleep in the snow. She tried to explain to herself why she was no longer on Seth’s back. While the events of the day were clear in her mind, all she could recall of the last few minutes were a grey hand. A grey hand? I probably saw a leaf that looked like a hand, she thought, shrugging. She touched her chest in habit, and crawled to her feet.
“What happened? Are you okay?” She asked in concern, studying Seth’s face. Even as she said it she felt tired and flushed, and felt her eyes begin to well with tears.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying.” Sniffing pathetically, she wiped them away.
“I guess I’m just a bit tired.” Her body felt weird, and it scared Katie more than she would admit. She knew that she needed to be in charge again, and take control of the situation, but every time she had done that, it had ended badly. As hard as she tried, she had no recollection of the past few minutes, and it disturbed her greatly.
“I know that it hasn’t proved to be a worthwhile venture in the past, but can you please take me to the Hospital Wing? And ignore everything I say about being fine and doing it on my own!” Her voice remained light, but her eyes pleaded with him to agree. It took a lot for her to admit she needed help, and this was one of those rare times.