Harry hadn't been himself since overhearing that damned conversation at the Three Broomsticks, and who could really blame him? On top of this, Buckbeak, Hagrid's Hippogriff, was in danger. The matter of Buckbeak attacking Draco was being taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, so Hagrid had been feeling very down too. Even on Christmas morning, not an ounce of cheer could be detected in Harry's face or voice, which alarmed his friends.

Katie was sat in the Gryffindor common room on Christmas evening. Ron and Hermione were playing chess (Hermione was very frustrated because Ron was besting her) and Katie was reading a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages that Ron had gotten her for Christmas, and she didn't have the heart to tell him that Harry had already gifted her a copy of that same book in first year. Harry had not been seen by any of them since the morning. He left the Hall halfway through breakfast, and that was the last time Katie had laid eyes on him.

She worried that he had made the foolish decision to go after Black, but then she remembered that he couldn't leave Hogwarts without passing a swarm of dementors, and being near dementors was not what Harry had asked for for Christmas.

"Blimey! It's him!" Ron exclaimed suddenly. Katie peered over her book.

"Who? Santa Claus?" Katie chortled, but Ron ignored her joke. He was jabbing his finger against the window. Katie waltzed over and looked out the window. There, walking gloomily across the ground was a small boy, who Ron had quickly identified as Harry thanks to his mop of messy black hair.

"I'm going to talk to him." Katie said firmly, and neither Ron nor Hermione interjected. Katie pulled on a pair of boots, draped her cloak around her shoulders and then climbed through the Portrait Hole.

Although the Hogwarts grounds were vast, the snowfall was light, so Harry's footprints in the deep cushion of snow had not yet been covered, and this made it easy for her to find him.

The footprints led the Slytherin right to the Gryffindor, who was leaning against a tree and gazing emptily out at the Black Lake (some of which was covered by a sheet of thin ice).

"Harry?"

When Harry didn't respond, Katie stepped up to the tree and stood beside her best friend. They remained in harmonious silence, filled only occasionally by the sweet singing of a robin.

Harry slipped his hand into Katie's, like he had done at the Three Broomsticks, only this time, he wasn't sweating, he wasn't trembling, and he didn't squeeze her hand. He was peaceful. Katie had grown so numb that she couldn't feel how cold Harry's had was in her own.

Harry finally spoke. His voice was quiet and somewhat groggy. "Every time a dementor gets close to me... I hear her..."

Katie looked at Harry.

"I hear my mother screaming, begging Voldemort not to kill me... and he laughs."

A shiver ran down Katie's spine, and not because of the cold. This time, she was the one to squeeze Harry's hand.

"I wish there was something I could do to help." Katie told him sadly. He finally looked at her. His eyes momentarily flickered down to their intertwined hands, then they landed back on her face, and he smiled.

"You are helping."

A few more minutes passed and Katie suggested that they build a snowman to lift Harry's spirits. He reluctantly agreed, and soon they were building the body of Frosty.

"That's such a basic name for a snowman." Harry mocked when Katie announced that they would call their snowman Frosty.

"And Harry is such a basic name for a boy." Katie retorted. Her moment of triumph was short lived because only second after she made her witty comment, she got a face full of, cold wet snow. It went in her mouth and her hair and made Harry double over in laughter.

"Oh, it's on, Potter!"

An adrenaline fueled snowball fight took place that lasted at least ten minutes. Katie was sure that she was destroying Harry, but when she bent down to gather up another snowball, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She let out a screech that echoed through the deserted Hogwarts grounds, and she felt herself sink into a cold bed of snow.

Harry had tackled her and was no on top of her, holding himself up to avoid crushing the girl, and laughing hysterically.

"Harry!" Katie said, swatting his shoulder with the back of her hand. Harry continued to laugh, and Katie couldn't help but give in and laugh too.

Harry gazed down at his friend. Evergreen met faded blue, and time seemed to stop as their laughter drifted away into the crisp winter air. Katie felt her breath catch in he throat. Her heart was beating wildly, and she could've sworn she saw Harry leaning down before his arms buckled and he collapsed on top of her.

Katie let out a great huff of pain.

"Sorry!" Harry said quickly as he rolled off of her. Although she giggled at Harry's fall, Katie was left with a strange pang of disappointment whirring in her stomach, and she was also left with a burning question. Was Harry about to kiss her? And more importantly, did she want Harry to kiss her? Was she disappointed that he didn't?

The pair lay side by side in the snow talking about anything and everything until their whole bodies had become numb from the bitter cold. They laughed uncontrollably but couldn't feel the pain in their stomachs thanks to the numbness, and for the first time in months, they were both happy.

It was Harry that suggested they should go back up to the castle when he the snowfall had grown so heavy that they could barely see two feet ahead of themselves. He heaved himself to his feet before offering his hand to Katie. She smiled and took his hand, and he pulled her up. She staggered for a moment but quickly gained her balance, then the pair trudged through the deep snow together.

It was only when they entered the Entrance Hall and were engulfed by the warmth of the castle that Katie and Harry realised just how cold they had been.

"Merlin's Beard!" Katie cried. "My fingers are blue!"

Harry laughed. "Mine too. I'm going to take a bath. I'll see you at the feast."

They both retreated to the baths with broad smiles on their faces. These grins still hadn't faded by the time they seated themselves at the feast, which did not go unnoticed by Ron and Hermione, who glanced at each other knowingly.

You see, what Katie and Harry weren't aware of was the fact that Ron and Hermione had been watching them from the common room window while they were playing in the snow. Hermione disapproved of spying on them, she said that it was rude and an invasion of their privacy, but she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the snowball fight.

"Come on, Harry! Let her have it!" Ron cheered Harry on, though he could not hear him.

"You've got this, Katie!" Hermione rooted for her fellow witch.

"Bloody hell! He's tackled her!" Ron cried excitedly. "Hermione, did you see that?"

"Yes!"

"That was a ruddy good tackle, if I do say so myself."

"Ron, look!" Hermione whispered, sounding thrilled. She grabbed Ron's shoulder and pointed down at Harry and Katie. "He's not getting off her."

Ron squished his face against the glass, his eyes wide with exhilaration. "Do you think he's going to kiss her?" he asked enthusiastically.

Hermione didn't answer. Frankly, she didn't know. This was Harry Potter they were talking about. He wasn't exactly the most self-confident person in the world and, although they were only thirteen and dating was not really their top priority, it is worth mentioning Harry wasn't great with girls either.

"I'm not watching," Hermione said suddenly and turned away from the window. "This is none of our business."

"Dammit!" Ron shouted, pounding his fist once against the desk. Hermione whipped around at the speed of light. "He didn't kiss her!"

Hermione chuckled. "Do you think he actually likes her?"

"Do you?" Ron threw the question back at Hermione.

"I don't know," Hermione shrugged honestly. "You know him better than I do, so do you think he likes her?

Ron turned his head so that he was looking at Hermione, who was now sat in an armchair. He nodded. "Yeah, I think he does."