Christmas Party

'I never used to like my name either.' Cupid admitted as he understood what it was like to hate your own name. For years during his childhood he was picked on at the park whenever his Grandmother would call 'Cupid' as he swung on the swings. The other childhood had laughed so much that at one point he'd caused a child to swing full circle around their swing... Thankfully his sister began to call him by his middle name Rob, easing his pain. Even today Becca still calls him Rob out of habit.

'Oh, well I suppose we should leave them alone.' He replied, grinning slightly at the idea that Katie may possibly like him. Was he the love of her life? It made perfect sense, if she had never been the same after he'd left her alone. Then, what had Medusa just said? She'd never been the same until he'd become friends with her. Was he that good of a friend to her? Perhaps Cupid had some worth after all?

'You may know my sister then?' Cupid asked as the two walked away from Jeremy and Katie, not delving more into Katie's history with the Hufflepuff. 'Becca Litherland?' Even if Dessa didn't know his sister personally there was a high chance she'd heard of her given the fact she was friends with Katie and on the quidditch team as keeper - most quidditch players were well known in their own house. Cupid had once thought about it himself however his fear of flying would always play in and so he'd never took that easy plunge to popularity, instead taking the tactical route by being friends with the quidditch players. Still. It didn't give him the international fame he wanted. In the real world people didn't really care about the players friends simply the players themselves. Even in Hogwarts people didn't care or given attention towards friends of the players they simply recognised them. Which, Cupid guessed, was a start.

"Hey at lease your not name after some Greek monster with snakes in her hair!"said Medusa honestly. Medusa was always picked on at her muggle school due her name, people thought she would turn them into stone just like the legend of Medusa does. "I rather have the name Cupid over Medusa any day!"said Medusa softly. "That's why people call me Dessa, although I honestly don't know how they got it but it's better then Medusa!"said Medusa shaking her head. "My father wanted to name me Athena, but my mother wouldn't have it, but she agreed giving that as my middle name."said Medusa.

Medusa looked at Cupid with her eyebrow raised. Medusa seen Cupid's smirk. "Oh they were just best friends, nothing more then that."said Medusa. "What a minute, do you like Katie more then a friend Cupid?"Medusa asked him smiling. "Come on you can tell me, I promise not to tell her!"said Medusa. "I can sense that you kind of don't want her alone with Jeremy."said Medusa. "I'm really good at reading people."said Medusa smirking at him.

Medusa nodded. "Yes I know Rebecca, although me and her don't really talk much."said Medusa frowning. "I don't think she likes me much for some weird reason."said Medusa shrugging. "I honestly don't know why, I haven't really done anything to her."said Medusa softly. "Katie said she a bit like that to everyone though."said Medusa shrugging. "Anyways were at a party, were here to have fun!"said Medusa.

'Hey! You need to live in my shoes for a week in February!' Cupid replied, referring to valentines day. 'I have people forever begging me to match-make them with people, asking where my bow and wings are. You know at times I could do with your whole turning people into stone thing.' He never was usually this friendly with people for some reason. Sure he was a social person, loved to be around others and have a bit of attention but Medusa and him seemed to have a natural spark. It was refreshing and rare to have. 'I do agree though. Dessa is much better than Medusa. If only I'd had a Dad to try and persuade my Mum not to name me Cupid because I was born on valentines day.' The Slytherin added, shaking his head as he poured himself a beaker of fizz-pumpkin juice.

'No.' Cupid replied, slightly taken aback by Dessa's sudden confrontation, 'She's just a friend.' He said, changing his tone into something more casual. His no had been rather abrupt and laced with a concoction of defense and offense. It was the truth though, he'd never thought about any girl in that way, more than friends. Of course Cupid acknowledged that some girls were pretty and was quick to notice but not once had he thought about wanting a girlfriend. Cupid was far too focused on his life ambitions to be thinking about love. Love was a distraction.

'It's not that I wanted her to be alone with Jeremy, I just felt one of us should have been there to pull her from underneath the mistletoe.' Cupid said, his eyes gazing up at the spot of ceiling above Katie and Jeremy where a bunch of mistletoe was growing and slowly creeping down above the reunited pairs head.

Cupid chuckled. 'Yeah she can be a bit like that.' He replied, not offended. 'She just tends to be with people her own age - or studying.' In spite of that Becca did make time for other people, such as a few of Cupid's friends perhaps initially out of politeness before the Ravenclaw discovered the friendship.

'Speaking of Becca she said she was coming.' The Slytherin told Dessa, craning his neck to look around by the door. It was difficult to see if she was there as the room was gradually filling and filling with students. 'Yeah, you're right. It is a party.' Cupid grinned, 'Want to grab Katie and dance?' He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Looking into Katie's eyes, he smiled at her before he looked up as he seen a mistletoe above their heads. "Mistletoe!"said Jeremy pointing up towards the mistletoe. Taking it as his cue, he leaned towards and kissed Katie softly on the lips. He wanted to do that for awhile now, he honestly missed Katie and her beautiful self. He missed everything about her, her laugh, her smile, everything.

Jeremy wanted nothing more then to be with Katie, she meant the world to him. Little did she know that he always liked, over the years he literally fell in love with her. Although he kept the feelings secret due to her not feeling the same way. Although he wasn't even sure if she felt the same way now, but he had to take a chance. He was taking chances, if he didn't he'll never know anything in life.

Seeing Katie with tears in her eyes, his heart sunk. "I'm so sorry Katie, I didn't mean to!"said Jeremy. "Well... I did, but I honestly didn't think you were going to cry over it!"said Jeremy honestly. "Katie please stop crying, please!"said Jeremy softly. He honestly didn't know why she was crying though, but it made him feel bad.

Katie's eyes widened as Jeremy kissed her, but she quickly pulled away with tears in her eyes. "After being gone for a year, and not writing me for the first three months you think it's ok to kiss me?"Katie asked him angrily. When he apologized, Katie laughed her icy cold laugh. "Your sorry? well... a bit late for that Jeremy, I cried almost every night wishing for you to come back for months, and you didn't care so why do you care now?"Karie asked him softly. with tears in her eyes.

"I hate you Jeremy I hate you!"said Katie softly as she took the butterbeer that was in her hands and splashed it onto him. "Go to hell you pig!"said Katie with tears in her eyes. Turning her heels, she marched away from him determined not to let him get to her. She wanted nothing else to leave, but she was the host of this party as well as Cupid, she couldn't leave her own party.

Going over towards the corner that was away from the party, Katie sat there and cried. She didn't want anyone to see her, so she remained in the shadows where no one could see her crying. Her being the clever Ravenclaw put a charm around her so no one could hear her cry. Katie usually never let anyone cry, that was why she was hiding in the shadows.

Kenneth and the guys promised they would go to his little sister first big party that she was throwing, he couldn't believe that she was throwing her first party, he was so proud.  She was bound to become the next Knight troublemaker! Kenneth smirked at the thought of this, the teachers were glad that he was leaving, but little did they know Katie was going to be the next him.  It was good to know that his and the guys legend was going to live on through Katie.  He knew she was already a troublemaker, he heard about the late outings she had with Cupid by the lake or when they snuck to the kitchen for a midnight snack.
 
He was honestly proud of Katie, and she was going to turn into a great witch for someone her age. She was already clever and devious,  she was sharp minded and a sharp as a whip at times.  Kenneth knew Katie was going to have a bunch of friends due to her cleverness and devious ways, hell she was already friends with Cupid and they were already starting to become a troublemaking duo! Kenneth approved of Cupid, he haven't met the guy but from what Katie told him, he was a good guy. Kenneth and the guys were protected of Katie especially when it came to guys, but for some reason he trusted Cupid.
 
Walking with the guys towards the room of requirements, he slipped into the room as his eyes narrowed as he seen Jeremy kissing Katie. How dare he kiss his little sister when he basically crushed Katie!  She cried for months wanting him to come back!  It really didn't go over with Kenneth that he hurt her so bad!  Seeing Katie splash his drink at him and run off crying, Kenneth eyes darkened as he walked towards Jeremy.
 
As he walked towards Jeremy he punched him in the face.  "You gotten some nerve to show up here Jeremy after you crushed my little sister!"said Kenneth.  "Don't you touch Katie again, if you do, you won't be so lucky next time!"said Kenneth glaring down at him.  Seeing Katie in the corner, he looked at Cupid and the others.   "Someone go comfort her right quick, I got to clean my hand!"said Kenneth.

Rebecca had been popping into the room of requirement every so often that day, bringing food up from the kitchens. Like Cupid she was social, probably because she had grew up with only Cupid as a friend before she came to Hogwarts and simply relished the company. Although, in spite of her social side, Becca did dedicate time to her studies and quidditch and would usually have avoided going to the party but whilst it was the last week of term she was going to let her hair down.

After dropping off the final box, containing the dry ice and fan for a icy-smoke effect, she'd returned to the Ravenclaw common room to get dressed for the party. Never usually caring about her appearance - a simply pony tail usually boded well, she was going to make herself look decent for the party. Her Mother was deputy to the head of magical law enforcement and, thanks to her fantastic salary, Becca had had the finest garment from the upmarket clothes store in Diagon Alley: Twilfitt & Tattings.

Once into her blue dress Becca quickly styled her hair down before leaving the dormitory. The clock above the fire read half quarter to ten. She was fashionably late by half an hour. 'You guys ready?' She said, approaching the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team that were sat on chairs by the glorious mantle piece waiting for her. Becca had decided to go with her fellow team players. They were the best of friends, as always, although perhaps soon Katie would be there with them.


'What on earth is going on?' Becca asked as she led the way into the room of requirement, the last player quickly closing the door so that the sound of music from the room didn't wake and alert any of the Professor's. The room was soundproof, inside they could be as loud as they wanted but whenever the door opened the sound would travel. As a result Cupid and Katie had come up with a knocking system, a Slytherin first year would stand at the door and when students from the otherside wanted to enter they need only simply knock, the first year would ring a bell by the door and the students controlling the music would silencing it so that way the guests could enter - making sure the door was sealed before the music started again.

However, the music didn't continue. Kenneth was starting to get into an argument with a student by the name of Jeremy (Becca remembered being in a few of his classes a few years back, she hadn't seen him in a while). 'Katie?' Becca mused looking around confusedly. However her confusion was soon resolved as the sight of a brunette hurrying through the crowds towards the edge of the room was visible only for a moment. 'I'll catch up with you later.' She told her team mates before grabbing Cupid by the arm and dragging him through the crowd in the direction Katie had escaped too, shouting 'Someone turn the music back on aswell!' As she did so. Whatever was going on Becca guessed Katie wouldn't want the entire party hearing.

Katie looked up at Becca with tears in her eyes. "Hi Becca."said Katie softly before wiping away her tears. "I'm fine.."said Katie softly as new tears replaced her old ones. "You guys should go back and have some fun, don't let me bring you down."said Katie softly. "I think I'm going to go."said Katie softly.

Katie didn't want to be here anymore, she didn't feel in the partying mood anymore. "I just can't believe he showed up after a damn year, I understand he had a family issue, but still he didn't write me for the first three months!"said Katie angrily. "He was my best friend, I was lost when he left, and now I gotten my life back on track he shows up!"said Katie shaking with anger. "I need a firewhiskey to calm my nerves, I don't care if I'm not at age!"said Katie. She literally felt like killing someone right now, this was a side of Katie no one wanted to see.

Seeing Kenneth she nodded approvingly at what he done, usually she would be rating him out but now she didn't care if Kenneth killed Jeremy. Usually she would be in his arms crying her eyes out, but she could see that his hand was bloody from where he hit Jeremy. Kenneth was always the one to calm her down or it was one the guys who did it, peering through the crowd she seen that Shane, Carson and Jaybee didn't look happy either. If looks could kill she knew Jeremy would be dead right now.

Becca turned to Cupid and Medusa. 'You guys can go, I've got this.' She told them before drawing up a chair and sitting besides Katie. There was no need everybody stood around Katie trying to comfort her, that could only add more pressure on the hostess. Something that she didn't need at all given what had just happened.

'I can imagine that is pretty infuriating.' She said, taking hold of Katie's hand and then looking at her in the eye. Now was the time to get personal. Becca wasn't the best friend of Katie but the pair were close, and Becca was starting to get the feeling Katie was developing feelings for her younger brother, which meant by proxy they were now as close as can be.

'My Dad left us.' She began, reaching into her bag and withdrawing a glass bottle of firewhiskey. Pouring both herself and Katie a goblet she continued: 'Then, when I was about eight or nine he came back, said that he wanted to start seeing us and make up for lost time together... I haven't seen him since.'

Becca too a swig from her goblet, cringing hard at how much the drink really did pack a fiery punch. 'I get it, what it feels like to be let down. If you're lucky the feeling will go away but, for me, I'll never forgive him. More so because of how upset Cupid was.'

Downing the rest of her drink her eyes caught Cupid who had gone off to dance and socialise with the fellow guests on the dancefloor. For once her brother looked happy, extremely happy. Cupid was always hung up on how he wasn't famous, how he had so many ambitions and it seemed the popularity he'd received from the party had him singing a different tune. Perhaps Becca had been wrong about fame? Maybe her brother would be happy if he were in the limelight?