A/N: Written for Harry Potter Spell Competition, for the spell Accio (writing about meeting someone after a long time).

Special thanks to Raanah fore beta-reading this

Somehow, the situations dreamt up and daydreamed about never played out the same way in reality. All she asked for, all she ever wanted was to see him again. Once, only once would suffice.

She wanted to wrap herself in him and have an unforgettable time. Wanted those conversations they used to have, back at Hogwarts, where the rest of the world melted away— where other people were blurs in the corners of her eyes, and all her worries flew away.

There was something about those moments. The moments when she could precisely predict the outcomes, could pinpoint the unavoidability of the future. Moments when a broom started shaking a hundred kilometers in the air; when the Dark Mark appeared over her neighbor's house; when she knelt beside her Grandmother on the hospital bed and heard the words slowly fade away. She knew the inevitability of falling, of tragedy, of death.

"Knew" doesn't mean she understood.

Experience doesn't mean she learned.

Amongst the foggy haze and rain, Katie's eyes fall on a slouched figure against a small Quiditch store. She looks a little closer; there is something eerily familiar about him. A pang runs through her and her heart drops into her knotted stomach as she recognizes him.

It's one of those moments when she recognizes Oliver Wood.

Oliver, the boy she's been dreaming about since she was eleven. Oliver, amid the sprawled out, hidden shadows on Diagon Alley. Oliver concealed in black and soaking in the rain. Oliver, only a few precious meters away.

She's been waiting for this moment. Not just waiting—hoping, wishing, praying.

He doesn't see her, and she's not going to wait any longer. She strolls up to him, feigning casualty while desperately trying to hide the joy, the excitement. Attempting to conceal the sounds of her heartbeat on overdrive, to hide the thrill of finally, finally seeing him again.

When she's standing right in front of him, he looks up from the ground and…she loses the words. Loses the words and drops the act. Opens her mouth but can't speak. Their eyes meet, brown on brown. She can't stop a small smile from stretching across her face. His eyes widen, and he looks at her up and down. Now she can't breathe.

She waits. Waits for an acknowledgment. She gives him time since he looks in shock. The problematic pounding of her heart and the heat rushing to her cheeks grows harder to control as she observes him. Observes his jagged, half shaven face. He looks older, troubled even. She notes his rain socked hair, its longer then she remembered. He's still a head taller than her. His damp clothes stick to his body and she feels like a teenager at Quiditch practice all over again when she can't take her eyes off of him. Can't steal her eyes away when they outline his body like that.

Finally: "Katie Bell…it's you."

Her heartbeat ripples with only those few words. He still has that effect on her.

Words manage to tumble out, "Thanks Oliver, haven't been able to figure that out myself. All these years I've been looking in the mirror thinking I know Bell is the last part, but what's the first—"

"Katie, didn't know you missed me so much. Come here, you."

She rambles when she's nervous. Attempts sarcasm when she doesn't know what else to say. Once, she told him how much she hated her habit, how much she wished someone would just cut her off. She can't believe he remembered.

Then, he's stepping away from the wall, enveloping his strong arms around her, and embracing her body. She's caught up in the overwhelming feeling of him and his musky smell and their rain drenched clothing sticking to each other.

He's hugging her, she's hugging him back, and it's almost a dream. Except in her dreams, Oliver's eyes sparkle and their hugs lead to something more.

Before he lets her go, quickly and softly with that rough voice, he whispered, "I've missed you too Katie, so much."

Then he releases her, and it's all happening so, so fast and it's almost perfect. All her thoughts are on him and nothing else even matters. She still feels like he can see right through her, even after all these years. She wants to sit down, wants to catch up with him, wants to meet him again. She's lost in the overwhelming feelings— her out-of-control heart beating like a drum, her tingling body, and it's the closest to perfect she could expect.

Of course, life doesn't happen like that. There's no such thing as perfect moments or happy endings. They don't exist in her life, don't exist in anyone else's.

She starts to tell him something, opens her mouth but the door behind him opens and a man beats her to it and calls out, "Oliver, my dear. I'm so— I'm so sorry. She's—she's gone."

Oliver turns around. She catches a glance at his face and its all flashes of sadness and shock and anger. His eyebrows scrunch together and eyes pool with tears.

"No…the healer said she would be fine. She said…she promised. It's not fair. She's supposed to have more time. It's not—" Oliver's shoulders shake and he's sobbing and all she wants is to wrap her arms around him and tell him its going to be okay.

Except the man walks down the stairs and embraces Oliver and both of them have tears streaming down their faces. She wants to do something, wants to help. It hurts to see him in this state, but all she can do is watch. The man tells Oliver to come into the house with him. Oliver nods, and starts slowly shuffling toward the door.

As if suddenly remembering, Oliver turns around. With tear-filled eyes and a desperately monotone voice, "Sorry Katie, I'm going to—going to head inside. I'll see you around."

Then, in a blur Oliver and the man move into the building, shut the door, and once again she's left standing in the shadows drenched in a helpless daze.

A/N: Thanks for reading and your thoughts are welcome :)