Kat ran down the steps of Hogwarts and found Marvo and the WIBs outside. She ran up to them.

"They said I could have a minute." She said to the imposing escorts.

"Marvo, I... So... Is this the end of us? You sounded like it was. I... Well I..." Kat looked embarrassed and nervous. She was fumbling with her robes and twisting them into little knots. Her eyes were sparkling in the dusk light, but that was probably because she was trying not to cry.

Marvo looks surprised and pleased to see Kat. The Two WIBs move back to allow them 'private time'. Obviously under orders to do so.

'Oh Kat! Of course it's not the end for us! I'm sure the Ministry will sort all this out and I'll either be back in training, or even come back to Hogwarts'

He takes Kat's hand. 'And I'll write of course. Don't worry, We will always be friends.' He smiles.

Kat smiled at Marvo. "Friends." Kat looks disappointed. "Of course. You have Nimue now. You don't need me as more than a friend now. But I am glad you will write. I will miss you and how close we have been."

Marvo looks really confused at this. 'Can't I have you both?'

Kat just looked at him, shocked. "Two girlfriends? Only one of which you will marry?" This obviously wasn't what she expected.

'GIRLFRIENDS!?!' Marvo goes very red

Kat looked even more shocked. "You mean.... You mean that... well... didn't you KNOW that was what... Didn't you know I... that I... was, well, treating you as more than a friend?" Kat is looking really upset now.

Well I... well... do you mean that we're, that we're... you and me?...' Marvo has never been so red.

'Oh.....erm....' Marvo mumbles... 'But... I've never had a girlfriend before'

Kat is starting to show signs of weakening. Tears are definitely forming in her eyes. "Yes, we are! You didn't know did you? You had no idea! How could you? I mean didn't you hear others refer to us that way?"

Kat looked at her feet and twisted her robes a little more. One tear ran down her cheek as she tried not to look at Marvo.

"I'm sorry," Kat mumbled. "I shouldn't have come out here. It's just with you treating me like your girlfriend for so long I guess I assumed. Well, I..." she swallowed hard and tried not to cry.

"I wanted to say goodbye properly only there were so many people there, and now I've gone and ruined it." Secretly Kat also thought about what else she had wanted to say.

She had not tried to tell him how she felt before, but she had wanted to be sure that he knew in case anything bad happened. She wanted him to know that she was here for him should he need her. And now... She looked up at him and her eyes had turned grey and sad and now all she could say was...

"I'm sorry. 'Oh.. I mean I thought they just meant... Wow... Girlfriend..' Realisation has finally sunk through Marvo's boyish skull '...cool...'

He smiles very widely. Then blushes again. 'That is... If your still okay with that?'

Kat grins and her eyes light up. "You mean it? Of course I'm ok with that!" Kat hugs him happily and kisses him on the cheek.

Then a slight look of worry crosses his face. 'But what about Nimue?'

"Nimue is with Achel, or hadn't you realised that either?" Kat grinned at him.

'Oh.. Ya...' He smiles 'I hadn't thought about it'

Marvo looks over to the WIBs who look a little edgy. 'I still have to go. so... erm... what now?'

Kat too thought that the WIBs would be expecting him to finish soon. "You better go. Umm. I wanted to tell you that... well,... just thank-you. For everything." She was chickening out again. Those words would probably be too much given that they'd only just agreed they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

She had a sudden thought and dug into her robes. She pulled out a drawing and handed it to Marvo. "Here. I was going to give you this anyway. I found out how to animate my drawings. I found a book on it in the library and, well..."

The picture was of Kat. And a very good likeness. It was currently blushing and wriggling her fingers at Marvo in a small wave.

"I hope you like it. You better go now. Write soon and let me know how things go if you can. I... I will miss you." She kisses him on the cheek again having said all that she dares.

'Wow. This is so nice! Th..Thank you.'

As Kat pulls away from the kiss he blushes again. 'Well... I better go. I hope you like your Christmas present, and...and..'

He kisses Kat and smiles, walking away towards the WIBs where he is led to a black unmarked horseless carriage and leaves, waving

************

Nimue watched these events from a distance. She hadn't expected the WIBs to turn up at the award ceremony although her Father had advised her some days before that Marvo would not be able to stay at Hogwarts and why, so it was just a matter of time.

She didn't quite know how to feel. She certainly didn't know how to act and despite the presence of both Marcus and Achel in the Hall she just wanted to be elsewhere.

However, she held her ground and mingled as best she could taking some solace in the fact that with her Father's presence at the award ceremony she could be more herself in the coming months than in her first term and feel freer to explore those inherited powers that so bound her to the land.