Miracle
Gryffindor Chaser Katie Bell is in St. Mungo's thanks to Draco Malfoy. Set during HBP, obviously. Ex-captain Oliver Wood and the rest of the team find out and go to visit her, but Oliver is too thick-headed to trust that Katie is okay.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even my dream this was based on; I guess JKR owns that too... D:
The End
It's been a while since I've been at Hogwarts, my true home. Always traveling around with Puddlemere United didn't really give me much time to stay in Britain, let alone my flat in London. Of course I didn't have to buy it, but I was thinking of Katie. Once she graduated Hogwarts, we'd get married and raise our kids in the flat. That was the true purpose for buying it. That was my future. I would give up Puddlemere United to spend more time with Katie if I had to. Her happiness is much more important than the team; they can always find another professional keeper, but Katie can't find another me, and I her.
I kept walking in the direction of the headmaster's office, looking around and recounting many memories. That broom cupboard there, for instance… it just reminds me of Katie. A small smile played on my lips.
Once I reached Dumbledore's office, I realized I didn't have the password, but I noticed Fred, Angelina, George, and Alicia heading down the corridor.
"Oliver!" Angelina and Alicia both hugged me from both sides.
Angelina looked up at me. "We didn't think you would make it!"
"We thought you were in France with Puddlemere!" Alicia smiled.
"Just got back from the game. Our seeker is just like Harry—only took him a bit to catch the Snitch," I responded amusedly.
"OLIVER!" The twins pounced on me… joy.
"So what's this little reunion for?"
Dumbledore had told me not to visit Katie too much since most other visitors didn't come as frequently as I did. So we ended up resorting to meeting each other at various Hogsmeade weekends and during the holidays instead, basically whenever we could. I would quit games just to have another day with her.
I watched as they exchanged glances. Then the twins piped up:
"Oh, we were-"
"-going to visit-"
"-Katie-"
"-your precious."
I smiled. "Oh yes? And what about Harry?"
"Yeah, well,"
"Ron and Harry-"
"-owled us-"'
"-and told us she-"
"-had some sort of an…"
Quick, awkward silence.
"Accident," Angelina and Alicia finished together since the twins immediately looked somber. All four of them pursed their lips.
It took me a while to register this. So there I stood in silence, staring at them wide-eyed. Then it really hit me.
"WHAT! Where is she?" I stepped towards Fred. "WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?" I shook his shoulders. He wasn't exactly in the mood to speak, so I moved on to George. "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS SHE?" He was silent as well. It must've been really serious if the twins weren't talking at all, let alone making jokes every other second. Angelina and Alicia were looking at each other, puzzled. "Please, Angie, 'Licia, WHERE IS SHE?"
"Well, she's kind of… at St. Mungo's…" Angelina explained, avoiding Oliver's eye.
"We heard it was sort of… serious…" Alicia added on unsurely, cueing the twins in.
"Ron and Harry-"
"-said that it was some-"
"-bloody Slytherin's fault-"
"-oh yeah, that-"
"-jackass-"
"Malfoy," the twins finished together.
Alicia sighed. "Ron and Harry explained in their letter that the Malfoy kid had given Katie some sort of cursed necklace through Madam Rosmerta, whom he conveniently put under the Imperius. She was supposed to give it to Dumbledore."
"DUMBLEDORE!" I exclaimed. "What the… but what happened to Katie?!"
"And so she accidentally touched the necklace that was meant for Dumbledore…"
"…oh God." I clutched my head and sunk down into the corner. "No…"
"But she's okay now."
"HOW CAN SHE BE JUST BLOODY OKAY WHEN SHE TOUCHED A CURSED NECKLACE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL DUMBLEDORE?!"
"She was pretty lucky-"
"-that she only-"
"-touched it with-"
"-a glove-"
"-even though it-"
"-had a hole in it."
"SO SHE'S OKAY? GUYS, TELL ME!" I picked myself up from the floor, still hysterical.
"We were just about to go to St. Mungo's to visit her. Would you like to join us?" Alicia offered politely.
"You all know damn WELL I do! …well, let's get going then!" I pulled the lot of them down the corridors as fast as I could.
-:-
We were at St. Mungo's. Finally.
I scribbled quickly on a parchment borrowed from the front desk as Angelina went to talk to a few nurses.
Dear Puddlemere manager,
I still can't believe I don't know who is in charge of all this absence crap.
The love of my life is currently in a fatal condition. I am visiting her at St. Mungo's. I will be taking a few days off, maybe even more, to spend them all with her.
Thank you.
Oliver Wood
"Do you know where she is?" I asked Angelina, as she thanked one of the nurses.
"Yeah, she's this way. Come on!" She hurried down the halls, dragging the four of us along.
She stopped in front of a room. "Well, this is it. Oliver, I suppose you want some private time with her. We'll just stay out here and wait." The four of them left quite awkwardly, leaving me behind.
I felt my trousers pocket, just to make sure my precious little case was safe.
I stepped into the door. Luckily, there was no one inside but Katie.
"Katie…?" I asked, hovering over her bed. "Kates? You alright? Oh Kates…" I whispered as I sat down next to her, taking her hand. Her fingers twitched a bit… or maybe I just imagined it. I put her hand down for a second and went outside.
I searched a bit for the four of them pacing the halls. "How long has she been like this?"
"Well, we got it when Ron sent back Errol, the family owl. So I guess it's probably been a while," George answered.
Fred continued, "In the letter, Ron mentioned this was a few weeks ago."
I sighed and returned to Katie's room.
"Kates. I love you so much. Don't leave me, please."
Her eyes blinked and opened slowly.
She was okay!
It was a miracle.
I was saved.
There was hope.
"Oliver!" she whispered faintly. I could see the excitement in her eyes die down as she asked, "Why are you here? I don't want you to see me like this…"
"Oh, Katie…" I couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment.
She looked at me blankly.
"Kates, I can't let you stay like this yourself. Why, I'm going to murder that Malfoy kid…"
"No, don't. He and his Death Eater family will be taken care of. Don't get yourself involved."
There was a moment of silence as we both thought. We were both just staring at each other. She looked so… so… weak. Not at all like the tough, enthusiastic chaser I had grown to love during my time at Hogwarts. But I will always love her, mind you.
And suddenly I remembered.
"Oh yeah, Kates. I have something for you," I announced as I pulled out my precious little case. "Katie Bell… I love you." I looked her straight in the eyes, "Will you marry me?" I opened up the case to show her a shining diamond ring that I had bought in France.
She gasped… in shock, I suppose. She was still in school, if you could count it as that. Marrying at the mere age of seventeen wasn't all that common. But she was different.
I didn't know how much longer she had.
And that made all the difference.
She was still staring back and forth between the ring and me. I wasn't so sure about this anymore. What if she said no? What if she wanted me to move on? Oh no. Could it truly be?
"I was actually going to do this at King's Cross station," I started explaining hurriedly, "when you would come out of the Hogwarts train, and I would come and pick you up, and you would jump into my arms, I'd twirl you around and give you your flowers, and… and… oh Kates, you're my life from now on. I'll quit Puddlemere to spend every last minute with you, and I'll write my resignation letter right now and—"
She put a finger to my mouth. She was shutting me up! I guess I was kind of dumb there for a moment… I was out of breath, gasping, my heart pounding out of my chest. Almost.
I studied her face, vowing to remember it forever, no matter how old I was.
"Kates. Will you marry me?" I repeated.
She smiled.
Then she closed her eyes.
"NO! KATIE! NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! TO US!" I threw myself on her bed and hugged her. "KATES! I LOVE YOU! DON'T LEAVE—"
"You stupid oaf, I was pretending to think hard," she whispered into my ears, as tears started pouring down my face. "Now shut that big loud mouth of yours and give me some peace to think in, will you?"
That's my Kates!
I was grinning stupidly, wiping my tears, as she opened her eyes. I think I'll go write my resignation letter to Puddlemere right now…
"Of course, Oliver. I'd do anything for you."
-:-
Turns out I had to write wedding invitations to the Puddlemere guys instead.
I wanted the wedding to be right whenever my Kates could stand up again. But the nurses informed me that her condition was not as bad as I had thought when they came in to check up on her since they had already nursed her back to health in the month she had been there. I invited the twins, Angelina, and Alicia inside.
So then all six of us started planning the wedding together. Katie decided we should make it some time in the summer after she graduates.
And I always listen to my Kates.
…and, of course, Fred and George wanted to advertise their Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes there.
We'd better warn the guests.
A/N: Originally meant to be a oneshot, just some fluff based on a random dream of mine, but I may add an epilogue. Hope you liked it! Reviews would be nice. Would you guys like an epilogue featuring Neville Longbottom and his family? Still KBOW though, about a year or so later, post-DH.