Disclaimer: Recognize it? Not mine.
Of Broomsticks and Crushes
Once upon a time, there was a boy. This boy liked Quidditch.
Oliver sighed. He knew that's how his story started, but that wasn't how it ended. It wasn't how he wanted it to end either.
Now, let's just start by learning some basic information. While Quidditch was Oliver's life and his dream, he was a seventeen-year-old guy. And like every other guy his age, Oliver had needs. He had enough willpower not to indulge, but he still had them.
To set an example, people often asked how he managed to keep a professional, platonic relationship with his Quidditch Team's three female Chasers without wanting any of them. He always said that they were too young for him, or that he wanted to focus in his role as Captain, or that he'd specifically forbidden relationships between team members...
He was lying. He was socially inept, but he wasn't dumb and he knew all three of his Chasers were, in one way or another, desirable. He knew Angelina was popular between her year's boys - he was often scaring off potential dates, so she wouldn't miss a single training. Alicia, with her top grades and sweet disposition was admired by everyone. He had to convince her that training was better than helping her classmates.
Katie... well, Katie was just Katie. She was full of life and energy, but she was also sweet and sensitive. It was impossible to know what was going through her head. Seeing how she always seemed to be happy, it was hard not to wonder. Did she have dates, like Angelina? Did her grades matter as much to her like they did to Alicia?
He spent significant amounts of time thinking about Katie, and he hated himself for not being blind to that fact. Not only she was three years younger than him, she was also his teammate. It was becoming very hard to stay focused on plays, practices and strategies when he had her around, innocently sparking fire inside of him.
So, let's start again. Once upon a time, there was a boy who liked Quidditch. It was, as it was stated before, his life and his dream. But Oliver Wood -for that was his name- also liked a girl, and this girl's name was Katie Bell.
That particular morning, Katie Bell had been absolutely set on causing disaster. She'd teamed up with Fred and George Weasley -two mischievous pranksters- and they'd tied his broomstick to a goalpost. Said goalpost was fifteen meters high, which naturally meant that he couldn't reach his broomstick. Which naturally meant that practice was cancelled. He'd had to rescue it using an old Comet that he had to borrow (without permission or knowledge) from Madam Hooch.
Later, at breakfast time, he mulled over these events. He'd already told off those pesky Twins, and now it was time for him to approach Katie on that matter. However, he found that he wasn't able to get angry at her.
He hated himself for it, and he hated her for having stayed behind and giving him a perfect excuse to tell her off right then. No one else but them was up - not even McGonagall was up at freaking six thirty on a Saturday morning.
She was reading a book, munching her buttered bread slices distractedly and unaware of Oliver's presence. He cleared her throat, but that didn't break her concentration.
"Katie, you're making this impossible" he told her awkwardly. When her stare pierced him, he forgot what he wanted to say. Why did she have to be so damn cute? " You're honestly being a nuisance" he added, but she couldn't possibly know what he meant. He had forgotten about his anger - he'd already let it out against Fred and George.
Katie didn't take his words very well.
"I am being a nuisance? You are the bane of my existence, Oliver! McGonagall says that if I keep falling asleep in class she'll give me detention. I spend every single waking hour doing something, with no free time. I have more than enough homework, now all these practices..."
"If you can't keep up..." he had no idea of what to say, but he had to say something. He was more than surprised by her angry rant - she hadn't given any indication of hating his morning practices.
"Kick me out, then" she threatened like she did every single week. He already knew not to take her seriously. Okay, well. Maybe he should've taken that as an indication.
"I won't kick you out, Katie. But please, focus. We need to win this year. We need to..."
"Be a team and work as a team. Could you just shut up about that for once?" She said. Her tone gave away desperation. Her gaze was still strong and cold as ice.
He couldn't deny that he was a little hurt. It was true that everyone was getting antsy, but hearing Katie's disdain hurt him.
"Do you even want this Cup, Katie?" He struck back.
"I do. I do want it, so badly. But do you understand I can't function? I haven't slept properly in ages. Lately I have literally no fun."
"Isn't Quidditch fun for you? I don't..."
"Oliver, have you gone mad? Of course I love Quidditch. I just don't enjoy being bossed around seven mornings a week. Don't tell me I'm a good Chaser - I know that, okay? You don't get that all this pressure you're putting on us certainly won't help."
"Well, if you guys stopped fooling around we'd have less practices! Frankly, Katie, I thought you got it, out of all people. Now I see that you don't. A joke here and there can be tolerable..."
"No it isn't. You have less sense of humor than Snape!" she interrupted in a snarky tone
"...but I won't allow it anymore, Katie" he added, ignoring her words. "After what you did to my broom... I can't just let you mess with it and not say a word."
That last phrase seemed to make her explode.
"I can't believe this! You talk as if your broomstick was a living person. Actually, that is quite fitting. I can picture you in your bed at night, cuddling with it and whispering in its metaphorical ear, 'she doesn't understand us, Broomy.'" She faked dreamy eyes and a soothing voice. Against his will, he laughed. He just couldn't stay angry at Katie. "'What we have is special, but Katie will never get in between us. She's just jealous, Broomy, and wishing to be in your place.'"
"Well, are you?"
"What?"
He didn't answer. He understood he'd crossed a line and possibly given himself away. But now his heart was beating at twice its normal rate and wanting to know if Katie had meant it.
People often said girls were complicated and tried to find something in words that had no hidden meaning. Oliver knew himself to be doing just that. It was all her fault - it was all Katie's fault, and he hated her for it.
Also, he'd sounded like a complete moron. Awesome.
"Never mind, Katie. Forget I ever said anything."
"Oliver, you're upset." Damn her and her perceptiveness. "Did you ask me if... if I'm jealous of your broom or anything? Does that even make sense?"
"No. Yes. Well... I don't know, Katie" He was feeling a layer of cold sweat set in and a blush creep upon his face. Why on Earth did he have to be such a socially awkward idiot?
"Well I guess then, that you have a secret crush on me?" She used an amused tone. She was joking, but he got even more flustered and lowered his gaze.
She raised her eyebrows and he understood that realization had hit her.
"Merlin. You do have a crush on me. How did that even happen?"
Now she was leaning forward, her book forgotten. She stared at him with interest. If there was a possible highest level of embarrassment, Oliver had just reached it.
"Stop doing that" he begged.
"But I don't get it. I thought... I though you didn't even notice me! I mean, I'm your Chaser and all but... well, do you have any idea of everything I've done just to get your attention?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even that today, about your broom! I'm just... I'm just tired of our friendship being about Quidditch, and just about Quidditch. We talk about nothing else. I care about you, Oliver. I had no idea you wanted to... well, that you have a crush on me. Whatever that means."
"Could you please stop saying that out loud?"
"Does it embarrass you?"
"Yes. No. Well, I don't know..."
She laughed mirthfully and regarded him with what seemed like affection. There was a short pause before she spoke.
"You're a fantastic guy, Oliver. Or could be if you just weren't such a lunatic."
What did she mean? As far as he understood, once an I-like-you confession was made it had to be either corresponded or rejected. It was a non-optional social convention. Katie hadn't done any of that - at this point, it seemed like she was just messing around.
"Merlin's beard!" She exclaimed, startling him. "Aren't you going to ask me out?"
"But...Quidditch... I need to focus..." he blabbered, apparently making her lose her patience.
"So what? You still have a crush on me and not acting upon it won't help."
After thinking about it for a few seconds, he realized she was right. Not going out with her distracted him enough - he might as well go out with her.
"But would you like that?" He wondered.
"Like what?"
"For me to... to ask you out."
She rolled her eyes.
"You really are clueless. Here I am, throwing myself at you, opening every door possible..." There was a pause, after which Katie sighed in defeat. "Oliver, we have a Hogsmeade weekend soon. Would you like to go out with me?" She asked. "As a couple?" She clarified.
He almost choked on his food.
"I... well..." He'd scheduled training, but he had a feeling that he'd get killed if he say that. "Yes, Katie. I... well, I'd love that."
She grinned, and now her eyes didn't seem to burn like they'd done a few minutes before.
"Well. Good."
Katie had asked him out. Katie had actually asked him out. He pondered what it meant. It's only this one date. Don't get your hopes up, he thought. She kept watching him, a smile on her face.
"I find it funny that you won't let Angelina date anyone, but you let yourself..."
"We're going to need to keep this a secret."
"You filthy hypocrite" she said, still smiling. "Yes. We're not telling anyone. If they all ever find out that we're..."
"Actually, I wasn't talking about our team" he interrupted her, gaining an incredulous look from his teammate, friend and... whatever they were now.
"It's not Quidditch that worries you now? Then what other reason could you have?"
Oliver dedicated her a half-smile before giving her an answer.
"Broomy will be terribly jealous of you, Katie."
Once upon a time, there was a boy. Oliver Wood -for that was his name- often wondered if he'd ever live happily ever after. He couldn't possibly know, he realized. But at that moment, hearing a particular girl laugh at his joke, it certainly seemed like it.
The End.
Notes: This was written for the 'No Using The' Competition in the HPFC forums. I couldn't write the word 'the' - I had a maximum of ten times I was allowed to, but that wouldn't have been fun. The only 'the' you'll find was from the quote I was given and the one in 'The End' - as far as I understood, those two I was required to use and don't count. So, my 'the' count is zero. The hardest part was not talking about 'the team' or 'the twins.' Ha.
The challenge itself set the whole style and pace of this piece. I'm really, really happy about it. Katie/Oliver cuteness is number one on my book and it's hard to come up with new material about them.
Anyway, I'd like to inform you that Broomy would like you guys to leave me a review xD
Special thanks to ladyoftheknightley for beta-reading this story!
Thank you all for your support!
-Karyn.