Title: Someday Over The Frickin' Rainbow
A/N: Okay. So… I've been ill. Missed all but two of my exams (which will be taken soon). Not really willing to write Falling Off right now. Hey, I'm a poet. Anything over 3,000 words is an amazing feat for me. Ha. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: My class has this little… Chant. "Awkward silence, awkward snail, awkward turtle, awkward spider, awkward turkey, awkward dolphin, awkward shark… awkward Chelsy (point at Chelsy), scared of Chelsy… NO LINK!" Yea. It comes with hand movements.
./././././
"Aren't you going to do anything but play Quidditch?" Katie placed the bowl of ice cream in front of Oliver, slipping onto the chair next to him. She handed him a spoon before digging hers into the delicacy.
"Why would I, Bell?" He laughed, wincing slightly at the pain in his side that had plagued him since practise. Oliver eyed the bowl warily, contemplating the pros and cons of giving up his diet before shrugging and attacking the ice cream with glee no grown man should have.
Katie shrugged, twirling the spoon between her fingers, "Y'know. Settle down, get married and have kids." She got up, hearing the timer sound from the kitchen.
He stared at her retreating back, chuckling softly to himself. "What, you mean like you and Chris?" Even though she was bustling about in the kitchen, he knew that she was blushing.
"For the last time, Ol, it's a promise ring; not an engagement ring." She rolled her eyes, chucking the plate of mac and cheese on the table. Sometimes she felt more like his live-in chef than his roommate (though she couldn't exactly cook gourmet meals herself, she could definitely cook better than him).
Oliver smiled gratefully at her, "What would I do without you?"
"Starve." She laughed, shaking her head and lifting his wrist to check the time. "Shit. Got to run; Chris is taking me out for some mysterious dinner I can't know anything about."
And, well, leaving Oliver quite alone with his melting ice cream.
./././././
The bar was crowded with wizards falling over each other to get a decent cup of firewhiskey, it was loud and hardly the place you'd expect professional Quidditch players to attend. Which was exactly why Oliver liked it.
"One firewhiskey." A dusty glass was pushed to him with a dull thud, echoed by the clinking of a few Sickles. He nodded his thanks before downing half in a gulp.
"Chasing skirts today, mate?" That unmistakeable Irish drawl came from behind, a smugness in his voice.
"Nah, not today. Not in the mood, Williams." Oliver sighed, placing the alcohol down angrily, though why he was so furious was unknown to both him and the Seeker.
Benjy pulled up a stool, shaking his head as he drank his own. "Thought you'd be with Katie today. Hardly a romantic place to take a bird, aye."
Oliver snorted, "Katie's with Chris."
"Which explains the animosity."
There was a grudging shake of the head from Benjy as he watched his friend finish off the amber liquid in a few gulps.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, y'see, when a lad likes a girl who's already attached…"
An abrupt smash of the mug on the table silenced him.
"What are you doing here anyways, Benjy?" Oliver sighed, obviously tired with this ridiculousness. Him, Oliver Wood, fancying Miss Katie I'm-So-In-Love Bell? No way. Maybe someday over the frickin' rainbow. Maybe.
Benjy smirked, knowing that he had hit a rough spot, "Just getting a quick one before meeting Ginny."
The Scotsman stared at his mate in shock, "You serious about her?"
"Yea. I think I am."
Oliver shook his head, "Never thought I'd see the day where Benjy Williams, Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor… Be serious about a lass…"
Benjy laughed, getting up and shoving him off his seat playfully. "See ya, Wood. Try to get over Bell, aye."
./././././
"Dinner was amazing, Chris… Thank you." She murmured softly into the shell of his ear (which was admittedly turning a pale shade of red as he blushed).
"Glad you enjoyed it, Kitten. G'night." He whispered back, kissing her lips gently.
Oliver felt like an intruder as he watched them get a little too friendly on the doorstep. Benjy's words from earlier swam laps in his mind. Try to get over Bell, aye. He didn't like her that way. She was his best mate, his Chaser on the Golden Team. Really, that was all she was to him. Right?
He let his curtain drop, banishing the subject quickly and lying down on the bed. A low groan came from him as he landed heavily on the bruise on his waist, lifting his shirt slightly he saw a mottled purple blotch in the half light.
"Oliver, is something wrong?" Katie pushed his bedroom door open, flicking the switch on. Her eyes trailed to the bruise that he tried to cover up hurriedly. "Oh, Ol… Why didn't you tell me?" Guilt flashed in her brown eyes. She had failed him as a Healer.
He sat up, shaking his head, "Its fine. Ruddy bludger." He managed a weak smile, flinching as the pain shot up sharply.
"Fine? It's not bloody fine if it hurts you that badly! Wait here." She scurried out of the room and came back seconds later with a green salve.
Oliver sighed, a smile playing on his lips. This was the side of Katie that he loved the most, though her sarcastic side came in a close second.
"Shirt. Off." Katie demanded, hand on her hip.
"Oh, Katie, I never knew you felt that way about me." He moaned in jest, tugging the flannel Puddlemere shirt over his head.
"Prick." She rolled her eyes, kneeling down to look at the distasteful marring on his skin. "Some bludger…" She muttered darkly, dabbing the salve on it gently. Her fingers were cool on his skin, a welcome source of relief from the agonizing pain.
He smiled gratefully at her, "Thanks, Katie. I owe you."
"For what? It's my job." She finished dabbing and returned the smile before turning business-like. "Stay off that bruise, Wood."
Oliver let out a chuckle, pulling her into a hug, "Yes ma'am."
She looks good. Smells good too, like apples and vanilla…
./././././
Two months later.
Shrieking could be heard from the living room, then nothing but laughing and finally silence. Oliver half wanted and half didn't want to venture in to find out. Unfortunately, his broom was there and he desperately needed to polish it.
The excuse even sounded lame to him but it was the best he could come up with.
Oliver walked in to see Katie snogging a rather elated Chris on the floor, a new ring on her left hand. The fourth finger, to be exact.
Something dropped a weight in his chest as he stared at the offending piece of jewellery.
"O-Oliver!" She scrambled off her boyfriend (or fiancé, if you must) to face her best friend.
"Don't mind me; carry on with whatever you were doing." He muttered, turning to go back into his room.
So she was engaged now… It was only a matter of time before it happened. Why was he so shocked for?
She grabbed his hand, slightly out of breath, "Ol, I wanted you to be the first to know. I'm engaged!"
The pain only grew worse. Was he supposed to smile at her, congratulate her and Chris? Of course, that was what best mates were supposed to do.
"That's great, Katie. Maybe you can move out now." He joked, giving her a one-armed hug. But this day just got worse and worse; she nodded, her eyes shining with happiness.
"Yea, I'll take my stuff over to Chris's place tomorrow. You can finally have girls over without them facing me." Katie laughed, going to the other man's side.
"Great." Oliver echoed himself, his smile threatening to fall at any moment.
Just great.
./././././
"Just Quidditch, mate? You don't envision yourself doing anything else?" Benjy asked, chucking the quaffle back and forth between his hands clumsily.
"Yea. I'm not good at anything else."
"Right, so after a big Quidditch match; which we obviously won due to my superior Seeker skills, you see yourself…" He trailed, looking at Oliver to finish the sentence.
"Sitting down in bed, eating ice cream or something. I dunnae." Oliver shrugged, grabbing the quaffle from the Irishman and setting it down in its holder.
"And who would give you the ice cream?"
Katie. It was the obvious answer; he couldn't picture himself living with anyone else.
If only he had realised then.
./././././
Oliver Wood had seen better days. Heck, even losing to Hufflepuff beat this. But he had to grin and bear it in that ridiculous suit that Katie had coerced him into wearing. (Because, please, Ollie, it would make me so happy!) All he wanted was a glass of firewhiskey then to bed.
"Oliver, she's freaking out in the dressing room. Could you…" Angelina approached him, almost as if she were scared to. He sighed for what had to be the thousandth time before nodding.
He unknotted the tie around his neck and took off that stifling jacket before walking into the room, wishing with every step that he wasn't there, that this wasn't real.
She looked amazing in her gown. It was hemmed with lace and had a butterfly neckline with tiny designs all over. It wasn't as fancy as Angelina's or as outrageous as Alicia's; it was simply made for her.
Katie's hair was done up in a loose chignon, not bothering with a veil. But her face was completely barren of make-up and sparkling with tear trails.
"Katie… What's wrong?" Oliver laid his outer garments on a chair before walking up to her.
"I'm making a mistake, Ol… How can I marry him? Oh Merlin, what if… What if he divorces me? What will happen to me?" She babbled, twisting her hands in anxiety.
At that point, something in him snapped and he took her hands fiercely. "Then don't marry him. Marry me instead." Then he kissed her angrily, pouring out all the pent up tension that he had been keeping inside. Low moans escaped from her as she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.
Yea, he wished.
"You're not making a mistake, Katie. You love Chris." Oliver soothed her, plastering a fake smile to reassure the crying bride-to-be in front of him.
"I don't…. I don't think I can spend the rest of my life with him, Oliver. It doesn't feel right. I don't deserve him." She whispered, covering her face with her hands.
Of course it doesn't; you belong with me, not him.
He kissed the top of her head and stood up, "Katelyn Ann Bell, if anything, he doesn't deserve you. Now, finish getting ready and make him the happiest man alive." A small smile, albeit a bit watery, came from her with a sad laugh and a nod.
Someday over the frickin' rainbow, he had said. So why weren't there bluebirds singing and no problems? This was his over the rainbow, in which he had realized that Katie was the girl for him. But that day had come just a little too late.
./././././
"If anyone has any objections for these two being wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
A silence fell over the room as someone stood up. All that could be heard was the gentle sound of footsteps against a wooden floor.
"Benjy, what are you…?"
"Calm down, love, all I have to say is that Oliver has left."
Katie stared at the man in front of her in shock, "What?"
Chris looked between the priest and his fiancée. "Does it matter?" There was no reply. "Kitten?"
A soft laugh came from her and she shook her head to herself, "I can't do this. I'm sorry." She turned to Benjy, "Where did he go?"
The entire congregation simply stared after her as she kicked off her satin pumps and ran out the chapel doors.
./././././
A/N: Not my best but, hey, I reached 2,000 words for a one-shot! *is very proud of herself*