Oliver has some BIG plans. (A sequel to Fly Away)
Disclaimer: Sadly, Harry Potter is not mine. Sigh. I wonder if I could buy Oliver from Rowling…or at least Percy.
Newt-Dogs and Butterbeers
There was just something about going to a professional Quidditch match that made the ordinary extraordinary. Take, for example, newt-dogs and butterbeers. You could get them at any restaurant or diner in the Wizarding community and they tasted great, but eat them while watching two teams whiz around on broomsticks in a riveting game of Quidditch and you had a culinary explosion in your mouth.
This experience was what Katie had been dying for since the birth of her and Oliver's daughter Emily. Unfortunately, take a screaming infant to a Quidditch match and one is in serious danger of being hit by an unforgivable curse by other spectators. But now, after a year of begging, Oliver had convinced Katie that Emily would be fine staying with his parents for a day while she came with Ron, Fred, and George to watch Puddlemere face off against the Chudley Cannons. Oliver would be in the Press Box announcing, but he and Katie had agreed to meet up after the match to go to her favorite coffee shop.
Oliver watched Katie eye the man carrying newt-dogs hungrily as he led them to their seats at the front of the stadium. He half expected her to begin salivating.
"Why don't you go ahead and get one?" he asked, "Everything is covered by Mr. Puddlemere today."
She shook her head.
"It's not as good until the game starts, and today is perfect Quidditch and newt-dog weather."
The weather was perfect for Quidditch, much to Oliver's pleasure. There was not a cloud in the sky to block the sunlight, but a cool gentle breeze prevented it from being unbearably warm. He had been planning this outing for Katie for weeks and he wanted everything to be just right.
"It is perfect weather," Fred agreed, "Perfect for watching Puddlemere annihilate the Cannons."
Ron's glared at him.
"Just wait. The Cannons are going to kick Puddlemere's ass."
Oliver bit his lip to prevent a laugh from escaping. He had chosen to take Katie to the Puddlemere – Chudley match simply because the only way Puddlemere could lose was if everyone on their team was struck by lightning which, judging by the weather, was highly unlikely. Katie loved Puddlemere as much as he did and if they were to lose the game, it would ruin the rest of his plans.
"Ron," George groaned, "You say the same thing at every game every year. The Cannons still haven't won."
"This year will be different. I can feel it."
"You say that, too," Fred added.
Ron started to lunge at his brothers, but Oliver still had his keeper's instincts and grabbed him by the shoulder. Nothing could ruin a day quicker than witnessing a double homicide.
"Calm down, Ron, before I put you in a full body bind."
Ron plopped down into his seat with a huff, but complied. Fred and George took their seats on either side of him. Katie kissed Oliver's cheek.
"I'll see you after the match," she told him and sat down next to the aisle.
Meanwhile, Fred, George and Ron had already resumed their earlier argument and were making so much noise it looked as though they might curse each other. Oliver just shook his head. He would be late if he wasted time dealing with the Weasley brothers. He would just have to hope they did not kill each other before the end of the match.
Katie flagged down one of the vendors walking up and down the aisles and got herself a newt-dog and butterbeer.
"I'm telling you," Ron said emphatically, "The Cannons are going to win today. I know they're better than Puddlemere."
Before he knew what was happening, two halves of a newt dog had been shoved into his ears and Katie was talking to the vendor again.
"Ok, make that one more newt-dog."
Oliver stopped just outside the Press Box door and shoved his hand into his pocket to make sure the small velvet box was still there. It was something he had wanted to do since Emily's birth, but the moment was never right. He did not want to ask her while she was in the middle of a diaper change. Katie deserved the best proposal possible, and he was going to make sure she got it. This was the reason for the meticulous planning.
He took a deep breath to calm himself. There were still a few hours before he popped the question, no need to panic yet.
Nathan, Puddlemere's publicist, was already sitting at the window waiting for the game to begin. Oliver slid into the seat beside him.
"Has Mr. Puddlemere checked in here yet?" he asked.
"Nope," Nathan replied, "You're safe. How's the family?"
A goofy grin spread across Oliver's face.
"Great, Katie's in the front row of our section."
He pointed to his beloved girlfriend. Nathan whistled.
"Gorgeous gal. So you finally convinced her to leave the little one for a few hours."
Oliver's smile spread wider. The official on the field gave the signal that the game was only fifteen minutes away and Oliver flipped on his microphone.
"Hello Quidditch fans and welcome to Puddlemere United versus the Chudley Cannons! Today looks to be an interesting match…"
Fred snorted with contempt.
"Interesting? Only if you think seeing a team get killed is interesting."
Ron hit him with a few pieces of POP-corn which let off mini explosions as they landed on his clothes.
"We'll see who's laughing when the Cannons win."
He soon found a wand pointed at his nose.
"Do you really want lime green freckles?" Katie asked.
"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Nathan inquired of the young announcer.
There was no answer, only a sly grin.
"Oliver, don't tell me you're finally going to do it?!"
Oliver nodded.
"I have it all planned out. I'm taking her to her favorite restaurant after the match." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box. "Then I'm going to take her for a walk through Hogsmeade. The sun should just be beginning to set. There's this gazebo near Honeyduke's that she really likes and when we get there, I'm going to get down on one knee, tell her how wonderful she is, and say…"
"Katherine Elizabeth Bell, will you marry me?"
"Wha…WHAT?!" Katie sputtered, sending a spray of half chewed newt-dog from her mouth, when she heard those words over the loudspeaker.
Ron, Fred, and George stared at her as her face turned bright red while everyone in the stands looked for who the proposal had been intended for. She tried to sink down in her chair, out of sight. This only caught the attention of those around her.
"Oh, sweetie, was he proposing to you?"
"That's so exciting!"
"You are going to say yes aren't you?"
"Um…Oliver," Nathan hissed and pointed at the microphone.
Oliver looked down. The switch was still flipped to the on position.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
He looked over to where Katie was sunk low in her seat, a half eaten newt-dog and butterbeer in hand, the people around her giving congratulations. There went his weeks of planning. He would just have to go with it.
He picked up the microphone.
"Well, Katie, what do you say?"
She looked around at everyone surrounding her. She had been waiting for a proposal for months, and the description of the proposal had been nice.
"Well…" Ron urged, "Answer him!"
A smirk crossed her face. She cast a spell to amplify her voice so he could hear.
"Only if Ron admits Puddlemere is better than the Cannons!"
"What!!!"
Oliver pressed himself up against the glass, the microphone still at his mouth.
"Ronald Weasley, if you ruin this for me I swear on all that is good and holy that you and Hermione will NEVER be able to have children!"
Ron cringed at the threat and the people around him, prepared to lynch him if he did not say the magic words.
"Fine," he grumbled, "Puddlemere is better than the Cannons."
The audience cheered, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief, Fred and George gave Katie high fives, and Ron sulked in his chair for the rest of the match.