A Hairy Belly and a Prickly Face
By Lady Catriona-Arre
"Potter's got the snitch! Gryffindor's won the Cup!" Lee Jordan's voice echoed through their minds as the Gryffindor Quidditch team descended from the sky, victorious. The captain, Oliver wood dropped his broom on the ground and ran blindly across the pitch to the side of his best friend Katie Bell.
"Kates! Kates we won!" he yelled as she jumped into his arms and they screamed, blissfully ecstatic. Oliver squeezed his best friend a little tighter as they looked each other in the eyes and hollered madly "we won! We Won!"
Oliver holding tightly onto Katie spun around and around. Out of breath he slowed to a stop and as teetered as the world caught up with his swimming vision. Katie's bright green eyes appeared first and as if it was the most natural thing in the world he kissed her hard.
Behind them the pair's brothers, Thomas Bell and Lawrence Wood, stopped in their tracks. As Thomas smirked, Lawrence's seven year old face fell. Oliver stoped kissing Katie just long enough to see his little brother scream "I hate you!" at the top of his lungs and run away…
Lawrence had no idea where he was going, he could barely even see through the hot salty tears that were pouring from his eyes. He couldn't believe Oliver had kissed her. Even Thomas was happy about it. Lawrence was hurt and angry. He had always loved Katie, Her happy bubbly green eyes were always there, along with her crazy infectious laugh. Katie was the one with the bandaids if he fell over, she made the best hot chocolates in the world. It was her who had taught him how to play quidditch when Oliver was too busy.
But why, when Lawrence loved her so much, did Katie like Oliver Better? Lawrence sniffed and kicked the bin in frustration, it rattled and fell over, spilling garbage all over the ground. Lawrence scowled at it and sat down in a huff. His tears kept flowing and try as he might he couldn't stop them.
Thomas, Oliver and Katie stared after the angry seven-year-old in wonder. Oliver picked up his broom and ran a hand through his hair.
"What was that all about" Katie asked the two older boys. Her older brother Thomas frowned.
"I dunno, he was fine until he saw you two… oh!"
"Oh what?" Katie stepped towards her brother threateningly. Next to her Oliver coughed uncomfortably. "What's going on?" she demanded, looking back and forth between the two. "What's wrong with Lawrence?"
Oliver made a show of tiptoeing away when Katie was converging upon Thomas. Thomas, ever the traitor, laughed and Katie whipped around to catch her childhood playmate by the back of his robes. She jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely.
"If you don't tell me Ollie, I will strangle you" she threatened playfully.
Thomas erupted in a fit of laughter.
"What is it?" Katie was practically screaming now. "Thomas you tell me right now or I will tell McGonagall that it was you who stole her underwear and sent them as a present to Snape"
"Oh fine, Lawrence likes you, he must have seen Oliver with his tongue down your throat and decided he wasn't ever going to talk to his brother again"
Katie sniggered. "Quit fooling Thomas, what's up with Lawrence"
"He's not fooling Katie; Lawrence has had a crush on you for a while, something to do with you making the best hot chocolates in the world I believe"
Katie gave an embarrassed laugh, "Get real Ol, nobody tells their big brothers who they have a crush on"
Thomas sniggered, "but the big brothers always know anyway" he gave a meaningful look in Oliver's direction.
"And he did tell me, I asked him one time, "what do you think of Kates?" and he got this dreamy look in his eyes and told me you were beautiful" Oliver said.
"Oh," Katie put a hand across her mouth, her expression fell slightly, her voice was considerably softer when she uttered the obvious "You're not kidding?"
The boys shook their heads. Katie grimaced and ran after Lawrence.
She found him curled up on the stairwell of one of the side entrances. He was staring at the ground dejectedly and Katie felt a pang of remorse. "hey" she said softly and sat down next to him. Lawrence shifted over a little to make room for her. "Hey Lawrence," she started but was cut of by his sniffed,
"What's so good about Oliver anyway?"
Katie pulled the younger boy into her arms and rocked gently. She had been a sort of makeshift mother too him since Annabelle Wood has passed away.
"A lot of things, same with you, and I love both of you just as much as each other" Katie said into the back of his head, "I just love you differently, I love you because you grow the best milk moustaches, and you can always make me laugh and you're my little brother that was delivered to the wrong address. And I love Oliver because… its hard to explain Lawrence, but you know how in the stories how the princess would always go with the prince? Well Ol's my prince, and it wouldn't be fair if I had two princes now would it? Your princess would get mad at me if I took you too?"
"I want to be your prince Katie, Oliver isn't even nice, he farts and burps and he has a hairy belly and his face is prickly. He's gross."
"And I have a weird laugh, and prickly legs," Katie chuckled, "Now come on, I happen to know that George Weasley bought a big bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans that has Lawrence Wood written on it in big letters."
Lawrence sighed, "alright Katie, but don' kiss Oliver any more. You don't have to get cooties if you don't want to"
Katie had to bite her tongue to keep from giggling. "so what about those bertie botts now eh?"
Cheery once again, Lawrence grinned his partially toothless grin and broke into a run. "Race you!" he called back. Katie shook her head and followed behind.
Oliver curled up next to Katie on the big red sofa in the common room that night after all the furore of the after-after-after party had dimmed a little. After a moment he burped loudly. Katie looked at him derisively before laughing loudly.
"What's so funny?" Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her and asked.
Katie told him what had happened and Oliver chuckled. "I've never heard you complain about my hairy belly or prickly face before Kates"
Katie snuggled into his chest and sighed. "Nor am I likely too, I don't have issues with hair, but as for the burping Ol? That's really gotta stop"
Oliver grinned, "I reckon I still know how to burp the alphabet you know Kates"
Katie shook her head and stood up. "Where are you going" Oliver demanded, "I'm only up to 'g'"
"I'm running away with Lawrence, at least he doesn't try to burp the alphabet to me."
"So crying on you lap is effective in making you fall for me?" Oliver grinned and pulled Katie to him. Laying his head on her knee he howled melodramatically. "Its not fair she wants to run away with my little brother. I worked so hard to win the cup for her and she still doesn't like me"
"You won that cup for me?"
"With you, for you… it's really all the same" Oliver smiled and sat up straight, "and there is no way I'm letting you run off with my little brother" Oliver picked her up and spun around again. apart from the motion sickness Katie felt that this was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life. In olivers arms. Having the time of her life.
Even if he did have a hairy belly and a prickly face.
all i want for christmas is a million or so reviews, and a candy cane. yeah. good stuff. candy canes.yum.
