A/N: Katie Bell and Roger Davies. It's not a ship that's really been explored before. Or at least, I've never thought about it. And let's face it: they're minor characters, and when I asked my friends, most of them didn't have a clue who Roger Davies was. Fair enough. To be honest, I think that Katie is a girl with too strong a personality for Roger. I got the impression that Roger was a bit gormless, probably a bit of a ladies' man, and that he liked a pretty girl who he could objectify; have as a trophy (Fleur, Cho, the mystery blonde...) That thought actually gave me the inspiration for this story. Maybe Roger needs a stronger woman- one with her own personality. Maybe he needs Katie.
The Eagle and the Lioness
Chapter 1- Standards
He didn't care. That was what he kept telling himself. So what if Cho had turned him down? She was still mourning over that Cedric guy from Hufflepuff- and she probably liked that Potter boy, anyway. He didn't care.
Roger Davies went down to breakfast, hoping that he'd at least get a letter from Fleur to take his mind off things. No matter that he hadn't gotten a letter from her in four months. After the night of the Yule Ball, they'd decided to try dating, to pursue a proper relationship, but they'd been parted far too quickly when Fleur had left for France. They'd tried long distance, sending letters by owl, but- like with every long distance love- they'd drifted apart. Last he'd heard, she was moving back to Britain, trying to improve her English. She hadn't even suggested they meet up. So he'd taken it that they weren't a 'couple' anymore. And he'd asked Cho out.
Cho. She was the prettiest girl in Ravenclaw, easily, a bit needy, maybe, but he could deal with that. And yet he couldn't have her.
Roger had a lot of other girls after him, though. A few of the really young girls had cute crushes on him, but he rarely gave into them. There were more in the year below him. In his year...Well, he was already through with most of them.
He was definitely desirable- Captain of the Quidditch team, handsome...What more could a girl want?
...
Katie Bell wanted a lot more. She'd never had a boyfriend, and she supposed the reason was that her standards were too high. That, and the fact that no boys really wanted to go out with her. Sure, she was Chaser on the Quidditch team, attractive, smart, funny...but no-one seemed to care about that stuff. All around her she saw girls like Lavender and Cho, cute- but without a brain cell between them. And they were the ones who got the guys.
What hurt the most was the fact that Oliver had never even looked twice at her before he left. Which was why she'd given up on him. Or at least, she told herself she'd given up on him. He had some pretty Puddlemere United girlfriend now- blonde hair and a curvy figure. And that didn't do much for Katie's confidence.
Sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast; in between Captain Angelina and fellow Chaser Alicia, she felt invisible. Fred was flirting shamelessly with Angelina on her right, and George was doing the same to Alicia on her other side (although Katie knew for a fact that George secretly fancied Angelina, too, probably even more than Fred did).
Even Lee Jordan was chatting up a girl who looked far too young for him. It was depressing, to say the least.
...
It didn't surprise him when no letter arrived. To be fair, he didn't write much either. Sure, Fleur was gorgeous- and a great kisser- but he hadn't been able to follow half of what she was saying through her thick French accent; and her beauty had been too distracting to pay attention anyway.
A soft, tinkling voice jerked him out of his thoughts.
"She's seeing Bill Weasley, you know," Luna Lovegood was flicking at the air around his head in a slightly alarming way, "Ron's brother. I heard they met when she came to England."
Roger stared. He hadn't said anything out loud, and yet this 4th year was giving him advice on something he had been sure was only in his head.
"How did you..? What did you...?" he spluttered incoherently.
Luna just kept fluttering her hands in a pattern around his face.
"Nargles," she explained, "They're what's making you daydream about Fleur."
His eyes widened as he took in the extent to which the gossips were right about Loony Lovegood. Before he could say another word, however, the blonde, dreamy girl had skipped away.
How had she known what he was thinking? And what was Fleur thinking, seeing another guy? His obsession with Cho forgotten, Roger felt a white hot rage lick through his veins as he thought of the betrayal. He needed to find a way to show Fleur he was over her, and fast.
...
She wandered aimlessly around the library, trying to find The Chasers' Handbook, a book that was taken out so regularly she hadn't had a chance to read it yet. It was break time, and after a morning of Charms and Potions, she was worn out and tired. As she searched the Quidditch section of the library, she saw Ginny Weasley and Roger Davies also looking through the Quidditch shelves. The fact that Ginny was looking for books on flying surprised Katie; she knew the red-head was the younger sister of Fred and George, but Katie couldn't remember either of the twins saying that their sister had a particular interest in Quidditch- or even flying for that matter.
Roger Davies was an entirely other matter. Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, head Chaser, and all round arrogant git. He was in the year above Katie, his 7th, and already had a 'reputation' with girls. Fleur Delacour, Marietta Edgecombe, and Olivia Besnard...
The stories of heartbreak spread around the castle like wildfire. However, Katie remembered whipping his arse more than a few times on the Quidditch field.
She pushed the thoughts aside and continued to search the shelves for the book.
The Chasers' Handbook was on the highest shelf, naturally, but Katie could just about reach it if she stretched. What she didn't expect was for another hand to meet hers as she reached for the book.
She almost toppled as she lost her balance, sending The Chasers' Handbook, along with several other books, plummeting to the floor.
"Oh, for Merlins' sake!" she cried, as Madam Pince came around the corner of the bookshelf with a livid expression on her face. Katie looked to Roger, the offending 'hand', for help, but all he did was arrogantly smirk.
"Tidy. This. UP!" shrieked Madam Pince, her sallow cheeks colouring in rage. She stormed off, breathing heavily.
Katie waited for Roger to apologise, but he didn't. He didn't even bend to pick up the fallen books, so Katie bent down and starting picking them up herself, keeping her head down.
It was when she straightened up again to put the books back on the shelf that she realised he was gone. And so was The Chasers' Handbook.
Not wanting to get yelled at by Madam Pince again, Katie slotted the books back onto the shelf- muttering curses under her breath all the while.
"Damn you," she snarled to the air at large, picturing Roger's smirk. She wasn't quite sure why she was so annoyed, but she stormed off to find him regardless...
(A/N: So you've bothered to read it. Now review, for goodness' sakes!)
