AN: A vicious plot bunny attacked me and would not let up despite major lack of sleep. In other words, this is something I just sort of threw together so the idea would leave me alone. Inspired (kind of) by the new DH2 trailer. Please Note: This is not my best work. The plot bunny really was extremely vicious though.
"Burnt"
Set during "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" after Voldemort has been defeated, but while people are still running around the castle trying to find their friends and family.
Slight Katie Bell/Oliver Wood
"Alicia! ALICIA!"
"Katie? What is it?" Alicia reached for her wand as the blonde witch raced toward her.
"I can't find him! I can't find him anywhere!"
Alicia grabbed her by the shoulders. "Who, Katie?"
"Oliver. I mean, Wood. I mean, ugh. Fuck it all. I can't find him." Her brown eyes met Alicia's. "He can't be... You don't think he's..."
"No. No. No way." She stopped, her grip loosening on Katie's shoulders. "He... He just can't be. We've already lost too many."
Katie nodded solemnly and looked around. "Angie! Ang, over here!"
A tall brunette raced over. "Kate, Licia, you guys okay?"
"I can't find Oliver."
"I... I saw him earlier."
"You did? Is he okay? Where is he?"
"I don't know, Katie. He seemed to be leading some sort of aerial attack."
Katie looked torn between bursting into tears and laughing while Alicia plopped down on the broken ground and groaned. "That idiot. Who rides a broom when you're in the middle of a battle?"
"Apparently, Oliver does." Sighed Angelina. "Typical."
"That's it!"
"Uhm, what's it?"
"You're a genius, Ang."
"Bell, full thoughts. What's it and why is Angelina a genius?"
Katie was already running down the hall.
She did it. She found him. She stared at his figure and fought the urge to just drop onto the ground in relief. He was alive. He was safe. They were finally safe.
She walked up to him. "Oliver," she whispered.
He didn't glance her way, but instead kept staring at what was in front of him as if he couldn't believe it. "It's gone."
Katie was silent for a full minute; unable to comprehend what her former captain just said. "Gone?" She finally managed to choke out.
"Gone. It's burnt to the ground." He shook his head slightly. "How could they?"
"How... HOW COULD THEY?" Oliver jumped slightly and turned as if noticing that he wasn't alone for the first time.
"Hey!" He caught her hand right before it's open palm collided with his cheek. She wouldn't give up though. Katie Bell was determined to cause Oliver Wood any and all bodily harm she could. "OI! WOULD YOU STOP IT?" He managed to get her flailing attempts at injuring him under control. "What the bloody hell was that about?"
"Gone? How could they?" Katie spluttered. "How dare you! You, you vile-"
"Why are you so mad at me? I'm on your side, Kates. The bad guys are done for."
"Yeah, but all you care about is your precious quidditch field and the fact that someone set it on fire."
"I never-"
"Never mind the fact that there are hundreds of people lying dead throughout the grounds from both sides of the war.
"Katie-"
"Hundreds of people, Oliver. But all you can think to worry about is the pitch."
"FUCK! It's not like that, Katie! It's just-"
"It's just what, Oliver?"
"A burnt pitch is easier to comprehend than tons of bodies." He shook his head and sat down. "I had to help move some of the bodies and I... I couldn't take it so I chose to focus on something else."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
She sat down next to him. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"It's all right."
She nodded. "I thought- Never mind."
"Don't do this to me, Katie."
"I thought... I thought you had died."
"You... What?"
"I hadn't seen you since we showed up in the Room of Requirement, and then I couldn't find you. I panicked."
"How'd you know where to find me?"
"It was something Ang said that made me think to look here. Typical Wood and his quidditch basically." She sniffled.
"Are you crying?" Silence. He sighed and heaved himself closer to her. "Kates?" She refused to look him in the eye. "Have it your way then." He tentatively wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him gently. "It'll be okay, Katie. Things can only get better from here."
She nodded into his shoulder. "I bet they can even rebuild the pitch."
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "That's the spirit."
AN: Reviews are always appreciated. 3
