Chapter Four: Why He Forgot

I remember when Oliver had his first girlfriend. It was his third year and I was still stuck at home with my mum and his. I think our mothers liked to trade kids. Aunt Jo didn't have a daughter and she liked to pretend that I was hers and the same went for my mum and Oliver. Anyways, I was eavesdropping on our parents one rainy, Saturday afternoon. It was the day before Oliver would be coming home for the summer Holidays. I was excited about the upcoming school year. Soon I'd get to shop for a wand and everything.

Earlier in the week Aunt Jo and Uncle Mack received a letter from Oliver asking if he could have a friend come to visit for a few weeks. A female friend. Well, Aunt Jo was awfully teary that week. Something about her 'baby boy' growing up. I was a bit jealous because I was supposed to be the only other girl in Aunt Jo's life and in Oliver's. Needless to say, I didn't make Samantha's visit very welcoming. As usual, the five of us went to greet Wood at the station and this time we'd be bringing back someone else.

I'll never forget what I was wearing that day because my mum and I got into a row about it. I had on a pair of muggle overalls and some dirty trainers. I was wearing one of Oliver's old Puddlemere United shirts I'd nicked from his drawer while he'd been at school. It was too big for me and bunched up around the waist. My hair was in two, long braids and I had dirt on my face. I'd just been playing outside practicing falling for when I fell off my broom playing Quidditch. I'd grown a lot that year so my overalls didn't fit very well. If it hadn't been for my height I'd say I looked around right years old instead of the eleven that I was.

We waited for the train to arrive and I sat on a bench tapping my foot and biting my nails. When Oliver stepped off I was actually shocked. He'd filled out since Christmas and his shoulders had begun to broaden and he'd shot up, least six inches taller than myself and I was pushing five foot five.

I watched in something crossed between awe and confusion when he helped the girl down off the train. I don't think I'd ever seen him act that considerate towards a girl. He sure as hell hadn't around me. I suddenly wished that I had worn something else when I saw the girl's neatly pressed skirt and blouse. Her hair was a deep chestnut and hung in thick waves down her back. I remember thinking that it looked like a horse's tail. But what stuck out the most, literally and figuratively were the girl's breasts. I didn't think fourteen year olds had breasts that big. I didn't. But I was a bit of a late bloomer. I looked down at my own flat and unflattering chest. I could pass as a boy if I didn't have such long hair.

He gave everyone a hug but me. I hung back and watched the girl. They held hands and gave each other overly mushy looks. At the time I thought he was mental. I was lost in my own little world and didn't realize he'd said anything to me until I felt a tug on one of my braids.

"Oi, Katie. Where are you?"

I looked over and gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry, sort of got a bit lost there."

He laughed and tugged affectionately on my braid again and soon we were off. Over the next few days I learned a lot about the type of woman Oliver seemed to repeatedly flock towards. It was as if he needed a balance in his life. Something to counter the Quidditch and the roughness of the sport. Of course, I didn't realize this at the time. I was only eleven. But over the years Wood's seemed to enjoy the girly girl. The feminine, petite and dainty women that always look perfect and most of them have been brunettes. Basically, opposite of everything that I am.


Katie stood outside of Oliver's door and pushed her key into the door. She'd come by about fifteen minutes early to pick up a few things she'd left the night of her dad's funeral and to meet Oliver for their weekly Saturday breakfast. The door creaked open and she walked into the messy flat. Clothes were strewn about and she rolled her eyes before heading towards Oliver's bedroom. It was a quiet Saturday morning and she was pretty sure he was probably still asleep.

Lost in her own world of thoughts, Katie had the tendency to tune everything out around her and get lost in her own world so she didn't hear the soft noises coming from the bedroom until it was too late. Her eyes widened in shock when she pushed Wood's door open. Her mouth dropped and their gazes met over, who she only could assume was Sarah's, shoulder. They were clearly engaging in a bit of morning sex with Wood sitting up against the headboard and Sarah mounted on top of him. Her stomach rolled and she stuttered over her words, barely able to get them out.

"I-I'm so sorry," she said before shutting the door behind her and quickly closing the door. She barely registered the loud swear that came from the room as she hurried across the flat, trying desperately to escape to the apparition point. Her thoughts were a jumble and she had to mentally shake herself to keep from crying. She shouldn't be this upset, right? Obviously Oliver had sex. He was a man after all…

"Katie! Katie, wait."

Katie slowed and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath and turning around. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze and unconsciously backed up when stepped closer. She watched him stiffen a bit but drop his hand. He'd thrown on a pair of flannels before coming out and his hair was completely mussed. He rubbed the back of his neck and was silent. This was a new situation for both of them and she wasn't sure there was really anything to say. In nineteen years they'd never seemed to run out of words.

"I just came by for breakfast…" she stammered. "And to get my clothes from-from the other night."

Shit," Oliver swore under his breath. "Breakfast. It's Saturday. I completely forgot." He reached forward to touch her but she backed away, shaking her head.

"It's okay," she murmured. "It was stupid to assume you'd be free and all…I didn't think to owl you."

Oliver watched her avoid his gaze and touch. He frowned and let out a frustrated sigh. He supposed he deserved it. It had become a bit of a tradition for them. They'd started meeting every Saturday morning for breakfast the year she'd left Hogwarts. This was the first time he'd forgotten. Fuck.

"No, shit, Katie I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to owl me," he said, running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe I forgot. It's just, well, Sarah came over late last night and-"

Katie held up her hand. "It's okay. I get it. I'm just going to go. I have some stuff I need to do anyways." It had been two weeks to the day since her dad had died and she wanted to visit his grave and put some fresh flowers out. Everything died so quickly in the cold weather.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when his bedroom door closed. Sarah came out, dressed in one of his practice jerseys and a pair of his sweatpants that were too big for her. She gave him a small smile before coming to stand next to him.

"Hi," she said, her brow furrowed as she looked between the two. She extended her hand towards Katie. "You must be Katie. I'm Sarah."

Katie shook her hand and gave the small woman a half smile. Sarah was probably around five foot two and had curves in all the right places. Katie felt like an Amazon next to her. She had a good seven inches on her and although Katie had finally filled out, she still saw herself as a skinny and awkward girl with no womanly curves to speak of. Sarah had delicate, pixie like features, perfectly pale and clear skin with bright blue eyes. Her long, black hair was cut short and she barely reached Oliver's shoulder who was almost six foot four.

Oliver watched Katie and for some reason felt uncomfortable with Sarah's closeness. He wasn't sure if he should touch her in front of Katie or not. It was a stupid thought which he mentally shook off before sliding an arm around Sarah's shoulder.

"I really am sorry Katie," he muttered, as Sarah's body molded to his.

Katie visibly swallowed as she watched them before meeting his gaze for the first time. "No-no. It's really okay. It's just breakfast."

"Breakfast?" asked Sarah, tilting her head to look up at Oliver.

"Oh. Err…every Saturday morning Katie and I meet for breakfast and umm…well, I kind of forgot this morning."

Sarah visibly blushed and hung her head. "Oh! I'm sorry. Really. I'll just leave and you two can go."

"No! No," Katie said, puling at the sleeves of her hoodie. She didn't think she'd be able to be around him after what she'd just witnessed. She was sure she'd be teasing him about it in a few days but at the moment something about it just really hurt her.

"Really, it's okay. I'll just pick up my stuff later. I have to go get some flowers for my dad anyways and my mum wanted me to pick up some dragon scales and I think Aunt Jo needed something from Flourish and Blotts. I have the list…"

Oliver watched her ramble and tug at her sleeves, a sure sign she was uncomfortable and nervous. This wasn't how he wanted his best friend and girlfriend to meet. He'd actually been putting the meeting off but some things were inevitable. Especially when you forgot plans with your best friend, who had a key to your flat and you'd given leave to come and go whenever she pleased.

As if reading his thoughts, Katie pulled out the key ring and tugged the key off. "Here, under the…umm…circumstances, it's probably best I don't have this anymore." She let out a brittle laugh. "Wouldn't want to have any more awkward encounters."

Oliver stared at her, surprise on his face. Sarah watched them and her brow furrowed. When it was clear that Oliver wasn't going to take the key, she hesitantly reached out and took it and handed it to him.

"I'll just go," Katie said, turning to leave. At the door she turned back, Oliver was still staring at her and frowning and Sarah seemed to be uncomfortable and a bit confused. "IT was nice meeting you Sarah…"

"You too Katie," she said. "Oliver talks about you all the time."

Katie smiled and glanced at him before leaving. When she was safely out the door and on her way she had to bite her lip to keep from crying. She felt incredibly unsettled and as absurd as it sounded, she felt like she'd just lost Oliver as well. Katie spent the rest of the morning sitting by her dad's grave and talking to the one man who always listened and never forgot.