A/N: Okay, so I said I'd be out of town, right? Well, I'm still gonna type this up tonight (Sunday) and I'll post it tomorrow. I dunno if it's just me, but Katie seems a bit two-dimensional to me. Like, she has no character. What do you think? Without further ado, Chapter (whoa) seven!

Disclaimer: If I were J.K. Rowling, I wouldn't be writing this on an ibook- it would be a macbook. Although, I do dearly love my ibook.

'Cause the more you try,

The harder I'll fight to say goodnight

Oliver

I'm going to resign from the quidditch team. In fact, I'm going to resign from life. I only ever wanted two things: the Quidditch Cup- gone- and Katie Bell- gone as well. I'm feeling worse than the way I felt after the Hufflepuff game. Down, depressed, and defeated.

I fling myself of the bed and land on a pile of dirty clothes. A particularly stinky sock lodges itself into my mouth and I gag profusely as I rip it out. I hurry into the bathroom, to wash my mouth out thoroughly several times. I jam my face up to the facet and turn it on high. The water washes over my face, and I stick my tongue out.

My hands grapple blindly around the counter, and before I can think about it, I'm shoving a bar of soap between my teeth.

I regret this as soon as I've done it, and screw my face up brilliantly at the horrible flavor.

The bar of soap sticks to the mirror that I've thrown it at. I catch a glance of myself in it, and do a double take. I can tell I look wretched. Dark bags under my eyes, gaunt cheeks, chapped lips. The water soaking me and the soap bubbles dripping down my chin don't help much.

I sigh and wash my mouth out. Giving on last spit into the sink, I turn back to the dormitory.

I should go down to the common room.

Why?

Why not?

Just go to bed.

No!

Goodnight.

I'm not going to bed

Really, there's no point in going down there.

What if Katie's there?

She hates you.

But…

She doesn't want you there.

I'll have to change her mind.

I open the door to the common room and slip out as quietly as possible. I crouch down, hiding behind the railing on the stone staircase. I slowly poke my head out and throw a wary glance around.

No sign of Katie.

No sign of anyone, really. I look at the grandfather clock to my right. Six ten. Everyone's at dinner.

I breathe out in relief and stand up. A third year behind me gives me an odd look, and then proceeds down the staircase. I follow him, hoping to look nonchalant.

I can't cook no, but I can clean

Up the mess she made

I'm deliberating on whether I fancy a walk, or I should just sit down in the common room, when Christina approaches me.

Uh-oh.

"Ollie!" she shrieks, hugging me with gusto.

"Oof! Christina! Hi!" I say, with a bit too much fake excitement.

"I've mished you sho mush!" She blabbers sappily.

"Uh, yeah!" I reply, confused by this sudden change of heart.

"Oh, Ollie, I want to apologize about yesterday, and I know you were with Katie Bell afterward, and she's the one who's making you feel so miserable, and I just can't stand seeing you like that, so I baked you these cookies," She thrust a plate of pink heart-shaped cookies into my hand. Most of the hearts were terribly disfigured; one looked more like a duck than a heart.

"…Because I know that she made a mess of your feelings, but I'm always here for you, babe!"

"Wow, these are, er- these are great, Cristina," I sputter.

"Well, try one!"

I reach out and grab the least mutated cookie, and pop it in my mouth. The moment it hits my tongue, I have to make an effort not to wretch all over the scarlet rug we're standing on.

I force my lips into a smile and continue to chew.

"Mmm, delicious,"

I swallow, and with a great effort, grin.

"Oh, really, you liked them? My brother's always told me I was a horrible cook, and my mother said it just wasn't my calling, but I knew I had it in me if I just tried!"

"Oh, yeah, you've got loads of talent," I said, fighting hard to keep the sarcasm and the cookies down.

"Allrighty, honeycakes, bye!"

"…Bye,"

She had already skipped out of the doors by the time I had uttered a farewell. I held the tin of cookies at arm's length and stride purposely to the fireplace. I lean the plate, and the cookies slide of and land in the flames, which crack and spit menacingly.

I shudder at the lingering of bad tastes in my mouth, and slump into the nearest armchair. I'll just relax for a moment before I head down to dinner…

Katie

I found Oliver asleep in the armchair after dinner. He had not been in the great hall, and I was a bit suspicious. Thankfully, he was asleep, quite innocently, by the fire.

He looked rather cute when he was sleeping… No! Bad Katie! You're supposed to me mad with this boy!

I plopped down on the couch next to his chair, and stared fixedly at the fire. My back was rigid, my arms folded over my chest.

Hogsmeade… that was really nice, not counting the shouting match. Well, not really a match. It was more of a one-sided tongues lashing. And he looked crushed afterward… how stupid am I, going off on the only person who was really nice to me…

"Katie?"

"Oliver! Oh, hi. Nice nap?"

"Yeah… I didn't mean to. Just fell asleep,"

"Well," I said, not being able to think of a decent reply, "I'll just be going off to bed, then,"

'No! Katie, wait!"

I was suspended in midair, halfway sitting and halfway standing, my arms pressing against the couch.

"Katie! Can- do- Do you know Christina Nell?"

What was this, some kind of sick joke?

"Yes, Wood, I do," I said coolly.

Instead of withering under my glare, his eyes lit up and he broke into a huge grin.

"Oh, oh! Could you- could you, do you think she likes me?"

I snorted. "Wood, she's all over me,"

His eyes widened and he started to smile.

"Really! That's, that's great!"

He stares at me eagerly, and I in turn look around the common room. That last three left are Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They're sitting and whispering intensely, hunched together. This can't be some sort of dare, there's on one here to watch.

"Wood, are you okay?"

"I love her!"

"What?!"

"I LOVE CHRISTINA NELL!"

"Wood!"

I glance around again, but the three are still hunched over, oblivious.

"What the hell are you talking about? You just said yesterday that she was a pain in the arse!"

"What? No, I love her! She- where is she, Katie? Do y'think I could see her?"

A tiny light bulb went off in the back of my head, and I stared at Oliver,"

"Oliver," I said very slowly, and as clearly as possible. 'Have you had anything to eat or drink lately?"

He scrunched his eyebrows and placed his finger on his chin.

"YES!" I had some cookies. They were gross."

Damn…

"Ok, Oliver, let's just go into your dorm and make you look all pretty for Christina, then we'll go see her,' I said, pushing him towards the boy's dormitories.

Oliver stood straight up, unmoving despite my pushing and shoving.

"You mean… I'll get to see her?"

"Yes, now lets go up to your dorm," I said impatiently.

He jumped and sprinted up the staircase, I following closely.

I sat him down on his bed, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Okay, just stay here. I'll go get Christina, don't go anywhere! Stay here." I said firmly.

He nodded seriously, as though it were an Unbreakable Vow.

I took a deep breath and raced out the door.

You've got to get a cure….the cabinet in the potions room.

If I hurried, I could be back to the common room by curfew. Classrooms were kept open, and as far as I knew, it was perfectly fine to enter one when you weren't having class.

I turned a corner and saw Peeves layer the stairs with whipped cream. I decided against that path and turned back to go the long way.

I caught a glance of a clock on the corridor just before the potions classroom.

Ten minutes to get the potions and get back to the common room. I would be cutting it fine-

I reached the classroom and wrenched open the door. Fortunately, it was empty. I jogged to the supplies cabinet and fished around for a while. I withdrew triumphantly, holding a small vial in my hand. I tucked it into the pocket of my robes, shut the cabinet, and hurried out the door.

Three minutes.

There was no way I'd be able to get back that quick, I needed at least seven. I'd just have to avoid and Professors.

My journey back was successful, and as I rounded the corner, with my chest swelling in nervousness, my heart sank.

Professor Snape was striding along the hallway in my direction. I tried to turn around, hoping he had not seen me, but my speed carried me on and I slid to a stop ten feet away from the portrait of the fat lady.

"Miss Bell. Do you think you can simply go strutting around the castle after hours?" Snape drawled.

"No, I was just coming back from the Library, got caught up-"

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Now get to bed,"

I nodded furiously and approached the Fat Lady.

"Latecio,"

The portrait swung forward and I raced up the stone staircase, wheezing for breath. I opened the handle and my jaw dropped.

A/N: Oh, Cliff Hanger! That's new, huh? How about it? What could have made Katie's jaw drop? A porcupine? A polka –dotted Cornelius Fudge? A large house-elf? Ah, you shall see soon enough.