AN: Chapter 9, thanks to Ember Nickel for beta-reading it and that's all. I hope you enjoy it, as always. :)

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

After the disastrous game there was a party, which they obviously didn't attend; a few days later they did hear something about Snape dancing the hula with a coconut bra and a Hawaiian skirt, he didn't know what beer was and that made him a real hit.

Thinking, Katie was sitting on the benches near the pitch, watching the Hufflepuffs practice for the game they'd have against The Free Elfs that night.

"Come on! Hey Smith, do you think this is some sort of spa or something where you can relax?" Cedric yelled sarcastically

"No, if this were a spa I'd already be under seaweed!" Zacharias Smith replied and the rest of the team roared with laughter.

"Well move!" Cedric said simply and went back to his business, painting a strategy on a blackboard.When he turned to yell at Zacharias once more for not working, he saw a girl watching them. She looked familiar and then he realized it was Katie Bell.

"Stealing strategy, Bell?" he asked teasingly, she looked up and smiled weakly ."Not really, just thinking."

Cedric sat next to her and sighed. "May I ask about what?"

To tell or to to tell, that is the question...it was Cedric anyway, he was a fair player.

"I screwed up, I hurt Oliver and now he won't even look at me," she said sadly and looking down. He patted her back.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll get over it."

"Not as along as we are here."

"Why? What is it?"

"Well, it's Daniel Ryder," Katie said and Cedric's eyes widened.

"So it was true!" he exclaimed and made a face. "But Katie, why him?"

Katie buried her head in her hands, a habit she had picked up these last few days. "I don't know...he said that I had gorgeous eyelashes and I just-"

"Let yourself go on with the flow without thinking of the consequences?" Cedric finished, smiling sympathetically.

"I guess I did."

"Well, is it over between you and Ryder?""Merlin, yes!" Katie said relieved, she actually smiled at the memory...

FLASHBACK

"Daniel, there's something I need to say" Katie said nervously, shifting on her chair, the one she had been sitting on since she discovered Daniel's computer was too complicated for her. Why would she ever need e-mail if she had an owl?

"Yes, doll?" Daniel replied, not looking up from the trophy he was cleaning.

"We have to break up."

-Bump-What?!-, heard the girls who were eavesdropping on them.

"Oh my God, I can't believe she's breaking up with Daniel!"

"And he's like so pretty."

"I know."

"Too bad he's 5 years older than us."

"Do you think that if I joined the team he would-"

"You can't even kick a ball, Selene."

Back to Daniel's room

"But why?!" Daniel screamed with an arm attached to Katie's leg.

"It's for the best, Daniel."

"No! You can't take away from me the best 12 days of my whole life!" Daniel begged sounding awfully corny, while crawling on the floor.

"I'm not taking that away from you, there just won't be other 12 days," Katie explained, trying to walk and approaching the door.

"No!" Daniel and the girls yelled at the same time.

BUMP!

"What is this?'" Katie asked to the fallen girls.

"Um...this, we were not"

"It's really not what it seems"The girls explained from the floor."We were just-"

"Argh!" Katie said, exasperated, and walked away.

"Ry, I can't feel my rib."

"Have you ever, Selene?"

END OF FLASHBACK

"Well, I guess you could try something, it's commonly called "apologize"," Cedric pointed out.

"I've thought of it, but do you think that will be enough?" Katie asked looking at him.

"At least it's something, plus three years of holding with Oliver's tyranny gives you a chance," he answered and she finally smiled, satisfied.

"Wow, you are wise Cedric Diggory," she said in awe and he blushed slightly.

"Part of my charm."

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

KATIE'S POV

Yeah, that was my enlightening encounter with Cedric Diggory, he said something intelligent, but did he say how?

Of course apologize is the answer, say you're sorry but again, how?

I mean, he said bad stuff too, he called me egocentric, what can I do if really, it's all about me.

Fine, no joke but seriously I don't consider myself that, I know I should have told him and I know that all this chaos could have been avoided if I never, in the first place, had agreed to drink those cappuccinos with Daniel, quite an odd beverage, the little cups were cute though.

Merlin no!

No...no...no.

I've reached the boy's dormitory!

The little plaque says boys so it has to be real, ok, here I come...alright.

Amazing, he's here and he's looking right at me, what is it that he's holding? Ah, a book about...yes, I knew it: football.

"A bit of a bookworm Wood?" I say pointing at the book, I don't even have to explain how nervous I was when my voice totally broke, and I know he noticed.

There's sadness in his eyes and it's not because I've come to disturb his reading, it's for seeing me.

"I need to talk to you," I say, trying really hard to not break down.

He slowly nods, so reluctant to talk to me, that it surprises me what he says next.

"I need to talk to you too."

Well, he wants to talk, that's good right?

He stands up and I'm breathless.

"Ladies first," he says.

Oh what a cutie! Ladies first! That's just ...darghh!

"Ok, see. I know I should have told you and well, honesty is important in couples and I have to be honest here and tell you that...honestly, it meant nothing."

He's frowning now, but continues, speechless.

"I mean, the the 12 days meant nothing and the kiss, it so, really, didn't mean anything" I say stuttering, words stumble in my mouth and I try to give them a meaning.

He's frowning deeper now.

"I should have told you but still, I mean, we are friends and all but it was just hard and it all happened so fast that-"

He quickly cuts me off, raising his hand.

"Katie, we are a couple?" he asks and I could swear I saw a small smirk on his face.

Crap, crap, crap.

"Ye-ah, of fr-iends, I mean, good friends we've always been."

Fantastic, I'm turning pink right now and...he's enjoying it!

"Ah" he says but the shadow of the smirk is still there. "Well, I wanted to apologize too, I shouldn't have told you all that. Because, Katie, I didn't mean a word."

I sigh, relieved.

"And if you really think Daniel is the love of your life or your true soulmate, I want you to know, I won't interfere," he says sounding sincere.

Wow, he means that.

"Oliver, Daniel and I...it's over"

Yeah, it's there. See? I told you, the smirk is there again, I can see it clearly now. Oh, he's smiling happily right now.

"Really?"

"Yeap," I answer nervously, waiting for his next reply.

"Well, in that case we should go to practice now, Bell. We're against The Eagles in a week and I still don't know how to make a corner hit," he says putting his arm on my back and leading us to the door, the way he used to when we had Quidditch practice.

"Kick, Wood. Corner kick"

And I again couldn't resist the idea of correcting him like I used at the time.

He, he. I'm finally returning to the light side of the force.

0000000000000000000