A/N: A long(er) one… with a bit more action and comedy! Also, I may have made up a word or two. Just FYI. It's not a typo. If you enjoy this, visit thisbrokenheartedgirl here on FFnet and/or Katie_Bell_ and 0liverWood (and 'special guest' George_Weasley) on Twitter.
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Katie Bell was thankful her dormitory was empty, as she didn't particularly feel like explaining why she was muttering a string of obscenities to herself.
"I really hope he rewrote that letter…" She sighed, dragging her Potions textbook from her trunk and lying atop her bed with parchment and quill in hand.
She subjected herself to the assigned reading, but, as her brain wouldn't manage more than a half-hearted attempt, she soon found herself pondering the offending book's 'untimely' defenestration.
As his own brain's lacklustre performance had never really bothered him, Oliver gladly continued scribbling semi-plausible answers for his Runes paper until he reached the end of his parchment.
"Err." Oliver mused, before decisively rotating his assignment 180 degrees and signing his name.
He flicked his book closed and leaned back in his chair for a better view out the nearest window.
Which was the one common room window that just so happened to overlook the Quidditch pitch.
Of course.
"Not important. Not important." Oliver chided himself quietly. "Not–"
"Sodding potions…" Katie shut her textbook with a thunk and deposited it unceremoniously on floor with a thump.
But a superfluous thud from downstairs immediately followed after, which had a curious heft to it, as though, perhaps, a burly 6th year had just fallen backwards in a chair, upsetting his Runes book as well as the smallish bottle next to it containing a dubious love potion, and consequently knocking the bottle's cork out and launching the pungent contents onto said burly 6th year's face.
"–important." Oliver blinked once upon impact with the floor, then dutifully passed out.
"Merlin, Wood…" Katie hissed when she had made it down the stairs. She hurried over and knelt next to her Scotsman, wondering whether she'd actually be able to identify any outward signs of brain damage, especially through all that 'lovely' goop.
Oliver moaned lowly. He began to twitch awake, eyes fluttering, when he suddenly succumbed to a nasty coughing fit, having inhaled some of the more determined potion that had waywardly trickled its way into his gaping mouth.
"Err, ow…" Oliver reflected, as he took in a few sharp breaths.
Katie rubbed his shoulder gently. "You alright, Oliver?"
His eyes snapped open wide.
"…Katie?" He stared at her. "Katie, my dearest sweet…?"
Now hereyes widened. Which actually helped Katie espy the telltale potion vial that was trying to roll itself under a nearby sofa.
Alas. That was it. She was going to have to pummel the twins to a pulp.
"You came to rescue me…" Oliver observed, whilst looking around and wondering why he might be lying on the floor. A bit of maniacal laughter suddenly played across his lips. "To rescue me… Or to take advantage of me, aye?"
"Rescue you, of course!" Katie blushed in flusteration.
"That's what I love about you…" Oliver reached up to play with a strand of her hair, mesmerised. "My dear sweet Katie… Katiekins… Katielovey…"
To say Katie Bell was growing uneasy would be an exceptional understatement.
"Oliver… Snap out of it. Y-you're under that potion…"
"Potion? What potion?" He suddenly beamed. "Katie Bell, I'm under your spell!"
For emphasis, Oliver pointed at her, grinning happily.
Katie reflexively backed away, then quickly stood up and just watched him.
"Ehm, I'm still on the ground…" Oliver mentioned to the closest furniture legs, hoping for some assistance.
Katie sighed and quelled her panic momentarily to help her Captain sit himself upright.
Oliver sluggishly wiped some of the potion slime from his face, all the while staring intently at Katie. "You know, you're quite lovely, lit by the sun's glow… Aye… Like the golden Snitch in Harry's hand…"
"…Thanks…" She shook her head, absently cleaning a spot on his chin whilst plotting the twins' imminent demise.
"Now, what were we doing?" Oliver looked at her, helplessly trying to remember. "…Snogging? …Looking for a place to snog? Did I say you look lovely yet?"
"Yes, you've said it already." Katie blushed (she couldn't help it), then quickly cleared her throat. "You were doing your Runes and I was upstairs doing my Potions work."
"Ah. Runes…" Oliver opened the textbook beside him, crestfallen. "Nae, wait – I remember! All finished…"
Oliver pulled out a sheet of parchment that was covered with a few scrawling runes repeated over and over. "Oh, look, I wrote your name! Katie. Katie Bell."
The red in said belle's cheeks became more pronounced. "You'd better cancel that out…"
"Err… right." Oliver eyed the paper suspiciously. "Right! Otherwise everyone might get jealous!"
"I highly doubt it…" Katie stared at Oliver blankly, for she could not think of a suitable enough expression. "Where are the twins?"
"Aye, the twins!" The Scot nodded seriously. "I better write a letter right now to Fred and George – and Harry, too – and make sure they don't get too envious."
"No, no…" Katie thought she might be reaching the limits of her frustration. "Just go fetch them."
"Fetch them?" Oliver stared at her in disbelief. "I should've realised… You're madly in love with them! Their ginger hair, big beater sticks…"
"Oh Merlin… Ol, I'm not in love with them!" She took his hand (nevermind that it was still sticky with potion residue), and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I promise."
"Oh Katie," Oliver sighed, "The way you say 'Merlin'… My heart couldn't get any bigger…"
Her left brow instinctively arched itself like a hissing cat.
"Aye," Oliver continued, deliriously pleased with himself, "Unless we replaced it with a dragon's heart."
This was getting worrisome.
"Then you wouldn't be Oliver, would you?" Katie pleaded, as sensibly as she could (which wasn't altogether difficult given Oliver's rather nonsensical state).
"Nae, I guess I wouldn't be Oliver…" He admitted sadly, before suddenly perking up, "Nae, I'd be Dragon Oliver! Breathing the fire I feel for you, Katie Bell!"
"Ah…" She countered.
And then it so happened that Katie Bell felt a feeling she had never felt before. The indescribable feeling of wanting to curse someone into next Tuesday at the same time as wanting to organise a parade to celebrate that person's very existence. Well, 'people', actually. For she realised that Fred and George had been silently watching her exchange with (would-be Dragon) Oliver for the past few (very long) moments.
"Need a bit of help, love?" George offered with a not-quite-guilty shrug (whilst Fred leant down and suggested to Oliver, "We are working on importing some dragon hearts if you're interested, mate."
"How much?" was Oliver's hasty reply.)
"You git." Katie grabbed George (as he was closest) to drag him aside, and he grabbed Fred (as they were in this together, and why should he get all the blame – or have all the fun).
She fixed them with a piercing-verging-on-shattering glare. "How long does your potion last?"
George shook his head. "Never tested it before…"
"And it was only supposed to be used on girls." Fred added.
George nodded. "But we don't mind the extra data."
"Aye, and I wouldn't mind an extra date, uh, with Katie…" Somehow Oliver had managed to find his feet. "But you can't come, Weasley. She's not interested in you."
"Oh Merlin." Katie was admittedly getting tired of saying that. She placed her hands on Oliver's broad shoulders. "Calm down, Ol."
As she stood on tiptoe and gently pressed her lips to his neck (they say that desperate times call for desperate measures), Oliver shivered a bit, involuntarily.
"Didn't realise you were a vampire, Katie." He swallowed. "Thought that was just Cedric…"
Katie rolled her eyes, but allowed herself a small smile. "I don't bite."
George cleared his throat, a little over-loudly. "Wedo happen to have an antidote."
"Also untested." Fred pointed out.
George eyed the dazed Scotsman skeptically. "Can't imagine it'd make him any worse."
Katie blinked. "What do you mean?"
Fred puffed out his chest proudly. "It's all the common antithetical ingredients to the ones we used in the original potion."
"Should negate it." George translated.
"Or, turn him purple." Fred acknowledged.
"Purple?" Katie couldn't help but laugh at the thought (mostly because the thought had been succeeded by a brief and fleeting image of an overgrown eggplant on a broomstick shouting Quidditch plays). "What do you think, Oliver?"
"Aye, purple would be a lovely colour on you…" He smiled dreamily.
Katie shushed him as gently as she could.
George, meanwhile, had gingerly retrieved the slim vial of purple liquid from some hidden vial-protecting area on his person. "Probably best if he takes the same amount as he did of the other potion."
Oliver quickly snatched the antidote from him and held it up to Katie's eye level. "See, you could be purple. I could be dragon. Happy ever after."
"Honestly, I think I like him better this way." Fred confessed.
"I don't…" Katie sighed. "It's not Oliver proper…"
"Well, it's up to you, love." George shrugged. "Turn him back if you like."
"Good luck, Ollie!" Fred stage-whispered, then bowed grandiosely to Katie.
"You'll need it…" George winked then disappeared out the portrait hole with his consanguineous comrade.
Katie plucked the vial from Oliver's hand before he could even think of doing anything silly. "Do you want to take it?"
Oliver adamantly shook his head. "I could never take anything from you! That'd just be cruel and heartless… And I've still got my heart…" He quickly glanced down at his chest. "I think."
She held the bottle out to him and tried again. "Will you drink it… For me?"
"Anything for you," he breathed, "The Katiest Belliest Katie Bell that ever walked the Earth."
Katie simply smiled her thanks, as she was rather intent on holding her breath whilst he uncorked the antidote. Oliver eagerly downed the entirety of the liquid in one gulp, without mind nor heed of the furious wisps of smoke it was emanating. He grinned.
"Katie, I…" He suddenly blinked a couple times; trails of purple smoke curled out of his ears. "I just really…"
She sat down on the nearest sofa (which she judged to be a safe enough distance away), observing him carefully.
"I love…" Oliver began to sway on his feet. He tried a step toward her. "Love…"
He stumbled oddly and reeled toward the window, whereupon his face slapped against the glass. His eyes focused languidly on the outside world.
"Err… Quidditch." He noticed, then slid promptly to the ground and passed out, his ears still smoking.
Katie sighed one last sigh.
"Quidditch."
