A/N: This one was great fun to write—my interest in the friendship of the three Chasers led to the first part, and Ollie is just too cute not to be called sexy! LOL.
Please review, as they are the only payment fanfic authors like me get. Just a word or two like, "Horrible" or "Loved it" lets me know you read this fic!
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any bells or random pieces of wood. (And I've never played Quidditch, so I don't own that either.)
Ice
"Hi, Katie," Alicia said, coming into the Common Room and sitting next to me.
"Hi, Leesh," I said, distracted.
"What's going on?" she pressed, searching my face for clues as I shrugged unresponsively. "C'mon, you can tell me—I'm your friend, and I'm older."
The simple way that she said I'm your friend left me with ice over my brain. She'd gotten to me. "It's Oliver. The other day, after tryouts, everyone was making fun of him for liking me, and…well…"
"You are totally head over heels for him?" she asked excitedly.
"No. I don't think I even like him," I said defensively.
"Tell the truth. He is sexy, especially when playing Quidditch. Though not those pre-game talks. Those are not sexy."
I had to laugh. "Well, yeah, he's sexy, but that doesn't mean I'm attracted to him. Or anything like that."
"Oh, right," she scoffed. "Give it up. It's okay. I was in denial about George for weeks before admitting to myself that I did, indeed, like him."
"But you didn't know he liked you!" I pointed out.
"Wood could be having a momentary loss of brain cells," she offered.
"Oh, thanks," I said jokingly, "Now people have to loose brain cells to like me?"
She laughed. "That's not what I meant, Katie."
"I know. But still—it's so confusing! I'm only twelve, for Merlin's sake!"
"Nearly thirteen, though," Alicia said.
"Still. I'm not yet even a teenager, and I shouldn't have to deal with this!"
"You're a blond." Alicia sounded slightly bitter. "You will have to deal with this." And she stood, flashed me a smile, and left the Common Room, probably in search of one or both of the Weasley Twins.
I leaned back on the couch I was sitting on and groaned aloud, my eyes closed.
"K—Bell?" It was just the person I wanted to see—not.
"Hi, Wood," I said wearily, opening my eyes.
"What's wrong?" His brow was furrowed in a cute little lost puppy way, and it went beyond sexy. Damn Alicia and Oliver!
"I'm just…tired." I spoke more sharply than I intended, and he blinked.
"Fine," he said rather icily. "Sorry to bother you."
"Wood—I'm sorry!" I said as he began walking away.
I saw the wheels turning in his head as he spun back around to face me. One eyebrow was raised. "Well, then, I'd appreciate not being treated like dirt. That is, if it's not too much trouble for you." His voice was sarcastic, and I cringed.
"Okay, okay, sometimes I'm mean to you. But I don't mean it—you're just always here and hanging around and asking what's wrong!"
"Ouch," a voice from the portrait hole said.
A matching one added, "Indeed. That would hurt a bloke, Katie. He's just trying to be a person, for once."
"Go away, Fred and George," Oliver and I said together. We looked at each other and laughed—a bit shyly, in my case—and the twins smiled innocently.
"What? We were just being nice to Wood for once. This is a day for once."
"What are you talking about?" Lee stood behind them, grinning but looking confused. "A day for once?"
I shook my head, laughing still. "You all are mad. Totally bloody mad."
"That's an inappropriate word," George said. Fred nodded wisely. Lee laughed.
"That's only because you two swear enough for the rest of the population," Oliver said, and I felt an icy chill go up my spine.
I had to get out of here—Wood was making me go hormonal. I rolled my eyes. "Off to do homework and wonder why this world is so incredibly mental," I said. "Oh, and George—tell Alicia thanks for me."
I left them all mystified and bounced up to the dorms, grinning as I heard them debating why I would be thanking Alicia.
