I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?
Ah! I'm so sorry for making you wait so long for the update. I do have reasons for my absence. They include a trip to New Jersey, getting a particularly nasty stomach virus for a week, and then staying ill for another week. Oh! And did I mention that I got two wisdom teeth ripped out last weekend? So needless to say, I've been stuck resting in bed for quite some time. But thanks to a particularly boring Astronomy class, I wrote some more for you.
My deepest thanks to all of my reviewers: La Belle De Sans Merci, ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords, Ethell, lozzie84, the voice of singing clouds, Canadian Harry Potter Fan, fantasygirl26, and itxprincessxlala. I LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks to those that gave me ideas… especially lozzie84. I LOVE your ideas (though I'm not going to say which one made me squeal in delight). I will be sure to incorporate it in later chappies. ::Grins::
Anyway… on with the story!
"Attention, all passengers! We will be leaving in 15 minutes! If you would like to view the departure, please report to the front of the ship at this time," a voice says politely over the intercom.
"Thank Merlin!!" I whisper to Oliver as everyone immediately stands and shoves their seats out of the way. Our presenter looks helpless as his class deserts him without hesitation. He sighs and walks off.
I just sat through the most boring half hour of my life. I suppose Mandatory Safety Classes have good intentions but they're so boring! Ugh.
We decide to stay seated for a few more moments; one thing I've already learned is to put as much distance between crazy muggle tourists and yourself as possible. When they get excited and run, the cameras dangling around their necks have tendencies to bounce around and smack people in the face. They have ridiculous looking hats to 'protect them from the sun.' I say they just use their hats to block the view of whoever is behind them. Sun screen should be blended in with the skin- not look like war paint! And Merlin… socks should NOT be worn with sandals!!
Within a minute, everyone is gone. Oliver looks at me. "I never thought something could possibly be that boring. He just droned on like Snape!"
I nod. "Come on. I don't think watching the ship move is going to be any more interesting. Let's explore!" He smiles at my enthusiasm as I leap from my seat. Practically skipping in glee, I head in a random direction. The Mandatory Safety Class was on the eleventh deck. This is also the deck with the pools! There are two HUGE pools and even whirlpools and jacuzzis! Did I mention there's a gigantic spiral waterslide? Like… this thing is really, really big! There are hundreds of lounge chairs, cafes and a bar. And that's just what we've seen on this deck so far.
"Katie!" Oliver freezes in his tracks. I turn to face him. "What is THAT?" He points to something located on the deck above us. The twelfth is more like half a deck. It just runs around the perimeter of the ship. The center is non-existent; it allows the pools direct access to the sun. He's pointing at a wall maybe 15 meters tall located on the highest deck. Of course he has no idea what that is. With numerous colored shapes protruding out of the surface, there's nothing like it in the wizarding world.
I giggle, deciding to let him figure it out on his own. Looking for the stairs, I yell over my shoulder, "I'll beat you!"
There! Alright… just a few meters to the stairs and from there we have to run around some kind of building. It looks like it's in the very back of the ship. I finally make it to the stairs. One step. Two. Four. Six. I force myself to skip a few steps so I can get there fir-
WHAT?! Without hesitation, Oliver flies past me. What else could you expect? I suppose playing professional sports does have its advantages. Ugh… I can't beat him! He's already 10 steps ahead of me! He stops at the top to see how close I am. When he realizes that I'm a bit too close for comfort, he speeds off again. I make it up just in time to see Oliver run into the building. The Viking Crown Lounge. YES!! Even if there is an exit that leads to the other side, being inside will surely slow him down. Now he's gonna have to maneuver through whatever is inside.
As for me, all I have to do is run around- nothing in the way for me! With a new burst of energy, I run as fast I possibly can. I can't let him win! I finally make it to the building. Since half of the walls seem to be made of windows, I look inside to see how far along he is. I laugh out loud. A woman has stopped him at the door! She's about to hand him a menu. Merlin! It's a restaurant! She thinks he wants food! He looks desperate to get away. He just happens to glance at me; without a second thought, he says something (likely 'sorry') and sprints to catch up with me. Our eyes are locked on each other as we race along. Completely focused on me, he has to rely completely on his senses to make sure he doesn't run into anything. We're almost there. Just a few more meters.
Merlin- please tell me that he knows the doors aren't open. He's not slowing down! "OLIVER!!!!" I scream, trying to warn him, but it's too late. At full speed he runs straight into the doors and literally bounces off. His head is thrown back and his arms flail as he falls on his backside. I can't help but laugh. As painful as it looks, this is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. Especially since this is Oliver Wood! I mean, come on! The fastest rising Quidditch star in the world! Seeing him bounce off the doors like jelly is priceless.
As I laugh, I forget to focus on my own running. Just my luck- I don't notice a chair that's conveniently not pushed in. My knees hit and I fly over it and headfirst. Thankfully, I've practiced 'falling' during Quidditch practices so I instinctively pull my arms up to protect my face. The impact wasn't as bad as sliding across the wooden deck until friction made me come to a stop.
"Katie!" I hear a voice coming closer. Still in too much shock to move, all I can do is call back. "I'm alright." A hand gently rolls me over so I'm on my back. Oliver's cherry-colored forehead and nose look painful.
He picks me up bridal-style, despite my protests, and carries me inside the building. Oliver sets me in a booth that is secluded. He double checks to make sure the coast is clear and that there's no way anyone can see. When he's sure it's safe, he pulls out his wand and mutters "Episkey" multiple times- each time aiming at a different part of my body. First my elbows, then each forearm and each knee. Then he points the wand at his face and says the same spell. Instantly our sore spots get incredibly hot; a few seconds later they feel like ice. For a few moments it's very cold but it quickly goes back to room temperature. He stows the wand and looks around to make sure no one saw. Thank Merlin everyone is watching the "ship launch." Otherwise we'd be in trouble.
"Are you alright?" he asks with genuine worry. Woah- now I feel kind of bad. Although seeing him fall was funny, I'm sure I must have been a sight... and he didn't even laugh!
"Yeah." I smile gratefully at him. "Thanks."
"Great." He stands and offers me a hand. I take it appreciatively and he pulls me up. Our eyes lock and for some reason a tingle shoots down my spine. Oh no… not this again. NO!! I don't like him! Seriously. Just ignore it, Katie. Ignore it. I tear my eyes away and take a deep breath.
We start heading for the rock wall. He opens the door for me so I walk outside, cautiously hiding my intentions. Once his guard is completely down, I make a run for it. "KATIE!" he shouts again. I turn to see if he's running or not but instantly regret it. Already he's nearly caught up to me. Damn! This bloke can run fast!!
There's a railing that keeps observers at a safe distance from the climing wall- almost like an unspoken agreement, we both know that whoever touches it first wins. I try my hardest to just go smidgen faster… come on…..! I reach out…. but so does he. No! It seems our hands touch the railing at the same time.
"I WIN!" we scream together, both laughing.
"Hmm…. I 'unno 'bout tha'. Wha' you say, Paul?"
"Come on, Mikey! It's obvious the young lady won!"
We didn't even notice two crew members standing there. Apparently they watched the whole thing. I smile shyly until I realize that Paul had defended me. "HA!" I cry out in victory.
"What? I clearly won!" Oliver defends himself. I giggle at his distressed look. He gets so competitive!
"Wha' you say we let 'em go fer a roun'?" Mikey asks Paul. His heavy accent reminds me of Hagrid.
"Sure thing. Alright- see Mikey and I get really bored here. We usually have to work at the Rock Wall but it just gets so boring! It's on the rear of the top deck so not only can we not see what's going on anywhere else, but we're also stuck with kids all day. So what about this- we let you go three times in a row. That's fair, right? Best 2 out of 3 wins."
"We ain't 'pposed ta let ya go mor'n once but seein' the situation, we'll let ya go three!" He grins at us.
I instantly like these guys. They're risking getting in trouble for us? How awesome is that? I mean, it's true that there's no line or anything yet but I still think they're pretty cool. They could have just as easily yelled at us for running on the deck.
We jump over the railing and Mikey and Paul help us put on the harnesses.
Oliver looks confused. Just to spare him the embarrassment, I ask the two employees what exactly we have to do.
"Simple. Just pull yourself up by grabbing those colored rocks until you get to the top. Then ring the bell and come back down."
"Great." Oliver says. Now he knows what to do.
The two men set us up along the wall and blow a whistle.
Immediately I try to scramble up the wall. Luckily, I've done this before- even if it was when I was 9 years old. Oliver looks like he's having trouble. He's also heavier so it's a bit harder. Wait- what?! He's gaining on me! No! Not again!! For the second time today, he passes me and reaches the top. Without a second thought, he propels himself off the wall and begins to descend.
"NO, LAD! NO!!!" Mikey cries, trying to help Oliver. "Ya gotta ring tha bell!!"
"What?" is his confused response. But it's too late- I scurry up and ring the bell.
"That's not fair!" Oliver pouts.
"Too bad," I say cheerfully as I fall. Once I get to the ground, I stick my tongue out at him.
"Round Two!" Paul yells and blows the whistle. Looking oblivious, Oliver stares at me as I rush up the wall again. "Come on, lad! Move!"
I can't help but giggle. If I win this round, that means I win the whole match! DING!
Huh? But I didn't…..
I look up and see that somehow he had passed me. He grins at me as he propels himself off the wall once more. I stick my tongue out at him again.
Ok… round 3. This time we both know exactly what to do and there will be no early starts. The whistle blows for the last time. We quickly climb but from the beginning I can tell that he's going to win. Yet again, I realize that Quidditch might not be completely useless. After all, he has all the muscles he needs while I have none.
We reach the ground at the same time and Mikey holds up Oliver's arm. "We have a winner!" Now it's his turn to reveal his tongue.
By now the muggles are clearly getting bored with watching the water pass slowly underneath them. How they could have found it interesting in the first place is beyond me. Now they're wandering about the ship fascinated by everything. I suppose I can't be much better; after all, most of this is new to me. This ship has electricipee… and that alone makes everything different.
Anyway- the ship is slowly getting more and more crowded.
"Let's go to a different deck," Katie suggests. "I mean, everyone was watching the ship's launching, right? That means the decks that have a view of the front of ship will be the most crowded. Let's go where no one else will think to go just yet."
This girl has an excellent point. "Where do you think we will find such a place?" She smiles at me and without a word, leads me to the elevator.
"Pick a number."
There's no hesitation. "Three. It's always been my favorite number."
"Mine too! Three sounds great." She promptly pushes the number on the elevator's panel. Once we begin moving, Katie clears her throat. "So… what's something you want to do while we're here?"
What do I want to do? I want to grab her hand gently right now, look her straight in those beautiful eyes and tell her that I'm in love with her. I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her forehead. I want to dance with her or go on a moonlit walk. As long as I'm with her and she's having a great time, I'll be happy. Merlin, I feel so mushy. "I want to see what's so great about a muggle casino."
What?
Did that really just come out of my mouth? No, I couldn't be romantic or anything. I just had to blurt something I overheard a muggle say a few minutes ago. Good job there, Oliver. You deserve a nice pat on the back.
She giggles. "Well you're going to think I'm crazy but I want to learn how to dance. Don't laugh! I'm being serious!" Her tone is playful, whether or not she's telling the truth. "Really- I heard that they have dancing lessons every day at 9am and 3pm."
"You can't dance?"
"You don't have to make fun of me for it," she pouts. The elevator doors open and we step out. We're back in the seven-story atrium that we saw earlier. Katie veers off in a random direction.
"I'm not making fun of you. I just thought you got dancing lessons before the Yule Ball. Wasn't it required?"
"Oh. About that- I had a huge Divination test the next day so I was studying for it. I guess I should have gone; I got fussed at by McGonagall and ended up looking like a fool at the ball."
"Did you at least pass the test?"
"Not even close," she laughs.
"Well, you looked like a princess, Katie, even if you couldn't dance to save your life."
"Hey! I wasn't that bad!" she cries defensively and crosses her arms. Then as an afterthought, "And you don't have to lie to try to flatter me."
"I wouldn't lie to you. You were beautiful." Her chocolate eyes meet mine. "You always were, Katie Pie. You still are."
Her cheeks flush and she looks away quickly, unable to look at me. "Thank you," she mumbles, clearly at a loss for words. Well it's the bloody truth and if she doesn't realize it, I'm just going to have to tell her every chance I get until she believes me.
We turn a corner and see two elegant French doors with a large sign over them.
"Studio B? I wonder what that is."
"Let's go find out." Katie rushes to the doors and pulls one open. A rush cool air envelopes us immediately. She looks inside and gasps excitedly. "Are you serious?" she asks no one in particular. "An ice skating rink!"
"Really?" I can't fight the exhilaration that washes over me too. I love ice skating! It reminds me of home. There's a huge lake close to my parent's house and every winter I would go out with my mother and father. I can't fight the memories that consume me. "Let's go!" I cry as I rush inside.
An attendant spots us and offers us skates. We tell her our sizes and excitedly put them on.
"When's the last time you've ice skated?" Katie asks me.
"About ten years ago. I used to go every year… but that was before I found Quidditch. How about you?"
"Five years ago. Alicia and Angelina found out that I've never been so they forced me to one day. I was scared out of my mind but I fell in love right away. We skated every weekend during the winters but then work started consuming our lives so we stopped going."
"Do you think you still can?" I ask cautiously, secretly wanting her to say no just so I can hold her hand until she finds her balance.
"I think so. I'm not promising anything, though. Come on!" She gets up and carefully heads for the door that leads to the ice. Katie latches onto the wall and warily puts a foot on the frozen water. Once she deems it safe, her other leg follows. Still gripping on for dear life, the beauty moves to the side so I can test my own balance.
I find, with delight, that my legs can find their balance just as well as they did years ago. I stay still for a moment, making sure that I can stand. Slowly, I lean on one foot and begin to move. I glide around a bit before I feel confident. It feels like I just skated yesterday; perfect! This means that I can help my beloved!
I look over to Katie. Somehow she had slid away from the wall and is now just standing a few yards from the wall. Clearly frightened, she tries to make her way back to safety but finds that she can't move. "Oliver! Help me!"
I try to conceal a smile. I would do anything to help her. I quickly move to her side and take hold of her arm. She's pale and slightly trembling but calms at my touch. Gently, I bring her back to safety and she clings on with no hesitation.
"Maybe I should find my balance before I try to do tricks. I used to be so good! Angelina taught me how to twirl really fast and Alicia always made me race her. It was so much fun." She smiles in remembrance.
"I'm sure it'll be no time before you can do that again. Do you want me to stay with you until you get the hang out it again?" Please say yes! Please say yes! Say yes!
"I already look like I fool, Oliver. I want to see if I can do it by myself."
"Alright. Let me know if you need help." She smiles gratefully as I turn and glide off. Well I suppose that would make sense. She doesn't want to look vulnerable in front of me. She's always made an effort to be strong. That only makes me admire her even more.
My hands fumble in my pocket and clutch a box absently.
I make two laps around the rink and slow the third time so I can see how Katie is doing. "I see you're getting better." By now she's made it a little more than once around.
"Yeah!" she smiles at me. "I'm getting used to it. I don't even have to hold on anymore!"
"Are you ready to race me, then?"
"You are so competitive, Oliver."
"What do you expect?" I defend. "Have you ever known me to be anything else?"
"I guess not." She tests her abilities once more and finally glides away from the wall. "Either way, you and I both know who's going to win."
"You wouldn't even stand a chance." I say playfully. "I'd win just like before."
"Oh, really? We'll see about that." Before I know it, she's soaring at me. I move out of the way just in time.
"Hey!" I call. She's already at the center of the rink waiting for me.
"I can skate really well- I just needed to warm up. I bet you can't catch me!"
I grin as my competitive side takes over. I race along the ice and try to catch up with her. It feels so nice just to be able to see her smile. I've made her so happy and it feels spectacular. Could there be any better feeling in the world?
Hmmm... could there be a better feeling? I think there just might be something exciting in the next chappie. ;-)
Oh... I keep forgetting to ask: When should the lovely couple officially get together? Sometime soon or later during the cruise? After? Or should it just be a surprise? Let me know if you have any ideas. Like I said- even the simplest ones can inspire.