I woke with a start a few weeks later, sun streaming in my bedroom window, and a Mr. George Weasley perched at the end of my bed.

"MORNING!" he beamed. "You've got mail!"

I glared at him from my position under the duvet. "And?"

"It's blue."

"Shit! Shit, seriously?" I said, springing from my bed and lunging for the door. I scrabbled at the door frame to propel myself into the kitchen at greater speed. "Where?"

Alicia started laughing as she caught sight of me. I decided to be embarrassed later, as I spotted the pale blue envelope with the golden crossed bulrushes printed in the top left corner sitting innocently on the counter, a smaller white envelope alongside it. I halted, the mania draining from me immediately.

"Katie, are you okay?" George asked from behind me. Alicia stopped laughing at my dishevelled state and placed a hand on my arm.

"It's alright, sweetheart."

I felt the colour drain from my features. What if it was bad news? What if they didn't like me as much as I'd thought?

"I think I need to sit down," I heard myself say. I sat at the table slowly, and the Puddlemere letter was placed in front of me.

I fiddled with the edges, biting my lip.

"Whatever it says, Kat, there's other teams. The dream isn't over," George told me.

"I know," I said, tearing up. "But who likes rejection?"

"I know, pet," Alicia said, stroking my back.

I took a deep breath, and picked the envelope up, my hands shaking terribly. It opened easily, and, with another breath, I retrieved the letter from inside, printed on the same blue paper. And then my heart almost exploded.

"Guys?" I said, reading the letter from Phil for the third time, to make sure I hadn't read wrong.

"What's the verdict?"

"I'm in," I said, my eyes overflowing with tears.

"Oh my God, Katie! That's so amazing!" Alicia squealed and jumped up to hug me. George joined in on the hug.

"You're a team medic! Puddlemere's medic, Katie!"

"Oh my God," I said, stunned, tears pouring down my face.

"And I'll bet that other letter is from a certain Puddlemere Keeper," George grinned as he and his girlfriend released me from their embrace.

"Yes, I'll bet he knows already."

I smiled and reached for the other letter, but frowned when I caught sight of the script on the front. "That isn't Oliver's writing, guys." I opened the letter.

Katie,

First of all, a massive congratulations are in order, I hear. You were by far the best candidate we had, and I'm looking forward to working with you! I'm sure you could teach me a few things, with the CV you've got.

On another note, the team and the 'backstagers' as I like to call us, are all going out for drinks this Saturday, if you'd like to come? It'll be a proper chance to get to know all of us – alcohol doesn't lie! And I'd be happy to pick you up and introduce you to everyone.

Hope to see you then, and once again, congrats!

Caelan x

I was biting my lip again, and Alicia and George noticed. "Who's it from?" George asked.

"Umm … Caelan Wilson, the other medic for the team."

"Why does that sound like that's a bad thing?"

"Oliver warned me to steer clear. He said 'watch Wilson like a hawk'."

"Womaniser?" Alicia queried.

"I think so. I also think he sort of half-asked me out."

"Wow. Quick off the mark. What are you going to say?"

I bit my lip harder. "I don't know. I don't want to make it awkward."

"You also don't want to jilt Wood. Again," George said. I ducked my head.

"Yeah. That." I sighed. "He must know. Why hasn't he written to me?"

Alicia and George both shrugged. "No idea, sweetie. He's being really careful with you, and taking no chances. I don't know why."

Just then, the doorbell rang. George went to answer it, with Alicia muttering "He acts like it's his house, you know …" to me. I laughed.

"You're the one who keeps inviting him." We laughed, and I got up to get coffee, pouring a mug from the pot on the counter.

"Hey, Katie. I think this means that Wood heard about you getting the job," George yelled from the front door. "Hey guys, can I get your autographs?"

I frowned, placing the coffee mug down and looked down the hall, bewilderment suddenly replacing the frown. There, in my hallway, stood the entire Puddlemere Quidditch team, all holding various Puddlemere paraphernalia, with Oliver in the middle, holding the largest bouquet of white roses that I'd ever seen.

"Wow," Alicia whispered from behind me. I heard myself repeating the sentiment.

"Sorry," Oliver said, smirking at me. "Did we wake you?" Some of the team laughed, and the rest looked at me in pity, namely the only female on the team, and what seemed to be the youngest male.

I recalled my dishevel, and felt Alicia's fingers trying to calm my bush-hair. My face burned up, and I pulled at my pyjama top, thanking all celestial entities that I could think of that I'd worn my new set the night before.

"She looks cute. Leave her alone, Wood." It was the female who spoke. Puddlemere's centre Chaser, Joscelind Wadcock. She sent me a smile, and elbowed the man who sniggered behind her.

"Cute is what she is, certainly," Oliver said smoothly, and I grew increasingly scarlet. "Anyway, when we turned up for practice this morning, we heard the good news, and came to congratulate you, Kates." He beamed his lovely smile. "We come bearing the entire Puddlemere shop, and roses. White are your favourite, right?"

I nodded, still too stunned to speak.

"Bless her," one of the Beaters, Lewis Jones, said.

"You're definitely right about her, mate," Liam Wyatt said, looking me up and down. I shifted nervously, and stared at Oliver, who was fighting a smirk again. He took a few steps towards me and placed the flowers on the trestle table.

"The team wanted to meet you." He turned to them. "Go on. Introductions."

"I'm Liam. Chaser." He saluted me, then winked. I blushed again.

"Joscelind. Chaser. Lovely to have you, Katie." She smiled warmly, and I returned it

"Thank you," I told her.

"I'm the other Chaser. Gareth Ellsby. Nice to meet you, Miss Bell." This was the youngest male, who looked no more than 17. I recalled him from the papers when he joined the team just a few months previous, fresh out of Hogwarts. He was the first Chaser in almost twenty years who had achieved starting position on a professional team under the age of nineteen.

I laughed a little at the salutation, "Nice to meet you too, Mr Ellsby." He threw me a smile, and I returned that one also.

"I'm one of the Beaters. Lewis. And I can't tell you how glad we all are to have a female do our physicals this year. It gets extremely awkward with Wilson," Lewis laughed.

"Here, here," the second last team member said. "Alex Pierce, other Beater. You'll make those physicals very interesting."

The last man rolled his eyes. "Excuse the dogs, Katie. They haven't gotten laid in quite a long time." Lewis and Alex yelped in consternation. "I'm Benjy Williams. Seeker. Nice to put a face to a name."

I smiled. "Nice to meet you all. I just wish I looked a little more presentable the first time I met a major-league Quidditch team."

"You look beautiful," Oliver said, quiet enough for the team behind him not to hear it, but Alicia did. She nudged me in the back with her fingertips.

"Okay guys, you can head off, now. Back to practice. Thompson will be blowing a gasket. Tell him he can punish me later. I need to talk to Kates."

The team said their goodbyes, leaving all the Puddlemere goodies next to the flowers on and around the trestle table, and left. As soon as the door clicked shut, my hand connected sharply with Oliver's shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"It's 7am!"

"Sorry!"

Another slap. "I can't believe you thought I'd look presentable enough to meet the people I'll be working with from now on!"

Alicia and George were laughing in the background as Oliver pouted.

"I'm sorry, Katie. They followed me. They were very excited about meeting you."

I huffed, and went for a shower, throwing Oliver a mean glare as I left. When I returned, dressed, finally, Oliver, Alicia and George were all drinking coffee at the kitchen table and talking.

"Better, now?" George said upon noticing my arrival. I nodded shortly.

"I'm sooorrrryyy," Oliver whined behind me, as I walked past him to retrieve another cup of coffee. I turned to him and rolled my eyes. He smirked at me. "You looked cuter in your PJ's."

"Shut up," I told him, sitting down next to him at the table.

"Well, I'd better head to work," Alicia said.

"Yeah, me too. Important business to attend to," George said, winking.

"One, it's 7:30, and two, George, you work in a joke shop."

"See you later, Katie," they both said quickly, smiling, and hurried out the flat. When the door slammed shut, I eyed Oliver suspiciously.

"I don't suppose you had anything to do with that?"

"Nothing at all," he smiled, trying to be innocent, but I knew him well enough to know that he was lying. "So, you start in two weeks." I nodded, taking another sip of coffee, still eyeing him thoughtfully. "I guess you still have to work at St Mungo's until then?"

I shook my head. "I finished my internship and passed my final exams weeks ago."

"So you're at a bit of a loose end, then?" he asked.

I frowned. "I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," he told me.

"Right." I said, a bit unsurely.

He watched me quietly for a moment, a slow smile across his lips. His eyes glittered with laughter when I determinedly stared at the coffee cup in my hands, avoiding his gaze. I hated him looking at me like that. He looked sexy as hell. It was very difficult to form any sort of sentence with him looking like he was about to take his shirt off and throw me onto the table. I squeaked quietly at that last thought, before I quickly stood up, placing my still half-full coffee cup on the counter. I shifted nervously, looking out the kitchen window at the street below, knowing Oliver's eyes were still on me, mentally undressing me, or whatever he was trying to do.

"Why are you nervous?" he murmured, his voice at my ear, his hands touching the counter either side of me, close, but not close enough to touch me. How the hell had he gotten over here so quickly, and so silently? I squeaked louder this time, turning around in the small space I was captured in. I stared up at him, deer caught in headlights, stunned by what he was doing. I just wanted to run away, but his burning black eyes stopped me in my tracks. "You truly are the most beautiful thing," he told me, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"I …" I chastised myself for the breathy voice, and the lack of coherence in my brain that Oliver's smell brought. He just stood there, staring, not touching me, not moving an inch. And I stood there, stunned, unable to move, staring back. I willed him to move – whether I wanted him to move away, or closer still, I was oblivious. I just wanted him to move. To say something. To do what I knew he wanted to, just by the look in his eyes. To do what I'd see him do to many girls during our time at Hogwarts. Just kiss me. You've done it before, Oliver. Kiss me …

My patience suddenly snapped, and I glared. Hard. "What are y-?"

A reaction seemed to be what he was looking for, because within a second of opening my mouth to speak, it was covered by his. His arms snaked around my waist and he drew himself close. My anger dissipated as fast as it had appeared, and stunned was back. I gripped the counter behind me for dear life, trying to keep myself on my feet at the transition.

He stopped as quickly as he'd started, pulling away slightly, letting his forehead rest on mine. "Sorry," he whispered as I bit my lip nervously. "You're irresistible when you're angry."

I couldn't speak, opening my mouth wordlessly, my entire body flushing with waves of want for him. The kiss lasted all of ten seconds, and I just wanted him to do it again. To never stop.

He smirked at my speechlessness and pulled away. He leant on the counter next to me, looking down at me. "You didn't kiss back," he commented, laughter still in his voice, but I could tell he wanted a reason.

"It was unexpected. My brain didn't kick in."

"A relatively good sign, I hope?" he asked, still laughing. I didn't answer. He abandoned the conversation pretty quickly. "The team are going out for a few drinks on Saturday, you know. You should come too. They'd love to see you there. You'll come to get to know all of them really well, anyway." At this, I immediately looked to the letter Wilson had sent me. Oliver noticed, and picked it up from the table. His eyes darkened as he took in who it was from. "Can I?" he asked, meaning he wanted to read it. I nodded, and he did. He looked angry when he'd finished. "Did you say yes?"

"I haven't replied," I told him carefully.

He threw the letter down on the table. He took a breath and stood in front of me again, his hands on my upper arms. "Please don't, Kates."

I shook my head at him. "If it makes my working relationship with him weird, I can't not."

"Kates," he said, closing his eyes. "He's bad news."

"Like that matters. I'm not going to date him – it's just escorting me to a team outing."

"Could you be any more naïve?" he snapped, dropping his hands from my arms. "He wants you, Katie. Because, God, why wouldn't he? You're beautiful. Intelligent. Considerate … What Wilson wants, he gets. He's a fiend at seduction, because I've seen him do it. If you let him in, that's it. It's all over."

I looked at him in thought. "So, if not with Wilson, who's going to take me?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "An independent woman like you? Requiring a date to such a relaxed affair?"

"I'm new. I don't want to come across as pathetic on the first outing."

"Is that more of a second outing thing?" he said mock-seriously.

"I should think so," I replied in the same tone.

"Well, you know, I don't have a date either."

"Is that so?" I smirked.

"We could always … be pathetic together?"

"I would love to be your date, Oliver," I laughed. He grinned, kissing me on the cheek. "But you asked first if Caelan asks, okay?"

"No problem. Here, I have a question," he said, placing his hands on my hips as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "If I kiss you again in the future, will you kiss back?"

I laughed, pushing on his chest so that I could look at him. "That's something you'll just have to find out," I smirked, trying to ignore the muscles my hands were currently on. He smirked back at me.

"You are such a tease, Kates."

"Thanks," I grinned. He laughed.

A few moments passed, and Oliver glanced at his watch. "Well, Thompson will have me do sprints for three hours for this one," he grinned. "Worth it, though."

"Crap, I forgot you had practice. Oliver! Go!" I said, trying to pull him towards the door. He resisted, I think just because he found it funny how weak I was. "Oliver," I pouted.

He smiled, lacing his fingers with mine, letting me pull him to the door. "It's fine. I'll lie."

"Go," I said, pushing him out of the door by his shoulders.

He laughed again as he stood outside on the stairs down to Diagon Alley. "I'll write to you tonight," he told me.

"Go, Oliver!"

He winked, then Disapparated.

I closed the door, grinning, sighing.

Sorry … sorry …x