Oliver's point of view

I woke up the next morning with a hangover and a headache beyond my worst nightmares. The room spun when I sat up and turned to peer down at Katie, who was still sleeping soundly.

I decided to let her sleep, knowing my headache would become worse if I woke her up.

I'd never been more grateful to have a shower. I hardly noticed the water was scalding hot because all I could picture was what had happened. I winced, both in pain from my headache and pain as I relived last night. I shouldn't have done it. I knew better.

Still, I couldn't help but remind myself that Katie had been the one to initiate it. Twice. I knew I was merely clinging to that excuse for hope, but the way she kissed me was unlike any I'd shared with other women.

"Idiot," I muttered as I shut off the water.

I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, where Mum was making breakfast. Eggs benedict, my favorite.

"Good morning, Ol!" she said cheerily. "Can I get you some coffee?"

I grunted and took a seat at the counter. The light from the windows was overbearing.

"Tsk tsk." I watched as my mother poured me a cup of coffee and rested my elbows on the counter to prop up my own head. "Bit hungover, dear?" I grunted again and Mum smiled. "How late did the two of you get back?"

"After midnight."

"Well, did you have a nice time?"

"Sure."

"Is Katie still sleeping?"

"Yes."

I was thankful when she fell quiet for a moment. But then…

"So I couldn't help but notice that Katie didn't stay in the guest room last night."

Shit.

"Yeah, she didn't want to be alone."

Suddenly, Mum set the coffee pot down audibly on the counter, its contents sloshing around. She gazed at me with a serious expression, her eyes looking stern, yet impatient.

"Oliver."

"Yes, Mum?"

"What are you doing?"

"Having breakfast."

"Oliver James." Double shit. "You know what I mean."

"Mum, what?" I sighed. "Katie was drunk."

"So she slept in your bed?"

"She does it all the time."

"Honey, she has a fiancé."

"I'm aware of that, Mother."

Mum shot me a look that implied she'd hex me if I didn't adjust my attitude. "Honey," she continued. "This whole best friends act you two have, it's got to change."

"What do you mean? Katie is my best friend."

"I know that. But the way you two behave… It was cute when you were teenagers but you're adults now. She's engaged. You two can't keep acting like lovesick teenagers."

"We don't. We aren't lovesick. Mum, this is just how we are. It's how we've always been."

"How many times has she slept in your bed?"

"It's not like that!" I insisted. "She just likes to sleep there sometimes because she likes the company. Nothing's ever happened."

"And she doesn't choose to sleep with her own fiancé when she wants company?"

"I mean, sometimes she stays with him. But he's usually picking a fight with her so she comes to me."

Mum looked exasperated. "Oliver, you can't let her come running to your room every time she gets upset with him."

The hangover was bad enough, but I was starting to get annoyed. My mother had always adored Katie. I'd never heard her say a negative thing about her. She used to tell all her friends Katie was her future daughter-in-law.

"Mum, there's nothing to worry about," I insisted. "There's nothing going on. She's just getting some cold feet ahead of the wedding."

"Oliver." Mum's gaze was no longer stern, but serious and a bit concerned. "There's a lot of love between the two of you. But that's no excuse for your behavior. She's getting married."

"Mum, it's not like that," I repeated. "I know she's getting married. There's nothing going in, this is just… how we are."

"Oliver," Mum said quietly. "You have to let her go."

I've never told my mother how I feel about Katie, but I wasn't surprised she knew. She'd watched the two of us grow up together. She'd listened to Katie talk about her boyfriends while I said nothing. She watched me date with few relationships to show for it. She'd seen the way Katie and I flirt, laugh and tease one another. But until now, it'd always been, "Oh, those two, that's just the way they are."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but Katie suddenly came breezing into the kitchen. Her hair was wet from a shower and I could tell she'd been crying.

Still, in typical Katie fashion, she smiled and greeted Mum, taking the seat next to me at the counter.

"Katie, dear!" Mum said, reaching for the coffee pot. "Just in time for breakfast. Did you have a nice time last night?"

I noticed Katie's jaw clench. It was her tell tale sign when she was uncomfortable. I also noticed she seemed incredibly determined to avoid eye contact with me.

"It was lovely," Katie said, smiling graciously as Mum handed her a coffee mug. "I'd never been to a wedding quite like that. They really went all out. It was beautiful."

"Yes well, that side of the family has always been a bit showy," Mum said. "But I'm sure your wedding will be fabulous as well."

Katie stared into her coffee and I reached over to gently squeeze her hand beneath the counter. She didn't pull hers away but I could see her clenching her jaw again.

Mum set breakfast plates in front of Katie and me, and I quickly realized how hungry I'd been. Katie thanked Mum for breakfast and I watched her pick at her plate.

The sudden sound of wings stole our attention as we realized Dad's owl had arrived. "Ah, that'll be The Prophet," Mum said, retrieving the newspaper. "Oh look! They've done a feature on the wedding. See? Annabelle Wood weds Daniel Higgs." Neither Katie nor I reacted until we heard Mum gasp. "Oh, just look at the two of you! You're such a sight for sore eyes!"

"What?" we both chimed.

Mum held up the paper again. There we were, Katie with her arms around me as we danced. I watched as her figure rested her head on my shoulder before we both began laughing.

Oliver Wood and Katie Bell appeared at the Wood-Higgs wedding seemingly together. The pair remained unattached all night, and were even seen having an intimate moment together while dancing, the photo caption read.

Thank Merlin they didn't get a photo of the intimate moment we had in the garden.

"Bloody nonsense," I sighed. I'd become used to The Daily Prophet and its stories. They knew Katie had a fiancé but they continued to write gossip and speculation on us. Countless photos of the two of us had been printed with rumors on our affair. It'd been going on for ages.

"Oliver," Katie said quietly. I turned to look at her and realized she was looking at me with wide, scared eyes. "Chris. He doesn't know I'm here."