Chaser 1

Appleby Arrows

Round 5, Season 9

Prompts: Chaser 1: Laziness

(word) casual

(word) fleeting

(dialogue) "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me."

Word Count: 2081

Hi everyone, this is my round 5 for the QLFC - I have loved Katie and Oliver for ever but this is the first fic I've ever written myself with them in - let me know what you think! As ever many thanks and a lot of credit goes to my amazing team and captain for bouncing ideas with me and being the best betas ever.

Oliver Wood had always been an early riser. Ever since he was a little boy, he would wake with the sun in the summer months, and even in winter, half past five was a lie in. It didn't matter if the curtains were shut or the heavy burgundy drapes around his bed were closed, he would be awake. Oliver made the most of this time, often the first down in the Gryffindor common room and one of the earliest students in the Great Hall for breakfast.

He had never minded as he always had so much to do. Mainly Quidditch, of course. He was constantly trying to come up with new Quidditch plays and tactics, or reading about the latest matches in the Daily Prophet. If he wasn't theorizing about it, he was there on the pitch, bewitching Quaffles to soar towards the giant hoops which he'd try to protect, or zooming around doing laps and swerving this way and that to keep himself agile. If he wasn't there by himself, then it was team practice. He had kicked himself when it finally occurred to him to utilise those early before dawn hours for team practice. They could have been doing it for years – it may have even helped them win the cup! Oliver was aware that their team had been the best and it was only through a series of Unfortunate Events that the cup had slipped out of their grasp each time.

This morning, he had scheduled one of those early morning team practices. His dark brown eyes had opened with barely a protest like usual, and he glanced at his watch. Twenty minutes until practice started. Then Oliver Wood did something unexpected. He closed his eyes again, rolled over and went back to sleep.

Oliver started to stir and at once felt wrong. It was too warm under his blankets for it to be morning and he was mindful that his head felt dull and heavy. He was also not used to someone prodding him in the side.

"Oliver... Oliver... wake up, it's afternoon."

Oliver opened his eyes. He was also not used to a girl's voice waking him up.

Beside his four-poster there was a dark-haired teenage girl kneeling down, one hand resting on the edge of the bed and the other gingerly shaking his shoulder.

"Katie!" creaked Oliver, heaving himself into a sitting position. She quickly pulled her hand back as his blanket slipped down to reveal his bare chest. "What are you doing here? In the boy's dormitory!"

"You missed Quidditch practice!"

"Oh," said Oliver, coming out of his daze. "Yeah, I remember, did you say it was afternoon?"

"Yes," said Katie, a small frown on her face. "When you didn't show up, I was worried. You never miss a practice, you're the first one there at that godforsaken hour, usually. I waited until it was a respectable enough time to visit the Hospital Wing, because I figured if you weren't at Quidditch Pitch, you must be ill but Madam Pomfrey said you weren't there. But then you weren't at breakfast either. Now you've missed lunch too, so I brought you some sandwiches." She lifted up a covered plate that had been sat on the floor next to her."

Oliver reddened guiltily. "I'm not ill, Katie."

"What?" exclaimed Katie. "But... but you weren't there. What happened?"

"I woke up and then decided to go back to sleep," explained Oliver casually.

"You decided to go back to sleep? You decided?" said Katie angrily, rising to her feet and towering over him.

"Er... yeah," replied Oliver, a little bit fearful now. "I fancied going back to sleep so I did."

"It was your crazy idea to have these early morning practices in the first place because you're the crazy one who's always awake at that time!"

"Usually," quipped Oliver, regretting it immediately as she glared darkly at him.

"On a Sunday, Oliver, a Sunday! We got up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday for no reason, thanks to you."

"How did the others take it?" mumbled Oliver, starting to feel ashamed of himself.

"Fred and George were ready to murder you but then decided they were too tired to do it straight away. They went back to bed, but they were muttering obscenities about you at lunch time, so murder might still be on their minds. Be careful," warned Katie, her hands on her hips. "Angelina and Alicia were furious, as well, but then decided they'd get some early studying in so they could enjoy their afternoon. Harry headed back back to bed straight away."

"But you checked the Hospital Wing?" said Oliver, with a small smile.

It was Katie's turn to flush red. "You've been obsessed this year; I genuinely thought the only reason you would skip practice is because you were physically unable to get there. It didn't even cross my mind that you just couldn't be bothered."

"Katie, I'm sorry, I wouldn't blame you if you hated me."

Her expression softened at his words, and she sighed. "I don't hate you, Oliver."

For a fleeting moment, Katie Bell looked less like the chubby faced twelve-year-old he'd recruited years ago, not merely the team mate she'd been the past few years, but more like an attractive girl standing over his bed, with a soft look of concern just for him on her high cheekbones, full lips and a piercing gaze under dark, long eyelashes.

Oliver shook his head, and that quick thought was lost. Katie seemed like her regular self again. "I'm glad. Do I still get those sandwiches?"

"Only if you share," smiled Katie begrudgingly. "And put on a shirt, I don't want to be sick whilst I'm eating."

"Fair enough," laughed Oliver, as he pulled back the covers and got out of bed to grab himself a fresh t-shirt from his trunk.

Now, in a t-shirt shirt and plaid pyjama bottoms, he made the bed before sitting on top of it cross legged. "Well, are you sitting down or what?"

Katie picked up the plate of food and sat on the opposite end of the bed. She uncovered it and spread out the contents- a pile of sandwiches and some sausage rolls. They were having a bedroom picnic. "I don't have any pumpkin juice, sorry."

"That's fine, this looks amazing," said Oliver, appreciatively, grabbing the top sandwich from the pile. "Mmmm, beef, this is great."

Katie took a bite out of one of the pastries. "I still can't believe you didn't show up today. I even accosted Percy for information, and ended up stuck in a conversation about his Ministry prospects."

"Now I do feel bad," grinned Oliver cheekily. He knew all too well that a conversation like that with Percy was a fate to be avoided at all costs.

"And so, you should!"

"Is it so wrong for me to want a break?" Oliver felt the need to defend himself.

"It's not wrong, it's just strange," said Katie pensively. "I've never seen you take a five minute break before, let alone sleep in until the afternoon. It's weird that you're being so casual about it as well. Are you not freaking out about the fact you've wasted your morning?"

Oliver shook his head. "Is it truly wasted if that's what I chose to do with my time?"

"Aren't you concerned about the Quidditch Cup?"

"Of course I am, but maybe my approach has been too aggressive. Maybe rest might help," admitted Oliver.

"It would probably have been more beneficial for you to let the rest of your team rest as well then," advised Katie scornfully.

Oliver held his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm sorry, that's very true. I think I just expected you'd all go back to sleep, I didn't think anybody would be concerned."

"You're my captain," said Katie, with a small shrug. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow and felt a pang of satisfaction when she broke eye contact, busying herself by reaching for a sandwich. "Well, you are."

"I'm also Fred and George's captain, but by all accounts, they're picking out my gravestone," smirked Oliver.

"If you're going to mock me because I care then I'll leave," said Katie, with a frown, fidgeting with the end of her dark braid.

"Listen, I am genuinely sorry that I've essentially wasted your whole morning," apologised Oliver. "I know you probably had better things to do, friends to hang out with, boyfriends..."

"I don't have a boyfriend," blurted Katie, before biting her lip.

"Not found anyone strong and silent enough?"

Katie gasped. "I do not like Diggory and I can't believe you even remember that."

"Everyone else seems to like Diggory. I'm not judging you."

"Yes, you are," said Katie, sardonically. "Besides, I'm house loyal, I could never date someone on an opposing team."

"But you would date someone from the team?"

"I – I suppose," stuttered Katie, glancing around the room anywhere but at him. "I think I had better get going, we're lucky no one has walked in on us."

"Why would it matter if someone walked in on us?" asked Oliver, a small smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. "We're two friends and teammates having a picnic."

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer when you know why," said Katie, rolling her eyes. "Especially as you share a room with Percy, and I really don't fancy a lecture if he walks in."

"Here's me thinking it was worth the risk," grinned Oliver, as she began packing away the remains of their lunch. He stalled her efforts by grabbing her hand. "Thank you for this, Katie, I truly mean it. It's nice having someone care about you, and I want you to know that I care about you as well. I'm also someone who's very house loyal."

"You're also someone who finishes school in a matter of months, Oliver," said Katie sadly, giving his hand a squeeze. "You're not going to be my captain for much longer."

It was then that Oliver knew that the moments that were shared today in his dormitory were only moments. A small fraction of their lives that couldn't realistically be extended. Katie had three more years left at Hogwarts and he was going out into the big, wide world soon to hopefully start his career as a professional Quidditch player. Whilst something had ignited this morning, there was no point tending a flame that was surely destined to be burnt out anyway soon enough.

She let go of his hand and got off the bed. Oliver followed suit to walk her to the door, he leant his side against the door frame as she turned to say bye to him from the other side.

"I'll see you around, Oliver."

"Unless the Weasley Twins get me."

"If you don't show up for practice tomorrow morning then I don't fancy your chances," laughed Katie. "Even I won't be so forgiving."

"Merlin's honour, I'll be there," grinned Oliver. "One day off is probably more than enough for me."

Katie tilted her head to one side, and scrunched her nose up in thought. He was going to ask her what was wrong before she placed her hands on his broad shoulders, raised herself on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his for a few short seconds. His hands had tried to snake around her waist but she had slipped away down a couple of the spiral stairs before he realized what had happened.

She gave a casual shoulder shrug in response to his confusion, although her red cheeks betrayed her nonchalance. "Knowing that you'll only remain a school girl crush, doesn't mean I'm not curious. Bye, Oliver."

Even if she hadn't turned out of sight by going down the spiral staircase, Oliver, in a bit of a daze, wasn't sure he'd have been able to respond anyway.

Oliver opened his eyes, stretched his arms above his head before glancing at his watch. Twenty minutes before practice again. It was like clockwork. Instead of rolling over and going back to sleep today though, Oliver sat up ready to start his day. No urge for extra sleep, he knew his day off yesterday was only a temporary state of mind. However based on his dreams of a dark haired girl smiling at him from her broom as she continuously threw the Quaffle past him, he knew not everything from yesterday was a fleeting feeling.