Author's Note: Chapter 2 is here! I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the follows and the reviews - reading your kind words really makes my day!

Chapter Two – Second Chances

August 1, 1997

"Oliver! Hey, Wood!"

Oliver looked around. He had just arrived at the Apparition point at Falcon Stadium. He and the rest of the Puddlemere United team were in attendance to scout the rookie talent at the Summer Showcase. In particular, Puddlemere was looking to sign a new Beater, as their veteran Roger Pickering had decided to retire after ten years on the team, as well as his twelfth broken nose.

"Oi! Wood!"

Squinting in the bright sun, Wood looked to his right and spotted Evan McKinnon, a Chaser for Puddlemere. He was tall and a bit gangly, but with strong arms. He had messy auburn hair and fair skin, and usually a cocky grin on his face. Evan was five years Oliver's senior, but they had both made First Team for the upcoming season. They also shared a flat. Oliver walked over to meet his teammate, feeling a wave of sweltering heat as soon as he stepped out of the shade.

"Merlin's sweaty sack, is it always this hot in Cornwall?" Evan exclaimed, pulling at the collar of his t-shirt. "I'll melt my bollocks off in this heat all day."

"You'll combust like a phoenix too, you daft ginger," Oliver replied, laughing. "You've applied a sunblocking charm?"

"Good looking out, Wood," Evan replied, drawing his wand and tracing it up his exposed arms. He gestured toward the playing field. "C'mon. The Beaters aren't scheduled for another hour, but we can watch the Chasers. Get an idea of who's going to be getting the Quaffle past you." He shoved Oliver playfully.

"Unlikely," Wood deadpanned, before cracking a smile. "But we can certainly find a replacement for you," he joked. The two laughed as they ascended to the raised viewing platforms to watch the Chaser prospects.

When they reached the platform, Oliver busied himself reviewing a list of the Beater candidates. He was thinking to himself that he vaguely recognized a few of the names, when Evan nudged him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Check out the arse on that blonde one, she's properly fit," Evan said with vulgar approval as he gestured toward one of the Chasers flying in the air.

Oliver looked up and nearly dropped the program he was holding, his mouth agape. That couldn't be –

"Katie Bell," Evan read from the program.

Merlin, Oliver thought. Evan wasn't wrong, Katie was looking fit. Gone were the double braids and girlish grin of the second year Oliver had brought on to his Quidditch team at Hogwarts. Katie had grown up. Oliver thought back to the pale, fragile-looking girl who he'd seen laying in a hospital bed several months ago. This Katie was nearly unrecognizable compared to that one, her figure now toned and her skin tanned. In response to the unseasonably hot August day, Katie had forgone practice robes in favor of a fitted tank top and pair of athletic shorts. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a windblown ponytail and she wore a look of determination on her face.

"I'd fancy letting her score on me," Evan said suggestively, elbowing Oliver lightly in the ribs.

"Shut it, McKinnon," Oliver replied, the stern tone of his voice surprising him.

"What? You know her?" Evan asked incredulously.

"She, er, she was my Chaser at Hogwarts," said Oliver. His mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"Huh," Evan replied, impressed. "A Gryffindor girl, eh? Well, perhaps she'd fancy a little team reunion? You could introduce us?"

"Would you pipe down, you half-witted Hufflepuff?" Oliver asked, annoyed. "We're here to scout players, not find you a shag."

"Don't get your wand in a twist, Wood, I'm just taking the piss," said Evan. "Besides, you know what they say, two Snidgets, one stone, and all that," he laughed.

xxxxxx

Katie landed on the ground of the practice field and shouldered her broom, a small but accomplished smile on her face. She had completed the Chaser drill portion of the first day of the Showcase. She felt she'd flown well, and she'd scored better than at least two-thirds of the other prospects. Katie wiped sweat from her forehead and looked at her watch. She had promised Ryan she would let him know how she'd done on the first day. If she left now, she could reach the bank of Muggle pay phones down the road from her dormitory and catch him at his flat before he left to coach his youth team's game. The Falcons were housing all of the showcase players in the dormitories usually reserved for members of opposing teams and staff. Katie had been assigned to room with Ulla, a Seeker prospect who had come from Germany in hopes of securing a spot on a UK team.

Katie placed her broom in its carrying bag and double-checked the following day's schedule she had retrieved from a side pocket. As she slung the bag over her shoulder, she was thinking how much she was looking forward to returning to her room and taking a nice long shower, when she nearly ran into a man in front of her. Stopping short, she barely looked up from the printed schedule as she mumbled an apology. She was about to continue on when –

"Bell?"

Katie's stomach did a flip-flop. She knew that voice. She looked up, her eyes growing round.

"Oliver?" She asked in shock. She had certainly not expected to see her former captain there. It had been, what, two years since Katie had seen Oliver in person? How was it possible that he was even taller? And more muscular? And Merlin, that beard he had grown. Katie's cheeks felt hot.

"How are you? I saw you in the Chaser session. You flew well," Oliver told her.

Katie had nearly forgotten how much she loved Oliver's Scottish brogue. Bloody hell. She inexplicably felt like giggling.

"Thanks, Wood," Katie said with a shy smile. "I'm well. Excited to be here at the Showcase, but a bit nervous, truth be told. I just want to fly well." Katie glanced down at her shoes. "I'm surprised to see you here," she said, looking back up at Oliver.

"Aye, well, Puddlemere's required we come to scout a new Beater," Oliver replied.

"Of course, I read that Pickering was retiring," Katie said. She wished for something more interesting to say. After going so long without seeing Oliver, all she could find to discuss was something she'd read in Seeker Weekly.

"I read that Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup again last term, well done," Oliver told Katie. "I meant to owl and congratulate you…" his voice trailed off as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Katie's mind flashed to that final match. The final goal she'd scored. The roar of the crowd when Ginny had caught the Snitch. The after party in the common room. Harry and Ginny's kiss. And then, to Oliver kissing her in her fourth year. Her stomach twisted with unease.

"Of course, you were busy wrapping up your season," Katie supplied quickly. "Congratulations on being named first team as well. And thank you," she added with a polite awkwardness.

The two stood silently for a moment.

"I'm sorry to run, but I promised my brother I'd phone him after I finished today," Katie said, suddenly remembering what she had been doing before running, quite literally, into Oliver.

"Phone him?" Oliver asked curiously.

"Yes, call him on the telephone. My brother's a Muggle," Katie replied, turning to head in the direction of the dormitory. "It was good seeing you, Wood," she called over her shoulder.

Katie took one step, then looked back at Oliver. She hated to leave, but Ryan would be waiting to hear from her. She longed to talk more with Oliver. With a brief burst of Gryffindor courage she added,

"If you'd like, we can grab a bite and catch up," Katie called out to Oliver, walking slowly backward. "I'm staying in room C17. Pick me up in a few hours?"

Oliver's face lifted visibly.

"See you then," he replied.

Katie smiled and turned and began running in the direction of her dormitory.

xxxxxx

Oliver looked at his reflection in the mirror of his hotel bathroom, wishing he'd packed something nicer than his team t-shirts. Then again, he'd never imagined he'd be taking out Katie Bell when he'd packed for the two day trip to the rookie showcase. But it wasn't a date. Right? For all Oliver knew, Katie had still a boyfriend. If not that bloke that he'd seen in the hospital, than surely another. Katie was a very attractive witch and bloody good at Quidditch. He knew better than to think he was the only man to notice. Oliver briefly considered trying to transfigure his shirt into something nicer, but knew he would probably bollocks it up and be stuck looking ridiculous.

Resigned that he wasn't going to look any better, Oliver took a deep breath and turned on the spot. He arrived with a crack in the lobby of the Falcons dormitory building. Taking a moment to compose his nerves (Why was he nervous? This was Bell. He'd known her since she was twelve.), Oliver climbed the stairs toward level C. He stopped in front of C17 and knocked on the door.

After a moment, the door opened. Standing in the doorway was an unfamiliar petite witch with short, curly brown hair. She gave Oliver a confused smile.

"Er," Wood looked at her nervously.

"Oliver Wood?" The girl asked with a German accent.

"Er," he said again, looking down the hallway and wondering if he'd chosen the wrong room. It still felt awkward for him when he was recognized by strangers.

"Oliver!" Katie called from inside the room. "I'll be there in a moment!"

Oliver smiled politely at Katie's roommate, who was leaned against the doorframe, looking him up and down with noticeable interest.

The door swung open the rest of the way and Katie stepped out. Oliver stared. She was wearing a denim skirt with buttons up the front that hit her just above mid-thigh, and a white t-shirt that showed the thinnest strip of her midriff. Her long was loose over her shoulders. She smelled wonderful. Oliver's mouth felt very dry again.

He cleared his throat.

"Shall we crack on?" Katie asked him, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Right," Oliver said, regaining his composure.

"Do you fancy fish and chips?" she asked. "There's a little takeaway place a short bit away. I saw it this morning when I went for a run."

Oliver found himself trying very hard not to picture Katie running, her golden ponytail swinging behind her, that superb arse …Stop it, he commanded himself. Merlin, he needed to get ahold of himself.

"Aye, sounds good," replied Oliver. Katie smiled and began walking down the hall. Oliver put his hands in his pockets and followed her.

The pair walked up the street toward the bay. It was the end of the working day, and the streets were busy with traffic from cars and pedestrians alike. Katie asked Oliver how the Beater scouting had gone earlier in the day. He failed to mention to her that he had scarcely been able to pay attention to the Beater drills; instead, he found his mind was determined to wander to his former teammate.

They reached the takeaway counter and placed their order. When the man behind the counter gave their total, Katie quickly stepped up to the counter and took her purse off her shoulder.

"Let me buy yours, Bell," Oliver insisted.

Katie turned to face him, her back toward the counter. She gave him a reminding look.

"It's a Muggle shop," she mouthed soundlessly.

Oliver chuckled.

"I've got it, Katie."

He took out Muggle money from the pocket of his shorts and, without difficulty, paid the vendor.

As they took their paper-lined cardboard takeaway trays of fish and chips and drinks from the counter, Katie raised her eyebrows and Oliver curiously. They walked across the street to an umbrella-covered table overlooking the shoreline.

"I'm surprised that you handle Muggle money so well," Katie commented as they set down their meals. "Most pure-bloods couldn't tell a pound from a postage stamp." She took a bite of a chip.

Oliver laughed again.

"We had to learn about currency in Muggle Studies," he told her.

"You took Muggle Studies?" Katie asked him with a touch of disbelief.

"Well, they wouldn't let me take my O.W.L.s in Quidditch, so aye, I did," Oliver replied, smiling at her reaction. "Well, actually," he admitted, "my older cousin Mack convinced me to do it. Said it would come in handy if I ever wanted to pick up a Muggle girl." He laughed at the memory. Oliver had been thirteen and clueless about women when he was choosing his elective classes. His cousin Mack, on the other hand, had a new girlfriend every week, so Oliver had taken his advice as gospel.

"From what I've heard, you're doing just fine sticking to witches these days," Katie replied. Her tone was playful, but as she glanced up from her food, her joking smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Oliver groaned internally. Shite, he though. So Katie had heard the rumors of his recent reputation for going through women—how was it that horrid Skeeter woman put it?—'Faster than a niffler ransacking a Gringotts vault.'

Oliver felt his stomach twist. He'd come home at the end of last summer to find his mother with a copy of Bludger Buzz. As much as he insisted the story about his debauchery was wildly overstated, there was no downplaying the photos included in the article that showed Oliver outside his flat with numerous different witches. Mrs. Wood had properly beaten him about the head and shoulders with her lecture. His father had reminded him, a look of disappointment in his eye, that a wizard is only as good as his reputation, and then quietly inquired if he was at least diligent in using contraceptive charms. Oliver's older sister Kinna, loud and boisterous as she was, had thought the whole thing was hilarious. She had taken the piss out of him for "trying to bring home more slags than her" and told him to carry on. Their eldest brother Sean, on the other hand, had just rolled his eyes and reminded Oliver to try to set a better example for his nieces.

Somehow, the masked hurt on Katie's face felt exponentially worse than the bollocking his mum had given him.

Unsure how to respond to Katie's remark, Oliver looked down as he took a bite of his fish.

He wished he could tell her the truth – that playing professional Quidditch, though his dream, had proven to be a bit lonely. He had been so Quidditch-mad during his time at Hogwarts that he hadn't had much time to think about a girlfriend. But now that he was a professional Quidditch player, he hadn't had to think much about witches – they had come to him. They were always at the pubs and the after-match parties, paying Oliver attention and not being shy about wanting to leave with him. And admittedly, between the parties and the witches, he'd gotten a bit out of hand. But even before the article had come out, he'd found himself wishing for a more meaningful relationship rather than all the one-night affairs.

After a moment, Oliver looked up at Katie.

"So, Whitton United, what's that?" He asked, referring to Katie's shirt.

Katie's expression brightened as she smiled.

"My brother's team," she replied proudly. "Semi-professional football."

Oliver was relieved to see that Katie seemed to perk up at the change in topic.

"Right, your Muggle brother," Oliver remembered. "How did that work out? I thought you were half-blood?"

"Well, he's my half-brother," Katie explained. "We have different dads. Our mum's a Muggle. But his father's not around. He was raised by our dad. Having a wizard dad and a witch for a baby sister is just normal for him." Katie smiled and shrugged. "He was really excited for me to get the invitation to the Showcase. I hope if I get signed that I can figure out a way to bring him to a match."

"You'll be signed," Oliver said with offhanded confidence. "You're a brilliant Chaser. You've improved even since we played together at Hogwarts. I understand why your brother is so proud of you."

Oliver could see blush appear on Katie's cheeks. He hadn't been trying to flatter her; he was only saying what was true.

"Thank you, Oliver," Katie said quietly. She paused to steel a glance at him before continuing. "So what about your family? I imagine they were properly chuffed when you made first team with Puddlemere."

"Aye, they're happy for me," Oliver said, nodding. "My dad had hoped that I'd get signed by the Magpies, he was a mediwizard for them for years. But I think they're just glad I play close to home so they can actually see my matches."

"That's right," Katie recalled. "Doesn't your sister play in South Africa?"

"She's in Australia now," Oliver said. "The Wollongong Warriors."

"Has she not been able to sign with a team closer to home?" Katie asked curiously. She must have remembered Oliver talking about what a talented Beater his sister was.

"She had a first-team offer from the Harpies straight out of Hogwarts," Oliver replied with a laugh. "Wanted to see the world, Kinna. And she doesn't like to stay in one place too long."

Oliver's sister Kinna was a force to be reckoned with. She was loud, fun loving, and often more vulgar than Mum would like. She was eight years older than him, so by the time Oliver had started at Hogwarts, Kinna was already playing abroad. She came home on holidays and rolled her eyes at Mum when she'd start in on Kinna about finding a nice woman to settle down with. The Untamable Kinna Wood, she'd called herself. But Oliver wondered if that might change sometime in the future; Kinna had been dating the other Warriors Beater, Yindi, for more than a year now. Much longer than Oliver had ever seen her stick with the same witch.

"You've got a brother too, right?" Katie asked as she finished the last few chips in her tray.

"Aye, Sean," Oliver replied. "He works in law. Wizarding trusts or something, it all sounds dreadfully dull when he talks about it. He's married to Claire, and they have two lasses."

"Wait, Claire Wood? She's your sister-in-law?" Katie asked with a saucy grin.

"Aye, she is. And no, I haven't read her books!" Oliver added quickly with a touch of embarrassment. Claire was a published author. She wrote wizarding romance fiction, and it was quite salacious if the giggling girls in the Gryffindor common room were any indication. Oliver would never admit to it, but he had read a few excerpts of one of Claire's books, Charm My Heart, in his fourth year. He had to put it away when he thought of his sister-in-law writing such filth, and worse, wondering if his brother had served as inspiration for those passages. Ugh. Oliver shook the thought from his mind.

Katie laughed. She pushed her chair back from the table and looked out over the sea shore. In the setting sun, Oliver couldn't help but think that she looked like a goddess. He worked up the nerve to ask her the question that had been Nargling at him ever since Evan had pointed her out during drills.

"So, are you seeing anyone?" he asked, hoping to Merlin that he sounded off-handed and casual.

Katie put her straw to her lips and took a sip of her drink.

"I'm not," she replied simply, looking up at Oliver.

Oliver focused on keeping his expression passive, but he could feel an excited energy warming his chest. As he tried to decode her cryptic look, Katie turned his question back at him.

"And you? Has a woman finally tamed 'The Voracious Lion that is Oliver Wood'?" Katie quoted the Skeeter article, this time with a more genuine teasing smile.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," Oliver replied, with a more serious tone than Katie, looking her in the eye. "I've been trying to stay focused on making the first team."

"And so you did," Katie said.

The two of them held eye contact for a moment. Just when Oliver felt he might go mad, Katie suddenly checked her watch.

"Bloody hell, it's later than I thought," she said. "I promised Angelina I'd call her on the Floo tonight and tell her how the first day went." She stood and quickly collected her rubbish from the table.

Oliver rose from the table as well.

"Let me walk you back," he said.