Author's Note: Chapter 12 is on the shorter side, so I'm posting two chapters today. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12: Gifts

December 27, 1997

Katie awoke the next morning to the sound of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen a floor below her. The early rising must be genetic, she thought to herself as she peeked her eyes open. Oliver was lying next to her rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Merlin, he looked sexy in the morning, Katie thought.

"Morning, lass," he said in a groggy voice. Katie thought to herself this might have been the first time she had seen him not fully awake. "Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"I did," she replied. She turned over so that she was facing him. She rested her chin on his chest, then lifted her head to kiss him.

Oliver responded with more intensity than she expected. Soon, they were deeply kissing as Oliver lightly caressed her bare breast under her oversized t-shirt.

"You know," he murmured in her ear, "I never properly paid you back for that goal you scored on me yesterday," he said, his tone provocative.

Katie's stomach fluttered. It made her nervous and eager and a bit shy when Oliver spoke to her like that.

"Is that right?" Katie responded flirtatiously. "I think I deserve more of a reward than a payback. It was a rather good shot."

"Aye," he said between kisses. "I think a reward is in order.

He playfully bit her earlobe and moved down to kiss her neck. As he made his way back to her lips, Katie felt Oliver's hand pulling down her pyjama shorts. She moved her legs to kick them off the rest of the way. Just as she turned to pull down Oliver's sweatpants, she felt his body shift downward. He pulled up her t-shirt enough to expose her flat stomach as he gently kissed it.

Excitement made Katie's body quiver. She felt Oliver's hand lightly teasing the insides of her thighs, and then he gave her a devilish smile and slipped his head under the blankets.

A small moan slipped out of Katie's mouth.

"Oh, Oliver," she exhaled as she began to feel his kisses between her legs. She closed her eyes and laid her head back on the pillow.

Sensations of pure pleasure enthralled Katie's body as her breaths became more shallow and her body twisted and arched with desire. She grabbed Oliver's tousled hair and let out another low moan.

Just as Katie felt release beginning to build, the sound of the bedroom door opening made her eyes snap open. She lifted her head and saw Kinna barging in to the room.

"Wake up, bairns, it's time for –" Kinna stopped short as she met Katie's gaze. Katie's eyes grew wide with horror, and Kinna spun back around quickly and closed the door, exclaiming an apology as she left.

A moment after the door closed,

"Atta boy, Ollie!" Kinna called out.

Katie pulled away from Oliver and sat up in the bed. She had never felt more mortified. As Oliver sat back up to look at her, she grabbed a pillow and hid her face.

"Looks as though I didn't lock the door," Oliver said with an amused tone.

"Oliver!" Katie hissed as she peeked out. "Oh Merlin, this is so embarrassing! She saw everything!" Katie groaned and covered her face again.

"I'm sorry, lass," Oliver said, still grinning. What in Godric's name did he think was so funny? Katie furiously wondered.

Seeing that Katie was still upset, Oliver's voice softened.

"Katie, love, I apologize," he said. "I shouldn't have been so careless. But, Kinna should have knocked."

Katie could feel tears of humiliation burning in her eyes.

"Now your family will think I'm a slag as well as an overly-sensitive hot head," she bemoaned. Katie wished she could Disapparate and never return.

Oliver pulled her into an embrace and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, love," he said. "If it helps you feel better, Kinna will keep this to herself."

Katie felt a bit reassured. She also knew that Kinna had been coming to announce breakfast, and that a long absence from herself and Oliver would be conspicuous. She sat up more fully and swung her legs over the bed.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked her.

"I'm getting dressed for breakfast," Katie told him as she stood and began rummaging through her bag.

"Don't you want me to finish?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

Katie shot him a look.

"No. Well, not now. Later, after we leave," she said, a smile finally breaking on her lips.

"It's a date," Oliver agreed. He too rose from the bed and dressed quickly, and the pair headed downstairs for breakfast.

xxxxxx

The smell of Mum's breakfast met Oliver's nose as he and Katie walked down the stairs. They reached the bottom and headed toward the kitchen. As they reached the doorway, Mac appeared, looking hungover and repentant.

"Katie, a moment?" he asked her. Katie nodded, then gave Oliver's hand a squeeze. Oliver went on to the kitchen, leaving Mac and Katie to speak privately. And Mac to grovel, Oliver hoped.

Oliver sat at the table, finding Kinna, Yindi, Claire, and Sean already seated, eating their meals. Mum was at the counter helping Annis and Isla make raspberry faces on their pancakes, and Dad was in the sitting room drinking a cup of coffee with Aunt Jenny.

Oliver helped himself to pancakes and sausage. As he cut a bite of pancake, Kinna picked up the plate of fruit and served herself a scoop. She looked at Oliver and offered him some.

"Hungry this morning, Ollie?" she asked with a smirk. "Or did you already eat?"

"Thank you," he accepted as he glared her. After taking a scoop of the mixed fruit, Oliver shot a silent stinging jinx at his sister under the table. She hissed in pain and kicked Oliver hard in the shin. He swore under his breath, but not quietly enough for Mum's ears.

"Watch your language at the table, Oliver," she scolded.

"Sorry, Mum," he mumbled, rubbing his leg and giving Kinna a look.

Just then, Katie and Mac entered the kitchen. Katie wore a polite smile that told Oliver she had accepted Mac's apology but still wasn't completely pleased with him. Breakfast passed quietly and without any further comments from Kinna. After they had finished, Oliver and Katie said their goodbyes to the family (Oliver's mother making him promise to bring Katie 'round again soon), and the pair Disapparated back to Oliver's flat.

They entered through the door and Oliver set their bags on the floor as Katie shuffled into the sitting room and fell back onto the couch with a sigh. Oliver reset the locks and protective spells on the entryway then sat next to Katie on the couch.

"You alright, love?" he asked her.

Katie leaned over to rest her head on Oliver's shoulder, then tilted her head to look up at him.

"Do you think they liked me?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Oliver chuckled.

"Aye, I think they liked you," he assured her as he stroked her hair.

"Are you sure?" she pressed him. "I mean, your parents seemed to be ok with me. But Sean didn't seem to warm up to me much. And Kinna…Merlin, what must she think of me? Claire was nice, but I don't know…" she continued on.

"Love, I promise, they like you," Oliver reiterated. "Sean, he's just an arse. He barely likes me most days. Claire thought you were lovely, she told me so. And Kinna likes your spunk."

"Truly?" Katie asked in a quiet voice.

"Truly," Oliver replied. "I'm sure they all liked you better than your brother liked me, anyway," he added with a laugh.

"Ryan likes you," Katie informed him matter-of-factly. "He asks about you every time I see him."

"Is that so?" Oliver asked with a smile.

"He does," Katie confirmed with a nod. "Always asks if you treat me well, if I'm happy."

Oliver raised his eyebrows at her.

"And does he know I'm sleeping with his sister?" he asked naughtily.

Katie laughed.

"He does," she repeated. "Like I told you, we're very open with one another."

Oliver laughed as well.

"Well, I reckon since he hasn't tracked me down to kick my arse, I guess he doesn't mind me too much," he conceded.

Katie laid her head back down on Oliver's shoulder. The two sat silently for a moment. Oliver enjoyed the feeling of warmth from Katie's body leaned against his.

"Thanks for spending Christmas with my family, love," Oliver told her.

Katie sat up suddenly, a smile on her face.

"That reminds me," she said, "I nearly forgot to give you your gift."

Oliver tilted his head to the side.

"I thought we agreed no gifts this year?" he reminded her, feigning a scolding look.

"We said no buying gifts this year," she clarified. "I didn't buy this. Well, not mostly." She stood from the couch and went to her bag. She pulled out a rectangular package wrapped in paper stamped with holly berries.

"It's just a little something I thought you'd like to have," she qualified as she handed it to Oliver.

He unwrapped the package and examined the contents. It was gold stitched letters spelling his surname, carefully affixed to a burgundy canvas and framed.

A look of recognition spread across his face.

"Is this from my Gryffindor Quidditch robes?" he asked with a wide smile.

Katie nodded, a bashful smile playing at her lips.

"You saved this?" he asked her with disbelief.

Katie nodded again.

"I took it off after Ron Weasley made Keeper," she told him. "I couldn't let it be thrown out." She looked at Oliver with uncertainty. "You like it?" she asked.

"I love it, lass," he told her, giving her a peck on the lips. "It means a lot to me that you saved it." For nearly two years, she had saved it. Even though at the time Oliver had been terrible about returning her letters. And they hadn't seen one another for nearly a year at that point. Oliver was once again reminded how wonderful Katie was, and how lucky he was to have her.

He gave her another quick kiss on the lips, then it was his turn to rise from the couch.

"It turns out I bent the rule as well," he confessed with a smile. He disappeared into his room and returned with his own wrapped package shaped very similarly to the one Katie had given him.

Katie pursed her lips suspiciously as she took it.

She unwrapped a picture frame. She turned it over to examine it.

"I sent an owl to Colin Creevey after I saw that photo at your parents' house," Oliver told her.

In the frame was a photo of Katie and Oliver. They were in the common room, wearing Quidditch robes. They stood close, facing one another. The Katie in the photo was leaned in toward Oliver, her lips moving as she told him something with a smile. Then, the Oliver in the photo took a small step forward and kissed her. Katie's eyes grew wide.

"I can't believe he had a photo of this," she said in amazement. She traced the figures in the image lightly with her finger as she gazed at it.

"I couldn't either," Oliver agreed. "I just asked if he had any photos of us together in a match or something, but the little paparazzo must have snapped this without us knowing."

"He should consider a job at Bludger Buzz," Katie teased.

Oliver laughed.

"True. He's a good lad though."

Katie met his eye, her smile fading a bit.

"I can't tell you how often I thought of this kiss," she admitted.

Oliver pulled Katie toward him. She looked back down at the photo.

"I tried so hard to get over you," she continued, her voice quieter. "I never could manage it though." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had a hard time, love," Oliver told her tenderly. "And I'm sorry I was rubbish at writing you back. And for sending you mixed signals. And for….all the rest." His voice trailed off.

Katie looked up and gave him a smile.

"It all worked out though, right?" she said.

Oliver returned her smile.

"Aye," he agreed. His grin turned playful. "Now, I seem to remember we had some unfinished business?"

Katie buried her face in his chest, then looked up at him with a smile.

"You'll lock the door this time?" she asked jokingly.

Oliver laughed.

"Aye, I'll lock the door," he agreed as he leaned down to kiss Katie.