A week later, Katie was back on her feet and as healthy as ever. Right at
this moment, she was bent over her Transfiguration essay in the common
room. Everyone else including Oliver had gone to Hogsmeade. Katie's hand
was flying furiously over her parchment. She had heaps of homework waiting
for her due to her long stay in the hospital. Much to her aggravation, a
couple of fifth year girls she vaguely knew came into the room, turning the
previously calm and quiet atmosphere into a boisterous one. Katie stood up
and collected her homework. She would never get anything done with them
gossiping and giggling. Waving goodbye to them, she walked out of the
common room, precariously balancing her books and papers in her arms.
Rounding a corner, she felt herself slam into something or someone. Her
books fell to the floor, papers slicing the air as they floated to the
ground. Katie looked down in horror.
My papers!!! she thought, They're a mess!!! Her half-completed Transfiguration essay was ripped in half. She glanced up at the something or someone she ran into and gasped in surprise, "Roger!" Davies was looking at the mess on the floor with a traumatized appearance on his face. His gaze shifted to Katie when she groaned loudly and got down on her knees to collect her homework. He started helping her, "I'm sorry."
"No, it's my fault. Really, I should have watched where I was going," she looked at him apologetically. Roger gave her a friendly smile, however, being so close to him, she could see that his eyes betrayed how he really felt. Katie flushed and continued arranging her books. Roger gingerly picked up her ruined essay and grimaced, " My homework wasn't damaged. So, it's my fault." Katie just shook her head, worried. Now she would never get her homework done in time. She mentally ran through potential friends who could lend her a hand in researching some details but all of them were miles away in Hogsmeade. Suddenly, a marvelous idea popped into her head. She looked at Roger, a smile brightening her previously gloomy expression. "Roger, I just had an idea."
He tilted his head, curious. Katie continued, "Are you free?"
He nodded, a smile slowly registering itself on his face as he realized what she was going to ask him. "Could you lend me a hand with my homework?"
"Sure!"
They made their way to the library together. Katie was amazed at how comfortable she felt around Roger, no longer anxious or insecure. They found a table in the corner of the library and started working. Katie rewrote her essay on a new parchment while Roger flipped through thick, dusty books looking for facts and useful information that might help Katie. Her homework was soon finished and all that was left was her astronomy chart. Katie decided to leave that for later as she didn't have to attend that particular class tomorrow. She stretched blissfully and smiled at Roger, "Thanks a lot. Couldn't have done it without you." Roger slammed the book shut and looked pointedly at her chart. "Giving up so soon?"
"There's still tomorrow."
Roger accepted her excused and flexed his aching fingers. "How's your head?"
"It's fine." Katie suddenly realized that she didn't know what happened after she blacked out during her fall and how exactly did she get to the hospital. Roger should know,she thought. "What happened after I fell? Who got me to the hospital?" she voiced her thought out loud. "You don't know?"
Katie shook her head. Roger looked furious. He couldn't believe this. What was Oliver pulling at? Not telling her who caught her? Controlling his anger, he practically growled, "Oliver didn't tell you?" Katie shook her head again, this time slightly alarmed. Roger took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You fell."
Katie looked at him expectantly and rolled her eyes when she realized he was finished.
"I knew that. I meant, what happened after that?"
"Well, Oliver tried to catch you, but he couldn't reach you in time." Roger said slowly.
Katie gasped, "I hit the ground?" her voice shook.
Roger swallowed hard, "No, he didn't catch you, I did." Roger dragged the words out, dreading her reaction. However, Katie's face was blank and he couldn't make out what she was thinking or feeling.
"You caught me? Why didn't Oliver tell me?" her voice was neutral and steady.
Roger shrugged, "Look, let's just forget about it. It's all in the past."
"FORGET ABOUT IT?!" Katie half shouted. Her eyes now murky and dark, Roger could practically see flashes of lightning in them, threatening to release a torrent of heavy rain that disturbed the normally placid, calm pools of chocolate. Madam Pince shushed them, frowning. Katie lowered her voice, the storm in her eyes still raging, "Thank you."
Roger brushed off her gratitude, worried. She had pushed back her chair and was now collecting her books viciously. "Where are you going?"
"Find Oliver."
Roger stood up as well. "What are you going to do?" Katie just shrugged and stormed out the library, much to Madam Pince's annoyance.
A/N: Well, there's the 9th chapter. I'm afraid this story is going to have lots of temper in later chapters…the characters getting all worked up over some small problem and also Katie and Oliver flip-flopping between two loves-oops, I gave away too much. Oh well, Oliver won't be killed by Katie…don't worry…he won't even be smacked, though he might later in the story…who knows? (Except me?) =]
Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!
My papers!!! she thought, They're a mess!!! Her half-completed Transfiguration essay was ripped in half. She glanced up at the something or someone she ran into and gasped in surprise, "Roger!" Davies was looking at the mess on the floor with a traumatized appearance on his face. His gaze shifted to Katie when she groaned loudly and got down on her knees to collect her homework. He started helping her, "I'm sorry."
"No, it's my fault. Really, I should have watched where I was going," she looked at him apologetically. Roger gave her a friendly smile, however, being so close to him, she could see that his eyes betrayed how he really felt. Katie flushed and continued arranging her books. Roger gingerly picked up her ruined essay and grimaced, " My homework wasn't damaged. So, it's my fault." Katie just shook her head, worried. Now she would never get her homework done in time. She mentally ran through potential friends who could lend her a hand in researching some details but all of them were miles away in Hogsmeade. Suddenly, a marvelous idea popped into her head. She looked at Roger, a smile brightening her previously gloomy expression. "Roger, I just had an idea."
He tilted his head, curious. Katie continued, "Are you free?"
He nodded, a smile slowly registering itself on his face as he realized what she was going to ask him. "Could you lend me a hand with my homework?"
"Sure!"
They made their way to the library together. Katie was amazed at how comfortable she felt around Roger, no longer anxious or insecure. They found a table in the corner of the library and started working. Katie rewrote her essay on a new parchment while Roger flipped through thick, dusty books looking for facts and useful information that might help Katie. Her homework was soon finished and all that was left was her astronomy chart. Katie decided to leave that for later as she didn't have to attend that particular class tomorrow. She stretched blissfully and smiled at Roger, "Thanks a lot. Couldn't have done it without you." Roger slammed the book shut and looked pointedly at her chart. "Giving up so soon?"
"There's still tomorrow."
Roger accepted her excused and flexed his aching fingers. "How's your head?"
"It's fine." Katie suddenly realized that she didn't know what happened after she blacked out during her fall and how exactly did she get to the hospital. Roger should know,she thought. "What happened after I fell? Who got me to the hospital?" she voiced her thought out loud. "You don't know?"
Katie shook her head. Roger looked furious. He couldn't believe this. What was Oliver pulling at? Not telling her who caught her? Controlling his anger, he practically growled, "Oliver didn't tell you?" Katie shook her head again, this time slightly alarmed. Roger took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You fell."
Katie looked at him expectantly and rolled her eyes when she realized he was finished.
"I knew that. I meant, what happened after that?"
"Well, Oliver tried to catch you, but he couldn't reach you in time." Roger said slowly.
Katie gasped, "I hit the ground?" her voice shook.
Roger swallowed hard, "No, he didn't catch you, I did." Roger dragged the words out, dreading her reaction. However, Katie's face was blank and he couldn't make out what she was thinking or feeling.
"You caught me? Why didn't Oliver tell me?" her voice was neutral and steady.
Roger shrugged, "Look, let's just forget about it. It's all in the past."
"FORGET ABOUT IT?!" Katie half shouted. Her eyes now murky and dark, Roger could practically see flashes of lightning in them, threatening to release a torrent of heavy rain that disturbed the normally placid, calm pools of chocolate. Madam Pince shushed them, frowning. Katie lowered her voice, the storm in her eyes still raging, "Thank you."
Roger brushed off her gratitude, worried. She had pushed back her chair and was now collecting her books viciously. "Where are you going?"
"Find Oliver."
Roger stood up as well. "What are you going to do?" Katie just shrugged and stormed out the library, much to Madam Pince's annoyance.
A/N: Well, there's the 9th chapter. I'm afraid this story is going to have lots of temper in later chapters…the characters getting all worked up over some small problem and also Katie and Oliver flip-flopping between two loves-oops, I gave away too much. Oh well, Oliver won't be killed by Katie…don't worry…he won't even be smacked, though he might later in the story…who knows? (Except me?) =]
Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!