Here's the treat I promised! Of course...it HAS to be in the form of a
chapter, what else?
This takes place after the 21st chapter, in which Oliver did NOT go and
talk to Katie on the pitch.
On with it!!!
Months passed since he witnessed Katie and Roger's kiss. During those months, they remained friends, but there was a definite change in their relationship. It was strained, tense and weird. Each of them had silently reached a decision but neither had the courage to speak to the other about it.
"Graduation day," Oliver thought as he straightened his robes. "Time to tell her the truth, Wood, whether you like it or not."
Most of the seventh years had looked forward to this day with increasing anticipation and also a sense of sadness. Girls approached it with tearful farewells and sentimental hugs. Guys remained indifferent but there was clear reluctance to leave the place they called 'home' for seven long years.
To Oliver, that day meant that it was time. Time to tell snap out of uncertainty, time to consummate his decision by declaring it, and time to face the harsh reality of losing someone that mattered to him. He had procrastinated long enough. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally bracing himself for the impending conversation he would be having with Katie Bell in just a few minutes.
He entered the Great Hall. Streamers and various decorations were strewn all over the place. Crowds of well-wishers, recently graduated students and proud parents congested the entire place. Most of them were preparing to leave. The ceremony was over.
Oliver looked around, trying to spot a certain raven-haired girl. He finally found her in the midst of the chattering crowd, conversing animatedly with Roger Davies and totally oblivious to the noise around her. The tall brunette sighed and pushed his way around to get to her.
"Katie!" he called. She looked up, smiling in delight when she saw him. He beckoned to her and waited patiently as she offered an excuse to the frowning Roger before running to him.
Her eyes stared up at him expectantly. Oliver bit his lip, she looked unusually hyper and he didn't have the heart to break the news to her. Why, oh why did he have to be the one?
"Let's take a walk outside, shall we?" he extended an arm to her courteously, forcing all the doubts away from his mind.
She nodded happily and grabbed his arm, practically dragging him out of the hall.
~*~*~*~
As soon as they stepped outside, Katie shivered. A blast of stinging cold wind whipped her hair mercilessly. The sky was grey and streaks of lightning illuminated the dark sky occasionally. A storm was brewing in the distance.
Katie pulled her flying cloak around her tightly as she followed Oliver to a nearby patch of trees. Leaves fell around them, detached from their swaying branches and blanketed the ground, creating a suitably melancholy atmosphere.
Oliver shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and shuffled his feet, not knowing how to begin.
She twirled her hair absently, untangling the colourful leaves from her messy locks. Katie watched him intensely. His physical language spoke volumes. She understood.
"It's not me, is it?"
Oliver was startled by her soft words, accurately presumed.
He sighed, and didn't try to pretend anymore.
"I'm sorry, Katie. It's...I think, that Kimberly's - "
"Sure. I understand." She smiled at him weakly, "No explanations needed."
"I'm really sorry."
She shook her head and blinked, trying to keep those blasted tears from breaking loose. Explain, please...explain! Tell me why...
All the damn apologies in the world couldn't and will never be able to erase the hurt she felt. It was extremely painful to know that all their precious moments together would be gone, blown away with the wind that accompanied his confession. She had never hated anyone as much she hated Kimberly at that particular second.
Oliver, her Oliver, was leaving forever.
Where was Roger when you needed him?
"Oliver!" A sharp voice pierced the chilly air. "We're leaving!"
Oliver's head jerked slightly in surprise, "Just a minute, mum!"
He faced the sad girl, unsure whether to leave her like this or stay out of courtesy. Her head was still lowered and she was shaking slightly. He felt sympathetic.
"You can go."
He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Are you sure?"
She lifted her head and faced him bravely, her cheeks wet with tears. "I'm not saying I understand, Oliver, you know I don't."
He remained rooted to the ground.
"But this is what you want, maybe even...what I want. Then, it's for the best, isn't it?" she asked him.
He didn't reply. It was a rhetorical question. Yet, she looked so vulnerable with her hair flying all over and her shoulders hunched. He felt guilty.
"Just - just tell me one thing," she pleaded, "Tell me that you didn't regret what we went through together....tell me that you wouldn't trade what we had for anything in the world."
"Of course I wouldn't, Katie. Those were the best time in my Hogwarts days. I still love you."
"I love you too, Ollie. We can still be friends, eh?"
He nodded. Suddenly, a protective hand wrapped around his arm and an affectionate kiss was placed on his cold cheek. He turned slightly and found himself staring into two bright blue eyes that regarded him inquisitively.
"Kimberly." He greeted. She looked at Katie cautiously and he knew he had to leave soon.
"Maybe we'll see each other some time in the future," he said to Katie.
"Maybe."
He smiled slightly and turned away from her, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through him as a small piece of his heart broke.
Katie watched him leave in silence. She watched him walk away from Hogwarts and from her life. Forever.
Her cloaked billowed around her ferociously, threatening to tear from its loose grip around her shoulders. She snapped back to reality when two arms pulled her into a warm embrace.
"You okay?" a warm voice asked. She nodded, leaning into him comfortably.
"I'm fine, Roger, just fine." As an afterthought, she added, "I love you."
Oliver Wood will be nothing but a memory from the past, a sweet childhood romance that she would always remember. It was the beginning of something new. Roger claimed her lips in a sweet kiss and all thoughts fled from her mind.
Goodbye, Oliver Wood, my friend and nothing more.
A/N: Yucky yuck, yuck. Someone snap me out of Writer's block land. That was NOT good. And I'm sorry if you wasted your time reading that. Not much romance...but that was your thanks for reviewing and reading my story all this time.
This is finally, and officially, THE END.
Months passed since he witnessed Katie and Roger's kiss. During those months, they remained friends, but there was a definite change in their relationship. It was strained, tense and weird. Each of them had silently reached a decision but neither had the courage to speak to the other about it.
"Graduation day," Oliver thought as he straightened his robes. "Time to tell her the truth, Wood, whether you like it or not."
Most of the seventh years had looked forward to this day with increasing anticipation and also a sense of sadness. Girls approached it with tearful farewells and sentimental hugs. Guys remained indifferent but there was clear reluctance to leave the place they called 'home' for seven long years.
To Oliver, that day meant that it was time. Time to tell snap out of uncertainty, time to consummate his decision by declaring it, and time to face the harsh reality of losing someone that mattered to him. He had procrastinated long enough. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally bracing himself for the impending conversation he would be having with Katie Bell in just a few minutes.
He entered the Great Hall. Streamers and various decorations were strewn all over the place. Crowds of well-wishers, recently graduated students and proud parents congested the entire place. Most of them were preparing to leave. The ceremony was over.
Oliver looked around, trying to spot a certain raven-haired girl. He finally found her in the midst of the chattering crowd, conversing animatedly with Roger Davies and totally oblivious to the noise around her. The tall brunette sighed and pushed his way around to get to her.
"Katie!" he called. She looked up, smiling in delight when she saw him. He beckoned to her and waited patiently as she offered an excuse to the frowning Roger before running to him.
Her eyes stared up at him expectantly. Oliver bit his lip, she looked unusually hyper and he didn't have the heart to break the news to her. Why, oh why did he have to be the one?
"Let's take a walk outside, shall we?" he extended an arm to her courteously, forcing all the doubts away from his mind.
She nodded happily and grabbed his arm, practically dragging him out of the hall.
~*~*~*~
As soon as they stepped outside, Katie shivered. A blast of stinging cold wind whipped her hair mercilessly. The sky was grey and streaks of lightning illuminated the dark sky occasionally. A storm was brewing in the distance.
Katie pulled her flying cloak around her tightly as she followed Oliver to a nearby patch of trees. Leaves fell around them, detached from their swaying branches and blanketed the ground, creating a suitably melancholy atmosphere.
Oliver shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and shuffled his feet, not knowing how to begin.
She twirled her hair absently, untangling the colourful leaves from her messy locks. Katie watched him intensely. His physical language spoke volumes. She understood.
"It's not me, is it?"
Oliver was startled by her soft words, accurately presumed.
He sighed, and didn't try to pretend anymore.
"I'm sorry, Katie. It's...I think, that Kimberly's - "
"Sure. I understand." She smiled at him weakly, "No explanations needed."
"I'm really sorry."
She shook her head and blinked, trying to keep those blasted tears from breaking loose. Explain, please...explain! Tell me why...
All the damn apologies in the world couldn't and will never be able to erase the hurt she felt. It was extremely painful to know that all their precious moments together would be gone, blown away with the wind that accompanied his confession. She had never hated anyone as much she hated Kimberly at that particular second.
Oliver, her Oliver, was leaving forever.
Where was Roger when you needed him?
"Oliver!" A sharp voice pierced the chilly air. "We're leaving!"
Oliver's head jerked slightly in surprise, "Just a minute, mum!"
He faced the sad girl, unsure whether to leave her like this or stay out of courtesy. Her head was still lowered and she was shaking slightly. He felt sympathetic.
"You can go."
He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Are you sure?"
She lifted her head and faced him bravely, her cheeks wet with tears. "I'm not saying I understand, Oliver, you know I don't."
He remained rooted to the ground.
"But this is what you want, maybe even...what I want. Then, it's for the best, isn't it?" she asked him.
He didn't reply. It was a rhetorical question. Yet, she looked so vulnerable with her hair flying all over and her shoulders hunched. He felt guilty.
"Just - just tell me one thing," she pleaded, "Tell me that you didn't regret what we went through together....tell me that you wouldn't trade what we had for anything in the world."
"Of course I wouldn't, Katie. Those were the best time in my Hogwarts days. I still love you."
"I love you too, Ollie. We can still be friends, eh?"
He nodded. Suddenly, a protective hand wrapped around his arm and an affectionate kiss was placed on his cold cheek. He turned slightly and found himself staring into two bright blue eyes that regarded him inquisitively.
"Kimberly." He greeted. She looked at Katie cautiously and he knew he had to leave soon.
"Maybe we'll see each other some time in the future," he said to Katie.
"Maybe."
He smiled slightly and turned away from her, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through him as a small piece of his heart broke.
Katie watched him leave in silence. She watched him walk away from Hogwarts and from her life. Forever.
Her cloaked billowed around her ferociously, threatening to tear from its loose grip around her shoulders. She snapped back to reality when two arms pulled her into a warm embrace.
"You okay?" a warm voice asked. She nodded, leaning into him comfortably.
"I'm fine, Roger, just fine." As an afterthought, she added, "I love you."
Oliver Wood will be nothing but a memory from the past, a sweet childhood romance that she would always remember. It was the beginning of something new. Roger claimed her lips in a sweet kiss and all thoughts fled from her mind.
Goodbye, Oliver Wood, my friend and nothing more.
A/N: Yucky yuck, yuck. Someone snap me out of Writer's block land. That was NOT good. And I'm sorry if you wasted your time reading that. Not much romance...but that was your thanks for reviewing and reading my story all this time.
This is finally, and officially, THE END.