Props to Sarah, who's the bestest in the world for putting up with me and
editing this.
~*~
Wood made his way back up to the castle after a refreshing ride. He walked into the Great Hall and noticed his team sitting together and sat down next to George.
"Eat up. Big game today." Wood instructed.
"We know Oliver." Alicia said.
"But this is-"
"Your last year to win the cup. Blahdy blahdy blah." Fred said sarcastically.
Wood glared at him and then looked at his chasers. "Girls. I need you to be careful. Flint will be terrible on you three today."
"Alright." Alicia and Angelina smiled.
"I think we can handle it, Wood." Katie muttered.
"What was that, Bell?" Wood growled.
"Oh nothing." Katie chirped in false cheerfulness. She ate a last bit of toast and stood up. Facing Angelina and Alicia she said to them, "see you in the locker room." With that, she walked out of the Great Hall and started up to Gryffindor Tower, looking forward to some time alone.
She got to the common room and sat down by the fireplace. Humming to herself, she finished her Potions paper and placed it back inside her textbook. She felt another presence in the room and figured it was Nearly Headless Nick, the resident Gryffindor ghost. Katie turned to say hello to the kind old ghost.
She soon wished she hadn't turned around. She found herself face to face with Wood. She grumbled and turned back around, mumbling, "what do you want?"
"Kates. Come on. I can't have my best chaser mad at me during one of our biggest matches of the year." Wood pleaded.
"Oh, okay Wood. I'll just forget that you were an ass to me last night and pretend like I wasn't offended when you didn't trust telling your BEST FRIEND about the fight you got into." Katie said hotly. Turning her back on him and sitting down in the armchair.
"Katesie." Wood pleaded. Katie noted to herself the use of his nickname he had given her in her second year. Katie would never let anyone call her that except Wood. George had tried and the consequence hadn't been pretty. Wood knelt on the ground before Katie and tried to catch her eye. She looked away.
"Come on, Katesie. You're my best friend. I hate it when you're mad at me." He pleaded again.
"Well then Oliver, why don't you tell me why you got into a fight with Flint yesterday." Katie looked down into the brown eyes she'd stared into so many times.
"Well. Kates, see." Wood hesitated and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Katie I-"
"Seems as if we've been here before Oliver. What is so terribly hard about the reason you got into a fight?" Katie asked.
Wood blushed lightly. "It's kind of embarrassing."
"So? I know everything about you Ol, it can't be that bad."
"You don't know one thing about me." Wood muttered.
"What? What don't I know?" Katie urged.
"Nothing."
Katie grinned, "Who is she?"
"No one." Wood was now roughly the color of his Quidditch robes.
"Oliver." Katie pleaded. "It's not like I'd tell."
"I know. I just don't want you to know." Wood said.
Katie was now grinning maliciously. "Has little Ollie got a crush on one of his chasers?" Katie snickered.
"NO!" Wood snapped, to quickly, making it painfully obvious how truthful that statement was.
"No worries Ol." Katie smiled. "I don't know which one it is, so it's not like I could tell."
Wood huffed, "Still Kates. I didn't want you to find out."
Katie smirked. "Come on O-Love-sick captain of mine. Lets get you down to the pitch where you're more comfortable." She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the portrait hole and down the drafty corridor to the Entrance Hall and finally across the lawn to the locker rooms of the Quidditch Pitch.
Once inside the warm locker room Katie dropped her grip on Woods arm and wound her way to her own locker. Dropping onto the bench between Angelina and Alicia, Katie pulled off her shoes and let her friends chatter wash over her.
As the team congregated near Wood's locker for his traditional speech, Katie noticed the normal glint was missing from his eyes. She offered him a shy smile, to which he flashed a lopsided grimace, as she sat before him, waiting for him to begin his rant.
"Well." Wood began slowly. "All I can tell you is go out and give it your all. If we give them our best, then we've got them beat easily."
The team sat waiting for him to continue but he turned his back to them and continued strapping on his protective gear.
"That's it?" Fred gasped in wide-eyed astonishment.
Wood turned back around and shrugged, "Yeah, that's it. Go relax before the game."
The team exchanged confused looks and then each scurried off in their own directions before Wood changed his mind and wanted to talk. Katie stayed where she was and looked up at the seventh year.
"Ol?" She asked tentatively, reaching her hand up to his shoulder and turning him around gently.
"Hey Kates." He smiled.
"Oliver, we have 10 minutes before the game. Are you sure you want to let them go so quickly? Especially the Weasleys." Katie questioned.
"They're fine Katie." Wood stated.
"Are you sure?" Katie looked at him, slightly confused. "Well, of course I'm sure." Wood snapped. Katie took a step back and sat down on the bench.
"What's wrong with you?" Katie requested.
"Nothing, Bell." He snarled at her.
"Oliver Andrew Wood. I can read you like a book. What's wrong with you? Why did you get into that fight?" Katie stood up again and charged at him.
"Bell, it's none of your business."
"Why not? Why can't you tell me what happened? I'm supposed to be your best friend." Katie huffed.
"Well maybe you aren't!" Wood shouted. Katie backed away, a hurt look in her eyes. "Well." she murmured, "if that's how you feel. Then I'll just leave you alone." Katie looked at him sadly, tears welling in her eyes and then turned and walked over to where she heard Angelina and Alicia giggling and the Weasleys.
The two girls noticed right away that Katie wasn't alright and jumped to her side. "Katie! What happened?" Alicia cooed.
"Did he hurt you? We'll go get him." Angelina smirked and grabbed Fred and George by the arm and started to drag them towards Wood's locker.
"NO!" Katie tried to yell but it came out in a pathetic sob. She leaned on Alicia and felt herself let go of all control and cry.
"Katie never cries." George muttered to his brother.
"I know. Wood did something really bad to her to make her cry. Especially before a Quidditch match." Fred whispered back.
"Katie, come on. We've got a match." Angelina whispered to her friend.
"I- I know. Go on out. I'll be out in a moment." Katie said softly. She picked herself up and walked over to the basin while her friends slowly filed out of the locker room. Splashing water on her face, she picked up her broom and hustled out after her teammates.
On the pitch, Wood looked around. "Where's Bell?" He growled.
"In the locker room." Angelina spat.
"What the hell is she doing in there?" Wood croaked.
"You should know." Alicia shot.
"How would I know what in the bloody hell she's doing in there." Wood cried.
"You're the reason she's still in there." Fred told him, trying to be gentle.
"ME? Why me?" Wood roared.
"You made the poor girl cry." Alicia fired back.
"I did no such thing." Wood said indignantly.
"I think you did." A gruff voice came from behind the team and they turned to see Marcus Flint sheltering Katie Bell from the rain.
"BELL!" Wood roared. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"None of your business." Katie said coolly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wood asked, the maniac glint in his eyes, but not because of the upcoming Quidditch game.
"You know exactly what I mean. At least, you should." Katie continued.
While her teammates stared blankly at her, Wood blinked once, then twice, and then turned to Flint. "Get away from my chaser."
"Your chaser came to me." Flint said, grinning as he sauntered over to his own team.
"I'll talk to you later." Wood spat at Katie.
"Oh, goodie. I can't wait." Katie said in a monotone. Wood glared at her.
"Mount your brooms." Madame Hooch called. The teams soared into the air and took their positions as she let the balls out onto the pitch.
Katie took position of the Quaffle first and made it halfway down the pitch before Flint caught her. "Hello, Bell." He called as he reached his arm towards her and grabbed for the Quaffle.
Katie passed it off before he could touch it, unfortunately he didn't stop himself from reaching and grabbed hold of Katie's arm, pulling the broom closer to his. She shook him off and raced towards Alicia, who looked to pass to her and did. Katie scored the first goal and listened to the grateful sound of the Gryffindor supporters.
An hour into the game, rain was pouring down and just when everyone had given up hope of the game ending before dark, Harry caught the snitch. The final score was 200-50. Wood had let an unusually large number of goals today.
Fred and George sauntered into the locker room with Harry and cheered loudly when the Slytherin team walked past. The three chasers walked in just behind them, Angelina and Alicia on either side of Katie. They kept glancing back at Wood who was rubbing his shoulder and grumbling to himself.
Katie stepped out of the shower in just a towel to find Angelina and Alicia standing, waiting for her. "You two can go. He's in the shower, he'll be a while yet. We may have won, but he never lets that many goals in." Katie snickered.
"You sure?" Angelina asked.
Katie nodded, "I'll be up soon. Thanks though." The two nodded and walked off across the lawn to the castle doors.
Katie never noticed the remaining shower turn off. She dressed and was buttoning up her white uniform blouse when she felt a shadow fall on across her. She turned around to see Wood standing before her.
"Wood." Katie muttered.
"Bell." He said gruffly in return.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked, when she noticed he hadn't left. She looked up at him. He couldn't seem to meet her gaze. "If not, then I'll just be going." She said, heading for the door.
Wood grabbed her arm. "Wait." He whispered. He turned her around. Katie stared at him. "Yes?"
"What'd you go to Flint for?"
"Why'd you get in a fight with him?"
"I asked you first." Wood said, although Katie didn't miss him blush.
"I don't know. I just wanted somebody to be there for me." Katie shrugged.
"That's no reason."
"Fine. But why'd you fight him?" Katie pressed.
"Um. yes, well, about that."
"Come on Oliver. It can't be that bad. Did he bad-mouth your mom again or something?"
Wood's eyes narrowed at the mention of last years 'run in' with Flint, when Wood caught him talking about his mother. "No, nothing about Mother this year."
"Well then what?" Katie said, exhausted from the Quidditch match and was losing patients quickly. She collapsed on the bench and waited for his answer.
A look crossed his face, and he seemed to be contemplating weather or not to tell her.
"While I'm young Wood." Katie said, very impatient by now. He looked down and bit his lip.
Katie stood up and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm going back to the castle then." She announced. She looked up at him, shook her head and then turned to the door. Wood vaulted the bench and ran in front of her.
She stood before him, clicking her heals, waiting for him to answer. He never did. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers and held her there for a moment. Katie stood in shock, not knowing how to take this sudden change in emotion. Wood pulled away and Katie noticed the tips of his ears were blood red. She bit her lip as she watched him turn and hurry from the locker room and back to the castle for supper.
~*~
Wood made his way back up to the castle after a refreshing ride. He walked into the Great Hall and noticed his team sitting together and sat down next to George.
"Eat up. Big game today." Wood instructed.
"We know Oliver." Alicia said.
"But this is-"
"Your last year to win the cup. Blahdy blahdy blah." Fred said sarcastically.
Wood glared at him and then looked at his chasers. "Girls. I need you to be careful. Flint will be terrible on you three today."
"Alright." Alicia and Angelina smiled.
"I think we can handle it, Wood." Katie muttered.
"What was that, Bell?" Wood growled.
"Oh nothing." Katie chirped in false cheerfulness. She ate a last bit of toast and stood up. Facing Angelina and Alicia she said to them, "see you in the locker room." With that, she walked out of the Great Hall and started up to Gryffindor Tower, looking forward to some time alone.
She got to the common room and sat down by the fireplace. Humming to herself, she finished her Potions paper and placed it back inside her textbook. She felt another presence in the room and figured it was Nearly Headless Nick, the resident Gryffindor ghost. Katie turned to say hello to the kind old ghost.
She soon wished she hadn't turned around. She found herself face to face with Wood. She grumbled and turned back around, mumbling, "what do you want?"
"Kates. Come on. I can't have my best chaser mad at me during one of our biggest matches of the year." Wood pleaded.
"Oh, okay Wood. I'll just forget that you were an ass to me last night and pretend like I wasn't offended when you didn't trust telling your BEST FRIEND about the fight you got into." Katie said hotly. Turning her back on him and sitting down in the armchair.
"Katesie." Wood pleaded. Katie noted to herself the use of his nickname he had given her in her second year. Katie would never let anyone call her that except Wood. George had tried and the consequence hadn't been pretty. Wood knelt on the ground before Katie and tried to catch her eye. She looked away.
"Come on, Katesie. You're my best friend. I hate it when you're mad at me." He pleaded again.
"Well then Oliver, why don't you tell me why you got into a fight with Flint yesterday." Katie looked down into the brown eyes she'd stared into so many times.
"Well. Kates, see." Wood hesitated and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Katie I-"
"Seems as if we've been here before Oliver. What is so terribly hard about the reason you got into a fight?" Katie asked.
Wood blushed lightly. "It's kind of embarrassing."
"So? I know everything about you Ol, it can't be that bad."
"You don't know one thing about me." Wood muttered.
"What? What don't I know?" Katie urged.
"Nothing."
Katie grinned, "Who is she?"
"No one." Wood was now roughly the color of his Quidditch robes.
"Oliver." Katie pleaded. "It's not like I'd tell."
"I know. I just don't want you to know." Wood said.
Katie was now grinning maliciously. "Has little Ollie got a crush on one of his chasers?" Katie snickered.
"NO!" Wood snapped, to quickly, making it painfully obvious how truthful that statement was.
"No worries Ol." Katie smiled. "I don't know which one it is, so it's not like I could tell."
Wood huffed, "Still Kates. I didn't want you to find out."
Katie smirked. "Come on O-Love-sick captain of mine. Lets get you down to the pitch where you're more comfortable." She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the portrait hole and down the drafty corridor to the Entrance Hall and finally across the lawn to the locker rooms of the Quidditch Pitch.
Once inside the warm locker room Katie dropped her grip on Woods arm and wound her way to her own locker. Dropping onto the bench between Angelina and Alicia, Katie pulled off her shoes and let her friends chatter wash over her.
As the team congregated near Wood's locker for his traditional speech, Katie noticed the normal glint was missing from his eyes. She offered him a shy smile, to which he flashed a lopsided grimace, as she sat before him, waiting for him to begin his rant.
"Well." Wood began slowly. "All I can tell you is go out and give it your all. If we give them our best, then we've got them beat easily."
The team sat waiting for him to continue but he turned his back to them and continued strapping on his protective gear.
"That's it?" Fred gasped in wide-eyed astonishment.
Wood turned back around and shrugged, "Yeah, that's it. Go relax before the game."
The team exchanged confused looks and then each scurried off in their own directions before Wood changed his mind and wanted to talk. Katie stayed where she was and looked up at the seventh year.
"Ol?" She asked tentatively, reaching her hand up to his shoulder and turning him around gently.
"Hey Kates." He smiled.
"Oliver, we have 10 minutes before the game. Are you sure you want to let them go so quickly? Especially the Weasleys." Katie questioned.
"They're fine Katie." Wood stated.
"Are you sure?" Katie looked at him, slightly confused. "Well, of course I'm sure." Wood snapped. Katie took a step back and sat down on the bench.
"What's wrong with you?" Katie requested.
"Nothing, Bell." He snarled at her.
"Oliver Andrew Wood. I can read you like a book. What's wrong with you? Why did you get into that fight?" Katie stood up again and charged at him.
"Bell, it's none of your business."
"Why not? Why can't you tell me what happened? I'm supposed to be your best friend." Katie huffed.
"Well maybe you aren't!" Wood shouted. Katie backed away, a hurt look in her eyes. "Well." she murmured, "if that's how you feel. Then I'll just leave you alone." Katie looked at him sadly, tears welling in her eyes and then turned and walked over to where she heard Angelina and Alicia giggling and the Weasleys.
The two girls noticed right away that Katie wasn't alright and jumped to her side. "Katie! What happened?" Alicia cooed.
"Did he hurt you? We'll go get him." Angelina smirked and grabbed Fred and George by the arm and started to drag them towards Wood's locker.
"NO!" Katie tried to yell but it came out in a pathetic sob. She leaned on Alicia and felt herself let go of all control and cry.
"Katie never cries." George muttered to his brother.
"I know. Wood did something really bad to her to make her cry. Especially before a Quidditch match." Fred whispered back.
"Katie, come on. We've got a match." Angelina whispered to her friend.
"I- I know. Go on out. I'll be out in a moment." Katie said softly. She picked herself up and walked over to the basin while her friends slowly filed out of the locker room. Splashing water on her face, she picked up her broom and hustled out after her teammates.
On the pitch, Wood looked around. "Where's Bell?" He growled.
"In the locker room." Angelina spat.
"What the hell is she doing in there?" Wood croaked.
"You should know." Alicia shot.
"How would I know what in the bloody hell she's doing in there." Wood cried.
"You're the reason she's still in there." Fred told him, trying to be gentle.
"ME? Why me?" Wood roared.
"You made the poor girl cry." Alicia fired back.
"I did no such thing." Wood said indignantly.
"I think you did." A gruff voice came from behind the team and they turned to see Marcus Flint sheltering Katie Bell from the rain.
"BELL!" Wood roared. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"None of your business." Katie said coolly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wood asked, the maniac glint in his eyes, but not because of the upcoming Quidditch game.
"You know exactly what I mean. At least, you should." Katie continued.
While her teammates stared blankly at her, Wood blinked once, then twice, and then turned to Flint. "Get away from my chaser."
"Your chaser came to me." Flint said, grinning as he sauntered over to his own team.
"I'll talk to you later." Wood spat at Katie.
"Oh, goodie. I can't wait." Katie said in a monotone. Wood glared at her.
"Mount your brooms." Madame Hooch called. The teams soared into the air and took their positions as she let the balls out onto the pitch.
Katie took position of the Quaffle first and made it halfway down the pitch before Flint caught her. "Hello, Bell." He called as he reached his arm towards her and grabbed for the Quaffle.
Katie passed it off before he could touch it, unfortunately he didn't stop himself from reaching and grabbed hold of Katie's arm, pulling the broom closer to his. She shook him off and raced towards Alicia, who looked to pass to her and did. Katie scored the first goal and listened to the grateful sound of the Gryffindor supporters.
An hour into the game, rain was pouring down and just when everyone had given up hope of the game ending before dark, Harry caught the snitch. The final score was 200-50. Wood had let an unusually large number of goals today.
Fred and George sauntered into the locker room with Harry and cheered loudly when the Slytherin team walked past. The three chasers walked in just behind them, Angelina and Alicia on either side of Katie. They kept glancing back at Wood who was rubbing his shoulder and grumbling to himself.
Katie stepped out of the shower in just a towel to find Angelina and Alicia standing, waiting for her. "You two can go. He's in the shower, he'll be a while yet. We may have won, but he never lets that many goals in." Katie snickered.
"You sure?" Angelina asked.
Katie nodded, "I'll be up soon. Thanks though." The two nodded and walked off across the lawn to the castle doors.
Katie never noticed the remaining shower turn off. She dressed and was buttoning up her white uniform blouse when she felt a shadow fall on across her. She turned around to see Wood standing before her.
"Wood." Katie muttered.
"Bell." He said gruffly in return.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked, when she noticed he hadn't left. She looked up at him. He couldn't seem to meet her gaze. "If not, then I'll just be going." She said, heading for the door.
Wood grabbed her arm. "Wait." He whispered. He turned her around. Katie stared at him. "Yes?"
"What'd you go to Flint for?"
"Why'd you get in a fight with him?"
"I asked you first." Wood said, although Katie didn't miss him blush.
"I don't know. I just wanted somebody to be there for me." Katie shrugged.
"That's no reason."
"Fine. But why'd you fight him?" Katie pressed.
"Um. yes, well, about that."
"Come on Oliver. It can't be that bad. Did he bad-mouth your mom again or something?"
Wood's eyes narrowed at the mention of last years 'run in' with Flint, when Wood caught him talking about his mother. "No, nothing about Mother this year."
"Well then what?" Katie said, exhausted from the Quidditch match and was losing patients quickly. She collapsed on the bench and waited for his answer.
A look crossed his face, and he seemed to be contemplating weather or not to tell her.
"While I'm young Wood." Katie said, very impatient by now. He looked down and bit his lip.
Katie stood up and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm going back to the castle then." She announced. She looked up at him, shook her head and then turned to the door. Wood vaulted the bench and ran in front of her.
She stood before him, clicking her heals, waiting for him to answer. He never did. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers and held her there for a moment. Katie stood in shock, not knowing how to take this sudden change in emotion. Wood pulled away and Katie noticed the tips of his ears were blood red. She bit her lip as she watched him turn and hurry from the locker room and back to the castle for supper.