A/N: I'm sorry I kept everyone waiting for this next chapter so it's
slightly longer to make up for it! Rachel, Becky – I hope you're happy
now!!! Keep those reviews coming in you lovely lovely people! =) xxxxx
*~*~*
Fred was still looking in the direction Angelina had gone. "Angelina!" he shouted, deciding to take off after her.
"I better go and see if Katie's um . . .alright," Oliver said awkwardly. He had never had to deal with this kind of thing before.
Alicia waved her hand. "She's overreacting as usual. She'll be over this in the next hour."
Oliver didn't look so convinced. "All the same," he pointed behind him, "I better check . . .that she hasn't done anything . . .you know, silly."
"If you're talking about her slitting her throat over this Oliver, you must be stupider than you look," George laughed then silenced at the look he received. "On the other hand, better safe than sorry," he added quickly.
Oliver nodded. "Will you uh . . .come with me?" he said quietly so Alicia couldn't hear.
George grinned. "I'll gladly hold your hand, Ollie. Katie Bell CAN be a bit of a handful!"
Alicia burst out laughing and began to walk back in the direction of the Castle. "See you girls later," she smirked.
George and Oliver headed off in the other direction, to the changing rooms. "I just don't know how to handle a situation like this. It's never arisen before," Oliver sighed.
"You mean the situation of someone actually fancying you, Oliver?" George looked at the Keeper with a grin.
Oliver flit George upside his head with a glare. He shook his head and walked into the Changing Rooms but before he could go any further he called, "Katie! Are you decent?"
George sighed. "Great way of putting her at ease."
"What?!" Oliver said, bewildered.
"You obviously have little experience and knowledge of the female species," George gave Oliver a superior look and took a few steps forward, "Watch and learn."
The redheaded Weasley looked around and couldn't see his blond-haired friend anywhere, but he knew better. "Katie? We just want to make sure you're alright," he called into the room. But all was quiet.
George turned to Oliver and said loudly. "Come on Oliver, she's either not here or she doesn't want to see anyone right now."
Oliver looked at George in confusion and began to whisper. "She's definitely in here. What are you doing-?"
"Sssh!" George hissed, then winked, "Just watch." He turned back round and called into the room. "If you're in here Katie, we want you to know that you can always talk to us when you feel ready, yeah?" Then he said to Oliver theatrically, "Let's go Oliver. She has obviously gone back to her dorm."
Just then a small weepy voice cried out. "Wait!" it was Katie.
George glanced back at Oliver, who looked marvelled. The Weasley twin grinned and mouthed. "Reverse psychology. Never fails!"
"Are you alright, Katie?" Oliver said concerned, starting to walk over to the youngest Chaser, as she appeared from behind a wall that led into the toilets.
Katie's face had become red and blotchy from crying while her eyes were puffy and watery. "Yes, I'm fine," she sniffed, not meeting his gaze.
"Angelina was pretty out of line back on the pitch," George said, looking at Katie with a perfectly practised sympathetic face.
Katie looked like she was suppressing a shudder; her face was now blushing furiously red. "Oliver, you know that Angelina was only saying that to stir things up," she squeaked out, still looking in every direction except the Keeper's face.
Oliver blinked twice, looked at George and said, "Er ... right, of course."
Katie sniffled and cast her gaze upon George. "You don't think she's gone and told everyone?" she asked, panic rising fast in her voice, "That would be just like Angelina – to spread nasty, malicious rumours without caring WHO gets hurt."
"Nah," George shook his head, then tried to add some humour to the situation, "She's most likely gone off to snog Flint." But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he shuddered violently at the mental imagery and wished he hadn't have said anything at all.
Oliver also looked incredibly disgusted at the mere thought of Angelina with Flint, but said angrily, "You've actually hit the nail on the head Weasley. What DOES she think she's playing at? Has she COMPLETELY lost her mind? It's bad enough our Seeker is swapping crucial plays with their Seeker but now one of our Chasers is off swapping MORE than that!!" He gave a cry of frustration as he finally finished his tirade, which had obviously been bubbling away inside him wanting to be said ever-since Angelina had announced her new-found affection for Flint.
"My team is going down-hill faster than a nose-diving Firebolt," the Quidditch captain groaned.
"That's all you ever care about, isn't it?" Katie looked at him, her face flushing, "Your TEAM. Angelina was right – you don't give one jot about any of us unless we help you win that bloody Cup."
"No, Katie, I didn't mean it to sound like that," Oliver said desperately.
Katie's cheeks burned with anger and embarrassment, giving away her true feelings immediately. "If I didn't love Quidditch so much, Oliver, I would have definitely quit the team by now," she said haughtily, casting him a pointed look, "And then you'd REALLY be in trouble, wouldn't you?" She stormed across to the door and stopped, "But knowing you, Oliver Wood, since your team are nothing more than numbers I'm sure you'd find a replacement quickly."
Oliver was completely dumbfounded. He had no idea that his team had felt this way about him. Was he really a heartless Quidditch-crazy monster?
"Call her back, Ollie! It's obvious she fancies you," George poked him out of his thoughts and jabbed a finger in the direction of the departing girl, "Say something nice!"
Oliver ran to the door and stammering, began to yell. "Katie! Come back, I don't think of you as a number at all – you're a terrific chaser! And – you're erm . . .a lovely girl and all that . . ." He faltered and looked at George desperately.
"Absolutely hopeless," George sighed.
"I tried my best, thank you very much," said Oliver indignantly, "It's like I said, I don't know how to deal with things like this."
"Since all you ever do is bury yourself in Quidditch, mate," the red-haired boy shook his head.
"Nothing wrong in having a hobby," said the Keeper defensively.
"OBSESSION is the correct term in your case," George walked past his friend and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, when this Chaser catastrophe is over, Fred and I will help to fix you. Find you a nice girl and everything."
At that moment, Oliver developed a nervous twitch.
*~*~*
*~*~*
Fred was still looking in the direction Angelina had gone. "Angelina!" he shouted, deciding to take off after her.
"I better go and see if Katie's um . . .alright," Oliver said awkwardly. He had never had to deal with this kind of thing before.
Alicia waved her hand. "She's overreacting as usual. She'll be over this in the next hour."
Oliver didn't look so convinced. "All the same," he pointed behind him, "I better check . . .that she hasn't done anything . . .you know, silly."
"If you're talking about her slitting her throat over this Oliver, you must be stupider than you look," George laughed then silenced at the look he received. "On the other hand, better safe than sorry," he added quickly.
Oliver nodded. "Will you uh . . .come with me?" he said quietly so Alicia couldn't hear.
George grinned. "I'll gladly hold your hand, Ollie. Katie Bell CAN be a bit of a handful!"
Alicia burst out laughing and began to walk back in the direction of the Castle. "See you girls later," she smirked.
George and Oliver headed off in the other direction, to the changing rooms. "I just don't know how to handle a situation like this. It's never arisen before," Oliver sighed.
"You mean the situation of someone actually fancying you, Oliver?" George looked at the Keeper with a grin.
Oliver flit George upside his head with a glare. He shook his head and walked into the Changing Rooms but before he could go any further he called, "Katie! Are you decent?"
George sighed. "Great way of putting her at ease."
"What?!" Oliver said, bewildered.
"You obviously have little experience and knowledge of the female species," George gave Oliver a superior look and took a few steps forward, "Watch and learn."
The redheaded Weasley looked around and couldn't see his blond-haired friend anywhere, but he knew better. "Katie? We just want to make sure you're alright," he called into the room. But all was quiet.
George turned to Oliver and said loudly. "Come on Oliver, she's either not here or she doesn't want to see anyone right now."
Oliver looked at George in confusion and began to whisper. "She's definitely in here. What are you doing-?"
"Sssh!" George hissed, then winked, "Just watch." He turned back round and called into the room. "If you're in here Katie, we want you to know that you can always talk to us when you feel ready, yeah?" Then he said to Oliver theatrically, "Let's go Oliver. She has obviously gone back to her dorm."
Just then a small weepy voice cried out. "Wait!" it was Katie.
George glanced back at Oliver, who looked marvelled. The Weasley twin grinned and mouthed. "Reverse psychology. Never fails!"
"Are you alright, Katie?" Oliver said concerned, starting to walk over to the youngest Chaser, as she appeared from behind a wall that led into the toilets.
Katie's face had become red and blotchy from crying while her eyes were puffy and watery. "Yes, I'm fine," she sniffed, not meeting his gaze.
"Angelina was pretty out of line back on the pitch," George said, looking at Katie with a perfectly practised sympathetic face.
Katie looked like she was suppressing a shudder; her face was now blushing furiously red. "Oliver, you know that Angelina was only saying that to stir things up," she squeaked out, still looking in every direction except the Keeper's face.
Oliver blinked twice, looked at George and said, "Er ... right, of course."
Katie sniffled and cast her gaze upon George. "You don't think she's gone and told everyone?" she asked, panic rising fast in her voice, "That would be just like Angelina – to spread nasty, malicious rumours without caring WHO gets hurt."
"Nah," George shook his head, then tried to add some humour to the situation, "She's most likely gone off to snog Flint." But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he shuddered violently at the mental imagery and wished he hadn't have said anything at all.
Oliver also looked incredibly disgusted at the mere thought of Angelina with Flint, but said angrily, "You've actually hit the nail on the head Weasley. What DOES she think she's playing at? Has she COMPLETELY lost her mind? It's bad enough our Seeker is swapping crucial plays with their Seeker but now one of our Chasers is off swapping MORE than that!!" He gave a cry of frustration as he finally finished his tirade, which had obviously been bubbling away inside him wanting to be said ever-since Angelina had announced her new-found affection for Flint.
"My team is going down-hill faster than a nose-diving Firebolt," the Quidditch captain groaned.
"That's all you ever care about, isn't it?" Katie looked at him, her face flushing, "Your TEAM. Angelina was right – you don't give one jot about any of us unless we help you win that bloody Cup."
"No, Katie, I didn't mean it to sound like that," Oliver said desperately.
Katie's cheeks burned with anger and embarrassment, giving away her true feelings immediately. "If I didn't love Quidditch so much, Oliver, I would have definitely quit the team by now," she said haughtily, casting him a pointed look, "And then you'd REALLY be in trouble, wouldn't you?" She stormed across to the door and stopped, "But knowing you, Oliver Wood, since your team are nothing more than numbers I'm sure you'd find a replacement quickly."
Oliver was completely dumbfounded. He had no idea that his team had felt this way about him. Was he really a heartless Quidditch-crazy monster?
"Call her back, Ollie! It's obvious she fancies you," George poked him out of his thoughts and jabbed a finger in the direction of the departing girl, "Say something nice!"
Oliver ran to the door and stammering, began to yell. "Katie! Come back, I don't think of you as a number at all – you're a terrific chaser! And – you're erm . . .a lovely girl and all that . . ." He faltered and looked at George desperately.
"Absolutely hopeless," George sighed.
"I tried my best, thank you very much," said Oliver indignantly, "It's like I said, I don't know how to deal with things like this."
"Since all you ever do is bury yourself in Quidditch, mate," the red-haired boy shook his head.
"Nothing wrong in having a hobby," said the Keeper defensively.
"OBSESSION is the correct term in your case," George walked past his friend and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, when this Chaser catastrophe is over, Fred and I will help to fix you. Find you a nice girl and everything."
At that moment, Oliver developed a nervous twitch.
*~*~*