Chapter 8: Stubborn
"So, would you like to go with me this weekend to Hogsmeade?"
I watched, in terror, as Katie's smile slowly faded from her face. "No way," she said slowly, peering at something over my shoulder. I frowned.
"Really?" I asked, scratching my head like I always do when I get really nervous or embarrassed. Suddenly I felt a cold chill threaten the pit of my stomach. Beads of sweat started to form at my forehead. Oh, this must be so attractive...
Katie covered her hand with her mouth, as if she was terrified. "Oliver..."
"No, its ok," I said, oblivious to the billowing dark clouds forming behind me, and blaming that sick sense of dread on the fact that I had been turned down and was now standing there like and idiot. Run! I screamed to myself. "If you don't want to go out with me, I understand. I mean, I was a total jerk earlier..." I said in a voice not my own.
"Oliver!" she barked.
"What?" I asked, resigned.
"Look!"
I turned around. Two hooded figures were slowly gliding over to us. I felt Katie come up behind me and clutch my shoulders.
"What the bloody hell?" I wondered aloud. Fred and George had already flown off of the quidditch grounds, I could see them making their way back to the castle.
"Lets go," Katie whispered in my ear.
My stomach didn't feel so weird anymore. I felt defiant, as if, if I hadn't stood there to face whatever was really gnawing at me, I wouldn't be the Oliver Wood that I was. "I'm not moving," I said, barely making an effort to reach for my wand.
"What?!" she asked, hitting my shoulder. "There isn't time to be a stupid git, let's go!" She nudged my shoulder.
"I-" I didn't want to move. Believe it or not, Katie was on my shoulder. I do believe that that's the closest I've ever been to her.
"Oliver!" She tugged one of my hands free and that's when I snapped out of it. As the two came closer, and that fear increased, I half pushed her forward to give her a start.
"Go!" I snapped. We were both running as fast as our legs could carry us. I caught up to her within moments, my legs being slightly longer. Soon I was pulling her along, but I wouldn't let go of her hand if Viktor Krum himself paid me.
I heard an odd hissing sound behind me, and felt Katie speed up next to me. Soon we were in front of the doors leading into Hogwarts. I opened one with my free hand, and guided her in with the other she had been holding. She helped me close the door behind us, a loud bang ringing down the hall and awaking several of the nearby portraits.
The moment our relief sounded, she was leaning against one of the castle walls, her hands on her knees, catching her breath.
"You okay?" I asked, nearly as out of breath as she. The difference was that I had a big grin on my face for no apparent reason. She half nodded, still looking down. I comfortably put my hand on her back.
"You," she breathed, "are absolutely crazy!"
"Yeah, just a little," I said.
"We could have died out there," she said with a serious expression. "What were you thinking?!"
"You really want to know?" I asked. She finally looked up, her cheeks flushed from running and hair sloppily placed everywhere. "Actually I was thinking why you wouldn't go with me to Hogsmeade."
"You almost got us killed!" she exclaimed, trying to sound angry.
"Then I suppose you should have said yes," I said to her, laughing. Her face broke, she smiled. "Your hair..."
"What about my hair?"
"Its everywhere," I said between laughter.
"How can you think about hair at a time like this?" She asked, running a hand over it to smooth it down.
"What other time would I think about hair?"
She shook her head. "You are bizarre."
"Its not as if we're in any danger."
"We were!"
"That's right, we were. And doesn't it feel great to have that close of a brush with death?"
"Its not worth it if its going to mess up my hair," she joked.
"You say that I'm bizarre..."
"Well you are! If a pack of dementors came up to me all creepy, do you think that I would be really all that stressed about whether or not I was going to Hogsmeade with some one?" She asked smartly.
"Excuse me?" I started to walk down the corridor, avoiding angry looks from portraits. "First of all, there wasn't a pack, there was only two of them. And second, it wasn't an 'if they were going with me to Hogsmeade or not', you particularly said 'no way'."
"I did not!"
"Yes you did." Just keep digging the hole, Wood.
"Well excuse me if I was a bit distracted by the two dementors that were about to suck our bloody souls from our bodies'! I wasn't exactly concentrating on the question that you asked me." She crossed her arms.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not crazy, that's why."
"You're hair is crazy," I commented.
"And what are you? Mr. Perfection?"
"Nah, but I come pretty close."
She snorted. "That's right."
"Damn straight." I put my hands in my pockets, climbing the stairs that had appeared before us. It was amazing, time flew when I was with her. "So when you say that you were 'distracted by Dementors'...?"
"I never got to seriously answer your question," she cut me off. I waited for her to continue as we walked up the stairs. I stopped before I could reach the top stair.
"Well?" I asked, hoping, just hoping.
"Well what?" She asked, turning to face me.
"Are you ever going to answer my question?"
"What question?"
My shoulders dropped. "If you don't want to go with me, then you should just say so," I said, getting agitated. Was this the way to ask a girl out? Twice?
"Oh no, Oliver, don't get me wrong. I was just teasing you," she said quickly. She uncrossed her arms while I waited another eternity to answer my question.
"Well?" I questioned again. "Its just-"
"I'm trying to remember what question it was that you wanted me to answer," she mocked, biting her lip. "Oh yes. How about at seven o'clock in the morning before school starts?"
"What?"
"I thought you wanted to know what other time you would think about hair." She smiled cheekily and started tapping her foot.
I groaned aloud. "I think you're the reason that I've been driven so crazy." Stomping back up the stairs, I threw my hands over my head.
"I can't be that bad."
I stopped when I didn't hear her footsteps follow up behind me. "What are you waiting for?"
"A question."
"I just asked you a question," I pointed out.
"And I just answered it. I'm waiting for an- unanswered- question," she stressed.
"Unanswered?" I raised my eyebrows. "Well alright then. I suppose I'll see you here tomorrow then." Turning, I headed back up the stairs.
"Oliver, don't be difficult," she ordered, catching up to me.
"I'm being difficult?"
"Yeah. Can't you just ask me out like a normal wizard?"
"Who ever said anything about asking any one else out on a date?"
"I didn't mention date."
"Well-" I stopped short of my sentence. We weren't getting anywhere with this. "Katie, I think that I'm just going to come right out and say it. Would you like to go to Hogsmeade-"
"What do we have here? More students out of bed at this hour! What is the world coming to?" Filch cackled evilly. "I guess that means detentions for both of you, McGonigall definitely won't be too happy."
We both froze. Leave it to Filch to outdo a couple of Dementors.
"Well be off with you, she'll give you your assignments tomorrow," said Filch. He slid into the space between Katie and I, leaving us both stunned.
She whistled. "What luck!"
"Oh Katie, I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Hey its not your fault we were out this late. I'm sure if we explain to McGonigall that we were running for our lives, she'll understand."
~~~~~
"...You were outside?! AFTER HOURS?!"
We cringed simultaneously, seeing McGonigall's wrinkles go ridged behind her glasses. "What were you thinking??! I'm afraid that this is unacceptable, even for you, Oliver. And YOU Ms. Bell, I'm astounded..."
"...Detentions!... ALL Weekend..."
Katie gave me a sympathetic glance. So much for Hogsmeade...
~~~~~
A/n: I have no excuse for my absentee, but this fic is NOT dead, I swear! I know this chapter is really short, but I can promise more. Basically just Oliver/ Katie banter. Sorry if it wasn't that funny, humor MAY return shortly. Hahaha. 'Detention's' should take place next chapter. Please review, for those of you who still care!
