Katie never even had time to think after the meeting with Dumbledore. The twins wanted to get right to work on the event and Harry, even though not as bad as Wood, had them practice Quidditch twice a day. When she wasn't busy planning things or practicing, she was doing homework which the teachers seemed to be piling on her. She was also becoming stressed over Oliver. True she was busy and he seemed to be getting his own hectic schedule, but she had a feeling he was avoiding her.
"May be he doesn't like me?" she thought to herself. She was sitting with Angelina in the common room and they were trying to crack down on a nasty potions assignment Snape gave them. Every once in a while she could here Angelina mumble something. She didn't pay attention at all. Three weeks had gone by already and they were into the first week of October. In those three weeks she barely saw Oliver. He started sitting at the teachers table during meals. He would say hi to all of them but headed off to go do something. He only came into the common room to pick up a first year that needed help with their flying. Tonight he would be picking up Timothy Rackner. Katie knew how he would act. He would come into the room looking for Tim. Tell the small boy to get ready quick and while Oliver waited for the lad he would talk with Fred and George. He wouldn't even look over her way or say hi. Katie glanced down at her muggle watch and knew Oliver would be coming in any second. Sure enough he came in and walked over to the little boy. Then he headed over to Fred and George and chatted a little till the boy came back ready for his lessons. And just like that he was gone. Katie couldn't hold her in her frustration. She slammed her had down on the desk scaring Angelina to death.
"What the HELL is his problem?" Katie yelled. Angelina looked bewildered.
"What's whose problem?"
"Oliver's? I haven't talked to him in three weeks!"
"Katie, you and Wood have been busy,"
"NO! I've been busy. He was just in here talking to the twins. He didn't even come over to say hi," Angelina just shrugged her shoulders.
"How about we finish our homework, huh?" Angelina suggested. Katie nodded her head but noticed that Angelina gave an odd look to Fred.
"What was that?" Katie asked.
"What was what?" Angelina asked pretending not to know what Katie was talking about.
"That look you just gave Fred!"
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Katie gave her a disapproving look then turned to her homework.
"Those three are up to something and I don't like it," she thought forcing all her attention to her homework. On the other side of the room Fred and George were talking quietly to each other.
"This is getting out of had. Oliver isn't giving Katie the chance to talk to him. I'm sure if he was she would at least have told him by now that she had liked him. But NO- O, the dodder brain decides to avoid her. She's too busy to even approach him! He's not going to find out anything if he keeps acting like this. The stupid git," Fred said disgusted.
"Agreed, and Katie's just not her pushy self. It's obvious that Oliver's avoidance is bugging her. Even if it was just friend based, she would want him to talk to her and she would make him. The girls' affection to the git has dampened her spunk,"
"And it isn't friend based. They feel more towards each other,"
"Right and I think it's time we get involved, a little push. Who dose Oliver help out with flying on Wednesday?" George said.
"Greenwell I believe. I think we should have a little chat with the girl huh?" Fred smiled.
"I think so too. Oi, Greenwell!" A small little girl looked up from her book that she was reading. She looked mortified that a seventh year was talking to her.
"A word please?" Fred said and the timid girl strolled over to where the twins were.
"Y-Yes?" she muttered. George placed a hand on the scared girls shoulder.
"We need a favor dear,"
Wednesday night in the common room was the same as it ever been for Katie. She came trotting in at 7:30 from a hard practice. Like her normal routine, Bell walked the stairs up to her dorm to change into more comfortable cloths. She dug through her trunk and school bag to find the homework for that night. She headed back down to the common room and sat at the furthest table from the fire, Angelina right next to her. They opened piles of books that night. They had Arithmancy and Defense Against the Dark Arts. They began writing and flipping through books like normal but Katie felt uneasy. She had seen Fred and George whisper back and forth in the past few days and whenever she got close to them they seemed to clam up. Katie new it all too well, those who didn't spend a lot of time with the two terrors wouldn't really think they were up to anything. But Katie knew them too well. She new they were plotting something and the scary thing was Angelina seemed to be in it. Katie could only expect it involved her but what they were planning and when it would happen was the question. She started her essays and realized that it was another "Oliver Wood Lesson" night. She sighed. Why would tonight be any different? He would just ignore her like usual so why bother even acknowledging he was there? So with all her will and pride, she avoided looking at her watch and concentrated on ancient ruins. This was a good thing for Angelina. Tonight she and the twins were going to give Oliver and Katie there helpful push. It had to be perfect in order for the plan to be pulled off. Angelina's job was to keep Katie distracted. That way she didn't know where Oliver was in the room, but she seemed to be doing that herself. The first years were given strict orders to not tell Oliver where Lindy Greenwell was. They were supposed to say they didn't know. Lee was stationed carefully over by the fire place, right across from the giant walk in closet where the plan was going to take place. Fred and George awaited near it talking to themselves and hoping that this was going to work.
"If not it should be funny," Fred mused waiting for Oliver.
"What should be funny?" They heard a familiar Scottish accent. George grinned as did Fred. It was time.
"Oliver! What's up? Greenwell tonight, right?" George asked not bothering to answer his question.
"Yeah but I can't find her. None of her friends have seen her. You haven't seen her have you?" Oliver asked. Fred smiled as he sat down and opened his DADA book.
"I remember her saying something about needing to look for a glove she lost. I think she went into the closet last," George answered.
"Thanks," Oliver said heading into the closet. Just as he left Fred yelled over to Katie.
"Hey Kat! Can you help me with a DADA question real quick,"
"Sure," she yelled back not realizing that Oliver was still in the common room. Just as they had planed Lee lit a Filibuster firework and aimed it at Katie right as she was walking by the walk in closet. The aimed firework shot at her and exploded sending her flying into the closet. As she flew past into the closet Fred magic the door close and put a complex locking spell on the room and a silencing spell on the room so Oliver and Katie could have some privacy. Katie flew into the room to be caught by Oliver under the arms. Helping her up he just quickly asked.
"You ok?"
"Fine," she grumbled. Glad he at least cared she was ok, she still was sore with him and he seemed to move to open the door. If he could, he would of left without another word, but he couldn't,"
"Bugger! The door's locked. What happen?"
"One word Oliver, Twins!" Katie said bitterly. Oliver heard the tone in her voice and assumed it was meant for the Twins.
"Those tossers! I have a flying lesson to give. I can't be stuck in here now!"
"Well looks like you are. Sorry to disappoint you. I can't help that you're stuck in here with little ol' me," the tone in her voice stayed.
"What's that's supposed to mean?" he asked a little shock.
"Figure it out Wood," Katie spat, "You were so intent on making sure we were friends that first week, that we were ok and you have the nerve to ignore me for the past three weeks,"
"Ah Katie, I've been busy. If I'm not mistaken you haven't talked to me either," Oliver said in a casual voice.
"That's a bunch of bull shit! If either of us has been busy it's been me," Katie was raising her voice. She seemed to be letting out of a lot of pent up rage and it was landing on the right person.
"I have practice twice a day, I'm working on that end of year thing with the Twins and Angelina and then I'm up late doing homework which, by the way, gets worse each day! You, Mr. Wood, on the hand only has to worry about flying lessons. You seem to have enough time to talk with Fred and George but not once do you even acknowledge that I'm alive! You are always AVOIDING ME!" she was yelling now and Oliver was becoming red in the face.
"NOW WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Oliver looked squarely into her face and lowered his voice.
"You want to know what's wrong."
"It would be nice?" Katie said trying not to yell.
"Cause I can't stand being near you!" right when it left his mouth he knew he said the wrong thing. He looked shocked at what he just said and wished he could take it back. Katie looked like she was on the brink of tears and Oliver tried to cover up what he just Katie said,
"Shit Katie I mean,"
"No Oliver! No! Don't say anything. See what I don't understand about that is you said you used to like me. Then you ask if we can be friends. Now you can't stand to be around me?"
"Katie!"
"No Oliver. I thought we were friends. I liked you too you know. I wanted to tell you sooner but may be now is a good thing." She was yelling again but not as loud. She pointed her wand and yelled "pucnhmaortis maximus". The door flew open and she stormed out. He was in shock for a minuet but followed after her. He reached her dorm room just as she slammed the door shut.
"Katie! Katie I didn't mean it the way it sounds. I do want to be your friend!" No sound came out and he slid down sitting against the door. He banged his head hard and sighed.
"I can't stand being around you because I like you. Being near you drives my wild and all I want to do is," he left the sentence hanging. Sighing once more he got up to leave. On the other side of the door was a quite shocked girl. She collapsed as she reached the door crying hard and had heard everything Oliver said. Katie got up and went to her bed confused. Flopping down she cried until she fell asleep.
The next morning Fred George and Angelina sat watching Oliver sit at the head table wallowing in pity. If anything good came out of last night it was that Katie did finally tell Oliver that she liked him but as usually Oliver screwed up. A few moments later Katie showed up to the table. Her face clearly showed the torment from last night.
"Look we're so…"
"Forget it George," Katie interrupted, "I'm glad you did what you guys did. Oliver and I wouldn't be at an understanding. I would still be mad at him and he would still be ignoring me,"
"You aren't mad at him anymore?" Angelina asked.
"Oh I am but if he didn't mean what he said, as he claims, then I'm going to see if he is willing to prove it." She said with a half smirk. Katie didn't tell anyone that she knew Oliver liker her. Truthfully, she wanted him to admit it to her face. After that she would make him suffer, like she did. She would lay on the sex drive so bad for three week before admitting that she liked him as well. She felt it was only fair. Katie got up from the table, walked over to the teachers table. Oliver looked at her a intently. She had no emotion on her face. She gave him a curt nod,
"Professor Wood," she spoke with no tone in her voice. All she did after that was and him a letter then walked off. Oliver watch bewildered as Katie headed off. He looked at the letter and opened it. He quietly read it to himself.
Oliver,
If you truly didn't mean what you said then prove it to me!
Katie
Oliver was determined to make it up to her and exactly knew what he had to do.
Authors Note~ So Oliver has to make it up to Katie. What do you think? Thanks to my reviewers. Newbies Angel of Music and dracos-gurl. To my old supporters…. Poke, Allie and Tav. Chapter nine up next week :D