Ch 13: Strength or Weakness?
"Could you leave the house for a little while? We'll send Keep for you when you can come back. We just need to have some girl time with Katie," Alicia asked firmly. I smiled at my best friend. She can be ditzy and psycho, but she takes charge when the situation turns bad. And for that, I love her.
"Alright," Oliver murmured, hesitating for a moment, "Owl me as soon as you're done," Oliver said before turning and walking out the door. We all listened intently for the apartment door to close. As soon as it did, the girls whipped back around.
"What did he do to you?" Angelina asked slowly, looking straight into my eyes. I couldn't say no. I took in a deep breath, and vowed not to cry as I spilled the whole story.
When I finished, we all sat in silence. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, hunched over slightly, and the girls were on the floor looking up at me.
"Katie..." Angelina whispered my name, like she was afraid if she spoke normally I'd break into pieces. I blinked, and then they tackled me in a hug.
"Are you alright though? Oliver said you were going on about Flint being all over you," Alicia said. That's right...he touched me everywhere...I shuddered involuntarily, and the girls looked at me in worry.
"Come on, Katie. Let's go give you a bath," Ange suggested. I felt like such a child. Here I was, sitting only in my knickers and a blanket, about to be given a bath. The girls stood up and held my hand as we walked slowly to the bathroom.
Angelina turned to faucet on and started searching through my drawers, probably looking for bubble bath.
"Oh the hell with it," I heard her mumble before transfiguring Oliver's shaving cream into a bottle of bubble bath.
I watched in awe as Ange poured the clear liquid into the running water. White frothy bubbles formed, and soon the water turned a murky pink.
"Come on, Katie," Alicia said gently, removing the blanket from my shoulders. I didn't even mind standing there in only my knickers. I heard the water stop and Angelina stood up. She wasn't meeting my eyes, and she was looking at the floor.
"We'll just turn around while you get in," Ange mumbled. I blinked, and my hands slid to the waistband of my underwear. I closed my eyes, remembering how Flint had touched me. I shivered, feeling the hair on my arms and neck stand up, and removed them.
I slid into the warm water, and immersed myself up to my shoulders.
"OK," I whispered. The girls turned around and came over to me. Ange got down on her knees as did Alicia.
"Just close your eyes and relax," Angelina said soothingly. I obliged, and I slid backwards, further into the tub. I felt hands rubbing my scalp, washing shampoo into it, ridding it of the smoke and heavy air of the club. Another set of hands was slowly sponging my body. I zoned out and let the girls do their work.
Before I knew it, I heard the drain emptying the tub, and I felt strong hands pull me up.
"Come on Katie Girl," Angelina prompted as she led me out of the tub where Alicia wrapped me in a towel.
The girls sat me down on the toilet, and Angelina dried me off with another towel while Alicia went off to find me my pajamas. When she came back, she brushed my hair and braided it for me. Once again, I felt pampered, like a little girl who just took a bath with her mum.
Alicia stood up and handed me my clothes, and then they both turned around. I stared at the backs of their heads as the towel drops to the floor and I dress myself. Oh geeze. No one knows how good it feels to be in fresh, clean clothes. Clothes that are free of the touch of one Marcus Flint.
The girls held my hands and took me to the kitchen, where they conjured up a mug of tea for all of us. I still feel like a child, but in a bad way now. I feel like I can't do anything, and the girls need to do everything for me. But in a way, they kind of do need to do everything for me.
We sat in silence, just sipping our drinks, when Alicia set down her mug.
"It's getting late, so I'm going to go send for Oliver, ok?" Alicia says. Angelina and I nod and Alicia heads out onto the balcony. I watch intently as Alicia scribbles down a note, pets Keep a few times, then sends her off. But Alicia doesn't come back in right away. She pauses to stare out at the skyline, and I can't help but feel for her.
"She misses George," I say aloud. Angelina blinks at me, and nods solemnly, taking another sip from her glass.
"I miss Fred," she mumbles against the rim of her glass. I guess I never really realized it, that my two best girl friends were in love with two of my best guy friends. Then again, how long did it take me to figure out I had feelings for my roommates and best guy friend? Geeze, too long...
Alicia comes back in, just in time to open the door for Oliver.
"Got here as soon as I got the owl. Where's Katie?" he asks, looking around Alicia. His eyes rest on me and soften as he smiles.
"Hi there," I say meekly. I didn't really know what else to do, so I just sat there. He walked over and hugged me the best he could without falling over. I grinned, and I saw Ange grin back from over his shoulder.
"OK you two, its 1:30 in the morning, and Alicia and I are going home. I suggest you two get to bed," Angelina said as she pulled Alicia out the door.
"Will do. Have a safe trip home, girls," Oliver called after them as the closed the door.
Oliver turned to me and opened his mouth, then closed it. If you're going to say something, say it. He opens his mouth and inhales, but then closes his mouth.
"You look like a fish," I giggle. Oliver smiles at me and ushers me into my bedroom.
"Time for bed, Kates," he said. I climbed on top of the bed, and Oliver adjusted the sheets over me, pulling them up to my shoulders. He gave me a quick peck on the forehead, and went to the doorway. He muttered an incantation, and all the lights burned out.
"Night Kates," he whispered from the doorway, closing it after he walked out.
Wow. What a day...Stupid Flint. I thought he had changed. I thought he had gotten nicer, and matured. Guess I was wrong. Damn, now Oliver gets to rub it in my face and say "I told you so!" But I have a feeling he wouldn't do that...
The club was fun...up until the point where Flint got out of control. I can't believe he touched me there. Ugh. I can still feel his hands crawling all over me.
I roll over and smack my pillow angrily. Why?! I'm so weak! Why couldn't I defend myself! I could have kneed him in the jewels! I could have told someone around us! Maybe that big burly guy could have stopped him before he slid his hand...
Crap. I think I'm crying again. I sigh loudly. Why am I so weak? Men feared me at Hogwarts! They thought I was the strongest Chaser in the whole school! Now? Now I'm just prey...
Something goes by my window, and casts a quick shadow into the room...What was that?! My heart is beating heavily in my chest, and it's starting to get hard to breathe. Geeze, where is that stuffed lion when I need him?! The shadow goes by again. OK, now I'm scared.
I burst through Oliver's door, Quidditch blanket in hand. Oliver jumps in his sheets, and his room bursts into light. I see him shirtless in his bed, wand in hand, looking paranoid.
"Katie!" He sighs my name in relief, looking down and clutching his chest before his eyes snap back up to mine.
"Katie, what's wrong?" he asks quickly, jumping out of bed and walking over to me.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I ask in a squeaky voice. Was that me? I don't even recognize my own voice any more. Oliver smiles at me, but still has a questioning look in his eyes.
"Why?" he asks. Do you really need to know?
"Because when you sleep, you let your guard down. I'm too scared to let my guard down right now," I whisper, my eyes blurring with hot, unshed tears. Oliver parts his lips and walks over to me, engulfing me in a hug.
"Come on, Kates," he whispers, holding the sheets up for me to climb into. I dive under the sheets, and scooch over so he can get in.
Once he extinguishes the lights, I move a little closer to him. I can just see the outline of his face in the moonlight. His lips are parted slightly, and I can see one eye is focused on mine.
"It's OK now. I won't let anyone hurt you," he whispers. He shifts under the sheets, and pulls me closer to his body. I turn so his chest is pressed to my back, and I can feel the heat emanating from his body. It's so warm it's making me drowsy...Mmm...
"Night Oliver," I mumble.
"Night Katie," he whispers in my ear. The breath tickles my the sensitive hair there and I shiver, snuggling closer to him. He reaches out a hand and pulls me by the waist closer to him. So...sleepy...Mmm...
I breathe in heavily, and my eyelids flutter open. I blink a few times, and look around. Since when is my wall blue? Oh God...Where am I?!
I try to sit up, but something's weighing me down. I hear something...no...someone grunt, and I look down. Wrapped tightly around my waist I see a set of hands. Oh Merlin. Oh God. I scream and I feel the hands tighten around my lower gut.
"WHAT?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" I hear a male voice bellow. I spin around and see Oliver holding me to his chest, looking around frantically. Oh that's right...I'm with Oliver, not Flint. Thank all that is good for that!
"Oh...geeze. Oliver it's OK!" I yell, trying to calm Oliver down. He looks at me with wild eyes and I smile at him in regret.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't remember where I was at first," I apologized to Oliver. He put a hand to his (oh so well-muscled) chest, and inhaled deeply.
"Merlin, Katie," he panted. "Next time think before you scream. Thought you were being attacked or something."
"Well do you really expect me to not panic when I practically got..." I shuddered at the thought. Oliver frowned and pulled me closer, so that I was laying on top of him.
"But I'm glad you thought of me first," I smile, giving him a hug. I lace my fingers around his neck, and he grins at me.
"Time for breakfast?" he grins. I grin and nod. I'm starving!
"Good!" he says, getting up with me still on top of him. He juggles me in his arms before sliding one arm under my bum to support me. I grin over his shoulder. He's flirting back! Yay!
He sets me gently on the counter, and I let out a small yelp. Oliver looks at me questioningly, and I just blushed, trying to look cute.
"It's cold," I mumble. Oliver laughs and starts making oatmeal. I jump off the counter and make my way over to the table, where I wrap my Quidditch blanket around my shoulders and put my feet up on the table. I hate it when it other people do it, but I don't mind if I do it. I'm such a hypocrite.
"Oi! Get your feet off my table!" Oliver yelled as he walked into the room, two bowls in hand. He set one down in front of me as I lowered my feet to the ground. I pick up the spoon and smile at Oliver. Hmm. I think he likes me, so let's find out. Time for a little flirtatious fun, Katie Bell style.
I dip the spoon into the bowl and lick my lips, holding eye contact with Oliver before sliding the spoon into my mouth. I close my eyes and remove the spoon slowly. I pick up another spoonful, and repeat the cycle.
"This is really good," I say against the spoon. Oliver nods and focuses back on his breakfast. Bwuahaha. I finish my breakfast quickly, throwing seductiveness out the window. Out of the corner of my eye I see the stuffed lion dancing around on the floor. I giggle and look up to meet Oliver's eyes.
"So what do you want to do today?" I ask him. He looks out the window, towards the direction of the park, and smiles.
"Want to go for a walk?"
"That'd be lovely. Just let me go change. You should as well," I say, nodding at his state of undress. Not that I mind him walking around half-nude, but I'm sure we'd get attacked by fans hell-bent on jumping Ollie dearest. They'd maul him for his greatness, and then torture me for being his roommate.
I run into my room and pull out a pair of faded, ripped jeans and loose tee shirt. I put a navy blue baseball cap on the top of my head, and brought my braid onto my left shoulder.
When I come back out, i see all Oliver has done is put a Puddlemere United shirt over his head and slide some flip flops on. Oh Oliver. So casual. Maybe that's why I like you. I can be myself around you, and you can be yourself around me. No fancy clothes here...though lately I have been attempting to look cuter than usual. I guess that's what I get for having a crush on him.
We apparate to the park and just start walking. We're about a foot apart, and neither of us is saying anything.
"So," I say. Maybe this will start a conversation.
"So," he reiterates. Dammit Oliver that's not how it works! You're supposed to start the conversation.
Crap, now I have to start a conversation. Think Katie, think!
"Hey look! Swings!" I exclaim. I run over to the empty swing set and sit down. Oliver walks towards me, a playful smile set onto his face.
"Come on, sit down," I invite Oliver over by patting the seat of the swing on my side. Oliver smirked.
"I'm a bit old to be swinging, Kates," he says. God, I love his accent. Have I already said that? Just making sure ya'll know that I LOVE his accent. Yup. Love, love, love that accent.
I look at him in mock shock/horror.
"One can never be too old to swing!" I proclaim loudly. Some nesting owls hoot angrily, and one of them flies away. Oh well. I turn back to Oliver, and see that he's taken a seat next to me. I grin at him and start kicking my legs.
Straight and bent, straight and bent. It's kind of silly how just a few leg movements can propel you into the air, and that even if you're still sitting on a black rubber seat with chains attached to poles keeping you n the ground, you feel like you're flying.
"You want to hear a secret?" I ask, turning to Oliver, whose swinging only barely. Meanwhile I'm over here, going as far back and as high up as I can go without falling off the swing.
"Sure," Oliver replies. I smile to myself and close my eyes.
"When I was younger, I used to think that if I got high enough into the air, and if I closed my eyes, I could fly. I'd go to the park with mum, and all I'd want to do was swing. I never wanted to play tag, or play on the monkey bars. I just wanted to swing,"
There really was no point to that story, but I just felt like telling him.
"Yeah. As a tike I always wanted to fly..."
"Oh right. You also wanted to be invisible didn't you?"
"Who wouldn't want to be?" Oliver grinned. I rolled my eyes and kept kicking.
"Honestly, Ollie, you're such a cheeky perv," I call out to him.
"Just a red-blooded man," he retorts.
"So, I'm a red-blooded woman, and yet I still have self-constraint," I yell back. He mutters something and I drag my shoes in the sand to stop myself.
"What did you just say?" I demand. He smirks and gets up.
"Nothing!" he calls over his shoulder. I jog up to his side and grab his arm.
"Come on, tell me!" I whine.
"No! Why should I?" he quips.
"Because you were talking about me and I deserve to hear what you said!"
"No you don't,"
"Yes I do!"
"No you don't!"
We walked briskly through the park, making a fair distance as he kept speeding up, trying to lose me.
All of a sudden I'm pulled into the forest and pinned up against a tree, a hand covering my mouth, and a really toned chest pressed against mine.. I look up and see Oliver looking around from the side of the tree.
"What's going on?" I ask, removing his hand from my mouth.
"Shh," he shushes me harshly. I give him a questioningly stare, and peek out from the side of the tree.
Twenty feet away, I see Flint approach...Lore?
"Hey there sweetie," Lore said sweetly, kissing Flint soundly on the lips. EW! Gross!
"What's the matter?"
"That bitch went off with Oliver," Flint ground out. What's going on here?
"Well it doesn't matter, cus you still have me, you know," Lore mumbles, kissing Marcus again. They deepen the kiss and I look away. Make it stop! Make my eyes stop burning! It burrrrrns! Flint snorts, and I turn back around. Don't want to miss the unfolding events now, do I?
"What happened last night?! You were supposed to keep Wood distracted!" Flint yelled. Guess he finally cracked. Wait...Keep him occupied?
"What the bloody hell is going on here?" I hiss. Oliver shoves me into the tree even further and puts a finger to his lips. His brows are furrowed and I can tell he's waiting, because Flint and Lore might have heard me hiss. Uh oh...
"He dismissed me cus I made a comment about that bitch Katie," Lore said. What?! Why do people always talk about me behind me back?! Too chicken to say it to my face or something? Argh! I inhale angrily and I receive another push to the chest.
"Katie, be quiet!" Oliver whispers in my ear. He keeps his head bent next to mine, his hand on the other side of my face. I lean onto it, and he just stares at me, expression unreadable.
"Idiot! You were just supposed to distract him for one night! How hard could that have been?! But no, you have to piss him off and make him dump you. Good going, Lore," Flint huffed angrily. What are they talking about? Oliver and I are so going to have a talk after this. A long talk.
"Yeah well...way to lay it on and scare Katie away for good!" Lore huffed back. Oliver and I then heard a loud pop, so we can only assume that Flint disapparated. Oliver leans back and peers around the tree. He doesn't snap his head back so I assume it's safe to look. Clouds pass by overhead, casting darkness over us for a moment, before the sun peaks through again.
I peer around the trunk and see...Lore in a crumpled heap on the ground. Her shoulders are shaking, so I'm assuming she's crying...And it looks like she's gunna be there for a while.
"Stupid bitch Katie!" she yells. OK, that's it. I duck under Oliver's arm and jump out onto the sidewalk.
"Hello, Lore," I spit out her name like it's acid. Wait! It is!
"You!" She hisses from the ground.
"Better stop crying, your mascara is starting to smudge," I say coldly.
"You bitch. You're the reason Marcus and I broke up!"
"You were with Marcus?! You...cheated on Oliver?" My voice shook with anger. How. DARE SHE.
"Oh yes. Good shag, great kisser, but not as good-"
::SMACK::
I couldn't take it anymore. She was not insulting Oliver and getting away with it. Where is Oliver anyways?
"BITCH!" Shit. Ow. Shouldn't have looked away. She tackled my legs and brought me down to the ground.
"OK, so you want to play dirty?" I counter, holding her above me, staying just out of range of her claws. Damn, those things look lethal. I bring my knee up and rock backwards, flipping her over me. Hey, I didn't even know I could do that! Bwuahaha. I rock! Uh oh, she's getting up.
"You nasty little half-blood slut!" She screams. You've crossed the line now, Lore.
I reach back and shove my fist forward, where it collides soundly with the side of her face.
"Katie! Stop!" I feel Oliver hold me back. I don't even put up a struggle. I just fall back into his arms, looking at Lore's crumpled form on the ground.
Clouds overhead block out the Sun, and a cold wind blows through my hair.
"Come on," Oliver says firmly. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulls me past Lore, who is crying on the ground. I almost feel bad for her...But then again I don't.
He sits me down on a bench and sits down next to me. He hunches forward, looking at the ground. I feel a twinge of pain and put a hand to my cheek. I bring my hand back and see warm red liquid on my fingertips. Guess Lore did get a scratch in.
I stop examining my blood when I see Oliver put his face in his hands.
"Oliver?" I say his name meekly. He doesn't respond, he just runs a hand through his hair.
"Oliver?" I try again. What's the matter, Ollie? I hate seeing you sad...
"Oliver, what's wrong?" I ask, placing my hand on his thigh. His thigh jerks out from under my hand and I put it back in my lap.
"Tell me what's wrong! Please..." I plead with him. He sighs and I get down on my knees in front of him.
"Everything. I thought I loved her, and then all this happens and...God dammit Katie, I thought you would have been able to contain yourself!" He yells.
"What?" I ask. He's surely not trying to blame me for this?
"I thought you would have had enough sense not to touch her! Now she'll make up some cock-and-bull story and you'll be the one in trouble! What's gotten into you?" He demands. I stand up, looking down at him.
"Oh, PARDON ME for trying to defend your name. And if I'm not mistaken, YOU are the one that beat Flint into a bloody pulp last night!" I scream. More birds take flight at my outburst. The sky gets darker with each passing second.
"That was different!" Oliver yells, standing up to his full height. So now I'm looking up to him again.
"How so?!" I counter.
"Flint was hurting you physically. Lore was just doing it verbally. I can take the verbal abuse, Katie. I'm used to it now!" He bellows in my face. That's it. THAT'S IT.
"You think you've taken a lot of verbal abuse?! I've been getting it EVERY DAMN DAY since we got to Hogwarts! I've taken beatings from other girls in the halls because I hang out with you. They sent me hate mail, and when you weren't listening they'd hiss in my ear that I was a slut and I wasn't good enough for you. Well you know what?! I guess they're right!" I scream and storm off. Rain starts to softly fall, getting heavier and heavier with each step away from Oliver I take. Weather matches my mood today. It always does.
"That was then! This is now!" He yells after me. I stop in my tracks.
"You just don't get it do you?!" I yell, storming back over to him. The rain is falling heavily now, and my hair is starting to plaster itself to my face.
"I guess I don't! Enlighten me! Oh whoop dee doo! You got crap from everyone during school-"
"I STILL get it!" I shriek, whirling around on him. "When people find out that I'm your roommate they stay away from me, and only approach me to call me a whore, or a bitch, or to 'accidentally' push me into oncoming traffic! You don't know what it's like!" I scream. I can't tell what are tears and what are rain drops...
Oliver just looks at me. I can barely see his eyes, but I know they're looking at me.
"Why is it such a big deal that I punched Lore? Oh I'm sorry, I forgot. You love her!" I yell sarcastically. I see his lips move, but I don't catch it. Trying to redeem yourself?
"What was that, Wood?" I ask angrily, putting a hand to my ear.
"I said I don't love her! I never did!"
Ooh, CLIFFIE!!! Dont kill me! My day's been bad enough! Some skater elbowed me in the face, and during pe, someone stole 30 dollars out of my wallet ::sniff sniff:: but what goes around, comes around.
::ahem:: anyways, I hope you guys liked that, and see! It IS a KBOW fic, for all you doubters. Sheeseh, think i catergorized it wrong or sumthin? Gotta have faith, people! Anyways, on to the hall of fame!
-Heather
-inu-kokoro
-devilishly dreamy
-paradise-uknown (haha, i LOVE reading your reviews! They're always so great. So here's your chappie! Maybe if you leave me another extra long review ch 14 will come up shortly...heheh...)
-imrad
-XTrueTillTheEndX (thank you! Im glad to know i'm loved!)
-Crying-Pixie (happy friday!!)
-CrackingUp (don't worry! they will! so just put....the gun.....down.....)
-soccer-bitch
-lindalee4
-GypsyJade (even tho i think katie did a number on him....here ya go. have fun now, sweetie! ::hands bat back::)
-Creepy Susie
-SumeR'sGirl (yay! ducks!)
-lia06
-endlessromance
-ShadowStar21 (DEEPLY disturbed, he is)