Reviewers are my new best friends. And I'm sorry if you thought the last chapter sucked. I'll try to make it up to you.
"Try learning to fly, promise I'll catch you when you fall out of the sky."
The next morning, Katie woke up and immediately wished she could have slept forever. She lay awake, contemplating what to do. Her thoughts were interrupted as a knock on her bedroom door cut through the silence of her room. The door quietly opened and Oliver appeared.
"Hey," Katie mumbled, running her fingers through her tangled hair. Oliver sat down on the edge of her bed and smiled, pushing her hair out of her face.
"You OK?" he asked. Katie nodded.
"I guess I just...............I don't know. Seeing all of the fighting just kind of reminded me of it all."
Oliver nodded. "Do you want to go for a walk or something and you know...............talk?"
"Sure." Katie slid out of bed and hugged him. "Just let me get dressed." Oliver nodded again and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Katie sighed and sat back down on the bed. She looked over at the pictures that lined her mirror and thought about the memories she had before her experiences with Roger. Her favorite picture was one of the Gryffindor team, having just won the quidditch cup. She watched herself jump on Fred's back and laugh wildly as Fred blindly ran into Oliver. She smiled at the simplicity of the moment, where everyone was so carefree. She sighed once more before getting up to get dressed.
"The first time he did it," Katie said. "I didn't know what to think. I was just scared and confused and hurt. It was like, I didn't understand what was going on. And then he apologized, so I forced myself to believe everything would be OK. But it wasn't. Things only got worse. There were times where, after he hit me, I would just sit alone and think 'What have I done?' I didn't know what to do with myself."
"Why didn't you just leave him?" Oliver asked. "Or at least tell someone."
"I told you," Katie said. "I loved him. I know it's hard to understand, but I did."
"And when did you finally leave him?"
"When I found out he was cheating on me," Katie said softly. "Alicia told me she saw him kissing someone else and I trust her with my life, so I finally told him that it was over and I wasn't going to put up with him anymore. He tried to convince me he was sorry and never meant any of it, but I knew better. But, it wasn't until after, that I really understood. And, I don't mean just thought 'Oh, he beat me,' but I really understood. I would lie awake at nights, thinking about how betrayed I felt."
"You still could have told someone," Oliver said.
Katie nodded. "I know," she said. "And I don't know why I didn't. I just thought, or more like hoped, that it would all just turn out to be some horrible nightmare that I could escape from. Eventually, I began to see that I'd be OK, even though I was still hurt. I went out on a few dates even, but didn't let myself fall into anything serious. But I think I've begun to realize that I couldn't fall into anything serious, because I'd already fallen and hit the bottom. Even though I was dating again, I still had a place in my heart that reminded me, and I let it get a hold of me. I needed someone to pick me up and remind me that everything would be more than just OK." She smiled. "That's when you come into place."
"Katie, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I completely understand what you went through, because I haven't been through it myself. I don't think anyone can truly understand a situation unless having been through it themselves. But, I do understand that you've been more than hurt, and I want that to change."
"That's just it," Katie said. "It already has. Every night, I would lie awake and think, 'Am I always going to be alone?' And, it worried me and scared me, because I didn't know. But, I didn't want to be alone, because you do need someone to catch you when you fall. And, you do need someone that can make you feel like the world. I've learned that, to the world, you're just one person, but to one person, you are the world. I also learned that not everyone is like Roger Davies. I'm learning that some people can be trusted and that it's OK to smile sometimes. I'm learning to be me again." Oliver nodded and kissed her.
"Can I ask you something?" Katie nodded. "Why did you tell me?"
"Because............... I just got tired of keeping it in," Katie explained. "When I saw the two of you fighting, I just thought, 'This has to end. I'm sick of keeping this in.'"
"Are you going to tell Alicia?"
"I guess so. She kind of has the right to know," Katie said as they made their way into Katie's apartment. Alicia appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Get out!" she shrieked at Oliver. "Get the hell out!"
"Alicia, what-?"
"GET OUT!" Oliver and Katie looked at each other, both deeply confused. "Here," Alicia said, tossing Katie a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Read it."
A Puddlemere Scandal!
Oliver Wood, Puddlemere United Keeper, has reportedly been keeping the hearts of team Chasers Katie Bell and Brooke Holden. Miss Bell was reportedly seen leaving Mr. Wood's apartment last week and the two haven't been seen apart for a while.
However, Miss Holden claims that she and Mr. Wood are more than just teammates. She even told Prophet reporters that there are supposed wedding plans in the very near future. Holden also claims that Wood paid an extraordinary large amount of money to William Puddlemere, team owner and manager, to have Miss Bell put on the team. Other resources say that blackmail was also a part of the deal. Mr. Puddlemere was unavailable for comments.
Will this ordeal affect the team's concentration and level of playing? It looks like Oliver Wood has some decisions to make.
Katie looked up from the paper at Oliver. "Is it true?" she whispered, handing it to him. Oliver scanned through the article, eyes wide. "Was I really just a bagful of cash?"
"Katie, of course not," Oliver said. "This is all just a big-"
"Misunderstanding?" Katie finished. "Let me tell you something about misunderstanding. For a while, that's all my life was! Just a big misunderstanding. I was clueless. I was lost. I was nothing. I didn't understand a thing at all."
"Katie-she lied! I swear none of this is true!" Oliver said, tossing the paper on the floor. "You have to believe me."
"I don't know what to believe," Katie said softly. A small, tawny owl fluttered through the kitchen window, dropping a letter on the floor in front of Katie, before swooping back out the window. Katie opened up the letter and read through it. "It's from the team management," she said. "They want to meet with us in 20 minutes." She tossed the letter to Oliver.
"Katie," he said. "You have to believe me. I don't even like Brooke! And you know that you got on the team for real!" Katie shook her head and opened the front door.
"I'll see you in 20 minutes." And she slammed the door behind her.
"Mr. Puddlemere," Brooke said, sniffing and letting out a fake sob. "I don't know who did this and why, but it really hurts me!"
"There, there," Mr. Puddlemere said, patting Brooke on the back. Mr. Puddlemere was an elderly wizard, well into his seventies. He had a short, grey beard and a kind, gentle face. "This is going to cause a lot of trouble with Puddlemere United," he said. "Mr. Wood, you need to get things sorted out. We cannot afford to let this go any further."
"Sir, I told you," Oliver said. "There's no problem here! I never even dated Brooke!"
"Liar!" Brooke sobbed. She looked up, her eyes red and puffy. "I thought you loved me."
"You're the one who's lying!" Oliver exclaimed. "I never dated you!"
"Katie, you believe me, don't you?" Brooke sniffed. Katie looked down and then back up at Oliver.
"I..............don't know," she whispered.
"I thought we were friends!" Brooke cried. "I can't believe you did this to me! My life is ruined!"
"Now, listen here!" Mr. Puddlemere said sharply. "If you don't get things sorted out, none of you will play for this team. We will not let some silly scandal about your tangled love lives interfere!"
"There's no scandal!" Oliver half-yelled. "There wasn't and never will be anything between Brooke and me!" Brooke burst into more pathetic, fake sobs.
"Mr. Wood, I've heard enough. Why on earth would she make up such a thing as this?" Mr. Puddlemere snapped.
"Because she hates Katie!" Oliver said. "She doesn't want us to have anything to do with each other!" He turned to Brooke. "It's none of your damn business! Leave Katie alone! And leave me alone too!" He pushed his chair back and stormed out of the room.
Mr. Puddlemere looked from Katie to Brooke. "I don't know what exactly is going on here, nor do I want to know, but you need to fix it immediately. Do you hear me?" Brooke sniffed and Katie nodded. "Good. Then, go take care of things."
A bit short, I know, but I'm already working on the next chapter. I hope this was at least OK and you're not sitting there, thinking 'God, what a waste of time.' Anyway, next update will be soon! Review!