Author's Note: A huge thank you to all my reviewers. I love you all! Sorry if I took more than three months to update this chapter. I'll acknowledge those great people who have reviewed my previous chapters. You are my ultimate source of inspiration.
P.S. The Prisoner of Azkaban movie is out! I've heard that Sean's not appearing in it. Sad, isn't it? I'll stop raving now. By the way, this chapter is longer than usual, to make up for procrastinating.
Peachgirl1608 Sorry for the long wait. Thanks a million for reviewing my story. I will review your fics as soon as possible; and don't worry, they are great =)
Ice and Fire Vanessa Thank you for reviewing. Your fics are good. Continue updating!
Steph Thanks a lot for reviewing!
handsomedevilfan Your review is greatly appreciated =)
HermioneG7 You are a great reviewer too! And your fic is awesome, update ASAP =)
Kathy You rock too! I'll update as soon as I find inspiration for my next chapter. Oliver is a good guy, he just needs motivation ;)
Leslie Thank you so much! You should read other KO fics, there're so many great ones out there!
DarkAngelFallen Glad you like the KO pairing! It rocks!
Disclaimer: All that seems familiar belongs to J.K.Rowling.
Chapter 4: Arch Nemesis?
"Wake up Katie! Get your lazy arse out of bed! Breakfast ends in five minutes!"
Katie opened her eyes blearily. A rather frustrated face swam above her. A muffled sentence "Quit torturing my eardrums, Alica!" was heard from her pillow before she went back to slumber land.
Alicia was persistent and resorted to jumping on her friend's bed, waking up a startled and annoyed Katie. Katie closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She muttered under her breath "One, two, three" and swiftly kicked Alicia in the shin, causing her to fall off the bed. Alicia rubbed her shin ruefully.
"Oof, what was that for, Kates?! Someone here is definitely not a morning person."
"Took you seven whole years to realize that? Oh my, how slow you are." Katie shot back candidly. She glanced casually at her clock, which currently was displaying the words: "You're late, girl! Better hurry up!" A stunned yelp broke the silence.
"Holy Christ! I'm late for class. Worst still, it's Potions! Snape will skin me for sure!"
"That, my dear Katie, is precisely the point I've been trying to reinforce into your head the whole morning. Plus, you have no more time to eat. Good luck on surviving this morning. And for goodness sake, wake up earlier tomorrow." Alicia added disdainfully, before closing the door behind her with a click.
Katie groaned in despair. But she had no time to sit around and mope. Dashing into the bathroom, she grabbed a brush and yanked it through her golden hair, at the same time changing into her robes. Seizing all the piles of parchment and stuffing it into her bulging bag, Katie wheezed out the password to the Fat Lady and rushed towards the Potions dungeon at the far end of the castle at an uncanny speed, all hopes of having a breakfast relinquished.
As she passed the corridors, she glimpsed at a hallway mirror and paused. There was something different about her this morning but she could not put her finger on it. Suddenly she gasped; she had forgotten to tie her hair! Her normally tied up ponytail was now cascading over her shoulders. She plunged her hand in her bag, searching frantically for a barrette, but to no avail. Just then, the bell she was dreading rung. Cursing a string of words her parents would have been appalled to hear, Katie ran to the Potions dungeon with no time to waste. She hoped that Snape was still in his headquarters. She stepped into the classroom and groaned silently.
"Well, Miss Bell has finally decided to join us for lesson ten minutes after the bell. That will be twenty points from Gryffindor for your tardiness, Miss Bell, and sit down immediately or I'll make it fifty." Snape drawled in glee in his silky, oily voice, exultant at the prospect of having the opportunity to dock points from his least favourite house.
"Yes, professor." Katie gritted her teeth and hurriedly scanned the room for vacant seats. To her horror, the only available seat was next to her arch nemesis, Marcus Flint. It was no new news that Flint fancied Katie and had tried to get her in any way possible, which was a thought too revolting to contemplate. However, she had no choice but to plunk her bottom on the seat next to Flint, and ignore the sniggers the Slytherins were making. Snape, nevertheless, pretended he had not noticed anything; but he gave himself away as the corners of his mouth curled into a half-grin-and-half-sneer as he surveyed the scene with amusement. He then turned to write the ingredients required on the board.
"Good morning, Bell. Glad that you find me so attractive. Looking good as usual." Marcus grinned at Katie, baring his white teeth at her.
"Like I have a choice, Flint. Shut up or you'll have a knuckle sandwich. Free of charge." Katie replied fiercely, curling up her hands into fists.
"Ooh, feisty. But that's what makes you so alluring." Flint whispered, and draped his arm around Katie's chair.
Katie wisely chose to ignore her stalker and instead looked around the room, her eyes resting on Oliver Wood. He was glaring at Flint with a steely glint in his eye, as though daring him to touch Katie. Katie found this oddly comforting, for it seemed as though Wood was her protector. As Oliver caught Katie staring at him with an anomalous look, he smirked at her and turned back to work on his Quidditch play, hoping with all his heart that Bell was falling for him.
Snape whirled back to the class, his voice veiled with slyness.
"For this potion, you will be working in partners. Ingredients needed in front, cauldrons in front of you, begin now."
Katie scowled and turned to Flint. "Go get the ingredients. Hurry up." Surprisingly, Flint obeyed her, winking at her as he strolled towards the front.
"Now Flint, since you appear to suck at potions, just hand me the ingredients. If you want to pass this time."
"No way, Bell. On the contrary, I do not suck at potions." Flint said and grabbed the newt's tail, slicing it up neatly and throwing the pieces into the cauldron.
"Fine, we'll split the work."
An hour later, they were done. To Katie's surprise, the pale blue liquid simmering in their cauldron was equivalent to the one in their book. Snape walked around the room, stopping at Marcus and Katie's cauldron.
"It appears that only Mister Flint and Miss Bell have fully mastered the making of the Shrinking Potion. Those who have not, a ten-inch essay on steps of making and uses of this potion. It will be due next lesson. You are dismissed."
The class groaned loudly, except for the successful pair that had escaped Snape's wrath.
Katie jaw dropped in amazement. So Flint was pretty good at Potions.
Marcus smirked smugly, noticing the expression on Katie's face.
"Astonished, my dear Bell?"
Turning around to face her partner, she choked out, "Well, sort of. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Just don't underestimate the power of men." He answered, and strode out of the door.
"All right, Bell? Did he do anything to you?" A concerned voice behind her said. Katie turned around.
"No, he didn't. Thank you for being my 'protector.'" Katie grinned cheekily at Oliver, punching him lightly in the chest and bounded out of the door to a waiting Angelina and Alicia.
"Now, now, Bell. And you still deny your feelings for your Quidditch Captain? That was outrageous flirting!" Angelina said in a reproving tone, shaking her head.
"What?! Nonsense, Ange. I was just thanking him for something he had done."
"Yeah, right." Alicia said sarcastically, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
As Oliver watched Katie and her friends disappear into the distance, he thought:
Protector? When can I ever surpass as a protector for the marvelous, gorgeous, charming Katie Bell?
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