Chapter 5
"Hi, Katie." Katie looked up from her Charms essay to see Cedric Diggory standing in front of her. The past week had gone incredibly fast; it amazed her that she already had a pile of homework even though they had only been back in school for just under a week. Although, she was extremely happy that tomorrow was Saturday, and for once she didn't have Quidditch practice.
Her stomach did a somersault as she said, "Hey Cedric. Can I help you with something?" Cedric looked at her poised quill and the half-written essay in front of her and an expression of realization came over his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you're busy I'll just—"
"NO, no. I'm not busy at all." Katie smiled warmly and put her quill down. She took her bag off the seat next to her so Cedric could sit down. He looked at the chair and, smiling, sat down in it.
"Well I was just wonder if ... I mean if you're not going with anyone that is ... and not that you wouldn't be ... I mean there's lots of guys that would want to take you ... to Hogsmeade ... but –"
"Cedric are you trying to ask me to go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend?"
"Well, yeah. Would you?" Cedric swallowed hard and smiled sheepishly.
"I'd love to!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'll meet you outside the Gryffindor Common Room tomorrow at 10. Okay?" Katie smiled and willed herself not to blush.
"Okay, 10 o'clock. It's a date." Katie's stomach did innumerable flip-flops as Cedric smiled, got up, and walked out of the Library.
Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory
"You're what?!"
"Chill out, Angie. Katie what exactly are you saying?"
"I'm saying that Cedric Diggory and I are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow ... together!" Angelina and Alicia squealed as Katie smiled and continued rifling through her wardrobe.
"Oh my god!" Angelina grinned from ear to ear.
"Cedric Diggory is like the hottest thing since ... Oliver!"
"Yes?" Oliver, Fred, and George were standing in the doorway. The girls burst out laughing when they realized who had spoken. "Did you need me for something?"
"No, no. Alicia was just saying that Cedric Diggory is the hottest thing since you!"
"Oh, that hurts Katie. It really does." Fred and George put their hands over their hearts and gave Katie a mock hurt expression. "Why the sudden interest in Diggory, anywho?" Fred and George noticed the nervous expression on Oliver's face as they all sat down.
"He asked Katie to Hogsmeade!"
"Alicia!" Katie chucked a pillow at Alicia and it hit her square in the face.
"What?!"
"Arg! Now he'll get the third degree!"
Oliver had apparently not been listening for the past few seconds and asked, "Cedric Diggory? I thought he was in love with that Chang chick?" Oliver's voice sounded hopeful, but Katie was too wrapped up in her wardrobe to notice.
"Nah, that was over last year." Angelina waved her hand dismissively.
"And what do you know about this Diggory bloke?" Fred's expression had turned serious. What most people didn't know was that the Weasley twins were fiercely protective of their friends. Katie, Angelina, and Alicia hadn't had a boyfriend that didn't go through Oliver and the twins.
"See what you did Alicia?!" Katie sighed and threw herself on her bed dramatically.
"Well you didn't honestly think he was going to get off the hook did you?" George asked.
"Well no, I suppose not. But I was hoping that we could have one date before the investigation!" Katie looked at Oliver who was being uncharacteristically silent. She was about to ask him what was wrong, but decided to do it later. She got up and started looking through her trunk again.
"That's silly. If he can't survive the twins then he doesn't deserve you." Alicia smiled as she started to look through her own wardrobe.
"But since when is Diggory in the running at all?" George asked through a shirt that had hit him in the face and stuck there in the girls' mad rush to find Katie the perfect outfit. He casually removed it, examined it for a moment, and then threw it on the ground.
"He's never not been in the running!" Katie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He's hot, smart, sweet, nice."
"In short, he's perfect!" Angelina exclaimed excitedly before noticing Fred's confused, angry expression. "Oh Fred, he's perfect for Katie, not me!" Fred smiled at Angelina fondly as she turned and started rifling through her clothes again.
"That's it!" Katie held up a black top triumphantly.
"Not that one!" Alicia and Angelina simultaneously wrinkled up their noses. Anticipating the onslaught of even more estrogen-induced banter, Fred, George, and Oliver exchanged meaningful looks and quickly left the Girls' Dormitory.
Who Knows Where
Before Cedric knew what was happening he found himself in a chair with a bright white light shining down on his head. The room around him was pitch black; he didn't know there was anyone else there until he heard a voice.
"Is it true that you've asked one, Katherine Bell, to accompany you to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"
"Umm ... yes." It was more of a question than a statement, but the voice continued seemingly unphased.
"What prompted you to do this?"
"Well Katie's nice and beautiful and umm ... smart." Cedric swallowed hard, wracking his brain trying to figure out what was going on.
"Do you intend to follow up and pursue a more serious relationship with one, Katherine Bell?"
"I don't know ... I hope so." The voice tisked, but continued. The questions went on for what seemed like hours. They encompassed everything from Katie, to Cedric's family, his marks, everything you could think of, especially his relationship with Cho Chang and why it had so abruptly ended.
"Would you take advantage of one, Katherine Bell, in any way?" Cedric almost recoiled at the thought of doing something like that to Katie.
"No," he said definitively. Suddenly the lights switched on, making him groan and close his eyes tightly. He squinted and looked around the room; he was in the Room of Requirement, although he had no idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was being in the Library reading up on a growth Potion. Standing in front of him were Fred and George Weasley and Oliver Wood. The latter was looking a tad bit green, while the twins smiled mischievously.
"Thanks for your time Cedric. Remember to be true to that answer." Before he could say anything, they were gone.
Gryffindor Common Room
"Hey you." Katie flopped down on the couch and laid her head in Oliver's lap. He put down the book he was reading and smirked at her.
"Hi. Something I can help you with?"
"Well I have a couple questions for you." Katie smiled as Oliver ran a hand through her long, dark brown hair.
"Ok, shoot."
"Firstly, you didn't torture him too badly did you?" Oliver laughed; he knew exactly whom Katie was talking about.
"No, Diggory is still in one piece, don't worry about that."
"Ok and secondly, what's with you today?" Oliver looked away quickly, avoiding Katie's eyes. "Oliver?"
"Nothing." Katie sighed, sat up, and, putting her hands on either side of his head, forced him to look at her.
"Ol', if you really think I'm going to believe that then you need to get your brain checked out." Oliver sighed and took Katie's hands with his own, but didn't look away.
"I'm just worried about you is all ... he doesn't deserve you, you know." Katie smiled and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her best friend.
"Oliver, according to you no mere mortal deserves me. You've done your investigation and have obviously not found anything exceedingly abnormal about him." Oliver sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, nothing mad crazy. But still, Kate."
"I know. But you have to trust my judgment, okay?"
"It's not just that easy. I may trust your judgment, but that doesn't mean I trust him!" Katie squeezed Oliver's hands reassuringly.
"I promise you that if anything, anything at all, happens that I'm not completely okay with, I will call you immediately." Oliver forced a smile.
"Okay, I guess that's the best I'll get out of you." Katie laughed and hugged Oliver tightly.
"You up to getting you ass whopped in a game of chess?"
"Always." Oliver smiled and Katie returned it as she took out a chessboard and started setting it up.
A/N: Awww don't you just love Oliver? Hope you all liked this chapter. Although, I'm a little hurt I didn't get any reviews for chapters 3 or 4 ... I hope that changes soon! Please review!
