Reposted this chapter as well. Only made a few changes. ;)

Please go check out Being for the Benefit of Mr. Wood by Elbereth. She is such a wonderful author!

Notes to all my reviewers are at the bottom, along with another note.

xxx

"Katie!" Oliver quickly grabbed her limp body into his arms before her head hit the ground. Students gathered around the two Gryffindors, gasping and staring.

"What happened to her?"

"Is she okay?"

"What's going on?"

Question after question poured through the Great Hall. Suddenly the crowd parted, letting a teacher through. Professor McGonagall soon appeared before the two students from her house.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Wood?" she questioned when she saw the unconscious chaser on the floor.

"She...she fell..." Oliver stammered, holding Katie closer.

"Has she been hurt?" McGonagall asked, kneeling beside them. She brushed some of Katie's hair from her face and looked her over, checking for anything out of place.

"I don't think so, professor," he said, frowning with worry. "I've been with her all morning."

McGonagall nodded. "Let's get Miss Bell to the hospital wing. Can you carry her?"

"Sure." Oliver slid one of his arms under Katie's legs, the other supporting her neck. When he lifted her, her head lolled back. Professor McGonagall walked in front, making the students clear away so the three of them could get out of the Hall.

They walked through the chilled corridors. Many other students stopped and stared as they passed. Oliver ignored them, instead concentrating on keeping a firm hold on the girl in his arms. After a long five minutes, they reached the open door of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey rushed forward.

"What happened?" She looked from Katie to Professor McGonagall to Wood, who answered.

"She said she felt sick, then she just...fell." The healer gestured for him to lay Katie on a nearby bed.

"Has Miss Bell complained before this?" She quickly flitted around the room, gathering things from cabinets and shelves.

"No…" Oliver thought for a moment. "But she told me earlier today that she hasn't had much of an appetite." Although Katie was now on the bed, he refused to release her hand.

Madam Pomfrey came back over to the girl and took her temperature. "Hundred one," She shook her head and placed a wet cloth across Katie's forehead. "Perhaps she's caught something. But at the moment, I can do nothing about it."

"Why can't you?" Wood looked at Katie, whose face was quickly going pale.

"Because I don't know what caused her illness." Pomfrey picked up a jar and took off the lid. A strong smell came from the liquid as it was poured into a measuring glass. "Help me lift her so we can get some of this into her system."

Oliver obeyed and lifted Katie's upper body from the bed, supporting her head. The healer put the glass to the girl's mouth and tipped the orange liquid in. Katie coughed and choked, but eventually the contents disappeared from the glass. He lowered her still semi-lifeless body back to the pillows.

"What was that?" the Keeper asked.

"A concoction to get her fever down." Madam Pomfrey looked down at Katie. "Hopefully it will also help her wake." She switched her gaze to Professor McGonagall, who had stood back. "Miss Bell should stay here for now."

McGonagall nodded. "Of course. We shall leave you be, then. Come along, Wood."

But Oliver didn't move. "Professor?" He looked at her. "Can I stay with Katie, at least until she wakes up?"

The teacher glanced at Madam Pomfrey, who gave a slight nod. "It may do the girl some good to come back to a familiar face. After all, she hasn't been here since she fell off her broom in second year. She may not know where she is."

"Very well." McGonagall sighed and walked to the door. She turned and looked at Wood, a stern expression covering her aged face. "But you must come down for supper. I don't want you cooped up in here for too long."

"Yes, Professor," Wood said as she left.

Madam Pomfrey turned to him, smiling. "It's very sweet of you to care so much for your friend. There's a chair against the wall, if you'd like. I'm going to go get a late lunch from the kitchens." With that she left as well, leaving him alone with the unconscious Katie.

Oliver got the chair and put it as close to the bed as he could before sitting in it. He took Katie's hand in both of his and leaned forward so he was propped on the mattress. The girl in front of him looked nothing like the girl he had played Quidditch with just an hour ago. Katie had only ever been sick once, as far as he could remember.

When they were six and seven, they had gone out to the creek behind Oliver's house in Scotland. It was a cool day in late April, and it seemed to be the perfect day for a "water war". The two ended up soaked, but didn't bother going back to the house to dry off. Instead, Katie ran into the woods with Oliver chasing her.

They spent the rest of the day outside, picking flowers or climbing trees, before finally heading back home after the sun had set. The next day, Mrs. Bell called the Woods and told them that Katie couldn't go over; she was sick and being taken to the doctor. Mrs. Bell was a Muggle, and although she didn't mind the fact that her husband was a wizard, she refused for her daughter to be treated with magic. So Katie was taken to the hospital, where she spent the next week and a half with pneumonia.

Little Oliver felt very guilty, since he knew if they hadn't been wet, she wouldn't have gotten sick. His mother had taken him to visit her every day and when she got home, Oliver brought her wild flowers from the large field they had played in before she took ill. Katie had pressed the flowers before they died, and he knew that she still had them in a large volume of Muggle history back at home. He hadn't known it at the time, but his best friend had been very close to her death.

Oliver was brought back to the present by a soft moan. He looked up to see Katie's blue eyes flutter open before closing tightly again. Her fingers clutched at his hands.

"Wood? Where am I?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. "What happened?"

Oliver brought up one of his hands to stroke her cheek. "You're in the hospital wing."

"My head…" Katie tried to bring her own hand up to her face but stopped when pain shot through her body.

Wood took the cloth from her forehead and pressed it gently across her face. "You have a fever," he said softly. "You collapsed in the Great Hall. Do you remember?"

"Not very well...I felt lightheaded..."

"It's okay," He leaned down to give her a hug. It was not an easy thing to do, so he gently laid the upper part of his body on her chest and slid an arm under her shoulder. "I was worried about you," he whispered into her ear. In reply, Katie brought her arm up wrapped it across his back, ignoring the pain it caused, and held him to her.

"I'm fine," she said into his hair. Oliver's grasp on her hand tightened.

"I don't know if I should believe you," he said, laughing. "I was really worried, Bell. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you; you mean so much to me," he mumbled into her warm neck. "Katie, I -"

He was interrupted when Madam Pomfrey came back. Oliver quickly sat up, a light blush covering his cheeks. "You're awake!" she gasped. "Wonderful!" The healer walked over to a table and poured more of the orange liquid into a glass. She brought it over to Katie. "Drink this. I know it doesn't taste very good, but it will lessen your fever."

Katie did as she was told and brought the cup to her lips. She drank it all, a disgusted look on her face the entire time.

"You're going to have to stay here for the night, sweetie." Madam Pomfrey smiled down at her. "I hope you don't mind?"

"No...of course not." Katie laid back into the pillows, still holding Oliver's hand.

"Good." Pomfrey patted her arm. "I'm sorry that you have to be the only one here tonight." Katie only nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go ask Professor Snape about a few potions. In the meantime, get some rest." The healer left again, leaving Oliver and Katie in silence.

"What time is it?" Katie asked quietly.

"Around two, I think." Oliver sighed. "Professor McGonagall gave me permission to stay with you until dinner."

"Thanks," She squeezed his hand. "I don't really want to be alone."

"I don't blame you for that!" he laughed. "Are you sure you're not sick?"

"I think I am." Katie smiled, knowing what he wanted her to say. "You were right."

"I know you better than you know yourself," he stated.

"Indeed," Silence fell between them again and Katie closed her eyes. The throbbing in her head was ever so slowly dissipating; the mysterious ailment was waning.

Oliver watched as his friend fell asleep. The color was coming back to her face, which was surely a good sign. It was so odd to him that this very healthy girl would be taken so suddenly by an illness not even Madam Pomfrey could identify.

He looked down at their entwined hands. Katie's long fingers were clinging loosely to his own. Their skin seemed to be almost the same cream color. Having grown up near Aberdeen in Scotland, they didn't get much sun. He shook his head, laughing at himself for finding things like skin color interesting.

Oliver knew very well that he had fallen for his best friend years ago, but never acted upon it for fear that she had no such feelings for him. Between this revelation and now, he had not once had a girlfriend, so to speak. He refused to even look at all the girls that fawned over him, deciding to be devoted entirely to Katie even if she didn't know it.

Madam Pomfrey returned and, not wanting to disturb the sleeping patient, went to her office and closed the door softly behind her.

xxx

Katie slept for the next few hours, Oliver never leaving her side. He was staring at her face when she finally opened her eyes again. The blue depths had a sparkle in them, showing that she probably felt better.

"How long was I asleep?" Katie asked after a moment, her voice fuller than it had been.

"About three hours, would be my guess," Oliver shrugged.

"Three...three hours?" Her eyes were wide. "You stayed here with me for three hours?"

"Why not?" Wood smiled.

"Don't you have other things to do than sit in the hospital wing with someone who was asleep?" Katie grinned up at him.

"Of course not." Oliver brought their connected hands to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles.

Katie had no time to reply before Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to be interrupting them at the most awkward times, emerged from her office.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake again," she said with a large smile. "You look at bit better as well, which is always a good thing." The healer turned to Oliver, her smile turning a bit sad. "Mr. Wood, I'm sorry to say that it is nearly time for diner. You wouldn't wish to upset your professor, would you?"

Oliver looked at Katie, who looked back and said, "After you've eaten, could you bring me the book beside my bed, please? If I'm going to be here all night, I should at least have something to read." The last part was whispered, and a sly smile played on her lips. Wood knew that she hated to be bored, and reading was her favorite thing to do, other than Quidditch of course.

He laughed. "Sure."

Madam Pomfrey turned to the door, where two first years limped inside. "I fell off my broom," one said, knowing that he'd be in trouble for even being near the broom shed, which was off limits for anyone not on the Quidditch teams (it was a known fact that sometimes fans of the teams would try to curse the brooms inside to get their favorites to win).

"Yeah!" the other student added. "He fell on me!"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head and led the boys to the far end of the room.

Katie laughed. "That's just like you," she said to her friend.

"Yes, it is. But I believe you'd have been right beside me the entire time, Miss. Partner-In-Crime."

She hit his arm playfully. "You know I would have been. Now go to dinner before McGonagall gets mad at you. Don't forget my book!"

"Of course not." Oliver stood and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't like it when you're sick."

"The last time I was sick, we were six. I doubt you remember it that fully!"

"You were six, I was seven," he retorted. "And I remember it quite well. I hated that Muggle hospital."

"I know," she smiled up at him.

Wood lingered for a moment before turning and leaving the hospital wing. Katie watched his retreating back, wishing that he was still there to keep her company.

xxx

"Wood!" Alicia yelled out to him as soon as he entered the Great Hall. "Where have you been?"

Oliver took a seat between Alicia and Fred at the Gryffindor table. Angelina looked at him with mild interest from across the table.

"Where's Katie?" the dark-skinned girl asked.

"Yes," George added from his place beside Angelina. "Last time we saw her, she was in the locker room with you. Have you two been naughty?" Fred snorted at his brother's comment.

Wood shot the twins an angry glare before he answered Angelina's question. "She's sick. I've been with her in the hospital wing all afternoon."

"Sick?" Alicia repeated, startled. "She was fine this morning!"

"Is she all right?" Ange asked, worried.

"She wasn't doing too well when I brought her up to Pomfrey, but she seems almost fine now." The captain scanned the stunned faces of the rest of the team.

"What happened?" Fred questioned seriously.

Oliver sighed. "She was okay until we came up for lunch. She said she hadn't had much of an appetite."

"Yeah," Alicia mused. "She hasn't eaten - in front of me, anyway - for a day or so."

Wood nodded. "When we stood to go back up to the common room, she collapsed."

Angelina gasped. "She's not hurt?"

"No." He shook his head and started filling his plate. "But Madam Pomfrey said she couldn't do much until she knows what Katie's ailment is."

"Well, I hope she figures it out soon!" George stated truthfully.

"So do I."

xxxx

Oliver wound his way from the common room and into the cold corridors. The sun was still up but was sinking slowly over the horizon, casting the halls in evening shadows. He pulled his robes closer around him and clutched the book to his chest, feeling the chill in the air.

He had been walking for a few minutes when he heard talking in the hall around the corner. He recognized the sneering voice of Flint and others from the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Stupid girl," one of them laughed. "Didn't even know that there was something in the water. Probably too thirsty to care. Idiot captain works them to dehydration. Not that I care..."

"Who said cheating wasn't enjoyable?" Flint asked his companions. "Did you see the look on Wood's face?" The group laughed and kept walking down the hall. "Of course I had no idea it would take that long for my potion to take effect. But it was worth the wait!"

Another Slytherin mocked what must have been Wood. "Oh no! Someone help!"

"Priceless," Flint said.

The voices moved down the hall toward the dungeons. Once he could no longer hear the laughter, Oliver ran the rest of the way to the hospital wing. Rushing into the large chamber, he glanced around for Pomfrey, who was in her office, and Katie, who was in the same bed as before.

She heard him come in and looked up. "Oliver? What's the matter?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Poison," he growled. "Flint poisoned you!"

"What?" Katie asked, aghast. "Oliver, calm down. What happened? How do you know this?"

"I heard the bloody brat say it!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down. He waved the book in the air. "He called you stupid! Laughed that you couldn't taste it!"

Katie got out of the bed and went over to her friend. "Shush, Oliver," she said quietly. "How would I have gotten it in me? I don't remember being offered any food from them, and someone would have seen them near the table at breakfast that morning."

"He probably slipped it in your water bottle when we were on the pitch! We're all thirsty after a practice! Of course you wouldn't have noticed if it tasted odd!" He moved away from her, red with anger.

"Oliver!" Katie tried to calm her nearly hysterical friend. "Oliver, please!"

"He poisoned you, Katie!" Wood grasped her shoulders and stared at her. "He had someone put a potion that he had made into your water, knowing that you'd drink it and be none the wiser! That dirty, no good-"

Katie put her finger to his lips, stopping him mid-sentence. "Hush." He did as he was told and quieted. "It's all right."

"But it's not!" He cupped her face in his large hands, the book falling to the floor, and stared into her eyes. "It's not all right. He could hurt someone if he keeps this up! Something needs to be done about him!"

Katie wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "Don't do anything rash," she whispered into his ear. "Tell a professor."

Oliver sighed and returned the hug, circling his arms around her waist and leaning his head against hers. "I just don't like the fact that Flint made you sick. I enjoy thinking I can protect you from people like him." He buried his face in her neck, which was still burning with fever.

Katie didn't say anything; instead she stood there letting Oliver hold her until he had cooled down. After a few minutes, though, she became a bit lightheaded again.

"Oliver," she breathed, "I need to lie back down."

Wood pulled away and nodded. Katie walked over to the bed and leaned against the fluffy pillow. "Please don't do anything that could get you in trouble," She looked up at him with wide eyes. He didn't say anything. "Promise me, Oliver. Nothing rash." She reached her hand out to him. "Don't sink to his level."

"I promise," he whispered, taking her hand in his own. "But he just can't get away with this."

She pulled him over to sit on the bed beside her. "It seems as though whatever he made, he didn't do a good job." She laughed. "I know very well that the potion is much too advanced for him. Made properly, it would have taken effect almost immediately and wouldn't have caused loss of appetite." She thought for a moment. "But of course, the whole loss of appetite thing could have been my fault. That happens to me sometimes, mostly during the summer. My empty stomach probably messed with the effects. It should be gone by tomorrow."

"But you shouldn't have been sick to begin with!" Oliver said, frustrated.

Katie just shook her head, amused by his stubbornness. "Where's my book?" she asked.

"Oh," He stood and went to retrieve it from the ground where it had fallen. "Here."

"Thanks." She took it from him and set it on the table beside the bed. "Now listen to me, Oliver," she said seriously, "Go back to your room and rest. Clear your mind and don't think about this anymore, or at least not tonight. Tomorrow we'll go talk to McGonagall, okay? Don't act on impulse, especially if that impulse involves punching a certain Marcus Flint."

Oliver smiled. "Okay," he said. "Sleep well, Katie." He squeezed her hand before leaving.

Once he had walked off down the hall, Katie sighed and pulled a blanket over her body. It was still much too early for her to actually sleep, however much Madam Pomfrey wished her to. She picked up the book Wood had brought to her and opened it. But she couldn't read; her head was filled with too many thoughts.

"He poisoned you!" Oliver had said. Why in the world would someone, even Flint, poison her? Deep in her heart, though, she knew the answer, and no matter how much she hated it, it rang true. Flint was a filthy Quidditch player. He did this only so Gryffindor would loose the upcoming match. No other reason than the simple need to win. It was disgusting. Who really cared that much about a sport? Or at least enough to cheat so terribly?

Pomfrey came out of her office holding a glass filled with green liquid. "Drink this, sweetie. Professor Snape made it for me, so I know it'll work to get rid of your fever."

Katie took the glass and downed the contents. It didn't taste as bad as the other stuff, which was a good thing.

The healer looked down at the blond girl. "It's so strange," she mused. "The fever is the only thing resembling an illness. I just don't understand."

Katie was about to tell her the reason she had become sick, but she would wait for Wood to add his own reason for McGonagall.

"Well, sweetie, I'm off to bed. There's a little bell on your nightstand," Pomfrey pointed at a silver bell. "Just ring it if you need anything." She snapped her fingers and the candles around the room flickered out. "Sleep well," She turned and left Katie alone in the dark with her thoughts.

Strangely enough, the last image that flashed through her mind before she fell asleep was of Oliver.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sylandra Collins I agree with you whole heartedly. )

Elbereth Thanks for mentioning me! You made me blush! Did the librarian mind your little dance?

kat6528 Wouldn't it be great if our lives were like those of our favorite characters? Hehe...I liked the locket idea, too.

AcidGirl Sorry about that! Sometimes I don't catch everything that's wrong with grammar. It's hard to fix things on your own story, especially since you read it in your mind instead of what's on the paper (or screen). I'll go back and change that in just a moment. Thanks for the compliments! )

Kat86 Thank you very much for pointing out Oliver's year. After I read your review, I pulled out my copy of Goblet of Fire and reread the chapter until I found it. Thanks again!

QueenAnne Favorite stories! .:Blush:. Thank you!

Jessica Thank you, sis! D I think I'll need your help with it soon, though. You know more about Harry Potter than I do! Call me!

Scatterbrain Did this chapter answer some of your questions?

Thank you to:

AprilSkrutin

blueskywillow555

Anne

Elissa (Not Elbereth )

Tara

Diana

All of you left such nice reviews, but nothing I could comment on. Thank you, thank you, thank you anyway! D