A/N: Just so you know, this fic will be slightly AU since I'm making Katie one year younger than Oliver. So this is how it goes:
Oliver Wood: 7th year
Angelina Johnson: 6th year
Fred/George Weasley: 6th year
Katie Bell: 6th year
Alicia Spinnet: 5th year
Yes, I know Katie is two years younger than Oliver. And yes I know Angelina and Alicia and the twins are in the same year together. Bear with me. Okay? Okay. )
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Simple enough to understand, I presume?
Chapter 2: Facades
(Katie's POV)
"Wake up Katie! The train leaves at 11!" I hear a very annoyed voice yell up from downstairs. Groaning, I turn over on my stomach, hiding my head under the pillow, trying to get back to sleep. I had finally fallen asleep at around 3:30 in the morning, and I had barely gotten 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
"KATHRYN ADRIANNA BELL! IF YOU DON'T GET UP THIS INSTANT, I WONT TAKE YOU TO THE PLATFORM!"
"All right, all right; I'm up now."
Yawning and stretching, I stumble out of bed to get ready. After a quick cold shower to wake me up properly, I wrap a towel around myself and go find something decent to wear. Putting on a pair of jeans and a fitted tank top, I then brush my hair, before staring at myself at the mirror, seeing the reflection of a girl with long curly dark brown hair and almond-shaped hazel eyes staring back at me. There are dark shadows under my eyes, telling the whole world I haven't been sleeping very well for the past few weeks or so.
Taking one last look around my room for any other things I forgot to pack, I drag my trunk down the stairs, hearing the dull thud of the trunk meeting the stairs. I enter the kitchen to see my mum setting down breakfast on the table. After shoving my disgruntled owl, Chester, a chestnut owl with hazel eyes like mine, into his cage, I sit down, grab a piece of toast and begin buttering it. By the time I'm done with breakfast, it's time to head out to Platform 9 3/4.
Sitting with my mum at the front seat of the car, I stared at the muggles walking around going through their day-to-day activities. My mum's a half-blood and my dad's a pureblood, so I've always grown up knowing both worlds quite well. I mean, magic's great and all but you can't beat muggle music. So after experimenting with my muggle stereo for ages at school, I finally found a way to make it work amongst all the magic and at the same time, also got Angie and Licia addicted to muggle music as well. Hah! I'm good, aren't I?
Arriving at the platform, I look around at the crowd before me. Parents (mainly mothers) crying as their beloved daughters and sons are about to leave their childhood homes to start a new life at Hogwarts, students running after their toads and cats, and friends greeting each other after two months, and already catching up on each other's summers. Lost in my own thoughts, I let out a shriek when I feel someone behind me prodding me in the side. I'm extremely ticklish, and my first reaction is to whack the person as hard as I can, on the head. I laugh as I come face to face with none other than George Weasley. I shake my head in a joking manner.
"You are absolutely hopeless. You know that, don't you?" I say, watching George rub his head grumpily.
"Yup! Don't you just love me for it, Katie, my dear?"
After another shove, I pick up one side of my trunk with one hand, and the cage of my owl with the other.
"So, have you found a compartment yet?" I ask, as George lifts the other side of my trunk, helping me lug it to the Hogwarts Express.
"Yeah, Fred and Oliver are already in it. I was just out here to look for you and the other girls," he replies. As we make our way amongst the thick stream of first-years, looking lost and scared, we finally arrived at a compartment. "Surprise, surprise," I thought, "Quidditch again." Then again, it's Oliver, so I actually should be relieved that he's still the same Quidditch-obsessed captain and friend of mine.
"Hey guys," I greet, "Had a good summer?" I sit down next to Oliver, leaving George to put away my trunk and owl.
"Thanks, Georgie, dear, you're such a wonderful person," I joke as he grins at me and gives a mocking bow before sitting next to Fred.
"My summer was great," Oliver replies enthusiastically, "I practiced loads of Quidditch and I even made up a few plays! This year is gonna be great!"
"Let me guess, we're going to be practicing 5 days a week or something aren't we?" I say, sarcasm leaking into my voice. I love my sarcasm. Apart from the fact that I can insult people I hate whenever I want, it provides a dry sense of humor to my friends. Well, I try.
"What? You've got to be kidding me, right Kates? With that little practice, there's no way we can win the cup this year!"
Looking carefully into Oliver's eyes, I realize he really isn't joking. Fred and George seem to have noticed as well since their eyes were wide with both disbelief and fear. "Oh shit," I thought, "There's no way I'll be able to get any school work done, then; time to beat some common sense into the boy." Not surprisingly, the twins beat me to it, smacking him repeatedly on the head. As they were too caught up in their little fight, I take the time to observe Oliver. You absent-mindedly note that he has grown another 2 to 3 inches or so, making him to be about 6'2; same messy brown hair, same brown eyes. Fred and George still looked the same; mop of red hair, freckled skin and a trademark mischievous twinkle in their eyes. Thinking back, I realize that the twins weren't exactly as identical as they assumed. It wasn't exactly something you could see by just looking at them, but after years of knowing them, it seemed so easy to recognize them for their own persons instead of one person sharing the same mind. Fred seems to have noticed me spacing out yet again, because he waves a hand in front of my glazed-over eyes as I continue my inner battle with myself. I shake my head slightly, pushing my former thoughts to the back of my brain, deciding to mull over them later by myself, and grin at him. They've finished beating Oliver for the time being, and for a while we're just sitting in companiable silence and I was left to my own slightly-depressing thoughts of the bastard a.k.a. Davies. Yes, I know I think a lot, but I never do it intentionally. And just as I started getting all depressed and cynical, the door of the compartment bursts open as Alicia and Angelina both enter the compartment, dragging their trunks behind them along with their owls. After storing their luggage, they start up the talk again about their summers. I can't help noticing the adoring gazes Fred and George and giving Angie and Alicia, respectively. And from what they told me over the summer, I had a strong feeling they'd get together by Christmas. Smiling to myself in a bittersweet way, I let my mind meander along memory lane. Unknowingly, a song pops into my head and I begin singing it softly in my head.
Sometimes I sit at home and wonder how it'd be
If he had loved me
Truly loved me
I learned a while ago that kind of thing
Never happens for me
Staring blankly out the window, watching the passing scenery, I feel a strange calm fill me.
And so I go around
And just pretend
Love is not for me
I play the circus clown around my friends
Make them laugh and they won't see
That you never let them see you sweat
Don't want them to think the pain runs deep
Lord knows it's killing me
Wonder if they ever notice. I'd prefer it if they didn't, of course. I hate pity, no matter how good their intentions are.
"Katie? Katie! You there?" hearing a voice calling my name, I look back over at the group.
They're all looking at me with those looks, like they're feeling sorry for me. I try to ignore the looks as I force a smile.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," I say, "Don't worry about me." They don't look very reassured, but I guess after knowing me long enough, they know when to quit prying when I'm in this mood. Have I mentioned that I get pissed quite easily? I've got a bad temper, but these friends are the only ones actually know I don't mean it when I'm rude to them.
Sometimes I sit at home
By the phone hoping he might call me
But he don't call me
But then I realize
Dreams come true aren't for girls like me
Not like me
And so I go around with my head up
Like it ain't no thing
And when the boys are out with all my friends
I'm into other things
'Cause you never let them see you sweat
Don't want them to think the pain runs deep
Lord knows it's killing me
It's not an easy
Sometimes it's hard to
It's not the life that I would choose
But what else can I do?
If he don't love me
If he don't want me
I'm not about to sit around
Let myself go
At least they know I want to be left alone… Gives me time to collect my thoughts, anyhow; maybe I just wasn't meant to find requited love. Even my friends have found it. It's not like I'm jealous or anything, but it's just… unfair. Enough of this thinking; term's starting up again, and I can't afford to space out like this if I want good grades.
(End Katie's POV)
And as Katie focused her attentions to whatever her friends were talking about, the train sped across the countryside. She was so immersed in her own thoughts for the last hour or so that she didn't notice that the whole time her friends were talking about her. Anyone with eyes and ears could see that they truly cared for their friend. So Katie thought they didn't know how she felt? Hell, she probably didn't know she was actually singing out loud.
(An Hour Ago)
"I really want to help her," Alicia said, staring at Katie, "I just don't know what to do." She was practically aching for her friend, and just by looking at her eyes and hearing the soft, melancholy melody of her voice, she knew that whatever pain she was feeling for her friend was nowhere near the pain Katie felt.
"We know how you feel," the twins voice their opinions in unison. It was obvious they would do anything within their ability to see her smile for real. Angelina seemed to be watching Katie intently, as if staring really, really hard would help make Katie feel better.
Meanwhile, Oliver looked like he was having a battle, heart vs. mind seeing him frown every so often. Although every so often, when he glanced over at Katie, his facial features would soften ever so slightly that it was hard to notice. All of a sudden, as if struck by a sudden revelation, Oliver said, "Maybe if we keep her busy enough she won't have time to think as much? It would be easy to keep her preoccupied with other things, can't we? Or maybe we could find her someone else so she'll forget that Ravenclaw asshole. "
"Hmmm, it's a thought, you know. We could even increase our Quidditch practices! And then when the time comes, we'll kick those Ravenclaw's asses!" Angelina said, almost triumphantly.
The twins stared at her as if she'd sudden grown an extra head.
"What!" The two voices cried simultaneously.
"You must be desperate if you're asking for more Quidditch practices," Fred said in disbelief.
"Not that Oliver, here, would mind, hmmm?" George said, point a finger in Oliver's direction, who was grinning at the thought of his beloved Quidditch schedule.
Just when Oliver was about to voice his opinion on extra Quidditch practice, a monotonous voice came on, announcing their arrival at the Hogsmeade station. After getting slipping on robes hurriedly, they filed out of the train, and go onto a carriage. Katie seemed to be doing everything mechanically. Going through the motions thoughtlessly, almost like a zombie as she climbed onto the carriage and sitting down. Sighing, the rest of the gang sat down, silently agreeing to talk about it later, as they watched Hogwarts emerge in all its wondrous glory.
Review, please? I'm getting 3 reviews and over 50 hits; which is… 6 percent of the readers. C'mon you can do better than that! )
Thanks to the people who DID review, though. I really appreciate it, and it really gives me more incentive to continue writing, anyhow…
Song: Smile by Tamia