I woke just enough to feel the weight of someone at my back. I snuggled against that warmth, wrapping sleep back around me. And arm spilled over my shoulder, and I wriggled into the circle of arm and body. I opened my eyes and snuggled deeper against him, curling that dark, muscles arm tighter around my body like drawing in a cozy blanket around me. Of course, a blanket did have the hard weight of Oliver, or the silken glide of his skin against mine, or the ability to cuddle back, to use hands to pull my body tighter in against him.

I opened my eyes. Tomorrow, the rest of the students came back. And the day after that, classes resumed. That meant that the Quidditch match was today. I yawned and an arm tightened around my stomach. I lay there, in the circle of his warmth. My back was pressed into Oliver's chest and he was still asleep.

I tried to sit up, untangling myself from his grasp. His arm fell quickly to the space where my chest was. He made a protesting noise and rolled over onto his stomach, his head on my pillow. I turned my head and looked at him. He looked vulnerable lying in my bed alone.

I thought about leaving him and going to go get changed. I knew that I should probably wake him up. Oh well.

I got up and got some clothes. Instead of leaving the room, I simply turned around and changed. I put my pants on and mostly everything else without being interrupted. My shirt was sliding over my shoulders when I heard a voice.

"Now, I think I should wake up to this more often."

I yanked my shirt down and spun around, color flooding my cheeks. Oliver was lying on his back, grinning. I rolled my eyes and smoothed down my shirt.

When I looked at him again, he wasn't smiling. He was staring at me in a strange way, almost like when after he first kissed me, wanting more. Oliver's eyes were roving over my body more than my face and it was strange.

He raised his hand, pointing his index finger at me.

"You know what I think? I think I should wake up to this more often!"

He stared at me. I didn't reply in words or facial expression. I walked over to my dresser, taking my brush and running it through my hair. I looked at myself in my full-length mirror.

I heard him slide out of bed.

His arms snaked around my waist. He looked at himself over my shoulder. Oliver kissed my neck gently. I pulled away from him, grinning.

I pushed him away from me playfully and he stumbled back into my bed, pulling the cover around himself quickly, snuggling into the warmth. They way he did that made me want to do the same. I shook my head at the thought.

"C'mon, Oliver, get up," I said, still looking at myself in the mirror.

He groaned and burrowed deeper into the layers of cloth. "Why?!"

"We have to go practice!"

"You're sounding like me!" he said, thinking that that would scare me and I would change my mind.

"We're going to lose the match," I said threateningly.

He voice came muffled under the covers, "I. Don't. Care."

I sighed. "Oliver Wood, get your ass out of bed, NOW!"

No response. I let out a loud noise of frustration. I put my hands on my hips, walking a step closer to my bed.

"Oliver Wood, get up now or…or I'll never kiss you again."

That brought a reaction. The blankets shot up, Oliver jack-knifing to sit up, his hair disheveled.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, his eyes thin slits. My eyes widened. I grinned.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" I said back louder. I turned back to my mirror, leaving him staring at my back. When he saw that I wouldn't take back my threat, I heard him groan in frustration, the weight of him crashing back down into the bed. "Fine! Fine!"

I grinned. I won. YES! I turned and skipped over to him, jumping onto the bed beside him. My chest was over his and I smiled inches away from his face, kissing him gently.

When I pulled back, his eyes were closed and his hand resting on my waist.

I patted his chest with my hand, sitting up.

"Now, c'mon, let's go!"

I sounded more demanding now. Oliver sat up. "You're a hard bargainer, you know that?"

I smiled back at him.

---> On the Pitch:

"Let's go everyone! We have a match today!"

Everyone was a little tired and still a tad sore from yesterday's practice. George had missed a few Bludgers and Oliver was getting impatient.

"We have a match today!" Alicia yelled, echoing Oliver. He smiled over his shoulder at me. I grinned back and Alicia tossed me the Quaffle. I was paying attention, but not really.

We only had about half an hour until Slytherin showed up and the stands began to fill and Madame Hooch yelled at us to get off the pitch.

Harry was still a little off and apparently, Lupin said something to him that he didn't like very much.

Before I knew it, I saw Slytherin below us and I had a sinking feeling of Déjà vu again.

Madame Hooch stepped out onto the field, yelling, as predicted, for us to get off the pitch. I swear I was psychic or something!

We all landed and we were ready to start the match. Madame Hooch yelled a few things about a clean match and I exchanged quick glances with both Oliver and Flint.

Suddenly, the Quaffle and the other balls were out. Alicia and I both dived for the Quaffle and so was Montague.

Alicia seemed like she was getting close to the Quaffle, so I let her have it. When Montague went after her, Flint shouted at him and gave him a bad look. Hmmm…. Interesting.

While Montague and Flint had their eyes on Alicia and I, I saw that Oliver had his work cut out for him. He was right that Syltherin's team would step up a notch to win this match. And they did.

Oliver was catching Quaffles left and right, panting. I didn't smile at him so as to lose his concentration. Alicia tossed me the Quaffle and I almost dropped it; almost.

I went towards the goal posts with Flint and Montague behind me. They were close, but not too close for comfort. It felt like Flint was holding Montague back, as well as himself. I heard them arguing behind me.

Draco Malfoy, who had replaced Terrence Higgs, a Slytherin seeker back in the day, was carefully following Harry. I'd met Terrence before Hogwarts and actually had a crush on him. But that was before Oliver and before I found out what House he was in. I was actually sad when Terrence graduated.

I saw Montague come closer to me and I saw him speed past me. He glared at me and I tried to ignore it.

I felt a sudden pressure against my side and felt a rush of déjà vu and adrenaline rush through me. Montague was attempting to dislodge me from my broom. I heard someone yell to me and I didn't recognize the voice.

I was getting closer to the goal posts and Montague wasn't leaving my alone. Flint came to the other side of Montague, away from me and he was yelling at him. Montague wouldn't look at him. Flint was getting agitated.

Suddenly, as I was distracted, Montague threw all of his strength at me. With only one hand on my broom, I, obviously, slid off. Although concerned with my own safety, I didn't let go of the Quaffle.

Being a Slytherin, and a Montague, Montague, instead of crushing my fingers, making me fall and taking the Quaffle with me, he flew beside me, trying to wrench the Quaffle from my cold, lifeless fingers. I glared at him and kicked him in the knee.

I knew I was in a life/death situation, but I had to laugh. Montague glared and lunged at me again.

Flint flew near him, staring angrily, "MONTAGUE!!"

He then saw me. I saw his face go cold and his expression change. His eyes went softer and he gulped. "Sorry, Katie!" he called.

I smoldered. I was still hanging in the air, helpless, the lone Gryffindor Chaser against two Slytherins. Where the hell and Alicia?!

If I wanted to get back on my broom, I was going to have to let go of the Quaffle. Flint stared at me and I regretted the instant that I realized that he was my last hope for not letting Oliver down.

I whined to myself and Montague flew away, towards Alicia who was on the other side of the pitch, battling it out and trying to escape the Bludgers the Slytherin beaters were throwing at her.

Flint stared at me. I sighed. "Can I trust you, Flint?"

He raised his eyebrow. I grumbled to myself. "I really regret this…" he stared at me, "Hold this for a second."

I tossed him the Quaffle. I heard Lee Jordan yelling through the speaks: "What's this?! Katie Bell of Gryffindor has just passed the Quaffle to captain of Slytherin, Marcus Flint!"

I saw Oliver's head turn. When I got back on my broom, Flint handed the Quaffle back to me without me asking. I looked at him with real respect now.

Lee yelled again: "Flint passes the Quaffle back to Bell, what will happen next?!"

I smiled; we were probably driving Madame Hooch crazy. I looked at Flint.

"Montague cheated, so I'm correcting this all again. Fair's fair only this once. Don't expect it again," he said, it looked like he regretted it. "I told Montague and the others not to go near you."

"Why?"

He looked at me. "Later."

I had lost enough time. Without a second glance towards him or anyone else, I went toward the goal posts and scored. Seconds later, I turned my broom back towards Gryffindor's goals.

I saw Oliver go too far away from the goals. I muttered under my breath, "What are you doing?!"

Within moments, I saw a Bludger speed past Alicia, hitting Oliver in the side. He fell from his broom.

On the other side of the pitch and helplessly watching, it looked like he fell forever. I felt paralyzed and the first thought in my mind was, "please don't let him die."

His body hit the ground with a muted thud. I felt sick and I couldn't tear my eyes away. At the same time Madame Hooch blew her whistle and Lee Jordan screamed, "And Harry Potter has the Snitch!"

Neither who acted knew what the other was saying. Madame Hooch flew over to Oliver, who weakly sat up on the grass.

The rest of the team flew over and Alicia took control.

"Gryffindor! Over here, yes, I know, George, we won, I know, all right, but, just, stop, Wood is hurt, go relax! You, too, Katie, he'll be all right."

I nodded but I didn't really believe her. The rest of the team, against their wills, went to the locker rooms. I stayed on the pitch. Madame Hooch had Oliver on his feet, and, according to her, he had broken no bones. A miracle, I think.

When I asked her about it, she smiled at me weakly and said, "Ms. Bell, do you think we professors are oblivious to the fact that Quidditch is a dangerous sport? Of course we bewitched the pitch! If any player falls from their broom, time and gravity both slow to minimize impact. We wouldn't want our students getting hurt."

No wonder Oliver fell forever and it felt like I had, too, when I fell that one time with Flint.

"Now," Madame Hooch said, "Ms. Bell, if you'd be so kind as to escort Mr. Wood to the Hospital Wing…"

She handed him to me, dropping his arm around my shoulders, like he couldn't stand. He pretended to limp until we were out of seeing distance of the professor. Then he stood straight up and walked beside me.

"Good thing you're all right, captain," I said, still a little unnerved. He smiled and glided his arm around my waist.

"Me too, but what was that with Flint?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

---->After the Match:

Oliver had been taken up to the Hospital Wing for a while so that Madame Pomfrey could look at his "wounds". She let him go after a while.

"You be careful out there, Mr. Wood! Quidditch is a very dangerous game! All I need is you comin' in here with a broken arm or such and abandon your teammates while you get healed!" she had said, flustered. Oliver smiled at me while she had said that.

I smiled back at him uneasily. I really wasn't sure how much he was hurt. He didn't lead on that he was, but I knew different. Pomfrey had a habit of keeping students in the Hospital Wing even though she didn't need to.

He came with me back to my room. When I closed the door behind me, he was in the middle of the room.

"You're not hurt that badly, are you?"

He looked at me softly. He sighed. "You really want to know?"

When I didn't reply, he pulled his shirt off. I stepped closer to him and could see bruises on his back and left arm. The professors may have bewitched the field, but that didn't help Oliver any.

When I touched his shoulder, he winced and involuntarily pulled away. I took a step back and frowned.

"You don't usually let on that something hurts…"

He shrugged and smirked. "You know me too well."

He turned around and I crossed my arms across my chest. I took a deep breath and stared at him. His chest and the muscles in his stomach were tight. Oliver saw me staring at him and when I met his eyes, I blushed.

He smiled at me and put his hands on the edges of my shoulders, rubbing my skin through my shirt. My arms fell limply to my sides. Oliver pulled me to him gently. My hands slid up his chest slowly, going around his neck.

He pulled me against him and my cheek was on his warm chest. I closed my eyes and he kissed the top of my head. He pulled back slightly, leaning down. He kissed me and I sighed.

He leaned down and kissed my neck gently. He knew that I liked that. I ran my hands down his chest and around his slender waist. He stared down at me, meeting my eyes for a moment before kissing me.

I heard footsteps outside the door and we froze.

"I mean it, Alicia, I love you," I heard George say. The footsteps stopped.

"I know, George."

There was silence for a few seconds and I assumed they were kissing.

"And, I wanted to say something else. I know this isn't the perfect sort of relationship and all, but I really care about you. I mean, I was watching Katie and Oliver the other day, and I saw something. No matter how obsessive Oliver is about Quidditch, he still puts Katie first because he loves her and she's his first priority. And then I saw that it went the same for me. I really love you, Alicia."

Silence again. I stared at Oliver. How quickly we had been pulled into the conversation.

Oliver reached for his shirt and slipped it on. I was somewhat disappointed, though. Just then, the door opened and Alicia stepped inside, George behind her.

Oliver smiled down at me. "Well, I'd better go."

I nodded. He leaned down and kissed me. He lips were next to my ear as he whispered, "I love you."

I closed my eyes and smiled. I never got tired of hearing him say that and mean it.

I watched him leave and Alicia and George said goodnight. We talked about Oliver's condition after his fall and the way George looked at Alicia and how Flint reacted and everything else under the night sky.

As I was falling asleep, my bed seemed lonelier without Oliver there with me. But I was all right with that. In fact, I had more room to sprawl out. I tucked to covers closer in around me and closed my eyes.

I had tried to avoid it all day, but I kept thinking about what Flint did, and how somewhat decent it was. Tomorrow the rest of the students were coming back and after that, classes started again.

And for the first time in days, I hadn't thought about my father in 24 hours.

ALl right, I know it took forever, but I've been under a LOT of stress lately. Ger. Sorry it was so short and crappy.....I just HAD to update soon....it was driving me CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lia06: Lol yes, Oliver is great. UNLIKE those evil boys in the world, one of whom you already know! ;-)

mello80: Lol good resolutions!

IhopeForAnarchy: Oh….my…goodness! SOMEONE's a TAD hyper!! WOW! Anyways, yeah, twist, I know, ger. Anyhow, I hope your band did very well on New years!! Hmmm! Friend/crush, eh????

Marie: Thank you! Happy New Year to you, too!

Kelsey: Lol, yes, poor poor Waldo. Stupid scrolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAHH!!!!!!!!!

Kathy: I thought the Lupin thing would be a good edition, I'm glad that you think so, too! Oliver's very…..unpredictable…

Pia O'Leary: Oh no, the cycling thing is all done with. Hopefully no more problems, but if there are, there will be no repetition at all. Thank you so much for the tip!

Pokethepenguin01 (ALEX)- Alex, my goodness! You are just the sweetest thing!!! Yeah, I like the way she acted, too. It just wouldn't be right if Oliver was all controlling (which he usually WOULDN'T be) and if she went along with it…Yes, emotion and sadness is indeed a very nasty thing…..But it shall get better as time goes along. Hopefully I can update as quickly as I want to, between practices and extra super hard homework, I can't find the time :-( Thank you for your review!!