Disclaimer: I do not own or am endorsed with Harry Potter™ or any of its elements. This plot and its ideas are completely non-profit, original, and owned by me, and unconnected to the actual series. I also do not own the quotes placed at the beginning of each chapter unless stated otherwise. Any lyrics are not owned by me.
Author's Notes: I hope that you've realized by now that Angelina and Alicia are married to Fred and George Weasley, as they're both a year older than Katie, making them already twenty. And if you're confused as to who Rigby is, he's Katie's common horned owl. He should be making a reappearance before this story is over.
Summary: Oliver Wood is twenty-two but very much the same young man who graduated from Hogwarts four years ago, with all the same memories…especially of one girl and a promise. And as he's passing through Diagon Alley, he happens upon her. Oliver/Katie.
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October Sugar Cones
Chapter 3
"Bastard."
"Typical man." —Ali & Lisa, from the musical Mamma Mia!
"So, what's he like?" asked Alicia keenly as she licked her chocolate ice cream. The three of them, Katie, Alicia, and Angelina, were seated at a table at Florean Fortescue's during Katie's break, grateful for what little shade the umbrella provided them.
"'What's he like,' she says. Do you think I give a damn what he's like? Don't think for a moment that I care if he's changed or not. I threatened to hex him or turn him into rodents' droppings! Doesn't that speak for itself, Alicia?"
"Katie's right," Angelina asserted, nodding sagely. "If Fred ever did to me what Oliver did to Katie, I would send him to goblin control at the Ministry."
"If George ever did that to me, I'd hole him up in the Shrieking Shack with Draco Malfoy."
"How's Percy?" Katie injected.
"He's—well, he's…er…"
Although Alicia was having trouble describing him without insults, Angelina had no such qualms. "He's still a pompous buffoon with no sense of humor. If he ever pulled his head out of his ass he'd realize how long we've been wanting to wash the crap out of him. Literally."
Katie laughed so hard she nearly choked as a mental image presented itself. "Yes, well…how's his relationship with that Ravenclaw going?" she managed to say.
"Oh, you mean Penelope Clearwater?"
"They've been engaged for a few months now—"
"—and are going to hold the wedding soon. No definites," Alicia finished. "In a few weeks, they said, so sometime this month. Naturally, Mrs. Weasley is going round the bend, she doesn't know when to order caterers or what napkins to purchase, or what color scheme to follow or if they should get hors d'ouervres for appetizers. She's convinced that Penny would look positively stunning in white lace, though."
"Look what living with Fred and George has done to you. You're already completing each other's sentences. It's quite appealing if you don't consider it embarrassing. I certainly would."
"But back to the meat of the matter," said Angelina hastily. "Oliver. What exactly happened?"
Katie's mood soured with the sudden turn of the conversation. "I was serving ice cream, it was around seven-thirty at night, he stepped up, we recognized each other, some horrid old tramp told me to get a move on, Oliver ordered. Pumpkin and black licorice sprinkles in a waffle cone. I've never heard that combination before, it sounds absolutely vile, don't you think?"
"Was he happy to see you?"
"Yes. He wasn't happy to say goodbye, though," she answered savagely.
"Oh, Kates, you're so cruel," Alicia admonished, sighing.
"I prefer to call it 'justified'."
"You're just as bad as a Slytherin, and that's saying something."
"Well, no wonder, this is what they do to each other all the time, isn't it?" said Katie brutally.
"You are a hopeless case!" Angelina pronounced dramatically. "And I bet you've been pigging out on those Reeses Pieces, whatever they are. They'll go straight to your hips, Katalyn Kathleen Bell. But no matter. I'm sure Zacharias Smith would still find you pleasing."
She snorted. "Smith? That Hufflepuff bloke from Quidditch! Hah! He's too persnickety. I bet I'm too blonde, or my eyes are too green, or I'm too thin. The only girl he'd take would be a castrated form of himself. I could speed up the process, you know. I could send Rigby over and tell him to make a most precise cut—"
This proved too much for Alicia and Angelina, who collapsed on top of each other, howling with laughter.
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It took Oliver quite a while to calm down from the indignity of being spurned by Katie without even talking to her. What had he done that was such a taboo other than get so wrapped up in his Quidditch practices that he couldn't concentrate on anything else?
Puddlemere United had a very strict regimen. Wasn't his life miserable enough without his bloody captain?
Not for nothing, though, Oliver had been the captain of the Gryffindor team, and he had spent every summer drawing up plans. Some were daring, others were glaringly obvious. And by morning, he had concocted a daring and very obvious solution. Of course, he'd probably get multiple Bat-Bogey Hexes for it, but he needed to find out why Katie was so furious with him. And what if there were the slight possibility that he was still in love with her?
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Dear Mrs. and Mrs. Weasley (hehe),
Well, I've decided to give Oliver a chance. I was contemplating our lovely little chat as I handed an ugly old fart his mint ting-a-ling, and I suppose you're correct. I was being as heartless and mean as a Slytherin. But still, if he messes up—even once—I will never say another word to him willingly for the rest of my life.
Love,
Katie
P.S. And I'm serious.
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"Next, sir?"
The line moved so slowly, it was like the Ministry had invented a new type of Time Turners. Oliver grumbled. He wouldn't have been enduring the rain if it weren't for The Plan. The Plan may have been so down-to-earth it was stupid, but he was determined.
The Plan may have been very possibly violating Katie's privacy, but Oliver was a man, wasn't he?
Fifteen minutes and a very wet man later, Oliver was standing before Katie. She opened her mouth to say, 'Next' but it never left her throat. She made a noise like an angry cat instead.
"Pumpkin with black licorice sprinkles, please, in a waffle cone," he said lightly, enjoying the look on her face.
Katie gritted her teeth as she shoveled the lumps of orange ice cream on top of one another with quite a bit more force than necessary. But business was business, and she accepted the twenty knuts with silent rage. Oliver shot her a winning, exaggerated smile, and swaggered off jauntily. Phase One complete.
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Oh, hellfire, it was so cold! Katie shivered in her oversized navy sweatshirt and pulled the hood up. She felt strangely small with her umbrella thrust to the sky, a feeble shield against rain, and her reticule hanging around her neck on a thong of soft brown leather. She felt the coins clink painfully against her breasts as a malicious gust of wind nearly propelled her into an elm tree bowing and swaying in the wind, paying allegiance to Mother Nature. Teeth clattering, she checked to see that no one was around and concentrated fiercely. She felt that unpleasant sensation of being squished through a rubber tube, and just when she thought her eyes would be squeezed out of the sockets, she Apparated in front of her apartment door. Luckily no one was around. She hurriedly closed her umbrella.
Okay, so maybe she was a little superstitious (she'd never admitted it to herself), but she was a witch.
Katie paused suddenly, all senses on high priority alert. Someone was there. Her hand found its way somehow to grip tightly the end of her wand.
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Now for Phase Two. As stealthily as he could for someone of his large stature, he followed Katie, and swore in such a way that his mother would have murdered him on the spot if she had been there when Katie Apparated. Stamping his feet against the infuriating wetness and his own stupidity (she was, after all, a witch—why should she have to endure the rain?), he thought of Katie, and wished himself to wherever she was. He landed firmly but soundlessly on the carpeted floor, and once again marveled at the technologies of Wizardkind. Oliver mentally shook himself and hastily moved behind a corner when he caught sight of a flash of navy sweatshirt.
Too late. He saw her lithe form stiffen, and then she said very distinctly, "Come in, Oliver. I know you're there. Would you like some fudge?"
Hehe. Katie is highly intelligent, isn't she? Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are the best! And if you have suggestions, I will definitely take them. (Flames are suggestions. You tell me it sucks, I have to improve!)
Maverly
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3musketteers—I'm glad you like it.
fleur137—Thanks! Here's the next chapter. What rocks about the Katie/Oliver pairing is that it isn't canon (did I phrase that right?). J.K. Rowling never mentioned it, but still we fans like it! Also, it's a Quidditch pairing. (grins) And, this is much longer! Yay for me! It took me a while, because this is a bit of a slow chapter.
armr4sleep16—Thank you for noticing! Really. I do that deliberately. We shall touch upon the promise more later.
TheBrassPotato—Aw, you're awesome. I was trying to make the letter as original as possible.
FizzingWhizbeez—Thanks. I wanted Katie to win (she still has the upperhand in this situation). Both she and Oliver will have their happy ending but I think Katie will be the one who ultimately wins. (smiles)
Randomisation—Well, this chapter's longer. Thanks for reviewing both times (and hopefully this time too!).
Phyre's child13—Actually, this isn't a bad job for Katie at all. You'll learn more soon. Remember Florean's generosity to Harry?