Author's Note: Yikes. It's been a while. Well, I ope you're still interested because MAN am I pumped! I was away in England for a while, so sorry for the huuuuuuge delay. Just send me angry emails threatening my life if it ever happens again. (Don't carry out the threats!)
Disclaimer: This is the last chapter I'm doing this for. If you haven't taken the hint from the first eleven chapters, then you need to be checked. So without further ado, let us sing along to:
You're So Tactless
Chapter 12: The First Straw, Part One
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" O-Oliver?" I gulped.
" Yes, Bell?"
" I, um, wonder if I could have a word in private?"
" Sure Katie," he said, taking me by my elbow and leading me down the corridor I had just come from.
" Right, well, um, can we go to, say, your dorm or something?" I asked nervously.
Oliver looked at me funny. "Sure."
I flushed, and fidgeted with the edge of my robe. I was so nervous. What if this went horribly? I mean, it wasn't as bad as asking him out or anything . Not that I was going to. Ever. I was going to crawl in a hole and die after this. Well, no, I was going to eat some chocolate and THEN crawl in a hole and die.
Hey, chocolate rocks.
Anyway, we got to his dorm, and we went inside. I plopped down on his bed.
" Katie, what's this all about?"
" Last night-" I blurted, but stopped myself.
" What?" he asked, wide eyed.
" Last night. Um, did you figure out the game plans?"
I got another look.
" Katie I don't think that's what you're after," Oliver said pointedly.
I sighed and felt like vomiting. I decided to hell with it all, and I'd take the plunge. I took a deep breath and explained everything to him. Even all the crap I didn't remember. I watched his facial expressions change and soften and harden. It was amazing how I kept going and going and going. I decided to make my last words count, so maybe I wouldn't get all this pity crap I knew was coming. I can't stand other people's pity. My life is my life. IF it's rougher than yours, so be it. Sure I wish things could change, and I'll get emotional at times, but the bottom line is: It's my life, and I'll do the best I can.
"- and if I dare get any pity from you, I'll take that damn Nimbus of yours and shove it clean up your arse and let some Bludgers after you!"
I glowered at him for a while, and I thought I had him pretty scared when he started to laugh.
"Oh Katie, m'dear. Oh lassie, I'm so happy!" he cried, hugging me to him as I turned a deep shade of red.
Okay, let's take a quick assessment of the situation. I was turning red for two reasons. One: I was ridiculously close to him. Two: Why was the bloody wanker happy that I wanted to impale him on his own broom?
He let go of me (No! Take me back! Wait no! Stop thinking like that Katie! Baaaaaad, bad Katie!) and wiped away a tear of mirth. Presently, I was scowling.
"What is it?"
"This means you're going to be okay!" he yelped getting up and jumping up and down.
"If by okay you mean I have a temporary sense of closure, and that I feel I can actually talk to you and you'll well….listen then y-"
"You'll be able to play! This is so effing, bloody, sodding brilliant!" he said, punching the air.
I gaped at his complete insensitivity. Then I left the dorm. I stormed into the library and dropped like a sack of bricks into an empty chair next to Alicia and slammed my head repeatedly on the table, hoping to escape the emotional pain and thus, display the contents of my brains to my friends for them to examine the exact reason as to why I think that Oliver could possibly care more about me than Quidditch.
Staring at what I hoped was a piece of my brain, Alicia piped up with that last thing I wanted to hear.
"You like him. That's why."
I scowled at Alicia. I then decided that I would focus entirely on nothing. Or at least, everything that wasn't Oliver. Deciding that it would be hard since I was on the team, I then decided to focus Maura and Dad. I had to get through them first.
.
Everything pretty much blew over after that. I found out that Angelina had broken up, gone back out with, broken up with and gone back out with some guy whose name I forgot repeatedly. But, within two days of telling me, she was going out with someone new. And younger.
"Pardon?" Alicia squeaked as Fred turned red.
Geroge laughed and Lee rolled his eyes.
Oliver and I didn't know what to make of it. Alicia apparently had a real problem with it. I didn't really. I mean, as long as Angelina was happy, I was happy for her. Oliver thought that Angelina was out of her mind, but as long as she didn't slip up in her Chasing abilities, he was okay with it. George thought it was hilarious, as did Lee. Fred was in a rage.
"But. he's. younger. than. you!" Fred hissed jerkily in short spurts.
Angelina glowered, "So I've been told by the Ministry Investigators."
Fred shot her a withering glare which she returned. They huffed, and didn't speak to each other at all for the rest of the day. They just griped about one another to George and I, who were both ready to lock them in a broom closet till they settled their differences.
.
We had an AMAZING Quidditch practice today.
I mean amazing because of….well…
"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now!" Oliver Wood began, ready to release his pent up rage/joy/excitement in the form of a long winded speech on his team.
Which he did, with a manic glint in his eyes. To everyone's supreme amusement, he began listing the reasons why they were the "best ruddy team in the school."
"We've got three superb Chasers."
And here, as he indicated Angelina,Alicia and Katie, he let is gaze linger.
"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."
"Stop it Oliver!"Fred said, pretending to blush.
"Yeah, you're embarrassing us!" George added.
Wood ignored them and went back to pacing, "And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!"
Harry shrank back in his seat as the manic glint/glare of furious pride coming from Wood's eyes had begun to frighten him a bit. The glare lessened at he thought for a moment. Katie opened her mouth to speak, hoping to return the compliment when he spoke again.
"And me."
"We think you're very good too, Oliver," George pointed out.
"Spanking good Keeper," Fred agreed, as the Twins nodded at each other.
Wood eyed them for a moment before continuing, "The point is…."
"Or we could just send them down that trapdoor in the Forbidden Corridor," George suggested after practice, referring to Angelina and Fred as I broke out of my reverie.
"No!" Alicia and I both said emphatically, slamming our lockers at the same time.
"I thought you were with Fred," George observed, peering at Alicia as I hefted the books I had stored in my locker into a more comfortable position in my arms.
I officially hate Snape, who always makes me clean up after class. I have no time to run upstairs and dump my books off like everyone else. Barmy git.
She gave a smile and flipped her blonde hair as we began to walk back towards the castle, "I got over it. Besides, I had the entire scoop on it so, naturally I'm a great influence on what is said about it all."
"You and your gossip groupies," George muttered.
Lee, who had been chatting with Madame Hooch all during practice, caught up with us and held out his arms to me. I misread his guesture and dumped my books in his arms gratefully.
"Thanks Lee," I said, falling back in step with Alicia.
Lee rolled his eyes and grumbled a bit, but listened intently to George and Alicia.
"Whatever happened to that idea?" George mused, looking out the lake as he passed by it, gazing towards the Forbidden Forest.
I followed his gaze, and it hit me, "I guess we just forgot about it."
"Yeah, I mean, things have been pretty crazy lately," Lee admitted, adjusting my books in his arms.
"Speaking of crazy-"Alicia began
George whipped around, "Why, where's Ron? I told him to keep twenty steps away from me at all times!"
Alicia smacked him and continued, "Anyway, have any of you heard anything about Sirius Black?"
"He's been sighted a couple times, why?" Lee asked.
I had completely forgotten about that homicidal loon. In all the time spent denying that I liked Oliver (which, I now fully admit to myself, that I do) and fretting over my home life, I had completely passed by the problems of the outside world. Funny how that happens really.
"Well shouldn't you know, Alicia?" I teased.
Alicia turned red about the face, and I decided that I probably shouldn't have said that. I opened my mouth to change the subject, when George saved me from floundering around for an idea.
"Well, after the Hogsmeade trip today, tonight is going to be a blast," he said smugly.
"Why?" Alicia asked warily.
"We're planning a couple of Halloween pranks," George said nonchalantly, examining his fingernails.
"Oh that's right, it's Halloween," I said, hopping up the first couple of steps in front of Lee.
"And it's a Hogsmeade weekend!" Alicia cried joyfully, "Now I can really get the scoop I've been dying to hear!"
"About what?" Lee laughed, exchanging a glace with George.
"Cedric Diggory," she said dreamily, sighing to finish the effect.
My eyes bulged.
"Then I take it you're the only girl who doesn't like him," George said approvingly, "That's really good. I wouldn't want you to catch his brain-shriveling disease instead of the Quaffle."
I gave a tiny squeak and bolted up the remainer of the stairs, ignoring Lee's indignant cry of 'Take your books back!'. I skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady
"For-Fortuna Major!" I panted.
I hobbled inside the common room, and sprinted up to the girl's dormitory where Angelina was, studying for Transfiguration.
"Help!" I cried, shedding my clothes as fast as I could, digging in my trunk for my hairbrush.
"What is it?" Angelina asked anxiously, scrambling off her bed and over to mine.
"I totally forgot I asked Oliver to go to Hogsmeade with me today!" I said, yanking a skirt on.
"Don't wear that top with it," Angelina warned, and I threw it back reluctantly.
I tugged a light green sweater-ish turtleneck top on, and slipped into a pair of knee length boots. I grabbed my jacket and was about to leave when Alicia came in the door, and pushed me back inside.
"Hold her hostage!" Angelina ordered, running at me waving a hairbrush in her hand.
She plopped me down on the floor and brushed my hair for me, while Alicia attacked my face with foundation and powder.
"A-Alicia!" I sputtered, knocking her hands away from me.
By the time they were finished, with both myself and their own appearances, they deemed me suitable enough to go and find Oliver. Angelina grabbed Alicia and sped up, leaving me behind in their wake. I spotted Fred, and ducked behind a couple of first years, and then ran straight into Oliver.
'Oh, Oliver," I said, clutching my head and wincing.
"You okay?" he asked.
I looked on, horrified as I saw who was latched onto his arm.
Cho Chang.
"Yeah. Fine." I gritted.
Cho threw me a really nasty look. I thought about throwing a punch or two in her direction, but decided to wait for the Gryffindor vs. Ravencaw match to settle things between us.
Oliver unlatched her hands from his arm, and pulled me aside.
"Look Kaite; Twas the oddest thing really, she just walked up to me and wouldn't stop smiling'. Anyway, she asked me to go with her to Hogsmeade and everything-"
"But I thought we-" I began weakly.
"Yeah I know, we were supposed to do this," he made quotation signs, giving me a pointed look, "but that doesn't matter," he said hastily, trying to shush me.
I gaped at him.
"You-" I began angrily.
"I know, I know. I was supposed to-"
"Go with me?" I asked icily.
He stared blankly at me. "What are you talking about?"
I opened my mouth to explain, in great detail, however my mouth got ahead of my mind.
"You bloody tossing fecking great buggering arsehole twittering git face good for nothing wanking girl's blouse!" I shouted.
People stared.
"I take it I didn't tell you about me plan then," he said, wincing slightly.
I elevated my eyebrows, fighting to just breathe instead of clocking him soundly.
"No."
"I thought I did."
"Get. on. with. it." I hissed, clenching and unclenching my fists.
"Anyway, this is the perfect opportunity to squeeze tactical information out of a crucial player of the Ravenclaw team!"
Again, this must have been the billionth time I gaped at him like a dithering fish.
"You bastard!" I cried, slapping him resolutely across the face.
"Katie!" he yelled after me as I ran through the front doors, past Filch and into the crunchy autumn leaves that were spattered with frost.
1. Profuse apologies for spelling/grammatical errors
2. The italicized "this" during the Oliver/Katie Pre-Hogsmeade scene indicates his "plan." If there is any confusion, LET ME KNOW.
3. End Chapter