A/N: I hope nobody minds if I don't do individual responses this time. As much as I love your reviews, this time they were mainly votes. And the winner is…read it and find out. I know, I'm evil. But I gotta say, I love the reference to Cedric as a boy toy, that made my day.

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Disclaimer: You think if I owned Oliver Wood, (or Sean Biggerstaff for that matter) I'd spend my time writing?

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Chasing the Chaser…Sort Of

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"You're going to Hogsmeade with Cedric?" Alicia asked me with that same completely bewildered expression she always has during Potions.

"Yeah, why?" I asked as I continued to brush my hair in front of the mirror.

"What about Oliver?"

I snorted. "What about him?"

"If you go with Cedric it's like telling Oliver that there's no chance." she cried.

"Alicia honey, there is no chance. And it's not because of me." I explained.

"Katie you don't honestly believe that." Angelina said walking in from the bathroom.

I shrugged. "I've given Oliver every opportunity under the sun from the day I met him. What's happened, or hasn't happened, is all his doing."

"So that's it? Out with Oliver, in with Cedric?" Angelina demanded.

"Cedric and I are just friends."

I saw them exchange a 'look' in the mirror.

"If that's true, why are you getting all dressed up?" Alicia asked folding her arms across her chest.

I looked down at my jeans and red v-neck top. "You think this is dressed up?"

"No, but when you usually go to Hogsmeade you don't wear make-up or curl your hair." Angelina explained.

I rolled my eyes. "You two are hopeless. I repeat-Cedric is just a friend."

"Whatever you say Katie." they replied in unison.

………………

Of course they right to a point. I usually don't bother with my hair or make-up when I go into Hogsmeade. But since I was planning to go with Cedric I knew that I needed it to look somewhat like a date. Not because I actually had any romantic interest in Cedric, but because I wanted Oliver to think that I did.

I met up with Cedric at the front doors, smile firmly fixed in place, and ready for my next step.

"Hey, you look beautiful." he said once I made it through the throng of students to him.

"Thank you, you look pretty handsome yourself." And he did. Perfectly fitting jeans and a deep blue jumper the exact same shade as his eyes, absolutely delicious.

"Shall we?" he asked offering me his arm.

I linked my own through. "Lead the way."

………………

"You didn't!" Cedric gasped out through peels of laughter.

"I swear. Fred and George were never the same after that." I assured him amid my own giggles.

"I bet. No guy would ever be the same after going through Potions in a dress."

"Well, they deserved it. Reading someone's diary is not a very nice thing to do." I said.

"Is that when you guys teamed up?" he asked me.

"Yep. They figured I'd be more of a help to them instead of pranking me."

Cedric nodded his head toward Quality Quidditch Supplies. "You wanna?"

I grinned. "Like you even have to ask."

In true gentleman form, Cedric held the door open for me to enter the shop. And of course the first person we spotted, and the first to spot us, was Oliver. He stood about twenty feet away at the display of broom polish glaring holes through us, more red than my shirt.

"I think we've been sighted." I whispered conspiratorially to Cedric.

He had a grim look on his face. "Do you want to leave?"

"Why? I refuse to let anything ruin our day." With that I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the new brooms.

We stayed in the shop for close to an hour, nowhere near the record for either of us. And the entire time I felt eyes trained on my back. Oliver's eyes. Cedric pretended not to notice him, but it was obvious Oliver's attention was bothering him. We paid for our purchases and decided to head back to the castle.

"Are you okay?" I asked him placing my hand on his arm.

"I'm fine."

"Now why don't I believe that?" I teased.

"I just don't know how you deal with it." he blurted out.

"Deal with what?"

"Oliver. You've liked him for what, five years, and even though he acts like he doesn't know or even care, he does his impression of the jealous ex-boyfriend every time he's around you." He ran a hand through his hair. "I came really close to telling him off today."

I wrapped my arm through his. "That's not necessary. Oliver's not doing his jealous ex-boyfriend. He's doing his obsessive captain routine."

"You honestly think this is about Quidditch?" he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me.

"Yeah. He told me that you were off limits because you're the Hufflepuff captain." I kicked at a rock with my shoe.

"And that's all he said? Because I'm captain?"

"He's probably still ticked because of all the stuff I've done to him this semester, too." I confessed.

"Like what?"

"You really want to know?" I asked.

He nodded.

………………

"Will you stop laughing!" I cried and whacked Cedric on the arm.

He held up his hands. "I'm sorry, honestly I am. I just wish I could have seen Wood's face in the locker room. Or when he found you on his bed. I bet it was priceless."

I smiled despite myself. "It was pretty funny."

"No wonder Fred and George don't want to go up against you." he joked from his seat on a tree stump. He had been laughing so hard that he'd had to sit down. The students that were passing us looked at us as though we were insane.

"And you haven't tried anything else since you hit him?"

"Nope. Well I insult him occasionally, but that's it." I confessed.

"So you've really given up on him?" he asked quietly.

"It's not like he gave me much of a choice." I said and resumed walking towards the castle.

He caught up to me in about three seconds. Darn those long legs. "You know, I think there's more going on here than you realize."

I stared at him. "What does that mean?"

He grinned at me. "Why don't you ask Percy." And no matter how much I tried I couldn't get any more out of him the whole way.

Percy? What could he possibly know? Yeah, he and Oliver are roommates but Oliver's not really one to share. I hardly thought they sat up at night whispering secrets. And even if he did know anything he wouldn't tell me. Ever since I teamed up with Lee and the twins I haven't been his favorite person. Added to my little stunt in the dorm, he pretty much thought I was a nutter. Anything he knew about Oliver was never going to be revealed to me.

Doesn't mean I'm not gonna try though.

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I knocked on the dorm door and waited. It swung open and Percy looked at me, surprise and annoyance on his face.

"Oliver's not here." he said.

"That's good. I came to see you." I waltzed past him and plopped down onto Oliver's bed.

He looked at me warily. Silently he closed the door and walked over to sit on his own bed facing me. "Well?"

"Honestly Percy, there's no need to act like I'm going to attack you. I just want to ask you a question." I assured him.

He nodded slowly. "And the question would be…?"

"I told Cedric today that I was giving up on Oliver." I started.

"Okay." he said, obviously confused.

"He said there was something about Oliver that I should know about before I did." I pulled my legs up under me Indian style.

Percy nodded again, suddenly looking slightly nervous. "And what was it?"

"He wouldn't say. But he did tell me that if I really wanted to know, I should ask you." I finished.

"I don't know anything." he replied, just a tad too quickly.

"Now Percy, you and I both know that's not true. You're Oliver's roommate, if anyone would know the big secret it's you."

"What secret?" he gulped out.

"Whatever it is Cedric thinks is the real reason Oliver acts like he does around me." I explained.

Percy got up off his bed and walked over to the door. "Katie I honestly don't know what Cedric was talking about. If you're curious, ask him." He opened the door, silently telling me to get out.

"Fine." I responded as I walked over to the door. "But this isn't over."

I grinned at the shocked expression on his face and walked down to the common room.

I needed to find my cohorts.

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"Let me get this straight," Fred said slowly as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "you want us to find some way to get Percy to give up the big secret."

I nodded.

"Katie I think you've officially lost it." Lee said.

I looked at George. "You too?"

"Katie, you have a better chance of getting Peeves to behave himself than getting Percy to tell something he doesn't want to."

"So you're refusing to help me?" I let my lower lip tremble a bit.

They looked at each other.

Fred walked over and took my hand. "You know we'd do whatever we could for you, but this is just pointless."

"Fine." I snapped and stalked past them.

If at first you don't succeed…

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"Cedric I need your help." I panted as I skidded to a stop next to him. He walks too fast, I had to run to catch him.

"Okay."

Just like that. I knew there was a reason I liked this guy.

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"Diggory!" I heard Percy say from my hiding place behind the stacks. Cedric and I were in the library, and we knew Percy would be there. I had let it get around that Percy knew something and wasn't talking. I left out the details of course. Oliver figuring it out would be very bad.

"What?" Cedric demanded annoyance spreading across his face.

"What did you say to Katie?"

Cedric shrugged. "Nothing much. Just that you knew more about Oliver than you let on."

"You know I told you that so you'd leave her alone." Percy snapped.

Huh?

"Is it my fault Wood refuses to make a move?" Cedric said.

"You knew that Oliver's been in love with Katie from the moment he saw her, but you just had to go after her anyway. What happened to that Hufflepuff loyalty and fair play?"

I think I need to sit down.

Cedric had a very dark look on his face. "Maybe if Wood had actually told the girl he liked her instead of ignoring, yelling, and confusing her, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You said you'd back off because you knew she felt the same way he did." Percy shot back.

Now I really need to sit down.

"Katie gave him every chance, he refuses to let anything get in the way of Quidditch. You think a guy like that deserves a girl like Katie?" Cedric stood and stared Percy down.

"Since she likes him, yes. What exactly do you think you're gonna gain my telling her this. It's just going to hurt her even more."

Before Cedric could retort Madame Pince bustled over and shooed them both out of the library. Cedric glanced back towards me as I sank to the floor.

Oliver's in love with me? I mean, I knew he was attracted to me, but love. This was so not good. How could I continue tormenting him now? I may be devious, but I'm not cruel. If I'd had any idea that Oliver had genuine feelings for me I never would have started this.

And Cedric. Did he actually like me too? That didn't make sense. I knew he liked Cho. He told me. Why would he act like he liked her if he didn't? He didn't know about my plan, he had nothing to gain from lying to me. And he had promised Percy he'd stay away from me. When did that happen?

Did Oliver really care that much? So much that he saw Cedric as a threat and Percy stepped in.

I dropped my head into my hands and began to sob, right there in the library. I felt so horrible. All this time, I've been trying to get back at someone who really likes me. I am such an awful person. And had been so blind that I didn't see that someone I trusted was playing me.

"Katie?"

I looked up and saw Fred staring down at me, concern filling his blue eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked crouching down beside me.

"No." I said before I wrapped my arms around him and cried against him.

We at that way for at least an hour. Madame Pince even cleared the area out for us. Finally I calmed down enough to tell Fred what had been going on. And I told him everything.

"Katie, I think you've really done it this time." he whispered softly.

I nodded as the tears began to form again. Fred once again wrapped his arms around me as I cried.