Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! I've continuously told you people this, I think everyone should know by now!
Rating: K, I guess. No langauge or anything ... but I don't quite get the rating system, so ... yeah.
Author's Note: I got a random idea today while getting ready to go out earlier today, and I knew it wouldn't fit into any of my two longer stories, so I decided to write it as a One-Shot. If you haven't read the Sixth Book (which I'm sure most of you have!) I would suggest not reading this, since it does include something spoiler-ish.
Anyways, read on and drop me a review afterwards!
"Oliver!" Katie whined lowly as the former Gryffindor Quidditch Captain dragged her down to the lake that was located on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, "Now is not the time to be venturing down here!"
"I know," Oliver replied nonchalantly, "But now is the only time for it."
"Time for what? Oliver, we just attended Professor Dumbledore's funeral!" Katie hissed in a nearly silent tone. The crowd had dwindled away and left, but a few remained and Katie didn't want to be caught down by the lake with Oliver ... for some people would make a big deal out of nothing about it. Although, she was puzzled herself why he was taking her there.
"Katie ..." Oliver finally stopped next to a huge bolder that was located right on the grounds. He pulled her over towards him so that both of them were hidden from view from anyone who decided to walk near the lake, "We need to talk."
Katie couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "And usually people say that before they break up. Ollie, dear, to use that line properly, we actually have to be 'together', you know?"
"And you were beginning to chastise me for not being appropriate enough?" Oliver rhetorically asked before shaking his head, "I'm being serious here."
"Well, I am too. Whatever it is, we needn't be discussing it now. Today has been rough on everyone," The Gryffindor Seventh Year concluded.
Oliver looked at her understandingly, "Kates, please. Let me say what I need to say."
Oliver had affectionately referred to her as 'Kates' something only he and their Quidditch mates – Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia – had only called her. She sighed helplessly, "OK. Go on."
"Listen, you cannot tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. I could get in a load of trouble for talking freely about it, but you need to know." Katie gave him a curious gaze as she leaned her back against the big rock shielding them from view. "I dunno how much you know about things going on, but you know something is up, right?" Katie nodded in response, "Have you heard anything about the Order of the Phoenix?" Katie furrowed her brows in confusion. She had heard a little bit whenever she had overheard Fred and George talking in hushed voices once, and they had sworn her to secrecy. Could she tell Oliver? Was this really Oliver? Paranoia set in and Katie looked at him in a confused way.
"Why would you want to know if I know about something like that? How do I know you're really Oliver?" She suspiciously eyed him.
Oliver rolled his eyes skywards. "Honestly Katie ..." She continued to eye him nervously, "Oh fine!" He threw his hands up, "The Summer between my Sixth and Seventh Years, you and Angelina set fire to my favorite broom. You were trying to Charm it so it would fly away from me and Angelina was trying to make it so that it would turn invisible." She continued to eye him, "That year you also got caught in the first floor broom closet with Roger Davies. By me." She looked horrified at the memory, "And if I recall you were wearing a certain red lace ..."
"Alright!" She exclaimed, silencing him so that he didn't go into detail about the undergarments she had been wearing whenever her and Roger had gotten caught. "Yes, yes, I know a little about it. Not much. Why?"
"I know what happened with you and the necklace earlier this year," Katie nodded, uncomfortable with the memory, "And I know you were part of that Dumbledore's Army thing last year."
"How did you –?" She began, only to be cut off.
"I know people here, Katie." Oliver answered vaguely. "Listen, I know you and I don't want you going off and joining the Order."
"Why not?" Katie huffed defensively.
"Do you even know what the Order is about?" Oliver quizzed, remembering her saying she didn't know much about it.
"A little bit," He now eyed her suspiciously and she caved, "I overheard Fred and George, alright. But they mentioned enough for me to get the general idea. I hate the idea of ... You-Know-Who being around as much as the next witch or wizard. I want to do something to help."
"I figured as much ..." Oliver nodded, "But, please, Katie, I don't want you getting hurt." The Puddlemere United Keeper – he had been upgraded from the Reserves lately – asked of her, catching her hazel eyes with his own deep brown ones and holding her gaze for a moment.
"Oliver, I can handle it." She replied lightly as the eye contact made her uneasy. "Are you ... are you in the Order?"
"I do my part," Oliver responded vaguely, not going into detail. He smiled at her, "No one needs to know that, though."
Katie instinctively returned the smile and nodded, "Yeah, I know."
"But Katie ..." Oliver looked at the girl – correction, woman – in front of him and for the first time, he really studied her. Her bright smile, that she often had plastered on her face, the light hazel eyes, her hair that could never make up it's mind whether it wanted to be dark blonde or light brunette. His eyes drifted from her facial features downward, but immediately snapped upwards whenever he realized what his male tendencies had made him stare at.
"Oliver ..." Katie spoke his name lightly as their eyes captured one another again.
Oliver hesitantly leaned in towards her and paused whenever his lips were a mere centimeter away from hers. "Please listen to me, Katie," He breathed lightly.
Katie nodded her reply and as his breath tickled her lips, she edged closer to him, her lips molding with his as the two of them finally gave into what had been brewing between them since the year before he left Hogwarts. It was the lightest, and sweetest, of kisses and Oliver brushed his right hand across her lower abdomen, settling his grasp on the curve of her left hip. She slid her right hand up and around his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck, pulling him ever-so-delicately close to her.
Salty wetness unexpectedly slid down her cheeks and Oliver felt this. "Hey, hey," He pulled back from her and moved his right hand to the curve of her back, rubbing her lightly through the material of her robes, "Shh, what's wrong?" He brought his left hand up and brushed away the tears with his thumb before lightly running his fingers through her silky hair.
"I can't Oliver," She weakly responded. Why was he putting her through this?
"You can't what?" Oliver looked at her, puzzled, "This?" He gestured to her and himself being in the position they were in.
She shook her head, "No, no ... I mean, I don't know. But, I can't ..." She took a heavy intake of breath, "I can't promise you that I'll avoid the Order. I want to do something, Oliver. I have to do something. I can't stand around and let others take this on themselves."
"Kates, please," Oliver sounded like he was begging, when in reality he was, "I'll do anything to protect you, but I can't do that if you're in the Order. It's out of my hands then."
"I don't need you to protect me, Ollie," She slipped back to the days whenever they had exchanged playful teasings around his many acquired nicknames, "Don't you see that? I need to fend for myself." She sighed, not being able to look at him directly, "Why are you saying all these things to me now? Why do you suddenly care so much?"
"I've always cared, Katie. I was just too chickenshit and wrapped up in Quidditch to ever tell you before. But this ..." He gestured around at their surroundings, indicating Dumbledore's funeral, "This ... and what happened to you ... it woke everything up again, Katie. I had to tell you. I've always cared about you, Kates," He leaned down and their foreheads touched, resting against one another as the bolder gave them support.
"You can't be there for me all the time," Katie pointed out.
"I can try," Oliver murmured, the fact that he was so close to her over-whelmed him slightly and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment, for he knew the unpredictability of her reaction.
"What if I'm not ready for that," The Seventh Year replied, a few more tears slipping out of her eyes.
"I can wait for you to be ready for us, but I'll always care ... and I'll always be there. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Not now, not after I've realized all this."
"Do you love me, Oliver?" She whispered, the words barely audible enough to reach his ears.
The Scotsman didn't have to hesitate, "Yes. I have for a long time." He paused, "You don't have to feel the same way ... I would understand."
She ignored his last comment, "I love you, too," Katie titled her head up and captured his lips with hers once again in a brief kiss, as if to confirm what she had just admitted, "You're the first person I think about in the morning, and the last before I go to sleep. You have been for years, Oliver." She continued her confession, "I'm scared of losing you."
"All you have to do is trust me and believe me, Katie. I love you and I'd die before I let anyone or anything harm you." The professional Quidditch player told her in complete seriousness.
"Don't say that!" Katie's plea came out weak and scared. "Don't say that, please," She felt more tears creep out of her eyes and she shook her head, "There's more of a risk for you ... don't say that."
"I know the risk and the reality of it all," Oliver nodded, bringing both of his hands to cup her face in, "But I mean that. Every word, I mean it."
Katie broke out into sobs and Oliver drew her into a hug, consoling her the best he could. "I'd do the same for you, Ollie, I would." She confessed between sobs. Oliver knew she would, but he wouldn't tell her that he would never even think of allowing her to. He continued to hold her tightly, and he let himself escape in her comforting scent. The scent of vanilla, lilies, and stale tears. It was all so depressing, but all so comforting at the same time.
She wasn't even done with her schooling yet, but Oliver Wood knew that this was the woman he would do anything for. The woman he saw himself with for the rest of his life, however long that was. Katie Bell had captivated him from day one and loving her was the one thing that made him feel complete in a world that was about to be thrown upside down with the return of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Whatever was in their future, he was prepared for it. Oliver had never been the hero – that was Harry's job now. Then again, Oliver had never been called upon to be the hero. But he knew ... he knew ... that the one thing that he would risk anything for – even his life – was in his arms, the driving force to keep him going and fighting against whatever the bleak future held.
"I love you, Katie," He repeated again, her body still crushed against his.
"I love you, too, Oliver," She replied without hesitation, just as he did earlier. "I love you, too."
Ok. See, I do know how to write happy endings! Well, it's a mostly happy ending, although it does kinda hint that the future is going to be anything but happy, but, I'll just let you guys imagine the future of these two however you'd like!
Also, I don't want to be one of those writers that stick to one couple (nothing against those writers who do, I, personally, just like to shake things up from time to time) and I've been debating whether or not to write a fic about a different couple. Since I already have two major projects, it would probably be a one-shot as well, but is there any certain pairing you lot would like to see? I'd like to get the readers involved and all ... so if you have any suggestions, just mention it in a review!
I've rambled on and wasted time long enough ...
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