Disclaimer: It's all Jo's.

Author's Notes: Huzzah for the return of the divider line! Anyway, this is Oliver's seventh year and Katie's fourth. There should be one more chapter after this, so we're not done yet!

I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review.

Alisa


The First Day of Classes

((of pulling out chairs))

The invention of the Golden Snitch is credited to the wizard Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow. While Quidditch teams all over the country tried to find bird substitutes for the Sniget, Wright, who was a skilled metal-charmer, set himself to the task of creating—

Oliver Wood snapped the book he had been reading—Quidditch Through the Ages, of course—shut and gave an impatient sigh. When Katie Bell has asked him to wait for her this morning, she hadn't mentioned sitting in the common room for half an hour while she was in the girls' dormitory doing Merlin-knows-what.

Shifting his feet in his trainers (they were new, and has that never-been-worn stiffness that Oliver hated), he flipped the book over a few times in his hands, as if contemplating reading it but was unsure. He peered at the girls' dormitory once more before cracking open the book.

—Wright, who was a skilled metal-charmer, set himself to the task of creating a ball that mimicked the behavior and flight patterns of the Sniget. That he succeeded perfectly is clear from the many rolls of parchment he left behind him on his death (now in the possession—

Oliver sighed. He couldn't concentrate, not this early in the morning. Instead he contented himself with opening and closing the book, enjoying the new-book crackle the binding made.

After a few moments, though, he was mildly concerned he might lose the new-book crackle if he was at it too long, so he chose to rather stare at the inscription on the first page under Kennilworthy Whisp's name.

Happy 17th, Oliver!

Love, Katie

He remembered the day Katie had given him his own copy of Quidditch Through the Ages as a gift. It had been August eighteenth, his seventeenth birthday.

Oliver woke up that morning to his mother's voice hissing in his ear, "Oliver, there's a girl for you in the parlor! You'd better get up because I am most certainly not entertaining your guest while you sleep the day away!"

He stumbled out of his bed at that, out of his room, down the hall, down the staircase, through the kitchen, and into the parlor, where he found a sooty Katie Bell sitting on his couch, holding a package and looking about curiously. When her eyes landed on Oliver, the package was quickly discarded and her arms were thrown around his neck painfully. He had to lean down so she wouldn't crack anything.

"Happy birthday, Oliver! I just had to come and see you—I mean, your seventeenth!—so I Flooed over and your mum told me you weren't up but I suppose that figures 'cos it's only eight in the morning but I couldn't possibly wait any longer to give you your gift so here I am!"

She took a deep breath, detached her arms from his neck, and thrust the package in his hands.

Oliver blinked, ran a hand through his wildly tousled hair, and said in a voice thick with sleep, "Hello, Katie."

Katie gave a soft of relieved sigh and replied, "Hello, Oliver." A soft grin flickered across her face.

They sat down on the couch and Katie explained herself more clearly, juggling the package hand from hand the entire time. Once she had finished, and Oliver was more awake, she pushed the package to him.

"Happy birthday, Oliver," she repeated with a smile.

Oliver looked at her curiously before opening the gift. What was inside made his breath catch in his throat just a bit.

"Quidditch Through the Ages," he murmured before enveloping Katie in a hug which she was prompt to return. He pulled away and declared, "You're absolutely brilliant, you know that?"

Katie laughed at that and added cockily with an accompanying wink, "And don't you forget it."

They continued to chat for over two hours (Quidditch, holidays, Quidditch, Hogwarts, Quidditch, reminiscing, a bit more Quidditch), during which Mrs. Wood brought them scones and tea to munch on and Mr. Wood walked through the house singing the Puddlemere United team anthem at the top of his lungs.

When it was near half past ten Katie reluctantly insisted on Flooing home. Thanking her profusely, Oliver hugged her goodbye and told her he would miss her.

"I'll miss you too, Wood," she told him, taking a handful of Floo Powder. "Oh, and by the way—nice pajamas." And in a flash of green flame she was gone.

It was only then did Oliver realize he was wearing a purple and gold Pride of Portree shirt and too-small pajama pants with flying Snitches on them.

Shaking his head fondly in remembrance, Oliver closed the book and tucked it in his bag before turning, once again, to the girls' staircase. He decided he would give Katie five more minutes to come down before he left for breakfast in the Great Hall. He was quite hungry, after all.

Oliver didn't have to wait that long, however, as Katie came sprinting down the stairs not a minute later, her bag swaying awkwardly at her side and crashing into her hip with each leap. She came to a screeching halt only a foot in front of him, her bag swinging dangerously close to Oliver's face. She heaved an exuberant sigh before dropping her heavy bag on the ground (Oliver quickly pulled his feet up as not to be crushed by the bag), and then threw herself into the seat next to him on the couch.

There was the crackle of the fire for a moment before Katie said, "Sorry I took so long. Angelina and Alicia kidnapped me."

He turned his body on the couch to face her. "What would they do that for?" he questioned, curious.

Katie rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and explained, "They wanted to do my hair."

Oliver leaned back and observed her. What was normally just a wild tangle of blonde hair was now sleek and shiny and straight.

"I guess it does look different," observed Oliver, watching the locks swing around her ears as she shook her head.

"Do you like it?"

Oliver looked mildly anxious as he said, "What was that?"

"D'you like it?" Katie questioned again, gesturing to her head with a finger.

"Oh." He hesitated for a second before answering, "Yeah. It looks nice."

"Huh." She leaned back in the cushions. "You're lying, aren't you?"

Oliver grimaced. "Would you hate me terribly if I said I was?"

"Not terribly."

"I lied."

Katie sighed in relief. "Oh good. I don't like it at all either. It looks nice, I'm sure, but it took the girls half an hour to get it like this. There's not a chance I'll ever do it again."

"I liked your hair better before anyway," commented Oliver thoughtfully. "It was pretty."

Katie let out a clearly fake high-pitched giggle and said, "Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing me!"

Oliver chuckled and went to ruffle her hair, but pulled his hand back in surprise and disgust.

"What'd they put in there?" he asked, wiping his hand on his robes.

"Sleekeazy Hair Potion," said Katie, and grinned apologetically.

"But it's not supposed to be so… disgusting, is it?" Oliver wondered aloud, now wiping his hand on the armrest of the couch.

Katie fingered a lock of her hair. "That bad, is it?"

Oliver had to nod, his nose wrinkled.

"Angelina and Alicia got a bit—overzealous with their work, I guess," she offered. "I think they had fun, with me being a Sleekeazy virgin and all."

Oliver coughed into his hand and said, "As undoubtedly interesting I'm sure your hair-product virginity is, I was thinking we might actually eat soon."

"Eat? Thank Merlin, I'm ravenous. Let's go!" she cried and stood, pulling Oliver with her.

"Bags," Oliver reminded her, shouldering both the bags.

"Can't I carry my own?" said Katie, following him out of the portrait hole.

"Not today, no."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because I'm being chivalrous," Oliver replied.

"In that case," said Katie, "I expect you to pull out my chair for me as well."

Oliver chuckled and told her, "Only if the occasion calls."

Katie huffed. "But the only occasion that would call for pulling out my chair is a date!"

Oliver didn't say anything, just stared straight ahead with his eyebrows raised, a slight smirk on his lips, as if he was trying not to smile.

"Oliver?" Katie asked quietly, her voice low and serious.

"Katie?" Oliver replied back, his tone daring her to continue on.

They walked the remainder of the way to the Great Hall in silence.