All About Loving You

Chapter 12: Peace

I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I've been in Berlin for a week and the last couple of days I've been drowning in school work.

I was released from the Hospital Wing a week later. I directly went to the Gryffindor Tower, trying to avoid people as much as possible.

"Frogoholic," I said to the Fat Lady. She opened immediately and I stepped into the Common Room. The first person I saw sitting, was Oliver. He looked at me, but I ignored him. I walked straight towards the dormitories, feeling his eyes fixed upon me.

I raced up the steps and shut the door of my dormitory with force. I still loved him with all my heart and I felt sorry about what happened that night he was with me in the Hospital Wing. But I was so ashamed that I couldn't find the courage to talk to him.

I let myself fall into my bed and pulled my pillow against my chest. I fought hard against the tears.

"Katie!" Alicia said enthusiastically, racing in the dormitory. "We wanted to visit you in the Hospital Wing, but Madam Pomfrey told us you already left." She jumped next to me on my bed.

"Be careful, Alicia you cow!" Angelina said, slapping her friend. "Katie just got out of the Wing, we don't want her back in, do we?" She looked at me more closely and sighed. "Katie, honey. Why don't you go down and talk to him?"

"How do you know I was thinking about Oliver?" I said curiously, looking up at Angelina.

"I've known you for ages now. I can tell when you're thinking about him. You get that dreamy expression on your face." She stroked my hair. She did it the same way Oliver used to do. I closed my eyes and swallowed three times.

"I've acted like a child. I don't think he wants to see me." I said, crying. I hid my face in my pillow.

"Don't be stupid," Alicia said, pulling the pillow away from me. "Whenever we came back from you from the Hospital Wing, he always asked how you were. He still loves you."

"I don't think I'll ever be the same girl," I said silently. "Flint didn't get far, but far enough to damage me."

Angelina pulled me in her arms. "But he's leaving the school tomorrow. Dumbledore kicked him out and there'll be an official hearing from the Ministry Of Magic. I know it takes time to get over it. And I know you, Katie Bell. You're a very strong girl, you will get over it."

I snorted.

Angelina sighed. "Come, it's almost dinner."

"I think I just need some time. I'll catch up, okay?"

Angelina and Alicia left the dormitory together. I got up and washed my face. Alicia and Angelina were right. I had to pull myself together. I wouldn't let any weak sign escape me.

I took the long way to the Great Hall this time. People started at me, but I ignored them.

"Stephen, come! There's a fight going on!" A first-year yelled to his friend. I heard also the commotion. I walked a little faster. Maybe a fight would cheer me up.

A group of people were surrounding two boys beating the living hell out of each other. I saw Oliver kicking Flint.

I pushed several people aside until I stood in the middle of the circle. "STOP!" I yelled. I pulled Oliver's arm, but it was no use. He punched Flint hard, his nose cracked, and blood came out of it.

"Oliver, stop! Do you want to get expelled? He's not worth it!" I tried again. Oliver turned around and faced me.

"No, he's not. But you are!" He said, before kicking Flint in his face. Oliver's robes were torn apart, he had a black eye and blood was dripping from his fists.

"You're a filthy whore, Bell." Flint said, through gritted teeth. "And you deserved everything I did to you."

I looked down on Flint. Oliver tried to hit him again, but I stopped him. He looked at me and I smiled sweetly. "I'll handle this."

"What are you going to do, slut?" Flint said, with satisfaction in his voice. "Did you know, Wood, she has the most beautiful breasts I have ever seen?"

I kicked him hard in the balls. Several people were cheering. "You know what, Flint?" I said, looking him straight in the eye. "You think you've broken me. But you're wrong."

Oliver pulled my arm. "We have to go, McGonagall is coming." He took my hand and we ran to the boy's dormitories. I sat on his bed.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to talk to him, but closed it again. I wasn't sure what to tell him.
He stood with his back at me, staring out the window. I looked at him: he was tall, muscled and dark.

I coughed and pulled my legs against my chest. That seemed to wake Oliver. He turned around. "Katie, can we talk? About last week?"

I panicked slightly. "Why?" I said, not looking at him. "I know how you feel about me. The thing that happened to us last week, was very clear to me."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want me anymore, Oliver. I tested you and you failed."

He took one step closer to me. "You tested me?"

I examined my feet, I didn't want to look in his eyes. "That night I told you to take me, because I wanted to know if you'd still have me after Flint had put his filthy hands on me."

He took two large steps and he was standing next to his bed. "Are you insane? You actually thought because of what Flint did I would stop loving you?"

"Yes," I said silently. I was crying again.

"You're a stupid girl, Bell." He was sitting next to me now, holding me in his arms. "Look at me." He took my head in his hands. "I will never stop loving you. I love you even more now."

I couldn't stand it any longer. I kissed him and he kissed me back. We laid in his bed the whole afternoon and I even stayed there overnight.

"Does this mean we're back together?" Oliver asked me, at one o'clock in the morning, still holding me.

"Yes," I said silently.

"Never leave me again."

"Never."