Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me almost a year to update. School got to be too much -- almost everything but homework, marching band and theater got squished out of my life. But I will be uploading mostly regularly this summer -- cept for a week when I have to go to DMA (drum major academy) due to the fact that I got Jr. Drum Major for my marching band! WOOT! And here's an extra long one (at least for me) for you guys. I hope you enjoy it. And please don't be cranky at me for not uploading forever.

ALSO: I decided to call the team "The Wasps"...I realized I hadn't named them before now...oops

Disclaimer: only the story line

Chapter 7: Lonely People Tumble Downwards

"I said go away!" Katie yelled from inside the apartment.

"Kates, it's me! Open up!" Oliver banged on the door again. There was silence from inside the apartment, and then suddenly the door opened half way. Katie's hand shot out, grabbed Oliver's collar and yanked him inside. She slammed the door behind her and set the locks again.

"Katie, what's wrong? What happened?" Oliver dumped his equipment bags on the floor and led Katie to the couches. He sat across from her and waited for her to talk.

"Stupid Witch Weekly published their 'Daring Damsels' issue. I got ranked number 5 and I didn't even realize it was coming out today, but when I got home, there were men outside, and they were asking me on dates and I don't want to go on a date with greasy warlocks. They smelled like Slytherins, you know."

Oliver laughed, and dodged the pillow Katie chucked at him. "Stop glaring at me!" he exclaimed, "I'm laughing because the smell of Slytherin has probably worn off by now. In all honesty, it usually wears off as soon as they shower. I'm sure even Slytherins shower."

"You'd be surprised," Katie grumbled.

"Puppy, you don't have to go on a date with anyone you don't want to, and you can lift the protection spells now that I'm home. I'll beat off any boy that comes near you. I'll just whack them with my big strong manly arms." Oliver grinned cheekily and flexed an arm to show her.

Katie laughed slightly, threw another pillow at him. "Fine, strong man, what do you want for dinner?"

"Fresh meat!" Oliver growled, still flexing.

Katie gave him an impish smile and darted into the kitchen calling over her shoulder "Be careful what you wish for!"

Oliver yelped and followed her into the kitchen.

&&&&&&

"Oliver! Katie! Over here! Over here!" "What's it like being the most famous couple in the magical world?" "When's the wedding?" "When did you realize it was love?" "Katie, what about Cameron?"

"What about him?" Katie stopped suddenly in front of the reporter on her way into the game.

The reporter looked shocked for a second that she was actually talking to him. "Rumors were that you're hot and heavy!" he explained.

Katie snorted, "Tell him he needs a new dictionary! That man is the lowest, scum-sucking, womanizing –"

"O-kay! That's enough, princess!" Oliver grabbed Katie by the shoulders and rushed her the rest of the way into the dressing room. He pushed her into the room, gave the reporters a quick smile and then locked the door. "No, we're not a couple," he explained automatically to the surprised members of team that were in the locker room. Amelia's face fell a tad, but then resumed neutral when she saw Katie's expression.

"Why didn't you just apparate here, guys?" Matt asked.

Oliver glared at his seeker. "Someone decided it might look odd to the neighbors if we never exit or enter the apartment. I told them we could just say we were hermits. She said she has never liked the ocean, and that was that."

"Genghis, I've heard of being whipped in relationship, but never outside of one." Daniel joked from the showers.

"I'm not whipped!" Oliver exclaimed.

Amelia snorted, but didn't say anything. Katie slammed her locker and glared at the only other female on the team. "He's not," she growled. "I'm just manipulative."

"What? Did you tell him he could have a cookie or something?" Matt asked, putting his second shoe on.

"Actually, yes…and when did you start speaking?" Oliver asked, opening his locker and beginning to change.

"When I was three."

"He means when did you start adding to conversations when there's more than two people involved, doofus," Justin said, kissing Amelia on the head as he sat between her and Matt.

"Oh…well…" Matt blushed.

"Did someone find some lovin' last night?" Justin nudged the young seeker in the ribs.

Matt blushed harder, and the team let our a collective whoop of laughter and congratulations. When everyone had finished pressing him on who it was, and how it had happened, Oliver called the team to order.

"Okay, guys, this is a tough team we're playing today. Their seeker's Dean Harrison, who's got one of the best sets of eyes I've ever seen, and their beaters are built, but –"

"Wow, Ollie, I always thought you liked girls!" Katie giggled, still finishing strapping on her pads.

"I am, but … oh. Get your mind out of the gutter, Bell. You know what I meant. Anyway, their chasers are the real things we need to worry about. They're a tricky bunch, and they really like the fake outs, so Justin, Daniel and Katie, I need you to keep your eyes open. Don't fall for any of their stupid tricks. And yes, Katie, I will remember that there are three hoops today. Amelia, your size is pretty much all you have going for you today. These guys are big, so get in there. Get under their swings, steal the bludgers right out from in front of them. Leo, let's see the new moves you've been working on, okay? Good. Mattie, watch their seeker. Guaranteed, he's gonna see it before you do, just make sure that he's not faking you out. We don't want you becoming broom kill the day after you find love. That's about it, so let's get out there and make them want their mommies."

"What's wrong with wanting your mommy?" Daniel asked. "I like my mommy. She makes good stew."

"Well, if we win, we'll all go have some of Danny's mommy's stew, but right now, we have a game to play. Stay focused guys. Now, line up, they're announcing the other team!" Oliver took his place at the end of the short line.

&&&&&

Matt's fingertips closed inconspicuously around the snitch just as on the other side of the field Katie felt the bludger connect with the hand holding her broom, and then not much else. She could tell that the broom had shattered upon impact, and that she had fallen, simply because she could see it getting farther and father away above her. Suddenly, through the fog of pain in her mind, she felt arms catch her and slow down her fall. Right before she passed out, she looked up into a pair of warm blue eyes she hadn't seen before.

Oliver saw the beater whack the solid black ball away from himself and towards Katie. He froze as it exploded into her hand holding the broom. He screamed as he saw her fall. A small part registered the referee blowing her whistle, but all of his concentration was on Katie as she plummeted towards the hard packed earth. And when their seeker caught her, he sped up to get to the guy before the nurse did.

"You hurt her even more, and I will personally make sure that you will never catch another snitch again!" Oliver growled as he pulled up beside the slim man.

"Hey, I don't swing the clubs. You should be thanking me," the guy retorted. Oliver continued to fly nervously around the seeker and Katie as they traveled toward ground.

The teams landed a few feet away from each other and from the quartet of seeker, chaser, keeper and nurse. Justin's arm was around Amelia as she watched her friend be laid gently on the grass. The nurse bent over the brunette and shook her head as she looked at Katie's hand.

Oliver glared at the seeker with such ferocity that he quickly returned to the safety of his own team. The nurse set a numbing spell upon Katie's hand and then walked towards the referee. The two women conferred for a bit, before the referee turned to announce to the crowd: "Due to the severe damage done to Chaser Bell's left hand, the rest of the game between the Wasps and the Sonic Flashes will be postponed for a week. Currently the score stands at 90 Wasps, 110 Flashes. The game will begin at the –"

"Wait!" Matt suddenly yelled, as the snitches angry wings flapped into his wrist.

The referee turned to look at him, and he walked towards her, holding out his hand. He let the snitch free as he reached her, and the swift golden ball held its place in the air long enough for the referee to grab it. She turned to Matt and whispered: "Young man, this is serious. Did you catch this after the whistle, or before?"

"Before."

"You're career could be ruined if you lie."

Matt looked the older woman in the eye, and said with more confidence than he normally had: "I caught the snitch just as Katie was hit. I was taught well. I don't lie, and anyway, I would much rather have all of our chasers conscious when we win a game, as opposed to just two. I caught it before the whistle, and if you don't believe me, that's okay."

Oliver, Justin, Daniel, Amelia and Leo all held their breath as the mildest member of their team stared down the referee and the fieriest member lay dead to the world on the ground.

Suddenly, the older woman turned back to the ground and announced "The final score of the game between the Wasps and Sonic Flashes is 240 to 110, Wasps. Any questions can be answered at an impromptu press conference with myself, and the two captains in half an hour." She turned to the nurse and gave the okay to have Katie transported off the field. "Captain Harrison, and Captain Wood, I expect to see you in half an hour. To the rest of you, I must say, it was an amazing game." The last part was said with a smile of appreciation that was rarely seen on someone who had seen so many Quidditch games.

Half an hour later, Oliver and the seeker from the Sonic Flashes, Dean Harrison, sat on either side of the referee, Martha Pandell, fielding questions from fans and reporters.

"How can you trust a person like Matt Tivoli? Captain Wood probably put him up to it! I wouldn't be surprised if that snitch was a fake!" one fan, elaborately dressed in the Flashes' colors, yelled.

"Captain Wood did not speak to Seeker Tivoli in the time between Chaser Bell's injury and the announcement of the final score. Mr. Tivoli caught the snitch fair and square." Martha Pandell patiently explained this for the eleventh time to the crowd of people in front of them.

"The Wasps won fair and square, and I only hope that they can accept my deepest and sincerest apologies for injuring Ms. Bell," Dean Harrison explained.

"Save it for someone who cares, Harrison," Oliver growled.

"Captain Wood, you're not helping," Ms. Pandell muttered to the surly Scotsman next to her. At that same point in time, a pen flew from the area where the Wasps were sitting and hit Oliver in the head. Oliver's "ow" caused the crowd to laugh good-naturedly.

"Oliver, I can understand why you're angry," Dean said soothingly.

"Really? I don't think you do. Thanks to your stupid beater my best friend and roommate has to have her hand reconstructed. The broom is also another issue. Unlike your team, where everyone has three brooms, we're forced to buy our brooms out of our own salaries. I don't really think you understand this." Oliver stood and began to walk away. He was stopped by Daniel, Justin and Leo.

"Sit" growled Leo. Oliver sat, and Leo performed an enhancing spell on his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that although our captain is marvelous at the field aspect of his job, he does let his emotions over come him in situations like this. Our team therefore both accepts the Sonic Flashes' apology, and offers our own. We apologize for the way that our captain is behaving right now. He is simply stressed, as we all are, about whether or not Puppy's – I mean Ms. Bell's – hand will make a full recovery. Matt Tivoli also apologizes for not showing the snitch earlier as soon as he had caught it. We would also like to silence any rumors about Ms. Bell's and Captain Wood's relationship. It is purely platonic and although they do share a house, they do not share a bed. I know that I, and I believe the rest of the team agrees that it would be nice if the Wasps and Flashes could continue the friendly rivalry they currently share. Thank you to all, but I must ask for permission for the team to go visit our newest member in St. Mungo's. Ms. Pandell?"

The referee nodded in response to Leo's speech, and said "I can handle it from here. Your team should get to seeing if Ms. Bell is okay."

"If they don't mind, I would like to accompany them as well." Dean stood up at the same time as Oliver. Oliver seemed about ready to yell some more, but Justin's firm grip on his shoulder caused him to turn. Dean followed the Wasps out of the conference hall, while Martha Pandell continued to field questions.

&&&&&

At St. Mungo's hospital, Katie was still under intensive care when the team and Dean Harrison arrived. The nurse stopped the six people as they tried to enter her room. "I'm afraid I can only allow family in to see her. She's still unconscious, and her hand is almost completely shattered. It's going to take a few weeks to get back to normal, but the bones should be finished growing by tomorrow afternoon."

Oliver looked like he was ready to tackle the nurse, just as Kelsey came waddling down the hall. "I'm her sister! I'm Katie Bell's sister!" Kelsey said, pushing through the crowd. "Why, hello, Ollie! Nice to see that you're taking great care of my little sister," she said with glare. The nurse stepped aside to let the pregnant Kelsey into the room, and Oliver craned his neck to see inside.

"C'mon, Ollie, mate, let's get to the waiting room." Daniel steered his captain after the rest of the team and Dean down the hall.

Sooo, I hope you liked it. Please review! You can nitpick if you want, I won't be sad.

The title is from a Keane song called "She has no time"

Next chapter coming soon!