oh my goodness! i forgot to thank all of you who reviewed and put me on the story alert and all of that! i'm really sorry for doing that guys. your reviews are amazing and thank you so much for taking time out of your days to do that! this chapter is dedicated to all of you who reviewed/put me on the story alert. Loves!

disclaimer: only the storyline

Chapter 9: All you have to do is call my name

"Your flat is amazing!" Katie gushed as she entered Dean's apartment behind him. The walls were a perfect white, as were the couches and the rugs. Everything else was either glass or black. She hadn't been in something so clean feeling in a long time. He turned and smiled at her.

"May I take your cloak?" he asked, and she obliged by handing her pale gray cloak to him. His eyes again ran appreciatively over the slinky black dress she had borrowed from Amelia and Katie blushed. "I know I've already told you, but I have to repeat it. That dress looks amazing on you."

Katie blushed harder, murmured a thank you and followed him to the couch. She sat on it as he poured her a glass of firewhiskey. "I hope tonight wasn't too boring," he said, sitting next to her.

"Oh no! It was amazing! I've never been to an opera before, let alone a muggle one! The music was gorgeous!" Katie took a sip of the liquid and tried not to make a face. Wow, for a man who makes so much, he sure buys cheap brews, she thought to herself.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Katie shook her head and set her glass down on the table. "No, it's fine. I'm just used to a different brand is all."

Dean nodded knowingly, but Katie could tell he had no idea what she was talking about. That was the fourth time that he had done something like that on the date, she noted. She liked Dean, it was just she kept feeling like he was used to dating less intelligent women. Earlier that evening, he had explained the London underground system to her in one of the most condescending tones she had heard in a long time. She had wondered briefly what he would have said if she had told him she received top marks in her Muggle Studies class. Despite the fact that he was courteous and a perfect gentleman the rest of the night, there was a part of her that kept wishing she was with other people.

"When did you decide you wanted to be a professional seeker?" she asked, returning her thoughts to the current time and place.

"Well, when I was playing at Durmstrang one of the pros had come to watch our game, and they pretty much recruited me for their team. I had never really thought about playing a game as a living before then, although I knew that people did. What about you, when did you decide?" he asked, leaning towards her and also setting his glass down.

"When I was four," Katie answered simply.

"Wow, so you've been playing for a long time!" he remarked, smiling. Katie noticed his eyes slide across her figure again. "I'm sorry, I just have to ask. Would you mind if I kissed you?"

Katie's mind raced as she tried to comprehend the topic change. She fumbled for words to say and then finally settled on: "Sure, why not?" She smiled nervously. Dean grinned and took her face in his hands.

As he kissed her, Katie struggled internally. Half of her, the half that was led by hormones and who had been dying for some action was pretty much cheering as if they had won the Quidditch World Cup; the other half of her though, kept repeating one question over and over: What about Oliver? She tried to pull her head away a few minutes later, but his hands prevented her from moving. She next attempted pulling her whole self away, but he responded with pushing her down onto the couch. He kept kissing her the whole time, but now Katie could feel his hands wandering lower than her cheeks. Oh no way! Not while I can still kick and scratch! Katie thought and pushed hard on his chest. He raised himself up long enough to take a breath, but then started kissing her neck.

"Dean, I don't really think that we should be doing this on the first date!" she protested, trying again to push him off. He ignored her, instead moving his kissing to replace the strap he had just slid off her shoulder. "Dean, get off me or I'll get violent!" she warned, but he just chuckled like he couldn't wait. That's it, she decided as he slowly slid her dress down farther, kissing as he went. She violently raised her right leg, which he had been straddling. Dean let out an "oomph" sound, and Katie kicked him again, just to be sure. She pushed him off of her and got up.

Katie stood over him as he continued trying to catch his breath lying on the floor. "Used to looser women, are you?" she asked. He stared at her and she shook her head. "To think that I thought you were different than other men," she said, and disapperated to home.

She landed with a pop in her own beat-up living room and realized she was crying. "Oliver?" she called out. When no one answered her, she took a few steps towards his room and called again. The flat stayed silent and dark. Katie walked to his room and looked in the open door. As Katie registered that Oliver wasn't home to help her, and that her hand had begun hurting again from pushing him away, she walked into the empty bedroom and sat on the empty bed. Before she knew it, she had cried herself to sleep, hugging his pillow for comfort.

Oliver came home from Fred Weasley's house a little over an hour later. He noticed Katie's empty couch and a part of him wilted inside. Guess she's still out with Mr. Wonderful, he thought and entered his dark room. He stripped off outer clothes until he was wearing simply a pair of maroon boxers with golden snitches on them. As he reached to pull back his covers he finally noticed Katie and screamed in surprise. Katie sprang up just as Oliver jumped back and the two teammates stood looking at each other across the small dark room.

"Katie!" Oliver said finally, "What are you doing here?" He noticed the low-cut black dress and the make-up tracks down her cheeks and changed his question. "What happened?" He walked slowly towards her and she wrapped his quilt around herself.

"He kissed me," she stated quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"And you ran away screaming? I didn't know someone could be that bad of a kisser," Oliver said with a smile, which disappeared when Katie raised her eyes to his. A few tears leaked out and she shook her head. He squatted in front of her, with his hands on her knees to steady himself. "Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Want to put on pants first?"

Oliver laughed and as he stood to grab sweats, he joked with her: "No matter how upset you are, you always have a snarky comment up your sleeve, don't you?" Katie grinned cheekily, even if it was watery. Oliver returned to the bed and sat next to her. "Now do you want to talk about it?"

Katie nodded. "It started out really nice," she began. "He picked me up from Amelia's and said we were taking the underground. So we get on it, and it's not very crowded so he starts explaining how it works to me."

"Did he know you got top marks in that class?"

"No, and don't interrupt or I won't tell you the rest." Oliver nodded, and she continued, "So we got to the opera house eventually and we get out and we're waiting in line and he tells me I look nice and I say that he does too and other than that, not much was said. Then we get inside and we're lead to a special box that's right near the stage and the show begins. I do have to say, the show was amazing! The costumes were so outrageous and the singing was so…perfect. You would hate it though, since there was no Quidditch."

"Hey!" Oliver interrupted again, but was silenced by Katie's look. "Okay, okay, continue."

"So, then we take the underground back to his flat and we take the lift up and we get in, and it was…wow. It was clean and pristine and there were no plays drawn on the walls and no old couches and nothing to make it feel like someone actually lived there. But then he tells me I look amazing again and serves me cheap firewhiskey. I asked him when he decided to become a professional player and he told me, and then asked me the same question. I answered him, and he asked if he could kiss me, so I said sure, because you know…well actually, you don't know." Katie was speaking quickly and not looking at him, instead choosing to twist the quilt in her hands. "I don't even know, but he like, grabs my face and starts kissing me, and there's way too much tongue and even though half of me was like 'Thank Merlin, finally some action!' the other half of me kept going 'What about Oliver?' and then –"

"What about me?" Oliver asked, confused.

"No interruptions!" Katie said, and continued. "and then I tried to pull away and he pushes me down on the couch and his hands start wandering lower, and I know you said I need to stop hitting men in their groins, but this time I thought he deserved it, since he obviously wasn't any good at reading body language, so I nailed him in the groin and he didn't get off me, so I did it again, and this time he rolled off me and I got up and left and came here. You weren't home though and my hand was hurting and I just wanted a hug and you normally give me a hug when I'm sad, but you weren't home and so I didn't know what to do and," she had started crying again.

Oliver hugged her tighter and started rocking side to side with her. She clung to him and he let her cry for awhile, before finally saying, "You can hit men in the groins when they're doing stuff like that to you." Katie pulled her head up and looked at him. He brushed her tears away and whispered, "What about me, Katie?"

She tried to leap from the bed, but Oliver held her back. Her crying increased and she began flailing. As her left hand collided with his temple, she cried out in pain and collapsed in his arms. "Okay, okay, Kates. No more questions, I understand. How about you go put on some pajamas, and then you can stay in here tonight? Does that sound good? I'll protect you from anyone else tonight, I promise."

"No more questions though," Katie said.

"No more questions, and an extra strong numbing spell for that hand," Oliver bargained.

"Deal," Katie agreed.

With the pain slowly being masked by the numbing spell on her hand, Katie crawled into the bed next to Oliver. He kept his distance until Katie nestled closer to him. "Will you hug me till I fall asleep?" she asked so quietly that Oliver barely heard her. He wrapped his arms around her nonetheless and she lay her head on his bare chest.

"Goodnight, Katie," Oliver whispered, but she was already asleep.

&&&&&

Oliver woke a few hours later, as the sun was just barely rising. He looked down at the weight on his chest, realized it was Katie and suddenly felt as if he was back in Gryffindor after the Halloween party. He realized now, as he stared down at Katie's tousled brown hair and pale hand resting against his bare chest that he wouldn't mind waking up like this for the rest of his life. "Katie," he whispered to her sleeping form, "I love you." She murmured what he thought sounded like "you're drunk" but couldn't be sure. He smiled to himself, shifted position a little and went back to sleep.

&&&&&

Beepbeepbeep…beepbeepbeep…beepbeepbeep…whack. Oliver's hand hit the off button on the muggle alarm clock hard enough that the table shook and his wand rolled off onto the floor. Katie made a groaning sound and rolled over, opening her eyes. She glared at him for a second as if trying to figure out why there was a boy in her bed and then she realized where she was.

"Oliver?" she asked groggily.

"Mmm?" he answered, equally groggily.

"Why am I in your bed?" she asked, yawning hugely.

Oliver resisted the irrational urge to poke her tongue and said instead, "Because your date went horrible last night."

Comprehension dawned in Katie's sleepy eyes and nodded. "Oh …right," she said, and was silent

Ten minutes passed in which the two said nothing but yawned a lot.

"Oliver?"

"Mmm?"

"Why did the alarm go off at eight?"

"Because we have practice at eight-thirty."

"Oh …right."

Another minute passed, and then their brains finally kicked into gear and with a simultaneous shout of "Oh crap!" they launched themselves out of bed. Twenty minutes, and a lot of shouting: "get out of the bathroom!" later, the two teammates flooed themselves to the teams locker rooms.

"Katie!" Amelia squealed, seeing them arrive. "How did the date go?"

Katie smiled but said nothing. She instead just opened her locker rather more forceful than usual and took her training uniform out. Still without speaking, she stepped behind the screen that the girls changed behind. Amelia looked hopelessly at Oliver, who shrugged.

"Hey, Kates?" he called.

"No questions," she said quietly from behind the screen.

"Righto!" Oliver flipped his locker shut and leaned against it, holding his uniform in his arms. "It went horrible, and she would prefer if no one talked to her about Dean Harrison, Sonic Flashes, dating, kisses, et cetera et cetera. She tried to make me add bludgers and beaters to that list, but I had to veto those." Oliver chuckled to himself, and then ducked as a wrist guard smacked into the locker right above his head. "Katie!" he appealed to her as she stalked around the barrier.

"I will be sitting in the third row of the home team side of the stadium if you need me," she said, and marched out of the room.

Matt looked at Oliver and said, "What really happened, Genghis?"

Oliver sighed, sat on the bench and motioned for everyone to gather around. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "If Katie asks, just tell her we were talking tactics. Here's what happened. Are you ready? Can you handle it?" His team nodded excitedly. "Well then, too bad. We've already had a fight, and she's kicked two separate men in the special area this week – one of them twice. Right now, anything she says, goes." He stood up and walked out of the room laughing as his team made noises of protest and mock anger at his small trick.

Four hours later, Oliver flew silently towards Katie's seemingly napping form. The rest of the team watched from the middle of the field, taking bets on how Oliver would react to a team member sleeping at practice and how he would wake her up.

"Back off, Oliver," Katie said loud enough for only her captain to hear. Oliver jumped, causing him to nearly fall off his broom. Katie laughed when she heard Amelia's excited whoop and the men's groans as they passed over their money, but didn't open her eyes.

"That wasn't funny, Bell," Oliver huffed.

"Whatever you say, peanut killer," she muttered.

"Katherine, you're really not setting a good example for the team!" Oliver whined and Katie opened an eye. "Could you at least sit up and look interested?" Katie shrugged, but sat up anyhow.

"Isn't practice over anyway?" she asked, watching Amelia wrestle a bludger into the box.

"It's not over until I say it's over!"

Katie inclined her head towards the team filing off the field and Oliver turned to stare. He sighed dejectedly and turned back to his chaser. "Guess I said it was over. I don't remember that though. Do you want a ride back?" At her nod, he hovered in front of the stands and guided her onto the back of his broom.

&&&&&

Two nights later, Katie and Oliver joined Fred, George, Angelina and Alicia for drinks at the Dancing Donkey. Katie seemed more relaxed than she had been in the past few days, and Oliver did not fail to notice. He attributed the change in mood to being surrounded by close friends, but then again, he thought, it could be the two shots of firewhiskey she's already downed. Katie laughed at something Fred said, and Oliver returned to the conversation at hand.

"So there's George," Fred was saying to Katie, "swinging around and around on the broom, and the girls are freaking out. Angie gave me a bruise even!" Fred proudly pulled his sleeve up to show the purple discoloration on his upper arm.

"I said I was sorry!" Angelina exclaimed, trying to get Fred to pull his sleeve back down.

"Ollie, mate, I believe it is your round," Fred said, ignoring the frantic girl next to him and holding up his empty glass.

"I thought it was Alicia's!" the keeper protested, but she shook her head innocently. He glared at her, but got up to get more drinks for the table anyway.

As Katie watched Oliver talking to the bartender, Angelina leaned towards the chaser and said quietly, "Don't look now, but Dean just entered the pub." Katie's head whipped around and saw Dean coming through the doors of the pub with a few of his teammates. He spotted them in their corner booth and started to come over, a smile plastered on his face. One of his group peeled off to get a round of drinks for everyone, and the rest chose a table somewhere in the center of the tavern.

George and Fred watched Katie closely, Oliver having told them the date went horribly, but not the details, as Dean approached. He reached the table and stood behind Alicia.

"Katie Bell!" Dean exclaimed. "How're you doing? I hope the hand isn't causing you too much trouble?" He leaned nonchalantly on Alicia's chair, and she stiffened. She felt George slip her hand into his and give it a protective squeeze.

"It's great. How about you? Still bruised?" Katie smirked. She noticed Oliver turn from the bar with a tray of drinks, see Dean at their table and set the drinks back on the counter. A knot in her loosened as she saw him head towards them with a dark look in his brown eyes.

"Harrison," Oliver growled as he came to stand next to Katie with a hand on her shoulder.

"Wood. Look, before you all lose it and attack me -- don't think I don't notice those glares, Weaseley's -- I just wanted to apologize to Katie. I am very sorry for making you feel uncomfortable a few days ago. You're simply irresistible, though. I do hope you can forgive me. The broom will also be coming in a few days," Dean grinned; knowing that by apologizing Katie was in the wrong if she said anything mean to him. He saw her jaw twitch before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Thank you," she said tersely. Dean gave a bow and then walked to his own table.

"Merlin, that man is a prick!" George said when he knew the seeker was out of earshot.

"You can say that again," Alicia said.

"Okay. Merlin, that man is a prick!" George grinned as Alicia glared at him. The rest laughed and much of the tension was lost.

Oliver sank down next to Katie, sliding his arm around her shoulders. She leaned heavily against him; murmuring "you left our drinks up there," quiet enough so that only he could hear.

He said back just as quiet, "yea, but then I would have left you to face him alone."

"I had George, Fred and the girls," Katie said.

"Would you rather I hadn't come back?" At the shake of her head, he added, "See?"

The rest noticed the intimate exchange but said nothing until Oliver looked back up at them. "What?" he asked and they hurriedly looked anywhere but at the pair of Wasps.

Conversation started up again slowly after that, but something had changed. Katie and the girls weren't as bubbly as they had been before, making the guys less prone to jokes. Soon, the twins with their respective girlfriends announced their departures, and Katie and Oliver apparated home.

"Ollie?" Katie asked from the bathroom fifteen minutes later.

"What's up, Kates?" he asked, coming to lean in the doorway of the small bathroom.

"I just…um…well, I…erm…" she bit her lip in consternation and almost tore her washcloth in two while Oliver stared on.

"Let me guess," he said finally. "You want to stay in my room again because we saw Dean again tonight and it's bringing back the insecurities that you thought you had successfully locked away in that closet where you keep all of your worries and less than happy feelings, but he came along tonight and ka-bam! The closet is flooding open again, and you don't want to sleep on your own because the last time this kind of thing happened you got nightmares and woke up in my bed anyway, so you're thinking why not just start there. Right?"

"Ka-bam?" was all she said as she practically skipped across the hall to his room.

"I knew reading Leo's American comic book collection was going to bite me in the butt someday!" he said, following her and shutting his door.

"Thank you though," Katie said quietly, climbing into the bed after him. She snuggled closer to him and whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I do," stated Oliver. "Instead of waking up screaming and getting a hug from me, you'd just wake up screaming. The real question is, what would I do without you?"

"Have no one to hug," Katie answered simply, and settled in for sleep.

That concludes chapter 9...please read and review!

Chapter title from "Where you lead, I will follow" by Carole King and Louise Goffin