Mid-Spring, 1997: Part Two

Oliver had never been to Katie's home before. But now, as he stood before it, he contemplated the idea of never, ever seeing the inside of it. Because going inside would entail talking to Katie. And talking to Katie meant that he would finally reveal his true feelings for her. And revealing his true feelings to her would most likely result in losing her so soon after finally entering her life again. Because how could she honestly return his feelings?

Really, it would just be for the best if Oliver turned around now and left. Except…then Katie would be upset that Oliver had stood her up, he just knew it. And Oliver would hate to do anything that would upset Katie.

And so, with a deep, calming breath, Oliver walked up the cobblestone path to the front door and rapped on it three times with his knuckles.

Stay calm, he told himself. Don't run away. Everything is going to be fine. She's not going to hate me for this…too much…I hope.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the opening of the front door. A beaming Katie stood there, her hand on the door knob. Oliver was pleased to see that, although she still looked painfully thin compared to how he was used to seeing her, she wasn't nearly as pale as she had been just two short weeks earlier.

"Oliver!" Katie cried in greeting, throwing her arms around his neck. She might have been harboring a secret crush on her captain for years, but Katie Bell had never exactly been shy. A hug was a natural response when greeting someone she hadn't properly seen in years. Plus, for as adamantly as she refused to admit her feelings to Oliver, she would take any chance she could get to touch him. And yes, she was fully aware that she clearly had a problem.

"Hey, Kates," Oliver replied, wrapping his arms around her as well. She gave a small sigh of contentment; she really could stand here forever in his arms, listening to him talk in that voice of his. But, sadly, that wouldn't get anything truly meaningful accomplished for her—after all, she needed to know the reason behind all of his visits—so she reluctantly drew back from the embrace.

"Come in," She gestured for him to follow her through the house. "Mum and dad aren't home. I convinced them that they needed some time alone to relax after everything they've been through in the past few months. Mum was all set to stay here, though. She told me she could relax once I was back at school, but Dad told her she'd feel better going out now when she knew she'd actually be coming home to me. And I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry."

"It's alright," Oliver told her, taking a seat in one of the kitchen chairs as Katie got them drinks. She couldn't help but internally swoon at the sound of his voice again. Why was she doing all of the talking when she could be listening to this? "It's actually pretty nice to hear you talking again. Besides, the Katie Bell I remember from school was never really one for keeping quiet."

Katie smiled slightly. "Well, it's not as if I ever really made that much noise. You know it was all Fred and George, really."

"Just them?" Oliver smirked slightly, causing Katie to swoon slightly, yet again.

"I feel like you're trying to trap me into admitting a secret alliance that the twins and I may or may not have had," Katie said, narrowing her eyes playfully at him. "Therefore, I'm going to have to change the subject. So, how have you been? How's Quidditch? You seem to have made an impression on my mum. She can't stop going on about how it would be a crime if you don't get Rookie of the Year."

Oliver smiled slightly, accepting the mug of tea she handed him. "Your mum is great. Quidditch is going alright, too," He added with a roll of his eyes. "Management has given us a few days off after that ridiculously long game in Luxembourg. I don't think this has ever happened before, but I think I'm glad for the break from Quidditch."

Katie gasped theatrically as she took the chair across from his, her own mug of tea in one hand while the other went up to clutch her chest. "Oliver Wood? Tired of Quidditch? Are you sure you aren't ill?"

"It gets worse," Oliver said, leaning forward and speaking in a conspiratorial whisper, "This morning…I didn't even go for my usual morning ride."

"It must have been something in the water in Bigonville," Katie replied thoughtfully.

"Without a doubt," Oliver agreed.

Katie couldn't help but let out a small giggle at how serious Oliver's tone was. At her giggle, he gave her a challenging look, causing her to burst into full-out laughter, which Oliver quickly joined in on.

"I've missed you," Katie admitted, once she had caught her breath again. She raised her mug to her lips and took a small sip of tea before continuing, "Even with the insanity that I may or may not have been involved in, we had some good times, didn't we?"

"The best," Oliver agreed easily. "All of you—you, Fred, George, Ang, Alicia, and Harry—you were by the far the best team I've ever been a part of."

"But even taking Quidditch out of the picture," Katie said thoughtfully, "We all had great times together as friends."

"Sure," Oliver said with a small shrug, not entirely sure where Katie was going with any of this. "We were all really good friends—well, with the exception of Harry, I suppose."

"Is that why you came to visit so much?" Katie couldn't help but ask. "Because we used to be friends?"

"Well…er…" Oliver scrambled for something to say, thrown off by the sudden change their conversation had taken. "I thought we were still friends?"

"Friends who haven't seen each other in years?" Katie questioned. "Friends who stop replying to letters?"

Oliver ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Are…Well, are you mad about that? Me not writing back, I mean. I got all of your letters," He hastened to say. "I just…never got around to replying after the first couple."

"What? No! I'm not mad," Katie said swiftly. "I never was," She continued, then twisted her lips into a sheepish smile at Oliver's dubious expression. "Alright, so maybe that's a lie; it was a tad upsetting to me that you stopped replying, which is why I then stopped writing to you. But I understood. You were starting to make it as a professional Quidditch player—your lifelong dream. You just didn't have time for me anymore. Which is perfectly understandable, of course. I was never anyone really important."

"Well that's hardly true," Oliver corrected her. "You've always been important to me. That's why I visited you at St. Mungo's."

"Ah, yes. I was one of the most superb chasers you'd ever seen," Katie stated wryly, sounding as if she was reciting something she had heard very often, once upon a time.

"Quidditch doesn't have anything to do with it," Oliver said immediately. Now it was Katie's turn to look dubious, and Oliver quickly retracted his statement, "Yes, alright, I know, Quidditch always has something to do with things when I'm involved."

"You wouldn't be Oliver Wood, otherwise," Katie said with a small grin. "I think we've already established that something would have to go horribly awry for you to stop considering Quidditch your number one priority."

"There are other 'priorities' I'd rather have," Oliver admitted slowly.

"Like what?" Katie asked, genuinely curious.

"Well," Oliver began slowly, running his hand through his hair again, his nerves getting the best of him. "For the past few months, I'd say my top priority has been you. Really, Quidditch has just been a way of blowing off steam. That's why I'm having such a good season; it's just a way to get rid of all of the pent-up frustrations."

"Me?" Katie questioned, dubious once more.

"There's something I never told you," Oliver said suddenly, making the spur of the moment decision that this was good a moment as any to finally come clean to her. He reached past their abandoned and now-cold mugs of tea to grasp her hands in his own. He could feel the familiar calluses as he gave her hands a gentle squeeze and was pleased to note that she didn't attempt to pull out of his grip.

Oliver took a deep breath before continuing to speak, "Katie…I…well, I've fancied you for a while, now. Pretty much as long as I've known you, actually. Honestly, it started the first time I ever saw you fly—you were brilliant, you know; I don't know if I ever told you quite how thrilling it is to watch you in the air, especially that first time at trials. And then of course you made the team and I got to know you better, and that just made me like you even more. I just…I never thought you felt the same way. You always seemed perfectly fine with our friendship…and I am a few years older than you. I thought saying anything to you would have ruined what we had, and I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to talk to you normally again."

He gave a wry laugh here. "Of course, then I went and ruined everything anyway, didn't I? I feel as if being busy with training is such a silly excuse, but it's the best I can come up with for why I stopped writing back. And then it just seemed rather pathetic to try and get back into contact with you after so long. But then I ran into Fred and George at St. Mungo's and I realized…Katie, there was a chance I really was going to lose you forever…and I couldn't bear the thought of you never knowing how I really feel about you."