A/N: So Hello! It looks like I'm an idiot. I thought I'd be able to update sooner, and see how well that went? I need to focus on the making time for fanfiction, it makes me happy. As I have said before, I find reviews very inspirational. So the return of the flashbacks has commenced, with a dash of sweetness!

Disclaimer: If I owned anything useful, I wouldn't have had to answer that awkward question my boss asked when I said I wanted to go visit my friends.

Since When

"Miss Bell," the healer began, "would you kindly tell me why there were almost twenty people in this room that you are not related to. Indeed, I have never seen an ENTIRE Professional Quidditch team plus coach visit a patient at ONCE. Even if their own player is injured the USUALLY come in SHIFTS."

Katie was convinced this healer was going to have an emotional breakdown. He really wasn't doing too well. He was yelling at a patient who had been in a coma for months. He was shaking in his outrage. She briefly wondered if Snape had a cousin and if people can spontaneously combust.

"I'm tired" seemed like a safe enough reply, she really couldn't explain anything.

"I'll get you a sleeping draught." The healer waved his wand over her a few times, recorded some data and then left her with her parents.

"Katie, are you feeling alright?"

"Mama I'm tired and confused."

"Maybe we should tell the doctor dear." Amelia started to flutter around Katie, checking for fever or paleness.

"No Mama. I'm confused for my own reasons, not a side effect."

"Do you want us to stay with you?"

"Just until I'm asleep."

"Are you sure you don't want us here incase you wake up?"

"I'll be fine Mama, I just need sleep." Katie was reaching annoyance with her well meaning mother's continued flittering.

"Are you…"

"Amelia, Katie is getting the best care in the world here. We'll come back tomorrow when she's awake. Is that alright Katie?"

"I love you Dad."

Bennett looked smug. "I know, I'm the rational parent, you have to."

The healer came in with a potion that Katie took, no questions asked. Amelia and Bennett just talked softly to their daughter, telling her stories about her friends that happened when she was asleep. They didn't say anything about Oliver. Soon enough she was asleep and they crept from the room.

Mr. and Mrs. Bell found it surprising they weren't surprised to see Oliver sitting in the hall, just outside Katie's room. He stood as they exited.

"I just thought I'd stay, and see if she's ok, and help you home if you want."

"Thank you Oliver dear, she's fine. I'd appreciate an appy…arpy… poof home if you don't mind. I don't fancy a long taxi ride tonight." Amelia smiled at her lack of terminology.

"Alright, I'll take you first Mrs. Bell and then I'll come back for you Mr. Bell."

He offered his arm to Mrs. Bell and apparated her to her front door. She thanked him and he "poofed" back to the hospital.

"Son, how long have you loved her?"

Caught off guard by the abruptness of the question, Oliver tried to think back to when he knew he loved her. I was definitely sometime in 7th year.

Oliver was sitting on a sofa staring into the fire. After the loss to HUFFLEPUFF of all houses, he was hollow. A book rested between his hand and the arm of the sofa, open but unread.

A warm presence made itself known against Oliver's leg. He didn't have to look; somewhere in the back of his brain he knew Katie was sitting as his feet. She came and sat with him every night after the loss, determined not to give up on him.

He looked down at the top of her head and saw she was scribbling an essay while looking at a book propped up against the table leg. He also noticed his hand, the one not holding the unused book, was twining itself in and out of her blonde hair. It gently pulled at the soft locks, ran its fingers along her scalp, and traced a path from the nape of her neck to her collarbone without his permission.

Katie leaned her cheek against his knee and continued to try and do her essay. She wasn't managing much progress due to the distraction. He marveled at the feel of her hair and skin for a moment longer before urging his brain to work.

Kate has pretty hair. And soft skin. And beautiful eyes. And what am I doing? No way, NO WAY. I do not have the warm fuzzies for Kate. I don't like her like that. Of course I don't like her like that. At all. I love her. I do? Oh Merlin, I do. I have to do something about this, NOW. Ummmm Quidditch. Quidditch Plays!

Oliver quickly grabbed a piece of parchment from Katie and the quill from her hand. He began hastily scribbling a play, not that he knew where it was coming from or if it made any sense, onto the paper.

Katie turned around and could barely peer over the edge of the parchment in his lap. "Feeling better Mr. Wood? I assume you are because you're actually writing plays instead of staring into space. Well, welcome back to the land of the living, and you owe me a parchment."

Not looking up, Oliver stated in the most joking and friendly way he could manage, "I love you Kate."

She smiled a warm smile, stood up and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm going to tell the rest of the team that we have Quidditch practice before breakfast tomorrow."

Oliver watched her flounce off and vault over a sofa to land between the twins. Everything was going to go back to normal. Some bit of chivalry in Oliver thought this was definitely for the best. She's better off not knowing.

Oliver looked into Bennett Bell's eyes and quickly decided that denying it was pointless. "To know it, since I was in 7th year; Kate was in 4th. I think I loved her a time before that and just didn't know it." Something in Oliver still cringed when the age gap was brought to the forefront.

"Her mother was dating my best mate," Bennett began, staring at a spot somewhere over Oliver's right shoulder. Needless to say, Oliver was confused by the turn this conversation had taken.

"One day I hauled off and punched him in the jaw for something, didn't even really know what for. Then it hit me, Amelia was it. I'd loved her all along."

"What did you do?"

"Well I stood still long enough that my mate blacked my eye." Bennett chuckled. "You should avoid life-changing realizations when you are in the middle of a fist fight if at all possible."

"What did you do about her?" Oliver was still slightly confused as to why Bennett Bell was choosing to reveal this personal information to him.

"Amelia left him the next week over something, maybe it was the same thing I punched him over, I don't know. So I asked her to a movie, as a friend. Then things went from there and a walk down a church isle and Katie followed."

Bennett put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and Oliver apparated them to the Bell's front door.

"Won't you come in Oliver?" Amelia called from somewhere within.

"No maam, I should get going. Goodnight Mr. Bell, tell Mrs. Bell I said goodnight to her as well."

"Son, don't let the right girl go without a fight."

Oliver only nodded and went back to the hospital. He wanted to check on Katie, even if she was just asleep.