CHAPTER TWO
The Quidditch pitch was muddy and wet, due to the heavy rain the previous night. A very enthusiastic Oliver Wood joined the crowd of Quidditch team hopefuls and commanded our attention immediately.
"Okay, listen up! It looks like I'm captain this year. And it also looks like you guys are here to try out. Before we start, I need to go over some basic guidelines. Quidditch practice is everyday from 5 PM until whenever I say we're done. Occasionally, you will wake up in the wee hours of the morning and we will practice without complaints. I don't care if it's raining, snowing, or scorching. You must attend every practice. I cannot stress enough how essential practice is on this team. To be successful on this team you must be committed and ready to practice any time and anywhere! Are we clear? Finally, I am your captain. Whatever I say goes. If you have any complaints, take it up with McGonagall. If any of you have problems with this, you can go ahead and leave right now."
A group of fourth year girls walked out of the Quidditch pitch haughtily. I overheard one of the girls whisper something to her friend: "I really only came here 'cause he's cute."
I nearly burst out laughing right in the middle of the thick silence on the field. Oliver? Cute? I didn't think it was possible for those two words to be used in the same sentence! I rolled my eyes and my gaze fell on him. His blue eyes were boring a whole into my brown ones. My heart began to pound in my ears like drums, but I didn't look away no matter how much I wanted to. I could swear I saw a hint of sensitivity in this demanding Quidditch captain's eyes.
And as I stood there gazing at Oliver, I realized that I was wrong. About his looks, I mean. It was as if someone had just handed me a pair of all-knowing glasses that allowed you to see things in a different perspective. And what I saw was very different indeed.
Oliver's Quidditch captain uniform hugged his body in all the right places, emphasizing every curve; his shoulders, broad chest and strong arms made him look like the image of perfection. He had gentle features on his face, but his eyes stood out the most; deep pools of baby blue. His shaggy dark brown hair looked soft and gentle.
And then, just like that, within the span of a second, the all-knowing glasses disappeared. And the weight of the words that I had just thought a second ago hit home.
Oh god! What was I doing? I hated Oliver. Right? Yet, there I was, standing in front of said prick and checking him out simultaneously. I'd never felt more confused in my life than I did at that moment. After a few moments of my mind having its own little spasm inside my head, I took control. In. Out. In. Out. Deep breaths always did help calm me.
And then, I came to a conclusion. The fact is, is that Oliver Wood is cute. Very cute. My breaths came out short and raspy as my newfound realization sunk in. We looked at each other for a couple more seconds and then he turned his head away to address the crowd.
"Okay, give me five laps around the Quidditch pitch!"
I managed to fly around the pitch with ease and was rather impressed with my performance during the Chaser drills. I was able to dodge the Bludgers without difficulty and even managed to score against Wood. Still, I didn't want to get my hopes up. A part of me didn't even want to be in the team. The next day, however, I checked the notice board and found that I had been made lead chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team! The elation I experienced that day is indescribable. Angelina and Alicia smirked at me as they walked by and I could hear Angelina mutter, "Told you so."
Our first game was against Slytherin. In the changing rooms, Fred, George, and Harry were playing Exploding Snaps, Angelina and Alicia were lost in their own little world discussing some wizard fashion show, and Oliver was seated across from me staring off into the distance. I looked at the way his eyes were glazed over and wondered what he was thinking about. He was probably just going through possible strategies for the game. I was nervous beyond belief, but I tried to hide it. Apparently, I was very bad at concealing my feelings because a second later Oliver was seated next to me, smiling feebly.
"Pre-game jitters?" he asked me. And after I gave him a short nod he continued, "Don't worry about it. Just focus on the game and forget about everything else."
Even though I willed myself not to cry in front of him, I could feel tears brimming in my eyes. "What if I disappoint everyone?"
"Katie, you are an incredible chaser. Even if we lose today, everyone will know that you gave it your best."
I looked down at the floor, pretending to be highly interested at the design on the tiles. "I don't want to disappoint you." I whispered.
He placed a finger underneath my chin and pulled my face up to his. "You will never disappoint me."
Gryffindor was victorious that day. Oliver's comforting words sent a spark of confidence through my veins. And I knew that whatever the outcome was of the match that day, I would never forget what he told me in the changing room.
For the rest of my life.
His eyes found mine during the celebration. The second our eyes met, my knees became weak, the room started spinning, everything else around me became fuzzy, and my heart was going wild in my chest. And that was the moment I realized that I, Katie Bell, was falling madly and irrevocably in love with my batty prick of a Quidditch captain.
