We didn't. it was…upsetting, to say the least.
"Well team," I began, to start my usual post-game speech. "Aw screw it!" I said, throwing my arms around them in a big hug. "We'll win it next year, right?" I asked, still upset.
"Of course!" everyone cried, almost instantaneously, hugging me back.
"Well, then, I guess we don't really need a speech."
Everyone stared at me in shock. Angelina's hand flew to my forehead. "Not warm," she muttered.
"Who are you?" Katy asked slowly. "And what have you done with Oliver?"
I laughed, but was still too upset to say anything else, so I simply opened my locker and pulled out my change of clothes.
I heard everyone heading to the showers, and I pulled my shirt off to change. I was too depressed to shower.
There was a small giggle, and I turned to see Katie standing behind me.
She blushed profusely. "Sorry, old habits die hard," she muttered.
"Old habits?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.
"Well, my best friend has six older brothers, and whenever they had friends over, if they took off their shirt for whatever reason, she would giggle like an idiot. Being a naïve little ten year old, I could for the life of me figure out why. So I simply copied her."
I laughed, and her blush deepened. I pulled on my clean shirt and held my clean pants in my hand, looking at them and hoping she'd get the message.
"Oh, right!" she exclaimed, figuring it out. "Yeah, that would be weird, huh? Okay, yeah, I'm gonna go shower." After that she scurried off, her face beet red.
*****
Dear Ollie,
Haha, I called you Olli, and you can't yell at me! Anyway, I don't know if you really care about getting a letter from a lowly second (soon to be third!) year, but I am absolutely dying of boredom, and to be honest, well, the team is really the only friends I have, so I'm writing to everyone.
Yeah, I know, it sounds kind of pathetic. But I'm not good at making friends! The only reason I'm friends with Alicia and Angelina are because on the train Fred and George tried to kick me out of the compartment I'd snagged, became my first friends and Hogwarts, and made me try out for Quidditch.
Do you consider me a friend, Oliver? Stupid question, I mean, you're my captain. Anyway, you don't have to reply to this letter, but writing it gives me something to do.
Yours Truly,
Katy
He read the letter twice to be sure he'd understood it properly. She didn't think he considered her a friend!? How could she think that?
He picked up a quill and parchment immediately, completely forgetting whatever it was he'd been doing when he got the owl in the first place.
Dear Katie-Kat,
See, two cane play at the nickname game.
Of course I'm your friend! Silly girl! How could you not be my friend? You're like my little sister. Little Katie-Kat.
Anyway, why is your summer so boring? Don't you have a best friend there? Margie I think it was? Don't be bored! I've been keeping busy by (oh you'll never guess it) coming up with Quidditch plays for next year. I know, I know, I can hear you now, "Oliver, no Quidditch over the summer unless it's for fun!"
Sincerely,
Oliver
(AN: Wow, I'm sorry. I have a habit of accidentally switching from 1st Person POV to 3rd Person POV, so I'll switch back now.)
Dear Oliver,
I'll call you Oliver if you don't call me Katie-Kat, deal? Please!?
Anyway, my best friend (Maggie, by the way) is a muggle, so she doesn't know about school. I keep having to make up ridiculous stories about how it's like a normal muggle boarding school. I've told her you're my soccer captain!
Anyway, Maggie landed herself in summer school, so she's almost always at school during the day. That leaves me with no one. A few time one of her brothers took pity on me and let me come swimming over at their house. But it didn't escape my notice that they look my way a lot when I'm wearing a swimsuit. And I thought they thought of me like a sister! Gits.
And yes, I have to say it, Ahem: No Quidditch during the summer Oliver, unless it's for fun! I can't play Quidditch over the summer, so you can't either!
Damn…you can…But only for fun, capeesh?
Yours Truly,
Katie
I laughed as I read her letter, wondering mildly what summer school was. It wasn't hard to figure out though. I felt myself get really angry when she got to the part about the guys watching her in her bathing suit.
Then I laughed. Like I said before, Katie's like a little sister to the whole team, and Fred and George have often made Katie's face go red with jokes about how she wears a bra, with nothing to put in one.
Once she got so angry, she retaliated with, "You wear pants, don't you?" and stormed off in a huff.
Anyway, the point being, it's not exactly like Katie in a bathing suit is really that much to look at.
No, that cam out wrong. It's not like I approve of ogling any girls in a bathing suit, all I'm saying is that if I did, Katie wouldn't really be the person I'd ogle.
Dear Katie,
I nearly ripped something in half when I read that those buggars were ogling you in your bathing suit. I can be very protective you know.
Anyway, I'm sorry you're bored. I forgot that you can't play Quidditch over the summer. Muggles and all that. And, to appease you (like that'll ever happen), I promise not to come up with Quidditch plays over the summer.
Happy now? Because I'm not.
Sincerely (Angrily),
Oliver
Dear Oliver,
Please get over yourself. And I am appeased that you won't play Quidditch unless it's for fun, because you have to have enough fun for the both of us, got it? Good.
Now, on to a more upbeat note: I'm going to spend the remaining week of summer holiday at the Weaseley's house! It'll be so fun!
I've been writing the twins, and when they heard I can't play Quidditch, they demanded I come visit them. I can't wait. They were my first friends at Hogwarts. Can you believe they have five sibling? That's a lot of kids! I can't wait to meet them! Well, not Bill and Charlie of course, because they don't live at home anymore, but I'll get to meet Ginny! Ron's at Hogwarts (duh), and Percy too. Yes, unfortunately, I've met Percy. The git.
Got to go pack now!
Katie
I smiled as I read her letter. I was glad she was doing something. She seemed so unhappy by herself all summer. I didn't exactly trust the twins to be nice to Katie for a whole week, but at least she'd be having fun.
Suddenly, an owl flew in and nearly hit me in the head. It was carrying three letters. The first two were addressed to Alicia and Angelina. The third had my name on it.
Ollie-Boy,
How is our dearest captain on this oh-so-fine summer? We just wished to inform you that our dear Ickle Katiekins was subject to an entirely Quidditch-free summer, which we are hoping to rectify. We are getting the team together at our house in two days, so that she can have a proper game.
Come on then!
Gred and Forge
I laughed, then scowled, remembering that they'd called me Ollie-Boy. Well, I couldn't scold them if I wasn't there. Guess I had to go then.