A/N: Hey guys! I'm posting a couple days later than I intended. I've just been so excited over The Avengers! I've seen it twice since last Wednesday and I am just buzzing. No spoilers for those who haven't seen it, but lemme tell you, that film has so many gratuitous ass shots. I died and went to heaven! WATCH IT! At least twice – once for the plot and then again for the gorgeousness!

That being said, the perfect life ruiner casting inspired me to find matches for some of the characters in this story. You can all just imagine the rest, because sometimes it's better that way. FYI:

PUDDLEMERE

Coach Nolan – Vinnie Jones (She's the Man, anybody?)

Sean Flanner – Jeremy Renner (sighhhh)

Roger Davies – Max Irons (or any guy that's hot and seems to know it… a little too well)

Isadora Fairfax – Saoirse Ronan

HOLYHEAD

Gwenog Jones – Serena Williams (Belinda lol, I hope this answered your question! I actually imagined her as Gwenog loooong ago)

Wilda Griffiths – Olivia Wilde

Annelise Grant – Maggie Gyllenhaal

Bruna Geyser – Emily Blunt

Glinda Chapman – Candice Accola

Coach King – Kristin Chenoweth

Katie's Mum – Julie Hagerty (another She's the Man reference here).

As for Oliver and Katie, I can't say I'm capable of giving them distinct faces. I only know that Sean Biggerstaff is too tiny to play Oliver (although I had such a crush on him in the first couple of movies), and that Katie is too vaguely portrayed in the movie for me to commit. That being said, I have a couple of people in mind, but others may feel the way I do about it. So… ask and I'll tell!

For now, enjoy Chapter 7! Let me know what you think in a review! :)

CHAPTER 7 – Upstart Part II: Game Changers

Last time on AWOC:

"I'd like for me and Vanns to play on the opposing team," Gwenog sneered. "Beaters with the phantoms versus everyone else.

"Is that really necessary, Coach?" asked Bruna, although she looked straight at Gwenog.

Coach King weighed the options in her head. She asked, "Rookie, what do you say?"

Through her gritted teeth, Katie replied, "Alright, let's do it."

Katie lined up beside her fellow Chasers, Bruna, Glinda, and the phantom Beater-trolls and watched with newfound determination as Gwenog and a hesitant Vanna lined up alongside the other phantom figures. They kicked up, hovering above Coach King in a circle. Examining her competition, Katie considered that she ought not be too threatened. It was just a pissed-off Gwenog Jones with a bunch of holographic players, right?

Coach King said wearily, "Good clean match, alright? Jones?" And she released the Bludgers, followed by the Golden Snitch. Gwenog watched after the Bludgers with a feral growl that made Katie shiver in her boots. Glinda laughed cheerily, promising to make quick work of the Snitch. Coach King took the Quaffle in both hands, and Katie's own clenched tight around her broom. Coach King tossed it up, and Katie zoomed in to snatch it from mid-air.

"OOF!" If Katie thought somehow that the phantom Chasers were made of air, was she ever wrong. The troll-like figures Coach King had conjured felt solid as sold could be, and when she made to take the Quaffle, she was met with a very unpleasant collision. The phantom had obtained the ball, and Katie couldn't help but imagine it sneering at her as it flew towards the opposite goal.

She'd almost forgotten Quidditch was a contact sport. "Ow."

"Let's move, Bell, move!" Wilda waved her arms passionately, gesturing for Katie to fly. Mentally berating herself, Katie swung her broom around and chased her teammates. By the time she caught up, Annie had already managed to intercept an attempt at the goal. Annie tossed Katie the Quaffle, and Katie rose up higher to get a good view of what was going on.

The Beaters appeared to be having a scuffle over the Bludgers – Gwenog in particular was looking murderous as the phantoms guarded her every swing. "Good," Katie thought, "She won't be a threat for a while."

But the phantom Chasers were hot on her tail – one of them was clawing at her feet as she flew. Katie dove sharply to her right side, swiftly passing the Quaffle to Wilda as she tried shake the ghost off. She then advanced to Annie's side, while Wilda swung the Quaffle in their direction. Katie acted as a barrier between Annie and the phantoms, and Annie, taking advantage of the space, flew undisturbed into the scoring area. The Keeper troll made to lunge to the left, but Annie was smart – she chucked the ball to Wilda, who swept in and punched it through the hoop. Success! Wilda pumped her fist in triumph – a move Katie had seen her perform several times on the telly. The young Chaser stopped for a moment to admire it.

"TEN, NIL!" Coach King's Sonorus-ed voice went around the pitch. "THAT'S RIGHT, MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR US, GIRLS!"

Katie made a mental note to ask what that meant later. Right now she had to focus.

She squinted her eyes at the phantom that had rebounded the Quaffle after Wilda scored. It was clutching the ball rather haphazardly, and was flying in a higgledy-piggledy manner towards Bruna's goal. Annie was trying to dislodge the Quaffle from its arms, but its odd manner of flying made it difficult. Katie zoomed to its other side, and extended half her body off her broom in an attempt to claw the ball away. She nearly succeeded – or nearly fell off, rather - the phantom made an odd show of raising the Quaffle and waggling it tauntingly before her. But she persisted, and just about leapt off her broom in a second attempt. Accomplishing the steal, Katie steadied herself by diving low towards the grass. She made a show of swerving her broom around, staying low but varying the altitude at which she flew. "Quidditch is not a planar game!" she imagined Oliver barking in her head. "Levels, levels, levels!"

The Harpies' Chasers understood this as well. Wilda flew a few feet above Katie, looking out for a pass, or perhaps for the phantoms. But Katie withheld passing the Quaffle, listening instead for possible signs of interception. Feeling safe for the moment, she took a quick peek to where Annie was flying, even higher than Wilda. The two had formed a protective shield over Katie and the Quaffle – the goal was all hers.

Katie braced herself and took in a breath. She pulled her broom, willing it to climb swiftly upwards. As she broke the barrier between Wilda and Annie, however, she heard a whizzing noise approaching from behind her shoulder. Instinctively she rolled left, avoiding a fast Bludger to the head.

"GWEN!" screeched Wilda, infuriated. Katie then knew that Gwenog had found her way around the phantom defense. Her own teammates, however, were no longer within passing range. She was, in effect, alone.

Gritting her teeth, she performed a precautionary Wollongong Shimmy to throw off one phantom, and any metal death-balls that may have been aimed her way. She was only twenty feet from the goals now, and the phantom Keeper turned on his extra-feral face. She aimed to score, and made to release the Quaffle when she heard the distinct CRACK! of a Beater's bat against a Bludger. No doubt it would be careening her way in a second.

Katie pulled back, climbing higher and flying into a loop. Her timing was impeccable – at the peak of her aerial somersault, she watched with wide eyes as the Bludger moved past what would have been her head and hit instead the phantom Keeper. The figure fell off its broom, and vanished. Heart racing, Katie flew up to the center goal and casually tossed the Quaffle in. Her first scrimmage goal.

"TWENTY, NIL!"

Triumphant screams erupted from behind her, and Katie couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Her first goal had been no easy feat, and she'd just escaped the wrath of an angry Gwenog Jones. Thinking of her enraged Captain wiped the smile off Katie's face, though. After all, the Beater had just tried to maim her (twice!), and Gwenog's hits were terribly accurate.

"Merlin, Rookie!" Wilda called encouragingly as they chased after the Quaffle in the opposite direction. "Brilliant dodging! You wiped out their Keeper! Brilliant!"

While a small part of Katie reveled in this, a bigger part of her was suddenly wary of Gwenog's plans for her. She felt a heightened awareness that hadn't been awakened since the war, and knew that this was no longer a drill. "In a very real playing situation," her memory of Oliver offered, "They will never spare you. Play with that in mind. Always."

She nearly laughed. She always thought Oliver was being overdramatic. It wasn't like they were playing against Death Eaters or anything… Until now.

The phantoms had given Annie a rather hard shove, and she careened fast to the side as Wilda had a go at their offense. Katie moved to support her, but the Chasers were up three players to two. They pushed past Wilda and ganged up on Bruna for an easy goal.

"TWENTY-TEN!" Coach King shouted. "Come on, Grant! Up! Up! Up! Push back! Faster!"

A grumbling Annie came back alongside them as they made their way to the opposite end. Katie passed the Quaffle, dodging a halfhearted Bludger from Vanna. Annie took it, and using one of the phantom Beaters as a shield, flew uninterrupted and scored through the unguarded goal posts.

So did the game continue, until Katie's team was up 130 to 30. Katie wiped the sweat off her face. The hot August sun pounded on them, and Wilda had gone ahead and thrown off her chest guard and training jumper. She flew around in only a distractingly pink sports bra and breeches for clothing, having left on just her pads and gloves for protection. Katie was almost jealous, until she remembered she was a hot target for one Gwenog Jones.

Judging by the sun, Katie guessed it was near noon. They had been playing for maybe an hour and a half without reprieve, and she was getting hungry and tired. She had to give herself some credit, though – she'd scored five of their thirteen goals, and performed direct assists on four other goals. Because the opposing team was without a Keeper, the Chasers played extra rough and thus made scoring more difficult. And Gwenog had only tried to decapitate her, oh, maybe three or four times? But her head and limbs were still attached, and her arse was still perched on her broom. So far, so good. She wiped the sweat off her face with her sleeve.

Bruna had just blocked the Quaffle and thrown it to Katie, and the young Chaser took off again in the other direction. She passed the ball to Annie when a glint of gold caught her eye. "The Snitch!" It hovered innocently on the outskirts of the pitch.

Katie scanned the pitch for Glinda, whom she found chatting it up easily with Coach King. This infuriated Katie for some reason, and after catching the Quaffle and haphazardly throwing it to Wilda, she flew over to Glinda and grabbed her hand. Both the Seeker and Coach King (who, indeed, had gotten bored) started, and stared at Katie like she'd lost her mind.

"Snitch!" Katie hissed urgently, and Glinda followed her gaze with a small frown on her face. Unfortunately for them, both Gwenog and the phantom Seeker had reacted to this joint movement. Glinda spotted the Snitch and gunned for it, while the phantom Seeker mimicked her actions. The game halted as they raced against one another for the hovering, golden ball, and just when Glinda extended her arm to catch it, Gwenog hit a Bludger hard in her direction.

"Watch out!" screamed Katie, and she rapidly flew to Glinda's left side to block the Bludger with her body. A loud crunch and a Snitch capture later, Katie was almost sure they'd won the game, but not so sure that her left arm was intact.

"Dammit, Jones!" Glinda screeched, "Don't you want to have lunch! And look what you've done to Katie!"

Coach King simply looked on, interest piqued once more.

Katie wobbled on her broom, unsteady. That Gwenog really packed a punch, didn't she? She struggled to bring herself down to the ground mind reeling. To be fair, Gwenog probably hadn't counted on hitting anyone. It was probably just a scare tactic, and Katie wasn't even her target. Damn her martyr complex! Or was it her hunger?

"Did we win?"

"Whoa, steady now, Katie. Deep breaths." It was Bruna. The Keeper helped her off her broom, and into the stretcher that some Mediwitches had laid out. "And yes, we won. Good job out there."

"Where'd you guys come from?" Katie hadn't seen them around before…

"We're always around. Don't worry," said one of them, inspecting Katie's arm. "Nothing's broken, only a dislocated elbow. Happens all the time. It shouldn't be so bad…"

The other players huddled around Katie as the Mediwitch waved her wand and popped Katie's left forearm back in its joint. Katie bit her lip, willing herself not to scream.

"Good girl," the Mediwitch gave her a lollipop. "Here, this'll make the pain go right away. You should be fine to train by tomorrow, save for maybe a bruise or two."

"Thanks." Katie unwrapped the lolly and popped it in her mouth. Almost instantly, a strong, minty sensation made its way from her tongue, through her arm and down to her elbow. It was an odd feeling, but Katie wasn't about to question it. "Sweet Merlin, this stuff is goooood."

The soothing sensation even passed over each of her aching limbs, and soon enough, every sore feeling in Katie's body dissipated into a faint ache. Katie didn't doubt that her face conveyed only the purest ecstasy.

It was only a few awkward moments later that she realized that her sweaty teammates were either staring at her in concern, or glaring at Gwenog. The captain in question looked torn between contempt and an unidentifiable emotion. A slow clap resounded from behind them, and the players parted to let Coach King into their circle.

The coach looked chillingly neutral, and she held their silence for a good half minute as she chewed on the inside of her mouth. Finally, she blinked and said, "I hope you're happy, Captain, because you almost lost us our Seeker on our first full-roster practice. Now you've managed to incapacitate our new Chaser before the season's even started. That would have been…" she took a pointed look at Gwenog, "Highly undesirable."

Gwenog had the grace to look ashamed. Coach King continued, addressing Katie. "Now. As for you kid, you're in. I told you before. You got spunk. I like that. Not a lot of people have the balls to block a Bludger with their bodies on purpose, not even professionals. It's utterly corny, but that kind of sacrifice – or stupidity – would have won us the game if this were all real. But since it was only a scrimmage, I don't count on you to make that kind of play every single time. Think smart, yeah? That being said, welcome to the team, Rookie. That is, if you still want in."

The rest of the team looked at Katie expectantly, and Katie took the lolly briefly out of her mouth to reply, "Are you kidding me? I'm in!"

Cheers abounded, and the girls gave Katie an embrace, jostling her and forgetting that she had injured her arm. "Ow!"

"Sorry!"

"Alright, alright. That's settled," Coach King interrupted. "Time for lunch, girls. Eat, digest. I'll see you back in the yoga studio at three. The rest of you might want to take an ice bath first, or go to the steam room."

They huddled briefly and scattered. Katie gathered her belongings, unsure of where to go. She made to follow Bruna and Wilda when a hand clapped on her shoulder. She spun around and knocked into Gwenog Jones. Katie froze, stunned.

"You'll catch flies," the Captain said pointedly, "If you leave your mouth open like that."

Katie shut it and resumed walking. If Gwenog Jones wouldn't play nice, then she wasn't afraid to do the same. She wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for nothing! "Then flies can go on the list of things I can catch. Which includes Quaffles, I think you'll agree."

Jones, who had kept up with Katie's determined stride, smirked briefly before steeling herself. "I wanted to apologize."

"Well – wait, what?" Katie stopped walking.

Gwenog chortled, again to Katie's surprise. "You weren't expecting that, were you? Keep walking," she commanded lightly.

Katie followed her. "Er… No."

"Rhetorical question. I was skeptical about you, you know. After Joanie... anyway. Long story short, I didn't think you'd be up for the job, and I wouldn't take anyone on this team that couldn't handle it. Quidditch isn't all glamour, and some girls… they're just made for smiling. I obviously don't take a shine to that sort."

"No," Katie snorted. "It wasn't obvious at all. You only tried to knock me off my broom maybe half a dozen times."

"It's hard to admit that I was wrong… and it was rude of me. Merlin, the only time I managed to hit you was when you saved Glinda."

"Guess it counts."

Gwenog barked another laugh. "So irreverent. I'd think you'd fear me by now, talented or no, Bell. In any case, I'm glad to have you on. That save… it was impressive, Rookie."

"Thanks," Katie grinned. She wasn't one to hold grudges, anyway. "And no offense, ma'am, but once you've been cursed within an inch of you're life, and once you've seen ol' Voldy in the flesh, little else will scare you. Except maybe Miss Raul on six shots of espresso."

They shared another laugh. "Agreed," said the Captain. "You're funny. And you can call me Gwen. Or Captain."

"Gwen," Katie grinned. "Well, then I guess it's safe to admit that you were my idol growing up – "

"Oh, here we go."

"I wanted to be a Beater because of you, and I – "

"Just shut it, Rookie."

" – So thank goodness I became a Chaser because now I get to – "

"Rookie." Gwen stopped before a pair of double doors, which Katie recognized as the entrance to the café. "Eat."

"And then can I have your autograph?"

"No."

"So I take it you've won her over?" Bruna raised her brows at Katie. They sat a few tables away from Gwenog, who'd settled across a bra-clad Wilda.

"She apologized, if that's what you mean." Katie gratefully took a spoonful of her meal – fish fillet in oyster sauce served on a steaming bed of quinoa – in her mouth without considering much what Bruna had actually meant. "Merlin, this stuff is amazing. And it's healthy?"

"You're brilliant, Katie," Bruna assured her. "Gwen was always gonna come around. Heck, when I came onto the roster, it took me weeks to get Gwen to even address me. And yeah, this is pretty good. I don't even really like fish. Have you tried the bok choi?"

Katie pushed the plate of vegetables away with a shake of her head. "Hey, but you're a great Keeper! You're one of the fastest in the League!"

"Thanks," blushed Bruna. "But you should have seen me when we started. I was so… afraid, I guess, of doing anything wrong. I pretty much had a stick up my bottom. Gwen beat it out of me. She's a snob, and she can be a terrorist, but I owe her a lot. And the coaches, too. You guys gave them a hard time today, I could see."

"What does that mean?" Katie remembered Coach King screaming something about that earlier…

"Silly," Bruna flicked the air, "Who do you think controls the phantoms?"

"Didn't think about that."

"Yeah, Coach King used to control all three Chasers. It's terrifying how much she can do all at once. But now she leaves it to the others so she can watch the game."

"Oh, and she looked so interested back there. I had to pull Glinda away from her!"

"Coach was playing Keeper, and you saw to it to knock her out early. You already showed her what she wanted to see. Plus, she and Glinda are like best friends."

"Lucky swerve. So… Glinda and Belinda?" Katie whispered, amused. They looked to where Glinda with Coach King, where the two cackled over their lunch like gossipy girlfriends.

Bruna nodded, scooping up more food. "It gets kind of sickening. Some days, they're like the sunshine twins, souped up on Fizzing Whizzbees."

"What's she going to beat out of me, I wonder? And Gwen?"

"Oh, you've proven your salt, at least to Gwen. If anything, I think you're the one to beat something out of her. The only other one on this team who can get a rise out of Gwen is Wilds, and everyone knows that Wilds is… well, she's Wilds."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katie laughed.

"Seriously?" asked Bruna, almost incredulous. "Do you see anyone else in here who's half naked?"

Lunch left Katie positively stuffed. She understood then why a break was in order – there was no way she was going to be able to exercise after such a filling meal. Only now, she didn't know where she was supposed to go until training resumed at 3.

"I'm walking home," Bruna said, "I only live a minute away. Annie's gonna hang at Wilds', I think, and Momma V's gonna Portkey home and back later. Maybe you'd like to come over until then?"

Katie was only too grateful to accept; only those plans were foiled when Amy the secretary made an appearance at the café.

"Clips," murmured Bruna, to Katie's confusion. "It's what we call her. Clipboard, clips in her hair, clipped steps, clippy tone... Clips up her ass, you'd reckon. Clips."

Katie felt it was oddly fitting.

"Katie Bell?" Amy-slash-Clips summoned. Katie got up, and with an apologetic nod to Bruna, brushed off her clothes and followed the secretary away.

Amy led Katie down a familiar hall and into a lounge with a lavatory. She instructed Katie to change without explaining why – the young Chaser didn't dare ask, lest Clips lose her temper. Changing into a fresh shirt and shorts, Katie mused over how she found the secretary's snippy, impatient tone more menacing than Gwenog's deep, commanding voice.

Katie cleaned up a bit more and turned to a waiting Amy, who took her back to the hall of offices that included Coach King's. Instead of stopping there, Amy knocked on another office with a familiar name emblazoned across the door placard: LARA SVITYENSKY, Team Manager.

They entered the room, and true enough, Lara was waiting inside. Also in the room were Coach King, and, to Katie's surprise, a man.

"Ah, Katie, hello!" Lara greeted her, and Katie gave a wave back. "How was your first day of training?"

"Oh, you know, Gwenog Jones tried to knock me off my broom. I was absolutely star-struck."

Coach King smirked, "This one's proven Jones and me wrong. Good find, Lara, be sure you let Raul know that he may not pirate her back. He's had his fun."

Katie blushed at the compliment.

"Katie," continued Lara, "You will not be continuing with practice today."

"Oh, I assure you, Miss Lara, my arm is fine – "

"Oh it's not that. There's just someone I'd like you to meet. Katie, this is Mr. James Arkwright. The team's owner."

To say that Katie was surprised was an understatement: she'd all along been expecting the Harpies' owner to be a woman. Although it made more sense now that Lara was the team's representative at press junkets and the like. The Harpies were a female-centric team, and to be owned by a man seemed… well, out of the question, if not downright odd. Mr. Arkwright didn't look the part of a particularly wealthy owner, either: despite his age (fifties, Katie had guessed) and status, he dressed in only a down-to-earth tee, a hoodie jacket and faded jeans. Muggle clothes.

"Looks just as shocked as the rest of them did," Mr. Arkwright chuckled, stroking the scruff on his chin.

Katie snapped out of her stupor. "I'm sorry, that was so rude of me! It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"Oh, that was nothing. You should have seen your captain. I think Jones prefers to pretend I don't exist, but she should be glad my ex-wife didn't end up owning the team after our divorce instead. In any case, you won't be seeing me around often. I just like to pop in and out every now and then… Anyway, please. Have a seat." Katie obeyed.

Lara began, "Mr. Arkwright and I were watching your scrimmage from the view deck. You're undoubtedly a natural, and we wanted to talk to you about your decision to join the team. That is, if you've decided?" The three figures looked at Katie.

"Yes, I have!" she said eagerly. "I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to play. It's only been my first day and already I feel like this is where I want to be. I don't want for much else, really, and I'm terribly excited."

"That's good to hear," replied Lara with a smile. "Of course, we have to make it official. Have you got your contract? You could sign it right here, if you'd like."

"Merlin. I left it at home!"

"That's quite alright," Mr. Arkwright said with a knowing twinkle in his eye. "I imagine you'll have a few more things to consider. But I think you'd make a wonderful addition to this team, Miss Katie. You fit right in."

"Thank you, sir."

"Call me Jim. Er, I believe there is one condition, however, that you haven't been spoken to about?"

"Sir?"

"Have you, uh, read through the contract?"

"I can't say I have – Erm, I thought all the terms were discussed over our interview yesterday," Katie looked on apologetically.

"Hmm. You should have a look at it then – if you notice, all our players have first names or surnames that begin with a letter 'G'?"

Katie gulped. She did not like where this was going. Lara recited, "Gwenog. Giovanna. Glinda. Geyser. Grant. Griffiths. Even Gafton. It's tradition, you see."

"Yes, a tradition that predates even my grandmother's ownership of this team. And your name, Katie Bell, is not exactly compliant to that."

"So… you mean I have to change my name?"

Lara shrugged. "Geyser did it, as did Chapman. Bruna's real surname was Beyer – we changed it to Geyer, and decided that Geyser sounded edgier. Glinda's name was just Linda. I happen to think her new name suits her personality far better. It's not so bad, you know."

Katie's mind went reeling. Of course! How could she have overlooked one of the basic tenets of Harpy membership? She swallowed the imaginary pool of bile that had gathered in her mouth. "What would my name be, then? Gatie Bell? Katie Gell?"

The owner laughed. "Katie Gell has a nice ring to it, but not so nice as Bell, eh? Forgive the pun. Lara, Belinda," he then addressed the rest, "I actually wanted to speak to you two about this. It's a very old tradition, but we're in a new era of Quidditch. If there's any time we can and should abolish silly, rigid practices, it's now. So, Miss Katie, I wish for you to scratch that condition off of your contract before you sign it."

The Chaser heaved a big sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Arkwright!"

Lara, on the other hand, paled. "You're sure about this, sir?"

"I've made up my mind. Great players don't all come with a G in their names, you know, and not all great players will be willing to play when stripped of their identity," he said, eyes twinkling. "Not that identity is latched onto your name, of course. But it sure makes a person feel better."

And it did, Katie wanted to agree. It sure did.

Since Katie didn't have her contract, Lara gave Katie the rest of the weekend to sign. The next day was a Sunday – no practice. "And you can take the whole of next week off to move into your house and decorate. Of course, attending practice is encouraged, but you will be excused so you can settle down nicely."

Katie was then dismissed, and she happily left with thanks to her superiors. Clutching her things, she exited the stadium and Portkeyed back home.

"Mum?" Katie called as soon as she stepped inside. Her mother was usually home on weekends.

"In the kitchen!"

Katie made her way there and unceremoniously dumped her belongings onto the chair beside her. Gladys Bell tutted, "Darling, you know you should really be cleaning up after yourself. You're nineteen, for Merlin's sake!"

"Sorry, Mum." She chewed on a cookie her mom had offered her and thought of how best to break the news. "Guess what, though? The Harpies loved me!"

Mrs. Bell blinked rapidly. "Really! Oh, that's wonderful! When do you begin?"

"I've yet to sign the contract, but I've met the team and everyone important. It's a pretty big deal."

"Will you be playing with anyone I know?"

"Probably not, Mum. These aren't my friends, alright – I'll be playing professionally now. Like Oliver." There, she said it. Perhaps now her mother would comprehend.

"Oliver! Professionally! But that's dangerous!"

"Yes, Mum. No joke, I'm getting paid to play. And… I get my own place, too."

"…Oh," said her mum, suddenly a little dully. "So… what does that mean, exactly?"

"It means… that I'll be moving, Mum. To Wales." Katie felt her eyes water up. She'd studied away from home, sure, but now she was going to live over two hundred miles away, all year round.

"But… Katherine! That's so far from home! This is a major decision! How could you not have consulted with me and your father first – "

"Mum, I'm just a Portkey away. Here, I'll even make you one! And I'll write all the time – Gwenog's gonna kill me! My owl, I mean. And we can have lunch whenever you like."

Gladys paused for a few seconds, and finally nodded her head. "You're all grown up, my darling," her voice quivered, and she pulled Katie into her arms. Her daughter gladly obliged.

"I won't be very far away, not with a Portkey. I was hoping Dad would be here, too…"

"Oh, you know your father, always working. Always busy. You can tell him over dinner."

"Yeah, he'll love it! Hopefully."

Katie told her mum about how her tryout and her meeting with the owner went, and her mother proceeded to switch between gushing and fretting over Katie's whirlwind decision. Gladys finally provided her daughter with magical boxes for packing, and advised her to begin immediately.

"Excited to kick your only daughter out of the house?" Katie pouted.

"Don't be silly. But when my only daughter decides she's going to live on her own and leave her old mum behind, well, I'm not going to have her procrastinating! You can't even clean up after yourself! How will you manage living alone?"

"Mum, don't worry too much. Dad won't even notice I'm gone." Katie levitated the boxes to her room, with the idea that she should start packing.

"But I will!" her mother hollered back.

"Love you, too!"

As Katie entered her room, however, the presence of another owl put all ideas of packing away. It wasn't Mercury, but a handsome barn owl with a blue badge across its body. It couldn't be anything else but a Puddlemere Squad Owl. Katie's owl, Gwenog, was eyeing him interestedly.

"Oliver!" Katie rushed to make the owl's acquaintance, offering it a treat (a little to Gwenog's indignation). She took the letter it bore and scanned it quickly.

Dear Kates,

I hope – no, I know your interview went well. I'm guessing that you would have played with the by now, but since you didn't write, I don't really know. In case you haven't, watch out for Jones. She's a menace, don't let your admiration mask that! Eyes open! I suppose I'll find out how things went soon enough, because I've got a surprise for you!

No clues for you, other than that it has to do with Quidditch. Naturally. Expect some company soon.

Yours,

Oliver

"Being cryptic doesn't suit you, Oliver," Katie said to no one in particular. But Katie was barely able to control the grin on her face. She penned a quick reply and sent the Puddlemere owl off. Mood boosted exponentially, she then turned to her belongings and began levitating them into the boxes, where they shrank and tucked away neatly. Halfway through, she realized she hadn't showered since that morning, and so she sauntered into the bathroom and gave herself a good scrub. She winced a little while trying to reach her back – her left elbow was still a little sore. Chuckling, Katie wondered how Oliver might react if she told him what happened.

Her thoughts drifted back to his letter, and as she rinsed herself, she pondered what he could have meant. The possibilities! A small part of her, which she tried to quash, hoped that maybe it meant the other team that wanted her was Puddlemere. Oh, then she would be able to play with Oliver! On his team! But that would mean giving up a career with the Harpies, and she'd just gotten Gwenog Jones to acknowledge that she was good. She liked the Harpies. But an offer to play for Puddlemere would be great too…

Katie felt was getting ahead of herself. She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Chances were that the other team that supposedly also wanted to sign her had thought twice about it. Besides, she was happy with the Harpies. They were her favorite team!

She resumed cleaning out her things, placidly dreaming about her future. That is, until her mother very un-placidly barged into her room, harried-looking, and said, "Katie. Your father is home. Also… A team is here to see you."

A/N: Le gasp! But who! Could it be Puddlemere? What is Oliver's surprise?

Cliffhangers suck! But as it is, this chapter is 14 pages long on Word. I know, you must be surprised over having read that much. Assuming you made it this far. I'll stop now.

So? Love it? Hate it? Let me know with a review! ALSO! Tell me if you've got faces for Oliver and Katie. I'd love to know! I have my own faces for them, and if you ask nicely, maybe I'll tell you too :) Have a great week ahead, everyone! And watch The Avengers, if you haven't already! Dibs on Thor, hunky beefcake that he is!

x

Iz