“I cannot believe he’s letting you sit out!” Angelina exclaimed indignantly. “Fred broke his arm! He broke his arm, and Oliver still forced him to play, his beater bat practically taped to his cast!”

“It’s hardly surprising, Ange. It’s Katie, remember. Oliver’s always going to let her sit out if she’s injured, because she’s his precious little flower that he’ll allow no harm to come to.” Alicia was slightly malicious with her words, and I was stung, but I kept quiet, continuing to walk down to the pitch, my eyes straight ahead.

“It’s not fair,” Angelina bemoaned.

“Babe, it’s Wood’s decision at the end of the day. If he wants her to sit out, then that’s the way it’s going to be. It’s his fault she has to, after all. Plus, I didn’t mind playing with my cast on. It was sort of fun. I didn’t really need a Beater’s bat. I could just hit the Bludgers with my arm,” Fred said, grinning, demonstrating by throwing his arm around as if it were ten times the size.

“Are you alright, Kat?” George asked quietly as the girls laughed at Fred acting like an idiot. His eyes searched mine intently for a moment, as I didn’t answer, then he said, “Don’t listen to them. They’re just sore that if it were them, they would have to play.”

“Then is that alright?” I snapped, quiet. “For me to get special treatment from Oliver?”

“Pet, it isn’t your fault how Wood feels about you. Plus, it’s under Pomfrey’s advisement. He would be crazy to go against her judgement.”

I nodded, still ambivalent about it.

“Are you still sore?” he asked. I nodded slightly.

“I can’t rotate my shoulder because of the swelling.”

“Then it’s for your health, Katie. Don’t listen to those two.” He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, then ran to catch up with his brother, and began ‘cast’ sword fighting.

--

I wrapped my cloak closer around me as the November cold nipped at my skin. It was beginning to get dark, and the team had been practicing for hours. Angelina and Alicia had been throwing me furtive looks every time Oliver had told them to do something differently, or mentioned my name, or, so it seemed, for no particular reason at all.

I watched as Oliver lunged to make a particularly spectacular save, his robes billowing out behind him in the breeze, his shirt riding up to expose a little skin of his stomach. I hurriedly looked away before my cheeks coloured. It was getting ridiculous, how I reacted to him. Every little thing he did, I flushed. I supposed it was the pet name he’d given me the other night. ‘Love’. A simple word, with so many connotations that I’d like to believe Oliver meant, but knew deep down that he didn’t.

I leaned back on the bleachers and closed my eyes for a moment as the pain of yesterday’s injury washed through me. I should have asked Pomfrey for a pain relieving potion. It really was sore. I knew it would pass, but I was unsure about it passing in two days. I couldn’t ask Oliver to let me sit out for longer, so I supposed I’d have to endure it. I’d also have to endure the girls being so snippy with me – which I resented, wholly. It isn’t up to me what Oliver does.

I heard a clattering on the bleachers a little away from me, and I looked up, startled. Oliver grinned at my shocked face.

“Did you fall asleep?” he asked, clearly amused.

“No,” I defended, pulling my cloak around me more tightly.

He set his broom down and leant on the bleacher next to me. “How are you?” he asked, as if he hadn’t done so at least twenty times already.

“I’m fine, Oliver,” I said, a little impatient.

“Are you cold?” he continued, noticing my huddling for warmth. I didn’t answer him, for fear of sounding too sarcastic for the situation. He shook off his team robes and draped them over me, pulling them tight around me, and rubbing my arms slightly. “There. Better?” I nodded, my brain a little fuzzy from the scent that he’d just doused me in. It was that completely comforting smell that was completely Oliver. “Good,” he said, satisfied, resting beside me again. After a few moments silence, he spoke again. “Angelina and Alicia are irritated with us, I think.”

I barked a sarcastic laugh, unable to stop it. “Yes, I believe they are.”

“Sorry, Kates. It seems I can’t do much right for the greater good, after all.” I didn’t answer, and he looked at me, cautiously. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oliver, stop asking. I’m fine.”

“I don’t mean your arm,” he said quietly. “Are you okay?”

I looked up at him in surprise. “Yes,” I said, mystified as to why he was asking. I hadn’t realised that Oliver could pick up on my mood so easily.

He continued to look at me critically then said, just as quiet, “Come here.” He took my hand and pulled me into a hug. “If it’s about Angelina and Alicia, forget about it. It’s my team, and I decide what happens on it. I’ll tell them they can bother me about it, if they have to.” I smiled a little. He’d only picked up on half the reason, which I was incredibly glad about. The other reason for my seemingly peculiar mood was altogether quite different from the aggravated girls. And that reason was wrapping me in his warm, toned arms.

I’d pondered too often on how I felt for Oliver Wood, and I’d never come up with a credible answer to my true feelings – and I probably never would. I didn’t understand my emotional draw to him, nor could I explain why my heart thundered whenever he touched me, or why my complexion grew so sanguine when our eyes met. All I knew was I’d never be able to let go of him. He was too important.

He pulled away from me, his eyes set past me. Then I heard a creak on the bleachers. Oliver’s eyes hardened and I turned around.

“Hey Katie, Wood.” It was Cedric, looking more than a little cautious. His eyes didn’t leave mine as he addressed Oliver.

“Hey,” I said, bewildered as to why he was here.

“Katie, could I speak with you for a minute?” His eyes glanced to Oliver, then back to me.

I looked back at Oliver. His eyes were still dark, his brow set in a concerned line.

“Em ... sure,” I said. Oliver’s protective hands fell away from my waist and I stood up. I followed Cedric down the steps silently, not looking back at Oliver.

We reached the bottom and Cedric turned to look at me, his eyes still odd. “Katie,” he said quietly, glancing up the stairs we’d just descended. “It’s about Wood.”

My eyebrows snapped into a confused frown. “What about him?”

With his eyes still fixed to the top of the stairs, he said, “I heard him talking about ...” He hesitated, glancing back at me. Then, his face set, he said, “I heard him talking about you, Katie.”

The frown deepened. “Eh ... pardon me for asking, Cedric, but why should that concern me? And why does it concern you so much?”

“Because ...” he struggled, then sighed. “Look, Katie, I’ll be blunt. He was talking to McGonagall about dropping you from the team. I heard it with my own ears.”

I barked a laugh, my forehead smoothing instantly. “You must have heard wrong. Oliver would never do that to me.”

“But Katie –” I cut him off, holding my hand up to halt his words.

“Oliver wouldn’t do it. Goodnight, Diggory.”

“But –”

“Goodnight,” I said, a little sharply. His amber eyes met mine briefly, stonily.

“Ask Davies. He heard it too.”

“Sorry,” I said sarcastically, “But since when did I begin to listen to you two pathetic cases? Need I remind you that you pestered me for the majority of this year, and that Davies still does? You’ve got to be kidding me. Like I would believe a word that you two say. All I’ve had from you is a barrage of lies.” His eyes darkened further.

“Well,” he said roughly. Not like his usual caramel voice at all. “You’ll see, I suppose, Bell. And you’ll be sorry you didn’t listen to the two ‘pathetic cases’, as you’ve so appropriately named us.”

“You know, I must be mistaken. I’m sure I said goodnight to you, and yet, here you still are, that bilge still flowing out of your mouth as if I’d never attempted to stop it. Goodnight.” The venom in my voice twined with every syllable.

He bowed his head politely, if not too polite in response to my behaviour, then he stalked off, his shoulders set uncomfortably. I watched him walk away on the blackening lawns of the Hogwarts grounds, still fuming at the audacity of it all. Oliver would never drop me from the team. I had thought Cedric really had stopped all of this, and yet I was apparently wrong, as he was still trying to drive a wedge between Oliver and me.

--

“Is he sure he heard Oliver explicitly say he was going to kick you off the team?”

I sighed and sunk further into the Common Room armchair I was occupying. I looked over at the redheaded twins who were staring at me, stunned, after what I’d just told them. “I didn’t let him speak long enough for him to tell me explicitly what they heard, George.”

“Do you think that Wood ... will?”

I stared at Fred. “Well, I hope not!” Fred and George exchanged wary looks. “Has he been talking to you two about it?” I asked shrilly.

“No! No. Katie, we’d tell you if he did, love. Believe us,” Fred said soothingly, trying to calm me down. “But ... well ...” He looked to his brother to finish.

“He’s been ... odd, lately. With you, I mean. Don’t you think?”

“What do you mean? About my shoulder?” I asked, perplexed.

They exchanged another look. I thought I saw Fred roll his eyes before he said, “Yeah. About your arm. I don’t think he’s sure whether you’ll be recovered properly for practice tomorrow. He’s worried in case you’re not properly trained for the match against Ravenclaw next month.”

I frowned. “I know all the plays off by heart,” I said, still confused.

“He doesn’t want you more injured than you already are, pet. He’s trying to look after you.”

“So ... he has spoken to you about it,” I said, deflated.

“He wasn’t talking about kicking you off the team, babe. Just about putting you on the bench for a game.”

I stared at Fred, feeling my blood boil beneath my skin. “You’re kidding me! No way in hell am I missing a chance to kick Davies’ ass!”

They both smirked wryly. “Ah, that’s what I like to hear, Kat. I love a girl with a bit of fire!” Fred clapped me on the shoulder – thankfully, my other shoulder, or I’d have been in excruciating pain.

“Me too, bro. Me too,” George agreed, ruffling my hair lightly and grinning at me.

“Well, that’s dangerous. Looking for girls with fire when you two are usually surrounded, and/or covered in explosives.” I smirked at them, pleased with myself as they burst out into laughter.

“That’s very true, brother. We should probably renew our search,” George said thoughtfully, laughter still dancing in his eyes.

“Yeah. To girls with fire extinguishers.”

“I can see the lonely hearts ad now,” George roared, folding over in hysterics. Fred followed suit.

After the laughter fizzled out, I looked at them seriously again. “But ... Oliver spoke to McGonagall first ... before me? Why would he do that?”

Fred shrugged. “No idea. Probably to ask for advice.”

“Surely he should have asked me. It is, after all, my shoulder.”

“Wood’s mind works in mysterious ways,” George said, giving his brother a significant look I didn’t understand the context of.

“I guess I’m going to have to apologise to Diggory, then ...”

Fred and George smirked at me. “If you think you owe him that, sure.” I rolled my eyes at Fred and looked at George.

“You guys should have told me about Oliver benching me. You know that, right?”

The twins struggled a bit, then George said, “Katie, sweetheart ... some things that Oliver tells us, we couldn’t tell you. He ... he needs to talk to us sometimes about things that he wouldn’t be comfortable with you knowing, so we tend to just take everything that Wood tells us clandestinely.”

I frowned. “What does Oliver tell you that’s so secret?” I asked curiously.

Fred and George both smiled serenely and didn’t answer.

--