Life Down at the Quidditch Pitch

Chapter Ten

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"All right team, this is it," Angelina said. She was pacing in front of them, looking nervous.

"This is the big one," Fred added grinning.

"The one we've been waiting for," George continued.

"Spare us the Oliver, Johnson," Alicia said, grinning. On game day, they constantly referred to each other by their last names. It wasn't something spoken, they just mentally switched. Katie stretched her arms above her head and grinned. Perfect Quidditch weather, she thought. And we have the perfect team that is if Dean doesn't choke.

"Okay, okay," Angelina said smiling. "Let's just get out there and show the whole bloody school that we're the best team!"

They all nodded and got in line to fly out. Katie took her spot behind Alicia, she also happened to be last in queue.

They flew out; Katie felt the air fly through her hair. She'd missed playing Quidditch.

"...Here are the Gryffindors...Spinnet, Johnson, Bell, Weasley, Weasley, Thomas, and Potter...and how here are the Hufflepuffs," Lee Jordan said over the din of the crowd. "...Corner, Hopkins, Bones, Smith, Macmillan, Finch-Fletchy, and Abbot...Hufflepuff is full of new recruits, while Gryffindor with the exception of Thomas is a team of seasoned veterans..." Katie looped the goal post and got to where she was supposed to be, hovering between Fred and Alicia. Angelina was in front. She looked over at the rest of the team, Harry looked determined, Dean looked nervous, and George had his normal manic gleam.

"...Oliver Wood, former student and Keeper for Gryffindor who led Gryffindor to many victories during his tenure as Captain..."

"Jordan!"

"...releases the Quaffle, Johnson gets it, passes to Spinnet, who is looking incredibly lovely today if I might say so myself and who is not single..." Katie kept her eye on Alicia; she was flying a bit behind her friend, waiting for her pass.

"JORDAN! The game?!"

"...Weasley defects a Bludger aimed for Spinnet, I'll have you know Smith, that's my..."

"JORDAN!"

"...Potter dodges a Bludger, its defected by Weasley..."

Alicia signaled for a pass. Katie was ready.

"...Spinnet passes to Bell...Katie Bell is widely known as one of the best scorers at school, besides Angelina Johnson..."

Katie looped around one of the Beaters for Hufflepuff, frightening him. They really needed to work with their Beaters. She stared down Finch-Fletchy and easily scored.

"...Bell scores...ten points to Gryffindor..." There was a huge cheer from the crowd. Katie grinned, but not before she felt something hit her hard, before she knew it she was flying off her broom to the ground below. She'd been hit by a Bludger.

"Bloody hell," she muttered.

"...Wood calls a penalty shot...Spinnet takes and scores...twenty nothing, Gryffindor...Bell's back in the air uninjured....we're now fifteen minutes into the game..." Katie kept her eyes on Bones, the small redheaded Chaser, who was trying to dodge Bludgers from George and Fred. She avoided being hit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of red.

"...Potter's diving, bloody hell..."

"JORDAN!"

"...he's seen the Snitch...he's...he's diving, that Firebolt sure can go..." The din of the crowd, filled her with adrenaline, she saw Bones stop flying to watch Harry. She took the opportunity to steal the Quaffle.

"Rule number one," she muttered. "Never watch a Seeker." Susan looked surprised; Katie tore down the field, no one in her way, Quaffle in hand.

"...Potter's leveled out..."

She through the Quaffle through the goal, Finch-Fletchy was watching Harry as well. She scored easily.

"...Bell scores, thirty to nothing..."

The Hufflepuff Keeper threw the Quaffle, Angelina caught it, the three Gryffindor Chasers tore off down the field, taking the opportunity to show off their slickest moves.

"...Potter's still flying...Bell passes to Spinnet...Spinnet to Johnson...those girls know how to fly, that's for sure...Johnson scores...POTTER HAS THE SNITCH! POTTER HAS THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TO ZERO!"

Oliver was yelled the results, making them official and blew his whistle. The Gryffindors cheered loudly, the team met in a huge group hug. Everyone cheering. She loved the feeling of winning; it gave her such a rush.

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"Excellent flying there Wood," Oliver looked up from the book he was reading, he was in his office, studying Quidditch Through the Ages. Katie was standing in his doorway; he'd left the day open.

"I should be saying that to you," he replied grinning. "You guys really did practice didn't you?"

"I told you," Katie replied, grinning. He noted that she was still in her Quidditch robes.

"Haven't you changed?" he asked. "The game has been over for nearly an hour."

"We've been celebrating in the locker room, haven't brought it to the Common Room just yet, I don't think I'm going to go up for a bit. It was an easy game...minus being hit," she said, her hazel eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"You took a nasty fall, I didn't' think you were going to get back up," he replied. Honestly he'd been scared to death that Smith had killed her with the Bludger. When she got back up, he felt a lot better.

"Well, I survived," she said. He hadn't seen her this happy in a long time. "I want you to come outside with me."

"All right, but I had such a lovely date with my book," he joked.

"I'm sure it can wait, let's go toss the Quaffle around," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I have more energy than I know what to do with."

They walked out to the pitch; Katie was whistling the Gryffindor cheer that the Weasley twins had made up. He blushed thinking of the words that went with the tune. He didn't know that they'd taught it to the Chasers...actually know that he thought about it, George had done more with the cheer than Fred. Katie finished it off with the 'Go go Gryffindor' at the end.

"I didn't know that you knew the er...Gryffindor cheer," Oliver said.

Katie blushed, matching her Quidditch robes. "I helped create the second verse."

Oliver felt his jaw drop open. "You wrote the thing about the Slytherin with the goat?"

"Possibly..." Katie's face was now redder than her robes and she looked sheepish.

Maybe he didn't know Katie, he thought to himself. But that didn't mean that he wasn't in love with her, and so what if she helped write some really rude cheer. He was being insecure. He looked at her again, she looked rather lovely. She also stopped walking and a disgusted look flashed onto her face.

"There are people on the bloody pitch, bet it's the stupid Slytherin team...bunch of wankers." She walked out onto the field. There weren't Quidditch players in the stands, there were girls. Lots of girls. "Oh bloody hell, it's those stupid girls."

Oliver gave her a confused look. He noticed that there were girls from every house sitting in the stands, gossiping. Gryffindors talking to Slytherins, Hufflepuffs giggling with Ravenclaws, was the world ending?

"If you don't want to be stopped, follow me," Katie said, she ran towards the lake, Oliver a few steps behind her. They were about to reach the edge of the lake, when he tripped on a root. He fell into Katie, they both rolled down the bank and into the water. It was freezing.

"Merlin, Kate, I'm sorry," he said standing up. She laughed; she was trying to stand up as well, but lost her balance and fell into him. He felt flat onto his bum, only his head was above the water, Katie was sitting on him. Her face was merely inches away from his; the tension was so thick he could have cut it with a knife. Water was dripping from her hair onto his face.

With his hand (which was covered in mud) he pushed back hair from her face. She smiled at him.

"Sorry, I'm so klutzy," she admitted. He felt her trying to get up, but before she could go anywhere he put both hands behind her head and closed the inches between their mouths. He kissed her and she let out a little gasp but she kissed him back, once the shock wore off... She wrapped her arms around the back of his head; he felt the leather of her Quidditch gear on the back of his head. He pulled her closer, moving one of his hands to the small of her back; he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her mouth was so soft, she kissed him eagerly. He put back as much emotion as possible back into the kiss, attempting to show her exactly how he felt about her. She began rubbing her hands through her hair. He let out a little noise, surprised how good it felt. He felt her smile.

Finally they pulled apart and just stared at each other. He couldn't believe that he'd actually just done that. He was a teacher, what would Dumbledore and everyone else say when they found out? Would he be ruined for life? Would it give Hogwarts a bad name?

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"Where's Katie?" Alicia yelled over the noise of the crowded Common Room. Everyone shrugged.

"Last I saw she was headed back down the steps, maybe she went to go practice on the Pitch," Fred suggested. He had his arm wrapped around Angelina's waist.

"She's mad," Lee replied.

"You've just figured this out?" George asked. Alicia rolled her eyes and shared an annoyed look with Angelina. Since when did George become the bitter twin?

"All right all right," Fred said, breaking in before Angelina or Alicia could say anything. "This party is too quiet!"

"Is he at the same party we're at love?" Alicia asked Lee. Lee grinned and scooted closer over to Fred. Fred decided it was time to lead the house in the cheer they'd made up for Gryffindor, the thing about the Slytherin and the goat got to her every time. Rumor was that Katie had written that line, but she denied it anytime anyone asked her.

The boys finished up with the last verse, a loud GO GO GRYFFINDOR was shouted, and Alicia joined in at that part. She was sure that the Slytherins could hear her from their dungeons.

"Let's have another loud cheer for the Gryffindor Quidditch team!" Lee yelled over the din. She looked up at her boyfriend who was standing up on a table, along with George and Fred. When he was commentating or in front of the crowd, he looked so confident. He looked down at her and they grinned at each other.

There was a loud bang, hardly anyone in the tower looked at who entered, but Alicia figured who it would be. However she was surprised on how she looked. Katie was covered in water, muck, and mud from head to toe and she still donned her Quidditch robes.

Before anyone could say anything to her, she flew up the steps, leaving muddy tracks behind her. She looked over at Angelina and raised an eyebrow. Angelina shrugged. Without a word, the two of them flew up the stairs, confused.

"Pet?" Alicia looked down the steps to see Lee looking up at her. "Stay down here with me. Can't Katie wait until tomorrow?"

Alicia looked between one of her best friends and her boyfriend. She bit her lower lip, still deciding. She looked at Lee; she knew that he needed her right now. Before she thought otherwise, she went back down the steps and into the arms of her waiting boyfriend.

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The castle was not meant to be run about in wet clothes. It was drafty the best of times, but now that Oliver was soaked and covered in mud it was ten times worse. However right now, the cold was the last thing on his mind. He couldn't believe that he'd let himself do that. He would be fired if anyone found out that was for sure, and right now he couldn't afford to be fired.

He sighed. He enjoyed this kiss; he would be lying if he said otherwise. He wished that the circumstances could be different, why did he have to be a teacher? Why did he have to be in love with her? Why did she have to be so pretty? He turned the doorknob to his office, when he heard someone calling his name.

"Mr. Wood." He turned to see Professor McGonagall walking towards him. Even though they told him to call him by their first names, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Did you forget about the staff meeting? And why are you covered in that muck?"

Shite, Oliver thought to himself. He felt uncomfortable knowing that not even twenty minutes ago he was in a freezing cold lake snogging McGonagall's star Chaser. "I fell into the lake," he said truthfully. "And yes I did forget.

"Well, hurry," she said annoyed. Oliver entered his office, and did a quick cleansing charm on his clothes. There were still mud stains on his khakis and sweater, but it was only a staff meeting. He would have to shower and change right after the meeting.

He locked the door behind him; he didn't want any students sneaking in there to snog. He was so unready to go sit through a boring staff meeting where they talked about what they should sever next month for lunch or whether or not Potter posed a threat towards the rest of the students.

He was about to go into the Staff Room when he heard giggling coming from a corridor down the hallway. Students out snogging he supposed, when would they learn that they always got caught by teachers? He turned the corner, ready to give the two students a lecture, and was caught on the corner of surprised and shocked.

Ginny Weasley was snogging a boy.

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Angelina felt the door of their dorm slam behind her. Katie was looking at her, taking deep breaths, looking like she'd just come from a wrestling match with the Giant Squid. She heard Katie mutter a silencing Charm.

"What in bloody name happened to you?" Angelina asked, sitting on her bed.

Katie sighed and glared at the door like it was a live spider. "Actually I'm not sure," she replied, pacing, and in turn mucking up the floor. The house elves would love that.

"Well could you explain it?" Angelina asked, playing with a thread on her quilt.

"No," Katie replied.

"Katie..."

Katie sighed. "I really can't."

"No, you really just don't want to Katie; trust me I can tell the difference." They glared at each other. "Can't you tell me?"

Katie was biting her lower lip. "Only if..."

"If what?"

"You promise not to tell anyone, not even Alicia..." Katie said, staring her straight in the eye.

"Let me get this straight, you want us to keep something from Alicia?" Angelina raised an eyebrow. "Is it about Lee?"

"No, nothing to do with Lee, trust me," Katie said.

"I don't know, I hate keeping secrets...why can't we just tell her?"

"Because, she's the bleeding responsible one, that's why! Do you promise or not?"

Angelina sighed. She knew that she would agree not to tell Alicia, she just didn't think that it was a good idea at all. She hated secrets, in any shape or form. She looked up at Katie again. She sighed again. "Okay, okay, I'll keep your secret."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise you even though I think it's a horrid idea."

"Good. Now promise not to get all Mummy dearest on me, but I kissed Oliver, well rather he kissed me."

"I know," she replied, sounding annoyed. "Back in second year. You've told me the whole sordid tale."

"No just now, no more than twenty minutes ago."

"What?!" Angelina said shocked. "You can't be bloody serious."

"I am," Katie said, looking down at her feet. "And you want to know the worst part?"

"Besides the fact that Oliver is a teacher?"

"That's why you can't tell anyone," Katie replied. "It's so wrong but..."

"Okay, what's the worst part Katie?"

"I actually liked it."

Angelina lay back onto her bed exasperated. Katie was in over her head.

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"Why were you just covered in mud?" Katie turned to see George standing behind her.

"Because I thought that it would be fun to roll around in the mud like a dog," Katie snapped, certainly not in the mood for George's twenty questions routine. "And mud is good for your pores."

George sent her a nasty look. Katie returned it with one of her own. She moved through the crowd, she was happy that she was out of her muddy Quidditch robes and into some Muggle trousers and jumper. Angelina had done a quick cleansing charm on her, she would take a shower later, but for now she wanted to be clean and quick. Hopefully mingling with the Gryffindors would make her not even think about what had just happened to her in the lake.

She found Fred, Alicia, and Lee in the middle of the Common Room, right where they usually were, Harry and Dean were with them, which Katie found slightly odd. Harry was usually with Ron and Hermione, even when there was a party, and Dean and Seamus were all but attached at the hip. Sometimes Katie wondered if they might just be more than friends, but that was gross, and she decided not to think about it.

"Are we having fun yet?" she asked, over the din of the excited Gryffindors.

Dean nodded. "I'm not used to being in the middle of this. It's mad."

"Get used to it," Fred shouted. "Once you're on the Quidditch team, this becomes your life. Another butterbeer?"

Dean shook his head, Katie nodded and Fred handed her one.

"You're a lot cleaner now. What was with the mud statement?" Alicia asked, trying to get closer to her friend. Katie sighed. She couldn't' tell Alicia, even though she wanted to. She didn't like having to hide something from one of her very best friends. She didn't like it at all.

"I fell into the lake," Katie lied. "I was doing laps around the lake, and tripped over a tree root. You know klutzy Katie."

Alicia just nodded, Katie knew that she wasn't buying it, but she also knew that she couldn't tell her friend the truth. Telling her the truth would get her and Oliver in big trouble. As a Prefect, Alicia would have to tell Dumbledore, not something she wanted to happen.