Why Can't You See?

Chapter Six

A few exhausting hours later, I was headed up to the Tower, freshly showered and tired. Alicia and Angelina stayed behind to play kissy-face with their significant other, or something like that. They asked me to wait for them, but I just wanted to take a nap. My legs hurt. Scratch that, my whole body hurt to the point that I could probably collapse right on the stairs and sleep for hours.

I didn't hear the pounding of footsteps following me as my eyes closed for the hundredth time that hour. I didn't feel myself fall.

Strong arms came around my waist and my eyes snapped open. The tip of my nose was touching the cold marble stairs.

"Oh, God."

"Bell, you need to sleep."

My heart pounded hearing the familiar Scottish accent in my ear. Because I was tired. That's all. "What do you I'm trying to do, Wood? Make out with the ground?" I snapped out.

"I didn't realize you wanted a concussion." His brown eyes met mine full of warmth. His arms stayed on me as I stood up. "You shouldn't have come to practice, Katie."

I tried to get away from him, because his nearness wasn't letting me think straight, but he wouldn't let me go. "Leave me alone, Oliver. I need to go and get some sleep."

Oliver turned me to face him. "Did I do something to hurt you, Katie? Is that why you hate me?"

"Hate you?" I stopped trying to squirm out of my trap. "You think I hate you?"

His forehead creased in wrinkles. "Are you saying you don't?"

I sighed. "God, Oliver, what gave you that idea? Of course not." I moved away from him as his arms loosened, and headed up the stairs. "Get your head out of Quidditch for once. Then some things wouldn't be so difficult to understand."

"What am I not seeing, Katie?"

I stopped and breathed in deeply, tears filling my eyes. I would not cry in front of Oliver wood.

He caught up with me and looked at my face in concern. A lone tear spilled down my cheek.

"Katie?" he asked softly, so softly I wasn't sure if he even said it. He leaned down and kissed my tear away. My face flushed with delight at the contact. His mouth moved to my own, capturing my lips in a rough kiss.

Heaven. That's what kissing Oliver wood is like. It was like ice cream on a hot summer day, sweet and innocent and just plain tasty. His hands moved up to cup my face, deepening the kiss even more.

Everywhere our skin touched it felt like electricity, as if my skin was on fire. My heart pounded in my ears and the fierceness of the moment scared me. But I wanted more.

I pulled him closer and slipped my tongue past his lips. Oliver stiffened for a moment but relaxed. I guess he didn't expect little innocent Katie to do something like that.

It was getting harder breath, but I didn't care, I just knew I never wanted to stop kissing him. Oliver pulled away after another minute.

He looked at me seriously, a hand caressing my cheek. "Go take a nap, Katie."

Why did he always have to do that? Why does he close himself off just when I think he wants to open up? Is he afraid of getting hurt? If so, I think I should be more worried than him.

I was so sick of this dance. I didn't have to put up with it anymore. Not at all. I sighed in defeat and moved away from him.

"Fine, Oliver. I'll see you later." I quickly ran up the stairs quickly and was in Gryffindor tower before he caught up to me.

"What did I do now, Katie?"

I turned around and stared at him, sighing. He didn't get it, that's what the problem was. "Nothing, Wood, you did absolutely nothing."

I took one good look at him. He looked miserable and utterly confused. I headed up to my dorm room to sleep.

~*~

Someone was jumping on my bed a while later and woke me up.

"Come on, Katie!" Angelina called from far away. "It's time for dinner!"

It was dinner time already? "Let me sleep, Angie," I mumbled, pulling the covers tightly around my head.

"If you don't get up, I won't be able to tell you what I heard!"

I perked up a bit, and poked my head out of my nice warm cocoon. Nothing like a good dish of gossip to cheer you up. "About who?"

Angie smiled smugly and sat on my bed. "The one and only Oliver wood."

I scowled. "I don't care." I flopped back one my bed.

Angie ignored my tone. "I'm sure you'll want to hear this."

I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my face in the sheets. "No, I don't."

"I overheard Oliver talking to Percy."

"So?"

"He was talking about you."

I didn't say anything and tried to fall back asleep, hoping she'd just disappear.

"So he really kissed you this time?" she inquired quietly.

"It was just a stupid kiss. It didn't mean anything." I sat up and punched my pillow soundly, trying to fluff it up.

"Well, it did to him." She paused waiting for me to look at her. Always the dramatic, our Angie. "Oliver's in love with you, Katie."

My mouth dropped open, literally. "Are you joking, Ang?"

"Why would I kid about that?" she asked seriously. "That would just be cruel."

My room was suddenly very small and warm and it was getting harder to breath. "No, he's not."

"Yes, he is," Angie insisted. "Why else do you think he was in Hogsmeade? He cornered George before we left to find out exactly where we were going. He was there because of you."

My heart was pounding unnaturally fast and I was sure it would just jump right out of my chest.

"He was told Percy it was the most amazing thing, and how he never felt like before. He said he was really falling hard."

"He was probably talking about that Morgan girl. And stop lying."

"And the way he looks at you," she continued, as if she didn't hear me. "It's how Fred looks at me. It's so romantic."

"Food," I interrupted hastily. I didn't want to hear anymore, didn't want to get my hopes up. "It's time for dinner and I'm starving."

I practically ran out of the room while she looked after me in shock. It wasn't something I wanted to deal with at the moment. At least not until I got properly smashed. I still say Angie said all that to make me feel better.

And then I almost ran down Oliver as he came up the stairs. My heart thudded erratically when I recognized who it was.

He smiled briefly at me. "Hello, Katie."

"Oliver." I nodded, my eyes meeting his and then I saw it. It completely floored me. Apparently Angelina was really right this time.