Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Oliver Wood sighed from behind a copy of Witch Weekly magazine.

He'd been named to the publication's annual "Hottest Bachelor" list, meaning his own photo was smiling up at him from the magazine's glossy, animated pages.

Oliver Wood, starting Keeper for Puddlemere United, comes in at No. 3 on our list, the magazine read. Sources tell us that Wood, 24, remains single. The Hogwarts alumnus enjoys quidditch and exercise, and has been known to frequent Luchino Caffe.

Oliver tossed the magazine aside and rose to his feet. He had an off day from training and hadn't made plans for himself. A croissant from Luchino Caffe did sound good to him; he just hoped the Witch Weekly article wouldn't compel his fans to crowd the small café.

Fall was creeping toward muggle London and the air reflected so. Oliver's jacket felt too light as he walked briskly toward Tottenham Court Road and into Luchino Caffe.

"Merlin, he's really here!" a voice shrieked.

Oliver immediately realized he'd made a serious lapse in judgment. A gaggle of young fangirls was gathered in a front corner of the café, as if they'd spent the morning waiting on Oliver.

"Oliver!" one of the girls screeched. Oliver instantly recoiled as she approached him. She couldn't be older than seventeen. "Oliver, will you please sit with me?" she begged.

"Er," Oliver glanced around nervously. Luchino Caffe was a muggle establishment and the group had started to capture the attention of everyone inside. "Sorry," OIiver continued. "I'm just trying to grab a quick bite to go."

"Oliver," another fangirl cooed. This one was a bit older than the other, probably in her early twenties. Her chest was noticeably larger and her shirt was cut low enough to ensure everyone would notice. "How about you buy me a drink at the pub next door?" the woman offered.

"It's 10:00 in the morning," Oliver pointed out. The woman pouted and Oliver anxiously craned his neck to see if the front of the line was moving. What was taking so long? And how many more of these fangirls would he have to deal with? How could they manage to be so bold?

Three more women approached Oliver by the time he reached the counter to place his order.

"Two croissants and a small cappuccino, to go," Oliver emphasized the last part. He had no desire to stay, especially as one woman had a camera and was trying to take his picture.

Oliver scurried from the restaurant, brushing off several more women before he could shove his way through the door.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

Great. Now he had breakfast and nowhere to eat it. He didn't want to return home. It was too nice of a day to sit inside. But he also didn't feel like lingering in public if women were going to pester him.

Truth is, Oliver wasn't too fond of the spotlight. Sure, he knew it came with the job description as a professional athlete. He also knew he was handsome enough to garner attention from fans. He'd had his fair share of dates and girlfriends, but he was determined to focus on his career for the time being. Puddlemere was second in the league rankings and many analysts were projecting them to reach the league championship. Oliver had been promoted to Puddlemere's starting Keeper two seasons ago, and he was getting antsy over winning the league cup.

Oliver felt like he'd have plenty of time later to find a girlfriend and an eventual wife and family. Right now, he just wanted to win, but all of the women throwing themselves at him were becoming a distraction.

It suddenly dawned on Oliver that his good friend and teammate, Angelina Johnson, lived nearby with her fiancee, George Weasley. The pair remained close friends since their Hogwarts days, and Oliver often found he could confide in Angelina.

"Wood," Angelina said in surprise as she greeted Oliver in the doorway. "It's our off day. I'm not training with you-"

"It's not that," Oliver said quickly. "I promise, no quidditch."

"No quidditch?" a voice echoed from inside the flat. "Well, this is serious."

Oliver stepped past Angelina into the flat, where he was met by George Weasley.

"Er, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Oliver asked awkwardly.

"Actually, yes, we were just about to sh-"

"You aren't interrupting anything," Angelina cut George off as she rolled her eyes. "What's up, Wood?"

George reached for Oliver's bag of croissants, but jumped as Oliver suddenly exclaimed, "It's these women!"

Angelina and George stared at Oliver, both caught off guard by his outburst.

"What about them?" Angelina asked, an amused smile forming across her lips.

"They won't leave me alone!" Oliver sighed dramatically. "Witch Weekly named me one of their Most Eligible Bachelors," he was briefly cut off as George snorted, "and now women are stalking me during breakfast!"

"Poor ickle Olliekins," George chortled. "Women throwing themselves at him. What a terrible, rough life that must be."

"I'm serious!" Oliver whined. "I'm not interested in dating right now. Quidditch-"

"Yes, we know, quidditch," Angelina said, her expression still showcasing her amusement.

"So how do I get these birds to back off?" Oliver asked.

"Honestly, they might not be so bold if you had a girlfriend," Angelina pointed out. "It might not stop all of them, but I'm sure most of them would back off if they knew you were taken."

"But I don't have time for a girlfriend. I don't want one," Oliver reiterated.

"Do you want a boyfriend?" George asked, batting his eyelashes at Oliver. Oliver ignored him.

"What do I do?" he asked Angelina, desperation in his eyes. "I don't want to start dating someone just to put on a false front. That wouldn't be fair-"

Oliver stopped as a sudden idea dawned on him. It was genius, if he did say so himself.

"Say, Angelina," Oliver said, his tone shifting noticeably.

"Yes?" Angelina replied slowly. She didn't like where this was going.

"You could pretend to be my girlfriend," Oliver started, but he was instantly met with a cackle.

"Absolutely not," Angelina laughed. "Wood, we're teammates. We're not allowed to date. Besides, everyone knows George and I are engaged anyway. It would never work."

Oliver sighed in defeat. Angelina was right. It was a dumb idea. Unless…

"Well, do you know anyone who would be willing to pretend to be my girlfriend?" Oliver asked. It sounded so ridiculous when he said it aloud, but he was desperate.

"Actually…" Angelina trailed off as she thought. "We do know someone. I'm just not so sure she'd be willing."

"Who?" Oliver and George asked in unison.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Think about it, fellas," she said. "What friend do we have in common who happens to be single and attractive?"

"I'm not falling for this trap again," George muttered.

"I'm serious!" Angelina said. "Just think. We've all known her for years. She's gorgeous and smart, though she insists she doesn't need a boyfriend."

"Who?" Oliver tried to picture every mutual friend he and Angelina had. Alicia Spinnet was dating Lee Jordan. Oliver made a mental note to reach out to Alicia and Lee as he hadn't seen them in a while when it suddenly became clear.

"Katie!" he exclaimed as he thought of Alicia's roommate.

"Exactly," Angelina replied as George said, "Ohhh."

"Katie's single and easy on the eyes, plus she loves quidditch," Angelina continued. "The two of you would make the perfect couple."

"Fake couple," Oliver interjected.

"Yes, whatever," Angelina sighed. "Anyway, it might take some convincing. Ever since the incident, Katie's been a bit more carefree. She goes out with a different bloke every week, but insists she doesn't want anything serious."

Angelina was referring to the "incident" in which Katie was cursed during her seventh year at Hogwarts. The event landed her in St. Mungo's Hospital for months as she recovered, and it seemed to alter her outlook on life. Katie had always been friendly and fun to be around, but the incident instilled a "Live life to the fullest" attitude within her.

"That's perfect!" Oliver said excitedly. "She isn't looking for a boyfriend and I'm not looking for a girlfriend. It's the perfect situation."

Angelina and George swapped a look.

"Just be careful, Wood," Angelina said seriously. "You and Katie are friends. Please don't do anything to ruin that."

"Why would I? Like you said, we're friends. She and I already know each other and are comfortable." Oliver didn't seem to realize he was talking fast, a trademark sign that he was excited. Now he had a plan in place and would head to Katie's immediately. "Now I just have to convince her."

George clapped Oliver on the back and steered him toward the door. "Good luck with that, mate."

Chapter Text

"I'm coming, hold your horses!" Alicia Spinnet shouted toward the front door of her flat. Whoever was knocking was doing so at an obnoxious rate.

Alicia cursed as she stumbled over a pair of heels left on the floor before she staggered to the door and swung it open.

"Wood," she said, surprised by the visitor. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Katie here?" Oliver asked, peeking over Alicia's shoulder into the flat. "I need to talk to her."

"She's in her room," Alicia said with narrowed, suspicious eyes. She stepped aside to let Oliver into the flat. "Why do you need to see her? We've haven't heard from you in weeks."

"I just have to ask her something," Oliver said impatiently.

Alicia continued to stare at him with a confused expression, but Oliver was too anxious to explain.

"Hey, Katie!" Alicia called toward the back hallway of the flat. Oliver rocked back and forth on his feet, causing Alicia to smirk.

Could this be it? Was Wood finally going to ask Katie out? Alicia had always thought the pair would make a cute couple and she'd never understood why they never dated.

"What is it?" Katie Bell appeared from the hallway and Oliver took a moment to stare.

Oliver had always found Katie quite attractive, even back during their Hogwarts days. But the nature of their relationship had always led him to dismiss any notion of romance. They were teammates first, followed by captain and Chaser. By that point, they were also friends, and Oliver didn't find it necessary to disrupt that.

Still, as Katie appeared before him, Oliver couldn't help but decide that if he had to ask someone to pretend to be his girlfriend, Katie Bell wasn't a bad choice at all.

"Wood," Katie said with the same surprised tone as Alicia. "What're you doing here?"

"I have a proposal for you," Oliver blurted out.

Katie blinked. "What?"

Oliver motioned her to sit down on the couch next to him as Alicia lurked curiously near the kitchen counter.

"I have a proposal for you," Oliver repeated. "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

"What?!" Katie and Alicia exclaimed in unison.

"Oliver, what are you talking about?" Katie demanded.

"I know this sounds barking mad, but just hear me out. I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend so that other women will leave me alone. I've been getting a lot of press over the past few months and now my fangirls are getting out of control. They follow me in the streets and stake out my favorite breakfast spot. Angelina says they might back off if they knew I had a girlfriend," Oliver explained.

"Angelina put you up to this?"

"Well, she suggested that I get a girlfriend," Oliver clarified. "She can't help me because we're teammates and she's engaged, so I figured I'd ask you."

The response wasn't what Oliver had hoped for. He'd wanted Katie to be sympathetic to his dilemma. Instead, she and Alicia slipped into a fit of laughter.

"I'm serious!" Oliver insisted, distraught over his friends' flippant reaction.

"You really are barking mad," Katie wheezed.

"You really have fangirls stalking you?" Alicia giggled.

"I really need you!" Oliver continued. "It's just until some of the press coverage dies down, probably after the league championship in May."

"So why don't you just get a girlfriend?" Katie finally asked, still laughing and still clearly bewildered by Oliver's request.

"I don't want one right now," Oliver replied. "I'm trying to focus on quidditch-" Alicia snorted from the kitchen. "I can't afford all these distractions right now."

"Don't you think staging a relationship is a distraction?" Katie offered.

"Not if we do it right. We'll just grab dinner a few nights a week. You could come to my matches. You know, just simple couple stuff. Then people will think I'm in a relationship and maybe the fangirls will back off," Oliver explained.

"But even if the fangirls back off, the press will be all over you, even more," Katie said. "You'll be trading one problem for another."

"I can deal with the press," Oliver said. "That's part of the job. But the fangirls… they disrupt my personal time and some of them are awfully bold. It's one thing to give a couple of interviews to The Daily Prophet, it's another thing to politely decline dates with women without offending them. And they come in droves. It's relentless."

"You know, he has a point," Alicia offered.

"Are you mad?!" Katie exclaimed, whipping around to face Alicia. "This is insane. It'll never work."

"Why not?" Alicia asked. "All you have to do is let Wood buy you dinner and snog you."

"Snogging?!"

Alicia smirked at the pair on the couch. "Well, obviously," she said. "You two can't seriously be in a relationship without a little snogging."

"Then you date him!" Katie insisted.

"I'm in a relationship," Alicia pointed out. "Besides, I want no part of the publicity. I don't need Rita Skeeter following me around."

"And what makes you think I do?" Katie demanded.

"You're better at handling that kind of stuff," Alicia said with a shrug.

"That doesn't mean I want to be in the papers every week! You can't just pick out your one single friend and pair her off in a fake relationship!"

Katie couldn't believe her own best friend and roommate would think should an absurd idea would actually work. She liked Oliver but pretending to date him would be entirely different from the friendship they'd built. Besides, Katie was enjoying life as a single woman. She was free to do as she chose while she built her career within the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic. Even a staged relationship would require her time and energy, and she wasn't sure she wanted to commit herself to that.

"I promise it'll be worth your while!" Oliver offered. He wasn't sure how, exactly, but he wasn't above begging or bribery.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Katie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can think of a few ways-" Alicia giggled.

"Hush!" Katie said with a wave of her hand. She returned her attention to Oliver. "Now, you were saying?"

"What if I helped put in a good word for you at work?" Oliver suggested. Katie stopped to consider the offer. It was true, her dream job was to head the division of British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters. An endorsement from the league's rising star Keeper couldn't hurt.

"I suppose that could be a fair deal," Katie started slowly.

"Really?" Oliver asked excitedly.

"Relax," Katie said, holding up another hand. "I said I suppose it could be a fair deal, not that I'll do it."

"Oh, come on, Katie," Alicia begged. "This could be fun. You get to date a professional athlete without any of the relationship drama!"

"Pretend to date," Katie noted.

Katie sighed. She couldn't believe she was actually considering this. Life was going well for her since graduation and the end of the war. Did she really want to embark on such an absurd adventure with her former quidditch captain?

Still, Katie understood Oliver's dilemma, as comical as it seemed. She knew he was very driven and devoted to quidditch, especially now that he'd achieved his dream of reaching the professional level. He probably hated the attention that came with it. Even when they were at Hogwarts, Oliver's girlfriends came second to quidditch… which was probably why his relationships rarely seemed to last more than a few months. Maybe they really could help each other out.

"All right," Katie finally sighed, still in disbelief over the entire scenario. "I'll do it."

"You will?" Oliver and Alicia both asked.

"Yes, but we do this by my rules," Katie said firmly. "I'll call the shots."

"Yes, of course," Oliver said quickly as he rose to his feet. "Anything you want."

Alicia watched the pair in amusement, as if she knew something they didn't. In truth, she was simply pleased at the notion the two would be spending more time together. Maybe this would be the push they needed toward a real relationship.

"So how does this work?" Katie asked. "I mean, we can't just issue some announcement that we're dating now."

"We'll have to be seen in public. You know, let people see us together. The more we're seen, the more people will assume we're a couple," Oliver explained.

"I can't believe I'm fake dating Oliver Wood," Katie muttered.

"Neither can I," Alicia said much more gleefully. Both of her friends turned to look at her sternly.

"Not a word of this arrangement to anyone, OK?" Oliver said, peering sharply at Alicia. "No one can know. Just you, Angelina and George."

"And don't tell Lee," Katie warned. "You know he can't keep a secret. He'll let it slip during one of his broadcasts."

Alicia held up a hand, the other placed flat against her chest. "I solemnly swear I won't tell a soul," she promised.

"So, we'll start with dinner?" Oliver proposed to Katie. "I'm done with training by 5:00 Friday. Pick you up at 7:00?"

"Deal," Katie answered.

Oliver pulled her into a sudden hug, adding to Alicia's amusement.

"Thanks for doing this," Oliver said. "Really, you have no idea how much this'll help."

Once he left, Katie turned to face Alicia, who was smirking from across the living room.

"Oh, don't be so smug," Katie groaned. "This is a mutual agreement between friends."

"You have to admit, Wood does look pretty good these days." Alicia pointed out.

You're going to be the envy of every woman in the Wizarding World."

Katie shook her head. "I'm not falling for that. Wood is a friend and we're merely helping each other out."

"You'd better stop calling him Wood, now that he's your lover," Alicia noted in a sing-song voice, much to Katie's annoyance.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Katie sighed.

"Nonsense," Alicia said assuredly. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Chapter Text

Katie let out a long, slow exhale as she checked herself in the mirror. She couldn’t believe she was really about to do this. A week ago, she was on a date with some bloke she’d met at the pub. Now, she was about to go on a date with longtime friend and quidditch star Oliver Wood.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath.

“Oh, hush,” Alicia said as she examined her own hair in the mirror next to Katie. “You look great.” Alicia’s reflection smirked at Katie’s. “I’m sure Wood will think so, too.”

“Enough with that!” Katie whined. “It’s not like that with Woo- Oliver. We’re simply helping each other out.”

Alicia heaved a dramatic sigh. “But don’t you think this could be an opportunity for you?” she pushed. “For you and Wood? You two are highly compatible, maybe this is all a sign that you’re supposed to be together.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Katie barked. “This is Wood we’re talking about it.”

“Precisely!” Alicia’s dramatics continued. “Oliver Wood, one of the wizarding world’s hottest bachelors. Plus, you know Wood and you know he’s a nice guy.”

“He’s a nice guy as long as you aren’t debating quidditch tactics with him,” Katie pointed out.

“But you two have been friends for years. Don’t you think it’d be nice to date someone you already know well?” Alicia asked.

“I think that’s a terrible idea,” Katie laughed. “I know Wood, and therefore I know he and I would never work out romantically. Yes, he’s attractive and yes, I enjoy hanging out with him, but that doesn’t mean I want to take his last name.”

Katie’s gaze met Alicia’s in the mirror. “Why do you care about Wood and me anyway?” she asked.

“Because I think you two have a great opportunity to explore a new side of your friendship!” Alicia said. “I think the two of you are a perfect match for each other, and more importantly, I just think you deserve to be happy.”

“And you think Oliver Wood is the man who is going to make me happy?” Katie couldn’t help but snort, but Alicia shot her a glare.

“Oh, come on,” Alicia said, her voice shifting to a more serious tone. “You can’t really look me in the eye and tell me that Oliver Wood isn’t a catch.”

“Of course, he is,” Katie said, her attention returning to her reflection as she applied a swipe of lipstick. “I know Wood is great, but I don’t need a boyfriend to be happy.”

“But after all you’ve been through, don’t you think it’d be nice to have someone to take care of you and connect with? You know, more than just a few dates or a one-night stand?” Alicia bit her lip at her own words. She and Katie had had it out in the past over her concerns for Katie’s life post-curse.

It wasn’t that Alicia wanted to meddle in her friend’s life, but she couldn’t help but voice her concerns. Prior to the cursed necklace, Katie had always been more calculated and cautious. She wasn’t completely reckless now, but some of her decisions worried her friends.

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me,” Katie said, fighting to maintain a cool, collected tone with her friend. She knew Alicia was trying to help, but she’d grown tired of her friends worrying for her wellbeing. If that stupid necklace hadn’t fallen into her hands, she wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

Katie knew the war and the cursed necklace had changed her. After everything she went through and all of the death and destruction she’d witnessed, she vowed to live her life on her own terms – for the life moments she’d missed as she had lain in that hospital bed, and for Fred Weasley, as well as the others who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Katie nodded her own approval at her reflection and spun to face Alicia, who grinned her own approval at her friend.

“I’ll find someone to connect with eventually,” Katie said. “It just doesn’t have to be our old quidditch captain, so stop creating crazy fantasies in your head and let me have some fun.”

Katie retreated from the bathroom to wait for Oliver at the kitchen counter.

Was she mad for agreeing to this? Oliver had become incredibly popular among fans. What if they came after her? What if they attacked her or bullied her? What kinds of nasty things were the papers going to write about her? Why was she sacrificing her peaceful little lifestyle all for a favor for a friend?

A knock at the door announced Oliver’s arrival and Katie sighed as Alicia poked her head out from the bathroom to flash her one last smirk.

“I’m leaving, I won’t be late,” Katie called to Alicia. She ignored a sing-song response from Alicia and greeted Oliver at the door.

“You look nice,” he offered.

“You cleaned up all right, too,” Katie answered. She couldn’t help but feel awkward, despite knowing this was all for show. “Well, shall we go?”

“Right,” Oliver said, motioning for Katie to descend the stairs before him.

“Where are we going anyway?” Katie asked.

“I thought we’d try Carousel,” Oliver offered. “Figure it’ll be busy on a night like this, but it’s a good place to be seen.”

Katie nodded in approval and immediately wished she’d worn a dress with pockets to shove her hands into as she wasn’t unsure what to do with them. She suddenly felt shy and unsure of what to say to Oliver, despite nearly a decade of friendship between them.

‘This is ridiculous,’ she thought to herself. ‘It’s Wood. You’ve known him for years. And you’ve been on plenty of dates with plenty of blokes. This one’s no different… And this one doesn’t even really count.’

Katie’s quiet demeanor made Oliver nervous. What if she was already having regrets? Was she going to back out now? 

Oliver was grateful the walk to the restaurant was short, and he had been right – the spot was crowded with the Friday dinner rush. 

Carousel was popular among muggles and wizards alike, largely due to its location and highly-rated fare. As the couple took their seats at a small window table, Oliver could already sense that several gazes were fixated on him. Determined to focus on their “date,” Oliver leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table and peer at Katie, who was studying the menu as if it were notes for a crucial Potions exam.

“So, how’s work going?” Oliver asked. He knew that, like him, Katie was incredibly passionate about her career. She often talked about projects she was working on with enthusiasm, though most people found her work boring. Oliver, however, recognized the importance of Katie’s work. Without the Department of Magical Games and Sports, there’d be no British and Irish Quidditch League, meaning Oliver would likely be working behind a desk someplace dull and dreadful.

“It’s going well,” Katie answered, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze with an appreciative smile. “The Wigtown cheating scandal has kept my office busy, but the madness seems to have calmed for the moment.”

Oliver nodded sympathetically. A recent scandal in which the Wigtown Wanderers had been caught cheating with bewitched broomsticks had rocked the quidditch world, creating all kinds of headaches for Katie’s department.

A waitress interrupted their conversation, marking the first conflict for the couple.

“Good evening,” she greeted in a pitchy tone. “I’m Stephanie and I’ll be taking care of you tonight, Mr. Wood… and Miss…?”

“Erm, Bell,” Katie replied. She was caught off guard, but Oliver was used to being recognized.

The waitress eyed Katie for a moment before returning her attention to Oliver.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked politely.

“It is him!” a voice suddenly hissed. Katie and Oliver redirected their attention to a table of four women, who were all staring at them with wide eyes.

Oliver ignored them and ordered a whiskey neat while Katie continued to throw side-eyed glances at the table of women. She could feel their glares burning into the side of her face. They made Katie feel self-conscious.

What if they felt she wasn’t pretty enough to be on a date with Oliver? Maybe she should have worn a nicer dress, something more luxurious and high-fashion. What if Oliver suddenly decided he didn’t want to be seen with her? Why did she even care?

“Katie?” Oliver was peering at her with concern. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Oh. Erm, just a negroni,” Katie answered softly. The waitress nodded and disappeared, leaving Katie to stare uncomfortably at her own lap.

“Are you OK?” Oliver asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He’d seen many sides of Katie in the years as her friend and quidditch captain, but seeing her so visibly uncomfortable was foreign to him.

“I’m fine,” Katie replied, though she did so with a sigh. “Just not used to people staring at me. At least not like that.”

It suddenly dawned on Katie that she had been the center of unwanted attention before. When she returned to Hogwarts after spending months in St. Mungo’s following the curse, students whispered and stared at her in the corridors and in the Great Hall. Some gazed at her in pity, others with sympathy. Katie hated their stares. Prior to her becoming a pawn in Lord Voldemort’s game, she had enjoyed a normal, teenage life.

Still, as Katie could still feel the stares of the jealous women nearby, she realized that she’d overcome much worse. She almost died. Her body had been drained by a powerful, sinister curse. She had to re-learn how to walk. She missed out on months of memories and moments with her friends and loved ones.

If she could endure all that, why was she fearful of some strangers who simply disliked her because she was sitting with Oliver Wood?

Katie lifted her gaze to meet Oliver’s.

“Sorry,” she said, offering him a smile. “I guess I just let myself feel a bit intimidated. Kind of silly, isn’t it?”

Oliver nodded in understanding. “It’s silly but I also get it. It takes a while to get used to the attention. I guess maybe we should’ve started out small instead of diving into the sea of sharks.”

Katie shook her head with determination. “No,” she said firmly. “They’re just people… just women. They only hate me because I’m sitting here with you.”

She hadn’t meant for her words to make Oliver feel bad, but he winced.

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I really do appreciate you doing all this.” He paused to offer her a smile. “You don’t have to, though. If it’s too much, I completely understand.”

Katie appreciated Oliver’s willingness to be accommodating. He hadn’t always been that way. The younger version of Oliver often acted in haste, making decisions based on emotion rather than reason.

“We’re doing this,” Katie said, her lips curving into a smirk. “We might as well have some fun with it, no?” She took one more glance at the table of women. “And on the bright side, none of them are approaching you, are they?”

Chapter Text

Two weeks passed before Katie and Oliver received any attention as a "couple." They went on three more "dates" and found that pretending to be a couple wasn't as difficult as they'd feared. They mostly talked about quidditch, which made them both feel at ease.

Katie enjoyed Oliver's company, and Oliver seemed to be at ease with Katie's.

Despite the unrelenting stares she received from other women in public, Katie was growing more acclimated to the attention. The entire arrangement seemed less ludicrous to her, until match day arrived.

Katie was catching up on sleep on a cool Saturday morning when Alicia poked her head in.

"Katie!" she hissed. "Are you awake?"

"I am now," Katie grumbled. It was half past nine, typically a bit late for Katie to be sleeping, but she'd spent the previous evening out with Oliver and the pair had stayed out late for drinks at a pub.

"Look!" Alicia squealed, tossing The Daily Prophet at Katie. The paper landed on Katie's stomach and she grunted. "Page six."

Katie sighed and sat up to flip through the paper. When she reached page six, she blinked. There she was, leaving the pub with Oliver in a photo someone must have snapped from an alleyway.

"I really should get a haircut," Katie mumbled.

"Is that really your first thought?" Alicia chided. "Katie, you're in the paper with Oliver Wood!"

"I see that," Katie murmured as she read the photo cutline.

Oliver Wood, starting Keeper for Puddlemere United, was spotted leaving The Blackfriar with an unidentified woman Friday night. Sources say the two have been seen together on at least two other occasions. The Daily Prophet is working to learn more.

"Unidentified woman my arse," Katie pretended to grumble.

"They'll figure out your name soon enough. But aren't you excited?"

"Excited?" Katie tossed the paper toward the foot of her bed. "Alicia, need I remind you this relationship isn't real?"

"Still, you're being photographed with a pro quidditch player! You're practically famous!"

"A practically famous 'unidentified woman,'" Katie noted. She arched her back in a stretch as she mulled over what she wanted for breakfast. "Honestly, Alicia, it's no big deal. This is exactly what Oliver planned for."

"I think it's cute," Alicia replied with a shrug. "You two do look great together."

A knock from the front door stole Alicia's attention and she disappeared from the room to greet the visitor. Katie yawned and reached for a sweatshirt to pull on over her t-shirt. She didn't regret staying out late with Oliver, as she'd enjoyed their conversation at the pub the previous night, but she wondered if staying out for dinner and drinks was going to be the new normal for her. Sure, she stayed out late on plenty of occasions, particularly when she was meeting men, but the charade of her relationship with Oliver was a lot of work.

"There she is!" a voice sang from the doorway.

George Weasley moseyed his way into the room and threw himself onto Katie's bed.

"Oi! Angelina's going to hex us both," Katie shouted as George cozied under the covers.

"Only if I can't join," Angelina answered from the doorway. The tall, dark-skinned girl climbed onto the bed and grinned at her friend.

"What are you two doing here?" Katie whined.

"We heard you had a late night with a certain Keeper," Angelina said matter-of-factly.

"And?"

"And, we're patiently awaiting all the details." Angelina batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Don't be ridiculous, nothing happened," Katie said. "Just like nothing happened during our previous dates, and just like nothing will ever happen, because none of this is real."

"But you're Prophet-official now," George pointed out.

"The Prophet doesn't even know my name," Katie said with an eye roll.

"I bet they will after this evening's match," Angelina said gleefully. "You are still coming, right?"

"Of course."

"And now you get to sit in the box among the important people," George added.

Katie blinked. It hadn't dawned on her that now she'd be allowed to sit in the private box, reserved for the players' significant others and family at Puddlemere Stadium. She'd always sat in the stands among the other fans when attending matches, not that she minded.

"I didn't even think of that," Katie admitted. "George, now we can raise all kinds of hell together!"

"Don't you dare," Angelina warned. "Especially you," she continued, raising her eyebrows at Katie. "The fans and media are used to George's shenanigans, but you're Oliver Wood's new girlfriend."

"You can't really be embarrassed by me already," Katie said indignantly.

"Not at all. I just know how these things go. All eyes are going to be on you tonight, Katie. Everyone wants to know who Oliver's new girlfriend is," Angelina noted.

"What are you wearing?" Alicia's voice suddenly chimed in from the doorway.

"Oh no," Katie groaned. "I am not getting all dolled for a quidditch match. That's ridiculous."

"It's not like you're playing in the match," Alicia argued. "Katie, Angie's right – everyone is going to be looking at you. You have to look the part."

"The part?"

"You're a quidditch girlfriend now," George said smartly. "You're practically royalty."

"Oh, come on," Katie snorted. "It's not that big a deal. No one's going to care if I wear my usual jeans and jersey."

"You aren't wearing that jersey," Angelina said firmly.

"What? Why not?" Katie demanded. She'd always worn a jersey with Angelina's last name and number on the back.

"Katie," Angelina sighed in exasperation. "As much as I love a hot little lass like yourself wearing my jersey, you're Wood's girlfriend now. You need to wear his jersey."

"But I don't have one-" Katie was cut off by Angelina's signature smirk.

"Accio handbag," Angelina declared. Her black purse came zipping through the door, narrowly missing Alicia's head. Angelina caught the bag and began rummaging through it before she brandished a ball of navy blue fabric. "Ta-da!"

Angelina unfolded the jersey and revealed the back, which displayed "WOOD" and the number 7.

"You didn't actually buy that, did you?" Katie asked with narrowed eyes.

"Of course not. I nicked it from Wood's locker. It's a real, game-worn jersey, not one of those cheap knock-offs," Angelina declared proudly.

"This is ridiculous," Katie sighed. "This jersey is too big anyway. In case you haven't noticed, Oliver's-"

"Hot and muscle-y?" Angelina cut in, eliciting a "Hey!" from George.

"Yes, Oliver has more muscle mass than me," Katie continued carefully. Of course, she thought Oliver was hot, but she knew acknowledging that would simply encourage her friends.

"Not to worry," Alicia said, scurrying forward to take the jersey. "I know a shrinking charm that will make this fit like a glove. Your curves will never look better."

Meanwhile, Oliver had also become the subject of chatter around the Puddlemere United locker room.

"Oi! Wood!" Kieran Winthrop, one of the team's Chasers, elbowed Oliver in the side as he rummaged through his locker for his knee guards. "Who's the new girl?"

"Huh?"

"The girl in the Prophet with you," Kieran continued. "Who is she? She's right fit. Where'd you find her?"

"Oh, er, that's Katie. I've known her since my Hogwarts days," Oliver answered. He hadn't told any of his teammates he was seeing Katie. He wanted them to know but he also hadn't been sure how to tell them, considering their relationship was a charade.

"Didn't know Hogwarts made 'em like that," Kieran grinned. "Nice work."

"Oh, er, yeah, she's great," Oliver said. It suddenly dawned on him that he needed to be a little more convincing than that. "I guess I always fancied her a bit and finally decided to make a move."

"Yes, well, don't keep any more of those fit Hogwarts girls to yourself, mate," Kieran said. "If you know any others, bring them around."

"Oliver Wood secures another spectacular save to preserve the Puddlemere lead!"

The crowd went wild and George let out a whoop while Katie clapped wildly. She had to admit, she was enjoying herself at the match. The private box was much nicer than the stands and it was helpful to have George's company. Alicia and Lee often had to work in the evenings, leaving Katie to attend matches alone.

The other players' wives, girlfriends and family members had welcomed Katie with kindness and sympathy, as some acknowledged the inevitable attention Katie would receive.

"Not bad, eh?" George said as play resumed.

"Not bad at all," Katie answered, reaching for a sip of her beer.

"Looks like you have fans, too." George motioned to a group of fans sitting in a section of the stands to the left of the box. Half of them were turned away from the action trying to catch a glimpse of Katie instead.

Katie rolled her eyes and fought to keep her focus on the match. She felt silly for allowing the other fans to make her feel self-conscious. After all, she was the one who had agreed to all of this to begin with. None of this was real, she reminded herself, and therefore she shouldn't care what strangers thought of her.

Puddlemere's Seeker dipped into a sudden dive, stealing Katie's attention from her anxious thoughts. The next thing she knew, George was tugging on her sleeve, ordering her to move as the Puddlemere crowd erupted.

"We've got to get down to the family area to wait for Angie and Wood," he explained as the Puddlemere crowd continued to cheer amid the victory. "If we don't go now, we'll be stuck in the crowd for a good hour." He turned slightly to glance downward at Katie. "Now the show really begins."

Chapter Text

Katie stood on her tip-toes as she tried to see over the crowd. Luckily, most of the fans were parting to the right, toward the stadium exits. Katie and George pushed their way to the left until they encountered an area roped off for the players’ families and significant others next to the locker rooms.

“After you, m’lady,” George said, waving Katie through. Katie flashed her special magical badge to the security wizard, who merely nodded.

Katie recognized the other people in the restricted area and smiled at one of the Chasers’ wives, though her attention was quickly intercepted by several flashes.

“Bloody cameras,” George grumbled as a photographer snapped another photo of Katie.

“Bloody hell,” Katie sighed. She didn’t understand why so many people were taking her photo. Oliver wasn’t even there, and he was the one who was famous.

“There you are!” Angelina’s voice said as she tossed her arms around Katie and George. “Talk about a madhouse. Katie, you’ve really done it.”

“I haven’t done anything!” Katie cried.

More flashbulbs popped around them and Katie suddenly felt very grateful for Alicia, who had done her hair and makeup that day.

“Wood should be on his way out any minute,” Angelina said. “He had to finish the postgame press conference.”

Katie had known this was what life was like for her two friends. They’d become used to stardom and she’d heard their stories about it often. But now she’d been immersed in their world of screaming fans, press interviews and prying eyes. This wasn’t normal, not to her.

“Aye,” Oliver’s voice grabbed Katie’s attention and she turned in relief to see him shouldering his way through the group of players and their families.

Her relief was cut short as the sea of flashbulbs became blinding. Katie spun away from them and shielded her eyes with her arm.

“Blimey,” Oliver cursed as he threw an arm around Katie’s shoulders. Katie could barely hear him as reporters were shouting questions at them.

“Oliver, what’s her name?”

“Oliver, how long have you been dating?”

“Oliver, is it true she’s an heiress?”

“Is it true the two of you are expecting?”

“Huh?!” Katie cried at the last question.

“Ignore them,” Oliver ordered as he steered Katie toward George and Angelina. They motioned Katie toward the team exit, where they could leave the stadium via underground tunnel free of fans and reporters.

“Bloody hell,” George muttered as the group left the crowds behind. “Angie’s right, Katie, you really did it.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Katie repeated.

“That certainly didn’t go as planned,” Oliver sighed. “I was hoping we could ease into the public eye as a couple. I wasn’t expecting the media to go mental like that.”

“You really don’t know who you are, do you?” Angelina chided.

Oliver looked confused and Angelina heaved a sigh. “You’re Oliver Wood,” she continued. “Everyone loves you. Men want to be you and women want to be with you. Your private life is public, whether you like it or not.”

“I know, I know,” Oliver answered. “I just don’t like it. They behave like bloody animals. I’m just a regular lad.”

“You’re not a regular lad, you’re a quidditch star who is easy on the eyes,” Angelina corrected Oliver, who shrugged.

“Regardless, I suppose our dates have worked,” he said, turning to look at Katie. Oliver furrowed his brow as he watched her walk in silence. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Katie answered. She wasn’t lying – she was fine, just stunned by the burst in attention. She’d known it was inevitable, but experiencing it firsthand for the first time left her feeling unsteady.

Oliver stopped walking and gently reached for Katie’s arm. “Seriously,” he said, frowning in concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Katie let out a small laugh and continued her pace alongside her friends. “It’s just a wee bit shocking at first, you know? You’re used to the attention, I’m obviously not. But I’ll get used to it.”

The end of the tunnel between Puddlemere Stadium and Wizarding London changed locations nightly to ensure the players’ security, thanks to magic. This time, the charmed tunnel appeared to end in South Tottenham, near the reservoir and George and Angelina’s flat.

“We got lucky this time,” George murmured as he recognized where they were. “Remember that time we had to walk two hours to get home?”

All players in the British and Irish Quidditch League were required to cast anti-apparition charms on their homes for security. That meant Angelina and Oliver couldn’t apparate to and from their homes. Their fireplaces were also disconnected from the Floo Network, making travel by fireplace impossible. They either had to walk, use muggle transportation or apparate to safe zones and walk home from there.

“I’ll get Katie home,” Oliver said, relieved his and Katie’s flats were also nearby. The streets were vacant enough that they could have apparated to Katie’s, but it was a nice night and their walk was short. The group said goodnight and parted ways, leaving Oliver to peer at Katie with a serious gaze again.

“Seriously,” Oliver said as they began walking toward Katie’s street. “Are you sure about all of this? I promise I won’t be mad if you want to back out.”

“I’m fine,” Katie insisted. She didn’t want Oliver to think some reporters and crazed fans were enough to scare her off. She was tough and she wanted to ensure that everyone knew it. If she could survive the cursed necklace that drained her body within inches from death, she could handle being Oliver Wood’s pretend girlfriend. When she mentioned this to Oliver, he sighed and shrugged a shoulder.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” he said, though he still didn’t sound convinced. “I just want to make it clear that you can back out at any time.”

Katie stopped in her tracks and spun to peer up at Oliver. “Are you breaking up with me?” she teased with a smile.

“Of course not. You’re apparently carrying my child, remember?”

Katie giggled. “Oliver Jr. will be adorable.”

“How am I going to explain Oliver Jr. to my mum?” Oliver joked, but Katie turned to look at him with a thoughtful expression.

“Have you told your family about us?” she suddenly inquired.

“No,” Oliver shook his head. “I can’t. My sister, she’s great, but she can’t keep a secret to save her life. Best let them believe we’re actually dating.”

“Have you told them we’re dating?”

“No,” Oliver admitted. “I haven’t had a free moment to visit or write them. They try to come to all of my matches, but my dad’s been sick lately. I suppose they’ve seen us in the Prophet now, so they’ll figure it out.” They walked quietly for a couple blocks before it was Oliver’s turn to ask questions. “What about you? Have you told your family?”

Katie was glad it was dark enough that Oliver couldn’t see her chewing her lip. “I, ah, I don’t really talk to them,” she finally revealed. She could tell Oliver was mulling over a tactful response and decided to make things easy on him. He was a friend and deserved to know. “My parents are muggles. They’ve never really understood me or the Wizarding World. The year I first left for Hogwarts was sort of the unraveling of our relationship. It felt like they didn’t know me, or want to know me.”

“I’m sorry,” Oliver managed. He hadn’t known Katie’s teenage years had mostly been spent on her own, and he had been naïve enough to assume she’d had a normal upbringing.

“It’s okay,” Katie said, and she meant it. “I’ve been fine on my own and I know they simply just don’t understand me.”

“When’s the last time you heard from them?”

“The summer before… before my… before I ended up in St. Mungo’s.” Katie was relieved they were approaching her apartment, as she didn’t like discussing the topic, though she was surprised by how easy the words were leaving her lips. “They couldn’t be bothered to visit me there, so I took the hint and stopped contacting them. They don’t have my address here in the city, so they don’t know where to reach me and I think I prefer it that way.”

Oliver’s chest tightened with guilt. How could he call himself a friend when he’d been oblivious to the darker details of Katie’s life? She’d certainly done a good job of hiding them, but Oliver suddenly felt like he understood her better now.

“Well, you’re absolutely right, you have been doing great on your own,” Oliver finally said.

Katie offered him a small, perhaps shy, smile. “Thanks,” she said. “I don’t know that I’m doing great, but I’m holding my own.”

“Katie, you’re rising through the ranks in your department at the Ministry quicker than anyone. You’re easily the youngest person in your department. You’re doing great.”

“Thanks,” Katie said again. “And thanks for walking me home. We could’ve apparated from the tunnel, you know.”

“I know, but it’s a fair night and I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” Katie said, holding up her right hand for emphasis. “It was just a bit jarring, you know? I’d never been surrounded by the media before.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Oliver promised as they approached the entrance to Katie’s building. “Once you do, maybe we’ll even learn to have a little fun with it. Some of those photographers are downright daft. It’s fun to fuck with them.”

“Deal,” Katie laughed. She dug in her purse for her keys and smiled up at Oliver. “You’re right,” she suddenly continued thoughtfully. “We should have some fun with this.”

Chapter Text

Oliver slept in until 8 a.m. the following morning, relieved for an off-day following the previous night's match. His shoulder was sore from a hard hit he'd taken from a Chaser during the match, and he decided to take it easy that day to recover.

As Oliver made himself a plate of eggs, he mulled over the match and certain points of improvement, but his thoughts quickly shifted to the personal details Katie had shared with him last night.

Oliver felt bad for having known Katie for a decade without being aware of her subpar home life. She had never spoken much of her parents, but Oliver had always assumed that meant they were just an average family.

Oliver thought about the times he had visited Katie when she was in St. Mungo's following the cursed necklace. He had never encountered any of her relatives, just her friends. Now, he realized how abnormal that was and felt guilty for not taking notice.

Did Angelina and George know about Katie's upbringing? Surely, Alicia knew – she was Katie's closest friend and roommate. What else didn't he know about Katie?

He knew she was incredibly smart with a snarky tongue. The incident with the necklace had changed her, leading her to become more daring and impulsive. Still, she had a good head on her shoulders and was a fiercely loyal friend. Most of all, Katie was kind and caring, though Oliver couldn't help but sense that she was afraid to show it. She also seemed to go on a lot of dates, but Oliver couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a serious relationship. She'd had a few boyfriends in the years he'd known her, but they never seemed to last more than a few months.

Now, her guarded approach made sense to Oliver. Her parents had essentially abandoned her, so it was no wonder she didn't get close to many people.

As Oliver continued to dwell on Katie's past, a tapping at his window grabbed his attention. Angelina's owl, Amethyst, was peering in at him and Oliver let the sandy brown bird inside.

Wood – we're all going out tonight for dinner and drinks. How's The Olive Branch sound? 7 p.m. It would be wise of you to pick up Katie on your way.

Cheers,

Angelina

Oliver scribbled a quick confirmation to Angelina before plating his eggs. As he ate, he couldn't help but wonder why Katie had agreed to their fake relationship. He knew she was incredibly ambitious, with dreams of running her department at the Ministry someday. Perhaps she really did want his recommendation when it came time for promotion, but she didn't really need it. She was doing well on her own.

Whatever her reasons, Oliver was grateful someone like Katie was willing to spend her spare time with him. Their friendship, though not extremely close, was important to him, and she was certainly someone he wanted in his life.

A few neighborhoods away, Alicia let out a triumphant "Whoop!" as she scrambled to Katie's room to show her the morning's Daily Prophet.

"Look!" Alicia squealed. "You're front page-famous!"

Katie caught the paper Alicia had tossed and blinked at the moving image of Oliver tossing his arm around her shoulder.

Oliver Wood, starting Keeper for Puddlemere United, celebrated the team's 270-60 victory over Wigtown with new flame Katie Bell last night. The pair was seen leaving Puddlemere Stadium with Angelina Johnson and her fiancé, George Weasley, following the match. Sources tell The Daily Prophet that Bell and Wood met during their school years at Hogwarts and recently rekindled a romance. Bell, 22, works for the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Games and Sports. The Prophet is working to learn more.

"They finally figured it out," Katie mumbled. "I'm no longer the mysterious, unidentified woman. But we aren't rekindling a romance!"

"But you two look so cute together!" Alicia clapped.

Katie rolled her eyes dramatically. "You aren't going to act like this when we go out tonight, are you?"

"I have to," Alicia answered matter-of-factly. "Lee has the night off and is joining us. Unless you want him to find out about the charade, you and Wood are going to have to lay it on thick."

Katie was about to groan and chuck the paper at Alicia's head when she suddenly remembered the discussion she and Oliver had the previous night. They should be having fun with their little arrangement. It shouldn't be a burden to her; it should be an opportunity to experience the spotlight and take a break from dating men who weren't worth her time anyway.

"So, what should I wear? Help me put an outfit together in case The Prophet sneaks another picture of me tonight," Katie said.

Alicia's eyes widened as if Katie had just declared she and Oliver were getting married. "Really?" Alicia squealed.

"Only if you promise to stop squealing."

Hours later, Oliver found himself knocking on Katie and Alicia's door with 20 minutes until their dinner reservation.

"Wood!" Oliver was greeted at the door by Lee Jordan, who motioned him inside. "Long time, no see. Congrats on that win over Wigtown. I thought their rookie Beater would give you lads fits, but you made him look relatively unremarkable."

"Thanks," Oliver said, relieved to see Lee. "You didn't have to work tonight?"

"Nah, they're training some new folks and decided to give me the evening off," Lee answered. "But enough about work. Let's address the hippogriff in the room. You and Katie, eh?"

"Oh. Er, yeah," Oliver said stupidly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"What do you mean, you guess so?" Lee grinned. "Mate, no one's been able to bag Katie. I get that you're a professional athlete with women hurling themselves at you, but damn. You did good for yourself. I didn't know you fancied her."

"Oh, well I guess I didn't know it either," Oliver said, hoping he could improvise a convincing story. "I mean, I always thought she was fit, but I didn't think we'd ever be more than friends."

"I never envisioned you two as more than friends either, but hey, it makes sense," Lee said with a shrug.

"What makes sense?" Oliver and Lee turned to see Katie sauntering into the room.

"Oh, er, that final scoring play against Wigtown," Oliver said casually. "It made sense to fake out the left wing."

"Hmm, I still think you should've tried to draw the center Chaser offside," Katie mused with a shrug. "But clearly it all worked out in the end."

"Is this really what your relationship is like?" Lee laughed. "Debating quidditch tactics?"

Katie, remembering her vow to have fun, offered a coy shrug. Oliver, however, couldn't help but think that Katie was right.

"You do have a point," he pondered. "Drawing the center Chaser offside would have bought even more time for our Seeker." He was tugged from his quidditch musings as Katie slipped her arms around his torso. She flashed him a tiny wink and smiled at Lee.

"See," she teased. "Clearly I'm the true mastermind behind Puddlemere's success."

Lee shook his head. "You two are already something else," he chuckled. "I hope you don't discuss quidditch tactics in the bedroom."

Katie hoped her cheeks weren't turning red, but Oliver swept in to divert Lee's attention. "No, that's where we practice flying positions."

Katie snorted and Lee made a face. "I suppose I walked into that," he mumbled as he turned to peek down the hallway toward Alicia's bedroom.

"Oi! Alicia! Let's go!"

"Oi! Lee! Shut your trap!"

Oliver glanced at Katie, who shrugged. "I guess that's what we have to look forward to," she quipped.

The two couples joked and laughed their way amid a 20-minute walk to The Olive Branch, where George and Angelina were already waiting.

"You're late," Angelina pointed out as the group slid into the booth.

"Blame Alicia," Lee said.

Angelina directed her attention to Katie and rose an eyebrow. "Katie, you look rather nice tonight."

"Blame me!" Alicia said excitedly. "Katie let me do her makeup and pick out her outfit."

"Don't I look rather nice every night?" Katie demanded.

"Of course you do, love. I just meant that you look particularly nice tonight. It's as if you had a reason to dress up," Angelina said, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Katie rolled her eyes in return and started scanning the menu.

"You lovebirds looked awfully cute in The Prophet," George said in a tone that mirrored Angelina's.

"You need to stop reading The Prophet," Oliver said bluntly.

"But how else can I gaze at that handsome face of yours?"

Oliver chose to ignore George and pivoted his attention to Katie, who still had her nose in the menu.

"Are you coming to my match Thursday?" he asked her.

Katie looked up at him, slightly puzzled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Just checking," Oliver said with a shrug. "I think the team is going out afterward, if the match doesn't go on too long. We're playing the Cannons, so it shouldn't. Do you want to come with us?"

"Will your teammates mind?"

"Nah, they always let their lasses tag along too."

"George and I are going," Angelina added.

Katie didn't know why she felt hesitant to hang out with Oliver's teammates. They all seemed nice enough, but it was intimidating to hang around pro athletes. Hanging around Oliver was different because she'd known him for years.

"Of course, Katie will go," Alicia interjected cheerily.

The entire table seemed to be looking at Katie, so she shrugged and managed her best to appear unbothered. "Okay, sure. I'll go."

"Brilliant. They'll be excited to meet you," Oliver said.

"You haven't met Oliver's teammates yet?" Lee asked, looking puzzled. "Haven't you two been dating for weeks now?"

"Do you want us to get married and pop out a few kids too?" Katie sneered. "Merlin, Lee, what if we're just taking things slow?"

"Fair enough," Lee chuckled. He rose to his feet to head to the bar to order a round of drinks and Angelina seized the opportunity to narrow her eyes at Katie and Oliver.

"You two aren't being very convincing," she hissed. "You look more like siblings than you do a couple."

Katie made a face. "Angie, we're doing fine. No one is expecting us to strip down and start going at it on the table here."

"I'd watch," George piped up.

Angelina ignored him and sighed dramatically. "Really, you two," she continued. "You're the Wizarding World's hot new couple. At least try to act like it."

"Oh, no way!" a voice shrieked. The group collectively jumped and turned toward the source. A pair of women, likely in their early 20s, was gaping at them. "It's really Oliver Wood!" a brunette squealed.

Angelina muttered something unsavory under her breath.

"Oliver, do you want to sit with us?" the other woman, who was blonde, asked. "We promise we don't bite."

"Er, no thank you," Oliver said as politely as possible. "I'm just enjoying dinner with my friends… and girlfriend."

"Oh! I didn't even see you there!" the brunette exclaimed as she smiled sweetly at Katie. "So it is true, you really do have a girlfriend."

"Indeed, he does," Katie said tersely. "So it looks like you two should probably get lost."

"That's all right, we don't mind sharing," the brunette giggled.

"Well I do mind," Katie snapped.

The blonde gasped. "So rude!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe Oliver Wood would date someone so nasty."

Katie hit her with the Melofors jinx. A loud pop echoed across the bar and the blonde screeched as her head became trapped inside a giant pumpkin.

The group roared with laughter and the brunette woman hurriedly steered her friend toward the entrance, only to cause another scene when the blonde's pumpkin head was too big to fit through the door.

"Brilliant, Katie, brilliant!" George declared, pretending to bow.

"Serves her right," Katie shrugged.

"Wow, Katie!" Lee exclaimed as he levitated a round of drinks on the table. "Now I know not to cross you… or flirt with Wood."

Katie shifted her gaze to Oliver, who was still gaping in astonishment. She lifted her cocktail class at him and smiled.

"Here's hoping the fangirls stay away now."

Chapter Text

Winter's air descended on London by early December, and Katie and Oliver soon slipped into a cozy routine, free from interruptions from fan girls after The Daily Prophet managed to get word of Katie's now infamous pumpkin jinx.

Katie found herself adjusting to the spotlight, and even managed to find some of the rumors about her relationship amusing.

She laughed about them over brunch with Alicia and Angelina one chilly Saturday morning before Alicia changed the subject.

"I think Lee's going to propose soon," she blurted out.

Angelina gasped and Katie fumbled her fork. "You think so?" Katie asked.

"He's been acting a bit dodgy lately," Alicia explained. "And my Mum wrote me to tell me he went to dinner with my dad. What else could that mean?"

"It sure sounds like a proposal to me," Angelina mused.

"Absolutely," Katie agreed. "I bet he'll do it around the holidays."

"You think so?" Alicia's eyes glinted with excitement and Katie smiled.

"You know Lee – he likes to make a show of things. I bet it'll be a nice, grand gesture in front of family. He knows how much your family means to you," Katie said.

"Oh, I hope so," Alicia said, fiddling with her napkin anxiously. "I really hope he asks."

"That'll be two down and one to go," Angelina said raising an eyebrow at Katie.

"Does this mean I have to move out of our flat?" Katie whined.

"I'd probably move in with Lee. That is, unless you're going to move in with Oliver," Alicia answered, her tone reaching a suggestive sing-song level.

Katie shot her a pointed look. "Alicia, need I remind you that our relationship is not real?"

"Oh, come on, Katie," Alicia whined. "You and Wood are good together."

"It's not real!" Katie repeated. "We're two friends helping each other out."

"Sounds like he ought to help you out in another way," Angelina muttered under her breath.

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

Angelina blinked innocently at her. "I just mean that you and Wood have been pretending to go out for weeks now. And so I presume you haven't had any… adult relations in that time. It's made you cranky. Unless you have?"

Katie rolled her eyes in annoyance. "No, I have not had 'adult relations' with Wood," she said, her tone dripping with displeasure. "And you know that."

Angelina sat back in her seat in dramatic exasperation. "I mean, you might as well make it worth your while. If you're going to pretend to date him, you might as well commit fully to the concept if you know what I mean."

"Ugh, you two are something else," Katie groaned. "Oliver and I are friends. And Angelina, he's your teammate! Doesn't it feel weird to be talking about him like that?"

"No," Angelina shrugged. "Wood is fit. And while I personally would never physically touch him because he annoys the piss out of me, you, on the other hand, have the perfect opportunity to do so. I mean, have you two even snogged?"

"Of course not," Katie answered. "Why would we? We're already convincing enough that The Prophet and the fans think we're a couple."

"But that's so boring!" Angelina whined. "You two need to keep things interesting if you're going to remain in the papers. Have a good snog once in a while. Have a good shag in an alleyway, something! Anything!"

"I don't know," Alicia chimed in slowly. "As much as I want Katie and Wood to hook up for real, I do think that could complicate their friendship."

"Exactly," Katie nodded in agreement.

"All right, fine," Angelina sighed. "But if you want to keep up the charade, you're going to have to step your game up."

Katie met up with Oliver later that evening at a nearby pub with some of his teammates. Puddlemere United had just signed a new Chaser, Trent Healy, from the Puddlemere reserve team. The Puddlemere players decided to go out for drinks to welcome Trent and to get to know him better.

Katie slid across from Angelina in a booth near the bar as Oliver fetched them drinks. George had decided to stay at the shop to unpack some new inventory with plans to meet them later.

"Trent is awfully fit," Angelina commented as she eyed the new Chaser, who was chatting with teammates at the bar.

Trent Healy was tall and muscular with dark brunette hair and chocolate brown eyes. Oliver had introduced Katie to Trent upon her arrival at the pub, and from everything Oliver had told her, Trent was an exciting addition to the team after one of the starting Chasers had been injured in the previous match.

Katie nodded in agreement with Angelina. "He is rather nice to look at, isn't he?" she commented, causing Angelina to elbow her in the side.

"You already have a hot quidditch star," she said. "Don't be greedy."

"Oh, please," Katie laughed. "Like I have the allure or energy for them both. Pretending to date Oliver is more than enough."

"Pretending being the key word."

"What's that mean?"

"I mean, you and Wood aren't being very convincing."

"Not this again," Katie sighed.

"I'm just saying!" Angelina shrugged. "People are going to start to wonder things if you don't stop acting like siblings."

Oliver appeared while balancing a handful of cocktail glasses. He took the seat at the booth's end next to Katie and caught Angelina's gaze.

"So how do you like Trent?" he asked her. "Think you'll be able to play alongside him?"

"Absolutely," Angelina replied dreamily and Katie giggled.

"What?" Oliver frowned in confusion.

"Nothing. Trent's just nice to look at," Angelina said casually. She didn't want Oliver to become alarmed over some harmless fun as she loved George and would never get involved with a teammate anyway.

"You've got to be kidding me," Oliver groaned. "You cannot be serious."

"Oh, relax. I'm just stating the obvious. There's no need to get your knickers in a twist. Besides, Katie agrees with me, don't you, Katie?"

Katie shrugged. "Of course Trent's attractive," she answered carefully, Angelina's remarks about her relationship with Oliver still lingering on her mind. "But not nearly as attractive as my dear Ollie here." She clutched onto Oliver's elbow and smiled sweetly up at him.

Angelina snorted and Oliver looked as confused as ever, causing Katie to laugh. "Relax, Oliver," she said. "Angie here just thinks you and I aren't convincing enough as a couple."

"Why not?" Oliver demanded.

"Something about us needing to shag in an alley or something," Katie replied, causing Oliver to choke on his beer.

Angelina smirked and took a sip of her martini. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt for the two of you to try a little harder."

"Fine," Katie said simply. Maybe it was because she was already three cocktails in, or maybe it was because Oliver looked particularly handsome in the jumper he was wearing, but Katie slid herself onto Oliver's lap, her legs dangling over the end of the booth's bench.

"Am I too heavy?" Katie asked, her arms gently draped around Oliver's neck. Oliver blinked at her.

"Katie, you're what, 120 pounds?"

"125, thank you very much."

Angelina rolled her eyes, but her gaze was quickly diverted as she scanned the pub. "Oi, there's George," she said, waving at the redhead. As George failed to spot them among the crowd, Angelina excused herself from the table to fetch him.

Oliver quirked an eyebrow at Katie as she watched Angelina scurry after George. "Shagging in an alley?" he mused.

"Something like that," Katie shrugged. "Apparently our friends think we don't look like a real couple because we don't act like feral cats who go at it at all hours of the day."

"I do remember when Angelina and George started dating," Oliver reminisced, causing Katie to grimace.

"That's right, they were all over each other all the time."

"Thank Merlin they didn't start dating when I was Captain. I think I would've drowned myself in the Black Lake if I'd had to deal with that."

"I'm pretty sure they hooked up in the locker rooms a few times during George's seventh year," Katie said, grinning at Oliver's horrified expression.

"Our friends are absolute degenerates," he said.

"Oh, come on," Katie laughed. "Don't tell me you never snogged anyone in the locker rooms. You were Captain all those years and had all of those girls following you around."

"I would never defile such a sacred place," Oliver answered indignantly. "Besides, the Astronomy Tower was a much better place to take girls." He flashed Katie a smirk in response to her wide-eyed expression.

"I knew it! I knew you were into more than just quidditch. I knew you were just as bad as the rest of us!" Katie exclaimed.

"I was not! Taking girls up to the Astronomy Tower wasn't nearly as bad as hooking up in the locker rooms!"

"Who's hooking up in the locker rooms?" Angelina had returned with George, who was looking amused at Katie and Oliver's conversation.

"The two of you, apparently," Oliver replied.

George offered a cheeky grin. "Those were the days. Not a care in the world."

Oliver shook his head in disproval and returned his attention to Katie, who was still in his lap. Her hair smelled like coconut and he noticed she still had a small scar on her chest just below her left collarbone, a grim reminder of the cursed necklace.

Oliver had always been in awe of how well Katie had adjusted to life after the necklace incident. She'd nearly died and been made an involuntary pawn in Voldemort's twisted game, but somehow she'd managed to return to life without feeling jaded or victimized by the unfair things that had happened to her.

"Oliver." Oliver was pulled from his thoughts, his cheeks turning red as he realized Katie had caught him staring at her chest. George snickered. "You're going to have to snog me a few times before I let you see what's under my jumper," Katie teased.

Oliver didn't want to admit that he'd actually been studying Katie's scar. It was a topic she preferred to avoid and he didn't blame her.

"Sorry," Oliver said quickly. Not wanting to appear awkward, he flashed his signature smirk. "If you wanted me to kiss you so badly, you could've asked."

Angelina and George were staring at the couple with intense newfound interest. They hadn't really believed all of their joking and teasing would actually heighten the flirtation between Katie and Oliver.

Katie wasn't one to back down from a challenge and surely that was what Oliver was doing, right? She may not play quidditch anymore, but she was just as competitive as him. Though alcohol was probably to blame for their antics, Katie was happy to oblige him.

"Fine," she said simply, pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Wicked," George said, though neither Katie nor Oliver appeared to hear him.

It wasn't lost on Katie that Oliver's hands had come to rest on her thigh and lower back. It also wasn't lost on her that, not only did Oliver kiss her back, but he was quite good at it.

"There," Katie declared once she'd decided to come up for air. "Are we convincing enough yet?"

Angelina and George both nodded in quiet shock.

"Speaking of," Oliver said, stealing Katie's attention again. "My Mum wrote to me today and demanded I visit for Christmas. She's also demanded that she meet you now that she's seen us in the papers together."

Oliver had spent most of the day thinking this through. He knew Katie wouldn't be spending Christmas with her family, but he didn't want to come off as presumptive. Maybe she had her own Christmas traditions, or maybe she preferred to be left alone during the holidays.

"Christmas at your parents' house?" Katie said blankly.

For the past few years, she'd spent Christmas at The Burrow with the Weasleys, a tradition she'd grown to love. It made her feel like she was making up for the family she never had. But Oliver had always spoken fondly of his family and Katie was curious to see what they were like. She hoped Oliver wasn't inviting her out of pity, but she appreciated the invitation nonetheless. Maybe spending a few days with the Woods would be a nice change of pace for her.

"Okay," she finally agreed. "I'll come."

Chapter Text

Oliver left the Puddlemere United training facility and glanced at his watch. It was nearly past the dinner hour, but he wasn't hungry. Instead, he was concerned as he hadn't heard from Katie in several days.

The approaching holidays had kept them both busy, so they hadn't made any plans during the previous week, but Oliver found it odd that he hadn't heard a peep from her. Instead of heading home, he decided to stop by Katie and Alicia's to make sure everything was all right.

"Wood," Alicia said in a hushed voice when she greeted him at the door. She waved him inside and closed the front door quietly.

"Where's Katie?" Oliver asked, confused by Alicia's quiet tone.

"She's sick," Alicia answered. "Doxy flu. She seems to be doing all right, she's just sleeping a lot. I can't go in there because I've never had it. I've been meaning to owl you but I only just got off work myself."

Doxy flu was highly contagious to those who have never been infected with the virus. Those who have had it build immunity to it, meaning they'll likely never catch it more than once.

"I've had it, back as a kid," Oliver said. "I'll go check on her."

Alicia smiled in gratitude. "See if she feels like eating. She told me she hasn't had an appetite but she needs to eat something."

Oliver nodded and disappeared down the corridor toward Katie's bedroom. "Katie?" he called out quietly as he creaked the door open. "Are you awake?"

"Oliver?" Oliver stuck his head inside the door and noticed that Katie was in bed, resting on her back beneath the covers. "I have Doxy flu," Katie added quickly, her eyes widening with concern.

"It's okay, I've already had it, years ago. How are you feeling?" Oliver asked, slipping inside the dark room and snapping the door shut behind himself.

"I've been better," Katie admitted wearily. "I'm better than the past few days, but I'm still tired and weak."

Oliver nodded sympathetically as he noticed that Katie looked pale and clammy. Her usually bright eyes looked dull and tired.

"Can I get you anything? Alicia said to ask if you're hungry."

Katie shook her head. "No, I'm all right." She offered him a tiny smile. "Guess it'll be nice to drop a few pounds before the holidays."

Oliver frowned at her in concern. "You really ought to eat something."

"I'm fine, I swear," Katie insisted. "I'm sure I'll make up for it as soon as I feel better. You've known me long enough to know I'm not one to turn down some Christmas pastries."

"How long have you been like this?" Oliver asked.

"This is day three," Katie answered. "I think I'm on the upturn, though. I'm sorry I didn't let you know."

"It's okay, I was just worried that I hadn't heard from you." Oliver sat at the foot of the bed, still concerned by Katie's appearance. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"I'm sure. I've just been dozing in and out of sleep today," Katie said.

"Well, do you want me to keep you company, until you fall asleep again?"

"Sure," Katie nodded. "You really don't have to, though. There's nothing interesting going on here."

"It's fine, I don't have anywhere to be."

Katie smiled in gratitude. It was nice to have company and human connection after three days of Alicia merely shouting at her through the bedroom door to ask if she was doing okay. Oliver had always been a good friend and Katie had always been impressed that he'd managed to remain down-to-Earth despite the fame and fortune. He had visited her at St. Mungo's when she was cursed by the necklace, and had even sent her flowers upon her release. Despite his unorthodox obsession with quidditch, Oliver remained a good person who cared deeply about his friends, and Katie felt lucky to know him.

"How's training been?" Katie asked, deciding she no longer wanted to talk about how sick she felt.

"Brutal. Coach has been working us hard knowing that we'll be off for a week come Christmas."

"But you play the Harpies the first week of January."

"Aye, we do."

Katie couldn't help but grin. "I can't wait for that match," she said. "Their offense versus, well, you? That's going to be an epic match-up."

"Easy for you to say. You get to sit back and watch."

"Watch Ginny Potter fly circles around you," Katie teased.

"We'll see," Oliver laughed.

They talked about Puddlemere United's remaining match schedule for a while before Katie's eyes started to grow heavy. She felt it'd be rude to fall asleep mid-conversation, but she also didn't want to tell Oliver to leave. She hoped he'd understand if she dozed off.

"By the way," she said sleepily. "Thank you for inviting me to Christmas with your family. I'm excited to meet them."

"Don't mention it. My Mum's been dying to meet you. Just don't hold it against me when she dotes all over you. It's been a few years since I've taken a girlfriend to meet them. I think she was starting to worry."

"Haven't you explained to her that you're trying to focus on quidditch?" Katie asked.

"I have, but she doesn't understand," Oliver answered. "My older sister, Gretchen, she's divorced, so my mum's eager for me to get married and start a family. I think she just wants grandkids."

Katie laughed. "She sounds like a typical mum. I'm sure she just wants you to be happy."

"I'll be happy when I lift that league cup."

Katie grinned, though Oliver noticed how heavy her eyes looked. "You will," she said confidently. "Remember when we won the Hogwarts cup your seventh year? It'll be like that, only a hundred times bigger and better."

"I hope you're right. I want that cup more than anything."

"And I want the party that'll come after," Katie said before she let out a soft giggle. "Remember how the twins got you drunk after we won? I thought you were going to black out in the middle of the common room."

"I could've killed them," Oliver laughed. "I was so hungover, I thought I was dying."

"Imagine if McGonagall had seen you like that," Katie giggled. "Her perfect little quidditch captain, completely blitzed on rum."

Soon, Katie's eyelids grew too heavy to fight and she shut them. Oliver noticed this and kept quiet, waiting patiently until her breathing changed and she'd fallen asleep.

Katie awoke hours later to a quiet flat. Moonlight was pouring through the window and the clock said 3:12 a.m. She rolled over with intentions of going back to sleep when she realized someone else was in the room.

Oliver was sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the side of the bed, asleep. Katie immediately felt terrible, as she hadn't expected him to stay with her. She assumed he was going to go home once she fell asleep.

"Oliver?" she whispered. No answer. "Oliver!" she whispered again, sitting up so that she could reach him. She gently shook his shoulder and he stirred. It took a moment for him to get his bearings and he turned around quickly to peer up at Katie. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. What are you still doing here?"

"I felt bad leaving you," Oliver answered. "Just in case you needed something."

"You didn't have to stay, I'm fine," Katie said, still feeling guilty at the sight of Oliver sitting on the floor.

"I know, I just figured it was easier to stay here."

"Well, come here," Katie said, scooting to the other side of the bed. "You might as well be comfy in you're going to sleep here."

Oliver stared up at her, not that he could see much in the dark. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Katie replied. "Just crash here until morning. Maybe I'll even let you make me breakfast."

"Deal," Oliver said, sliding into bed next to Katie.

They lay in silence for a while, both wondering if the other had fallen asleep. Katie continued to feel guilty about Oliver staying with her. She didn't like it when people worried about her, especially in this case. Oliver wasn't really her boyfriend and she hoped he didn't think he had to go the extra mile just because of their charade. They'd discussed it briefly when they first decided to pretend to date, but Katie wanted it to be clear that she had no actual expectations from Oliver.

"Oliver?"

"Yeah?"

"You really didn't have to stay here, you know."

"Is this your way of telling me to leave?"

"No! No, not at all. It's just that I've had actual, real boyfriends who wouldn't have stayed with me when I was sick."

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing they're no longer your boyfriend."

"True."

"I'm better-looking than any of them anyway."

Katie hit him with a pillow. "Goodnight, Ol."

"G'night, Katie."

Chapter Text

Katie made a full recovery from her bout with Doxy flu just in time for the week of Christmas. The plan was for her to join Oliver at his parents' house in Glasgow from Christmas Eve until the day after Christmas.

"Are you nervous about meeting Wood's parents?" Alicia asked Katie as they hung out in Alicia's room picking out outfits. It was the morning of December 24 and both women were getting ready for their evening plans, Alicia in particular. Katie was already dressed and ready for Oliver, who was going to meet her to apparate to his parents' house at any time.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking if you're nervous?" Katie laughed. "You're the one who may be getting engaged tonight."

"We don't know for sure," Alicia noted, though she had gotten a manicure the previous day just in case.

"Oh, come on. He had dinner with your dad. What else could that be about?"

"I just don't want to get my hopes up."

"Alicia, Lee adores you. You've been together since our sixth year. It'll happen."

"I hope you're right," Alicia said, eyeing herself in the mirror as she held a red dress up. "Now can you please distract me by telling me about Wood?"

"What about him?" Katie laughed. "Alicia, there's nothing to discuss."

"I saw that photo of you two snogging outside the shop the other day." Alicia was referring to a recent photo that The Daily Prophet had printed of Katie and Oliver sharing a kiss outside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Alicia, need I remind you that was all by design?" Katie replied with a dramatic eye roll. "That's the entire point of this staged relationship."

"I'm just saying, it looked like one hell of a kiss."

"Maybe Wood and I are just good at acting."

"Or maybe you and Wood enjoy snogging each other."

Katie sighed and lay back on Alicia's bed. "You're mental."

"And you are in denial. Angelina's right, maybe you'd be nicer if you and Wood just banged it out."

"Alicia!"

"Hello?" Both women stopped their banter as a man's voice could be heard from the kitchen.

"In here!" Katie called before she turned to glare at Alicia. "You really ought to remember to lock the door."

Alicia shrugged. "Like anyone would want to kidnap you."

"Kidnap?" Oliver poked his head into the room. "Who's being kidnapped?"

"Alicia and I if she doesn't start locking the door," Katie said.

"I've known the two of you since you were 11," Oliver said. "Why would I wait until now to kidnap you?"

"You only just started snogging one of us," Alicia replied smugly, eliciting a glare from Katie. Oliver chose to ignore her and turned to Katie.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Katie nodded and hopped to her feet. She had decided to wear a dark green jumper tucked neatly into a mini skirt over black tights, with some guidance from Alicia. Oliver appeared to have noticed. "You look nice," he said, as casually as possible.

"Thanks," Katie said happily, though she caught a glimpse of the smirk that Alicia was currently wearing. She turned to Alicia and gazed at her friend with serious eyes. "Are you good?" she asked. "Are you ready?"

Alicia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Yes," she answered confidently. "I think so."

Oliver looked between the two women, confused by their sudden shift in conversation. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but decided against it as Katie pulled Alicia into a hug.

"Let me know if anything happens," Katie said, flashing Alicia an excited grin as she headed for the hallway.

"You too!" Alicia called out in a singsong voice, evoking a middle finger from Katie.

Once Katie had gathered her things, she clutched Oliver's arm and noticed he still looked confused. "Don't ask," she said, shaking her head. "Unless you plan on proposing to me or shagging me, it's not worth an explanation."

Oliver merely blinked and, with a loud pop, apparated to Glasgow.

The pair landed at the back door to the Wood residence, which was a stone house on the outskirts of the city. Katie was anxious to get out of the cold December air, but found herself nervous about going inside.

"Remember, they think you're really my girlfriend," Oliver said. "Be convincing." Katie nodded, still clutching Oliver's arm as he led her inside.

"Ollie! Finally, you're here!"

"Hi, Mum."

Eleanor Wood was a pretty woman, tall and slender with sandy brown hair and brown eyes like Oliver's. Katie smiled shyly as Oliver led her into the kitchen to greet her.

"And Katie!" Mrs. Wood gushed. "Finally! We were beginning to think you were an illusion." The irony of Mrs. Wood's statement wasn't lost on Katie, who grinned and allowed Mrs. Wood to pull her into a warm hug. Her nerves shifted to excitement as she realized how welcome she was in the Wood home.

"Where's Dad?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, he's a bit under the weather so he's sleeping upstairs. We'll fetch him before dinner."

Mrs. Wood took a step back to survey Katie and Oliver and beamed at them. "Ollie, what's taken you so long to bring Katie around?" Before Oliver could provide an excuse, Mrs. Wood was steering Katie toward the kitchen table, where she pulled a chair for Katie.

"Sit, dear," she said, waving her wand to summon a tea kettle. The kettle poured steaming water into a mug for Katie. "You look so wonderful," Mrs. Wood continued. "I must say, I was delighted to see the two of you together. I remember watching you two play quidditch together at Hogwarts. I suppose it was only a matter of time before you ended up together."

Oliver looked uncomfortable and Katie couldn't help but flash him an amused smirk. "I always had the biggest crush on Ollie back at school," Katie said, still eyeing Oliver in amusement. She cuddled up next to him and pretended to gaze at him in adoration. "But lots of girls fancied him, so I never thought I had a chance."

"Oh honey, he fancied you too," Mrs. Wood said. Oliver's eyes nearly tripled in size at his mother's revelation. "He used to talk about you all the time, about how you were such a good Chaser."

Katie rose an eyebrow at Oliver, who looked like he was ready to crawl inside a cupboard. "Well then, I guess things have really worked out well for us then," she said. "I couldn't believe my luck when he asked me on a date."

"Oh, well I'm glad he summoned the courage to ask you," Mrs. Wood said. "Now tell me, what are you up to these days, other than making my son look good?"

Katie told Mrs. Wood about her work at the Ministry and her hopes of taking over her department someday. Mrs. Wood seemed impressed by Katie's ambitions, but their conversation was interrupted by a pair of feet clunking noisily down the stairs.

"Oi! Ollie!"

A pretty woman with light brown hair appeared and made a beeline toward Oliver to pull him into a hug. She was undoubtedly his sister, as she looked like a younger version of their mother. Once she released Oliver, she turned to smile at Katie.

"And you!" she said. "You're real! And you're even prettier in person! I'm Gretchen." She extended a polite hand to Katie. "It's about time we met you. Ollie here has no manners."

"I do too!"

"It's nice to meet you too," Katie laughed as she shook Gretchen's hand. "Oliver's told me quite a bit about you."

"And none of it's true," Gretchen replied, motioning for Katie to sit back down. "And I wish I could say Ollie's told us all about you, but he seems to have forgotten how to write."

"I've been busy!" Oliver protested.

"Yes, yes, we know," Gretchen groaned. "Busy off being Mr. Quidditch Star and, what was it — Most Eligible Bachelor?"

"I didn't ask them to do that!"

"Poor Ollie," Gretchen teased. "Can't handle all the mean, scary women."

Katie couldn't help but snicker, much to Gretchen's delight. "Those women are crazy!" Oliver insisted. "They stake out my favorite breakfast spot and proposition me everywhere I go."

"How awful that must be, women throwing themselves at you," Gretchen said sarcastically.

"I've got a girlfriend!"

"And one who won't put up with their madness, I see," Gretchen said, grinning at Katie. "I saw that story in The Prophet about how you turned some slag into a pumpkin. Nice work."

"She deserved it," Katie said with a shrug. "But I swear I'm not the jealous type."

"No one's judging you, dear," Gretchen said reassuringly. "Even if you are mad enough to date this wanker."

Gretchen spent the afternoon grilling Katie about her job, life and relationship with Oliver. Katie had expected the situation to be uncomfortable, but quickly found herself enjoying her time with the Woods. They reminisced about Katie and Oliver's days at Hogwarts, which led to plenty of laughter, such as when Katie recalled the time the twins stole Oliver's robes after practice and left him with nothing but some heart-print boxer shorts.

As evening approached, Mrs. Wood excused herself from the conversation to start on Christmas Eve dinner.

"Ollie, dear," she said. "Why don't you take Katie's things up to your room?"

"My room?"

"Yes, dear. I converted the spare guest room into my knitting room. There's no space in there anymore."

"Your what?"

"My knitting room, dear," Mrs. Wood repeated as if the answer were obvious. "Now go along and show Katie your room."

Oliver blinked and motioned Katie toward the stairs, where he led her to the second level of the house and into a small bedroom. Katie smiled as she looked around and realized the room had remained untouched since Oliver moved out. Quidditch jerseys and scarves lined the walls, and a photo of the old Gryffindor team sat on a dresser. A full-size bed rested against a wall beneath a small window, which overlooked the street.

"Sorry," Oliver said as Katie peered out the window. "I didn't know you were going to be forced to sleep in here with me."

"Oh, please," Katie said with an eye roll. "It's not like it hasn't happened before."

Oliver was relieved that Katie didn't seem to mind sharing a room and bed and grinned as she examined the old team photo.

"Funny how much things have changed since then," he said. They watched as the George in the photo let off a firework, causing Angelina to jump and smack him in surprise.

"Funny how things have stayed the same too," Katie laughed. Her mood shifted to sadness as she watched herself jump on Fred's back. She tore her eyes away from the photo and sat on the edge of the bed, remembering that Oliver was still in the room.

"So how does your family celebrate Christmas?" she asked. "Smells like your mum's cooking up a storm down there."

Oliver nodded and sat next to her. "She always makes a big roast and Yule bread for dinner. When we were kids, Gretchen and I used to play in the snow. Now we just tend to get pissed on whisky. Tomorrow, my cousins and aunt and uncle will come over for supper."

"That sounds nice," Katie said, and she meant it. Christmas as a child was always fine for her, but as she got older, her parents became less engaged. Once they found out she was a witch, holidays became increasingly isolating for Katie as her parents preferred not to include her in family functions out of fear the rest of their extended family would find out.

Eventually, Katie started spending Christmas with the Weasleys, who had welcomed her into their home with love and warmth. She'd enjoyed pranking the other Weasley siblings with the twins, and once George and Angelina were married, she enjoyed spending the holiday among her closest friends. But this was nice too — she understood how Oliver had managed to remain humble amid his success. His family made sure of it. Like the Weasleys, they were another loving family Katie longed to be a part of.

Oliver seemed to notice the sense of sadness that had overcome Katie, so he rested a gentle hand on her knee, his gaze full of concern. "You okay?" he asked.

Katie nodded and offered a sad, yet sincere smile. "I'm fine, really," she answered. "Sometimes I just get sad around the holidays. No matter how poorly my parents have treated me, they're still my family and I still miss them at times."

Katie had never admitted that to anyone, even when her friends checked on her when they spent Christmas together. She wasn't sure why she was telling Oliver, but he nodded in understanding and gave her leg a gentle squeeze. "Well, you're always welcome here," he said assuringly. "Even when you aren't pretending to be my girlfriend."

Katie laughed and slipped her arms around his torso in an endearing hug. "By the way," she began slowly, "What was all that stuff your mum said about you fancying me at school?"

"I didn't fancy you, I admired you," Oliver explained matter-of-factly.

"There's a difference?"

"Yes. I admired you because I thought highly of you and respected you," Oliver explained. "You were very likable and a damn good quidditch player, but I never pictured myself dating you."

"That's fair. I guess I admired you too then. Though I also hated you during those 5 a.m. practices. And I definitely never pictured myself spending Christmas in your bedroom at your parents' house pretending to be your girlfriend."

They both laughed. "It is kind of ridiculous when you say it out loud like that," Oliver admitted. "But you really have been a massive help. I only deal with a fan girl or two a week these days. The rest are all afraid of you."

"I'm going to choose to interpret that as a compliment. And I'm happy to help. It's actually been quite fun."

"We'll see how much fun it is when my cousins visit tomorrow. They're quite the raucous crowd," Oliver warned.

"I've spent half my life hanging out with the Weasleys," Katie noted. "I think I can handle the Woods."

Oliver grinned and motioned Katie back downstairs, where they settled in the living room by a cozy fire to wait for dinner. Soon, the sound of new footsteps could be heard descending the stairs and a burly man appeared.

"Well it's about time," Mrs. Wood said as the man cut through the kitchen and toward the living room.

"Hi Dad," Oliver said, rising to his feet to give the man a hug. Mr. Wood was also tall, but had a stockier build than Oliver. His hair was starting to grey and his face was showing faint smile lines.

"Oliver, my boy, you're looking well," Mrs. Wood said, clapping Oliver on the back. "Staying in shape? The Harpies won't be easy to beat."

Oliver nodded in acknowledgment and motioned toward Katie, who was standing shyly behind him. "Dad, this is Katie."

"It's good to meet you, dear," Mr. Wood said, extending a hand toward Katie. She shook it and smiled at him. "Of course, I remember watching you fly circles around the other Chasers when you played for Gryffindor. Tell me, why aren't you still playing?"

"Oh, er-"

"Katie works in the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Oliver cut in, draping a reassuring arm around Katie's waist. "She's going to run the department someday."

"Well, I don't know-"

"That's wonderful!" Mr. Wood said, taking a seat in an old armchair in front of the fireplace. Katie noticed he looked tired, despite having slept most of the afternoon. "If you head the department, you'll technically be Oliver's boss since the department runs the league."

"Well, when you put it that way," Katie laughed, flashing Oliver a grin.

"I'd rather she be my boss than scoring against me," Oliver said. "She always knew how to fake me out and score on me during practice."

"Yes, well, you always did have a weakness for pretty girls," Mr. Wood joked.

They spent the remainder of the evening talking and laughing, enjoying Mrs. Wood's dinner before Mr. and Mrs. Wood called it a night. Katie, Oliver and Gretchen stayed up to watch the snowfall in front of the fire, passing a bottle of Firewhisky around.

They laughed some more, mostly at Oliver's expense, until Gretchen started to hiccup. "Oi, that must be my cue to take my arse to bed," she said, rising to her feet. "G'night, lovebirds."

Katie and Oliver watched her trudge up the stairs, the sound of her footsteps echoing throughout the house until they trailed behind her bedroom door. Oliver turned to look at Katie, who had rested her head on his shoulder as she gazed out the window.

"All right?" Oliver asked.

"More than all right," Katie answered. "Your family is lovely. This is shaping up to be a perfect Christmas."

"Aye, I'm very lucky. And they seem to really like you too, you know. They didn't care for my last girlfriend, said she was rude, but they seem to adore you."

Katie yawned and shut her sleepy eyes. "Guess you'll have to be my fake boyfriend forever then."

Chapter Text

Snow was quietly falling when Katie woke up Christmas Day. She sat with her legs crossed at the foot of the bed to gaze out the window at the shimmering snow banks while Oliver continued to sleep.

The street below was mostly deserted, except for a young family piling into a car, presumably off to spend the day with loved ones.

It wasn't the Christmas morning Katie had ever envisioned — she'd grown used to spending holidays at The Burrow, but waking up at the Woods' home felt comforting. It felt nice to be welcomed into another warm, loving family, though it also made Katie long for her own.

Holidays during her early childhood years had been fine. Since she was an only child, she received plenty of attention and gifts, but what her parents were willing to give her in material items, they lacked in giving affection. On one hand, her upbringing made her smart and independent; on the other hand, she constantly found herself seeking approval from her parents, only to feel like she'd completely alienated herself from them when they learned she was a witch.

Still, they were her parents and days like this made her wonder about them. Were they sitting by the same artificial Christmas tree that always sat in the front window, her mother quietly watching her soap operas while her father read the paper? Was there a Christmas ham in the oven, filling the entire house with the smells of brown sugar? Would the neighbors still stop by in the morning to gift them a platter of Christmas sweets and pastries? Most importantly, were her parents wondering about her, too?

Oliver stirred, pulling Katie from her reminiscing. She turned and offered him a smile as she took in his sleepy, disheveled appearance. It was endearing and she couldn't help but find it cute.

"'G'morning," Oliver said as he fended off a yawn.

"Morning, Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Oliver replied, stretching his legs beneath the covers. "You sleep all right?"

"I slept fine, minus your snoring," Katie answered with an amused smirk.

"I do not snore!"

"You absolutely do. You were mumbling, too. Probably dreaming about quidditch tactics."

"Well, you like to steal the covers," Oliver retorted. "I spent half the night nearly freezing."

"You seem to have survived just fine," Katie said with narrowed eyes. Oliver shrugged and sat up on his elbows.

"Ready for Christmas?" he asked.

Katie nodded. "What's the plan for the day?"

"Honestly, not a whole lot. Mum makes pancakes for breakfast, but that's really it. We don't really swap gifts now that Gretchen and me are grown. My aunt, uncle and three cousins will come over for supper. That's really all the entertainment needed. They're… boisterous." Katie rose an eyebrow. "They're just very loud. And I'm the youngest, so they love taking the piss out of me."

Katie flashed him a gleeful smirk. "Oh, this'll be fun."

"Before we head down, I want to give you your Christmas gift," Oliver said, crawling out of bed to rummage through his belongings. Katie frowned.

"You didn't need to get me anything," she said, though she was relieved she had thought to get something for Oliver as well. She'd been excited to give it to him but hadn't been sure when to do so.

Oliver produced a flat, square item wrapped in simple brown paper with a red bow. "It's not much," he started as Katie began to carefully peel away the paper. "But I noticed in your flat that you have quite a collection of records for your gramophone, but you didn't have this one."

Katie squealed as she tore the remainder of the paper away, revealing a vinyl record. "Is this an original first edition pressing? These are so hard to find and I think they're pretty valuable," she said as she excitedly examined the photo of The Weird Sisters on the cover.

"Aye, I found it at a record shop at Charing Cross Road."

"I love it," Katie said, hugging the record to her chest. "It's perfect. Thank you." She pressed a kiss to Oliver's cheek and grinned at him. "Now I get to try to one-up you," she said, rising to her feet to dig through her bag.

She presented Oliver with a soft package wrapped cleanly in wintry blue paper. As Oliver tore open the parcel, Katie couldn't help but grin in excitement, especially as Oliver's jaw dropped.

"Blimey. No way," he said as he unfolded the fabric. He finally tore his gaze from the gift to look at Katie in astonishment. "How did you get this?"

"Pulled some strings at work," Katie answered happily. "I knew he was your favorite and someone in the department's a friend of his."

Oliver's favorite quidditch player and hero growing up was Brevis Birch, retired captain of the Tutshill Tornadoes. Katie had managed to find a game-worn Birch jersey, which she had autographed by Birch just for Oliver.

"I hope it's not weird, giving you another pro player's jersey," Katie said. "I wasn't sure if the appeal was lost now that you're pro too."

"Are you kidding? This jersey is legendary." Oliver was talking fast, a signature sign that he was excited. "It's brilliant. Really, thank you. I can't believe you did this."

He squeezed Katie in a tight hug and planted a kiss on her forehead before he giddily stripped off his t-shirt to try the jersey on. Katie snorted.

"It's like you're sixteen again," she laughed. "Next thing I know, you'll be waking me up at 5 a.m. for quidditch practice."

"There's a field not far from here if you're interested."

Katie rolled her eyes, certain that Oliver was only half-joking.

Oliver's relatives arrived shortly after noon. Katie had spent the morning helping Gretchen and Mrs. Wood with some holiday baking while Oliver and his dad discussed quidditch. The fireplace burned with warmth and a Christmas tree sparkled from a corner in the living room, but as soon as the guests arrived, the quiet house clamored with chaos.

"Oi!" a voice shouted as the front door slammed open. "I hope there's pudding!"

Katie startled at the sudden interruption, but the Woods seemed completely unfazed. Three men, ranging from their mid twenties to late thirties, crowded into the room, followed by an older couple, seemingly in their sixties.

"Oi! It's Ollie!" one of the men exclaimed. He removed his winter coat and tossed it haphazardly on a chair.

"Thought Mr. Quidditch Star was too big to spend Christmas with his wee little family," another said. Before Oliver could reply, the three men were making a beeline to the kitchen to raid the platters of sweets Mrs. Wood had spent the morning assembling.

"Oi! And who's this?" one of the men said as he spotted Katie hovering near the kitchen island.

"It's Ollie's girlfriend," another answered. "I recognize her from the papers."

"Hi," Katie said, trying her best to sound confident as she extended a hand to the nearest cousin. "I'm Katie."

"Bloody hell, I can't believe Ollie really brought a bird home! I'm Duncan." He shook Katie's hand and offered her a grin. "So how much is Ollie paying you to be here?"

"Huh?" Katie quickly looked toward Oliver, who was rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, surely you can't be here on your own will," another cousin said. He clapped Katie on the back as if she were one of his oldest mates. "I'm Dougie, the eldest of this trio." He motioned toward the remaining unnamed cousin, who appeared to be the youngest. "And that's the baby, Declan."

"It's nice to meet you all," Katie said, hoping she didn't look scared. She'd assumed that if she could handle all those years around the Weasleys, especially the twins, she could handle any family, but the Woods were giving them a run for their money.

"But really," Declan said as he reached for a fistful of biscuits, "How did Ollie convince you to come?"

"Will you three leave the poor lass alone?" Oliver's aunt said, narrowing her eyes at her sons. She turned to Katie and offered her a kind smile. "Hello dear, I'm Ollie's aunt Noelle. Lovely to meet you."

Katie was also introduced to Oliver's Uncle Malcolm, who suggested she hex any of his sons should they become too obnoxious. She learned that Dougie owned a magical creature supply shop in Diagon Alley, Duncan worked in security at Gringott's and Declan was an apprentice to a broom maker.

Mr. Wood boasted about Katie as if she were his own daughter, telling the group about Katie's work at the Ministry and her plans to lead her department someday, and Oliver bragged about Katie's quidditch skills. Katie couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the attention, her cheeks turning red as Oliver reminisced during supper. She wasn't used to anyone speaking about her with pride, especially given the shame her parents had felt for her.

Oliver noticed this and gave Katie's knee a gentle squeeze beneath the table. She offered him a reassuring smile as she realized Oliver was probably relieved to have the attention on someone else for once.

"So how'd the two of you end up together?" Duncan asked with a mouth full of potatoes. "I mean, I know you went to Hogwarts together but how'd you end up as a couple? Or did the two of you just knock boots and decide to keep it up?"

"Duncan!" Oliver's Aunt Noelle scolded while the other two cousins snickered.

"Oh, er, well, I suppose our friendship just sort of grew," Katie said awkwardly. She and Oliver had never worked out any kind of story on how their relationship came to be.

"I just sort of decided to ask her out," Oliver chimed in. "The story's not really all that remarkable."

"And just like that you managed to land a lass like her?" Declan mused. Katie narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't a fan of being discussed as if she wasn't in the room.

"Like I said, I just decided to ask her out and we evolved from there," Oliver said with a shrug, tossing an arm around Katie's shoulder for good measure.

"And you, you genuinely fancy this wanker?" Declan said to Katie, who couldn't help but feel taken aback by his rude demeanor.

"I… of course I do," Katie said, unsure how to react. Oliver had told her that his cousins enjoyed teasing him, but she didn't think she'd be dragged into their antics.

"I don't buy it," Declan said with narrowed eyes.

"Wh-what?" Katie wondered if Declan somehow knew about their charade, though how could he? Oliver hadn't even told his own mother about it.

"A fit lass like you and a buffoon like Ollie? It doesn't add up. What's a lass like you want with an oaf who can't talk about anything but quidditch?"

"Oi, don't call her fit," Oliver warned.

"It was a compliment, you weasel!"

"So let me get this straight," Katie started. "You think I'm out of Oliver's league? Have you seen the papers? Or Witch Weekly? They named him one of their Hottest Bachelors."

"They're just taking a piss," Oliver told Katie, hoping she wasn't upset.

"Don't think much of it," Gretchen muttered to Katie. "They're wankers."

"Yeah, we're just teasing our little Ollie," Duncan chimed in. "We're just proud of our little cousin for actually getting laid."

"Duncan!" Aunt Noelle cried.

The cousins backed off for the remainder of the meal, much to Katie's relief. Oliver didn't appear too bothered by their remarks, but pulled Katie aside as the dining table cleared out and the cousins had wandered into the living room.

"You do know they're just being arseholes because they can, right?"

Katie heaved a sigh and nodded. "I know. I just don't think it's fair to you."

Oliver smiled. "Nothing's fair when you're the youngest. But I appreciate your concern for me."

"They do this all the time?"

"Since I was a wee lad."

"They're just jealous, you know," Gretchen, who had been clearing dishes from the table, chimed in quietly. "They've always been jealous of Ollie for getting all the attention. Now that he's handsome and famous, it drives them completely mad. Seeing him with a pretty lass is probably too much for them to bear, considering not one of them can even get a date. Might as well rub it in." She winked at them and scurried off toward the sink.

Once the table was clear, Mr. and Mrs. Wood and Aunt Noelle and Uncle Malcolm retired into the living room to enjoy the fire, leaving their kids and Katie to sit at the dining table to play Exploding Snap.

"Let's play with Bavarian Rules," Katie suggested. Declan let out a whistle and Dougie quirked an eyebrow.

"Brave one you've got there, Ollie," he said. "She doesn't know what she's getting herself into."

"I'm sitting right here, you know," Katie said matter-of-factly. Dougie grinned.

"Feisty one, too. This'll be fun."

Dougie quickly explained that the group liked to turn their games of Exploding Snap into a drinking game, with the loser of each round drinking a shot of firewhiskey and answering a truth. They also all threw in five galleons each, with the winner set to take all. Katie, who had learned to play Exploding Snap from the Weasley twins, immediately agreed to the challenge.

It took eight rounds until Katie finally lost. "Cheers," she said as she downed the firewhiskey and leaned with her elbows on the table. "Okay, what's my truth question?"

The three cousins grinned. "What are you really doing with Ollie?" Duncan asked. Katie frowned, confused why they were still on about the validity of her relationship.

"What do you think I'm doing with him?" she replied. "I'm in a relationship with him."

"But what do you see in him?" Duncan pressed.

"He's brilliant," Katie answered, making it a point to cuddle up next to Oliver. "He treats me well and makes me happy."

"Nuh-uh, not good enough," Duncan answered. "Why now? You knew him all those years at Hogwarts, so why are you suddenly interested in him now? You a gold digger or something?"

"Duncan!" Gretchen hissed.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I always had a crush on him," Katie said, repeating the little fib she'd told Mrs. Wood the previous day. "I was just too shy to tell him. He had a lot of girls after him back then, too."

"Can you believe this, boys?" Duncan said as he shook his head. "She really thinks our brainless, quaffle-snogging cousin is something else."

Katie planted a kiss on Oliver and shot an annoyed glance at Duncan. "The only thing he's been snogging is me. Maybe you wouldn't have to snog the goblins you work with at Gringott's if you were a little nicer."

She high-fived Gretchen and managed to win the entire pot of money by the end of the night.

Chapter Text

Katie and Oliver prepared to return to London the day after Christmas, and even though they'd only spent two days there, Katie knew she'd miss the Wood home.

"You come back and see us, you hear?" Mr. Wood told her as she pulled on her coat to leave. "You don't even need to bring that son of ours with you. Visit any time."

Katie beamed at him and allowed him to pull her into a warm hug. "I'll do that," she said cheerfully.

Mr. Wood clapped her gently on the back. "And don't forget to take that box of sweets we wrapped up for you. Merlin knows you deserve a treat every now and then for putting up with Ollie."

Katie smiled as Oliver hugged his parents goodbye and waved to Gretchen.

"Come visit me in Edinburgh sometime, yeah?" Gretchen told Katie as she hugged her. "Like Dad said, you don't need to wait on Ollie to bring you. I'd love to have you."

The heaviness in Katie's heart from saying goodbye was quickly replaced when she heard Alicia's familiar, albeit startling shriek when she and Oliver apparated back to London.

"Finally!" Alicia squealed as Katie and Oliver appeared in the kitchen. "I thought you'd never come back!"

"We were only gone for two days," Oliver said in confusion, but his remark fell on deaf ears as Alicia held up her left hand to show off a sparkling diamond ring.

Katie let out a scream that made Oliver jump, but he couldn't help but grin at the girls as he realized what was happening. Katie examined Alicia's ring excitedly and jumped up and down for emphasis.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Katie gushed as the girls hugged. "I told you he was going to do it! Tell me everything!"

Alicia recanted the story of how Lee had managed to gather both their families at his parents' home on Christmas Day so that he could propose to Alicia in front of the Christmas tree with everyone in attendance.

"It was perfect," Alicia sighed as she glanced downward to admire her ring.

"Congratulations," Oliver said as he pulled Alicia into a hug. "I figured this was coming. You and Lee are brilliant together."

"Katie, this means you're the last one standing," Alicia said, smirking between Katie and Oliver.

"That's perfectly alright with me," Katie said with an eye roll. She moved toward Oliver and slipped her arms around his waist. "I'm perfectly content with my fake boyfriend." She knew Alicia was dying to ask her about her Christmas with the Woods, but was waiting on Oliver to leave. "Now, enough about me. We need to start planning your engagement party!"

"And I believe that's my cue to leave," Oliver said, bending down to pick up his bags. He pulled Katie into a lingering embrace and kissed her cheek. "Thanks again for the brilliant jersey, and for visiting my family. They really did love you." Neither of them noticed the grin they were receiving from Alicia, who was quietly watching their exchange.

"Thank you for inviting me," Katie said with sincerity. "I had a lovely Christmas."

Oliver waved goodbye and as soon as he left, Alicia pounced on Katie with questions.

"How was his family? Did they really like you? Did you like them? Could they tell the two of you are faking it?"

Katie chose her answers carefully, as not to give Alicia any indication that anything had happened between her and Oliver. Things were going well in their arrangement and she didn't want Alicia generating any false hope.

"The Woods are brilliant," Katie said. "His parents are so nice and his sister is a hoot. And they're so proud of Oliver, it's really the sweetest thing."

"And how was Wood?"

"What do you mean?"

Alicia sighed in annoyance. "C'mon Katie, you know I need details."

"Details on what? Nothing happened!" Alicia looked disappointed and Katie shook her head. "Alicia, nothing is going to happen with Wood," she continued. "We're friends. His family is lovely and I adore them, but I needn't remind you that their son is our former quidditch captain whom we've known since we were first-years. Now, can we please plan your engagement party?"

Alicia grinned. "Only if you let me plan yours someday."

New Year's Eve arrived quickly, which marked another opportunity for Alicia to turn Katie into her own personal dress-up doll. Katie had agreed to join Oliver and his teammates to celebrate, meaning Alicia's bedroom was scattered with clothing and make-up the afternoon of Dec. 31.

"What about the little purple dress?" Alicia suggested as Katie's reflection in the mirror wrinkled her nose.

"Alicia, no disrespect because you look great in that dress, but my boobs will be out in a minute if I wear that," she said.

"True," Alicia sighed. "I suppose we don't need your boobs all over page six of The Daily Prophet. How about the blue one? It'd match Puddlemere's team colors."

Katie rolled her eyes. "My entire personality doesn't have to revolve around my fake boyfriend's quidditch team, you know," she said. She rummaged through Alicia's closet and emerged with a short, red dress. Alicia squealed.

"I forgot all about that one!" Alicia exclaimed. "That's the dress I was wearing the night I lost my virginity."

Katie immediately put the dress back.

Five hours later, Katie and Oliver found themselves leaving dinner at one of London's newest restaurants. Katie had decided on a short, sparkly black dress that Alicia promised hadn't played a role in any of her sexual encounters. Muggles and wizards alike seemed to take notice of Katie and her dress, and Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her as they waited on a taxi, which Katie had insisted on due to her high heels.

"What?" Katie said as she noticed Oliver's amused gaze.

"Did you not see that bloke just now? He nearly tripped over the curb because he was checking you out," Oliver laughed.

Katie flashed him a pointedly bored expression. "What's your point?"

"Nothing, it's just funny."

"It's funny to watch men gawk at me like I'm a sideshow?"

Oliver frowned. "Well, no. Not when you put it that way."

"Relax, Ol, I'm only teasing." Katie shook her head and laughed. "But you can stop peeking down my dress any time."

The pair arrived at Trent Healy's townhouse in Chelsea shortly after 9 p.m. Trent had invited the entire team and some friends to celebrate the new year, though Katie was nervous to attend the party without Angelina – she and George had decided to take a romantic getaway to Paris for three nights.

Oliver took Katie's coat and led her by the hand into the living room, where some of his other teammates were chatting.

"Wood, thanks for coming," Trent said, clapping Oliver on the back. "And Katie. Welcome." He presented Katie with a champagne flute and motioned them toward the kitchen, where a lavish spread of food had been set out. "Help yourselves, and if you don't see what you want, just let one of the house elves know."

Katie and Oliver swapped a glance before Katie shrugged and helped herself to some hors d'oeuvres. They floated between conversations before Oliver ended up in a deeply analytical discussion about broomstick weight that even Katie found too boring to bear. She excused herself to the kitchen for another drink before wandering through the first floor of Trent's home to explore.

The door to a room toward the end of the hall was slightly ajar, and curiosity got the best of Katie. She poked her head inside and realized it was a small library.

Built-in bookshelves lined the walls and Katie suddenly felt very nostalgic. Her father had a similar library in her childhood home, and Katie had read most of the books in it by the time she turned 12.

Someone cleared their throat as Katie was examining one of the shelves. She whipped around and smiled nervously at Trent, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"Sorry," she apologized, hoping it wasn't some secret room she wasn't meant to be in, but Trent smiled and approached her.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Sorry it's not tidier in here. I didn't have a chance to put everything away," he said. "Are you an avid reader?"

Katie shook her head. "Not so much anymore," she revealed. "I used to be, but don't have much time these days."

"Ah yes, it must be hard to find much free time when you date a quidditch star."

"I'm sure you already know, being a quidditch player and all," Katie laughed. Trent shrugged.

"I try to make time for the things I really enjoy, like reading," he said. "It's tough, but I try to read a book a week."

"A book a week?!" Katie's mouth was hanging open. "How can you possibly have the time?"

"I don't sleep a lot. Don't really need it," Trent explained. "I really only need maybe five hours per night."

Katie shook her head in awe. "How do you function like that, with your rigorous training schedule?"

"Like they say, I'll sleep when I'm dead," Trent shrugged. Katie smiled, though she wasn't quite sure what to make of Trent. He seemed nice enough, though his home and some of his mannerisms felt a bit pretentious. Maybe he was simply misunderstood, Katie wondered. As she pondered it over, she realized Trent was watching her intently. "So, other than being Wood's girlfriend, what else is there to know about you?"

Katie told him about her job and how she was grateful to have a career that kept her involved in quidditch, even if she was no longer playing.

"Figures that Wood would end up with a lass who loves quidditch too," Trent mused. "I've never met anyone as passionate for the game as him."

"Don't you love it?" Katie asked curiously. "I guess I assumed all pro quidditch players were obsessed, even if it's not much as much as Oliver is."

"Of course, I love it. Best game in the world. I'm really grateful to be playing professionally… But I do think there's more to life than quidditch," Trent said.

"Don't let Oliver hear you say that," Katie warned, and they both laughed.

"So Wood said the two of you went to Hogwarts together? Have you been together all this time?" Trent finally asked. Katie's lips frowned slightly as she wondered why Trent was interested in her relationship.

"No," she answered carefully. "We were friends at Hogwarts but didn't start dating until a few months ago."

"Ah, I see," Trent replied as he also seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Well, I imagine dating's easier when you already know someone."

"I guess it takes some of the getting-to-know-you out of it," Katie agreed.

Trent fell quiet and Katie suddenly felt uneasy as he seemed to be surveying her closely. He was also standing much closer than she'd realized, as she could smell his cologne. Citrus and pine.

Trent was handsome; tall with dark hair and dark eyes. He was a sharp dresser, too – Katie estimated his shoes probably cost more than her entire outfit. Though she didn't care about outward appearances, Katie decided she probably would find her current situation much more intriguing if it weren't for her arrangement with Oliver.

"Erm, so are you enjoying Puddlemere?" Katie finally asked. She pretended to appear curious in a book from one of the shelves, not wanting to have to make eye contact with Trent.

"I am," Trent answered, his eyes still on Katie. "Everyone's been friendly and of course it's nice to be on a team that wins. It's inspiring to play with teammates of such a high caliber. It's much better than the reserve team."

"Is it hard, being the rookie?"

"Nah, I don't like to think of myself that way. I'm technically older than some of my teammates anyway. I'm just not a superstar, so it took me a little longer to make the team."

Katie nodded in appreciation. She didn't make the Gryffindor team until her third year at Hogwarts, unlike Angelina and Oliver, who'd made the team in their second year. She hadn't been a star like Oliver or Harry, or even the best Chaser, like Angelina. She didn't even have the natural talent the Weasley twins had, but she'd had a lot of heart and had been willing to work harder than anyone for her spot on the team.

She also had been passed up for selection as team captain for Angelina and then Harry, but she genuinely felt those moves were for the best. Still, she understood where Trent was coming from.

"That's great that you don't feel any pressure as a rookie," Katie told him. "I remember how terrified Oliver was his rookie season. He ended up playing brilliantly, but behind the scenes, he was such a baby."

"It affects people differently," Trent said with a shrug. "Like I said, I love quidditch, but life is bigger than it. I don't want it to control my life."

Still unsure of how to feel about Trent, Katie continued to eye the bookshelves as if they held the meaning of life. She carefully picked out an emerald green hardcover and flipped to the front.

"Jane Eyre," he said as he watched Katie eye the book. "You know that one?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

Trent shrugged and Katie couldn't help but wonder if that was his signature social cue. "I wasn't sure what kind of literature you like," he said. "Some people like the classics or adventure novels. My sister likes trashy romance novels."

Katie laughed. "I won't say I'm above trashy romance novels, but they're not really my thing. Romance and fairytales tend to bore me," she revealed.

Trent flashed her an inquisitive look, as if he were surprised. "Really," he mused, "But you're kind of living a real-life fairytale, aren't you?"

Katie blinked. "Huh?"

"You and Wood," Trent continued. "Friends to lovers. The quidditch star and the league official. Your relationship's sort of like a fairytale, innit?"

"Hardly!" Katie laughed. "I mean, our relationship's great and all, but I'd hardly call it a fairytale when fans follow you around and the papers have a new rumor about you every week."

"Ah, I see," Trent said with a simple nod. "Well, I suppose as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

"Very true."

Trent's eyes lingered on Katie for a moment too long; just long enough to leave her wondering what he was still doing there, standing so close to her. She noticed as his gaze shifted downward to her lips and swallowed anxiously, afraid Trent could hear her heartbeat.

"Katie?" Katie spun toward the doorway, where Oliver had poked his head inside. "There you are. It's about five minutes to midnight," he said.

"Oh! I didn't realize," Katie said as she hurriedly made her way toward the door, taking care not to look at Trent. Once in the hallway, she could feel Oliver's eyes on her, giving her a quizzical look.

"All right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Katie answered cheerfully. "Just didn't realize how late it was getting."

Oliver wasn't fooled, so he gently tugged Katie aside toward the staircase. They stood alone, voices carrying loudly from the living room where people were waiting to count down to midnight.

"What was that back there?" Oliver asked gently. "You and Healy. Did something happen?"

"No." Katie shook her head vigorously.

"Are you… do you… are you interested in him or something?"

"Oliver, don't be silly. He's your teammate."

"I know, but if you're interested in him… I'd understand."

"You would?"

Oliver sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Of course, I would. I told you when we planned our… arrangement that we could call it off any time, especially if one of us meets someone."

Katie shook her head again. "It's not like that, really," she insisted. "Besides, wouldn't that make things even more complicated? Faking our relationship is tough enough, but breaking up so that I can date your teammate, whom I don't even really know… That'd be mental."

"All right. I just don't want you to feel like you're trapped in this situation," Oliver said. "You've been a huge help and I've enjoyed hanging out with you, but you don't owe me anything. Pretending to date me these past couple months has been more than I deserve."

"I know," Katie said with a tiny grin. "But for right now, I don't plan on meeting anyone or dumping you. So unless you plan on doing that, let's get in the living room so we can snog at midnight."

Chapter Text

As soon as the new year began, Oliver's sights were on Puddlemere United's next match against the Holyhead Harpies. Puddlemere was currently second in the league standings, just two points behind Holyhead. Not only was the match one of the most anticipated of the season, it would likely be a preview of the league championship match if both teams held strong.

Oliver called it an early night the evening before the match, leaving Katie to have dinner with Alicia and Angelina on Friday night.

"Honestly, we don't even have to be at the stadium until three," Angelina said with an eye roll. "The match isn't until 7 p.m. Wood's so extreme."

"He's been obsessing over this match," Katie said with a shrug."It's all he's talked about this week. He's nervous."

"Even if we lose, which we won't, there's still an eight-point gap between us and Falmouth in third," Angelina said. "It's not the end of the world. Wood's all worked up over nothing."

"Wood, worked up over nothing? You don't say," Alicia laughed sarcastically.

"Speaking of being worked up," Angelina said, eyeing Katie with a pointed look, "Trent Healy asked about you after training yesterday."

"Huh? Me?" Katie said stupidly.

"Yes, you. Did something happen at his party?"

"No!" Katie insisted. Angelina blinked at her. "I swear, nothing happened. Trent and I just had a casual chat."

"He seemed awfully keen on learning more about you," Angelina noted. "But if he knows you're with Wood, why is he interested in you? Are you sure you didn't give him a reason to think you're available?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Katie said. "All we did was talk about books and how Oliver and I ended up together. It's not my fault if Trent interpreted that some other way. Don't blame me."

"Okay, fine," Angelina sighed. "I was just making sure. Healy's awfully fit, but I don't want him causing any problems."

"He's not causing any problems," Katie said assuredly. "Because I'm not interested in him anyway."

Katie sent Oliver a brief note to wish him good luck the following morning. It was an away match for Puddlemere, meaning Katie waited on George to take a portkey to a secure space in Holyhead. Once they arrived, they found their way to a reception for friends and family to wait before their seats opened in the stadium.

Katie helped herself to a glass of champagne, unsure why she felt nervous. Perhaps Oliver's nerves had rubbed off on her. She knew how important the match was, and how tough the Harpies would be. As she mulled over the tactics Oliver had discussed with her in preparation for the match, she failed to notice Trent, who had entered the room to greet his brother.

"Katie," Trent said on his way toward the door. He had seemed to wait until George had left Katie alone to refill his plate at the buffet line.

"Trent, hi," Katie said, doing her best not to appear caught off guard. "Good luck today." She noticed Trent was eyeing her with a funny expression, so she couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him. "Everything all right?"

Trent nodded and paused for a moment, as if he were trying to decide on something.

"Listen, Katie, maybe now's not the best time to say anything about it, but I figure I might as well." Trent glanced around the room to ensure no one was within earshot. "I overheard you and Wood talking at my party," he continued. Katie couldn't decide if he looked guilty or pleased. "About you… you know, about the state of your relationship, or lack thereof, I guess."

Katie swallowed. "Oh, you did?"

"Yeah. But listen, I'm not going to say anything, all right? I mean it. I'm not even going to say anything to Wood. He doesn't need that on his mind. Poor bloke's a headcase now as it is."

"Oh," was all Katie could manage. If Trent truly wasn't going to tell anyone, why was he bothering to tell her that he knew in the first place?

"I guess I just felt like I should tell you for some stupid reason," Trent continued. "You know, so that if you and Wood call it off, that I could be the first to know."

Though Katie understood what Trent was implying, she couldn't help but pretend to look dumbfounded. She wasn't sure if she should appreciate Trent's honesty, or if she should be concerned. Sure, Trent wasn't technically trying to steal his teammate's girlfriend considering he knew their relationship wasn't real. He also wasn't threatening to blackmail her or Oliver, nor had he run to The Daily Prophet to reveal their secret. But Katie felt hesitant to trust that he was merely telling her this because he was interested in her.

"Anyway, I've got to run, but I just thought I'd let you know," Trent finally said. "Again, I promise I won't say anything. I guess I just wanted you to know in case, you know, you and Wood call it quits."

He offered Katie a brief smile before he scurried from the room. It wasn't until she watched him leave that Katie realized Oliver had been standing with George, chatting near the buffet table.

Once they made eye contact, Oliver made a beeline to Katie and she couldn't help but notice he looked tense.

"Hey," she said as steadily as she could manage. "All right?"

"What did Trent want?"

"Oh, we were just talking about the Harpies," Katie said casually. "You know, because I played with Ginny for a bit at Hogwarts."

"Oh."

Oliver pretended to be unbothered by Katie and Trent, but his play during the match wasn't fooling anyone. By his standards, Oliver played terribly, allowing six goals within the first hour of the match.

"What's wrong with him?" George said in Katie's ear after Ginny scored her third goal.

"I have no idea," Katie answered worriedly. "Something's off."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with whatever your conversation was earlier, would it?"

"Of course not," Katie said, though she wasn't entirely sure. There was no reason for Oliver to be upset that she was talking to Trent. Katie had already assured Oliver that she wasn't interested in Trent, and even if she were, Oliver had said he wouldn't mind.

Still, Puddlemere ended up losing, 220-60, and Katie's anxiety increased tenfold as she and George made their way to the waiting area outside the visitor locker rooms. It had suddenly dawned on Katie that she hadn't yet had to deal with Oliver following a loss and based on the experience during their Hogwarts days, it wouldn't go over well.

Angelina emerged from the locker room first, looking tired and irritated. She grimaced when she saw Katie and heaved a sigh.

"Wood might be a while," she warned. "He's pretty upset with himself. Not sure why. Our offense was rubbish and I'll be the first to take the blame for it."

"No, we all know Oliver had an off day," Katie said. "Anyone who's seen him play before could tell. Do you know what was wrong?"

"I was hoping you knew," Angelina said. "He didn't say anything. He snapped at Healy for missing that final shot, but I think that was just his frustration boiling ov-"

Angelina stopped as Oliver trudged from the locker room. Katie found his expression difficult to read, but as he approached, George cleared his throat.

"We're, ah, going to head home," George said. "Catch you two later." Katie and Oliver watched in silence as Angelina and George disappeared by the portkey that sent them back to Puddlemere Stadium in London.

"Hey," Katie said softly, taking note of Oliver's poor body language. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his gaze looked vacant.

"Hey."

"Ready to head home?"

"Yeah."

They walked in silence toward the portkey and when they landed back at Puddlemere Stadium, Oliver began walking toward the exit without acknowledging Katie.

Katie scurried after him, struggling to remain in step with him. She knew better than to ask Oliver if he was all right, but this was also the first loss he'd faced since they started dating. She wasn't sure if she should comfort him or give him space.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Katie finally asked softly.

Oliver shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault," Katie continued, unsure if she was making the situation worse for herself. "Ginny was just unstoppable today and their Beaters were tough-"

"Katie, please don't," Oliver said tersely.

"Okay." They remained in silence until they reached Katie's flat. The air was bitterly cold and Katie felt bad that Oliver would have to walk another fifteen minutes to get home. "Do you want to come in and warm up for a bit?" she asked as they approached her building.

"No, thanks."

"Oliver, come on," Katie sighed. "You can't let this loss weigh on you."

"That's easy for you to say," Oliver said harshly. "Maybe if you didn't spend the afternoon flirting with Trent Healy, the team could've focused."

Katie blanched. "You're not really blaming this on me, are you?"

"Of course not. Not fully anyway. I'm just saying, I played like rubbish and so did Healy. We were fine and focused until you decided to flirt with him before the match."

"You're joking, right? Oliver, we were just having a chat. I already told you I'm not interested in him. This has nothing to do with me."

"It has everything to do with you," Oliver snapped. "Katie, we made this arrangement so that I could avoid distractions. Now you've become one for both me and my teammate."

"You said you wouldn't care if I were interested in him! You said we could call it off if I wanted!"

"Yeah, but I didn't think you were going to flirt with him right away!"

"We weren't flirting!" Katie was grateful that no one else was in the street, because her voice was reaching a borderline shout. "Oliver, we were just chatting. I know you're upset about the loss but don't blame me."

Katie was in disbelief. She knew Oliver never took defeat well, but he'd never been this irrational and he'd never blamed someone else when he didn't play well.

"I just wish you'd considered the consequences," Oliver snapped. "These matches mean everything right now. My team can't afford any distractions."

"Well excuse me. I guess I won't come around to distract any of you anymore," Katie said as she shot Oliver one last glare before storming inside.

Three days passed and Katie and Oliver hadn't bothered to reach out to one another. The loss to Holyhead left Oliver training harder than ever while Katie immersed herself in work. Though the league championship wasn't until May, her department was already busy at work on the marketing plans for it.

On the Tuesday following Puddlemere's loss, Oliver found himself walking through the Ministry of Magic, anxiously scanning the various signs pointing guests in every direction.

He felt terrible about how he'd lashed out at Katie after the match. He knew it wasn't her fault and blaming her was silly and immature. He also knew that being upset over Katie talking to Trent was possessive and unfair, and that he didn't want to break off their arrangement just yet.

Realizing he was empty-handed, Oliver quickly fished out his wand and muttered, "Orchideous" to conjure a bouquet of flowers.

Katie was reviewing a stack of documents at her desk when Marjorie Cline, the department's administrative assistant, tentatively poked her head into Katie's office.

"Miss Bell?" Marjorie squeaked.

Katie looked up from the pile of paperwork. "Marjorie. Hi, what is it?"

"You have a visitor. I mean, there's, erm, someone here to see you."

"Oh! I'm not expecting any visitors but sure, send them in."

"Okay." Marjorie disappeared and Katie sighed as she returned to reading until a pair of heavier footsteps stopped in the doorway.

"Hey."

Katie looked up and blinked. "Oliver? Hey."

"Can I come in?"

"Of course." Katie hastily shuffled the papers on her desk and stood. Oliver lingered awkwardly in the middle of the office, as Katie peeked around him. "Thanks, Marjorie," she called as she realized Marjorie was still lurking in the doorway. Marjorie, who had been gawking at Oliver, scurried off and Katie suddenly became very aware that several of her coworkers were staring at them through her office windows. She waved her wand to shut the door, though they were still visible to everyone.

Oliver cleared his throat to interrupt the silence as Katie returned to hover near her desk. Oliver sighed and offered the bouquet to Katie, who took the flowers gently.

"Thanks."

"Look, I'm sorry," Oliver finally said. "I was completely out of line and it was completely unfair to you. You didn't deserve that. I was just upset about losing and I guess I took it out on the easiest target."

Katie heaved a sigh that seemed to echo Oliver's. "It's okay," she said, her eyes meeting his. "Really. I understand."

Oliver looked relieved. "It won't happen again," he promised. "I'm going to work on how I deal with stuff like this. I won't let my emotions get the best of me like that."

"It's okay, really," Katie repeated. "I know you were just upset and I know how much that match meant to you. I just… I just wish you would've felt like you could've talked to me about it instead of lashing out."

"I know. And it won't happen again."

Katie smiled. "You're right, it won't. Because you won't be losing again."

Oliver heaved a sigh and shrugged. "I hope you're right." He turned as he noticed the numerous sets of eyes that were watching them curiously and Katie snorted.

"We get a fair share of pro quidditch players through here," she explained. "But none of them usually show up to see their girlfriends. And none of them look like you."

"Ah, yeah, well, I guess you can consider yourself lucky then."

Katie shot him a look and Oliver laughed. "Right, I'm the lucky one here."

"Right you are," Katie said, reaching for her coat. "And I know how you can make it all up to me."

"You do?"

"Yep. You can give me a good snog right here to appease my coworkers, and then you can take me to lunch."

Chapter Text

Three weeks passed following Puddlemere United's loss to Holyhead, and Oliver seemed to get over the defeat as he and Katie resumed life as normal.

Katie and Angelina busied themselves with planning Alicia's engagement party, set to happen on a Friday night at one of Alicia's favorite London restaurants.

Oliver, who had to go to Japan for a photo shoot with three of the world's other top young quidditch players, had to miss the party.

"Our little Ollie, the global star and sultry quidditch model," George had pretended to sniffle when he found out.

Alicia and Lee both came from large, close-knit families. Both also had muggle relatives, meaning Angelina and Katie were forced to set up the party without magic. They met three hours before the party was due to begin at the muggle restaurant and managed to decorate and coordinate everything just before guests began arriving.

"Lee's cousins are awfully cute," Angelina noted in Katie's ear as they helped themselves to some appetizers.

"You already have a man, don't be greedy," Katie hissed back.

"I wasn't looking for myself," Angelina retorted with a raised eyebrow.

"I have a boyfriend."

Angelina gave her an annoyed look. "As much as I wish he were actually your boyfriend, you've done your best to make it clear that he's not," she said. "So sadly, I must continue my search to set you up with someone."

"Or you could mind your own business," Katie said as she reached for a piece of bruschetta. "Besides, don't you have your own wedding to finish planning?"

Angelina and George were set to be married in late May, after Angelina's season ended. Katie was to be the maid of honor opposite Charlie Weasley, who would be the best man.

Angelina shrugged. "The planning's practically done. Though Molly might lose her mind if I incorporate one more muggle tradition into the ceremony. She keeps forgetting I have some muggle relatives."

"She'll forget all about the silly traditions as soon as her little Georgie ties the knot," Katie said. "Besides, she adores you. She'll just be happy to gain another daughter."

"I can't believe Alicia's finally engaged," Angelina said as they watched Alicia happily chat with some of Lee's relatives. Alicia had managed to show off her ring to anyone who would listen, and she already seemed to have the vision for her wedding sorted out in her head.

"It was a long time coming," Katie agreed. "I'm glad she's getting the happy ending she deserves."

"That makes you the last one standing from the old team," Angelina commented.

Katie heaved a dramatic sigh and wished she could summon more wine. "Not true," she noted. "Oliver isn't married." As soon as the words left her lips, she knew Angelina would seize the opportunity.

"I wonder how we could resolve that issue," Angelina teased.

"I am not marrying Oliver and our relationship is not real," Katie hissed.

"Oh, come on. Wood would be a great husband."

"I'm not saying he wouldn't be! I'm sure he'll make his future wife very happy, whoever she may be, but it won't be me."

"And what's so awful about Wood that you won't even entertain the notion of having a real relationship with him?"

"Angelina," Katie said in a reasoning tone. "Wood is brilliant and very pleasant to look at and I enjoy the time I spend with him, but he has been my friend for nearly half my life."

"If he wasn't your friend and you'd only just met him, would you be interested in him?"

"I don't know! What's the use in hypotheticals? He is my friend and I don't want that to change."

"So why not allow him to be more than a friend? The two of you already have a good start. He's the full package!"

"Allow him to be more than a friend? Angie, Wood does not have romantic feelings for me either. We are mutual friends in a mutual agreement."

"Bollocks. I see the way he checks you out all the time."

Katie rolled her eyes. "He's a straight man in the company of a woman who snogs him. Of course he checks me out. I have to get dressed up half the time I'm around him, so of course he notices. That doesn't mean he's in love with me. Two people can be attracted to one another without any feelings involved."

Before Angelina could badger her any more, Lee appeared with two of his cousins.

"Ladies," Lee greeted. "Just thought I'd introduce you to my cousins, Bradley and Chester."

Bradley appeared to be about the same age as the rest of the group while Chester seemed a few years younger. Both were handsome, though Chester had noticeably crooked teeth. Bradley was considerably taller, though Katie noticed his hair was slightly disheveled.

"It's nice to meet you," Katie said kindly as she shook their hands, failing to notice Angelina's sly smile.

"It's a pleasure, but I do believe I need to find my fiancé," Angelina said, flashing Katie a smirk. Katie watched Angelina slink off before turning to smile at Bradley and Chester.

"Erm, do you live in London?" she asked politely.

"I do, but Chester lives in Newcastle," Bradley answered.

"And what do you do for a living?" Katie asked.

"I'm in real estate," Bradley answered.

"And I'm currently interning at a law firm," Chester added.

Katie was relieved she asked about their careers before offering her own as she realized Lee's cousins were muggles.

"And what do you do?" Bradley asked.

"Oh. I work for the government," Katie offered. "Um, public relations and communications stuff."

"And are you here on your own?"

"Oh. Erm, yes, I am. I'm Alicia's roommate and friend since Ho- since grade school, so it was sort of on me to plan the party."

The trio chatted about Alicia and Lee momentarily before Chester excused himself to catch up with more relatives, leaving Katie and Bradley to find a table to themselves.

Katie let Bradley talk about his work, which was interesting to her. She loved houses, especially old homes full of charm and character, so Bradley told her about some of the houses he was currently listing for sale for his clients.

Bradley also talked about his family and childhood growing up with Lee, who was just as mischievous as a kid as he was as a student at Hogwarts. Katie told a few stories about her "grade school" days with Lee and Alicia, taking care not to mention any pranks that involved magic.

Soon, 11 p.m. arrived and the restaurant employees began wiping down tables, an indicator that it was time to head home.

"Do you live close by?" Katie asked Bradley as they watched some of the party guests filter out the exit.

"Aye, about a 15-minute walk from here," Bradley answered. "Would you mind if I walked you home? It's late and I don't think you should walk by yourself."

"Oh, um, sure," Katie replied. She couldn't apparate in the presence of so many muggles and Alicia had already made plans to crash at Lee's that night, meaning Katie had no excuses for Bradley. They said goodbye to Lee and Alicia, who shot Katie a look as she realized Katie was leaving with Bradley. Katie flashed Alicia a rude hand gesture before she slipped her coat on to leave.

As they walked, they discussed some of their favorite London spots and Bradley talked about his experience growing up in Newcastle. Katie remained tight-lipped on her own upbringing, but smiled and laughed at more of Bradley's childhood stories about Lee and himself.

"This is me," Katie said as they approached her flat building. "Thank you for walking me home. It's been nice chatting with you tonight."

Bradley stood with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Forgive me for being this bold," he said. "But do you have a boyfriend?"

Katie swallowed and offered him an apologetic smile. "I do," she answered, hoping to cut the sudden awkward moment short. "He's in Japan for work this weekend."

Bradley grimaced and nodded. "Ah, I see. Of course. Just my luck." He smiled back at Katie and gently reached for her hand. He lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss. "Well, it was still a pleasure getting to know you. See you at the wedding?"

Katie nodded and grinned at him. "I'll save a dance for you."

Katie slept in the following morning, taking advantage of the quiet flat in Alicia's absence. Around 10:00, she ventured outside with a croissant and latte from Luchino Caffe on her mind. Oliver had introduced her to the spot, and though the cafe was a bit dingy inside, Katie had grown to love their pastries.

With a paper cup and croissant in hand, Katie decided to head to Diagon Alley to browse her favorite book shop.

As she arrived in the alley and nibbled at her croissant, the atmosphere seemed to shift as she weaved through the crowds of Saturday shoppers.

One woman seemingly walked straight into Katie, hitting her hard on the shoulder. Katie spun, her jaw hanging open at the rude woman who didn't even bother to look back. Katie shook her head and continued on, catching the glance of another woman who was looking at her curiously.

As she browsed through the piles of books inside Flourish and Blotts, Katie couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. Lo and behold, she glanced up from the pages of an adventure novel and noticed a trio of girls watching her. They appeared to have been whispering, but quickly spun away when Katie noticed them.

Katie blinked and returned to her book, though she was distracted by the peculiar feeling she had. People in public certainly began treating her differently when she and Oliver went public with their relationship. Some women shot her nasty glares while others gushed over her, telling her how lucky she was. This, however, felt different and Katie couldn't shake the feeling as she left the store.

It wasn't until she passed a news stand that she realized why everyone seemed to be acting odd towards her. Katie had picked up a copy of The Daily Prophet to leaf through the sports section for the latest quidditch scores, but nearly dropped the paper as a photo caught her eye on page six.

There she was, standing on the steps to her flat building as Bradley kissed her hand. The headline read "Another Loss for Wood?" and Katie felt winded as she read the brief cutline below the photo.

Katie Bell, girlfriend of Puddlemere United Keeper Oliver Wood, was seen strolling through a north London neighborhood Friday night with an unidentified man. Wood was not present. No word yet on the status of Bell and Wood's relationship. The Daily Prophet is working to learn more.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Katie cursed as she tossed the paper down. The man selling the papers rose an eyebrow at her and Katie glared at him before apparating home.

Tears stung her eyes as she sank onto the sofa. How didn't she see a photographer near her flat? How did they even know where she lived? And how could she have been so careless?

She felt terrible. Now everyone was going to think she was unfaithful to Oliver.

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath as she thought about Oliver. She felt embarrassed for him. He didn't deserve this kind of negative press. Letting him down felt like the worst thing she could do to him.

Worst of all, Oliver wouldn't be home until Sunday evening.

The jingle of keys could be heard outside the flat and Katie was relieved as Alicia returned home, a copy of The Daily Prophet in hand.

"Did you see?" Alicia asked, waving the paper around.

Katie nodded silently.

Alicia's expression shifted to sympathy as she sat next to Katie. "What happened?" she asked soothingly.

"Nothing!" Katie exclaimed. "Nothing happened! I swear!"

"I know," Alicia said sympathetically.

"I just let him walk me home," Katie continued. "I told him I have a boyfriend and he understood and left, that was it."

"The Prophet is rubbish," Alicia said as she shook her head. "Clearly their photographer got one photo and they turned it into a story because they had nothing better going on."

"Everyone's going to think I'm a slag now!"

"Let them think whatever they want. It doesn't matter what they think. You didn't do anything wrong. Wood will understand."

"Will he?" Katie bit her lip for a moment as she debated telling Alicia about what had happened with Trent Healy. Finally, she explained the entire story, leaving Alicia with wide eyes.

"Wow, Trent Healy really fancies you?"

"Alicia!"

"Right, sorry. But Trent's awfully fit. Not as fit as Wood though."

"Alicia!"

"Right. Wood. He apologized to you, though. If he said he was just mad about the loss to Holyhead, then he should understand this situation. He knows you wouldn't do anything like that. Unless…" Alicia trailed off to study Katie's expression for a moment, to ensure her friend was okay. "Unless there's another reason why Wood was mad about Trent."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what if he was jealous?"

"Jealous? Of Trent? Alicia, Wood is Puddlemere's star player. Trent's spent years in the reserves. Wood has nothing to be jealous of."

"But he clearly didn't like Trent talking to you."

"It had nothing to do with jealousy," Katie repeated. "Besides, Wood doesn't know that Trent knows about our arrangement."

Alicia let out a low whistle and shook her head. "I don't envy you right now," she said. "I mean, I do, because you're dating Oliver Wood and his handsome teammate is also after you, but I don't envy the drama."

"I didn't ask for any of this," Katie whined.

"I know," Alicia said kindly as she pulled Katie into a hug. "It's not fair to you. But I think that's just how life goes when you're dating a quidditch star. When does Wood get home from Japan?"

"Not 'til tomorrow night."

"Well, I'm sure he'll understand."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Then you can make it up to him with sexual favors."

"Alicia!"

Katie moped around for the remainder of the weekend as she anxiously awaited Oliver's return. Though they hadn't made plans to see each other that night, Katie spent Sunday evening staring at the clock. Oliver was due to arrive home around 9 p.m., and Katie already had her shoes on and was out the door by 8:45.

As she walked to Oliver's, she mulled over what she would say and how she would explain herself. Should she beg him for forgiveness even though she hadn't done anything wrong? Should she offer to call off their arrangement? Would all of this be another distraction to Oliver? Would she be blamed if Puddlemere lost any more matches?

As she approached Oliver's door, Katie stopped in her tracks to inhale slowly before she anxiously knocked.

Oliver, who was clearly fresh out of the shower, looked confused as he answered the door wearing only a pair of sweatpants.

"Katie? Did we make plans for tonight? Sorry, I only just got back from Japan."

At first, Katie was relieved that he didn't seem angry or upset, but she quickly realized she would have to be the one to tell him about the photo in the paper.

"Have you seen The Prophet?" she blurted out before she could offer any kind of cordial greeting.

"Er, no. I only just got home." Oliver stepped aside to let Katie in, still looking confused. He was exhausted from traveling and, though it was nice to see Katie, he hoped they hadn't made any significant plans.

Katie heaved a sigh as she fished her copy of The Daily Prophet from her bag. Without a word, she handed Oliver the paper, which was already folded open to the photo of her.

Oliver furrowed his brow as he studied the photo and caption. Katie chewed the inside of her cheek in agony.

"Merlin," Oliver finally said as he tossed the paper on a side table. "Are you okay?"

Katie blinked, unprepared for such a question. Familiar tears welled in her eyes and she swallowed before a quiet, "No" squeaked out.

Oliver frowned as he realized Katie's state. "Come here," he said, pulling her into his arms. "What's wrong? It's just a rubbish story. The Prophet publishes nonsense like this every day."

Katie, who had buried her face against Oliver's chest, pulled back to study his expression. "You're not mad?" she sniffled.

Oliver's frown somehow managed to deepen. "Of course not," he answered soothingly. "I mean, nothing happened, right? And even if it did, The Prophet's photographers had no right to be spying on you like that."

Katie shook her head. "Lee's cousin just walked me home after the engagement party. He's a muggle so I couldn't tell him I was going to apparate, and it was late, so I didn't see the harm. And when he implied that he was interested in me, I told him my boyfriend was in Japan."

Oliver maintained his frown, but his eyes narrowed more. "He asked you out?"

"He asked if I had a boyfriend. But he was completely understanding and left right away when I said I did."

Oliver nodded in understanding and hugged Katie, whose nose had started running. "Please don't cry," he begged. "It's nothing and you didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm just so sorry!" Katie blubbered into Oliver's chest. "I feel like I've embarrassed you and let you down!"

Oliver ran a soothing hand up and down Katie's back, unsure how to make it clear that Katie was overreacting. "Katie," he said calmly, "You are not an embarrassment and you could never let me down. I wouldn't be pretending to go out with you if you were."

"I just don't want to make you look bad."

Oliver blinked. "Katie, you and I both know that you're always the one who makes me look good."

Though Katie's cheeks were stained with tears, she offered him a tiny smile. "I really am sorry though," she said. "I'll be more careful now."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Oliver said firmly. "The Prophet thrives on ruining lives with lies and nonsense. I'm just sorry they made you a pawn in their game." He chewed on his bottom lip briefly. "Are you sure you don't want to call all of this off? I don't want you to have to put up with this rubbish."

Katie shook her head. "I'm fine," she said confidently. "I just feel bad. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"I told you before, I can deal with this kind of stuff as long as you can. Now come have a cup of tea… or some firewhiskey."

Chapter Text

In the days that followed Katie's appearance in The Daily Prophet with Lee's cousin, Oliver found himself explaining the status of their relationship to nosy people itching to know if they broke up. He even had to assure his mother that the story and photo were lies, and that he and Katie were still happily together.

Though the photo had become an irksome topic of discussion, Oliver made it a point to not be upset by it. He felt bad that the incident had bothered Katie so much and didn't want her to think he was also bothered by it.

Hoping the entire story would blow over by the end of the week, Oliver focused hard on training for Puddlemere United's next match against the Chudley Cannons. As he sat in the locker room after a particularly grueling practice, Demelza Robbins, the team's head of public relations, poked her head inside.

"Wood!" she called out. "A word, please!"

Oliver sighed. Demelza had made it a point to push him into numerous media campaigns lately, and the volume of work was becoming tiring.

"Yeah?" Oliver said as he exited the locker room to speak with Demelza in the hallway.

"I booked an interview for you with Witch Weekly," Demelza said. "I think it'll be good for you to show your personal side a bit. Plus it'll generate some buzz before the campaign from your photo shoot in Japan is published next month."

Oliver sighed again. "All right, when?"

"Your interview's scheduled for next Friday. But there's something else."

Oliver knew better than to heave another sigh, but the temptation was staggering. "Okay, what?" he asked instead.

"They want your girlfriend to be in on the interview, too."

"Katie?"

"Yes. If Katie's still your girlfriend."

"She is."

"All right then, it's settled."

"Wait, but what do they want with Katie?"

"They thought it'd be nice to talk to you both about your relationship. They could print the interview just before Valentine's Day. That's a hot issue, a great chance for publicity. The two of you can tell them all about your love story."

"Does she have to?" Oliver asked. "What if she doesn't want to? The Prophet's already been printing some nasty lies about her."

Demeleza shrugged, clearly bored with the conversation's turn. "Tell her it's a nice opportunity to set the story straight."

"You're barking mad, no way," Katie said when Oliver proposed the interview over dinner the next night.

"I know it's stupid, but I don't really get much choice in these things," Oliver explained. "They've been working hard to make me the face of the team for some reason, so they don't really ask, they just tell me to do these things."

Katie rolled her eyes. "First off, don't act like you don't know why you're the face of the team. There's a trio of women ogling you from the corner table right now," she said. "Second, it's fine if they want you to do interviews, but why me? There's nothing interesting about me beyond the fact that I'm your girlfriend."

It was Oliver's turn to appear annoyed. "First off," he said, echoing Katie's words and tone, "There are plenty of interesting things about you and you know that. Besides, maybe we can figure out a way to have fun with it. That's partly why you agreed to all of this to begin with, right? We don't have to take it too seriously, we just have to be convincing."

"But how do we know they'll be honest and fair?" Katie questioned. "After all the shit The Prophet's pulled, I'm not inclined to believe Witch Weekly's any better. They print all kinds of nonsense."

"Because you know the reporter who will be doing the story. We both do. I've already reached out to her and she's excited to catch up with us. She's promised to write an honest article."

"Who?"

"Parvati Patil."

Katie smiled. Though Parvati had been younger than her, she'd always liked the fellow Gryffindor during their Hogwarts days. Parvati had always been one of Gryffindor's go-to sources for gossip, so becoming a reporter seemed like a natural fit.

"All right," Katie finally agreed. "I'll do it."

The pair agreed to meet Parvati at Witch Weekly's offices in Diagon Alley, on the second floor above Twilfitt and Tattings clothing shop.

Alicia squealed when Katie told her about the interview and insisted she do Katie's makeup. She also helped Katie pick out a nice skirt and trendy jacket to wear with some heeled boots.

"You look sexy," Alicia had declared. "Like you're confident but not trying too hard. It's perfect."

"Ready?" Oliver asked Katie as they approached the stairwell to the Witch Weekly offices. Katie shrugged and took his arm.

The offices were trendier than others throughout Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic. White marble tile floors lined the corridors and floral wallpaper covered every room.

"Erm, hi," Katie greeted the receptionist. "We're Katie Bell and Oliver Wood. We're here to meet Parvati Patil."

"I know who you are!" the receptionist squealed excitedly. Katie noticed the woman eyeing Oliver with enthusiasm and cleared her throat. "Oh right! Parvati. I'll go get her."

Katie snorted once the woman disappeared. "Is there any place where you don't have fans?" she mused. Oliver shrugged.

"Remember, we have to be convincing," he said. "Sell the hell out of our story."

Katie nodded in understanding. Her plan was to simply tell the same story she'd been using any time someone asked about their relationship: she'd had a crush on Oliver back at Hogwarts and was elated when he finally asked her out.

Katie slipped a hand into Oliver's and glanced sideways at him as the sound of high heels could be heard clacking down the corridor.

"You're here!" Parvati's familiar smile greeted them. "I can't believe I really get to interview my old housemates."

"It's good to see you," Katie said honestly as she allowed Parvati to pull her into a hug. "We're glad someone we trust is doing this story on us."

"How could I not?" Parvati gushed. "My two former housemates dating? One's a quidditch star and one's working for the league offices? It's a perfect love story, which is my specialty! Now come join me in my office. I'm all set up for you."

Parvati's office was neatly decorated and Katie noticed pictures of some of their old classmates lining the walls. She smiled as she spotted a photo of Parvati and Ginny Potter, with Fred making lewd gestures in the background.

"Come, sit!" Parvati said, motioning Katie and Oliver to a plush couch. She waved her wand to pour three cups of tea on the coffee table before taking a seat in a lone chair across from them.

Katie sat, crossing and uncrossing her legs nervously. Oliver noticed this and rested a hand lightly on her knee, hoping she'd calm her nerves.

"So how are you?" Parvati asked merrily. "You know, other than being the Wizarding World's hottest couple. Can I just say, I was so excited when you two first went public with your relationship. You would've been the cutest couple back at Hogwarts, but I'm glad you got together now."

"Oh, er, thanks," Katie laughed. "I guess it just took us a little time."

"Better late than never," Parvati agreed. They briefly discussed Parvati's life as she revealed she had recently started dating former Gryffindor Dean Thomas. "I guess you two aren't the only ones to kindle a flame with someone from the past," she giggled as she flicked her wand and a notebook and quill floated toward her.

"So before we get started, some context," Parvati continued. "We're aiming to run this story the week of Valentine's Day. We thought it'd be the perfect timing for the two of you to provide a glimpse into your adorable relationship, so we'll talk about how you met — though I obviously already know — how you got together, what it's like dating in the spotlight and any other spicy details you want to provide."

It was Oliver's turn to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Most interviews he did were about quidditch and his career, maybe a few questions about his childhood. This was entirely different and he hoped Katie could lead the way for the two of them, partly because he didn't know what to say, and partly because he didn't want to say anything Katie wouldn't be comfortable with.

Katie seemed to sense Oliver's discomfort as she nodded politely at Parvati. "Of course, ask away."

The trio chatted for about an hour before Parvati's questions eventually shifted to them reminiscing from their Hogwarts days. They were laughing over a memory about Ron Weasley at the Yule Ball when the receptionist poked her head in the office.

"Parvati, the photo team is ready for Katie and Oliver now," she said.

Katie blinked. "Photo team?"

"Yes!" Parvati gushed. "Didn't anyone tell you? We're doing a photo shoot with you two. This is going to be the cover story."

"But I didn't bring anything to wear, or any makeup-" Katie started in a panic. Judging by Oliver's confused expression, he hadn't been aware of the photo shoot either.

"Oh, no worries," Parvati said kindly as she steered Katie and Oliver back toward the corridor. "We've got everything here for you. We'll take good care of you."

Katie had nearly forgotten about the Witch Weekly article by the time it published the Monday before Valentine's Day. She was lounging in bed that morning when Alicia burst into her room with a copy of the magazine in hand.

"It's here!" Alicia squealed. "It's here and you look amazing!"

"Huh?"

Alicia tossed the magazine to Katie, who caught it and eyed the cover. She had to admit, she was pleased with how she looked. The cover featured a bold headline that read, "From Hogwarts to happily ever after? Inside Oliver Wood's romance" over a photo of Katie and Oliver. They stood, turned slightly toward each other as they held hands and smiled at one another.

"You two look fabulous!" Alicia clapped. "Those Witch Weekly stylists did amazing! I hope they let you keep that dress!"

Katie hastily flipped through the magazine's pages until she landed on a center spread with more photos. In one photo, Oliver was carrying her, bridal-style, and they were kissing in another. Katie didn't remember posing for the final photo, in which she was laughing as Oliver had an arm hooked around her waist.

"You both look so in love!" Alicia said dreamily. Katie rolled her eyes and proceeded to read:

If you ask Oliver Wood about quidditch, you'll need a good three hours before you can get a word in. The 24-year-old Puddlemere United Keeper has loved the game since childhood, having led his school team to one championship in four years as captain of the Gryffindor team during his Hogwarts days before beginning his professional career.

But there's another love that Wood has known since his teenage years — Katie Bell.

Although the pair only began dating in the fall, they've known each other half their lives. They first met at Hogwarts, where Wood was a few years senior to Bell. Both were Gryffindors and Wood eventually became Bell's quidditch captain. They spent their school days as teammates and friends with overlapping social circles, but now the two are making up for lost time.

"I always had a bit of a crush on Oliver," Bell, 22, told Witch Weekly's Parvati Patil. "Back at Hogwarts, a lot of girls fancied him, so I never thought I had much of a chance. Plus, he was too wrapped up in quidditch to notice."

Wood couldn't help but agree. "It's true," he admitted. "I don't think I really dated anyone until my sixth year at Hogwarts and none of my relationships lasted very long anyway. All I cared about was winning the quidditch cup."

Wood's focus remains on winning, as Puddlemere United is currently second in the British and Irish League standings, but now he's brought Bell along for the ride.

"I think it's been easy for me to understand Oliver's devotion to quidditch because I've always known that about him," Bell said. "He's always been obsessed and I get it — I love quidditch, too. When we started dating, I already knew that quidditch is his first love. I'm not trying to compete with that, I'm merely trying to build a life with Oliver that accommodates that."

Bell and Wood remained friends following their Hogwarts days, as Wood's teammate, Chaser Angelina Johnson, is one of Bell's closest friends. Wood can't pinpoint the exact moment when he fell for Bell, but says he's glad he took a chance on asking her out.

"I mean, I've always been attracted to her," Wood explained. "But it's hard when you've been friends with someone for so long. It can be scary to cross that line with them, especially if you're unsure they even want you to do so. …I guess I just decided that Katie was too brilliant to not take a chance on."

Bell, who works for the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Games and Sports, is chasing her own career dreams. She hopes to someday run the department, but says she's happy to simply be involved working in sports.

"She could've played quidditch professionally," Wood added.

"I was stunned speechless," Bell recalled of the first time Wood asked her on a date. "It sort of came out of nowhere and by that point, I had completely dismissed the notion of us ever getting together."

One casual date morphed into the pair spending most of their free time together. They're often seen grabbing breakfast at Luchino Caffe or trying London's trendy new spots for dinner. Despite Wood's busy training schedule, he says he makes it a point to set aside time for their relationship.

"A few years ago, I wouldn't have done that. All I wanted was to focus on quidditch and nothing else, no distractions. Now…" — Wood paused to glance at Bell with a smile — "Now, everything has changed."

The leap from friends to lovers wasn't difficult, the couple agreed. Wood noted that having a foundation of friendship was actually good for them.

"It reduced the awkward 'getting-to-know-you' stage," he explained. "We were able to just dive right into things."

That remark caused Bell to giggle, but she vowed to remain tight-lipped on the steamier side of their relationship. "Let's just say we had no hesitations in diving right in," she said coyly.

"Still, it is a bit odd to step back and realize how things are so different yet still the same," Bell added. "It's like, we already had all these memories together as teammates and friends. Now, we're building new ones that I don't think either of us could ever have imagined. One day you're studying Potions with someone, then jump forward some years and you're waking up next to them."

"It's funny, how you think you've gotten to know someone so well because you've known them for years," Wood noted. "Then, when you fall in love with them, you get to discover an entirely new part of them."

The couple is still learning to navigate life in the spotlight. Wood, who became the league's youngest Keeper upon his promotion two seasons ago, says it's been an adjustment.

"I was getting used to the attention about my quidditch career," he said. "But all of the attention on my personal life has been a bit shocking."

Witch Weekly named Wood to its Hottest Bachelors list in the fall, but the handsome Keeper has generated buzz from fans since his rookie year.

"It's been bizarre. I really didn't expect it. I guess I still don't really get it," Wood said.

Though Bell has had a few public run-ins with some of Wood's female fans, she says she's learned to ignore them for the most part.

"It's been wild," she laughed. "But I mean, just look at him. I get it. It's still been an adjustment and some of the fans are a bit bold, but it's all in good fun. We make it work."

Bell and Wood possess a chemistry that somehow manages to simultaneously sizzle while making onlookers smile. Bell keeps them laughing while Wood is attentive and caring. Bell is snarky while Wood is more of the strong, silent type. They're endearing, yet sexy; silly, yet serious.

Though the two are clearly mad about each other, the mention of marriage sends both Bell and Wood into a fit of laughter.

"I mean, maybe someday," Bell giggled. "But we're in no rush for anything. Oliver's focused on quidditch and I've got plans for myself. We respect that about each other and we're just enjoying the journey together."

Katie exhaled in relief, as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time she was reading the article. Parvati had been true to her word and had written only about the things they discussed. Still, Katie was in disbelief that she and Oliver were really gracing the cover of Witch Weekly.

Alicia took the magazine from her and gazed at it again with a giddy grin. "A sizzling chemistry," Alicia quoted dramatically. "See? Even Parvati noticed."

"Parvati is paid to write things like that," Katie noted. "I'm just glad she didn't lie like The Prophet does."

"What's there to lie about?" Alicia teased. "Everyone knows you and Wood are in love."

Across town, Oliver strolled into the Puddlemere United locker rooms, where he was met by a smirking Angelina.

"What is it?" Oliver sighed. He'd known Angelina far too long and her smirk always meant something facetious.

"Have you seen the Witch Weekly article?" Angelina asked. "Sounds like you and Katie are real lovebirds."

Oliver shrugged. "Katie did a brilliant job at selling it," he said. "She said all the right things without saying too much."

"You said some pretty interesting things too." Angelina's smirk was looking borderline menacing. "Such as that talk about being in love."

"That was the entire point of the article," Oliver pointed out, but Angelina merely shrugged.

"I'm just saying, the two of you have become awfully convincing. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're enjoying this a bit too much."

From across the locker room, Trent Healy made eye contact with Oliver and looked away. Oliver couldn't help but match Angelina's smirk as he blinked at her with a newfound smugness.

"You're right, maybe we are."

Chapter Text

Early spring settled over London as Katie and Oliver continued without any major hiccups and resumed their relationship as usual. Puddlemere United pulled within three points of first place in the league standings, meaning the looming playoffs would be a can't-miss event if the standings held.

Oliver returned to Glasgow one weekend to visit his parents while Katie and Alicia joined Angelina in Muggle London for her final wedding dress fitting.

Angelina had decided on a dress from a muggle bridal shop. It was a strapless, ivory lace gown that Katie and Alicia had insisted was made with Angelina in mind. The trio met at the shop, with Angelina's two cousins who were also bridesmaids due to join them.

"Is Wood driving you mad with the playoffs coming up in less than two months?" Alicia asked Katie as they waited on the other two.

Katie shrugged. "He's doing all right, I suppose. He doesn't say much about it, except to ask me for my thoughts on certain quidditch tactics."

"It's nice that he values your opinion," Alicia noted.

"I think he just knows that I'm one of the few people who will listen to him talk quidditch."

"We're here!" a new voice sang out.

The trio looked up as the shop's front door shut behind Angelina's cousins, Caroline and Mallory. The two sisters were both witches who lived in Sheffield. Caroline was two years older than Angelina, while Mallory was five years younger.

"You're here!" Angelina clapped, forcing a raised eyebrow from Katie. Though she'd hardly consider Angelina to be overly serious, Angelina was rarely the excitable one; Alicia usually did most of the clapping.

Katie smiled as she realized how important and exciting the occasion was for Angelina. She knew Angelina had tried her hardest to keep a cool head about her wedding, but she also knew she couldn't wait to marry George.

Katie hugged the sisters as Angelina disappeared with a sales associate to fetch her dress.

"Katie, it's so good to see you," Caroline said. "I couldn't wait to ask you all about Oliver Wood."

"Oh," Katie laughed. "Yes, I guess a few things have changed since I last saw you."

"How did it happen?" Caroline asked. "I mean, I've read damn near every story the papers have published on you two, but I was just so thrilled when I saw." She paused to grin. "Personally, I was hoping Angie would set me up with Oliver Wood someday, but if it can't be me, I'm glad it's you. You two are just the cutest."

"Oh, thank you. It's been a bit surreal, but I'm the happiest I've ever been." Katie couldn't help but smile. Caroline had always been outgoing and outspoken, while Mallory, who had been silently hanging on every word, was the quieter of the two.

"So did he just like, ask you out?" Caroline asked.

"Pretty much," Katie answered. "I mean, he and I had always been decent friends and I'd always fancied him. I was stunned when he asked me."

"Oh, please," Alicia chimed in. Katie met her gaze and noticed Alicia was smirking. "Wood has always had a thing for you, ever since Hogwarts."

Katie rolled her eyes and smiled at Caroline and Mallory. "Well, regardless, I'm glad he asked me out."

"Okay, enough of the formalities," Caroline continued. "How is he?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Is he a good boyfriend? Does he buy you lots of stuff? Is he a romantic? Is he good in bed?"

"Oh, er-"

"Ta-da!" Angelina emerged from the shop's fitting rooms and made her way before a trio of mirrors where the group was seated. Katie exhaled in relief, grateful for Angelina's timeliness.

Alicia clapped and Katie let out a cheer. "You look perfect, Ang," Katie said, beaming at her friend.

"George is going to faint!" Alicia added.

Angelina spun as she examined herself in the mirror. "You're sure it's not too tight?" she wondered. "I don't want to look like a slag."

"You look stunning," Katie said. "No one is going to look like a slag, not even Alicia."

Alicia hit Katie with her purse as Angelina narrowed her eyes at her friends. "Speaking of slags, Katie, are you going to be all right if Trent Healy comes to the wedding? We've invited the entire team."

"First of all, I am not a slag," Katie glared. "Second, of course I won't mind. Why would I mind?"

"Just checking," Angelina said in a sing-song voice, the skirt of her dress swaying a bit. "I don't want Wood and Healy fighting over you."

Caroline gasped. "You have two Puddlemere players after you? That is just so unfair!"

"No one is after me!" Katie insisted. "The only person I'm concerning myself with is Oliver."

"That is so sweet," Caroline sighed dreamily.

"Isn't she just the luckiest?" Alicia added.

"You have no idea how many girls want to be you," Mallory agreed.

"Erm, hello?" Angelina cut in, waving her arms at the group. "I'm still here! Are we forgetting I'm literally standing here in my wedding dress?"

Inside the Wood home, Oliver sat at the dinner table with his parents and Gretchen.

"How's Katie?" Gretchen asked.

"She's well. Angelina Johnson had a wedding dress fitting today, so she couldn't come along."

"A wedding dress fitting, eh?" Gretchen mused. Oliver sighed as he predicted where the conversation was heading. "And have you and Katie thought about any weddings?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"We've only started going out in the fall."

"So?"

"So, what's the rush?"

"What if Katie doesn't want to wait?"

"Katie is a level-headed, intelligent woman," Oliver said. "She's in no rush to do anything."

"Have the two of you actually talked about that, or are you just assuming?"

"We haven't been together long enough to concern ourselves with marriage. Katie cares about her career, just like me."

"Is she the one?"

"Huh?"

"Is she the one? The one you want to marry?"

"Gretch, I just told you we haven't talked about marriage."

"But have you thought about it?"

Oliver looked to his parents for help, but they seemed to be curiously awaiting his response.

"I don't know," Oliver sighed in defeat.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Gretchen demanded. "Katie's great! You can only be so lucky to have a lass like her! Don't be daft!"

"I didn't say no!" Oliver exclaimed. "Oi, lay off! Katie's brilliant and I think the world of her, but there's no need to rush into anything."

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

Oliver rapidly mulled through the options in his mind. If he said no, his family would tear the mickey out of him. If he said yes, they'd leap to more conclusions.

He glanced at his father, whose expression remained neutral. Mr. Wood had always allowed his children to make their own decisions and mistakes. He tended to keep his opinions to himself instead of swaying their choices based on his own agenda, something that had seemed to serve the Wood children well in life. Oliver had always valued his father's opinions, though, and hoped he approved of Katie, even if their relationship wasn't real.

"Yes, of course I love her," Oliver finally said. Gretchen and Mrs. Wood beamed and Mr. Wood couldn't help but smile.

"Maybe once you win the league championship, you'll start seeing the bigger picture," Mr. Wood said knowingly.

The following weekend was George's birthday, a mandatory gathering for the group of friends as they'd made it a tradition to throw a party to celebrate George and remember Fred.

Katie met Oliver at his flat before the party, walking briskly to get there. A strange giddiness had settled within her, though she was doing her best to suppress it.

Oliver took a final glance at himself in the bathroom mirror before answering Katie's knock. It'd been a little more than a week since the two had seen each other, due to Oliver's trip to Glasgow the previous weekend and both of their schedules. Training had become more intense than ever for Oliver, who was actually relieved to spend an evening free of quaffles.

"Oi, you're alive," Katie teased as Oliver greeted her at the door. He embraced her in their usual hug and waved her inside.

"Aye, just barely," he replied.

"Training's been that brutal, huh?"

Oliver shrugged. "It's been rough but we've got to do it. How about you? How was your week?"

"Busy as well. The league is securing sponsorships for the playoffs, so I've been working late hours, too."

"Any good sponsors?"

Katie grinned. "Yes, actually. Nimbus just signed on, meaning your face is going to be everywhere."

Oliver had a sponsorship deal with Nimbus Racing Broom Company, and had recently become the face of the brand's latest advertising campaign. His recent trip to Japan included a photoshoot for Nimbus, just in time for the playoffs.

"Why me?" Oliver sighed.

Katie shot him a pointed look. "Do you really need me to answer that?" she laughed. Oliver shook his head and motioned her toward the door to walk to Angelina and George's townhouse.

The home was crammed with the entire Weasley clan, as well as the usual group of friends. Katie wrestled George into a birthday hug and greeted all of the familiar faces while Oliver ended up in conversation with his old friend, Charlie Weasley.

"So, you and Katie, huh?" Charlie said with a grin as he and Oliver stood and surveyed the partygoers. George was demonstrating a test product that appeared to be a fake wand that shot spiders from the tip. Ron Weasley was cowering in a corner while Angelina shrieked at George to clean up the mess.

"Yeah, Katie and me," Oliver answered as he watched Katie chat with Ginny Weasley.

"Good for you, lucky bastard," Charlie said, nudging Oliver in the side.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, she's brilliant."

The topic shifted to quidditch and Charlie's work in Romania while Katie and Alicia helped Angelina set up the toast in Fred's honor.

"So what are you and Wood going to do after the league championship?" Angelina asked as she flicked her wand to summon a bottle of champagne. "Wasn't your agreement to keep up your charade until then?"

Katie paused. It was a valid question. She and Oliver hadn't really discussed what they'd do when the quidditch season ended. The initial agreement was they'd stage a quiet break-up, citing simple differences while maintaining they were still amicable. But neither of them had resurrected the topic since they started dating, and Katie decided it was best not to mention it. Oliver had enough going on at the moment.

"You two could just continue seeing each other," Alicia offered innocently as she levitated several bubbling champagne glasses onto a tray. "I mean, things seem to be going well for you two. Ever since that Witch Weekly article, everyone adores you."

"But it's not fair to Katie to keep pretending to be in a relationship," Angelina pointed out. "She has to start dating for real eventually."

"I don't need to date anyone!" Katie said firmly. "I am perfectly fine on my own."

Alicia and Angelina shared a glance. "So do you think you and Wood will just keep things going indefinitely?" Angelina asked.

"I don't know," Katie sighed as another champagne bottle opened with a pop. "There's no use bringing it up now. Oliver's got enough on his plate. We'll figure it out when the time comes."

Katie didn't notice the look Angelina and Alicia shared as the conversation ended, nor did she notice them watching as Oliver approached her and rested a hand on the small of her back.

When the time came to toast Fred's memory, Katie also didn't see Angelina watching as Oliver squeezed her hand to comfort her. Though it had been years since Fred's death, Katie still struggled at the mention of his name, her eyes tearing up as everyone lifted their champagne flutes to drink to his memory.

Katie and Oliver didn't notice Angelina's smirk as she watched Oliver mutter something in Katie's ear before they both laughed, nor when she saw them settle into a quiet corner of the room, Katie resting her head against Oliver's shoulder.

When it was time to cut the cake and blow out the candles, the pair didn't notice Angelina watching as they stole a mutual glance at each other to smile. And when it became time to say goodbye, Angelina eyed them as Oliver kissed Katie on the forehead before helping her pull her jacket on.

Katie finally caught her eye as she turned to leave and Angelina smirked. "Goodnight, you two!" she sang cheerily. Katie shot her a look, which Angelina shrugged off with a cheeky grin.

The pair exited into the spring air, which was unusually warm for April.

"I'm so glad it stopped raining," Katie commented as the pair walked. "Last week was miserable."

"Aye, this is much better quidditch weather," Oliver agreed.

They passed a row of lively pubs and Katie smiled as she eyed the bustling nightlife. Oliver, who had been watching her, paused to linger outside one of the pubs.

"Did you want to stop in for a drink?" he asked. Katie thought for a moment, which seemed to confuse Oliver.

"I'm trying to decide if it's worth our photo likely ending up in The Prophet tomorrow," Katie explained. Oliver nodded in understanding.

"Let's just go back to my place," he suggested. "We can have a drink there without any cameras or fans."

Katie obliged and the pair continued back to Oliver's. Once there, Katie kicked her shoes off and curled up on the sofa as Oliver poured her a glass of wine.

Once he handed her the glass, Katie noticed he winced as he sat down. "What's wrong?" Katie asked with a frown.

"It's nothing," Oliver answered. "Just a cracked rib."

"What?!" Katie demanded, setting her wine glass down on a side table with an audible clink.

Oliver sighed. "Just a bludger during practice," he explained. "The mediwitch patched me up, but it's still bruised and sore."

"Let me see," Katie ordered. She wasn't sure why, considering she had no medical training or expertise, but her concern had gotten the best of her.

"I'm fine, really-" Oliver started, but Katie reached over and lifted up the hem of his t-shirt and gasped.

"That looks brutal."

"Like I said, it's just sore." Oliver inhaled sharply as Katie gently reached toward his torso, which was a gradient of purple and blue on one side. Katie pulled her hand away and smiled apologetically.

"Well, take it easy. You need to be 100% for the playoffs," she said. Oliver nodded and a stillness seemed to surround them. Katie began chewing her bottom lip while Oliver gazed at her silently. When he caught Katie's gaze, she smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

Oliver's eyes darted downward to Katie's lips for a millisecond and Katie held her breath. Just as Oliver moved to lean forward, a sharp tapping echoed from the window. They both jumped and spun to see Oliver's owl peering at them.

"Mail at this hour?" Katie wondered. Oliver unlatched the window to fetch an envelope from the owl, which hovered hungrily in the windowsill. Katie noticed this and retreated to the kitchen to fetch something for it to eat. When she returned to the living room, she noticed Oliver looking pale and panicked, clutching the letter in one hand.

"Oliver? What is it? What's happened?"

Oliver seemed to struggle to find words and Katie wondered if he'd fallen ill and was going to pass out.

"It's my dad," he finally managed. "My dad… he's dead."

Chapter Text

Katie froze. The room seemed to tilt as she came to terms with Oliver's words and realized she'd been holding her breath.

She exhaled slowly to maintain her composure. She almost said, "What?" but managed to stop herself. She didn't want Oliver to have to repeat such a gutting phrase. He had barely managed the words the first time.

Once the reality of Oliver's words registered with Katie, she was across the room in a split second, her arms finding their way around Oliver just as his knees buckled in grief. They sank to the floor, Katie holding Oliver against her chest.

The room became quiet, the laughter and buzzing sounds of George's birthday party suddenly in the distant past. Katie decided to say nothing for the moment. She respected and understood Oliver too much to whisper empty phrases of comfort and reassurance. No words could change the situation, nor would they trick Oliver into feeling anything but anguish.

Instead, Katie held Oliver, allowing him to feel every emotion with validity. She had a million questions but focused on suppressing the lump in her throat.

The flat was still, Katie's wine untouched and forgotten as she patiently hugged Oliver. The room felt void of any air as Katie's stomach turned. She swallowed hard in an attempt to quash her own grief. Silent tears welled in her eyes for Oliver, for Mr. Wood, for the family that had treated her with such warmth.

"Oliver, what happened?" she finally asked.

"His heart," was all Oliver could manage before he broke down again.

Minutes passed until Oliver suddenly scrambled to his feet, startling Katie.

"I've got to get home to Glasgow," Oliver said determinedly.

"I'll come with you," Katie said as she stood.

"You don't have to do that."

"I'm coming with you." It wasn't an ask, but a statement.

Oliver didn't respond. Though he was in no state of mind to be thinking about anything but his family, the notion of Katie's presence brought him a sense of comfort.

Oliver hovered in the middle of the living room for a moment, as if he'd forgotten what he needed to do. He stood, his shoulders slumped, and for a moment Katie worried he'd pass out.

"Oliver?" she offered gently. "Do you want me to pack a bag for you?" She was met with a silent nod before she disappeared hurriedly down the hallway.

Once alone inside Oliver's bedroom, Katie let the tears fall quietly. She sniffled as she fought to keep herself together and scuffled around the room gathering items to toss into an overnight bag for Oliver. She worked quickly, but her mind wandered as she did so.

How did this happen so suddenly? Oliver had just seen his father a week ago. Would the Wood family be OK? Poor Mrs. Wood would be alone now. What about Oliver? How would he handle the loss of his father on top of the stress of the looming quidditch playoffs?

After throwing an armful of clothes and items into the bag, Katie zipped it up and carried it to the living room, where Oliver remained in the middle of the room, seemingly lost in thought.

"Let's go down to the alley and apparate from there," Katie said gently when he didn't seem to notice she had returned. Oliver responded with a silent nod and followed Katie outside, in-between a pair of buildings across from his flat. Once sure no one else was around, Katie gently took Oliver's arm, the bag of clothes in her other hand. She glanced up at him, but his gaze remained blank.

Without another word, Oliver apparated to Glasgow.

They landed in the middle of the Wood family living room, which felt much different to Katie than the last time she visited. There were no flames crackling from the fireplace and the smell of dinner cooking from the kitchen was vacant.

Instead, Mrs. Wood sat crying at the dining table as Gretchen stood over her, tears also streaming down her face. Oliver made a beeline to them and Katie watched as the family embraced.

"Oh, Oliver!" Mrs. Wood sobbed.

Katie lingered in silence, suddenly feeling guilty for coming along. It felt wrong to watch the Wood family share such an intimate moment of sorrow. It was a private scene not meant for outsiders, and Katie felt like an intruder.

It wasn't until Gretchen noticed her that Katie realized she'd been holding her breath again.

"Oh, Katie, you came." Despite the anguish, there was kindness in her voice.

Katie nodded silently, her voice stuck somewhere in the back of her throat as she pleaded with her brain to produce the right words. "I- I'm so sorry," she managed quietly. "I'm here to help any way that I can."

Gretchen waved her over and Katie quickly embraced her as Mrs. Wood sobbed. The tears finally came. Katie let herself cry as she hugged Gretchen, the kitchen echoing with the sounds of their sorrow.

Oliver remained quiet and Katie turned to look at him, her eyes questioning if he was OK, but his gaze remained vacant. She decided against asking how he was feeling under the assumption he was grieving in his own way. Instead, the four held each other into the early hours of the morning in an effort to keep from falling apart.

Katie lay awake, the morning sunlight bleeding through the curtains. She hadn't slept, nor had Oliver, who had spent the early hours of the morning tossing and turning next to her. They didn't speak. Katie decided to let Oliver talk on his own terms.

Gretchen had given Mrs. Wood a sleeping potion before taking some herself shortly before 3 a.m. Katie felt exhausted, but her mind seemed to twist and tumble with concern.

By 8 a.m., Oliver finally seemed to doze off and Katie had a plan in mind on how she could help the Woods. She'd sent an owl to Alicia to explain why she wouldn't be home for a few days, and Alicia sent Katie some clothes and personal items.

Deciding to let Oliver sleep, Katie quietly changed clothes and let herself out of the Wood home.

The Woods had to make funeral arrangements that day, meaning they'd likely be too busy to concern themselves with meals. Katie walked to a grocery store, thankful for her familiarity with the muggle world. As she browsed the aisles, she scanned her brain for recipes she knew how to make with ease and confidence.

The store was quiet with just a few other early morning shoppers, and Katie was grateful there weren't many others around. She knew she looked terrible, her hair unbrushed and dark circles under her eyes. She also knew she may begin crying at any given moment. The mere thought of Mr. Wood resurrected a lump in her throat, but she was determined to be strong and helpful to the family.

Once Katie had gathered enough groceries for a few meals, she returned to the Wood home, where she found the family awake.

"Where've you been?" Oliver asked concernedly.

"I figured you all could use some help around the house," Katie said as she held up her shopping bags. "Figured I'd make good use of myself and do some cooking."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to," Katie cut him off. "Please."

The Woods spent the remainder of the day making funeral arrangements and reaching out to friends and relatives, so Katie busied herself in the kitchen. She wasn't sure the Woods would have much appetite given the state of things, so she started with a simple batch of muffins for breakfast.

For dinner, Katie made a puttanesca pasta recipe she had taught herself when she first moved in with Alicia. She was relieved when the family sat down to dinner, since she'd been unsure if they'd feel like eating. Mrs. Wood looked so tired and anguished, it caused a tight feeling in Katie's chest. But they enjoyed the meal and were appreciative for Katie, despite a lack of much conversation during the meal.

The next day, Katie repeated the routine, visiting the market early to buy ingredients. She also decided to help the Woods by tidying up the house, using a few spells she learned in Charms class to dust and sweep the floors before starting on dinner.

Oliver still didn't say much, something that Katie struggled with. She felt like she and Oliver had learned to open up to one another during the recent months, so his silence was frustrating, but she vowed to be respectful to his grieving process.

The night before the funeral, Katie found Oliver sitting in his room at the foot of bed, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hey," she said quietly.

Oliver looked up and offered her a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Hey."

"You okay?"

Oliver inhaled slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "I mean, as fine as I can be."

Katie nodded in understanding. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know." Oliver motioned her to sit next to him and Katie obliged. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, I think I'm just still processing it. I'm feeling better now than I did a few days ago, but the grief comes and goes. Sometimes I feel like everything's going to be all right, then I end up feeling like everything's unbearable again."

"I think that's the unfortunate pattern of grief," Katie said as she gently rested her head against Oliver's shoulder.

"I guess I haven't really had to grieve any losses since the Battle of Hogwarts."

"The grief process doesn't get easier, no matter how many times you go through it… especially a loss like this."

"I just… can't believe he's really gone."

Katie squeezed Oliver's hand. "I know," she said softly. "It's not fair. But he was so proud of you and he loved you so much."

"I just feel like I have so much left to accomplish, and I wish he could be here to see it all."

"He already knew you'd accomplish all of your dreams, Ol. He was your biggest fan."

"I just wish he'd be here to share that joy with me."

"I wish that for you, too. But I think seeing that you've turned into such a good person probably made him happier than everything else ever could," Katie noted.

Oliver turned to look at her, and for the first time in days, he offered a small smile. It was faint and his eyes still looked tired, but Katie knew it was there.

"When did you become so insightful?" he asked. Katie shrugged and Oliver draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you for being here," he continued. "Really. I'm starting to feel like I'd be lost with you."

The funeral left Oliver feeling like he was trying to breathe underwater. His mother and sister couldn't stop crying, leaving him feeling like he needed to keep it together for their sake.

As guests lined up to share their condolences with the Woods, Katie hovered in the background until Oliver turned to catch her eye. Katie shot him a quizzical look and he motioned her over. They shared a glance and Oliver felt relieved by the sincerity in Katie's eyes. Without a word, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, his silent way of asking her to stay by his side.

Katie did her best to smile politely as she was introduced to more of Oliver's relatives, though smiling felt like an excruciating task given the circumstances.

Finally, she was relieved to see some familiar faces as Alicia, Lee, George, Angelina and the rest of Oliver's teammates arrived. She also spotted Percy and Charlie Weasley, as well as a few of Oliver's roommates from Hogwarts.

"Katie," Alicia breathed as she pulled her friend into a hug. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Katie said, though seeing her friends had hit her with a sudden bout of emotion. "It's just been a lot for everyone."

"How's Wood doing?" Angelina asked.

Katie sighed. "I think he's okay. He hasn't talked about it much. I think he's trying really hard to be strong for his mum and sister."

Angelina nodded, her eyes filled with concern. "I'm glad you're here with him. He's lucky to have you." There were no facetious implications behind her words; she was being sincere and Katie knew that. Regardless of her arrangement with Oliver, he needed a friend above all else.

Silent tears poured from Katie's eyes during the funeral ceremony, but she grit her teeth and maintained her composure. She stole sideways glances at Oliver, who sat stone-faced as he clutched her hand the entire time.

The family went straight home after the funeral tea. The day felt like an emotional gamut, full of sorrowful tears, fond memories and questions of uncertainty.

Gretchen and Mrs. Wood went straight to bed, with Oliver soon following. He and Katie had plans to return to London in the morning so that Oliver could resume training. Puddlemere United had a match in three days and Oliver had every intention of playing.

Katie almost suggested he take a few more days off and let one of the reserve Keepers step in for the match, but decided that quidditch would likely be a welcome distraction for Oliver. Quidditch was the closest thing to normalcy for him.

As the clock inched toward 1 a.m., Katie sighed and crept downstairs to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She hoisted herself onto the counter to sit, her legs dangling over the edge.

She gazed quietly out the kitchen window, her thoughts lingering on the Wood family. Poor Mrs. Wood was struggling and Gretchen was barely holding herself together. Katie was relieved that the two wouldn't be alone after she and Oliver left, but worried for them. Life would be drastically different without Mr. Wood, and moving on still seemed out of reach.

The sound of footsteps creaking down the stairs pulled Katie from her thoughts and she watched as Oliver quietly entered the kitchen.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey."

Oliver crossed the room and stood next to Katie, his back leaning against the counter.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Katie asked. Oliver shook his head.

"I keep thinking about how I have to move on now," he said. "I just lost my dad and now I have to resume life without him."

Katie rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Moving on doesn't mean you're going to forget him," she offered. "You're always going to miss him, but carrying on with your life doesn't mean he'll no longer be a part of it."

"I guess I just don't know how to envision life without him, you know?" Oliver continued. "I always assumed he'd be a part of my future. I figured he'd be there to see how my career would play out. And I thought he'd be around to see me get married and start my own family and stuff. It hurts knowing he won't be there for any of that. Now, I just keep wondering what's next."

"He already knew your future's going to be amazing, Ol," Katie said. "You've already been so successful and you're just getting started. And you're such a good person, I'm sure he knew you'll meet someone lovely and have an incredible life with them."

Oliver pondered Katie's words in silence. Moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating specks of dust that floated in the air.

"Thank you for being here," Oliver finally said, turning to face Katie. "Really, I mean it. You've been such a big help these past few days. Mum and Gretchen appreciate it, too. It means a lot."

"Don't mention it."

"Really, though. Having you here has made this week a lot more bearable."

The kitchen fell still again as Oliver leaned in to kiss Katie softly. It was the first time they'd kissed in private, free from the charade for their friends and family, and without the prying eyes of fans or cameras.

Katie squeezed Oliver's hand before she slid off the counter to her feet to hug him around the waist.

"Feeling a bit better now?" she asked. Oliver nodded. "Good, now let's go get some sleep."

Chapter Text

Katie and Oliver returned to London the morning after the funeral so that Oliver could resume training with Puddlemere United. The team had a match in two days and Oliver had every intention of playing, despite the loss of his father.

Gretchen questioned if Oliver should play in a match so soon, but Oliver insisted he was fine and that their father would've wanted him to play. Gretchen, who knew he was right, dropped the subject after that.

Katie and Oliver said farewell to Gretchen and Mrs. Wood, who tearfully hugged them tight and made them promise to visit again soon.

The pair apparated to Katie and Alicia's flat, where Katie offered Oliver an encouraging smile.

"All right?" she asked.

Oliver nodded. "All right," he replied. "To be honest, I think getting back to quidditch will be good for me. It'll be a good distraction for me."

Katie nodded in understanding, but her eyes reflected concern. She had noticed the pain in Oliver's eyes when they said goodbye to Mrs. Wood and Gretchen, and she knew he was still putting on a brave face for their sake.

"Healing will take time. Just take things day by day," Katie said gently. She expected Oliver to say goodbye to head home before he was due for an afternoon training session, but he hovered as she tidied up the kitchen. Sensing that Oliver wasn't eager to be alone, she poured herself some tea and did her best to appear nonchalant.

"Do you want me to come by after you're done with training?" she asked casually. She didn't want it to appear like she was pitying or babying him. "I could bring dinner over."

"You don't have to do that." Oliver tried to match Katie's informal tone in an attempt to avoid sounding needy or desperate. "You've already done so much. I'm sure you'd love a break."

"Nonsense," Katie answered cheerily. "How about I make us dinner and come by around 7… or I'll pick up some takeaway. To be honest, I'm running out of recipe ideas. I don't exactly cook that much."

"You're good at it, though," Oliver offered.

Katie peered at him from her tea cup and blinked. "And you're a shit liar."

Oliver was relieved to set foot on the quidditch pitch again. Though he had just seen his teammates and coaches at the funeral, they all offered their condolences again and stopped to check on him. Once their words of encouragement were out of the way, it was back to business and Oliver appreciated the sense of normalcy.

Puddlemere United had a match against Ballycastle next, and though the Bats were nearly last in the league standings, Oliver knew better than to take them lightly. He also knew all eyes would be on him, questioning whether he'd be able to handle competing in a match so soon after his father's death. He was determined to prove himself, and to play in his father's honor.

After Oliver showered and dressed after practice, his manager, Bruce Wilcox, poked his head into the locker room.

"Oi! Wood! In here when you're ready."

Oliver sighed and trudged into Bruce's office. He felt exhausted and simply wanted to go home, a rare feeling from his usual self. He typically lingered after training to work out in the weight room, review plays or discuss tactics with teammates.

"Yeah, Coach?"

"Wood, glad to have you back," Bruce said. "I just wanted to check in and make sure you're all right."

"I'm all right."

"Are you really all right? You can be honest here, no judgment, and we can start Lennox against Ballycastle. We'll be fine if you want to take some more time."

Oliver sighed again. He appreciated having a manager who cared, but he had no desire to discuss his father. Talking about it made it feel too real and made him too emotional. He also had no desire to allow a reserve Keeper to start in his place; he was too competitive and his father would be livid if he chose to mourn him over playing quidditch.

"I'm really all right," Oliver answered. "And I'm good to play, really. I just want to get back out there."

"Well, all right," Bruce said, clapping Oliver on the back. "I'm glad to hear it. We need you."

Oliver walked home at a quicker pace than usual. He knew Bruce was merely looking out for him, but their conversation left him feeling choked up and anxious.

He hurried inside his flat and sank onto the sofa immediately. The adrenaline of returning to quidditch seemed to have gotten him through practice, but the reality of moving on and returning to life without his father seemed to hit him with a sudden and overwhelming force, leaving him void of any energy.

A sudden knock at the door reminded Oliver that Katie was coming by, and he looked around his living room in dread. He hadn't had time to clean up before training, meaning the flat was in the same state it'd been in before his dad's death.

"Coming," Oliver called out feebly as he attempted to kick a pile of Quidditch Weekly magazines under the sofa. His anxiety seemed to loosen its grip on him when Katie appeared from behind the door, a bag of food in hand.

"I got us Thai food from that spot you like over on Baronet Road," she said as she kicked off her sneakers. "There's probably enough food here to feed 10 people, so I hope you're hungry."

Oliver smiled for the first time that day and suppressed the urge to hug her in gratitude, instead deciding to fetch some plates from the kitchen. As Katie waited for him, she glanced around the flat and noticed her wine glass from several nights earlier remained on a side table. She fished her wand from her purse and flicked it, sending the wine glass sailing toward the sink. Another flick and the sofa cushions straightened themselves, a stack of newspapers zipped toward the rubbish bin and the bookshelves were relieved of dust.

"You didn't have to do that, I swear I was going to," Oliver said as Katie sat down at the kitchen table to eat.

"Yeah, but you aren't as good with those spells as I am. Now pass me some chopsticks."

They ate mostly in silence, chatting a little about Oliver's training that day. Oliver told Katie about his conversation with Bruce, and Katie noted that Oliver was fortunate to have a caring manager.

"I'm not mad for playing in a match so soon, am I?" Oliver asked. Katie met his gaze and seemed to be mulling over her response carefully. She was worried about Oliver, as any friend or relative would be for someone who had just suffered a terrible loss. She wanted Oliver to grieve and heal his father's death, but she also knew that quidditch provided him with stability and control.

"Honestly? No one would think you're mad if you decided to take some more time off, but no one will think twice about it if they see you playing this week either," she finally said.

"That's not a very helpful answer," Oliver laughed.

"Ol, I can't tell you what to do," Katie said seriously. "If you feel like you're ready to play again, I think you should. But if there's any voice in the back of your mind holding you back, it's okay to take some time."

"I'm just not sure what the right thing to do is."

"The only thing to do in this case is what feels right to you," Katie pointed out. "No one's going to judge you either way – no one who actually cares about you, that is. If The Prophet wants to run a story about how you rushed back to play after your dad's death, that says more about them than you. You have to look out for yourself now."

"My dad would want me to play." Oliver swallowed as the thought of his first match without his father made his chest hurt. He tore his gaze from Katie and began piling up their empty dishes to conceal his expression.

"Your dad would want you to do what's best for you," Katie noted as she watched him place the dishes in the sink. "He loved you and just wanted you to be happy."

Oliver nodded as he quietly considered her words. "I'm going to play," he said confidently, though his eyes weren't convincing.

Katie offered an encouraging smile, hoping her own eyes didn't give away her concern. "Everything will be all right," she added, rising to her feet to help Oliver clear the table.

Once the dishes were clean, Katie lingered in the kitchen, unsure of what to do next. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't slept alone in her own bed in a week.

Oliver had already come to the same conclusion, but said nothing.

"Well, I'll let you get to it," Katie finally said. "I'm sure you want to get some sleep."

"You mean some sleep without someone stealing all the covers?"

Katie narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, but I do no such thing."

"Katie, I haven't had a warm night's sleep in a week thanks to you," Oliver teased.

"You're such a liar!"

Oliver laughed and a heavy silence settled around them, forcing Katie to shift from one foot to another. Oliver sensed she was about to move toward the door, so he blurted out, "Wait." Katie looked at him curiously.

"I just wanted to say thank-you for… well, everything this past week," Oliver continued. "I know I already said this, but I really am grateful for all you've done. You didn't have to do all that, or this," he gestured aimlessly, "and it really has meant a lot."

"It's nothing, really," Katie said honestly. "I know it's been hard and I know you've still got a lot of healing to do… and I also know you're more of the type to put on a brave face than admit to any of that, so I'm here for you."

Oliver chewed on his bottom lip as Katie waited patiently for him to speak up. She could sense that there was more to this conversation, but she wasn't confident enough to take the lead.

Vulnerability wasn't Oliver's strength, but Katie's presence was soothing. He glanced toward a window as if he was observing that it was dark out.

"Are you sure you're okay to walk home?" he finally asked. "It's late."

Katie understood. Oliver didn't know how to ask for help, and it wasn't fair for her to expect him to; not when he was already so emotionally drained.

"I can stay over, if you want," she offered gently. She gazed at him with kind eyes, hoping he understood that he was in a safe space. Oliver nodded in response and Katie smiled. "I call dibs on the covers, then."

Chapter Text

Two days later, Oliver found himself suiting up for Puddlemere United's next match. He swallowed nervously as he strapped his knee guards on and ignored some of the anxious chatter within the locker room, his thoughts wavering between his gameplan and his dad.

His stomach contorted into knots, but he was grateful that Katie had forced him to eat breakfast in the morning, even if it was just eggs and toast. The last thing he needed was to be lightheaded from not eating. His head was dizzy enough as it was.

Katie had spent the last two nights at Oliver's. It was clear to her that he wanted her company; not in a lonely or even needy manner, but Katie suspected he didn't want to be alone. And though Oliver didn't outright ask her to continue to stay, he didn't make any plea for her to go home.

He also didn't discuss his father much until the morning of the match.

It was his first match since his father's death and the press had made sure to make note of that. The Daily Prophet ran a headline pondering if Oliver was rushing back too quickly after such a tragedy, while The Quibbler wondered if wrackspurts were causing Oliver to think irrationally.

"It'll be all right," Katie tried to reassure him over breakfast. "Remember, your dad's proud of you no matter what."

Her words were soon forgotten. Oliver played terribly, allowing a season-high nine goals during the match. He was lucky that Ballycastle's defense was among the worst in the league, and that Puddlemere's Seeker managed to pull off a spectacular catch to end the match in Puddlemere's favor.

Still, despite the win, Oliver was disgusted by his performance. He trudged into the locker rooms and threw his guards on the ground, slinking into the showers without a word to his teammates.

Maybe he had returned to quidditch too quickly. He had felt fine, even though he was still hurting over his father's death. He thought he could return to business as usual, but from the first whistle of the match, his head had felt foggy and he struggled to concentrate.

Now, everyone would think he wasn't all right from his father's death. Oliver didn't typically care what the press wrote about him, but a matter so personal felt different this time.

When he dressed and returned to his locker, Angelina was waiting for him.

"You didn't try to drown yourself this time," she noted. Oliver didn't respond. "Come on, Wood. It's all right. The win is all that matters."

"Tell that to the reporters out there waiting on me," Oliver replied tersely.

"The press room's cleared out now. They've all left. Besides, forget them. Since when are you worried about the media?"

"Since they decided to run stories about my dad dying."

"All those stories are stupid, outside noise. You know that. You can't let them get to you," Angelina said, taking a seat next to Oliver on the bench. The rest of the team had cleared out, off to celebrate the victory, but Angelina had known that Oliver wasn't happy with himself.

"I just feel like they've made it so personal," Oliver noted. "They're like grindylows, just waiting to surround and attack."

"Even so, you can't let them get the best of you. You're too good for that. They'll move on to a new story within a day or two anyway."

Oliver sighed. "I know. I'm just tired of them. They come for Katie. They come for me. They bring up my dad. It's all so invasive."

"Speaking of Katie, she's outside waiting," Angelina said, hoping that would motivate Oliver to get up. "Let's get going."

Oliver shut his locker and followed after Angelina, who led him outside where they were dismayed to find reporters lingering in hopes of cornering Oliver.

"There you are!" Katie waved at the pair with George in tow. "These reporters are getting on my last nerve."

"Sorry," Oliver apologized. "I didn't realize they were waiting on me."

"Oliver!" a reporter shouted. "Oliver, do you care to comment on your performance today?"

"Oliver!" another called. "Were you thinking of your dad?"

Katie glared at them. "Absolutely disgusting," she said. "Preying on someone who's suffered a terrible loss. They're nothing but leeches."

"I don't have any comment," Oliver called out to the group of reporters. His voice was steady and firm, though he could feel the anxiety bubbling in his chest.

"Do you think you rushed back to quidditch?" the first reporter pressed.

"What do you think your dad would say?" another called. "Do you think he'd be disappointed in you?"

"Oh, you vile, evil troll!" Katie snapped. Angelina gasped as Katie whipped around toward the reporter. Before Angelina could stop her, Katie was swinging a hand at him. Her open palm made hard contact with the man, who staggered backward in shock as George hurriedly pulled Katie away by the arm.

"Katie!" he exclaimed, though his expression suggested that he was clearly enjoying the moment.

"You can't attack a reporter!" Angelina cried worriedly. Cameras flashed and she knew Katie would be in the papers the next day.

Meanwhile, the crowd remained stunned, some lingering to see what would happen next, others scattering away. Laughter could be heard in pockets among the crowd while others checked on the reporter.

The group dragged Katie away into the tunnel to head home.

"That was brilliant!" George said as the crowd noise grew faint in the distance.

"The absolute nerve of that oaf!" Katie remained heated. "What paper did he work for? I ought to write them and let them know how unprofessional and out of line he was. He-"

"Katie, calm down," Angelina said in her most soothing tone. "It's over. For now… though you really shouldn't have done that, especially in front of the cameras."

"I don't care," Katie snapped. She meant it. She didn't care if the press wrote stories about how mad or unhinged she was. "How dare they behave like that. Completely insensitive. Don't they realize Oliver's a human being?"

"I know," Angelina continued calmly. "But reacting like that – smacking a guy – they're going to run with that for days, weeks, even."

"I don't care," Katie repeated slowly. "I know you and Oliver can't react like that, but I can. Maybe I shouldn't but I don't care. They need to know they aren't going to get away with that kind of behavior."

Angelina fell silent as she realized there was no reasoning with Katie, who walked at a brisk, angry pace. George was practically skipping with glee behind her and Oliver trudged quietly at the rear of the group.

When it came time to part ways, Angelina looked warily at her friends. "Are you two going to be all right?" she asked.

"We'll be fine," Katie answered. Oliver remained silent and Angelina's gaze lingered on him briefly.

"All right," she finally said, taking George's arm. "I'll check in on you two tomorrow."

"Good night," Katie said as George bowed to her.

By the time they reached Oliver's flat, he still hadn't said a word. Katie was very aware of this, but was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to address it.

They entered the flat without word, Katie tossing her sweater on the back of a chair while Oliver sat quietly on the sofa. It wasn't until Katie took a moment to study him that her annoyed expression shifted to concern.

"Are you all right?" she asked guiltily. It suddenly dawned on her that she'd taken an already terrible moment for Oliver and made it worse by making it about herself – not that she'd meant to, but she hadn't really considered Oliver's feelings when she slapped the reporter.

"I… don't know," Oliver admitted blankly. His expression matched his tone and he heaved a sigh. "I'm tired of everyone asking me if I'm all right, because I really don't know the answer."

"I'm sorry," Katie said. "Not just for asking if you're all right but for, you know, what happened back there."

Oliver shrugged, indicating he wasn't upset by Katie's run-in with the reporter. Katie motioned him to sit on the sofa, tucking her legs beneath herself as she sat. She didn't speak, but gazed at Oliver intently to patiently encourage him to continue.

"I just feel… exhausted," Oliver finally admitted. "I feel as if the tiniest tasks are impossible."

Katie nodded. "You've been through a lot, Ol."

"I know, but people have been through worse."

"That doesn't invalidate the way you're feeling, though," Katie pointed out. "You're allowed to grieve and feel bad. It doesn't mean you're feeling sorry for yourself or disregarding others."

Oliver nodded quietly as he mulled her words over.

"I struggled with those same feelings," Katie continued. "Back when Fred died… I felt so depressed and struggled to get out of bed. Life felt unbearable. I kept thinking, 'How do I go on without one of my best friends?' But then I felt so guilty because I knew the Weasleys were feeling even worse. I felt like I should be strong for them, and for everyone else who lost someone in the war. Some people lost their entire families and I felt bad, when in reality, my grief was still valid."

"You went through a lot too back then," Oliver noted. "The necklace… then the war. No one was judging you for how you handled all that… at least no one who cared about you."

"Exactly," Katie said. "No one who cares about you is judging you for how you're feeling or handling yourself right now, Oliver. You've been through something terrible and you're trying to be strong for your family. We know that and the press is just being the insufferable trolls they are. It's not fair that you have to deal with them, but you do need to grieve in the way that's best for you."

"Do you think I should have played today?" Oliver asked suddenly.

"Yes," Katie said without hesitation. "Because even though you didn't play great, and even though you feel awful now, I think you needed to do something that felt normal to you, even if life isn't normal right now, and even if you think you need a break now."

Oliver nodded. "I don't regret playing today. I wanted to. I needed to. I needed to make an attempt at normalcy. I just… I feel like I'm living in a shell of myself right now."

"You just need time," Katie said. "Everything you're feeling is valid, but it's also overwhelming."

"So do I just push through it and keep trying to return to normal, or do I take time off?" Oliver asked.

Katie bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know," she admitted. "I think you have to decide that."

"I don't want to let the team down, but I guess I kind of did that today anyway," Oliver said.

"You need to do what's best for you," Katie pointed out. She thought for a moment. "What if you took a trip? Just a quick one, for a few days? Maybe a little getaway would be good for you."

Oliver was taken aback. He never would have entertained such an idea during the season with the playoffs approaching, but maybe Katie was right. Maybe he just needed a few days to clear his head and recharge.

"The press will lose their minds if they find out," Oliver said slowly. "But I suppose this isn't about them, is it?"

"Exactly."

"Some warm weather would be nice."

"Exactly."

"Will you come with me?"

"Huh?"

"Will you come with me?"

Katie blinked. She hadn't meant for them to take a trip together. She meant that Oliver could benefit from some time to himself. Not that she didn't want to go, but a couple's getaway felt too romantic for two people who were just friends.

"You want me to go with you?" Katie asked stupidly.

"Well sure, why not? It could be fun and it's not like anyone would be surprised to see us traveling together. At this point, it'd probably look more bizarre if I were alone," Oliver said.

"You're sure you wouldn't rather be alone?"

"I'm sure."

"Well, all right," Katie agreed. "Work needs me, but I suppose a few more days away won't be the end of the world."

Oliver grinned at her. "You just slapped a reporter in front of dozens of people and will undoubtedly be on the cover of The Prophet tomorrow. You're going to need a vacation, too."

Chapter Text

Oliver had been right.

The press went mad over Katie's run-in with the reporter, which Angelina and Alicia took great delight in over brunch the following morning.

"At least your outfit looked cute," Alicia noted as the trio peered at the front page of The Daily Prophet. Angelina winced as the Katie in the photo made hard contact with the reporter's face.

"I can still hear that slap even now," Angelina mused. "I heard the team's decided to revoke that bloke's press credential. Coach was livid when he found out."

"Good," Katie said happily. "Serves him right for being such an insensitive bastard."

"How's Wood doing after all that?" Angelina asked.

"Well," Katie started slowly as she chose her words carefully. "Oliver and I have decided to go on a trip."

"Huh?"

"He's going to talk to the team about it before practice this afternoon," Katie continued. "If anyone disproves, we won't go, but he thinks it'll be good for him to take a few days away to relax and reset his mind."

"I don't disagree with that," Angelina commented as she eyed Katie sharply, "But you're going with him?"

"Well yeah," Katie answered nonchalantly. She knew her friends were going to react this way, but she still was going to try her best to downplay the situation. "Why not? Oliver asked me to go."

"He asked you to go?" Alicia repeated.

Katie narrowed her eyes at her friends. "Have you two lost your hearing? Isn't that what I said?"

"But he specifically asked you to go?"

"Yes!" Katie said with an eye roll. "He said he wanted my company and honestly, it'd probably draw more attention if I didn't go. Everyone's grown used to seeing us together."

"And where are you two going?" Alicia demanded.

"Mexico," Katie replied casually. "We found a nice resort on the beach. Should mostly be muggles so we hopefully won't be bothered too much."

"You're going to Mexico. To a romantic beach resort. With Oliver Wood," Angelina repeated blankly.

"Just for four nights," Katie said. "Then we'll be back and hopefully Oliver will be ready for the next match."

"Katie," Alicia said, her tone apparent with amusement. "Come on. Quit dancing around the point."

"There is no point! We are going as two friends in need of a little vacation. Oliver needs to recharge and I need to get away from the press. It's a win-win situation," Katie replied.

"The point is, you've practically moved in with Wood and now you're going on vacation together?" Alicia pressed.

"Moved in with him?!" Angelina exclaimed as Katie shot Alicia a glare.

"Yes! Katie hasn't slept at our flat in over a week. She spends every night at Wood's," Alicia revealed, shrugging off Katie's annoyed expression. Angelina rose an eyebrow.

"This is news to me," she said. "Katie, what is going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Katie said calmly before she downed the remainder of her mimosa. "I've just been crashing at Oliver's place because he likes the company. He doesn't really want to be alone just yet."

"So you're just sleeping at his place?"

"Yes."

"In his bed?"

"Yes. He doesn't have a spare bedroom, it's full of quidditch gear." Alicia and Angelina shared a not-so subtle glance, causing Katie to leer at them. "What's the big deal? Nothing's going on between us," she insisted.

"And why not?" Alicia demanded in exasperation. "Katie, you're with him all the time, you're practically living with him, you helped out his family when his dad died and now you're going on vacation with him? At this point, you two might as well admit it's real."

"We both need to have feelings for each other for it to be real," Katie said smugly.

The other two women gazed at Katie with expressions of exasperation.

"You honestly are going to sit there and insist you don't have feelings for Wood?" Angelina asked. "Katie, be real."

"I am being real!" Katie answered hotly. "I've told you two time and time again that I'm not interested in a relationship. It's easy to pretend and that's all this is." She stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the concrete floor as she tossed her napkin on the table. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pack for my trip."

Oliver removed his sunglasses and tucked them neatly in his front shirt pocket. He couldn't help but nod in approval as he glanced around, impressed by Katie's planning skills.

Katie had managed to plan and book their trip and itinerary in 24 hours. She reserved a posh suite at a secluded resort hotel and arranged for a portkey from London to Mexico. All Oliver had to do was pack a suitcase and show up per Katie's instructions.

"Not bad, right?" Katie said happily, the sunshine warming her skin. From their room, they had a full view of the crystal blue ocean, which seemed to sparkle beyond the white, sandy beach dotted with palm trees. Katie tossed her bags on the bed and threw open the door to the balcony to welcome the breezy salt air.

Meanwhile, Oliver surveyed the room, impressed by its upscale yet cozy features including a king-sized bed and a mini bar stocked with an offering of drinks.

"You did all right," Oliver said, tossing an arm around Katie's shoulders as he joined her on the balcony. The warm air and vibrant scenery already had him at ease and a new sense of happiness bubbled within him.

"Just all right?" Katie inquired with a grin.

"Okay, you did brilliant."

Katie retreated back inside the room and kicked her sneakers off. It was 3:00 in the afternoon and she was determined to make the most of every minute there. She began rummaging through her suitcase until she brandished a blue bikini. Oliver blinked.

"I don't know about you," Katie said. "But I'm heading down to the pool. I have every intention of returning to London three shades darker."

Before Oliver could respond, Katie had ducked into the bathroom to change, emerging a few minutes later clad in her bikini. Oliver cleared his throat and quirked an eyebrow at her, drawing an eye roll from Katie.

"Oh, please," she sighed. "Don't tell me you're going to get all weird on me now. I've practically been living with you and everyone thinks we're shagging anyway." Oliver shrugged and Katie pushed past him with a playful nudge.

"You go on ahead," Oliver said. "I'll meet you by the pool."

A half hour later, he found Katie just there, chatting with some seemingly newfound friends – a pair of men who appeared to be in their early 30s. Oliver frowned as he spotted Katie sitting by the edge of the pool, her feet swishing in the water. The two men were in the pool, standing in waist-high water laughing about something Katie had said.

Oliver cleared his throat and stood over Katie, who tilted her head backward to grin up at him.

"Oliver!" she said cheerily. "Come sit. No, wait, you need a drink first."

"I'm all right for now," Oliver said, lowering himself to sit next to Katie on the ledge of the pool. He eyed the two strange men sternly and draped an arm around Katie.

"This is my boyfriend, Oliver. Ol, this is Andy and Simon," Katie said. "They're from America."

"Texas, to be exact," the one named Andy added. Oliver had no idea where Texas was, nor did he care. Instead, he nodded politely and refrained from much discussion.

As they chatted, the two men eventually seemed to notice Oliver's hostility. The one named Simon cleared his throat. "You don't have to worry, man," he said, resting a hand on Andy's shoulder. "Your girl isn't exactly our type." Oliver relaxed as he understood and Katie snorted.

"Don't tell me you're getting jealous now, Ol," she teased. She kicked some water at Oliver and giggled. "Lighten up, Ol. We're on holiday. We owe it to ourselves to have some fun."

Katie and Oliver spent the remainder of afternoon by the pool until the sun began to set and the sky shifted to a gradient of orange and pink hues. Katie declared she was famished and needed to eat immediately, so the pair returned to their room to get cleaned up for dinner, where Katie even convinced Oliver to indulge in one cocktail.

After dinner and a stroll around the rest of the resort to explore, Katie decided she was tired and ready for bed. Oliver agreed and fell asleep nearly as soon as they returned to their room.

It was nearly 3:00 in the morning when he was jerked awake by the sound of screaming. The shrill noise was so abrupt and sudden, he fumbled for his wand from the nightstand and scrambled out of bed to his feet.

"Lumos!"

Katie, who still appeared to be asleep, was thrashing violently from her side of the bed. Oliver wondered if she was having some kind of fit and shook her firmly, causing her to scream again.

"Katie? Katie, wake up." He shook her again and her eyes rolled open. "Katie, are you okay?"

It took Katie a moment to remember where she was. She was clammy, her legs twisted in the bedsheets and her mouth felt dry. "Oliver?"

"What happened? I thought you'd been attacked!" Oliver lowered his wand as Katie winced at the light. Through the darkness, he could hear Katie breathing heavily and decided to give her a moment to gather herself.

"I'm fine," Katie eventually said in a quiet voice. "Just had a nightmare is all." Oliver frowned and set his wand back on the nightstand before crawling into bed again.

"A nightmare?" he repeated, gazing downward at Katie, who was flat on her back, still steadying her breathing. "That sounded a lot worse than a nightmare. It seemed like you were having a fit." Katie didn't respond and Oliver sighed. "Sorry," he added. "You just scared me. Can I get you anything? Some water or something?"

"No, I'm fine," Katie murmured. Oliver could hear a quivering in her voice. He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, sensing that she'd suffered more than a typical nightmare.

Katie, who could detect Oliver's concern, heaved a sigh. She swallowed as she mulled her words over carefully, deciding how to explain herself to him. Though she didn't like the sense of vulnerability, Oliver probably deserved to know.

"These happen sometimes," she finally said. "These night terrors. Ever since… ever since the necklace."

"How often?"

"It's hard to tell. Sometimes I'll go months without one, sometimes I'll have two in the same week. I can't predict them. Alicia doesn't know," she added quickly. "I put a silencing charm on my room at my flat. No one knows."

Oliver understood. "I won't say anything," he promised as he laid back down.

"Thanks."

"Is it… is it always the same nightmare?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," Katie answered. "It's always the same, but it never gets any less scary. It always goes back to the necklace."

That stupid necklace. Katie cursed the moment she had decided to enter the loo inside the Three Broomsticks that fateful day. That damn necklace had nearly ended her life and all these years later, it was still finding ways to ruin it.

"You sure you don't need anything?" Oliver asked. Katie cuddled up to him and shut her eyes, grateful for his presence. He seemed to understand that she'd be fine and she was relieved he wasn't badgering her for more details.

"I'm sure," she finally answered sleepily. "Just need some sleep and another day of sunshine."

Chapter Text

Oliver chose not to bring up Katie's nightmares for the remainder of the trip.

Katie appeared to remain in a cheerful state, so Oliver decided it was best to keep quiet unless she mentioned it first. Pushing someone to discuss their trauma felt hypocritical to him after the pain he'd recently been through.

They spent most of the next three days by the pool, chatting with other resort guests and tanning in the sun. Katie insisted she was getting darker, though Oliver teased her by saying he didn't notice a difference.

On the final night of the trip, Katie declared she wanted to watch the sunset on the beach before walking into the nearby town to explore. Once the pair found a spot in the sand, Katie sat down, stretching her legs out. Oliver copied her and they sat quietly for a few moments, listening to the sound of the ocean and laughter echoing from other guests around the resort.

"So are you glad you came here?" Katie finally asked. Oliver nodded. How could he not be glad he'd decided to come to Mexico as he sat beneath a gradient orange sunset next to someone who had become one of his closest confidants?

"I am. I feel a lot better. More relaxed. My mind doesn't feel so jumbled now and I don't feel so exhausted," Oliver answered.

Katie eyed him carefully as he answered, as if she were trying to verify his honesty. Once she decided she was content with his response, she nodded in agreement.

"I feel better, too. Not that I had as much going on in my head as you," she added. "But my head's much clearer. And I have noticed you've been much less tense."

"Had I been acting tense recently?"

Katie blinked at him. "Ol, you could've sliced the tension with a blade most days," she said. "Not that anyone blamed you. We were all just worried about you."

Oliver felt bad. He knew expressing his feelings wasn't one of his strengths and people often found that frustrating.

"I don't want anyone to worry about me."

"That's how it works when you have friends and family. We worry about you when life isn't treating you fairly and when awful things happen to you," Katie pointed out.

Oliver sighed. "I know," he said. "I just really hoped that everything would go back to normal if I acted like it had."

"Do you feel more normal now?"

"I do. I feel… more at peace about my dad, like I can finally handle the thought of life without him. It still hurts and I miss him but I think I'm starting to accept he's gone. I feel like I'm ready to go back home and get back to quidditch. I miss it, too," Oliver answered.

Katie snorted. "Of course," she said. "Heaven forbid you be separated from your true love for a few days."

"Maybe someday you'll get to experience a love as beautiful," Oliver teased.

"Doubt it," Katie said with an eyeroll. "No romance can ever compare to Oliver Wood and his broomstick."

"Why do you have to say it like that?" Oliver said, making a face. Katie smirked at him and shrugged. A particularly loud wave crashed against the sand and Katie sighed.

"Well I don't want to go home," she declared as the colors in the sky darkened to a nearly impossible shade of pink.

"No?"

"No, I want to stay here, away from the madness awaiting us in London."

Oliver nodded in understanding. Just because they had escaped for a few days didn't mean there wouldn't be questions waiting for them back home. There'd be questions on Oliver's status with the team and Katie's run-in with the reporter.

"We don't have to keep this up, you know," Oliver finally said after mulling over his thoughts for a moment. "I mean, I know we initially said we'd keep it up until the season's over but I'd understand completely if it's getting to be too much."

Katie tilted her head to peer upward at Oliver. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"You know damn well that's not what I mean."

Katie had been meaning to discuss the future of their "relationship" but given all of the recent circumstances, she'd held off. There was no rush to make any decisions and Oliver had bigger issues on his plate. Truthfully, she'd grown comfortable with their arrangement and found Oliver's companionship enjoyable – not that she dared admit it to anyone.

"So are you suggesting I can't handle a relationship with the great Oliver Wood?" she asked.

"I think it's the other way around."

Katie flashed him a grin. "Just imagine what it's like actually dating me," she said.

"I imagine I'd need a lot more vacations," Oliver replied. It was his turn to smirk as Katie narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not that bad!" she insisted.

"Of course not, you're lovely."

"And you're a prick."

"I just said you're lovely! Why are you calling me a prick?"

"I thought you were being facetious."

"I was."

Katie moved to elbow Oliver in the side but he was too quick and blocked her arm. She rolled her eyes in defeat and rose to her feet, brushing sand from the backs of her legs. Oliver followed suit and snorted as he glanced at Katie and noticed sand clinging to the back of her dress.

"Katie, you're covered in sand," he said, reaching to swipe sand from Katie's rear.

"Hey!" Katie exclaimed as she twisted to look over her shoulder. "At least buy me dinner first!"

"Katie, I've been buying you dinner. I bought this entire trip."

Katie offered him a cheeky grin. "Oh. That's right. Well then, the least you can do is take me dancing."

The pair ventured into the nearby town, where Katie dragged Oliver into the touristy shops full of useless tchotchkes. Some sold little ceramic figurines while others sold vibrant dresses that Katie admired but knew she'd never wear.

Once Katie decided she didn't need any trinkets or souvenirs, they strolled through the streets, which bustled with other vacationers and locals enjoying a night out.

Katie suddenly stopped in her tracks as she noticed a large courtyard bar where jovial music was blaring. Couples were dancing beneath string lights and Katie immediately decided that was where she wanted to be.

"Come on," she said, grinning as she tugged at Oliver's arm. "You owe me."

"Can't I just buy you a purse or something?" Oliver whined. "Anything but this."

But it was too late. Katie was already moving her hips and her hold on Oliver's arm had shifted around his neck. Oliver realized he was in a losing battle and decided Katie looked too happy to fight with anyway, so he did his best to keep up with her, much to Katie's amusement.

"You're much more graceful on a broomstick," she commented.

"No shit."

Katie laughed. "Well, I appreciate the effort," she said.

Oliver noticed some of the other men in attendance had spotted Katie and were eyeing her with interest. Oliver took offense to this and hooked another arm around Katie's waist to pull her closer. Katie didn't seem to mind and tightened her hold around his neck.

"I've been meaning to thank you for coming with me," Oliver said as they danced.

Katie tilted her head and smiled. "Of course, it's nothing," she mused. "A trip to Mexico is hardly a burden."

"I know, but I also understand how busy work has been for you. And I know how much work you had to miss when… when my dad died."

Oliver hadn't meant to shift the mood to something so serious, but he wanted to be sure to express his gratitude to Katie. Something about her cheery mood and the closeness they seemed to be feeling to one another made him feel like he needed to get it off his chest.

"I'm glad you let me come with you," Katie said. "Not just because I got to go on a fabulous trip, but I'm glad you felt like you could ask for my company. I really hadn't meant to invite myself when I suggested you take a trip, but I'm happy my presence isn't unbearable."

"Let's not go that far." Katie scowled at Oliver, who smirked. "Only joking."

"You'd best be joking," Katie warned. "You could only be so lucky to be graced with my presence."

"No joke," Oliver grumbled, causing Katie to frown.

"What's that mean?"

"It means that there have been blokes here ogling you since we arrived," Oliver explained. "I guarantee you if I walk away for even a second, they're going to move in on you."

Katie snorted. "Please," she scoffed. "Let's not act like that group of women hovering near the bar hasn't been eyeing you in sad desperation either."

Oliver craned his neck slightly to glance toward the bar, but Katie reached for his face, returning his gaze upon herself.

"Eyes stay over here, pal," she warned.

"Not jealous, are we?" Oliver grinned.

"Not a chance," Katie said with narrowed eyes. "If anything, you seem to be the jealous one here."

"Not a chance," Oliver echoed.

"Oh?" Katie quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "So then you won't mind if I go have a dance with one of these other blokes."

Katie made a move toward the bar but Oliver grabbed her hand. "Nice try," he said, spinning her back toward himself in a move that left even Katie impressed.

"You are jealous," Katie mused, but they both knew Oliver would never admit to such a thing. Instead, they continued to dance until Katie's cheeks were flushed and she felt sweaty.

"Need something to drink?" Oliver asked, furrowing his brow at Katie's red face.

"Some water would be great, but a margarita would be greater," she answered. Oliver shrugged and led Katie to the bar gently by the hand, where he ordered her cocktail and a shot of tequila for himself.

"Look at you!" Katie said gleefully. "The great Oliver Wood taking tequila shots? Angelina and Alicia aren't going to believe me."

"Cheers." The pair clinked their glasses and Katie smiled as she watched Oliver wince after he downed the shot.

"How pitiful," she commented. Oliver narrowed his eyes.

"Let's see you do it then," he challenged.

Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the tequila in her own cocktail starting to seep into her inhibitions, but Katie decided she wasn't going to shy away from a dare.

"Fine," she quipped. She took a moment to drain the remainder of her margarita before setting the glass audibly on the bar top with a loud clink. Her eyes locked with the bartender and she smiled sweetly at him. "Another round of those shots, please."

A few rounds later, Katie and Oliver found themselves among a dwindling crowd of dancers as it grew late. The pair didn't seem to notice as they laughed and danced, chatting occasionally over the music.

"You're very red," Oliver commented between songs.

"You're very rude," Katie retorted.

"It's a nice shade of red, for what it's worth. Very lovely."

"Don't try to backtrack now," Katie said, feigning anger though her eyes shimmered with amusement.

"Sorry," Oliver replied in a sing-song tone that caused Katie to giggle. He rested his hands on either side of her hips and rested his forehead against hers. He was also hot and the tequila shots hadn't helped. "I promise to never cross you again."

"Good." Katie moved to peck a quick kiss on his lips but both of their lips lingered and they quickly found themselves in a deeper kiss that evolved into a moment that emptied both their minds of all self-preservation.

When they finally parted, Oliver's eyes dared to search Katie's, which seemed to be daring him to act.

He cleared his throat. "Are you ready to go?"

He didn't need to say much else to imply what was going through his mind, nor did Katie. She nodded and the pair left without speaking to each other. They walked in silence at first toward their hotel, with Katie noticeably falling behind due to her wedge heels.

"Can you move any slower?" Oliver teased. Katie made a face at him as she leaned against the base of a palm tree to steady herself and he laughed. "It's a shame I can't levicorpus you right now."

"I'll levicorpus your-" Oliver cut off Katie's retort with a kiss and all banter went forgotten as they took another moment to snog, the branches of the palm tree above them rustling in a momentary breeze.

They soon continued on their way, stopping twice more to lock lips before they finally stumbled inside their hotel room, allowing the door to slam shut behind them.

Katie kicked off her shoes in haste and latched onto Oliver, pulling him by the neck into another long kiss. It'd been a long time since she'd felt this way and the feeling was impossible to resist. She hadn't been with anyone since before she and Oliver started their arrangement and now, Oliver no longer felt like an old friend. Sure, they'd kissed plenty of times before, but all of those had either been in the presence of others or in sheer, innocent affection. Tonight felt entirely different. And sure, they both had a few drinks, but they assessed that the other seemed to be in a proper state of mind.

But saying that out loud would invalidate the excuse of too many drinks later, which Katie knew better.

All hope for hesitation dangled above them and they swapped a look that said neither cared.

After another passionate kiss, Katie could feel Oliver's hands creeping toward the zipper at the back of her dress.

"All right?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for any sign of protest, but Katie nodded.

"All right."

Chapter Text

Katie woke up the next morning and immediately turned to look at Oliver, who was sleeping peacefully beside her. Sunlight pooled over the bed and Katie cursed under her breath.

She'd been in this situation plenty of times, waking up naked next to a bloke when she shouldn't be, but never with a close friend. She couldn't even blame her actions on alcohol – she would, of course, as it was her only chance at an excuse, but she knew it wasn't true.

Oliver snored next to her and she would have laughed if not for the circumstances. Instead, she agonized over her options.

She could apparate home before Oliver wakes up. That would be so cowardly, though. Maybe if he were a stranger she'd never see again, but not someone she cared about.

What she needed was time. She needed to sort out her thoughts and come up with a plan and an excuse for her actions. She was sure Oliver would also have similar regrets and she needed to ensure they both could escape this little slip-up with minimal damage.

Katie glanced around and realized the dress she'd worn the previous night was in a crumpled heap across the room and her wand was conveniently on the coffee table, also on the other side of the room.

She couldn't wrap the covers around herself without stealing them from Oliver and risk waking him up. Then again, he'd already seen everything so was there any use in being modest now?

In a rush of impulse, Katie darted for the bathroom, the door snapping shut behind her. The sound jolted Oliver awake and he soon heard running shower water.

It took him a moment to collect his thoughts. He couldn't say he regretted the previous night, but Katie's absence from the bed hinted that she did.

Should he have done that? Sure, his actions were genuine but this was not the proper way to go about them. Should he apologize? He didn't want Katie to feel bad.

What if she was angry with him? Was she ashamed? Was she disappointed? What if she thought he was just another pig of a man? What if she stopped talking to him?

More importantly, why had Oliver thought their decision would end in any sort of favorable outcome? Hook-ups had never worked out well for him, and hooking up with a close friend was an absolutely mental thing for him to do, right?

By the time the water stopped running, Oliver realized he hadn't moved. He scrambled out of bed in a panic to put some clothes on and froze as the bathroom door opened.

Katie emerged, wrapped in a towel. She also stopped in her tracks as the two locked eyes and quickly looked away from each other.

As Oliver racked his brain for words, Katie quietly dug through her suitcase in search of something to wear. Thankfully, they were due to return home that morning and she could retreat into the sanctuary of her flat soon.

Katie retreated into the bathroom to get dressed, where she lingered in agony for several extra minutes.

What on Earth could she possibly say? This was a delicate situation she couldn't believe she put herself in. She knew that Oliver knew she hadn't been drunk. So then why'd she do it? Why did he do it? Katie's head spun.

Outside the bathroom, Oliver sighed before knocking gently on the door.

"Katie? We need to get going. We have to catch the portkey in twenty minutes."

Katie sucked in a breath of air and held it, puffing her cheeks out.

She exhaled with a puff and swallowed.

"Be right out," she answered in a tone she hoped sounded steady.

Oliver was levitating their suitcases toward the door when she exited the bathroom, fully dressed and determinedly avoiding eye contact. She could feel Oliver's eyes burning into the back of her head as she observed the room to ensure they hadn't forgotten to pack anything. Once her survey of the room was complete, she braced herself before turning to Oliver to meet his gaze.

"All set?"

Oliver nodded, fearful of his own voice, and reached to open the door for Katie. She walked past him, averting her eyes with every intention of heading straight to the portkey.

They landed from the portkey in a small, deserted park in north London, a brief walk to both of their flats. When it came time for their paths to part, Katie turned left to make a beeline to her flat. Oliver was surprised and broke his stride to follow her.

"What are you doing?" Katie asked.

"Walking you home."

"I can make it on my own."

"I know you can but-"

"But what, Oliver?" Katie sighed. She stopped, meeting his gaze with uneasy frustration. "You really don't need to do this."

"I always do this," Oliver pointed out. "I always walk you home. You know, when you aren't staying at my place."

Katie fought to choose her words carefully, her thoughts fragmented in a million directions. She didn't want to start a fight but she also was in no head space to have this discussion. She had figured he was probably going to try to follow her but hoped he'd back down and give up.

"I just meant you don't have to be nice and chivalrous just because of last night," she said.

Oliver frowned. "Katie, I'm not putting on some act," he said. "Like I said, I always walk you home. Why would this be any different? Do you really think I'd stop caring about you just because we slept together?"

Katie stifled a sigh and instead rubbed her temples. She was tired and cranky, and the time change and vast difference in climate weren't helping.

"Of course not," she said. "I just don't want you to feel like you owe me anything or need to treat me any differently."

"Why would I think that?"

Oliver's question was sincere and Katie noticed the undertones of offense that Oliver had taken. Maybe Katie was simply used to parting ways with no strings attached following a hook-up. She'd reached a point where she had no expectations from men, so perhaps she had become immune to sincerity. This was more than just a good guy trying to do the right thing, though. This was Oliver. And even though she was upset over what they'd done, she couldn't bring herself to cut him off so easily.

"I don't know," Katie said lamely. "I'm just tired is all. Come on, let's hurry up and get to my place so you can get home as well."

Oliver decided her agreement to being walked home would have to suffice. They continued in silence until they reached Katie's flat. She hoped Oliver would simply say goodbye and head home, but was dismayed as he insisted on carrying her suitcase inside for her.

"Thank you," Katie mumbled as Oliver set the suitcase down in the living room.

"You're welcome."

They fell quiet again and Katie heaved an annoyed sigh. Oliver picked up on her frustration and stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Can we just talk for a bit?" he asked gently.

"There's nothing to talk about."

It was Oliver's turn to sigh. "Katie, we should talk about it."

"Why, Oliver? What's the use? We made a mistake and we should move on from it."

Oliver gazed at her quietly for a moment, which only stirred more discomfort in Katie. He seemed to be mulling over conflicting words and Katie had half the mind to flee to her bedroom.

"So then how do you want to move on from it?" Oliver finally asked.

"We just… don't have to ever acknowledge it," Katie said. As the words left her mouth, she realized how silly they sounded but she was far too stubborn to back down.

"So you want to pretend it never happened?"

"I guess."

"Or do you want to break up?"

Something inside Katie's chest twisted. Why was this starting to feel like a genuine break-up?

"No," Katie answered. "Unless you want to. It doesn't matter to me."

Oliver blinked. He was about to ask what that meant when a door could be heard opening down the hall and Alicia soon emerged.

"You're back!" she said cheerily. "How was Mexico?" Katie and Oliver's expressions gave away the nature of their uncomfortable conversation and Alicia frowned at them. "You two all right?"

"We're great," Oliver answered as he attempted to smile at Alicia. It came off as more of a grimace but Alicia chose not to say anything.

Oliver moved to kiss Katie on the cheek, his usual goodbye, but thought better of it. "I've got to run," he said as he picked up his own suitcase instead. "I need to get a workout in before I return to full training with the team tomorrow."

Katie mumbled goodbye as she averted eye contact.

"See you later."

As soon as he was gone, Alicia frowned at Katie. "What happened?" she demanded.

Katie blinked and did her best to appear confused. "What do you mean? Nothing happened."

"Bullocks," Alicia said. "Something happened. Poor Wood looked like his cat died."

"He doesn't have a cat. He's allergic," Katie commented, eliciting a glare from Alicia.

"Katherine Alexandra Bell, you tell me right this instant," Alicia demanded. "I know you better than almost anyone and I know you're lying."

Had the situation been different, Katie would have laughed at Alicia's attempt at sounding so strict and serious. Alicia had always been the milder, people-pleaser of their friend group, careful to avoid confrontation or upsetting others.

Katie frantically searched for an excuse, but the look in Alicia's eyes made it impossible for her to find one. Alicia was her closest friend. They shared everything and Katie suddenly realized that Alicia would soon be moving out once she married Lee, meaning they may not have moments like this anymore.

"I slept with Oliver."

Alicia sucked in a gasp and again, Katie likely would have laughed at her expression had the situation been different.

"You're joking!" Alicia breathed with wide eyes.

"Alicia, why the bloody hell would I joke about that?" Katie was exasperated and tired. Her conversation with Oliver had been bad enough, but having to tell Alicia everything was draining the last bit of energy she had.

"So are you two together now? Like, actually together?" Alicia asked.

Katie closed her eyes. She knew Alicia wouldn't understand the gravity of the situation.

"Of course not," Katie said, attempting not to snap at her friend. "Alicia, it's not like that between us."

"You're not serious. Katie, how can you say it's not like that when clearly it is? You wouldn't have slept together if there wasn't mutual attraction."

"Of course there's mutual attraction," Katie said. "I'm not delusional enough to deny that I'm attracted to Oliver. But that doesn't mean we have romantic feelings. It was a pure act of lust. Neither of us had been with anyone since we started… our arrangement. I guess we just needed to let off some steam."

"I'll say," Alicia mused, which prompted Katie to groan and trudge toward her bedroom. "Katie, come on!" Alicia begged as she followed her friend. "You know Wood has feelings for you. He's always had a soft spot for you but these past few months have been more than that. He really cares about you."

"I care about him, too," Katie sighed. "But it's not like that. We're good friends and we have a mutual agreement on that. There are no feelings involved."

"Why can't you wrap your head around the fact that Wood fancies you?"

"Because he doesn't!" Katie exclaimed. Her head was pounding and it was taking all of her discipline to avoid slamming the door in Alicia's face. She knew Alicia's excitement was good-natured, as aggravating as it was. Katie had been just as excited when Lee and Alicia first started dating, but that was different.

Still, Alicia's frustration was also becoming evident as her frown shifted to more of a glare.

"Katie," she said sternly. "What's so bad about Wood? He's everything you should want in a man. He's a good person who cares about you. He's good-looking, has a good career and he'd take care of you."

"He's everything you want in a man," Katie commented. "I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"Don't turn this on me just because I won't sleep with anything that walks."

Katie blinked, genuinely shocked by Alicia's bold statement. It felt like Alicia had slapped her, probably worse. Alicia's eyes were even wider as she realized the weight of her words.

"So that's how you feel," Katie said coolly. "You think I'm just some slag."

"That's not what I said," Alicia pushed back. "I just don't see why you run from the good men and choose temporary satisfaction from the ones who don't deserve you."

Katie clenched her jaw. "I don't run from anything. And I'd like to be left alone now." She slammed the door shut.

Across town, Oliver found himself walking into Puddlemere United's training facility. He had dropped off his luggage and changed at home before heading straight there. A good workout would clear his head and distract him for a few hours.

The training facility was mostly empty, except for a few reserve players working out. Oliver was grateful to be left to himself, especially as he started his workout and quickly realized how difficult it was to concentrate.

Just as he was agonizing over the fact he had no one he could talk to about his situation since so few people knew about his arrangement with Katie, Angelina emerged from the locker rooms.

"Wood? You're back! I was just going to get a quick run in and it's too cold outside. How was Mexico?"

Oliver didn't know what made him do it, but he suddenly found himself telling Angelina everything. The two had become closer friends since they became teammates, but they rarely discussed something so personal.

Angelina couldn't hide her smirk of satisfaction as Oliver finished his story. She smiled at him sympathetically as he revealed his awkward conversation with Katie in her flat.

"Typical Katie," Angelina sighed. "She's always had a knack for running from her problems."

"I just wish she'd talk to me about it. I'm not expecting anything from her, but I do want her to at least be able to look me in the eye again," Oliver said.

"What else did she say?"

"Just that it was a mistake and we should move on from it."

"Yeah, that seems to be her motto," Angelina said. She eyed Oliver carefully before she continued. "What about you? Was it a mistake for you?"

"What do you mean? Of course – I mean, Katie's my friend. We've known each other for so long. She's been so supportive of me. We know each other so well, we-" Angelina's smirk stopped him. "What?"

"You know, Wood, you tend to ramble when you lie," Angelina noted. "Most people do, but it's particularly noticeable with you since you're too virtuous of a person to lie comfortably."

"How am I lying? Katie is my friend!"

"I know. But you're lying about it being a mistake." Angelina paused for dramatic effect. "Aren't you?"

Oliver released a lengthy exhale. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "I mean, no, it wasn't a mistake at the time. But now Katie's pissed at me and jeopardizing our friendship makes me feel like it was a mistake."

Angelina's knowing gaze forced Oliver to look away. He watched a couple of reserve players wrap up their workout before he finally returned his attention to Angelina.

"So what do I do?" he asked. "How do I fix this?"

Angelina let out a low whistle. "I don't know," she admitted. "This is just sort of what Katie does. Sometimes you just have to let her cool down and come to her senses. She may be difficult at times, but she's not stupid… and she cares about you… a lot."

"Well, thanks for the advice," Oliver sighed.

"You going to be okay to play?"

Oliver nodded confidently. "I'm ready. I've managed to clear my head about my dad. Though I guess this stuff with Katie has caused another cloud."

"Don't worry," Angelina assured. "It'll be all right. Katie's probably just a little embarrassed."

"Am I really that bad?"

"Wood, please," Angelina said dryly as she rolled her eyes for emphasis. "It's not you. It's her. Katie's an amazing person but she isn't without her flaws, and her tendency to withdraw when confronted with a problem is among the biggest. And before you ask, no, of course I won't say anything to her about this."

The pair had been sitting on the floor of the facility's fitness room. Oliver stretched his legs out and Angelina couldn't help but grin.

"You look tanner," she noted. "Did you at least have a good time?"

"It was great. You know, until…"

Angelina raised an amused eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

"No! No… that part was also great," Oliver said quickly. "Just not the morning after."

"Just give her time," Angelina said soothingly. "The one thing about Katie is that she's resilient. She always bounces back."

Chapter Text

By the time the quidditch playoffs started, Katie and Oliver both immersed themselves in work. Neither of them had any choice, but there was also some intention behind their avoidance of each other.

Still, Katie knew the press would begin speculating if the pair suddenly stopped appearing together. The last thing Oliver needed was an additional distraction, so Katie agreed to a few dinner dates since their return from Mexico, with an unspoken mutual agreement that neither of them would bring it up. But beyond a few dinners together, Katie did her best to avoid too much alone time with Oliver to prevent any awkward moments or more poor decisions.

The evening before Puddlemere United's first playoff match against the Chudley Cannons, Katie found herself fidgeting at home.

She shifted in her seat on the sofa for what seemed like the hundredth time and Alicia, who had just returned from work, cleared her throat as she picked through some leftover takeaway.

"What?" Katie asked, unaware her agitation had become so visible.

Alicia quirked an amused eyebrow.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "You're acting like your pants are full of spiders."

Katie sighed. "I'm just nervous about tomorrow's match is all," she said.

Alicia blinked. "You do know you're not on the team, right?"

"Of course I know that," Katie said with narrowed eyes. "But two of our closest friends are."

"Angelina's fine," Alicia pointed out. "She said she and George were going to have dinner at The Burrow and head to bed early… unless there's someone else you're referring to."

"Oh, grow up," Katie sighed. "Of course I'm worried about Oliver. You know how he is. It was bad enough when we were in school. This means so much more. It's everything to him."

"So why are you here?" Alicia asked simply. "Go check on him. Unless you're too afraid."

Katie knew what Alicia was doing. She was trying to annoy her into going to Oliver's. But Katie was in no mood for another argument with Alicia, as the two had just smoothed things over from the last one.

"Things are just weird, you know?" Katie said. "When we hang out, things feel different now – very forced. We talk, but not about anything serious, like we're afraid of letting loose again. Things just feel very stiff."

"I'll bet they do," Alicia snorted, eliciting another glare from Katie. "Oh, come on," Alicia continued. "You're his fake girlfriend, go check on him. You know he's probably up pacing around like a caged hippogriff. Go talk to him. It'll calm him down. And if that doesn't work, I can think of another way to put him at ease."

Katie stood with a huff. "You're a nightmare," she said as she crossed the room to slip on some shoes, much to Alicia's delight.

Katie walked briskly toward Oliver's flat. It was about 9 p.m. and Puddlemere's manager had set a strict 8 p.m. curfew for the team to ensure no one would be too tired or hungover to play the next day. Katie assumed Oliver had planned to go to bed immediately after dinner, but she also knew him well enough to know he'd still be awake. During the nights before Gryffindor matches, she'd always see Oliver up late, huddled in a corner of the Common Room, leafing through his quidditch plays and muttering to himself about tactics.

She knocked gently on the door and waited until she heard footsteps approaching.

"It's Katie," she called out. The lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing Oliver in a pair of sweatpants.

"I figured you'd still be up," Katie said as Oliver stepped aside to let her in.

"It'll be a miracle if I get any sleep tonight," Oliver muttered. The lights in the flat were off, but Katie noticed several sheets of various quidditch plays scattered across the dining table.

She hoisted herself up onto the kitchen island, her legs gently swaying back and forth as Oliver leaned back against the counter's edge across from her, making sure to put a safe distance between them.

"You've got to get some sleep, Ol."

Oliver nodded. "I know. Trust me, I would if I could."

"Do you have any sleeping draught?"

"That stuff always leaves me feeling groggy the next morning," Oliver answered as he shook his head. "Don't want to risk it."

"Well, what's keeping you up?" Katie asked. "I mean, I know it's the match, but what's going through your head?"

"Everything all at once," Oliver sighed. "One minute I'm mulling over tactics, the next I'm thinking about my dad or about y-" He stopped and glanced at Katie, who was listening intently. "I just can't turn my brain off."

He didn't dare admit that she'd crossed his mind that evening just as many times as the upcoming match.

"Your dad would be so proud of you," she said. She failed to stifle a yawn and Oliver frowned.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Because I knew you'd still be up."

Oliver eyed her quietly for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He was glad she'd been thinking of him but didn't know where he stood. He also wasn't sure it was the best time to ask.

"So are we okay?" Oliver finally managed. Katie tensed but gazed at him with soft eyes.

"Of course," she answered. "We're fine."

Oliver decided not to press her any further. Now wasn't the time for a discussion on the nature of their relationship. It was important but he couldn't let it be the priority right now. He let out a sigh, feeling tired yet wide awake.

"You're going to be great, you know," Katie said. "The Cannons' offense is one of the slowest in the league. They'll be no match for you."

"I know. I just hope the team doesn't get too complacent. The moment we start assuming we're the better team is the moment we're doomed to make mistakes."

"You're a team of professionals," Katie pointed out. "You're among the best in the world and everyone knows how to handle their business. The team is going to be great."

Oliver nodded as he listened. She was right, but no words were going to convince him in that moment.

"Just focus on yourself and your task at hand. Don't worry about the others and trust them to do their part," Katie continued. "At least, that's what you always told me before matches."

Oliver offered her a small smile. "You actually listened," he pointed out.

Katie narrowed her eyes at him. "Come on, Captain, you should've had more faith in me. I wasn't that bad."

"You weren't," Oliver agreed. "Not as bad as the twins, when you weren't pining over the boys in your year."

"Jealous?" Katie teased.

"Not at all, considering you're sitting in my kitchen and not theirs."

Katie didn't have a retort and Oliver immediately wished he could take his words back. The banter that had once felt natural and fun now felt risky and awkward.

The silence loomed over them and Katie was certain it would suffocate her. She mentally scolded herself for flirting, in disbelief she wasn't being more careful. But as Oliver shifted his weight from one foot to the other, Katie unclenched her jaw and relaxed her shoulders.

She knew how Oliver's mind operated. Like the days that followed his father's death, Oliver needed someone's presence to serve as a distraction. Maybe some frivolous conversation was what he needed to quell his anxiety.

Katie kicked off her shoes and rested back on her hands, her legs still swaying over the counter's edge. Oliver seemed surprised by this, but chose to gaze at her quietly.

"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep too?" he finally asked. "I imagine your department has a lot to do tomorrow."

"We'll be all right. All the planning's complete and everything's in place." She slid herself off of the counter to her feet and started toward the hallway that led to the bedroom. "But you're right, we should be getting to bed. I'll need to borrow my usual sweatshirt to sleep in, if you don't mind."

Katie had a tendency to make bold moves in the past, but this one even surprised her. But she was too tired to trek back to her flat and Oliver looked desperate for sleep. Perhaps if she pretended she wasn't bothered by their former indiscretion, it'd be easier to move on from it.

Oliver blinked. He certainly didn't want her to leave, nor did he want her to feel compelled to stay. She couldn't continue to feel obligated to do so every time he was stressed out. He was an adult, after all, not to mention she wasn't really his actual girlfriend.

"You don't have to do that," Oliver offered. "I'll be fine, really."

Katie looked at him pointedly. "Ol, give me some credit. I know you. You sleep better in the presence of someone else. And if there were ever a night you needed sleep, it's tonight."

"You don't need to-"

"I know I don't, but this isn't about me. It's about you. And you need to sleep."

"Not sure how I ever manage to sleep considering you always steal the covers," Oliver muttered. Katie fluttered her eyes innocently at him. "Come on," Oliver continued as he started toward his bedroom. "Your shirt's here somewhere, probably where you left it."

Katie concealed a smile as she followed after him, relieved that they were able to limit the level of discomfort. After ducking into the bathroom to change, she crawled into her usual side of the bed. Despite not having slept there since before their Mexico trip, she felt oddly at home.

Oliver slid into bed next to her, making sure to avoid the center of the bed as much as possible to prevent any chance of physical contact. The last thing he wanted was to make Katie think he only wanted her there for the wrong reason.

The two remained in silence for what felt like hours, though it was closer to mere minutes. Oliver shifted, tossed and turned, feeling hopelessly restless until Katie reached over to rest a gentle hand on his forearm.

"Relax," she commanded gently. "It'll be okay. It always is."

Oliver nodded quietly. Within minutes, Katie could hear him snoring.