OTP Competition: Round 5, free choice (summer camp AU)

This is a no-war type of AU. Cuz everyone's still alive and obviously they can have these camps without worrying about Moldy Voldy crashing them.\

I apologize for any errors, as this is unbeta'd and I'm falling asleep. I'll look it over again tomorrow and catch stuff. i just need to get this up.

~Mel

Week 1

"At the end of the summer, the campers will vote on their favorite counselor, who will receive a trophy and a special treat from the parents who support Quidditch For Kids!, Inc. I personally don't like the tradition, as it increases competition between my staff members, but the kids enjoy it and the parents insist every year. That being said, there is to be no sabotage of the other teams in any way. This is for the children, remember! Now, get ready for a long seven weeks. The campers arrive tomorrow!"

Katie clapped politely as her boss, Helen Carter, finished the speech. She was determined to be the one who won that trophy this year. It was her third year on the staff, and each year she'd been narrowly beat out by Oliver Wood. He had the advantage of having been there the longest, and most of the kids knew him already. Plus, they knew he played for Puddlemere United during the season. Being first in the league, Puddlemere was a huge favorite.

But this year, things would be different. Katie was gathering her own crowd of fans in the camp - plus, she'd just been signed on for the Holyhead Harpies this past season and, not to brag or anything, had done spectacularly. Especially in the match against Puddlemere. She was the only Chaser on her team to get a shot past Oliver Wood. Puddlemere had still won that match, but it had taken a Bludger to Katie's shoulder and sneaky elbow in their Seeker's ribs at the last second to do so.

"Bell!" her boss barked out, and she startled.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You'll be working with the Lion Tamers this summer, and your co-coach will be... Colin Creevey. Creevey, where are you?"

A short boy jumped up. "Here, ma'am!"

"Right. You're the rookie, so listen to Bell. Now, Mr. Wood! You're with Ginny Weasley. She's a rookie this year, too."

Katie rolled her eyes. Ginny Weasley may have been a rookie, but she was starting out second string on the Harpies next year, and Katie knew the coaches were looking to move her up as Seeker as soon as Selena Martins retired. Martins was playing out one more season before she retired to have a family. Why did Wood get the talented rookie while she got the runt?

Coach Carter dismissed the group into their pairs, and Katie strolled towards Colin, grinning as her ears picked up on Ginny and Oliver's conversation.

"You're Potters' girl, aren't you?" he asked her.

"I may be shagging him, but I'm never going to be 'his girl'. He can be my man, though," she said airily, and Katie choked down the laugh at Oliver's beet red face.

"Alright, Creevey, do you have any questions before tomorrow? It's difficult to know what to expect, but sometimes it's easier to just experience the first day."

"Um. Well. Did you... Did you really play in the Harpies-Puddlemere game with a dislocated shoulder before you passed out from the pain and fell off your broom?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah, I did. Not something I'd suggest doing in front of the kids, though. They might get the wrong idea. We're here to teach them how to play Quidditch safely, and we professionals don't always do that."

"And did Oliver Wood really catch you in the middle of the game and refuse to resume playing until he'd delivered you personally to a Healer?"

"Wow, Colin, do you want to study journalism or something? You ask a lot of detailed questions," Katie said uncertainly.

"Oh, sorry. I just- Well, I just think it's so cool to get to work with a member of Quidditch's most powerful couple."

Katie blanched. "Colin, Oliver and I aren't a couple. He was my Captain at Hogwarts and we stayed in touch, but we aren't together. He's my... friendly rival? Frenemy? I'm not sure what you'd call us."

"Oh, sure, sure. I get it. It's probably a lot of difficult press for both of your teams to manage. I get why you want to keep this secret. I won't ask anymore questions!"

Katie started to say there were no more questions to be asked, but he'd already ran off towards the cabins.

It was going to be a long seven weeks.

Week 2

"What's being in the professional league like, Coach Bell?" Her forward Chaser, Judy, asked reverently. It was halfway through the second week, but already she and her entire group of first year friends idolized her. They were all hoping to be on their house teams in the fall at Hogwarts, and they thought that the fact that Katie had played for Gryffindor from her second year up to when she signed on with the Harpies was amazing. They all wanted to be just like her.

As uncomfortable as that thought could be, it was still endearing. They were cute.

This idolizing thing was one of the few things she was having a hard time adjusting to in the professional world. The youngest of three kids, she was used to idolizing those older than her, not being the idol. She wasn't sure how to react.

"Well, playing Quidditch is what I love. It's wonderful to be able to play with my teammates, as well as the others in the League. We may be competitive, but we recognize that the other teams are composed of people just like us - athletes who really just want to play Quidditch. We may be competitive on the field, but most of us are friends off of it."

"Especially you and Coach Wood, right? You guys are super competitive during our matches."

"Wood is my old Captain. It would be fun to be able to beat him. I've spent most of my career with him one step ahead of me."

"Do you love him?" Katie widened her eyes in shock as one of Judy's friends asked her this bluntly.

"I-what?" Katie asked as Judy and the other girls squealed.

"Oh, Coach Bell, you and Coach Wood would be so perfect together! You would be in love off the field but so fierce on it! And he would go wild if you ever got hurt - like that time that you fell off your broom and he swooped in and saved you."

"No, Judy, Wood and I are just friends. Nothing more."

Katie pushed down that queer feeling in her stomach as Judy's grin turned to a suspicious little pout.

Week 3

"Come on Lions! You've got this!" Katie screamed as her kids zipped around the field on their brooms. It was their first real match of the mini league they had during the summer, and they were playing Angelina Johnson's team, the Golden Eagles. Her kids were whooping Angie's team easily, and she grinned as Judy scored another goal.

"GO JUDY!" A male voice yelled next to her, clapping and cheering as the little girl zipped back after the ball.

"Oi! Go cheer for your own team, Mr. Popular!" Katie stuck out her tongue at Oliver, who just grinned back.

"You can't stop me from cheering on your own team. Besides, Judy was on my team last year, you know. She loves me."

"She loves me more! YEA GO MACEY WOOHOO!" Katie screamed as one of her Beaters whacked a Bludger away from Greg, another Chaser on her team who currently had the ball, and towards an Eagle kid. The girl rolled to avoid it but missed her chance to block Greg's way as he drew closer to the Keeper.

"COME ON PRENTISS!" Oliver yelled to the Keeper, who looked determined to block the shot.

"What, switching sides already? Know my team's too loyal to cave to your charms, do you, Ollie?"

"Don't call me that!"

Katie grinned. "Ollie-Ollie Oxen Free!"

He pulled her in a bear hug with one arm and rubbed her hair with the other to mess it all up.

"Hey!" she yelled, struggling to get free.

"I told you not to call me that!"

Katie paid him no mind, though, as just then, she saw her Seeker dart into a dive and pull up with the golden Snitch in hand.

"YES!" she yelled, grabbing Oliver in a giant hug. "WE WON!"

She hugged Colin Creevey next, who'd been wandering around the outskirts of the field taking pictures. Then, she ran to where her team was dismounting and pulled them in for a group hug.

"You guys were amazing! Great game, all of you. That was so wonderful. Keep playing this way, and we'll be the champions in no time!" She sent her kids off towards the showers as Angelina ambled up.

"Well, good game, as usual. They didn't even really need that much coaching during the game, did they? Which is good, because you seemed pretty distracted by Oliver Wood the entire time."

Katie blushed. "I was not!"

Angelina winked. "Look, I'm just saying. You two have always been closer than he was with the rest of us. Maybe, if you kiss him first, the kids will pick you as the winner for the most loved counselor."

Katie groaned out loud and stomped off. It seemed like this idea was going to haunt her all summer long.

Week 4

"Kates, do you feel okay?"

The kids were on an overnight field trip to one of the League stadiums, but only half the counselors were needed to go. Katie let Colin go with them, as she'd gone the previous two years, and so she stayed at the camp with the other counselors who'd opted not to go.

It was dinner, and even in the heat of the dining hall, she was shivering uncontrollably.

"Yea, I'm fine, Wood. It's no problem," she said, shaking violently with another chill, and he lay a concerned hand on her forehead.

"Kates, you're burning up."

"I-if I can't-t call y-you O-o-ollie, then y-you c-can't call m-me K-kates," she said through her shaking teeth.

He shrugged his jacket off and gently laid it across her shoulders, then stood her up and began pushing her towards her cabin. "You're going to bed. Now. You need to get some rest to try and fight off whatever you have. No, don't argue."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her towards the female counselor's cabin, tucking her into her bed and smoothing down her hair. As he turned to leave, he heard her whisper behind him.

"Oliver, wait. Stay. Please."

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

She gave a weak nod, then patted the bed beside her. "I...I really just want to be near someone right now. Plus, you're like a heater," she joked, laughing weakly, then she shuddered with another fever chill.

It didn't take much more convincing than that to get Oliver to lie down on the bed next to her, pulling her close against him and wrapping his arms around her. It felt natural, with her head resting gently upon his chest and her feet tucked neatly among his. He wished he could stay this way forever.

As he watched her drift off in his arms, the feverish chills slowly starting to dissipate as she fell deeper asleep, he leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "I wish I could watch over you forever," he said quietly, then drifted off into sleep himself.

Week 6

"Oliver, what are you doing out here?" Katie hissed; it was almost 2 in the morning, and this was the last Friday before the finals of the league.

"I- I can't get you out of my head, Katie. I never could, I mean, before, but now... Now, you're constantly there. I just wanted to see you, hear you..." he trailed off, absentmindedly brushing a stray hair to the side of her face.

"What on earth are you even talking about?" she asked, oblivious.

"I like you, Katie."

"I know you do," Katie said, shrugging. "Why did I have to come out here for that?"

"No, I really like you, Katie. I want to take you out on a proper date, with a proper table, and when it's over, I want to walk you to your door and kiss you goodnight. I don't care what the press or even our campers say about us, I just want you," he whispered.

"Oh, Ollie..." Her eyes widened as her heartbeat quickened.

"Say what you will, Kates. But if you don't want to date me, I'll never bother you about it again. Okay?"

Katie nodded shyly, stepping closer. They were now within the perfect range of closeness; not too close to be overbearing, but close enough to kiss.

"So.. do you want me or n-"

Katie's mouth was pressed on his before he had a moment to even think, or speak. He kissed her back willingly, and the two of them stood in the middle of the sidewalk, attempting to unleash years of sexual tension in that one kiss. When they finally broke apart, they only wanted more, though.

"We, we have to stop," Katie said, breathless, and Oliver paused.

"I mean, we shouldn't do this in front of the kids... Half of them will yell 'I told you so' and the other half will pester us constantly with questions about the relationship. Can we hold out a week on stolen kisses until camp is over?"

Oliver nodded. "So during the day, we hardly pay attention to each other and keep acting like everyone else. And no one should catch on."

Katie nodded. She hoped beyond hope her team wouldn't catch the changes between her and Oliver.

But she also couldn't help but be a little proud. It took her eight years of playing Quidditch with stubborn Oliver Wood, as well as the flu.

But she couldn't be happier.

Week 7

"And for the first time ever, the children are completely tied between two counselors," Couch Carter announced, grinning. "I guess these counselors are such favorites that not even a single vote can sway it."

Oliver and Katie ran up among cheers, the kids laughing and yelling as their counselors came from opposite sides of the crowd. The summer was over; they would be going home tomorrow, and the finals were all over. Oliver's team had beaten the Lion Tamers by 20 little points.

Oliver spun her around and bowed cheekily, presenting the envelope he had taken with her name on it. It held the check for winning. The children cheered, then gasped as Oliver bent down and kissed her softly.

There was a moment of silence, then a loud "I told you so!" from Judy.

Blushing, Katie felt Oliver's hand grasp hers tightly as the crowd cheered.

She could get used to this attention, so long as he was by her side.