In The Name of Love and Quidditch Practices

For Melody

Katie Bell was minding her own business when a hand came out of nowhere and pulled her into an empty classroom.

"What the hell - "

"Katie," said Fred Weasley, letting go of her arm and walking around so she could see him. "So nice of you to join us."

"A real treat," said George, locking the door with a flick of his wand.

Katie crossed her arms. "What is this?"

"We'd like to have a discussion with you."

"And you felt the need to kidnap me first?"

George smirked. "It's a private discussion. Can't risk anyone listening in."

Katie rolled her eyes. "If you're up to no good, I don't want any part in it."

Fred let out a great gasp. "Up to no good?" he repeated, offering her a chair. She sat. "Us? What could you possibly mean?"

"I think she thinks we're troublemakers, mate." George pulled up a chair of his own. "Shame, that."

"We aren't troublemakers."

"Sometimes we break rules - "

" - but that doesn't make us troublemakers."

Katie glanced at the clock on the wall. "Right, we have Quidditch practice soon, so can you get to your point?"

"That is our point." Fred leaned across the table and laced his fingers together. "Quidditch practice."

"We think - and the rest of the team agrees - that Wood's been a wee bit over-the-top with the practice schedule this year."

"So talk to Wood about it," Katie said. "There's nothing I can do, I'm not Captain."

"That's just it." George had matched Fred's posture, and Katie was having a difficult time telling the difference between the two of them. "There is something you can do."

"Oh?" She sat back, arms still folded across her chest. "Enlighten me."

The twins exchanged a glance. "What we are about to tell you," Fred said, "is not to leave this classroom."

"Okay."

"Swear."

Katie rolled her eyes. "I swear."

"Okay." George licked his lips. "Oliver Wood fancies you."

Katie blinked. "You're lying."

"I'm not. I swear it on my mother's grave."

"Your mother's not dead, Fred."

"On her life, then."

Katie glanced at the clock again. "Okay, let's say I believe you - which I don't, by the way. How does Oliver fancying me - "

"Did you hear that?" George cooed. "She called him Oliver. She fancies him, too."

"Shut up," Katie snapped, but she felt her face grow pink. "How does his fancying me help you lot with adjusting the Quidditch schedule?"

"If you ask him to ease up a bit, he'll listen."

Katie snorted. "Please. There is no way Oliver Wood fancies anyone enough to risk the Quidditch Cup."

Fred shook his head. "If you ask bluntly, of course he'll see through it. You've got to seduce him."

"Ask him on a date," George said.

"Take him to dinner during one of the scheduled practices."

"Or not even to dinner - just a study date will do."

"Or a chat in the common room."

"Or in a broom cupboard."

"Or a snog in a broom cupbo- "

"Enough." Katie was on her feet. "I'm not asking Wood to do any of that. I happen to like having a heavy Quidditch schedule."

"She likes seeing him often, she means," George said out of the corner of his mouth, and Fred nodded his agreement.

"Goodbye," Katie snapped, marching for the door. She tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Could be locked," George said. "Try alohamora."

Katie reached for her wand, but it wasn't in her pocket.

"Oh - looking for this?" Fred asked, twirling her wand between his fingers.

Katie fixed him with her darkest glare. "Give it back."

"Ask Wood out."

"No."

"Do it for the team."

"No."

"Do it for us." Fred gave her his best doe-eyes.

"Never."

"Do it for him, then. For Wood." George had dropped his joking-around tone. "I mean it. He fancies you a lot, Katie. It's quite sweet, actually."

Katie swallowed. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I told you, I swear on my mother's - " Fred started, but George motioned for him to be quiet.

"It's the truth," he said.

Katie returned to her seat. "How do you know?"

"It's obvious."

There were twenty more minutes until practice started, which meant she needed to get out of here now or risk being late. "Has he actually told you?"

"Well . . . no."

"But we could get him to tell us, if you like," Fred said. "We're quite persuasive."

Katie let out a sarcastic hah. "Only because you kidnap people and hold them hostage until they do what you want."

"You have to admit it's effective," said George.

Katie sighed. "If you get him to admit he fancies me - and I want him to say the words, George - then I will ask him to have dinner with me."

"Does that mean you fancy him?" Fred pressed.

Katie bit her lip. "I might."

"Come on, Bell," George said. "If he has to say the words, then you have to say the words."

Fourteen minutes until practice, and now she was definitely going to be late. "I fancy Oliver."

"Are you just saying that because we kidnapped you?" Fred asked, twirling her wand around in his fingers.

Katie reached out and snatched it. "Yes." She headed for the door and opened it with a flick of her wand. "But." She stepped out into the hallway. "I'm also saying it because it's true." She blushed a deep red and slammed the door behind her.

Fred folded his hands behind his head and leaned back. "You can come out now, Wood," he said. "She's gone."

Oliver Wood stepped out from behind a long curtain. A giant grin split his face. "She fancies me."

"Yes, she does."

"We told you she did."

"What's not to fancy?"

"You're a handsome bloke, in certain lighting."

Oliver didn't appear to be listening. He was pushing the curtain aside and staring out the window at the Quidditch Pitch, where Katie Bell was running full-speed toward the changing rooms. "She fancies me."

"We heard, Oliver."

"So? Will you let us out of Quidditch today?"

"Yeah," said Oliver, still smiling like a fool. "Go do whatever you want. I'm going to - I dunno."

"Talk to her, maybe?" Fred said.

"Ask her to snog in a broom cupboard?"

Oliver rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. "Something along those lines." He clapped his Beaters on the shoulders. "I owe you one, mates."

"Any time, Oliver." Fred headed for the door.

"We'd like to be Best Men at the wedding," George said before following Fred out into the hallway.

"I dunno how Katie will feel about that," Oliver said, still staring out the window. "You did kidnap her, after all."

"She'll forgive us," said one of the twins.

"It was all in the name of love."

"Yeah. In the name of love and Quidditch practices."

[Disney Character Competition: Stabbington Brothers - write about someone getting kidnapped]

[Battleship Competition II: I7 - write about Katie Bell]

[Twelve Days of Christmas Style Challenge: Eight different genres - 4/8, Humor]