Of Accents and Kisses

"Katie?"

"Mm?"

"Hello."

"Hi, Oliver."

"Katie?"

"What, Oliver?"

"Stop it."

I finally looked up from the book I was reading to look at a very annoying Scottish Quidditch captain. "Stop what?" I snapped.

"Don't talk to me without looking at me. You hate it, and you know I hate it," he said, falling into the armchair beside me.

"I'd rather I wasn't talking to you at all at the moment, Wood. I'm studying," looking back at the book.

"What are you studying?"

"Potions," I grumbled, putting the book in front of my face to try and block him out as I read.

"Potions? I'm good at Potions."

"Isn't that nice," I said sarcastically.

He paused. "Was that sincere?" he asked, looking rather confused.

"No. No it wasn't, Oliver," I sighed.

"Oh, okay." I could hear the smile in his voice. He was just trying to annoy me now …

"Oliver Wood, will you leave me alone please?"

He paused again, then said, "Nope," in a stupid annoying cheery voice you just don't want to hear when you're studying something as complicated as Potions. I snapped my book shut and glared at him.

"Go away."

"No," he grinned at me stupidly. I stood up and started up the girl's stairs. "Ah, ah, ah …" he said running after me and putting one of his stupid feet on the stairs, so that I, being a third of the way up, slid down the slide that had morphed from the stairs. I stood up and glared when I got to the bottom and went to sit next to the fire again, trying to regain some of my dignity.

"C'mon, Kates. Don't ignore me."

I stayed silent as I reached for my book. Oliver snatched it up. I reached for it once more, but missed again.

"Oliver, give it back, now."

"No, Katie," he said, holding the book above his head so I couldn't reach it.

I fell back into the chair. "Fine. I won't study," I said, taking a magazine out of my bag. He snatched that also. I sat, seething.

"Aiden Lynch is in that. Give it back," I said through my teeth.

"Aiden Lynch? For the Arrows?"

"Yes, now give it back."

"Why oh why would you want to read about Lynch?"

"Because I love him."

Oliver looked fairly surprised. Okay, fairly shocked.

"What?" I asked as he stared at me, then the magazine, then back to me.

"You … I … I thought … but … and then ….Katie, I thought you were different from other girls. I thought you liked Quidditch because of the game, not the guys who play it!"

"I … I do like the game. I love the game, Ollie. But Lynch is just so … I can't help it …"

"You can't help it?"

I shook my head. "I can't help it if I love his accent."

"What accent?"

"Well … he's Irish … I like Welsh … I love yours, Ollie …"

"Do you?" he asked me in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "I have a weakness for accents different to my own."

He hummed in understanding and sat down next to me. He put the book on the other side of him just out of my reach. "But, Katie, Lynch is so much older than you … so far away … Me, I'm right here … only a year older …"

"What are you getting at, Ol?" I asked, leaning back further in my chair.

"I'm here … Lynch isn't."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

He turned to me and put his hand on my cheek. "It means this," he said softly, leaning forward and kissing me tenderly. My eyes fluttered shut as soon as his lips had touched mine, but as soon as I realised what he was doing, I gasped and pulled back. He took his hand away from my neck, where it had been placed, and sat back in his chair, looking at me. It was quite unnerving.

I slid along a seat, away from him, and leaned back, putting my head on the back of the couch, my eyes closing, trying to get my head around what he had just done, never forgetting he was still there.

I sat up and looked at him, his eyes boring into mine.

"Why did you do that?" I asked softly.

He kept looking at me for a while, then looked away. "Why do you care why I did it?"

"Why do you care that I want to know why you did it?"

He laughed softly and looked back at me. "I don't really care why you want to know, you know. It's just I don't know why I did it, so I guess I said that because I didn't know how to answer." I watched him as he explained.

"Then … I … what?"

"I don't know, and I don't really care why I did what I did, but … I liked doing what I did."

"You liked it?" I asked slowly. "What does that mean, Oliver?"

"It means I liked it, Kate," he sighed, and put his face in his hands.

"Yeah, but -"

"I don't know, Katie," he said again, looking up at me. He reached over and took my hand in his own shaking one.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking at his hand in mine.

"No," he grinned, looking into the fire.

"What's wrong, Oliver?"

He smiled again. "Nothing important."

I turned away from him, looking out the window to my left. His hand, I noticed, was still surrounding mine.

"Katie?"

"Mmm?" I said, still looking out the window. I heard his sigh, and I smirked.

"Fine," he huffed, and I heard his shift in his seat, then two hands take my waist. I was lifted up and placed back down on his lap, facing him. "Now you have no choice but to look at me," he smirked. I smirked right back.

"Very true, Oliver … forgetting one thing." I moved slightly against him, and his eyes closed. "I can torture you to an extreme extent now."

"Mmm … I think I can live with that," he said, opening his eyes slightly to look at me. I laughed.

"Not if I talk at the same time, dear," I said, moving against him again. "So, Oliver. Don't you just love Lynch?" yet again, moving, and making him moan very slightly. I burst out laughing.

"No fair," he said, letting his hands drop from my waist.

"Oh, I know," I smiled. "I'm just that kind of person who loves being unfair." I got up off of him and sat in my original seat. He turned to look at me.

"Evil," he smiled.

I smiled back and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer.

"So … why are you here in the first place? Shouldn't you be making up plays or something?"

He looked down at me quickly, and smiled at the fireplace.

"I don't, like you and the team seem to think, have Quidditch permanently on the brain, Kates. I have other, prettier things on my mind at the moment." He smirked.

"And what would those prettier things be, dear Ollie-wood?"

He raised an eyebrow at the name, but smiled. "They would be next to me on this couch, in my arms, Kate."

I laughed. "So you think my books are pretty? Well, I could always ask if they'd go to Hogsmead with y-"

"Shut up, Kates." I pulled me closer to him into a proper hug. "I was talking about you."

I stayed silent for a moment, soaking in what he had just told me, before it hit me. Like a tonne of bricks, it hit me square in the face.

"Wh-what?"

I saw him smile, then he let go of me and stood up. "I was talking about you," he repeated, not turning around to look at me, and heading up the boy's stairs.

-KMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKKMKK-

"He – he – what? You – he – you – then – he kissed – but – then – he … he said that?"

I nodded my head, which was residing in a pillow. I was lying face down on my bed, trying not to scream in frustration.

"So he – but then – and you – but you didn't – but – but – !"

"OH, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" I roared at the two stunned girls.

I had just told my two best friends in the world what had happened between our dear captain and I, and they somehow had difficulty understanding the plain English I was spouting.

"Well, Someone's got the monster," Alicia said, and Angelina and I looked at her questioningly.

"What does that mean?" Angelina asked, looking puzzled.

"It means she's on her period."

"NO I AM N – ! … Oliver?" For he had appeared at the door.

"Hey," he flashed a grin at me, and turned to the other two. "What's the screaming about?"

"Well –"

"…You –"

"SHUT UP!" I drowned out their explanation in embarrassment.

All three of them turned to me, their eyebrows raised. Oliver's, in amusement, the girl's in annoyance.

"We were just telling him why you were screaming!" Alicia said, her voice rising slightly.

"Argh!" I yelled, turned, and locked myself in the bathroom I shared with Angelina, Alicia, Leanne, and Varlerie, the other sixth year girls.

I sat down no the tiled floor, feeling immediately uncomfortable, my back to the door. I heard them talking, and I decided to listen in.

"So, what was this about?" Oliver was asking the other two.

"You," both answered in unison.

"Me?"

"What happened downstairs earlier?" Angelina asked.

"Oh." Oliver's voice was hushed, and I had to lean closer to the door to hear him. "I … kissed Katie ..."

"Why?" Alicia asked.

"Kates, I know you're listening!" he called, and I swore under my breath.

"I wasn't!" I cried with as much fake indignation as I could.

"Sure you weren't." His voice was right next to the door. "C'mon, unlock the door."

I gave a dry sob. "No."

"C'mon Kates." His voice was low and … almost seductive …

"No!"

"Johnson and Spinnet are gone. C'mon. Let me in."

"They have first names, Wood."

"After what I did in the common room, I think we should be on first name terms, Kat."

I was thankful there was a door between us, or he would have seen my light blush.

"No, I don't think so, Wood. Now leave me alone."

"No, I don't think I will, Kate. I like hearing your voice too much. Like it better when I can see you, granted, but …" I could HEAR the smirk in his voice …

"Fuck off," I whispered, leaning my head back onto the doorframe.

"I will. But not yet, Kat." He sounded serious again. "I kind of owe you and explanation, don't I?" I heard his head hit the door too.

I stayed silent for a second, then said, "Yes, you do."

"I don't want to talk through a door, Kat."

I sighed. "Then maybe you could do what any other intelligent person would do. Unlock the door. Alohamora. You know. First year Charms, Oliver."

I heard a soft, 'Oh,' then the click of the lock.

"You sure you want me to come in, Kat?"

I sighed. "You're not going to go away, otherwise." I heard the snib (that's the wee thingy that clicks out when you open the door. Like the latch thing. It's a Scottish-y word (?)) click. I budged over so he could open the door, not looking round at him. I felt him sit next to me, closing the door with his back.

We both stayed silent for a moment, Oliver's breathing somehow soothing me …

"I'm sorry if I did what you didn't want, Katie." His voice startled me.

"What do you mean?"

"If … you … Katie, I'm just sorry, alright?" he sighed. I looked at him. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his forehead was resting on them.

"Are you okay, Oliver?" I heard him give a shaky kind of sarcastic laugh. "Is … is that a 'no', then?"

He lifted his head and looked at me, a kind of vague, glazed look over his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kat." He said it again, breathing heavily, closing his eyes.

"It … it's fine. What's wrong, Ollie?" I watched him shake his head slightly, signifying he either didn't know, or didn't want to tell me.

"You've always told me everything, Ol. What's changed now?"

He looked up again, his eyes searching mine. "What's changed? What's changed is, this time, Katie, what's wrong with me … is you."

I sat, staring at him. "I … I'm … what?"

"I … I'm so confused, Kate. I don't … I don't understand what's going on. You've changed so much." He looked at me with a faint smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"How'd you mean?" I asked, confused myself.

"When you first joined the team to now. You're so different …"

"Different?"

"Smarter … better and Quidditch … prettier …"

I choked slightly at the last one. He smiled again. "Much prettier … and you're much more sarcastic … You're my best friend, Kates. And … and I don't understand my feelings toward you anymore. It all used to be so simple …" He put his head on his knees again. "And now it's not. And I need to figure it out."

I watched him. "What are your feelings, Oliver?"

He looked up, his eyes locking on mine. "You're not just a best friend to me anymore, Katherine."

"W – what am I to you then?" my voice rising to a dangerously high octave.

He shook his head, looking down. "That's what I need to figure out, Kat."

We sat in uncomfortable silence, looking anywhere but each other, sitting on the bathroom floor. Oliver was the first to speak.

"I think … I think I'm in lo- … I think I should go." And with that, his face tinged pink, he left the bathroom hurriedly. I heard the dormitory door bang shut.

What was he going to say before he made that excuse?

I heard the dorm door open again, and a knock on the bathroom door sounded. "Kates?"

I didn't answer. It was George.

"Kates, I know you're in there. I just spoke to Oliver."

I stood up and opened the door slowly, only then realising I was crying ever so slightly.

"So?" I heard myself say as I looked at George.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking my hand and pulling me into a hug. I nodded into his chest. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" I sobbed into his shirt.

"Shhh, Kates. It's okay. C'mon, come and sit down and tell me what happened."

If I can just take this moment to say, George is an amazing friend. Surprisingly, it would seem, I can talk to George all night long, and he still seems intent on helping and listening. He, (being the quieter, more reserved twin, with more logic than Fred,) is the most understanding and helpful person I will ever know. I can see why Alicia has a thing for him. He's amazing.

We'd been talking for around an hour. Well, mostly me sobbing into his shoulder and not really knowing why, and him offering words of supreme comfort and support.

"Thanks, George. I needed someone to listen," I smiled, after wiping my tears away with one of my pillows.

"That's what I'm here for, Kat."

"Thank you," I whispered as I gave him one last hug, and he left.

I sighed and changed for bed, as it was past midnight. I vaguely wondered where my dorm-mates were, but shrugged it off.

I climbed into bed, knowing that I would never sleep as there was way too much information swimming around in my head.

About an hour later, I was still lying awake, but now I heard the sounds of the other girls breathing as they drifted off to sleep.

I looked at my clock on the chest next to my bed. It read 4:36 AM.

I'd been lying here, turning over the days events in my mind for over four hours.

But I was beginning to get tired.

I closed my eyes, and thought of the hug-gy warmth I was enveloped in. I slowly, slowly drifted off to a restless sleep.

But I wasn't sleeping for long. My dreams were interrupted by a tapping of my shoulder. I turned around and looked around blearily, trying to see the intruder of my sleep.

A ruffle-haired boy, tallish in height stood next to my bed. I started and backed away.

"It's okay, Kates. It's just me," a Scottish brogue murmured, and knelt next to me. It was Oliver.

"Oliver?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"Sorry I woke you," he whispered. I reached for my wand, which lay on my bedside table, beckoned him onto the bed and cast a silencing charm on it.

He sat cross-legged in front of me.

"What's up?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

He stayed silent for a moment, looking around the bed hangings. "I couldn't sleep."

"So you woke me up?"

"Yeah," he said with a very, very faint smile. "It was because of you I couldn't sleep, so now it's because of me you can't sleep."

"That's so unfair."

"It's justice, love." He was grinning now.

"Argh!" I exclaimed, throwing myself backwards onto my pillows.

"Now, now, Katie-kins. No need to go mental on me," he said, leaning over me, near enough straddling me.

"Geroff, Ollie," I pouted when he pinned my arms down.

"No," he said simply, looking down on me. His eyes glinted with some emotion, and rather than finding out exactly which emotion that was, I turned quickly to the side, leaving him in a heap at my back, grumbling. "Kaaatieeee," he moaned and hugged me from behind, placing both his hands on my lower stomach.

I tried to shove him off, but he was too strong. God. I sound like and swooning at him or something. 'He was too strong for my weak little arms to move,' or something. Retch.

"You okay, Kat?" he asked, putting his head on my shoulder and looking at me.

"Mmmhmm," I said closing my eyes. "You?"

"Mmmhmm," he mimicked, laughing slightly. I opened one eye to glare at him.

"Stop being a dick, please."

He smiled and took his head off my shoulder, lying down on my pillows. I felt his breath on my neck and giggled.

"What?" he asked.

"Your breath tickles."

He laughed softly, breathing on my neck again. He buried his face in my hair.

"Why do you smell so amazing?" he asked quietly, breathing in.

I laughed loudly at him.

"Seriously, Oliver," I tittered.

I felt him smile against my neck. He moved my hair aside and started kissing down my spine.

"Oliver," I sighed. "What are you doing?"

But he continued without answering.

"Ollie." I was giving less-than-half-hearted attempts to get away from him – what he was doing made me feel so good.

I turned around, hoping it would stop him. It made it all the better … no, worse, I mean! Worse.

He was kissing down my collar bone, making me spout short gasps. "Oliver, stop, please …"

He looked up at me, his normally hazelnut eyes burning black. He blinked, shaking his head slightly, as if to clear it. He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him. I blinked back tears, not really knowing why I was crying. I turned around and closed my eyes.

"You're confusing me, Oliver. Please … please tell me what's going on."

I felt him sit up and lean over me to see if I was okay. "I'm so sorry, Kat."

"What's going on?" I ground out, keeping my eyes shut.

"I love you."

He said it so simply, so naturally, that what he said didn't click for a second.

And when it did, I sat bolt upright, staring at him.

…

Then I fainted.

…

"Katie. Katie, wake up. C'mon." His voice was so faint. "Kates." Louder. "Katie Bell." Loudest yet. I opened my eyes.

Oliver was kneeling at my side on the bed. I looked at him and remembered what he had said. I choked and closed my eyes again. His hand brushed my cheek, and I half opened my eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Kat." His voice was full of sincerity and pain.

"How … how can you … but, why, Oliver? How can you love me? I … I don't understand."

"Because," he shrugged.

"Not a very good answer," I mumbled, turning onto my stomach. He flipped me round, so I was facing up, and stayed kneeling beside me.

"Because you're you. I can't explain why, Kat. All I know is I love you. And that's what's been happening today. Well, not just today, because that would be a bit … It's been like this for months, Kate. I just haven't done anything about it until now."

"I would've noticed!" I cried, covering my eyes with the heel of my hands.

I heard him laugh slightly. "Seeing as best friends aren't supposed to have these feelings for their best friend, I kept it on a down-low."

All I could do was stare at him.

"You look tired, Katie. You'd better get some sleep. Quidditch in the morning." He made to get off the bed, but I pulled him down to stop him. He smiled. "What?"

I didn't answer.

He lay down next to me, and put his arms around me again, placing them on my stomach.

"I'm sorry, Katherine," he whispered in my ear.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Oliver."

"How so?"

I didn't answer for a moment. I put my hands on his, and relaxed in the embrace. He kissed the top of my head, and sighed softly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I repeated.

"I have everything to be sorry for."

"Like what?"

"Making things weird …"

"Oh, yeah. Everything's weird now," I said sarcastically. "You're still hugging me, still sleeping next to me … Yeah, everything is utterly weird now."

"So …"

"What is it?"

"Are you just going to ignore what I said, or …"

"I'm not going to ignore it, no."

"So, what are you going to do?"

I thought for a second, then turned around in his arms. "I don't know, Oliver. What do you want me to do?"

He laughed. "I want you to do a lot of things, Katie. But I'm sure you won't consider any."

"Example?"

"The cleanest one is to tell me you like me back. And the second cleanest, kiss me."

"Okay, Oliver. I like you back. And …" I covered his mouth with mine in a soft kiss, feeling him smile against my mouth. My arms wrapped around his neck, and his around my waist, pulling me closer to him on the bed.

His tongue was brushing my bottom lip by now, and I was getting way too little oxygen to be healthy. But I didn't care. My mouth opened automatically, and hi tongue licked across my teeth, my tongue attacking the underside of his.

Both of us were moaning, and I had to get some oxygen. I pulled back, gasping.

His chest was heaving, and he was grinning like a maniac.

"Stop looking at me like that," I said, grinning also. You look like a total nutter."

"I don't care." He was grinning about three times wider now, and hugged me. "You just said … oh, and god, Katie …"

I laughed softly. "I can't believe I just kissed my best friend for the second time."

He laughed also. "But it's a good thing, yeah?"

"Oh yeah," I grinned.

He kissed my cheek. "I love you, Katie."

I hummed in response, not really knowing what to say. And then, on deciding, I said, "I love you too, Oliver."

He grinned at me. "Thank God."

A/N: Well, that's that. I dunno where this came from, but I just thought of the idea, and had to get it down.

Did you like it?

Tell me if you want me to carry this on. I'm not too sure. I could make it a two-parter or something of the sort.

Luffy Luff.

BFH xx