Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written primarily for Lara. I know it's late, and I'm very very sorry. This is my first attempt at this pairing, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I love you :P

Also written for;

Fanfiction Marathon (KatieOliver)

Easter Egg Hunt (Quidditch)

Harry Potter Day (TrioEra and Not a Bad WC)

TV Quote (Number 56)

WC without AN - 1239

The Right Time

Her head hurt, but she was thankful for it. It reminded her of how much worse it could have been, how much worse it was for so many people. She heard the anguished sounds of people sobbing around her, crying for the loved ones they'd lost only a few short hours ago. Katie had helped heal minor injuries, she'd cast her levitation spell so many times she never wanted to cast it again, helping to move those unable to move themselves.

The hall was packed, happiness clashing with sadness, joy clashing with loss, and it was making her feel claustrophobic. She needed to get out, to go somewhere alone to just be. She was so tired, but she knew she wouldn't sleep. She couldn't sleep for fear of what the nightmares would bring, for she was certain she would have them.

Slipping from the hall, she sighed in relief at the blessed silence of the corridor, and slowly, almost automatically, her feet began moving her along, treading the corridors she'd roamed for seven years, carefully rounding corners, her wand still gripped tightly in her hand, unable to shake the paranoia of a harsh battle.

She'd missed the castle while she'd been away. Missed the days when all she cared about was quidditch, and classes, and her friends. She missed the days when she could fly endlessly in the sun, missed the euphoric feeling of being part of a winning team, missed the feeling of being part of a team at all.

Unsurprisingly, she found herself at the Quidditch Pitch, the place, apart from the Gryffindor Common Room, that she spent the most time. Her heart sank as she looked at the still slightly smoking rings that had been set afire and left to burn to the ground. The grass was singed, and the seating had been half destroyed. She walked around the perimeter slowly, letting the memories of happier times fill her up from the inside.

Sitting on one of the few seats left untouched, she smiled. The pitch would be fixed, of course, and she would one day be able to come back here for a visit, perhaps to cheer her old house on in the cup. She could still feel the undiluted excitement and fear she always felt before a match, especially the cup match, and she could still feel the utter bliss of winning the house cup the year that Oliver left.

He'd kissed her that evening, before looking forlornly out at the pitch in the evening light. They'd commiserated each other about the bad timing of their feelings, both hopeful that perhaps, another time, they would be together, and it would be the right time. She'd lost that hope a while ago, but she still missed the weight of his arm around her shoulders, the feeling of his lips pressing softly against her own.

Katie lost track of time as she sat there, staring out at her once favourite place, but the sun lighting on the horizon broke her from her thoughts. She knew she had to go back inside, back to help wherever she could, but she also knew that she wasn't ready for the crowds that would accompany a return to the Great Hall.

Standing, she feels the stiffness in her joints and lets out a groan. The thought of a shower had her almost melting in a puddle, but the thought of the walk up to Gryffindor Tower had her muscles tensing in protest. She forced her legs to move, one foot after the other. She was almost at the doors when the thought of the Gryffindor changing rooms crossed her mind.

Sure it would be empty, she changed direction, soon finding herself pushing the door open and letting herself inside. It was exactly as she remembered it, and she was thankful that one small part of her childhood seemed untouched by the war that had raged over the past year.

"If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask," came an amused voice, startling Katie. She spun around, her eyes settling on Oliver even as her wand aimed steadily at his chest. He raised his hands, and she realised what she'd done. She felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment, even as she stowed her wand back in her pocket, whispering a quiet apology.

"Think you could, ah, wait outside?" Oliver asked, this time a chuckle escaping him as he gestured to the shower, and himself, and her flush just got stronger, enveloping her entire face as she realised she was staring at his all too naked body.

Averting her gaze awkwardly, she muttered, "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll just... go."

Heading back towards the door, she heard him call her name. "Wait outside for me, alright? I'm almost done."

"Um... sure."

She left the changing room, and walked back to the Pitch, sure he would know where to find her. She retook the seat she'd left just minutes before, the butterflies that had materialised in her stomach the moment she'd first heard his voice just getting bigger and more boisterous the longer she waited. He appeared beside her fifteen minutes later, his hair still wet from his shower. She could smell the familiar soap he'd used in school, and it settled her nerves somewhat. It was comforting to know that some things never changed.

"I didn't know you were here," he said as he sat, his arm snaking around her shoulders as if they'd never been apart.

"Yeah, I... The DA coin, you know? I kept it on me when... well. When things got really bad, I guess."

"It's over now, though. Harry did it. I always knew he would," Oliver murmured, pulling her closer as he rested his chin on her head gently. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before he spoke again. "They've ruined it, haven't they?" he muttered, gesturing with his free hand to the pitch. "Bastards."

"It'll be fixed. With the rest of the castle. Can't have Hogwarts without Quidditch."

"I know. It'll never be the same pitch that we played on though."

She shrugged lightly. "The place doesn't really matter. The memories and the feelings are still the same."

"Are they? The feelings still the same as they were back then, I mean?" he asked, pulling back enough to look at her. "I've missed you, Katie."

"I missed you too. And yes, I think the feelings are still the same as they were back then."

He smiled slightly. "And is the timing better, do you think?"

"It has to be worth a shot, right? I mean, what's a keeper without a chaser?"

He laughed. "You never fail to make me smile." Lowering his head to hers, he captured her lips with his own with a kiss as sweet and soft as their first. She revelled in it, the memory had never done it justice, and she kissed him back, pressing harder, pushing him to deepen the kiss. When they parted, she reached up to place her hand against his cheek.

"You owe me a date, Mr Wood."

"Hmm, want to go see the Kestrels annihilate the Bats?"

"Only if we can eat afterwards."

"You have yourself a deal, Miss Bell."