Time

People think that time can change lives – heal wounds – ease heartache.

It cannot.

Even I, in my stupid, arrogant, nineteen-year-old un-poetic mind, knew that.

And I had to tell Katie.

I was at Quidditch practice when one of the guys came in late. "Check this out!" he shouted, waving a paper that was clearly not the Daily Prophet. "'Girl, sixteen, attacked by Dark magic,'" he read. "They don't mention her name, but apparently she goes to Hogwarts."

My heart stopped. I had to know this person, only three years younger than me. "It doesn't mention a name?" I asked, already knowing the answer, my voice frantic even to my own ears.

"No, Oliver. Cool it. Chill, okay? She's probably some bimbo dumb enough to anger a Malfoy or something."

I looked up into the face of my teammate. "This could be Katie Bell," I said, my voice sharp enough to cut him. "Katie Bell!"

I think he got it, then – I hadn't kept my afflictions a secret from my team, and so they all gaped and looked at each other.

"How do we find out?" Farrow asked, swooping down to stand next to Montero, who'd brought the paper.

"Here – a description." Montero cleared his throat, apparently at loath to anger me again. " 'She's a tall, blonde girl who stubbornly refused to open her eyes for tests. Her friend told us she's a Quidditch player for a Hogwarts team'…doesn't specify which…"

But already I had run into the locker room, threw my broom down, and run back out, to the sidewalk, and Apparated straight in front of St. Mungo's. It didn't matter if I was kicked off the team for cutting practice – this was Katie. I could tell.

I got her room number rather easily – the woman at the front desk liked sweat and accents – and in a moment I stood in front of her closed door. Ignoring the little sign that read Do not Disturb, I walked in.

"I just heard," I panted, unaware of how ridiculous I looked at that moment. "Came straight here – I even cut practice – Farrow will be pissed!"

She laughed. And then, weakly, she murmured, "Hi."

"Merlin, Bell, you damn well know how to scare a guy." I sat next to her, hoping my disgusting Quidditch persona didn't gross her out.

But the joking soon stopped. After grabbing her hand, I was silent for a long time, just playing with her fingers and looking my fill at her. And then I kissed her – each fingertip, slowly, sensuously. "You're beautiful," I whispered to her, as her eyes drifted shut blissfully. It made me swell with pride to see her enjoy me so much.

"Mmm," she whispered, and I cleared my throat.

"Katie, time won't heal our relationship. We have to work at it. Merlin, I know it's you who should be saying that to me, but I'm tired of this. Of clipped notes back and forth, of avoiding each other. I think I love you, Katie, and I want to be with you."

She stared at me after my speech, something I (surprisingly) had not rehearsed in my head before seeing her.

"You love me?" she asked, disbelievingly. I felt horrible for making her not trust me, for making her doubt my love, because it was my fault. No matter how you turned it, I was responsible for our broken relationship.

"Yes. With all my heart."

She smiled faintly. "Then I love you too," she said.

"Good."

What else to say? We stared at each other for a moment before we simultaneously looked away awkwardly. I suppose we weren't those story-book couples who stare into one another's eyes all day.

"Um. So how's Quidditch?" she asked self-consciously.

"Um. Fine. Farrow's a bastard, but I suppose I was a bastard too, when I was in charge back at Hogwarts."

"Do you want Quidditch to be your career?" She sounded interested, no longer embarrassed.

"Yeah, forever. Until maybe I have kids, then I'll do something easier. To spend more time with them, you know?"

She smiled, her face pink. "Yeah. I know."

A/N: Well, faster than past updates. *bows* I know, I know, I'm fabulous. (Not.) I'm supposed to be doing math, but I decided Ollie/Katie fluff is SO much more fun. I'm sick as a dog, too, or I would have gotten it up earlier...:(