I'm Too Bloody Old For Quidditch

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Watches her intently as she speaks, the sound of her voice comforting, making the pain bearable. For a moment he catches the change in her expression, and sucks in a deep breath, the pain evident withing her eyes causing him anguish.*

*Nose scrunches up in distaste upon hearing her call him mate, it somehow seemed off, and didn't settle right within the wizard.*

*Mutters.*

Bleh...

*Eyes widen with surprise as she prattles off a quick bio of him, she's obviously well informed of his life, they must be good friends.*

But...but that doesn't help me...

*Holds fast to her hand, not wanting her to get too far away from him. She's comfortable, and seems to care very much for him, naturally he wants her near.*

I'd like to know a bit...a bit more about...umm...us.

*Adds quickly, biting his lip as another stab of pain courses through his body.*

[Katie Bell]

*Frowns slightly, getting close to damning the wizard for having so much control over her, without even trying. A surge of hope strikes her heart, and for a second, she's so close to telling him everything and opening up to him like she used to. But she doesn't.*

I- us? Y- y- you mean, you and me?

*Gulps, wishing he would've asked any other question besides that one. She unknowingly squeezes his hand tighter, tripping and stumbling over her words.*

W- well, we're friends. Yeah, friends. Mates, friends, see each other on the way to work sometimes, mhmm.

*Bites her lip, wondering how long she's going to be able to keep up the strong act. Not too long, obviously...*

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Squeezes her hand back, smiling encouragingly. He wants to remember every detail of their friendship, maybe it'll help him figure out how he landed here. If only he could just have a flash of a memory, of anything to let him know what is going on in his world.*

*Grins tightly from the pain, and yet there's a cheekiness to it.*

Right. We see each other on the way to work...which is why you're here with me, and not my mum.

*Lays back on the bed, breathing sharply as he does so, and gently sets their hands on his chest.*

Thanks for being here with me...umm...I'm sorry, but-

*Cheeks redden, and his eyes snap shut as he gasps suddenly with another shooting flash of white hot agony travels through his body.*

*Finishes shakily.*

-I-I sorta for-forgot your...na-name.

[Katie Bell]

*Wide eyes, drinking in the sight of his smile like she's never seen it before. Even the cheeky part is better than nothing, and she grins crookedly. She frowns slightly, not liking the way he said his first comment.*

Yeah, I could owl your mum if you want me to?

*Wonders if he's uncomfortable with her there, because he seems to be making faces. Seconds later, she realizes he's in pain, or at least looks like it. She yanks her hand off of his chest, stupidly thinking she's the cause. Technically, she is.*

Don't thank me-

*Stops, unable to fight back the tears as he admits that he doesn't remember her name. That, and mixed with the fact that he seriously looks like he's in pain doesn't help much at all. She stutters, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks.*

-K- Katie. I- I'm Katie Bell.

*Wraps her arms around herself, hating to see him like this.*

And I, you want me to get someone? A Healer?

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Brow scrunches up, wondering why she's crying, and he tilts his head. There is an overwhelming need to comfort the witch, and he doesn't care how much it hurts, he's going to do it, dammit.*

*Grunting in effort he again pushes himself up, and this time he finds himself a reasonably comfortable sitting position. Biting his lip through the effort, he reaches out, and tries to snag her by the wrist, and pull here close.*

C'mere Katiebell.

*The way he said her name is what he's always called her, it came naturally, and the sound of it rolling off his tongue brings a vague memory to mind. He chuckles, not really seeing, or placing the memory, and shrugs.*

Your name rings a bell, Bell.

*Blinks the moment the words left his lips, a soft bell ringing can be heard in the corner of his mind, and he can also see the little silver bell, there's even the letter G engraved upon it. Getting lost in that sudden thought, he grows quiet, thinking as hard as he can, reaching for the memory. Suddenly his eyes focus, widen as he looks to Katie.*

There's something...something there...a memory.

*Eyes narrow with effort as he tries to recall.*

Y- You, a bell...a silver bell, and Q-Quidditch?

[Katie Bell]

*Blinks owlishly at the wizard, knowing he's stubborn and won't listen to anything unless he's inclined to do so on his own. When he reaches for her, she moves to take one step back, but lets him pull her towards him at the last second. Hearing the little nickname he used to call her surprises her at first, she honestly thought she'd never hear that endearment again.*

I- sure, I guess it does.

*The strained smile is back in place, and her eyes are watery. She stands there, quietly as he drifts into his evasive thoughts, wondering if she really wants him to remember anything to begin with. Biting her bottom lip, her eyebrows rise as he finally speaks up.*

Oh really? A m- memory? That's...good, mate.

*Freezes, stiffening as if he's just dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on her. She blinks, and is suddenly back at her shop, the morning after she first met the love of her life. The flashback brings chills down her spine, because she knows how close that memory is to showing everything. In her mind it is at least, but then again his thoughts are scrambled at the moment.*

<sub>*She snarls at the pieces of equipment, kicking them out of her way. If anything she's more mad at herself than Greyson- not that it made that much of a difference, she was still mad- and couldn't believe she would do anything like what they did last night.*

I don't even know the bloody wizard.

--

*Suddenly she hears a soft ringing just over her shoulder. She jumps, eyes wide, and turns to either catch or hex whatever it is*

Oi!

*She sees the small silver bell and stops in her tracks.*</sub>[/i]

*Katie might as well be underwater with how hard it is for her to breathe. Once again, she knows this isn't supposed to be easy, but is it really supposed to be this hard?*

<sub>*She sees him, Greyson Ollivander, standing in the middle of her shop the morning afterwards. He's looking right into her eyes, with his hands in his pockets and an unreadable expression on his face.*

*Slides his hand back into his pocket, straightening himself out.*

-I fancy you. I know we've only just met, but Katie, I've taken quite a liking to you.

You're like a breath of fresh air. The warm sun on my face.</sub>[/url]

*Slowly, she nods. Whether she'll admit it or not, there's only so much pain she make the wizard go through, and keeping him purposely away from him memories is going too far. Or is it? Without remembering, there's no pain. But not having any memories of these past few months would be terrible as well.*

Yes...something like it.

*Swallows, her mouth and throat dry while her eyes are almost overflowing.*

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Grins, happy with himself for remembering something, if only it is a tiny bit of a humongous piece of artwork. He's sure the pieces will find there places, and he'll see the whole picture once again. Gingerly, so as not to cause more pain than necessary, Greyson's hand finds Katie's, and he's holding it tightly. This gesture is so natural to him, he doesn't even know he's doing it until it's over.*

Well that's a start then, innit? I'm sure it'll all come back to me, bef-

*Glances to Katie's face, taking immediate notice of the tears caught there. They sparkle a bit in the light of the hospital, and his heartstrings are pulled...more like yanked.*

Wha's the matter, wee Katiebell?

*Drops his eyes to their interlocked fingers, and feels that maybe he's bothering her.*

[Katie Bell]

*Damns the tears he must've seen, and thinks he's only asking to be polite. Afterall, he doesn't know who she is, yet she knows so much about him and she's crying for no apparent reason? Reaching up with the hand not held by Greyson, she wipes away the tears, shaking her head.*

Oh, 's nothing. I- I'm glad you're, er...awake?

*Offers lamely, wishing she wouldn't be such an open book around him. Knowing she should keep up the appearance of being just another one of his friends, she picks her next words carefully.*

I...don't remember which memory you're talking about, l- mate.

*Maybe not so carefully! She inwardly cringes, but is thankful that she caught her slip-up.*

Not exactly.

*Remembers she's already agreed that yes, he was on the right track, and is tempted to hex herself. With him around, it's too difficult for her to think straight, and unfortunately it's showing.*

Maybe it wasn't with me?

*Is metaphorically crushed by the sudden thought of Greyson telling another witch that she's the sun on his face. However, friends wouldn't stand there, holding each other's hands and being so emotional. She once again moves to step away from the bed.*

Must've been some lucky witch, though.

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Sits quietly, holding her hand, and senses some awkwardness in the air. Not sure why he feels as such he continues to listen to her, and once again tries to reach back into his memory, focusing hard on the sound of the bell ringing, it's so clear.*

I dunno...the bell is so clear...but-

*Grows quiet once again, thinking over her suggestion that the memory may not even involve her, but he's sure it does, and Quidditch too. Chews his lip, still reaching back into his hazy recollection, and blindly looks to the witch he loves so deeply, though he has forgotten that little fact for the moment.*

Y- You play Quidditch, right?

*Nods to himself, convinced he's right about her and something to do with Quidditch. So intent on remembering he doesn't seem to notice Katie pulling away from him.*

[Katie Bell]

*Sadly looks down at the hand he held, already missing the warmth of his hand on hers. Decides to keep her eyes on the floor, lightly tapping one of the bottom legs of the chair she didn't feel like sitting in with her foot.*

Mhmm, I do. I play Chaser...work at Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon.

*Feels a bit repetitive, telling him things about her that he already knows but just doesn't remember.*

Also used to play at Hogwarts, but I was in Gryffindor...

*Snaps her mouth shut, thinking he wouldn't want to hear about what she used to do when she was younger. He has more important things to worry about, like getting back his memory. Katie tosses the idea of hinting at a witch- not herself, of course- but one he's currently seeing, around in her mind. It'd probably get him to inch away from certain memories.*

*A little voice inside her head- she's always hated her conscience- whispers that it'd be a horrible thing to do, and she remains silent.*

[Greyson Ollivander]

*The moment Katie says the place of her employment, Greyson is suddenly pulled back into a memory, slightly hazy, but he can see he's in a shop, Quidditch gear every where, and Katie standing there.*

*Her eyes widen* I know you did not just say that. *She smirks as she sees his eyes drop to her lips* I was going to say something along the lines of, if you win... *Sighs* I'd move my things into your flat, that way we wouldn't have to worry about who's spending the night where. Also, if, by some mysterious default you were to win, I'd wear my Quidditch uniform [more or less] along with...certain other outfits around your place for an entire week. *Blinks innocently. She hopes she isn't moving things too fast, but something about them living together feels right* Any objections?

*He can see their hands shaking clearly, and he blinks repeatedly, breath catching with excitement as he recalls something. Her words ring loudly through his thoughts, and he's looking to her, grinning widely.*

*Blurts out, needing to know if he recalled correctly.*

Do we live together?

*Though he wasn't exactly listening, a bit of what she was saying about herself managed to leak through, and he registers that he's had this conversation before, but was it with her?*

Right. I've heard this before...or at least I think I do. Y-Your wand, it's 11½ inches...M- Mahogany...rather durable...with an Ashwinder Ash core.

*Some things are becoming much more clear, and he can clearly see her wand. He doesn't know how he knows so much about it, or the significance for knowing that information, but it's there right in the foreground of his memory.*

Wow that's a lot of information to know about someone's wand.

*Chuckles.*

Odd.

[Katie Bell]

* and says the first thing that comes to her mind when he asks his question.*

Yes- I mean no! Well, ye- no. I mean no, we don't live together.

*Wonders why in Merlin's name he'd ask such a thing before remembering a certain bet of theirs they had a while back, when they first met. She runs one hand through her hair, cringing slightly as she lies.*

I won that match-

*Realizes she isn't actually lying, just not specifying which match she won. Grins crookedly, trying to act more like a friend and less like a witch who's madly in love with him.*

-and you pouted for a while, like a First Year.

*Both eyebrows rise again, in surprise.*

Merlin, how do you know about my wand?!

*Rolls her eyes, sighing to herself as his last name, 'Ollivander' echoes loudly in her head. Of course he'd know about wands, that's what he's supposed to do!*

Nevermind, silly question.

*Looks around the room nervously, not too sure where to go from here. Anything she says could trigger another memory, which might lead to even bigger things. With that thought, she blushes, a small bit of her praying that certain memories of certain times between them stay hidden, while another part morbidly wonders what his reaction would be.*

[Greyson Ollivander]

*His eyes widen with each stutter she manages to squeak out, wondering why she is reacting in such a strange manner. So they live together big deal. Lots of witches and wizards can be flat-mates, perhaps they were too. But, he has the inkling that he felt something for her, and that's why she's so familiar, so comfortable.*

W- We don't then. Right. But, I'd gather that we did once upon a time, your expression says more than your words.

*Nods, smiling as he listens to her voice, and he realizes that he could do that for hours on end, her voice is so appealing to him, washing over him in warm soothing waves. She mentioned that she had won that match, and he has the feeling they've played together a few times.*

We've done that quite a bit then, eh? And, why would I know so much about your wand? What did you mean, "Never mind"?

*Sniffs the air, and winces again as another wave of pain floods his body, though thankfully it seems to be subsiding some. As he inhales he catches a familiar aroma. Sniffs again, Pine? Burning Pine? The scent sends him to another place in his thoughts, a forest, there's a fire, a small tent, squishy arm chairs, and once again, Katie.*

*Blinks, coming back to reality, head spinning, and he sinks into the bed, turning green around the gills. The sensation of traveling between two different worlds caused a bit of nausea, and he swallows hard, giving Katie a tight lipped grin before quoting himself softly.*

"Yeah well, if you're gonna be involved with me you might wanna keep a rucksack packed at all times."

[Katie Bell]

*Fidgets, wondering if this is a sign for her to go, before anything else comes back to him.*

I- well, yeah, w- we could've...as friends, of course.

*Narrows her eyes, not liking how easy he can read her, even when he's injured. She never thought she'd be that predictable! His questions, one after the other, make her wish she could forget about Jolie and everything that's happened, and run into his arms. But, she knows neither he nor St. Mungo's would appreciate that until he's fully healed. Which leads her to ask herself if she'll even be around when that happens...*

*Blinks, thinking he looks like a abandoned puppy as he sniffs the air. A little while after, she watches as he lays back down, and even she knows that green isn't a good skin colour for wizards at all. He whispers, and her heart stops. It feels like the floor has a mind of it's own, and is dead-set against knocking her off her feet as the room around her spins. Reaching behind her, for a chair, a wall, something, Katie slowly collapses to the floor, landing on her bum in surprise.*

I- I- what? N- no, you're- you didn't say that to me...

*Mind races, and she feels like the walls are closing in on her. He's starting to remember, slowly but surely, and she's still here? Something tells her that she might not leave afterall, but her common sense soon overrules that.*

That.wasn't.to.me.and.I'll.get.a.Healer.you.don't.look.too.good!

*Blurts out, without making any signs of even pulling herself up off the floor. Thinks.*

_{Why do I always turn into such a blubbering idiot in front of him?}

[Greyson Ollivander]

*Raises his brows, and watches her sink onto the floor, and with the way he's laying he cannot see her from up on the bed. Her voice reaches his ears, and he shakes his head, he knows for certain he never mentioned who's words he was speaking, or to whom they were said.*

Katie? No one ever said...anything about...me saying t-that to you. Why would you think that?

Are you alright?

*Eyes widen as she hops up and rambles off something about finding a healer. He doesn't want her to go anywhere, not yet anyway.*

What! NO! I'm fine...see-

*Reaches up carefully, and pats himself gingerly, trying to prove that he's fine, and she shouldn't leave.*

-Right as rain. 'Sides a healer will come along soon enough.

*Moves his head to see her better, wanting her close, almost needing her near. Nods to the chair by his bed, though he'd prefer her next to him, touching him.*

Take a load off...we can talk a lil' more.