Special delivery for lady_green_bat Title: Touch/Move Author: Recipient's LJ name:lady_green_bat Pairing(s): Oliver Wood/Katie Bell Rating: NC-17 Summary: Katie needs another celebrity to play chess for charity. And she knows what she wants to offer him in return for a bit of his time. Word Count: 5621 Warnings/Content: NC-17. Nothing kinky. Disclaimer: All characters are JK Rowling's. This is purely for the smut, with no profit at all. A/N Thanks to betas Phht & Solange for their efforts!
Oliver stretched as he walked out of the Flighty Phoenix, his money-bag lighter than it had been when he went in. Stacia had been pleased to see him again, or at least, that was what she'd said to him. Strippers, even star-attraction mermaid strippers from Greece, were very good at saying whatever it took to keep a favourite, free-spending customer around. He should probably be grateful that she had remembered his name from the last time she had headlined the Phoenix.
Of course, being an acquaintance of Potter helped. Most of the ladies, both witchy and magical creature in nature, were friendly with him and a couple of fellow female Gryffindors who staffed the bar and office. All one had to do was sit with Harry and, sooner or later, several of the most exotic and enticing dancers would stop to talk with him. It was a simple step from there to the private rooms at the back where he could exchange his Galleons for enthusiastic company.
Lost in his memory of the feel of Savannah's faux-Thestral wings against his body, Oliver didn't notice the blonde lurking at the intersection of Knockturn and Diagon Alley. Seconds later, he noticed all too well when she slugged him in the shoulder. “OW!”
“What's the big idea not inviting me out to the Phoenix, Oliver?” Katie Bell snapped. “And don't give me that 'Boys' Night Out' garbage! I got asked out to the last three nights out, paid for enough rounds of drinks, and even indulged you Neanderthals by getting that lapdance from Marie-Claude ...” She paused, then shrugged. “...which I apparently enjoyed more than I thought I would. And you don't call me for this one? I'm hurt!”
Oliver rubbed his throbbing tricep and winced. His best rookie find prior to Harry himself, Katie packed a mean arm. It was why she'd been such a good Chaser through their years together on the team. The ability to heave the Quaffle far and fast made her one of the best girls to finish a passing play. “Come on, Katie. You were supposed to be playing in some tournament this weekend. I figured your brain would have fried itself.”
“So? Isn't having no brain a prerequisite for nights out at the strip club?” she asked, still scowling. “Just think of all the compromising situations you could have talked me into!”
“Geez,” he mumbled, leaning back against the wall of Twilfit and Tatting's haberdashery. “If it's that important to you, we can always go back. But you're paying for any dances you want, because I've had my lot tonight. My trousers are probably still damp.”
Katie wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Oh, ew.”
Oliver waved his hand at her. “Mermaid, I meant.”
She gave him another look. “Still ew.”
Cursing under his breath, Oliver swatted at her in frustration. “She's a Greek siren, you bint. Not the sort of Mer-woman that's in the Hogwarts lake. I do have some standards, you know.”
Katie caught his wrist and turned on the spot, pulling it across her breasts as she nestled her back up against his chest. “Yeah. Standards like dating me on and off for months.” Her blonde hair tickled his throat and chin as she looked up at him. “I'm good for the casual stuff, just so you know. I appreciated that you never shagged and ran, either. You always stayed the night. And sometimes all the next day, if neither of us had to go to practice or travel with our team.”
He breathed out softly, the weight of her slender body pressed against his chest making it a little more difficult. “We could have been more, I think. We weren't both playing and there weren't any rules against a player dating a staffer from a different team. There still aren't. And your job's recognized more now that people understand it better.”
“I still can't believe that I had to convince the Harpies coaches that massage therapy wasn't some freakish Muggle perversion,” Katie grumbled. “Thank God that half the team was Muggle-born and knew what I was talking about.” Then she lowered her head and kissed his forearm. “Thanks for the offer, Oliver, but I'm not up for marriage just yet. When I am, I'll be sure to send you one of the first engraved invitations to woo me.” The kiss turned to a soft bite. “Mmmm.”
Oliver hissed as her hips pressed up against his still-humming body and she was doing something with her mouth along the inside of his forearm. Stacia, while a half-human, had been quite the cock-tease with both halves of her body, using breasts, hands, lips, and even her flukes to gain and keep his attention. He hadn't had any relief from the arousal she'd caused in him and now Katie was on the verge of bringing it all back.
Lifting her head again, Katie glanced back at him and smirked knowingly. He knew she could feel him through his robes, probably because her blasted arse was gliding and wriggling closely, firmly, tantalizing him. She only did this sort of thing if she wanted something.
“I won my division this afternoon,” she said, tossing her hair to the side so she could look at him with the side of her eye, at the same time exposing that stretch of bare neck that he'd once left a hickey on. “So I'm only a few rating points shy of making it to expert level, once the BWCF confirms me.”
“Nice work, love. Never thought of you as a chess player, but good on you.” He dipped his head down to kiss that line of shoulder that led to the nape of her neck. Then he oofed as Katie elbowed him lightly in the ribs.
“Why, because I don't have the brainpower for it?” she shot back, spinning around in his arms and pushing him up even tighter against the wall with her body. “I couldn't play the big game any more, Oliver, because that Cramping Curse meant I couldn't stay on a broom. I had a lot of time in St. Mungo's to play wizard chess with that girl in the next bed. They told me I was good and that I could be better, if I listened to them. So I did. That's how I won today.”
“Merlin, I'm happy you did well, so quit slugging me! I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but that Ron Weasley managed to play both chess and Keeper.” Oliver got a grip on her elbows so she couldn't do any more damage. “Then again, I heard he was crap unless there was a big game on the line. Didn't Potter ever look for someone more consistent in goal?”
“Forget the school Quidditch talk,” Katie said, resting her palms on his chest and her chin on top of those. “I was looking for you earlier and George told me that you came down to the Phoenix tonight. You didn't invite him out, either?”
“He's got that thing going with Angelina and I'm not risking her wrath again,” he said. “If George is out late, it had better because he's doing store inventory or something that doesn't involve a busty centaur girl using him for filly fodder.”
Katie smirked. “Uh-huh. I've heard stories about that one. Anyways, I need someone. I'm short one amateur for my exhibition play tomorrow and I'd like you to come.” She bent her head to nuzzle his chest, splaying her fingers to plant a couple of kisses on his collarbone. “You can play. I saw you in the common-room with Fred or George pretty often. I mean, sure, most of your games looked like some nightmare version of chess with lots more explosions ...”
“Oh yeah,” Oliver said, grinning. “Those were fun.”
“Anyways,” Katie continued, “can you make it tomorrow at lunch in the lobby of the Wizarding Wireless Network? I'm playing with two other almost-experts in a charity event to get us more members in the chess club. If we don't have fifteen opponents, it's harder to time everything properly.” She pushed her palms against his chest and rubbed him slowly, gazing up at him. “Please? There's sex in it for you. Hot, sweaty sex, too.”
He blinked at that and gently eased her away from him, stroking her shoulders. “Whoa there, girl. What's with that?”
She shrugged, her own hands holding his wrists. “I just thought that you'd be in the mood after the Phoenix. If you're not interested, then I certainly don't want to force you ...”
“Not that,” he said, sighing. “I don't want to, as you said earlier, 'shag and run'. You want to play chess with me and beat me in public? Sure. I can do that.” He pulled his arms free of her grip and slid his hands along her shoulders, up the sides of her neck and right up to her hairline, making her close her eyes briefly. “You want sex? I can do that. I'd like to do that, too.”
“I sense a 'but' coming,” Katie grumbled, rolling her head around slowly with the pressure of his fingers against the base of her skull. “Oh, God. Right there... a bit higher, please. It's tight.”
“Yeah, there's a but,” he agreed, obliging her and rubbing the nape of her neck, knowing it was the hex she'd been hit with. “Here it is: But when we've slept together, we've always done it at your place. I think we should stay at my flat tonight. Bit of a change. It's not like the wireless station is farther away or anything.”
She tilted her head back, groaning softly as she was kneaded. “Mmmm. Did you get yourself a better bed, then? That was the main reason I never wanted to sleep at your place. Bloody futons or couches aren't suited to my body now.”
Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I tossed that thing last year and got myself a proper bed. Even had a girl help me pick it out, just to be sure.” He pulled her a bit closer as one of the bachelor parties from the Flighty Phoenix went past, shouting and laughing.
Katie smirked up at him and nestled closer in response. “Bright boy. Okay. The terms are: Sex at your place tonight and you play chess against me and my friends tomorrow. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Good. I'll just pop home and put together an overnight bag. Meanwhile, I think it'd be a good idea if you went home and showered.”
Oliver blinked and inhaled through his nose, checking his odour. He didn't think he'd been that sweaty in the club. “Why?”
“Well, for one reason, you can wash the smell of skanky mermaid off you.” Katie made a teasing face and wrinkled her nose. “Stripper scent with fishy undertones. Well, fishier. Bleah. Go on, make yourself pretty for me. I'll see you in half an hour.” Before he could move, she stepped back and turned on her heel, Apparating out.
Shaking his head, Oliver headed back through Diagon Alley. Women. They could smell another girl half a Quidditch pitch away.
- - -
“Ooooh yeah. Nice four-poster, Oliver. Early 12 th century Hogwarts?” Katie fingered the velvet curtains and undid a couple of the golden rope knots holding them back. “Seriously, did you raid the old Room of Requirement for this?”
“Family heirloom,” he said, still drying his hair off. “Not my family, either.” Katie hadn't been as long away as he'd expected, so he'd only had time to get a pair of trousers on before she'd rung herself in from downstairs. “It's well-ventilated, no wood rot or termite damage, and almost as good a mattress as we had at school.”
Dropping her bag beside Oliver's nightstand, Katie struggled out of her robes to reveal a Falmouth Falcons sweatshirt and the Officially Licensed Fleece Pyjama Pants of Puddlemere United. She flipped the hood on her sweater back and made an irritated noise as she tried to pull snagged blonde strands free of everything. “Oi, maybe some help here?”
He snickered and moved to get her hands away, carefully easing her hair free. “Why did you grow it out? You looked fine with short hair, you know.” Getting her robes free, he hung them on the back of his door and watched her as she sat down on his bed. “You testing out my boxspring now?”
“Yeah.” She smirked, giving a few exploratory bounces on it. “Sweet mattress all right, Ollie.” Then she winced suddenly and pulled her legs up, reaching for the back of her thigh as she lay down. “Hang on.”
Oliver hurried over and rolled her onto her side, replacing her hands with his so he could massage her quadricep. “I had it,” she grumbled, grimacing. “But bloody hell. At least they're not as fierce as they used to be. And you just want to put your hands on me some more, don't you?”
“I thought that was the point. You get your say tomorrow and I get to play with you tonight.” He pushed her to turn over again. “Over that chessboard tomorrow, you're going to have your way with me. So I figure it's only fair that I get to take charge tonight.”
Katie glanced up at him, one blue eye visible through her blonde bangs. “You're taking over, is that it? She smiled. “Who do you think you are, Charlie Weasley?”
“Not tonight, but at least I didn't wrestle you to the bed like the dragon tamer he is. You didn't hear what happened at his brother's wedding, did you?”
She sat up gingerly, Oliver picking her up her ankles and easing her feet into his lap as she got comfortable against his headboard. “Nope,” she said, tucking one of his pillows behind her hips and sighing as he removed one of her thick socks. “What did that particular Weasley do now?”
“He went off with one of Fleur's Veela cousins during the reception. Well, to be fair, so did Fred and George. But I have it on good authority they were amusing the girls with nothing more than corny magic tricks.” He began padding the sole of her foot with his thumbs, working his way up from her heel to the ball of her foot. “But I heard that Charlie kissed this Veela chick, then managed to insult her enough that she transformed and tried to go all nasty-bird on him.”
Katie giggled, then made a pleased noise in her throat as Oliver hit a tender spot on her arch. “That doesn't sound like him, though. I've seen him in action with some of the Quidditch-bunnies that used to hang around practice.” She gave a small twitch as he reached her ankle. “Ow. There. Right there; that's a spot.”
Stroking her tendon between his thumb and forefinger, Oliver nodded, taking his time and letting his hand glide up the back of her calf beneath the loose fleece of her pyjama pants. “But he was doing that for a reason. When she got her wings and started flinging fireballs, then he jumped her.”
She broke up laughing. “I always knew he liked a lovely bit of rough!” she said, half-snorting. “He'd want a feisty girl under him and you can't get much more than a pissed-off Veela. How did you find this out?”
“Apparently she sent Fleur a letter afterwards asking if Charlie was available and George got a glimpse of it. Of course, he's not going to let a story like that about his brother go to waste. Apparently she'd never been treated like that in her life and really quite enjoyed it.”He cupped and kneaded her calf up to the back of her knee, then down again before starting on her other leg, sliding her other sock off. Her toes had started to curl down and he moved to straighten them out before they could begin to cramp there. They popped softly and Katie made a small noise of relief as he slid his thumb down to stroke her instep.
“Hmmmm. So this is how you seduce girls, is it?"
"Nah," he replied, giving her heel a squeeze. "This is how I seduce my friend whom I know has a hot zone just about ... here." He pressed his thumb into a soft spot beneath the ball of her foot and Katie obediently squirmed a little.
"Mmmmph," she breathed as he kept the pressure on, circling his thumb slow and deep into her sole. "Mmmmm...." As she traced the top of his foot nestled in between her thighs, she smiled lazily. "Stacia can't enjoy something like this, I'll bet. Or are you capable of some sort of flipper massage?"
"Fluke massage, actually," he said as he gave a gentle tug on her ankle, her whole body shifting a bit closer. "Almost the same thing, but different textures."
Katie gasped, then cackled. "You perv! Fondling a girl's flukes like that!"
He smirked back at her. "Yeah. But you're right. There is one thing I can do that she can't enjoy as much as you do."
"And what would that be?"
"This." He tilted his heel and nestled it right up against the inseam of her fleece pyjamas, gliding his foot up and down along her groin.
It was her turn to inhale. "Ooooh," she murmured. "That's your game, is it?"
Oliver met her gaze. "For starters," he agreed. He gave his foot an exploratory wiggle and she responded with a wriggle of her own, giving him a feel of something that made him pause. "Oh, Katie. Tell me you're not starkers under all that fleece and flannel."
She blushed and slipped her foot out of his grasp, lowering it so it was nestled firmly in his lap. "I figured it'd save time." By way of demonstration, she unzipped her sweater hoodie partway and let him catch a glimpse of her soft, bare breasts. "They've ... sort of gotten bigger since you last saw them," she said as she toyed with a fine golden chain around her neck. Oliver knew that the pendant resting on her cleavage was her half of a Contraception Charm. "Without Quidditch to keep me in shape ..."
He gazed at her as she pulled her zipper down the rest of the way, slowly shrugging out of the flannel hoodie altogether. "Merlin, Katie, I wouldn't care if you put on a stone or two."
She smiled and cupped his foot against her body, turning her hips slightly and making a pleased noise as he continued to rock it against her. Her own bare foot was sliding around and around over his groin, careful of the pressure she was applying as she rubbed back and forth against him. “I know you wouldn't. You've seen me at my best and my worst.” She tilted her head, massaging one of her breasts nice and slow in front of him, softly plucking at her nipple. Biting her lip, she gave a small inhale after each tug, her thighs twitching around his foot.
Oliver groaned at the sight and cradled her foot, guiding her instep up and down the length of his erection a bit more before finally giving in. “Lie down, love. I want to play with you.”
Katie purred at that and stretched her arms before sliding over to lie on her side, watching Oliver strip his trousers off. He shoved them off the bed to land on the floor next to her sweater and then crawled up to hook his fingers into the waistband of her fleece pants. “They're coming off, you know.”
“I know,” she murmured, arching her hips up to help. When she finally lay nude beneath him, she wrapped a gentle hand around his cock and stroked him slowly, holding his attention. “You have your half of the Charm?”
Oliver lifted his arm to show the silver bracelet around his wrist. “Put it on right after the shower.”
“Good. Hmmmm.” She lay back as he knelt astride her stomach, cupping her full breasts for him and pushing them together teasingly. “Oooh, you want to play with them?”
He nodded and guided the head of his cock to brush against her nipples, Katie giggling as she playfully kneaded and rolled her breasts around him. Before long, though, he had poured warm, sweet-tasting oil between her breasts and he was thrusting into her as she pressed them tightly together. She rocked gently beneath him as he drew back with agonizing slowness, then pushed into her hot cleavage yet again to slide up slickly. She'd even lowered her head to suck on the tip of his cock when he was within reach of her mouth.
“Doing okay?” he panted as she let her head fall back again. “Not cramping anywhere?” That was his biggest concern, that she'd stop enjoying herself when something, somewhere, seized up because of the lingering effects of that hex. One time, years earlier, she had been riding him and had gotten a double charley horse, similar to the one she'd had earlier tonight. It had taken her ages to get back into the mood.
“Better than okay,” Katie moaned, rolling her head from side to side, fingers kneading her breasts and rubbing her nipples against each other as she held them together around his pumping cock. “I think I'm going to come from this, too. Don't stop, Oliver. Ohhhh, keep going. Hmmm.... fuck my tits, Ollie.”
Smiling, he put his hands around hers and gave her a squeeze. “Then hold onto them tightly, love.” He thrust a bit harder into her and she moaned almost immediately at the sound of him sliding between her breasts. Or maybe it was because his thumbs were brushing her beautiful nipples, so dark and swollen from all the attention she was getting.
He could hear her thighs rubbing and sliding together, feel her legs against his as she squirmed around, seeking more and more friction. But almost all of his attention was focused on her full breasts and the sight of her face as she writhed towards what seemed to be a massive orgasm. And he kept pumping her, his cock sliding in and out of her cleavage until, finally, she crested a wave of pleasure and cried out, bucking beneath him.
As Katie was uncurling from her climax, panting and looking hungry for more, he drew out of the tight space she'd made for him between her breasts and bent down to kiss each nipple. His tongue swirled them, drew them into his mouth so he could keep her humming along. And she arched obediently into his wet, tasting mouth, her fingers kneading his hair as she moaned, “I love it when I get those. Mmm, oh fuck, Ollie, that was a good one.” She smiled lazily down as he slid down her body. “My toes are still curling. And this time, it’s in a good way.” She squeaked as he lapped her navel with his tongue. “I thought you only did those when you’d forgotten your Contraception Charm.”
“You thought wrong.” Oliver kissed her hip, kneading her there gently. “Besides, you said they’d gotten bigger and I just wanted to see for myself.” He grinned at her and brushed his palm over her pussy, feeling just how wet she’d gotten. “And you were right.” He sat up and coaxed her over onto her side once more, spooning up behind her, knowing it would be the easiest on her and help to prevent any cramping at just the wrong time. He lifted her leg slightly and slid it back over his own, opening her up and leaning her back against his body. With a slow push, he was entering her from behind.
Katie gave a pleased moan as he started to pump into her, his free hand playing with her breast and his mouth relentlessly teasing her ear and neck. She was relaxed against him, rocking with his slow pace, and strumming her clit with her oily fingertips. “Oh. Ohhhh, that’s good,” she panted, the spark of a miniature orgasm sending her pussy quivering around his cock. “Hmm. Feel that?”
“Yeah,” he breathed back, his hand sliding down to join hers between her legs. Her hand helped guide him to her clit and he made her keep rubbing herself. He could feel the shaft of his cock too, as he fucked Katie deep and slow, their fingers intertwined as they rode each other to a climax. “Touch me, Katie. God, touch me too.”
He gasped as her hand slipped free of his, sliding lower down, then he forgot about it as she began bucking again, her head back against his shoulder and her inner muscles flexing around him, coaxing him to hurry up and come inside her. With his cock pushed all the way into her, held there by the tight, fluttering sensations of her pussy, Oliver gasped and groaned against her ear. And then he became aware of her fingers once more. She was fumbling, searching, and then pressing on a soft spot just behind his sac.
Losing his breath entirely, Oliver felt his cock pulse and he began to come inside her as he’d never felt before, each release deep in her pussy amplified by the hot, firm pressure she was applying to that spot. Every thrum that went through his shaft came from there and it pulsed on her fingertips as she pushed up against him, rubbing and circling oh so hard FUCK!
Even after he thought he was spent, he could feel muscles shuddering as Katie didn’t let up, obeying his whispered instructions and continuing her massage behind his sac. He couldn’t pull out of her just yet, either, as he, unbelievably, felt more of his release pulse through his cock and into her. He was no longer hard, dammit, but he couldn’t go back. He could only blindly arch up into her, trying to keep thrusting even though he was completely sheathed in her pussy. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn he was about to come again.
Katie groaned and finally pulled away, giving her wrist a shake. “Whoo. Hand cramp,” she panted, flexing her fingers. “But it was soooo worth it.” She lolled her head back to gaze at him. “Oh, no more, Oliver. That last one wrung me out.”
“Wrung you out?” he gasped, finding his breath as they both rolled onto their backs. “That was one of the hardest orgasms I’ve had in years! I’d forgotten you knew that little trick. God, it’s been ages since someone’s done that to me and made me think I could come again so fast.”
She grinned and snuggled him, smearing oil from her breasts over his chest. “I’ve told you before that some guys are capable of multiple orgasms. I think we’ll get you there eventually, with proper practice.”
He groaned again. “It’ll be the death of me. Are you sure we have to use our brains tomorrow?”
“We’ll be fine,” she told him, then bent her head to give him a soft, tonguing kiss. “Mmmm. We just have to remember not to be silly in the morning.”
- - -
“I thought we weren’t going to be silly in the morning,” Oliver growled, smoothing his robes.
“That wasn’t being silly,” Katie said in a low voice as they hurried up the stairs of the WWN, located in the Underground’s Down Street ghost station. “That was one of the most fun sixty-nines I’ve done yet. Want to try it again after I boot your arse around the chessboard?”
“You’re on,” he said, squeezing her elbow. “Winner gets to be on top.”
“Winner gets whatever position she wants so she doesn't cramp up.”
“How the hell do you sit still long enough to play chess when you know anything could cramp at any moment?”
“I have two hands, Oliver. You work it out.”
“Oi,” Oliver began, but just as they rounded the corner into the main lobby, they were greeted by a small crowd of people who rushed to gather Katie into their midst. “Later,” he promised.
She grinned back. “Keep your guard up.”
People were gathered around the hollow triangle of tables set up in the lobby, with speakers everywhere broadcasting the twelve o'clock news, which was the show prior to the broadcast of the charity tournament. As Oliver followed an event guide to the 'celebrity' boards, where he'd be playing with four other only-slightly-famous people, he could hear the announcer talking over the noise of the crowd.
“In entertainment news, Hit Wizards apprehended noted singing sensation Bass Humthrob last night after his concert. The Ministry informed journalists that Mr. Humthrob had been using a Time-Turner in order to sing four and five-part harmonies with himself at many of his events. This in itself is not illegal, but many of his promoters and advertisers were paying each member of his group their own salary and this latest revelation has raised questions over ...”
“Oi, Wood!”
Oliver turned to see the Kenmare Kestral's Seeker, Aidan Kiely, at a board. He quickly took the chair next to him. “Got roped into this too, did you, Kiely?”
“My agent said it would be good for me to be seen at one of these. How about you? That blonde your agent?”
“Nah, she's one of the people we're playing today. I was her Quidditch captain at Hogwarts.”
Aidan raised his eyebrows. “She any good?”
“Haven't seen her play chess yet, but I think she could handle us both pretty well.” Oliver glanced down at the pieces he'd be playing with, some of which appeared to be fraternizing with Kiely's pieces. “Here's another thought: Let's make sure we both have the right number of pawns before we start.”
“Good idea.” Aidan checked his board. “Wait, where'd my queen get to?”
“And finally, there are reports that Luna Lovegood may be using Spectre Echoes to control her ghostly army in her ongoing conflict with the Ministry of Magic. Our listeners are advised to alert the Ministry if they hear spectral sea shanties, as that may indicate the presence of the Gentle Dark Lady herself. The other two members of her former ménage a trois, Charlie Weasley and Cho Chang, were reached for comment and had the following to say ...”
It had never occurred to Oliver that playing in a Wizard's Chess tournament would require his old skills of Quidditch Captain. But the more he watched the other players preparing, the more he saw that knowledge and board-skill were only two-thirds of the equation. One had to be able to command the respect of their pieces, know when to take the advice of the 'troops at ground level' and when to stay the course with their own view of the battlefield. Well, he knew how to do that.
“That's it for the news at noon. Stay tuned to the WWN now for brief coverage of the St. Mungo's Charity Chess Challenge here in our very own lobby.”
As music played and applause started up, Katie and her teammates came out with the rest of their club, all of them waving banners. Introductions followed, and Oliver learned that the other three 'celebrity amateurs' were Orsino Thruston, the drummer for the Weird Sisters, ex-Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, and, out on a day pass from St. Mungo's and introduced as “the best example of the results to be expected of the finest magical health care in Wizarding Britain” (Fudge himself was handling the introductions), Gilderoy Lockhart.
Katie and her teammates took up their positions in the center of the triangle, each of them facing a side. Oliver was in the middle of the row and it was there that Katie chose to stand, her arms behind her back. “Ready?” she whispered.
He nodded, sliding a foot beneath the table to press lightly on her toes, making her sidle backwards. “Oh yeah.”
Fudge hadn't let go of the magical microphone yet. “Amateurs move first and the experts may choose where to begin their play! And begin!” Setting the microphone down, he hurried to his spot as people began giving orders to their pieces.
Oliver smirked up at Katie, then leaned down close to the board. “Okay, gentlemen, ladies, and ... whatever you rooks actually are. She thinks she's got us just because she's got black. But I know some of her weak spots. I'll need your eyes on the ground.” Pausing, he looked over at Aidan's chess set, which was also yelling advice, some of it insulting. “Oi, best of order here! I'm rallying my troops!” He glanced down at them. “See that? They don't think we can do it, either. Show them wrong. Let's move.”