Stranger: Amelia Silver was sat in the deserted Hogwarts library, skimming through 'Quidditch through the Ages'. It was her favourite book but her mind was elsewhere. It seemed that due to her focus on N.E. that her performance on the Quidditch pitch was suffering. Maybe she could ask the newest member of staff for help? Oliver Wood had recently retired from professional Quidditch, aged 30, and returned to Hogwarts to be the flying teacher and Quidditch referee. Inspiring the talent of tomorrow, came his reasoning. Amelia looked up and saw the new coach wandering through the library, seemingly looking for somebody

Where on earth was she? He understood she was busy what with exams but the team had a reputation to uphold and he really needed to make sure she was okay with playing the next match or if they needed a replacement. He looked up and noticed her across the Library and found himself almost bounding across the room to get to her. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Sir?" she raised a confused eyebrow, "Is.. everything okay?" she asked, sitting up and watching him closely. what could he possibly want with her?

" Hay, I know your busy but I...I...need your help getting the Pitch ready and I was wondering if you wanted to get some practice in."

"Me? Umm.. wow, uh," she closed her book slowly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Sure, great," she smiled, very flattered that he'd asked her.

" well then lets get going!" He smiled brightly and mentally cursed himself. " Will you go get the trunk for me? I'll meet you on the pitch."

"Sure, right on it," she nodded, rushing out of the library to the pitch. "Blimey," she smiled to herself as she walked. She retrieved the trunk from the locker rooms and waited, leaning on one of the goalposts.

He walked out with two brooms, very glad he had talked the school into replacing the old ones from when he was in school. He spotted her and hurried over , handed her one and reached down to open the trunk. "Well then shall we get started? You know what to do right?" Might as well turn the fun into a test. He really had wanted her to be quidditch captain but apparently there was to much work to be done. No one else thought she could handle it all. He watched her closely to see what all happened

"You want me to use /that/?" she stared at the broom. "I don't use a Nimbus," she scoffed as she pulled her wand from her pocket. "Accio Firebolt," she called and the slick black broom flew into her free hand. "May I ask /why/ you think I need this extra practise?" she asked, tucking her wand back into her pocket.

"Well," he started a small almost smirk hidden in his smile, "It's not that I think you need the practice, you just seemed a little stressed and I always found flying is a good way to let it out."

"Oh," she looked down, "Right, okay then," she smiled up at him. She was about to get her own personal training session with /the/ Oliver Wood. Amelia mounted her broom and kicked off, flying a few feet above him.

He tossed her the quaffle " I havn't done this in forever you mind trying to get it past me?" He asked, looking like a little kid asking for candy

"I could tr-..." she looked at him for a moment. He may be the best keeper Puddlemere had ever seen but one day she would be the best chaser. "Of course I could," she smirked, catching it in one hand.

With that he flew up and grinned over at her. " Bring it on"

: She tossed the quaffle up in the air then caught it, before she set off she checked her grip. She zoomed forward, swerving and swooping as she approached the hoops. Nerves like never before setting in, she pulled her arm back and took a shot, aiming for the middle hoop.

He quickly shot up and barely grabbed the ball. Blocking with basically his fingertips. "Almost. Try again." His smile growing each second at her slightly annoyed face.

Repeating the same process, move for move until the final swoop, she then took aim. This time trying for the highest ring.

He was just a fraction of a second to late, she got the ball past him. He looked at her in amazment. "Good Job sweetheart think you can do it again do you have other things you need to do?"

She let out a cheer of triumph when it went in but stopped suddenly to hide her blushes. She stared when he called her 'sweetheart' and her throat went dry. "Yeah," she nodded, "Of course, I'm Amelia Silver, of course I bloody can."

"well then lets get to it" He cursed his slip up. He really should watch his tongue though that blush she was hiding was so cute just...no. He skook his head and passed her the ball and waited patiently for the next goal.

Amelia decided to switch up some of her swerves, doing a loop simply to show off as she charged towards the goals. She took aim, full force, at the lowest hoop.

He really wasn't expecting the change in tactic, and her showing off didn't help take his mind away from her blush. He missed this one by a good foot and shook his head once again. He should have gotten that. He grinned and flew over to her patting her on the back and went to congragulate her but he wasn't sure what to say. There was a lump in his throat as he tried to find a way to keep his feelings hidden and remain teacher/student appropriate. But it was hard. So he settled for a smile and another pat on the back.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" she smirked, looking him up and down slowly. "Reckon I'll be good enough for Puddlemere?" she raised an eyebrow, "I mean, if I can get past the greatest keeper they've ever seen," she teased, quite mockingly.

"I'm sure you can do anything," he said seriously, "I'm sure of it."

She forced a weak smile, she was incredibly flattered. "Th-... Thank you," she allowed herself to truly smile.

He smiled sadly."cant wait to see the next match. Keep practicing sweetheart you'll only get better. You'll be the best ever seen if you want to. I'm sure." then he went to pack everything up.

"Th-...That's it?" she asked and blinked a couple of times, following him on her broom. "Could we.. practice again? I'd love to learn from you.. if you want to be the best you've got to learn from the best, right?"

He smiled "your already better than me." He said playfully. Trying to hide the fact that he felt like crying. She was his student. This amazing, beautiful...'I need to stop' he thought.

"Not a chance," she chuckled, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Thank you for the help, sir," she smiled sweetly.

"No problem and please...don't call me sir." He said uncomfortably

"Sorry, just, y'know, teacher," she laughed, "Oliver?" she looked up at him as she touched down, looking for approval.

"That's perfect." He smiled. Damn it. He felt his stomache tighten. If only...no.

"When do you reckon we could train again, Si-... Oliver?" she corrected herself.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, perfect," she smiled widely. "I go for a job around the lake in the mornings but I can do lunch time," she explained. He must be doing this for all the promising players.

"Well then it's a done deal."

Mcgonnagal was going to kill him for letting his feelings get in the way with her. her. He grinned. Oh well it's worth it.

"Thanks again, Oliver," she smiled, tossing him the Quaffle and mounting her broom, flying back over to the castle.

He couldn't get her out of his head for the rest of the day. Waiting for tomorrow. The seconds seemed to moove sluggishly. It seemed tomorrow would never come.

After her jog the next morning she returned to the Slytherin dungeons and got a hot shower. As she left the bathroom she saw her friend Lauren in their room. "Lauren, guess who I've got my own /personal/ training session with?" She was met with a blank expression. "/The/ Oliver Wood, he's incredible," she mockingly fanned herself as she got dressed. Once she had finished she headed down to the pitch, broom in hand.

He was an hour early and just sat until she finally showed. He jumped up and almost gave her a bear hug in his excitement but stopped last second and tried to cover up his enthusiasm, and the fact that he was daydreaming about her.

"Hey.." she said weakly, looking up at him. "Y'Alright?" she asked, fiddling with her hands nervously.

"Umm...ya...I was just um...I thought I was late and uh..."

"Are you okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're a bit..."

"FINE!" He blushed and blinked a coupe times. " We should get started" ...'before I do do something stupid' he thought afterwards.

"Yeah, great, do you want to just take shots again or?" she was really eager to learn from him.

"Why don't I try to get the ball away from you today?" He thought 'OLIVER DONT DO IT'...well since when do you listen to your conscience anyway?

Amelia smirked and picked up the Quaffle, mounting and kicking off. She flew high up into the air, "Hurry up then!" she shouted down.

He quickly kicked up and went straight for the Quaffle. 100% serious. Work and play go so well together

She ducked down, swooping underneath him and chuckling to herself. She dashed to the opposite end of the pitch. She tried not to allow the reality of it all to sink in. She was playing Quidditch with one of the best players Puddlemere had ever seen. Not only that but it was the guy she'd had a crush on since she was about 10.

He didn't give up turning to meet her and reaching for the Quaffle yet again. Trying to ignore how beautiful she looked, how focused. He never was a good chaser.

She knew it would be useless holding it above her head, he was so much taller than her. His 6 foot staggered above her 5 foot 3 inches. "Have to be faster!" she called as she circled him quickly.

With that he sped up "You need to watch your other side too" he whispered in her ear as he grabbed the Quaffle from behind and flew off. "Catch me if you can!

A shiver ran down her spine when he whispered and she wobbled, almost falling off her broom. She gripped her broom tightly and raced after him, following him intently.

He dodged her as she came up and started flying circles.

Amelia immediately changed directions, she almost went straight into him but swerved just in time. She smacked the ball out of his hand and caught it easily.

"Hay!" He he spun and tried to get her closer to the ground. Forcing her lower before he suddenly reached out with both hands for the Quaffle and fell, bringing her down with him as they tumbled to the ground. "I'm sorry I'm not the best chaser." He grinned down at her under him and made to get up.

She stared at him for a few moments, completely speechless. "I uh, um," she stammered. It felt incredible, laying like that with him. As they fell she couldn't help but smile and laugh.

He reached out a hand to help her up and blushed.

"Th-thanks," she mumbled, taking his hand and standing up. Was he /blushing/? She stared at him, taking in every feature of his face.

"umm...I think we're done for today but umm.." His hands automatically tightened around hers for a second before he let go.

"Oliver, are you okay?" she asked, looking down at his hand then back to his worried face. "Is it... do you miss playing?" she asked.

"Ya..."He whispered "That's part of it. I loved playing it was my life for the longest time." He looked around and then looked at her. Drinking in her face. "People hated my prep speeches when I played back in school." He grinned alittle. " Apparently I made everything Life or death."

"I heard about those!" she grinned, "My uh, my auntie, she's Katie Bell. She told me all about them," her smile only grew, "I wish we got stuff like that, didn't you train in all weathers?" she asked. "I've always said we should, after all matches aren't cancelled. You need to be able to play in everything from hot, summer weather to storms and snow."

"Ya," he smiled, "I once made us practice when it was raining so hard you couln't see an inch in front of your face. How's Katie by the way?"

"She's okay," she shrugged, "We only really see her at the holidays, she and mum don't get along that well. Between you and me, I think she's a little stuck up," she mumbled.

Oliver grinned, "She's seen alot though, has some stories that would blow your mind." Oliver put an arm around her shoulder and pointed at nothing. "Almost died, fought in the war, ya shes probably stuck up. She's alive though." He squeezed her shoulders.

Amelia smiled and looked at his hand, "I remember the war, I was only 10," she laughed a little due to awkwardness. "But let's not talk about that, bit depressing, isn't it?"

"Ya" He looked out across the pitch, leaving his arm around her shoulders. "Want to go again tomorrow?"

"I'd love to," she said quickly. Maybe he was like this with everybody, was still getting used to the formalities of being a teacher.

You: "See ya then!" He smiled down at her and moved away to get everything back where it went.

"Oliver," she shouted over, "Thanks, for everything," she nodded and turned to walk back to the castle.

He smiled as she walked away, and when he went to sleep that night he smiled at the thought of her laying under him.

"Off to another /personal/ training session?" Lauren teased the following morning. "I am indeed," Amelia giggled as she got dressed, "He's incredible," she lay back down on the bed, "I fancy him like mad," she groaned as she stared on the poster on the wall, the one from when he was in Witch Weekly. It was Lauren who had put it up, of course.

He washed his face. Then he washed it again. Then he considered beating himself. Then he stopped. Oliver walked quietly out to the field yelling at himself for getting so attached...for feeling anything for a student. He was so nervous and jumbled he decided to start flying erly. Just waiting for her to show up and letting all the feelings out.

It was a little warmer than usual and Amelia was able to opt for shorts, rather than trousers. She made her way down to the pitch and saw Oliver waiting. She was much more tired than usual. "I don't know about you, but my muscles are /aching/ after yesterday," she joked.

He flew down. "Well we wont do anything major today then why dont we just fly around and relax?"

"If you're sure?" she asked, mounting and kicking off. She joined him up in the air.

This was awesome. There was no major pressing needs, he was just flying with her. Now if only he could stop staring

"So uh, how are you finding it? Teaching? Must be a change, I think you're mad for coming back to this place," she laughed.

"I like it." Oliver said after some consideration. "I teach everyone how to fly and teach you some extra just because I can."