The quidditch pitch is my battleground, and if possible I plan to die on it (just as long as I go down with the bang of a victory and the applause of all). This is my last year at Hogwarts, my last chance. I need to get the quidditch cup for Gryffindor. I'm confident in our abilities. I have Harry Potter's unbeatable seeker scores and the Weasley twins's impeccable beating skills, three fine chasers and myself. Six players (not including me of course) that are going to be trained to perfection for the first match, a match against Hufflepuff. The only thing standing in my way is Cedric bloody Diggory. He may be sportsmanlike, as opposed to the Slytherins; and a good person, but he's a killer seeker.
I walk about the pitch, sorting through a jumble of paper, with my "battle plans" also known as "plays", trying to figure out placements and sorts. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of the best possible ways to win this match, and the next, and the next, and leave Hogwarts and score (pun not intended, though I'm a keeper not a chaser.) myself a spot in one of the best teams in the league.
However, I'm worried that there are a few holes in my plans. Because of the nasty things going on this year, with Sirius Black and all, dementors surround the campus of Hogwarts. This might mean that scouts will not attend games. This might even mean that a game could be canceled without any notice at all, because of this stupid mass murderer's break out of Azkaban. I get that it is the professors biggest duty is to keep us safe, but it feels like people who aren't even me are gambling with my future.
It has been raining for a while, but even so I continue on with my plays. I need to get to the core of these plans. I need to ask myself the most important question of all: How do I win this match?
All of a sudden someone catches my eye. Dark and stormy clouds surround the approaching figure. He's tall, so tall. I know who he is, I just know it. The problem is that I don't quite yet recognize him. And then his face comes into view and I have to stop myself from cursing and getting sour.
Cedric bloody Diggory.
I am positively fuming. This is my booked time! I booked this goddamned quidditch pitch and he has no right to be here! No one does! I even told my girlfriend Melanie that she couldn't come wait for me in the stands after her classes. I need this time to focus, not to argue with Diggory.
"Cedric," I nod, trying to stay solemn. "What are you doing here?"
He runs a hand through his caramel hair, Hufflepuff quidditch robes billowing in the hard wind, as the rain pelts down on us. "I decided to come take a fly, it's what I do when I can't sleep."
"But I've booked the pitch! You can't fly if the pitch is booked." I protest angrily. Even though I'm older, Cedric's taller and really doesn't seem at all intimidated by me. He just seems smug. What an odd trait for a Hufflepuff. This only fuels my hate fire more.
"Oliver, it's two in the morning. You booked the pitch until ten." Cedric says to me, as if it's common knowledge. Who does he think I am? The master of clocks—wait a second…
"What time is it?"
Cedric sighs. "Two. In. The. Morning."
"Oh my Godric!" I cry. "I have class tomorrow, er, I mean today. Early today."
"Well, before you go to bed, do you want to do a lap with me?" Cedric proposes. I think about it, and this weird feeling awakes in me. I realize that I really want to. Really want to. But then I think about it more.
"Um, no. Sorry." What was I thinking? I was about to say 'yes'! He'd know all about my flying, know all of my strategies for myself in the game. Plus it's befriending the enemy, and I'll have none of it.
Wait, I start. Oliver, you're a keeper. You barely move in the entire game!
I think about it as I turn around, and I think about it as I walk away from Cedric's lean, tall, and muscular figure, and finally I think what's the worst that could happen?
"You know what? Why the hell not?" I state, stuff my plans into my pockets, and mount my broom to meet a racing Cedric.
"So, you changed your mind." Cedric smiles. I find it odd that he would smile like that, at me. Hufflepuffs truly are made of sugar and spice. That weird feeling that I had earlier hits me in the gut again. I smile back at Cedric, and then taunt him with a race. He accepts, and so before I know it we're racing around the pitch, looping around each other. Cedric has the advantage of being a seeker, so he goes a bit faster than me, but I still manage to catch up.
"Come on, keep up Wood!" Cedric teases, zooming over and pushing my shoulder playfully.
"Easy for you to say Mister 'I don't work out I just eat healthy and grow like a sprout."
"Ha ha." Cedric laughs sarcastically.
So much time has gone by without us realizing it, and before I know it the crack of dawn arrives, and the sun starts to rise. The colours mix together, lifting the sun into the sky as the world brightens second by second. Cedric flies over.
"Hey, I gotta go but this was fun. I'd say even though we have our quidditch rivalry, we should be friends. You actually seem like a rather cool bloke."
Before now I would have flew away at the speed of light, ran away from Cedric, and told him that we would never be friends because I needed to focus on quidditch, and nothing but quidditch.
But now… Now I think something's shifted in me. Like someone finally gave me a wakeup call and said "quidditch isn't all that you need to be happy, Oliver."
"Yeah, why not? I could say the same for you." I hold out my hand, and Cedric takes it and shakes it firmly.
"To the start of a friendship." Cedric says casually, before flying away, the morning sun illuminating his soft looking locks.
When I get into my dorm, all of my roommates are just getting out of bed, or even just waking up. I drag myself all the way to my bed, and fall onto it. My body seems to crumple out of tiredness like that of an old rag doll, but I don't care. All I can think about is the early morning with Cedric, flying around the pitch.
"Oliver, you have class in like fifteen minutes." My best friend, Jared Williams, tells me. He prods my back, but I don't budge. Percy Weasley scowls at us.
"No wonder Wood's tired, he was probably up late having sex with his girlfriend, or some other stupid thing." Percy says, tying his Gryffindor tie and gathering his books.
"Guess again Weasley, I was studying." I grunt from my position in bed.
"Let me guess, your dick or your quidditch plays. Which one was it?"
"Wow, I didn't think you had two talents, but mean and funny is definitely possible at the same time." Even though I couldn't see him, I could feel Percy's rolling eyes burning into the back of my head.
"So, are you coming or not?" My other friend, Philip, asks.
"Nah, I think I'm just going to take today off." I mumble, untying my shoes as best I can with my bleary eyes. Taking a deep breath in I slide myself underneath my covers and try my best to fall asleep as everyone leaves the Gryffindor 7th year boys dormitory. Listening to their feet thumping against the staircase leading to the Common Room, I fall into an uneasy slumber.
I'm on the pitch again, but it's not today. It's a match. My team is cheering, clapping each other on the backs and beaming. I watch as Katie Bell hugs George Weasley, and as Harry laughs so hard that his glasses nearly fall off of his face. The Slytherins start sulking away, after giving the last of the required end-of-match handshakes.
I hug my team, I smile with my team, I congratulate my team. This all seems like a normal dream I would have, until we start making our way to the change rooms. And in a flash all of the boys (my teammates and the Slytherins) are gone, and there stands Cedric. He doesn't have his usual charm or posture, he's relaxed and casual. In that moment he almost feels older than me. He's not much younger, only a complicated year or so. If he were three weeks older than he is he would only be in the year under me.
"Congrats on the big win." He smiles coyly. "I almost thought that Draco Malfoy would end up catching the snitch, but Harry got to it just in time."
"Of course he did." I hear my own voice speak. It's weird to watch yourself in a dream, because you have no control of what you're doing, unlike real life; however, a dream sometimes presents the opportunity to show you what you could do if only you were brave enough.
"You finally get your prize." Cedric smirks.
"My quidditch cup?" I ask, feigning hope.
"No, you arse. Your other prize." His smooth hand is on my shoulder now, and he comes closer. Now our chests are pressed up together, and Cedric rests his forehead against mine. I don't quiver, like I would if this were happening in real life, and neither does Cedric. This means I've been expecting this kiss; this means that there has been some before this. He nuzzles his nose against mine, and I smile. Dream me seems to be saying 'get on with it'. He's too close, he shouldn't be this close. He can't be this close. His small pink lips approach mine, and I put my hand on the back of his neck. The tension builds, his lips are about to touch mine…
I gasp, shooting up. I'm shaking and sweating. I pant, trying to catch my breath but failing as soon as I get close to breathing normally. If Cedric was mine would we do that? Would we… Like how a guy is supposed to treat a girl? It takes a while for me to notice Fred sitting on the end of my bed.
"Oliver, are you alright?" He asks me, looking concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine thanks."
"You missed practice, and dinner. We were all worried."
"No one told you that I was sleeping?"
"Not at all. So I guess we just won't be having practice until the day after next then?"
"What? No." I say, getting up and looking for clothes, but realizing that I'm already dressed. I can't believe that I fell asleep in my clothes! "We're rescheduling practice for right now. We need to be prepared for the match against Hufflepuff."
"Oh, um Oliver, we can't use the pitch right now. Cedric Diggory's booked it."
"I'm sorry, what now?"
Five minutes later Fred and I are stomping onto the pitch. "Diggory!" I shout it. I catch his eye, he nods, and comes down.
"Hey Oliver. What's up?"
"I need this pitch."
"Um, I booked the pitch."
"Well, because of you I slept all day and missed my booked practice."
"Because of me?"
"Yeah, because of you."
"You had the choice to leave or stay, and you chose to stay. That's not my fault."
"Oh, so it's mine then?"
"No, I'm not saying that it's anyone's. I'm just saying that I booked the pitch."
"Well, I need the pitch."
It had turned into a bit of an argument. If we were alone it wouldn't be weird or awkward, but we are surrounded by the rest of the Hufflepuff quidditch team, and Fred Weasley. Irregardless Cedric and I continue to go at it. I try to make it clear that I deserve the pitch, but he's doing the same. It's just a never ending fight.
Finally Cedric enters the change room, putting an end to my pacing. "Hey," I say, running over to him. Clearly he doesn't hear me because he slides off his shirt and reaches for a towel with one hand as he unbuttons his trousers with the other. I catch a quick glimpse of his plaid boxers, but I can't take this. That dream is not a thing that will ever happen in real life. "Cedric!" I shout. He turns around and lets in a sharp breath before yanking his pants up, and reaching for his shirt.
"Holy shit I didn't realize that you were in here!" He says.
"It's fine. I was just waiting for you. I wanted to say sorry for earlier. It wasn't right of me to waste your team's practice time fighting with you."
"No, it's fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah,"
I have a joke in mind, and I think against telling it but my mouth gets the better of me. The words just fall out. "At least if we were in a secret relationship we would have deterred suspicions about us with that stupid fight." I laugh. It seems like not even a second goes by, I don't even feel the next breath I take before the fabric of my robes is balled up in Cedric's fist, and I'm yanked towards him.
It's an unexpected collision, resulting in a strange meeting of lips. My eyes fly open in shock, and I think that they're going to pop out of their sockets. Cedric's eyes however are glued shut with the intensity of the kiss. I feel like I've been pushed off a cliff; it's high, and I'm still falling, but I know that soon I'm going to hit the ground. And as soon as the kiss has started, it's over.
Cedric pulls away quickly, looking mortified. "Oh Godric, I—um. I'm sorry, I thought that you were trying to say something, um." Cedric looked away, and he started to run. He likes me. Oh Godric, he likes me. Impulsively, I grab his wrist and look into his eyes.
"I don't know what I feel Cedric, but I want to. And I think I feel something for you."
Cedric seems to stop and think, but he definitely looks relieved. "Can we," he starts shyly. "Can we maybe um, try that kiss again?" I don't answer with my words. Instead, I cup his chiselled jaw. I cozy up to him and I press my forehead against his like he did in the dream. I draw back, and he looks worried. He looks like he thinks that I'm not going to kiss him. But, I lean back in to nuzzle his nose, and then slowly… Very slowly, our lips collide and time stops.