Time
Time, Oliver mused, was a funny marvelous thing. It was time that dictated things, decisions, impressions, beauty…
If you have a decision to make, and little time, you don't think everything through, you just, decide, on a quick win versus loss summary. If you have a short time to meet someone, you don't get to know them fully.. Five seconds isn't long enough to see someone at their best and worst, not long enough to decide if you like them, or love them.
But when time stops, you have forever to look at the beauty of something. Oliver likes it when time stops, he likes admiring things. Like when he's on the pitch, on his broom and hovering gracefully above hundreds of other students who love watching quidditch, even if they don't necessarily like the game. He can see his team, see the effort they're each putting in to trying to win. He can see Fred, suspended a few metres away, left hand gripping the broom near where he is perched, his right arm held just behind his head as he starts to swing his bat, knocking a bludger, hopefully, at Marcus Flint. Harry Potter is across the pitch, he's side by side with that Malfoy brat but he's leaning that little extra bit forwards and he's reaching, desperately for the snitch. When times speeds it will be merely seconds before the game is over.
Time picks pack up it's pace and Harry's fingers clasp around the golden snitch, Malfoy has just shoved him off his broom but Harry doesn't pay attention to the ten metre fall because Gryffindor just won and Draco Malfoy looks like he's about to cry. This is were time freezes for Harry.
After the win, an hour later, Gryffindor tower is celebrating. The red and gold banners seem to sparkle with pride as the quidditch team, lead by their captain enter the room and everyone is glowing because now they've won the house cup. Oliver makes his way to his room, determined to give his trusty broom a good polish to say thanks but stops when he sees Percy Weasley sat on his, Oliver's, bed. The brunette athlete pauses, at the door, unsure for a moment before grapping a chamois and sitting next to Percy with a smile. "Well Done, Oliver. You finally did it" Time slows, not pauses, and Percy Weasley is beaming, like a Cheshire cat. Even he is proud. Oliver notices that Percy is blushing slightly, a pink hue against
Ivory skin and it makes the butterflies that make short appearances in Oliver's stomach flutter to life because there's something so amazing about it. About Percy. His hair isn't ginger like the rest of the Weasleys', it's red and gold with specks of copper that refract like the sun refracting a rainbow from a drop of water. Percy's freckles are scattered everywhere across his skin and they're not brown, they're chocolate, and burnt and anything but brown. His eyes are blue, but there is a haze of green like ivy climbing up a wall but Oliver's looking far too into this because time is moving ever so slowly.
"Thanks, Percy. I saw you cheering" Oliver smiles and it makes Percy blush more. The keeper makes a note to make him blush more. It looks beautiful or is it handsome on him. Percy looks at Oliver for a moment, then extends his arms, pulling Oliver close and the keeper wishes time would freeze again so that he could spend what feels like hours against the warmth of Percy, inhaling the smell of books and vanilla and mint shower gel. But he can't because no man can control time, not really.
Things speed up again and Percy's by the door. Oliver isn't sure what Percy has said, not sure if he's said anything back but he's on his feet, quicker then time because he's next to Percy and the head boy takes his hand off the door handle and turns to him. Oliver's hand is entangled in Percy's hair and the colours haven't changed, they've blurred slightly but he can still see the red and gold and copper. His fingers slip to Percy's jaw and he's not sure if time is slowing again.
For Percy, time is slowing because Oliver Wood, the gorgeous burly Quidditch captain is stood right in front of him, hand on his jaw and his lips are in a slight pout as their heads move closer until their lips meet
Time stops for several breaths and all Percy can hear is his heart pounding, Fireworks somewhere in his brain and some earthy smell tickles his nostrils. But everything's moving around them because the door is being opened, knocking him against Oliver who's now blushing himself. Fred and George are stood frozen in the doorway and both Oliver and Percy consider moving to see if time has stopped but they realise that the music and shouts in the background are from the party and it's just shock that's frozen the twins. So with a smile, because time is an amazing thing, Oliver kisses Percy again.
C'est fini
Author's Notes: erm this was a result of watching the first half of the short film starring Sean Biggerstaff "Cashback" very good film... go watch it!
there's a hilarious "kung fu" scene which really isn't kung fu