Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and it's characters obviously belong to JK Rowling. If they were mine their stories would have been so pathetic and uninteresting. The character Chrissie and her friends are mine though, so they might not be protected from the same fate! :P

Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts

Chapter 1; The Truth About Christina and Oliver

I've made a mistake. A huge, enormously bad mistake. You know the ones, where you knew at the time this was probably not the best decision you were about to make in your life, but you went ahead and did it anyway? Either your lack of a better judgement, friends or the deadliest of all, alcohol, just managed to overpower and shut off your conscience long enough for you to go ahead and do it? Well I done that.

Generally these type of situations happen pretty often in my life, but this time I've gone and outdone myself. I went and snogged Oliver Wood. And as if that weren't bad enough I threw myself at him, snogging him, while very much under the influence of alcohol and many other stupid things like a lack of better judgement. It lasted half the night and it happened at the end of sixth year, during the last party Gryffindor house threw, for no other reason than the hell of it. And now it's September and while I may be hoping that everyone has forgotten it over the summer, or even better that it has become old news, my instincts are telling me that I'm not going to get my heart's desire. And they are never wrong!

"Here's to no end of year exams!" a seventh year Gryffindor roared, teetering precariously on the spindly wooden end table next to the array of sofas in the crowded Gryffindor common room. A loud cheer erupted from all around the common room, and I like everyone else, held their cups of drinks in the air before downing the contents whole.

"And here's to Harry Potter for defeating that snake!" another Gryffindor boy roared at the top of his lungs. The jug he held, which contained orange juice, and what smelled suspiciously like Firewhiskey sloshing out of the side of the rim, was thrust in the air to which we all cheered and drank more alcohol. The boy that was still trying to balance himself on the small end table came with an almighty crash back down to the ground, as one of the legs gave way and he fell into a crowd of people, drink spilling everywhere. Most of us burst out laughing at the scene, while others turned to talk amongst themselves again.

"And here's to the start of summer!" I yelled into the crowd to which they responded enthusiastically and I went to down the last of my drink, but saw that my cup was empty. I let out an irritated and slightly drunk growl and meandered my way to one of the tables to find more alcohol.

"Don't you think you should slow down a bit?" I heard the voice of my best friend call out to me, and I slowly swivelled my head and tried to focus my eyes on the blurry image of the brunette girl standing next to me, her hand on my wrist.

"I'm celebrating, we're all celebrating Abby. Don't worry I'll be fine!" I replied loudly, over-emphasising the last sentence and waving my free arm into the air. I always did have a habit of over-gesturing when I was intoxicated.

"Chrissie-" Abby started up again, but I instead focussed my attention on pouring juice and Firewhiskey into another mug, which I promptly put into her open hand before she could stop me.

"Drink Abby. You're always telling me I should relax more. Now don't you worry that snake monster's been killed, everyone is fine, we've no end of year exams and we're going home in a week," I replied, my entire attention on the girl next to me, which was quite a feat let me say in my inebriated state. Her face relaxed a bit and she held her mug out to which I toasted it with my now full drink and we both took a drink. I gave her one last smile before darting back into the crowd.

The Gryffindor common room seemed to have been packed to the rafters for I had great difficulty making my way through the throng, while still holding onto my drink. I started to get annoyed real quick and began yelling out at the top of my voice for people to move, but it was quickly drowned out by the loud music blasting form a wireless radio sitting in the corner.

"Move!" I yelled one more time, exasperation etched in my tone of voice.

"No need to be so impatient Christina," a Scottish accent replied next to me, and I turned my head slightly to see the boy all messy light brunette hair, piercing green eyes and the most charming smile I had probably ever seen in my drunken state. I gazed at him for a second taking in his very handsome face, and it took me another few seconds to realise that who I had just rather rudely pushed out of the way was none other than sixth year Oliver Wood, captain of our magnificent, yet still defeated Quidditch team.

"I gotta get through," I whined, my inebriated state making me sound even more pathetic.

"Well that's no way to act to someone you just pushed out of the way," he replied, eyebrows knitted together though there was a playful smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, showing of his dimples.

"Well I'm sorry!" I replied, smirking slightly, my eyes meeting his. "I do apologize if I have offended you, Mister Wood. I mean Gryffindor celebrities like you should be respected above all else and-" But annoyingly I was cut off by Oliver Wood raising his hand, amusement shining in his eyes as he quickly counteracted.

"I take it back! Go right ahead and keep pushing me out of the way."

"Wait a minute," I added, eyes narrowing as a memory flashed before my eyes of a few hours previously. "I spoke to you a few hours ago!"

"I'm glad you can remember that!" Wood replied, that smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well I've a bone to pick with you, Mister Wood. What's with your bitching about the Tornados?" I asked, indignant, my fore finger poking his chest.

"Well Miss Christina," Oliver Wood replied, taking a step closer, that smirk still playing at the corners of his mouth as he towered over me. "I do believe you're still annoyed that I was right and you know it. Let's just stop the pretend act, we both know the Tutshill Tornados are shite and focus on why you're really here still talking to me."

"Oh really, and why would that be. Maybe because you're a fellow Gryffindor and are friends with my friends. I don't suppose that could be the real reason," I counteracted, smirking back up at him, arms crossed across my chest.

"True," he replied nonchalantly, taking my drink from my hand and giving it a sniff. "You've also been drinking and I think I'm quite correct in surmising that you're pissed."

"You're very confident in yourself. And what if I am, not that it's any of your concern," I answered back breezily, giving him a sweet smile and going for my beverage, which was still in his hand, but annoyingly he was faster and raised his hand higher into the air and I wasn't tall enough to reach it. "Wood, will you give me back my alcohol!"

"No," he replied, chuckling away, "You're drunk and I'm doing this for your own good. Who knows who could take advantage of you in this situation".

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you!"

"Oh really," he asked, handing it to someone who passed, which I watched with a scowl on my face. "You're not worried some randy teenage boy will take full advantage of your inebriated state?"

"No."

He leant down ever closer to me, and even in my state, my breath hitched as my eyes flew to his lips that were so close to mine. He halted a few centimetres from my face, teasingly close and smirked at me.

He had me caught in that instant. My entire body was fixated completely on him. Someone could have let of an explosion next to me and I wouldn't have noticed. Oliver Wood had me completely under his spell, like all those other girls he would play that trick on, and I, like every other girl was hooked. He then slowly pulled away and only when he was standing an arm's distance away did I let out a breath, which I hadn't even realised I held. My mouth was slightly open, eyes wide and round and the drink over which we had been arguing about was completely forgotten.

"I thought as much," he replied, that smirk starting to drive me crazy, though I didn't know at that moment whether I wanted to throttle him or kiss him senseless. So my senseless, drunken brain done the only thing it could think of and before I knew what was happening I had closed the distance between us and literally jumped on top of him, kissing him with all that I had.

Damn alcohol!

"Well, well, well if it isn't Christina Margate! Stop gawking like a fish out of water and give us a hug." I swivelled around on the spot and spotted the curly brown hair of my best friend walking towards me. I let out a shriek, dropped my trunk onto the ground and enveloped my best friend in a hug. Abigail Graham, my best friend since the moment I met her on the train in first year hugged me back tightly, but eventually disengaged my arms from around her and took a step back, letting out a deep breath.

"Merlin Chrissie, are you trying to kill me? You know I look terrible in black and I really don't want to attend my own funeral," she admonished, rolling her eyes at my childish behaviour.

"Chrissie, you're a seventh year, not a child. You're right Abby, we can't take this one anywhere," Jacqueline Stevens, a fellow seventh year Gryffindor and good friend of mine said. I inspected Jackie for a moment and saw that she had tied her dark auburn hair in a high bun that starkly reminded me of the one McGonagall would always wear.

"Well then you must be about forty by the way you're acting!" I replied jokingly to which she only smiled indulgently. "It's good to see you both again. Have I got things to tell the both of you!"

"What you mean you finally managed to snag that hot gay boy in Marseilles?" Abby teased, referring to my last month spent with family in the south of France, which I could accredit the fabulously golden tan I had developed and was currently showing off in my baggy white t-shirt and denim shorts.

"Oh ha ha Abby!" I replied sarcastically, "No come on let's get a compartment before all the good ones are gone and we have to share with the Ravenclaws again and listen to them fretting about assignments that haven't even been given yet."

Abby, ever the leader, took charge and began steering Jackie and I through the crowd and onto the train until we found an acceptable compartment which matched all of our requirements and had resulted in another round of bickering from me and Jackie while we stored our trunks and assorted bags in the rails above our heads.

"Jackie!" the high-pitched squeal of Tess Bailey made its way over from the open compartment door, which none of us had noticed had opened while we stowed our trunks and assorted bags away. We all turned around with big grins on our faces as Jackie stood up and Tess threw herself at her best friend so the only things we saw were her clothes and her bouncing long blonde hair hair enveloping Jackie. Poor Jackie looked slightly frightened by the loud squeal emitting from her.

"Tess, please don't scream in my ear!" Jackie cried out from above the din, and before she could add anything more, she had violently let her go and thrown herself at me.

"Oomph!" came my dull reply as her arms wrapped around my neck, cutting off both my breathing and probably my circulation.

"Hey Chrissie, did you miss me?" she squealed into my ear, grinning broadly.

"Yes Tess, now please let me breathe!" I cried out, though it came out a little muffled, due to the fact that she had crushed herself against me. She finally let go and hugged Abby, though thankfully by that time she had calmed down a little and didn't try and strangle her too.

"Well you seem quite cheerful!" I aimed sarcastically at Tess. Instead she just let go of Abby, smiled sweetly at me and plopped herself on the seat in between Jackie and the window. Her serene smile made me ponder on whether she really was as blonde as people claimed of her to be, or whether she was actually smarter than we all gave her credit for. I never really could tell with that girl.

"Has anybody seen the boys by any chance?" Tess chirped, raising a blonde eyebrow, seeming to be contemplating something to herself.

"Actually no, they should really be here by now," Abby replied, "I've got something to say that I really wanted to say when they got here".

"No, please not the boys. Can we do without them for the first few hours of returning to Hogwarts?" I quickly pleaded, hoping that the slight apprehension in my voice wouldn't be too obvious. I really had no problem with seeing my male friends again, but ever since the end of last year my male friends had been getting on brilliantly with Oliver Wood, and I just wasn't ready to see him face-to-face yet.

Thankfully none of the girls had caught on to my apprehension at having the boys around me, for Tess clapped her hand over her mouth and exclaimed in a scandalous squeal.

"Oh my god guys!" she cried aloud and we all turned to face her. "You so would not believe who has broken up!"

"Who?" we all demanded and with a smirk I noticed that even the sensible, I'm-not-going-to-gossip Jackie was curious as to who Tess was talking about.

"Jason Rotham and Karine Bakshi!" she answered proudly, beaming that she could give us such juicy gossip, but I was slightly apprehensive, for I knew where this conversation could go.

"Wait, wasn't she going out with Oliver Wood?" Jackie asked, brows knitted together in confusion.

"She was, until she dumped him for his friend Jason!" Tess cried out triumphantly.

"Well look at that, but seriously is it our place to pry into other peoples' lives?" I asked, one last attempt at moving this conversation from dangerous waters.

"Chrissie, how come you're not joining in on the gossiping, you usually love this type of thing!" Jackie queried. Damn that girl was smart!

"Yes Christina, darling," Abby piped up, eyes glinting dangerously, which was always a good sign that she was about to take great pleasure in something. "How come you're not gossiping too? Might it have something to do with the fact you've been trying to move us away from the topic of Oliver Wood for the last few minutes?"

Note to self. Strangle best friend!

I shot a filthy look at her and turned to the others with as composed a face as possible and replied with dignity. "I've grown up and realised it's silly to gossip about such pointless things." Abby let out a snort and Tess rolled her eyes at me, while Jackie only smiled indulgently at me. Some friends they are!

"No Chrissie, we all know the real reason for why you don't want to talk about Oliver Wood and it all has to do with the Gryffindor party last year where you snogged him." Abby was trying to look disinterested as she passed on this piece of information, but I could tell that she felt a guilty sense of enjoyment in telling the other girls. I would have to strangle her tonight before she told any other secrets she should have kept to herself.

"You'd better watch your back tonight Abby!" I growled. "You might not wake up tomorrow morning."

"You snogged Oliver Wood?" Tess squealed and even Jackie looked shocked, for her mouth was hanging open.

"I was drunk!" I whined.

"Doesn't count as an excuse," Jackie replied, "Now spill!"

"Really I can't remember it. Abby just said it to me the next morning that I had. Really you should ask her!"

"Bullshit Chrissie, you were more than consciously aware of it, but you're probably right I should tell them!" Abby answered, a smile on her lips.

"Don't-" But unfortunately both Jackie and Tess had jumped at the opportunity and bombarded Abby with questions about me and Wood.

"Really it's no big deal!" I added above the din, hoping to draw attention away from this line of conversation, but it failed miserably.

"I swear she literally jumped his bones. It was very amusing to watch and they were at it practically all night!" Abby continued on.

"Oh come on, you were pretty drunk too!" I defended myself, becoming annoyed with this whole ridiculous situation now.

"Yes, but I didn't just jump on some random bloke and snog him senseless all night!" Abby replied, and now all three girls were smiling indulgently at me. This was terrible!

"Okay can we please look past my moment of insanity and how much of a mistake I made and talk about something else?" I pleaded. Abby lowered her eyes and the grin slid of her face and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're right, we shouldn't torment poor Chrissie about this any more. Besides I'm sure Oliver will more than do it for us!" Abby replied, a smirk forming on the corner of her mouth.

"Urgh don't remind me!" I growled and added, "So what were you going to tell us before you lost track?"

"Oh right!" Abby's eyes lit up. "Well you guys know that my brother Jack was in seventh year last year" and the three of us paused a moment to contemplate Jack Graham, probably the hottest guy to ever go through Hogwarts. Tess and Jackie were wearing dreamy looks on their faces, like I was and I assume they too were thinking about Abby's brother. That family gene pool had been very blessed, for both Abby and Jack were incredibly stunning.

"Guys?" Abby asked and we all snapped back. I was shaking my head to dispel the rather wonderful image of Jack Graham.

"Well anyway, he sat me down a few weeks ago, all serious and told me something which you're only aloud to find out about when you go into your seventh year at Hogwarts and it's incredibly secret, so you can't tell anybody and I'm being very serious here!"

"What is it Abby?" I asked and Tess and Jackie nodded their heads at her, all three of us completely enthralled.

"It's a club called the 7C", Abby replied. "It's basically this completely secret club that some seventh years are members of, that's all the houses and there's this committee who organise events for the club. They apparently have parties in these secret locations, at least that's what they had last year".

"Are you sure he wasn't just pulling your leg?" Jackie asked, ever the voice of reason.

"Actually, you know I remember hearing rumours about this type of thing a few years ago!" Tess exclaimed, her voice lower. "I remember hearing about it first when I was in fourth year and then something back in fifth year, but I had always assumed it to be an urban legend at school!"

"You mean this actually exists?" Jackie cried, still not quite believing Tess or Abby.

"Yeah I'm being serious, my brother was on the committee last year. Apparently I got put on the committee for this year's 7C. It's strange, because I didn't even know there was such a thing!"

"Well are you going to do it?" both Tess and I blurted out at the same time. We caught each other's eye and smiled at the similarity in our train of thoughts.

"I said yeah. I'm assuming the very least I have to do is get a bunch of people together for a party. Sounds like fun to me!" she replied and we all grinned at the thought of having some secret parties and being part of an exclusive club.

"But how did you get picked anyway?" Jackie enquired. "I don't understand how this all works".

"Well Jack just came to my room during the summer and told me that he was a member of the previous committee. They apparently have to choose their successors before they hand the job over to the next committee and he gave me a photo album with a whole load of stuff from the previous years in it. It's in my bag, we can look at it later on. The club itself is only meant to be really small, you know the committee and then the Quidditch players, social butterflies and general popular people. I've put you guys forward as members already," she added as an afterword and we all grinned at each other.

"But then, who are the rest of the committee members?" Tess proclaimed curiously.

"I don't even know. I suppose I'll find out at Hogwarts!" Abby replied laughing. "It's really strange isn't it?" Jackie, Tess and I agreed.

"Wow, looks like it's going to be an interesting year!" Tess exclaimed whistling to herself and we all nodded our heads to that.

Merlin I hated my uniform. Not only was the jumper incredibly scratchy and stiff, the skirt was horrendous and because it was only the first night we couldn't quite get away with rolling it up yet so it was at that horrible length of hitting your knees as you walked. Even my brand new mary jane shoes couldn't do much to save this outfit, and I pulled at my sleeves in an irritated fashion, while waiting for Dumbledore to finish droning on whatever his speech was about. Probably just the usual school rules we couldn't break, blah, blah, blah. I yawned and held my stomach as it growled. Ever since that freaky incident on the train earlier on where apparently a Dementor came on-board, I have been starving and even the three bars of chocolate that Jackie handed me weren't enough to curb my appetite.

"I'm hungry!" I whined and I was treated to a sharp jab in my side from Jackie, who was sitting next to me. I glowered at her and turned my attention to my other side where Abby sat, but she refused to pay any attention to me. I looked in the direction that had so caught her attention and saw that Dumbledore was currently introducing our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, a Remus Lupin, by the sound of it. I yawned, thinking that the guy could be quite hot if he wasn't quite so old and didn't have so many grey hairs. My attention was caught for a few minutes just examining our new Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor, admiring his smile when I suddenly became very aware of a set of eyes watching me. I flicked my gaze away from Lupin and realised with a start and widened eyes, that Oliver Wood was only sitting four seats up from where I was and he was trying to catch my attention. I quickly closed my mouth so I wouldn't look like a complete fool and looked away, a blush coming over my cheeks. Merlin I was pathetic!

Tess, damn the girl for being so acute right now, caught my blush and she kicked my leg under the table, a big grin on her face.

"Look who it is Chrissie!" she whispered conspiratorially, leaning over the table from where she sat across from me, trying to be subtle. All it really done is catch the other girls' attention and they huddled around me, all wearing big grins from ear to ear.

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed Christina!" Abby proclaimed dramatically, prodding me in the side.

"I'm not!" I countered huffily, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Then why can't you even look at Oliver then?" Jackie asked, then added "Whatever happened to it just being a stupid mistake that meant nothing?"

"Oh stop it you three!" I growled, shaking my head, deciding it was time I started being the voice of reason. "Can we just grow up, and maybe move on?"

"Oh as opposed to stare at him and drool all over your plate?" Abby countered, eyebrow raised.

"I wasn't staring at Oliver Wood, I was staring at our new Professor, Lupin!" I replied quickly. They could tease me all they wanted about Wood, but I had to at least set the record straight when it came to who I drooled about. "Come on, look at him, he's hot!"

"He's in his mid thirties," Jackie spoke, not even looking up at the man.

"So?" I quizzed, really not getting the point.

"Well if you're all for moving on and it really isn't such a big deal, then you won't mind if I call Oliver over here and ask him how his summer was, will you?" Abby said, rising from her seat, but she never got far because I had quickly jumped out of my seat, the bench scraping loudly against the stone floor so that it caught everyone's attention. I grabbed hold of her sleeve and quickly yanked her down, my expression furious, but she was laughing quietly to herself. By this time everyone at the Gryffindor table was curiously watching us to see what the commotion was about including Oliver Wood, but thankfully I was too focussed on my best friend.

"Don't worry Chrissie, I was never going to embarrass you!" she replied, with an indulgent smile on her face and I saw that both Tess and Jackie were laughing to themselves, Tess had her head on the table, while Jackie was clutching her stomach.

"I really worry about you three sometimes, you know that?" I muttered darkly watching them try and compose themselves, but Tess failed and began banging her head off the table. Merlin my friends were crazy. I noticed that Dumbledore had finished his speech and sensing that food was about to be served any moment and that Tess was still with her head on one of the empty plates, I quickly pulled her head up before it ended up covered in mashed potato. Really I was too kind to my rather ungrateful friends.

I placed the fork back on the plate in front of me, pushing the plate a bit away as I sighed. I rubbed my full belly and smiled serenely to myself. I loved that feeling of being full and having enjoyed delicious food. The House Elves always outdone themselves with the food and I more than appreciated it.

"Ow, my stomach hurts," Abby complained, sitting next to me and like me she was rubbing her stomach, though she had a pained expression on her face, which was unlike my own.

"Urgh I don't want to move, I'm too full!" Tess grumbled, her face scrunched up in annoyance.

"You guys eat far too much for your own good. No wonder your stomach is so sore, if you stretch the stomach lining so much it's bound to hurt," Jackie replied, raising her eyebrows at Tess and Abby.

"Tess, tell her to stop talking rubbish," Abby commented and instead Tess just chose to stick her tongue out at Jackie.

"Oh very mature, the two of you. I'm friends with a bunch of kids", Jackie retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Keep me out of it, I'm not complaining!" I piped up, yawning to myself. Eating always made me tired.

"Sorry Chrissie, I sometimes forget you can be quite reasonable", she added, though she was smirking and I just smirked back at her, deciding I'd let her off the hook for now.

"Come on let's leave the kids here and head on up before all the good sofas are gone", I said, getting up and tossing both Abby and Tess another pitying look before Jackie and I made our way out of the crowded Great Hall, chuckling to ourselves when we saw Percy Weasley trying desperately to control the gaggle of first years that were swarming all over the place.

I wondered at that moment why Jackie hadn't been made Head Girl for Gryffindor as opposed to Percy, because she was undoubtedly as smart as him and as responsible. But then again, I assumed, she hadn't quite descended to the neurosis Percy possessed.

We squeezed our way through the throng and were about to make our way up the grand staircase when I heard someone call my name out from behind.

"Chrissie wait up," a girl called out and I spun around to see Amelia Rosencrantz, a seventh year Hufflepuff running up behind us, panting slightly.

"Amelia, what's up?" I asked curiously.

"Jackie," she said out of breath, pushing her amber hair behind her ear. She smiled at Jackie and then added. "I've a huge favour to ask of you".

"You know what, I'm going to go on ahead and get us a nice sofa next to the fireplace. You go talk to Amelia alright?" Jackie spoke and we waved her off as she began climbing the staircase.

"So what's this favour exactly?"

"I don't know if you heard that we got the go-ahead from Sprout and Dumbledore to have a school newspaper late last year," she began and I eagerly nodded my head. I had heard about that and I congratulated her on her success. I knew the girl had been working on that for the better part of two years. Amelia waved away my comment and added in a hasty voice, "But the thing is the first issue is meant to be out in a week and we're short of some things. The Sports section still hasn't been finalised, we have no opinion editor, not to mention our photographer pulled out at the last second, like he literally told me ten minutes ago, but the point is I need a column writer."

I knitted my brows together in confusion and asked, "So what is it exactly you want of me?"

"I need you to write a column on whatever you want."

"You've got to be kidding me Amelia!" I cried in disbelief. "I'm not a writer, let alone a journalist, I have no experience, no idea what to write about, not to mention that the whole school will end up reading it, no way!"

"Christina please!" she cried desperately. "I'm desperate. I just need you to do it this one time. The newspaper comes out fortnightly and if you just do this for me once it'll give me enough time to find someone for the next issue. Please!"

"Amelia, I'll be honest with you, I really don't want to write something that the whole school will read knowing that I wrote it," I spoke and I knew it sounded silly and completely self-conscious, but the image of Oliver Wood laughing his head off and teasing me about what I wrote sprung to mind and the thought wouldn't let go.

"Well you can write under a pseudonym. No-one will ever know it's you," Amelia replied and I had to admit it would be a good solution, if I were to agree.

"But what would I write about? I haven't even got something that would be interesting to write about!"

"Oh come on it's not that hard. Just write whatever you feel is important at Hogwarts, really whatever you want. You can write about your digestive system for all I care Christina, I just really need you to do it!" Amelia cried. I felt bad saying no to her, she was a friend of mine and I could see she really needed my help, but the thought of writing a column?

"Come on be serious, tell me what I would write about?"

"Well write about school, classes, what you think of the new teachers, gossip you heard- whatever." Then she paused for a moment, a grin forming on her face as her eyes lit up. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

"Just one column, as a one-off thing, and about whatever I want, right?" I added, not quite believing she was asking this of me and that I was actually going along with it.

"Of course, whatever you want. Christina you're a star!" she replied ecstatically. She gave me a quick hug and then added. "Just make sure you hand it in to me before Friday evening alright? Oh thank you so much for doing this for me. Now I gotta run, see if I can catch up with Geoffrey and see won't he change his mind." I grinned at her and waved her off as she ran back down the hallway and ducked down some corridor. I turned around and started heading to the Gryffindor common room, not quite sure what I had gotten myself into.

Up on the eighth floor I caught up with Jackie, who seemed to have been waiting for me.

"So what did she want?" she asked, curious.

"Oh you wouldn't believe me if I told you!" replied, linking arms with her as we began walking on again. "I'll tell you when we're in the common room".

I couldn't believe my luck that the first day back at Hogwarts and I had managed to not only stay out of Oliver Wood's line of sight, and apart from the teasing I got from my friends I seemed to have gotten off scot-free with the whole snogging Oliver Wood last year. No-one had said a single word to me about it, and I was currently thanking the heavens or whatever was ruling over us for this brilliant piece of luck given to me, considering my usual record. I was happily singing a Muggle song by this artist called Brian Adams to myself, dancing around the dormitory in my oversized Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt and pyjama shorts while I was unpacking my trunk. The girls had already gotten into their beds, Jackie was in the process of applying some heavy-duty moisturiser type mask to her face, which made her look rather frightening, the white mask contrasting sharply with her red hair and the three big circles she left out around her eyes and mouth. Abby was flicking through her Wizarding magazines for an interesting article to read, her head propped on the pillow, while Tess was rooting through her bedside table for something, stopping occasionally to watch with an amused smile on her face, my ridiculous dancing and my attempts at singing, which was rather loud.

"'Cos when the feeling's right, I'm gonna run all night, I'm gonna run to you..." my rather crass voice rang out through the dormitory and Abby sat up straight at this and rolled her eyes at me.

"Honestly Chrissie, you really need to learn how to sing," she began, but I grinned to myself and ignored her, folding up the last of my jeans and packing them neatly into my wardrobe.

"Guys," Tess piped up, pulling her head out of the bedside locker she had been rummaging through for the last few minutes, "Have any of you seen that book I was reading earlier, the one about the witch that got conned into buying an entirely made-up country?"

We all stop what we were doing and look at Tess, each of us wearing big grins for we all know how much fun we could have with this statement.

"Wait a minute Tess, you can read?" Jackie cried out shocked, the mask that was drying on her face beginning to crack from Jackie trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Are you serious it was an actual book? Was it leather bound and really big, with lots of pages, because as we've told you before three Witch Weeklys tied together don't constitute as a book!" Abby piped up, getting in on the act, and I'm about to add my two knuts to it, but nothing came to mind, so I just grinned broadly at the poor girl. In fairness to Tess, she's done a lot of teasing in her time and she knew how to act in this situation so any thought of feeling sorry for her went straight out the window for me.

She just remained perfectly calm and gave us all this serene smile, sitting on her bed and nodding her head.

"You take the fun out of teasing you," Jackie added, wiping the last of the dry residue from the mask of her face, which she then dumped into her small waste bin next to the bed. She tried her hardest to suppress a yawn, but failed, added a sleepy goodnight to us and rolled over, pulling the duvet up higher.

"Seriously, have you guys seen it?" she added. But I just shook my head and sighed.

"Give it up Tess, we're never going to think you actually read!" I replied, getting up to turn off the main lights so that the only ones left on were my bedside light and Tess'.

"I read for pleasure", came Tess' answer as Abby wished her goodnight. "Seriously guys!" she added, though the last one came out in a whine and I smiled to myself. The girl was not going to give up on this. By this point it seemed she was talking to herself for even Abby was lying back down in her bed and preparing to go to sleep.

"Chrissie," Tess spoke meekly, turning in her bed so she was facing me where I stood next to my bed. "Could you go down and get my school bag for me?"

"Why can't you get it?" I replied, pulling my head out of my trunk where I was looking for my quills.

"Because I'm all warm and comfy in my bed and you're still up. Please?" she cried, using her humblest tone of voice.

"Oh all right!, I relented, dropping the quills I had just discovered back in my trunk and pulling on my slippers. The door was open and I was out of the girls' dormitory before I could hear Tess' gratified thank you.

"I really need to learn how to grow a bloody backbone!" I sighed to myself as I descended the girls' staircase and walked into the common room.

"Now that would take all the fun out of life!" came a reply out of the gloomy darkness in which the common room was immersed. I immediately stopped walking, my heart skipping a beat. I knew that voice, and even if I didn't, the Scottish drawl was rather unmistakable.

Okay, Chrissie, play it cool, the inner monologue in my head began as I took a few steps towards the hearth, the dying embers giving off enough light for me to distinguish Oliver sitting on the largest sofa in front of the fire. He was still in his school uniform, charts and player strategies scattered all around him on the sofa. I sighed to myself, the boy was far too obsessed with Quidditch, which was a shame as he did look pretty hot sitting there in front of the fire, his hair ruffled and his tie askew, his shirt open a few buttons at the top so that I could see a bit of his upper torso.

"And I really wouldn't want to deprive you of your entertainment," I replied coolly, my hands on my hips as I approached him. "I mean it is my main purpose in life."

"Damn straight it is, Margate!" came his cocky reply, one eyebrow arched as he took in my appearance. I crossed my arms, feeling far too exposed in too short shorts as I looked pointedly down at him.

"I see your attitude hasn't changed over the summer," I remarked, a small smile curving at the edge of my lips. I didn't know why I was stopping to talk to him, but he just drew me in and I couldn't help myself.

"Well baby," he spoke, rising out of his seat and I unconsciously took a step back so I wouldn't be in too close proximity to him. "Admit it, that's what you love about me and it's what attracted you to me a few months ago." He was smirking at me, that damn eyebrow was still raised and I had to admit, he was incredibly good at this charming persona.

"Well you're very confident in yourself, might even be considered cocky," I replied, and then added, "And I'm not your baby!"

"You're quite spunky," he said, diverting my answer and I tried my hardest to suppress a smile at this, but he saw it and began grinning. "Now do tell me," he began, taking a step towards me, "What are you doing here in your pyjamas. Very sexy by the way, Christina."

I blushed deeply at his last remark and fumbled for an answer, but none came to me and I cursed my rather stupid brain.

"Cat got your tongue?" he offered, taking another step towards me, so that he was within arm's reach. I averted his eyes, but realised how silly that must seem so I caught his eyes and smirked back at him.

"No actually, I was trying to think of a way of replying without inflating that large ego of yours any more," I retorted, smiling to myself for the good comeback.

"Definitely spunky," Oliver replied, and reached out, his hands lightly caressing my upper arm. I was rooted on the spot, the confident smile sliding of my face as I tried to take in this new dynamic that Oliver Wood had introduced.

"You're far too sure of yourself Oliver," I replied, though the confidence in my voice was gone and I was almost certain he could hear it too. "One day a girl isn't going to fall for your charms and that will be a day you'll end up questioning your existence."

"That may very well be Christina," Oliver chuckled, taking another step towards me and I realised how small I was standing so close to him. "But it's not going to be here, today with you, right?" His delicate touch and fingertips traced their way up my arm, over my shoulder and my large t-shirt and gently resting at my neck. His touch sent shivers down my spine and I tried my hardest to suppress them so he wouldn't see the effect he was having on me. I kept his gaze, smiling slightly at him as I internally battled with myself on what I should do. I really should pull away, just to prove I wasn't just one of his girls, but my body and the other half of my mind, the rather girly hormonal one, refused to listen to the rational part of my brain. I knew he would try and kiss me, and all it would do is prove his point, and I couldn't let that happen. It was this thought that awoke the stubborn part of me and I smirked up at him, bringing my hand up to his chest, palm lying flat across his beating heart.

"Oh contraire Oliver," I replied, gathering up all my fortitude as I pushed him gently away from me, taking a step back. "I'm not one of those girls that falls for that line. I'm afraid that day is here and now." I sent one more smirk in his direction and walked around him, picking up Tess' school bag and making my way back up the girls' staircase, punching the air when he was out of sight, because I had gotten one up on him. What I didn't see though as I walked away was the intrigued look on Oliver's face as he watched me walk away from him. It was probably a good thing too. I didn't need that to complicate things between me and him any more.

A/N's; Well here's my brand new story. This is the first time I've ever attempted a rom/com, so it's pretty scary, but I've been a fan of reading them for ages.
A really big shout out to India, my very fabulous beta reader, who makes sure this story reaches it's full potential.

This story is dedicated and inspired by the brilliant works of Loui's A Seeker's Troubles and A Fountain Pen's Settling The Score, whose stories introduced me to the wonderful world that is Oliver Wood. Oh where would the world be without him?
So please read and review, tell me what you like or what you didn't. The second chapter will be coming along real soon!
Until next time,
Agrolass