I'm baaaack! :D Sorry for the delay--I've just had a huge mental block and haven't had the slightest idea what to write. Then I thought--poof! HARRY POTTER! And I just adore these two characters together.

This is an Oliver/Alicia story. I originally wrote it as a one-shot, but I may turn it into a story, depending on feedback. :) Enjoy!

Hazel Daze

"Pass!" yelled Oliver.

Alicia obeyed, hurling the crimson ball over her shoulder hopefully—she had been practicing—

A faint thump.

"Oh, nice!"

She one-eightied on her Cleansweep. Judging by her teammate's sarcastic tone, it was obviously not nice.

Sure enough, Angelina was standing on the green, tossing the Quaffle up and down in one hand, glaring up at her.

Alicia tried to look sheepish, but couldn't help laughing. "Sorry! I thought I nailed it, I practiced it loads of times—"

"Yeah, well, obviously not enough," called Angelina grumpily, getting back on her broom and rocketing up into the air, coming level with Alicia. "Could we please leave the dramatic diving to the Seeker?"

"Speaking of which, I've got to call him down," said Oliver, looking up. "Harry, mate! We're packing it in!"

Alicia gazed off down the pitch. The end of another grueling practice—thankfully. She was going to have to practice that bloody back pass, again. Why hadn't she made it? She had definitely used up enough study halls on the pitch with Katie, passing back and forth. But of course, her skill had decided to fail her at practice. Ugh. Why was it so—

Thunk.

"Unh—" Alicia doubled over, feeling as though she had been socked in the stomach. In fact, she had been hit by a soft Quaffle-sized ball, a practice one used in the first years' flying lessons.

"Still dreaming, Spinnet?" yelled Oliver, grinning. He was the only one remaining on the pitch. "You keep ogling the Slytherin goal like that, it might take a fancy to you and let us win next match."

"Eat dung, Wood!" Alicia shouted back, flinging the ball back at him. He ducked, but wasn't quite quick enough—the ball hit the side of his head and he spun in midair, just barely righting himself inches from a Hufflepuff tower.

Alicia, meanwhile, was laughing her head off.

"I could kick you off the team for that," threatened Oliver, tossing the practice ball to the ground and rubbing his head.

Alicia raised her eyebrows. "Oh, please. You're not the tyrant you imagine yourself to be. I doubt McGonagall will let you kick me off for chucking a ball at you."

"Yeah, but there are perks to being captain," said Oliver. "I'm allowed to chuck stuff at you without consequence. And let's face it, we both know I wouldn't miss."

"You're so full of it!" Alicia exclaimed in disbelief as they descended to earth together. "I was second in line to be captain and you know it."

"Ah, but that's the difference," he smirked. "You were second."

Alicia rammed into him just as they touched down, and quickly dismounted, running over the green. "First is the worst," she shouted over her shoulder at him, "second is the best!" She laughed in delight as he yelled and started running after her.

She felt exhilarated, breathless as she sped across the pitch toward the locker rooms. It was comforting to know that she had some speed on the ground as well as in the air. She slowed down a little, feeling her lungs start to burn, and looked back. No Oliver. He had probably given up, gone around the other end—

"Gotcha!"

Alicia shrieked as someone grabbed her around the middle and she went down. There was a moment of scuffling, and then everything was still.

Alicia was flat on the ground, her limbs tangled with someone else's. She tried to turn, but it was impossible, in the position she was in.

"Mmph," said the person next to her. She finally stretched her neck around—

Oliver spit some of her ponytail out of his mouth. "What did I say about putting up your hair?"

"You said for matches," Alicia said, feeling her face color. "I can leave it in a tail for practice, you big oaf, it's not—" She stopped, realizing how close their faces were.

His eyes were hazel. That was the first thing she noticed. She looked at him and wondered how she didn't see it earlier. They were lovely, with a ring of gray around the pupil.

They didn't speak for a moment. Finally—

"Um, we'd better get up at one point," said Alicia, struggling to get free. "Or we'll be stuck here till dark."

"Well, I say!"

Alicia jerked her head up, and her face felt as if it had burst into flame.

"Never," continued Madam Hooch, approaching them with a severe gaze. "Never in all my years have I seen something so cheeky and ill-mannered! This pitch is for practicing, not for canoodling and such things!"

Alicia finally got herself away from Wood and sprang up, straightening. "No, no, Madam Hooch—you don't understand—"

"I understand perfectly, thank you!" said the flyin teacher sternly. "Pray do not insult my intelligence! Young people have certainly got bolder—in my day, we didn't roll about on the ground—"

"But that's not what happened!" said Alicia, frustrated.

Madam Hooch sniffed. "Then enlighten me, please."

Under the teacher's strict gaze, Alicia faltered. "Well, you see, er—we were in a bit of an argument, and I—well—we fell," she finished lamely.

"You fell," repeated Madam Hooch, one eyebrow arched. "Together."

"Yes, erm…well, we knocked into each other, you see—"

Madam Hooch held up a hand. "Enough. I'll let it pass this time, but one more cuddling session and I'll be forced to deduct House points."

Alicia stared at her, outraged. "But—but that's—"

"That will be all, Miss Spinnet. Mr. Wood," she added, glancing unsmilingly at Wood before setting off briskly back to the castle.

Alicia watched her go, face still hot. She couldn't look at Oliver.

He cleared his throat. "Well. That was, er… interesting." He had an odd note in his voice, and Alicia turned, curious.

Until she saw he was silently laughing.

"That was not funny," she said fiercely. "She thought we were—" She didn't even want to go near the word. It gave her a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Oliver stopped laughing suddenly. Alicia didn't know how it had happened, but within seconds he was standing not six inches from her. Their noses nearly touched. She heard herself inhale sharply.

"What's wrong with that?" he whispered.

His hazel eyes were right in front of her. She watched him, feeling the hot and cold feeling in her stomach again.

But it wasn't because he was standing so close. Of course not. It was because she had just stopped running, she was obviously hot, and there was a breeze...

Right?

He looked at her for a moment, the late afternoon light giving his eyes a shine. He leaned in slightly, and her heart felt ready to burst out of her ribcage. Her pulse was racing. She closed her eyes, anticipating his next move…

But it never came. She opened her eyes.

He had backed away, biting his lip, clearly keeping from smiling. Then he began to walk away, heading for the locker room.

"I'll see you Thursday, Alicia," he said with an odd expression, and grinned before disappearing into the castle.

She stood for a few moments. He had used her first name?

She blinked, and then smiled and closed her eyes, remembering just how close he had been. She brought back the image of his eyes, deep, a mixture of green and blue and brown. Not uniform. A crazy mix—but she liked crazy.

For all the talk about Harry Potter's gorgeous green eyes, she'd take hazel over green any day.