Chasers and Keepers

Chapter 4

"Right, we need two volunteers!" Fred exclaimed happily, looking around.

A dull silence followed from his group of friends, and Miya seemed to become increasingly interested in the floor.

Fred and George had spent the last hour in the common room, putting the 'finishing touches' to their latest product.; 'Sticky Trainers'.

"Paige, what about you?" George asked.

"I'm busy." she replied not looking up. She had been spending her hour rolling her wand to either side of the table and catching it before it hit the floor.

"Yeah, dead busy." Fred said, sarcastically. "Guess it's up to you and Oliver then Miya."

"Why me?" she exclaimed.

"Because we need two people of different heights and weights to see what difference it makes to the shoes!" George said as if it were obvious.

"So it's because I'm short?" she said, frowning.

"Yeah Miya." Paige said. "You never know what the effect might be if someone with the proportions of a Gnome uses them." she laughed.

"Well I'm not helping." Oliver interjected. "I have to figure out our tactics if we have any chance of winning the game this year." He and Ron had been pouring over a model quidditch pitch all evening, and muttering to each other.

"There you go then." Miya said. "I'm not going to be the only idiot walking round with those on. You'll have to go and find some other victim."

George opened his mouth, ready to argue his case, before a voice called across the room and interrupted him.

"Hey Paige!" said the instantly recognisable voice of Seamus Finnigan. "Fancy coming to help me with my Patronus for Lupin's lesson?"

"Can no one see that I'm busy?" Paige murmered under her breath. "Sorry Seamus," she called. "I'm perfecting a wand technique."

"What about you Miya?" he said.

"Yeah alright, I've got nothing better to do." she said standing up.

Paige looked across at Oliver, who had torn his eyes away from the Quidditch model and was giving Seamus a look that could kill a Hippogriff. What had Seamus done to deserve that look? Paige knew that they were on the Quidditch team together (Seamus, like Ron, was a chaser) and got on really well.

However Paige wasn't the only one to have picked up on Olivers unusual reaction to Seamus. Ron was sitting next to him looking increasingly uncomfortable, as though expecting an argument.

Miya turned towards Paige as she picked up her bag, and Olivers expression instantly softened. It suddenly occured to Paige, that hidden under Olivers uncaring visage, he seemed to be holding back the urge to stop her.

"Wait a minute Miya. I really think you and Oliver should help the boys. You did promise." she said quickly.

"I've said I'm not doing it on my own!" she replied and Paige aimed a kick at Oliver under the table.

"Fucking Hell!" Oliver yelped, which was met by a suggestive look from Paige. "Fine, I'll do it!"

"Brilliant!" The twins said in happy unison.

"Well someone needs to help Seamus." Miya said.

"Ron can do it!" Paige exclaimed, snapping her fingers in Rons direction, who looked up annoyed.

"No, its fine! Honest, we'll do it some other time!" Seamus said quickly. And Ron looked slightly offended, as he walked away.

"Right! Come on then, grab a pair of shoes." Fred ordered dragging Oliver off his seat.

They both put a pair of the trainers on and began slowly walking across the room.

"These aren't feeling very sticky guys!" Miya said.

"They aren't when your walking on the floor, its when you get to the walls the spell kicks in."

"I'm not going up the fucking wall with them on!" she shouted.

"Oh come on Miya, don't be such a baby!" Oliver teased.

"Fine, you do it then if you're so clever!" she said.

Oliver shrugged, and placed one foot on the wall slowly. "Are you shure this will work?" He called.

"Positive, I'd do it quick if I were you though." George replied.

Olivers face hardened, as he took a deep breath, closed his eyes. jumped forward and placed his left foot on the wall to join the other. He opened his eyes and grinned as he realised it had worked. Miya and the others watched in amazement as Oliver took a few tentative steps further up the wall.

"Come on Miya, your turn." he said turning his body toward her.

"I'm alright ta. You carry on though!" she replied.

"You're not backing out now! It's easy!" he said as he climbed back down the wall. "I'll help you." he smiled as he reached a hand out towards her. She went slightly red, but she took it and placed her foot where Olivers had previously been.

"Just jump and I'll pull you forward." he said. She sighed, and leapt off the floor.

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" he grinned. "Race you to the ceiling!"

They both sped as fast as they could (which isn't very fast at all with the trainers on) up the wall until they were hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"I so won that!" Oliver laughed.

"Yeah, well done, you beat the small girl in a race." Miya snapped, pulling her hair off her face and turning around.

"Paige! Will you stop messing with that bloody wand and look at me!" she called.

Paige looked up from the desk, suprised.

"Oh sorry, I didn't realise you wanted to live life as a bat in the future." she laughed.

"I dont, I'm just hanging around." Miya replied winking at her friend.

Just as she said it, Ginny walked into the common room and, froze as she noticedthe pair.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Percy's on the prowl." she warned.

"Crap we best move!" Miya squeaked. "You know he hates this stuff"

"No! Don't go anywhere!" Oliver said. " I have an idea."

"Move out of the way!" came the voice of Percy Weasley over the crowd of students.

He barged through them and glared around the common room, as though daring anybody to speak to him.

"Hi Percy!" Paige called, beckoning him over to her. He frowned at her, obviously confused but made his way to her table.

"Was there something you wanted.?" he asked when he reached her.

"I just wanted to show you something. Its a new wand technique I've been practising, and i wanted a more advanced wizards opinion." she said smiling.

"Oh! Well of course I'm always happy to help!" he replied.

"Ok! Watch." she grinned, and placed her wand in the centre of the table. "Now don't interrupt me, it needs my full concentration!" she warned and, placing a hand either side of her wand she bagan rolling it from one side of her desk to the other. Percy watched with confusion.

"Paige, what - " he bagan

"Shut up Perce! Did you not hear her!" Fred snapped.

"Oh yes.. sorry." he murmered and stared back at the table.

George glanced up at the ceiling and nodded slowly, as the hidden Oliver and Miya began creeping towards him silently. When they were directly above him, Oliver reached down, until his hand was level with the rim of his hat, and quickly swung his arm forward, sending the hat flying off his head. Percy yelled in shock and leapt into the air, his eyes shooting to the ceiling.

"Get down here this instant! " he shouted, flushing a deep red.

"Oh come on Perce!" Said Fred through his laughter. "It was only a joke!"

"I'm Head boy!I should not be treated with such disrespect!" he yelled, as Miya and Oliver climbed down to the ground, still crying with laughter.

"I know Percy! They are so childish!" Paige exclaimed. "They should be putting their free time into better use, like I am" she smiled.

"I was sent here to notify you all of the next Hogsmeade visit.! By the way you're behaving, I am seriously reconsidering which students are mature enough to be left unsupervised!"

"Who died and made you headmaster!" Oliver exclaimed.

"I'll have you know that Proffessor McGonagall holds my opinion very highly."

"What? Even more than the Quidditch Captiains?" Oliver asked.

"Everyone knows Olivers McGonagalls favourite, do you really think she's going to ban him?" Miya asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well - I - the Proffessor and myself-" Percy stammered and, realised he had no come back, threw the paper down and marched out of the portrait hole and out of sight.

"So you didn't like my wand technique then?" Paige called after him.