Chapter 4: Dinner with the Woods
Oliver had spent the afternoon expelling his negative energy on the pitch trying to learn a new feint but he'd been distracted all afternoon. Every time he attempted the trick his mind drifted and he ended up wiping out. Frustrated, he'd given up and spent most of the day pouring over past games and strategies. However, even the methodical work hadn't made me him feel any less guilty. Morgan Reid might have been sarcastic and bothersome but she'd only just gotten here. It had to be difficult to move away from home. Though he wouldn't describe himself as shy, Oliver certainly was not outgoing. He couldn't imagine leaving all of his family and starting all over in a completely foreign place. To take his mind off of it, he'd spent the rest of his day playing gobstones with his younger sister Abigail.
When dinner finally arrived, Wood felt surprisingly nervous. Truth be told, he didn't have any experience dealing with girls and their feelings. Besides the three on the team, Oliver didn't spend any time around them. They were unnecessary distractions. With school and quidditch there wasn't room for anything else. Had he been over the top?
The twins do tell me I go overboard sometimes. Should he apologize? Should he ignore the problem? No, she should be the one apologizing to me. She's the one that freaked out. Yet, she'd been the one to call him bigoted . She just took what I said the wrong way. He reassured himself. Why do I even care so much? Oliver didn't bat an eye when he argued with the team. Why should this be any different?
Dinner time came, and despite his worry, Morgan waltzed through the front door like nothing was wrong. She greeted his parents politely with a warm smile and affectionately complimented Abigail on her hairpin. Yet, neither teen was prepared when his mother told him to give her the 'grand tour.'
Oliver shot his mother a pleading look, but unfortunately she was too busy discussing the summer harvest with Grandpa Reid to notice. His glance snapped back at Morgan staring up from under a black frayed hat. Well, she'd definitely seen it.
"What's wrong Wood, afraid of the big bad wolf?" Morgan asked sardonically with a challenging smile.
Wood shook his head, annoyed to have been caught and lead his reluctant guest and bouncing sister around the house.
Fifteen minutes later, with few words spoken, they had reached his bedroom, which although hesitant to reveal to prying eyes, had been opened up by Abigail before he could say otherwise.
An explosion of purple and gold met Morgan's eyes. From floor to ceiling were pictures and posters of the Pride of Portee and quidditch paraphernalia. Morgan's eye's widened.
"Wow…" Morgan said turning towards the older boy. "I was vaguely worried that I'd been rushing to judgment when I called you quidditch obsessed. From the looks of it, I nailed you right on the head." She mocked, thankful she didn't have to feel guilty about her first impression.
Abigail lumbered into the room and started jumping enthusiastically on Oliver's bed. "Ollie never lets me in his room." She said excitedly.
Morgana had admit that over just a short time, she had been converted into just another of Abigail Wood's die-hard fans. A girl of six, she had darling blue eyes and bouncy chocolate-brown curls that matched her lively manner. Wherever she went, happiness just seemed to spread, which was Morgan's only saving grace because she was entirely too enthralled with Wood's sister to actually have the forced opportunity to talk to him.
Morgan watched the little girl jumping around as if that were the greatest thing in the world. "She's adorable." Morgan said to no one in particular as appreciative beam of pearly whites danced daringly across her face.
"It's genetics." Was Wood's answer, his own face sharing a smaller smile. At that moment he almost forgot the tension radiating off the girl who stood beside him.
"Mm…" Morgan stated curiously glancing obviously at Wood for a brief second and then back to Abby. "What happened to you?"
"HEY! I resent that remark! I'm very adorable…" Oliver reacted, not thinking about what he was saying.
"Oh so the totalitarian quidditch tyrant wants to be cute that's a first." Morgan added smartly not bothering to look at him.
"What's a totalitarinan?" The youngest Wood asked innocently, stopping mid-jump to turn and face the two, head tilted in curiosity.
"Yer too young ta understand, Abby." Oliver said answering for Morgan.
"Am not!"
"Are too! Now why don't we go wash yer hands."
"I want to go with Morgan. She's nicer!"
Oliver sighed frustrated.
"Glad to know I've got an ally." Morgan added.
"She's just annoyed 'cause I didn't let her win at gobstones."
"She's five. Would it have hurt that much too loose?" Morgan asked before walking over and snatching Abby off the bed in one swift gesture. "Come on girly, let's get those hands sparkling clean for dinner."
Oliver watched the two walk away hand in hand annoyed that once again he'd let the American have the last word. Blimey, even his sister agreed with her. Turning to march down the stairs he resolved to be nicer to this girl. If only to prove to himself that he wasn't as much of a git as Morgan believed he was.
The dinner that ensued was awkward to say the least. Nether teenager looked at each other or bothered to participate in any conversation too preoccupied thinking unpleasantly about the other. Whatever manners Oliver seemed to lack, his parents made up for in abundance with warm welcoming arms. Mrs. Wood especially tried to include her by asking her about life in America and her interests in school. The only blip in the evening occurred when Mrs. Wood tried to ask about muggle transportation.
"Morgana, ah heard ye had to travel by muggle methods to get here? That must have been quite the adventure" Mrs. Wood inquired politely with a smile
"Oh yeah, I took a plane. It wasn't as exciting as it sounds. I slept most of the time. It was so surprising, but the Ministry here wouldn't approve of the port key because of some escaped convict here?" Morgan explained as speared a green-bean with her fork.
"Sirius Black." Mr. Wood offered up. Silence spread around the table and Morgan looked up to see nervous looks pass between all the adults at the table.
"He's escaped oot o' Azkaban a few months back." Mrs. Wood added in a voice akin to a whisper.
"Well surely he can't be that dangerous? People escape prisons all the time. He'll be caught quickly enough, right?" Morgan spoke in a reassuring tone.
"Nobody's EVER escaped." Wood countered finally speaking for the first time. "He was a supporter o'…you-know-who."
Morgana eyes grew with slight concern. Her parents had mentioned a little about the dark wizard that targeted muggles and half-bloods when she was just a baby but she hadn't really thought much of it with an ocean between her and the situation.
"YE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TA TALK ABOUT THAT!" Abigail cried pointing an accusing finger at her brother
"Oliver, don't try tae scare th' poor lass, she's just arrived. Th' last thing she wants tae hear about is that." Mrs. Wood chided.
"Don't worry lass, those days are long behind us. The dementors will catch him soon. Don't you worry" Grandpa Reid said with a quick pat.
The subject was quickly changed but Morgan could tell the evening's light tone was ruined. After dinner, they headed back to the small cottage attached to the Wood's home. Grandpa Reid made a cup of tea before politely heading to bed. Morgan took out her luggage and began neatly unpacking her meager belongings. Picking up her grandmother's journal she wondered if she ever actually completed her task.
Morgan'd never met her grandmother, Morvyn had refused to see the family completely after they eloped probably because she felt her son was being taken away from her. Morgan had always wondered what Morvyn would have been like. In her journal she sounded strong, brave, and highly intelligent. Feeling a kinship through her writing, Morgan fell asleep in the narrative of her research diary.
A/N: Not the most interesting chapter but it gives us some important background info about Wood and his family.
