Far away from Hogwarts in a crowded sitting room, Oliver was looking out the window at the snow as he waited for his parents to announce that Christmas dinner was served. He and his cousins were all out of breath because they had just finished playing a rather intense game of Quidditch; Oliver had lost, for the first time ever, to his cousins.

He knew that he hadn't blocked as many Quaffles as opportunities had presented themselves and it was because his mind had been thinking of something else. Or rather, his mind had been, and still was, thinking of someone.

The events of the last day of school were still clear in his mind. Percy had revealed his feelings to him and nearly kissed him. Oliver had ran back straight to his dormitory and didn't emerge until the trains were ready to depart. On the long ride back to King's Cross, he had sat quietly because he was still in a state of shock.

He had been shocked because that had been the first time that a boy had admitted having feelings for him. The incident left him feeling stupid and a little angry. How could he have been so oblivious to Percy's feelings? And why had Percy decided to confront him the way he did? Oliver felt that Percy could have talked things out…instead of pinning him to the floor and attempting to kiss him.

Oliver was in an overwhelming state of mental turmoil. Every single thought presented a new worry, a new idea, a new explanation. However, there was one thought that demanded the most attention out of any because it created in him the worst feeling he had ever felt:

Loss.

He wasn't sure if he had lost Percy and was uncertain of where their friendship now stood. Oliver had come to realize that he had grown rather close to Percy and began to consider him a 'best mate.'

He even felt what he assumed was love for Percy. But not the kind of love that a man feels for a woman, but rather, the kind of love that siblings feel for one another. There was no doubt that Oliver was undeniably straight. He knew this because he had never in his life "fancied" any boy, nor had he ever been sexually aroused by one.

It was clear to Oliver that he and Percy would never be more than just friends. No matter how close their friendship was, no matter how much Percy came to love Oliver…

Oliver excused himself and went to the restroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and felt a bit disgusted that he was causing his friend so much pain.

It's not my fault he bloody fancies me, he thought. Oliver stared intently at his reflection in the mirror, looking closely at his features. He knew he wasn't ugly, but didn't know what Percy saw in him physically because he considered himself rather plain.

Maybe it was because he wanted to bring closure to his friend, or because he wanted to bring closure to himself but he decided he would do something on the first day back to Hogwarts. As Oliver exited the restroom and walked back to the sitting room he made a pact with himself that he was going to tell Percy, "We can never be."

Far away from the sitting room, at Hogwarts, Percy awoke screaming from a nightmare. He had already celebrated Christmas with his brothers and had gone to bed unnaturally early, but it wasn't so that he could wake up early for presents. It was because his head would not stop tormenting him with thoughts of Oliver Wood.

Yet it seemed that he couldn't escape these thoughts even in his sleep, as his brain deemed it appropriate to give him dreams of Oliver never being with him, hence the screaming.

This particular dream had been what Percy feared the most because it was horrifyingly possible. It was what he feared more than losing Oliver.

It was fear that Oliver would devote his love to someone and that it wouldn't be him. The mere thought of Oliver with someone else literally crippled him because he had to wait awhile to until he was able to move around his bed.

I'd rather him die than love someone else, Percy thought through tears. Though this seemed morbid, it made absolute sense to Percy.

He was certain that no one would ever feel this much love for Oliver. And what absolutely destroyed him was the undeniable fact that he had fallen for him because of who he was on the inside, where it mattered most. He had not fallen for him for his body; he had fallen for him for his mind. Fallen for him because of he liked the way his smile made him feel a warmth no amount of sun rays could ever make him feel. Fallen for him because he had found an oasis in his beautifully calm eyes. Fallen for him because for a moment he had believed that Oliver might love him back.

Percy lusted not for Oliver's body, but for his heart. He felt this to be so irrefutably true that he would not care if he never had sex with Oliver as long as Oliver loved him. He'd be satisfied with their fingers interlocked for eternity, and for the chance to stare into his eyes knowing that they loved him back. This, for Percy, would bring far greater gratification than any sexual act ever would.

With sudden inspiration, Percy sat up and decided he would do something the first day of school. Maybe it was because he wanted Oliver to know they could remain friends, or because he wanted to trick himself into thinking that, but he decided that he would talk to Oliver.

With great reluctance he muttered to himself, "We can remain just friends."