~*~*~Oliver's POV~*~*~
I had been standing inside, huddled by a gaggle of people, half of which I knew and the other half that I didn't know even in the slightest. They were relatives of the Weasley's or of Hermione's. Gwyn would know whom each of them was, but I couldn't seem to find her anymore. She had disappeared and I was getting anxious. Liah had even dissolved into the crowd of lavishly dressed wedding guests. I could do with some sort of comfort at the moment, but it would seem I was shit out of luck.
I saw Ginny to my left and walked towards her, knowing this might be my only chance at knowing where my two escorts were. "Ginny, have you seen Liah or Gwyn?"
She smiled and put her hands on her hips, "Well hello to you too Mr. Wood," she said raising one of her eyebrows.
I had then realized that I hadn't greeted her yet tonight. It must have totally escaped me. "Good evening Ginny, how are you this evening?" I said cordially, attempting to patch up my reconnaissance.
She laughed, "I'm just fine Wood, how are you? Enjoying the festivities?"
"Not so much," I replied, screwing up my nose, as I looked around at the wizards and witches and muggles alike. "Have you seen? —"
"—Liah or Gwyn? No I haven't. Not recently anyways. At the beginning I saw Gwyn head over to Hermione and everyone kind of bolted, as I did. Then Harry and I got separated. I don't recall seeing Liah at all. I didn't think she would be here."
"She came down from London to give a friend a hand," I answered vaguely, still looking around for my girlfriend and her girlfriend.
"Is this a siren call from Gwyn or you?" Ginny asked, noticing my illusiveness. "You seem lost Wood."
I looked back at her and let out a sigh, "I truly am. I am at my wits end. I love Gwyn and Liah both, and so I was really glad she turned up, but I will never understand what goes on between those two. I respect the distance they ask for, but I don't think I'll ever comprehend 'girls'."
This time Ginny laughed loudly. I couldn't help but smiling at her jovial mood. She then came closer to me and put her arm around my shoulders. In her high heels her head reached to just about my eye level. "Let me give you a few tips Wood," she said, twisting us away from the majority of the crowd. "Don't ever try to understand us and you'll do just fine. And just between you and me, there is no use anyway, trying to understand what we're all about because it's a mystery even to us."
I nodded my head and laughed, "Thanks for the advice Gin." I leaned into her and squeezed her side gently. It was a friendly gesture that gave me a lot of strength for the moment. Her advice/secret has also been very helpful. Girls still puzzled me a great deal but now I knew that was okay.
I let Ginny go and weaved my way through the Burrow once more. I hadn't a clue as to where I was going, but when I got there I discovered it was over to Ron Weasley himself. He was in a heated conversation with his older brother Charlie.
I myself hadn't seen Charlie in quite some time and when he realized whom it was coming towards him, he turned and gave me a warm greeting.
"Oliver Wood, el Capitano! Fancy seeing you here, though it doesn't really come as a surprise. How are you these days?"
I took the hand he offered me and shook his heartily, grinning back at his enormous smile. "Fine just fine," I replied with a little less enthusiasm than I had wanted to display.
"Whoa," Charlie said, recognizing my mood, "What's going on with you?" Ron nudged him in the shoulder and looked at Charlie pointedly. Obviously he had already relayed Gwyn's outburst to his older brother. "Oh yeah," Charlie said, realizing his mistake, "Sorry man."
I shook my head and said, "No problem. Just trouble in paradise, you know?"
Ron rolled his eyes. Charlie had seen this too and his face went blank. It was clear that this is what they had been discussing before I had come over to see them. I cleared my throat and then looked at Ron. "How are you Ron?"
Ron was trying really hard to keep his temper under control. I could see that. Right now though, his attitude towards me, and Gwyn no doubt, made me want to break something, preferably his little neck. "Fine," he replied.
Charlie had inched his way between us and from his firm build from dealing with Dragons in Romania; I knew he would be able to keep us from hitting one another.
"Is that so?" I taunted Ron, who was no almost directly behind Charlie. "If you've got something to say, why don't you say it?"
Ron whipped off his suit jacket and tossed it over the back of an empty chair. He wanted nothing more than to take a swing at me as well right now. If Charlie would just get out of the way everything would be just fine. "Fine, I will."
"Fine!" I in turn tore off my jacket and threw it too over the back of another empty chair. I turned back to find Charlie standing in my way. "Charlie, move!" I growled.
He raised an eyebrow, not the least bit intimidated. I had no qualms with swinging my fist in his direction, but it would be an unnecessary casualty that I hoped I didn't have to risk. I wanted to punch someone and right now I wanted it to be Ron Weasley.
Charlie, who hadn't moved, crossed his arms in front of his chest baring my way. "I work with dragons, if you recall. You are not going to hit my little brother."
From behind him I heard Ron growl, "Let me at him Charlie. I'm going to knock his block off."
Charlie turned to see Ron in the same position I was in. I managed to catch a glance at Ron's face, which no doubt mirrored my own.
Rage fuelled my angry thoughts. I'm sure Gwyn probably wouldn't approve; in fact I'm positive Gwyn wouldn't approve, but she was no where around and I wanted to hit someone really bad. And Ron was as likely a candidate as the next poor fellow; the only hitch was that Ron wanted to hit back.
I huffed and puffed, clenching and unclenching my fists, and watched as Ron's eyes went from me to Charlie and back to me. I was doing the exact same thing, taking my eyes from Ron, glaring dangerously at him and then at Charlie, daring him to move out of my way.
Charlie obviously detected the heated air around him and by now several of the wedding party had stopped yapping to wait expectantly at the possibility of a fight. It was almost like going to Hogwarts all over again. I was surprised at the thought of Hermione and Gwyn's grandmother, who had joined the wedding party this afternoon, watching her daughter's beaus fighting one another. I didn't want to swing at Ron per say, but I wanted to take a bloody swing at someone.
Charlie held up a finger in my direction and said, "Let's take this outside Wood. Inside will only get messy." I nodded and turned directly towards the door to the back yard. I didn't even bother looking behind me to see if Charlie and Ron were following. When I finally did turn I found not only Ron and Charlie, but also the entirety of the wedding guests, all of who had gathered around in a circle, as if this were some high school brawl. I half expected them to start catcalling: "Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight!"
I had to admit that this was getting a bit out of hand. Ron and I were friends, and always had been. We'd never swung at each other just for the hell of it. I looked around and saw Harry and Ginny standing in the crowd. Where the heck was Gwyn? I could really use her help right now.
I took a deep breath and held up my hand, "Ron, this is ridiculous. We shouldn't be doing this." I gestured to the half-circle that had formed behind the two Weasley brothers in front of me.
Ron shook his head. "You started this Wood. There's no backing out now."
"I started this?!" I yelled. "How the hell do you figure?"
"Damnit if you had never told Gwyn about what Hermione did for her, this would never have happened. It's all your fault! And I'm not about to forgive you for ruining my fiancée's wedding!"
I stood there with my mouth open, not believing what he was accusing me of. He had the audacity to blame me for ruining the wedding! "The hell I did! You're just making up excuses because you can't control your girlfriend and her emotions. She's a wreck and you know it! But don't you dare blame me for it!"
Ron was enraged and he hesitated only a second before launching himself at me. I had enough time to brace myself before he hit me at full force. His since-school-muscles had hardened considerably from heaven knows what and I was winded and on my back within seconds. I took what knowledge I had of Quidditch, which was many years experience and practice with some of the best players in the League, and swung my weight over towards him and was able to get one punch at his face but my fist grazed his chin and I swung completely around.
I was on my back and before I knew what else was happening his fist caught me in the nose and pain shot everywhere on my face. I cried out, "Argh!" and Ron seemed to be startled at my outburst.
He leaned back and looked down at me and I took that window of opportunity to hoof him in the stomach. He rolled off of me and onto his back. I reached up and found my nose bleeding.
I looked over and saw Ron bent over on his knees, crumpled over because of the blow to his stomach. Serves him right! I crawled over swiftly and took my right fist and connected it with the side of his face, beside his left eye. He went flying back and I crawled on top of him, intending to get my hands around his throat. I had never felt like this before and now that I was buried in the fight there was nothing in the world that could stop me.
My fingers wrapped around Ron's neck and before I could throttle the breath out of the jerk I heard someone yell out abruptly, "OLIVER MICHAEL WOOD!"
I swiveled my head to see Gwyn striding towards me, her arms crossed at her chest and her face set in a scowl that could kill if looks could do so much. "Get. Off. Of. Ron. Now!" she said with each word with a point. She looked positively aflame. Her red-orange dress and golden hair seemed to make her illuminate in her madness. I knew I was in trouble now.
Ron took my hesitation and heaved me off his chest. He jumped to his feet and I watched his eyes dart from Gwyn to the woman standing behind her: Hermione. Her turquoise dress and white shawl looked just as menacing as Gwyn and I almost smiled at Ron's possible fate before I remembered my own. Gwyn was positively livid.
When looking from Hermione to Gwyn I then realized that both of their faces were red and flushed, as though from crying. My lips turned up at the slightest and then Gwyn looked at me again. I tried to shrug the look off but she didn't look pleased at all.
I got to my feet and stood beside Ron. Hermione, from behind Gwyn, turned to the crowd and yelled graciously, "Okay folks. Dinner will be served momentarily. If you'll just go out to the front lawn and take your seats at the tables we will join you shortly." She didn't wait for even a murmur of reply before she walked to stand beside Gwyn. I watched as she laced her fingers with my girlfriends' and couldn't help but smile widely. I could tell that Ron was doing the same.
Gwyn shot us each a disapproving look and said, fiercely I might add, "Wipe those smiles off your faces. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves."
Hermione then joined in. "Damn right! Wood, how could you, Ron and I are getting married tomorrow?!"
Gwyn nodded. "And Ron, what is going through your head? What in the world did you do to provoke Oliver?"
I had to keep a very strict control at my glee seeing Gwyn and her sister. I also found a sense of pride somewhere deep inside when Gwyn pointed out that I would have to have been provoked in order to start a fight, at a rehearsal dinner for a wedding no less.
Ron opened his mouth briefly but Hermione snapped at him. "Not a word Ronald Weasley. Not one word! Get yourself in that house and you will kindly explain to those guests what idiocy was going on out here." Ron opened his mouth again but stopped short by Hermione's yell, "NOW!"
Ron hurried off in the direction of the Burrow without another word. He glanced back at me, looking almost sympathetic at my situation. I did too, knowing I was in for it without my wingman beside me. Ron disappeared through the doorway and I was left to face the two fearsome ladies in front of me and waited for them to pass judgment.
"Well Oliver," Gwyn said at last, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
I opened my mouth once and just like Ron and Hermione, Gwyn shushed me up with one word. "Nevermind." She looked at Hermione and then looked back at me. After squeezing Hermione's hand one last time, she let go and walked over to where I stood. She waved her wand once and cleaned up my nosebleed before leaning in and kissing me on the cheek. "We'll talk later then," she said before taking my arm and dragging me towards the Burrow.
I decided that my fate was less than what I had feared, but then I also feared this wasn't the end of it. I hoped Gwyn would explain everything later as I would no doubt have to explain myself. I dreaded that particular part of our discussion but eagerly anticipated her 'talk later' about how she and Hermione had reconciled.
~*~*~End of Oliver's POV~*~*~
