Part Twenty Nine
After the Easter break things start to speed up for you. Not only are your teachers loading you with homework…but you don't seem to have enough hours in the day to do all your work, practice, and hang out with your friends. To top it all off, Professor Dumbledore has made it mandatory for all the seventh years to take lessons in ball room dancing…to make sure that the Midnight Masquerade Ball is a ball. The lessons happen on the week ends. You go to them with Harry…since it's still kind of strange to be asking Oliver to go with you. Although you have a feeling that he was going to ask you to be partners with him.
One day Fred and George corner you after dinner. "Are you doing anything important?" Fred asks as they join you in the library. "No…just my essay that's due on Wednesday." You say…rolling your eyes at him. "Yea well…we needed to tell you something…it's about Oliver and why he went out with Hayley…" George starts. "No I don't want to know…we're getting along fine…and I know they broke up…that's not gonna change anything between us…" You say quickly trying to stop him. "Listen I know you think you've been wronged by him…but you need to know the whole story. ----- just listen to us…we didn't tell you what happened because at that time you both were really adamant about not putting strain on whatever it is you called the whole not being friends phase relationship. Oliver told us what happened a long while after you two stopped being friends." George says trying to quell your protests about hearing what they have to say.
"Hayley tricked Oliver to make you both break up…and help Malfoy and Flint win against our Quidditch team. The only thing is that she really liked Oliver…it was almost obsessive." Fred tells you. "How could she trick him…he's like two years older than her and stronger too." You say, disbelieving them. "It was in a more subtle manner that she got to him…and to you…" George tells you. "Neither of you are making any sense…" You complain. "Then be quiet and let us tell you…" Fred says contritely, although his face looks slightly annoyed. You sit quietly and listen to the twins…they tell you about the Amortentia.
At the end of the explanation, you sit there with your head in your hands…feeling quite stupid. "Look -----, don't beat yourself up about it…even Oliver didn't know for a long while. Besides any sane person would have reacted the same way you did when you saw them together. Just promise us you won't go spilling your guts to Oliver…then he'll know we told you." George says to you. They both look sad that they upset you. "I feel so idiotic…it's my fault that we weren't friends and…I feel so…so…stupid…" You can't even look at them. You feel foolish for ever thinking that Oliver would cheat on you. "What did I do…" You gasp in shock. The twins are staring at you. "It's okay…I mean he didn't even know about what Hayley did. So it was only natural for the two of you to end up this way…" George says trying to console you. "Remember just act normal…don't do anything stupid by telling him you know…" Fred warns you. "And just how do you propose that? What am I going to say to him in class…Oh hey Oliver I'm really sorry about what happened since it probably is all my fault because you didn't tell me that Hayley put Amortentia in your drink!" You say severely…you're freaking out because you have no idea how to face Oliver now. "Don't dare try that…please just act like before…I mean this only changes how he met Hayley…it doesn't cover his free will for going out with her after you told him it was over." Fred says trying to get through to you…and he does…you calm down immediately. "I forgot…that part…so it's not all on me?" You ask almost relieved. "No it isn't…" Fred tells you, thankful that you seem to have relaxed a bit. "Okay so when did he find out about her spiking his drink?" You ask them, curiously. "I think it was a little while after the winter break fiasco…" Fred tells you. "Just act like nothing changed because in truth nothing changes with or without you knowing what happened to him." George tells you once again. "Okay fine…I won't act stupid around Oliver…but I am going to kill Flint and Malfoy…" You tell them forcefully.
"That's already been covered…Oliver hexed them and we just finished with them…their in a broom closet on the seventh floor…covered in a nice array of spells…So don't go looking for them" Fred says darkly. "Okay…well then since I think I've heard enough for one day…can I go now?" You ask them, hastily putting some of your books into your bag. "Yea sure…don't do anything stupid." They both warn you. Tired of hearing them say that you make a face as you rush out of the library with the remaining books in your arms.
In your rush you trip over the tiles in the hallway. Your books go fall out of your arms and spill on to the floor. You stand there for a minute. Deciding to get your books you start to reach down to grab them, but before you can someone else's hand appears to get them. You look towards the source of the hand…and to your horror it belongs to Oliver.
"Hey! Where are you off to in such a rush?" He asks you with a smile. You stand there frozen…you can almost hear the twins repeating their warnings in your head. You snap out of it. Shaking your head you start to speak. "Yea… I have to finish the potions essay…what are you doing here?" You ask him trying to sound normal. He looks sheepishly at you; he seems to be unsure of what he wants to say. "Umm… I was just wondering if maybe-" He gets cut off by the twins. They appear at his side. "Hello Oliver! What brings you here mate?" Fred glares at you. While Oliver is trying to figure out what to say, you take it as your cue to leave. "See you guys around." You say, taking your books from Oliver and walking towards the common room with a burst of speed. "Thanks a lot guys…" You hear Oliver complain.
*Oliver's Point of View*
"See you guys around." She says to us, she grabs her books from me and starts walking towards the common room with unusual speed. "Thanks a lot guys…" I complain. "Why so glum Wood? Did we interrupt something?" George asks with a smirk. "Yea you did…and you both know…that you interrupted me." I tell them icily. "Okay so what did we interrupt…?" Fred asks innocently. "Nothing, never mind..." I tell them, unsure if I really want them to know what I was going to ask her. "Oh come on Oliver, you can tell us." George protests. I sigh, surrendering my thoughts. "I was wondering if she still wanted to go to the ball with me…" I say to them. "Do you think she's ready to take that chance with you?" George asks seriously. "I hope so…since she didn't end up with Daniel during the break…so it has to mean something…" I tell them hopefully. "Yea…maybe it means she's not ready to be with anyone…" Fred echoes the fears I have. "Yea but I know I can make it work with her this time…after all she said that Daniel was her friend…nothing more." I say to them cautiously.
"Yea a friend that wants to kiss her…" George sniggers. "Seriously…you guys don't think she'll give me another shot?" I ask them worried. They must see the desperate look on my face. "I think maybe she will…but you should ask her a few days before the dance…right now you both need to concentrate on getting your friendship on track…" Fred says. "You sound really over protective of her…almost like Harry…" I snipe. "Well with both of your track records this year…we have taken it upon ourselves to protect the both of you." George says with a snicker. I laugh. We start walking back towards the common room.
*Oliver's Point of View Ends*
Time keeps passing quickly for you. Homework luckily isn't piling up or you would be in panic mode right now. The lessons for the ball have finally come to an end…but not before you tripped into Oliver…well actually it felt like Fred, who had decided to partner you for the last class, pushed you into him. The twins haven't said anything to upset you, but their still acting very strange and as though they have something planned.
You have been spending a lot of time in the library completing homework. All of your friends are babbling about the ball which is now a few weeks away. Daniel keeps sending regular posts, which is great because his stories are keeping you entertained. He's also sent you a few more CDs. One contains the songs of The Saturdays, while the other has some stuff by Leona Lewis. The girls are constantly driving you crazy with talks about dresses and the whole deal. You don't think the ball is that important…but you haven't told them that during Easter Break you bought the dress and accessories that you would wear. You decided that it would be best if they didn't know what you were planning to wear. The only reason you go to the library is for some quiet but even that is being intruded upon. No matter where you go in the castle it's like the ball has given everyone a fever.
You've noticed that Oliver doesn't seem to mind Daniel sending you posts, but he didn't ever ask you whatever he was trying to ask you in the library the day Fred and George told you about what Hayley did to him. Oliver has even started to join you in the library, both of you have been getting along fine. You both seem to have gotten over most of the awkward pauses that at one point troubled you.
Harry has been forgiving towards Oliver to a certain extent. That's more than you could have asked for, considering. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was able to win the cup this year. You even went to watch the game. When Oliver lifted the cup with Harry, you saw him look towards you and smile. You waved to him, before walking towards the castle.
Oliver sits across from you, one evening in the library. You both are working on the Charms essay. It's really quiet and you can't help yourself so you ask him. "Umm…so what happened between you and Hayley?" You ask before you can stop yourself. You just want to know what his side of the story is. He doesn't look up. You think that he isn't going to answer you so you continue writing. "It's a long story…" Oliver starts. You look up to see him meeting your gaze. "I think I can handle it…" You tell him, keeping his gaze. "Well it's really stupid…and I don't think you'll believe me." He tells you, breaking your gaze as he looks away. "Try me." You tell him softly. He looks at you. "Alright…but I hope you don't think any worse of me at the end." He says ruefully. "I won't, I'm sure." You tell him quickly. Oliver pauses…and then starts to tell you what happened.
You find that his version and the version of the twins is the same. At the end of his story Oliver looks at you, as though he's expecting you to leave him running. "Wow…" You tell him. "You don't believe me do you?" He asks you quietly. "As much as it sounds weird, I do believe you." You tell him sincerely. "Why? I mean why on earth would you believe me? It's such an incredulous story." He tells you. "Because, Oliver, I don't think you'd ever hurt me that way on your own." You tell him after thinking about it for a moment. "I thought you'd run from me if I ever told you." He says wit a little smile. "You thought wrong." You tell him.
"So now you know my story, what happened between you and Daniel?" He asks you tentatively. "It's not as interesting as your story." You say to him. "Oh come on, don't hold out on me." Oliver says with a mocking painful expression. "Alright, alright." You say giving in. "He isn't a muggle…he actually goes to Durmstrang, and he's cousins with Viktor Krum." You start to tell him. "Bummer…too bad you couldn't get a normal one huh?" He says jokingly. "Yea…so during the Easter break when we went to dinner…he told me that he was one of us." You continue.
"He was asking if I was over the guy I broke up with…" You pause to look at him. He sits still, his eyes locked onto yours. "What did you tell him?" He asks you quietly. "I told him that I only wanted to be friends with him…and he was great with that. He didn't mind just being friends with me." You tell him quickly, looking away.
You feel like you should never have brought up Hayley…since he wouldn't have brought up Daniel. "I'm sorry…" You hear him mumble. You look at him. "For what?" You ask him. "For making this awkward…" He trails off. "No it's not awkward…there's zero-awkwardness…and besides it was bound to come up one of these days." You tell him quickly. The rest of your evening continues with light banter about school, but there isn't any more awkwardness about the recent past.
The others seem to notice the change in dynamic between the both of you. You find it easier to be around Oliver. No more of hiding certain things from him. You both enjoy the others company. You went outside the castle with Oliver, and you went flying with Harry without any dragging on Harry's part. Things are finally the way they should be.
