Chapter 29
Oliver was training the Gryffindor team harder than ever for the match against Slytherin. Just before the final training session on one cold and rainy Thursday, Flint walked up to Tiannah and Oliver, who were discussing (surprise surprise) Quidditch.
"Hey, sexy," Flint said in greeting. Tiannah and Oliver glared, but Flint didn't recoil; he just continued smiling in an annoyingly smug manner.
"What do you want," Oliver said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Nothing much," Flint began, "I just wanted to inform you that Slytherin won't be playing on Saturday."
"WHAT?" Tiannah and Oliver cried in outraged unison.
"Our Seeker has injured his arm. Shame," said Flint, picking at one of his dirty fingernails.
Tiannah squeezed Oliver's hand to stop him hitting Flint.
"And who will be playing instead?"
"Hufflepuff," Flint replied, with a nasty leer at Tiannah.
Oliver looked as though he was ready to shoot Flint in the head.
"Thank you very much, Flint," Tiannah replied, clenching her jaw. Just as she started to drag Oliver away, he called out, "No problem, sexy."
"What is he playing at?" Oliver yelled. "Oh, I swear, one day-"
"Ollie, calm down. You need to tell the rest of the team this, okay?"
Oliver nodded tersely and made his way to the changing rooms, where the team waited. Tiannah took a seat next to Fred, barely concealing her rage.
"We're not playing Slytherin," Oliver began, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."
"Why?" chorused the rest of the team, bar Tiannah.
"Flint's excuse is that his Seeker's arm is still injured," Oliver said, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."
The past few days had been very cold, rainy and stormy. Just as Oliver spoke, thunder rumbled in the distance.
"There is nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm," Harry said furiously. "He's faking it!"
"I know that, but we can't prove it," Oliver said bitterly. "And we've been practising all those moves assuming that we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style is quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-"
Katie and Angelina giggled. Oliver glanced at Tiannah, who rolled her eyes.
"What?" Oliver asked, frowning at the two girls.
"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.
"Strong and silent," said Katie.
"You dated him, did you not?" Angelina asked Tiannah. "Is he a good kisser?"
Tiannah shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."
"Shut UP, Tiannah," Oliver snapped.
"Anyway," Fred said, clearly irritated, "the only reason Diggory is silent is because he is too thick to string two words together, and the only reason he is a good kisser is probably because he kisses himself in the mirror."
Tiannah held her hand up for Fred to high-five, and he did so, grinning.
"Hufflepuff are a pushover," said George, "Harry caught the snitch in about five minutes last time, remember?"
"We were playing in very different conditions!" Oliver shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong foot us! We must win!"
"Oliver, calm down," said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously!"
In the Common Room that night, Tiannah and Oliver were the last to go to bed. Before they did so, however, Tiannah was giving Oliver a massage.
"Ollie, you're so tense."
She took his shirt off and ran her fingers across his chest. He smiled and attempted to take her shirt off. Tiannah stopped him, but he still slipped his fingers under her shirt, smirking slightly.
"Ollie... stop."
He could tell she didn't want him to, though. He kissed her lightly and cupped her cheeks, as she returned the kiss softly, the familiar tingling on her lips of electricity making her smile in the kiss. He smiled back and pulled away.
"You always make me feel better, Tia."
"One of my many talents," she teased, snuggling into his chest. He stroked her brown hair and buried his head into it, inhaling her sweet scent.
The day of the Hufflepuff verses Gryffindor arrived. Oliver, as per usual, wasn't eating. The same could be said for Tiannah. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It was Oliver's dream to win the cup, and if she failed as a Chaser, he would be furious. But he couldn't fail himself, either. Tiannah coaxed him with a piece of eggy toast.
"Eat," she demanded. Oliver swallowed hard and shook his head.
"Okay," Tiannah whispered into his ear, "I have some lovely knickers, but you won't be seeing them if you don't eat."
She pulled away from his ear. "You'll need your strength," she added, winking. To anyone but the two Quidditch fanatics, it would sound like they were talking about the game.
Oliver gulped and scoffed down his toast. Tiannah looked very satisfied.
"But," whispered Oliver, "seeing your knickers is all I'll be doing if you don't eat. Surely you want me to take them off too!"
Tiannah quickly ate her bacon, much to Oliver's amusement. Their nerves had considerably calmed down at breakfast, but they returned in full blast as they made their way towards the changing rooms.
The wind howled, rain bucketed down on the team, thunder clapped and the sky was illuminated with light every so often. Tiannah changed into her scarlet robes and waited for Oliver's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned for the team to follow him.
The Hufflepuffs were approaching, wearing robes of canary yellow. The captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Oliver, confusing Tiannah in the process, but Oliver looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded.
Tiannah's heart was pumping uncomfortably fast in her chest as the whistle blew, signalling push off. The ground was muddy from the week of rain, providing a weak push off.
Tiannah had never flown in such horrible conditions. She could barely see the goals, much less the Quaffle. On the few occasions that she managed to obtain it, it usually slipped out of her hands. The only advantage that she has was the fact that she wasn't built like Katie and Angelina; she wasn't as small or slim. Her height and broad build helped her stay steady on her broom. The weather wasn't improving as the game drew on; it was worsening. And Harry hadn't caught sight of the Snitch yet...
Oliver was signalling for a timeout, much to the teams relief. Tiannah landed her broom and ran through the mud towards Oliver.
"I called for timeout," Oliver roared at his team. "Come on, under here-"
They huddled at the edge of the pitch under a large umbrella.
"What's the score," Tiannah asked.
"We're fifty points up, but unless we get the snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."
Tiannah didn't realise that they had been playing for so long.
"I'll have no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, motioning towards his glasses. At that very moment Hermione Granger appeared at his shoulder.
"I've had an idea, harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"
He handed them to her and, as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"
"There," she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water now!"
Oliver looked as though he could kiss her, much to Tiannah's irritation.
"Brilliant!" he called after her. "Okay team, let's go for it!"
Oliver smiled at Tiannah before mounting his broom and resuming his usual position on the Quidditch pitch.
Tiannah was still having trouble locating the Quaffle, and even more so scoring a goal. However, she managed to score three rather spectacular goals. She heard Oliver's voice, muffled by the rain, yell out, "That's my girl!"
Tiannah smiled and ducked a bludger, sent by Fred.
"Head in the game, Tiannah! No time to swoon over your darling boyfriend!"
Tiannah nodded tersely.
"Harry!" she heard Oliver yell. "Behind you!"
And there was Cedric, chasing after the Snitch. Harry followed him in hot pursuit; they were neck in neck...
Suddenly, the pitch became oddly silent and cold. The feeling that she would never be happy again consumed Tiannah, as black hooded figures flew through the sky...
Four things happened in sequence.
Harry screamed and was falling through the sky.
Cedric caught the snitch.
Tiannah heard Dumbledore's cry of outrage ring through the air.
Madam Hooch's whistle blew and Tiannah landed her broom.
Oliver stood next to Madam Hooch, looking devastated. Tiannah felt the exact way Oliver looked.
"Come on Madam, he fell off his broom!" Cedric said angrily to Madam Hooch. "There should be a rematch! It isn't fair!"
"No," Oliver interjected, "you won fair and square."
It looked as though saying the very words tore apart his heart. It was then that Tiannah noticed that Harry was being carried towards the Hospital Wing. Madam Hooch walked away, which very awkwardly left Tiannah, Oliver and Cedric standing near each other. Tiannah made to follow Fred Weasley, but she fell into the mud. Embarrassed, she tried and failed to get up. Cedric helped her up.
"You okay?" he asked.
Tiannah glanced at Oliver, who looked livid. "Yeah."
Cedric smiled and followed his team. Oliver didn't even give Tiannah a second glance as he made his way to the showers. A little annoyed, she followed Fred into the infirmary.
Harry looked as though he was dead. Tiannah paled and swayed slightly, Fred being the one who steadied her. It seemed to be an age until he woke up, and Tiannah laughed in relief.
"What happened," he asked, sitting up so suddenly that they all gasped.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must have been – what – fifty feet?"
"We thought you'd died," said Tiannah, who was still shaking.
"But the match," said Harry, "what happened? Are we having a replay?"
No one said anything.
"We didn't lose, did we?"
"Diggory got the snitch," said George, "Just after you fell. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. He wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square... even Wood admits it."
"Where is Wood?" asked Harry.
"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."
"Yes, I don't really want a dead boyfriend," said Tiannah, standing up. "I should go and see if he's okay."
"But he's in the showers," said Fred.
"And?" Tiannah said, stretching out the syllables.
"He'll probably be naked."
Tiannah raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"
Fred ruffled her hair and grinned. "I'm only bugging you."
Tiannah rolled her eyes. The whole team laughed, and Tiannah felt considerably happier as she made her way to the change rooms.
"Ollie...?"
When he didn't reply, Tiannah opened the shower door. He was sitting on the grimy shower floor, still in his robes. Tiannah felt saddened to see him so upset. His eyes were rimmed with redness.
She pulled off her muddy robes and stepped into the shower, in only her underwear. She helped Oliver up and hugged him.
"We did good, love. We can still win this thing. Just one setback," she said soothingly, rubbing his back. Although she was annoyed and upset, it was nothing compared to how Oliver felt.
"I know... it's just... god I love you, Tia."
"I love you too."
For a moment they just stood cuddling, as the scalding hot water poured down on them.
"Ollie... that was good of you. With Cedric, I mean."
Oliver pulled away from the hug.
"Look, Ollie, I don't think that Cedric is a bad person. He's really decent; his actions beforehand prove it. I don't know what he thought happened when we broke up... but I believe it's his version of what happened. I don't know how."
Oliver glared, but the hurt in his eyes betrayed him. "So he's Cedric, is he? Well, I wouldn't want to think anything bad about your darling Cedric."
Tiannah suppressed laughter. Was he being serious?
Oliver read her expression. "Would you have said yes to being my girlfriend if Cedric hadn't done what he did?"
"Ollie, you are the only person I have ever truly wanted to be with!"
Oliver snorted. "Yeah, right."
Tiannah's bemusement turned into anger very quickly. "When have I ever given you the impression otherwise?"
Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Don't you trust me," Tiannah said softly.
He didn't answer. Tiannah was beyond angry. How dare Oliver not trust his oldest friend?
"Fine." Tiannah stepped out of the shower and put her robes back on. "If that's how you feel, then fine."
Oliver snaked a hand around her waist and stopped her. "Tia, I do trust you. It's just..."
"What?"
Oliver's response was to stare Tiannah in the eye. She blinked back tears and pulled away from Oliver.
"If you can't tell me, then you obviously don't trust me. And if you don't trust me..."
"What?" asked Oliver, his brown eyes wide and hurt.
Tiannah brushed away a tear. "It's over."
Disclaimer: I own the storyline! Yay! But I do not own HP :(
