Date Day

"How much longer do you think he'll be passive aggressive about the situation?" Oliver asked as he joined me on the couch a week and a half later. We had just finished Quidditch practice, Fred wouldn't talk to me the whole time. I knew it was partly because I was hanging out with Draco a lot and partly because Lee kept being obnoxious about him and Charity or trying to annoy Charity. Several times he he managed to get Fred to admit out lout he was single, much to Charity's dismay and twice he had managed to get Fred to look at me when Lee talked about who the cutest Gryffindor was in four year, even though that sounded like a really specific and creepy question.

"I'm sure it doesn't help when he thinks you're flirting with me" I said with a glare in Oliver's direction. It was true, almost every chance he got Oliver would help me with homework, share candies, laugh at my jokes when I made them, encourage me when I played a game of chess against Ron and during all our practices. If I actually paid attention I might have thought he was trying too hard.

"I don't want him to think I'm flirting with you, I want him to know I'm flirting with you" he said matter of factly as I pulled the book closer to my face. "If he has the nerve to break up with you because you weren't ready to talk then he should have the nerve to watch you move on" he said with a hmph as I shook my head. I wasn't ready to move on, no matter how much I repeated the conversation, no matter how many times Draco insisted it just wasn't meant to be, no matter how many times Melinda tried to cheer me up by asking if I'd double date with her and Draco. Things could've ended better, hell, things didn't have to end at all if I had just told him. But I hadn't told anyone how I really felt, it still hurt knowing I was passed on to another family without my input. This was what I feared from Fred, not my mother.

"Sometimes I wonder if he ever truly liked me" I said looking over at Fred as he was attempting to read but kept getting distracted because George was reading from a joke book rather loudly.

"Course he did" Oliver said as I looked back at him.

"How do you know?"

"Because I told him I liked you, next thing I know you're with him. No one moves quickly for someone they barely like. And you gotta remember he did stay with you after he initially found out you were a Malfoy; we all did Tammie, a name means nothing, it's all about your personality and yours shines" he said as I looked back at Fred who happened to be looking at me but averted his eyes when we made contact.

"I was just so scared of him telling me it was going to be okay when it wasn't" I said, my eyes watering again. "I didn't think he'd understand or care" I whispered, a small whimper escaping as most of common room turned to look for the sound.

"Sorry, I sneezed" Oliver admitted as everyone went back to doing whatever they were doing, except Fred who seemed to focus his eyes on me. Did he think I was telling Oliver?

"Did Melinda happen to talk to you?" Oliver asked as I forced myself to look away from Fred.

"About what?"

"A possible double date?" I knew Fred heard it even though we were on opposite sides of the room, I felt his eyes on me.

"I dunno if now is the right time, Oliver" I answered.

"Just to get your mind off things, it might help clear your head. It doesn't have to lead anywhere" he explained, either not caring that Fred was now actively listening in or doing it on purpose.

"I don't think a date is going to help me clear my head..." I told him.

"Well I mean, I'm sure there's other things that could help clear your head, but those are probably frowned upon in small public places like this" he said gesturing around the common room.

"And what are you thinking?" I asked, unable to not smirk, wondering if he was being obnoxiously flirty on purpose.

"Flying a broom obvious, what did you think I meant?" He teased as I looked away, trying to not smile but knew he saw one anyway. "One double date, if not for me, for Draco, if not for Draco, Melinda...if not for Melinda, for you, because you need to be cheered up" he said turning back to a serious note. I tried not to look at Fred but my eyes found his anyway, he seemed to be waiting for my answer too.

"For me then" I said as Oliver smiled widely and thanked me with a hug. I looked over in time to see Fred close his book and excuse himself from his friends and head down to the boy's dormitory. Immediately the stabbing pain came back, I was out of Fred's league to begin with and now it seemed like I had shot down any opportunity to make amends.

The following Saturday came much quicker than I expected, but at least I managed to convince myself Fred was just doing what Fred did best and whatever we had was just a short whatever, it didn't mean anything to him. At least I was somewhat relieved that I didn't tell him about my mother, I was already ashamed Draco knew, but thankful that he didn't tell Melinda everything. I would do that when I got a chance.

"Hey, I heard you aced that Defense Against the Dark test" Melinda said as she sat down at the table with me in the library.

"It wasn't all that difficult" I replied as I continued reading over my chapter for Muggle Studies, preparing to write an essay about one aspect of a muggle hospital. I decided to write about the emergency room. "I'm sure you get high marks all the time" I added, still not looking up.

"Tammie, I heard about you and Fred..." her voice was sympathetic like I knew she'd be, but it didn't make me feel any better.

"Not a big deal; besides, didn't you hear I'm going along with you and Draco this afternoon?" She made a face but then snapped her fingers.

"Oh right the double date" I chuckled at her tone, only Melinda would try to act happy about a double date she didn't want to happen.

"We don't have to go, we can just walk around" I told her as she shook her head. "No, I'm serious, it's weird, and I wanna give you and Draco some space to talk, though, I heard you've been doing a lot of that."

"We're just trying to figure out how to help you. He didn't tell me everything, but I know when you're upset, on top of that you and Fred split; I don't want you to be reckless" the concern obvious.

"I'm not" I said and then shifted in my chair. "Don't judge me, but, I've been having these daydreams recently...well, not recently, they're kinda random, my point is, I had one about a graveyard and it's been bugging me for a while now" I told her as she made a thinking sound.

"Wait, like when you said you saw Hogsmeade before we were actually there?" She asked as I nodded. "I thought that was a one time thing?"

"Yeah, me too, but, I had another one right before the holidays, I was at this house I didn't recognize and I saw this crest—"

"The Malfoy Manor" she finished as I nodded. "So, visions?" She asked as I shook my head, they couldn't be visions.

"From what I read it doesn't seem like it would be that, visions seem to be more space apart, I don't know, maybe my brain is processing before I can filter it" I explained. "Like, looking back, I knew I recognized that crest, I've seen it on Draco's bag once or twice during classes. We were talking about Harry Potter before I went to that secret garden thing" I continued explaining.

"And a graveyard?" She asked with skepticism.

"I've been thinking a lot about my dad" I confessed, looking down at my book again. "This is the first year I haven't been to his grave on Christmas, and the first year without my mom" I said as she frowned.

"She didn't stay during Christmas?" She asked as I remembered Draco hadn't told her everything, but if any person was a good person to tell it was Melinda.

"She um," I paused to swallow. "She gave the Malfoys legal guardianship over me" I whispered as she whole face went to shock.

"What?" She hissed.

"I don't know why, but, something with my dad, he wanted me to be safe and I guess safe was being in their custody, they somehow convinced my mom to go through with it" I said in a low pained voice. "I wanted to tell Fred, but, he wouldn't have understood, and I didn't wanna be a downer" I said as I sniffed, the tears rolling down my cheek anyway.

"Did you tell anyone else?" She asked but I shook my head.

"I don't know how; how does a Malfoy tell people she has no family and expect them to feel sympathy? I asked, wiping my eyes as footsteps approached.

"Everything alright?" Oliver asked as he came over and sat next to me.

"Yeah, I was telling Tammie a funny joke, she laughed so hard she started crying" Melinda explained but I knew Oliver knew she was lying.

"Draco wanted to me let you know he's ready when you guys are" Oliver said as Melinda and I exchanged looks.

"Actually, you and I are going to take a walk, I wanna go check out the sports stuff" I told him as he raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds like a horrible first date" he said looking at Melinda.

"Not to me, let's give Melinda and Draco their space" I said taking Oliver's arm and saying bye to Melinda.

"Are you sure you wanna be here?" Oliver asked for the fourth time as we stood in front of Spinwitches Sporting and Needs.

"Yeah, I've been trying to stay updated with Quidditch, my mom sent a letter saying my granddad played, he was a Keeper" I explained as we went inside, the place looking oddly similar to a muggle sporting goods store. "He didn't go big or anything, but I guess before he was injured he wanted to be on the American team" I said as Oliver trailed behind me.

"What kind of injury?"

"Buldger to the back of the knee, not enough they could do, and it terrified him, that's why my mom was homeschooled, he didn't want her getting involved in Quidditch" Oliver laughed.

"Good thing he doesn't know about his granddaughter then" I half smiled. "Listen, I know what happened at the Manor is none of my business but I wanted to say I'm sorry, for whatever happened and we don't have to talk about it or anything, but, I'm here for support" he said as I looked up at him, why was it that he had to say what I desperately wanted to hear Fred say.

"Thank you, Oliver" he nodded and I turned away to look at the jerseys before I said anything I regretted.

"Did your dad want to play professionally?" He asked but I shrugged.

"Not that I know of" I said finding a robe I liked along with a scarf and a hat. Red, white and blue stripes. I unintentionally sniffed, I missed home even more than I did before.

"Hey" Oliver said gently as he turned me around, I tried to wipe my eyes before he could see they were watery but I knew he saw. "It's okay" he said pulling me in for a hug. "Whatever is going on will be okay, it will work out" he encouraged as I nodded. "Here, we're getting this" he said grabbing the full set. I started to shake my head but he beat me to register.

"It's too much to ask for" I told him as he fished out money out of his pocket and paid, handing over the bag in a matter of seconds.

"You didn't ask" he said with a cheerful smile as I was forced to follow him out, trying to think of something.

"Thank you again" I said for the thousandth time as we drank butterbeer in Three Broomsticks. He nodded and then started up a conversation about his family, he too was an only child.

"You know I'm thinking about going into professional Quidditch" he said as I chuckled, as much as I liked this conversation I wished I could've talked to Fred. Explain this situation to him, explain what was going on with my family. It was so stupid to leave him in the dark; but at the same time it didn't seem like he cared all that much. We were all just having fun. I hadn't even considered us official until he dumped me, I had been hoping for such, and maybe because I didn't take it seriously I didn't talk to him because I thought he wasn't serious about the relationship, what if he was?

"Deep in thought?" Oliver asked as I stopped staring off.

"Sorry" I said trying to reposition myself so I looked like I was paying attention or at least not like I was feeling sorry for myself.

"Ready to head out?" He asked; I started to ask why but when I glanced over at the incoming voices I saw Fred, George, Lee, Charity and a few other of their friends; Fred merely glanced in my direction but Charity moved to block any view I would've had of him as they all grabbed a table.

"Yeah" I said as I stood up, my head spinning, the graveyard coming to view again. I tried to focus on the person standing there, but I didn't recognize them, they looked tall, though they wore a large robe they're size didn't match my mom's. It wasn't my mom which meant it wasn't my father's grave. But then who was it. I stared harder, squinting as I leaned closer, who are you? I asked as I felt a sheer coldness wash over me, the person started to turn around and then I was on the floor. "Tammie, you alright?" Oliver asked as a few people glanced over.

"Fine, I um, I tripped" I told him as he helped me stand up. I quickly glanced over at Fred who started to stand up, the concern clear on his face but Charity picked up the conversation, her hand motions exaggerated.

"I owe you for the jersey set" I told Oliver as we approached the entrance to Hogwarts. He shook his head but I didn't let him finish. "I mean it, that was a very generous gift. And I really appreciate giving me a day to just, be weird" I told him as he focused his attention on me and walked closer.