CHAPTER 29
Gen finished applying mascara to her lashes, before closing the bottle up, closely examining her makeup. She had just a bit more to apply, painting her face like an artist. She had kicked Oliver out of the Zhao flat to get ready for the Ball with Benjy at the Leaky Cauldron so that both Cress and Alicia could come over and get ready.
"Gen, mind if I borrow some of that?" Alicia asked, sashaying up next to her in the bathroom mirror.
"Not at all," Gen replied, handing the mascara bottle to her friend.
"I know I've said it before but great place," Alicia commented.
"Thank you," Gen replied, more focused on choosing a lipstick color. She glanced over at her friend who had started generously applying mascara. "You seem giddy."
Alicia grinned, "Well, I'm actually going to this thing with someone I like this year."
With the Yule Ball approaching, she had immediately asked Adrian to accompany her shortly after their romp in Dorset. Ever since they had hooked up a few weeks ago, they had continued to write to each other, but hadn't seen each other in person since. She was elated to see him and was enjoying getting to know someone new.
"You seem pretty… well, into him. 'S good. I just… well, I never thought you two…" Gen trailed off, applying her lipstick - a rich blush color to accentuate her full lips.
"I am. Is that weird?" Alicia asked, turning to her friend, her back against the bathroom sink. She began closing the mascara bottle.
"No! Not weird… I mean, I guess a little weird that you're dating him… he's just Ady to me, you know? But no. Not weird. He's my best friend in the whole world and… well I'm just glad someone is excited about him is all!" Gen explained.
Alicia nodded, "You think he's had many girlfriends?"
Gen sighed, "Oh you're lucky, mate. He could be a ladies man if he wanted to-."
"With that face? Blimey, I melt," Alicia interrupted.
Gen chuckled at the thought. She had never thought about Adrian like that but was happy that her friend had found someone that was this ecstatic about him. Then again, it was only new, so who knew where it would go.
"But he's not. He's good. He's got a good heart. I think right before the war he was a bit of a playboy, you know, in school and then right after but ehm, well, I don't know… ever since he's spent a lot more time alone. Been a lot more selective with who he's dated. Used to always be datin' someone but… I don't know, we both were in that place once upon a time," Gen said. "I'm rambling and probably not helping at all. What I'm trying to say is, you can trust him."
"No, I-, ehm, well, I kinda like getting to know more about him. Course I will… but it's just, well, it's just the second time we've ever gone out, you know?" Alicia said.
"Course. Dating can be… really scary… Merlin knows… Ollie's been extremely patient with me," Gen said back.
"What do you mean?" Alicia asked curiously.
"You could say I'm scared easily. The last person I really dated- really loved- it ended horribly. And then the war… so I didn't date - not seriously - for a long time," Gen replied.
"From the looks of you two, I never would've guessed," Alicia observed.
Gen shrugged, "It's taken me a bit to get here. To want to be open with him. Even now sometimes it scares me. But he's good too, you know? And I, well, I wanted to try. For him. And for me."
"And NOW they're stupid in love with each other," Cress chimed in, hurrying into the bathroom with her dress zipped up in a garment bag. "Sorry, I'm late, ladies. Had to do a little getting ready with the girls on the team first. You know? So they wouldn't get jealous."
"Sooo popular, that Cress," Gen teased.
Cress laughed, "Well if you had agreed to join us at the Leaky Cauldron…."
"When my home is a few streets away? Why bother?" Gen shot back.
"Fair enough, Zhao. Alright. I was told I was doing hair?" Cress said, changing the subject.
"Definitely mine! I'm clueless when it comes to that kind of stuff," Alicia answered.
"Alright, let me take a look," Cress said, motioning for Alicia to take her hair down out of the ponytail it was currently in.
"And while you do that, we MUST discuss the important matters at hand, Cressinda," Gen said, teasing her friend by using her full name.
"Oh YES!" Alicia squealed. "Cress has a date with the Wanderers seeker, Gerard Bennington. Cress, do tell. And don't skimp on the details! Promise. I'll share back." She winked over at her new friend.
"Actually, please spare ME the details about having sex with my best friend in my spare bedroom," Gen interjected.
Cress giggled, "I went home for a visit and the Wanderers reserve game happened to be that weekend…" Both Gen and Alicia were eager and curious to hear what she had to say next. "I got seated in the players box because they caught wind of my visit. We ended up talking at the game and then he invited me out for drinks and… we just hit it off I guess."
"And?" Alicia asked, on the edge of her seat for more details.
"And what?!" Cress asked back, her eyes growing big. She separated Alicia's hair into pieces, preparing for the updo she would style it into.
"Tell me about the romance! The shagging into the early hours of the morning!" Alicia answered.
Cress blushed, "We just talked! That's all!"
Alicia frowned, "Just talked?! Disappointing. If I had found myself catching the attention of THE Gerard Bennington…"
"Bloody Hell, Alicia, we DON'T need to know," Gen said, cutting her off. This was one of the reasons why she liked Alicia. She made Gen look normal and way less sex crazed than how she felt. She half expected that Oliver believed she was a nympho by now. The Puddlemere girls didn't talk much about stuff like this and Cress was a little younger than the both of them. It was nice to have a friend that she could have this kind of girl talk with.
"Alright, alright. But I want details tomorrow morning. Promptly," Alicia pouted.
"We're almost ready, I promise!" Alicia called out, hurrying down the spiral stairs from the loft to the living area of the Zhao apartment.
"This was worth the wait," Adrian said, gawking at his date. She looked stunning. Her long, blonde hair was done up in an intricate bun and she wore a long, dark blue evening gown with a high neckline that perfectly accentuated her strong, quidditch-crafted shoulders.
"Hello, it's nice to see you," Alicia said, trying her best to hide her nerves. It was only the second time that they had seen each other since school - and the first time since Dorset - and she wanted this to go well.
"It's great to see you too," he said, smiling his handsome smile. He leaned in, leaving a short kiss on her lips. He was in disbelief that this beautiful of a woman had wanted him to be her date.
She glanced over to see Oliver sitting in the loveseat adjacent to the long couch, leaning towards it. Oliver had cornered Gerard and was talking quidditch plays with him. Oliver stared intensely at the seeker, his brows furrowed together, while Gerard looked a little nervous and overwhelmed at the same time.
"Wood, cut it out. I don't think he came here to talk quidditch," she barked at her old quidditch captain, stopping him mid-sentence.
"Oh I ehhh, sorry," he muttered. "But just one more question because I've been dying to know just HOW you pulled off the-."
"She's right, my love. He came here for her," a voice interrupted, turning both Oliver and Gerard's attention upward. Gen and Cress ascended from the stairs, fully dressed and ready to meet their dates. Gen donned a long, halter style, dress in a deep purple color with Cress in a forest green.
"Sorry we're a little late. You ready?" she asked. Oliver stood, staring at her across the room. While Cress rescued Gerard from Oliver's tirade, Gen walked over to her boyfriend, surprising him with a kiss.
"I-, ehm, course," he stammered.
"Don't you look handsome," she said, flirtatiously, her eyes meeting his.
He smiled a half smile, still in shock at just how stunning she looked, "Could say the same to you, my love."
"Alright, everyone. How about we take a picture?" Alicia proposed. She reached for the camera that she had left on the kitchen island earlier in the evening. "I've enchanted it with a timer… so can set the picture up before it takes." She turned it on, walking it over to one of the bookshelves that lined that Zhao apartment and placing it down. "Gather round!"
Oliver, Gen, Cress, Gerard, and Adrian gathered around her, posing for a moment with their prospective dates. Cress and Gerard, in the early stages of what could be a relationship, stood side by side, glancing over at each other while Adrian and Alicia posed arm in arm, angled towards each other. Oliver had his arm wrapped around Gen's waist while she leaned in towards him, once hand placed on his chest. The camera went off with a flash and Gen knew that she'd want a copy of the picture to remember this night.
Gen gazed up at the ceiling in awe. It had been enchanted to reflect a clear, starry sky. Chandeliers lit the room with candles on each table. It was beautiful. She set her coat down, revealing her bare shoulders in her halter dress.
"Is it always like this? This extravagant?" she asked, turning to Oliver.
He shrugged, "Yeah, think so." She laughed at his response. It was like he hadn't paid any attention the years before.
"It's gorgeous," Gen marveled.
"I'm glad you like it. C'mon, love. Let me get you a drink," Oliver said, placing his hand on the small of her back and taking her with him.
There was a large orchestra set up at the front of the room and those that were ready to dance had made it to the dance floor - only this was no Tom's Pub. The attendees were dressed to the nines and all dancing happily to the orchestra in a waltz. Gen and Oliver met up with the rest of the Puddlemere team, exchanging hellos and drinking, easing a little bit of Gen's anxiety about it all.
"Weird huh?" Adrian asked, nudging his friend.
"What?" Gen asked back.
"All of it, really. You and me here, with… our Gryffindor dates. And ehm, I don't know. At the League's Yule Ball. I just… I never saw it, I guess," Adrian said.
"So you're pretty into Alicia, yeah?" Gen asked, curiously.
He nodded slowly, "I don't know her all that well. But I'd like to get to know her. I like her. She's interesting. Intense. Fiercely competitive. We've been writing, you know?"
"She told me," Gen responded. "Hmmph."
"What?" Adrian asked.
"Nothing," she shrugged. "I just haven't seen you this excited about someone in a while."
"And what could you two be talking about? Plotting your secret tryst?" Benjy teased, interrupting the conversation.
"Williams!" Gen exclaimed.
"Don't tell me you didn't see the article in Witch Weekly. It was a salacious detail of your secret relationship with your best mate behind Wood's back," Benjy added.
Gen rolled her eyes. She had in fact seen the article. Her and Oliver had a good laugh about it but she found it rather bothersome that they were targeting their relationship in the papers these days.
"I did, thank you very much. And you know what? Oliver and I have decided we're going to let the papers have their fun. Might even slip them an even wilder story just to see what crazy things they're willing to believe," Gen smirked.
"That's my girl," Benjy said, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Well, technically, she's mine," Oliver added, chiming into the conversation. But he was quick to correct himself. "You know. If she ehm, was anyone's. Which she's not." Gen laughed at her boyfriend's response appreciating that he wasn't trying to claim her.
"While I find the equal opportunist thing charming, Wood, will you let me borrow Zhao for a dance?" Benjy asked.
"'Course," Oliver answered.
"Didn't ask me, Williams," Gen pointed out.
"Right, right, right," Benjy said. "Care to join me for a dance, darling?"
"Course, Williams. But don't get too carried away," Gen said back.
"Yeah, three dances max or I'll have to step in," Oliver playfully threatened.
Gen let Benjy twirl her around the dance floor a few times, waltzing in perfect time to the music. They had learned how to waltz at Hogwarts, but that was never the indication of skill.
"I have to admit, Williams. You're not so bad at this," Gen pointed out.
"Been to quite a few of these… besides, how else was I supposed to get a girl's attention in school?" Benjy chuckled.
They continued to dance one, two, then three songs. Gen had to admit that she was having a lot of fun. Benjy was skilled and had reservations about leading the dance at all. He made the following easy.
"Alright, Williams, I said three," Oliver said, staring intensely at his teammate. "May I cut in?" he asked, his face softening as soon as he turned his attention towards Gen.
"I thought you'd never ask," she smiled. "No offense, Benj."
Benjy laughed, "None taken. I'll catch up with the two of you later."
The new song began to play and Gen felt the new tempo, still in perfect waltz time. Oliver placed one arm around her waist while the other hand came up to meet hers. He smiled, hopeless in love with the woman that stood before him. She looked absolutely stunning tonight and he couldn't believe that she continued to choose him day after day.
"Don't know if I'll be much in comparison to Williams," Wood blushed, clumsily leading the dance.
Gen laughed, feeling his hesitant steps, "It's alright, my love."
"I was never all that great at this in school," Oliver said.
"Would you stop apologizing, Wood? I'll take you as you are. Poor dancing and all," Gen said back, leaning up for a small kiss. They were in public after all. He smiled, kissing her back, and reminding himself to continue to move his feet.
"You thought he was exceptional now?! Come the new year, you're gonna see a whole lot of Wood! Got a tryout for the national team and has been working on some innovative new plays. We're about to hear a whole lot more about him in the papers, if you ask me," Dan bragged to one of the other coaches - the coaches for the Wanderers - over a few drinks. The night had gone on, the drinks were flowing, and Oliver had found himself trapped in a conversation with a few of the League's coaches. He wondered what it would be like - to coach - if it was something he'd ever want when he was ready to retire.
"Thank you sir," he said, humbly.
"Ahhh come on, Wood. You got a reason to brag! You know how hard I worked to try to get you to even look at the Wanderers," Davidson, the Wanderers coach said.
"I've been in Scotland all my life. Just needed a change," Oliver explained.
"Good player and a humble man of integrity? Deverill, you lucked out with this one!" Davidson exclaimed.
"There you are! I've been looking for-, oh! Sorry to interrupt," Gen said, realizing that they were talking business.
"It's not a big deal, Zhao. If you really want to talk lucky, she works miracles with the players. Patches 'em right up and runs physical off-broom trainings too," Dan continued to boast.
"You wanna get some fresh air?" Oliver asked quietly. Gen nodded as they excused themselves.
Gen followed Oliver out of the Banquet Hall and down the hallway out to a balcony of the old abandoned hotel that had been enchanted for the ball tonight. Oliver felt like he could finally breathe the minute they were away from everyone. As much as he enjoyed playing quidditch he really wasn't much for all of the socializing that came after it. He much rather would rest and focus on preparing for the next day.
"A little overwhelming, don't ya think?" he asked.
"A bit," Gen nodded. She knew that her boyfriend was much more of an introvert and that things like this could be a little too much. "But it's nice. Getting everyone together in the League. It's nice getting to see everyone come together. Sure we're all competitors but… we all do the same thing. You all love the game and that's important. And it's beautiful out here. In there. All of it. I suppose after a few years in the League it will get tiresome."
Oliver chuckled, "See that's what I love about you." He leaned against his forearms against the stone balcony.
"Hmm?" Gen sounded, curious to hear his answers.
"You always find the best in things… in people," Oliver grinned.
"Thank you, my love," she smiled, leaning her back against the railing.
They stood in silence, enjoying the quiet and the night sky. Gen took a deep breath, taking in the moment. She stood with her back to the stone railing, looking at the lights coming from the castle while Oliver stared out over the city. He turned his attention towards Gen, unable to shake what was about to come out of his mouth.
"What?" Gen asked, noticing his eyes on her.
"I'm gonna marry you someday," he replied, promptly, taking her off guard. She was quiet for a moment, in disbelief at what had come out of his mouth.
"You alright?" she asked, letting out a little laugh.
"What?" Oliver asked back.
"You just said-," she started.
"I know," Oliver interrupted. He was used to this - spooking her with his candor.
"My love! You've gone barmy!" She exclaimed, her laugh growing.
"No I haven't!" he protested through her laughter. "I mean it. No really. I mean it, Genevieve." The use of her full name shut her up, catching her off guard again. He was serious. "I'm gonna marry you someday."
"Ollie-," she began once again, only to be cut off.
"Don't. Don't say anything. You don't have to. But I'm gonna prove it to you. One day. You'll see," Oliver said, confidently. She had never heard him this sure about something that wasn't quidditch.
"Okay," was all she said in return.