AN: Written for QLFC

Appleby Arrows

Seeker

Prompt: Pairings- Oliver and Penelope

Thank you to my captain, Hope, and Ikuni_Hattori for beta-ing for me.

NOTE: The title is inspired by Jesse McCartney's song by the same name.

Oliver was exhausted. He had just left Quidditch practice with his new team, and the only thing he wanted to do was collapse in his bed. He thought he might not even change. Maybe he would just kick off his shoes and burrow into the warm blankets still wearing his Puddlemere training clothes.

When he made it to his flat, though, all thoughts of sleep had vanished from his mind. Penelope was standing on his front stoop. Her blonde curls were swept across her shoulder, though a few tendrils had fallen from her hair clip and now framed her face. She smiled at him, and Oliver couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, just as it always did, at the sight of her.

"Hi, Penelope," Oliver greeted her as he bounded up the front steps. "What're you doing here? I thought you would be out tonight with Percy?"

Penelope ducked her head slightly and shrugged. "He's at the Ministry tonight."

Oliver sighed. Percy was his best friend, but sometimes he just couldn't see what was right in front of him.

"He does realize that it's Valentine's Day?" Oliver asked as he opened the front door and stepped back so that Penelope could enter ahead of him.

"Oh, he knows. He's just a bit too preoccupied with his career to bother with anything else." Penelope took off her coat and draped it across the back of the couch. "It's one of the reasons we broke up this morning," she added quietly.

Oliver froze just inside the door as he dropped his bag to the floor. He looked over to Penelope, his brows knit together as he studied her.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Penelope nodded. "Yeah," she gave a slight smile, "it's a bit of a relief actually." At Oliver's stunned expression, she hurriedly went on, "I know how that sounds, Ollie."

Oliver smiled despite himself. It wasn't often that anyone called him 'Ollie,' but every time Penelope did it, his heart had this habit of skipping a beat, and he couldn't explain why.

As much as he wanted to ask what had happened between her and Percy, Oliver remained silent, knowing that Penelope would continue on her own if she wasn't interrupted.

"It's just that," she said, "I've had a feeling that this was coming for a while now. Percy and I, we've been growing apart ever since we left Hogwarts. It's not that we don't care for each other, honestly." Penelope seemed desperate for Oliver to understand, as she walked around the couch to pace back and forth in front of the small table there.

"We're just two completely different people! Percy wants and needs to focus on his career. It's all he's ever wanted, and I would never want to get in his way. And I should focus on my studies if I want to have any hope at all of becoming a healer. And what do we really have in common anyway?"

For the first time in a long while, Oliver seemed at a loss for what to do. Even more surprising was his loss for words. It wasn't often that the Keeper, well known for his long lectures before practices and matches, was left with nothing to say. He settled for crossing over to the kitchen area of his small flat and pulling two Butterbeers out of the refrigerator, before opening them and bringing one to Penelope.

"Thanks," she muttered, before raising the bottle to her lips and taking a long drink.

Oliver motioned towards the couch, and they both sat down on either end, their backs against the arms so that they could face each other.

"Sorry for going off like that," Penelope said, looking away from Oliver to face the fireplace on the far side of the room. "I shouldn't have unloaded all of that onto you."

Oliver shook his head. "You don't have to apologize to me, Penny. Percy's my best mate and I'd give my right arm for him, but... " Oliver sighed. "But sometimes he can be a right prat."

Penelope blew out a breath and smiled, though Oliver noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "In case you're wondering, I broke up with him, not the other way round."

"Oh?" Oliver couldn't say that he had expected Penelope to have been the one to call it off, but now that he thought about it, he wasn't surprised either.

Penelope hummed in answer as she took another sip of her drink and Oliver had to force himself to look away from her.

This doesn't change anything, he thought to himself. She would never go out with you in the first place, and broken up or not, you can't go after your best friend's ex-girlfriend.

Oliver brought his bottle up to his mouth and took a long drink, suddenly wishing he had something stronger than Butterbeer. He thought back to a month or so before when he, Percy, and Penelope had gone out for drinks after a match against the Magpies. His team had won, and they were celebrating. Percy had gone off to use the loo, leaving Oliver and Penelope alone at the table. While they were talking, Oliver was struck with a sudden pang in his chest as he looked at her. Like tonight, her hair had been pulled back with a few strands framing her face. Oliver had longed to reach over and brush them aside, tucking them behind her ear, but he didn't dare.

It hadn't been the first time he had caught himself thinking about her in a way that he shouldn't be, in a way that felt like he was betraying his best friend, but it was the first time that he thought maybe Penelope was looking at him the same.

Now, here she was, sitting on his couch and drinking with him after having just broken up with Percy.

Oliver started to talk. It was the only thing he could think of to do that didn't involve him reaching over to push back that strand of hair. The only thing stopping him from gently caressing her face with his rough and calloused hand, or worse still, leaning in and kissing her soft lips and tasting the Butterbeer on them.

So Oliver talked about Quidditch. He talked about his team's chances this season, and different players on the opposing teams. He could talk about Quidditch for hours and never get tired, and oddly enough, it seemed that Penelope didn't mind listening to him talk. She cut in a few times to give her opinions on this or that. She personally believed that the Arrows might just give them a run for their money at their match next month, and while Oliver wholeheartedly disagreed with her, he couldn't stop his heart from skipping when he saw Penelope really smile for the first time that night.

Eventually, they moved on from Quidditch to talk about other things— her job at St. Mungo's, or fun times they'd had at Hogwarts. It seemed they could talk together for hours, and when suddenly Oliver noticed the sun shining through the living room window, he realized that they had. Without meaning to, Oliver and Penelope had stayed up all night simply talking.

Penelope left soon after, rushing to get ready for her shift, but Oliver remained on the couch. He sat there, lost in his thoughts and wondering what to do now.

Once Oliver had made up his mind that he would have to suck it up and talk to Percy, it seemed like Percy was nowhere to be found. Oliver had gone to his flat several times after practice and even tried to catch him at the Ministry once or twice but never had any luck.

In the meantime, Penelope had come over again, though this time she went home before sunrise. Oliver had made dinner, and Penelope had pretended that she didn't notice how the chicken had been burnt to a crisp.

Finally, he decided that he would go to Percy's apartment and wait as long as he had to for Percy to show up. As it turned out, however, Percy was just leaving when Oliver got there.

"Perce, we have to talk," Oliver said immediately.

"Can it wait, Oliver?" Percy asked, pointing towards the door, "I'm just on my way out."

"No, it really can't," Oliver insisted and then moved further into the apartment, letting Percy know that he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Percy sighed. "Alright, then. Let's have it."

Oliver had rehearsed what he wanted to say over and over again, but now as he stood there ready to tell Percy that he had feelings for Penelope, the words wouldn't come. He looked up to find the redhead staring at him intently, with one eyebrow arched as he waited.

Oliver had seen that look enough times to know what it meant. "You knew?" he asked.

Percy smirked. "I suspected."

They were both quiet for a long moment before Oliver let the words tumble out, "Just so you know, I didn't mean for this to happen. I tried to let it go and hide how I felt about her. I swear I did. And you're my best friend, Perce, so if you want me to back off, I will. I just—"

"Oliver," Percy interrupted before Oliver could continue. "For once in your life just shut up." Oliver's mouth snapped shut, and Percy grinned. "It's alright," he said, "I understand. Really, I do. Penelope and I weren't meant to stay together." Percy shrugged.

"You don't hate me?" Oliver asked, causing Percy to laugh.

"Of course not!" Percy put his arm around Oliver's shoulders as he walked towards the door to his flat. "Now, will you please let me go before I'm late for work? Some of us have real jobs and don't get to fly around on brooms all day long."

Oliver rolled his eyes but followed him outside. They said their goodbyes, and Oliver disapparated back to his flat, already thinking about sending Penelope an owl to ask her out for dinner, preferably one that was prepared by someone else!