I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

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The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 20 – Back on the Stick

Oliver flexed his shoulders, filling his chest with cold crisp winter air. He was still sweating despite the intense chill in the air. Running laps around the Quidditch pitch will do that to anyone, as well as running up and down the steps to the stands. It was important to run to keep up stamina however. Even if Quidditch is played on a broom, you need a good core to remain upright and the stamina still counted, especially when games can last for days. Strong legs help with staying on the broom and aid in reaction times. Running was a necessary exercise.

The rest of the team called it an unnecessary evil. Which would often lead to calling Oliver many unnecessary things.

He took it in stride. It was the captain's lot to be cursed, and occasionally Cursed at. He knew the more he pushed them now the better they performed during games. He could even tell how successful a practice was based on the creativity of the cursing and name calling. Playful names meant a lighter practice. Names uttered with dire threats with levels of breathlessness meant a tougher one.

Today there was barely any cursing. Mostly gasping. That meant it was an intense practice.

He waited on the grass, watching the team arrive piecemeal. Angelina was first. She was breathing heavily but looked game for more. Sweat ran freely down her face and arms but she wore her self-satisfied smirk that she knew she could run more if needed.

George was next. He stumbled the last few steps and fell flat on his face. He was so tired he did not even try to roll face up, simply lying there breathing like bellows.

Fred stumbled up to George and barely remained on his feet. He bent over at the waist, hands resting on his knees. He breathed laboriously, coughing and hacking.

Katie's feet dragged the last few steps. She looked ready to fall over but she managed to stay upright until she reached the others. Then she gently collapsed onto her rear, folding over like a sail that had lost the wind and the rigging. Her hair hung limply down, as wrung out as she was.

Harry and Alicia arrived at the same time. Alicia was leaning heavily on Harry, gamely pushing on but it was obvious she would fall over if Harry was not supporting her. He looked very tired but his smile was still there, though it was slightly marred by concern for Alicia. She was dripping sweat and red faced, clutching at a stitch in her side with one hand and the other gripping Harry about his shoulders. The boy gently set her down on the grass and she collapsed completely, lying face up.

Oliver almost flinched at the look of undiluted rage in her eyes as she glared at him. He knew if she had any energy left, she would be going after him with intent on harm. Luckily, he was several feet away and even more luckily, everyone's wands were in the locker room. Instead, he grinned at her, earning a snarl as his reward.

"Good job team!" he said loudly, clapping his hands enthusiastically. Angelina did the same and Harry followed with a more tired but sincere clapping. Katie started to but only clapped once before her hands fell limply. The twins did not move and Alicia made a rude gesture.

"First practice after the break is the hardest but I'm proud of you all. We'll get back into shape in no time and we will beat the 'Puffs and be in the best standing for the Cup in years!"

Alicia's mouth moved soundlessly, to Oliver from being far away, but Harry was sitting beside her and he tilted his head towards her. He waited for a moment while her jaws moved. Then his cheeks reddened and he held up his hand. "Captain?" His voice was hesitant.

"Yes Harry?" Oliver could guess what was coming.

"Alicia wants to…file a complaint."

"Does she now?"

"Well no not really. She's saying some rather dreadful things." He blushed harder.

"About me?" Oliver was definitely amused and Angelina giggled beside him.

Harry nodded, relieved that he did not have to explain further.

"Just let her chunner on then. You don't have to repeat anything you don't want to. Actually, might be best if you ignored her too. Don't want you learning anything you're not supposed to."

Alicia made another rude gesture.

"Right then, you lot take a fiver. I'll go get the case with the balls and we'll continue when I get back. We'll practice for a bit more then call it."

"We'll go!" Fred gasped, slowly straightening.

"We will?" George asked, his voice muffled since he was still face down on the pitch.

"Yes we will," Fred whispered with the intent for everyone to hear. "If we take our time then that means we'll have less time to practice after."

"Right, good idea." George crawled up and with Fred's help, became upright. "We'll be right back with the case"

"Quickly?" Oliver asked wryly.

"As quickly as we're able," the twins chorused. They then proceeded to plod towards the locker room, arms about each other as they staggered slowly.

"I don't think they're lying about that," Angelina said.

"For once," Oliver grinned. He noticed Harry clambering to his feet. "You don't have to go help them, Harry."

"I'll get us some water," Harry said. "I bet that'll help."

"Good lad," Oliver said, clapping Harry on the shoulder as he walked past. "For that you'll get to leave for the showers first later."

"Alicia can go first," Harry said smiling. "If she makes it to the end."

Oliver laughed heartily, the laughter growing stronger as Alicia made her most obscene gesture yet. She had regained enough strength to grumble out loud. It was indistinct but anyone could easily tell that she did not mean well, and that he was the target of her ire.

"So, what'd you think?" Oliver asked Angelina.

"First practice after the holidays is always the toughest," she said, matter of fact. "Everyone gets lazy over the holidays usually. I'm pretty sure you and I are the only ones that exercise no matter what time of year."

"Darn right we do," Oliver said and the pair high fived.

"Still, a bit much this time I'll say," Angelina continued. Her words held no sting nor malice, another plain statement. "You usually don't make us run so many laps even when we lose terribly."

"How many laps did we do?" Oliver asked, growing concerned.

"Really Wood?"

"I got lost in the moment!"

"How many did you intend for us to do?"

"Five."

Angelina snorted. "We did ten."

"Oh, only double."

"'Only double', you're an idiot sometimes Wood."

"Yeah that's fair. No wonder everyone else is so knackered."

Harry came back with a stack of cups in one hand and a big pitcher in the other. He handed Oliver an empty cup and filled it from the pitcher. Oliver drained it in one smooth gulp and held it out for a refill. He pretended to look offended when Harry ignored the cup and filled one for Angelina first before refilling his.

"Thanks Rabbit," Angelina said affectionately and ruffled Harry's hair.

He wiggled his nose at her making them laugh and he moved over to Katie. She held her cup with both hands and drank gratefully, smiling tiredly when Harry waited for her to finish and refilling her cup.

"Rabbit?" Oliver asked.

"We gave each other rabbits for Christmas," Angelina explained, her cheeks warming. "I started calling him Rabbit as a nickname."

"Well that's just disgustingly adorable," Oliver said blandly. He dodged the girl's swipe. "I'm glad Harry had a good Christmas. I heard about it later from Percy and the twins. He seems different this term too. More at ease around us."

"He did really good with selecting gifts too." Angelina's eyes were warm as she watched Harry fill a cup for Alicia. The girl was still prostrate on the grass and pointed at her open mouth. Harry slowly poured water into it. "I loved mine and I know Katie loved hers."

"We all did. Everyone said so. I know we helped a bit with ideas but he had a good idea of them before. He's quite observant."

Angelina giggled as Harry accidentally splashed some water on Alicia's face. The girl shook her head like a dog and pointed again to her open mouth. Harry nodded and splashed more water about, missing Alicia's mouth on purpose.

She grew somber. "He probably had to be, you know, with his…past. Being punished for things he couldn't really control. Had to watch out for anything he could." She sighed. "That's no way for a kid to be."

Oliver agreed. "Being observant isn't a bad thing. But we'll help him with the other bits."

Katie crawled up to Harry and whispered something to him. A wide grin split his features and he lifted the pitcher of water in both hands. He made a show of slowly pouring it but Katie "accidentally" bumped him and the whole pitcher's contents came cascading out, drenching Alicia's head.

She screamed with inarticulate rage, clambering to her feet. Katie and Harry ran away squealing with Alicia in hot pursuit, all exhaustion forgotten as she chased after them.

Oliver and Angelina laughed as they watched.

"When the twins get back I'll finish practice," Oliver said. "They can take the case back and we can head back to the tower."

"Oliver Wood ending practice early?"

"You needn't sound too surprised. We did a lot today. We can do extra flight drills the next practice and only do one lap of running. I'll let you lead it too just in case I get lost again."

-0-

"Okay, maybe I overdid it with the running today."

"You think?" Alicia said scathingly. "No, you don't think. That's the problem. Making us do double laps. You'd think being Keeper you'd have a head for numbers but no. You're as thick as your surname."

"Tell me how you really feel," Oliver said mildly but his face was bright red from embarrassment. "Just not too loudly, don't want to disturb them." He pointed.

The team had gone to dinner tired but in good spirits. However, once they returned to the tower the exhaustion had kicked in for most of them. Angelina was sitting back on a couch, completely asleep. Harry had sat next to her before he too fell asleep, he leaned against the taller girl. Katie leaned against Harry on his other side, also lost to the world.

Fred and George sat in two armchairs, also sleeping. They had started snoring uproariously, too deep for it to be fake. Percy had tried to shake them awake but they remained dead to the world. Percy finally resorted to casting a Silencing Charm on them so they went through the motions of snoring but no sound came out.

He then had to dissuade a few from trying to enact some revenge on the sleeping pranksters. He told them that not only would he deduct points, something he did to Fred and George when applicable to not show favoritism, he would also not hold the twins back from their inevitable, escalated, revenge.

The sleeping twins were left alone after that.

Alicia and Oliver were the only two from the team awake. Alicia claimed she could not move and made Oliver fetch her whatever she wanted. He was tired but pleasantly so and did her bidding with little pushback.

She tapped her cup, giving him a pointed look.

He grinned and rose but did not take the cup.

"Hey!" Alicia exclaimed, tapping her cup emphatically.

"Yeah I'll be right back, hold your hippogriffs." He walked over to the chest containing the blankets and coverlets, pulling a few out. He first walked over to the twins and draped light blankets over each.

"They almost seem innocent when they're like this," he remarked to Percy.

Percy snorted. "'Almost' being the operative word."

Oliver grinned and moved to the trio on the couch. He tried shaking Angelina awake and got a sleepy slap for his trouble, her hand moving on its own accord. He then pulled her to the side, to let her lie down a bit for a more comfortable position.

They fell like dominoes. Without Angelina holding Harry up, he tipped over as well with Katie following after. Still asleep, Angelina shifted until Harry settled into a comfortable position against her shoulder. Katie flopped over them both and none of them truly woke. Oliver tucked the largest of the quilts over them.

He returned to Alicia, gently placing the last blanket over her. Only then did he refill her cup.

"Such a good Captain," Alicia said sarcastically but her genuine smile took the sting away. Something caught her eye and her smile turned malicious. "Though that one doesn't agree."

Hermione glared at Oliver. Her eyes would flick over to Harry, concern and mild disapproval in her gaze. When she looked back at Oliver the disapproval was multiplied a hundred times and she was clearly angry.

Oliver held up his hands beseechingly. "Next time it won't be as intense, I promise."

Hermione sniffed and turned her head away.

"You know, I don't think she likes me very much," he said mildly, his grin betraying how little he cared.

"You think?" Alicia asked as scathingly as she did before.

"Call it a hunch, but yeah, I do."