To Hogsmeade We Go
Emmie couldn't help but smile as she walked down the main street in Hogsmeade, half paying attention to the conversation that Kara, Melanie and Toni were currently engaged in. There was something about being in the village that always cheered her up. She heard Toni and Melanie list off several names and assumed they must be checking out all the various eligible blokes from other houses now that everyone was milling around the town in something other than their house robes.
They had just spent what felt like forever in Honeydukes as the three were painfully slow at making their selections. Emmie always got the same thing - an incredibly large amount of various chocolate - therefore was done much faster than they had been. She was hoping to convince the others to go by the bookshop, but from the looks of it, they were steering her towards The Three Broomsticks.
She couldn't help but window gaze as they passed the quidditch supply shop. Thanks to her family, she didn't need anything, but she still loved to browse through the brooms.
"No! No quidditch today!" Melanie shouted, catching Emmie staring.
"I wasn't about to go in," she retorted.
"Good," Melanie said with a nod of her head.
"I already have all the equipment I need, anyway," Emmie added. "Between Da and Alex, anyway."
"How is your brother? Noticed you got a letter from him," Toni asked.
"About the same. Season's started up so he's busy with practice and matches. They won the other day against Pride of Portee," Emmie said. "Hoping to catch the next one on the wireless."
"How's his girlfriend?" Kara asked, smirking slightly as Melanie and Toni's faces fell slightly.
"Good, I suppose," Emmie said. "Didn't really mention her much…" The two started smiling slightly. "Though suspect I'll see her during Christmas break. Alex'll be home and she's sure to pop over." They frowned again.
"Speaking of brothers and girlfriends, isn't that Karl with what's-her-name?" Melanie asked, pointing ahead of them. The group came to a stop as Kara looked over, the surprise apparent on her face as they watched her twin walking hand-in-hand with another sixth year Ravenclaw.
"Hmm, what do you know? He does have social skills," Kara commented. "He didn't even mention her over the summer…"
"Love is in the air," Melanie said dramatically as she swung an arm around Emmie's shoulders. "First, Karl and then soon Emmie here will be united with her one true love-"
"Shut it!" Emmie hissed as she clamped her hand over Melanie's mouth.
"Reckon that'd be quidditch, if I remember correctly."
All four girls looked over and saw Oliver walking up to them, two of his roommates trailing behind him.
"Yes," Emmie said decidedly. "Quidditch." Melanie and Toni started giggling as Kara wore an amused smile.
"See you lot have already raided Honeydukes. We were just headed to The Broomsticks. Care to join us?" he asked, looking around the group before settling on Emmie again. She just blinked as words once again failed her.
"We'd love to. Just heading there ourselves," Kara said, grinning. He smiled and turned, motioning them to follow. Emmie forced her feet to move, nearly tripping herself. Oliver slowed his pace so that he was at her side as Melanie and Toni started chatting with Ian and Walter. Kara acted as though she were listening, but really, she was watching Emmie and Oliver.
"See you've still got your obsession with chocolate," he said, glancing down at her bag. Emmie looked at it and then back up at him. "Remember Alex was always getting it for you by the pound."
"C-can't help m-my sweet tooth," Emmie replied, cursing herself for once again stuttering. Oliver just laughed softly.
"Dare say we've all got our guilty pleasures," he replied. Emmie started blushing though quickly shook her head. "You heard from Alex lately?"
"He s-sent a letter this week," she said. "Won the last match against the P-Pride."
"Heard the match. It was a good one," Oliver said. Emmie nodded as she took a deep breath.
"He didn't score as much as he usually does, but still decent work. They've got a new seeker this year, so he was worried about that. Though not sure why. He was brilliant when I saw them practice this summer," she said. Yes, there. Quidditch was a safe topic. She could talk about quidditch without stuttering.
"Got him in a trade with the Arrows, didn't they?" Oliver asked. Emmie nodded.
"Got him for a steal, in my opinion. Martins wasn't nearly as good as this new one," she said.
The two settled into an easy conversation about the prospects for the season, going through most of the teams and their strengths. Kara rolled her eyes and tuned out after a couple minutes, already bored by the topic. But she couldn't help but be proud of Emmie for holding her own with Oliver.
They were still discussing quidditch when they arrived at the pub and got a table. The boys offered to get the first round of butterbeers, leaving the girls at the table.
"Look at you," Melanie said, grinning at Emmie.
"It's just quidditch talk," she replied, stealing a glance at Oliver.
"But still… this is something, Em. He's talking to you loads more," Toni replied. Emmie just shrugged and smiled. She didn't want to admit that she was starting to also think there was something more to Oliver's sudden friendliness. Maybe he was interested in her…
Before she could think about it anymore, the boys were back and passing around butterbeers as Oliver settled in the chair next to Emmie.
"You don't happen to still have that playing card collection of yours, do you?" he asked, looking over at her. Kara snorted.
"Got it framed on her bedroom wall now," she replied. Emmie frowned at her, slightly embarrassed. It was something she and Alex had started as children - collecting playing cards of all the great quidditch players. He had long grown out of it, but Emmie still added to it. However, she didn't want Oliver to know this. It was a bit childish to admit it was one of her most prized possessions.
"How much bigger did it get? Remember it being fairly large back in the day," he said.
"Not much. Alex stopped helping me with it ages ago, though he still sends me cards when he comes across someone I don't have," she replied. "Since I started playing, I haven't had much time to work on it, really." Oliver glanced over at Kara as if to confirm this. She just shrugged and turned her attention to her butterbeer, though she kept glancing at the two.
"What else did you lot get up to in town?" Oliver asked casually.
"Just Honeydukes," Emmie said with a sigh. "I was hoping to go to the bookshop, but these lot took forever."
"Ehm, well, I can pop over with you after we finish these, if you want," he offered. "Been meaning to pick up some books myself." Emmie's eyes widened as she stared at him a moment, not expecting that. Oliver shifted a bit in his chair, feeling all of their friends start to give him amused looks. He hoped he wasn't blushing.
"Ehm… uh… sure," she said, smiling slightly. Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
"Good, then…"
Flint frowned as he stared across the crowded pub towards the table where the group of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were currently seated. Oliver was leaning down towards Emmie, the two of them in the middle of some conversation with the others that had her smiling.
"Christ, Flint. This is supposed to be a good afternoon," Adrian said, rolling his eyes. Flint didn't say anything, just continued to watch. "Would you stop already? Beginning to think you're obsessed."
"I'm not obsessed," he replied, turning to look at Pucey. "Just determined… what is it about Wood that gets all the birds losing their knickers?" Adrian snorted.
"Besides the fact that he's one the best quidditch players in the school and one of the most popular blokes?" Adrian asked.
"So? I'm a good quidditch player," Flint replied.
"Wouldn't call you popular, mate. Even though everyone knows who you are," Adrian said with a sigh. "More like half of them hate you and most of them are terrified of you." Flint looked back over at Oliver.
"Gotta be something more than that," he said.
"Well… from what I hear, he's nice," Adrian said simply. Warrington and Flint both looked at him, frowning.
"Nice?" Warrington said, as though it was the worst thing in the world. Flint thought it over and glanced back at the table, watching as Emmie and Oliver stood, waved at the others and walked out of the pub.
"Yea, you know instead of insulting people or telling them all the ways he'd shag 'em, he has actual conversations and such," Adrian said. Warrington just gave him an odd look.
"How do you know all this?" he asked, suspicious. Adrian just shrugged.
"While you lot are out pestering MacKenzie and whoever else, I overhear things. Not that hard considering half the birds in school want to date Wood," Adrian said. Flint looked over at him.
"What else have you heard?" he asked, leaning towards him. Adrian sighed, not particularly enjoying being bilked for information to help Flint's attempts. It was a lost cause in his mind.
"You know their brothers are best friends, yea?" he said. Flint nodded. "The four of them used to spend a lot of time together growing up, so there's history with Wood and MacKenzie. They live in the same village."
"So, he's got the advantage," Warrington said thoughtfully. Adrian just frowned at him, wondering just how he had made it this far in school.
"Yea, I'd say so," he replied. Flint was sitting in quiet contemplation a few moments, offering neither comment nor suggestion.
"This is going to require a bit more planning," he finally said. Adrian snorted.
"You think?" he asked. Flint just scowled at him as he stood.
"Come on," he said brusquely already starting towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Adrian asked.
"And we're not finished!" Warrington called out, holding up his mug.
"Down it and get off your arses. We're going back to the castle," Flint said gruffly. "We need to strategize." Adrian just rolled his eyes.
"I'm not helping you," he replied. "I actually like MacKenzie and think she can do better than you." Flint scowled as he walked back to the table and dropped his hands on it, leaning towards Adrian menacingly.
"Oh, you're gonna help, alright," he said. Adrian blinked a few times and then sighed. He didn't want to get into a brawl with him in The Broomsticks and learned long ago there were limits to Flint's patience - even with him.
"Fine," he said resignedly as he downed his drink and stood. "Come on, Warrington."
Emmie was acutely aware of how close Oliver was to her as she browsed the bookshelves, even though he was a good foot or so away. It was still rather close in the quiet, mostly empty shop. She kept her eyes fixed on the spines in front of her, trying to focus on the titles.
She had hoped to pick up a couple novels to read on the weekends. She already had several in her trunk but knew that she'd finish them up rather quickly.
"Anything in particular that you're looking for?" Oliver asked, glancing over at her.
"Just… something interesting," she said, still keeping her eyes forward, though she was silently cursing herself. That was incredibly vague. "Something with a bit of adventure." Oliver chuckled softly.
"You were always reading those kinds of books when we were kids," he commented, looking up at a shelf. "Surprised you haven't read all there are."
"New books come out every year," she said, looking over at him. He was still searching the shelf, though he glanced over at her with a smile. He then stepped closer to her and Emmie sucked in a quick breath of air as she froze in place. He then leaned over and reached up. She thought she was about to swoon. He smelled of broom polish and soap - two smells that seemed to blend together into something wonderful. Just before she thought she might actually swoon - something that would mortify her until the end of time - he stepped back, a bright smile on his face as he held a book down to her.
"You read this one?" he asked. Emmie took and looked at the cover.
"Not yet, though I was hoping to," she said, keeping her eyes on it.
"Look at that. I've found a book that Mac-Mackenzie hasn't read yet," he replied. She smiled as she looked up at him.
"Why do you keep saying that?" she suddenly asked. "Noticed you stutter a bit on my name." He blushed slightly as he ran his hand up the back of his neck.
"I keep wanting to call you Mac like I did when we were kids, but… we haven't been… wasn't sure if you'd be okay with it," he admitted. Emmie chuckled.
"It's fine. Most of my house calls me Mac. Especially the quidditch blokes," she said. She then started towards the till at the front of the shop. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, noticing he was still standing there. "You comin', Wood? Or do you need a book too?"
He jumped slightly and turned his attention to the shelf, reaching up to grab one.
"Found it," he said, turning to smile at her. She nodded and turned, continuing to walk. She couldn't help as her smile turned into a grin.
This was certainly something.
"What's this?" Melanie asked, reaching into the bag that Emmie had in her hand and pulling out the book as the four girls walked back to the castle. "This the book?"
"Oliver suggested it," Emmie said, her cheeks turning bright red. Melanie just grinned as she put it back in the bag.
"You two seemed awfully chummy today," she said casually.
"Still think he doesn't fancy you?" Toni asked.
"I'm sure he's just being friendly," Emmie replied. Both girls laughed loudly.
"He spoke pretty much only to you the whole time. Even took you off to the bookshop alone. I'm fairly sure that's more than just being friendly," Melanie said.
"Sure, he does that with loads of girls," Emmie said. Kara rolled her eyes.
"He called you Mac," she stated.
"Loads of people call me Mac," Emma said immediately.
"He was calling you MacKenzie before," Melanie sang.
"He was stuttering over it too. Thought it sweet," Toni added.
"He wasn't sure if it was okay to call me Mac… since we haven't really hung out since we were kids. Called me Mac all the time back then," Emmie explained. Melanie and Toni looked at each other and sighed. Emmie was being impossible. Seemed she had an excuse or explanation for everything. Kara just chuckled and threw her arm around Emmie's waist and leaned her head on her shoulder.
"What did I say? Baby steps and all. Sure by break, you'll be a couple," she said. Emmie looked over at her, eyes wide.
"S-s-surely not," she said. "That c-c-can't be why he's talking to me." Kara looked up at her.
"He's not even around and you're stuttering," she said with a chuckle. "I'd say we should work on that, but you settled out of it eventually this afternoon." Emmie just rolled her eyes.
"He's just being friendly," she said again, though she knew it was falling on deaf ears. The three girls just laughed as Emmie's cheeks turned a brighter red.
"I'm sorry. We'll stop," Kara said, noticing her face.
"Thank you," Emmie said. Kara leaned her head on her shoulder again and squeezed her.
"We may take the mickey out of you, but you know we love you, right?" she said.
"I know," Emmie said. "And really, I would be rather lost without you three."
"What are friends for?"
"The bookshop, eh? That's a new move," Ian said, grinning over at Wood.
"I was just being friendly since it seemed she really wanted to go and her friends didn't," the tall teen replied as he frowned at him. "I was planning to go anyway."
"Sure you were. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you fancied her," Ian said lightly.
"Do not!" Wood insisted. "I just… her brother asked me to look out for her. Seeing how things are this year, just thought I could do it better if I actually spoke to her."
"Right, I'm sure that's it," Walter said, grinning as well. "Just looking out for her…"
"I'm serious!" Oliver insisted. "It's just that and nothing more. Besides, we did used to be friends before Hogwarts."
Ian and Walter gave each other a look and then looked over at Wood, who was still frowning in annoyance.
"Alright, fine. That's all it is, then," Ian said. Oliver seemed to relax a bit. Though part of him knew that this likely wasn't the last that he'd hear of it from his friends. He would need to watch himself a bit more. Ian and Walter could be far more obnoxious than Percy.
"How are things going with quidditch?" Ian asked, changing the subject.
"Good. We've got a strong team this year. Fairly sure we have a decent chance at the Cup," Oliver replied.
"You say that every year," Walter countered.
"And it's true every year - just something always pops up," Oliver said, frowning. "I can't seem to figure it out… we've got strong chasers. Fred and George are brilliant beaters. And there's Harry. We should be winning every year…"
"Especially considering the competition. Slytherin's brutal, but they don't have much outside that. Even less this year with Malfoy as their seeker. Ravenclaw's decent enough, though not hard to beat with your strategizing. And everyone knows Hufflepuff's always a joke," Ian said.
"Not always," Oliver said, frowning at him. "Fincher's been a decent captain and keeper. Their chasers are fast and Diggory's turning into a strong seeker. And don't forget their beaters nearly knocked me out more than once last year."
"Chasers are fast, eh?" Walter asked, a slight smile on his face.
"Yea. Nickles has been playing since his first year, so he's top notch. And Mac's been working with her brother over the summer break, so I wouldn't put it past her to have some new tricks this year," Oliver stated. "Even if they're adding a new chaser, they're still not a team to thumb your nose at. I have a feeling they'll be much better this year."
"That so?" Ian asked. "What sort of tricks you think MacKenzie's been working on?"
"Big ones. She's hoping to go pro from what my brother's said," Oliver replied. "Not surprised, seeing as her brother is in the League and her father was pro. He still works with the League."
"And you're not the least bit intimidated by that?" Walter asked. Oliver stopped and looked over at him.
"Why would I be intimidated?" he asked. Both boys just laughed and shook their heads.
"Come on. Let's get back before supper's over…"
Getting a lot of work done on this one and think I may even have all the writing finished up in the next week or so at this rate. I'm already on chapter 21 and there's only about five more or so after that that need written.
Thanks for reading and following!
