~Broken Wings~
*Look At The Clouds*
He doesn't understand.
I shielded my eyes from the sun as I looked up at a Gryffindor fourth year practicing his warm-ups. The boy had potential.
I used to be able to fly like that.
I can't go back, not half blind.
" Lander!" I shouted at the boy above me. A pudgy face looked down at me. I motioned for him to come down.
" What is it, sir?" he asked breathlessly, landing his broom.
" Nice job," I told him.
He shifted his grip on his broom. " Is that all, sir?"
" Yeah, I guess so." I looked over at Madame Hooch. " I'll tell the instructor five points to Gryffindor."
" What for, sir?"
I sighed. All the 'sirs' I was receiving were beginning to annoy me. " Top of the knotch flying." My heart stopped still. I knew there was one boy out in the sky who flew better Lander, but I couldn't look at him.
I couldn't look into eyes I knew were right.
I patted Lander's shoulder. " Skip your warm-ups, today. Just fly, learn the broom. And whatever you do, never let the feeling go."
He gave me an odd look. I shrugged it off and let him fly.
I wanted so much to be up there with them, instead of grounded like I was. Even Madame Hooch was on a broom. I should have been up there.
I can't fly. Not anymore.
Never again.
I exhaled slowly. It was time I had come to accept that. For two years I had been fighting the fact that I could never fly.
No.
I had been fighting the fact that I was too afraid to fly. Too afraid to mount another broom and take off into the heavens.....
.....only to fall again.
What's the point in wishing?
Just give it up.
My eyes wandered the skies above me. They fell on one boy. He had his back to me, so I could not see his eyes.
I didn't want to see his eyes.
" Oliver!"
The Italian accent made me smile. She was running to me, face shining with....what?.....ectasy?
" Oliver, I thought I'd never see you again!" She leaped into my arms, caught me by surprise. " What on earth are you doing here?"
" Student-teacher," I told the seventh year. I hugged her back, but didn't know why.
How could I be happy enough to hug anyone just now?
Jasmine pulled away from me and brushed a loose strand of jet black hair back in place. " Angelina's going to be happy to see you."
My heart skipped a beat. " Angelina?"
" And Katie and Fred and George and-"
I put my hand over her mouth. " Where is Angelina?"
A fluent motion with her head indicated the Chaser was in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Common Room. Perfect.
What was the password? Butter.....butterscotch? No.....butter.....nut?
" She was writing to you all last year," Jasmine said hurridly, " but her owl couldn't find you. She was-"
I nodded, looking towards the direction of the Common Room, trusting myself to remember where it was. " Thanks, Jazz."
I took off at a jog before she answered.
I had a really bad habit of doing that.
The Fat Pink Lady......she was....to the right. Left. Up. No, not left.
I was almost ready to yell in frusteration when she appeared in front of me. A sigh of relief escaped me as I trotted up to her and whispered, " Butter....butternut."
" Only one 'butter', lad," the painting said. The Pink Lady was hiding behind a fan of cards. " You a new student?"
" No, ma'am," I answered. I began to step in the passageway.
" That voice, I know that voice!" The Pink Lady threw her cards about her and rose, peering closely at me. " Oliver Wood! I haven't seen you in, what, two years?! What are you doing back?" Her cheeks were pink with excitement. " Here to rescue our Quidditch team, I'll bet, right?"
I tensed, inhaled to calm myself, smiled. " No. I'm a student-teacher."
" Oh. Dear me, we haven't had one of those since.....we've never had one of those. Hmm. I'm sure Dumbledor would have told me about it." She shrugged and smiled. " Continue you, captain."
I nodded politely, saluted, and stepped in to the Gryffindor passage. It was all I could do to keep from crying.
And I didn't know why I was on the verge of tears. I'd heard people talk about my success as Keeper and captain of the Gryffindor team and not once felt to shed a tear. Not once. Maybe, maybe it was because this was home.
Home. People were familiar at home, memories lingered at home, memories haunted at home.
" Damn," I whispered as my foot touched the red carpet that covered the Common Room floor. " Damn."
Two familiar red heads were lounging in the huge armchairs. Each had a girl in his arms. Niether was Angelina.
Thank God.
The one of the right, I think it was Fred, snored. I had to smile.
Just like 'em.
I glanced around the rest of the Common Room.
Empty.
My heart sank. Maybe I had missed her.
I bowed my head, began to walk back through the small passage, when something reached my ears.
Laughter.
" That was good, that was really good!"
I knew that voice. I'd know it anywhere.
Angelina....
" It was evil," she was saying, " but darned good!" She laughed.
Her laugh was light and angelic.
" Thank you, thank you."
This voice I didn't recognize, but it sounded younger.
Angelina laughed again. " I really can't believe you!"
I looked up at the stairs leading up to the dormitories, where their voices were coming from. I could see a milky white hand on the railing. It was her hand, I could feel it in my gut.
Her face was in view within seconds that seemed like hours. She was facing away from me, talking to another girl behind her.
" Did Snape catch you?" she asked.
" Nope," came the smug reply, as the other girl stepped into view. She was young, younger than I thought. " I think Peeves was watching, but what could he do? He's a nice ghost. He gave me dead flowers, did you know that?"
" Amy....." Angelina shook her head. " What am I going to do with you?"
Amy.
Seemed to me I remembered that name. I just couldn't place my finger on it.
My heart beat quickened until I was sure it would wake Fred and George. I clenched and unclenched my fists.
Good lord, what's she going to say?
She still hadn't looked at me, even up from the younger girl she was talking to. Amy.
I concentrated on breathing steadily. It wouldn't look too good if I squeaked when I finally spoke to her.
" Hey Angel?"
The laughter stopped. Amy was facing me, looking towards me.
No. She was looking at me.
Here it comes.
Angelina still had her back to me.
" What?" the Chaser asked, running her fingers through her hair.
Amy pointed at me. " Who's that?"
I tensed, waited.
She turned, slowly. Her face was the last thing that faced me. A look of pure shock plastered itself on her face as her eyes traveled up and down my body, finally resting on my face.
She's going into conniptions. What was I thinking?!
A smile crept onto her bewildered face. " O-Oliver?"
I didn't have to answer.
Her mouth opened in surprise, shock gone from her face. Excitement flew to her eyes as she raced to me, arms open. I took her in a firm embrace, her momentum sending us spinning. Her arms wrapped around my neck, held me tightly. I felt her tears on my shoulder.
" Where did you come from?" she asked, voice muffled by my Quidditch robes.
" The pit?" I tried.
She barked a laugh and squeezed me tighter. I lost what air I had left.
" I can't believe you're here!"
" Niether can I," I answered.
She pulled away from me, perfect hair now all over the place. Tears were running down her cheeks, passing over her smiling face. " But....you graduated!"
" I couldn't keep away from the school." I shrugged.
" What are you doing here?"
" Oh? Well, if you don't want me here, I can leave." I made to leave the Common Room but she grabbed me again. My face was aching from my smiles.
" Have you come back to the team?" She stopped herself one word to late, all happiness gone from her features. " I....I didn't mean..." Her eyes fell on my scars and she took me by the neck again, sobbing. " I'm glad you came back."
I rubbed her back gently. " I couldn't stay away from the team."
" What do you mean by that?"
" Well," I said through a sigh, " Hooch is getting a little old to be a flight instructor and Quidditch coach on her own. Dumbledor signed me on as a student-teacher."
She didn't answer, only hugged me. By this time, I had tears running down my face, falling neatly into her hair.
" It's about time."
Angelina laughed. I groaned.
" Really, it's been, like, years?"
" Yes, Fred, I know," I told him.
Angelina and I parted. Fred was standing, arms crossed, eyebrows dancing in amusement.
" We were beginning to wonder, Wood, when you'd ever find someone," the red haired student remarked.
" Hey," I said, pointing at him, " no smart alec shots at me, or I'll have to take points from Gryffindor."
George sat up. " How? Where'd you get this super power?"
" Now that's a secret," I told them, nodding importantly. " You're not obligated to know."
Fred and George were silent, stunned.
I smiled.
" That was good, Ollie." George rose from the armchair, let his girl fall where he was sleeping. " Come on, tell us."
" You wouldn't rule the school and not tell us about it, would you?" Fred asked. His eyes became big and young and pleading.
" I would've let you in on the dough.......sometime." I bowed formally. " Say hello to the Quidditch student-teacher."
Fred looked around the Common Room. " Where?"
" You don't mean......Ollie, are you flying again?" George smiled slyly. " Yes! You're on the brooms and showing Hooch how to run the show!" He clapped his hands together in triumph. " Oh yeah, who's smart?"
" I'm not flying."
Both the twins fell silent again. No joke, this time.
I opened my arms. " Hey, it's been a couple of years." I motioned for them to come and hug me. " A couple rough years, I need to be cheered up."
" You got Angel, don't you?" Fred winked, then embraced me fiercely. He patted my back. " It's good to see you."
" You're actually being serious about this?" I choked.
Fred loosened his grip on me. He scratched his head, as if in thought. " Uh.....no."
" Just checking." I turned to George. " Aren't you feeling left out?"
He nodded with a big pout on his face. " No one loves me."
I hugged him. " I wouldn't say I love you, but I'm glad to see you."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Angelina standing, tears making her
eyes sparkle.
The stars had never looked so beautiful. They reflected off a glossy lake surface, bounced the wishes back and forth between each other. None of the wishes were mine. I'd stopped wishing a long time ago.
Thunder erupted in the distance. Lightning lit the skies miles away, displays of deadly magic in the inky black. There was already a hoard of navy blue and black clouds beginning to cover the sky that looked over the school. The rain would fall soon, and I would be there when it did.
I lived for the rain almost as much as I lived for the sky. Raining games had always been my favorite, though I usually spent a fortune dry-cleaning my robes afterwards. That never kept me from loving them.
I leaned back on the slope that descended down into the lake. I felt a small fog of contentment wash over me, but it was thin. My eyes kept wandering to the Quidditch stadium, flags flying eye, illuminated by the approaching lightning.
Harry was right, I couldn't keep away from the game. That was why I had come back to Hogwarts, why I had signed to be a Quidditch student-teacher. It was all a way to get close to the game without actually getting in the air.
But I had to fly again. With every passing minute my urge to grab a broom and fly grew stronger. I managed to allow my fear pack it down. Storms corrupted inside of me, not different from the approaching storm.
I stood, brushed grass from my robes. The stadium wasn't far. If I had the courage to try to fly now, I'd never get it again. I had to fly now, now, before lightning and thunder consumed Hogwarts.
And me.
The stadium loomed over me in the dark. The walk had from lake to stadium had never been shorter, but then, the hoops had I was looking up at had never been higher. I took in a deep breath, grabbed a broom as I walked through the locker room. It had to be now, while I had a rush of crazy, insane courage.
I mounted the broom. My palms were sweaty, my hands slipped on the broom handle. I closed my eyes, took deep breaths, prayed this would work. Prayed that this would cure me, should I get off the ground.
With one final inhale, I kicked off the ground as the clouds shattered with a thunder clap and poured rain on me. I was soaked within seconds, but I was in the air.
The air, it had never felt so good! I flew higher, my heart beating faster with every inch I climbed. Up to the hoops I had once guarded as the Gryffindor Keeper, the familiar home, the sanctuary I had in them.
I can't believe I was afraid to do this!
I circled the hoops, then lapped the stadium. Thunder cried above me, lightning crashed and lit the stadium for split seconds at a time.
Time. It almost stopped with I was in the air. The wind blew past me, pushed rain water from my face, made my eyes dry. I was squinting, depending on the lightning for my vision.
I stopped in front of the goal posts, hovered. It had been here. Here was where it happened. He came at me, full force. I was cheering Alicia and Angelina.....they were so close to scoring!
Then he hit me.
*flash*
" You're mine, Wood."
*flash*
His hand grabbed the collar of my robes as I began to fall from my broom. He smirked, I remember that smirk perfectly.
I saw my reflection in his eyes.
*flash*
I clung to my broom. Struggled to keep from falling.
Flint's hand took my collar.
" It's time you lost."
*flash*
He flung me with everything in his body. I hit one of the posts, head first.
Fell to the ground.
*flash*
Every bone in my body ached with impact.
I heard my neck snap.
I fell, fast, but it took so long.
So long to fall fifty feet.
*flash*
I closed my eyes. It was a living nightmare, a living nightmare! I screamed, opened my eyes. A flash of bright light jumped in front of me. I swayed on my broom, blinded.
Heat. The rain was cold, and I felt heat. Hotter than anything I had ever felt.
It hit. My back burned, I straightened on my broom. Lost my balance.
The world swirled around me. I was hot, so hot. I was burning, burning like fire.
I hit the ground, curled into a writhing ball. Surges of new, non-native energy rushed through me, through every vein and nerve in my body. I couldn't breathe, my chest hurt with every movement I made.
The rain poured on me, the world around me was dancing and out of focus, light was in my eyes, always in my eyes. I was choking on dirt, rain, my own air. I was trying to scream in an agony that surrounded me and bound me, found I couldn't make a noise.
I felt myself slipping, the world darkened. There was no rain on me, there was only the pain and heat and energy.
I wanted to die.
A/N: A cruel place to leave you hang, I know. Oh, there will be a little sweet stuff between Angelina and Oliver, for future reference, but romance is not one of the categories this story is under. I will explain who Amy is, and what just happened will all clear up. Remember, this is from his POV, he doesn't know what happened, so we don't. *evil grin* Check ya in a chapter.
