CHAPTER NINE
It wasn't until much later that day that Oliver ran into the teary-eyed girl again. And when I say 'ran' I mean RAN. They collided just under the Fat Lady portrait as Oliver was going to try and find Harry and visit the old Gryffindor area and the girl was just coming out.
"Arghhhh!" she cried as they bumped into each other. A pile of books went flying and both of them ended up on the floor, Oliver with a huge grin on his face and her with tears brimming in her red eyes.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" laughed Oliver as he helped her up and started collecting the books that were scattered at their feet.
"That's okay... Oh, it's you," she replied.
"Have we-" Oliver stopped short. "Hermione!" he gasped, more surprised than ever.
"Hi Oliver," she said crossly. "I have to go now. Bye." With that, she snatched her books out of Oliver's arms and stormed off.
He stood there flabbergasted for a second before gathering his senses and entering the common room.
Harry was the first person he spotted once he'd managed to get past the Fat Lady who had instantly recognised the handsome star and insisted he stay for a "quick" chat.
"Potter, my old friend!" he greeted Harry with a manly pat on the back.
"Wood, it's so good to see you!" replied Harry who was equally as happy to see Wood as he was to see Potter.
Oliver had a million questions he wanted to ask him but all of them seemed to be about... Hermione. He held his tongue though and decided to settle and talk the talk that he was meant to. They sat down with Ron in front of the fire place and chatted about Quidditch, classes and finally after Oliver could barely stand it any longer... girls.
"So either of you had any serious girlfriends?" he asked.
"Nope," Ron shook his head.
"Although," interrupted Harry. "Ron did have a serious CRUSH on a certain Ravenclaw who goes by the name of Padma Parkinson."
This was followed by a series of immature wolf-whistles and shouts on Oliver's part while Ron turned a deep shade of maroon.
"That was ages ago," he repeated over and over again.
When the laughter died down Oliver turned his question to Harry. "And you?"
"No one really," was his answer which made Oliver feel very satisfied. Get a hold on yourself, he thought. What's up with you? Did you expect him to be with Hermione or something? Why am I thinking about Hermione again? I don't even know her!
"What about you?" Ron was saying as Oliver snapped back to reality.
"Umm... no one," Oliver said quickly.
There was an uncomfortable silence before they all started talking at once.
"So how's Puddlemere?"
"What time is it?"
"I better be heading off now."
After another round of laughter Oliver bid his old friends farewell and left the Gryffindor Tower in search of someone. One thing he'd learnt with age and experience was that if you wanted to do or say something then you had to do it before it was too late.
It wasn't until much later that day that Oliver ran into the teary-eyed girl again. And when I say 'ran' I mean RAN. They collided just under the Fat Lady portrait as Oliver was going to try and find Harry and visit the old Gryffindor area and the girl was just coming out.
"Arghhhh!" she cried as they bumped into each other. A pile of books went flying and both of them ended up on the floor, Oliver with a huge grin on his face and her with tears brimming in her red eyes.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" laughed Oliver as he helped her up and started collecting the books that were scattered at their feet.
"That's okay... Oh, it's you," she replied.
"Have we-" Oliver stopped short. "Hermione!" he gasped, more surprised than ever.
"Hi Oliver," she said crossly. "I have to go now. Bye." With that, she snatched her books out of Oliver's arms and stormed off.
He stood there flabbergasted for a second before gathering his senses and entering the common room.
Harry was the first person he spotted once he'd managed to get past the Fat Lady who had instantly recognised the handsome star and insisted he stay for a "quick" chat.
"Potter, my old friend!" he greeted Harry with a manly pat on the back.
"Wood, it's so good to see you!" replied Harry who was equally as happy to see Wood as he was to see Potter.
Oliver had a million questions he wanted to ask him but all of them seemed to be about... Hermione. He held his tongue though and decided to settle and talk the talk that he was meant to. They sat down with Ron in front of the fire place and chatted about Quidditch, classes and finally after Oliver could barely stand it any longer... girls.
"So either of you had any serious girlfriends?" he asked.
"Nope," Ron shook his head.
"Although," interrupted Harry. "Ron did have a serious CRUSH on a certain Ravenclaw who goes by the name of Padma Parkinson."
This was followed by a series of immature wolf-whistles and shouts on Oliver's part while Ron turned a deep shade of maroon.
"That was ages ago," he repeated over and over again.
When the laughter died down Oliver turned his question to Harry. "And you?"
"No one really," was his answer which made Oliver feel very satisfied. Get a hold on yourself, he thought. What's up with you? Did you expect him to be with Hermione or something? Why am I thinking about Hermione again? I don't even know her!
"What about you?" Ron was saying as Oliver snapped back to reality.
"Umm... no one," Oliver said quickly.
There was an uncomfortable silence before they all started talking at once.
"So how's Puddlemere?"
"What time is it?"
"I better be heading off now."
After another round of laughter Oliver bid his old friends farewell and left the Gryffindor Tower in search of someone. One thing he'd learnt with age and experience was that if you wanted to do or say something then you had to do it before it was too late.