I really like this chapter. I think its a good one! I hope you like it too. :)

In the weeks that followed, things at Hogwarts ran rather smoothly. Noel didn't up and steal from people anymore, she just sulked to herself and let everyone be. Deena continued sleeping through Quidditch practices and James continued reprimanding her for it. The Weasleys earned themselves practically daily detentions and Professor Snape was as heartless as ever. The latter was evident to just about everyone in Gryffindor tower as Oliver complained to Deena (rather loudly) about the failing grade he received on his 'Abrasion Absolver'. After he finished a heated sentence which ended with some colorful choice words, a few of the students who couldn't help but overhear him erupted into mock applause. As he jokingly thanked his 'fans', Deena spotted Percy Weasly haughtily stalking toward their table, his prefect badge glistening in the flickering firelight.

"Sorry, about this, Wood," he spoke in a self important boastful voice, "But I'm going to have to ask you to keep it down. You are riling up the students and; furthermore, disrupting their studies." He stood smugly for a moment, perhaps expecting some sort of apology, but when Oliver offered none, Percy left to patrol somewhere else.

Deena stifled a giggle as he retreated.

"He never was *normal*, but the this prefect thing has really gone to his head," Oliver joked. Deena laughed and returned to her ever-so-difficult herbology homework. Since Oliver was mediocre in Herbology and Deena was quite skilled in Transfiguration, they'd made a deal to help each other. However, as anyone could have guessed, very little was actually accomplished. The Gryffindor common room was forever and often exploding with interruptions and interferences making it hard for *anyone* to study, much less two completely infatuated teenagers.

By the end of the night, Deena had finished almost a foot of Herbology questions and Oliver's rat had been successfully transformed into a chocolate bar. (No one needed to know that they were forced to cut a still squirming tail off the end of it.) Deena let out an exhausted sigh and rested her head on her pile of books.

Her eyes had just fluttered shut when the unmistakable Weasley twin voice pierced her thoughts. "Did you hear about Ron?" one of them asked excitedly. Deena opened one eye and Oliver just shook his head. "A huge wild dog!" Fred exclaimed.

"Came out of nowhere and attacked ickle Ronniekins!"

"Took a good chunk out of his hand, too! He's in the infirmary now."

"He'll be there for quite some time, I reckon."

Oliver raised his eyebrows, the Weasleys were quite the overstaters and he wasn't quite sure whether or not he believed them. "Does Percy know?" Oliver asked. "He didn't mention anything."

"Of course he knows, but his idea of wicked cool is hardly credible."

Deena smiled in agreement and picked her head up as the twins seated themselves at the table. She didn't chat for much longer due to the tiredness that was enveloping her like a thick fog. She soon said a weary goodnight and made her way to her dorm.

*

The morning had come all too soon Deena thought as she rolled over in her bed and wearily opened her eyes. The dorm seemed unusually quiet and Deena wondered if she'd woken too early. She clumsily fumbled around for her clock. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, Deena squinted at the flashing words. Her mouth dropped open as she read, "You're late!"

She stumbled out of bed and looked around the empty dorm room. Alicia and Angelina's beds were still rumpled as if they had never returned from Quidditch practice. Noel's bedclothes, however, were neatly folded and she was long gone. Of course *she* hadn't bothered waking her. Deena was about to rush to the shower when she noticed that her clock was now flashing, "You are VERY late!"

With an impatient groan Deena hurriedly changed into her school robes and dashed down the stairs. The common room was completely barren - "I must be later than I thought." On her way to the Great Hall, Deena ran into a very sullen looking Harry Potter with Ron and Hermione lagging behind him. "Why aren't you in class?" Deena asked them.

"Class hasn't started yet," Ron said dully.

"Oh. Well then, where is everyone?"

Hermione's lip began to quaver and Harry said, "Just go to the Great Hall, you'll find out pretty quick."

So Deena did just that. Upon arriving at the Great Hall, Deena spotted a large group of students surrounding the hourglasses that recorded house points. Before she could find someone to ask what was going on, the bell signaling the start of classes was sounded and students scattered in various directions. Deena made her way to the hourglasses and a trio of Quidditch-robe-clad blurs whizzed past her. Angelina, Alicia and Katie Bell were about to be late for class. After the crowd had cleared away, Deena spotted one person still standing motionless in front of the scorekeepers. That person was unmistakably Oliver Wood. Deena crept up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. "You're going to be late," she said. When he didn't respond, Deena came up beside him and asked, "What was all that commotion about?"

With a grim look on his face, Oliver pointed at Gryffindor's hourglass. It was considerably lower than Deena remembered it being and upon further inspection, she notice that Gryffindor was in last place for the house cup when, the previous day, they had been in the lead. "How did that happen?" Deena asked cautiously, eyeing Oliver.

"Potter. Harry Potter and his little cronies," Oliver growled. "Perfect Harry Potter, Quidditch hero. He got caught walking the grounds in the middle of the night and McGonagall took a hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor. A hundred and fifty points! Do you believe it? From her own house! I suppose it makes sense, Potter *did* win those points for us in the first place. I guess that makes them his to lose."

Deena stared at Oliver as he ranted on then interrupted him with an abrupt kiss on the lips. Oliver closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Deena's. The bell rang. "You're late," Deena said as Oliver stole another kiss.

"So are you," Oliver whispered back. They kissed again and were interrupted by the three chasers.

Angelina chuckled and Alicia said, "On with it, Dee. You're failing Herbology as it is." Deena reluctantly pulled away.

"Get to Transfiguration, Mr. Wood," she said, "I'm not doing your homework anymore."

All the way to Herbology, Angelina and Alicia jabbered back and forth about "the horrible contingency Potter had caused Gryffindor." Deena wanted to tell them that they may have been overreacting a bit and that house points weren't everything, but she concluded that they would probably hear nothing of it. Deena found that Angelina and Alicia's heated discussion was quite the foreshadowing for the rest of the day.

The entire school seemed to have learned of poor Harry Potter's mishap. Rumors and hateful words were flying around the school like out of control snitches. No one was sure why the points had been lost, but just about the entire population of Hogwarts had their own ideas. A Hufflepuff in Herbology insisted that Hermione and Harry were caught snogging in a broom closet. Angelina giggled and Deena turned red saying, "McGonagall wouldn't take 150 points off for that." Another rumor popular amongst the Slytherins was that Harry and his friends were delivering a baby dragon to a swarm of wizards on brooms. Of all absurd things...

The hostility in the common room later that night had been thinned only slightly. The regular slanderers had moved on to a new subject. (Lavender had convince Parvarti to let her practice a hair augmenting spell on her. Needless to say, the results were disastrous.) But the Quidditch team was still bitter toward their seeker.

Oliver and Deena were sitting at a table struggling with homework and goofing off as usual when Harry quietly approached them. "Wood," he began meekly, not looking up at either of them. "I think I... I think I should resign from the Quidditch team."

"What on earth... Resign? What good 'll that do?"

Deena hid her grin behind a book as Oliver continued lecturing Harry. Finally after Oliver sprung from his seat in a threatening outburst, Harry agreed to stay on the team. He thanked Wood and slowly sauntered toward his equally mopey friends.

Deena clasped Oliver's hand and tugged him back down to his seat. "Its going to be fine," she said slowly, tracing Oliver's hairline with her fingers. "C'mere, you look like you need a hug." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Oliver gratefully returned the embrace, he was desperately in need of some affection. As they parted ever so slightly, Deena warmly kissed Oliver's temple. Oliver brought his lips close to hers and gave her a small kiss.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Like you can't imagine."

Deena bit her lip and grabbed Oliver's hand. They capered through the castle and before long, found themselves outside. In a fit of nerves and hormones, the two stumbled to a large tree that was exquisitely sparkling with faeries.

"Its beautiful," Deena breathed into the balmy, night air. She stared up at the tree, fascinated by the light show. From so far away, one would never believe that the awesome scene was a product of such a vicious species of creatures.

As Deena gazed upward dreamily, Oliver brushed hair from her shoulder and gently kissed her neck. Deena closed her eyes and smiled as Oliver led a trail of kisses up to her mouth. They kissed softly and Deena stood on her bare tip-toes to drape her arms around Oliver's neck when suddenly, he yelped in pain.

Deena jumped back, alarmed. "What? What's wrong?"

"That bloody pixie!" he cried. The two looked over to see a faerie hovering just out of their reach, cackling wickedly. "It bit me right on my neck!"

Deena gently tugged at Oliver's hand that was covering a presumably small injury while he protested terribly. "Don't be such a baby!" Deena cried with a chuckle. With huff, Oliver let her examine his "wound". "I'll tell you," Deena started, shaking her head, "You'll take a bludger to your bloody head 7 times a week, but heavens forbid a 2 ounce pixie touches you with a twelve centimeter stick!"

Oliver was smiling now. He kissed Deena and then pressed his forehead against hers. "You're amazing," he said with a smirk.

Weel, did you like it? Let me know!!