Chapter 7
Realizations
Vera sighed as she flipped through her textbook, hard at work on an essay on self-Transfiguration. She looked up and watched everyone momentarily in the common room. Running a hand through her raven hair, she was about to start again when Lee Jordan burst through the portrait hole.
"You won't believe what I just heard!" he shouted, looking somewhat awed and scared. "There's been another attack, but on a student!" It was that first year Colin Creevy!"
The common room fell silent for a moment before bursting into conversation. The first years moved together, frightened, as the rest of the Gryffindors talked loudly. In the corner of the common room, Vera sat frozen, ice blue eyes wide. It's happening again, was all she could think.
Vera was startled from her thoughts as Athena jumped onto her lap. If cats could smile, Vera would have sworn hers was. "Athena," she whispered, tracing the white spots on her cat. "It's happening again girl. It's happening again and there's nothing I can do." Blinking back tears of fright, she petted her cat wishing she weren't at Hogwarts.
~*~*~*~
Vera ran as fast as she could. She jumped down the steps leading out of the castle and kept running. They had finally found her. She didn't know how, but her parents had found her. She could hear them behind her, chasing her, trying to bring her in the Dark Lord's service.
As hard as Vera ran, she seemed to slow down. They were gaining on her, the Death Eaters also known as her parents. Her breath was coming shorter as her legs refused to keep moving. Then two cloaked figures burst through the trees of the Dark Forest and she screamed.
Vera sat straight up in bed gasping, and Athena jumped off her chest. The curtains on her four poster bed flew open and Katie peered through. "Vera?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
Vera tried to calm her breathing as she disentangled herself from the sheets gathered around her. "It . . . it was just a bad dream, that's all."
"That's all?" repeated Katie in disbelief. She sat down on the bed and examined Vera's disheveled appearance. "That's not all and you very well know it. Ever since that attack on the first year last week you've changed. You're not sleeping, you're not eating, you're Quidditch skills are going and you're pale as all hell. Tell me what is really going on."
Vera closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. After Wood's reaction to what she had to say, she was loath to tell anyone else. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she told Katie everything.
~*~*~*~
Wood took a seat at one of the long tables; hardly thinking about the lunch laid out before him. His mind was elsewhere, thinking of tactics and plays to employ for that afternoon's Quidditch practice. His thoughts were interrupted as Katie came over and punched him in the shoulder.
"Hey!" protested Wood, glaring at Katie as he rubbed his shoulder. "Nice to see your arm's healed. What was that for?"
"You are one pigheaded prick," she responded, eyes narrowing.
Wood stared at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked, watching as she sat down next to him.
"Vera." Wood turned away and Katie had to stop herself from hitting him again. "After all that she has been through you turn your back on her!"
"Only after I found out that she's been lying to me."
"She was scared Oliver. I would be too. Did it also occur to you that maybe you had become so important to her, that she didn't want to risk losing you? That maybe she was worried that by telling you, you would walk away? And look what happened."
Wood was silent. He had been caught up in the moment and the act of thinking had been far from his mind. "She's fine without me."
Katie rolled her eyes. "You're blind as well as stupid. She's terrified Oliver. She woke up screaming last night from another dream. Besides that, she's not eating and she looks horrible. The attacks are taking their toll on her and having you keep your distance isn't helping. Open your eyes for once."
Wood sighed and rubbed his temples before checking his watch. "I have to get to practice." He stood up and left, leaving Katie to wonder if she had gotten through to him. The Gryffindor Keeper was, in fact, lost in thought as he gathered his Quidditch things from his room.
It wasn't until he was flying through the Quidditch stadium that he made up his mind and finally looked around him. Harry was racing Fred and George from one side of the field to the other. Angelina and Alicia were deep in discussion, throwing looks his way once in a while.
Checking his watch, he saw that Vera was late. He sighed and then caught sight of her running towards the field, obviously realizing she was late. She mounted her broom without looking and sped up to meet with the rest of the team. The Gryffindors then sped off in different directions to perform some standard drills to see if they were really awake.
Wood sat back by the goals to watch the scarlet figures as they moved through the air. His gaze strayed to Vera last, watching as she soared above the rest to try and perform a certain maneuver. Then something happened that made his heart go into his throat: Vera screamed. She screamed and with a splintering crack, fell towards the ground, her broom nothing more than a few broken pieces.
Wood yelled and sped towards the falling figure. He flattened himself against his broom handle, praying he would be able to reach Vera in time. With a last burst of speed, he reached out and grabbed Vera's wrist as she fell past him.
Vera cried out as another crack ensued, her wrist broken from the sudden jerk. She tried to hold on to Wood's wrist through the pain, looking up at him as he guided his broom gently toward the ground.
The Gryffindors had landed and waited for Wood on the ground. Fred and George reached up and helped steady Vera as Wood let go of her wrist, her grip almost nonexistent. Jumping off his broom, he rushed to her side.
"Vera!" he exclaimed, crouching down next to where she sat on the ground. "Vera, what happened?"
She shook her head, clutching her wrist to her chest. "I.I don't know. I just heard a sudden crack and the broom gave way beneath me." She closed her eyes and shuddered, remembering those few awful moments of falling.
"Come on, we need to get you to Madam Pomfery," said Wood, helping her up. With a guiding arm around her waist, he led Vera carefully up the slope to the castle.
Harry gathered up the remains of Vera's broom and looked at them curiously. "Look at this," he said to the remaining team. "This broom didn't just break, it looks like it was made to break. The edges aren't jagged, it seems like someone almost cut through the handle."
Angelina took the pieces and looked them over. "What in the world." she began, but trailed off, looking up at the fading figures of Vera and Wood.
Vera sniffled and bit her lip, trying hard not to focus on the pain radiating from her broken wrist. Instead she focused on Wood next to her, and the feel of his arm around her. She had hardly realized that he had spoken until their pace slowed. "What?"
"I said, are you sure that you're wrist is broken?"
Vera smiled marginally. "If you could feel the pain, you would know that it is broken."
Wood sighed. "Vera, listen to me for a moment. You gave me quite a scare back there, falling like that."
"You think I planned that? Yes, I could see how you would seeing as how I love hundred foot drops."
"No, no," hurriedly explained Wood. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant that it scared me seeing you in danger like that. I'm sorry for being an idiot like I have been. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I'm just sorry for everything." They paused outside the doors to the hospital wing. "I'm sorry Vera."
She looked up at him and smiled through the pain. "I missed you Wood. Now can we please go in? This injury is a tad painful."
Pushing open the door, Wood led Vera through and Madam Pomfery came bustling up. "A broken wrist? Quidditch really is a dreadful sport. Now sit over there while I go make up a potion for you. I'm afraid you're going to have to spend the night here, just to make sure."
Vera nodded dully and sat back on one of the beds. "Well, looks like I'm out for a while."
Wood nodded as he sat across from her. "You could still play I'm sure, but it might hurt a bit."
Vera nodded. "Well, Katie's arm is better, so she can take her place back on the team. Even if I could play, I don't have a broom anymore. At least now I have one less thing to worry about."
Madam Pomfery came over and handed a goblet to Vera. "This will help with the pain until the rest of the potion is ready."
Vera choked down the liquid as quickly as she could before leaning back again. Professor McGonagall entered the room, carrying a bag as Athena trotted behind her. "Vera!" she exclaimed upon getting a good look at the girl. "What happened?"
Wood stood. "I'll let you explain while I go talk to the rest of the team, I'll be back later." He smiled at both of them, looking curiously at Athena before leaving. Athena stared accusingly at Wood, as if blaming him for what happened. Shrugging, Wood headed back out to the Quidditch field.
~*~*~*~
Well, thank you to everyone that has given me some feedback so far, it is very much appreciated! Now, in two weeks from today I have to return to that dreaded prison that I call high school. Just great. I am going to try and finish this story before then so that I can concentrate on my classes. I am going to be so busy this year it's sad. But I WILL finish this story. Until then, please let me know what you think of the story and I'll work on getting the rest of it posted, thanks! ~ Alexandra
Realizations
Vera sighed as she flipped through her textbook, hard at work on an essay on self-Transfiguration. She looked up and watched everyone momentarily in the common room. Running a hand through her raven hair, she was about to start again when Lee Jordan burst through the portrait hole.
"You won't believe what I just heard!" he shouted, looking somewhat awed and scared. "There's been another attack, but on a student!" It was that first year Colin Creevy!"
The common room fell silent for a moment before bursting into conversation. The first years moved together, frightened, as the rest of the Gryffindors talked loudly. In the corner of the common room, Vera sat frozen, ice blue eyes wide. It's happening again, was all she could think.
Vera was startled from her thoughts as Athena jumped onto her lap. If cats could smile, Vera would have sworn hers was. "Athena," she whispered, tracing the white spots on her cat. "It's happening again girl. It's happening again and there's nothing I can do." Blinking back tears of fright, she petted her cat wishing she weren't at Hogwarts.
~*~*~*~
Vera ran as fast as she could. She jumped down the steps leading out of the castle and kept running. They had finally found her. She didn't know how, but her parents had found her. She could hear them behind her, chasing her, trying to bring her in the Dark Lord's service.
As hard as Vera ran, she seemed to slow down. They were gaining on her, the Death Eaters also known as her parents. Her breath was coming shorter as her legs refused to keep moving. Then two cloaked figures burst through the trees of the Dark Forest and she screamed.
Vera sat straight up in bed gasping, and Athena jumped off her chest. The curtains on her four poster bed flew open and Katie peered through. "Vera?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
Vera tried to calm her breathing as she disentangled herself from the sheets gathered around her. "It . . . it was just a bad dream, that's all."
"That's all?" repeated Katie in disbelief. She sat down on the bed and examined Vera's disheveled appearance. "That's not all and you very well know it. Ever since that attack on the first year last week you've changed. You're not sleeping, you're not eating, you're Quidditch skills are going and you're pale as all hell. Tell me what is really going on."
Vera closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. After Wood's reaction to what she had to say, she was loath to tell anyone else. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she told Katie everything.
~*~*~*~
Wood took a seat at one of the long tables; hardly thinking about the lunch laid out before him. His mind was elsewhere, thinking of tactics and plays to employ for that afternoon's Quidditch practice. His thoughts were interrupted as Katie came over and punched him in the shoulder.
"Hey!" protested Wood, glaring at Katie as he rubbed his shoulder. "Nice to see your arm's healed. What was that for?"
"You are one pigheaded prick," she responded, eyes narrowing.
Wood stared at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked, watching as she sat down next to him.
"Vera." Wood turned away and Katie had to stop herself from hitting him again. "After all that she has been through you turn your back on her!"
"Only after I found out that she's been lying to me."
"She was scared Oliver. I would be too. Did it also occur to you that maybe you had become so important to her, that she didn't want to risk losing you? That maybe she was worried that by telling you, you would walk away? And look what happened."
Wood was silent. He had been caught up in the moment and the act of thinking had been far from his mind. "She's fine without me."
Katie rolled her eyes. "You're blind as well as stupid. She's terrified Oliver. She woke up screaming last night from another dream. Besides that, she's not eating and she looks horrible. The attacks are taking their toll on her and having you keep your distance isn't helping. Open your eyes for once."
Wood sighed and rubbed his temples before checking his watch. "I have to get to practice." He stood up and left, leaving Katie to wonder if she had gotten through to him. The Gryffindor Keeper was, in fact, lost in thought as he gathered his Quidditch things from his room.
It wasn't until he was flying through the Quidditch stadium that he made up his mind and finally looked around him. Harry was racing Fred and George from one side of the field to the other. Angelina and Alicia were deep in discussion, throwing looks his way once in a while.
Checking his watch, he saw that Vera was late. He sighed and then caught sight of her running towards the field, obviously realizing she was late. She mounted her broom without looking and sped up to meet with the rest of the team. The Gryffindors then sped off in different directions to perform some standard drills to see if they were really awake.
Wood sat back by the goals to watch the scarlet figures as they moved through the air. His gaze strayed to Vera last, watching as she soared above the rest to try and perform a certain maneuver. Then something happened that made his heart go into his throat: Vera screamed. She screamed and with a splintering crack, fell towards the ground, her broom nothing more than a few broken pieces.
Wood yelled and sped towards the falling figure. He flattened himself against his broom handle, praying he would be able to reach Vera in time. With a last burst of speed, he reached out and grabbed Vera's wrist as she fell past him.
Vera cried out as another crack ensued, her wrist broken from the sudden jerk. She tried to hold on to Wood's wrist through the pain, looking up at him as he guided his broom gently toward the ground.
The Gryffindors had landed and waited for Wood on the ground. Fred and George reached up and helped steady Vera as Wood let go of her wrist, her grip almost nonexistent. Jumping off his broom, he rushed to her side.
"Vera!" he exclaimed, crouching down next to where she sat on the ground. "Vera, what happened?"
She shook her head, clutching her wrist to her chest. "I.I don't know. I just heard a sudden crack and the broom gave way beneath me." She closed her eyes and shuddered, remembering those few awful moments of falling.
"Come on, we need to get you to Madam Pomfery," said Wood, helping her up. With a guiding arm around her waist, he led Vera carefully up the slope to the castle.
Harry gathered up the remains of Vera's broom and looked at them curiously. "Look at this," he said to the remaining team. "This broom didn't just break, it looks like it was made to break. The edges aren't jagged, it seems like someone almost cut through the handle."
Angelina took the pieces and looked them over. "What in the world." she began, but trailed off, looking up at the fading figures of Vera and Wood.
Vera sniffled and bit her lip, trying hard not to focus on the pain radiating from her broken wrist. Instead she focused on Wood next to her, and the feel of his arm around her. She had hardly realized that he had spoken until their pace slowed. "What?"
"I said, are you sure that you're wrist is broken?"
Vera smiled marginally. "If you could feel the pain, you would know that it is broken."
Wood sighed. "Vera, listen to me for a moment. You gave me quite a scare back there, falling like that."
"You think I planned that? Yes, I could see how you would seeing as how I love hundred foot drops."
"No, no," hurriedly explained Wood. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant that it scared me seeing you in danger like that. I'm sorry for being an idiot like I have been. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I'm just sorry for everything." They paused outside the doors to the hospital wing. "I'm sorry Vera."
She looked up at him and smiled through the pain. "I missed you Wood. Now can we please go in? This injury is a tad painful."
Pushing open the door, Wood led Vera through and Madam Pomfery came bustling up. "A broken wrist? Quidditch really is a dreadful sport. Now sit over there while I go make up a potion for you. I'm afraid you're going to have to spend the night here, just to make sure."
Vera nodded dully and sat back on one of the beds. "Well, looks like I'm out for a while."
Wood nodded as he sat across from her. "You could still play I'm sure, but it might hurt a bit."
Vera nodded. "Well, Katie's arm is better, so she can take her place back on the team. Even if I could play, I don't have a broom anymore. At least now I have one less thing to worry about."
Madam Pomfery came over and handed a goblet to Vera. "This will help with the pain until the rest of the potion is ready."
Vera choked down the liquid as quickly as she could before leaning back again. Professor McGonagall entered the room, carrying a bag as Athena trotted behind her. "Vera!" she exclaimed upon getting a good look at the girl. "What happened?"
Wood stood. "I'll let you explain while I go talk to the rest of the team, I'll be back later." He smiled at both of them, looking curiously at Athena before leaving. Athena stared accusingly at Wood, as if blaming him for what happened. Shrugging, Wood headed back out to the Quidditch field.
~*~*~*~
Well, thank you to everyone that has given me some feedback so far, it is very much appreciated! Now, in two weeks from today I have to return to that dreaded prison that I call high school. Just great. I am going to try and finish this story before then so that I can concentrate on my classes. I am going to be so busy this year it's sad. But I WILL finish this story. Until then, please let me know what you think of the story and I'll work on getting the rest of it posted, thanks! ~ Alexandra