NOTES:
Oliver jumps to conclusions. Silly Gryffindor… ah well. Two people hook up. Guess who?
DEDICATION:
To Skyler again. Because she's just too awesome and I am unworthy!!!!!!
DISCLAIMER:
Screw disclaimers. And no, not literally. Unless you're really sick.
*~*~*~*
"All right… tell me what happened. And why you look completely mortified." Warrington said calmly, sitting down in a chair in front of the cot.
"May I ask you a personal question?" Cass ventured, her fingers idly plucking at loose threads on the hem of her shirt.
"Sure… and would you like an honest answer, or a reassuring one?"
"Carl!" Cass glared at him, "Be serious!"
"All right… all right," he rolled his eyes slightly, "Seriousness is seeping into my soul as we speak; make it quick, so I can undo the damage, hmm?"
"How… ah…" Cass paused, and felt her cheeks heat up even more. Angry and ashamed of herself, she muttered out the question quickly and sullenly, "How do you know how you feel about someone?"
Warrington's eyebrows rose to his hairline, "I beg your pardon? How you feel about someone… isn't that simply… how you respond and what you think of a person? What's the conclusion… and how is this a personal question?"
Cass sighed. Trust Carl Warrington to not make this easy for her. Bloody git… but she had to talk to someone… "I… well, that is to say… I don't know what to think about him… he represents so many things that I dislike… and yet… I don't know."
"Wood?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, the bloody sexual tension between you two is only almost visible…" Warrington said sarcastically, "Let me guess… he is in love with you. And you don't know what to think."
"You know me too well," she sighed, then reached up a hand and rubbed her forehead, "I don't even know… it's too bloody complicated. I… I hated him… it was easier then. I don't know…"
"Why did you hate him?"
"What do you mean, why did I hate him?" Cass queried, "He was this cocky hot-shot male Quidditch player."
"Well, so am I, and you don't hate me," Warrington jibed. Cass gave him a weak smile.
"Don't be so sure… but that's not the point. I… he said he loved me."
"Yes… yes, so I've gathered."
"Why?"
"Well… why don't you ask him about it?" Warrington suggested logically, "After all, he's the one who said that…"
"But… I don't know what I feel…"
"Well, I think we've established that you don't hate him any more."
"Not… exactly," Cass conceded, "Although I don't know if I love him."
"Well… perhaps you should ponder that some more, hmm? I mean, you will have to give the bloke an answer someday…"
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Cass said scathingly, "That doesn't help me figure out what I feel, though!"
"Well… you should think more about it, hmm?" Carl said reasonably, "It would certainly brass Marcus off to no end if you did shag Wood… the two were always mortal enemies…"
Cass shook her head, and lay down on the cot, rubbing her temples slightly and shutting her eyes. All right… to think about these things… bah!
Simplicity was all…
What simplicity?!
She fell asleep in Warrington's tent that night, still troubled. And Carl Warrington, smiling wryly and shaking his head, cast a cushioning charm on his chair and dozed off, bewailing the denseness of others.
* * *
Cass awoke the next morning to find herself in an unfamiliar bed. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, she looked around in an effort to figure out where she was.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," a male voice called out.
Carl Warrington was standing at the foot of the bed, smirking slightly and shaking his head, as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Cass was silent for a moment, then remembered... oh goodness! She'd come in to tell him about W-- Oliver's confession... and try to figure out what to do; then she'd fallen asleep on his bed.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry I fell asleep..." she started. He shrugged good-naturedly.
"Don't worry about it, Cass... I'm all right." He gestured his chair.
"You sure?"
"A little sore, but otherwise perfectly fine. Nothing a nice long shower won't cure. You, however, should be off. Other people might get suspicious, you know," he added teasingly.
Cass rolled her eyes, "I know, I know..." Then, softly, "I still don't know what to do about W—Oliver... I..."
"Well, ponder it for a bit, then give him an answer... now, out with you." He gave her a gentle push towards the exit, and she slowly emerged from his tent.
Oliver Wood watched from his spot just a few feet away from Warrington's tent, and felt his stomach sink to his knees.
Bloody Slytherins. He hated them all...
* * *
Cass was pondering on just what to say to Oliver when the latter, looking particularly peeved, barked for the team to get their arses in the air; how the devil were they going to face Spain unless they practiced?!
"Blimey, someone awoke with a burr in his knickers this morning," Skyler muttered as she took to the air, Beater club in one hand.
Oliver Wood was relentless that practice. The Gryffindor temper was at its max that day, for some odd reason or another, and especially, he seemed infuriated at the Slytherin Chasers.
"Flint!" he barked, glowering at Cass, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
Cass stared at him, puzzled, for once, no snarky comeback upon her lips. What was the matter now?
"Give it a rest, Wood…" Warrington said wearily, "That's the first shot she's missed in ten… that's really not bad…"
"You sod off!" Wood yelled at Warrington, "Damned Slytherins... you would take her part, hmm? We have a bloody game coming up and you two..."
"Oliver, what are you talking about?" A completely mystified Steven Cornfoot asked Wood.
Oliver scowled, and muttered something under his breath. "Forget about this... just practice. Flint, Warrington... aarrrghh!"
Cass frowned slightly, entirely baffled now. What was wrong with him? Was it normal for a man who supposedly loved a woman... and told her such... to then yell at her like she was the most hateful bint in the world, the very next day? Was he... was he sorry for saying that? Just what...
Thankfully for Oliver's frazzled nerves and Cass's confused thoughts, Harry caught the snitch about ten minutes later, and the practice ended. Cass, bemused and quiet, took her customary quick shower in the locker room and then silently Apparated to the tent that she and Skyler shared.
Skyler was not there at the moment, probably still on the pitch, and Cass, at the moment, was somewhat glad.
She needed time to think... and what was the matter with Oliver anyway?
Did he love her?
* * *
Oliver Wood was, in fact, at the men's locker room at the moment, having a conniption of gargantuan proportions at Carl Warrington.
"What the DEVIL do you think you're doing?!" Wood snapped, not caring if anyone heard. Warrington looked at him in frank puzzlement.
"For once, I haven't done anything," the Slytherin said slowly, "What are you going on about?"
"You... you... Ca—Flint..." Oliver's voice was almost shaking with anger, and still, Warrington was confused.
"Honestly, Wood... we weren't doing anything wrong or against the rule... for Slytherins like us, what more can you expect?"
The jibe only seemed to make Oliver even more furious. "You! Last night! Shagging her! How could you do such a thing?! I... there's the final game against Spain coming up, and you're shagging another player! That... that's bad!" The excuse sounded tenuous even to his own ears, but Oliver was beyond caring at the moment. He hated Warrington. The bastard.
Warrington rolled his eyes, "What's wrong with shagging another player? I fail to see your point... it's not like I'd be so careless as to impregnate someone... but moreover, I didn't shag Cass. Nor do I intend to. What in the world are you going on about?"
Oliver blinked. What?! But... he heard the two talking in the morning... and she came out of his tent... and... "You aren't shagging her, and yet you keep her in your tent overnight! If you like a girl, you should at least remain faithful to her!"
"What in the world makes you think that I like Cass that way?" Warrington frowned at the other man, "She's like a sister to me! I would no sooner shag her than those Weasley twits who used to play under you would shag their sister... that's a completely sick-making idea! Ugh, I would never contemplate getting involved in that way with Cass... just because she went to my tent doesn't mean that I shagged her... she merely talked with me for a while, then fell asleep... Merlin, you Gryffindors and your ridiculous jumping-to-conclusions..." Warrington rolled his eyes.
Oliver found himself face-faulting. He... what was he supposed to think, seeing Cass come out of Warrington's tent at dawn? But Warrington's face showed that he was telling the truth. He blinked, and then blurted out, "Ah, so you won't be shagging Ca—er, anyone?"
Warrington looked at him for a moment, then smirked, "I will not be shagging Cass... she's all yours, Wood. But don't expect me to make any vows of chastity." With that last jibe, Warrington strode out of the locker room, to see Skyler Zabini leaning against the wall, her head cocked to the side, looking at him curiously.
"Hello, Sky," he greeted. She raised an eyebrow at the nickname, then smirked at him.
"Quite the ladies man, aren't you?" she asked lightly, "Who are you intending on shagging, if not Cass?"
Warrington grinned, and advanced on her. She didn't move, and found herself pinned against the wall, with him standing toe to toe with her. He raised a large, callused hand towards her head, delicately twining a few strands of her dark hair in his fingers. "Wouldn't you like to know."
She gave him a sidelong glance, and quirked her lip, "I am rather curious who the lady is... although I'm not sure if I should congratulate her or condole her... but who gave you permission to play with my hair?"
Warrington raised an eyebrow, then put on a mock-tragic expression, "What, Skyler Zabini, are you saying that I have to..." he winced, "Ask nicely or something?"
Skyler gave a bell-like laugh, and lightly slapped his hand away from her hair, "And if I am?"
He glowered at her, then sighed deeply, "Fine... fine..." he grimaced, "For you... and you only... and only on very special occasions... Skyler Zabini, may I play with your hair?"
Skyler giggled, even as she felt a blush rising in her cheeks, "You might need a little practice at that," she informed him archly.
Carl Warrington stared at the young woman pinned against the wall, her face rosy; her violet eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth. She was not making any effort to move. Growling, he moved his hand back to her face, cupping her chin. "Sod niceness," he muttered before firmly pressing his lips against hers, his other hand coming to rest on her hip.
She stiffened, but only for a brief moment, before leaning into the kiss, allowing him to work her lips open with his. Her strong, slender hands raised up to his shoulders, and clutched him for a moment before twining around his neck. His hands clamped down on her waist, pulling her closer, and only later, when they both needed air, did they separate.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and then, she spoke to him, her voice somewhat breathless, "I didn't say you could do that."
He rolled his eyes, "Yes, silly me... how could I have forgotten? Snogging back, and quite enthusiastically at that, is the universal 'sod off' sign... my memory must have failed me..." he retorted mockingly.
She shook her head, and grinned at him. And then, she slowly slid one hand back up to his shoulder, and purred lowly in his ear, "Shall I tell you to sod off again?"
He smirked, "By all means."
"Sod off," she said immediately, then snickered at his flabbergasted expression. "Oh, that was priceless... you should have seen how comical you looked..."
"Sky..."
"Yes?"
"You are a thing of beauty and a joy forever, but you talk too much."
"You will have to do something about that, won't you?" she said pertly.
"Yes..."
When Oliver Wood emerged from the locker room about fifteen minutes later, he was greeted by the sight of Carl Warrington and Skyler Zabini, the former pinning the latter against the wall, and the two seemingly surgically attached at the tongues.
Wood shook his head and walked away. He... didn't... know.
But... at least Warrington was not with Cass. Whatever else he did, was his business. Oliver didn't care.
*~*~*~*
Yes! Warrington and Sky get some action! Don't worry, I promise that eventually, Oliver and Cass will come to their senses. Eventually.