NOTES:
Marcus happiness shall ensue! Altercations are fun, because I am evil like that.
DEDICATION:
To Alice and Kimmie, for all the ebil plotting that has gone on today, that will make life so much more interesting soon!!
DISCLAIMER:
If I rode Warrington's broomstick, my boyfriend would be very unhappy. Not to mention a certain Zabini might take it into her head to crack my skull open with a bludger. Alas…
*~*~*~*
The all-star team, methodically sending the reserve players to answer any and all inquiries and reporters in regards to the game, their win, etc… was gathered at the nearby magical hospital, in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting news of Cass's injury.
The door to the waiting room suddenly slammed open, and before anyone could really see what was going on, Oliver Wood was bodily hauled out of his chair, and shaken roughly on the shoulders.
"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SISTER, YOU GRYFFINDOR BASTARD?!?"
And then the roaring, shaking menace was pulled off him, and a snappish female voice called out.
"I think it was quite apparent that it was a bludger that hit Cass, and not Wood."
Oliver's mind finally kicked into gear. The one who had dragged him out of his seat and screamed in his face was none other than Cass's brother, Marcus Flint. Probably his least favorite person in the world… and the one who had pulled Flint off of him was Flint's wife, formerly Karen Bletchley. Flint was red-faced with rage, and Bletchley… well; Flint's wife… was rolling her eyes slightly and giving him a rather wry look.
A rather harangued-looking Skyler Zabini gave them both a gentle shove towards the door. "Look… they're going to kick us out if you two brawl in here. Take it to the hall, will you? And while you're at it… when you two are fighting, try to not knock over any wandering patients, hmm?"
Both men made as if to protest, and the female Beater continued impatiently, "I promise to cast Ennervate on the two of you after you beat each other unconscious… when they say that you can go see her. Now… leave and don't come back until you've both worked off the testosterone."
Skyler and Karen exchanged a wry smile, and the latter followed her husband and her husband's main rival out the door.
As soon as the two men were out in the hall, Marcus Flint sailed right back in again, indignation on every feature, a scowl of fury on his face. "How DARE you not take care of my sister, Wood?! She was a member of your fucking team!! It's all your bloody fault that she's injured!!"
Karen shook her head and sighed, tugging on Marcus's arm and trying to pull him away from Wood, "Marcus, Cass is your sister. You should know better than to think that she would allow anyone to 'take care' of her in that way, being the recipient of many tirades from her for that very offense."
"That's beside the point!" Marcus raged, "My sister is injured and it's all his fault!!"
"Boy, aren't we sounding mature today…" Karen muttered, "Look here… as much as it pains me to say this of a Gryffindor, it's not exactly Wood's fault that Cass got in the way of that bludger."
Oliver watched the Slytherin couple for a brief moment, and then he snapped. "Look, Flint, do you think I didn't TRY to take care of her as far as she would let me?! Do you think I want to see her hurt?! Goddammit, I LOVE HER!"
And then there was silence.
If their angry shouts had been noisy and disruptive before, this deafening silence was far more disturbing.
Karen was the first to speak up. Eyebrows reached up to her hairline, her mouth was a little slack, but she addressed Wood with all the aplomb of a born Slytherin. Well, given that she was utterly astonished, she kept her cool composure rather well.
"Well then… Ah… I don't know whether to congratulate you or to feel sorry for you, Wood. Er… good luck?"
Unlike Karen, Marcus was a completely different story. Not in that he wasn't also entirely shocked and stunned that his rival and arch-nemesis of many, many years just confessed to being in love with his sister, but…
"WHAT?! You… you miserable sodding BASTARD!! How DARE you love my sister?! What gives you the RIGHT to do such a presumptuous thing?! You… you…"
"Do you think I WANTED to?" Oliver snapped. "She… she MADE me!"
"Again, I would like to remark upon the maturity level of you two…" Karen grumbled, "Men… let's not argue over whether or not he has a right to love Cass… that's not exactly either of you two's decision, now is it? Actually, don't answer that. Rhetorical question. Anyway, Cass herself flew in the line of fire. Whatever reason she did that… that's her business, hmm? And shouldn't the two of you at least pretend to put aside your little 'whose is bigger' petty competition, as both of you apparently love Cass, and this is more about her than about you two?"
A sensible woman, that Karen Bletchley…
The door opened, and Skyler's face appeared, along with the whiskery face of the mediwizard. "Only relatives at this time."
Despite his wife's quelling stare, Marcus Flint was not above giving Oliver Wood a triumphant sort of smirk as he strode in to see his sister.
* * *
Cass was sitting up in bed, her arm in a loose sling. The fractured bone had been repaired with a wave of the mediwizard's wand, but it was protocol to have her remain in the hospital for another day, just to make sure that it healed properly.
"What in the devil were you…?"
"Marcus, I'm not in the mood for that right now. Spare me, please…" Cass said quietly. "I know that you want to know why I did such a thing, and what the hell I was thinking… and frankly, I can't give you an answer to that. And yes, I know it was reckless. Sod that… and no, I do not want to be lectured about this."
Marcus Flint looked at his sister, lying in bed, once again due to a Quidditch injury. They'd had this scene several times before. Heaven knew… this was the basis for almost all of their arguments and clashes. Cass had the determination to win at any cost of a Slytherin… with a disturbingly Gryffindor streak of pure recklessness.
Their parents had hated it. And he had been immeasurably bothered by it… the combination was not a good one.
Or so it had seemed.
And what the devil was Wood… Oliver WOOD of all people, going about saying that he loved her?
Something was rather enormously alarming about the whole picture… and why was Cass being so quiet? Sure… as always, she told him to stuff the lecture… but there was no yelling.
What had changed her? Wood? Oliver bloody Wood?!
"Fine. I won't lecture you," he ground out. Not at the moment, anyway. "Although I am curious why you did that. Block that bludger, that is…"
"Does it matter?" Cass hedged, "I bloody felt like it, okay?"
"Why are you avoiding the question? And why was Oliver bloody Wood carrying you around when he was supposed to be getting that bloody cup?" Actually, he knew why… disturbing as it was. But did Cass?
"What do you mean, why?" Cass muttered, not meeting his eyes, "Damned if I know…"
"Why is Wood so… so protective of you?"
"Why do you care?" Cass frowned. She almost preferred the other lectures to… to this. She… did not want to answer any of these questions. And… she herself didn't even know what to say.
"Well forgive me sister for being curious that the one bloke who is as obsessed with Quidditch as you are… captaining a team that wins the bloody World Cup… suddenly doesn't care about going to get the cup… but rather to bring you to a mediwizard… now, not that I wouldn't have done the same thing, but he's not your brother… and then, with you going and blocking a bludger for him… what the hell am I supposed to think?!"
"I don't bloody know, okay?" Cass snapped, "I don't know why he's like that… and I don't know why I did that… it just happened! Will you stop giving me a hard time over this? It's none of your damned business anyway!"
"What's going on between you and Wood? Just tell me that, Cass…" Marcus said stolidly, staring at his sister, who for once refused to meet his eyes.
"I told you… I don't know!" Cass whispered.
"Do you love him?" Marcus queried, frowning, not sure whether he should fear her answer.
"W-what?" Cass stuttered, "W-where did you get that idea?"
"Answer the question, Cass."
"Why do you care?"
"Let's pretend I don't," Marcus snapped, his patience wearing very thin indeed with his sister's evasiveness. Cass was never one to run from anything… tangible dangers or uncomfortable questions. "Stop dodging and just tell me, dammit!"
"I… what if I did, huh? What if I did love him? What're you going to say to that?" Cass blurted out, her words a rush, "Not that that's any of your business, of course. But if I did, what's that to you?"
All right… so he wouldn't have a chance to tell Wood just where to shove his presumptuous affections. Damn.
"I…" Marcus paused, not knowing just what to say. Cass was looking at him challengingly, as if daring him to say something negative. But there was a hint of something in her eyes… that prevented him from blowing up. Something almost childlike: a need for his… blessing, almost, and he didn't know quite what to say.
"Just… forget about it," Cass said softly, looking away with a scowl. Hell if her brother would understand… he didn't even appreciate her love of Quidditch, or agree to her playing the sport. It would be completely unfeasible for the two of them ever to have any common ground. She looked down, scowling somewhat.
Marcus sighed, and then did something that he had not done since the two of them had been kids, and she had started out at Hogwarts. Striding over to her bedside, he gave her a brief, unceremonious hug.
"Good game, Cass. Bloody reckless and wild… and don't ever think of doing that again… but… good game."
Cass gave him a small, wry smile as he pulled away. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."
Marcus nodded, then frowned to himself, "Oliver Wood… of all people…"
"Shut up."
"Fine… fine…" Marcus scowled, "That doesn't mean I have to like it. And that certainly doesn't mean that I won't kill him with my bare hands if he so much as…"
"Marcus, I would kill him before you had a chance, if he hurt me," Cass cut him off.
Marcus nodded reluctantly, and walked towards the door. "Er… the others probably want to see you."
Cass nodded; then looked down, "That's fine… except… I don't want to see Oliver yet. Tell him… politely."
"Fine… fine…" Marcus rolled his eyes, and strode out of the hospital room once more.
* * *
The moment Marcus opened the door of Cass's room, the others in the waiting room jumped to their feet and rushed towards him. Marcus quickly got out of the way, and the throng that was the all-star team, the reserves, and the rest of the Holyhead Harpies, piled into the hospital room to see Cass.
Oliver was among the group, but Marcus Flint implacably shoved him back down in his seat.
"She doesn't want to see you, Wood," the Slytherin couldn't help but sneer a little at Oliver's put out expression. The two men glared at each other for a moment, and then the Slytherin spoke up, his voice gruff and blunt.
"You hurt my sister… you so much as hurt one sodding hair on her head, and I will kill you."
And before Oliver Wood could reply, Marcus strode out without a backwards glance. Karen lingered for a moment after, and gave Oliver an almost-sympathetic wry smile, before following her husband out the door.
Oliver sat back down in the now-empty waiting room.
All right…… so now what?
*~*~*~*
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