NOTES:
Yes. I will have mercy on the two ickle sods. After all, this fic is very, very close to completion.
DEDICATION:
To Angela. For no other reason besides the fact that she completely rocks.
DISCLAIMER:
Oliver belongs to Cass. Cass belongs to me. So logically, one should be able to conclude that Oliver therefore also belongs to me. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.
*~*~*~*
Cass refused to let Oliver visit her at all during her hospital stay. Sure, the rest of the all-star team, the reserves, and her Harpies teammates were able to visit... but he was barred.
He supposed that it was his fault.
After all, he hadn't exactly been nice when he'd told her how he felt, and then... that whole incident with thinking that she was with Warrington, he'd taken out his anger and resentment in an inappropriate way. He'd been a selfish prat.
Love was a strange thing... one would think that ideally, it would be selfless. And even if Cass had been involved with Warrington, he, Oliver Wood, would have wished her the best because he loved her and wanted her to be happy.
But it wasn't that simple. Love was selfish. Sure, he wanted her to be happy. But only, only if that happiness meant him.
Nevertheless, even knowing that it was his fault... didn't mean that he could easily accept that. Or that he felt no resentment about the fact that he was being so egregiously excluded.
Idly, he wondered if Marcus Flint had had anything to do with Cass's decision to avoid him.
But that wouldn't quite make sense. He knew what she was like. If she were inclined to do something, no one could stop her. Flint would not have been able to prevent her from seeing him if she wanted to.
Which meant, of course, that she didn't in fact want to see him.
Oliver Apparated away from the hospital and spent the rest of the night sulking by himself in his tent.
* * *
Cass was declared healthy and fit to be released that morning from the hospital. Skyler Zabini went over to help her teammate and friend pack her things, and also to talk.
The younger woman walked into Cass's room just as the nurse had finished checking the Chaser's arm for any remaining problems. Skyler gave her friend a smile, and sat down by her bed.
"How're you feeling, Cass?"
"All right, I guess," Cass replied, moving her arm back and forth experimentally, "Arm seems to be all right."
"Indeed it does," Skyler said briskly, grabbing a nearby stack of get-well cards from fans who had been at the game, and putting them away in a backpack with a wave of her wand. "Oh, just so you know, Wood's rather put out that you refuse to see him."
Cass blinked, "You've talked to Ol—Wood?"
"Oh, no," Skyler shook her head, "But he's been pouting all morning. And likely all last evening too… wouldn't really know. He refused to come with us to celebrate the victory. Now that's a first if there ever was one."
"Oh!" Cass gave a soft exclamation, not knowing what to say… what to think. Skyler gave her a shrewd, piercing look.
"Well, let's get going. We're going to Port-key out this evening. Should probably close camp and all." The Beater extended a hand to Cass, to pull her out of the bed. Cass took it, then paused.
"What's that on your wrist?" She looked down, and saw the glitter of something silver. Pulling Skyler's hand up to her face to see it more closely, she stared, then laughed.
"A name-bracelet engraved with the words 'Skyler Warrington'?"
Skyler chuckled, "Well, I certainly was not the one who got this."
"Warrington gave that to you?" Cass laughed, "What a git!"
"I found it rather amusing… although, to be sure, that he'd have the presumption to do such a thing… but he said that within the next year, I would be changing my name to that if he had anything to say about it. The very idea! He should change his name to Zabini, I think."
"I hope you hit him for that," Cass smirked.
"Oh, of course."
"And of course, presumption and smarminess notwithstanding, you still shagged him. Again." Cass said in a deadpan voice.
"That too," Skyler said breezily, "Ah well… I can always get him a collar that says 'Skyler's bitch' for Christmas. But we should get going, hmm?"
* * *
Cass was greeted by a grinning team when she and Skyler had Apparated back to their encampment. Steven Cornfoot, Kevin Whitby and Harry Potter, being the nice, non-Slytherin people that they were, merely smiled at her, congratulated her on a good game, and hoped that she was all right.
Easy enough to placate and deal with.
Oliver Wood gave her a brief nod before turning away, his face rather unreadable.
She didn't know whether she wanted to strangle him, or run up to him, slap him across the face for being such a contrary bastard, then snog him.
Well… neither of them would really be options… so she simply didn't say anything.
She was, in fact, about to go quietly over to her tent and finish packing when she was accosted by a decidedly predatory-looking Carl Warrington.
"Well hello there, Cass," Warrington grinned at her, his dark eyes glinting in a way that did not bode well at all for her, "How are you feeling right now?"
"As well as can be expected," she said brusquely, "Why, is something the matter?"
"In fact, there is," Warrington declared, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Now… we just won the bloody World Cup. Just so you know, you have about twenty marriage proposals that arrived last night… didn't read them, but they all had roses and frippery attached to the parchments… now, shouldn't you be bouncing with happiness right about now?"
"I… don't… bounce," Cass deadpanned, "Is there a point to this?"
"Cass, I'm hurt," Warrington pouted slightly, "I'm a Slytherin… would I ever be doing something with no point to it?"
"Stop that infernal pouting and save it for when Skyler puts you in the doghouse for bad behavior," Cass rolled her eyes, "If you do have a point, out with it."
"Well… it's kind of something that I feel should be discussed in private… come with me?" He gave her a charming smile that boded very ill indeed, and against her better judgment, she followed him towards where the broom shed stood. And froze when she heard a familiar voice with a Scottish accent.
"All right Zabini… what did you say you needed to show me with your broom?"
And then the air exploded with spells, and Cass felt herself roughly flying into the broom shed immediately after Oliver Wood. And then, just as she fell into Oliver's arms, knocking the both of them onto the floor of the broom shed, the door slammed shut behind them, and there was a click of a lock being engaged.
"CARL WARRINGTON! SKYLER ZABINI!! YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD!!" Cass shrieked as she sprang up from the ground, pounding on the door with her fists. The door was shut, and knowing the two evil, heinous plotters, it would not be able to open from the inside, even with a spell.
"I HATE YOU!" Cass continued to shriek and pound at the door, the gleeful laughter on the other side indicating to her that the two evil schemers were still close by. But laugh though they did, neither of them made any move to open the door.
"Why are they bloody doing this to me?" Cass muttered angrily, sitting down heavily on a Quidditch chest, rubbing her sore hand. Oliver stepped over one of the brooms that had been knocked down, and grabbed her hand, frowning slightly.
"You've a bruise…" he took out his wand, and waved it over the purplish mark on her knuckles. The bruise shrunk, then disappeared. Cass scowled somewhat.
"I didn't ask you to do that," she muttered.
"I'm aware," he snapped, "You wouldn't."
"Damn straight," she snapped back, then lapsed into silence. He sat down next to her.
"Good game," he said softly, "I… still have to thank you for taking that bludger for me."
"Oh…" she looked up quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up (Damn him!), "Er… you're welcome. I was… trying to block the shot…"
"Oh…" his tone was flat, "Of course." What were you expecting her to say, Wood?
He wouldn't look at her… but even in the dim light, even though she couldn't see his face, she knew that he was scowling… and trying to hide it. Her hands clenched into fists, then she gave a long, ragged sigh and cracked.
"Fine… I lied."
"What?"
"You heard me, you sod!" she snarled, "I didn't do it to block that blasted Spanish Chaser… I did it so you wouldn't get hit! I… must be crazy, completely off my rocker… but I didn't want you to get hit! I hate you! I hate that you can make me feel this way! I hate that I can't hate you and that you can make me make no sense and that you make things so fucking complicated! I hate you, Oliver Wood, do you hear? I hate you for making me fall for y—mrmph!"
And her tirade… her most brutally honest, heartfelt confessional diatribe ever launched at him… was cut off, as Oliver Wood leaned forward, grabbed her by the shoulders firmly yet gently, and pressed his lips against hers, burning and passionate and fierce, melding into hers. She gasped; then couldn't help but moan as his hands, sliding down from her shoulders to her lower back, pulled her closer, crushing her to his chest, and he deepened his kiss, parting her lips with his own.
Sweet Merlin…
She had never been kissed like that… well, granted, no one had dared do anything like that to her.
But Oliver Wood was a Gryffindor, someone who did insane, reckless, utterly crazy things… and this… was… glorious…
She sighed into his mouth, and suddenly found herself kissing him back, her fingers lacing through his short brown hair, her legs somehow wrapping around his waist, pulling him even closer. His hands roamed up and down her sides, almost burning through the thin white blouse she wore, and he pulled away briefly, taking in deep breaths of much-needed air, only to bury his face in her neck a moment later, nibbling at the sensitive place where her jaw met her earlobe.
And suddenly, light was thrown upon them, as the door opened. And there was that obnoxious laughter once again.
"Well… I figured that since there was no longer shouting going on, someone should probably cast a Contraceptive charm on Cass here… just in case, you know?" Warrington sniggered, surveying the two disheveled people, crouched on a Quidditch chest, limbs entangled and mouths all over each other.
And in perfect unison, Cass and Oliver shouted, "SOD OFF!"
Warrington laughed, and pulled out his wand, "So, the charm?"
Cass glared at him, "We weren't going to shag…"
"Really…" Warrington smirked at his friend, "Ah well… I'll be off, then. Be good, you too…"
Cass glared as the other Chaser strode off, leaving the door open. "And he tells us to be good…"
Oliver laughed, and put one hand on her back, "Well… you know Warrington…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. "I hope you're not going to hex me for kissing you a moment ago."
Cass blushed, and laughed slightly, "Well… the thought has crossed my mind… but I think I'll pass. Odd, hmm?"
"Very," he smiled at her, looking into her eyes, "You're damn beautiful, you know. Especially when you fly."
"Now, I should be hexing you for saying sappy things to me," Cass replied, "But… again, I'll pass for now. Honestly, the things I do for you…"
"Well… as long as you don't do them for anyone else, I'm perfectly happy," Oliver grinned, and reached for her hand.
She placed her hand in his, and allowed him to lead her out of the broom shed. "I don't think I could stand doing these things for anyone else. Slytherins aren't exactly renowned for their indiscriminate niceness, you know."
"Good," he muttered, before stopping in his tracks and pulling her back into his arms, "And it bloody better stay that way."
*~*~*~*
There! They've snogged! Be happy now! There is one more chapter, and then an epilogue. And then, that will be the completion of this story. It's been fun writing it... I hope that you all have enjoyed the reading as much as I have enjoyed the writing. Review and let me know what you think!