Chapter two
Percy barged into the hospital ward, not remembering to knock on the door. Usually he was reserved and polite, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He spoke to Madame Pomfrey, trying to remain calm. He had to make this seem as if it was a normal visit from the prefect of a house to one of his fellow students. Madame Pomfrey directed him to the hospital bed at the very end of the office, on the right, and he began to make his way back there. He grimaced inwardly as he noticed the team of three girls and three boys, all clad in matching gold and burgundy Quidditch uniforms, sitting and standing around Oliver's bed.
Harry was the first to notice Percy, and he nodded politely at him. The girls smiled and greeted him warmly, and the terrors - errr, his brothers, stood up and walked over to him. Standing on either side of him, they announced his presence loudly to the team, in their best game show host voices. Oliver sat up slowly, looking quizzically at the somewhat disheveled Percy. Percy noticed the beginning of a bruise starting to form on Oliver's left temple.
"Hey Perce..." he spoke, obviously wondering why Percy had come to visit him. Oliver had been injured plenty of times, and Percy had never come before.
"Hello, Oliver. How are you feeling?" Percy asked akwardly. In response, Oliver smiled slightly. He wished that no one else was there. Why wouldn't the bloody Quidditch team just leave? As if reading his thoughts, Harry checked his watch.
"I'm going to go and get something to eat now. Take care, Wood." he said, turning towards the rest of his team mates. "Would anyone else like to join me?"
"I will," Angelina said "As long as Fred and George'll come, too. We still have to discuss strategies." Fred and George nodded, and Percy noticed the pleased look on Oliver's face. He admired Oliver for being able to keep such a well-trained and dedicated team - he knew that it was hard to keep the twins interested in anything for long. As Harry stood to leave, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet followed. They said quiet goodbyes to Percy as they left, fearful of raising their voices about a whisper due to the rath that would insue from Pomfrey. Angelina, Fred,and George followed, with Fred and George messing up his hair on their way out. Now it was just him and Oliver.
Percy smoothed his hair as he sat down in the chair beside Oliver's bed, unsure of what to say. He let his eyes wander over Oliver's body as Oliver stared up at him with his big brown eyes. His eyes seemed to be the only big thing about him now- he had tiny little wrists and legs. His cheekbones were so prominent now. His body which was once so muscular now seemed small and almost feminine. Oliver spoke first.
"So what's up Perce?" he asked. Percy cleared his throat and shook his head.
"Nothing. Why?" he responded, probably too quickly. What did Oliver know?
"The way you look at me. It's like you know something that no one else does." he said, more of a question than a statement. What Oliver was really asking was, 'okay, what do you know?' . Now had to be the time, Percy thought.
"Oliver...Ol..I've noticed that you haven't been eating as much lately. Is something wrong?" he questioned nervously.
Oliver squeezed his eyes shut before even thinking about responding. " N-n- no. Nothing's wrong. I've just been watching my weight for Quidditch, okay?" He responded, trying not to get defensive. Percy bit his bottom lip. Quidditch. Yeah, right. That's why he had lost so much weight. Watching his weight was one thing, starving himself was another. He was nobody's fool.
"Maybe...have you talked to anyone about this yet? maybe you should get some help, Ol. I think this is more serious that you think it is." As soon as the words left Percy's mouth, he could see that he had said the wrong thing from the expression on Oliver's face. He looked as if he had just been told that he could never play Quidditch again.
"Get help? I'M BLOODY FINE!" he screeched. "SO SOD OFF, OKAY!?!" Percy had started to respond when Madame Pomfrey hurried towards them.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she hissed at Percy. " For upsetting a patient like this. Please go." Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Madame Pomfrey silenced him with a quick "shhhh!" and he turned around and left the hospital ward.
Percy barged into the hospital ward, not remembering to knock on the door. Usually he was reserved and polite, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He spoke to Madame Pomfrey, trying to remain calm. He had to make this seem as if it was a normal visit from the prefect of a house to one of his fellow students. Madame Pomfrey directed him to the hospital bed at the very end of the office, on the right, and he began to make his way back there. He grimaced inwardly as he noticed the team of three girls and three boys, all clad in matching gold and burgundy Quidditch uniforms, sitting and standing around Oliver's bed.
Harry was the first to notice Percy, and he nodded politely at him. The girls smiled and greeted him warmly, and the terrors - errr, his brothers, stood up and walked over to him. Standing on either side of him, they announced his presence loudly to the team, in their best game show host voices. Oliver sat up slowly, looking quizzically at the somewhat disheveled Percy. Percy noticed the beginning of a bruise starting to form on Oliver's left temple.
"Hey Perce..." he spoke, obviously wondering why Percy had come to visit him. Oliver had been injured plenty of times, and Percy had never come before.
"Hello, Oliver. How are you feeling?" Percy asked akwardly. In response, Oliver smiled slightly. He wished that no one else was there. Why wouldn't the bloody Quidditch team just leave? As if reading his thoughts, Harry checked his watch.
"I'm going to go and get something to eat now. Take care, Wood." he said, turning towards the rest of his team mates. "Would anyone else like to join me?"
"I will," Angelina said "As long as Fred and George'll come, too. We still have to discuss strategies." Fred and George nodded, and Percy noticed the pleased look on Oliver's face. He admired Oliver for being able to keep such a well-trained and dedicated team - he knew that it was hard to keep the twins interested in anything for long. As Harry stood to leave, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet followed. They said quiet goodbyes to Percy as they left, fearful of raising their voices about a whisper due to the rath that would insue from Pomfrey. Angelina, Fred,and George followed, with Fred and George messing up his hair on their way out. Now it was just him and Oliver.
Percy smoothed his hair as he sat down in the chair beside Oliver's bed, unsure of what to say. He let his eyes wander over Oliver's body as Oliver stared up at him with his big brown eyes. His eyes seemed to be the only big thing about him now- he had tiny little wrists and legs. His cheekbones were so prominent now. His body which was once so muscular now seemed small and almost feminine. Oliver spoke first.
"So what's up Perce?" he asked. Percy cleared his throat and shook his head.
"Nothing. Why?" he responded, probably too quickly. What did Oliver know?
"The way you look at me. It's like you know something that no one else does." he said, more of a question than a statement. What Oliver was really asking was, 'okay, what do you know?' . Now had to be the time, Percy thought.
"Oliver...Ol..I've noticed that you haven't been eating as much lately. Is something wrong?" he questioned nervously.
Oliver squeezed his eyes shut before even thinking about responding. " N-n- no. Nothing's wrong. I've just been watching my weight for Quidditch, okay?" He responded, trying not to get defensive. Percy bit his bottom lip. Quidditch. Yeah, right. That's why he had lost so much weight. Watching his weight was one thing, starving himself was another. He was nobody's fool.
"Maybe...have you talked to anyone about this yet? maybe you should get some help, Ol. I think this is more serious that you think it is." As soon as the words left Percy's mouth, he could see that he had said the wrong thing from the expression on Oliver's face. He looked as if he had just been told that he could never play Quidditch again.
"Get help? I'M BLOODY FINE!" he screeched. "SO SOD OFF, OKAY!?!" Percy had started to respond when Madame Pomfrey hurried towards them.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she hissed at Percy. " For upsetting a patient like this. Please go." Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Madame Pomfrey silenced him with a quick "shhhh!" and he turned around and left the hospital ward.