Author's Notes: Here's the next chapter in the story. This one's a bit longer than the last but I guess that's because a lot more happens in this story. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters respectively belong to J.K Rowling, etc, etc. Any "original" characters which may appear in this story as just random people in the background however, ARE my creations. Not that that's important though.

Nasty Little Buggers

Chapter Four: Coping with Life and Love

A seriously subdued Oliver Wood made his way back towards Gryffindor tower. Fred and George had promised to bring back some food from dinner. They had told him to avoid crowded places but hadn't told Oliver why. Oliver had decided he didn't WANT to know why, after discovering his awful parentage news he just wanted to sleep it all off. This day had turned out to be more than he had bargained for. Unfortunately, before he could doze off, there was a loud crash and Fred and George came charging into the dormitory, arms laden down with cakes, pasties, juice, chicken, and potatoes.

"Hungry?" they asked.

"No not really," Oliver replied, rolling over. Maybe they'd get the hint and leave. Not likely…

"Oh, we get it," replied Fred. "Hey, cheer up. We told Cassandra about your problem."

"Who?" asked Oliver.

"Pity, you've forgotten the good things along with the bad things…" sighed Fred.

"Cassandra Bletchey is Keeper for Slytherin," explained George, "and your girlfriend for three years."

"Girlfriend?"

"Yes, girlfriend," continued Fred. "She was quite concerned about you and so we set up a date for you two tonight."

"But I'd rather just…" began Oliver.

"Of course you can't go out looking like that!" exclaimed George. "Which is why we've hired three beauties to help you out."

The twins stepped aside and Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell came into the room, grinning. Oliver had the horrible feeling that he wasn't going to find this pleasant. The twins left the room, leaving Oliver alone with the three girls.

"So the big man's got a date tonight," mused Alicia. "Well you certainly can't expect to impress a girl looking like that!"

"What's wrong with how I look?" asked Oliver.

"Ollie, you look like you spent the entire day face down in the mud!" insisted Angelina. "You can't go looking like a deadbeat!"

"But I just want to-"

"We'll take you to the prefect's bathroom, Penelope gave us the password," interrupted Katie. "We'll have you looking like a yummy piece of man in no time!"

Despite Oliver's cries of protest, the three girls dragged him out the dormitory and up a few floors to the prefect's bathroom. Oliver paused in the doorway for a minute. The entire room was nicely polished and sparkled. A large bath was placed in the middle with gold taps. Bottles of shampoo and different scented body washes and perfumed bubbles were lined up against the wall. Hanging on the wall by the bath was a painting of a mermaid posing elegantly on a rock. She winked and waved shyly at Oliver as he entered the room.

"Roses or lavender?" asked Katie, holding up two bottles of perfume. "Any preference or should we decide?"

"Uh-"

"We'll use both!" smiled Katie, opening up the bottles and smelling the perfume. Oliver had the feeling by the time they were done with him, he'd probably end up smelling like some old woman's garden.

Angelina bent down and began to run warm water into the bath. Oliver hoped the girls would leave him in piece after this. Like outside the door, where they couldn't see him bathing.

"Alicia, should we put bubbles in?" asked Angelina.

"Definitely!"

"There, Ollie, the bath's ready!" called Angelina.

Oliver didn't move. "Uh… thanks, you can leave now."

"Leave?" they chorused sadly.

"Yes, leave," nodded Oliver. "As in you move… out the door."
"But we're helping you," protested Alicia.

"Well do you expect me to strip down in front of you?" asked Oliver incredulously. All three girls blushed and turned around. "DON'T peek."

Careful to make sure no one saw him, Oliver removed his clothes and carefully slipped into the bath. "Okay, you can turn around now."

"Hmmmmmmmmm," mused Katie, looking at the many bottles of shampoo. "What do you girls think? Jasmine and sage?"

"Smells lovely," agreed Alicia. "Okay, Ollie, use this."

She handed the bottle over to Oliver. "Do you have to watch me do this?"

"Why not?" asked Angelina. "Is there some desperate secret about you that we shouldn't know?"

"No, it's just I don't really know you that well and I'M SITTING NAKED IN A BATH!!! Don't you think I deserve a LITTLE privacy?!"

Pouting, the girls left the room. Oliver sighed, sinking lower into the bath. There were a lot of crazy people at this school… his mind began to drift as the mermaid in the painting began to sing a sweet enchanting song.

"OLIVER!!!" Yelping in surprise, Oliver fell on his back in the bath. He sat up, spluttering. He groaned… the girls were back.
"What?" he coughed.

"Blimey, we leave you for a few minutes and all you do is nearly drown," sighed Katie.

"If you hadn't startled me-"

"Look, hurry up," interrupted Angelina. "We still have to pick out some nice clothes for you and you're going to be late!"

"Okay, I'm coming…" The girls left the bathroom once again, and Oliver climbed out of the bath, toweling himself off. He looked around the room. He didn't feel like letting the girls pick out something for him. He'd just wear his normal clothes.

"Ugh, what are you doing wearing those?" gasped Alicia, when Oliver emerged from the bathroom.

"What? I happen to like these clothes," replied Oliver.

The other girls shook their heads in pity but Katie complied. "Well the shirt DOES give a hint to your figure…"

"Glad you're satisfied," grumbled Oliver, heading back up towards Gryffindor tower.

"Where are you going?" called Angelina. "The trophy room's the other way! Cassandra's waiting for you there!"

Sighing, Oliver turned around and headed back, past the three girls, and off down the corridor. Well, it couldn't be that bad, he supposed. After all, an evening with his girlfriend. Maybe she'd help him to remember things… like where the trophy room WAS for starters…

Oliver eventually found his way towards the trophy room. By that time, the sun had set and the castle was growing dark. *I never should have listened to that ghost,* thought Oliver, *all he did was lead me to a doorless room...* Oliver paused in the doorway when he heard hushed whispers coming from inside the room.

It sounded like a boy and a girl… a rather giggly girl. Cautiously, Oliver peeked his head around the corner. He could just barely make out the shadowy shapes of a boy and girl, snogging by one of the cases.

Oliver stared. He recognized the tall shape and the goofy ears. It was Marcus Flint, the trollish boy he had met earlier. And with him was… Cassandra? Why…? Unless… Marcus was sweetening her up for his next meal…

*Are you going to stand here staring all evening, or go and get back your girlfriend, mate?* Oliver debated with himself whether or not he should act. After all, Flint looked a little intimidating but then again… it was his girlfriend…

"Marcus, keep your hands out of there!" hissed Cassandra.

"Oh come on," coaxed Flint.

"No, I'd prefer to keep my shirt on tonight," she whispered. "Marcus!"

"Hey!" Oliver had decided he should no longer remain silent. He stepped out of the shadows and stood glaring at Marcus.

"Wood?!" the two Slytherins chorused in mingled surprise and disgust.

"Clear off, we're busy here," snarled Marcus.

"Actually, I was just about to leave," muttered Cassandra, pushing Flint away from her.

"Now look what you've done, Wood," sneered Marcus. "Your presence has gone and put her off."

"I think it's more of the fact that you look even more hideous in the moonlight than you do in the sun," retorted Oliver. "Now bugger off, I believe I have a date now."

"With who? The Grey Lady?" asked Marcus. "Because there seems to be no one else here."

"With the elegant lady you've been putting your grimy hands all over," replied Oliver.

"What?!"

"Cassandra?!"

The two Slytherins were speechless. Cassandra looked revolted, Marcus was seething with fury. "I'll teach you to stay away from my girl!"

"I'm not your girl, Marcus," said Cassandra, "but you should kick his arse anyway."

"What? But-" began Oliver, suddenly very confused.

Flint dived at Oliver, knocking him backwards onto the floor. The two boys rolled across the floor in a tangle of fists. Oliver may have been built but Flint was too, and a year older, giving him the upper hand. Cassandra couldn't see what was going on, but was more worried about the noise the two boys were making. If Filch decided to show up…

It wasn't long before the fight was over. Flint got to his feet, brushing off his robes. Oliver remained on the ground, crumpled up and breathing heavily. Flint grabbed Oliver by his collar and lifted him to his feet. Oliver grimaced in pain. Even though Oliver looked worse for wear, he had succeeded in giving Flint a bleeding nose.

"Well, Marcus, you taught the little Gryffindor a lesson, now come on let's go," Cassandra said.

"I'm not through with the git yet," sneered Flint. "Let's lock him up somewhere so he can't interrupt us again."

"Honestly, do you always have to do something stupid to prove your point?" asked Cassandra. "We KNOW Wood's an idiot and you 'taught him a lesson' for… interrupting your adventure but just leave him alone and come on! I don't fancy getting caught by that ruddy caretaker again!"

Flint said nothing, but pushed Cassandra aside, dragging Oliver behind him. Oliver didn't protest much, or move much for that matter. Sighing, Cassandra followed, hoping no one would notice the blood stains on the floor from where the boys had fought. Flint dragged Oliver down the stone steps, Oliver letting out a soft groan every time his head hit the stone. No one seemed to be around and so Flint dragged Oliver into the Quidditch change rooms without getting stopped by anyone.

"Say, Wood, what's your favourite Quidditch team?" asked Marcus casually.

"I don't know…" Oliver managed to croak.

"I'm a Ballycastle fan myself," said Marcus. "Barty's a rather neat little mascot, don't you think?" Oliver shrugged, painfully. Marcus smirked, pulling out his wand. "Do you know what Barty is?"

"No."

"He's a-"

"Marcus, don't try to transfigure him! You're only going to end up killing him by mistake!" interrupted Cassandra, standing in the doorway.

"I'm not going to transfigure him," said Marcus. "Gawd, Bletchey, what's with you?"

"Then what ARE you going to do?" asked Cassandra, quietly.

"Just help the guy up," shrugged Marcus. He muttered a few words and chords shot out of the wand, wrapping themselves around Oliver. Then the chords began to creep up the wall and attached themselves to an overhead plank. "Now you can just wait here. Maybe this will give you time to think about interrupting someone when they're busy next time."

Oliver glared at Flint who turned and left the room. *Barty must have been a bat…* thought Oliver, *now how do I get down?* Oliver didn't know how long he managed to stay alert and awake, hanging there. He was tired and hurt, and the ropes were uncomfortably tight. And all the blood rushing to his head was giving him a headache.

"Well, Oliver, I think you learned a valuable lesson today," he sighed…

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That's it for this chapter. I'm still working on the next one, so it might be a few days before I update this again. But hopefully, this is enough to keep you all entertained for a few days. Drop a review, and let me know what you think!