Note: I realize that I have made Oliver Wood a year younger than he
really is in the books, but work with me here. I changed it to suit the
purpose of the story! Enjoy!
The next day in Charms, Jen was passing a note back and forth with Cedric. He had been acting very strange lately and Jen was pestering him about which girl it was that had been making him so. Finally, a few minutes before the bell rang, her question was answered. Jen unfolded the parchment Cedric passed to her. It only contained one sentence:
"Well, I'm beginning to fancy...Cho."
Jen gasped and covered her mouth to avoid squealing, as Flitwick was still lecturing them on hair growth charms. Cho! That was so exciting! Cho was the only other girl on the Quidditch team, and someone she definitely liked spending time with. Jen's best friend in the entire world liking her would be so perfect! However, she didn't have much time to complete these thoughts, because the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jen put her books, quills and ink into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. As soon as they had gone through the classroom door she started on him.
"Ced, this is so awesome! Why didn't you tell me before?" She said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. Cedric blushed.
"I was afraid you'd tell her...I'm no great shakes with this sort of thing, you know."
"But its great! Cho is such a cool girl, and you totally deserve someone like her!"
"That's the thing, I'm afraid she deserves better than me." He answered uneasily. Jen rolled her eyes and gave him a look.
"Cedric Alexander Diggory. You're kidding me right?" He shook his head and she raised her eyebrows at him. "You are a Quidditch Captain! You are an upperclassman, and tons of girls are all over you! You're a regular pimp!" she said teasingly.
"Oh come on, Jen. You know that's not true. I haven't had a girlfriend since Ashley Benson in 4th year." Cedric said glumly.
"Yeah, Ced, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a piece of meat that half the girls in this school wouldn't mind having to themselves." Jen pointed out bluntly. "You may not notice but I do, seeing as I am always with you. Let me help you out with Cho." She added helpfully.
"You think I really have a chance?" Cedric asked hopefully.
"Of course I do. And the Yule Ball is coming up, isn't it? So why don't you just ask her to that?"
"I've thought about that already. But, Jen, I haven't gotten to know her yet! What if she says no?" He inquired fearfully.
"Cedric, Cedric, Cedric...all of the girls are more worried about being asked at all than about who does the asking! Plus, I'll bet I could name several that are hoping you'll be the one to do it. Cho should be delighted!"
Cedric's eyes lit up. "Hey, speaking of the Yule Ball, what about finding yourself a partner, eh?"
"I, er- hey! We're talking about you here, mister!"
"Ah hah! So you're avoiding that subject, are you? Well, you're not getting off so easily!" Cedric was clearly enjoying this. "I'll tell you what. I'll ask Cho to go to the Ball with me... if you find yourself a date first!" Jen, who was looking perplexed now, retorted.
"Yes, but Cedric aren't you forgetting something? I'm a hopeless case, so what if while waiting for me, someone else asks Cho?" Cedric hadn't considered that.
"You're right. I don't want that... I guess I am defeated here."
"You always are." Jen said, grinning. They walked a bit in silence until Cedric finally spoke again.
"But, I can't go to the ball knowing my bestest friend isn't there!" Cedric continued stubbornly. "There's got to be someone who you can get to ask you..." He thought a moment before saying, "Hey, you were saying I'm a hot commodity because I'm a Quidditch Captain, right? So, why don't you find yourself one?" Jen looked astonished at this idea.
"Yeah," she laughed, "are you that dense? You're my best friend, and Marcus... what a horrid thought, and Roger's my brother, and..."
"What about Oliver Wood?" Cedric interrupted.
"No. No, no, n-" Jen started.
"Why not? He's a hit with the ladies, and a 7th year at that! That would be quite some date to snag!"
"Because, I-" Jen stumbled for something to say. "He-, it just-" Finally she ended with "He's on a rival Quidditch team!" She finished lamely. Cedric eyed her carefully, before replying with an enlightened smile.
"You like the idea. Don't you?"
"No!" Jen replied too quickly.
"Hah! I've caught you red-handed, Jen Davies!" Cedric chimed gleefully. "You want his body! You want to marry him! You-" He began to chant, until Jen punched him in the shoulder.
"Shut up!" She hissed urgently, widening her eyes. Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, Chasers on the Gryffindor team, had just walked past them. As soon as they were gone, she rounded on him. "Cedric. Don't. Do. Anything." Cedric pretended to look innocent before replying. "Me? Whatever could I do..."
"I mean it, Ced! You know how Roger feels about this sort of thing, and he especially dislikes Oliver." Roger had always been quite protective of his sister, especially when it came to dating. Most guys had to pass inspection from Roger before pursuing Jen. That is, the ones who he didn't scare away first.
"Ah, so you're calling him Oliver now, eh? Next thing you know it'll be Ollie..." Cedric teased.
"Ok, ok! That's enough!" Said Jen, though she was laughing in spite of herself. "We can talk about me later, end of discussion!"
"Why is it so urgent that we leave off here...?" Cedric inquired, not liking the mischievous look that had spread across Jen's face.
"Well, let's get started right away, we can't have you losing this one." Jen said with a wink. She had just spotted Cho across the corridor and was making a beeline directly toward her.
"So, that's it, then?" Cho was saying to Jen five minutes later. (Cedric had made a quick exit as soon as he realized what Jen was doing.)
"Yes. Of course, I don't want to go ahead with it unless it's certain you'll say yes..." Jen warned.
"Oh, Jen." Cho said quietly. "I'll definitely say yes." She was beaming.
"So you, like him, then?" Jen asked eagerly. Cho hesitated before responding. She was becoming increasingly more quiet from the outgoing person Jen usually knew as Cho Chang.
"Er, yes. I have kind of had a crush on him for awhile now." Jen laughed incredulously.
"What is it with you people?" She was smiling now. "All of this going on right under my nose and I didn't have a clue!"
The next day in Charms, Jen was passing a note back and forth with Cedric. He had been acting very strange lately and Jen was pestering him about which girl it was that had been making him so. Finally, a few minutes before the bell rang, her question was answered. Jen unfolded the parchment Cedric passed to her. It only contained one sentence:
"Well, I'm beginning to fancy...Cho."
Jen gasped and covered her mouth to avoid squealing, as Flitwick was still lecturing them on hair growth charms. Cho! That was so exciting! Cho was the only other girl on the Quidditch team, and someone she definitely liked spending time with. Jen's best friend in the entire world liking her would be so perfect! However, she didn't have much time to complete these thoughts, because the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jen put her books, quills and ink into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. As soon as they had gone through the classroom door she started on him.
"Ced, this is so awesome! Why didn't you tell me before?" She said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. Cedric blushed.
"I was afraid you'd tell her...I'm no great shakes with this sort of thing, you know."
"But its great! Cho is such a cool girl, and you totally deserve someone like her!"
"That's the thing, I'm afraid she deserves better than me." He answered uneasily. Jen rolled her eyes and gave him a look.
"Cedric Alexander Diggory. You're kidding me right?" He shook his head and she raised her eyebrows at him. "You are a Quidditch Captain! You are an upperclassman, and tons of girls are all over you! You're a regular pimp!" she said teasingly.
"Oh come on, Jen. You know that's not true. I haven't had a girlfriend since Ashley Benson in 4th year." Cedric said glumly.
"Yeah, Ced, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a piece of meat that half the girls in this school wouldn't mind having to themselves." Jen pointed out bluntly. "You may not notice but I do, seeing as I am always with you. Let me help you out with Cho." She added helpfully.
"You think I really have a chance?" Cedric asked hopefully.
"Of course I do. And the Yule Ball is coming up, isn't it? So why don't you just ask her to that?"
"I've thought about that already. But, Jen, I haven't gotten to know her yet! What if she says no?" He inquired fearfully.
"Cedric, Cedric, Cedric...all of the girls are more worried about being asked at all than about who does the asking! Plus, I'll bet I could name several that are hoping you'll be the one to do it. Cho should be delighted!"
Cedric's eyes lit up. "Hey, speaking of the Yule Ball, what about finding yourself a partner, eh?"
"I, er- hey! We're talking about you here, mister!"
"Ah hah! So you're avoiding that subject, are you? Well, you're not getting off so easily!" Cedric was clearly enjoying this. "I'll tell you what. I'll ask Cho to go to the Ball with me... if you find yourself a date first!" Jen, who was looking perplexed now, retorted.
"Yes, but Cedric aren't you forgetting something? I'm a hopeless case, so what if while waiting for me, someone else asks Cho?" Cedric hadn't considered that.
"You're right. I don't want that... I guess I am defeated here."
"You always are." Jen said, grinning. They walked a bit in silence until Cedric finally spoke again.
"But, I can't go to the ball knowing my bestest friend isn't there!" Cedric continued stubbornly. "There's got to be someone who you can get to ask you..." He thought a moment before saying, "Hey, you were saying I'm a hot commodity because I'm a Quidditch Captain, right? So, why don't you find yourself one?" Jen looked astonished at this idea.
"Yeah," she laughed, "are you that dense? You're my best friend, and Marcus... what a horrid thought, and Roger's my brother, and..."
"What about Oliver Wood?" Cedric interrupted.
"No. No, no, n-" Jen started.
"Why not? He's a hit with the ladies, and a 7th year at that! That would be quite some date to snag!"
"Because, I-" Jen stumbled for something to say. "He-, it just-" Finally she ended with "He's on a rival Quidditch team!" She finished lamely. Cedric eyed her carefully, before replying with an enlightened smile.
"You like the idea. Don't you?"
"No!" Jen replied too quickly.
"Hah! I've caught you red-handed, Jen Davies!" Cedric chimed gleefully. "You want his body! You want to marry him! You-" He began to chant, until Jen punched him in the shoulder.
"Shut up!" She hissed urgently, widening her eyes. Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, Chasers on the Gryffindor team, had just walked past them. As soon as they were gone, she rounded on him. "Cedric. Don't. Do. Anything." Cedric pretended to look innocent before replying. "Me? Whatever could I do..."
"I mean it, Ced! You know how Roger feels about this sort of thing, and he especially dislikes Oliver." Roger had always been quite protective of his sister, especially when it came to dating. Most guys had to pass inspection from Roger before pursuing Jen. That is, the ones who he didn't scare away first.
"Ah, so you're calling him Oliver now, eh? Next thing you know it'll be Ollie..." Cedric teased.
"Ok, ok! That's enough!" Said Jen, though she was laughing in spite of herself. "We can talk about me later, end of discussion!"
"Why is it so urgent that we leave off here...?" Cedric inquired, not liking the mischievous look that had spread across Jen's face.
"Well, let's get started right away, we can't have you losing this one." Jen said with a wink. She had just spotted Cho across the corridor and was making a beeline directly toward her.
"So, that's it, then?" Cho was saying to Jen five minutes later. (Cedric had made a quick exit as soon as he realized what Jen was doing.)
"Yes. Of course, I don't want to go ahead with it unless it's certain you'll say yes..." Jen warned.
"Oh, Jen." Cho said quietly. "I'll definitely say yes." She was beaming.
"So you, like him, then?" Jen asked eagerly. Cho hesitated before responding. She was becoming increasingly more quiet from the outgoing person Jen usually knew as Cho Chang.
"Er, yes. I have kind of had a crush on him for awhile now." Jen laughed incredulously.
"What is it with you people?" She was smiling now. "All of this going on right under my nose and I didn't have a clue!"