Chapter Eight

Quarrels

A week later, Fred still hadn't talked to Oliver. Since the whole of Gryffindor house had no classes for the rest of the day, Fred decided to go to the common room to be alone for a while. He knew everyone was outside.

Just as he rounded a corner, he bumped into a tall girl with curly brown hair. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said absentmindedly.

"It's okay," she began, looking up, "Fred."

At the sound of his name he looked up. "Oh, it's you Kathy. I didn't know."

"It's okay," she said studying him up and down.

"Uh. . .can I help you?" he said as he watched her look him over. Finally after what seemed like ages, she replied.

"George has better abs," she mumbled.

"What?" he asked surprised.

"What? Oh! Uh. . .nothing," she said as she walked away. After walking a couple of feet she turned around. "You haven't seen George around have you?"

"Nope," called Fred walking away, leaving her to mumble something.

Once he got to the portrait at the Gryffindor tower, he mumbled the password and entered the common room. He was so quiet that the two figures making out on an armchair didn't notice his entrance. As he looked up he did a double take. 'Is that,' he thought, 'No, it can't be'. Then he looked closer. 'It is!' he thought, almost blurting it out.

"I love you," he heard Harry whisper to Oliver, who looked mighty comfortable under Harry.

"I love you too," mumbled Oliver, moving his hand up, under Harry's shirt.

"Ugh you two are disgusting!" he screamed, slamming his books on a nearby desk. Harry and Oliver looked up startled. Fred gave them a look of utmost disgust and stormed out of the common room.

"Uh. . .I gotta go after him," said Oliver, getting up and leaving Harry there, staring in disbelief.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fred was storming through the empty hallways when he felt a hand grasp his arm and turn him around.

"What the fuck was that about?!" screamed Oliver.

"You should know you disgusting whore!" screamed Fred back.

"What?" asked Oliver, shaking his head.

"You heard me," replied Fred as he attempted to walk away. But Oliver's grasp was too strong and he was soon pulled towards Oliver again.

"Oh no you don't," he said, pulling Fred so close to him that he could count the freckles on his face.

Suddenly they heard laugher down the halls and Kathy appeared once more followed by a flock of girls.

"And then she says, 'And he doesn't like you! He likes me!'" All the girls laughed as they rounded the corner.

Coming across Fred and Oliver, Kathy stopped in her tracks. "Uh. . .is everything alright here mates?"

They quickly separated. "Yeah." replied Fred as he seized the moment and walked away.

* * * * * * * * * *

Later that night, Oliver couldn't keep his mind on his work. Why did he even care about what Fred thought of him? 'Why can't he mind his own business' he thought.

"Everything alright?" Asked Harry as he placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"Mhm," mumbled Oliver, lost in thought.

Harry knew that there was something wrong, but he didn't wanna push it. "I'm going to dinner," he finally said, "You coming?"

"No. . .maybe later. . ." replied Oliver as he got up and made his way to the bedroom.

"Alright, want me to bring you back something?" insisted Harry.

"I said I'll go down later God dammit!" screamed Oliver as he slammed the door to the bedroom.

Harry couldn't believe what had happened. He left without even calling a good-bye.

* * * * * * * * * *

As he stormed down the halls angrily, he came across Hermione, too lost in a book to notice that she was about to run into a wall.

"Hermione!" he called.

Suddenly she turned around. "Harry! What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to eat where do you think I'm going?"

Hermione looked behind him, "Where's Oliver?" Harry had told Hermione since he knew he could trust her.

"Why do you think that I'm *always* with Oliver? Can't I for *once* walk around the halls alone?!" retorted Harry.

Hermione stepped back. "I'm sorry Harry. I just-"

"No," he cut her off, "Forget it. I need to talk to you."

"Alright. . ." said Hermione, "What is it?"

"It's about Oliver. He's been acting really strange lately. He gets irritated easily and he's been getting into constant fights with Fred. Just now when I asked if he wanted me to bring him up something from dinner he yelled at me to go away."

"Oh," was all that Hermione said. "Maybe he's not having a very good day."

"Well," began Harry, "Then he hasn't been having a very good *week*."

Hermione sighed, "Yeah I guess so. . .let's just go to dinner now. I'm starved."

They both made their way to dinner and sat down. Hermione could tell there was more to this story, but she left it at that.