A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed, Sorry it's taking so long to post but
real life keeps getting in the way. Here's two more. Hope you enjoy and
keep reviewing.
Chapter 2
Oliver stumbled into the wall, wincing at the pain in his chest. He could tell that at least one rib was broken and a few more were cracked. A dose of Skelegro would sort him out. If he could just make it to the hospital wing. His head span as he willed himself to ignore the pain and remain conscious. He heard a faint voice calling his name before his legs buckled beneath him. Closing his eyes he waited a moment for the pain of hitting the ground, before he realised it was not going to come. He forced his eyes open and found himself staring into a sea of red and gold; looking up he saw Fred Weasley, or was it George? It was hard to tell at the best of times but his eyesight was rather blurred. When Fred/George spoke the sound seemed distant and muffled.
"Oliver? What the bloody hell happened to you?"
The keeper tried to reply but no sound came out,
"Don't worry mate I'll take you to Pomfrey."
Oliver felt himself being gently lifted up his teammates body and managed to drape a weak arm around his shoulder. He was just trying to force his unwilling legs to hold his own weight when he heard something that forced him to speak.
"George, Go find Rowena meet us there"
"No!"
The sudden force of Oliver's exclamation caused a sharp, red hot pain to shoot through his body, his legs weakened again and his head fell against Fred's shoulder.
"But Oliver.."
"I said no. Just leave it. You don't understand, she."
Every word was like a knife in his chest, his voice a barely audible whisper carried on raggedly exhaled breaths. The twins knew that Rowena would kill them if they didn't tell her Oliver was sick, but right now getting their friend and captain to the hospital wing seemed a higher priority.
At lunch they paid him a visit. He looked better, although rather sullen. But he could, at least, now talk to them.
"So. Are you going to tell us who did this? Or do we have to guess?"
After a long moment without getting any response Fred continued,
"OK, was it by any chance, top of my head of course.Flint?"
Oliver closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the pillow. He didn't really want to tell them but it would be all around school soon anyway. They may as well hear it from him.
"It was Malfoy." He opened his eyes and looked at each of them in turn. "Those two idiot's he hangs around with held me still while he did me over with a beaters club."
Fred and George exchanged furious looks before speaking animatedly more to each other than their captain.
"That little git."
"He has it coming big time."
I bet he was trying to ruin our chances for the cup."
Oliver shook his head. Touched by his beaters loyalty and pained by the confession he was about to make.
"Guys! It was my fault. I hit him first. And it wasn't about the cup." He turned his head away, afraid they would see how hurt he really was "not entirely anyway"
The twins listened in stunned silence as he told them everything that had happened. About Rowena and Malfoy's secret meeting, He and Malfoy's confrontation that morning, right up to the point when they found him staggering along the edge of the Quidditch pitch. When he was done he sat with his knees pulled up to his chest his head down, The twin's regarded him and then each other. Oliver was always their strong determined often- obsessive captain. They had never seen this side of him and neither of them was really sure what to say. After a long moment George broke the silence.
"I don't believe it! Not Rowena.She wouldn't.ever! I mean is there any proof?"
Oliver had to admit there wasn't but the circumstantial evidence was pretty overwhelming. He tried his best to explain,
"We were the only one's who knew about that second floor class room, there is no way Malfoy could just guess a detail like that. Plus I know Rowena wasn't there with me that night like she was supposed to be, if Malfoy wasn't with her where was he? And why did those girls say he got back to the slytherin common room around eleven o'clock the same time Rowena got back claiming to be too tired to sit up and talk. And why did he say it if it didn't happen?"
Tears were falling freely down his face. He knew he was rambling but it felt good to get it off his chest. Fred dropped down onto the end of the bed.
"Shit! Oliver I'm sorry!"
George placed a reassuring hand on his captains shoulder,
"Me too mate, I never thought she would do anything like that. You two were always so.so."
He looked at Fred,
Help me out. What's the word I'm looking for?"
Fred shrugged,
"Nauseating?"
They aimed week half smiles in Oliver's direction. He drew in a long breath his gaze remaining at his feet.
"Guess appearances can be deceptive!"
The bell rang to signal the end of lunch and the twins stood to leave.
"Try not to let it get to you. I mean I know she's our cousin and all that but,"
"Yeah, anyone that would shag Malfoy's not worth getting upset over!"
"And I think we can safely say that we know little git that will be hit by a fair few bludgers next time we play slytherin."
Oliver smiled weakly,
"Thanks guys but I'd rather you concentrated on winning than doing the maximum amount of damage to Malfoy!"
The twins grinned broadly,
"now that's the Oliver Wood we know and love."
They made for the door, both seething with anger at their traitorous cousin. They had never been so embarrassed to be related to someone, and they were related to Percy. They had just made it to the main school when they saw her heading toward them. They quickened their pace in the opposite direction. They heard her calling them, there was no escape; looking at each other they steeled their resolve that even if she was family what she had done was not only inexcusable it was also just.sick! Folding their arms across their chests they turned to face her.
"What?"
They spoke together, the tone of their voices as icy as the glare in their usually mischievous eyes. Rowena took in the looks of malice aimed at her by Fred and George and felt a wave of confusion and panic wash over her. She opened her mouth to speak but Fred cut her off by turning his back on her and walking away.
"Come on George."
George shook his head and followed his brother down the corridor. Rowena stared after them not sure what to make of what had just happened, obviously she had done something to upset them, and she had to find out what.
Chapter 2
Oliver stumbled into the wall, wincing at the pain in his chest. He could tell that at least one rib was broken and a few more were cracked. A dose of Skelegro would sort him out. If he could just make it to the hospital wing. His head span as he willed himself to ignore the pain and remain conscious. He heard a faint voice calling his name before his legs buckled beneath him. Closing his eyes he waited a moment for the pain of hitting the ground, before he realised it was not going to come. He forced his eyes open and found himself staring into a sea of red and gold; looking up he saw Fred Weasley, or was it George? It was hard to tell at the best of times but his eyesight was rather blurred. When Fred/George spoke the sound seemed distant and muffled.
"Oliver? What the bloody hell happened to you?"
The keeper tried to reply but no sound came out,
"Don't worry mate I'll take you to Pomfrey."
Oliver felt himself being gently lifted up his teammates body and managed to drape a weak arm around his shoulder. He was just trying to force his unwilling legs to hold his own weight when he heard something that forced him to speak.
"George, Go find Rowena meet us there"
"No!"
The sudden force of Oliver's exclamation caused a sharp, red hot pain to shoot through his body, his legs weakened again and his head fell against Fred's shoulder.
"But Oliver.."
"I said no. Just leave it. You don't understand, she."
Every word was like a knife in his chest, his voice a barely audible whisper carried on raggedly exhaled breaths. The twins knew that Rowena would kill them if they didn't tell her Oliver was sick, but right now getting their friend and captain to the hospital wing seemed a higher priority.
At lunch they paid him a visit. He looked better, although rather sullen. But he could, at least, now talk to them.
"So. Are you going to tell us who did this? Or do we have to guess?"
After a long moment without getting any response Fred continued,
"OK, was it by any chance, top of my head of course.Flint?"
Oliver closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the pillow. He didn't really want to tell them but it would be all around school soon anyway. They may as well hear it from him.
"It was Malfoy." He opened his eyes and looked at each of them in turn. "Those two idiot's he hangs around with held me still while he did me over with a beaters club."
Fred and George exchanged furious looks before speaking animatedly more to each other than their captain.
"That little git."
"He has it coming big time."
I bet he was trying to ruin our chances for the cup."
Oliver shook his head. Touched by his beaters loyalty and pained by the confession he was about to make.
"Guys! It was my fault. I hit him first. And it wasn't about the cup." He turned his head away, afraid they would see how hurt he really was "not entirely anyway"
The twins listened in stunned silence as he told them everything that had happened. About Rowena and Malfoy's secret meeting, He and Malfoy's confrontation that morning, right up to the point when they found him staggering along the edge of the Quidditch pitch. When he was done he sat with his knees pulled up to his chest his head down, The twin's regarded him and then each other. Oliver was always their strong determined often- obsessive captain. They had never seen this side of him and neither of them was really sure what to say. After a long moment George broke the silence.
"I don't believe it! Not Rowena.She wouldn't.ever! I mean is there any proof?"
Oliver had to admit there wasn't but the circumstantial evidence was pretty overwhelming. He tried his best to explain,
"We were the only one's who knew about that second floor class room, there is no way Malfoy could just guess a detail like that. Plus I know Rowena wasn't there with me that night like she was supposed to be, if Malfoy wasn't with her where was he? And why did those girls say he got back to the slytherin common room around eleven o'clock the same time Rowena got back claiming to be too tired to sit up and talk. And why did he say it if it didn't happen?"
Tears were falling freely down his face. He knew he was rambling but it felt good to get it off his chest. Fred dropped down onto the end of the bed.
"Shit! Oliver I'm sorry!"
George placed a reassuring hand on his captains shoulder,
"Me too mate, I never thought she would do anything like that. You two were always so.so."
He looked at Fred,
Help me out. What's the word I'm looking for?"
Fred shrugged,
"Nauseating?"
They aimed week half smiles in Oliver's direction. He drew in a long breath his gaze remaining at his feet.
"Guess appearances can be deceptive!"
The bell rang to signal the end of lunch and the twins stood to leave.
"Try not to let it get to you. I mean I know she's our cousin and all that but,"
"Yeah, anyone that would shag Malfoy's not worth getting upset over!"
"And I think we can safely say that we know little git that will be hit by a fair few bludgers next time we play slytherin."
Oliver smiled weakly,
"Thanks guys but I'd rather you concentrated on winning than doing the maximum amount of damage to Malfoy!"
The twins grinned broadly,
"now that's the Oliver Wood we know and love."
They made for the door, both seething with anger at their traitorous cousin. They had never been so embarrassed to be related to someone, and they were related to Percy. They had just made it to the main school when they saw her heading toward them. They quickened their pace in the opposite direction. They heard her calling them, there was no escape; looking at each other they steeled their resolve that even if she was family what she had done was not only inexcusable it was also just.sick! Folding their arms across their chests they turned to face her.
"What?"
They spoke together, the tone of their voices as icy as the glare in their usually mischievous eyes. Rowena took in the looks of malice aimed at her by Fred and George and felt a wave of confusion and panic wash over her. She opened her mouth to speak but Fred cut her off by turning his back on her and walking away.
"Come on George."
George shook his head and followed his brother down the corridor. Rowena stared after them not sure what to make of what had just happened, obviously she had done something to upset them, and she had to find out what.
