Remind Me To Breathe

By Christelle

Legal Disclaimer: Have you ever noticed how purple the sky is? No? Pity, that means I'm not J.K. Rowling. Pigs might fly. Or, in my case, one rather small pig who is actually a cockatiel but is nevertheless a metaphorical pig might fly, but she probably won't, because, aside from being a pig, she is also irrefragably lazy.

Author's Note: Okay, here it is at last—thanks everybody for the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming, they make my day. This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest, so it should be easier to read. It jumps to Angelina's point of view somewhere in the middle. Also, this chapter is dedicated to a superb friend of mine—loff you, Renee—who's going to the smart people school and whose band is going to totally get their a** kicked by me 'n' my band 'cause you're COMING TO SHOWCASE OF BANDS!!! YES!!! Or so I'm informed. On with the chapter! Enjoy.

Chapter Four

"Irresistible"

Irresistible – natural, physical

It's indefinable – magical, illogical

So make-you-mineable

You're mine

~The Corrs, "Irresistible"

My head spun crazily and I staggered, my knees weakening. Wood obviously interpreted this as some sort of signal that I wasn't enjoying the kiss, because he broke away and caught my arm to stop me from sudden death by falling.

His face was flushed and he wasn't meeting my eyes, but he was still holding my arm.

"Whoa," I said, thereby earning my well-deserved place on the list of Top Ten Stupidest Things to Say After Being Kissed by Your Crush. I tried to amend it but didn't get very far. "I mean – whoa."

"Sorry," muttered Wood, moving to walk away, but I stopped him with a well-placed hand to the chest. My temper flared.

"Sorry?" I screeched, echoes reverberating around the room. Sorry – Sorry – Sorry? "Sorry?"

He looked blankly at me so I elaborated. "That is just like a guy!" I said, glaring at him. He looked at me with hurt and confusion written all over his face. Hurriedly, I dropped my hand from his chest. "No!" I said. "It's not going to work this time, Oliver! I'm not going to melt, no matter how many puppy-dog eyes you send my way! I refuse to melt! Are you hearing me?"

"Melt?" repeated Wood, staring at me as if I'd gone mad. Probably I had.

"Yes, Oliver, melt. I mean, my God, this is classic! Kiss a girl, apologize, and walk away, is that it? You can't just leave her hanging like that! There are questions that need to be answered!"

"Questions," said Wood. Maybe I was going a little too fast. I rattled off a few examples, ticking them off on my fingers.

"Yes! Like – what's the deal now? Where are we, where are we going – What the hell did that little session back there mean?"

"Mean? I don't know," said Wood. I jabbed a finger triumphantly at him.

"See? See? You're clamming up! You're afraid to talk about your feelings! How long have you felt that way, Oliver?"

I'd meant about being afraid to discuss his feelings, but he took it in a different direction altogether.

"I've felt this way for a long time," he said. His eyes were warm, inviting... I floundered desperately.

"Trite and unoriginal," I accused, trying my best to remain haughty and indifferent. "Very cliché, my boy."

"I meant it," said Wood, his brow creasing with irritation. I itched to smooth it out.

"Oh, right," I said, scoffing. "Just like you meant the kiss – don't tell me."

"Yes, actually," said Wood. His voice was deeper than usual and more than a bit ruffled. When I looked up at him, his gaze was so intense that I fell back a step.

My furious inspiration had officiouly expired.

"Oh," I said weakly, feeling silly. "In that case..."

He sat down on the bench and I sat down next to him, exhausted. We sat in silence for a while before he said, his tone light, "Well, Bell, it would have been worth a try, but I'm not sure I want a girlfriend who's quite so blind."

I stared at him incredulously. "You're one to talk!" I said.

He grinned at me. "Well, don't we make a fine pair," he said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I settled into his embrace.

"I'm hungry," I said suddenly. He spluttered and I continued, "No, I'm hungry. I want to go to lunch."

And so we did.

*

It felt odd.

Very odd.

I mean, I'd dated guys before; it's kind of a been there done that deal. But this thing with Wood was different. It was...

Odd.

We'd walked into lunch and sat down, Wood on my right and Angelina on my left. Fred and George were sitting across from me and Alicia was next to Fred and we didn't have to say anything.

Angelina's secret little smile was the only thing that hinted at something different. Alicia grinned openly at me.

And we had this normal lunch, but everybody knew it wasn't really a normal lunch, because it was impossible but I had a sneaking suspicion that everyone already knew about... us.

Everyone was acting as if Wood and I were an item. Which is to say, we were, but we hadn't told them, so how could they know?

It was odd.

If I'd had psychic powers—or at least have taken Divination—I might have known.

While it seemed like hours passed when Wood and I were in the changing rooms, only a few minutes really had...

***Angelina's POV***

Fred and George are notorious for possessing lightning speed when it behooves them to use it, and they certainly demonstrated as such as soon as Wood let us out for lunch. He'd been acting strange, but of course—Katie is definitely starting to affect him.

We all felt it. There was totally chemistry out there.

Fred and George changed and left in a manner of seconds.

"It's fine, we'll just catch up," I called after them sarcastically as they almost ran out. Alicia rolled her eyes companionably at me. Katie was preoccupied—but of course.

"Come on, Kate," said Alicia impatiently. I could have killed her.

"Sorry," said Katie.

"Don't worry about it," I said hastily. "We'll see you at lunch, okay?"

She nodded and I dragged Alicia out.

"What was that all about?" she demanded. "She's almost done—God, you must be really hungry or something—or is it just PMS?"

"Shut up!" I said furiously.

"Ah. PMS, then."

"No," I snapped. "Listen, are you crazy? They totally have to have their moment! I think they're finally going to do it!"

"What, sex?" said Alicia, her eyebrows high. "I didn't even know they were dating!"

"Leesh, you are the most irrefragably idiotic person I know!" I hissed at her. "They're not going to do it. They're going to have their moment. They're going to kiss."

"Ange, you read too many romance novels," said Alicia, flapping a hand at me. "God, they're not going to... do you really think so?"

"Of course. And then Kate'll get all defensive—you know how she is—and Oliver'll be all unconvincing and it'll be horrible."

"What?" Lish looked crushed. "Oh, my God."

"But it'll all turn out all right. They'll talk it out. And then they'll come into lunch together and they won't say a word about it. This is important, Lish."

"Why?"

"Because you musn't say a word about it."

"Why?" Alicia was looking at me oddly.

"Because they musn't know we know."

"Oh, that," said Lish sarcastically. "I was forgetting."

"No, seriously, they can't know we know. Because then they'll be all, no, there's nothing going on, but if we leave it alone they'll tell us in their own good time. Got it?"

"You couldn't wind me more if you gutted me with the Quaffle, Ange," said Lish. "But okay."

"Good."

By the time we caught up with the twins, they were already deep in their lunch and only glanced up as we sat down. And when Katie and Wood came in and sat down next to me, Fred started talking conveniently about the next Hogsmeade trip. Kate looked at Oliver. Oliver looked at Kate.

Alicia and I exchanged triumphant glances. The game was on.