Wood continued to sip at a mug of butterbeer infront of himself as his gaze soared over a moving diagram. It displayed, what he hoped would be, the outcome of the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw game that was coming up quite fast now. The sound of a voice suddenly broke his concentration and the mug fell from his hand with a thud. Oliver's eyes widened as the contents of the mug spilled out onto the piece of parchment, and he hurridly tried to clean it up before the ink retreated.
"Terribly bad luck there Wood," spoke a smooth soothing voice that could only be accompanied by a face like that of Roger Davies.
"Bloody hell Davies!" Oliver yelled, still cleaning up the liquid, "What do you want?!"
"Calm down there. I was just wondering if the rumors were true about... Well, you know." Something seemed to flash in the teenager's eyes as he spoke. Almost as if a look of fear had taken him, or perhaps it was anticipation. "The Firebolt?"
Wood's mood seemed to change completely as he heard those words. Before he could respond, a girl came up and put an arm around the Ravenclaw captain's waist.
"Well Davies, I suppose you'll have to wait and see." he spoke with confidance, watching Roger's expression transform into an angry scowl as he walked off without another word.
When even Madam Rosmerta began to feel sorry for him, Oliver decided it was time to leave. He continued through Hogsmeade aimlessly, suddenly coming to a hault infront of Madam Puddifoot's with a raised brow. Looking in through the window, anger suddenly struck him hard. There was Cedric Diggory sitting at a round table with a Hufflepuff girl of whom he couldn't remember the name of. Diggory was sitting there with a polite smile on his face as he let the girl on the other side of the table do most of the talking.
As much as he tried to pry himself away from the window, something seemed to be holding him there. The confused seventeen year old watched as the un-named girl leaned across the table and kissed Cedric. The Hufflepuff boy seemed surprised at first, but Oliver watched as his eyelids fell and he began kissing back until they finally broke off with smiles. Falling back against the wall next to the window, Wood put his fist down hard on the wall behind himself. Was he the only one without a girlfriend these days? The concept had never really appealed to him all that much, but watching Diggory kiss a girl had an odd effect on him.
Suddenly the door openned and outcame the seemingly happy couple. Oliver just stood there plastured against the wall as the two departed ways. When Cedric's back was to him, Wood decided it was the best time to make his escape. He slowly turned away and began walking off hurridly until a voice called out to him.
"Wood!" Diggory called out, running up next to him now.
"I'm kind of in a hurry Diggory," he spoke with an edge to his voice, not even turning to look at the handsome boy.
"This'll only take a minute. First off, I have something that belongs to you somewhere," Cedric responded, digging through is pocket for something. Eventually he pulled out a small golden ball that Oliver reconized at once as a snitch. "I went back and got it that night. Knew you'd probably want it back."
"Yeah, well..." Oliver studdered, taking the small ball and putting it away. "Like I said, I'm in a hurry..."
"Listen... you wanna go get a butterbeer or something sometime?" Diggory suddenly bursted out, looking toward the ground as he spoke.
"What?" the completely dumbfounded Gryffindor asked.
"Well, I mean. I'd be interested to hear your strategies for the upcoming game. Or just talk about quidditch in general... Nevermind, stupid idea." His head dropped again and Cedric began to walk off.
"It's not that. It's just that I think I've had my share of butterbeer for the day," Oliver smiled slightly, catching up with the Hufflepuff boy whose glow had seemed to return at that comment.
"I thought you were in a hurry?" Cedric asked, turning back toward Wood.
"Well, I was planning on finding somewhere where I could get a new snitch. Guess I don't really have to worry about that now," Wood spoke, surprised at his own words.
After about an hour of walking through several shops and discussing Hogwarts and International quidditch teams, the two decided it was probably best to start heading back toward the entrance.
"I've always wanted to play for Puddlemore United," Oliver admitted, glancing over to the younger male who he'd been talking with for awhile now. "I hear they're even recruiting."
"I really haven't thought that far ahead yet," Cedric spoke, putting his hands behind his head as they arrived at the entrance of Hogsmeade village among many others. "Everyone keeps saying I can do all these great things, but I don't even know myself what I want to do."
"Don't you want to play on an international team?" Wood asked, surprised at Cedric's response.
"Maybe. Dunno. Life's not all about quidditch, ya know?" Diggory grinned, lagging behind the rest of the group that was now heading back toward the castle.
"Well I know that... It's just all I have I guess. It is the one thing I can be certain about in my life. Is that wrong?" Oliver asked sincerely, having never really thought about it until now.
"Of course it isn't. I really admire that you know what you want to do with your life."
Heading into the Entrance Hall, they just stood there for a moment as most of the students began heading back toward their common rooms.
"Well, um, thanks. It's nice to talk to someone else about quidditch that really knows what they're talking about," Oliver chuckled slightly out of sudden nervousness.
"If you ever want to--" Cedric began, suddenly interupted by a feminine sounding voice.
"There you are!" that familiar girl from Madam Puddifoot's suddenly ran up and leaned her head against Cedric's shoulder with a smile, looking toward Oliver now with a perplexed look. "Hey, you're Oliver Wood, right?"
Just starring at her as she walked up, it took the Gryffindor captain a moment to respond. "Um, yeah."
"You know I have a friend that has been dying to talk to you. She's really pretty if you'd be interested in a date..." the girl spoke, still smiling toward him until Cedric interupted this time.
"I'm sure he doesn't want--" Before Diggory could finish the sentence, Oliver suddenly cut him off.
"I'd love to," Wood responded, surprising himself and by the look on his face, Cedric as well. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him, but it was the result of seeing Cedric with that girl again. The surprised Hufflepuff male could only responde with an "Oh."
"Great! I'll let you know when she's free. Boy is she going to be happy to hear this. Come on Cedric!" she spoke, taking Diggory's hand. Cedric, who seemed to have a hurt look on his face, did his best to smile as he was dragged off toward a staircase leading down to the Hufflepuff Common Room.
Oliver just stood there for a moment, trying to take in the events of what had just happened. What on earth had possessed him to agree to such a thing? Especially with a girl he hadn't even met yet. Of course the answer was obvious, but Wood just wasn't ready to admit it yet. Not with the big game with Ravenclaw just days away.
"Terribly bad luck there Wood," spoke a smooth soothing voice that could only be accompanied by a face like that of Roger Davies.
"Bloody hell Davies!" Oliver yelled, still cleaning up the liquid, "What do you want?!"
"Calm down there. I was just wondering if the rumors were true about... Well, you know." Something seemed to flash in the teenager's eyes as he spoke. Almost as if a look of fear had taken him, or perhaps it was anticipation. "The Firebolt?"
Wood's mood seemed to change completely as he heard those words. Before he could respond, a girl came up and put an arm around the Ravenclaw captain's waist.
"Well Davies, I suppose you'll have to wait and see." he spoke with confidance, watching Roger's expression transform into an angry scowl as he walked off without another word.
When even Madam Rosmerta began to feel sorry for him, Oliver decided it was time to leave. He continued through Hogsmeade aimlessly, suddenly coming to a hault infront of Madam Puddifoot's with a raised brow. Looking in through the window, anger suddenly struck him hard. There was Cedric Diggory sitting at a round table with a Hufflepuff girl of whom he couldn't remember the name of. Diggory was sitting there with a polite smile on his face as he let the girl on the other side of the table do most of the talking.
As much as he tried to pry himself away from the window, something seemed to be holding him there. The confused seventeen year old watched as the un-named girl leaned across the table and kissed Cedric. The Hufflepuff boy seemed surprised at first, but Oliver watched as his eyelids fell and he began kissing back until they finally broke off with smiles. Falling back against the wall next to the window, Wood put his fist down hard on the wall behind himself. Was he the only one without a girlfriend these days? The concept had never really appealed to him all that much, but watching Diggory kiss a girl had an odd effect on him.
Suddenly the door openned and outcame the seemingly happy couple. Oliver just stood there plastured against the wall as the two departed ways. When Cedric's back was to him, Wood decided it was the best time to make his escape. He slowly turned away and began walking off hurridly until a voice called out to him.
"Wood!" Diggory called out, running up next to him now.
"I'm kind of in a hurry Diggory," he spoke with an edge to his voice, not even turning to look at the handsome boy.
"This'll only take a minute. First off, I have something that belongs to you somewhere," Cedric responded, digging through is pocket for something. Eventually he pulled out a small golden ball that Oliver reconized at once as a snitch. "I went back and got it that night. Knew you'd probably want it back."
"Yeah, well..." Oliver studdered, taking the small ball and putting it away. "Like I said, I'm in a hurry..."
"Listen... you wanna go get a butterbeer or something sometime?" Diggory suddenly bursted out, looking toward the ground as he spoke.
"What?" the completely dumbfounded Gryffindor asked.
"Well, I mean. I'd be interested to hear your strategies for the upcoming game. Or just talk about quidditch in general... Nevermind, stupid idea." His head dropped again and Cedric began to walk off.
"It's not that. It's just that I think I've had my share of butterbeer for the day," Oliver smiled slightly, catching up with the Hufflepuff boy whose glow had seemed to return at that comment.
"I thought you were in a hurry?" Cedric asked, turning back toward Wood.
"Well, I was planning on finding somewhere where I could get a new snitch. Guess I don't really have to worry about that now," Wood spoke, surprised at his own words.
After about an hour of walking through several shops and discussing Hogwarts and International quidditch teams, the two decided it was probably best to start heading back toward the entrance.
"I've always wanted to play for Puddlemore United," Oliver admitted, glancing over to the younger male who he'd been talking with for awhile now. "I hear they're even recruiting."
"I really haven't thought that far ahead yet," Cedric spoke, putting his hands behind his head as they arrived at the entrance of Hogsmeade village among many others. "Everyone keeps saying I can do all these great things, but I don't even know myself what I want to do."
"Don't you want to play on an international team?" Wood asked, surprised at Cedric's response.
"Maybe. Dunno. Life's not all about quidditch, ya know?" Diggory grinned, lagging behind the rest of the group that was now heading back toward the castle.
"Well I know that... It's just all I have I guess. It is the one thing I can be certain about in my life. Is that wrong?" Oliver asked sincerely, having never really thought about it until now.
"Of course it isn't. I really admire that you know what you want to do with your life."
Heading into the Entrance Hall, they just stood there for a moment as most of the students began heading back toward their common rooms.
"Well, um, thanks. It's nice to talk to someone else about quidditch that really knows what they're talking about," Oliver chuckled slightly out of sudden nervousness.
"If you ever want to--" Cedric began, suddenly interupted by a feminine sounding voice.
"There you are!" that familiar girl from Madam Puddifoot's suddenly ran up and leaned her head against Cedric's shoulder with a smile, looking toward Oliver now with a perplexed look. "Hey, you're Oliver Wood, right?"
Just starring at her as she walked up, it took the Gryffindor captain a moment to respond. "Um, yeah."
"You know I have a friend that has been dying to talk to you. She's really pretty if you'd be interested in a date..." the girl spoke, still smiling toward him until Cedric interupted this time.
"I'm sure he doesn't want--" Before Diggory could finish the sentence, Oliver suddenly cut him off.
"I'd love to," Wood responded, surprising himself and by the look on his face, Cedric as well. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him, but it was the result of seeing Cedric with that girl again. The surprised Hufflepuff male could only responde with an "Oh."
"Great! I'll let you know when she's free. Boy is she going to be happy to hear this. Come on Cedric!" she spoke, taking Diggory's hand. Cedric, who seemed to have a hurt look on his face, did his best to smile as he was dragged off toward a staircase leading down to the Hufflepuff Common Room.
Oliver just stood there for a moment, trying to take in the events of what had just happened. What on earth had possessed him to agree to such a thing? Especially with a girl he hadn't even met yet. Of course the answer was obvious, but Wood just wasn't ready to admit it yet. Not with the big game with Ravenclaw just days away.