Title: Sweet Dreams

Summary: Oliver Wood goes to Hogwarts for his seventh year not wanting anything except the Quidditch Cup. But when he discovers a girl he's never noticed before, and what a real relationship means, he longs for more than just a Quidditch victory.

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, except for Alice.

A/N Hey guys! This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fic, so let me know what you think. This story takes place in Harry's third year, Oliver's seventh. The events are in order with the book, so check me if you wish…they should be right. Well, I suppose that's all! Enjoy!

Chapter One

Alice Whiting was a witch. Her father was a muggle, yes, but her mother was a witch, and so, seven years ago, Alice had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She was currently standing on Platform 9 ¾ with her best friend Penelope Clearwater. Percy Weasley, Penelope's boyfriend, was strutting his way through the crowd, chest thrown out. 

"I can't see how you are dating him!" Alice muttered as he approached. "You're so different."

Percy pointedly scratched his chest, drawing attention to the shiny Head Boy badge pinned there.

"Not so much," Penny said out of the corner of her mouth. "I'm a prefect, and we both are studious…"

She would have continued, but Percy had come within hearing distance. "Ah, Penelope. You look lovely, as usual."

Penny tossed a curly lock of hair over her shoulder and laughed. Alice rolled her eyes. Her friend was not coy (Alice thought), but whenever she was around Percy, she became a bit flirty.

"Why, hello Alice. I trust you had a good summer?"

Realizing that she was being addressed, Alice responded. "It was uneventful, but not so bad. And how was yours, Percy?"

"Wonderful," he beamed. "I spent the summer in Egypt with my family, exploring. It was great fun. Of course, I missed dear Penny horribly. But, seeing as how I've been given a new owl, I was able to write her frequently."

Penelope smiled and nodded. Alice sighed resignedly. She didn't dislike Percy—he was a very good person and Penny liked him a lot—but he did seem to grate on her nerves a bit. But no matter.

Percy wasn't particularly fond of his girlfriend's best friend either. She was casual and good-natured…all things he should have been pleased with. But her laid-back demeanor was not exactly compatible with his perfectionist nature.

Percy also had a feeling that Alice did not approve of the match. He knew Penelope had been a lot different before they met…possibly more reckless and outgoing, like her best friend. But the two tolerated each other, and were very polite, nonetheless.

"Shall we find a compartment?" Percy said as the Hogwarts Express let out a loud warning hiss.

The three of them hopped on the train and searched for an empty compartment, which they found near the middle of the train. Alice seated herself by the window and relaxed. She looked up to see the other two still standing.

"We—er—Percy has Head Boy duties."

Alice looked at them questioningly.

"He wanted me to accompany him."

"But you aren't Head Girl," Alice pointed out, as if Penelope had forgotten.

Penny pinkened a shade. "I thought it would be alright with you if I went…if not, I'll stay here…"

"No, go on. I have some summer potions homework I left to the last minute anyway."

"Are you sure?" Percy asked in an unconvincingly concerned voice.

"Quite. Go on, and I'll save your seats."

They turned and walked out of the compartment as the train lurched into motion. Feeling very alone, Alice sighed and reached into the overhead bins. She pulled out an unfinished essay on the complicated procedure of making Polyjuice Potion. They weren't, of course, allowed to brew something so dangerous, but Professor Snape had them write two feet of parchment on the ingredients and results.

The essay was placed in her lap, and her quill was poised over the parchment, but Alice's mind was elsewhere. A rain had started up, and was merrily plinking itself against the thick windows. Soon the quill sagged in her hand and her head sank against the plush seat as Alice began to doze.

Alice awoke with a start as the compartment door slammed. For a moment she thought it was Percy and Penny returning, but it was too soon for that. She scanned the compartment briefly, finding that four boys had joined her.

"Morning, sunshine!" crowed one of the identical redheads. Alice sat up quickly, and tried to smooth down her hair. A huge inkblot was soaking her paper and the muggle jeans she wore, and Alice quickly tried to clean up the mess her idle quill had made.

"Hope you don't mind us barging in," said a tall boy apologetically.

"No, no problem," Alice said distractedly, scrubbing at the black spot on the knee of her jeans. She dearly hoped she hadn't been napping with her mouth wide open…or drooling. Alice shuddered and inconspicuously wiped her chin. She was relieved to find it dry.

"I'm Fred, and this is George," declared one of the redheads.

Alice looked up. "Oh, you're Percy Weasley's brothers, aren't you?"

The one called Fred looked pained. "No, no we aren't."

Fred Weasley was seated beside her, and across from her sat George, a black boy with braided hair, and the tall boy.

The black boy laughed. "Yes, he is, but I'd deny it if I were him as well. Percy's a bit of a dingbat. I'm Lee Jordan, a fifth year, in Gryffindor."

Alice smiled. "I've never seen a dingbat before, but I'll take your word for it. You're the commentator for the Quidditch matches, aren't you?" Lee nodded. "I'm Alice Whiting, a seventh year, in Ravenclaw."

"Well, as long as someone as pretty as you isn't in Slytherin, we'll let you stay." George stretched lazily and yawned.

"I'm a seventh year too," commented the tall one, seated beside the door. "Though I'm in Gryffindor with the rest of these blokes." He reached his hand across. "Oliver Wood."

Alice shook his hand politely. His grip was firm and his hand was warm. "I've seen you around…nice to be formally introduced." She paused. "So, now that I am trapped in a train compartment with all these good-looking boys, how ever will I ever escape?" she said lightly, smiling around at them.

"You won't," said Lee Jordan provocatively, waggling his eyebrows at her. Everyone in the compartment laughed, including Alice.

"Aren't you three on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" she asked, indicating Fred, George, and Oliver. They nodded.

"You play Quidditch?" asked Oliver eagerly.

"Afraid not. I've always been a bit scared of heights."

 Oliver looked disappointed.

Fred and George were staring at her. "Do you like Quidditch?"
            Alice shrugged. "I come to all the school matches, but I don't really understand it."

All four of the boys groaned. Fred jumped back as if she had hit him, and made a show of holding his cheek and wallowing on the plush seat next to her. Alice laughed nervously.

"Its not very hard to understand," Lee Jordan pointed out. He reached out and tugged one of the blonde curls that had escaped Alice's loose ponytail.

"We'll teach you," said Oliver firmly.

And so Alice spent the next hour, not working on her Potions homework, but learning everything there was to know about Quidditch. The boys went beyond the rules of the game to explain special moves, plays, tactics, etc. She tried to appear interested, but her attention strayed completely when they began arguing about different teams.

"Turkey did rotten against Canada in the play-offs, but they've got great Chasers," Fred pointed out, his mouth full of chocolate frog. The witch who pushed the food cart had come along in the middle of the explanation of the Levski play, which involved one of the Chasers doing a sloth-roll and catching the Quaffle upside-down. Alice had been quite relieved when George Weasley found Zograf, a player on the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team, on his chocolate frog card. This sparked a whole new conversation about big-league Quidditch.

"Yes, but look at France's beaters…those chaps have kept them going strong in the semi-finals…amazing," Lee Jordan said, ripping open a Cauldron Cake.

The lanterns over the luggage bins had come on as the rain drummed harder against the window. The world outside was hurdling by, but it was impossible to see anything for the fog and darkness. Suddenly, however, the train slowed down, and pulled to a creaky stop.

Oliver Wood looked up. "Are we there already?"

"We can't be," George said, shifting aside his sweet wrappers. Oliver, being closest to door, stood up to peer outside the compartment. He did quite make it to the door though, as all the lanterns snuffed out, enveloping them in total darkness.

"Do you think we've broken down?" Alice asked, now sitting up alertly.

Then there were a great deal of "oofs" and "erghs" as the compartment door slid open, and then shut again.

"What the hell?" one of the twins yelled, before being cut off as if a weight had dropped on him.

"Ah, Weasley…if we had known you were in this compartment, we wouldn't have joined the fun," said a cold voice. It became clear that Crabbe (or Goyle) had seated himself on top of an unfortunate twin.

"Malfoy!" one of the Weasleys spat (they sounded identical). "No one asked you to come in here!"

They commenced to shout recklessly even as the air around them turned frigid.

"Enough!" shouted Alice.

"You've got a girl in here, Weasley? I didn't know girls talked to you. Excepting the mudblood ones."

"You…!" sputtered one of the boys, either Lee or Oliver. There was some minor scuffling and then a muffled thud, as if someone had been punched.

"Stop it!" Alice said in a low voice, hoping it sounded calm. However, if anyone listened close enough they could hear a slight tremor of emotions in her otherwise steady voice as anger, panic, and worry coursed their way through her body.

The boy named Malfoy sneered something, but Alice had stood up and was stepping over the many legs towards the door. She reached for the handle but something made her break away, and stumble backwards.

"Oh my g--"

She fell backwards against someone as a cold feeling took a hold of her. Alice's stomach suddenly seemed frosted over, and a dreadful feeling engulfed her. Distantly, she heard Malfoy whimper, but everywhere else there was silence.

Even as she watched, Alice could see something dark pass by the glass door, and whomever she was cowering against put their arms around her.

For a moment that seemed like eternity, everyone held their breath. Alice was remembering the moment when her grandfather died…the grief and anguish, and then another memory flashed before her, when she was five years old and a large dog came running at her, teeth bared, froth dangling from its snarling lips. The terror, the waiting for the pain.

And then it slowly receded. The coldness was gone and the lamps tentatively flickered back on. To Alice's acute embarrassment, she was wedged between Oliver Wood and the corner of the of the compartment seat. His arms were still around her, though they were weighted as if he had forgotten they were there. She looked up at him. He was staring at the ceiling, his breathing shallow as if he were in a nightmare. Sitting up a bit, but feeling weak, she looked around. Malfoy and his two bullies were all looking pale. Fred had his face in his hands and the other two boys were looking away.

Without a word, Malfoy stood up and slid the compartment door open, though it was as if he did it in slow motion. His two massive bodyguards followed.

No one said anything. It was as if everyone was too weak to move. They all just lay there for a moment before someone opened the compartment door with a slam that jolted them out of their daze.

A shabby looking wizard was standing there, holding out his hand. He looked tired and gray. Fred automatically took what he was offering.

"Chocolate?" the redhead croaked.

The man nodded. "Trust me, you'll feel better."

Then he was gone.

Fred broke up the chocolate and passed it out. Alice noticed his hand was shaking. They all took a bit, and must have felt better for it, for some meager conversation started up. Oliver had removed his arms, and was busy looking anywhere but where Alice was. She shakily stood up, realizing that four people crammed onto one seat was too many. She half-crawled back to her seat beside Fred, opposite Lee, Oliver, and George.

The rest of the journey did not seem to take anytime at all, and soon the train pistons were hissing as it halted. There was an uncomfortable moment, when they thought the hooded creature would return, but the lamps remained bright, and soon there was the sound of many people walking through the train and unloading.

All the boys simultaneously stood, and Alice did as well, though feeling incredibly short compared to the towering bodies around her. They all began to leave the compartment and join the growing crowd on the platform.

Alice met up with Penny and Percy, both of whom looked a bit pale.

"Goodbye, Alice!" called George cheerfully. "I will dream of you tonight!"

Alice laughed, feeling the best she had since the incident on the train. "And that's all you will do, George Weasley…dream!"

George put his hand on his chest as if he was broken hearted, and Lee energetically waved goodbye. Oliver and Fred were headed towards a horseless carriage. Oliver nodded at her, and Fred smiled. Soon the crowd around them moved so that the four boys were no longer visible. Alice felt a little warmer at their goodbyes.

Percy, however, sniffed a bit as they made their way to the carriages. "So you sat with my brothers, I see."

"Yes," Alice said vaguely. "They were very entertaining."

Percy didn't say anything, but helped Penny into the carriage, which soon set off for the castle.