Chapter VI
A month had passed since that wonderful yet horrible Hogsmeade day, and the next one was coming up. Thankfully, Malfoy had gotten in trouble and wasn't allowed to go. It was the middle of spring and too warm for our sweaters, so I had on jeans and a blue tank top. Sinistra could go to hell for all I cared. I wasn't wearing those heavy black robes. I wasn't the only one to think so either. As I walked out onto the grounds I noticed other people in jeans and shorts as well. I stood and watched people as I waited, and smiled at all the couples holding hands. I saw Ceri and George, Cho and Cedric, and lots of people I didn't know. A group of fourth year boys and girls was walking across the lawn, and I saw the terrible trio, Ron and Hermione blissfully unaware of anything but eachother by the looks of it, and Harry off in his own world. An arm went around my shoulders and I smiled as Oliver, looking very good in jeans and a deep red button shirt with the sleeves rolled up kissed me on the cheek.
"You look like a bloody muggle." I grinned. He smiled and surveyed the scene before him like a man with everything in the world.
"Yeah, well. It's nice to break from routine now and then. I've still got a Gryffindor color, mind you." I nodded and brushed a stray lock of hair from his eye.
"You need a haircut."
"Nah...I like it longish."
"You look like a dog."
He grinned and barked at me, licking my cheek.
"Eww!" I whined, wiping my face on his shirt. He laughed and started to say something, but a gangly red-haired thing leapt on his back from a run and he staggered forward. I laughed as he figured out it was a Weasley and hauled him over his head, throwing him onto his back and tackling him in the grass.
"George, you bastard!" he laughed as they rolled on the grass, Oliver throwing George off and standing up. I looked at Ceri. There was a twin with her.
"This is Fred, Oliver." I said.
"No it's not," he laughed. "there's no mistaking the mangy visage of George Weasley." he grinned, swinging playfully at George's head as he stood up.
"Then...why's Fred with Ceri?"
George laughed and Oliver looked at the two down below us.
"Seeing how long it takes for her to figure it out. Looks like she's gettin' suspicious already." he grinned. Ceri was staring at Fred's face, and looking back and forth between him and the red-haired twin with us. She said something and Fred laughed, making her hit him on the shoulder hard. She ran up the hill towards us and George grinned as she ran to him and he picked her up, swinging her around.
"I was wondering when you'd figure out it was Fred."
"I knew there was something wrong with you." she laughed, ruffling his hair.
"Come on, you bloody lovebirds! Let's get going!" Fred called from the path. The four of us started down the hill, Oliver picking me up on his back and George doing the same with Ceri. The whole day in Hogsmeade was spent laughing and joking. The twins had brought lots of Weasley's Wheezies and were making innocent passers-by the victims. Most ended up buying something or ordering after they'd been cured of whatever had been inflicted on them.
Our group had increased to six when Fred had gotten Katie, a Gryffindor chaser, to join us. We all sat around a table in the Three Broomsticks and laughed as Katie entertained us with her high-pitched voice, and then hiccuped a blue mouse onto the table.
"Good thing you're not afraid of mice, Kate." I said, laughing.
"I love mice! I have five at home, but none change color."
"You can change that with a simple charm. I'll teach you later, Kate." Fred told her.
"You'll work your charms on me eh, Beater boy?" We all laughed.
"That's not all he'll teach you Katie. Just ask Ceri here. She's had experience with the Weasley lessons." Oliver grinned at Ceri mischievously. Ceri blushed and put her face into George's shoulder. We laughed at her.
"Hey, Wood. Leave my lessons out of this." he said, mock seriously.
"Don't get indignant with me, Weasley. Remember that I'm your Captain and I can kick you off the team for ungentlemanly conduct. On or off the field."
"Well then you'd better kick both of us off, Oliver. I wasn't aware that included the bed." Fred quipped. I snorted in my mug.
"Any girl that'd sleep with you, Fred, would have to be blind or desperate." I said maliciously, but playful. Fred pouted.
"And that's Katie by a long shot. You can tell by the way she plays Quidditch." George snickered.
"Oy, that's a bit far." Oliver cut in. "Katie here's the best Chaser in this whole bloody school. I'll bet that against fairly anything." Katie smiled. She was a very good Chaser.
"You must have never seen Kara play then, Oliver." Ceri said. Oliver grinned and looked at me. "No, I've never seen her play. I've had the honor of playing with her." he raised his eyebrows and winked audibly at everyone. I pushed his head to the side and he laughed, putting his arm around my shoulders and kissing me.
"I'm serious Oliver. She's good."
"Ceri, shut up. I wasn't that good. And I haven't played in two years, I probably can't play anymore."
"Why'd you stop playing?" Fred asked. "I remember Ravenclaw won the cup my fourth year, which means you were playing then."
"I don't know. I just didn't feel like I was doing any good."
"Kara, you were awesome. Ravenclaw won the cup both years she was on the team. More points were scored by Ravenclaw in those two years than in the five before."
"Ceriiii...." I whined. The twins were nodding.
"I remember that."
"Well it's a good thing I'm not playing then isn't it? Gryffindor would have less chance of winning the cup."
"And Oliver'd probably let any shot by his sweetheart through without trying."
I laughed.
"No, I think he'd be ruthless on the field. He'd probably forget all about me when he was playing." I looked at him. He raised his eyebrows, looking as though he thought this was probably true, and nodded. I elbowed him in the side.
"Stupid git! You're supposed to disagree with me!" He grimaced and looked at me reprovingly.
"That hurt." he whined.
"Oy, don't be hurtin' our Keeper, now." Katie said. I smiled at Oliver.
"Oh, I think he'll live. Won't you, Mr. Quidditch Captain?"
"If you kiss it and make it better." he smiled. I laughed and put my hand on the side of his neck, pressing my mouth to his. The rest of the table laughed and we looked at eachother, our faces an inch apart.
"Better?" I said softly.
"Much." he smiled, kissing me again.
"Get a room, you two...." Fred snorted. We all laughed.
We had a week of Easter vacation, and a lot of the students had gone home. Ceri had, sadly, and I was all alone for a week. I was getting ready to go to bed when I remembered I had left my Arithmancy book in the great hall. I took my wand and went out into the dark corridor.
'Lumos' I muttered, making the tip of my wand blaze with light. I went through the halls of the castle, carefully negotiating the moving staircases. I retrieved my book, eluded Peeves, and took a shortcut back through the courtyard. I walked slowly around the perimeter paths, looking up at the velvet-black sky sprinkled with pinpricks of stars. I heard a noise and looked around sharply. Nothing was there. I hurried on, and the noise began again. It sounded like footsteps, and they were gaining on me. I was barefoot and in just my thin nightgown and robe, but I started to cut across the courtyard. An arm shot out of the shadows and grabbed me, my wand and book clattering to the floor. I was slammed against a hard stone column and rough lips covered my mouth. I pushed the person away and stared at him.
"Malfoy..." I breathed.
"Yes, your darling Malfoy, come back for more." he put a hand on my neck, pressing me back against the pillar, half-choking me.
"Do you really think I'd let you go completely?" he snarled, untying the belt of my robe and pulling at the neck of my nightgown. I twisted my neck and bit his wrist, making him cry out and let go of me. I picked up my wand and was about to hex him, but he grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall hard. I was dizzy as I tried to get up, and saw him holding his wand at me.
"Imperius." he whispered. I couldn't believe what he had said, and was overtaken by the sudden urge to go to him. I closed my eyes and put my head down on the ground, silently fighting. The little voice continued. 'go to him. you know you want to. you want him. you love him.' "No..." I said softly, protesting. 'yes, yes. just do it. make yourself happy for once. you love him, you know you do. you need him.' "no, I don't." I gritted my teeth as he pulled me up by the arm, kissing me harshly.
"I can work both other Unforgivables to their full power. Just keep that in mind." he said quietly. I pushed him away with all my strength and hit him with my fist, kneeing him where it hurt at the same time. He groaned in pain and fell to his knees. I ran away but didn't get far.
"Impedimenta!" I heard him shout, and I fell down. I tried to get up, but my movements were slow. He stumbled toward me and threw his wand down, laying on top of me and cursing under his breath. He had his hands on my nightgown and was trying to pull it up over my legs, but he didn't seem to realize he was sitting on it. I took advantage of his confusion and scratched him across the face. He struck me and my head hit the stone painfully hard, making me see stars. He succeeded in pulling my nightgown up and grinned, now trying to undo his own pants. I heard running steps coming closer and saw Oliver's blazing eyes as he pulled Malfoy off of me with one arm, slinging him to the wall. I pulled myself away, covering my legs again. I saw the two young men furiously fighting, not with wands but like two muggle guys. Oliver backed Malfoy up against the wall and repeatedly slammed his head into it. Malfoy somehow threw Oliver away from him and came toward me, grabbing my arm and half-dragging me away. Oliver attacked him again and I was thrown to the ground, my head hitting the wall again. My vision went black, and I must have blacked out for a moment, because then I heard my name being said softly, and I felt the cold stone against my skin. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Oliver's face, bloody from a cut above his eye.
"Kara..." he said softly, stroking my cheek. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair.
"Can you stand?" I nodded a little and he lifted me up onto my feet. I stood, but my sight blurred and I swayed. Oliver caught me and held me.
"We need to get back to the dorm." I nodded and he picked me up, starting to walk.
"My wand..." I murmured.
"I got it." he said softly. My head hurt, and I closed my eyes, laying it on his shoulder. I wasn't aware of anything until I felt him lay me on a soft bed. The room smelled different, and I opened my eyes. I was in the boys' wing of Gryffindor tower. I sat up abruptly, which made my head spin. He pushed me back down and pressed his lips to my forehead. I heard the splash of water and opened my eyes again. He grimaced as he wiped the blood from his face. I sat up, slowly this time, and went to him, taking the wet cloth and gently cleaning the cut on his forehead. He watched my face as I did so, and I wondered what he was thinking.
"I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for you, Oliver." I whispered, brushing his hair back from his hot forehead.
"Your lip is going to be swollen." I told him, touching it gently with my fingers.
"How 'bout you kiss it and make it better." he smiled. I set the cloth down and kissed him, putting my hands on his neck. He slid his hands to my shoulders and slipped my robe off, moving his hands to my waist. He stood up and I did the same, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. He ran his hands through my hair and smiled at me, pushing me down on the bed. As humiliating as the night with Malfoy had been, this one was ten times as wonderful.