Fixing to Fly
Chapter 10
Author's Note: Sorry for the smallish delay; the holidays kept me busy and I had to scribble down the plot bunny of a Lord of the Rings story that was scurrying around my mind. But this should be a nice longish chapter for you, with the very first hints of the Oliver/Darcy relationship to come. (You did know they would eventually get together, right? Right?)
And, as this seems to be the chapter of confessions (you'll see what I mean when you read) I've got my own confession to make. Tonight, for the very first time, I read my reviews. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I guess I've always been scared they would all be like, bad reviews telling me horrible my writing was. But I got some guts about me tonight, read my reviews, and I have some very serious thank-yous to give to my super-sweet reviewers:
*Kat Hallowell ~ Thank you so much for the sweet things you said! I actually have thought about being a writer off and on before, but kind of as a second job thing. But I will get to reading your story as soon as I can. I have to work tomorrow (well, today, it's about 4:30 in the morning Ohio time, I stayed up so late to finish the chapter for you guys) but as soon as I get home, I will happily read and review your story.
*pokElilpupE ~ Thanks for the kind words on my imagery; I worry sometimes I overdo it. And Darcy's insomnia was actually inspired by some of my own. I think we all wish we had broomsticks and Quidditch pitches for nights like that, right? ;)
*ChristiChristiTheOneEyedDog ~ Yeah, I was kinda stalling with the team announcements a little bit… bad me, I like suspense far too much. But this is the chapter! Well, not the chapter. But a good chapter, no less. I should be much more productive with chapters in the future as I've finally figured out most of the plot now. Thanks so much for reading!!!
*kazza ~ I'm really glad your enjoying it, and I hope I can keep up the good work for you!
*meg ~ I thought it was about time there was a girl captain, you know? And isn't Sean Biggerstaff the hottest thing on two legs?!? ;)
*Soo Mee ~ He is soooooo gorgeous!!
*StandingTooSoon ~ I tried really hard to pull away from some of the other plots every one else was following, and I'm glad you think I did a good job.
*person ~ Thanks for reading, I'll definitely keep writing new chapters.
*Josie ~ Thank you so much for saying my fic has potential! That means a lot to me; I put a ton of time into my writing and making sure there are no errors and the story flows well. You wouldn't believe how often I rewrite my chapters! Thanks so much for your kind words, and if you ever do have any advice for the story, definitely let me know.
*barbara ~ All the characters are based after people I know, including my own best friends (except Kotter; he was one of my exes). I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
*Puppy ~ I hoped my characters would come out as realistic. Oliver is definitely super-cute!
I think that's all my reviewers for right now, and if I missed anyone, it wasn't intentional. Thanks again for the amazingly awesome comments and making me feel so good. I'll be reading my reviews on a much more often basis! Especially if they're all as sweet as the ones I've got! Whoa, okay, think I'm getting a little exclamation-point happy. I've held you up long enough. Here's chapter ten! (Damn those exclamation points!)
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Dawn found the Quidditch captain sprawled half on, half off her bed, still dressed in yesterday's robes, her Nimbus broomstick tucked affectionately under her arm. She had laid in this position for nearly three hours, not so much as twitching, as a slumber nearly deep as death claimed her lithe form.
The previous night had been her longest yet on the Quidditch field. She had exhausted herself to the point of near-unconsciousness before finally returning to her dorm, and even then it had been a supreme effort of her will to leave the pitch, and the sudden streak of Seeking brilliance that she had somehow found. Words could hardly express her wonderment at her own performance—she was certain that her practice last night would have rivaled even the best professional Quidditch Seekers. A passion never felt before had unwound within her as she'd chased the golden orb back and forth beneath the moonlight, pushing her to dive harder and fly faster than she'd ever done in any game. Not even against Slytherin, not even for the Quidditch Cup, not even playing for visiting Ministry of Magic officials had she ever played so hard. In retrospect, it almost seemed a waste to have played so amazingly to an empty stadium, but she knew she'd been playing for a much more important audience: herself.
When she'd flown back into the castle at four in the morning, nearly falling off her broom with fatigue, she had never felt more complete in all her life.
Now, as the first hints of light stretched pale blue fingers across a blackened sky, Darcy gave a loud, unflattering snort and toppled the rest of the way from her bed. Her Nimbus fell after her and landed with a solid crack! across the back of her skull. For a moment she danced between slumber and wake, her body wishing to sink down back into the former, her mind dragging her persistently to the latter, until finally, she sat up.
"Ow," she mused, and rubbed at the lump forming on her head as she rose to stand on legs still sore from her last night's exertions. Traveling to the mirror above her armoire, she stifled a laugh at the sight that met her.
What makeup she'd been wearing yesterday to cover the telltale signs of her fatigue had since smeared and left strange areas of coloration across her cheeks, including twin dark smudges beneath her eyes that had once been mascara. Her usually flowing and wavy blonde hair stuck out at erratic angles and odd twists, and her clothing was wrinkled beyond belief.
"Hmm," she whispered to her mirror self, removing her wand from her robes, "this will take some work." A few minutes of charming and wand-waving, and soon the Head Girl was back to her refined self—makeup elegantly done, hair sleek and glistening, and she changed quickly into clean robes to complete the look. She nodded at this new image with approval.
Before departing the dorm, she left Keely another note, this one more lengthy than her last.
Keely,
Quidditch announcement will be at 7:20 exactly. Make sure everyone knows. Know you've been worried about me lately, but it'll be better after today. Thanks for caring.
Darcy
With this left on her roommate's nightstand, Darcy made her way down to the pitch, a thousand thoughts crowding for room in her head. She realized as she stepped through the open gates that she was, indeed, nervous, though for no explicable reason. In fact, the conversation she was about to have would put to rest some of her lingering troubles… or so she hoped.
A last, calming breath to ready her, and she stepped onto the field, directly beneath the goal posts Oliver always practiced on. She made no pretenses of attempting to hide this morning, her eyes already to the sky as she marched out. But she needn't have bothered; Oliver was not there.
Heart-rending panic tackled the girl head-on, as she frantically searched the opposite goal posts for any sign of the young Keeper. She had never expected him to be absent, never even considered that he might be gone… All her carefully laid plans were crumbling beneath her, and in her fluster, she nearly missed sight of the lone figure seated in the middle of the field.
Gasping with relief, Darcy took a minute to collect herself, then soundlessly approached the individual, whose back was to her. She didn't need to see his face to know it was Oliver—the spray of shortly-trimmed brown hair, broad, strong shoulders covered this morning in a pale blue and emerald-striped sweater. She paused mere feet away from him, unsure how to advance; a touch or spoken word would surely startle him…
But suddenly, his head snapped around, as if he'd sensed her presence. For a long moment, he stared up at her, surprised, until at last he said, "Good morning."
This was hardly what she'd expected from his mouth, and for no reason at all, it struck as wildly hilarious. She was caught up in gales of laughter before she could stop herself, eliciting concerned glances from the fourth-year as he stood to watch her. She snorted and wheezed until her sides ached, and at last, the paroxysm abated, leaving her to swipe futilely at the laughter tears that had likely undone her morning's careful makeup work. "Ohh…" she moaned, gazing up at Oliver. "I'm sorry. I haven't been sleeping much lately. I think insanity's finally caught up with me."
He regarded her with a cautious smile. "Okay?"
"For the moment," she answered, and sighed. "How about you? How're you fairing this fine morning, Mr. Wood? I haven't spoken to you much lately."
A touch of sadness drifted into his smile, and dampened the glimmer in his soft chocolate eyes. "Same as always, no better, no worse," he told her with a shrug.
Darcy raised a single skeptical brow and rested her hands on lithe hips. "Now that's a blatantly obvious lie if I've ever heard one," she said with mild exasperation. "I should know, I get them all the time from my so-called boyfriend. Would you like to tell me what's been on your mind lately or would you prefer to wallow in your own bad mood?"
His expression did not change. "So I see I'm not the only one who likes to get a little early practice," he replied calmly.
She broke into a grin at this, one of her most dazzling, and stated with amusement, "All right. I see how it's going to be. But that's just fine, because I know how to cheer you up anyway." She let a touch of smugness drift into her voice.
Now Oliver looked amused as well. "Oh, do you?"
"I do," she said, acutely aware that she was flirting as she let her body lean in to meet his. "But before I ask you what I came out here to ask you, there's something I need to admit."
"Quidditch field confessionals?" he teased, and at her disapproving glare, he added, "Sorry. Go ahead. Admit away."
A single eyebrow quirked in amusement, she said with practiced nonchalance, "Well, you are correct in the fact that I often get up early for a little morning practice. Which I happened to do on Monday morning… but somebody was already there. Yeah, that would mean you." She smiled a bit at the surprised expression that had claimed his features. "So instead of practicing, I ended up watching you practice. And then again on Tuesday morning. And Wednesday… And Thursday." She paused a moment to let this sink in, and then added, "Anyway, now that I've told you that, just in case you might be angry at me, I'll ask you my question, which should get me back in your good graces."
At this, Oliver gave a slight nod, indicating she continue.
For a moment, she debated pulling a Brian, and dragging out the suspense, but then decided against it and said simply, "I've chosen you to be Gryffindor's new Keeper, and I'm going to announce your name this morning in the common room. If that's okay with you?"
She had approximately one tenth of a second to react before the fourth-year launched himself forward, capturing her in his arms. Producing an endless stream of delighted yells and cheers, he spun Darcy in the air for a full minute before finally releasing the seventh-year to dizzily regain her composure. When the ground at last stopped whirling, she managed to focus her gaze on Oliver and remark with a smile, "I take it that was a yes?"
"Yes! Yes, yes!" he agreed with enthusiasm, laughing and displaying for a her a smile that seemed determined to meet his ears. "I mean, I had thought—when I heard—I had assumed…" He forced himself to pause, collect his thoughts, then in a calmer tone, he related, "When I heard on Monday you'd decided to skip tryouts and were just going to announce the new players, I automatically assumed I never had a shot. I mean, I wanted to think that maybe you would choose me, but it seemed more likely you'd pick sixth or seventh-years, since that's the majority of the team already…"
She replied, "Well, to be honest, that was my intention, till I saw you play on Monday. After that, after seeing how… incredible you are, I knew that I'd be foolish to pick anyone else. You truly are an amazing Keeper, Oliver." She reached out to lightly graze his defined jaw with her fingertips, bringing an instant flush of color to his visage. With a smile, she added, "Hope you're not mad at me for spying on you."
A sheepish grin found his features as he told her abashedly, "Really, I can't be mad at you, because… I've got my own secret to confess."
She inclined her head with interest. "Do tell."
"As much as I like morning practice, I also sometimes practice at night… when I can't sleep…" he said, and Darcy quickly realized where he was going with this. "So I ended up sneaking out Monday night and I kinda sorta ended up watching you play. And then again on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday. So pretty much every morning you watched me, every night I watched you. Yep."
The Quidditch captain found herself laughing again at the exquisite irony of their situation, and this time the Keeper joined her, until they were both leaning against the other to keep from collapsing to the ground. When Darcy could at last speak, she mused, "I bet you had a riot watching me pretend to be a whole Quidditch team over the course of the week."
"Are you kidding?" asked Oliver incredulously. "You were outstanding! I mean, I'd heard that you'd played as a Chaser before, so that didn't really surprise me, but I actually got kind of jealous watching you play Keeper. I may have to get you to teach me a few of your moves later, by the way. And you weren't half bad as a Beater, either."
"What about last night?" she asked, curious now that she knew someone had indeed witnessed her moment of Seeking glory.
Visage growing solemn, he told her in a tone of awe, "I couldn't take my eyes off you. I mean it, Darcy. I love Quidditch with all my heart and soul, and last night you left me speechless. It was… it was incredible." He stopped short before admitting he'd nearly been brought to tears by her performance.
She also chose not mention that it had been the thought of him that had driven her to such splendor. Instead she said, "I don't know what came over me last night, but I know I can do it again. And between that, the rest of my brilliant team, and having you, the best Keeper in the entire school, to watch my back… I think that Quidditch Cup is ours, Oliver."
Wood stretched a hand out to his captain, as though they'd just made a deal. "We'll make it happen," he promised, and shared a warm smile with Darcy as her slender, soft hand slipped into his own.
As they shook, her fingers brushed the cool metal of his wristwatch, and reminded her of the time. Gazing down at her own timepiece, she remarked, "We'd better get going. I told Keely to tell everyone I'd make my announcement at 7:20, and it's ten after now. People will eat me alive if I dare to be late." Taking advantage of the fact that their hands were still linked, she broke into a run, tugging him along behind her. "C'mon, Ollie, let's move!"
Startled, he fell into step with her, and through their intertwined hands, she could sense the thoughts rolling around in his mind. She discovered that he let very few people call him 'Ollie' because, in his opinion, it sounded—too childish. But I like the way sounds, coming off her lips. Maybe I just like her lips… Darcy smiled at his voice as it echoed through her mind, though she selected that moment to sever their connection, in case his thoughts were about to drift to places more personal.
Sixty pairs of eyes met the duo as they stepped, panting, through the portrait with a minute to spare; every last Gryffindor was packed into the common room, crowded onto chairs and couches, seated on top of tables, in the stairwell, on the floor, and on top of each other. When they spotted Darcy, an instant clamor broke out as nearly everyone in the room began yelling demands and questions at the Prefect. The only people not speaking, she noticed, were Fred and George, both smiling to themselves with satisfaction, and, unsurprisingly enough, Kotter. The seventh-year male was too busy glaring suspiciously at Wood.
Darcy took the moment to recover her breath, and when the hands of her watch lay precisely on 7:20, she yelled over the racket, "Does anybody want to know who the new Keeper and reserve players are?"
A tremendous roar of approval made the paintings on the wall shake and their inhabitants sprint for cover.
As the Quidditch captain's ears began to ring, she held her hands up for silence, and instantly the noise died, with only a few lingering, hissed threats of "Shh!" scattered about the room. When she knew she had the attention of every last breathing soul in the room, she announced, "Glad to see you all taking an interest in our House team. I was going to give a quick Gryffindor pep-talk, but after hearing a response like that, I know you guys don't need one."
Laughter, cheers, and light applause met this remark.
"Now I know you're all eager to get to breakfast and your morning classes—" a few scattered boos to this, and Darcy smiled, "—so I'll go ahead and tell you what you all want to hear. The Gryffindor reserve team for this year: Chasers—Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell." Three simultaneous female shrieks came from one corner of the room as the named second-years celebrated their achievement. "Beaters—Fred and George Weasley." The twins gave a believable display of shock, though a bit overdone, in Darcy's opinion, and accepted the congratulations of their Housemates. "Seeker—Lane Garner, and Keeper—Drew Ralleigh." The sixth-year and the fourth-year both gave exclamations of joy and general applause spread through the room as the House cheered their new reserve team.
Giving the selected seven a moment to enjoy their accolades, she waited till the voices had quieted once again before she made her final proclamation. "And now, this year's House team. To give you a quick recap, in case this is your first year or you've been living in a hole in the ground, we are: Chasers Kotter Baines, Loren LaRose, and Toby Resner; Beaters Brian Keeler and Keely Merath; Seeker Darcy Reed—that's me… and, as Keeper, we are proud to have joining us, none other than your own… Oliver Wood."
At this, she stepped aside, and gave the fourth-year, who'd been standing behind at her shoulder, a quick shove forward. Tumultuous approval met him, as everyone reached out to shake his hand and pat their new Keeper on the back. Oliver turned around and shot the Prefect an uncertain glance.
She just smiled benignly at him, then let her gaze stray to a nearby wall clock. At twenty to eight, the majority of the school would be down to breakfast by now, and likely wondering where the Gryffindors were. She glanced back at Oliver, who had begun to look rather uncomfortable with all his many well-wishers, and with an amused grin, she hollered, "Anybody hungry for some breakfast?!?"
More cheers, and suddenly a stream of students was flowing through the portrait hole with boisterous enthusiasm. The Quidditch captain had fallen into the current when a strong grasp found her wrist and tugged her back, rolling her into the arms of her newest teammate.
With lips close enough for his warm breath to tickle her ear, he mused, "The day Dumbledore announced you as Head Girl to the school, I wondered why you had a kind of funny, reluctant smile on your face. Now I understand."
Darcy laughed, and beamed a very lovely grin up at him. "At least someone gets it."
He smiled back at her, and together they joined the crowd headed down to the Great Hall. Neither took any notice of the furious male seventh-year still seated on the couch, who was seriously contemplating hexing the new Keeper with a particularly nasty Vomiting Curse. Kotter Baines did not go down to breakfast that morning.
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Hope you all enjoyed that, and thanks one last time for those great reviews! A new chapter should be up VERY soon; your kind comments have given me huge inspiration to write!