Fixing to Fly
Chapter Fourteen
Author's Note: Plot twists, plot twists, plot twists! Oh my god, can we say plot twists? A lot of you are going to spaz out on me for this one… just remember that it is still a Darcy/Oliver romance! But oh man, am I wicked. I think I'm going to leave a lot of you on the edges of your seats begging for Chapter Fifteen! I won't make you wait too long for that one: we'll say Thursday evening at the latest, and you can all send me death-threats if you don't have Chapter Fifteen by Thursday evening. You'll likely get it sooner though; I can barely tear myself away from the computer anymore, this story's got me so involved!
*Anyway, I want to give some quick love to new reviewers that have joined the Fixing to Fly family: D. Henderson, Jade Koenma, No Name Face, dracos-gurl, shewhodares, and lilmissfrenchy. Thanks to you all for your interest in my story and kind reviews! I hope I can keep up the good work for you all, and attract yet more new reviewers!
*And of course, intense love for all my faithfuls out there, who've shown me complete sweetness since the beginning: Kat ~ You're my rock, you're my island. Couldn't do it without you, chica! Jessika ~ Your reviews always motivate me to write more. Thanks for all the support! Christi ~ My days are complete when I get one of your reviews; not only are they totally sweet, they also crack me up! And total props to you for multiple reviews. pokElilpupE ~ Your reviews have been some of the kindest and most supportive yet. Thanks for pointing out what you like about various chapters, it lets me know what I'm doing right. And Josie ~ You are such a sweetie! You've always got something encouraging to say. Huge thanks to you and all my reviewers for being such wonderful, amazing people!
Plot twist central, y'all! Enter at your own risk… and don't abuse the author, or she can't write more. Nah, go ahead, abuse the author. She is pretty evil… muahaha…
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In no time at all, news of Kotter's expulsion from the Quidditch pitch had spread throughout the entirety of Hogwarts. In every corridor, classroom, and study hall, people were chattering, whispering, rumoring, and conjecturing. When Darcy finally decided to head down to the Great Hall for a bite of lunch—she'd spent the majority of the morning after the incident secluded to her dorm—she found her, Kotter's, and Oliver's names on the tongue of every last student in the room. Even the teachers seemed to be murmuring amongst themselves with interest.
As Darcy stood on the threshold of the hall, for the second time in her seventh year, her mere presence brought a hush of instant silence to the great room. Through an act of astounding willpower, she chose to ignore the blatant stares, and started down the row of tables to her regular seat amongst the other Gryffindors. But she'd barely made two steps before the hall exploded back into conversation, and now all the voices were directed at her. Questions and comments assaulted the girl from every side:
"Way to go, Darcy!"
"It's about time somebody put that git in his place!"
"The Hufflepuffs are with you, Darcy!"
"Hey, Darcy, are you single yet?"
"Darcy, do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"Hey, Darcy—!"
Somehow she managed to slip into her seat, and as the clamor began to slowly die down, she asked Brian incredulously, "What is going on around here? Does everyone know about this morning?" At her friend's nod, she added, "Would you listen to them all? You'd think Kotter's been abusing me or something, the way they talk!"
"Well… no offense, doll, but he has, in a way," he pointed out, passing her a plate of turkey sandwiches. "And I know you've tried to keep it secret, but people notice a lot more than you'd think. Besides, Kotter's never been exactly subtle with things."
The Seeker buried her face in her hands. "Love of Merlin, why can't my life ever be normal?" she pleaded weakly.
A comforting hand fell onto her shoulder. "Don't worry, hun, everybody will have forgotten by tomorrow morning anyway," came Keely's voice, understanding and sympathetic. "Hey, did you get a chance to check on Oliver? Is he okay?"
Glad to get her mind off her own problems for a brief moment, Darcy replied, "Yeah, he's okay. Just a bloody nose is all. Madame Pomfrey made him lay down in the infirmary for a few hours, but he'll be up and around by dinner. I stopped in to see him after I got done in the locker room." Her face had still been slightly puffy and flushed from crying when she'd visited him. If the fourth-year had noticed, he hadn't said anything, only insisted on giving her a hug before she left, and repeating again that she could always talk to him if needed.
"Wood's a strong kid," Toby mused. He'd been listening to her report. "He'll bounce back like nothing. Probably ready to sneak out of the infirmary as we speak."
Darcy found herself smiling. "Yeah, you're probably right." She sent another glance around the room; a great many stares and whispers were still being directed her way. To her friends, she said, "I think I've had about enough attention for one day. I'm going up the library, see if I can't find myself a nice, dark corner to hide in and finish my homework. I'll see you all later in the common room." She slid quietly away before the barrage of voices could assault her again.
* * *
For two blissfully uneventful weeks, Darcy went on about her daily life, falling easily back into the routine of classes and practice. She hadn't spoken a word to Kotter since the incident on the pitch, though he'd attended all the following practices. When she needed to advise him on a play or maneuver, she found herself speaking at him rather than to him, as though he were a brick wall incapable of response. Strangely enough, this system seemed to work.
The other change that had resulted from Kotter's absence was the arrival of Oliver as a permanent fixture in her life. The group of Gryffindor seventh-years had more or less adopted their younger Housemate, and he could now be found laughing and joking amongst them on evenings and weekends. He'd even taken Kotter's place at Darcy's side during meals—the sulking Chaser had moved to the opposite end of the table to eat alone.
Having the Keeper so close was a blessing and a curse to Darcy, especially with her relationship on the rocks at the moment. Oliver gave her the support and attention she'd always craved from Kotter, along with the freedom to be herself… yet she couldn't help but feel the occasional pang of longing for her life to return to its previous, predictable norm. She hadn't been able to write home to her parents in nearly a month, as it was; whenever she tried to word the state of her affairs, especially in regards to Kotter, it always came out sounding whiny and childish, as though she was trying to make excuses. How to tell them that the boy they referred to as 'son-in-law' was in fact an insecure control freak? That she'd fallen out of love with him after year three of their now-five-year relationship…
Giving her head of blonde curls a sharp shake, Darcy pulled herself out of musing. It was after nine already and, sitting in a secluded section of library with a fortress of books piled around her, her History of Magic report on Edwin the Eccentric was barely a third of the way completed.
Instead, she'd been doodling in her notebook, and now an entire page was filled with tiny drawings of broomsticks and golden snitches, along with multiple scrawled notations such as 'Potions sucks pastrami' and 'Snape eats babies.'
Now she forced herself to flip open one of the many dusty texts and study its yellowed pages, pausing every once and again to scribble something down on her parchment. She'd nearly finished the essay when a now-familiar voice acquired her attention. "You around here somewhere, Darcy?" Oliver called, stuck somewhere in a nearby aisle, by the sound.
"Here, Ollie," she replied, and a moment later, his smiling face popped around the corner.
"Madame Pince told me she thought she saw you sitting in the biographies section, but she didn't know where you were for sure," he said as he dropped into the seat across from her. He sent a quick glance at the various books. "Who is…" he twisted his head to read upside-down, "Edwin the Eccentric?"
With exquisite sarcasm she answered, "Oh, he's positively fascinating. After studying him for the past three hours, I've learned that he did absolutely nothing of any importance whatsoever. Having learned about this great man, my purpose in life is now fulfilled."
Oliver laughed. "So I guess I'm not interrupting you then, am I?"
"Hmm, let me check my pulse; nope, still beating, but barely. I'd say you're just in time," she replied, and let the heavy book she'd been perusing fall shut with a cloud of dust. She gave him her most dazzling smile. "Entertain me, my dear Mr. Wood."
"How about I feed you instead?" He produced a box of Bertie Bott's from his robes.
Darcy's sparkling sapphire eyes widened and as she accepted the gift, she cooed, "Ohh, Oliver, I think I might be in love. You're my Keeper in shining scarlet robes." She tore greedily into the box, and instantly stuffed a bright blue bean into her mouth. Then she flinched. "Eeuww. Bath water. That's a new one."
The fourth-year only smiled back at her, an odd expression on his face.
Suspiciously she studied her young friend, chewing slowly on a saffron-colored bean that tasted of butter. "All right, Wood. What's on your mind?" she demanded finally. "People only bring me candy when they want me calm for some reason or another. So just go ahead and say what you have to, and I promise not to maim you… too badly, anyway."
He fiddled distractedly with her spare quill, carefully avoiding her gaze as he mused, "You might change that promise after you hear what I have to say."
"Try me," she prompted. "And keep in mind I have no patience."
A brief smile traced Oliver's face, but it quickly faded again, and her reddish-gold eagle feather quill seemed to occupy the majority of his attention. In a barely audible, slightly mumbled voice, he related, "You're probably going to kill me… but I just got done talking to Kotter. For an hour."
Darcy choked, and not because of the red Tabasco bean she'd bitten into. "What? Are you absolutely mental? Merlin, Oliver, did you have a death wish?"
"Hear me out for a second!" he interrupted her, holding his hands up placatingly. "Please? And then you can abuse me all you want."
Arranging her features into an expression of impassiveness, she said, "I'm listening."
"Okay." He drew a deep breath, then began, "The past two weeks have been, by far, my best ever at Hogwarts. Being able to spend time with you, and Brian, Keely, Toby, and Loren… you guys have got to be the most wonderful people on the earth. And you, Darcy…" He sighed with resignation, and a pink blush began to creep into his cheeks. "I suppose there's no easy way to say this… I, um, I've… well, the day I met you… you really are very beautiful, and smart—"
"Ollie, honey, just spit it out." She put the stumbling boy back on track.
"Since the day I met you, I've had a crush on you, and it's only gotten stronger with the last two weeks and everything, and I wanted you to know that I really, really like you. There. I said it." He was avoiding her gaze again, and his face was now a brilliant scarlet.
A crazy flutter rippled wildly through her stomach, and the Seeker found a rather goofy smile seeping over her lips as she began, "Oliver, I—"
"No, I'm not done yet!" he quickly interjected, bringing her to stunned silence. "I mean, I don't want you to say anything till I've said all I need to." Darcy's answer was her continued quiet. "Okay. So like I said, I just got done talking to Kotter, and you're probably wondering why. Well… well, I know how I feel about you, Darcy. Being around you is like being on some wonderful drug. You're like sunlight—warming and brilliant and natural…"
Darcy, who was fighting off tears at his sweet words, must have swallowed a bit too loudly, for suddenly the fourth-year shook his head, and a renewed blush came to his cheeks.
He quickly continued on, "But anyway. I know if that's the way I feel about you, then what about Kotter? At first I thought he was just pouting because you kicked him off the field, but the more I thought about it, the more it came to me: he was heartbroken. I knew I had to talk to him, no matter how great the last weeks have been for me. So I did. I found him, and I told him the truth about how I felt about you, but I then I told him that I knew he really loved you, and as long as he did, I would never interfere with you two. And then he told me how much he loved you, and how much he misses you. He knows he hasn't exactly done a good job of showing it, Darcy, but he really does care. And he wants you to give him another chance."
Opening her mouth to speak, she found there were no words to be had. Oliver reached across the table and took her hands in his own.
"I promised him, Darcy. I promised I wouldn't leave here until I'd convinced you to go talk to him. Because I want you to be happy, and he really wants to make you happy. He's… he's a pretty good guy, Kotter. I think you should give him a chance."
Tears were threatening to invade her vision. She wanted to kiss Oliver. She wanted to kick him. She wanted to kiss him then kick him. He'd somehow managed to solve all her problems in one simple conversation—letting her slip back to the simplicity of her previous world, and yet giving her renewed hope with the admission of his own feelings, so she knew the chemistry that she felt between them was not all one-sided. And he'd done all this at the cost of his personal pride and against his own desires.
She released a sigh and a shaky laugh, and said, "Oh Oliver, you make it impossible for a girl to be mad at you."
Smiling in return, he said, "It's a gift. So will you talk to him then? For me?"
For a moment she sat silently composing her thoughts, her brow creased into a slight frown. "Did he tell you all the things about our relationship, Oliver? All the reasons why it's come down to this? Did he tell you all the things he's done?"
Now Oliver's visage clouded as well. "He told me some things. Not a lot, though."
Darcy felt the acidic taste of bitterness at the back of her throat once more. That was perfectly Kotter: telling only half the story, in order to make himself the good guy. That was why she was so reluctant to give him yet another chance. She'd already given him so many chances, she'd lost count, and still here they were. Why should this time be any different than the last?
As if he could read her thoughts, the Keeper said, "Don't think too much about that, Darcy. He didn't need to tell me what he's done, it's not my business. All I know is that I've never seen a human being so sincere. And I consider myself a pretty good judge of character."
"You are," she admitted, and found her reluctance melting against the soft glow of his smiling chocolate eyes. "If you think he was sincere, then he was. I trust you, Oliver."
He smiled, though he could not banish completely the touches of pain that lurked behind the expression, reminders of the sacrifice he had made for her. Darcy suddenly hated herself for dragging him into the twisted, deceitful realm of her life. The least thing she could do, she knew, was honor his request that she speak to Kotter.
She squeezed his hands, and tried on her most genuine smile. "I'll go and talk to Kotter now, listen to what he has to say," she said, and stood, gathering her items into her bag as he watched her. They walked to the doors of the library in silence, and there she stopped and reached out to trail her fingertips along his defined jaw. She said, "You're timeless, Oliver Wood. You're exquisite. And no matter what happens, I'll never forget all the things you do for me. Thank you." She leaned in and kissed him gently, then walked away, not daring to turn back lest he see the tears in her eyes.
* * *
By the time she reached Kotter's dorm, she was collected again, and slipped quietly into the room after receiving an instant "Come in!" at her knock. He was sitting alone at his desk, looking tense as though he'd been waiting for someone—her, she supposed. As she stepped into the flickering torchlight and let it illuminate her soft features, a brilliant grin formed across her boyfriend's face. In a soft voice, he greeted her, "Hello, baby."
"I talked to Oliver," was all she could think to say.
"So did I," he replied, on his feet now as he crossed the room to meet her. "Did you tell you what I said? Did he tell you… no, I need to tell you." He dropped to his knees, startling Darcy with his suddenness, and she started to take a step back when he reached out and took her hands. "I've been so stupid, Darcy. You're the greatest thing I've ever had in my life, and I've somehow managed to do every stupid thing in my power to push you away. But I'm crazy about you, and it's killing me to have us apart."
"Then why haven't you said anything before now, before Oliver talked to you?" she demanded, the old doubt surfacing in her mind.
"Because I didn't know how! Don't you know the reason I get so protective and demanding all the time is because you intimidate me? You're so beautiful, and smart, and-and just amazing, that I feel like I'm not good enough for you. And if you find someone better than me out there, I might lose you. You are so important to me, baby."
She could see why Oliver had believed Kotter's sincerity; even she was now beginning to believe it, looking deep into his emerald eyes. Was he really ready to change, after five long years? Was it possible…?
"I want to start over with you, Darcy. I want to treat you like the goddess you are, and show you how much I really care about you. That I love you… Can you ever forgive me, DC? Will you let me try and make up for all the damage I've done?" His tone was pleading, his face nakedly honest, and his sweaty-palmed hands clamped uncomfortably tight around her own, as if he was afraid she would try to run.
Darcy stared down at Kotter for a very long time, every fiber of her body screaming in conflict. For every bit of her that bought into his words, that wanted desperately to believe that the picture-perfect façade she'd been living could actually come true, the other half of her cried out that this was just one more lie, and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. And of course, she couldn't get the visage of Oliver out of her head, giving her that last saddened smile…
"No pressure, babes, but my knees are starting to hurt," Kotter interjected, and that should have made up her mind right then to turn around and walk out.
But instead she did something very foolish—not the first or last foolish thing she would do, but perhaps one of the worst. She looked her boyfriend of five years in the eyes, smiled, and said, "I want to believe that you can change, and I'm willing to give you the chance to try."
"Darcy, I love you so much!" he cried, and suddenly the blonde found herself ensnared in a desperate embrace, Kotter holding her as though he had no intentions of ever letting her go. The thought that maybe didn't sent a tiny ripple of panic through her, but she soon quelled it, and melted into his warm arms. It had, after all, been two full weeks since she'd last been in any sort of lover's embrace, and she had missed it. "I'm going to make everything up to you, I swear it. Just wait, baby, you'll see."
"I hope so, Kotter," she said and allowed herself to enjoy the passionate kiss he placed upon her lips. She chose to ignore the foreboding feeling that had sunk into the back of her brain… and the secret wish that it was Oliver Wood sliding his tongue deftly over her own.
It would be several weeks before the true depth of her mistake came to light.