Fixing to Fly
Chapter Twenty-Three
Author's Note: This one's a bit short, I know, but oh-so-vital to the events soon to come! Ooh, I'm so excited about the next couple of chapters; all the good stuff you've been waiting for is just around the corner! Eeep, I best stop now, otherwise I'll give the best away! Mucho love once again to my most amazing readers and reviewers. You didn't have to wait a whole month for a chapter this time!! Yay! And I want to strongly encourage you all when you get done reading this to go check out the works of the wonderfully talented Carlyn here on ff.net. She's been one of my best friends and the most amazing author I know for the longest of long times now (like, third grade) and I know you'll all thoroughly enjoy her works. Also, if when you get done here you're in the mood for a fun Remus-centric fic, go check out my new story, Jade Eyes, and let me know what you think! Okay, enough babble. Chapter! Go!
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The wadded ball of parchment hit Keely directly between the eyes, and for a moment, Darcy almost forgot to breathe in light of her effort to keep her hysterical laughter silent. At the other end of the table, the chestnut-haired Scot gave her friend a venomous glare that promised later vengeance before returning to her Muggle Studies essay. As her giggles died away, the Head Girl stared down at her own roll of parchment, disenchanted. She'd been attempting to write her Transfigurations paper for the past three hours, but for reasons unknown, she found herself completely unable to focus.
Well, perhaps for reasons not entirely unknown.
It was Friday. Oliver had now been conscious for six days, and out of the infirmary for three of those. As the fourth-year returned to his classes, rejoining the hustle and bustle of mainstream Hogwarts life, Darcy found herself settling back into her own routines, albeit in markedly improved spirits. Even Kotter seemed to be in a better mood, if only because she was no longer spending all her spare time in the infirmary. But she doubted how long he would stay cheerful, especially after she told him the news she'd learned only a few hours prior.
Professor McGonagall had caught the Gryffindor Prefect on her way back from dinner and officially charged her with tutoring Oliver, in order to catch the fourth-year up in the classes he'd missed during his stay in the infirmary. Darcy had accepted the task with the air of cool dignity and responsibility expected of her, completely belying the exuberant flip-flops her insides were doing. She now had an airtight, perfectly legitimate reason to spend her evenings with Oliver…
A mischievous smile slipped easily across her lips as she envisioned Kotter's reaction to this. Maybe he'll burst a blood vessel from yelling and be reduced to a permanently vegetative state, she mused, then laughed at her own morbidity.
"I fail to see what's so funny about a 25-inch paper on the origins of protomorphic transfiguration," came a brooding, slightly whiny voice, and Darcy glanced up in time to find none other than Kotter flopping himself ungracefully into the seat next to her.
Speak of the devil, she almost said aloud, stopping herself only at the last minute. Instead she carefully trained her features to casual neutrality and queried, "How was your day?"
The Gryffindor Chaser growled low in his throat and ran a hand roughly through his blonde curls. "I don't even want to talk about it," he muttered, then immediately began, "Bloody Trelawney gave me a detention today. Said I wasn't taking the class 'seriously enough' and that I was 'clouding the Inner Eyes' of the other students. Please. I don't think anybody takes that class seriously. And like anybody in that damn class has an Inner Eye; she doesn't even have an Inner Eye, crazy old bat…"
As Kotter continued his tangent against the Divinations professor, Darcy let her mind wander off and, as usual, her thoughts soon turned to a certain chocolate-eyed fourth-year. They'd gotten into a playful argument that afternoon during their shared fourth class study hall, debating over who knew the Weasley twins better. She had at last admitted a reluctant defeat after Oliver tickled her into submission. When she told him she'd let him win for reasons of pity, he'd promptly laughed and kissed her on the tip of the nose. You're so cute, Darcy, he'd said with a grin.
Now she distastefully eyed the individual seated next to her, her so-called boyfriend, who was still complaining bitterly about the inequities of his life. When was the last time he called me cute? she pondered darkly, suddenly annoyed with the grating nasal quality of his voice. When was the last time he even complimented me at all? Her lips curved into a frown as she fell away into her own sullen thoughts, nearly missing the question Kotter posed to her as at last he completed his tirade.
"—was your day, babe?"
Through sheer luck, she managed to pick up her end of the conversation without missing a beat. "Oh, it was fine. Unremarkable for the most part. Magical Medicine class first thing in the morning, then Charms, then lunch, then finished the day out with a rousing session of abuse from Snape during Potions. Then I hung out with Oliver during my free class this afternoon—" she stopped abruptly, realizing her error too late.
But to her surprise, Kotter only rose a curious eyebrow. "Oh really?" he replied, his upbeat tone sounding remarkably authentic. "How is everyone's favorite Quidditch prodigy today?"
"Doing fine," she said cautiously, keeping a careful watch on her boyfriend for any signs of an impending outburst. "Madam Pomfrey told me this morning during class that he's allowed start practicing with us again on Monday."
"That's music to my ears. I've been going about crazy this week, practicing with the reserve Keeper. I mean, don't get me wrong, Drew Ralleigh is a great guy and all, but when it comes to skills on the Quidditch field, he's still got a lot of room for improvement. Definitely doesn't match up to your boy Wood. I have to admit, he was a good choice on your part, my smart little Quidditch Queen." He grinned affectionately at her, giving her jaw line a gentle brush with his fingertips.
For a long moment Darcy could only stare. Who was this man and what had he done with her boyfriend? Had he just complimented Oliver Wood, the boy he considered a rival for her affections, who'd been the topic of countless arguments between them? More amazingly, had he just complimented her?
She sat silent for so long that a look of concern soon crept over Kotter's features, prompting him to query, "DC? Hun? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm, ah… fine," she said at last, rediscovering her voice amongst the fog of perplexity that was still trying to claim her mind.
"So… what about Wood, then? Do you think his skills have improved any since he first started practicing with us? Personally, I think he's made a lot of advancement in terms of his defensive strategies," he remarked conversationally.
Again the female seventh-year felt the nearly overwhelming urge to stare in open-mouthed, wide-eyed shock at the stranger sitting next to her. Since when did they have civilized conversations about the on-field improvement of their teammates? In the thousand or so times in the past when she and Brian had rattled on about Quidditch, Kotter had never shown the slightest hint of interest in joining in the conversation. And now he wanted to chat about Oliver no less…
Despite the ripple of suspicion rolling around her interior, Darcy decided to proceed with his chosen topic of discussion and, carefully selecting her words, she gave him her opinion of their Keeper's developmental progress. To her exquisite shock, he listened to her every word with rapt attention, something he hadn't done in a long time, and she soon found her tension easing a bit as she rediscovered the attentive, considerate Kotter she thought had disappeared several years ago.
When she finished, he nodded thoughtfully, an easy smile still spread across his features. "You know, believe it or not, I didn't really care for Wood much when you first had him join the team. But you probably guessed that, huh?" he laughed lightly.
"I think I caught a hint or two," she replied, the first traces of her own grin twitching up the corners of her lips. She still couldn't quite believe this sudden reversal of Kotter's attitude, but it was a pleasant change of pace, for once. Maybe someone had secretly slipped a Cheering Draft into his supper…
He was smiling at her again. "Yeah. But the funny thing is, the more time I'm around him, the more I'm starting to like him. He's a pretty good guy, right? Well, you'd probably know more about him, you've spent more one-on-one time with him—not that it's a bad thing," he added quickly, just as Darcy thought she'd at last found the flaw in this friendly conversation.
"He's an amazing individual," was her simple response, as the idea that he was under some sort of potion became more credible in her mind. His next remark seemed to confirm it.
"Why don't you tell me about him? I've wanted to make an attempt at friendship with him—to make up for the monumental jerk I've been, you know—but I don't really know what he likes, or how to approach him. Maybe if you tell me what it is you like so much about him, it'll make it easier for me?"
Will the night of surprises never end? the blonde Seeker nearly blurted out, yet again befuddled by the contradicting words of the bad-tempered control freak she thought she knew. Well, I can't very well blow him off… he asked so nicely, she rationed as the side of her that seemed so determined to constantly forgive Kotter made itself known. Her more skeptical persona immediately countered, But if you really, honestly tell him what's he's asking for, he'll have months of ammunition against you for arguments.
For a full minute, the battle of Darcy's wills raged on inside her head while Kotter waited patiently, seemingly content to let her ponder for a bit. It was her desire to at last discuss Oliver with someone other than Brian that finally resolved the argument, and before she could have second thoughts, she soon found herself spilling all the wonderful things about Oliver Wood. For nearly an hour she talked, feeling amazingly unburdened as she shared with Kotter her thoughts. The only thing she failed to bring up were her feelings of attraction for the fourth-year, though if Kotter was truly listening, she doubted it would have been hard for him to guess. Maybe this was what he needed, what they both needed, to let go of their crumbling relationship on amicable terms.
She fell silent only when her throat was to dry to speak any longer and the threatening glares from Madam Pince the librarian were becoming dangerously murderous.
"Well," Kotter mused, shooting her a quick grin. "You've definitely given me a lot to think about. If you don't mind though, babes, I think I'm going to head off for the night, and let you get back to that wonderful essay I see you've worked so hard on." He indicated the mostly-blank sheet of parchment still resting in front of her.
"Okay," she agreed, though her own thoughts were quite far from her Transfigurations paper as images of her comfy four-poster with its warm, velvety covers suddenly filled her head.
He rose to his feet, brushing a quick kiss over her brow. "Night, DC. See you tomorrow."
She echoed his sentiments, "Goodnight," and as he started away for the door, she bent over her belongings and began piling them back into her bag, deciding to save the task of her essay for a later date. With her back to Kotter, she never saw the look of dark malevolence that had sprung into his features as he exited the library.
The gravity of her mistake would not hit her until it was too late.
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Hmm, methinks me smells trouble! What thinks you? ;) Drop me a review and lemme know! And if you haven't already, go check out my Draco fic, To Break A Snake, as well as the new Jade Eyes. I know, I know, shameful self promotion, but what the heck. I already know you readers and reviewers are absolutely wonderful people, so I definitely want your opinions on my other works as well as this. My thanks in advance!
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