"I simply cannot believe you are in here again, having me say the exact same things I did last time!" Professor McGonagall raged. "Fighting at breakfast in front of the whole school is not the way to solve your problems!" Paris and Oliver were sat in Professor McGonagall's office sullen faced, knowing full well Marcus wasn't getting told off by anyone.
"Thank Merlin you're all going for two weeks! Maybe then we can have some peace," McGonagall continued.
"But Miss! Look at her! Look what he did," Oliver protested.
"Silence!" McGonagall snapped back at him. "Muggle fighting is unacceptable, I have told you this too many times. Paris should've come to me and reported it. I know you have trouble with Flint but his fate is out of my hands, he will be severely punished however. The same rules apply to him also."
"But Snape won't do anything!" Paris cried angrily, which was true.
"Flint isn't with Professor Snape. He is with Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said, emphasizing the Professor in front of Snape. She took off her glasses and laid them on her desk.
"I believe he will be expelled from Hogwarts and if Master Wood doesn't control his temper, he will follow suit. I know why you did it Wood so don't look at me like that but thanks to the Daily Prophet, you are now mini celebrities shall we say. If they get wind of anything like this, you can kiss your privacy good bye," McGonagall explained.
Paris and Oliver were quiet. What would Paris do if Oliver were expelled? And Marcus is going for good?
"Go to Madam Pomfry and she'll clear your bruise up and remember what I said. One more toe out of line and that's it," Professor McGonagall said finally.
Oliver had a two week professional Quidditch training trials as his work experience and both Marino and Percy were going to the Ministry of Magic as theirs. Paris was staying at school as she was interested in teaching and it would be better for everyone if she stayed where people could keep an eye on her.
As Oliver was going away, he was going slightly mental about Quidditch practice. Ava wasn't very well so Paris was taking her place as Oliver went through strategies with the team.
"So what we'll do is when Ravenclaw follow the feints, Angelina will take the Quaffle and keep it moving between all three Chasers, that way it's harder to catch...yes, Paris?" Oliver said, noticing Paris had her hand up.
While they played Quidditch, Paris and Oliver pretended they were nothing but team mates.
"I know Cedric has a similar formation to yours, so Ravenclaw will be ready for it because the next game is between them and Hufflepuff," Paris explained.
"I'm sorry, what?" Oliver replied, rather angrily.
"I was talking to Cedric and we were chatting about Quidditch and he mentioned a similar formation," Paris explained slowly.
"You were telling Diggory my formations?" Oliver asked, walking closer to where Paris was. She didn't look scared, just slightly confused.
"No of course not, some of your formations are so complex I can't even understand them myself let alone pass them on," Paris replied honestly, which was true.
"So when exactly are these cosy little chatting sessions going on, eh?" Oliver demanded, now quite angry. Paris furrowed her brow.
"What cosy little chatting sessions?" She answered back, now quite angry herself.
"Let me guess, when we're stuck out here practicing? When I'm out of the way?" Oliver shouted. Paris looked furious as the rest of team gathered together and gave each other glances.
"He is my partner in Herbology, we do talk y'know!" Paris replied.
"Oh I see," Oliver said nastily. "That's why he wants to partner you all the time! Can't you see he's just trying to steal my formations that I've worked so hard on? It's the only reason he likes you, Paris!"
Everyone bar Oliver opened their mouths in shock at his words.
"I have known Cedric longer than I've known you so don't you dare tell me that," Paris shouted back.
"I don't care Paris, you don't have to Captain this team. I've put my all into this but I guess you wouldn't understand that," Oliver said airily.
"All you've done for this team is made us lose! You would've even been Captain if it weren't for me anyway! Charlie offered it to me first but I said no, to give it to you!" Paris shouted. Her words echoed around the stadium as the team gasped. Oliver looked hurt but he quickly recovered.
"Then fine," He said, ripping his Captains' badge off his robes. "You think you would've been better, you Captain the team." He pulled Paris' hand open and pushed the badge hard into her palm.
Paris looked at the badge, she had never wanted to be Captain anyway but the bottom line was Charlie had offered it to her first, he thought her good enough.
"Shove it up your arse, Oliver," Paris spat and threw his badge back at him. It hit him in the chest and fell to the ground. Just as she said those words, it began to rain. Paris pushed past him and ran toward the castle. He didn't bother stopping her.
"You're letting her go?" Angelina asked in disbelief, watching Paris run up the stone steps of Hogwarts and disappear out of sight.
"Practice is over," Oliver said moodily and began walking toward the changing rooms.
The remaining five were left on the pitch, wondering what on earth had just happened."I can't believe he would say something so horrible!" Paris wailed into Fred's neck. "He is just being so stupid recently, I don't know why!"
As Marino and Paris' other room mates had gone away already for work experience, Fred was left to console Paris over this evening in the girl's dorm.
"You know him, he's just being himself. He can't help it," Fred said awkwardly, unsure whether to defend Paris or Oliver. He wasn't very good at being a girl, thankfully.
"Oh bugger him!" Paris cried, punching her pillow but still clinging onto Fred. "If he's going to be a prat then let him!"
"You don't mean that," Fred said lightly. "It's a tiff, you'll be alright tomorrow."
"He's going away tomorrow and I don't care, I'm glad he's going," Paris said sulkily. "I'm not speaking to him until he apologizes."
"That might take a while," Fred sighed. Paris began a fresh tide of tears and pulled Fred down so they were both lying on her bed. Paris put her head on Fred's chest and cried into his already wet Quidditch uniform whilst he wondered what he had done to deserve this.
"Why is he being so difficult, huh?" Paris sobbed. "He's just jealous of Cedric but isn't it pretty clear I'm not interested in him?"
"Merlin Paris, I don't know! I'm not good at this junk; you need to talk to Marino or Angelina. Please shut up before I Avada Kedavra myself or something," Fred said impatiently.
"Don't joke about that, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," Paris said, sniffing.
"I'm not going anywhere. Why don't you go in the shower while I look for Marino's diary?" Fred said, sitting up and looking around.
"Don't you dare," Paris warned, wiping her eyes and also sitting up.
"I'll look for yours then," Fred replied, beginning to look under Paris' bed.
"Marino's is in her wardrobe I think," Paris said quickly, knowing full well Marino took her diary everywhere with her. Fred hopped off the bed and threw open Marino's wardrobe to find there was nothing in it.
"Hey!" Fred shouted but Paris had disappeared into the bathroom.Oliver was steadily smashing up the Captain's office, something he was good at. He had kicked over his waste paper bin and broken his desk amongst other things.
Why was Paris being so difficult? Didn't she care that he had two weeks of trials that would make or break his future?
Oliver was just about to start smashing his broom when he heard a gentle knock on his door.
"What?" He barked, throwing himself into his chair. It was Ava.
"Bad time?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at the mess.
"Very. What do you want?" Oliver said shortly. Ava came in and shut the door, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"I just came to see how practice was and what I missed. Obviously not very well by the looks of this," She said, kicking some papers with her foot.
"No, it wasn't good. Aren't you supposed to be ill or something?" Oliver asked briskly.
"I felt better so I came down. Do you show the same concern for all your team mates?" Ava asked, smiling slowly.
"This isn't a very good time Ava," Oliver sighed. He wanted to be alone and wallow in self pity.
"You can talk to me about it, I don't mind," She said softly. Oliver looked at her, properly for the first time and realized he didn't really fancy being alone. He could talk to Ava, why not?
"I fell out with my girlfriend," Oliver sighed again as Ava sat down in the chair Paris always seemed to be in during Oliver's run as Captain. He remembered how they'd both make excuses to talk to each other about something and thinking about it, Oliver never really realized it.
"That Paris girl?" Ava said coldly. "What over?"
"It's a long story; I think we're both a little stressed right now. It was my fault but she knows just how to wind me up!" Oliver said, banging his fist on the desk. "I shouldn't have said what I said though."
"It wasn't your fault if she wound you up. She doesn't seem very nice, she knows what an important two weeks you've got ahead of you. If I were her, I'd be nothing but supportive and doing whatever to take your mind off things," Ava replied slyly.
"No, it wasn't her fault. She's not feeling too great as it is but I made her come out anyway," Oliver said, wondering where exactly Paris was.
"She's been outside before hasn't she? She seemed alright last night when she was walking by the Greenhouses with Cedric Diggory," Ava replied innocently.
"Pardon?" Oliver said, thinking he'd miss heard her. Walking? At night with Cedric?
"I saw them after practice last night; her and Diggory were walking by the Greenhouses and then disappeared behind one. Didn't see them again," Ava explained, suppressing a smile.
"That sneaking bloody pretty boy! It's a good job he went this morning," Oliver began raging, getting up and kicking a filing cabinet.
"It was your girlfriend though; shouldn't you be mad at her?" Ava reminded him. If Oliver hadn't been crazy with rage, he would've probably noticed something fishy there and then.
"What am I doing wrong exactly? I'm not the best person in the world but then who is? Diggory I suppose! It's just because he's good looking, other than that he's a complete drip," Oliver said, hurt and angry.
"I don't think he's that good looking. You're better looking than him," Ava said quietly, standing up.
"I...huh?" Oliver started but then realized what Ava had said. She came closer to him, her golden blonde hair glinting in the torch light.
"I think you're great looking and if your girlfriend can't see that and wants to go off with Diggory, more fool her," Ava said softly. She had an accent Oliver couldn't place; it was a soft Irish one that she seemed to be losing and replacing with an English one.
"Ava, I don't think I'm comfortable with this. I love Paris very much, we had an argument, we'll sort it out," Oliver explained quickly. He really didn't want to get himself into this position, not at all.
"Even though she's cheating on you?" Ava replied. "You're willing to forgive her for that? Merlin Oliver, you can do better than Paris Knightley!"
"Ava, I think you should leave," Oliver said, stunned. There was too much information shooting around for him to think straight.
"I only want to help you Oliver. I care about you and don't want to see you get hurt," Ava explained softly. She took his hand in hers and Oliver couldn't believe how opposite she was to Paris. For one, she was much shorter. He and Paris were almost the same height, him being a few inches taller but Ava barely came up to his chin.
Oliver said nothing as Ava came yet closer, her big blue eyes locked onto his own deepest brown ones, the same ones that had looked into Paris' too many times to count. He felt different as he looked into Ava's but she was here and where was Paris?"Better?" Fred asked when Paris emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, her usually straight hair was curled and stuck to her shoulders and back.
"Much," Paris replied even though she had cried all the time she was in the shower. She clutched her towel around her and went over to sit on her bed where Fred was reading something.
"Merlin, Artemis must be the most boring, self absorbed person ever," Fred sighed, shutting her diary and throwing it onto her bed.
"I could've told you that," Paris said wearily and put her head on Fred's shoulder. "I'm just so sick and tired of everything Fred."
"I know," Fred replied softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing it lovingly.
"I'm glad I've got you Fred, even if you're a complete arse sometimes," Paris murmured sleepily.
"An arse I am," Fred replied as Paris took her head off his shoulder to look at him.
"Please tell me everything's going to work out and I'm not going to loose him," She whispered desperately. Fred looked into his closest friend's eyes and was startled at the sadness they held.
"He's a good boy and I know for a fact he loves you more than anything in the world, he'd give up Quidditch in a heart beat for you and not regret a thing," Fred said as convincingly as possible. Paris burst into a fresh bout of tears as Fred watched Oliver and Ava walk from the Captain's office he had just seen them leave.All the next day Paris had refused to speak to Oliver and spent the time sulking next to Professor Lupin as he taught some second years.
Oliver was leaving that night and Paris still hadn't spoken to him. And she didn't care. What she did care about however was how Ava Matthews, her stand in had suddenly taken great interest in Oliver and even more to the fact that Oliver had walked her to Defence Against the Dark Arts that afternoon. Paris pretended to ignore him as she put extra parchment on the student's desks but couldn't help feeling enormously jealous.
She heard Ava call good bye to him and saw him waiting at the door, perhaps to talk to Paris but she didn't care. He waited a little longer but Paris purposely ignored him by turning her back and chatting to a Ravenclaw girl called Alyssia whom she knew.
When Paris glanced at the door, he had gone.
By the time the lesson was over, Paris felt ready to throttle Ava. Every time Paris walked past, Ava's whispers would get slightly louder, so Paris could hear what she was saying. It was nothing particularly spiteful but it was something about Oliver none the less.
That evening the Quidditch team were saying good bye to Oliver as he had to travel back to London ready for tomorrow morning.
Paris didn't go down to say good bye, instead she watched from her empty dorm room, sitting on the window ledge. She watched Ava give Oliver a hug and then Katie did. Oliver said something to George then looked straight up to where Paris watching then turned away again and got into the carriage that was waiting for him.
Paris was turning the ring Oliver had given her around and around on her finger as big tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. He hadn't even bothered trying to talk to her all day and he'd walked Ava to class. What worried Paris most was what else Oliver had done with Ava."Ava? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Paris said, approaching her in the corridor the next lunchtime. It was raining and miserable so the students were inside for lunchtime break.
Ava stopped laughing with her friends and gave Paris a hard look.
"Sure," She said in a bored voice. "I'll be right back," She added to her friends and followed Paris out of earshot.
"If this is about Oliver then save it because I really don't need a clingy girlfriend on my case," Ava said automatically. Paris was ready to slap the stupid look off her face but she controlled her temper.
"I don't know what you think is going on between you and my boyfriend but let's get this straight, he is my boyfriend and the father of our unborn child so just stop whatever it is you think you have," Paris said in a voice she rarely used, a nasty one.
"Is that why he's Owled me already? Not even been gone a day and already missing me," Ava said bitchily. Paris clenched her teeth inside her mouth as Ava pulled out a letter from her bag. "See?" She said, showing her the address so Paris could see it was Oliver's hand writing.
Paris wasn't sure who she hated more, Ava or Oliver. "Why don't you get back to Cedric Diggory and stop hassling me over my new boyfriend?" Ava suggested, putting the letter safely back in her bag.
Paris responded by slapping Ava hard across the face, making her cry out in shock and pain and was about to do again when she felt someone catch her arm. It was Angelina.
"Leave it Paris," She said quickly. "She's not worth it."
"You complete and utter cow! You come near me again and I'll do more than slap that stupid smirk off your face!" Paris shouted as Angelina dragged her away to calm down.
"Paris! What are you doing? This isn't like you at all!" Angelina exclaimed, pushing Paris' hair from her face.
"I don't know, I'm just so angry and upset and Oliver has already written to Ava and not me!" Paris wailed. "I'm tired and I feel so ill."
"Come on, let's go to Madam Pomfry. You're just emotional from this pregnancy thing, my sister cried for a whole month when she was pregnant," Angelina explained, putting her arm around Paris and leading her away toward the hospital.The following fortnight was the worst time imaginable for Paris. She wanted Oliver so she could kick him repeatedly for making her so upset and not caring. She had received three letters from him, asking after her health and how she was getting on with teaching and hoping she was ok and he was sorry about the things he had said. No mention of Ava though.
Paris hadn't replied once and now sat alone in her dormitory in a red dress ready for the Valentine Ball which she did not want to attend but Angelina had talked her into going.
Paris pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window she was sitting by. Oliver wasn't home yet, even though he was supposed to come back this morning. Marino wasn't coming back until tomorrow but several seventh years had already returned.
"Come on Paris," Angelina said, coming into the dormitory and holding out her hand. Paris got up reluctantly and smoothed her dress.
"You look lovely," Angelina said as Paris took her hand. Paris had never felt so miserable in her whole life, let alone look lovely.
"Thanks, so do you," She replied and the girls made their way to the Great Hall.
When they walked in, the first thing Paris spied was poor Cedric with armfuls of home made Valentine cards and it made Paris smile. Cedric caught her eye and smiled back bashfully, embarrassed at all the attention.
They sat down next to Percy and the twins and Katie and Alicia, who were all smiling bravely and Paris tried to have a nice time and ate a lot of cakes.
"Hello!" Cedric said breathlessly, sitting in an empty seat at Paris' table later that evening. "You haven't danced once," He said, throwing yet more cards on the table.
"I'm not really in the mood," Paris said truthfully.
"Oh come on, come and dance with me. I hate to see all alone," Cedric said cheerfully, hoisting Paris out of her seat before she could decline politely.
Just as they reached the dance floor area, the music changed from lively to slow but Cedric didn't mind, he put Paris' hands on his shoulders and his around her waist.
"Oliver will be home soon, bet you've really missed him," Cedric said conversationally.
"Yeah," Paris said, aware of all the envious looks she was getting from various girls.
"I hope he did alright, he really deserves to go far with all that work he puts in for your team," Cedric continued.
"Yeah," Paris said again, wishing she was in bed asleep instead of getting death stares.
Paris heard some disruption at the entrance doors but ignored it, thinking the twins were responsible with a prank or something.
"You look nice tonight," Cedric said politely and Paris smiled gratefully, thankful he had the heart to ignore the dark circles under her eyes and her ungroomed hair.
"Paris?" said a voice that made Paris practically jump from Cedric's arms. It was Oliver and he wasn't looking very happy.
Paris stepped back from Cedric and thanked him for the dance. She made to leave the dance floor but Oliver caught her arm.
"Aren't you going to speak to me?" He asked, glancing at Cedric who was also leaving the dance floor.
"No," Paris said shortly and pulled her arm free. She made it to entrance doors before Oliver caught her again.
"Hey, whatever's wrong with you?" Oliver said bewildered, ignoring shouts from fellow students asking how he got on with the trials.
"You!" Paris shouted angrily and stormed out of the Great Hall.
"Paris!" Oliver shouted after her, following after her. He caught her yet again and as he tried to turn her toward him, she punched him in the face. Not hard like she punched Marcus but hard enough for her to get away and attempt to run up toward Gryffindor Tower.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Oliver thundered as he caught Paris around the waist again and pulled her down so she fell onto the stone steps. He held her still as she cried furiously into her hands.
"You just come waltzing in here like nothing happened! I know about you and Ava!" Paris shouted at him through her tears.
"What about me and Ava?" Oliver demanded.
"You walked her to class and Owled her before you Owled me!" Paris cried, hitting him in the chest through her anger.
"One, stop hitting me, two, shut up and listen to me," Oliver said, gripping Paris' shoulder's and making her look at him. "I did not walk Ava to class, I was coming there to hopefully catch you and apologize and she caught me up. I Owled her to set things straight between us before it got out of hand."
"What?" Paris shrieked, struggling against Oliver but he held her firmly.
"The night we had our argument, I was in the office and she came in. She seemed to think there was something between us and couldn't get it around her head that there was nothing, she tried to kiss me but I said no. I Owled her saying I'm not interested and that I'm only interested in two people in the whole world," Oliver explained. "One of whom has now given me a black eye."
"Who's the other," Paris said, not entirely convinced.
"Who'd you think?" Oliver replied, putting his hand on Paris' stomach gently.
"Oh," Paris said quietly, everything now fitting into place. She felt slightly sheepish at her behaviour.
"Ava told me she saw you Cedric the night before we had the argument, walking with him while we were having Quidditch practice," Oliver said.
"I was not! That lying cow!" Paris cried angrily. "Wait till I see her!"
"I heard you've already tried to slap her into next week," Oliver said, disapprovingly but with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"She deserved it," Paris said quietly, looking up at Oliver with big, tired eyes.
"Oh come here," Oliver sighed, taking her in his arms where Paris began crying yet again but mostly from relief.
"I missed you so much Oliver and that bitch was making it so difficult and all I had was Fred!" Paris sobbed into Oliver's chest.
"I missed you too but I don't ever have to leave you again so it's ok," Oliver said, stroking Paris' hair into some kind of style.
"But the trials, what about the training program?" Paris asked, facing Oliver.
"Forget them. I shouldn't have even bothered, there were Keepers there I can only dream about matching," Oliver sighed. He didn't mention he was extremely put off the games because he was too busy worrying about Paris.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Paris cried, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hug.
"Forget it," Oliver replied. "I'm sorry for what I said, I was stressed and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. It won't happen again."
"I'm sorry too. You're a brilliant Captain," Paris murmured sleepily. "And I'm sorry for punching you, it won't happen again either."
Oliver smiled to himself, at the fact that his girlfriend had a stronger punch than any boys he knew