Morning. Breakfast was quick; Dumbledore was in a hurry to get the students who where leaving out early. I was determined not let anything get me down today. I looked over at Oliver who looked like he'd rather participate in one of Fred and George's experiments than let the Quidditch season go.
"Oliver, if you want to go home, go. Don't let me stop you," I said to him.
He didn't answer right away. "I'm sorry, what?"
I sighed. "Go home, Oliver." I'd rather him be miserable at home than around me. Even if I did like him more than necessary.
"No, No, I'll stay. Someone has to stay and look after you," he said slowly.
"If that's your only reason, I have Cedric, he's staying."
Oliver looked at me with irresistible eyes. "You know that's not my only reason."
I looked at him almost like I didn't believe him.
"Really, I don't mind," he said. I didn't know just yet, but I would be hearing that phrase a lot from him, more than I knew. He smiled at me. I smiled faintly.
It was hard seeing everyone go. Well, almost everyone. There were about only five of us in our year in Gryffindor who where staying. It was hard thinking that Oliver was only staying for me.
Alicia and Angie left with the rest of them. They both hugged me and told me to be safe. I returned their comment. Alicia reminded me to fill the donut tin as often as possible and they told me they'd send an owl every day. I nodded and as I watched them walk away, I almost regretted staying.
Both Alicia and Angie were going back to their perfect families without a care. I was staying here with Oliver. Both a pro and con in itself.
As I watched them walk away, I felt a familiar hand slide around mine. I looked beside me and I saw Oliver. He squeezed my hand reassuringly, telling me that I had made the right decision.
Right then, I happened to look over to the left. Cedric was standing there staring across the room. I followed his gaze and spotted Cho coming towards Oliver and I.
I ripped my hand away from his and stepped away from him. He frowned and then saw Cho coming.
"Hi, Oliver! Staying for the Holidays, too?" she asked sweetly. Just by the sound of her voice, I knew that they only reason she was staying was because he was.
Oliver smiled politely but uneasily. "Yes."
"It's a shame that Quidditch season is all screwed up now, isn't it?"
Oliver grit his teeth. Quidditch. I could sense that he really didn't want that to be brought up.
"Yes, er, shame."
Cho smiled and Oliver looked at me desperately. I walked over to Cedric. He laughed.
"It looks like Oliver and I should change places. Cho's obsessed with him when he doesn't want it. I'll take that. And he can be me, someone who Cho's not obsessed with."
I smiled. "Good thinking, but that would mean that I like you."
Cedric thought about it and frowned. Then he smiled. "Oh, you and Oliver you mean?"
I nodded. Me and Oliver. That sounded weird. I looked back over at Oliver. Cho had abandoned him and was now walking away. Oliver looked over at me. I noticed Cedric was walking in the direction Cho had gone.
"What was that about?" Oliver asked me, coming over.
I shrugged. "I guess she thinks it's a 'shame' that there's not a good Quidditch season."
Oliver shook his head. "No, I meant, what was that about, you leaving me?"
I shrugged. This was going to be a strange Christmas.
I started walking off the Owlry to send mum and dad both owls about what was going on.
"Hey, where're you going?" Oliver yelled after me.
I turned around and kept walking, backwards. "To send mum and dad owls."
"Owls? Don't you mean an owl? One?"
That stopped me. I guess Oliver didn't know my parents were separated. I ignored his question and kept walking. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Cedric had returned. He heard Oliver's question and walked over to him. Cedric told him.
After myself, Alicia, Angie, Fred, and then Cedric knew me the best. But, surprisingly enough, most of them didn't know specific things about me. Like, only Fred knew that I had a scar on my ankle just below the bone, which had come from a Quidditch accident. Fred was the only one I told after I left the hospital wing.
But that was only something little. Only Alicia knew that one night I snuck out of my house, when my mum forbid me, of course, to go and practice with the Weasleys. Alicia was there, but the Weasleys weren't expecting us either. That was just our excuse. Actually, we went to Diagon Alley and poked around for a few hours, doing nothing. That was until Mrs. Weasley actually saw us there and threatened to tell our mothers, but then caved in when Fred asked her not to. Mrs. Weasley was awesome like that.
I got to the Owlry and realized that I didn't have any letter written. Lucky for me, there was always a few sheets of spare parchment and a few extra quills and ink for those cases in the Owlry.
I sat down at one of the desks and began to write mum's first; I knew it would be harder.
Mum,
I have decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. I decided to spare you and my other recent parent (Mum hated it when I mentioned Dad) the constant struggle over where I will be spending vacation. Happy Christmas. Talk to you later.
Love,
Katie.
I left out that I was staying for Oliver. Somehow, I didn't think she needed to hear that. Now on to Dad's letter.
Dad,
I'm staying here for the holidays. I thought this year I might as well save you and mum the trouble of splitting up the time I have. This year should I tell mum that you bought me that new broom I've been asking for just to make her jealous? Or should we wait till next year? I'm thinking that I may as well tell you the main reason why I'm staying here; you're bound to find out anyways. First, I wanted some 'alone time', Quidditch and all has stressed me out; I am in need of some down time. Second, I've met a boy. Well, I haven't met him, but I've known him for a long time. Just recently, we've gotten to be really close. I thought that this extra time we have now and then the holidays would be a good time to get to know him better. Hope you approve and Happy Christmas! I'm waiting for your owl!
Love you lots,
KatieI looked down at both my letter. Dad's was significantly longer; it always was. I was closer to Dad than Mum. More of my stuff was there actually. I was surprised at myself that I told dad about Oliver.
I walked over to two of the school owls and folded up the letters. I put the separate addresses on them and attached one to each owl. The owls flew off and I wondered how long it would take for mum to realize that the reason I had told her I was staying wasn't the actual reason.
Mum was a lawyer in London and dad worked in the Ministry. They had both attended Hogwarts. I knew that when Fred and George got home, they would spill something about Oliver and I. Then Mr. Weasley would know and eventually it would get to my father through him. By myself just telling him, it shortened the number of people it went through until it got to him shorter.
I left to Owlry and was off to my lonely, empty room. I wondered what I was going to do all day. That was why I never spent any holidays at Hogwarts before, they were boring. No classes, no friends. I wasn't complaining about the no classes, and I did have Oliver, but it just wasn't the same.
I sat in the Common Room, alone. I wondered if it was a mistake, not leaving. I heard the door open and someone walk in. I assumed that it was one of the other Gryffindors who stayed.
I was right. I heard someone go up to the Boys' Dormitories. I got up and walked over to the large bookcase on the left side of the room. There were many shelves of books whose titles I couldn't even pronounce.
I scanned the titles. "Hogwarts, A History", "Disapperating, What You Need To Know", "Dreams and Descriptions", "Lycanthropes", "Symbols And Their Meanings", "A Simple Guide To Lycanthropy", "Using Defenses", and many more.
Only a few caught my eye. Like: "Lycanthropes", "A Simple Guide To Lycanthropy", and "Symbols And Their Meanings". I took only two down, the first and the last.
I sat down and opened the Symbols book first. I flipped through the pages. There were symbols of love, hate, poison, death, etc. Most prominently, and the largest section of the book, there was the symbol of You-Know-Who. I shuddered and closed the book. I set it beside my on the couch, pulling the other book onto my lap. I sat up straighter on the couch and sighed.
I opened the book's cover and looked at the contents page.
"Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Becoming A Lycanthrope
Chapter 3: Kinds Of Lycanthropes
Chapter 4: Wolves
Chapter 5: Other Cases
Chapter 6: Leopards
Chapter 7: Tigers
Chapter 8: Conditions Similar to Lycanthropy
Chapter 9: Vampirism
Chapter 10: Using Spells To Block Against Conditions"There was more, but I didn't see the need to read any more. I flipped to page three hundred and seventy two, the section on Werewolves. Ever since Professor Lupin, I had been interested in Lycanthropy.
I looked through pages of diagrams, moon schedules, food that agreed with werewolves' stomachs, and etc. After a while, when I was fully engrossed in the book and had lost awareness of everything else around me, I realized Oliver was near.
I felt two arms wrap around my upper body and I struggled to pull away. I hadn't heard him come in and I wasn't positive it was him. He whispered softly in my ear, reassuring. I relaxed and smiled. I felt his lips on my neck almost instantly, kissing me softly.
My eyes closed and I sat back. Oliver's hands massaged my shoulders while his lips tended to my neck. He withdrew his hands, but whispered into my neck, "C'mon, school's out. No need for more book work. Let's go."
I smiled and lifted an eyebrow, turning my head to see him. He hadn't moved, his face still at the angle in which he kissed my neck.
"Really?" I asked, softly. It was more of a statement than question. He smirked and stared at me. His brown eyes were intense and they dared me to kiss him. I gave in to that dare and leaned towards him, pressing my lips tentatively to his. He kissed me back and then pulled away. He walked to the door and turned around, waiting for me.
I grinned and stood up, walking around the couch towards him. I didn't know what I should be expecting. As I got closer to him, he extended his hand to me. I looked at him face and he watched me intently. I took his hand and he squeezed mine delicately.
As he led me out of the Gryffindor Common Room, I let myself stray closer to him, so that when we walked, our shoulders brushed. We kept walking and I wasn't sure where he was taking me. All I knew was that I was with someone I trusted and I didn't have anything to be worried about.
Oliver took me through a narrow corridor and he stepped in first, dropping my hand. It was dark and cold; I could barely see him in front of me. I didn't ask him where we were going. I stretched out my hand in front of me; in case he stopped, I wouldn't run into him.
My hand touched his left shoulder blade and I let it find its way to his shoulder, my thumb rubbing the curve of his neck. I felt Oliver's hand touch my own on his shoulder. His forefinger stroked the back of my hand slowly.
Before I knew it, I saw light at the end of the hall. It wasn't exactly light, but it was brighter than the dark atmosphere in the corridor.
"Wha-?"
Oliver stopped me when he turned around, pulling me against him. I frowned. Where were we?
Question: Did I really care where we were?
Thought: Nope
Comment: Just as long as I was with Oliver?
Thought: And Bingo was his name-o. Or should I say Oliver?
I looked around, not able to recognize where we were. Oliver noticed that I was scanning the ground and he lifted a hand, tilting my head up so that I looked to the sky.
It was night, dark, with stars out over Hogwarts. I saw the familiar goal posts and goals mounted high in the air. Why hadn't I recognized this place before?! We were standing on the Quidditch pitch.
I looked back at him, smiling. It was strange standing there with Oliver, in the dark, on the Quidditch field. I thought about when Fred had first taught me how to play Quidditch.
My thoughts were blocked when I felt Oliver's lips on mine. My hands traveled up his arms, which were wrapped around my lower back, and shoulders to around his neck. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, forgetting my thoughts of Fred and thinking about Oliver. Oliver Wood was all I needed at that moment, and I had him.
I pulled away from him and his hands lingered on my waist, his fingers stroking my sides. I wrapped my arms around his neck even more and smiled at him.
"What was all this for?" I asked him, looking around me. He had the grace to blush and he shrugged.
"Do I need a reason?" he asked in a hushed tone. He looked at me with a serious looking face. I smiled. He took one hand off my waist and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes.
For a moment, I let my gaze stray from him to the sky. The stars' appearance drew me in, almost making me unaware of Oliver and myself. For one split second, I was alone, staring at the stars.
I looked back at Oliver. First he had given up his Christmas vacation to stay with me and now he was taking me off places. Part of me wondered why. The other part wouldn't let me.
"Why are you doing all these things, Oliver?" I asked quietly, smiling just a bit.
He looked at me like he knew just what I was thinking.
"I need a reason now?"
I nodded my head, smiling. I changed my tone. "C'mon, Oliver."
Oliver looked at me, studying me. His fingers played with the thick fabric of my winter robes nervously. He looked in my eyes.
"I do it just to hear you say my name like that. I do it just to watch your reaction and see you smile. I do it because I don't mind."
There was that 'I don't mind' thing again. I smiled at him, gulping.
"What do you mind?"
He thought about it for a moment.
"Being away from you."
For a second I thought that I had imagined it. Damn Oliver for being such a romantic. I looked at him. He looked at me. He pulled me against him, wrapping his arms completely around me, holding me tight. I let my head rest on his shoulder, my face buried in his neck. I breathed in and let out a sigh into his neck.
He gripped me tight as I kissed his neck affectionately. I smiled into his skin and pressed my lips to his jaw line. I could feel it against my lips when he gulped. I pulled away from his neck, smiling. I let my head fall back onto his shoulder and I closed my eyes, wondering why this hadn't happened sooner.
I was so happy in that moment, to be so close to him, pressed tightly against his warm body. It was comforting in a way I cannot explain. With his strong arms around me, it made it impossible to doubt anything.
Oliver leaned down and kissed my forehead warmly. I sighed contently, smiling. I opened my eyes and saw him looking down at me. He smiled at me and looked like he was thinking.
I shifted in his arms but kept myself as close as I could to him. I had to admit, being outside on the Quidditch field at night, even in my thick winter robes, I was cold. Either that or Oliver's affection for me made him hold me close, enveloping me in his arms.
Thought: Oliver's affection for me?
Comment: Yes, Oliver does like me and I like him. So there!
Thought: Okay, just getting the facts straight.
Oliver smiled at me and I smiled, almost laughing. His smile was contagious.
"Let's go inside, it's getting cold," he said, it sounded like a whisper.
"Okay."
I waited for Oliver to move and that would be when I pulled away from him. He didn't. I started to pull away and he let me, just leaving behind one hand on the small of my back as we walked in.
We got to the Gryffindor Common Room slowly. Inside, I welcomed the warm fire and I took off my winter robes. I had on jeans and a black tee shirt. Oliver took off his robes as well, but, of course, wearing normal Muggle clothes underneath.
As I hung up my robes in the closet, Oliver walked over to the couch, sitting in the middle. He turned his head and watched me. I stood there, frozen, staring at him. He motioned with his head for me to come over to him.
I sighed, smiling slightly. I walked over around the couch until I was near him. I almost sat down next to him, but he patted his thighs, smiling up at me devilishly. I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips. He grinned and repeated the motion.
I rolled my eyes and sat myself in his lap carefully. Oliver wrapped his arms around my chest and pulled me back against him. I rested my back on his chest, my head almost beside mine. I feel the warmth of him seeping into me.
I touched my hand to his arm, almost like I was making sure I was still awake. I was pretty drained. Oliver tilted his head and kissed my cheek. I leaned my head into him and let it rest against his. I sighed in content and let my eyes remain closed.
Oliver kissed my neck. I exhaled and he continued to kiss my neck. I unintentionally giggled (how cool, right? argh. stupid giggling) and then a low moan as Oliver ran the tip of his tongue down about two inches from where he was below my ear. I tensed against him and I could tell he was smiling. He began to kiss and suck gently the spot on my neck where his mouth lay. My body shuddered.
I turned and laid down on the couch, leaning back on the pillows, my legs resting in Oliver's lap. He looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, looking into those amazingly brown eyes. Oliver stared at me for a moment, hesitating. He leaned down towards me, angling his body like mine was. He leaned down and kissed my lips sweetly, his body hovering over mine, not touching.
Oliver rolled down and lay next to me, my body sandwiched between him and the back of the couch. Comfy. I let my arms slide around his waist and my head on his chest. His arm wrapped around my shoulders.
I kissed his neck gently and lay my head back down, closing my eyes. I felt it as Oliver took a deep breath. He let it out unevenly. I felt his body tense and I swallowed.
Oliver leaned his head down by my ear.
"I love you," he whispered. My eyes opened. Such words were only said whispers and nothing else; as if a decibel louder would ruin the meaning. For a second I thought I had heard him right. No, I couldn't have. I was too tired to distinguish my thoughts and wished from what was really going on.
I closed my eyes again and got closer to Oliver. One of my legs intertwined with his and I was comfortable. I relaxed to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.
'I love you'If I had imagined it, why was his voice echoing through my head over and over again, resonating the sensation I had felt when I thought I had heard his voice speaking softly to me?