Summary: Can Beth convince Oliver to talk to Jusea about "the kiss"? The kiss which did not happen between Oliver and Jusea, but Jusea and Flint!

Disclaimer: Zzzzzzz—uh, what? Oh, yeah, the drill. We don't own HP or anything cannon or belonging to the basic HP grapevine. We do own Jusea, Beth, certain creatures, our part of the plot, etc.

Chapter 14

Making Up

Beth and Jusea waited outside the locker room, under a canopy and out of the pouring rain. "I hope they don't stay out much longer. That wouldn't be good," Jusea said.

"No kidding, but, knowing Oliver, he'll stay out as long as he feels is necessary." Beth sighed. 'Or until he's cooled off,' she thought.

A couple minutes later, a waterlogged team came by, walking straight into the locker room. Slowly the team came back out and left, all but Oliver. Beth and Jusea waited for twenty minutes before Beth spoke up. "Ah'm going to see what's wrong." She marched into the guys' side.

Oliver sat on a bench, playing with his 'team'. The little figures were flying around the field at an extreme pace. Beth watched him for a minute. "Want to talk about it?" she said.

"Beth! Ah could've been naked."

"Ye never are." She sat down.

"What?"

"Talk."

"About?"

"Whatever's bothering ye."

"Nothing's bothering me. Ah mean, the rain is because it had to pick now of all the times to come. Ah think that's very inconsiderate, don't ye?"

"Sure, Oliver. Now do ye really want to talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Ah haven't been your sister for fifteen years for nothing."

He looked at her, then looked back down. "Ah want to kill Flint."

"Okay, so tell me something new."

"No, ye don't understand. He and Jusea were kissing."

Beth's mouth dropped open. She shut it hastily, momentarily glad that Oliver was so focused on his Quidditch set. "Umm...when did ye see this?"

"Ah don't know, this morning."

"Are ye sure?"

"Let me think. Jusea, Flint, their...Ah can't say it."

"Were kissing?"

"Do ye have to remind me?"

"Are ye sure?"

"Yes. Ah've seen people kiss before. Ah've kissed before. When two sets of lips make contact, that means that they're kissing."

"Not necessarily. One of them might be kissing, and the other might not be kissing back," Beth said. Oliver looked her, and she rolled her eyes. "Ah do have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, Ah know."

"So, are ye sure they both were kissing?"

"Ah was there."

"Did they know that?"

"No, and that's why Ah know they were kissing."

"Oliver, Ah'm sure it's not what it looked like."

"Then how was it? Ye weren't there, ye don't know."

"Neither do ye. Did ye see them leaning together to kiss before they actually kissed?"

"Well, no."

"So ye just saw them kissing? No beginning, no end?"

"Yes. Do ye have to keep saying that?"

"So, ye don't know what happened? Ah think ye should talk to Jusea."

"Fine. Ah will when Ah get a chance."

"Ye have a chance now."

Oliver looked up, eyes wide. "What?"

"Jusea's waiting outside. Go talk to her."

"Well, Ah...fine." He got up and left.

-----

As Oliver walked outside, Jusea stood up. She smiled at him. "Hi, Oliver."

"Hey."

"I saw you earlier."

"Really? Did ye?" He smiled slightly, but it faded.

She fidgeted. "Yes. I...I was with Marcus."

Oliver's fists clenched. "And?"

"Well, I just...I don't know...he kissed me. But I didn't, well, I couldn't..."

"Couldn't what?"

"Kiss him."

Oliver's heart skipped a beat. "Why not?"

She reached out and took his hand. "Oliver—oh, my goodness. Your hand is like ice. I need to get you inside. Otherwise, you'll get sick, and who knows what will happen? I need to get you warmed up."

Oliver took her other hand. "No, Ah'm okay."

"No. You might get pneumonia and die. And then I'd loose...a pen pal."

"Aye?"

"And, who knows...I mean, what about your family?"

"But Ah like the rain."

"Oliver, let's get you up to the castle. How about if you dry off, then we'll meet in the Great Hall and sit by the fire?"

"Sounds good."

They started toward the castle in the pouring rain, conveniently forgetting that they were holding hands.

-----

Half an hour later, Jusea and Oliver were by the fire in the Great Hall. They had been talking for a while when Oliver returned to his ever present thought.

"So...why couldn't ye kiss him?"

"Marcus?"

"Aye."

"Oh. Well, it's because...you see...there's something that I need to say."

They started leaning towards each other. "What's that?" Oliver asked. He had never been this close to Jusea before, and it was exhilarating. It was a good game, and his side was winning. It was the Quaffle speeding towards the goal and him rushing in to save it.

"Aw, isn't that sweet."

Jusea turned pale, and she and Oliver both pulled away. He was going to kill Fred and George.

"How romantic. Sitting by the fire on a cold, wet day."

"Don't ye have somewhere else to be?" Oliver asked.

"No."

Beyond the twins, a shadow moved towards them. Oliver tensed; it was Flint. The Slytherin captain pushed past Fred and George, and he looked straight at Jusea. "Are you coming to the party?"

"The party?"

"Yes, tomorrow. You promised a lot of people that you were coming."

"Oh, that's right. Of course I'm going."

Oliver's hands curled into fists. He was going to strangle Flint.

"Great. The party's at three."

"Well, then, I'll see you there."

"Yeah. See you later." Flint shot a glare at Oliver as he turned around, and he left.

Oliver clenched his teeth. Then he noticed the twins were gone, too. Good. Now he could try to talk to Jusea.

-----

Fred and George entered the Common Room. Beth was standing by the fire, shaking water off her robes and muttering. She looked up at the twins. "Emergency meeting now," Fred said. Beth joined them, and they sat by Lee in the corner.

"Jusea's going to a Slytherin party at three tomorrow, invited by none other than Flint," George said.

"That can't be good," Fred added.

"We have to get her to not go."

"How?" Beth said.

"Let's just tell her not to," Lee said.

"Did that ever stop us from doing anything?" Fred asked.

"It's Jusea, not ye guys, but somehow Ah still don't think it'll work. Well, Ah could try to tell her what a jerk he is," Beth said. Fred and George looked at each other, and they grinned. "What?"

"Well, what if she wasn't there?"

"Ye're going to kill her?"

"No. She could simply miss it."

"And how do ye plan to arrange that?"

"You see, Jusea wants to go to Hogsmeade," Fred said.

"She's been there twice."

"On dates in the evening. She hasn't properly seen it."

"And what better way to do that than to be shown around by us tomorrow afternoon?" George continued.

"Uh, she wouldn't fall for that," Beth said.

"But she wouldn't have any say in it if she was kidnapped."

"No. Ye can't force her to break her word."

The twins looked at each other. "Okay."

Beth nodded. "All right, what will we do?"

"I don't know," the twins said together. Lee looked from one to the other, his brow furrowed.

"What, Lee?" Beth asked.

Fred narrowed his eyes at Lee, and the boy shrugged. "Uh, nothing. Just trying to think of something to do."