Ch.3

I talked to Penelope about Percy. She going to be a tough case to crack. Has no interest in him whatsoever.

Her response when I asked if she knew who he was? "That freak?" I calmly explained that he wasn't a freak. Don't think she bought it. I'll try again in a week or two. Note to self – change Percy's prefect badge back to normal.

Quidditch practices are going good. We won our first game. Oliver was so excited that he almost kissed me. Key word there is 'almost'. I bet his kisses are better real than imagined. Not that I've imagined it or anything. Okay. I'll face it. As a teenager, I have out of control hormones. Big deal. Everyone does.

My clubs are going well. At least we don't have mandatory homework. We usually get recommended homework, because it might just come up on O.W.L.'s. Mandatory homework are a nightmare, and as predicted, I never get sleep. On average, 2-3 hours a day. I'll probably have a nervous breakdown around Christmas, but I'll deal with that then.

My crush on Oliver? I don't know what's going on with it either. I see him all the time, but we're never together, you know what I mean? The only time we get to hang around, (without homework, class, or Quidditch) is on rare weekends, or Hogsmeade trips. I guess you could say my crush has died a bit. There just isn't time for it.

Which brings me to: THERE'S A HOGSMEADE TRIP TODAY!!!!!!! It's like Christmas. I'm tearing away from my books for a few hours. It's great. Well, not so great. Oliver left me to go to the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop. It happens a lot. I won't see him again for a few hours. I can't spend that much time in there, so I usually just go hang out with Percy, except he is in the hospital wing for a cold. Those Pepper-up potions are sick looking on him.

I decided to stroll through Hogsmeade and people-watch, one of my favorite activities. I sat down on a bench in front of the Three Broomsticks and made myself comfortable. I saw the Weasley twins bent over a piece of parchment with evil grins plastered on their faces. I didn't want to know. Well, part of me did, but most of me agreed I didn't really want to know. After they disappeared into Zonko's, I watched a pair of lovers enter Madam Puddifoot's place. I wondered briefly if I'd ever get to go in there. My thoughts drifted after that from one unimportant idea to another.

I didn't even realize that someone had sat down next to me. My attention had turned to Cedric Diggory. He had just come out of Madam Puddifoot's with none other than Katie Bell. I didn't know they had finally gotten together. I had been working on them for weeks. They both had huge smiles on their faces. He timidly reached over and took a hold of her hand, and she blushed magnificently. I couldn't help but smile along with them. At that point Cedric looked up and spotted me. He nudged Katie and pointed in my direction. They both waved happily and Katie mouthed 'thank you'. I just nodded. What a cute couple.

"They look great together, don't they." A voice told me from my left. I nearly jumped out of my clothes, which would have been highly embarrassing, I must say.

"Oliver! I didn't know you were there!"

"Well, I looked out of the Quidditch shop and saw you sitting here alone. I felt kinda bad so...here I am."

"Well, I'm always glad to accept sympathy." I laughed, and he started laughing with me. Then he got a serious look on his face like he was thinking really hard.

"I've been thinking about what you said. You know, about gaining more interests than just Quidditch. You were right...I need more to talk about. Heh, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I was laying in bed the other night thinking about how good our team was looking, and I realized, 'I'm tired of thinking about the team.' I slapped myself pretty hard as soon as I thought those horrible words. It hurt something fierce, lemme tell you. I can still feel it." He added, rubbing the side of his cheek.

"Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey." I just had to be sarcastic.

I almost cracked up at the sheer idiocy of what I had just said, but could tell I needed to be serious for him.

"Emma..." he said warningly, but I could hear the amusement in his voice. "No, seriously. I mean, I can't give up on the team completely, because this is our year to win the Cup. But, I'm going to try and...you know...think about different stuff."

"How's it going so far?" I asked.

"Alright. I usually end up in a loop. Everything reminds me of Quidditch, but I'm becoming better at it."

"What do you think about?"

"Well," he coughed out, suddenly turning red. "I've, er...been thinking about girls."

"Have you?" I said, suddenly fascinated.

"Er...yeah."

"Anyone in particular?"

"You're going to laugh."

"Probably, but tell me anyways."

"Evelyn Darcy." He mumbled. THAT LITTLE WHORE!

"Eve...really." THAT STUPID WITCH! I screamed inside my head while desperately trying to keep my cool on the outside.

"Yeah, I mean, she's good-looking and is a pretty saucy Quidditch player, I must say. She plays on the team for Hufflepuff."

YEAH, AND SHE IS A TOTAL SLUT!

"She's decent." I agreed, still trying to keep my dignity.

"Do you think I have a shot with her?" he asked, tilting that adorable head to get a better look at me, biting his full lower lip in anticipation.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

"I don't know, I'll see what I can find out." I smiled at him and he broke out into a huge grin that made my stomach do a back flip. He threw his arms around me and enveloped me into the tightest hug ever. I would have raped him then and there if I weren't so bloody pissed at him.

He then broke the hug and sat back, looking at the tiny Wizarding village.

"What do you like about her?" I asked coolly.

"She's pretty. She can play Quidditch. Er..."

"So basically you know nothing about her."

"Besides the basics." He retorted.

"Looks aren't everything Oliver."

"They are when you are a 15 year old male with out of control hormones."

"Touché." I admitted defeat.

"But then again, my mum once said that I should go by personality because you can only look at a face for so long."

"Your mum has always been a smart woman."

"Yeah, but at the same time, you have to be somewhat attracted to the person, right? But if you can't talk to them, then what's the point?" He gave me a quizzical look.

"Welcome to adolescence, Ollie."

"I should have stuck with Quidditch." I laughed at his regretful tone.

"Is it always going to be this complicated?" he asked, bending down and grabbing a handful of pebbles and tumbling them through his strong masculine hands.

"Yes."

"Damn it all to hell." He said, throwing a few pebbles to the ground.

"But...when you do fall in love, it is the best feeling in the world. All the complications and hardships that lead up to it are forgotten."

"Ignorance is bliss." He told me and I was surprised on how intelligent he was when he wasn't talking about Quidditch.

"And reality is pain." I finished and we fell silent after that, just watching the sun sink.

"We better head back." He said as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. He finished throwing the rest of his pebbles and he slapped my knee as he stood up. I followed him silently, and he casually threw his arm around my shoulder. I had made up my mind. Yes, I was going to talk to Eve and try my best to get them together.

Love is sacrifice.