Chapter 17: PARTY!
I was fully dressed and, according to Celeste, smelled decent enough. I made my way down the stairs, this year choosing to walk down them rather then slide down the banister. So I arrived fairly dignified at the bottom, which I completely ruined by tripping over myself as I walked across the Common Room. Hey, you try wearing long dress robes and heels without tripping!
I found Greg standing pouting in the corner. "It's not that bad coming with me to the Yule Ball is it?" I asked him.
"No, I just hate dancing." He replied.
"Join the club. Believe me; I won't dance any more than is necessary."
"Thank God for that. Come on let's get this over with." Greg and I walked out of the portrait hole and we went through the floods of people trying to get to the Great Hall. Thankfully the crowd parted for me like the water parted for Moses.
We got in line with the rest of the Champions and their dates and my jaw dropped. Corinne Hodgepeckin's date was Spencer Wood. I wasn't expecting that one.
"Hey Riley, I guess I didn't tell you that Corinne asked me to the Yule Ball. Mum says to tell you and everyone else that she's glad you're coming and that she'll meet us at King's Cross." Wood seemed to be in a good mood.
"Okay then, sounds awesome," I replied. "What's for dinner?" I asked Greg who shrugged.
"Riley you are so funny, you make lots of laughs, no?" Brian spoke from right behind me.
"Uh, sure," I replied and added quietly to Greg, "Get me out of here!"
"Your idea, not mine," Greg commented.
"Correction, Delacour said that if I didn't show up I'd be in big trouble. You just get to come along for the ride." I informed him, "I think we can get out after dinner and the first dance."
"Yes!" Greg sounded happy for the first time all night.
"Why don't you want to be here?" I asked, but at that moment the doors to the Great Hall opened and we walked inside.
"You're not off the hook yet," I hissed to Greg.
After dinner and the first dance Greg and I dodged teachers and left the Ball. I was glad to be out.
"Why'd you want to leave so soon?" I asked. "Most people seemed to like our version of dancing."
"The first years are having a party up in the Common Room. They all went for dinner and the first dance and then left." Greg explained.
"They're having a party hmm? Why aren't we already there? I'll race you!" And Greg and I sprinted up the hall to Gryffindor Tower.
The Common Room was filled with First-years and a few Second-years. I knew this was going to be way more fun than that stupid Yule Ball.
"Greg, you made it!" Morgan ran up and hugged him excitedly, "Riley, aren't you supposed to be at the Ball dancing or something?"
"Yeah, do you want to go instead?" I asked and she laughed, "I thought not. I didn't have the best experience at the one last year. I wasn't even supposed to go, we snuck in."
"What happened?" Morgan and half of the room were listening closely.
"Do you want the long story or the condensed version?" I asked and was greeted with calls of 'the long story'.
"Well, the ball was for second-years and up," I started and kept going until I got to the part where I was attacked by the bird.
The entire room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. They were hanging on my every word. I didn't know that my life was so interesting.
"And I got… THIS!" I pulled back my hair to reveal my lightening shaped scar. The room was filled with gasps and everyone's hands flew instinctively to their foreheads.
"Wow," Morgan breathed, "I wish my life was as interesting as yours. Did you really turn your sister pink?"
"Not technically. I added the dye to the soap that turned her pink but I didn't turn her pink. She did that when she decided to wash using the soap full of dye. And that's how I kept out of trouble, by not lying, but not telling the whole truth either. It's a typical Potter maneuver."
This party turned out to be way better than the Yule Ball. We had candy and I even went to get some butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks and some food from the kitchen, those House elves will give you anything! It was a good way to end the semester.
Chapter 18: An Understanding
"So, who else was bored out of their mind at that Ball?" I asked. We were on the train the next morning on the way to King's Cross.
No one answered. I guess I was the only one, which would explain why I didn't stay for very long. Wood looked happy so I was guessing that he and 'Ren' had a good time. I could think of a million words for that girl right now, none of which were very nice, or very printable in polite society.
"Great, well then what's then plan for Christmas? We're going to Wood's but other than that do we have any plans?" I decided a change in subject was in order since nobody had liked the last one. Everyone was fairly quiet since they were tired.
"I don't think so. No killing each other and no turning people pink or anything," Wood said.
"Crap, that's good for Lauran she was my prime target," I said pretending to be offended.
"You were going to turn me pink!" Lauran exclaimed.
"Only joking, I think purple's more your color," I dodged Lauran's smack and went to sit with Wood on the other side of the compartment. "I'm sitting over here out of range. I swear I was only joking!"
"You can never tell with some people," Celeste commented sleepily. She was sitting on the other side of Wood with her head lolled over on Colby's shoulder- Colby happened to be sleeping- and looking like she was about to conk out.
"Some people can't ever tell that others are tired either," Lauran muttered as she stretched out on the seat with her head resting on Dean's shoulder.
"I take it those were both cracks about me?" I asked to a deaf compartment since everyone had fallen asleep. "This is why I hate Balls."
The train pulled into the station hours later and I decided that I'd better wake everyone up. So I smacked Wood in the back of the head- I'd been wanting to do that all ride but restrained myself from doing so- and he woke with a start. Then I woke up Dean and Colby and told them they could have fun waking up their girlfriends because I didn't fancy getting smacked at the moment. I grabbed my trunk and got off the train to see my dad and mum waiting for Lily a little ways away. I waved to Dad and then followed Wood over to his mum.
"Hi, what'd you have to bring all of your stuff back for? You've got more than enough at home," Carmen Wood pulled her son into a hug. "So this is Riley, right? I've heard enough about you to be able to pick you out. That must be Celeste and Lauran. And there's Dean and Colby. Am I right?"
Wood nodded, "Where's Dad?"
"He's off flying again. They called another practice since they've got that match coming up. Quidditch," Mrs. Wood muttered under her breath.
"Where's Spencer? I have to get back to work but I had to see him before I worked the night shift." A pretty woman came up and pulled Wood into a hug despite his protests.
"This is Mum's best friend, Cammy. She's a Healer at St. Mungos. Cammy this is, everyone," Wood gestured to the whole group, "I'll introduce them tomorrow when you get off duty."
"Okay, I'll be off then. See you tomorrow," Cammy said and there was a loud POP as she dis-apparated.
"Well, I guess that we have to go now. To the mansion we go!" Carmen Wood laughed and led our group off the platform and out to a waiting limo, "Thought we'd travel in style. Besides, I don't think all of your luggage would have fit in any normal car."
I looked out of the window as we drove out of London. I recognized the way we were going because I had taken it many times myself. I saw happy people get out of a car in front of the house I had once called home. A mother and a daughter and then a sad looking man got out; my father was the only one who showed any sign that there had once been four happy people in that family. He smiled as he saw the limo go by and he waved slightly. Obviously he knew that I was watching.
I turned back towards the other people in the limo and simply said, "That used to be my home."
Celeste stared at me quizzically and Lauran looked puzzled but Wood took my hand and squeezed it. Wood had reached an understanding that no one else yet had; the understanding that my home was no longer with my family, that it was with my friends at Hogwarts or wherever else we might venture.
Chapter 19: A Crazy Cameraman
"Riley wake up, we're going to see my dad's Quidditch match today." Wood was sitting on the end of my bed. He was way too much of a morning person.
"Go way," I mumbled, "Wait, no don't! Did you say Quidditch? I love your family!"
"Uh, thanks," Wood smiled that strange sort of smile he'd been getting lately. It was sort of lopsided and it drove me absolutely crazy.
"Ugh, too bad I have to get up and dressed to see Quidditch. It'd be much better if we bought beds instead of seats and went in our pajamas," I commented as I dragged myself out of bed, "You have to go now so I can change. Go bring the morning upon some other unfortunate soul."
I shut the door behind him and stood there grinning for a second before going into my closet. I dressed in my favorite jeans and a t-shirt and pulled on my jacket. Throwing on some shoes I went out into the hall and down to breakfast.
"Ollie, where's the coffee?" Carmen Wood asked groggily, "I've lived in this mansion for years and I still can't find anything."
"It's right here." Oliver Wood called back, "Do you need two cups or three?"
"Best make it three, Riley's here too," Carmen Wood patted the stool next to the one she was sitting on, "You know how we need our coffee."
"Riley, did you bring your broom?" Oliver Wood asked as he placed a mug of coffee in front of me, "I was thinking of letting you kids fly around the pitch a little today."
"It's upstairs in my trunk, I'll get it before we go," I took a drink of my coffee and instantly felt better.
"No, don't give Riley coffee!" Wood exclaimed as he came and sat next to me, "It makes her crazier than usual!"
"Well, you're going to have to learn to live with me because we've got five years left at Hogwarts," I replied, still half asleep.
"Fine, drink your coffee," Wood got up and went to grab something to eat. "Do you want sausage?"
"Wait a second, I'm coming too. I don't trust you near my food after my pepper filled waffle yesterday," I followed him into the kitchen, coffee in hand.
"I like that Riley; she's like a miniature version of me. I hope Spencer keeps her around," Carmen Wood said finishing off her cup of coffee.
"You know who they remind me of? They remind me of us," Oliver Wood replied, "And that scares me because once you've heard all that Riley has been through you start to realize that she's way beyond where she should be in the magic level. That girl is in way over her head and she's using Spencer as a lifeline."
"You Scots use the strangest metaphors sometimes," Carmen said shaking her head, "Do we have any more coffee?"
"Wow, she's the best flyer I've seen for a long time!" Oliver Wood commented to no one in particular as he watched the miniature game of Quidditch happening above his head.
I rolled to avoid the Bludger that Celeste had just hit at me as hard as she could. It missed me by a few centimeters. We were playing a strange version of Quidditch since we only had six players. We had one Keeper/Chaser one Beater/Chaser and one Seeker/Chaser on each team. It was me, Wood, and Dean against Celeste, Lauran, and Colby, well at the moment that is.
I spotted the Snitch fluttering just beyond the goalpost I was trying to score in. I threw the Quaffle and then dove for the snitch at a breakneck speed. I nabbed the snitch and my team won the game, again. No matter what the team combinations were the team I was on always won.
"Riley, you can't be the Seeker/Chaser anymore," Lauran announced as we all landed.
"We tried that already and she still won. I swear she could beat all of us single handedly," Celeste moaned as we dismounted our brooms.
"I'm on whatever team that Riley's on," Dean said, "She makes me look like a decent flyer."
"You just like winning," Lauran teased.
"Well, that does add to the fun," Dean admitted.
"Come on kids; the team has to practice now. We'll get something to eat and then come back to watch the match," Carmen Wood led us out of the Pitch and back to the fireplace.
"I hate floo powder," Dean remarked, "All that ash goes straight up my nose."
Lauran laughed as she took a pinch of powder, "It sure beats Riley's dad's driving!"
We all stepped into the fireplace and got take-out at a magical restaurant down Diagon Alley. I looked around as we walked down the street. It was full of witches and wizards buying anything and everything you can think of. We turned down a small side street that I had never noticed before.
"Here's my little secret place to go. I used to live here before I got married. I find that it's the best place to go to avoid the photographers seeing as how it's listed as being owned by Cammy. In you go," Carmen waved us inside the little flat.
I looked around. It was a lot smaller than the Wood Mansion but it was bigger than I thought it would be. It had a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room. I sat down on the couch in front of the TV.
"Riley, see what's on. Spencer go help her with that, sometimes it doesn't work very well. The rest of you come get your food," Carmen Wood led the group of people into the kitchen leaving Wood and I to find something on TV.
"Here, the sooner we find something on the sooner we can eat," Wood took the remote from my hand and flipped through the channels, "No, no, no, no, ah, here's something!"
The channel he stopped on was a MTV, magical television, network. The show was showing an interview with Oliver Wood's Quidditch team at the moment. Then it went to a different camera. It showed a flat exactly like the one we were in at that moment.
"Get down here before they see you!" I hissed and pulled Wood off onto the floor, "They're showing the flat! That's live footage!"
"You're right, we've been followed," Wood replied looking at the TV, "How are we going to let the others know without the TV people seeing us?"
"We won't. We'll just have lots of fun with the TV people ourselves." I replied mischievously.
"Uh, what do you mean?" Wood asked.
"We're going to have a huge fight," I replied, "but only for the viewers at home."
"What are we fighting about?" Wood asked, following me as I crawled into a bedroom.
"Just make it up as we go along," I said standing up and striding out of the room.
"Where are you going? I wasn't done talking to you yet!" Wood called after me.
"Where am I going? I'm going to eat some flipping food that's where I'm going. Maybe you're not hungry but I am!" I said back angrily.
"We'll you can't eat until I'm through talking to you!"
"Want to bet? Talk to me while I eat!" I replied turning around.
Wood grabbed my arm and whirled me back around, "I want to talk to you now. Don't you go off somewhere and eat when I'm trying to talk to you!"
Our shouting had attracted the group of people from the kitchen who were now watching bewildered. I turned and faced the window that the cameraman was filming through and waved.
"Gotcha! If you wanted an interview you should've asked." I called sweetly.
The cameraman was gone in an instant and the image on the TV went back to the man at the desk, "Well, that was interesting. I guess they knew we were there the entire time. But who was that pretty girl with Oliver Wood's son? This is Chad Flint signing out!" And the program ended.
"What was that about?" Carmen Wood asked curiously.
"A cameraman followed us to the flat and was filming through the window. Riley thought we should give them some fun," Wood explained.
"They would've had more fun if I'd kissed you," I whispered to Wood who turned a funny shade of pink and then laughed.
"Well if you two want your lunch then I suggest you go and eat it. I want to see that program you tricked," Carmen Wood sat down in front of the TV and pushed a few buttons on the control allowing her to re-watch the last program. The others sat down in front of the TV to watch too and Wood and I grabbed our food and came back to watch, but not before I checked that there were no cameras anywhere around the house.
Chapter 20: A Happy Christmas
"Wake up sleepy-head! It's Christmas!" I shouted as I jumped on Wood's bed. It was 2:00 in the morning.
"Is the house burning down!" Wood asked loudly as he sat straight up in bed.
"No, it's Christmas! And you have got to get up!" I replied.
"What time is it?" Wood asked sinking slowly back onto his pillow.
"It's 2:00 in the morning. I wanted to show you something and it couldn't wait, sorry," I said not really sorry at all. I had already had some coffee.
"You're a nut you know that?" Wood asked, but he rolled out of bed anyways, "I'll be out in a second."
"Fine, but hurry up," I walked out of his room and stood waiting in the hallway. I pulled on my jacket that I had left hanging on the door knob and wrapped my scarf around my neck; it was cold at 2:00 in the morning!
"What's this about?" Wood asked as I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me down the hall to where the coat closet was.
"You'll see!" I said throwing him his coat and scarf, "Put these on; it's cold."
"Where are we going?" Wood asked as I took off down the hall again, "At least tell me that much."
"My favorite place in the whole world, next to Hogwarts and your house anyway," I replied.
"What's so great about my house?" Wood asked confusedly.
"Geez, a little interrogative aren't we?" I asked playfully, "But if you must know the great thing about your house is, of course, you."
That statement shut him up, for a little while anyway. He stood stunned for a second and then ran to catch up with me. We walked through the woods for a little while until we came to a small river. I turned and followed the river farther until I reached a little bridge that crossed it.
"If we went that way then we'd show up at my parent's house," I said, "but we're going this way."
"What's this way?" Wood looked at the little path closely as if hoping to find some clue.
"It's only a little ways farther," was all that I said.
"You're crazy, if you thought that I was going to follow you all this way without knowing where we were going. I'm not going any farther if you don't tell me," Wood stood in the middle of the path stubbornly.
"I guess I'm crazy," I replied as I walked back to him, "but honestly, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see. And it's only up the path a couple more yards."
"Fine, but I've seen some beautiful things in my life," Wood was just in a stubborn mood.
Rolling my eyes I took his hand again and pulled him down the path. We reached a large hill looking out over the valley. I pulled him over to a tree that had fallen and sat down.
"What's so great about this?" Wood asked grumpy since I had woken him up at 2:00 in the morning.
"Any minute now," I replied and just then the sun broke up over the horizon.
"We came out here to see the sunrise?" Wood asked, "That had better be it because there's nothing that can rival this."
"Yep, we came to watch the sunrise. It's always best on Christmas," I said taking his hand and leaning up against him, "And do you know what my showing this to you means?"
"No," Wood replied. He wasn't watching the sunrise but I was so I didn't notice.
"It means, that I trust you," the simple sentence I uttered meant a lot more than any casual passerby would have thought.
"You trust me?" Wood asked, "You got me up at 2:00 in the morning and dragged me out here to tell me that you trust me?"
"Yep," I replied feeling his arm go around me and snuggling closer; hey it was cold!
"Good, just wanted to get the facts straight. You know this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Wood told me.
"I told you it would be," I replied smiling.
"I'm not talking about the sunrise," Wood said smiling the smile that drove me crazy, "I'm talking about sitting here with you watching the sunrise."
I didn't reply, just turned and kissed him. I didn't notice that it started to snow, but I did notice when the sunrise went behind the clouds.
"We'd better go back," I commented quietly.
"Do we have to?" Wood asked but he stood up and we walked back to his mansion slowly until we got where we could see it.
"I'll race you!" I called to him.
"But you'll never be able to beat me!" he called back.
I sprinted to the back door into the house and stood there waiting. Laughing he ran up and opened the door and we tumbled inside. From the sound of it no one else was up yet.
"This is going to be fun!" I said grinning, "Let's go wake everyone up."
"Wait a second. I don't see why them being up makes it any more fun," Wood looked at me confused.
"You're an idiot, but a cute one. We can't open presents if they're not all up yet," I teased turning away from him as I pulled off my coat and scarf, "I want to open presents."
"You have a point there," Wood threw our coats and scarves over the back of some chairs to dry, "Let's get waking."
We hurried off to wake the house up from their slumbering dreams. I got hit by both Celeste and Lauran before they realized that it was Christmas and I was allowed to wake them up before it was fully light outside. When we had all gone downstairs we sat amongst the pile of presents looking for ours and tossing others theirs.
"Who wants breakfast?" Oliver Wood asked as we finished opening our presents and we all scrambled to go and get food.
"I want coffee," Carmen muttered as she followed us into the kitchen sleepily, "A HUGE flipping cup of coffee!"
"I'm tired, leave me alone!" Celeste muttered as she smacked me. It was time to catch the train back to school.
"We have to go!" I replied turning on all the lights in the room and blinding myself temporarily in the process.
"Lemeesleep," Celeste swatted at me half-heartedly as Colby came into the room.
"I'll get her up," Colby said and I turned and left the room not particularly wanting to see him kissing her.
Lauran was standing in the hall sleepily with a toothbrush in one hand and a towel in the other. She blinked at me for a minute while trying to figure out if I was really there or not. I shook my head and crossed to Wood's door and opened it to go wake him up. I closed the door softly behind me and then ran and jumped on his bed. I had grown quite fond of doing this.
"What do you want so early in the morning?" Wood mumbled into his pillow, "This is getting to be too much of a habit."
"I think it's kind of fun," I replied choosing my words carefully because I didn't want to set him off too early in the morning, "You're such a morning person."
"Yeah, I know. Now, would you go away? I'm trying to sleep," he rolled over to look at me smiling that annoying smile.
"You'd best be careful mister, or you're not getting a kiss this morning," I said teasingly.
"I'm sorry; I meant to say something else. And to what do I owe this special visit madam?" Wood asked somewhat sarcastically.
"Well someone had to wake you up, and you're not exactly a morning person so I thought it best if I did the honors," I looked at him as he sat up in bed. I swung my legs off the side and was about to stand up when he pulled me back down.
"Where are you going? I didn't get my morning-" he stopped abruptly as the door swung open and Colby and Dean slipped in. No one knew about us yet and I didn't fancy telling them so I had put it off.
"Wood you'd better get up and dressed, we have to go!" Colby exclaimed when he saw that Wood was still in his pajamas and half sitting in his bed, "Potter get your stuff and take it down to get loaded while I make sure he gets up."
"Okay," I grinned at Wood's upset look knowing that he wouldn't be very agreeable for the rest of the day, well for anyone but me that is.
"You owe me one Potter," He called after me, meaning a kiss, "I expect payment within the next twenty-four hours."
I walked down the hall and grabbed my stuff to haul downstairs. I passed Lauran in the hallway again this time looking more awake and alert. She looked curiously at my smiling face, I hadn't been doing that a lot lately, but didn't comment on that just yet. I just lugged my junk down the hall and down the stairs into the kitchen and then down the hallway into the front of the house. Why had I just taken the long way? I would never know, but I was glad I did because then I ran into Wood who had taken the short way and he took me gently by the arm into the kitchen.
"What do you want for breakfast?" He asked quietly already handing me a steaming cup of coffee.
"Whatever," I replied sitting at the island in the center of the room, "I don't really care what I have to eat."
"You're weird sometimes, you know that?" Wood placed a large waffle in front of me and I dug in. Then he sat next to me and picked up a fork and started working on the waffle from the other side.
"What are you eating?" Celeste bumbled into the kitchen not knowing what she had almost walked in on, namely me breaking down and kissing him.
"Coffee," I quickly hid my fork in my lap and took a sip of my coffee, "Wood's got a waffle."
He looked at me quizzically and then got the hint and asked, "Do you want anything?"
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Celeste said grabbing my coffee and taking a huge drink of it. Then she motioned for me to scoot over, which I did reluctantly, and sat down between Wood and me.
I finished off my coffee and put the mug and the fork into the sink to get washed. Then I sat back down on the other side of Wood. What could I say other than that I was bloody brilliant?
"I'm going to go find Colby and get him to carry my stuff down. I don't want to myself," Celeste stood up and left Wood and me alone again.
"Well, that was interesting. Do you want anymore waffle?" Wood asked.
"No thanks, I'm full," I replied very quietly so that he would have to lean in closer to be able to hear, "I owe you still don't I?" I knew full and well that I did.
"Yes, you owe me," He replied even softer.
I was about to kiss him when I heard footsteps. We jerked apart quickly. The door banged open and Lauran and Dean came in arguing, oblivious to what they had almost interrupted. I gave up and grabbed Wood's plate which I threw in the sink. Usually when the couples were fighting- which happened more and more after being cooped up together for two weeks- Wood and I could slip off unnoticed. This was one of those times. We slipped out the back door and into the green house to be alone, just the two of us.
"I wonder what they're arguing about this time," I said, not really wondering at all. We walked slowly around the garden holding hands and enjoying the small amount of time alone.
"Hmm," was all that Wood said. He pulled me gently over onto the nearest bench and said simply, "you owe me."
I did what I had been wanting and trying to do all morning and kissed him, and believe me, it was nice. We kissed a few more times and then decided that we'd be missed if we stayed out here any longer. We raced around to the front of the house and helped Oliver Wood to put our trunks in the back of the limo. Then we climbed in to wait for everyone else. I sat in the corner with Wood on one side and looked out the window. The world was covered in sparkling snow. I smiled; we were going back to Hogwarts.