Disclaimer: Ok, this is FANfiction! You shouldn't even need to write one of these…right? Anyway…I don't own Harry Potter or any Harry Potter Characters…I'm just borrowing them.
Summary- Oliver's stress is mounting, and Angelina Johnson and Fred Weasley are only making it worse…(Lazy summary for a lazy girl)
Rating: PG-ish-ness
Note: The character's thoughts will appear in Italics. Sorry if it's confusing. Also review replies are at the bottom!
So, before I am attacked by an angry mob, I would first off like to say that I have FINALLY updated! (YES!) Secondly, I would like to point out how sucky and cheesy and all around dumb this chapter is. This was so hard to write that it wasn't even funny. I was going to wrap it up in this chapter, and that's the honest-to-God truth, but it just didn't want to be over with I guess. Thus the weird ending of this chapter. Ai-ya. I'm digging myself deeper.
I really just wanted to get this chapter up before I left for my mission trip, so here it is. I'm definitely not proud of it…but tell me what you think all the same.
As usual, review replies reside at the bottom.
R&R.
End of Chapter 10:
"So you're admitting that maybe Angelina was telling the truth, and Cedric really is just a friend?" Silence again.
"I feel so stupid."
"You've been stupid." Lying wasn't high on their "Things To Do" List.
"So what do I do?" George sighed, picking the book back up.
"I have no idea."
"Thanks for all of your help." Fred stood up, sarcastically muttering things under his breath.
"Well if you would've just given her some time in the first place you wouldn't have had to go through all of this! Or, if you had listened to moi when I told you that they were just family friends…or if you hadn't called her a slut…"
"I can't believe I said that."
"Me neither."
"I guess I just have to go apologize…"
………….
Closest Thing to Heaven
© Angelface04
June 18, 2005
…………..
The door flung open, wind whipping a set of Quidditch robes that clung to a sopping figure. The boy tossed his broom down, peeling off his robes and discarding them on the floor, his undershirt sticking to his body.
"We're completely and utterly hopeless." He muttered to himself, pulling off his undershirt and flipping on warm water, then going to find his towel. "We're going to be pulverized! Diggory's going to demolish us. So much for the Quidditch Cup, so much for being remembered. So much for a bloody professional position, so much for bloody - "
"Oliver?" He jumped, whirling around at the sound of his name. As if he wasn't upset enough at the way that their practice had gone, this was definitely not helping his mood. Plus the fact that he was once again standing half-naked in front of a girl didn't' do much for his temper either. Especially since it was a girl that he really had no desire to talk to.
"How did you get in here?"
"Does it really matter." She crossed her arms, her feet planted and unmoving. He sighed.
"What are you doing in here Nina?"
"I just wanted to talk to you." She took a few steps closer to him. "Is that okay?"
"Well, um, after being blown off everytime I tried to talk to you about this, do you expect me to really want to talk to you?"
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just – I wasn't ready. And now I am, and I have to know something." She nervously pulled some hair behind her ear.
"Yeah?" There was an unexplainable knot in his stomach.
"Why - " Her voice caught in her throat and her eyes started to burn. "Why didn't you - um - love me - like you do her?" The tears slowly began to trickle down her cheeks, and he could feel his heart nearly stop with surprise. "What's wrong with me?"
"Nina…" He felt his chest constrict. "You're a great girl. Really, you're amazing. But - I - you're not - " He stopped.
"I'm not what Oliver? Please tell me I have to know!' She sobbed, swiping at her tears. "Please Ol."
"It's not you." He assured her, taking a step closer. "Really, it's me." He felt his throat tighten as he looked down at the sobbing, brokenhearted girl in front of him. The sudden realization that he had broken her made his insides squirm. "I'm sorry." He barely choked out. "I'm so sorry." He 'd sworn to himself that he wouldn't ever do it again, but he did. Despite his bare, soaked chest he grasped her petite, shaking figure tightly. "Don't give up yet, Nina. Not every boy is like me – some of them realize when to give up on something they'll never have. Some of them are desperately searching for a girl just like you and it's not fair for me to be so selfish. You're way too good for me Nina…and I'm so sorry I hurt you."
Her body was raking with sobs. "I – I wish that you could love me." Her tiny voice whispered. "I wish you could be mine."
I wish the exact same thing every day. Oliver stroked Nina's back gently as Angelina's face flashed through his head. "I know just how you feel."
…………………………….
When Fred spotted Angelina he was unpleasantly surprised to find a certain Hufflepuff Quidditch captain walking beside her. The redhead paused, watching the words "I really like," and "thought you should know," fall from Cedric's lips. She nodded gently, smiling.
And then, as Fred Weasley angrily made his way over to the pair, he saw Diggory throw his arms around her, lifting her from the ground. Fred could hear Angelina's laughter and his fists clenched with fury. The ungrateful, two-timing, cheating git! He could see right through the prat's scheme, and he realized that there was no reason for him to be surprised. After all, he could tell that Cedric was bad from the beginning – and he was angry with himself for letting Angelina get hurt like this.
So before he could tell himself to stop and think he had Cedric by the shirt collar. Angelina shrieked as Fred seemingly appeared from nowhere. There was a small cracking sound as Fred shoved Cedric up against a stone wall. He could feel Angelina attempting to pull him off, but he shook her off easily.
"What are you trying too pull Diggory?" Fred hissed. Diggory, astonishingly, didn't try to shove Fred away.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Weasley."
"Shove-off, I'm not stupid, okay?"
"Fred, please, you're jumping to conclusions!"
"Sure I am." He growled. Cedric raised his hands.
"I swear I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!"
"Sure you bloody don't! I saw you with that Ravenclaw girl just yesterday!
"Fred, you need to listen to me!" It was Angelina's voice again.
"You know, you just about had me convinced! You just about had me going for the whole "family friends" deal, but - " And then, quite unexpectedly, a body rammed him to the ground. He was taken so much by surprise that he just lay there as an enraged Angelina Johnson straddled him. Her face was so stern that it almost made him smile.
"What do I have to do to get you to listen!" He couldn't honestly answer the glowering girl above him. "What do you want me to do Fred? Tell me, please, because I'm too exhausted to try and figure it out anymore!"
"Now if you're talking about Cho and I…" Cedric's cheeks reddened a little. "Then you're right. Yes, we are dating - "
"See!" Fred yelped and tried to squirm out from underneath the Gryffindor Chaser, who firmly gripped him at the last moment. "I told you not to bloody trust him! I knew he was just going to hurt you!" Something seemed to dawn on the Chaser as she looked up at her friend, and she saw the smile that Cedric had tried so hard to bite back. She desperately tried to fight back the laughter that was climbing up her throat, but she really couldn't help it, and before long she was giggling. Cedric turned and looked out the window. Fred stared at Angelina in disbelief.
"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" It was Professor Lupin, who saw a very strange sight indeed, with Angelina straddling Fred and Cedric laughing as he stared out the window not two feet away.
"Nothing Professor." Angelina scrambled up off of the redhead and dusted off her robe. "We were just playing. Right, Fred?" He was so surprised to hear her finally call him Fred again that he didn't reply.
"Yeah, really, it's nothing to worry about Professor." Cedric chimed in, lending a hand and helping Fred up. Lupin gazed at each one sternly in turn.
"Shouldn't the three of you be preparing for your Quidditch game tomorrow?"
"You know, we were actually just leaving for practice!" Fred exclaimed, grabbing Angelina's arm and nudging Cedric discreetly in the ribs. "See you later Professor!"
They sped-walked down the corridor, Angelina bursting into a fit of giggles as soon as they had turned the corner.
Fred grinned at her, the closest to his jokester grin that he'd been in a long time.
"Well," Cedric cleared his throat and smiled at the two others. "I have other business to attend to…" Angelina laughed, shoving him in the chest.
"Go be with your girlfriend." He turned to leave and then paused, looking up at Fred.
"Listen, Fred. I know that you don't like me much, but - "
Fred shook his head, looking down. "I just made a huge arse of myself." He looked at Angelina. "I should have believed you." Cedric looked relieved, then happy as a sloppy smile found his lips.
"Well, I'll see you two tomorrow."
"Yeah." The two Gryffindor's replied. "See you later." And just like that, he was gone, and it was just the two of them. They began to walk, in no particular direction. She stopped, looking up at him expectantly.
"What?" He finally stopped, running his hand through his hair. "Something on my teeth?" She smiled. He wondered how he could ever have forgotten how amazing it felt to make her smile.
"No, you don't have anything on your teeth." She looked away and continued her aimless wandering.
"So why were you looking at me all funny?" She raised her eyebrows.
"What do you mean funny?" She seemed deathly serious.
"Ange!" He grabbed her elbows, causing her to spin around and deleting the space between them. "What?" Her eyes dropped from his, looking, apparently, anywhere but straight at him.
"It's nothing Fred." How do I explain something I can't even understand?
They stood there for a few seconds, him staring at her fiercely, and then letting go.
"Okay." He shoved his hands into his pocket. They continued on in silence. Finally, he decided to break it. "I'm sorry." She was astonished to hear the words come out of his mouth. "I've been a complete moron to you, and you deserve so much better."
"Do you expect that to just make everything better?" She couldn't hold the words back. "Do you expect everything to just be fine now?"
"No!" They weren't walking anymore. "No, I don't! But it's the only place that I know to start. Maybe, in time, you can forgive me…for all of the bollocks I put you through."
"Fred - "
"I know I don't deserve it, Angel, but will you give me a second chance?" They stood for an eternity of moments.
"Okay." She finally whispered, so softly that he could scarcely hear it. "I'll try."
………………………….
He had fallen asleep with his head on his desk, one hand clutching what he hoped would be the Hufflepuff offense. One minute he was double checking Diggory's offensive front, the next he was drooling on the new Gryffindor plays.
So when he was awoken by a loud noise, it was quite understandable that he would be confused and disoriented.
"What the - " There was a shadow cringing right in front of him. "Who's there?"
"This was a stupid idea!" An all-too-familiar voice said turning exclaimed. The shadow began searching for the door.
"Angie?" His heart leapt to his throat and he wondered vaguely if he was dreaming. "Angelina?"
The shadow paused, then as he moved, turned and bolted for the door. He sprinted out after her without a second thought. It was pouring, as it had been for the past several days, and the grass was wet, cold, and muddy on his bare feet. He could see her racing just ahead of him. He took off, nearing her as she almost stumbled. He grabbed her T-shirt, then tugged her to him as he squinted through the rain. He was thoroughly soaked, but it wasn't like it really bothered him much anymore. She was shaking as he took her in his arms, hugging her as close to him as he could. It was then that he realized she was sobbing.
"Lina?" He lifted up her face, and though she tried to turn it away he held onto her chin firmly. "Why are you crying?" There was a sudden crash of thunder and she jumped, her hands quickly finding his wet T-shirt, squeezing it as hard as she could.
"I'm scared!" She yelled over the wind. "I'm so scared Ol!" He knew this had more to do with then the storm, so he led her into the nearest shelter he could find. It turned out to be an old broom shed that housed an assortment of ancient brooms and bludgers that had lost their bludge.
"Do you want to talk?" He asked her gently, suddenly realizing where he was and what he was doing. She shook her head no, and then buried it onto his shoulder.
So he just held her.
And when the tears finally stopped she gazed up at him, her eyes full of a mix of gratitude but hurt. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't talk. She really didn't expect him to. She didn't expect to find his face so close to hers either.
"Is this what you want?" His voice scared her. It was so calm and so understanding, yet desperate and afraid and vulnerable at the same time.
"I don't know anymore." She muttered, not looking away from his face. So he didn't kiss her. He leaned his forehead on hers and they stood like that for a long time. The stormed slowed down and she finally shifted, her hands falling to her sides. He stepped back, studying her for a hint of what had been going through her head when she had run through torrential rain to get to him, and then had refused to speak.
She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'm sorry." He smiled softly.
"It's okay." Her hand rested on her forehead and she blinked tiredly. "Merlin, we have a game in a couple of hours." He nodded, still watching her.
"Yeah." Neither of them moved.
"I really should go." She hesitated, like she wanted to do something, to tell him something, but she didn't stop long enough. "I guess I'll see you later."
"Yeah." He said again. She exited slowly, taking a look behind her as she opened the door. As soon as it closed Oliver's back found the nearest wall and he sank down to the floor.
What in the name of Merlin am I going to do?
…………………………………..
Review Replies:
anaaid08: I know you love me, I love you too. Um, I resent being called a lazy waste, although it's probably true. HAHA! Nina lives on…
angel-word: Aww, thanks. I'm glad that you like it! Your review was one of the ones that made me get my lazy butt on the computer and write – thanks for that!Here's an update, though it's not soon, by any means.
ChaosEchos: Yeah, I can see what you mean about the whole "slut" thing. It seemed weird to write too. Ah well, what's done is done. I hope that you like this chapter just as much as the last!
crzyangelchic: Thanks for your review! I'm flattered – I'm really not that great of a writer. –blushes- It's funny, ironic, and kinda creepy that you mentioned an alternate ending, because that's exactly what I was debating. Hmmm….I guess you'll never know! –winks- I hope that you keep reading! And seriously – I ADORE your super-long reviews – so keep 'em coming!
DOJ: Drops of Jupiter! Good song. Yes, everyone (INCLUDING ME!) involved with this story is extremely confused. I hope that this sorts some of that out for you…and them…and me. Then again, with the way this turned out, it may just end up confusing you even more. :D
Evilevergreen: OH HOW I MISS THEE! You have no idea how much I love reading your reviews. You seem to like my crap, for some strange reason, and I hope that you keep seeming to like it. Yes, you were right, the line originally said by Angelina in the last chapter I switched with Alicia. It seemed relevant, because Angelina knows perfectly well who he is. Nina, Nina, Nina. No way is he getting back with Oliver…perhaps I will stick her with Flint…hmm…muses. And about the OW/AJ….well…as the ending of this chapter can show you I have absolutely no idea what in Pete's Sake I'm doing anymore. Thank you for your reviews. I adore them.
LooneyLovegood11: It's great to have a new reader! Thanks for reading so much! I hope that you didn't have to do anything too drastic as you waited for my lazy butt to update!
mandidanielle: Child, I have no clue what to do with you. You halfway talk about the story and then halfway talk about your life. You need a hobby. Stop seeing how many words you can fit onto one review box, and start actually criticking the story! (HEY! THERE'S AN IDEA!) I love your review darling, they make me smile, as I am doing right now. Keep them coming, if you can wade through all of the cheese.
MissHogwarts1125: I'm glad that you think that it's realistic, because I seem to think it's overly cheesy. THANKS so much for your review – it means so much to me.
Nikki: Well, here was the apology! How did you like it? Yeah, it was kinda weird writing about Fred calling Angelina a slut…I'm still not sure if I'm that fond of it. Thanks for your reviews – you know how much I love them!
Shea LaRoc: I knew the ending was forced! HAH! SUCKERS! Anyway, sorry about letting you down on the quick update thing. You know I'm not much good at that. Thanks for your reviews – please keep them coming. I need the morale support.
Silver Scribes: You know, I honestly never thought that I would see the day of an update either. And no you can't have Oliver…as you can see I may be needing him…I'm not making any promises, so don't get your hopes up too high…
Starriecat: I know, I make everyone sound evil. How terrible am I? Well, I hope that you keep reading this…because if you're not I'm really just wasting my time. I'm glad that you're liking it…(aren't you:p) I hope to update sooner, but, you know me.
Wow. That was long and tiresome. It's 12:01, and I have to be up at 4:00. Cheers everyone – let me know what you're thinking.
I was going to write a chapter preview to give you a hint at the ending, but I'm too lazy. Surprise, surprise, huh?
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