Gwen opened her eyes and looked around to realize she was in the living room. She must have fallen asleep on the couch last night while watching The Neverending Story with Oliver. Oliver. He must have gone home. But wait- did an arm just tighten around her waist? Sure enough, there was pleasant warmth at her back and she noticed soft breathing on her neck. Why did he have to be so damn comfortable to sleep with? And why did her parents leave them like this? Simple: Gwen and Oliver had been buddies since they were six and nothing would ever happen between them... They had fallen asleep on the couch together maybe twenty times in the past nine years, but since Gwen and Oliver had come to like each other, this seemed different.
About five minutes passed and Gwen still hadn't moved a muscle.
"Good morning." His hot breath tickled her ear.
"How did you know I was awake?" Gwen asked.
"Well, I woke up and I could tell by your breathing that you weren't asleep." He was always so logical.
"Oh."
Another five minutes went by in silence until Gwen heard her mother come out of the kitchen. "Ah, finally awake, sleepyheads?" she asked brightly.
"What time is it?" Gwen inquired, sitting up a little too fast and feeling dizzy.
"Eleven. You two looked so cute, I didn't want to wake you. You looked like little kids again, all tuckered out," she laughed. Oliver sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Why don't you two get something to eat?"
Gwen stood up, swaying slightly, and Oliver followed. They sauntered into the kitchen, rummaging for food. Cereal? No. Eggs? No. Bagel? Yeah. Onion bagel with cream cheese. Gwen sat at the table across from Oliver, who had a bowl of Lucky Charms.
"What d'you want to do today?" he asked. "Why don't we go see that movie?"
"What movie?"
"That one movie. You have a poster on your wall. You've read the book like six times?"
"Oh!" Gwen exclaimed, truly excited now. "The Fellowship of the Ring! How could I have forgotten it was out? I've been looking forward to this for a year."
"We'll go tonight so we can fly." Any excuse he could find to fly.
They spent the rest of the day working on holiday homework; they have essays to do for their various classes. Several hours later, Gwen had showered and dressed. She wore navy blue corduroy pants with a matching jacket, a white t-shirt, and navy blue sneakers. She had a small braid over each ear pulled to the back of her head. White eye shadow had been swept over her lids and along the lower lash line.
She walked downstairs to find Oliver waiting in the living room wearing blue jeans and a black sweater, holding her coat.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yup." Gwen donned her coat and checked her pockets for Muggle money, then led the way outside to their brooms. The sun had set and the sky was dark, so it was safe to fly. There was a town about fifteen minutes flying away, and luckily, it had a movie theater. Their brooms lowered as they reached the edge of town, hiding them in some bushes.
After a few minutes walking, they arrived at the theater. Gwen handled the money since Oliver had no clue how to use it, buying popcorn and Swedish Fish; Muggle candy was pretty tasty. The theater was fairly full, but Gwen and Oliver managed to find seats in the top row toward the middle, setting their coats in an empty chair on the side. Gwen settled in for the two-and-a-half hour film, prepared to be wowed.
Three hours later, about eleven o' clock, she and Oliver emerged from the building.
"That was amazing!" Gwen exclaimed, eyes still wide. "That Peter Jackson did an awesome job bringing the story to the screen... What did you think, Oliver?"
"Oh, it was all right. Of course, I don't have anything to compare it to, but it was pretty awesome."
"I can't wait until next year!" They reached their brooms and mounted, setting off for home. Fifteen minutes passed and they landed on the front porch. "Well... good night, Oliver. See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Gwen." He looked ready to kiss her, then seemed to change his mind and walked away.
Normally Gwen slept as late as possible, but today was different—it was Christmas, and she got up with the sun. Her enchanted sun flared up in her now bright, cheery forest of a bedroom. She threw on her robe and rushed downstairs where a real Christmas tree stood, thanks to her Muggle-born American father.
Her parents still slept, which was no surprise, so she knelt by the tree digging her presents out of the pile. She shook a few, trying to guess what was inside. Some were heavy for their size. Suddenly she heard a deep chuckling behind her and turned around to face the source.
"What are you doing here, Oliver Wood? I wasn't expecting you for a few hours yet."
"Well, Gwen Pennington, I'm done shaking all of my boxes and thought for sure you would be up."
"You thought right." Gwen couldn't help but smile, setting down the last box. However, he still hadn't quite answered the question. Oliver normally wasn't over so early on Christmas, not in all the years she had known him. "So why are you here so early?"
"Well... I just thought... we could... hang out." As he spoke, he slowly moved to the couch and sat down.
"All right, we can... hang out." She sat next to him on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the television. How the Grinch Stole Christmas was just starting. She and Oliver exchanged glances and began singing immediately. Apparently, they were singing a little too loudly because Gwen's parents appeared at the foot of the stairs, asking after the noise. All they could do for answer was dissolve into laughter.
Several hours later, Gwen found herself sitting on the floor, a large pile of wrapping paper next to her. On the other side of her, a mound of various objects: new clothes, books, jewelry, movies, posters, CDs. Not to mention one of the posters from Oliver looked like he had tried to make it move with his wand.
When all was said and done, Gwen went to her room and put everything away. As she hung the last poster-- Green Day—there was a knock at the door. She called for the knocker to come in and Oliver entered. He had a wrapped box in his hand.
"What's that?" Gwen asked, pushing a thumbtack into a corner of her poster.
"Oh, uh, I know you're just as much of a chocoholic as I am..." He held the box toward her. After she took it, he sat in the new chair hanging from the ceiling like a comfy swing.
"Thanks. But you didn't have to--"
"Yeah, I did. That broom servicing kit is awesome. Thanks."
"You're welcome." She pushed the last thumbtack in and looked around at the other posters on the wall-- Linkin Park, Matchbox Twenty, Lord of the Rings, pictures of faeries-- then sat on her bed.
"Merry Christmas, Gwen."
"Merry Christmas, Oliver."
A few days had passed since Christmas, making today the 28th. Gwen and Oliver were just relaxing around the house, completely bored out of their minds. The two of them were sitting on the couch, flipping mindlessly through the channels on television. Suddenly Gwen got an idea.
"Hey, Oliver," she said, tapping his arm, "you want to go see the Muggles?"
"The Muggles? Why the bloody hell do you want to go see the Muggles? Their lives must be so hideously boring without magic."
"I think it'd be fascinating to spend time with them."
"Of course, you would. You're taking Muggle studies. Besides, you don't suggest we fly into town in broad daylight, do you?"
"Well, I suppose that would attract attention," she admitted. Gwen spent a few minutes trying to think of a way to get to town without being seen. "Too bad we can't Apparate yet... Oliver! What about your dad's invisibility cloak?"
"C'mon, Gwen!" Oliver said with an exasperated sigh. "We don't even know if we'd be allowed to go to town. Besides, how would we both be able to fly under the cloak?"
"Easy, share a broom. And why wouldn't we be allowed to go?"
"We might be exposed! The Muggles would freak if they found out what we are! Don't you remember anything from History of Magic? And what if the cloak comes off while we're flying?"
"Don't be such a pessimist, Oliver. All of those witch trials were hundreds of years ago! We'll leave our wands at home, watch our tongues, and hold onto the invisibility cloak."
Oliver sighed again, steadily weakening, almost ready to give in. "Gwen, we still don't have permission."
"Permission to do what?" The two nearly jumped out of their skins, whipping around to see their mothers standing in the doorway to the kitchen. It was Maura Wood who spoke.
Now that the time had come to actually ask, Gwen's confidence shriveled a bit.
"Gwen wants to go see the Muggles. Totally her idea," Oliver readily supplied. She gave him a hurt look.
"Now? Absolutely not."
"How would you get there?"
"You can't fly in broad daylight!" Their mothers began to shoot down the proposal, each statement another bullet.
"Mum!" Gwen interrupted. They kept talking over her and she had to yell several times before they stopped. Gwen had gotten off the couch and was now standing behind it, facing them. Oliver stood on the other side of the couch. "We have thought it out already. We leave our wands at home, don't talk about school, and fly there on one broom. We can cover ourselves with Mr. Wood's invisibility cloak."
Once she finished, she watched them uncertainly, biting her lower lip as she always did when she felt nervous. Behind her, Oliver looked at the floor and shook his head.
"We need to talk this over," Gwen's mother said, and they disappeared back into the kitchen.
Gwen let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and resumed her seat on the couch. Oliver sat next to her and they both silently stared at the wall while their mothers talked the matter over in the next room. After what seemed like forever, they returned to the living room.
"All right. You can go," Mary Pennington said.
"But, Mum-- What?" She was utterly taken aback. Maura held out the invisibility cloak.
"Here, before we change our minds."
"Thank you!" Gwen squealed, hugging them both.
Now that they had gained permission, Gwen checked their clothes to make sure they were Muggle-appropriate. She tossed the invisibility cloak to Oliver and rushed to put on her shoes, nearly putting them on the wrong feet in her excitement. Sure, they had gone to town before, but always at night when they wouldn't be seen flying in. Plus, they had never actually tried interacting with the Muggles. Gwen was glad that Oliver was going with her.
Gwen held the invisibility cloak while Oliver got his shoes on. Remembering that it was cold, she reached for her cloak. Oliver ostentatiously cleared his throat and she realized Muggles didn't wear cloaks and she would stick out like a sore thumb. Grabbing her coat, she handed Oliver his, then stepped outside. The two of them ran next door for Oliver's broom, and Gwen climbed on behind him. Throwing the cloak over them, Gwen wrapped one arm around Oliver's waist and held the cloak with the other hand. The air was calm so Oliver did the same, one hand on the broom handle.
Finally, they set off after a few minutes of Oliver's adjusting the cloak. He pulled it this way and that until Gwen's mother came out and confirmed that they were completely covered. Oliver flew a little faster now than he did last time they went to town, making the flight last about 10 minutes. They hid the broom in the same bushes just outside of town, covering it with the invisibility cloak. They carefully studied the location to make sure they remembered where they were hidden.
"Here we go." Taking Oliver's hand, Gwen led the way into town. She thought their arrival would be less noticed if they came out of an alley, and she thought right. Stepping out of the lane, they found themselves between a small restaurant and a bookstore.
"Now what?" Oliver asked. "It looks a lot different in daylight with more people around than it did at night when we came to see the movie. Everything's open," he added in a lower voice.
"Let's go in this bookstore right here," Gwen suggested.
"Figures," he muttered.
Forgetting that she still held his hand, Gwen walked into the bookstore, a small bell jingling as she opened the door. The shopkeeper greeted them warmly, pointing out the fantasy section when Gwen asked. Pleased by the wide selection, she started browsing through the books on the shelves. Oliver began looking idly over them, not showing her level of interest.
"I don't see what's so interesting about these Muggle fantasy novels, Gwen."
"Oh, they're fascinating! I love to see how the Muggles write about magic. There are so many different brands of magic in these books. It's like every author invents his own kind."
"I suppose I can see why that would be... interesting," Oliver said.
A few more minutes passed and they left the bookstore empty handed. Oliver took her hand again, and she smiled at him. Just then, they were approached by a few Muggle teens that looked to be around their age. Two boys, one red-haired and green-eyed, the other brown-haired and brown-eyed, and a girl. Her dark hair fell just past her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes studied them. The brown-haired boy stepped up behind her and put an arm around her waist.
"I've never seen you around here before," she said bluntly. Oliver squeezed Gwen's hand slightly, a warning to keep cool and not reveal too much.
"We're visiting some relatives who live just outside town." Gwen's hesitation was barely noticeable. "My relatives; I wanted him to come with me. I'm Gwen, this is Oliver."
The girl looked her up and down, obviously considering her explanation. She seemed to accept it. "You travel together?" Her eyes darted to their clasped hands. "You must be serious."
"We've known each other since... kindergarten," Oliver said. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."
"I haven't given it yet. If you're visiting relatives, why aren't they with you? To show you around town."
Gwen's turn to add to the fabrication. "It's my grandparents. My parents are with them, and we didn't want to just hang around the house, so we decided to check out the town by ourselves."
"Ah, I see. I'm Claire. This is my boyfriend Bryan," she jerked her head at the brown-haired boy," and this is our friend Nate. Your accent's funny," she said suddenly. "Where are you from?"
"We live in Glasgow. But I lived in the U.S. until I was 6; my dad's American."
"Cool. Would you guys like to hang out with us? We'll show you around town," Claire offered.
Gwen looked up at Oliver, who nodded, and accepted the suggestion. The three strangers led them through town, pointing out various "points of interest." A few popular restaurants, a pet store where they stopped briefly to watch the puppies, a park. They stopped at a small café for a bite to eat and ordered something called a "soda."
"I have a cousin who lives in Glasgow," Nate says. "He's our age, goes to the public secondary school. Name's James MacDuff. You know him?"
"Uh... no. We go to a boarding school," Oliver said. Gwen could see him searching for a name. "St. Peter's... of Northumberland."
"So you're a couple of rich kids?" Bryan asked.
"No," Gwen replied shortly. "We earned scholarships. Our parents want us to have a 'good education.'" Jebus, Gwen hoped this was working.
The five fell to talking, seated around a table in the corner. They mostly discussed music and movies, Oliver going along with whatever Gwen said. They had spent the last hour in the café and it 5 o'clock drew near. All together, Gwen and Oliver had been in town about two and a half hours. Oliver looked at his watch.
"Gwen, I think we should be going. It'll take us 15 minutes to get back and we're already late for dinner."
His voice pulled her out of a trance-like state, hardly believing that she was talking to real Muggles.
"Huh? Oh, you're right! It was nice meeting you three." She left some money on the table to pay for their drinks, not realizing one of her coins was a Knut. They said their goodbyes and got up to leave, but Claire's voice called them back.
"Gwen, what is this?" she asked slowly, holding up the bronze coin. Gwen's tongue stuck to the roof her mouth when she realized the mistake. She licked her lips.
"It's... just a piece of my little cousin's play money," Gwen attempted nervously. "He must have slipped it into my pocket." She took the coin and replaced it with a Muggle one. She and Oliver said goodbye again and left as quickly as they dared.
"There's definitely something odd about them," Bryan said as they departed.
Oliver guided the way back to the edge of town, keeping a firm grip on Gwen's hand. "We were almost caught, Gwen! I knew this was a bad idea." He released her to search for the broom.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, feeling the invisibility cloak under her fingers.
"Let's just go home." He got on the broom and she followed, throwing the invisibility cloak over them both. She wrapped an arm around his waist again, resting her head on his back. The next ten minutes passed in silence until they landed in the front yard. Without taking off the invisibility cloak, Oliver turned around.
"I'm sorry, Gwen. I overreacted. It wasn't that big a deal," he stated sullenly.
"But you were right, we could've bee caught. Forgive me?"
"Only if you forgive me for being a jerk."
Gwen hugged him in response and kissed his cheek. "You weren't being a jerk. You were trying to maintain secrecy. I should've been more careful."
"Let's forget about it." He kissed her cheek, and then she kissed his cheek again, this time closer to his lips. He did kiss her lips the next time, driving all thoughts of a week and a half ago out of her mind. Before she knew it, Gwen and Oliver were making out under the invisibility cloak.
The front door opened and Mary called out. "Gwen, Oliver, you out there?"
Terrified of discovery, Gwen quickly pulled away from Oliver, jumped off the broom, and whipped off the invisibility cloak.
"Just got home!" she cried breathlessly. Her mother gave her an odd look, nodded slowly, and went back inside. Gwen let out a deep breath and turned to face Oliver who looked a little dazed. "Merlin, that was close!"
"Now who's paranoid of being caught?" Oliver said with a smirk. Gwen threw a snowball at him.