We had just reached the front of the castle when Wood finally let go of my arm.

"Honestly, Wood, what is your bloody problem?" I snapped, folding my arms over my chest protectively.

He didn't say anything in return.

"So, we're going to play this game, then? I'll just have to assume you said something to Tristan, because things were going quite well until today, I will have you know."

"Oh, were they?"

"Yes, they most certainly were!"

"From what I noticed, they weren't. He's been avoiding you."

"Oh, and whose fault is that?" I stared at him pointedly.

Again, he didn't say anything.

I threw my arms up in exasperation. "You are so impossible!" I cried and went to push past him and march straight back to the Ravenclaw common room.

Wood, however, had other plans. He wrapped his arm around me as I moved past him and pulled me flush against him. I stared up at him wide-eyed, thoughts flying to the dreams that continued to plague me and to that snog we'd had two weeks prior. His free hand slipped around my neck, and before I knew it, his lips pressed against mine.

I was frozen in place for a few moments. Once I came to my senses, I pulled away and promptly slapped him across the cheek. He looked down at me, completely stunned.

"Stop doing that!" I wrenched free of his grasp and quickly turned, sprinting into the castle and out of Wood's sight.

Bugger. Why did it seem like all we did when we were alone was snog?

Fiona, followed by Rose and Carrie, waltzed into the dormitory as I lay spread out on top of my bed, leafing through one of Carrie's magazines.

I felt a slight sinking towards my feet and turned to see Fiona sitting on the edge of my bed, looking at me with sympathy. "I heard about what happened with Tristan, Rue. I'm sorry."

Carrie nodded grimly from behind Fiona, "We all are. That's just bloody awful he'd turn you down like that after everything the two of you have done the past month. I've never seen anyone work so hard to get a bloke."

Rose sat down on top of the magazine and gently placed her hand on top of my head. I sighed in frustration.

"Look, I'm perfectly alright, I promise."

"You looked positively murderous when you went up to Oliver," Rose said from above me.

I groaned.

Fiona, Carrie and Rose exchanged knowing looks.

"Well, I think Carrie and I have some Arithmancy work to do, so we're off to the library."

Carrie gave Fiona a confused look. "But I thought we'd finished-"

"We'd finished our Potions essay, but we still have to finish our Arithmancy," Fiona supplied quickly, grabbing her bag and pulling Carrie after her.

"Oh, right! I get it," I heard Carrie say from the hall.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back. Rose turned slightly.

"That was quite subtle, I have to say."

Rose and I laughed.

"Well, you know, Carrie can be a bit thick sometimes and can't take a hint."

"Too true."

We fell into a comfortable silence as Rose absentmindedly continued to pet my head. I suppose our little tableau would have been an odd thing to stumble upon, but the four of us had learned quite some time ago how best to comfort each other.

"So," Rose broke the silence. "I talked to Matt and Roger."

"Who?"

"The two blokes Oliver was with when you assaulted him."

"Oh," I said, reaching a hand above my head and patting around my pillows, searching for my owl plush, appropriately named Meister Eule. After several failed attempts to find him, Rose set him down on top of my chest. I sighed, wrapping my arms around his soft fluff.

"Well, we got to talking as Oliver hauled you off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, apparently the sixth year boys' room in Gryffindor Tower was the site of one of the biggest rows Hogwarts has ever seen, and it's all Gryffindors have been talking about since."

"When?" I shifted, moving my head so I could more easily look up at Rose.

"About two weeks ago."

"I knew it," I grumbled, my belief that Oliver had said something to Tristan affirmed.

Rose pulled one of my pillows into her lap, "Do you want to hear about it, or would you rather cry about Tristan?"

I scoffed. I wasn't going to cry over a bloke. I was stronger than that.

"Alright, I think Oliver must've seen you and Tristan snogging. From what Matt said, it sounded like he'd followed you when you went after Tristan to explain, or something like that."

I nodded, slipping my fingers under Eule's wings and raising them.

"So, Oliver, being the good bloke that he is despite what you blither on about, decided to let the two of you have a private moment and went back to his dormitory. I suppose the moment turned into an hour or so, and he'd managed to rile himself up quite a bit during that time. Matt and Roger tried to calm him down-"

"Can we skip the awkward male relationship business, please?"

Rose laughed, "Sure. Anyway, so Tristan came to the room, out of it a bit-"

"That was entirely my doing," I said proudly, sitting up and turning to face Rose. I crossed my legs and held Eule to my chest.

"Well, you can brag about your snogging skills after I finish the story. Anyway, Tristan came in and Oliver confronted him about snogging you. Tristan tried to say that you had initiated, but Oliver wasn't hearing any of it because it appeared to him that Tristan had been enjoying himself. It turned into a, oh, how did Roger put it? Ah, 'a shouting match,' I believe, and Oliver called Tristan all sorts of lovely names."

I attempted to imagine Wood saying 'tosser' or 'wanker,' but couldn't.

"Right, well, turns out Wood intimidated Tristan quite a bit- honestly, couldn't you have picked someone with a back bone?- and advised Tristan to stay away from you and that if he even dreamed of laying a finger on you again, Wood would be sure to hex his arse to next week and back."

I pressed my face against the top of Eule's head, mulling over this information.

"So, wait, Oliv-," I caught myself.

"Not finished yet," Rose poked my forehead. "Apparently they came to an understanding, and it has been confirmed that Wood does indeed fancy you and has since the second half of last year."

"What?" I hissed, completely rigid. "He treated me even worse the end of last year than he ever had before. He couldn't possibly have-"

"Ah, but that is where you're wrong, dearest. He just wasn't entirely sure what to make of his feelings towards you, and it indeed took him an entire summer to sort himself out."

"That's rubbish."

"No, it's entirely true. It's what he admitted after the row, because Tristan, Roger and Matt wanted to know why he was so bloody protective of you."

I rolled my eyes, "Well, isn't that just peachy."

"Rue," Rose said in a wary tone, "just give the bloke a chance."

To avoid further discussion, I threw Meister Eule at her. He hit her right in the face.

Monday before dinner, I called for an extra Quidditch practice. Our match against Hufflepuff was on Saturday, and, although I was positive that we would defeat those bloody badgers, I wanted to be sure that the team was in tip-top shape.

We managed to get an hour in before it started to downpour, running different plays and passes while Davies did laps around the pitch on his broom. I noticed Wood sitting in the stands, but he left at the first boom of thunder.

Thoroughly soaked, I was walking up the stairs to the Ravenclaw common room when I heard a giggle from behind a statue. I paused, deciding that I may as well see who's having a good time behind a statue of an old hag. I quietly slid behind another statue and looked around it. I gagged at what I saw. To my utter disgust, it was my dearest brother and Anna snogging rather passionately. I quickly turned and scurried away, not particularly desiring to induce illness.

An hour later, I sat comfortably in front of the crackling fire reading a book my uncle had sent me, attempting to clear my head of the horrific snog fest I had witnessed. Klaus stumbled in, a dazed expression on his face. I was about to comment when Fiona, Rose and Carrie exploded through the door, pushing Klaus out of the way. He teetered precariously and bumped into a table that a first year, who squeaked at the sudden disruption, was trying to study at.

Carrie, Rose and Fiona stood in a line at attention before me.

"Dearest, darlingest Rüdiger! We three do desire your company at tonight's feastie. Do you accept our request?" Carrie barked loudly.

I stood, smiling at my mates and straightening my clothes. It had been quite some time since we'd done this, third year perhaps? "Yes, dearest, darlingest friends, I do desire to join you at tonight's feastie!"

"Let us go dine together, dearest, darlingest friend!" Fiona cried, taking my arm and settling it in the crook of her own. Rose and Fiona flanked us as we exited the common room.

So, that's chapter 17. The 110th reviewer was BlueRose22, and she gave me a little plotbunny to work with, which is what the next chapter is. It was only supposed to be a little bit to throw in this chapter, but I got a little carried away, as I sometimes tend to do. As always, Jo Rowling owns Harry Potter. That which you don't recognize from the series belongs to me. Do grace me with the honor of a review. I plan to post Chapter 18 shortly. Yours.