Again, I am SOOO sorry this took forever and a half. My computer has been broken and now I'm finally able to get back to writing. I really hope to write another chapter soon and keep up this fic. Enjoy this long-awaited chapter and remember to please review! Keep reading, I promise, now it starts to get REALLY interesting. :)

Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter and all it's characters do not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling.

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"What was that about?" Oliver stood stunned in the doorway.

"Don't worry about it."

"I think that I have every right to worry when I see someone I care about talking to the lowest of Slytherins." It showed in his eyes how disgusted he was. Obviously, Draco had never let on how kind he could be.

"We have bigger problems right now." My chin lowered and I kept my gaze locked on him. I tried to plan out in my head just what I would say to make the situation clear to him. Percy was getting desperate and he had the capability to do true harm.

His shoulders dropped and a soft smiled played his lips. Slowly he started towards me. "Penelope, you always worry so much. You have to relax. Everything will-"

"No! Everything is not alright and everything will not work itself out! You are the only one I can talk to about this and you're not even taking the time to listen. I haven't even told you what it is!" He moved to embrace me but I shrugged him off and moved near the window.

"Ok, fine. I'm sorry. What is it; Percy? Of course it's Percy. Are you feeling guilty? Don't Penelope, I love you. If it's something so pure, it can't be wrong. And this morning, Percy was fine. He said everything was alright. He was working things out. There's nothing to worry about. Soon he'll be completely over it."

"No, Oliver! You're still not listening. Percy is not alright. He's snapped. He's completely lost it. He threatened you this morning!" It was becoming clear that I was not going to be able to follow any type of plan to explain it, as I was reaching hysterics.

"He threatened me? How? Does he know it was me? How could he have found out?" Oliver's brow tightened and he slumped against a crate.

"No, no. Not you exactly. Just you...in general. He suspects I'm with somebody. Oliver, I was actually scared of him. I know that he's capable of doing something terrible, I just never thought he was actually capable of committing the act. Now, I'm not so sure. There was a look in his eyes that I'd never seen before. It wasn't the Percy I knew." When I looked up, I realized he was sitting in the same seat Draco had sat in. His hair fell over his eyes as he bent forward and stared at the ground. I prayed that he would say something soon.

"We have to figure this out. He can't know. Not yet. He would do something drastic." He finally mumbled, still not looking up.

"That's what I've been saying! Oliver, please, tell me you have an idea of what to do. Please." I knelt in front of him and lifted his head gently to look at him. His eyes were troubled and sad as he looked at me.

Slowly he shook his head. "I don't think I do."

Letting out a low moan, I rested my forehead against his. Running my hands through his hair, we sat silently. If he didn't know what to do, we were completely lost.

"Just keep going on as if nothing is wrong. It's the only thing we can do." He sat back and took a deep breath. I had hoped he would have some type of solution that would clear it all up in an instant. I guess magic didn't even go that far.

"I don't know if Percy is going to get over this, Oliver. If he's telling you things are fine, but he's acting completely insane with me, then something in his head just isn't clicking. He's acting as if he's completely lost it. Even if he someday does get to the point where he accepts we've broken up for good, I don't know if he would accept the two of us. How long do we have to lie?" I bit my lip and held my breath to keep back the tears. I had to stay strong. A lover's quarrel was nothing to get completely hysterical over.

Still, when he kept his hair covering those downcast eyes, I couldn't help but let out a wince. That's when his head slowly began to rise. As my tears brimmed the ends of my lashes, I ducked my chin into my chest. If he couldn't be the one who stayed firm, I had to be; And if I couldn't stay firm either, I had to at least pretend to be.

Gently, the tips of his fingers raised my head from under my chin and brought my eyes to his. Although his were completely dry, they were clouded with worry.

"Don't be sad, Penelope. Sure, this is bad. Percy is possibly going crazy. But we can't look at every bad thing. We have to look at each other. Life shouldn't be lived based on all the down sides of love. If you're going to love, do it right. Just look at the good, and be happy about that good. Just like everything else, love can't be perfect. So don't look at the flaws. If you only look at what you have that's great, love can get pretty close to ideal."

"But, Oliver! Maybe what we're doing is wrong! Maybe it's too soon!" Well, like Oliver said, everything can't be perfect. Obviously, that included me. I had nothing left in me but to break down. "If we keep going, and Percy finds out, it would ruin him! He could lose everything he's worked for. And, oh Oliver, we both know how hard he's worked. We can't let him down like this! We're the only two he has other than his family, and we both know that half of them aren't exactly supportive. Why, the twins are on our side. Maybe we're being selfish." I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. His hand floated to my shoulder but I shrugged it off.

"Penelope, darling, tell me you honestly want to go back to him." He whispered into my hair. I could feel him leaning forward trying to comfort me, but at the moment, I just wanted to be allowed to bawl.

"No! Of course not! But maybe we shouldn't rush into our own relationship. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be responsible. The right thing to do would be to give him time. Give him time to heal. It's not fair to him to just follow our own hearts and leave him dry."

Just then he jumped up and let out a huge huff. I looked up to see his brow crumpled in anger. He wasn't looking at me but out the window, towards his beloved pitch.

"Well, what about what's fair to us? What about us, Penelope? It's always what's fair and right and kind to other people! When do we get our turn?" He screamed and stormed away towards the window, slamming his palms against the sill. His rage was apparent and I'd never seen him so furious as he screamed and balled his fists. "Can someone please tell me, why the bloody hell, we always have to give up what we want so we won't hurt someone else? Well, maybe they should get hurt! Let them hurt! Why do we have to spare our happiness because someone else is sensitive! Why must I wait two more years for you while Percy gets his time to mourn? He should have mourned in the two years while he was losing you! It's my turn to love you now! It's my turn for you to love me back! I'm sick of Percy getting first consideration! I want us to come first. We are what comes first! None of this would be happening is it wasn't what we wanted. So damn your so-called responsibility and find out what you really want! Because I know what I want, Penelope Clearwater! I want you! And if I'm not important enough for you to know in an instant what you want, well, then maybe I should give you that time you want, and you and Percy can both figure out your lives together!" He spun away from the pitch and stared at me through watery eyes, huffing harshly with his entire body. I just stared back, shocked. Finally, he violently shook his head and within three fierce strides, he was at the door.

Before I could utter a protest, he stopped in the doorframe. He stood there for a few moments, still breathing heavily. Then, in one swift motion he was on his knees in front of me. Taking my hands in his, he began to whisper.

"Tell me, Penelope. Is that what you want? Is that what you truly want? To leave me? To forget everything? Do you not want to be with me? It's hard, Penelope, I know it's hard to sneak around. But I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to do anything to be with you. Does it bother you that much? Do you really want to give in to Percy and leave me?"

At that point, our lips were about to touch. His words hypnotized me and I wanted to stay with him forever. I knew I wanted to be in his arms for as long as we both were breathing. Still, something inside me said to stop. Something told me to run and leave because it would just hurt Percy too much and I couldn't spare his life in that way. It wasn't responsible.

So instead of meeting his lips, I pulled back. Before I could think it over again and process it to death, my fingers were slipping out of his and I was backing away. My legs were straightening and I was rising before his eyes even lifted from their shocked position to look at me. All of a sudden, without my immediate knowledge, I was bolting for the door. Without fully comprehending what was happening, I was rushing down the steps. The only thing I heard were my feet slamming against the stone and the wind as I cut through it in the narrow corridor I was descending.

Before I got halfway to the first landing however, I was able to retake control of my mind. I realized what I was doing and wanted to stop. Whatever had told me to run was overcome by another voice wailing at me to stay. I didn't want to run. I didn't want to leave him. I couldn't! I just couldn't be away from him! I had no idea what had possessed me to run but I wanted it to stop.

It was my head that had forced me into this insane act. My stupid mind with it's stupid brainwashed ideas. Well, now it was time for it to change. It no longer ruled me. It was going to have to listen to my heart, because that was the only thing that was going to lead me now. It was the only part of myself that I was obliged to.

As I reached the first landing, I was finally able to stop. I couldn't run from Oliver. I loved him too much. He was right. It was our turn now. It was going to be all about us.

But would he take me back? Would he ever be able to forgive me now? If he had done this to me I would never be able to look at him again. I already swore that I would never doubt or turn away from him again. Why did I keep doing this? My stupid mind! It had ruined everything.

I pictured Oliver just sitting on the floor where I had left him. How could I ever take back what I had just done? I couldn't!

Still, I had to try. If I could make this entire epiphany in a matter of seconds, he could forgive me just one last time. He had to.

I knew I had to go back, but just as I was about to turn, someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me roughly. I just had enough time to look into Oliver's hurt eyes and wild hair before he reached for me and pulled me hard towards him. It had only been seconds and he had been right behind me. Oh, thank God for that toned Quidditch body!

His arms wrapped around me and held me tighter than ever before. He buried his face into my hair and I felt his body shake as he sobbed. At the same moment I broke down too and we both bawled together, holding each other as if someone were trying to rip us apart.

Through his choking sobs he just kept repeating in hysterics, "Are you crazy, Penelope? How could you do that? Don't ever do that again. Don't ever leave me again. I love you so much, Penelope. So much. Don't ever do that. Are you crazy?"

The only thing I could manage in what seemed like the hours we spent there was, "I'm so sorry, Oliver. I love you. I love you."