We passed the time in the room playing chess and, surprisingly, a round of exploding snap. Oliver had apparently nicked a deck from Fred and George in the locker room. I laughed and scolded him for stealing and he just leaned over the pile of cards on the floor and kissed me to silence me. Rain pounded the window outside and the fire roared in the hearth, making the room cozier than ever.
Dinner came sooner than we had expected. We walked out of the room and I waited for the door to disappear before we headed down to the Great Hall. He laced his hand with mine and I swung our hands back and forth, a slight spring in my step.
"How'd you find that place?" Oliver asked as we walked through the empty halls. I shrugged.
"I needed somewhere first to think and talk to someone, then a place to do my homework," I replied. I never really thought about how I found it. Only why.
"I like it," Oliver smiled. We walked into the Great Hall and sat down with the others from the team and dug into supper.
That night, I sat alone in the common room after Ferin had gone up to bed. I stared into the fire and felt my mind go blank. It was a refreshing feeling every now and then. And today, I wanted no memory of the humiliating loss to Hufflepuff.
They were still celebrating at dinner, moreso than I've ever seen them do. Diggory was the only one who seemed genuinely concerned when Harry didn't show up for dinner.
"He's fine," I had told him when he asked if Harry had broken anything. "Only thing broken was his broomstick."
Diggory had smiled at me, clapped me on the shoulder and muttered "Better luck next time, mate" before rejoining his friends at the Hufflepuff table. They had pulled him down into a headlock and I had seen him laughing with them.
I shook my head and stared deeper into the fire, before hearing a voice calling to me.
"Oliver? Please, go to bed," a soft voice said behind me. I turned to see Ferin, standing in her pajamas and dressing gown, one hand on the wall.
"Ferin," I smiled.
"Hullo," she smiled. She walked over to me and sat down in a chair next to me. I reached for her hand and she laced her fingers with mine, a sort of new found comfort. For so long I wondered how her hand would feel laced with mine, and now, every time her hand seeks out mine, I smile.
"What are you doing up still?" she asked quietly.
"Couldn't sleep," I mumbled. She didn't seem to buy it. I normally always went to bed. I shrugged when she gave me a disapproving look and unlaced her hand with mine.
"Its about the game today isn't it? Oliver, come off it. It wasn't even our fault. Nor was it Hufflepuff's! The dementors came out onto the field by themselves. It couldnt be stopped," she said consolingly, leaning closer to me. I looked over at her. Her dark hair shone in the firelight and her bright eyes shone with concern. I smiled and leaned back in my chair, and chuckled darkly.
"I just wish I had known," I muttered.
"Oliver, stop this right now. This isn't your fault! It was completely on random!" Ferin was close to yelling now, and I didn't blame her. Out of body, I was being completely unreasonable.
"If you keep beating yourself up for something that wasn't your fault, you'll start blaming yourself more and more for the small things that aren't your bloody fault!" Ferin said, half whispering, half screaming. She turned to go back up to bed and I launched myself from my chair and wrapped my arms securely around her waist, burying my face in the her neck.
"I'm sorry I'm being a complete prat. Forgive me?" I muttered, kissing her neck as I spoke.
I bit my lip as he kissed my neck, closing my eyes and neaning my head back slightly. He muttered his apology and I smiled. I turned around I his vice grip and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Of course I forgive you. There was never anything to forgive in the first place," I whispered back. I caressed his face and he smiled. I stepped up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek before heading back upstairs to bed.
As I climbed into bed, I heard the other girls shifting in their sleep and rolled over myself, burying my face in my pillow.
The next morning I woke up refreshed and smiled. It was Saturday. And Saturdays meant Hogsmeade. And Hogsmeade meant spending time with the girls and Oliver. I grinned and flung myself out of bed and quickly got changed. I hurried down to breakfast where they were waiting and quickly grabbed a piece of toast and some bacon before we all headed out of the castle together.