The next one is the one you've been waiting for; I wanted to do it in this one, but I had too much to say. So things will be resolved in the next chapter, promise.

More importantly, this chapter is only five and a half hours late. And, since I couldnt' update for the passed two weeks, I've put up the preview for an awesome video I'm doing about ALL THREE of my stories. It's under the title 'Savin Me,' so just search 'savin me lovincopperpot' and it'll come up. Hope you like it.

I smiled to myself as I felt the rare sun shining through the window and into my eyes. Well, more like through my eyelids, since I'm all cuddled up in Oliver's bed. A month later and I'm still sneaking into Oliver's room for bed; I don't trust Tom. Not at all. Just thinking of him makes me tug at my hair and itch all over.

So he and Siren are still dating, and he's still looking at her like she's just a… thing. Listening to them is absolutely nauseating. He's… he's not himself. And every time I hear him I try to believe that he's just changed, but it doesn't feel… right. I can't believe that Tom has changed that much in, what, a few months?

Needless to say my entire group of friends hate me. I tried to sit with them the day after our fight, and Willow actually poured pumpkin juice down my shirt. So much for 'friends forever.' Apparently Siren got preference over me. Maybe it's because I'm in Ravenclaw. Odd one out and all.

And all of that has made life pretty hard, or it would've if I didn't have Oliver and, this is going to sound a little random, but Ginny. Upon Oliver's urging, I started to hang out with Ginny at a meeting about… something… and what with my sudden free social-time we became actually kind of close. Well, me and her and a few of her guy friends. She's a guys girl, if you don't count Luna. Speaking as a member of Luna's house and her roommate for quite a few years, I am fully aware that Luna is… strange. But somehow Ginny offsets the weirdness, which makes Luna actually very tolerable.

I mean, I'm not saying I'm best friends with them, but think about it: I can't sit with the Slytherins because of Tom, or with the Ravenclaws because of Ben, or with the Hufflepuffs because of Siren and Penny; I'm a social outcast with everyone except the Gryffindors. I wouldn't eat with them, either, but Susan and Willow sit with Siren, so the Gryffindors are really my only choice. That or, you know, go and eat with Oliver. That would be fun.

Oliver squirmed underneath my cheek, bringing me effectively out of my day dreaming, "You know, it's not that I mind having you over; really, you're a great bedmate, except for the fact that when you lay on my arm like that it falls asleep."

I would've rolled my eyes, but I'm not waking up yet. It's Saturday; I don't have anything to do until one, when I literally have to walk through the (shared) bathroom, get dressed, and then head to McGonagal's office for a briefing on… stuff. "Shush up – I don't want to get up."

"Well, that's great, love-"

My heart skipped a beat and my chest started to suck at my organs. I haven't told Oliver that I love him, no matter how certain of the fact I am. More importantly, Oliver has taken to calling me 'love,' and I am still really not alright with falling in love at the age of seventeen, and it all makes out for a very bad reaction whenever a word beginning with 'l' enters the conversation. I can only just manage to control myself enough to not put my hands in my hair. Oliver knows what that means.

"But I do need my arm." At that, I felt Oliver shift underneath me towards the far edge of the bed, and I remembered that despite the fact that I'm very, very, very stubborn, I don't actually want him to leave.

"No," I whined, wrapping my arm around his bare waist tighter and cuddling into him, "I'll switch to the other side, or whatever. Don't get up."

I felt Oliver stiffen for a moment before he leaned down to kiss me on the head, "You know I have to meet with the Quidditch captains today; I told you last night."

I felt my nose wrinkle, even if Oliver couldn't see it, "Why would you schedule a meeting so early?"

"I've got to meet with all four of those captains today, and some of them tend to go on and on. I thought it'd be better to get it all over with early since we were going to go out tonight."

"Oh, right," I bit my lip, "I forgot about that."

Suddenly Oliver's face was in mine, full of worry, "You didn't make any other plans, right?"

I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head slightly, "Who would I make plans with? Ginny?"

"Well, I'm figuring you two will be close soon enough."

I groaned, breaking the eye contact that was nearly piercing my soul. I don't even think I want anyone to be close with another girl right now. That sounds really bad, but the lack of Siren and all made me realize just how stressful they actually were. Suddenly I can concentrate in class and get my homework done before midnight. And what with Ginny being very politically active, her drama would probably be on a much larger scale.

"Yeah, maybe when we're both out of Hogwarts and fighting the fight, but not now. I'm just not… emotionally prepared."

Oliver snorted as he rolled out from under me, and I groaned a little at the loss of body heat and the best pillow ever, "I'd hate to see what you were like after we broke up." I watched as Oliver pulled his closet open, reemerging with a thick, dark blue sweater. He paused midway through tugging it over his head, "You're happy in this relationship, right Aly?"

Whoa. That was… heavy. Not even heavy, but we were having a nice, banter kind of morning and then… he asks a serious question. I don't even have to think about it, but still.

"Yeah." Oliver's eyes locked with mine, and his face contorted into… something. Pain? Does he… why would he be hurt? Does he think I'm lying? "Really, Oliver; I'm happy." Where did this come from? Oliver's eyes fell, and I figured that some convincing was in order. So I jumped out of bed, shivering in my PJ shorts and tank top, and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Really, honestly happy."

I blew out a breath as I searched around Oliver's cupboard, the growling in my stomach unmistakable. I was hungry, for heaven's sake. I slept through breakfast and I'm not going to have time for lunch, knowing my luck. At least, I don't want to have to go down to the Great Hall. Seven flights of stairs are not worth a sandwich.

Then again, I don't know my way around Oliver's kitchen at all, and in my fifteen minutes alone I've managed to find the eggs and butter. I ran a hand through my hair, glancing at the clock above Oliver's stove. Oh, yeah, I have the stove, too. Not to mention ten minutes before the first captain is due to show up.

I ran on the balls of my feet, grabbing onto the railing and using the momentum to spin me around and throw me onto the stairs. I heard the voices all too late – I was halfway down the stairs and frozen as the rest of the stairs crashed violently to the floor in front of me. I couldn't get back into the apartment in time; we were found out.

Oliver's face fell as when he looked up at me, the same images most likely running through his head. I mean, we're about to be found out in a Quidditch Captain. They're all responsible; they've got to be. And they are definitely going to know that there is something not right about the Head Girl skipping down from the ceiling in her PJs.

In slow motion, a red head spun around and a freckled jaw dropped as familiar brown eyes. "Oh my God, Aly."

Well, it could be worse. Could be Ben. "Uh, hey Ginny."

Ginny snorted, "Hey, Aly."

"Uh…" What can be done to make this less awkward. "We didn't have sex." Ginny snorted again, and I imagined what it would be like to die at that moment, instead of having my hands shoved so far into my hair that I could possibly have broken skin and be touching bare bone. "You want some eggs?" Ginny shook her head, and I smiled awkwardly before looking up at Oliver, "Um, I couldn't find your pan or your spatula or anything to make eggs with."

Oliver sighed before looking between me and Ginny, "I'll… I'll come show you. Excuse me, Ginny."

Blue eyes stared back at me as I looked over my reflection; according to a note I got from Oliver, Ginny has been "taken care of" and I'm supposed to look very nice for this dinner tonight. Lord knows what he's going to make me do, but due to the fact that I don't really have anything fancy, I'm kind of stuck in a muggle movie T-Shirt and a gray sweater with some cute earrings. And you know what? Oliver is just going to have to deal. How fancy of a place could we be going to, anyway? He's a Hogwarts professor – he's not exactly rolling in the galleons.

My pump-like heels clacked against the floor as I cut through the bathroom and knocked on the door to Oliver's apartment. Hearing a muffled yell, I walked in, immediately falling sideways onto the loveseat and hooking my legs over the arm. Oliver didn't take notice, probably because his back was to me.

Oh shit, I thought, a hand running through my hair as I took stock of Wood's wardrobe. A pair of khaki pants, shiny shoes, and a long-sleeve, probably button-down black shirt. And I'm in jeans. I mean, Oliver looks unbelievably sexy, and it's not like I'm in jeans that I ripped up and practiced Quidditch in, but still; jeans.

Oliver turned, "We'll get going in a minute, Darling; you won't be needing that sweater – I was going to Floo there."

"Uh…" Yeah, I'm keeping the sweater, because other than this all I've got is a Ghost Buster's T-shirt. "I'm… cold."

Oliver paused, looking at me oddly as he grabbed a piece of paper from his counter, "Al… Alright, then." He then continued to bite his lip for a moment before reaching his arm towards me, "Come on, then; don't want them to give away our table."

"You made reservations?" I tried to pry my hand away from my hair, for fear of messing it up, but I couldn't; reservations? Why is this all suddenly fancy?

"Not exactly, but they know I'm coming with someone." He flailed his arm for a moment, "Come on, Aly."

I jumped up, feeling awkward as I hurried towards him, letting his arm wrap around my waist securely. He snorted, reaching up with his other hand and tugging my hands out of my hair before kissing the top of my head.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Aly." Yeah right; I'm supposed to be in a sparkly dress with my hair in a high-swept bun, or whatever. Oliver nuzzled into the top of my head for a moment before stepping towards his fireplace, ducking under the mantle easily. I couldn't make out what he said, but in a heartbeat Oliver's arm tightened around my waist and we were being squished through a tube, pulled by our belly buttons and crashing into stone.

I felt my heart jump into my throat as Oliver stepped out of the fireplace, pulling me with him; this place was…. Fancy. Like, crystal wine glasses and fifteen courses kind of fancy. And here I am in a gray wool sweater and not even out of Hogwarts. I fit in splendidly.

A waiter, who resembled a rat in an almost uncanny way, waddled over to us, "Ah, Mr. Wood; we were informed you would be coming. Please, follow me."