The season was going well despite the mishap with the first match. Harry was well again, and causing as much trouble as always. In the wake of the loss of the Nimbus 2000, Harry had received a mysterious Firebolt. A Firebolt. It was every Quidditch players dream. It far outstripped Oliver's own Comet Two Sixty. Oliver wasn't going to question a good thing. But McGonogall had confiscated it. Sirius Black can't have bloody well waltzed into a Quality Quidditch Supplies shop and bought the most expensive broom in the world, could he? Oliver thought they were all over-reacting. It was just a broom. It was a piece of good luck, and they needed it. But everyone was taking this from them. From him. He needed to win the cup this year. His soul would be crushed without it. He sat at the Saturday breakfast table, reviewing practice tactics. He was dedicating more of his spare time to Quidditch than to preparation for his N.E.W.T.s, which he knew was unwise. But this was the CUP. Harry's Firebolt was still being stripped down, but McGonogall assured him that the broom would be returned to Harry soon, and that Wood should stop asking. With the best broom on their side coming up to the Slytherin match, Oliver was almost certain of a victory. This was his year. It had to be.

They had just had an early morning practice, and he felt their team was shaping up quite well for the rougher tactics of the Slytherin team. The Slytherins were renowned for their dirty tactics. They awarded themselves more fowls than goals. He expected more than one of his players to get injured in the upcoming match. That always made him uneasy. He could take any hurt on himself, but watching his teammates getting injured hurt more. His team was trying to prepare themselves as much as was possible. His chasers were toughening up, his beaters were fierce in their aim of the bludger, and his seeker was as fast as always. Oliver supposed he was doing his job well enough too. The rest of the team traipsed into the Great Hall together, freshly changed, and full of chat. He hoped the training would be enough when the time came. He hoped Harry's vulnerability with the Dementors wouldn't be an issue again, for the lad's sake. He looked up at them briefly when they came to sit around him. It was still early in the day, but they were all thoroughly woken up by the practice. The chat continued around him as he drew up his plans and diagrams of tactics. He didn't notice the nature of the conversation, until there was silence around him. He looked up and saw every single one of them staring at him.

"What?"

The Weasley Twins glanced at each other before they grinned wickedly.

"Oh we were just telling the team about an interesting story that Percy was regaling us with over the Christmas." Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I doubt anything that toff has to say is interesting." He looked back down at the bits of parchment he was scrawling on. There was a bit of a silence before George spoke up.

"Oh I don't know, Oliver. He had something interesting to say about you." Oliver maintained a calm demeanour, and looked up at the Twins. He wouldn't glance at Aquila. He hadn't told her about Percy being a nosy little bugger. But either way, this conversation was bound to be amusing.

"Did he now?" Oliver raised a brow. "Let's hear it then." Judging by the look on their faces, they hadn't expected him to be quite so calm and collected as this. Most people thought he was a Quidditch fanatic and nothing more.

"Well, Oliver. He said that one weekend in Hogsmeade, he came upon you. And you were kissing a girl." The rest of the team exclaimed, and expressed disbelief. Offensive.

"And? I was kissing a girl. Is this news worthy? Should I- Should I write the Daily Prophet?" He briefly saw Aquila out of the corner of his eye with a face like stone on her. She didn't look very happy. Was she mad at him? The Twins were staring at each other again.

"Oliver…. Did you. Did you just sass us?" Oliver shrugged and tried to write some more, but he knew this conversation wasn't over. "Well anyways," Fred continued. "Percy says you said the funniest thing when he asked you who you were kissing. Any idea what that might be?" Oliver took a long draught of tea.

"Something I said, way back in December? No idea." His eyes betrayed him, however. He glanced at Aquila for the slightest second. She was staring at him.

George was glancing between the two of them, frowning.

"Well, our darling older troll of a brother told us you said it was Aquila. Fancy that." George was staring at Aquila now, intently. She stared back, her eyebrow raised. Katie and Angelina gasped, and Harry just looked as though he would rather be anywhere else right now. Oliver chuckled.

"You know the ponce fancies her. I wanted to wind him up. Look, Valentine. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken your name in vain. Can you forgive me?" Aquila was smirking at him. She reached across the table and laid her hand on his.

"I would never kiss him. Isn't that right, Wood? We would never kiss each other. It would just be weird." Oliver laid his other hand on top of hers.

"You're not wrong, Valentine. It'd be like George kissing that Hufflepuff girl he likes. It would never happen." He stared in George's eyes and he recoiled, staring straight ahead of him.

"You're talking gibberish now…"

"Mhmm. Of course he is George. And Fred… If I haven't heard a tale or two about you. But present company being as it is…" Aquila stared pointedly at Angelina. "I'll restrain myself. Just this once." The Twins balked. Katie butt in.

"Wait… So… are you two dating?" She sounded thoroughly shocked.

"Us? A Captain and his teammate? That just wouldn't be ethical, Katie." Oliver said. The sarcasm was heavy in his voice now. So they'd been properly found out. It was funny how long they had managed to keep the secret going. Percy may finally shut up now. Oliver should have done this sooner, just for that.

"And next time you think to start something, boys, best be sure you can finish it. Because you're not the only ones who know things." Aquila said, brightly, as she stood. Oliver stood with her. He tossed the Head Boy badge at the Twins.

"Have fun."

It didn't take long for word of Oliver and Aquila to spread around the school population. There was some whispers behind hands, some congratulations, some scornful looks, apparently for Aquila as well as for Oliver. Percy had been avoiding talking to Oliver for days. Whenever he saw the Keeper, he would gape at him, and turn the other way. He went straight to bed, and left the dorm room early. Oliver wondered if perhaps he hadn't upset the boy unintentionally. He ended up sitting next to Percy in Transfiguration for a class, and he knew the boy couldn't escape him then. Oliver had been getting steadily better at Transfiguration with Aquila's help. Professor McGonogall was astounded, to say the least, at his progress. They were working on their human transfiguration today. They were attempting to change the features of their faces to resemble other people. Percy and Oliver were working silently beside each other for a time. Then Percy broke the silence.

"Are you okay, Oliver?" He looked at the boy sitting next to him, curious what insults would be hurled his way this time.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Percy was turning his hair a sandy brown, successfully, as he stared at the other boy in incredulity.

"With these rumours about yourself and Aquila Virgo Valentine, I thought, perhaps you'd be a bit nervous." Oliver was busy transfiguring the shape of his nose. He took a second to finish what he was doing before he turned to the Weasley.

"Nervous?" He had no idea what Percy was getting at. And rumours, really? He just didn't want to believe, did he?

"Well, I'm sure her Durmstrang boyfriend will catch wind of this. He sounds like a mean guy. And I imagine it makes things awkward on the Quidditch team." Oliver stared at the boy in disbelief. He glanced back at Aquila, who, at this point, had long blonde hair, a wide nose, smaller, green eyes, and a rounder chin. She was a master.

"Percy… I'm only going to say this once. I'm her boyfriend. You saw me kissing her that day in Hogsmeade. Aquila is dating me." Percy stared at him for a moment, as his transfiguration started to slip, and the ginger returned to his hair. "They're not rumours. It's the truth." A smile started to spread on Percy's lips. He was going to have to hex this boy before he left the school.

"You know, I never realised how funny you were Oliver." He clapped the other boy on the shoulder, and returned to looking into his mirror, still chuckling.

"Back to work, Wood!" McGonogall said, as she passed.

"Yes, Professor." Oliver decided that Percy was impossible, and he would never believe the truth.