We need to talk about Quidditch. Meet you in Diagon Alley?

Love always,

Aquila

He laughed every time he read her letter. Only she would ever encourage him to talk about Quidditch. Oliver's parents had been curious about her, asking reams of questions about how she was, what was she doing next, when were they going to see her again, was everything okay between them? He assured them that she was well, and that she was going to be a Healer. She had already had letters of inquiry from St. Mungo's. Aquila had nothing to fear in her future. Oliver had plenty to worry about. He needed to move out to make things easier on his parents. So he had to get a job as soon as possible, earn some money, and leave. No doubt he would end up somewhere dreary and god-awful. But it was how most young people started out.

He lay in bed, staring at his ceiling. Today was the day he was meant to meet Aquila. He had a small smile for that, at least. He had a lot to figure out, but at least he could count on her. He rolled out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He went to stand in front of his speckled mirror. He had stuck Aquila's letter there so he could count down the days better.

Love always,
Aquila.

It still sent shivers through him to think that she loved him. He smiled, glad to have something to be excited about. He dressed himself quickly. Shirt, jeans, jacket, boots. Sorted. He was passing the mirror when he remembered that his hair was a bloody disaster. Life just wasn't easy. When he finally managed to apparate into Diagon Alley, he felt exceptionally nervous. Being away from her made him doubt himself. He was so sure in his mind of all the wonderful qualities of Aquila, that he wondered what he could ever hope to offer to an exceptional witch like her. But the second he saw her again, he would know. He'd feel all the love she had for him, and he wouldn't be selling himself short. There was plenty good about him. He was tall… He struggled to think of anything else, but to be fair he was distracted.

Diagon Alley was all a-bustle. He saw a few familiar faces. Cedric Diggory came grinning over to him, chatting away. Oliver did like the boy. He was a good captain, brave and just. Friendly guy. He tended to clap Oliver on the arm a lot. Oliver smiled politely at the boy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being felt up. He knew that wasn't the case. Aquila had informed him that Diggory was dating one of her Hufflepuff friends, Daisy.

"You look well, have you been working out?" Diggory asked mildly. Oliver thought this was a strange question to ask.

"Force of habit. Had to be in peak form for Quidditch." Cedric nodded and prattled on about Quidditch some more.

"I'll actually be heading to the World Cup!" Oliver smiled at the boy's news.

"Me too." he said. Cedric's eyes widened.

"We should definitely hang out there! It's gonna be amazing." He was a nice boy. Bit gushy.

"Aquila is coming with me. I know you two were friends in school." Cedric's smile seemed to stiffen.

"Yeah. She's a lovely girl. It'll be good to see her again." Cedric was all gentle grins, showing off his perfect teeth. Oliver had good teeth too, he thought. So he was tall and had good teeth. He was a knockout, really.

Cedric moved along just at the point of the conversation turning awkward. He had good timing. Tactful. Oliver nodded his approval. He leaned against Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream shop waiting, and watching. More people came to greet him while he waited. He was talking away to Professor Lupin (who'd been sacked for being a werewolf) when he saw her. It was like time slowed down. Last Summer Aquila had shown him something Muggles called 'movies', where beautiful people seemed to always walk in slow motion. Strands of her loose curls carried on the wind behind her as she walked towards him. She was dressed for the disappointing summer, and she had that smile on her lips that she always had for him. Remus Lupin politely, and quietly excused himself, and disappeared into the crowd of Diagon Alley. She barrelled into him, with one of her trademark hugs, wrapping her long arms around him. He squeezed her close, inhaling her scent, and closing his eyes. He was so glad to see her again.

"Hey Keeper." she said into his ear. The happiness in her voice made him feel better than anything ever could. It was always nice to know that somebody was happy to see you.

"I'm not a Keeper anymore, Eagle." She rolled her eyes, but smiled non-the-less. She took his hand into hers.

"Come on. I need a cup of tea." She guided him over to Rosa Lee Teabag, a small teashop with hardly anybody in it. With a mug of steaming tea clasped between both of her hands, Aquila sat across from Oliver, glancing at him nervously. He had a bad feeling. Was this a break up? He had heard that this was how it happened. He sat in silent panic, floundering for something to say. He didn't want things to end with her. He loved her. She brought out the best in him.

"Oliver… I have something strange, and really serious to talk about." She couldn't seem to hold his gaze long. She fiddled with a loose thread on her jumper, a sign that she was nervous. He was getting broken up with. He knew it. What had he done wrong? Or maybe she just didn't feel the same way. There was nothing he could do about that. He wallowed silently as his life went down the toilet. Aquila took a deep breath and sip of tea.

"Oliver, my parents have bought me an apartment in Glasgow. I've got a job in St. Mungo's, training to be a Healer." She took another sip of her tea. She was moving up in the world, and she was going to leave him behind. Just a school fling. He shouldn't have expected more, he supposed. School was over now. It was time for her, the heir to titles and land to get more serious. She might be made to marry well. Maybe her grandmother had told her that she couldn't be with him. All sorts of possibilities and explanations were swirling around his head.

"I have a proposition. I know you want to move out of your parent's home. I own a home now. And it's a big home." He didn't understand the correlation. "If you'd like… You could live there. In Glasgow. With me. And… Maybe you could pursue Quidditch." She stared at him with her big blue eyes, looking terrified. He was shocked into silence.

"So… You're… You're not breaking up with me?"

"What?" She set the mug down, and reached across the table and took up his hands in hers. "Oliver no. I love you. I just. I'm just nervous that you'll think this is a terrible idea, or that I'm moving too fast. I just… I thought it would be more convenient this way. I want to help you pursue your dreams. And… As it turns out, my Aunt Caroline knows the Captain of Puddlemere United. They're looking for a couple of new people, reserves and what not. I just… I know they're your favourite team. I'm sorry if I've over stepped." She blurted it all out in a flurry of words. He blinked at her slowly, trying to puzzle it all out, to soak it in.

She was offering him his dream life on a silver platter. He could live away from home at no cost. With her. And maybe play for his favourite team.

"I… I don't know what to say… Thank you." His chest felt a hundred times lighter. He hadn't even noticed the weight of stress building there until it was gone. "I'd like to try." He was stumbling over his words, not getting across his astonishment and gratitude. He saw the knots untying themselves in her shoulders as they slooped.

"Oh my god. That had to be the tensest moment of my life. That was tense. Did you feel how tense that was? This was a tense situation. Very tense." She was shaking her head and huffing out her breath. He couldn't help but chuckle. He loved having an Irish girlfriend. She smiled shyly at him.

"So we're going to be living together." he said, a smile on his lips. She laughed.

"Yeah. Wow. Now if anyone asks we can say that we're just flatmates." He laughed, and kissed her hands.

"Because we're definitely not dating." Her smile brightened at his sarcasm.

"OH! Yeah. I nearly forgot. I don't need my Nimbus 2500 anymore. If you… If you want it. I just want it off my hands, to be honest." she said coyly. He stared at her in amazement. She was too much.