Paste your document

Chapter 6

When Amelia woke, she was alone and she was somewhat grateful for that. She was at a loss for what to do because as much as she liked Oliver, she was also reminded of two facts at the party. First, she was not as good looking as many of the other girls who made it clear that she was intruding into their territory. Even if Oliver claimed he didn't fancy them, they certainly fancied him, which brought her to her next realization: Oliver was graduating at the end of the year and she was still going to be at Hogwarts. She lay in bed puzzling over what to do about the entire situation and was inclined to stay there longer, but was interrupted by knocking.

"Come in," she said.

Oliver entered her room, still in his pajamas and his hair sticking up at odd angles. Amelia laughed. "Good morning, love," he said. "Mum was wondering if you were up and wanting breakfast."

"I'll be downstairs in a moment," she replied. She got out of bed and dressed before joining the family for breakfast. Oliver kissed her temple as she sat at the table. She gave him a shy smile and reached for the toast.

After breakfast, she and Oliver went into town and took a walk. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "You've been acting strange since last night."

"I'm fine," she promised, even though she was far from fine. Oliver sensed it, but also didn't want to pressure her into anything.

Eventually, they returned to his house and spent the rest of the afternoon playing an awkward game of chess. After the game, Oliver gave up. "Alright, I give up," he said. "Come with me." He grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her out to the garden shed.

"What in hell are you doing, Oliver?" she growled.

"We've just spent the most awkward day we've ever spent together and I want to know why," he demanded. "I at least deserve to know if I've done something wrong."

"You haven't done anything wrong," she promised. "Did it ever occur to you that not everything is about you?"

"Then what the fuck is it?" he argued. "I've been nothing but nice to you and I don't get it."

"We're just too different," she reasoned. "This isn't working."

"So you're unhappy?" he asked, completely thrown. She didn't answer; she couldn't as she was trying desperately not to cry, and failing miserably. She was happy with Oliver, but she also understood the age difference. Eventually, she shook her head.

"Then why do you think it's not working?" he queried; all the anger that had been there was gone from his voice and it was replaced with sadness.

"I don't want to talk about it," she begged. "I think we should not see each other when we go back to school tomorrow. And perhaps I should just get the next train back to Leeds."

"We're flooing to Professor McGonagall's office tomorrow morning," he said. "You can stay if you like. I'll just let you be." He strode off into the house, leaving Amelia in the garden shed. She finally let the tears come and sobbed for a long time before sneaking back into the house and washing her face before dinner.

Oliver stalked straight past his parents and went to his room, where he slammed the door. His father followed and demanded entrance. "What the bloody hell is going on?" Edward asked.

"She broke up with me," was all Oliver could say, as he was also fighting tears. He refused to let anyone see weakness, and therefore refused to cry. So, he stood up and announced, "I'm going for a run. Tell Mum not to hold supper." With that, Oliver tossed his father from his room, changed into his running clothes and exited the house again. He was gone before Amelia snuck back in, and he didn't return until dinner was over.

By the time Oliver got back from his run, Amelia was hiding in her room. He ate alone in the kitchen until his mother interrupted. "What happened since yesterday?" Jane asked.

"Bugger all if I know," Oliver answered. "Yesterday, I thought things were fine. At the party, Lucy made a nasty comment and Amelia left. I followed and thought I had convinced her how much I care about her, but today was really weird. And then, after that horrible game of chess, she broke up with me in the shed."

"Perhaps, Oliver, she understands how much girls are drawn to you," Jane suggested. Oliver started to protest, but she silenced him. "It's true, Ol. Girls notice you because you look just like your father. She's also probably realizing that next year, you're going to be in the real world, probably playing quidditch somewhere, and she'll be back at Hogwarts."

"I just wish she would realize that I don't care about those other girls," he protested. "None of them means anything to me, but she's just about everything."

"I'm sorry, love," Jane replied. She kissed his head and said, "Give her some time."

Amelia had been on the stairway and had heard nearly the entire exchange, but was able to sneak away before either of them noticed her. She also resolved not to let herself fall any more in love with Oliver because she didn't want to risk the broken heart.

The next day, Jane woke Amelia so that they could floo back to school. She landed in Professor McGonagall's office and went straight back to her dormitory; Oliver did the same. She was putting her things away when Kate and Charity came into the dorm.

"We didn't know you were back yet," Kate said. "How was your holiday?"

"It was alright," Amelia answered. They started to ask more questions, but Amelia decided it was time to go for dinner. They arrived in the Great Hall and Oliver was already at the Gryffindor table, eating with his roommates. Kate and Charity exchanged a look when Amelia looked sadly at him and took a seat at the other end of the table.

"What happened?" Charity demanded.

"Nothing," Amelia answered.

"Liar," Kate accused. "Something happened, or you'd be perched on Wood's lap snogging his brains out. Now, spill. What happened?"

"We broke up yesterday," Amelia replied, with a sigh.

"Why?" Charity demanded. Amelia shrugged and her friends dropped the conversation, for the time being.

Nearly a month passed before they tried to get her to open up again. And they were getting nervous about her. She wasn't sleeping well and she barely ate. So, again, at dinner, Kate asked, "Why did you break up with him?"

"Because it wasn't going to work and I'd rather avoid a bigger heart ache later," Amelia reasoned. "It's better this way."

"Better for whom?" Kate pressed. "Because, honestly, neither of you looks particularly happy."

"It's better for both of us," Amelia answered. "He's going to be off doing whatever next year and I'll be here and there will be girls falling over themselves just to get next to him. I won't be able to compete with that."

"Did you ever consider that for Oliver those girls can't compete with you?" Kate suggested.

"Shut up, Kate," Amelia ordered. "You only care because for a few months you were cool by association. I don't want to be your ticket to whatever party you want to go to." Amelia had suddenly lost her appetite and left her friends stunned and alone. She considered going back to her dormitory, but she knew they'd be back there soon. So, she wandered around for a bit and found herself walking by the Quidditch pitch. She did not expect to literally bump into Oliver's frame when she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She went to leave, but he called her back.

"You shouldn't be so hard on your friends," he suggested. "They only want what's best for you."

"I know," she sighed. "I should go."

"Don't," he begged. "Just talk to me for a minute. Please." She nodded and sat on a bench next to him. "I don't understand what happened. Did I do or say something that hurt you?"

"No," she said, fighting tears, and failing. "I just don't want to fall completely in love with you only to have my heart broken when you graduate and move on. Oliver, it was never about you."

"But it is, if you're telling me that you don't trust me," he reasoned. "Do you honestly think I would just forget about you when I graduate?"

"I don't know, Oliver," she said, truthfully. "I like to think you wouldn't, but I'm not naïve. I know that there will be literally thousands of girls falling over themselves to get to you."

"And none of them will be you," he said, interrupting. They sat in silence for a moment and Oliver moved in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"I should go," she said. "I have rounds and you've got to be getting back before curfew."

"We're not done with this," he argued.

"Yes, Oliver, we are," she said, forcefully. "It's my decision and it's final." With that, Amelia got up and left. She met up with Cedric Diggory for prefect rounds.

"How've you been?" he asked.

"Alright," she said, "except that I've been terrible."

"What happened?"

"I broke up with Wood," she replied. "It just got to be too difficult."

"What was so difficult? I thought you liked him," he said.

"I did like him," she answered. "I DO like him, but he's going to be gone next year and I'm going to be here. I can't let him break my heart, not like Paul did."

"I know that Paul was horrible to you," Cedric replied. "Honestly, he's horrible to everyone and I don't know why he was put into Hufflepuff, but Oliver's not Paul. He's much more loyal."

"You admire him?" she asked.

"I do," he said. "He's talented, and dedicated, and he's a good sport. He cares more about his teammates than he does himself and he only pushes them to win because he wants them to be as good as they can be. I wish I had his heart."

"Maybe you should date him," she teased.

"Funny," he said, wryly. "Just promise me you'll think about it, alright?" Amelia promised and they finished their rounds quickly.

She returned to Gryffindor tower where a party had been set up but a fight was brewing between Oliver and the Weasley twins. "Take it back, Weasley," Oliver ordered, drawing his wand. "Take it back or I'll hex you and then you'll run extra laps next practice."

"No, Wood," George protested. "What did you do to hurt her?"

"It's none of your business," Oliver warned. "Back. Off. NOW!"

Just as Fred was about to protest further, Amelia walked over and stood between Oliver and the twins. "Cut it out!" she ordered. Oliver gave a smug smirk. "That goes for you, too, Wood. If you lot can't behave, you'll do detentions."

"Fuck off, Clark," Oliver said, before storming off to the dormitory.

"Fred, George, I appreciate what you lot are doing, but please understand this. I broke up with him," she said. "It was not the other way 'round." Then, she left them, stunned, and stormed up to Oliver's dormitory.

"Oliver, I'm coming in," she called.

"Bugger off, Ames," he warned.

"No chance," she said, barging into his dormitory. Oliver was slumped against his wardrobe, bottle of firewhiskey in hand. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" he asked, sniffing.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart," she replied. "I didn't know I had the power to do it."

"You really underestimate yourself," he said, with a laugh. "You have no concept that the idea of being apart for any length of time isn't easy for me either. Hell, I've considered failing just to avoid graduating."

"We've only known each other for a few months," she protested. "I didn't know I could feel this way about anyone." She sat next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I've been miserable," he said. "For the last month, I've been miserable."

"Me too," she whispered. "I miss my running mate."

"Jerk," he scolded. "And I've missed my flying buddy."

"Ass," she teased. "What are we going to do about that?"

"This," he said, and he turned her face towards him and kissed her. She returned the kiss and moved so that she was straddling his lap. His hands played with the hem of her sweater and she broke the kiss, raising her hands so that he could pull it over her head. He tossed it across the room. She mimicked his actions and removed his sweater.

He stood them up and sat them on his bed. "It's more comfortable here," he said.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed. He laid them on his bed and returned to kissing her. He played with the hem of her shirt and she gasped as his hand brushed against her bare stomach, but she didn't stop him until he reached up and started playing with her breast.

"We really should stop," she said, pushing him back gently. "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to go that far yet."

"It's fine, but will you stay here for a while?" he asked. "We can just talk or lay in silence, or sleep, but I don't want you to leave."

"Sure," she promised. And they spent the next hour talking about whatever came to mind. By the time, she drifted off to sleep, in Oliver's arms, Amelia was happier than she could remember ever being. "I love you," she whispered dreamily.

"I love you, too," Oliver whispered back.

The morning arrived and Amelia stirred, almost fighting against Oliver's grasp; she had forgotten where she was for a second and only remembered when she heard one of the Weasleys say, "Should we wake them up?"

"You already have, Weasley," Oliver grumbled. "Now bugger off."

"Should we get up?" Amelia asked, snuggling into Oliver's chest.

"Absolutely not," he suggested. "We just got back together. I'm not willing to leave here for a while."

Amelia smiled against Oliver's chest and said, "There you have it. We're not leaving for a while, so bugger off."

"Well it's about bloody time," Fred joked. He grabbed George and the left the pair snuggled happily in bed.

"You know next weekend is the Hogsmeade trip for Valentine's Day," Oliver said.

"I know," she answered.

"Would you like to go with me?"

"Of course," she replied.

here...