Chapter 9
"What took you so long in getting back?" Charity demanded when they were alone in their dormitory.
"We had our own celebration in the locker rooms," Amelia answered. "And that's all the details you'll get, except that he was sweet and it was lovely." Charity and Kate tried to get more details out of Amelia, but she stuck her tongue out at them and left the room.
Oliver was still in the corner where Amelia had left him when she returned. "Did they demand an explanation?" he asked, when she took back her seat on his lap.
"They did," Amelia replied. "I answered them, but refused the details. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, love," Oliver answered, nuzzling against her neck. Amelia started giggling because Oliver's hair on her neck tickled her. Encouraged by the giggling, Oliver started tickling her sides until she fell off his lap into a heap on the floor. Fred and George could barely contain their laughter while Amelia sent them glares.
At midnight, Professor McGonagall came in and sent everyone to bed, ending the victory party. "Are you going to your dormitory or mine?" Oliver asked Amelia.
"I want to go with you, but I should go to my own dormitory," she answered. "We don't want to get into trouble."
"Fair enough," he said. "Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."
Amelia felt like her head had barely hit the pillow when she was awakened by screaming. She trotted down to the common room to find out what the commotion was. She arrived just as Fred was saying, "We're continuing on then? Fantastic."
Professor McGonagall came to yell at the crowd in the common room and Percy was trying to shove everyone back to bed, but Ron Weasley reported that Sirius Black had been in his dormitory. Amelia immediately set out to work, getting students back into bed because the charms on the girls' staircases would keep him out. While she was herding the younger students back to bed, Oliver strode across the room. "I want you with me," he whispered into her ear.
"I'm safer in the girls' dormitories," she replied.
"I can't protect you there," he argued. "I can protect you if you're with me."
"The staircase will protect me in my own dormitory," she reasoned. She turned to face him and grasped his face. "I know you're scared, but I'll be fine and I can protect myself." Oliver was going to insist further, but Professor McGonagall interrupted them.
"Miss Clark, I'm going to need you to sit watch with Mr. Jacobs for a bit," she ordered. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Sutherland will relieve you in 2 hours."
"Of course, Professor," Amelia answered.
"Wood, it's time you got back to bed," the matron ordered. Oliver went to his dormitory but threw a murderous glare at Professor McGonagall before ascending the stairs to his room.
When Percy and his companion relieved Amelia, she made to go to her dormitory. "He's waiting for you," Percy said, startling her.
"Perce, I won't go if you forbid it," she replied.
"Just go or he'll be unbearable for the rest of the year," Percy ordered. Amelia nodded and went up to the Oliver's dormitory. He was waiting for her when she tiptoed in.
"Took you long enough," he accused.
"Percy just sent me up, Oliver," Amelia said, with a sigh. "Now, I'm tired and we can either go to sleep or I can go back to my dormitory to go to sleep."
"Come on," he ordered. She climbed into bed beside him and snuggled against his chest. "I'm glad you're here."
"I'm glad I'm here, too," she whispered. "Good night."
Amelia woke to laughing. Some of Oliver's roommates had found them snuggled together and made sure to tease them by drawing on Oliver's face. Unfortunately for them, Amelia was a light enough sleeper that their chuckling woke her up. "What the bloody hell do you lads think you're doing?" she demanded.
"Nothing," Colin answered, too quickly. Percy cleared his throat from behind them and shooed them away.
"You should probably get up," Percy suggested. "Professor McGonagall is on her way back to check in on us."
"Cheers, Perce," Amelia replied. She wiggled out of Oliver's grasp and straightened her clothes before leaving the room. She paused at the door and said, "You'll tell him why I left when he wakes?"
"Of course," Percy answered.
Amelia made it back to her dormitory before Professor McGonagall arrived. Oliver was perplexed when he woke alone, but Percy explained to him why Amelia had left. "Don't break her heart, Oliver," Percy warned. "She's a good kid."
"And I love her, Perce," Olive replied. "I know she's a good kid and I have no intention of hurting her. Remember, in January, she broke my heart, not the other way 'round."
"Fair enough, Oliver," Percy answered. "I'm off to check in with Professor McGonagall."
It seemed that the rest of the term flew by. Amelia and Oliver snuck out to the quidditch pitch more than once. Just before the final feast, Oliver received an owl from his parents inviting Amelia to the Quidditch World Cup over the summer. When Amelia asked her parents for permission, they were hesitant to agree. They were eating breakfast on the last day when an owl arrived from Amelia's parents. She tore open the letter and read it; then, she squealed with delight.
"What is it?" Oliver asked.
"Read it," she ordered and she thrust the letter into his hands. Oliver read the letter and immediately squished Amelia into a large hug. "I take it you're happy then," she teased.
"Of course," Oliver replied. "I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't want you to come with us. I'll just make sure to let my parents know that you're coming along."
"You read the conditions?"
Oliver nodded. "I'll arrange a date with my parents so that we can meet your parents before the World Cup. It really won't be a problem, love."
That afternoon, Oliver and Amelia stole away to the Quidditch pitch one last time. "I can't believe the year is over," Amelia mused.
"I can't believe it took me until my last year to find you," Oliver replied. "I almost don't want to leave tomorrow."
"We'll make a plan," she promised. "Over the summer, once I've taken my apparition test, we'll make a plan. You promised that back in February."
"I haven't forgotten," he whispered.
They sat on the quidditch pitch for as long as they dared before finally returning to the Castle. That night, they stayed in the common room, not willing to leave each other until the last moment. On the train, they stayed together, joined by several members of the quidditch team and Charity and Kate. At least half of the trip was spent reliving the Quidditch final; the other half was spent trying to get Oliver to spill on whether he had been recruited by any scouts for the professional Quidditch league. Oliver deftly ignored the questions or avoided answering altogether.
When the train finally stopped in the station, Oliver held Amelia back for a moment before they left. "I'll call you," he promised.
"Have you ever used a telephone?" she replied.
"No," he answered, sheepishly.
"Why don't you just owl or apparate over?" she suggested.
"Works for me," he said, kissing her softly.
Oliver's father was waiting for him on the platform. "It's lovely to see you again, dear," Edward said to Amelia.
"Likewise, sir," Amelia replied. "But I really can't stay. I'm fairly certain my family is waiting for me just outside the barrier."
"I'll walk you to them," Oliver offered; Amelia shrugged and let Oliver lead her through the station.
She spotted her parents standing not far from the barrier, waiting for her. "Would you like to meet them?" she offered. Oliver nodded and followed her to them. "Mum, Dad, this is Oliver Wood," she said. "Oliver, these are my parents, Camilla and Joseph Clark. And this is Oliver's father, Edward Wood."
"It's nice to meet you, Oliver," Joseph said, shaking Oliver's hand. He also shook Edward's hand. Camilla was polite, but more reserved. She seemed to sense that Amelia hadn't been entirely truthful with them about how close she and Oliver were.
"We should be going," Camilla said. With that, any further conversation would have to wait and the groups separated.
"I'll write," Oliver called as Amelia walked away. She smiled and waved at him, but continued to follow her parents.
"We're staying in London for the night," Camilla commented as they walked through the station. "We'll catch the morning train to Leeds tomorrow."
"Any reason why, Mum," Amelia asked.
"I'm going to take you shopping today and get you whatever you'll need for this World Cup thing that you're going to," she answered. "And Mike will meet us later after his trial with West Ham United." Amelia nodded and helped her Dad get her trunk into a taxi.
Oliver and his father apparated back to Scotland after meeting the train. "When are we going to have dinner with her parents?" Edward asked.
"Next week," Oliver replied. "We'll go to Leeds and I believe we're eating at her parents' house."
"You're sure about this, Oliver," Edward queried. "You realize that she's still got another year at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, Da," Oliver replied. "I've considered it quite a lot."
"You're going to have to work on seeing her," Edward warned.
"I know and I have a plan," Oliver promised.
"Are you sleeping with her?"
"Da, there is no way I'm going to answer that," Oliver replied. Edward gave Oliver a knowing look, but didn't force him to answer.
Amelia had only been home a day when Oliver's first owl arrived. The note suggested that he planned to sneak out of his parents' house and into hers that night, but she didn't necessarily believe he would do it. She was also slightly terrified that he would and they would be caught by one of her brothers, or worse, by her parents.
"What does your note say?" Camilla asked.
Amelia shook her head and brought herself out of her daydream. "It just says that he misses me, Mum," she promised. "And he can't wait to meet you and Dad again next week." Amelia was able to keep her mother from reading Oliver's note. If she had found out that Oliver was planning to sneak in, she would have waited in Amelia's bedroom.
Amelia ate dinner with her parents and watched a football match for a little while, but she told them she was tired and went to bed early. She opened her window and puzzled for a minute. She knew Oliver was sneaking in, but she didn't want to appear too eager. She considered whether to wear her normal shorts and tank pajamas or to pull out matching underwear. She was still considering it when she heard a knocking by her window.
"What are you doing?" she asked, hushing her voice as much as possible.
"I had to see you," Oliver answered. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," she stepped back from the window and let Oliver into her room. "You have to be quiet," she warned. "My brothers and parents are in the house."
Oliver nodded, but kissed her soundly. "My parents don't know I'm gone," he said. "They think I've gone to bed early."
"My parents think the same," she replied. "Can you cast a silencing charm and a locking charm on the door?"
"What about the trace?" he asked. She gave him a quizzical look, so he added, "You still have the trace. If I perform magic here, you could get into trouble, or the aurors will show up wondering who is casting charms in your room."
"What do you suggest, then?" she demanded.
"Come with me," he pled. "We'll climb down the lattice and take a walk or find a secluded spot."
"Ol, what if we get caught?" she reasoned. "If I get caught, I won't be allowed to leave the house for the rest of summer."
"We'll make sure you don't get caught," he begged. Amelia's resolve quickly left and she found herself following Oliver out her window. He reached the bottom and told her to drop. He caught her and set her on the ground. "Now, where do you go for fun around here?"
"Follow me," Amelia ordered. She grabbed Oliver's hand and led him to the nearest playground. She sat on a swing and let Oliver push her for a bit.
"So, what were you doing when I knocked?" he asked, taking the swing next to her.
"I was debating what to wear," she answered, blushing. "I wasn't sure whether to put my pajamas on and I'm sort of glad I didn't have the chance to decide."
Oliver laughed but said, "Well love, you look as beautiful as always."
"Cheers," she joked. Oliver leaned in to kiss her and she mimicked his movements, but they heard a rustling in the bushes.
"What do we have here?" Amelia's brother, Mike, asked.
"Looks like Amelia's got herself a lover," her brother, James, replied.
"Bugger off, both of you," Amelia ordered.
"Does Mum know you're out here?" Mike prodded. Amelia looked down and shook her head. "I didn't think so. You best get back before she notices."
"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Oliver asked.
"Ol, these are 2 of my brothers. This is Mike and this is James," Amelia replied. "They're actually being decent and warning us that my mother is looking for me. I need to get back before she knows I'm gone."
"I'll owl you later," Oliver promised. He kissed her forehead and walked away.
"I'll see you soon," Amelia called after him. "And you lot, is Mum really looking for me or are you just being arseholes?"
"Mum is really looking for you," Mike replied. "She knocked on your door, but you didn't answer. Jamie, here, was smart enough to tell her you were probably asleep."
"Cheers, lads," Amelia said. "Help me sneak back in." Mike and James helped Amelia sneak back into the house and her mother was none the wiser. She was, however, startled to find Oliver waiting for her.
"I had to see you once more before I go home," he whispered.
"You'll see me in 3 days," she reasoned.
"Doesn't matter," he answered. He closed the gap between them and kissed her soundly. "I love you," he whispered when they broke apart.
"I'll write you tomorrow," she promised. Then, she grabbed him and kissed him once more before he could get out the window. He tangled his hand in her hair and held her as close to him as possible. She tugged at his shirt and began to lift it over his head, but he stopped her.
"What about your parents?" he said, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's not that I don't want to, but I don't want you to get into trouble."
"I know you want to," she teased. "I can feel it, but you're probably right. Come by tomorrow during the day and meet my parents officially. Then, we can go somewhere."
"I'll be here tomorrow morning," he promised. With that, he climbed out the window and apparated from her garden.