Chapter 13
The next weekend, Oliver apparated to Amelia's house for her brother's wedding. She greeted him in the garden. "Mum and Dad have agreed you can stay tonight," she said. "But, you'll be in my brother Mike's room, with him, so no shagging tonight."
"I can live with that," he promised. He took her hand and followed her into the house, to deposit his suit until they had to get ready for the wedding. Camilla was running around helping Brandon finish the last few things before the wedding, so Amelia and Oliver were left to their own devices for a while.
An hour later, Amelia left Oliver in her brother's room to get dressed for the wedding. She met him in the hall after donning her dress. "You look beautiful," he said.
"Always the tone of surprise," she teased. "Could you finish the zipper, please?"
"Sure," he replied. Oliver finished her zipper and kissed her neck, but she pulled away.
"Not here, not now," she said. "We'll get caught." Oliver sighed, but nodded. Amelia was just about to walk him downstairs when her mother appeared, looking for them both.
"We're about ready to head to the wedding," Camilla said. "Are you lot ready to go?"
"Yes, Mum," Amelia answered. She took Oliver's hand and led him to the waiting car. When they arrived at the Church, Amelia left Oliver sitting with her parents. As she was leaving, she turned to him and said, "I have to go to the choir. I'll meet you after?" Oliver nodded and Amelia trotted to the choir where the organist was waiting for her.
Oliver had never heard Amelia sing until that day, and he had never heard a better sound. To him, it was even better than the sound of the wind rushing by when he flew and he was in awe of her. "Never heard her sing, have you?" Joseph asked.
"No, sir," Oliver replied.
"She's good," Joseph stated.
"Yes," Oliver answered. "It's the sweetest sound I've ever heard." Joseph smirked to himself, but said nothing further.
When the wedding ended, Amelia met Oliver and her parents at the doors to the church. Oliver grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" he asked.
"You never asked," Amelia teased. "And I don't generally sing, at least not in public."
"You should," Oliver whispered. "It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard." Amelia blushed and hid her head in Oliver's chest. Her parents escorted Amelia and Oliver into the car to go to the reception.
At the reception, Amelia's family were most interested in Oliver. She had pre-warned him that the others were all muggles, so he had tried to figure out ways to step around quidditch and other magical things. He nearly lost it a few times, but was able to keep composed and recover with Amelia's help. "You're doing great," she whispered to him. "They're all surprised that I have a boyfriend."
"Cheers, love," he answered. "Will they let up soon?"
"Once dinner is served, and we've all had a few drinks, they'll ease up," she promised, and she was right. Not long after their conversation, they were herded into the dining room for dinner and then the dancing. Amelia had hoped that Oliver would ask her to dance, but wasn't really counting on it, so she was happily surprised when he stood and offered her a hand. She graciously accepted it and followed him onto the dance floor.
"Don't look so surprised, love," Oliver teased when they were alone on the dance floor. "You've seen me dance, and you've danced with me."
"I know," she joked. "That's why I wasn't expecting an invitation…and I appreciate the effort."
"Very funny."
"Thank you, sir," she teased.
"Any chance we can sneak out for a while?"
Amelia gave him a suspicious look and asked, "Why?"
"I want to snog you, but I don't fancy doing it in front of your parents and brothers. I'd rather like to keep all my limbs attached," he replied.
"After this song, I'll go to the loo. Wait 5 minutes and follow me, but veer off to the coat room," she suggested. Oliver nodded, glided her around the dance floor once more before the song ended. As promised, Amelia excused herself to the toilet when the song ended and Oliver stepped over to their table. He drank a glass of water, and, as promised, made an excuse and followed Amelia.
She was waiting in the coat room when he arrived and she leapt at him when he opened the door. Oliver nearly lost his balance, but gripped her waist and kissed her…hard. He backed her up against a wall and continued his assault on her mouth.
She wound her fingers in his hair and tugged. When he backed her up to the wall, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They snogged for several minutes before she pulled back. "We should stop before someone finds us," she whispered.
"I know." He put his forehead against hers and exhaled deeply. "I can't say it wasn't fun, though."
"You are such a cheek," she accused.
"I've never denied it," he replied, smirking.
Amelia straightened her dress and Oliver combed his hair before they returned to the party. When they got back to their table, her mother demanded, "Where were you?"
"I went to the loo, Mum," Amelia answered. "And I met up with Oliver just outside." Oliver nodded beside Amelia and put his most innocent face on. Camilla regarded them carefully, but bought the lie when Joseph invited her to dance.
"That was close," Oliver breathed when they left. "We should be more careful."
"We should," Amelia replied. "Now, invite me to dance before my brother's friend gets over here." Amelia nodded to a young man whose face was marked by acne sauntering over to them. Oliver stood and held out his hand to Amelia.
It was nearly 1:00AM when the wedding festivities were finally starting to wear down. Amelia was seated on Oliver's lap and dozing against his shoulder when her mother came to fetch them. "Princess, you've got to wake," Oliver nudged. "We're going home now."
Amelia didn't reply; she simply groaned. Camilla was going to press her further, but Oliver stepped in. "I can carry her," he promised. He put one arm under her knees and the other at her back and carried her, bridal style, to the waiting car.
In the car, Amelia stayed on Oliver's lap, still dozing. When they arrived back at her house, Oliver shook her awake to get her out of the car. He then suggested that she walk to her room, but kept his arm around her waist until he deposited her outside her bedroom door. He kissed her chastely on the cheek and bade her goodnight; then, he wandered down the hall to her brother's room.
When Amelia woke in the morning, Oliver was still sleeping. She pulled on some shorts and went to the kitchen for breakfast. "Oliver is still sleeping," her mother informed her. "Perhaps you should go wake him for breakfast." Amelia nodded and went to her brother's bedroom.
She knocked on the door and Oliver, who was awake, opened to find her there, hair still disheveled, and looking like she just woke up. He couldn't contain the laughter. "Good morning, beautiful," he teased. "Sleep well?"
"Sort of," she replied. "I had some weird dreams and they involved you, me, very little clothing, and chocolate sauce."
Oliver raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Torture, woman." Amelia smirked as she sashayed her way down the hall. She stopped in her room and noticed that her hair was madly askew, a detail that her mother failed to mention before sending Amelia to rouse Oliver.
Oliver returned to Kilbride later that day. As he was departing, he promised to visit Amelia again soon. "I have a football match next week. You'll come?" she asked.
"Of course, love," he promised. He thanked her parents and brothers for their hospitality and then went to the back of the garden to apparate home.
Oliver did come to Amelia's football match the following week and was, as usual, most impressed with her abilities. She was quite a gifted athlete. "You really are amazing," he said when he met up with her after the game. A few of the other girls on the team gave Oliver appraising looks, but he didn't notice or he didn't respond. Amelia gave smirked to herself and, inwardly, patted herself on the back.
"What's that about?" Oliver asked.
"What?" she replied.
"That smirk," he said. "You look like the cat that got the cream."
"It's just that you didn't notice or didn't respond to those girls flirting with you," she explained.
"Love, you're the only girl I want to flirt with," he said, with a wink.
"I'm just going to go change. Can you wait 5 minutes?"
"Of course, Ames," Oliver promised. "I'll be right here."
Amelia went to the locker room to change into her street clothes and out of her sweaty uniform. When she returned, Oliver was waiting for her, continuing to ignore the flirtations of the other girls. Amelia grabbed his hand and walked to her house with him.
As the day wore on, however, Amelia sensed that something was amiss. Then, she realized that Oliver would be moving the following week. "You're moving next week, aren't you?" she said; they were in her tree house.
"Aye," he answered, sadly, stroking her hair. "I don't want to leave."
"What time do you have to be back tonight?" she asked.
"By tea at 6," he answered. "And it's after five now."
Amelia sat up, pulled her clothes back on and tried to hide the tear she wiped from her cheek. Oliver noticed. "Please, don't cry," Oliver begged. "I can't bear it when you cry."
"What would you have me do, Wood? Throw a party?" she demanded, no longer caring to hide the tears.
"We've talked about this," he whined.
"Doesn't make it any easier," she whispered. "We should get back. Your parents will be expecting you."
They climbed down the rope ladder and left the tree house. Just before he apparated, Oliver stopped, grabbed Amelia by the shoulders and kissed her hard. "Just so you don't forget how much I love you," he said. Then, he apparated home.
Amelia didn't have time to respond to Oliver before he apparated away. She walked slowly home. When she arrived, she ignored her mother and went to her room. She had no desire to speak to anyone, so she locked the door to her room and refused to answer.
Oliver sent her a note that night and promised to see her within a few days. He kept his word and found a few hours to get to Leeds to visit Amelia. "It's been a few days," he said, when she answered the door. "How are you doing?"
"Honestly, I've been better, but I'm glad you're here," she replied. "Would you like to come in?"
"I was rather hoping that you'd come out," he joked. "I want to take you somewhere." He had a mischievous glint in his eye, but Amelia told her mother that she was going out for a while and left with Oliver.
He led her to the back of her yard and said, "Are you ready?"
"For what?"
"I'm going to take you somewhere for a bit," he answered. "Grab onto my arm." She did and he apparated them to Puddlemere.
"Where are we?" she asked when they landed.
"Puddlemere," Oliver answered. "I wanted to show you that, as far away as it is by muggle transportation, I can apparate and we can still see each other."
Amelia leapt at Oliver and kissed him fully. When they broke apart, Oliver asked, "What was that for?"
"Thank you," she replied. "Thank you for reminding me how easy it will be to see you. Sometimes, I forget about these wizarding things."
"Would you like to see my new apartment?" he offered.
"Lead the way," she replied, letting him take her hand.
Oliver's flat was very near to the Puddlemere stadium and was small, but cozy. "So, this is me as of Saturday," he said. Most of his belongings had already been moved into the flat. He had a sofa in the sitting room with a Gryffindor quilt on the back. The kitchen was small, but Oliver didn't seem to mind. "I can't cook anyhow," he joked.
Then, he led her back to the bedroom. He had a double bed and stands on either side. There was also a bureau in the corner. The thing that Amelia liked most about the room, however, was not the furnishings or the décor. It was the small photo frame on the stand right next to what she assumed was Oliver's side of the bed. The frame held a photo that they had taken just after the Quidditch cup and she watched as she repeatedly jumped into Oliver's arms, and he swung her around, completely ignoring everyone else in the scene.
"That is my favorite photo of us," he said. "That was right before you gave me the best surprise anyone has ever given me." He sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him for Amelia; she sat next to him. "Don't forget that I'm going to miss you, too," he whispered.
"I won't," she promised. "We should get back before my mother figures out you took me all the way to Puddlemere."
"You mean Camilla won't like the idea?" Oliver joked.
"She may set my brothers on you," Amelia suggested.
"Ouch, that's really harsh," he said, scandalized. Oliver got up from his bed, gave Amelia his hand and apparated them back to Leeds. "I'll see you on the weekend," he promised, taking his leave and heading back to his parents' house.