Hey everybody! I've noticed this story has a few followers, so I hope you're all excited for Part II :)
Some more terminology that comes up:
Najdražja - my dear
Mama - Mom
Part II - Born To Be Wild
20 November 1999
"So, this is exciting - playing for League Cup your first year as first-string," Sabina noted quietly.
"Shh, the whole point of this was to calm my nerves, not make them worse," Oliver whispered back as he continued kissing down Sabina's neck.
Over the last few months, Oliver and Sabina had established a very convenient arrangement. It involved one word: sex. Sabina was busy with Healer training, Oliver was in the middle of playoffs, and at the eye of the storm stood the one and only Coach Boris Kopitar. Things were just easier this way. They both got to have a lot of fun with the added bonus of sneaking around. One would think that would make things more difficult, but it actually added a really attractive sense of impropriety to the whole arrangement.
And at the end of the day, it kept Sabina from having to explain why she would never want to have an actual, committed relationship with a Quidditch player. No relationship, no problem.
So that was how Sabina found herself sneaking into the Bodmin Moor Millenium Stadium and making out with Oliver Wood in a broom closet. It was like Hogwarts all over again, except without the awkwardness of inexperience and puberty.
"I wish you were working this game," Oliver said quietly, gently leaning his forehead against Sabina's.
"I know, but I have my last practicum shift at St. Mungo's tonight," Sabina replied, shifting a bit on the uncomfortable wooden ledge in the broom closet. "Don't worry, we'll celebrate after," she continued with a smirk.
"I like the sound of that," Oliver said with a grin.
With that, he pressed his lips to hers once again. He felt her hand slide under his shirt, pressing on his back to pull him closer as he moved his hand up her thigh. Sabina let out the lightest sigh as Oliver moved away from her lips to kiss along her neck once again. This was the nerve-calming effect he had been hoping for.
"You gotta go get ready soon," Sabina breathed out.
"Aye, I know," Oliver said as he pulled away slightly and met Sabina's eyes with a small smile on his face. "We'll finish up later," he added with a wink.
"Maybe you'll have a medal you can wear," Sabina replied coyly as she hopped down from the ledge, now considerably shorter than Oliver. "I'll head out first."
Slowly opening the door just enough to slip out, Sabina quickly jumped out of the broom closet and turned towards the exit. However, as soon as she stepped out, she felt someone considerably smaller crash into her and looked down in annoyance. That annoyance quickly turned into panic as she recognized the small person before her.
"Dimitrij!" Sabina exclaimed. The broom closet door suddenly popped open and Sabina quickly leaned her whole weight against it to close it, resulting in a very audible "Ow!" as the door hit Oliver in the head.
"Is there someone in the broom closet?" Dimitrij, Sabina's eleven year-old brother, slowly asked as he skeptically glanced at the door.
"Someone in the broom closet - don't be ridiculous Dimitrij. Humans don't go in broom closets," she said dismissively. "Here's the better question: what in Merlin's name are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school."
"Ocka got me out for the championship game," Dimitrij replied proudly, his brown eyes brimming with excitement as he looked up at Sabina.
"What?" Sabina exclaimed her face instantly forming a glare. Grabbing her little brother's hand, she said, "Come on, we're going to talk to Ocka."
Sabina rapidly made her way through the halls of the stadium, both hoping to distance herself from that broom closet as much as possible and somehow find her father in this maze. Soon enough, she found a changeroom with the Puddlemere banner and, without hesitation, burst through the door. Her eyes quickly landed on her father and she stormed towards him.
"You can't just pull Dimitrij out of school for Quidditch!" Sabina exclaimed as she walked up to her father. "Mama's gonna kill you."
"Uh, Mama doesn't know," Boris replied cautiously. Then, frowning, he asked, "Sabina, what in Harfang's name are you doing here?"
It only took Sabina a mere second to collect her thoughts and easily reply, "I found out about Dimitrij from McGonagall."
"Damn woman," Boris muttered bitterly. "You can't tell your Mama about this, you hear me?"
"Oh, is that so?" Sabina questioned, crossing her arms. "What were you planning to do with him: leave him alone in the changerooms for five hours?"
"Okay, first of all, this game will ideally end in twenty minutes and with a victory," Boris started, "and second of all, no, I was going to... bring him up to the Coaches' Tower with me."
"Ocka!" Sabina exclaimed. "His education comes before a measly Quidditch game!"
"Eh, school's boring," Dimitrij intervened with a shrug.
"School's - school's - " Sabina sputtered. "Bloody Gryffindors," she finally grumbled.
"Sabina, najdražja, if you don't tell Mama, I'll... I'll..." Boris trailed off, looking around helplessly. Then, his face brightened as he exclaimed, "Ah, Wood, just who I was looking for!"
"Oh hell no, Ocka," Sabina said in a low voice. As she turned around to follow her father, however, she met Oliver's tortured expression as Boris cornered him in an attempt to escape Sabina. Taking a calming deep breath, she simply said, "Fine, I don't care - let him fail his finals! Not like he's my son."
As she started to storm out of the changeroom, she heard Dimitrij yell from behind her, "Killjoy!"
Sabina stopped and turned to look at Dimitrij. "I'm taking you back to Hogwarts first thing tomorrow morning," she seethed. "If I leave it up to Ocka, you'll never bloody graduate," she grumbled to herself as she turned back around to leave the stadium.
Although Sabina was rather upset with her father in that moment, her heart was mostly racing at the thought of what a close call that had been. Dimitrij had quite literally been mere feet away from seeing Oliver in that closet and from there on out... well, her eleven year-old brother was not exactly known for his discretion. Still, somehow the situation had been handled. Just classic Ravenclaw wit, in Sabina's opinion.
Oliver's eyes followed Sabina as she stormed out of the changeroom. The small bruise on his forehead that he had received from the broom closet door was no longer pulsating, but he still felt his heart racing from when they had almost gotten caught. Part of that was anxiety and fear, but Oliver knew deep down that another part of it was... excitement. Over the last few months, he had really enjoyed Sabina's company, and with the playoff season coming to a close and her almost being done Healer training, it seemed like it was about time for him to step up.
Still, it would have been downright traumatic if her little brother had seen them in a broom closet.
"She might look like me but she is exactly like Danica," Oliver heard Boris mutter. "And by that I mean that she is always right."
Oliver chuckled lightly. "My dad always says it's better to say you're wrong and eat a warm meal than be proud and sleep in the doghouse," he said jokingly.
"Sounds like a smart man," Boris replied as he looked over at Oliver. Frowning slightly as his gaze moved slightly lower, he asked, "What in Merlin's name is on your neck, boy?"
"My - my neck?" Oliver asked nervously, his hand reaching towards where Boris was looking.
"Wood's got a hickey!" Andre shouted as he passed by the two of them. "You see, Coach, Ollie's been awful secretive about his love life lately - but at least now we know that, whoever she is, she's an animal."
Merlin, if you're watching this, please smite me, Oliver thought to himself as he stood in mortified silence, his eyes taking in the look of disgust and disappointment that Boris was giving to Andre. This was almost as bad as the idea of Dimitrij walking in on him and Sabina.
"What's a hickey?" Dimitrij then piped in as he looked up at his father.
"It's, uh - it's, um - it's a skin condition," Boris finally answered, clearly flustered. "Go ask Samuels how to use a Beater's bat, son," he added quickly, giving his son a gentle shove. Looking back at Oliver he let out a tired sigh and said, "Wood, whatever you do, do not have a child in your forties."
"Duly noted," Oliver replied quietly.
21 November 1999
With a tired sigh, Sabina leaned back against the door to her apartment as she closed it. A small smile spread broke through her expression of utter exhaustion. That was it - her last practicum shift. Now, all she had to do was study for her licensing exam, which was a month away, and voila - she would be a fully certified Healer by the new year. All of her hard work, extra shifts, and constant studying had been worth finishing a year early, and now that she was so close to the end, another month of studying didn't seem so bad. It would be just like N.E.W.T.s all over again - and, frankly, she had thought that had been a pleasant experience.
Turning the lights on with a wave of her wand, Sabina headed for the kitchen and nearly jumped out of her own skin when she finally realized that Oliver was in her apartment. Her next reaction, as she looked him over, was a mix of amusement and lust.
In her very own living room, there stood Oliver Wood wearing nothing but a gold medal around his neck and a small navy blue flag with the Puddlemere crest hanging in front of his crotch area. Sabina pressed her lips together a she met Oliver's grinning face.
"We bloody won!" he shouted, raising his arms in the air.
"I - I can tell," Sabina replied, her expression widening into a grin as well.
"Are you gonna come over here?" Oliver asked, spreading his arms.
Still looking out from the open kitchen, Sabina leaned her forearms across the countertop and said, "You know, I actually think I'm gonna enjoy the view for a bit. Maybe do a twirl for me, I don't know."
"Well, I don't have a matching banner for my arse," Oliver admitted coyly.
Sabina shrugged. "Perfect," she replied.
"You are a sick woman," Oliver said jokingly. "And, frankly, I like it."
Sabina laughed as Oliver jokingly posed in the living room, winking her way several times. This was certainly not what Sabina had expected to be waiting for her in her flat, although she wouldn't change a single thing. Not only was the whole situation incredibly amusing, but Oliver really was a good-looking bloke, so Sabina almost dreaded the idea of him ever putting his clothes back on.
Suddenly stopping his posing, Oliver faked a look of anger and said, "I think you're just using me for my body, lass."
"You are not wrong," Sabina replied with a smirk.
"Well, you've gotta pay for that," Oliver threatened, although the grin on his face was betraying him.
Suddenly, Oliver crossed the living room and made it to the kitchen in a few quick strides. Before Sabina could say anything, he picked her up and swung her over her shoulder and started walking towards her bedroom.
"There's the bare arse I was dreamin' about," Sabina exclaimed with a laugh.
Playfully landing a slap on Sabina's arse, Oliver replied, "Oi, quiet down back there!"
"Blimey, I've been awake for twenty-eight hours," Sabina noticed as she glanced at the clock in her living room.
Oliver sat down next to Sabina on the couch and stretched his arm to rest on her shoulders, squeezing her closer to him. "But you're a Healer now," he said proudly.
"Uh-uh," Sabina said with a shake of her head, then pausing to take a sip of tea. "Still need to write my licensing exam next month."
Oliver looked down at Sabina with a raised eyebrow. Typical Sabina - Ravenclaw through and through, she would never accept a title or praise if she hadn't truly earned it. "Sab, we both know you're passing that exam," Oliver said confidently.
"Oh, are you a Seer now?" Sabina asked smartly, earning an exaggerated eye-roll from Oliver.
"No, I just have an incredible amount of faith in you," Oliver replied.
Sabina scoffed, but a small smile remained on her face. She was never a big fan of exaggerated shows of chivalry and affection, but Oliver always had a curious and simple way of making her feel all warm and gushy. It was both comforting and scary for her.
"Hey, sorry about the whole situation with Dimitrij yesterday," Sabina said suddenly, stretching to set her tea down on the coffee table. Looking down at her hands, she continued, "Both him almost seeing us and also the part with all of the yelling. Not really how I want you to see me."
"Well, I have a little brother in his third year at Hogwarts so trust me when I say that your outburst was more than justified," Oliver replied. "As for almost getting caught, I wasn't exactly a fan of getting hit in the head by a door, but the rest was out of your control."
Sabina smiled as she met Oliver's hazel eyes. "Yeah, I guess I just assumed it would've been awkward for you - we're not exactly in a place where family drama is a common topic," she said shyly.
"Well, actually I've been meaning to talk about that," Oliver started, an excited grin spreading across his face. "With Quidditch season wrapping up and your Healer training being practically done, I thought that we could be more than... whatever this is. You're an amazing woman, Sabina, and you deserve more than this."
His words made Sabina freeze. From head to toe, she was practically made of stone as she stared back at Oliver's expectant gaze with her eyes wide and her mouth set in a taut line. She had never thought this would happen. Not necessarily the part where Oliver wanted to be more than just friends with benefits, but the part where Sabina was almost contemplating the idea of being in a relationship with him. He had, without a doubt, burrowed his way into her heart, and now she was stuck staring at him like a deer in the headlights.
"I can't," she said as her ability to talk returned.
Oliver's joyous expression quickly fell. "You... can't?" he repeated slowly.
"I can't date a Quidditch player," Sabina elaborated, her nervousness quickly rising.
"Wait - what?" Oliver said, clearly taken aback as his face contorted into a frown.
Sabina let out a sigh in a poor attempt to compose herself. "When my father got picked up by Puddlemere and my parents moved to England, all of the bullshit that came with it - the tabloids, the rumours, the fans - nearly tore them apart," Sabina said quietly, looking down at her hands again. She couldn't bring herself to look at Oliver's face for fear of what she might find. "They were separated for two years and it almost ruined their marriage. I never wanted that for myself."
"You're not dating my job, you're dating me," Oliver argued, the hurt very evident in his tone.
"It's not that easy," Sabina said, finally looking up to meet his eyes. She could see the anger and disbelief in his eyes and instantly felt a burning sensation behind her eyes. She hadn't thought things would go like this. In Sabina's mind, he would have just grown bored of her and that was that.
"Well, it's not like you've ever tried," Oliver argued. He pulled away from her and turned to look straight at her. "You're telling me that, if you take away all of that professional Quidditch shite, you don't care for me at all? Not even one little bit?"
Sabina looked away from his demanding gaze. "It's not that easy," she repeated stubbornly.
"Sabina, I care about you - I really do," Oliver continued, "but I'm not going to waste my time proving it if you won't even give me a chance."
Feeling the couch lurch slightly, Sabina turned to look at Oliver just as he was standing up. He was the one looking down now, refusing to meet her eyes. "It's just not the life I want," she said quietly.
"No, you're just scared," Oliver bit back. "Of what, I have no bloody idea."
"I'm not scared," Sabina retorted.
"Right," Oliver sighed, lightly nodding his head and looking away from Sabina again. "Get some rest. Good luck with your studies. I'll, uh... goodbye, Sabina."
With that, Oliver quickly made his way out of her apartment. The slam of the door rang in Sabina's ears until all that was left was silence and her own thoughts, swirling in her head. She sat perfectly still and silent for a while, looking down at her hands and ruminating over what had just happened. She had thought that when the time would come that Oliver would leave for good, it would be a mutual satisfaction. Instead, all Sabina felt was sadness and an odd ache.
22 November 1999
"You two do everything together now, huh?" Oliver remarked, lightly gesturing between Percy and Audrey with a wave of his hand.
"I'll take that as my cue," Audrey said slowly, sharing an amused glance with Percy. "I've gotta get going anyways, so I can be... three hours early for my shift."
Audrey leaned over the dining table where they were all sitting to give Percy a kiss on the cheek and left her boyfriend's apartment soon after that. As soon as the door closed behind her, Percy sent a pointed glare to Oliver.
"Thanks for that, mate," Percy said sarcastically.
"She kicked herself out," Oliver said defensively. "I like Audrey, believe me."
"I know," Percy replied, "something's just been off about you today."
Oliver let out a tired sigh as he sat under the scrutiny of Percy's insightful expression. His best friend was a know-it-all, but there was a good reason for that: he did, in fact, seem to know it all. Truthfully, it had been one of Percy's more annoying qualities when the two had first met; however, as they grew older, it was a quality that Oliver had grown to appreciate.
"That, uh, girl I was seeing," Oliver started quietly, "it's over. So there's that."
"Sorry about that, mate," Percy said sympathetically.
"Yeah, well, we wanted different things," Oliver reasoned, leaning back in his chair. "Just feels weird to actually be on the side that's hurt. You know, I never really cared about a girl enough for it to get me so worked up."
"You don't think she's hurt?" Percy questioned.
Oliver scoffed. "If she was hurt after what happened, then I must've been under a Confundus Charm," he said a bit bitterly.
Percy simply shrugged. "You never know. In these sorts of things, people's true intentions surface one way or another," he advised, choosing not to prod his friend for details.
Oliver looked over at Percy, forcing a small smile on his face in the hopes that it would actually help him feel happy. "How did you know with Audrey?" he asked. "I mean, between randomly getting attacked and all that nonsense, how did you figure it out?"
"You know, her family is absolutely terrifying and crazy," Percy started, an amused and dreamy smile spreading across his face, "she is far too enthusiastic about punching people she doesn't like, and she likes to mess with people's heads for fun - and yet, I can never get her out of my mind."
In that moment, Oliver's mind filled with Sabina's amused grin. She would always correct even the smallest mistakes and her capacity for alcohol consumption was concerning, and yet he had meant every word he had said to her. Oliver cared for her. When he looked at Sabina, he felt happy. It wasn't just a basic lust - it was so much more than that. He loved to hear her laugh and listen to her talk, despite all of the annoying things she would do. Even despite what she had told him the day before.
"I get that," Oliver said quietly.
Sabina pushed the cured meat around on her plate in silence. She could feel her mother's gaze searing through her body, almost as if that would will her to talk, but Sabina kept her sights focused straight down at her half-eaten breakfast. She had been in this horrible mood since yesterday, and not even her mother's iconic Slovenian breakfast could break her out of this ridiculous emotional cycle. Sabina felt horrible for pushing Oliver away like that, but she also felt like she was missing a part of her - she missed him, and she hated to admit it.
"Sabina, what is the matter with you?" her mother's strong Slovenian accent rang through the silence.
Sabina's head snapped up, meeting her mother's warm brown eyes. She was a beautiful woman - her slightly greying hair still mostly held its original chestnut brown colour and aside from a few wrinkles that had come with age, her skin was clear and glowing. Danica Horvat had a welcoming exterior that strongly contrasted her commanding and intimidating personality.
"Nothing, Mama, I just had a long day yesterday and felt like comfort food," Sabina replied plainly.
"Najdražja, what's on your mind? You cannot hide these things from me," Danica pressed.
Sabina sighed lightly, a sad smile spreading across her face. "Why did you and Ocka end up getting back together after you separated?" she finally asked.
Although clearly taken aback, Danica recovered quickly. "It was my decision to separate, ultimately," she started, a sad look on her face. "I told him that I didn't want his life - the attention, the drama, the threatening letters from all of those stupid English women."
"Mama, you have your own distillery - I hardly think those women were even in your league," Sabina said jokingly.
Danica laughed lightly. "Very true, but it was hard for us in those first few years," she admitted, "and that was not the life I had imagined when we married. It took me two years to realize that I wasn't living his life - we were living our life. Being with the people you care about is hardly ever easy."
Sabina remained quiet for a bit, processing her mother's words. Eventually, she smiled sadly and said, "I think I let a good one go, Mama."
"If he was meant for you, give it time," Danica advised. "These things have a way of fleshing themselves out. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all."
Sabina nodded as she took in her mother's words. She still felt that persistent sadness, but now she also felt a strange, new feeling: humility. As much as Sabina hated to admit it, she was pretty sure she was wrong. Very wrong. Part of her was happy that maybe, just maybe, her and Oliver would have their chance. Another part of her was beating herself up for fucking up so much.
"You know, Ocka pulled Dimitrij out of school to watch the championship game," Sabina said with a smirk, trying to get Oliver out of her head for the briefest moment.
Danica only smiled. "I know," she replied, "where do you think you get that brilliant intelligence from? Your Ocka?"
Sabina laughed as her mother's grin widened. "He really thinks he got away with it, you know," she said.
Danica simply shrugged. "For all of the hell I give him, he deserves a few small victories," she replied. Standing up from her seat, she asked, "How about you join me in the wood shop for the day?"
"That sounds like the perfect distraction," Sabina stated with a smile, standing up to join her mother.
Hope you all enjoyed! Reviews are helpful and much appreciated :) Get ready for Part III soon! - C xx