The End of Things & Connections

Daisy quietly shut the door behind her and looked over at John, who was sitting up in the bed, ace bandages wrapped around his shoulder and chest, keeping his arm immobilized against his body. She took a few steps towards him.

"How are you?" she asked cautiously, her cheeks still wet with tears. He looked over at her, his face set in a stern scowl.

"How do you think I feel?" he asked brusquely. Daisy nodded and looked to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely loud enough for him to hear. She closed her eyes a moment, letting her control slip for a moment.

"How could she just ignore it?"

Daisy quickly shut it off, not wanting to hear more.

"For what? The fact that you couldn't let go of the snitch long enough to warn me?" he asked bitterly. Daisy's eyes flew up to him, meeting his dark brown ones. He could see that she felt miserable about what happened, but for the moment, he let his pettiness win out. Even he had to admit that if she had seen it, there was no way she'd have made it to him in time.

Daisy was too blinded by her guilt to think he was being unusually cold. In that moment, she wasn't so sure she could blame him.

"You have no idea how sorry I am," she said, stepping closer. "I don't even know what I can say or do to make this up to you. It's all my fault."

John studied her a moment before speaking.

"There's nothing you can do about it now. The damage is done," John said. Daisy felt crushed as more tears spilled down her cheeks. He did blame her. All she wanted was to protect John and in the end, he got hurt because of her.

"I didn't mean to…" she started. John stared at her, waiting to see what she said. "I never wanted something like this to happen."

"You didn't mean for me to get injured?" he asked, the venom apparent in his voice.

"You know I would do anything to save you," she said before she could think. Her eyes widened as her hand flew to her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that. John studied her a moment.

"So it's true. I had wondered," he murmured.

"Let me explain-" Daisy started.

"Explain what? You lied. I don't really see what else needs explaining," John said simply, staring at her, though the harshness had left his voice. Instead there was nothing but defeat. Daisy couldn't speak. She just stood there, tears streaming down her face, unable to admit that she hadn't felt a thing from him.

"I thought I did. That night at the party. I did feel something. Like a, like a small breeze. It was… a sense of affection. It had to have been you," she said finally, rushing to get it all out before he cut her off again.

"But you didn't feel anything since then," he said. Daisy shook her head no.

"I tried. Merlin knows, I tried John," she sobbed. "But it's not something I can just will to happen."

"You can control when you feel your family now. You can control orbing. You can control hand magic. But you can't control this?" he asked softly.

"No one can. It just… it happens when it decides to happen," she said. John took a deep breath and looked down at his lap. "I had hoped when I moved in… that it would help. You have to believe me, John. I wanted this more than anything."

"I guess this means that you felt someone else," he said, still not looking at her.

"We don't know that for sure. It doesn't all come at once from what we understand," she said quietly. "Maybe, maybe it just hasn't happened fully yet." He looked at her.

"Did it take Jamie this long?" he asked. Daisy looked to the floor.

"No," she whispered. John took a deep breath and looked away laughing bitterly.

"Maybe you just don't want to admit that you don't want to feel me," he said. Daisy frowned.

"You can't honestly think I didn't want to have a connection with you," she said, her voice raising slightly. "After everything we've been through?! Why would I choose not to?"

"How should I know… for all I know, you've connected with Wills," he said, glancing up at her.

"You know damn well I love you and only you," she said, turning slightly angry. "This has nothing to do with Wills."

"Oh really? Then why is he always around?" he shouted.

"I've told you, he's known me since I was a child! He's been a close family friend for over 10 years. There is nothing between us!" she replied, starting to lose her temper slightly.

"Sure," he said wryly, leaning his head back against the pillow. "He always said he'd be waiting on the sidelines to swoop in."

"John, none of this has anything to do with Wills and everything to do with us," she said.

They were both silent a few moments. Daisy resisted the urge to look into his head, worried it would just make her angrier. Or more upset. Either way, she wasn't sure she was ready to see what he was thinking. But part of her couldn't help but wonder if it did have to do with Wills.

"Maybe, maybe we should wait until I come back to talk about this," Daisy said. "Maybe we could use the time to cool down… think." John looked at her, frowning.

"You're still going to Greece tomorrow?" he asked.

"I have to," Daisy said. "I know this is hard to understand, but I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice, Daisy," he said. "It's a fucking family trip." Daisy swallowed, knowing she was going to have to tell him everything. She still had hoped she could wait until she came back, but there was no way she was going to leave this room still his girlfriend if she didn't come clean finally. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Not this time, John. You have to understand-"

"I've spent months trying to understand," he shouted, cutting her off again. "I've tried to understand these new gifts of yours. I've tried understanding why you wouldn't tell me things. Even now, I'm trying to understand why you think you have to go on some trip with your family while I'm holed up in some hospital!"

"I know it's not fair to you, but if you would let me explain-"

"You're damn right it's not fair! Something is going on, Daisy. And everyone else around us seems to know what's up, but you won't say a goddamn word. Do you know what it's like to be the only one who doesn't know what's going on with your family?" he shouted. "And I'm your damn boyfriend! Hell, we've been living together! And I feel like I don't even know who you are!"

The two stared silently at each other a few moments. Daisy started to speak a few times, but found she couldn't come up with the words. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, building up the courage. It was now or never. The tears were still falling.

"Daisy… I… I'm sorry," John said softly. Her eyes flew open as she stepped up to his side. He seemed to be fighting back his own tears. "Shit, I shouldn't be taking this out on you… It's not your fault."

"But it is, I could have stopped this," she said softly.

"Even if you did see it, you wouldn't have made it in time," he said, looking up at her. She saw a glimpse of the old John. "It's just… they said I won't play again."

"What? No," Daisy said.

"The muscle damage… they can't fix it. My arm won't ever work the same again," he said, looking away from her, his free hand clenching into a fist.

"But… that can't be true. Surely there's some… exercises or, or treatment. We're magic, for Merlin's sake. There's got to be something," she said. John looked up at her, his face full of anguish.

"There's not. They already tried everything. I can't play quidditch anymore," he said. More tears streamed down Daisy's face.

"What will you do?" she asked softly, still not completely believing it was true and completely forgetting her resolve to tell him everything.

"I think I should go back home – at least for a bit," he said as though his mind was made. "After that… I can probably get a job on the coaching staff of my old team. Or… I can do something with the animal clinic. But… for right now, I just, I don't think I can stay here."

"But… Nilsson could set you up with something. Or maybe Dad could… Why?" she asked. "Why can't you stay?" As soon as the question left her lips, Daisy regretted it. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear his answer.

"Because, Daisy, it's been obvious for awhile. My reasons for being here were always quidditch and you. My quidditch career is over and now with us… I just don't know," he said. "Unless… you want me to stay…"

Daisy felt her heart drop in her chest. She took a deep breath, thinking hard about what she would say. She wanted him to stay. Merlin, how she wanted him to stay. She could tell him everything, help with his physical therapy. Things could get back to how they used to be and they would work out. And he would stay in London with her.

Except, things couldn't go back to how they used to be. Something was coming. Daisy, her mother and her brother were going away for two months to learn how to fight and protect others. And in that moment Daisy knew the only way to save him was to send him away. He wouldn't be safe as long as he was anywhere near her or her family. Especially not while he was still hurt.

Part of her wanted to laugh. Wasn't she just telling Coach that it would be for the best if he went back to America? It seemed she had waffled so long on what to do that Fate took matters into its own hands.

Daisy couldn't control her tears as she struggled to speak, knowing what she was about to say would be the equivalent to stabbing him in the heart. She knew that she couldn't tell him the truth if she wanted him to go. One word about some upcoming danger and he would stay to protect her and she couldn't let him do that. She would have to make him think she didn't want him here.

She would have to break his heart.

"I think…" she started, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think it's for the best… if you go back to America."

"Is that what you want?" John asked. Daisy swallowed, attempting to gather herself together even though she was screaming inside. She wiped her cheeks. She had made her decision and there was no going back.

"Yes," she said, though it came out little more as a raspy whisper. "I think it's for the best." She kept eye contact with him, willing the tears to stay away for a bit longer. In a second it seemed as thought John had crumpled and all the fight had left him. Daisy started struggling to breath, she couldn't bear watching him.

"If that's what you want. Then I'll leave for the States as soon as I'm out of the hospital," he said, his voice thick. Daisy nodded.

"I should…. I should go. I still have a lot of packing to do," she said. "I'll get my things from our… I'll move out tonight." She stared at him a moment before leaning over and kissing him softly, the tears building up again. She then turned and walked quickly towards the door, feeling as though her chest was going to explode. She needed to get out of there before she lost it.

"Daisy," he called out. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Why?"

It took all her strength not to run across the room and throw herself into his arms, pledging that she would always love him and begging him not to leave. The look in his eyes was enough to rip her heart out.

"It's, it's because I love you... that you should go. It's the only way," she said quickly, before turning and rushing out before he could question her further. She didn't trust herself to stay strong as the tears were already streaming down her cheeks. And she already said more than she should have.

"Daisy!" he shouted.

She shut the door behind her and looked up into the faces of her teammates. All of them worried.

"How is he? What'd they say?" Kelly asked, stepping up to her. Daisy just shook her head, unable to speak as she covered her mouth. She stepped away from the door and started walking down the hall away from everyone. She felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

"Daisy! What's going on?" Nilsson said, reaching out to grab her arm. She spun around and looked up at him, meeting his ice blue eyes.

"I have to go," she said. "I can't be here." She yanked her arm out of Nilsson's hand and disappeared.

Nilsson and the rest of the team looked at each other and then down at the Wood triplets, Lucy and Dominique. Victoire was off looking into another patient.

"What's going on?" Kelly shouted, meeting the eyes of the Woods. "You know something." Lucy pushed passed Jamie and walked quickly towards her boyfriend.

"Now is not the time," she whispered furiously.

Remus and Alan looked at Jamie.

"Did you see or sense anything from her?" Dominique whispered. Jamie sighed heavily.

"She broke up with him."

When Daisy reappeared, she was in her room at her brothers' flat. Well, she supposed it was still technically her flat as well. Especially now that she and John had broken up. She threw herself on the bed and let the tears take over as she buried her face in one of her pillows. She didn't even care she was still in her dirty quidditch uniform.

A dullness had already started to set in even though the tears refused to stop. She was sick with herself. She knew she only sent him away to keep him safe, but she couldn't help but feel like her world was ending.

"Daisy, is that you?" she heard Jamie call through the door.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, not even bothering to look up. She continued sobbing until she felt like there were no more tears left in her body and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She didn't know how much time had passed but her room was definitely dark. She sat up on her bed and looked at the lamp, watching as her room filled with soft light. She sniffled a bit, and massaged her temples, willing the dull throb that had settled in to go away.

There was a soft knock at the door. She didn't feel anything, so she knew it wasn't one of her brothers.

"What?" she called out wearily. The door opened and Wills popped his head in, his face awash with worry.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Daisy sighed and nodded. He walked into the room, a bottle of firewhisky in his hand and shut the door behind him. "Thought you could use it." He held it out to her. Daisy took it and pulled the cork out, taking a long drink as Wills walked over and sat next to her, taking in her bloodshot, puffy eyes.

"It is that bad?" he asked quietly.

"He can't play anymore," she said dully before taking another swig. "He's going back to America. I told him to go."

"Oh, Pix," Wills said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close.

"He asked… he asked if I wanted him to stay. And I did. I do. But… he can't stay. He'll be safe this way – even if it breaks my heart," she said as the tears started up again. "I couldn't even bring myself to tell him the full truth, because I knew he would definitely stay and end up getting himself killed."

"It'll be okay, Pix," he said softly, rubbing her arm.

"You're lying. I can see it in your head," she said. Wills stared at her, missing that bit of news. "And he knows I lied about the connection." Wills eyes widened.

"You told him," he said. Daisy looked up at him, curious as to how he knew. But at that moment, she was beyond caring how he had found out and looked back to the floor.

"I let everyone think I had. For a bit, I even thought I had. But after that first whisp… there was nothing," she said. "I didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't there… he was so happy…"

Wills was silent, not willing to voice the question running through his mind. If she hadn't felt John, who was it?

"And now he knows I lied… and apparently there must be someone else," she said. "But who-"

"Let's not worry about that now, Pix," Wills said comfortingly. "It'll sort itself out. As I recall, you have to leave in the morning, correct?" Daisy nodded taking another drink.

"I need to go get all my things from John's place," she said, her voice cracking. Wills stood and pulled her up.

"Come on, then. It's like a plaster. Best to just rip it off in one go. Your brothers and I will help and we should have it done in no time," he said, smiling down at her. Daisy looked up at him and smiled slightly, though it looked more like a grimace.

"Thanks, Wills. What would I do without you?" she said, wiping at her face. He chuckled.

"I think you'd do just fine without me," he said, pulling her towards the door. "You're far stronger than you give yourself credit for." Daisy nodded and let him guide her out of the room, thinking back to all the times he had been there for her. He always had a knack for popping up at just the right time and knowing just what to say.

Her mind flinted back over the years… He had been in her life for quite a long time...

"JAMIE! REMUS! ALAN! I WANT ALL FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND!" Iris shouted after the triplets. "You even think about reaching for one of those brooms, I will ground you!" The three stopped running towards a stand of brooms and looked sheepishly back at their mother, who was walking quickly to try and catch up with them, a tiny Daisy trotting to keep up, her red curls pulled back in a ponytail that bounced behind her.

"Mummy! I want to fly too if the boys get to!" Daisy yelled. Iris just shook her head as she waved the boys back over to her.

"Remember, visiting Daddy at practice is a privilege. Any of you get in the way or even think of playing a prank, no matches for the entire year," Iris said, looking down at the boys. Daisy grinned and stuck her tongue out at her older brothers, who scowled at her. "That goes for you too, Daisy."

The little girl looked up at her mother, her bright green eyes wide.

"But I don't cause trouble, Mum," she said innocently. Iris chuckled and looked up into the sky above the pitch, covering her eyes from the sun.

"Let's try and find Dad, yea?"

All four children were immediately transfixed by the action going on above them. The team was running through plays with the chasers soaring in formation while the beaters attempted to knock them off guard.

"Mu-um! Dad is where he always is!" Daisy shouted. "In front of the hoops!"

"Are you sure you know about quidditch, Mum?" Alan asked, glancing at her, his expression a bit dubious. Iris sighed.

"Yes, Alan, I do," she said. Daisy looked back up at the sky, watching the seeker do loops around the top of the stadium. She had started Little League last year and had tried out all the different positions before declaring to her parents that she was going to be a seeker. In her second season, her father had been working with her and even brought her cousin Harry in to give her specialized seeker tips. She knew that someday she would be playing seeker on Puddlemere while her brothers were beaters and keeper.

"WILLS! WOULD YOU STOP THAT AND FOCUS ON THE PLAY!" she heard someone shout, knowing instantly it was her dad. He had been captain several years now and the coach often let him run practices in preparation for taking over as head coach in a few years when he retired.

Daisy looked around and saw a young man with blonde hair, grinning as he shot off down the field.

"THAT'S NOT THE PLAY I WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU BLOODY-"

"OLIVER WILLIAM WOOD, THE CHILDREN ARE HERE!" her mother shouted from the sidelines, cutting him off before he could start cursing in front of them. Daisy giggled as she saw her father's face turn slightly red from where he sat in front of the hoops. She personally loved it when her dad got in trouble with her mum.

"Ehm, right, let's take 15 everyone!" he shouted to the team. They all landed on the field and immediately, Daisy took off running for her dad.

"Daddy!" she shouted as she jumped up into his arms and he spun her around.

"How's my little pixie today?" he asked before setting her back down.

"Mummy is teaching me a new potion!" she declared. "But it needs to set for a bit before it's ready."

"Ah, what does this one do?" he asked, bending down so that he was eye level with her. The rest of the team had walked over, all of them entertained by the Wood children.

"Um… it… um…" she glanced over to her mother, frowning slightly, having forgotten exactly what the potion did. "It… OH RIGHT!" She turned back to her dad, grinning. "It turns your hair colors!" Oliver chuckled as he looked up at Iris who just shrugged.

"She's got a knack for them so thought we'd start on something a bit more challenging," she said.

"How are you, Iris?" one of the beaters, Roger McIntosh, asked.

"Surviving. Which is a good thing with this lot," she said, looking over at the 10-year-old triplets, who were busy asked the other beater Adam Truffle about his new broom. McIntosh chuckled, looking over at Daisy.

"I'm sure this one will give you more trouble than those three combined. Sure to be a heartbreaker," he said.

"Not to mention a speed demon on a broom," Iris said.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but I don't think we've met," the young, blonde chaser said, stepping up to Iris. "I'm Bryan Wills, new center chaser." He grinned as he took her hand and kissed it. "I must say, Mrs. Wood, you look absolutely stunning."

"Wills," Oliver said in warning as he stood, frowning at him. Wills grinned at the older player.

"Ah, and this must be the little Pixie I've heard so much about," Wills said, stepping up to Daisy. She looked up at the tall player, putting her hands on her hips and frowning.

"My name is Daisy!" she said, stomping her foot. "Daisy Nymphadora Wood." Iris looked over at Oliver, her amusement clear. Wills immediately dropped down to one knee, making himself eye level with the little girl.

"My utmost apologies, Ms. Wood," he said dramatically. "I didn't mean to offend you." Daisy continued to frown at him, though it softened slightly.

"You can call me Daisy," she said. "Only my brothers and my dad can call me Pixie."

"Ah, but what about me? I thought I could call you Pixie too. Have my privileges been revoked? What will I do?" McIntosh said, pretending to wipe a tear away. Daisy giggled as she looked up at the big, burly man.

"Of course you can still call me Pixie, McIntosh," she said.

"Is there anything I can do to get into your good graces, Daisy?" Wills asked. The little girl thought for a moment, scrunching her nose up slightly. She then looked at him, a brilliant grin on her face.

"Take me flying!" she said.

"No, Daisy. You're not going up," Oliver said immediately. Wills stood, studying the little girl. He then looked up at Oliver a moment and back down at Daisy, grinning.

"Deal," he said, just before he reached down and swooped her up in his arms. Daisy giggled wildly as he shot passed Oliver and McIntosh, easily hopping onto the broom and settling Daisy in front of him.

They shot up in the air with Oliver shouting at Wills to come back down at once.

"YOU WILL BE GROUNDED, DAISY NYMPHADORA WOOD!" she heard her father warn.

Kicking her legs she laughed as she looked up at Wills, who had one arm wrapped around her and the other firmly on the broom.

"Okay, Bryan Wills… you can call me Pixie," she said, grinning.

"Perfect. And no one calls me Bryan. It's Wills," he said with a wink.

"MUM! THE TRIPLETS WON'T STOP CHASING ME!" Daisy shouted. It was a year later and the three brothers were particularly obnoxious that summer in preparation for their first year at Hogwarts. Poor Daisy got the brunt of it.

Iris looked over from where she was standing next to the pool chatting with McIntosh's wife. Oliver had invited the team over for a small picnic of sorts one weekend.

"JAMIE! REMUS! ALAN! I WILL JINX YOU!" Iris shouted, narrowing her eyes at her sons, who all skid to a halt behind Daisy. She turned and smirked at them over her shoulder.

"Yes, Mum!" they shouted in unison before walking off, glaring at their little sister. Daisy giggled to herself.

"What's this, Pix already besting her brothers?" Wills said, as he walked up with his date. Daisy grinned and nodded up at him, her ponytail bouncing behind her. She then looked at his date a bit warily.

"Who are you?" she asked. The woman laughed softly and bent over.

"My name is Mary. What might your name be?" she asked.

"I'm Daisy Nymphadora Wood and Oliver Wood is my dad," Daisy declared, puffing her chest out slightly. "And I'm going to be the best seeker in the Quidditch League." The woman chuckled as she glanced up at Wills.

"Is that so?" she asked. "How old are you Daisy?"

"I'm 9," she said. "I've been playing Little League for two years now and I'm already on the 11 and 12-year-old team." The woman stood up, blinking slightly.

"Really now? You're not telling tall tales are you, Daisy?" she asked. Daisy narrowed her eyes at her slightly, the green flashing to red and then back to green. The woman jumped slightly, taking a step back.

"I don't lie," Daisy said, stomping her foot. She looked at Wills. "Tell her Wills! You came to my games! I really am on the 11 and 12-year-old team!" He laughed loudly looking over at his date.

"It's true. She's definitely a sight to see once you get her on a broom," he said. "Suspect it runs in the family. Her brothers play beaters and keeper on one of the 13 and 14-year-old teams and they're just 11." Mary was astonished as she looked back down at the tiny girl.

"Well, my apologies, Daisy," she said, smiling. Daisy studied her for a moment before she smiled slightly.

"It's okay," she said. She then looked at Wills. "So are you gonna marry Mary?" she asked sweetly. Wills quickly spit out the lemonade he had just taken a sip of. Iris shot Daisy a look from nearby while Oliver beamed in pride at his daughter.

"Uh, Daisy… that's a bit personal," Wills said, trying to clear his throat while his face turned red. "Besides, I'm only 22. I have a long time before I need to think about such things." He glanced nervously at Mary, who smiled slightly.

"But are you? Or are you going to marry Angelica, the girl you brought to the-" Wills quickly reached down and covered the little girl's mouth, smiling sheepishly at his date.

"Kids… they say the darndest things," he said. Mary laughed softly.

"No, Wills, I'm curious to hear what she says next," Mary said. Daisy grinned from behind Wills hand as she glanced up at him. Wills looked down and removed his hand.

"It's okay, Wills. I know you won't marry Angelica or Mary," she said. Wills frowned slightly.

"What do you mean, Pix?" he asked.

"Because you're gonna marry me!" she said, smiling brightly and causing all the adults around her to start chuckling. Except Oliver, whose face went white.

"Daisy-" he started to say before Iris shushed him, enjoying the exchange too much. Wills laughed as he looked down at her.

"Pixie, I think you're a bit too young to get married," he said.

"I know! I wasn't talkin' about now, you flobberworm – I still have to go to Hogwarts. I meant when I'm all growed up," she said, matter-of-factly. Wills stared down at her, amused. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Oliver started to turn pink and decided to have a bit of a fun.

"Pixie, are you proposing to me?" he asked, grinning. She nodded. "This won't do, we must do it proper if it's going to be a real proposal." He handed his date his glass and then looked around. He stopped when he saw some daisies in a flowerbed. Smiling he walked over and picked one, quickly fashioning it into a small ring as he walked back. He then cleared his throat and got down on one knee.

"Daisy Nymphadora Wood," he said solemnly.

"Okay, I think you've taken it far enough, Wills," Oliver said, walking up to the two. Daisy giggled and reached over, grabbing the daisy ring and sliding it on her finger.

"Too late, Da! I'm gonna marry Wills!" Daisy said, grinning. Oliver looked down at his daughter.

"Daisy, I'm not gonna let you run around with a bloody engagement ring from Wills," he said.

"Gotta catch me!" she shouted as she took off running towards the pitch. Oliver sighed and took off jogging after her.

"DAISY GET BACK HERE! YOU WILL NOT MARRY WILLS IF I HAVE ANY SAY IN IT!" he shouted, which was shortly followed by Daisy squealing as he caught up to her and started tickling her.

"WILLS, SAVE ME!" she shouted. The chaser chuckled as he stood and watched Oliver let her go, but continued to chase her around the yard while she shrieked in laughter.

Daisy huffed slightly as she landed and stomped over to the stands on the pitch at home.

"You're not going to win the Cup with that attitude!" her father shouted as he landed behind her.

"Yea? Well I'm more likely to win if I'm not dead thanks to you!" 17-year-old Daisy shouted over her shoulder. She stopped in front of her bag and reached in for a bottle of water.

"Daisy. You've got to stay focused," her dad said, walking up to her. Daisy pointedly ignored him, choosing instead to keep her back to him. Oliver sighed and shook his head. "Fine, I'm going to get some water. When I get back, we're going through those drills again." He then took off at a jog towards the large country house, his broom slung over his shoulder.

"And I thought he was a drill sergeant with us," a voice said. Daisy looked up into the stands, noticing Wills there for the first time. He stood and walked down, sitting again on the second level. Daisy sighed and climbed up, sitting next to him. Thought not too close. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the dream she had had last night. She had always been partial to him, but she shook her head and pushed all those thoughts aside. Her father would kill her if he ever found out she had a crush on the chaser.

"It's all about the Cup and then making first string and then the World Cup," Daisy said, rolling her eyes. Wills looked down at the teen, slightly concerned.

"Is that what you want?" he asked. "The Cup? First string? The World Cup?" Daisy looked up at him like he was crazy.

"Of course it's what I want. Just… wish he wasn't such an arsehole about it," she said, looking back out to the field.

"You do realize that the only reason he's been so hard on you is because it's the last year he'll get to coach you," Wills said, nudging her shoulder. Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so this is all about sentimentality," she said sarcastically. "He could still let me have a day off to go meet with Luce and everyone. The only way I even get to see Toby or you lot is if you drop by to watch me practice."

Wills chuckled and pulled her long ponytail.

"You get to seem them all at school," he said. Daisy glared at him.

"It's my last summer before I join the League. Shouldn't I be allowed to have a little bit of fun?" she asked. Wills thought for a moment and then grinned. He looked over and noticed Oliver walking back to the pitch.

"I've got an idea," he said. "Follow my lead. I'll see if he'll let you do some practice with me and White. But instead we'll skive off and go do something fun." Daisy started smiling as he stood while Oliver neared them.

"When did you get here, Wills?" Oliver asked.

"About 30 minutes ago. Wanted to ask you about some of the new plays. Oh, and wanted to see if maybe White and I could take over on training Pix for a day," he said easily. Daisy tried to temper her grin. She knew he was her favorite for a reason. She turned to look at her dad, who was looking back and forth between the two suspiciously.

"You got somethin' up your sleeve, Wills?" he asked.

"'Course not, Coach. Just thought it would help a bit. Between our practices and training Pixie, you must be aching for a day off with Iris," he said smoothly. "And I promise, we'll not go easy on her." Daisy nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Please, Dad?" she begged. "Ashley said she's got some new stuff she wants me to try." Oliver was silent a few moments before he sighed.

"If I say yes, will you put a bit more effort into those drills?" he asked. Daisy nodded again, her ponytail flying behind her.

"I'll even do extra ones! Without complaining!" she said brightly.

"Pushing it, Pix," Wills muttered next to her.

"Alright… fine. You two can have her tomorrow," he said.

"At Puddlemere," Wills added. Oliver's eyes widened.

"Why you want to go there when we have a perfectly good pitch here?" he asked. Daisy rolled her eyes.

"I've got to get experience playing on other pitches, Da," she groaned. Oliver rolled his eyes again.

"Fine," he said. "Tomorrow at Puddlemere. Trust you can apparate yourself there?"

"Been qualified for two weeks now, Dad," Daisy said.

"Just checking. Now, get back up there," he said, motioning for her to take the pitch. Daisy grinned and jumped up. She quickly hugged Wills.

"Thanks!" she whispered before running to the pitch and hopping on her broom. The two men watched her as she started through some drills.

"I hope you know what you're doing with her," Oliver said, still watching his daughter.

"She's in good hands," Wills said, grinning.

Daisy's chest suddenly tightened as a warmth immediately filled her. She felt… love. Affection. Worry.

But just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared. It was the same thing she felt before, all those months ago. But this time it was stronger. She looked up at the back of Wills' head as he led her down the corridor to the living room, her eyes widening. In that next second, everything came flooding through her at once and she realized that she had always been drawn to him. And now she understood why.

It had been Wills all along.

And more drama... Poor John and Pix just can't catch a break, can they? Just two more chapters to go on this one. I'm hoping to get about 10 chapters written on Calm Before the Storm before I start posting that one and currently I've only got about three finished - two of which are pretty much ready for posting while chapter three is very much just a first draft and needs more work and fleshing out. So hopefully there won't be too much down time between the two books. But, I'm still only on about 11 chapters planned, so I'm hoping I can get most of that at least planned/plotted before I start posting as well.

So flippin' tricky, this next one...

twilightlover427: I was trying to not make it so obvious which way things were going to go, but man it's hard sometimes. And as you can see, he's pretty much devastated. Which makes me devastated for him. Ultimately John is a good man and he deserves the best.

AleenaBean: Yea, but luckily I didn't make you wait too long to see what happens next.^_^ And yea, these two just can't catch a break. But I'm hoping to make up for all the drama with a bit of fun at the end and in the beginning of the next book.

As always, thanks for reading, following and reviewing! Special thanks to new follower burninamber! Really appreciate the love!