Chapter 19:
The next afternoon, Hermione flooed over to the Puddlemere Stadium, wearing Oliver's jersey, just before his lunch break. She was looking up in the sky, trying to identify her husband from the flying blurs and so she missed the blonde almost behind her staring daggers through her head. When the coach signaled for them to come down, one by one, they all zoomed in and Hermione waited patiently for Oliver to come down. Just as he did, she heard the same voice from last night call him, "Ollie dear, I must say that was just superb. The way you blocked that…" and she moved in very close to him, pulling him in for a hug and he stiffened, turning every which way to get out of the hug. And that's when he saw her.
"What are you doing here lass? Are you about to leave again?" he asked, voice concerned, immediately walking towards her, leaving the blonde standing behind speechless.
Hermione creased her nose at her own intrusion but she figured she was there already so there was nothing else she could do. "I.. No, I'm not. I actually came to share some lunch with you, if you have the time that is. As a… as a thank you for last night. I.. hhmm"
And he was kissing her, right there in front of his entire team! "You came to see me? For lunch?" he asked, eyes lit with happiness. And then he looked at her. Really looked at her. "And you're wearing my jersey!" he exclaimed way too happy for a normal Thursday afternoon, getting her in for a kiss again.
To say she was shocked with his reaction was an understatement! "Yes. I mean you had asked me to wear it again before returning it to you and I'd like to have lunch with you, if you have the time of course."
"Of course I have the time. If I didn't, I'd make time for you love!" And he kissed her again, happy beyond words. It was all the cat calling and the wolf whistling he received from his team that made him break the kiss at long last. Later his eyes promised her and she blushed, looking down.
"I got lunch," she said, pulling out well packed containers from her beaded purse. Oliver just cocked his brow at the number of items she pulled out from that tiny thing!
"It's enchanted," she explained on seeing his look.
"Really? I'd never have guessed," he laughed.
"Ollie dear," Tatyana interrupted, but before she could finish her sentence he cut her. "I'm entitled to a decent lunch break Tatyana! Can I please eat in peace. I'll have a look at the contract and sign it before I leave today, I promise. Now if you don't mind, could I please enjoy some time with my wife?" and giving her no scope of rebuke, he tugged at Hermione's hand and sat her by the edge of the family box, summoning all the food to them.
"So, did you spend all morning bent on the stove for this?" he asked, wondering if he could offer it to his team or not. "No, Mini cooked it all. I just baked the cake." He nodded. So he'd share everything else but the dessert. That worked. Before he could tell her about his intentions, Pollock walked up to them saying, "Cake? Did I hear cake?"
Oliver bit his inner cheek to keep from replying and Hermione answered instead, "Yes, you did. Would you like to share some lunch with us? We've got plenty," she said eyeing all the food laid out in front of them.
"Need you ask? Of course we'd love that." And then he turned, "Guys, free food," he shouted at the team and they were all soon drowned out by them. So much for a few quiet minutes! Oliver thought darkly but played along. He'd given them all a hard time when their spouses had come, they were only returning the favor after all!
"Free food and the company of a lovely lady. Hermione Granger, no less! Only a fool would turn it down," Creevey said, sitting right between Pollock and Hermione.
"That's Wood for you Creevey. Mrs. Hermione Wood!" Oliver bitingly replied, eyes still sparkling with mirth. He saw Hermione discreetly point her wand at all the containers before putting it back in, but he thought he'd ask her about it later.
Hermione for her part, even waved Tatyana over and got her to join in the lunch festivities.
"Where did the cake go?" Pollock asked searching the spread. And Oliver glared at him before handing him the big square container he had hidden behind himself, eyes shining with threat, daring him to say anything bad about it. Pollock saw that, wondering what had gone wrong suddenly and then he bit into the cake and he knew. He immediately passed the container around and Oliver pinned every single one of them with a threat in his eyes, as clear as day, promising retribution with a vengeance if they so much cocked a brow at the first thing his wife had ever made for him, tea aside.
"I don't do sugar and neither should you all," Tatyana scolded when the box was given to her.
Thank Merlin Oliver thought. He did not need her candidness just then!
"So, uhm, have you cooked the meal too?" Pollock asked Hermione, suddenly repenting asking about the cake at all.
"No. Just the cake. The meal was done by Mini, Oliver's family elf."
Oliver could feel the relief in the air as he looked at them all. Everyone smiling tightly back at him.
"So Captain, have you ever cooked for the missus then?"
"You cook?" Hermione jumped at that.
He shrugged, "Only when I have to."
"Oh you're so cooking for me sometime. And soon!"
He crinkled at her, eyes going all soft, "Whenever you say lass."
And just like that, every man sitting there knew, their captain was a goner. He was besotted with his wife! They all laughed and made sure he knew that he would be ground out once they were out of earshot of the missus.
Hermione noticed all the silent communication between the team but couldn't decipher it, so she just went back to eating. Once everyone was almost done, she quickly ended the bottomless charm she'd placed on the food and started packing the empty containers. Oliver saw her move and cocked his brow and she winked her reply. He smirked. Woman has sense.
The coach signaled the end of their break and everyone geared up to fly out. Tatyana again shoved a heap of papers at Oliver and just when he was about to snap, Hermione spoke, "What is it Oliver?"
"Nothing. The ministry officials voted for me to captain the national team for the next world cup. I need to have a look at these papers and sign them to finalize everything."
"Yes, and I need them today!" Tatyana bit back, angry about being left in the background all through lunch.
"That's great news Oliver. Congratulations!" she hugged him before continuing, "If you… I mean.. I can look at them if it's alright with you," she offered Oliver. "Just give me the details and I'll go over the contract. I'll let you know once I'm done. You can fly in and sign it after that."
"You'd do that? For me?" Oliver questioned, a little too happy with the offer.
"Well, if you trust me to, I'd be honored."
He laughed at that, saying "I'd never get anyone better than you Hermione," and he kissed her again. He then pulled the contract out of Tatyana's hands and gave it to Hermione, quickly bringing her up to speed with the negotiations till date and he made Tatyana pass her the minutes of all their previous meetings and he pecked Hermione on the lips yet again before flying off. "Thanks lass," he waved and off he dashed.
Hermione made herself comfortable on a few of the seats in the family box, removed her travel stationary kit from the bag, one she kept there for just such emergencies, and drowned herself in all the papers she was handed. It took a good five hours for her to come back out of it again, glancing up at the sky every once in a while to check for Oliver before dipping her nose in the papers again.
Oliver saw her doing just that from above and smiled contently. No wonder Harry would drag her down to the pitch for all of their practices. There's just something so comforting about knowing she's watching out for you, he thought and smiled again, taking a bludger to his arm for being distracted. "Head in the game Captain," they teased and he growled at his laughing team and went back with vengeance making sure to get them when he threw the quaffle back at them, while guarding his post.
They surrounded him when they were making their way down after their day, making extremely lewd comments for his peace of mind but he knew he'd have to let them. That was how it was whenever someone's girl came for the first time. "So Captain, is the missus at least good in the deed?" "Her cooking is as abysmal as her flying is believed to be." "Tell us, is she as feisty as everyone says she is?"
"You have no idea," Oliver clucked complete with a naughty wink at all their teasing and went straight for her at the box.
She had everything sorted for him when he got there. Complete with color codes to help him understand the points, cross-referencing them from the minutes she was handed. Not that he had expected anything else from her.
"Now that's Hermione Granger at work, I'd say," Pollock called from behind. And she grinned at him, saying, "Everyone has their fortes."
"And its Wood, you wonker" Oliver called, laughingly.
"This is all very impressive Mrs. Wood. Maybe I should cook for you tonight and surprise you with a date night as a thank you," Oliver said, happiness and mischief etched as clear as day on his face.
She laughed, eyes all caramel, "It's not a surprise when you tell me that, Mr. Wood."
"Ah, but you don't know what I'd dish out, now, do you?" he asked taking a step closer to her, rubbing his nose to hers, voice way too suggestive for Hermione's comfort and she blushed. He laughed, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, eyes speaking way too much for her peace of mind, before he bent his head and kissed her.