Harry Potter Imagines

[Oliver Wood] ~Old Friends

"Lass!" Oliver shouted as he came close to me, and I clung to him like my life depended on it as I sobbed into his shoulder. "It's okay now lass, it's okay. I'm here."
I clung to Oliver harder as he rocked me slightly, waving my housemates away as I tried my best to calm down.
"I-if they weren't h-here I-I..." I began and Oliver's arms tightened around me.
"It's okay lass, you'll be fine." He murmured as he kissed my head and ran his hands up and down my back in a comforting manner. "I'm here, no one can harm you now, okay?"
I nodded as I sunk into the familiar comfort of Oliver's arms. This was usually how it always was.
I got hurt or in dodgy situations -I got into both way too often for what my housemates liked to call a 'harmless badger' – and Oliver always ended up comforting me, it had happened so ever since we were small children.
"I-I..." I tried to explain but Oliver shushed me softly as he held me tighter.
"It's alright lass. I'm here now you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He whispered in my ear, and I nodded as I buried my head on his shoulder. "Do you want me to take you flying for a little?" he offered, and I shook my head quickly as I tried to wipe my tears.
"C-can we go somewhere quieter?" I whispered and Oliver nodded immediately, taking me by the hand and pulling me after him.
We walked as Oliver pulled me after him, avoiding the more crowded spaces with an ease that showed just how many times we'd gotten into this kind of predicament.
He guided me to a lesser used classroom and we walked inside, locking the door after us so we wouldn't be disturbed.

"C'mon lass, let's chit chat, that should ease up your mind." He said as he sat down and pulled me into his lap, hugging me tightly. "So, your ma owled me to ask how you were doing because it's been four weeks since you last wrote home. What's that all about?"
I paled at his question. I hadn't been writing home lately because, firstly I just didn't really have anything to say, and what could indeed be counted as news wouldn't be something my parents would be fond off. "Coincidentally you stopped writing home when you and that piece of dragon dung started dating. I know I said you didn't have to talk about it if you didn't want to, but after today..."
I sighed as I looked down to my hands, which were absent-mindedly playing with the hem of Oliver's robes.
I removed my hands from his robes as I sighed, knowing that Oliver was just prodding so he could help me feel better, and who knows, maybe even drop kick that arsehole in the face.
"At first, I thought it was normal jealousy, you know, he used to get slightly mad whenever a boy was too close to me. I thought that was normal." I began and Oliver nodded, before I continued.
"But then, it began happening with increasing frequency and intensity, he became more controlling, more possessive, he would get mad at me and call me all sorts of names if another guy even looked at me. It went on like that for a few months, until he prohibited me from writing home to my parents and from talking to anyone that wasn't him."
"Why didn't you come to me or to your dormmates lass?" Oliver asked softly as he rubbed my back gently.
"I couldn't. I wanted to please him and make him happy. I thought he was the love of my life." I sighed as Oliver shook his head, not quite looking at me.
"But then my dormmates sat me down, one night. And as I talked to them, I realized that it wasn't normal, but I still wanted to be with him. I thought it was love." I laughed dryly as I wiped at the stubborn tears that wanted to escape my eyes. "But it wasn't. It can't be love when you cry yourself to dust every time you're alone."

For a short while neither of us spoke, I was just trying to keep my mind as empty as possible, and I assumed Oliver was trying to assimilate all I had just told him.
"Lass."
I looked up at Oliver when he called for me, finding him smiling brightly at me.
"Yes, Oliver?"
"Do you want to go write home and tell your ma that you're fine, and maybe after we can both go flying?"
I smiled at Oliver, feeling so completely grateful for having him in my life.
"I'd like that very much Oliver."

(...)

"Lass! You made it!" Oliver screamed as he hugged me tightly, lifting me off the ground and I let out a slight laugh.
"Why would I miss this? You wouldn't let me live with myself if I did, and then you'd owl my ma and she would be all over me. It was a no- win type of thing to miss this." I said with a laugh when Oliver put me down, and he smiled at me, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, as he eyed me with a smile.
"You are absolutely gorgeous lass." He said softly and I smiled as I blush came up my neck.
"Thanks Oliver." I said as I straightened the invisible creases of my dress.
For a moment it seemed as though we were the only ones in the room, even if his friends were all here as well, to celebrate his birthday.
I reached for a box that was in my jacket's pocket and handed it to him with a smile. "Happy birthday Oliver."
Oliver rose an eyebrow as he looked at the box and opened it, seeing the necklace he had completely destroyed a little over a year ago, completely intact and as good as new.
"How did you...? I thought it was gone forever?" He asked as he hugged me, and I laughed.
"Nothing a little patience and a few extra Charms and Transfiguration classes couldn't resolve." I said as I watched Oliver slip the necklace on with a smile etched onto his face.
"You never cease to amaze me lass." He said as he hugged me and I let out a deep breath, trying to ready myself for the next surprise I would give to Oliver.
This next surprise of mine would need a lot of liquid courage, so I better start drinking my heart out.
"So, Ollie, where can I find the booze?" I asked and Oliver eyed me weirdly.
"Are you alright lass?" he asked, and I nodded eagerly. Oliver gave me a weird look but shrugged. "If you're so sure, they're over there, by the twins." He said and I nodded, almost jogging to the table, and picking up an entire bottle of firewhiskey and downing a generous amount in one gulp.