Everything- Oliver Wood

𝟜𝟙. ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤

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In the compartment, Percy and Penelope are in the middle of showing off their Head Boy and Girl badges. 

Everyone is talking about how excited they are for this year. I'm not sure how I feel. I guess I'm pretty glad to get away from my dad. 

Then, we start slowing down. I frown and look out the window. 

"Are we stopping?" Ambria asks. 

"We can't be there yet," Penny says. 

"It's getting darker," Percy notes. 

"And colder," Oliver says. 

I hug my elbows. The windows look like they're frosting over. 

"Look," I say, pointing into the corridor at a dark shadow passing by. 

I start feeling dreadful. The darkness is pressing in on me. It feels like it's getting hard to breathe. Someone's hand finds mine. 

Then, as suddenly as it started, it stops. 

The lights come back, the train starts moving, and it starts getting warm again. The dreadful feeling doesn't go away as easy. 

Oliver and I glance down at our intertwined fingers, then pull our hands apart. 

"What was that?" Candace asks. 

"Does anyone else feel really awful?" Oliver asks. 

"Yeah," Ambria says, her lip quivering. 

"God, that was weird," Penny frowns, hugging her elbows. Percy puts his arm around her shoulders. 

Once we get to the school, we find out what happened- the guards of the Azkaban prison, Dementors, are on the lookout for Sirius Black and wanted to search the train. Dumbledore doesn't seem too happy about it. 

The beginning of year party by the Hufflepuffs happens as usual; I hang out with Oliver for most of it. I feel underwhelmed and satisfied at the same time- I want to be more than friends with him, but also am scared of everything that entails. 

Quidditch season starts right away. It feels amazing to be back out on the pitch. It's an escape.

Oliver is extremely determined to win the cup this year. He's got his team out practicing as soon as the sun rises. 

One Saturday morning, I go out to the pitch with my team only to find that the Gryffindor team is already there. 

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask, walking up to Oliver. 

"I felt like we could use another practice this week." 

"I think you're overworking your team," I grin, looking at the other players. 

"Yes, thank you Parker," Fred nods. 

"Listen to her, Wood," George says. 

"Well, you don't win the Quidditch cup by only practicing twice a week." 

"Matches don't start for 2 months," I laugh. 

"We're winning this year," Oliver says. 

"Alright, well, Ravenclaw's got the pitch booked for today." 

"Can't we just share?" 

"That's not fair," I frown. 

"Yeah, Wood, you can't just sabotage our practice," Kenneth Clint says. 

"What if we help each other practice?" Oliver says. 

"That's not going to work," Roger Davies says, shaking his head.