Eyes On The Sky l Oliver Wood

Morning After

The morning after is met with a pain splintering hungover that's almost as worse as my concussion. I hold my palm to my head and wake up, squinting in the bright sunny morning and my my cat -Pluto- mewoing at me like she thinks I'm dead. The only other person in the room is Penelope has her transfiguration book in front of her but her eyes elsewhere.

"Morning." I say lightly, my voice scratchy and soft, scratching Pluto behind her ear.

"Hmm? Oh hey, I was just waiting for you to get up. Aria went down to breakfast a little bit ago, she seemed weirdly bright." Penelope says softly, her voice sounding trained and her words rehearsed.

"Yeah she only ever has like half a drink." I tell her, getting adjusted to the sun. Penelope nods and looks away, not moving.

My stomach twists a bit, I've had to do what I did last night once before and she's always... off the next morning. I can't really blame her, and so I've never brought it up. Today should be different.

"How... are you?" I ask, trying to find her eyes.

She shrugs, meeting my eyes for the first time, "I'm fine, hungover as normal."

"That wasn't what I was talking about."

"I know." I cock my head silently asking her to say more, "I just feel bad. We both want to come out but as of right now, you're the only one we've told. I just don't know how people are going to react, I mean the teachers could find out -my parents could find out!"

I get up, crossing the room to get to Penelope's -Aria's- bed. I sit down next to her, and wrap my arms around her shoulder, letting her head fall onto mine as she sniffs quietly.

"I want to come out so badly, I don't want to hide myself anymore! But, people are already... shitty to me. I don't think I'd be able to take anymore of it."

"You can just take baby steps, you know? Maybe tell Aria, or Asha could tell some of her friends. Nobody doesn't have to know."

"Yeah, yeah maybe." She says, seeming like she's trying to convince herself, "You think Asha is okay?"

"I think you should talk to her because she is almost definitely thinking the same thing."

She nods slightly and shifts to get up from the bed, "Did I sleep in Aria's bed last night?" I can tell she's uncomftorab;e and trying to change the topic, and I just let her.

I laugh lightly, "Yeah."

"Jesus I need to apologize to her."

I smile and get up too.

After fifteen minutes we're both changed, our minds still buzzing with pain. Penelope decides that she'll talk to Asha at breakfast, hoping she's still there or not still in her dorms.

As we're heading downstairs, Penelope asks me a question I was seriously hoping she wouldn't. "So you and Oliver were talking last night?"

I trip a step and stumble onto the common room floor, almost falling on my face.

"I'll take that as a yes." She says promptly, a laugh poorly hidden.

"I don't want to talk about it." I mumble, crossing my arms and dramatically turning my face.

"I mean I'm just confused."

"I was drunk and you know that I get weirdly nice when I'm drunk. I mean you remember when I gave that fourth year 50 quid because he said he said he couldn't afford any candy from hogsmeade." My eyes widen and I gesticulate, trying to prove my point.

Penelope snorts, "It was nice though. You guys were like leaning into each other and all that stupid shit."

I feel my face go red surely that isn't true."Oh God, don't tell me that." I cover my face with my hands like I can shield myself from embarrassment.