From the sky to the sea (Oliver Wood fan fiction)

Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor

Every now and then a game will fall on the perfect day, when the sun is out and the birds are chirping and a slightest breeze ruffles the leaves on the dark forest. Today is not one of those days. Today is the polar opposite of those days. It's cold, and raining and way too windy and  just generally not very nice conditions to be flying in. 

My finders are numb around the hilt of my bad and I need to hold on tight to prevent it from toppling out of my hands. I look to Cedric a couple of times to make sure he's still atop his broom. And every time I glance over he is, thank goodness.  Chancing a quick glance at Wood I notice that he too is also going strong. Too strong for my liking. I wouldn't mind if he let a Quaffle or two in now and then. But that's not like him, it's not his style. 

I must have been glancing a little longer then I expected because I completely miss the bludger that comes speeding my way until it's almost to late. There's only one way out and that way is down so I release my legs and let myself drop. Not completely of course, I do actually value my life. I just drop out of the bludgers way, still holding on the my broom with one hand. 

It's not too bad of a situation when you think about it. All I need to do is swing myself back up onto the boom and everything will be fine. Unfortunately that's not how things work at Hogwarts. 'Fine' is to easy when you could have 'impending doom'. 

The same Bludger that got me in this position decided to some back to finish the job. It takes everything for me to knock it away just in time. It's not a very strong knock considering that I'm only using one hand and that I'm clinging on the my broom for dear life but it gives me enough time to somehow clamber my way back into  sitting position. 

Without the threat of death by squash lingering over my head I realise just how much damage that swing actually did me as a sharp pain grows in my left shoulder. I take a moment to examine my arm and have to choke back the sick that build up in my throat when I see it hanging, limply by my side. 

It must be dislocated which would mean that that it's basically useless. In that moment I'm just glad it's my left arm that got disabled and not the my right. 

"Where's Potter?" Someone screams. Katie Bell maybe, I can't be sure.  I have a look around to see if maybe I can find the Gryffindor seeker but the owner of the scream is right. I can't see him anywhere.

And then, all of a sudden, I can. I see him falling out of the sky moving towards the ground. Fast. Very fast. Not really in to mood to witness the impact I decide to try and find Cedric. 

When I do he's clutching the Snitch and speeding down towards where Potter's body lies. He's doesn't resemble lasagna, thank goodness, so I follow Cedric down to make sure everything is okay. 

"Out of my way." It's Madam Pomfrey hurrying across the pitch towards the blur of red and yellow that surround the boy on the floor. After that I'm not sure what happens, there's pushing and shoving and pain in my arm and somehow I'm on my way to the Hospital Wing. And Cedric who takes me and he keeps going on an on about the win being unfair and how he didn't know what happened to Potter. To be honest I'm not really listening. 

The Hospital wing's got Potter in one bed and his entire house surrounding him, Caroline included. She spots me and come running over. "Are you okay? Pen?  Are you hurt?" 

"My arm." Is all I manage to say before Madam Pomfrey is also by my side and confirming that, yes, my shoulder is dislocated. Then there's a very very painful pain and then it's better. Not a lot better, but better. 

"You okay?" Cedric asks me. "I need to go speak to Dumbledoor. He told me on the pitch that there can't be a rematch but I can ask again." 

"Go. Set things right. I'll be fine."  And he does go leaving me standing there, the only Hufflepuff in a sea of Red. 

"You too Caro. Go join your house." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yah." She gives me a hug before going back to stand next to the twins and I take that as my sign to leave. Make my way back to Hufflepuff. 

"Where's Oliver?" I hear Potter ask. He's alive and well. That's good. 

"Taking a shower. We think he's trying to drown himself."  One of the twins joke making a few people laugh. 

I understand how difficult this loss must be for Wood. This is his last year, his last opportunity to win. I can very much relate to that on every possible level. 

Completely beside the plan I end up back in the Quidditch pitch, inside the Gryffindor locker room. 

"Oliver?" I call out. "Pleas don't drown yourself." 

The sound of the shower, that I hadn't noticed before due to the still falling rain, stops and there's a rustling sound before Wood is standing in front of me with in nothing but a towel that's wrapped around his waist. I really don't know what I was expecting but this takes me completely by surprise. Not caring at all that it's obvious I'm trying not to look at the wet body in front of me I stare at a lion painted on the wall across from me. 

"Penny? What are you doing here?" He's voice is sad. Clearly sad, when what it should be is mad about the opposite team member standing in his looker room.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you don't try to drown yourself."  I'm about to leave. I can only guess at how red my face would be it my skin tone where paler. "Sorry." 

Before I get that chance to even turn away Wood grabs my hand. "Wait." 

That's all he says. Nothing follows. He just stands there holding onto my hand looking at me with big sad eyes. 

"Are you okay?" I ask even though I already know the answer. 

"Not really." And then he starts to cry. Some people might think it silly to cry over loosing a Quidditch game. Those people can bugger off and leave the rest of us alone. 

I pull Oliver into a hug. It's not a very pleasant hug seeing as he's drenched from the shower and I'm drenched from the rain and everything is cold and wet and my shoulder still hurts but when he let's his face fall into the crook of my neck I decide it's best to just keep holding on. 

You have to understand that I'm not tall. I'm not even average hight, at least not in Europe. Which makes this hug really rather awkward. Oliver's back is hunched and I'm on my tippy toes and it's starting to get tiring. Slowly, I sink down unto the floor pulling Wood with me so that we're both sitting and the hight difference is less of a problem. 

Once he's all cried out Oliver lifts his head to look at me. I offer a small reassuring smile, an 'it's all going to be okay' kind of smile. He doesn't smile back, not even a little. What he does do is lean forward until his face is close to mine. I can feel the tip of his nose gently touching my nose as I try very hard not to move. 

I can feel is warm breath on my face and I'm sure that's something that works both ways. I try to look at the situation from an outsiders point of view. Objectively. I'm sure the whole thing looks very romantic and wonderful. I mean Oliver is a good looking bloke and he's got an accent that could probably impregnate women and now he's centimetres way from my face and his breathing is deep and my heart is racing. It's a scene right out of the books my sister always reads. 

What I should do is lean in the tiniest bit more until out lips brush gently agains each other and then let him do the rest. What I do do is think about how incredibly gross the wet floor is and how my Quidditch robes cling uncomfortably to my flesh and how my shoulder still hurts. 

"Oliver?" I inquire quietly, barely string the air. But still my word was loud enough to get a reaction. Its not a very good reaction though. Oliver pulls back, blinks at me a few times and then he just get's up and leaves. Just like that. No goodbye or anything. 

I can now objectively say that this is worse. this is worse then it was a while a go because my shoulder still hurts and my robes are still wet and uncomfortable and the floor is still icky but now the pretty face that was just here is gone and it took the sexy accent with it and it just left me sitting in a locker room of a house that isn't mine and very very confused.