Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Thirty Three

Carter had successfully avoided the majority of the female population of the school for the day by running around the grounds. But as dinner time was coming around, he searched for his sister thinking she was back from her date with Oliver in Hogsmeade. As he searched the castle, he couldn't find her, but found Andy, Ace, Jenna and Brandon sitting in one of the corridor windows.

He walked over to them and placed his hands on his hips. "Where is my sister?" he demanded to know.

The four older Ravenclaw students gave him a weird look before shrugging.

"She's still out on a date? What could they be doing that's taking so long?" he whined.

Ace's face paled while Jenna and Brandon snickered to themselves. Andy nudged Jenna in the ribs who gasped in pain and in return hit Brandon in the ribs.

"Ow! You were laughing too!" Brandon cried out.

"I know, but if I can't laugh, neither can you." Jenna said rubbing her side.

Andy looked to her best friend's little brother. "It's their first date, Carter. I think they're just talking trying to learn more about each other. That's what is taking them so long."

"What can they be talking about for so long, it's not like Mel is that interesting." Carter said.

"Well, not to you, but that's because she's not your love interest, she's your sister." Ace laughed.

Carter made a face before moving his arms, signaling the group to part so he could sit between them.

"You look tired Carter." Brandon pointed out.

"Of course, I'm tired I've been running around this school trying to avoid the crazy girls in my year. They've been dealing out love potions like it's candy! Where do they even get the love potions from?!"

"Aww Carter you see it as flattering if they're trying to slip you a little love potion." Jenna smiled at him. "It means they like you."

"First off, ew." Carter said. " Second, I don't want to fall in love with any girl...that's just gross."

"Hey." Jenna and Andy said.

"No offense." Carter added quickly.

"Lay off him," Ace told the girls, " he's right. I thought girls were gross when I was his age too."

"I still think they're gross." Brandon informed them earning a glare from Jenna. "Don't worry Jen, I don't consider you a girl."

"That's it, you better run!" Jenna said just before Brandon hopped up and took off down the hall.

Andy sighed. "I better follow them or you're going to be down one quidditch player." she told Ace before forcing herself up and following the direction the two had disappeared down.

Ace and Carter were left alone, sitting in silence for a couple of moments until Carter turned to him.

"So I'm guessing no girls tried to slip you some love potions?" Carter asked him.

Ace shook his head with an amused grin. "Thankfully, no."

Carter gave a nod of his head before looking out the window behind them. "Is it true?" 

"Is what true?" Ace said.

"Do you like Melanie?"

"Wha- who told you that?"

"Doesn't matter. Is it true?"

"Look Carter I-"

"You do..." Carter said to himself. " Wow."

Ace ran his hand over his face in a stressful manner. 

"Maybe it's Mel who's been slipping boys love potions." Carter told Ace.

"Why would you say that?"

"I don't know how else a boy would like her, let alone two."

"That's not nice, Carter."

"I'm just saying. I like to think I know her better than you guys do. I'm the one who had to grow up with her, remember? When my mum worked double shifts, it was Mel that I had to be around, so trust me, we know each other a little too well. Which is why I'm so confused about you and Oliver wanting to be around her."

Ace went to reply but instead they were interrupted by Todd walking towards them.

"Hello gentlemen...have either one of you see Oliver?"

"He's still out with Mel." Carter told him.

Surprise and another emotion Ace and Carter couldn't read swept across the boy's face.

"Really?" Todd said. "The date is lasting this long..I...I would have thought by now that Oliver would have done something to ruin it."

"Doesn't seem to be the case." Ace said.

"No, I guess not." Todd said sitting beside Carter. "Wow."

Carter sat in between the two older boys and looked back and forth between them.

"Man, I don't know who I feel sorrier for...you two or the first year girls." the boy said shaking his head. "But I'm definitely leaning towards you two."

"So you plan on playing quidditch professionally after graduating from here?" Melanie asked Oliver as they returned to the grounds before it got too dark.

"That's what I'm hoping for. That's the dream right there. Play quidditch all day and see the world." Oliver said with a bright smile.

Whenever quidditch came up in conversation, Melanie could see the excitement and happiness grow on the boy's features. No matter how much he spoke abou it, he never seemed to grow tired of the topic.

"What about you?" he asked. "Do you plan on playing professionally?"

"Oh no." Melanie shook her head. "Not at all. I like the sport and all, but  I don't like it enough for it to be a career. I figured after Hogwarts I'll be done. I mean even after this year I was thinking about calling it quits. With O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts I really want to be prepared as I can be. This year has already taken a slight toll on my study habits and I don't like that."

"Yeah I do seem to find you normally reading or doing some sort of work. So what do you want to do after Hogwarts?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure I'll figure something out. I think it would be really cool to be a professor though." she said. " That's a dream job to me."

"But you would basically be stuck in the castle all the time." Oliver pointed out.

"It doesn't sound like a bad thing to me."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Silence over took them again as they finally reached the castle.

"Well, um...thanks for the date." Melanie told him. "I'm going to head back to the dorms and change before dinner. But really I did have a great time."

"Me too." Oliver said. "Thanks for coming with me."

She smiled at him and then before the two of them could part, Melanie just wanted to do one more thing.

 So, she leaned in and gave Oliver a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Bye Oliver."