The Keeper

Chapter 10

The songs for this chapter are I'm Not The Only One by Sam Smith, Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden and Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy.

This is the outfit worn by Y/N in this chapter.

(writing this in 2021 - don't like this outfit so much now but i'm keeping it here to remind me of my roots 😔✊🏼)

Also, just a little feature I quite liked, Sasha (Maisie Williams) describes her perfect man and I described Maisie Williams' actual partner :)

*

Christmastime had the audacity to take its time arriving, but it had finally come. I welcomed the break from lessons with open arms, despite the copious amount of homework that had resulted in. Also, some of my friends were staying at Hogwarts during the break too.

Sasha was staying here by choice, as were Aleeza and Louise. Gillian was going home. To be honest, Gillian had been growing more irritating as the year had gone on, so I was a tad thankful for her absence. Of course, Oliver would be here too.

On the first day of break, we had decided to spend the afternoon at the Three Broomsticks. Butterbeer had to be one of my favourite drinks so it was only fitting.

Aleeza and Louise sat opposite Sasha and I as we slid into a booth in the corner of the pub. After ordering the customary four butterbeers, we started chatting.

"There's this girl I saw in Divination, can't remember her name, but she was cute!" Aleeza exclaimed. "Wavy brown hair that she ties into a stunning ponytail and she's always wearing soft pink lipstick. I don't even know her name and I think I fancy her."

Louise coughed. "I think you mean Reina. I'd steer clear - she's a horrible person."

"Oh well," sighed Aleeza.

Our conversation also strayed into the more criticising.

"By this point, I don't really care if I sound mean, but I do not like Gillian," Louise gushed, leaning on Aleeza's shoulder.

"I thought I was the only one who thought so," Aleeza added. "She's just so trying sometimes. She always has to be correct and if she's ever wrong, we misunderstood or she's too clever for us."

"Also, she thinks she knows about quidditch," Sasha complained. "I'm surprised she knows what a broom is. She's also fixated on Oliver, I swear."

I opened my mouth to protest but closed it shortly after, interested to find out about Gillian's thoughts on Oliver. I watched the others talk as I sipped my butterbeer.

"Every time we bring him up she suddenly becomes interested in our conversation," said Louise, "and that's when her supposed quidditch knowledge really takes the spotlight."

"I think she's jealous because we think that Oliver and Y/N should be a couple." Aleeza paused. "Even though they totally should."

"I heard my name?"

"Oliver!" Sasha greeted warmly, nudging my leg under the table. "I didn't know you were here over Christmas."

"Please join us," Aleeza said. Sasha and I slid sideways so Oliver could sit next to me. I could feel the girls watching us.

"What're you guys planning to do with your time off?"

I scoffed. "There's not that much time off, really! I'll be studying. I've never had this much homework."

"Fair enough," he replied with a smile. That damn smile. I had noticed it was a trademark thing he did often - the left side of his mouth quirked slightly higher than the right to produce a soft, gentle closed smile.

As usual, our time was dominated by a conversation that only existed because nobody knew what to say. Oliver thankfully didn't bring up the fact that we mentioned his name, so Gillian as a topic was avoided.

"How about we play Truth or Dare?" Louise suggested. There was a mischevious glint in her caramel eyes. "Spice things up a bit." She shared a glance with Aleeza and I felt my stomach churn.

"Sasha," Aleeza said, leaning forward, "truth or dare?"

Pausing for a moment, Sasha answered with truth.

"Describe your perfect guy."

She paused for even longer while tapping her fingers on her chin. "I'd have to say not too tall, wavy dark brown hair and intelligent. He'd have to like travelling to obscure places and be relatively sporty. He'd also love going to dinner dates." After she finished, Sasha eyed the rest of us, wondering who to chose next. "Y/N."

I knew it would happen at some point. And I was fairly sure what questions or silly things I'd be asked to do. "Dare."

She squeaked audibly. "Wonderful! I dare you to kiss Oliver."

I froze, fully aware of the heat rising to my cheeks. In my peripheral vision, I noticed Oliver shifting too.

"Properly, no cheek kissing," Aleeza added.

Swallowing hard, I managed to say okay. I ignored my blush as I turned towards Oliver. His face seemed a tiny bit pinker but nothing compared to the state mine was probably in.

"Here we go," I said, more to myself than anyone else. I leaned in closer and kissed him quickly.

Sasha looked at me expectantly when I pulled away. I refused to look at Oliver, or at anything resembling another human. "Louise, your go." I described a feeble dare she had to do that involved chugging butterbeer because I was too flustered to focus. Even so, I noticed Oliver and I had a closer proximity than we did before.

Sasha moved her head to my ear. "You can expect more of those before the year ends. Mark my words."