The Keeper

Chapter 17

The songs I listened to were Liability by Lorde, Stand By Me by Oasis and Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.

Sorry about the length of this chapter. This week (and the following) are very busy for me. I'm actually writing this during an MUN conference. Then I leave for the US for a WSC competition on Wednesday, before going to India for a school trip two days after I get back! I'll do my best to write whenever possible, but I apologise in advance for a dip in quality/lack of updates.

Please vote and comment <3

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His words hung in the air and I held my breath. What?  I couldn't believe what I had heard.

"Oh!" Gillian said, stepping back slightly. "Were you really?"

Oliver nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "I was hoping to catch Y/N alone."

Shocked, I tried to talk but found my words unclear. I swallowed. "Gillian, could you give us a little privacy?" I asked quietly.

Gillian stared at me, her eyes wider than usual. She took a deep breath and walked away into the throng of still-celebrating students.

"I'm glad she's gone," Oliver told me, rubbing his neck. "I can't stand her."

I laughed weakly. "Neither can I. She's been my friend and my roommate since I arrived at Hogwarts. Looking back, I can remember several times when she's been generally irritating. But she's gotten worse this year." I bit my lip.

There was a pause when neither of us moved.

"So," he began slowly, "would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Like a date?" I wondered aloud. I would be crestfallen if his intentions were purely platonic. Hope was all I had right now.

"Like a date," he clarified. "I really like you, Y/N, and I'd love to go on a date with you."

"That sounds...amazing," I answered. Amazing was nowhere near powerful enough to encapsulate my emotions. "Where do you want to go?"

"Preferably not Madam Puddifoot's. You remember what happened last time."

At that moment, a group of people happened to walk past Oliver. They heard his sentence and stopped short.

"Planning another date, Wood?" the tallest boy sneered.

"Planning to stop you from talking permanently, Conroy," Oliver said bluntly. "Goodbye."

The boy, Conroy, scoffed. But his friends dragged him away, presumably to go interfere in someone else's private conversation. I glanced at Oliver and smirked.

"How frightening," I commented.

"I can be when I want to be. Anyway, do you want to go somewhere less exposed to the likes of Rory Conroy?" He gestured vaguely in the direction of the fireplace.

"That's a great idea."

We headed over to the unoccupied armchairs in front of the fireplace. I sunk into the soft fabric, fond memories of Christmas floating through my mind. Oliver took the chair opposite.

"Does the Three Broomsticks work for you?" I asked.

"Sounds great. I'll buy you a butterbeer."

I began blushing almost immediately, grateful for the red firelight to mask my cheeks. "That's a very kind offer but you really don't have to."

He leaned forward. "I asked you to go out with me. It's only right for me to make you happy. Besides, it's absolutely no trouble."

Before I answered, I clocked Sasha standing a few metres behind Oliver's chair. She waved her arms wildly and jumped up and down a few times. I stifled a laugh.

"I have some work to do," I said, "so I have to go. But I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Can't wait," Oliver replied, smiling.

I said goodbye to Oliver and made my way back to my dorm, Sasha hot on my tail. The second we stepped inside, she dragged me to her bed and sat me down.

"Tell me everything," she whispered.