STRANGE LOVE | O. WOOD ✔

[12] : BLUDGER ATTACK

Astrid was torn between rooting for Slytherin or Gryffindor at the Quidditch match. When she still played, it wasn't really hard to decide. She played to win but she preferred Gryffindor. She wanted to cheer for Slytherin, since Draco was her cousin and her uncle Lucius sat with Severus Snape. But then again, her best friend was playing and Harry was playing as well. She decided to sit with Crabbe and Goyle. And she made a mental note to apologize to Oliver.

"Go Draco!" Astrid cheered when Draco waved at her. She also waved at him before turning to Goyle, who was a deadly shade of red in the face. "This weather is brutal, right?" Goyle just nodded, not trusting his mouth to speak. Astrid raised a brow at him but she let it go when she saw Harry and Draco zoom after the Snitch. "Duck! Duck!" She yelled at Harry when a rogue Bludger zoomed after him.

Whether Harry heard her or not, he ducked nevertheless and the Bludger nearly collided with Draco, who thankfully ducked in time. Astrid sighed in relief.

"It's scary, isn't it?" She asked Crabbe, who agreed with her.

"Though this isn't as scary as your last game. That was honestly terrifying." Crabbe pointed out and Astrid shrugged, she of course thought last years game was scary but watching the people you love being chased after a killer ball was more scary.

They both disappeared under the stands and she watched as the other Bludger collide with Oliver's broom. He sinned to the ground and Astrid screamed. Draco was suddenly flung out from underneath the stands and he landed on his butt.

Harry appeared and took a Bludger to the arm, and Astrid assumed it was broken due to the fact that he clutched it towards his chest. Harry caught the snitch, fell forwards and the Gryffindor stand roared with applause and cheers.

Astrid rushed over to Harry's side, like Hermione and Ron. She noticed that Oliver was alright and he was making his way towards them.

"I'm so glad that you're okay." She said as she engulfed him in a hug. He awkwardly returned it. They both returned their attention to Harry, who Gilderoy had now tried to mend his broken bones. It didn't work however, as Harry's arm now had no bones.

"Well, good thing is, you won't feel any pain." Gilderoy said, bending his rubbery arm back. Astrid saw Hagrid scoff.

"There 're no bones left in 'im." He argued but no one was really paying attention to the half giant. Astrid managed to hide her laughter with a cough. To be frank, Astrid didn't know how she felt about Hagrid, whether she liked him or not. She knew the half giant was kind and gentle for a giant.

She hugged Oliver one last time before she said she needed to talk to Cedric. Oliver watched her leave with jealousy burning at the tips of his fingers.

*

Cedric and Astrid lazily sat in the kitchen, listening to the house elves hum a song as they worked. That's when Astrid recognized one of them.

"Dobby?!" She asked and the house elf turned around, his green eyes terrified as they landed on her. "Is this where you went?" He nodded. "But why?"

"Dobby has been trying to—" He cut himself short, took a nearby pan and spilled its contents before whacking himself with it. Astrid immediately stopped him.

"What have you been trying to do Dobby? You know you can tell me anything, I promise I won't punish you or tell uncle Lucius." Even with the promise, Dobby refused to tell and he sprinted off, saying something about Master Lucius.

"Is that your house elf?" Cedric asked the worried Astrid, she nodded.

"Do you think—" She inched closer to him. "Do you think Oliver is okay? He seemed a little off when I told him I was meeting with you."

"He'll get over it, you said it yourself, we are the only friends he has." Astrid grinned.

"Yeah, man, I feel like doing something that will piss Snape off." She thought out loud and Cedric chuckled. She watched his Adam's apple bop up and down.

"I still need to tell him that you're a lifesaver you know." Cedric grinned at her and that's when when she remembered that he indeed still had to.

"Well," She stood up, helped Cedric up and waved goodbye to the house elves. The house elves were confused, normally, only the Hufflepuffs are this kind to them, never a Slytherin. "You can do that after we find Oliver. I think he's with Harry at the hospital wing."

They walked together in silence, but Astrid didn't mind it. Just like she suspected, Oliver was there at Harry's beside, along with Alicia, Angelina and the two twins.

"How's he doing?" Astrid asked Oliver, who raised a brow at her. She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't answer that. Skrew Harry. How are you doing Oliver? And be honest, please."

"I'm doing spectacular Astrid." He beamed at her, but she could notice that it was fake.

"No, you're not. Tell me what's wrong before I hex it out of you." She said in a warning tone and Oliver sighed, running a hand through his brown hair.

"I don't know." He weakly admitted before he pulled them outside the hospital wing. Cedric raised a brow at them and Astrid shrugged before they disappeared behind the doors. "You're always with Cedric and I — I get jealous."

"Jealous of what Oliver? There's nothing to be jealous of. Cedric and I are friends, and that's it." Astrid pointed out. "How more daft can you get? How much air is in your head?"

"I — what?" He then gasped, upon realizing the truth now. He looked at Astrid with a mouth hung agape.

"Yeah Wood. Not Cedric, not Fred or George or Percy, you." She poked his chest and he grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry for acting like an idiot." She smiled.

"You've done worse." Oliver smiled at her and Astrid could tell it was genuine this time round. The doors suddenly burst open and the others piled out. The Weasley twins wolf whistled at their now intertwined hands. Astrid blushed a deep red and they left, chuckling to themselves.

Cedric smiled at them both before disappearing, looking extremely pale in the face. Astrid left next, telling Oliver she needed to change. Oliver told her the same and she watched him sprint to the Gryffindor tower whilst she made her way to the dungeons. She felt happy that she finally told Oliver that she liked him, well, she sort of did tell him in a weird way, and she hoped Cedric wouldn't get mad. He didn't seem mad, he seemed as though he was dying. But Astrid shrugged it off just like her robes.