Serendipity: An Oliver Wood Fanfiction

Chapter 10

As the cool winter air grew calm and crisp, and the stars and moon dipped below the earth, Oliver began to stir. The sun hadn't begun its ascent yet, but it would soon. Alhena felt Olivers hesitance as he whispered through the darkness, over to where she lay. 

"Are you awake?" He mumbled, and she turned over to face him. "Okay, we should go soon." He paused, studying her face, as if searching for the answer to the question he never asked. Did you sleep at all?

Alhena trudged into the bathroom, pulling on the Gryffindor robes that had belonged to Olivers mother. They fit okay, but she tucked the tie into one of the robes pockets, and covered the badge. Oliver noticed, but he didn't say anything.

"Couldn't we fly?" Alhena sighed as they finished getting ready, it was the first thing she'd said all morning. "There aren't any brooms in the house." He swallowed. 

Oliver slid the balcony doors opened half way, and they were met with a cool gust of air that seemed to warn them from going any further, they continued nonetheless. The pair slipped over the railings, and dropped into the thick snow, which rose above their shoes and wet the bottom half of their socks. 

It was difficult to move soundlessly through the outside of the house, though they soon reached the gates and snuck out onto the pavement where there was less snow. Warm air visibly blew around their faces as they took silent breaths. 

They walked in silence until they had completely cleared the suburb, as if any noise would be carried on the wind, over to Olivers house to alert his parents. The first signs of light came from behind a small mountain in the east, illuminating the ground ahead. 

"How far away is it?" Alhena murmured, the sound of her own voice unfamiliar to her. "I'd say another forty minutes." He shrugged. 

The next half hour was the same. They'd enter into strained conversation, until eventually they could continue the topic no longer and fell into awkward silence for another next five minutes. They'd try again to speak, but were never successful. A continuous loop.

It was particularly painful for Alhena, who had always despised small talk. Oliver, on the other hand, had always admired the small things in life. Picking up the crumbs that she'd leave behind. Like how she'd told him she hated plants because they always died on her. 

This told him that she often tried to commit to things, but was never able to make it all the way through. He liked listening to her, observing her, trying to understand her. It was entertaining, and also in a way it was comforting. Knowing what to expect and being able to control things. 

"I don't like red, I probably should because I'm in Gryffindor.. But I've always preferred blue." He shrugged. "Your bed is red." Alhena frowned. "I think the house elves sort of just assumed that because I'm a Gryffindor, I'd want a red bed. I don't mind, it's like the one in my dorm."

"I like green. Not just because I'm a Slytherin." Alhena bit her lip, she was debating just ignoring everything he said, but decided to put in the effort when he spoke to her. He'd done her a favour the night before, letting her stay over. 

There was an echo of silence for a moment, before Alhena decided to finally speak what had been nagging at her all morning. "What do we do about Quidditch." Her voice was barely a whisper. "What do we do if our parents are waiting at us at the Hogwarts Express. If they're expecting us." He responded. Both questions they didn't know the answer to.

"Or if they send for us at the school. I have to go back for the Easter break, actually." Alhena added. "You could refuse." Oliver suggested. "They can't really drag you." 

"I had this big plan, you know." Alhena smiled. "At that stupid pureblood ball that happens at the end of the school year, I was going to attend. Then I was going to cause this huge scene, I had it all planned out. I was going to embarrass the shit out of my family, then disappear forever."

"You could still do it." Oliver watched her cautiously. "I can't face them after last night. Even if I did, they'd find a way to trap me. Perhaps refusing to marry this Luke guy will be enough." She laughed. 

"What did he do, anyway? That 'Luke guy'." Oliver asked. "He was just your typical douchebag. You know he thought I was gay because my hair is blue." She chuckled. "I'm still a little shocked its dyed. I don't know why I thought it was naturally blue." Oliver grinned. 

----

They sat in a small compartment on the train in silence. Both of them staring out the window. They'd reach the Kings cross soon, and they were itching for the safety of the school, away from their parents. 

Strangely, Alhena wasn't repulsed at the thought of being with him for so long. She wasn't disgusted by the amount of time they'd spent together in the last 24 hours. The only thing that worried her, was Willow's reaction. 

She could not be angry with her. It wasn't her fault, but she would be upset. They had just broken up, she would still be recovering. "What do I tell Willow." Alhena broke the silence, and Oliver looked up at her in surprise. 

He stared for a moment, lost in thought. "I'm not sure." He mumbled. "Don't tell her anything." He shrugged. "Why would you even suggest that." Alhena scoffed. "I can't lie to her."

"It's not a lie, just don't bring it up." He looked back out the window. "The intention behind it is just as cruel as lying. I don't want to keep this from her, so how do I soften the blow?" She leaned back in her seat across from him, folding her arms against her chest. 

"Then just tell her exactly what happened. She'll see we had no choice in the matter." Oliver's eyes stayed on the outside of the train, where hills and green pastures passed them by.

Alhena wanted to sigh loudly, to express her frustration. He was no help at all, but she couldn't be bothered, she hadn't the energy to be so displeased. She had to use the rest of it on conjuring a plan on what to tell Willow. 

"When we get to Kings cross we split up." Alhena spoke again, and this time Oliver looked at her. "Don't tell anyone of anything that happened, only Willow." She waited for him to object, but he didn't. If he had suggested he could tell only one friend, like she was going to tell Willow, she would have allowed it, but he did not ask. 

For the rest of the train ride, neither of them spoke a word. Not even when it came to a halt in the Kings cross station, and the two of them separated. Alhena had paused outside of the train, meaning for him to go ahead so she could make her way to Platform 9 3/4 a fair distance behind him without drawing suspicion. 

However, Oliver stopped with her, apparently thinking she wanted to say something more. She frowned, her eyes flickering to the path ahead, where Platform 9 3/4 waited. He simply waited expectantly. Alhena rolled her eyes at him, and started ahead, instead of him. She was impatient. 

When she passed through the platform, she realised how strange she must've looked with no luggage. She was almost immediately met with Willow. "Alhena!" She had screamed, throwing her arms around the girl and squeezing with all her might. 

"I missed you so, so, so much!" Willow sighed, she did this at the end of every Summer. "Where are your things?" She frowned, pulling away. "I haven't got them. Come, I need to speak to you privately." Alhena grabbed her hands, dragging her onto the Hogwarts Express. 

The two girls found an empty compartment, and Alhena told her everything that had happened. Leaving out the part where she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and that they had both slept in his bed. though, technically they hadn't slept. 

Alhena recognised the sadness that flickered through Willow's eyes at the mention of Oliver, but by the end of the story, she was only filled with pity and a want to protect Alhena from her awful family. 

Willow had enveloped the smaller girl in a warm hug, stroking her hair affectionately and speaking words of wisdom and comfort to Alhena. 

Neither of them noticed Oliver as he passed by their door and paused for a moment. He stared at  the back of Alhena's blue head for a split second, a strange emotion welling in the pits of his stomach, before continuing with his friends.