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Two days later we have the first training for this Year. The whole team is already on the field, only Oliver is missing. That's unusual, especially when it comes to Quidditch, he's more than on time and everyone gets kicked off late with the broomstick. Nevertheless, I decide to use this time. I get up and clear my throat. "Guys, can you listen to me for a minute?" The murmuring dies down and everyone looks at me expectantly. "This isn't going to be a rambling speech like the ones Wood always gives?" Angelina asks. I shake my head. "No, a little different. Pay attention. It's really important to Oliver that we manage to win the trophy this year. It's his senior year and he's been struggling for years to finally get that stupid thing. Quidditch is his life. And you can't say Oliver's tactics are bad, they're really good, but we keep failing. I.. I just want to say that this year we have to make a real effort, every single one. Oliver is an incredibly great captain, he deserves that we win with him. And honestly, we have something of it too! Bring the trophy to Gryffindor, that's it! I just want to ask you one thing: Do your best! For Oliver, for the team, for our house! All of this is really close to Oliver's heart."
When I'm done, all is quiet. Except for George, who murmurs, "Yeah, and you care about Oliver." "What about me?" Exactly this one suddenly comes into the tent with hasty steps. "Sorry, I had to have another discussion with Madam Hooch." I can feel my cheeks burning and I pray that no one from the team says anything wrong right now. "Y/n just gave a great speech," Fred exclaims enthusiastically. "About kicking our asses off!" adds George with a grin. "For you!" I clear my throat and see Oliver give me a sideways smile. "Yeah, uh, well, on the broomsticks, I'd say. You can't get the trophy without training," I say quickly, grab my broom and disappear onto the field. I notice that the others follow me without a word. Personally, I'm hardly out of practice. I lied when I told Oliver I hadn't done anything remotely related to Quidditch all summer. In fact, I trained several times a week not to get worse because all I could think about all the time was that I wanted to be good for Oliver. Even if it's just in Quidditch. Everyone else is still struggling a bit with the training sessions, but they bounce back pretty quickly, so I have a pretty good feeling about winning the cup this year. We just gotta get through this if it's the last thing I do! Nobody has any energy left after a workout. All are completely broken and whistle from the last hole. Accordingly, we drag ourselves relatively quickly towards the castle, because there are showers and beds.
"Y/n, could you please wait a minute?"I turn to Oliver. "What is it?" Of course, everyone else is also curious. As if they would also want to stay direct. "I'd like to talk to you for a moment," Oliver says now. "Alone," he adds, looking at the rest of the team. They quickly go to the castle, Fred and George give me a clear look. "What's up?" I ask Wood with forced ease. "I want to thank you." He looks at me with those incredibly amazing eyes, like liquid gold. "Uh," I mumble. "For what?" "If you didn't keep interrupting me, you wouldn't have to keep asking stupid questions," he explains with a grin. "For motivating the team. You definitely put more effort into training today. I don't know what you told them, but it seems to have worked." I shrug. "You are welcome. Who wouldn't want the trophy?" He grins. "That's correct. Everyone wants it, but apart from you nobody cares that we arrive at our destination." "Yes, you.", I contradict laughing and he rolls his eyes. "You're really unbearable sometimes, Y/n." "Yes, thank you, me too." I answer with a grin. He has no idea what I mean, but on a friendly basis it probably comes across as nice. "I, um... do you have plans for Saturday?" he suddenly asks me.I look at him in astonishment. "Not yet, why?" "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me? I'd like to talk to you about the new tactics because I think you're the only one who really understands them," he explains to me and my heart melts. This is not a date. I have to tell myself that very vehemently, otherwise I'll freak out with excitement. "Erm, sure," I say, trying to contain my excitement. "After lunch?" His gaze makes me feel weak. This guy has no problem making me completely stupid. How by Merlin's beard am I ever going to turn him down? "Sure," I say enthusiastically. Now he nods to the castle. "Then maybe we should go now. I'm sure you want to take a shower just as badly as I do." I laugh. "Yes, in any case."
As we trudge across the lands, he suddenly says: "By the way, I don't believe a word you said." "What?" I ask confused. "Y/n," he sighs. "Listen first, then you don't always have to ask, remember?" I laugh and keep silent. "You definitely trained during the holidays," he now says with a mischievous grin that makes my knees tremble. "What makes you think that?" I ask hypocritically, but I have to giggle. Nothing escapes him. Nothing at all, except my infatuation, which just doesn't want to catch his eye."You haven't gotten any worse over the past few weeks, on the contrary, you've even improved a little," he explains to me. "You can't fool me." If you knew, Wood! I think to myself. "Well. See through, don't you?" He just nods with a grin and we walk the rest of the way in silence. Why doesn't he just come up with what is quite obvious? The twins think all of Hogwarts can see how I feel about Oliver. Why not him? And do I even want that? I frown as I think about it. If he knew, then what? He certainly doesn't feel the same way and our friendship would probably all of a sudden be weird, let alone Quidditch! That would be kind of... embarrassing. A small, weak voice in me still wishes that he would find out and then tell me that he loves me, because then the whole misery would be over and the waiting would be over. But it's usually not that simple. I mean, Oliver is a year older than me, which in itself isn't a problem. But he loves nothing more than his Quidditch and above all he is our captain. I don't think he would relate to anyone on the team, or anyone at all, because the consensus is that there's no place for a woman in Oliver's life. I sigh. "Are you okay?" Oliver asks suddenly. I almost completely forgot about him. Well not really, but for a moment I didn't think about him walking next to me. Awkward."of course" I say hastily and smile briefly. "Sure?" - "Yes, I'm just a bit tired. Everything OK." He nods. "If something is bothering you, just tell me. I'm your captain, you can talk to me." I raise an eyebrow. "It's good, boss." As if I would tell him anything about these problems! "Hey, Oliver, I have a problem. I've been secretly in love with you for three years and you just don't seem to want to know. And I don't even want to tell you that because I'm afraid of your reaction, after all your sport is everything to you. So I'd rather keep it to myself, and you certainly can't tell anyone else." As if I would! Then I can sink myself in the lake right away!
We go to the common room together and half our team is sitting there grinning at each other. "I thought you were in bed," I mumble. They look at us with raised eyebrows. "Yes, later." Angelina says with a grin. "I, for one, am going to take a shower now," I say absentmindedly and head upstairs, Oliver following me, but we don't talk anymore. When I finally stand under the boiling hot water, I sigh. Everyone else is waiting for something to finally happen between Oliver and me. Me too, but you can wait a long time. I just hope nobody tells him anything because then Hogwarts will burn. I dry my hair with a spell and just wrap myself in a large towel, then go back into the dorm and collapse on my bed. actually I would like to have my peace, but that is impossible in this castle. Because Angelina is just coming in. "Oliver should see you like that, he wouldn't be able to resist you for a second longer.", she says with a grin. "Shh!" I hiss, pointing to the open door. "you can hang it up on a red banner in the Great Hall!" "That might help you both." She murmurs with a grin. "No," I say softly. "There is nothing that can be done. Finished. I gave up hope a long time ago. Just put up with it." Angelina sits next to me. "We won't. There's something, there's definitely something between you guys. You guys are just too stupid to finally do anything with it." "That would be new to me," I sigh. "Just let it be. If Oliver isn't here next year, hopefully it will take care of itself." "Why do you want to just lose this chance? You don't do that in Quidditch either! You don't give up, you're just not like that. Why don't you just give it a try?" she now asks energetically. It's almost sweet, but she just doesn't seem to understand the problem. "I know it's no use. And you know it too! Oliver is only interested in Quidditch, that's the most important thing for him and I respect that." I explain to her calmly now. "The way he's looking at you, it must have a purpose!", she contradicts me violently and I roll my eyes."Yes, he looks at me the way one looks at his Slayer. He's interested in me, sure Quidditch-wise. I guess I'm the only one listening to him," I murmur, looking straight at her. "Could we drop the subject now? It's just not going to change and the more I think about it, the unhappier I get." "That's the problem, you're unhappy!" she snaps at me now and I raise my hands resolutely. "Angelina, it's really nice of you, but that's enough for now. It is my thing." She hangs her head. "I just hope you don't regret it all. I have to go." I don't ask where she's going. I don't care, I'm just glad I've got my peace again. What bothers me, though, is the fact that, as always, she leaves the dormitory door wide open. I get up and am about to close it when Oliver comes out of the boys' dorm and suddenly stands in front of me. He looks at me with wide eyes and I'm wearing nothing more than a damn towel. Is it even more embarrassing? "Um, I.. are you okay? Angelina was just a little upset," he murmurs, compulsively looking into my face. I can feel my cheeks burning and I pray he didn't understand a word we were throwing at each other. "It's fine," I say slowly. "We were just discussing something... unimportant." "Okay," he says at length. "I just thought I'd stop by, not that anything happened here." He's too cute for my brain. "Oh, what should happen?" I laugh and look down. "Well, something to keep you from coming to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday," he says, smiling and shrugging. "But I won't keep you any longer. You... I'm sure you wanted to wear something." And boom, he's gone. One day I'll get whiplash.
