A Whole Different World

Chapter 24 - Quidditch practice

"So, can you explain why we're going to watch the Gryffindor's qudditch practice?" Mackenzie asked Laura as she walked down to the pitch with her and Anna.

"Did Oliver ask you to come?" Anna asked, Mackenzie saw Laura blush and look at the ground,

"No, well – um – yes," she stammered, she cast a sideway glance at Mackenzie who was grinning, "shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" Mackenzie exclaimed,

"Well stop making that face, he's –"

"Just a friend?" Anna interrupted,

"No. Sort of – okay, I don't know!" and it was true, Laura had no idea whether her and Oliver were "just friends" or "something more".

"Don't worry, none of us have boyfriends, they're not important at the moment." Anna said, Laura and Mackenzie nodded in agreement.

"You know you can ask Oliver out, he doesn't have to be the one to do it." Mackenzie said,

"I know, but do you realise that this is his last year at Hogwarts? Us having a relationship would be so awkward, he's in his seventh year and I'm in my third!" Laura exclaimed.

"The age difference won't seem as much when you're older" Anna pointed out,

"Yeah, when you're one-hundred he'll be one-hundred and four" Mackenzie added,

"Yeah, because I'm really going to live until I'm one-hundred." Laura replied. Anna laughed, and Mackenzie rolled her eyes. They made it to the Quidditch pitch and took a seat in the stands, Oliver waving at Laura when he looked up from one of his long-winded "I love Quidditch" speeches. Laura waved back, a slight blush in her cheeks that wasn't from the slight breeze in the stands. Mackenzie nudged her with her elbow and giggled, earning a small slap on her arm from Laura.

They watched the Quidditch team practice, and were amazed at the teams' skills. In Laura's opinion, Oliver could play professional Quidditch now if he were able to. She was conflicted between wanting to just go for it with Oliver because she never did anything risky or remaining friends because of their age difference. Her thoughts were interrupted as someone flopped down beside her on the seats.

"Gosh, practice makes me so tired." Aneesha groaned, she placed her broom between her legs and put her head back on the seat behind her.

"Oliver's going to kill you." Laura stated, Aneesha laughed,

"Good, I haven't finished my potions homework yet." Aneesha added, Laura rolled her eyes at how unorganised her friend was.

"So, you obviously came to see Oliver and not me right?" Aneesha asked,

"Yes." Laura mumbled.

"Thanks." Aneesha said sarcastically,

"I'm here to see you, Aneesha." Mackenzie added,

"Oh please, you're here to see Laura gush over Oliver."

"I don't gush over Oliver!" Laura exclaimed.

"You kind of do." Anna said quietly. Mackenzie and Aneesha laughed, Aneesha grabbing her broom from between her legs and getting back on it.

"Have fun watching your boy." Aneesha winked, kicking off from the stand and joining Keira in the air. Laura blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Do you think Oliver and I could work despite the age difference?" Laura asked Anna,

"Honestly?" Anna asked, Laura nodded, "yes."

Aneesha flew through the air, grabbed the quaffle off of Taylor and flew to the hoops; she threw the quaffle and tried to get it through the centre hoop, only for it to be stopped by Oliver.

"Good attempt." Oliver said kindly.

"Thanks," she grinned at him, still floating in the air, "anyway, are you going to ask Laura out, like, ever?"

"What?" Oliver asked, he couldn't recall ever telling Aneesha that he liked Laura,

"Come on, it's obvious that you two like each other, why not go for it?"

"Look, I would, but she's so much younger than me." Oliver said, Aneesha could tell that the age difference upset him.

"Oliver, listen to me, if you don't ask her out now you're going to regret it, because if you look at the big picture your age difference isn't much, it may seem like it now, but it's really not. If you want someone tell them, if they reject you that's fine, if they don't that's fantastic, and I know Laura won't reject you. So are you ready to take a risk?"

Olive gulped; he knew this was his last year at Hogwarts, the last chance he would get to ask Laura out. Oliver wasn't afraid to take a risk.

"Yes." He replied, with more confidence than he realised he had when it came to asking girls out.

"Well go on then." Aneesha smiled at him,

"What? Now?" Oliver asked, everyone was around – the whole team and Laura's friends.

"Yes now!" Aneesha exclaimed.

Oliver took a deep breath and started forward on his broom, calling a five minute break to the team. He flew directly towards Laura, she grinned at him as he came closer, his feet touched the stands ground and he hopped off of his broomstick. From there, his instincts kicked in. He walked forward to her, where she was still seated.

"Laura, will you be my girlfriend?"

Laura thought she would be hesitant when he asked, she thought she would need to think about it. Key word – thought. She jumped out of her seat and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed back, his hands on her hips. Maybe, taking risks could be a good thing.