Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Fifteen

"Okay, his face was absolutely priceless," Andy laughed from her bed as Melanie was sprawled out on her own with a smile on her face.

"Wasn't it?"

"And since he didn't become upset, I think we can safely assume, that he liked it!"

"Well, that's certainly the goal now, isn't it?" Melanie said. "I don't know how much more obvious I can make it besides flat out telling him that I find him incredibly attractive."

"You have told him," Andy reminded her.

"It wouldn't kill him to say it back!"

"I think he likes you Mel," Andy said. "I just think he doesn't know how to go about it. I mean, you two have been rivals for a couple of years now and maybe this is the only way he knows how to react to you. Through playful banter."

"Ugh, he's so awkward which just makes him even more cuter," Melanie huffed before dropping her face into her pillow.

Andy scooted off her bed and climbed onto Melanie's. "Well, maybe that kiss will give him the extra push he needs in the right direction. The right direction being you."

The two girls giggled.

"Just promise me when you finally get together with ol' Woody that I still get to hang around my MelBear."

"Well duh, nothing will ever come between our friendship, not even handsome quidditch captains. Speaking of which, you and Ace?" Melanie waggled her eyebrows at Andy.

"Uh no!"

"But you said it was someone on the quidditch team!"

"I did...I wasn't lying."

"Ugh you're going to make me guess, you wayward swine!"

"Tell me how you really feel, Mel!"

Oliver sat on the sofa as the Gryffindor Common Room was roaring with excitement and celebration. Normally, they didn't party that hard for the first match of the season, but considering it was Harry's first match and he did so well, it called for some intense celebration. However, Oliver didn't find himself in the partying mood.

"Why are you over here making faces?" Todd asked plopping down next to him. "Everyone around here is laughing and smiling and you look like Hagrid just gave you a lap dance!"

"Argh! Todd!" Oliver scrunched up his face trying to block the mental image from entering his vision.

"I'm just throwing it out there."

"For your information I'm happy," he said.

"Yes, the scowl on your face says that one hundred percent. I heard most people frown when their happy, those who smile are just attention seeking little-"

"Todd!"

"Well, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you celebrating? Your team won, if you needed a reminder. You have the youngest seeker in a century who caught the snitch fairly early into the game, so why are you not running victory laps around the common room?" Todd got up and ran around the sofa making cheering noises.

"Melanie kissed me," Oliver blurted out.

Todd froze in place before turning his head to him. "What?"

"I said Melanie kissed me."

Todd walked back over and sat down again. "Oh....like on the lips or-"

"On my cheek. But she still kissed me."

Todd grinned. "Well, look at you! Double win for Oliver."

"I don't know how I feel about this," Oliver shook his head.

Todd rolled his eyes. "I swear to Merlin, Oliver, a girl kissed you...and not a bad looking one and here you are sitting here with that stupid mopey face of yours!"

"Hey no need for insults!"

"Then don't give me a reason to insult you," Todd said.

"Look, I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."

"Why would it be a bad thing? A girl kissed you...willingly, I might add."

Oliver gave him a look. "Because it's Melanie, she's on the opposing team and she knows how to play mind games with people. It's her specialty! What if this is just all a way to get inside of my head to destroy Gryffindor's chances at winning the cup?"

Todd stared at Oliver blankly for several moments.

"Oliver, you're my best friend. We've been mates since forever and I love you like a brother, but your obsession with quidditch makes you an idiot sometimes. It is incredibly obvious that Melanie likes you, but you're so damn paranoid about quidditch that you fail to see that."

"How am I supposed to tell, she's been teasing me the moment she stepped onto the quidditch pitch the first time we played a match against each other."

"Because she likes you!"

Oliver shook his head in disagreement. "I'm telling you she's just trying to get inside my head."

"She's already inside your head. She's set up camp inside your head. You like the girl too and you would be able to see that if you stopped obsessing over quidditch for a few minutes," Todd pushed himself up grumpily and left muttering to himself leaving Oliver on the sofa alone.

He looked up only to see Carter a little ways away from him with some other first years. When the two made eye contact, Carter shook his head at him.

With a groan, Oliver slouched back into the sofa, only to raise his hand to touch the cheek where Melanie had kissed him.

"Well, she certainly might have everyone else fooled, but not me!"