Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Sixteen

"Oliver has been acting strange," Melanie said. "And when I say strange, I mean stranger than usual."

"Why do you say that?" Andy asked as they entered the Herbology greenhouse for class.

"Because he's been watching me closely-"

"This is a good thing-"

"Not really," Melanie frowned. "He's been watching me like...I dunno differently."

"Want me to go kick his arse?"

Melanie smiled. "No. I just don't understand the boy," she sighed. "It's like the only way I can be anymore obvious is if I literally wrote I like you, Oliver Wood, on my forehead."

"If you were to do that, can I be the one to write it?" Andy asked. "I've always wanted to draw on someone's face."

"No, you may not because I certainly don't trust what you would write or draw on my forehead," Meleanie said. "Ugh Andy...what am I going to do?"

She lowered her head onto the table with a light groan. "I'm about to give up on this officially. It's obvious that he doesn't like me in that way, I feel like I'm just wasting my time."

Andy frowned. "Don't talk like that Mel, and don't ever accept defeat. So Oliver's a little dense..."

Melanie peeked up at her with a face.

"Okay, he's really dense but don't give up."

"What are we giving up on this morning?" Ace yawned walking in and sitting down beside Melanie.

"My dreams of getting Oliver to like me."

Ace's eyes widened. "What? But...you can't do that."

"Don't worry Ace, I'll still tease him during the games for you, but I'm kinda over just trying to get the boy to realize that I like him. I have pretty much laid it all on the table but it's just not going anywhere."

Andy and Ace exchanged worried glances as Professor Sprout walked in to start off class.

Carter found his sister sitting in the Great Hall after class and walked over to join her for some lunch.

"Hellooo sister of mine," he said with a cheerful grin. He expected her to greet her with a silly nickname or a witty response, instead Melanie looked up from her sandwich at him.

"Hey Carter," she said with a small smile.

Immediately, Carter rose to his feet and leaned across the table to press the back of his hand to his sister's forehead.

"What are you doing?" she asked pushing his hand away.

"You must be sick, you didn't call me Carter Farter...you always call me that."

"Huh? Oh sorry, hey Carter Farter."

"Are you okay?" Carter asked her. "You seem...down."

"I'm fine. Just tired from classes."

"You've had like two classes today."

"Your point?"

"Mel, as your brother it's my duty to bother you until the end of time, but it's also my duty to make sure you're okay and right now I know you're not okay."

"You're so sweet, Carter, but I assure I'm fine. Look I have quidditch practice so I have to go change but I'll see you later," she told him before leaning across the table and ruffle his hair.

Oliver was heading down one of the corridors on his way back to the Gryffindor Tower when he came face to face with Carter as he rounded the corner.

"Merlin," he gasped placing his hand on his chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"What did you do to my sister?" Carter narrowed his eyes at him.

Oliver looked completely lost.

"What?! I didn't do anything to her."

"Yes you did. She's not acting right which must mean you did something stupid. So I'll ask you again, what did you do to my sister?"

"I haven't done anything to her," Oliver reiterated. "I literally haven't spoken to her in days so how am I responsible for whatever is wrong with her?"

Carter didn't say anything else to him before stalking off angrily.

"Why is everyone biting at my arse lately?!"

Melanie seemed to be in a daze during quidditch practice until a bludger nearly got her in the face.

"Melanie wake up!" Brandon called to her. "That one damn near got you in the face."

"Sorry!" she yelled back. She placed one of her hands on top of her head and growled in frustration. "What the hell is wrong with me today?"

"Mel!"

Melanie had been hit with a bludger once before, in the leg and it was like no pain she had ever experienced before. Getting hit in the shoulder was a million times worse. Her hand that gripped the handle of her broom, let go immediately from the pain and before she could use her other hand to hold herself, she slipped off.

Luckily, she wasn't too far from the ground, however, she landed right on the pained shoulder.

"Melanie!" Andy rushed from where she had been sitting in the stands to reach her friend's side as the rest of team dismounted from their brooms.

"Are you alright, Mel?!" Ace asked her.

"I..I...," she gritted her teeth. "Oh I think my shoulder...ugh!"

"It's dislocated," Brandon said.

"Oh Madam Promfrey when did you get here?" Jenna said to him.

"Hey I know a dislocated shoulder!"

"This really isn't the time to be arguing!" Ace told the two before kneeling down before his teammate. "Hey Mel, I'm gonna bring you to the hospital wing, alright?"

"Please do!" Melanie cried out.

The rest of the team agreed to put away the equipment while Andy accompanied Melanie and Ace to the hospital wing.

Ace lifted Melanie up into his arms and the three left back towards the castle.

Oliver was looking around the castle in search of Melanie hoping she could talk to her brother and set things straight telling him that he had done nothing to her. He had come out of the library unsure of where she was.

He ran into Todd who was sitting next to a Hufflepuff girl in the hall chatting her up.

"Oliver," Todd called to him.

"Hey," Oliver said.

"What are you up to?"

"I'm looking for Melanie."

"Really?"

"Yeah I wanted to talk to her about something and-"

"You'll probably find her in the hospital wing," the girl told him.

"What? Why?"

"She got hurt during quidditch practice. They just passed by here before Todd showed up...it looked pretty bad. She was crying."

"She was?"

Todd shook his head. "Oliver, stop asking questions and go!"