Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Thirty Four

Oliver stood completely still after Melanie left him in the middle of the entrance way.  She had kissed him but this time she had kissed him on the lips. 

He figured he should be ecstatic, after all, it was his first kiss. 

But as he stood there, he found himself confused.

Confused because he didn't feel anything.

No tingly feeling.

No excitement.

Nothing.

"Oliver!"

He turned around to see Todd heading towards him.

"There you are, look at you staying out late. I'm guessing the date went well?" Todd asked him, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robes.

Oliver pressed his lips together for a moment. "I...I...well ....Melanie kissed me."

"Oh another cheek kiss for ol' Ollie?"

"No, she kissed me on the lips."

Todd's facial expression went blank. "Wha-what? Really?!"

"Yeah."

"Well then.." Todd said before clearing his throat.

"And I'm really confused about the whole thing."

Melanie walked into the Ravenclaw common room to head to the girl's dorm when she found Andy and Jenna in there.

"Hey." she greeted them. "Why is Brandon asking if he can come inside?" She asked the girls.

"Don't worry about it." Jenna answered.

"So I'm guessing that's a no?"

"It's a no." Jenna said.

 Melanie shrugged before opening up the door leading out to the Ravenclaw staircase.

"Sorry Brandon, Jenna said you still can't come back inside."

"Okay," Brandon called back. "I  just thought I'd ask."

"You're back!" Andy said running over to Melanie as she closed over the door.

"Yes..I am."

"You were like on the longest date in existence, Mel, what happened?" Andy grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs to the girl's dorm with Jenna trailing behind them. "Tell me everything."

"Well," Melanie began as she removed her jacket. "It was nice, we spent the day walking around Hogsmeade getting to know each other a little better. He told me about his family and what he plans on doing after Hogwarts. Good to know he's pretty goal oriented." she said.

"And?" Jenna said sitting beside Andy on her bed.

"He told me he wants to be a quidditch player so he can continue playing and travel the world. Sounds nice doesn't it? But.."

"But?!" the two girls repeated curiously.

Melanie sighed and sat on her bed. "I don't know. I mean, it seemed everything we spoke about ended up connecting right back to quidditch. It's like Wood's super power to talk about quidditch. We could be talking about peanuts and somehow he could connect it back to quidditch. It's actually quite remarkable now that I think about it. But...it just left me feeling so...confused."

"Confused? Confused about what?" Jenna and Andy were hanging off every one of Mel's words.

The girl tucked her legs beneath her on her bed. "I...Well, Wood has always been that dream crush, you know? He's so cute and athletic, perfectly topped with the Scottish accent, but when I talk to him it's like none of that matters because...talking to him I realize that we really don't have a lot in common except quidditch, and I don't even like quidditch all that much!"

Jenna gasped.

"Shut up Jenna." Melanie laughed. "You know I like it, but it's not my life. But to Oliver, it really is his life. It's all he thinks about. It's almost like me with pie..but on a whole other level. I don't think I can compete with quidditch. I don't think anything can compete with quidditch to Oliver."

Andy got up from her bed and sat down beside Melanie pulling her into a side hug.

"I'm sorry, Mel, I know that wasn't the reaction you wanted-"

"The problem is...I'm not really upset about it to be honest." Melanie said.

"What?!" Andy and Jenna exchanged a look. Jenna moved over onto Melanie's bed.

"But it's Oliver, you've been obsessed with him for...well forever."

"I know." Melanie smiled. "I know, but that's just it. I was obsessed with him because he was my first crush and I thought he was everything. He's a great guy don't get me wrong, but I don't think he's that guy. Now I feel absolutely terrible."

She fell back onto her bed.

"Why in the hell would you feel terrible? I would feel relieved." Jenna said.

"Because I'm the one who kissed him."

"You kissed him?!" the two girls screeched.

"Sweet Merlin!" Melanie covered her ears. "Yes, I did. But only to see if I truly felt what I was thinking at the time. I was hoping that maybe with a kiss I would be able to see fireworks or rainbows...something! You know that little tingly feeling you get...nothing. I felt nothing and now I feel like a total arse. Because I'm the one who kissed him and I don't want to give him all these crazy signals. "

"She's going to think I'm a horrible person." Oliver said. I asked her out on a date and everything but when she kissed me..."

"Well sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't Oliver." Todd said. 

"That's all you have to say?" Oliver turned to his dear friend. "No witty comment or calling me stupid."

"No." Todd told him.

"Well that's not like you at all, Todd!"

"To be honest, Oliver, I'm kind of relieved."

"You're relieved?" Oliver said. "Why are you relieved?"

"Because it meant that my strategy worked."