MY TYPE OF LOVE | marauders era

| chapter nineteen |

Oliver was a hard person to get a present for, and my present for Oliver had come to me in a stroke of pure genius - I tended to have them once or twice a week. His large love for reading - no, consuming - books was the entire reason I began my friendship with him, and we both loved to debate and discuss themes present in the books we read. A common debate between us was exactly how much he had actually read. It was after one such debate that the idea for his present popped into my mind.

I ended up teaming up with James to work together on the present, since he didn't know Oliver very well and needed help with a present. Since his Charms work was legendary, he had agreed readily to my preposition.

Gingerly, I carried the carefully decorated present back to the classroom where we held the party, grinning in excitement. Out of all the presents I had given Oliver, or anyone, really, this was my absolute favorite, and had been wrapped accordingly. Blue shimmery paper covered the rectangular present, silver stars sprinkled across the surface.

Entering the classroom, I realized I was the last one to arrive. "Sorry I'm late," I said sheepishly, "The stairs messed me up a bit."

"I wonder if there's a pattern to their movements," Oliver mused out loud, and I turned towards James, eyebrow raised.

"Whatchu looking at me for?" James asked, and I shrugged.

"If anyone was to know in this room about the stairs, it would be you." James opened his mouth to reply before hesitating and shrugging, a smirk making its way across his face.

"Presents!" Carri clapped, "We need to open presents now!"

"Merlin, yes!" I agreed, "Except you have to open mine first and then James', otherwise his looks super lame."

"Alright then," Oliver said, "Guess I'll open yours first."

Grinning, I handed him my present, and he raised an eyebrow. "Is this a book?" He asked incredulously, and I shrugged.

"Open it and find out!"

Oliver opened the gift carefully, eventually pulling out the thickly bound book, embossed with the same navy blue and silver stars as the wrapping paper it was in. His eyebrows furrowed, he tentatively opened the front cover and stared down at the inside. My hands covered my mouth as I bounced in my seat next to a relaxed James, waiting to hear what Oliver thought.

"Alright, Glinda, I'm completely lost. What is it?" He asked, and I launched myself out of my seat, sitting on the floor near him.

"It's a way for you to record how many books you read! And what you think! Look here," I said, pointing towards the carefully placed boxes on the page. "You put the book title here, the author name here, your rating here, and any extra specific thoughts you have here! This way we can keep track of how many books you actually read."

"That's pretty cool," Leon commented, moving to look over Oliver's shoulder. "We definitely should have made you go last."

"Do you like it?" I asked, and Oliver nodded, a grin sliding across his face.

"Duh. Even if this is so you can try and prove me wrong."

"There is no way in Merlin's saggy left-"

"Language, Glinda," Carri butted in, fully knowing the insult I was preparing to use.

"-that you read over seventy books this summer."

Leon rolled his eyes. "I've heard this argument three times! Would you let it rest?"

"Same," David added, "So on that note, let's open another present."