Never Is Our Always

Quidditch Practice Meltdown

(Minnie pov) (after the holidays)

"Why am I coming with you again?" I asked Oliver, it was fairly early in the morning, more like at the crack of dawn, as we walked together down the hallway.

"You helped make the boards over the Christmas holidays, you watch the practices," he told me and I groaned in response.

"I regret it now," I mumbled as he chuckles at me, he nudged me with his elbow while we walked.

"It's not that bad," he told me.

"You have grown into a fanatic," I retort and he scoffed at me.

"Have-"

"-Oh, yes you have! You've been working the team harder than ever. Even in the endless rain that had replaced the snow you've been pushing them!" He rose his eyebrows at me.

"You've never been this loud before," he said, changing the subject, "something going on?"

"What? No," I replied as I simmered back down in my comfort zone.

"Is it Pomfrey giving you grief again with your sessions at the St Mungo's hospital?" I reluctantly nod. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," I mumble, hugging my body tightly, "I just feel like a freak..."

"Well, I hope you know you're not a freak, but merely a normal person with some quirks." I just gave him a look.

"No."

"Maybe Ron is right, you should try giving the twins a chance," Oliver smirks at me as I twitch my nose at the idea.

"Over my dead body, not after that display," I mumbled.

"What did they do to you this time?" Oliver sighs. "What prank?"

"Goo..." I grumbled.

"Was it meant to be a prank on you?" Oliver asked me.

"I don't know, I ran away before I could even see them," Oliver chuckles at me.

"Until you're confident enough, I think you should try talking to one person at a time like we are right now." Oliver told me.

"Good idea." I replied before shivering, Oliver shrugs his coat off and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Go on," I sighed as I slipped my arms through and zipped it up.

"Thanks, Ollie." I reply and he ruffles my curly locks in response.

-

As I sat and watched during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Oliver gave the team a bit of bad news.

Oliver was almost on his last straw with the Weasley's, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around!" Oliver yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George really did fall off his broom at these words. It made me laugh as he groans and then got out of the mud.

"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain too.

"It's not my fault," Oliver told them. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."