The Opposition (an oliver wood story)

seven

"Soooo... how was it?" Terence asked from the couch in the Slytherin common room as Michelle walked through the door.
A scowl appeared on her face. "Absolutely infuriating! McGonagall said that if we don't be nice to each other, she'll bench us from the first three games of the season!" She said as she plopped herself onto the couch beside Terence, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Wood and I did agree that we're just going to pretend the other doesn't exist. The one thing I admire about that boy is his love for quidditch."
"Poor you" Terence said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Now I know you had an exhausting 20 minutes, but considering the extremely short amount of time you spent in her office, want to head to the kitchens with me?" Michelle looked up at Terence and grinned.
"Only if you admit that coffee is better than tea." She stood up and held out her hand to him.
"That, missy, is one offer I will not take." Terence stood up, swatting Michelle's hand away. The two friends walked together out through the common room door and through the hallways to the kitchens.
Reaching the pear portrait, Michelle tickled the pear and the door swung open, allowing a flow of delicious scents to fill the hallway.
"Tessy! How are you?" Michelle asked, stepping through the door and seeing her favourite house elf.
"Tessy is very excited to see Ms. Horvath! Tessy hopes she had a good summer break". The small elf answered.
"I had a wonderful break, but I missed you dearly. Can Terence and I get our usual?" Michelle asked as she gestured to the quidditch player behind her.
"Absolutely Ms. Horvath!" Tessy said as she bounded deeper in the kitchens.
"Maybe after I graduate I can come back and work in the kitchens," Terence said, coming beside Michelle "I feel like they could use a taste-tester in this place." He said, grinning down at Michelle.
"Maybe if you got your head out of your ass and actually figured out what you wanted to do after you graduate, you wouldn't be considering coming back here" Michelle teased.
Tessy brought out a platter overflowing with hand pies, cupcakes, pumpkin pasties, and mugs filled with delicious drinks. "Here you go Ms. Horvath and Mr. Higgs. Tessy hopes you enjoy." She said, handing the tray to Terence.
"Thank you immensely Tessy, and I know you say no every year, but let us know if you ever want to leave Hogwarts and we'll be happy to break you out" Michelle offered with a smile.
"And as Tessy tells Ms. Horvath every year, she will keep it in mind." The elf says, sending a wink to the blonde as her and Terence climbed out through the pear portrait.
"Same place?" Terence asked as he and Michelle walked through the halls.
"Do you even have to ask after five years?" Michelle responded. As her and Terence walked through the halls in silence she thought back to the first time they met, five years ago.
It was Michelle's first year, just two weeks into the school year. Michelle had difficulty sleeping the past few days due to the constant strain of gossip from her roommates Pansy Parkinson and Avonlea Ellisworth. She liked the two girls, but rather than talking about Blaise's abs, she preferred walking the corridors at night. As she walked through the halls, dodging any prefects or teachers that came her way, she heard a separate set of footsteps and hid in an alcove across from the portrait of a pear. She noticed a tall boy approach the portait and tickle the pear in the photo. The door then swung open and the smell of delicious foods overtook her. The boy must've opened the door to the kitchens. The portait swung shut behind him. Curious about the kitchens, Michelle followed the boy, tickling the pear and entering the room as the portrait swung open. She saw the boy with his back to her. She was going to say something but was interrupted.
"Hello miss. What can Tessy get for you?" Michelle looked down to where the voice came from. She saw a small and thin house elf wearing a light pink cloth covering her body.
"Who are you?" The boy from earlier asked as he turned around and faced her, hearing the house elf talking to someone behind him. The boy was Terence Higgs, she recognized him from Slytherin. He was a year older than her, he was tall with golden brown hair that stuck up from his scalp and fell in a wave to the left side of his face. He had blue eyes, tan skin, and was a few inches taller than her. Michelle realized she was staring and analyzing him when he repeated his question.
"Hello? Who are you?" He asked again.
"Oh, sorry. I'm Michelle Horvath, a year younger, in Slytherin with you."
"Sorry to interrupt Madame, but would Ms. Horvath like anything from Tessy?" The house elf asked, still standing beside Michelle.
"Get her my usual Tessy." Terence responded for her. Tessy scurried away to get whatever 'his usual' was.
"I saw your name on the quidditch tryout list. You know Axel Rosenbaum rarely lets girls on the team." Terence stated plainly.
"Well if he lets someone of your physique on the team I'm sure the bar isn't set very high." Michelle spat. Terence simply chuckled at this statement, something Michelle wasn't expecting.
"I like you Horvath. C'mon, let me show you somewhere." He said as Tessy brought out a tray filled to the brim with pies, cupcakes, pumpkin pasties, and mugs. Terence thanked the elf and gestured to the door, implying that Michelle follow him. They stepped out into the hallway and walked in silence to...
"The astronomy tower. Just as we left it." Terence said as he crossed through the archway up to the top of the castle.
"And you left me carrying everything. Seems like nothing's new." Michelle stated, trailing a bit behind Terence with all the sweets in her arms.
"Always complaining 'Chelle. You really got to lighten up once in a while." That statement earned Terence a slap on the arm from Michelle. "Am I wrong?" He asked.
"You're always wrong. Remember when you tried using Riddikulus in a duel?"
"That was one time! Plus, how I was supposed to know that you weren't a boggart? You indeed are my worst nightmare."
Thwack
"Did you just throw a bloody scone at me?" Terence asked with an offended look on his face.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't" Michelle answered.
Thwack
"Okay, that one I definitely did." Michelle admitted, a wide grin spreading across her face. She carefully set down the tray of sweets, grabbing a few pumpkin pasties and darted to the other side of the room while Terence charged towards the pastry dish. The two played dodgeball with sweets until they both ran out of objects to throw. Their laughing subsided and Michelle walked forward to Terence.
"Truce?" She asked with her hand outstretched.
"Wow. I didn't expect the great Michelle Horvath to give up so soon. But fine, truce." As Terence reached out to shake her hand, Michelle took this momentary distraction to take a cupcake that she'd be discreetly holding behind her and shove it in his face. He stumbled back in shock but quickly regained his senses.
"Oh... You're so dead!" Terence lunged at Michelle, tackling her to the floor. What the two didn't know is that during their little spat, two redhead twins had found their way up to the astronomy tower and stumbled in on them.
"Well Fred."
"Well George."
"It seems that we've stumbled upon a more private matter."
"Have fun you two! And stay safe!" George said as he and his twin promptly turned around and left headed down the staircase.
People had always assumed that Michelle and Terence were a couple. They were constantly together and more touchy than most friendships. But they were simply good friends. Although she couldn't deny the fact that Fred and George seeing Terence sprawled on top of Michelle at night in the astronomy tower would make it harder to convince people of that fact.
Terence pushed himself up on his hands which were on either side of Michelle's head, his face hovering over hers.
"Higgs, I think you got a little something on your nose." Michelle said. Neither one of them could hold in their laughter as Terence collapsed beside her.
"Well, that sight sure is going to be something to discuss tomorrow." Terence said as he fished his wand out of his pocket and, with a quick swish, got the frosting off of his face.
The two lay on the ground in comfortable silence, staring up at the stars above them.
"Chelle, why do you hate Wood so much?" Terence asked. "Like, yes he is arrogant and rude and competitive and always has to get his way... But you're all those things as well."
"Terence Randolph Higgs. If you just said what I think you said, you will never see the light of day."
"I'm just saying. He's never done anything particularly spiteful towards you. Every single rivalry you've had has come from quidditch so I was wondering, why him? Why not the Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw captains?"
Michelle remainder silent, she didn't know how to answer.
"Personally, I think he fancies you."
"Rubbish. The only thing Wood fancies about me is the thought of breaking a Beater bat over my head."
"I'm just saying. I've seen the way he looks at you." Before Michelle could interject he continued. "And don't you dare say that he 'looks at you with spite'. Because I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's not hatred."
"You're delirious. I think it's time to go" Michelle said as she pulled herself up from the floor, offering a hand to Terence and pulling him up. Michelle was about to pick up the sweets tray but Terence stopped her.
"Look what I can do." Terence said as he apparated the serving dish out of the astronomy tower, having it disappear into thin air.
"Just watch as it shows up in the library." Michelle chuckled. She and Terence started walking down the stairs.
As the two Slytherins headed back to the dungeons, with the thought of Oliver Wood lingering on one of their minds, two Gryffindors were travelling to the opposite end of the castle, both with the Gryffindor quidditch captain at the forefront of their brains.