Lilliana Snape (Book Four)

Part 7

“I’m really sorry about Hayley” he said as he watched his sister scowl at her surroundings.

“Not your fault she was born into the same family” I said rather cruelly and then laughed to imply I was joking.

He chuckled “I guess not. Hey, so, seeing as we might die tonight I wanted to-” Oliver looked up and remembered that we have an audience and gestured at me to move out of earshot. Once we were away from the others he continued “I wanted to admit that I’ve had quite a thing for you.”

I took a step back, totally shocked. Oliver Wood, ex captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team with flocks of girls swarming around him everywhere he went and he says that he has a thing for me? “Really?” Is all I could say.

“I’ve always admired you, I suppose” he shrugged with a sigh “you growing up with Snape as your only role model and yet here you are just as weird as the next person.”

I smile slightly, remember what Fred had been trying to say earlier “yeah, I’ve been told that a few times.”

Oliver nodded “it’s no surprise; you’re just so different, you’re nice.”

“My dad has been through a lot” I say with a small scowl but push it to one side. “I like you too, Oliver, but I’m kinda dating Fred right now and I really wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I heard that too” he sighed and then smiled “I just wanted to tell you so that if we do die, I won’t be stuck here as a ghost because I was too yellow bellied to tell you.”

“Well, I guess that I should tell you that the prank someone played on you two years back was me.”

“I know” he laughed “good one; I couldn’t sit down for a week after that.”

I smiled in relief at his reaction; at the time of the prank he didn’t accept it quite as well as he’d just done. He was hopping mad for weeks and took it out on the majority of the team, forcing us to get up well before the sun had risen for practices and working us so hard that we had to all but crawl back to the castle due to exhaustion. This all stopped, however, once my dad found me curled up at the foot of the stairs asleep, my fingers blue and numb and my clothes so wet that I was lying in a pool of water. I was too tired to make it up the stairs, too exhausted to even care.

That training session had been a positively gruelling test on our stamina and willingness to win. It was bitterly cold, pouring down with rain and so windy that we all had trouble staying on course; in fact, Oliver was blown ten feet from the hoops a few times which had been his incentive to call it a day. Dad had sorted me out and then sorted Oliver out; it was needless to say that we were all given a full weeks rest and a basketful of apologies from him.

It was still the best prank I’d ever pulled because it’s not the action of the prank, it’s the reaction of the victim and I got Oliver good.

“I’m glad you see it like that now” I sighed, still wary, still waiting for him to explode.

“Well, I was under a lot of stress” he shrugged “that just tipped me over the edge and caused me to turn into some crazy guy.”

“Crazy’s right!” I agree with a laugh.

“What are you too laughing about?” Fred asked as he came to join us.

“The prank that caused Oliver to turn into some weird beast for a few weeks.” I reply.

“Ah yes, the great prank” Fred winked “that’s when I decided I liked you.”

“I was twelve” I blinked.

He shrugged “that’s obviously why I didn’t say anything.”

“Well” Oliver grinned “I’m glad you found someone; I was beginning to think that you and your brother had some weird relationship going on” he winked and then headed back to the others.

“What did he want?” Fred asked just as soon as Oliver sat down beside his sister.

I debated whether or not to tell him but I figured that if I didn’t and kept it a secret and he found out later on that he’d suspect that I returned Oliver’s feelings. “He decided to tell me that he likes me.”

“Everyone likes you” Fred laughed.

“No” I rolled my eyes at how dense guys can be “likes me.”

“Oh…well, great timing. Gotta give the guy some credit.”

I studied his face for a brief moment and then cracked up laughing. He was frowning, his eyes were glaring at nothing in particular and his lips were moving but making no sound. “Fred Weasley, are you jealous?”

“No!” He snapped and then sighed “ok, a bit but you have got to understand that you’re more wanted by the guys than Harry is by the girls.”

“What?” I said in surprise “no way, stop it.”

“It’s true. You’re desirable! You’re beautiful, mysterious and you hang around with the boy who lived. Trust me, a lot of the guys I know have had their eyes on you for longer than I have.”

I shake my head and sigh before realising the silence. “Listen” there was no more screaming, no shouting, no sounds of marching footsteps…nothing but silence. “Reckon it’s ok to go back to the tent?”

Fred was about to reply when he was caught short by a flash of green light in the sky. We all looked up to see the most vile, repulsive thing I had ever seen. A skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. I’d seen the mark before and knew exactly what it was and what it meant.

Someone had died in the woods tonight.