Finder's Keeper || Oliver Wood [1]

Chapter 18: Blurred Lines

"Oh. You two just seem to always be together," said Terence. The tone of his voice irked Jessica.

"What's got your wand in a knot, Higgs?" she said impatiently.

Terence huffed, pushing his chair back and getting up to his feet.

"Nothing," he grumbled, gathering his things. "I think I'll go now."

Jessica couldn't rant to Oliver about what Terence had said since the conversation was about him, so it became hers and her girl friends' topic of discussion during dinner that same day. Alista had squeezed into the Gryffindor table between Jessica and Bethany, and they chose to sat towards the end of the long table to avoid lingering looks from the two opposing Houses.

"I have no idea why he was annoyed in the first place," Jessica ranted. "It's not like we're together."

"Yeah, he did sound like he overreacted," Bethany agreed.

"Right? Oliver and I are friends and we're housemates. What's so wrong about studying with him?"

Bethany actually wanted to make a teasing remark about how Jessica and Oliver could be more than friends if they acted on it, but she chose to keep her mouth shut since they were discussing a different matter at hand.

"Actually," Alista cut in. "Maybe it's because he was bothered by something else and he let it get to him."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.

"The Slytherin Quidditch Team results came out this morning. Terence didn't make the cut."

Bethany and Jessica exchanged shocked glances.

"How can that be? He did pretty good last season, didn't he?"

"Yeah, didn't Slytherin win the Qudditch Cup?" Bethany added.

"I know, but that's what I found out in the common room today," said Alista. "I overheard Flint and Pucey talking about it, but I didn't get to see who their new Seeker is."

"Huh, so maybe he really was just in a bad mood," Bethany said thoughtfully.

"I know you said you don't like him that way, Jess," began Alista. "But maybe you could clear things up with him if you asked him about it."

"Maybe you're right," Jessica sighed. "Besides, it would feel weird to just stop talking to him altogether because of that."

"That's true. It would also be such a waste to let go of a guy as attractive as him. If I were you, I would've snogged him in the first —"

"Alista," Jessica and Bethany groaned tiredly.

"Oops," the blonde grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just joking."

★ ★ ★

The day had finally arrived when Jessica would attend her first training with the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She was stoked and couldn't wait to experience practicing with a legitimate team. Clad in her uniform and holding her broom, she walked alongside her teammates — Oliver Wood, Fred and George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Harry Potter — through the castle as they headed to the Quidditch pitch together.

"I spent the summer devising a whole new Quidditch program," Oliver was explaining to them. "We're going to train earlier, harder, and longer — oh, I don't believe it."

Jessica followed his gaze and found that the Slytherin Quidditch Team was in sight, coming from the other end of the courtyard. The two House teams quickened their paces to meet up in the center of the field, ready to confront one another.