Finder's Keeper || Oliver Wood [1]

Chapter 28: Hesitation

There was a tense pause. Both Oliver and Jessica fidgeted in place, unsure of what to say next.

"Er, can I ask you something?" said Oliver. Jessica nodded, heart pounding erratically as she wondered what he was going to ask. "Did anything big happen last night? I was pretty drunk so... I can't really remember."

Jessica felt her heart drop. So, that meant he didn't remember the kiss. Did he just kiss her because the alcohol was making him act all impulsively, then?

"I remember us getting drinks after Zhang wouldn't stop following me around, but then I chugged about five cups of firewhisky right after, so did we, er, do anything?" Oliver asked vaguely, hoping Jessica would elaborate what really happened and confirm his thoughts. But he should've known better than to beat around the bush.

"No, nothing," Jessica denied instantly, tearing her gaze away from his. "I, uh... I drank a lot, too, so the party was also kind of a blur for me."

She looks like she's lying, Oliver thought suspiciously. She was avoiding his eyes, which was something she did often when she wasn't telling the truth. But would she really lie about something as huge as a kiss they shared? He was so sure it happened, so why wasn't she bringing it up? Oliver gulped, wondering if he should just go straight to the point and get it over with.

And then a horrible thought hit him — what if she was lying because she wished it didn't happen at all? Did she think it would be better to pretend that it didn't happen?

In the end, Oliver simply nodded with a forced smile.

"Alright, lass."

★ ★ ★

The following weeks that passed were spent in preparation for their exams and the first few Quidditch matches. Oliver was adamant on training during practically every free slot the entire team shared — he was more determined than ever to snag the Quidditch Cup this year because it was his last year at Hogwarts. And because of their packed schedules, both Jessica and Oliver had to put aside what happened between them on the night of the Gryffindor party. However, neither of them could ignore that there was something strange in the air that hadn't been there before.

When she would zone out in the middle of studying, Jessica pondered on what would've happened if she had been honest with Oliver. Would he confess his feelings for her, if he even had any like Bethany and Alista kept insisting? Or would he reject her because that kiss was something he had only done in the spur of the moment? Jessica also had to admit that it stung that he didn't seem to remember it at all.

Oliver did practically the same thing, especially during those times in the day when he was alone. If he had bluntly asked her about it, would things be different? Would he have the courage to say that he liked her as more than a friend, and would she say the same thing back? He wished he could know what Jessica was thinking without having to ask her — he wanted to know if she lied for a reason, because contrary to what she thought, he was aware of the kiss they shared. He couldn't possibly have hallucinated a moment as memorable as that just because of a few drinks. Quite frankly, the entire situation was a complete and utter mess.

Jessica forced herself to focus on her N.E.W.T. classes instead. She had a lot on her plate to think about, and one of them was Potions. Professor Snape was surprisingly less grouchy towards them since they were actually students he deemed somewhat worthy to teach. However, he was stricter now, but Jessica didn't mind as long as he taught the subject properly.

On one Wednesday afternoon, Jessica found herself sitting next to Alista in the dungeons for Potions. They were surrounded by students from all houses since N.E.W.T. level classes weren't divided by houses anymore.