Chapter 2
“Wake up right now!” Alicia exclaimed as she came tearing into the room and pounced onto Tommie's bed.
“What's going on? Has someone bent one of my books?!” Tommie sat up suddenly, throwing Alicia off the bed in the process.
“What?” Katie asked, walking into the room followed by Angelina.
The three of them had obviously just returned from morning Quidditch practice. Their wind-blown hair and mud covered Quidditch robes were something Tommie was used to seeing every morning. She wasn't used to seeing them however, up this early on the second day of term. Oliver was very clearly determined to win the cup this year.
“Never mind that. Why is Wood asking us if we knew that you could fly?” Angelina butted in, crossing her arms over her chest as Alicia climbed back onto Tommie's bed.
“I should have specified that he couldn't speak to you lot either.” Tommie mumbled burying her face in her pillow.
“Get up and explain yourself or we'll drag you down to breakfast dressed like that.” Alicia threatened. The way she was looking at Tommie gave the impression that she wasn't joking.
Tommie did love a dare... “Try me.”
Angelina, Katie and Angelina all shared a look before Angelina grabbed her wand and levitated Tommie up by her ankle.
“HEY!” She cried, fully awake now. Her hair grazed across the floor as Katie helped Angelina levitate Tommie out of their dormitory and down the stairs.
“PUT ME DOWN!” Tommie was squirming around while holding her t-shirt to her body so that no one could see anything. “THIS COUNTS AS HARASSMENT!” Tommie's voice echoed around the moving staircases that they had recently descended.
She was beginning to get a bit worried by Angelina and Katie's levitating skills. Her head was inches away from the concrete floor when she had the sudden thought that they were probably doing it on purpose. Katie was excellent at charms.
“I really hope Creevey gets a picture of this.” Alicia laughed as she held the doors to the great hall open.
It really said something about the four of them that no one, not even the teachers, batted an eyelash at a screaming, thrashing seventh year being levitated by the ankle into the great hall at six thirty in the morning.
They reached the Gryffindor table and Angelina swiftly pocketed her wand causing Tommie to be dumped unceremoniously onto the floor as her friends slipped into the empty seats near the Weasley twins and Wood.
“You're supposed to sit at the table not next to it.” The latter told Tommie with a grin as she picked herself up off the floor and dropped down next to Alicia, pulling the nearest plate of muffins towards herself with a frown.
“I thought I'd try out the floor for a while.” She said, “Wasn't nearly as comfortable.”
“A little birdie told us-” Fred started leaning forward on the table eagerly.
“That you can fly-” George continued.
“and that you're not half bad.” Fred finished.
It was weird at first that they finished each other's sentences but after spending enough time with them it was weird when they didn't. The Weasley's were very hard to get annoyed with for a prolonged amount of time. Sure, their pranks could get a bit out of hand but they were just too...loveable. Kind of like puppies. You just couldn't get mad at them.
Tommie finally decided on a chocolate chip muffin and slid the plate back into the middle of the table. “That little birdie obviously needs his eyes checking because I definitely can't fly.” She told them glancing at Oliver in the process.
“That little birdie's eyes are perfect.” Wood replied in his stupid Scottish accent as he took a bite out of some toast.
“That little birdie boasts too much and if he doesn't stop that little birdie's going to get this fork stuffed-” Tommie snapped back but was interrupted by Alicia before she couldn't continue.
“We get it. Wood's the little birdie and you hate him.”
“Come on, Red, why'd you lie about being able to fly?” Fred insisted, causing Tommie's eyes to tear away from a glaring Oliver Wood.
“My hair isn't red. It's very clearly auburn.” She pointed out.
“You've been mistaken for one of us.” George smirked. “It's red.”
Tommie rolled her eyes and Fred spoke up again. “But you're not answering the question.”
“I didn't lie.” Tommie stated her eyes lighting up as she noticed the bacon in front of Angelina. She went to grab the plate but Alicia reached it first and pulled it out of her reach.
“Nope.” She moved it out of Tommie's reach. “You still need to explain how he,” She gestured towards Oliver, “found out about you being able to fly.”
“Wait, so you did know?” Oliver exclaimed. “Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me? We could really use her on the team!”
“Of course we knew.” Katie pointed out. The four of them had been best friends since first year, they knew practically everything about each other.
“And I asked them not to tell anyone.” Tommie told him. “There are more important things than winning the cup.”
Oliver looked like someone had just punched him in the gut. Something more important than winning the Quidditch cup?
“It better be really important to have kept this from me!”
Tommie threw her head back with a sigh before placing both hands on the table and looking directly at Oliver. “Look, for the last time, you're not my captain! I don't have to tell you anything.”
“Cresswell, you can't not join the team after that. You pulled off a move I've never seen and scored against me!”
“We've scored against you before.” Angelina told him, pointing to Katie, Alicia and herself. It wasn't a massive achievement. Sure he was an amazing keeper and an even better captain but it wasn't like he'd never been scored against before.
“You've been on the team for years, you know my strategy and I know yours.” He explained before pointing accusingly at Tommie. “She hasn't.”
“I've been to every Quidditch match and I've watched more than a few practices, I could very well know your strategy.” She told him knitting her eyebrows together in a frown.
Oliver scoffed. “I’m flattered you pay that much attention to me, Cresswell.”
Tommie didn't respond but merely sent a venomous glare towards Oliver before standing up. “I have to get dressed.” She stood up from the table and turned to head towards the doors when she remembered something. “I need to get my timetable.” She mumbled before striding up towards the head table and standing in front of Professor Mcgonagall.
They all watched in silence as Tommie stomped towards the teachers table. Mcgonagall didn't even mention anything about the fact that all she was wearing was still in her sleepwear. She didn't even have shoes.
“She'll look great in the Quidditch uniform.” Oliver stated causing Angelina and Alicia to simultaneously roll their eyes.
Alicia turned to face Oliver, a smirk clear on her face. “And what makes you think she'll join the team?”
“I'm going to get her to join before the first match.” He told her. His conviction would have been quite admirable had they not been talking about Tommie Cresswell.
Angelina snorted at this. “You're never going to get her to join. She's very stubborn.”
“So am I.” He stated.
Tommie walked by at that precise moment only stopping to tell them with the utmost disgust. “I have double potions on a Monday!” before she continued walking and exited the great hall.
“I will get her to join.” Oliver told them once more. He'd get her to join if it was the last thing he did.
Any chance at getting through potions without falling on the floor and crying went out the window as soon as Tommie found that Katie was not in her potions class. Katie was the only one, besides Tommie herself, who had taken potions at NEWT level and all the praying and hoping that they would share the class together had not paid off.
She was already not in a good mood and the lesson hadn't even started. The vibe she was giving off (as well as the murderous scowl) made everyone steer clear of the empty seat next to her. Well nearly everyone.
“You can't sit there.” Tommie stated not even looking up at the person who was just about to sit down. She knew who it was, his presence was very hard to ignore.
“Funny, I think I can.” He told her with a smirk as he dramatically dropped down into the chair. “Look, I can sit here!” Exclaimed Oliver as he gestured to himself.
Tommie screwed up her nose and scooted away from him slightly. “Shut up, Wood.”
“Cresswell, I've been thinking-” He started but was interrupted when Tommie turned to him with a shocked look on her face.
“Really? How did that happen? You hurt yourself the last time you thought.”
“This is about Quidditch.” Oliver told her. He didn't even find her joke funny.
“Isn't it always?” She sighed and pulled her textbook out of her bag as Snape came gliding into the classroom, his robes billowing behind him. It would look almost majestic if it weren't for the fact that Snape was constantly sneering, never washed his hair and gave off an air of hatred...
“Look,” Oliver whispered, not all interested in what Snape was telling them to do. “Just come to practise tonight and play with the team.”
“No.”
“Come on.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“No.”
“Please?” He must really want her on the team to use the word please. Oliver Wood didn't use the word often when it came to Quidditch because he usually didn't have to beg.
“No.”
“Mr Wood, Miss Cresswell 50 points from Gryffindor.” Snape snapped at both of them.
Oliver looked outraged. “50 points? That's ridiculous-”
“100 points.” He droned causing Oliver to stand up.
“Sir you can't do that-”
“100 points and a detention.” He wasn’t even looking at them at this point, but uninterestedly flipping through the book on his table..
“Wha-”
“For both of you.” Tommie hadn't been all that bothered by Oliver's anger until now but as Snape had suddenly thought it fit to give her a detention too she suddenly became very bothered by it.
She reached up and tugged on Oliver's arm hoping to get him to sit down. “Shut up.” She whisper-shouted at him.
“No.” He whispered back. “Sir! That's-”
Snape slowly turned a page, probably for the dramatic effect, before concluding. “For a month.” Before Oliver had a chance to say anything Snape glanced up at him with a sneer. “Mr Wood, if you keep this up you'll have no time left to practise for your beloved Quidditch matches.”
Tommie tugged harder on Oliver's arm. “Sit down now.” She was very close to just screaming at him. He was being idiotic. Because of him she now had a week of detention for something she wasn't even involved in. Oliver ignored her and was about to say something else to Snape when she interrupted him. “Wood, if you sit down now I'll come to practise.”
That seemed to catch his attention. He looked torn for a moment and Tommie was sure he was just going to continue arguing with Snape. He glanced down at her before clenching his jaw and begrudgingly sitting down.
“Thank you!” She sighed, relaxing slightly. She would have had detention for the entire year if he had carried on. And fancy getting detention on the second day of term! It was usually the Weasley's that were known for that. They had some kind of record going.
When Snape was satisfied that Oliver wasn't going to say anything else he turned, with a sneer and a flick of his wrist, to face the blackboard behind him. The instructions for the potion they had to make appeared and everyone scurried in near silence to get the things they needed.
“You better come to practise tonight.” Wood told her as they got up to go and get the ingredients they needed for the potion, he shot a glare at Snape's back as they walked past.
“I will.” He didn't look at all convinced by this.
“Pinky promise?” He asked, sticking out his smallest finger.
Tommie's gaze flickered between the extended pinky and Wood's face before she raised an eyebrow. Was he serious? “Pinky promise? How old are you again, Wood? Four?” She pushed past him and grabbed the bicorn dust that they needed before returning to the desk followed by Wood who had the rest of the ingredients. Tommie wasn't the most helpful of potions partners to people she didn’t want to work with.
Depositing the various jars and vials onto their desk, Wood once again held his pinky out to her. “Just bloody promise me.”
Begrudgingly she stuck out her finger towards his.
“Hey George!” Tommie called as she flew past him. His eyebrows shot into his hairline and a laugh escaped as he watched her circle the pitch on her broom upside down. She had started off upright but after spinning around repeatedly in one place had decided on doing upside down laps.
“Ah, so you weren't lying about being able to fly...” He called back with a smirk as he twirled his beater's bat around.
“Not at all. I mean look, I'm terrible.”
“Oi, Cresswell! Wrong side of the broom.” Wood told her as he called the team over. He seemed to be in an uncharacteristically good mood. “Right. We're going to have a friendly match. I've got the reserve team to play against you.” As he said this a group of Gryffindors exited the changing rooms and flew up into the air joining the rest of the team and Tommie. “Spinnet, Cresswell's taking your position, you'll sit this one out and referee instead.” He instructed and Alicia seemed more than happy to oblige.
Everyone took their positions circling around Alicia who had the quaffle on the ground. She released the snitch and it went speeding off so fast no one could accurately decide which direction it had headed.
“Now, I want a good clean match.” Alicia said mimicking Madam Hooch surprisingly well. She then threw the quaffle into the air and the match was off. The bludgers were released shortly after.
Angelina had caught the quaffle and was already flying in the direction of Wood who they were supposed to score against. He wanted the actual team to still be challenged. The reserve keeper was good, he just wasn't Oliver good.
She threw the quaffle to Katie who dodged an oncoming player before tossing the quaffle towards the left hoop. It looked as if it was going to go in at first but Oliver managed to grab it making Angelina curse loudly.
Passing the quaffle to a reserve player near him Oliver floated back up to the middle hoop. The reserve player, a fourth year by the name of Johnny, had reached mid pitch when he tried to throw the quaffle to one of his team mates. Tommie had been hovering above the boy and when he was preparing to pass she spun so that she was upside down again. As the boy let go of the quaffle she reached out and grabbed it before righting herself and flying in the opposite direction leaving the boy open mouthed.
“Ang!” She called, lobbing the quaffle towards her friend who swiftly caught it without even looking in Tommie's direction. She reached Oliver again and without even hesitating faked a left before throwing it at the centre hoop. Oliver saw straight through this and didn't even move, catching the quaffle easily.
“Come on guys, you're slacking.” He called to the team. “If you don't score on the next throw I'm going to make you do 20 laps each!”
“Hey, Wood.” Tommie shouted back. “If we do score I think it's more than fair that you do the laps.” She didn't even realise she was including herself in the grouping of the team. It seemed almost natural.
“Now, why would I do that Cresswell?” He laughed cynically.
“Ah, you're scared we're going to score aren't you Wood?” Angelina chimed in.
Fred flew up next to Angelina. “He's not scared you're going to score, he knows you are.” He whispered over-dramatically to her.
“Alright, fine. If you score I'll do twenty laps!” Wood gave in. He just couldn't say no to a challenge.
Angelina threw a look at Tommie who had whispered something too quiet for Oliver to hear as she had flown past. Oliver tossed the quaffle to Katie but it was intercepted by one of the reserves who flattened themselves against their broom before tearing off towards the opposing hoops. They had managed to almost reach the hoops when a bludger came flying out of nowhere knocking the quaffle out of their hands. It was then caught by Angelina who raced off in the opposite direction closely followed by Tommie.
“Sorry mate!” Fred apologised to the reserve player who was clutching his hand that had been hit.
Angelina neared the hoops where Oliver was hovering with a determined look on his face. She then threw the quaffle to Tommie who suddenly threw the quaffle in the air. She then pushed herself up onto her broom and sprung forward onto her hands kicking the quaffle straight at the centre hoop that Oliver had vacated thinking that she was going to throw it into the right hoop that she was actually levitating in front of.
“I do believe that you now need to do twenty laps.” Tommie told Oliver as she broke out into a smile. God she loved Quidditch.
Tommie exited the changing rooms after being bombarded with compliments from the Quidditch team. She had never had so many people compliment her before. It felt nice but also weird. She definitely wasn't used to it.
The rest of her teammates had returned to the castle but Tommie had been hesitant to leave when she realised that Wood was actually serious about doing the laps.
She waited as Wood finished the lap he had been running, he slowed down when he noticed her standing there.
“That was impressive Cresswell.” He told her with a smile. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and Tommie was slightly annoyed by the fact that he could do twenty laps and barely break a sweat.
“Thanks.” She replied following him as he made his way towards the changing rooms that she had recently vacated.
“Have you given any more thought about joining the team?” He asked as he held the door open for her. She sank down onto the bench in the middle of the room and Oliver headed towards his locker. “We could really use you.” He called as an afterthought.
“I've thought about it.” Tommie answered honestly.
Oliver seemed intrigued by this and reappeared shirtless. “And?” He asked, a hint of hope lining his voice.
Tommie was momentarily distracted. Sure, she knew he was in good shape; it was pretty obvious but actually seeing it was another thing in itself. Tommie was suddenly finding the room a little bit too hot...
“Cresswell?” He called, causing her eyes to snap away from his torso and up to his. He couldn't help but smirk.
Tommie rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “I...can't.”
Oliver frowned. “What?”
“I'm not joining the team, Wood.”
“Why not?” He asked. “You seemed to be having fun.”
“Oh, I was.”
His frown deepened. “Then why won't you join? You like it and you're good at it.” It seemed like an easy answer in his eyes.
“I told you there were more important things than winning the Quidditch cup.” She repeated her words from earlier.
A smothering silence seemed to take over the room and Wood merely stared at her. Tommie stood up and rolled her hands awkwardly before telling Wood that she had to leave. She then made a beeline for the door, breathing a sigh of relief when the cold air hit her burning skin.