Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Now
“So it was love at first sight then was it?” Oliver’s therapist asked him with a soft smile.
Oliver chuckled quietly. “I wouldn’t say that. More like a childhood crush that I repressed for a long long time, before it became a problem. Besides, I had plenty of other things to distract me.”
8.5 Years Ago…
Oliver stared raptly at the gleaming train. He was still getting over the shock of running through a wall, let alone seeing The Hogwarts Express for the first time.
His mother’s grip on his shoulder tightened slightly. “Look Oliver, I can see your…friends.” Her voice turned a little condescending at the end of her sentence.
Oliver tore his gaze from the train and looked farther down the platform. All of the Weasleys stood, hugging each other close, ruffling heads of hair, and smiling. Oliver couldn’t help but grin at the sight. It was so foreign to him and strange, it made him feel almost giddy.
“I still don’t understand how you let yourself get distracted by them, Oliver.” His mother said with an exasperated sigh.
Honestly, Oliver didn’t know quite himself. Well, he had an idea about why a certain Weasley distracted him in particular, but at the time he hadn’t quite figured that out yet. However, it had something to do with how happy everyone seemed. How much love and laughter there always was between the members of the large red-haired clan.
“They’re my friends Mom, you’ll have to get used to it.” Oliver said firmly.
“I know dear, but did you have to find such…loud friends?” His mother asked.
Oliver was sure she had wanted to use an entirely different word besides loud. Sure, Fred and George did get into a fair share of trouble, but they were kids just like Oliver. If Oliver ever had the chance to actually be a normal eleven year old, it was when he snuck off to the Weasley’s when his mother finally let him have a break from flying and Keeper practice.
“Alright dear, the train’s about to leave. Have everything you need?” His mother gave him a rare smile, she looked surprisingly almost upset at the thought of Oliver leaving. Almost.
“Yeah I do. Er…mom what do you plan on doing while I’m at Hogwarts?” Oliver asked her.
His mother had gone down to part time at her job at the Ministry, getting just enough hours to keep them afloat. She had dedicated most of her time to training Oliver. She was determined that he be on his house team the first year.
She laughed at him for a moment. “Oh Oliver, don’t worry about me. I’ll be working more again and be thinking of more training exercises for you when you come home for Christmas.”
Oliver’s stomach filled with that familiar feeling of dread. That. That was what he had been afraid of. How many training exercises could one woman possibly come up with for Keeper? All Oliver had to do was stop the Quaffle from going into the goal posts. It wasn’t NEWT level Potions for Merlin’s sake.
“That’s great Mom.” Oliver heard himself saying. “I’m glad you’ll be keeping busy.”
“Just don’t forget, work hard and you’ll be one of the few first years to make it on their house team.” His mother hugged him tightly once more.
Oliver gave her one final squeeze, before turning towards the open doors of the Hogwarts Express. Most parents, he thought, would be more concerned about which house their child would be placed in. But no, Oliver’s mother only cared that he played Keeper for his house, nevermind which one it was.
His mother had been in Ravenclaw, and of course there was The Man They Never Spoke Of. Oliver hadn’t any idea what house he had or hadn’t been in. He remembered a conversation he had earlier in the summer with the Weasley brothers about this and it still only added more anxiety to Oliver’s already high amount.
Earlier that year…
They were in The Weasley’s garden, Oliver had a rare day where his mother wasn’t breathing down his neck about training and was helping the Weasley brothers de-gnome the garden.
“Alright Oliver, the best way to do it is to corner the little buggers, grab them by their ankles and huck them as far as you can over the garden wall.” Bill instructed him.
“You’re also more than welcome to use any of dad’s junk items to clobber them with. It makes it easier to grab them if you can stun them first.” Fred said with a mischievous grin.
“Try to avoid doing that, Oliver.” Charlie said, glaring at his brother sternly. “If you want to stun them, spinning them around and making them dizzy will do just fine.”
“Sure if you want to do it without any fun.” George mumbled.
“I think I’ve got it. Sounds easy enough.” Oliver said confidently.
For the next half hour, Oliver helped them de-gnome the garden. Bill had swore loudly when one of them had nipped his hand with their sharp little teeth.
“So, Oliver, you're heading to Hogwarts this fall right?” Charlie asked, dusting the dirt off of his pants as one of the gnomes scurried away from him.
“Yeah, I just turned eleven a few weeks ago.” Oliver told him whilst cornering a gnome in the corner of the garden wall.
“Any idea what house you think you’ll be sorted into?” Charlie had come up beside him to help prevent the gnome from escaping.
Oliver felt nervous at the sudden nearness of the other boy. Charlie wasn’t that much older than Oliver, he was only thirteen. He wasn’t even that intimidating. Sure, he was already a lot taller than Oliver but he didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Oliver had no idea why he felt so nervous and shy all of a sudden. It was…confusing to say the least.
“Uh…no not really. I mean, my mom was a Ravenclaw but I don’t know much about any of the houses.” Oliver had snatched the gnome and quickly ran to the garden wall and threw it as far as he could. He watched as it stood back up, rubbing its rear end.
He turned back around to find Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George all staring at him curiously. “What?” He asked the group.
“Well, how can you not have any idea Oliver?” Percy, at age twelve, already had a budding superiority complex and was staring at Oliver like he was a particularly shrill Mandrake.
“Percy, not everyone has the same pressures we do. Besides, some kids who are muggle-born haven’t got a clue about it.” Bill told him sternly.
“Yeah but, Oliver’s not muggle-born. He just said his mom was a Ravenclaw.” Percy said stubbornly, before turning towards a gnome who was making a break for it.
Bill, who Oliver suspected, knew how neglectful his mother could be since he was the oldest Weasley child, and Mrs. Weasley likely had told her eldest son to keep an eye on Oliver, had chosen that moment to change the subject slightly.
“We know there’s no pressure for any of us to be in Gryffindor.” Bill said.
"Easy for you three to say.” George said, gesturing to Bill, Charlie and Percy.
“Yeah, you’re already sorted into Gryffindor. George and I reckon Mom and Dad will lose it if we don’t make it into Gryffindor.” Fred said, coming to stand by his twin.
Oliver had no idea what any of it meant. “So there’s Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and…?”
“Hufflepuff and Slyterin.” Bill finished for him. “But, that’s all we’ll reveal for now. We can’t be telling all you soon to be first years the secrets.”
Charlie grinned and winked at Oliver, who could feel his cheeks reddening. “I’m sure you’ll do great Ollie.” He said.
Oliver turned without a response, in search of another garden gnome. No one had ever given him a nickname, it filled his stomach not with the familiar twinge of anxiety but with a different feeling.
“What?! That’s not fair, you have to help us!” Oliver heard Fred complain. He was only met with his brothers’ laughter.
Present…
Oliver was jolted out of his thoughts as he stumbled into the solid back of another student in the train’s corridor. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t even looking.” He started to say but stopped when the figure turned around.
Charlie grinned at him, his familiar freckled face looking down at Oliver. “Hey! Wanna help me find a compartment?”
Oliver, in this moment, was proud that he was able to form a coherent sentence around Charlie. Small victories! “Yeah, sure, that’d be great.”
“Bill left me to fend for myself, said he had prefect duties.” Charlie said with an eye roll.
Oliver was surprised by how at only the age of thirteen Charlie’s height and width made it easy for people to move out of his way, clearing a path for him and Oliver to look for a compartment that hasn't already packed full.
“What about Fred and George?” Oliver asked him, looking into the compartments they passed.
Charlie rolled his eyes yet again. “Those two idiots ran right onto the train, practically couldn’t wait to get away from mom who was a crying wreck mind you.”
Oliver couldn’t help but feel surprised. His own mother had barely shown any emotion. Only her normal determination to mold Oliver into a perfect Quidditch player. What was it like? He often wondered, to have Molly Weasley as a caring devoted mother.
“Speak of the devils.” Oliver said, noticing two familiar red haired boys in the compartment next to them.
Charlie pulled open the compartment door. “You guys mind if Ollie and I join you?”
Fred and George shook their heads in unison. “Charlie! Oliver! This is our new friend, Lee.” George said beaming at the dark haired boy across from him.
“Hello!” Lee waved at them from his seat next to Fred.
Oliver settled next to George, Charlie taking the seat opposite him and sitting next to Fred. “Nice to meet you Lee.” Oliver said, surprising himself.
Normally, he was a shy kid. Especially with new people, and especially with Charlie. But, he supposed that he had gotten closer to the Weasley clan this summer and that had helped tremendously.
As the train’s whistle blew, Oliver’s worrisome thoughts about being sorted were replaced by another one. Maybe I just have more confidence without mom shouting in my ears every few minutes. As the train pulled away from the station, Oliver prayed that his first few months at Hogwarts would go by slowly, ensuring that he wouldn’t be seeing his mom for a long long time.