Chapter 47
Oliver tried to ignore the guilt that was knotting his stomach. Why should he feel bad? He really liked Marcus and now they were boyfriends. He was happy…so why did he feel so bad?
Charlie appeared, his brows knit together with worry, immediately changing to relief when he saw that Oliver looked okay. “Ollie! Thank Merlin you’re alright, that was quite the hit and the fall.”
Oliver shrugged, still trying to ignore the devils’ snare trap that his emotions had made, squeezing and squeezing, not relenting. “It’s all part of the game Charlie, I’m doing alright, Madam Pomfrey set me right and I’ll be out of here tomorrow morning.”
Charlie grinned at him, and it was like looking into direct sunlight. “That’s great Oliver, are you sure you’re doing okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Oliver said.
‘No, maybe? Why can’t you tell what I’m really feeling?’ Oliver desperately wanted Charlie to see how guilty he felt over being with Marcus. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for Marcus, it was just…well, it was a stupid childhood crush fantasy was what it was.
Oliver had only ever known himself to have a crush on Charlie. Having all these feelings, and for someone else…was very confusing. He always thought he’d be holding hands, and kissing Charlie, never anyone else. It was a rude awakening indeed.
“Are you sure you’re alright? I saw Flint leaving a little bit ago, he didn’t do anything did he?” Charlie asked, frowning.
The question made Oliver laugh, “I’m fine, really. He was just checking in on me…he didn’t have anything to do with the injury this time, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Charlie snorted, “You just believe him that easily huh?”
Oliver frowned, glaring at Charlie for a moment. “Yeah I do believe my boyfriend when he tells me something. You don’t know him like I do Charlie, so I would appreciate it if you would stop treating him like he’s always done something wrong.”
Charlie’s blue eyes widened, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Your what? Seriously, Oliver out of all the people to get involved with and you’ve chosen him?!”
Oliver stared back defiantly at him, his earlier feelings washing away to be replaced with annoyance, making him wonder why he had ever worried about how Charlie would feel about it at all. “Yes, I really like him and we’re together, and if you’ve got a problem with it you’re just going to have to get used to it.”
Charlie sighed, his shoulders sagging a little. “Ollie, you two just have to be careful, he doesn’t keep the best company and I have no idea how everyone in the school is going to react but-”
Oliver held up a hand. “Charlie, we’re not idiots. We’ve been being careful, and I don’t mind keeping things quiet. I’ve got other things to worry about besides who is going to be upset about who I’m dating, so I suggest you focus on something else too. Like your studies. Wasn’t that supposed to be the whole focus for you this year?”
Charlie stood up, his blue eyes looking more like ice chips at that moment. “You’re right, I do have other things to worry about.” Charlie tossed a couple of chocolate frogs on Oliver’s bed, “Feel better, I’ll see you around I suppose.”
Oliver sat back on his bed, glaring down at the chocolates. ‘Fine, if that’s the way things are going to be then fine.’ Sighing, Oliver finished off his dinner, and laid down and settled into a very restless sleep.
Now…
“So, things didn’t always go to your plan, then?” His therapist asked, although Oliver was unsure if it was truly a question.
Oliver nodded, shaking his head exasperatedly at the ridiculous attitude of his teenage self. “If things went according to my plan, I wouldn’t be here would I?” Oliver replied dryly.
His therapist nodded. “True, but do you suppose you’ve always felt a need to control things? Is that why you thought you could handle your addiction on your own with no help?”
Oliver didn’t respond, and looked away from his therapist. “I don’t know, you tell me, you’re the one who’s been listening.”
His therapist raised an eyebrow at him. “There’s no need to get upset, or try to deny that that’s what you were doing Oliver. It seems to me you were always trying to control every aspect of your life, and when you couldn’t do that with certain people, you removed them from the equation. Is that what happened with Charlie? What about Marcus?”
Oliver glared at his therapist, crossing his arms stubbornly. “I guess you’ll just have to keep listening to find out.”
Then…
Oliver thanked Madam Pomfrey the next morning, and was going to head straight back to the common room to get working on some of his homework, but he paused, shaking off his frustrated Charlie thoughts, and his homework, remembering that he had hoped to talk to Madam Pomfrey.
Oliver turned back and stood there awkwardly in the hospital wing. “Er…Madam Pomfrey?”
Madam Pomfrey looked up from Oliver’s now neat bed, stowing her wand away. “Yes, Wood? Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
Oliver took a few hesitant steps forward. “No, yes, I mean to say, yes. I feel loads better thank you. I just….you mentioned my parents. What….what were they like when they were at school? Did you know them well?”
Oliver realized that may have been an odd way to phrase that. Know them well? She was the school’s healer and his parents had been students. What exactly was that supposed to mean?
Madam Pomfrey smiled, and gestured for him to take a seat next to her on one of the beds. Oliver obliged, and waited anxiously for her response. “I did get to know them fairly well, though not as well as you probably think. They did both frequent the hospital wing. I hope you don’t continue to take after your mother.”
Oliver’s face soured at that, and it was not missed by Madam Pomfrey.
“I only mean,” she continued gently, “that you are both very…passionate about the sport you both play. Your mother ended up in here quite a lot, whether she was injured herself or checking in on her fellow teammates.”
Oliver was surprised to hear that, it was a hard image to see his mother in here, visiting her injured teammates. Perhaps she hadn’t always been so careless?
“What about my dad?” Oliver asked after a moment's silence.
Madam Pomfrey smiled fondly, her eyes not really forced on Oliver, but on memories. “Your father was also in here a lot…though not for Quidditch related injuries. He was always sneaking off into the forest after some magical creature or another. If I remember correctly, his friends often had to dissuade him from leaping into the depths of the lake here too. Hagrid was usually an enabler as well, practically guiding Octavious into the forest and encouraging him.”
Madam Pomfrey laughed at Oliver’s horrified expression. “Your father was a very curious man, and he and your mother would often chat when they both ended up in here. It was odd watching them interact. Both so different, and yet so stubborn in their ways.”
Oliver looked away, his ears burning and turning a little pink. That sounded a little too familiar. Both for Marcus and Charlie. “So…they got along in the end then?”
Madam Pomfrey looked at him sympathetically. “While they were students they did but heads a lot, but I think they did truly care for each other. As for after school….I have no idea, I’m sorry Mr Wood.”
Oliver nodded, “No that’s…thank you for sharing that with me. I really appreciate it.”
Madam Pomfrey smiled, “Of course, I’m here whenever you would like to talk Mr Wood.”
Oliver thanked her again, and then wandered his way slowly back to the common room, his mind a whirl of emotions. He wondered who he would end up being more like, his father…or his mother…