Contentment

"Thank you." Madeline told Percy for the seventh time in the four hours that they spent going from shop to shop, only stopping to grab a bite to eat.

"How many times is that now?" Percy asked, standing tall over her figure and Madeline furrowed her brows.

"How many times what?"

"You apologized. What, ten now?" The girl laughed, shaking her head.

"Seven. And I'll do it again if you'd like. You saved my ass back there." Madeline told him, licking a strawberry flavored lollipop she had gotten at the sweets shop earlier.

"And I'll tell you again what I did after those seven apologies. There is no need for them. The look on his face gave me all the thanks I'd need for taking a lovely girl to Hogsmead." Madeline shook her head, smirking at Percy.

"You know, for someone who's not into girls, you have quite a way with words Percy."

Percy shrugged his shoulders, looking unashamed and unbothered. "What can I say, I know what a girl wants to hear." Madeline smacked his shoulder playfully, wishing that Felix was here. She loved seeing them together.

"Do you and Felix plan on studying tonight?" Percy raised a teasing brow at her, taking the lollipop from her hands. She watched him give it an intriguing lick and gods, that looked...

"Why? Want to join us during a session now, do you? I must say, I've never pleased a girl before, but if you insist, I can ask Felix and-"

Madeline chuckled, swatting him on his shoulder and took the lollipop from him. He'd managed to lift her spirits the moment they had walked out of their common room, and she was happy that she had him and Felix here.

Even only knowing them for barely a month, Madeline felt like she'd known them for much longer than that. For years.

She licked the lollipop and felt something inside her break loose when Percy's eyes widened, before darkening a shade darker when he continued to look over her head. "What's wrong?" Madeline's voice came out unsteady, her hand going towards her wand in the back of her jeans.

Percy didn't respond but his posture grew rigged, and he shook his head, bringing his eyes back to her. "Wood is walking over to us." What?

"What?" Madeline asked, heart rate picking up when she twisted and saw Oliver Wood, dressed in a simple black turtleneck with jeans, taking careful steps towards her and Percy.

Madeline didn't say anything and just watched him walk up to the two of them, feeling Percy take a step closer to her back. A shiver ran down her spine when Percy leaned in and she watched Oliver's eyes widen at the sight, his eyes baring into his friend with slight distaste.

"Want to make him suffer?" Percy's voice purred into her ear, making her blush. "He's probably coming over to apologies, and I'm sure he'll have a perfect explanation for standing you up. But if you're not in the mood..." Percy told her, letting his last words trail off before he straightened up again, still standing close to her back.

Madeline sucked in a breath at his words, intrigued, but not knowing what to do.

She wasn't Oliver Wood's girlfriend. If she was, she would have turned around the second Percy had whispered those words to her and let him do all the work.

But that wasn't necessary.

No.

Not when her heart was beating of its own volition at Oliver's darkened eyes, making her feel weightless and unable to do anything but just stand there like an idiot, eyes wide and a soft smile playing around her lips.

He came.

Well, after standing her up, sure, but he was still here, right?

The thought that maybe he was just here to piss on her mood sprang into her mind, and she pushed it away just as fast as it came.

He wouldn't look so damn jealous if he didn't come here for her.

"Percy." Oliver's voice was pleasant, but she could hear apprehension in it. He continued to look at Percy before looking at Madeline, his eyes soft and apologetic and unsure. Hearing Oliver sound like he was waiting for something unpleasant to happen left her wanting to forgive him on the spot for forgetting about the date, the one that he initiated. And for doing the forgetting while he was with the witchy bitch.

But no.

She would let herself be entertained. Let him work for the forgiveness she was already wanting to give him.

"You here to seek forgiveness for your small memory, or to make a fool of yourself again." Madeline sucked in a breath, the urge to chuckle leaving her feeling confused.

Oliver smiled sheepishly at Madeline. "Forgiveness, and to offer an explanation." He told her and Madeline kept herself from smirking at his awkwardness.

He didn't owe her an explanation if he just didn't want to come here with her, she thought. If that had been the case, she would have just taken this as a lesson to not date a single boy for the rest of her life.

"Well, I suppose it's up to M to decide if she wants to hear it." Madeline noticed the way Percy's voice softened as he took a step away from her and she turned to face him. "What do you say? You want to hear him out?"

Madeline pretended to consider this, already knowing the answer and slowly nodded her head, catching Percy's smirk. "Thank you for coming to my rescue." She told him and truly meant it. Percy nodded his head, leveling his gaze over her head.

"If she comes back in tears, you're a goner." Percy cracked a genuine smile at Oliver and Madeline broke out into a smile at that, not really understanding how she had gotten so lucky to come to Hogwarts when Percy Weasley was here. Even if she thought that he was being a bit over the top.

"You'll have to get in line mate." Oliver's voice sounded lighter now, and Madeline remembered about the strawberry lollipop still in her hand.

"Enjoy." She told Percy when he took it from her, putting it into his mouth before he gave her a smile and she turned towards Oliver, watching Percy walk away from them.

Oliver's eyes skimmed her face, his own growing a shed redder. "I..." Madeline raised a brow, fighting off a grin from the way the crimson was spreading hotter from his neck to his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not showing up." He managed to get out, taking in a deep breath. "I know that you must think that I stood you up, but I honest to Godrick didn't. I told everyone I was with this morning that I had a date with you and then Lina had to bring up her father and him coming here to scout and I honestly, fuck, when there is talk of Quidditch, my mind just goes completely blank and I didn't forget, I promise, I mean, It's you. I had a date with the most beautiful and intriguing girl in school and I'd never intentionally forget, I swear, I just blanked out and, fuck I-"

"Oliver breath." Madeline told him, taking a step closer to put a hand on his shoulder. Her mind only picked up on how sinfully good the swear word sounded coming out of his mouth, and the parts about his mind going blank when the sport was involved and something about her being beautiful.

Taking in a breath, Madeline pressed her hand on his shoulder, and felt him relax into her palm when he took a breath as well, eyes searching hers. "I'm sorry." He told her, taking an unsure step closer. "I'm a tosser for standing you up, and I'm so sorry for that." There was barely three inches between them, and he was looking down at her now, eyes big and apologetic. And hell, she thought it was all bullshit when people talked about eyes being gates to ones soul, but his eyes, his eyes on her, honey like one minute and gold the next left a shiver running up her spine.  

Madeline fought the urge to get on her toes and brush her lips against his.

"It's okay." Oliver's eyes widened even bigger at that.

"You can't forgive me so easy." A look of disbelief plastered on his face.

Madeline titled her head to the side, raising a brow. "Can't I? Let's see then." At this point she was just playing with the poor guys feelings, but if he wanted her to question him, who was she to deny him that. "Why didn't you stop me from leaving with Percy?" She knew she hit the spot when he sucked in a breath, eyes filling with shame.

"I felt like an idiot when I realized that I had focused on Quidditch to the point of forgetting and then thought that you wouldn't want me around you when you left."

But he was here now, right? Madeline wanted to know why he changed his mind. "What made you come here then?" She asked him, her hand still perched on his shoulder, feeling it move with each breath he took.

"Honestly?" Madeline nodded her head and felt him take in another breath. "Felix talked some sense into me."

"Do you want to be here?" She asked him, silently thanking Felix in her head. Him and Percy were fucking fairies in her life right now.

"What?"

"Do you want to be here Oliver?" Madeline asked again, this time her voice coming out gentler, warmer and she watched Oliver smile at her in earnest.

"I don't want to be anywhere else but here, with you." She felt that feeling inside her stomach again whenever he was near her. Warmth and happiness mixing with the darkness and sadness that she never seemed to be able to shake. And she wanted more from him. She wanted that warmth and happiness to consumer her whole.

"Then that's settled. I forgive you." Oliver's shoulder relaxed more under her palm. "But, you did promise to make today unforgettable, Oliver Wood, and I'm still going to hold you to that." Madeline added and Oliver chuckled and nodded.

"I promise to never let anything like this happen again."

"Mhm, and shall I hold you to that promise?" Oliver considered her, eyes roaming hers with all the warmth of a sunny summer day.

"Most definitely. And if I fuck up, you have permission to put me into the hospital wing and I promise to not push charges." Madeline chuckled at the seriousness in his voice, watching him take a step to her side.

Oliver didn't say anything when he took her hand into his, and the two silently walked in the opposite direction of the school.

"Where are we going?" Madeline asked once they passed the last street of Hogsmead.

"Somewhere more private and beautiful." Oliver told her, smiling down at her. He had a nice smile, Madeline decided for the tenth time since seeing him only minutes ago.

They came out to a clearing that was filled with wildflowers of all colors, and not for the first time since coming to Hogwarts, Madeline admired the beauty that lay in front of her.

"This is beautiful." She told Oliver, taking a seat next to him on the grass.

Oliver nodded his head, his eyes already on hers. "It is." She couldn't help but smile.

They sat there for a while before Oliver cleared his throat, getting Madeline's eyes to stop wondering around the field in front of them.

"Do you really forgive me?"

"Oliver-"

"I know what you said earlier, but I just want to make sure." He cut in, his eyes searching hers as he took a deep breath, fingers playing with the grass underneath him. "I've never felt like this before."

"Like what?"

"Like, like I'm an idiot. That Saturday, I want you to know that I never wanted to kiss Lina."

Madeline nodded, wondering where he was going with this, but didn't interrupt because she really wanted to hear him out. She didn't want him kissing their head girl either, and the fact that she knew she had no right to feel like that when she barely knew him, wasn't lost on her.

"I must admit." Oliver told her, brushing his fingers against hers, and Madeline felt a shiver run up her spine at the action. She'd kissed him, and he'd done the same. They'd even held hands while walking here, and still she felt a ball of excitement run through her at the smallest of contact.

"When I saw you on the train station, or rather, when I turned around to find a pretty girl narrowing her eyes at me in disbelieve, I instantly wondered who you were, wondered if you might have been a figment of my imagination because I was sure I'd never seen you before. And then when I saw you on the train, when the darkness came, you were like a light, beaming in front of my eyes, and you took the darkness away." Madeline swallowed, feeling his hand move to rest by hers. 

What he was saying sounded cheese to her, but she didn't tell him that because it was sweet and kind. He was being honest, and Madeline wanted nothing more than to return the honesty.

"They had announced that a new student was going to join us for the school year and that you'd be sorted into a house the moment you were feeling better. That's when I had asked McGonagall if I could see you. I told her that I wanted to thank you, and that's true, I did, but I also wanted to see you again, just to make sure that you were real." Oliver chuckled at his own words, and Madeline matched his smile.

"Anyway, that's not the point to all this rambling." Madeline quirked up a teasing brow at him and brushed her fingers against his.

"No? I quit like hearing you ramble." She watched his smile grow before Oliver shook his head, face growing slightly more serious.

"I wonder if I might ask you some questions? I mean, it's been a month since we've met, and no one knows anything about you except that you're from America, even though you have a small Scottish accent, you're related to McGonagall, you're brilliant in school, and you love to watch Quidditch?"

Madeline nodded, feeling anxious. She knew that the feeling was unnecessary, but Oliver was right, no one really knew her that well. Even Felix and Percy, who both knew that her parents and nana were gone, didn't know much else about her.

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything you're willing to tell me."

Madeline looked at the field of wildflowers, again amazed by their vibrant beauty, before looking back at Oliver and shrugging her shoulders. "There's not much to know. I was born in Scotland, my mom insisted on it, then lived in America with my nana, my dad's mom. My parents were Aurors for the Magical Congress, and passed when I was nine, so I lived with my nana until she passed at the end of last school year, and now I'm here." Madeline felt Oliver's hand engulf hers, providing warmth and comfort.

"I'm sorry about your parents and nanas passing." Oliver told her in a gentle voice, but Madeline shook her head.

"Thank you." Oliver scooted closer to her. "My parents were brilliant in their job, and nana was just a kind of person that made everyone feel welcome in her presence. She was also on the Council at the Magical Congress."

An awkward silence followed her words, but Madeline didn't mind. She was used to the awkwardness that followed when someone would ask about her family. "Anyway." She told Oliver, who's shoulder was now touching hers. "My parents used to take me to the Quidditch games in Scotland over the holidays and sometimes during the summer. The accent, I've actually never noticed, but I suppose I picked it up from my mom."

She turned her head to look at Oliver who was already looking at her, face set in intent to just listen. "Your parents sound like they were kind people."

"They were."

"Do you miss them?" Oliver's tone was gentle, making Madeline feel comfortable.

"All the time, but I had my nana, and..." Madeline stopped talking, feeling the familiar burning in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Oliver. "I miss them all, very much." She told him, not meeting his gaze and was grateful when Oliver noticed her shying away from the subject and decided to not press.

"What about Ilvermony? How was it there?"

A million happy memories poured into her mind, each as happy as her childhood had been. "It was amazing." She told Oliver, meeting his eyes again with a small smile playing around her lips. "There aren't that many students there, and it made everyone feel like a family, you know? There are four houses, just like here."

"What house were you in?"

"Thunderbird." Madeline told him with pride, smiling at her old house.

Oliver smiled at her, leaning his head slightly down. Even sitting down on the grass, he was still taller than her.

"Do you keep in touch with your friends?" Madeline's mind shot straight at the one and only letter she had gotten from one of her friends asking about her ex and frowned. A month without anyone else writing to her. They had promised, but she supposed that it wouldn't hurt for her to write first.

"Not much."

Oliver nodded, looking over the field, before he looked back at her, a less playful smile on his lips now. "I'm sorry that you had to come here under such circumstances."

It was the earnestness in his voice that made Madeline realize for the second time today that she wasn't alone here.

"It's okay."

Oliver shook his head, threading his fingers through hers. "You're not alone here, Madeline, I want you to know that. I know that you and Percy are friends, and Eli, Ginny and Felix, but you also have me. If you'd like that, I mean." He told her, breaking into a small smile.

"Are you offering a friendship Wood? Or a shoulder to cry on." Madeline loved the way his fingers tensed in hers at her teasing. Loved the way his hand felt strong and reassuring. Warm and safe.

Turning his body slightly more towards her, Oliver licked his lips, leaning in closer to her. "Everything and anything you'd like. I know we barely know each other, but I'd like to change that." Madeline felt her heart rate pick up when he leaned in and she could feel his lips brush across her cheek, the warmth of them making her shiver despite the warm day that they'd been blessed with today.

"I'd like that very much." She told him when he leaned slightly away, his smile gentle and happy.

They talked for hours after that, feeling more at ease with each other. Mornings events forgotten as Oliver dived into talks about Quidditch and Madeline listened with genuine interest, loving the way his eyes would light up when he'd talk about his father, and how proud he was that his son was Captain of his team. Oliver seemed to love his family with a gentleness that she understood all too well, and it made her heart swell with happiness.

Watching the sun go down, the two shared a comfortable silence, sitting side by side, hand in hand. Oliver hadn't tried to kiss her and Madeline didn't want to make him feel weird by trying it herself. Earlier this week, when she had kissed him out of spite for the Coralina, felt like the wrong motivation for her to do it again. Even if Oliver had kissed her back.

On their walk back to the school, Madeline settled on taking things slow and seeing were his offer at a friendship would lead.

They had made it just in time for dinner, and Madeline sighted in relief when she didn't see Coralina at the Gryffindor table.

It wasn't long before Felix flopped down by her, leaning into her ear. "Well? Spill...How'd it go?"