Contentment

Loud knocking woke Madeline, and she bolted up in bed, her hand going to her nightstand before she blinked into existence, remembering what happened.

Grabbing her wand, she looked at the time and sighed when it read nine thirty at night. Who the hell was trying to see her?

Forcing her body to move, she made her way towards the door, cursing under her breath when her legs left like jelly.

She hid her wand behind the door when she opened it to reveal Eli and Ginny, both holding napkins with what looked like sandwiches and pastries in them.

"Hi." Eli's small voice came, making Madeline smile at the two of them. She didn't mind that her only friends that were girls were a first and a second year.

"Why hello. Is that for me?" Madeline winced at her own voice. It sounded dry as hell.

"Yes. We thought you might be hungry." Ginny told her and Madeline opened her bedroom door, letting them in.

"That's very kind of you." She told them once they got to her bed, all three climbing onto it.

"How are you feeling?"

Madeline smiled at Ginny's earnest question, wishing that she didn't have to lie to her. She hated lying, but she didn't want to upset either of them. And in any case, they were too little to be burdened with something like this. 

"Better. How were classes?"

Eli made a face, forcing a chuckle from Madeline. The two girls were as apposite as day when it came to school. Eli hated learning with a passion that Madeline had never seen before, while Ginny just went along with it.

"Boring."

"Mm, I'm sure."

Madeline filled some glasses with water, offering them to the girls before she forced herself to eat the sandwiches they had brought her. She wasn't hungry, and if it was up to her, she probably wouldn't have forced anything down her throat for days.

Ginny studied her face, her brows raising high on her head as she would open her mouth and then close it and Madeline smiled at her.

"What's wrong Ginny?" Ginny shook her head, her eyes growing innocent.

"It's nothing, really. It's just that Oliver seems beside himself in the common room and I was wondering if maybe he could come up here?"

Madeline breathed in, knowing that if he came up, she'd have to tell him everything. They had promised to have an honest relationship and she couldn't go back on it. Not when that had been her only request.

"Percy and Felix seem worried too." Eli told her, her eyes bright and innocent.

Madeline closed her eyes, mentally preparing her answer. She wanted to see them, wanted to feel Oliver's warmth next to her, his arms providing sanctuary.

"Okay. Would you two mind telling Oliver that he can come up?" She told them, looking at Elis brightened face. "But give me twenty minutes to at least shower."

"You don't look dirty." Eli told her and Madeline chuckled, shaking her head. She supposed she looked fine, but she felt filthy.

"I just want to freshen up." Ginny laughed and Eli made a face.

"For Oliver?"

"For myself." Madeline told Eli, raising a brow. "Thank you for bringing me food."

"Of course, we're happy that you're feeling better." Eli told her, and the two got off her bed, telling her that they'll make sure to tell Oliver to wait a little bit before coming up.

Madeline stood under the hot water for a few minutes before scrubbing her body until it hurt. She did feel better, her morning panic attack not leaving any lasting effects. She just couldn't let her mind drift to any bad thoughts, she told herself, and she'd be fine.

Getting into some comfortable pajamas, Madeline looked at the two pastries on her nightstand. It was sweet of them to bring her some food, but she wasn't hungry, and the two sandwiches that she had ate, already made her feel like throwing up. So, she took her wand out, and moved the pastries into the trashcan before climbing into bed.

A soft knock came at her door, and Madeline called out, telling Oliver that the door was unlocked.

Oliver closed the door behind him, lingering by it for a few moments before he made his way to her bed, sitting down by her. He looked tired, and Madeline could see what Ginny had meant. Oliver looked like he had been worried all day, and she didn't like that it was on her account.

"How are you feeling?"

Madeline smiled, scooting closer to him. "Better now that you're here." It was true. Seeing him made her feel like this morning was a long distance away. It felt like it had almost not even happened. Almost.

"You being honest?" Madeline chuckled, linking her fingers with his.

"I am. How are you?"

"Better now that I'm here." He told her and Madeline felt a pleasant shiver run down her body when Oliver brought her hand to his lips, brushing them gently across her skin. "Do you want to talk about it?" Madeline sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to go back on her own promise to herself earlier. But she didn't want to lie to him.

Gods, what was it about him that made her want to pour her soul out? It made her feel bizarre and not like herself at all.

"You don't have to, if you don't feel up to it. I don't want you to be uncomfer-"

Madeline caught him off, shaking her head. "No. It's okay. I feel like I can tell you anything." Oliver smiled at her, and her heart promised to overfill again.

"You can." He told her gently, placing a soft kiss on her hand.

"Take off your shoes." Madeline told him, and shook her head when Oliver smirked at her. "Not what you're thinking. I just think you'd be more comfortable in the bed."

Oliver obliged her, the smirk placed solidly on his handsome face as he took his shoes off, coming around the other side of her bed and climbing under her covers. He pulled her into him, his arms securing her in place, and neither said anything as Madeline let her body relax, taking in all of his warmth. She was always cold, even when it was warm, and she loved the fact that the boy next to her radiated heat.

Taking in a deep breath, Madeline moved her head to look at him. "I want you to promise me something." She told him and watched his face become more serious as he nodded. "What I tell you stay between us."

"I promise." He told her, placing a soft kiss against her temple.

Madeline nodded her head again, taking in a breath to calm her own nerves. She wasn't sure how he was going to react to what she was about to tell him, just prayed that he'd hear her out and understand.

"Have you noticed that the school got a new Auror?" Oliver shook his head. "Right. Well, his name is Caden Bright." Oliver raised a confused brow at her. "My family used to be close with his."

"Used to be?" Oliver asked, voice clam but she could see his jaw set. She wasn't sure how, but he looked like he was expecting the worst news.

"Yes. My father grew up with his parents." Madeline told him, swallowing thickly. Here comes the most uncomfortable part, Madeline told herself, looking for her courage. "There were talks of marriage between us when we were younger." Oliver took in a short breath, his eyes searching hers.

"But you're not..." Oliver broke off, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You're not engaged anymore?"

Madeline shook her head, her heartbeat speeding up. "No. And it wasn't in any legal form, just our parents talking about it. Anyway, Caden isn't a good person." Oliver's arms tightened around her, and Madeline fought the urge to cry. Fuck it, she hated crying.

"What happened?" Oliver asked, his voice more serious.

"Well, after my parents death, his family would spend a lot of time with me and my nana. On my twelfth birthday, nana ended the engagement on the merit that there weren't any legal papers drawn on it."

"Why did she end it?" Madeline took in a deep breath, the only thing holding her from breaking down were Oliver's hands around her.

"Caden had never been a very kind person, kind of like Flint, actually." She told him, making the connection that moment. Flint gave her the same sick feeling that Caden had given her when they were younger. "He was always nice to me, but when we played with other kids, he was really mean. I don't know if it's because he's a few years older, or if it's just who he is."

"What did he do?" Madeline closed her eyes, pulling herself together. She needed to be honest with him.

"On my twelfth birthday, his family couldn't come so they sent him alone. Nana was visiting one of our neighbors for their cards game night, and I was left alone with him." Madeline watched Oliver's jaw set, his eyes, although still gentle, held something unreadable in them. "He cornered me in a hallway that night, telling me that, well, since we were to wed and all that shit, he shouldn't have to wait to have me." The words felt like bile in her throat, and Madeline winced when Oliver's eyes snapped closed, his arms pulling her even closer to him. There was barely any room between them as it was.

It was sick, hearing her say those words aloud. She couldn't imagine any little girl going through this and knew that if she found this happening to Eli or Ginny, they'd be carting her off to a cell in Azkaban for taking a life.

"Nothing happened, Oliver." She told him, finding her voice. "He scared the shit out of me, and nana came home before he could do whate..." She broke off when Oliver looked at her, his eyes bright from unshed tears. "He didn't get far. Anyway, that's not what I want to focus on. I used to get panic attacks for months after that. Any mention of his name, any sight of him in the papers, like him making Auror ranks, any dark hallways, any loud cracks in my bedroom, and I would lose all sense of what was happening around me."

"That bastard." Oliver whispered, his eyes set firmly on hers. "Does your aunt know?" Madeline shook her head.

"No, and she won't. I don't want any trouble."

"Madeline-"

"I'm fine. Really, Oliver please. I didn't expect to see him here-"

"He should be in Azkaban for trying to-"

"He didn't get far." Madeline told him, shaking her head again. "I don't want any trouble. His family didn't take kindly to nana ending things between us and cutting ties and besides, I got over it." She didn't want to tell Oliver that his family, one that almost became hers, was madder than their son. Telling anyone about Caden would be like signing her own sentence to an endless life of misery. 

"You're not over it if you just had a panic attack this morning-"

"I'm fine, Oliver..." Madeline tried but Oliver shook his head, kissing the top of her head to hide his anger.

"I won't let anything happen to you." She heard him say, and there it was again, that feeling of her heart filling to the brim.

"You don't have to protect me." She told him and was met with determined eyes.

"I'd do anything for you."

"Oliver-"

"No Madeline, listen to me. I know that it hasn't been that long, but seeing you this morning, I felt helpless because I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what to do and it scared the shite out of me. I know that I shouldn't feel like this, not after only knowing you for a short time, but I do, and I won't ever let anything bad happen to you."

Madeline nodded, feeling overwhelmed. She knew that he was right. They haven't known each other for long and have only been going out for a week, but she felt like she's known him her whole life. Like she was meant to know him.

"We should tell someone." Oliver told her, kissing her forehead again and she was overwhelmed with the want to feel his lips on hers.

"Oliver-"

"But I understand, I think, why you don't want to." He cut in, cupping her cheek with the hand that wasn't behind her back. "I don't like this." He told her, eyes bearing into her soul.

"I'm not asking you to like it, just to not say anything to anyone. I can deal with him-"

"You don't have to-"

Madeline cut him off by pressing her lips to his, silently asking him to understand. She didn't want to soil her parents and nana's names. Because that's what would happen if people found out that she had been almost engaged to the Bright family heir. They wouldn't care that he was vile. That he tried forcing her into having sex with him when she was only twelve. And they certainly wouldn't care about the almost, instead focusing on the sole fact that she'd been almost engaged to the Brights. 

Madeline broke the kiss, cupping his cheek. "I promise that I'm fine. I haven't seen him in five years, and I'm sure that he's long past the whole situation. He has to be." She told him, her voice pleading and gentle.

Oliver didn't say anything for a moment, letting an awkward silence settle between them. Madeline hatted this. Hated that she was asking him to do nothing. She didn't fully understand what he was feeling towards her, but knew that if the situations were reversed, her own feelings for him would drive her crazy with being asked to not punish someone who had hurt him.

"Oliver." Her voice came out barely above a whisper and Oliver forced a smile, if only for her benefit. She looked exhausted, and he didn't want to upset her. He couldn't understand why she was so reluctant on not telling anyone about that prick, but he couldn't deny her what she had asked of him. He would just have to make sure to walk into the Auror prick on his own merit. And Gods help Caden if Oliver had anything to say about it. 

"You should get some rest." Oliver told her, placing a soft kisses on her lips.

"I'm not tired."

"Mhm, and I'm not Oliver Wood." Madeline's brows rose in amusement and Oliver was happy to see her smile at him genuinely.

"Would you want to stay?" Oliver blinked at her, raising a brow. He did. Godrick as his witness, he did.

"Do you want me to stay?" Oliver asked her in a gentle, playful tone, deciding that he'd have to let his anger towards a man that he didn't know out later. She needed him and fuck it if he didn't need to be by her side just as much. 

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't." Madeline told him, her eyes skimming his shirt. "But only if you're okay with it."

Oliver couldn't help it. He leaned into her lips, teasing them with want and hunger. He didn't know what exactly he felt for her, but knew that he was a goner when suddenly she seemed like the only thing that was worth his time and thoughts.

Oliver didn't say anything when he released her lips, using one hand to take off his shirt and tried not to chuckle when he noticed her eyes round, a blush spreading from her neck to her cheeks. Leaving his pants on, Oliver slid down from the headboard, bringing her into him.

They didn't say much, just enjoying each other's company and Oliver mumbled a goodnight when he felt her breaths become more stable and relaxed. He felt Madeline's fingers brush across his side, shivering at the feeling of contact on his base skin.

Oliver couldn't remember ever feeling this content before unless one counts Quidditch.

He fell asleep somewhere in the middle of the night, his mind racing with the thoughts of how he could pick a fight with an Auror that was here to protect the students from an escaped prisoner. Someone who was supposed to represent and uphold safety. How could someone like that want to hurt his Madeline?