Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Nineteen

"Ace!" Melanie plopped down beside the boy in the library as he was settled down trying to keep up with his Ancient Runes homework.

"Hey Mel," he said jotting down his last few thoughts before he forgot them. "Where have you been and where is Andy? Normally where there is one of you the other is not far behind."

"She said her stomach wasn't feeling right so she went to the dorms to lay down for a little bit, hopefully she'll feel better. I hope it's not contagious."

"It better not be, our first match is coming up and I can't have you sick."

"You don't really need me for the matches outside of Gryffindor. I'm not even that great of a player."

"You're wrong there. You're a great player, Melanie, and the team needs you. I need you."

"Aww Ace," she cooed pinching his cheek. "You're so sweet. But by saying that you need me, you mean that you need me to piss off the other players and distract them, don't you?"

Ace chuckled. "It is your specialty, but no I meant that our team is like a family and without you it just wouldn't be the same. So we need you."

She smiled and rested her chin on the table. "I'm gonna miss you after you leave, Ace. I can't believe it's your final year. You're leaving me, who else am I going to bother in the common room during the late nights when none of us can fall asleep?"

"Andy?"

"Nah, we're too much alike to bother each other," she laughed. "But you...you're the best to bother."

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome. So what are you working on?"

"Ancient Runes."

"Yikes."

"Oh come on, Mel, you know you want to help me with it."

"Uh no I don't. I much rather stub my toe multiple times," Melanie told him.

"You're no fun."

"I'm all kinds of fun actually."

Ace shook his head and focused back on his work for a few more seconds. "So you and Oliver sorted things out, I'm guessing?"

Melanie shrugged. "I don't know really it's hard to say. I guess things are back to the usual nicknames and stuff."

He rested his chin in the palm of his hand and continued to listen to her.

"It's like I tell him that I like him and find him attractive, but he just sees it as us on a quidditch pitch and I'm just telling him things to distract him."

"The problem with that Mel, is that you two aren't on a quidditch pitch, yet his mind is always occupied with quidditch, it's slightly unhealthy if you think about it."

"Slightly?"

He grinned. "You know what I mean, I just...I don't know."

"Come on Ace, let it out."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," Ace said. "You took a bludger to your arm and fell off your broom, because of him..."

Melanie frowned slightly. "That's because I let him get into my head but don't worry Ace, I won't let it happen again."

"Yeah Mel, you won't let him get into your head, but he's already in your heart and there's not much you can do to get him out."

"Why don't you ask her out on a date to Hogsmeade?" Todd suggested. "Pretty village, some nice shops...sets the romantic mood, don't you think?"

"I'm not asking Melanie out on a date!" Oliver told Todd as the two sat in the common room.

"Why not!?" Carter suddenly said from behind the two older boys. "What are you trying to say, Wood? That my sister isn't good enough for you? You think you're too good for her? Is that it?"

"What?! No! I didn't come close to even saying something like that. Merlin, what is wrong with you? First you yell at me when it's suggested I date her and now that I said no you're...offended?"

"Yes," Carter asked simply. "Yes I am. If you keep hurting my sister's feelings, I'm going to end up hurting you."

The Anderson boy left to the boy's dorm without another word leaving Oliver with Todd alone again.

"It's like I can't do anything right this year."

"Oliver, everyone has told you want you needed to do, it's obviously you like Melanie just as much as she likes you. But you and your damn quidditch obsession keeps getting in the way. This isn't a match, mate. These are someone's feelings we're talking about here."

"I just don't believe it's genuine Todd. She has always teased me, what makes this year any different."

"This year isn't different from last year when she flat out said you were cute to your face. Do you know what I would give to have a girl tell me that? Instead I run around trying to decipher their misleading signals and hope that they actually do like me. But you...you have a very beautiful girl say she likes you and you question it. Sometimes I want to punch you, you're incredibly lucky but you just don't see it. You're stupid, Oliver. Really stupid."

"I wish everyone would stop calling me that."

"Then stop being stupid! Because you know what's going to happen? One day Mel is just going to give up getting you and you're going to realize that you like her, but it'll be too late."