Wood & Wild

Chapter Seven: Fiona's Birthday Present

Oliver didn't spend much time with Fiona, Audrey, and Joe outside of lessons and Quidditch practise for the next week. He was too busy planning Fiona's present. Joe had figured out what he was up to, and was quietly covering up for him to Fiona, who had become very suspicious.

Fiona caught him sneaking back into the Common Room the following Friday night, a couple of days before her birthday. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.

Oliver jumped in surprise, and then glared at her. "I could ask you the same question. Isn't it a bit late for you to be up, seeing as you have practise in the morning?"

"Excuse me?" Fiona asked, surprised. "Don't forget that you'll be there as well. You should be in bed too."

"Yes, well, there was something I had to do," Oliver prevaricated, looking around the Common Room for an excuse to get away.

"Really?" Fiona crossed her arms underneath her breasts, causing Oliver to get distracted. "And what was so important that you couldn't discuss it with me, your co-conspirator?"

Oliver shrugged. "It was something you couldn't help me with." He looked into her eyes. Seeing the hurt in them, his voice softened, and he stepped forward, placing his hands on her bare forearms. "Look, Fiona, trust me. You'll understand soon enough why I had to do this alone. You know I'd never leave you out of something unless I had to."

Fiona looked at him dubiously, and shivered. "Okay, I guess."

Oliver noticed her skin was covered in goose bumps, and he asked, "Are you cold? Here, why don't you take my cloak? Can't have you getting ill."

"No!" Fiona almost shouted, and swiftly looked around, checking to make sure no one had heard her. "No, that's okay, you keep that on, I'll just go back to my bed. My warm bed." She pulled away from Oliver, and turned to go back up the stairs. "Thanks, though. I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Oliver answered, watching her curiously as she left the Common Room.

Fiona climbed back into her bed, trying to shake the feeling of Oliver's warm hands on her bare skin. Something in Oliver's protectiveness, combined with the lateness of the hour, and her worry about him, had all merged into an almost overwhelming desire to just grab him and kiss him. If he'd taken his cloak off, Fiona knew she might not have been able to control herself at the sight of Oliver standing there, wearing his tight Muggle jumper and jeans. Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes, and snuggled under the duvet, to fall fast asleep.

~*~*~*~

Fiona was woken up the next day to the sound of Oliver's voice whispering in her ear. "Come on, Fiona. Wake up!"

"What? Oliver, where did you come from?" Fiona looked round tiredly, but couldn't see Oliver anywhere.

"I'm in bed. Trying to get you up," came the reply.

"In bed? Oliver, what are you doing?" Fiona mumbled sleepily. Audrey turned over in the bed next to her, and blearily opened her eyes.

"Like I said, Fiona, getting you up. You're going to enjoy this morning, trust me," Oliver answered, grinning. In the next bed, Joe groggily rubbed his eyes, and looked over at Oliver's bed.

"Enjoy? That sounds like an interesting definition." Fiona yawned, and stretched, moaning as she did so. Audrey's eyes opened wider, and she paid more attention to her friend.

"Oh, come on, Fiona, you know you want to." Oliver sounded like he was smiling. Joe sat up in bed, mouth hanging open.

"Fine. Just give me a minute to get these off me," Fiona said, struggling with her bedding.

"Ooh, sounds kinky," Oliver said, laughing. "Don't forget I'm coming with you." He rolled out of bed and landed skilfully on his feet. Joe quickly lay back down on his bed, feigning sleep. He kept his eyes closed until he heard Oliver bounding down the stairs.

"What in Merlin's name was all that about?" he wondered.

Fiona managed to get dressed whilst still waking up, and didn't notice Audrey staring at her. She brushed her hair vigorously, and then, seemingly gaining energy from somewhere, grabbed her broom, and strode out of the room. Audrey sat up, and watched the door close quietly behind her.

"What in Merlin's name was all that about?" she wondered.

~*~*~*~

Quidditch practise went on as per normal, although Fiona had to tell Joe off more than usual for being distracted. Little did she know that he was covertly alternating his gaze between herself and Oliver, trying to determine what was going on with the two of them.

After the exhausting practise, the Reserve team trudged back up the hill, to get changed, and to gather in the Great Hall for breakfast. Joe met Audrey at the bottom of the stairs.

"I need a word with you," he whispered to her. "It's about those two." He nodded at the backs of the retreating figures of Oliver and Fiona. "Oliver was acting really weird this morning."

"That's funny, I wanted to talk to you. Fiona was saying some bizarre things in her sleep," Audrey replied. She went on to explain what she had overheard, and Joe filled her in about Oliver's sleep-talking.

"This is getting serious," Joe surmised. "If we don't get those two together soon, they're going to be sleep-walking next!"

Audrey shuddered. "I wouldn't want that to happen. Heaven knows what we might hear, or see, next time."

Joe held up his hand. "Please, stop it. I have enough images in my head to last me a lifetime."

"Come on, you two. I thought you'd be breaking the door down to get to breakfast," Fiona called to them from the entrance to the Great Hall. When they reached her, she added, "I've just got to tell you what Oliver did this morning."

"I doubt it'll compare to what I heard him do," Joe muttered under his breath to Audrey, who stifled a laugh.

Once they had sat down, Audrey said, "Well, come on, then, spill it."

Fiona cracked open her boiled egg, and said, "He woke me up by talking to me. It was so bizarre. I thought he was in the same room as me for a moment, and then I thought he was talking in my head." From the looks that Joe and Audrey were giving her, she held up her hand, and added, "Yes, I know, I always have voices in my head, 'cause I'm completely mad, but this time it was real. Tell them, Oliver."

Oliver smiled, and explained. "It's quite simple, once you know how. I put a Charm on her ear last night, before we went to bed, which meant that I could talk directly to her if I said the activation word. I just wanted to see if it could work, and it did. The harder part was making it so that Fiona could talk back to me, and I could hear her."

"So, it was just half of a normal conversation I heard, then?" Joe asked, smiling.

"Yeah," Oliver nodded, and then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute? You heard?"

Joe grinned. "Every word. I must say, it didn't sound so innocent from my end."

"Me either," Audrey said, laughing. "Still, it puts my mind at ease. I was thinking I was going to have to put a Silencing Charm around my bed." She paused, and then said, a twinkle in her eyes, "I could see Oliver's Charm coming in handy, when exams come along."

"Are you thinking about cheating, Miss Rose?" Joe asked, aghast. "Because you know I wouldn't let you."

"Besides, McGonagall would be bound to catch you," Fiona added. Her face became thoughtful. "Although, I could see it being advantageous when playing Quidditch."

Oliver frowned. "I think that would be construed as cheating as well. Besides, the Charm only works between two people."

Fiona sighed dramatically. "Oh well, there goes my life of crime."

Joe reached over and tugged her braid. "I think you and Oliver get up to enough tricks, without adding any more to your itinerary."

Fiona pretended to pout. "But, it's so much fun."

Joe shook his head. "Please don't do that, Fiona. You know what it does to me."

"What, this?" Fiona accentuated her pout. She managed to hold onto the expression for about a half a minute, before bursting into laughter. "Aye, right, because Margaret isn't over there, giving you googly eyes."

Joe's smile softened, and his eyes went dreamy. Fiona rolled her eyes at Audrey and Oliver, but she smiled fondly at Joe as he absently excused himself from their table, and walked over to join Margaret at the Ravenclaw table.

"Well, I was planning on having a lazy day today, but then Flitwick landed us with that essay, which I haven't finished yet," Fiona said, grimacing. She saw Oliver's smirk, and made a face at him. "Just because you've finished it, smarty-pants."

"If it's any consolation, I haven't finished it, either," Audrey moaned. "Maybe we could finish it together this afternoon. The weather isn't looking promising, anyway, so there's no point in going outside."

"If you two are planning on spending the rest of the day in the library, I think I might relax in the Common Room with a good book," Oliver said, grinning. He knew that that was what Fiona and Audrey would rather be doing.

"Fine," Fiona said, getting up. "You go do that. We'll see you later, much later. In fact, it'll take us so long to finish the essay, it'll probably be tomorrow before we see you again."

Oliver laughed. "I'll believe that when I see it. You know perfectly well you two will have it done before lunch."

"We'll see," Audrey said, picking up Fiona's Quidditch robes. "Come on, we've got work to do. Can't let this layabout get to us."

Fiona smiled goodbye at Oliver as they left. "See you later."

Oliver waved, and then turned to talk to his fellow Gryffindors for a few minutes, before leaving the Hall himself. He took a circuitous route to Gryffindor Tower, stopping by Professor Lupin's office to pick up Fiona's present. It only needed a few finishing touches, and then it would be ready for her.

~*~*~*~

"So, do you know what Oliver's getting you for your birthday?" Audrey asked Fiona as they walked to the library.

The brunette shook her head. "Not a clue. He has been a bit secretive of late, though, which is quite unusual for Oliver. Normally he can't keep anything from me."

Apart from what is obvious to the rest of us, but not to you, Audrey added to herself. Her two friends dancing around their situation was really beginning to grate on her nerves, but she knew that if either her or Joe said anything, nothing would happen. They'd just laugh it off as a joke.

"Do you have any idea?" Fiona's voice brought Audrey out of her reverie.

Audrey shook her head. "Not a clue. But I'd wager it's something you'll like. Oliver knows you better than anyone else. It'll be something special, to celebrate the fact that it's our last year together."

"Celebrate? Oh, that's nice," Fiona pretended to be upset.

Audrey flushed. "You know what I mean." She went quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was serious. "Do you know what you are going to do after this year? I haven't a clue, really, just random thoughts."

Fiona's hazel eyes were sorrowful. "I don't know. I've always thought that it would involve Quidditch. But, whatever involves Quidditch has to involve Oliver, and he wants to do his own thing." She laughed suddenly, a short, sharp laugh, without much humour. "I'll probably end being a teacher, or something."

Audrey smiled. "I can see you now, yelling at all your students when they don't get what you're telling them the first time round."

Fiona put her hands on her hips, her smile genuine. "Just what are you saying, Audrey? That I'm not cut out to be a teacher?"

Audrey laughed, and linked arms with her friend. "The only thing you can teach is Quidditch. You don't have enough patience for anything else."

"I seem to have infinite patience for you," Fiona quipped, and the two girls walked the rest of the way to the library with lighter hearts, the sorrowful mood gone.

~*~*~*~

"Okay, Oliver, it can't be that hard. Just one more piece, and that'll do." Oliver was frowning in concentration. He placed the final piece of tape onto the paper, and sat back, smiling in satisfaction. "Not bad, Wood, if I say so myself."

"Talking to yourself again, Oliver? You know what that's a sign of," Joe said, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

Oliver jumped in surprise, and then grinned. "Okay, I admit it. I'm the Heir of Slytherin."

Joe laughed. "Sorry, Oliver, that was last year. Besides, you and snakes? I don't think so." Joe moved to sit on the sofa in front of Oliver, "So, what are you doing?"

"Just finished wrapping Fiona's present." Oliver held up a rather large package. "I thought we could give our presents to her at midnight."

Joe frowned. "Why midnight?"

"Well," Oliver hesitated, "so that we're alone. This year's special, as you pointed out, and I want it to be just about us."

Joe smiled softly. "Sometimes you're so thoughtful you make me ill."

"Cheers," Oliver said, sarcastically. "Anyway, it's not like you're Mr Thoughtlessness yourself. Don't tell me you weren't thinking of something similar."

"Okay, yes, I did, but a midnight party hadn't occurred to me," Joe admitted. "Probably because you're always breaking the rules, and I'm a law-abiding citizen."

Oliver laughed. "Just keep deluding yourself, Joe, I won't tell anyone." He stood up, and walked over to the fireplace. Getting out his wand, he tapped some bricks in a sequence, and then stood back as a hole appeared in the side of the chimney. "I'm putting her present here until tonight. Do you want to put yours here as well?"

Joe grinned. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're the last one with that idea. Audrey and I have already put ours in there."

Oliver peered into the dark hole, and dimly saw three shapes. "You don't think Fiona would guess this was where we'd put them, do you?" he asked as he placed his present in alongside the others.

Joe shrugged. "She might have, but even if she had, I don't think she'd open it to find out what they were. She wouldn't want to spoil it for herself."

"You're right," Oliver said, sitting down again. "I guess I'm just a little worried about her present."

"What in Merlin's name for? Whatever you've got her, she'll love, and you know it," Joe reassured him. "Now, here, take this book and relax." He threw a book across the room at Oliver, who caught it reflexively. "The terrible twosome should be back soon, and we don't want them to think we've actually been working."

Oliver grinned, and stretched out on the sofa. "You're right." He looked at the title of the book that Joe had thrown him. "Although, I'm not sure how The Misadventures of a Dark Wizard in Exile will boost that image."

Joe laughed. "Well, it might enforce your theory that you're the Heir of Slytherin." He went quiet then, and his face became very serious. "Of course, it always helps to know what the enemy's tricks are."

"You think I'm going to get clues as to what the Slytherins are going to do in the Quidditch match from this?" Oliver asked incredulously.

"No," Joe said exasperatedly. "Not everything is about Quidditch, Oliver. In case you hadn't noticed, Death Eater activity has been on the increase."

"I know, I know," Oliver responded quietly. "And, I also know that life doesn't revolve around Quidditch. It's just, sometimes, if I start thinking about the future, and where recent events might be leading to, I know I'd go mad if it weren't for Quidditch." Joe knew he was referring to the escape of Sirius Black, and of the presence of the Dementors on Hogwarts grounds.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Joe agreed. Then he shook himself, and said, "Still, before we worry about the world's future, we have to worry about our own, and that means passing Potions this year."

Oliver laughed. "Aye, right, like that'll be trouble for either of us. I know we're both Gryffindors, but you're the smartest in the year, apart from Percy, who, since he's a Weasley, will get a lower mark in Potions than you. And I'm a partner with Fiona, who's a whiz at Potions. We'll have no trouble."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "This is assuming that Snape hasn't figured out by now that it was you and Fiona's fault that the Slytherins were laughing like hyenas all of Friday."

Oliver shrugged. "But that's not the point. If, or when, we get another detention, it will be worth it to have seen Snape take points off Slytherin."

~*~*~*~

Joe and Oliver had told Audrey that they were planning a midnight party, and that it was down to her to get Fiona down to the Common Room without her becoming suspicious. At fifteen minutes to midnight, Audrey lay on her bed, frowning. She still had not come with a reasonable excuse.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white figure ghost past the window. Audrey shook her head, thinking that she was seeing things, until she heard a soft hoot. Ah, that'll be Potter's owl, going to see him again. Audrey thought to herself. Wait a minute! Audrey Rose, I do believe you have an idea!

She jumped out of bed, and shook Fiona awake. "Mmmwhas'up?" came the mumbled question from underneath the mass of brown hair.

"Get up, Fiona. You just got an owl. Your mother wants to talk to you," Audrey said, shaking Fiona again.

"What?" Fiona was wide awake now. "Why? What time is it?"

"It's just before midnight. I sent the owl away, he looked famished. She said she'd contact you through the fire in the Common Room," Audrey told her.

"Well, come on, then." Fiona leapt out of bed, and bounded down the stairs. Audrey followed more slowly. When she reached the bottom, she found Fiona standing there, open-mouthed.

The fire, instead of being stoked down for the night, was still roaring merrily, and there were several floating candles surrounding the two armchairs and sofa which had been pulled up to the fire. Joe and Oliver were standing by the fire, with huge grins on their faces.

"Happy birthday, Fiona," they chorused quietly.

"So, I'm guessing there was no owl," Fiona said, turning to Audrey.

Audrey shook her head, a grin on her face. "Nope, no owl, no urgent summons. At least, not from your mother." She took Fiona's hand and led her to the fire. "Sit," she commanded, pushing Fiona down onto the sofa. "I get to go first." Audrey opened their secret compartment in the side of the chimney, and pulled out two presents. "Here you go," she said as she handed them to Fiona.

Fiona's eyes were bright, and she couldn't hide her grin as she unwrapped her first present. It was a new broom kit. "This is wonderful, Audrey, thank you." She gave her blonde friend a huge hug.

"Well, you kept going on about how your old one was running out of stuff. You're lucky to get it. The Owl Post took forever to get here," Audrey told her. "But here, open this one." She handed Fiona a smaller package, wrapped in dark purple paper.

What Fiona unwrapped was a thick book, with the title Morgana: A True History of the Greatest Witch in Britannia written in silver ink which shimmered in the firelight. "You have no idea how difficult it was to get hold of that book," Audrey said. "It's an account written by a werewolf of her Court, so it's meant to be the most accurate book written about her around. What do you think?" Audrey looked somewhat uncomfortable about having just presented her best-friend with a book about a famous Dark Witch.

Fiona looked up from studying the front cover, her finger tracing the writing. "It's amazing, Audrey, it's totally amazing. I'm surprised you managed to get hold of it at all. This book probably probes quite heavily into Dark Magic."

Audrey nodded. "Well, I have some connections which are, shall we say, somewhat shady."

"Let me guess: Hagrid?" Fiona said, laughing.

When Audrey nodded, Fiona hugged her again. "This is wonderful, Audrey, it truly is. I guess you know how I've wanted to know the truth about my ancestress. You know," she said, staring at the painting on the cover, "this could be Morna in twelve years time."

Audrey, Joe, and Oliver looked over her shoulder. "Apart from the tattoo, obviously," Fiona added.

"You're right," Joe said. "It's kind of freaky, really."

Oliver peered at the painting more closely. "You've got her attitude, though."

"Thanks, I think," Fiona said, dubiously. "I'm not sure whether having the attitude of the woman who was supposedly the Queen of the Dark Host is a good thing."

"I can totally see it, though. You can be really scary sometimes," Oliver said teasingly.

"Okay, let's get off the topic of Fiona's evil ancestry, and move on to something more exciting," Audrey said, wriggling in her seat.

"Which would be?" Joe asked, amused.

"Her presents, of course," Audrey exclaimed. "Come on, Joe, where's yours?"

"Here." He handed a rectangular package to Fiona. "Happy birthday, Fiona."

"This isn't another book, is it? Do you really think I'm that studious?" Fiona said, laughing, as she unwrapped the gold wrapping paper. It revealed a huge photo frame, inside of which were lots of wizarding photographs of the four of them. There were photos of them having a snowball fight, of them playing Quidditch, with Audrey looking on, seemingly bored, and lots more. "This is unbelievable, Joe," Fiona looked up with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

"That's okay." Joe sounded slightly choked up himself, and everyone studiously avoided looking at each other. "Just thought you might need something to remind yourself of the good times we've had, seeing as your memory's so bad."

Fiona didn't take the bait, instead rising to pull the taller boy in a strong hug. "Thank you, Joe. And don't be silly, I could never forget you." She pulled back slightly, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Audrey, wiping tears from her cheeks, didn't miss the darkening of Oliver's eyes as he watched Fiona kiss Joe, but noticed that he didn't protest. Instead, he tore his eyes away from them to the collage of photographs that Joe had made, and looked closely at it. "Hey, O'Keefe, just what exactly is this one?" Oliver pointed at a photograph that was in the centre.

Joe and Fiona crowded round the frame, and Audrey looked over Fiona's shoulder. The one that Oliver was asking about was the one that Joe had taken a few weeks before when they had fallen asleep on the sofa, in front of the fire. The pair of them looked so content and comfortable with each other that it made Audrey's heart ache.

"Oh, that. I took it when you two were so exhausted from serving detention and Quidditch practise, that you fell asleep in the Common Room. I thought it looked good in the centre of the collage," Joe explained, keeping his face straight, although he was thinking, Although, more because you will always be the centre of Fiona's life.

Oliver looked at it again. "I suppose I do look quite dashing in it. Although Fiona looks like she's drooling. And, was that a snore I heard?"

"Hey, speak for yourself," Fiona retorted, hitting him on the arm. "I think it's nice, the way the light is from the fire. It's a good photo, Joe." Plus, it has Oliver and me in it, looking like we're together. That's enough to keep me happy, Fiona added to herself. She knew from the twinkle in Joe's eyes that he knew what she was thinking.

"Okay, come on, Oliver," he said. "Get out your present. I'm dying to find out what it is."

"You mean, you don't know?" Fiona asked, astonished. "I would've thought that he'd have to tell someone."

"I wasn't sure whether it would work, so I didn't want to tell anyone about it," Oliver explained, pulling out a large, square package. He gave it to Fiona gingerly, and added, "Don't tip it over."

Fiona glanced at Oliver suspiciously, but the twinkle in his eyes which usually accompanied some trick or other was missing. Taking a deep breath, Fiona carefully unwrapped it, revealing a cardboard box. "Well, uh, thank you, Oliver. I don't know what to say. I've always wanted a box," she said, concealing a smile.

"Don't be an idiot. Open it," Audrey commanded impatiently.

"Yes, please. Quickly, before Audrey does it for you," Joe added.

Fiona pulled open the flaps of the box, and peered inside. She deliberated screaming in shock, but thought that Audrey would kill her, so instead, Fiona reached inside, and carefully withdrew a bowl with runes and other markings etched around the edges, and which was filled with a silver substance, that swirled like a fog in a soft breeze.

"Merlin's beard," Joe breathed. "Is that what I think it is?"

"A Pensieve," Fiona whispered, looking from the bowl to Oliver in wonder.

Oliver smiled slightly. "Yes, it's a Pensieve. I made it, with the help of Professor Lupin. It's filled with all my memories of the times we've had together." He swallowed nervously, and watched Fiona carefully.

"So that's where you've been all these nights," Fiona surmised, staring sidelong at the Pensieve. She knew that if she looked directly at it, she would be drawn in to one of Oliver's memories.

"Yeah," Oliver confirmed. "I didn't want to sneak about, but obviously I couldn't tell you about this. You see," he touched her arm gently, "I told you you could trust me."

Fiona smiled back at him, and Audrey and Joe felt as though they were intruding upon a truly intimate moment. "So you did. I'm sorry that I thought I couldn't, even if it was only for a moment. Thank you, Oliver. This present is unbelievable." She put the Pensieve down gently, and stood up to hug him tightly.

Oliver rested his chin on the top of her head, and gently stroked her hair. "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."

"So," Joe said, clearing his throat and breaking the moment, "are you going to look into it?"

Fiona pulled away from Oliver, and unconsciously rubbed her arms at the loss of contact. "I don't think so. At least, not at the moment. I don't feel up to it. Looking into a Pensieve takes some concentration, and I'm just so tired at the moment that I don't think it would work." Besides, I want to be alone the first time I look into it, she added to herself.

Joe nodded understandingly. "Fair enough. I'm pretty tired myself. What say we all troop off to bed, and then rise bright and early tomorrow to celebrate during the hours of daylight?"

"Sounds like a great idea," Fiona agreed. She gathered her gifts together, and gave them to Audrey to carry, since she would have to carry the Pensieve on it's own. "And, guys, thank you, so much. You don't know how much these things mean to me."

"Yes, we do, Fiona," Audrey said. "That's why we gave them to you. Just remember, us four; we're unstoppable."

Joe laughed. "You'd better believe it. Now, scoot, you two. Oliver and I will sort out the Common Room."

"See you later in the morning," Oliver said to the girls, although his eyes were only on Fiona. It felt like, having given her his present, the clock that was counting down to the time when they would be parted was ticking faster and faster, and there was nothing he could do to either slow it down, or stop it altogether.

Joe observed Oliver out of the corner of his eye as he extinguished the floating candles. "Just tell her, mate, just tell her," he advised softly.

"Huh?" Oliver turned around. "What did you say?"

Joe shook his head. "Never mind, just talking to myself, as per usual. Come and help me, you lazy sod."

Oliver feinted a right hook at him, and the two boys bantered good-naturedly as they finished their job and made their way upstairs to bed.

Come along to Oliver and Fiona's Quidditch Practice , for discussion and new updates of Wood & Wild. The more the merrier.

A/N: If you want to see the picture of Morgana which is on the front of the book which Fiona gets, have a look in the Pictures section of my Yahoo Group.