In A Time Of Uncertainty

Part One, Chapter Three

News about Lupin's class spread fast.

"I'm not surprised in the least," said Katie Bell during dinner. She reached across the table for the rolls. "I mean, look at my family. One uncle, two aunts, two cousins, and one brother."

Alicia Spinnet looked up. "Robert's gay?"

"Yeah. He's living in Wales with his lover Emmett right now. Oliver, is it absolutely necessary that you drink a whole pitcher of milk?"

"Yes," said Oliver, pouring his fourth glass. Katie rolled her eyes.

"I don't know about anyone in my family," said Angelina Johnson, spooning some more carrots onto her plate. "I've got twenty cousins, though, and I'm the oldest - maybe some of them will turn out to be gay."

"Well, I'm Muggle-born, so the thirty-five percent doesn't apply," said Alicia. She turned to Oliver. "You're pure-blooded, right?"

"Yeah."

Katie looked over at him. "So am I. We're probably related somehow, then."

"Actually, probably not," said Oliver, glad that the conversation had taken a new direction. "The Scottish pure-bloods and the English pure-bloods are two separate groups. Luckily, too, otherwise Draco Malfoy would probably be some distant cousin of mine, which is something I don't like to think about while I'm eating - "

"Oliver," Angelina interrupted. Her head was tilted back towards the ceiling. "Isn't that Ares?"

Oliver looked up to see his large gray owl circling overhead. Upon seeing that he was noticed, Ares swooped down and landed on the table.

"Odd to be getting a letter at dinner," commented Alicia.

"Probably from my mum, making sure I haven't taken another Bludger to the head," said Oliver. He untied the ribbon that bound the letter to Ares's leg and turned it over. Blue sealing wax had been stamped over the opening.

His heart jumped and suddenly the noise in the Great Hall seemed far away. Breathe, he told himself. Breathe and open it.

Hastily, he pried up the sealing wax and tore open the letter before he lost his nerve.

Dear Mr. Wood,

We are pleased to inform you that your try-out for the position of Keeper on the Puddlemere United Reserve Team will take place on July the second...

"Ol? Oliver, say something."

He set down the letter and looked up. "I've got a try-out with Puddlemere United," he said faintly. And then a large smile began to spread across his face.

Katie whooped; Alicia reached over and threw her arms around him; Angelina squealed. "Ol, you've done it!" she exclaimed. "You'll get on the team, I just know you will, I don't see why they wouldn't take you, there can't be anyone else who will be better - "

"Of course they'll take him," said Katie, unable to stop grinning. "And we can all go watch him play over the holidays - "

"All right, all right," said Oliver, folding the letter back up and putting it in his pocket. He was wearing his lucky corduroys again - perhaps he would never take them off, if this was the sort of thing that would happen while he wore them. "I might not get in, you know."

"You will," said Alicia.

"I might not," Oliver said. "So I don't want you three to go telling everyone until I've got the job for certain."

"Oh, all right," said Angelina, who was obviously disappointed.

Oliver took one last swig of milk and rose from his seat. "I'm going to go back up to the tower and owl my parents," he said. "I think my dad will be pleased."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On his way back to the Gryffindor Tower, he was unable to stop smiling. Oliver Wood, Keeper for Puddlemere United...Wood, Puddlemere's Reserve Keeper... "and Wood intercepts the Quaffle"...He was overcome by visions of himself in the Puddlemere blue robes, holding a brand-new Firebolt. The oldest team in the League and he, Oliver Wood, was about to become a part of it...if he got the job, of course. He reached back into his pocket to touch the letter again.

The common room was empty; everyone else was still at dinner, obviously. Oliver raced up the staircase to the boy's dormitories, ran down the corridor, and flung open the door to his room.

And tripped over two rather guilty-looking redheads.

"Hello Oliver," said Fred, standing up. "Back a bit early, aren't you?"

"What," gasped Oliver, catching his breath, "are you two doing in my room?"

"Waiting for Percy," said George, rubbing the place on his arm where Oliver's foot had hit. "He's been avoiding us all day, and we figured he was bound to come back here some time."

"I wouldn't count on it," said Oliver, glad that their trespassing involved his roommate and not himself. "He's been studying all night in the common room recently."

"Damn," said Fred. "We thought that waiting here was a sure bet."

Oliver sat down on his bed. "What do you want him for?"

"Actually, mate, we're not sure," said George. "But here's what we know: Penelope Clearwater's holed herself up in the girl's toilet since the end of the last class and all the Ravenclaw girls keep throwing us nasty looks. So we figure she and Perce have had a fight or something."

"Not that we'd normally care," added Fred, "but George fancies her roommate, and - "

"Shut up, Fred."

Ares flew in the open door and landed on Oliver's wardrobe. "Oh," said Oliver. He was anxious to write his letter. Besides, he didn't want anyone to know about the Puddlemre try-out, and the twins had an unfortunate talent when it came to prying out information. "Well, as you can see, he's not here. So - "

A high-pitched noise interrupted him, causing Fred and George to cover their ears. It was emitting from the wardrobe; Oliver stood up and opened the door. The source of the sound came from the top shelf; it was his Sneakoscope.

"So," said Oliver, once the noise had stopped. "Looking for Percy, are you? How about you two tell me what you're really doing in here."

"Just as we said," Fred protested. "Except...er..."

"We were bored, Ol, and....

"...there was this book..."

"WHAT BOOK?!"

From behind his back, George produced Summer of Fire.

Oliver sighed heavily and sat down on the bed.

"So," he said. "You know."

"Yeah," said George, looking a bit uncomfortable. "We probably should have seen it coming, though."

Oliver gave them an odd look. He'd never been very obvious.

"Yeah, we should have," said Fred. "I mean, we've had plenty of hints throughout the years."

Hints? Oliver tried desperately to think of one thing he might have done that would let them know he was gay. Nothing came to mind.

"Are...are you all right with it?" he asked.

"I guess," said George. "Doesn't look like we have much choice, anyway."

"I mean, he's our brother," said Fred. "We're stuck with him for life."

Oliver looked from Fred to George and back again, and comprehension dawned. "The book," he said slowly, "is mine..."

The twins looked at him dumbfounded. "Yours?"

"Yes, mine."

"You're gay?"

"Yeah."

Fred started to laugh, snorting. "We thought for sure this was Percy's..."