Return to Europe

Chapter 7

"What in the hell have I done? Audrey needs a friend right now, not someone to yell at her. It's not like she knew she was breaking my heart. How could she? I didn't have the balls to tell her?" yelled Oliver to himself as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "Wood, you better think of a damn good apology before you see her again!"

Oliver took his glass and went into his study. Noticing his large stack of mail, he began sorting through the trash and the stuff actually worth reading. Most of it was fan mail, begging him not to retire. How could he tell his fans it wasn't his age or past injuries, but a lack of love for the game that was sending him into retirement? Hell, he was fit enough to play to his 50's and still be damned good if he wanted. But his heart just wasn't into it anymore. His heart wasn't into anything anymore. He blamed it on a mid-life crisis. Maybe there was just something missing from his life? He sure as hell wasn't going to go see a psychiatrist just to figure out what it was.

Oliver was distracted from his thoughts when he heard a beeping sound coming from the corner of his desk. Someone was wizard-paging him. Oliver hit the talk button and his ex-fiancés head appeared from the box.

"It's about damned time you noticed me."

"Laurel, ever so lovely to see you again."

"Shove it Oliver, I don't feel like arguing with or fucking you tonight, so just listen."/p>

"My aren't we in a pleasant mood tonight."

"You would be too if you were in my shoes. I think I'm pregnant!"

"What the hell? Whose is it? It's mine isn't it?"

"Don't flatter yourself Wood; we broke off our engagement a year ago. Our flings of boredom when I am in town are most certainly not the only action I get. I am on the road right now so I can't go to the doctor's and find out until next week. That's not even the reason I paged you, though. I thought you might like to know that Quality Quidditch is selling out. Anyway, got to run. I'll be sure to tell you who the lucky father is."

"Yes, please don't keep me in suspense," he replied before cutting her off.

He had cut of his purely sexual relationship with his ex almost a month ago. He was tired of screwing her every time she came in to town. Like everything else, it had lost its appeal. Every time they were together, he found himself asking what he ever saw in her. Sure, she was a knockout with her long lean legs, short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Besides her love of Quidditch, her looks were all she had going for her. There was no passion for life, no intelligence in her conversations. She was missing all of the qualities that he was usually drawn to. Or at least all that he was drawn to in Audrey, she was beautiful and amazing, and one hell of a chaser. Thinking of Audrey, Oliver headed out of his study to finish off his bottle of scotch.

Oliver was half way through the bottle of scotch when the fireplace lit up and none other than Audrey came tumbling out. "You know," she said, "if you are going to sit on the couch feeling sorry for yourself with a bottle of liquor, people will think you are a washed up athlete?"

"Thanks. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you, what do you think I am doing here?"

"You should be yelling at me, telling me how heartless I am."

"No, I knew you had figured that much out by yourself. Anyway, those were things I needed to hear."

"Quit being so nice Audrey. I shouldn't have said any of that."

"Yes, you should have. I waited ten years for you to say that my leaving bothered you."

"Yeah right, that was common knowledge. But thanks for trying to make me feel better about it."

"No Oliver, I mean it. Walking away from you is the hardest thing I've ever done, and damn it, I've been through a lot these past years and that still hurts me like hell to think about what I walked away from. It took you saying all of that to me tonight to make me realize. Oliver, I walked away from you without a second glance. You should hate me, and you don't. I loved you more than I thought I was capable of loving and I walked away because that scared the shit out of me. I thought there was no way you could ever feel about me the way I felt about you. Now I know how wrong I was. If you can still be there for and care about me after what I did, there was more to us than I ever gave us credit for."

"Audrey, I should have stopped you. I just let you walk away, thinking I was okay when we went our separate ways. I am so sorry."

"Well, I guess we both have our faults. In the end, it's all for the best. I've got two great daughters and if the only regret I have is walking away from you, I haven't made too many wrong decision. Still, it's a regret that I'll probably have for the rest of my life."

"Me too. But you're right; we both got a lot out of life so we can't complain too much. Who knows, maybe I would have given up Quidditch and you would have missed out on all your muggle things." he said with a quite laugh.

Oliver crossed the room and embraced Audrey. He could feel her sobs in his chest. "Oliver, is it wrong that I can look back on times with you with nothing but love, but back on the father of my children with not even half the fondness?"

"No. He didn't appreciate what he had. I always have and always will."

Audrey looked up at him with her soft, green eyes. It was the same look she had given him when Penelope had been petrified. The sad, lost girl with nothing but love in her. And Oliver did just what he did that day; he bent down and put his lips to hers. Once again, the two were lost in each other.

They lay back on the carpet, never once separating their lips. Audrey slipped her hands up his shirt running them up his back. He automatically got to work taking her shirt and bra off. Audrey reacted to this by finding the zipper of his khakis. It didn't take them long to remove every last article of clothing from the other. Their kisses became hungrier, more wanting the longer they lay there. Suddenly, within one swift move, Oliver was between her legs and inside her. Audrey moaned with glee, thinking that nothing in her life had ever fit as perfect as they had. They moved and sighed together just right. For the time they were together that night, neither felt anything was missing in their lives.

Afterwards, they lay there, holding each other. No words were needed. They knew they were forgiven for everything that had happened between them in the past. It had always been the two of them, no one else. Everyone in the past had just been a lesson, making them more appreciative and ready for the other. Practice makes perfect, and they had been perfect together that night. They made love three more times before Audrey left with the sun rise to make sure no one noticed her absence from the Burrow the night before.