-1I started writing this awhile ago and never got around to posting it.
Disclaimer: I dont own anything!
PROLOGUE: When Anxiety Attacks
Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
C.S. Lewis
Oliver Wood stared out at the six people surrounding him. His fellow teammates. His friends. His warriors. He liked the sound of that.
Oliver cleared his throat and began to speak, then stopped, cleared his throat again, and restarted, "You are my teammates."
"Really?" George Weasley said looking astonished, "and here I thought we wore matching outfits because they were fashionable."
Oliver ignored this comment and continued, "You are my friends."
Fred Weasley interjected, "Does that mean I can call you Ollie now? You know real friends call one another by nicknames. I personally require all my true friends to call me 'Jiggles'. I don't think it's appropriate to get into why that is right now, I'll save that story for another time." He threw a wink in the direction of the three female chasers.
Angelina Johnson rolled her eyes, "I can hardly wait."
"We'll try not to let the anticipation kill us," Katie Bell said glaring..
"Will you all shut it! You are making this practice even longer than it needs to be," hissed Alicia Spinnet.
Oliver cleared his throat even louder and practically screamed over the chattering, "YOU ARE MY WARRIORS."
At this there was immediate and stunned silence as everyone stared dumbfounded at Oliver.
"Er--thanks, Oliver," Harry Potter awkwardly replied.
Oliver sighed dejectedly. It was the morning of the first Gryffindor Quidditch practice and he was trying to inspire his team. Quite obviously, he was failing. How could he impress the importance of this season to them? How could he convey his desperation to win and more importantly not fail another year in a row? How could he do all this without coming off as the obsessive Quidditch Captain they knew him to be? Perhaps, he wouldn't be able to. Perhaps this year would be like all the rest. Another season gone down the drain. What made it all worse was the fact that he was captain of quite possibly the greatest Quidditch team in the history of Hogwarts. But year after year, time and time again---
"Ollie, old boy! Snap out of it!" Fred said waving his hand in front of Oliver's face.
Maybe it was a reflection on his own ability. Maybe he was a terrible, terrible captain. Oliver could feel the walls closing in on him as panic rose in his chest.
"Is it normal for him to be breathing so fast?" Harry asked confusedly.
"I don't think so! Maybe we should take him to Madam Pomfrey," Katie said peering into his eyes which were fluttering open and closed.
George groaned, "All those quaffles to the head have finally gotten to him, I suppose."
And then, quite unceremoniously , Oliver dropped with a great 'thunk' to the floor. Alicia let out a scream.
"Merlin, Alicia, what are you screaming for?" Fred said shaking his head.
"Oliver's the one who's collapsed," George muttered.
"Shut up both of you and help me lift him," Katie yelled. "Harry go get Madame Pomfrey!"
One hour later, the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team could be found in the hospital wing.
"Is he going to die? Does he have a tumor?" Alicia asked eagerly.
Angelina gave her an odd look before asking, "Does it have anything to do with You-Know-Who?"
"I'm telling you, all those quaffles to the head have finally caught up with poor Oliver," George sighed, shaking his head. "Just as I've been saying for years. Why do you think he's been so off?"
"Yeah, that warrior bit was a little odd," Harry replied thoughtfully.
"I assure you it is nothing as serious as a tumor or the Dark Arts or even repeated blows to the head," Madame Pomfrey replied, more than slightly annoyed by the loud presence in her wing. "Mr. Wood seems to have suffered from a mild case of anxiety."
"I don't understand," Fred said confusedly.
"In short, he had a panic attack."
Fred snorted, "I don't mean to be rude, Madam Pomfrey, but have you met Oliver? He was once hit by the Quaffle eight times in a row. In one game. In the HEAD. And he still refused to be taken out.."
"I doubt a little case of nerves would affect Oliver like that," George said grinning as if the idea was insane.
"Are you suggesting then," Madam Pomfrey replied testily, "that after practicing the Healing Arts longer than you have been alive that I am perhaps wrong in my diagnosis?"
"Of course not Madame! Er--we'll just be leaving now," Katie said glaring at the twins.
"One more thing," Madame Pomfrey continued, "Something seems to be bothering Mr. Wood a great deal. I've always felt that perhaps he put a bit too much importance on the game of Quidditch at the expense of his own well being and the well being of others. As his friends, I suggest you help him deal with this problem in the best way possible."
And with that Madame Pomfrey swept out of the room leaving the team members to stare at one another in bewilderment.
"We've got to help Oliver deal with his problem," Katie said thoughtfully.
"What do you suppose that his problem is?" Angelina replied.
Fred snorted, "I can think of a few things."
"Fred! Shut it! Oliver needs our help," Katie scolded. "He's not well."
"Katie," Angelina sighed, "I say we just leave it. Oliver will figure things out on his own."
Alicia nodded in agreement, "The most we can do is just practice hard for the match against Slytherin."
"I suppose," Katie sighed. "but what if his panicking or whatever affects his play? Oliver's not the only one who wants to win this year. Besides, I think we should listen to Madame Pomfrey and at least try to help him. We are his friends."
Katie knew this wasn't entirely true. Despite his speech, she knew that knew that none of them were exactly what you could call friends with Oliver. The truth was that she, Alicia, and Angelina moved as a unit on and off the field, Fred and George had eyes for no one but each other and occasionally Lee Jordan, and Harry had his own best friends outside of Quidditch. Oliver was the loner of the team, preferring to spend hours strategizing in his room than downstairs socializing in the Common Room.
Katie sighed, "We need to find something that will take his mind off of Quidditch."
"What he needs is a good snog," Fred said grinning, "I nominate Alicia."
"I like the sound of that," Angelina said lighting up.
Fred and Alicia both turned to Angelina in horror. "I was only joking, Angelina."
"No, no, what I meant was that maybe Oliver does need a girl or at least a good friend to take his mind off the constant obsession of winning," Angelina said thoughtfully.
Katie grinned excitedly, "How about next Hogsmeade visit, we all spend the day with Oliver!"
No one else seemed to be as enthused about the idea of spending the entire day with their slightly deranged Quidditch Captain.
"But Oliver only needs one friend, why do we all have to go?" George whined. "You're taking away from prime Zonko's purchasing time."
"And time is galleons," Fred added sagely.
"Why don't we meet up for lunch?" Harry suggested. "I really think it would be a bit suspicious if we followed Oliver around the whole day."
"Yes," Alicia nodded in agreement, "we wouldn't want him to know we were trying to help him. It might hurt his pride."
Katie knew for a fact that Alicia had already made plans to spend the Hogsmeade day with Roger Davies. She certainly would prefer spending time window shopping with Angelina rather than trying to make conversation with her fanatical Quidditch Captain.
"I suppose its settled, then?" Katie said. "Lunch together next Hogsmeade weekend? If Oliver asks any questions, it's a team lunch."
And with that the Gryffindor team made its way back to the Common Room.
Short little prologue and there will be more to come! Please Review!