BROLIVER'S REVEAL

She didn't know what to do. Draco wasn't with her, and her Uncle Drew wouldn't be dragging her out of this mess either. Transported to a school where she knew no one, with a reconnaissance mission that she didn't want any part of. How did those masked idiots expect her to pull this off? She matched names with stories, taking their faces from the various pictures given to her. Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster. Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration Teacher. Filius Flitwick, Charms Teacher and Head of Ravenclaw House.

Her own house.

Ravenclaw was an ideal house, an honorable house. She was proud to have gotten in. Trouble maker by heart, surely, but a good head on her shoulders none the less. "At least I wasn't in Slytherin." The Death Eaters had wanted her to get sorted into the House of proud greens and silvers, but alas, she was not self-loving enough to make the cut. Something she was very proud of, despite feeling like a complete idiot at the moment.

He would kill her without a doubt. The mysterious man behind the head of the idiot with the stutter would surely find a way to torture her despite the fact he had no limbs of his own at his disposal. She wouldn't have cared. Her Momma, her Poppa, all of them were gone. Uncle Drew was all she had left, a man who loved her in his own way, and detested her in his own way. Would he care if she was killed? Possibly. Would he get over it? Surely. This brunette with the sapphire like eyes, in her mind, had no more reason to live.

"Serve me, girl." She remembered his menacing voice. It was far from the sweet and tender baritone of her father's. "I can make all your dreams come true." He had added. She wanted to laugh. He had taken everything from her, what could he possibly do to make her happy when he had torn happiness away from her hands at the tender age of four. The stuttering man, the evil man's bearer, had smiled at her then. He assured her that the Dark Lord did not lie. In her mind; however, she found it hard to believe that a man given the title 'Dark Lord' did not lie.

"This is pretty high…"

Green grass greeted her eyes, a beautiful, well cut, field. She stood on the edge of one of the stands, six hoops presented in front of her with a vast arena set up bordering cut grass. The girl found it rather poetic that she would die on a Quidditch Pitch. She loved the sport (a big fan of Puddlemere United), and had dreamt of attending the World Cup ever since she was able to watch her first game. The dream would never come true, but she didn't mind. She would be able to watch all the games she wanted when she was gone. From above the clouds, she would soar higher than any Quidditch Broomstick created.

Closing her blue eyes, the girl released a small smile. There was a prayer her father had taught her from when she was younger, a muggle prayer that she had never forgotten. Every night before bed she would recite it religiously, and every morning when she awoke, she would thank the good Lord for another day of life. She didn't believe in any of it, but her father did, and that was enough reason to continue doing it. Now would not be an exception. Her final words before her permanent sleep.

"Now I lay me down to sleep," She whispered, swaying back and forth slowly. "I pray the Lord my soul to keep." Not really, she didn't mean it. "If I should die before I wake," She hoped there would be no more waking, no more fears, no more troubles. The wind was beginning to pick up, and she swore that she heard the rustling of the glass below. She payed it no mind. "I pray the Lord my soul to take."

And the girl leaned forward, making a hasty fall towards the ground.

The brunette expected many things. Her entire body feeling a burning, seething, pain due to breaking every bone in her body, her skull cracking open, to be found the next day with her body laying on a puddle of her own blood. She also thought of the possibility that it would all be quick, that she would die of a heart attack before she even reached the ground. Why was it that what happened was the one thing she hadn't called for?

She did land, she did feel an impact. The ground wasn't hard, though, and she was sure that her shoulders and knees shouldn't be the only body parts feeling something solid. Opening her eyes, sapphire orbs met with chocolate brown. A worried, panicked, and angered pair of chocolate brown at that.

"Have you gone insane?!" The unnamed nuisance asked—well, exclaimed is more likely. "Quidditch Practice starts tomorrow! Try outs next month! Don't destroy the Quidditch Pitch with your dead body!" Sapphire eyes went wide. Had she just heard him right? "Blood Stains aren't easy to remove! And this little stunt of yours could cost me an entire Season Cancelation!" Surprise, confusion, disbelief, and the girl finally decided to settle on anger.

"Well I'm so sorry for not finding a better spot to fall off of!" The nerve of this idiotic unsung hero! Here she was, about to end her suffering, and not only did he stop her attempt, but also did so for the reason that he did not want blood stains on the grass! Seeing the red and the gold, she came to a conclusion that all Gryffindors were insane. The whole bloody lot of them were bonkers, with their heads in the clouds and their priorities unsorted. "I'll try the Castle Bridge next time!"

His face was way too close for comfort, his glare smoldering. His grip on her tightened, and she was so very tempted to push him away and continue with her fall. She didn't care if she lost her courage, now she just wanted to make a bloody mess of the pitch just to spite him. Couldn't the gods have blessed her with a dashing blonde prince with soft blue eyes that would remind her of the ocean? Weren't they the ones who should be saving damsels, not that she was one, mind you. Cause she wasn't.

"I'd suggest to try it in the summer." He answered. "Don't do anything stupid in a vicinity where they can cancel extracurricular activities." She eagerly returned his glare now. She hoped he felt shivers run down his spine, she hoped she was scaring him, hoped that the Death Eaters taught her a thing or two about piss inducing stares.

"Try saying that again you ars—"

There were four things that the brunette hated. One of them were tomatoes, the other was the Dark Lord and the Stuttering Man. Just above being outsmarted, the third thing she hated the most, was being manhandled. This brown eyed boy with the Scottish accent was doing just that. He was repositioning her body, setting her down on the broom that he was apparently on. Her legs were hanging off of one side (like riding a horse side-saddle), and when the Scot was sure that she was secure, his arms wove around her as he clutched the front of the broomstick. Releasing a huff of annoyance, the girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and stuck her nose up in the air.

This ended terribly, seeing as when he jerked forward, she shrieked and ended up having to wrap her arms around his neck just not to fall off. He laughed at her misfortune, but he didn't complain. It didn't make the situation less awkward for the girl though. Not being used to touching other people, she found her cheeks reddening like the fruit she oh so loved. A ripe strawberry would be jealous of her redness.

Though the circumstances were rather absurd, the brunette had to admit that the feel of the wind against her skin was exactly how she imagined it. This was the first time she had ridden on a broom, and it was just as magical as she expected it to be. The breeze blowing at her ponytailed hair, closing her eyes and imagining that she was flying away from her troubles and from her suffering. When she felt her feet touch the ground, the brunette felt like it had ended way too soon. She wanted to stay up there and turn into a bird.

"You can let go now." The Scot said, the blushing blue eyed opening her orbs widely and jumping from the broom within a blink of an eye. She turned away from the smirking Scot behind her and tried to hide her embarrassment. Chuckles echoed in the field, and the brunette swore that she would give anything to have someone walk into the pitch this moment. Just to save her from this humiliating experience.

"Wha—what's so funny?!" Hide behind anger, it always worked. Passionate and fiery, that was who she was. "You won't be laughing when I bash your face into your skull!" He continued to laugh as she turned around and faced her not-so-dashing savior. Getting a good look at him, it was obvious that he was older than her. He also had a handsome face with a lean physique. He sat on the broomstick with a sort of grace that spoke levels of how skilled he was on it. She blushed again, realizing that she had just complimented the prick that she had been ready to violently attack merely moments ago.

"You don't seem all that depressed." She froze. What was with this guy and inappropriate comments the situation didn't call for? "For someone who was trying to kill herself, you sure don't look all that awful and pitiful." Was that an insult or a compliment? She was very confused again, an emotion that the Gryffindor was suddenly very good at making her feel. How she disliked him for it.

"Tha—that's none of your business!"

"You almost caused a scandal on school grounds and a cancelation on Quidditch Games." Why did he speak with a mightier-than-thou tone? He was older, didn't mean he was smarter. She was a Ravenclaw for Merlin's sake! "I, being part of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, do have a problem when you're going to do something troublesome for any of the players." Quidditch addicted maniac! That's what he was.

"Why didn't you just drop me in the ocean then?" She asked. "You could've done me and everyone in this school a huge favor. I'm not someone you'll want to have around in the near future." He shrugged at her words, dismounting his broom and taking a seat on the green grass. He patted the seat next to his and the girl obeyed, not really seeing any point in being defiant. She owed him nothing though, absolutely nothing.

"Family Problems?"

"What—no, I mean—"

"Are you dying?"

"Of course not! I'm just—"

"Afraid, then?"

"Okay, listen here Scottish Jacka—"

"Afraid it is!"

"What's your name?" She continued to stare at him. How did he manage to come from annoying, nosy, and then suddenly so normal? He was bipolar, he had something wrong in the head, she just knew it. "First Year, I asked you for your name. Did you hit your head or something?" Shaking her head and saving face, she sighed and leaned back with her hands positioned behind her on the grass.

"My name is Bridgit Cari Parker." She answered. "And you? I think I'd like to remember the name of the guy I have to get back at. Next time you fall, I'll catch you too and see how you like it." He laughed, and thinking back, Bridgit had to agree that the claim had sounded absurd. He, unlike her, would probably be thankful if she ever caught him.

"Oliver Wood, third year." He answered in return. "So, Bridgit, what's scaring you?"

She felt like a child again, having to answer to adults whenever she did something that was considered unacceptable. He didn't have the right to know, he shouldn't even be trusted. No one in this weird place should be trusted. How she wished she could have just fallen without interruption and ended everything. No more spying, no more secrets, no more stupid vicious idiots that trained her in the dark arts. She was very tempted by the offer to be rid of it all though, to say it out loud and have someone share the burden.

Bridgit felt Oliver's eyes on her, and she bowed her head and hid her eyes away from view. She had a feeling that her eyes betrayed her, and that he would know everything the moment he looked into them. Oliver sighed beside her, and she felt him shift slightly. Turning to her side, he was standing up now. The grass was just beginning to get comfortable too, what a shame.

"Whatever it is," Oliver began. "I'm pretty sure it's not worth dying over. No one is alone in the world, so find people who you can trust and keep them close. Their presence should chase away your fears." His head against the sun casted a shadow over his handsome features, but the reassuring smile he was giving her still seemed to shine brighter than the giant ball of gas. It spoke volumes about how saving her wasn't just about Quidditch after all.

Bridgit pulled her knees to her chest, placing her chin above them as she thought about his words. Who could she trust if not herself? Draco was like a little brother, but it was yet to be decided what his role would be. Her uncle was a puzzle that she had not the time to decipher. Hate or love was something connected when it came to her mother's brother, and the borderline faded excessively when it came to her. No friends, no family, no one who cared enough to earn it, who could a girl like her trust?

Turning back towards the Scot, she saw his back retreating from where she assumed he had come from before. She felt a frown grace her face as she watched him walk away. "Can I trust you?!" She found herself calling out, causing Oliver to halt and turn back to her. There it was again, that reassuring smile.

"Next time you feel like jumping off a high place," Was what he began to say. "Look for the nearest Gryffindor and ask where I am. I'll give you a flying lesson every time you can find me." He winked and turned away, and Bridgit smiled as she continued to watch. Maybe she wasn't so alone after all. Maybe she still had a reason to keep on living. Free flying lessons was just a bonus to the realization.

Normally, you would never find Oliver Wood sitting around in his dormitory. It was ordinary to find him flying around in the Quidditch Pitch, even more so common to find him taking over an entire table in the Common Room and filling said table with parchment, parchment that would be filled to the brim with Quidditch Strategies and Training Regimens. It was a breath of fresh air for the Gryffindor Team Captain to just sit on his bed, with a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages in his hands and relax.

Losing himself in the words of Kennilworthy Whisp, Oliver found himself entranced by the biography that presented itself in front of him. He thanked Merlin that he had caught Madam Pince trying to restore the tattered book and was able to call it before it was returned to the shelf. Histories of Quidditch Teams left and right, and a detailed story of how Quidditch came to be, Oliver thought that maybe one day, he would be in books such as this. A Quidditch Legend, with the title of 'Greatest Keeper that Ever Lived'!

"Hey, what are you—!"

"What the hell, aren't you—!"

"Isn't that a—!"

"How'd she know the—!"

Shutting the book and placing it on his bedside table, the Keeper opened the curtains of his canopy bed. He pushed away from the headboard and placed his feet on the ground with an audible sigh. It seemed that his services would be needed once again, not that he minded. He just wished that he could have finished the book before being needed as a shoulder to lean on by a persistent Ravenclaw.

The loud exclamations continued, getting louder and louder as he assumed she got futher up the male dormitory steps. Guys from different dorms wondered what a girl was doing on their side of the dorm, while others questioned how a girl with robes of a different emblem managed to enter without the password. Oliver had given up long ago on trying to figure out how it was that she got it in the first place. He had to admit, though, that it was better than having her tap the dorm window and asking everyone in the room if they've seen him.

The door slammed open, and immediately he looked up with a smile. Always the entrance maker, this girl. "What are you doing here?!" Came Percy Weasley's voice, loud and commanding like it always was. He too, had sat up from his bed across from Oliver's when the commosion had begun. For different reasons, of course. "A Ravenclaw should not be in Gryffindor Tower! I shall report you—"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead, just get out of here already." The brunette male shook his head as Bridgit walked over to his bed and plopped her butt beside him. She removed her shoes and changed her position, now sitting Indian Style and facing him. Deciding that she was not going to budge to change the venue of their conversation, Oliver did the same. Percy also did as she said, leaving the common room in search of either Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick. He estimated they had a good half-an-hour.

"How did tryouts go?" Oliver asked, seeing Bridgit's red face. Every time she saught him out, she seemed to have the same expression with the same matching red face. When angered, she reminded him of a tomato. When embarassed, she reminded him a strawberry. "Did you get the Keeper position?"

"I don't know yet, but you better tell your bloody beaters to leave me alone!" He'd known her for a year now, and he knew very well of her hatred for the Weasley Twins. Ever since they ruined one of her pranks, she had decided that they were people that she would never get along with. "They can't get revenge when I'm getting revenge! That's not how revenge works!" Oliver laughed at that.

"What do you find so funny?!"

"Just that, that's exactly how the cycle works." The older Keeper answered. "You get revenge, then they get revenge, then you get revenge again. It's called the cycle of hatred, dear apprentice." Had anyone been in the room, they probably would have found it mind boggling to see Oliver Wood acting so kind and brotherly. He had even tossled Bridgit's hair in emphasis to her childish thinking. Bridgit, in return, crossed her arms and snarled at him.

"Still—!"

"Still nothing." Oliver had cut her off. "You should have expected them to retaliate. Their the original pranksters, and you're gonna have to admit that someday." Bridgit snarled once more and changed her position so that she was laying on the bed horizontally. Her head was hanging of one side, while her legs hung off the other.

"I hate it when you make sense." Bridgit stated.

"You're such a Ravenclaw." Wood answered.

"That I am, young master. That I am."

Patting her leg and picking up the book once more, he leaned on the headboard and repositioned his legs under Bridgit's back. She layed on them as she relaxed, and Oliver considered giving the twins a bit of a workout during training the next day before returning back to the discovery of his favourite sport.

Walking along the Viaduct, Bridgit found herself lost in her own thoughts. Shinji, her newly arrived pup, circled her as she continued to walk, barking occasionally and begging to get noticed. Picking the dog up, Bridgit found herself releasing a loud frustrated cry. She hated such complications when it came to her social life, especially seeing as her life was complicated enough as it is. Shinji nuzzled his mistress's chest, hoping to calm her down, and Bridgit returned the simple action by hugging her pet closer.

Back in the Ravenclaw Tower, Echo would be sound asleep. She had returned with her, after the debacle that had ensued during dinner time, and the moment her head hit the pillow, she knew that she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. Fights, Closer Bonds, this day was one for the books. Bridgit sighed once at the thought of everything that unfolded within the night.

Fred and George's insult, Echo's secret, her Uncle's fury, why couldn't one thing go right for once? The only thing she was thankful for at the moment was the fact that no one seemed to be patrolling. She was pretty far from where she was supposed to be, but she needed to be somewhere with fresh air, somewhere cold, and yet somewhere open. The Astronomy Tower was out of the question, and so she thought that perhaps a trip to the Viaduct Courtyard would suffice. Shinji could even run around as she lost herself in her thoughts.

The teacup poodle barked, causing Bridgit to jump. There was a soft sound of footsteps behind her, and her eyes widened at the thought of getting caught. She was not one for respecting authority, but if she lost a lot of points, her housemates were going to gang up on her. Hiding Shinji in the pocket of her aquamarine parka, she turned around with an excuse about sleep walking ready at the tip of her tongue.

It wasn't needed; however, seeing as she came face to face with the sixteen-year-old Oliver Wood.

"You gave me a fright!" Bridgit angrily whispered, Shinji popping his head out of the chest pocket sensing his mistress's relief. There was a man in front of his beloved owner, a chestnut haired man in a long sleeved Puddlemere United shirt and red pyjama bottoms. He had an apologetic grin on his face as he began to approach slowly. He sensed no distress within his mistress, but he refused to take his eyes off of the stranger. "Couldn't you have called out or something? Sneaking up behind someone isn't very gentleman-ly, young master."

"I haven't heard that nickname in awhile, my dear apprentice." Oliver answered, now standing in front of her. He leaned his back on the Viaduct railing and looked left to come face to face with Bridgit. The girl decided to do as he did and turned to her right. She was suddenly extremely happy that she had worn her white pyjamas rather than the boxer shorts that she usually slept in. She would never have lived the situation down had he caught her in those.

"What are you doing here?" Bridgit decided to ask, finding the prolonged silence uncomfortable. "Besides, you room with Percy Weasley. You'll get into trouble if he wakes up and finds you out of your bed." A soft chuckle escaped the Scot and Bridgit allowed herself a smile at the thought of a red faced Weasley coming their way, shouting all of the rules that they both managed to break. Perhaps he would resemble one of the dragons that Fred and George had said Charlie wrote them about.

"Well, to answer your first question, I'm here cause I overheard Fred and George in the Common Room." A blush crept up Bridgit's cheeks, and Shinji looked up at his Mistress when he felt her long brown hair suddenly come in contact with his fur. She had bowed her head and hidden her face, still unsure of how to react when being cared for. It was an alien feeling. "They seemed pretty distraught that Zoey and Echo were mad. Fred said you were crying." There was a hint of worry in Oliver's voice as he spoke the final sentence, and Bridgit seemed all the more determined to hide her face.

She refused to act like a typical girl, but she would rather deal with that than the teasing that would follow if he saw how red she was. "Afraid that I'd do it again, like the first time we met?" Oliver chuckled once more, and Bridgit found herself raising her head just slightly to catch a glimpse of his amused face. The moonlight glow suited him, and at the thought, she bowed her head once more.

Shut up, she scolded herself. Stop acting like a bloody female!

"No," Oliver finally answered. "I just got worried is all. I haven't seen you cry, ever." There was that worry in his voice again, the sort of tone that Bridgit usually heard Zoey use pertaining to their pranks and what would happen if she, Fred, and George got into trouble. "If it makes you feel any better, I plan to discretely punish Fred and George the next time we have practice." Bridgit smiled, yeah, that did make her feel better.

"Make every muscle in their body ache." She said, watching Shinji play with her brown hair. He was swatting and trying to grab it. It made her giggle slightly, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she felt Oliver raise his brow. She didn't know why, but she just knew he did it. "I mean…work them hard, send them home bleeding, yeah." The gaze did not shift, and the next thing she knew, there was a pair of feet on the ground in front of her. Raising her head just slightly, she saw Oliver looking at her with curiosity.

"Did you giggle?"

"Of course not!"

The bark that sounded caused both heads to turn. Shinji was growling as he looked at Oliver's close proximity to his mistress (though he was standing a good twenty inches away). The boy's eyes widened as he took the sight of the forbidden pet, and Bridgit 'eeped' as she raised her hand and tried to put Shinji back in the pocket of her parka. The dog would have none of it though, and avoided the hand and just continued to glare. Who was this man? What was he to his mistress? Was he in cahoots with the two carrot-heads that had made her cry? Where was the glasses girl that usually spent time with her?

"Is that—?"

"Please don't tell!" Bridgit automatically said. "I can't leave him at my Uncle's, I've told you about him right? He isn't really the best person to piss off." She relaxed slightly at Oliver's nod, but Oliver continued to stare at the growling and protective pup. It came to mind that had anyone passed by, it would look like the keeper was staring at something entirely different, and this made her jump. Bridgit was extremely thankful when his eyes landed back on her own sapphire ones. At least if Percy Weasley did track them down, he would see nothing but platonic relations.

"So this is your pet, Shinji, then?"

"I told you about him?"

"Just once before, I didn't know he was a dog though."

Continuous barking followed the answer, and Bridgit 'eeped' once more as she covered her dogs mouth. He licked and licked to get it off, but she did not pay it mind. They were far from waking any of the paintings, but they were above the lake and she didn't really want to be waking up the Giant Squid or any of the merfolk either. Oliver laughed as the dog glared at him over his owner's hands.

"Territorial, isn't he?" Oliver returned to his original spot beside the brunette fourteen-year-old, the dog's growling ceasing and allowing Bridgit to release him. "What did you do to that dog? It's imprinted on you pretty hard." Bridgit was the one who chuckled this time, taking the small dog out of her pocket and holding him in her palms. The white little pup began chasing his tail around, and Bridgit's chuckles got louder.

"He was the runt of his litter." Bridgit explained. "The smallest dog I saw in the shelter! He's probably the smallest dog on earth." It wasn't true, but she wouldn't be shocked if it were. "I had to beg my uncle to let me adopt him, and when he wouldn't, I stole the money from his pocket and got him anyway. He was not pleased, but he let me keep him in the end." It was one of the times her uncle showed the rare act of kindness.

Oliver listened intently to the story, nodding during appropriate times as he watched Shinji chase his tail on and on. "So why Shinji?" He asked. "Are you just fond of the Japanese Language or is there a deeper reason."

"Hope, I liked that it meant hope."

"Hope for what?" The boy asked.

"Hope for everything." Bridgit answered. "The future, myself, for my friends, for u—I mean everything."

"How does he represent all of that?"

"Cause he just does." She answered once more. "The same way, to me, you represent trust."

"Has my dear apprentice gone sentimental on me?" The moment was gone, and Bridgit laughed as she pushed herself off of the railing and turned around to face him. She had a wide smile on her face, and Oliver felt proud of himself for having gotten her out of her funk. She frowned way too much on the normal basis. "Now, now, don't you go falling in love with me."

"In your dreams, young master." Bridgit answered, returning Shinji to her pocket and clasping her hands together behind her. "I'd snog Roger Davies before I'd fall for you." Oliver laughed as he pushed of the railing and stood close to Bridgit now. He leaned down, seeing as he was taller than her, and Bridgit jumped slightly at the feel of his warm breath on her ear. Shinji growled as he extended his paws to try and push the boy away.

"Is that how you got in the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team?" He asked.

"YOU—!" Oliver laughed loudly as he raised his arms, bracing himself for Bridgit's hits. She laughed as each blow landed on his arm, and Shinji growled as he was blatantly being ignored and forgotten. When the two calmed down, they turned back towards the castle, and thoughts about the Viaduct Courtyard being forgotten. They walked back, side by side, as Oliver offered to take her back to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Isn't that gentleman-ly of you all of a sudden." Bridgit commented, taking a dig at her previous statement about her sneaking up on her. "I didn't know one could change so fast."

"I don't have to, you know." He retorted.

"Yes, well, I don't need you to." Again they shared a laugh, as Bridgit finally declined to be escorted back to her respective tower. "You're already walking on thin ice with being roommates with Percy." Oliver took it with a light hit to arm, finally taking notice of her shirt.

"Oh, we're wearing matching shirts!"

Looking down, Bridgit did notice the exact same long sleeved Puddlemere United shirt that she wore being on Oliver as well. "Great minds think alike!" Bridgit commented, off-handedly, finally petting the pouting Shinji in her pocket.

"Let go of me!" Bridgit called out, glaring at the back of her captor's head.

"Not until you explain what the hell happened to you over the summer!" He called back to her.

"How many times do I have to say I fell down the stairs?!" Oliver was having none of it.

"Staircases don't hit back, Bridgit. They don't have nails either!"

She had been on her way towards the Great Hall for breakfast with her friend and fellow Ravenclaw, Aiden Durham, when suddenly her arm was grabbed. Aiden seemed confused when she suddenly disappeared, but all Bridgit was focused on was the back of Oliver Wood's head. There was a dangerous aura about him, but she didn't care. She detested being handled, especially when her body was caked with bruises and wounds.

"It was a violent fall, Damnit!" She finally shouted, losing her patience. People, ghosts, students, teachers, and paintings alike, all turned towards them when they passed. Some girls giggled, some guys hooted, some teachers tried their hardest to find out what it was that was going on. The paintings complained and the ghosts just watched, but Bridgit paid no mind as she began to shout and display to the Hogwarts Staff and Student Body her arsenal of curse words and insults.

"Let go of me you Scottish Prick!" Bridgit continued. "Let go of me or the next time I catch you on the field I'll knock you off of your bloody broom and shove it so far up your arse that it'll come out of your mouth!" Oliver visibly cringed at the description, but continued to lead her towards the Viaduct anyway. It was way too early for students to have gathered in the Courtyard, and Oliver found that the perfect spot to knock some sense into his apprentice. If ever, The Quad wasn't so far either. Now if only the girl behind him would stop shouting.

"Did you not hear me?!" Her sapphire eyes were filled with hate and anger. Some people who saw it actually prayed for the safety of Oliver Wood, Ravenclaws who saw the scene prayed for his soul and hoped that Merlin would guide him to where all the good Wizards and Witches went. No one got Bridgit Cari Parker that mad and lived to tell the tale. "Oliver Wood! Release me this instant or I'll freaking Crucio you till you weep!"

"Ten points from Ravenclaw!" A teacher suddenly shouted, hearing the vile comment.

"Cry me a freaking river, I don't take your class anyway!" The teacher, angered, reduced another ten points. Nearby Ravenclaws groaned at the loss of points once again. How were they to ever beat Gryffindor in the House Cup if they kept losing points? It was humiliating to have an intelligent and honorable house, such as theirs, lose to the conniving Slythergits and the brave Gryffindorks.

"Stop acting like such a brat!" Oliver shouted.

"Do I look like Draco Malfoy to you?!" She retorted. "You're the one grabbing people and not believing them! You're the one with the bloody problem in this situation. Let. Me. Go!" He did not listen, finally arriving at the Viaduct Courtyard. He dragged her across the bridge against her will, and though she shouted enough to cause the water underneath them to rustle due to the merfolk's disapproval, he never let go and only stopped when they finally reached the Viaduct Courtyard. Oliver was right, there weren't any students present.

"You got me alone, happy?!" Oliver opened his hand, allowing Bridgit to snatch her hand back. Before she could make her way towards the Viaduct Bridge once more, however, Oliver summoned a barrier. This earned him a glare, but he just glared at the girl in return. Her skin was filled with bruises of every color. Black and blue, purple, and some a gruesome yellow. He didn't believe that a staircase would cause that.

"Why won't you tell me what happened?" His voice was on edge, and his eyes held that maniacal look that he seemed to reserve only for when he talked about Quidditch. Bridgit didn't want to believe that she was anywhere close to as important, but she was not stupid as to believe that being near Oliver Wood during one of these moments was considered 'safe'. "You look like a walking corpse, and you claim to have fallen down the stairs?"

Paying him no mind and turning away, Bridgit took out her wand and tried to figure out a way to get rid of the barrier. Recalling all that she knew from books and what she learned from charms, she tried to come up with a conclusion. Before she could even attempt anything, though, Oliver had already foiled everything.

"I placed a Blocked Barrier Spell after summoning it." He began. "You're not getting out of here until you tell me what on earth happened. The truth this time, and not that lie your feeding Fred and George." Bridgit hated him for being older than her, for knowing far more advanced magic when it came to barriers than she did. How was she going to get out of this one? She already had Echo suspicious of her, and she felt that Zoey was too! She didn't need Oliver wanting an explanation out of her own mouth either.

"Why can't you all just believe that I fell down the stairs?!"

"Just because I'm not a Ravenclaw doesn't make me stupid!" He answered, just as loud as she shouted. Bridgit assumed that a silencing charm was cast along with the barrier. "I know what it looks like to fall from the stairs, I know what it looks like to fall from a broom, and though I haven't experienced it myself, I know that those wounds are inflicted!" Her eyes widened, her arms fell to her side. She wasn't getting out of this if he sounded that sure of himself. Oliver Wood was a stubborn one, and, apparently, it wasn't reserved for Quidditch only.

"Fine then, I did this to myself!" She shouted. "You know very well what I'm capable of doing when it comes to such things, you saved me from dying once, you can't save me all the time! It doesn't mean I'm all better either!" His glare was dangerous, menacing, and he looked at her like how he looked at Marcus Flint. Bridgit was not used to being looked at with such hatred from him, but it was better this way.

"Stop lying." Cold, low, thick. A shiver ran up Bridgit's spine. "You'd never do this to yourself. I know you wouldn't."

"You don't know a single thing about me!"

"Is that what you tell people who don't buy your lies?!" He countered. "That they don't know a single thing about you? Well, guess what, you're not as hard to read as you think you are! I'm not as thick as Fred and George to let it slide either! So you either tell me the truth, or I talk to Roger Davies about suspending you for your handicap!"

She walked up to him then, hands clenched by her side as she tried hard not to hex the man she considered a close friend. How dare he say that! She worked hard during Quidditch to prove that she was fully capable of handling herself! She also reassured Roger that she would carry her own weight if anything hurt. "He'd never listen to you, he'd think you were just sabotaging the team." She tried hard to sound menacing, and though Oliver reacted not, she knew that she achieved it.

"Wouldn't he?" The Gryffindor Captain asked. "Cedric Diggory would back me up and say that it's a disadvantage to Ravenclaw. That it would be unfair if we fought you with your team possessing a player that might as well pass-out in the middle of the field." Open, close, open, close, Bridgit's hands went. She was trying so hard to remain in control of her actions, trying hard to not cause this guy harm. He was testing her patience though, and she hated that.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" She decided to ask. "This is your last year in Hogwarts, and yet your willing to kick me, your self-proclaimed apprentice, out of the game knowing that next to you, I'm the best Keeper on the field." Bridgit continued, staring him down as she did so. "What does it matter, what's true and what isn't? I'm alive, aren't I?"

"What do you think you are to me?" The question took her off guard. "We've known each other since you were a first year, and you're a fifth year now. When I see you, what do you think I see?" Why did his voice sound like that? She didn't feel right about it. She remembered her dad used to talk like that, those painful memories were resurfacing, and she hated Wood more for causing it.

"I'm your friend." Bridgit answered, holding back a sob.

"Wrong," He answered almost immediately. Bridgit could not explain why those words caused one tear escape. She wiped it away immediately, but Oliver was faster and had seen it. "Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinett, Fred, George, Harry, those are my friends. You? You're probably my best friend." More tears, one sob, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried and cried and cried into his chest.

Sobs escaped as her body shook, and Oliver just let her with his hands around her waist. He whispered words of comfort, and he said an occasional joke about where the strong girl he met was. She would laugh between the tears, and she clutched him and held onto him for dear life. It was like her sanity and safety depended on just releasing those tears, sharing the pain.

"Are you ready to tell me the truth now?" Oliver asked, Bridgit then pulling away as she wiped the tears away. Her eyes were red and blood shot, but she released a small laugh and nodded. Best friend, no, those were Zoey, Echo, Fred, and George. Oliver was a bit more than that.

"I'll tell you." She finally answered. "Just because you're my best-best friend."

"Knock her off of her broom?" Wood jumped as he heard the voice, turning the corner to find Bridgit waiting for him. He had just been discharged from the hospital wing and was heading back to Gryffindor Tower for the part when he bumped into her. "I stand by what I said last year. You are no gentleman." Getting his heart back to a normal rhythm, Oliver managed a small smile. That, really, was not his finest moment. All in the name of Quidditch though, and that had made it worth it.

"We won didn't we?" Oliver answered. "You're just annoyed that you've yet again lost the chance of winning the Quidditch Cup." Bridgit snorted slightly as she fell into step with him, noticing that he was making his way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. The hallways weren't buzzing with students, seeing as most were tired and were in their dormitories, and Bridgit enjoyed just walking with her best-best friend. She really was not getting used to the idea that he would be gone the next year, no longer there to help her out.

"I still have my sixth and seventh year for that." She answered. "I'm actually quite happy that you won, albeit a bit annoyed. I think you deserve to win the cup at least once in your life as Captain. This is your last chance, so you better freaking beat Slytherin."

"I'm planning to send Marcus Flint flying from his Nimbus 2001!" Oliver exclaimed, Bridgit chuckling at the mental image of Slytherin Captain Flint falling from the black broom. She also imagined him weep and scream in outrage as he did so. It was an enjoyable image that any Quidditch Player (especially for Captains: Diggory, Wood, and Davies) would love to have in their dreams. She also knew; however, that it was impossible for Wood to be the one to knock him off. Keepers never left the rings alone.

"Did Fred and George invite you to the party?" Wood suddenly continued, turning to Bridgit as they walked up the moving staircases and halted to wait for the one they needed to turn. "If they didn't, I'm inviting you. Not that people aren't already used to you barging in when you want." Memories of her second year were reminisced, and Bridgit actually had the decency to blush at the looks everyone had given her when she layed on Oliver's bed without permission and declared that she would wait for him there until he returned. Percy Weasley detested her most of all.

"They did, but I've decided to leave you lions to your own roaring."

"Still can't face the loss, huh?"

"No, I've made other plans." Oliver raced his brow in disbelief. Other plans usually meant something else, and Bridgit hit his arm lightly when she realized what he was thinking. "Not those type of plans…unless you considered Zoey Emeraude my girlfriend, then I guess, sure, think ahead."

"Fred would be devastated to hear that." The Captain answered. "Is that why you all seemed to decide to stop talking to each other for awhile? If I recall, you and Zoey were alone when you watched our game against Hufflepuff. Did you finally break the news to him?" Shaking her head, Bridgit hit his arm lightly once more. That fight was a very serious manner, but Oliver was out of all that. How she wanted to explain to him though, for he did get mad and bombarded her with questions about why the twins, Fred mostly, were distracted.

"You jealous?" Bridgit teased.

"Maybe." Oliver answered, causing Bridgit's eyes to widen.

"You never told me you were gay!" She exclaimed. Oliver was thankful that no one was around, they probably would have taken the joke to heart. "For Frederick Weasley no less! Have you told him? Oh my goodness, I must tell Zoey! She needs to know she has competition!" Wrapping an arm around Bridgit's neck, Oliver nudged her hair and messed it up, the girl on laughing as he did so.

"And why would I be jealous because of Fred?"

"I don't know, he has nice eyes?"

"How narcissistic of you!" Oliver countered. "You like his eyes cause they're blue, like yours."

"I'm still a girl, sadly. Have to have some vanity in here somewhere."

When they reached the Gryffindor Tower portrait hole, Oliver turned to Bridgit with the same smile that he often gave her. Bridgit returned it. "So, you promise to win the Quidditch Cup this year? Maybe voicing it out to anyone other than yourself and your team would actually give you a miracle. If you want, I could pull a prank on Flint. Fred and George would be eager to participate."

"No, doing that would be telling them that I'm at their level and not above them." Bridgit nodded in understand and patted his shoulder as she began to turn away. "I promise, by the way. That I'll—no, we'll win it." Turning slightly, she gave him one more smile before heading off in search of Zoey. Perhaps she would even pass by her dormitory and get Shinji before she met up with her. Depending if she finds her best friend on the way or not.

Where could she have possibly disappeared to? Did she forget that it was the last day of school? Oliver Wood was not a very patient person to begin with, so making him wait in the Quidditch Pitch for more than a good hour was unheard of. What the man found odder, though, was the fact that the girl he was meeting was very punctual when it came to meetings she, herself, organized. There was no sign of the brown haired Ravenclaw anywhere. Not even a message that she had changed her mind.

He moved his broom to his left hand as he took out his pocket watch, frowning when he realized that it was nearing two hours passed their arranged meeting time. The nights were beginning to become warm, and yet this particular one had caused Wood to wear a black turtleneck. It was a bad omen, such nights, and he wondered if it had anything to do with Bridgit's sudden disappearance.

Deciding to wait just a few more minutes, he placed the watch back in his pants' pocket and took a seat on the grass.

Bridgit Cari Parker was extremely lucky that he was in a good mood—the best he'd felt in a long time.

The memory of that cup in his hands, finally being able to achieve his childhood dream of winning the Inter-House Quidditch Cup, only the memory of his first broomstick ride could compare to it. The cheers, the happy faces of his team, McGonagall's pride in what they've managed to achieve, everything, to a degree, was all because of him. He had trained the team and made sure they were at their best, those two bludgers were a small price to pay to finally shove the glory in Marcus Flint's face.

Oliver would have been happier, had he won more than just one, but he would settle and thank Merlin for allowing him to win, at least, during his last year in Hogwarts. He hoped Angelina and the others would be alright without him, and he also hoped that they stuck to the training regimen that he had created specifically for each of them. He didn't want Gryffindor to just suddenly hand the trophy back to another house after all the effort he put in, now did he?

Before he could get to remembering the angered look on Flint's and Malfoy's faces, something took him away from his thoughts. It was the sound of a guitar, a classical one, not an electric one. The tune was soft, but loud in the silence of the cold and starry night. Listening closer, Oliver raised his brow at the all too sad tune that was being played. He didn't know why, for he was not a big music fan, but that tune was familiar to him.

He stood from the grass and dusted off his bum. Picking up his broom, he walked in the direction that the music was coming from. Oliver probably should have returned to Gryffindor Tower, seeing as it was way passed curfew, but he was curious, and he was a Gryffindor not a Ravenclaw. To act smartly and sensible was not part of his job. Even Hermione Granger defied those rules sometimes—well, more times than most seeing as she was Harry Potter's best friend. What he did was proof enough that he was not sorted into the wrong house at all.

The sad tune got louder as he approached one of the stands. Looking up, he wondered if it was coming from up there. Walking around the tall, tower-like, stand, he found the door of the staircase unlocked. It was evidence enough of an 'Alohamora' spell. There was someone up there alright.

Mounting his broom, he decided to have a look see.

He circled the stand with a true flyer's grace, and he made sure to observe from behind, just in case the witch or wizard was an enemy. Perhaps he could channel the Weasley Twins for one night and prank a fair amount of Slytherins. It was his last year, why not make the most of it? What greeted him, though, was ponytailed brown hair. There was a girl, with a sky blue guitar in her hands, staring up at the full moon. An all too familiar girl that he should have met two hours ago.

Oliver was tempted to scare her, give her a taste of her own prank medicine, but halted from calling out when he realized that she wasn't merely playing. Her voice was softer, lower, and when he flew just a bit nearer, he realized that Bridgit was singing along with the tune that came with her strumming.

"My whole world is changing. I don't know where to turn.

I can't leave you waiting,

But I can't stay and watch this city burn. Watch it burn."

He was pretty sure that Bridgit wouldn't be a professional singer—her voice was a fine alto, and though it wasn't unpleasant, it was way too raw and sounded a bit scratchy—but he was left at awe by the speed of her fingers as she changed their positions. He was above her now, hovering as he peered down. She had buttoned up her aquamarine parka due to help with the cold, and he assumed that the hood had fallen just before he had arrived. The front of her hair was a mess.

Closer inspection of her face made Oliver worry. Tear streaks were visible on her moonlit cheeks, and her sapphire blue eyes were bloodshot. He at least now knew the reason for her scratchy voice. Bridgit had probably been sobbing and crying, how long had she been out here?

"Cause I'll try, but it's so hard to believe.

I'll try, but I can't see what you see.

I'll try…I'll try…"

"If you wanted to sit around and mope, couldn't you have at least informed someone?" Oliver watched as Bridgit suddenly sat up straight, looking up and then suddenly turning away as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her parka. "I mean, I've been waiting down there for two hours. I really should know these things so I don't end up looking like an idiot." His feet touched the free space of the bench beside her. He sat himself down and put his broom on the free foot space on the floor.

He assumed that she found herself presentable now, but he was shocked when she jerked her head in his direction. "The last day flying…" She muttered, her palm coming in contact with her forehead the moment she finished. "I forgot, oh future seeing Morgana, I'm so sorry Oliver." The seventeen-year-old managed a smile, but it seemed to have given her no comfort as she began hitting her forehead repeatedly with the palm of her hand.

"Stupid…stupid…stupid…" She muttered over and over. "I've already screwed up with Echo, now I forget about Oliver! Mordred kill me, next thing I know it'll be Zoey angry at me." From what he knew about the Hufflepuff, she didn't seem to get angry with anyone—the occasional Weasley Twins, but that was understandable. Oliver was quite confused, but he did catch the beginning of the, supposed, mind rant.

"Screwed up with Echo?" Oliver asked.

"Don't use Legilimency on me!" Bridgit answered.

"You said all of that out loud." He countered. "I didn't need to cast anything."

"Should have known you weren't skilled enough to do it without a wand, let alone without a spell."

"I'm shocked you believed I knew how to do it in the first place."

Bridgit looked him in the eye. "Touché" She released.

"So, what did you screw up with Echo?"

Oliver leaned back on the bench behind him, trying to get comfortable as he raised his feet and plopped it down on the bench in front of him. Bridgit sighed as she did the same, placing down the sky blue guitar just beside her with the long neck on her lap. The tuning mechanism was poking the seventeen-year-old on the side just slightly, but it was neither painful nor distracting.

"She found out." The fifteen-year-old answered, releasing a sad sigh as she lifted her hands to cover her eyes. It was obvious that she was trying hard to stop herself from becoming a wreck. Oliver frowned. He wished she wouldn't be so guarded all the time. Or, at least, not when she was around him. He was supposed to be trust right? "One bloody mistake and she found out and it ruined everything." She continued.

"Why wasn't I told about this? I never would have taken that walk with her if I did!" Oliver was a bit confused, but allowed his friend to finish. "Damnit all, only Merlin can save that idiotic rat when I get my hands on him! He better pray to every strong sorcerer he knew, Morgana Le Fay included!" He just got more confused. Rat? What did that have to do with anything? She hated rats, sure, but how could it have caused Echo to find out?

"What happened exactly?" The Keeper finally decided to ask.

"Peter—bloody freaking—Pettigrew, that's what."

"And who is Mister Bloody Freaking Pettigrew?" He asked once again.

"He's one of the Dark Lord's minions." She answered, not missing a beat. It was obviously so normal for her to mention him. "I've told you what I am, told you what I do, and now all my friends are going to hate me because Echo did the right thing and left without a second thought. All I have to blame is my absent mindedness and that stupid rat for blowing my cover!" Venom seeped out of every word that she released. Bridgit was very angry.

"What are you planning to do?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hoping to give her some needed comfort, and she leaned her head on his shoulders as she released another sigh and relaxed. What was she going to do, she wondered. Was there anything she could do?

"Stay away from all of them, keep them at bay and hope that Echo talks to me before blurting out my deep-dark-secret." Bridgit, unsurely, answered. "I'll probably disappear for the Summer, beg my uncle to come with me on a vacation to some Asian country. Maybe I'll ask Cho if she knows any nice places in China. I could finally get to see a Panda, or maybe I can see a dragon skeleton."

"Why cross the globe when you could just hang-out at my place?"

"Scotland isn't really that far away to disappear. Owls could probably still find me."

"So what?" He offered. "Just be vague in replies or don't reply at all."

"What about your parents?"

"They might be happy I finally brought someone over. One that at least isn't there to scout me for a Quidditch Team." Bridgit bolted up at those words and Oliver forgot that he had not mentioned that to her yet. "Oh didn't I tell you? Puddlemere United offered me a position. A replacement player at first, but—"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Bridgit exclaimed. "You couldn't have told me this before?! PUDDLEMERE UNITED IS SCOUTING YOU! Don't say that like it's just what breakfast for tomorrow will be! Don't you know how freaking lucky you are?! That's a dream come-freaking-true!" Her face was red now, with anger and probably due to the cold, but Oliver couldn't help but laugh.

"So are you accepting or not?" The seventeen-year-old finally asked.

"Fine." She answered. "Just because I'm really curious about what you are outside of Hogwarts."

"You speak like I'm some Magical Creature!"

"Quidditch Addict, that's a very dangerous creature to me."

He punched her arm lightly, and she laughed as she picked up her guitar and stood up. "I'll be back in a bit." She said. "I'll just get my broom, and then we can go for that last fly around the Hogwarts Grounds. First to the Viaduct Courtyard gets treated by the loser." He nodded his head as she exited through the door that had come in. She had even continued to sing that song of hers, causing him to smile. Yes, she was no singer.

"So, I'll try, because I finally believe.

I'll try, cuz I can see what you see.

I'll try, I'll try I'll try..To fly"

Returning back to his former position, he looked up and couldn't help but correct the girls previous statement.

All of her friends didn't hate her. She still had him on her side.

"Bridgit, over here!" She heard Oliver call.

How Bridgit hated the underage magic rule. Why couldn't she have the privilege of shrinking her heavy trunk when she could do so easily? Lugging it towards the direction Wood had called from, she looked back to check in Shinji was still there. The stubborn little pup had not wanted to ride on the trunk or in her pocket, preferring the fresh air. Perhaps it was sick and tired of being kept, and had wanted to just wag its tail and loll his tongue as he pleased. This made her smile, albeit only slightly. Her trunk was still pissing her off.

Catching sight of her young master, Bridgit spotted two people near him. One was a middle-aged man, presumably his dad, that looked like he was in his late thirties. He had brown hair, like Oliver, but his eyes were of a lighter shade of green. The other person was a woman—slightly younger looking than the male, his mother no doubt, with hair the color of golden string and chocolate brown eyes. Taking a good look at both of them, Bridgit concurred that Oliver was a perfect blend of his parents.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mister and Missus Wood!" Bridgit greeted, letting go of her trunk and picking Shinji up from the ground. She petted him and placed the little guy in her hoodie's pocket. "So sorry about this sudden plan, is it really alright that I stay over for the summer?" She saw Oliver shake his head before turning towards Mrs. Wood. She seemed ecstatic, a wide smile on her face as she approached Bridgit and gave her a hug. The brunette hoped Shinji wasn't crushed because she sure felt like she was close to being a pancake.

"It's no problem at all!" She said, accent thicker than that of Oliver's. "I'm happy that Oli's found himself a lovely burd!" Whatever the term meant, it did not sit well with Bridgit. When she was released from the hug, Oliver had taken hold of his mother's arm and placed her beside him.

"She's not my burd." Oliver said.

"Don't be dafty!" Mrs. Wood answered. "Why are you bringing her home if she isn't?"

"Don't interrogate the boy, Thea!" Mr. Wood now spoke. "You're embarrassing him."

All this time, Bridgit just wondered what a burd was to begin with.

"What's your name, dear?" Mrs. Wood, Thea, she was called. "How'd you meet Oli? Has he treated you well? How long have you two known each other?" She went on with her many questions, while Oliver and his father seemed to be sharing a laugh at the back. Bridgit would have glared, but her focus remained solely on the Wood Matriarch. She was having trouble catching the questions.

"She's gone radge!" Mr. Wood commented.

"One question at a time, Mum." Oliver finally said. "The lassy can't answer 'em all."

Bridgit frowned. Lassy was a horse's name, and she didn't like being compared to a horse one bit.

Thea blushed slightly at her son's words, but she did calm down a bit. She once again asked for her son's friend's name, and Bridgit was slightly thankful that the bombarding questions were gone. Shinji was hiding in her pocket due to confusion. He sensed safety, so the strangers were no threat, but he didn't want to suddenly come out and get squeezed by the blonde woman in front of his mistress.

"My name is Bridgit Parker, Mrs. Wood. It's a—"

"Oh we'll be having none of that, love." She cut Bridgit off. "My name is Athena, but you call me Aunt Thea." Thea then motioned towards her husband and he approached on cue. It was pretty obvious who ran the Wood Household. "This here is my husband, Joffrey." Mr. Wood—now known as Joffrey—smiled at her and extended his hand. She took it and shook, pulling away when it was appropriate.

"Bridgit, you must tell me all about your friendship with my son." Thea took hold of Bridgit's arm as she began dragging her out of the station. Bridgit wasn't quite sure where they were going, but said nothing and nodded when she spoke to her. "Boys, make sure to not forget the trunks!" The matriarch called out.

Bridgit was sure this was not going to be a summer to forget.

Bridgit also wanted to know what in Merlin's pants was a burd!

Bridgit had been staying with the Woods for a little under two weeks now. She had been given a room of her own, much to her shock, and had been treated like a guest of honor. Most days, she would have shoot-outs with Oliver in the miniature Quidditch Pitch in the Wood Family Backyard, on others, Thea would sit her down and ask her many questions about her relationship with Oliver. Though Bridgit insisted that it was purely platonic, Thea seemed to like believing otherwise. Joffrey just laughed when he witnessed such chats. Oliver did too.

This particular day, Bridgit had been told to be ready by noon. Thea and Joffrey had suggested that they give her a tour of the Scottish Magic Scene. They would show her the bookstores, the Quidditch supply shops, and any other shop that they thought she would find interesting. Being up for an adventure, Bridgit agreed readily with a warning from Oliver that his mother tended to go overboard.

As if Bridgit did not know that already.

When she was roused from her slumber by Shinji's constant licking, Bridgit saw a familiar Eagle Owl perched on the closed window. She rubbed her eyes and placed Shinji on the bed, walking over to the window to let in the animal. Bridgit took notice of the note attached, and wondered if it was the owner of the bird that had sent it. She smiled when she opened the window, the bird nipping her finger affectionately. Taking out an owl treat from the small jar she always brought along with her, Bridgit offered it to the Eagle Owl. He took it with gratitude, then extended his talon out in order to allow Bridgit access to the letter.

Unfolding the mysterious note, Bridgit read as she stroked the tired bird's feathers. She absorbed each word, taking note of the important matters that, apparently, needed to be discussed. The handwriting was not that of the owl's owner, so she only assumed that it was another one of the masked fools. Probably the father. Getting to the last few sentences of the note though, the brunette found herself dropping it to the floor. It could not be true!

She didn't mind the nightmare that would plague her upcoming night, as long as those last sentences were erased from the letter. Picking up the dropped piece of parchment, Bridgit hoped that it had been her imagination. Turning it around, she read the entire thing again. She was disappointed to find out that the entire letter remained the same, including the end that she oh-so detested.

"Shinji, I'm gonna kill myself." The dog barked in scolding at the foolish words.

"No, seriously, I'm not gonna live through this." Again, the dog barked. The bird nipped her finger too.

Turning her attention away from the current disaster, she caught the sound of a familiar breakfast call. She just knew that Thea was using magic, no matter how much the woman denied it. There was no way her voice was that loud on its own. "I'll write a reply later." Bridgit said, turning to the Eagle Owl. "Get some rest, you too Shinji. I'll bring you guys breakfast in awhile." A bark and a hoot answered the brunette as she shut the door of the guest bedroom. She hoped the morning was not a sign of things to come.

Walking down the stairs and walking through the archway that lead to the kitchen, Bridgit was greeted by the morning scene that she had learned to become accustomed to. Oliver would be on the left side of his father on the table, enjoying a bowl of cereal. He probably would have gotten the Quidditch Player Card from the box by now, she assumed. Thea would be to Joffrey's right with a plate in front of her, while the patriarch would sit at the head of the table with a mug of coffee in one hand while the Daily Prophet took up the other.

"Good Morning" She greeted, earning her greetings in return as she took her temporary place beside Oliver. There wasn't a lot of food set up, which was perfectly fine. There was a plate in the center with a stack of toast, and around it was a rotating ring shaped saucer that had different arrays of jams and butters on it. Taking one slice of the toast, Bridgit began picking her poison.

There was Peanut Butter, Cookie Butter, Cherry Jam, Grape Jam, every single type of spread would have probably been in that rotating saucer. Finally coming across her heavenly favourite, Strawberry Jam, she took the jar and opened it. She then used the knife beside her to spread it across the piece of toast.

Unbeknownst to Bridgit, all three eyes of the Wood Family were on her. The brunette may not have noticed it, but she was a rather chatty person. She told Thea stories about Quidditch matches, and she would ask many questions about Joffrey's work in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. When she was mellowed up or woke the wrong way, though, she usually preferred just having her conversations with Oliver. This particular morning, however, nothing left the girl's mouth except for the customary greeting.

"Danger, Bridgit?" Joffrey asked.

"Perfectly fine." She curtly answered.

Obviously it was not the truth.

"Talking out of your fanny flaps, I see." Oliver commented.

"Am not!" Bridgit exclaimed.

"What's the danger, dear?" It was Thea now.

The youngest relented and decided to explain. There was no getting out of it anyway.

"I got a letter this morning." She finally said, dropping the heavenly piece of toast down on her plate. "Apparently we're holding something special in the school this year. My guardian informed me that I am in need of a dress for a stupid dance." Bridgit was unaware of Oliver's warning glances the moment she said dress, but as she added the words dance, he knew that she was a goner. Merlin have mercy on her soul.

"Isn't that wonderful?" Thea said loudly. "Oh, Bridgit, you must let me help you find a dress!"

"WHAT?" Bridgit stood. "No, no, I mean, Aunt Thea, I wouldn't want to intrude."

Oliver sighed. His friend would not be getting out of this one that easily. He had warned her.

"Of course not! We'll even let you tap what you need!" Bridgit tried to object, tried to say something that would get the woman to change her mind. This was the one thing she didn't want to do! She was wearing no bloody dress if she had anything to say about it! Before she could even open her mouth to say any of this though, Thea was already walking up to her room with shouts to get ready to head to a dress shop. Joffrey and Oliver gave her pity filled looks, and Bridgit fell back to her chair. Not even strawberry jammed toast could make her feel better.

After everyone was set…

"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Bridgit shouted, trying to pull herself free from Oliver's strong hold. He was trying to get her out of the door, but she was clutching to the railing of the stairway so hard that it would probably take a hyena to chew her arms off from it. "Have mercy on my soul! PLEASE! You said I was your best friend!" The boy was getting fed up. Bridgit had brought this upon herself, she really needed to accept the consequences of her actions.

"Merlin, Morgana, save me!" The girl continued to shout.

"You were the one who told her about it in the first place!" Oliver answered. "If you'd just kept shut about the entire thing, we wouldn't be going through this!" Bridgit clutched harder, and Shinji was on the floor watching the tug of war that featured his mistress as the rope. He wasn't sure whether he should bite Oliver or not. His mistress had scolded him the last time he tried.

"I was sleepy! I didn't know what I was saying! Come on, young master! Talk to your mother!" She was pleading with him, trying to get him to see reason. There was no way she was going to put herself under such torture, especially for something she had no intention of wearing. Oliver, on the other hand, finally released her hand and decided that there was only one way he was getting her out of the door and into his mother's awaiting hands.

"Petrificus—"

"Don't you dare, Oliver Wood!"

"—Totalus"

Bridgit froze and dropped to the ground due to the full body-binding that she had just undergone. Casting a levitating charm, Oliver was able to life the girl a few inches of the ground and lead her towards the door. He just hoped her clothes would hold long enough under the charm for him to get her to the front porch. Shinji trailed after them, still unsure of what to do, and only jumped when the front door closed behind him.

"All this commotion for a bloody dress…" Oliver whispered silently to himself.

She had been pushed into a dressing room with more dresses than she had seen in her entire life. The only thing she said that Thea had listened to was that she hated any sort of warm color—red, yellows, pinks, oranges—and had gone off towards the racks of dresses like a man in a hunt. Joffrey and Oliver had made themselves comfortable in the chairs in front of the dressing room. Bridgit was left to her own in the clutches of the Wood matriarch.

She had refused to even utter a single word to Oliver, especially after he had used his unfair advantage regarding magic to get her to come. Now she had to try on dresses before she could visit any of the bookstores nearby. Groaning, she took the first dress in the pile and began to undress. All this time, she was thinking of payback. Perhaps stealing Wood's limited edition Puddlemere United Jacket would suffice.

Not even looking at herself in the mirror, she opened the changing room door and exited to show Thea what it had looked like. Facing down, she realized that it was a strapless dress. It had a black velvet top with a sweetheart neckline, while layers of blue glittery fabric fell from her waist down. "I think this is just fine. Why don't I just have them wrap this up and—"

"Have you gone totally radge?!" Thea exclaimed. "You look like a giant bruise! Black and Blue, what was I thinking?" Oliver and Joffrey merely looked up from their Quidditch Magazines then returned to them almost immediately. "Try on the next one!" Groaning once more, she closed the door and picked the next abomination she was to try on. Bridgit already knew this was one of her worst experiences to date, including losing her leg bones in that accident when she was five-years-old.

She had put on a white tube dress that Thea had claimed looked more appropriate for a bride—this was said while she was making subtle hints at Oliver about how she would make a splendid bride. Oliver 'hmm-ed' and 'uh huh-ed' during appropriate moments.

Another monstrosity was a blue backless dress that Thea had agreed to. Bridgit had protested strongly, claiming that the dress would do nothing more than embarrass her. Her pale back was exposed, and looking up, Oliver had seen traces of the scars and wounds she had entered Hogwarts with that year. Her mother did not seem to take any notice, and his father did not look up from the Quidditch Magazine.

Bridgit was beginning to get frustrated, and she hoped that the last dress in the pile would be the one. She was sweating, she was aggravated, and she didn't have tha patience to go through another pile of dresses. She loved Thea to bits, but the dresses had to stop. She wouldn't go to any other type of dance or ball if this was how shopping for a dress felt like. Flitwick could screw himself if he said it was mandatory.

"Thea, this is the one, I just know it." Her voice had that tinge of faux excitement—she was trying to be believable—and when she emerged from the dressing room, Thea squealed and agreed. Again, not taking a glance at the mirror, Bridgit looked down to examine the piece of clothing that she had been forced into. The next time she saw another dress shop, she was going to vomit.

It was a mint colored dress. The sleeves left her shoulders bare. They clutched into her upper arms, while the lower remained free of any of the material. There was a white ribbon like material under her chest, forming an empire waist, while the bottom fell in soft chiffon layers. What Thea saw in it, Bridgit did not. She didn't even understand how it was considered the perfect dress.

"Oh Oliver, all she needs is a date!" Thea exclaimed. "Why did you have to graduate so early?!"

"She doesn't date people, Mum." He answered. "And it's not my fault I passed my NEWTS."

"Really, Aunt Thea, I don't plan on going with anyone but a friend."

"Of course!" The blonde shouted. Everyone in the shop turned towards them. "You can't cheat on Oli here and go with another man that isn't your friend." Both Bridgit and Oliver groaned. How many times did they have to say they were just friends. "Oliver, take better care of your burd!"

"What in Merlin's name is a burd anyway?!" Bridgit finally exclaimed. Joffrey just smiled, happy to be away from all the commotion. Both children should really just know when to smile and nod.

This year officially sucked. Bridgit came to the conclusion a few months into the school year. Last year seemed like heaven compared to this, and she was tortured non-stop for warning her best friend, Zoey, about the diary. Echo also found out her secret that previous year, and it was also the last year she had spent with Oliver somewhere around the grounds. Her sixth year in Hogwarts, though, was nothing but trouble.

Her summer had started the wrong way, her summer had ended the wrong way, and her school year wasn't doing any better. The only thing to be thankful for—aside from Zoey believing her long tale of faux treachery—was that she had gotten into nearly all of the NEWT level classes she had wanted to take. Potions and Charms especially.

Echo still refused to talk to her, and she avoided Fred and George like the plague because of it. What if they knew? She was terrified of them finding out. Padma Patil had once told her that the twins were looking for her, in need of help with some sort of aging potion, but she had ignored the whole thing. She couldn't risk angering Echo further by pretending everything was okay. The only person she hung out with now from her previous group of friends was Zoey. When she wasn't around to be bothered, Bridgit would either be seen with Aiden Durham or not be seen with Draco.

To add to all of that, Oliver wasn't in Hogwarts anymore.

It was probably a blessing in disguise. She probably couldn't face him now anyway. Just thinking about anything related to him sent a rush of red to her cheeks. How could she have been so stupid? She was Ravenclaw! She was not supposed to be rushed into action by feelings like some Gryffindork!

She was supposed to be the epitome of thought and logic. There was nothing logical about her crucial mistake. That was probably why she didn't blame Oliver at all, no matter what he did or what he said. Even if he did make sense. He was allowed to be easily swayed by feelings. He was allowed to not think before doing anything.

"I've never seen you write a Potions essay so slowly." The voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Bridgit cursed under her breath. She was so easily distracted lately, and even Aiden was picking up on it.

"Snape would be disappointed to know his favourite student was slacking off." The brunette raised her head and threw a pillow at her friend. It hit his face, messing up his already messy strawberry blonde hair. He smiled at her though, obviously amused to see her in such a hypnotized state.

"I'm not his favourite student." Bridgit countered.

"Not even Echo Beaumont gets as much points from Snape as you do." Answered Aiden. "You're the only one in the entire school who gets equal treatment from him, Slytherins aside. I bet you're the reason we're always second to them in point counting until Gryffindor pulls something out of their Potter-Trick-Hat." Bridgit laughed at that one, thinking of Harry Potter as the sorting hat. It was hilarious.

"That doesn't prove I'm his favourite." She decided to say. "That just means I'm awesome at Potions."

"So are Michael Corner and Terry Boot, but they don't get ten points for explaining the different types of Sleeping Drought." Bridgit raised her brow in question, but Aiden did not answer the unasked question about who the two Potioneers he was talking about were.

"Even I don't get as much credit as you, and I was positioned in third place in the NEWT Potions placement!" The brunette smirked. It was one of the few things she ever beat Echo at, and she was proud to have claimed that number one spot. Snape had even given her a book in congratulations before she had left to join the Woods for the summer. It was a very mentor-ish thing for him to do.

"Point taken." Was her response. "You'd make a darn good politician some day."

"Jason Samuels says the same thing, but he usually uses it as an insult." Bridgit laughed. Aiden and Jason always seemed to have some sort of bad blood with one another. She didn't know how it started and when it escalated, but that was one of the reasons why she met Aiden during their first year. He had just petrified Jason in the common room, and though he lost points for it, he had earned the brunette's attention.

"I'd agree with him, but I say it as a compliment." She continued. "Who knows, if you become the future Minister of Magic, maybe the word Mudblood will finally disappear. You might even put an end to discrimination against muggleborns. Hermione Granger can help you there." Aiden shook his head at the preposterous idea and picked up his book once again. Him? Minister of Magic? He highly doubted it. He would probably become an Unspeakable. The Department of Mysteries was an interesting place.

Going back to her essay, Bridgit groaned. Merlin was against her. It was that or he was on some sort of date with Morgana whenever she needed him. Of all the things to write about, why did Severus Snape assign Amortentia? It was like a slap in the face to all of her problems. "Aiden," Bridgit called. "If I ask really nicely and leave a note that I asked for it, will you use the Killing Curse on me?" The blonde looked up from his Transfiguration Book and smirked when he noticed the potion she was writing about.

"Problem in the love department, Bridgit?"

"None of your beeswax!" She answered hurriedly.

"I'll take that as a yes then."

The brunette sent an intimidating glare in his direction, but Aiden did not falter. He tried to act like there was nothing wrong, but the hand he kept away from her was shaking. Bridgit always did seem to have a murderous intent that equaled a Slytherin. The blonde wasn't stupid either. He knew that if he pushed her off the cliff, he would be paying with his life—or worse.

"Say that again." Bridgit whispered, leaning closer to him, her wand between in her hands. "I dare you."

Aiden gulped, backing away from Bridgit's nearing face. Her blue eyes were cold rather than smoldering. They made him feel like he was an ice sculpture, frozen on the spot as he scrutinized his every detail. He would never admit it to his girlfriend, but there was a woman far more scarier than she.

It didn't help that Bridgit had this aura about her that basically screamed that she knew how to torture you ten thousand ways without ending your life until using every single one. Her wand being there didn't help matters, because he's seen her use it on their other housemates before. She had even sent Roger Davies flying across the room when he tried to talk to her about her playing as a Keeper.

"It is a yes, though." A dreamy voice suddenly said. "Isn't it?"

He thanked whoever was up there that he was saved. Both sixteen year olds turned towards the source of the entranced voice and was greeted by the sight of younger girl. She had silvery eyes that seemed absent and detached from the world where she stood. She also had dirty blonde hair that she tied back in a half ponytail. Aiden tried to put a name to the mysterious, yet cute, face but failed to recognize her. Looking at Bridgit, she seemed equally clueless.

"You are having troubles with your love life." The unknown girl continued on, not a care in the world for Bridgit's chilling glare. Aiden silently applauded her. "You shouldn't worry though, he returned it right?" She added, Bridgit going crimson at the words spoken. The strawberry blonde found this intriguing and continued to watch his friend's embarrassed reactions. "Isn't that a good thing?" The brunette's hand was shaking, and before she could even think of doing anything, Aiden took her wand from her grasp.

"Hey!" She shouted. "Durham, give it back!"

"Oooh, she used my last name." Aiden taunted. "I'm pissing in my pants!"

"Oh you will be after I beat you to an inch of your life!"

The new comer watched her not so mature seniors battle for the wand. Curses and threats were released, with Aiden hanging over the arm rest of the blue couch and Bridgit kneeling in front of him, trying to reach over him to get her wand. The brunette promised him a slow and painful death when she got her wand, and the boy answered that it would be a great reason to continue keeping said wand away from hair. Before she knew it, the newcomer had released a soft giggle, reminding the seniors that she was still present in the room.

"You two are such good friends!" The blonde released. "It is quite enjoyable to watch the both of you. Be careful though, the boy back in Scotland may get jealous." Bridgit froze, once again, at the words and blushed. Aiden gave her a mischievous look that reminded her so much of Fred and George. The wand layed forgotten on the blue carpet, with the brunette owner glowing redder than the Hogwarts Express. Aiden decided that he liked this girl. She made Bridgit speechless, something that not everyone can do.

"Scotland, huh?" He commented. "Didn't take you for the type to like accents."

"I'm not!" She shouted back. "And how did you know about that?" The question was now directed at the newcomer.

"No need to deny it." Said Aiden. "But yeah, how do you know her deepest darkest secrets? Tell me your source!"

Bridgit kicked him off of the couch and sprawled out on it so that he couldn't get back on it. Aiden didn't mind and just sat, Indian style, on the comfortable Ravenclaw carpet. The blonde girl before them continued to smile at their interaction, finding it either adorable or enjoyable. The Durham wasn't quite sure what it was that shown in her dazed eyes. She was harder to read than he had originally thought.

"There was this nosy little Moon Frog the other day that was hopping around," Aiden was confused, but something clicked in Bridgit's brain when she heard the name. "And he just had to tell me a story about this girl who was talking to her dog near the Whomping Willow. He says you shouldn't worry about it, cause what boy doesn't return something like that if he likes you." All that was missing from Aiden's expression was the metaphorical large question mark that should be seen atop his head.

"I thought Blibbering-Humdingers were the gossip-y ones." Bridgit commented silently, with the blonde in front of them suddenly coming up to her and taking one of her hands in both of hers. She seemed ecstatic to hear the name of the creature escape the brunette's mouth. Aiden continued to look on, unsure what it was that was going on. Bridgit just seemed shocked that the newcomer had moved from one side of the room to the other in a flash.

"Oh, they are." She answered. "But Moon Frogs aren't used to seeing human interactions in the Moon. They tend to be a bit big mouthed when they find something interesting." Bridgit thought about it for the while, clicking her tongue before saying that it made sense. Aiden found that hard to believe, seeing as the entire conversation didn't make sense to him. How did a younger student know something that Bridgit did, but he didn't?

"Who are you again?" He asked.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." The blonde answered. "I'm in my third year."

"So this Moon Frog told you about Bridgit's love problem ("It isn't a love problem!" The brunette protested), did it?" Aiden continued. "I've never heard of them." Luna was just about to explain, but Bridgit cut off the entire explanation by picking her wand up and pointing it at the back of Aiden's head. He froze, realizing the pinch he was in, and turned slowly to face the angered Ravenclaw that was leering down at him.

"You've been having way too much fun." She stated. "We need to fix that."

"You'd have to catch me first!" Aiden stood up and ran, leaving Bridgit as he escaped through the door.

Groaning, the brunette bent down to put on her shoes to go after him.

"You should tell your Dad to include that the next time he writes an article about Moon Frogs." Bridgit commented, standing when she finally finished knotting the laces and securing her sneakers onto her feet. "That way, I'll look out for them when I think I'm alone and need to talk to my dog alone." She offered Luna a small smile, and the third year answered an affirmative before allowing Bridgit to leave her and chase after Aiden. The brunette planned to truly show her friend just how scary she could really be.

"I like her." Luna commented. "Now where did the Nargles hide my homework now?"

Echo had left merely moments ago, still refusing to talk to her. The purple haired girl didn't need to explain anything, not that she would have—Bridgit had heard the entire fight from the staircase. She hoped that her friend caught up to George. Those two were meant to be together, she had a strong gut feeling about it. Her gut feelings were rarely wrong, or at least that was what she thought, and when it came to both her best female friends' romances, Bridgit was pretty headstrong about what she thought when they asked her opinion of it. Zoey belonged with Fred, Echo belonged with George. Period.

The Ravenclaw sixth year Girls' dormitory was silent. The normal sound of teenage girls discussing the latest news around the castle wasn't present, and though it probably should have been cause of worry, Bridgit just thanked her lucky charms that she was alone. She needed to think deeply about her current dilemma, and the other girls bothering and pestering her about whether or not she was going with someone to the Yule Ball would just annoy her. Bridgit would have wanted to talk to Echo, but the option was currently impossible.

She turned to her right, laying side ward on her bed, petting the sleeping puppy beside her when he stirred. He stilled once more and his breathing evened out, allowing her to let go and continue on with her deep thinking. She had sent a letter to the one person who she considered her rock at the moment, hoping that maybe he would have some good advice for her. His reply was yet to arrive, and Bridgit bit her lip in nervousness as she remembered the words in the letter she had sent Oliver's way.

He was probably bound to laugh when he opened it—finding her worries petty.

Bridgit had earned every achievement she'd made in life. Her intelligence was a gift that she used well, earning her a spot in Ravenclaw house. She studied hard for her high grades, and though many teachers hated her, they couldn't deny that she was a student way above her years. Her OWLs had proven that. This, though, was something she was utterly clueless about. What had possessed that boy to come and ask her, instead of all the girls in the school, to accompany him to the Yule Ball? Why her?

It had happened as quite a bit of a surprise, if she were to be honest. Bridgit had been walking back to the Ravenclaw Tower, having just finished a meeting with her Potions Master, and fellow double agent, and telling him about how Echo and Zoey now knew what she was. He did not take it well, and he had scolded her for being careless. Bridgit just sat there and listened, biting back any come back she came up with. Severus Snape in a bad mood was ten times worse than him in a normal 'I'll bite your head off' mood.

Snape had also begrudgingly given her a list of banned potions—a list that she asked for days ago—that would allow her to look into any possible plans that Death Eaters may have left out from the things they've briefed her on. At first he had refused, thinking that she was planning another prank against his house, but once she had cleared it with Dumbledore himself (after a long list of muggle and magic candies just trying to get into his office) he could do nothing else but submit to her wishes.

Rest assured that Severus Snape has been beaten in his own game.

"Bridgit!" Someone suddenly called, tearing her attention away from the long roll of parchment that she was currently reading. "Bridgit!" It repeated, causing the brunette to turn around. The voice was not familiar to her, and it wasn't Fred and George. It wasn't Aiden, who she often hung out with, and it obviously wasn't going to be Echo or Zoey—seeing that the voice was male. What greeted her was the sight of an unfamiliar boy who wore the same colored robes as her. Why was someone she didn't know calling out to her?

He had long dark hair that pointed out at the ends, with side swept bangs that were neatly fixed to the right. He was taller than Bridgit, much to her displeasure, and had pale skin much like her. He was waving an arm frantically as he ran towards her, and Bridgit took advantage of his slow movement and rolled up the parchment before he could get a glance at it. There wasn't any ingredients listed on it (Snape clearly did not trust her enough), but she wasn't in the mood to make up a story to answer his questions.

"Do you need something from me?" The brunette asked. She had tucked the parchment away in her book bag right before he stopped in front of her. He had his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Uhm…what's your name?" Seeing as he just called out her name across an empty corridor, manners didn't seem to matter. He did raise his hand though, a motion telling her to wait until he relaxed and was able to form a coherent thought.

"Michael," Said the, now, replenished boy. "Michael Corner."

"Okay, Michael," Bridgit answered. "Why were you calling me?"

Her blue eyes watched him, each movement not escaping her. The way he fiddled with her fingers, the way his eyes moved to look at anything but her. She even took notice of how he kept tapping his left foot. His hair was also way too neat, which may or may not have had nothing to do with the situation but displeased Bridgit anyway. No boy payed that much attention to hair, even Draco cared less about it when he turned thirteen.

"Ugh…well…I was just wondering…" He tried, shaking his head as he started over again. "You see, I have this friend Terry, and he told me that you helped him study for a Charms Test once and it was really cool of you and all." Bridgit raised her brow. Where was he going with this? "I also see you during the Quidditch Games and ever since Oliver Wood left—" The mention of the name made Bridgit's cheeks redden, a certain memory suddenly appearing in her mind. "—you're probably the best Keeper in all the four houses. Plus, you're really smart and you're—"

"Can you get to the point?!" She exclaimed impatiently. "Please."

Michael jumped at her outburst, but nodded in understanding. He returned to his old ways, trying to probably calm himself down. Just as he was about to speak, the realization came to Bridgit about what he was planning to do. It was too late by the time she had come up with a rebuttal. "Will you go to the Ball with me?" The brunette froze on the spot, unsure of what to do now. All those who tried previously, she had been able to turn off without having them ask first. Now, the question was out in the open, and it was either a yes or a no.

Now the tables were turned. Michael was still a Ravenclaw, and he was able to scrutinize every action she made. The sweat that trickled down her neck, the sudden shaking of her hand, and the frozen shocked state of her face spoke volumes about how she felt about the question. Bridgit shut her mouth when she gained control though. There wasn't any need for flies to make a habitat out of it.

"It's really flattering for you to offer, but—"

"Is that a no then?" Michael asked, his shoulders falling in defeat.

"Uhm…ugh…why don't you let me think about it? I promise to get back to you on it"

It was those very words that had sent her into the restless state she was in now. Bridgit groaned at the memory, placing a hand on her face as she scolded herself for taking pity on the fourth year. She should have just said no, should have just told him that there was no chance in hell she was showing up with a date, especially with Fred and George there to torment her. It was unthinkable!

Sadly, she had pitied him though, and she had cared. Now, she was stuck in a problem that she didn't want to have until she was way past her seventeenth birthday. Until all of these have settled down and Voldemort was just a name that came with the memory of ashes. It wasn't helping that she was still recovering from such an embarrassing end to her Summer Vacation. Just the memory of the even emitted another groan.

Oliver told her that he understood, but she really hoped he meant it. She needed him now more than ever, and she couldn't risk things getting awkward just because of one stupid mistake that she caused. He did play a part in it too though, and he didn't deny it when he apologized right after she did.

"I can't believe you can sleep through my troubles…" Bridgit whispered, staring at Shinji's sleeping form. As if to put it in her face, he made himself more comfortable on her pillow, yawning slightly before returning to his rested state. It at least brought a smile to the brunette's face to know one of them was happy. There was way too much drama with her friends, now Merlin decided that she needed to think about her love life. This was a train wreck.

As if to add insult to injury, her riddle when she had gotten back to the common room that day was: "What do you keep after giving it someone else?" Bridgit had sighed before giving the correct answer. "Your word."

There were three taps on the window that brought Bridgit out of her reverie. Sitting up, she practically dashed towards the sound and threw the window open to allow Hypatios to enter. She was thankful that Draco had trained him to bring replies directly to the person who had first sent out something to reply for in the first place. There was no longer a need to hassle herself and proceed to the Owlery.

The Eagle Owl swooped in and landed on Bridgit's headboard, extending the rolled up piece of parchment towards her. She took an owl treat from the jar on her bedside table and fed it to the tired bird before taking the later. Hypatios had nipped her finger affectionately in thanks.

Before getting into anything, from now on, send letters directly to the training grounds of Puddlemere United. You know my mum, and she doesn't know the meaning of privacy. She got the letter before me. While I was training, I got called out of practice cause I got a letter. Mum forwarded to me, but along with it came a pretty mean worded howler that I wish I could send to you just for revenge.

Apparently, we have now broken up. I am also a disgrace of a son for losing such a decent girl. If you would like to know—which I don't care if you don't cause I'm telling you anyway—she also blames me and calls me a horrible boyfriend. In fact, I am so terrible that you have needed to seek comfort from a younger man. She also told me that I had to get you back cause she is never going to approve of another girl for me. I hope your happy, you have just ruined any future marriages that I may or may not have.

Bridgit cringed as she imagined the words being said by the writer himself. She's been in front of an angered Oliver Wood before, and she didn't want a repeat of that ever again. She also felt sorry for forgetting that he had started his training with Puddlemere. The brunette hoped that she hadn't caused him any bad impressions, and she also hoped that his mother was just taken in by the moment and that Joffrey would somehow explain to his wife that Bridgit and Oliver weren't together to begin with.

Then again, that little display would be her one standing argument that she was right. It was also pretty strong proof about something being there though there really was nothing. Oliver would probably sort it out later, she just wished that he would keep her out of it. She didn't want to get howlers in the middle of lunch from Thea. Especially if she was going to be sobbing and begging for her to take Oliver back. That would be worse than getting asked out to the Ball!

That aside, I still don't see what the problem is. If you want to go with him, go with him. If you don't then don't. To prove a point, why don't you just do it in front of everybody so that no one else asks you to the Ball. If they know that you're not afraid to embarrass someone, then I don't think they would risk even going near you. It's a full proof plan to get you boy-free for the rest of your Hogwarts life. I bet only Fred and George would risk approaching you now. That Durham kid too, I guess. He's been your friend since first year.

On a more serious note, I really think you should say no. I mean, the reasons he gave were all pretty shallow. 'You're a good Quidditch Player' and 'You're pretty cool' don't really cut it. I mean, if I were going to ask you out, I probably would have mentioned that you ride a broom like an extension of you rather than as a transporting device. I may have even, at least, called you pretty. Has this guy ever had a girlfriend? He seems way too inexperienced to be asking you, of all people, for a date.

Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Oliver seemed like he was really in a bad mood. He was acting hostile and assertive, and he usually only got like that when it came to Quidditch. Bridgit always thought that she was sort of an exception to all of that, but apparently not. Maybe she had caused a bad impression on the senior players. She bit her lip harder at the thought of causing him more trouble. Her fears wouldn't come true, the brunette hoped. Oliver deserved to go places other people wouldn't reach. Literally.

Another thing that bothered Bridgit was how he constantly put Michael down. His words made sense, and it made Bridgit pity the fourteen year old all the more. No one deserved to receive words that demeaning, and it really wasn't in Oliver's character to give them out so easily. Why did she have a strong feeling that it wasn't all about Michael at all? She shook her head at her foolishness. That idea could not be true. Of course it was all about Michael Corner. Oliver was just giving her his (harsh) opinion and looking out for her. Like he's always done for her.

I've got to get back to training now, it took me a while to write this letter and shut the howler up. Take care of yourself and keep tabs on the Gryffindor team. There may be no Quidditch matches this year, but I still want them to at least practice their flying. don't want my hard work going back to zero, and I want that cup to stay in McGonagall's office from now on. No offense meant to your team, of course. They have the strongest Keeper at the moment, so other teams better look out.

Also, I know that you're not at liberty to say anything or to prove anything right, but I have a feeling that everything that happens to Harry there is related to your 'boss'. Whatever it is they planned for this year, keep yourself safe and out of harm's way. I get that you want to get back at him for your parents and I understand that you want to protect everyone, but you need to draw the line at some point. Your life isn't something you just throw away, I've drilled that into you. Keep yourself in check.

The letter ended there, and Bridgit placed it on her side table when she was done reading it. Releasing a sigh, she sat back down and gave Hypatios the go signal to return to Draco or the Owlery after giving him another treat. The bird was reluctant to leave her, but she offered him the best smile she could muster. When he was out of the window—after giving her one last worried glance, Bridgit closed the window and layed back down on her bed.

She thought that talking to him would help her, not confuse her all the more. He said she should say no, but why did that feel like such the wrong thing to do? She was expecting him to offer some advice about how she should trust her gut, not some blunt answer that felt like an order that her uncle would give her. Oliver had good intentions, Bridgit was sure, but his answer seemed so self centered and so angry. Bridgit even wondered if she should take any of the words he said into account.

Bridgit off handedly thought if this was how Ginny felt like with her over protective brothers.

"I think I'll skip dinner tonight…" The brunette whispered, running her hands across Shinji's fur. The movement was calming, and the feel of his soft pelt was relaxing. It cleared her mind to some degree. "…I think I'll get some sleep." She added, getting under the covers and closing the curtains of her canopy bed. She needed to rest her mind and leave the thinking for another time. The darkness that came with the closed curtains gave her that faux feeling of serenity that she needed to fall into a dreamless sleep.

Maybe tomorrow an answer would come to her, but she had a feeling that Michael Corner wouldn't be disappointed. She'd explain to him it was nothing but platonic, but Bridgit's gut was telling her that she would be saying yes. How to tell Oliver that would be the thought to be left for another day. Hopefully, he wouldn't be in a bad mood when he found out about it though. Before falling asleep, that was what the brunette prayed for.

The sudden dip of her bed told Bridgit that she was no longer alone in the room that was assigned to her. Closing the book—a novel titled Anna Karenina—with a snap, she placed it on her nightstand before looking up to greet her intruders. It was no shock to her when she found two identical faces looking back at her, wearing wide grins with eyes that twinkled with nothing but mischief. Whatever they were planning, she was in, unless it needed her to be something other than a prankster. If the latter were the case, then perhaps staying away was the better choice.

"Hello!" They both said, voices blending and sounding awfully cheery. Bridgit frowned at the sound of that. They usually used that on their mother when they wanted to get away with something, and now they were trying to use it on her. She wasn't going to be easily fooled. "What would you say to participating in an invention so genius, that only Fred and I could come up with it?" asked George, his smile widening and his teeth sparkling.

"Depends." Bridgit answered. "What could be so genius that only you and Fred can come up with it?"

Fred revealed something that he was apparently hiding in his back. Bridgit hadn't taken notice of it due to their joker like smiles. It was a small yellow vial filled with liquid. This was when Bridgit raised her brow in question. They both hated brewing potions, and they usually asked her help when it came to pranks that needed them. Why did they create something based from a subject they were bad at? What was it supposed to do? The brunette voiced these questions, crossing her outstretched legs in the process so the twins had more sitting room.

"I'm glad you asked!" Fred exclaimed, opening the yellow vial. Bridgit was expecting a horrible smell close to urine come out of the bottle, especially since the twins never came through when it came to potions. It shocked her that instead of something putrid, something close to strawberries invaded her senses. Slightly hypnotized by the aroma, she leaned forward to get a better sniff, only to have vial wrenched back by a couple of troublesome, smirking, twins.

"We call this thing 'Tempoverax'." George began. "Remember when we asked you to make us that diagram for Veritaserum?" He continued, Bridgit nodding afterwards. "Well, this is what we came up with. It's a temporary truth potion!" The brunette was about to ask questions about why it smelled so good instead having no scent. She was also going to scold them for having used her precious diagram for something that wasn't studying! They had told her that they wanted to get into NEWT level Potions!

"We used a hypnosis charm on it too." Fred added. "Nothing like the Imperius Curse, but now we know it works!" The words clicked in Bridgit's head. The scent was what made her come closer, so it was the cause of the wanting to drink it. Why strawberries though? The weird thing was that it smelled exactly like her shampoo. Was it her sent that she had smelled? She released a smile, at least she knew she smelt good.

"I'm listening." Bridgit answered. "Tell me more about it."

"It takes effect right after you drink it." George answered. "You can ask any question for half-an-hour, and you have people spilling their guts to you. It isn't as strong as the real thing, but If you catch someone off guard, it'll give you better results." Fred nodded with each words, still holding the bottle that Bridgit was tempted to grab. She realized that the smell was still wafting in the air, calling for her to have a taste of where it came from.

"This is where you come it." Fred took over. "We need you to test it for us."

"Absolutely not!" Bridgit exclaimed, snapping out of her transfixed state.

"You really don't have much a choice in the matter." George answered, taking out his wand. Just as Bridgit grabbed for hers, she was suddenly in a full body binding curse. "You're doing it whether you like it or not." Fred continued, sitting Bridgit up and thanking the heavens that Shinji was currently preoccupied with something else. When Bridgit was leaning against her pillows and the bed's headboard, Fred tipped the vial into her mouth and closed it. When George undid the curse, Bridgit had no choice but to swallow.

The brunette closed her eyes and fell forward, Fred and George both extending an arm to keep her upright. When they opened again, her blue eyes became blurry and pupils were dilated. When Fred moved a finger from side to side, they did not follow. It was obviously the desired effect, because Fred and George both smiled widely and shared a high fiver before turning back to their current victim.

"What's your name?" George asked, deciding to start with easy questions.

"Bridgit Cari James—Parker" She answered, both twins sharing a look at her mother's maiden name. The James Family was a known 'treasured' line that tried to keep their lines as pure as possible. They never married muggles. James Family Members are also known for going to Durmstrang Academy, not Hogwarts. Whoever Bridgit's mother had been surely was a 'trend setter' by every sense of the word.

"How old are you?" Fred continued, deciding to save that piece of information for later.

"Seventeen Years Old and counting." They rolled their eyes. Even under a temporary truth potion Bridgit was still her witty and arrogant self. It was another thing they listed in their minds. The potion allowed the drinkers to keep their personality traits even under the hypnosis. It was a good thing. They had achieved their want of making it different and trying as little as possible to get people to say stuff they wouldn't admit to just anyone. Bridgit's Death Eater secret would never be spilled even if she was under it, for example.

"When is your birthday?" George now said.

"Thirtieth of November" Fred and George nodded, thinking of more difficult questions. They've verified that she was under the control of the potion by now, and they still had a good twenty-five minutes. Having Bridgit in such a vulnerable state was unheard of, so they decided to at least make the least of it. That was one of the main reason why chose her to begin with. They needed black mail information because they didn't have any on her. Growing up with Echo gave them plenty, and it was just useless to blackmail Zoey cause she always says yes. To Fred at least.

"I know!" Fred exclaimed. "Have you ever fancied anybody?"

George offered his brother another high five as the hypnotized Bridgit contemplated.

"Two." She answered honestly. "One was Oliver Wood, the other—"

"Oliver Wood?!" The twins both exclaimed, cutting Bridgit off and not hearing the second name that escaped her lips. Fred has expected her to go far and beyond by saying a teacher's name, but she wasn't expecting for him to actually name someone that they personally knew very well. They weren't even expecting her to name a Hogwarts boy! Hermione Granger was the name that both of them thought would leave her lips, thus proving that she did swing the other way. Apparently, she was as straight a Nimbus 2001.

"Why Oliver Wood?" George now asked.

"He's my best-best friend." She answered without hesitation.

"You know each other?" Fred added.

"He's been teaching me how to be a Keeper since first year."

"NO WONDER!" They both explained, recalling her try out during their second year. Her moves had looked familiar, and her speed was far from a beginner. Her eyes were trained well too, cause she guarded the three hopes without trouble at all. Now they had the perfect explanation for that! The best Keeper in all of Hogwarts had trained her, and they deflated when they realized that Ravenclaw now possessed the holder of that title, seeing as she was Wood's apprentice. Angelina better have a good training system prepared.

Checking the clock, Fred and George noticed that they still had a bucket load of time. They had succeeded with getting some information out, might as well take it to the extremes. By the time Bridgit was out of this curse, she would have probably come up with a counter for it. They needed to pick the questions for the next twenty minutes wisely, and George snapped his fingers when he came up with a worthy one. He was sure that they would have something over Bridgit's head now.

"Have you had your first kiss?" Fred was just about to snort and answer 'no way' when…

"Of course" The silence that fell upon the room was uncomfortable for the twins.

Both pretty much had the same thoughts running through their minds: WHAT?! She's been kissed?! Who the hell would kiss Bridgit?! That would be like kissing a guy! Gross! Was it by accident? Was it a girl? Was it a dare? Was it dark and the person was under the Imperius Curse? It was rather harsh on their part, but they were in complete shock. Fred's question was pretty obvious, but George knew that it was important none the less. They needed to know, and they needed to know all of it.

"With who?!" Fred practically shouted.

"Oliver Wood" The twins fell off the bed.

"How did that happen?!" George called out, covering his mouth the moment he asked it. Fred was staring wide eyed at his brother too, realizing what he had just asked. When Bridgit snapped out of it, she was going to castrate them and then hang their manhoods outside her bedroom window. Before George could take it back though, Bridgit had already begun her tale. The twins submitted to their fate and listened. They might as well make fun of her while they still could. They doubted that they would wake up tomorrow anyways.

Krum was on its tail, going faster than they had both ever seen him go before. He zigged, he zagged, and avoided players and bludgers all with such finesse. It was a guarantee that he would catch the snitch—he was the best Seeker that Bridgit had ever seen (Harry not included). What both teens were hoping for, though, was that he catch it now. He may have been a good athlete, but he's got fish for brains if he thought this was the perfect opportunity to prove his skill. He outstretched his hand, and Bridgit took in a breath.

He went faster, he want higher, and it was a good five inches away. He moved forward on his broom, and Bridgit knew that she was gripping onto Oliver's jacket for dear life.

Taking a look at the scoreboard once more, she was relieved, and by the time she turned back, Bridgit had caught the exact moment when the snitch was enveloped by the Bulgarian Seeker's hand. The loud cheers and the disappointed calls followed, Bridgit and Oliver probably screaming the loudest alongside Fred and George. She heard them from where they were standing.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, informing everyone who didn't see the results of the finals of Quidditch World Cup. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH – BUT IRELAND WINS – good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that"

The brunette didn't know what came over her, but she did what she did and there was no going back. Bagman's words were drowned out, and the loud cheers of 'I knew its' and 'I told you sos' vanished. In the midst of the euphoria and the loud cheers, Bridgit had pulled on the green and white scarf that Oliver had around his neck. She had tugged him down to her height, and when the Scot turned towards her with a wide smile, she placed her mouth right atop his.

Everything turned off in Bridgit's mind when she shut her eyes. Oliver felt the same thing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as he did the same. His own pair of arms wove around her waist, lifting her slightly so he could stand on his full height with no problem. Bridgit had bent her knees upward, trusting that he would not let her fall. He had never let her fall, not once, and he probably wasn't going to start now or ever. Suddenly, she remembered the feeling of flying for the first time again. More so when he returned her kiss, just as fervently.

The moment was broken when the nearby cheerers, suddenly became nearby cat callers.

Both teens jumped apart when they realized what had happened, one hand over each their mouths. Bridgit was blushing bright red, and Oliver mirrored it with his own scarlet cheeks. Joffrey, who stood behind them, hid a smile in his hands from both teens, while Thea took great joy in the public display of affection and had her camera out, directed right at the two of them. The Wood matriarch had walked over to Bridgit and hugged her tightly—after handing the gadget to her smirking husband—practically welcoming her into the family.

"Oli chose a good burd." She whispered into her ear.

And Bridgit finally understood what the mysterious word had meant.

It meant girlfriend.

Fred and George were stiff when their friend ceased from her story telling. Both had red faces, imagining each moment that she described so vividly to them. They could imagine the crowd's loud cat calls, and they could imagine Bridgit and Oliver's horrified reactions to losing control of themselves. Both Weasleys found it hard to look each other in the eye, so embarrassed that they both considered not sharing a kiss with their own girlfriends. Ever. Fred would probably get away with it, but George would have to put in more effort.

"Good thing there weren't any Kiss Cameras." George commented, off-handedly. "How would Zoey and Echo have reacted if they looked up and saw Bridgit lip locking with Oliver Wood? Isn't there a girl-rule about telling each other about those things?" Fred looked at George mortified, and the younger twin understood why. Moments ago, they would have considered Bridgit immune from any rule in the girl code. Now, they were actually considering her—a her.

"What have we done George?" Fred asked.

"If she tells Zoey and Echo…we're as good as fried meat!" George answered.

Turning back to the clock, their eyes widened all the more. Thirty minutes was a good thirty seconds away. Awaiting their fate, Fred and George turned towards Bridgit who fell unconscious once again. They both said goodbye to their family, and both wished that if they were to be turned into meat, they might as well be bacon. When Bridgit opened her eyes, they were expecting rage and killer intent. What greeted them was confusion, which, in turn, made both of them very confused.

"What happened?" Bridgit groggily asked. "Where's the potion?"

"You don't remember?" Fred asked.

"What do you mean?" She answered. "Last I remember, you were about to force feed me a potion!"

George jumped in and took the opportunity. "You threw it out the bloody window and hit your head!" Fred was shocked, but the short look he and his twin shared explained everything. "Do you know how long it took us to make that? How much effort?" George added, Bridgit returning each statement with a smirk. She was buying the story, and she was proud of herself for winning. Fred was shocked. They had tricked a Ravenclaw!

"Don't mess with me anymore." Was her answer. "Now get out of my room."

They didn't need to hear it twice. Fred and George dashed out of their like cheetahs, making their way towards their own bedroom and passing Echo and Zoey in the hallway. They didn't give any greeting, and slammed the door when they both got in. They learned five things that day. Five important things that would pretty much change their relationship with Bridgit forever.

One, the potion had an after effect of memory loss. Two, they were never going to brew it again, and they were never going to sell it. Three, Bridgit Cari James—Parker was a girl. Four, Bridgit Cari James—Parker was a girl they apparently viewed as a second sister. And five, they were going to get revenge on Oliver Wood.

Because no one kissed their sister and got away with it spot free.

Even if, technically, she had kissed him.

"Where are you going, exactly?" Asked a worried Draco Malfoy. "It's passed curfew!"

Both of them met up, right after dinner, and proceeded to the Whomping Willow. Bridgit had dubbed it their safe haven, a place where they weren't pretending to be enemies and were just plain teenagers trying their hardest to live a normal life given the circumstances. For hours they talked about what they've experienced, Draco still slightly annoyed with the whole Chicken Prank that she had pulled along with the twins. It was nice, to be in the presence of family—even if not through blood—and to just be away from everything that had to do with school. The brunette tended to be sentimental about such moments, and the blonde felt the same. He just never admitted it.

"I have somewhere to be." Bridgit answered, shushing him when she heard Filch's faint whistling. Thank Merlin the man tended to announce his presence. This would have been troublesome had it been Snape, but the Potions Master would probably have let them go anyway. It's not as if he didn't know that the both of them did it. "Just get inside already!" The Parker added, pointing towards the Slytherin Dungeon entrance. She bit her lip when the whistling stopped, but released a breath when it continued and sounded far away from where she and Draco stood.

"Sure you don't wanna come in and bug the Giant Squid again?" It was a tempting offer, but Bridgit shook her head from left to right in a negative response. "You sure? It was sleeping when I left awhile ago, pretty sure a few taps on the window would wake him up and send him into rage." She shook her head once again, and Draco faltered before muttering the password that would grant him entrance to his home away from home.

"Maybe another time." Bridgit answered, biting her lip guiltily. She really would have wanted to spend more time with him, and the opportunities to be inside the Slytherin Dungeon were few as it is. The brunette just really needed to be somewhere else, and she was pretty sure that Draco would not be welcome into her destination. Also, the conversation topic was not one for a person you considered a brother to hear.

"We can even sneak into the pitch and fly if you want." The suggestion brought a smile to both the teenagers' faces. Flying was something both enjoyed, it was no big secret to anyone.

"I'll hold you to that." The Slytherin Prince said, finally, before the entrance closed him inside.

After taking a good look around, Bridgit broke into a run and headed off in the direction of the Hufflepuff Common Room. She may have been able to keep it together, but the brunette had been harboring a burden she's been wanting to get rid off for the past two years. The opportune moment just never presented itself until now.

Fred and George were gone, and there was no way that Zoey and Echo could embarrass her by telling them. Echo was asleep though, and Bridgit was not going to risk her life by waking her up. Zoey was, by far, the better option and would also be the person who could relate to her absurd situation. Echo and George's romance was pretty easy, when you thought about it. Their relationship was just…odd.

Halting in front of a familiar portrait, the Ravenclaw had her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She could run fast, sure, but her body had been so used to flying that the loco motor movement seemed foreign to her joints and muscles. "Password?" The portrait asked, the Ravenclaw looking up and holding up a finger to signal the portrait that she needed to catch her breath. The painting probably spotted her house colors, cause its eyes grew stern and disapproving. "You're not a Hufflepuff." Said the picture.

"And I am not a zombie." Bridgit countered. "Need we continue to speak the obvious?" It answered nothing, but the Ravenclaw guessed that it did not take kindly to her words. Patiently, it waited, and when Bridgit was finally ready to speak, she uttered the two words that would let her in.

"Balsamic Vinegar."

"And how would a Ravenclaw know that?" It asked, pushing open itself and revealing the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room. Bridgit smirked, preferring not to answer, and walked in without a blink or a flinch.

The noise echoed in the homey atmosphere, and the brunette felt a comforting warmth surge through her body. The many plants that Professor Sprout had scattered around just added more to the familial feel. She was rather thankful that she had gotten to the girls' dormitory unnoticed, for she really was not in the mood to deal with the yellow and black badgers' questions. She really only came to speak with Zoey.

Walking towards the seventh year girls' dormitory, Bridgit heard the faint sound of familiar voices. "You are not allowed to mope anymore, Zoey!" Came a loud call, and the image of a girl with chestnut colored locks entered the Ravenclaw's mind. It seemed Jane had taken it upon herself to cheer the Emeraude up with her own skills. She released a chuckle at this, for the following calls for help and defiance came almost immediately after Jane's battle call. Bridgit wasn't expecting the scene that greeted her when she opened the round wooden door though.

"What in Merlin's Snowy beard is happening?!"

Jane looked up, stopping the hand that was about to go down on Zoey's head. She was seated on Zoey's back, holding the girl's arms in place as she seemingly attacked and drilled happiness into her very soul. Zoey looked up as well, her grey eyes meeting Bridgit's blue ones in thanks. It seemed that this wouldn't be the first time Jane used such methods to cheer her up, and the Ravenclaw found that just a bit too easy to believe.

"Bridgit!" Zoey exclaimed, happy that someone had come to save her. She was sure none of her other roommates would be of any help, knowing from experience that they enjoyed watching her struggle to push Jane away. "You came just in time!" The Emeraude added, wriggling underneath her roommate. "Help me!

Shrugging as if having heard nothing, Bridgit walked towards the cleanest bed that she could find. She guessed that it was Jane's seeing as it had a picture of her friend, Aiden, smiling and waving attached to the headboard. "I think Jane's on the right track." She added, removing her shoes and lifting her feet to sit Indian style on the black and yellow covers. "You've been moping way too much."

"Damn right I'm on the right track," Jane grinned triumphantly, still refusing to release the grey eyed girl. "You heard her, Zoey."

"I'm wasn't moping," Zoey frowned, not liking the fact that she was caught. She always hated the fact that she wore her emotions on her sleeve. It was impossible to hide anything from her friends.

"Right, you weren't moping." Bridgit answered. "And my name is Severus Snape and I'm a drag queen." She had meant it as a joke, but the mental image had caused an unnecessary shiver to erupt from her spine. To see the scary Potions Master in make-up and a pink princess dress, it was something that would bring nightmares to likes of Voldemort himself. Judging by Jane and Zoey's reactions, they probably riding on going on the same train of thought.

"Snape in blood red heels aside though—" Another unnecessary shiver. "—I came here to talk to Zoey. You can stay too, Jane, seeing as you might help too. I have a couple of questions to ask."

"Talk to me?" Zoey asked, angling her head so that she could look at Bridgit easier. Jane didn't seem like she was getting off any time soon. "Is something wrong?"

"Uhm…sure, let's go with that reason!" The brunette answered. "Feel free to get into a more comfortable position though. I think you're mopey and angst filled self can be helpful during this situation, so Jane doesn't have to hit you over the head quite just yet."

Zoey wriggled under Jane again, seeing as she couldn't exactly look back at her without hurting her neck, and heard her friend let out an exaggerated sigh before rising to her feet. The Emeraude let out a breath of relief before pushing herself off of the floor, swinging her legs to her front and folding them into a pretzel position. Jane sat by her side and they both looked up at Bridgit.

"How could mopey Zoey be of help?" Jane raised her brow, not seeing how an angsty girl could solve problems.

"Cause a mopey Zoey is an emotional Zoey." Bridgit answered 'matter-of-factly'. "And I need answers to emotional questions, so mopey Zoey is perfect! Plus, I have a love struck Jane to give another opinion, so now I have two opinions to take into account! Isn't it great? It's like Merlin made the situation perfect for me!" She smiled widely after her added words, her blue eyes reflecting sincere joy.

"Love struck?" Jane pursed her lips, not knowing if she should be offended or not even though she knew Bridgit didn't mean any offense.

"What emotional questions do you have in mind, Bridgit?" Zoey knitted her brows together, deciding it was best to just accept her title as 'mopey' for the time being. It seemed like there were bigger problems at hand (not that being called 'mopey' was problematic, just borderline annoying).

"Okay, so my first question is for—" She made quite the show of it. Bridgit had her pointed finger ready, her hand going back and forth as both of her friends watched in confusion. The brunette remembered that they probably never saw muggle game shows that had spinning wheels that halted on an amount. "—Zoey!" The finger landed on the grey eyed Hufflepuff, Bridgit raised her wand as confetti fell atop her friend. She also made a dinging noise that one would usually hear after someone won a million pounds.

"So, my question is, how did it feel like to crush on Fred when you were younger?"

"Confetti?" Zoey brushed the strips of paper off of her shoulder and head before her eyes widened when she finally processed Bridgit's question. In record time, a deep blush came across Zoey's face and the Emeraude's head felt significantly lighter. Jane saw this and let out a hearty laugh and Zoey did nothing to shut her friend up, just slapping her hands to her warm cheeks in hopes of hiding her embarrassment. "H…how?" She stuttered out, squeezing her eyes shut. "Why…why d-do you want to know, Bridgit?"

"I'm writing a story titled 'The Tales of Princess Zoey and Fred the Frog'." Bridgit answered without a second thought.

Jane tried to hold in her laughter when a look of utter horror came across Zoey's face but the girl wasn't able to suppress the bubbling urge any longer and she fell back, clutching her stomach as she let out a very un-lady like laugh. Zoey frowned, her blush not leaving, and slapped Jane's stomach. The latter let out a cry before rolling to her side, trying her best to contain her giggles.

"Please tell me you're joking," Zoey grimaced.

"Okay, okay!" The brunette answered, lifting her hands in defeat. "I'm just curious, you know? This way, if I ever feel anything you felt, I wouldn't have to worry my head off about what the hell was wrong with me. Also, for some reason, I suddenly became curious about your love life." It was a big, fat, lie, but Zoey didn't need to know that. Bridgit just wanted to…cross reference would be the proper word. Just to check if maybe she, too, had possessed a crush over the handsome Scot that was Oliver Wood.

"Actually," Jane said breathlessly. "I'm pretty curious as well. You and Fred met in our first year, right? How did you develop feelings for him?"

"I…I… I don't know!" Zoey said in a voice a little louder than what she expected. She folded her arms across her chest and ducked her head. The memory of seeing Fred for the first time was still fresh in her mind and she knew that if she kept thinking about him, she would just end up hiding under the bed sheets when she was sure everybody was asleep, moping. "This is really embarrassing. Do we have to talk about this tonight?"

"No, I can come back tomorrow and bring Echo. She'll probably come up with more questions that I have at the moment." Bridgit answered rather smugly. "If I were you, I'd just answer. How did it feel like to crush on Fred?"

Zoey bit her lip and debated over which option she would rather take. Should she answer Bridgit's questions now, completely unprepared and guaranteed to be fumbling over her words, or think over the possible questions both her friends might ask, prepare her answers and face the music tomorrow? Thinking about the sort of things Echo would ask made Zoey's mind pick the former immediately.

The Emeraude stretched out her legs in front of her and looked up at Bridgit, trying to piece her words together. How in the world could she describe what was going through her eleven year old mind? It's been six years since she realized that she felt more than platonic feelings towards Fred and it was hard to imagine how she felt before she came to accept the fact that she liked him in that way. As cheesy as it sounds, it was like Fred always had a place in her heart even before she met him and once she became his friend, it was almost like his name was carved into the muscle. When she realized she liked him, she subconsciously gave her heart to him.

Zoey's blush quickly returned to her face when she thought more about how she was going to answer Bridgit's question. How did it feel like to crush on Fred? She was confident that her feelings for Fred were much stronger than how she felt when she used to like… well, Zoey didn't want to think about that. Crushing on Fred made her feel giddy whenever their hands grazed accidentally. It made her feel light headed because she constantly blushed whenever he was around. It made her feel happy because he was always there for her. In all honesty, it made Zoey feel a whole lot of things. Sometimes, Zoey realized, liking Fred also caused her to feel worry, stress and sadness.

"It felt…" Zoey began, furrowing her brows in concentration. "Different. It felt odd, really."

"Did it feel like he just fit?" Came Bridgit's reply. "I've asked Aiden before how it felt, and I guess he sort of helped me understand—(Jane blushed, but Bridgit ignored it)—what you mean by different. Like, he just slipped in and it felt right? Like 'darn, I didn't realize there was an empty hole in my heart till I met you'? Was that how it felt like?" As if she actually asked Aiden, but Bridgit hoped the two girls bought it. Telling them that everything was based on her own thoughts would be humiliating! She could never save face after that!

"Did… did Aiden say that?" Jane asked in a soft voice, her expression softening.

The brunette would probably have to brief him on this conversation later, but that could be easily dealt with. "Of course he did! He adores you enough to put crabs in Jason Samuels' lunch!" Thinking that Jane wouldn't understand, Bridgit decided to continue. "We have a theory that Jason likes you and so I told him that Jason is allergic to crabs." The blush on Jane's face, and the smile, made Bridgit think that it was now Aiden who owed her.

"So, Zoey," She spoke once more, turning to the Emeraude. "Was that how it felt?"

"Sure, if you want to be poetic about it," Zoey said with an embarrassed laugh. Bridgit summed up her thoughts perfectly and she hated the fact that the best way she could describe her feelings for Fred was by calling it 'odd' and 'different'. To her, it did make sense considering their relationship but it didn't do it the same justice as saying it 'fit'.

"Next question is for Jane!" Bridgit announced, waving her wand once more to make the confetti fall on the other brunette in the room. Originally, Bridgit had planned to ask Echo this question, seeing as her and George seemed very much in love with each other and have probably done it the most times, but Jane's love struck-ness would give her the best results. She was expecting Jane to be less secretive than Echo too. "How does it feel when you kiss Aiden? Not in the cheeks or stuff like that, I mean really kiss him on the mouth."

"Interested in my love life now, too?" Jane smirked, proud that she didn't turn into a stuttering mess she and Bridgit knew Zoey would become if asked such a question. "How does it feel? Hm. I don't think I can be poetic about it. Is that alright?"

"Be as blunt and truthful as you can!" Bridgit answered.

"It feels amazing," Jane replied immediately, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I don't know how he does it but once our lips meet I literally have to wrap my arms around him because my knees instantly give way! It's embarrassing but…whenever we kiss…. I still get butterflies." The girl turned to look at Zoey, about to ask if she ever felt like that when she kissed Fred but the question died on her lips when she saw that the Emeraude was covering her ears as if what Jane had just said was horrific.

"Hey! What are you covering your ears for, huh?" Jane feigned anger, pulling Zoey's hands away. "You don't want to know about the swarm of butterflies that made my stomach their permanent home?"

"Jane! Mental image!" Zoey protested, trying to pull her arms back. Jane didn't release her hold until Zoey was leaning as far from her as possible. Without warning, Jane opened her hands and Zoey fell backwards seeing as there was no longer a force opposing her own.

"Good thing you didn't ask Little Miss Innocent here," Jane turned back to Bridgit, jerking her thumb towards the fallen Emeraude. "She would have just talked about how her foot popped when she and Fred kissed for the first time."

Bridgit snapped out of her frozen stupor and forced a smile on her face. How Jane had described it was so right and so perfect that it worried her. Jane was allowed to feel that when she kissed Aiden, they were together after all. But, why had she felt that when she had lost herself in the moment and kissed Wood? Butterflies, weak knees, everything to the dot of Jane's words, she had felt during that short and unexpected lip contact. Getting Zoey's answer had basically proved she'd crushed on Oliver when she was younger, but relating to Jane…what did that say about her?

"One last question." She said, trying to keep panic from suddenly rising in her voice.

"You can both answer if you want, but this is sort of why I needed a mopey Zoey—" Before Zoey could protest, she had spoken the words. "—How does it feel to be away from them? Does it feel like losing your other half? Does it feel like having a hole that no matter what you do, it won't fill up? Does it hurt?" Bridgit snapped herself out of her trance, forcing back that smile and shaking her head to clear her mind. "At least, that's what I've heard."

Zoey felt her bottom lip quiver when she thought about Bridgit's question and all of a sudden she found it difficult to breath. She sucked in a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to focus her attention on Bridgit's shoes. Her eyes felt watery and Zoey had to stop herself from bringing her hands up to wipe away the tears that were sure to flow. She had cried enough times the night Fred and George left and brought it upon herself to hide the fact that her sadness was deeper than 'mopey'.

Seeing Fred leave her was painful and it felt like more than half of her was being ripped away against her will. The Emeraude knew that Fred would do everything in his power to fulfill his new promise but there was that constant nagging at the back of her head that told her that her time with Fred had been cut and they were never going to see each other again. They were going to be separated forever and Zoey was going to have to live the rest of her life knowing that she had lost someone she had never thought she needed. Zoey didn't know she was missing Fred from her life until she met him. Knowing that he had a permanent place in her heart made it even more painful to imagine life without him.

She thought about the picture Fred made Bridgit give to her when he and George left and Zoey had to bit her lip to keep herself from letting out a sob. Now was not the time to breakdown. She was not going to turn into an emotional wreck tonight. The Emeraude took in another breath and pushed her hair away from her face as she looked up to Bridgit, fully aware that her face showed how much the Ravenclaw's question affected her.

"It hurts really, really bad," Zoey said, her voice wavering. "It really does feel like something is missing and… and the hole won't fill up… no matter what you do. It's like you're left searching for something to get rid of the feeling but you can't find it because that something is somewhere else entirely. Some might say it's like losing a part of your heart or something like that but it's much worse. I… I can feel my heart and it aches because he's not there. He's the only one who can stop the pain but…."

The Emeraude shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Bridgit, I got lost there," Zoey gave an apologetic smile. "Yeah, it hurts and it feels like you've lost your other half. I know you get the point."

Bridgit knew she shouldn't have asked. Bridgit knew that this was the answer that she would get. The brunette didn't even know why she had mentioned it in the first place. Both Echo and Zoey were feeling the exact same pain, and now, she didn't know what hurt more. Was it pain for making Zoey remember that she had that pain inside of her? Or pain because she could never tell them that she understood exactly what sort of pain they're going through? The pain she admits feeling for Wood not being anywhere within the castle. They were both lonely and suffering, Bridgit needed to be the rock they could lean on.

"I'm sure he feels the same way right now, and is missing you to bits!" The brunette said, forcing another smile to appear on her face. "I bet, he's planning to sneak in any day now just to see you. Next thing you know, he'll be running through the Great Hall and kissing you in front of every single person in the castle!" She clenched her hands behind her, hiding whatever sign that would show she was empathizing.

"She's right, Zoey!" Jane pitched in, reaching out to take Zoey's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "You'll be so thrilled that you'd forget to keep that foot of yours in check and it would go 'pop'!"

She observed Zoey's face, but turned her eyes away almost immediately. Bridgit somehow felt that she needed to get out of there. Bridgit hurriedly put her shoes back on, only looking up when she was sure that she could managed to keep the smile on her face as long as she needed to say her farewell to both girls. "I'll catch you guys tomorrow! Jane, don't forget to whack her over the head, okay?"

Once their door swung close, Zoey tried her best to compose herself before turning to Jane. "Why do you think she came here and - OW!"

"Sorry, Zoey! I almost forgot to whack you," Jane grinned, scrambling to get into her bed and pull her blanket over herself.

Outside the Hufflepuff Girls' Dormitory, Bridgit stood with her back leaning against the smooth wooden surface. She assumed that she would probably have a good five minutes to compose herself, but that was enough. A tear fell down her check, with the brunette bowing her head to cover her face.

"Damn it…" She whispered, clenching her hand into a fist once more. She related to everything they had said, she understood all the pain and all the happiness. This was probably the one time Bridgit hated being a Ravenclaw, cause the only obvious answer was staring her in the face and she couldn't look away.

She was in love with Oliver Wood.

HELLO!

I bet you all took a spit take when you got the notice that Crossroads, after more than a year, has been updated!

I would like to apologize for the iNCREDIBLY long wait and for the fact that this AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL CHAPTER written by Reignstein is only a Bonus Chapter when you all were probably waiting for the continuation of the last one...

I really don't know what else I can say seeing as it has been AGES since I wrote an Author's Note... I guess I would like to say thank you for reading my fic and for being patient with us, I really appreciate all the follows/favorites/reviews, I bet you're all glad that you now know who Bridgit is paired up with in this fic and... yeah... I'm really speechless right now...

I guess I should end this Author's Note before I start rambling nonsense.

Well, for my last words I would like to go with my signature

I hope you enjoyed this chapter

Don't forget to review and the like

Please excuse any typos, grammatical errors and what not...

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

(Ahahaha... whenever that will be posted...)

And

I only own what I own!