Give in to Love, or Live in Fear

Mirabelle was still rather flushed from her encounter with Oliver, hating that she allowed herself to think such terrible things.

That they could actually still be together after school.

She shook her head vigoriously, attempting to shake off those thoughts.

The next day, Mirabelle ran into Oliver, turning quickly to avoid him, yet he caught her anyway.

''What did I do?'' He asked, his eyes big.

She sighed, taking her arm back. ''I- just don't want to see you right now.''

Oliver gently pulled her into an empty classroom. ''What's wrong?'' He asked.

''Boy, you're bringing me down.'' She crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest.

''It's nothing. I don't want to talk.'' Mirabelle added.

Oliver sighed. ''You confuse me. Please, don't leave me with no answers.''

She watched the floor, far too stubborn to tell him the truth about the cause of her distancing.

''It's what I do. I distance myself from people. It's nothing personal.''

Oliver took her hands, attempting to ignore that she looked uncomfortable with this gesture.

''I don't want you to distance yourself from me. But, if you need some time...'' He bit his lip, glancing down to the stone floor.

She hated that she felt bad about making him sad and sighed. ''Oliver, I'm sorry. You really shouldn't be with me. You could do so much better.''

''No one is better than you.''

Mirabelle suppressed a smile, shaking her head. ''You've got your head in the clouds.'' She attempted to ignore the way those words made her feel.

''You are wonderful. Please stop trying to say goodbye.'' He squeezed her hand lightly.

''Fine.'' She huffed. A part of her was wishing he wouldn't want to be with her after a while, the other part... would be heartbroken, though she wouldn't admit it.

''If you don't want to be with me, just say so.'' His hold of her hand loosened as he attempted to leave.

Mirabelle held his hand tighter. ''I do want to.'' She could have just pretended she didn't and this whole thing would have been done with, but for some odd reason she couldn't lie. She couldn't hurt him.

He cracked a smile, his heart savagely beating against his chest.

''Would you really have given up on me so fast?'' Mirabelle asked quietly, peeking up at him through her thick, dark and long lashes.

Oliver scoffed. ''No. I would be ambushing you a moment later. You're too good to loose.''

She smiled softly, biting her lip to hinder its stay.

He lifted her chin, his stomach reacting so giddy with the sight of her smile. He kissed her lips briefly, yet in it was much emotion.

When they broke apart, Oliver smiled brightly, his lips pink and his cheeks matching in color.

He gazed into her inhumanly bright green eyes, they had a strange power over him.

She bit her lip, looking down. She realized he still held her hand and marvelled at how different his touch was to her. It felt so wonderfully strange.

Mirabelle glanced back up at him, wanting to kiss him again.

But she heard footsteps down the hall and decided it was time to leave. ''Oliver, I have to go.''

Before Oliver could say anything she threw a wave over her shoulder and disappeared.

Oliver sighed, he didn't get to say goodbye.

***
''Ah! I can't go on without Quidditch anymore!'' Mirabelle sighed, plopping down next to
Marcus on the sofa near the fire.

Marcus smiled. ''We could practice tonight.'' He suggested, the effects of no Quidditch getting to him as well.

''Yay!'' She smiled brightly. ''Meet me on the Quidditch field at 7pm.''
Marcus nodded.

''Oh, I got a letter from Adrian today.'' Mirabelle told him, taking out his letter and a small package.

''What's this?'' Marcus asked, taking it from Mirabelle's outstretched arm.

''Birthday present. See? He didn't forget this year.'' She smiled.

''Hang on. I'll get mine.'' She ran off in the direction of the girls bed chambers and came back with a rather large green box.

Marcus had already opened Adrian's present when she sat down across from him and it appeared to be filled to the brim with sweets, such as Cauldron Cakes, Acid Pops and Pumpkin Fizz, but something was sticking out from among the sweets.

''I bet it's a shrunken head.'' Mirabelle smiled.

Marcus said, ''It better not be.''

He pulled out a medium sized bottle, and on the label it clearly read, 'Bulbadox powder'.

Mirabelle laughed. ''Sweeet!''

Marcus smiled, reading Adrian's sloppy handwriting on the label. 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies blotchy.'

He read aloud.

Marcus and Mirabelle smiled.

''Here.'' She handed him the large box.

He opened it, finding three or four of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No Heat Fireworks.

He smiled, excited. ''Tonight! Me. You. The Black Lake.''

Mirabelle laughed, smiling brightly.

Marcus also found a distressed black leather-bond book about Necromancy from one of
Mirabelle's favorite stores, The Coffin House.

''You're strange.'' He laughed.

''But a good strange!'' She grinned toothily.

* * *

It was so very quiet in the 4th floor corridor, that Mirabelle found herself counting her footsteps in her head.

She had almost gotten to the thousands when a gentle pull forced her into a small abandened corridor that connected with the one she had been walking in.

She was ready to defend herself, but she recognized the boy's voice.

''Oliver! I could kill you!'' She glared lightly, her heart savagely beating against her chest. He had frightened her immensely.

''I'm sorry I startled you.'' Oliver apologized sincerely.

''What do you want?'' She asked, taking her arm back.

Oliver had missed her, though he didn't think she would take too kindly to those words, so instead he said, ''When can I see you again?''

''You're seeing me now.''

''I mean for a longer time than a random run-in.'' He clarified.

''I don't know, Oliver. I'm really busy.'' She subconsciously used that as an excuse.

''Oh.'' Oliver glanced down.

Mirabelle sighed. He held this crazy power over her that took away her apathy. She hated that. She wanted to remain as indifferent and cold-hearted as before. It made her feel more secure, so that no one could easily hurt her.

''Um, maybe around 5? Near the forest?'' She asked, biting her lip. She had almost gotten out of it, but one look into those big brown eyes and she couldn't stop herself.

She had to meet Marcus for Quidditch at 7pm and then around 9pm they would set off those fireworks she had gotten him, to celebrate his 17th birthday.

Oliver glanced up, a sweet smile tugging on his lips. ''Okay.'' He breathlessly agreed.

She tried to smile as well, but it failed to look genuine.

Oliver sighed quietly, attempting to pretend he didn't notice. But, he couldn't keep pretending he doesn't see. He needed to know why.

''Do I make you unhappy?'' He asked softly, playing with his hands as he dreaded her answer.

''No.'' She shook her head lightly. ''I do.''

''It makes me unhappy to realize you make me happy.'' She said, wondering if it made much
sense to him.

''I make you happy?'' He smiled lightly. Never in a million year would he have thought she would say something like this.

''But, why does it make you unhappy?'' He asked.

''Because... I don't know, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore.'' She cast her eyes to the floor.

''You don't have too.'' Oliver stepped closer, kissing her forehead softly.

He felt her stiffen against his lips and pulled away.

''Is there something wrong?'' He asked, though he should be used to her stiffening because of his touch.

''I have to go.'' She briskly left him, contemptating running down the corridor.

That type of kiss was just too emotionally invested. And it sort of freaked her out.

She shook her head dismissively, but she could not expel those frightened thoughts.

Meanwhile Oliver stood in the exact same place he had been before, confused and downcast. He did not believe he would ever understand her strange behavior.

* * *

The clock was ticking dangerously close to 5pm and Mirabelle was too busy dreading it, that she didn't notice.

Marcus had stopped playing wizard's chess with Adele long enough to remind her.

''Oh. Yeah.'' She said distractedly, biting her lip and casting a wave over her shoulder.

She walked to the Forbidden Forest, seeing Oliver was already there.

Mirabelle reluctantly got his attention and took a seat on the grassy terran, hidden by the towering trees.

''Is anything wrong?'' He asked slowly, sitting very near her.

''Just don't kiss me anywhere other than my lips. Don't kiss me on the hand or the cheek and especially not on the head.'' She requested.

''Why not?'' Oliver asked.

''Because, it's too... intimate.'' She spoke, shuddering at the thought of her and Oliver becoming emotionally close.

''What are you so afraid of?'' He asked softly.

''I'm not afraid!'' She defensively stated, looking for a reason to stand up and leave.

Oliver shook his head. ''Fine, you're not afraid. Well, then why do you refuse to let me close to you?''

''I don't.'' She said, though she knew it was a lie. ''You're sitting uncomfortably close to me right now.''

''You know what I mean.'' Oliver sighed.

''If it's a problem you could always just leave me.'' She was starting to feel very afflictive.

''I hate it when you do that.'' Oliver said softly, frowning.

Mirabelle sighed. ''I know. I'm sorry.''

She slowly rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.

With his heartbeat pulsing in his ear, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She always surprised him.

''Do you forgive me?'' She asked quietly near his ear.

Oliver could not suppress a shiver and shakily replied. ''Of course I do.''

Mirabelle smiled softly, pulling away to kiss his lips.

He loved when she kissed him, he felt like she meant it when she did. If she didn't feel the same, then why would she kiss him anyway?

But, he also wanted to speak to her. He wanted to know more. Even though he knew more than almost anyone else { except, of course, Marcus }.

He pulled away, giving her the wrong impression.

She felt rejected, and turn away from him. ''You don't want to kiss me? Fine! Then you won't have to anymore.''

She didn't know how to deal with such a thing. No one has ever rejected her, though it wasn't like she allowed them too.

''Mirabelle, I love to kiss you. I love it even more when you kiss me.'' Oliver explained.

''But, I thought we could talk...'' He said quietly, hating that he hurt her feelings.

''Why?'' She asked, still a little defensive.

''Because I love to hear you speak. I love the words you say.'' Oliver took her hand, knowing
that that was probably against one of her ridiculous rules.

Mirabelle took her hand back. ''I think I should go.''

Oliver groaned. ''You can't just run away when you think we get too close, Mirabelle.'' He sighed.

''Watch me.'' She stood up, turning away.

Oliver hand a hand through his hair, following her. ''Mirabelle, please? Stay.'' He requested.

''I wont kiss your head or hold your hand if that's what you want.'' He begged slightly, biting his lip.

Mirabelle turned back around to face him. ''Okay.'' She sighed.

''Okay.'' Oliver smiled a false smile, it hurt him to think she couldn't stand for him to simply hold her hand.

Mirabelle took a seat again, looking up at him, wondering why he wasn't sitting as well.

Oliver took a seat as well, distracted.

''Oliver...?'' Mirabelle asked, snapping him out of his mind. ''Is something wrong?''

Oliver shook his head no, choosing not to say anything, he didn't want to give her an excuse to run away again. He didn't want to ruin their time together.

''So, what do you want to do?'' She asked, leaning against the tree behind her.

''We don't have to do anything in particular. I'm perfectly content to just sit here in silence with you.''

''You're strange.'' She observed, raising a dark brow.

Oliver smiled lightly, shaking his head.

Mirabelle couldn't suppress a smile as she glanced over at him, seeing the smile tugging on his lips. It was contagious.

She laid back on her back, looking up at what little bit of the sky that could be seen through the treetops.

Mirabelle gently pushed Oliver down with her, glancing over at him.

Oliver smiled brightly through the pulse of his heart beating in his ear. A blush rising up on his cheeks.

Mirabelle glanced back up, attempting to get his smile out of her head.