Antics

"Chris!"

Knock, Knock, Knock

"Chris! OPEN UP! I have some videos to go over!"

knock, knock.

"CHRISTINA! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! IT'S ABOUT BUSINESS! NOT PLEASURE! No pun intended."

You yanked open the door. "Get in, then."

"You're VCR still hooked up?" he asked.

You thought back to the day you set up the TV. "Yes." you mumbled.

"Okay, pop this in. I'll go make us some tea." he said, walking into your kitchen.

"Make yourself at home, then, Oliver." you said to no one.

You put in the tape on the side that said 'This Way' and you pressed the on button.

After about five minutes, you figured it out.

"Here is your tea, milady," Oliver said. "Oh, you figured it out! Excellent. Take a seat. A friend of mine gave me these tapes. His mom's a muggle, so she always gives him stuff like this apparently. He just takes a 'camera' and records it all at the games!"

"How interesting!" you said in a dull voice.

You started watching. This next game was going to pretty hard.

"So what plays do you think I should run?" he asked after five minutes.

"You're asking me?" this wasn't like him.

"Yes... you're my head chaser."

"OH, well, 5- because see the way they tend to stay to the center? They're always perfectly symmetrical, balanced. It's an unbalanced play. 8- going underneath. That would probably work."

"Yeah. You're right. And 10."

"Ooh, 17. Perfect play, look at that, keeper's perifial (sp?) vision sucks."

"Yes, yes." he agreed.

"Okay, stop it right here." you said.

"Wow... look at that. Are they... they're holding hands. We've found they're weakness!"

Two of the players were holding hands. The female chaser, who was actually pretty bad, and the beater/captain of the team.

"Good eye, Chris."

You guys high-fived.

Losers.

"So... about yesterday... I'm really sorry." he started.

"No... it's my fault."

"No, no. I was being insensative."

"You were being non-obvious. Hug?" you asked. Hugs solved anything.

*Pop*

"Christina, darling!" you heard your mom say. You looked over your shoulder, and sure enough, there she was.

"H-hey mom! What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd pop in to see how things are going? Is that Oliver on the couch?"

"Yes, hello, Mrs. Applegate."

"Oh, hello dear, well I see things are going well, I hope I'm not interupting anything."

"No."
"Yes."

You both said at the same time. Which earned Oliver a glare.

"Well, Oliver, if you don't mind, I'm sure she won't mind." your mother said, completely ignoring you.

"So mom... what made you think of me?"

"Well, your sister sent me a card from her honey moon--"

"She's still on that?" you asked.

"Yes-- anyways. I was thinking about the wedding, which led me to think of you!"

"Well-- that's nice." you lied.

"So... I see you and Oliver are doing good."

Your eyes widened. Crap. Crap. Crap. You forgot.

"Mom, would you fancy some tea? Oliver come help me out!" you stammered quickly.

"O...kay." he said.

Once you were safely in the kitchen, you turned to him and rushed in a whisper, "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend."

"O...kay." you sighed in relief. "Wait... if I do this, you owe me something."

"We'll discuss that later. Just go back out and entertain her, please?" you gave him the eyes.

"Okay." he said, and left with a sigh.

"Here's the tea!" you chirped merrily, bringing out a tray.

"Mmm- this is good tea, honey."

"Thanks, mum." you said, taking a seat next to Oliver. You grabbed a cup of tea... and his hand.

*Cringe*

"So, I was telling your mother about our date later,"

You tried not to spit your tea back into the cup "Oh, really?" you asked, slyly, "is this the one--"

"That I haven't told you about yet. The suprise one." he said, cutting you off.

"Oh, yeah. You know, Oliver is one for the romance." you said, knowing this would please your mom.

You leaned over and pecked him on the lips. Score one for Chris and Oliver.

"Oh! Oliver, I do believe you are the best thing that's ever happened to her." you mom stated.

"Oh, stop it," he said, "that can't be true."

"Oh! It is," your mother started, "I don't think I've ever seen her with another guy." she said.

"Mom, stop it." you said, and added a laugh.

"Well, I really couldn't stay long. I must be leaving." she said, placing her cup on the coffee table. "Ta!"

*Pop*

"'No'?! What were you thinking? Saying no. Why didn't you just invite the devil in?"

"What? I thought it was quite pleasurable!"

"Pleasurable. That's one word for it."

"So... about that date."

"What about the imaginary date?"

"Imaginary? That's what you owe me!"

"A date?"

"A real date. We get dressed up. I take you out. It ends with a kiss if you approve. Maybe eventually leading to a second date."

You groaned. You really did owe it to him. "Dammit- fine."

"Okay. I'll be back at 8 to pick you up!"

"How about this dress?" Charlene asked. She popped up un-expected. So she took you back to her store once she heard your story.

"Too girly," you stated, already bored after five minutes.

"It's a dress!" she said.

"But... it has a bow."

"Okay. Bows are out. How about.... this?"

"Too showy."

"No show. No bow. This?"

"I'll try it on."

"Okay, cool... no on that one. How about... this? It has a bow, but it's not huge!"

"Oookay."

"Sweet. Color prefrence?"

"Umm... not pink. Like, red or black or blue or something."

"Okay, here, you go in and start trying these on. I'm gonna hand you some when I see them"

"Thanks, sis! I lurve you!"

"You lurve Oliver," she joked back. "have fun tonight!"

"Thanks, bye."

You had finally decided. After muuuch time. It was gold and had lace on parts of it. It's pretty cool.

It was now 7:30. You were finishing up your make up.

Dress: Check

Shoes: Check

Jacket: Check

Purse: Check

Wand: Check

It appeared you were ready.

7:45

7:49

7:50

Wait, am I actually waiting for him? Nervous? Is that the nervous feeling? What the hell? you thought.

A doorbell interupted your thoughts.

"Hello." you said.

"Hello. You look gorgeous." he said.

You blushed. "You clean up nice."

"I got these for you." he said.

"Oh! Oliver! They're beautiful. Let me go put them in a vase, then we can leave."

"So... whose your favorite team?"

"Umm... before us... it was Bulgaria." you told him.

"Same." he said. It was a little akward.

But soon, conversation started. You talked about everything. Books. Quidditch. Music. Quidditch. Family. Quidditch. You ignored the waitress for a whole five minutes.

"Do you want anything for dessert?" he asked you.

"No. I'm done."

"Me too. I'll just pay and we can leave."

"I had a really nice time, Oliver." you said.

"Me too. Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

"Maybe." you said. You reached your door. You guys had gone on a walk. It got too dark for you to see where you were walking, so you decided to head back.

Tonight you guys weren't Oliver and Christina from the Battlecastle bats, former Hogwarts Rivals. Tonight you two people... on a first date.

"This is you." he said.

You smiled. "Thanks. I'll... see you tomorrow?"

"Definately." he said. Then he leaned in and kissed you.

It was nice. Passionate, not hungry. Not frantic. Not spontaneous. It was... deserved.

"Bye." you said.

"Bye."

And he apparated away.

Oliver's POV

We had a nice night. She looked amazing.

I took her out to dinner.

Then we took a walk.

It was odd. We weren't our normal selves. We didn't fight at all.

And at the end of the night, I kissed her.

Nothing more. Nothing further. Just a kiss.

And that's when it hit me.

I think I love her.