The Calling

By Seroci

Chapter 3: For Her Sake

His hands worked quickly, but his eyes never touched his work. He kept his gaze fixed on the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, who sat just across the room from him. The Herbology double class with the sixth years hadn't bothered him. Hadn't bothered him until he found his girlfriend was flirting with one of the students. Scowl after scowl Levi sent at the captain's back.

" Damn you to hell, Oliver Wood," he hissed under his breath.

" Mr. Reyers, keep your eyes on your work. You're going to cut yourself," Professor Sprout snapped. She stood next to Levi, eyeing his handiwork. " You're potting them incorrectly, Mr. Reyers." She rolled her eyes and glanced around the room. " Who's finished their's?"

Only a few hands were raised, one of them being Oliver's. Levi closed his eyes in a silent pray that he wouldn't be paired with Oliver.

Sprout walked past each student who had his hand raised, awarding another student her scowl. " Ms. Mason needs help too." She bent over Mason's pot. " The roots are not to be tangled, Ms. Mason. Seperate them....no! With the spicket!" She sighed heavily and straightened, glancing around the room. " Wood and...." She paused, then pointed to a red haired boy. " Weasley. Wood with Reyers, Weasley with Mason." She clapped her hands briskly. " Come on, now, we haven't got all day!"

Wood set down his tools and placed his goggles on his forehead head, then turned to face Levi. Levi could feel his face turning red with anger, his blood began to boil, and he clenched his fists. He was cursed, he was sure of it.

" What's the problem?" Oliver asked when he arrived at Levi's table. Before Levi could answer, Oliver reached down and uprooted the cactus-like plant, avoiding the small, snapping tenticles. " The hole's too small, see? Octamelons need a large amount of room to move around in....you do know that they move, don't you?"

Levi shrugged. He hadn't really paid attention.

Oliver sighed and reached to take one of Levi's tools. Levi pulled the minature shovel away, glared at Oliver when he looked up in surprise. Exasperated, Oliver began to dig the hole with his hands. " A good five to six inches is needed. I think we're having a quiz on this, I suggest you remember what I tell you."

Levi responded with a snarl, which in no way intimidated Oliver. Levi cursed himself under his breath.

" Now, make sure the roots aren't tangled, as Professor Sprout said, and lay them flat." One of the tenticles on the Octamelon nipped Oliver, and he started to put the finger to his mouth, thought better of it, and wrapped it in his black robes. " Also, try to avoid those."

Professor Sprout passed by, tapped Oliver on the shoulder. " You're doing a good job, Wood, but remember to keep your eyewear on. Octamelons spit." She glanced up at Levi. " That means you, too."

Levi groaned and pulled his goggles over his eyes. He hated the goggles. They made his face look bulky, he could barely see past the scratches left by other students.

" The goggles aren't bad," Oliver told him, noting the seventh year's disgust.

" You find them pleasurable?" Levi asked gruffly.

Oliver shook his head. " No, but they're better than having poison in your eye."

" I'd rather risk the poison."

A heavy sigh took Oliver. " What would Angel say if she knew you weren't keeping yourself safe?"

Levi tensed. " Don't call her that," he growled.

" Call her what? Angel?"

Levi nodded.

Oliver swallowed, now beginning to find a bit of a reason to be cautious around Levi Reyers. " It's short for Angelina....."

" Don't call her that," the seventh year repeated.

" Just....just look after yourself." Oliver swallowed hard again. " For her sake." Then he shook his head lightly, turned back to the Octamelon. " Now look, you don't fill in the extra space with dirt. Fill it with water; Octamelons love water. Helps them grow faster, I think using something called photosynthesis, I wasn't exactly paying attention when she explained it....."

Levi's hand shot out and took Oliver's. " You love her, don't you?"

Oliver looked up, eyes questionable under his goggles. He tried to pull his hand away, but Levi's grip was strong.

" Don't you?" Levi repeated.

" She's a friend," Oliver told him firmly. " Friend and a teammate."

" Teammate?"

Oliver tried again to pull his hand away from Levi's. No success. " Damn good Chaser. Let go."

Levi tightened his grip on Oliver's wrist. " You think more of her."

" Fine, she's my best friend." Oliver tried yet again to free himself of Levi.

" What about Weasley?"

" Isn't a man entitled to more than one best friend? Now let go."

Levi started to twist Oliver's arm. " Don't you fucking lie to me, Wood. You love her, I know you do."

" I don't know what you're talking about...." Oliver winced under the slight strain Levi was putting on his wrist.

" You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." Levi leaned close to him. " She laughs when she's with you." His voice dropped. " She used to laugh when she was with me."

Oliver didn't have an answer. He only tried to pull away from the larger boy's grasp.

Levi's breath was quickening. " Just answer the fucking question!"

" I don't lie!" Oliver shot back. " I don't love her-" His voice choked. " -and let go!"

" Damn you, Wood, stay away from her," Levi snarled. He twisted Oliver's wrist further.

Oliver grimaced, gritted his teeth, but didn't utter a sound of pain. " I'm her captain, Reyers, I'm going to have to see her."

" Stay away from her," Levi repeated.

" I don't want her around someone like you!" Oliver suddenly blurted. " There, you got the fucking truth! Now let go!"

Levi was shocked at Oliver's words. He lost his point of control, and with a grunt, swung his free fist at the sixth year. His fist hit Oliver's cheekbone, sent the lighter boy hurtling onto another student's table. The impact knocked glass beakers and cages to the floor. An Octamelon was uprooted, dropped to the floor, landed with a sickening thud.

Professor Sprout whipped her head around when she heard the glass crashing to the floor. The sight her eyes fell on threw her into an outrage, and she started yelling at Levi as she rushed to Oliver's side. " This is the middle of class....what in God's name were you thinking?!"

Oliver struggled to raise himself on his elbows, touched his bloody cheek tenderly. The bones had shattered when Levi's fist hit him.

" Reyers! Dumbledor's office! Now!" Sprout looked around the room, pointed to Percy Weasley. " Weasley, leave Mason. Help me get Wood to the hospital wing."

Percy obeyed immediately, leaving his notes for Mason to copy. He hurried over, helped Oliver up from the table.

" Did any of the glass pierce you?" Sprout asked breathlessly.

Oliver shook his head, eyes remaining on Levi.

" Levi! Dumbledor's office!" Sprout snapped. She pointed outside. " Or do I need to send you with an escort?"

Levi snarled. He didn't need an escort, he knew his way to Dumbledor's office. Removing his goggles furiously, he chucked them at the ground, and stormed outside, up to the castle, and disappeared inside.

" I heard about what happened in Herbology, today," Angelina muttered. She studied the chess board in front of her. " Knight to B4."

Levi groaned as her Knight took his Queen, the most valuable piece on the board. " Yeah?"

" I think we need to work on your temper." The fifth year drummed her fingers on the table.

" I can control it fine," Levi muttered. He reached for Angelina's hand. " He was talking about you." In what he meant to be a tender caress, he squeezed her fingers roughly.

Angelina winced lightly, plastered on a smile. " Really."

Levi nodded. " He called you Angel."

Angelina sighed understandingly. " Levi, a lot of people call me Angel."

" I don't." His voice was heavy. She hated it when he did that.

" I know." Her insides twisted. " That's why you're different, and that's why I'm with you." She could feel her heart clenching.

Levi smiled. When she told him of her love for him.....nothing made him feel more needed, or wanted. " I love you," he told her.

" I know you do." She pulled her hand away in what she hoped was casual and stared at the chess board. " It's your move."

" I'll let you win." His eyes remained on her, watching her lovingly. Maybe she knew he cared for her, but she didn't know how much. Levi wished there was some way, just some way, he could tell her.

Angelina shook her head. " I didn't see you at practice. I thought you were coming."

Levi's heart was crushed. " I'm....I'm sorry. I couldn't make it." He growled lightly. " Detention."

" For hitting Oliver, no doubt." She turned her eyes on him again, locked with his gaze. " Why did you hit him?"

Levi snorted. " He lied to me."

" Oliver?" Angelina's voice showed her confusion. " Oliver never lies."

" He lied about you," Levi told her.

Angelina felt her blood freeze. " What did he say?"

" Damn good Chaser, he called you." Levi paused. " But he said he was only your friend. He thinks something more of you, I know he does." He reached for her hand again. " Do you think something more of him?"

Angelina looked away, almost in shock. " He's....he's my friend....my team captain...."

Levi pounded his fist on the table. " Damn you, you sound like you love him when you call him that!"

" I don't love him!" Angelina retorted. " Why would I be with you if I loved someone else?"

" Why don't to talk of me with that amount of affection in your voice?" Levi asked, voice suddenly quiet.

Angelina slowly caressed his fingers. The gesture felt loving to Levi. Angelina felt she was going to be sick. " How do you know I don't?"

Levi looked down.

" It's just.....Levi, sometimes you hurt me....and Oliver....Wood.....doesn't....."

Levi shook his head softly. " I would never hurt you."

She blinked, looked down at her fingers entertwining with his. " I know." She sighed. " Levi, you're just being paranoid. There's nothing going on between Oliver...sorry....Wood.....and me. We're just good friends."

" Will you laugh with me?"

Angelina looked up into Levi's large, grey eyes. " Yes."

Levi fidgeted. " What does he do that makes you laugh?"

" Why do you want to keep talking about him?"

Levi pulled away. " I'm sorry." He glanced up at the clock in the Common Room. " It's late."

Angelina nodded. " It is." She rose slowly, blew a forced kiss at Levi. He smiled as she disappeared up the stairs into her dorm.

" Lemme get this straight. You think Angelina and Oliver have a thing for each other, and they're not telling you?"

Levi nodded at his younger brother. " That's about right."

His brother, Luke, shoved another forkfull of food in his mouth. " You love this woman?"

" With all my heart."

Luke nodded, swallowed. " And Oliver loves her?"

Levi clenched his fists. It was a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, but he found it hard to answer. " Yes, I think he does."

" Keep 'em away from each other." Luke took a large swig of orange juice. " Stay with Angelina every moment you can." He paused. " Do Oliver and Angelina have double classes at all?"

Levi shook his head. " I don't think so."

" So it shouldn't be hard for you to stay by Angelina to keep her from Oliver."

Levi leaned forward. " There's one problem, though. They both play Quidditch. Angelina's a Chaser-"

"-and Oliver's the captain, I know." Luke sighed. " Why don't you go to practices with her?"

" She asked me to one...."

Luke popped a sausage in his mouth. " But you missed that one, didn't you?"

Levi nodded.

" Just go to all of them, sit in the stands, meet her in the locker room.....say, you think you could get back on the team?"

" I doubt it. They kicked me off." Levi's mouth went suddenly dry.

" Why?"

Levi tried to swallow, then answered slowly, " I drank."

Luke stopped chewing. " Is that why Angelina thinks you're hurting her?" he asked slowly.

" Could be. But I haven't gotten drunk in a while....."

Luke swallowed. " Okay, well, all I can tell you is follow her around, and if she has to interact with Oliver at all, be there to intercept."

" But...." Levi looked away from his brother, down the table at Angelina. " I want to show her how much I love her."

" You really do love her, don't you?"

Levi nodded. His stomach tightened as he saw Oliver enter the Great Hall and take a seat next to Angelina. " More than anything."


Luke twirled a sausage on his fork. " So give her flowers and chocolates, ask to have a romantic night out." His eyes lit up. " Take her to the New Year's Dance."

" She usually just like walks by the lake and Quidditch......" Levi sighed. " I think maybe Oliver is perfect for her." His fist pounded the table as soon as the words came out of his mouth. " Damn him to hell."

" Do what she wants, but trust me, chicks love romantic crap, know what I'm sayin'? You're going to hear this a lot, but they wouldn't say it if it weren't true." Luke winked at his brother. " Come on, now, work your charm on her." He glanced down the table at Angelina. " And I suggest you interupt their conversation now. Oliver looks a little too comfortable."

And Angelina a little too happy. Levi clenched his fists tighter. He vowed silently that he would make Oliver Wood suffer horribly.

~ * ~

Chapter Two :: Contents :: Chapter Four ::