Oliver closed his eyes.

Meg Odair hugged him so tight that it nearly hurt - and she didn't feel like she'd be letting go any time soon. He could only just barely breathe. Her tears were hot against his shoulder a she cried and held on for dear life. 

When he opened his eyes, he met Eli's gaze, and Eli grinned that crooked little smirk of his. "Where's dad? I feel like he should be in on this." Eli looked around. "And maybe a camera? Have we got a camera?" he ducked out of the foyer.

"Mum," Oliver barely got the word out.

Meg released her hug at last, but not her grip on Oliver. She held him out at arm's length, inspecting him, her eyes taking in the strong cheekbones and jawline, his hair and bright eyes. "At least you've been eating well, I don't need to be the stereotypical mum who says something like 'you're peaky'."

Oliver laughed.

"God, I missed the sound of that," she gasped and she pulled him into her again, this time less viciously, her hand cupping the back of his head, and he felt that old sensation - that calming, healing sensation that she was always so bloody good at - and it filled him up, and he sort of melted against her in a way he hadn't done in years. Without even meaning to, he found himself brought to tears and his face crumped against her shoulder and now it was Oliver who was crying and Meg whispered, "Oh my baby, hush... shh.." and stroked his back, her fingers trailing that same sensation down his spine, releasing tension he'd been holding for gods-knows how long as he cried into her neck.

There was a crashing sound from the other room, followed by the pitch of Eli's laughter, and Jasper came hurtling into the room, nose red in that telltale way which comes from overblowing one's nose and he stared in disbelief at the sight of Meg, hugging Oliver, and gasped, "If I'm hallucinating, don't tell me, let me think it's real."

"You're not hallucinating, honey," Meg answered over Oliver's shoulder.

Eli came back in the room, leaning against the door frame and grinning, arms crossed. He looked down and saw Yertle sitting on the carpet and nudged the old turtle with his toe. "Look'it that, Yertle, ever think you'd see that again?"

Jasper staggered forward and wrapped his arm around both Meg and Oliver, too, bowing his head so his forehead pressed against the side of Oliver's. "Thank God, oh thank God," he gasped. He took hold of Oliver shoulders and spun him out of Meg's grip and into his own hug and Oliver pressed his face into Jasper's shoulder.

"Eli, honey, go ring your brothers. Tell them we're all gathering together. Find out if we should go to Nate's or Kevin's," Meg commanded. "Hurry."

Eli nodded and ducked out of the living room again.

"Reckon if I send a patronus that Minnie could get the girls for us?" Meg asked, then, "Of course she could, Minnie can do anything in that castle --" she bustled toward the door, paused, turned back, and flung herself around Oliver and Jasper again for another short hug, then ran out of the room, tittering to herself as she went for the floo powder.

Jasper paused and held Oliver out at arm's length, looking him over carefully before meeting his eyes. "What bloody took you so long?" Jasper asked.

Oliver shook his head.

Even now, he couldn't tell Jasper the whole truth.

Possibly especially now, looking into his eyes.

"You're clean though?"

"Yeah."

Jasper's hands were on his shoulders, and he stared into Oliver's face, "Thank God. That was never you - that was never you. You were always better than that, Ollie..."

Oliver Kent had just been named the Most Valuable Player in the National Wizarding Quidditch League for the second season in a row and, because of his efforts, the Chudley Cannons were set to play in the Quidditch World Cup in a fortnight. It was the first time in NWQL history - spanning over 300 years - that the Canons had earned their way into playing the Cup.

And, even more importantly, Oliver Kent's hands were shaking, his grip on a thick manilla envelope tremulous at best. Walter Grant stood in front of him, staring at the same manilla envelope with wide eyes, his face pinkened with excitement as they both stood there, holding breaths neither knew they hadn't released in some time.

"Bloody well open it!" hissed Declan Aletrick, sliding up to them, his eyes open equally wide, his electric-blue hair fixed with enough spray that it barely moved even as he giddily jumped up and down, "Oh my fuck you're killing me with the suspense, ladies, you really are!" he cried out, waving his arms, sloshing a bit of the hot-pink liquor inside over the rim and onto the carpet below. "I've got a scream bottled up just waiting to come out for this one. Open the bloody package!"

Oliver laughed and turned it over, looking into Wally's eyes, the Quidditch MVP ring flashing fron his right ring finger - the left flashing with the gold of his wedding band. He tore open the flap, the envelope rendered opened, and they all stood there just staring at the uneven tear in the manilla, as though waiting for the answer to float out of the envelope with a life of its own. 

"It could just be more paperwork to fill out," Oliver said.

"Open it!" Declan begged.

"I could be," Wally agreed, nodding, "It could, you're right, but it's - it seems awful thick - and - and she's never sent it registered before, has she? We've never had to sign for it before, have we?"

Oliver shook his head, "Not that I recall."

"OPEN IT!" Declan was jumping leg to leg, drink nearly entirely splashed out of the cup by now.

"I just don't want our hearts to be broken," Oliver said darkly, pleadingly. He stared into Wally's eyes.

"Nor do I," Wally agreed.

"We knew it would be a long shot," Oliver murmured.

Wally nodded, "Yeah. I know."

"That it just wasn't meant to be if this isn't --"

"I know!" Wally said. He wiped his palms on his shirt. "I know."

"OPEN IT!" Declan wailed.

"The system is just so -- you know, awful -"

"I know," Wally said.

"We've had our hopes up before, but this time --"

"FOR FUCKS SAKE!" Declan grabbed the envelope from Oliver's hand and reached into the torn open top and yanked out the papers inside as both Wally and Oliver shouted protests, their voices pitched over one another, but it was too late, Declan had pulled the sheets out and now stood, staring at them. He dropped the glass to the floor and it shattered on the lino as he gripped both sides of the sheets with his hands.

Oliver looked at Wally and Wally looked back.

"What's it say?" Oliver breathed.

"Yeah, what's it say, Deccy?" Wally demanded, his throat suddenly dry so that the stupid old nickname came out gravelly and rough.

Declan looked up from the sheet he held before him, his poker-face ridiculously good - it was one of the very things that made him such a good journalist, after all. He sighed.

"Shit," Wally whispered, assuming the lack of explosive excitement indicated the worst.

"You lot will want to go and have a lie down." Declan said.

Oliver closed his eyes. Emotion welled up in him. He turned away.

"Because you won't be getting much time to have lie-downs pretty soon," Declan continued.

Wally looked up. 

Oliver turned around.

"What with a child in the house and all, you'll be ---"

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" screamed Wally, cutting Declan off and grabbing Oliver hurriedly, pouncing upon him with his full force... knocking Oliver askew... 

Oliver shook as Wally jumped and hugged and kissed him, as Declan's voice clashed with Wally's, as the world went blurry with joy and happiness...

If Oliver had only known then what he knew now... maybe there would have still been time to undo it, to back up, to stop what was to come... to talk himself out of making the mistakes he'd made... to stay clean... to never get into that motor car.

Oliver hung his head... for even as Jasper said otherwise, he could feel the weight of the past coming upon him like a dark cloud made of led descending onto his shoulders. "I wasn't better than that," he said, his voice weighted, "If I was better... it wouldn't have happened... If I was better, I could've stopped myself."

"That isn't true," Jasper whispered, pulling him back into yet another hug. "It isn't true, and I know that better than anyone else, son."

But Oliver knew Jasper could only say that because he didn't know the whole story.

If he knew, surely Jasper would never have spoken to him again - much less be hugging him like this.

Oliver didn't deserve it.

He didn't.

He pulled away.

"You know what, I - I thought I could do this but -" he shook his head, "I can't... I can't. I'm sorry. Tell mum and Eli -" His voice broke and he pushed Jasper off him, hurrying to the door.

"Oliver - wait -" Jasper hurried, but he was sick, he was weak, he was out of breath before they got to the street and Oliver was quick. Oliver had disappeared in the crowd on the street and ducked off down an alley, and disapparated away before Jasper could catch up to him.