Hey all! This is my first fanfic! Please R&R:)
This fanfic is pretty much HP compliant--except the DH epilogue, of course! One difference: Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson took McGonagal up on an offer to be spies after Snape killed Dumbledore. Everything else=the same:D
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"Talking"
Thinking (or a dream or letter)
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Hermione Granger observed her three best friends with rapt attention as they soared high above the Quidditch pitch, no more than vivid orange cannonballs against the perfect azure sky. She sighed, feeling a bit left out and very discouraged. I wish I was good at flying; I wish I could fly at all! I just need a chance to learn, I know I'd love it. But everyone always laughs at the idea! She thought bitterly.
Ginny landed, wiping the sweat from her brow, brown eyes sparkling merrily. Harry and Ron touched down behind her, followed by the rest of the Chudley Cannons. Harry, Ron and Ginny strolled towards Hermione, laughing and talking with their teammates.
"Great practice, you guys!" Phil, the team captain, shouted over the hubbub. "Remember to practice dodging and catching, please!"
The team ignored him. Hermione had to feel bad for him: he was a skilled beater, but didn't have the strongest leadership skills, to say the least.
Hermione thought back to when it looked like she and Ron and Harry would all be aurors together, after the war. What an idealistic dream that had been! Her three friends had all been offered positions on the Chudley Cannons team--which, although far from the best professional team, was well-known and played in plenty of matches (and was improved greatly when Harry, Ron and Ginny were signed). Since this was only a part-time job, they probably could've managed auror training, too, but had instead opted to work for Weasley Wizard Wheezes: they were store managers in 3 different Great Britain branches. Needless to say, the joke shop business was flourishing.
Hermione was left to find a job by herself. Currently, she was in auror training, and (always ambitious) was working part-time at Flourish and Blotts. She was building a successful career for herself at only 19. It'd been two years since the war ended: she, Harry and Ron had been awarded diplomas from Hogwarts--McGonagal considered their experience during the war as good as a year of schooling.
Hermione was jolted from her memories by Ginny's happy voice. The vivacious redhead could easily pass for a model, standing a good four inches above Hermione's 5'6" with a slim athletic body, bright brown eyes, milky skin lightly dusted with freckles, and (of course) fiery red hair.
"Hey Mione! How'd we look?" Ginny asked. She went on without waiting for an answer. "Gosh, I never thought I'd go pro with Quidditch! And the teams getting better. No last place for The Cannons this year!"
"Not if I'm in front of those goal posts! Not a chance in Hell. We're winning that world cup!" Ron cried with conviction. Harry smiled mildly.
"Don't be so sure, Ron. It might take a couple of years for the team to get THAT good!" The three bantered on about their team, forgetting about Hermione.
"You know, guys, I read a really great book about flying. Flying Freedom, it was called. Really, if one of you could help me out I'd love to be able to ride a broomstick. At least for practical reasons?" Hermione asked, hopefully. Ron guffawed loudly, Harry and Ginny hid smiles.
"Mione, always the books, isn't it?" Ron chuckled. "Books are nothing like Quidditch. Mind you, it is pretty awesome, flying! But remember flying lessons in first year? You failed totally!" Harry shot him a look. "For once in your life!" he quickly added.
Hermione frowned. He thinks this is a sudden impulse, me wanting to learn Quidditch! Hermione realized. It's always been my dream. Why couldn't I be naturally good at Quidditch?
"Did you see my trick today? I really had Annabelle fooled. She didn't think I could get that quaffel! But then I just zipped over, and wham! I caught that ball like it was nothing!" Ron boasted.
"Yeah, Harry's wronski is coming along spiffingly," added Ginny with enthusiasm. "And to be oh-so-modest, I think my dodging was excellent today! Not to mention all the shots I got past you, Ronald!" She said, punching her brother affectionately.
...
Hermione reported to the aurors department at exactly 9:30 on Monday morning. Suppressing a yawn, she walked into the meeting room and sleepily greeted the drowsy aurors seated around the table.
Today, they would be assigned partners: another newby who would help them on missions, once she was an active member of the auror department. She was almost positive that if Harry and Ron had been in training, Kingsley (Minister of Magic and Head of Auror Department) would have let them work in a threesome. No such luck.
Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach: she knew today was a big day, as auror partners worked together for their entire careers. She swallowed her nerves as Kingsley rose, an encouraging smile on his face.
"Greetings, aurors-in-training. You are the toughest of the potential aurors. You have undergone physical, intellectual and magical training for the past six months. As you know, our goal in these improved times since the Dark Lord's downfall is to round up rogue death eaters: many of them remain at large.
"Luckily, our intelligence forces inform us that they have no leader like Voldemort: chaos reigns among the prominent death eaters in a constant power struggle. No one can unite them. But these disorganized forces are dangerous: they have no scruples. Our main goal is, as you know, to stop them.
"Now, we have watched your progress for the past half year, and our experienced Aurors have evaluated you and determined the best auror in this group for your to work with."
There was a pregnant pause: each auror-in-training glanced nervously around, sizing up the options one last time. Hermione saw many familiar faces from Hogwarts: Neville Longbottom, Padma Patil, Oliver Wood, Cho Chang, Zacharias Smith, Luna Lovegood, Seamus Finnegan, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy (the last three had turned spy for the order during the last months of the war. McGonagal had testified for them in court, but Hermione still didn't trust them).
The others Hermione had gotten to know during the months of preliminary training. Horton Notch,was a burly blond with twinkling cinnamon eyes and a charming smile. He was known for his quick wandwork.
Hester Sterlington was striking and statuesque with slanting hazel eyes and a short, sheik black hair. She seemed somewhat aloof, but Hermione had become good friends with her and found she was a bit shy, but her quiet manners sometimes came off as snobbishness.
Andrea Barbatuan was a giggly, flirty girl who Hermione couldn't stand. She often made stupid mistakes because she batting her eyes at Malfoy, Zabini, Oliver, or Horton. She was only there because of her skill with transfiguration, surprisingly.
Steven Porping was a chubby young man with curly brown hair and a shiny, pasty face. He reminded Hermione disturbingly of Peter Pettigrew.
Lastly there was McKey Locksmith, a metamorphmagus who currently stood at 5'2", and wore a green bob with matching eyes and an elfin face. As Hermione glanced at her, she winked and grew about 8 inches taller, her face changing from cute and pixie to haughty as her hair grew greasy and brown (strangely like a feminine version of their imposing and stuck-up trainer, Auror Master Chortaln).
Hermione surveyed the motley crowd, 16 of them in all. She'd love to be with Luna (who she'd known and liked in Hogwarts and was probably her best friend there), Hester (who Hermione had gotten to know and like), Neville (who'd grown quite handsome, not to mention was really coming out of his shell and living up to his family's expectations), McKey (her fun personality reminded Hermione of Tonks, and made her friends with everyone), or Oliver (he often ate lunch with Hermione, and she supposed he was considered very good-looking).
Seamus had always been nice, and Horton was kind and extremely smart. Padma was sweet, and very focused and serious, but was often depressed because of her twin sister Parvati's death during the war.
Really, no one would be so bad to be with. Except Malfoy. His family had lost their wealth during the war, so he didn't boast nearly as much. He was definitely on the "good" side. But she still couldn't forget their past hostility: especially his cruelty. The one time they had worked together, he hadn't said a word to her.
Andrea (the giggler) or Steven (the perspiring, nervous, and slow boy) would be better! Even Blaise Zabini wouldn't be so bad: he was charming and polite, and loved books, but she couldn't forget he was a Slytherin. He could be a bit pompous at times. Anyone but the bouncing ferret! She prayed.
Kingsley cleared his throat, drawing her from her observations.
"Without further ado, you partners: Neville Longbottom and Padma Patil, Cho Chang and Seamus Finnegan, Oliver Wood and Hester Sterlington, Zacharias Smith and Steven Porping, Luna Lovegood and Blaise Zabini, Horton Notch and Andrea Barbatuan, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, McKey Locksmith and Hermione Granger."
He finished the list with an air of finality. Whoopee!! Thank Merlin! I'm not with Malfoy! Hermione did a mental happy dance. Cha Cha Cha!. Hermione was overjoyed to have a friend (as well as a skilled witch) as her partner.
They all were suprised when Kingsley coughed loudly.
"I'm sorry, I seem to have made a mistake." He frowned, and looked back down at the list. "McKey Locksmith and Pansy Parkinson; Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."
There was a deathly silence in the room. Each auror froze. The Hogwarts students knew all about Hermione and Draco's rivalry; the others had quickly picked up on the frigid state of things between them. Frankly, their dislike of each other was not exactly subtle.
And I was going to be with McKey… Hermione felt like crying as the truth sank in. Be strong, Hermione! she willed herself. But it's no picnic when you'll be working with a bouncing, bad-mouthed, prick of a ferret for the rest of your life!
…..
Love it? Hate it? Please Review it? Wait, that's not a question!!! I have the next chappie, but I don't want to post it til I get some feedback… So I know if I need to clarify anything in it, and can use your comments to make it better!
Thank you so much! Constructive criticism, general comments, opinions, emotions, praise (of course!), whatever you want to do are welcome as review! Just press the button.
Heck, write me a poem if you are so inclined!
~Tatiana:)
