AN: This takes place after the war and four years after Hogwarts. Fred, Tonks, and Remus are still alive.
Hermione Granger took a slow sip of her butterbeer trying to keep from commenting. There she was sitting at the Leaky Cauldron surrounded by her friends, all Quidditch junkies. Tonight was a night for celebration. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter had been signed to the Chudley Cannon's as the teams newest Keeper and Seeker. Amongst the Golden trio was Ron's siblings Ginny, Fred and George, Lee Jordan, and Oliver Wood.
It was bad enough she had to be in the same room with Ron, seeing what had progressed only hours before the party. After dating for nearly four years, Ron had decided to break up with her stating he was going to be a famous Quidditch player and didn't want her to be jealous of all his female fans. But she knew the truth, he didn't want her to catch him cheating on her with one of his many female fans. Glancing around the table she saw Ginny pull Harry close to her for a drunken kiss which he had happily wasn't even sure if they knew about Ron and her breaking up.
"Oi check out the ladies at nine o-clock." Lee said grinning as the guys all turned their attention to the group of women who had just entered the tavern.
"Ouch Gin, I wasn't looking." Harry said smiling as he rubbed the back of his head.
Ginny smirked, "I know that I was just making sure." she told him sweetly and she turned and narrowed her brown eyes at her brother. "Ronald!"
Ron turned his head and shot Ginny a confused look. "What? I can look all I want."
"Technically Ron, usually when one's beautiful girlfriend in present, the guy doesn't turn into a complete idiot and gawk at other females." Fred stated as he shot a glance at Hermione who seemed to be off in her own world at that moment.
"I don't have a girlfriend." Ron said as he held his hand up quickly to block the spray of firewhiskey spouting from Harry's mouth at him. "Jeez thanks mate."
"Wha..."
"We broke up a couple of hours ago. He can do whatever he wants." Hermione's small voice spoke up.
Ginny glanced at her best friend in shock. She hadn't heard of this. Setting her glass down she stood up. "Excuse us for a second." She said as she came behind Hermione's char and grabbed her arm so she had to get up and dragged her off to the ladies room.
********
"Ron what did you do?" George asked his younger brother. "What in Merlin's name did you do to piss off Hermione that badly for her to break up a four year relationship with you?"
Ron shrugged. "She didn't break up with me, I broke up with her. I have my Quidditch career to think about right now. Too hard to juggle a relationship and that right?"
"Ron, I didn't break up with Ginny when I got signed." Harry stated matter of fact. He couldn't believe his best friend did this. Hermione was perfect for Ron and he ruined it all for a silly game. "You have to talk to her."
"Harry's right Ron. If you don't try and fix this now, Hermione will never forgive ya." Oliver said as he glanced where the girls had disappeared to. "You've liked the lass for too long to through something that good away."
"You're more then welcomed to her Wood." Ron said, "Honestly I won't get mad about it. Better to have one of my good mates get her then some Slytherin."
Fred and George exchanged a look. This wasn't Ron talking at all and they knew it. This was the fame-crazed Ron. The one who loved the attention given to him. The brother that almost lost Hermione as a friend their sixth year because of Lavender Brown. "You can't be serious Ron, she's the best there and you know it." Fred told him.
Ron shrugged as his eyes wandered the the petite blonde two tables away. "If she's the best why don't you go for her?"
********
The brown door opened and the brunette was pushed inside followed by the ginger haired female. With her hands on her hips Ginny backed Hermione against the wall. "All right spill."
Hermione sighed as she pushed a strand of her brown hair behind one ear. "He said he didn't want me to get jealous over all of his female fans he was going to get."
Ginny looked at her in disbelief. "His fans? He just got signed. He has no fans yet." She let out a frustrated growl. "He just wants to be single to enjoy his fans sounds more like it."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "I figured that too, but I suppose it's better now then to find out he's been cheating on me with a fan or two right."
"You're not giving up on my brother are you?"
Leaning her head back as it hit the wall she sighed, "I don't know. I'm not sure what to do anymore. Before this whole Quidditch thing even came into effect, we were barely around each other. With my working and him practicing with Harry, I'm actually quite surprised you saw harry with the amount of time he and Ron spent on their brooms."
"Who do you think was up on the broom practicing with them." Ginny said laughing as her face went serious. "Do you really think it's over?"
"Yea, strangely enough I do. I don't like the idea and you're mum will probably find a way to twist it around and put all the blame on me."
"Yea but..." Ginny started to say but was interrupted as the door to the bathroom was opened and some older ladies came in. "We'll finish this later." she said as they both walked out.
*******
"Second string?! How the bloody hell did you get second string?" Adrian Pucey asked Terrence Higgs as they walked down Diagon Alley.
Terrence shrugged, "Not sure how that happened. Damn it still pisses me off." He said brushing his fingers through his short light brown hair.
Both having been in Slytherin, best friends, and had been on the Quidditch team. Both standing at a little over six foot. Adrian had a way with women falling for his charm, where Terrence was a bit on the quieter side. Both with brown hair, Adrian's slightly darker then Terrence's and both had brown eyes. Some used to mistake them as brothers when they were younger, twins even. "Just got an owl saying I was placed on second string." Adrian said as he kicked a rock with his shoe.
"Doesn't make sense, you're one of the best mate. You probably would have still been Seeker in school if Malfoy's dad didn't bribe Flint with getting the entire team new brooms for making him Seeker instead of you." Adrian slowed his step as he saw the Leaky Cauldron. "C`mon I'll even be a nice bloke and buy the first round."
Terrence laughed. "That's only because you only have enough for the first round."
Surprisingly for a Tuesday night the place was semi-crowded. Making their way through the crowd over to the bar. Adrian glanced around and the bartender walked towards them. "I wonder what sort of party is going on."
"Didn't you hear?" Tom asked. "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley made the pro Qudditch team. The two of them are here with their friends celebrating. And once news got out others came to wish the two of them best of luck and to celebrate as well."
"What team did they make?" Terrence asked curiously dreading the answer.
"They'll be the new Seeker and Keeper of the Chudley Cannons." Tom said as he placed two beers in front of the guys and went to start a tab.
Brown eyes cast a look around the crowd until his eyes spotted the two war heroes. "Potter and Weasley."
"Easy Ter, don't want to start a fight right now. I'm not drunk enough yet." Adrian said only half jokingly. He didn't blame his best mate for being pissed. He worked his arse off to get a spot on a pro Quidditch team, and then he got bumped to second string all because of Harry Potter.
*******
"Hermione you need to be having something a little stronger then that tonight." Fred said as he casually put his arm around the brunettes shoulder.
"I have no desire to get drunk tonight Fred, someone has to make sure all of you make it home okay."
"Come now love, we're all grown men." A small cough cut off Oliver. "And woman, we're more then capable to hold our drinks."
Hermione laughed as she removed Fred's arm from her shoulder. "Are you really? Because the last time you got together I had to floo Remus to help me get the lot of you home."
"It won't work you guys." Ron said taking a drink from his cup. "Hermione is never one to let her hair down, let alone get drunk. Completely predictable she is."
Harry sucked in a breath as he did a quick glance at Hermione. Her eyes were fierce as she kept her hands clenched down to her side, as if she was afraid if she moved she would strike. "Ron.." He hissed knowing the damage was already done.
"Probably wouldn't even walk up to a total stranger for a snog. You're probably bore them first with S.P.U.D."
"S.P.E.W." Ginny said under her breath waiting to see what Hermione would do.
"Oh I wouldn't would I?" Hermione asked him keeping herself from grabbing her wand and sending multiple hexes at him. She glanced around the tavern. "We'll see about that."
********
"That bird looks familiar." Terrence said taking a drink of his beer as he saw a young women with curly brown hair by the Gryffindor's.
Adrian smirked, "She would. That's Hermione Granger. She's been with Weasley since Hogwarts. Malfoy called her the brains of the bunch. Defiantly has the looks as well."
"Not bad, too bad she's a Gryffindor. She looks awfully pissed off about something at the moment. She could tell how he body went rigid and her hands clenched tightly at her sides. He watched her she glanced quickly around the bar. His eyes met hers for a brief second as she moved away from the group.
"She's coming this way." Adrian said not sure what to think of the situation. He knew of her temper, heard all about Malfoy's nose. Malfoy was telling everyone it was a stray bludger, he had managed to bribe Crabbe and Goyle with sweets for the truth. "Hello kitten."
"Hi." Hermione said as she stopped in front of the two. Before chickening out or even thinking of glancing back at her friends, knowing full well she would back out. She picked the guy of the lighter hair, stepped forward and brushed her lips against his.
Terrence stood there shocked as the brown-haired goddess kissed him. Sure she was two years younger them him and a Gryffindor to boot, but she knew how to kiss. Getting over the instant shock he used her free hand to pull her closer and return the kiss.
Adrian grabbed the beer from his friends hand afraid he would drop it and not wishing to have Tom add a broken glass to their tab. He watched in amusement as Terrence kissed Hermione back. His eyes drifted to the group four tables away from the bar. All eyes on them and all in shock. He turned his back and waved to Tom for another beer, he was going to need it.