The New Marauders
Author's Note: Apparently I've gotten an overall positive reaction to this story so I will continue it. Thank you so much for the support everyone
Chapter Two
Hermione just didn't know what was going on with her anymore. She'd never once been attracted to ANY guy, and now she couldn't take her mind off of Harry bloody Potter. He used to not exist to her, he was completely off her radar for the first couple of years. Then he annoyed her with his arrogant strutting about the castle with Weasley, Lupin, and Longbotton. He annoyed her with his near-constant dueling with Malfoy, making a scene everywhere outside the classrooms. His hair annoyed her, his scar, glasses, fame, and mere existence annoyed her!
Then she spends a week thinking about how he immediately dropped his duel with Malfoy and even reversed his friend's magic on Malfoy's bodyguards simply because she told him to. She thought about the look of outrage on his face when Malfoy called her a mudblood. She couldn't shake her interest no matter what she did, and it seemed as though he was everywhere now that she was thinking about him differently.
Everywhere she went he was walking by, waving to one of his friends, playing with his stupid snitch, studying, working on schoolwork, or flying on the damn Firebolt his godfather had sent him a good few years back. She couldn't stop thinking about him, or hoping that he was thinking of her too.
"Hermione Granger at a Quidditch Game, I never thought I'd see the day." Hermione looked up to see one of her closest friends standing over her.
Ginny Weasley may have been a year younger than her, but she was more mature than all of Hermione's "dorm mates" combined. Standing beside the youngest Weasley was Hermione's other best friend, Luna Lovegood. It took Hermione a couple years to understand Luna. At first she thought the blonde girl was a moron because she believed in creatures that weren't real, but as time went by she came to see her differently, accepting that Luna simply did not dismiss the possibility of something existing because it had yet to be discovered.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders in response of the red-head's statement. "It's a Gryffindor game, I'd like to see our house win against Slytherin. I'm still a bit raw about being called that vile derogatory term by Malfoy."
Ginny nodded and both girls sat on either side of their muggle-born best friend. "Potter lit the ferret on fire in the corridors yesterday." Hermione shrugged again and watched as the two people Ginny mentioned raced through the air. Apparently one or both of them had caught sight of the snitch. All three girls watched with bated breath as Harry reached out his hand and closed his fist around something.
The cheering crowd alerted Hermione to the fact that Harry Potter had caught the snitch and that Gryffindor had won the game. She wasn't sure why but she felt incredibly proud of the Gryffindor seeker for catching the golden ball with wings. Hermione shook herself mentally and made her way out of the stands flanked by Ginny and Luna.
The muggle born knew that she was the ring-leader of their little group. Despite the fact that Luna was the Ravenclaw, Hermione was the smartest of the three. Luna was the sweetest and most beautiful, while Ginny was the toughest and most athletic, easily staying rather attractive as well. She wasn't sure when their roles in their trio were formed and taken on, but they certainly fit with each other's personalities. Hermione was the brains and the leader, Luna was the beauty, and Ginny was the bodyguard.
It wasn't long before they ran into Potter having a conversation with Katie Bell, one of the Gryffindor chasers. "I warned you ahead of time Katie, and Alicia and Angelina both offered to help you. I wanted to wait out catching the snitch at least ten more minutes but I couldn't do that with you failing to score even once with the Quaffle. We can't have another game go this way or we're gonna lose the cup."
Potter had his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face, but his tone was calm and he seemed to at least be trying to tell her this politely. "And you are you going to get to replace me this late in the game, Potter?" Katie asked with a cruel smile forming.
Potter shrugged. "Haven't a clue, but I'm sure there will be at least a few people that'll show if I make an announcement that the Gryffindor team needs a chaser." Katie seemed outraged and drew her wand. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Curse me, jinx me, or hex me, I don't care. I've tried being polite, helpful and every other damn thing that a captain should be for his teammates. The Quidditch cup is important to everyone else on this team, and if your head isn't in the game or you're not up to snuff you're just going to bring us down. I've concluded along with everyone else that both negatives apply to you, so you're off the team. Argue and cry about it if you want but my decision is final."
Katie was shaking when she put her wand away, but the moment her best weapon was safely tucked away she threw her fist straight at Harry's face. His glasses shattered, and if he hadn't have closed his eyes the moment he caught sight of her aiming for his face he'd likely have lost his eyes. Hermione rushed forward and petrified Katie before mending Harry's glasses and helping back onto his feet.
Harry took one look at Hermione once he could see through his mended glasses and smiled. "Are you stalking me? Because that would be truly amazing."
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head, but couldn't manage to hide her smile. "We were just leaving the stands and I noticed that she punched you. I figured you're rather useless without your glasses, so I decided to fix them for you."
Harry nodded and his smile widened. "Thanks, that was sweet of you," he said as Hermione's two friends walked up behind her. "Hello Ginny, how have you been?" Harry asked of the red head.
Ginny shrugged. "Hating how pathetic a player you have on your team. I could do a better job with one arm tied behind my back."
Harry smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, Katie is officially off the team, so if you really believe you can do better, there's going to be a small try-out this weekend for anyone in Gryffindor that wants to take up the empty chaser position. You should come by and show us what you've got, and there will be no arm-tying necessary."
He saluted the girls and whistled as he walked away from the small group of girls with a spring in his step. Ginny's face was turning pink at Harry's statement and she shuffled her feet, trying to look anywhere other than at him.
Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you still have a crush on him, Gin?" She asked slyly.
Ginny shook her head. "Not a real crush, but I get hints of it when things like that happen. He's just an easy guy to like I guess."
Luna shrugged her shoulders and smiled dreamily. "It's a good thing you like Neville instead, Hermione's starting to develop a thing for Harry." Both the blonde's friends turned to her with bewildered expressions. That was the real reason Luna was the Ravenclaw. She may not have the grades that Hermione had, but she had strong intuition and keen observational skills. That girl seemed to know everything that most people either found to be unimportant or simply never noticed.
"How did you know I like Neville? I haven't said anything to anyone!" Ginny was astounded that Luna just knew her closely guarded secret. She hadn't said anything, never made it obvious that she liked that particular member of the new marauders, and had always been completely nonchalant whenever they exchanged a few words in passing.
Luna shrugged her shoulders again. "You've been pointedly ignoring his existence when he doesn't say hello to you first, and though you are a terrific actress you have always been flirtatious with nearly every boy you come in contact with, whether playful or serious." She turned to face Hermione with those misty, almost transparent eyes that both welcomed you to see into her being and stared straight through everyone else's. "You're far more obvious, you've been staring at Potter with interest and concern for the past week. You can't seem to figure him out and you aren't sure whether you like that or not."
Hermione's eyes widened and she crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head in a stubborn attempt to deny Luna's observation. "I most certainly have not been staring at him, nor do I care one bit about the arrogant git."
Ginny smirked and pointed at Hermione. "That proves it! Instant denial and name-calling! You DO like him!"
"I do not!" Hermione yelled back at Ginny and stormed away from both her friends, murmuring to herself about how she wanted to decapitate them both. She wouldn't follow through of course, but it was a satisfying thought when she was angry.
But that anger quickly faded when she got back to her dorm and saw a piece of folded up parchment lying on her bed. She quirked an eyebrow as she picked it up, unfolding it quickly.
I love the way you stand, so confident and proud,
I love the way you talk, so determined and in control,
I love the way you smile, obviously pleased and care-free,
I love it when you defend those around you, no matter how undeserving they are,
But what I love most is how you make me wish I were good enough for you.
-your secret admirer.
Hermione wiped away a tear and folded the note back up. She wasn't sure who sent her the note, but she hoped she'd receive another, hopefully with the name of the sender.
In the boy's dormitory Harry was lying on his bed with a smile on his face as he stared up at his ceiling. He was hoping that Hermione had gotten his first letter, and that eventually he'd have the courage to tell her it was him. Maybe when he'd gotten to know her a bit better… and began to appeal to her more as himself, he'd be completely honest. Until then… he had another letter to write.
