Chapter two - pacing yourself
"Heads up!" the quaffle spun through the frozen air. Ginny lunged and caught it side on before spinning her broom around and passing to Adrian Pucey. The Hogwarts team tryouts were taking place. From the field far below them Madam Hooch, Mr Drawn and Dumbledore were overseeing the match between Team A and Team B, which both consisted of a mixture of every house. Adrian snarled at her before racing forwards and hurling the quaffle towards the goal posts. Ginny never thought there'd be a day in which she passed the Quaffle to a Slytherin chaser.
The goal was deflected by the Hufflepuff keeper Jamie Nabih, a tall sixth year with ringlet hair that was new to the team that year. Like the rest of his group he had a red sash tied round the arm of his quidditch uniform, Ginny and the rest of team B had a blue sash tied around theirs.
Katie Bell caught the quaffle mid dive and swerved to move out of the way of a bludger. Ginny thought she looked somewhat nervous as she sped past her. It was the last tryout match of the two weeks before the teachers made their decision. She and last few people to sign up were present; a few familiar faces from the house quidditch teams like Katie, Jamie, Adrian from slytherin and of course Cho, the Ravenclaw seeker hovering twenty feet above them. The rest she didn't know. She quietly thought as the ravenclaw beater who was supposed to have kept that bludger away from Katie came hurtling past her that some of them could use a little practice. She leaned forward to intercept as Alicia Spinnet tried to pass to Blaize Zabini when a rush of dark blue dived past her on her right. It was Cho Chang and the red team seeker, fifth year Tobias Felon, was soon neck and neck with her as they pulled towards the field. The snitch had been spotted.
Ginny pulled her senses back into the game a second faster than Blaize and caught the quaffle that Alicia had just spun towards him. Donna Santos, a blue team chaser from Slytherin, came into view and waved to her. They passed the quaffle back and forth between them as they made their way towards the goal posts. Currently, it was 50 points to the reds and 10 points to the blues. If Cho caught the snitch and they managed to land this last goal, it would win them the game. Donna was only a third year but was already considerably faster than those around her. She passed to Ginny and sped forward to the goal posts, then looked back, gestured that she passed her the quaffle, her sharp grey eyes gleaming with the cold air. Ginny ducked as a red team chaser made a lunge for her and raised her arm to throw the quaffle. She saw suddenly from the corner of her eye that Cho and Tobias had sped upwards. She caught sight of a flash of gold and both seekers outstretched hands. There wasn't time.
Taking a steadying breath, Ginny aimed and threw the quaffle.
Hermione wrapped her winter cloak a little tighter around herself. Far above the miniature figures of the quidditch players sped back and forth through the air. She caught sight of a flash of red hair, followed Ginny for a moment before losing her in the crowd. She smiled to herself; Ginny was getting better. Every time she watched her fly she seemed to have come on so much. Less human, more bird. Angelina watched the skies too, a slow smile across her face. Only a few people had come out into the cold morning to watch the last set of trials and the wooden seats were mostly empty. Hermione had a book open on her lap. She'd been making notes in the margins, but she couldn't seem to focus on Wizarding American studies today. Angelina had come and sat down next to her so quietly that at first Hermione hadn't noticed.
"Morning" she'd said and Hermione had started, spilling dark drops from the quill onto the page.
"Good morning" she'd replied quickly, tucking her hair behind one ear. They sat in silence for a while, then Angelina commented on the game, and then after a while asked her about her book. Hermione told her about the student ambassador role. Angelina had seemed honestly interested and as she was talking Hermione began to feel the cold a little less, the niceness of the morning a little more. She supposed that the ambassador position was weighing on her more than she realized. Of course, Angelina wasn't supposed to know.
"Don't worry" she smiled "I won't tell. They'll be announcing it around the same time as the team players right? That's next week"
"Yes" Hermione sighed. She slumped forward a little in her seat. On the pitch, Hooch, Drawn and Dumbledore were staring skyward, occasionally stamping their feet to warm away the cold. "There's just no time… Merlin, Angelina, I hope I don't let everyone down"
"You won't." Angelina replied gently, leaning back. There was a pause. Putting her quills and book back in her back hermione got stiffly to her feet. She stared upwards at the clouds for a moment longer, murmured something to herself.
"I'm going to the library" she said, turning to leave. On the pitch the whistle had blown to indicate that the snitch had been caught. The players were drifting towards the ground. "I'll see you later Angelina".
Hermione left as Ginny touched down and shook hands with Jamie and then Adrian, Cho and the others. Players began walking back towards the changing rooms as Hooch made furious notes on her clipboard in consultation with Drawn, but Ginny turned and instead began walking towards the stands. She could she Angelina sitting alone on the benches. Watching her walk towards her, her hands in her pockets. She smiled as Ginny drew closer and offered her a hand up to where she stood. "Good game?"
"Alright. Not quite the way I planned, but we won" Ginny shrugged, accepting the water flask Angelina offered her.
"Better than alright. You did well out there" Angelina had a way of saying simple truths in few words. Ginny barely took the flask away from her lips before Angelina leaned forward. Every time they kissed Ginny was as shocked as the first time; it was why she had come over to the stands rather than follow the rest of the team. It was why she was here. Yet, with every touch that tested her nerves, stirred up feeling, she felt as though Angelina answered a question she couldn't ask yet. On a strength born from a newly won quidditch match she put her arms around Angelina's shoulders and moved forward into the way Angelina moved towards her, deepening the kiss. This prompted a soft laugh from the older girl.
"Come on" Angelina grinned, eyes glinting. She took Ginny's hand. "Let's go get you warmed up"
The next two weeks dragged past as the teachers delayed the Hogwarts team announcement when picking players proved more difficult than first anticipated. Every evening the school went into dinner with baited breath, and every evening they were disappointed. For Ginny at least, it was unbearable. She tried to make eye contact with Madam Hooch when they passed each other on the field after a training session but she had resolutely avoided her gaze. Ginny had panicked and thought it had to mean that she hadn't been chosen. She barely said a word to anyone in the changing rooms. Angelina had crept into the showers when Ginny had stayed under the scalding water long after she was supposed to have gone to transfiguration, and it was both the last and the only thing Ginny had wanted. She let her draw soft circles on her back anyway, pressing their skin together. Driving out distance. Ginny wasn't used to caring what other people thought. She tipped her head back and let the water scour her eyelids as Angelina breathed into her neck. She felt the usual rush of intense heat tightening in her stomach and sighed slowly. Angelina was saying things to her in whispers she couldn't quite hear.
She wasn't however the only one who was struggling. Hermione whispered lumos long after the others had gone to sleep and poured over books beneath her bed sheets. She tried not to think about being called up in front of the school and presented as their representative. She waited stiffly each morning for Professor McGonagall to tell her to prepare herself for that evening, but nothing happened. She walked silently next to Ron and Harry, avoiding their questions as people sized Harry up for Team seeker and got Ron's opinion on likely bets for players. It was ridiculous; she'd have far more important public appearances to make once they arrived in Massachusetts. But this was Hogwarts where she knew everyone, had friends, enemies. This was her second home. A home that was now under her care and guardianship. Hermione wasn't used to caring what other people thought. She breathed out slowly with each passing minute, brought the weight back onto her shoulders and continued. Letting each moment slide.
Then, the morning came.
Ginny lingered at the bottom of the staircase, pretending to be interested in a bit of fluff that had got caught in the end of her braid. Students flowed past her into the great hall, their collective murmuring the same as any other morning, if a little more discontented than usual. The uniform she was wearing was a hand-me-down from George but it was her best set. It always fit her the best, and for once she'd buttoned her cuffs instead of rolling them to the elbows. She couldn't quite place why but for some reason she felt that this morning she had to look her best. It was why she was hovering outside instead of going into breakfast, that and she said she'd wait for Angelina. She couldn't stand outside forever though, and the last few students were making there way inside.
She realized then that five minutes ago when she'd said hi to Harry and Ron as they'd passed her she hadn't seen Hermione with them. That struck her as odd; Hermione never seemed to go anywhere without them. She absently wondered if she was ill, tangling a finger in the ends of her plait.
"Hi"
Ginny slid across two stairs, stumbled and was about to fall when a hand caught the back of her robe from behind and another gripped her waist. "Careful" Angelina's laughter was breathy in Ginny ear.
A few heads turned as Angelina pulled Ginny back to her feet and Ginny took a step back, brushed off the sleeves of her robe distractedly. "Thanks" she said quickly "how's er… how's it going?"
Angelina smiled, her hands in her pockets "Good."
Ginny nodded, glancing back towards the doors of the main hall. "You look...polished" Angelina continued, slowly walking around to meet Ginny's eyes again "what's the occasion?"
"Oh, I er…" Ginny put a hand behind her head, but as an afterthought met Angelina's eyes and grinned "no reason, I guess"
Angelina chuckled and took a step closer, her fingertips brushing against Ginny's waist again. Ginny breathed in sharply; she felt as though here, in the open, half the school was staring at them. Over Angelina's shoulder she could see a group of Hufflepuffs looking at them curiously. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Don't make this harder. Don't be a coward." She wished sometimes she and Angelina could talk, but there were never words. In the beginning, when they'd started… whatever 'this' was it was easier. It was easier not to speak when you were being dragged into an empty classroom or tiptoeing through a darkened dormitory, only feeling and never asking.
Angelina never seemed to think much of boundaries, either. "Let's go" she whispered, close enough for only Ginny to hear. It'd be easy to just submit, let Angelina grip her waist, lead her somewhere darker, quieter. It would be easier still to take Angelina's hand and run along the next corridor, away from the hall, every step made her own. Even if it still felt wrong. This she then did, Angelina pulling her towards the nearest bathroom.
Meanwhile, Hermione shifted in her seat, mentally steadying herself.
She was seated at the end of the teachers table. Hermione had never been at this end of the hall before and she could feel every eye watching her, every confused murmur from each of the four long tables. Teachers sat on tall, throne-like chairs and she felt dwarfed by her perch. She hadn't felt this way for a long time, not since she had sat upon a much less grand seat, the stool used for the sorting ceremony. She was even wearing a new set of house neutral robes, just as she had been then. She hadn't felt afraid, then, though. "And I'm not afraid now" she thought, straightening her back "I'm not." Happening to glance to her left along the table she caught a kind look for Hagrid who was seated on the other end and the gesture warmed her instantly. Of course she could do this. In a moment, however, Professor McGonagall was getting to her feet and tapping the side of her glass for silence.
"Students" she began "after a long wait I am happy to announce that the Hogwarts Quidditch team members have been decided." She allowed for a moment of excitement murmuring before raising her hand. "But first" she continued. "I am delighted to be able to introduce the Hogwarts student ambassador, who will be traveling to Ilvermorny this year to represent this schools values and interests." Hermione balled her robe in her fists beneath the table. Her eye fell on the great doors through which two late comers had just slipped in to hear the announcement. Even from this end of the hall, she saw Ginny's flame red hair, braided but windswept as always. The sight made her smile. Angelina was next to her and the two walked side by side, slipping onto the end of the Gryffindor table. She thought Ginny seemed tense, but as she turned and met Hermione's gaze her face darkened before breaking into a smile.
Hermione started as she realized suddenly that her name was being called. "Hermione Granger!"
She quickly got to her feet, and the great hall rang with applause. She smiled, breathing lightly as she gazed around and waved. The loudest cheers came from the gryffindor table of course, especially from Ron and Harry who she could now see shouting their incredulous approval. She could have laughed, imagining their excited disbelief when she confessed all later that evening. She could see though that there were faces along the hall that seemed less than pleased. There were a few disquieted whispers to contrast the joy. Hermione wondered if it was her age, her appearance, her house, or all of the above they disapproved of. As she looked towards the Slytherin table, she wondered if even her blood status might be a factor. She smiled, lifted her chin and paused to allow silence to fall before taking her seat.
"Thank you, Miss Granger" McGonagall smiled at her, before turning back to the hall
"I am now delighted to be able to announce the members of the Hogwarts School quidditch team. Please, come up to the front of the hall as your name is called…"