I do not own Harry Potter, but I hope you enjoy reading. This is where the fun starts! Reviews are always welcome xo
Breakfast came early the next day with sausages, toast and everything else appearing endlessly on the golden platters. Hermione hadn't taken one bite off of anything, her stomach had not been well since last night, unendingly thinking about the nasty things that could happen, thousands of them.
"Look at her, not even a single piece on her plate" Ron whispered to Harry as they both watched their friend turn paler. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail revealing every curve, every shrill edge of her flawless face.
"Hermione, you really need to eat. It's going to be hot today and we don't know for sure when the game is going to end. Come on" said Harry, filling her plate with waffles.
Seeing the students in their Gryffindor scarves didn't help Hermione's battling stomach as it only made her more and more nervous. She barely attended the practices, who knows how well they've trained. As for the Slytherins, she had seen Malfoy last night, drenched in his own sweat at around nine o'clock in the evening. He was walking by the corridors, towards his own bunk in the castle. She knew he had met his team and played with them, he had his broom in his hands.
"I think I'm going to be sick" the poor woman looked sideways, away from all the sausages and hams, partially covering her mouth with her fingers. What she saw entering the corner door reminded her of another unpleasant feeling, it was Malfoy who, for the –nth time had locked eyes with her. The hilarious grim in her disgusted eyes turned dreadful and cruel. Little did she know both Aurors beside her had noticed the more intense glare she gave her least favorite Slytherin.
"Exactly what was that?" Ron, who was always a bit nosy didn't waste any time beating around the bush, instead, he asked bluntly. Unlike Ron, Harry knew what had happened yesterday afternoon, he overheard the students talking by the garden. If the rumors are true, he knew it was best not to mention it, he cleared his throat and shook his head at Ron who instantly knew what that meant.
"By the way, Ginny's going to be here today" Harry said.
"Is she really? Thank Goodness" Hermione sighed. This, as Harry had hoped did lighten her mood. Ginny has always been the closest girl she had as a friend, it wasn't all the time she was comfortable talking to neither Harry, nor Ron about everything. Of course, women had other problems men could never understand. Time had gotten nearer to the start of the game, on one corner lined trash-talking, belligerent students in green and silver striped mufflers around their necks. On the other, where Hermione stood, roared a less muddled group of youngsters in the same striped mufflers only, they were in maroon and gold. She took out deep, constant breaths to get rid of the overwhelming feeling dominating her entire physique.
"Hermione!" she turned.
"Oh, Ginny!" the warmth of Ginny's hug was splendid, it relaxed her a bit. Behind her grinned a taller man with the same red hair and pale, white skin.
"How ya' doin', Mione? It's good ta' see ya'"
"Good to see you, George" he too, gave her a very comforting squeeze.
"Where's Ron and Harry?" asked Ginny.
"They'll be here soon, just went down to Hagrid's, he might have forgotten about the game. He'll be really bummed if he'd miss this, I'm sure." The youngest Weasley agreed. One minute later the two Aurors had shown up with the giant everyone so loved.
"There you are! Just in time, I need to be down there to send them off. I'll see you after the game, I suppose. They want me with the rest of the staff" Hermione whooped another breath, embraced Hagrid who said "A win fer Gryffindor, I'm sure! A great adviser yeh are, Hermione" a genuine smile hovered over the nervous witch as she strode herself down the wooden stairs.
Four more minutes and the game was yet to begin, the crowd was getting bigger, harsher even. The whole school was out, yes, even the Headmistress was excited by the front, wriggling graciously with her full attention on the pitch. Draco waited patiently for the sound of Madam Hootch's whistle, eyeing all corners of the pitch as though he was searching for something along the heap of magic folks.
"Nervous, are we?" Pansy, who was seated right next to him nudged onto his shoulder, he looked over immediately with a handsome smug on his pale face.
"Not exactly, they play awfully well these kids" he said, with no hint of her flirtatious approach.
Behind them sat Neville Longbottom and Professor Sprout who seemed to be discussing about the greenhouses' worn-out roof.
"Say, Longbottom, you haven't seen Granger have you? Any minute now and the bloody bludgers will be set loose" Professor Slughorn had almost leapt, rattling beside Professor McGonagall.
"Only at breakfast, Professor. She'd probably gone with Harry and Ron, but no worries I've told her to come sit with the rest of us." Immediately after Neville had said this, Hermione was already climbing the last bit of the staircase looking sheepishly anxious. Everyone had heard her come in, even Draco who had stopped lurking around. She brought herself over to Neville's left side and sat in time for Madam Hootch's whistle blow. In an instant, the bludgers started tailing one player after another, and another.
"You don't seem to be mingling around the other teachers" Draco started without blinking through the rough play.
"Hmm..I do, not all the time though. I prefer to be—reserved, as we call it" her pale, pinkish lips curved halfway rotted.
"The Old Slytherin way, I see" he shared the same preposterous smug as his old housemate.
"Another ten points for Slytherin!" howled a boy with thick, luscious blonde locks two steps down the announcer's booth.
Things have not been good for Gryffindor, beaters were doing remarkable hitting in all the right directions, sending all those filthy bludgers towards the Slytherins. The chasers weren't doing terrible either only that the Slytherin keeper was better. As for their own keeper, he hadn't done anything else but trouble Hermione, she had to look down half the time covering her face with a hovered hand on her left temple, swaying her head from left to right. This was a nightmare, she very well thought.
"What do you know about Granger?" asked Malfoy, relaxed with how the game has been going so far. Pansy looked at him confusingly with little emotion.
"Brilliant, although I hate to admit. Teaches Transfiguration for all levels, McGonagall always fancied her even before. And I've heard Flitwick has forced her to teach Charms for first year and second years." They paused at another score.
"Another one for Slytherin! Fifty to zero" the announcer too, had a stain of disgrace with how he said it. The Slytherin chasers had taken turns in throwing that quaffle through the high rings, and the keeper had dodged ever single entry instead of blocking it.
"Why the sudden interest?" she peered "Curiosity." He ended.
It seemed as though the Gryffindors had turned sour at the sight of the scoreboard and the Slytherins had started shouting nasty things at them.
"Some sort of git this one! Not even trying to block the bloody thing!" Ron almost cried in frustration looking like a mad bulldog with his face sagging below his jaw.
"I din' think it was this bad after Gunt graduated! Won all Quiddtich cups that one" Hagrid stared unsurely at the new Gryffindor keeper who could barely remain on his broomstick.
"It's up to the seeker now, come on!" yelled the heated redhead.
"I wouldn't keep my hopes too high. Also the seeker is new" a deep Scottish voice slid beyond the heavy noise. It was an older lad with straight, brown hair, neatly buffed. Handsome young man he was, Oliver Wood.
"Blimey! Haven't seen you in ages since you've started playing for the Chudley Cannons!"
"Thought you'd never come, mate how are ye'?" George took Wood's fists and pulled him into a manly hug.
"Great to see you, Wood!" greeted Harry, Ginny tagged along with her hands locked onto his.
"Good to see you all" he smiled, turning towards the game.
"Seventy to zero!"
Eleven minutes had passed and still no sign of the snitch's whereabouts. Almost half the crowd kept an eye on for the golden pellet, nearly ignoring the depressing game and sharing a single thought; the snitch was the last hope for Gryffindor. Neville had been constantly clearing his throat to break the sound of Hermione's voice asking "How bad is it, Neville?"
One moment later, a pair of brooms swiped swiftly in front of their shack as though they were racing. Seekers!
"The snitch!" screeched Neville. Suddenly, all was alive again, peering on the snitch and those racing towards it. Hermione stood with eyes as wide as an elf's.
"Come on, Willowback!" her unusual behavior rewarded her with stares from the rest of the crowd, especially Pansy who seemed a bit irritated, but she didn't care. She gave it her loudest shout, jumping up and down like a dimwitted troll. Malfoy's brows hunched upwards feeling his toes tingle unnervingly. The entire pitch watched as bludgers tailed the two lads, beaters along their sides. Thrill hurled even more as they circled over and below each other heading towards one of the rings, where a frantic Adam Lutherhand stiffened at the sight of what looked like a tornado. A streak of gold flew past him, going through the ring, he turned to the last thing he heard
"Watch out!"
It was dim.
"Shhhh! He's waking"
"M-Mmm…" moaned the skinny boy laying down the hospital bed. "W-what happened?" he asked perplexedly.
"Are you alright, Mr. Lutherhand?" his faint eyesight managed to clear out the angelic face of his professor with much concern on her face. Surrounding him were dirty, reeking men in Quidditch robes. And then it came to him, he flew half his body up with an opened mouth.
"The snitch! I-it was so close!" he freaked.
"Mr. Lutherhand"
"Oh, I was horrible. I should've moved out the way! I let us down. I let us down!"
"Mr. Lutherhand"
"If only I wasn't too much of a coward, blocking all those quaffles" cried the poor boy. "We could've done it if it weren't for me, stupid me!"
"Mr. Lutherhand!" finally, the boy paused. His eyes twinkled looking over the smiling faces of his teammates and Professor Granger.
"Randalwig bumped right at you, Adam! Got the snitch when he fell" Neil let out a weak chuckle and patted him by the shoulder. "But don't worry, Professor Granger made sure you were carefully brought down"
"So does that mean—"
"We won, Mr. Lutherhand"
Hermione strutted happily out the hospital wing, leaving the rest of the Gryffindors howling in victory. Nothing could possibly ruin her mood, not even Malfoy who stood over another hospital bed together with the rest of the Slytherin team. He had seen her coming their way, glanced sideways as she passed through them. He excused himself among the students and walked behind the ecstatic woman.
"Granger" he spoke firmly.
Hermione turned around to a complete stop and stared into his eyes, less reluctant. This gave him permission to move closer to her, his face was brewing with displeasure yet he was strangely gentle. He cleared his throat, a deep voice rumbled out of him while his hands shuffled through his pockets. Hermione faced him properly and found his right hand stretched before her. "Congratulations"
Unlike his first attempt, the handshake was received quite well. "Thank you" she said flatly, nodding. As she was about to head north again, he halted her once more.
"Also—I would like to apologize for yesterday. I'll be sure my student knows better next time." With that, Draco nodded and walked back to the hospital wing, Hermione had a feeble smile on her face.
Evening shadowed later that day and cheers travelled through the air of the remarkable Great Hall, a feast had been held with Professor McGonagall's welcome to the plenty visitors, previous students of Hogwarts. The bewitched hall had been arranged quite differently than it usually was as the front table couldn't possibly accommodate all the alumni, and having them sit among the students wasn't also a better idea. What used to be an occupied wooden table had gone empty; teachers, staff and visitors were to have their own banquet at Professor McGonagall's office.
"It's been ages! What's the two of them doing in there?" Ron hissed. After a much worrisome day, Hermione thought she deserved a warm, soothing bath before dinner and Ginny needed a few things done too, things which men like Ron and Harry would never understand.
"Well, whatever it is they're doing in there, it's best to leave them be. I'm not about to stay up all night getting scowled at…" said Harry, raising his eyebrows and allowing his eyes to stretch whilst wavering his head from side to side. He held a copy of The Daily Prophet and continued to read as he has been for the past two hours. Ron, who sat across him over the warm fireplace of Hermione's lounge slouched comfortably, flicking his wand making tiny sparks through the fire.
"We should've gone with George and Oliver…" he cried, regretful.
Inside the stilted door across the lounge stood a fresh Hermione, ruffling through her closet and contemplating which robes to wear for tonight. Ginny sat by the edge of the enormous bed looking at her dearest friend—and likely sister, pull out a velvet robe, similar to that of Professor McGonagall's but differently shaded.
"Oh for goodness sake, Hermione! You're not attending to students tonight, you're going to a dinner banquet" said Ginny who had clearly disapproved of the outfit she had chosen.
"I don't see anything wrong with this" she said, confused.
"You know, I actually thought that you and Ron deciding to stay as friends was a god idea" it was dreadful seeing Hermione like this—as though she was barely living, even though she herself never really considered it a problem.
"Come on, Ginny. Everything's well, besides he is very much happy back with Lavender"
"It's not Ron I'm worried about, 'Mione" rolled Ginny's eyes.
"What does that mean?" she sniggered sourly, hovering the velvet robe enough to get a better glimpse.
A faded sigh took her gaze off the demure piece of elegant clothing and shifted to the redhead who rummaged through the old cabinet on her left.
"It means..." she continued to plunge, "It means you need to stop thinking about work sometimes, get out of this castle—"
"I do get out of this castle!"
"Hogsmeade doesn't count" she pointed right away "You need to meet new people, maybe travel around during the holidays. Come to think of it, when was the last time you spent Christmas at the burrows?" finally, the cluttering had ended with a pair of casual jeans and a simple turtle-necked sweater in cream. She did not protest, it did look rather comfortable than those robes.
"I appreciate your concern, Ginny, I really do but I'm alright with how I am" she said, sliding her arms into the sweater. Ginny eyed her dear friend and a satisfied smile curved onto her lips, both her hands gently took Hermione's.
"You're a very brilliant witch, Hermione. Most brilliant if you ask me, and kind—and ever so beautiful. I only wish that you'd let someone into your life already."
Their beautiful moment had yet been disturbed by a moaning, impatient voice knocking on the door repeatedly.
"What's the matter with you two, have you been killed in there? I don't think I'm going to last any longer without being fed!"