A/n: Big thanks for the reviews. I love to hear what you think. Suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated! So glad Storm seems to be a hit!
3
Chapter 7
It was the morning of Gryffindor's first quidditch game of the season. The third saturday of October. Halloween was luming and the weather had begun to get chilly and the morning had begun with a thunderstorm. The rain had woken the brunette from her slumber earlier on, and she now sat waiting for her girlfriend to make an appearance.
The past month and a half with the American had been nothing short of perfect. They were getting on better and better as the weeks passed and they had learned more about each other. One thing Hermione had picked up on about the younger girl was that she hated getting up in the mornings.
Her dark orbs lifted from her breakfast as the redhead sat down in front of her with a worried look on her face. "Where's Storm? She better not miss breakfast, she'll need to eat something before the game!" The redhead's voice was somewhat shrill. As the captain a lot of pressure was put on the youngest Weasley to ensure her team was ready for the match that was due to begin in less than an hour.
"Right, I'll go fetch her out of bed then" the brunette finally decided the dark haired girl had slept long enough. Ginny smiled and gave a nod, "thank you, I'd do it myself but I'm starving" The younger witch stated before pushing a bit of toast between her lips.
"Yes of course" Hermione smiled a warm smile at her best friend before she pushed her plate away from her and stood up with purpose. It was often Storm slept until the very last second she could get away with. And Hermione was no stranger to waking the girl up when she was tired of waiting.
Her feet took her to Gryffindor tower quickly, her strides as wide as they could be for someone of her height. A smile pulled at her lips as the thought of waking a slumbering Storm up passed through her mind. She secretly loved the times she got to wake the girl up. Storm would grumble and find a way to pull the brunette into her bed for a few moments. As the last remnants of sleep would be leaving her body and she would be waking up to the outside world.
Hermione climbed the staircase up towards the younger girls dormitory. As she came to a pause near the door she knocked at waited a moment for some sort of reply.
A loud crash came from the other side, followed by profanities of all sorts. With a sigh the brunette pushed the door open and was met with the site of her girlfriend trying to get her quidditch trousers on, while seemingly rolling around on the floor.
A laugh escaped her throat involuntarily, and Storm looked up. Her face flushed with colour "Oh, Hi Hermione, good morning?" The younger girl asked casually. As if she wasn't half naked and on the floor.
"I'd say so, yes. Trying new ways to put your trousers on are you?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Oh uhm, no you see the floor just was lonely and I felt it needed a cuddle. So why not multi-task?" Storm said with a smirk, wriggling into the other half of her trousers before hoisting herself from the floor.
"Well, it's nice to see you were being as thoughtful as always" the brunette laughed, shaking her head.
The dark haired girl blushed a deep blush, ruffling her short messy hair. "I uh, yeh that" She laughed before moving to sit on her bed, pulling her quidditch boots from underneath it.
The older witch went to sit next to her, cuddling into her side. "You hungry?" She asked, pressing her lips to the girls cheek.
"Starving, I'm hoping there's something left after Ginny's been down" Storm laughed. Wrinkling her nose as her stomach gave a rather loud rumble.
"Have you eaten already?" She asked the older witch, leaning over to pull her boots on and tuck her trousers into them.
"Of course, the rain had me up at the crack of dawn, I only came back up to make sure you were awake, the game starts in less than an hour and Ginny is stressing out more than usual"
"Oh right, well I'm ready to go down. Are you going to be warm enough?" The younger girl asked as she stood up. "I have a spare long sleeved jersey if you want it" Storm grinned from ear to ear as Hermione nodded.
"Well, I have to show my support" The brunette laughed, leaning up to take the dark haired girls lips in a tender kiss. Part of her was worried about the match, she was half expecting the younger witch to do some crazy stunt and injure herself.
Storm beamed, pulling her wand from her back pocket, she mumbled "accio quidditch jersey" and after a moment, the red and golden shirt came flying towards them. Hermione caught it and shrugged her coat off to give to Storm to hold.
A few moments later she was stood decked out in the dark haired girls jersey, and was smiling sheepishly up at the taller girl. "I think you look the part now" Storm winked, taking the older girls hand and pulled her down and out of the common room.
"Well, I must let everyone know I am a Gryffindor supporter" Hermione laughed, as if it wasn't obvious enough.
"That, and you have a brilliant girlfriend who is a badass seeker" Storm winked and grinned a cheeky grin.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "well if you say so" She smirked. She'd learnt how to wind the younger girl up, and found it surprisingly funny.
"I do say so" Storm said rather sternly.
"Well just be careful, I don't want you hurting yourself somehow" Hermione stated, her free hand coming to hold the crook of the taller girls arm.
"I'm always careful, you don't have to worry" the younger girl spoke full of confidence. Like she was always careful, and wasn't actually a disaster waiting to happen. Hermione had come to realise, as charming as the American was, she really should have come with a warning.
"Fine, but if you hurt yourself, well then you'll have to stay in the hospital wing tonight and not my room" She spoke with a smirk, her voice light and flirty.
"What?" Storm stopped abruptly, her jaw very nearly hitting the floor.
"You heard me, we've waited long enough I think, at least for a few things. Now I'm not saying we'll engage in any sort of activities like the sort I'm sure are going through that mind of yours right now, I'm just saying it's the next step and I'm more than ready to share a bed with you" Hermione clarified.
The dark haired girl nodded in understanding. They had both agreed to keep what she liked to call the "whole shebang" on hold until their relationship was ready for that step. Rather than allow their hormones to run rampant. Well, Hermione had suggested it, and Storm agreed. They hadn't known each other that long, and it made sense to wait.
"Sounds good to me" she said with a genuine smile before leaning down to kiss the shorter girls cheek gently.
They had made their way down to the great hall, and luckily the entire team was still there. The pair sat down, and Hermione talked casually with the rest of the team while Storm was busy stuffing everything into her mouth as quickly as she could.
Ginny didn't seem very pleased she had been so late to breakfast, and quite frankly she wasn't stupid enough to piss the redhead off anymore. She'd always be able to earn herself the right to be on her good side by winning the game for them.
If she wasn't so cocky about her own ability as a seeker, she would probably have a mass amount of butterflies. But one thing Storm was, was cocksure of her flying skill. If that wasn't enough, she always had stunts nobody else would have the guts to pull off to get her by.
She finished in five minutes flat, her stomach no longer empty. Once she was done, the rest of the team got to their feet and headed down to the pitch. The weather was still terrible. The wind was whipping rather violently, and Storm felt the chill right through her uniform as they finally stepped out of the castle. She was glad she hadn't put her armour on yet, it would at least add a little to protecting her from the elements. Her robe's swished and blew in the wind behind her, and she was suddenly glad she had suggested Hermione add another layer.
The older witch was walking beside her, and smiled a wide smile up at her girlfriend. Pulling her coat tighter around her chest, and her scarf a little tighter around her neck. She was abnormally quiet, holding the younger girls hand and arm tightly as they walked. She was honestly dreading this game. The weather was terrible, and she just hoped Storm would be a little more careful than she normally was. She was glad they still had all their padding and armour to put on, and get one finally talk from Ginny before the match was due to start. At least it gave the weather a little more time to calm down. Though she doubted it would.
Hermione had come to a stop at the small fork in the path. Storm and the team would go one way, and she would go sit in the stands. Her arms wrapped around the younger girls neck, who was grinning from ear to ear. Her hair dripped slightly from the rain and had flattened considerably. "Be careful please" The older girl said finally, and with a lingering kiss and hug for her girlfriend she pulled away. Making her way towards the stands to take her place amongst the cheering spectators.
Storm took the rear of the group of players. Entering the locker room last. She moved towards where she kept her pads and pulled her locker open. Pulling her gloves and shin pads on after her chest plate was in place. Taking a seat amongst the new Gryffindor team, they waited for Ginny to start speaking. She was stood in front of them all, a small smile tugged on the corners of her lips.
"Right, now that I've got you all in one place, all I really want to say is go for it. I know we're more than capable of beating Hufflepuff. Now rumours say they've gotten pretty good, but we're ready. I want to see you try your best. Get out there, and make Gryffindor proud" She ended, and the team erupted into shouts and cheers. All jumping to their feet and grabbing their brooms.
Ginny and Storm lead the group into the tunnel that lead onto the pitch. Storm smiled widely over at the redhead. Ginny returned the smile and looked around to grin at her team. They all seemed to be waiting nervously for their announcement. The que for them to take to their brooms and onto the field.
A roar from the crowd signalled the Hufflepuff's had taken to the pitch. A few moments later, they were called out.
Ginny and Storm were the first to mount their brooms and take off into the battering rain. Zooming off into the middle of the pitch. A deafening roar came from the Gryffindor stands. The crowd was a sea of burgundy and gold, and Storm followed Ginny past them waving and smirking to all those out to support them. The wind was strong, but she kept her broom on course.
Dark eyes caught those she had become so familiar with, and her grin doubled in size. Threatening to split her face in half, trying to reassure the older girl without words. Hermione looked almost panic striken. With one last wave she turned and headed for the centre of the pitch were the Hufflepuff's had taken their places.
Soon the Gryffindor's were in place, and with a loud screech of a whistle the quaffle was released along with the bludgers and the snitch which had zoomed off and out of view before long.
The chasers were going like crazy. Passing back and forth, doing all the practised strategies.
So far they were up by twenty not enough to keep them ahead if Hufflepuff caught the snitch. Ginny had been scoring most of the goals, while assisting the others she hadn't personally shot.
Storm was doing rounds of the pitch. Keeping her eyes torn between the Hufflepuff seeker, the bludgers, and the chasers. A few of the iron balls had been aimed for her, but she managed to dodge them all.
Her eyes caught the Hufflepuff seeker speeding off in the opposite direction. She quickly turned her own broom around and raced after him. The wind whipped her cape behind her, and the rain stung her face and eyes.
She held herself close to the handle of her broom to try and shield herself from the attack of the harsh winds. She swished around players and dodged bludgers that had been flying towards both of the seekers. They had been climbing higher and higher, almost out of sight from the spectators when they finally levelled out. She had caught up quickly considering the headstart the hufflepuff had.
Her keen eyes caught sight of the rain blurred snitch just out of the hufflepuff's reach. With one rushed decision she lifted herself off the broom, her booted feet meeting the top of the shaft, not for the first time. Hopefully she'd have gained enough momentum to do this.
With one last look to the other player, she launched herself off her broom. A collective gasp filled the air as she dove blindly towards the snitch and from the safety of her broom. She swiped forward and snatched the golden ball from it's frantic flight to keep away from the players. There was nothing but air and a very hard landing below her, and suddenly she doubted herself.
As soon as her fingers closed around the ball, Her other hand grasped out and caught the handle of her broom which had kept flying at the same speed. Luckily enough. She swung herself up and re-mounted the broom, her feet finding their places were they should be. A roar from the crowd erupted as the commentator announced that against the odds she had caught the snitch, blocking out her own racing heartbeat.
"Bloody hell, you're insane" Came the voice of the hufflepuff seeker who was staring at her incrediously from his broom before flying off to where his team had gathered. Storm just smirked a smug smirk, her eyes scanned around before she made the decent to land with her team. They were all cheering and clapping her on the back. Ginny just shook her head and laughed "You're going to get yourself killed! If not by falling but by Hermione's wrath for scarring her so bad!" She laughed. The redhead had missed the death defying stunt the American had pulled all in the name of winning but was quickly filled in.
"You gotta do what you gotta do! He almost had it!" Storm laughed, holding the ball out proudly. "But he didn't" She winked.
As if on que, Hermione approached looking not best pleased and stormed right up to her girlfriend with a face like thunder. The dark haired girl had gone from being ecstatic to quaking in her boots in seconds.
"Storm Griffin! What on earth! What happened to being careful!? Are you insane! You could have got yourself killed!" Hermione's voice shrieked over the crowd that had begun to form. Effectively silencing everyone around.
The taller girl had the decency to look sheepish as Hermione came closer. Her mouth opened and closed awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh.."
"Well? What have you got to say for yourself? Did you really need to take such a risk? Really" Hermione asked with a raised brow, Her arms folded across her chest.
"I just... He was going to get it... And everyone really wanted to win, I wasn't going to be able to catch up on time..." She stumbled over her words. If her cheeks hadn't already been so windchapped and red her blush may have shown.
"Is that the only reason?!" Hermione all but yelled.
"Yes... I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be mad" She spoke suddenly finding her shoes interesting.
"I'm not mad" Hermione deflated, "You should be more careful is all, you could have seriously hurt yourself Storm" Hermione's voice was softer now.
The dark haired girl sighed, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. "I was being careful, I knew I could do it" Storm grumbled.
"Come on, we'll head back with everyone else, no doubt there will be a party to supervise" Hermione said with a small smile, wrapping her arms around the taller girls neck. "Are you okay?" She asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Storm's jaw.
"I'm brilliant! We won" She grinned, finally feeling like Hermione was finished being over worried.
"I saw" The brunette laughed, kissing the younger witch properly.
The rest of the team and the group that gathered had disappeared and were on their way back to the castle. Having been discreetly shuffled off by Ginny claiming nothing was going on, and it would be best if everyone got out of the rain.
They kissed for a while, before a shiver ran down the dark haired girls spine. Hermione pulled away, and buried her face in the crook of Storms neck. Finally feeling like she could breath. Panic had rushed through her as soon as she saw the American gearing up to do something crazy. Once the girl took the leap she was sure her heart stopped. It was beyond scary, just watching. As soon as Storm had caught the broom again, she was out of her seat and rushing to the field.
"Ready to go up now? Or do you want to yell at me some more?" Storm quipped with a wide grin.
"Excuse me, but I think I had every right to yell at you. You scared me silly and that is not okay" Hermione stated, taking the younger girls hand.
"Fine, I'll let you off this time" The dark haired girl laughed. Allowing herself to be drug towards Gryffindor's common room.
Her short hair was dripping and she was sure she was soaked through. Her cheeks and eyes stung, and all she really wanted to do, was sleep a while longer. The game had taken hours, at least three, as the snitch just hadn't made it's appearance.
A large yawn took her features and she tried her best to cover her mouth. Yawning into her sleeve. "Would you mind if I showered before we do anything?" Storm asked with a small smile. "I'm soaked" She laughed as she tugged at her jersey which had since clung to her body.
"No, I think we have time for that" Hermione smiled a wide smile. "Do you want to go down to hogsmede afterwards? It's early enough" She quizzed.
"Sure, I was hoping to get some stuff from Honeydukes, and a butterbeer sounds pretty good too" Storm laughed.
They had finally made it to the Gryffindor portrait hole. Hermione spoke the password and smile a wide smile up at her girlfriend. "Looks like I'm going to have to supervise down here while you shower, be quick" She stated, giving the taller girls hand a squeeze before she could hurry off into the chanting crowd.
It was an twenty or so minutes later when they actually reunited, the rest of the house had begun to head down towards Hogsmede when Storm came bounding down the steps.
She was dressed warmly, a black coat wrapped around her shoulders, along with a Gryffindor coloured scarf around her neck. A bobbly hat hung loosely around her ears and her fringe stuck out from underneath it. When her eyes caught Hermione waiting for her, She grinned a wide grin. Though she knew the girl would still be there, she was still more than happy to see her. Like she had somehow convinced herself Hermione would be gone when she returned.
The brunette stood from her seat, and put the book she had been reading down. She had since taken her outdoor clothing off, and was standing in just a pair of blue jeans and Storm's long sleeved jersey. "Good shower?" She asked as a smile just as wide as the younger girls graced her lips.
"Could have been better" Storm winked before laughing a hearty laugh.
"Oh right, well I won't ask how" Hermione stated as she began pulling her coat and scarf back around her.
Storm waited patiently for her to finish, taking her hand once she had.
"Any idea of what you may like from Honeydukes?" Storm asked as they stepped out of the portrait hole and began making their way down the stairs.
"Perhaps just a liquorice wand, I'm not too sure. Do you have an idea?" The older witch asked curiously.
"Everything?" The taller girl laughed, "I'm just going to stock up on my favourites I think, can never have too much anyway" The dark haired girl smiled a wide smile.
Another thing Hermione had learnt about the American was she seemed to live off of sugar. There had always been a large amount of sweets in her pockets.
"I should have guessed" Hermione laughed, giving the younger girls hand a squeeze.
The walk down to the small village was spent walking as close as possible to each other. The rain had died down, but the wind was still as bad as it was.
Storm had spent the majority of the journey holding onto her hat fearing it would fly off at any moment.
Finally they stepped through the door into Honeydukes. It was welcoming and warm and far different from the dull outside world.
They began their wander around the shop. Storm picking up boxes and bags of things here and there, while Hermione stuck to a simple liquorice wand and a few other small items. She hadn't got a massive sweet tooth unlike the younger girl.
"Are you finished?" Storm asked, her arms full of the things she would buy.
"Yes" Hermione said with a shy smile. The dark haired girl just raised a brow, and somehow managed to take Hermione's items into the pile with her own.
"What are you doing?" The brunette asked, thought she had a good idea.
"Paying? What do you think I'm doing" Storm asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Before Hermione could protest she was at the till, smiling and chatting to the owner of the shop.
Storm had been one of her regular customers since the girl had discovered the place.
Hermione watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow and a smirk that played on her lips. Storm really seemed to be able to charm everyone. Including madam Rosmerta, who apparently had a rather disturbing infatuation with the young girl. It was almost enough for Hermione to suggest going back to the castle rather than the Three broomsticks.
Her smile widened once Storm returned with a bag full of sweets. The younger girl shrunk it down, and shoved it into her pocket.
"Do you want your Liquorice wand now?" She asked pointing to the pocket she had just put the bag into.
"No, I was going to have it after Dinner" Hermione clarified, linking their hands together. "Are you sure you got everything?" She asked, knowing Storm would just remember something she forgot later that night.
"I think so" She said, her face contorting in thought. With one final nod she smiled again, "yeh I got everything" She spoke, pushing the door to the Three broomsticks open and holding it for Hermione.
"Thank you" the brunette smiled, kissing the dark haired girl chastly as she passed.
A group of Hufflepuff's sent glares their way once they had entered. Storm glared back, "Sore damn losers" she shouted over to them. "Take a picture, before your face gets stuck like that, it's not attractive" Storm almost growled.
Hermione gave the taller girls hand a squeeze. "Calm down" She said calmly, kissing Storm's cheek.
"But they're staring" Storm pouted.
"Go get the drinks, I'll get a table" She smiled warmly.
With a sigh the dark haired girl finally relented, moving towards the bar. She stood and waited patiently, Ordering the usual two butterbeers. Ignoring everyone else around her. She could still feel the glares aimed at her back.
"I swear to merlin if they don't stop staring I'm going to give them something to stare at" Storm grumbled as she set the two tankards down, her temper beginning to flare again.
Hermione raised a brow, not sure what her girlfriend would do when it came to giving them something to stare at. It would probably be rude, or along rude lines. "Please don't" Hermione pleaded, "I don't want you to get expelled for anything" She said with a smile, taking the taller girls hand.
Storm just grumbled, taking her own mug of frothy liquid to wrap her lips around the edge and down half the glass.
Hermione cleared her throat, trying not to break out in a fit of giggles. "Storm, you have foam on your lip... Just here" She motioned, leaning over to wipe the froth from her girlfriends top lip. Once it was gone, Hermione kissed the girl, giving the hufflepuff's something else to stare at.
Once they pulled away from each other, Storm smirked a smug smirk. Her eyes finding the group before giving them a rather rude hand sign.
"Jerk off's" She grumbled, before turning to scoot closer to the brunette. Snaking an arm around the brunettes waist.
"You have terrible language, do you know?" Hermione asked, laughing as she pulled her own tankard to her own lips to sip on.
