Chapter Seven

Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione returned to the Burrow the following morning. Hermione had been rather quiet, but both Weasleys realized she needed some time to sort everything out. Once back at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley went back to her old routines while Ginny kept Hermione company much like she did when Ron left. After one day, Hermione didn't seem to be much better so Ginny decided to try to get her mind off of things and cheer her up. After breakfast, instead of letting Hermione go into the sitting room and read/mope, Ginny grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the garden.

'Ginny, where are we going?'

Ginny looked back a bewildered Hermione and smirked.

'You'll see.'

She took her around back and around the pond to the field they usually played Quidditch on. Upon seeing where they were headed and the two brooms on the ground, Hermione started to protest.

'Oh no, Ginny! You know I don't fly!'

Ginny smiled at her and grabbed the two brooms.

'You used to not fly. But you are flying today. You just never had a proper teacher.'

She held out one of the brooms to Hermione but she kept her hands folded over her chest and glared at Ginny. Ginny sighed and put on her best pouting face.

'Please Hermione. Just try it once, and if you still hate it we'll stop. I just miss flying with someone.'

Hermione just stood there defiantly for a moment, but then she sighed and dropped her arms.

'Okay. But only once.'

Ginny grinned and rushed forward to help Hermione onto her broom.

'Great! Here, we'll use one broom, that's how Bill taught me how to fly.'

'One broom?! But it can't hold us both!'

Ginny just laughed at Hermione's outburst.

'Please Hermione, if a broom can hold up Millicent Bulstrode, it can hold the two of us.'

Still wary, Hermione grabbed hold of the broom. She put her leg over it like she had so many years ago when she first learned how to fly. The only difference now was that Ginny got on behind her. Hermione suddenly realized that Ginny was just about an inch taller than her and through playing Quidditch, her arms were quite toned. It was comforting having her behind her holding her hands steady, and some of her nerves left her…but only some.

'Okay, on the count of three we'll gently push off the ground.'

Ginny was so close she just had to whisper. Hermione focused on her breathing and nodded.

'One…two….three!'

They gently began to rise. Hermione tensed and closed her eyes.

'Relax Hermione, we're only about five feet in the air. Come on, open your eyes.'

Slowly she did and saw that they were in fact only about five feet off the ground and just hovering. This wasn't too bad. She relaxed….a little.

'Okay, now we'll actually go forward.'

Hermione felt Ginny lean slightly forward and she followed her. The broom began to go forward and Hermione let out a nervous laugh. She was flying.

'See, nothing to it.'

They made lazy circles around the field, just five feet off the ground. On one of the trips, Ginny took her hands away from Hermione's and she jerked slightly at the movement and the broom went up another couple of feet. But before it could go any further, Ginny had grabbed hold and leveled them out again.

'It's okay. I'm going to take my hands away and let you steer. Think you can do that?'

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. Ginny took her hands away and wrapped them securely around Hermione's stomach. Hermione grasped the broom and slowly leaned it forward to begin moving. She made a couple of circles and let out a laugh of triumph.

'See, you're a natural!'

Hermione laughed.

'Yeah, I very much doubt that. But this is the most I have enjoyed flying.'

She turned to smile at Ginny but took the broom with her and they once again jutted upward. Hermione let out a scared yelp but just as quickly, Ginny had grabbed the broom and leveled them out.

'I think I'm ready to go back down, now. Please?'

Knowing that this was a huge step for Hermione, Ginny gladly and gently brought them down where they landed with a soft thump. Hermione was still a little shaky and stumbled slightly when she dismounted the broom. Ginny stayed on it and hovered in front of her.

'See that wasn't so bad, was it?'

Hermione thought about it then shook her head.

'No, I don't think that was too bad. But I'm definitely not ready to do it on my own.'

Ginny chuckled.

'Hey with a little more help you'll be trying out for the Quidditch team in no time!'

Hermione burst out laughing. The idea that she would play on a Quidditch team was about as preposterous as McGonagall forgetting how to turn into a cat.

'I don't think so Ginny, but thanks for the vote of confidence.'

Ginny smiled at her again.

'If you don't mind I think I'll stay out here and fly around a bit. I miss it. With everyone gone, I don't get to play nearly enough Quidditch.'

Hermione frowned slightly but nodded.

'Yeah, I bet that sucks. I'm sorry I'm not more athletic otherwise I probably would play with you.'

Ginny shrugged it off.

'Don't worry about it. I'm just nervous that my skills will suffer. Even if you don't want to play on the Quidditch team, I still do.'

Ginny flew off and did some big loops. Hermione watched her and realized just how graceful she seemed on her broom. Where Hermione was awkward and jerky when she flew, Ginny was fluid and effortless; the broom seemed like it was just another part of her body. Thinking about what Ginny had said about her Quidditch skills, Hermione dashed into the house and up to their shared bedroom. She found her beaded bag, and started to pull things out. She finally found what she was looking for and raced back outside. Ginny was still flying around but once she saw Hermione returning, she came down low enough to talk with her.

'Where did you run off to? I thought you would at least relax out here with me.'

Hermione smiled and held up her book.

'I thought I would find something to help with your training. I may not be able to ride a broom worth half-a-knut but I'm not called the cleverest witch of my age for no reason.'

Ginny laughed. Only Hermione would find some way to make Quidditch into something to practice her magic.

'What did you have in mind?'

Hermione scrunched her face up in thought.

'I'm not sure yet, but give me a little while and I think I can come up with something that will definitely test you.'

Ginny flew off, leaving Hermione, her book and some parchment in the shade. After about an hour of turning pages and scribbled notes, Hermione waved for Ginny to come down.

'Okay, I think I've got the basics, but I need some input as to what a Chaser needs to be able to do; I don't really know too much beyond they have to score.'

Ginny chuckled at her friend's lack of Quidditch knowledge but began thinking seriously about what she was asking.

'Well, a good chaser has to be able to get into position that leaves them the most opportunities to score when they approach the goals. They have to be able to dodge bludgers and opposing players when they're on offense but then also be able to block or intercept passes when on defense or serve as distractions.'

As Ginny listed off these different things, Hermione was making quick notes. She seemed to be matching her first notes up with what Ginny had just told her. Finally she read through them all and seemed content with the results.

'All right, things seem to be in order. Now, give me another hour or so and I think I'll be ready for you.'

So Ginny went back to flying different drills she knew without the actual equipment while Hermione worked on whatever it was she was working on. Hermione quickly put up some charms so Ginny couldn't actually see what she was doing. She wanted it to be somewhat of a surprise and she would work better knowing that she wasn't being watched. It was getting close to lunch time, when Hermione finally dropped her concealment charms. Sitting on the ground, were 6 people-like puppets, 2 with smiles on their 'faces' and 4 with ugly grimaces; they seemed to be made of twigs and mud. Hermione had also transfigured some leaves into a quaffle and some rings from some twigs.

Perplexed, Ginny came down to Hermione.

'What's all this then?'

Hermione turned to her creations.

'Well, in essence it's your own personal training squad. I've made you two other chasers for your team and 4 other players for the opposing team. I can change what the opposing players do so you can alternate between whatever roles you want to practice, whether offense or defense. They might not look that great, but I'm pretty sure the magic will work. They don't work by themselves, but with me directing them, they should prove to be better than imaginary players.'

Ginny was stunned. She would have never thought to do anything like this. She turned to a slightly nervous Hermione and grinned from ear to ear.

'This is amazing! Now I'll definitely be ready!'

Hermione beamed. She'd been nervous that Ginny would just think it was stupid but was glad she seemed to like the idea. She wasn't completely sure how it would all work out, but she knew they would figure out along the way.

'Can we start now? I'd love to give it a go.'

But right at that moment, Mrs. Weasley yelled at them to come in for lunch. Hermione laughed at the scowl Ginny threw at the back door of the Burrow.

'Let's eat first and then we can spend all afternoon playing around.'

'Really? All afternoon?'

Hermione laughed harder. Ginny was like a little child asking to play with their toys at Christmas.

'Yes, all afternoon.'

So the two girls went in and ate a quick but filling lunch then returned to the field. Ginny was almost jumping up and down in excitement. Hermione came up and started the general animation spells.

'Okay Ginny, do you want to work on offense or defense?'

'Hmmm….Offense.'

Hermione started working on Ginny's team, casting charms that would make them pass the quaffle to Ginny while dodging the other team. She then turned to the opposing team and cast spells that made them try to block passes and get in Ginny's way, including one keeper. Ginny watched Hermione casting spells and realized just how powerful and knowledgeable she really was. Her movements were sure and she seamlessly went from one spell to another with barely a breath.

'Okay, I think I've got it.'

With a few final swishes of her wand, Hermione set the three goals in position.

'Ginny, are you ready? Take the quaffle and get into position. I'll raise the rest.'

Ginny grabbed the quaffle and shot up into position some distance from the rings. She saw Hermione point her wand in turn to each figure and they rose into the air. Once they were all in position she could see that each figure seemed to know what to do yet couldn't move really without Hermione's direction.

'Ready, Ginny? Go for it!!'

Ginny started going forward towards the goals, expecting to be able to reach it without much trouble when suddenly her vision was blocked by a scowling puppet reaching for the quaffle. She dived out of the way and saw one of her teammates to the side, she decided to see what would happen if she passed so she threw the ball in a perfect pass and was surprised and happy to see the puppet grab it and dodge a defender before passing it back. Realizing that this was very much like a practice, Ginny became very serious and started to really test the setup. She dove and passed and soon found herself in range to shoot. She threw a hard ball towards the right hoop and it barely made it there before the keeper.

'Yes!!'

She was ecstatic! This was the best thing that she had done in such a long time. She dived down to Hermione who was still waving her wand around, directing the figures. Hermione soon found herself in a bone crushing hug from the youngest Weasley, still on her broom.

'This is so amazing! It's the best thing that anyone has ever done for me! What can I do to repay you? I'll do anything!'

'Letting me breathe would be nice.'

Ginny released her enough to look at Hermione's beaming face.

'I'm glad you like this. It's the least I can do for having your support, Ginny. You've been a real comfort to me.'

Hermione really was grateful for all Ginny had done. And this gave her something to take her mind off of everything. It was nice to be able to work on her magic, especially when she was helping someone else, even if it was just Quidditch. They spent the rest of the afternoon, Hermione on the ground directing figures and Ginny in the air practicing different moves. By dinner time, they were both tired. They sat up talking a little while, Ginny telling Hermione about different plays she would like to try out and Hermione taking notes. It was the first time that Hermione actually enjoyed listening to someone talking about technical aspects of Quiddtich. Finally, they made it to bed and with a simple goodnight, both fell into a peaceful sleep.