New Marauders Hogwarts

Year one

Chapter ten- One-on-one

By Cindra

A/N: It's been a while and it is a short one, but here you go.

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Dani found herself standing in the middle of the pitch.

"Daddy, this is the last place that I wish to be right now."

"Yes, I know that, Danielle. It's exactly the reason why we're standing here right now." Harry opened up the Quidditch chest at his feet.

"We're going to do what exactly?" Dani narrowed her eyes.

"Well, it's obvious that you're broom shy now and the best all fire remedy cure-all for that is a little intensive one-on-one broom flying instruction from your old man." Harry mentally called their brooms to his side, but not before making certain that his baby girl was fully protected from head to toe.

"Daddy! I am not afraid of my broom, so can we go back now?" She was so not amused that her Dad had called her yellow.

"There isn't anything to be ashamed of, sweetie. You got a right good scare tonight; it's only natural for you to want to avoid what terrified you." Harry took the Snitch out of the case and set it free.

"I am not terrified of my broom!"

"Sorry, my mistake, angel face. It was the Snitch that caused all of the ruckus." Harry nodded solemnly.

"No! Not the Snitch either!" She glared up at him.

"Is that so?" Harry arched a brow at her.

"Yeah, Dad, it's the cold hard truth." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Well then prove it to me right now or I change my mind and it's no Quidditch. There is no way, in Merlin's name, that I'll risk your life on the chance that you're lying to me just to save face." Harry pointed to the broom hovering next to her side.

"Fine!! Father!! If it gets you to ease off then I will!" She mounted her broom and shot off into the night sky.

"Not that us being in the uber pitch-black Pitch is gonna prove anything!"

The stadium, as if being insulted was now lit up like a beacon from the hundred or so torches spread out all over the stadium.

The sudden illumination was enough to startle her, and would have unseated her from her broom had it not been for the anti-fall charm or her father's gentle hold on her waist.

"So far I am far from convinced." Harry said gravely.

"Let go, Daddy. I wasn't ready for the suddenly blindingly bright lights." Dani growled.

"Change of plans...I want you to shadow me until I feel that you are steady enough to chase after the Snitch."

"But...but...that's baby stuff...."

"That was not a request."

"But...I'm fine!"

"What happened just now says otherwise."

"It was the bloomin torches lighting up that startled me!"

"My rules or no Quidditch...no broom."

"Very well, father. But this is a bloody waste of time."

"Humor me."

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Four hours later....

Harry put his daughter through grueling flying drills until she was able to handle any situation on her broom at any speed.

"Enough! The two of you have been at this going on four hours! It is midnight! Dani should have been in bed hours ago!" Hermione stood with her hands planted on her hips glaring up at the two of them.

"Mummy!? Boy, dad, she sure looks steamed at you...I thought that you cleared this with her first."

"She's fine, Hermione. We'll be down in a bit." Harry called down to his furious wife.

"Now! Harry James!! You will both get down here this instant!" Hermione was borderline furious with him.

"Dad...She's in the mood to jinx you until there's no tomorrow. So maybe we should just call it a night. I'm in top form again, so mission accomplished." Dani worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

"She got a little shaken up watching you this evening, so she's still pretty much in full lioness protecting her young mode." Harry sighed.

:I mean it, Harry James Merlin! We had an agreement about this and you broke it!: Hermione snarled in his head.

:Mum, don't be so cross with Daddy. He helped me get myself centered again and now I feel loads better about the match tomorrow.: Dani tried to mediate a truce between her parents.

"Be right down, Mum."

:Spending time with our daughter when she needs my guidance is not breaking any promise, Hermione Ann Diana.: Harry was sorry that he'd lost track of time, but that was the only thing he was sorry about.

"Tomorrow is Saturday. She's not breaking curfew if she's with me. The match is at one, so she has plenty of time to rest up for it." He landed on the Pitch next to his daughter and furious wife.

"See. I'm fine. Nary a scratch or bruise to be found." Dani took off her helmet and smiled up at her mother.

Hermione wasn't even close to being appeased. She was glaring murderously at Harry and he was staring coolly at her.

"Sweetie, go put the gear away. Your mum and I will be along in a minute." Harry bent to kiss the top of her head.

"Um, sure if the two of you are gonna be okay while I'm gone." Dani hated that they were gonna row over nothing, since her father had done nothing wrong by helping her overcome her fear.

"It's okay, angel. Promise." Harry tweaked her nose.

"Run along, Dani. We'll meet you on the path in a minute." Hermione gave her the look.

"Five minutes tops and no jinxing, Mummy, it's bad form." She reluctantly did as she was told but first added this to the mix.

"I know that I frightened you, Mum. I'm sorry if it's got your back up about my playing as Seeker. But this has been my dream since forever. Daddy didn't force me to do anything. I needed his guidance and since the match was tomorrow now was it. No offence, but coddling was the last thing I needed. Fear mucks up the mind, facing ones fear clears away the mess that it caused and makes one stronger and better for it. Sort of like practice makes perfect...I suppose. Well, see you in five." She shut the case just as the Snitch whizzed by her nose.

"You two, play nice! I'll be back in a blink!" She shot off after the Snitch.

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"You both vanished from the castle. I was worried..." Hermione felt her temper melting away.

"I know that, angel mine. I'm sorry about that, but you should have trusted me enough not to jump to conclusions like that. She felt as if she had let me down. I had to show her that she was wrong." Harry pulled her into his arms.

"She's worse than I ever was about achieving perfection..." Hermione sighed deeply.

"Hermione, she's a blending of the two of us...flaws and all and thinking about it will only give you a colossal migraine." Harry set his chin on top of her head and said a silent prayer for patience in surviving any other obstacles ahead.

"Most of her problem is that her mind wanders off and her concentration gets blown because she's dreading Music is Magic on Sunday."

"Well, why don't you and Dani perform a father-daughter magical routine?" She suggested.

"The girls might take offense to it...."

"They've been practicing on and off for weeks without Dani, so it shouldn't be a trial for them. Dani's only had less than a full day to practice with them, so is it fair to her as well?"

"When you put it that way, not really no, but still Ally and Mia..."

"Will be fine with it. They'll do anything to make her smile again." She smiled up at her daughter who was now hovering above the two of them.

"You'll do gloriously today in your first match, darling girl."

"Thanks, Mum...You and Daddy better now?"

"Never better, baby…"

"Yep, we're all set. So let's all pack it up and head back to the castle." Harry winked up at her.

"Now what's up?" Dani sensing something else was a foot frowned as she landed beside them.

"Nothing for you to worry your little head about… We were discussing Sunday's festivities." Harry sent the brooms back to the broom closet.

"More like nightmare…" Dani muttered under her breath as she secured the Snitch back in the trunk before closing it tight.

"So I've been told. How could we make it less of a trial for you?" Hermione said seriously as they started up the path.

"I'm doomed by my own accord. My humiliation on LIVE Telly will be a lesson that I shall never ever forget." Dani sighed miserably.

"Oh and why is that, angel face?" Harry tried his best to keep from chuckling; she just looked so miserably doomed.

"I focused my all on academics and completely blew off everything else. Now it's time to pay the piper for neglecting an official duty as well as honored family tradition." She sighed dramatically throwing her hands up in defeat.

"I've only had a day…if that to practice this beyond extravagant to do that they've all been practicing for absolutely ages…" Dani moaned.

"That would pose a problem for you on Sunday…" Hermione nodded.

"Oh you have no idea…"

"Well…what if you and I surprise everyone by doing a magical performance of our own. Would that help matters any?" Harry suggested his tone that of utter seriousness.

Dani launched herself into his arms. "Oh, Daddy…would you really!!"

"Yes, sweetie, in fact it was your mother's idea to begin with." Harry set her up on to his shoulders.

"Oh, Mummy! You've saved my life!" Dani exclaimed in happy relief.

"Yes, well, I don't believe it was that dire, but you are very welcome, sweetie." Hermione smiled.

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Chapter 11

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I do not claim any of Jo's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.

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Cindra 2004-2009