AN: Okay, I usually never do this, but this guest reviewer left an interesting comment and since I had no way of replying I thought of doing this, hoping against hope that the reviewer comes back for the story... For all the other readers, please skip on to the chapter below.

Guest: What is this fascination of writers I don't understand! Why the "virginity" of women is so important?! Why can't men be the same?!

Writer: Okay, I can't speak for the other authors, but for me, someone busy fighting a war may really not have the time for sex! If I ever have to think about it, Ron is probably the only non-virgin I see in the Golden Trio since he was about sixteen when he dated Lavender Brown, and with her reputation, it wouldn't really come as a surprise to me.

Harry, on the other hand, never had it going that well with Cho to go beyond a few kisses, and Ginny being his best friend's younger sis, I would expect him to hold back, especially given that he even breaks up with her before going on the Horcrux hunt. The only way I can picture Harry doing anything Ginny before the war is if Ginny takes matters in her hands, not otherwise.

Now, Hermione! Well, where does she have the time really?! I refuse to see her as someone who'd be with any guy just for the deed and since she's been in love with Ron since forever, to accept that she'd go beyond kisses with someone else is difficult for me, well, at least not without a solid reason that is - even if it is blinding passion, I'd accept it, but where does a situation like that even arise? And, I'd like to point out here, that, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, this is my one and so far the only story where Hermione is NOT a virgin! In all my other stories she is one, just not in this. I've even explicitly written it when Oliver asks her and she clearly says a no! I am not sure how much more clear I could make it... And while I wouldn't mind going into detail as to why Oliver questions her, I think I've written about it too. And if you'd like to hear it from me, please drop in a note or sign in before leaving a review so we can take this forward through the proper channels! I'm not too fond of disrupting the flow of my story with author notes!

And Oliver Wood! Oh, come on! He is smoking hot! Plus a professional player and an international sports star, a captain of a national team no less! I could barely make him a virgin, now, could I? (Can't control my eye roll!)

That said, I feel every author should be given a creative license to do with his/her muse as his/her wish be. You don't have to agree with everything. But it's still the author's creativity and it need not follow your own imagination.

Simple really!

Hoping you enjoy this! Please R&R!

CHAPTER 10:

They met next on the first day of the finals. The coach ushered Minister Kingsley and the Golden Trio into Team England's locker room. They stood in a line by the door, wishing every player as they stepped out.

"Make us proud," the Minister said to every player shaking their hand.

"Good luck mate," Ron shook hands, patting every players back.

"You can do it," Harry was encouraging them all with a warm hand shake and a smile.

But not his Mini. My Mini? he thought quizzically, looking on. Hermione stood dressed in the national flag printed t-shirt on light blue denims and matching converses, right at the door, last to wish the players, but she gave a crisp short personalized advice to every single one of them, weaving in as many jokes as she could to lighten up their stress, identifying them all by their last names correctly.

"Mr. Creevey, remember every other player has a boundary, not you. The snitch can hover anywhere. Harry once had the snitch hovering in plain sight, right around his.. shall we say nether regions?" Harry grimaced nodding and everyone laughed.

"Mr. Pollock, fouls that are not discreet, only ever work for the opposite team. So play a mind game with the referee" she winked at him.

"Mr. Zackery, your broom is not strong enough to replace the beater's bat, so don't use it that way; I'm sure you're lovely ministry match will be heart broken should you fall out of the sky." Those present laughed at her joke again.

"Mr. Malloy, give back harder than you get. It's the one time everyone encourages violence!" He smiled, nodding and she did the same for him.

And she continued for everyone, even for the second stringers, as if she knew all of their playing tactics well. And seeing her there, so poised and confident, Oliver's nerves faded and a calm settled over him. Once everyone was out, he went to them. He shook the men's hands and at last turned to his wife.

She gave him a warm smile. "You can do it. I have full faith in you. Remember that okay?" she said. And he frowned.

"What's my advice lass? Everyone got something, I should get a word of wisdom too."

She pinned him with a mock glare as if he'd been a naughty little boy in her class and then said in a more serious tone, "Be aware, Mr. Wood. There are things other than a quaffle on the pitch. You're singular focus is spectacular, but it doesn't help anyone when you take a bludger to your head. Encompass everything around you, before zeroing in the target, okay?"

He thought about her advice and finally nodded. She's right he conceded.

"Oh and Oliver..." He looked at her. "You're wife has a nasty temper and she won't hesitate to hex you if you do something rash. Remember that yeah?" She smiled.

"Yes, Mrs. Wood. Wouldn't dream of it," he winked.

"Go get them lion." She encouraged and mouthed 'Gryffindors' and pointing at them all on seeing his confusion. He laughed, looked at her again and walked out to join his team.

He only looked for her at their entry lap, waving a little at his family seated at the family box and nodding at her at the ministry box.

The game lasted five hours, and yet the snitch was not caught. At 11 pm they broke for the night. Oliver had saved all but four goals and England had made seven. They were close and needed a difference of at least 100 more points before the snitch was caught. With all those calculations running a riot in his head, he made his way to his tent where his family waited for him. He had no idea where he sat or what he ate and by the end he didn't even know how he was lying down on his bed in his room in the tent.

Hermione felt waves of his tension hit her every other second and she groaned. She sat up on their bed, turning to Oliver, "Take off your t-shirt," she instructed Oliver grumpily.

He suddenly stiffened and looked at her. She gave him a chiding, sardonic look. "Oh, grow up!"

"Geez Mini, if you wanted me naked all you had to do was ask," he said as she moved towards him and pushed his t-shirt up when he did not make a move to take it off himself.

"Oh bite me. You're more tensed than Harry was on our year of run! I can't sleep like this, with your tension hitting me in waves. Remove your t-shirt and before your mind gets dirty, zip it!"

He was too tired to move right then but he did as she said, Merlin alone knew why. Probably because all my mental faculties shut off after she asked me to strip for her he would think much later but for now he followed. He flung his t-shirt somewhere away from the bed and then looked at her. "Pants too wife?" he questioned with all the innocence he could muster and she flamed.

Jenna, who was just making her way to her bed with a sleeping Ana in her arms and Gerard by her side, froze on the spot right outside their bedroom. Gerard laughed huskily at his wife's actions and dipped his head near her ear and whispered, "Let's spell out our room before making it a long night, shall we? At least we'll not be the ones responsible for your parents getting an earful," he said eyebrows wriggling suggestively. Jenna promptly flushed and the couple immediately scuttered to their own bedroom.

Meanwhile inside Oliver's tent bedroom…

"Lie down on your tummy, relax, shut your eyes and try to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow," Hermione bossed Oliver about again and summoned a tub of balm from her bag, taking a big dollop and rubbing it between her palms, she straddled his waist, just above his ass and began massaging his back.

The touch of her small, warm hands sent an immediate zing all over Oliver's body. How am I to relax when she's working me up like this? he wondered and clenched his fists under his pillow to keep himself from turning over and just taking her there and then, in a tent with his entire family not twenty feet away from them.

Slowly she kneaded his back and one by one massaged all his knots. Parts he didn't know were aching, melted under her ministrations as she kept firmly pressing into his back. She worked three quarters of an hour just on his back and waist, then half hour more on his arms and hands.

"Better?" she whispered. He grunted and muttered something inarticulate into his pillow as he slept.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Hermione sniggered. Finally! I can sleep now, she smiled tiredly and put her stuff away, magically cleaned her hands, removed the balmy smell from the air and from Oliver and crashed onto the bed. The minute her head hit the pillow, Oliver pulled her into him, nuzzled her ear and they both slept.

…

Hermione woke up the next morning to the odd feeling of someone staring at her. Suddenly, she stiffened, her instincts kicking in as she discreetly felt around for her wand without opening her eyes.

Oliver interlaced his fingers with hers before she reached her wand and whispered softly in her ears, "It's just me Mini, I won't harm you."

Hermione's eyes snapped open and she cringed as the sudden burst of light hit her eyes, making her see spots. Chuckling, Oliver shielded her eyes with his other hand and slowly as her eye sight adjusted he brought his hand back under his head to support it as he looked at her.

"Thank you for last night. I feel much better," he smiled.

"I live to cater to your needs my lord," Hermione said sarcastically and turned to get comfortable to steal in a few more minutes of sleep and quiet.

Oliver sucked in a harsh breath. "Really now? Then there's just so much more I need from you wife," he said seductively and turned her on her back, face looking up at him as he pinned her under him with is body from waist up. Kissing the side of her neck, he proceeded to nibble on it lightly while his hands moved down her sides, rubbing them tantalisingly as he slowly pushed his fingers under the hem t-shirt, rubbing circles on her flat stomach, slowly inching her t-shirt higher.

"Oliver.." Hermione blocked her t-shirt's progress with her own hands and shook her head.

"Let me at least see you Mini. I won't touch till you ask me to, I promise," he tried. She didn't move her hands but he waited.

"Please Mini, open for me, mo pheata." Still nothing. Oliver finally heaved out an exasperated sigh.

"I can make you do my bidding Hermione, anytime, anywhere, and you know that. But I am resisting. Can't a man even look at his wife now?" When he didn't get a response even at that, he gave up. He pushed himself up on his arms and left the bed.

"I'm sorry," he said, "for pushing you and making you uncomfortable."

He was just stepping out of their room when, "Oliver," Hermione whispered a little meekly from behind and he fractionally turned his head, to let her know he was listening but not enough to see her.

"Come here," she said and tugged at his wrist. He sat back down on the bed, looking at her. "Soon. Not yet, but soon," she whispered, trying to fist her hand in his short hair and touching their foreheads.

She's probably the only one who can work around my temper Oliver thought darkly but gave Hermione a small smile. "Just don't take too long wife; there's only so much celibacy I can handle," he pleaded to her with his eyes as she rubbed her nose to his, nodding as she did that.

He too fisted his hand in her long brown mane and pulled at it lightly to get her to look at him. "Morning Mini," he whispered and kissed her forehead. "Come, breakfast must be waiting. Then I need to leave for practice. We have the pitch for the first half of the day and then there's a final strategy meet." She nodded and got up, looked around for his t-shirt and gave it to him.

He cocked his brow at that but wore it nonetheless. "I should be back for evening tea at 4, then I'll leave again at 5." Hermione nodded again, feeling a little happy that he was sharing his day's plan with her.

Just as they stepped out of their room, he turned and looked at her oddly. "Will you cheer for me today? Wear my jersey. You wore the national colours yesterday, do me today," he said, his unintended innuendo lost on neither.

"Do you have a spare one?" He nodded. "Fine. I'll think about it," she said and dashed towards the dining table, turning around to stick her tongue out at him and cross her eyes.

He knew why she did that; unfortunately, it worked! He wasn't annoyed on her anymore. He laughed at himself in disdain and sat beside her at the table.

He again monitored her food in-take, just like he did every time they ate together and threw subtle glares at her until she finished her plate and then smirked proudly at her empty plate that she pushed into his line of vision. She rolled her eyes and turned to Ana who was sitting on a muggle high chair beside her, between herself and Jenna.

Oliver came back at 4 and immediately sought Hermione out. She was seated with his whole family around the table again, waiting for the tea. "Speak to me," he said, taking the empty seat beside her.

She looked at him questioningly. "About what?"

"I don't know. I'm getting too worked up. Calm me down. You seem to be good at that. Fight, talk, whatever, but if I enter the pitch like this, I'm more likely to do harm than good," he said, flexing his shoulders, arms and fingers. His family tried to hide their knowing smiles at his confession.

"Shall we speak of yesterday's play then? I'll share my observations?" she offered. He happily nodded. She got up and excused herself.

"Where are you going?" It came out a little harsher than he had intended.

"To get my journal. I wrote down my observations from their previous play and then yesterday's, I'll get my journal and pen and then we can talk."

Oliver looked at her stumped for a second before amusement kicked in. He quickly nodded and let her go, and the minute she disappeared into their bedroom at the tent, he chortled.

Seeing the odd look his family was throwing his way, he shrugged exclaiming, "Oh come on! Even I don't that!"

Hermione came back and the two were immersed right into their discussion after that, heads almost touching while they both tried to bury their faces in her journal. She stopped half hour later, slamming the journal shut. "There. Done. You seem better too. Now stop being a self-obsessive prat, talk to everyone around and play with Ana. Fifteen minutes later you can change and then leave."

"Yes mom," he muttered under his breath as she got up to put her journal back, but he tugged at her wrist and made her sit back down. "There are spells for that," he said and pointed his wand at her journal, sending it flying into their bedroom. He then ignored her scowl, looked around and spoke to his parents, sister and brother-in-law, all the while he did not let her hand go under the table, rubbing its back steadily. Only when Jenna let him hold Ana, he dropped Hermione's hand but he sat Ana on his thigh closest to Hermione and he kept touching her with his thigh, knee, foot, elbow and hand every chance he got. Smiling internally as he saw her light blush from the corner of his eyes but he only looked at Ana as he played with her, making Hermione think all his touches were just innocent accidents.