Wow- 21 chapters! When I first started this, I had no clue that it would go for this long. I just thought it was going to be a quick thing. And now I have over 100 pages saved on my laptop!

Glad you guys liked the last chapter! Keep reading and keep reviewing!

Chapter 21

As the week wore on, Hermione felt herself relaxing more and more as she got back into the grind of things. She knew that Harry, Ron, and Ginny all thought she was crazy for actually liking homework, but it made her life seem normal.

That Saturday, she found herself being dragged out to the Quidditch pitch by Parvati to watch the Gryffindor tryouts. Scanning the small crowd that had gathered on the pitch, she quickly spotted Ron's tall, lanky form. He saw her as well, Hermione gathered, based on the smile that lit of his face when he spotted her.

Catching his eye she mouthed "Good luck!"

Hermione turned to ask Parvarti a question, but she closed her mouth when she saw her looking at Dean. And Dean was looking at her. In a way she instantly recognized. Because it was the same way Ron looked at her. Deciding to let them alone in their own little world, she turned to watch the tryouts again; only moments later Seamus' voice called out to them.

"Hermione! Parvati! Remember me telling you about Abigail? Well, here she is. Abby, this is Hermione Granger and Parvati Patil."

"It iz nice to meet you" she answered shyly, with only a slight French accent. Seamus wasn't kidding when he said she was perfect. She had crystal clear skin, blue bell colored eyes, and dark brown hair that fell to just below her shoulders.

"Nice to meet you, too" Hermione answered politely.

"Why aren't you down at tryouts, Seamus?" Parvati asked. "Dean told me that you were trying for beater."

"I'm going down there in a minute. I just wanted to introduce you to Abby."

"You're welcome to watch with us" Hermione told her, patting the seat next to her.

"Thank you" Abby said, coming forward to take the seat. "Good luck!"

"So" Hermione said after a few moments of awkward silence. "What made you decide to transfer to Hogwarts? Seamus told us that you were coming, but he never said why."

"Well, I live with my grandmother and grandfather in England and my grandfather's health is starting to fail. I wanted to be closer to them in case anything happened to him."

"If you're English, why were you going to Beauxbatons in the first place?"

"My parents and I lived there until two years ago. They were killed in a fire before I turned sixteen."

"Oh, I'm sorry" Hermione said sincerely, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Thank you. Meeting Seamus kind of cemented the transfer though. I was still on the edge when I met him, and then my mind was made up!"

Parvati laughed. "You two look so cute together! How did you meet?"

"I was on a walk around the neighborhood at the beginning of June and met him in the park. It turns out he's lived right down the street from me since I moved in and I hadn't even realized it!"

"Love at first sight?" Parvati asked, leaning in slightly to hear Abigail better over the blowing wind and chatter.

"Good God, no! I hated him at first! I couldn't stand him!"

"What did he say?" Hermione asked.

"He tried out a couple pickup lines on me. Like… 'I just had Skittles- wanna taste the rainbow?'"

"He didn't!"

"He did. My favorite was 'Your lips look lonely… Would they like to meet mine?'"

"Please tell me that you slapped him."

"Oh, I did. And it looked like it hurt."

"Do NOT let him teach those to Ron" Hermione moaned. "It's all he would do!" Then she turned to Parvati. "Do you remember the time that they boys came up with a list of cheesy pickup lines and used them whenever they talked to a girl… that was what? Third year, fourth year?"

"How could I forget?" Parvati grumbled. "The first time Dean said one I thought he was really hitting on me and I almost said yes to whatever he was asking me, before I realized that he was joking."

"Same with Ron."

"Wait- who's Ron?" Abigail asked, confused.

"My boyfriend…"

"You mean Ron Weasley!"

"Yeah, why?"

"The Ron Weasley… Friends with Harry Potter and… Hermione Granger!"

"Yep, that's me" Hermione said, falsely cheerful.

"I just never put two and two together! I didn't even realize…"

"No biggie."

"So you two got together, then? It's been all over witch weekly and the prophet- the speculations of whether or not you were in a relationship or not."

"I try not to read those. It's all gossip, and I have better things to worry about."

"Oh" Abigail got suddenly quiet.

"It's alright, it really is" Hermione quickly reassured her. "I just wish that they would get out of our lives already and report on some of the important stuff. Anyway, back to you and Seamus… if you couldn't stand him so much, why are you together now?"

"He wrote me a poem. Cheesy, I know, but it was cute! All about how sorry he was that he thought I was the kind of girl that would fall for a pickup line. And then he asked me to go to dinner with him, his treat, to make up for it. I couldn't help it. I said yes."

"Aww! I always knew he had a sweet side in there somewhere!" Parvati sighed.

"I'm still not quite convinced" Hermione said skeptically.

Suddenly she felt someone grab her around her waist from behind. "Ahh!" she shrieked, wiggling in the arms to see who it was. It was Ron.

"Oh, it's you" she said nonchalantly. "That was fast."

"Oh it's you? That's all your boyfriend who just got the spot of keeper gets as a hello?"

"You made it!" Hermione shrieked. "Congratulations! I knew you would!" Then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, not caring that Parvati and Abigail were gawking.

"Maybe I should try for the team every week" Ron said slyly.

"Nice try" Hermione smirked. "How many people tried out this year?"

"Not many" Ron replied.

"Who made the team?"

"Well, I'm keeper."

"I already know that, Ronald."

"I made Chaser" Dean said, coming up next to Pavarti.

"And I got Beater" Seamus said as he joined the group.

"Who's the other Chaser?"

"Fifth year called Ethan Longsky" Ron answered. "He's alright. Bit of a git, really."

"So Ginny, Dean, and Ethan are Chasers, you're keeper, Harry's seeker, and Seamus is one Beater. Who's the other?"

"Wait 'til you here this one, 'Mione."

"What?"

"Remember when McLaggen had to fill in for me after I got poisoned? How he stole one of the beater's bats and sent a bludger at Harry?"

"Yeah…"

"Harry yelled at him later and told him that he'd better be a beater next time he had the club in his hands. Well the git must have taken him seriously, because guess who showed up and tried for beater?"

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. I can't believe you didn't notice. He was trying to make eyes at you the whole trial!"

"We were talking about important things! We were only down here because you boys forced us to go. Is McLaggen any good?"

"Not great" Seamus answered. "No one else tried, or else he wouldn't have gotten the spot. Did you ladies get along well?"

"Spectacularly. Abigail was telling us about how you first met, Seamus. Quite a story."

"I told ya pick up lines work, gents!"

"Don't encourage them, Seamus!" Ginny said, making her way up from the pitch, Harry in tow. "I know that, personally, if Harry were to say anything like that to me, his arse would be on the curb in a heartbeat. Right, Harry?"

"Um, right."

"Right, Ronald?" Hermione asked sternly.

"Why would you even question whether or not I would say something like that to you?" Ron teased, slipping his arms around her waist.

"Third year!" all the girls replied. The boys laughed. "Good times. Good times" Dean sighed.

"Anyone have any plans for tonight?" Seamus asked. "We could get a poker game or chess tournament going or something."

"You boys go right ahead and do that. Girls night, ladies?" Ginny replied.

I couldn't resist. I had to put something about pickup lines in this story... my friends and I went through a phase last year where we would look up cheesy pickup lines online and tell them to each other during band. It drove our teacher crazy! These were some of the more memorable of them. I have a bunch of others if anybody wants them :D And I had to put McLaggen. He may be a git, but the guy that played him in the HBP was extremly cute. I don't know if he's going to be in this very much though. Not sure. Ideas?