A/N: Er well...there's this thing called 'real life' and er...mine has been quite hectic. So, I'm sorry. But this chapter is fairly long, so that's kind of my way of making it up to you.
I apologize to everybody with German roots. I don't have anything personally against them, it's just that in sports (and especially football (soccer)), the Netherlands and Germany are very competitive.
Oh, and someone reviewed with a question about how Durmstrang was supposed to admit only boys and Nina Tennfjord couldn't have attended it. I know that in the movies, Durmstrand is an all-boys school and Beauxbatons an all-girls school, but in GoF, at least Beauxbatons has both (Parvati and Padma leave Harry and Ron to go dance with Beauxbatons boys). Furthermore, it only says in the books that Durmstrang doesn't admit Muggle-borns...nothing about girls. So I might be terrible wrong, but as far as I know, girls attend Durmstrang too.
Now that I explained that, on with the story!
Schade Deutschland!
I got home from Ron and Hermione's only to find a note lying on the table:
Hi Ginny!
I was hoping to find you at home, but I can't blame you for having a life besides Quidditch…or were you at practice?
Anyway, I'm playing Germany next week and I've got two spare tickets to the game. I really hope you can come, because we actually have a decent chance of trashing them for the first time in over a century! I'll put you on the VIP-list with a 'plus guest'-notion so you can come to the locker rooms afterwards.
Hope to see you there!
Love, TammyI grabbed the Prophet to look up the game schedule. Someone had already filled in the first few matches and that someone probably was Tammy. Whenever she got home, the first thing she did was grab the sports section of the Prophet to get up to date with everything Quidditch. A laugh came out of my mouth when I saw that not only had she written the winning teams down (the U.S.A., Australia, Aruba and South Africa), but she had put the Netherlands down right up to the finals. And not only as a participant, but as the winner too! Next to it was a little stickman on a broom, flying around with a little text balloon that changed its contents every few seconds. Right now, it was saying 'Ginny doesn't have a clue!', quickly followed with 'Don't look at me, look the game up!', which was again erased for 'I'll be telling Tammy this, you just wait!' with the stickman shaking its little fist. And then the text disappeared again, to be replaced with 'Has Hermione turned you into a…reader?'. I really laughed out loud this time when the text changed back to 'Don't look at me, look the game up!'.
Well, never ignore little stickmen is what I always say! So…the game between the Netherlands and Germany would take place in Germany while at the same time; Ireland would be playing France in Ireland. Getting an idea, I scanned the schedule again to see when England would play. Smiling, I saw that it was a few days later, against Italy in the latter's home country, together with Argentina versus Bulgaria in Argentina. That would mean I could easily ask Harry to come with me.
Just as I closed the paper to put it back down, I started to yawn. Perhaps I should catch up on some sleep before I asked him…
After having managed to escape from Gwenog's clutches after practice, I took a quick shower and Apparated to the National Team practice.
"Good morning, Miss Weasley!" the entrance wizard took off his hat as he curtsied.
"It is indeed!" I replied happily as I walked past him.
"Practice is running late, Miss Weasley!" the entrance wizard called after me. "Mr Potter is still training!"
"Thank you!" I called back as I turned around with a smile, only to turn right back again and walk towards the pitch before I would do something Tonks-like and fall down.
And indeed, all of the team were still in the air, doing moves and tricks and turns. I couldn't help but smile as I saw Harry dive down and I quickly scanned the pitch to see what had grabbed his attention. He was back up in the air, holding a small golf ball in his hand. And Gwenog reckons I'm a good Seeker?
"Miss Weasley, right?" Next to me stood a witch with large sunglasses. Looking up at me expectantly, she pulled out a notebook and a quill.
"Who is asking?" I asked, not trusting this for one bit. Years of being around Harry Potter and later becoming a national Quidditch player have taught me at least that.
"Oh, that's of no importance," she smiled, waving the quill in her hand as if she was actually trying to wave my question away. "How is it to be known as Harry Potter's girlfriend?"
"Excuse me?" I said indignantly, turning around to position myself in front of her. How about Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies? How about that Little Red Wonder nickname they've given me? How about the fact that we've never officially stated that we were back together again!!!
"Well, you are, aren't you?" she said exasperatedly. "Didn't you two get back together again?"
So that was what she wanted! "Who are you?" I repeated sharply.
She sighed deeply, put a charming yet unbelievably fake smile on her face and stuck out her hand. "I work for the Prophet," she said.
"Could you take your glasses off?" I asked, feeling more than a little rude, but still ignoring the hand she was offering me. Hey, I remember Skeeter! For all I knew, this could be her in disguise.
She took one look at me and then pulled her glasses off. "Nina Tennfjord, pleasure to meet you," she said. Again, her hand was out, ready to shake mine.
"No, you're not," I answered, yet again ignoring her hand. Tonks and Lupin were packing to go on a very well deserved holiday and besides, I've been to my fair share of public (and press-related) gatherings and I swear I recognized her face from one of those.
Right at that moment, she dropped all pretences of being nice. Her face turned unfriendly and she hissed, "And how would you know? As if you've ever met her!"
"You just proved my point," I said calmly. "Now, what do you want?"
"What does Potter see in you?"
"Right," I nodded and turned back to watch the end of practice. The team had assembled themselves around the coach on the ground to receive the last few remarks before being released to shower up. Just a few more minutes and Harry would be by my side. Just a few more minutes and I wouldn't have to put up with that sorry excuse for a woman. Just a few more minutes…
"So how did you get past security?" I asked curiously. They were always very strict about letting people through, using various spells that would detect Polyjuice a mile away and disable glamour spells immediately.
"I'm a personal friend of the coach," she answered haughtily. Somehow, I very much doubted that.
"I see…" I said, noticing that the team was breaking up. Practice was over at last. "Look, it was wonderful to meet you, Miss 'I haven't told my name yet', but my boyfriend has finished practicing." Without waiting for a reply, I walked up to the team.
"Hey handsome," I said grinning, an idea forming in my mind.
"Hey gorgeous," I got as a reply.
"Wanna help me get some deluded reporters out of the way?"
Wood nodded with a grin on his face. Behind him, Harry shot me a confused look, but that disappeared when I smiled at him over Wood's shoulder. Then I grabbed Wood's hand so we could walk back together.
"Had a good practice?" I asked sweetly.
"It just got better," Wood grinned, not really knowing what was happening, but playing along anyway. "So…what brings you up here?"
"Spare tickets to the Netherlands/Germany game," I said. "Oh, and my very sweet and handsome boyfriend."
"Is he now?" Wood laughed.
The reporter witch was standing right in front of us. "You…" she stuttered. "Potter…"
"Goodbye," I said firmly, walking past her with Wood at my side.
When we were out of earshot and out of sight, Wood burst out in laughter. "Potter really knows how to pick his woman. That reporter has been nosing around for quite some time, trying to get Harry to confess you two are back together again. Usually he just avoids her, but you!" He sighed dramatically. "You are my new hero."
"You do know that's my girlfriend we're talking about, don't you?" Harry joined us good-humouredly.
"Hey," I kissed him softly as Wood told him that he didn't care and would start worshipping the ground I walked on if this would make it into the papers the next morning. That man seriously knows how to please one's ego!
"Go find Katie before she breaks up with you," Harry smiled while shaking his head at Oliver's antics. "You don't want her to find out about this affair you're having with my girlfriend, might I add, through the paper, do you?"
"Good point," Wood nodded and he turned to me. "If he says 'no' for some unfathomable reason…I'll keep myself recommended."
"Just go," I laughed. "And take a shower!" I called after him and then turned to Harry while sniffing audibly. "You should think about doing that too."
"What would I say 'yes' to?" he asked after giving me another very sweaty kiss.
"Free tickets for the Netherlands/Germany game in Germany. Tammy left them."
"That's great!" he beamed. "Too bad I can't…Beutel got me some Germany seats this morning, I wanted to ask you."
"Bollocks," I said, not believing him for one bit.
He got a mischievous glint in his eyes and started to pull me towards the locker rooms. Before I realized what was going on, I was practically walking into Steve Norwood's chest.
"Hello there," he smiled a dazzling smile, apparently not caring at all that he was wearing nothing but a towel.
"She's taken, Norwood," Harry stated not unfriendly, but very clearly nonetheless. Norwood shrugged and walked into the showering area, just as Harry grabbed my hand again and took me to his locker. And without having to search for them, he pulled two tickets out of his robes.
"I promised Beutel," he shrugged. "I wanted to ask you to the game after practice."
"I promised Tammy," I answered. Then I got an idea, "Why don't you take Wood with you, he seemed eager to go. I'll just invite Fleur to come with me."
"You what?" Harry asked, looking at me as if I'd grown three heads.
"I'll ask Fleur, she's friends with Tammy," I repeated, not really understanding what he was getting at.
"You hate Fleur."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't." The tone in my voice got more stubborn.
"Yes. You. Do."
"No, I don't!"
"Okay team, I just…what is she doing here?" Glynnis Griffiths had entered the changing rooms.
"That's Potter's girl!" Norwood smirked.
"You're not on the team," Griffiths stated accusatorily.
"I was just leaving," I said hastily. I turned to Harry, gave him a quick peck on his lips, said, "I'll see you at home," and left before they would realize who I was and throw me out of the league.
Fleur surprisingly agreed to go with me to the game when I asked her.
"Zhis is so exciting!" she beamed. "Bill has to work and it gets so lonely wizhout him…"
"Er…all right," I said before she would go on with details I'd rather not know about my brother. "Are you certain you can Apparate with the baby and everything?"
"Pfsh!" she waved my comment away. "Zhis little girl will not come out for anozher two months. I will come wizh you to see Tammy."
"It's in Germany," I said, starting to regret asking her. Maybe I should've asked Hermione instead. She likes Quidditch…sometimes…
She scrunched up her nose, but still said, "I can survive bratwurst and beer. Just don't get anything near me."
I wondered if they would serve bratwurst and beer up in the V.I.P.-lodge, but kept my mouth shut.
"Shall I come to your place?" Fleur smiled. "It is closer to the International Apparition Point…I will come at nine o'clock, so we will not be late." Then she caught me staring at her. "What?" she said.
"Since when are you so eager to hang out with me that you'd even go to a Quidditch match with me?"
"You're Bill's favourite sister," she said simply. "And one of my best friends is playing zhat match." The look on her face turned into a genuine smile. "You will have to explain everyzhing to me, zhough…"
"I can do that," I smiled back. "I can do that."
And that was why, a week later, I was standing in line with the other Quidditch fanatics and Fleur, waiting for the gates to open.
"I'm pregnant!" Fleur huffed amidst all the Dutch being spoken around us. "Can't zhese baffoons see zhat?" She stood on her toes to look over the mob of people. "And I'm zhe best friend of one of zhe Seekers. Zhat should be important too, non?"
Where was Harry when you needed him? I mean, what good is it to have a famous boyfriend when you can't make any use of his fame?!? Fleur gave a deep sigh, a sure sign that she was about to complain again. "Let me see the tickets," I said before she could start. "Maybe we're at the wrong place." Tammy did give us V.I.P.-tickets, didn't she?
Fleur sighed again and dug her hand in her purse only to come out with the two tickets.
Nederland – Duitsland
8ste finale van het Zwerkbal Wereldkampioenschap
Plaats: Prüm, Duitsland
Tijd: 13.15 uur
V.I.P. Ingang aan de noordkant, bij de teams.
Even with my pathetic knowledge of Dutch (i.e. none whatsoever), I could understand that we were at the right place and time. But what in Merlin's greasy grey beard was written next to that V.I.P. bit???
"Excuse me," I tapped a wizard in front of me on his shoulder.
"Ja?" he said, "I mean, yes?"
"My friend here, she's pregnant," I said, pointing at an obviously very pregnant Fleur. "And well, she needs to go to the loo." He looked confused. "Toilet, you know?" At this, he nodded, not noticing the murderous looks Fleur was giving me. "She feels a bit uncomfortable cutting the line, but you see, we're friends with Tammy Romeijn and she gave us these V.I.P.-tickets, but well, they're in Dutch…"
"You would like me to translate them?" he smiled helpfully.
"Yes please," I said gratefully.
He looked down at my ticket and started to laugh. "You have to be at the north side of the stadium, near the entrances for the teams. This here is the south entrance." As to explain his point, he showed his own ticket, only to pull it back again as he realized I couldn't understand Dutch.
"Thank you," I said and I wanted to leave the line with Fleur when he continued, "Are you going to support Holland?"
"Er yes," I answered. "Why?"
"You may want to change some of your clothes into orange," he smiled, "But your hair looks nice too."
Wait…what? He thinks I dyed my hair for this? I opened my mouth to tell him that this was my natural colour when…
"Gin, what are you doing here?"
Mr Helpful Wizard looked completely baffled as he managed to tuck on the robes of his friend as to get his attention.
Harry 'I-can-get-anyone's-attention' Potter had arrived.
"Asking for directions," I said. "And leaving."
"Hey Fleur," Harry smiled to Fleur, but then he turned back to the Dutch wizard and me and started to glare at him.
"Are you…" the wizard asked.
"Harry Potter, pleasure to meet you. Gin, the V.I.P. entrance is at the other side."
"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "Didn't figure that out yet. Where's Wood?"
"Getting drinks." He looked back at the small group of Dutch fans that had gathered by now.
This seemed to get that helpful wizard's attention. "Could I have your autograph?"
"Er…" Harry hesitated.
"Of course," I answered. "As a thank you."
"Here," Fleur held up a piece of parchment and a quill.
Five minutes and 17 autographs later we were walking around the stadium to the right entrance. Fleur was complaining about the lack of hospitality in this country and how they could manage to live with themselves, knowing that a pregnant woman had been standing in the cold for hours.
"Oh merde!" she muttered at last, "I really have to go to zhe toilet." And suddenly she was running away from us, towards the entrance.
"Hours?" Harry asked with a crooked eyebrow.
"Forty-five minutes," I sighed. "You know how Phlegm…"
"I knew it!" Harry exclaimed triumphantly. "You can't stand her."
"I…" I started to protest, but really, what use was it… "I try! But she's just so Phlegm and expects everyone to dance on their toes around her and I just want to hex her until I realize she's carrying my unborn nephew…"
"I thought it was going to be a girl," Harry said, confused.
"As if!" I snorted. "A Weasley girl? That's never going to happen."
Harry gave me one of his looks, this one clearly to be meaning that I was very wrong. "Bugger, Harry! I'm mad! I don't think clearly when I'm mad!"
"I noticed," he smiled, taking my hand in his. "But you're doing a very good job of putting up with her."
"I have to," I said softly as I nudged him playfully. "For some reason, Bill loves her more than anything in this world."
We reached the entrance where Fleur was arguing with the guardwizard to let her enter. And to give her credit, he was actually looking intimidated.
"Let's give her a hand, shall we?" Harry softly spoke in my ear.
"Let's wait until she turns her charm on," I grinned back.
Harry looked back at me, opening his mouth to say something when the guardwizard started to look glazy at Fleur. We could hear him say, "Just the toilets, all right Miss?"
"Mrs," Fleur huffed haughtily as she walked past the guardwizard.
He followed her with his eyes and it took us quite a few nudges for him to turn his attention to us.
"She's with me," I smiled, handing him both tickets.
"Do you have her address or something? Anything?" he asked eagerly.
I managed to keep a disgusted look from my face (although Harry was looking quite knowingly at me) as I said, "She's married to my brother."
"No address?" he said dejectedly, turning to Harry. "Verdammt! You're Harry Potter!"
"I should have just Apparated into the V.I.P.-lounge," I heard him mutter just before he put on a big smile and answered, "Yes, I am. I suppose you would like an autograph?"
"Lockhart!" I coughed, earning a glare from Harry. But he wrote his autograph on the last bit of parchment he had, and the guardwizard happily gave us directions as to where to find our respective seats.
Apparently he'd forgotten all about Fleur.
It's almost scary what the Dutch do when supporting their country. I've never seen so much orange in one place…and I grew up in a family of redheads with Ron being the biggest Chudley Cannons-fan that ever existed.
Faces had been painted orange, hair had been dyed orange (or orange wigs had been pulled out of closets), orange robes and Quidditch uniforms were on every witch and wizard and flags, rosettes and banners coloured the little bits that weren't orange yet, orange.
"Ah oui!" Fleur pulled out her wand with a flourish and before I could hide, every single part of my body had been covered in orange fluff.
"Thanks Fleur," I said sarcastically, pulling out my wand too. "But you're looking a bit bland without some orange."
"I don't do orange," Fleur looked horrified. "It clashes horribly!"
I wasn't even finished yet when a giant wizard came up behind Fleur and started to laugh at her.
"Hey!" We both said indignantly as she turned around and I looked up. The next thing I knew was that she had jumped into his arms and was chatting happily in French.
It took me a few minutes before I realized that I was being left out since I really still can't understand a single syllable of French. So I flicked my wand once again and turned Fleur's hair orange.
"Ginevra!" she exclaimed, turning away from the giant. "I refuse to look like a…a…fox!"
"Excuse me!" I said, starting to feel offended. "How do you think I'm feeling right now?" Honestly, I hate orange!
The wizard started to laugh really hard and stuck his hand out, "I'm Wouter Romeijn, really pleased to meet you. Anyone that has the nerve to stand up to Fleur Delacour is my hero."
"Ginny Weasley," I shook his hand. "Fleur's my sister-in-law."
"You're Tamar's teammate," he smiled. "I'm her brother."
Wait, what? Tammy's got a brother? Since when? I looked at him in absolute astonishment as Fleur continued her conversation with him. She was looking very much un-Phlegm-like with her pregnant belly and dressed up in everything orange and I realized that I actually liked having her here.
"Hey Fleur," I said after a while. "The game's starting…want me to tell you what's happening?"
The Dutch beat the Germans with sixty to two-hundred-and-seventy. Not only did they have much better Chasers, but Tammy played as never before. They probably would have won with a much smaller difference, were it not for the fact that the Snitch didn't show. Tammy caught it within minutes of its appearance on the pitch.
Jumping up and down happily, Fleur, Wouter and I walked down to the changing rooms to congratulate Tammy on her win when Fleur turned green and bolted into the nearest loo. After assuring us that everything was alright and that she'd just Apparate home and congratulate Tammy later, Wouter and I left her and went to find Tammy.
"Well done, Tammy!" I yelled when I saw her.
Tammy grinned and held up the Snitch she caught. When we caught up with her, she hugged me fiercely. "I'm so glad you came!" she said. "Come, let's go somewhere these reporters can't find us!"
Laughing, I followed her through the crowd, into the building. Wouter was right behind us, laughing and talking happily with everyone. Everywhere, people were standing, congratulating Tammy as she passed by. Suddenly, she put her hand with the Snitch in it up in the air and said in a singsong voice, „Schade Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!" (1)
„Ja, ja, sehr gut gespielt," (2) I heard Beutel, that bloke from Harry's team (the one that thought I was called Virginia...) say. He didn't look very happy…mind you, he just got kicked out of the running to the World Cup.
„Wie immer," (3) Tammy smiled, apparently not really caring how the poor man felt.
„Dafür haben wir das Endspiel in England nicht verloren." (4) He was looking a bit smugger right now...
„Aber wir können die Quidditch-Weltmeisterschaft noch siegen," (5) Tammy smirked.
„Gewinnen," he smiled back as if he was correcting her. „Du solltest lernen, Deutsch zu sprechen, meine liebe Tamar." (6)
„Ich bin nicht deine Liebe," Tammy stuck her tongue out and walked happily away, arms locked with her brother, from the headshaking Chaser, both all the while singing, „Schade Deutschland, alles ist vorbei, alles ist vorbei, alles ist vorbei. Schade Deutschland, alles ist vorbei." (7)
"I pity you, Little Red Wonder," he sighed. "You have to live with her…" And with that, he too left…leaving me behind to run quickly after Tammy before she would be gone and I wouldn't be able to find her.
"You speak German too?!?" I said incredulously when I found them.
"Nah," she shrugged. "Just a few words. Every Dutch person can speak German if they just put the right accent to it. German people understand." Then she started to grin, "We got into the quarter finals!"
"I know," I said, more than mildly impressed.
A/N: Yes, I translated the German bits. To quote Tammy, 'Every Dutch person can speak German if they just put the right accent to it.' So I apologize if my grammar isn't good...
A/N 2: Well...er...my German is...er...really, really bad. Thank you so much SeriousScribble for correcting me!
1 "Sorry Germany, everything's over now!"
2 "Yes, yes, well done."
3 "As always."
4 "But we didn't lose the finals in England."
5 "But we can still prevail the Quidditch World Cup Finals."
6 "Win." "You should learn how to speak German, my dear Tamar."
7 "I'm not your dear." "Sorry Germany, everything's over now! Everything's over now! Everything's over now! Sorry Germany, everything's over now!"