Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise.
Author's Note: Hello everybody. An early update for you. Thanks to meggiemoon, sc12321, GossipGirlHere, yellow 14, cali-lion-11, RainingStu, nonameavailable and Lorelai Grint for reviewing on the last chapter.
I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you enjoy this one. I shall try to update soon and don't forget to review.
Reeves3.
Chapter 37
Ron was bouncing on the balls of his feet, he was very excited. Today the Chudley Cannon's would be playing against the Falmouth Falcons and he had tickets to go in two brilliant seats. Harry was going to be going with him, after they had got the tickets from Seamus as he worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry. It was a crisp October Saturday morning and Ron was brushing his teeth as Hermione was downstairs cooking Rose and Hugo breakfast.
After Ron finished brushing his teeth he got changed into his jeans and his new Chudley Cannon t-shirt and jumper. He then went back into the bathroom and pulled out his wand and drew the Chudley Cannon logo on one of his cheeks and wrote Cannon's on his forehead.
"DADDY! Uncle Harry is in the fireplace," four year old Hugo called up the stairs.
"I'm coming," called Ron. He excited out the bedroom but not before grabbing his Chudley Cannon's hat and slamming it down on his head. In the lounge Harry's head was in the fireplace, six year old Rose was sitting on the settee and talking to him.
"Hey Harry, are you ready to go?" asked Ron.
"I can't go Ron, the kids are sick and Ginny's had to go to work so I'm looking after them," said Harry. Ron let out a disappointed sigh and he took off his Chudley Cannon's hat and it fell on the floor behind him.
"Can't my mum look after them?" asked Ron.
"Your parents are away on there anniversary Ron," said Harry. "I'm sorry," he added.
"Nah it's alright, hope the kids get better," said Ron. Harry nodded and left the fireplace. Hermione came into the room with Hugo trailing behind her as Ron stood up. Hugo was very small still and had a large amount of curly brown hair, his chocolate brown eyes stared up at Hermione.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked. Eyeing the Chudley cannon's logo and words on her husbands face.
"Harry can't go to the match, so looks like I'm going alone," said Ron. He picked up one of the tickets off the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Rose riding around on her toy broomstick with Ron's Chudley Cannon's hat on her head. Rose's hair was now as bushy as Hermione's used to be but was as fiery red as Ron's.
"Wooooo! Go Cannons," she cheered. Ron and Hermione looked at her then Ron looked at his wife smiling widely and Hermione stared at back at her husband realising what he was thinking.
"No Ron, what if she get's lost?" She asked.
"I won't let her out of my sight. We'll have a great time. Please Hermione," begged Ron. Hermione looked at Rose who had stopped circling on the broomstick and was looking up at her mother with a toothy smile. Hermione smiled and gave in.
"Alright fine, you can take Rose to the Cannon's match but please make sure she never leaves your sight," said Hermione. Ron grinned and kissed Hermione before picking up Rose and putting her on his shoulders.
"Do you want to come see the Cannon's today Rose?" Asked Ron, looking up. Rose nodded.
"Yes, I want to go. Can we go now? Can I wear paint on my face to?" asked Rose. Ron nodded and Hermione rolled her eyes but was smiling, she picked up Hugo who was complaining about being hungry still even after finishing his breakfast. After Rose was dressed and Ron had put a lot of orange face paint on her face they said goodbye to Hermione and Hugo then Ron apparated them to the Chudley Cannon's stadium.
There was hundreds of Chudley Cannon's and Falmouth Falcon fans all mixed together at the entrance. Ron kept Rose on his shoulders while he held the tickets in his hand. Rose sat happily on her father's shoulders as she stared at everything around her and keeping her father's hat on her head. She could hear the fans cheer 'Cannons' over and over, and joined in with them.
Ron handed the tickets over and they were allowed entrance into the stadium, they located their seats and sat down with a sea of orange surrounding them and at the opposite end of the stadium was a sea of dark grey and white for the Falmouth Falcons. Ron and Rose sat at the same level as the hoops and wizards and witches doing there job walked up and down the stairs that went from the bottom of the stadium to the top, handing out food and sweets.
"Dad, when will the players come out?" asked Rose.
"Soon, you see the big clock resting up on the box over there?" asked Ron. Rose looked across and spotted a glass box in the middle of the crowd opposite them then the clock above it.
"Yeah," said Rose.
"Well when the time reaches ten exactly the game will start," said Ron. Rose nodded.
"So only ten minutes to go," said Rose, smiling.
"Yep, ten minutes," said Ron. Rose smiled and sat patiently on her plastic chair swinging her legs beneath her. She liked Quidditch, even though she couldn't play properly yet but she wanted to learn soon. Maybe daddy can teach me, she thought. She still only had toy broomstick and wanted a real one. She knew the positions and was interested in playing a Chaser.
"Daddy-." A loud gong sound sounded out the stadium and a sparking falcon flew out from behind the stadium and flapped its wings as it circled the crowd. Then there was a boom and there was a patch of black smoke in the middle of the pitch and a huge cannonball shot up to the sky and exploded showering the crowd with two tiny black C's joined together. The commentator's voice sounded out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. I give you the Falmouth Falcons! Walker, Thorne, Fisher, Gordon, Nash, Taylor and Baker." The seven Falmouth Falcons players flew out of nowhere on there Cleansweeps and their fans cheered for them while the Cannon's booed. The Falmouth Falcons flew in a line following the sparking falcon which was there mascot.
"And the Chudley Cannon's! Hunt, Mills, Dixon, Hunter, Cole, Spencer and Atkinson." Seven orange blurs shot out onto the pitch and the Cannon fans cheered and hooted. The players circled the hoops as the referee came out onto the pitch with his broomstick in one hand and a crate in the other. The Falcons and Cannon's got into position and the referee opened the box. The Bludgers and Snitch flew out immediately, the Bludgers stayed in the stadium but the snitch vanished from sight instantly.
"The referee takes the Quaffle and mounts his broomstick. He tosses the Quaffle in the air and the game begins. Thorn manages to get the Quaffle he passes it to Fisher, Cole sends a Bludger at him and he dives out the way. Fisher passes the Quaffle back to Thorn who quickly passes it to Gordon. Gordon heads for the goals, Chudley Cannon's Keeper Hunt is at the ready. Gordon shoots and he scores. Ten to the Falmouth Falcons."
Ron and Rose groaned along with all the other Chudley Cannon fans while the Falmouth Falcons burst into cheers. The game commenced and the Falmouth Falcons stormed ahead and easily beat the Chudley Cannon's. It was two hundred and sixty to fifty when the Golden Snitch came back into view.
"Atkinson is going after the Snitch and Baker is at the opposite end of the pitch. Atkinson reaches for the Snitch but Baker has caught up with him. There both neck and neck for the Snitch and....Atkinson grabs it. The Falmouth Falcons win but the Chudley Cannon's catch the Snitch. The final score two hundred and sixty to two hundred."
"Fool, why did he catch it so soon?" Shouted Ron. The Falmouth Falcons were flying around in circles in victory while the Chudley Cannon's slowly made there way to the changing rooms. The fan's started to walk out the stadium and apparate or floo home. Ron apparated home with Rose and appeared with a crack in the lounge. Hermione was checking Hugo's primary school homework while Hugo was sitting next to her and colouring in a picture.
"Your back early, who won?" asked Hermione. Ron gave her a look to clearly say that the opposing team won.
"The Cannon's lost but only by fifty points mummy," informed Rose. Going up to Hermione and jumping up on her lap and giving her a hug.
"Well that's not so bad," said Hermione. Ron mumbled something to himself and went upstairs to wash the orange face paint off his face. Rose meanwhile was giving a detailed description of the Quidditch match to Hermione and Hugo, Hugo was listening to her every word. It was over an hour until she stopped talking.
"So it was good fun then?" asked Hermione. Rose nodded her head.
"It was very fun. Can Hugo come to the next match?" asked Rose. Hugo looked up pleadingly at his mother while Ron sat in the armchair grinning.
"We'll see," said Hermione. Hugo grinned, to hear that from his mother meant yes.
"Mommy and daddy? Can I have a broomstick?" asked Rose.
"You already have a broomstick Rose," said Hermione. Pointing to the toy broomstick, on the other chair which Rose had discarded there earlier that morning.
"No, I want a real one. I want to learn how to play Quidditch," said Rose. Ron's face broke into a grin.
"Absolutely, we'll buy one tomorrow and I'll teach you how to play tomorrow," said Ron. Rose grinned and squealed with delight.
"Wait a minute, Rose your year young to play Quidditch. The laws say you need to be seven," said Hermione. Rose rolled her eyes and Hermione raised an eyebrow so Rose glared at her mother.
"But I want to learn, I want to play Quidditch!" Argued Rose.
"Come on Hermione, she'll be alright if I teach her," said Ron.
"I want to learn to," added in Hugo.
"No Hugo. Rose your still to young to play. Maybe for your seventh birthday you can have a broomstick but not now,"
"But Albus get's to play Quidditch," said Rose. Crossing her arms over her chest and looking very much like her mother.
"No he doesn't," said Hermione.
"Yes he does," retorted Rose.
"No he doesn't," said Hermione.
"Daddy!" Said Rose. Looking over at her father, as her mother wasn't giving her the answer she wanted. Ron sat in the chair, he wanted to teach Rose Quidditch but then he didn't want to anger Hermione.
"Rose maybe you should wait till your seven," said Ron. Rose gaped then tears started to build up in her eyes and she ran out the room and stormed upstairs then slammed her bedroom door shut behind her. Hugo followed her taking his pictures and crayons with him.
"Hermione, why can't she play Quidditch? Albus does play, Harry started teaching him and James when they were five," said Ron.
"Those broomsticks are huge, what if she get's on one and falls off. Or reaches and certain height, get's scared and can't come down?" Suggested Hermione. Ron moved off his chair and sat down next to Hermione on the settee.
"Are you saying what Rose is afraid of or what you're afraid of?" asked Ron. Hermione looked away from him and Ron knew he had figured it out. He smiled. "You also know there are no laws to say what age a child can be to play Quidditch," said Ron.
"Seven is the required age," said Hermione. She went silent and all they could hear was Rose screaming upstairs while Hugo was knocking loudly on her door.
"You can't let your fears about broomsticks and heights be put on to Rose, she wants to learn. Imagine when she's seventeen and learning how to drive a muggle car, I'll be terrified. You know I've never liked driving cars since the Whomping Willow incident," said Ron. Hermione smiled slightly.
"You need to get over that fear," said Hermione.
"And you need to get over yours," said Ron.
"I will always fear if I think my children are in danger Ron," said Hermione. Looking at her husband.
"You know full well that Rose won't be in any danger while I'll teach her how to play," said Ron. Hermione stared at him then sighed.
"Alright, she can learn," said Hermione. Ron grinned and kissed his wife. It was still early in the afternoon so Ron decided to go out to Diagon Alley and to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get Rose a broomstick. Meanwhile at home Hermione was cleaning while Hugo was giving her a report on why Rose was in a mood with her mother and why Rose was threatening not to come down for dinner.
"So if you forgive her, Rose said she would come and eat," said Hugo. Now sitting at the kitchen table and playing with his action figures of Voldemort, Harry, Ron and Hermione on the table. Also scattered on the table were Auror and Death Eater figures.
"Did she now?" asked Hermione.
"Yep," said Hugo. He picked up his Voldemort and Harry figure with each hand and made a hissing voice. "You'll never beat me Potter, hissssssssssssssssss!" Hugo shook his Harry figure and put on a deep voice. "Expelliarmus Moldymort." Hugo chucked his Voldemort figure into the sink where Hermione was washing the dishes.
"Hugo," said Hermione. Picking up the figure and giving it back to Hugo. "Stop throwing your toys into the sink. If you must throw your Voldemort toy, throw it at the wall." Hugo laughed and Hermione went back to washing the dishes. Ron came back then by apparating outside the front of his house. He decided to store the broomstick in the garage where his own broomstick was kept. When he had finished he came back into the house through the kitchen door which led into the back garden. He opened the door and narrowly avoided getting hit in the face with a figure of Voldemort.
"Careful son...oh it's only Voldemort. I thought it was me," said Ron. He picked up the toy and gave it back to Hugo and picked up his own figure, and smiled. This was just as good as having his face on a Chocolate Frog Card.
That evening they had dinner, Rose did come downstairs and eat but she wasn't speaking to anyone. Hugo kept his toys with him at the table while Ron and Hermione kept quiet about the broomstick as they wanted to surprise her in the morning with it so she'll have all day to practice with Ron. Near the kitchen door Crookshanks two, Sam, Sophie and Jinx were eating their cat food while Pig, Coco and Devon the owls were outside hunting in the forest behind there house.
As soon as Rose had finished eating she huffily left the table and went back upstairs and didn't come back down for the rest of the night. At quarter to eight Hermione took Hugo up to bed, leaving his action figures on the table while Ron sat at the table flicking his wand so the dishes washed themselves.
"Ron I told you to wash them up," said Hermione. As she came back downstairs and seeing Ron lazily sitting at the table while the magic cleaned the cutlery.
"I am," said Ron.
"With your hands," said Hermione. Ron pulled her down so she sat on his lap.
"Why when I can do it with magic?" asked Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes. She reached over and grabbed Witch Weekly and started to read it while Ron picked up Hugo's action figures.
"Stupefy! Take that Voldemort you ass, muhahahaha!" said Ron. Hermione stared at him and he looked at her.
"You're such a child," said Hermione, in a lovingly sarcastic way.
"You love me that way," said Ron. Hermione grinned and Ron went back to playing with the figures, particularly the Ron and Hermione figures.
"What are you doing Ron?" asked Hermione. Noticing the positions Ron had put the figures in.
"Just something," said Ron, grinning. Hermione put down the magazine.
"Well you can at least turn Voldemort and Harry away," she said. Turning around the Voldemort and Harry figures so their backs turned away from the Ron and Hermione figures. Ron laughed and kissed Hermione who kissed him back hungrily.
Later that night Ron reluctantly left his warm bed, where Hermione was sleeping peacefully and put on his dressing gown and went and got the broomstick for Rose out the garage and snuck it into Rose's bedroom. He then rejoined Hermione in bed and fell into a deep sleep.
On Sunday morning as the sun was coming up Hermione and Ron were downstairs cooking breakfast when they heard a scream from upstairs. Then there was a thunder of steps rushing down the stairs, into the hall, into the lounge and into the kitchen. Rose ran in and jumped up hugging Hermione around the waist.
"Thank you mummy and I'm sorry I argued with you yesterday," said Rose. Hermione smiled and picked up her daughter.
"You're forgiven and I'm sorry I argued with you to," said Hermione. She placed a kiss on Rose's cheek and Rose hugged her mother all the tighter. Then she hugged her father.
"Can you teach me now?" asked Rose. Looking up at her father.
"After we've had breakfast," said Ron. Rose grinned. Ron ate his full English breakfast, Hermione ate her porridge and Rose ate her cereal.
"Ok I'm going to get changed then can we play?" asked Rose.
"Yes Rose," said Ron. He was already showered and dressed. Rose quickly ran up the stairs and into the bathroom, she quickly brushed her teeth and then ran into her bedroom getting changed in record time. She then picked up her broomstick. It was a Nimbus 2010, it was only a couple of years old but it was sleek and shiny and Rose loved it. She picked it up and ran down the stairs and found her father in the back garden with his Cleansweep 11.
"Ok Rose, are you ready to fly?" asked Ron. Rose nodded her head. "Ok first thing you need to do is mount your broomstick." Ron got off his own broomstick and taught Rose how to sit on her broomstick and hold it correctly. Hermione and Hugo came out to watch soon and sat down on the chairs on the patio.
"Now lightly push up off the ground," instructed Ron. Rose did so and she hovered in the air, she let her legs dangle and swing and she grinned.
"Alright now when you lean down against your broom you'll go forwards, when you sit up you'll stop. Tilting your broom up you'll head towards space, tilt the tip down and you'll crash on the grass. Lean left and right and you'll go in that direction. Understand?" Asked Ron. Rose nodded.
She leaned down on her broom slowly and started to go forwards, she felt excitement travelling through her body so she leaned further down on it and went shot across the grass towards the fence.
"Tilt up Rose!" Yelled Ron. Rose did so and shot up towards the sky and didn't stop.
"RON!" Shouted Hermione. As she watched Rose fly above the house and further and further into the sky.
"I'm on it," said Ron. He kicked off on his own broomstick and chased after Rose. Rose however was having the time of her life, riding this broomstick was immense freedom. She reached a height and sat up on the broomstick where she hovered in the sky and looked around her. In front of her was the circle of houses around the green, to the right was Ottery St Catchpole's town centre. To the left were rolling hills and behind her was the forest and behind that forest was the muggle village of Ottery St Catchpole.
"Rose!" Called Ron. He flew up to her and hovered next to her. Rose smiled at him.
"I like this daddy," said Rose. Ron smiled.
"Certainly is a great thing to do," said Ron. Rose nodded and then tapped her dad's shoulder.
"You're it!" Rose shot down to the ground laughing as Ron chased after her. After a game of tag they both headed towards their back garden again where Ron taught Rose how to do barrel rolls and loopy-loops.
"Come in and have some lunch," said Hermione. As the time had now reached half one and Rose and Ron hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.
"I'll teach you Quidditch after we've eaten," said Ron. Rose nodded, her curly hair was windswept and they landed on the grass and went inside where Hermione had made lunch for the both of them. They ate but had to wait another hour for it to digest before going back on their brooms.
"Now you already know the rules of Quidditch, don't you Rose?" Asked Ron. Rose nodded after having read Quidditch Through the Ages twice and watching the Quidditch match yesterday and having watched her cousins, uncles and aunts play it at the Burrow.
"So let's see what position suits you best," said Ron. He got out a Golden Snitch from the box in the garage which he had brought outside into the garden and let it loose. He vanished in a flash and Rose had no clue where it went.
"Will it come back?" asked Rose. As Ron looked around for it.
"It'll stay around this area, I'll get Harry around later to get it. Ok so being a Seeker isn't your position, let's try a Beater but we won't use the Bludgers so I'll charm the beach ball to come at you and you hit it with this," said Ron. Handing Rose a Beater's bat, Rose nodded and Ron charmed the beach ball at her but when she hit it, it came firing back at Ron and smacked him in the face. Rose, Hermione and Hugo laughed.
"Not a Beater but you have a good aim. Let's try you out as a Chaser," said Ron. He picked up the Quaffle and handed it to Rose while he went over to the three hoops he had made out of the branches from the chestnut trees.
"Go," said Ron. Rose held the Quaffle under her arm and leaned down on her broom and shot towards her father, she threw the Quaffle with her hand towards the middle hoop, it would have gone in if Ron hadn't blocked it.
"Excellent. Try again," said Ron. He tossed the Quaffle to Rose and she caught it and put it back under her arm and took her time this time. She was trying to figure out her father's way of blocking the hoops and how she could get around his strategy.
"Sometime today Rose," said Ron. Rose glared at him.
"In a minute," she snapped. She noticed he stayed near the top of the hoops so he could swoop down to catch the Quaffle in time. So she went towards him and flipped upside down and managed to get the Quaffle in the space Ron wasn't covering. Rose flipped the right way round and started to cheer.
"Cheeky move, that was unfair," said Ron. He passed the Quaffle to Rose again but she flipped upside down again and managed to score.
"Try doing it but not going upside down," said Ron. Passing the Quaffle once more to Rose, she caught it and flew at Ron again and tried to score but Ron caught it. Ron punched the air with his fist and whooped. He passed it back to Rose and Rose noticed that her father was now blocking the middle area not the top anymore. So she flipped back upside down again and held on with her legs while with both hands threw the Quaffle up so it sailed over Ron's head and into the hoop.
"YES!" Cheered Rose. Ron gaped at his daughter, she was a natural and being upside down seemed to be her signature move. The sun soon started to set and Rose and Ron put their brooms back into the garage, the Golden Snitch had been caught earlier by the both of them as it came back into view.
"When I go to Hogwarts, I am defiantly joining the team," said Rose. As they ate dinner that evening at the dinning room table. Ron smiled, he was very proud that his daughter could play Quidditch as well as her other cousins after just one day of playing.
"When can I get a broomstick?" asked Hugo.
"When you're old enough," said Hermione. Hugo huffed and dipped his chips into the tomato sauce and ate them. After dinner was finished and Ron had once again charmed the cutlery to wash it's self, he joined Hugo in a game wizard's chess while Rose was in the bath upstairs and Hermione was reading a book in the corner of the room.
"Looks like I beat you again Hugo," said Ron. As his queen stabbed Hugo's king and it broke to pieces.
"One day, I'll beat you," said Hugo. He yawned widely and his eyes started to droop.
"Bedtime, young man," said Ron. He picked up Hugo and tossed him over his shoulder.
"Night, night mummy," said Hugo. As Ron walked backwards so Hugo could reach down and hug Hermione goodnight. Hermione kissed Hugo's cheek and watched Ron take Hugo upstairs.
"Mummy!" Rose called. "Can you come and dry my hair?" Hermione put down her book and followed Ron and found Rose standing on the landing with her hair dripping water on the carpet while she was wrapped in a towel. Hermione did a complicated wand movement but a second later Rose's hair was fully dry and fluffy and bushy.
"Thank you mom. Goodnight," said Rose. Hermione picked her up in a hug and took her into her bedroom to get changed. Once Rose was under her bedcovers, she yawned widely.
"Goodnight Rose," said Hermione. Giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. Rose smiled and rolled over and Hermione left the bedroom and went into Hugo's bedroom where Hugo was wrestling with Ron on the floor.
"This is going to sleep?" asked Hermione. Ron and Hugo looked at her and smiled sheepishly. Ron picked up Hugo and placed him on his bed, Ron and Hermione sat on the edge of his bed. Inside Hugo's room it had darkish green walls with white boarders, toys were scattered across the floor. There were white shelves on the wall near the window that looked out to the front garden. Opposite the window was Hugo's bed and in front of Hugo was the door. Near to the door was a built in wardrobe and a chest of draws. There was even a desk and chair in his room for Hugo to do his school work on.
"Tell me a story," begged Hugo.
"Which one?" asked Ron.
"The troll one. It's my favourite," said Hugo. He shuffled down in his bed, getting comfortable while Ron told the story and it wasn't long before Hugo fell asleep. Ron and Hermione closed Hugo's door and made their way back downstairs.
"I think Rose did very well today," said Hermione. She flicked her wand and the wood in the fireplace set alight and started to burn.
"She did amazingly well, defiantly a Quidditch star in the making," said Ron, smiling. He lay down on the settee exhausted while Hermione went back to reading her book. It wasn't long before Ron's snores made her look at him, she smiled at the sight of him sleeping peacefully. She put down her book and went over to him and draped the blanket across him, he stirred.
"Hmm, what are you doing?" asked Ron, sleepily.
"Putting the blanket across you but if I were you, I would go to bed, it'll be more comfortable," said Hermione.
"I'm comfortable...at least I could be more if you joined me," said Ron. Hermione smiled and lay down next to Ron on the settee. They both watched the fire burning the wood in the fireplace with the blanket across the both of them.
"Ron?" asked Hermione. Turning around so she faced him, there noses brushed against each others.
"Mmm?" Asked Ron. Peering his eyes open and smiling at her.
"I love you," said Hermione. Ron smiled more and they kissed.
"I love you," said Ron. When they broke the kiss and Hermione snuggled up more against Ron and he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head above Hermione's head. They both talked some more together until it was time to go to bed. Ron extinguished the fire in the fireplace and followed Hermione upstairs, kissing her neck as they went.
Author Note: One of my favourite chapters. I enjoyed writing this one and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I shall update soon and don't forget to review.
Reeves3.