Quaffles and Snitches

Chapter 11

At breakfast the next day, things got a little tense when Lily asked Remus, "Where were you actually? The day Hermione and Sirius had a fight." Hermione's eyes grew wide at the question but she pretended to look confused and added, "Yeah, I didn't see you in any classes." She had to pretend to not know Remus' little secret, because how would she know anyway?

"Oh, my mother was sick," was all he replied. Even though Lily knew of the future, Hermione may have skipped the third year just to keep her from tensing over the fact that the rumour was that Sirius was trying to kill Harry and that Peter betrayed them.

"Anyways, when are the tryouts, James?" Hermione asked.

"14 days from now," he said. "Want to practice after school?"

"Sure, we can all practice. And I hope Remus hasn't forgotten the fact that he is also supposed to try out for the team." Hermione said, looking over at Remus.

"I haven't but what post are we all trying out for? I was thinking keeper for myself." Remus said.

"I am already a chaser, and Sirius is a beater so that leaves Hermione. How about a seeker?" James asked.

"No, I don't have the talent like Harry to try out for a seeker. I was thinking of a chaser as well." Hermione replied.

"Who's Harry?" Peter asked. Lily and Hermione looked at each other, having a silent conversation.

Maybe I said too much

Yah, you did

But I'll try and cover-up

"He is my friend from Ilvermony. He was a seeker, a really good one too," she said looking at James. 14 days later, the tryouts were finally here. James was already on the team because he was the quidditch captain. When Sirius, Hermione and Remus reached the pitch with their brooms, many people were already standing there. As for tryouts, Hermione was borrowing a broom from one of her roommates, Mary, but for the actual match, if she made it, she would be buying one.

"Ok guys, welcome to Quidditch tryouts," said James. Everybody looked towards him. He was hovering a few feet above the ground. Sirius, Remus and Hermione also joined the crowd.

"Since I am the quidditch captain, I will be holding these tryouts. According to the forms you have filled, there will be 3 people trying for the seeker, 4 people for beaters, 2 for chasers and 2 for keepers. Well, since there are only 2 more people trying for chasers, they are guaranteed the position since there are only 3 chasers in total and I am one as well! So congratulations to those people, though don't think that you would have to work less hard in the tryouts even if you have your positions confirmed. For the rest, you all will be fighting for your post."

Remus and Sirius cheered because Hermione had gotten the post.

"Well anyways guys, I had a feeling we were all going to make it so hopefully, it goes that way!" Hermione laughed. Soon, everybody mounted their brooms and the balls were released. Remus went to one ends of the pitch, where the hoops were. Sirius picked up a bat and Hermione just went near the middle.

Soon the game was in full action. While some of the players had to sit out through the match, to wait for their turns, Hermione was in through the full game. It was hard for her to be used to a ball but she tried her best and she kept in mind that she had a confirmed post.

She watched James instructing players. He reminded her of Harry. So much. It was moments like these where she missed home and family. She had been thinking of this a lot these past days because as much she loves it here, her new friends, this isn't her home. She didn't grow up here. She never faced incredibly hard challenges with these people but they still felt like family. She wondered that if Dumbledore ever figured out a way to send her back to her time, would she go? Harry and Ron must have been worried sick. Although she thought that after that kiss in the Chamber of Secrets during the battle, she and Ron could've worked out but they soon realised they were better off as best friends. But that doesn't change the fact that he wouldn't be worried.

"Hermione! Hermione! The quaffle, there go!" She heard James shout. She snapped out of her daze and saw Gribbson, a 5th year, carry the quaffle near her and throw it to her. She caught the quaffle with her right hand and she carried it towards one of the goalposts, the middle on to be exact. She saw Remus guarding the goalpost and she zoomed towards it. She was close and just a little bit more and she can pretend to throw it in the middle but actually throw it in the tallest one. It was a plan.

She could now clearly see the rings she bent a little more with confidence. Suddenly, she saw this black dot racing towards. She realised it was a bludger heading straight towards her! Her first reaction was internal panic but she put on a brave face and carefully dodged it by going to the left of it and heading straight for the middle hoop. She saw Remus ready to defend and at the last second she turned up and took him by surprise by throwing it straight in the tallest hoop.

The rest of the match went like this. Despite the previous miss by Remus, he was full on game-mode now. He tried his best to block the quaffles and to Hermione's surprise, he played pretty well. Sirius was playing very roughly, hitting every bludger he could see and James, of course, was guiding everybody.

In the end, James announced the results, Sirius and Remus had in fact made the team. The team had James, Hermione and Gribbson as the chasers. Remus as the keeper. A 6th year named Will had made the cut as a seeker and Sirius and a fellow 7th year Olivia had made the team as beaters.

When they met with Lily and Peter in the stands after tryouts and they told them the news. Lily was over the moon after hearing that most of her friends had made the team. Sirius promised that this weekend the butterbeer was on him, his treat, which James then replied to by saying that he wanted to pay instead. In the end, they decided to split the bill in half when they visit Hogsmeade in 4 days.

Once they returned to the common room, all the quidditch team members went to take a shower because they were all sweaty after tryouts. Hermione quickly took a shower and dressed up to go downstairs to dinner. Dinner was all good fun because James was so excited that his friends were on the team and he discussed game strategies so much that he had to be reminded several times to eat his food.

A lot of laughing was done in the common room that night as everybody made fun of James jokingly about his excitement. To which he replied by mock-scowling and glaring. At around 11:30, everybody decided that it was best just to head to bed after such a tiring day.

When Hermione got to her dormitory, she picked up Hogwarts: A History and opened her bookmarked page though she wasn't paying attention as she had to reread several paragraphs because she had so many thoughts in her head. In the end, she just gave in and put her book on the nightstand and saw that Lily was also just turning her lights off.

"Goodnight, Lily," she said.

"Goodnight, Hermione," Lily replied.

After that, Hermione turned her nightstand light off as well and pulled the covers over her however the thoughts didn't stop coming.

'I feel guilty because I know this is not my time- my home but I have grown so attached to the people here that I cannot help but not imagine what my life would be without them. Am I betraying Ron & Harry? By making no possible efforts of going back to my time- the dark times?" She thought.

Tears shone in her eyes but she swallowed them back and shut her eyes, feeling grateful that she had made some amazing friends in this time and she doesn't know what she would have done without them here. Slowly, her mind grew tired and she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: Hi, I know I have been the most terrible writer but I took a break, for a few weeks and well now, I wanted to post this chapter! I finished it and here you go! Enjoy! And if you have any feedback, do be sure to comment so I can improve/change anything in the future that you would like to see happen!