Full Blurb:

When Marcus Flint, star chaser for the Falmouth Falcons and league favorite to make the national team for the 2002 World Cup, suffers a shattering injury during the league's quarter finals he's devastated. All he ever wanted was to play quidditch professionally and one day win the World Cup. However he's seen the injury before and more often than not, it's a career ender. Before he even hits the pitch, he's given up hope of ever achieving that dream.

Enter Hermione Granger, the Falcons' newest sports healer. Her contract with the team technically doesn't even begin till training camp starts in July. However with Marcus's injury and her lack of confidence in the retiring healer, she steps on to the pitch to begin her new job right away. She has ten weeks to get him ready for the 2001-2002 pre-season despite everyone, Marcus included, thinking it's an impossible task.

Hunting horcruxes was supposed to be impossible.

Winning the war was supposed to be impossible.

Getting Marcus back into flying shape and on the national team is anything but impossible.

What is impossible? Not falling in love with him.

Chapter One

April 2001

"Well Granger, we finally did it," Theo murmured, nudging her shoulder while their resident director talked about their accomplishments to those gathered in the hall. "Three years of jockeying for the top position in the program, endless rotations, nearly a dozen specialty changes, too many sleepless nights to count, way more tears than you or I will ever own up to, and a hundred different afternoons spent swearing that we were actually quitting the program this time and now we are finally done."

"I still think they should have had us complete one more assignment to establish a definitive first and second in the program," she teased, wrapping an arm around his waist and giving him a small pinch in retaliation.

"Of course you do," he replied, rolling his eyes.

Hermione rested her head along the side of Theo's chest and listened to their director further expound upon their accomplishments during their tenure in the Healers Program.

She had started the course nearly three years ago mere hours after the Battle of Hogwarts, as it had come to be known, had concluded with Harry's victory over Voldemort. Thanks in large part to trial by fire, she had developed a basic working knowledge of healing during their hunt for the horcruxes and the moment the fighting was over she had thrown herself into helping Madam Pomfrey, Professor Slughorn, and the waves of healers from Saint Mungo's tend to the injured. When the dust had begun to settle, Healer Asclepius, who was the head of the medical program for Wizarding Britain, and currently losing the attention of the graduates' families, had approached her with an offer to start the specialized schooling under his tutelage that day. Due to the sheer volume of injured witches, wizards, and muggles who had had the misfortune of finding themselves caught in the crossfire all throughout the country, the hospital and its staff were inundated with cases. Needing more hands than they had, he had made an executive decision and began recruiting and training amongst the helping students.

While diagnosing the severity of a student's concussion, Hermione had planned to turn down Healer Asclepius's offer. However as she went to tell him of her ultimate plans of diving into the political fray at the Ministry, she found herself instead accepting the offer much to her own surprise. It was a career path she had never considered while in school but inside the Great Hall surrounded by so much pain and loss, she had a moment of clarity and found herself making her first ever impulsive decision. That choice had led her down a difficult but rewarding road, one filled with many self discoveries, more healing for her own self than she could have ever imagined, and a number of surprises, her close friendship with Theodore Nott having been the biggest of those until her final specialty change had occurred nine months ago.

No one, herself included, would have ever fathomed her choosing the specialty she had. Like her sudden choice to join the medical program, her required rotation within what was about to be her career field had been an enlightening moment. Her shift that day had ended with her once again marching down to Healer Asclepius's office to refile her specialization paperwork, Theo already there doing the same thing as he too had finally found his calling within healing.

"But enough about their academic achievements," Healer Asclepius finally announced, the conclusion of his long winded introduction in sight. "Giving this year's commencement address in a historic joint speech: Theodore Nott, Saint Mungo's newest pediatric specialist who will further be interning under the department's head, Healer Nicholas and Hermione Granger, who has received no less than seven offers from teams within the British and Irish Quidditch League and several more scattered across mainland Europe, all hoping to be the team that gets to welcome her as their new head sports healer."

The hall broke out into a chorus of riotous cheers and applause, no doubt because the compulsory speeches were finally coming to an end, as Theo escorted Hermione out onto the stage. Sending her ahead of him, she reached their mentor who had had the patience of a saint over the last three years managing both of their obsessive personalities. Giving him a tight hug and whispered words of gratitude she already felt her eyes begin to prickle with the onset of bittersweet tears. She stepped back and watched as her friend offered his hand in a formal shake only for Healer Asclepius to pull Theo into a hug as well, clapping him on the back before moving to take his seat with the other healers who had been their teachers, subtly wiping a tear from his own eyes.

Stepping up to the podium, they pressed their wands to their throats as one to project their words across the space. As Theo opened their speech, he took her hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze, offering her the support she still needed when having to speak before large crowds.

They finished their meticulously written and timed speech in a short seven minutes, ushering the ceremony along to completion. The magical blessings and oath of ethics passed in a blur and before Hermione knew it, they had officially completed their tenure as apprentice healers. With a shower of celebratory sparks, the post ceremony chaos commenced.

As always when momentous occasions occurred in hers, Harry's, or Ron's lives, the reporters who had rarely left them alone since the war, were there looking for their next piece of the war heroine. Theo's friendship had been a double blessing as he often took the reins from her and navigated the vulture-like press so that she was in and out of their clutches with as few words and photos as possible. Today was no different as they navigated their way through the happy families and flashing bulbs on their way to their own made family to privately celebrate their accomplishment. He effectively made a small barrier between her and them, quickly directing her to a series of five moderately patient cameras for photographs. While she politely smiled and posed, he spoke on her behalf about how she would not be commenting on which team she had accepted an offer from as it would violate her contract to make any announcements before that team's official press release. All and all the encounter lasted less than ninety seconds, a new record for her, before he was taking her hand again and hurrying her along.

"Merlin Granger, you sure you don't want to rescind your acceptance? You're going to be working in the middle of one of the heaviest media industries," he asked as they pushed their way through the doors into the reception corridor.

Taking in the clear divide of their families, Hermione gave a soft huff as she turned to Theo, "Thankfully they won't give a pile of hippogriff dung about me. The only people they'll care to talk to and photograph are the players and the coaches." Giving him a quick hug, she whispered, "I'll go greet Ron and his family and then we can all meet at home, yeah?"

Begrudgingly he agreed, "Yeah that's fine. You would think they could shove it for one afternoon though."

"They are all going to be in your home for lunch so there's that."

"Our home," he reflexively corrected. "And it only took three weeks to convince that hag Molly to agree."

"Theo!" She scolded, swatting his hard chest with the back of her hand. "I'm going to tell Cissy on you."

"Why? So she can agree with me?" He laughed, kicking up his Oxford to bump her bum. "Just remember Hermione, if you marry Ron, you're stuck with his harpy sister and bitch of a mum for life," he teasingly warned before walking over to where Narcissa, his boyfriend Draco, Harry, and his pregnant wife Pansy stood smiling at them.

Casting a weak tripping jinx at his feet, Hermione gave the other half of her chosen family a quick wave of acknowledgement while they laughed at a stumbling Theo.

Her heels clicked softly on the marble floor as she made her way over to the Weasleys whose faces were a mixture of pride, concern, and unveiled scorn. Between his relationship with Pansy and his inability to fully forgive Ron for his abandonment during the hunt, Harry's relationship with their pseudo family had quickly crumbled and left her caught in the middle. In fact, hers and Theo's lunch would be the first time the two halves of her family had even come together, Harry having been unceremoniously ousted from the Weasley Clan once the funerals and memorials had ended.

Taking a deep breath to banish her doubts about the afternoon, Hermione stepped into Ron's arm and welcomed his congratulatory kiss, pulling away before he tried to deepen the peck.

"This will be great 'Mione, you just wait and see," he said eagerly, using the loathed abbreviation of her name. "Now that you're done with school and will be signing to the Cannons you can finally move out of Nott's flat and come live with me."

Brushing off his comment in favor of keeping the mood as light as possible, she turned to Mrs. Weasley and gave the woman a stiff hug.

"Oh dear, we are so very proud of you," she gushed. "And don't you worry about today. We'll have a small to-do after your official job announcement without all the tension, hmm?"

Pressing her lips into a hard smile, she nodded her head as she reluctantly agreed, "Sure Mrs. Weasley. That would be lovely, thank you."

"Come here, Hermione!" George exclaimed, tugging her into a back breaking hug that lifted her feet off the ground. "Right proud of you we are! Top of your class, though who didn't see that coming? And all those offers. Why, you about had your pick of any team in the league. I'll be expecting tickets to at least one game this coming season, regardless of who ya signed with."

"Oi! Ginny and I offer you tickets all the time!" Ron protested as George put her back on the ground. "Probably much better than what the team healer can get you too."

Taking another breath to defuse her quick flare of anger at Ron's words, Hermione continued making her way through the Weasleys that had shown up. While she had a lingering conversation with Fleur about her pregnancy, who was just about as far along as Pansy was, Ron got into it with his brother.

"Don't be stupid, Ron. There's no way Hermione would have chosen the Cannons, nor the Harpies," he added, silencing Ginny who was splitting her focus between their growing argument and casting sour looks at Pansy. "She had offers from near every team. She definitely went with a higher tiered team than yours."

"Yeah but those teams don't have me."

"So long as she didn't go with the bloody Falcons, she'll still be alright in my book," Ginny announced.

Taking care to school her features so as to show no reaction, Hermione said, "How about we head on over to the bank of floos before the rest of the families come out and the lines get backed up?"

"Excellent idea," Mr. Weasley concurred, offering her his arm. Once they started walking and had put some space between them and his wife and children he said in a hushed tone, "Don't worry Hermione, they'll understand your decision. If half of what the sports section of the Prophet said about their offer is accurate, it wouldn't have made sense for you to Falmouth down. You'll be making more than some starting players in the league and with the talk of several of their players on the short list of the national team next year you'll have a sure spot as one of the healers for the World Cup. Ron will understand," he assured, patting her hand.

"You won't say anything right, Mr. Weasley? At least not today," she quietly asked. "I just know this lunch is going to be awkward enough, so I don't want to make it any worse."

"Hermione, you've known me for how many years now? We fought in a bloody war together and you may yet become an official Weasley one day. Please, call me Arthur. As for who you'll be working for come the preseason, my lips are sealed."

"Thank you… Arthur," she said.

Coming up behind Harry at the row of open floos, Arthur softly addressed him, "Harry, congratulations on your soon to be first born. All pregnancies and babies are special and unique in their own way, but there is nothing quite like the excitement and jitters of your first. Cherish these times my boy, because before you know it your little one and any you have after will all be grown and forging their own paths in life away from your nest."

With an emotion choked thanks, Harry hastily stepped into the floo, calling out for the flat she shared with Theo. No sooner had he been engulfed in the bright green flames did Mrs. Weasley and Ginny come storming up to them.

"Well he just has some nerve, doesn't he?" Molly demanded, the family's notorious anger coming forth as her face flushed. "I mean really, that witch is pregnant, not an invalid. He didn't need to bring her to your lunch. Who is she even to you besides his wife, Hermione?"

Already regretting that she had tried to bring everyone together thinking they could get on for a few hours for her, Hermione answered, "Pansy is one of Theo's oldest friends. She's here for him as much as Harry is for me. And though they won't make an official announcement till the baby shower, she and Harry have appointed Draco and I as the baby's godparents."

"And you accepted?" Ginny spat. "Harry definitely went round the bend after the war. I mean Parkinson tried to turn him over to You-Know-Who for Merlin's sake and he went and married that cow. Now he's appointing a failed Death Eater as his child's godfather? He's cracked, someone should take him to the Janus Thickey Ward for an examination."

Reacting without thinking, Hermione stepped into Ginny's space and snarled, "Draco is a good man who has done more than anyone to make amends for his actions in the war. He was a child, just like the rest of us were! He was put into an impossible position that no one, not even myself, Harry, or Ron tried to save him from, so don't you speak ill of him Ginevra Molly Weasley.

"As for Harry, it's been three years. Get over it! We all went round the bend after the war, your brother and I included. You can't see, do, and experience the things we did without it cracking you to some extent. It's high time you stopped living in the past because it's turning you bitter. Now if you cannot suck it up and play nicely for a few hours to help me celebrate my accomplishments then you are free to go home because I will not allow you to treat Harry, Pansy, Draco, or Narcissa as you are right now." Looking at each of the silent Weasleys she added, "That goes for all of you."

Taking a much larger pinch of powder than she needed, she angrily threw it into the fire and called out for her home, swirling away in an fiery green storm. Stumbling out of the hearth, she slashed her wand over herself to remove the soot and let out a satisfying scream of frustration.

"Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea?" She demanded.

"Because it's not illogical to think that the people who love you can put aside their personal distaste for others whom you also love for a few hours to share in a milestone with you," Narcissa answered easily, adjusting the flatware at a place setting.

"Just think Hermione, this is only the beginning. Wait till you and Ron get engaged and married," Pansy added, rearranging the already perfect centerpiece on the long table.

"Hermione won't have to worry about that," Luna said dreamily. "The salty air of Falmouth means wrackspurts can't take up root in anyone's ears. She'll see everything very clearly once she's been there for a while and the ones currently fogging up her brain leave her alone."

As the fireplace began to roar to life behind her, Hermione hastily stepped out of the way and reminded everyone in the room that she hadn't told Ron yet about which team's offer she had accepted, pointing a warning finger at Harry's and Draco's rolling eyes.

The teams from mainland Europe had been easy enough to weed through. Though she had received a number of competitive offers from teams in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, she knew that she couldn't leave behind her small family. Sorting through the offers around England, Wales, and Scotland however had been significantly more difficult with the exception of the offer from the Holyhead Harpies. Even though she knew her relationship with Ron would eventually begin moving towards marriage if his constant insistence that she move in with him was anything to go by, she couldn't see herself being able to work amicably with Ginny given the hostility she still had towards Harry.

After thoroughly going over the pay, benefits, obligations, and duties that each team presented she had still been at a loss. On paper it looked as though any team she chose would be a good fit but the contracts and letters of interest didn't help give her a look into the teams themselves. From years of listening to Harry and Ron discuss quidditch and several more after Ron and Ginny both had joined the professional league, she had a good idea on the dynamics of the field relations but it still didn't give her the behind the curtain look she had wanted. Positions very rarely opened up in the field of work she had specialized in, so she knew whoever she picked had to be a perfect fit for not only her but them as well. It was not outside the realm of possibility after all that she could be with the team she picked now for the entirety of her career.

Wanting an unbiased opinion on the teams, she had sought Viktor's help. Unlike Ron and Ginny he didn't have any interest in her selection beyond helping her make the right choice for her career. To her surprise, her longtime friend who had been playing professionally in Bulgaria for years had actually been secretly visiting teams within the British and Irish League. His contract was coming to an end and he had decided to finally entertain offers from teams outside of his home country. The British and Irish League had leapt far ahead of the others more for its proximity to a certain pale blonde witch he had met at Bill and Fleur's wedding several years earlier than for the chances it offered him at another World Cup attendance. Regardless of his motivations for his switch in leagues, his own in-depth research ended up working in her favor.

He had quietly spent time with ten of the thirteen teams over the current season, learning their dynamics and seeing how he would fit in with their players and coaches. He had ultimately settled on the Falmouth Falcons despite their ruthless on field reputation, telling her that who they were on the pitch was like day and night to who they were off of it. Of all the teams in the league, they were the ones who donated just as much time as they did money and sponsorship to a number of youth programs and were often the ones leading the charge of using their celebrity to better communities.

Viktor's seal of approval had been a good enough endorsement for her to make her decision. However the added knowledge of how involved they were with their charities had prompted her to sign and send off her contract before she could second guess the ramifications of her selection. Not only had she chosen a team that wasn't Weasley supported but the Falmouth Falcons were the long standing rival of the Chudley Cannons. It was why she had yet to correct Ron's assumptions. She knew his temper would get the better of him and make him see it as a personal betrayal and with it having been so close to her final exams and the completion of the Healers Program, she couldn't take the additional stress. She now only hoped that when she did finally correct him, that things didn't blow up in her face as spectacularly as they had when she told him she couldn't and wouldn't leave Harry to hunt the horcruxes alone.