Since morning, Hermione felt anxious. Her best friend and boyfriend were going up against each other in a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Both were the best Seekers and were highly competitive. It was the first time both Houses were playing. She always rooted for her own House, Gryffindor, and her best friend or for her boyfriend, since they were against Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Today was different. It was the first match in the year since she started dating Tom Riddle Jr., that they were against each other.
Her hopes of Sixth Year being fairly simple after O.W.L.s and Fifth Year, went down the drain when the match was first announced. They both wanted her support. She was stuck in the middle and didn't want to let either one down. She told them that she would cheer for both and hoped no one would get injured. Her best friend was annoyed, and her boyfriend was jealous.
She never expected to date a Slytherin or a Seeker but during summer, they bumped into each other at a library and within weeks their relationship quickly escalated between bookshelves and stories. They often met and snogged in the dark corners. He asked her to be his girlfriend before summer ended, and she knew then that he was serious about them.
It was difficult to watch the game without feeling guilty or squeamish when the two Seekers constantly bumped bodies and brooms while zooming through the air trying to catch the fast Snitch. She kept her eyes on the both of them, forgetting the rest of the match. She flinched when the other purposely flew their broom too close or when they used their bodies to bump the other out of the way so high in the sky. Her only hope was neither would be severely injured and that they would be intact once the match was over.
Nearly an hour into the match, her stomach was in notches. The longer the match went on, the more she worried about the two. Rain began to poor and the Snitch was able to out fly them. She could tell they were beginning to get fatigue and cold. They were shivering as they flew. She didn't care about the match anymore and who would win, she just hoped neither would get sick nor injured.
Her body became soaked from head to toe as she watched them chase the Snitch above the Quidditch pitch. Their bodies constantly bumped into each other as they struck their arms out to hit their rival. She was annoyed at the both of them, angry in fact. The Snitch was only a meter away. Only one had to reach out for it. They both did as they kept one hand on their broom. It was a race of centimeters. They rushed towards the Snitch. Lightning struck close to their vicinity and they both descended uncontrollably.
Her heart pounded as she ran down the stands. There was no time to think. She ran as fast as her legs would take her. They were surrounded by Professors when she finally made it down the Pitch. Her legs went weak when she finally saw them on the ground, both brooms broken beside them.
"Harry. Tom."
Her boyfriend was the first to sit up, followed by Harry, who spit out the Snitch from his mouth. The final score was announced through the speaker. Gryffindor scored 210 after catching the Snitch. Slytherin scored 200. The Gryffindor stands boomed with applause and cheers. They actually had lost hope given how good and fast the Slytherin team was, but their Seeker had turned the game around in their favor.
Hermione couldn't help but smile at Harry, who returned it. Tom stood up and walked away without looking at her. She quickly went after him.
"Tom," she reached for his arm.
He slowly turned to her. His face was covered in cuts, on the bridge of his nose, his left eyebrow and right cheek.
"You're hurt."
"Of course, I am. You called out for him first. Just go celebrate with him and don't worry about me. It's clear who matters more."
"What? What are you talking about? I was worried about you both."
"Harry. You said his name first," he turned away in jealousy and didn't let her explain. There was no explanation that would make his bruised ego and hurt pride feel better, especially after such a loss.
xxxx
The Gryffindor common room was loud and rambunctious with celebrations after the wild win. Harry was the center of attention as she watched from the bottom of the girl's dormitory steps. Since their House win, she hadn't seen her boyfriend, and a part of her wasn't in a celebratory mood to join the rest of her House mates, who were nothing but smiles.
She turned away from the noise and headed upstairs. There was no need to stay and sulk. She didn't want to ruin the atmosphere.
"It's Riddle, isn't it?" his voice was filled with concern.
"Harry," she turned back to greet him with a half a smile she forced on her lips.
"I would be jealous too, if my girlfriend had called out her best friend's name first. Go find him. Don't stay here wallowing in sadness. I would be a horrible friend if I let you do that."
She quickly ran down and hugged him. "Thanks, Harry."
"That's what best friends are for," he hugged her in return. "I might have pissed him off during the match, reminding him of that."
xxxx
It was still raining out, and Hogwarts had too many passages to search thoroughly. She looked everywhere she could think of, places they usually went to, away from everyone and snogged. He wasn't in those places or the library.
She walked around the corridors aimlessly, going up and down the floors, until she heard noises behind an armor statue. "Aperio introitus," she whispered. The statue slid to the left, revealing a dim and narrow passage stairwell.
"Shouldn't you be celebrating with your best friend?" he crossed his arms over his chest as she walked down the steps.
"Tom," she said, softly and carefully made her way towards him.
He leaned back against the cold wall and watched the rain outside the window. "Do you like him? Do you like Potter more than me?"
She softly placed the tip of her wand on all of his wounds and healed them. "I've never snogged Harry and don't want to either. We're just close friends. You have nothing to be jealous of," she placed her wand back inside her robe after finishing with his wounds. "I'm sorry you felt that way."
Tom placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. "So you and Potter, never?"
"What did he tell you?" she asked, while thinking of ways to punish her bet friend. She could hex him a few times or give home the wrong answers.
"Just how close you two were since First Year."
"As friends, nothing more," she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips on his. "You have nothing to be jealous of. You're my boyfriend, and he's just my best friend."
"I prefer boyfriend over best friend," he smirked and lifted her on the windowsill.
She nodded and pulled him close. He stood between her thighs and crushed their lips together, pressing her back against the cold window pane, as the rain tapped continuously.
end.