Chapter 2: Quidditch and Crushes
Hermione plopped down on her bed. She had just had her first week of classes and boy was she tired. She had forgotten how much Herbology took out of you. As she fumbled halfheartedly for her quill to write down her homework she remembered she had left it in the common room on the way up. She pulled herself up and dragged herself downstairs.
When Hermione got downstairs she looked around the room trying to spot her quill. Her eyes floated across the room. Ginny was talking animatedly with a fifth year about a potion for his class. Ron paced back in front of his homework trying hopelessly to remember how much snakeroot to use in his potion. Harry was sitting polishing his broom.
"Harry, why are you polishing your broom?" Hermione asked Harry confused.
"Because we have a match against Slytherin tomorrow," Harry replied not even looking up.
"Why?" Hermione said even more confused.
"Your guess is as good as mine, I have to do the paper for Herbology, but I'm playing tomorrow and practicing tonight. That only leaves me Sunday, and I have a meeting with Dumbledore then," Harry said the exhaustion already creeping into his voice.
"Why do you have a meeting with Dumbledore?" Hermione said, he rarely met with students alone.
"Oh I don't know, he just wants to see me. I didn't have time to ask him," Harry said exasperated, "are you coming to the game?"
"Of course, I'll do the essay for Herbology tonight so I can help you on Sunday," Hermione replied.
"Oh that would be wonderful, thanks a lot Hermione."
*
The sun dawned clear on Saturday morning for the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Harry, the captain of the Gryffindor squad, was trying earnestly to give a pep talk to his team. Slytherin had entered and they could see they were rather nasty looking. Five of the players were over six feet tall. Ron was looking rather sickly. He hadn't ever played Quidditch at Hogwarts before and he was terrified to play his first game against Slytherin.
When Harry felt the team was as prepared as he could make them, he led the team onto the field. The weather had not yet gotten cold but the wind was there, blowing their red and gold jerseys back and forth. Harry walked slowly over to the middle of the pitch and clasped the hand of Malfoy, who was the Slytherin captain, firmly. Pulling back from the handshake as quickly as possible Harry mounted his broom. The rest of the Gryffindor players followed suit. Five minutes later the fourteen players and Madame Hooch were floating in the sky. With a flash the match was started and all onlookers became silent watching the match enraptured.
*
Hermione weaved her way through the stands to where she saw a lone empty seat. She reached it and plopped down not noticing who she had sat down next to. She didn't have time to notice because she saw that the match had started and she was watching in earnest.
Five minutes later she was already bored. The snitch had not appeared once and she had begun to get the feeling that this was one of those games that would never end. The person next to her obviously had the same reaction. She looked over at him and he turned his face towards her. At first all she showed was shock and surprise but she hid it well and managed to regain her composure rather quickly. When she did she made the first move to talk.
"Oliver! What are you doing here?" Hermione said enthusiastically.
"Oh I have a meeting with Dumbledore, what is your name again?" he said looking positively beautiful.
"It's Hermione," she said sounding noticeably hurt.
"Hermione! Wow! You look so goo-different!" Oliver said trying to cover his minor flub.
"Yeah, the books should have tipped you off," Hermione said nodding at notes on her lap that she had to do for Monday.
"I guess so, well it's great to see you" Oliver said gathering her in a great big hug.
"You too," Hermione said trying with no avail to cover her excitement.
A second later a huge cheer erupted from all around them. They both flipped their heads to see what was going on, spying at the last moment that Harry grasped the snitch. With that, the crowd started to pour out of the stands onto the field. Hermione wanted to do the same but she also wanted to stay and talk to Oliver but when she turned around to find him, he was gone. She sighed and followed the crowd down to the field to congratulate Harry and Ron who were both smiling like crazy. She couldn't get anywhere near them so she left thinking she could she them later that night.
All through dinner, people flooded the Gryffindor table from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. They all hated Slytherin and wanted to commend the team for their victory. Hermione didn't even try to go near them.
It was the same when Hermione returned to the common room after she had done some work in the library. She couldn't get within ten feet of Harry and Ron was engrossed in a conversation with some flitty fourth year. She sighed once again and returned to her room.
When she pulled the covers up to her chin she began to think about Oliver. He had looked so good today. And he had thought she had looked good. She knew he had said that even if he had tried to cover it up. She fell quickly asleep and began to dream of her future, possibly with Oliver.
Hermione plopped down on her bed. She had just had her first week of classes and boy was she tired. She had forgotten how much Herbology took out of you. As she fumbled halfheartedly for her quill to write down her homework she remembered she had left it in the common room on the way up. She pulled herself up and dragged herself downstairs.
When Hermione got downstairs she looked around the room trying to spot her quill. Her eyes floated across the room. Ginny was talking animatedly with a fifth year about a potion for his class. Ron paced back in front of his homework trying hopelessly to remember how much snakeroot to use in his potion. Harry was sitting polishing his broom.
"Harry, why are you polishing your broom?" Hermione asked Harry confused.
"Because we have a match against Slytherin tomorrow," Harry replied not even looking up.
"Why?" Hermione said even more confused.
"Your guess is as good as mine, I have to do the paper for Herbology, but I'm playing tomorrow and practicing tonight. That only leaves me Sunday, and I have a meeting with Dumbledore then," Harry said the exhaustion already creeping into his voice.
"Why do you have a meeting with Dumbledore?" Hermione said, he rarely met with students alone.
"Oh I don't know, he just wants to see me. I didn't have time to ask him," Harry said exasperated, "are you coming to the game?"
"Of course, I'll do the essay for Herbology tonight so I can help you on Sunday," Hermione replied.
"Oh that would be wonderful, thanks a lot Hermione."
*
The sun dawned clear on Saturday morning for the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Harry, the captain of the Gryffindor squad, was trying earnestly to give a pep talk to his team. Slytherin had entered and they could see they were rather nasty looking. Five of the players were over six feet tall. Ron was looking rather sickly. He hadn't ever played Quidditch at Hogwarts before and he was terrified to play his first game against Slytherin.
When Harry felt the team was as prepared as he could make them, he led the team onto the field. The weather had not yet gotten cold but the wind was there, blowing their red and gold jerseys back and forth. Harry walked slowly over to the middle of the pitch and clasped the hand of Malfoy, who was the Slytherin captain, firmly. Pulling back from the handshake as quickly as possible Harry mounted his broom. The rest of the Gryffindor players followed suit. Five minutes later the fourteen players and Madame Hooch were floating in the sky. With a flash the match was started and all onlookers became silent watching the match enraptured.
*
Hermione weaved her way through the stands to where she saw a lone empty seat. She reached it and plopped down not noticing who she had sat down next to. She didn't have time to notice because she saw that the match had started and she was watching in earnest.
Five minutes later she was already bored. The snitch had not appeared once and she had begun to get the feeling that this was one of those games that would never end. The person next to her obviously had the same reaction. She looked over at him and he turned his face towards her. At first all she showed was shock and surprise but she hid it well and managed to regain her composure rather quickly. When she did she made the first move to talk.
"Oliver! What are you doing here?" Hermione said enthusiastically.
"Oh I have a meeting with Dumbledore, what is your name again?" he said looking positively beautiful.
"It's Hermione," she said sounding noticeably hurt.
"Hermione! Wow! You look so goo-different!" Oliver said trying to cover his minor flub.
"Yeah, the books should have tipped you off," Hermione said nodding at notes on her lap that she had to do for Monday.
"I guess so, well it's great to see you" Oliver said gathering her in a great big hug.
"You too," Hermione said trying with no avail to cover her excitement.
A second later a huge cheer erupted from all around them. They both flipped their heads to see what was going on, spying at the last moment that Harry grasped the snitch. With that, the crowd started to pour out of the stands onto the field. Hermione wanted to do the same but she also wanted to stay and talk to Oliver but when she turned around to find him, he was gone. She sighed and followed the crowd down to the field to congratulate Harry and Ron who were both smiling like crazy. She couldn't get anywhere near them so she left thinking she could she them later that night.
All through dinner, people flooded the Gryffindor table from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. They all hated Slytherin and wanted to commend the team for their victory. Hermione didn't even try to go near them.
It was the same when Hermione returned to the common room after she had done some work in the library. She couldn't get within ten feet of Harry and Ron was engrossed in a conversation with some flitty fourth year. She sighed once again and returned to her room.
When she pulled the covers up to her chin she began to think about Oliver. He had looked so good today. And he had thought she had looked good. She knew he had said that even if he had tried to cover it up. She fell quickly asleep and began to dream of her future, possibly with Oliver.