****I own nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling except for Rylie, Leikela, Dinah, Katherine, and basically everyone on the Quidditch teams (except of course Harry and Ron), who were my own creations!
Chapter 3, Quidditch
Classes past quickly to Ginny, because she had her mind on other things. She finished her homework quickly each day right when she could and hurriedly finished her work in class so she could have time to think of other things… Quidditch for instance.
Ginny fell back on her bed with a groan. She was alone in the fifth year girls dorm, for about the fourteenth time that week. The other girls were off thinking of new plans to get Collin's attention.
She had much worse things to deal with. She wanted to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and make it. There were a couple of downfalls to this though, first she didn't have a broom, second she was slightly afraid of heights, and third she'd never played a game of Quidditch in her life before.
As Ginny was basking in her misery the dorm door swung open with a bang and Leikela swept in looking like her regular pretty self. Ginny was suddenly struck with an idea.
"Leikela!" Ginny said sitting up with glittering eyes. "I was wondering if I could borrow your broomstick".
Leikela stared at Ginny for a moment and then shrugged without care. Leikela was probably richer then Harry was and received anything she wanted. She had received a top of the line racing broomstick the year before, and hadn't even flown it.
"You can use it whenever you like", Leikela told her cheerfully. "It's not like I do. The reason I came up here, I was wondering if you knew where Collin went?"
"Oh Collin", Ginny was thoughtful for a moment. "I think he was held back in Potions for spilling something".
"Oh", Leikela's expression went downcast and then she shrugged lightly and glided out of the room.
Ginny felt like doing cartwheels around the entire room, yet that to was also a problem, since she didn't know how to do those either.
"Yes!" Ginny finally settled on crying out, and then jumped about the room excitedly. "One thing taken care of!"
The next day was Saturday so Ginny snuck out of the dorm quietly by herself, trying to conceal the racing broom. She went out onto the Quidditch pitch and was glad to find that no one was there. Ginny swung her leg over the stick of the broom so she was straddling it. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes.
'It's not that bad Ginny', she told herself. 'Just don't think about it! Kick you're up off the ground and then you'll just slowly come back down. Remember, you learned this in first year. Just don't worry about it. Relax Gin, Relax'.
Ginny slowly pushed herself up of the ground and gasped when her feet left the safety of earth. She clutched onto the broomstick for dear life even though she was only a foot of so off the ground.
"Alright… this isn't that bad", she mumbled to herself trying to sit up and suddenly she shot upwards.
Ginny controlled a scream and balanced herself. She had her eyes tightly closed and slowly she opened one eye and felt her stomach turn off, her face paled and she wanted to be back safely in her dorm room.
She was now twenty feet in the air and didn't want to risk moving in case she fell off.
'This wasn't worth it!' She heard a tiny voice scream in the back of her head. 'Harry's worth it!' She fought back. 'Worth you getting killed Ginny?' 'Yes!'
Ginny bravely took a deep breath and pointed the handle of the broomstick down and she slowly glided down to the ground. She toppled off a foot from the ground and felt her body trembling in fright.
"I have to do it again", Ginny whispered determinedly. "I have to! I've got to make the team!"
Every night and every free chance Ginny got, until the twentieth she would go out to the pitch and practice flying. Her stomach felt queasy whenever she left the ground and her head spun. She felt as though she would vomit and die but she forced herself to move. When Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were trying out she watched, hidden in the shadows, and was shocked at how good some of the students were.
"I'm going to get booted before I can even make the team", Ginny whispered miserably to herself.
She had watched Cho Chang glide and swerve and she had looked beautiful every moment of it. Cho Chang was incredible and brilliant, and Ginny didn't amount to anything close to that.
Ginny slowly walked up to the Gryffindor tower and sank down into one of the squishy chairs by the fire. Harry was seated across from her and he looked up with a concerned expression etched upon his face.
"Hey Ginny, are you alright?" He asked her. "For the last couple of days you've looked pale and sick", Ginny's heart leapt, he'd noticed she wasn't feeling well! "Ron's been really upset", he added on and Ginny felt the urge to groan.
"Oh… I'm fine Harry, thanks for asking", she said gently. "I've just been thinking a lot about… things".
"I see"… Harry said slowly but it was evident by the expression on his face that he had absolutely no clue what she was talking about.
"So try outs are tomorrow Harry", Ginny said sitting up with a bright smile, her cheeks flushed.
"Yeah", Harry said putting aside his History of Magic homework. "I really can't wait. Ron and I have been wondering who will try out!" Harry suddenly grinned. "You should have seen the expression on Hermione's face when we asked her if she would try out".
Ginny could hear Hermione's voice inside her head, 'Play on a Quidditch team? Don't be ridiculous! I have school work to do, besides prefects should spend their time on other things then sports. Like making sure people aren't getting out of hand in the crowds!'
"Anyone in fifth year going to try out Ginny?" Harry asked with a raised brow.
"I don't know", Ginny said flushing a brilliant red. "I doubt Collin will, he enjoys taking pictures more then anything else. And I doubt any of the fifth year girls will, they're involved in… uh… something else at the moment".
"Oh", Harry nodded and then took out his history of magic homework again. "Have to get this done", he said miserably. "I should have finished it a week ago, but I've been side-tracked".
Ron and Hermione came into the room bickering as usual. Hermione had her arms crossed and was looking furious while Ron was red in the face shouting.
"I didn't mean to do it Hermione! I can't believe you took ten points away for that!"
Ginny and Harry both gave each other a curious look and then stared at the duo before them.
"What's up?" Harry asked.
"She!" Ron said angrily pointing a finger at Hermione. "Took ten points from Gryffindor over the littlest thing!"
"He tried to punch Malfoy in the face! I couldn't not take points away! Even if he deserved it!" Hermione reasoned pointedly. "Besides teachers were sticking there's heads out the doors".
"Did you get him?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Almost, Hermione grabbed me at the last minute".
"What did Malfoy say to get you mad Ron?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Oh", Ron went even redder. "He was just saying stuff… about our family and stuff".
"Did you take away points from Slytherin Hermione?" Harry asked turning on her with accusing eyes.
"Of course I did", she answered darkly. "Twenty in fact".
"Brilliant!" Both Harry and Ginny cheered at the same time.
Ginny felt her face burn with embarrassment as Harry laughed and began to finish his homework.
Ginny woke early the next morning feeling sick and pale. She sat up in bed and felt her thin white nightgown sticking to her thin form. Slowly she got up out of bed and gathered her school robes together. She placed a towel over her shoulder and dragged her feet out of the girls dorm and through the Gryffindor tower, straight down the corridors and into the Gryffindor bathroom. She wasn't sure if she was going to be sick or not.
She placed her robes folded on the ground and removed her nightgown to take a long hot bath. She turned the taps on and watched the steaming water pour down into the large porcelain tub. She slid into the steaming water and sighed, wondering whether or not the bath made her feel better or sicker then before.
The day seemed to pass slowly to Ginny. Every time she looked outside she would see the Quidditch pitch and her stomach would give a funny jolt. Harry and Ron on the contrary were talking excitedly the entire day about the try outs. ("I wonder who's going to try out!")
When four o'clock came around Ginny watched curled up on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room as Harry and Ron both exited, their brooms slung over their shoulders. Ginny felt her stomach turn over as it had been doing over the past two weeks.
Ginny took a deep breath and slowly stood. Hermione looked up at her curiously as did Collin who was putting new film into his camera. Hermione smiled and then returned to her potions homework.
"Are you going down Hermione?" Ginny asked and her voice noticeably squeaked.
"In a minute", Hermione said softly as she continued to write an essay.
Ginny nodded slowly and slowly walked up to the girls dorm. Leikela, Dinah, and Katherine were all giggling together and took no notice of Ginny grabbing the broomstick and exiting the dorm.
Ginny hurried past everyone in the common room hoping not to gather any attention. She jumped out the portrait hole only to find Collin waiting for her.
"Ginny", he said looking at her with a grin. "Are you trying out?"
Ginny felt herself become red, as she did most of the time.
"Uh"… was the only thing that left her lips.
"I thought so, I kept wondering where you were going with Leikela's broomstick", Collin said knowledgably and Ginny felt herself become as red as her scarlet hair.
"You saw me?" She asked weakly as the two began to walk down the hall together.
"Well, I never followed you if that's what you mean", Collin said fiddling with his camera. "But I saw you leave the dorm about twenty times with a broomstick".
Collin grinned toothily at her and Ginny groaned. "Oh".
As they walked Collin seemed to be as cheerful as before, not noticing that Ginny had turned a sickening green.
"Have you ever even played a game of Quidditch before Gin?" He asked.
Ginny shook her head unable to say anything.
"Oh", he simply nodded.
It only took a couple of minutes to reach the Quidditch pitch and Ginny was amazed at how many people had showed up to try out for the team. Both Harry and Ron were standing in the centre of the large group of people, dressed in the scarlet and gold Quidditch robes.
"Alright!" Ron was shouting. "I need everyone to get into two lines! People who are trying out to be chasers in the right line in front of Harry, and the ones trying out to be beaters in the left line in front of me!"
The people spread out into two different lines and Collin hurried away to go into the stands so he could take pictures. Ginny quietly scuffled into line behind a very tall seventh year in the chasers line.
Draco stood leaning against a wall in the Quidditch pitch. He was completely shadowed out and Harry and Ron had not noticed his presence. He was curious to know who was going to make the team.
He was scanning the two lines when he noticed at the very end of one was a tiny figure with scarlet hair. He snorted with laughter and his eyes glittered icily.
"Ginny Weasley", he muttered. "She'll be knocked right off her broomstick".
Potter and Weasley rose into the air with six people trying out to be chasers and four trying out to be beaters. Potter and Weasley were both shouting things and the others were nodding though Draco couldn't hear what they're were saying, but he could guess. They were going to play against each other.
The balls were released and the try outs began. Draco was shocked at how good some of the players were and his eyes narrowed. This years Quidditch matches were bound to be difficult. His eyes then fell on tiny Ginny and an amused expression took over his features. He could see it now, her falling through the air and squealing like a child.
He, Crabbe, and Goyle had decided on tormenting Ginny the best they could. They had not come up with any good ideas however. The only things Crabbe and Goyle could think of were cursing her legs together or tripping her in the hall. They couldn't very well attack her physically with their bare hands, that would be unforgivable by all in the school.
But ideas of taunting swept through his mind, he could tease her and make fun when she didn't make the team. He could imagine her running off the pitch in tears and he would be the one to greet her outside, with words of his own.
As these thoughts were running through his mind he was looking at Ginny when suddenly her pale face turned and stared straight at him, her brown eyes widened in surprise.
Ginny felt her hands tremble as she stared up at the people she was to be competing with. They were all much taller then her and they were excellent players.
She knew she would be sick no matter what after the try outs. She looked down at the ground not wanting to see the zooming players any more. She slowly looked up and her eyes widened in shock. Across the pitch, standing barely noticeable, was Draco Malfoy. He was looking at her with an expression of ice, and then he smirked and looked up at the players above.
'What a scum and a cheat', Ginny thought angrily. 'Coming to see who makes the team and who doesn't! He's such a chicken!'
Suddenly all around her the people who had been playing above her were landing on the ground. They were all sweating and looking nervous.
"Okay, who's next?" Harry asked and the seventh year girl in front of her stepped forward revealing Ginny for the first time.
"All right Rebecca", Harry said not noticing Ginny until he looked up and his eyes widened. "Ginny?" He stared.
"I-I want t-to try out for the team", she stuttered in a tiny voice.
"Well… okay Ginny", Harry said and then smiled encouragingly. "You'll be with Rebecca, and Nathan", he said nodding to the third year boy behind Ginny who stepped up looking stubborn and brave.
She could hear the distant clicking of Collin in the stands, taking pictures like mad.
"And then the opposing team will be Lola, Willis, and Calvin", Harry said looking down at a list. "Then afterwards, the best two teams of the last matches will compete. Ron who's going?"
Ron looked up and was about to answer when his mouth gaped and he stared at Ginny.
"Ginny, what are you doing here?" He demanded.
Ginny felt her face become red. "Why can't I try out?"
"I don't know, why are you trying out?" Ron glared.
"I'm trying out and you can't do anything about it!" She snapped. "So shut-up about it and answer Harry".
Ron looked as though he was about to say something rude back but Harry cut him off.
"Ron who's going?" He repeated.
"Oh… uh… Lewis and Henry against Craig and Luke", Ron said quickly.
"Alright!" Harry said. "The snitch will not be involved in this try out. The bludgers will be going around and the quaffle as well. Both Ron and I will be playing keepers! Mount your brooms!"
Ginny shakily mounted her broom and with the rest rose up into the air and stopped. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably and she knew she was as pale as marble.
"Release the balls!" Ron shouted and from below a second year let loose the bludgers that soared through the air.
Then the small second year threw the red quaffle through the air. Ginny watched it as though in slow motion, her entire body shaking and her stomach churning.
Then it began…
A/N I hope I didn't leave you to stranded. I think all I've done today is write, because I started this story today! Ah! Oh well, please please tell me what you think and review! Flames are of course welcome, because I want to improve my writing the best I can!