A/N-definitely not mine. . . if they were, I would be very happy, and a
different person. As long as I'm still me, they don't belong to me.
*grin*
"Ginny!" screeched Madame Hooch again. "Ginny, get down here this INSTANT!"
Ginny sighed. There was no use running away anymore. She was terrified of what was going to happen, of course, but she would get in worse trouble if she tried to fly away.
She slowly circled down, chastising herself for not being careful about where she flew. She shook her head and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry that I-" she started, but Madame Hooch interrupted her, eyes sparking.
"Where did you get broom lessons?" she asked
"I just-what? I've never taken broom lessons."
"They how on EARTH did you learn to fly so well?"
Ginny smiled in spite of herself. She had never been too good with compliments-she sometimes acted rather conceited when it came to things like that. Suddenly, she realized that Madame Hooch didn't know she had stolen the broom. She thought that Ginny simply had a bad broom and was flying very well. Ginny didn't know what to do. She could keep on pretending that she owned the broom, in which case Madame Hooch would soon find out-either by simply seeing the broom and knowing that only Harry had one-or by asking her to bring it in and Ginny not being able to. She could tell her that the broom belonged to Harry, but then she would get in trouble. You'll get in trouble anyway, Ginny thought, You might as well tell the truth-maybe they'll let you off easy, you know, feel sorry for you!
"Yeah right!" Ginny said, not realizing she was speaking aloud.
"Excuse me?" Madame Hooch replied, glaring at her. "What did you say to me?"
"Um, nothing, I just-" Ginny took a deep breath. Now or never, she told herself. "The broom-it's the one that's flying. I mean-" this didn't sound good at all, "I mean, I'm flying, but I sort of borrowed Harry's broom, well, without asking, and so I'm not really flying well-it's just a really good broom. I guess I should pack now."
Madam Hooch looked after her, gaping a little. "Wait, Ginny, wait."
"What?" Ginny asked, nervous. She didn't really want to hear about what kind of punishment she would receive.
"Listen, I can keep a secret," said Madam Hooch, eyes dancing mischievously. "You are a good flyer, good broom or no. I've actually never seen someone fly to well without a coach! You know that the Gryffindor team is falling apart. You agree to fly for us-I agree to keep your little nighttime "broom rendezvous" a secret."
At first, Ginny was stunned. She couldn't say anything, she could barely even THINK anything. Then she was happy. She could practically hug Madam Hooch-now her life wouldn't be ruined!
"Of course I'll fly for you!" Ginny squealed. "I would LOVE to!"
Madam Hooch smiled. "It's not all play, Ginny. First practice tomorrow, 3:00, here."
"But," Ginny said, "It's supposed to rain!"
"Then get ready for mud." Madam Hooch walked away. Remembering that Harry might wake up and notice him missing broom, she slipped back and put it away. That was the weirdest thing ever, she thought, Madam Hooch knew that I had stolen a broom, yet she let me get off with no punishment! Odd, I always thought of teachers as people who make sure you follow rules, but she encouraged me to break them! Oh well, I should be happy.
Ginny had been telling herself that for years, but it never worked. Every time something good happened, and Ginny was still sad, she would remind herself that she should be very happy. But the fact remained, she wasn't. Maybe Quidditch would change that.
"Ginny!" screeched Madame Hooch again. "Ginny, get down here this INSTANT!"
Ginny sighed. There was no use running away anymore. She was terrified of what was going to happen, of course, but she would get in worse trouble if she tried to fly away.
She slowly circled down, chastising herself for not being careful about where she flew. She shook her head and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry that I-" she started, but Madame Hooch interrupted her, eyes sparking.
"Where did you get broom lessons?" she asked
"I just-what? I've never taken broom lessons."
"They how on EARTH did you learn to fly so well?"
Ginny smiled in spite of herself. She had never been too good with compliments-she sometimes acted rather conceited when it came to things like that. Suddenly, she realized that Madame Hooch didn't know she had stolen the broom. She thought that Ginny simply had a bad broom and was flying very well. Ginny didn't know what to do. She could keep on pretending that she owned the broom, in which case Madame Hooch would soon find out-either by simply seeing the broom and knowing that only Harry had one-or by asking her to bring it in and Ginny not being able to. She could tell her that the broom belonged to Harry, but then she would get in trouble. You'll get in trouble anyway, Ginny thought, You might as well tell the truth-maybe they'll let you off easy, you know, feel sorry for you!
"Yeah right!" Ginny said, not realizing she was speaking aloud.
"Excuse me?" Madame Hooch replied, glaring at her. "What did you say to me?"
"Um, nothing, I just-" Ginny took a deep breath. Now or never, she told herself. "The broom-it's the one that's flying. I mean-" this didn't sound good at all, "I mean, I'm flying, but I sort of borrowed Harry's broom, well, without asking, and so I'm not really flying well-it's just a really good broom. I guess I should pack now."
Madam Hooch looked after her, gaping a little. "Wait, Ginny, wait."
"What?" Ginny asked, nervous. She didn't really want to hear about what kind of punishment she would receive.
"Listen, I can keep a secret," said Madam Hooch, eyes dancing mischievously. "You are a good flyer, good broom or no. I've actually never seen someone fly to well without a coach! You know that the Gryffindor team is falling apart. You agree to fly for us-I agree to keep your little nighttime "broom rendezvous" a secret."
At first, Ginny was stunned. She couldn't say anything, she could barely even THINK anything. Then she was happy. She could practically hug Madam Hooch-now her life wouldn't be ruined!
"Of course I'll fly for you!" Ginny squealed. "I would LOVE to!"
Madam Hooch smiled. "It's not all play, Ginny. First practice tomorrow, 3:00, here."
"But," Ginny said, "It's supposed to rain!"
"Then get ready for mud." Madam Hooch walked away. Remembering that Harry might wake up and notice him missing broom, she slipped back and put it away. That was the weirdest thing ever, she thought, Madam Hooch knew that I had stolen a broom, yet she let me get off with no punishment! Odd, I always thought of teachers as people who make sure you follow rules, but she encouraged me to break them! Oh well, I should be happy.
Ginny had been telling herself that for years, but it never worked. Every time something good happened, and Ginny was still sad, she would remind herself that she should be very happy. But the fact remained, she wasn't. Maybe Quidditch would change that.