Hi, sorry I was so slow to update! I love all reviewers, and my undying
love is not something to be scorned at. If you want a piece of it, you know
what to do. R+R! (Ok, sorry, that was really weird, but i'm a writer after
all. I spend months in isolation to capture the essence of my characters.
Haha.) On with the story:
The only problem was, tomorrow did not seem to quite agree with Harry. For a start, Ginny was actively avoiding him. God, he hadn't expected last night's mild conversation to have such drastic repercussions. Aside from the fact that Hermione and Ron had certainly NOT got bored of kissing each other ('yuckoid', thought Harry, with the precise maturity expected of a seventh year) Cho had also been rather affectionate at quidditch practice that morning, although now he wasn't sure whether this was just what he thought because he was more sensitive to her actions. Or perhaps she had always been like that and he hadn't noticed before. Life seemed overcomplicated at the moment. After all, this was the first year that he hadn't experienced some kind of weird mystery which led to a fun-filled meeting with evil personified, and there was still way too much to think about. Then he remembered that he did in fact have a weird mystery to think about - that whole mirror magic problem, but they didn't seem to be getting particularly far with that.
At about three o'clock the Quidditch trials were about to begin, and Harry scanned the line of people at the end of the pitch in search of Ron. He was glad his own position on the team was secure, he didn't like the idea of standing in line with those other fiercely competitive individuals to have Keeper skills tested in front of a huge crowd of people, from all houses. Even members of the Slytherin team were there to check out the competition, their tryouts having been the previous month. He caught sight of Ron somewhere near the end of the line, nervously picking mud out of his cleansweep's tail twigs. He waved until Ron saw him, then settled down next to a nervous Hermione to watch.
*** Hermione smiled shyly at Ron and echoed Harry's languorous wave in a slightly more restrained manner. Ron caught her eye and smiled nervously. She mouthed 'Good Luck' and tried to keep the nervousness out of her own expression. Ron stood there, his red hair marking him out from the others, but today he did not look out of place or uncomfortable, but as though he really belonged there on the huge pitch, waiting to face Cho Chang and the Weasley twins. Hermione felt a tug at her heart. This would be the first time he made something of it alone, without Harry, without her, and entirely separate from his brothers, this was where Ron would make his mark alone. She looked at him again, and saw how tall he stood, much taller than the others out there, taller and more sure of himself, somehow. And then it was his turn to step up to the line and he mounted his broom. Hermione closed her eyes. She loved it when he flew, he looked so graceful, a different person to the boy who had to hunch his back in potions classes to avoid hitting his head on the dungeons' ceiling. But how ashamed she was at the feeling in her stomach when she watched him flying, the dizzy, swimming feeling which set her head reeling and made her senses a hundred times more receptive...she wondered what Ron would think if he knew the things she imagined when she watched him sometimes. Last night had been amazing, but she was surprised at how gentleman-like Ron had been. Somehow, despite how she felt about him, she had expected his typical male teenage hormones to want to rush her along, past barriers she wasn't sure she wanted to cross just yet; but instead he was heart-breakingly gentle. All this did was make her want him all the more, and she began to wonder whether he didn't like her - perhaps that was why he was being so slow. As Hermione closed her eyes the events of last night washed over her - walking up the same set of stairs to her dormitory, the way Ron placed a silencing spell over the four- poster bed, and the way they sat and gazed at each other in bewilderment of what they had just done, without even talking to each other about it, they had just known, and left Harry and Ginny downstairs to their own devices. And then, as they sat opposite each other Ron had leant over and cupped her face in his strong, warm hands and kissed her so softly that she could only open her mouth further in silent response. She breathed in his scent and tried to remember it now as she stood in the stands, waiting for Ron's testing to begin.
Cho hurled the first ball at the centre of the goalposts and Ron easily fielded it, the second one came hurtling to the right, and Ron managed to swoop across in one swift movement to save that one as well. This rather promising start continued until the tenth ball, which came particularly fast, and which Ron could not save, and Hermione saw Ron wince in frustration as the quaffle flew past his outstretched arms. After that however, every ball which came his way was saved, and for Cho, who had a nastily strong arm, this degree of saving accuracy was impressive. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. The only other person who had done so well was Madame Hooch, who had wanted to give the waiting contestants an example of 'how it should be done' before the tryouts started. Ron jumped off his broom after the final save, and ran towards his friends in the stands. He was grinning, his face pink with the pleasure on the adrenaline rush. Harry grinned back broadly and patted his on the back : " That was brilliant Ron, in the bag for sure" Ron turned to Hermione, who was positively beaming and rose one eyebrow in questioning anticipation, "Mione? Did you think I was ok?" Hermione just flung her arms around him and squeezed, whispering, "oh, Ron, you were brilliant. They'd be mad if they didn't pick you..." and kissed him fiercely in the midst of about fifty staring Gryffindors. "Hermione!" exclaimed Ron scandalised, "there's people watching!" Fred and George promptly sent magically amplified wolf whistles their way. Both Ron and Hermione blushed furiously. All three made their way to the common room to await the results, which were to be posted later that evening.
There conversation was excited and loud, and they discussed every single shoot (and every incident with a lack of goal, bar one) until they were blue in the face, and then as more Gryffindors entered the common room and made their way over the the fireplace where the trio sat, Ron recieved several slaps on the back and congratulations.
The evening was brilliant, Ron's eyes shone in delight at the attention he was recieving, and Hermione teased him gently at it, but kept her proud gaze on his face. If only they had known what was to come
***
I know, I know, crummy last line! Thank you so much to all for reviewing:
Vels: You are the kind of reviewer we all dream about! Glad you like the story, please send all suggesstions about what you would like to happen to my email address. More Mushiness?? More Adventure? Should Harry and Ginny be dragged through a little more angst? Cheers!
Destiny Elizabeth Weasley: I love your name... thanks for reviewing. Sorry I didn't update very soon, but I hope you keep reading!
Mango: Sorry you couldn't access the chappies at first. I love FF.net but it can be a little temperamental. Do you think they'll delete my story for saying that?
Read and Review folks! Thanks, Sally.
The only problem was, tomorrow did not seem to quite agree with Harry. For a start, Ginny was actively avoiding him. God, he hadn't expected last night's mild conversation to have such drastic repercussions. Aside from the fact that Hermione and Ron had certainly NOT got bored of kissing each other ('yuckoid', thought Harry, with the precise maturity expected of a seventh year) Cho had also been rather affectionate at quidditch practice that morning, although now he wasn't sure whether this was just what he thought because he was more sensitive to her actions. Or perhaps she had always been like that and he hadn't noticed before. Life seemed overcomplicated at the moment. After all, this was the first year that he hadn't experienced some kind of weird mystery which led to a fun-filled meeting with evil personified, and there was still way too much to think about. Then he remembered that he did in fact have a weird mystery to think about - that whole mirror magic problem, but they didn't seem to be getting particularly far with that.
At about three o'clock the Quidditch trials were about to begin, and Harry scanned the line of people at the end of the pitch in search of Ron. He was glad his own position on the team was secure, he didn't like the idea of standing in line with those other fiercely competitive individuals to have Keeper skills tested in front of a huge crowd of people, from all houses. Even members of the Slytherin team were there to check out the competition, their tryouts having been the previous month. He caught sight of Ron somewhere near the end of the line, nervously picking mud out of his cleansweep's tail twigs. He waved until Ron saw him, then settled down next to a nervous Hermione to watch.
*** Hermione smiled shyly at Ron and echoed Harry's languorous wave in a slightly more restrained manner. Ron caught her eye and smiled nervously. She mouthed 'Good Luck' and tried to keep the nervousness out of her own expression. Ron stood there, his red hair marking him out from the others, but today he did not look out of place or uncomfortable, but as though he really belonged there on the huge pitch, waiting to face Cho Chang and the Weasley twins. Hermione felt a tug at her heart. This would be the first time he made something of it alone, without Harry, without her, and entirely separate from his brothers, this was where Ron would make his mark alone. She looked at him again, and saw how tall he stood, much taller than the others out there, taller and more sure of himself, somehow. And then it was his turn to step up to the line and he mounted his broom. Hermione closed her eyes. She loved it when he flew, he looked so graceful, a different person to the boy who had to hunch his back in potions classes to avoid hitting his head on the dungeons' ceiling. But how ashamed she was at the feeling in her stomach when she watched him flying, the dizzy, swimming feeling which set her head reeling and made her senses a hundred times more receptive...she wondered what Ron would think if he knew the things she imagined when she watched him sometimes. Last night had been amazing, but she was surprised at how gentleman-like Ron had been. Somehow, despite how she felt about him, she had expected his typical male teenage hormones to want to rush her along, past barriers she wasn't sure she wanted to cross just yet; but instead he was heart-breakingly gentle. All this did was make her want him all the more, and she began to wonder whether he didn't like her - perhaps that was why he was being so slow. As Hermione closed her eyes the events of last night washed over her - walking up the same set of stairs to her dormitory, the way Ron placed a silencing spell over the four- poster bed, and the way they sat and gazed at each other in bewilderment of what they had just done, without even talking to each other about it, they had just known, and left Harry and Ginny downstairs to their own devices. And then, as they sat opposite each other Ron had leant over and cupped her face in his strong, warm hands and kissed her so softly that she could only open her mouth further in silent response. She breathed in his scent and tried to remember it now as she stood in the stands, waiting for Ron's testing to begin.
Cho hurled the first ball at the centre of the goalposts and Ron easily fielded it, the second one came hurtling to the right, and Ron managed to swoop across in one swift movement to save that one as well. This rather promising start continued until the tenth ball, which came particularly fast, and which Ron could not save, and Hermione saw Ron wince in frustration as the quaffle flew past his outstretched arms. After that however, every ball which came his way was saved, and for Cho, who had a nastily strong arm, this degree of saving accuracy was impressive. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. The only other person who had done so well was Madame Hooch, who had wanted to give the waiting contestants an example of 'how it should be done' before the tryouts started. Ron jumped off his broom after the final save, and ran towards his friends in the stands. He was grinning, his face pink with the pleasure on the adrenaline rush. Harry grinned back broadly and patted his on the back : " That was brilliant Ron, in the bag for sure" Ron turned to Hermione, who was positively beaming and rose one eyebrow in questioning anticipation, "Mione? Did you think I was ok?" Hermione just flung her arms around him and squeezed, whispering, "oh, Ron, you were brilliant. They'd be mad if they didn't pick you..." and kissed him fiercely in the midst of about fifty staring Gryffindors. "Hermione!" exclaimed Ron scandalised, "there's people watching!" Fred and George promptly sent magically amplified wolf whistles their way. Both Ron and Hermione blushed furiously. All three made their way to the common room to await the results, which were to be posted later that evening.
There conversation was excited and loud, and they discussed every single shoot (and every incident with a lack of goal, bar one) until they were blue in the face, and then as more Gryffindors entered the common room and made their way over the the fireplace where the trio sat, Ron recieved several slaps on the back and congratulations.
The evening was brilliant, Ron's eyes shone in delight at the attention he was recieving, and Hermione teased him gently at it, but kept her proud gaze on his face. If only they had known what was to come
***
I know, I know, crummy last line! Thank you so much to all for reviewing:
Vels: You are the kind of reviewer we all dream about! Glad you like the story, please send all suggesstions about what you would like to happen to my email address. More Mushiness?? More Adventure? Should Harry and Ginny be dragged through a little more angst? Cheers!
Destiny Elizabeth Weasley: I love your name... thanks for reviewing. Sorry I didn't update very soon, but I hope you keep reading!
Mango: Sorry you couldn't access the chappies at first. I love FF.net but it can be a little temperamental. Do you think they'll delete my story for saying that?
Read and Review folks! Thanks, Sally.