Which Witch?

            Harry and Daniel find Johnny in the Hospital Wing the next day, arguing with Madam Pomfrey.  "I'm fine!  I've been hurt worse than this doing Muggle things!  Do you know what it takes to tame a wild horse?"

            "No, I don't nor do I care," Madam Pomfrey says.  "You're recovering from serious injuries and I don't want to risk you ruining the work that I've done!"

            Johnny shakes her head.  "Harry, make this crazy old bat listen to me!  I'm fine!"

            "Crazy old bat?" Madam Pomfrey sputters.  "Get out of my sight!  And don't come crying to me when you've broken all your ribs again!"

            Harry, Daniel, and Johnny run from the room, laughing hysterically.  "I can't believe you called her that!" Harry gasps for air once they're in the Great Hall.  "After all she did for you!"

            "She wasn't letting me go!  I'm fine!" Johnny chuckles.  She pats Daniel on the back.  "Hey, dude, sorry you didn't make it."

            Daniel shrugs.  "Harry's a better Seeker by far.  I'm not down about it at all."

            Harry just blushes.  Ginny, Ron, and Hermione walk into the Hall.  "You're okay!" Ginny cries out and, before she can stop herself, jumps into Johnny's arms.  They stumble backward but Johnny holds them up.

            Hermione and Ron approach them much more calmly.  "I'm glad you're all right," Hermione replies quietly.  "It felt kind of weird not studying with you last night."

            Johnny puts Ginny down and gazes at Hermione.  She can't help but wonder if there's anything implied in her words but doesn't have much time to ponder.  Ron slaps her on the back energetically.  "Bloody brilliant game you played!  You should have seen the dent you put in that Bludger! Madam Hooch says that not many full grown male Quidditch players have done that!"

            "I just didn't want to see Ginny get hurt, really…" Johnny is not used to this kind of recognition.  She feels her face flush and she turns to the table.  "I'm starving!  What's a gal to do to get some grub around here?"

            "Hail the conquering hero," Pansy Parkinson's voice is dripping with sarcasm.  She turns Johnny from the table.  "So, you think that banging yourself up is enough to make you a good Quidditch player?  The Weasley boys did more than you even tried to do and you still made the team.  Hope you're proud of your pity position," she heads back to the Slytherin table, where they're all laughing.

            Fred and George drop into seats nearby.  "Ignore her.  She's off her rocker.  You played a wicked game yesterday and have every right to be proud of your spot," George says congenially.

            "You're not mad that I got it?" Johnny asks.

            George shakes his head.  "I was a bit disappointed but I was thinking, if you can take a beating like that and still get up to keep playing the way you did, you deserve it.  If you want to break your head over a game, you're welcome to it," he laughs.

            Johnny suddenly feels a foot slide its way up her leg.  She looks across the table and sees Hermione with her nose in a book.  She grins and enjoys the sensation as Daniel and Harry start to talk to her.  "Hey, what happened when you went to talk to Zimmermann yesterday?" Harry asks.

            "Huh?" Johnny asks.  "Oh, something about great things and me being destined for them.  He just wanted to say I did good on the homework finally and to wish me luck."

            "You don't find that strange?" Daniel asks.  "You're the only Gryffindor that he tolerates.  You're not even a little suspicious?"

            Johnny sighs deeply.  She then groans when the foot trails down her leg and away.  She looks achingly at Hermione and then comes to her senses.  "I don't care what his game is.  I'm finally doing well.  I'm not going to get shipped back."

            "Why would you get shipped back?" Hermione asks, finally looking up. 

Johnny searches Hermione's face for any signs of attraction, interest, or insanity… anything that would explain the sudden development of these feelings.  She sighs.  "My folks don't make enough money to send me here on their own.  I was given the chance to try for a Quidditch scholarship and got it.  But I have to keep my grades up and play well.  But it gets harder because I'm not exactly the best wizard, you know?"

Hermione smiles.  "That's because you're a witch, silly," she shrugs.  "And you've got me to help you now.  You'll be fine!"

Ginny gets up quickly.  She can't take it anymore.  Watching Johnny and Hermione practically flirting in front of everyone is killing her and she doesn't even understand why.  She gathers her things and rushes from the Hall.

"I wonder what her problem is," Neville Longbottom suddenly says.  The group hadn't even noticed he was there, though, now that they think about it, he's always wherever Ginny is.  He gets up to go after her.

That night, the Gryffindor Quidditch players are sitting around the common room.  Ginny is sitting in front of the fireplace, gazing into the fire listlessly.  Neville is looking at her nervously. 

Hermione is sitting close to Johnny, going over simple charm spells.  Ron and Harry are trying to teach Colby how to play wizard's chess but Colby seems more distracted than usual.  He keeps looking around and letting his gaze fall on Hermione.

Ron and George are trying desperately to sell their gag wizarding items to the rest of the Americans, who are not very interested.  Finally, the twins give up and convince them to head down to the kitchen for food.  They leave quickly.

Colby gets up and heads toward Hermione.  He pauses in front of her.  "Uh, Hermione?"

Hermione looks up and frowns.  "Yes?"

"I was wondering something," Colby begins.  He sighs deeply.  "Maybe, if you're not doing anything or going with anyone else, maybe you'd like to go to the Masquerade Ball with me?" he finishes quickly, streaming his words together.

Ron stands up quickly.  He crosses toward Hermione and looks hard at Colby.  "No way!  I lost my chance last year and I'm not going to lose it this time!" he looks at Hermione, his ears burning from everyone staring at him.  "Hermione's going to the ball with me!"

Hermione stands so that she's nose to nose with Ron.  Before he can say anything else, though, Hermione slaps him across the face.  He gasps and stares at her.  "Ronald Weasley, you will not tell me who I can or can't do what with.  Just because you're slow again this year does not mean you can deny Colby the right to take me if he's already asked!"

Colby manages a weak smile.  "So, uh… you'll go with me?"

"Of course," Hermione says, much to Ron and Johnny's chagrin.  She picks up her books.  "I'm going to bed.  If you'll excuse me."

The crowd watches Hermione leave.  There is a big red mark on Ron's cheek.  He glares at Colby and storms up to the boys' dorm.  Harry rushes after him.  Colby looks worried.  "Did I do anything wrong?"

"Not at all," Johnny says softly.  "You just lucked out and Ron's pretty sore.  He'll get over it."

"Oh," Colby looks relieved.  "Maybe I should sleep in the common room tonight, then."

"Might be a good idea," Neville says, not wanting to have a fight when he decides he wants to go to bed.  He looks at Ginny.  "Hey, while people are being asked to the ball, would you like to go with me?"

Ginny remembers the Yule Ball and how much pain she'd been in from Neville's poor dancing.  She smiles gently.  "Can I let you know in the morning?  I'm kind of tired and would rather not make a decision that I'll regret because of it."

"Uh, okay," Neville says.  He gets up.  Well, I guess I should get to bed myself.  Good night," he makes his way up to bed where Harry and Ron are talking quietly.  "Night, guys."

"Night," the boys say in unison.  Ron continues.  "I thought she'd like a little assertiveness.  After all, she wasn't responding to me being passive!"

Harry sighs.  "You jut went about it wrong.  You can't tell her what to do, only let her know what you want.  She's not a mind reader and she certainly isn't the type to be told what to do, you know?"

Ron buries his face in his hands.  "Now I really screwed up.  I'll never win her over."

"There's still the Yule Ball," Harry says.  "Dumbledore's decided to have another one as it was so popular last year,  Just make it up to her somehow and ask her to that!"

"You think there's a chance?" Ron asks hopefully.

Harry shrugs.  "She was our friend after the way we treated her our first year.  I'm sure she can forgive you for your attempt at winning her heart."

Ron smiles.  "Thanks, Harry.  I'd better get to bed," he heads over to his bed and starts to fall asleep immediately.

Harry stays awake for a few minutes, wondering about Zimmermann and Snape and all the other things that could be going on at the school this instant.  But he at last shuts his eyes.  If something is going to happen, it will, and Harry will be there to stop it.  Until it happens, though, there is nothing he can do and he should enjoy the peace that he's been given, no matter how brief it may be.

Johnny is lying on her cot, thinking about how lucky Colby really is.  Of course Hermione would want to go with him.  He's a boy and a very good Quidditch player.  Even though Hermione isn't much into the sport, she'd want a star.  She wouldn't want a crazy Beater who only got the spot because she crashed doing something stupidly heroic.

Ginny is crying quietly in her bed.  She doesn't want anyone to hear her.  She has no idea why she's even crying.  She's not terribly upset that she didn't make the amalgamated team.  It was a bit of a disappointment but it wasn't the end of the world.  She still has a place on the team and that's all that really matters.

A tiny sob escapes Ginny's lips.  No one but Johnny hears it and she's not even sure what it is.  She sits up and sees that Ginny is curled in a ball at her pillow.  Johnny gets up and walks over to the bed.  "Ginny?"

Ginny sits up with a gasp, bumping her face against Johnny's.  They stay like that for a minute, practically nuzzling each other's cheeks.  Johnny finally backs away slowly.  "We have to stop meeting like that…" she says awkwardly.

Ginny wants to ask why but then she shakes her head.  "Yeah.  Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Johnny asks.  "You sounded like you were crying."

"I'm fine.  Just a bit sad," Ginny says.

Johnny sits down on the edge of Ginny's bed.  "Because of the results of the preliminaries?"

Ginny starts to cry again.  "I don't know.  I have no idea," she whispers.  She knows that's a lie, though.  She knows now why she's sad and that person's sitting next to her.

Johnny does the only thing she knows how to do.  She pulls Ginny into her arms and rocks with her.  Whenever she had been sad or sick at home, her foster mother had held her and rocked with her.  She strokes Ginny's hair and sighs.  "It'll be okay.  I know it's hard now, but it'll be okay."

"You're not such a tough guy, you know that?" Ginny says softly, nuzzling into Johnny's arms.

Johnny smiles.  "Yeah, well, don't go spreading that around.  You'll kill my reputation."

"It's my secret," Ginny says, yawning.  It's been a long day.  She starts to doze off.  "You can go back to bed now.  I'll be fine."

Johnny tucks Ginny into bed.  "Would you mind terribly if I stayed here to be sure?" she rubs Ginny's back gently.  Before long, she hears the rhythmic breathing of the younger girl.  She stays like that for the rest of the night.