Too Real To Be Pretend

A/N: Ok, chapter notes….umm…quidditch match….Ron is the new keeper (overused, I know, but come on, it's summer, I have no more imagination left), Harry is of course seeker, doesn't matter who captain is…blahblahblah!

Chapter Two

          "You have to eat something, Harry," Hermione urged, swirling his spoon around in his porridge, attempting to make it look appetizing to him.

          "I'm not hungry!" he said. "Why don't you bother Ron-" he was cut off at the sight of Ron shoveling porridge into his mouth as quickly as possible.

          "He obviously doesn't need my help," Hermione replied dryly, "Now eat something before I hex you into doing it." Harry winced and took a spoonful of porridge. At Hermione's glare, he shoveled a few more spoonfuls down his churning stomach before pushing the bowl away.

          "Wow, I feel so energized," he said sarcastically. Hermione swatted his arm but seemed a little more satisfied.

          "Careful, don't damage our Seeker," Ron said between mouthfuls. "We don't have a backup."

          "But I thought that Neville-"

          "We don't have a backup!" the two boys exclaimed together. Hermione raised her eyebrows and returned to her meal without saying a word. Harry sat sullenly, gazing out the window. He was really nervous about this, it was Gryffindor's first big game of the season. He sat back in his chair, fidgeting in his nervousness. Hermione sighed. "Sorry," he mumbled, trying to still his out of control limbs.

          "Harry, take an example from Ron, and have a piece of toast," Hermione said, plopping a piece of toast onto his plate.

          "But I don't-"

          "Harry…" Hermione said threateningly. Harry sighed and took a bite of the toast. She smiled happily and returned to her meal once again. At least it took his mind off the game, and it made Hermione silent. He sighed again and continued to nibble at his toast while staring out the window once more. 

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          Harry mounted his broom, wringing his hands together. His eyes searched the stands for Hermione; she had said that she had made a to die for banner for him. He smiled when he caught sight of her waving at him warmly, holding a banner between herself and a few of his other year-mates that read: "Bring home the Cup, Harry!" She had enchanted the letters to flash bright colors, and there was a picture of a Gryffindor lion stepping on a Hufflepuff badger. Harry grinned inwardly and thought, Hermione is so sweet to do something like that for me. Next to his banner, there was another being held by Ginny and her brothers that read: "Don't mess up Ronniekins!" The sign was nice, but it was obvious that Hermione didn't help much on this one. Harry felt somewhat proud that she had spent more time on his banner than on Ron's. Before he could begin to contemplate why, Madame Hooch blew her whistle, and the game began.

          Harry immediately pushed off from the ground and soared high through the air. He began circling above the game, searching for a sign of the snitch. Gryffindor immediately took possession of the quaffle, and scored 10 points within the first 30 seconds of the game. Hufflepuff tried in vain to regain control of the quaffle, but the Gryffindor team proved to be too powerful, scoring another goal within seconds of the first.

          The game continued on in this same fashion for a time, and the Hufflepuff students had all but given up hope. They sat, waving little flags half-heartedly. It was a sad sight indeed.

          Harry squinted in the light, trying to catch a glimpse of the elusive snitch.  He flew another circle around the arena, searching the sky for the small sphere of gold. He noticed that the Hufflepuff Seeker was traveling in the opposite direction, trying to follow his same pattern without actually following him. Harry rolled his eyes and continued his search. Suddenly he saw it…it was all the way at the bottom of the stadium, flitting from here to there. However, he wasn't the only one to see it. The Hufflepuff Seeker was already beginning to dive for it.

          "Oh no you don't," Harry growled, tipping his broom forward. His broom began the steep descent and he was building up speed. He glanced up to gage where the other Seeker was. The Hufflepuff Seeker was barely ahead of him. He pushed harder on his broom, drawing whoops of excitement from the stands. He was just inching ahead…he was there! He grabbed the snitch in his hand and pulled up abruptly on his broom. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Hermione's voice screaming his name just before the Hufflepuff Seeker's broom made contact with his head.

          Hermione nearly flew down the steps to the ground level of the quidditch pitch. She ran to the center of the field where Madame Hooch was checking Harry. She flung herself down beside him as the rest of the Gryffindor team landed and began crowding around him.

          "Harry!" Hermione cried worriedly, grasping his arm with her hand. She removed his cracked glasses with her other hand, placing them on the ground beside her. "Harry, wake up," Hermione pleaded, near tears.

          "He has a head wound," Madame Hooch said. "He needs to be taken to the hospital wing immediately." Hermione nodded as Madame Hooch conjured a stretcher beneath him. Hermione and Ron led the stretcher to the hospital wing at a fast pace, nearly breaking down the door when they arrived.

          "Madame-" Hermione began.

          "I know all about it, dear. Here, help me move him to a bed," Madame Pomfrey instructed. Hermione nodded and grabbed Harry's shoulders as the nurse took hold of his feet. Together they lifted him onto the awaiting bed and the stretcher disappeared. The nurse examined him closely and immediately began mixing a potion to heal the wound. Hermione sat down in a chair next to the bed. "Work on waking him up," Madame Pomfrey said, "He'll need to be awake to take this potion I'm brewing." Hermione nodded and proceeded to shake Harry until his eyelids began fluttering open.

          "Harry?" she whispered. She stroked his face gently with soft fingers, attempting to return him back into this world. His eyes opened slowly, and he turned to face her.

          "Hermione?" he asked. She smiled at him gratefully, pouncing on him with a hug. "Where am I?"

          "Hospital wing, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said, entering the room with a vial of a green liquid. "And now its time for you to heal up that wound, young man." Harry turned nearly as green as the potion when he saw it, but he took it without question. Immediately the pain ebbed away and his wound began to close up. When he finished, he grimaced at the sour aftertaste the potion left behind. Madame Pomfrey examined his head once again, then pronounced him fit to leave the infirmary.

          Hermione helped Harry from the bed as he was still a little sore. Ron rushed to support him on the other side, and together they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. Halfway there, Harry managed to walk on his own, but the two hovered near to catch him whenever he stumbled. Ron looked curiously at Hermione, he knew she was female and that most females became highly emotional in tense situations…but it seemed…different with Harry. He cocked his head thoughtfully and caught Harry as he tripped on the stairs.

          Later that night, as she sat in her dorm, Hermione thought about the events of the day. She had come so close to loosing him again. It had only been a minor head wound, but the sight of him colliding with that other broom had chilled her to the core. She hugged her knees to her chest and listened to the sounds of the night. What if it had been more serious and he had actually died? She thought. What would I do then? Could I live knowing that he never knew how I really feel? She pondered this question, turning it over and over in her mind as the night progressed. I have to tell him. She thought. Tomorrow night…I'm going to tell him. It felt good to have that resolved, but her decision created a pit in her stomach, and it was slowly filling with dread.

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A/N: Dundundun!  Sorry there hasn't been any fluff yet…I'm trying to actually have a plot this time. If you need a quick fluff fix, go see some of my older works (they're really bad but really fluffy). Anyways! Along with this story…I've never written a quidditch scene before…so sorry if it sucks….but Harry's little scare has pushed Hermione to decide to tell him how she feels….how will this turn out? Tune in next chapter for the suspense to end. Bananas to Bobbo!