Thanks to KittyMonster for being my beta reader.
I hope everyone enjoys this! This is my first HP fic, so please R&R. I'd appreciate it ^_^
Warning: This fic contains OOTP spoilers (and will probably not make much sense if you haven't read it)!
For the Love of Quidditch
Chapter 3 - "Lion and Mouse"
***
"So, when is your first practice?" Harry asked Ron the night after tryouts, as he, Ron and Ginny poured over their schedules in the kitchen.
"Monday from one to four." Ron replied, sighing. "I still think it's rotten we're not on the same team." Harry shrugged in what he hoped was an apologetic way. "What about you and Ginny? When's your first practice?" Ron asked, apparently appeased by Harry's gesture.
"Monday from nine to noon."
"We can tell you how it is when we get back." Ginny added, standing up. "I'm going to bed."
"Me too." Said Ron. "You coming Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "I think I'm going to stay up for a little bit longer."
"Don't stay up too late! We have practice in the morning." Ginny teased as she took her leave, Ron not far behind. And then Harry was alone, free to let his thoughts wander again.
He got up, walked to the sitting room and sat in front of the large picture window that overlooked the garden. The house was quiet around him, save for a few creaks and groans of the settling building. He watched the moon reflected in the pond; it winked at him, its eyes etched in silver and grey, a permanent smile painted on its round face. It was surrounded by a congregation of stars, tiny specks of bright light amid the heavy blackness around them. Together they lit up the garden and the peculiar house. The grass and trees swayed lazily in the gentle summer breeze. It was eerily beautiful. Harry folded his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them and rested his chin on one of their knobby peaks. Today had been wonderful. He had felt free for the first time in weeks. But how could things stay so splendid without Sirius? Harry took a deep breath and let it slowly exit his lungs. He frowned slightly, unsure of his earlier contentment. Had it been false, a mere sentiment without any true breadth or longevity? Was he doomed to feel spiritless forever? But, he supposed, whatever it was, it was better than nothing; fake happiness was better than no happiness at all. I might as well get used to it, he thought. And so he straightened his legs, got on his feet, and went upstairs to dream - dreams, no doubt, that would be filled with anything but happy thoughts.
The next day was relatively uneventful. Harry slept in late, and awoke to a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, hot cakes, and toast. During the day, he, Ron and Ginny occupied themselves by playing chess, chatting, or helping Mrs. Weasley out with chores. Harry also found himself caught in a long discussion of televisions with Mr. Weasley. Still, Ron and Ginny were proving to be a welcome distraction from his depressing thoughts. He had found himself staring out the window at various times in the day, but for not nearly as long as he had at Privet Drive - not that that was at all surprising. Still, part of him felt slightly guilty for his enjoyment. Perhaps he should be suffering for what he had done to Sirius and to Cedric. Oh, Cedric Diggory, another one dead because of Harry Potter. He wondered why people thought he was so great. But as quickly as the thought had come, Ron was busy distracting him with another chess game.
Monday came with much more excitement. Harry woke early, and, slipping on his clothes and grabbing his broom, crept out of the room while Ron was still snoring. He met Ginny in the hallway, they smiled and then went down to breakfast together. Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them, having already seen Mr. Weasley off to work. They had porridge and fruit for breakfast, and before long were ready to leave. The old battered hat once again escorted them to their destination, and at 9am sharp, they arrived at Longtoad's field.
"Greetings, Opaleyes!" Coach Pilfick addressed them. "Welcome to your first practice! We will have to practice hard, because your first game is this Sunday." Harry and Ginny looked at each other apprehensively. Neither wanted to lose their first game, especially since Ron and the rest of the Weasley family - minus a few brothers - would be watching. Harry and Ginny teamed up for the warm-up exercises, but then split off so Ginny could go work at scoring goals with the other chasers. Harry circled the pitch, searching for the telltale flicker of gold. He glanced down at the chasers briefly. Ginny was trying to score on their keeper, Alexander Kerr, and seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it too. She flew back and forth, her flame of hair blowing behind her, her jaw set in determination, finally faking to the left before scoring another goal. He chuckled at the disheartened look of the keeper, who reminded him somewhat of Ron in his earlier days.
Then he spotted it, a spot of gold glinting tauntingly in the sunlight, next to the keeper's foot. He shot out of the sky like a bullet, his speed increasing as he dove towards the snitch. He breezed by Ginny, and when she looked over, he held the snitch in his hand, grinning triumphantly.
"Nice one, Harry!" she called.
"Thanks!" he responded, flashing her a smile. She seemed to balk for a moment, looking down at her hands, which grasped the broom handle tightly. Harry tilted his head to the side quizzically and raised an eyebrow. He looked around to see if anything was happening behind him that she might be reacting to, but saw nothing except for the keeper who was still floating above him. Finally she looked back at him, smiling to his relief. He pointed up at the keeper who was still in shock, his eyes wide as he stared dumbfounded at Harry, obviously having been slightly surprised as a human bullet shot out of the sky on a broom right for his foot. Ginny burst out laughing, and before long Harry was hysterical too. The rest of the team looked at them oddly as they tried to regain their composure.
"Right then... let's end practice here for today. Good work everyone! I'll reactivate your portkeys if you all just come and bring them to me." Coach Pilfick said, a perplexed look on his face.
Harry and Ginny took their portkey to their coach, still grinning at each other. Moments later they were back at the Burrow, roaring once again.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Nothing," Harry said, catching his breath as he wiped a tear from his under eye.
"Right, I'm sure it was nothing." Ron said flatly.
"Oh, Ron, lighten up. We just had fun at practice, is all." Ginny consoled her brother, whilst clutching her stomach.
"In any case, I'm starving." Harry declared. Ron rolled his eyes, simpering at the two standing in front of him.
"Right then, let's eat!" Ginny shouted. So Ginny, Harry and Ron went to the kitchen to make sandwiches.
While the three Gryffindors sat eating their lunch, three spotted brown owls flew in through the window, dropping envelopes in Harry, Ron and Ginny's lap. Ron stared at the parchment as though it would bite him. He and Harry looked at each other knowingly.
"You first." Ron said. Harry gathered up his courage, knowing his future depended on the OWL marks inside. He carefully opened the envelope, unfolded the piece of parchment inside, and scanned the page. His mouth dropped.
"Well? How'd you do?"
"I - I got an O in Potions. Nine OWLs." Harry said astounded. "How did I get an O in Potions?"
"Congratulations Harry!" Ginny shouted enthusiastically. Ron was ripping open his own envelope.
"What about you, Ron?" Harry asked his friend.
"Only 8 for me. I failed Divination, not that I didn't know that already." He chuckled.
"Congrats Ron!" Ginny smiled at the two boys. "Looks like you both have two more years with Professor Snape." She giggled.
"Not me." Said Ron.
"What? Why not?" Harry asked.
"I only got an E. Remember last year? He said he only took O level students."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. I'm sort of glad I don't have to deal with scabby old Snape anymore." Ron shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment.
"Well, 8 OWL's is still a really good score." Ginny praised Ron affectionately.
"Yeah, she's right you know." Harry concurred.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Ron smiled more confidently. "Well, I've got to go to practice now." Harry and Ginny said goodbye, and then Ron was gone.
"That was really good of you, Gin. I'm glad you thought to say something. I'm sure I would have made it worse." Harry commended.
"Well, I always sort of wanted to be a counselor or maybe a mediwitch, or a teacher. Oh I don't know, just something where I get to help people." Ginny admitted, blushing slightly.
"I think you'd be really good at any of those."
"Thanks."
Harry stood up and took their plates to the sink. He suddenly remembered that Ginny had gotten a letter too. "What's your letter say, Ginny?"
"Oh, it's just from Dean." Harry nodded, remembering that she was dating the Gryffindor in his year. "He broke up with me." Well, not anymore.
"I'm really sorry Gin." He stood uncomfortably in the kitchen, not sure if she would want to be alone or not. Cho had always burst out crying on his shoulder, but Ginny was definitely not Cho, and he was becoming increasingly thankful for that.
"I don't really care. I was going to break up with him soon myself."
"Really?"
"Yeah. We just don't have anything in common."
"Oh, well I guess I'm not sorry then." Harry grinned wryly. "You know, we should probably start writing letters to all the eligible blokes out there. They'll be wanting to know you're single now."
"Ass."
After Friday's practice, Harry found himself very much warming up to the idea of playing Quidditch with Ginny all summer. She was not only an excellent chaser, but a fabulous friend as well. He often found himself laughing at her jokes, smiling as they practiced together. To Harry's relief, she never brought up Sirius or the Department of Mysteries. In fact, she was quite a pleasant distraction. Ron was too, of course, but since their timetables were somewhat conflicting, Harry found himself spending more time with the redheaded Weasley daughter than her older brother.
It was Saturday, the day before the Opaleyes' first game. It was a beautiful sunny day, though storm clouds could be seen forming in the distance, a dark grey army preparing to pour down upon the earth. Harry hoped that the menacing mass would be far away from Longtoad's field for the game tomorrow. Though he was accustomed to it, he did not enjoy playing in the rain - with visibility lowered, it was always harder to spot the golden snitch on stormy days.
Harry sat out in the garden, half hidden behind a large oak tree. Its gnarled branches curved up over him, protecting him from the sun's bright rays. The thick bark pressed into his shoulder blades as he leaned against it, his book - Decomposing Quidditch: Modern Strategies for an Ancient Game - propped against his knees. He had been reading all morning. He stretched his arms above his head and wriggled his toes in the thick green grass, before returning to the manual. He pushed his glasses back into place on his nose, hungrily reading the pages.
"Harry?" A quiet voice disturbed him from his activity. He stiffened up, his hand instinctively going for his wand. "Harry, it's me." A red haired girl stepped out in front of him, her chocolate eyes nervously looking to the ground, her hands behind her back. Ginny wore a plain white blouse, unbuttoned down to her blossoming chest, and a pair of jeans. Harry immediately released his wand and flushed, both at his hostile reaction and to the pretty young girl who stood in front of him. He could feel his cheeks turn rosy despite of his refusal. "Sorry if I disturbed you." She said as soft as butterfly wings.
"No! It's all right. I was just reading." Harry stammered, getting to his feet. She smiled, and he felt his cheeks turn even pinker, though he did not know why. This was Ron's little sister, after all - not just that, his friend - there was no reason to be embarrassed around her. But her shy behaviour was so unlike her that it threw him off.
"I just came to see how you were..." she trailed off. She chewed on her lip and he saw her face turn as pink as his own. "And to give you something." She finished quickly.
"Oh?" Harry looked at her quizzically, wondering what it was.
"Here." She stuck her hand out in front of her. In her palm, attached to a delicate chain, lay a penny-sized silver coin. On closer inspection he saw that it was engraved with a lion, roaring aggressively, paw curved protectively around a mouse. It glinted in the soft light. "It's a good luck charm. I know it's sort of silly, but I wanted you to have it… for the game tomorrow." She looked away, her hand still holding out the gift for Harry. He took it from her palm, fingers gently grazing against her silky skin.
Harry beamed at the girl. "I love it. Thank you." And then he gave her a hug, squeezed her tight. She blushed even harder, her face and ears turning a bright fuchsia.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Help me put it on?" He asked, holding the necklace out to her. She took it from him, and tenderly hooked the chain around his neck, her hands shaking. He turned around to face her again. "Thanks! Say... would you like to join me? I was just reading over some Quidditch strategies for tomorrow's game." She smiled at him and nodded, taking a seat on the lush grass. Composure returned to the pair, they sat under the shade of the old oak tree discussing Quidditch, smiling and laughing, until lunchtime.
Harry woke up, his shirt drenched with sweat, having had another dream of the night at the Department of Mysteries. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, took his shirt off and threw it angrily at the ground. His memories still haunted him every night, Sirius' dead body creeping into his mind when he could do nothing to stop it. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes boring into the dark wood. Damn it! He thought. Damn it, Sirius, why'd you have to come after me? Why'd you have to get yourself killed? He scrunched up his face, tears welling in his eyes. No, he could not blame Sirius. There was no one to blame but himself and his own stupidity. He blinked away the tears, refusing to let himself cry.
A deep breath, and his heart stopped pounding, his eyes focusing on Ron sleeping peacefully in the bed across from him. He wondered what visions filled Ron's dreams, hoped that nightmares didn't plague him too. But maybe they do, he thought solemnly. After all, Ron had been there at the Department of Mysteries too, had been chased and attacked by a tentacled brain as well. And what about Ginny? Did she dream of Death Eaters, of Tom Riddle luring her down into the Chamber of Secrets? So, not only am I stupid, am I the reason for the death of many good people, but I am selfish as well. Harry's eyes softened at Ron's sleeping figure, tendrils of red hair falling into his eyes. No, I never thought of my friends, of what they might be going through... I only ever thought of myself. Harry chided himself. Perhaps I should just disappear? But he thought better of it. He didn't want to hurt his friends more than he already had. Instead he promised himself to spend more time with them, to be a little more considerate of their needs. Perhaps it was not in his fate to find solace, but he could certainly help his friends be at peace. And with his epiphany sealed in his mind, he drifted back to sleep.
Later that morning he awoke again to loud crashes and shouts. He raised himself out of bed, looking over at the clock on Ron's bedside table. He still had a few hours before he had to be at the field for the game. Ron was already out of bed. Harry stood up, stretched his lithe body, did not hear the tiny knock on the door. He only heard the creak of the door opening, and a gasp coming from the doorway. He turned to see Ginny, dressed in her housecoat, standing by the door, mouth agape as she stared at Harry. It was then that he realized he was only wearing boxers.
"I - I'm sorry!" Ginny spluttered, turning to face the wall. "I... I c-came in to get you up... I thought you were still asleep!" Harry turned his head to hide his grin, slightly pleased to have had such an effect on the girl.
"It's okay. You didn't know. No harm done." Harry quickly grabbed a shirt and some jeans and put them on. "There. It's okay now, you can turn around."
"Harry, I'm reaaally sorry."
"I said it's okay." Harry smiled at her. She seemed to breathe a little sigh. "I'm ready, let's go downstairs, okay?" She nodded. They went down to the kitchen together, albeit a little more uncomfortable than usual. Ginny kept looking at him and then quickly looking away.
Once in the kitchen Harry was bombarded by Fred and George, who had just arrived home from their vacation. "Harry! Good to see you!" They patted him on the back. He could see Mrs. Weasley scowling in the corner, and assumed they must have set off another one of their tricks.
"Hi. You two have a good trip?"
"Oh yeah, it was great!" Fred proclaimed.
"You should see some of the stuff we got!" George added excitedly.
"There'll be no more showing anyone your new tricks right now." Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "We need Harry here to be alive and well for his game this afternoon."
"We'll show you later." Fred whispered in his ear. George winked at Harry as the twins ran upstairs to their room.
"Sorry about that, dear." Mrs. Weasley apologized to Harry. "They're just a bit excited from the trip, I think."
"Oh come off it, mum, they're always like that!" Ron declared from the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley sighed and returned to making them all breakfast.
The Weasleys and Harry arrived at Longtoad's field a half-hour before the match. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the twins and Ron wished Harry and Ginny good luck, and then went to get seats in the stands while Harry and Ginny went to get changed. The two split ways in the change rooms, Harry going to the boys' side, and Ginny to the girls'.
"Hey, Harry! You ready for the game today?" Edward, one of their beaters, asked. Harry nodded. "Your uniform is over there." Edward pointed to a cubby with 'Potter' written above it.
"Thanks." Harry strode over to his locker, where he began to get changed. Their uniforms were a deep forest green and black. The colours matched Harry perfectly, causing his eyes to stand out like beacons. He made sure to wear the good luck charm Ginny had given him, though he wasn't sure how much help it would be. Still, he did appreciate the thought and didn't want to hurt her.
The Opaleyes' congregated at the door leading out to the pitch, waiting for the announcer to call them. Ginny appeared minutes after Harry, and walked over to him. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and spilled over her back, contrasting against the green of their uniforms, glistening in the dim light.
"Ready?" Ginny asked him.
"Yeah, I think so."
"And now, the OBLIVIATING OPALEYES'!" They heard a great cheer above them as the announcer called their team.
"Good luck." Harry smiled at her encouragingly.
"You too."
Their team stepped out onto the field to more roars from the crowd. The opposing team was standing across from them, their black and silver robes distinguishing them from the Opaleyes. Harry took his place, hovering above the rest of his teammates. The stands were filled with people, many waving small green or silver flags. He spotted the red haired group of Weasley's watching them excitedly, each holding green flags of their own. The whistle blew.
"And they're off! It's Swift from the Opaleyes' with the Quaffle - passes to Weasley..." Harry heard a cheer from the stands. He began searching for the snitch. He could see the opposing seeker doing the same as they both circled above the pitch. "And Weasley avoids a bludger from Sloper - passes to Cabbot - approaching the goal now and Cabbot shoots! Oh and a good save by the Horntails' keeper. Pucey from the Horntails with the quaffle - he's flying straight for the goal! Cabbot's been taken out by a bludger..."
Harry looked below him as he saw Adrian Pucey steam across the pitch, heading for the goalposts. He hoped Kerr could block the shot.
"And Pucey shoots... AND HE SCORES! 10 to zero for the Horntails!" There were cheers from the crowd mingled with boos. Harry circled the pitch fervently looking for any sign of gold. He occasionally looked at the other seeker to make sure she hadn't seen the snitch. Harry returned his attention briefly to the match below. Ginny had the quaffle again, and was heading for the goalposts. She passed to Andrew Swift, who then passed it back to her. She flew past the opposing team's chaser, who was too slow to intercept, flew left, then faked right, and… "SCORE FOR OPALEYES'!" the announcer screamed. It was ten to ten now. If Ginny could just keep the score close, all he had to do was find that blasted snitch.
Harry kept circling the pitch. The Horntail's scored twice more, but their fourth attempt was thwarted by Ginny skillfully intercepting a pass.
"Come on Ginny." Harry whispered. He scanned the pitch, hunting for a glint of gold.
Then he saw it. It hovered inches above the ground at the other end of the pitch. But the other seeker had seen it too, and she was closer. Harry hurtled across the field, determined to reach the snitch first. He urged his broom to go faster, barrelling down to the ground. He was neck and neck with the other seeker now. She bumped him to the left, but he pushed forward. He reached out with his hand - it was getting close now. But the snitch was almost resting on the top of the grass; it was too close to the ground to grab it normally. Harrry pushed forward, his hand outstretched. The opposing seeker pulled up, but Harry had a plan. He flipped his broom sideways, hanging off the side of it, felt his fingers grasp around the snitch. But he was of balance, and felt himself wobble, then fall and skid across the ground. There was a gasp from the crowd.
"Harry! Harry, are you okay?" He heard Ginny's voice calling. He opened his eyes. Ginny was standing over him, a worried expression on her face. Harry's face broke into a smile. He reached up and showed her the snitch.
"OPALEYES' WIN!" The announcer screamed. "WITH A DARING MANEUVER BY HARRY POTTER, WHO GETS THE SNITCH!" His team was on him now, lifting him up on their shoulders, cheering. Harry beamed in triumph. When his teammates finally let him down, he ran to Ginny and gave her a big hug. She hugged him back as they bounced around excitedly.
The rest of the Weasley's were there to greet them when they exited the change rooms.
"That was incredible!" Ron shouted. "Bloody incredible!" The two friends hugged.
"Potter, you are insane!" Fred and George screamed. "We knew you'd do it!"
"Thanks. Ginny was great too though, the way she intercepted that pass!"
"Oh yeah, completely!" Ron agreed. "You were great too, Gin!"
"Yeah and a great job on that goal!" Fred added. Ginny smiled at Harry appreciatively, as the rest of the Weasley's talked animatedly around them.
"Thanks." She said. Harry shrugged.
"You deserve it. You were awesome out there!"
Harry, Ron and Ginny were in the sitting room of the Burrow, recuperating from the day before. Harry and Ron were sharing the large, plush couch, chess board placed between their bent knees, while Ginny was lounging in an oversized armchair next to them, book in her lap. It was silent, except for the occasional turn of a page, or loud smash as a chess piece was violently shattered by the opposing team. From time to time, Ginny would glance over at the boys, looking at the progress of their game. Ron looked as though he was winning, but there was still a chance Harry could come out as victor. Ginny peered over Harry's shoulder, taking an inventory of the board. He caught a whiff of her hair as it brushed across his cheek - it smelled like berries and fresh rain. He caught himself inhaling deeply to smell more of her, but, thankfully, neither she nor Ron noticed.
Ginny turned to Harry, cupping a hand over her mouth as she whispered into his ear. "Move your knight to G5." Harry froze at the sensation of her breath against his ear. Why am I getting so weird about this? Harry shook himself and moved the piece as Ginny had instructed.
"Hey! You're my sister, you're supposed to be helping me!" Ron shouted, pretending to be hurt.
"You don't need any help. Poor Harry here is getting slaughtered!" She grinned mischievously at the boys.
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Harry defended himself.
"Yes you are!" she exclaimed, giggling. Harry threw a pillow at her, hitting her square in the forehead. "Harry Potter you barbarian! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit a girl?" She laughed as she threw the pillow back at him. The pillow missed her target, hitting the chessboard instead, causing the game pieces to scatter and duck for cover. Ron groaned.
"You're a lousy shot." Harry said half-amused as he and Ron placed the pieces back in their original positions.
"Well, I guess we're even then." She humphed, sat back in her chair, and picked up her book, looking away defiantly. Harry laughed. "Don't you laugh at me, Harry Potter! At least I don't suck at chess!" She stuck her tongue out at the boy.
Harry smiled to himself and decided to let Ginny win. She had helped him after all. She was also getting a lot tougher as she grew, no longer afraid to join in a good row with the boys. Not that he was afraid of her, but he didn't feel like arguing at this point in time. One thing you could always count on Ginny being was determined. If she wanted to win, she would win. He glanced over at her as she sat reading her book purposefully. She was almost cute when she was angry. Cute? What am I thinking? This is Ron's baby sister I'm talking about here! Harry scolded himself. He turned back to the game.
"Your turn," Ron said absently. Harry stared at his pieces blankly. He bit his lip, trying to imagine his little white players at various positions across the board. He frowned. If only he knew what Ginny's plan had been. He tried to put himself in her shoes, but with no luck. He had no idea what to move. And so, pride put aside, he turned to Ginny.
"Hey, Gin, can you help me?" He asked her enploringly. She moved her eyes to look at him, coffee brown staring into brilliant green.
"What's the magic word?" She asked, and he saw a glint of amusement somewhere deep within the blackness of her pupils. She was going to make him beg, he knew it, but if it was his only chance at beating Ron, then he would do it. Besides, it was almost exciting being teased by the freckled-faced girl beside him. No! Don't you start again! He groaned inwardly.
"Please?"
"Is that all?" She sat facing him now. Her twinkling eyes the only thing displaying her glee amongst the seriousness of her face.
"Pretty please, oh fair maiden, Ginny?" He tried to look as solemn and sincere as possible. She laughed.
"Fine." She leaned forward towards Harry, propping her elbows on the edge of the couch. The game was more competitive now. Ron scowled in determination from across the board. Harry and Ginny just smiled at each other, realizing that any attempts at trying to be serious would be futile. With Ginny's help, Harry actually managed to win.
"Thanks, Gin! We make a good team."
"Ahem." She raised her eyebrows at him disdainfully.
"I mean, thank you, oh beauteous maiden, for allowing me the use of your extraordinary chess skills." He bowed, then looked up at her, "But I'm good at cheering you on, right?" She snorted at his display.
"Yes! You make a wonderful cheering section."
"What about me," Ron questioned jealously, "do I get a cheering section?"
"Sure, Ron, when Hermione gets here she'll be your cheering section." Harry stated. "So, want to play again?"
The day before Harry's birthday, the day Hermione was due to arrive, Ron bustled around making sure everything was ready. He ran up to Harry and Ginny who were playing chess in the sitting room.
"How do I look?" He asked apprehensively.
"For the hundredth time, Ron, you look fine." Harry groaned. Ron glowered and walked off. Harry hadn't meant to sound quite so curt, but he and Ginny were starting to get slightly annoyed at his constant interruptions. Harry was thankful that they had had quidditch practice that morning, or he might have really flipped out at Ron by now. However he and Ginny both admitted that it was cute that Ron was getting so flustered over Hermione's arrival.
Ginny leaned over the chessboard and whispered to Harry "I wish she'd just get here already! He's starting to make me anxious."
CRASH!
"Oh bloody hell!" They heard Ron curse from the kitchen.
"Ronald Weasley! Don't you use that language in front of me!" Mrs. Weasley barked at her son. Harry and Ginny giggled. Finally they heard the Knight Bus pull up in front of the Burrow. Harry and Ginny stood up and went out to meet Hermione with Ron and Mrs. Weasley. Stan Shunpike was helping Hermione empty her things from the bus. Hermione wore a scowl on her face as she approached the group, carrying her trunk and Crookshanks with her.
"I swear, that bus gets worse every time. If that Shunkpike hits on me once more I'm going to wring his neck."
"I'd be happy to do it for you, Hermione." Ron bellowed as he glared at the purple bus, cracking his knuckles. But before he had a chance to act they heard a loud pop, and the bus was gone.
"Oh Ron, don't be stupid." Hermione swatted him.
"Here, let me take Crookshanks." Ginny offered, taking the large orange cat into her arms. This seemed to get Ron's attention, as he suddenly turned around.
"Hermione, I'll take your trunk."
"Oh, thanks Ron, Ginny." She smiled at the brother and sister. They all went inside. Harry and Hermione turned to go sit in the sitting room, while Ron and Ginny continued upstairs to put Hermione's things in Ginny's room. Hermione sat on the couch. Harry chose to sit in the love seat across from her so Ron could sit next to Hermione.
"So, how's your summer been?" Harry asked. He already knew, really, because of all the letters she sent, but felt he should make some conversation.
"Oh splendid. France was wonderful. Though it's good to be back in England. How was yours?"
"It's been good and bad." Harry responded vaguely. Hermione seemed to know not to push further than that. "Did you get your OWL scores?" Harry changed the subject.
"I did. I got 14 OWLS." Harry's mouth dropped.
"Fourteen?" Ron said astonished as he walked into the room. He sat next to her. Hermione nodded.
"All O's too." She said proudly, puffing out her chest. Ron certainly seemed to notice that. Harry saw the tips of his ears turn red. He coughed, trying to hide a chuckle.
"Well, we always knew you'd get O's on all your OWL's." Harry said once Ron had regained his composure. Ginny came in then and sat next to Harry. Harry peeked at Ginny's chest; he could see her cleavage showing through her blouse. He noted happily that her breasts seemed to be slightly larger than Hermione's. What the hell am I doing? His brain questioned. Okay, Ron must be really getting to me here. Harry looked quickly at Ron, hoping he hadn't noticed. Fortunately Ron was too enraptured with Hermione to look at anyone else. Ginny too was paying attention to Hermione telling them all about France. Hermione, on the other hand, was too observant to miss something so obvious. She winked at Harry. Oh no. Harry grimaced, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.
Hermione looked at Harry. "What, you don't like France?" she teased.
"Er, uh... No! It sounds wonderful." He smiled. Hermione left him alone after that, much to Harry's relief.
The next day Harry awoke to a huge birthday breakfast.
"Happy Birthday!" Mrs. and Mr. Weasley greeted him as he walked into the kitchen.
"Thanks."
"Breakfast is out in the garden, dear. Go take a seat. Everyone else is out there." Mrs. Weasley instructed cheerfully.
Harry walked out into the garden. The menacing storm had passed earlier in the week, and the sky was now a bright blue with a scattering of light wispy clouds. The garden was lush and green, and patches of white, yellow and violet wildflowers had bloomed into full, ripe blossoms. The table was set with plates full of bacon, sausages, three kinds of eggs, toast, waffles, giant pieces of watermelon and pumpkin juice. Mrs. Weasley had really outdone herself. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Bill were sitting around the table talking when Harry stepped into the garden. On his arrival, Ron jumped up.
"Happy Birthday Harry!" he shouted. There was a chorus of happy birthdays following.
"Thanks, everyone." Harry smiled, taking the seat Ron had saved him between him and Ginny. Fred, George and Bill sat on the opposite side of the table.
"Happy Birthday." Ginny said after he had gotten comfortable on the bench.
"Thanks."
"Oi! Pass me some eggs!" Ron bellowed to his oldest brother.
"Ron, manners!" Hermione scolded.
"Well, it's Harry's birthday so he gets to decide. Harry, do you mind if I have some eggs?" Harry shook his head. "Well there you go then." Ron pronounced triumphantly. Hermione glared at him.
"Boys." She muttered.
Harry and Ginny giggled. They Weasley's, Miss Granger and Harry Potter enjoyed an excellent breakfast, only stopping once their bellies had expanded considerable amounts.
Harry was now lying down on the loveseat, his belt loosened, waiting until the time when it no longer hurt to walk.
"Move over." Ginny demanded as she stepped into the room.
"No! There's a whole other couch and chair over there." He pointed.
"But I want that seat."
"Well too bad, I got here first."
"Fine, then I'll sit on your legs."
"Okay, okay, I'll move." Harry got up and moved himself to the other couch.
"You're such a pushover." Ginny grinned as she flopped down on the loveseat. Harry just rolled his eyes. Girls.
After dinner Harry finally got to open his presents. The group all sat in the sitting room, bunched together on the furniture. Harry was squeezed between Ron and George on the largest sofa.
Hermione gave him a Defence Against the Dark Arts book entitled Demystifying the Dark Arts, and Ginny Searching for Gold: A Seeker's Handbook. A Chudley Cannons poster and a new Quill were from Ron. Mrs. Weasley had knitted him a scarf in green and black, and another in red and gold.
"Ours now!" The twins announced, passing Harry a small box wrapped in yellow foil. Inside was an assortment of their latest treats (if you could call them that).
"Be careful with the red ones. Don't eat those if you have somewhere important to go the next day." Fred cautioned. Harry made a mental note to chuck them in the garbage later.
"That's not all! Wait a minute!" George ran into the other room, then came back holding a large, long package wrapped in brown paper, with a red bow tied around one end. Harry liked the look of this gift much more than the assortment of Wizard Wheezes. He ripped open the package.
"You lucky dog!" Ron jumped to his feet. "That's a new Thunderbolt!"
"Wow." Harry stared dumbfounded at the broom. "Thank you so much!" He hugged Fred and George.
"Just wait until you try it out! That thing'll blow your Firebolt away!" Ron bellowed. Harry was still sitting and staring at his new Thunderbolt in a state of disbelief.
They partied on into the night. Fred and George set off some Fireworks in the field next to the house - including one of their own Ferocious Fireworks which caused everyone to run and hide from the hundred glowing red pirahnas that spewed from it's end and tried to bite them all. Then Bill and Ginny did a skit for everyone. Harry hooted and cheered through all of these. This was surely his best birthday yet. And yet, he wasn't as happy with his Thunderbolt as he should have been. If things had not been as they were, he would have been absolutely ecstatic to receive it, but Sirius had given him his Firebolt, and that was something not even a Thunderbolt could replace. And that formed his ultimate decision.
As everyone was returning to the house to go to bed, Harry pulled Ginny aside.
"What is it?" She asked. Harry waited until everyone was back in the house and out of earshot.
He took a deep breath before starting. "Ginny, I want you to have my Thunderbolt."
"WHAT? Are you insane? I can't take that from you!" She exclaimed.
"Please, Ginny, I want you to have it."
"But why?" Harry turned to face the orchard, watched the trees reaching for the sky, swaying in the wind.
"My Firebolt... Sirius... He gave it to me." Harry muttered.
"Oh." Ginny said, understanding now. Harry swivelled back around to face her.
"Please, Ginny, take it. You deserve to have a really nice broom. You're a really good chaser and well... your current broom is kind of rubbish." Ginny burst out laughing.
"Okay, I accept." Ginny said in between fits of giggles.
"Good." Harry smiled.
"Thanks Harry. I really appreciate it." She gave him a hug, then pulled back grinning. "I can't believe I own a Thunderbolt! Ron's going to be so jealous!" She bounced around the garden shouting gleefully. Harry laughed, glad to be able to make her so happy. There was no questioning that she was cute now, bounding around as she was. The pair rejoined, and walked inside. Ginny wished Harry a final happy birthday, and then went to bed, leaving Harry alone in the hallway, smiling.
Despite staying up late the night before celebrating Harry's birthday, Harry and Ginny awoke early the next morning for another practice. Harry stumbled out into the hallway, eyes half-closed, hair a riot of black, and shirt on inside out. He grunted a good morning when he met Ginny in the kitchen. She waved sleepily before resting her head back on the table. Harry sat down with a thud, stretched his arms across the table and rested his head in between them. Ginny's hair was strewn about messily, radiating from her head like a bright orange sun. Harry picked up a piece of her hair and began to play with it absently. Ginny yawned.
"Tell me again why we have a practice so early in the morning?" She mumbled. Harry shrugged.
"To punish us for winning, I guess."
"Remind me to make sure we lose next time."
"Done."
"You do realize your shirt is on inside-out?"
"I did not."
"Well, it is."
"Thanks."
After fixing his shirt, a sleepy breakfast and more complaints, Harry and Ginny finally left for practice. They staggered bleary-eyed up to the rest of their team. Coach Pilfick seemed to be equally as drained, though they didn't know why.
"We're going to take it easy today. We'll practice basic quaffle techiniques to start. Get into pairs and pass back and forth. I'll be here if you need help." He leaned against his broom, using it to support his weight while he stood on the ground.
Harry and Ginny lobbed the ball lazily to one another. Every so often Harry would find himself spacing out and miss her throw, causing him to have to retrieve the quaffle from the ground.
Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch. Throw.
Harry watched Ginny. Even though she was tired, she was still able to catch and throw the quaffle expertly. Her arm gracefully travelled through the air as she projected the ball towards Harry. He saw it fly through the air, getting larger as it came closer to him. His attention turned to Ginny; her eyes were widening slowly. "Harry!"
SMACK.
Right dead center, too. Harry rubbed his head. I wonder if I'll get a lump. "Ow. Good throw Ginny."
"I'm sorry! You should have told me you weren't ready."
"S'ok. It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."
"I noticed." She giggled. "Maybe we should stop practicing with the quaffle, I'm afraid I'm going to give you a concussion."
"Want to just fly around the pitch then?" She nodded. They took off, slowly circling the field, watching the rest of their teammates who were still throwing and catching to each other. Ginny flew around the pitch, diving and doing sharp turns, testing out her new broom.
"This thing is awesome!" Ginny said as she flew back to Harry. "I still can't believe it's mine."
"Believe it." Harry laughed as he spotted Coach Pilfick slouched against his broom in the middle of the pitch, asleep. "Now there's a good coach." He coughed, pointing at Coach Pilfick. Ginny looked down and stifled a laugh.
"Definitely. Couldn't ask for better." Ginny concurred. They tittered.
"This is boring." Harry sighed, after doing three more laps. "Want to go into the woods?"
"Are you sure it's all right?"
"Well, we certainly can't ask, now can we?"
"I suppose not. Let's go then." Ginny agreed. The two Gryffindors piloted to the ground, before striding off into the woods. The trees stood a few feet apart, their tall, straight trunks jutting up from the ground into a dense green canopy overhead. They marched straight into the woods, walking carefully over roots and fallen logs. After a few minutes, Ginny interrupted their silence. "We shouldn't go too far, or we won't be able to find our way back." Harry nodded.
"Let's just sit here then."
They sat silently beneath a large pine tree, cushioned on top of a bed of needles. Harry listened to Ginny's steady breathing and the wind in the trees and found himself being lulled to sleep by it. He collapsed onto his side, not even realizing his head now lay on Ginny's thigh. All he knew was his pillow was warm and soft, that Ginny's breathing was louder from here. Before long Harry was fast asleep.
When he awoke he found Ginny stroking his hair. To his surprise, the affectionate contact felt good to him. He stared at the trees in front him, blinking away his sleep.
"Are you okay?" She questioned, her voice much gentler than usual, almost motherly.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Well... you were muttering in your sleep is all... about - about Sirius."
"Oh." Harry swallowed, tears threatening to surface from behind his eyes. He continued to look straight ahead, not daring to look her in the eye.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." She apologized.
"No. That's okay. I don't mind." He wasn't lying. As painful as it was, it felt good to know she cared. They sat in silence for some time, Ginny still running her fingers through his hair, before she spoke again.
"Do you dream about him often?" She asked nervously.
"Every night."
She paused. "I miss him too."
They remained in perfect silence for ten minutes, an hour, Harry couldn't tell. All he knew was, resting against Ginny's thigh, feeling her gentle touch, that he felt comforted, a little less broken.
Eventually they rose and returned to the practice, never speaking of their time in the woods, but deep down Harry knew something inside him had changed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
AN: Thanks again to all my reviewers! I really appreciate it! Chapter 4 will be up soon. It's currently being beta'd so it shouldn't be long now. Sorry this chapter took so long to get up!