A/N- Thanks for the reviews, guys. Nobody belongs to me, sadly, and the quote is from the one and only Tarantino. Keep posting reviews and the chapter's keep coming!
Reunion
Chapter Two
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"I hate that."
"What?"
"Awkward silences."
-Uma Thurman and John Travolta, "Pulp Fiction"
----
"Brilliant game everyone! Let's all meet at Nox for a round-on me!" Harry finished his post-victory speech in the locker room, to rousing cheers and back-thumping of all his players.
Harry went and showered, coming out to see Draco still getting dressed in a black button down and slacks with an insanely expensive looking leather jacket.
"Wow, Malfoy. Big pimping." Harry said, grinning as he got dressed as well in his nicer night clothes to go out and celebrate.
"Great save tonight, Potter." Draco said absently, slapping on cologne.
"Thanks. You really had my back out there on that last play. I know I always say you're just a Beater to get out your sexual frustrations, but all kidding aside, you're quite good at it." Harry said, laughing.
"Hey-I have absolutely no frustrations, Potter, believe me." Draco said, offended.
"Are you and Ginny still…"
"I don't really know- she says she just wants to be friends, but sends some…er…confusing signals, you might say."
"Hey, Draco?"
"Yeah?"
"Please don't mention anything about you and Gin to Ron. I honestly think his head would explode if he found out." Harry implored him.
"Since when do I care what Ron thinks?"
"Just-tonight's supposed to be fun for everybody. Even people you don't like. I know that's a difficult concept for you to grasp-" Harry spoke slowly, as if addressing a young child.
"I won't say anything." Draco sighed.
"Thank you."
----
Ron waited outside the locker room for Harry, night falling on the emptying Quidditch pitch. Britain had won an astounding victory, especially for an away game.
He suddenly heard her approaching, footsteps crunching in the slightly damp grass. It had been a foggy, misty day and was evolving into quite a dreary night.
"Hello." She said, not looking at him as she stood on the other side of the locker room door.
"I supposes it's kind of difficult to have joyous photo ops when your team loses." Ron said somewhat smugly.
"You suppose correctly." She said icily.
"Hey, Hermione?"
"Yes?" She finally looked at him, appearing disinterested.
"Can we call a truce? Just for tonight- be civil to each other, for Harry's sake?"
"You think that will just solve all our problems, don't you? Put on a little show for Harry, and all the old feelings will just come rushing back, and everything will be like it was?"
"No, of course I don't think that."
"Glad to see some of your naïveté is fading."
Ron rolled his eyes, crossing over to her angrily.
"Look, Hermione, I'm not quite sure what you want me to apologize for here! I'm sorry for not wanting you to go? I'm sorry that you choosing your career over me made everything fall apart between us?"
"I was not the only one culpable for everything falling apart." She looked up at him.
"Bullsh! Everything was perfect with us before you decided to go to France!"
"Nothing's ever perfect, Ron! We were not the perfect couple everyone thought we were, you know that as well as I do. Yes, I loved you then. And I know that you loved me. But every time you even mentioned a future together, you just seemed to assume I'd give up everything for you! I worked too hard at Hogwarts to just throw it all away!"
"Maybe that's because you never would tell me WHAT you wanted, so I just had to fill in the blanks!"
"Well, if we're really so perfect for each other, I can't believe you didn't understand why I wanted to do this so badly!"
"Then tell me why! Why is this bloody job and bleeding France so damn important to you?" Ron was now fully shouting.
"Because, Ron, I was running away from my undying love for you!" Draco said in a high falsetto voice, suddenly bursting into their little scene.
Harry came out behind him, looking between his two red-faced best friends doing what they did best-fighting.
"Why don't you two just save this little soap opera for after drinks, when you're both nice and knackered. I'm sure things will go much better." Draco winked suggestively at Hermione, ushering them forward.
"Hello, Draco." Hermione blinked. She hadn't seen him in five years face-to-face, and it was rather odd to see him palling around and playing Quidditch with Harry.
"Hello yourself. Heard about your nomination, you little go-getter." Draco hit her on the arm, still sounding rather patronizing as they all walked towards the bar, Nox, which was across the street.
"Draco, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Ron looked at him with thinly disguised hatred.
"While that was a very cutting remark, Weasel, I think I'll stay with you guys. Because 1) It's quite fun to annoy the two of you, and 2) because I was invited by your dear old Harry here."
Ron looked over at Harry with befuddlement.
"We're teammates now." Harry shrugged.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a confused glance, and then caught themselves, angrily looking away.
"Hey, you crazy kids." Ginny appeared out of nowhere, falling into step with them.
"Where'd you apparate from?" Draco looked at her, a little startled.
"The little girl's room. I had to change for drinks." She indicated her rather revealing black dress.
Draco was about to make a very suggestive comment, but Harry glared at him, cutting him off.
"Well, glad to see that at least one of the Weasley's doesn't solely own clothes suited for the homeless." Draco said instead.
"Thank you?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly noticing Ron.
"RONALD! Can you not even say hello to your one and only sister?" She grinned widely, hugging him tightly.
"Hey, Gin. Good job today…you know, with the announcing." Ron said drolly.
"Wow, Ron, contain your enthusiasm. I mean, I know it's been ages, but you're embarrassing me." Ginny said sarcastically.
"Sorry, Gin. It's great to see you." Ron said, finally smiling a genuine smile at his little sister.
"That's better." She grinned back, as they reached the bar.
"I'm not sure we'll be too welcome here. France did just lose after all. They're probably all drowning their sorrows." Draco pointed out.
"What are you, afraid of them?" Harry looked at him, laughing slightly.
"Oh, Harry, you're making me feel so inadequate." Draco clutched his chest dramatically, pushing the black glass double doors open.
Luckily, the rest of the British team was already there with nary a French player in sight. Harry's team was all ordering drinks from a rather displeased looking and obviously French bartender.
Eric waved them all over to a booth, and they sat down.
"I ordered practically everything-I figured it was on your tab, so why not?" He grinned at Harry, bringing over a tray of assorted drinks.
"Go crazy. I'm proud of all of you- it's time to celebrate." Harry shrugged, taking a Firewhiskey shot.
"Shouldn't you not be here? Not good for your campaign?" Ron looked over at Hermione, his words spiteful.
"Thank you for your brilliant political advice." Hermione glared at him.
She took a Firewhiskey shot as well and choked it down. She had never been much of a drinker, but being around Ron made her practically crave alcohol. It burned all the way down, and she clinked it down on the table hard, taking a deep breath.
It would the first of many drinks for Hermione that night.
----
A/N- Please review!
Reunion
Chapter Two
----
"I hate that."
"What?"
"Awkward silences."
-Uma Thurman and John Travolta, "Pulp Fiction"
----
"Brilliant game everyone! Let's all meet at Nox for a round-on me!" Harry finished his post-victory speech in the locker room, to rousing cheers and back-thumping of all his players.
Harry went and showered, coming out to see Draco still getting dressed in a black button down and slacks with an insanely expensive looking leather jacket.
"Wow, Malfoy. Big pimping." Harry said, grinning as he got dressed as well in his nicer night clothes to go out and celebrate.
"Great save tonight, Potter." Draco said absently, slapping on cologne.
"Thanks. You really had my back out there on that last play. I know I always say you're just a Beater to get out your sexual frustrations, but all kidding aside, you're quite good at it." Harry said, laughing.
"Hey-I have absolutely no frustrations, Potter, believe me." Draco said, offended.
"Are you and Ginny still…"
"I don't really know- she says she just wants to be friends, but sends some…er…confusing signals, you might say."
"Hey, Draco?"
"Yeah?"
"Please don't mention anything about you and Gin to Ron. I honestly think his head would explode if he found out." Harry implored him.
"Since when do I care what Ron thinks?"
"Just-tonight's supposed to be fun for everybody. Even people you don't like. I know that's a difficult concept for you to grasp-" Harry spoke slowly, as if addressing a young child.
"I won't say anything." Draco sighed.
"Thank you."
----
Ron waited outside the locker room for Harry, night falling on the emptying Quidditch pitch. Britain had won an astounding victory, especially for an away game.
He suddenly heard her approaching, footsteps crunching in the slightly damp grass. It had been a foggy, misty day and was evolving into quite a dreary night.
"Hello." She said, not looking at him as she stood on the other side of the locker room door.
"I supposes it's kind of difficult to have joyous photo ops when your team loses." Ron said somewhat smugly.
"You suppose correctly." She said icily.
"Hey, Hermione?"
"Yes?" She finally looked at him, appearing disinterested.
"Can we call a truce? Just for tonight- be civil to each other, for Harry's sake?"
"You think that will just solve all our problems, don't you? Put on a little show for Harry, and all the old feelings will just come rushing back, and everything will be like it was?"
"No, of course I don't think that."
"Glad to see some of your naïveté is fading."
Ron rolled his eyes, crossing over to her angrily.
"Look, Hermione, I'm not quite sure what you want me to apologize for here! I'm sorry for not wanting you to go? I'm sorry that you choosing your career over me made everything fall apart between us?"
"I was not the only one culpable for everything falling apart." She looked up at him.
"Bullsh! Everything was perfect with us before you decided to go to France!"
"Nothing's ever perfect, Ron! We were not the perfect couple everyone thought we were, you know that as well as I do. Yes, I loved you then. And I know that you loved me. But every time you even mentioned a future together, you just seemed to assume I'd give up everything for you! I worked too hard at Hogwarts to just throw it all away!"
"Maybe that's because you never would tell me WHAT you wanted, so I just had to fill in the blanks!"
"Well, if we're really so perfect for each other, I can't believe you didn't understand why I wanted to do this so badly!"
"Then tell me why! Why is this bloody job and bleeding France so damn important to you?" Ron was now fully shouting.
"Because, Ron, I was running away from my undying love for you!" Draco said in a high falsetto voice, suddenly bursting into their little scene.
Harry came out behind him, looking between his two red-faced best friends doing what they did best-fighting.
"Why don't you two just save this little soap opera for after drinks, when you're both nice and knackered. I'm sure things will go much better." Draco winked suggestively at Hermione, ushering them forward.
"Hello, Draco." Hermione blinked. She hadn't seen him in five years face-to-face, and it was rather odd to see him palling around and playing Quidditch with Harry.
"Hello yourself. Heard about your nomination, you little go-getter." Draco hit her on the arm, still sounding rather patronizing as they all walked towards the bar, Nox, which was across the street.
"Draco, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Ron looked at him with thinly disguised hatred.
"While that was a very cutting remark, Weasel, I think I'll stay with you guys. Because 1) It's quite fun to annoy the two of you, and 2) because I was invited by your dear old Harry here."
Ron looked over at Harry with befuddlement.
"We're teammates now." Harry shrugged.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a confused glance, and then caught themselves, angrily looking away.
"Hey, you crazy kids." Ginny appeared out of nowhere, falling into step with them.
"Where'd you apparate from?" Draco looked at her, a little startled.
"The little girl's room. I had to change for drinks." She indicated her rather revealing black dress.
Draco was about to make a very suggestive comment, but Harry glared at him, cutting him off.
"Well, glad to see that at least one of the Weasley's doesn't solely own clothes suited for the homeless." Draco said instead.
"Thank you?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly noticing Ron.
"RONALD! Can you not even say hello to your one and only sister?" She grinned widely, hugging him tightly.
"Hey, Gin. Good job today…you know, with the announcing." Ron said drolly.
"Wow, Ron, contain your enthusiasm. I mean, I know it's been ages, but you're embarrassing me." Ginny said sarcastically.
"Sorry, Gin. It's great to see you." Ron said, finally smiling a genuine smile at his little sister.
"That's better." She grinned back, as they reached the bar.
"I'm not sure we'll be too welcome here. France did just lose after all. They're probably all drowning their sorrows." Draco pointed out.
"What are you, afraid of them?" Harry looked at him, laughing slightly.
"Oh, Harry, you're making me feel so inadequate." Draco clutched his chest dramatically, pushing the black glass double doors open.
Luckily, the rest of the British team was already there with nary a French player in sight. Harry's team was all ordering drinks from a rather displeased looking and obviously French bartender.
Eric waved them all over to a booth, and they sat down.
"I ordered practically everything-I figured it was on your tab, so why not?" He grinned at Harry, bringing over a tray of assorted drinks.
"Go crazy. I'm proud of all of you- it's time to celebrate." Harry shrugged, taking a Firewhiskey shot.
"Shouldn't you not be here? Not good for your campaign?" Ron looked over at Hermione, his words spiteful.
"Thank you for your brilliant political advice." Hermione glared at him.
She took a Firewhiskey shot as well and choked it down. She had never been much of a drinker, but being around Ron made her practically crave alcohol. It burned all the way down, and she clinked it down on the table hard, taking a deep breath.
It would the first of many drinks for Hermione that night.
----
A/N- Please review!