A/N: Yes, I just did the most unlikely thing ever. I UPDATED! everybody dies . Anyway, big thanks to miffi for kicking me and telling me to get this story finished. I know I've lost probably all of my readers except for her, but I just hate how I left this to die, so close to the end. There shall be one more chapter after this, I shall write it faster than last time ;;;

The Perfectionist

By Mykerinos

Chapter Eighteen: Merry-Go-Round

Hermione felt her heart leap, and they ran down the castle as fast as their legs could.

"Good luck, Hermione!" Ginny called as she took the entrance to the tribune. "Squeeze Snape in his arm for me, all right?"

"Thanks, I will," Hermione could hear herself mutter, though it didn't completely sounded like her own voice. Nerves were starting to take control.

Focus, Hermione, she told her self. You can do it. Left, right, spin... turn, left, right, then... what was next again? A creepy chill slid up her back as she entered the large ridge tent that had been set up for the contestants.

"Where have you been?" an infuriated Severus Snape asked. "You are exactly twenty-two minutes and 17 seconds too late. Explain yourself!"

Hermione looked down and yelped. "I'm sorry, sir, I... overslept..."

Snorting disapprovingly, he pushed a heap of clothes into her arms. "Put this on. What, you didn't think you were going to fly in those robes? You can change over there," he pointed at a spot at the corner. On the floor was a blue star, magically swirling around.

Hermione stared at her professor in absolute shock, her cheeks turning red. She was not going to change in front of everyone! For the first time she noticed how crowded the ridge tent was. She saw lots of familiar faces; Draco Malfoy, the Creevey brothers, Cho Chang, Seamus, and some others.

When she spotted Harry, he waved at her, and she waved back, still feeling a little at loss. "Don't worry, Hermione," he smiled, referring to the spot in the corner. "it's a changing star, I tried it too!"

Hermione looked again, and finally recognised the shape and way of swirling of the star. Of course! She had read about it, but Snape words had confused her too much to remember. She stepped on the star with both feet, and as her second feet touched the blue-ness, she felt herself spinning insanely. Fortunately, it only lasted two seconds, and she opened her eyes again, noticing how she was now holding her robes in her hands, and wearing those Snape had given her. They were all black, and made of something so soft she couldn't remember what it was. When she walked, it felt as if she was gliding.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that the end of her robes smoothly faded over into some sort of grey-ish smoke. She gasped, looking up at Snape. "What is this?" she asked.

Snape almost looked bored compared to Hermione. "Robes. I put a spell on them. Now sit down before you spoil it for everyone already," He gestured his hand to a small wooden bench on which they sat down. Then a man walked into the ridge tent. "Cho Chang and Kevin Entwhistle!" he called, and Cho and another boy stood up, following the man out. A few more moments, and the contest would begin.

They heard another man, obviously the host, welcome the audience, and he talked about how Quidditch had always been amazing, and what an honour it was to be the host of such a spectacle. It all just flew past Hermione, who was biting her nails and couldn't think of anything else than the contest and her chance of failing miserably.

Her head shot up at Snape. "Sir, can't we practice just one more time?" she asked.

Snape turned his head slowly, frowning. "Right. Do you know a place big enough to do that without being seen?"

Hermione glared. How could he be so calm, when she doubted she had ever been so nervous in her entire life? She had to get a grip on herself, she realized.

Moments passed, music started, 'ooohh!'s and 'ahhhhs!'s could be heard from the audience, and finally there was the applause, indicating it had ended. The first couple had done it.

The second couple, Harry and Alicia Spinnet, was next. Hermione shakily wished them luck, and the entire thing repeated itself again – only with slightly more applause and lots of flashing of magical cameras.

Realizing she had barely any nails left, Hermione stopped biting. Everything was going to be fine!

More minutes passed, though they seemed like hours to Hermione, and all the while Snape was still sitting there, deadly calm like nothing was the matter. He hadn't said anything since her comment, and had barely moved. Hermione, on the other hand, was constantly humming nervous songs, and couldn't sit still. She wasn't the only one; other contestants were doing the same, walking up and down the room, sighing, going to the bathroom once more.

To Hermione it was the most horrible thing; the waiting never seemed to end, and with every minute that passed she grew more impatient, and more insecure.

"Hermione Granger and Severus Snape!" a voice then called, and Hermione snapped her head up, glancing up at Snape who stood up and began to walk over, the end of his robes, too, seeming to dissolve into smoke as he walked. Hermione quickly followed.

"When the host calls out your names, you step forward and the music will start," the man said and then left again, and the two of them waited as the music of the other couple came to an end. Hermione's legs were shaking, and she couldn't keep her hands still. She hadn't felt so scared ever before.

"Sir," she finally said, her voice trembling. "Sir, I don't think I can do this,"

He ignored her. Hermione grabbed his arm, begging him to look at her. "Sir!"

Then he turned his head, his cold, dark eyes meeting her desperate ones. "I hope you're not saying that all those training times were in vain." He handed her her broom.

"Give them a great applause: Hermione Granger and Severus Snape!"

Hermione then got pulled forward, and had to face hundreds of people, shouting, cheering, appplauding, singing. Hundreds of eyes looking at her; they were starting to dance in front of her eyes, making her all dizzy. The experience was overwhelming, and it took her a few moments to recover. Her nervousness changed into something completely else: a determination to show all those people what she could do.

Walking over to her place, she realized for the first time that she could do it. Snape was right: they had trained so hard for this moment, she couldn't ruin it. She wouldn't.

The music started; Hermione knew it by heart. It began slowly, in which they steadily took off, both on another side of the field. As the music accelerated, they accelerated too, flying higher and higher, until the music stopped, and they stopped too, hanging in the mid-air, their eyes meeting.

Then, when some instruments continued to play where they left off, they both turned, circling down like an eagle around its prey, then up again, making backflips on their way, using the air like it was their playground. As they flew right next to each other, doing double flips simulateously, Hermione couldn't suppress a smile. People were applauding for them, cheering for them. It felt great – being in the air together, as a team.

When Hermione jumped off of her broom and landed on Snape's with both feet, holding on to his shoulders, she knew the end of the song was drawing near, and so was the performance reaching its climax.

As Snape made an wide looping, Hermione prepared for the most difficult part: letting herself fall down in the middle of the looping, only to land on the broom again. Hermione was used to being in control – but this was something completely relying on Snape. If he didn't arrive soon enough – if he made even the slightest mistake, she'd crushs into the ground.... okay, it was better not to think of that now.

Closing her eyes, and trusting Snape completely, she let go of the broom, feeling herself soar down, falling, falling further. Nobody was breathing-- Hermione could only hear the rustling of the wind in her ears, and she counted – one, two....

The audience burst out in enormous applause as Hermione landed in Snape's arms, the broom lowering a little.

Flying back to the ground, Hermione felt as happy as she could be.

They had done it! They had done it perfectly well! As soon as she placed her feet back on earth again, she could no longer help herself; throwing herself around an astonished Snape's neck, she squealed "We did it! We did it!"

"Er, yes, I am aware of that, Miss Granger." Snape said, struggling for breath.

"Oh, sorry!" Hermione blushed, and quickly let go as they walked back to the ridge tent. "Can you believe we did it?! Everything went perfect; even the final part! Did you see how they were cheering for us?"

"Don't be so happy alright, we didn't win anything yet." Snape replied, his voice a little annoyed.

"Who cares if we won or not? It was great just doing that! Why are you so fixed on winning this contest?" Hermione asked, frowning.

Snape muttered something under his breath, and Hermione just let it rest for the time being. They had done it perfectly, and there was nothing in the world that could take that away from her.