A/N: As you read this, you might be wondering, why Tammara has such a large room… well, for one thing, she's an only child, and for another, she's got great parents… LOL…
Anyway, here's chapter 8… (gosh, they seem to flow, don't they?)
Later on, when Tammara, Hermione, and Harry were seated, near a window, on bright beanbag chairs in a loft above Tammara's room, conversation broke out again.
"So, what's Hogwarts like?" Tammara asked.
"It's a castle, somewhere in England, and it's hundreds of years old." Hermione said.
"There are 4 houses," Harry continued, "And those are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
"So, are you three, you know, you, Harry, and Ron all in one house?"
"Yup." Harry and Hermione answered.
"We're in Gryffindor." Harry said. "Symbolized by a lion."
"The house is named after Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts." That came from Hermione.
"We've had our share of House Cups and Quidditch cups too." Harry, of course, said proudly.
"House and WHAT cups?"
"Quidditch cups." They both replied.
Tammara's expression was enough to tell them that she had no idea what they were talking about.
"You explain, Harry." Hermione said. "I'll just end up confusing us both!"
"Ok, Tammara… how do I explain this? You know what bubble wands are, right?" Harry asked.
Tammara nodded.
"And you know what basketball is, right?" still from Harry.
"Yeah, but what do bubble wands have to do with basketball?"
"No, just listen, Tammara. Quidditch is a sport played on broomsticks. It's like this: there are 7 players in each team: 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters, 1 Keeper, and a Seeker. Harry is the Gryffindor Seeker." That was Hermione.
"Now, the 3 Chasers are in charge of this big red ball called a 'Quaffle'. It's their job to shoot the Quaffle into these hoops perched on poles, that look like giant bubble wands, about 50 feet from the ground, to score. Rather like basketball…" Harry explained.
"So it's kinda like playing basketball on a broomstick?"
"Technically. But it isn't as easy as it sounds. That's where the Bludgers and Beaters come in."
"The what?"
"The Bludgers," Harry repeated, "which look like black bowling balls, except without the holes."
Tammara and Hermione laughed at Harry's choice of words.
"Anyway, Tammara, like I was saying…" Harry ploughed on after nudging Hermione playfully. "Bludgers try to knock people off their brooms."
"Isn't that dangerous, at that altitude?"
"Very dangerous. But it just adds to the thrill!"
"You think everything just adds to the thrill, Harry!" Hermione cut in.
"Wait, wait, so, let me get this straight. Chasers throw this big red ball, called the Quaffle, into 50-foot-high hoops, and Bludgers rocket around trying to knock people off their brooms… am I right?"
"That's exactly it, Tammara."
"Ok, I get that part. So you were saying something about 'Beaters'? Or something like that?"
"Yeah. There are 2 Beaters in a team. They each carry a bat, rather like a baseball bat, only smaller, and it's their job to keep the Bludgers away from their team by hitting them toward members of the opposite team." Harry stopped to breathe.
"Did that make any sense at all, by the way? Coz now I'm all winded…"
They laughed, and Harry continued to explain the different roles and rules in Quidditch.
After a while, there was another knock on the door.
"Come in, mum!" Tammara called.
Sure enough, the door opened and Jeanne came in, walking to the bottom of the loft's ladder.
"Tammara, honey, it's lunch time. I'm sure that you three can continue chatting up a storm after lunch… but before that, everybody down, and let's eat."
"Coming mum!" Tammara called as she started climbing down the ladder. "Come on, you two." She said to Hermione and Harry, who looked, at each other.
"You coming?" Tammara asked, already halfway down the ladder.
Harry looked at Hermione, and Hermione looked at Harry.
"Who cares, Hermione? She won't mind…" Harry said.
"I'm not too sure, Harry… she might fall off the ladder or something… That would be too much for one day…" Hermione sighed.
"Fine, let's wait until she's at the bottom of the ladder then…"
From the bottom of the ladder, Tammara's voice floated up. "What are you two fussing about? If you wanted to make out, just say so, you know, instead of leaving someone hanging…"
Harry and Hermione burst out laughing, but blushed just the same.
"No, Tammara, we do not want to make out, but thanks for caring." Harry smiled down at her.
"But Harry here wants to do something else, and you might, well, let's just say that you might hurt yourself." Hermione looked accusingly at Harry.
"Is this more magic? I reckon that I might as well get used to it, as long as it doesn't involve me getting turned into anything… So, fire away, Harry."
They beamed at her from above.
"Are you two coming or not?" Tammara teased. "You're slower than Meowiana on a summer day!"
"Coming!" Harry said in reply, and with a POP, landed next to where Tammara was standing.
Tammara yelped and jumped backward, just as Hermione appeared, next to Harry, with a frown.
"So sorry to have scared you, Tammara." Harry said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"It's all good, but you could have dropped a few hints first, if you get my point… Gosh, I feel like I just had a heart attack!"
Hermione punched Harry playfully in the arm. "I told you she'd freak!"
"Oh, come on, you two." Tammara said, grinning as well, and grabbing both their hands. "We'd better get down to lunch, or mum will have my head. Then you can explain what just happened."
After lunch, Hermione and Harry were alone in the living room, since the adults had gone into Mark's study to talk, and Tammara had gone up to her room for a while.
"Harry, what did you just think?"
"Hermione, I though you promised to read my mind only when I asked you to."
"I can't help it that it kicks in unheeded. I don't have a say in that. So, what did you just think about Tammara?"
Harry sighed. "You must have your own ideas about her."
Hermione glared at him. "Harry James Evans Potter! Would you please stop avoiding the question!"
Harry cringed. "How do you always manage to make my full name sound so incriminating?"
Hermione didn't answer, only drummed her fingers on the armchair, in an 'I'm Waiting' gesture.
"Fine, fine." Harry gave in. "It's just that she has something in her eyes, you know… Not only the color, even though you must admit, it's not often you see blue eyes that certain shade. What's it called again?"
"" I don't know what it is. She seems really nice and all, but her eyes are glassy, almost like she's sick or something…"
Hermione was surprised. Harry had never ever noticed that much about a girl before. She doubted that he even knew that much about Ginny, and he had known her since their second year, when he had saved her life.
"Harry, don't you think that it might just be shock? This day has been pretty traumatic for her, you know."
"I've seen people in shock, 'Mione, and Tammara is definitely not in shock. I don't know why or how… but I feel a connection to her, something strong…" (A/N: he doesn't feel this romantically, but he feels a certain bond with her…) "It's almost like I know what she's feeling, like I know how Voldemort feels…"
"Maybe it has something to do with the prophecy?"
Harry sighed and rested his head in his hands. "I don't know, Hermione, I don't know."
A/N: is this shorter than usual? I'm sorry if it is, but I'll try and update soon, if it helps…
Now here's a bit of my own magic: click the purple button, say a few words, wait a day or two, and suddenly a new chapter will just show up! Isn't that cool? Try it now!
LOL…
TaMi