Chapter Ten: Investigating Incidents

Quidditch practice was right before dinner. "Hey, Harry!" said a cheerful, American voice. Riley McCain was the American transfer student.

"Hey, Riley. Did practice go well last week?" Harry asked, pulling out his Firebolt. She nodded, enthusiastically.

"Oh, yes! Ron helped get me to slow down. I rush things a bit, you know?" Harry nodded.

"Hey, Riley?"

"Mmmhmm?" she said, flying little figure eights around Harry.

"Are you, by any chance, related to Oliver Wood?" She nodded, grinning.

"He's my second cousin. He got me into Quidditch. You don't get a lot of Quidditch in America, you know. But Oliver got me hooked."

"I noticed..." Harry muttered.

Practice began. Since Harry had missed last practice, Ron took over for a while. He explained some defensive maneuvers to the Beaters, and everyone took off to put them into action.

Harry wasn't paying much attention. He was normally supposed to be surveying their practice and looking for the Snitch. But after a highly stressful week, Harry just let Ron handle things, and he simply browsed for the Snitch. As he was doing a lazy loop around the goalposts, though, his heart stopped as a familiar yell sounded.

"RON!" everyone cried. Apparently, the defensive maneuvers hadn't gone as planned. Ron had had to pull a sloth roll to dodge a flying Bludger, but he'd lost his gripping. He was plummeting toward the ground.

Without a second thought, Harry dived, urging his Firebolt to go as fast as it possibly could. He swooped underneath Ron and pulled up, holding out his arms just in time to catch Ron's gangly figure.

"Ohmygosh!" Ron gasped. He had never fallen from a broom before, not at that height. His eyes were wide, and his knuckles were white, because he was clutching Harry's robes so tightly. With a sigh of relief, Ron buried his face in Harry chest, giggling, madly.

That was absolutely terrifying," Ron said, giggling at the adrenaline rush. Harry didn't answer. He was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. Ron's breath was tickling his neck. Applause and whoops brought him out of his moment of bliss.

The rest of the team were cheering. "No wonder he was named Seeker!" Riley cheered. Harry blushed, and set Ron gently down. Ron was shaking, slightly, but he was still grinning like mad.

Jack Sloper, the Beater who had hit the Bludger, landed next to Ron and began profusely apologizing, practically on his knees. Harry shouted, "That's enough for today," and headed for the locker room.

"Hey, Harry!" He turned and saw Riley right behind him. She was grinning, mischievously.

"Uh-huh?" She smiled, and dragged him inside the locker room so they wouldn't be overhead. She sat him down on the bench and stood in front of him, hands on her hips, a wide grin on her face as she surveyed him. Then she squatted down in front of him, looking up at him.

"You like Ron, don't you?" she whispered, conspiratorially. Harry blinked.

"What?" he asked, picking up a water bottle.

"Ron! You like him!" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah...I mean, he's only been my best friend since I was eleven...Riley, what're you on—"

"No, no, no. I mean you like him. As in, you feel for him? You're warm for his form? You want his body?" Harry choked on his water.

"What!" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't even try to hide it. It's so obvious!" Harry coughed, slightly, and grinned down at Riley. Well, he was going to have to explain it anyways. He might as well have some fun with it.

"No, Riley...I love with Ron. I've loved him since I first set eyes on that freckled face," Harry said, mellow dramatically. Riley's face lit up, and she clapped her hands. He lowered his voice to a conspiratorially whisper, much like the one Riley had used earlier. "I'm going to propose to him tonight!" Her eyes widened, and so did her smile.

"So he likes you too?" Harry shook his head.

"Oh, no. He doesn't even know I like him! But my love for him has the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns, so I just have to marry him!" Riley looked like she was beginning to regret bringing it up.

"Well, Harry...Maybe you're rushing it a bit...I mean, if you just go up to Ron and propose to him, you're going to give him a heart attack!"

"You're proposing to me!"

Riley and Harry both looked up simultaneously, to see a white-faced Ron. Riley looked horrified for Harry, but Harry was laughing.

"My god! I didn't know it was that serious!" Ron gasped, hurrying over.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron! I'm not proposing to you!" Harry said between snickers.

"But you just said..." Riley began. Harry looked guiltily up at her.

"Well, actually, you see, I am in love with Ron, but only because of—You can't tell anyone this—a love potion. I'm not really in love with Ron," Harry chuckled. Ron began laughing, too. Riley stared from Ron to Harry, then muttered, "Dirty trick, Potter..." But there was, oddly enough, less resentment than Harry had expected. She left the locker room with a secretive smile on her face.

Harry looked at Ron, a slow grin spreading on his face. "Did you see..."

"...the look on her FACE!"