A/N: I know, I haven't posted in, like, FOREVER. I am sooo sorry. The field hockey season started, and I'm way behind on the story. I promise to really keep writing (I'm on Ch. 20 now!) and have Jess edit everything fast, so that I can stay on track and post sooner next time. I hope you like this; it's mostly fluff.

Chapter 12: The Different Shades of Pink

On the way down to the locker rooms Alexis and Ginny fell behind Ron and Harry, giving them time to discuss everything that had been said earlier. The duo walked silently for several minutes until Harry finally spoke.

"Look," he said to Ron. "I know you really care about Hermione, but that doesn't give you a reason to blow up like you did back there."

"She was seriously hurt, man! You could have just- just said that-"

Harry glared at Ron.

"Okay. Fine. Look, I'm sorry. I should have kept my cool," Ron apologized.

Harry sighed. "Alright. Just- just don't do it again."

Then there was a few moments' silence, which Ron worked up his courage to break.

"So.." Ron began nervously. "Did she mention me at all? While you were outside?"

Harry looked at Ron for several seconds, racking his brain. Suddenly he remembered what Hermione had said, both praise and critisism. "Yeah. She might have said something." He smiled slightly when he remembered what Hermione had said about Ron's hair.

"Tell me what she said." Ron looked pleadingly into Harry's face.

Harry grinned harder.

"Tell me."

Harry took in a breath and told half the truth. "She said that you were 'adorable.' She likes your hair. But-"

"Really?" Ron's face broke out in a smile. He looked like he could jump up and down. "She really said that about me?"

"Yeah, but-"

Ron let out a whoop, jumping into the air. "Harry, do you know what this means?" The read-head was jubilant.

"No, but- she-"

"She really feels the same way!" Ron grinned and pushed open the door to the locker rooms, walking in ahead of Harry. "She really does care!" Harry followed, silently reminding himself that next time he should hand out the bad new first.

There were several moments of quiet as the group out on their arm and shin guards and took goggles out of their pockets. A thought suddenly snagged in Harry's mind, brining a moment of alarm.

"Hey," he looked up as he tied his shoe. "Does anyone know where my broom is?"

Everyone looked up at Harry, his or her expressions of surprise mingled with sudden recognition.

"I don't know Harry. We didn't think about that.." Ron looked nervous. "There isn't really a way it could have broken or anything, is there?"

Alexis agreed. "Firebolts do not just go and crack in half." Harry felt somewhat reassured. They would look for it once they got outside.

Ten minutes later the four friends emerged from the locker rooms hauling cones, flags and different shaped balls, having also put on all their arm and shin guards. Harry had changed out his quidditch robes as well, for they were consequently very wet- and slightly bloody. He wore a spare pair of quidditch pants, topped with the usual Hogwarts uniform; a white t-shirt with button-up shirt over top.

Once the group reached the Quidditch pitch the three other team members, Katie Bell, Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper, greeted them. Katie Bell was a seventh year and played chaser. Andrew and Jack were fifth years; the team's beaters.

"Harry!" Katie Bell raced towards the foursome. She was carrying two brooms. "Is this yours? I found it under the bleachers." A wave of relief washed over Harry as he accepted his Firebolt. It must have gone right through a gap between the seats. It was perfectly intact and looked as functional as ever.

As the seven levitated flags and cones into the air for drills, they talked about the people who were going to try out.

"I haven't heard of anyone who's coming to tryouts," Alexis said as she flipped her head upside down to put her hair in a ponytail.

Ginny grinned. "Let's just hope that we're the only people trying out Alexis, that would make it really easy to become part of the team."

Katie Bell laughed at this. "Are you any good Alexis? We've already seen Ginny play, so we know she's a pretty good flier."

Ron came over and joined the group that was talking. "Alexis has played for the New York state team. That means she's pretty good. Right?" Alexis flushed pink at this praise. Harry, Andrew and Jack walked over after levitating the last flag into the air.

"Whether she's any good or not all depends on if New York state was good or not. A bit pretty for a quidditch player, aren't you?" Jack said, teasing.

"Hey! Who said that- that- well- that pretty girls can't do sports?" Alexis turned grinned she answered, realizing that the younger boy had been flirting with her. She gave Jack a light shove when he winked. "But I guess that we'll have to see- now won't we." She turned and walked, trying to keep herself from laughing. When she reached Ginny the two girls whispered amongst themselves, each grinning madly.

"Look, here come some people!" Andrew Kirke changed the focus when he pointed back towards the castle. A group of four students was emerging around the side of the bleachers at the entrance to the pitch. All four of them carried broomsticks and they were already dressed in their guards. As soon as they neared, the younger students began introducing themselves.

"Natalie McDonald," a pretty blonde wearing hoop earrings presented herself to Harry, her manicured fingers tickling Harry as she lightly shook his hand. "This is my friend Emma Dobbs. We wanted to try out together."

"Hi," Emma Dobbs said breathily. "We're both in fourth year. I love your shirt, Harry, by the way. It looks wonderful with your eyes." Harry's button up shirt, which he had rolled to the elbows, was white, and it was the school uniform. Andrew Kirke was wearing the same exact thing.

"Er-" Harry didn't know what to say. "Thanks-"

Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry as the two girls departed and emitted shrieks at each other, interlocking fingers and jumping up and down. Alexis sniggered from somewhere a little to Harry's left where she stood with Ginny and Katie Bell. Harry tried to ignore her laughter and the fourth years' hysterical fit. He turned to the third tryout, which turned out to be a third year named Evan Fink.

"We wanted to try out because sports put so much good behind your name. You know, like how the ladies seem to like you so much better once you become the star of the show. I see you already have multiple ladies." Evan jerked his head towards Natalie and Emma, who were both trying to get over their fits. Alexis, Ginny and Katie were now all bent in half with silent laughter at Harry's horrified expression. Harry silently prayed that the next person would seem like they really liked the sport, but Steve Mottson ended up being just as pinheaded as Evan, and it turned out they had agreed to come to tryouts together, and for the same reason.

"So," Steve said, "what do we do on our path to become famous?"

Harry looked the four new tryouts over for several seconds before he answered. "Let me talk to the rest of the team for a sec, okay? We'll start in about a minute." At his words the two boys walked away towards Emma and Natalie. Katie Bell, Ron, Andrew and Jack came over to Harry, looking astounded.

"Is that the best we got?" Ron said; his expression disgusted. Harry pulled the five team-members into a huddle. "Chaser is the most popular spot on the team." Ron continued. "We should have gotten better results."

"This is a joke," Katie Bell commented, looking deeply worried. "None of them really want to be playing badly."

"Well," Harry said, looking forlorn. "We have Alexis and Ginny. I've never seen Alexis fly yet but it seems like she loves the sport and Ginny, well, she was an excellent seeker." Everyone grinned.

"Look," Andrew spoke up. "We could just go out there and give them all a try, I mean, how bad could they possibly be?"

"Bad." Ron made a face.

Harry sighed and swiped his bangs out of his eyes.

"Yeah, we should probably just continue tryouts, to give them all a try, like you said Andrew."

Andrew beamed.

"Proud to be of help, Captain!" He saluted Harry. "Oh. And call me Andy."

Harry grinned.

"I planned for the tryouts to take about three hours, but I guess we'll have to stop for lunch since everything was delayed."

"Good." Katie Bell was enthusiastic. "We can eat lunch with them and get to know them better."

Harry smiled at her.

"Okay! 'Gryffindor' on three! One, two, three!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The five-team members screamed as loud as they could, getting the attention of the six others.

"Lets get started," Harry called to everyone, clapping his hands and picking up his broom. "The first thing I want everyone to do is get in a line behind that cone on the ground, everyone carrying his or her brooms!"

The next two hours everything ran smoothly. Though Alexis and Ginny were, as predicted, the only ones that could really fly, the drills Harry had set up were working very well to show off the multiple weaknesses of the four other tryouts. It was obvious that Alexis was a very good flier, like they had thought. She was able to dip, swerve and roll with the greatest speed and agility. She took the fastest route through cones and flags, coming close enough to barely brush them as she whizzed past on her nimbus. When she threw the quaffle it soared through the air at such speeds that Harry himself wondered if he had that much arm-strength. Ginny was putting on a great show as well, having practiced during the summer. Natalie, Emma, Evan and Steve were having a hard time keeping up with the other two, Natalie crying out shrilly when she broke a manicured nail trying to catch the quaffle, and Evan totally losing his head at Emma when she threw him a bad pass. At 12:45, when everyone was taking a quick water break Harry noticed two figures approaching their side of the pitch. Each one was levitating a large package in front of them as they smiled and waved.

Harry elbowed Ron and pointed at the two students.

"Look! Hermione's coming down to the pitch!" Harry told the others.

Ron grinned as he looked up, but his face fell instantly with a groan.

"She's brought Luna as well."

Just then one of the figures gave a shout.

"We've brought food!"

Alexis gave a yell from somewhere towards Harry's right.

"Food! Glorious food!" She ran off towards the approaching girls with her arms spread wide and a huge grin on her face. "Let me at it!" Hermione slowed once Alexis met up with her so that they could talk while Alexis munched on one of the three-dozen sandwiches were piled on the platter in front of her. On the contrary, Luna sped up when she caught a glimpse of Ron, who was now trying very hard to hide himself behind a much shorter Harry.

"Ronald!" Luna called out, waving as she skipped towards the rest of them, trailed by several pitchers of pumpkin juice and a stack of fifteen or so cups.

"Don't let her see me. I'm not here. I'm invisible." Ron refused to show his face as he cowered behind Harry, his ears as red as his hair.

"You're much to old for hide-and-seek Ronald." Luna trotted around Harry, one of her pitchers almost hitting the black-haired boy in the face. She put her fists on her hips and looked at Ron, who quickly straitened, looking embarrassed.

"Hullo Luna." Ron turned beet red and avoided the eyes of the quidditch players, which were all boring into his head.

"Hello Ronald!" Luna smiled brightly and threw her arms around his neck, wand waving madly. A pitcher clunked Ron on the back of the head and the older boy almost fell over into Luna, but the girl didn't seem to mind.

"I've missed you, you know," she said, ignoring the pitchers. Ron politely unfastened her hands from behind his head and put them down at her sides, forcing a smile.

"Why don't we eat?"

They gathered in clumps on the grass just as Alexis and Hermione arrived with the sandwiches.

"There's chicken salad, tuna salad, turkey, cheese and BLT." Hermione smiled around at them. "I met Luna on my way downstairs and we decided to bring everything together."

"You shouldn't have invited her to come." Ron hissed in Hermione's ear as he helped himself to two chicken salad sandwiches and a cup of juice. "This is going to make the rest of tryouts miserable."

Hermione frowned.

"She isn't actually as horrible as you think," she said, her expression morphing into a teasing smile. "I love to see you get all embarrassed about her." She took a tuna and sat on a blanket she had lain out next to Harry.

Harry smiled at her when she sat down.

"So, everything's okay?" He helped himself to a BLT. "I'm really- I'm really sorry, you know.."

"Harry! For God's sake!" Hermione smacked him on the shoulder. "I was the stupid one. And I'm fine."

"Alright." Harry grinned and played with the grass at his feet.

"Oh- and I saw this on the coffee table in the common room-" Hermione pulled Harry's camera- the one that she had given him- out of her bag. "I thought that you might want it to take pictures of the tryouts." She handed it to Harry, who smiled and thanked her, having not though of the idea, but finding it a good one once it had been introduced to him.

"She's very creative." Alexis said, still on the topic of Luna. She was eating her second cheese sandwich, sitting on the other half of Hermione's blanket. Luna was talking to the fourth-year girls a hundred or so feet away.

"I love those earrings, actually," Alexis continued. "If I had any money, I'd buy all the wacky earrings in the world and wear a different pair every day. My sister could never afford to give me pocket money for things like that though."

There was a moment of silence.

"But really." Ron wouldn't back down. "Pink teapots? As earrings?"

"I love pink."

"You hate pink."

"How would you know?" Alexis exclaimed. Harry and Hermione grinned.

"You said just three days ago," Ron accused, "that when you were nine you vomited up strawberry waffle for three hours and you wouldn't go near the color after that."

"That was a different shade of pink."

"Oh yeah? There is only one shade of pink. Pink, pink, and pink. They're all the same."

"Ron, just because you're color-blind doesn't mean we all are."

"This is between myself and Alexis, so don't interrupt Hermione. So anyway, pink is one color. If it gets darker you get red, and the only thing lighter is white. That's all."

"Light pink, rose, petal pink, hot pink, magenta, soft pink, baby pink, bright pink-"

"Magenta isn't pink."

"If I hear to word 'pink' one more time I will explode."

"Should I make Hermione explode Harry? Should I say 'ping-'"?

"Be quiet Ron!"

"You're no fun Hermione."

"I'm going for another sandwich."

"I'll come too Alexis."

"You just ate four sandwiches in under three minutes Ron. Sit."

"She's had two, plus I didn't eat the crusts on mine, so she ate just as much as I did."

"Then eat your crusts. They're the best part."

"I don't like crusts. Maybe you do but-"

"Quit whining."

"Hey Alexis!"

"Yeah Harry!"

"While you're over there can you get me a cheese one?"

"Sure!"

"I said the whole crust Ron."

"It isn't fair; Harry's getting another sandwich."

"This is only my second. –Thanks Alexis- Wow; these are good."

"Can I have half of your sandwich Alexis?"

"No."

"I'll be your friend if you give me a fourth of it."

"You know what Ron?"

"I'll listen if you give me some of the sandwich."

"No way."

"Fine. What? Oh, these crusts are disgusting."

"Good boy Ron. You can have another sandwich if you just finish the other three."

"Shut it Hermione."

"Anyway. We'll go to go to Hogsmeade together tomorrow, and I'm going to buy a pink jumper. It'll be bright pink and fluffy, just to prove to you that I'll wear something pink. And then, guess what I'll do?"

"What?"

"I'll go and ask Luna if I can borrow her earrings."

"I'll never talk to you again if you do that."

"Okay, who cares, just be quiet 'cause here she comes now."

Ron gave a yelp of surprise at Harry's words and dropped his remaining crusts onto the grass.

"Hello again Ronald, and Harry, Hermione and.. I don't believe that we've met."

Ron swore under his breath as Luna approached Alexis.

"I'm Alexis Garcia. I transferred from New York's Academy at the start of the year."

Ron swore again, which got him a hard elbow in the ribs form Hermione.

"Luna Lovegood." The girl with the pink earrings smiled. "Did you know that there are minchents in New York City?"

Alexis looked confused. "What are minchents?" Harry sniggered as Hermione looked exasperatedly at the clouds. Ron groaned and buried his face in his knees.

"Minchents are mutant chipmunks that create clouds when they breathe. That's why there's always smog over big cities!"

"That's pure rubbish."

"You never agree with anything I have to say, Hermione."

"That's because it isn't really- well- true."

"I think that minchents sound pretty interesting, even though it is probably the machinery that creates the pollution."

"Thank you Alexis." Luna smiled as Ron buried his face deeper into his knees. "Oh, and by the way, I love that name, Alexis, I think I'll name one of my children that. And of course I'll name one Hermione, after you... it'll be the one who doesn't seem to believe in anything." Luna went on, not noticing Hermione's expression of disbelief. "And I'll have a Harry, and a Vincent, and an Alison."

There was a moment of silence in which Hermione sat fuming and Alexis glowed happily.

"How many children are you going to have!" Harry asked, slightly hesitant.

"As many as possible, but definitely over ten." Everyone else had to hide their grins at this.

"Who with?" Ron asked jokingly, trying to keep from cracking up. Luna stared, mildly surprised and ever so slightly hurt.

"With you, of course, Ronald. I thought that you knew." Ron looked dumbfounded as his ears turned slowly redder and redder, followed by his face. Alexis looked suddenly horrorstruck, and Hermione snorted into her sandwich, keeling over sideways behind Harry to hide her face.

"That- that's wonderful Luna." Harry said though tight lips, trying to ignore Hermione, who was laughing into his back.

"Thank you Harry. I'm glad that you approve." The blonde girl smiled and turned, going over to talk to the two fourth-year girls once more.

The four stared at each other when Luna was out of earshot, everyone except Ron wearing a tremendous smile. Hermione recovered from behind Harry, sitting up and attempting to remove the grass from her hair. She flushed as she tried to hide her smile.

"That was a photographic moment." Harry said, grinning down at the camera that he held in his lap.

"Don't you dare-" Ron threatened.

"I already took a picture." He grinned. "Just when your ears reached their peek- redness."

"Bloody Hell Harry!" Ron yelled at the top of his lungs, just as Alexis and Hermione burst out laughing, both spraying food all over the grass. Harry snapped a picture of Hermione, then one of Alexis, but he missed the latter when Hermione jumped on top of him.

"Harry! I thought I told you not to take pictures of me ages ago!" She tried to take the camera from her friend. "I hate it when people take pictures of me!"

"Too bad- I already did." He laughed, taking another picture of her as she sat on top of him, trying to grab the camera.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. "I told you not to-"

"Okay! Maybe we should get tryouts started up again what do you guys think?" Harry laughed as he rolled out from underneath Hermione. The brunette grabbed the camera from him and tried to find a way to delete the previous pictures.

"You can't do that- there's no erase button." Harry chuckled, taking the device back from a huffy friend.

"I can't believe you-" Hermione said, Alexis just grinned and Ron watched the two of them, an odd look on his face.

"Has everyone finished eating?" Harry asked the whole group.

Several cries of 'yeah' and 'thanks, whoever brought the sandwiches' came over in his direction.

"Okay! Lets get back to where we were. We're going to do some short scrimmages for the next hour, to see how individuals work in team form. The first thing we're going to do is divide into teams."

"Luna and I will be right over there, okay?" Hermione gave Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder, walking away and then returning, quickly grabbing the camera smiling wickedly at him.

"I'll be photographer," she added in a whisper.

"There isn't an erase button!" Harry called after her, grinning. "Believe me!"

Hermione turned her head slightly and screwed up her expression at him. "I'll find a way."

With this she and Luna walked over to the stands, Luna carrying the empty tray and pitcher.

"Bye Hermione!" Ron waved franticly. Hermione laughed and waved back. Luna laughed hysterically, as she was known to, and waved back with both hands once she put down the tray and pitcher. At this Ron turned beet red and stared at his feet.

The eleven quidditch-players formed 2 teams of five, Harry not playing, but hovering in the middle of the field as referee. They were five person teams with a keeper, one beater and three chasers, no seeker. When Harry said that they would choose teams by captain's choice, Jack Sloper and Ron quickly called the spots of captain. Ron, probably out of will to make Hermione, who could hear the whole conversation, impressed, said that Jack could have first pick. Jack, without thinking, picked Katie Bell. As second choice, Ron quickly chose Ginny and Alexis. (He could pick two since he was second captain.) Then Jack selected Steve to be his chaser, telling a very forlorn Andrew Kirke that he needed to pick offence, since he himself would be the team's beater and he'd probably put Katie in goal. Next, Ron chose Andrew, who gave Jack a sneer and happily joined the redhead's team. In the end, Jack ended up with Emma and Natalie as chasers while Ron took Evan to be his third offensive player.

"Great," Harry said. "This means all the tryouts will get to play the positions they want." He smiled and quickly explained that they would divide the last hour of tryouts into two, thirty-minute games and that he would use that time to score each of the tryouts and see how they worked in a team situation. Once everyone was set in his or her positions, Harry freed one of the bludgers and threw the quaffle up into the air, where Alexis quickly intercepted it.

"Go Alexis!" Harry heard Hermione scream from the stands. He looked back and saw both Luna and his friend jumping up and down. He chortled to himself and looked back at his clipboard, where he had already scribbled 'Alexis: Excellent interception.' Alexis quickly passed to Ginny, who cheered at the excellent pass and quickly tossed it to Evan, who dropped the ball. Natalie, who was right under Evan, gave a shriek as the quaffle plummeted towards her face. She buried her head in her manicured hands and the ball bounced off her back. Alexis caught it again as Steve began pelting Natalie with insults about how 'crummy' she had acted.

Alexis soared, nothing in her way, towards the goal as Emma Dobbs raced to comfort her friend. She artfully dodged a bludger and sent the quaffle wide to Katie Bell's left, where it when right through the center of the far hoop.

"Darn it," Katie looked disappointed at missing the save.

"That's alright." Alexis caught the ball as it fell through the other side of the hoop. "It's your first time keeping right?"

"Yeah." Katie smiled as Alexis zoomed away with the quaffle, passing to Ginny who quickly came back at the goalposts. This time Katie saved it and did a magnificent punt halfway down the field, but the quaffle was once again dropped by her teammates and caught by Andrew Kirke, the beater. He gave it a hard whack with his bat and it went flying back towards Alexis.

The games continued like this, steadily getting worse as the losing team got moodier, until it was finally time to end the second game. Harry and his friends walked to the Locker Rooms in a scrambled line, tiered with their shirts sticking to their backs. Hermione approached Harry and Ron and pushed in-between the two.

"That was very well organized, Harry. Here's the camera."

"I'm glad to have your approval." Harry took the camera from his friend. "Did you find a way to erase the pictures?" He grinned as Hermione screwed up her face.

"I'm going to destroy them once they develop."

"So. Do you think Ginny and I made the team?" Alexis walked up on Harry's side of the trio and looked at the team captain expectantly. Some short ends had fallen out of her ponytail and they were sticking to her sweaty face. "Say yes."

"I can't tell you yet, Alexis." Harry knew he had already decided but the rest of the team needed to vote to make it official. "Everyone's going to vote tonight at dinner." Alexis jokingly stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine!" She said sarcastically. "I didn't want to walk with you and Ron anyway. You smell." She stalked off and joined Andrew and Jack, for the latter quickly pulled her into their group.

"Do we really?" Ron looked puzzled.

Harry frowned. "Of course we have to vote Ron..."

"No, I mean, do we really smell?"