2005
Harry potter kicked his broomstick as hard as he could, the protective spells around the relatively thin piece of wood jarring his foot horribly, he dropped the one end he was holding, letting it fall silently in to the muddy, trodden grass.
He stamped on the brush end now, dirt caking the delicate looking twigs which were under the same damn spell as the rest of the thing. The intricate gold lettering on the side of the broom was lost in a grey puddle as the whole thing flipped over from the force of the boys last stamp.
He kicked it weakly one last time before he sat down, right in the middle of the waterlogged field, his head in his muddy hands, the rain that he hadn't noticed falling dripping down the back of his neck and in to his robes.
He didn't understand how they could have done this to him, kept this from him.
Even as he thought this he knew it was jealousy motivating him, Ron and Hermione had had a secret, a big secret and they hadn't shared it with him.
They had cared about each other; still did care in Ron's case more than they ever could about him.
He lay back, not caring that his hair was going to be matted with mud, letting the rain fall on his overheated face were it mixed with his angry, humiliated tears.
The worst thing was that he hadn't noticed, was he that wrapped up in him self that he didn't even notice such a change in the dynamic of his friend's relationship; his relationship?
Maybe he was being crazy, maybe he'd just been inattentive.
Maybe if he'd payed them the attention they deserved, not been so self obsessed…but he had liked her like that, at least had thought he did, as it was almost inevitable he would someday-being so close to her, loving her in the platonic way…He had confided in Ron and Ron had told him it would pass, it was a crush, his mind playing tricks, a temporary infatuation because he couldn't distinguish between love and friendship. Not in those words of course but that had been the sentiment.
They couldn't have been together then; that was more than six months ago-had Ron been in love with her then? Had he not thought about it?
Maybe that had triggered it, turned him hypocritical and given him an infatuation.
Harry supposed he would never know, Ron was hardly going to tell him and he sure as hell wouldn't be asking. He closed his eyes, lying there on the quiditch field alone in the middle of a rather hearty April shower was doing little to cheer him up and was leaving way to much room for thought but he didn't want to move.
Ginny
Ginny glanced out of the changing rooms window, it would probably be okay to make a run for it now, she half regretted her decision to slip, literally due to the state of her shoes, in here to escape the rain as she had dashed across the quiditch field close to an hour ago. Some fool had been zipping around above her despite the storm and she had half expected who ever it was to join her and relieve her boredom but she had had no such luck, the only living thing she had seen since entering the changing room was a spider she had decided was called Malick. She watched him now as he scuttled along the window sill and waved a half hearted good bye.
"im off to get my hair wet again now malick, take care, don't let a cat or a first year pull your legs off will you?"
the spider didn't respond and she sighed
"no, you wouldn't would you, being a spider"
she said out loud
"maybe ill come and visit someday"
and she was out of the door, vainly pulling her jumper over her head to protect her already slightly frizzy hair.
She squinted, was it the rain and crap eyesight or was there someone lying in the middle of the field?
Harry sat up as soon as he felt ginny's hand on his shoulder, she had given him a fright, he'd thought he was alone out here.
"are you okay?"
she hauled him to his feet, she had muscle for such a tiny person.
He nodded them seemed to change his mind.
"it's complicated"
Ginny nodded back, her jumper fallen back to her shoulders, her hair sticking to her face, neck and back.
"you didn't crash or anything then? Didn't think you ever crashed"
Harry smiled slightly, bending to pick up his very muddied broom
"nope, doesn't happen often"
she smiled back up at him, he was a head and shoulders taller than her and about twice as broad as the tiny girl, she took the broomstick from him and he took one end back
"what are you doing?"
she raised her eyebrows
"im carrying it for you Einstein, you look terrible"
Harry snorted
"well, thanks a bunch queen Victoria"
Ginny looked slightly bemused
"queen who?"
He chuckled softly, his mud streaked face loosening up.
"it doesn't matter. What does matter is me proving to you I'm a big strong man who can carry both"…
he yanked the wooden handle out of her hand and held it firmly in one of his own
"my broomstick"…
with his free arm he scooped her up, heaving her over his shoulder as if he were a fireman or she were a sack of potatoes.
"and you, all the way back to the common room"
she laughed and hit his back
"put me down potter"
"nuhu"
he hit the back of her legs lightly with the broom handle
"not until you tell me im a big strong man"
she laughed again, still hitting him although not half as hard as she could have.
"im going to have to carry you then, all the way back to the common room, to show you I can"
"oh yeah?"
ginny squirmed
"that's a bet is it?"