Chapter 23
Harry smiled as he watched Ron and Draco talking. They both looked so happy – as if neither of them were forcing their friendship at all. They laughed quite a bit when they were together now.
"It's great, isn't it?" Hermione asked from behind him. "Them getting along. I thought Ron would never come around. Now they're practically best friends."
"Funny how things turn out," Harry muttered. "You know, three years ago, I would've thought someone insane if they told me all this would happen. Now I can hardly remember a time before Draco and I."
"I know how you feel." Hermione sat down next to him and sighed. She looked distracted.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.
"No," she said quickly. "Well... not really. It's just.... Oh, never mind. You wouldn't know what to do either."
Harry stared at his best friend. "Hermione, what are you going on about? I'd be glad to help you with anything, you know that."
"Well.... It's about relationships."
"May I remind you that I'm married now!" Harry laughed. "I think I might know a bit."
"But this is different. I mean, you and Draco hated each other before you two started dating, so the change was even easier.... But with Ron—"
She stopped abruptly and bit her lip.
"Hermione...." Harry's eyes were wide. "Say that again."
Hermione stared at the ground for a long moment, her cheeks tinted pink. "Alright! I like Ron!" she nearly shouted. "I have for years! And I was so scared of telling him.... And I was okay with that, until you and Draco got engaged. Then it just got harder to keep to myself." She paused. She noticed the happy shine in Harry's eyes. "God, Harry, please don't tell him!"
"Hey, what're we talking about?"
Hermione glanced up, and her eyes went wide and her pink cheeks blushed a deep red. Harry bit back a laugh.
"Nothing, Ron," Harry replied. "Just... relationships."
"Not about me, I hope," said Draco, grinning.
"Not quite," Hermione murmured under her breath.
Harry stood up. "Draco and I have an announcement to make." Ginny, Dean, Fred and George, who were sitting in the back of the room, talking, all moved forward and sat at the kitchen table. They all stared at Draco and Harry with high interest. "Er – we're getting our own house!"
"And we want you lot to help us pick one out!" Draco added happily.
"Wow – are you guys serious?" Dean asked. He sounded astounded.
"Of course they are!" Fred chimed in. "Who wouldn't want us to help buy a house?" He grinned. "Especially the Weasley Twins."
"Eh, maybe we can do without you two," Draco teased.
The kitchen door opened and Seamus and Neville strolled in. They took off their coats and tossed them on the table before also taking their seats.
"Hey, you guys made it," Harry smiled. "I thought you weren't gonna be here?"
"Well, the interviews at the Daily Prophet were quick," Seamus explained. "Only a few quick questions and we were done. So you tell them yet?"
"Yep," Harry nodded.
"Why are you being interviewed at the Daily Prophet?" George asked.
"We're getting jobs there," Neville replied. "Or, I hope we are."
"We talked about it yesterday and we thought it would be best to have someone working there, too, so we can get our hands on any news before anyone else can," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Common sense, really. I'm surprised we didn't have anyone working there before."
Draco took a deep breath as he walked out onto the Quidditch pitch. He hadn't gone flying all summer, and now he wish he had. He was so nervous – he didn't want to make a fool of himself in from of the entire team of Puddlemere United.
"Draco Malfoy!" someone called. Draco looked up at the stands, where the team was sitting. He only person he recognized was Oliver Wood. The team captain signaled for him to come to them.
"Before you start flying, we have a few questions for you," a brunette girl said, pulling her long, straight hair back into a ponytail.
"Alright," Draco said nervously.
"How long have you been flying?" the captain asked, flipping through a jumble of papers.
"Since I was seven years old," Draco replied. Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I played on the Slytherin Quidditch team as Seeker for six years."
"Just out of curiosity, how many times did you win the Quidditch Cup while you were Seeker?" Oliver asked, smirking slightly.
"Er – twice." Draco's heart was pounding. He wanted this spot so bad, and he didn't want Wood to mess it up for him.
A girl with dull red hair elbowed Oliver in the rib. "Don't be rude," she hissed harshly.
"And have you flown much this summer?" the captain asked.
Draco almost kicked himself. "No – I've been trying to fit in time, but the summer right after school is... busy."
"Anyone who belongs on this team will make time for practice," Oliver muttered.
Draco ignored him.
"Alright," the captain sighed. "Let's see what you've got." He pulled a large wooden crate from under the bench he was sitting on and the entire team ran down to the pitch. "This will just be like a normal game. We'll have our reserves playing against us. If we win, you have a pretty damn good chance at getting onto the team – but no one's won yet," Oliver explained, somewhat reluctant. "And Malfoy, don't try anything. I know all your little tricks, and we aren't falling for them."
Draco nodded. He knew Oliver didn't like him, so he didn't want to give him any more reason to hate him.
After only half an hour of an easy game, Draco caught the Snitch. It was impossible to believe that he was the first one to catch it – it had been even easier than playing against the Hufflepuffs.
Most of the team seemed impressed. They shook Draco's hand and told him they'd be in touch soon, before shoeing him off the field so the next interview could be prepared.
As Draco walked back to the locker rooms, wondering whether he'd get the position or not, Someone ran up behind him. "Malfoy."
He turned around to see Oliver smiling weakly at him.
"You were good out there. I guess I never noticed how well you played before." Oliver grinned sheepishly. It was unlike him. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was being a jerk. And I know you don't deserve it. I think you'd be good on the team – you need a bit of work, you'd fit in."
"Thanks." Draco was shocked. He couldn't believe that Oliver was apologizing to him – after all the mean things Draco had done.
"And, I know we didn't used to get along, but let's put that in the past. After all, we are going to be playing on the same team.... I can't say it officially yet, but welcome to Puddlemere United."
Draco could hardly breathe. "Thanks," he muttered again as Oliver shook his hand.
"Eh – Quimby – the captain – will send you an owl as soon as it's official. I have to get back to the team, we have another applicant coming in a few minutes." He ran back to the pitch, the turned around and shouted, "Tell Harry I said congratulations on the wedding!"
Draco stood there for a moment, staring out at the pitch, amazed. He was now the Seeker of the number one Quidditch team in England. He couldn't wait to tell Harry the good news.
A/N: Woot! I did it! Alright, so, I'm proud of Dray, he's gonna be famous :D. And I have plans.... Big plans.... Mwahaha. Just wait, you'll see.
I'm gonna get started on the next chapter soon, but not right now because, well, I don't really feel like it right now. So it should be out soon, but I still have a tiny bit of writer's block, and it might start getting worse, so we'll see.
One thing that I want to explain really quickly:
Venilia – the whole point of the prologue was that it WAS supposed to be confusing. You aren't supposed to know what's going on inside Draco's head just yet, because he was so hard to understand that no one knows. Just thought I'd toss that out there for you.
TTFN, Deathdragon4
P.S. Just thought I'd tell you all that my public diary is because I write all the reasons I don't update there, if I have writer's block etc. Just if you're interested, go check it out Thumbsup!
Harry smiled as he watched Ron and Draco talking. They both looked so happy – as if neither of them were forcing their friendship at all. They laughed quite a bit when they were together now.
"It's great, isn't it?" Hermione asked from behind him. "Them getting along. I thought Ron would never come around. Now they're practically best friends."
"Funny how things turn out," Harry muttered. "You know, three years ago, I would've thought someone insane if they told me all this would happen. Now I can hardly remember a time before Draco and I."
"I know how you feel." Hermione sat down next to him and sighed. She looked distracted.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.
"No," she said quickly. "Well... not really. It's just.... Oh, never mind. You wouldn't know what to do either."
Harry stared at his best friend. "Hermione, what are you going on about? I'd be glad to help you with anything, you know that."
"Well.... It's about relationships."
"May I remind you that I'm married now!" Harry laughed. "I think I might know a bit."
"But this is different. I mean, you and Draco hated each other before you two started dating, so the change was even easier.... But with Ron—"
She stopped abruptly and bit her lip.
"Hermione...." Harry's eyes were wide. "Say that again."
Hermione stared at the ground for a long moment, her cheeks tinted pink. "Alright! I like Ron!" she nearly shouted. "I have for years! And I was so scared of telling him.... And I was okay with that, until you and Draco got engaged. Then it just got harder to keep to myself." She paused. She noticed the happy shine in Harry's eyes. "God, Harry, please don't tell him!"
"Hey, what're we talking about?"
Hermione glanced up, and her eyes went wide and her pink cheeks blushed a deep red. Harry bit back a laugh.
"Nothing, Ron," Harry replied. "Just... relationships."
"Not about me, I hope," said Draco, grinning.
"Not quite," Hermione murmured under her breath.
Harry stood up. "Draco and I have an announcement to make." Ginny, Dean, Fred and George, who were sitting in the back of the room, talking, all moved forward and sat at the kitchen table. They all stared at Draco and Harry with high interest. "Er – we're getting our own house!"
"And we want you lot to help us pick one out!" Draco added happily.
"Wow – are you guys serious?" Dean asked. He sounded astounded.
"Of course they are!" Fred chimed in. "Who wouldn't want us to help buy a house?" He grinned. "Especially the Weasley Twins."
"Eh, maybe we can do without you two," Draco teased.
The kitchen door opened and Seamus and Neville strolled in. They took off their coats and tossed them on the table before also taking their seats.
"Hey, you guys made it," Harry smiled. "I thought you weren't gonna be here?"
"Well, the interviews at the Daily Prophet were quick," Seamus explained. "Only a few quick questions and we were done. So you tell them yet?"
"Yep," Harry nodded.
"Why are you being interviewed at the Daily Prophet?" George asked.
"We're getting jobs there," Neville replied. "Or, I hope we are."
"We talked about it yesterday and we thought it would be best to have someone working there, too, so we can get our hands on any news before anyone else can," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Common sense, really. I'm surprised we didn't have anyone working there before."
Draco took a deep breath as he walked out onto the Quidditch pitch. He hadn't gone flying all summer, and now he wish he had. He was so nervous – he didn't want to make a fool of himself in from of the entire team of Puddlemere United.
"Draco Malfoy!" someone called. Draco looked up at the stands, where the team was sitting. He only person he recognized was Oliver Wood. The team captain signaled for him to come to them.
"Before you start flying, we have a few questions for you," a brunette girl said, pulling her long, straight hair back into a ponytail.
"Alright," Draco said nervously.
"How long have you been flying?" the captain asked, flipping through a jumble of papers.
"Since I was seven years old," Draco replied. Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I played on the Slytherin Quidditch team as Seeker for six years."
"Just out of curiosity, how many times did you win the Quidditch Cup while you were Seeker?" Oliver asked, smirking slightly.
"Er – twice." Draco's heart was pounding. He wanted this spot so bad, and he didn't want Wood to mess it up for him.
A girl with dull red hair elbowed Oliver in the rib. "Don't be rude," she hissed harshly.
"And have you flown much this summer?" the captain asked.
Draco almost kicked himself. "No – I've been trying to fit in time, but the summer right after school is... busy."
"Anyone who belongs on this team will make time for practice," Oliver muttered.
Draco ignored him.
"Alright," the captain sighed. "Let's see what you've got." He pulled a large wooden crate from under the bench he was sitting on and the entire team ran down to the pitch. "This will just be like a normal game. We'll have our reserves playing against us. If we win, you have a pretty damn good chance at getting onto the team – but no one's won yet," Oliver explained, somewhat reluctant. "And Malfoy, don't try anything. I know all your little tricks, and we aren't falling for them."
Draco nodded. He knew Oliver didn't like him, so he didn't want to give him any more reason to hate him.
After only half an hour of an easy game, Draco caught the Snitch. It was impossible to believe that he was the first one to catch it – it had been even easier than playing against the Hufflepuffs.
Most of the team seemed impressed. They shook Draco's hand and told him they'd be in touch soon, before shoeing him off the field so the next interview could be prepared.
As Draco walked back to the locker rooms, wondering whether he'd get the position or not, Someone ran up behind him. "Malfoy."
He turned around to see Oliver smiling weakly at him.
"You were good out there. I guess I never noticed how well you played before." Oliver grinned sheepishly. It was unlike him. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was being a jerk. And I know you don't deserve it. I think you'd be good on the team – you need a bit of work, you'd fit in."
"Thanks." Draco was shocked. He couldn't believe that Oliver was apologizing to him – after all the mean things Draco had done.
"And, I know we didn't used to get along, but let's put that in the past. After all, we are going to be playing on the same team.... I can't say it officially yet, but welcome to Puddlemere United."
Draco could hardly breathe. "Thanks," he muttered again as Oliver shook his hand.
"Eh – Quimby – the captain – will send you an owl as soon as it's official. I have to get back to the team, we have another applicant coming in a few minutes." He ran back to the pitch, the turned around and shouted, "Tell Harry I said congratulations on the wedding!"
Draco stood there for a moment, staring out at the pitch, amazed. He was now the Seeker of the number one Quidditch team in England. He couldn't wait to tell Harry the good news.
A/N: Woot! I did it! Alright, so, I'm proud of Dray, he's gonna be famous :D. And I have plans.... Big plans.... Mwahaha. Just wait, you'll see.
I'm gonna get started on the next chapter soon, but not right now because, well, I don't really feel like it right now. So it should be out soon, but I still have a tiny bit of writer's block, and it might start getting worse, so we'll see.
One thing that I want to explain really quickly:
Venilia – the whole point of the prologue was that it WAS supposed to be confusing. You aren't supposed to know what's going on inside Draco's head just yet, because he was so hard to understand that no one knows. Just thought I'd toss that out there for you.
TTFN, Deathdragon4
P.S. Just thought I'd tell you all that my public diary is because I write all the reasons I don't update there, if I have writer's block etc. Just if you're interested, go check it out Thumbsup!