Harry was currently jogging down the great staircase that led to the entrance hall. He knew Daphne hated tardiness, but Angelina had been pushing them hard, and the fact that today was a Hogsmeade visit day didn't deter her in the slightest.
Ravenclaw had played Hufflepuff defeating them handily 450-240. Gryffindor would play the Claws next week and a win would all but secure the cup for them due to the Slytherin suspension. Harry had been hoping for a slight reprieve this year now that Wood was with Puddlemore and far away from Hogwarts, but Angelina was just as bad as their old captain, if not worse.
By the time practice had finished Harry was already almost late. He had run to the dormitory, showered, and dressed in five minutes, and was currently tightening the strap on the watch Daphne had gifted him, as he took the last few steps two at a time.
Daphne was leaning against the stone wall near the large oak doors that served as the entrance to the ancient castle, and Harry was blown away once more by just how beautiful she was. She was wearing a blue jumper and black coat to stave off the cold of early February and on top of her head she wore a knit cap, but her hair fell out in waves from underneath it.
Harry saw her look up at him and he sent her his most winning smile, but she just rolled her eyes and scowled. "You're late Potter." She said in a clipped tone of voice.
"I promise I wanted to make it on time, but Angelina had us stay longer with the match next week." He told her in lieu of an apology.
"Boys and their quidditch." She muttered under her breath but took his hand in her own, their mittens making it clunkier than usual.
They made their way to the doors where Filch was waiting. He asked for their names and patted them down, before sending them on their way with a suspicious glance, muttering underneath his breath.
"You would think that he wouldn't mind us taking the contraband out of the castle." Harry said amusedly and Daphne chuckled as they began the short walk to one of the carriages that would take them to the edge of Hogsmeade.
A light snow started to fall as they rode, and Harry absentmindedly thought that today was as cold as any of the year so far. Practice this morning had been miserable and even with a warming charm and his thick winter quidditch robes, he was unable to feel his face and extremities by the end of it.
The thought of the practice chilled him all over again and he leaned into Daphne to share in her warmth. She was pretending to still be annoyed at him for being late, or at least Harry thought she was pretending, but she leaned into his embrace nonetheless, and allowed him to wrap his arms around her.
Sitting there and holding her, Harry was once again blown away by how easy it was to be with Daphne. Living with his aunt and uncle had been difficult and Hogwarts had proved to have just as many deadly challenges as it did mundane ones, which meant Harry was used to things going wrong. Even his friendships with Ron and Hermione had been tested throughout the years and despite the hurt and frustration he had felt in the moment, those challenges ultimately led to a stronger bond.
With Daphne it was simple and straightforward and wonderfully different. She treated him as an equal and made her expectations clear. She took her share of the blame if things didn't go well, and she held him accountable when he made mistakes. The friendship they had fallen into throughout the year had seemed effortless and the relationship had been much the same, even more so in some regards.
It still surprised Harry just how quickly and easily he had fallen for Daphne. That thought caused him to pause. Fallen. He considered for a moment the word his subconscious had so casually thrown out. Harry had of course heard all of the cliches about falling in love and what it felt like, but he had never allowed himself to think that he would ever get to experience it himself.
Truth be told he didn't really know if what he felt even was love, Harry didn't have much to base it off after all. He used to be jealous when the Dursley's would tell Dudley how much they loved him, but over time he had stopped expecting to hear those words from them. He was sure that his parents must have told him that they loved him at some point, but he couldn't remember that far back.
His thoughts flowed back to Daphne as she sighed in his arms. Harry didn't know what it was he felt for her, he couldn't explain it or describe it. He just knew that she made him happy and when he was with her everything else felt like maybe it didn't matter so much. He would try to show her just how much she meant to him today.
The carriage lurched to a stop and Harry gave his pocket a quick pat ensuring he hadn't lost his pouch on the way over to Hogsmeade. He had talked with Sirius the week prior about what he should and shouldn't do on a date while they were there, and Sirius had given him plenty of ideas. He wasn't sure just how great the advice was, but his godfather had claimed that he had gone on quite a few successful dates to the old village in his time.
He had then sent Harry a pouchful of galleons and a note with explicit instructions to not allow Daphne to pay for anything and to make sure she had a good time. Harry had every intention to follow those instructions. He stood and climbed out of the carriage holding his hand out so Daphne could more easily make her way out.
She flashed a smile at him, and Harry took her right hand in his left, running his other hand along the thestral that had brought them and muttering a quick thank you to the skeletal horse that had been visible to him since the beginning of the year. Daphne shot him a confused look but said nothing as they began walking the aged, cobbled streets.
Ambient magic kept the ice off of the walkways and fought off most of the chill, but Harry still had to adjust his scarf after a few minutes because his nose was going numb. He looked at Daphne who wasn't faring much better.
"Come on." He told her after a moment, guiding her to the end of the main street they were on.
"Where are we going?" She replied but followed him without hesitation.
"Honeydukes. I have it on good authority the chocolate I got you for your birthday didn't last very long, and Mr. Flume serves hot chocolate when it's cold out." He told her and Daphne perked up. "I don't know about you, but I could definitely use something warm."
Daphne nodded her head and a few moments later they entered the old wooden building. Harry was immediately engulfed by the warmth of the shop and the smell of chocolate. He pulled his scarf down slightly and let go of Daphne's hand so he could rub some feeling back into his own.
Daphne followed suit and made her way to the same aisle she had found Harry in a few months ago. She immediately grabbed a few bars of her favorite chocolates and other assorted sweets. Harry walked around replenishing his own stock, before procuring two hot chocolates, enjoying the warmth that they provided as he searched for his girlfriend.
He found her and handed her a cup, taking her own chocolates and sweets to hold for her. She sent him another smile and took a long slow drink. The froth at the top of the cup clung to her lips and Harry couldn't help himself as he gave her a quick kiss.
She swatted at him but kissed him back a moment later after he took a sip of his own. They finished their drinks a few minutes later enjoying each other's company, before Harry paid for their goods, waving off Daphne's protestations. The snow had slowed somewhat, and they made their regular rounds around the village, replenishing their supplies and buying other odds and ends, before meeting with Tracey for lunch at the three broomsticks.
Harry was surprised to find her sitting with Neville, but it looked like the two of them were getting on well. Once Harry and Daphne were comfortable, they all ordered a meal and ate together, sharing a light banter back and forth for a bit. Tracey was busy teasing Neville about being a foolish Gryffindor when Harry reminded her that she would be wearing Gryffindor colors in a weeks' time.
"I was hoping you would forget about that." She replied with a scowl and Harry laughed.
"Wait, why is she going to wear Gryffindor colors?" Neville asked after a moment and before Tracey could give a snarky reply Harry spoke up.
"Her friend Owen is making her." Daphne smirked next to him, and Tracey groaned, explaining their previous bet to Neville and Harry's "Very stupid Owen joke."
Neville laughed. "Nice one Harry! Although I have to say I'm scared for your safety wearing Gryffindor colors in the Slytherin section, even if they're not playing."
"That's a good point actually." Tracey said, considering his words. "We could probably get away with it if boy wonder didn't put his head in the path of a bludger at his last match, but with the suspension they might not take it so well."
Daphne glared at Tracey and Harry could tell she was close to saying something to her childhood best friend before Neville's voice rang out. "You could sit with us." He blurted, his face coloring immediately as he looked away.
It was silent for a moment as they considered it. "That's actually not a bad idea." Harry agreed, breaking the brief reprieve in conversation. "Hermione sits with Neville now that both Ron and I are on the team, so the two of you could sit with her."
Daphne gave him a considering look. "What about all the other lions?"
"Oh, they wouldn't mind." Neville said more confidently now that his idea hadn't been outright rejected. "Everyone knows that you and Harry are together, and Harry's got to be the most popular person in our house. They'll be kind to you by extension." He said confidently and Harry felt his cheeks color slightly at the praise.
"He's not wrong. About them not minding I mean." Harry said after a moment. "They might not trust you, but they trust me."
"It would solve our issue, at least until the match is over." Daphne said to Tracey who shrugged.
"As long as I sit next to Neville, and you sit with Hermione." Tracey replied and Neville flushed red once more. "I could hardly stand sitting with Daphne while you fly because she spends the entire time worrying. Something tells me Granger is the same way."
Harry laughed at what was an understatement. He knew throughout the years from Ron that she spent most of the match squeezing onto his hand and muttering about the stupidity of quidditch. He agreed and Tracey nodded as if she had been expecting it.
"What about Astoria?" Harry asked after a moment.
"I'll extend the invitation, but she'll likely choose to sit with her friends in the Slytherin section." Daphne replied.
"Well, now that that's settled, how about another wager?" Harry said looking directly at Tracey who had been taking a sip of her butterbeer. Her eyes immediately lit up and she put her glass down quickly.
"What did you have in mind?" She answered enthusiastically.
Harry shrugged. "You're the one with the sadistic ideas, why don't you come up with something?"
Tracey thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not willing to bet on you guys losing." She said after a moment. "Your chaser line is better than theirs and even though you're a terrible seeker, Cho is somehow worse."
Harry noticed Daphne nodding in agreement and rolled his eyes. "How about we bet on how long it takes you to catch the snitch instead?"
Harry considered the idea and nodded. "The average match length is 4-5 hours." He told her in response. If you really think I'm so bad how much time are you willing to give me?"
He saw Tracey consider for a moment. "Well since everyone seems to think you're spectacular you get less time. We'll call it three hours?"
Harry thought for a moment. This bet was a lot less sure than their previous bet, especially if the snow continued into next week. "I'm considering it, what are your terms?"
"If you catch it after the three hours are up, I get to organize a photoshoot of you in your quidditch robes with the creepy little Gryffindor's that have a crush on you… and I get to make a calendar out of it that I can sell."
Harry was taken back by the creativity of her request and realized she must have been planning this for a while. He shuddered at the thought of spending an afternoon with the Creevey brothers photographing him and again at the thought of who might want a calendar.
He was about to deny the conditions when Tracey looked up at him. "Come on now Potter, are you scared?"
He scoffed in reply. "Of course not, but when I catch the snitch before the three-hour mark, you'll have to wear Gryffindor colors to our next match, and to the DA meetings for a month, and Colin gets to take a picture of you and put it in his Gryffindor weekly newsletter."
Tracey narrowed her eyes. "Okay deal."
Harry had been hoping she would disagree so he could disagree as well, but he reluctantly shook her hand attempting to appear confident.
"Are you getting in on this Daphne?" Tracey asked after a moment and Daphne shook her head emphatically.
"Oh, no. I'm not getting dragged down with you again." Daphne told her.
"You're no fun." Tracey pouted and Harry nodded his agreement enthusiastically.
"How about this," she said looking directly at Harry. "If you catch the snitch before the two-hour mark I'll give you a kiss, but if you catch it after, then you have to kiss me."
"That's a stupid bet! You're going to kiss him anyway." Tracey replied sullenly.
"Do I need to remind you that it's your fault we can't sit next to our own house at this match?"
"Exactly! Those were real stakes!" She exclaimed back.
Harry shook his head but held out his hand. "You have yourself a deal Ms. Greengrass. Winner gets a kiss."
Daphne rolled her eyes but shook his hand anyway. "You're an idiot." She said under her breath, but her smile told Harry everything he needed to know.
Daphne watched as Tracey adjusted her collar for the umpteenth time that morning. They had been getting glares since they had come down from their dormitory because of their outfits, but Tracey was handling it much worse than Daphne had thought she would.
Daphne thought that her discomfort might have something to do with who's jersey it was that she was wearing. The whole school knew that she and Harry were dating, or at the least suspected it, so her wearing the jersey Harry had gifted her for her birthday wasn't the biggest deal.
Tracey wearing a Ron Weasley jersey however, seemed to be something else entirely. Her best friend had waited too long to get a jersey and all of the Chaser's were sold out when she went to visit the twins. She had grumbled and complained before she asked for a Potter jersey instead, only to be informed that those had sold out before the chasers had.
Finally, she had asked for either of the twins' jerseys, but they gave her a smile that Daphne could only describe as evil and informed her that they were out of those as well, before telling her that they did have a Ron Weasley jersey left.
With no other options Tracey had bought it and in the fifteen minutes they had spent in the great hall thus far, no less than 10 students had asked her if she and Ron were dating. Daphne felt bad for her friend, but also couldn't help but be extremely amused at how her bet had backfired. She hoped for Tracey's sake that Harry would take over the allotted three hours to catch the snitch because she wasn't sure her friend could hack a month of DA meetings and the next match.
The door to the hall opened and Daphne watched as the entire Gryffindor quidditch team strutted in together. Harry's eyes sought her out like they usually did when he came in after her for breakfast and she sent him a small smile when he finally locked onto her.
He smiled back and then Daphne saw him laugh as he saw Tracey sulking in crimson and gold. Tracey must have felt his eyes because she looked up and glared at him, sending him a two fingered salute which only made him laugh harder.
"I swear if he weren't your bloody boyfriend, I'd hex him." She whispered angrily to Daphne.
Daphne raised an eyebrow and Tracey flushed. "Obviously when his back is turned." She added and Daphne laughed.
"Eat your breakfast." Daphne commanded her. "If you're going to be right on this bet, then we won't be back until late."
Tracey frowned but had another forkful of eggs. The hall was decidedly less red today than the last time Gryffindor played because the majority of Ravenclaw's were dressed in blue and bronze and the Slytherin's did not dress to support either house due to their suspension.
Daphne still saw too many girls wearing Potter jerseys for her liking. Nearly the entirety of the female Gryffindor population was clad in them, and a good portion of the Hufflepuff's as well. Even a Ravenclaw or two were being shunned by their house this morning for choosing to wear Harry's jersey instead of demonstrating their house pride.
Whereas last time Daphne had felt jealous, this time she felt smug. Not only was she the one dating Harry, but she was also the only one who had a real jersey as opposed to the cheaper quality jerseys the Weasley twins were selling.
After a few more minutes the two teams stood and made their way to the pitch leading an exodus of students out of the Great Hall. Daphne, Tracey, and Astoria, who had surprisingly accepted the offer to sit with the Gryffindors, made their way over to Hermione who was walking with Neville.
When they finally crossed through the grand wood doors that led out of the entrance hall, she heard Tracey sigh in relief. The blizzard that had been going on for the past week hadn't stopped, despite the great halls ceiling showing just a light dusting of snow at breakfast.
They made their way together to the stands and despite a few curious looks and a glare from the youngest Weasley, they were left in relative peace. Hermione chose the seat right on the edge of the stands like she always did, and they all sat down together. The bushy haired Gryffindor took her place on one end and was followed by Daphne, Astoria, Neville, and Tracey on the other end.
Astoria was already chatting excitedly with Neville and showing off her omnioculars. Neville actually looked intrigued by what she was saying, and Tracey looked at the shy Gryffindor fondly. Daphne wasn't sure when whatever this was that was going on between them started, but Tracey seemed to like him, and Neville was sweet, so she supported her friend.
Hermione meanwhile was chewing on her fingernails and fidgeting with her scarf. The charms on the stands did a good job of keeping the cold away, but it was still chilly. They waited patiently as the stands continued to fill and a dull roar of conversation took hold.
A quarter hour later after the stands had filled to near capacity, the familiar voice of Lee Jordan rang out. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the third Hogwarts quidditch match of the year! It is Saturday February the tenth of the year 1996, and we have an incredible matchup for you today.
"As a quick reminder for those of you who may have forgotten, Gryffindor has beaten Slytherin in the opening match of the year giving them an absolute wallop 330-80. A loss that the Slytherins took so poorly they were subsequently suspended for the remainder of the year." There was some jeering from the Slytherin section, but the remainder of the stands quieted so they could hear Lee.
"Meanwhile Ravenclaw faced off against Hufflepuff last month and Ravenclaw won convincingly with a final score of 450-240. However, with Slytherin's suspension this puts us in a precarious position." He continued. "If Gryffindor win today and defeat Ravenclaw soundly, they will all but secure the quidditch cup barring any miracles. If Ravenclaw win they will take command of the reins when they play their second match against Hufflepuff to account for the Slytherin's suspension.
"Now that everyone knows the stakes, why don't we introduce our teams?" There was a roar from the crowd in response. Entering from the south side of the pitch we have Team Ravenclaw!" There was a cheer from the crowd as they shot out of the tunnel. The snow was so thick they were hard to make out.
"We have the captain and lead chaser Davies leading the way flanked by the two rookie chasers Chambers and Bradley who performed admirably in their first matchup against Hufflepuff! At the beater position we have the experienced seventh year duo of Samuels and Inglebee who have been playing together for the last four years. Between the hoops we have Page who didn't have the best performance in their last match, and finally at seeker we have the lovely Ms. Chang!"
Daphne rolled her eyes. She wasn't that lovely. Seamus' Irish accent broke through as he expanded on some of the goals Page had let in last month that he shouldn't have. He went on for a half minute before Lee agreed with his point and started the introductions back up.
"And now entering from the North side of the pitch we have the defending Quidditch Cup Champions, Gryffindor!" Just like last time the crowd erupted and Daphne had underestimated how loud it would be sitting here surrounded by the lions. She didn't know where Luna was sitting but heard the roar of her hat somewhere to her left.
Seven more hard to see blurs, this time clad in red, shot out across the pitch as Lee gave a similar introduction for them as he did in their previous match. The crowd once again went crazy at Harry's name and Daphne was reminded just how well loved he was by the Gryffindors.
As he rode by them, he gave Hermione a small wave like he always did before a match, and then smiled brilliantly at Daphne. She saw him mouth 'hello' but couldn't hear him over the din of the crowd. She smiled back and mouthed a 'hi' in return.
Harry beamed at her and then continued his flight around the pitch. Now that both teams had been introduced, Madame Hooch called the captains forward explaining that she wanted a clean and fair game. Davies and Johnson shook hands and Madame Hooch released the balls.
The players got into position and Madame Hooch blew her whistle throwing the quaffle high into the air. "There's a slight jostling for possession, but it looks like Chambers comes up with it for now." Lee's voice rung out commentating in earnest. "He begins to march forward, and narrowly dodges a bludger, but the quaffle comes loose. It's snatched out of the air by Spinnet who throws it ahead Johnson. Johnson to Bell, back to Johnson. Davies is defending the two on one well for the moment, but Johnson finds Spinnet who was trailing the play, she shoots to the left hoop and… scores! Just past the outstretched hand of Page."
The Gryffindor crowd erupted into a loud cheer. Daphne clapped along with them, looking around and seeing that Hermione's eyes were fixed higher in the sky. She followed her gaze and could just barely make out Harry sitting a couple hundred feet above the pitch.
He was flying in a slow circle watching the play unfold underneath him and searching for a glint of gold that would be hard to spot with no sun. She noticed after a moment that Chang was following after him, just a few feet behind his own broom and again had to force her jealousy down.
It wasn't as if she would make a move while they were playing a match, and especially when they were facing one another. She let her focus drop back down in time to see Ron make a save and heave the ball far down the pitch to a cherry-picking Bell. She had a one on one with the keeper and took full advantage scoring Gryffindor's second goal of the match.
The crowd once again cheered loudly, and this time Hermione joined in, shouting praises at Ron for the save and the assist. The game continued in much the same way for the next hour or so. The two new chasers for Ravenclaw were showing their nerves going against the much more experienced Gryffindor line, but Roger Davies was doing a solid job keeping them in it.
Samuels and Inglebee were just as formidable as the Weasley twins and there were very few solid connections with bludgers due to the extraordinary play of both sets of beaters. One of the few connections made by the steel ball had been with Angelina Johnsons arm near the end of the first 60 minutes and Gryffindor called for a timeout so she could be checked by Madame Hooch.
She was deemed eligible to return but was playing much more gingerly. The biggest difference in the match to this point was surprisingly Ron. He was saving everything he should have been and even some shots he had no right to, while the Ravenclaw keeper seemed to be in his own head. At the hour mark the score was 130 to 70 in Gryffindor's favor.
It was also around the hour mark when Harry made his first move. He dove down suddenly just as Bell took possession of the quaffle and began racing towards the Ravenclaw hoops. He was zigging and zagging with Cho right on his tail. The Ravenclaw beaters immediately shifted their attention to Harry and the chasers were trying to run interference allowing Gryffindor to score easily.
As soon as the quaffle passed through the hoop Harry shot back up at a steep incline resuming his slow circles. Daphne saw Tracey mutter something in relief under her breath while Astoria raved beside her about what a realistic fake Harry had done to get a free goal for his team.
Daphne was also impressed, she thought he had certainly seen something the way he was flying so randomly, but it was a half hour later when the snitch made its first real appearance. Harry had been on the opposite side of the pitch as Cho as they had begun their own separate routes when Lee yelled out.
"There's a flash of gold near Chang, and she sees it too! Gryffindor is up 100 so the snitch will pull Ravenclaw to a victory if she can secure it. She's chasing it out into the center of the field now, but Weasley sends a bludger her way slowing her down. Potter is flying in from the opposite end of the field, but Chang is still the closer of the two. Another bludger is sent her way and this one connects! She's stopped in her tracks and the snitch is gone!
"Meanwhile, Gryffindor has added another goal putting them ahead 210 to 100. If Weasley continues the stellar play in the back Gryffindor can put this one away no snitch needed soon." The Eagles must have come to the same conclusion as they fought hard to keep the deficit below 150 so they could give Chang an opportunity to win it for them.
At the end of the two-hour mark the score was 250 to 130, and Daphne thought wryly that Harry owed her a kiss. It was only a minute or two later when the same situation that had happened earlier occurred, but in reverse.
"There's the snitch on Potter's side of the pitch. He's in pursuit as it takes him near the Ravenclaw hoops. Inglebee and Samuels both send bludgers his way in a beautifully coordinated bit of beater play, but Potter spins gracefully past them both. Wow!
"He's close now, Davies is out in front to run interference, but a beautiful sloth roll takes him under the Ravenclaw captain. The snitch bends and drops straight down, Potter is following it picking up speed!" Daphne's stomach turned as she watched Harry push his firebolt straight down towards the ground.
She heard Hermione mutter "Oh, God." Next to her and agreed with her succinct assessment. "Potter's close now, but it looks like he may hit the ground first. He reaches out and pulls up. Did he get it? It looked like he had to pull out of the dive at the last moment to avoid the ground, but I don't see the snitch."
There was confusion for a second as the players even stopped playing and then Harry held up his hand showing a flash of gold and wings beating against his closed fist. "Potter's got it! He caught the snitch! The final score is 400 to 130 and once again an absolutely stunning piece of flying by Harry Potter wins them the match. I can't believe he managed to catch the snitch and pull out of that dive!"
The stadium erupted into a cacophony of sound as the cheers erupted all at once, but Daphne just sat down, willing her heart to not jump out of her chest. As Harry had dove, she couldn't think of anything other than how he had looked in a hospital bed covered in bandages after the last match. She had been certain he would hit the ground and was planning on telling him off for being so reckless for the sake of a game.
She noticed Hermione was sitting next to her holding her own hand to her chest and turned to look at her. "How have you been putting up with this since first year?" She asked and Hermione shook her head.
"I have no idea, but I swear each match ages me a year."
Daphne looked towards Tracey and saw her torn between being impressed by what he had just done and being frustrated she had lost yet another bet to him. Harry was currently in the middle of all his teammates as they crowded him, but he broke out on his broom flying towards where they were seated.
The sun was shyly peeking out from behind the clouds now and his eyes locked onto hers as he flew towards them. He stopped at the edge of the stands and Daphne stood so they could be on eye level.
"Hello." He told her with a smile.
"If you ever pull something like that again I will kill you, Potter." She replied evenly.
Harry had the grace to look sheepish. "I was just coming to check how long it took me."
Daphne smirked at him "2 hours and 5 minutes. You were late again."
Harry smiled back at her, "I am a man of my word though, and I believe I have to pay up." Before Daphne could react, Harry leaned over the stands, took Daphne's head with both of his hands and gave her a long deep kiss.
The stadium erupted into cheers once more and Daphne hoped that everyone would believe her when she said the red on her cheeks was from the cold. Harry pulled away after a moment and gave her a wink before turning on his broom to face Tracey.
"That color looks good on you, I'm glad we'll get to see it more often." And then he was gone, flying back towards his teammates.
There was a heavy silence for a moment, and then she heard Tracey say, "I hate him so, so, much." Daphne looked to her right and she and Hermione both nodded in agreement.
Harry was still riding the rush of euphoria that always followed catching the snitch as he placed his dirty robes in the hamper in the locker room and toweled off his hair. Usually, the feeling would fade by now, but this was his first time catching the snitch since the last match of third year. Well, the first time he could remember at least.
He finished pulling on a jumper and made his way to the exit of the changing rooms where Ron and the twins were waiting for him. They clapped him on the back and congratulated him again, but Harry turned the praise back towards them. The truth was that this match had been one of the best team wins Harry could remember ever being a part of.
With Angelina hurt midway through the game, the rest of the team had stepped up. Ron played almost as well as Wood had, and the twins were incredible, although Harry knew they were frustrated with themselves for letting Angelina get hit.
They made their way out of the changing room and Harry was assaulted immediately by the biting wind and cold. He huddled his arms around himself and began the long trek back to the castle. He jumped an instant later when he heard a familiar voice besides him.
"Hem hem." Harry and his teammates whirled around and came face to face with Professor Umbridge who was smiling as wide as Harry had ever seen her, giving her the look of a very pleased pink toad.
"Mr. Potter, 50 points from Gryffindor for assaulting Ms. Greengrass and detention tomorrow evening with myself. I also expect that you will deliver a full apology to Ms. Greengrass."
Harry blanched. This was the last thing he had been expecting to happen to him. "I'm sorry?" He replied stupidly, trying to wrap his head around what she had just accused him of.
"Don't play coy Mr. Potter." She said, her smile widening even more. "Half the school saw you assault the poor girl."
Harry knew what she was doing but couldn't help himself. "I didn't assault anyone! I-"
"That will now be 75 points Mr. Potter, and detention next Friday as well for speaking back to a professor."
Harry felt his anger flare and was about to retort but forced himself to calm down. Umbridge looked positively gleeful, and her eyes pleaded with him to argue further.
"Understood ma'am." Harry bit out. "But I have tutoring tomorrow evening."
"You will cancel it." She replied simply.
"I'm afraid I don't have the power to." Harry replied making sure he kept his voice as level as possible, not wanting to give her an opportunity to punish him further. "It's with the headmaster. I'm sure if you let him know he'll reschedule."
Harry was hoping she would ask Professor Dumbledore so he could rescind her punishment, but her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned to one of contempt.
"It's fine," She spat out after a moment. "You will instead make up your detentions Friday, Saturday, and Sunday next weekend. You will be at my office at six pm."
"Yes madam." He replied and waited expectantly.
After a few more moments of glaring at him she dismissed them, and they resumed their walk back to the castle.
"What an absolute hag." Said Ron once he was sure they were out of her hearing distance, and the rest of the group voiced their ascent.
"You know Harry, we have been working on some new wheezes." Fred said clapping him on a shoulder.
"It would turn her into a canary, but the problem is it currently lasts for 2 hours instead of five minutes." Said George clapping him on the other shoulder.
"Would be a shame if some accidentally found its way in the jar of sweets she keeps on her desk."
Harry chuckled at the mental image but shook his head. "It's not worth it if she catches you guys. I'll serve my detentions and be more careful not to 'assault' Daphne in public next time. It really was rather stupid of me." He replied sullenly.
"Please mate." Ron answered. "Everyone already knew. You guys were the worst kept secret in the castle."
Harry sighed knowing it was true. That had been the reason he had even allowed himself to kiss her in the first place. He considered appealing the punishment to Professor McGonagall but decided against it as public displays of affection were cause enough for punishment and he definitely had kissed her, even though she had been a willing participant despite Umbridge's accusations.
"Cheer up Harrykins." Said George with exaggerated brightness in his voice as he tried to perk him up. "We have butterbeers and snacks waiting for us courtesy of the elves, and this time we can actually celebrate, seeing as you're still conscious."
Harry plastered a smile onto his face and agreed with them, but he was still frustrated by what happened, and all he wanted at the moment was to see Daphne. Still, he made his way up the staircases and to the portrait of the fat lady.
She looked at them suspiciously but swung open, allowing them entrance when they said the correct password. Harry could see that the party was already in full swing and that the girls were already there. Angelina's arm appeared to be healed and she was chatting excitedly with a seventh year who's name Harry couldn't quite remember.
He had a glass thrust into his hand as his housemates came and congratulated them. Ron seemed to be reveling in the attention and Harry gladly shied away, allowing him to take the spotlight. The party was actually going quite well, and Harry had even forgotten about his encounter with Umbridge and began to enjoy himself.
Every time a student came up to him to congratulate him, he would thank them and then defer them to Ron who was happy to go over every last one of his saves in excruciating detail. After a while the crowd thinned as Ron began to embellish some of the details and Harry had never been happier to have him as his best mate.
He was sitting on a couch talking quietly with Hermione when the portrait hole opened again, and Ginny walked in. He wasn't sure where she had been, but he looked up and nodded at her before continuing his conversation with Hermione.
A few seconds later he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He jumped in confusion but saw that it was Ginny who had sat next to him and was giving him a hug. He thought it was strange as he could never recall her hugging him before, but awkwardly hugged her back.
She pulled away and flashed a bright smile. "I just wanted to congratulate you on a great game Harry." She said and her voice sounded strange, almost deeper.
Harry smiled back. "Thanks Gin, I appreciate it, but it was really more of a team-"
He trailed off as she suddenly leaned forward. Harry didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. He sat there shocked for a moment as Ginny's lips worked against his, and her arms wrapped around his neck and back.
His brain finally restarted as he pulled away forcefully. He was struggling to contextualize what had just happened, but he only had one thought running through his head. Why on earth had Ginny Weasley just kissed him, and what was Daphne going to say?