Chapter III – The Game

When morning arose the next day, two incredibly fatigued girls slumbered in their soft, comfortable beds, forgetting the world that went on without them. Light escaped into their room from the corner of the curtains, shedding a bright illumination on the top of their heads.

Dreaming, the two girls both smiled at the same time, remembering a point in their lives when everything wasn't so chaotic.

"Rise and shine!" squealed a loud voice.

And, then, the chaos returned.

"Bloody hell, Parkinson," Ginny mumbled, burying herself further into her covers. "I'm trying to sleep here. The alarm hasn't even gone off. It's bloody Saturday."

"First of all, Ginny, this isn't Pansy," Luna informed her haughtily, "and secondly, you need to get up off your arse. It's already nine o'clock and practice has already ended. Everyone's waiting for you. You've never forgotten a bloody practice before. You've also never forgotten a game."

Hermione peeked at Luna from under the covers. "Practice for what?" she asked, half asleep.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Don't play this forgetful game with me, again. Hermione, you've got to get up, too. You need to eat. Remember the last time? You fainted right after you caught the snitch."

Hermione slowly rose up from her bed into a sitting position. "Excuse me?" she asked, "the snitch!"

"Get up, you bloody harpies," Luna commanded, grabbing Ginny's sheets and flinging them off of her. "Ginny, you need hurry. You've got a pep talk to give soon. Go put your Quidditch gear on. It's in the bottom of your trunk."

Ginny groaned. "Luna, if you don't shut your bloody gob-"

"May I remind you, Ginevra," Luna intervened sweetly, "you were the one who blindly requested for me to help Hermione with her mission in speaking to Grant? The consequences of this task were nothing but nauseating and horrendous. Nott won't leave me alone and Millie, who I'm fighting very hard to hex, apparently thinks that I'm going to marry him. Quite the predicament, is it not?"

"The snitch!" Hermione repeated, eying the Quidditch robes Luna whipped out from her trunk. "Luna, whatever are you do-" Her sentence was cut off, for the heavy material landed on her body, fully covering her.

"Get dressed," Luna snapped, exhausted by their absentminded behavior, "I'm sick and tired of this charade. We'll be waiting by the pitch."

With that, Luna flipped her long, blonde hair back and left the room.

"Va switch!" Hermione tried to say, her voice muffled.

Realizing the situation, Ginny's eyes widened. "Pep talk?" she asked herself. "The snitch? Quidditch robes?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she managed to croak, "We're on the Quidditch team."

.x.

Wringing a fistful of her Quidditch attire in her hands, Ginny smiled weakly at her team before her, all waiting for the ever encouraging speech. She swallowed hard and glanced at Hermione, who was so absorbed in catching the snitch, that she's already mounted her broom, hands shaking.

"Okay," Ginny announced, catching everyone's attention. "We're going to win – and, we're to not lose. Why? Because, well, we're Gryffindors! We – um – know what we're doing! That's right! So, let's just go out there and," she threw up a fist, "kick some Slytherin ass!"

This seemed to somehow rile them up and before she knew it, her team went into a frenzy of screams, yells, and cheering.

The doors sprung open and a huge beam of light landed on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The crowd surrounding the pitch stood up and everything turned into an uproar. Flags were being swung, horns were being blown, and the announcer spoke loudly.

"Lead by Captain Ginny Weasley, the Gryffindor team still remains undefeated, ahead of the other three teams towards the House Cup. Entering the pitch is Pansy Parkinson, keeper, followed by Luna Lovegood and Andrew Flint, beaters, Teddy Woods and sister, Lilac Woods, chasers, and finally, our crowd-loving seeker, Hermione Granger!" Vincent Crabbe bellowed, cheering along with the mass of people.

All members of the team stood at the bottom of the pitch, being admired, and being screamed for. Hermione held her broom shakily, her eyes dashing back and forth on the pitch. Ginny glanced at her and could've sworn Hermione was having a spasm attack. Her arms were trembling and her bottom lip jutted out with fear. Ginny watched as Teddy put his arm around her shoulders, whispering encouraging words in her ear.

"For the other cheating and always defeated team, come the Slytherins!" Vincent roared, pointing to the opposite side of the pitch. "Taught poorly by Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin team continues to play ruthlessly and against the rules! Following the Slytherin king are Ronald Grant, seeker, Harry Potter, keeper, Theodore Nott, Padma Patil, chasers, and Dennis and Colin Creevey, beaters!"

Ginny took a deep breath. "Let the games begin," she and Crabbe stated together.

.x.

Ginny frantically pushed past the mass of students before her. They all stood before the Infirmary, where Hermione was being treated. Apparently, the thought of a Potter and a Granger together was catastrophe and the mere idea of him saving her was astonishing.

"Move," Ginny hissed, shoving a sixth-year Slytherin out of her way. Only then did she notice that it was Colin's younger brother, Dennis – the same boy who burned half her robes during the game.

"What the bloody hell is happening to the world?" she asked herself, finally standing before the wooden doors.

Grasping the handle and preparing to open the door, she was suddenly shoved out of the way and into another being.

"Out of the way, Weasley," Draco Malfoy sneered, Nott and Ron lingering behind him.

The body beside her enveloped her in a hug. "There you are!" a deep voice exclaimed.

Ginny spun around and faced a built boy, taller then her, brown eyes gleaming, and dark hair blowing in nonexistent wind. His cheeks were chubby, but it defined his face more then actually weighing it down. His arms, wrapped tightly around her, were snug and felt familiar, almost normal. His smile is what irked her the most. Ginny has seen that smile somewhere, only, not so warm, so caring.

"Where've you been, love? I've been in to see Hermione, but she's sleeping at the moment. I've been looking for you everywhere!" he jeered, holding her close.

Circe, he's handsome, Ginny thought, captivated by his eyes.

"Ginny, love?" he asked, shaking her gently. "Pansy said you've been in a bit of a muddle. I was out on a Herbology trip yesterday and I didn't get the chance to give you a proper hello." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and leaned forward, capturing Ginny's lips with his. His wandering tongue softly made its way through the seam of her lips and into her mouth, both surprising and satisfying her.

Ginny eventually pulled away and took a deep breath. "What?" she asked, dazed.

Somewhere behind her, someone scoffed. "Get a bloody room," Ginny heard someone mutter.

She spun around once more and glared at Malfoy. "If you don't like what you see," Ginny challenged, "then leave. No one asked you here. Why is everyone huddled here anyway? Do you not have a life in which you can go and dawdle on?"

He snarled. "Why don't you take Goyle over here and snog in the library. Merlin knows you do it every other bloody day," he suggested, his hands balled up in fists.

Aggravated, Ginny stepped forward, disregarding the name he uttered. "Is your life so soporific, that you have to hunt out others for your own pleasure?"

His face inched closer. "You know nothing of pleasure," he whispered, lowering his voice, so that only she can hear.

Ginny stood ground. "I believe I do," she retorted. "It's you, Malfoy, who knows nothing about giving pleasure. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to disabuse you on a few things, let alone try and help the poor trollops who've established a life of ennui because of your lack of expertise."

His nose flared in anger. "Care to challenge that, Weasley?" he asked maliciously. "I'd be happy to show you a thing or two. I'll even trap you in fetters if you wish. Goyle can watch," he nodded to the seething boy, "Merlin knows he's immutable when it comes to pleasing women. He'll never change. And he'll never give you what I can."

Eyes widening, Ginny twirled around and faced the gorgeous, tanned boy. "Gregory Goyle?" she inquired, a hand to her heart.

Just at that moment, as if the world shifted and decided to make things worse, the wooden doors flung open and out came a livid Madam Pomfrey. "Every student must evacuate this part of the castle immediately!" she snapped, tapping her foot loudly. "The only students that I will permit into this room are Ginevra Weasley and Ronald Grant."

Hearing her name, Ginny quickly sprinted into the Infirmary, forgetting all that was said, and focusing on the matter at hand.

Hermione was hurt.

.x.

Author's Note: I've been receiving lots of questions on this story, pertaining mainly to the plot & some of my readers are confused. I can only tell you that if you do want some answers, please scurry over to my bio page & click on my livejournal link. Any questions can be answered there. Just comment, along with your FFNET username, and I'll give you an answer right away! You can also view my progress throughout the story & I'm only allowing my readers to demand chapters to my LiveJournal only. It's easier that way & less threatening.

Happy reading!