"You going to the Quidditch match tonight, Penelope?"
"No. I have an extra credit assignment to do in the library. You'll let me know who wins, won't you?"
"Like you need any extra credit," he muttered.
Hermione heard this bit of two students' conversation as she walked down the hall with Remus Lupin. He chuckled.
"Sounds like a young Harry and Hermione, doesn't it?" he asked her.
She laughed. "I didn't know there was a Quidditch match tonight. Which Houses are playing?"
"Slytherin and Gryffindor. First game this year. I hope you come. It'll be really fun. You know, it's always amusing to watch the famous House rivalry between Severus and Minerva, the Heads of Houses."
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, Severus… Right." A small smile spread across her face.
"What is it?" Remus asked her, raising an eyebrow.
Blood rushed to Hermione's cheeks and she looked down at the floor, still grinning sheepishly. "Nothing," she said.
"You wouldn't happen to have a crush on our Sevvy, would you?"
She looked up at him, and it took all of her concentration to keep a straight face. "No, of course not. How revolting. And don't you dare let him hear you call him that; he'll have your head." Then she stalked away from him, but shot him a playful grin over her shoulder as she did so.
"Quidditch, tonight!" he shouted to her.
The leaves outside, few still clinging desperately to the trees had begun to rapidly change their colors, and already, the ground was covered in a thick sheet of the crispy leaves. They crunched under Hermione's feet noisily as she walked to the Quidditch pitch. Although it was not yet winter, the air was already rather chilly, so everyone who was not playing Quidditch had bundled themselves up warmly in thick robes, coats, and gloves. Some, mostly students, were also wearing hats. Hermione reached the teachers' sector of the Quidditch seats, and found that there was a much better view of the field from there. She glanced around for an empty seat, and then finally spotted one among a crowd of eager professors. She shoved her way through, though politely, and sat down.
"You don't seem the type for Quidditch matches, Professor Granger," a deep voice to her left said.
"Good afternoon, Severus," she nodded to him, smiling.
"Good afternoon, Hermione," he replied.
"You just wait, Severus, this will be the year." Hermione heard Minerva McGonagall's voice and looked to her right. Hermione was seated between the two Heads of Houses.
This ought to be interesting, she thought.
He scoffed. "I doubt that, Minerva. Gryffindor hasn't won a Quidditch match, or the House Cup, since our dear Mr. Potter left us two years ago."
"I know, but you just wait. We've got an excellent new Seeker this year, Davey Whats-his-name."
Severus snorted. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," he said in mock fear.
"So am I. Honestly, it's never this cold here this time of the year," she replied, rubbing her hands together and blowing her hot breath on them.
"Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch told the teams from below on the field.
Hermione, Severus, and Minerva were all sitting very near the commentator, and his voice pierced their ears like a foghorn. Hermione flinched, but no one else did, so she attempted to hide her discomfort. Evidently, though, she wasn't doing a very good job of it.
Severus leaned over to her and said in her ear, "You get used to it."
"Oh, quit whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears and watch the game, you two!" Minerva cried out at them. She was only joking, of course, but Hermione felt the blood rushing to her cheeks immediately.
"Shut up, Minerva," said Severus, only half-joking, and leaned back away from Hermione. He grimaced as the Slytherin keeper missed a would have been easily blocked Quaffle and the Gryffindors scored.
Minerva cheered loudly, waving her hands in the air. Once she had sat back down, she turned to Severus. "See, I told you, didn't I? I told you this would be it."
"Do not get too smug just yet, Minerva. That was only the first score. The Seekers haven't even located the Snitch yet."
However, as he spoke, the Seekers of both teams hurtled forward on their broomsticks in the same direction.
"You were saying, Severus?"
He scowled unpleasantly. However, he quite noticeably perked up once he noticed that his Slytherin Seeker was in the lead. The Seeker was lying flat on his broomstick, his body pressed against the gleaming, polished wood, and his hand outstretched. Hermione saw a worried look cross Minerva's face for the first time. The Seekers were now speeding toward the ground so swiftly; they were no more than green and scarlet streaks. Hermione knew that if they didn't pull out of that dive soon, they were going to make contact with the ground painfully, but she also had no desire for Gryffindor to pull out first, because it would cost them the game. The Seekers were neck and neck now.
The Seekers kept glancing at each other nervously, though, with their nasty sneers, daring the other to pull out. The ground was nearing the end of their broomsticks quickly. In a matter of seconds, both would have to be sent to the Hospital Wing. Their brooms would shatter into a million tiny splinters.
Suddenly, a hand clasped tightly around the Golden Snitch as the Seekers slowed and toppled gently onto the green playing field. Whoops and cheers sounded from one end of the field, while the crowd on the other end howled and moaned in defeat. The Snitch was raised high into the air as the commentator screamed into the microphone he was using, "Slytherin wins the first Quidditch match of the year!"
Severus smirked while Minerva scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Next time," she muttered in Severus' direction.
"Yeah, right," he said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.
Hermione giggled at their childishness, but she knew that it was all in good fun. Even so, she hated to think about how Severus would act later, due to his House's victory.
"There'll be no living with you after this," Minerva sighed.
He continued to smirk proudly as the teachers all descended the concealed staircase behind their division of the Quidditch stands. Hermione was treading beside him, and as everyone passed her, she was being jostled and collided with him several times. Even so, she was quivering rather plainly from the icy air surrounding her. Severus observed this, and he promptly removed his thick outer coat and draped it over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said, grinning widely at him, despite her chapped lips on account of the cold.
"You're welcome," he replied.
After that, they both walked in silence up to the castle, staying a ways behind everyone else except for Minerva and Albus, who they supposed were quietly discussing the match, just until they reached the front doors. Then Hermione turned to Severus and began to remove his coat, but he held up a hand to stop her.
"Keep it," he said. "At least for now. You may return it to me later, when you're not freezing and shivering out here."
She smiled gratefully at him and placed it back over her shoulders. He went in the doors ahead of Hermione, holding them open for her as she walked through. Neither of them saw the stunned, but yet still somehow knowing look that passed significantly between the Headmaster and Minerva McGonagall.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It makes my day!
PhantomPirate- Me, take long to update? Never! Lol.
Natsuyori- What are you doing? Study for your test! I mean, I'm flattered, really, but…come on, you gotta set some boundaries, here! Just kidding. Lol. Really, though, after you reviewed, I hope you studied for your test. Lol.
gummy- Thank you. I'm glad that you chose to read my story and it interested you. I'm also so happy that you liked it! But get some sleep! Lol.
olivialynlee- Thank you! I like "detail-oriented" better too!
Barb8- And what true gentleman wouldn't be? Lol.
How do you all think I did on Harry's letter (in Chapter 11)? Did it sound like him? I tried to talk like he would in the letter, but I don't know if I succeeded very well.
Remember: Review, Please! It only takes, like, 45 seconds, so just do it! Please… Even if you don't like my story, tell me what you dislike about it and I will try to work on it! Thanks!
Disclaimer- None of this belongs to me. J.K. Rowling owns everything. All the characters and everything to do with the wizarding world…all her. Lazy bum…all she does is sit at a computer clacking away all day. Just kidding! Jeez, you can put down your torches and pitchforks now.
(Just to let everyone know: My computer won't do smileys on here, so every time there's a smiley, I'm putting "Lol". That's why I have so many on this page when replying to your reviews. Lol. Hehe.)