Chapter 3 - Biggest Fans

Hermione, as always, was up first in her dormitory. Dressed and ready, she sat up in her bed revising her timetable. She was so immersed in her brand new Transfiguration book that she had hardly noticed the other life in the room. Not until of course that same, shrill laughter that irritated Hermione since her first year, sounded and Hermione snapped her head up in annoyance. She watched Lavender Brown, the owner of the highly droning squeal, giggling giddily with her friend, Pavarti Patil, make their way to leave the dormitory.

"Hey, Hermione. How was your summer?" Pavarti asked kindly, clearly not realising Hermione's disgust.

"Oh, um, it was lovely, thank you. How was yours?" Hermione stammered, having been caught off by Pavarti's polite question.

"Good, thanks" she responded casually, but if Hermione wasn't wrong, Lavender looked anything but polite and civil. Her laughing had stopped abruptly, not that Hermione was complaining, and instead her expression resembled thunder as she made an effort to usher her friend out of the room. Hermione just rolled her eyes and got up herself to make her way down to breakfast.

The Great Hall was as busy and as noisy as ever, Hermione almost couldn't believe how normal the atmosphere of the Hall was, considering that there wasn't a soul in the wizarding world who was unaware of Voldemort rising back to power.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked concernedly as she sat opposite Harry and Ron. She felt awful about leaving Harry on the train alone last night.

"Yes. Stop worrying, Hermione," Harry replied kindly but he knew that Hermione couldn't promise that.

"You really should report him, Harry." She stated referencing Draco Malfoy and the way he had broken Harry's nose.

"And when they ask me why I was in the Slytherin compartment, say what? That I was there for a friendly chat?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No, I suppose not" Hermione sighed, and instead looked to Ron who was beside Harry. Apart from how guilty she felt about Harry, she couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile on her face last night. Ron and her had never so much as discussed whatever was going on between them, but was there even anything going on between them? Hermione told herself off every time she had seriously gotten her hopes up, reminding herself that she was just experiencing silly delusions. They were friends, best friends even. Of course they would be close. But it was purely platonic. Nothing more. But after what happened yesterday, how could Hermione seriously refine their relationship to simple friends? Would simple friends share such proximity? She definitely wouldn't do that with Harry, and he was, too, the pinnacle of a best friend. It was all very confusing, but Hermione didn't mind it. It excited her...enticed her...and before she completely lost herself, she shifted in her seat, falling back to reality. Ron was staring unseeingly at the open space beside Hermione. He was paler than she had ever seen him, and she could sense his nerves from where she was sat.

"Are you alright, Ron?" She asked tentatively. Ron barely acknowledged her. Feeling perplexed, she turned to Harry for an answer.

"Quidditch trials," Harry replied mechanically.

"Already?" Hermione asked, looking between the two boys, hoping Ron would at least notice her presence. "It's the first day!" Harry shrugged as if something such as Quidditch trials was of perfect importance to take place on the very first day. "Well, you shouldn't be nervous," Hermione said confidentially to Ron who remained his gaze on the space beside her, she noticed his leg bouncing agitatedly underneath the table.

"Ron's a bit worried," Harry explained, smiling apologetically at Hermione. "Right, I better go sort out my timetable with Professor McGonagall." Harry said as he stood and excused himself from the table. Hermione nodded in goodbye and then focused back on Ron. She had forgotten just how nervous he got about Quidditch - something Hermione couldn't really see the necessity for. Especially considering the fact Ron was so calm and collected about so many more actually important things, such as homework and exams. But nevertheless, Hermione couldn't bare seeing him so put out. So, striking all of the courage she could fathom, she placed a delicate touch on his thigh in an attempt to calm him.

"Hey," she said consolingly. "You're going to be brilliant, utterly brilliant. It's okay to be nervous. But you will be amazing." Ron, for the first time the whole morning, looked at her and Hermione wondered if it were her eyes playing tricks on her or whether the colour in his face truly did return.

"You don't know that," he said huskily with nerves emanating from his very voice. But Hermione was happy to know his legs had stopped fidgeting.

"I do." Hermione said plainly. And she believed it.

Ron looked at her disbelievingly. "You're always brilliant." She stated. "You just need to believe it yourself," she added. Ron looked away and blushed sheepishly. "So, is that really what you're worried about?" She teased in an attempt to lift his mood. "Quidditch trials?"

Ron looked at her incredulously. "Of course." He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hermione chuckled. "Well if that's the case, then I might come and watch you."

"You always come and watch." Ron dismissed with a smile.

"Never the trials! Who'd bother watching those?" She exclaimed with another small laugh.

"Well you, apparently." He teased and she shook her head in defeat. Feeling rather proud of herself for helping him to calm down, she gathered her stuff, bid goodbye to Ron and headed for her first lesson of the day, Potions. She knew Harry and Ron had both not acquired the grades you needed from their OWLs, but Hermione usually didn't really mind. She had been attending lessons on her own ever since their third year. But as she headed to the familiar dungeons to her first class, she felt at a loss to not have her two best friends attending a lesson with her that the three of them had always gone to. Nevertheless, Hermione was looking forward to a new year of learning, and to meeting the new Professor. She was slightly sceptical of his mannerisms; Professor Slughorn seemed all a bit too heavy handed - shall we say - to be a Potions master. But Hermione tried to suppress her judgemental views and headed into the classroom.

After introducing himself to the crowd of students, and if Hermione wasn't wrong he also used this an opportunity to boast about all of the students he had taught that had now moved on to 'brilliant' things, he began to talk about some more difficult, more powerful potions that stood on the worktop behind him. Hermione was quite focused on what he was discussing, until a pair of footsteps and familiar voices came nearing to the classroom. Hermione found herself smiling at the two idiots she called her best friends as they scrambled in, each stammering over their excuses for being late and why they didn't have their books. Hermione chuckled softly to herself, but as she turned her head back up to watch them again, she noticed the same, shrill laugh that had disturbed her in the dormitory. Turning her head to the source of the annoying noise, Hermione quickly realised that it was none other than Lavender Brown, who had appeared to be watching the same scene just as intently as Hermione. A sudden wave of even more heightened irritation came over Hermione, as she flicked her eyes back and forth from the boys to the ogling Lavender. It's probably about Harry, Hermione assured herself as a sprout of jealousy began to grow steadily in her stomach. Hermione was brought back to her surroundings however when Ron and Harry came and joined her in the crowd.

"Hey," Ron whispered casually.

"Hi," Hermione replied, watching him. "What are you two doing here?" She asked, struggling to hide the glee.

Ron shrugged nonchalantly, "McGonagall couldn't leave us be for two minutes, could she?" Ron answered. Hermione nodded in acknowledgement of his reply, but was quickly turning back to her again. Lavender broke out into a surely exaggerated fit of laughter at what Ron had said. Hermione would usually feel the need to roll her eyes, but this time she instead turned back to Ron to gauge his reaction. If he had even noticed, he didn't seem particularly fazed as he watched mindlessly as Professor Slughorn rambled on. Hermione felt at ease as she realised he clearly wasn't bothered about whatever Lavender was up to, rolling her eyes at herself instead now as she also realised how juvenile her feelings were. But how could she help it?

The summer evening approached as Hermione walked down to the Quidditch pitch. She blushed with embarrassment as she thought back to her Potions lesson, and that particular potion. She had always scoffed at the Amortentia potion when she had read about it, but there she was, a clear victim of the dangerous liquid. She recalled how she had blurted out to her classmates all that she could smell, undoubtedly making a fool of herself. She cringed at the memory. Her mind also floated back to what she could smell. Fresh parchment was hardly a surprise. Nor was the fresh cut grass. And even though it was rather strange, neither did the hint of toothpaste surprise her. What did catch her off guard, however, was the final scent she was quick enough to not reveal in front of the whole class. But Hermione definitely knew what the final scent was. It was him. Well, his hair, specifically. She closed her eyes and sighed as she continued walking to the Quidditch pitch. Did this confirm things, then? Hermione wondered to herself, considering she was often praised as being a clever witch, she was certainly lost and confused at this moment.

Drawing nearer to the pitch, her eyes quickly sought out the infamous ginger who was pacing around with his hands on his head. It upset Hermione greatly to watch him become so anxious about something that she knew was something so silly; he was brilliant at Quidditch although it appeared he was the only one who couldn't recognise that. She involuntarily quickened her pace, feeling the urge to run to him, but she would not allow herself to do something so absurd.

On her way to Ron though, her path was obstructed by Ginny who had stopped Hermione in her tracks. "Quick question. What time is Slughorn's meal next week?" Ginny asked her.

Hermione remembered quickly that she and Ginny had been newly added members to the Potion master's club. "Oh, um about seven, I think?" Hermione offered in response, her eyes not leaving the evidently nervous Ron.

Ginny noticed Hermione's preoccupation. "Go to him." She smiled. Hermione looked at Ginny as she spoke this time. She half expected her to pull some sort of teasing jibe. But instead, she just smiled earnestly. "You and Harry seem to be the only two people who can calm him down, and Harry's rather busy at the moment." Ginny noted, watching Harry run around after the people trying out for a spot on the team, asking them what position they were interested in, etc. Hermione smiled in 'thanks' and left her friend to go tend to her clearly agitated one.

"Hey." Hermione said softly as she walked towards Ron.

He stopped pacing and smiled weakly at her. "Thought you weren't coming." He said, wringing his hands nervously in his top.

"Of course I was coming. I said so, didn't I?" Hermione replied with a smile. Ron shrugged his shoulders and Hermione noted the worry in his face. "You okay?" She asked meekly.

"Suppose." He sighed.

"It's okay to be nervous. But you will be fine." Hermione insisted.

Ron shook his head. "You don't know that." He muttered, shifting his feet agitatedly as he looked to the ground.

"You're right, I don't." She replied honestly and was surprised when he looked up at her.

"Really?" He gasped teasingly. "Didn't think it was possible for me to be right." He smirked.

Hermione felt her lips curl up and whacked him on the arm playfully. "Well, I wouldn't get used to it, if I were you." She added, smirking herself.

Harry called to Ron that the trials were about to begin and he sighed as he looked back to Hermione. "You better go." She smiled.

"Gonna wish me luck first?" Ron asked cheekily, opening his arms.

Hermione felt her smile become broader and accepted the invitation into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Good luck." She breathed, trying to ignore the fluttering of her heart at the perfectly friendly action of hugging.

"Thanks." He muttered, pulling away from her slowly. He was given another call to go and smiled apologetically. Hermione chuckled and stood back as he made his way to the field. She shook her head in annoyance with her own self, but the smile from her face didn't fade. That was until she noticed a certain blonde, of course. Hermione nearly gasped to find Lavender sat on one of the benches. Hardly anyone came to watch the trials, and she would've been the last person Hermione expected to see here. She watched her closely as she sat quite a distance from her. How it was only the first day yet Hermione had seen Lavender more than she usually would in a whole year, she didn't know. Hermione watched the other players rather bored, sitting with her arm on her knee as she rested her head in her chin, awaiting Ron to step. She noticed that the full extent of his worry had returned to his face as he sat and waited for his own turn. Finally, after what felt like hours of sitting on the rather uncomfortable benches, Hermione smiled as Ron stood up to take his place. Hermione straightened herself up, watching intently as he flew up to the goal posts. At the other end was a fellow Gryffindor, Cormac McLaggen. Hermione felt at ease, she didn't know much about Cormac but what she did know she didn't like; he was heavily arrogant, far too arrogant to concentrate on a game of Quidditch - Hermione hoped at least. However, Ron evidently didn't hold the same hope. Hermione took deep, steady breaths as the game began and anticipation rushed to her as she watched the game closely.

Much to her, not shock, but relief, Ron was doing remarkably well. He had saved every quaffle that came his way. Thankfully, Cormac didn't seem to be having such luck. They had both managed to save at least two out goals and the first to save their fifth would be the new Gryffindor Keeper. Ron was successfully leading the way with four out of four saves. Hermione hoped with all her heart that Ron's confidence and concentration would persist just a little further. The game was steady and tense, each move above the pitch met with high anticipation. Hermione diverted her eyes for only a millisecond. She had to double glance at Lavender who was now stood up. Throughout the whole game Hermione had had to bare with the constant squeals of 'good luck' she could only hope was for someone else other than Ron. Obviously, Hermione wanted him to have as much support as he could get, but her support was hardly needed. However, Hermione did her best to ignore it as she remained her focus on Ron. Back to the game, Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she watched Ron lose his balance from his broomstick. A wave of worry washed over her as she knew that all it took was a small blunder such as this to put him off. And surely, it did. Hermione's palms grew sweaty as Cormac suddenly seemed to have a new strike of fortune, saving the next couple of quaffles that came his way. Hermione felt so helpless as she watched the game fall apart for Ron. A quick glance at Lavender who was now squealing, "come on, Ron!" Clicked something inside Hermione's mind which subsequently led her to covering her mouth with her hand, mumbling an incantation. Just at the striking moment, where the arrogant Cormac had the largest smirk on his face when a hard-to-miss quaffle came launching to him, he seemed to jerk sideways, almost involuntarily and consequently missed the quaffle. Everyone on the pitch 'booed' and 'aahd' as he missed it, as it was surely an easy save, but instead Hermione just smirked to herself as she watched his expression become confused.

Finally, after what felt like years of watching nervously, Ron saved his last quaffle and the whole pitch cheered, relieved to see the end of the try out. Hermione couldn't suppress the grin that beamed across her face. She ran down to the pitch to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck in excitement.

"Well done, I told you that you'd be brilli-" Hermione attempted to congratulate him but the same high pitched voice that seemed to be haunting Hermione all day returned, interrupting her.

"Oh, Ron. You were amazing!" Lavender cried, trying her hardest to stand as close as she possibly could to him, despite the fact he was hugging Hermione. Hermione stood back and rolled her eyes, vehemently not looking at her.

"Oh - um - er - thanks, Lavender." Ron replied, the confusion in his voice evident.

Lavender gave a great smile before turning and running away like a child in the school yard. Hermione folded her arms and watched her leave, simply annoyed by her whole manner. She looked back to Ron who just shrugged his shoulders, sideways glancing at Lavender with eyes that said 'what was that about?' Hermione instantly felt relieved and he and her walked back to join their friends.