Hermione made her way over to the rest of the team, grinning from ear to ear. Coach Simpson smiled back at her before blowing her whistle.
"All right Knights, let's get moving! I want 10 laps around the gym to get warmed up, let's move! This competition isn't going to win itself," she said. Hermione joined Annabel and Emily as they started a slow jog around the gym, gradually picking up speed. Meanwhile at Hogwarts, the population was buzzing as they watched Hermione and her friends.
"Who knew Granger had that body?" Pansy whispered to Blaise and Draco in awe as they watched. The two boys shook their heads before pulling their attention back to the screen as the team finished their ten laps.
"Drop! Give me fifteen push-ups!" the coach barked. Hermione dropped to the floor next to Annabel.
"She doesn't go easy, does she?" she said, panting a little as grunts and groans were heard. Annabel shook her head.
"Nope, she's the best coach the squad has had, she works us hard and pushes us to our limits, that's why we've made it this far," she responded.
"Girls! Less talking, more pushing! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" the coach said, clapping her hands together. Harry watched in interest, he was getting some ideas on how to better the Gryffindor Quidditch team's training.
"Good Lord, I wonder if this is what all sports teams in the muggle world are like," Professor McGonagall murmured to Professors Flitwick and Snape. The two men shook their heads, they weren't accustomed to seeing Hermione push herself to physical limits; they had become used to seeing her bent over books and notes, or answering questions in class.
"I'm sure the rest of the week will be just as fascinating as the last couple of days," Professor Snape drawled as the cheerleaders finished their push-ups.
"Excellent work, Knights. Okay, gather round everyone, it's time to see what our newest squad member can do. Hermione, you up for it?" Coach Simpson asked. Hermione nodded, pushing her sweaty hair off her face. She was glad Annabel had told her to put her hair in a pony tail.
"All right then. Grant, you're our DJ master, set up the music. Something with a fast pace, but has a rhythm and is easy to move to," the coach instructed a tall, brown-haired boy with green eyes. He nodded before turning to Hermione.
"Do you have any requests?" he asked. Hermione stood thoughtfully for a second before leaning up on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear, he had to lean down to hear her. Draco clenched his fists on his knees, his back stiffening.
"Easy, mate. It's okay," Blaise whispered, having noticed his friend's tension. Draco merely nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. He watched as Hermione walked to the center of the floor and stood with her feet apart.
Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Okay Hermione, don't over-think this; just let the music move you. Pretend you're in the living room with Annabel and Emily and just dance. Dance like there's no one watching. Opening her eyes, she nodded to Grant, letting him know she was ready. He nodded back and hit play. Emily and Annabel grinned as they heard the opening chords of the song they knew so well. Hermione shook, shimmied and twisted in time to the music. Get ready Hogwarts, she thought as she ran to one end of the gym. Getting a running start, she did a perfect hand spring, followed by a round off, then a cartwheel. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Coach Simpson nodding as she prepared for her grand finale. Gathering all the power in her legs, she performed a back flip before coming to the spot she'd started. She swung her arms above her head and then brought them back down in a swift cutting motion by her hips as the music finished. The Knights and Hogwarts population exploded into cheers and applause.
"That was incredible!"Cho gasped. Harry nodded as he clapped along with the others.
"I know, I had no idea she could move like that," he said as everyone quieted down.
"I liked the song she chose," Luna whispered before turning her attention back to the screen where Hermione was getting squeezed by Annabel and Emily.
"Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera, the very first song we danced to in your living room when we were younger. Good choice, Mia," Annabel said as she finished hugging her cousin. Hermione grinned as she turned to face the coach and the rest of the team.
"Well, Coach, does she pass?" Emily asked as she looped an arm through Hermione's. Coach Simpson nodded and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, however, a cool voice spoke from the bleachers.
"Oh come on, Coach Simpson, you can't be that impressed by that little nobody," Felicia sneered as she walked down the stairs and onto the gym floor. Harry's jaw clenched at the insult to Hermione, as did Cho's, Luna's and the rest of the girls who Hermione had befriended that week.
"Oh no, not the evil Felicia again," Cho whispered, taking Harry's hand and squeezing it to calm him down.
"Felicia, I told you weren't welcome at team practices anymore. Just because you're my niece doesn't mean you can disobey the rules," the coach snapped.
"Oh that's awkward," Harry muttered as Felicia smirked.
"I had to see for myself what the pathetic excuse for my stand in was made of, and the last time I checked, this is a free country and there aren't any rules about not coming into the gym even though you're not part of a team anymore."
"You're right, there aren't, but there are rules about having no food or drink except water in the gym, it says so right on the gym door. Maybe there should be a rule about no bitches in the gym," Hermione said before she could stop herself. Annabel and Emily gasped as did the rest of the team. Felicia's eyebrows narrowed at Hermione.
"What's the matter Felicia? You can dish it out but you can't take it? Hate to break it to you, but there are always going to be people who will dish it right back. There will always be people who are willing to take some heat themselves and not lie down and roll over just because the other person says so," Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you do have the makings of a Knights cheerleader, unlike Emily and Samantha, who only got on the team because of their big chests and small waists. They're just eye candy," Felicia said.
"All right, that's enough," said Coach Simpson, wanting to break up the fight before it escalated into anything physical. Felicia turned to face her aunt.
"This is your last chance Auntie Tonya, your last chance to take Annabel's cousin out of that uniform and put me back into one," she said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Her name is Hermione!" Annabel snapped, having gotten over her shock at hearing her cousin talk back to Felicia, something no one had dared to do.
"Felicia, you better get comfortable being out of a uniform, because you'll be back in one and back on my squad when hell freezes over. Now get out of my gym!" the coach barked. Felicia sneered before turning on one chunky heel and exiting the gym, her heels clacking loudly on the floor. Once the door swung shut behind her, Coach Simpson rubbed her temples before turning to face her squad.
"Hermione, my office, now. The rest of you change out of your uniforms and into your shorts and tank tops and then into the weight room, go!" she ordered. Annabel started to protest, but Hermione shushed her.
"It will be fine, Anna. Go," she murmured before giving her cousin a gentle push. Annabel shut her mouth and along with Emily led the rest of the team to the weight room while Hermione followed the coach to her office.
"Have a seat, Hermione," Coach Simpson instructed as she closed the door after the two of them. Hermione obeyed and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the coach's desk, folding her hands in her lap.
"I think you know what you did," Tonya said as she sat down behind her desk and folded her hands in front of her.
"Yes, Coach Simpson, I do and I apologize for it. I didn't know Felicia was your niece. It just made me so angry how she treats people and expects to get away with it. Before I came out in my uniform, I met her in the change room and she told me not to get too comfortable in it because she would be put back in and I would be kicked out," Hermione confessed.
"My niece has an entitlement complex, but that's no excuse for her behaviour. However, there's no reason for your behaviour either. I will not tolerate any derogatory comments, behaviour or physical altercations of any kind on my squad, is that clear? This is a warning, and the only one you'll get. If I see or hear anything of the like I saw in my gym just now, you will not be coming to the finals with us. You might not be a student here, but I expect to see the same respect you show at your school to me, my squad, and to the other students and faculty. Understood?"
"Yes Coach, I understand," Hermione said, bowing her head. She knew she'd messed up the moment she'd called Felicia a bitch, and she would have to face the consequences of her actions. Six years of being friends with Harry and Ron solving mysteries and breaking the rules had taught her that.
"Good, get changed and meet us in the weight room. And Hermione, while I didn't approve of your insult to Felicia, and rest assured I'll deal with her later; I do admire your fire and your backbone, those will both take you far in this world," Coach Simpson said. Hermione smiled as she stood up.
"Thanks Coach, you can't get through six years of boarding school and being called a mud blood and being teased for being smart and not develop one. If I hadn't I probably wouldn't be here right now," she said softly before opening the door and walking out of the office, leaving the coach gobsmacked in her wake.
Author's Note: I'm not dead! Just been very busy the last few months prepping for a big exam (gulp!), I hope to update more frequently in the near future. I have so many ideas for this story. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, 100 reviews, you guys are amazing! As always, thanks for your patience while I balance school, work, and fanfiction. Till next time, Xoxoxo.