Chapter 13: The Big Game:
Ginny walked into the changing rooms at the pitch. She was the last to arrive, and arrived right on time. She cursed Harry for making her almost late.
"Weasley! Potter hold you hostage again?" Gwen asked, and then immediately wished she hadn't when Ginny glared at her.
"It's been a bad morning," Ginny spat through her teeth.
"You alright? Anything we can do?" Demeltza asked.
"No. Let's just get this game started. I need to take my anger out on something," Ginny said.
She and Harry had gotten into a fight. This was probably the worst fight they'd ever had. Ginny had spent the night with him as she had taken to doing, but when they woke up, he'd messed everything up.
He'd waken her up late, he'd forgotten she had her game today, and he moved her stuff causing her to go wandering around for it. She was sure he hadn't been thinking clearly, but still, this was her first game. This was important and he really screwed up.
They also spent half the morning yelling at each other for any reason they could think of. It almost reminded her of Ron and Hermione when they fought.
"Uh, Ginny? You might want your robes," Abby called after watching Ginny grab her broom. Ginny looked down.
"That might help," she said.
When she was changed and everyone was ready, the team headed out to wait to be called to fly. The announcer was none other than Lee Jordan, who had enjoyed commentating so much while he was at Hogwarts he applied for the position to commentate for the pro league.
"This is it ladies," Gwen said as they approached the stadium. As they were called, they flew out.
"Here are your Harpies!" Lee shouted, "Captain Gwenog Jones," Gwen flew out and flashed her famous Harpie smile.
"Her fellow Chasers are the returning Demeltza Robins, and a new addition Ginny Weasley!" Together Demeltza and Ginny flew out and circled the pitch. Ginny listened as Lee called out the rest of her team.
"Up next are our Beaters. The returning Charlotte Rene and a new addition Abigail Williams!" Together they also flew out and circled the pitch.
"Lastly, there's our returning Keeper Katie Smith, and our new Seeker Carmen Wallner!" The crowd went wild.
At this point, most of Ginny's anger was replaced with excitement. She listened as the Puddlemere team was called.
Gwen flew down to the center to greet and shake hands with the Puddlemere Captain. Ginny spotted Oliver Wood at his post and she smiled at him.
Harry sat in the crowd with The Weasleys', Hermione, Andromeda, and Teddy. He knew he'd messed up this morning. He knew Ginny was beyond furious. She yelled at him for not waking her up on time. She yelled at him because it slipped his mind that this was game day. She yelled at him because he'd moved her stuff so that Kreacher wouldn't mess with it. She yelled at him for getting in her way as he was trying to be helpful. They had fought over everything this morning. He felt awful for ruining the morning, but he was hopeful that the game would take her mind off of their fight and they could make up later.
As the teams began to be called, Harry watched to see if Ginny would scan the crowd for him. She didn't. Instead, he watched her smile at Oliver Wood.
"She must be incredibly mad at me," Harry said to no one in particular. Hermione was sitting on his left next to Ron and the rest of the Weasleys', and Andromeda was sitting on his right bouncing Teddy.
"She'll come around dear. Wait until they win," Andromeda said confidently.
"I messed everything up though. I've never seen her so angry," he whined and then put his face in his hands.
"Say Teddy, why don't we cheer Uncle Harry up?" Andromeda said placing him on the ground. She helped him stumble over to Harry and he grabbed onto his knees. His hair turned Harry's shade of black and his pale blue eyes locked onto Harry's green ones the moment Harry looked up.
"Hey Ted," he smiled weakly and picked him up. Teddy snuggled into Harry's lap as Lee announced the start of the game.
The game had started, the quaffle released, and Demeltza was closest to the ball. She charged after it. The Puddlemere beaters sent bludgers in Ginny's direction. Being new meant being picked on first. Ginny swiftly dodged them and followed behind Charlotte for a while. For a good twenty minutes into the game, neither team scored on the other.
At the twenty-two minute mark, Gwen was in control of the quaffle. She tactfully passed it over the opposing team's heads to Ginny who was closest to the goal. Ginny faked like she was going to throw it through the right hoop, but when Oliver went to defend it, she threw it to the left.
"Ten points for the Harpies!" Lee shouted, "Perfect team work ladies." Demeltza and a Puddlemere chaser were neck in neck for retrieving the falling quaffle, but when Dem saw a bludger headed their direction she swerved and watched the other player get hit.
"Streetman takes a nasty blow out," Lee shouted as Demeltza made a bee-line for the quaffle.
As the hour mark passed, the score was thirty-twenty. Carmen had been watching the Puddlemere seeker and trying not to get hit by bludgers. She finally saw the snitch just above the Harpies goal post, but the throw the other team off she took off toward the Puddlemere goal. She wanted to give her teammates a little more time to score. When the Puddlemere seeker realized she'd faked him he flew the other direction. She turned back to see the snitch still on that end of the field.
"The Harpies seeker has tried to lead the Puddlemere seeker on," Lee shouted.
Ginny actually missed the days when Lee used to get screamed at by Professor McGonagall for being biased when Gryffindor played.
She, along with Gwen and Demeltza scored three more goals, giving them a sixty to twenty score, before Carmen took off after the snitch she'd been following.
This time however, the Puddlemere seeker saw it too. They were side by side, until the snitch flew to their left, just in Carmen's arm reach. By this point, the game had lasted an hour and twenty-seven minutes, and Ginny had completely forgotten she was mad at Harry.
The entire game Harry had been mostly watching Ginny. She'd looked his direction twice, eyes shining, but he didn't think she'd seen him.
He watched her perfect teamwork with Demeltza and Gwen and watched her relax and get into her game. When the Harpies won, he watched her hug Carmen and celebrate with her team before she turned and made contact with him. She had seen him several times throughout the game but hadn't wanted to make eye contact.
"I love you," she mouthed. He smiled and nodded his head.
"I'm sorry," he mouthed back. She signaled for him to meet her in the changing rooms and then followed her team to the ground.
Of course Andromeda had seen this entire scene and she smiled at Harry.
"I told you she'd come around after they won."
"Thank you," he said as he handed the now sleeping Teddy to her.
"Good luck boy. Ted and I are headed back to the Burrow. I'm sure Molly will want to throw her baby girl a party," she smiled, "We'll see you there" she watched him walk off to attempt to meet his fiancé.
When she saw him close enough she left her team and ran into his arms. He held her tightly before they said anything.
"I'm sorry Ginny," he mumbled into her hair.
"I'm sorry too. I don't know why I was so upset this morning."
"Well don't expect me to know either," he joked. She pulled back enough to look into his eyes.
"Congratulations on your first win," he said proudly. She smiled.
"I love you," she said leaning in to kiss him. They were lost in their kiss until Demeltza interrupted them.
"Come on Gin, bring him with you if you must," she said trying to pull Ginny away from Harry.
"Why? I don't want to," she smiled.
"Fine, have it your way. It's not like you really wanted the trophy they're going to present us with," Ginny laughed and then sighed as she pulled away keeping nothing but Harry's hand.
When they got to the center field, the Puddlemere chasers came up to her.
"Good game for a rookie," one of them said.
"Hello Harry, Ginny," Oliver Wood interrupted, "Good game Ginny, I'm glad I played with you at school and not against you," he said shaking her hand.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." The first chaser said. "Harry Potter?" he looked at Ginny and Harry's linked hands.
"Yes, that would be me," Harry smiled, "You must be Peter Watson," he extended his other hand for Peter to shake. Ginny and the rest of the Harpies giggled at Peter.
"Picture time Weasley, glad to say you and the fiancé have made up, but let's go," Gwen said looking directly at Peter. Peter's mouth dropped open as he looked at Ginny's left hand, the one that was linked with Harry's.
"Gwen!" Ginny whisper yelled. No one was supposed to know they were engaged yet. Gwen laughed as she dragged the pair away from the gaping Puddlemere players.
"Sorry Gin, I had to do it for his reaction. You have to admit you found it funny too, and besides, it's not like you're trying to hide it," she smiled as she pointed to the ring. "Alright Potter, go on. You can have her back and make up more after the photo shoot when there aren't a million fans watching," she walked away leaving them standing together.
"Now that we've apologized for this morning, I love you," she said as she wrapped her arms around her forgetting everything and everyone else.
"I love you too," he said, "I guess I'm going to go join everyone at the Burrow. See you then?"
"Of course, I bet mum and George have got this ridiculous party planned for me now," she rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Weasley lets go," Gwen shouted in her captain's voice. This was the voice that meant business.
"I'll see you later," she stood up on her tip toes and kissed him gently before taking off across the field to her awaiting team. Harry watched for a few minutes before he heard a voice behind him.
"I told you so," Andromeda said.
"Yes, you did. I thought you'd already left though," he replied smiling.
"I wanted to see what would happen," she smiled as Teddy reached out to Harry. He had awoken with all the noise. Harry reached out and took him back
"Lets head on, I'm sure the Weasley's are waiting on us."