Chapter 9: Quidditch in Heels

The following week Ginny was delirious with happiness, rehearsals had begun and she now had a way to pass the time. She'd also found out the job paid enough money to cover most of her expenses making her feel relieved as she could now use her savings to pay the rent and that would probably last several months.

She had become friends with one of her co-stars, a short girl named Lenicia. It was a breath of fresh air as the only women she'd spoken to since leaving Hogwarts were Luna and Hermione that is if you ignored the existence of her various sisters-in-law, which was what Ginny preferred to do as all they liked to talk about was their careers and children, two topics that Ginny despised and Hermione was quickly falling into that pit. Luna had gone on a trip several months ago to central Russia in search of some creature or other. The only indication that she was still alive was a postcard Ginny had received on Tuesday and it had simply said: Coming closer to the nest!, whatever that meant.

She examined herself in her hall mirror one last time. Her hair flowed freely down her back contrasting with her turquoise tank top, she'd opted against wearing a bra but it wasn't obvious. Her black skirt swung around her knees softly and she was wearing her favourite heels, they were turquoise although a slightly greener shade than her shirt. She was wearing the slightest touch of makeup, barely noticeable and no jewellery although that bit was more because she didn't own any.

The doorbell rang and she ran to it snatching her jacket from the peg beside it as she swung it open. She had just put it on when she looked up to see Draco looking worried and disappointed. She looked down at her clothes. "Is this not nice enough?"

"No! No! You look beautiful, but I was going to take you flying and-"

"Is that all?" She asked laughing. She grabbed her wand from her jacket pocket and transfigured her shoes into sneakers and her skirt into shorts. "Ready!" She smiled, pushed him back gently as he stood dumbfounded in front of the door and closed the door.

Marcus Flint was captain of the Caerphilly Catapults and looked as ugly as ever, although as he was smiling Ginny was disposed to like him. It also didn't hurt that Ginny being obsessed with Quidditch knew that thanks to him the team was positioned to get to the World Cup in 2006 and she was fighting the urge to ask for an autograph. When Draco told her they'd be playing with the team she almost fainted; somehow she managed to control herself and made it through the introductions.

"If I remember correctly you used to be a pretty good seeker in school." He said when they were waiting to be lent brooms.

"That was only a couple of times, I played Chaser mostly." She said watching him examine the brooms.

"Yes, well you beat me in fifth year." He said handing her a broom.

"Well, it wasn't very hard." She said smiling and flew off.

The team had split up into two groups of six, one dressed in scarlet the other in green, the two actual seekers lounged in the bleachers screaming obscenities at their team mates, Ginny joined the scarlet team and smiled at Draco who smiled wolfishly from the green team. The game passed by in a blur of colours. Ginny who hadn't played an actual game since Hogwarts was overwhelmed; fortunately Draco had seemingly no more practice than her and they spent the time watching the professionals and feigning they'd spotted the snitch.

Twice Ginny saw the snitch only to have it disappear on her, the second time she came very close to Draco and when she slowed down she caught him staring at her slack jawed, she looked down and saw her nipples pressing against her top; she turned around to hide her smile and continued the search for the snitch, it seems I've made a good choice.

Finally she saw Draco had spotted the snitch and was trying to furtively close in on it, she copied his strategy by continuing her lazy circles of the pitch all the while drifting towards the snitch. She saw him stiffen in preparation to speed up and she zoomed in so fast she thought she would fall off the back of the broom. She rushed past him startling him, but he caught on quickly and soon they were neck and neck the snitch flitting away faster and faster and before Ginny herself could recognize it her hand closed around the snitch.

She landed to the cheers of the scarlet and green teams. Everyone patted her in the back and she had absolutely no idea which team had won and when she looked at the scoreboard she noticed no one had been keeping score. Draco landed in front of her looking a little dissatisfied but otherwise quite pleased.

"So what've I won?" She asked him teasingly.

He walked up to her grabbed her around her waist so suddenly she gasped and he said, "A kiss." And he kissed her so skilfully that all she could do was cling to him and hope it would never end, however it did and he, grinning naughtily, said "see? everyone wins."

"Really?" Flint said suddenly reminding Ginny that they were in the middle of a Quidditch Pitch surrounded by people, "then where's my kiss?"

A/N: Saturday, April 16th, 2004