Sorry for the wait people, but Heartfelt Dream was giving me problems and I do them alternately, 'cause it's fair! lol Hope it was worth the wait, I love this one wishes Quidditch was a real life game
Please let me know what you think :D Much appreciated.
Step ;)
Chapter 11
'The problem with Hufflepuff is, people tend to underestimate them. They don't take them seriously as an opponent and suffer because of it.'
The members of the Gryffindor team were listening intently to their captain's words.
'So, as much as we played well in the first match we still need to train hard to make sure our standard doesn't fall. We will not let that nasty piece of work Smith beat us, alright?'
A series of 'Yes Harry', 'alright' and 'we'll be fine, Harry' went round the changing room.
Harry looked along the line at his team and smiled. Then his eyes landed on Hermione and he inwardly chuckled. Her head was resting on her hand and she looked entirely bored.
'I think the best thing we can do is try and put them off when they have the quaffle. Obviously our two fantastic Beaters will try and batter them off their brooms, but it might help if we can get two of the Chasers, maybe Ginny and Demelza – you both can look quite vicious if you want to -'
'Hey!' Ginny protested, but with a smile on her face.
'To take positions nearer Ron, then they might find it a bit harder to get through, or might be put off enough to miss.
'Be careful what you say Potter!' Ginny growled. The rest of the team laughed.
'If you can manage to fly this way,' Harry moved his wand over the chart beside him and red arrows followed the tip.
Ginny stood up and walked over to the board and took Harry's wand off him. 'Or here,' she pointed at the chart with the wand, 'that way we'd have a better angle to see if they came from there,' she made a yellow line along the chart to show where the opposition could also come from.
Hermione leaned into Ron. 'If they're going to come and fly near you, why don't they just take a hoop each?' she whispered to him.
'Huh?' Ron grunted.
Harry was still talking to Ginny in the background.
Hermione sighed in frustration. 'Well, aren't they just doing your job if they're gonna sit on either side of you?'
'No, I'm the keeper!'
'Yes I know that Ron!' she hissed, not realising her whispers were getting louder. 'But won't they be-'
'Hermione!' Harry said with a confused look. 'Do you have something to add to the talk? 'Cause if you don't I'd like my keepers attention back with me please!'
Ron scowled at Hermione, and she returned the gesture in full force to Harry. 'Well I was just saying, won't the Chasers, whoever they are get in Ron's way if they're either side of him.'
'No!' Ginny said as if she was talking to a five year old. 'We know how to stay out of his way Hermione, we're not gonna be next to him, we'll be in front of him so he can still defend his hoops!'
'So you'll be in front of him, blocking his view of the space in front
of him.'
'Hermione, please, we know how to fly and to help Ron without hindering him, thank you.'
'But if you were gonna be where you just showed on the chart then you will be hindering him.'
'Okay! I think this had better stop. Hermione thank you for your input but I think whichever Chasers are helping defend know not to get in Ron's way.'
Hermione's scowl grew deeper and she slumped back onto the wooden bench, and didn't look up from her lap or the floor for the rest of the talk.
A few minutes later they were walking out of the changing room and onto the pitch. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him back so they were behind the rest of the players.
'You could have supported me!'
'What? You practically told our Chasers they didn't know how to fly without being a nuisance! How was I supposed to support you!'
Hermione looked defiantly at him. 'Well…you…you could have said something! I had a point!'
'A minor one!'
'So! It was still valid!'
'RON! Come on! Get in the air!' Ginny screeched from above Ron's head. 'We haven't got all day!'
She soared off towards Harry who was looking over at his friend.
Ron growled in frustration and swung his leg over his broom. He took one last look at Hermione – she was scowling deeply – and kicked off.
Hermione went and sat in the stands. It wasn't raining, although the sky was a very dark grey and she knew it was only a matter of time before the heavens opened. The wind wasn't too bad for playing in, but for Hermione wanting to study it was a nightmare, her parchment would have flown off never to be seen again, so her work stayed firmly shut in her bag which was sat next to her.
There was nothing else for her to do but watch the practice. Ron was keeping the hoops nearest to her so she at least could see the practice properly without having to squint to the other end of the pitch.
Ron was circling his hoops keeping his eyes on the quaffle at all times but his mind kept wandering back to Hermione.
Should I have stuck up for her? He thought. She did have a point, if they fly to near to me then I won't be able to see a thing. If I'd said that Harry and the others might have taken it into consideration, but because it was Hermione-
He was jerked from his thought as the red ball shot towards his right goal. He flew to catch it and caught it deftly in his right hand. He kicked it a long way up the pitch and Demelza shot off to catch it.
His thoughts were back with Hermione. It was true if he'd brought the concern up either Harry or Ginny would have taken it into consideration, but because it was Hermione, it was shouted down. He felt a bit guilty at the thought, he really should have said something.
The crack of a bludger against a bat woke him up to the practice and he focused his eyes just in time to see the quaffle going towards his centre hoop – he had been hovering in front of the left one – and flew towards it. He couldn't catch hold of it but he managed to punch it off course. He followed it as it went towards the edge of the pitch and caught it just before it landed on the ground. When he looked up he realised he was directly in front of Hermione and he looked at her in hope there was some sort of sign she wasn't angry with him anymore. There wasn't; she refused to look at him. He frowned and flew back up to his hoops. He kicked the quaffle hard towards the other end of the pitch. Ginny looked like she was going to shout at him for not concentrating but she seemed to change her mind and flew off after the quaffle.
Ron took the chance to take another look at Hermione. She was still looking annoyed. He saw the Chasers were taking a break from trying to score and were getting a couple minutes of passing in. Ron dipped a few feet lower than his hoops and then turned so he was facing Hermione more than he should be.
'Hermione!' he called. She either didn't hear his call or was ignoring him.
He sighed in frustration and dipped a bit lower.
'Hermione! He shouted louder.
She turned her head towards him. 'What?' she mouthed at him.
'RON!' Harry yelled. 'What are you doing?'
Ron turned bright red and flew up towards his hoops in a panic. It was while he was flying towards his right hoop that Coote happened to miss hit a bludger towards the hoops. Ron only got a quick glance at the Bludger before it hit his head with a sickening crack.
'RON!' various people cried, including Harry, Ginny and Hermione.
Ron tried to fight off the black that was edging into his peripheral vision. Before his consciousness was taken from him he managed to fly towards the ground a little, but the he knew no more.
Hermione rushed down the stairs towards Ron, but as she put her foot on the last step she went very dizzy, she swayed as she tried to run towards the crumpled heap that was Ron on the grass but as she took her third step forwards, her legs gave way and she collapsed on the ground. She tried to fight the blackness that was trying to consume her, but like Ron, she failed.
…oooOOOooo…
'Headmaster I just don't know what to do with them! I've never seen anything like this before so I don't know how to treat it!'
'Poppy, calm yourself. I am sure this is merely a side effect of them consuming the half made Amortentia!'
'Merely a side effect! As if it wasn't bad enough that Mister Weasley was knocked unconscious by a bludger and then fell twenty feet off his broom, Miss Granger then collapsed for no apparent reason!'
'Poppy, poppy,' Dumbledore said, raising his hands to try and calm the frantic nurse. 'I have a feeling Miss Granger will wake as soon as Mister Weasley does, and you have done a marvelous job with heeling his injuries so I doubt that will be too long. If nothing else his stomach will wake him shortly!'
Madam Pomfrey decided not to argue with the headmaster.
'Now, I think I should just have a quick word with Harry and Ginny to see if they have noticed anything else strange happening with regards to Ron and Hermione. They, more than anyone, will be able to tell us things we would otherwise not find out.'
He turned and walked to the entrance to the hospital wing entrance and opened the door.
Harry was leaning on the door and nearly fell into the headmaster when it was suddenly opened from the other side. Luckily Ginny managed to grab his arm and steady him.
'Good evening Harry, Ginny.'
'Evening professor,' Harry said, recovering from his slight embarrassment.
'Evening professor,' Ginny said with a grin.
'I would just like to ask you some questions about Ron and Hermione. Have you noticed anything…different in the way either of them have behaving recently.'
Harry and Ginny looked at each other before looking at Dumbledore.
'Different, Professor?' Harry asked.
'Yes Harry, different.'
'Er…well…there was one thing…this morning.'
'Go on,' Dumbledore prompted.
'Well…at breakfast this morning, they were talking and bickering, which isn't, strange at all – it's perfectly normal, but whilst they were talking, they made each others breakfasts for them and when they were done, they couldn't remember doing it. They didn't even notice whilst they were doing it, when they were. It was…strange…to say the least!'
'I see. Is there anything else?'
'Er…I don't think so…oh!' an evil grin spread across his face. 'Well, Ron's started sleeping on the toilet but apart from that, no!'
'He what?' Ginny screeched, before laughing out loud.
'Well apparently he fell asleep on the toilet last night!'
'I see,' Dumbledore said with a small smile on his face. 'Well I don't think that has anything to do with their current situation, but their earlier behaviour might be an indication that their er, 'connection' might be getting stronger. I shall have a talk with them tomorrow. Now, I don't think Madam Pomfrey will let you in until the two of them have woken up, and then I have a feeling they will ask to see you, so you will be informed of their awakening. I therefore suggest that you go and change out of your Quidditch robes and go to your common room as there is no point in you hanging round here.'
'I shall see you both soon.'
He walked serenely passed them and after a shrug at each other made their way to the Gryffindor common room.
'I can't believe the stupid git got himself knocked out!' Ginny mumbled.
'It was hardly his fault Jimmy miss hit that Bludger, Ginny,' Harry replied in defence of his best friend.
'It was his fault he was talking to Hermione and not concentrating on the game! If he'd been where he was supposed to be, none of this would have happened.'
'Hmm,' Harry mumbled in reply, he could hardly argue with that.
'Ginny…do you…'
'Do I what?'
'Never mind.'
'Don't do that, it's so annoying! What were you going to say?'
'I…do you think that this…thing…connection…whatever will make them realise…you know…'
Ginny laughed. 'Harry, they've been ignoring that for at least a year, I doubt this connection thing will make that much of a difference, unless of course there are any other unseen side effects we don't know about, but even so, I doubt it.'
'Yeah, I suppose.'
…oooOOOooo…
Ron moaned before opening his eyes. The room around him was dark but he could see the faint glow of candlelight next to him. He tried to lift his head off the pillow but winced with the pain.
'Oww!' he said quietly, through gritted teeth.
Hermione opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around her and her heart sank when she recognised her surroundings as the hospital wing. What had happened now?
She heard shuffling in the bed next to her and looked to her right. She saw Ron try and sit up and the image of him being cracked on the head by a bludger flashed through her mind. She physically winced at the memory and hurriedly got off the bed and walked to Ron's bedside.
'Ron?' she asked quietly.
He tried again to lift his head off the pillow.
'Don't you dare try and move!' Hermione demanded as she put a hand on his shoulder stopping him from attempting to get up. 'How painful is it?' she asked quietly.
'Very,' Ron grumbled in reply. His eyes widened when he saw Hermione dressed in the same type of hospital gown he was wearing. 'What happened to you?' he asked, concern filling his voice.
'I er…I passed out just after you. I was coming down the steps when I went dizzy and collapsed, I presume I blacked out.'
'But why!' Ron exclaimed a little louder than his head liked. He winced at the pain.
'Calm down Ron or Madam Pomfrey'll demand I leave you alone and I don't want to leave you, not when you're in this much pain.'
Ron gave a small smile. Hermione continued with her thoughts of an explanation.
'I can only think that it's the potion that's doing this. When you lot were listening intently to Harry I was thinking about what happened last night. It's like you said, you don't normally fall asleep on the toilet, even if you're tired you keep yourself awake until you're nice and safe in bed. Well, apparently, you didn't get the chance too. What if you fell asleep 'cause I did? I was out pretty fast after I'd had a drink and you must have fallen asleep too. It's lucky you were sat down actually, that could have been painful.'
Ron chuckled. 'I don't know which is more embarrassing, falling asleep on the toilet, or falling asleep standing up!'
Hermione chuckled. 'Anyway, maybe the same thing happened when you were knocked out by that Bludger. You were knocked unconscious so I was too. It makes sense.'
'Yeah it does. I guess it's just something else we've got to be careful of.'
'I hope that you're careful about getting knocked unconscious anyway Ronald!' Hermione scolded, but with a smile on her face.'
Ron smiled. 'Of course I am. I don't go looking for trouble, I'm not Harry!'
Hermione laughed, but she soon stopped when she saw Ron wince at the pain in his head again.
'I'll go and get you some pain relief from Madam Pomfrey, I'm surprised she hasn't realised we're awake yet! After that you need to sleep.'
Ron smiled but then frowned. 'But that'll mean you have to sleep too! I don't want-'
'Ron, you've been hit on the head by a Bludger; you need to get some rest. I don't mind, really I don't.'
'Well…if you're sure.'
'I'm sure. I'll go and get your pain relief.'
'Thanks. Oh! Can we eat before we sleep. I'm starving, didn't have time to eat much at tea before Quidditch practice.'
'I know you didn't, I was there remember! I'll ask Madam Pomfrey if you're allowed anything.'
A panic-stricken Ron looked at Hermione. 'Why wouldn't I be able to eat anything?'
Hermione had to laugh at Ron's expression. 'Don't worry Ron, I'm sure you'll be able to eat something!'
She turned to walk towards Madam Pomfrey's office.
'Hermione!' Ron called.
'Yes?'
'Thanks…for this…you know…looking after me.'
Hermione shrugged slightly. 'You did the same for me, I'm just returning the favour.'
'You mean you wouldn't be being this nice if I hadn't been nice to you,' he asked with a cheeky grin.
Hermione scowled but with a half smile on her face. 'Just because you've got a sore head doesn't mean I can't thrown pillows at you!'
Ron laughed. 'With your aim, I'll be fine!'
Hermione chuckled. 'True, but if I aim for the wall you're in serious danger!'
