DON'T PRETEND YOU LOVE ME

CHAPTER 05

THE QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS

Next morning at the Gryffindor tower, a blur of bushy hair was zooming through the Common room, taking down poor defenseless first years down. Hermione ran up to the boy's dormitory. She jogged towards the seventh year dorm room where Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus stay.

She immediately pushed the door open. There are reasons why you should always knock before you open doors. This is one of them.

"Harry! I need to talk to..." Hermione stopped dead when she saw Harry sitting on his bed trying to put his shirt on.

Harry jumped to his feet when he turned around and saw Hermione at the door.

"Hermione get out! Get out!" Harry yelled.

Hermione didn't need telling twice. She quickly dashed out slamming the door behind her shut. She was still panting from the run she made just earlier. Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment. This was because Harry's body was still fresh on her mind. Things have really changed since freshman year. She never thought of Harry's skinny frame becoming so built through the years. Quidditch has certainly agreed with her best friend.

The door swung open, Hermione stepped back as Harry emerge from the room, now fully dressed and like her, blushing red.

"What the hell was that all that about?" yelled Harry furiously.

Pushing the image of Harry's abs out of her head, she finally mustered the spirit to talk. "Um Harry...it's about my Uncle." said Hermione gaining back her composure.

"What about him?" said Harry with his arms crossed. "Didn't he go back to Brighton like you said he would." asked Harry.

"I thought he was on the way back to Brighton too Harry, but I only found out this morning that Professor Dumbledore gave him the permission to stay at Hogwarts as long as he wants to. And my Uncle accepted the offer." said Hermione.

Harry gave a heavy sigh. "So now what? Does this mean that we have to pretend were a couple until he goes away?" asked Harry.

"Well until I think of a plan, we'll have to, but until that… here, take this." Hermione handed Harry a golden locket.

"What's this?" asked Harry looking curiously at the small locket.

"It's a gold locket Harry..."

"I know it's a gold locket. What I mean is what is it for?" said Harry cutting Hermione off.

"I gave it an Impredimier charm so we can talk in our minds while wearing this." said Hermione.

"You mean you have one too?" asked Harry.

"Right here, I'm wearing it." said Hermione pointing to the gold locket on her neck. "I would've improved them but I had such a short time so these would have to do. You only have to talk to me in you're mind."

Harry shot Hermione with a look of amazement "Wow. Hermione, can I marry your brain?".

She laughed at this. "We need to get our stories the same in front of him, and as you know I'm not that great of a liar." said Hermione.

"But didn't you lied to him at the Great Hall before." asked Harry.

"I made a potion that can help me lie to him." Hermione replied.

"You're the only person who needs a potion to lie." said Harry starting to laugh.

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Hermione smiling at Harry.

Suddenly the door opened, it was Ron. His cheeks were as red as his hair. Apparently, Harry wasn't the only one in that room who was getting dressed.

"What on earth were you bursting to our room for?" he asked furiously.

"It was nothing, Ron. I didn't know you were getting dressed..."

"Tell him you were going to warn me something about…Um... Quidditch." said Harry talking to Hermione with his mind.

Hermione turned slightly to Harry then turned back to Ron. "I was going to tell Harry that Zachrias Smith was going to ask permission to pitch a practice for Hufflepuff today."

"But that was no excuse to just barge in the door like that. And by the way, why would you tell this to Harry alone? I'm part of the team too you know." said Ron.

"That's why I'm telling you I'm sorry." said Hermione trying hard to convince Ron.

"Fine." said Ron finally "Just don't go barging in on us like that."

"The locket really does work, so tell me what did you see in there?" Harry asked Hermione through his mind.

"Harry!" warned Hermione but she was on the verge of laughing herself.

"What are you two laughing about?" asked Ron.

"Nothing!" they said together.

"I'll go take care of Smith. You two go on ahead to the Great Hall." said Harry.

As Harry, Hermione and Ron got out of the Portrait Hole, Hermione and Ron went to the Great Hall and Harry went the other way.

"You really should tell Ron to lay off those Turkey sandwiches, he's been gaining some pounds." said Hermione talking to Harry in her mind.

"Well it's a good thing you missed Neville, Seamus and Dean. I tell you, they really aren't that pretty when they're in their underpants." said Harry.

"What are you laughing about?" Ron asked Hermione.

Hermione didn't noticed that she was laughing. She was looking kind of stupid in front of Ron.

"Nothing, nothing really." lied Hermione. "It's just a joke I heard somewhere." Hermione lied.

"Really? Tell me." said Ron enthusiastically.

"Never mind."

"Tell me." said Ron, begging like a child.

"Err…"

"Is it the one with the rabbi, the Nazi and Mel Gibson?"

"…Sure?"

"I love that joke." said Ron.

"Harry I think we should stop using the locket unless it's necessary." she told Harry.

"Okay, but I got to tell you I'm having fun." said Harry.

After all their classes ended. Harry and Ron headed down to the Quidditch pitch when someone called them.

"Harry! Ron!"

The two turned around and saw Ginny and Neville running towards them.

"Ginny, what are you so hyper about?" asked Ron.

"Nothing. I'm just excited about the try outs." said Ginny with a lively voice. "Do you think were going to get good replacements today Harry?"

"I don't know, that's what we're here to find out." Harry replied.

"Are all those people going to try out for the team too?" asked Neville as he pointed towards a crowd of Gryffindors waiting at the Quidditch field."

"Whoa." said Harry and Ron together.

A couple of minutes later, they have formed the people who were going to try out for the team.

"Okay, here's what were gonna do… all the Third years below will be trying out with Ginny Weasley." Harry bellowed.

All the first, second and third years looked at Ginny with admiration. Some were blushing as though they're thrilled to be taught by her.

"Fourth and Fifth years will be under Ron Weasley." Harry continued.

All Fourth and Fifth years shot Ron a look of disappointment. A fourth year raised her hand.

"Excuse me sir, could you just look after us instead?"

Ron quickly glared at her and the kid took her hand out of the air and placed it inside her pocket. Ginny giggled and so did the others.

Harry forced himself not to laugh, but he couldn't help snorting otherwise "All Sixth and Seventh years follow me."

Ron and Ginny took their groups and started to try them out one by one. Harry meanwhile went to his group and was surprised to see that Neville and Seamus standing in back of the line. He went over to them.

"Why didn't you two tell me that you wanted to try out for the team?" asked Harry smiling.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," said Seamus "I just wanted to see if I can be cut out for Quidditch."

"Plus, we wanted to test our new brooms." added Neville holding up his newly bought Comet Two Sixty and pointing at Seamus's Nimbus Nineteen Ninety with his free hand.

"That's great, let's see what you guys can do with those brooms later when I'm finished with these guys." said Harry pointing at the line ahead.

The tryouts went about an hour and a half. Ron was having trouble with a Fourth year girl as the kid flew over the goal post, fell off her broom and got stuck as she hanged to the left goal post for her life. Ginny meanwhile found some skill in a Third year boy named Euan Abercrombie (A/N You might know Euan Abercrombie in the fifth book of Harry Potter where he was a First year who was sorted to Gryffindor)

"Excellent Euan! You'd a make a fine Chaser!" she encouraged him.

Harry was now about to deal with Seamus and Neville "So, what positions do you two want to try out for?" he asked intently.

"Well... I was thinking about being a Beater. You know… Bludgers and stuff. Plus, I like whacking stuff with a bat." said Seamus

"You should try baseball then." said Harry.

"What's baseball?" asked Seamus.

"Wasn't your dad…?"

"You mean my absentee dad?"

"How about you Neville?" Harry asked Neville quickly.

"I'd like to be a Beater too. I'm not that good blocking stuff to be a keeper, and I'm not that good of a flier to be a Chaser Either." Neville replied.

"Okay, mount you're brooms then." Harry commanded.

The two climbed on to their brooms and kicked off from the ground and trusted through the air. As Harry observed their moves, he noticed Seamus has kicked off a little bit too strong, while Neville in the other hand flew perfectly well. Harry remembers seeing Neville fly once before. It was their first lesson with Madam Hooch. Neville broke his wrist after that lesson, but now he's watching Neville fly smoothly.

When the tryouts finally ended, everyone was covered with dirt. Harry, Ron and Ginny watched the weary hopefuls walk back to the castle.

"So, what do you guys have?" asked Harry.

"The Third year named Euan Abercrombie is the most promising off all who showed up. I think he'll make a good Chaser if you ask me." said Ginny proudly.

"The Fourth year named Agatha Tolkin showed no fear of anything. She even stayed when I told them we were going to play Slytherin first-which I might add that almost everyone had scampered away when I said Draco Malfoy's name" said Ron.

"She's not afraid of anything?" asked Ginny narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing but a speeding Bludger… the prat. She really should do something about her attitude." said Ron.

"Well maybe if you weren't so busy shouting at her, she would have stop shouting back." said Ginny laughing.

"Since we've got no more room for Beaters, we'll have to put her on harms way as a Chaser." said Harry.

"We've got Beaters? Who?" asked Ginny excitedly?

"Seamus and Neville." said Harry.

"Really?" asked Ron and Ginny at the same time.

"Yeah, I think Seamus is good with a bat and believe it or not, Neville has a very good accuracy." Harry commented.

Ginny blushed slightly at Neville's name.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm starving." said Ron.

"You always are." said Harry.

"Let's go back to the castle, and try to get something to eat." Ron suggested.

"I'm all for that" said Harry.

"Let's go," said Ginny.

The three grabbed their brooms and went back to the castle with grins on their faces.