Training Camp.
The Chudley Cannons first ever training camp took place in a remote hotel up in the Scottish highlands. The Rolling Hills hotel specialised in company retreats and they had quidditch facilities on site. They also offered complete privacy as they were located several miles from the nearest muggle village, and even further from the nearest wizarding one. The hotel were also more than happy to accommodate any special requests their customers had, so they were more than happy to do whatever Harry and Hermione wanted when they booked their squad into the hotel for two weeks.
The day before the squad were due to arrive, Hermione and Harry headed up to the hotel to begin preparations. Also with them were Theo, a young trainee wizard who was his assistant physio, and four of the coaching team Harry had assembled for The Cannons. The four members of the coaching team all specialised in one position each, the two witches coached the chasers and the seekers, while the two wizards coached the keepers and beaters. Hermione had met all four members of staff when they were appointed, but she only really knew the keeping coach, who was the former Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood. After a couple of years plying professional quidditch, Oliver had switched to coaching, and according to Harry, he was the best keeping coach in the country.
While Harry and his coaching staff sorted the schedule for the arriving team, Hermione had been busy making sure everything was sorted for their arrival. Hermione had sorted the rooms, and aside from her and Harry, everyone had a roommate. Initially she had thought it could be a good idea to pick the roommates from a hat in order to get some mixing going on, but when her trial run had ended up with Ron sharing rooms with Draco she'd had second thoughts. Of course, she knew the pair would have to learn to get along, but she didn't think throwing them together in such circumstances would help matters. So in the end she'd rethought her idea, and tried to pair people who either already knew each other or who she thought would get along okay.
As well as sorting the rooms, Hermione had also been making sure that everyone had a couple of the new Cannons training shirts he'd had made waiting for them in their room. It was when she was getting the uniforms made that Hermione thought about sorting some training shirts out for the team. The shirts were just t-shirts, but their design was the same as the uniforms and they all had the new logo printed in the centre of the top. Hermione had even had shirts made for Harry and his coaching team, and they were all happily wearing them. Hermione herself even had a Cannons tank top, which she was wearing as she entered the hotel reception on the morning that the squad were due to arrive. Even though she could get someone else to welcome the team and get them settled in their rooms, she wanted to do it personally. Since she'd just informed the team to turn up anywhere between nine and twelve, Hermione expected she would have a long morning in front of her.
However, Hermione had barely arrived in reception when the first of the team arrived. With the help of the friendly witch on reception, Hermione was easily able to give out the appropriate key for the room, have their bags taken upstairs, give them her room number for if they had any problems, and inform them what time they were expected in the lounge for the first team meeting of the training camp.
The first of the team that Hermione personally knew to arrive were Angelina and Alicia, who were among the first group to turn up. Both witches greeted her warmly, and gushed over the design of her top.
"And the new strips are the same?" Angelina asked as she admired Hermione's top that subtly changed from bright red at the bottom to pale orange at the top.
"They are," Hermione replied with a nod. "Well aside from the fact the logo is smaller and at one side, rather than in the middle."
"And what's this?" Alicia asked with a chuckle as she picked a stuffed phoenix up from the front desk. The purple phoenix was also wearing a Cannons style top, with the new logo front and centre.
"Our new mascot," Hermione answered. "And part of our new merchandise. People can now buy their own Cannons phoenix. I'm going to make sure it's featured in our magazine deal."
"I think all this is great," Angelina said. "I love all this new look. It feels like we're playing for a completely fresh team."
"That's the idea," Hermione said with a smile as she returned to the task in hand and gave each witch their keys. "You two are rooming together. I'm in room six hundred and five on the sixth floor if you have any problems over the next two weeks. There's a meeting in the blue lounge room at half one, but until then you're free to have a look around and get yourself settled in."
"Thanks Hermione," Alicia said as she and Angelina headed off to their room.
Shortly after Alicia and Angelina had arrived, Draco and Blaise showed up. Both wizards immediately complimented Hermione, and gave their seal of approval to both the new shirts and the cute new mascot. When Hermione mentioned the pair sharing a room, Blaise did try and get a room to himself, but Hermione was adamant that no-one but her and Harry had their own rooms.
"It helps with the bonding," she informed Blaise.
"I shared a room with Draco for seven years at Hogwarts, isn't that enough torture for one lifetime?" Blaise pleaded.
"Sharing a room with me is a breeze compared to sharing with you," Draco retorted. "Especially when you're sleepwalking."
"You sleepwalk?" Hermione asked.
"It happened once in fourth year," Blaise replied. "I'd been ill and Madam Pomfrey gave me some sort of potion that was supposed to help me sleep. Although to be fair, it did help me sleep, it just also meant I started wandering about in the night."
"Poor Greg almost fell out of bed when you hopped in with him and started spooning him," Draco chuckled. "His screams certainly woke us all up."
"Screams?" Hermione laughed.
"He thought someone was molesting him as Blaise was naked at the time," Draco explained.
"Who wants to cover up the goods you were born with?" Blaise asked, giving Hermione a saucy wink. "Especially when they're as good as mine."
"I'll just have to take your word on that one, Blaise," Hermione said with a chuckle as she handed keys over to the two men and gave them the same speech she'd given everyone else about if they needed anything, and what time the meeting was.
"And do you have a roommate?" Draco asked, while Blaise turned his flirtatiousness to the pretty young witch helping Hermione out.
"No, I'm all alone," Hermione replied.
"Interesting," Draco remarked with a sly smirk.
"Don't go getting any ideas, Draco," Hermione warned. "You will be spending the next two weeks sharing a room with Blaise, even if he does hop into bed with you every night."
"If he hops into bed with me, he'll be losing those goods he was born with," Draco threatened with a wicked grin.
Promising she would catch up with the pair later on, Hermione let them go and get settled while she finished sorting the rest of the team. As it neared twelve, Hermione became very aware that she hadn't seen either Ron or Ginny, but with less than five minutes to spare, the siblings wandered into the hotel together.
"Bloody hell this place is in the middle of nowhere," Ron grumbled.
"That's the idea," Hermione replied. "We're out here on our own so there's no distractions."
Ron opened his mouth to reply, when he got a good look at Hermione's top and froze. "What is that?" He spluttered, taking in the top and the logo blazed all over his friend's chest.
"This is the new logo and colour of the new strip," Hermione replied. "It's to represent out new start."
"But you can't do that," Ron protested. "The Cannons play in orange, and we have a perfectly good logo."
"Times change Ron," Hermione replied with a shrug.
"You can't expect me to wear that," Ron stormed. "It's just not right."
"We can and we do expect you to wear the uniform of the team," Hermione said, her tone turning slightly frosty. "In your rooms are a couple of shirts for you to wear while you're training. You may not like it Ron, but these are the new team colours and logo."
"I don't bloody like it," Ron grumbled, his face contorting in horror as he then got his eye on the stuffed phoenix on the desk. "And that thing is just tacky."
Biting her tongue to stop her from saying anything she might later regret, Hermione found Ron's key and handed it to him. She then quickly relayed the same message she'd given to everyone else and sent him off to his room, feeling immensely sorry for Ned Parks, the chaser she'd paired him with.
"I think the new colours are nice," Ginny offered when her brother had gone. "And the logo is very eye-catching."
"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione said with a grateful smile. Even though the two witches weren't close, Hermione was always relieved when Ginny's jealousies were under control and she was pleasant to her. "We just wanted a change to signify our new start."
"I understand," Ginny said as Hermione handed her the key to her room. "And I take it that everything you told Ron also applies to me."
"It does," Hermione replied with a nod.
"Well, I better go and get settled in," Ginny said, giving Hermione another smile as she turned and sauntered off to the elevators.
Once Ginny had gone, Hermione turned back to her notes and double checked everyone had arrived and checked in. Just as she was finished her task, and was thinking about heading for a quick drink before the team meeting, Ginny stormed back into the reception.
"There's been some sort of mix-up," she spat at Hermione.
"What sort of mix-up?" Hermione asked with a frown.
"You've given me the wrong key," Ginny said as she slapped the key back down on the reception desk. "I went into the room only to find Sylvie Knox already in there."
"I still don't get the mix-up. Sylvie is your roommate," Hermione said.
"Roommate?" Ginny screeched. "What about Harry? I should be sharing with him."
"Ginny, you're not here as Harry's girlfriend, you're here as part of the team and all the team are sharing a room with someone," Hermione said firmly.
"Like it or not, I am Harry's girlfriend, Hermione," Ginny hissed, her jealousy of Hermione fully evident as she glared at the older witch. "And we will be sharing a room. Just wait and until I see him, he'll sort this mess."
"If he want to see him, he's in the lounge getting ready for the meeting," Hermione offered, pointing Ginny in the right direction.
Shaking her head, Hermione watched Ginny as she stormed off, leaving her key behind. Knowing that Harry wouldn't back Ginny up and allow her to move in with him, Hermione waited at reception for Ginny to return. Sure enough, less than ten minutes later a red faced Ginny charged back into the reception. Without saying a word to Hermione, she grabbed the key she'd left on reception and stormed back off up to the room she was sharing with the young seeker.
Hoping the dramas were over for the day, Hermione headed off to check on how things were coming in preparation for the meeting. Thankfully, Harry had everything in hand and Ginny's little outburst didn't seem to have fazed him. Although, Hermione was amused to learn that when he refused to back down and let her share with him, Ginny had very loudly told him that he would be going without sex for the next two weeks.
"How will you cope?" Hermione laughed.
"I'll manage somehow," Harry replied with a smirk, knowing that despite her threat Ginny would never follow through with it as they had a pretty hot sex life and she would be spiting herself as well as him if she banned sex. "Ginny's going to have to learn that our relationship is separate to what goes on with the club. When it comes to The Cannons, Ginny is just another player."
"Let's hope she accepts that before she causes any real problems," Hermione said as she left Harry to get ready for the meeting.
By the time Hermione returned for the meeting over an hour later, nearly everyone was present and as she settled down beside Harry, she noticed Ginny shooting her dark looks. No doubt Ginny was busy casting Hermione in the role of the bad guy who was coming in between her and Harry. Although, quite frankly Hermione couldn't care less about what Ginny thought of her. All she cared about was making The Cannons a success, both on and off the quidditch pitch.
"I'll not keep you long as lunch will be served shortly," Harry began as he got to his feet. "I just want to give you all a brief idea of how the next few days will run. Today, you've got the rest of day to settle in, but starting tomorrow the hard work begins. Tomorrow everyone will undergo a fitness test, and Theo will see if any of you need any help in any areas. You will then each be given a personal timetable that will see you over the next week. Included in the timetable will be one on one sessions with the coaches and myself, as well as training sessions with the other people who play the same positions as you. If any of you have any problems with the schedules, let us know and we'll address your concerns."
"When do we do these interviews and photo shoots?" Blaise asked.
"Next week," Hermione answered. "I'll speak to you about that as the week progresses and I have more information. But for this first week, you're in Harry and Theo's hands and you'll have to follow their rules."
"Rules?" Ron spat. "What rules?"
"I'm glad you asked, Weasley," Theo said as he got to his feet. "We'll start with these next two weeks. For the next two weeks there will be no alcohol to be consumed. The hotel staff are aware of this, and none of them will serve you alcohol, although they will report back if anyone tries to get a drink. Secondly, all meals have been specially selected to be healthy and to help with our training. No room service will be provided, and snacks are strictly forbidden."
"You don't expect us to keep to this diet once we go home do you?" Alicia asked.
"No, this is purely for these two weeks," Theo replied. "Besides, I'm taking it most of you have a decent diet anyway because of your profession. I'm just being a bit stricter than normal over these two weeks. And while we're all here, I just want to mention a rule I'll be implementing throughout the upcoming season. There will be no sex before a match. I'm talking, the morning of the match and the evening before. I don't want people to be too knackered to play because they were up all night having a private work out with their partner."
"How do you expect us to play if we haven't had sex?" Blaise demanded. "Without sex, it will be all I can think about."
"Even you can manage to go without sex for one night," Draco snorted at his best friend. "It's not as if you've got a girlfriend. I bet most of the time you don't have sex before a match anyway."
"That is not the point," Blaise argued with a pout. "The point is, I could have sex if I wanted. But now I'm being told, no sex, and it will kill me."
"You'll cope Blaise," Theo said with a roll of his eyes. "No-one has ever died from lack of sex."
"If anyone does, it will be me," Blaise moaned dramatically, causing a few people to laugh. It was very clear that Blaise was going to be the joker of the team, and already he was bringing a fun, light-hearted vibe to the training camp.
"If it happens, I'll stand corrected," Theo said. "But right now, I have no qualms with issuing a sex ban on every member of this team before a match."
"But we can discuss this later," Harry interjected. "It doesn't really matter for the next two weeks as we're all focused on training. I think right now, we should have some lunch and enjoy our last day of peace and quiet. Come tomorrow, things are going to be all go and rest will be something you'll get precious little of."
Moving into the dining room, most of the group were laughing and joking as they got to know each other. Of course the sex ban was the main topic of conversation, but people were also starting to wonder about just what the next two weeks had in store for them. Just what did Harry and his team have in store for the new Cannons players, and would they all survive a two week training camp?