Ginny's Wake-Up Call.
Opening her eyes, Ginny rolled over in bed, reaching for Harry before she remembered she was at her own flat and her boyfriend was away for a few days on business. Ginny wasn't quite sure what Harry was doing, all she knew was that he and Hermione had gone away for a few days and left The Cannons in the capable hands of their staff. Harry's absence meant that Theo was in charge of training sessions, and Ginny wasn't exactly looking forward to the former Slytherin being in charge. While Theo was a good physio, Ginny still wasn't sure why he had so much say in the training, especially as the team also had four specialist coaches to call on. However, he'd been left in charge and like it or not Ginny had to put up with him.
Reluctantly rolling out of bed, Ginny checked the time and found she was already pushing it to get to training on time. Shrugging her shoulders, not really bothered if she was late, Ginny headed into the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day ahead. Despite her lack of time, Ginny had a long, steaming hot shower before she dressed and had some breakfast. By now she was almost guaranteed to be late to training, but it didn't bother the redheaded witch.
The season was at the halfway mark and Ginny was decidedly disillusioned with life at The Cannons. Even though Harry had made it clear that being his girlfriend wouldn't help her in any way, Ginny had still thought it would give her some perks, but it didn't. She'd played one first team game all season, and she wasn't even getting regular reserve matches. To be honest Ginny was beginning to feel like a spare part at The Cannons and she knew Ron felt the same. Her brother hadn't even played in the first team once this season, not even when Blaise missed a match due to a slight shoulder strain.
As for the team itself, they were currently sitting mid-table. The results of the team had been mixed, and while they'd celebrated huge wins they'd also suffered crushing losses. It was obvious to everyone that they wouldn't be winning the championship this year, but it was equally clear that providing they didn't get on a massive losing streak, they wouldn't be finishing last either. Ginny knew Harry was fairly happy with the team's progress, and he hoped that once the team had fully gelled in a few seasons that they could challenge for the title. Ginny also knew his thoughts were shared by the general public and the media and even after just half a season The Cannons were being touted as a team to watch in the future.
While Ginny was pleased to be involved with an up and coming team, she was frustrated by her own lack of play. Every time she didn't make the team, she would look at her former team, The Holyhead Harpies and wonder if she would have made their team. It didn't help that The Harpies were the team currently above The Cannons and they were their next opponents. So for the last few days all Ginny could think about was how her career might have been going if she hadn't left The Harpies. Maybe if she'd stayed with them, she would have been in the first team and preparing for a match, but here she was stuck with The Cannons and knowing her chances of playing in the next match were slim to none.
Dragging herself out of her thoughts, Ginny finished her breakfast and leaving the dishes until she returned home that evening, she grabbed her training bag and headed off to work. When she arrived at the training ground, she headed into the changing rooms to find them empty. Realising she was later than she thought she quickly changed into her training outfit, grabbed her broom for the broom cupboard and ran out to join training.
Ginny could see the players were working in their groups, so she hurried over to where the chasers were working. As she neared the chasers, she grimaced when she spotted Theo standing with the chasing coach, Becky.
"Sorry I'm late," Ginny said breezily, smiling at Becky and ignoring Theo. "Where do you want me?"
"Nowhere," Theo answered. "You know the rules Ginny, if you're late for training, you don't train."
"But if I don't train, I don't stand a chance of being selected for the next match," Ginny argued. She knew it was a rule that latecomers didn't train, just like it was rule that anyone who missed training would miss out on selection chances for the upcoming games.
"Maybe you should have remembered that before you were late," Theo replied with a shrug.
"I couldn't help being late," Ginny protested, wracking her brains for a reason she could say she was late.
"Really?" Theo raised a sceptical eyebrow at the redhead. "So why are you late?"
"I was talking to Harry," Ginny answered, feeling smug at the lie she'd thought of. There was no way Theo could punish her for talking with the boss.
"This morning?" Theo checked.
"This morning," Ginny answered with a nod. "We were talking via the floo and the time got away from us."
"Funny, because I spent the morning talking with Harry, and we only ended our conversation five minutes before training was due to start," Theo said. "By that time you should have been here, getting ready for training, so you weren't talking to Harry."
Ginny glared hatefully at Theo, annoyed that he'd blown her excuse apart. "Fine, I wasn't talking to Harry, but I could have been. He is my boyfriend you know."
"I'm well aware of your relationship with him," Theo replied. "But as he's pointed out numerous times, it doesn't mean anything when it comes to the running of this club. Girlfriend of the boss or not, you have to follow the same rules as everyone else. You're late, therefore you're not training today, Ginny."
"You can't do this to me," Ginny seethed. "Harry won't stand for it."
"We both know that if Harry was here, he would do the exact same thing," Theo argued. "Or maybe if Harry was here, you wouldn't have tried pulling such a stunt."
Ginny flushed as she silently acknowledged that Theo was right, and if Harry had been around she wouldn't have been late for training. But with Harry gone, she'd let her dissatisfaction get the better of her and she'd messed up. However, she wasn't going to admit as much to Theo so she fixed him with another glare.
"Just you wait, Nott, I'm going to make you pay for this," she hissed. "I'm telling Harry about this."
"Tell him," Theo answered with an unconcerned shrug. "I'm sure it'll come up when I talk to him anyway. If he takes your side and says I punished you unfairly, so be it. But I think we both know where Harry is going to stand on this one. Now if you don't mind, I've got training to get back to. Goodbye Ginny, and try not to be late tomorrow."
Ginny snorted in frustration as Theo turned his back on her and headed off to check on the beaters who were working nearby. Knowing that there was no point hanging around when she'd been dismissed, Ginny headed back to the changing rooms. As she went, she felt some of the others watching her, but she didn't look back. She just marched into the changing rooms, got changed back into her normal clothes and exited the training facilities without even having gotten on her broomstick.
Returning home, she collapsed onto the sofa, convinced that she'd just blown her career with The Cannons. She knew Harry wouldn't be he happy with her behaviour, and quite honestly she couldn't really blame him. She'd been terrible this last year, and turning up late for training was the final straw. Now she just had to decide if she should cut her losses and walk away from Harry and The Cannons, or stay and fight her corner.
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Harry sat alone in his flat, nursing a glass of firewhisky and mulling over a few problems. His main problem came in the form of his girlfriend. He'd been shocked and disappointed when he'd returned from a brief business trip with Hermione to find Ginny had turned up late to training and Theo had sent her away. Harry didn't have a problem with the stance Theo had taken, as it was one he would have taken as well, he was just disappointed with Ginny. He couldn't believe that she still thought she could flout the rules because of their personal relationship.
After the training camp, where he'd clashed with Ginny several times over her attitude, he'd had no serious problems with his girlfriend. While Ron had caused a fuss at the beginning of the season, and there was still lingering bad feeling between them, Ginny hadn't been too problematic. She didn't even have much to say when she'd found out about Hermione and Draco. If she did share Ron's views, she'd been smart enough not to let Harry know about it. Or it could be that she was pleased that Hermione was dating someone as it meant she was no longer a threat in Ginny's mind.
Despite Ginny not making the first team more than once, Harry had been under the impression she was knuckling down and trying to improve her game. There hadn't even been as many issues with Draco when he was playing chaser. Harry had seen enough to know Ginny still wasn't comfortable playing with Draco, but she was no longer blatantly ignoring him when they played together. He knew Ginny still needed more work to be seriously considered for the first team on a regular basis, but he'd thought things were going in the right direction. At least until she'd pulled yet another stunt, acting as though she deserved special treatment because of their relationship.
Harry had already been seriously thinking about Ron's place with The Cannons, but now he also had to think about Ginny's. He was pleased with the progress the club had made, in fact it had blown him away that they were mid-table and had pulled off some big wins, but he knew how fragile things with The Cannons still were. One wrong move and the club could end up back at square one, and Harry suspected troublesome squad members could provide that wrong move.
As much as Harry wanted The Cannons to succeed, he also had to think about the effect on his personal life. Ron and Ginny had been in his life for a long time, and no matter what happened, he didn't want to lose either of them. He wanted The Cannons to be successful, and he wanted to keep his best friend and girlfriend. But something told Harry that he might just be clutching at straws and that it would be nigh on impossible to keep Ron and Ginny onside as well as making a success of The Cannons.
Wishing he knew what to do, Harry finished his firewhisky and poured himself a second glass. Before he had a chance to sit back down with his drink there was a knock on the door. When he answered, he found Ginny standing on the doorstep, looking sheepish. Normally his girlfriend arrived by floo, so the very fact she'd used the front door told Harry that she hadn't been sure she would be welcome.
"Hey," Ginny said quietly.
"Ginny," Harry replied, stepping back and letting his girlfriend into the flat.
"I guess you heard what happened at training," Ginny said as Harry shut the door behind her and strode into the front room.
"I did," Harry answered shortly as he sat down. "What were you playing at Ginny? You know our relationship doesn't give you license to flout the rules."
"I know," Ginny admitted with a sigh as she sat down next to Harry. After a lot of soul searching she'd decided she needed to throw herself on Harry's mercy and hope it wasn't too late to make amends for recent events. "And I'm so sorry, but I'm just so frustrated."
"Frustrated?" Harry asked, not sure if she was talking personally or professionally.
"I gave up a good career with The Harpies to join The Cannons," Ginny explained. "I could have made their first team by now, but I'm nowhere near The Cannons first team."
"No-one forced you to switch teams, Gin," Harry said softly. "You wanted to come to The Cannons."
"I wanted to work with you," Ginny pointed out. "I thought we could build something great together. Me, you, Ron and Hermione. But it hasn't worked out that way, it's all you and Hermione and me and Ron are forgotten about."
"This has never been a four way venture, Ginny," Harry argued. "This has always been mine and Hermione's club. You and Ron just play for us, and I made it clear from the start that our personal relationships would have no bearing on the team itself."
"I know you did, but I just thought it would be different when things got going," Ginny confessed in a small voice.
"You thought I'd change my mind and pick you and Ron because of who you are," Harry stated.
"Something like that," Ginny replied with a sheepish shrug.
"I'm sorry Ginny, but I've never given you false hope," Harry said gently. "It was always going to be this way, and it's not my fault if you didn't want to admit it before now. The question is, can you live with how things are?"
"I don't know," Ginny replied honestly. "I'm not happy, Harry."
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, taking hold of Ginny's hand. "I wish I could help and give you what you wanted, but I can't. What happens next is down to you."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked with a frown.
"You need to have a think, Ginny," Harry said. "Do you want to stay with The Cannons? If you're not happy, or can't cope with the reality of how things are, I can release you from your contract."
"I don't think I want to leave," Ginny whispered. "And I don't want to lose you."
"I have to admit Gin, you're coming close to losing me," Harry said, deciding to be totally honest with his girlfriend. "I love you so much, but I don't think I take this childish behaviour much longer. You have to grow up Ginny, and you have to stop this attitude with Hermione. She's not a threat to us. No-one but you, and your behaviour, will split us up."
"I know," Ginny whispered. "Give me a second chance, Harry. I can prove you were right to give me a chance in the first place."
"Then you're going to have to accept the way things are," Harry said. "You're going to have to drop this attitude that you're special because you're my girlfriend. You need to forget about our relationship while you're working, and just focus on being the best chaser you can be. You've got potential Ginny, you just need to focus on that potential. Start working with your fellow chasers and prove to everyone that you deserve a place in the starting line-up."
"It won't come this season, will it?" Ginny questioned sadly.
"I don't know Gin, that's all down to you," Harry replied with a shrug. "We all agree you're good, but you need to focus. I think you could be a real star for The Cannons, but you need to change your attitude. One more incident like this weeks and I'll have to seriously reconsider your position with the club."
"Do you want me to leave?" Ginny asked in a small voice.
"No Ginny, I don't," Harry answered honestly. All he wanted was for her to fulfil her potential and gain some maturity, and maybe then their relationship could become the satisfying one he'd always wanted it to be. "But the decision has to be yours. Shape up or ship out, it's your choice."
"I'm going to change, Harry," Ginny vowed. She knew it wouldn't be easy to change her attitude, but it was clear that Harry would cut her loose without a second thought if she carried on the way she had been, and Ginny did not want to lose Harry.
"I hope you do, Ginny," Harry said, feeling hopeful that he'd finally gotten through to his girlfriend. If only he could do the same with Ron and then everything would be perfect.