Chapter Twenty-Five

Quidditch tryouts went mostly like I expected them too, badly, and uncomfortably. Thank goodness Ginny didn't have the ability to cast silently like Draco did, because at least every time I saw her looking at me, and her mouth moving at the same time I knew to try and dodge her oncoming hex, or to brace for the impact. I could understand why she was mad at me; still, but I hadn't thought it would bring her down to the level of cheating.

Perhaps I should go back a day to explain this a bit more thoroughly.

Monday morning was normal, as normal as anything could be in a magical castle filled with adolescent wizards and witches, elves, ghosts and assorted other magical persons. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to Draco until after lunch, when he came over to the Gryffindor table, after most everyone else had left; we still had our free potions period then, at least for another week. He asked if I wanted to take the time to run over some Astronomy assignments, and since I had a lot to catch up on if I was going to challenge the NEWT exams, I agreed. Of course, I did sort of check with Ron, in case he had had other plans he hadn't made me aware of quite yet. But, since he and Neville and I had discussed our evening DADA class already: it was going to be more dueling and defensive spells; he had no problem with it. Ron was a happy go lucky kind of person again, wished us both luck and wandered back to the dorm to relax for a bit before his next class. I envied his ability to put everything behind him so quickly. Voldemort, our DADA competition, my breakup with his sister; which he hadn't actually mentioned to me yet, probably Hermione's doing, and even my new friendship with Draco, none of it really mattered to him it seemed, we were still friends, and that was all that did.

Draco settled himself in beside me at the now empty table and opened his book bag to pull out the Astronomy textbook. He flipped open to the chapter we were supposed to be taking up that day, ostensibly to give me a better background so that the lecture would make more sense to me. Before he delved into that though, he looked at me with a little screwed up smile.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Are you still okay with everything that happened last night?"

I looked around the room, wondering if anyone was close enough to hear us, but the Great Hall had mostly been depopulated, and there were actually a few house elves popping in and out with their little wands extended, tidying up after us.

"Yeah, I'm still good with it."

The smile on his face broadened, he did look so good when he smiled.

"I thought you might be upset with me?"

"Upset? No, because you stopped things, no Draco, no. It was just the right thing to do."

"I'm glad you understand."

"I want to do things the right way round too."

"And you're okay with keeping things a secret for now?"

We hadn't really discussed it, but I think we both knew at that point that it wouldn't be wise to share whatever it was we were building with anyone else, there would be too many uncomfortable questions, we knew that. What we were doing, while not unheard of, wasn't the norm yet in our society. I just nodded at Draco. He understood.

Talk of secret things gave way to things more lighthearted as the Astronomy lay unnoticed for another few minutes.

"Are you going to be trying out for the Slytherin Quidditch team today?" Tryouts had been scheduled for just before dinner for the next four days, each house having one day on the pitch to themselves. First Slytherin, then Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and finally Ravenclaw on Thursday. To try to make things very fair, Madam Hooch was going to be monitoring all the sessions, along with the Heads of Houses, to make the team selections; as well as appoint the captains. This was a little different than years past, and while I didn't quite understand why it was being done that way, Minerva's wisdom became apparent by the end of the week.

Professor Sinistra would be there for Slytherin House, and Professor Sprout for Hufflepuff. Professor Flitwick was still head of the Ravenclaws, but as Gryffindor still had no official head; Minerva having been promoted to Headmaster, Professor Vector, Hermione's Arthrimacy instructor had been doing the job temporarily, but we all assumed that one of the new professors would be given the task when they arrived, mostly because we'd hardly seen Professor Vector since we'd returned, and he didn't seem particularly thrilled with shepherding us. So there would be five professors to watch each practice, along with other students who came out for curiosity, to sit in the stands and watch.

"I don't think I'm going to bother with it."

"Really?"

"Harry, you and I both know the only reason I made it onto the team at all was because my Dad bought new brooms for everyone." I knew that to be true, but didn't say it, because the truth of it was;

"You were a good seeker Draco." He was.

"I never really liked the game anyways. It was just another duty I had, presumably to beat you at the game for my father; and one I am happy to give up." I knew that motivation to be true as well. Draco and I had more than our share of hostile encounters in midair over the pitch. "You'll be going out then will you?"

"I thought I would." I really did love the game, and the fact that you were forced to focus so hard on it that you could let everything else go for that time on the pitch. I think I might have said that before; sorry if it's a repetition, editing duties will have to go to someone else, I'm working on continuity here.

"You don't think it'll be hard, with your ex girlfriend competing for the same position?"

Aw bloody hell; Harry Potter, oblivious to the world yet again.

Ginny played seeker, played it for me a few times, and she was good at it. She was fast, she moved well, and she was angry with me. It hadn't even dawned on me that I would be going up against her; not that I felt entitled to the position by right of showing up. But having been the seeker for so many years… okay, I felt entitled, especially in my last year.

"Forgot about that did you?" Master of the obvious, Draco Malfoy, and I told him as much with a sneer. "Oh you should still try, you are one of the best seekers this school has ever had. Maybe she won't show up."

I figured the chances of that happening were slightly less than Severus Snape's ghost showing up to haunt the halls.

"You know what Draco, I can't give that up for her."

"You shouldn't have to give anything up for her, ex or not. That's not what relationships are about Harry. No one should be giving up things they love for someone else. Relationships are about finding ways to honor both people's interests, not a contest about who has made the most sacrifices."

I looked at him oddly. It had been a very astute observation; for a nineteen year old male, and it surprised me, though it shouldn't have, the depth of his understanding.

"You're right Draco, I'll go out, and win or lose on my own skills."

"She's awfully good with hexes."

Didn't I know it?

So, back to the Quidditch tryouts. Madam Hooch sent out the Seeker and the Beater hopefuls, first flying through a series of obstacles and then the Beaters trying to unseat the Seekers by means of the Bludgers and their clubs. It started out okay, I was pretty fast, and certainly more agile than Ginny on the basic obstacle course. But when it came to avoiding the Bludgers I could just sense something going wrong. Quick glances at Ginny, and the stares she gave me along with the twisted smile told me all I needed to know. My suddenly unbalanced, difficult to handle broom had obviously been hexed and it was all I could do to clumsily avoid being knocked to the ground, while she continued to fly rings around me.

My awkwardness did catch the eye of Madam Hooch, and after about ten minutes of watching the spectacle, she called all of us to the ground for a break, while she put the Keeper and Chaser hopefuls through their paces.

I kept far away from Ginny when we landed; I wanted no one accusing me of doing anything to her. I didn't even make eye contact. Draco wandered over from where he had been watching with the other students and sat beside me on the bench, where I stayed hunched over my broom, trying to sort out what I could do.

"She's hexing you, you know?"

"Yes, I was aware of that Draco." I tried not to sound snide about it.

"Did you want me to tell the Professors about it?"

Ginny had already had one detention that she blamed on me, and by the tone of the less than concealed gossip it hadn't gone particularly well, not that these things ever did, that's why they were called detention, and not 'pop over for a cupa'. I was in no hurry to expose her and suffer the ongoing wrath of her and her friends.

"No, don't do that Draco."

"I could curse her."

"Don't do that either. She'll find a way to pin that on me as well. It was hard enough last night in the dorms." It had been, with all the girls of her year treating me as if I hadn't showered in months; taking away their playmate, how dare I?

"Walk away from your broom for a minute Harry."

"What?"

"Go get a drink of water."

"Draco?" I was really thick back then.

"Plausible deniability Harry. You asked me not to do anything; you won't hear me do anything. Just walk away for a minute."

I did. And I heard nothing, bless that silent casting skill. When I came back he rose from the bench and went to stand around behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders. I saw Ginny look at me, and him, but I know she didn't dare utter a word about Slytherin spies, certainly not in earshot of any of the professors, she wasn't about to take the chance of another detention. Besides, she and Ron had gone to watch the Slytherin tryouts, and there were Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs there as well.

"You haven't done anything to hurt her have you?"

"Absolutely nothing Harry. You can trust me."

The second half of the tryouts seemed to go better. My broom responded to my control again, and the few times I chanced to look over at Ginny hers seemed to be afflicted in a manor similar to my own from earlier. Her face was becoming redder and redder, and she was making mistakes. I kept flying my own course. It was the safest thing to do.

When we landed, and the whole tryout wrapped up Madam Hooch mentioned nothing about our erratic behavior, and dismissed us all, which I thought was odd, being that she was the flying teacher and all. She couldn't have failed to notice, and I had been prepared with answers for her, for questions that never came. I was quite willing to offer up my wand as proof that I had not cheated in any form, mostly because I knew that Ginny would not be able to do the same; the Priori Incantato spell was one I knew quite well.

I showered quickly, and changed back into my regular kit, trying to avoid having to walk back up to the castle with Ginny. Draco was waiting for me, not just outside the changing room doors, but close enough to them that I saw him straight away, and he wasn't alone, he was talking with Hermione. That sight made me both happy and nervous, because I didn't know what they might be talking about.

"I can't believe what Draco's been telling me about Ginny." I threw Draco an evil look. He shrugged his shoulders at me.

"Look Harry, somebody has to talk to her. It certainly can't be me, and you won't be doing it either." His thoughts trailed off. I sighed.

"I can't believe she hexed you." I noticed that Hermione hadn't gone so far as to say 'cheated'. But that was okay, she'd known Ginny as long as I had, and I still couldn't believe it had come to that.

"I still think he should let the Professors know." Draco was trying to make a case.

"No." I was firm, if not loud. "I've done enough to her, I can't do that. Hermione, you talk to her, tell her to be careful, because she has a good reputation around Hogwarts and she's going to ruin it."

"I'll talk to her Harry, I'll just tell her I noticed it and I won't even mention your name." She turned to Draco, "or yours. Now both of you get out of here before she sees me talking to you."

"More plausible deniability?"

Draco nodded, and we hurried up the hill. I was so glad that I still seemed to have so many decent friends around Hogwarts, despite what Ginny was doing; and what I was doing. I really wished that things would start getting easier at some point, but of course, they didn't.