For The Love of Cake
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, so it stands to reason that I don't own Harry Potter.
PAIRINGS: HG/DG mentioned HG/RW AG/BZ mentioned AG/DM also background DM/HP if you like this one, R&R to let me know if you'd like to see a companion Drarry piece or a sequel. As I said earlier, I have nothing, I live off of reviews. Save me.
DaftDruid: Thanks for the reviews (all of them) they give me life. You know, I'm not really sure I like this one but, I based a character on one of my friends and myself and it's close to my heart. Keep reading!
"Greengrass!" Daphne's eyes widened as Hermione approached, sweaty and dirty, the game over. Ginny's triumphant smirk proved she'd won. "Mind if I talk to you a moment?" She waved off a concerned looking Harry.
"Me? Sure..." Daphne nodded.
"Alone." Hermione pressed. Daphne shrugged, walking off to the side and Hermione followed, both stopping to the left of the stairs while everyone stared. "Er...this isn't alone." She frowned. Daphne sighed, grabbing her arm and leading her further away, crossing her arms and looking at Hermione expectantly. Hermione turned her back to the others, ignoring them, "I'd like your help with something."
"What's that?" Daphne asked, running a hand through her hair and looking behind them. She scowled at something one of the students was most likely doing and then looked back.
"First, you have to swear on everything that you'll not tell a soul." Hermione scowled, "I'll know if you do." Daphne ran a finger in an x over her heart.
"Hope to die, get on with it, I need a shower."
"I want to learn to play Quidditch." Hermione grinned, "well, I want to learn to fly like you would in Quidditch, and be a Keeper, and I want you to teach me."
"Why me?" Daphne asked, leaning on her broom and looking bored. For some reason, that annoyed Hermione to no end.
"Because Madame Hooch said you could!" she snapped, "if you don't want to help, I'll ask someone else. Zabini perhaps-" Hermione turned to go and shrugged Daphne's hand off as she stopped her, spinning back.
"Calm down." Daphne frowned, "why me or Blaise? Why not Potter, one of the Weasleys? Hell, Thomas isn't too bad." she paused, "Hooch said that? About me?"
"Yes and for personal reasons." Hermione snapped, "are you going to help me on this or not, Daphne?" The Slytherin regarded her in silence a few more moments, thinking. Then, a slow grin overtook her and she nodded,
"alright, Granger, I'll help you." she paused, "and I'll not tell a soul. When do you want to start? Tonight?" Hermione grinned back and nodded. "alright, then. Let's say seven o'clock?"
"I'll be there." Hermione grinned, "wait! Do I need a broom- well, I do, but-"
"Everything we'll need will be there." Daphne sighed, "justs show up and wear something comfortable. I'll be waiting."
"Thanks." Hermione grinned brightly, turning and approaching the students. They'd all waited, staring and being nosy. She winked at Madame Hooch as she passed, scaling the stairs. Ginny hurried to catch up,
"what was that about?"
"Are you alright, Mione?" Harry asked, "from earlier?"
"I'm fine and I was just scolding Greengrass for letting Ginny get the ball." Hermione replied, staring straight ahead. She'd let Daphne think she was flirting. She figured that's what the Slytherin thought and why she was helping. Then, she'd show her friends she could play and that would be the end of it. Though she did have to wonder at the Slytherin. She seemed angry with Hermione, just a bit. She'd also called her by her surname when it had been Hermione up until now.
Of course, they were in front of people too though. Hermione's eyes narrowed. Daphne's wanting to date her had been a prank afterall. Not that Hermione would. Daphne was dating Pansy and had still offered to take Hermione out. That was low. She snorted derisively, softly shaking her head as they reentered the commons and she headed for the shower.
"Alright," Daphne sighed, looking quite a bit more agitated than before, shoving a broom at Hermione, "we're just going to fly tonight, you need to get used to the broom."
"I can fly." Hermione scowled, taking it. She'd wanted to snatch it from the Slytherin's hands just like it'd been shoved at her but she wouldn't stoop to Daphne's level. Daphne rolled her eyes in response,
"Granger, I know you can fly. I want you to learn the finer points, build on what you can do, alright?" That made more sense so Hermione nodded, getting on the broom and kicking off. Daphne joined her, hovering just above the ground. "Now, which position do you want to learn? Keeper, I imagine?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded. If she could put up with Severus Snape's foul attitude, she could certainly sail past Daphne's. She'd learn and be done.
"So, you'll need your hands free for that. I want you to fly around with me, hands on your knees, ankles crossed. Start out slowly." she paused, "you'll need to control the broom with your legs and personally, I use my ankles. Shifting them will move the broom. Weasley uses her thighs, Blaise uses his knees." She showed her the ways each did it, locking one ankle and loosening it, tightening her thighs one way or the other or nudging the broom with her knees. Hermione nodded. "your turn."
Hermione tried each, deciding she liked Daphne's method best short of running to tone her thighs. Blaise's technique was a little more difficult but she supposed his long legs had something to do with it. She tried that again, the broom bumping her into Daphne who caught her by the shoulder, shaking her head and grinning,
"your way then." Hermione muttered, shaking her own head.
"Alright," Daphne put her hands on her knees, "hands on your knees, focus on moving the broom. Lean forward to go, backward to go up, left or right to turn. Any quick movements that need to be made, use your hands, alright?" Hermione nodded in reply and focused, keeping to the outside as they flew around the pitch.
"Thank you," she said, looking up, "for helping me."
"No problem." Daphne nodded, "hey, master this and you can read and fly." At Hermione's stare she shrugged, "just a suggestion."
"I wish I could read and play Quidditch," Hermione scowled, "wouldn't that be something?" she held her hands as though one had a book she was focusing on and batted away an imaginary Quaffle with the other. Daphne laughed, nodding,
"that would definitely be something." After two more laps, she spoke again, "so, you want to tell me why we're doing this?"
"I want to learn," Hermione frowned, watching her broom as she leaned this way or that, trying to memorize the cause and effect. "and if I happen to show up Ginny, Harry, Ron or anyone else, then so be it."
"I can definitely get behind some revenge." Daphne smiled, "alright, that's enough for tonight. I'll be back Friday." They landed and Hermione handed the Slytherin the other broom back before walking to the castle.
Daphne scowled, just long enough for Hermione to see it, and wandered off toward the greenhouses. She frowned back, tempted to go after the Slytherin who clearly didn't want to be seen with her but decided against it. She didn't want to endanger her chances at learning. Her frown deepened, wondering where to get another broom on loan. She didn't know how to find Madame Hooch and she was determined to practice without the Slytherin.
"Hello, Hermione, nice night isn't it?" Hermione looked up and beamed at Luna,
"it is!" she nodded, "say, Luna, you wouldn't happen to have a broom I could borrow, do you? I won't hurt it but it has to be secret."
"I do." Luna grinned, "come on, I like secrets, let's go get it."
Hermione smirked triumphantly. She'd purposefully showed up an hour early to be sure she beat Daphne to the Pitch. Currently she was flying around much faster than she should be able to, turning the broom with ease. The Slytherin stood on the grass, watching with a bit of shock written on her face. Hermione landed and grinned,
"you're a bit early."
"and you've been practicing." Daphne countered, "good. So, I think you've got that and since you practice by yourself, we'll move on."
"Bring it." Hermione challenged, looking up at the girl, "what's next?"
"Sassy, aren't you?" Daphne smirked, nodding, "alright, we'll practice flying in and out of the hoops for a while and then we do tosses." Her evil smirk as she took to the air made Hermione's danger senses tingle and she came up beside her, following to the goals,
"what are tosses?"
"Tosses? You toss the ball through the hoop and catch it."
"That doesn't sound difficult." Hermione frowned. Daphne grinned,
"you'll see. Now, use your hands for this, in that hoop, out that one." She paused, "watch." Daphne shot off through the three hoops, circling as tightly as was possible. She stuck out a hand, "if you can, be safe, but if you can, use one hand to grab the goal and pull you around, keep the other on your knee."
Hermione did that, shooting out the first time and quickly realizing as she grabbed the broom that it could go wrong quickly. Nodding to Daphne who'd shot out to grab her, she went back to try again, ignoring the Slytherin and determination on her face. It didn't take long to get the hang of it, and she laughed. She could keep as close as Daphne or go as fast, but she could do it. She just needed practice.
"Alright." Daphne had flown down when Hermione wasn't looking and gotten two Quaffles. That or she'd hidden them close by, Hermione reckoned. She tossed one to Hermione who caught it deftly. "Tosses." She grinned, tossing the ball up with a hook to her hand, through the hoop and dodging with her thigh to catch it.
Hermione did that, quickly realizing that 'tosses' needed every bit of her concentration. Every time she dropped the ball, Daphne would catch it and toss it back to her and she'd start again. When she finally stopped dropping it, she looked down to find that Daphne had left. Checking the time she realized she was going to miss curfew and took off, hiding the Quaffle in her robes.