A/N:
Thank you for reviewing! It means a lot to me (: I hope you will review this chapter as well!
Any way, this chapter was a bit hard to write since I had to change a few things that didn't make it to the plot; for example I would've loved either some Harry/Luna or Harry as gay, but it doesn't seem fitting.. What do you think?
Also, sorry for the lack of Dramione, but I wanted to take focus somewhere else like I did in the beginning. So the next few chapters will probably be something about Ron (and a little love interest, indeed.. Can you guess who?) and Harry.
Once again, the list:
Hermione LeStrange
PrincessGryffindor
6
Tiajei
Past Decembers
Nightshadeprincess567
Ilovecheer18
Lipsticked Mirror
Thank you once again!
X
Chapter fifteen
"Hermione, glad you could make it," said Harry, clearly irritated.
Hermione quickly changed into her red and gold Quidditch robes.
"Just so you know it, Ron's awake," Hermione explained.
Harry's face lit up a little bit.
"Good to hear. We can visit him afterwards."
The team walked up to the wooden door that would lead them out on the Quidditch field where the Hufflepuff team would await them.
They all took a deep breath -inhale, exhale.
"Let's do this," Harry whispered, mostly to himself.
"The round thing escapes Ginny, but -" Luna's voice sounded through the speakers.
"It's called a Quaffle, Lovegood!" Professor McGonagall corrected her.
"Oh, thank you, professor," said Luna, but Hermione was sure she still did not understand.
It wasn't that listening to Luna's comments wasn't entertaining, but she did not have a clue about what was going on. She barely mentioned Hufflepuff, and called people by their nicknames. Her attention was mainly on the shapes of the few clouds on the light-blue sky.
Hermione gave up on following Luna's comments, and instead tried to see what was going on in the game.
Ginny had the Quaffle again, she aimed it towards Cormac who got it pass Hufflepuff's keeper.
The Gryffindor supporters broke into cheering.
Hermione formed a smile, but it quickly faded as she found the Quaffle coming towards her.
Her reflects made her swing the bat in her hand hard and quick. She was afraid to see what happened, so she closed her eyes.
For seconds no sound was made at all. Hermione began to wonder if she indeed was deaf. But then a loud cheering filled up her ears. She opened her eyes, only to realise that she had just scored.
"Hermione scores ten points to Gryffindor -but they're still behind. Oh, the sun looks so square today. That indeed is strange," commented Luna.
Hermione could not help but smile. She had never believed this moment to happen. She found herself wishing Ron had been there to see it.
…. But also Draco.
Gryffindor is still behind after another thirty minutes. 60-170, if Hermione was not mistaken. Their only hope now was that Harry would catch the snitch.
And in that same moment it looks as if something has caught Harry's attention. He flies up and down, trying to catch it.
Then, out of nowhere, Ginny yells "WATCH OUT, HARRY!"
But it's too late. The Bludger that nearly attacked Cormac, and he in reflects hit, made its way straight into Harry's gut.
Everyone around held their breath -well except the Slytherin's.
Hermione watched as Harry fell of his broomstick and hit the ground. She, Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall hurried up to Harry. They fell on knees next to him, and begun checking if he was all right.
Madam Pomfrey could quickly declare that Harry was unconscious and needed to rest. She, with help from Professor McGonagall carried him up to the Hospital Wing, while the match continued.
"How is he?" asked Hermione Madam Pomfrey. She had just entered the Hospital Wing for the second time that day, this time only to find two of her friends as patients.
"Mr. Potter is doing fine, he just needs rest. Mr. Weasly should be back to normal within a few days," told Madam Pomfrey.
Hermione nodded as thank you.
She dragged a chair into the midst of the two beds, and sat on it.
"You really need to be more careful, guys," she said, well aware that Ron was only faking his sleep and Harry could wake up again any minute.
And so he did.
"What happened? Did we win?" he immediately asked.
Ron had seated himself up just like earlier. He too was curious about the results.
"Well," Hermione begun. She hated bringing bad news. "Hufflepuff's Seeker Summerby caught the snitch just after you left. We lost 320-60."
Ron and Harry's eyes widened.
"320-60? But we have practised like crazy lately," complained Harry.
"I know. But considering all the changes we've had to make due to illness it is not that hard to understand."
"Wait, who hit me with that bloody thing any way?" asked Harry.
"C-Cormac. Cormac McLaggen, Ron's replacement," told Hermione. If possible Harry looked even more angry than before.
"Don't worry, 'Arry. Pomfrey said I'd be out at least by Tuesday," comforted Ron. "Bloody hell, Luna was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione and Harry both burst into laughter.
"She was quite entertaining, yes," said Hermione. She hoped Luna would continue commenting. It had been nice for an exchange to not getting confirmed by a commentator when you were doing something wrong.
"I hope she will keep on commenting for the rest of the season. She's really grown on me," explained Ron, who before had had problems with Luna's way of being.
"Yeah, she's nice. She is." Harry looked far away in his thoughts as he spoke.
Ron quickly got out of the Hospital Wing. Already a week later he was up and standing.
Lavender was mad -really mad. She did not speak to Ron though.
At first he had been wondering. He'd asked both Harry and Hermione why Lavender was mad at him, and Hermione had lied to him -yes, but she felt she had to- and said that he'd been clear for a moment during his unconsciousness, and had broken up with her. Ron blindly believed in her. Now he was only glad to be rid of her.
Harry, obsessed about winning the next match against Ravenclaw in late May, once again ordered Quidditch practise every other evening just before supper. And with the exams coming up, Hermione felt more stressed than ever. She barely had any time to relax -always something to do.
"Hermione, you're the cleverest witch at our age. You'll make it!" Harry comforted her one day on the way to practise.
Hermione had let all her concerns out on Harry. She could no longer have it all in her head.
"Well, thanks, Harry. But, you're better at Potions than me! I am not the brightest," said Hermione.
Harry could only agree that he was better than her at Potions, but that was because he had that stupid book -the half-blood prince's.
"Harry.. I want off the team," Hermione finally spoke as they reached the locker room.
"Wait, what?" asked Harry.
They had stopped just outside the door.
"I can't deal with the pressure of it! And I am not enjoying it as much as you do. Somebody else deserves my spot," Hermione admitted.
Harry looked terrified, but still as if he had been expecting this to happen.
"You saw how terrible it went with two new people on the team. Don't make it three!"
"Harry, I'm sorry. I know I should have said this earlier, and not just before the match versus Ravenclaw, but I needed to think it through. You know how I over-analyse every thing! I wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing."
"But you're not!"
It had begun to rain. Both Hermione and Harry wanted to go inside, but they felt as if they had to finish their little discussion outside. It would ruin it if they moved.
"You don't know what is the best for me!" Hermione yelled. She was glad her and Harry had walked down here before everybody else. She didn't want them to hear.
"I know what's best for the team!" he yelled back.
"Me too," said Hermione, this time more in a whisper. "And it's not me."
Hermione walked away, leaving Harry behind with a concerned expression on his face.
Hermione could not tell the rain drops apart from her tears as she entered the Gryffindor common-room. She appreciated the weather -none of the other students in the common-room believed her to be crying.
Hermione went up to her dormitory, and continued on some homework due next morning.
"She has what?" Ron yelled as Harry revealed the reassignment of Hermione to the team. Most of them dropped their jaws.
"She quit the team. I'm sorry, I tried to convince her, but-"
"I'll go talk to her," said Ginny, and left her boyfriend Dean's arms.
"No, Ginny. I think it's best if we leave her alone. At least for the day," advised Harry. Ginny sat back into Dean's arms to Harry's big regret.
"We need a replacement. I was thinking Demelza Robins. She tried out, and actually did quite well. I'll talk to her tomorrow," said Harry. The team members nodded in agreement. Not eagerly, though.
"Now, let's get to work."
The flames from the fire place heated up Hermione's body. She was seated head away from it, doing more homework. A paper to Defence Against the Dark Arts, to be more precise. She did not concentrate much though, she knew that no matter how good it was, Professor Snape would dump her. Nothing she did was ever good enough. But luckily Hermione didn't need excellent grades in DADA. Her ambitions weren't quite to become an Auror, leader of the Magical world, or any thing in that direction. She'd be satisfied with a office job in the Ministry.
Footsteps nearing the. besides Hermione, empty common-room sounded.
Hermione jumped up in surprise of movement. It was far past curfew, and she thought she was the only one with eyes still open at this time at night.
A boy with the same hair colour as the flames behind her, entered.
"Hermione!" he yelled in shock at the sight of the pair of amber coloured eyes looking at him
"Ron, where have you been?" she asked, sounding worried.
"Er -Quidditch practice," Ron explained, "word is out you've quit."
"Liar," said Hermione, not moving her gaze. "Harry came in hours ago!"
"Tell me, why would you quit? I thought you liked it!"
"Don't change the subject, Ronald!" Hermione minded not to yell too loud so that she wouldn't wake up anybody. Both her and Ron would be in trouble if the Head Boy or Girl came running. Not that they were around since they shared their own dormitory further down the corridor.
"All right, I was out and about. Both you and Harry take midnight strolls around the castle, and I wanted to see if it really was that exciting! Satisfied, eh?"
Something in Ron's voice sounded convincing, but Hermione did still not truly believe him.
Ron had attended midnight strolls earlier with both Hermione and Harry, and it was far too late to be a "short midnight stroll" since the clock had stroke three.
"Goodnight," Hermione gave in.
Ron looked rather relieved, and left to his dormitory in a rush.