"Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow night," Draco announced the next morning, while Hermione was helping herself to breakfast. "I'm going out for Seeker."
"Ooh!" Pansy squealed. "Oh, Draco, I'm sure you'll get it!"
"Ooh, yes, Draco!" Blaise mimicked, his voice pitched high. "I'm sure you'll get anything you want!"
Pansy glared at him and flushed, while the rest of them snickered. Draco gave them all a haughty look.
"I only mentioned it," he said, "in case anyone wants to come down to the pitch to support me, during tryouts."
His gaze was heavy and expectant on them all. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his presumption.
"Sure, mate," Theo said. "After classes, or after dinner?"
Vince and Greg grunted their assent.
"I'll come," Daphne said. "Is Warrington going to try out again?"
"I'll be there," Pansy reaffirmed.
"After dinner. And I think so," Draco answered their questions distractedly. He was looking at Hermione, who was buttering her toast with an air of utter disinterest.
"What about the rest of you?" he asked finally. "Will you come?"
Hermione blinked, then glanced around.
Tracey and Millie were glancing at her sideways out of the corners of their eyes, waiting to see what she was going to say. Blaise was openly regarding her, a smirk on his lips, unafraid to show he was waiting to see how she answered. It took Hermione a moment to realize that her friends were waiting to hear what she was going to say before making a decision themselves.
It was as if her friends were all looking to her to for guidance, to make the choice for their little group.
It was like they were looking to her as a leader.
A new emotion spread slowly in Hermione's chest. It was hot and tight feeling, a pressure behind her sternum, and Hermione pushed it away for the time being, not wanting to try and unravel that tangled ball of feelings at the breakfast table.
"Yeah, why not?" Hermione said finally. "It's just a couple hours, right?"
A genuine smile spread across Draco's face, one Hermione was surprised to see.
"Great," he said. "That's great."
"Are we expected to cheer for you?" Blaise teased. "Wave 'Malfoy' pennants and chant your name?"
"Ooh, that might be fun!" Tracey brightened. "I can make some out of an old dress I kept-"
"No!" Draco objected quickly. "No, no pennants! Just- you know, being there for support-"
Blaise continued to tease him about them being his cheerleaders, bringing a flush to Draco's pale cheeks. Tracey seemed really excited about making streamers and pennants out of the old clothes she had outgrown, refusing to be dissuaded by Draco pleading that it was inappropriate. Hermione watched while she ate her toast, smirking each time Draco objected hotly to some new idea and casually remarking that of course they needed to bring banners and pennants, how were they ever to be expected to support him otherwise?
All in all, it was a very enjoyable way to spend her breakfast.
Pansy approached Hermione after lunch, tugging her into an alcove before class.
"I did it," she told her, taking a deep breath. "I made a gesture of good faith."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" she asked. "And what did you do?"
Pansy held her head high.
"I encouraged Damon Rowle to try out for Quidditch," Pansy told her. "He'll be going out for Seeker, too."
Hermione blinked.
"You actively encouraged a fourth year to try out against Draco?" she questioned. "I thought you liked Draco."
"I do," Pansy snapped. "I don't expect Damon to win."
"No?" Hermione queried. "Even though he's got two years' experience on Draco?"
Pansy gave her a dark look.
"I expect," she stressed, "that when flying around at high speeds in high winds, that Rowle might find his broomstick somewhat harder to control than he thought."
Hermione just looked at Pansy, who continued.
"It would certainly be an unavoidable accident if the wind were to somehow interfere with him during the tryout," she stressed. "Maybe a powerful wind might send his broom spinning in a vortex to crash and embarrass him in front of his friends."
Comprehension finally clicked for Hermione.
"I've met Rowle before, haven't I?" Hermione said conversationally. "You introduced us last year, at Professor Snape's private tutorial one evening?"
Pansy's eyes flashed.
"Yes," she said shortly. "I did."
