Ginny paced nervously around the change rooms on the Quidditch Pitch.
"You'll be fine," Demelza Robins told her soothingly.
Ginny had been thrilled to receive the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain badge over the Summer, but this was the first time that she had ever had to run try outs, and she had to admit that she was nervous. Nevertheless, she had decided to get them out of the way, and scheduled try outs for the first weekend back.
"At least we only need a couple of new players," she said.
"I can't believe my little sister is my quidditch captain," Ron muttered, slightly grumpy still.
Ginny ignored him and glanced down at her list:
Chaser 1: Ginny Weasley
Chaser 2: Demelza Robins
Chaser 3: ?
Keeper: Ronald Weasley
Beater 1: Jimmy Peakes
Beater 2: Ritchie Coote
Seeker: ?
"Okay, let's go," she told those already on the team.
They followed her out to the pitch, where half a dozen or so quidditch hopefuls stood waiting.
Ginny had already made the decision to get all of the potential team members to try out on both available positions just to make sure she had the best team possible.
She began with the chaser try outs, and it became very clear, very quickly that filling the spot may be slightly harder than anticipated. There was a lot of fumbling and dropping the ball, but finally she settled on Dean Thomas, a seventh year boy who she had dated briefly the year before. She'd hoped not to put him on her team, knowing things were still a little awkward, but he was the only one who could throw the quaffle while flying at a decent speed.
Seeker proved even harder. After releasing the snitch, Ginny sat down on the grass by the goal posts and watched the potentials zoom around the pitch for 45 minutes, growing increasingly weary.
"You're not seriously going to pick one of these losers as seeker, are you?" a voice asked, dripping with disgust.
Ginny whipped her head around to find Harry Potter leaning casually against a post, smirking at her in that irritating manner of his.
"I don't have a lot of choice, Potter. I need a seeker," she told him.
"So why'd you limit try outs to second years and above?" Harry asked.
"Why do I need to justify myself to you?" Ginny asked back, ignoring his question.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"You're making a mistake."
"I think I can manage my own team, thanks Potter."
Harry strutted over to her and plopped down on the grass next to her. He pointed up at the stands, where Ginny noticed Addison and Bayonetta sitting side by side with the other first year Gryffindors for the first time.
"See Bayonetta up there? She's been on a broom since she was two years old… She can spot a speck on glitter in the grass from twenty metres up. And she's fast. Very fast. She's the one you want." There was a clear sense of pride in his voice.
"But she's a first year. First years don't make the team," Ginny argued.
Harry shrugged.
"Suit yourself. You'll be the one who looks like an idiot when your team doesn't catch the snitch all season."
Ginny sighed.
"Fine."
She looked up at the stands where the first years sat and put her wand to her throat, magically amplifying her own voice.
"ANY FIRST YEARS WHO WANT TO TRY OUT FOR SEEKER, GRAB A SCHOOL BROOM AND COME DOWN. FIRST PERSON TO CATCH THE SNITCH GETS THE POSITION."
Moments later, Bayonetta Black came sprinting out of the stands and grabbed a broom, her eyes lit with hope. None of the other first years came down.
Bayonetta joined the other hopefuls in the air and, sure enough, minutes later had the struggling golden ball clutched in her tiny hand.
"Merlin's beard you were right," Ginny whispered.
Harry smirked at her once again.
"You're welcome Weasley," he said.
Ginny ignored him and hurried off to talk to her new team.
20 minutes later she emerged from the change rooms once again, and was surprised to find that Harry was right where she had left him.
"Why are you still here?" she asked.
"Fancy a walk?" he asked her, continuing their tradition of answering a question with another question.
"Not with you," Ginny replied, walking past him.
Harry jumped around and blocked her path.
"How about you go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend then?" he suggested.
Ginny froze.
"Are you asking me on a date?" she demanded.
"Are you saying yes?" he asked back, laughing.
"Absolutely not," Ginny told him.
"Give me one good reason why not!"
"I could give you at least ten reasons why not."
"Come on Weasley, go out with me."
"Not in a thousand years, Potter!"
"I bet I can persuade you if you let me, Weasley."
Ginny sighed.
"Fine then… Just because I think it will be funny watching you try. Persuade me!"
Harry grinned at her, delighted.
"You have to give me your ten reasons why not though. Otherwise I won't know what I'm supposed to be persuading you of."
"Okay," Ginny nodded, rolling her eyes at the Slytherin boy. "I'll give you ten reasons. If you can prove me wrong on all of them, I'll go on a date with you. If you fail to prove me wrong on even one, you'll leave me alone, permanently. Deal?"
Harry nodded.
"Deal."
"Why were you talking to Potter?" Ron asked his sister angrily that evening.
Ginny frowned.
"When?"
"Down on the quidditch pitch!"
"During try-outs or after?" she asked.
Ron's face turned red and his fists clenched.
"You talked to him TWICE?"
Ginny's eyes widened, realizing her mistake.
"Um… yeah," she admitted. "During try-outs he was telling me that I should allow the first years to try out because he thought Bayonetta Black was really good… after try-outs he was just gloating."
Ron's mouth fell open.
"You should kick Black off the team!" he told her seriously.
"What?" his sister asked, shocked. "She's the only person who tried out who is even remotely decent!"
"Decent player, not decent person! Potter is up to something, and that girl worships him! She's obviously in on his plan!"
"She's ELEVEN, Ronald!" Ginny snapped. "She's just a little girl! And besides, she's in Gryffindor! I've no reason to think she'd be helping Slytherin win."
"Why would Potter help you?" Ron shot at her.
"Why wouldn't Potter help his god-sister?" Ginny shot back.
"BECAUSE HE IS A BAD PERSON!" Ron roared.
"NO HE'S NOT!" Ginny screamed.
Ron stood up and glared at his sister.
"What is wrong with you?" he asked, turning around and storming up the staircase to the boys' dormitories.
Ginny furiously grabbed for her things and stomped up to the girls' dormitories.
She didn't notice the two tiny first years crouched behind a couch.
"Wow…" whispered Addiosn when the Common Room was empty.
"I know," Bayonetta breathed. "Ginny's brother is just as mean as his girlfriend."
A/N:
So I'm not sure what happened with the spacing, but for some reason each paragraph is triple spaced. Something happened when I copied and pasted from Docs. Sorry for the sloppy presentation of this chapter. I hope this hasn't ruined the experience for you. Anyways, REVIEW!... if you'd like.