I Wish
Hermione ran through the halls and out onto the grounds and stopped just before the entrance to the pitch. She would walk into the stadium calmly and say that she was waiting for practice to end so she could speak to Ron. Since they were going to the Ball together, she doubted anyone would question her.
And so Hermione entered the pitch. Three red blurs were zooming over head. Ron was floating just before the posts, and Harry was floating above the blurs, watching them keenly. The chasers were practicing a new strategy, no doubt. Seamus and Dean were floating on either of Harry’s sides.
Hermione made herself comfortable on the pitch grass as she watched the Gryffindor Quidditch team above her. She was never much of a Quidditch fan. Sure she would cheer on Harry, Ginny, and Ron, but that was because they were her friends. It wasn’t so much that she wanted the Gryffindor ‘Quidditch team’ to win, but more that she wanted her friends to win. There was, of course, the House Cup to keep in mind as well.
Before Hermione knew it, Ron had the quaffle. Her eyes had never really been that good at following quidditch games. The chasers had stopped, and Harry was absolutely fuming. From what Hermione gathered, the new strategy wasn’t played out as well as Harry wanted it to. Harry was screaming at the chasers.
As Hermione surveyed the scene, she took in the postures of every player. Dean and Seamus had gone to join Ron by the posts. The three sat quietly on their brooms and avoided looking at the chasers and Harry. Harry was screaming and waving his arms around hysterically trying to emphasize the importance of the new strategy to the chasers. In the midst of his yelling, Hermione thought she had seen something. She had sworn she had seen something change in Harry’s posture and voice when he had addressed Ginny about having to step up her part on the team.
Hermione shook her head. It was a shame really. Everyone had always thought Ginny and Harry would end up together. They thought so when Ginny was ten and had her little crush on her elder brother’s best friend. They thought so even when Harry had briefly been seeing Cho Chang and Ginny had been going out with Michael Corner. The similarities between the picture of Harry and Ginny to that of Lily and James Potter had most of the adults convinced that they would end up together. There was also the fact that the Weasleys absolutely adored Harry. There was no doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would welcome Harry into their family with open arms, and though the Weasley boys would be hard on Harry, it wouldn’t be because they didn’t like him being with their sister, but more to amuse themselves.
Hermione sighed. Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Who would have thought? And just when Harry began to realize Ginny wasn’t just Ron’s baby sister anymore. Hermione knew that Harry would take the news hard. She remembered what it was like in fourth year, when he had found out that Cho was dating Cedric. How was he going to feel now? A girl who had been under his nose this whole time had finally gotten his attention. The only problem was: she no longer wanted it. Not only did Harry let Ginny slip away from him, but he lost her to Draco Malfoy. The boy he despised, tied for third on his all time hate list with Snape, first and second going to Voldemort and Malfoy’s father.
Then there was Ron. Hermione had no doubt in her mind that the first thing he would do would be to hunt Malfoy down and beet him into a “bloody pulp”. And after Ginny would successfully hide Malfoy from him, Ron would owl all of his brothers.
“Oi! Hermione!” Hermione was snapped out of her train of thought by Seamus.
“Hello, Seamus,” Hermione stood. Seamus, Dean, and Ron were already on the ground and were making their way toward her. Harry and the chasers had just begun to head to the ground
“So what’s our head girl up to?” Dean quipped.
“Nothing, Dean,” Hermione smiled cheekily. “I’m here to talk to Ron.”
“Oh.” Seamus and Dean both said in unison as they raised their brows. They turned around and patted Ron heartily on the back. “We’ll see you later then, playboy,” Dean remarked jokingly.
“What in the bloody hell is a ‘playboy’?” asked Ron to Dean and Seamus’ laughing retreating forms.
Hermione shook her head is dismay.
Ron came up to Hermione’s side and put his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her left cheek. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Hermione turned her head to see Harry and the chasers close behind them.
“Not here, Ron. Let’s go to the lake.” Hermione said quietly.
“Sure.”
They made their way to the lake in comfortable silence, enjoying the rare October sun. When they finally reached the lake, Ron sat against a big oak tree. Hermione sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“So what did you want to talk about, Hemrione?” Ron asked softly.
Hermione looked up into Ron’s face and sat up.
She took a deep breath before starting. “You know how we’ve been worried about Ginny, and have been trying to get her to reveal her secret?”
At this Ron sat up. “Yeah.”
“Well, on our first night back, I was doing my rounds and I came across a room. It was a quite marvelous room, actually. There were portraits of all the founders, and when I walked in, Gryffindor and Slytherin were having an argument. I didn’t understand what they were saying then, but I do now.”
“Well, what did they say?”
“They were talking about a couple that had been snogging in the room. One was a Gryffindor and the other a Slytherin.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Ron said disgustedly. “What’s this got to do with Ginny, anyway?”
“Well, that’s what I’m getting to.” Ron gave her a look that said ‘go on’. “I was walking through the halls this afternoon, and I came across the same room. Only Gryffindor and Slytherin weren’t in their portraits, but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were. When I walked in, the ladies began to talk to me and kept insisting that I was their because of a certain couple. When they realized that I had no clue about what they were talking about, they had refused to tell me who the couple was, but left me with a riddle.”
“And,” Ron urged.
“And I think the riddle says that Ginny is seeing Malfoy.”
*****
Harry’s anger from that day’s practice was cooled down a notch as he saw his two best friends make their way toward the lake. He smiled, they were perfect for each other.
Harry turned his head to look at Ginny. She was walking between her fellow chasers and listened quietly as they talked adamantly about the Ball.
“So, who are you going with, Gin?” One of them had asked her.
Ginny looked down at her feet as a light blush crept up her cheeks and continued to walk quietly.
“Oh come on, Gin. Who is it? A Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor?”
“I really should be off, guys. I’ll see you later, okay?” With that Ginny hastened to the castle.
“So who do you think it is?” Harry heard one of them ask the other once Ginny was out of ear shot.
“Honestly?” The girl looked back at Harry as she said so.
I wish. Harry thought to himself.
*****
Ron could only gape in astonishment. His baby sister and... Malfoy? Hermione had to be kidding.
“Hermione, you’ve got to be kidding.”
It must have been a joke. Hermione was never really good at telling jokes after all.
“This is a joke, right? No offense, but you’re not really good at telling jokes.”
“It isn’t a joke, Ron.” Hermione said sympathetically.
“Of course it is. Ginny would never do that. I mean, he’s a Malfoy and she’s a Weasley. Weasleys and Malfoys don’t mix.”
“Ron...”
“No, it isn’t true. It can’t be.”
“Just listen to yourself, Ron,” Hermione pleaded.
Ron slouched and took everything in. It all made sense really: the secrets, the encounter at practice a week ago. He mentally smacked himself for being so blind. He had been so sure that it was Wood. Malfoy would have been the last person on earth he would have thought of. Ron then began to become filled with rage. How dare Malfoy touch his sister. He was going to beat the living shit out of that bloody ferret.
(A/N: Just a reminder: Review!)
Hermione ran through the halls and out onto the grounds and stopped just before the entrance to the pitch. She would walk into the stadium calmly and say that she was waiting for practice to end so she could speak to Ron. Since they were going to the Ball together, she doubted anyone would question her.
And so Hermione entered the pitch. Three red blurs were zooming over head. Ron was floating just before the posts, and Harry was floating above the blurs, watching them keenly. The chasers were practicing a new strategy, no doubt. Seamus and Dean were floating on either of Harry’s sides.
Hermione made herself comfortable on the pitch grass as she watched the Gryffindor Quidditch team above her. She was never much of a Quidditch fan. Sure she would cheer on Harry, Ginny, and Ron, but that was because they were her friends. It wasn’t so much that she wanted the Gryffindor ‘Quidditch team’ to win, but more that she wanted her friends to win. There was, of course, the House Cup to keep in mind as well.
Before Hermione knew it, Ron had the quaffle. Her eyes had never really been that good at following quidditch games. The chasers had stopped, and Harry was absolutely fuming. From what Hermione gathered, the new strategy wasn’t played out as well as Harry wanted it to. Harry was screaming at the chasers.
As Hermione surveyed the scene, she took in the postures of every player. Dean and Seamus had gone to join Ron by the posts. The three sat quietly on their brooms and avoided looking at the chasers and Harry. Harry was screaming and waving his arms around hysterically trying to emphasize the importance of the new strategy to the chasers. In the midst of his yelling, Hermione thought she had seen something. She had sworn she had seen something change in Harry’s posture and voice when he had addressed Ginny about having to step up her part on the team.
Hermione shook her head. It was a shame really. Everyone had always thought Ginny and Harry would end up together. They thought so when Ginny was ten and had her little crush on her elder brother’s best friend. They thought so even when Harry had briefly been seeing Cho Chang and Ginny had been going out with Michael Corner. The similarities between the picture of Harry and Ginny to that of Lily and James Potter had most of the adults convinced that they would end up together. There was also the fact that the Weasleys absolutely adored Harry. There was no doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would welcome Harry into their family with open arms, and though the Weasley boys would be hard on Harry, it wouldn’t be because they didn’t like him being with their sister, but more to amuse themselves.
Hermione sighed. Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Who would have thought? And just when Harry began to realize Ginny wasn’t just Ron’s baby sister anymore. Hermione knew that Harry would take the news hard. She remembered what it was like in fourth year, when he had found out that Cho was dating Cedric. How was he going to feel now? A girl who had been under his nose this whole time had finally gotten his attention. The only problem was: she no longer wanted it. Not only did Harry let Ginny slip away from him, but he lost her to Draco Malfoy. The boy he despised, tied for third on his all time hate list with Snape, first and second going to Voldemort and Malfoy’s father.
Then there was Ron. Hermione had no doubt in her mind that the first thing he would do would be to hunt Malfoy down and beet him into a “bloody pulp”. And after Ginny would successfully hide Malfoy from him, Ron would owl all of his brothers.
“Oi! Hermione!” Hermione was snapped out of her train of thought by Seamus.
“Hello, Seamus,” Hermione stood. Seamus, Dean, and Ron were already on the ground and were making their way toward her. Harry and the chasers had just begun to head to the ground
“So what’s our head girl up to?” Dean quipped.
“Nothing, Dean,” Hermione smiled cheekily. “I’m here to talk to Ron.”
“Oh.” Seamus and Dean both said in unison as they raised their brows. They turned around and patted Ron heartily on the back. “We’ll see you later then, playboy,” Dean remarked jokingly.
“What in the bloody hell is a ‘playboy’?” asked Ron to Dean and Seamus’ laughing retreating forms.
Hermione shook her head is dismay.
Ron came up to Hermione’s side and put his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her left cheek. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Hermione turned her head to see Harry and the chasers close behind them.
“Not here, Ron. Let’s go to the lake.” Hermione said quietly.
“Sure.”
They made their way to the lake in comfortable silence, enjoying the rare October sun. When they finally reached the lake, Ron sat against a big oak tree. Hermione sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“So what did you want to talk about, Hemrione?” Ron asked softly.
Hermione looked up into Ron’s face and sat up.
She took a deep breath before starting. “You know how we’ve been worried about Ginny, and have been trying to get her to reveal her secret?”
At this Ron sat up. “Yeah.”
“Well, on our first night back, I was doing my rounds and I came across a room. It was a quite marvelous room, actually. There were portraits of all the founders, and when I walked in, Gryffindor and Slytherin were having an argument. I didn’t understand what they were saying then, but I do now.”
“Well, what did they say?”
“They were talking about a couple that had been snogging in the room. One was a Gryffindor and the other a Slytherin.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Ron said disgustedly. “What’s this got to do with Ginny, anyway?”
“Well, that’s what I’m getting to.” Ron gave her a look that said ‘go on’. “I was walking through the halls this afternoon, and I came across the same room. Only Gryffindor and Slytherin weren’t in their portraits, but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were. When I walked in, the ladies began to talk to me and kept insisting that I was their because of a certain couple. When they realized that I had no clue about what they were talking about, they had refused to tell me who the couple was, but left me with a riddle.”
“And,” Ron urged.
“And I think the riddle says that Ginny is seeing Malfoy.”
*****
Harry’s anger from that day’s practice was cooled down a notch as he saw his two best friends make their way toward the lake. He smiled, they were perfect for each other.
Harry turned his head to look at Ginny. She was walking between her fellow chasers and listened quietly as they talked adamantly about the Ball.
“So, who are you going with, Gin?” One of them had asked her.
Ginny looked down at her feet as a light blush crept up her cheeks and continued to walk quietly.
“Oh come on, Gin. Who is it? A Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor?”
“I really should be off, guys. I’ll see you later, okay?” With that Ginny hastened to the castle.
“So who do you think it is?” Harry heard one of them ask the other once Ginny was out of ear shot.
“Honestly?” The girl looked back at Harry as she said so.
I wish. Harry thought to himself.
*****
Ron could only gape in astonishment. His baby sister and... Malfoy? Hermione had to be kidding.
“Hermione, you’ve got to be kidding.”
It must have been a joke. Hermione was never really good at telling jokes after all.
“This is a joke, right? No offense, but you’re not really good at telling jokes.”
“It isn’t a joke, Ron.” Hermione said sympathetically.
“Of course it is. Ginny would never do that. I mean, he’s a Malfoy and she’s a Weasley. Weasleys and Malfoys don’t mix.”
“Ron...”
“No, it isn’t true. It can’t be.”
“Just listen to yourself, Ron,” Hermione pleaded.
Ron slouched and took everything in. It all made sense really: the secrets, the encounter at practice a week ago. He mentally smacked himself for being so blind. He had been so sure that it was Wood. Malfoy would have been the last person on earth he would have thought of. Ron then began to become filled with rage. How dare Malfoy touch his sister. He was going to beat the living shit out of that bloody ferret.
(A/N: Just a reminder: Review!)
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