Chapter 11 – And the Plot Thickens
- ~ -
The end of July was fast approaching and the weather was hot and humid, as was to be expected. Ginny took little notice of the weather because her mind was focused elsewhere. It was now her fourth week working on the Falcons and she was only beginning to adjust to a hectic sort of routine.
Little did she realize that, once again, things were about to change whether she was ready for it or not.
This particular week started out normally enough, with one small exception: it was almost Harry's birthday. As a birthday present for her friend, she'd acquired tickets for that weekend's Falcons match for Harry, Fred and George to attend. It was a nice side benefit of being a member of the team.
In a way, she thought it was fun that they'd all be at the match together, albeit seated separately. She'd been particularly looking forward to recounting the day's activities with them at Harry's birthday party that evening. She anticipated it being a happy day.
As was now her pre-game ritual, Ginny donned her disguise and entered the Falcons locker room, walking purposefully to the room reserved for the lone female player. She carefully suited up into her now familiar black and gold uniform, adjusting the protective pads, making sure that the pads didn't inhibit her movement in any way. Finally, she looked into the mirror making a final check to ensure her disguise was properly in place before her teammates arrived. Though the process of becoming Francine was now quite second nature to her, she found the ritual of that last check comforting.
With all ready, she left her changing area to wait in the team's meeting room. Oliver arrived shortly afterward and greeted her warmly. As Ginny returned his hug, she realized that the simple gesture also was becoming part of their pre-match routine.
When the remaining members of the team arrived, she joined them as they discussed details about strengths and weaknesses of their opponent while they performed their personal versions of stretching and warm-up activities. Finally, as the last of the players settled into the room, the coach began his weekly pre-match ritual, covering last minute changes, and reminding the team of any final strategies to be used.
Today's match was at Puddlemere so, immediately after the coach completed his speech, the team Portkeyed to the Puddlemere stadium.
They entered the pitch as the visiting team, hearing the crowd shout more than a few boos as the team was introduced. Ginny remained unfazed by the fans' reaction, as she was still enthralled by the idea of simply being there. Barely hearing the crowd, she looked eagerly into the stands to locate and wave to Harry and her brothers, feeling overjoyed to find them waving and grinning back happily.
She sat down on the designated team bench on the edge of the pitch. As she looked over her team she once again felt grateful simply to be where she was, on the sidelines with a great view of a professional match. She couldn't help but think that she'd remember this season always; regardless of the outcome of her Quidditch career. She was enjoying the moment and laughed inwardly at the thought that, maybe, after her time here was over, she would just have to permanently become a Falcons’ fan, despite how much it would displease her brother Ron.
Speaking of displeasing Ron ... she fell into another one of her routine habits as she glanced over at the luxury box and caught sight of the familiar light blond hair of Draco and gave a heavy sigh.
Every week, she allowed herself that one long look and realized that she had now joined that annoying group of witches who were reduced to fawning over Draco Malfoy. It was pitiful, she knew. She took a small amount of comfort in knowing that absolutely nobody would take any notice of little Francine's attention. She was grateful that, at the very least, she could be pitiful while in disguise.
Had it only been a month ago that she'd actually been on a date with him?
She took a deep breath and looked away, turning her attention back to the pitch. The match was beginning and her focus belonged on the field, since it happened to be her current job. As she always did, she made a mental note to daydream about him later, when she had time.
Her moment of distraction over, she watched Roger, the team captain, as he went through the usual procedure of greeting the opposing team's captain. Once formalities were completed, the teams were off in a flurry of activity with Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch.
Ginny became lost in the elegant battle on the pitch. She once again marveled at the precision of her team as they flew through each of their patterns from the week's drills flawlessly, despite having to overcome Puddlemere's aggressive style. She loved watching them play, knowing that part of their success was due to her efforts during the weekly practice drills.
As the game wore on, Ginny found her attention drawn to the one Puddlemere Beater that she knew: Marcus Hutchins. How different he looked, flying out there. She'd never actually seen him play in person, since she'd only begun dating him at the end of last season, and had broken it off prior to the start of this year's season.
Watching him now, she had the distinct feeling that if she had had the opportunity to see him play last season, she likely would have ended the relationship sooner. His tactics reminded her of the way Crabbe and Goyle had played on the Slytherin team at Hogwarts. His style of play was brutal, bordering on illegal. In short, he was dangerous.
Two hours into the match, the Falcons were winning by eighty points and the frustration of the Puddlemere players was starting to show. The Falcons were continuing to out fly the United's defenders. Oliver continued to block goals, making it more and more frustrating for their opponents. Puddlemere needed the Snitch badly, because, as the game wore on, it became obvious that the Falcons' lead was only going to increase.
As Ginny watched excitedly, another goal was scored by the Falcons and the lead had gone to ninety points. Soon, the catching of the Snitch would be irrelevant. Ginny felt the suspense growing as the local Puddlemere crowd became more and more hostile in their shouting.
It became a defining moment in Ginny's life. She later remembered the sequence of events in an almost dreamlike slow-motion.
The Snitch had been sighted and the Seekers were weaving their way across the field, dodging Bludgers and Chasers as each player on the opposing teams did their best to distract the Seekers from their prize. Even with the distraction, both teams continued their own quest to score with the Quaffle.
Ginny vaguely recalled standing with her fellow teammates on the sidelines shouting and cheering for their Seeker, James, in his rush to the Snitch. During the flurry of activity, which could only be described as organized mayhem, the incident occurred.
Marcus Hutchins timed hitting the Bludger so that it appeared to be an accident, but Ginny had been watching him closely throughout the match and she saw the look on the Beater's face as he aimed. It was no accident when the Bludger soundly smacked into the side of James' head. The Seeker was knocked from his broom, instantly unconscious. The sound she heard when his limp form impacted the ground made Ginny feel ill.
She tried to look away, but was rudely interrupted as she felt a hard shove from behind.
"Get on your broom and get out there, NOW!" Coach Raymond ordered.
She glanced back to see a combination of concern and fury on the older man's face. Her broom in hand, she leaped onto the field in a free fall. In a gloriously acrobatic and graceful move, she mounted the broom as she was descending, moving from free fall into full flight in one fluid motion.
Play was paused for a few moments while James was taken off the field and Ginny took that brief respite to force herself to put thoughts of the injured Seeker out of her mind. She didn't have time to think about what she'd gotten into, as her world had suddenly been reduced to only herself, her broom and the Snitch. Once the whistle blew, she was the picture of concentration as she raced across the field in quest of the elusive Snitch.
It was only minutes before the device was spotted again, causing her and the opposing Seeker to once again barrel across the field, weaving around the other players in their pursuit. As they raced along, she suddenly and unexpectedly felt her broom shudder as a Bludger impacted the tail end, spinning her around. She barely hung on. When she finally pulled her broom back under control, she turned to continue her pursuit. Her heart dropped as she looked up and saw the Puddlemere Seeker leering in triumph as he held the Snitch firmly in his grasp.
They'd lost.
- x – x -
After they Portkeyed back to their own locker room, she changed quickly, then found a quiet place to remove her disguise before heading back to the main locker room to talk to Oliver.
She couldn't face her team as Francine. At least, not now. Her embarrassment and humiliation consumed her entirely and the thought of talking to anyone on her team, or worse, being interviewed by the sports reporter for the Daily Prophet, was simply unfathomable. She'd single-handedly lost the game that her team had rightfully deserved to win.
As she approached the lockers, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation within.
"I told you, she's too small. I didn't want her on the team in the first place, no matter how fast she is!" Coach Raymond was shouting.
"I still want to give her a chance. We can't find anyone in the next week or so anyway, so I want her to start," Roger, the team captain, was arguing back.
"I agree,” the coach muttered grudgingly . “It looks like we're stuck with her for now. But I want a trial for another replacement. James is out for the season."
"He was planning on retiring at the end of the season anyway," said another person. She identified the voice as possibly being Oliver.
She felt awful. Five minutes on the pitch, and she'd already lost her team's confidence. She was devastated, and, although the argument continued, she hardly heard a word. Her dream career would likely end in a week or two, once they found a new Seeker.
Oliver stepped out a few minutes later with Roger, both looking rather unhappy.
"Hey, love," Oliver greeted her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. It was as close to consoling her as he could get while in front of another team member right now.
Roger grinned impishly at her. "Oliver, you devil. Are you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?" He took her hand. "And your name is...?"
"Ginny. Ginny Weasley."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss. Weasley. I would love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid I'm a bit cranky to be around after losing a match. Hopefully, we'll be able to get acquainted some other time," he said, his face once again returning to a more somber expression.
She nodded in agreement, and he gave her a weak smile before he left.
Oliver took her hand and looked into her eyes, looking at her seriously. "Are you all right, Gin?"
She felt tears threatening behind her eyes and fought them back. No, she wasn't quite all right. She felt like a total failure.
Her voice partially broke as she responded, "I don't know. It sounds like this wasn't such a good idea after all. Fortunately, nobody is going to hold it against Ginny Weasley, since nobody knows it’s me. I'm rather liking the fact that it was Francine who lost the match today." The tears began to spill from her eyes. She had wanted this to work, so very badly. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
Oliver held her hand comfortingly and looked her square in the eye. "It was your first game. It was your first five minutes. You were sitting on a bench for two hours watching, and barely got your broom under you, so of course you weren't going to be able to do your best. It was NOT your fault and I want you to get that thought out of your head right now."
She nodded, reluctantly. Deep down, she knew he was right, but, her confidence was badly shaken.
He put his arm around her shoulders in comfort as they walked out of the stadium. They took a long walk back to meet Harry and her brothers before heading home. Mostly, Oliver spent time getting her mind off the match, which was odd, because he was probably just as peeved about the loss as anyone else. He was being a coach, and he wanted his protégé to get back on track. She acknowledged and appreciated that.
She tried not to dwell on the loss of the match too heavily, although it was a huge topic of conversation at Harry's birthday party. She, Harry, Oliver and the twins chattered on until late in the evening about the game. All of them giving her endless words of encouragement, convincing her that it was a learning experience. It wasn't easy to fully accept, but, she had to admit that by the time she went to bed, she felt much better. At the very least, she vowed to walk back onto that pitch and try again.
- x – x -
On Monday morning, she found another peach rose on her desk from Oliver, asking her to dinner. Now, it wasn't that she hadn't gone to dinner with Oliver in the past, but this time it was clearly different. Before, they had only met up after practice to talk about the Falcons, or her training, or similarly related topics. They'd gone as friends. This was different. The wording of the note along with the flower were clear in their implications. Oliver wanted this dinner to be a date.
Normally, one would expect that an attractive, petite twenty-two year old woman would be completely thrilled to be getting an offer of a date from a fairly popular athlete. Most women in a similar position would be chittering up a happy storm to all her girlfriends. Such an offer would normally cause a woman to have butterflies in her stomach and accept said offer with alacrity.
Not so for Ginny.
Ginny wanted nothing to do with it. Zero, zilch, zippo.
To go back to the reasons why Ginny Weasley was currently unattached, she reiterated to herself that she had declared herself the anti-romance queen, after all. There was a reason she detested being in that stereotypically lovely little enchanted faerie garden, all Malfoy encounters aside.
And why did he pop into her head just now? Ugh.
She sat back and stared at the note, a heavy sigh escaping. The action caught the attention of her co-worker and friend Camille. "Gin, what's up? Something bad?" she asked.
Ginny shook her head. "Not bad... exactly."
"What is 'not bad exactly' supposed to mean?" her friend chided.
"Oliver Wood asked if I'd like to meet him for dinner tomorrow night."
"Oh. My. Gosh! Ginny, that's wonderful!" Not that Ginny minded the girl's enthusiasm, but it truly didn't help her situation. "Where, what time? What are you going to wear? I can't wait to tell my sister, she's had a crush on him for ages!"
"Camille, please!" Ginny interrupted. "I'm not going to go."
"How can you not go, Ginny. You haven't had a date in forever and this is Oliver Wood! Of course you're going to go."
She hadn't told Camille about the dates with Draco after the ball. The speculation about him had, fortunately, died down over the last few weeks. She was grateful for that. Camille had long since stopped provoking her with that particular topic.
"He's a friend of my brothers, that's all. He probably just wants to catch up on them a bit," Ginny grumbled, by way of an excuse.
"If he wanted to catch up with your brothers, he'd ask them to meet him at the pub."
Well, there was no faulting her friend's logic there. Ginny sighed and finally responded, "I don't need to go on a date. That is the last thing I need. He's just a friend."
"Oh, don't you give me that Ginny. You haven't gone out with anyone since... you know. You can't stay away from men forever."
"I can sure try."
"No. You. Can't. And you know it. At some point, you've got to jump back into the romance game, and what better way to start?"
- x – x -
Ginny looked at her mother as she moved through the living room before leaving on her date. Molly looked up from mending a shirt to give her an encouraging smile, obviously happy that Ginny was moving on in the dating arena.
Despite her mother's good intentions, it drove Ginny just a bit mad. It wasn't always best for her family to know every last detail of her life, and it was currently one of those occasions where Ginny really, really wished that she didn't still live at home with her parents.
Oliver arrived shortly after that little internal meltdown.
Sensing that her mother was about to start a long conversation with her date, Ginny grabbed her bag and hurried him back out the door, mere seconds after he'd set foot inside. Then, wishing her mother goodnight and telling her not to wait up, she rushed out right after him, not missing the delighted look on her mother's face.
Dinner felt awkward. She couldn't quite figure out why. She'd gone to dinner with Oliver in the past, and she couldn't deny that he was a good-looking wizard, as well as friendly and charismatic. They had a great deal in common, considering their Quidditch careers. As she labored through the meal, she also considered the fact that they'd developed a good friendship over the last several weeks, and he even got along with her brothers. Yet, she couldn't quite feel at ease.
At the end of the evening, he Apparated with her back to The Burrow, giving her a goodnight kiss on the doorstep. The evening was lovely, the kiss was sweet, and she found herself wondering why she wasn't the least bit interested in him.
She politely turned the conversation away from future dates, with the reason being that playing together on the Falcons, as well as his potential to move toward a coaching position might prove awkward.
At least Oliver seemed to feel the same, he all but admitted. She was grateful, since both of them voiced a desire to not strain their growing friendship. She already had enough of a problem with strained feelings regarding the team's owner, who, fortunately didn't recognize her around the team due to her disguise.
Good and bad came out of the date. Good, in the fact that she and Oliver became closer as friends, and she was very grateful for that. Bad, in the fact that the lackluster moment of kissing him only made to remind her of the kisses from another man who made her body virtually sing.
In short, the attempt to move on in the dating area did not help her in the least when it came to forgetting all about the blond team owner.
- x – x -
The next week flew by, literally. With Quidditch now being her full time occupation and, with the equivalent pay to go along with it, Ginny finally decided to take a leave of absence from her job at Tinkerton's. She spent the extra time during the week practicing, working to sharpen her skills for her next match. A match in which she would start as Seeker. She felt slightly overwhelmed.
At the very least, with her catering duties removed, she now had enough free time to spend some of the money that she was now making. She had shopping to do. Francine needed some new clothes for being seen outside of the Quidditch pitch, and she'd recently decided that Francine's taste was somewhat different from her own.
Odd how one's alter ego could develop a personality, Ginny mused.
It was a sunny day, and hot, being midsummer, but it didn't deter Ginny from enjoying her afternoon off quite well. She decided to stop in to get an ice cream before continuing her shopping trip when she encountered Narcissa Malfoy. To Ginny's mild surprise, the woman smiled and greeted her pleasantly.
“Miss. Weasley, how nice to see you again.”
“Hello Mrs. Malfoy, a pleasure,” Ginny returned politely.
“I was just about to stop in for something cool to drink, won't you join me?” the woman invited.
A force of nature, Draco had said of his mother, and Ginny had to agree. While the woman's tone was pleasant and inviting, there was somehow no question that she would take no for an answer. Ginny smiled at the eccentricity of the woman. Still feeling that she owed Narcissa for her past kindness, she easily agreed.
As they seated themselves in the small shop, sipping their drinks, Narcissa chatted amiably with Ginny about casual topics. When she asked Ginny about her work, she answered as truthfully as possible, keeping the topic to what little she'd done at the caterers lately.
“How is your family? I hear that one of your brothers will be expecting a child soon.”
“Yes, ma'am. My brother Ron and his wife Hermione.” She paused, wondering if Narcissa would be offended at the mention of Hermione.
“Ron and my son have never quite gotten along, have they?” Although, her words were a statement, not a question.
“No, Mrs. Malfoy, I can't say that they have. In fact, I'd say that they've enjoyed hating each other quite well.” Ginny smiled as she spoke. Funny how time changes ones perspective. Looking back, Ginny now found that it was almost amusing to recall how Ron and Draco had taunted each other in school.
Narcissa sighed. “He always was such a stubborn boy.”
“Well, Ron has my father's temper, I'm afraid,” Ginny offered apologetically. Her brother's ability to rise to the baiting that the Slytherins threw his way certainly never helped matters.
“I was referring to Draco, dear.”
“Oh,” Ginny said, looking rather surprised. Narcissa chuckled at her response.
“No need to worry. It is probably that the boys are more alike than different that makes them so abrasive to each other. Men are like that. It's best to ignore them when they get that way.”
Ginny smiled at the older woman's wisdom and sipped her drink.
“From what I've heard, it seems that the Granger girl is a good match for your brother, is she not?”
“She's just as headstrong as my brother, and they fight endlessly, yet somehow they bring out the best in each other.”
And so they chatted about a variety of things for the next hour or so, Ginny finding that Narcissa had a wit about her, usually at the expense of her husband and son. When Ginny made note that she needed to be leaving soon, Narcissa made one last comment.
“I am hoping that you might be able to come by for dinner tomorrow evening, if you are free.”
She couldn't, or could she?
“Oh, Mrs. Malfoy, that might not be such a good idea, you see ...”
“I understand. A lovely young woman, such as you are, must have other plans.”
“No, Mrs. Malfoy. It's not that. I'm not seeing anyone ...”
“Then, please, come to dinner. I enjoy your company. Lucius generally reserves Friday evenings to talk about the business dealings of the week with his friends, and I tire of it, so I end up dining alone. It would be good to have you there and we can talk about this year's upcoming ministry ball. I'm quite curious about the latest in Muggle fashions at these events, as it seems to be a growing trend. You've been more exposed to some of the recent functions and I need to be brought up to date," Narcissa persuaded.
Somehow, Ginny had a feeling that Mrs. Malfoy would probably find another way to continue this conversation at a later time, regardless of her answer. The woman seemingly could not be deterred once her mind was set.
The problem was that she had actually started to grow fond of Narcissa. The older woman had softened towards her, though Ginny could see that she still held her icy exterior for almost everyone else. It made her feel oddly privileged, so she didn't have the heart to say no. Why Narcissa liked her, she wasn't quite sure, but the older woman's emotions seemed genuine.
So the next day, Ginny found herself once again Apparating to the front of Malfoy Manor.
She and Narcissa had a lovely light dinner. The wine was excellent, and the conversation flowed in Narcissa's friendly but exceedingly polite tone. She asked about Fred and George's business as well as how she had been playing Quidditch on their team. Narcissa's favorite topics almost always flowed to her son, whom she obviously adored. Ginny found herself listening raptly, while feeling almost guilty for wanting to know more about him.
He arrived just as they were starting on their dessert.
“Draco, darling. You're just in time to join us for dessert!”
If the woman didn't just look like that cat that got the cream! Of course the dinner was a plot, Ginny found herself thinking. She should have known. They may not be as evil as she'd once thought, but they were still manipulative Slytherins to the core.
“Mother,” he greeted, giving her a polite peck on the cheek before taking the seat across from Ginny.
“Miss. Weasley,” he said, giving her a quirky smile, addressing her formally, but using that teasing tone as he said her name. Once again, he had reverted to enjoying the fact that his presence made her uncomfortable, so she straightened and tried to appear nonchalant.
“I didn't realize you'd be joining me this evening. I thought you had other arrangements,” Narcissa said conversationally.
He glanced at Ginny, then back to his mother. “You must have been misinformed, Mother. I apologize if I'm interrupting your dinner.”
“Oh, not at all, dear.”
Their conversation went on along those polite lines for several minutes, and Ginny had to hide her amusement. Narcissa had obviously planned for this situation and was only thinly trying to disguise the fact. Draco also saw right through his mother's fib but he smiled and went along politely, occasionally giving Ginny an amused glance.
After dinner, Narcissa came up with a convenient excuse to leave them alone.
“Can't say I wasn't expecting that,” he drawled, after watching his mother hurry gracefully out of the room.
“No, the only question in my mind was how quickly she'd manage to escape,” Ginny smiled in response.
“I'm sorry about that,” he said. “She seems to like you, and has made mention of it more than once to me. If I wasn't so fond of her, I'd probably hex her.”
“You would not. I can't believe I'm seeing your mother be so ... sweet.”
“I'm still sorry she did this. She shouldn't be putting you in a position where you are uncomfortable.”
“Don't be. I'm not.”
“Sorry, or uncomfortable?”
“Neither,” she said. Egads, she'd missed him. The kiss from Oliver had made it all the more clear that she was completely smitten with this man. She looked into his eyes to see if she'd completely missed her chance. The look she got back gave her hope.
They stared at each other for several heartbeats, and she realized that his response remained somewhat cool. After all, she had rejected him, so he had every right to not give her a second chance. Finally, he broke the silence. “Well, Ginevra, I don't think she'll be back anytime soon. I'll see you out.”
He rose to escort her from the room. As they walked along the hall, she tried to draw him back into conversation. “I saw you at the Falcons’ luncheon last week.”
“I looked for you. I didn't think you were working that event.”
“I was in the back,” she lied. Of course he didn't see her, she had been there, but disguised as Francine.
“Your date seemed rather nice ...” she continued awkwardly.
He stopped walking and turned to her. “She's got the intelligence of a Niffler. Lovely to look at but not much use otherwise.”
She nodded, taking in a gulp of air as he looked intently at her.
“How are things with you? I hear you've been seen out with Oliver Wood lately,” he said rather stiffly. Obviously, he was feeling awkward as well.
“He's just a friend. We talk about Quidditch ...” Which was true.
“Just a friend ...”
“Yes ...”
The kiss landed swiftly after that. It wasn't at all like the soft, gentle kisses that they'd shared before. This kiss was demanding on both sides, as each wanted to make it clear that their intentions were far more serious. She'd had a month to think about it, and she was now quite certain that she was ready to see where this relationship might go. She was only too thrilled to realize that he seemed to still feel the same way.
As they moved the spontaneous snogging session to the parlour, neither bothered to notice whether Narcissa ever returned or not.
- x – x -
She arrived home late in the evening, and found her mother once again waiting up for her.
At least this time, her Mum didn't have to ask, because the glowing expression on Ginny's face told Molly all she needed to know.
- x - x -
- ~ -
The end of July was fast approaching and the weather was hot and humid, as was to be expected. Ginny took little notice of the weather because her mind was focused elsewhere. It was now her fourth week working on the Falcons and she was only beginning to adjust to a hectic sort of routine.
Little did she realize that, once again, things were about to change whether she was ready for it or not.
This particular week started out normally enough, with one small exception: it was almost Harry's birthday. As a birthday present for her friend, she'd acquired tickets for that weekend's Falcons match for Harry, Fred and George to attend. It was a nice side benefit of being a member of the team.
In a way, she thought it was fun that they'd all be at the match together, albeit seated separately. She'd been particularly looking forward to recounting the day's activities with them at Harry's birthday party that evening. She anticipated it being a happy day.
As was now her pre-game ritual, Ginny donned her disguise and entered the Falcons locker room, walking purposefully to the room reserved for the lone female player. She carefully suited up into her now familiar black and gold uniform, adjusting the protective pads, making sure that the pads didn't inhibit her movement in any way. Finally, she looked into the mirror making a final check to ensure her disguise was properly in place before her teammates arrived. Though the process of becoming Francine was now quite second nature to her, she found the ritual of that last check comforting.
With all ready, she left her changing area to wait in the team's meeting room. Oliver arrived shortly afterward and greeted her warmly. As Ginny returned his hug, she realized that the simple gesture also was becoming part of their pre-match routine.
When the remaining members of the team arrived, she joined them as they discussed details about strengths and weaknesses of their opponent while they performed their personal versions of stretching and warm-up activities. Finally, as the last of the players settled into the room, the coach began his weekly pre-match ritual, covering last minute changes, and reminding the team of any final strategies to be used.
Today's match was at Puddlemere so, immediately after the coach completed his speech, the team Portkeyed to the Puddlemere stadium.
They entered the pitch as the visiting team, hearing the crowd shout more than a few boos as the team was introduced. Ginny remained unfazed by the fans' reaction, as she was still enthralled by the idea of simply being there. Barely hearing the crowd, she looked eagerly into the stands to locate and wave to Harry and her brothers, feeling overjoyed to find them waving and grinning back happily.
She sat down on the designated team bench on the edge of the pitch. As she looked over her team she once again felt grateful simply to be where she was, on the sidelines with a great view of a professional match. She couldn't help but think that she'd remember this season always; regardless of the outcome of her Quidditch career. She was enjoying the moment and laughed inwardly at the thought that, maybe, after her time here was over, she would just have to permanently become a Falcons’ fan, despite how much it would displease her brother Ron.
Speaking of displeasing Ron ... she fell into another one of her routine habits as she glanced over at the luxury box and caught sight of the familiar light blond hair of Draco and gave a heavy sigh.
Every week, she allowed herself that one long look and realized that she had now joined that annoying group of witches who were reduced to fawning over Draco Malfoy. It was pitiful, she knew. She took a small amount of comfort in knowing that absolutely nobody would take any notice of little Francine's attention. She was grateful that, at the very least, she could be pitiful while in disguise.
Had it only been a month ago that she'd actually been on a date with him?
She took a deep breath and looked away, turning her attention back to the pitch. The match was beginning and her focus belonged on the field, since it happened to be her current job. As she always did, she made a mental note to daydream about him later, when she had time.
Her moment of distraction over, she watched Roger, the team captain, as he went through the usual procedure of greeting the opposing team's captain. Once formalities were completed, the teams were off in a flurry of activity with Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch.
Ginny became lost in the elegant battle on the pitch. She once again marveled at the precision of her team as they flew through each of their patterns from the week's drills flawlessly, despite having to overcome Puddlemere's aggressive style. She loved watching them play, knowing that part of their success was due to her efforts during the weekly practice drills.
As the game wore on, Ginny found her attention drawn to the one Puddlemere Beater that she knew: Marcus Hutchins. How different he looked, flying out there. She'd never actually seen him play in person, since she'd only begun dating him at the end of last season, and had broken it off prior to the start of this year's season.
Watching him now, she had the distinct feeling that if she had had the opportunity to see him play last season, she likely would have ended the relationship sooner. His tactics reminded her of the way Crabbe and Goyle had played on the Slytherin team at Hogwarts. His style of play was brutal, bordering on illegal. In short, he was dangerous.
Two hours into the match, the Falcons were winning by eighty points and the frustration of the Puddlemere players was starting to show. The Falcons were continuing to out fly the United's defenders. Oliver continued to block goals, making it more and more frustrating for their opponents. Puddlemere needed the Snitch badly, because, as the game wore on, it became obvious that the Falcons' lead was only going to increase.
As Ginny watched excitedly, another goal was scored by the Falcons and the lead had gone to ninety points. Soon, the catching of the Snitch would be irrelevant. Ginny felt the suspense growing as the local Puddlemere crowd became more and more hostile in their shouting.
It became a defining moment in Ginny's life. She later remembered the sequence of events in an almost dreamlike slow-motion.
The Snitch had been sighted and the Seekers were weaving their way across the field, dodging Bludgers and Chasers as each player on the opposing teams did their best to distract the Seekers from their prize. Even with the distraction, both teams continued their own quest to score with the Quaffle.
Ginny vaguely recalled standing with her fellow teammates on the sidelines shouting and cheering for their Seeker, James, in his rush to the Snitch. During the flurry of activity, which could only be described as organized mayhem, the incident occurred.
Marcus Hutchins timed hitting the Bludger so that it appeared to be an accident, but Ginny had been watching him closely throughout the match and she saw the look on the Beater's face as he aimed. It was no accident when the Bludger soundly smacked into the side of James' head. The Seeker was knocked from his broom, instantly unconscious. The sound she heard when his limp form impacted the ground made Ginny feel ill.
She tried to look away, but was rudely interrupted as she felt a hard shove from behind.
"Get on your broom and get out there, NOW!" Coach Raymond ordered.
She glanced back to see a combination of concern and fury on the older man's face. Her broom in hand, she leaped onto the field in a free fall. In a gloriously acrobatic and graceful move, she mounted the broom as she was descending, moving from free fall into full flight in one fluid motion.
Play was paused for a few moments while James was taken off the field and Ginny took that brief respite to force herself to put thoughts of the injured Seeker out of her mind. She didn't have time to think about what she'd gotten into, as her world had suddenly been reduced to only herself, her broom and the Snitch. Once the whistle blew, she was the picture of concentration as she raced across the field in quest of the elusive Snitch.
It was only minutes before the device was spotted again, causing her and the opposing Seeker to once again barrel across the field, weaving around the other players in their pursuit. As they raced along, she suddenly and unexpectedly felt her broom shudder as a Bludger impacted the tail end, spinning her around. She barely hung on. When she finally pulled her broom back under control, she turned to continue her pursuit. Her heart dropped as she looked up and saw the Puddlemere Seeker leering in triumph as he held the Snitch firmly in his grasp.
They'd lost.
- x – x -
After they Portkeyed back to their own locker room, she changed quickly, then found a quiet place to remove her disguise before heading back to the main locker room to talk to Oliver.
She couldn't face her team as Francine. At least, not now. Her embarrassment and humiliation consumed her entirely and the thought of talking to anyone on her team, or worse, being interviewed by the sports reporter for the Daily Prophet, was simply unfathomable. She'd single-handedly lost the game that her team had rightfully deserved to win.
As she approached the lockers, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation within.
"I told you, she's too small. I didn't want her on the team in the first place, no matter how fast she is!" Coach Raymond was shouting.
"I still want to give her a chance. We can't find anyone in the next week or so anyway, so I want her to start," Roger, the team captain, was arguing back.
"I agree,” the coach muttered grudgingly . “It looks like we're stuck with her for now. But I want a trial for another replacement. James is out for the season."
"He was planning on retiring at the end of the season anyway," said another person. She identified the voice as possibly being Oliver.
She felt awful. Five minutes on the pitch, and she'd already lost her team's confidence. She was devastated, and, although the argument continued, she hardly heard a word. Her dream career would likely end in a week or two, once they found a new Seeker.
Oliver stepped out a few minutes later with Roger, both looking rather unhappy.
"Hey, love," Oliver greeted her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. It was as close to consoling her as he could get while in front of another team member right now.
Roger grinned impishly at her. "Oliver, you devil. Are you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?" He took her hand. "And your name is...?"
"Ginny. Ginny Weasley."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss. Weasley. I would love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid I'm a bit cranky to be around after losing a match. Hopefully, we'll be able to get acquainted some other time," he said, his face once again returning to a more somber expression.
She nodded in agreement, and he gave her a weak smile before he left.
Oliver took her hand and looked into her eyes, looking at her seriously. "Are you all right, Gin?"
She felt tears threatening behind her eyes and fought them back. No, she wasn't quite all right. She felt like a total failure.
Her voice partially broke as she responded, "I don't know. It sounds like this wasn't such a good idea after all. Fortunately, nobody is going to hold it against Ginny Weasley, since nobody knows it’s me. I'm rather liking the fact that it was Francine who lost the match today." The tears began to spill from her eyes. She had wanted this to work, so very badly. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
Oliver held her hand comfortingly and looked her square in the eye. "It was your first game. It was your first five minutes. You were sitting on a bench for two hours watching, and barely got your broom under you, so of course you weren't going to be able to do your best. It was NOT your fault and I want you to get that thought out of your head right now."
She nodded, reluctantly. Deep down, she knew he was right, but, her confidence was badly shaken.
He put his arm around her shoulders in comfort as they walked out of the stadium. They took a long walk back to meet Harry and her brothers before heading home. Mostly, Oliver spent time getting her mind off the match, which was odd, because he was probably just as peeved about the loss as anyone else. He was being a coach, and he wanted his protégé to get back on track. She acknowledged and appreciated that.
She tried not to dwell on the loss of the match too heavily, although it was a huge topic of conversation at Harry's birthday party. She, Harry, Oliver and the twins chattered on until late in the evening about the game. All of them giving her endless words of encouragement, convincing her that it was a learning experience. It wasn't easy to fully accept, but, she had to admit that by the time she went to bed, she felt much better. At the very least, she vowed to walk back onto that pitch and try again.
- x – x -
On Monday morning, she found another peach rose on her desk from Oliver, asking her to dinner. Now, it wasn't that she hadn't gone to dinner with Oliver in the past, but this time it was clearly different. Before, they had only met up after practice to talk about the Falcons, or her training, or similarly related topics. They'd gone as friends. This was different. The wording of the note along with the flower were clear in their implications. Oliver wanted this dinner to be a date.
Normally, one would expect that an attractive, petite twenty-two year old woman would be completely thrilled to be getting an offer of a date from a fairly popular athlete. Most women in a similar position would be chittering up a happy storm to all her girlfriends. Such an offer would normally cause a woman to have butterflies in her stomach and accept said offer with alacrity.
Not so for Ginny.
Ginny wanted nothing to do with it. Zero, zilch, zippo.
To go back to the reasons why Ginny Weasley was currently unattached, she reiterated to herself that she had declared herself the anti-romance queen, after all. There was a reason she detested being in that stereotypically lovely little enchanted faerie garden, all Malfoy encounters aside.
And why did he pop into her head just now? Ugh.
She sat back and stared at the note, a heavy sigh escaping. The action caught the attention of her co-worker and friend Camille. "Gin, what's up? Something bad?" she asked.
Ginny shook her head. "Not bad... exactly."
"What is 'not bad exactly' supposed to mean?" her friend chided.
"Oliver Wood asked if I'd like to meet him for dinner tomorrow night."
"Oh. My. Gosh! Ginny, that's wonderful!" Not that Ginny minded the girl's enthusiasm, but it truly didn't help her situation. "Where, what time? What are you going to wear? I can't wait to tell my sister, she's had a crush on him for ages!"
"Camille, please!" Ginny interrupted. "I'm not going to go."
"How can you not go, Ginny. You haven't had a date in forever and this is Oliver Wood! Of course you're going to go."
She hadn't told Camille about the dates with Draco after the ball. The speculation about him had, fortunately, died down over the last few weeks. She was grateful for that. Camille had long since stopped provoking her with that particular topic.
"He's a friend of my brothers, that's all. He probably just wants to catch up on them a bit," Ginny grumbled, by way of an excuse.
"If he wanted to catch up with your brothers, he'd ask them to meet him at the pub."
Well, there was no faulting her friend's logic there. Ginny sighed and finally responded, "I don't need to go on a date. That is the last thing I need. He's just a friend."
"Oh, don't you give me that Ginny. You haven't gone out with anyone since... you know. You can't stay away from men forever."
"I can sure try."
"No. You. Can't. And you know it. At some point, you've got to jump back into the romance game, and what better way to start?"
- x – x -
Ginny looked at her mother as she moved through the living room before leaving on her date. Molly looked up from mending a shirt to give her an encouraging smile, obviously happy that Ginny was moving on in the dating arena.
Despite her mother's good intentions, it drove Ginny just a bit mad. It wasn't always best for her family to know every last detail of her life, and it was currently one of those occasions where Ginny really, really wished that she didn't still live at home with her parents.
Oliver arrived shortly after that little internal meltdown.
Sensing that her mother was about to start a long conversation with her date, Ginny grabbed her bag and hurried him back out the door, mere seconds after he'd set foot inside. Then, wishing her mother goodnight and telling her not to wait up, she rushed out right after him, not missing the delighted look on her mother's face.
Dinner felt awkward. She couldn't quite figure out why. She'd gone to dinner with Oliver in the past, and she couldn't deny that he was a good-looking wizard, as well as friendly and charismatic. They had a great deal in common, considering their Quidditch careers. As she labored through the meal, she also considered the fact that they'd developed a good friendship over the last several weeks, and he even got along with her brothers. Yet, she couldn't quite feel at ease.
At the end of the evening, he Apparated with her back to The Burrow, giving her a goodnight kiss on the doorstep. The evening was lovely, the kiss was sweet, and she found herself wondering why she wasn't the least bit interested in him.
She politely turned the conversation away from future dates, with the reason being that playing together on the Falcons, as well as his potential to move toward a coaching position might prove awkward.
At least Oliver seemed to feel the same, he all but admitted. She was grateful, since both of them voiced a desire to not strain their growing friendship. She already had enough of a problem with strained feelings regarding the team's owner, who, fortunately didn't recognize her around the team due to her disguise.
Good and bad came out of the date. Good, in the fact that she and Oliver became closer as friends, and she was very grateful for that. Bad, in the fact that the lackluster moment of kissing him only made to remind her of the kisses from another man who made her body virtually sing.
In short, the attempt to move on in the dating area did not help her in the least when it came to forgetting all about the blond team owner.
- x – x -
The next week flew by, literally. With Quidditch now being her full time occupation and, with the equivalent pay to go along with it, Ginny finally decided to take a leave of absence from her job at Tinkerton's. She spent the extra time during the week practicing, working to sharpen her skills for her next match. A match in which she would start as Seeker. She felt slightly overwhelmed.
At the very least, with her catering duties removed, she now had enough free time to spend some of the money that she was now making. She had shopping to do. Francine needed some new clothes for being seen outside of the Quidditch pitch, and she'd recently decided that Francine's taste was somewhat different from her own.
Odd how one's alter ego could develop a personality, Ginny mused.
It was a sunny day, and hot, being midsummer, but it didn't deter Ginny from enjoying her afternoon off quite well. She decided to stop in to get an ice cream before continuing her shopping trip when she encountered Narcissa Malfoy. To Ginny's mild surprise, the woman smiled and greeted her pleasantly.
“Miss. Weasley, how nice to see you again.”
“Hello Mrs. Malfoy, a pleasure,” Ginny returned politely.
“I was just about to stop in for something cool to drink, won't you join me?” the woman invited.
A force of nature, Draco had said of his mother, and Ginny had to agree. While the woman's tone was pleasant and inviting, there was somehow no question that she would take no for an answer. Ginny smiled at the eccentricity of the woman. Still feeling that she owed Narcissa for her past kindness, she easily agreed.
As they seated themselves in the small shop, sipping their drinks, Narcissa chatted amiably with Ginny about casual topics. When she asked Ginny about her work, she answered as truthfully as possible, keeping the topic to what little she'd done at the caterers lately.
“How is your family? I hear that one of your brothers will be expecting a child soon.”
“Yes, ma'am. My brother Ron and his wife Hermione.” She paused, wondering if Narcissa would be offended at the mention of Hermione.
“Ron and my son have never quite gotten along, have they?” Although, her words were a statement, not a question.
“No, Mrs. Malfoy, I can't say that they have. In fact, I'd say that they've enjoyed hating each other quite well.” Ginny smiled as she spoke. Funny how time changes ones perspective. Looking back, Ginny now found that it was almost amusing to recall how Ron and Draco had taunted each other in school.
Narcissa sighed. “He always was such a stubborn boy.”
“Well, Ron has my father's temper, I'm afraid,” Ginny offered apologetically. Her brother's ability to rise to the baiting that the Slytherins threw his way certainly never helped matters.
“I was referring to Draco, dear.”
“Oh,” Ginny said, looking rather surprised. Narcissa chuckled at her response.
“No need to worry. It is probably that the boys are more alike than different that makes them so abrasive to each other. Men are like that. It's best to ignore them when they get that way.”
Ginny smiled at the older woman's wisdom and sipped her drink.
“From what I've heard, it seems that the Granger girl is a good match for your brother, is she not?”
“She's just as headstrong as my brother, and they fight endlessly, yet somehow they bring out the best in each other.”
And so they chatted about a variety of things for the next hour or so, Ginny finding that Narcissa had a wit about her, usually at the expense of her husband and son. When Ginny made note that she needed to be leaving soon, Narcissa made one last comment.
“I am hoping that you might be able to come by for dinner tomorrow evening, if you are free.”
She couldn't, or could she?
“Oh, Mrs. Malfoy, that might not be such a good idea, you see ...”
“I understand. A lovely young woman, such as you are, must have other plans.”
“No, Mrs. Malfoy. It's not that. I'm not seeing anyone ...”
“Then, please, come to dinner. I enjoy your company. Lucius generally reserves Friday evenings to talk about the business dealings of the week with his friends, and I tire of it, so I end up dining alone. It would be good to have you there and we can talk about this year's upcoming ministry ball. I'm quite curious about the latest in Muggle fashions at these events, as it seems to be a growing trend. You've been more exposed to some of the recent functions and I need to be brought up to date," Narcissa persuaded.
Somehow, Ginny had a feeling that Mrs. Malfoy would probably find another way to continue this conversation at a later time, regardless of her answer. The woman seemingly could not be deterred once her mind was set.
The problem was that she had actually started to grow fond of Narcissa. The older woman had softened towards her, though Ginny could see that she still held her icy exterior for almost everyone else. It made her feel oddly privileged, so she didn't have the heart to say no. Why Narcissa liked her, she wasn't quite sure, but the older woman's emotions seemed genuine.
So the next day, Ginny found herself once again Apparating to the front of Malfoy Manor.
She and Narcissa had a lovely light dinner. The wine was excellent, and the conversation flowed in Narcissa's friendly but exceedingly polite tone. She asked about Fred and George's business as well as how she had been playing Quidditch on their team. Narcissa's favorite topics almost always flowed to her son, whom she obviously adored. Ginny found herself listening raptly, while feeling almost guilty for wanting to know more about him.
He arrived just as they were starting on their dessert.
“Draco, darling. You're just in time to join us for dessert!”
If the woman didn't just look like that cat that got the cream! Of course the dinner was a plot, Ginny found herself thinking. She should have known. They may not be as evil as she'd once thought, but they were still manipulative Slytherins to the core.
“Mother,” he greeted, giving her a polite peck on the cheek before taking the seat across from Ginny.
“Miss. Weasley,” he said, giving her a quirky smile, addressing her formally, but using that teasing tone as he said her name. Once again, he had reverted to enjoying the fact that his presence made her uncomfortable, so she straightened and tried to appear nonchalant.
“I didn't realize you'd be joining me this evening. I thought you had other arrangements,” Narcissa said conversationally.
He glanced at Ginny, then back to his mother. “You must have been misinformed, Mother. I apologize if I'm interrupting your dinner.”
“Oh, not at all, dear.”
Their conversation went on along those polite lines for several minutes, and Ginny had to hide her amusement. Narcissa had obviously planned for this situation and was only thinly trying to disguise the fact. Draco also saw right through his mother's fib but he smiled and went along politely, occasionally giving Ginny an amused glance.
After dinner, Narcissa came up with a convenient excuse to leave them alone.
“Can't say I wasn't expecting that,” he drawled, after watching his mother hurry gracefully out of the room.
“No, the only question in my mind was how quickly she'd manage to escape,” Ginny smiled in response.
“I'm sorry about that,” he said. “She seems to like you, and has made mention of it more than once to me. If I wasn't so fond of her, I'd probably hex her.”
“You would not. I can't believe I'm seeing your mother be so ... sweet.”
“I'm still sorry she did this. She shouldn't be putting you in a position where you are uncomfortable.”
“Don't be. I'm not.”
“Sorry, or uncomfortable?”
“Neither,” she said. Egads, she'd missed him. The kiss from Oliver had made it all the more clear that she was completely smitten with this man. She looked into his eyes to see if she'd completely missed her chance. The look she got back gave her hope.
They stared at each other for several heartbeats, and she realized that his response remained somewhat cool. After all, she had rejected him, so he had every right to not give her a second chance. Finally, he broke the silence. “Well, Ginevra, I don't think she'll be back anytime soon. I'll see you out.”
He rose to escort her from the room. As they walked along the hall, she tried to draw him back into conversation. “I saw you at the Falcons’ luncheon last week.”
“I looked for you. I didn't think you were working that event.”
“I was in the back,” she lied. Of course he didn't see her, she had been there, but disguised as Francine.
“Your date seemed rather nice ...” she continued awkwardly.
He stopped walking and turned to her. “She's got the intelligence of a Niffler. Lovely to look at but not much use otherwise.”
She nodded, taking in a gulp of air as he looked intently at her.
“How are things with you? I hear you've been seen out with Oliver Wood lately,” he said rather stiffly. Obviously, he was feeling awkward as well.
“He's just a friend. We talk about Quidditch ...” Which was true.
“Just a friend ...”
“Yes ...”
The kiss landed swiftly after that. It wasn't at all like the soft, gentle kisses that they'd shared before. This kiss was demanding on both sides, as each wanted to make it clear that their intentions were far more serious. She'd had a month to think about it, and she was now quite certain that she was ready to see where this relationship might go. She was only too thrilled to realize that he seemed to still feel the same way.
As they moved the spontaneous snogging session to the parlour, neither bothered to notice whether Narcissa ever returned or not.
- x – x -
She arrived home late in the evening, and found her mother once again waiting up for her.
At least this time, her Mum didn't have to ask, because the glowing expression on Ginny's face told Molly all she needed to know.
- x - x -
Author notes: One of the things that I absolutely did not like in the original HP books was the description of Quidditch matches. I would skip over reading the entire scene, which is why I find it odd that I would write a story that revolves around it.
I think I do a better job :) and try to cover team dynamic, strategy, intertwined with a bit of plot. Curious if you agree, dear readers.
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