THE AFTERMATH | RON WEASLEY [BOOK FOUR]

8. NEXT ROUND IS ON YOU

Harry had begged Gene to come along for practice, on an almost intolerable cold winters day, at seven o'clock one evening.

About twenty minutes into the practice, with Gene huddled up in one of Finn's giant puffer coats as well as a hat, scarf and gloves, she was beginning to regret agreeing to it.

She had even risked her neck to come to watch Gryffindor practice, doing her best to avoid Edmund Spiers' predecessor as prefect, Pansy, since the upcoming match was Gryffindor vs Slytherin.

Not only that, but Ron's confidence from the tryouts seemed to have completely failed him when it came to the real thing. Gene watched as he let in half a dozen goals, all of them being scored by Ginny, until Gene shot up in her seat as he punched Demelza Robins in the mouth.

Gene ran out of the stands and onto the pitch, overhearing Ginny arguing with either Ron or Harry before she crouched by Demelza, who lay sprawled across the grass, sporting a fat lip.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry, Demelza, really!" Ron yelled as he made his way over. "I just–"

"Panicked," Ginny said angrily, landing on the ground with ease and glancing over Gene's shoulder at Demelza, "You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!"

Gene did her best to stifle her laughter at this as she carefully lowered Demelza's head onto the soft ground, drawing her wand and saying, "Episkey." and her lip seemed to heal over.

"Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not captain of this team–" Harry began.

"Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should." Ginny muttered.

Gene helped Demelza to her feet, giving her a once-over and offering a smile, which she returned weakly. She glanced at Harry who seemed to be trying just as hard as she was to hold her laughter back, before she returned to the stands to watch the rest of their practice.

Harry said that he wanted Gene to be present to provide Ron with some moral support, though really, Gene reckoned it was just so that he didn't have to be alone when he had to face a downtrodden Ron after the match.

"I played like a sack of dragon dung." Ron said, his spirits low as they made their way back to the castle together.

"No you didn't," Harry said. "You're the best Keeper I tried out, Ron. Your only problem is nerves."

Both Gene and Harry continued to provide him with words of encouragement as they made their way toward the second floor. Gene chose to walk them back to Gryffindor Tower, considering she had nothing better to do and quite enjoyed the short cuts they took.

But as Harry went to push aside a tapestry to pass it, Gene's eyes widened as she saw Dean and Ginny kissing, and rather aggressively at that. She didn't quite know what to say, if anything, so she averted her gaze, imagining how others must have felt last year around her.

"Oi!" Ron yelled, causing Dean and Ginny to break apart.

"What?" Ginny asked impatiently.

"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!" That response seemed to be the wrong one as Ron yelled once more.

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!" Ginny argued fiercely.

Gene couldn't help but notice how Dean looked quite embarrassed, looking to herself and Harry with a small smile which Gene did her best to return, given the circumstances. But Harry most certainly did not return it, and she knew why.

"Come on, Ginny," Dean said quietly, "let's go back to the common room–"

"You go! I want a word with my dear brother!" she snapped at Dean, and he didn't hesitate to do as told. "Right," Ginny began, glaring at Ron, 'let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron–"