November 1, 1996
The stands were starting to fill quick. Hermione, Luna and Rye got there before the most of them. But Lavender got front row and was there before anyone. Hermione wasn't pleased. The crowd was cheering.
On the opposite side, the Slytherins were sending nasty glares to Gryffindor's and cheering for themselves. Her eyes searched for his. His cold ones.
She bit her lip looking all over. "Hey, who you looking for?" Hermione asked. She looked back at Hermione.
"Oh- no one"
She looked away again and looked back at the Slytherins. She caught Nott's glance and he raised an eyebrow. Shit.
"Uh Hermione, who do you think is going to win?" She asked smiling like an idiot. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. She laughed hitting Hermione.
Hermione tilted her head. "Rye, you alright? It's okay if you're nervous" Hermione nodded. She wasn't nervous. Maybe a little. Her mind was wandering. Nott had spotted her. He could be thinking of all the possible situations and concluding the worst ones.
What if he tells Malfoy? She starts scratching her arms- in panic. Hermione shakes her. "Rye, you okay? What's wrong?" Hermione asks- worried. She shook her head.
"I'm fine, Hermione. Just tired" she sighed. Her hair was wet from the morning shower. Her vanilla-coconut shampoo was all she could smell. It was wandering around her.
Her eyes flickered from place to place, when the crowd started to cheer loudly. She glanced down, along with Hermione and saw the Gryffindor's coming out of the change rooms.
Hermione kissed her own hand and cheered. Harry and Ron looked over to them and waved. She smiled weakly back. Harry furrowed his eyes and made a concerned face.
She couldn't stand the thought of Malfoy's face when Nott tells him that she's been looking for him. Just that made her feel weak. And she hated it.
The team got onto their broomsticks and flew into the air. The crowd roared. Ron hesitantly flew to the hoops. A second later, the opposite side screamed and cheered. The Slytherins were coming out. She leaned against the pole looking for a sign of Malfoy.
But he wasn't there.
Instead, it was Harper who took his place. She's seen him around the castle. He's quite the ugly brute. Well he wasn't ugly. She just didn't find him attractive. She found it hard to find anyone attractive.
Zabini also seemed like a new addition to the team. The Slytherin team flew up and Madam Hooch stood in the middle of the field. "A fair game alright?" Hooch reminded. She blew the whistle and threw the quaffle up into the air.
The Ginny grabbed the ball and ran towards the other side. Hermione tapped her feet rapidly on the stands. Ginny scored and cheered, flying back to their side.
The game went on and Ron was doing outstanding. The Liquid Luck seemed to be working. Ron was blocking every shot that came in his way. He even managed to knock out two Slytherins, unwillingly.
-
"Weasley"
"Weasley"
"Weasley"
The Gryffindor common room was filling with laughter and cheers. Ron was beaming. He was extremely happy. Hermione and Harry watched from a far. She smiled softly at Ron.
"I can't believe you actually gave the liquid luck to Ron. He won the quidditch game" She scoffed. It was against the law. It was cheating, of course.
Harry smirked. He dug into his front pocket and pulled out the full, small bottle of.....Liquid Luck.
"You didn't give it to him" Hermione narrowed her eyes. "He only thought you did" Hermione slapped her forehead and gaped.
Her jaw fell. "You rotting bastard. I believed you. For crying out loud, Harry, I was scared for the outcome. You little crap" she laughed with a sigh. Harry chuckled at the two.
They put Ron down and Lavender grabbed him. Hermione's legs suddenly went limb. She felt Hermione walking backwards. She looked back at Hermione and turned back.
Ron was snogging Lavender.
Her eye went wide. Harry looked back to where Hermione was standing. She was gone. Rye, nodded towards Harry- telling him to go after Hermione. Harry jogged out of the common room.
She stomped up to Ron and Lavender and yanked Lavender off. "Are you out your mind?" She asked Ron.
Ron furrowed with a smile. Lavender scowled. "What do you think you're doing? Have you gone mad?" She pushed Ron back a little.
Ron stumbled. "Blimey, Rye. What's the matter with you?" Ron asked with a frown. Lavender kissed his cheek and tugged on his arm.
Her eyes snapped onto Lavender. "And who do you think you are, huh? Get your hands off of him" she groaned, trying to pry her hands off. Ron pushed her back by her shoulder.
"Rye! Are you mad?" Ron looked at her as if she was crazy. She looked back to where Hermione had left.
"You're gonna regret this, Ronald" she said, waving her finger back and forth between him and Lavender. Lavender huffed.
Lavender pulled Ron to the portrait hole. "Come on, Won Won. Let's go somewhere we won't be bothered" Lavender snarled at her. She clenched her fists.
She ran out of the way Hermione and Harry left. She sprinted left and right, looking for them. Panting her way around the, now dimmed castle, she huffed and leaned against the wall for air. "You look rather worn out".
"Malfoy" she breathed.
"Well spotted"
"What brings you here" she asked, placing her hands on her knees. She was out of breath. Malfoy came forward and leaned against the wall beside her. She gave him a sideways glance.
Malfoy sighed. "I was actually looking for you. I was wondering if you'd come to the tree" he said.
"You came- all the way here- from whatever you were doing- to collect me- to go to the god damn tree" she looked at him in disbelief. Panting in between words. Malfoy leaned towards her.
"I've got 3 months. Better make the most of it"
She finally stood up straight. She utterly forgot about that deal. She gave him 3 months. It was only yesterday night. Yet it felt like decades. "Right- um, I actually can't right now. I'm looking for my friends".
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "The weird trio? Potter, Granger and Weasleby? Weasley is snogging some gross Gryffindor, perhaps you didn't know"
"No- no, I know. It's why I'm looking for Hermione. She's upset" She bit her lip and raked her hair.
"Ah that's right. Granger has a dumb crush on Weasley" Malfoy scoffed. He rolled his eyes and pushed off the wall. She followed.
The two walked side by side. Down the corridors, towards the Black Lake. "It's no dumb crush. Mione really likes Ron. He does too. But he'a too much of a coward to admit it. So he's snogging a bitch that's easy" she spat.
Malfoy grinned, amused. "That's new. You don't stop surprising me. I never took you as the kind to- to talk bad about your fellow Gryffindor's like that" Malfoy said, casually. She hit her mouth twice.
"You're absolutely wrong. I don't talk bad about my house friends. Though she isn't my friend. Gryffindor's are my family. I didn't mean what I sa-."
"Yes, you do" Malfoy cut off. She looked up at him. "You do mean what you said."
She scoffed. "You do not know what I mean and what I don't. You don't know me" she crossed her arms.
Malfoy stared up at the moon. Her tree swayed softly. The sound of the water ripples were subtle. Malfoy suddenly laid down on the grass. She furrowed her eyebrows. "You're crazy" he whispered.
She smiled to herself. She laid next to him. "It's nice isn't it?" Malfoy started. She turned to him- in confusion. Malfoy just stared at the stars with his hands holding up his head. "Not arguing".
