Hermione Granger and the Time of her Life

Hermione Granger and the Time of her Life

Chapter 5: Quidditch

The next morning, Fleur, wasting no time, ran to the Great Hall, hoping to catch Harry at breakfast.

" 'Arry! 'Arry!" she called as she neared his table.

"Fleur? What?" Harry asked, a little amused to be honest. After all, the part Veela had never paid much attention to him, at least, not before he had rescued her little sister. "Oh well," he thought, knowing that Ron would kill for a moment with the French blonde.

"Ermione told me 'zat you're a great friend of 'ze 'Eadboy," she said eagerly, her sapphire eyes sparkling with interest.

"Oh, you mean Oliver?" Fleur nodded. "Sure, we play Quidditch together," Harry laughed.

"Pardon moi?" Fleur felt like Harry had just spoken Chinese to her. Maybe she hadn't heard straight.

"Quidditch. You know..."

"No, I don't," she replied puzzled. Was that word in the wizard's dictionary?

"You know, what we saw three years ago? Viktor Krum? You were there with..."

"Oh!" she remembered back in the Triwizard's Tournament year that she had attended some event that implied playing with some balls. Oh, and that Madame Maxime had gotten lost. That part she remembered perfectly. As for the rest of the game, that was unfortunate, due to the fact that in such a precise time, she had been taking too much care about her physical appearance as to pay any attention to the events around her. Not to mention the flirting...But Harry definitely didn't need to know that.

"Oliver plays 'zat?" she asked.

"He's the captain of the Gryffindor team. He literally lives for it," Harry replied with a considerable amount of sincerity.

"Could I play?" Fleur found her self saying, without having any idea as to what she was doing.

"Of course. All you have to do is contact Madam Hooch..."

"Who?"

"Never mind. I'll take you," Harry had suddenly forgotten that Fleur was new in Hogwarts.

"Merci!" Fleur exclaimed gratefully, but now it was Harry's turn for confusion.

"Whatever," he thought to himself, giving her a puzzled look.

"I mean, 'zank you," Fleur understood that Harry, of course, didn't know French.

"Oh, you're welcome."

Harry paced from the Great Hall to the Quidditch field, Fleur behind him. They would have gotten to Madam Hooch's office faster, if they hadn't met up with a certain red-haired boy, much to Fleur's exasperation.

"Hey, you two!" Ron greeted them, keeping his stare fixed on the part-veela, who sighed with annoyance, "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Fleur to Madam Hooch. She's interested in playing Quidditch," Harry smiled at his best friend, whose eyes sparkled, scaring Fleur. He was surely up to something.

"I can do that!" Ron suggested excitedly, to Fleur's unfortunate displeasure.

"No, don't bozer," Fleur tried to make him change his mind, but he wouldn't have it.

"It would be my pleasure. Besides, Harry, don't you have something to do? Huh?"

Harry knew what Ron meant. He decided then to let him have his way, even though Fleur wasn't too happy with it, and went to catch his other best friend.

Unsurprisingly, Harry caught Hermione in the library. She had her long straight hair brushed loosely to her shoulders, which made her look even more beautiful, Harry thought, before hurriedly dismissing her image from his mind. He couldn't be thinking about Hermione, his friend, as a woman, could he?

"Hey," Harry patted her shoulder, interrupting her reading.

"Hi," she smiled, a gesture that made his heart beat faster, "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing," he sat down next to her.

"I'm okay," she replied, a little confused. After all, he had seen her just yesterday.

"What are you reading?"

"Just something on Transfiguration."

"Great! Can I read too?" he asked, pulling his chair closer to hers.

"I...guess." Hermione was even more puzzled. Harry Potter? Reading when there wasn't any exam in the next hour? Enough said. Nevertheless, as she didn't mind his presence, she continued with her work.

Harry tried to concentrate, but of course, he couldn't. All that had been an excuse to spend time with her. But why? After all, he could spend as much time as he wanted with his friends now that they were back in school. But there was something about her...

She looked so radiant. His heart resumed its rapid beating while his breathing shortened. What the hell was happening to him?

Hermione wasn't too comfortable either. Harry was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. But then again, that had never bothered her before, had it?

She looked at him and noticed that he was looking at her too. Their faces, just inches away...

"Oh God! Look at the time! Got to go to class! Arithmancy, that is. You can keep the book. Return it to me later. Bye!"

Hermione spoke so fast that Harry only understood half of what she had said. That was, in part, because his mind was registering the previous events. What had just happened? Was he starting to like Hermione...as a girl? No! It couldn't be! What about Cho? He decided that he had gotten caught up in the moment and left the library, Hermione's book in hand.

Meanwhile, Fleur was trying not to fall asleep with all of Ron's babble. Finally, they reached Madam Hooch's office. Lucky, too, because Fleur thought that if she was forced to endure the company of Harry's best friend one minute more, she might have just collapsed with boredom, not to mention irritation.

"Bonjour Madame 'Ooch, I'm..."

"Fleur Delacour? Madame Maxime told me all about you. Sit down please. You can leave us now Mr. Weasley," Madam Hooch suggested.

Ron's face turned a reddish color as Fleur turned and waved good-bye to him.

"Bye Mr. Weasley! Puertous cerradus!" Madam Hooch said. By the time she was done, the office door had what seemed like 25 locks on it. Fleur assumed that she didn't want to be disturbed.

"So, Miss Delacour, may I call you Fleur?"

"Certainly."

"What brings you to my humble office?"

"Oh, I'm interested in playing Quidditch and 'Arry..."

"But of course!" Madame Hooch shouted a little too enthusiastically, making Fleur literally jump off her chair. " What position are you interested in?"

"What?" Fleur was again puzzled. A little detail that Harry had forgot to mention, or was it that she had forgotten to mention that she didn't know a thing about Quidditch?

"Position. You know, Keeper, Seeker is out so can't help you there, but you can try Beater or Chaser."

"Uh, I..." Fleur didn't even know where to start.

"Tell you what. May I recommend?"

"Sure!" snapped a more than grateful Fleur.

"You look more like a chaser to me."

"Well, chaser it is!" Fleur realized that she had no idea what she had just signed up to, but it didn't matter, as long as she got her part of the bargain. And that meant the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

"Okay! Fleur, practices start in two weeks. I look forward to seeing you there. If you want, I'll call Cho Chang to show you to the locker room..."

"No, 'zank you. I'm sure I can manage," Fleur stood up. She didn't want to know another thing about Quidditch until two weeks had passed.

"Funny," Madam Hooch observed.

"What is?"

"Madame Maxime never mentioned that you played Quidditch." No surprise there, Fleur thought, as in Beauxbatons they didn't even have a Quidditch field.

"Didn't she? Madam 'Ooch," Fleur smiled, "Quidditch is my middle name,"

"Good luck to you then. Oh, Puertous abiertous!"

Fleur finally got out of Madam Hooch's office, only to find none other than Ronald Weasley waiting outside.

"What are you doing 'ere?" Fleur tried to contain the annoyance in her voice.

"I thought I could walk you to your next class, so you don't get lost, you know," he smiled.

"Really, itz not necessary..."

"Oh, don't be silly," Ron took her arm and proceeded towards the hallway.

"Oy vey," Fleur sighed first in disgust and then relief when she spotted Hermione.

"Erm!" she shouted desperately to her best friend.

"Oh, Fleur, Ron, hello," Hermione smiled.

" 'Erm, aren't we late for class?" Fleur asked, leaving Hermione puzzled. They didn't take any class together.

"I didn't know we took..."

" 'Ermione, don't you remember? We are late for class," Fleur replied, giving her a desperate look. Hermione fully understood.

"Oh. That class. Yeah, we should go." Fleur immediately grabbed Hermione's arm as she waved to Ron.

"I didn't know Ron was still into you," Hermione laughed.

"Not funny!" Fleir hit her palyfully, before noticing Hermione's nervous expression, " 'Ermione, something wrong? You look pale."

"I'm fine," Hermione assured her, knowing full well that she was lying. She had been feeling a little awkward ever since the strange encounter with Harry in the library. " So, I hear that you are interested in playing Quidditch," Hermione changed the topic, "Doesn't seem like you."

" 'Zat's because I'm not. I'm only interested in 'ze captain."

"Who?"

"Hey Hermione!" Fleur turned around, catching a glimpse of Oliver. He looked even more handsome today.

"Hey Oliver," Hermione smiled.

"Oh, hi Fleur," Oliver smiled sweetly, causing her to sigh.

"Bonjour," she replied back.

"So Fleur, I didn't know you played Quidditch." Apparently, Madam Hooch had shared the news.

"Sure! I live for it!" Fleur quoted Harry.

"Well!" Wood looked pleased. "What are you?"

"Chaser, and you?"

"I'm keeper, but I'm also captain of the Gryffindor team, so if you want, I could give you a few tips," he offered.

"I would love it!" Fleur exclaimed before she could stop herself.

"Good. Wednesday on the Quidditch field?"

"I'll be 'zere."

Oliver smiled and took his leave.

"Tsk, tsk," protested Hermione.

"What? He was offering!" Fleur justified it.

"I wonder what tips he's going to give you, as you don't know anything at all."

"Well, I..."

"Maybe I can get Harry to help you out," Hermione couldn't bear to see her friend worried.

"Would you? Merci! I'll make it up to you, I will," Fleur assured her.

"What are friends for?" Hermione sighed, putting her arm around her friend's waist. Now, to find Harry.