Catching Her Heart Pt. 1

Chapter 26

The next day was relatively quiet. Hermione, Harry and Ron attended their Charms class and Hermione caught up on homework and spent time reading. She pestered Ron to finish his as well if he wanted to go with her to watch Harry during Quidditch practice.

Hermione had made a point of not missing one since Oliver had invited her, and she learned a lot about the sport. Ron would often try to tell her something about it, and she would just roll her eyes and go back to either watching what was going on, or back to a book she'd taken with her.

"Aren't you finished yet?" Ron asked incredulously the next morning. Hermione sighed. Ron, it turned out, hadn't really cared to watch practice, he just wanted a go on Harry's broom — which he couldn't do until after practice was over.

"Haven't even started yet," Harry said, and Hermione noticed the jealous look he gave the toast and marmalade she and Ron had brought with them from the Great Hall. "Wood's been teaching us some new moves."

"Well, I'm going to go get a seat," Hermione said and waved as Harry kicked off from the ground, leaving them behind, and she headed off ahead of Ron toward the stands.

Just as she heard the clicking of a camera, she looked up, slowing her steps and grimaced to see Colin Creevey, the blond boy from the train who was in his first year with Ginny Weasley.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" Collin called shrilly.

Hermione shuddered and glanced up to see one of the twins talking to Harry, but they were too far away for her to hear properly. Watching them, she saw Oliver head over and converse with them for a few moments, then saw the twin — it was really hard to tell who was who when they were on the brooms so far away from her — point to the opposite stands and followed his finger with her gaze to see several Slytherin students coming onto the field with broomsticks in their hands.

"I don't believe it!" Oliver fumed, his voice coming to Hermione's ears. "I booked the field today!"

Hermione winced as she saw him dive and hit the ground rather hard, causing him to stagger slightly as he dismounted, knowing from the way he had touched down that he'd been angry and not thinking clearly. She hoped he didn't hurt himself too badly and that the stagger was just a shock from the hard landing.

She had been debating on getting involved or not, but as loud as Oliver was, she decided that it didn't matter if she was or not. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed Ron's curious look as Harry and his brothers also descended, until he saw what they were all looking at. "Uh oh," he muttered as she moved to follow them. "I smell trouble."

Together, they headed over to the team that was now all there in a standoff with the Slytherin team. As they got there, she saw Oliver holding a piece of parchment that Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain had given him, and he read aloud:

"I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practise today owing to the need to train their new Seeker." He paused and looked up at Flint. "You've got a new Seeker? Who?"

The Gryffindors watched as the Slytherin team parted.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked incredulously.

"That's right," Malfoy replied snarkily. "And that's not all that's new this year."

He brought their attention to his broom by shifting it in his hand, and they noticed all the players had the same model.

"Those are Nimbus 2001s," Ron said, his voice wavering in a mixture of awe, envy and fear. "How did you get those?"

"A gift," Flint replied. "From Draco's father."

"You see, Weasley," Draco said, smirking at him. "Unlike some, my father can afford the best."