Lost Image | dramione

40 | the manor's defenses

Hermione settled for sitting on the cool grass near the Quidditch pitch, watching her three friends play. They took turns being Keepers and Chasers, and Hermione acted as the personal cheer squad for whoever the current chaser at play was.

Draco groaned loud enough for her to hear on the ground as Harry scored a particularly nice goal, dodging Ginny and throwing the Quaffle right through Draco's extended arms. Hermione cheered Harry on, and Draco turned his broom to face her. "Hey, traitor!" he called down, "isn't there a rule about rooting for your friends over your husband? I'm going to hide a snitch in your underwear drawer, woman!"

Hermione laughed and clapped, and Ginny called out, "That's not a wise decision, Draco- she'd have to owl Harry to come over and catch it!"

"Oi! Was that a crack about my Seeking ability? That's it- Hermione! Release the snitch!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, walking over to the trunk on the ground full of struggling sports equipment. It felt like they had been out there for hours, and while she found the game completely boring she did enjoy her friend's sense of humor.

Once the snitch was released, however, everything got a lot more competitive between the two boys. Ginny had never been much of a Seeker compared to Harry, but then neither had Draco... but now it seemed, with his pride on the line, he was really giving it his all. Though, the same had probably been true in school...

Hermione shook her head as she watched them feign sightings, dipping and zooming and circling. Ginny dropped to the ground, a little out of breath as she sat down next to Hermione.

"Finished playing?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shook her head. "Kinda worried I'll get knocked off my broom- look at them go. It's not like this is a House Championship, but I guess with both of them having their wives watch there's a bit more testosterone up there than I want to deal with."

It was about noon when the sky started to grow dark, clouds rolling in in menacing waves. They almost looked alive, and Hermione knew the storm would start pretty quickly.

"Think we can get them to go in before it rains?" She asked, and Ginny just laughed and shook her head in response.

"I think they'd both have to be struck by lightning- there!" Ginny cried, point at a small flash of metal by the topmost keeper's goal.

Hermione squinted, but the snitch was already gone. She never could keep up with it- she thought it was a miracle anyone ever found it at all. Such a small shiny thing, and the boys chasing it were riding broomsticks, which were not the easiest things to maneuver if you didn't know what you were doing. It was like trying to catch a fly with chopsticks, and yet she had seen it done time and time again.

Draco surged forward towards the goal, but seemed to lose sight of the snitch. He circled the post slowly, while Harry remained stationed a ways off, just watching and waiting.

Another flash! Closer to Draco than Harry, but higher up. Draco didn't see it immediately, and Harry dove. Draco noticed the other boys movement and swung his head up, finally seeing the golden ball. He pulled back on his broom, and at this point it could be either of the boy's game.

Suddenly, rain started to fall, in almost unnaturally heavy sheets. Hermione gasped, pulling her wand out of her sleeve and creating a shield above her head to keep off the water. Ginny had done the same, but they were both instantly soaked through faster than a spell could be cast.

"Did you see? Did one of them get it?" Ginny asked, peering up at the thick black watery sky.

Hermione shook her head. She couldn't even see the boys anymore.