"Harry." Hermione mumbled then. They were still in the common room after their talk about the new Master of Death, and after Hermione had disarmed him. She had given him his wand back, which he had stuffed in his pocket, and they had sat down on the couch, his arm around her shoulders and her head on his shoulder like they had been so long ago at Godric's Hallow.
"Hmm?"
"Do you... are you getting together with Ginny?"
Hermione didn't want to ask that question, for she had been working so hard at closing herself off from him, or at least these feelings that she felt. The last thing she needed was a heartbreak.
But she asked anyways. She was afraid, Merlin she was afraid, and she was unsure of so many things. She was unsure if she really should have become the new Master of Death, and if this fight was really hers. She didn't even know if she could handle the five most trained and angry Death Eaters. She was refusing to let anyone come with her. If anyone was going to get hurt, she was not going to have it be her fault, and all because she was too afraid to go by herself. She was afraid and unsure of so many things, and she just wanted to be sure about this. About this little significant detail, about love.
"No." Harry answers immediately. "I like someone else. Another girl, who is beautiful, though I don't think she would believe me if I told her. And... she's brilliant really. A genius, and she stands up for what she believes in. She's..." He sighs. "She's amazing."
Hermione smiled at the way that Harry spoke of the girl he cared so deeply for, but that smile was soon crushed by a tsunami of sadness. He liked someone else a lot, and she had no chance. She was stupid to think she even had one in the first place.
She hid her hurt and gave him a tight hug.
"That's great Harry. I'm glad you care about her so much." She stood up and started to make her way towards the stairs. "I better go to bed. I have to talk to McGonagall tomorrow... and classes..." She went up the stairs then, forgetting to say goodnight.

His hot breath came out in puffs as it made contact with the cool air outside. Dew made the grass sparkle, and his long Quidditch robe trailed in the grass, with Ron right next to him, as they made their way towards the growing huddle of kids on the field.
Quidditch tryouts had always been nerve wrecking for Harry. Not only when he was trying out himself, but also when he was choosing his team, because it was extremely difficult to keep everyone in control. And that wasn't even getting into the fact that he was always given trash when people weren't chosen to be on the team.
He blew a whistle that was looped around his neck, and everyone turned to look at him, silence falling in the huddle.
"Right, so." Harry says. "I've been chosen to be the Gryffindor Quidditch captain this year, and that is a great honor of course. I'm sure a lot of you are eager to get on the field. Before, when I've been captain and had to host tryouts, I've had a lot of trouble with people here either just to goof off, or people that weren't even in Gryffindor. If that's the case, I'd like it if you would clear out now."
A group of three giggling Hufflepuffs and two snorting Ravenclaws left, running off of the field.
"Great, now that we have that all taken care of... All of you, get in one line right in front of me. I want you to tell me your name and what year you're in, and then go fly some laps while you wait. Are we clear? Brilliant."
It didn't take long to get the names down, and just as Harry was rolling the parchment up, he saw a familiar looking redhead running up to him from the distance, calling his name.
"Harry!" Ginny finally said, coming to a stop in front of him and clutching a stitch in her side. "She's coming down to try out, you can't let her... she's terrible at Quidditch..."
"Who is?" Harry asks, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Hermione! She's coming to try out... said that she was going to right after I told her that she couldn't play."
Harry frowned, irritated. "Why would you tell her that she can't play?"
Ginny shakes her head. "Come on, Harry. You and I both know that she sucks. She can't even get on a bloody broom."
Harry sighs, placing a hand on his forehead. "Ginny, I don't know why you haven't figured this out yet, but you can never, under any circumstances, tell Hermione Jean Granger that she can't do something."
Hermione came sprinting onto the field then, a pair of borrowed Quidditch robes and a Firebolt in her hand. Her hair was tied back in a neat plait, and a grin was on her face.
"Hey Harry. I was going to try out, you know, just for fun." She shot a glare at Ginny. "Write my name on the list, would you?"
"Sure thing Hermione." Harry says, writing it down. Ginny frowns.
"Can you even ride a broom, Hermione? I thought when you took a class as a first year you were terrified."
Hermione nearly sneers at her, but controls herself. "You'll see on the field, Weasley."

Ginny and Hermione had both woken up at the same time that morning, Hermione to talk to McGonagall hopefully before classes started and Ginny for Quidditch practice. Hermione had been curious about why Ginny was getting her Quidditch robes on, and their angry conversation had spiraled just from that.
"Why are you getting your Quidditch robes on?" Hermione asked, looking outside. The sky was stormy and it looked like it was going to start raining soon. Shouldn't any Quidditch activities be done in better weather.
Ginny rolls her eyes. "Blimey Hermione. I know that you suck at playing, but you should at least be able to figure out when Quidditch tryouts are."
Hermione set her book down then, glaring at the redhead. "What makes you think I suck at playing?"
"Well you never really play with us over the summer, and the one time I saw you ride a broom you turned green in the face."
Hermione scowls. "And that was, what, five years ago? I've gotten better!"
Ginny snorts. "Sure you have."
Hermione stands up indignantly. "I guess I'll just have to tryout to prove it to you." She walks over and shakes Parvati awake, asking her if she can borrow her old broom and Quidditch robes. After a murmured reply, Hermione snatches them from under Parvati's bed and turns to Ginny. "See you at tryouts." And then she storms from the room.

Harry, along with nearly everyone else, stared as they watched Hermione race around the field, trying out for Chaser. She streaked past the other Chasers, including Ginny, and dodged bludgers along with nearly everything that came within five feet of her. She made three scores in under a minute, and that was with their best Keeper.
Finally, after her sixth score, she races towards the ground, feinting up slightly before stopping completely and getting off her broom. The rest of the Gryffindor house jogs over to her, where she is retying her ponytail and acting like what she just did was nothing but a warm up.
"Bloody hell, Hermione. When did you learn to play like that?" Ron asks her, while everyone else remains silent.
"Oh, well in our fourth year and up I took some lessons with Viktor, and he gave me his broom so that I could practice at home, since I live out in the country." She ignored everyone's stares and turned to Harry. "So, who made the team?"
Harry shakes himself from his daze of he and Hermione riding on matching brooms into the sunset and answers her. "Well, for Chasers I have Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Hermione Granger." He smiles at Hermione. "McGonagall already appointed me as Seeker. Our Keeper is Ron Weasley, and our beaters..." He falters for a moment, in memory of their old Beaters. George had tried out anyways, which shocked everyone due to the fact that his brother was gone. "Seamus Finnigan and George Weasley."
Ginny scowls. "How come I'm not on the team? I asked you if I was doing good and you said yes!"
Harry shrugs. "You were doing good, one of the best Chasers actually, but then Hermione did better."