Chapter 1
"Please Hermione, we really need your help."
Hermione looked at the face of her best girl friend and the mirroring faces of said friend’s teammates.
"Ginny, I cannot help you cheat to win a charity match! It's not ethical."
"It's not cheating Hermione, it’s distracting, nothing more, unless you want more." She smirked.
"I don't like what you're implying Ginny Weasley and what about Oliver, hmm? Talk about rubbing his face in it."
"Even better it will distract both of them."
Hermione looked round the corridor they were all stood in. Ginny had ambushed her at work and brought the whole team along for the ride.
"Look can we have a word in private?" Without waiting for the redhead to answer, Hermione gripped her by the arm and pulled her away from the other women who were getting to know far to much about Hermione's private life for her liking.
"Look, you and Oliver split up over a year ago, he's dated like seven other women since you. Why on earth would you think flirting with someone else would bother him?"
"I just think it’s unnecessary. Anyway I've just started seeing..."
"An older man, yes I know Hermione, but since we haven't met him yet and he sounds like a total bore from what you have told us, I'm inclined to believe that the offer of another hot young Quidditch player could be just what you need."
Pulling her further down the corridor so that she was sure no one else could hear her, she hissed at Ginny. "The offer? You make it sound like you have him wrapped up as a present for me to open."
"If that’s what you want Hermione I'm sure he'd agree, you know he has had the hots for you for like forever. Turns out that confunding him to lose a position on the team is what draws them in. Who knew? I should have tried that with Adrian years ago!"
"Adrian? As in Pucey? You don't like him do you?"
"He's hot Hermione, who wouldn't like him?"
"He's your teammate. Surely that’s a conflict of interest or something?"
"He's normally my teammate, yes, but not for the next two weeks he's not."
"Ginny you are unbelievable."
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
"It wasn't meant as one."
"I'm ignoring you, now will you help us?"
"But why does it have to be him?"
"Get over it, Hermione, Cormac McLaggen is hot, you could do much worse. Actually, who am I kidding, you have!"
"Do you want my help or not?"
"I knew you'd come round." Ginny pushed herself off of the wall she had been leaning against and headed back towards the rest of the team who were now all talking amongst themselves, she knew Hermione would agree in the end. She was good at persuading people.
"If only to beat the smug look off of Ron's face when he's beaten by a bunch of girls. He hasn't stopped twittering on about it since the Ministry announced it."
"Seriously, Hermione, what on earth possessed you to move in with my brother?"
"Well, it's not like we are together, it was convenient," she sighed.
"Convenient, but do you ever get any sleep with the skanks he brings home?"
"I perfected sound proofing charms after the first couple of incidents, so yes, it’s fine."
"Come on, let me go and tell the girls the good news! Those morons aren't going to know what hit them!"
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Oliver Wood was pacing up and down the locker room. That’s how Adrian Pucey found him when the Chaser entered moments later.
"You'll wear a hole in the floor if you continue, Wood."
"We have to beat the girls, Adrian, we can't let them get the better of us."
"Chill out, they’re a bunch of girls, of course we can beat them." Adrian leaned up against some of the lockers and began fiddling with the combination lock attached to one of them.
"Seriously? Would you say that to Weasley? She'd have your balls on a platter for a comment like that! And you know she's the best Chaser we have."
"True, but not everyone of the girls is like her. She's one of a kind."
Oliver stopped in his tracks. "Oh Merlin no, don't tell me you like her?"
"Mate, she's gorgeous, but that’s it. Who doesn't like a bit of eye candy to watch?"
"Well as long as that’s all it is. I can't deal with a fallout between my two best players."
"Thought I was your best player, Wood?" Came the deep voice of the usual Keeper of the Falmouth Falcons.
"My best player doesn't injure himself a month before the season begins, which puts him out of play for the first half of said season," Oliver grumbled, turning to face the man entering slowly on crutches.
"Ouch, Wood, you've hurt my feelings. On the plus side, it allows you to come out of retirement for this charity match, since you won't become player/coach for the Falcons. Why you'd rather play the reserve beats me."
"Which shows why you are not Team Captain, McLaggen, and I am—"
"Wood," Pucey interrupted, "you are aware you asked Cormac here to captain our charity squad the other night, aren't you?"
"Of course I am; what do you take me for? Cormac is here to be a distraction, or eye candy if you will. "
"What?" Both Adrian and Cormac asked in unison. The latter now taking a seat on the bench, nearly lost his balance and would have fallen to the floor had it not been for his lightning quick reactions. Grabbing onto the bench to steady himself, he repeated himself. "What?"
"If you think these girls are going to roll over and let us win, Pucey, you are sorely mistaken. They will be fighting dirty, Merlin, you know what our players are like usually, their determination will be up tenfold to beat us. Cormac is going to flirt with as many of the team as he can to distract them! Just cos you can't play old boy doesn't mean you're not useful to us."
Cormac stared at him for a moment. "I think you've lost it, Oliver. I'm no playboy, I'm a one girl kind of man."
"You don't actually have to hook up with anyone, McLaggen, you just have to imply you might!"
"On crutches? Dude, are you out of your mind?" He questioned pointing at the two planks of wood he had been using to walk on for the past couple of months. Magic could only do so much he had been told.
"Are you a wizard or a Muggle, Cormac? Surely you can lose the crutches for a couple of weeks? Levitate around if you have to, we're a team and I need everyone playing for us."
"Even Weasley?" Adrian snorted.
"Do I look daft, Pucey? Weasley is reserve keeper. I am not coming out of retirement from consecutive back-to-back championship wins to lose to a bunch of women. You hear me?"
"Eye eye captain." Adrian mock saluted him, smirking back at Cormac who was holding his laughter in now.
"Now get the team together, we need to practise. The girls won't know what’s hit them."
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Shock Announcement from Women’s Quidditch Team ahead of Charity Halloween Match.
Alicia Spinnet has stepped down from the Captaincy role due to a family bereavement. Taking her place as Captain for the Women's team is none other than War Heroine, Hermione Granger. Well known for her dislike of flying, this is a surprising appointment. She had this to say when questioned by Sports Reporter Blaise Zabini;
"Obviously this is a charity event and not a full time job. I wanted to get involved to help raise money for St. Mungo's Sports Rehabilitation ward and when approached by Ginny Weasley to fill the position, I of course said yes. I will mainly be promoting the event and coordinating the team. I obviously will not be getting involved in any game tactics and plans, after all the women want to win."
"Granger as their bloody team captain? What on earth are they playing at?" Adrian asked out loud a couple of days later, once again in the locker room at the men's designated training ground.
"What?" Cormac shouted across from the office where he was drawing up potential plays on a whiteboard.
"The girls’ team have announced that Hermione Granger is to be their Team Captain or Manager if you will," Adrian half shouted as he made his way towards the office.
"What? She doesn't even play Quidditch."
"I know, I wonder if they thought it might mess Oliver up."
"Why would he care? They split up ages ago."
"You would know,” Adrian paused for a second, “hey Cormac?"
"What?"
"You're obsessed with her, I see the little green haze that takes over you when you see her in the stands watching the Weasel."
"I don't know what you mean," the blonde replied turning back to face the whiteboard.
"Course you don't, McLaggen." Adrian smirked. "If I was you I'd keep quiet about that crush you have on her! Wouldn't want Oliver to get wind of you fancying his ex or screwing up his plans for flirting with most of the girls!"
"You know I don't want to do that anyway, Merlin, isn't there enough guys on this team? Wood's lost his mind." Exasperatedly turning round and throwing the whiteboard pen on the desk.
"He usually does when it comes to Quidditch. He's only mildly less competitive when he's just coaching."
"I've never seen him like this before."
"That's because you haven't played with him, this is just the beginning mate. You think because this is a charity or fun event that he's going to be calm? He'll be more competitive over this than anything else!"
"Oh good. I can't wait. Right, I need to go and see the Medi-Witch, see if I can get off these crutches anytime soon."
Adrian laughed. "Hope for your sake mate, that you can. Who's your Medi-witch?"
"Hermione Granger."
Cormac could hear Adrian's laughter all the way down the corridor as he shuffled his way out.
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"GINNY, YOU TOLD THE PRESS THAT SOMEONE IN ALICIA'S FAMILY DIED?!"
Ginny knew there was no point in hiding, Hermione knew she would be here at the women's training ground.
She rounded the corner and found Hermione walking through the locker room towards the office.
"It wasn't a lie, Hermione."
"It was an owl Ginny, the family owl died."
"Look, it worked in our favour, Alicia needed an excuse to get away anyway."
"What, why?" Hermione pulled out the chair opposite Ginny's desk and plonked herself in it, her anger forgotten.
"You didn't hear this from me, but she's getting married."
"To George?"
"Of course to George! She's been dating my brother since Hogwarts, who else would she be marrying?"
"But your mother..."
"Doesn't know, and isn't to be told, Hermione. George doesn't want a big fuss, he decided since Fred won't be there, he wants to just do it with him and Alicia there on Halloween of course, his and Fred's favourite time of year."
"Wow. Well of course I won't say anything, but your mum is going to blow her top."
"I know, I'm hoping to be on international duty when she finds out. So in actuality you've helped Alicia out."
"Godric, this all got complicated."
"Not at all, I thought you're statement to the Prophet was fine! At the end of the day, you work in the ward that the money is being raised for. It totally makes sense for someone from there to be involved. Why not you? Star Medi-Witch to the players?"
"Wipe that smirk off your face, Ginerva Weasley. You could rival Malfoy sometimes."
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
"It wasn't meant as one."
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Oh god, yes, I have an appointment with McLaggen," she exclaimed, standing up and turning to leave the office in a rush.
"Oh really?"
"Oh, shut up."
"Get your game face on, Hermione," she called to her best friend’s retreating back.
"Game on!"
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Cormac sat in the waiting area of St. Mungo's waiting to be called in for his appointment. Months ago he had been knocked off his broom by Zacharias Smith during a friendly game and hit by two bludgers, one to his leg and one to his hip. The healers had repaired his smashed leg with no problems and they had repaired his hip too, but told him that there could still be some weakness there, he had been given the crutches and told to come to weekly rehab sessions with a healer.
It had been discovered over the years that magically fixing bones was fine, but in years to come, people had found that those healed bones caused them problems later on in life.
Of course Hermione Granger has been the first rehabilitation Medi-witch to graduate with honours and was spoken very highly of by her peers at the hospital.
She worked with all the league teams when players were injured.
Cormac hadn't missed the irony of the situation. Every time he visited her and felt her small soft hands on his skin, he had to think of every horrid thing he could possibly conjure to his imagination to avoid embarrassing himself in front of her.
The more time he spent with her the harder this became. He had changed a lot since his youth, gone was the arrogant, self-assured boy, and he liked to think a much nicer version of himself had replaced him. Her Confundus charm had been the start of the change in him.
He had joined the Falmouth Falcons to replace Wood as their first keeper, at the same time as Gwenog Jones left the Holyhead Harpies. Oliver had been offered the Captaincy role and he had been determined to keep the Falcons at the top of the league tables.
He had finished his second season for the team and for the last two seasons they had been unbeatable. With Ginny Weasley, Adrian Pucey and Aoife O'Hare, the daughter of the former Captain of the Irish National Quidditch team, making up the teams chasers, Jean-Baptiste Bloncourt and Gwenog were the squad’s beaters and rounding off the team was Tina Lundstrom as their seeker.
It wasn't long after he had joined the squad that Cormac had begun to overhear rumours about the state of Oliver Wood's relationship with Hermione Granger. He had been living in Bulgaria for the last few years playing for one of their teams and so he had no clue that she hadn't married Ron Weasley, which everyone had predicted. Turned out they hadn't even dated in the end.
At the time he had a serious girlfriend so hadn't thought anymore of it, well that was until he saw her again.
He had been in the showers after a particularly hard match, they had just scraped through a win, seemed like the entire team had had an off day and he found himself staying longer under the spray of the shower than usual.
Just as he tuned it off, he had heard a woman's voice shouting. Intrigued, he grabbed a towel, wrapped it round his waist and snuck out. As he walked down the corridor the voices became louder, Oliver's voice he recognised was shouting now as well, although his thick Scottish brogue was making it somewhat harder to understand what exactly the other man was saying.
"I RETIRED FOR YOU, SO WE COULD SETTLE DOWN AND MAKE A LIFE TOGETHER!"
"YOU DID NO SUCH THING, OLIVER BRAEDAN WOOD! YOU RETIRED FOR YOURSELF, YOU WANTED TO GO OUT ON A HIGH AND NOT LOSE YOUR GAME!" The woman's voice yelled back at him.
Cormac was now stood right round the corner, water still dripping from his soaked body. He turned and slowly looked around the corner.
There stood Oliver in his office, his face turned away from him, facing the woman who was shouting at him.
He moved slightly so he could see a clearer view of the woman. Sweet Merlin, it was Hermione Granger. It was at this point he realised he had heard she and Oliver were dating and he had also heard the rumours that things were not great between them.
She was taller than he remembered; he reckoned she was only half a head shorter than him now. Her brown hair fell in shiny smooth curls and the robes she wore were cut to perfection, moulding to her curves in all the right places. She was stunning.
He watched Oliver turn away from Hermione and he shrunk back so he wouldn't be spotted.
"Look, Hermione, this isn't working anymore."
"What?"
"You heard me, I don't think we are a very good fit anymore. We want different things."
"You're a liar, Oliver Wood, you don't want a wife and kids right now, you want a dolly bird on your arm."
"So what if I do? You're no angel, my love, you don't want to be tied down, you want an independent life with someone who will wait for you to achieve everything you want before you put them first."
"I'm not sure what you actually want though, Oliver. It's not commitment, like you keep spouting to everyone."
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT, BUT IT’S NOT THIS!"
"There it is. The truth at last."
Cormac suddenly realised he could hear the clack of her heels against the stone floor of the locker room. He quickly realised she was heading straight for him.
He ran as quickly as his towel and wet feet would allow him and managed to dive back into the showers before she spotted him. Leaving it a few moments before he exited them again as if he was just leaving, he thanked Merlin when he saw her walking towards him down the corridor.
As she got closer, he couldn't see any tears on her face, but she still looked angry. He smiled as she walked past, her eyes glancing at his naked chest before landing on his face. He didn't miss the double take and surprise that crossed briefly over her face, but he just carried on walking back to his locker, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder at her departing derriere.
Over a year later and he was no closer to her, but definitely more interested than ever before.
"Cormac McLaggen?"
Her voice broke through his reverie and he looked up to see her looking flustered and flushed. How he wished he could be the one to leave her like this. Her blush looked particularly pretty today.
Screw Wood, he was determined to win her over, it was now or never he decided.
"Hey, Hermione." He swore he saw her shiver as he spoke her name.
Maybe, just maybe this time he might win her over, he thought as they walked into her treatment room.
---------
"He said what?" Ginny shrieked with laughter.
"He actually asked me if I wanted anymore Quidditch players for notches on my bedposts! He still hasn't changed, still a total arse."
Hermione giggled along with Ginny, who now had tears falling down her face.
"I can't believe him. You can't tell me though that you don't find his body impressive, right, Hermione?"
Hermione was thankful they were sat in the crowded pub and that their conversation couldn't be heard by anyone else. She picked up her drink and mumbled a reply before taking a sip.
"What? Was that a yes?" Ginny smirked, wiping her eyes.
"Of course it is, but that’s not the point if his personality sucks."
"Who said anything about dating him? You could just have a one night stand." Ginny smirked, waiting for the shriek that would no doubt follow that statement.
"Not who I am, Ginny, and anyway it doesn't matter I'm seeing..."
"An old man, yes, yes I know. But in all seriousness Cormac is not who he was at school and I'm pretty sure he likes you, my guess is he was trying too hard."
"Well it doesn't matter, I'm not interested in anything with Cormac, he's a patient anyway and I could lose my job."
"Would you like another drink?" Ginny asked offering to take Hermione's empty glass to the bar for a refill. She nodded and passed over her glass to Ginny.
She watched her red headed best friend float across the bar, watching the stares of a few guys become fixated on her.
A shock of blond caught her eye and suddenly the topic of hers and Ginny's conversation was sat opposite her.
"Hermione, hi, look about earlier..."
"It's fine, Cormac, don't worry about it."
"Really? Look, I wanted to ask you properly, will you go on a date with me?"
Hermione was taken aback, talk about being put on the spot. "I... err..."
"One date, if it doesn't work, I won't bother you again, I promise."
"I...well... OK, but on one condition."
"Name it."
"There will be no mention of my bedposts or its notches ever again," she smirked watching the horrified look cross his face.
"I really am sorry about that, I'm not sure what possessed me."
"It's fine, I'm winding you up."
"Deal. I will never mention that again in my lifetime, I promise."
She looked at the smiling man before her, his grin was contagious, and she smiled back at him and that’s how Ginny found them a few minutes later.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Hello, McLaggen. Pucey is looking for you over by the bar, apparently you ditched him?"
"I’m sure he didn't mind, Weasley, if he had you for company."
"I'm not sure what you mean, McLaggen. Now, get out of my seat."
Grinning, he stood up and moved out of Ginny's way. "Sure you don't, Ginny!"
Once Ginny was seated again he turned, smiled at Hermione and spoke in that deep voice of his that did things to Hermione that she didn't ever want to admit.
"I'll owl you, and thank you for today, you don't know how good it is to not be on crutches."
"That spell will only last a couple of weeks Cormac, take it easy, otherwise you'll pay for it when it wears off."
"Yes ma’am," he mock saluted, and with another grin in both girls’ direction, wandered back off to the bar.
"What just happened there?" Ginny asked, her waving her hand in front of Hermione's face.
"Umm... I just agreed to a date with him."
"Interesting! What about Mr Old?"
"Oh god, what have I just done?"
"Finally made a good decision when it comes to your sex life?"
"Ginny! Dear lord I am not discussing that with you and anyway what’s going on between you and Adrian?"
"Nothing,” she answered quickly, too quickly in fact. "Ok, let’s talk about something else."
Now, Hermione knew something was going on.
"Sure, Gin, how about we draw up the practice schedule for the next week?"
-------------------
Adrian watched Cormac saunter back over to him; he looked like the cat that had caught the mouse.
"Well, you look way too pleased with yourself, McLaggen."
"I just got myself a date!"
"With who?" The Scottish drawl of his best mate’s voice came from behind him along with a smack on his back.
Adrian saw the flash of horror on Cormac's face and before he could speak, Adrian saved him.
"The first member of the girls’ team."
"Perfect!" Wood shouted. The noise in the bar was picking up and it was getting harder to speak without shouting. "Either of you seen Aoife?"
"Why?" Adrian asked him knowingly, a smirk spreading across his features.
"No reason really, just wanted to ask her about a particular move I saw her pull in practise the other day. I thought I saw her in here with Ralph."
Cormac pointed to the far end of the bar, "I think she was down there a while ago."
"Thanks! Happy hunting, Cormac, one down how many to go?"
Adrian and Cormac watched him leave.
"He's so obvious, it's painful."
"What like you, you mean?" Pucey smirked.
"Thanks for the save."
"Welcome, mate."
"What's going on with you and Weasley?"
"Weasley? Nothing, why?"
"You think I'm oblivious? I've seen the way you two look at each other, you’re blatantly shagging her, mate."
"Ha! I wish I was, she has a fine arse," Adrian laughed, before turning around and catching the barman's attention.
"You're a crap liar, Pucey. I've seen the two of you sneaking off after practice."
"How about I'll keep your secret if you keep mine."
Cormac turned and clinked pint glasses with Pucey. "Deal."