Chapter Text
“Alright, everyone, good practice!” Harry clapped his hands together. His eyes flicked towards them—the girls—huddled together, and she wondered if he wanted to say something to one of them. He seemed to be staring, until Ron hit his shoulder and gestured at the door of the locker room.
Demelza watched cautiously as the captain and Ron laughed as they walked up to the castle from the quidditch pitch.
“Katie,” she kept her voice low. “I’m worried.”
“What’s wrong, Dem?” Katie asked immediately.
“Don’t you think Harry is getting hit by too many bludgers?”
It felt like an innocent question to her, but it introduced a great deal of laughter among the locker room.
“What?” she demanded.
“Our illustrious captain is too busy staring at one of his teammates to mind something as small as bludgers,” Jimmy drawled.
Ginny glared at him for some reason. “Shut up, Peakes,” she snapped.
“Never said it was you, Weasley,” he smirked.
“He can’t keep his eyes off of you,” Ritchie teased with a laugh.
Demelza remembered the longing looks Harry had shot in their direction. Were they toward Ginny?
She thought that a very likely possibility.
But—
“Wait, why is Harry staring at Ginny?”
“Because that’s what people do when they have crushes on others,” Katie explained with a smile. “And it’s getting pretty obvious at this point, Ginny.”
“We have a bet,” Ritchie explained to her excitedly. “About when they get together.”
“Are you lot forgetting that I was in a relationship with Dean? Who was a teammate of ours? Harry and Ron’s dormmate? Ringing any bells?”
“Was and was,” Jimmy said loftily. “Doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Yes, it does,” Ginny argued.
“No, it doesn’t really, Ginny,” Katie shrugged apologetically when the other witch glared at her.
Demelza shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t like conflict. She especially didn’t like that she had essentially introduced it this time.
“Whatever,” Ginny huffed and turned to go, hefting her broom to her shoulder.
Demelza hurried after her favourite teammate. “Sorry,” she murmured.
“Hey, Dem, it’s okay,” Ginny nudged her shoulder with hers.
“Does Harry really like you?” she asked curiously.
She sighed. “Now they’ve really done it, huh? I don’t know, honestly. I mean, I stopped hoping years ago.”
Demelza resisted the urge to squeal. “You’ve liked him for years?”
Ginny smacked her forehead. “Maybe,” she admitted reluctantly.
“You should tell him!”
“Oh, he knows.”
This took her aback. Harry was so kind. “And he didn’t say anything about his feelings?”
“Trust me, that’s much better than what some boys do,” Ginny said wryly. “My brothers, for instance, never let me hear the end of it.”
“Even Ron?” Demelza was a little scared of Ron ever since he’d punched and screamed at her, but he was still Ginny’s brother.
Demelza had always wanted a big brother.
“Especially him,” she rolled her eyes. “Suggesting I go with Harry to the Yule Ball. Ugh. I wanted to kill him.”
She’d been in the first year during the Yule Ball. She’d heard through the grapevine that Harry had taken Parvati Patil.
She couldn’t help but think it might have gone a lot better if Harry had taken Ginny.
After all, they were always laughing together, and they got each other better than anyone, except maybe Ron and Hermione.
“Does Harry tell you what he learns at the Headmaster’s lessons?” she questioned suddenly.
Ginny’s lips tightened. “No, he doesn’t,” she admitted.
“Then how can he like you?” she wondered. “If he doesn’t tell you everything?”
“Oh, Dem, it’s much more complicated than that.” Ginny smiled wearily. “But you’re in third year. Anyone you want to ask to Hogsmeade?”
She reddened. “No.”
She was much more invested in Ginny and Harry, her favourite teammate and her favourite team captain.
Ginny grinned, putting her hands to her cheeks. “Are you sure about that?”
Demelza endured teasing from her teammate—friend? Maybe?—all through to the walk up to the castle.
But she thought it worth the information she’d gained.