The season would be over soon and practices were becoming fewer - there seemed little need with all the games being jammed in together. He spent a good chunk of most days in the air (which was frankly how he preferred it), but he had to admit it was exhausting - it always was. Heād been hyper-focused for hours, and his eyes were getting tired after the twelfth time heād caught the snitch. When he finally decided to give them a break, he sat back on his broom and watched the others until someone in the stands caught his eye. He thought it might be a reporter - they came uninvited sometimes - and he opened his mouth to tell whoever it was to fuck off, but the sight of a familiar face left him speechless and slack-jawed instead. Hermione Granger was sitting in the stands, waving at him. Sheād actually, finallyĀ come to Bulgaria, and he was stunned.
So much so that when Ivan chucked the quaffle at his head, he didnāt notice and was nearly knocked off his broom when it hit him square in the temple. He caught it before it fell, and kicked it so hard it wouldāve broken Ivanās nose if heād actually connected it to his face. The very vulgar resulting banter (good-spirited though it was) lasted almost a minute before he told Ivan exactly what he could shove and where, and flew over to greet her. The others, realizing what was happening, started a whole new string of very different comments that left him gesturing rudely over his shoulder at them. He was grinning, though, face flushed (from the wind and the heat, obviously) when he came to a stop at the edge of the stands. (His team had no question whatsoever about who she was, he was sure - heād talked about her too much to leave any room for doubt.)
āHer-mionny!ā He still struggled with her name, but it was getting better over the years.Ā āWhat are you doing here? Should I have known you were coming?ā He didnāt remember her sending him a note to that effect, but he wasnāt the best at keeping up with his mail (though in his defense, there was usually a great deal of it).Ā
Sheās never seen him like this. In Hogwarts of course he was different, between the tournaments and being swarmed by wild hormonal fans it wasnāt exactly an easy environment. And for the short time she saw him after the war it was...well it wasnāt a happy time for anyone. But here, in his natural environment, he seems so free and happy that Hermione canāt help but smile watching it all unfold. It felt like it had been such a long time since sheād seen anyone in a real state of joy and it makes her feel all the better about her decision to come.
āNo, Iām a surprise,ā she admits with a quick shrug.Ā āI mean maybe itās a little mad just showing up, but I wanted to see you and I didnāt want you to feel any pressure to halt your daily life.ā There was a time when she would have needed this whole trip to be meticulously planned. And truthfully she did have about five guidebooks in her suitcase as well as a few others just for fun so she wasnāt reallyĀ unprepared.Ā āYou should go back to practice, Iām happy to wait and we can talk after.ā Grabbing a book out of her bag she holds it up,Ā āIām prepared for a long wait,ā she assures with a smile. Itās weird to be smiling this easily, it feels like she hasnāt in years.Ā