Together (A Harry Potter love story) 1

24

MILLIES POV

As we entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows, defrosting broomsticks on the quidditch pitch, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit-fur gloves and enormous beaverskin boots.

The quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry and I would be playing in our first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, we would move up into second place in the house championship, and if Harry caught the snitch, I would have to wear his jumper for the day.

Hardly anyone had seen Harry and I play because Oliver had decided that, as their 'secret weapon', we should be kept, well, secret. But the news that we were playing had been leaked out somehow, and I didn't know which one was worse - people telling me I'd be brilliant or people telling me they'd be running around underneath me, holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Mione was in the group now. I don't know how I'd have got through all my homework without her, what with all the last-minute quidditch practices Oliver was making us do. She had also lent Harry 'Quidditch through the ages', which seemed to make him happy.

Mione had also become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules too, and she was much nicer to the boys for it. The day before my first quidditch match, the four of us were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured us up a bright blue fire which could be carried around in a jam jar. We were standing with our backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. I noticed at once that Snape was limping, and my hazel eyes clashed with the emerald ones next to me. Trying my best to ignore the smug look on Harry's face, I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to me to block the fire from view. Unfortunately, something about our guilty faces must have caught Snape's eye. I stiffened as he limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell us off anyway.

"What've you got there, Potter?"

Harry said nothing, just lazily held the book up.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"That's not a rule!" I said angrily. "You've just made that up!"

"I am the teacher, Donovan, not you," he sneered, his eyes darting down to Harry's arm. "Another five points from Gryffindor for your attitude. And haven't I told you to keep your hands where I can see them?"

I quickly pulled my hand away from Harry's, as I cursed silently to myself for forgetting that I was holding it.

"You know, if you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just asked," Harry said casually, as Snape limped away.

"You're impossible," I grumbled, stepping away from him.

"I Wonder what's wrong with Snape's leg," Mione muttered.

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly, causing me to smile.

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I'm reading this back as I'm writing the sequel now, and I've just realised how short these chapters are. I promise they get longer!