(no subject)
Hermione turned up her nose as her husband hugged her. “Yuck,” she said. “You stink. Go take a shower.”
“I thought you liked it when I’m all dirty from playing Quidditch,” he said, smiling wickedly at her. “Care to help me clean up, love?”
“Hush! Adara will hear you. Now get going!” Hermione gave her husband a helpful shove. “Maybe later we can act on what you’re suggesting.”
He blew a kiss to their daughter, then waved good bye to Hermione, pouting all the while. Hermione shook her head. Her husband was never going to grow up. Once he had made his exit, Hermione reached down to take Adara’s hand. Together, they began to walk back towards home.
“Did you enjoy your lesson?” she asked her daughter.
“Of course, Mummy,” Adara replied. “It’s always best when Daddy gives me Quidditch lessons without Cepheus.” She sniffed haughtily. “He’s no good at it, really. Whereas I have enough talent to be as good as Daddy.”
“That you do,” agreed Hermione.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be very careful not to get hurt,” Adara said suddenly. “Daddy said that you might not like me playing when I go to Hogwarts because you’ll fret and worry that I’ll do something stupid and get hurt but…”
“Adara! Enough!” It was times like these that Adara proved that she had a bit of her mother in her, for all that she was a daddy’s girl. She babbled the way Hermione used to babble when she was nervous about something. “I’m not going to stop you from playing Quidditch. Trust me, I’ll be there to cheer you on for every match.” Hermione paused. An idea had just occurred to her. A very Slytherin idea, to be sure, but that didn’t make it a bad one.
“I’m sure your father will be there for all your matches too,” Hermione said slowly. “Despite you playing for Gryffindor and all.”
“But Mummy!” Adara rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “I’ll be playing for Slytherin, like Daddy did. I’ll be a Seeker like him too.”
“If you want to play Quidditch at Hogwarts, you’d better be Gryffindor.”
“Why? Oh, I get it. You just don’t want me beating your House’s team,” said Adara.
Hermione stopped in her tracks. She knelt down so she could look her daughter in the eye. “That’s not it. I’d hope you win no matter what team you play for. But you know…witches aren’t allowed on the Slytherin Quidditch team.”
“They’re not?” Adara stared at her in disbelief.
“No. Never has a witch played Quidditch for Slytherin.”
“Well, I can be the first one then.” Adara raised her chin and glared at her mother.
“Oh, that would be lovely. A great step forward for witches and all that.”
“Exactly!”
“I’d be so proud that my daughter is willing to sacrifice so many playing years in order to change centuries of tradition and make those Slytherins see how foolish they are for not letting witches play for them.” She smiled cheerfully. “I should’ve known that you wouldn’t want to take the easy way out and just play for Gryffindor all seven years.”
“Oh.” Hermione could almost see the wheels in her daughter’s head turning as decisions were being made. She felt a bit guilty for being so manipulative, but she wanted to make sure at least one of her children was sorted into her House. Hermione was pretty sure that Cepheus was a lost cause, what with his father being such a bad influence on him, but Adara was a different story.
Hermione couldn’t wait until Draco found out.
“I thought you liked it when I’m all dirty from playing Quidditch,” he said, smiling wickedly at her. “Care to help me clean up, love?”
“Hush! Adara will hear you. Now get going!” Hermione gave her husband a helpful shove. “Maybe later we can act on what you’re suggesting.”
He blew a kiss to their daughter, then waved good bye to Hermione, pouting all the while. Hermione shook her head. Her husband was never going to grow up. Once he had made his exit, Hermione reached down to take Adara’s hand. Together, they began to walk back towards home.
“Did you enjoy your lesson?” she asked her daughter.
“Of course, Mummy,” Adara replied. “It’s always best when Daddy gives me Quidditch lessons without Cepheus.” She sniffed haughtily. “He’s no good at it, really. Whereas I have enough talent to be as good as Daddy.”
“That you do,” agreed Hermione.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be very careful not to get hurt,” Adara said suddenly. “Daddy said that you might not like me playing when I go to Hogwarts because you’ll fret and worry that I’ll do something stupid and get hurt but…”
“Adara! Enough!” It was times like these that Adara proved that she had a bit of her mother in her, for all that she was a daddy’s girl. She babbled the way Hermione used to babble when she was nervous about something. “I’m not going to stop you from playing Quidditch. Trust me, I’ll be there to cheer you on for every match.” Hermione paused. An idea had just occurred to her. A very Slytherin idea, to be sure, but that didn’t make it a bad one.
“I’m sure your father will be there for all your matches too,” Hermione said slowly. “Despite you playing for Gryffindor and all.”
“But Mummy!” Adara rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “I’ll be playing for Slytherin, like Daddy did. I’ll be a Seeker like him too.”
“If you want to play Quidditch at Hogwarts, you’d better be Gryffindor.”
“Why? Oh, I get it. You just don’t want me beating your House’s team,” said Adara.
Hermione stopped in her tracks. She knelt down so she could look her daughter in the eye. “That’s not it. I’d hope you win no matter what team you play for. But you know…witches aren’t allowed on the Slytherin Quidditch team.”
“They’re not?” Adara stared at her in disbelief.
“No. Never has a witch played Quidditch for Slytherin.”
“Well, I can be the first one then.” Adara raised her chin and glared at her mother.
“Oh, that would be lovely. A great step forward for witches and all that.”
“Exactly!”
“I’d be so proud that my daughter is willing to sacrifice so many playing years in order to change centuries of tradition and make those Slytherins see how foolish they are for not letting witches play for them.” She smiled cheerfully. “I should’ve known that you wouldn’t want to take the easy way out and just play for Gryffindor all seven years.”
“Oh.” Hermione could almost see the wheels in her daughter’s head turning as decisions were being made. She felt a bit guilty for being so manipulative, but she wanted to make sure at least one of her children was sorted into her House. Hermione was pretty sure that Cepheus was a lost cause, what with his father being such a bad influence on him, but Adara was a different story.
Hermione couldn’t wait until Draco found out.