"Flint! Whit don't tell me you hired him!"

"Well Oliver…"

"He's a cheat, a liar, and a scoundrel."

"I'm right here." Marcus said scowling at Oliver.

"He's damn good though at quidditch Oliver and you know it. We're going to need him if we want to make it to the Cup this year with Danny injured."

"Isn't there anyone else?" Oliver said placing both his palms on his coach's desk.

"Not one up to Flint's par or ours for that matter."

Marcus smirked as he watched Wood get more aggravated as the conversation went by.

"Fine, but he better work hard. I will not have him slacking or cheating or purposefully injuring someone."

"Stop being so paranoid Woody. The only person I ever purposefully injured was you. But this time we're on the same team." Flint off handedly stated.  

"Flint, you listen to me long and hard. You need to listen to Oliver. He's your captain and I want you to respect him like you would respect as well as your teammates." Whit said sternly. 

"Wait backup. I need to listen to Ollie. He's the captain. Isn't Reins the captain?"

"Don't you know he just retired this year? I'm the new captain." Oliver said smiling at Flint.

"Oh shit."

!

Hermione sat at the kitchen table with Ollie as they worked on his multiplication tables.

Rinny was making them all snacks, humming some strange tune that neither Ollie nor Hermione recognized.

Hermione heard a small ring indicating that someone was apparating in. A second later Oliver was right there.

"Is everything going to be okay?" Hermione asked when she spotted him and recognized the aggravation on his face.

Oliver looked at her then walked right up before burying his face into her hair.

"Oliver?"

"Flint." Was all he had to say.

Hermione's mouth opened as if to say oh.

"Rinny you don't have to cook for us." Oliver said just finally noticing his house elf. "You don't have to work Rinny. You know that's our deal. You don't work unless someone's at the castle."

"Yes Rinny knows but… Rinny likes to cook for her family. She feels happy." Rinny bobbed as she continued to make their rather extravagant lunch.

"I've tried to tell her she can just be with us without doing things for us. She ignored me and started to fuss about Ollie." Hermione sighed as she leaned into him. 

"Yes well that's Rinny for you." Oliver gave a small smile.

"So what is this about Flint?"

Oliver groaned. "He's Danny's temporary replacement. Whit hired him."

"Oh god." Hermione groaned too. "If he dares try to injure you, I'll hex him so that he'll never be able to procreate. I swear." She said as all the images of previous Quidditch games that she had watched of Oliver when she was young came back to her. Many of them were not so good, like when Flint would aim the bludger at Oliver even though he was a bloody chaser not a beater.

"Now you almost make me want him to injure me." Oliver grinned before pecking her lips.

!

Hermione woke up the next morning with Oliver's arms wrapped around her waist. She smiled as she turned around in his arms so that she was face to face with him.

Oliver tightened his grip on her when he felt her move. Not wanting her to leave yet.

"Wake up sleepy head." Hermione said laughing.

"Nooooo. I wanna stay here with you. I can let Whit handle the team and Flint today by himself. Serve him right." Oliver mumbled.

"Oliver you're the captain. You need to be there."

"James can be the acting captain in my place."

"If James is the captain, you know all hell will break loose. He can't control the team like you can. Especially since he is one of the trouble makers himself. Him, Cody, and Jeremy."

"I know but it's Flint."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she saw her husband pout. Her fully grown, twenty-three year old husband pout. "Anyway after your practice, we have to head to the Burrow for Harry and Ginny's wedding rehearsal."

"Wedding rehersal?"

"It's a muggle tradition. They have a rehearsal dinner before the actual wedding so that everyone knows their part thus the wedding the next day is perfect."

"Oh. But Ginny's a pureblood?" He asked a bit confused.  

"Yes but Harry's not and I made the mistake of buying Muggle wedding magazines for Ginny. She found out about them and said it was a must for her to have a rehearsal dinner."

Oliver laughed. "So you want me to pick you up at the Hospital or meet you at the Burrow?"

"I would love for you to come pick me up."

"Great. What about Ollie?"

"He's going to be spending the day with Yulisa and the rest of the Weasleys. He'll be there before us."

"I can spend the day with him you know... we haven't hung out much since practice has started."

"Oliver." Hermione said. 

!

Oliver and the Puddlemere team all met up at the Puddlemere pitch. Many of them stopped in their tracks when they saw the person standing next to Whit.

"Team I want you all to meet Marcus Flint. He will be taking over Danny' spot until his recovery. I hope you all will treat him with the utmost respect and welcome him to our family." Whit said to the team.

The whole Puddlemere team were silent. No one said a word.

Thomas Maine crossed his arms over his chest. Jeremy and Cody both gripped their clubs tighter in reflex.

"You're the one that peeked in on Hermione when she was trying on the bridesmaid dress aren't you?" James Palay said.

"What?" More than half the team yelled.

"Hey my ex- well she was still my girlfriend at the time but she was in the changing room right next door." He said truthfully. "It's not my fault I was one door too early." He lied.

It calmed down the team that had grown quite to love their captain's new wife but many still looked at him with contempt. Oliver though narrowed his eyes at him.

"Okay well team, let's get started." Whit said trying to be the referee. "We do have a Cup we have to win this Season."

Oliver really hated to admit it but Flint really was a good chaser. He could see why Whit hadn't hesitated in hiring him. And it was good because it seemed that James was even better of a chaser with Flint there to challenge him.

There was something about Flint that was actually bringing the best out of some of the players. David was trying so hard as a chaser but anyone watching could tell he was struggling. Without Danny there who could practically read his mind, he had to try even harder to communicate with both James and Flint.

Jeremy and Cody were having the time of their lives. They kept aiming at Flint on purpose, but only missing him very slightly. It was the ultimate practice for them to have a new target.

Summer the new reserve seemed to be trying really hard to block Flint's goal too. As was Oliver. He didn't have to do as much yelling since James, Cody, and Jeremy were all distracted by Flint to cause much trouble. He could fully concentrate on the scrimmage. The only one unaffected seemed to be Thomas.

!

Hermione held the woman's hand as the Healer used a rather painful but affective spell on her fractured shin.

"Hermione, dear can you make the painkiller potion that she can take home. Give her about a two week supply."

"Yes of course Healer Tragan."

Hermione entered the Potions Lavatory in St. Mungo's and carefully made the potion then measured two weeks supply of it. She went back to the patient's room just in time.

"Here's the potion m'am."

The Healer took it then opened the cork to get a whiff. "Ah good." She smiled kindly at Hermione. Then turned to face the patient before giving the patient instructions for the potion.

Hermione was about to exit when the Healer called her back.

"Ms. Granger."

Hermione turned back around to face her.

"There's someone that wants to see you in room 18. Oh and take an early weekend. You deserve it. Hope the Potter wedding goes off without a glitch."

"Thank you." Hermione smiled gratefully.

"Say hello to that handsome husband of yours for me too." The Healer winked.

This time Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Healer Tragan was her mentor and supervisor. She looked very much like a McGonagall but the woman did have a sense of humor that was quite refreshing. She was the best mentor of all the Healers and Hermione was so grateful she had her rather than someone like Healer Stuart  who hated all the female Healers or any that wanted to be a Healer. He was rather sexist and nasty. But he was unfortunately a good Healer.

Hermione headed straight to room 18, excited. She assumed from Healer Tragan's wink, the visitor was probably Oliver coming to pick her up. But he was really early, an hour early…

"Hermione!" Two voices cried when they spotted her.

"Gerry, Rianne? What are you two doing here?" Hermione said in surprise. 

"We're dressing you up for tonight!" Gerry said holding up her hand.

That was when Hermione spotted the little Black dress in Gerry's hand. And then she noticed that her two best friends were already dressed up. Rianne wore a sequined dress that fell just before mid thigh. It was a green dress but the intricate floral design was in a variety of colors. Blue, red, orange, yellow… It looked quite gorgeous with Rianne's lithe figure. Gerry on the other hand wore a very short dress but it was still long enough to be decent. It was a gold sequined dress that fitted her in all the right places. The color really brought out Gerry's honey colored locks. Both wore Rhinestone sandaled heels to Hermione's disbelief.

"Why are you guys so dressed up?"

"Hello Bachlorette party!" Gerry chimed.

Hermione felt like smacking herself. Of course bachelorette party. How could she forget? She was the one that planned it afterall. But in her defense, it was months ago. Before she went on the show with them and Oliver.

"Come on, I want to hurry so that we can catch Oliver still at the pitch. Quidditch players after a nice good practice. Yum!" Gerry exclaimed.

"Gerry!" Both Rianne and Hermione cried.

"Oh come on, you know I'm telling the truth."

"You sure you don't just want to see a certain chaser?" Rianne asked.

"Well that is a bonus."

!

Oliver was practicing individually with James and Summer.

James would throw the ball while Summer tried to save it. Meanwhile Oliver critiqued the both of them. The latter was leaning particularly close to Oliver as he demonstrated a better way to predit a fake.

"Hey James isn't that Gerry?" Jeremy yelled out all the sudden.

"Huh where? Ow!" James cried when the quaffled hit his ear.

"James, you always have to have your eyes on the quaffle! You need to always pay attention." Oliver yelled. At the same time Summer was apologizing profusely.

"Looking good Mrs. Woooooooood!" Thomas yelled from his position in the air.

Several heads turned in every direction to find their captain's wife.

Oliver felt the wind get knocked out of him he saw her in the Box. Hermione had her hair down in a carefree style. She was clad in a gorgeous black spaghetti strap dress. Embodied on the dress were rhinestone studs, decorated in an intricate style. It looked rather like a spider wed with the first dews of the morning. The dress was a little longer than her two companion's sadly for her, not by much.

Flint couldn't help but let out a whistle. The three females standing in the team's box really were all quite something. All three were gorgeous but in their own way. He found himself gazing more at the one in the middle. The one Thomas Maine called Mrs. Wood. She really was stunning not in a model way though. She wasn't tall enough and her features weren't quite as strong but they were still something. Her features showed her inner serenity. A kind and alluring face. But she had a maturity about her from what she'd seen. She'd grown up as had many of them. They were the second war generation. However looking at her now, it was hard to believe she was only 19. He'd done the math. Well no actually he just asked Pansy Parkinson how old she was. They were in the same year. But still… How could she only be 19? A teenager. A married teenager. And married to Wood of all people.

Like as if Wood had heard his inner thoughts, Wood went flying towards the three females, obstructing his view. Followed by him was James Pallay. Then most of the team. Not wanting to be left out, Flint flew towards them too.

"Hullo lass." Oliver couldn't help but grin when he saw Hermione.

"Oliver." Hermione stepped closer to the edge of the box.

"I thought I was supposed to pick you up at St. Mungo's? And why are you so dressed up? Is this rehearsal dinner supposed to be fancy?" He said worried.

Hermione laghed as she shook her head. "No it's just…"

"We have the bachelorette party!" Rianne and Gerry chimed.

"The what?" Oliver said confused.

"Oh Woody my man, how can you not know what a bachelorette party is?" Cody said as he swung an arm over Oliver's shoulder.

"Cormac." Oliver warned. "Practice is not over yet."

Like as if his hand was on fire, Cody quickly pulled his arm back to him.

"Well you three certainly look ravishing." David said smiling.

"Thank you." Gerry chimed. 

"Yes, you three certainly are stunning." James added.

"James don't you think Gerry's dress is too short?" Rianne asked innocently.

"Hell no! I mean, no I don't think so. It's perfect." James tugged on his nonexsistent collar correcting himself but he was too late. Jeremy and Cody were ribbing him.

Him and Gerry were both blushing wildly.

"Even though you look gorgeous." Oliver pushed a strand of loose hair behind Hermione's ear. He leaned closer to it as he did so. "I like you better when you wear one of my shirts." He said referring to Hermione's new obsession with wearing his shirts to bed. She claimed it was because they really were comfy.

But it got the blush out of her that Oliver intended.

Oliver chuckled before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips.

Flint watched them the whole time. He was truly and utterly disgusted and jealous. Wood always seemed to have it all. When they were at Hogwarts and even now. It really wasn't fair. Fortune rained on Wood like the Amazon forest. He already had a great career and it was just getting better. He was now the captain of Puddlemere which meant his pay would increase as would his fame. Now he was married to Hermione Granger, the war heroine that at last grew out of her ugly duckling stage. He decided that he'd had enough.

"Ah so how is my favorite Healer in training doing? Still taking breaks and crying over the wittle ones?"

Hermione's attention snapped to where the voice came from. She narrowed her eyes. "Flint." She spat out much like her husband tended to do.

"Ah still feisty as ever." He couldn't help but say.

"Still as stupid as before. Glad to see the shiner's gotten worse."

Marcus shrugged. "The view was worth it."

"I thought you said it was an accident?" Jeremy said.

"Accident my arse." Hermione said.

"And what a fine arse it is." He couldn't help but add.

Hermione bristled as did Oliver.

"Flint, if you…" Hermione put a hand on Oliver's chest to stop him.

"It's fine Oliver. He can admire my arse all he wants. I don't really care. And neither should you."

"Hermione, I really don't like it that he checks out my wife's arse."

"But unlike him, you get to see my arse in only your jersey."

Cody and James both gave a low whistle.

"Damn." Thomas said.

"Hermione." Rianne said shocked but laughter choked her words.

"Oh my god." Gerry pretended to fan herself.

Flint stared slack jawed. Merlin the woman was everything and more.