Chapter 26
In the first round, Hermione and Draco went head to head, while the rest stood on each sides of the table, looking on. After this match, Ginny and Harry would duke it out, and if it went to a tie, then it was Ron versus Luna.
Hermione had quicker hands than Draco, so she had him in a slight advantage, but Draco was a decent defender. The sound of the puck cracking against the strikers echoed the room as both sides of the teams encouraged their teammate. Draco scored first, but Hermione retaliated by scoring two in a row. It was the first to seven who won and after ten minutes of game play, Hermione was up six to four.
"Come on, Malfoy," Ron muttered. "She's kicking your butt."
"Shut it, Weaslebee," he said and then angrily hit the puck with his striker and watched it slide past Hermione and into the slot.
"Hey, make him mad again," Harry said as he nudged Ron. "That seemed to help."
"Jeez, Malfoy, you're an embarrassment," Ron said as he got closer to Draco. "Are you going to let a girl beat you? Hermione? Didn't it infuriate you in school how good she was at everything? Didn't that just make you mad as hell?"
Draco narrowed his eyes and let out an angry grunt as he shot his striker out with all his might and scored again. "Yes!" Ron said with a laugh. "All tied up."
Ginny rolled her eyes and then looked over at Hermione. "Come on, Mione, you got this. Just ignore what he's saying and focus. That's it," she encouraged when she saw the spark come back to her, hitting the puck with more spunk.
Ron just grinned as he leaned over on his knees. "Hey Draco? Remember the time when Hermione slapped you?"
Seconds later, the puck went streaming past Hermione and into her slot, causing Ron to hold up his arms in triumph. "I knew that would do it!"
Draco let out an exhausted laugh as he slapped a hand on his stomach as he walked by. "Good strategy, Ron." He then lifted a hand to Harry. "You're up."
Harry connected and then rolled his shoulders. "Got it."
Hermione let out a defeating sigh. "Sorry, guys…I let it slip away."
"It's okay, Mione." Ginny gave her arm a soothing rub. "You did awesome…and it's not over yet. I intend the royally embarrass the Boy Who Lived." She walked over to her end of the table and slammed down her striker. "Let's do this."
"Ready to lose, Gin?" he asked as he set the puck down and sacked it towards her.
She easily sent it back. "Not going to happen, Wonder Boy." She trapped the puck with her striker and then nudged it lightly back and forth, taunting him, before striking it against the side of the table, where it bounced off and went into Harry's slot. "That's one."
Harry fished out the puck and slapped it on the table. "Lucky shot."
Their game stretched on and the scoring was farther in between then the last game. Ginny had managed to keep her lead throughout the game, Harry would tie it up, but then she would score right back to take the lead. Twenty minutes had past and Ginny was up six to four, and although Harry scored to bring it to a one-point game, Ginny managed to pull out the win with an impressive straight shot into the slot.
"That's game," Ginny boasted and did a mocking curtsy when her teammates applauded.
"Damn," Harry cursed as he threw down the striker. "Up to you, Ron."
"Bring us a W, Weaselbee," Draco said as he gripped his shoulders and gave him a shake. "Knock the pretty blonde on her ass."
Ron sneered over at Luna, who was getting a pep talk from the girls. "My pleasure."
Luna worriedly wrung her hands. "I don't know if I can beat him-this wasn't my best game."
"Don't worry about that, Luna," Hermione assured her. "Just go and play your best-that's all we can ask."
"But if I lose it for us then-"
"Then we'll bounce back in bowling," Ginny said as she placed her hands on her shoulders and looked at her. "It's okay, you can do it. Just keep your eyes on the puck and guard your slot-you'll be fine."
Luna let out a sigh. "Right. Okay. I'm ready."
"Oh, and Luna?" Hermione said before she could walk off. "Just have fun with it, okay?"
Luna smiled. "Now, that I can do."
Ginny and Hermione watched with amusement as Luna played the entire game with bright smile on her face. Whenever she scored, she let out a delighted laugh while doing a quick bootie dance, which made Ron become more and more frustrated, causing him to play worse.
"Starting to worry me, Ron," Harry mumbled when Luna scored again, making the score five to three.
He let out a frustrated huff as he slammed down the puck. "I can't seem to get anything past her."
Luna just kept smiling and didn't even bother with smack talk. She was in a zone now and there was no way she was going to blow it now. She took her friends advice and just made herself relax and enjoy herself, rather than stressing out. And look where it got her? A whopping two points-now three, she corrected when she scored once again-ahead of Ronald.
"One more wins it," Ginny announced. "Starting to sweat over there, boys?"
"Shove it, Red." Draco glowered at Ron. "Come on, Weaslebee-do I need to start making you mad?"
"No, I need you to shut up," he mumbled as he kept his eye on the fast, moving puck. He glanced up at Luna-just for a millisecond to see if she was getting nervous-but it was a millisecond too long, and Luna took advantage of it by streaking the puck right by him and into his slot.
Ron slapped the striker down and hung his head in defeat, but when he lifted his head and saw how happy Luna was, he couldn't help but smile. He sighed as he walked over to her, giving the guys a quick, "We'll get them in the next round," as he passed by, and then enveloped a stunned Luna in his arms. "Good game, Blondie."
She laughed when he plucked her off her feet. "Well…this is s surprise."
He just grinned as he held her tight, and then reluctantly put her down. "Couldn't help myself-you looked so happy."
"I am happy."
"Enjoy it while you can." He pointed a warning finger at her. "You're going down in the next round."
Luna sighed. "You're probably right."
And he was right-the guys destroyed them to the point of embarrassment. Two games were played on two separate pool tables at the same time. Ginny and Draco's game barely lasted a full five minutes when Ginny accidently sunk the Eight ball, so she didn't even put up a challenge. Hermione hung in a little longer against Harry and even kept it close enough to where Harry had to work for it.
"Eight ball, right corner pocket," he called out as he leaned over to take the shot.
Hermione poked her lip out in a pout when the ball easily rolled into the pocket. "Well, that sucked."
Harry just leaned against the pool table and flashed her a grin. "All tied up, Lumpy."
Ron rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Looks like bowling is going to decide the winner."
"Let's move it over next door," Harry said and threw an arm around Hermione as he led them to the bowling room. "You look sexy when you pout," he murmured only loud enough for her to hear.
"Really? Well…guess I'm going to find out soon if you're sexy when you pout."
He flinched slightly when she pinched his side and just laughed as he opened the door that lead to the bowling room. "We'll see about that."
The rules of bowling were fairly simple. Glide the hard round ball with holes in it down the lane, don't hit the gutter and knock down as many as you can. The rules were easy, Luna supposed as she watched Harry smoothly knock down all pins minus two. So the game should be fairly easy, right?
Wrong.
She was horrible. Her first turn was a complete disaster, getting the dreadful gutter ball on both her turns. Thank Merlin for Ginny and Hermione, who were decent enough to pick up her slack, keeping them from getting too far behind.
"Got us within twenty," Ginny said as she sat down from her turn. "Knocked down eight pins."
Luna sighed. "I haven't even knocked down that many pins in the three times I've played."
Hermione, who was sitting on the other side of Luna, gave her let a comforting pat. "Don't worry, we're still in it."
"Yeah. And it doesn't hurt that Draco's not all that good at it either."
"Damn it!" Draco cursed when his bowling ball slipped into the gutter right before it got to the pins.
Ginny grinned. "See? Nice gutter ball, Malfoy."
Draco glared at her as he sulked back to his seat. "Shut. It."
Her teasing grin only broadened. "You're up, Hermione."
"You two play nice," she said, whipping her finger back and forth between them before walking over to handy machine that spit back out the bowling balls.
"Here's your pink girly ball, Lumpy," Harry said as he lifted it up with only one finger hooked in a hole.
Hermione snagged the ball. "Keep your testosterone hands off my girly ball."
He held up his hands, while Ron chuckled beside him. "My apologies."
Hermione simply jutted out her chin before spinning on her heels towards the lane. "Watch this," Harry said to Ron as he nudged him. "She does the same thing every time. First-she lifts the ball until it rests comfortably under her chin. Then-one deep breath-then another. Now here goes the mini squat-there," he added when she bent her knees slightly. "Now another breath, before taking her first step-then a second, as she swings the ball back and on the third she releases-this is the funny part. She just stays there-in that pose as she watches the ball. Now, if it looks good she starts backing up-like that!" He snapped his fingers and pointed firmly at her. "It looks good-damn it, a strike." He sighed. "Now comes the girlish squeal and the enthusiastic bootie dance."
Hermione lifted her arms while she squealed in delight-along with her teammates-then pointed her fingers in the air while she shook her butt. "Wow," Ron finally managed to say as he looked at Harry, who was grinning at their best friend like an idiot. "You're very-observant."
"Hmm?" He looked over at him. "What? Oh…yeah, I guess. I've just noticed some things watching her play. Looks like I'm up…better nail it since Hermione's strike got them only a few points behind."
Ron watched Harry walk over, stop to murmur something in Hermione's ear, which caused her to laugh before she playfully pushed him. Was there something going on there? He pondered as he looked over at Hermione now, who was standing off to the side-watching him with a slight smirk on her face. If so, how did he feel about it?
"I suck."
Ron shook his head clear and looked over at Luna who was standing next to him-pouting. "What?"
"At this game," she added as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I absolutely blow chunks."
His thoughts on Harry and Hermione melted away and were now full of Luna. "Aww, it's okay, Blondie," he teased as he threw an arm around her and held her close. "You still look absolutely adorable doing it. I especially like your two handed between the legs method."
Luna slapped his gut. "Oh, hush."
He just chuckled. "Yes, mam."
Harry let out a sigh of relief when he studied the score machine. Thanks to his Spare, they had a little bit more breathing room. However, Ginny and Hermione were decent players, so they weren't technically out of the woods yet. Only a few more rounds to go and the Battle of the Sexes tournament would come to an end.
"How are we doing?"
Harry glanced up at Draco. "We're pulling away, but I'd breath easy if you gave up on the gutter balls."
Draco scowled. "I knocked a whole six pins last round-two more than Luna."
"I don't think comparing yourself to Luna is a good way to plead your case. Ow!" He rubbed the back of his head where Luna just smacked it. "Geez, sorry Luna, but-it's true."
"Maybe. But it doesn't mean I have to take it."
He grinned. "Fair enough."
During the next few rounds, the boys managed to stay in the lead, but Ginny and Hermione were impressive enough to keep it close. There was laughter, friendly taunts from apposing sides and a collective "aww" when Luna yet again, hit a gutter ball.
"Last round ladies and gents," Harry announced as he got up to take the last and final turn for the guys. He had to have a decent play since Hermione's previous spare had brought them dangerously too close.
"Don't choke, Harry," Hermione said with a smirk.
"I think I've been under worse pressure than this, Lumpy," he said and then pushed her head as he walked by.
Knowing he was right, Hermione nervously chewed her nails. "You're going to eat your whole finger if you keep doing that," Ginny said as she walked up next to her.
"I'm so freaking nervous-if he pulls out of strike it's…"
"Curtains. Yeah, I know."
They both watched anxiously as Harry glided up to the lane and smoothly released the bowling ball. The ball hit dead center and then pins scattered and fell in a tumble-all except two on either side of the lane. The girls let out a sigh of relief while the boys groaned in frustration.
"Thank Merlin," Ginny whispered. "We're still in it."
"He could still get a spare," she said as she watched Harry get ready for the next shot.
"It's hard to get a spare with two pins on either side-but it can be done. Ron did it a few rounds back."
"Here he goes-oh, it looks good, it looks-gutter ball!"
"Son of bitch," Harry cursed when he watched his ball fall into the gutter halfway to the pins. "Sorry guys."
"We're still in the lead," Ron assured him while patting his shoulder. "Can the girls catch up at all?"
Harry looked up at the scoring machine. "Yeah, but it has to be a strike, even a spare wouldn't do it."
"Who's up for the girls?" Draco asked.
Harry grinned as he looked over at the girls. "Luna, sweetheart-you're up."
"Oh, we've got this," Draco murmured to Ron, who agreed by giving him a very subtle high five.
"Why does it always have to come down to me?" Luna said with a sigh. "I have to get a strike-I can't get a strike. It's not possible."
Hermione and Ginny exchanged a quick glance that said, `We're screwed,' but then turned to Luna-all smiles. "Don't worry about it, Luna. Just remember your form."
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, just be relaxed and concentrate on the pins-and try to release the ball sooner than normally and also…"
Luna shook her head. "Uh-uh. I'm doing this my way." She shot to her feet and scooted past the girls. "I'm doing my own form, a whole new style to bowling. Luna Style."
All three guys stood shoulder to shoulder as they watched Luna pick up her lime green ball, before sauntering over to the lane. Instead of stopping a few feet away from the lane, she walked right up to it-and fell to her knees.
"What is she doing?" Harry asked with a chuckle.
Ron shrugged. "Hell if I know."
Then, all three guys lifted their brows when she bent forward, causing her butt to stick slightly in the air. "I think I like Luna Style."
"Uh-huh," Draco and Harry murmured in agreement.
Luna placed her hands on the ball as she lingered her face over it, eying the lane as best as she could. Then, she did a quick prayer to the Bowling Gods, before pushing the ball forward, right down the center of the lane.
"Wait a minute," Hermione murmured when the ball was still staying straight.
"Oh my god," Ginny said and then both of them ran over and knelt on either side of Luna. "Oh my god, Luna."
The ball was still right on target and the girls gripped Luna's hands as the ball ran right threw the pins. Eight clattered to the floor immediately, causing another pin to knock down the ninth pin, and the last and final pin-wobbled. Back and forth, back and forth, before it finally…finally, toppled over.
Hermione and Ginny screamed in absolute shock as they tackled Luna onto the floor, while the guys still stood-shoulder to shoulder-with their jaws slackened in disbelief.
"I don't think I like Luna Style anymore," Ron said breaking the stunned silence.
Harry and Draco could only nodd in agreement.
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