div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Hermione Granger steadied Errol, Ron Weasley's owl that was perched on her windowsill, gently stoking its large wings with two of her fingers to calm it down after its long journey from the Dursley's house. The owl crooned in annoyance as Hermione attached the last morsel of food she could covertly slip from her mother's pantry to its outstretched feet, although Hermione didn't feel bad as the sweetened foods which were loaded with carbohydrates, provided something for Harry to survive on over the summer. Concern etched itself her brow as she finished the letter that was intended to be attached, a response to Ron's, covered in the subtle lamplight resting on her desk. They rotated Errol, with Hermione only having a very lazy cat and the Dursley's insisting that Hedwig be caged for 'their own protection.' /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Harry, I've added a few muggle foods I think you'll like, if you need more please write me or Ron. Dudley's diet will not be the end of you yet, not on my watch or Mrs Weasley's.' /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"She hoped he wouldn't be bashful, and come back to school in September many pounds lighter from his originally slender fourteen year old frame. Pursing her lips, she tenderly addressed the thing that had haunted her own dreams, as well as Harry's./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'About the dream you mentioned the other night, Harry, I know you don't want to bother him, but you need to talk to Dumbledore. Your scar hurts for a reason, and I'm worried about you. I've tried reading about it, but the muggle libraries don't have a section for You Know Who and scar predicaments, unfortunately. You Know Who-' she began writing, but liquid papered the worlds, 'Voldemort isn't going to wait for you to be proactive.' She smiled sadly, and she found herself being frustrated for being away from her favorite place in the world, the Hogwarts Library that has proven its usefulness constantly through the years. She could imagine Harry's scowl when he received her letter, but Hermione was an advocate for tough love when her boys needed it./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'I won't deny Ron the pleasure of telling you himself for I fear for the new spells he's discovered from his brother Charlie over the summer, but I'll be seeing you tomorrow, so try not to hex Dudley for Merlin's sakes. I miss you guys. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"With Affection, /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Hermione.'/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"She put her pen, not her quill, down and folded the letter into an envelope. There was something to be said for muggle ways when it came to writing, no ink smudges and liquid paper were a godsend. Then she put it in an envelope so the weather wouldn't degrade the written parchment. Placing it in Errol's beak, she spoke to him. "Make sure this gets to Harry, please.' The owl stared at her accusingly before placing a wing near her hand, a sign of recognition, and flew off into the night. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Sighing, Hermione closed the windowsill halfway so that the warm September air could still fan her face as she watched the owl descend over London's busy streets. She checked her watch, realising that at seven o clock she had a few more hours until night-time. She considered going downstairs, but resisted the company of her parents and their business associates in the dental industry during the dinner party downstairs. Maybe she was being rude, but she couldn't be compelled to care. Sighing back into her chair, Hermione closed her eyes and tried to remember how to smile. She was in no mood for trivial parties with muggles who thought her greatest problem was getting dates. More or less, her life was the greatest problem. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"She missed Hogwarts dearly; the hallowed halls, the books, her magic and most of all her friends. She itched, for in two days she would be expected at the Weasley's to accompany them to the Quiddich World Cup. Despite how much she loved her parents, the muggle world was foreign to her in a way that she neither accepted nor rejected as being truth. She felt warm tears prick her eyes and she quickly blinked them away, overcome with typical fourteen year old angst that she knew was stupendously silly. The truth, at the heart of it, was that Hermione was permanently disappointed and neither world could console her dark thoughts of being unwelcome to either. She had to hide her true identity from the Muggle world for fear, and to the Wizarding world she was a, as Malfoy proclaimed proudly, a filthy Mud-blood, born of muggle parents and close friend to the greatest enemy of Voldemort, Harry Potter. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"She was, she knew, Hermione Granger and despite the small pleasures in her life of friends and magic, she was burdened with preconceived notions that she was the ugly, bossy, bushy-haired Brainiac with formally oversized teeth that the majority of the student body ignored, or just regarded her as Harry Potter's side-kick lapdog. Unlike Parvati or Lavender, she simply didn't get dates. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Although she only really wanted dates from one person./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Her life wasn't simple, and she had a feeling this was only the tip of the iceberg for the impending school year. With a sense of finality, she packed her bags and made her way out of her muggle house, not home. Not anymore./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"The next morning, Hermione awoke with a start, her entire body shuddering as she returned to consciousness. Her heart pounded painfully against her rib cage, and her head was pounding with blood as she tried to calm her entire body down from the state of near paralysing fear. Breathing shallowly, she knew the way to calm down herself and thought about her breathing, and not about the dream she just had. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"In, out, in, out. She could practically hear her mothers soothing voice from when she was a child./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Her body was covered in sweat, bushy hair sticking to her forehead and down her slim neck. She wiped the sweat off her brow, and propping herself on her elbows found she comfort in cataloguing everything in Ginny Weasley's fourteen year old bedroom. The splintered door, the slanted rooftop, school books stacked high on the old desk in the corner, obviously hand me downs from one of her older brothers. She noticed the Quiddich posters on the walls and the buttercup wallpaper, the sun shining through the window with the tattered curtains and the collection of Witch Weekly magazines thrown around the room. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Ginny was a fourteen year old girl, and unlike Hermione, she had the maturity of one, Ginny's life was focused on boys and homework, beauty potions and spells, and her family. Hermione's was more mature, but out of obligation not want. Her life was about survival, Harry, Voldemort, School and Harry again. She loved him like a brother, and knew her part in his life was to help him and Ronald defeat the dark lord. The problem was, she was fifteen, muggle born and the bushy-haired, Brainiac book worm Granger with a ridiculous crush on one third of their trio, Ron. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Hermione glanced at the soundly sleeping form beside her, at Ginny curled up into a ball with her knees digging into Hermione's back sure to leave a bruise. She chuckled to herself, much calmer now. She knew she'd have to discuss her dream with Harry, but for now she felt hot and needed to leave Ginny's bed to go downstairs, maybe even into the field for some much needed air. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"She padded out of bed, slipping on some shoes and a robe. Climbing down the rickety stairs of the Weasley's seven story home, she passed Fred and Georges room, Percy's study hall he liked to sleep in, Ron's room and Mr and Mrs Weasley's bedroom. Sounds of chatter came from the dining room, and Hermione coughed once to make her presence known before descending the final steps and taking a seat at the Weasley's kitchen table. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Hermione dear! I was just about to come get you!' Mrs Weasley's pointed at the clock shaped object on the wall, the arrows under Hermione's name pointing to hungry. She laughed once, and took in the other faces of the family to notice Fred, George, Harry and Mr Weasley 'travelling.' /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"As Mrs Weasley apparatus bacon onto Hermione's plate and poured her a juice with a flick of her wand, Hermione asked. 'Where are the others travelling?'/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'They've gone to pick up Harry,' Ginny's voice came from the hall, and Hermione noticed how high Ginny's voice rose with excitement at the mention of Harry and let a smile slip./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" 'Flu powder, honestly. Arthur was practically floating with the opportunity to go to the Dursley's and see the muggle fireplace! That man!" Mrs Weasley finished with a flick of her wand with exasperation, and the broom started to sweep the floor. Hermione smiled, but her stomach clenched with the need to see Harry and make sure he was safe. While her dream was just that, a dream, an abstract thought in Hermione's head meant that she could not dismiss it as fickle. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Suddenly, a deep rumble occurred from within the Weasley's fireplace, making Molly turn around and stare at it wide eyed as green coals started to appear. Hermione could faintly hear tumorous laughter and a growling Mr Weasley. 'I'll go wake up Ron before Harry arrives.' Molly waved her off with a whip of her hand, and Hermione saw Ginny straighten her robe and smooth her hair./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Well, that was new./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Hermione raced up the steps to find Ron's room, and pushed the door open. He lay in his bed, on his back snoring. The blanked reached his waist, and Hermione walked over to Ron's bedside. Somehow, this snoring drooling mess called Ronald Weasley had her heart for now. With tender fingers she reached out to stroke his copper red hair, and push the shaggy mess out of his eyes. When she had done that, she took one last look at him and stood up from his bed. 'Ronald!' She snapped, shaking his shoulder. He stopped mid snore, and snapped his eyes up to look at her. Her heart lurched. 'Bloody hell, Hermione.' He cried, clutching the blanked up around his chest for modesty. She bit back a smile. 'Harry's here. Honestly, Ronald.' She nagged, but let out a smile as she stalked out of the room with her back to him. She was about the close the door when he started to snore again, as he could fall back to sleep instantly./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Ronald!' She yelled./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'I'm up!' He called back. She bit her lip as she smiled when she heard him get up./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'FRED AND GEORGE, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!' Her feet took off to find Mr Weasley's roaring voice. When she got to the landing, she saw Ginny doubled over laughing, as well as Fred and George scurrying to pick up candies that had landed on the floor. Next to them she saw Harry's grinning figure, and she launched herself at him, casing him in a bone crushing hug that almost made him stagger back into the floo powdered fireplace./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Harry!' She hugged him, and he awkwardly patted her back but still hugged her like he did miss his best friend. 'How are you?' She pulled back, and scrutinised his figure. He seemed fine, her candied treats had kept him from starving under Dudley's new diet./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'What happened?' Mrs Weasley scowled at the boys, who had finished picking up their candies from the floor as Mr Weasley launched into an explanation of Dudley's mistreatment from their sons./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Ron,' Harry said as Ron, yawning, reached the commotion. They hugged briefly in the way brothers do, but Hermione was overcome with emotion at seeing the boys she loved, in two very different ways, safe and free. She launched herself at them again and despite their shock, she laughed they gingerly put their arms around their best friends. 'We have to talk, she whispered in Harry's ear, and he looked at her with a questioning gaze behind his glasses. He briefly glanced at Ron and back to her, but Hermione shook her head./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"-/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""For goodness sakes, Cho, I'm not being emotionally distant." Cedric Diggory scowled at long-time girlfriend Cho Chang as she sat in his attic-bedroom, pouting into her lap. He ran a hand through his hair, taking deep breaths to calm himself as he felt the beginnings of an argument begin to brew and looked out the window to distract himself by the scenery of dry land and a dark night sky. Arguments were not a stranger to the seventeen years young couple, and Cedric had invited Cho to his house in a preventative measure so she would be reassured of his feelings for her for the next school year. The trouble was though, of how much reassuring Cho Chang needed and Cedric was on a time frame of his patience. Starting an argument with Cho was pointless, for she would certainly take the passive stance in their relationship. She was a jealous creature, despite being a coveted exotic beauty. Hogwarts golden couple, he supposed./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""I just don't understand why I can't come to the World Cup. You know I love Quiddich as much as you do, and even Scott is going." She persisted, her tone appearing defensive. 'And Scott isn't the one shagging you, is he?'/div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Cedric' jaw clenched, throwing their sex in his face was a constant during their arguments, even though she initiated most of it. 'I'm not doubting your feelings for the game Cho, it's that I invited you for two weeks, the two weeks that your parents agreed to. And Scott pretty much pestered me until our entire set was begging me to let him come to end his pathetic stream of nagging. Not shagging. What's the real reason for this, being so clingy?" Cedric chuckled, and looked at Cho once more. He sighed, walking over to her and kneeling down so his face was level with hers. Although now she wasn't pouring, she was glaring./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""You're going with other girls, Cedric." She said, and Cedric recoiled as if he'd been punched./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""What, the Weasley girl? She's fourteen, Cho."/div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Cho just crossed her arms. Nice./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Cho, I'm dating you. But the arrangements have already been made. Call me a prat if you want, but that's the way it is.' Cho's face blushed with embarrassment and what he presumed to be anger, and he decided that the only way to make the last few hours with her enjoyable was to charm his way out of trouble. Winding a hand behind her neck, he moved his face an inch away from hers, well aware that his fresh breath was fanning her face. Her eyes became half closed. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He wasn't unaware of his effects on women. /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'It's not the her, it's the other girl. Hermione Granger, Ceddie.' He moved his mouth so close to hers, swallowing his irritation for that nickname, so that their mouths were touching, but hardly. /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'What, the fourth year? She's Harry Potters best friend, and on all accounts she's overly bossy. Not my type. Is that what you wanted to hear?' /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'She sighed in defeat, and tugged him closer./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He pulled away at a knock on his door. Cedric crossed the impeccably tidy room and opened it to his mother, Lucy Diggory, who glared at Cho before handing Cedric a letter from the school./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'What's that?' Cho asked once, but Cedric and Lucy ignored her, palms sweaty with naive hope that it would be his prefect letter. He tipped the letter, feeling something heavy in it, and a gold rectangular badge with red script dictated PREFECT landed in his palm. He showed his mother who smiled proudly, before moving to close the door. 'Oh, Cho,' Lucy Diggory stopped, 'please bag your bags soon. We're dropping you off at Grand Central Station in the morning.' The door closed with a click, and Cho flew out of her chair to Cedric, launching herself at him in a hug. 'My boyfriend is a prefect!' She cried, clutching to him. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He laughed, and set her down. Cho had other ideas, taking a hand to her muggle shirt and starting to undo the buttons. Cedric wanted to sit and memorise the contents of the letter, write to his friends in Hufflepuff and bask in his reward by reading, but Cho sat on his bed until her shirt was completely off and despite the chilled September air, so we're her pants. 'Cho,' Cedric let out a half-hearted chuckle. 'Not tonight.' /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'My boyfriend is the handsome, talented, perfect Cedric Diggory, and newly elected prefect. Yes, tonight.' When seeing that Cedric hadn't thrown his letter to the side and run to her, she arched an eyebrow at him. 'Please?' /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He took off his shirt, but somehow, he felt uncomfortable and wanted Cho to leave but this was the only way to end their argument. She only saw him through rose tinted glasses, whitewashing his faults. He wasn't human to her./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Cho, by her own admission, was not his equal, she was not a challenge, and she was not his comfort./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Hermione watched as Harry shivered in his dream, face clenched up in pain. "Harry!" His eyes fluttered open, and she knelt over him with a candle in hand. "Harry! Are you alright?" Came her inquisitive voice./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Hermione." Was his breathy reply. "Bad dream. When did you get here?"/div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Her eyes widened, she still hasn't told him about her own dreams. "In your bedroom? Just now." She turned her questioning gaze from Harry to Ronald, for Harry's whole sense of reality was shaken. "Wake up. Wake up, Ronald!"/div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Bloody hell," came his stunned reply. "Again, Hermione?!"/div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Honesty, get dressed!" She snarled before storming out of the boy's rooms, cranky due to her restless nights and challenging that tiredness into anger. "And don't go back to sleep. Come on, Ron! Your mother say's breakfast's ready." Harry looked at Hermione's bickering and watched as Ron fell back to sleep./div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Finally, they were making their way to the Quiddich World Cup, from where though was insignificantly a secret. Hermione's head snapped when she saw a stranger in the trees, but Mr Weasley broke out into a smile. "Arthur, it's about time son!" The other man, looking to be of the same age said, with a chaste scornful tone. Hermione wondered how long he'd have been waiting. Arthur grimaced, but replaced it with a smile. "Sorry, Amos. Some of us had a bit of a sleepy start." Ron yawned as if to emphasise his father's point, and Harry nudged him with his elbow. He felt sheepish, but not concerned that his man was a danger. "Introductions?" Hermione half bossily asked, needing reassurance of safety. Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly, but understanding crossed his features. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone. Works with me at the Ministry." There was a rustle of branches from about them, and suddenly a boy appeared beside them in a swoosh from the trees./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Ministry?/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?" Hermione looked at the tree-jumping boy, and felt her breath hitch as he shook hands with Mr Weasley. He was beautiful, obviously, an aristocratic beauty. She studied his features, as if committing them to memory for scientific dissection. She doubted he'd find anyone that beautiful ever again. Ron couldn't compare to him. She knew him from school, or rather OF him, the older popular Hufflepuff seeker, so her opinions of him were already formed notions of pretty-boy Diggory, modesty and humility were his Hufflepuff traits, but everything else was Griffindor pride and arrogance. Pavarti and Lavender fantasised over him, and his friends had to practically barricade him in the dorm on St Valentine's Day. Ginny nudged Hermione with her elbow, and Hermione now realised that she was able to do a comprehensive study from him because he was standing still, looking at her with bored eyes. Fred and George grimaced, Ginny snickered, and Ron and Harry were equal parts dumbfounded./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'S-sorry?' She questioned, hating herself for stuttering, and Fred answered for her. 'Yes, she's Hermione Granger. Fourth year. And we're Fred and George, pretty boy, but we're sure you know of us." Hermione noticed Cedric's jaw clenched at the pretty-boy crack, and wondered if Cedric and the Weasley twins had history with the pompous seeker. Fred reached forward to ruffle Hermione's hair, not that it needed any more ruffling. "A little bit slow you'll find, this one.' That snapped Hermione out of her daze as she reached forward to elbow Fred in the ribs. He let out a hearty chuckle, and Cedric just shrugged, unfazed as he turned to lead the group to the Portkey./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Merlin's beard, you must be Harry Potter." Amos Diggory pulled Harry back from the crowd to talk, but Cedric seemed embarrassed by his father's enthusiasm. Hermione was aware, but not about to intrude./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm, and both girls exchanged glances, both flustered, but for rather different reasons. Ginny blushed when her eyes flickered to the gorgeous older boy, and Hermione calculated her fascination with the Diggory to be all of perplexed curiosity of his beauty, curious of something she didn't have herself./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Pleasure to meet you too, sir."/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Ahh, yes, it's just over there." Arthur struck a finger into the direction of a manky old boot, and Hermione grimaced. She'd read about Portkeys, and didn't like the sensation of appearing, much less the sensation of being spun into oblivion to reach their destination. She'd have much rather muggle travel, even though it took more time. "Get yourself into a good position."/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Harry!" Hermione screamed, in just enough time for him to clutch the boot. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"The hustle of the Areana noticed that they were at the Quiddich World Cup campsite, and Cedric kept his eyes open looking for his best friend Scott Summers, a fellow sixth year that he hadn't seen at all in the game. In a large line, they proceed to follow Arthur Weasley to a tiny tent not big enough for two people as people chanted the Irish's prowess over the Bulgarians. Harry tried to engage Cedric in conversation about the game as both seekers, and his replies came easily and swiftly. He saw the red-head Ron glare at him from beside the Granger girl but Cedric brushed it off. He had no time for dramatics in his life from jealous fourth years, although if he was jealous of him, Harry or Hermione's staring at him early was the mystery. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He had seen how the blood crept up her neck and Cedric studied her back, asking a question to provide reasoning for his curious eyes. He knew perfectly well who she was, his friends for the most part disliked her. She was the bossy Granger, unpopular and not pretty by general consensus. She had an unconventional face, with high cheekbones and a prominent bone structure, as well as smaller almond shaped eyes untouched by makeup or primping potions. Not pretty, sure, but maybe striking could describe her? /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"If Cho knew he'd thought she was striking she'd blow a bludger, though. With swift eyes he quickly studied Ginny, careful not to linger under the watchful eyes of her father and brothers. She was pretty, but her eyes were captivated on him out of collective adoration, whereas Granger's sparkled with...curiosity? Maybe a hint of jealousy? /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Shaking all thoughts of Granger out of his head, he walked into the tent watching as person after person was eaten by it. Upon entering, he realised that it had been amplified to be more of a circus tent, with offside rooms and a functioning kitchen and dining room. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Pick a room, kids." Arthur called, and Cedric stood in a corner waiting for all rooms to be taken up so he could take what was left. Fred and George barricaded themselves in one, singing about the Irish. Harry and Ron took one furthest away from the troublemakers, and Ginny gripped Hermione's arm. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'No, Ginny,' Arthur Weasley started hating the young redhead in her tracks, 'you'll be sharing a room with Fred and George, bunk beds of course.'/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'But why?!' Came Ginny's enraged anger, which surprised Cedric as he thought she would be more passive then aggressive. "Ginny, we're in a strange place, and although there are security measures, no where is safe now. You need to be with the boys, just in case.' Hermione shifted awkwardly on her feet./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""What about Hermione? Where will she sleep?' /div
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Amos interjected then./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'In the spare room, with Cedric.' All teenagers stared at him then, and Fred and George were running over. 'No-' 'He's seventeen-' 'Hermione-' They stumbled over their objections./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'SHUT UP.' Ginny cried, and had the grace to be embarrassed from her outburst. Hermione met Cedric's amused gaze./div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'It's fine. I'll sleep with the twins.' Fred and George started to object, but Ginny gripped them by their ears. 'Enough. Cedric's a sixth year wizard. Hermione will be fine.' She said though clenched teeth. Hermione rolled her eyes, exasperated from the game and now the bickering. What did anyone care?/div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Whatever, I'm going to my room. Sort it out amongst yourselves.' After a few minutes, Cedric walked into their rooms to notice that she had taken the top bunk bed and was having a rest. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"'Sorry about this.' She sniffed, and Cedric was shocked that for some reason she was upset, and he wanted to find out why. 'It's fine.' He said, as he laid down on his own bunk. /div
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div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"That was all that needed to be said to settle into comfortable silence, well as silent as it could be with the triumphant Irish. Then, as if, on cue, all hell broke loose./div