Issues
By Locke
'What did you call me?'
Viktor Krum jumped up in surprise, wrenched from his light doze by the scream that echoed resoundingly across the Durmstrang common room. His eyes widened in alert as he gazed at the pretty girl next to him, Helga - who a minute ago had been sitting beside him peacefully - not knowing whether to appear concerned, afraid, terrified, apologetic, sympathetic – or any other emotion out of the range he didn't know the words for.
The common quickly emptied. Whispers fluttered around behind the swiftly departing pupils.
'Sorry?'
Helga's face twisted in anger. 'You just called me something!'
Krum frowned. He thought he had been asleep.
'What name?'
Helga bore down on him, her scowl widening into a full—blown glare. 'Herm…. Erm…'
'Herm-own-ninny,' he said, all too quickly.
'Who the hell is Herm-own-ninny?' Helga's hands balled into fists. 'I want the truth, Viktor Krum!'
'Helga…'
'Is there another woman? Tell me if there is, Viktor, tell me! I can take it.'
'Well…'
'Viktor! How dare you! I can't take anymore of this!'
'I only said - '
Helga spun away, her head held loftily high. 'Tell me, Viktor. Who is Herm-own-ninny?'
Krum sighed. 'I met her at Hogwarts.'
'I knew it! I just knew it!'
'But - '
'I should never have let you over there! I knew something like this would happen! You promised and you promised and you promised! But there's something about these English girls isn't there? You just can't help yourself!'
'But - '
'But what, Viktor Krum? But what?'
'Just give me a chance to speak, please!'
'Why? So you can feed me more of your lies?'
'I only asked her to the ball… It wasn't anything special… It didn't mean anything…'
'Don't lie to me Viktor; I know when you're doing it! I'm fed up with you constant broken promises!' She sniffed, and the first glimmer of a tear shone in her eyes. 'She meant a lot to you! Otherwise you'd never have asked her! Why do you keep doing it, Viktor! Why? Every time this happens! How can I ever trust you again?'
'This is the last time, I promise.'
She turned to face him slowly. Her next sniff was quieter, more subdued. 'Really?'
'I promise.'
'But… but you keep betraying me… you keep going back on your word…'
'I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you.'
'Oh Viktor! That's so easy to say!'
'But I meant it… Really…'
'Really?'
'Really.'
Helga moved, slowly, back to the place beside Viktor.
'No more lies?'
'No more lies.'
She nodded; and gradually a smile broke through the misery of her tears. 'I believe you Viktor. You're a good man.'
A crackle of magic drifted through the common room, exploding in a shower of purple flame as it greeted the voice of the Durmstrang General Announcement System.
'Would Helga Krum please report to Headmaster Karkaroff's office immediately.'
Helga looked at Viktor. 'I have to go. Look, I'm sorry I shouted at you.' She grinned. 'But you know how much I disapprove of you going out with all these foreign women. My brother seeing an Englishwoman! The disgrace! Let's see if we can't get you together with a German girl one of these days, eh?'
He nodded and smiled in return.
And as Helga strode out of the room and the other pupils nervously filed back in, Viktor Krum fell blissfully back to sleep.