Milliseconds!
That's all it took. Milliseconds for her whole world had come crashing down around her like a pile of books falling off a shelf. One kiss! The one that she thought would have been hers and only hers. How could he forget everything that they had been through together? Hadn't she saved his life on numerous occasions? Did that count for nothing? She was the "brains" in the trio, although he had teased her countless times about her love and thirst for knowledge. Professor Snape had called her "an insufferable know-it-all" and hadn't he agreed with him? She gazed out of the classroom window with watery eyes watching the snow fluttering down in drifts and drabs, hitting the window pane as it had done on the night of the Yule Ball.
"He's using you."
The accusation hurt her. How could he suggest such a thing? Okay, Victor might be a contender in the Triwizard Tournament but her allegiance was and would always be to Harry. He was her friend and she wanted to see him to win. Not someone Ron was clearly jealous of. The whole idea of the tournament was to make friends.
"How dare you! Besides, I can take care of myself."
"Doubt it. He's way too old."
"What? What? That's what you think?"
"Yeah that's what I think."
"You know the solution then don't you?"
She had spent the past few weeks waiting for him to pluck up the courage and ask her to the ball. She had been expecting him too but he had lost his chance and Victor had gotten there first. That one afternoon when his fan club had interrupted her studying in the library! She knew that her next retort would cause a sting.
"Go on."
"Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does, and not as a last resort!"
"Well... well... that's just completely off the point. Harry."
There, she thought. That's stumped you Ronald Weasley! Now you know how it feels. At that moment, Harry entered the entrance hall through the open double doors looking worried.
"Where have you been?" she asked, coldly. "Never mind. Off to bed both of you!"
"They get scary when they get older."
"Ron, you've spoilt everything!"
She slumped onto the nearest step. Took off her shoe and began to cry. Why did he affect her in this way?
A strong gust of wind had whistled through the empty classroom. She pushed a fallen strand of hair out of her eyes. She had cried herself to sleep that night. Parvati and Lavender had tried to comfort her. Ensuring her that Ron was stupid and wouldn't know a good thing if a bludgers bat hit him in the face with it. Ron. Ron. Ronald. Why does the heart always want what it can never have? She wished she could shut out the feelings.
"I'm sure Harry's kissing is more than satisfactory. Cho spends half her time crying these days," she said, as though this settled the matter.
"Think a bit of snogging would cheer her up," chuckled Ron.
Why were boys so inconsiderate when it came to feelings? She thought. Maybe she should write a manual. Ron's Guide to Dealing with Girls!
"Don't you understand how she must be feeling? Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric and therefore confused about liking Harry, and guilty about kissing him. Conflicted because Umbridge is threatening to sack her mum from her job at the ministry, frightened to fail her OWL's because she's so busy worrying about everything else."
She took a deep breath. She had rushed the last few sentences, one of the habits when you could retain a lot of information.
"One person couldn't feel all that, they'd explode."
"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon!"
She could feel tears beginning to form at the corners of her eye. The kiss! It was playing over and over in her mind. She had to do something to get rid of it. Ron and Lavender. Her friend and classmate. She wanted to hurt them. Both of them. Him. Her. Him especially. She looked into her repertoire of spells and knew the curse that she would use. She felt a pulse surge through her wand and watched as gold sparks flew from the tip. Wands always felt the wizard's emotions.
"Beautiful day," she said, looking at the cloudless sky. She, Ron and Harry were marching across the courtyard to visit Hagrid. They were going to find out the verdict of Buckbeak's hearing.
"Gorgeous," Ron mocked. "Unless of course you're being ripped to pieces."
Not that rat again! She thought. Ron had always had a vendetta against Crookshanks from the moment she walked out the shop cradling him in her arms.
"Ripped to pieces?" cut in Harry. "What are you talking about?"
"Ronald has lost his rat."
"I haven't lost anything. Your cat killed him!"
"Rubbish."
She could feel fresh hot tears threatening to erupt. She wouldn't let him see her cry. That would make her look weak. She would wait till later. Alone and away from him.
"Harry, you've seen the way that blood thirsty beast of hers is always lurking about and Scabbers is gone."
"Well maybe you should learn to take better care of your pets!" she retorted, as Crookshanks jumped up onto the wall.
"Your cat killed him!"
"Did not!"
"Did."
"Didn't."
The sound of the classroom door creaking opening made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She was ready to hurt him. The unspoken words of a spell already formed on her parched lips. She would enjoy watching him writhe in pain and it would be blissful. However, it wasn't Ron stood in the doorway. The wand slackened in her grip. "Harry!" she called out, surprised. "I thought you were at the party."