A/N: Once again, so far only one review for last chapter. Gosh, I'm such a loser. I really need to wait to update but then all the ideas go ZOOM! out of my brain.

Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own anyone or anything.

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The Other Way

Chapter 10: Time to Hit Someone

"Why-am-I-such-a-prat!" Fred said, hitting himself with his pillow with every word.

If he had to get mad at anyone, it should be Krum.

Fred made up his mind. He'd apologize to Hermione, and then murder Krum.

Well, maybe just slug him one good time. Of course, if that infuriated Krum enough to make him fight back, Fred was all for it...

He got off his bed and walked out of Gryffindor Tower, grabbing a small box that said "Wheezes Writing". He didn't bother to put on his robes or re-tie his tie.

As he walked towards the portrait hole, he passed a miserable Harry and terrified Ron.

"What's up with you two?" Fred asked.

Harry closed his eyes and hugged his golden egg. "Girls are so confusing," he moaned.

"I see," Fred said, figuring this was about the ball. "And Ron?"

"He asked Fleur Delacour to the ball. Mad," Harry said, shaking his head.

Fred laughed, and as he walked through the portrait hole he said to Ron, "You really need to figure out which girls are actually within your league, Ronnikins!"

His response was a muffled, "SOD OFF!"

Fred looked out a window and saw, to his delight, Hermione sitting under the oak tree by the Black Lake. She wasn't reading, however...she seemed to be looking at Krum, who was standing on the dock, talking to his friends.

Double whammy. He could apologize to Hermione and, while she wasn't terribly mad at him, he could beat up Krum. Fantastic.

He strode onto the lawn and walked up behind Hermione.

"Boo."

Hermione jumped and turned around. Fred stood before her, his hands in his pockets.

"Go away Fred," she said at last, turning to sit back down. Fred grabbed her shoulder.

"No. I need to say something." Fred took the box out of his pocket and gave it to her. "That's to get rid of the writing, since I figured you wouldn't want to have that if you're Krum's Yule Ball date." Hermione didn't say anything, merely put the small package in her bag.

"Okay...listen, I know I was a prat yesterday, when I figured out you were going to the ball with Krum. And I shouldn't have been rude to you. I just got kind of jealous, I guess. So I'm sorry."

Hermione's expression didn't change. She just said, "Why would you be jealous?"

Fred was glad that he was one of the only Weasleys who couldn't blush.

"Because I...I like you, Hermione."

There. He had said it. And now she probably would hate him for telling her this. He should have just kept it to himself.

But Hermione didn't seem mad at all. She seemed almost...happy.

"I accept your apology, Fred. But- I don't think I can return your feelings. After all, I wouldn't want to hurt Viktor...," Hermione said, looking downcast as she mentioned his name. It broke her heart to say that she couldn't say that she liked him back, even when she still did.

"What? Oh, yeah...wouldn't want to do that," Fred said, feeling a bit more depressed. He still wanted to hurt Viktor, but he couldn't bear to do it in front of Hermione, not when she seemed a bit glad that he had apologized.

Luckily, Hermione got up, brushed off her uniform, and grabbed her book bag. "Well, I'll see you at lunch. I'm going up to the castle."

Fred waved, and then made up his mind. Oh, Krum was going down.

He walked towards Krum at the edge of the lake, slowly at first, but then he picked up speed. His fists clenched as he went.

He marched right up to Krum, drew back his arm, and punched Krum right in the nose. His beaklike nose began to bleed. Krum clutched it, swinging his arm around wildly. His friends yelled obscenities in Bulgarian at Fred, but they backed away as though afraid of him.

"Vot vas that for?" Krum shouted.

The lawn was considerably quieter. A few people were still walking and chatting, but mostly everyone had turned to watch at the resounding smack from Fred's punch.

"Oh, that?" Fred laughed, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. "That's for taking Hermione. Bye." He made to leave, but was stopped by a painful blow to his side.

Fred blinked, grabbing his side. He turned around to face Krum. He didn't say anything, but instead kneed Krum in the groin. A howl of pain echoed around the lawn.

A fight was stirring. Krum dove at Fred, punching him furiously in the stomach.

Fred shouldn't have provoked him. He should have left it at an apology to Hermione. He was quicker than Krum, and maybe as strong, but he still felt so much weaker.

Fred jumped up from the ground and grabbed Krum's arm, twisting it painfully backwards, far enough that Krum's eyes bulged and watered from pain.

"Don't you dare hurt Hermione," Fred hissed, pushing Krum over so that he landed face first in the grass.

Krum let out a hollow laugh, getting up and walking towards Fred. He shoved Fred in the shoulder, making him stumble at the force.

"You think I'm the one that hurt her?" Krum said, stepping on Fred's foot and grinding his own foot down hard enough that Fred could feel his toes breaking.

"You made her cry. I saw her in the back corner of the library. Leave her alone." Krum flung his arm out in a punch, but Fred ducked quickly. Beater reflexes could come in handy outside of Quidditch.

"When did I make her cry?" Fred asked, but he knew the answer. When he had been mean to her yesterday, twice.

Fred socked Krum in the eye, giving him a black eye.

Krum did the same, and yanked Fred's head back by his hair. He pushed him against a tree.

"I vill let you go ven you promise to leave Herminniny alone!" Krum shouted.

Fred elbowed Krum blindly, seeing only stars and tree bark.

"You're the one that could hurt her. You're not from this school. I've just apologized to her, and she's fine."

Krum instantly let go, and Fred fell to the ground, coughing. He kicked Krum in the shin and Krum stumbled.

"I vill not do anything more to you. You haff asked for her forgiveness, and that is good enough for me."

Fred stood up, glared once at Krum, and then took a step back, as if signaling that he was done fighting.

Krum nodded once, slowly, and returned to his friends, seeming dazed and hurt.

Fred limped back up the lawn, not pausing once to talk to his friends on the silent grounds.

He wiped his nose on his sleeve, feeling the blood drip onto his white shirt. He favored his left leg, where Krum had broken his toes.

As he walked towards the common room, he saw Hermione coming from the other direction down the hall.

"Fred!" she called, looking panicked. "What happened to you?" She rushed towards him, her bag hitting her leg as she went.

Fred didn't say anything, just turned to the Fat Lady. "Fairy lights," he said.

The Fat Lady didn't budge. "I don't think so, young man. You're going right to the hospital wing. Look at yourself!" The Fat Lady held out a mirror and, to his amazement, Fred could see himself in it, though it was a portrait.

He looked, in his opinion, like a right bloody mess. His face and uniform were streaked with dirt, his face had blood on it, and he was sporting a black eye.

"Come on," Hermione said, tugging at his blood-soaked sleeve.

Fred followed her numbly.

"Now, what happened?" Hermione pressed.

Fred shook his head. "Fight."

"With who?" Hermione said, looking shocked.

"H-him," Fred said. "Krum."

"What?" Hermione said shrilly. "Why?"

"I told you...I was jealous...I couldn't help myself," he said weakly as the doors to the hospital wing were pushed open.

Madame Pompfrey came rushing over, tutting and asking questions a mile a minute. She shoved Fred onto a bed, gave him a yellow potion that smelled like pond scum, and got to work mending his wounds.

Hermione sat down in the chair next to Fred's bed.

"Where else are you injured, boy?" Madame Pomfrey questioned.

"My foot's broken," he said. Hermione's heart went out to him. Even if she was going to the ball with Viktor, she still liked Fred.

And she couldn't help it. After all, he was Fred!

For now, until after the ball, knowing that he liked her back was enough.

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A/N: Phew! It's done! Hopefully the fight wasn't horrible. I'm not good at that sort of thing. And as of now I've gotten a lot more reviews, so thanks!

Review again, please!

Coming up: the Yule Ball part one!

-DSA