Sorry I didn't reply to all of your reviews, time really got away from me! I didn't realize it had been so long sing I had posted. I hope you like this chapter though and any feedback is appreciated as always.

Love,

Adrien

Disclaimer: I still don't own this sandbox in which I love to play. The amazing J. K. Rowling is the only one with that right and the parts of this chapter underlined like this come directly from Goblet of Fire and in no way belong to me.

Chpt. 14: Confrontation and Courting

"I'm so proud of you!" Hermione exclaimed as she threw her arms around her best friend, not caring that the golden egg in his arms pressed uncomfortably into her side as she smashed her lips to his. She opened her mouth to say something else only to be cut off by an irritatingly familiar voice.

"Congratulations, Harry!" she said, beaming at him. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye."

Hermione had to bit her lip to hold back laugh as Harry wrapped his free arm around her waist and began leading her back to the castle.

"You're not going to lecture me about respecting my elders?" Harry asks when they're far enough away that Skeeter won't hear him, raising his right eyebrow at her in question.

"Why would I?" A smirk tugs at Hermione's lips, mischief sparkling in her eyes as they connect with Harry's emerald gaze. "That woman is absolutely dreadful, she gives journalism a bad name."

Harry grins back at his girlfriend, swooping in to steal a kiss as they enter the old castle.

"If it isn't my so-called best friends," another familiar voice makes the two of them pull apart and turn to face their old friend.

Hermione's back stiffened at the bitterness in Ron's tone and she could feel Harry's entire body stiffen as well, his grip on her waist tightening as he glares at the redhead.

"What do you want, Ron?" Hermione snaps, glaring harshly at the boy who had tormented her for her first three years at Hogwarts but who she had tolerated for the sake of her both her best friend and the girl she thought of as a sister.

"I just wanted to see if you'd finally own up to putting your name into the cup, seeing as how you made it through the first task without any issue whatsoever." Ron glares down at Harry's hand on her waist, his face twisted into a bitter scowl.

"You know very well that Harry didn't put his name in the cup. He didn't want this, Ronald." Hermione's voice raises as she speaks, her magic beginning to spark around her. "Just because you're jealous, doesn't give you the right to be an arse!"

"How could I ever be jealous of an arrogant, greedy, bastard like him?!"

Hermione's want was in her hand, a particularly vicious hex on her lips and the end of her wand sparking before Ron had finished his sentence.

Harry's much larger hand covers hers, lowering her wand before she finishes the spell. "He's not worth it."

Hermione stares at him for a long moment before nodding and kissing her best friend's cheek as he begins to lead her up to Gryffindor tower.

"That's right, just walk away with your mudblood bitch! You bloody coward!"

Harry jerks away from her, his magic crackling around him as he yanks his wand from his robes. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Sirius tries (unsuccessfully) to hold in his laughter as he and Remus watch his godson, pace back and forth on the other side of the coffee table in Remus's quarters.

"I just don't know what to do. How the hell am I supposed to ask her? I didn't even ask her to be my girlfriend, she's the one who kissed me! There's no way she'll want to go to the ball with me, I don't even know how to dance!" His pup broke off from his rant long enough to look at the two men on the couch, his eyes narrowing dangerously when he saw the laughter in their eyes. "This isn't funny!" His godson places his hands on his hips and Sirius can no longer hold in his laughter as he leans into Remus's side, both their bodies shaking with laughter. "It really wasn't that funny," Harry states, his lips pressing together in a firm line one the two older men's laughter dies out.

"It really is, pup. She's already your girlfriend, it's not like she's going to tell you no. Even if you do turn out to be the worst dancer in the world." Sirius smiles fondly at his pup as his shoulders relax and he makes his way over to the chair closest to Sirius.

"Of course, that doesn't mean you can just ask her to go and be done with it. My cub deserves to be wooed. Which means you need to get her flowers at the very least," Remus tells Harry, a stern look on his face that Sirius had only ever seen on the face of James' father.

"Viktor? As in the Bulgarian champion, Viktor Krum?" Hermione shoves the book the two of them had come upstairs to get into her bag before straightening and staring at her friend with wide eyes.

Ginny avoids her gaze as she nods.

"When did you even talk to him?" Hermione asks, curiosity tugging at her mind as she slings her bag over her shoulder.

Ginny's cheeks flare, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I actually ran into him last night… Literately. I was headed out to go for a flight when I slipped on some black ice near where Viktor likes to jog and I slammed right into him. I thanked him for sticking up for you and Harry against Skeeter and he surprised me by brushing it off like it was nothing. Then he saw my broom and asked if I knew any good places to fly. I offered to show him and the two of us spent the rest of the night flying and talking. He's a lot more intelligent than his headmaster would like you to believe and he doesn't buy into the blood purity a lot of people in that school seem. Gods, it was like a fairytale Mione. We flew for hours over Black Lake, just watching the stars and talking. It was well past midnight before we even realized what time it was. He offered to walk me to my dorm but I didn't want him to go that far out of his way. He still ended up walking me to the castle though and then he asked me to the ball. I didn't even think, I just blurted out yes. Gods, Mione, it all just happened so fast." Her friend spoke so quickly that Hermione wouldn't have understood her if she hadn't been listening as closely as she was.

A large grin spread across Hermione's face and she threw her arms around the redhead, crushing her in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you, Gin!"

"Thanks, Mione." Ginny grins back after squeezing the older girl just as tightly as as she was squeezing her.

"I just want you to be happy, Gin," Hermione tells her friend as she pulls away and the two girls head down the stairs to the commonroom.

"Do you think Harry will be angry with me for going to the ball with his competition?" Ginny questions Hermione as she runs her fingers through her hair, her nerves showing clearly in her mahogany gaze.

"Of course he won't! He'll be happy to see you happy, we've been worrying about you feeling like a fifth wheel considering Harry and I are dating and it won't be long before Neville finally gets up the courage to ask Luna out. The fact that you're going to the ball with Viktor won't change that. Besides, you know Harry never wanted to be in this competition. He couldn't care less who wins or loses, he just wants everyone to get out of this alive."

Red rose petals falling around the two girls cut off any further conversation and Hermione's gaze zeroes in on the boy standing in front of them a few feet away from the stairs. The rose petals burst into golden dust as they hit the floor, a new red and gold rose appearing in Harry's hand once a certain number of petals hit the ground. "Hermione Jean Granger," Harry begins as he steps toward Hermione, ignoring the petals that get caught in his hair and explode as he makes his way toward her. "You were my first true friend and you have been my best friend for the past three, almost four, years now. I never thought you'd be interested in me but by some miracle you are. You've stuck by me through everything and you've saved my life more times than I can count. You deserve so much more than I could ever give you but I'd like to start with taking you to this ball… If you'd like to go with me of course." The last of the petals burst and Harry holds out the beautiful flowers to her, his eyes staring hopefully into her own.

Hermione lunges forward, crushing her best friend in a tight hug. "Of course I'll go with you, you big goof!"

Her lips crash onto his and neither of the teens notice when the rest of the common room bursts into cheers.