Chapter 9

This was the year, that George hoped that Hermione would be open to becoming his girl. He is dragged off by Lee and Fred. "Hey, I let you sit with her all the ride last year. This year, you are sitting with your twin and mates." Fred lectures him.

When the dementors board the train, George glares at Fred. "You know darn well where they will go, numb-nuts. I could have helped." He grinds out, worried about Hermione and Harry. Ron, he has developed an intense dislike for.

They run to the compartment when the train starts moving again. Harry is pale and breathing heavily. Hermione is scared and worried. Ron is oblivious as usual. There is a older man with them, he is giving all three, but mostly Harry bits of chocolate.

When Hermione sees the twins, she gets up and leaves the compartment. Once the door shuts, George has her in his arms, holding her tight as she cries out her worry for Harry. He knows that she doesn't want the boy to see it and add to his massive amount of stress.

They find that the man is the new Defense teacher. He is the best one yet. They get to learn about the many animals in their world.

The only two worries that are following George are Hermione and Alicia. The Spinnet girl has now doubled her attentions on gaining George, as Fred and her best friend, Angelina are now an item. He is kind, mostly for Fred's sake and that of the team, but she is beginning to annoy him.

Hermione is worse than ever. She is using a time turner and it is causing her to age even more. By the time she is done with the year, he bets she will be the same age as he and Fred. It is overtaxing her resources. As if that was not enough, Harry receiveda new broom. Hermione told McGonagall and now he and Ron are not speaking to her. Yet, still expect that she will help them figure out the new mystery.

Scabbers goes missing. The bloody rat is a menace. Being Ron, he looks to Hermione to blame. Crookshanks never liked him, so it must be the cat's fault that the oldest ever garden rat has disappeared.

It isn't until the end of the year that the two ingrates start talking to Hermione again. Of course, it is because they need Hermione's help. Hermione is getting to the point of wondering why she even attends this place. If not for George, Fred and Neville, she would leave it behind. Harry used to be her best friend.

That night, the one that they met Sirius and Pettigrew, he apologizes and they repair their friendship. They save Buckbeak and Sirius and race back to the Hospital Wing. The next morning, she feels a bit of stress lift, but it is soon replaced by the growing feeling that something is up with Ron. Something that makes her shiver in revulsion and a bit of fear.

Hermione is shocked to be invited to go with the Weasleys to the Quidditch Finals. She is under the impression that she was invited because of Ginny. In fact, it was George's urging.

Over the summer, Hermione and George had written back and forth as usual. There was nothing but idle talk, but even with that, she felt like they were getting closer. She could not wait to see him again.

The only problem is Ron.

The minute she walked into the Burrow, Hermione felt the difference in Ron's demeanor. He followed her around everywhere she went, making little comments about her clothes and the way she did things. In a crazy way, they were complimentary, but mostly they were insultive.

Hermione was also creeped out by Molly's constant grin, whenever they were together. She started working into the conversations how she didn't like many things, things that Ron was known for specifically or known to like. She would always sit with the twins on either side of her and lean towards George whenever she could.

At the game, she would never let Ron near. It didn't help that she had started filling out more. That was probably the issue with Ron. Hermione was now looking like a girl.

It didn't take long into the year for hell to break loose. Harry gets sucked into the revived Tournament against his will. Hermione, Neville and the twins are the only ones that believe him completely. Ron turned traitor at the first chance that he gets.

Hermione starts practically living in the library. Between finding anything that will keep Harry alive and the ever increasing amount of homework, she is always researching something. That is when she noticed that one of the Bulgarians also is spending a lot of time in there.

He kept sitting at different tables, but each one was even closer to her normal table. She didn't have a clue as to why he was doing so. Hermione just kept on working, ignoring the large man.

When the Winter Ball is announced, she again ignores the hoopla and goes to the library, after the "dance lessons". Hermione was studying again, when a shadow is cast against her table. She looks up and is surprised to see the man. "May I help you?" She asks in a whisper, hoping that Madam Pince is not paying attention at that moment.

The man bows sharply and gives her a tight smile. It was like he was trying not to smile and yet knew that he needed to do so. "Miss, I have heard that there is supposed to be a ball. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me? You are not the same as these other girls that trail after me all the time."

Hermione raises her brow. She knew that this man was the Durmstrang champion, Viktor Krum. "Sir, I had not thought of the ball at all. I am not a girl that is glamorousor worldly. I think you could do better asking another. Thank you for the thought though. I appreciate it."

In truth, she was hoping that George would ask her. It was a small hope. She knew that Alicia Spinnet had called him. In Gryffindor, you don't poach your fellow lioness' male. It made Hermione sad, but she pulled back to being his friend. Lavender and Parvarti wonder why she cries at night, but she can't get it out to them, mostly because they are the biggest mouths in the House, maybe even the school.

After she hears that George is definitelygoing to the ball with Alicia. She runs to her hidingplace in the tall grass by the Whomping Willow, that no one has found yet and balls her eyes out.

She decides that if he asks again, she will accept Viktor Krum's invitation. She admits to herself that she is totally on the rebound. Sadly, she never even had one date. Krum appears that very day, while she is working on her Potions essay. For the third time, he asks her to the ball. This time, Hermione accepts the offer, even though she is sick to the stomach for doing so.

Now she has two boys after her. Viktor, thinking that she is now his girl, because she is attending the ball with him. Ron, thinking that she is, because he wants it to be so. Even though he has not said a word to her about it.Neither are even the boy she wants to be with.

Hermione walks around the lake thinking of her problems. For four years, she was able to talk to George about them. Now, she can't, because Alicia is taking up all his time. She sits on her thinking rock, behind the thicket of elder trees and looks out at the water, watching the giant squid play in the lake.

An hour later, Hermione walks up to the castle for dinner. She refuses to worry her little brother any more than he already is. There are three spaces open. One next to George, one next to Ron and one between Harry and Neville. She walks to the one between Harry and Nev. At least if she looks down, she doesn't have to see the carrot red hair or the flirting Alicia with George.

Hermione eats only enough to stave off her hunger. Her mother writes that she is sending up a gown for Hermione to wear and jewelry. If only she was not so depressed about this.