The Surprise
"Oh my goodness! Viktor! What are you doing here?!" Hermione yelped as Krum pulled Hermione into a hug. "I came to see my her-my-ninny of course!" Hermione pecked Krum on the cheek. "Oh Viktor! That's so sweet of you!" Hermione was practically exploding. "Ahem...." Ron roughly cleared his thought as a reminder to Hermione that he and Harry were still in her company, witnesses to this (in Ron's opinion) repulsive scene. " oh. OH!" Exclaimed Hermione. She turned away from Krum to find Harry staring at his shoes and Ron breathing heavily with a scowl carving it's way into his freckled features. Hermione, her face as red if not redder than Ron's introduced everyone. "Viktor, this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasly" Krum reached out to shake Ron's hand, but Ron didn't take it. "Ron!" hissed Hermione from behind Krum. Seeing the pleading look in Hermione's eyes, Ron reluctantly shook the large hand in front of him scarred from a lifetime of catching snitches. As Krum moved on to Harry, Hermione read the look on Ron's face, and thought it best if they moved on to breakfast. "Would you care to join us Viktor?" Hermione asked in what Ron recognized as the look she usually reserved for the day grades went out and she had received full marks.... again. "Eef you vant me to." Krum replied. 'Gimme a break!' Ron thought to himself. "Of course I do! Follow me." Hermione answered. So Ron, Harry and Krum all piled behind Hermione and made their way to the Gryffindor house table.
The Great Hall was in a buzz at the site of the Bulgarian seeker, famous at eighteen .Four autographs and two pictures later their food appeared in front of them and their water filled goblets were refilled with ice cold pumpkin juice. They ate in silence for several minutes until Hermione nervously tried to make conversation. "So, Viktor." she said scooting closer to him and taking his hand "What have you been up to?" Ron couldn't sit through another minute of this, he stood up abruptly causing his chair to go skidding across the floor. He grabbed his hat and stormed out of the hall. "Was it something I said?" Hermione dared to ask. Harry rolled his eyes. "Ron! Wait!" he shouted. Then he turned to Hermione and Krum, "I'm going to go see what's wrong with him, I'll talk to you later." he then turned to leave when he had a second thought, "Oh and TRY not to touch each other, people are staring!" It was now Krum's turn to blush, though Hermione did join him. Harry turned a second time and began sprinting toward the dormitories.
***
"Vell, that 'vas eembarrassing, 'vasn't eet?" Krum said. Hermione giggled uncertainly and picked at her eggs with her fork. "you 'vould theenk he 'vould be able to handle eet, but no it ees 'let's run away!' " he put on a high voice during this last art and began to laugh at his own joke. "You....you....." Hermione sputtered in her anger, looking for the right insult. "You foreign......JERK! How could you say something like that about Ron??" she stared at him, breathing like mad. "Vat are you talking about?" he laughed, "he is only a child!" Hermione was standing up now. "That CHILD," she said jabbing her finger in the direction Ron had gone, "is my BEST FREIND!!!" she screeched these last words, looking at him in disbelief. "Hermione, would you please sit down and talk this over like adults? People are beginning to stare!" Krum hissed, tugging on her elbow. Hermione looked at him as if he were the slime of the universe. "Kindly take your hand off me. I'm leaving" Krum let go while Hermione stalked off. "Awwww.. Hermioninny!!"
"RON!" Upon hearing his name Ron broke into a run. "Ron! Why won't you talk to me?" Ron's run slowed to a canter and then a brisk walk as he approached the Fat Lady. "dragon tail!" he said, deliberately ignoring Harry. He jumped through the hole just after the fat lady had swung forward, and stormed up the stairs to his dormitory, Harry following close behind. Just as Harry had reached the door, Ron turned around, looked him in the eye and slammed the door. "RON!!!!" Harry screamed. he opened the door with a sigh. Ron dismissed the Harry's presence and made a dive for his pillow. "aaarrgghh!!" He screamed at it. "what is with you Ron? Harry asked with a look of extreme concern and confusion aimed first at Ron's pillow, and then at Ron. Ron, heaving after his mad pillow attack, whirled around to face Harry. " He had to come now, didn't he? Of all the times he could have come he had to come now." "who?" Harry asked his voice filled with concern. "Krum! Why couldn't she have liked me? Huh? What's wrong with me, Harry?" Ron's eyes were brimming with water and he turned away and began to stare intently out the window. "slow down Ron! Why can't who like you?" "I like Hermione Harry." Ron said as if it were the worst possible thing that could ever happen to a guy, and he looked up to see the reaction on Harry's face, Harry was looking very uncomfortable indeed. "What's so terrible about that? I like Hermione too." Harry answered, although Harry feared this was not what Ron had meant at all. Ron whirled around and stared out the window, in attempt to keep in the tears filling his eyes " No. I really like her. A lot. Not as a guy likes a friend, but as a guy likes a girl ." this been said Ron threw himself on his bed ,took in a deep shuddering breath, and turned his face to Harry "and every time I see her with that, that KRUM, I feel this deep pain inside me that hurts so dreadfully, I can't even THINK straight. Why me?" Silence filled the dormitory. Until... "Ron! Why didn't you say anything?" It was not Harry's voice.