Title: Heaven On Earth
Chapter 2: The Date
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Uhm… for a disclaimer, see chapt 1
Harry wasn't looking forward to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, more importantly, their new teacher. Harry hated Krum, and hated having Hermione anywhere near him. He always got a weird vibe from Krum, and since the incident his fourth year when Krum had acted all crazy… Harry didn't trust him in the least.
The trio piled into class.
"Hermy-own!" Viktor called out to her, and was over to them in three seconds. He reached down and gave her a hug that lasted too long in Harry's opinion.
"Viktor!" Hermione's face lit up with a smile Harry hadn't seen on her since they were dating. "How was your trip here?" she asked.
"Vell, I think the countryside vis beautiful, but vot vompared to vou,"
Hermione blushed.
That was it. Harry was starting to hate Krum more and more each second. "Hey, Viktor, hi," he cut in.
Hermione, followed by Ron arched a brow at him.
"Potter," Krum said. "Vit is good seeing vou again,"
"Same here," he said in a rush.
"And remember me?" Ron asked. "I asked for your autograph last year, remember?"
Viktor nodded. "My memory vis not so good, I think. I distinctly remember Hermy-own."
Hermione blushed again.
"We'll take our seats," Harry said, pulling the two with him. Instead of heading toward the back, where they usually sat, Hermione picked a desk in the front and plopped down into it.
Harry gaped at her.
"Let's go in the back," Ron said to Harry. "Okay, Herm?"
"What? Oh, well, you can if you want, I'm going to stay here." She was answering Ron, but was smiling dreamily at Krum who emptied papers out of his briefcase.
Harry and Ron took seats in the very back of the class. Lavender came and sat beside Ron.
"What, now she's trying to be more than a teacher's pet?" Parvatil Patil hissed to Seamus Finnigan. He just shrugged.
"Owwww," Harry screeched, wrapping both hands on his scar.
"What happened?" Ron asked.
"My scar again," Harry frowned. "Something's not right here. That Krum…"
"So what if she's sweet on him?" Ron asked. "You left her, remember?"
Krum shut his briefcase and turned to the class. He began talking, but Harry was drowning him out. There was something very peculiar about him. "But…" he started. "He can't even say her name!"
"Leave her alone, Harry." Ron advised. "You told me you wanted to go out with Cho. So, you're going to. If Hermione wants to date this Krumpet, let her. As long as he doesn't hurt her, you shouldn't have a problem with it."
But Harry did have a problem with it. A big problem. He was still in love with her.
After class, Hermione stayed to talk with Krum for a few minutes. Harry and Ron waited outside the door for her. Cho walked by with a group of girls, and suddenly she was all Harry knew. He didn't hear Ron talking to him beside him, and all thoughts of Hermione went right out of his head.
"Hi, Cho," Harry said.
Cho excused herself from the other Ravenclaws and walked over to Harry. "Hey."
"How was your day?" Harry asked.
"Great. Yours?"
"Okay."
Cho grinned. "I can't wait until Saturday when we go on our first date, then we can start telling people that we're going out."
Harry grinned too. "Yeah, me either."
Hermione walked out of the classroom, a smile on her face. Cho spotted her, pinned Harry against the wall and kissed him until he could barely stand up. Then, she smiled and trotted off down the hall.
Hermione immediately locked eyes with the floor. Ron looked from her to Harry who had looked like he had Top Box tickets to the World Quidditch final.
"Has she no shame?" Ron said, sneering after Cho.
"Let's get going," Hermione said in a small voice. She glanced a look at Harry, who still appeared to be on Cloud 9. They walked down to the Great Hall in silence. Hermione whimpered now and then, and Ron knew she was crying, but trying her best to hide it, so he just kept giving her quick encouraging smiles. Harry didn't notice, he didn't seem to notice that he was still breathing. "… how about Hogsmeade this weekend, Herm?" Ron suggested.
Hermione quickly wiped her eyes. "I---I can't."
Ron smiled. Maybe Krum had asked her out. "Date?"
"No," she said. "I uhm… have a doctor's appointment."
"Madam Pomfrey?"
Hermione shook her head. "No… it's at home. With… a Muggle doctor."
"You'd rather go to them instead of a Wizard doctor?" Ron said, arching a brow.
"I… talked to Madam Pomfrey, and what I'm going for, she can't help me with." Her voice broke a little, which was quickly followed by a coughing fit. She covered her mouth as she coughed. "I arranged it all with Dumbledore, the Knight Bus is coming to pick me up tonight."
Without another word, Ron leaned over and gave her a hug. She wrapped his arms around his neck.
Harry turned to them. "Aww, wish I had a camera…"
Hermione went pale. Hearing Harry talk seemed to realize that he was even there. And that kiss Cho had given him replayed in her mind. "I have to go pack," she said, jumping up from the table and sprinting out the door.
Harry looked longingly after her. "Where's she going?"
"Weren't you listening?" Ron snapped. "She's going home this weekend."
"Why are you so pissed?" Harry demanded.
Ron rubbed his forehead with both hands. Deep down, he was furious with Harry for hurting Hermione, but both of them were his friends. "Sorry, just… have a lot on my mind."
Lavender walked in, grabbed Hermione's empty seat and gave Ron a kiss on the cheek. She gave a small squeak. "Ronnie, you're bleeding!"
Ron looked at her like she had three heads. "I am?" Lavender pointed to a small splotch of blood on the back of his robes. Ron turned the neck of his robes around so he could see.
"Cut yourself?" Harry asked.
"Nope, I'M not bleeding," Ron said finally, after inspecting himself. "Someone's blood is on me." His face paled. Hermione had given him a hug… could she have hurt herself over Harry?
Cho looked beautiful. She sparkled in the dim light of Cupid's Arrow, a small romantic restaurant in Hogsmeade. Harry sat across from her, drinking the mere sight of her in. He had took Hermione here once, and it had been there special place ever since.
"I love this quaint little spot," Cho said, looking around her. "It's charming."
"Isn't it?" Harry agreed.
"But, what do we need to do to get some service around here?" she snapped.
They had just gotten there, and already Cho was impatient. Harry raised his hand half-way in the air. Mina, Harry's favorite waitress rushed over. "Harry! By golly, I didn't see you there!"
Harry smiled at her. "Hello, Mina."
Mina stared at Cho. "But where's Hermione?"
"Oh, we broke up," Harry said.
"No!" Mina cried. She gave Cho another look. "You were so perfect together."
Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Mina, meet Cho. Cho, Mina."
Cho sneered at her, Mina sneered back.
"So what'll it be?" Mina asked.
"A garden salad with no, do you hear me, NO tomatoes." Cho snapped.
"Got it," Mina said. She turned to Harry. "Usual?"
Harry nodded.
Mina took out her wand and pointed it at Cho's plate. A salad appeared. She next pointed it at Harry's, and his usual--- an eight ounce steak and fries appeared. "Anything else?"
"Uhm, a Diet Coke would be nice." Cho said, ruffling her nose at Mina as though she were a cockroach.
Mina sneered at her and made a Diet Coke appear in front of Cho. "Harry?"
"Butterbeer," Harry said.
"Eww, you drink that stuff?" Cho asked him.
"Make it a Coke," Harry answered.
Mina gave him a sympathetic look and made a Coke appear in front of him. "If you need me, just yell."
"I don't believe this!" Cho growled. "There are TOMATOES in this salad!"
An hour later, after Cho had bitched out Mina and another salad later, they started their walk back to Hogsmeade.
"Why don't we take the broom?" Harry asked.
"No," Cho said, curling up against him as they walked. "Let's walk."
"Okay." Harry flung his broom against his shoulder and they began walking. All of the little shops in Hogsmeade were dimming their lights and getting ready to close.
"So," Cho said after awhile. "I had forgotten that you, the famous Harry Potter was even at Hogwarts."
"I never forgot about you," Harry said. "I've thought about you ever since I first saw you three years ago."
"Wow, Harry, that's so sweet," she said and kissed his cheek. There was a pause. "So what did you see in Hermione?"
"Who?" Harry asked, then felt a pang in his heart. "Do we have to talk about Hermione?"
"You're not over her, are you?" Cho demanded.
"Yes, yes I am!" Harry shouted. He wanted this aching in his chest to go away when he thought about Hermione. He wanted to shove her into the friend category, but she was refusing to be moved.
"Then why do you still hang around her?"
"She's my friend," Harry said.
"You want to be with me, don't you?"
Harry nodded.
"Then stop seeing her," Cho spat. "I don't want you hanging around her."
"You want me to stop seeing Hermione? That's impossible, we've been friends far too long,"
"I'm just worried about you. I don't trust her." Cho said.
"Then trust me," Harry said. "And believe me when I say it's over."
"I want to, but I can't!" Cho replied. "Please, for me?"
"Cho---"
Cho pressed her lips against his, and Harry forgot all about Hermione.
"Well?" she demanded when she pulled away.
"Well what?"
"Will you stop seeing her?"
Harry had never felt anything like the way Cho kissed him. He felt like he couldn't live without it. "Yes," he whispered.
"How'd the appointment go?" Ron asked Hermione when she returned late afternoon on Sunday.
Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes, and hurriedly blinked them away. "Alright,"
"How about Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asked.
"I can't," Hermione said. "I… have to see the doctor every weekend."
"Why?" Ron asked. "Hermione, are you okay?"
Hermione was silent a moment. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just having… girl problems."
Ron's face went green, and he just nodded.
"Where's Harry?"
Ron coughed. "Out… with…" his voice trailed off.
"Oh." Hermione's face fell. "See how much he cares,"
"Come on Herm, don't get sad," Ron said. "I'll do… I'll do an imitation of Professor Trelawney for ya!"
Hermione giggled.
"Hmm…" Ron said, circling her in Professor Trelawney's voice. "I've had a prediction!"
Hermione smiled. "Which is?"
"I'm a right old fraud! I saw myself saying that!"
Hermione laughed. Ron could always make her laugh. She gave him another hug. "What would I do without you?"
"Oh good Lord, I don't know!" Ron cried.
"Promise to always be my friend, no matter what happens?"
Ron was silent a moment. "Sure, Herm…" He remembered about the blood and his robes. "Hey, Herm?"
"Yeah?"
"The other day, you hugged me, and got blood on me. Were you bleeding?"
"I forgot!" Hermione screeched. "I have to meet Viktor!"
"But, it's Sunday!" he yelled after her.
Ron had a bad feeling. Hermione was hiding something from him.
