Disclaimer- not mine!!!
A/N- Every time in this chapter- and those following it- that you see the word *Vicky* in Ron's PoV, imagine it being said as if Ron is spitting out the word like he hates it. Which he does.
Ron's PoV
Chapter 10- They'd *better* hold me back!
By lunchtime I was feeling slightly sick. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't make it any easier. Just the thought of holding a civilised conversation with that *scum* made me feel ill.
I had been avoiding Hermione all day, which was making me feel worse- you know, guilty. She hadn't done anything wrong, after all. But I was afraid if I spoke to her the truth would slip out, and then, well, things would be bad. I think Harry was feeling the same way, because he'd been avoiding her as well. I made a mental note to apologise to her once the truth was out.
Anyway, there was no escaping it- I had to speak to him this lunchtime. We had to study with Hermione for Herbology in the library, and we couldn't go round ignoring her for much longer. It wasn't fair.
At half one on the dot, Harry and me went into the library to meet Hermione. She wasn't there, which surprised me a bit- Hermione was never late. Anyway, I saw my cousins sitting by the window and as we walked over to join them I realised something and Hermione being late was totally driven from my mind.
We sat down, and I wasted no time in sharing my revelation. "You knew, didn't you?" I said to them. All three of them looked at me as if I was mad, and it was obvious they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I looked around to make sure that no one was listening and lowered my voice. "You knew that Viktor had another girlfriend."
They were shocked, I'm telling you. It was obvious by the looks on their faces that they hadn't expected me to find out. What Boris said next confirmed this suspicion. "How did you find out?" He asked, looking a bit paler than usual. I sat back, resisting the urge to knock their heads together. Why hadn't they told me?
I told them about the night before at the Quidditch pitch, and they all looked properly guilty, but when I asked them why hadn't they told me about it, they said that they were worried I'd overreact.
"Overreact?!" I practically yelled, forgetting I was in a library and meant to be keeping my voice down. I shot Madam Pince an apologetic look and leant forward. My cousins all sat back as far as they could.
"This is my best friend we're talking about here, it's not a question about how I'm going to *react*." I hissed. "You should have told me."
"Sorry Ron." They said in unison. I would have found it funny if I wasn't so angry, and if Harry wasn't pulling on my arm, trying to get me to look at the door. I looked, and saw that Hermione and *Vicky* had just came in. My fists clenched.
"Ron, don't do anything stupid." Greg said warningly. I turned to look at him- he looked ready to jump up and hold me back at a moment's notice. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to." I told him. "I'm going to talk to him, and get him to tell Hermione."
My cousins looked shocked for a moment, but Myra snapped out of it pretty quickly. "Come on." She said to Boris and Greg, standing up. She took them both by their arms and dragged them off to the other end of the library, out of sight.
"Hi you two."
Hermione had arrived, a huge book bag and *Vicky* in tow. The sick feeling in my stomach got worse. She put the bag down and smiled.
"Hi Herm."
"Hi Herm."
"Hello Harry, Ron." *Vicky* said. How me and Harry managed to say hi back is beyond me, but we did, and Hermione sat down and pulled out a huge book on fungus. Such a *fascinating* subject. There was a bit of a silence, and then *Vicky* said; "I am going to go and get a book," and slouched off.
Hermione opened her book and started reading, oblivious to the nods Harry was giving me, urging me to go and speak to *Vicky*. I swallowed hard and walked off after him.
*Vicky* was behind a bookcase near the back of the library, in clear view of our table. There were a couple of seventh-year Hufflepuffs sitting a little apart from him, but no one else. Apart from Boris, Greg and Myra, that is, who were now hiding behind the bookcase next to *Vicky's*, peering through the books at him and watching me walk over. Wow, really subtle guys.
*Vicky* looked up and saw me as I drew near, and looked plain confused. Then he did his pathetic half-smile thing. "Hello Ron." He said, pulling out a book to look at the front cover. He pulled a face and put it back. I stopped next to him, trying to think what to say.
I was going over my rehearsed speech in my mind. I knew it wasn't going to work that way- no way- it was far too calm and collected for me. Even I knew that. But I decided it was as good a starting point as any other. So I took a deep breath and started;
"Well, Vick-um, tor, here's the thing." I said, sounding as articulate as usual. "I know about your other girlfriend."
Now, I'd been expecting some kind of reaction to this. Fear, maybe, because he'd been caught out. Guilt, definitely, for the same reason. Panic? You know, maybe begging me not to tell Hermione? *Something*, anyway, so I was totally stumped by his reaction. Or lack thereof.
He just stood there, as if he hadn't heard me, looking down at a book in his hands. I knew he heard me though, because he did stiffen slightly when I spoke, and I noticed that his ears had gone a bit red. For some reason this annoyed me. A lot. That was my thing! He'd stolen my ears! Who the hell did he think he was?
Anyway, there was a silence, which I broke a couple of seconds later. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?" I demanded. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my cousins listening closely and Boris miming what was happening to Harry with a wide mouth and exaggerated arm movements.
I turned back to *Vicky* in time to see him shrug as he put the book back on the shelf. I forced myself to breath, and to try and keep calm. Well, to *try* anyway. "Well?" I repeated through gritted teeth.
*Vicky* finally looked up at me, but there was no expression on his face. It was, well, indifferent. Can you believe that? Anyway, then he said- without a change in his tone of voice I might add- "Hermione does not know, does she?"
I looked at him for a moment in shock. I shook my head and *Vicky* looked back at the bookcase. I stared. This was not how it was meant to be going. At all.
"Vell then. No harm done." He said, picking up another book and examining it. My mind was in a whirl. No harm d- NO HARM BLOODY WELL DONE??? He was off his rocker- that was for damn sure.
"How did you find out?" He asked calmly, as if we were talking about Quidditch. I was so surprised that he was saying something like this to me after what I'd just said that I was shocked into answering. "I heard you talking to your friend last night at the Quidditch pitch." I told him. He looked at me in surprise. "You can speak Bulgarian?" He said in Bulgarian.
I wanted to ignore him and get back to the matter at hand, so I reverted back to the speech. "If you don't tell her, I will." I said firmly and in English. Now, if the first thing didn't get a reaction, I knew this would. And it did- sort of.
*Vicky* looked up at me, that stupid half-smile back in place as he slid the book back onto the shelf. "Is that supposed to vorry me?" He asked contemptuously. (I've never used that word before, but it works here for the look on his smarmy face.)
"Yes, it is supposed to *vorry* you." I said, barely holding myself back. I had to keep reminding myself that Hermione was in the room, and wouldn't understand if I suddenly launched myself at him. "She'll drop you so fast that you'll-"
I stopped mid-sentence because I heard *Vicky* say something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "he has no idea".
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked slowly, my voice trembling by now I was so angry. I could see my cousins edging nearer, and Boris signalling what looked like a warning to Harry. I focused back on *Vicky*.
He was looking down at the books on a lower shelf, avoiding my eyes. Some might think this was because he was too ashamed to look at me or whatever, but I knew by the way he was still smiling that that wasn't the reason.
"Vhy vould she believe you?" He said suddenly.
First, I thought I hadn't heard him right. He had to be kidding? Why wouldn't she believe me? I'm her best friend! He was bonkers. But I knew I'd heard right, and so I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to say something. What, I wasn't sure. But something. Anyway, he saw I was going to speak and so said something instead. A very, very stupid something.
"Think about it Ron. Who is she going to trust? Her boyfriend, who she respects and looks up to, or, vell, you." He looked up at me to give a sneering smirk.
Well, sod the fact that Hermione was in the room, and we were in a library. I forgot the staying calm idea. He was not going to get away with that! An odd ringing in my ears, I went for him.
I'd barely gone a step before they were behind me, holding me back. I reached out with my right hand, swinging a punch, and grazed the front of his robes before Greg grabbed my arm and pulled that back as well.
"Get off!" I yelled at my cousins, struggling to get free. But they held onto to me tight, so I couldn't move an inch forward. Not from lack of trying though. I twisted and turned, trying to break free, but they held on.
"Mr Weasley! Control yourself!" I barely heard Madam Pince yell at me, I was still trying to get at *Vicky* and yelling at my cousins at the same time. Boris was saying things like "Ron, this isn't the way to do this" in my ear, and Myra was saying "Ron, stop!" over and over again. Then Harry was there, telling me to calm down, but I didn't listen.
I kept my eyes glued on *Vicky*. When I first went at him he looked pretty surprised, and his face quickly turned to shock. He was now staring at me as if I was mad, and actually looked pretty frightened and unsure of what to do. Before I had time to figure out what he was doing, another voice joined in.
"Ron? What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Hermione hissed. Her voice was pretty low volume-wise, but I heard it, nonetheless. After living with my mother, I'd grown used to paying attention to that kind of anger. And it was there. I looked at her, staring at me, her eyes flashing and, well, generally looking angry enough to slap me round the face.
She looked round at *Vicky*, who chose this moment to gulp and take a step back. I realised what he was doing and renewed my struggle to get free so I could punch his filthy lights out.
"Are you OK Viktor?" Hermione asked worriedly. He nodded, still staring at me. "Vot is he, is he, um-" He stammered, swallowing. 'He'll be swallowing a book in a minute', I thought as I wrenched my arm free from Greg. Harry grabbed me before I could do anything, but Hermione saw. She turned back to me, looking absolutely livid.
"Ron!" She said, her voice matching her face as she stepped in front of *Vicky*. She was *protecting* him. I stopped struggling, knowing I couldn't do anything while she was standing there in front of him. I glanced at *Vicky* who was looking incredibly smug behind Hermione's back, and was even nice enough to wink at me. No one else saw- they were all staring at Hermione.
I'd never seen her this angry- not even when she slapped Draco Malfoy. But I was every inch as angry as she could possibly be, if not more so.
Hermione was breathing hard, staring straight at me. "Apologise to him. Right. Now." She said slowly and clearly.
I looked at her for quite a while, not sure what to say. I didn't look at *Vicky*, knowing what he'd be looking like (Snape when he gives Harry detention). I glanced at Harry, who was looking at me, his face plainly saying 'what now'?
I didn't say anything, in the end. I shook off my cousins and Harry, who had loosened up slightly when I stopped struggling, shook my head slightly at Hermione in disbelief, and left.
I didn't look back. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop myself reaching for wand, and they'd *better* hold me back if I did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter-
Blimey, looks like Vicky said something there to make Ron, hey- where's he going? Well, I suppose that's better than jumping him, hey- where's Hermione going? Oh no, she's going after him- well I suppose they need to sort it out but, well, they're too angry. I know them, they'll, er, *excuse me*? What do you think you're smirking at you retard? Stupid Viktor- bet he doesn't realise I turned the back of his hair green for a good few hours.
Dear Dairy, Lisa just gave me the best idea for Mum's birthday! Can't say much now, Fred's coming over, and he always tries to steal you. Love Ginny xxx
More deep, dark, sarcastic thoughts:
Prick.
Dear Dairy, Fred is such a prick. Love Ginny xxx
And so it begins!!! **sparkleygem rubs her hands together delightedly, cackling evilly** Hehehe, and you don't know what happens in the next chapter! I do! Um, yeah, well, obviously- you don't care anyway, do you? Do you? You don't- I knew it!!!!!
Sorry- my alter-ego Ghwyma took over for a moment there. Please review!
Hermione turns on Ron who just walks off.
A/N- Every time in this chapter- and those following it- that you see the word *Vicky* in Ron's PoV, imagine it being said as if Ron is spitting out the word like he hates it. Which he does.
Ron's PoV
Chapter 10- They'd *better* hold me back!
By lunchtime I was feeling slightly sick. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't make it any easier. Just the thought of holding a civilised conversation with that *scum* made me feel ill.
I had been avoiding Hermione all day, which was making me feel worse- you know, guilty. She hadn't done anything wrong, after all. But I was afraid if I spoke to her the truth would slip out, and then, well, things would be bad. I think Harry was feeling the same way, because he'd been avoiding her as well. I made a mental note to apologise to her once the truth was out.
Anyway, there was no escaping it- I had to speak to him this lunchtime. We had to study with Hermione for Herbology in the library, and we couldn't go round ignoring her for much longer. It wasn't fair.
At half one on the dot, Harry and me went into the library to meet Hermione. She wasn't there, which surprised me a bit- Hermione was never late. Anyway, I saw my cousins sitting by the window and as we walked over to join them I realised something and Hermione being late was totally driven from my mind.
We sat down, and I wasted no time in sharing my revelation. "You knew, didn't you?" I said to them. All three of them looked at me as if I was mad, and it was obvious they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I looked around to make sure that no one was listening and lowered my voice. "You knew that Viktor had another girlfriend."
They were shocked, I'm telling you. It was obvious by the looks on their faces that they hadn't expected me to find out. What Boris said next confirmed this suspicion. "How did you find out?" He asked, looking a bit paler than usual. I sat back, resisting the urge to knock their heads together. Why hadn't they told me?
I told them about the night before at the Quidditch pitch, and they all looked properly guilty, but when I asked them why hadn't they told me about it, they said that they were worried I'd overreact.
"Overreact?!" I practically yelled, forgetting I was in a library and meant to be keeping my voice down. I shot Madam Pince an apologetic look and leant forward. My cousins all sat back as far as they could.
"This is my best friend we're talking about here, it's not a question about how I'm going to *react*." I hissed. "You should have told me."
"Sorry Ron." They said in unison. I would have found it funny if I wasn't so angry, and if Harry wasn't pulling on my arm, trying to get me to look at the door. I looked, and saw that Hermione and *Vicky* had just came in. My fists clenched.
"Ron, don't do anything stupid." Greg said warningly. I turned to look at him- he looked ready to jump up and hold me back at a moment's notice. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to." I told him. "I'm going to talk to him, and get him to tell Hermione."
My cousins looked shocked for a moment, but Myra snapped out of it pretty quickly. "Come on." She said to Boris and Greg, standing up. She took them both by their arms and dragged them off to the other end of the library, out of sight.
"Hi you two."
Hermione had arrived, a huge book bag and *Vicky* in tow. The sick feeling in my stomach got worse. She put the bag down and smiled.
"Hi Herm."
"Hi Herm."
"Hello Harry, Ron." *Vicky* said. How me and Harry managed to say hi back is beyond me, but we did, and Hermione sat down and pulled out a huge book on fungus. Such a *fascinating* subject. There was a bit of a silence, and then *Vicky* said; "I am going to go and get a book," and slouched off.
Hermione opened her book and started reading, oblivious to the nods Harry was giving me, urging me to go and speak to *Vicky*. I swallowed hard and walked off after him.
*Vicky* was behind a bookcase near the back of the library, in clear view of our table. There were a couple of seventh-year Hufflepuffs sitting a little apart from him, but no one else. Apart from Boris, Greg and Myra, that is, who were now hiding behind the bookcase next to *Vicky's*, peering through the books at him and watching me walk over. Wow, really subtle guys.
*Vicky* looked up and saw me as I drew near, and looked plain confused. Then he did his pathetic half-smile thing. "Hello Ron." He said, pulling out a book to look at the front cover. He pulled a face and put it back. I stopped next to him, trying to think what to say.
I was going over my rehearsed speech in my mind. I knew it wasn't going to work that way- no way- it was far too calm and collected for me. Even I knew that. But I decided it was as good a starting point as any other. So I took a deep breath and started;
"Well, Vick-um, tor, here's the thing." I said, sounding as articulate as usual. "I know about your other girlfriend."
Now, I'd been expecting some kind of reaction to this. Fear, maybe, because he'd been caught out. Guilt, definitely, for the same reason. Panic? You know, maybe begging me not to tell Hermione? *Something*, anyway, so I was totally stumped by his reaction. Or lack thereof.
He just stood there, as if he hadn't heard me, looking down at a book in his hands. I knew he heard me though, because he did stiffen slightly when I spoke, and I noticed that his ears had gone a bit red. For some reason this annoyed me. A lot. That was my thing! He'd stolen my ears! Who the hell did he think he was?
Anyway, there was a silence, which I broke a couple of seconds later. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?" I demanded. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my cousins listening closely and Boris miming what was happening to Harry with a wide mouth and exaggerated arm movements.
I turned back to *Vicky* in time to see him shrug as he put the book back on the shelf. I forced myself to breath, and to try and keep calm. Well, to *try* anyway. "Well?" I repeated through gritted teeth.
*Vicky* finally looked up at me, but there was no expression on his face. It was, well, indifferent. Can you believe that? Anyway, then he said- without a change in his tone of voice I might add- "Hermione does not know, does she?"
I looked at him for a moment in shock. I shook my head and *Vicky* looked back at the bookcase. I stared. This was not how it was meant to be going. At all.
"Vell then. No harm done." He said, picking up another book and examining it. My mind was in a whirl. No harm d- NO HARM BLOODY WELL DONE??? He was off his rocker- that was for damn sure.
"How did you find out?" He asked calmly, as if we were talking about Quidditch. I was so surprised that he was saying something like this to me after what I'd just said that I was shocked into answering. "I heard you talking to your friend last night at the Quidditch pitch." I told him. He looked at me in surprise. "You can speak Bulgarian?" He said in Bulgarian.
I wanted to ignore him and get back to the matter at hand, so I reverted back to the speech. "If you don't tell her, I will." I said firmly and in English. Now, if the first thing didn't get a reaction, I knew this would. And it did- sort of.
*Vicky* looked up at me, that stupid half-smile back in place as he slid the book back onto the shelf. "Is that supposed to vorry me?" He asked contemptuously. (I've never used that word before, but it works here for the look on his smarmy face.)
"Yes, it is supposed to *vorry* you." I said, barely holding myself back. I had to keep reminding myself that Hermione was in the room, and wouldn't understand if I suddenly launched myself at him. "She'll drop you so fast that you'll-"
I stopped mid-sentence because I heard *Vicky* say something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "he has no idea".
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked slowly, my voice trembling by now I was so angry. I could see my cousins edging nearer, and Boris signalling what looked like a warning to Harry. I focused back on *Vicky*.
He was looking down at the books on a lower shelf, avoiding my eyes. Some might think this was because he was too ashamed to look at me or whatever, but I knew by the way he was still smiling that that wasn't the reason.
"Vhy vould she believe you?" He said suddenly.
First, I thought I hadn't heard him right. He had to be kidding? Why wouldn't she believe me? I'm her best friend! He was bonkers. But I knew I'd heard right, and so I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to say something. What, I wasn't sure. But something. Anyway, he saw I was going to speak and so said something instead. A very, very stupid something.
"Think about it Ron. Who is she going to trust? Her boyfriend, who she respects and looks up to, or, vell, you." He looked up at me to give a sneering smirk.
Well, sod the fact that Hermione was in the room, and we were in a library. I forgot the staying calm idea. He was not going to get away with that! An odd ringing in my ears, I went for him.
I'd barely gone a step before they were behind me, holding me back. I reached out with my right hand, swinging a punch, and grazed the front of his robes before Greg grabbed my arm and pulled that back as well.
"Get off!" I yelled at my cousins, struggling to get free. But they held onto to me tight, so I couldn't move an inch forward. Not from lack of trying though. I twisted and turned, trying to break free, but they held on.
"Mr Weasley! Control yourself!" I barely heard Madam Pince yell at me, I was still trying to get at *Vicky* and yelling at my cousins at the same time. Boris was saying things like "Ron, this isn't the way to do this" in my ear, and Myra was saying "Ron, stop!" over and over again. Then Harry was there, telling me to calm down, but I didn't listen.
I kept my eyes glued on *Vicky*. When I first went at him he looked pretty surprised, and his face quickly turned to shock. He was now staring at me as if I was mad, and actually looked pretty frightened and unsure of what to do. Before I had time to figure out what he was doing, another voice joined in.
"Ron? What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Hermione hissed. Her voice was pretty low volume-wise, but I heard it, nonetheless. After living with my mother, I'd grown used to paying attention to that kind of anger. And it was there. I looked at her, staring at me, her eyes flashing and, well, generally looking angry enough to slap me round the face.
She looked round at *Vicky*, who chose this moment to gulp and take a step back. I realised what he was doing and renewed my struggle to get free so I could punch his filthy lights out.
"Are you OK Viktor?" Hermione asked worriedly. He nodded, still staring at me. "Vot is he, is he, um-" He stammered, swallowing. 'He'll be swallowing a book in a minute', I thought as I wrenched my arm free from Greg. Harry grabbed me before I could do anything, but Hermione saw. She turned back to me, looking absolutely livid.
"Ron!" She said, her voice matching her face as she stepped in front of *Vicky*. She was *protecting* him. I stopped struggling, knowing I couldn't do anything while she was standing there in front of him. I glanced at *Vicky* who was looking incredibly smug behind Hermione's back, and was even nice enough to wink at me. No one else saw- they were all staring at Hermione.
I'd never seen her this angry- not even when she slapped Draco Malfoy. But I was every inch as angry as she could possibly be, if not more so.
Hermione was breathing hard, staring straight at me. "Apologise to him. Right. Now." She said slowly and clearly.
I looked at her for quite a while, not sure what to say. I didn't look at *Vicky*, knowing what he'd be looking like (Snape when he gives Harry detention). I glanced at Harry, who was looking at me, his face plainly saying 'what now'?
I didn't say anything, in the end. I shook off my cousins and Harry, who had loosened up slightly when I stopped struggling, shook my head slightly at Hermione in disbelief, and left.
I didn't look back. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop myself reaching for wand, and they'd *better* hold me back if I did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter-
Blimey, looks like Vicky said something there to make Ron, hey- where's he going? Well, I suppose that's better than jumping him, hey- where's Hermione going? Oh no, she's going after him- well I suppose they need to sort it out but, well, they're too angry. I know them, they'll, er, *excuse me*? What do you think you're smirking at you retard? Stupid Viktor- bet he doesn't realise I turned the back of his hair green for a good few hours.
Dear Dairy, Lisa just gave me the best idea for Mum's birthday! Can't say much now, Fred's coming over, and he always tries to steal you. Love Ginny xxx
More deep, dark, sarcastic thoughts:
Prick.
Dear Dairy, Fred is such a prick. Love Ginny xxx
And so it begins!!! **sparkleygem rubs her hands together delightedly, cackling evilly** Hehehe, and you don't know what happens in the next chapter! I do! Um, yeah, well, obviously- you don't care anyway, do you? Do you? You don't- I knew it!!!!!
Sorry- my alter-ego Ghwyma took over for a moment there. Please review!
Hermione turns on Ron who just walks off.
