Hermione's PoV
Chapter thirteen- Not very 'laffable'.
I was so angry by the end of the day that I could barely see straight. First Ron attacking Viktor for absolutely no reason in the library, then that barefaced, no-good, uh! I can't even think about what he said! And then Harry in Transfiguration. He didn't have to say much for me to know that he was going to try and make me forgive Ron. Yeah right! Harry always tries to reconcile things when Ron and I fight, and usually I feel sorry for him, but not today! Harry can't expect me to forgive Ron after what he did, he really can't.
I had really expected Harry to be on my side about it actually- to *understand* why I was so mad. I should have known better really. Boys. They're so dense. And they always gang up together, even subconsciously.
Well, I knew one boy who was different, and I was on my way to find him that very minute. Viktor would help me calm down- he'd make me feel better. I never, *ever* fought with Viktor.
I got to the broom shed, and sure enough, Viktor was there, polishing his broom. It was custom-made Nimbus, made especially for him by the Bulgarian Quidditch team. He was alone, thank goodness. I don't know if I'd have been able to wait until all his friends left to talk to him. I *really* wanted to talk to him. He was such a good listener.
He looked up as I entered, but didn't smile straight away. First he looked over my shoulder, then at his broom, then the floor, and then back at me. He sat there looking at me, as if trying to work out what I was thinking. I was actually thinking he'd gone mad, but he didn't need to know that. I managed a weak smile, and suddenly he smiled back, looking like he'd overcome his temporary insanity at last.
"Hermowninny." He said, putting his broom to one side and standing up. He looked at me again and, frowning with a look of concern, said "Vot is wrong?"
I looked at him, wondering how much to tell him, and whether I should tell him *anything* until it finally became too much and I kicked the doorpost in frustration. "I am so ANGRY!" I cried, ignoring the sudden pain in my foot.
Viktor, looking shocked, took half a step back. He eyed me warily. "Um-" He said. I cut him off, feeling guilty for alarming him. "Not at you." I told him. Looking relieved, he took a step forward, his head bent at an angle. "Vhy, then? Vhy is my Hermowninny angry?" He asked.
I smiled a bit at the endearment, and then remembered what Ron had said about Viktor mispronouncing my name on purpose, and got angry again. "It was something Ron said," I said fiercely, "you know when I went after him after what happened in the library- are you alright, by the way?" I asked, my voice turning to one of concern.
Viktor looked at the floor and nodded silently, so calm and gentlemen-like that I felt even angrier with Ron. What was his problem?
"Well, I went after him and he said, he said," I faltered, wondering whether or not to tell him after all. It was a bit strange after all and kind of between Ron and me, so-
Angry with myself for thinking I was doing something wrong in telling Viktor, I stood up straight and said, "he told me you were cheating on me. Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Viktor grinned, and I stepped back in shock. Why was he smiling like that? He seemed to notice I was a *tad* unnerved, because he straightened his face and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Hem-own-ninny." He said. "It's just- vell, the very idea is, is, laffable."
"Yes." I snapped. "But I don't feel much like laughing."
I felt guilty immediately. I was still feeling angry, but there was no need to take it out on Viktor. After all, he was probably more of a victim than me in this mess.
"I'm sorry Viktor." I said contritely. "I'm so angry."
Viktor pulled me into a hug. "I know, it's OK Herm-own-ninny." He said, smoothing down my hair. I let him hug me, but I can't say I hugged him back. Even though I was now outwardly calm, inside I was seething, and I was afraid I was going to hit something if I moved my arms.
"Viktor?"
I jumped and spun around. Ivan and another of Viktor's team-mates were standing in the doorway, looking at Viktor expectantly. Viktor looked down at me. "Sorry Herm-own-ninny." He said with a smile. "But ve haff practise. You come?"
Oh, yeah. Just what I need. An hour in the freezing cold watching you fly round and ignore me. I gave my subconscious a swift and hard mental kick. He was being *nice* for crying out loud! Who was I to bad-think him? But my treacherous subconscious did have a fair point.
"No Viktor." I said, smiling back. "That's OK. I'm going to go upstairs and get started on my homework." I stepped out of the broom shed into the freezing evening. It was starting to snow.
I waved goodbye as Viktor headed off to the Quidditch pitch, laughing at something with Ivan and the other guy. Feeling somehow even worse at the sound of that laughter and wondering what was so funny, I started back up to the school.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Diary, Natalie remembered, which means now I can't afford that present. So, back to the drawing board, and her birthday's on Saturday! There's Ron again. He still looks just as angry as before and he's- no way. Well, wonders will never cease. It's seven o'clock and he's gone to bed! He must be coming back down- it's not natural. Love Ginny.
The deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter:
OK, I'm sitting here all by myself, and it's only seven. That's fine. I'm not bothered. Just leave me like a loner. Go on! Fine.
Chapter thirteen- Not very 'laffable'.
I was so angry by the end of the day that I could barely see straight. First Ron attacking Viktor for absolutely no reason in the library, then that barefaced, no-good, uh! I can't even think about what he said! And then Harry in Transfiguration. He didn't have to say much for me to know that he was going to try and make me forgive Ron. Yeah right! Harry always tries to reconcile things when Ron and I fight, and usually I feel sorry for him, but not today! Harry can't expect me to forgive Ron after what he did, he really can't.
I had really expected Harry to be on my side about it actually- to *understand* why I was so mad. I should have known better really. Boys. They're so dense. And they always gang up together, even subconsciously.
Well, I knew one boy who was different, and I was on my way to find him that very minute. Viktor would help me calm down- he'd make me feel better. I never, *ever* fought with Viktor.
I got to the broom shed, and sure enough, Viktor was there, polishing his broom. It was custom-made Nimbus, made especially for him by the Bulgarian Quidditch team. He was alone, thank goodness. I don't know if I'd have been able to wait until all his friends left to talk to him. I *really* wanted to talk to him. He was such a good listener.
He looked up as I entered, but didn't smile straight away. First he looked over my shoulder, then at his broom, then the floor, and then back at me. He sat there looking at me, as if trying to work out what I was thinking. I was actually thinking he'd gone mad, but he didn't need to know that. I managed a weak smile, and suddenly he smiled back, looking like he'd overcome his temporary insanity at last.
"Hermowninny." He said, putting his broom to one side and standing up. He looked at me again and, frowning with a look of concern, said "Vot is wrong?"
I looked at him, wondering how much to tell him, and whether I should tell him *anything* until it finally became too much and I kicked the doorpost in frustration. "I am so ANGRY!" I cried, ignoring the sudden pain in my foot.
Viktor, looking shocked, took half a step back. He eyed me warily. "Um-" He said. I cut him off, feeling guilty for alarming him. "Not at you." I told him. Looking relieved, he took a step forward, his head bent at an angle. "Vhy, then? Vhy is my Hermowninny angry?" He asked.
I smiled a bit at the endearment, and then remembered what Ron had said about Viktor mispronouncing my name on purpose, and got angry again. "It was something Ron said," I said fiercely, "you know when I went after him after what happened in the library- are you alright, by the way?" I asked, my voice turning to one of concern.
Viktor looked at the floor and nodded silently, so calm and gentlemen-like that I felt even angrier with Ron. What was his problem?
"Well, I went after him and he said, he said," I faltered, wondering whether or not to tell him after all. It was a bit strange after all and kind of between Ron and me, so-
Angry with myself for thinking I was doing something wrong in telling Viktor, I stood up straight and said, "he told me you were cheating on me. Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Viktor grinned, and I stepped back in shock. Why was he smiling like that? He seemed to notice I was a *tad* unnerved, because he straightened his face and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Hem-own-ninny." He said. "It's just- vell, the very idea is, is, laffable."
"Yes." I snapped. "But I don't feel much like laughing."
I felt guilty immediately. I was still feeling angry, but there was no need to take it out on Viktor. After all, he was probably more of a victim than me in this mess.
"I'm sorry Viktor." I said contritely. "I'm so angry."
Viktor pulled me into a hug. "I know, it's OK Herm-own-ninny." He said, smoothing down my hair. I let him hug me, but I can't say I hugged him back. Even though I was now outwardly calm, inside I was seething, and I was afraid I was going to hit something if I moved my arms.
"Viktor?"
I jumped and spun around. Ivan and another of Viktor's team-mates were standing in the doorway, looking at Viktor expectantly. Viktor looked down at me. "Sorry Herm-own-ninny." He said with a smile. "But ve haff practise. You come?"
Oh, yeah. Just what I need. An hour in the freezing cold watching you fly round and ignore me. I gave my subconscious a swift and hard mental kick. He was being *nice* for crying out loud! Who was I to bad-think him? But my treacherous subconscious did have a fair point.
"No Viktor." I said, smiling back. "That's OK. I'm going to go upstairs and get started on my homework." I stepped out of the broom shed into the freezing evening. It was starting to snow.
I waved goodbye as Viktor headed off to the Quidditch pitch, laughing at something with Ivan and the other guy. Feeling somehow even worse at the sound of that laughter and wondering what was so funny, I started back up to the school.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Diary, Natalie remembered, which means now I can't afford that present. So, back to the drawing board, and her birthday's on Saturday! There's Ron again. He still looks just as angry as before and he's- no way. Well, wonders will never cease. It's seven o'clock and he's gone to bed! He must be coming back down- it's not natural. Love Ginny.
The deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter:
OK, I'm sitting here all by myself, and it's only seven. That's fine. I'm not bothered. Just leave me like a loner. Go on! Fine.
