Chapter Seven: The Aftermath
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Kissing Ron wasn't like kissing Viktor. When Hermione kissed Viktor, it was always awkward, always a hesitant pressing of her lips against his. She didn't really know Viktor that well, they hadn't been dating all that long, and she was always uncomfortable when they kissed. But with Ron, the only hesitation she'd had was fleeting. This was Ron. She'd known him for–what felt like, anyway–forever. She didn't have to be awkward with him. He was her best friend.
Of course, that was the problem. Ron was her best friend. That was all. She was dating Viktor. She was supposed to be caring about Viktor. She was supposed to be kissing Viktor–even it was awkward.
But here she was, kissing Ron.
"Ahem," a deep feminine voice said, and Hermione pulled away from Ron. It was the fat lady who had spoken. Once aware that she had caught Hermione's attention, she pointed a plump finger over the bushy-haired girl's shoulder.
Hermione turned. Standing there, staring at his girlfriend and his girlfriend's best friend was Viktor Krum, his thick eyebrows raised and his mouth open in surprise. "Viktor..." Hermione said.
"Oh, no," muttered Ron, who had also turned around.
"So, this is how it is." Viktor frowned deeply. "You vant to be vith this...boy. Even though I haff von the contest."
Hermione's hand fluttered up to her cheek, and she said, "No." Ron looked up at her, surprised. "I mean, I...don't know. Viktor, don't," she said, as Viktor turned away sadly. "I really do care about you. And I don't want us to be over–"
Suddenly, Ron's voice said, "Oh, then please don't let me get in your way." Turning to Viktor, he added, "Don't blame Hermione. I kissed her. She's still a loyal girlfriend." With that, he stomped off into the common room with a quick whisper of, "Chocolate bats."
"Ron," Hermione called, but he was already through the entrance. Turning unhappily back to Viktor, she said, "I...I just..."
Viktor approached her calmly, and took her by the hands. "It is okay. You did not kiss him. He vant to kiss you, so he did, and you vere...surprised, and did not stop him. Yes? That is vhat happened?"
"I-I guess," said Hermione, suddenly very tired and very confused. "I mean..."
"Shhh," said Viktor, smiling at her. "It is okay." He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "You look...uh...sleepy. You should get some rest. Yes?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes."
With that, she went through the portrait hole and into the Girls' Dormitories. However, as she crossed the common room–which was being cleaned by Harry and Ginny–she couldn't help but look around for Ron. He wasn't there.
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As he lay in bed, Ron thought about the fact that half an hour ago, his biggest problem was that he was afraid of losing the stupid Battle of Dimwits contest. Now, he was in danger losing his best friend, whom he'd also just realized he had very strong feelings for. And she had completely shot him down.
Why had he kissed her? What had he been thinking? He knew she had a boyfriend. He knew she only thought of him as a friend. He knew all of those things, and yet he'd done it, he'd kissed Hermione.
It was strange to even think about it. He'd never entertained any sort of a romantic notion about Hermione before. Except, he realized, he had. Hadn't he been completely, totally jealous of Viktor Krum when he went to the Yule Ball with her? The excuse of Hermione betraying Harry now seemed so flimsy to him; obviously he had been the one feeling betrayed. And in Year Two, wasn't he completely devastated when Hermione was petrified?
He could even trace some of these feelings back to his first year. Had he really felt that way about her for so long?
Why? Why? Why? He wanted to kick himself for making such a horrible mistake. It could never work out, could it? It would ruin their friendship. With each other and with Harry. It was simply terrible.
What was he going to do? He had to convince Hermione that he was fine. That the kiss was...was a fluke. A crazy experiment. Anything. He couldn't lose her because of this.
Eventually, Ron heard Harry and Neville come into the dormitory. Harry was asking Neville if he was alright, and Neville was whimpering in return. Ron could only assume that the audience had, after Viktor and Ron's fight, decided to continue bothering Neville about his Spew/S. P. E. W. decision.
Ron had been angry, at first, at Neville. He still was, actually. But, at the moment, he had much bigger problems. Although he considered talking to Harry about it, he couldn't seem to work up the nerve. He instead formulated his own plan as to making Hermione understand about the kiss. All it required was for Harry, Neville, and the others to drift off to sleep.
Eventually, around one or two a.m., by Ron's guess, he heard the snores of the people in his dormitory. Quietly, he got out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and walked over to the foot of Harry's bed, in front of which stood Harry's trunk. He kneeled down and flipped the latch on the trunk. Still trying to be silent, he dug around inside of it, finally finding what he was looking for. Triumphantly, he removed the silvery invisibility cloak.
Slipping the cloak around him, Ron walked down the spiral stairs in the common room. He reached the foot of the stairs leading up to the Girls' Dormitories. Tentatively, he took a step. Another. Another. Suddenly–whoosh! The stairs had turned into a ramp, which he slid down, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, discouraged. He had been afraid something like that would happen. Luckily, he had a backup plan.
He climbed back up the stairs inaudibly, and leaned out the window, whistling under his breath. "Pig!" he called, trying to keep his voice down. Seamus stirred, but did not wake. "Pig!" Suddenly, Ron noticed a little ball of fluff flying towards him from the direction owlery. Pig landed on Ron's arm. Before the tiny owl had a chance to make a sound, Ron rushed back down the stairs, dropping the invisibility cloak back in Harry's trunk. For this plan, he did not need it.
"Well," Ron whispered to the owl. "You're not as stupid as I thought." Grabbing a spare bit of parchment, most likely left over from the contest, and a quill left on the ground, Ron scrawled a quick note: "Hermione. Come to the common room. We have to talk. Ron." After tying the note to the bird's foot, Ron took Pig over near the staircase leading to the Girls' Dormitories. "Pig, take this to Hermione. Her-my-o-nee. Okay." It gave a small hoot and flew up the stairs.
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"Hermione, are you still awake?" whispered Ginny nervously.
Hermione rolled over to face the younger girl and said, "Yes. Why?" Even though she had been utterly exhausted, Hermione couldn't fall asleep. She was too caught up in her own thoughts.
"I have to tell you something."
Hermione yawned and said, "Ginny. It's two o'clock in the morning. My brain is functioning particularly well. So, hopefully you're not depending on my advice."Ginny looked disappointed. "Well, if its important, I can make my mind work."
"Oh, good." Ginny took a deep breath. "I still like Harry."
"What?"
"I still like Harry. I don't want to. I thought I was over my childish crush on him, but working with him on this contest has–"
"Reignited buried feelings?"
Ginny nodded miserably.
"You can't help it if you like someone. No matter how much you try to fight it. Or how wrong or strange it might be. Or if you already have an adoring boyfriend."
"Are we still talking about me and Harry?"
Hermione smiled at her brightly. "Of course. Who else?"
Ginny shrugged, but there was a knowing look in her eyes.
"Feel better?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," responded Ginny, even though she really didn't. "I mean, I still have some th–" At that moment what looked like a ball of feathers flew into the room and landed–or, rather, collapsed–in Hermione's lap.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, surprised. "Oh. Pig. What are you doing?" Hermione spotted the note and quickly removed it. Reading over it quickly, she blushed, and then said, not looking Ginny in the eye, "I have to go downstairs."
"What?"
"I have to go to the common room. To, uh, meet Ron." Ginny said nothing as Hermione stood and pulled a robe on. However, if Hermione had gathered up the nerve to look at the red-haired girl, she would have noticed a particularly large and knowing grin on her face.
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After a few minutes, Ron heard a noise on the stairs, and Hermione emerged. Her hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and she wore a fuzzy pink robe. He noticed, with concern, that she also looked exhausted.
"Hi," she said meekly when she spotted him.
"Hello."
"I believe this is yours," she said, handing him Pig, whom she had been forced to hold on to in order to keep him from disturbing the other--sleeping--girls.
He muttered, "Stupid owl."
"So..."
Ron began, "Hermione, about...what happened. In the corridor. When I...you know." He couldn't even say it. "Well, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about it. I know you're with Krum. But, you should know, I didn't do it because I fancy you, or anything."
"Well," said Hermione, unable to help herself, "then why did you do it?"
Ron didn't have an answer for that. All he could do was shrug.
"Oh. Okay. Well, if you don't...have feelings for me, like that, then we can just pretend the whole thing never happened," suggested Hermione.
"Yes. Exactly," said Ron.
Hermione sighed. "Except..."
"Except...what?"
"Except, Ron, I don't want to. I don't want to forget that we...kissed." Ron looked surprised. "I liked kissing you. I mean, I like you. A lot." Hermione leaned in.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Pulling back, Hermione said, "Ron, for once, just shut up."
She kissed him.
He shut up.
Once again, their kiss was interrupted, this time by a young voice, saying, "Hermione...Ron..." Hermione and Ron jumped apart, and saw Ginny, looking very embarrassed. Ron's ears tinged pink. "Sorry. I just was going to tell you..."
Ginny had come down out of curiosity as to what Hermione and Ron were doing. When she saw the two kissing, she had planned on going straight back upstairs. But then she had caught sight of a dark figure across the common room, watching from the corner. From what she could tell, he was tall, with a once-broken nose, and was slightly duck-footed. The description only fit one person she knew.
"Viktor is right there." She gestured over to the corner.
Hermione turned, wondering how this could have happened twice in one night. Indeed, it was Viktor, and he now walked over to her. He didn't look angry; he looked calmly cheerless.
"Viktor," she said, hoping to explain.
"No. I thought you vanted to be vith me."
She said, "I...don't know..."
"You do not know?" Viktor said, as Ron demanded, "Don't know?"
Ginny said, bright red at this point, "Maybe I should just go." No one answered her, so she walked back to the stairs. Unable to quench her curiosity, she remained on the stairs, watching.
"I'm sorry," Hermione tried.
Viktor said, "I vant to know–him or me."
"Yes," said Ron. "We're sick of this. Choose now. Do you want to be with him, or do you want to be with me?"
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A/N: Okay, this chapter is less of a comedy. Next chapter is the last chapter (as far as I know)...Hermione makes her decision. Please review.