The students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry always
chose the seats the farthest away from the door of the Three Broomsticks.
Perhaps the seats at the back were more comfortable, maybe they preferred
the dark dim corners, but the more probable reason would be that it was the
only place that was out of ear shot of the teachers who usually sat around
the bar counter. By the time that Hermione arrived at the Hogshead, all of
the dim corner tables at the back were gone. She let out a sigh and took a
seat near the front. She reached her hand up into her curly hair while she
looked around nervously for Viktor. Her stomach clenched every time the
bells that hung from the door rang. She had a bad feeling about this
meeting with Viktor. Ever since she had left the table at breakfast she'd
been rethinking what Viktor had written in his letter. Had he ever been
absent minded before? She could remember times that he'd been busy with
Quidditch finals and yet he'd still found the time to write a few words to
her. She felt her stomach tie into a knot yet again as the bells of the
door rang. He had arrived.
Although it hadn't been that long since she'd last seen him, he was different. He still stood as tall as ever, with his dark thick eyebrows knit in concentration as she watched him search for her. She felt his deep eyes fall on her after a few second. Normally this sensation made her feel warm, but she felt very uncomfortable. She stood quickly, banging her knees on the table, anticipating his embrace. She was so afraid that it would be different as well. When he reached her she felt his eyes rake over her before he wrapped his arms around her.
"Herm-ioh-ninny," he whispered into her ear pulling her closer.
She smiled at the sound of his accent whispering her miss-pronounced name.
He finally pulled away but held onto her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes. They were so intense. Hermione closed her eyes as he leaned forward and crushed her mouth with his own lips. The kiss was quick and distant. When their lips parted, Hermione heard herself sigh. She had missed his kiss. He sat down across from her.
"So how have you been?" she asked casually.
"Good...busy," he responded reaching up into his dark hair and glancing towards the door. He turned towards her, and smiled sadly, "I am sorry I never zent you zee letter, I vas sure dat I had."
"It's alright," Hermione told him quietly.
She felt the familiar clench of her stomach as the bells hanging on the door rang yet again. She looked to the door and watched in horror and Ron and Padma made their way towards the last table at the front of the pub. It was but feet from Hermione's and Viktor's.
"Vat about you? Has Ronald and Harry been taking care of you?"
Hermione had heard this comment before, but this was different, this time the jealousness was gone.
"Yes, well you know Harry hasn't been too happy lately, but I think he fancies Ginny right now anyways. Why just this morning I caught him staring at her..." Hermione smiled.
"And zis...does not upset you?" Viktor asked looking almost disappointed.
"Upset me?" Hermione asked incredulously, "Oh Viktor, you know I don't have feeling for Harry. Of course it doesn't upset me. In fact I am glad. I think that Ginny and Harry need each other more than they are willing to admit."
Viktor nodded, as Madam Rosemerta appeared at their side, waiting for their order.
"Two of zee butterbeers please," Viktor said.
Rosemerta smiled at his thick accent, "I'll bring them right away dears."
The break in their conversation gave Hermione a chance to glance towards Ron's table. He couldn't be sitting closer to Padma if he tried. Hermione watched in disgust as Padma smiled bashfully, and then reached up to brush a few of Ron's stray strands away from his face. Madam Rosemerta interrupted Hermione's thoughts when she clanked the two mugs down onto the wooden table.
"Enjoy,"
"Thanks Madam," Viktor replied looking intently at Hermione. "So vat about Ronald?"
"Ron?" Hermione asked as sweat broke out into the palms of her hands. She gripped her butter beer mug tightly, "Viktor, don't you realize that I only have feelings for you?"
She watched his face contort. He seemed to be mixed between relief and pain.
"Do you mean zat?" he asked sullenly.
"Of course Viktor," Hermione insisted, glancing again towards Ron's table.
She watched him lean across to Padma and plant a kiss on her cheek. Padma turned towards him and within moments they were full on kissing.
"Hermione, vhy are you going all red." Viktor asked suddenly, "Do you really care for me still?"
"Yes, yes, I promise, look it's just warm in here." Hermione insisted, taking a couple of deep breaths.
What was going on? Why was Ron having such an effect on her? She gripped her mug even tighter.
"Why are you so worried?" She asked him.
"I am not, its just...vell..." he stuttered.
"Hello!" Ron's voice sounded.
Hermione jumped so suddenly she nearly spilt her butter beer.
"Ron!" she cried.
"Ronald, hello, how are you?" Viktor asked.
"Good, good," Ron muttered, pulling a chair over so that Padma could sit down.
After she was situated, Ron pulled a chair over for himself, "I almost didn't notice the two of you sitting her, but when I did, I just couldn't help but come over to say hello," Ron said cheerfully.
Hermione put her head in her hands, and stared down at the table, aware of Viktor's gaze that rested on her.
"Oh I am sorry mate; this here is my girlfriend Padma!" Ron introduced, "Padma, this here is Viktor Krum, plays in the World Cup, he is also Hermione's boyfriend."
"You are Hermione's boyfriend? The one that visited Ron's house during the summer?" Padma asked.
"Umm....yes." Viktor replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Hermione groaned inwardly.
"Yes, Viktor visited my house many times in the summer," Ron continued, "You know, I was meaning to ask you, I read an interesting article in a magazine a little while ago, it was something about a new girlfriend you've got in the United Sates,"
"Ron!" Hermione cried fiercely.
"Ronald, you don't really believe zose tabloids do you?" Viktor replied quickly, "Zey alvays come up with things zat aren't true about me."
"Yea, I didn't want to believe what it said, I mean how could I believe, what with you and Hermione being in love and all..."
"Love?" Viktor asked, going very pale.
"Ron," Hermione hissed, "I think it's time you leave."
"Leave? We just started talking Hermione," Ron said crossly, "Yes love, Hermione was on about it all summer, that why she has been so upset lately...what with you not writing to her..."
Hermione stopped listening. All of the fronts that she had put up, all the attempts at trying not to seem dependant were being torn apart by each word that Ron said. With every sentence he pushed her down, made her smaller, made her that little girl that everyone had to protect, made her that little girl that couldn't handle anything. "It vasn't that long vas it?" Viktor asked.
"No, that's what Harry and I tried to tell her, A couple of weeks without hearing from you isn't a big deal, but she was in a right state, I guess that's what happens when you fall in love though," Ron smiled across the table to Padma.
He was destroying everything. He was ruining it all, she didn't want to be that little girl, she wanted to be strong, to have nerve. She looked up, Viktor was staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and horror in his eyes. He wouldn't want to see her again, not now that he knew that she could barely survive without a letter from him. She felt hot tears surface in the corners of her eyes, and she knew they were all staring at her. She could hear Padma chuckling under her breath, but why wouldn't she be?. Now, now that she thought about it, she'd been acting really pathetic. Viktor hadn't written to her in a couple of weeks, big deal, he had been busy, he had had other things to do, and he didn't need her to survive.
She couldn't stand sitting there anymore, watching everyone look down on her like a little girl who couldn't reach the cookie jar. She stood up so fast that she hit her already bruised knees again against the table. For once she was glad that they had sat near the front. It made exiting so much easier. She ran out the door, and stopped a few feet away, her head in her heads, her long hair hanging forward. What was she doing? She was Hermione Granger, she had let Ron make her become even smaller. She was running away from a simple situation. It wasn't that big of a deal. Where was the calm, logic practical Hermione Granger that she was used to? Was running away practical? No! She felt self-frusteration build up inside her throat.
"Hermione!" Ron called.
He had joined her outside, the streets were milling with other students but he could see her standing at the end of the sidewalk. He took a few cautious steps towards her, very aware that he was inches away from being hexed to death.
"Hermione?" he called again as he came closer.
She reached up and wiped away tears that he knew she didn't want him to see. When she turned around, her lips formed a straight line, her eyes were red from unshed tears, but he could see the anger in them. "Why did you do that?" She asked.
Her voice was steady and calm, it was almost unnatural.
"Do what?" Ron asked stupidly, blinking the sunlight from his eyes.
"Embarrass me like that Ron, you made me sound like love-sick little girl," Hermione said, a bit louder, and a bit angrier.
"Embarrass you? I thought you said you loved him? How is that embarrassing?"
"I don't love Viktor Ron," Hermione cried.
"You told me you did, I was just..."
"Making me seem like a little girl who is incapable of dealing with her own emotions just because her boyfriend didn't write her for a couple of weeks."
"Well, you have been upset, I was just..."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Viktor WAS NOT the reason that I was upset?"
"No, I just..."
"God, you are so stupid sometimes Ron, How am I supposed to go back in there and face him?"
"Hermione would you listen..."
"I can not believe you, what is with you? Can you not just leave me alone?"
"Hermione!" Ron raised his voice.
Hermione turned around, not able to look at him anymore, she began walking away.
"Hermione, listen to me,"
"Go to hell Ron," she yelled, not turning around, "And make sure you take your horribly fake girlfriend with you!"
Although it hadn't been that long since she'd last seen him, he was different. He still stood as tall as ever, with his dark thick eyebrows knit in concentration as she watched him search for her. She felt his deep eyes fall on her after a few second. Normally this sensation made her feel warm, but she felt very uncomfortable. She stood quickly, banging her knees on the table, anticipating his embrace. She was so afraid that it would be different as well. When he reached her she felt his eyes rake over her before he wrapped his arms around her.
"Herm-ioh-ninny," he whispered into her ear pulling her closer.
She smiled at the sound of his accent whispering her miss-pronounced name.
He finally pulled away but held onto her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes. They were so intense. Hermione closed her eyes as he leaned forward and crushed her mouth with his own lips. The kiss was quick and distant. When their lips parted, Hermione heard herself sigh. She had missed his kiss. He sat down across from her.
"So how have you been?" she asked casually.
"Good...busy," he responded reaching up into his dark hair and glancing towards the door. He turned towards her, and smiled sadly, "I am sorry I never zent you zee letter, I vas sure dat I had."
"It's alright," Hermione told him quietly.
She felt the familiar clench of her stomach as the bells hanging on the door rang yet again. She looked to the door and watched in horror and Ron and Padma made their way towards the last table at the front of the pub. It was but feet from Hermione's and Viktor's.
"Vat about you? Has Ronald and Harry been taking care of you?"
Hermione had heard this comment before, but this was different, this time the jealousness was gone.
"Yes, well you know Harry hasn't been too happy lately, but I think he fancies Ginny right now anyways. Why just this morning I caught him staring at her..." Hermione smiled.
"And zis...does not upset you?" Viktor asked looking almost disappointed.
"Upset me?" Hermione asked incredulously, "Oh Viktor, you know I don't have feeling for Harry. Of course it doesn't upset me. In fact I am glad. I think that Ginny and Harry need each other more than they are willing to admit."
Viktor nodded, as Madam Rosemerta appeared at their side, waiting for their order.
"Two of zee butterbeers please," Viktor said.
Rosemerta smiled at his thick accent, "I'll bring them right away dears."
The break in their conversation gave Hermione a chance to glance towards Ron's table. He couldn't be sitting closer to Padma if he tried. Hermione watched in disgust as Padma smiled bashfully, and then reached up to brush a few of Ron's stray strands away from his face. Madam Rosemerta interrupted Hermione's thoughts when she clanked the two mugs down onto the wooden table.
"Enjoy,"
"Thanks Madam," Viktor replied looking intently at Hermione. "So vat about Ronald?"
"Ron?" Hermione asked as sweat broke out into the palms of her hands. She gripped her butter beer mug tightly, "Viktor, don't you realize that I only have feelings for you?"
She watched his face contort. He seemed to be mixed between relief and pain.
"Do you mean zat?" he asked sullenly.
"Of course Viktor," Hermione insisted, glancing again towards Ron's table.
She watched him lean across to Padma and plant a kiss on her cheek. Padma turned towards him and within moments they were full on kissing.
"Hermione, vhy are you going all red." Viktor asked suddenly, "Do you really care for me still?"
"Yes, yes, I promise, look it's just warm in here." Hermione insisted, taking a couple of deep breaths.
What was going on? Why was Ron having such an effect on her? She gripped her mug even tighter.
"Why are you so worried?" She asked him.
"I am not, its just...vell..." he stuttered.
"Hello!" Ron's voice sounded.
Hermione jumped so suddenly she nearly spilt her butter beer.
"Ron!" she cried.
"Ronald, hello, how are you?" Viktor asked.
"Good, good," Ron muttered, pulling a chair over so that Padma could sit down.
After she was situated, Ron pulled a chair over for himself, "I almost didn't notice the two of you sitting her, but when I did, I just couldn't help but come over to say hello," Ron said cheerfully.
Hermione put her head in her hands, and stared down at the table, aware of Viktor's gaze that rested on her.
"Oh I am sorry mate; this here is my girlfriend Padma!" Ron introduced, "Padma, this here is Viktor Krum, plays in the World Cup, he is also Hermione's boyfriend."
"You are Hermione's boyfriend? The one that visited Ron's house during the summer?" Padma asked.
"Umm....yes." Viktor replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Hermione groaned inwardly.
"Yes, Viktor visited my house many times in the summer," Ron continued, "You know, I was meaning to ask you, I read an interesting article in a magazine a little while ago, it was something about a new girlfriend you've got in the United Sates,"
"Ron!" Hermione cried fiercely.
"Ronald, you don't really believe zose tabloids do you?" Viktor replied quickly, "Zey alvays come up with things zat aren't true about me."
"Yea, I didn't want to believe what it said, I mean how could I believe, what with you and Hermione being in love and all..."
"Love?" Viktor asked, going very pale.
"Ron," Hermione hissed, "I think it's time you leave."
"Leave? We just started talking Hermione," Ron said crossly, "Yes love, Hermione was on about it all summer, that why she has been so upset lately...what with you not writing to her..."
Hermione stopped listening. All of the fronts that she had put up, all the attempts at trying not to seem dependant were being torn apart by each word that Ron said. With every sentence he pushed her down, made her smaller, made her that little girl that everyone had to protect, made her that little girl that couldn't handle anything. "It vasn't that long vas it?" Viktor asked.
"No, that's what Harry and I tried to tell her, A couple of weeks without hearing from you isn't a big deal, but she was in a right state, I guess that's what happens when you fall in love though," Ron smiled across the table to Padma.
He was destroying everything. He was ruining it all, she didn't want to be that little girl, she wanted to be strong, to have nerve. She looked up, Viktor was staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and horror in his eyes. He wouldn't want to see her again, not now that he knew that she could barely survive without a letter from him. She felt hot tears surface in the corners of her eyes, and she knew they were all staring at her. She could hear Padma chuckling under her breath, but why wouldn't she be?. Now, now that she thought about it, she'd been acting really pathetic. Viktor hadn't written to her in a couple of weeks, big deal, he had been busy, he had had other things to do, and he didn't need her to survive.
She couldn't stand sitting there anymore, watching everyone look down on her like a little girl who couldn't reach the cookie jar. She stood up so fast that she hit her already bruised knees again against the table. For once she was glad that they had sat near the front. It made exiting so much easier. She ran out the door, and stopped a few feet away, her head in her heads, her long hair hanging forward. What was she doing? She was Hermione Granger, she had let Ron make her become even smaller. She was running away from a simple situation. It wasn't that big of a deal. Where was the calm, logic practical Hermione Granger that she was used to? Was running away practical? No! She felt self-frusteration build up inside her throat.
"Hermione!" Ron called.
He had joined her outside, the streets were milling with other students but he could see her standing at the end of the sidewalk. He took a few cautious steps towards her, very aware that he was inches away from being hexed to death.
"Hermione?" he called again as he came closer.
She reached up and wiped away tears that he knew she didn't want him to see. When she turned around, her lips formed a straight line, her eyes were red from unshed tears, but he could see the anger in them. "Why did you do that?" She asked.
Her voice was steady and calm, it was almost unnatural.
"Do what?" Ron asked stupidly, blinking the sunlight from his eyes.
"Embarrass me like that Ron, you made me sound like love-sick little girl," Hermione said, a bit louder, and a bit angrier.
"Embarrass you? I thought you said you loved him? How is that embarrassing?"
"I don't love Viktor Ron," Hermione cried.
"You told me you did, I was just..."
"Making me seem like a little girl who is incapable of dealing with her own emotions just because her boyfriend didn't write her for a couple of weeks."
"Well, you have been upset, I was just..."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Viktor WAS NOT the reason that I was upset?"
"No, I just..."
"God, you are so stupid sometimes Ron, How am I supposed to go back in there and face him?"
"Hermione would you listen..."
"I can not believe you, what is with you? Can you not just leave me alone?"
"Hermione!" Ron raised his voice.
Hermione turned around, not able to look at him anymore, she began walking away.
"Hermione, listen to me,"
"Go to hell Ron," she yelled, not turning around, "And make sure you take your horribly fake girlfriend with you!"