Ch 5- Sparks and Ignition

A/N: I'd just like to personally thank 'ThinkingOfaName' for the wonderful reviews they have sent me. I am so very, very pleased to hear that you are enjoying my story! It's my first fan-fic ever and it's absolutely wonderful to hear I'm doing a good job and that I should continue! Thank you, and the other people who have reviewed my story! EmmaLynn

The rest of the summer at the Burrow was a bit irritating for everyone. Ron and Hermione bickered about the stupidest, tiniest things. Harry often found himself hanging out with Ginny more than the two of them for he was sick of hearing them arguing. However, the worst out-burst of Ron and Hermione was about to happen right now.

Harry and Ginny played exploding snap as Ron and Hermione watched in silence shooting each other furious glares every three seconds.

"Would you two just cut it out?" Harry finally asked. "You're ruining my conversation!" Then, just as Harry went to place his final card on the enormous stack, a great whooshing sound came, causing Harry to jump and drop his card, which caused a great BOOM as the card pile exploded.

"Ha-ha, I win again!" Ginny taunted him.

"That's not fair, the noise startled me. What was that noise anyways?" Just then, a handsome owl, black as night, flew over the top of their heads, dropped an envelope on Hermione's lap and flew towards window again and perched on the sill.

"Whose bird is that?" Ginny asked in awe at the graceful bird how sat very still on the window ledge. Hermione picked up the letter and read the envelope as a look of understanding replaced her confused look of terror.

"Oh, it's from Viktor!" Hermione stated cheerfully.

"Vicky?" Ron asked. "As in your boyfriend?" he pestered her.

"Number one, he is NOT my boyfriend Ronald!" Hermione snapped at him. "And TWO, his name is VIKTOR! NOT VICKY!"

"WELL, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST CALL HIM THAT!"

"WHY?"

Ron struggled to find words and decided not to answer, but to shoot another accusation at her.

"I can't believe your even still in CONTACT with him!" Ron spat.

"And why not? Am I 'not allowed' to have my own friends? Do I have to get permission from YOU?" Hermione retorted.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" Harry and Ginny said in unison. Ron opened his mouth to snap something back at Hermione but thought better of it and then focused his glare on his sister and Harry.

"Merlin!" Ginny yelled. "Can't you two say two sentences without biting each others head off? For goodness sakes!"

Harry just angrily nodded his head, very disappointed in his two best friends.

"I thought you two were friends! I thought we all were friends!"

"Harry-" Hermione started but he cut her off.

"Well, you two don't look like very good friends to me! Always fighting and bickering about stupid things, not only are you doing this to yourselves but me and Ginny as well! It's so…so irritating!" Harry finished dramatically.

With one last angry glare, Ron and Hermione stomped off towards their separate rooms, each one followed with the loud "slam" of a door. Only two seconds after the heard the second "slam" of a door, they heard another open, followed by more loud footsteps. Hermione appeared at the doorway to the stairs, marched to where Ginny and Harry sat, grabbed her letter from Viktor, and continued again with her stomping back toward the stairs. She turned back towards them for a half of second, and mumbled a quick "sorry." Before presuming again to her madness up to her bedroom, followed by yet another, "slam!" of a door. This was followed by an awkward silence. Both Harry and Ginny broke their gaze from the stairwell where Hermione has stood seconds before and looked back to each other.

"Merlin!" Ginny whispered.

"You're telling me!" Harry said.

"They've been doing this ever since the second day Hermione got here!" Ginny stated. "They never give up!"

"Great!" Harry said. "We leave for Hogwarts tomorrow! It's going to be one hell of a ride there!"

"Yeah." Ginny replied.

(Upstairs in Rons room)

"Arguhhh! I HATE myself!" Ron thought punching his pillow. "Why do we always have to bicker? Why can't we just be like normal friends and laugh and have a good time like we used to! It's all because of that stupid Vicky. We never argued until HE came strutting along! How I loath him. 'Oh, it's from Viktor!'" Ron mimicked Hermione in his mind. "What does she see in him anyways? Sure, he's a national Quidditch player but that doesn't mean he isn't a grouchy-git! Arguhh and I promised myself I'd try not to bicker with her so much! Stupid Krum! No, stupid ME!"

(Upstairs, in Ginny's room, currently occupied by Hermione)

Face full of tears, Hermione shakily opened Viktor's letter. She unfolded it wiped her eyes on her sleeve so she could read it. She read;

Dear Hermione,

Although I am very disappointed at your response to my question, I have no choice but to accept it. I do not want to block you entirely out of my life though. This is why I am writing you. I know, that you do not think we should get together, but I hope we can stay in touch as good friends. You are a very sweet girl and whoever you may end up with, will be a very lucky chap. I sincerely hope that we can still be friends. Please write back as soon as you can.

Your friend,

Viktor

Hermione's crying had lessened slightly, but she was still in a swirl of emotions with tears still streaming down her face. She folded the letter up and replaced it back inside the envelope. She set it onto the bedside table, curled up under the covers clutching her knees, crying into her pillow. Then she heard the door creak open and someone creep in. She tried to quiet herself but failed miserably by shaking uncontrollably with loud sniffs every now and then.

"Hermione?" came Ginny's voice. She ignored her. She wasn't in any condition to talk to anyone right now.

"I'm not going to force you to talk to me, but if you decide to, even in the middle of the night, wake me up. G'night Hermione."

Hermione clutched her knees tighter and cried silently until she fell asleep.

(Ron and Harry's room.)

Harry knocked softly on the door to his and Ron's room. No answer. He slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Ron?"

Again, no answer. Ron lie with his back faced to Harry, not moving, but staring widely into space. Harry took his silence as a sign and slipped into his pajamas and climbed into bed. "I'm so stupid." Ron thought to himself. "She's going to hate me forever! What am I supposed to do?" Then, as if he was reading his mind, Harry said,

"Just apologize. She can't hate you forever."

Ron rolled over in his "sleep" thinking maybe, just maybe, Harry was right.

A/N: Ooh, the 6th chapter is really where the story gets going! I hope you can't wait!