A/n: Well, this is a rather long chapter, that I had lots of difficulty writing. I am still not completely happy with it, but I am even more unhappy when I don't update, so I've decided to deal with it. I hope that you will all continue to review, as I sorely need the feed back. I like criticism (if it's constructive), and I hope that you can give me some. I really still need a beta… But anyway, on with the story I suppose. I hope you enjoy it!
Sanity of the Insane
Chapter Eight
Accusations and Repercussions
No matter how she tried, Hermione just couldn't get over the fact that she was finally 'official' with Ron. It was great, but still a bit weird. Whenever she, Harry and Ron were together, Harry just smiled knowingly a lot and she and Ron blushed. Where no one had paid her any attention before, they suddenly knew every single aspect of her life, including the name of her pet Doberman back home, Skoot. While all of these things were supremely surprising, she found that the biggest surprise was yet to come.
The day after she and Ron were 'discovered', a large black owl that Hermione knew all too well swept magnificently into her dorm to give her a letter. She glanced down at the envelope and noticed the bunched up scrawl of Viktor Krum. She thought this was strange, because, she hadn't heard from him in ages, she'd always figured he'd just written her off. But the contents of the letter suggested that it was she who'd been writing people off. It read:
My Dearest Hermione,
To my greatest grief, I have received word that you have left me for that red headed boy. It came as such a shock, because I was awaiting your reply letter, which never came. Did you never see fit to talk with me again? I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and you still are. But when I wrote you the letter asking for an 'exclusive' relationship (is this what you say in English?), you never wrote back. I am sorry if it offended you in any way. But you must know that I have been miserable with out you. I know that this boy from your school cannot possibly give you what I can. I know that you do truly love me. Please, oh please write me back. I still want to be with you Hermione, I will move closer so that I can see you. I will follow you to the ends of the earth! Please, I need you!
Forever and Always Yours,
Victor S. Krum
When she'd read it, a lot of confusion had lain itself in her mind. The last correspondence with him that she could remember was in fifth year, she wrote him a letter about the awful new headmistress, and that she couldn't wait to see him. She'd never gotten anything about him asking her out. If she had (and now, she was sort of glad she didn't) she wouldn't be dating Ron right now.
She pulled out her quill and parchment to write back, and suddenly an image of a ruffled and injured Hedwig entered her mind. Of course! That Umbridge woman must have intercepted the letter, and not approved of it. Hermione's blood boiled at the memory of the awful toad of a woman. Then, tears filled her eyes. Poor Viktor, he'd gone all this time waiting for a reply. She must seem so awful. And she really had liked him.
Dear Viktor,
I am so very sorry that you had to find out like that, but I'm even more sorry that I didn't get your last letter. That Headmistress I told you of must have confiscated it before I got it. How I would love to date you, really I would, but you don't understand. I couldn't do that to Ron. He has always been a part of my life, and now that has much deeper meaning. I really do like him, even though I still have strong feelings for you. I'm so terribly sorry that things couldn't have worked out differently, but who knows what the future beholds? We may still end up together, but right now, I'm with Ron, and I couldn't be disloyal to him. He means too much to me. I still hope that we can continue to correspond with each other.
Love Always,
Hermione L. Granger
She read over the note twice, then decided that it should suffice. She nudged Pigwidgeon awake (he'd taken to staying in her room since she'd been dating Ron), and tied the letter to his leg.
"There you are Pig, just take this to Viktor Krum. He is in Bulgaria at the moment."
The owl hooted softly and took flight out of the window.
A week passed and she still hadn't received a letter, so Hermione figured that Krum had finally given up on her, not taking the news well, and she wasn't going to see him again. But she found that it didn't bother her too much, because she had Ron now, and their relationship was getting stronger every day.
She hadn't thought that Ron could be as sweet as he'd been lately. On their one-week anniversary, he'd surprised her with a cupcake containing one candle. Every one else had rolled their eyes, but she wanted to just cry it was so sweet. She'd never even realized how much she really did like him until now. She spent all of her time in classes thinking of him and all of her time between with him.
In fact it was when she was in search of him, that she came across a very big shock.
"Viktor?" She said incredulously to the tall, dark headed boy right outside of the large oak double doors. She wouldn't have recognized him from behind, except for his dark red cloak, and duck footed stance.
"Her-my-ninny!" He turned, recognizing her voice. "Oh, it vas you! How I haff missed you!" He hugged her, lifting her off of her feet.
"Viktor! What brings you here? I mean, don't you have work?"
He shook his head, not taking his eyes off her. "No, it is the off season. I haff noothing buut free time, for you, Her-my-ninny!" He beamed at her.
"Oh." Hermione was starting to think that he had completely misinterpreted her letter.
He swooped down and hugged her again.
"Oh, Viktor. I think… I think we'd better talk." She glanced around; looking for a place that would ensure privacy. "Come with me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a small beech tree beside the lake.
"Her-my-ninny, haff you missed me the vay tat I haff been vanting you for to?" He smiled at her, reaching up to touch her hair.
"Viktor, you did get my letter, didn't you?" She looked apprehensively around, hoping that no one would see her talking to him, and start rumors.
"Yes, I haff been gotten your letter, Her-my-ninny." He looked confused. "Vat is the problem tat is so bothering you?"
"Viktor, I don't think you exactly understood what I meant in the letter. You see, I didn't mean that we, you and I that is, I didn't mean that we were going to be able to be together…" She looked at him cautiously.
"I know that is vat you have been said, but I know that your heart vill tell you deeferent. This boy, this Ron, he is merely a school boy, and he could never treat you with the lovingness that I am showing, no?"
"Viktor, but I'm a school girl. I should be with a school boy, especially if I care as deeply for them as any one ever has."
"You don't know vat you are talking about. You haff this, how do you be said, infatuation with him, not real feelings like you had vith me. Caant you see, ve are meant to be!"
"No, Viktor, you don't understand. I like Ron too much to betray him. You are a part of my past, and he is my present, and possibly future. I am so sorry that I didn't get your letter, but that's not my fault. I'm with Ron now and…" She was cut off by Viktor pressing his mouth firmly to hers. She tried to push him away, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Just as luck will show, Ron, spotting Hermione's bushy hair, walked off towards the lake, to see her locking lips with… Viktor Krum? Ron couldn't believe it. He thought that he was gone forever. He certainly thought that Hermione would never ever cheat on him. So much for thinking. He turned and strode off hurt and angry back to the castle. If he'd watched a moment longer, he would have seen Hermione pushing Viktor away.
"Viktor!" Hermione shrieked. "How dare you kiss me? I have a boyfriend. I'm not going to be with you!"
He looked stricken. "But, I haff thought, I know he couldn't kiss you as I haff. And that…"
"No Viktor, maybe he doesn't kiss me like you do, and maybe he can't love me the way you do, but I love him!" She stood angrily and ran up to the castle, ignoring the anguished cry of 'Her-my-ninny' behind her.
Ginny looked up, startled, as Ron crashed into the common room. He looked highly upset about something, and he sat beside her.
"Hi Ron." She smiled at him uncertainly. "Is every thing alright?"
"No, it bloody well is not o.k.!" He exploded, shaking. "Bloody Hermione, had to go and bloody mess everything up!"
"What?" Ginny looked at him, confused.
"She was out there, on the grounds, locked at the lips with her old beau, Viktor."
Even though he was trying to act mad, and tough, Ginny could tell how much her brother was hurt.
"Well, I mean, did you talk to her? Maybe it wasn't like it seemed. Maybe he kissed her, and it wasn't her doing the kissing. I am sure that she wouldn't-"
"Oh, it looked plenty dual to me! She didn't even push him away!"
"But, Ron, I think you should talk to her about it. I mean, I am sure that there is a logical explanation for this."
"I'll go talk to her alright! And I have a few words for old Vickie too!" He stood, storming from the room.
"Ron! That's not what I," she heard the door slam, "meant!" She sighed. Nothing good could come of this. She didn't want to be involved, but she felt like it was too late for that.
Ron looked wildly around at the lake, but he saw no one. So, he thought bitterly, they've moved on to some where else. Figures. He turned around and saw Hermione.
"Oh, Ron, there you are, I've been looking for you!" She smiled at the sight of him, and reached out as though to give him a hug. He sidestepped her.
"So, how hard were you looking when Viktor was here?"
The smile instantly vanished from her face, and she narrowed her eyes.
"Ron, who told you that Viktor was here?"
"No one, I saw the two of you! I saw you kissing him!"
Hermione looked as though he'd slapped her. Some how that made him feel better. He wanted her to feel the pain he had when he'd seen her with Viktor.
"Ron, I wasn't kissing him…"
"Don't try to lie, Hermione, I saw you!"
"But, I wasn't! He was…"
"Oh, I know what he was doing, just as I know what you were doing! How could you?"
"Ron, you're not letting me talk! He came up here, trying to win me back. But I told him that you were the only one for me, and then he kissed me. I tried to push him away. I guess that to some one else you couldn't tell. But Ron, you have to believe me. I didn't kiss him, and I would never do anything to hurt you."
Ron stared at her for a moment.
"I am not sure if I can believe you. I want to, but Hermione, I know what I saw. It hurt. Bad." He eyed her carefully.
"Ron, if you can't believe me, then I don't know what to do. A relationship is built on trust, and if you cant trust me, then maybe we don't have such a great relationship after all."
"How can I trust you, when after a week, I see you all cozy with some international hero?" He shot back at her.
"Well, if that's how you feel about it Ronald, then maybe I should have kissed him back. Then at least I would know that I was with some one who gave me the utmost trust!" She glared at him, not wanting to lose her temper, but feeling it heavily at the accusation.
"Well, maybe you should go find him!"
"Maybe I will!"
"Fine, go, if you want to be just another girl around this school who gets all google eyed at some hero, then your not the person I thought you were."
"If you are thick enough to think that I would choose him over you, then you are far to dumb for me Ronald Weasley!" Fire snapped in her hazel eyes, as she glared at him.
"Thick am I? Well, too bad for you, I'm not like Viktor, I won't let you pull the wool over my eyes and see the two of us!" He stormed off from her, feeling such a mixture of emotions, that he couldn't even see straight.
Hermione was shaking when Ron walked away. She made her way over to a rock, and sat down cautiously before she let the tears leak out. She shook with tears, burying her head in her hands. She was hurt by Ron's accusations, and by his refusal to believe her. But she was still angry with him. Maybe he wasn't the boy she'd thought he was. She wiped her eyes, still shaking. She stood up, swaying slightly with light-headedness, and she fell.
"'ermione? Is that you?" Hagrid stared at her incredulously, walking over. "Blimey, what's wrong?" He pulled her to her feet.
"I, I don't know Hagrid. I feel so, so faint…" She trailed off as she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.
Ron frantically haggled with Madame Pomfrey, trying to get her to let him through.
"Please! I've got to see her! Madame Pomfrey, just for a minute, I mean, I'm her bloody boyfriend!"
"Watch your language!" Madame Pomfrey chastised. "She's fine! But she needs her sleep! You can come and see her later! Now get out of here!" She shooed Ron with her hands, and turned to rush over to a bed where a third year who'd been bitten by a nasty bug lay.
Taking the chance of the old woman's lack of attention, he ran down the corridor, and slipped between the hangings that surrounded Hermione's bed.
"Hermione!" He sighed, seeing her looking up at him.
"Ron? What do you want?" Her voice was icy and hit him like a block.
"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry for the way I acted. I know that you would never do that to me. I shouldn't be such a prat really. Please, forgive me! I was so scared when I heard that you were in here, I thought that… well I don't know what I thought, but I knew that I could bear the fact that you weren't well. I am sorry that I yelled at you. Please forgive me." He was pale with grief and worry.
"Ron," she smiled weakly. "Of course I believe you. I was lying in here thinking about it. I'm so glad that you finally came around." She yawned deeply.
"So am I!" He smiled, then he looked worried again. "Why are you in here. Madame Pomfrey wouldn't tell me…"
"Oh," she yawned again. "I was just over stressed, and I haven't been sleeping right, because I have been studying so much. But she's given me a sleeping potion, and says that I should be fine by tomorrow. I'm sorry that you worried. I guess that argument just drained the rest of my strength."
"I'm sorry." He walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "I really am." When he looked down, she was asleep.
"Ahem!"
Ron spun around, and spotted a very angry Madame Pomfrey.
"Right," he gave her a smile. "I was just leaving…" He darted past her and out of the hospital wing as quickly as possible.
A/n: well, there you have it. I guess it is dedicated to all of you who wondered at one point or another, 'what ever really happened to Krum' . I was going to add a bit where Ron got more revenge, but I don't feel like dragging this chapter on any farther, as I am not happy with it now. I really would appreciate any plot ideas, as I have been having some writer's block where this story is concerned. Thank you all for reading this chapter. I hope that it was to all of your liking. Now go review!
To my reviewers: oh, right, i forgot, no one reviews my stories any more... well, thats two chapters that went reviewless. Maybe the third time is the charm.
