Flashback

Hermione began to stammer and that same nervous fluttering in her stomach and sudden acceleration of her heartbeat from a mere twenty minutes ago, returned at full throttle, and she finished her sentence, "it's just that…well, I've never been kissed."

Chapter 4:

"Wait a second." Ginny said slowly, processing the information, as Hermione turned away. "What do you mean, 'never been kissed'? That's preposterous! What about Krum? Did you two never…ever…" Ginny trailed off.

"Ugh." Hermione groaned, I shouldn't have said anything, she'll grill me like a beef patty on a hot summer's day.

"Her-mi-NEE!" Ginny whined, "'fess up! Come on, you can't leave a girl hanging like that! So spill! What happene between you and Krum if not secret snog sessions!"

Hermione could, at that moment, have been mistaken for a Weasley. Her face could fried an egg. But she recovered, and slapping Ginny's arm playfully, said lightly, "Ginny-that's none of your beeswax, and as if Hermione Jane Granger has in her life ever done such a dirty, scandalous thing!"

But Ginny kept at it, persisting in the whining, the pleading, the torturous actions that finally broke Hermione down as she surrendered.

"Well, allright, but Ginny, don't you dare tell a single person! Especially Ron, we both know how he'll react, all smug and triumphant, and I don't have to put up with that!"

"The thing is, Ginny," she sighed and turned as she said, "Krum and I were never really together. You know….as a couple."

"Oh…my….fucking….god! Are you serious? What do you mean? How is that possible? Why did you go to the Yule Ball together and get into that huge, GI-NOURMOUS fight with Ron about it? Ehy did he invite you to spend the summer with him? Why were you tied up at the bottom of the lake as Krum's most precious, treasured person? And-" Hermione cut Ginny's insistent questions off.

"Just listen, Ginny, because I'm only going to say this once." Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and began, "All fourth year, Viktor was…taken…with me. And because Harry and Ron were fighting, and Ron and I were fighting, and Harry was so moody all the time, I went with him a few times to Hogsmeade. Ron's sudden taste for veela girls may have also complicated the issue. Viktor was just there, and seemed to like me. I was lonely and bored and tired of putting up with Ron and Harry, so there we were, and all of a sudden, newspapers, magazines, Rita Skeeter, everyone was talking about us. It was scary.

"I had only wanted a friend, but Viktor had always wanted more from me. I suppose, deep down, I knew it all along, but I never really wanted to think about it. He did try to kiss me a couple times, but I always moved. (So far my forehead, left eyebrow, nose and both cheeks have been kissed. But technically, I still have virgin lips.)

"The last night he spent here, he went too far." Hermione's eyes were glistening as she looked up at Ginny to see if she knew what she was talking about, and then continued, "I was so upset that I went to the bathroom and stayed there 'til God-knows-how-long. You see, h-he t-tried to..." Ginny put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezed, "but I didn't let him, I didn't let him, and I ran. And he didn't follow." Hermione now looked up with anger flashing in her eyes.

"Two months later, I found out Krum had had a marriage arrangement the whole time, and was engaged to marry some other family friend's daughter. Her name was Leyla, and in a letter-you could hardly call it that, it said From the Desk of Viktor Krum at the top- I was told how lovely she was and given an invitation to the wedding.

"And that's it. Pathetic, I know…But I swear, if you breathe a word to anyone Ginny, I promise you won't be seen for a t least a month."

Ginny saw Hermione for what she really was. Injured to the point where she sought only to hide away secrets like crushes from even her best friend. She hugged her fiercely, after seeing her tear brimmed eyes.

"If we ever get our hands on him, we'll castrate him! Without magic or sleep drugs! I promise!" Ginny said forcefully to Hermione, which brought a weak smile from Hermione.

"Anaesthetic, Ginny" Hermione said, smiling and wiping the tears from her eyes.

flashback:

Ever since fifth year, Ron and Harry had tried to figure out a way to get into the girls' dorms. The first time they tried, and failed, the entire Gryffindor tower laughed at them and they were the talk of the tower for a whole week. They decided to execute all attempts at manipulating the large yellow slide at night, so as to avoid humiliation.

All sixth year they tried potions, spells, charms, various plants with magical properties. None of their ideas worked. Until one night when Ron had a sudden, noncharacteristic brainwave. He ran up the boys' dorm tower staircase, got his broomstick, flew back down and over the slide. Harry was slack-jawed for a week and no one but Ron knew why. They decided not to even tell Hermione, as she'd probably be furious that A-they could potentially wreak havoc on the girls' dorms and B-that they figured something out before she did.

PRESENT-BOYS' POV

It was using this method of flight that they used to fly up to the girls' dorms. They wanted to do a little espionage, to find out beforehand who the girls' liked, if anyone at all. What they heard were bits and pieces of Hermione's confession to Ginny about Krum.

"Viktor…he tried…bathroom…God knows how long…two months…engaged" was all they heard. Harry silently nudged Ron, who was in shock.

"Hey Hermione?" the boys continued to listen.

"Yeah, Ginny?"

"I really have to go."

"Go where? to bed?"

"No, no, to the loo."

"Ginny!

"What!

"We spent over an hour there and you still need to go?"

"Yeah! So?"

"Fine, just hold on a second. I need to put some pants on."

At this both boys' eyes widened, but both had different reasons for this. Ron was still in shock and hearing that Hermione was, well, pant-less, well, just froze him there. Harry on the other hand, knew that the girls would descend the staircase they were hiding on at any moment, and after much tugging at Ron's sleeves, they flew back down at record speeds.

"Crap!" Harry exclaimed on the way down.
"What?" Ron asked.

"They're coming down and they've seen the slide!"

"I don't think we'll have time to fly up to our dormitories."

"Yeah, you're right, let's just try and look casual in the Common Room."

"What if someone sees us coming out of the girls' dorms?"

"uhhh…"

"Great…"

The boys must have had their guardian angels working together on this one, because the Common Room was empty. The boys heaved a sigh of relief, and tried to look inconspicuous and innocent on the sofas. Ginny made it down the stairs first. She glanced at the boys and noticed they were panting and had identical odd looks on their faces. Was it smug? Or maybe it was just fatigue. She merely raised an eyebrow at them. Ron raised one back, and she rolled her eyes in response.

The boys went up to their dorm, broomsticks in hand. As soon as Ron made it up, he began with the questions.

"What do you think happened between Hermione and Krum?" Ron demanded.

"Well I-"

"I think that the bastard proposed to her, and she said no. That would cover the 'engaged' bit, wouldn't it?"

"What about the 'he tried' 'bathroom' 'God knows how long' and 'two months' bits?" Harry asked.

"I'm working on it, hold on. Maybe they went out for two months? and he tried to get hitched with her in the bathroom? And as for 'God knows how long', I really don't know what to make of that." Ron sighed.

"Maybe, you're completely wrong. Maybe she was talking about something else. Maybe comparing boyfriends?" Harry tried to comfort his friend.

"Boy-FRIENDS? as in plural?" Ron groaned and flopped down on his bed.