"Come in with me?"

Harry stared at Hermione. Her eyes were very big and she looked nervous.

"Hermione…I can't just….you have to do this…."

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, I know."

She smiled. "Well, he did write me to come here so it must be good."

Harry nodded, seeing Ron in his head, bent over a piece of parchment coming up with his abysmal letter for Hermione. He hoped that when she talked to Krum, Krum wouldn't mention the fact that he had gotten a letter from her too. That would ruin everything.

She sighed again, this time happily. "Well, then I'll be right out." She took a deep breath, and then turned towards the door of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry watched her get closer and closer to the door, and then, something seized him. ''Hermione! Wait!"

She stopped. "What?"

"I'm coming with you. Just in case something goes wrong, I don't…."

"What?"

Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair, not knowing quite how to put this. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." He was lying again. The little voice in his head seemed to be screeching, telling him not to lie to Hermione. His potions grade depended on it.

In truth he wanted to be in there to prevent Krum from spoiling the plan. Or Hermione from accidentally spoiling it for that matter.

Hermione smiled, "That's really sweet of you Harry."

She opened the door, took one last breath and went in. Harry was right behind her, intent on going to sit in a corner seat and watch the entire encounter. The first thing he saw when he entered was Ron sitting by the bar, and Krum, sitting all by himself, looking sour. He gulped looking widely around for Beater body guards with the wood bats but he saw none. He breathed in a huge sigh of relief trying to push past all the people in the pub. Then, as he reached the center of the room he heard….

"One Two Three… hit it!"

And then it happened.

BANG!

Confetti was flying down out of nowhere, there were red roses everywhere, there was a spotlight on him and Hermione and everybody was staring at them, cheering. A band materialized out of nowhere playing love songs in a continuous medley.

Harry looked at Hermione in horror. Then he looked over at Krum who was standing up, coming over to them. Harry tired to back away; to let Krum come in and stand in the middle with Hermione, but somebody in the pub shoved him back.

"Don't run away! Go on! Kiss her!"

"Yeah! Kiss her!"

"Give her a big smooch!"

Hermione was in shock, looking widely around at Harry. "What's going on? What's this for?" She was shouting so to be heard over chants of "Kiss her! Kiss him!" and the band playing louder and louder.

Harry shook his head, and then he slipped up again. He yelled, "I dunno, this wasn't supposed to happen this way!"

"What? You KNEW about this?"

Oops.

Ron came running forward, shoving past the spectators all throwing red roses everywhere. The people in the pub were ecstatic at the drama and they were clearly enjoying all of this.

Ron looked worried.

"Hey, Harry, what happened?"

Harry was going so red he couldn't even look at Hermione. His eyes actually, were fixed on Krum who was cracking his knuckles and looking very menacing. Harry backed away slowly.

"Ummm… I think this has all just been a really big mistake, and Hermione, Krum's over there, he wants to talk to you, go see him, and I'll just leave."

He turned to go, but Hermione grabbed him. "Harry, dishonesty does not flatter you. Trust me."

The crowd had gone silent now. With all of the noise gone, Harry could see several students from Hogwarts in the crowd. Everybody had their eyes fixed on Harry, Hermione Ron and now Krum who had come into the circle.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stood next to Krum, glaring at Harry.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about Harry?"

Harry looked helplessly around, first at Ron who shrugged.

"Hey don't look at me mate; it was your 'brilliant' plan remember?"

Hermione stared at him. "Plan?"

Ron smirked. "Actually, I'm very surprised that it's taken you this long to figure it out Hermione, after all, Harry's been hopelessly in love with you for- OUCH!"

Harry had stepped on his foot, very hard. The spectators in the pub gasped as a single crowd, all like they were watching a play. More like a soap opera. A really bad soap opera crossed with a Shakespearean tragedy. Harry felt like the tragic hero, about to fall to his miserable fate. If he wasn't so dumbstruck and embarrassed he would have actually have been contemplating ways he could have met his downfall right now. Maybe poison, or death by sword. Or a fantastic duel with Krum.

Three guesses who would win. He might talk like Yoda but Harry was sure that Krum let his body guards do the talking when someone got in his way; he was in no mood to have that conversation.

Harry sighed sarcastically. "Thanks Ron."

"A pleasure it is." Ron said with a smirk, apparently pleased with himself.

Hermione was looking from Harry to Krum to Ron. And then her eyes fixed on Harry. It was rather like being drilled into like a machine. Her gaze was so intense he couldn't look at her for very long.

"Can we discuss this somewhere else?" Harry asked desperately.

"No, we talk here and now." said Krum. It was the first time he had spoken in all of this and he was looking very angry. The entire pub was holding their breath and Harry was on the verge of storming out of there because he'd about had enough when,

"Harry…please…" Hermione's voice was very small and she looked anxious again.

He sighed. Hadn't he done enough for her already? Why should he have to put himself through more just for her when she didn't even love him?

He sighed yet again, and started talking. And once he began, he couldn't stop. He just kept going and going.

"Look, after you were all upset about Krum's dumping you, I came up with an idea to get you and Krum back together by writing letters to each of you. Ron wrote one from Krum to you and I wrote one from you to Krum. The letters were written differently however and they had you meeting in the wrong places so today we had to bring you here to meet him. And last week I came here and asked Madame Rosmerta to do this surprise for you and Krum in here. And I've had a hell of a time doing this because even though I'm trying to get you together with Krum it's not because I want that. I've been doing all this crap for you because …"

He stopped. Hermione had her mouth hanging open and Krum was staring in shock, apparently not convinced his letter from Hermione had been written by a 16 year old boy.

Ron was gaping at Harry with the rest of the crowd. You could've heard a pin drop.

"Because why?" Hermione finally managed to ask.

"Because…" He sighed. There was no use in trying to hide it any longer.

"Because I love you."

There was a slowly intake of breath form the crowd watching and Harry felt his face go red.

"You love….love… you love….me?" she was struggling for words, apparently shocked.

Harry nodded, not looking at her, but at the floor. The tiles were very pretty. All gold and silver. And those designs were pretty too, swirled. What was that? A speck of dust on the floor? Perhaps he could sink into the floor and join the speck. That would be lovely.

Ron interrupted the silence. "Ok we get it, you love Hermione, but that still doesn't explain why this little party went off for you two and not Hermione and Mr. Shakespeare here."

"I dunno, "Harry snapped sharply, glaring over at the skinny little bar tender. "I suggest you ask Madam Rosmerta."

Then he stormed out of the pub.