Ron was now walking around London, stopping at a fancy restaurant. "Do you have a reservation?" the male host asked.
"Ron Weasley." Ron replied and put his hands on the reservation stand. The host raised his brow at Ron and removed his hands.
"Right this way sir," the host walked him over to his table.
A few minutes later Hermione and Viktor arrived at the restaurant and walked up to the stand where they met their lady host. "Viktor Krum," he approached her. She looked down at the list and found his name.
"Come with me please," she said and lead them straight to their table. When they sat down, she handed them their menus. "I'll be just a few minutes to get your order." The lady said. Hermione glanced at her menu and then smiled back at her host.
"Thank you."
On the other side of the restaurant, but not far from where Hermione and Viktor's table was, Ron sat alone. The only thing at his table was a glass of water, and an empty chair opposite him. He reserved a table for two, but in the end, he was dining alone.
"Would you like anything else?" The waiter asked.
"No, this is all," he took a sip of his water and the waiter started to walk away. Ron looked up and around the restaurant seeing all the people, mostly couples, young and old, flirting and kissing and holding hands joyfully. Why did he even come to this place? He thought to himself as he got up and started to leave. But what to his wondering eyes should appear, but the love of his life with another so cheery. Ron didn't want to make it look like he was intruding, so he decided to walk their way, oblivious to their presence.
"--So anyway, like I was saying about," Viktor got distracted, looking over Hermione's shoulder to the man that was coming their way.
"Is that not your friend, the one you and Harry would hang around with?" He asked and Hermione turned in her seat. Hermione's face became puzzled as she tried to fit this man's face into her photographic memory.
"I don't believe it, Ron?" She said in a voice that Ron was able to hear her. Ron walked over to them, acting completely surprised with Hermione happy to see him, and Viktor . . . he was a bit overtaken and also a little competitive.
"How funny seeing you two here, of all places." Ron acted.
"Yeah, it is a small world. " Hermione said, looking to Viktor then back at Ron. "Were you just leaving?"
Ron stood while he talked. "Uh, yeah, I was supposed to meet someone here, but I guess they got caught up in something else." He said, dark feelings going into his words.
"Well, why don't you join us for a while. Me and Viktor were just talking about what we were doing with our lives since Hogwarts." Hermione looked at Viktor. He took a few seconds to speak again, and when he did, he sided with her.
"Yes, sit. It would be nice to know what you have been up to." Viktor waved his hand to the chair and Ron sat. Hermione smiled, being close to the two guys who meant so much to her. "So, Ron, who was your guest you had waited for?" Viktor took a bite of his food.
"Ah, no one important. It was nothing special," Ron said nervously, avoiding eye contact with Hermione.
"Was it a girl?" Viktor pried deeper. Hermione's face looked at him a little upset. Ron, too was upset, but he didn't take any action to use violent words.
"No, nothing like that. I just--" he looked at Hermione. He saw the anger and hate in her eyes, shooting at Viktor. "Do you have a girlfriend?" Ron quickly turned the tables over to him.
Viktor was shot down at his own game. He remained quiet for some time, consistently looking at Hermione as she kept her face in her hand. "I am hoping to get a girlfriend." He started to act more like the gentlemen he was, not wanting to disappoint the woman sitting next to him. "So what kind of job do you have?" Viktor changed the subject immediately afterward.
"I-I don't have one," Ron said embarrassed, thinking any moment Hermione would lecture him about it like his mother would, starting with 'Ronald Weasley, what have you been doing. ' Hermione remained quiet though, in fact, she remained quiet the rest of the time Ron and Viktor had been talking.
The night grew old, Viktor payed for the dinner before Hermione did. He said goodbye to her, telling her how wonderful the night was. He took her hand, adding a small kiss to it with a small bow, before offering her a ride home, but she declined.
There Ron and Hermione stood, waiting quietly till the other started the conversation. The night air was illuminated with stars above and the cool breeze brought the two in close contact as they strolled along the sidewalk. Although Ron seemed a bit off, like he had been all night. He would constantly look down at his feet then look back up staring at Hermione, wanting to spill out all his feelings for her. His heart was telling him to go for it, but his mouth, every time, would become scrambled.
Hermione knew there was something troubling her dear friend. Much in the past she always noticed the signs. Harry, her other best friend, was probably aware of it too. No doubt his own family wasn't clueless. The only problem with her was that no matter how book smart she was, she wasn't even smart enough to recognize her own signs.
Walking for the past half hour in silence, just wondering in the company of each other, then Ron, at last, constructed something to say to her.
"Nice night."
Hermione peered over at him and smiled. "Yeah." I would like to say the silence came upon them once more, but repetition is so dull and wastes plenty of time. "Ron, can I ask you something?" He stared up at her as she spoke. "Would . . . if someone liked you, and knew you didn't feel the same way about them, should you tell that person?"
"What kind of question is that?" Ron asked sharply. He took the words as if they were meant for him.
"Ron, I didn't think you'd take it so personal, after all, I thought you--"
"So that's what this is about. Someone else?"
"Well, yeah. It's--"
"I don't need to hear it Hermione. I guess if that's what you want, then fine!" Ron stormed off in the other direction, leaving Hermione behind and not looking back. Hermione stood there confused.