Chapter 2

"Are you out of your mind?" Parvati asked as she watched Krum shuffle away from the table with his scowl even more pronounced than usual.

"Excuse me?" Hermione replied, taken aback by the boldness of the question. "I don't recall inviting you to eavesdrop on my private conversations nor did I ask for your opinion."

"But... that was Viktor Krum," Padma came to her sisters' defense as she gaped at Hermione in horror.

"I know who it was."

"Who did you dump him for?" Padma asked excitedly.

"Has to be Harry, doesn't it?" Parvati answered her sister. "I mean who else could it be?" she added, missing the incredulous look on Hermione's face and mistakenly interpreting the sudden redness as embarrassment rather then what it truly was, anger.

"It certainly isn't Ron," Padma replied with a giggle.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione growled, narrowing her eyes at Padma.

"Nothing," Parvati answered rather too quickly for Hermione's liking. "He's nice enough and all, but..." she lowered her voice as if she didn't want anyone to overhear her and then continued, "Well come on, you know he just isn't in the same league as Viktor or Harry."

"Not famous enough for you?" Hermione stated loudly. "Or maybe it's the money you're after."

"Me?" Parvati shot back in disbelief. "I'm not the one dating International Quidditch players."

"Well, neither am I. And I'll thank you BOTH very kindly to keep your noses out of my business in the future."

"Oh come on, Hermione. Don't be like that. We're only trying to help. You can tell us. Who did you dump Krum for?" Parvati asked again eagerly.

"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," a familiar voice stated behind Hermione's back. Her eyes shot open as amazement and then fear washed over her body. Damn those two and their extendable ears, Hermione thought as she slowly spun around and gazed into her best friend's piercing blue eyes.

"Ron. What...what are you doing here?"

"Did you break up with Vicky?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Don't call h...," she started out of habit and then caught herself. "What are you doing here?" Hermione repeated.

"Did you break up with Krum?" he asked again coolly. A bit to coolly, Hermione noted.

"N..no," she stammered. "Not technically."

"You most certainly did!" Padma stated loudly. "We heard the whole thing."

"He brought you those tickets," Parvati added, pointing to the Quidditch tickets still lying on the table, "and you refused to take them."

"Wait a minute," Ron interjected. "He gave you tickets to the match this week, and... and... you turned them down?" he asked incredulously. "Are you mental?"

"That seems to be the general consensus," Hermione replied coldly, glaring at Ron.

"And then you gave him some big story about how it wouldn't be right for you to accept them because you didn't feel 'that way' about him," Padma continued.

"And he said he understood that you had feelings for someone else," Parvati added, " but it didn't mean his feeling for you had changed and you could still come to his game, even if it was just as a friend."

"Someone else?" Ron asked, now looking at Parvati and Padma rather then Hermione.

"Who?"

"Well, Harry, of course," Parvati replied as if he were an idiot. "Honestly. He's your best friend." Ron dismissed her with a wave of his hand and turned back to Hermione.

"Who is it really?" he demanded.

"That's what Krum thought anyway," Padma insisted. "He even made a point of giving her an extra ticket so she could bring Harry with her."

"Actually he gave me two extra tickets," Hermione stated holding up all three of them and fanning them out. "One for Harry and one for Ron." She made a point of emphasizing the latter name.

For a split second, Ron felt two conflicting desires fighting within him. He was elated by the thought of going to the game, but almost instantly, a stronger, more primal emotion grabbed control and smashed that euphoric feeling to bits. His face contorted as the intense wave of jealousy overcame him and he was seized by an overwhelming need to keep Hermione as far away from Krum as possible. Not just Krum either. He wanted to keep her away from EVERY other male on the planet. Well, maybe she could see Harry, but just him. And who the hell is this git she likes now? ARRGGHH! If only she'd give me the tickets and lock herself in her room for the rest of the summer. Not bloody likely, he thought to himself.

"I thought you said you refused the tickets?" Ron said when he finally found his voice again.

"I did," Hermione stated matter of factly. "He left them in case I change my mind."

"And have you?" he asked.

"Do you want to go to the game, Ron?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want the tickets?" Hermione asked. "Do you want to go to the game?"

Ron looked at her intently, sensing a trap. He was unsure how to answer her, so he played it safe.

"Are YOU going to go?" he ventured, not realizing it came out sounded more like an accusation then a question.

"No," Hermione replied, glaring at him. Stupid git, she thought as she watched his face brighten. He's been hassling me about Viktor for years. All that talk about looking out for me and my best interests... what a load of rubbish. Insensitive prat. Now that he thinks he can get something out of it for himself it's a bit different, isn't it? Doesn't matter if I like Viktor or not, as long as I string him along and get him prime seats to all the matches. Oooooooooh, he makes me want to scream.

She narrowed her eyes even further and waited for him to speak. Go on. Ask me for the tickets. Just ask me. I dare you, Hermione said with her eyes.

Ron just narrowed his eyes and glared right back at her.

I'll show him, Hermione thought. The corners of her mouth curled into a malicious smile and to his absolute horror, she proceeded to tear the tickets to shreds.

Parvati and Padma both gasped.

"What are you doing?" Ron barked, grabbing her wrists to stop her. "Do you have any idea how much those tickets cost?"

"YOU WANT THEM SO BAD!" Hermione shrieked. "HERE! TAKE THEM!" And with that she threw the torn pieces at his chest.

Ron looked down at the shredded bits lying at his feet and then back up at the smoldering eyes in front of him.

"Go ahead," Hermione said in a cold, calm voice that sent shivers up his spine. "If they mean more to you than I do, pick them up. I'm sure you can magic them back together once you get home."

It was a dare and he knew it. It was also a test. One he had no intention of failing. So that's her game is it? She's wants to see which I care about more. Her or Quidditch, Ron thought as he watched her cross her arms in a huff and try and bore a hole in his body with her fiery eyes. She sure is pretty when she's hacked off. STOP IT WEASLEY! Now's not the time.

Unfortunately as he mentally berated himself, his body seemed to rebel and act of its own accord. Before he even realized he was doing it, he crouched down and started gathering the torn tickets in his hands.

He was horrified when he heard the sharp intake of breath above him and realized exactly what he had done. NO! NO! NO! hescreamed internally. I don't even want the bloody tickets. WHAT AM I DOING?

"Well there's an answer to your question, Ron. I know exactly how much those tickets cost," Hermione said in a strained voice. He looked up and blanched when he saw the tears spill from her eyes and start to roll down her cheeks. BLOODY HELL! Now look what you've done, he thought.

"They just cost me one of my best friends," Hermione finished. Before he even had time to comprehend what she had said, she turned around and walked away.

Ron seemed rooted to the spot. He wanted to run after her, but again, his body seemed to have a mind of its own. It simply refused to budge. All he could do was stand there, still holding the shredded bits of parchment, and stare openmouthed at Parvati and Padma who gaped right back at him.

"What's wrong with you?" Parvati finally asked. Her sister just snorted. The question seemed to break the spell holding him in place though. Rather then respond, Ron dropped the tickets and bolted in the direction Hermione had fled.

"Hermione!"he shouted, "Hermione wait..." He expected her to run when she discovered he was following, but she didn't. She just kept walking at an even speed towards the Leaky Cauldron. Ron managed to catch up to her and grab her arm before she got half way there.

"Get your hands off me," Hermione hissed, wrenching her arm loose and walking away again. Rather then risk touching her a second time, Ron just positioned himself in front of her to block her path.

Hermione glared up at him through her tears and he felt terrible, knowing he was the cause of her pain. A wave of guilt washed over him. The worst past was, he knew he had done it on purpose, but for the life of him, he couldn't fathom why.

"Hermione, please..." Ron began, but she would have none of it. She just turned around and marched off in a different direction.

"I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't." I'm such a prat. Why did I do it? WHY? What the hell IS the matter with me? "I'm sorry...," Ron tried, following her as she walked. "Please, Hermione. Talk to me. Yell at me. Hit me. But... don't... leave me... don't just walk away."

She rounded on him so fast he actually took a step back, afraid she might really punch him. "Leave me alone," Hermione said quietly, her voice thick with pain.

"I can't," Ron replied, without even realizing it. Great, now I've lost control of my mouth. "I...," he forced himself to stop speaking ...love you, he cried mentally. "I... I..."

"You what?" Hermione asked coldly. "You can't ...help being a prat? You can't ...help hurting me? Did you set out to make my life miserable Ron, or is it just something that happened by accident?"

"I... I... I'm sorry. I..."

"It's too late," she said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"No it isn't," Ron protested.

"Yes it is. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it anymore. I'm done... fighting with you. I'm... I'm just through," Hermione whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Please... if you ever cared about me at all, leave me alone."

"NO!" Ron barked, surprising himself as much as he did her. And before he even knew what he was doing, he reached out, grabbed her face, and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. But as he looked into her eyes, he suddenly seemed to forgot what it was he was going to say. "I... uh...," he stammered, his gaze dropping to her lips. They seemed to have a gravitational pull all their own. One he couldn't resist. He leaned in and...

SLAP!

...he felt her hand connect with the side of his face.

"You... you hit me?" he stated in disbelief, rubbing the stinging red mark on the side of his face.

"I told you to keep your hands off me, you... you..." Hermione stammered, at a loss for exactly what it was she wanted to call him. "INSENSITIVE BASTARD!" she shouted, hitting on it at last.

Ron stood there gaping at her, and before he had a chance to recover she turned and actually did run from him this time. He watched as she ducked around a crowd of people and ran right into...

BLOODY VIKTOR KRUM! What? Is that Bulgarian git stalking her now? Ron watched as Hermione backed up and then he saw Krum's hands shoot down and grab her by the wrist. She tried to push him away, but rather then let go, Krum spun her around so she was facing away from him, twisting her arm behind her back in the process. His free hand came down and clamped on her other wrist tightly to keep her from fighting him.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ron bellowed, as he charged into the crowd of people separating him from Hermione and Krum. "LET GO OF HER!"

"There's the other one," Krum said when a short figure covered head to toe in black robes appeared beside him. Two more Death Eaters apparated onto the narrow street behind them. Someone in the crowd noticed and let out a scream that caused a chain reaction. The crowd of people between Ron and Hermione instantly started shoving him backward in their haste to get out of the way.

"The red head," the shorter of the three cloaked figured said, pointing at Ron.

In an instant it was pure pandemonium. The crowd swelled and those that were in the nearby shops abandoned their goods and made a run for it. It seemed like everyone in Diagon Alley was trying to push him away from Hermione. He tried to fight the flow of the hysterical crowd, but they succeeded in dragging him further and further away from her.

"HERMIONE!"Ron cried, as he pushed and shoved and tried to get to her.

"RUN!"she screamed back at him, but he didn't hear her. Not that he would have run even if he had. Two of the hooded men were now working their way into the crowd, cursing people out of the way as they went. His eyes still locked on Hermione, Ron didn't even notice their steady progress.

Hermione did notice however. She watched with horror as the two Death Eaters worked their way further and further into the crowd of screaming people, hell bent on reaching their target. She looked up at Viktor, and then at the Death Eater standing next to him. She gasped when she saw who it was.

"You... YOU... DESPICABLE TRAITOR! HOW COULD YOU?" Hermione bellowed, throwing herself at him. She managed to catch Krum by surprise and yank her wrist free. In that split second of freedom she grabbed a hold of the object in Peter Pettigrew's hand and they both vanished.

"HERMIONE!"Ron roared in anguish as he saw her disappear.

The Death Eaters turned and noticed their comrade was gone. As was the girl. Krum remained behind, but he didn't appear to realize he was now standing in the middle of the alley alone. They looked at Ron one last time, then both of them disapparated.

Someone grabbed Ron from behind and pulled him backwards. He started swinging on reflex and clocked his would be attacker in the face, knocking him to the ground. Only then did he realize it was George. Fred was there instantly to help his twin brother to his feet. Ron turned his back on both of them and started straining against the crowd again. The twins launched themselves at him a second time, and together they managed to pull him backward.

"GET OFF ME!" Ron shouted as he fought to break free.

"It's too late," Fred said, his voice full of pain and regret.

"I'm sorry Ron," George said.

"LET GO, DAMN YOU!"

"She's gone, Ron."

"It's too late."

"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" Ron growled, ducking down and twisting at the same time. He managed to break free and instantly launched himself into the crowd so he could get at Krum. Before he got more then a step forward, Fred had his wand out and pointed it straight at Ron's back.

"STUPEFY!" he shouted, and then watched as his younger brother fell to the ground.

"Sorry, mate," Fred said, as he reached down and lifted Ron's feet. George instantly dropped down and grabbed Ron's shoulders so they could heave him down the street and into the relative safety of their shop.

"Did you know Ron was that strong?" Fred asked George as he locked the door and then walked over to the fireplace.

"Bloody Hell! He nearly knocked me out cold with that punch," George complained, grabbing a hand full of floo powder and throwing it into the fireplace. "The Burrow," George shouted, and then stepped back to help Fred push their unconscious brother into the flames.

"Mum's going to kill us," Fred said just before he disapparated.

"Let's hope so," George replied as he appeared beside his brother in the Weasley's Kitchen. "I certainly don't want to have to face Ron when he wakes up."