Chapter 3 – An Argument and Tears

"Well I must say I'm surprised" a cool, familiar voice came. They turned around and once again came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Explain yourself, you ugly git!"

"Why you little-" Draco said starting to pull out his wand from his baggy jeans, but stopped when Harry and Ron stepped in front of Ginny with their wands already outstretched. Draco looked taken back but regained again almost instantly and turning his attention to Cedric. "Diggory, I must say I'm associating with this kind of people-" Ron and Harry grips tightened on their wands "-especially the filthy, little, know-it-all mudblood."

Hermione grin was immediately wiped off her pretty face and immediately turned into the nastiest glare ever. Harry and Cedric grabbed the back of Ron's t-shirt to keep him from lunging on Draco.

"Ron forget it, let's just go."

"What was that mudblood?"

"Don't call her that!" Ginny roared.

"Whoa, little Weasel has finally said something, well weasel-" but once again he was cut off by Harry's wand

"Don't you have to go to that Death Eater father of yours or that porky mother of yours?" Harry asked menacingly.

"Don't you dare insult my parents!" Draco yelled at Harry's face. Everyone could tell that Draco's already pale face grow paler.

"Well, why not? They deserve to be insulted."

"We all know when the Dark Lord attacks again he'll go for the mudblood or their family!" Draco said pointing his wand at Hermione. Hermione paled, turned and ran towards the girls tent. Ron turned to go after her but was stopped by Ginny.

"I'll go." She ran after Hermione, but not before giving Draco one last threatening glare.

"You foul, nasty-" Ron lunged at Draco, but Harry and Cedric caught on to the back of Ron's t-shirt.

"What are you going to do huh?" Draco scoffed his wand completely out of his jeans. Harry raised his wand at Draco and- "No magic allowed Potty."

"See if I care, Toufulus!" Harry yelled. Draco's once slick pale-blond hair now looked like Hermione bushy mane when she was still young. Harry and Cedric dragged Ron away from the scene.

"Diggory! You chose the wrong side! The Dark Lord never loses! You'll regret your choice. These blood-traitors, mudbloods, and half-br-"

"Back-off or I'll hex you to Slytherin's common room and back!" Cedric shouted over his shoulder. Ron stopped struggling, surprised at Cedric's raised voice. It was the first time he's ever heard the cool-headed Cedric raise his voice to anyone. Harry however had seen Cedric lose his cool during the third task of the TriWizard Tournament in the maze when Krum tried to hit him with the Cruciatus Curse.

"You chose the losing side Diggory!"

"Let's go." Cedric said now dragging Ron towards the girls tent. They stepped through the flap that represented a door. They saw Hermione sitting on her little cot and Ginny beside her patting her gingerly on the back.

"Hermione?" Harry said cautiously sitting down in a chair next to Ginny.

"Are you OK?" Ron asked.

"Of course she not you git!" Ginny barked at him.

"Hermione? I'm sorry, I shouldn't of done that."

"..not…fault…" she managed to sniff out. For a moment there was a very awkward silence.

"Hermione," Ginny said in a soft voice "he's not worth crying over. Besides we've got Harry." Ginny glanced desperately at the others for help.

"Um.. yeah there's no way I'll let my friends get hurt." Harry stumbled out. "Or their families." He added hastily.

"Yeah, Malfoy was just getting your nerves up." Ron added quickly.

"Hermione, I'm really sorry." Cedric said earnestly. To everyone's surprise Hermione looked up and wiped her remaining tears with the back of her sleeve. Cedric dug around in his jacket for a handkerchief, when he finally found one he gave it to Hermione.

"Thank-you." She said in a small voice. "You're right Ginny, he and his disgusting family are not worth crying over." Slowly regaining her normal fiery self.

"That's the spirit!" Ron said happily sighing in relief. Hermione dried the rest of her tears and looked up again. Again there was another awkward silence.

"Uh… well…let's do something!" Ginny said landing in Harry's lap with a 'umph'. Everybody sat in silence thinking on what they could do.

"Oh! I know! We could go swimming!" Hermione said finally looking away from the yellow lamp in the corner of the room.

"Swimming?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, swimming." Hermione repeated. Ron still looked bewildered.

"Oh right! It's a muggle sport in water." Hermione explained, suddenly remembering that Ron had never heard of swimming, much less actually swam. "There are four main-"

"-strokes in swimming" Cedric finished.

"How did you know? Surely you've never been swimming, have you?" Hermione said in surprise.

"No, I haven't actually been swimming, I learned about it in Muggle Studies my fourth year."

"You took Muggle Studies?" Ron asked in disbelief "I thought Hermione was the only go-getter…… I mean hard-working enough to take Muggle Studies." He finished lamely.

"Oh OK then you can explain all to Ron, and Harry." Hermione said to Cedric.

"Hermione you forgot, I grew up in a muggle family, I know what swimming is, just not very good at it." He added embarrassingly. There was a moment where no one spoke, but then Hermione said again, "Maybe we should invite Malfoy?"

Four pairs of horrified stares stared back at her.

"Why! Especially after what he said!" Ginny protested.

"I agree with Ginny, Why?" Ron added.

Hermione looked at Harry.

"Sorry Hermione I have to agree with the two."

"But us being well-mannered, should do the right thing and invite him."

"But-" Ron protested.

"I'll ask him." Cedric offered.

"Ok than, guys go with Cedric, he'll get you set up."

"But-"

"Go on." She said shoving them out the 'door'. The door floated down and brushed the floor with a light 'swish'.

"Come on Ginny! We have to get ready!" Hermione squealed excitedly as she pulled out her wand. "Balaxi" Swimsuits of all kind appeared on Hermione's four poster bed. "Okay." She gestured from Ginny to the pile of swimsuits on her bed "Take your pick." She said.