Chapter 2- Fraternizing With The Enemy

Author: fairytalemanipulator

A/N: Set in their fourth year. Ron's little bromance with Viktor Krum is a point of hilarity for me. Please please review! I'll love you forever.

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Ginny stared.

"Ron, you really are in love with him, aren't you?"

The Weasley in question was currently staring over at the Durmstrang entourage with undisguised admiration shining bright in his eyes. Mouth hanging open, a piece of partially chewed biscuit landed on the tablecloth dangerously close to Hermione's hand.

"Honestly, Ronald!" The curly-haired witch snatched said appendage to safety, but not before landing a sound smack on the back of the messy red head.

"Come on, guys!" Ron exclaimed, snapping back to reality. He shot a look of distaste in Hermione's direction, rubbing his scalp, before turning with excitement to Ginny who rolled her eyes and proceeded to tune him out.

"You see, Ginny, his record is FIFTEEN…"

Hermione also ignored the boy beside her, preferring instead to gaze at the focus of most girls' (and apparently, boys') attentions to figure out what it was they really saw in who she determined to be an arrogant and rather large Quiddich star. She started suddenly when, with a thrill of exhilaration, she noticed his eyes were locked with hers.

Quickly breaking the look, Hermione turned slightly, gazing behind her to see who Krum was actually trying to contact. Seeing no one but Professor Flitwick at his position up at the front, Hermione raised her eyebrows and turned back around.

Krum was stifling a grin at the antics of the young witch, and his eyes sparkled with mirth and something akin to…lust? Hermione choked on her pumpkin juice and effectively brought all the attention to herself, coughing and contorting her face into rather awkward expressions.

As Ron smacked her back with overly large hands, she failed to notice the chuckling Krum and forgot about him for the moment, preferring instead to push away the zealous concern of her best friend.

"Really, Ron?" Ginny scoffed, handing Hermione a napkin in sympathy. "If you wanted to break her bones you could have just taught her your Quiddich moves."

Ignoring his sister, Ron looked back at his friend who was looking over with a vague expression at where he had been gazing not too long ago.

A dark expression clouded his face as Ron recognized far too well the stare he caught passing between the two.

He suddenly felt an abnormal anger toward the Bulgarian seeker and didn't notice when Ginny prodded him in the side, then stole his pie.

It took quite a bit for Ron to drag his attention back to his plate, and he found he quite oddly lost his appetite.

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Hermione was quietly, happily minding her own business in her own private aisle at the library as she scratched away with vigour at her Potions essay.

She was content, that is, until she heard the chorus of giggles weaving its way around the silent building, looping and echoing through the stacks of books.

Now Hermione was fuming.

She slammed her book shut, intent on finding the culprits and reporting them to Madam Pince.

Standing up and whirling around in her haste, she found herself confronted with a rather large brick wall that let out a loud "oomph" of surprise as she ran headlong into it.

Squeaking, she fell backwards onto the desk before being caught mid-fall by said brick wall, who turned out to be none other than one Viktor Krum.

Choking down an involuntary squeal, Hermione clutched at his arms to keep herself from smashing her head open.

"Hello," he murmured in a sleek accent. "Sorry to have startled you."

"It's—it's all right," she managed, still in his arms. "I suppose th-those were your fangirls making noise?"

"I apologize for that as vell," he said in a deep voice, a harmless smile on his face. "I vas vondering—may I sit here? I don't suppose they'll be able to find me this far back in the library."

Enraptured, Hermione nodded as he finally released her, lowering her gently into her seat with a flourish.

And just like that, it began.

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Crying on the steps at the Yule Ball was a low point in Hermione Granger's life. As she sobbed, Ron's words kept playing in her head. Fraternizing with the enemy…Viktor…you're a girl, right, Hermione?...who are you going with?...enemy…Viktor…

"I AM a girl!" She declared fiercely to no one in particular, ignoring the shrieks of surprise from a tearful huddle of witches behind her on the corner stairs. Turning and giving them a look of pity that meant to convey I know how you feel, boys are so bloody stupid, she continued talking to herself. "You didn't notice me, did you!"

Hermione ignored the throbbing ache in her heart as she stood suddenly and picked up her shoes, passing by the startled girls and heading up to her dorms. Who bloody cared if Ron Weasley didn't notice her? Hermione fumed and huffed down the halls of Hogwarts, frightening the snogging couples taking advantage of later curfew. Why did it matter, Ronald could bugger off for all she cared!

And so Hermione ignored the inkling of doubt that sprouted in her bosom saying that maybe it did matter to her, more than she wished to acknowledge.

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"You're being a git!" Harry raged for what was one of the few times his temper truly shone through, throwing notes on the upcoming task into his trunk. He banged it shut with a clang and Ron jumped, nervous. "Why did you have to say that? She's being standoffish with me now as well!"

"How is that my fault, mate?" Ron was confused, his wide eyes betraying him. "I was sticking up for you! She's—"

"Fraternizing with the enemy, I bloody well know you've been reciting that line for two days," Harry recounted in exasperation. "Are you really that thick, Ron?"

"He really is." The only Weasley girl popped her head into Harry's dormitory without bothering to knock, grinning. "Come on then, I'm hungry."

"Shut up, Ginny, no one asked you," Ron said scathingly, turning back to Harry. Just thinking of Viktor Krum made his blood boil, and simply demolishing the action figure he had once worshipped was not enough violence for his current mood. After all, he was Harry's enemy in this tournament! It had nothing to do with the fact that Hermione was…kissing him, most likely. Hugging him. Maybe even doing both…at the same time…on a flat surface…in a horizontal position…

Ron stopped thinking about it.

"I'm not dense, Harry! She's ruddy annoying, she is! Parading around with that stupid pumpkin headed fool, being all lovey dovey in public. Blimey! Acting like she isn't doing something wrong—"

"When are you going to admit it to yourself, Ron," Harry said, more quietly this time. Ginny had slipped out to call a greeting to her fellow third years, leaving them alone once again. "When are you going to realize?"

"Realize?" Ron repeated, brows furrowing in thought. "Realize what?"

Harry sighed. "Never mind. Come on, let's eat."

"Oy!" Ron snapped his fingers and Harry turned around, eyes glimmering with hope. "I just realized I forgot to finish McGonagall's homework! Thanks for reminding me, mate,"

The anticipation in Harry's green eyes died and he clambered out the dormitory without a backwards glance. Ron glanced at where his friend had stood, scratching his head.

"Oi, what else did I forget?"

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They stood together as three, the Golden Trio once again.

Only this time, it was the stark walls of the hospital wing surrounding them as they listened to the wails of Mrs. Diggory coming from Madam Pomfrey's office.

Ron didn't care anymore about who Hermione had been with and what they had done. He, just like Harry, had just needed them to be complete.

And whole they were once again, under the most terrible of circumstances, but Ron found it hard to remember and didn't really want to think about it because Hermione's warm hand was wrapped around his own and her hot tears were trailing down that flushed cheek.

He wanted nothing more than to have her wrap her arms around him like she had done before so he could comfort her, console her, in her time of need.

But Ron was a good friend, and he remembered Harry's woe as well, turning back to his friend in time to catch the desperate look he was giving the two of them.

"He's back."

If there was any question before as to who "He" was, all was vanished now as Hermione's little hand stiffened in his own.

"We know, Harry," her sweet voice filled his ears once again and he realized how much he'd missed her, and how they couldn't go through this without each other. "We know."

"It'll be all right," Ron murmured, to both of his best friends. Really, there was nothing else to say. Words sometimes failed in the face of adversity, and this time there were more obstacles than they felt they could hurtle over.

"Remember what Dumbledore said," Hermione said softly, grasp tightening on Ron's freckled fingers. The hope in her fingers gave him strength as he felt magic pulsing through the delicate digits. "At times like these it is most important to stand together."

Ron couldn't care less about Viktor Krum at that moment, because she was with them like she always was, she was with him and with Harry and they were whole once again, they were the Trio. Because there were bigger roles at play now than stupid jealousy that Ron was sure, deep down, he would feel again but he didn't know why, couldn't understand his own emotions. He drew back to his friends, his best mates, and felt like falling down at full realization of their circumstances. Harry was faced with undeniable odds…but Hermione was back again, back to them.

He couldn't, however, help feeling a bit lost as her hand drew out of his and left coldness where warmth had filled.

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The end.

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