Endurance
Oliver: 17 (7th year)Fred: 17 (7th year)George: 17 (7th year)
Hermione: 16 (6th year)Ron: 16 (6th year)Harry: 16 (6th year)
Tanya: 16 (6th year) Victoria: 16 (6th year)Ginny: 15 (5th year)
Viktor: 19
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except, of course, the plot and any OC characters in here.
Chapter 3
Harry shook his head as he watched a fourth year Gryffindor by the name of Brian miss yet another Quaffle hurled to him by Angelina. She'd set him up to take five shots and each time he'd dropped the Quaffle because he'd been too busy looking at Victoria.
Harry sighed heavily. Wood's whistle sounded the end of tryouts and Harry gave his captain a grateful smile. It was horrible to watch someone embarrass themselves. Especially in front of a girl they liked…Harry knew. He'd done it loads of times already.
He shook himself from his thoughts and caught the last of Wood's 'Great Turn Out' speech. The group of kids disbanded after Wood told them he'd let them know in the next week about the available position.
Harry smiled partially and waved goodbye to everyone who called out to him as he made his way towards Wood who was frowning at the clipboard he held in his hands. He'd been using it to keep score.
"Hey, Wood," Harry said.
"Hey, Harry," Wood said distractedly, still staring intently at the clipboard.
"Have you seen Hermione today?" Wood immediately stopped what he was doing to turn his frowning face to Harry.
"No. Why? Is something wrong?" Harry shrugged.
"You could say that. It's just-Hermione hasn't said much to us about Krum since he got here and Ron and I are starting to worry. I mean, we try but she just…she shuts us out." Wood glanced at Harry and noticed the younger boy's clinched fists.
"I've talked to her," Oliver admitted guiltily. He couldn't help but feeling as though he was coming between Hermione and the two guys who'd protected her way before he had ever came into the picture. "Or at least I've tried. I barely said Krum's name before she said it was no big deal and changed the subject." Harry scowled darkly.
"At least you got more than we did. I can't help but think that it is bothering her if she's avoiding talking about it like this." Wood nodded in agreement and the two continued their walk to the castle.
"Do you think Victoria did well when she tried out for Chaser today? You know, since Alicia left," Harry asked after a few moments of silence. Wood nodded his head grudgingly.
"She was the best out there," Oliver sighed. "Though I'm not sure if it's because of skill or because the other Chasers were guys who did little more than drool over her. Besides, I don't think the other girls like her too much." Harry stifled a laugh before something occurred to him.
"Now that you mention it, did you notice how Victoria and Tanya don't get along at all?" Wood nodded.
"Definitely."
"Wonder why that is?" Harry asked, clearly puzzled. "I mean, Victoria's not the easiest person to get to know but Tanya's been able to make friends faster than anyone I've ever seen." Wood shrugged.
"Tanya won't say, but every time Victoria's around she glares at her like she wants to hex her." Harry laughed again.
"Hey, did you talk to Tanya about Malfoy yet?" At Wood's questioning glance, Harry explained. "Herm, told me, more than likely to distract me from asking about Krum, now that I mention it." Wood nodded.
"Oh, well, yeah. We talked this morning. I went for a jog around the school and she was there. When we were done jogging I explained to her the crazy stuff Malfoy's into. She didn't seem too worried to know his family supports you-know-who."
"Voldemort?" Harry raised an eyebrow as Wood looked around wildly, mimicking his actions from early that morning.
"What is it with you people and that name?" he asked. Harry stifled a laugh.
"Wood, calm down! Now, what else happened?" Wood took a deep breath.
"Well," he sighed. "I asked her why she was so calm and she basically said she is not worried as long as we've got you, mate," Wood grinned and placed an arm around Harry's shoulder. "She just might fancy you." Harry reddened. "She's quite outspoken, I like that." Harry frowned.
"You've got a girlfriend," he said warningly.
"Who I love," Wood reminded Harry. "I just think Tanya and I are going to be good friends…especially since she's a great jogging buddy." Harry nodded.
"Okay, well, I can see that. She's actually like you in some aspects. Hey did you find out why she's always popping in and out?" Wood shook his head.
"Didn't think on it, but it is a bit weird, isn't it?"
Ginny entered the common room that same afternoon to see Hermione pacing and muttering to herself. When Tanya followed Ginny inside, she was met with the same sight.
"Hermione," Ginny said quietly after a bit of hesitation. Then, when she got no response, she got louder. "Hermione!" The startled girl looked up to see her friends looking at her with a worried glance.
"Hermione," Tanya said cautiously as she and Ginny approached the anxious teen. "What's going on?" Hermione bit her lip and her eyes began to water. Tanya instantly regretted asking the question. "Girl, I'm sorry. You don't have to answer the question."
Hermione shook her head and looked up to her friends. She reached out and grabbed their hands and led them into the girls' dormitory. After checking a few beds to make sure they were alone, she spilled.
"Krum told me he loves me!" she whispered unhappily. Both Tanya and Ginny squealed.
"He didn't!" Ginny scowled.
"Whoa!" Tanya was smiling. She then noticed her friends' look of disgust. "Uh-Oh. That's bad isn't it? You people are gonna have to fill me in sometimes on who's a prat and who's not." Ginny bit back a laugh and Hermione smiled.
"Prat?" Ginny said questioningly.
"I heard Oliver say it about someone and figured it meant something bad so I thought I'd try it out. You do know that you people talk weirdly?" Hermione shook her head, trying to remain serious.
"Look, I dated Krum and when I wouldn't sleep with him, he dumped me for someone else."
"Jackass," Tanya snorted. Ginny nodded.
"That's about right," she agreed.
"Yes, but what am I going to do?" Hermione sighed.
"You don't love him, right?" Tanya said making it more of a statement than a question. They all knew the answer.
"I love Oliver," Hermione said earnestly. Tanya nodded approvingly.
"Don't tell Oliver," Ginny said suddenly. Hermione's confusion showed on her face and Ginny elaborated. "We know you love Oliver...hell, Oliver knows you love Oliver, but if he finds out about Krum when you so plainly refuse to talk to him about it, then he'll become insecure and that spells trouble." Hermione gaped and Tanya nodded in agreement.
"When," Hermione began. "Did you become an expert on boys?"
"Um," Ginny pretended to think. "Let's just say somewhere between my first year here to now." Tanya and Hermione laughed.
"Alright," Hermione nodded. "You're right about Oliver, but I just can't help feeling that if I don't tell him, he'll find out anyway." Ginny shook her head.
"Trust me. It will be bad if he thinks Krum wants you back."
"Speaking of Krum," Tanya said, turning to Hermione. "What did you do when he said he loved you?" Hermione turned red.
"I, uh, cursed a shelf of books so that they'd chase him and, uh, beat him until he left the library." Ginny began laughing and Tanya joined in.
"You didn't?" Ginny gasped. "A whole shelf?"
"I did and, yes, it was a whole shelf."
"Great curse," Ginny grinned. "I've been trying to master it for weeks now." Still laughing, the girls headed back down to the common room and left for lunch. As soon as they'd exited the girls' dormitory, Victoria pulled back her bed hangings and smiled.
Victoria walked slowly down the stairwell from the girls' dormitory into the common room. She grinned as she saw Oliver enter through the portrait hole.
'Perfect,' she thought. Straightening her robes, she took a deep breath and placed a look of worry upon her face as she hurried down the stairs.
"Oliver," Victoria breathed once she'd reached him. Oliver frowned and closed the gap between him and Victoria.
"Yes?" Oliver asked. She seemed upset. "What's wrong?"
"I have to tell you," she said. "Zhere's somezing you should know."
Halfway to the Great Hall, Hermione stopped walking and snapped her fingers. Ginny and Tanya stopped in their tracks and looked at Hermione strangely.
"Oh," Hermione sighed. "I forgot my bag." Tanya shrugged.
"We can get it later," she suggested. Hermione shook her head.
"No, I wanted to go straight to the library after lunch." Her friends sighed.
"Did she," Ginny said putting her head into her hands. "Or did she not just leave the library?"
"I believe she did," Tanya agreed slowly with a nod. "Come on, Hermione, we'll go with you."
"We will?" Ginny asked quickly taking her head out of her hands.
"We will," Tanya confirmed. "I don't trust Krummy not to show up out of nowhere and corner our girl." Ginny nodded grudgingly and they set out for the common room.
Oliver stared at Victoria, still not wanting to believe the words coming out of her mouth. She had no reason to lie, Krum was her brother sure, but she wasn't a dishonest person. She wouldn't do something so harsh as to lie to him about something as important as Hermione.
"Are you sure?" he asked Victoria urgently. "Are you absolutely certain that that's what happened?" Victoria nodded.
"Yes," Victoria lowered her head and smiled slightly. When she looked back up, her mask of concern was in place and Oliver looked crushed.
"I can't believe it," he whispered brokenly. He rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm going to lose her." Victoria, playing the ever comforting friend, pulled Oliver into a warm embrace just as Hermione entered through the portrait.
"I won't be but a minute," Hermione promised her friends laughingly. She entered the common room through the portrait and was just in time to see Oliver and Victoria hug. Victoria whispered something in Oliver's' ear just before she kissed him and Hermione could take no more. "Well, Oliver." He jumped, startled and shaken from Victoria's kiss.
"Hermione," he breathed his eyes widened. "This isn't what it looks like!"
"Don't worry about it," Hermione said coolly raising an eyebrow. She raised her wand. "Accio bag!" Once her bag had reached her, she headed towards the exit. Oliver quickly shook himself free of Victoria to block her path.
"Hermione, please," he pleaded. "Please, let me explain." Hermione shook her head and looked away.
"If you don't move away from me this instant, I'll have Ginny and Tanya put every curse they know on you." He didn't budge.
"Hermione please," Oliver blinked. His voice was ragged and he could feel his heart dropping from his chest into his feet. Everything was happening so fast. "Please don't leave like this. Please let me explain." Hermione pointed her wand at Oliver and stared at him straight in his eyes.
"You move now or I'll send you straight to the vanishing cabinet." Oliver's face broke and he nodded. He moved out of her way and Hermione brushed past him.
"Hermione," he said hoping one last try would do it.
"Leave me be, Oliver," she said before exiting. "It's over and I never want to speak with you again."
Victoria smiled; all was going according to plan. Her brother, she knew, could not resist proclaiming his love for Hermione. This was perfect as it helped her render one-third of the golden trio helpless. Hermione would be too heartbroken to be around Harry and the others, and the Dark Lord would soon have his chance at revenge.