Endurance

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except, of course, the plot and any OC characters in here.

Chapter 7

"What in the bloody hell were you thinking!" Hermione shouted at Wood. He'd come to find her that night and had confronted her with what he'd seen between her and Krum. Unfortunately, he also shared his assault on the new teacher. At Hermione's outburst, he frowned.

"I was thinking that my girl was kissing a prat-"

"I am not, for the thousandth time, your girl! We are over and I wish that you would just leave me alone!" Oliver looked into Hermione's face.

"I don't know what I'll have to do to convince you that I love you." Hermione shook her head.

"Just let it go, Wood. Besides, I was not kissing him. He was kissing me."

"I don't care! He was groping you!" Wood shouted. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Hermione, I love you and this is killing me that I can't make you see that." Hermione looked down at her feet and was silent for several moments. Soon her shoulders began to shake and Wood became frightened.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Hermione raised her head to show a tearstained face.

"Why can't you let it go?" she whispered. "Do you enjoy torturing me? Does it give you some sort of sick satisfaction?"

"No! No, I just want to be with you. I can't stop loving you, Herm. I don't know how."

Tanya sat in her hospital bed with her eyes closed in concentration. She knew Dumbledore had forbidden her to use her powers, but this was an emergency. The bond between Oliver and Hermione was weakening with each passing day and Hermione was becoming distracted. If she and Oliver didn't resolve things soon, the consequences could be dire.

She used her powers to feel around the school, she could feel Oliver's frustration, and pain. She could feel Hermione's hurt, and sadness, but at the moment she knew there was nothing to do but keep Voldemort at bay. She'd known something wasn't right when Victoria had first entered the train compartment with her. She'd felt something from the other girl, but now she knew what it was.

Victoria Krum was an avid supporter of Lord Voldemort.

"Tanya," Dumbledore said suddenly, scaring Tanya out of her trance. Tanya jumped guiltily and Dumbledore looked disapproving. "Are you using your powers?"

Tanya, knowing it was useless to deny it, replied, "Yes, Professor. I was checking up on Oliver and Hermione. I haven't seen them since I got into the infirmary." Dumbledore smiled.

"It's not from lack of trying," he assured her. "I've forbidden anyone to enter the infirmary, due to your present state. Although, I'm not sure that will keep them away for long." Tanya gave the tired old man a smile as he sat in a chair next to her bed.

"Tanya, I'm not sure how much good this will do, but I really must insist that you return home to your family. They can protect you far better than I." Tanya looked to Dumbledore with an agitated expression.

"I thought we already settled this. I will not leave them."

"But Tanya-"

"No!" she shouted suddenly. "I already said I will not abandon them."

"Tanya, I may not have the power to protect you as well as them. I don't know how safe you will be."

"You know as well as I, that if I leave, someone will die." Dumbledore stared into Tanya's eyes sadly.

"But you also know as well as I, that if you stay, you will die." Tanya shook her head again.

"Better me than them! Dumbledore, I will not leave them to die! I cannot leave them to die!"

Victoria walked down the corridors of the castle looking for the DADA room. She found it within moments and entered without knocking. Inside she found her brother sitting behind his desk with his head in his hands.

"Brozer," she said without much emotion. "It is good to see you again. I haff missed you." Krum looked up, showing a newly formed bruise around his eye. Victoria held back a laugh.

"It's not funny," he growled. "Zat boy, Herm-own-ninny's boyfriend, hit me." Victoria smiled as she thought of a way to strengthen her plan without adding to too much suspicion about her.

"Brozer, I know somezing zhat might cheer you up."

"Zere is nozing zat could cheer me up. I only vant Herm-own-ninny." Victoria's grin widened.

"Herm-own-ninny," she said quietly to her brother. "No longer dates Vood. Zey haff broken up. You are free to speak vith her." Krum looked up sharply and Victoria's smile, rather than being happy for her brother, took on a sinister look.

Oh, yes. Everything was going according to plan. With Viktor in the way, Oliver would stand even less of a chance with Hermione. Hermione would be too frazzled to help once the attack came, and she and her friends would fall. Then no one, not even Dumbledore, would stand in their way and the Dark Lord would rise again.