Ron and Hermione's Jealousy

Things did not improve in the slightest.

Word of Katie being cursed quickly swept around the school. Security was tightened and students were even more afraid. We were assured Katie would be fine, but she was sent to St. Mungo's to recover. There was also talk of who the cursed necklace had been meant for, but as there was no proof and only speculation, nothing could be done.

To make things even worse, a few days before the Quidditch match of Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, Ron and Hermione had an argument about Slughorn's next party to which Ron was not invited and about McLaggen, and it got bad enough that Ron's performances in practice was poor and I had to resort to drastic measures.

Over breakfast the day of the match, I talked to Ron. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

"Juice," he said, dully.

I handed him a glass of pumpkin juice.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you, Ron," said Cedric, playing along as I'd told him of my plan. "I thought I saw something get placed in it."

"Ron, I think he's right," said Hermione, looking concerned. She hadn't been told of the plan as I needed her to be truly convincing. "Helena what did you put in that drink?"

"Nothing," I lied.

Ron downed the juice. "Quit bossing me around, you two!" and then walked down to the locker rooms.

Hermione gave me the look of death. "Have you lost your mind, Helena?" she hissed, as she got up from the table.

I sighed as Cedric squeezed my shoulder.

"She'll understand later," he said.

Before we got on to the pitch, Ron and I talked.

"Fishy, isn't it? Two of Slytherin's players ill and replaced and the weather's perfect. Seems a bit lucky, doesn't it?" I said, softly.

"Yeah." Then he looked at me. "Helena, this morning…my pumpkin juice…you didn't…?"

"Ron, you're mumbling. I don't understand a word you're saying," I said, jokingly, as we joined the others and flew up.

During my first Quidditch match as Gryffindor's Captain, the team performed brilliantly.

Demelza, Ginny and Katie's replacement Dean, scored dozens of goals with no trouble, Cootes and Peakes kept the Bludgers away from the team with ease, and Ron was astounding. He saved every single goal that headed his way and people kept cheering him on. After Gryffindor had won one hundred Quaffle points and Slytherin twenty, I found the Snitch and chased after it and caught it, securing a victory for Gryffindor.

There was a huge party in the Gryffindor common room which Cedric attended and then Hermione came up behind me.

"Helena, I want a word with you. You shouldn't have done spiked Ron's juice with Felix. It's illegal," said Hermione.

"That's why I didn't." I held up the Lucky Potion, which was still tightly sealed with wax. "Ron was never given any Lucky Potion."

"You faked it?" she said, looking impressed.

"Yep."

"It was all a trick to get Ron's mood to change. He performed so well because he thought he was lucky," said Cedric. "He never knew he wasn't given any potion."

"Great," said Hermione, smiling.

However, our good moods vanished when Lavender Brown ran into Ron's arms and they began kissing.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she ran out of the common room. Cedric and I followed her to an empty classroom where she was conjuring canaries.

"Hey," said Cedric.

"Hi," she said, dully.

"Hermione, is there anything we can do for you?" I asked.

"I—"

Just then, Ron and Lavender came in, giggling and kissing. The very sight made me clench my hands into fists and Cedric was glaring as Hermione stood up and raised her wand.

"Oppunego!"

And then her flock of canaries swarmed down upon Ron and attacked him as he yelped and ran off with Lavender.

Hermione sat back down and burst into tears as Cedric and I held her in a group hug. We got her some hot chocolate and sat up with her until she finally fell asleep.

Ron and Hermione's feud proved to be stronger this time as they barely said a word to each other for the next several weeks. Cedric and I tried and failed to get them to reconcile their differences. One evening, Hermione, Cedric and I were in the library putting away our books and somehow we got on the subject of Ron's new relationship with Lavender, which was almost sickening considering how often they were found kissing in public.

"Ron's at perfect liberty to kiss whoever he likes. I really couldn't care less about it," said Hermione.

"Liar," I muttered, but she didn't hear me. "Look, why we just go to Slughorn's party as a threesome and just hang out together?"

"I'd love to, but I can't," said Hermione. "I already asked someone to go with me."

"Who'd you ask?" asked Cedric.

"I'll tell you later," said Hermione. "There's something you need to know. You see those two over there, Romilda Vane and Zacharias Smith? I overheard them yesterday and they're planning on trying to slip you one of Fred and George's Love Potions. Smith wants you to go out with him and Vane wants Cedric to go out with her."

"Cedric and I are going out together!" I said, outraged. I couldn't believe this. First Mrs. Weasley and now the school itself, what was next? This was outrageous! And Smith, how could he possibly think I'd look twice at a self-centered git like him?

"Well, some don't think you're good enough for each other," said Hermione. "Some boys think they're more suitable for you than Cedric and quite a few girls think they're more suitable for Cedric than you."

"That's beyond ridiculous," said Cedric. "The only one for me is Helena."

"Oh, thanks, Ced. You're so sweet," I said, as I kissed his cheek. "You're the only one for me too."

"Anyway," said Hermione. "If I were you, I'd be careful just in case something you ate or drank got spiked."

"Oh, believe me, I will," I said, with venom. "I'm writing to Fred and George in case something happens."