A Different Beginning

Chapter XX - The Second Task

Harry was walking back to the common room with his arm casually draped around Parvati's waist. "I think that my feet are going to fall off."

She laughed and leaned closer to him. "Mine too. I can't believe that we danced straight through. It's almost two in the morning."

"I can't believe that we were actually allowed to stay out so late."

She grinned. "True. Though I don't think that Padma had as much of a good time. Ron was very grouchy through most of the night even though he did eventually get up and dance."

Harry shrugged. "Well, I don't know what his problem was. He was pretty grouchy throughout most of the night."

Parvati sighed. "It's so obvious, Harry. He was jealous of Viktor Krum. Didn't you notice that he was staring at Hermione almost all night? She looked beautiful."

Harry was about to comment when the portrait door swung open and he was rewarded to the very subject of his conversation.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, RON?"

Ron's face was red as he yelled back. "IT MEANS THAT YOU WERE FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY, HERMIONE!"

"THE ENEMY?"

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HARRY'S FRIEND! YET HERE YOU ARE GOING TO THIS BALL WITH SOMEONE WHO HE IS COMPETING AGAINST! DID YOU HELP HIM OUT WITH HIS CLUE TO THE EGG? WHAT DID HE WANT TO KNOW, HOW FAR HARRY WAS IN THE COMPETITION? DID YOU GIVE AWAY ALL OF THE SECRETS?"

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes now but she held them back. "HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH A THING? OF COURSE I WOULD NEVER BETRAY HARRY THAT WAY! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT, NOT ONCE!"

But Ron was on a roll now and he ignored the tears that Hermione furiously blinked back. "WELL, THEN HE OBVIOUSLY ONLY WANTED ONE THING, HERMIONE! AND BY THE WAY THAT YOU'RE DRESSED I'D SAY THAT YOU PROBABLY GAVE IT TO HIM! YOU LOOK LIKE SOME KIND OF A TRAMP! KRUM WAS PROBABLY ALL OVER YOU THE ENTIRE EVENING!!"

Ginny had just walked into the portrait hole now with Neville and Harry felt her grab his arm and he could see the anger vibrating from her. She had obviously only heard the last part of the scene.

"YOU THINK THAT I'M A TRAMP? OH THAT'S RICH, RON! FINE, THINK WHATEVER YOU WANT! BUT I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT I LOOKED VERY NICE TONIGHT!"

"YEAH, FOR A SCARLET WOMAN!" Ron bellowed.

Harry stepped forward now, shoving Ginny at Parvati so that she wouldn't jump up and punch Ron herself. Though he wasn't sure if he was going to hit him himself or what.

"YOU KNOW WHAT, RON! IF YOU HAD SUCH A BLOODY PROBLEM WITH ME GOING TO THE BALL WITH SOMEONE ELSE DRESSED LIKE THIS THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST ASKED ME TO GO WITH YOU YOURSELF AND NOT AS A LAST RESORT!!" She cried out before she ran up the stairs, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"That's ... beside the point. That has nothing do with anything," Ron muttered to himself as he watched her flee.

Ginny and Parvati ran up the stairs after her so Harry turned to Ron. "What the hell is your problem, mate?"

Ron glared at Harry and started to make his way up the dormitory stairs, but Harry followed him.

"No, I'm serious, what the hell is your problem? Calling Hermione both a tramp and a scarlet woman? I should punch you twice on principle."

Ron shrugged. "I didn't mean to call her that, it just ... sort of came out."

Harry snorted. "I bet. Listen, she was not fraternizing with the enemy in any way! Did it ever occur to you that Krum might like her for who she is? She looked beautiful tonight! She said that he asked her out when she was in the library. And of course she wouldn't help him with the golden egg, Ron. She loves me. She wouldn't betray me like that and she wouldn't betray you like that either."