A Worthier Candidate

Ron~

I reread Rita Skeeter's column for what must have been the hundredth time. "A plain but ambitious girl..." I quoted darkly. Judging from Rita's looks, she has no idea what's pretty and what's not. And Hermione is pretty. Oh, not your usual drop-dead-in-your-lap gorgeous, but pretty like the girl next door, like your best friend.

And then that business about Krum. To think, I was so keen on him at the world cup. Not anymore. What could she possibly see in him? I mean, he can play quidditch, but the way he acts, the stuff he says...surely he can't be better company than Harry and me. Than me.

And he's "never felt this way about another girl." Well, neither have I, but I'm not stupid enough to say it to a reporter. I'll bet he's just trying to cause trouble. He probably told Rita all that stuff about inviting her to his house just to get his name in the papers. Stupid git.

That phrase, "might be toying with both boys' affections," bothers me though. Not Krum and Harry, but Krum and me. She's smart; she must notice how much I like her. The love potion thing scared me for a minute, but I'm sure she doesn't make love potions. She doesn't need them.

And she didn't say no to Krum when he invited her to his house. Oh sure, she was too worried about Harry and me, but she should have known her answer. Has she gone all mental about a celebrity again? I mean, there was Lockhart...oh, don't make me remember that bloody nuisance. Tried to kill me, he did.

"Devious Miss Granger," the scarlet woman. That's what Mum would say, anyhow. I hope Mum doesn't read this article; she knows how I feel about Hermione, I think. Mums are funny that way; they're psychic or something. Or maybe just mental.

But how about that stuff that Pansy Parkinson said? I stare at the paragraph again, wanting to shrivel it up with my eyes. "She's really ugly...". Yeah, and I'm the Queen Mum, Pansy.

Oh, I told her to leave Rita alone! Why wouldn't she listen to me? Of course, she thinks she's so much smarter than me; she thinks she knows everything. If Ron says it, do the opposite. I'm sure that's what she says to herself.

And why was she turning all pink when she talked about Viktor. Or is it Vikki yet? She wouldn't meet my eyes...yeah, I bet she knows how I feel. She's rubbing my face in the fact that she likes someone else. Well, fine. I don't need her. She can go mix with the enemy if she wants to. Maybe next time I'll bestow my heart on a worthier candidate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione~

I was almost glad when Snape split us up in Potions class. Ever since the Yule Ball, Ron's been a little different towards me. I hadn't realized he hated me that much. He's really just my friend because I'm Harry's friend. As soon as he got an excuse to dislike me, he jumped at the chance. I was his last choice as a date to the Yule Ball, and I can't help but remember what he said of me during that first year. "She's a nightmare!"

Maybe I am. Maybe that's why the only boy who will take me to the ball and pull me out of a lake, and take bugs out of my hair is a creep from some dark arts school instead of my fellow Gryffindor. He seemed astounded to think that yes, I am a girl. Augh, sometimes I could curse him!

I was kind of satisfied to see him flustered today in Potions when I talked about Viktor. Of course I have no intention of visiting him this summer, but Ron doesn't have to know that. Stupid prat! Ron's so wrapped up in himself that he doesn't notice me. He stood there and tried to make a hole in his desk as I calmly told the story. Okay, so maybe I didn't have to be so vague about it, but he didn't have to be so pushy.

Has he never been my friend then? Does he know how I feel and just think that it doesn't matter? Is he trying to show me in some absolutely stupid way that he doesn't care for me? Is he trying to hurt me? But there's no one I can talk to about it. Parvati and Lavender are much too...different from me. They wouldn't relate. They think Ron is not worth their time. Especially Parvati, after the way he treated her sister at the Yule Ball.

When Snape read that article aloud, I could have died. No, better: I would have killed Ron. What has he got against Viktor anyway? At the beginning of the year, he even had a little action figure thing of Krum (who knows what's happened to it now!). Maybe he's just jealous that I got closer to his favorite celebrity than he'll ever get. Krum won't even give him the time of day!

I tried not to look at him. If I had I probably would have cried. No, I waited until I got up here, to my dormitory, to cry. Viktor said he'd never felt that way about anyone else. Why won't I ever hear Ron say that? Maybe I will visit Viktor this summer. Maybe I'm learning. Maybe next time I'll bestow my heart on a worthier candidate.