Letters Intercepted

Letters Intercepted

The autumn colored, black-eyed owl screeched as it dropped two envelopes addressed to Hermione Granger during supper at noon in the Hogwarts Great Hall. She jumped a bit when she heard the bird's call, but steadied herself to catch the letters before they landed on her plate of shepard's pie. Ron Weasley, who was sitting beside her looked up from shoveling food in his face and observed the foreign objects. "Who're they from Hermione?" he said inquisitively as he leaned over her to get a closer look.

"One's from my parents." She peeled back the fold of the envelope and read it quietly to herself. "They say hello and sent me some galleons to spend over break."

Harry looked up gave a small smile. "We could go to Hogsmeade this weekend, maybe." Ron was still perched over her, trying to examine the return address of the other letter.

Looking at her, he said, "And the other?"

"None of your business," Hermione replied instantly and shuffled the second envelope behind the first.

But Ron was quicker, and he shot his hand out to steal both of the letters.

Hermione reacted instantly, and she tugged at his arm to get them back. He then stretched his arm out to full length, which was much longer then Hermione's. "Ron!" she squealed. "Give it back!" She made another motion to retrieve them but Ron just swatted her hand away.

Ron chuckled teasingly. "You're too slow!"

Hermione then shot Harry an incredulous look. "Do something!" she pleaded. His only response was give the both of them a bemused smile and a shrug. She frowned. "You're incorrigible. Both of you."

"Viktor Krum?" His voice was high, and Hermione turned back to look at him. Ron was examining the parchment, his face full of anger, shock, disgust, and betrayal. "Viktor Krum?!" he said louder again, his voice cracking at the end of Viktor's name.
"There's nothing wrong with it! He's my friend!" Hermione yelled.

Ron turned away from her in anger. "Bet he wants to be more than friends," he muttered under his breath.

She heard this and her face reflected her astonishment. "So what if he does want to be more than friends?! You have no right to tell me I can't be his friend!"

Ron's head whipped back around toward her, and he was looking at her scathingly. "I have every right to tell you what to do! You tell me what to do all the time!" He slammed the letter down on the table. "Dearest Hermione," Ron recited aloud. "Things have been difficult here at Durmstrang as I think about you constantly." Ron's voice was laced with arrogance.

"I'm done with this!" Hermione yelled. This resolve was loud enough for all of the students in the Great hall to hear, and Harry watched as countless heads turned to observe their table. She reached out, grabbed the galleons from her parents, and started to stomp away. Ron, who was still holding the letter from Viktor Krum, followed along behind her. Harry, however, remained at the table to continue eating his shepard's pie. He did not watch them go.

"None of the girls I've met in Bulgaria can compare to you." Hermione picked up her pace. Ron had to as well, and in doing so he crumpled the edges of the letter. "I keep seeing the memory of you walking down the staircase to attend the Yule Ball with me."

They had both reached the staircase that led to the Gryffindor common room, and Hermione turned to face him. There were tears streaming down her face, and her eyes were red and puffy. "Stop it, Ron!" she yelled.

He looked up at her with indignation. "No way!" As he finished Hermione placed her hand around her wand. "There is absolutely no way you can be with this...this...guy!"

She furrowed her eyes brows and another tear fell down her cheek. "Why not?!"

"Because..." His voice trailed off and he lowered his head in contemplation. "Because he killed Cedric Diggory!"

"Bullocks!" she shouted. "Everyone knows he was cursed!"

Ron gave no hesitation. It seemed as though he had planned this viewpoint out thoroughly. "If he's such a great wizard he should have been able to defend himself!"

They were both screaming then, and both of them were glaring. "What are you saying then?!"

"He's not good enough for you!"

Hermione's eyebrows returned to their normal position as she contemplated what he had just said. "What?" she said, flabbergasted.

With his head still low, and his eyes looking up at her, Ron muttered, "I don't think he's good enough for you."

Hermione and Ron then set off to the Gryffindor common room. Her hand was at her temples and she was deep in thought. "Who is, then?" she said as the door flung open.

"I..." Ron began as he stood two feet away from her. Just then, the pink-clothed Lavender Brown skipped down the steps from the girls' dormitories.

Lavender launched herself at Ron with arms stretched open wide. "Won Won!" she squealed. Hermione's face was that of disgust.

"If you'd rather stay here with Lavender, fine." Her arms were crossed and she started to walk away.

"No, Hermione, please..." Ron started after her, but Lavender held him back.

"Let her go, Ron," Lavender whispered into his ear. He tried to escape again but Lavender Brown had him in a full embrace.

"I have to g-"

Lavender giggled. "No, no, Won Won. Stay here with me, forget about her." She began to stroke his ginger hair.

Ron clenched his teeth. "Get off me!" he yelled while pushing her off him. "Leave me alone!" He barely turned to face her to yell, "Stay away from me!" as he ran up the stairs after Hermione, regardless of the fact that he was running into the girls' bedroom.

Still in full stride, he scanned the unfamiliar feminine territory looking for Hermione. He found her sitting on the floor beside her bed with her head buried between her knees, sobbing.

"Hermione..."Ron said quietly.

She paused between two of her convulsions and spat, "What do you want?"

Despite her angry tone, Ron lowered himself beside her and put and arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Hermione turned her head away from her knees and looked at him sideways, observing his face. "If you don't want me to talk to Viktor, I won't." Her lower lip quivered.

Ron moved closer to her. "You can send him letter if you want to, I can't stop you." Hermione choked back a sob.

She knew that when Ron was about to say who was good enough for her, he was going to say himself, but for now all she did was throw her arms around his neck and cried on his shoulder.