The Seventh Year Soap Opera

RECAP OF CHAPTER SIXTEEN-The Rest of the Night: Ron reacts to Hermione's announcement, Ginny sticks up for Hermione, then takes Ron to his room. She snaps at Harry just as he's about to tell her he loves her, and he slams the door in his face. Then she tells him Voldemort should have finished him off when he had the chance. Not good.

Chapter Seventeen- Leaking Water

Ron woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Every simple movement caused his head to throb in roaring pain. It hurt like hell. He stumbled out of beto find that he was wearing his dress pants. He briefly wondered why, and his thoughts trailed to the night before. The Ball. The only thing he remembered was Hermione walking into the common room wearing that black dress...Well, he did remember Eloise Midgen hitting Harry upside the head with a bottle, but he had no idea what that was all about.

He looked around the dormitories. Empty. I probably missed breakfast, he thought to himself, as he walked to the bathroom and splashed water on his face and in his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw that his hair looked unusually greasy (Aargh! Snape!), his face was red, and his eyes had enormous bags under them. Bloody hell. I look like shit, he thought. He sighed. Is this a hangover? If it is, I'm never drinking again.

He began to get dressed when someone knocked on the door. "What?" he snapped.

"Don't snap at me, Ron Weasley," came Ginny's voice. "Hermione told me to tell you that you have Herbology in ten minutes."

"Why couldn't she tell me herself?" said Ron, putting on his robes and opening the door. Ginny was leaning against the wall, looking as though she hadn't slept all night, a knapsack flung over her shoulder. She raised her eyebrows.

"She's mad at you, remember?" Ginny said, wiping lint from the shoulder of his robes. "And she said she's not speaking to you."

"Why?" said Ron, confused.

Ginny sighed. "You don't remember." It was a statement, not a question. "Last night, you treated her like a child."

"So she's mad at me?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm glad we understand each other," she said.

"It's always something with her," he sighed, looking around the room again. "Where's Harry? Normally he waits for me."

Ginny turned red and looked down at the floor, wringing her hands. "What?" said Ron as she began to sniff. "Tell me."

"It's just we got into this horrible row...and I told him...I told him..." She was gesturing with her hands in the air, her eyes slowly filling with tears. Ron narrowed his eyes in concern, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ginny seemed too distraught to continue. "I...oh never mind, I don't want to talk about it!" She rubbed her eyes furiously with her hand.

"Okay," said Ron awkwardly. "So why is Hermione mad at me again?"

Ginny looked relieved for the change if subject. "Well, you were drunk last night and when she told you that she was engaged to Viktor, you kind of went off--"

"What?" yelled Ron suddenly, causing his head to throb. He clapped his hand to his head. "Shit! Now, I thought you just told me that Hermione's engaged to Krum, but that can't be possibly true, can it? I mean, she barely knows the guy! I'd rather have her marry Harry or Neville...okay, not Neville or Harry...Krum? Are you serious? Is this a joke? She's too young to get married! For Merlin's sake, she hasn't even had my baby yet! What the hell was she thinking?"

"Yeah, you kind of acted like that, except there was a lot more staggering because of your, er, condition," muttered Ginny.

"Where is she?" Ron said, suddenly calm.

"She's in Greenhouse Four, helping Madam Sprout prepare for the lesson. Why?" Ginny asked, suddenly suspicious.

"What about Krum? Where's he?"

"He's helping Madam Hooch. Why? What are you going to do?"

"See you later Ginny," he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek and bounding down the steps to the common room.

"What are you going to do?" she called after him.

"Bye!"

Ginny sighed, thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't Hermione, and headed to Divination, her favorite class. Cough, cough.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I really appreciate your help, Ms. Granger," Professor Sprout said to her.

"I like to help," Hermione responded simply, handing her teacher a pot of poisonous lilies that they were to be studying that day. The lilies were poisonous, but were extremely magical, due to the fact that if poison was already in your system, they could be used as an antidote.

"Have you thought about what you are going to pursue after Hogwarts?" the plump woman asked her.

Hermione smiled. After Voldemort was defeated, Hermione had considered this greatly. She hadn't really wanted to be an Auror at first, but the positon became attached to her. "Well, I'd like to be an Auror--"

"Sorry to interrupt, Professor Sprout, but Professor Dumbledore said that he needs to have a word with Hermione as soon as possible," a voice said.

Ron was standing in the doorway, panting and out of breath. Whatever Dumbledore wants must be extremely important, thought Hermione, trying to ignore the fact that she was still upset for what had happened last night. Professor Sprout nodded and Hermione followed Ron out of the greenhouse, curious as to what Professor Dumbledore needed. "What does he need to see me for?" Hermione asked Ron, who was staring at her.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks and faced her, a serious expression on his face. "Hermione, why are you marrying Krum?" he said, looking her straight in the eye.

Hermione shook her head in frustration. "We've been through this already," she said, swiping her hair out of her face, and pulling her robes closer to her body.

"Been through what?"

"I love Viktor!" Hermione said shrilly, not believing she was having this conversation.

Ron dropped the serious expression and chuckled. "You've got to be kidding. Krum? Come on, Hermione!"

"I do love him," said Hermione haughtily.

"Think, Hermione! Think about what you're doing. You're not even eighteen--"

"So what!" she said defensively.

He continued as though he hadn't heard her. "--And you're making a commitment to spend the rest of your life with someone. How well do you even know Viktor? That time during fourth year, and now, four days after he shows up, you want to get married?"

"I have to go to Dumbledore," she said, walking past him.

"Oh, about that..."

"Yes?" she had a warning tone to her voice.

"Dumbledore doesn't need to see you, I lied."

"What?" Hermione said, taking a harsh step toward him. "You pulled me out of Herbology to talk about this? This is ridiculous and not at all important!"

"See, Hermione, that's it! That's what I'm talking about. That's exactly why you shouldn't get married."

Hermione looked confused. "I shouldn't get married because I'm upset that you took me out of Herbology class"--she gestured to the greenhouse--"to talk about it?"

"No," said Ron, with a bit of a grin at her anger, "you shouldn't get married because you aren't ready. You're not mature enough--"

"I'm not mature?"

"No, you're not, because you have a childish mindset. You think that studies come before friends, family, and in this case, love. You would rather attend a Herbology class than discuss a marriage that you will need to be committed to until the day you die. If you and Krum get married, would you be willing to take a day off of work to spend time with him? When our baby is born, would you gladly change its diapers, feed it, hold it when it cries, and play with it instead of finishing a ten-page research paper? I know the answers to those questions Mione, and the answer is no. You haven't sorted out your priorities, and that, Hermione Granger, is why you shouldn't get married."

Hermione tried to absorb in everything he had said and was truly stunned. Then, she was angry. "What do you know about my priorities?" she snapped. "Just sod off!"

Ron shook his head in disbelief, also becoming angry. "I've just wasted my breath, haven't I? You aren't going to think on it at all, are you? Fine, Hermione, fine. But ten years from now, don't say that I didn't warn you. Go ahead and be a stubborn little witch, and marry your precious Vicky!"

He turned, fuming, and stalked back to the greenhouse. Hermione watched his retreating form, sighed, and followed him. She took her seat and paid close attention to the important lesson on poisonous lilies.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Throughout lunch, Ron and Hermione refused to speak with each other. Ron was mad because she was being so stubborn, but Hermione didn't notice--she was talking to Viktor about their so-called future.

"Ve vill haff a cottage by the vater, ver our children vill learn to swim--"

Hermione leaned on her elbow, hanging onto his every word. "How many children?"

"I don't know," he said. "But they vill haff your intelligence--"

Hermione glowed. "And your athletic ability," she added.

"Yes, and they vill haff bushy black hair."

"Oh, Viktor, my hair isn't that bushy anymore!" said Hermione, playfully slapping his arm. She mentally cursed her hair.

Ron was beginning to feel queasy. Honestly, were they trying to get him angry? Talking about their kids...for Merlin's sake, she hadn't even given birth to his child yet! Suffocating in jealousy, he clenched his fists under the table, stood up suddenly, and walked away from the table.

Harry, who was sitting next to Krum, and Ginny, who had been sitting next to Ron, exchanged worried glances, but then they remembered their argument the night before, and shifted their gazes elsewhere.

"Harry, could you pass the marmalade?" said Hermione. Harry glared at her by accident, a glare that was meant for Ginny. Hermione felt hurt. "Oh never mind," she said, biting her lip. Would nothing go right today? Suddenly she had an idea. "Viktor, let's go flying. I have an hour before Arithmancy."

"Flying?" said Viktor excitedly. "But, Herm-own-ninny, you never want to fly! You hate flying!" Hermione nodded, it was true, but flying could be something to take her mind off of things.

"I don't care, Viktor. I want to go flying, and I want to go flying now," she said firmly.

"Okay!" said Viktor, looking delighted. They practically ran out of the Great Hall, leaving Harry and Ginny alone at the Gryffindor table.

They began speaking at once. "Ginny, I know you didn't mean what you said last night--"

"Harry, you know I didn't mean what I said last night--"

"--even though I was really hurt afterwards--"

"--and I know that I hurt you and I am so terribly sorry." Now Harry was staring at her in rapt attention as she continued. Tears were beginning to well inside her eyes. "If it wasn't for you, I--I'd probably be dead right now...and I'm sorry about the whole cold shower thing, because I know you were doing what you thought was best...I can't tell you how sorry I am..." Her head was buried in her hands now and she was sniffing loudly. Practically the whole Gryffindor table was staring at Harry, waiting for him to respond.

"Ginny, I-I'm sorry too...and I forgive you," he said quickly.

Ginny looked up, cheeks and eyes red, and the expression on her face told him that she thought this was too good to be true. "But, you never get over things this fast!"

Harry sighed and stared at his plate. "Well, after Voldemort..." he breath caught in his throat and Ginny felt another pang of guilt, "I decided to turn over a new leaf...and...I guess I am." He brought his head up from the plate and his green orbs stared at Ginny.

She smiled. "So we're friends again?" she said.

"Yes," said Harry, shaking her hand. But inside he wished they could be more.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They were soaring high above the ground. Hermione swam in the heat of their bodies so close together on Viktor's broom. The breeze blew through her hair, and she smiled happily. She didn't want this to stop, but she knew it must. Her Arithmancy class was in fifteen minutes. She told Viktor to lower the broom.

He reluctantly rode the broom to the ground and they both stepped off, laughing hysterically. Their cheeks were flushed from the cold air, their hair was disheveled, and grins adorned their faces. "That was great," said Hermione, not laughing anymore. She stood on tiptoe and kissed Viktor roughly. He bent over and kissed her back, sliding his tongue into her mouth, a motion that made Hermione moan. She clasped her arms around his neck, and moved her hands into the collar of his cloak, desperate with need to feel his skin.

They went on like this for awhile, and Hermione broke away from him. She really didn't want to be late for class. "We'll have to do this again sometime," she said, giving him a seductive grin.

He looked concerned. "Viktor, what's wrong?" she said, startled by the look on his face.

"You--you--"

Hermione noticed what had made him so worried and was more scared than she ever had been in her entire life. "Oh boy," she said frantically, trying to think of what to do. "Er, go find Harry and tell him," she instructed Viktor.

"Vat about you?"

"And then Harry can tell Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore--"

"Herm-own-ninny!" said Viktor, shaking her shoulders roughly, bringing her out of her reverie. "Vat about you?"

"I'll be behind you," she assured him. "Just go. Run!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Ron and Eloise were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, discussing Ron's problems with women (code for Hermione), while playing Exploding Snap. Harry was busy reading some Quidditch book, his glasses ready to fall off the bridge of his nose, but was listening intently to their conversation at the same time.

"She's too young!" Ron was saying, waving his arms wildly. "Why is she being so stupid? Engaged at seventeen...First, she's pregnant, now she's going to get married! What the hell will her parents think? She's supposed to be sensible! And what about me? Eh? That's my child she's carrying and the fact that only days after she's told me, she gets engaged to some duck-footed bloke, makes me think that she doesn't want me to be a part of the baby's life!"

"Ron, dear, you need to calm down," said Eloise as the card castle blew up.

"Shut up Eloise," he murmured, as a card flew into his face, singing his eyebrows. "Bloody hell!" he shouted.

"Don't you mean bloody murder?" Eloise commented jokingly.

"Shouldn't you be putting pimple cream on or something?" Ron said angrily.

"Ron, I know you aren't talking about my looks. Have you ever looked in a mirror? All of your freckles look like three of my pimples put together (Ron ran his hands up and down his face) and please, don't get me started on your nose--"

"Could you be quiet?" said Harry from his chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we interrupting your precious reading of Waffles?" Eloise said innocently.

Ron stared at her like she had just committed a murder. "Excuse me, did you just say Waffles? They are called Quaffles!" he said in defense of the beloved ball.

Eloise rolled her eyes. "I know, I was being sarcastic."

"Are you sure you know? Because I don't ever, and I mean ever, want to hear you call a Quaffle a Waffle, a Bludger a Smudger, or the Snitch a Bitch...no it wasn't bitch, it's pitch, or is it witch? Anyway, name them properly."

"Harry! Ron!" said a heavily accented voice. They turned to the portrait hole to see Krum panting, his hair windblown, his cheeks slightly pink.

Harry slammed his book shut and stood up. "What's the matter?" he said.

"Ver is Dumbledore's office?"

"Why?" said Ron, crossing his arms around his chest.

"It's Herm-own-ninny!"

"What about Hermione?" said Ron, standing up abruptly.

"She is leaking! I mean she broke! Break vater! Her vater broke!"