Especially For You

CHAPTER TWO: THE TALK

Hermione went outside the house after that fight with Ron, sighing. She sat on the ground, watching Harry and Ginny playing in the lake.

`Want to join us?´ called Ginny, shrieking because Harry splashed her with water.

`No, thanks,´ she called back, chuckling at the look of the extremely wet Harry and Ginny. She envied them. They looked so happy. Ginny was walking towards her when Harry pulled her in the water again.

`Harry!´ she shrieked and then hissed, `Hermione´s here...´

`Who cares,´ Harry said, leaning down to kiss her. She felt that she had to go. She was disturbing them. She stood up and then waved at them.

`I´ll, er, just, er,´ said Hermione, looking away, feeling extremely uncomfortable at the sight of Harry and Ginny snogging. `Go ahead. Bye.´ She really envied them now. She walked back towards the house, and then glanced at Ron´s window. She saw the Quaffle going up and down. She needed to talk to him. She went upstairs and then took a peek at the door. Ron was lying down and was still throwing the Quaffle in the air, hitting the ceiling sometimes. He looked like he was doing it on purpose. She pushed the door slightly, clearing her throat. Ron looked at her.

`Ron,´ she gasped, but it was too late. The Quaffle dropped on his face already. He moaned and then rubbed his nose slightly, wincing. Hermione got the Quaffle for him and then immediately ran to his side, sitting beside him. `Are you OK?´

`Yeah, I´m fine,´ he said coolly, rolling on his tummy, moving away from her. `What are you doing here?´

`Look, I´m here to try and fix things with you and that´s all that you do.´

`If---´ said Ron, now standing up and looking down to her.

`Talking to you is not a good idea,´ she said, standing up and walking out of the door. Ron took a step forward but stopped himself.

`Either it´s me or Viktor Krum. You can only have one,´ he thought, sitting on his bed. *******

`Hermione,´ said Ginny upon seeing Hermione lying on her side, hugging her pillow with red, puffy and wet eyes. `Wha---what are you doing?´

`I´m going home,´ said Hermione, blowing her nose and getting up. She walked towards the cabinet and then began packing her things. `He just doesn´t understand. He wants me to tell Viktor to stop writing to me. Can I have some Floo Powder?´

`He´s just, er, jealous, Hermione. Ron´s self-esteem is not really high. Plus, with 5 older brother´s, he felt inferior a lot of times,´ said Ginny, rubbing her back.

`What´s his problem?´ asked Hermione, sitting on the bed, wiping her watery eyes. `He is the one that I´m with. The only thing that I can offer Viktor is friendship and he still wants to take that away from him.´

`Hermione,´ said Ginny, hugging her. `Try to understand my brother. He´s just, er, worried. Competing with Viktor Krum is not easy. He is rich, popular, handsome, a superb Quidditch player and everything. Ron is not rich. He may be popular in school but that popularity is nothing compared to Krum´ international fame. He is handsome and a superb Quidditchplayer but Krum is...´

`I know what you mean, Ginny,´ said Hermione, forcing herself to smile. `I´ll try to talk to him again tomorrow.´ *******

`Ron,´ said Harry, knocking on the door and looking at the distraught Ron. `Do you want to talk?´

`Why are you all wet?´ he asked, rolling on his tummy and burying his face on his bed.

`Don´t change the subject, Ron,´ said Harry, walking over to the cabinet and tossing a towel over his shoulder. `Are you really bothered because Krum is writing to Hermione?´

`Look, you wouldn´t understand. You´d just think that I´ve gone crazy.´

`Try me. I´m your best friend, right?´

`It´s just that, believe it or not, I´m worried.´

`About what?´

`I know. I just know, that Krum sees Hermione the same way that I do and...´ He sighed. `This isn´t making any sense.´

`Actually it is,´ said Harry placing a brotherly arm around his shoulders. `I´d probably feel the same if Krum liked Ginny. He´s Krum!´

`But you are Harry Potter,´ said Ron, looking a little relieved, but still bothered. `I´m just Ron. Nobody knows who I am. And Krum likes Hermione. Do you know how worried I feel every time he gives Hermione something that I can´t? Such as a summer vacation with all expenses paid by him in Bulgaria? World Cup tickets?´

`Shut up,´ said Harry. `Hermione chose you remember? She never liked Krum. She never saw him more than just a friend and that burst Krum´s bubble.´

`What if she wakes up one morning and realizes that she´s better off with Krum,´ mumbled Ron, dropping face first on his bed. `I wouldn´t know what I´d do. I´m going crazy...´

`No, no, definitely not,´ said Harry, chuckling a little. `That´s quite normal for people who are in love...´

`And since when have you, the great Harry Potter, became a Love Doctor?´ he asked, smiling a little.

`Well, a long time before you two started dating,´ said Harry with a smirk. `You do not know what it is like keeping up with you and Hermione...´

`Thanks a lot.´

`Don´t mention it.´

`What do you think I should do?´

`Girls always want us to make the first move...´

`I know,´ said Ron, sighing. `I´ll talk to her tomorrow. I don´t know what to tell her yet.´

`I´m pretty sure that Hermione´s lying on the bed, hugging her pillow and crying in the other room right now,´ said Harry, shaking his head and looking away.

`She is?´ said Ron, miserably. Harry just rolled his eyes.

`I´m sure she is. Can´t you talk to her sooner?´

`But I don´t know what to say...´

`Suit yourself and continue being a prat... Anyway,´ said Harry, standing up and patting his back. `I have to take a bath and get dressed. I have to go home.´

`Aren´t you staying here?´

`Sirius wants me to help him with something. See you tomorrow and please get this over with when I get back...´ *******