Anyone But Me

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Another mixed chapter with J.K.R.'s original works. As always, it's mostly just dialogue. This time there's a snippet from Ch 22 (After The Burial) and the rest comes from Ch 24 (Sectumsempra) HP&tHBP.

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"What were you doing up there with her?"

Ron and Hermione had just descended the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories. Harry was hidden underneath the Invisibility Cloak high on Felix Felicis and on his way to Hagrid's hut, making it seem like they were up there alone... The words were shrieked a second time by Lavender, her face red with rage at the assumed dalliance. "I said... What were you doing up there with her?"

Hermione stepped back from the advancing witch, worried she might actually attack her, but she threw a pointed finger in her face. That way there wasn't any doubt of who she was speaking about. Ron stood there stuttering at the unexpected ambush, "I... We... I..."

"You are the most horrid excuse for a boyfriend, I have ever seen in my whole entire life, Ronald Weasley!!!" Lavender shouted, moving so that she was in front of the petrified wizard. "I cannot believe you would do this! After everything we have been through!"

"I... We didn't..." Ron looked over to where Hermione stood, his panicked eyes wide and begging for help.

Hermione sighed, "Lavender, We..."

"Don't try to deny it. I'm not blind!" The other witch continued on, aggrandizing the ruinous accusation. "I can see what has been happening behind my back since your stupid accident!"

They looked at each other, both their eyebrows drawn in confusion. The simple act would seem like an admission of guilt, of course, but this was beyond ludicrous and they needed to check with the other that it was really happening. Hermione just shook her head in defeat. There wasn't a single thing either of them could say to convince the raging witch that her presumption was completely false. Without Harry there to back up that they hadn't been alone, it did look incredibly suspicious.

Ron gave it another go though, "Lav, listen..."

"No! I will not listen, Ronald! How? How could you do this to me to with... with HER?!?" She wailed, her tears starting to fall down her bright pink cheeks.

"I didn't do anything!" He tried to reason with her weakly and failed miserably.

"Oh, sure you didn't... How do you honestly expect me to believe that after what I saw with my own two eyes?!?" Lavender's skepticism was warranted, of course, her shrieked blubbering not so much...

All of the eyes in the common room were now watching the trio with rapt attention at the unfolding drama. Hermione looked down to the floor in an attempt to be as inconspicuous as she could. She didn't want to be there for what she knew was coming...

"We weren't doing anything, I swear!" Ron's voice was starting to rise with his annoyance at not being believed.

She took a slow step back, hoping she could sneak away before either of their attentions were brought back to her. If she was dragged further into it, her presence would only inflame the already heated exchange to explosive proportions.

"You think I'm stupid, right? You cheated on me, Ronald Weasley!" Lavender yelled. Parvati, finally, came over and tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but was quickly shrugged off.

"Nothing happened!"

"Go to Hell! The BOTH of you!!!" Lavender screamed. She hit an octave that impressed Hermione, despite everything going on, before she turned and ran up the stairs. Her wails could be heard until the slam of the dorm door cut them off. Parvati gave them both a withering glare and quickly followed after her friend.