The Ice Bowl | dramione

The Quiet

"You seriously read the Daily Prophet willingly?" said Harry to Hermione, as they walked to the area where their Portkey was supposed to be.

"I like to stay well-informed."

"Well, to each their own, I guess." said Ron.

It was a few days before the Quidditch World Cup, and Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys were walking to the area where they would find their Portkey.

"Oh my God." said Ginny, looking over Hermione's shoulder.

"What?" said Hermione.

Ginny pointed at one of the headlines.

Quibbler editor's wife missing

Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of the controversial publication The Quibbler, reported his wife Pandora missing earlier this week. Lovegood states that his wife 'mysteriously disappeared' after an argument that took place while visiting their family friends, the Malfoys, at their home. Lovegood states that he and his daughter Luna will still be present at the upcoming Quidditch World Cup despite this news, telling the public not to worry.

Hermione's eyes scanned the rest of the article. "Good Lord, this guy is a misogynist."

"Why is he mentioning all that in an interview about his missing wife?" added Ron.

"Also, who still goes to the World Cup if their wife is missing? I feel bad for his daughter." said Harry.

"Some people just have bad parents." This came as a murmur from Mrs Weasley, who, apparently, had been eavesdropping, listening in on their conversation the whole time.

"Mum?" said Ron, confused.

"Oh, sorry." The four looked at Mrs Weasley with mild concern. She continued, "Just remembering your grandparents," - she uttered the last word in a menacing, chiding tone - "and their reaction when both your uncles died." None of the children pressed further, but Mrs Weasley continued, clasping her hands together. "They said it was deserved due to Gideon and Fabian both having birth defects, as if that was my brothers' faults and not my mum's for her ridiculous amount of drinking, so that was just wonderful."

The rest of the walk continued in silence and a little bit of awkwardness as Mrs Weasley's stories grew increasingly disturbing. Eventually, Hermione broke the silence, saying, "So, that Xeno Lovegood man was insane."

"I agree. What a madman." said Ginny. "I'm friends with his daughter, Luna, and she told me a bunch of stuff that she thought was normal, like having to deep clean the entire house every day while her mum stayed in the kitchen the whole time and her dad just sort of lay on the sofa doing whatever he wanted. That was in our first year, and the next year when I saw her in Defence Against the Dark Arts she had bruises all over her arms. I never asked her about them, but Professor Lupin did and she was too scared to say anything, so I think we can all piece together what happened."

"Yeah. He pulled an Uncle Vernon." Harry laughed darkly. They all looked at him.

"Sorry. I keep forgetting regular people don't hit the children in their care."

Ron turned to Hermione. "Please tell me you, at least, have sane parents."

"Thankfully, yes." Hermione slightly smiled. "Well, they think I have a crush on you, but obviously, I don't, for a multitude of reasons. No offence."

"None taken." Ron laughed.

This significantly lightened the mood, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all continued with relatively pleasant conversation until they reached the site where they would find their Portkey. After a few minutes of giggling at Harry's confusion about why they had to gather around a dirty old boot, they met Amos and Cedric Diggory.

"Hello." Cedric said in a charming voice. Ginny started giggling and Harry blushed. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, silently saying we're the only sane people in this friend group.

"I wish we could Apparate." Hermione said as they all talked. "What is it like?" she asked Cedric.

"Well," he said, and the sound of his voice was enough to make Harry practically collapse. Hermione rolled her eyes as Cedric continued, "it feels like you're...trapped in time, I guess. Time and space just twists and stops in the minute it takes to Apparate."

Hermione and Cedric had a semi-intellectual exchange about all that while Harry and Ginny stared at Cedric, ogling him, and Ron made fun of them.

Amos Diggory walked past. "Cedric, I see you've finally found a potential girlfriend."

"Dad, that's gross. She's barely fifteen. And I told you, I have no interest in dating. I don't want a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend, for that matter."

Amos screwed up his face. "In any case," he said, "my friend Ben has a wonderful, beautiful daughter, Cho. I think she could fix you. You just haven't found the right woman yet."

Hermione didn't like being called Cedric's girlfriend. And she especially didn't like how Cedric's father was trying to 'fix' him. Of course, to add to that, it had to be Cho Chang. Her ex-girlfriend who had caused a massive fight in her friend group last year. She didn't want to fight that badly with Harry ever again, and over some girl.

She would never let so-called love put itself above her friends ever again. That was the one thing she was absolutely sure of in the sea of uncertainty that was life, and she didn't want that to ever change. Hermione held that thought in her head until everyone walked up inconspicuously to the Portkey, stretching out their forefingers (except for Hermione, for she tightly grabbed it, not wanting to somehow be alone left behind in the too-spacious empty grass fields), and her thoughts were lost in the sea of spinning, sickening yet magical grey that followed, swimming away and melting into the hurricane-like feeling of the air, as they all flew, far away, and of course, they had to land just at the same place as the horribleness that was Draco Malfoy.