Marauders - Always - Part One

CCXI: Viktor? Viktor Who?

Harry Potter had not dreamed of his father coming to his bedside for several days. He hadn't needed James to come. The days had not beed horrible since the first task had completed - Ron was back to being Harry's friend and many of the students in the halls had decided to be a bit nicer to Harry after witnessing what he had to go through as a Champion. Even Ernie Macmillion had paused to tell Harry that he was sorry for being so horrible before, and although Cedric was still his Champion, he certainly wished Harry luck.

"What a blighter," Ron muttered as Ernie walked away. "Imagine having the nerve that one's got!"

Harry shook his head. He was glad Ron was back on his side, and didn't have the heart to tell Ron that he himself had been more of a blighter than Ernie had done. But Ron had gone from a glowering snod to Harry's biggest advocate in the days since the task, making up for his weeks of madness since Halloween.

"Don't worry 'bout him, Harry, he'll see he ought to have been in your corner all along. You're bang on to win now - you're tied at first! All those people who thought you couldn't do it are eating their words with jam on, I reckon, hey?"

Honestly, Harry thought, he didn't much care about anyone eating their words or seeing themselves told off for not believing in him. Half the time he didn't believe in himself. Rather, he just wanted to get through it; bonus points if he was in one piece when he got to the other side.

Hermione seemed much better at understanding that bit of it, at least.

"Ronald, honestly. Harry doesn't need to win, he just needs to survive the tournament. And Harry, that requires getting busy thinking about that egg! The clue isn't going to sort itself out you know!"

Harry nodded, "I know. But all it does is screech at me, Hermione! What sort of clue is that? I doubt any of the other Champions have solved it either."

"Well, I know Viktor hasn't," Hermione sighed.

"Viktor?" Ron stopped short walking. "Viktor, who?"

"Krum, Ronald," Hermione answered, rolling her eyes. "What other Viktors do we know?"

"I wasn't aware we knew the one! Since when do we know Krum?" Ron looked from Hermione to Harry and back again.

"It isn't a big deal, Ron, I've only been reading with him in the library is all, for the most part." Hermione shrugged.

"Did you know about this?" Ron demanded Harry, looking over his shoulders as they rode a moving staircase on their way to class.

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, don't think I did. How long have you been seeing Krum, Hermione?"

"Seeing Krum?!" Ron choked on air. "It isn't like that of course!"

Hermione whirled about, "What are you saying it like that for?"

"What? You'd never work out with Krum! He's a world famous quidditch player, innit'e?" Ron said, "He's like to be after some pretty girl, you know, a muggle model or actress or something."

Hermione snorted.

"You're pretty, too, Hermione," Harry interjected, skewering Ron with his elbow.

"Yeah but not Viktor Krum's Girlfriend sort of pretty, he doesn't want to go out with ordinary girls!"

Hermione drew a deep breath, "You're a positive arse, Ronald Weasley," she said, stepping neatly onto the landing as the staircases connected.

"What? It's true!" Ron persisted.

"Let it go mate," Harry said, shaking his head.

Hermione stormed away to the library before the boys could catch her up, muttering to herself in annoyance over Ron's shallowness. How anyone could be so bloody thick was just impossible to comprehend. For someone usually so empathetic and kind, Ron sure had a terrible streak of thoughtlessness in him, and she hated it bothered her so much when he said such stupid things about her looks. Why should it bother her anyway? She wasn't shallow, she didn't care about looks... so what if Ron did?