Author’s Note: I intended some parts to be separate drabbles, but I just made them too long to be. So I molded them into one story. Have fun. 

“…” – speech

‘…’ – thoughts

italics – stressed word/foreign language

(Great Hall, Hogwarts) 

 The doors of the Great Hall swung open and echoed throughout the building. The students who were watching the spectacle between the Weasley twins immediately took notice of the entrant and parted to make way for him. Viktor Krum wasn’t quite used to having people part for him; they usually crowded and annoyed him. This time, however, they had good reason not to crowd him; he was headed for the Goblet of Fire. His stony face and determined stare were focused on the Goblet and his hand constricted tightly on the piece of parchment he was holding. The Bulgarian wizard felt several dozen pairs of eyes boring into him but there was only one pair that mattered to him. He reached up and dropped the parchment into the flames of the enchanted cup and turned to face her; the pretty witch whom he couldn’t seem to get out of his head. Their eyes met and he smiled, the smallest smile he could muster, just enough to make sure that she knew he was interested. For a moment Viktor’s chest tightened, the one girl he wanted to get to know better didn’t want him, but just as he was about to break their gaze, she smiled. It was small, simple smile but it gave him hope, hope for a possible future with this pretty witch.

(Hogsmeade) 

Hermione’s teeth chattered lightly in spite of the Heating Charm she cast on her cloak before she left the castle. It was mid November and the winter weather moved in quickly to replace the gentle chill of autumn and she had finally found the time to get away from the chasm in Harry and Ron’s friendship. Ron had taken to spending more time with his brothers, while Harry decided to sulk about the Triwizard Tournament by himself, which left Hermione to visit Hogsmeade alone; something she was perfectly fine with. Madame Pince had become very annoyed with Hermione when she had exhausted all of the books in the library about the emancipation of magical creatures and had turned to badgering the vulture-like librarian for any information regarding the topic. The irritated witch referred Hermione to someone at Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop who might have a volume that she would be interested in. So now that was where she was headed. The young witch weaved through the crowds along the icy streets of the village and was forced to dodge the occasional group of teenage witches rushing to chase down small crowds of foreign wizards in blood red robes. A cold chill blew through the air and Hermione shivered violently for a moment. She looked across the street longingly at The Three Broomsticks, contemplating whether or not she should step in for a butterbeer before heading to Scrivenshaft’s. Before she could make her decision, a mass of blood red robes moved to clog the entrance of the pub. One of the crimson clad wizards immediately caught her eye: Viktor Krum. Remembering the smile he gave her when their eyes met near the Goblet of Fire, her lips curved upwards into a gentle grin. The Bulgarian Seeker’s surly expression became a bit flustered and he returned with his own sly smile after he regained his composure.

‘I should get that book first…’ Hermione thought determinedly, forcing the idea on herself that she was not at all taken by Krum’s good looks, charming smile or his finely sculpted… 

(The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade)

A frosty breeze blew into the pub as Hermione entered and quickly shut the door behind her. She carefully secured the heavy book under her arm and walked to the bar to order a butterbeer from Madame Rosmerta, but not before exchanging another set of smiles from Viktor, who was sitting at a nearby table with his friends. The British witch moved through the crowded tables to the patio behind the pub. She was relieved to find that it was far less crowded and a series of Heating Charms had been cast around the area, while preserving the outdoor setting. Hermione found an empty table furthest away from the entrance and sipped her butterbeer while quickly skimming the contents of her new book. The creak of an opening door went by unnoticed by the frizzy haired witch, along with a burly figure with a book of his own clamped in his hand. He stealthily moved toward Hermione with as much grace as he could muster and seated himself a table away from her. Viktor hid his eyes behind his book, intermittently lowering the volume to steal a peek at the witch in front of him. He had never seen anyone so interested in a book before, which was probably because ever since he became famous people dropped everything to fawn over him. It was very intriguing to meet a girl like her, well, he used the term “meet” rather loosely since he had yet to speak to her or even pronounce her name correctly to himself. 

‘Hermony? No… Hermy-own?’ Viktor stared blankly into space as he contemplated her name.

Then is happened again: their eyes met and it was more wonderful than the last time. She smiled at him and he smiled back; it was an excellent foundation for his courage to be built on. Now all he had to do was start building that courage, and he had a feeling that everything would be okay. 

(Krum Residence, Bulgaria)

It had been years since the Triwizard Tournament, since Hermione and Viktor met, since they shared their first dance, their first kiss and said their first goodbye. Now they were married and expecting nonetheless. Voldemort had been defeated only a few years prior and they were glad to be living in peace. Of course, peace in the wizarding world didn’t mean peace everywhere. Viktor and Hermione had their own little war going on at home. 

“Allison?”

“Do not like it.” 

“Umm… Jasmine?”

“No.” 

“Elizabeth?”

“Not a good name.” 

“How about Grace?”

“Does not vork.” 

“Viktor!” Hermione scolded. “You’re not being reasonable.”

“I do not like any off those names.” Viktor’s arms tightened above his wife’s protruding belly, pulling her into his chest. 

“You’re being petty.”

“Vhy do you think that?” He raised his eyebrows innocently. 

“You’re rejecting all of my ideas just because I don’t want to name our child Viktoriya!”

“It is very good name.” 

“Don’t you have any other ideas?”

The Bulgarian wizard frowned in thought. “Aleksandra is also good name.”

 “Hmm…” Hermione thought aloud. “Alexandria…”

“Aleksandra.” Her husband corrected. “You like that name?” 

“I like Alexandria.” The British witch smiled up at him. “You know… Ally.”

“Lexi.” Viktor corrected again. “But I vould be alright vith Alexandria.” 

“Good!” Hermione sighed happily. “Now about boys’ names…”

“Viktor is good name, yes?” 

“No, Viktor. I don’t want to have a line of descendants with the same name!” Hermione groaned. “Do you think that ‘Hermione’ was my mother’s name? Or my grandmother’s? Or my great grandmother’s?”

“Off course not.” Viktor smirked. “Nobody in family vould know how to say such difficult name.” 

“How about Christopher?” Hermione suggested, changing the subject.

“No.” He responded simply. “I vould like our son to haff a Bulgarian name; they are much stronger than English names.” 

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“I like vhen ve fight.” He murmured in her ear with a wide grin. 

She shivered at the feel of his breath against her neck. “Oh? And why is that?”

A smug smirk appeared on Viktor’s face as he rubbed her pregnant belly. “I belieff this is the product off von off our fights.” 

The pregnant witch blushed. “What did you want to name our child if it’s a boy?”

“Ivan sounds very good.” 

Hermione wrinkled her nose. “Ohh… I don’t know…”

“Nikolai?” 

“Isn’t that your brother’s name?”

“Vell, it is good name, efen if brother is…” Viktor filtered several words through his internal translator. “…giant arse.” 

“I don’t think we should name our son that if you refer to your brother as a ‘giant arse.’”

“Vot about Sergei?” 

“I’m not sure how I feel about that one.”

“Stanislav?” Viktor’s eyebrows rose curiously. 

Hermione thought for a moment. “Stanislav? Stan? I like it.” She laughed softly.

“Good.” The burly Bulgarian hoisted them off of the couch. 

Their eyes met and he smiled mischievously lowering his lips to kiss her.

“Shall ve go fight now?” 

(Krum Residence, London)

More years had past and the loving couple had purchased a home in England to visit occasionally, but it was mostly used for Hermione’s sake whenever the Ministry in London needed her to work for more than a few days, which had become more and more common now that Hermione had reached a high position in the Ministry of Magic. However, this time it was being used by the Krum family for a nice vacation in England. They had just returned home from visiting Ron and Lavender and had made plans with Harry and Ginny tomorrow. Viktor had extracted himself from the shower and was casually reading the paper while Hermione was working at her desk. Her head titled to the side when she felt her robes being tugged on. 

“Mummy…” A bright eyed, dark haired girl stared up at her.

“Yes Lexi?” Hermione smiled gently at her daughter. 

“Who was your first love?” Alexandria smiled shyly at her mother.

“He’s right over there.” She smiled, pointing across the room at Viktor. 

A proud smirk crept up on his face from behind his newspaper.

“Why do you ask, sweetie?” Hermione turned her attention back to Lexi. 

“Because she’s in love with Owen from next door!” A teasing voice came from behind Lexi.

“I am not, Stan!” Lexi turned bright red. 

“Stanislav!” Their mother scolded, but couldn’t help smiling herself. “Don’t tease your sister.”

“I’m sorry, Mum.” Stanislav said angelically and scurried into the kitchen for a snack. 

“Who is this O-ven?” Viktor asked suspiciously.

Even after all of these years, Hermione still sometimes couldn’t help but laugh at her husband’s accent. 

“Relax Viktor; they’re only six.”

“That little boy from next door is seffen.” His eyes narrowed. 

“Daddy?” Lexi prodded her father. “Was Mummy your first love?”

“Vhy yes she vos, little von.” 

Hermione snorted from across the room.

“Is something wrong Mum?” The little girl rushed over to her mother. 

“No, there isn’t, Lexi.” Hermione pulled her up into her lap. “Your father is just lying to you.”

“Vot?!” Viktor’s eyes widened. 

“Was Mummy not your first love Daddy?”

“Yes she vos.” He replied defensively. “I do not know vot your mother is talking about.” 

“Don’t listen to your father, sweetheart.” Hermione giggled. “He fell in love with a broomstick long before he loved me.”

Lexi was quickly overcome with a fit of giggles. “When did you meet daddy?” 

“Ohh… I met him when he came to Hogwarts, when I was fifteen, for the Triwizard Tournament.” Her mother smiled. “He was the school champion for Durmstrang; all the boys were really ugly.”

Viktor’s ears perked up. 

“Your father was…well…” Hermione smirked. “… he wasn’t that ugly…”

“Hey!” Viktor stood up from his chair and hoisted his daughter into his arms. “I vill not let you poison our daughter’s mind vith your lies!” He said dramatically. 

“Poison our daughter’s mind?” She laughed.

“It is true.” Viktor said lowering Lexi to the ground. “You know I loff you more than broomstick.” He lowered his voice into her ear, so only she could hear him. “You are much better ride than broomstick, mila.” 

“Viktor!” Hermione said in shock; their daughter was right there!

Before Viktor could give her a lecherous remark, Lexi interrupted him. 

“Daddy…when did you know you loved mummy?”

Hermione’s and Viktor’s eyes met and they shared a smile before Viktor pulled his daughter back up into his arms and gave Lexi a warm smile, while he kept one eye on Hermione. 

“Vhen our eyes met.”

Author’s Note: I hope you had fun. Oh and I just had to do it. I’m sure you know what I mean; I just couldn’t resist. I’m sure it wasn’t that obvious, but Lexi is six and Stanislav is four; just to clear things up.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Vanessa Hudgens - When There Was Me and You

Author’s Note: Yeah… late, but the heat has been killing me. Thanks for the reviews guys!

“…” – speech

‘…’ – thoughts

italics – text/sounds/foreign language

Chapter Two 

(Diagon Alley, London)

A loud crack signaled Viktor’s entrance in Diagon Alley; it had been a while since he had been in England. He had almost forgotten how agreeable the weather was even during the summer. The Seeker was glad that everybody was still so caught up in their celebrations that they didn’t pay much attention to him. He found a spot to sit around a large stone fountain and waited patiently for Hermione to arrive. The minutes passed by slowly. What was keeping her? Did she change her mind? Maybe something happened to her? Viktor checked his watch: he was twenty minutes early. 

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. ‘You’re an idiot Viktor.’

The Bulgarian Seeker suddenly felt something tugging on the hem of his robes. He looked down to find a copper haired English girl, not yet in the double digit ages, staring brightly at him. 

“Excuse me, sir.” Her honey colored eyes shined. “Are you Viktor Krum?”

“Vhy yes I am, little von.” He smiled warmly. “Vot is your name?” 

“I-I-I’m Sophie.” She blushed, disarmed by his smile. “M-m-my daddy tells me that you’re a great Seeker. I s-saw you at the World Cup a-and I-I think th-that…”

“Vould you like an autograph?” Viktor interrupted gently, gesturing to her parchment and quill. 

“Y-yes please!” Sophie thrust her hands forward.

Viktor stood up, noting that the girl barely went past his knees, knelt beside her and scribbled on her piece of parchment. 

Sophie

I hope to see you at the next Quidditch World Cup. Perhaps one day we can play together. 

                                                                                    Best Wishes,

                                                                                   Viktor Krum

He kindly handed the parchment and quill back to her and she squealed a “thank you” before running back into the crowd to her father. Viktor smiled at her, it was always refreshing to have a fan approach him for simply an autograph instead of Quidditch lessons or suggestive proposals. 

“Aww, how sweet.” A teasing voice came from behind him.

Viktor turned to see a pretty brunette witch smiling gently at him. 

“It is good to see you again, Her-my-knee.” Viktor stood, clicked his heels together, bowed and kissed her hand.

“You’ve gotten better!” Hermione giggled. 

“It could still use some vork…” He said, a little embarrassed.

She squeezed his hand gently. “I like the way you say it.” 

Viktor felt a twinge of pink go through his cheeks. “Do you haff efferything you need?”

“Uh huh.” She gestured to the trunk behind her. 

He walked behind her and pulled up the trunk. “It is a little heffy for clothes.”

“I would think so; those are my books.” Hermione smirked. “This is where my clothes are.” She held up a small beaded purse. 

“Is very much like you to haff more books than clothes.” He raised his eyebrows teasingly. “But I suppose I vill enjoy anything you can vear in that little bag.”

“I put a charm on it, Mr. Pervert.” She made a face and marched passed him. 

“Do you know vare you are going?”

Hermione lowered her gaze and frowned in annoyance. Viktor chuckled and took her hand gently.

“Trust me.” 

Another crack and they both disappeared and reappeared in a clearing with a single apple tree. Viktor dropped Hermione’s trunk beside the tree and gestured for her to sit. She obeyed and watched him curiously while he examined the foliage. Her head tilted to the side as she observed him walk in a circular pattern around the base of the tree. She was about to question him but he nodded his head in satisfaction after his fourth trip around the tree and sat beside her on the trunk. His hand gently curled around her fingers and he held his free hand out toward the tree.

“Accio!” 

(Viktor’s Residence, Bulgaria)

A ruby red, perfectly ripened apple flew into his open hand and before Hermione could inquire how he did that, she felt a hook just behind her navel yank her upward and her surroundings blurred around her. Her hand clutched the side of her trunk and likened her experience to how it would feel to be inside of a blender. After another minute of spinning, she landed with a thud on the pavement outside of, what appeared to be, a modestly sized community of townhouses in front of acres of empty land. Viktor stood up and took a bite out of the juicy red apple and stared at her pointedly. 

“Affle?” He offered during a swallow.

“How did you do that?” She ignored the apple. 

“Do vot?” Viktor took another bite.

“Use a Summoning Charm without your wand.” 

He looked at her curiously. “You do not know how?”

Hermione looked as if he had horribly offended her. “No I don’t!” She responded indignantly. 

Viktor shrugged and levitated the trunk with his hand. “Vill show you how later. Come inside now.”

The witch glared at the trunk, annoyed that it would follow Viktor’s commands when he didn’t have a wand and it would only do what she wanted to when she used her wand. Even after school she seemed to have a complex about being outdone when it came to her magical education. Viktor did have three years more experience, she tried to reason with herself and she had missed her seventh year at Hogwarts, so it was completely understandable that Viktor would be a little more advanced. All that logic didn’t stop her from swearing to buy a load of new spell books the second she got a change though. 

“This vill be your —,” Viktor’s eyebrows quirked up. “Is there something wrong?”

Hermione’s face had screwed up in annoyance during her mental berating of her lack of magical education. 

“Huh?” She quickly smiled. “Oh, nothing. What were you saying?”

“Er… this vill be your room.” He said, using his hand to introduce the room. “Vill giff you rest of tour after you haff gotten settled.” 

Hermione walked into the room with a bit of disappointment in her eyes. It was, in fact, a beautiful room. The burgundy carpet matched the bed sheets and curtains and was soft and plushy between her toes while the bed frame, dressers, nightstand and door were crafted with a fine oak finish, as if they were all made in a set. The walls and ceiling were a clean white and two sliding mirrors, which occupied one wall, hid a large closet. Beautiful, simply beautiful but she had held a small hope in her heart that she would be sharing a bed with Viktor, after all, hadn’t they been intimate enough in the past for them to share a bed? The witch shook her head ridiculously; she was being insanely presumptuous. It has been years since they’ve seen each other and what right did she have to expect such a thing? He could have found someone else already; it’s not like someone as famous and handsome as he was would just wait for her and he obviously has his pick of women. Viktor must have seen her eyes darken a bit and voiced his concern.

“There is something you are not liking?” The Bulgarian wizard frowned. 

“No, it’s wonderful.” Hermione smiled placidly. “I just wanted to finish the tour now; I have plenty of time to get settled; I hope.”

“Ah, off course.” Viktor lowered Hermione’s trunk to the foot of the bed and lead her across the hall. 

“This is…” He paused for a moment, trying to grasp at a word. “…toilet room vith bathtub for you.”

“Just for me?” 

He nodded and pointed down the T-shaped hallway. “My room is to the right; has own toi- er… bathroom.” He suddenly remembered the correct term.

Viktor snarled internally, immediately regretting that he hadn’t practiced speaking English in the last four years. He felt the same way he had felt when he first started learning it: stupid. It has always left a bitter taste in his mouth, but knowing that Hermione understood him made it so much sweeter. Although all of her letters allowed him to wrap his brain around the language, his tongue still fumbled with the words and he sometimes confused concepts. The Seeker was grateful for Hermione’s gentle corrections and patience for his learning curve. 

“And to the left?” Hermione queried.

“Room for Quidditch.” 

“Oh?”

 The witch walked down the hall and entered the room. Awe and admiration suddenly bloomed in her chest. She wasn’t the biggest Quidditch fan but even she could tell that the amount of shimmering gold and silver cups reflecting off of her eyes was incredibly impressive. Some of the medals and cups had inscriptions in Cyrillic but she assumed they said the same as the rest: Viktor Krum, Quidditch - something or other with a sentence below his title describing his amazing skill in that particular game. She took a particularly well polished trophy from one of the stands and stared at it appreciatively. 

“That von is my favorite.” Viktor smiled over her shoulder.

“It is? Why?” Hermione responded quizzically, staring at the number 2 engraved among the foreign symbols. “Doesn’t this say you’ve won second place?” 

“Yes.” He responded, impressed. “You know how to read it?”

“No…” She smiled in embarrassment. “…but this number two kind of gives it away.” 

“Oh?” The burly Bulgarian raised his eyebrows innocently. “Vould haff thought they vould use Cyrillic numbers…”

“You’re right…” She frowned. “I wonder why… hey!” 

Viktor felt his spine stiffen slightly. “Vot?”

“You forgot to tell me why this one is your favorite.” 

“Did not forget.” He smiled slyly. “Come, tour is incomplete.”

“Why don’t you want to tell me?” Hermione’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

“Vill tell you later.”

“I didn’t know you were the type to keep secrets.” Her lips twitched slightly. “Especially with something like this...” 

“Not secret; just something I vill tell you later.”

“Like your magic tricks?” 

Viktor sighed. “Can tell you reason now, and not teach you magic or vill tell you later, and teach you magic. Vhich vould you like?” Victory sparkled in his eyes.

“Fine,” She returned the trophy to its original spot. “I can wait.” 

As curious as she was, Hermione wasn’t one to risk missing out on a chance to improve her magical talent. They left the trophy room and Viktor directed her to the kitchen, then the living room before taking her to the backyard, which seemed to stretch a mile in each direction.

“How do you have such a big yard when you have neighbors?” 

“Buy land from neighbors. It is very good for Quidditch practice.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re spoiled?” 

“Vitch Veekly says so effery vonce in avhile.”

“Well I’m inclined to agree with them this time.” 

“Perhaps you should get settled now?” He interjected with mock annoyance. “I vill make lunch vhile you unpack.”

“You can cook?” Hermione stared at him disbelievingly. 

“I…” The Bulgarian wizard hesitated for a moment. “I vill do votever I can.”

She shot him a look of pure amusement and returned to her room to unpack. Hermione opened her trunk and pulled out stack after stack of thick heavy reference and spell books. She transfigured her trunk into a fine oak bookcase to match the rest of the furniture. After she deposited her books into the bookcase, she was pleased to find that she had two extra shelves for the new books she planned to buy. The witch stared at the small beaded bag lying on the bed and frowned. She wasn’t in the mood to unpack, but it was so unlike her to leave something unfinished. But then again, it was unlike her to decide to leave Britain so suddenly and run off to Bulgaria. 

‘It wasn’t a sudden decision was it?’ She bit her lip nervously. ‘This was something you’ve been planning for a while, hasn’t it?’

Hermione shook her head of her thoughts and stood up firmly. She walked out of the room without looking at the unpacked bag once, but couldn’t help but give just a little worried glance back at the door she had closed behind her. The witch’s feet stepped lightly along the hardwood floor, following the path into the kitchen, to see how Viktor was faring. Hermione arrived to find Viktor pointing his wand to a pot of water on the stove. 

“Incendio!”

“Viktor!” Hermione shrieked suddenly when the pot burst into flames. “Aguamenti!” A shower of water shot from her wand and subdued the flames almost instantly. 

Viktor stared angrily at the pot and Hermione looked at him disbelievingly. “Is this how you cook?”

“That vos… just an accident.” He continued to glare at the pot, as if it was somehow its fault. 

“What’s this?” Hermione picked up a piece of parchment full of Cyrillic writing.

“Oh… uhh…” Viktor blushed lighly. “Just directions to make gyuvetch.” 

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that right?” Not at all sure if whatever he had mentioned was edible. “Where did you get it?”

“From my mother.” He glanced over her shoulder. 

Hermione looked horrified. ‘Was his mother right behind me?’

She turned and was relieved to find a picture of a dark haired woman smiling gently at her.

“This is your mother?” Hermione said in awe. “She’s beautiful.” 

The woman in the portrait laughed softly. “Vhy thank you darling. I see my Vitya has chosen vell.”

Before Hermione could question the portrait’s remark, Viktor quickly interrupted. “That is enough, maika.”

Hermione took a step back to avoid blocking Viktor’s view of his mother as they began arguing in Bulgarian. Actually, it was more Viktor arguing, and his mother would smile innocently and placidly respond with a few well chosen words. Hermione was starting to feel a bit awkward standing between two people conversing in a language in which she had no understanding. The situation ended with Viktor grabbing the photograph, and with incredible difficulty, gently pressed the framed picture face down on the countertop; his eyes narrowed and frustration grew steadily in his expression. 

“Are you…” Hermione broke the silence with her timid question. “… alright?”

“Am fine.” He couldn’t quite keep the growl out of his voice. “Maika… My mother was just being… like my mother.” 

“Do you often have  rows with your mother like that?”

“Only vhen she mentions certain things.” 

“Like what?”

“She…” His cheeks flushed suddenly. “…vishes very much to see me… married.” 

“Oh.” Hermione’s cheeks matched his, understanding what his mother meant. “Why does she want you to get married so soon? You’re only 21…”

“Perhaps it is different vith Muggles…” Viktor explained. “… for most vizards and vitches, it is more common to be married around this age. Also, my brother has announced his engagement a few veeks ago.” 

“Oh… how old is your brother?”

“Tventy-fiff.” Viktor shuddered suddenly. “Mother in picture has probably told real mother that I haff brought home fiancé. Whole family has been prodding me to find vife; they think it is simple because I am famous.” 

Hermione giggled. “I suppose it is more difficult for famous people, but Harry did okay finding someone…”

“It is very difficult.”  He said a bit crossly. 

The British witch smiled gently. “I was just kidding.” Her gaze lowered a bit. “Love is probably the hardest thing to find, even for a Seeker.”

‘Not as hard as you would think…’ 

End of Chapter Two

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: S.H.E - Yes I Love You

Chapter Four

(Bulgaria – Krum Residence) 

The bathroom door lazily swung open, cool air escaping into the bedroom along with a broad shouldered, well muscled figure. Viktor Krum wobbly strode to his soft welcoming bed and eagerly fell face forward into his comforting pillow. Unattended water droplets slid off of his hard body, creating cool puddles of moisture on his sheets. The young man didn’t mind as he welcomed any amount of moisture to alleviate himself of the hot, dry summer weather. He rolled over onto his back, creating a strain on his already sore muscles. The news of the return of the Dark Lord had not spread, so once Viktor had returned to Bulgaria he was immediately put back into his intense Quidditch training with the Vrasta Vultures. After not playing Quidditch for almost a year, due the Triwizard Tournament, he felt a little rusty on a broom and his endurance seemed to have been shot since his muscles hadn’t felt this sore since the first time he started flying. The Bulgarian wizard groaned and threw his arm over his eyes, desperately wanting sleep to wash over him. 

Viktor had just about sunk completely into his dreams when a moderately large snowy white owl flew through his open window and landed promptly onto his exposed abs. He yelped and jumped up at the feel of the owl’s sharp talons pricking at his stomach. The owl hooted angrily and perched at the end of Viktor’s bed post, looking extremely harassed and dropping the package it was carrying on the floor beside the bed.

“Hey!” Viktor grumbled in Bulgarian. “You were the one who dug your talons into me!” He responded to the owl’s offended look. 

The owl stared at him questioningly, rotating its head from side to side. Krum picked up the dropped package and took note of the writing on it.

“English?” He muttered staring at the owl. “You are from Britain then?”

 His nocturnal visitor hooted in response and flew over to him again, nipping affectionately at his arm.

“Vot is this?” The wizard looked at the animal questioningly. “Fickle bird aren’t you?” 

Viktor pulled a letter out of the envelope and smiled when he knew who the package was from.

Dear Viktor, 

How have you been? I know its only been three weeks since the summer holidays began, but I thought it would be better if I wrote to you sooner than later. Besides, I think I could use a break from the summer homework I have to do. Ron and Harry think I’ve gone mad because I’m just about halfway done and I’ve still got about two months of holiday left. I hope that this letter arrives at an appropriate hour; I’m not exactly sure what the time difference is between Britain and Bulgaria. I don’t have an owl of my own so I had to borrow Harry’s owl, Hedwig. I hope she’s not giving you any trouble. To tell you the truth, she was a little eager to take the job. I showed her a picture of you so she knew what you looked like and she volunteered before I even had a chance to send her back to Harry to see if I could use her. I think she might be a bit taken with you. I guess your charms aren’t limited to just teenage girls huh?

Viktor smirked and gently petted Hedwig’s head. “So you’re Potter’s owl eh?” 

She cooed in response while he went back to reading the letter.

Are you doing alright with Quidditch? Harry and Ron reckon that you’re going to be under some intense training because of the World Cup last year. When is the next World Cup? I really want to see you fly again… maybe you’ll have a game against Britain? Do you think you could send me the Quidditch schedule when you find out? I don’t want to have to ask Harry or Ron… they’ll probably get all nosy and I don’t want to have to deal with that. 

I’m really sorry about not coming to visit you this summer… but I suppose its best with all the things going on around here now. Ron sent me a letter about where a bunch of us… who know about… the
”incident” are going to spend the summer preparing for anything that might happen. I think they’re going to send a group of Aurors to pick up Harry from his aunt and uncle’s house soon. Ron didn’t explain how I’m going to get there though, so I’ll just have to wait until more news comes. Nothing suspicious is going on in Bulgaria is there? Did Durmstrang find a new headmaster yet? Do you have summer homework for your last year? I don’t think I would be able to handle Quidditch practice and summer homework… especially if I liked one more than the other. I’m sure that we would probably have different views on which one we would pick.

Oh! I can’t believe I almost forgot! I’ve enclosed some pictures that were taken last year while you were at Hogwarts. I was shocked when Dumbledore sent me a package of wizard film! He assured me that nobody was spying on us and they just appeared on his desk. I guess its just one of those mysteries of the school that no one can figure out. It was my first time developing wizard photos… it was quite an experience. My mum and dad had so much fun looking at the photos. I think it might have been the first time they’ve seen wizarding photos. Since they’re Muggles, they were really shocked to see us moving in them! Once they calmed down, they were really responsive to everything they saw. My mum thinks you’re quite handsome Viktor and my dad can’t get enough of the fact that you’re a famous sports star. Granted, he’s never seen a Quidditch game or knows any of the concepts but he’s just really impressed by it all. I hope you and your family are well. Please write back as soon as you can. 

I miss you.

                                                                                                         Yours Truly,

                                                                                                   Hermione J. Granger

Viktor swallowed as he read her last line. He shook his head free of his thoughts and reached deeper into the envelope to find a smaller envelope full of photos. The Bulgarian Seeker leaned back against his headboard and flipped through the pictures.  

The first was a picture of him and Hermione sitting together in the library. He had put his arm around her and she was blushing lightly. They stared up at him with sparkling eyes and Hermione waved up at him, while Viktor stayed focused on her.

The second contained Hermione and him at the entrance of the Yule Ball. Viktor smiled at his own sheepish grin and Hermione’s shy wave as they linked arms.  

The next few were a series of pictures capturing the opening waltz from different angles. The wizard was surprised to see that he didn’t look as clumsy on the dance floor as he had previously thought. He spent a few minutes looking at them but the dancers eventually got tired and took their seats to continue dancing later. Viktor blushed lightly when he noticed that there were more dancers in the picture than chairs so Hermione was forced to sit in his lap to rest.

Another series of pictures portrayed the un-choreographed dances. Some displayed the rough grinding dances during faster songs and others had the sweet embraces during the slower ones. Viktor found that his favorite was one where he was holding Hermione from behind, gently whispering sweet nothings into her ear.  

The next picture showed them in an empty hallway holding hands and exchanging chaste kisses every once in a while.

He was definitely surprised when he found a picture of him leaning against a tree while Hermione was gently snoozing in his arms. He had looked up at himself and gave him a sly wink before continuing to watch the young girl in his arms.  

The final picture was of them outside, near the Great Hall when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were leaving Hogwarts. Viktor had an arm draped over Hermione’s shoulder and alternated between was whispering things into her ear and gently kissing her cheek, causing her to blush redder and redder each time.

Viktor quickly extracted some parchment from his dresser and conjured a quill and bottle of ink. He frowned for a moment to think about exactly what he should write in his response.  

Dear Hermione,

I am glad to hear from you so soon. I am doing very well and Weasley and Potter are right about Quidditch. Ever since I returned to Bulgaria my coach has been working everybody hard. He has increased practices to five times a week. They are more intense than usual, so it is very difficult for me to return home and relax. I mostly just sleep because of my sore muscles. I will send you my Quidditch schedule if you like, but we do not get the World Cup schedule until towards the end of the season. My coach was annoyed that I could not return to practice during holidays this past year for practice because of the Triwizard Tournament, so I think he is working me to make up for lost time.

I am not sure of your meaning when you talk about Potter’s owl. She does seem to like me but I would think it is because I am good with animals. My own owl, falcon and dog treat me the same way. I am thinking you like to make things bigger than they really are for fun. 

I have not seen anything out of the ordinary in Bulgaria, mostly because the news of the Dark Lord’s return has not yet reached us. I am being cautious about who I tell about it, however, because there are many wizards here who have graduated from Durmstrang. There are some of them here who deny being Death Eaters but I am sure they will change their minds when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named makes his presence known. Durmstrang has not yet found a new headmaster, so the most senior member of the staff is taking his place until the position is filled. My summer homework is going well, but I am having trouble with Disembowelment Curse and transfiguring fire into animal forms. I have done well with changing water and creating hurricanes however. How are you doing with your schoolwork? I am remembering that you told me that in your fifth year you will be taking O.W.L.s. At Durmstrang, we take our tests during our seventh year, so I will be under the same amount of stress as you or perhaps just a little more with Quidditch.

Thank you very much for the pictures. I am enjoying them very much. Forgive me for writing such a short letter but I am very tired. I will write to you again soon. 

I miss you.

                                                                                                                 Yours,

                                                                                                             Viktor Krum 

The young man left his finished letter on his nightstand and looked through the pictures for another few minutes before returning to re-read the letter Hermione had sent to him. He was interrupted, however, by Hedwig’s hoots and gently pecking at his hand.

“You may stay here tonight if you vant.” He gently scratched the back of her neck. “I vill send my response tomorrow.” 

‘I should find pictures frames tomorrow as well…’ He added in his head.

Viktor lay down, covered his eyes with his arm as he had done previously, not noticing Hedwig fly up to perch on his headboard, and held Hermione’s letter over his bare chest. Her last line being constantly re-read in his mind as he drifted off to sleep: 

“I miss you.”

His dreams were filled of her. The feel of her body against his, the sight of her mesmerizing brown eyes, the smell of her floral body wash, the sound of her scolding voice whenever he whispered wicked things into her ear and the taste of each one of their stolen kisses. 

The End

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: BoA - 抱きしめる　

Chapter Three 

“Herm-own-ninny… I haff never felt this way this vay about any other girl…”

“I vos vondering… if you vould like to visit me in Bulgaria this summer….?” 

Hermione rolled over on her bed, replaying the events of the Second Task in her head. She couldn’t think of anything that seemed out of the ordinary, but then again she was a little distraught after being held captive underwater for over an hour. Still… how did that horrible Skeeter woman know exactly what Viktor had said to her? Hermione had ruled out an Invisibility Cloak, since Professor Moody hadn’t seen her by the lake. This wouldn’t have been so bad if she had been able to talk to Viktor. Hermione knew that Viktor had been a little hurt when she kept fussing over Harry after she had gotten out of the water, but was that why he had been avoiding her? Did he take Rita’s article about her and Harry seriously? The young witch wasn’t sure if she should be annoyed or flattered that Viktor was jealous, if he even was.

‘Oh…’ she groaned in frustration. ‘What am I even thinking?! I shouldn’t be so big-headed…’ 

Annoyed with her lack of answers, she decided to go to the library to continue her research on magical spying techniques. She had already finished her homework due the following week and Ron and Harry were off discussing the possibilities of the Third Task. The path to the library was clear, as usual, since most students spent the weekend outside or in their dormitories. When she entered the library she immediately went through the section on Concealing Charms and Magical Detection Shields. Her pile of books was so high she didn’t even see the broad shouldered figure approach her from behind.

Her back straightened when she felt his hot breath against her neck. “Herm-own-ninny…” 

She dropped her books on the table and turned to find a muscular Bulgarian staring down at her. “Viktor?!”

“It is good to see you.” He said politely. 

“What are you doing here?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his tone.

“Looking for a book.” Viktor answered casually “Vould you help me?” 

“Okay. What are you looking for?” Hermione relaxed her posture, deciding to play along.

“An advanced Charms book.” He frowned. “Do not know vare to find it…” 

Hermione took a moment to think before leading him deep into the stacks in the back of the library. She couldn’t help but blush a little as she kept feeling Viktor’s knuckles brush up against hers and whenever she stopped to check the bindings of nearby books, he would always gently grip her waist with his large hands to steady himself after accidentally bumping into her. The Gryffindor girl bit her lip gently as her eyes scanned over dusty book bindings, ancient tomes and molding covers.

“Here it is.” They said in unison. 

“What?” Hermione questioned as she pulled the book out of the shelf and turned. “It’s right he-”

Viktor had cut her off with a deep, lip swelling, knee buckling kiss. Her body went limp as she dropped the book in her hands with a muffled ‘thud’ and his arms pulled her into his hard chest. Hermione wasn’t sure if they had just shared one long kiss or several short ones; all she knew was that when he finally pulled away from her, her eyes became unfocused and her breath caught in her throat. When she finally gathered her wits, her eyes met the Bulgarian wizard’s wicked smile. 

“This is the second time you’ve lied to me about books Mr. Krum.” Hermione breathed. “I should be very angry with you.”

“You should be…” He smirked smugly. “… but I am very handsome no?” 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed lightly. “What did you want?”

“Vould you take valk vith me?” The Seeker’s eyes twinkled lightly. “I vould like to talk.” 

“Okay…” She replied, still a little dazed.

They left the library, unsure if Madam Pince would hex Hermione for leaving a book on the floor or for leaving a dozen books piled chaotically on one of the tables. It wasn’t until they had reached the grounds near the lake that Viktor revealed the reason for visiting her in the library. 

“I vos vondering… if you had thought about my offer to visit me this summer?”

“Oh…” Hermione shifted awkwardly. “Well… I… I think that it would be best if… I didn’t…” 

“I…I see.” He responded, slightly hurt.

“It’s just that I should be with Ron and Harry….” 

Viktor interrupted her with a suppressed growl. They both grew silent; creating an awkwardness that hadn’t been felt since their days before he asked her to the Yule Ball. She wondered if he was angry because she rejected his invitation or because she had mentioned Harry. Maybe he had taken Rita’s article more seriously than Hermione had previously thought? Perhaps it was because of the way she had ignored him after the Second Task to fuss over Harry?

“I’m sorry I didn’t thank you properly for saving me in the lake…” Hermione said, breaking the silence. 

“You vere in no real danger.” He responded stiffly. “You do not need to thank me.”

Hermione gently squeezed his hand. “I was just so worried about…” 

“Potter?” He growled.

“Well… yeah.” She answered in a matter-of-factly tone. “He’s my best friend and…” 

“It is good you care so much about your friends.” Viktor said a bit sarcastically.

“I…” The witch began. 

“Vot am I exactly?” The Bulgarian Seeker said suddenly. “If Potter is your friend?”

“W-what?” Hermione asked, a little bewildered. 

“Am I just boy you share kisses vith?” He accused. “Like that Skeeter voman says?”

“No, you’re not!” Hermione replied hotly. “How can you even think that anything she writes is true?” 

“Potter says so as vell…” Krum said quietly.

“Yes!” Hermione said in frustration. “He understands that we’re just friends. Are you jealous of him?!” 

“Yes!” Viktor growled. “Very jealous of boy who you speak of vhen ve are together. Jealous because I am von who vants your kisses! I am von who vants to touch you… jealous because I am not… the von you are vith…”

“Viktor…I-I can’t get too attached to you now… ” Hermione faltered. 

“Vhy not?” He clenched his fists.

“Because…. Because you’re leaving… and how I am I supposed to let you go? If we get too close then… I… I don’t think that I could… could…” She said, her voice breaking. 

“Then perhaps… ve should not see each other anymore.” He said darkly. “You vill haff no need to feel anything vhen ve say goodbye.”

“W-what?” Hermione said looking scandalized. “But we still have a month to…” 

“No…ve do not.” Viktor turned away. “I haff to prepare for Third Task… and you must help Potter.”

Hermione’s eyes filled with unshed tears as she watched Viktor walk back to the Durmstrang ship. He didn’t mean what he said; he didn’t even know why he had said it. The Bulgarian Seeker was just so frustrated with the situation and he just didn’t know how else to alleviate his temper. He knew he should go back to her and apologize… but his pride got the better of him this time. It wasn’t until he reached his quarters before he unclenched his fists, and with it, felt his heart break for the first time.   

(Gryffindor Tower, Common Room)

Hermione’s steps padded softly against the stone floor of the castle as she made her way back to her dormitory. Her legs moved mechanically and she didn’t even realize she was in front of the portrait hole of the tower until the Fat Lady had cleared her throat loudly to get her attention. Hermione mumbled the password and stumbled into the common room but before she could return to her bed a voice stopped her.

“Hermione?” Harry called out. “Where have you been? Ron just went out to look for…” 

He stopped short when he saw her eyes filled with unshed tears. She had done a good job not breaking down on her way to the tower but knowing someone had noticed her troubled state caused her to burst into tears.

“Oh Harry!” She grabbed his robes and sobbed into his chest. 

She told him everything about what happened at the Yule Ball, the library and her argument with Viktor. Her voice faltered in between her words and Harry strained his ears to hear her properly; knowing she wouldn’t want to repeat any of this in fear of breaking down in tears again. He patted her back soothingly and led her to one of the large armchairs by the fire. After Hermione had recovered enough, she released her hold on Harry and curled up into the chair.

“Hey…” Harry started gently. “Don’t worry… Viktor will come around. He’s just stressed with the Tournament and everybody believed that Skeeter cow’s articles for a while.” 

Hermione let out a low whimper and hugged her legs closer to her.

“Really.” He stressed as he rubbed her shoulder. “Before we found Crouch the other day… he took me aside and practically interrogated me to make sure that we weren’t involved.” 

The distraught witch looked up at Harry.

“He sounded really serious… I know he cares about you.” He smiled. “You should’ve seen him when I told him that Skeeter’s article was absolute rubbish; it was like that time Ron overdid the Cheering Charm on me last year.” 

Hermione let out a soft laugh and hugged him again. “Thanks Harry…” Her voice suddenly breaking.

“What’s the matter now?” The young wizard asked as Hermione began chewing her lip. 

“Could…could you…?” She began.

“You don’t want me to tell Ron?” He guessed. 

She nodded gently.

“You don’t have to ask.” Harry pulled away from her. “I understand. I do have two best friends remember?” 

Hermione leaned back against the chair, a look of slight skepticism in her eyes.

“I mean it.” Harry pressed. “If you hadn’t gotten so close to Krum, then I’m sure Dumbledore would’ve made me rescue the both of you from the lake.”

“I wonder how you would’ve carried the three of us?” the witch joked. 

“Three?” Harry questioned, wondering if her distress was confusing her.

“You know that this hero complex you have would’ve still made you rescue Fleur’s sister from the merpeople.” She teased. 

“Oh well you know…” Harry remarked casually. “I would’ve taken Gabrielle and Ron to the surface and come back for you… if I still had time….”

“You’re horrible!” She punched his arm. 

They laughed together and Hermione hugged him again, tears still in her eyes from their previous conversation.

“Oi! Harry! I can’t find Hermi-” Ron froze when he saw his two friends hugging. “Did I miss something?” 

Hermione quickly pulled away from Harry. “No…no… its just that…Harry finally got the Shield Charm… and I was just so excited…” Her voice broke a little. “I have to…go get my notes… so that we could….”

She ran up the steps to her room before she could finish her sentence. Ron turned Harry for a more adequate explanation. 

“You brought her to tears with your Shield Charm?” Ron raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

“Oh-oh y-yeah…” Harry invented quickly. “You know how Hermione is with this kind of stuff. You should’ve seen her when I got the hang of the Summoning Charm… almost fainted, she did…”  

Harry had to turn away to hide his laughter when Ron stared at him dubiously.

(Hogwarts – Grounds) 

A wave of depression had hit Hogwarts. The closing of the Triwizard Tournament had to be the most depressing one in the history of the tournament. No one could believe that Cedric Diggory had been killed, let alone that Voldemort himself had found a way to come back from the dead. The entire school had been mourning the loss of Cedric, except for possibly the Slytherins, some of which were secretly celebrating the Dark Lord’s return. Dumbledore’s speech about Cedric, although touching, did little to improve the mood of the listeners. Hermione couldn’t keep the tears out of her eyes and neither could many of the other girls who knew Cedric. All the boys held somber expressions and barely brought up the subject of Cedric at all. Hermione felt the worst for Harry, he was the one to see him get killed, he was the one to witness the rise of the Dark Lord and now he had to cope with the fact that the world that they knew was going to change forever.

After the closing remarks of the Tournament, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had begun their departure preparations. Hermione hadn’t spoken to Viktor since their argument a month ago and wondered if things really were going to be okay like Harry had told her before. She and Ron had decided to accompany Harry with the rest of the school to see Beauxbatons and Durmstrang off. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable in the crowd of screaming students, some sobbing for having to say good bye to new friends and others were shouting their partings over the waves of witches and wizards that stood between them. 

“Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back.” Ron asked curiously. “D’you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?”

 
“Karkaroff did not steer.” Viktor gruffly interjected. “He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork.”

“Can I haff a vord?” He whispered into Hermione’s ear. 

“Oh…yes…alright. “ Hermione answered, a little flustered and worried.

He held her hand and led her out of the crowd near the entrance to the Great Hall. 

“I… I did not vant to leaf things the vay they vere…” Viktor started apologetically.

“N-no… Viktor…” 

“Shh…” He gently pressed his thumb against her lips. “It vos my fault. I should not haff said those things. I should have trusted you… and understood your vishes. I am just not used to sharing the vones I care about.”

“I…I thought you had regretted…” Hermione started solemnly. “… meeting me…” 

“My only regret…” He put his arms around her. “…is vot little time ve had…”

He held her close to him and turned his back to the crowd and gave her a gentle kiss. 

“Write to me…” He handed her his address. “…promise?”

Hermione nodded and smiled. Viktor blew her a kiss and waved good bye and headed back into the crowd, back to the Durmstrang ship but not before giving a giddy Ron his autograph. Hermione took that gesture as a bit of a truce and a sign that Ron had not seen their previous actions together. The Golden Trio stood together, wondering just how much the future was going to change.

End of Chapter Three

Current Music: S.H.E - 謝謝你的溫柔

Chapter Two

(Gryffindor Tower, Girls’ Dormitory) 

Hermione was starting to feel the excitement of the Yule Ball in the pit of her stomach. Of course, she reasoned, it could also have been the Christmas spirit in the air or the fact that Viktor Krum was going to be meeting her in front of the Great Hall for the aforementioned ball. She had left the snowball fight between Harry and the Weasleys three hours early to prepare and she was going to make sure that Ron would eat his words when he had discovered that she was a girl, however, that would only be a bonus. The young witch also felt that, since this was such an extravagant event, she should work just has hard as the other girls to look her best. Her eyes passed over the bottle of Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion a couple of times to make sure she had the directions correctly embedded in her mind. She held her hair over the bathroom sink and poured twice the recommended amount onto her head while using her wand to work it into her hair just as the bottle instructed her to do so. Hermione let her hair soak in the potion for twenty minutes before tying her hair up and covering it in a shower cap. She then drew herself a warm bath filled with aromatherapy bath salts and carefully slid into the soothing waters.

(Durmstrang Ship, Champion’s Quarters) 

Water sloshing could be heard in a steam filled bathroom, followed by liquid draining and a shower curtain sliding off to the side. It was just about 7:30 when Viktor Krum stepped out of his hot bath in all of his glory. He reached over to grab a towel to wipe off the excess droplets of moisture that clung so eagerly to his muscular body. The Bulgarian Seeker ran his towel over his thick muscular legs, between his hard thighs, over his chiseled abs, across his powerful chest, under each of his biceps, down his rippling back and ending on his taut backside. Now completely dry, he dropped his towel haphazardly on the bathroom floor and walked into his bedroom towards his dresser. Krum put on a pair a grey cotton boxers and white t-shirt before starting to dress in his formal crimson Durmstrang uniform.

“You and the other champions will be leading the opening waltz at the Yule Ball, Viktor; be prepared.” 

Karkaroff’s voice echoed in his mind. Although he knew that his headmaster was only warning Krum so that he wouldn’t embarrass his headmaster in the presence of the other schools, Viktor was a bit nervous for his own sake. It wouldn’t bode well for him to embarrass himself in front of Hermione. For one of the few times in his life, he wished he could trade all of his flying prowess for the ability to overcome his duck-footed clumsiness on the ground.

Although, he reasoned to himself, it did seem like she was at least a little interested in him. Viktor remembered her gentle smile when their eyes first met when he entered his name in the Goblet of Fire. He definitely felt something from her then, as well as when their eyes met again during his morning exercises. Amusement played over his features when he noticed her eyeing his muscles flex as he marched down the lakeside. His knowing smirk and piercing gaze flustered her, but the moment between them was ruined by his fan club and Harry and Ron’s presence. The burly Bulgarian flexed more purposely and watched Hermione hide her smirk from the corner of his eye; he understood why she had wanted to keep it a secret that they were going to the Yule Ball together. 

When he was finally satisfied with his appearance and had worked through his dancing nerves, Viktor strode out of the privacy of his quarters into the crowd of Durmstrang students that were in the middle of their own preparations. He rolled his eyes and gave sheepish smirks when his fellow students started patting his back encouragingly and wishing him luck in his dancing… among other more suggestive endeavors. He had escaped his friends’ wicked remarks and was slightly relieved to find that he had beaten Hermione to the entrance to the Yule Ball. The Durmstrang champion kept a surly expression on his face as he nodded to the passing couples entering the Great Hall, but he did double take when he spotted a vision of beauty descending the steps toward him. He almost didn’t recognize her with her straightened hair that was pulled back into an elegant knot with parted bangs that hung loosely on both sides of her oval face. She had only applied a light amount of make-up; just enough to accent her honey colored eyes and glossy kissable lips, which caused Krum to quiver slightly. Hermione’s periwinkle blue dress clung to her, illuminating curves that she didn’t even know she had and revealed a modest amount of cleavage.

Viktor quickly approached and drew her hand to his mouth to gently kiss it. “You look very beautiful.” 

She blushed lightly. “Thank you.” They linked arms and Viktor lead them into the Great Hall. “Not that you need anyone else telling you, but you do look very handsome tonight.”

Hermione, who had giggled in a way that was very much unlike her, attached her gaze to him and smiled at his blushing face. She loved the way Viktor looked at her; it was just as if it was another day in the library. It was like she was always beautiful, except now she was just in a nice dress. Of course, Hermione knew that he was a bit in awe because of her hair; she never remembered it to be any kind of manageable. The young witch was so lost in the Seeker’s deep brown eyes that she didn’t even notice all of the people gaping at her or the death glares that were being shot at her from Krum’s groupies. Hermione broke out of her trance when she spotted an opened mouthed Harry staring at her when they arrived on the dance floor. 

“Hi Harry!” She waved merrily. “Hi Parvati!”

Before they could respond, the music had started for the waltz and Hermione had discovered that the wizarding waltz was more active that the waltzes she had seen before. Fortunately for them, Viktor seemed to have learned the waltz very well and eagerly took the lead. He grinned at the look of surprise on her face when he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in the air. She blushed gently when her feet reached the ground again. Viktor continued to lead by raising her hand above her head and quickly spinning Hermione in place, then pulling her into his chest, spinning her away and back again in time with the music. As the melody softened the four males on the dance floor pulled their female partners into their chests with the final beat. Hermione found herself lingering in Viktor’s embrace and they were ultimately the last couple to leave the dance floor, gathering more stares than she felt comfortable with. 

“S-sorry.” She stammered her apology. “I-I just…”

“Is alright.” Viktor reassured her. “Am flattered that beautiful girl enjoys my embrace.” 

Hermione’s face reddened. “I didn’t know Bulgarians were such sweet-talkers.”

“Is in my blood.” He responded slyly as he led her to their seats at the High Table. 

“I suppose dance talent is coursing through your veins as well?”

“Perhaps.” He answered shiftily, not wanting to admit that he had practiced for days trying to get it just right. 

Hermione had never met anyone who could make her blush quite like he could. The more she was with him the more she felt shivers down her spine. She felt a kind of electricity when she was near him. It was the kind of magic she couldn’t learn from a book; it was the kind of magic that only she could only learn by being with him. The only things that were bothering her at the moment were Karkaroff’s and Ron’s sour looks when they gazed toward her and Viktor. She suspected that Karkaroff had caught wind of her Muggle born status, and with his reputation she couldn’t blame him too much, but Hermione was more annoyed with Ron. He had absolutely no reason to be angry with her and his childish attitude had created a miserable atmosphere for Padma as well.

After dinner the Weird Sisters changed the mood of ball with several fast paced songs. The dance floor transformed from an elegant ball to more of a well-dressed nightclub. Students were more inclined to use sharp movements coupled with grinding bodies to dance in contrast to their previously choreographed waltz. Most of the teachers averted their gazes and made idle small talk, while others simply eyed the students disapprovingly – not that it had any effect whatsoever. This time it was Hermione’s turn to lead the dance. She took Viktor’s hand and moved her body sharply with the music. The Durmstrang champion felt a bit awkward at first but Hermione’s gentle gaze and soft smile calmed his nerves. He began to imitate her a bit before letting himself go and moved with the music. A few songs later, the young Quidditch player had relaxed and was bumping and grinding with the best of them, all while keeping their fingers intertwined. 

The music eventually slowed down, causing the young witches’ and wizards’ tired bodies to cry out joyfully. They all leaned into each others’ gentle embraces due to both the romantic atmosphere and to rest their aching muscles. Still clasping their hands, Viktor and Hermione moved into each other’s bodies. Viktor slid his free arm around her waist and Hermione placed hers on his shoulder while resting her head on his other shoulder. She had never felt more comfortable in her life. Viktor, on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling his teenage hormones. He found her scent to be incredibly arousing and attempted to shift nonchalantly away from her to avoid being discovered. When the song eventually changed, Viktor held her hand in the air and spun her around and pulled her back into his chest, hugging her from behind. She gently squeezed the hand Viktor had wrapped around her waist and shivered when she felt his warm breath on her neck. Exhaustion slowly snuck up on Hermione as she felt her eyelids fall, blurring her vision, and feeling the Bulgarian Seeker against her body was too comforting to try to stay awake.

“Herm-own-ninny…” Viktor whispered suddenly in her ear. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m okay…” She responded lazily. “…just a little tired.”

“Perhaps you are getting too convertible…” He breathed. 

“What?” Hermione asked amusedly.

Viktor grunted in annoyance. “Con…com…comfortable…” He said slowly. 

“Maybe I am…”

“Vould you like something to drink then?” 

“Yeah… Would it be alright if I met you at Harry and Ron’s table? I should see how they’re doing.”

He nodded. “I vill see you there.” 

Hermione nodded but it took them a few moments longer to release each other. Viktor moved through the crowd to the refreshments table to grab two bottles of butterbeer. He ignored his friends’ smirks and remarks about him and Hermione but couldn’t help but blush a little bit at what they were suggesting. When he arrived at Harry’s table, Viktor frowned when he didn’t see Hermione.

“Vare is Herm-own-ninny?” 

“No idea.” The red-haired boy looked up at him. “Lost her, have you?”

Viktor’s expression contorted in annoyance. “Vell, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks.” 

The Bulgarian Seeker moved through the crowd of dancers, using his training to try to spot his date amongst the swaying bodies. He frowned and continued out of the Great Hall into one of the adjacent courtyards. He found a distressed Hermione sitting on one of the stony paths twisting through the landscape.

She jumped slightly when she felt his arm drape over her shoulders and looked up to meet his concerned eyes.

“Are you alright, Herm-own-ninny?” He asked comfortingly. 

“Yeah… Ron… Ron is just being a… stupid git.” She grumbled as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Do not vorry.” He responded soothingly. “You vill come to an understanding.” 

The distraught witch smiled weakly. “How can you be so sure?”

“I do not know how they do things in Britain…” he spoke carefully, as to not embarrass himself. “… but in Bulgaria, friends alvays come to understanding after fights.” 

“Yeah…” she lowered her eyes. “You’re right.”

“Shall I take you to bed?” The Seeker said without thinking. 

Hermione blushed furiously, looking at Krum shyly but it was obvious that the innuendo had gone over his head.

“After we finish our drinks.” She answered with her eyes averted. 

Viktor gently held a bottle of butterbeer near her lips as she slowly nursed the drink for the next few minutes. After they had finished, she felt a wave of mortification hit her; she had just let Viktor Krum practically feed her a drink. Before she could express her embarrassment properly, she felt the arm Krum had around her waist pull her up with him as he stood. He steered her up a few steps before he realized he had no idea where Gryffindor Tower was. Hermione sensed his confusion and nudged him in the right direction. They stayed in a comfortable silence for the entire seven story walk. When they reached the final staircase leading up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, they turned the face each other. Viktor continued to gently squeeze her hands and stare at her intensely.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione smiled and averted her eyes slightly. 

The Bulgarian wizard considered expressing his thoughts for a moment. “I vish… very much to… kiss you…”

“Viktor!” she almost shrieked. “I…I…” She reddened considerably. 

Disappointment fell over his features. “Forgiff me… I should not haff…”

“N-no… it’s okay!” Hermione began to babble. “It’s just that… people should be surprised with a kiss… just going around ask-” 

The rest of her sentence was muffled by Viktor’s lips suddenly connecting with hers. Her eyes widened and she felt her lips tremble against his. His arms tightened around her waist and back, pulling her deeper into the kiss. A few moments had passed and Hermione’s eyelids slowly closed and her lips melted against his, as she became an active participate in their embrace. Viktor was slowly mustering up the courage to advance the kiss but before he could push his tongue into her mouth, she pulled away while panting gently.

“Vere you surprised?” He breathed heavily. 

“Very…” She responded with a heavy blush.

The Bulgarian wizard then took her hand and gently kissed it. “Good night, Herm-own-ninny.” 

Hermione watched him dreamily as he walked down the hall and turned the corner. She quickly snapped out of her wistful state when she spotted Ron and Harry turning the opposite corner and angrily stormed up the stairs and growled the password to the Fat Lady, ignoring her giggling and approving gaze, before disappearing into the common room with Ron at her heels; she could feel the looming argument even before she turned to face Ron.

(Hogwarts, Great Hall) 

Most of the school had slept in on Boxing Day and had missed breakfast. This, naturally, left everybody with rumbling stomachs before noon and the Great Hall felt even more crowded than usual for lunch. Hermione had finished her shepherd’s pie and was half way through with her pumpkin juice when she felt a nudge on her back. She turned to find Viktor staring back at her with a slight sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

“Forgiff me.” He bowed lightly. “I vill be more careful next time.” 

The witch smiled when she caught his mysterious wink and watched him exit the hall. She turned back to her drink but found a scowling Ron instead. Since their argument the night before, Hermione and Ron decided to have a tense, unspoken truce. Hermione quickly drained her goblet and before either Ron or Harry could comment she invented an excuse to leave the table and darted after Viktor. She spotted his Durmstrang uniform turn the corner at the end of the hallway and quickly followed. Before she turned the corner, she stopped in her tracks. She took a deep breath, not wanting to seem too eager to see him, and casually walked around the corner. Hermione raised her eyebrow when she didn’t see any sign of Viktor. The curious witch took a few more steps before she was suddenly pulled into a deep niche on the side of the hall.

“Viktor!” she squealed but was muffled by a sudden kiss. 

“Haff missed your taste…” He breathed after he pulled away from her.

“Viktor…” She responded, a bit dazed. “What are you doing? We could get caught!” 

“That is part of fun yes?” The young Quidditch player growled huskily and pulled her into another kiss, making sure that he put his tongue into play early on.

It took another minute or so before Hermione could gather the strength to push him away from her. Before she could ask where Viktor’s sudden boldness came from, he had interrupted her thoughts. 

“Fine… fine…” Viktor grumbled. “Ve vill go to ship for more privacy…” He murmured huskily.

“Viktor Krum!” She half scolded. “What are you….!?” 

“Vas only joke.” Krum smiled. “Vot kind of man do you think I am?”

Hermione smirked sardonically and let her eyes wander down to the thick hardness pressing against her thigh. 

The Seeker’s face flushed. “Vell… I… am only a man.” He said sheepishly.

“Yeah… something I noticed at the Yule Ball as well.” She said teasingly. 

Viktor’s eyes widened. “You…? I… I vas…” He continued lamely.

“What would you have done if I said yes to your little indecent proposal?”  Hermione raised her eyebrow. 

A familiar lecherous smirk appeared on his face. “Vell… ve vould be on our way to ship now vouldn’t ve?”

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave him a quick kiss. “I have to finish my homework before the next term. Will you meet me in the library?” 

“Vill be vaiting.” Viktor said with a slightly lopsided smile.

End of Chapter Two

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: S.H.E - 老婆

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any of the characters or places mentioned in this story.

“…” – speech

‘…’ – thoughts 

Chapter One

(Hogwarts Library) 

Viktor Krum.

He was the youngest player in the International Quidditch League. He had often been regarded as the best Seeker the world had ever seen. His Bulgarian bloodline had given him sharp masculine features, tan skin and a thick, chiseled body that every girl yearned to be held against. Krum’s deep brown eyes and short cropped hair  coupled with his superb Quidditch skills had many girls swooning and eagerly wishing that they could discover what other skills the Durmstrang champion may possess, first hand.

However, there was one girl who had not fallen victim to the handsome Seeker’s charms. Hermione Granger, the bushy haired, some-what buck toothed wonder witch seemed to be the only teenaged girl who was immune to Viktor Krum’s rugged features. She had to admit; she had been quite taken by his good looks when she first spotted him flying at the Quidditch World Cup, but now his constant presence was getting ridiculous. Ever since he had arrived at Hogwarts he had spent all of his free time in the library, which would have been fine except for the fact that a gaggle of giggly Hogwarts girls has taken to stalking him. Hermione had no idea what possible business he could have here in her sanctuary. Didn’t he have any books on that blasted ship he arrived in? 

Today had been no different. Hermione had occupied a large reading table with rolls of parchment, bottles of ink, quills and various textbooks lying open, overlapping each other as she frantically scribbled sentence after sentence of her Charms essay on her unfurled roll of parchment. The prominent young witch looked up to dip the end of her quill into her bottle of ink when she caught a pair of eyes staring at her from behind a book in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to get a better look but the owner’s face quickly disappeared behind the pages of his book.

‘Krum?’ Hermione shook her head incredulously. ‘What am I thinking?’ 

What reason would Krum have to be interested in her? They have never had any contact with each other, unless sharing a library counted as an intimate conversation. Although… there have been times when she thought that he had wanted to say something to her. They had caught each other’s gaze a few times since his arrival at Hogwarts, once at the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament, again when he entered his name into the Goblet of Fire and finally a couple of times in the library when she and Harry were poring over books before the First Task. They had only exchanged polite smiles before continuing minding their own business. That was hardly a reason for either of them to desire more contact… was it?

Hermione’s quill suddenly slipped when she heard an unexpected squeal followed by a crowd of giggles. Her face contorted into a scowl when she realized that a group of Krum’s fan girls were observing him from behind one of the stacks. She angrily tapped her wand onto her parchment to make sure the ink had dried and gathered her belongings and stormed out of the library but not before shooting a contemptuous looked at Krum and his fan club. 

‘Why did he have to herd them around here anyway!?’ she growled in her head.

The Durmstrang champion lowered his book and frowned as he watched the Gryffindor girl leave the library in a huff. He had developed an unexpected interest in Hermione the moment he spotted her in the Great Hall. Viktor knew that she wasn’t quite like anybody else he had met when he saw the obvious disinterest in her eyes during the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament. When the thought first crossed his mind, the Bulgarian Seeker berated himself for becoming interested in a girl who had no interest in him. He attributed this to a sudden complex he may be developing about wanting only what he could not have. Krum began nurturing his interest in her by asking students amongst the Slytherin table for information on the bushy haired witch that accompanied Harry Potter around the school. He learned of her academic exploits and that she frequently spent her time in the library for reasons unknown to the Slytherins. Afterwards, he casually interrogated some of the young witches that took to following him after he heard a pale blond Slytherin boy refer to Hermione as a “mudblood.” Viktor wasn’t familiar with the term in English but was annoyed at the contempt he felt coming from the boy. The young Quidditch player became more intrigued by Hermione and immediately, almost obsessively, began visiting the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of the studious girl and perhaps cross each other’s gaze as they had done a few times before. He was too shy to confront her while she was in the company of Harry Potter; what if they were together? Viktor had read something about it in the local paper, but he had also heard that the author had a habit of skewing the truth, which gave him a glimmer of hope. She brought out a warmth in his chest that was unknown to him and he felt that the Yule Ball would be his chance to expand on such an unfamiliar sensation. 

(Gryffindor Tower, Common Room)

Hermione had worked off most of her annoyance by the time she had reached the common room of the Gryffindor Tower and had proceeded to finish her homework there, where the only distractions were Ron and Harry pestering her to help them with their homework.

“Her-my-oh-knee!” Ron whined. “Help me!” 

The young witch rolled her eyes as she continued to finish her essay. Out of the three of them, Ron was probably the one with the least to worry about. Harry still had to figure out what the Golden Egg, that he has retrieved from the first Triwizard Task, really was and she had a taken on a few extra credit essays herself. Before Ron could prod her for help again, a bunch of over excited Gryffindor girls had come through the portrait hole squealing about their potential dates for the Yule Ball. Luckily for Hermione this provided her with a much needed distraction since Ron started to babble to Harry about how it was absolutely necessary for them to have proper dates the ball. Hermione’s eyes filled with sympathy for Harry; she knew he had been struggling to ask Cho Chang to be his date. Amongst the chatter about the ball, Hermione was able to finish her essay and quickly dashed upstairs before Ron could jab at her for help.

(Hogwarts Library) 

It was a Saturday morning and Hermione’s spirits were high. There was no way that Krum and has ruddy fan club would be in the library today. Surely a famous Quidditch player would have something better to do than to haunt the library stacks on such a beautiful Saturday morning right?

Wrong. 

Her face soured when she spotted the Bulgarian Seeker in the corner of the library muttering to himself in a language she didn’t understand. It almost sounded as if he was giving himself a pep talk. The good news was that his giggly groupies hadn’t found him yet, so Hermione would at least have some peace with her books.

Viktor’s eyes quickly glanced at the pretty brunette that had taken a seat at the table furthest away from where he was currently standing. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the most nerve-wracking experience of his life. He grabbed a random book off of the shelf, which was currently under one of his death grips, and walked confidently to the table full of parchment, books and ink.

“May I seat there?” Viktor pointed to the empty chair across from Hermione. 

“I suppose…” She answered a little stiffly. “…if you want.”

The Gryffindor raised her eyebrow suspiciously when she caught sight of the title of the book Viktor had started reading: Broomstick Buddies: Flying Tips for Beginners. She shook her head of her suspicions and buried her nose into her Transfiguration book. Hermione was half way through the chapter about partial transfigurations when she flinched as she was interrupted again. 

“Excuse me?” Viktor’s deep, accented voice questioned. “Miss Granger?”

Hermione put down her book. “How do you know my name?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“I haff heard vhisperings among students.” He stated plainly.

“Whisperings?” She asked disbelievingly. “About me?” 

“Haff heard you are smartest vitch in class.” Krum explained. “Many vish to ask for your help vith homevork.”

Her cheeks turned pink for a moment. “Figures. So what is it you need help with Mr. Krum?” 

“Viktor.” He corrected. “My name is Viktor.”

“Okay… Viktor.” She said impatiently. “What is it you needed?” 

“Vell…” The Seeker peered at the label on her book for help pronouncing her name. “Hermy-own… I vanted to…”

Hermione had covered her mouth to muffle her laugh at his pronunciation. The Durmstrang champion cursed in Bulgarian and began to quickly chastise himself for his mistake. 

“Forgiff me.” He said apologetically as his ears burned with embarrassment. “My English is not very…”

“It’s okay.” She smiled gently. ‘Maybe he isn’t what I thought…’ 

“I vanted to ask…” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “… if perhaps you vould…”

His voice faltered for a moment and Hermione responded with an impatient look. 

“If I would…?” She urged.

“…help me find a book?” the Durmstrang champion cringed. ‘What is the matter with you Viktor!?’ He snarled internally in Bulgarian. ‘Are you a coward!?’ 

Hermione’s eyebrows almost disappeared into her unmanageable hair. “A book? You could have just asked Madam Pince if you needed help finding a book.”

Viktor’s eyes shifted to the stony faced librarian and back to Hermione’s. “I thought that since you spend much time in library… you vould be of help.” Krum said slowly. “That voman is a bit… indeterminating…” 

Hermione was silent for a minute. “What?”

“In…” The Bulgarian Seeker’s face reddened with every passing second. “In…timidating?” 

The young witch laughed softly. “Yeah… she is a bit hard to approach. What did you need help finding?”

He took a deep breath and worked his face into an intense stare. “Actually… I did not vant to ask you that…”

The Gryffindor witch gave him a curious look. “Oh?”

“I…I vanted to ask if you vould like to accompany me…” he shifted uncomfortably. “… to the Yule Ball?”

Hermione’s eyes widened and her body froze in place. If there was anything in the world that he could have asked her, she would’ve bet her wand that it wasn’t going to be that. So many thoughts were shooting around her head that she couldn’t grasp one to articulate into words. Krum’s face fell at her silence.

“I see.” He said in disappointment. “You already haff date? Potter perhaps? Or red-headed boy?”

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “No… I… I would love to go with you.”

Viktor stood up in his chair suddenly. “You vould?” He asked hopefully.

“Yes… I would.” She nodded.

“I am glad.” He took her hand and kissed it gently, eliciting a blush from her cheeks. “I vill see you at entrance of Great Hall on Christmas?”

“Yes.” She answered with a bright smile. “I’ll see you there.”

“I vill be vaiting.”

The Bulgarian Seeker turned to leave the library with an obvious spring in his step. As he turned into the hallway outside of the library a few students jumped in surprised when he suddenly pumped his arm in the air victoriously.

End of Chapter One

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Marie Digby - Umbrella (Cover)

Chapter 1

(Bulgaria, Viktor’s Home) 

Viktor let out a heavy sigh. He leaned back against his headboard with a silvery photo album open in his lap. His eyes filled with longing as he ran his thumb gently along the cheek of a frizzy haired, brunette witch, who blushed and giggled in response. He smiled gently and continued to turn the pages eyeing the pictures of red-haired witches and wizards along with a dark haired wizard with a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, but no matter the place or number of people in each picture, that same frizzy haired witch was in each one. It had been almost a year since he had seen her at the Weasley-Delacour wedding and he had no idea how much he had really missed her. When he left after the Triwizard Tournament, they had exchanged many letters, each one laced with emotion and tenderness. However, once he had received one telling him of Hermione’s inkling of feelings for the Weasley boy, his letters to her became more cold and withdrawn. He had understood that they hadn’t promised anything to each other when he left, but he knew there wouldn’t be anyone else for him. The Bulgarian Seeker went through a dark period where he tried to drown his feelings in liquor and random women.

When he received Fleur’s invitation he almost rejected it once he read “Weasley.” A growl of contempt went through his throat before he started to consider the possibilities. A Weasley wedding would no doubt attract family and if the youngest Weasley male were there, there would obviously be the possibly that Hermione would be there as well. Was it worth it to see her? What if she and Weasley were a couple? His thoughts went back to when he had been filled with rage over Hermione’s letters. He had approached the album full of photos; his wand poised to cast a Severing Charm to cut Weasley out off all of his pictures, but the moment he saw Hermione’s horrified face, he lost his nerve. Her face contorted to reprimand him for thinking of such a thing and every Hermione in his album turned their backs to him for the rest of the day, and then they disappeared altogether for the next few days. He realized if it hurt him to not see her in pictures everyday, how much would it hurt to miss out on a chance to see her in person? He firmly checked the “Yes” box on the invitation and sent the owl back to RSVP. 

(The Burrow)

When he arrived at the wedding, he didn’t expect to see so many Weasleys. Viktor felt like he was wading through a sea of flames as he pushed his way through the crowd. He felt his heart skip a beat when he spotted her, albeit in the company of two Weasleys, and he smiled. She had matured into a beautiful young woman. Hermione was a little taller than he remembered but with the same smooth, silky looking skin. Her hair had grown a little longer and had tamed a bit but it still had that untamed wildness that he fell in love with. 

‘In love?’ Viktor thought incredulously.

Was that right? Was that was the reason he hadn’t had a successful relationship in years? Was it the reason why he had always chosen blondes to take to bed? Was it that he just couldn’t bear to pick anyone with a remote resemblance to Hermione? Viktor took a morbid kind of pride in knowing that he never brought any of those women into his bed; he was saving that for her, only for her. That’s when it hit him; it hit him like a nose breaking, bone crushing bludger: Viktor Krum was in love with Hermione Granger. Of course, at that moment his expression showed anything but love. He could feel himself glare reproachfully at Ron Weasley, the boy who was holding onto to his love, dancing with the girl that should be with him. Viktor caught Hermione’s gaze over Ron’s shoulder, searching for anything that could lead to a sign that there was still a chance; he needed to find a hint, a sparkle, a flicker of anything that might give him that same hope he had when their eyes first met by the Goblet of Fire. And then there it was; that spark in her eyes that told him that she still wanted him – that she still cared about him. Their gaze was broken when Ron suddenly pulled Hermione into a spin but when their eyes connected again, it, once again, broke suddenly, this time by Hermione’s sudden blush at Viktor’s sly look and knowing smile. However, their subtle flirtation was interrupted before anything substantial happened and by Death Eaters no less. Viktor’s harsh curses and cruel jinxes incapacitated large numbers of the dark wizards and doubled as a way to release the pent up tension in his mood but he had to apparate away before the members of the Order arrived to finish things up. When he returned home he immediately chastised himself for not staying to look for Hermione but all of his attempts to apparate back were blocked by a charm, which caused him rebound into random locations. He quickly sent his eagle owl out to find her, but each attempt failed and his owl returned with its original letter tied around his leg. 

And now, it was a year later and he still hadn’t heard anything from her. He had spent the past year waking up in a cold sweat and cursing his rash decision to hex and run. When the news of the Dark Lord’s return had reached Bulgaria, everyone was put under suspicious eyes. Almost every witch and wizard in Bulgaria received their education at Durmstrang; a school known for its involvement in the dark arts, and it was the first place the Death Eaters went to gather Voldemort’s supporters. Viktor’s family gathered at his parents’ castle under the protection of charms and dark spells, which cloaked them from any Death Eaters, as well as any owls that may have had any messages for Viktor.

When the war ended, naturally, most of the wizarding community burst into celebration because finally, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had defeated Lord Voldemort. Viktor even temporarily threw off his brooding to join in the festivities. After a week, however, he withdrew back into his shell of brooding and watching a cheerful Hermione wave and smile at him from the pictures in his album, jealously staring at himself in the pictures; he was able to hold her as much as he wanted. The Bulgarian wizard felt his eyes droop slightly when a snowy owl swooped into his room and landed on his shoulder, nipping his ear affectionately. His heart leapt when he recognized the owl. 

“Hedvig!” He jumped slightly causing the owl to hop up into his headboard.

He quickly untied the letter around her leg and scrambled to read the letter. 

Dear Viktor,

I know it has been a while since we’ve written, but there have been a reason why I couldn’t write. I hope you weren’t offended if I didn’t answer any letters you might have sent me. I’m sure you heard that Harry beat Voldemort and you’re no doubt celebrating with the rest of the wizarding world. I hope Hedwig didn’t interrupt you in the middle of anything important. But I really want to talk to you. I know this is sudden, but would it be alright if I visited you in Bulgaria? I’ve always felt bad for not doing it after my fourth year at Hogwarts and I thought that it would be a good time for us to catch up and for me to take you up on your offer. Please send Hedwig back with your answer and a place to meet, if it’s alright that I come visit, as soon as possible. 

I – he frowned at the words scribbled out and replaced with – wait to hear your reply.

                                                                                                                 Yours Truly, 

                                                                                                           Hermione J. Granger

Viktor pulled out the drawer of his nightstand and extracted a quill, bottle of ink and a piece of parchment, where he started to scribble his reply.

Dear Hermione, 

I would be very happy if you would come visit me here in Bulgaria. We do have a lot to discuss. I will be meeting you in Diagon Alley on Saturday at noon, if it is okay?

                                                                                                               Yours,

                                                                                                          Viktor Krum

“Vould you like to rest tonight and fly out tomorrow?” Viktor’s head turned up to Hedwig. 

She hooted her affirmation and tucked her head under her wing to sleep. Viktor stared thoughtfully at the scribbled out words on Hermione’s letter. It wasn’t like her to make mistakes and even though he knew she would be a little cross that he was going to do this but his curiosity got the better of him, as it did sometimes.

“Evanesco!” Viktor tapped his wand over the scribbles, wondering why Hermione didn’t think he had enough precision with a Vanishing Spell to uncover her mistake. Or perhaps she thought that he wouldn’t care there was a mistake and just pass over it. 

The patch of ink erased itself and revealed Hermione’s original phrase.

I miss you.

Current Mood: hot
Current Music: BoA - Be the One

Title: Insecurities
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance?
Summary: Hermione finds that even Viktor has insecurities.
Warnings/Extra: Just something I thought of when I read an interview with Stanislav Ianevski that said he would want to work with Angelina Jolie because it was "every boy's dream." I thought to myself, "What would be every boy's nightmare?" I think this is an appropriate answer.

Viktor and Hermione had just entered the elegant restaurant a bit later than they had planned. Harry and Ginny along with Ron and Lavender had set up a meeting place for them to catch up after the events of the war. They had just walked in and headed toward their table when Viktor felt the heat of a pair eyes on him. He turned to find a strangely attractive girl waving at him. It was an oddly familiar sensation, something he felt a long time ago, as he felt his thoughts swimming in his head while he tried to figure out what this feeling was; Viktor was brought back to reality suddenly.

“Viktor!” Hermione elbowed her companion’s ribs.

“Vot?” Viktor’s head shot towards her.

“Don’t stare!” 

“I vos not staring!”

“You were ogling her!” 

Viktor’s face screwed up in confusion. “Vot is ‘ogling’?”

“What you were just doing!” She hissed. 

“That vos a Veela!” He defended. “I had choice but to… do votever you said I vos doing!”

“Once upon a time Mr. Krum…” Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “…you told me you were immune to the charms of Veela.” 

The Bulgarian wizard blushed and averted his eyes. “I vos… I-I am! But… there are slip ups…”

“Then you shouldn’t call it an immunity.” She responded slyly.

Viktor frowned in defeat. “There is Potter and Veasley.” He gestured. 

The couple joined their friends at a nearby table and exchanged pleasantries. Dinner went by quickly with Hermione, Ginny and Lavender exchanging gossip and Viktor, Harry and Ron discussed Quidditch games and tactics. The boys’ ears perked up when Lavender mentioned a charm she was tempted to use on Ron.

“Oh yeah…an Engorgement Charm!” She laughed. “I wouldn’t know how big to make it though…”

“Hey…” Ron nudged her. “You don’t have to say it like that…”

“Especially around me!” Ginny said in a mock appalling tone. “I don’t need to hear anything about my brother… doing… that!” 

“Hahah! I’ve been tempted to use it on Viktor too…” Hermione joked. “…but I don’t think he would take to the idea.” 

Viktor’s eyes became very round and his face contorted in shock amongst his friends’ chatter. The band had arrived a little after they finished dinner and Viktor led Hermione out into the middle of the floor. His arms wrapped around her waist and her body pressed into his strong chest. 

“You vere…” He started nervously. “… only joking… right?”

“What?” 

“About… the Engorgement Charm…” Viktor’s voice trailed off. 

“Oh…” She giggled and buried her face into his chest, leaving his question unanswered. 

The handsome Bulgarian’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Her-my-knee?” 

She simply pulled him closer, allowing his neurosis to grow at its own rate. If he could gawk at Veela right in front of her, then surely she was allowed to tease him a little bit. 

“I…I do not… please you?” Viktor asked a little shakily. 

Hermione smiled into his chest. 

“I… am not enough?” His voice almost cracked in horror. 

How was that possible? She had always responded favorably to his touch. He had never mistaken the sounds she made for anything else but pleasure and she made them often when he plunged his manhood into her depths. Perhaps she was faking? Viktor wasn’t sure how anyone would go about it… but he had heard some of the female members of his Quidditch team talk about “faking” and it was something that women did sometimes to preserve a man’s ego. The burly Bulgarian was lost in thought for the rest of the night; giving off the idea that he was a bit downtrodden by Hermione’s refusal to answer his questions. 

Hermione frowned when they arrived home; she had been wondering what Viktor was so worried about. He held his shoulders low and his head hung down in defeat. She had only seen him like this when he came home from a loss at Quidditch, but those were so rare it was a shock to see him in this condition. 

“Are you alright Viktor?”

“Am not vell…” He responded hoarsely.  

“Oh?” Hermione asked quizzically. “Was it the fish? I thought it looked a bit undone…”

“Am not vell because… voman I loff is not satisfied vith me…” 

The witch felt her pupils dilate. “What are you talking about?”

“You are vishing to cast Engorgement Charm… because I am… inaccurate…” 

Hermione wasn’t sure if she had suddenly laughed because of Viktor’s English or because he had believed something so completely outrageous. 

“Viktor…” She said soothingly. “I was just joking.”

“Vere you?” He eyed her suspiciously. “Perhaps you haff just been… protecting my pride.” 

“Oh Viktor…” Hermione placed her hand lovingly on his shoulder. 

“Vill be in bed.” He shrugged her off and sulkily wandered toward the bedroom.

Hermione quickly followed him. “Viktor!” 

Viktor froze in place. When did he start behaving like a little brat? Viktor was never one to sulk like a child. He was a man; a Durmstrang man! Viktor Krum was a world famous Seeker and a Triwizard Champion! His father raised him to never give up and if Hermione thought that he was just going to roll over and accept this humiliation, then she had another thing coming! He stomped towards her with a mixture of determination and lust in his eyes. 

Hermione squealed when he hoisted her over his shoulder. “Viktor! What are you doing!?”

“Vill show you you do not need Engorgement Charm.” He growled. “Vill make you scream louder than Silencing Charm can handle…” 

Hermione rolled her eyes as he carried her into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. It seemed that even Viktor Krum had his insecurities.

Current Mood: apathetic
Current Music: Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing

Title: Chance
Rating: G
Genre: Drabble
Summary: The moment Viktor felt Hermione would say "Yes."
Warnings/Extra: This fits into my Stolen Kisses timeline.

Viktor felt her gaze on him as he strode confidently toward the Goblet, passing through the Age Line unopposed, to enter his name into the Tournament.

His eyes connected with hers — a small smile tugging at his lips, just enough to show his interest. 

Boredom played across her expression; his heart dropped, his pride wounded.

She doesn’t care.

Just as he was about to tear his eyes away from her, something happened, something so amazingly uplifting that his heart leapt right back into place. 

She smiled.

The Bulgarian strolled out of the hall; his spirits high. 

He had a chance.

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Elliot Yamin - Wait for You