The letter had come that morning, throwing Hermione into a frenzy of self-recrimination. She knew she had done it for their own good, knew that they would not be separated forever. However, Viktor had taken the separation badly, and because he was distracted about that and other things, he had been hurt in the last game of the season.
Vulchanov and Ivanova had written that he wasn't healing the way he should. They wanted her to come back and attend to his injuries. She was the only one who could heal him, they said.
Hermione acknowledged their concern; she knew Viktor always responded better to her healing spells than anyone else's. Harry had asked her to oversee the last few months of Ginny's difficult pregnancy, so she was back in England until her friend delivered.
She was at their house in Godric's Hollow now; Ginny was finally doing better, but not enough. Hermione re-read the letter, determined that the problem was a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and pulled muscles in his back.
Her return owl said to bring him through the Floo to the cottage and she would take care of him. It was a good thing that she was staying in the guest cottage behind the house and it had its own Floo.
She opened the door to stare out at the setting sun. There would be rain in the coming days she surmised. She only hoped it would stay away long enough for her to heal Viktor. She looked out at the little village, remembering the awful scare she and Harry had had just nine years ago.
The sound of the Floo activating brought her back into the cottage; there stood Viktor with his arm in a sling. His lopsided grin tugged at her heart strings.
"Hello, love, did you forget to keep out of the way of the Bludgers? Sit down and let me look at you," she said quietly.
He slipped his arm out of the sling and unbuttoned his shirt. She ran a few diagnostic spells on him and realised that heat was going to be the best thing to get the kinks out of his shoulder and back.
Reviewing the options open to her, she chose the closest one.
"We need to Disapparate to the one spot where I know I can heal you. It is a geothermal spring, Viktor. It is very warm. I will need you to float in the water on your back for about thirty minutes. The baths are closed at this hour but I may need to Transfigure us both if anyone comes looking."
"You are the Healer, love. I will do whatever you require," he replied.
She walked briskly to the main house to tell Harry Viktor was there and they would return in about an hour or so.
When she got back to the cottage, Viktor was toying with the broken charm bracelet on the table.
"Isn't this the bracelet that Weasley gave you after the final battle?" he asked.
Taking it from his hands she put it aside, answering, "Yes, I brought it to give to Ginny if the new baby is a girl. I don't need it anymore to remember Ron, Viktor," she said.
The tone of her voice told him she did not want to talk about it just then, so he put his arms around her as she Disapparated them to the thermal pool at Bath. Just in case a guard came to look at the pool, she Transfigured them both into swans. He floated in the water while she sat on the side of the pool. When he spread his wings and flew to join her on the side of the pool, she knew he was healed. She changed them back into human form and Disapparated them back to her cottage.
It was time for an explanation, she knew. There was a nightingale singing softly as she dried Viktor off. They sat in the swing under an ancient oak as she began to tell him why she brought the bracelet back to Ginny.
"It was so hard, Viktor. I felt so guilty. For him to do what he did, after I told him I was going to marry you. It confused me to the point I shut my emotions down. The killing curse had been meant for me, but Ron pushed me out of the way, right into your arms." She was crying softly now.
"I know, Hermione. I disarmed Lestrange, but Ron was already dead. I should have acted sooner." He held her, letting the regret sound in his voice.
"I realised when I got here that I have made us waste precious years. Harry told me to quit feeling guilty and do what I should have done five years ago, marry you," she said with a laugh.
Just then, the heavens opened up; the late summer rainstorm drenching them in seconds. Running for the cottage, Hermione saw that Harry had left another basket of apples on the bench outside her door. She opened the door as Viktor brought in the basket. He reached into his pocket and brought out the wedding band he had bought for her all those years ago.
"Will you finally marry me, Hermione?" His eyes shone with hope as he reached out for her.
"Oh, yes, my darling." She lifted her face for his kiss, and sighed with happiness.
iHermione Diggory's prompts were:
The character/couple of your choice, a letter, a broken charm bracelet, a geothermal spring, a nightingale
The character/couple of your choice, a basket of apples, a rainstorm, muddy footprints, a wedding band/i