AUTHORS NOTE: JK's world, not mine. Please review but no flames...flames hurt my feelings (lols)

CHAPTER ONE

"Don't be looking over here," Hogwart's own Hermione Granger pleaded in her mind, silently peeking at the crowded library table

"Don't be looking over here," Hogwart's own Hermione Granger pleaded in her mind, silently peeking at the crowded library table to her right. There he was, with his dark coffee eyes riveted to her face…Bulgarian's own Wonder-Seeker Viktor Krum. He had what she recognized as Quidditch playbooks littering his table as he chatted casually with unfamiliar Slytherins that stopped briefly at his table. Harry always had his nose stuck in playbooks he had charmed in primitive Gryffindor red and gold, a far cry from the green and silver pages Krum had been paging through when she first walked in. "The things boys will do for house pride," Hermione thought to herself, smiling inwardly at the intricate glamour charms she had spied on the book. "Durmstrang taught him something at least."

Although she personally felt studying sports was a waste of anyone's brain mass, anything would be better than what he was doing at the moment—which staring in her direction. He had the audacity to simply sit on the edge of his table (something she should deduct house points for as head girl) and watch her. No subtlety, no nothing. But what drove Hermione insane was that she could not divine any emotion from his chiseled features. Shyly watching him, she decided he didn't have the typical Slytherin glare or Hufflepuff gaze of hero-worship. This was different and frankly kind of unnerving. Merlin, he was handsome though. Lost in her thoughts, she only realized that her stare had been noticed when Krum raised his bushy eyebrows with a smirk as if to say "Finally you notice me". Shaking her ponytail lose, her curls framed her face just enough so she could blush in peace. Of all people! Maybe he heard she couldn't fly to save her life and was trying to understand how someone could be so clumsy.

"One more scroll to go Mione. Don't let Krum distract you," she repeated like a mantra. But those eyes, that stare haunted her and her ability to concentrate—combined with annoying outbursts of giggles. Rolling her eyes, she spotted Krum's typical stalking posse of 6th years from all houses entering the library. The size of the "fan club" grew when news that he intended to transfer (although no one really knows why) was confirmed and he joined the Slytherin house. "There was no hope of concentrating now," she mumbled as she hastily gathered her books and cloak.

Pushing her way out of the growing crowd, she felt her hem get caught on a chair not fully pushed in. It was one of those instances where there would be no way to avoid falling on her face without looking like a complete idiot. Closing her eyes to better brace for a nasty bump and carpet burn, she suddenly felt strong, muscular arms jerk her backwards. The force made her lose her footing…again, and she found herself clutching some poor unsuspecting male victim whose arms practically encircled her waist completely.

"You should be more careful," a deep familiar Russian accent playfully lectured in what sounded like practiced English. "I can't be around to save you all the time."

"Merlin, please don't be Viktor Krum," She murmured to herself as she opened her eyes to look up into the face of her rescuer Viktor Krum.

She quickly scrambled to her feet but not without noticing a slight flicker of disappointment he tried to hide. "I am so sorry. I never meant to..." she trailed off, trying to think of a way she could escape so she could die from embarrassment in peace.

"Don't apologize, you are the happiest mistake that's bumped into me all day." He stepped closer to her, pinning her against the table.

Seemingly out of nowhere he asked, "Why don't you like me? We have three classes together and you refuse to talk to me. I'm smart, I'm funny, I'm decently good looking, I'm a gentlemen. What does it take to get your attention?"

"Umm, its not that I don't like you….um, it just that I never thought about it…" she stammered out, still a little confused about his interest in her. "He doesn't mean it," said the little voice inside her head. She took a sudden interest in her shoes. No boy at Hogwarts had ever paid any attention to her. She was Harry and Ron's best friend—making her by default one of the boys.

She suddenly felt his two strong, warm hands gently cup her face and slowly lift it up until she had no choice to look him in the eye. "You are a beautiful woman," he whispered, mostly to himself. "Forgive me."

She found that words to say, "For what?" before he cut her off with a kiss. Stunned by the feel of his lips against hers, she didn't even know how to react. She had never been kissed before.

"Did I offend you?" he asked. She was barely able to shake her head no. "Can I kiss you again?" he asked looking up at her with a mixture of hope and desire in those grey eyes.

Did she want him to kiss her again? He was absolutely dreamy—no girl could deny that. But she wasn't sure if trusted a Slytherin. Maybe Malfoy put it up to him as some sort of cruel initiation trick. But he was so dreamy and seemed really sincere. For once in her life, she wanted to not think so much and enjoy being a teenager.

She cautiously grabbed his hand and led him back to one of the least popular book stacks, Advanced Herbology. Neville was the only student she knew that could check out these books, but she also knew he wouldn't. The last thing she wanted was to cause a stir and have Harry and Ron figure out. "Yes" she whispered, "I would love if you kissed me again".

She heard a slow groan from the back of his throat. "Oh Hermione, I've dreamed of hearing you say that." His vast arms encircled her waist as he pulled her closer and gently kissed her, teasing her mouth open fully. Her response ignited a passion in him. He began to kiss her with more force; his hands roaming her body. She followed his lead and let her hands roam his chest and back. She couldn't help but gasp when she felt his hardness poking against her stomach. Was that his…?

Before she could think too much, Viktor started kissing down her neck and whispered in her ear. "Can you feel how much I want you?"

Surprised at how fast everything was going, she pulled away from his grasp, "This is all happening so fast. I hardly know you."

"Well let's change that," Viktor said. "Let me take you out on a real date."

"What?" Hermione was even more shocked. She could maybe understand Krum wanting a one-night stand with a girl like her, but an actual date. Dinner, a movie, holding hands. No one dates a bookworm.

As if he could read her mind, Viktor grabbed both of her hand and said, "Hermione, please say yes. I really like you."

Even though dating Krum would be asking for a world of trouble from her house and his, a smile spread across her face as she nodded her head yes.