(Originally posted on the Granger Enchanted website I thought I'd also post it here!)
She could feel him looking at her again. Hermione Granger resisted the urge to scowl as she tried to ignore him by opening another oversized book that seemed to dominate the table in front of her.
What was he looking at? She thought furiously, shooting him a cold look. She met his dark glare before rolling her eyes at him and then turning her attention back to the open book.
For the last few days Hermione had been convinced that Viktor Krum had been staring at her. At first she thought it was because of Harry. EVERYBODY stared at Harry, hardly able to believe that The Boy Who Lived was in front of them. But he still stared at her even though Harry wasn't with her.
She then thought it was because of 'Pug-face" Pansy Parkinson. Hermione grimace at that thought. There were just SOME people in this world that you just did not get on with. And for her that was Pansy Parkinson.
Hermione had seen Pansy talking to Krum a couple days before. Her laughter sounding more like a banshee wail than anything else. She had seen Pansy point at her with a look of intense dislike and Krum had said something that had Pansy blushing. A grim sort of smile crossed Hermione's face. Whatever it was that Krum had said Pansy sure had left in a hurry after that.
Hermione bit back a groan as the familiar sounds of girls giggling broke through her thoughts. Right on time, she thought irritably.
"Excuse me, I sit here?" Hermione blinked at the deep voice. Raising her head Hermione found herself staring back into the very dark eyes of Viktor Krum.
"What?" she asked, resisting the urge to flinch at the irritated edge to her voice.
"Please I sit here?" he asked quietly, his dark eyes never leaving hers.
Hermione shrugged indicating the chair opposite her."Sure take a seat." She muttered determined to ignore him and the giggling group of girls that always seem to follow him where ever he went.
"Thank you." Instead of taking the chair opposite her, Krum pulled out the one beside her.
"You are Herm-own-ninny, no?" he asked, raising a dark brow.
"No, I mean yes. But it's Hermione." She corrected.
"My apologies." He murmured. "My English, not so good. But I am – learning to speak better." Still his eyes never left hers. There was something to be said about eyes so dark you could lose yourself in them. Krum had those sort of eyes. They almost seem to pierce through you, taking in every expression, every emotion. It was a bit disconcerting.
"I – ah. That's okay." She replied unable to look away. She was annoyed to find she was speechless. Then it happened. He smiled. The change was instant. His dark eyes lightened, the frown that always seemed so permanent between his brows disappeared and Hermione was surprised to see that Krum had dimples. Though very faint they were still dimples. She felt a faint fluttering in her stomach. She vaguely remembered her comment about him not being good looking. Man was she wrong.
"The papers say you are girlfriend of Harry Potter, yes?" he asked casually, ignoring the girls that sat a table away trying to get his attention.
"Yes! I mean no. We are friends. Just friends." She shrugged, pulling together her composure with a little difficulty. Krum nodded as if pleased with this bit of information."I vanted to ask you question." Krum said softly, tilting his head to one side.
Hermione narrowed her eyes as she stared at him suspiciously."What?"
"I vanted to ask if you would teach me. To speak English properly. They say you are top student. I vant to learn from the best." He said earnestly.
For the second time in the space of 10 minutes Hermione was speechless. "You what?"
Krum sighed leaning his lanky body closer. On instinct Hermione leaned away from him.
"I vant to learn to speak English properly. I vant you to teach me. Vould you teach me? Please?" he asked.
"I – we – ah sure." Hermione found herself saying only to be rewarded with that beautiful smile again.
So the next few days had Hermione meeting Viktor – how she had changed from calling him Krum to Viktor so quickly she did not know – in the library every afternoon for about an hour. And she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
It wasn't him, Viktor was strangely polite, sometimes humorous and there were times Hermione would swear a strange light flickered in those dark eyes of his. He also had no sense of personal space. Whenever Hermione corrected him on a word, he would lean towards her, crowding a little too close, his eyes on her mouth as she framed the words, his own lips mimicking the words silently.
Maybe it was because Hermione was way too suspicious, but she had a feeling that there was more to her meetings with Viktor than he let on.
He was after all a competitor in the Triwizard tournament and she was one of Harry's closet friends. At the back of her mind she vaguely wondered if the only reason why Viktor wanted to get to know her was to see how Harry was doing in the next task.
"Vhat is it like, coming to Hogvarts?" Viktor asked her seriously, breaking her line of thinking.
"Good," she said automatically. "Actually better than good. I love it here. My parents are Muggles so before we got the letter I didn't even know that Hogwarts let alone the whole wizarding world existed."
Viktor nodded not at all surprised by her revelation about her parents. "My friend Andre, his mother was same. She died when both Andre and I vere small."
Hermione started in surprise remembering the dark-haired blue-eyed broad shouldered teen that she sometimes saw with Viktor. Who would've known, she thought. He had the arrogance and the confidence of a pureblood. A smile flickered across her face as she also remembered Malfoy kissing up to both Andre and Krum at the introduction dinner. She would so like to see Malfoy calling Andre a half breed and see how well he fared after the meeting.
"And he attends Durmstrang?" Hermione thought that Durmstrang only hosted Purebloods. Viktor shrugged.
"Only few know about Andre's parentage – is that the vord? –"at Hermione's nod Viktor continued. "– and Andre's father knows how to handle Karkaroff. Besides at Durmstrang not is all as it seems." He finished almost bitterly. Hermione blinked realising the enormity of what Viktor had just told her. Not too many people knew about Andre's parentage and yet Viktor had told her.
"Vhat is Vumvlevore like as a headmaster?" Viktor asked breaking the train of Hermione's thoughts. Hermione frowned at the question, shrugging.
"There is no one better." She answered honestly. "He is the best. Some say he's a bit – nutty, but he loves the students and the majority of the students love him. What about Karkaroff?"
Viktor's lips twisted as he glanced away."He is – tolerated." He said simply. "I like Hogvarts. The people, the teachers – they are nice. You have good friends, no?"
"Well, yeah. Harry and Ron are my best friends, have been since half way through the first year. And then there's Ginny and I suppose I can call Neville pretty close."
"And you and Harry. No more than friends."
Hermione scowled. How many times did she have to tell people? Lately that's all people wanted to talk about. Her non-existent romantic relationship with Harry. It was driving her crazy. That stupid Skeeter woman was to blame. "No me and Harry aren't more than friends."
Viktor nodded happily. "So you haff no boyfriend?"
Hermione's scowled deepened as she glared at him. "No I don't. There is no body I like – that way. Why the questions?" she asked irritably.
Viktor reached out and took her hands in his.
"I vant to make a convession." He said softly. A sense of dread touch Hermione as she stared at him through narrowed lids, tugging at her hand for him to release it. "I vant to ask you something, but was to – vhat's the vord – shy? To ask you straight avay."
"What is it?" she asked stiffly, giving up the tug of war with her hand and leaving it in Viktor's grasp.
"I vant to ask –" he took a deep breath. " – if you vould be my date to the Yule ball." He finished in a rush.
Hermione froze. Out of all the things in this world she had been thinking he'd ask her, this was not even on the list. She blinked and stared at him her mouth opening and then closing her mind blank "I vas vanting to ask you long time ago." He shrugged. "I did not haff the courage to do so. Now that I know you, haff talked to you, vould you like to go?"
Hermione stared at him, stunned. Viktor Krum, the 18 year old PUREBLOOD Bulgarian seeker, youngest ever to play in a Quidditch World Cup match was asking her Muggle-born Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball.
"Unless you are going vith someone else." He continued softly when she didn't say anything. Something close to hurt lingered in his eyes as he lowered her hands to the table. "I am sorry." He said stiffly. "I should not haff asked." He moved to get up, his face assuming its usual dark scowl.
"No wait!" Hermione said breathlessly, reaching out to grab his hand. "No I – we –"Hermione coughed past the lump in her throat. "Please. Viktor I – I would love to go to the Ball with you." She murmured softly looking up into his face.
The dark surly look disappeared as he collapsed back into his chair, that beautiful smile crossing his dark features one more time.
Hermione smiled back tentatively, only to realise that she was becoming addicted to that smile.
