This is for The "Girls of Harry Potter" Challenge by MidnightEmberMisery. My pairing is Hermione/Krum and my prompt is "simper." Story takes place during TriWizard Tournament year. Parts from the Yule Ball section are quoted.
I would like to apologize now for Krum's lack of accent. I tried… and failed at writing in it. I can imagine the accent. Can you?
"Hermione?" Viktor guessed again.
"Exactly right," I replied, placing a kiss on the end of his nose. He blushed in response.
"It should not have been so hard to learn your name," he argued.
"Hush up and kiss me," I ordered.
For once, I was dealing with a boy who knew how to listen. The seventeen year-old happily complied. In the library, we were as careful as we could be so as to not to alert his fan girls. We spent most of our time in the forest, close enough to be out of danger and far enough away to not be spotted.
"What are you thinking right now?" he asked, pulling away just enough to speak.
"I'm thinking," I said, "that life would be so much easier if I stopped associating myself with famous people."
He started pouting, an adorable, ridiculous pout. "Now that is not very nice," he told me. "If you did not spend time with me, I could not do this." He leaned forward and kissed me again.
"You have a very valid point, Vik," I mused aloud. "This is certainly easy to get used to."
"You see?" he replied with a cocky grin. "Without you, I would have to deal with one of those obnoxious followers."
I snapped, "Simpering fools, you mean!"
"I do take some offense to that," Viktor protested. "How does it make them fools to be attracted to me? I got you, didn't I?" This last part is paired with a raised eyebrow and crooked smile.
"That's not what I mean," I replied. "They are fools for not looking at people they actually have a chance with. You've looked past them so many times." I rolled my eyes. "They follow you around like puppies on a leash, and that leash is your fame. They don't look beyond it to learn if you are even mildly interested."
He grinned again, antagonizing me. "You looked back," he pointed out. "You looked beyond the leash."
"No," I argued. "I was choked by the leash A.K.A. the fan girls as you walked into the library. I had to do something to get you – and them – out of there."
"Even if it meant removing yourself?" he teased.
"Maybe," I pouted. "You know, I really do enjoy these little interactions. I don't have many people willing to argue back. At least, not many people willing to argue valid points."
Viktor chuckled. "Do you mean your friends draw parallels to the simpering fools you dislike so?" he teased.
I stuck my tongue out at him and he pretended to nip at it.
It was silent for a moment before he asked, "Hermione, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"You look lovely," Viktor whispered as he took my hand. "Heri-own," he added with a wink and a smile.
"You are insufferable," I sighed in exasperation. He found it funny to annoy my friends by making them believe him completely daft.
"But you love it," he fired back in as low a voice as possible. The fans were everywhere, even more so than usual.
"Why must they all stare at me?" I whined in a voice that was barely a whisper.
"Because you are truly the Bell of the Ball tonight," he replied.
I blushed, "You're just saying that. We all know that it's Fleur."
Viktor shrugged, "To some," and left it at that.
I sighed and turned around. "Hi Harry!" I chirped, happy to have found someone else who was an ally. Why was he with Parvati? "Hi Parvati," I added in an equally cheering voice. It wouldn't have done to make Harry's date my enemy.
Then the doors opened. The fan girls, Pansy Parkinson, and most of the girls entering did not look happy to see me. Ron wasn't looking. Isn't he so very mature?
As we approached the top table, I heard much whispering and giggling among the fan girls. The idiots were trying to put me down in hopes of bringing themselves up. Morons. I was the one on Viktor's arm, not any of them.
Ever the gentleman, Viktor pulled out my seat for me before seating himself. I glanced at Harry and found he hadn't been so gracious to Parvati. She certainly didn't look happy about it.
"What will it be, 'Air-me-own-y?" Viktor asked, slaughtering my name worse than ever before. He found it funny to mess it up after he finally learned it.
I had to resist the urge to start laughing as I glanced down at my menu.
"You should try some of my country's food," Viktor suggested.
"That's not a half-bad idea," I replied. "I'm semi-familiar with France's food, but I guess I've never had Bulgarian cuisine."
"It is the best," he commented and glanced down at his own menu. He ordered for both of us and I took a small bite.
"This is good," I told him. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but yum!"
He laughed, "Then you will have to try some more some time."
"Maybe," I agreed and took another bite. "So what is your school like?" I asked.
"Well," he replied, "we have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking. We have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But we have grounds larger than even these – though in the winter, we have very little daylight so we are not enjoying them. But in the summer we are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains-"
"Now, now, Viktor!" Karkaroff butted in. "Don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!" His eyes narrowed at the word charming, and I could tell just how charming he thought I was.
"Igor, all this secrecy… one would almost think you didn't want visitors," Dumbledore said.
This sent both of them onto a long discussion about schools, secrets, and chamber pots.
"Shall we tease your friend Harry?" Viktor whispered before raising his voice to normal level. "Is this food not wonderful, Hermy-own?"
I giggled. "It's great, Vik…tor," I added the rest of his name on quickly. No one needed to think we were as close as we actually were. I could have sworn I saw Dumbledore send a smile my way after my save.
Viktor frowned, "I am not saying it right, am I Hermy-own?"
I stifled a laugh. "Her-my-oh-nee," I sounded my name out slowly.
"Herm-own-ninny?" he "guessed."
I had to look away to keep from laughing. I caught Harry's eye and grinned. "Close enough," I said to Viktor.
We continued to chat about nothing in particular until Dumbledore asked us to stand. When the tables moved apart, Viktor took my hand in his and lead me out onto the dance floor. For someone with as awkward coordination as him, he danced surprisingly well.
"They are watching you again," he teased as he leaned in close to my ear.
"Simpering fools," I spat.
He chuckled and answered, "Did I say who the watchers were? No. It is your friends."
I glanced over at them. Nice, Ron, nice. "No one ever said Ron didn't simper as well," I told him.
He laughed loudly this time. "Many simper," he added with a chuckle, "just not you."