Acceptance
By TheDarkAngelLilith
Ron tried to warn Hermione about Viktor Krum but it will take a very frightening moment for her to accept that he was right about the foreign playboy.
Viktor wasn't a bad guy he really wasn't. At least not that Hermione had ever seen. He was always very kind to her, worshiped her in a way to be honest. She enjoyed his friendship she never knew anyone to spend as much time pouring over books as she did. Sure his mispronunciations of her name were highly annoying but it wasn't anything she couldn't deal with.
Ron was absolutely full of himself all of his accusations about Viktor using her for information or that she was "fraternizing with the enemy". Then there were his most recent and most incredible claims that he only wanted her for her looks. Now that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. She didn't believe it for a second and she'd laughed at Ron when he'd said it. Viktor wasn't like that. Perhaps eighteen and fourteen was too great of an age gap. She knew that he did have feeling for her that she did not return but it wasn't anything inappropriate in nature and she didn't think for a minute that he would force her into anything. Her final verdict was that Ron was being petty and maybe he was jealous. Either way he was acting like a child. So when Viktor invited her to see the Durmstrang ship she had no apprehensions about going off alone with him.
It was an amazing piece of magic the ship was. It looked big enough from the outside but on the inside the main deck was larger than the great hall. It looked like a five star hotel decorated elaborately in the school colors. Red silk hang from every wall the floors were a very polished dark oak. Gold tiled columns stood at intervolves though she doubted they actually played a role in holding the ceiling up. Crimson and gold banners draped in crisscrossed angels covering the high ceiling and on the far wall was a magnificent mural of the Durmstrang crest.
"Wow," Hermione whispered in awe "This is amazing,"
"I thought you would appreciate the magic used in the architecture." Viktor stated.
"Oh I do, it's incredible. The creators must have been very powerful wizards." Hermione replied still taking in the beauty of the ship.
"Durmstrang legends, all of them," said Viktor.
"I'm sure," Hermione replied. She noticed that there was a breeze ruffling the banners but she couldn't feel it herself and there were no windows.
"Come, I will show you my room." Viktor suggested "I will be in a great trouble if master Karkaroff knew I brought you here."
"Because I'm muggle born." Hermione sighed a pang of anger rising in her.
"Well, yes but it's also because you are from Hogwarts. But you know I don't share his views." Viktor replied regretfully.
"Yes I know and I appreciate that. But it still makes me angry." Hermione said not looking at him.
"I think you are perfect," he told her pressing a hand to the small of her back.
Hermione felt her cheeks go red and smiled sheepishly "Thank you,"
He led her forward with his hand firmly in place on her back. She didn't know how to feel about the contact, it was a little awkward but it didn't make her feel uncomfortable so she let him continue. They approached one of the long crimson panes of silk and behind it Hermione saw a very solid looking wall. Krum said something in Bulgarian and the silk blew aside with a sharp wind revealing a door that had not been there before. Seeing this made the Gryffindor portrait hole seem very lame though she wouldn't dare tell the fat lady this. There was a corridor beyond the door witch again defied what you saw from the outside of the ship. It was decorated in the same blood red and bright gold silk and six crested doors lined the hall. He led her to the third door on the left and pushed it open standing aside for her to enter first.
The room was decorated like the rest of the ship and had little furniture. A single bed with rod iron head and foot boards and a side table to match. There was a large oak dresser in the corner and propped up against it was a sleek broom stick. The room was lit by flickering candles that casted shadows on the crimson walls.
A thought accrued to her "You get your own rooms? At Hogwarts we all share dormitories."
"Only if there are not many students on board. We can fit the entire school on the ship if we have to." Viktor replied as he took her cloak.
He ran the back of his fingers over her arm as he pulled away and a shiver ran though her body, she didn't like it. She thought maybe she should tell him she didn't like him touching her like that but feared she would upset him so let the matter go. As he put their cloaks on hooks she wandered over to the side table and looked at the books stacked on top of it. They were all in Bulgarian and she couldn't read the titles.
"Textbooks, we still have to study while we're here." He informed her "You can sit down if you want."
Hermione hesitated for a moment. She thought of what her father would say to her about her being alone in an older boy's bedroom and taking his request to sit on his bed. She shook off the feeling; it was ridiculous Viktor wouldn't try anything like that. She sat down and he sat next to her a little too close for her comfort. He was staring at her with an emotion she couldn't identify and the uneasy feeling resurfaced.
"So," She paused for a moment searching for something to talk about "How does the ship run? Is there a captain or is it led by magic?"
He continued to stare at her with that odd misty look. She was beginning to think this had been a bad idea. No, he wouldn't hurt her she knew him better than that. Didn't she?
Suddenly he closed the gap between them and Hermione felt hot lips on hers. She gasped and slid backwards. A warm squirmy feeling ran all over her skin like hot worms were wriggling under her flesh. It was not what she imagined a kiss to feel like and she did not want it to happen again.
"I- I- I don't- I- mean- I'm sorry, I- I don't want to hurt your feelings. I just don't feel that way about you. I'm really sorry." Hermione stuttered.
He slid closer the emotion in his eyes hadn't changed and Hermione began to feel very frightened of the situation.
"Come now Hermi-on-ny," He said in an almost chiding way.
She slid back once more she was against the head board now "I'm sorry, I don't feel that way about you. It's nothing against you honestly or your school. It's just I don't feel the same way and besides I'm fourteen and you're eighteen."
"Age doesn't matter," He replied in a husky tone. He seemed to have completely disregarded what she said about not having romantic feelings for him.
Krum closed the remaining space and had almost caught her lips again when Hermione stood quickly and backed away a few steps her heart racing painfully.
"I'm sorry but to me and my parents it does. I don't have romantic feelings for you and I don't like it when you touch me." She was using a harsher tone now but she was beginning feel that maybe Ron had been right. Her stomach was turning.
Viktor stood and walked over to her in a way that made her feel like she was his prey. Hermione tried to run for the door but he caught her and to her horror he pinned her roughly against the wall.
"Let go of me! This is assault!" she shouted struggling against his hold. He was much stronger than she was.
Bile rose in her throat as she felt his lips on her neck. If she could just reach her wand… It was no use he had her very well restrained she felt blood leaving her wrists.
"Stop it! Stop it you're hurting me!" Hermione yelled. She thought about screaming for help but she didn't think anyone else was on the ship.
She began to fear the worst and almost gave in feeling that she had no chance of escaping. She continued to squirm and felt hot tears brim her eyes.
Bang! The door flew open rebounding off the wall behind it. Krum backed away in shock and Hermione scrambled for the door.
"Stay away from her you foreign bastard!" It was Ron standing rigidly and rage filled in the doorway. He held his wand up and as Krum reached for his sent a stunning spell at him. To Ron's great surprise it caught the older, larger boy in the chest and Krum collapsed to the floor.
He had known that Krum was bad news. Yes some of it was jealousy he would admit that but he was glad he hadn't trusted him.
He had been sitting in the common room with Harry when Hermione came in to drop her books off in her dorm. Upon hearing where she was going he promptly asked Harry to borrow his invisibility cloak and followed closely behind her. He didn't like this older boy luring her off alone and he now knew that he had good reason. Ron felt a bitter feeling settle in his stomach, she should've listened to him. Why did it have to take her getting assaulted to accept the truth? If she hadn't been so stubborn…
He heard a soft whimper; he turned to see Hermione collapsed on the floor clutching her robes around her body tightly. Large tears ran down her pale cheeks and she was shaking slightly. He couldn't be angry with her not after this, not after seeing her wide brown eyes glistening with tears. Ron sighed and knelt down in front of her.
"Hermione, it's okay he's out cold. Are you hurt?" Ron asked.
She shook her head but it wasn't entirely true, emotionally and mentally she was very hurt. She shouldn't have gone off alone with him she should've listened to Ron.
"Come on let's get out of here before he comes to." Ron suggested softly.
"I'm sorry Ron," Hermione sniffed "I should've listened to you. You were just trying to protect me and I was so awful to you."
"Hermione," Ron sighed, he was about to do something insane. He inched closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't apologize, I was pretty awful myself. I- I'm really sorry this happened. Is- there anything I can do to help you?"
She shook her head again allowing herself to cry into his shoulder. Ron felt a twinge of pain, he wanted to be able to help her he wanted to take her pain away. He should've stopped her from going on the bloody ship.
"Come on, we have to get back to the castle before someone finds us in here or that thing wakes up." Ron told her.
Hermione felt weak as she stood and her knees felt like they would give out beneath her. She felt the urge to lean on Ron for support but suppressed it. He draped the invisibility cloak over them and looked down at her. Her face was blotchy from crying and tears were still falling. He wasn't sure why he did it but he reached down and swiped his thumb over her cheek to get rid of the tears.
"It's going to be okay. If he ever comes near you again Harry and I will feed him to the blast-ended skrewts." Ron told her, he only half joking.
A ghost of a smile passed her lips but she couldn't commit to it. She realized that even though the pain of the incident was still raw Ron being there made her feel safe.
As the two snuck out of the ship they were both unknowingly coming the conclusion. They dreaded the thought but thinking upon their argument the night of the yule ball it was almost undeniable. Hermione had accepted that Ron had been right about Krum now they both had to accept that they were beginning to have feeling for each other. Everything was about to change between the two of them weather they liked it or not.
Is it in Krum's nature to assault Hermione like this sure he might have seemed like a decent guy but I don't think we saw enough of him in the book to know for sure. And I feel a some what pedophilia vibe to way he obsesses over Hermione. The age gap between 14 and 18 just really isn't okay if Hermione was 20 and Krum was 24 it would be fine but not 14 and 18. i mean in real life he could get charged so yeah no not feeling them as a couple because i think it's disgusting. and i really don't think the events of this story are that far fetched i can see it really happening the book.