01. An Unexpected Visit
It was almost midday, and the sun was peeking out from behind a fluffy white cluster of clouds through a window in 20-year-old Hermione Granger's office. She, however, being buried up to her knees with work, had barely noticed the brilliant late sunrise. She had been at it for hours: upon arrival at 6:30 AM she'd had her co-workers from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement rushing her with reports to check and proofread. She had cleverly resisted the urge to recommend using a Spell-Check quill from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes so they'd lay off her, but the lightness had vanished when she'd spotted her heavy to-do list for the day. She hadn't been under this much pressure since her third year back at Hogwarts when she'd taken more classes than anyone else, and therefore had loads more homework than the average student.
Hogwarts... it seemed ages ago, like a distant memory not entirely forgotten but rather set apart from the rest of her life. It would be much too optimistic to call these times 'happy' because of all the blood shed, tears cried and lives lost; yet it was nothing compared to the year that would have been her seventh... had she gone back.
Instead of returning to Hogwarts for another year of (though inaccurate due to the Dark Lord's semi-takeover) magical education, she had set out with her friends to destroy Horcruxes so as to finally rid the world of the evil that was Lord Voldemort. It had taken much more time, effort and emotion than anyone had imagined, and many people had died. Innocent people.
And yet, what with all the deaths, life moved on. For awhile after the big event she, Harry, Ron and of course all the remaining Weasleys had lived at the Burrow for at least a year... she didn't know exactly how long it had been. Time flew when you were having the time of your life.
Those times had been utterly too fantastic for words. Everything had been perfect. She was free to read to her heart's content while everybody else played Quidditch or chess or whatever they chose. There were also times when they did things together: talked, mostly. She and Ginny had certainly had the most to talk about back then!
But, as in all good things, it eventually came to an end. By the time they were 18, all the applying they had done for jobs finally payed off. Harry and Ron were to become Aurors, while Hermione joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Ginny played for the Holyhead Harpies; she enjoyed her job albeit the fact that she hated one of the Beaters, Karie McClain. Ginny always said it was solely for her love of the game that she put up with the "mental, wart-faced girl" who "certainly lived up to the public definition of 'witch'".
With the jobs there had also been changes in the living arrangements. The newly improved Ministry provided a flat that was rather nice to each new heads of departments; in Harry's case, the Auror department. Not wanting to separate, Harry had offered to let the other three move in until they got 'settled'... which Hermione and Ginny, at least, took to mean engaged.
They had been living like this for approximately two years already, and Hermione smiled as she thought over the time that had passed. It had been so wonderful...
"Hermione? Er, Miss Granger?"
"Wh- what?" said Hermione, quite taken aback as she snapped out of her thoughts and back into reality.
"I'm sorry, should I give you some time?" asked the voice. It belonged to Renee, one of Hermione's co-workers. A more dull and bland person she would be hard-pressed to locate, although she smiled at the expressionless woman.
"No, as much as I'd love a break I'm just much too busy at the moment. Is there something going on?"
"There's, er, a man outside asking for you," she replied timidly.
"Oh, you can let him in, I suppose," said Hermione, wondering why Ron couldn't just wait until she met him at lunch. But then... as she studied once more the huge pile of work she had to do, that may not be happening today...
As Hermione studied her workload, Renee walked out and after another moment opened the door again to let in someone Hermione had expected never to see again.
"Hello, Herm-Own-Ninny."
Hermione froze and felt her blood boil.
"Viktor?"
"I'm sorry to bother you like this, but I haff a situation," he said in his thick Bulgarian accent.
"Oh, well, I have got a lot of work to--" she said uneasily, thinking of what Ron's reaction would be if she were to tell him she had met with Viktor Krum. She decided to let him talk, feeling her cheeks turn red.
"It vill not take long, you haff my vurd. You see, I do not usually call on friends for favors but in this case I am desperate. We have had a little tragedy on the Quidditch team... or a rather big vun, a Death Eater has impersonated vun of our teammates and tried to kill us all."
Hermione squealed, "How awful! Was anyone hurt?"
"A few of us haff scars, though luckily no vun vos killed."
Hermione let out a sigh of relief; she had dealt with death so much that it always seemed like an old enemy wanting a bout again... she was glad it had passed. She had absolutely no idea what to say to him, though... they hadn't talked in person since the wedding and even then she had been quite tongue-tied. He had been a sore spot--no, a bloody, mangled spot--between her and Ron, and in getting settled into a new relationship it is never wise to discuss old flames. It was much easier to talk in letters. She could be honest, without danger of being spotted or overheard, and there was a large barrier between them so if something went horribly wrong he wouldn't see her cry or fall apart. Which happened, but never over Viktor... in fact, she'd never felt any romantic pull towards him at all. It was just his presence. And he had been nice, he'd understood when she had told him all she felt, things she hadn't even felt ready to admit to herself yet. And now there he was.
She felt a mixture of the happiness of seeing an old friend and that of approaching danger. She knew both feelings well...
Then she realized she should say something. "So--er, has he been captured?"
"That is vhere I vos going vith this," he replied. "He has been placed in your prison--I forget the name--"
"Azkaban." She was so used to answering questions, it was hard to repress.
"Yes, right--anyvay, he has been sent to prison and all is fine there. However... during a rather..." he paused momentarily to select a word- "... racous party in vhich ve vere not avare of his true identity, he may haff put jinxes on our things. We do not know, some Aurors are being sent to look it over. Vhich means," he sighed heavily and continued, "I need a place to stay vhile mine is searched. I do not haff many friends outside of the team and my family is avay so... I had novhere else to turn." In finishing he looked at her, as though expecting to see some sort of sign etched in her face. There was none, she was shocked and could feel it on her expression.
"I--I'm sorry, you--you'd like to stay with--with me?" she squeaked, in the tiniest voice in which it was possible for him to still hear her.
"If it is quite possible."
"Oh! Well--I, er... I--I suppose you shouldn't be out on the streets, it's terribly cold outside and... yes, you can stay with me, I... and..." She stopped and flushed a brilliant deep red. "Er... I, I should've told... I... you would be staying with my... my friends, as--as well..." She could not stop blushing; it had been extremely difficult telling anyone, really.
"Ah... vell, I do hope ve get along this time. I do not need to stay for about three days yet, so I shall come by at eight that day, is that all right?" She nodded quickly. "Goodvye, then. Thank you very much."
She managed a weak smile and felt rather woozy as he left the room. This was going to be interesting.
Author's Note:
Oh, also, here, I think I should say – it won't spoil anything – I am the biggest Ron/Hermione shipper who ever lived, and I absolutely hate Viktor Krum. Just saying, in case you might have found the wrong story.