Hermione Krum's luxurious lifestyle

A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction ever so all the feedback I get will mean a lot to me. Besides, English is not my first language, so I hope you forgive my mistakes and point them out to me so that I can correct them and improve my language skills. And yes, I know Hermione is completely out of character here. This is not to be taken seriously - I was having a good time writing this and I hope you have fun reading it.

Disclaimer: Everything in this story either belongs to or is inspired by JK Rowling (but I'm not sure she'd be very proud of this Hermione...)

Hermione Krum's luxurious lifestyle

by Jemima Wentworth

World-famous Quidditch player Viktor Krum's wife and manager Hermione opens her magnificent Monte Carlo mansion to Witch Weekly, and shares her views about success, love and style in the wizarding world.

"It all started in 1994", Hermione reminisces, a smile playing in her lips, "at the Quidditch World Cup finals. The moment I set eyes on Viktor, I knew I had found the one." Later that year, Krum went to Hogwarts, where Hermione was attending fourth year, in order to take part in the Triwizard Tournament. "I was totally smitten, but I was sure that famous, handsome Viktor Krum would never look at me. Mind you, I was a very dull-looking girl at that time." says Hermione, tossing her shiny golden-blond hair back. It so happens that he did look at her and fell in love with her. Their romance was made public when the young couple attended the Yule Ball together, and became the talk of Hogwarts.

The following summer, the Krums welcomed Hermione in their chateau in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was her first chance to experience Viktor's celebrity in his home country and it was quite a shock to an ordinary girl like her. "People followed us everywhere, there were paparazzi stalking us from treetops, it was sheer madness. I was too young to know how to cope with that, so I almost broke up with Viktor." However, love prevailed. Krum and Hermione got engaged on her 15th birthday.

As a celebrity's fiancée, Hermione joined the club. She soon found that she needed to handle her relationship with the press and the public more carefully, so she hired former Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter as her press officer. "We had met the previous year, and clicked right away. I saw a lot of her that summer. And since Hermione is such a darling, I didn't think twice when she offered me the job." Rita told Witch Weekly. "Under my influence, she learned that the press can be your best friend if you just play along with it." Together, they persuaded Krum to work on his public persona. "Viktor was – better, still is – a very reserved, diffident kind of person. Well, I guess this is your classic 'opposites attract' case, isn't it?" exclaims Hermione, her laughter ringing melodiously across the exquisitely decorated living room.

Their wedding took place exactly one week after her graduation from Hogwarts. "Viktor wanted a small private reception, of course." Hermione rolls her eyes. "But I insisted on going the whole hog." Sure enough, both the ceremony and the reception were events yet to be matched in the wizarding world. However, not everyone was pleased with the couple's union. Hermione was rumoured to have cast a Love Spell on Krum. She still feels hurt about this. "Some people are just jealous", she comments shortly.

The whole of the magical world was stunned when Krum suffered a nasty broomstick accident during a game against Norway for the Quidditch Eurocup six months ago. His right kneecap was smashed into many pieces, and Krum has since been attended to by the best mediwizards in the world. During our lovely walk around the Krums' residence, we found Viktor engrossed in play with 2-year-old Junior , surrounded by the lush vegetation of the mansion's magnificent garden. "The upside of the whole situation," says Hermione, kissing both Viktors on the forehead, "is that he has been able to spend much more time with me and the baby. And he also has all his charity and publicity appointments to keep up with. But we expect him to be back on his feet again in no time."

Hermione has been very busy herself recently. Not long ago, she was seen in the company of financial tycoon Draco Malfoy in a resort in the Caribbean. "We were supporting a benefit tournament there, and since Viktor was under treatment, and Pansy (Malfoy's wife) had just given birth to baby Fiona, Draco and I had to travel by ourselves. Pansy and Viktor know we're good friends, they don't take any notice of the untrue remarks." She also commented on Malfoy's election as "The Sexiest Wizard Alive" on Witch Weekly's last issue, "It was about time someone beat Sirius Black. He used to be dead sexy, but his thighs have got quite flabby lately. Draco, on the other hand, is in terrific shape. Besides, he's rich, his family's powerful, and, to top it off, he's blond. What else can you expect?"

When it comes to looks, Hermione is also in her prime. Often featured on Witch Weekly's "Best Dressed" list, she has recently had her breasts magically enhanced by Dr. Simon Branford. Her wardrobe is now filled with tight, low-cut robes, which make the most of her new figure. A self-confessed cosmetic spells addict, Hermione is a habitué of the most exclusive boutiques in Paris, where she Apparates every season to check the new collections. "I've come a long way since my Hogwarts years", she says, recalling the time when she used to hang out with boys and not care about the way her hair or clothes looked.

Hermione's elegance and self-confidence, allied to a sharp business mind, have turned her into one of the most successful sports managers in the industry. Besides managing Krum's multimillion-Galleon contracts, she is also in charge of the careers of many other international star players, such as Japanese Keeper Yuuji Shimao and the captain and Chaser of the Brazilian women's Quidditch team Janaina Paraguassu. But not even her ambitious, success-driven attitude was enough to convince her childhood friend Harry Potter to become a professional Seeker. "After we graduated, I proposed to be Harry's manager. I told him that, with his talent for Quidditch, his celebrity and the network of contacts I'd been developing through Viktor, I'd be able to get him the most fantastic contracts ever seen in the wizarding world." Potter, however, turned her down and enrolled in Auror training instead. "Well, the world lost a superb player. But, maybe, I should be glad about that, because then it wouldn't have been so easy for Viktor to win the Platinum Snitch five times in a row!" Hermione laughs, referring to the prize awarded annually to the season's best Seeker.

Even though they are not professionally connected, Potter and Hermione's friendship lives on. "I keep inviting him for my charity dinner parties but although he donates huge amounts of money, he never shows up. He has never been the most outgoing person, and he seems to have developed a sort of cameraphobia lately." As for Potter's love life, Hermione says that the rumours about a secret girlfriend are unfounded. "He is still as single as he was at 12. It's a good thing that he has Ron (Weasley), who has been such a faithful and close friend through all these years. Their friendship is a very beautiful thing", she comments, while admiring the lovely view of the turquoise sea outside her window.

When asked about her plans for the future, Hermione cannot hide her excitement. She reveals that she and her partner - French designer Fleur Delacour - will soon be opening the first branch of their exclusive lingerie shop Veela's Secret in Monaco. "We are planning a truly memorable opening party. And, perhaps, I might even feel tempted to model some of the lingerie myself...", she hints, with an insinuating smile. That will be another challenge in a brilliant young woman's life of achievements.