This is a story written for my dear DragonLacrima! It was her birthday a bit ago and this is quite belated, but this is a birthday gift. I hope you like it, my dear. *blows kisses*
Years had passed.
Many things had happened in the meantime. She finished her 8th year at Hogwarts, she had gotten a job in the Ministry, she broke up with Ron…
Hermione sighs and rubs her forehead at the memory.
Ron is a good guy, but their relationship was akin to a campfire. It burned bright and hot but in the end, it wasn't meant to last forever. They parted on good terms, and she is still welcomed by the Weasley family, but it's… awkward. Even after a year. Ron has moved on and started dating Lavender Brown, who had matured more after the war.
The war… Who hadn't been affected by it? But it was over now.
With the end of the war came new opportunities.
And one of them lay in her hand.
A letter from Viktor Krum.
She'd read it already, but she is still reeling over it. It wasn't anything incriminating, he merely wanted to reestablish contact, but she couldn't help but remember their time together at Hogwarts.
She had quite liked Krum – no, Viktor – and thought him charming and cool, with a mind and heart she'd like to explore. She'd felt bad, though, for she already had a crush on Ron at the time.
But now…
Hermione lays down the letter and smooths it out. She has her own owl now, a lovely short-eared owl by the name of Artemis. After the war the only person she regularly contacted was Harry, and he could never bring himself to get a new owl, so she had gotten one instead.
She looks back at the letter and wonders what he is like now. How the war changed him, even though he wasn't as directly affected for the most part.
In it, he says he is coming to the UK for a time and would very much like to meet up with her.
Some part of her is conflicted, but the majority of her mind and heart are saying "do it."
She pulls out some parchment from a drawer in her desk and grabs a quill.
Hermione felt young again, worrying over what she was wearing. She'd spent much too long the morning of their meeting trying to decide what to wear.
She stops herself from smoothing down her navy pencil skirt. Again.
Taking a fortifying breath, she walks up to and enters the café. It's a small thing, just popular enough to remain in business, being on a side alley of the greater and more traversed Diagon Alley.
A bell jingles as she enters.
There's no concierge, so she looks around.
She spots him almost immediately and she takes a deep breath to hold down any embarrassing reactions. Like blushing.
Hermione takes a step towards the table and as if sensing her, Viktor shifts his gaze from the window to the front. Their eyes meet and Hermione hopes her smile isn't as awkward as she feels.
He's even more handsome than when she saw him last.
She wonders what he sees, when he looks at her.
Soon she finds herself at the table and carefully sits down in front of him.
"Hello, Viktor."
"Hello, Hermione."
She blinks, surprised, and his chuckle is a deep, throaty one.
"I have worked very hard on my English."
Her grin turns bright and she fights a blush, "I can tell! You still have an accent, but you are much surer of what you are saying."
He smiles back, "Thank you. I will admit that I have practiced so hard because I want to be able to say your name properly."
Hermione finds herself staring at Viktor, stunned at that remark with thoughts racing in her head. She hardly notices the waitress come by and ask for their drink orders.
Once she is gone, Viktor places a hand on one of Hermione's, "You are thinking too hard. Calm."
Oh. She makes herself blink and blink some more. Once she's ordered her thoughts, she looks down, embarrassed.
He pats her hand and she looks up to see him smiling charmingly. She can't help but smile back and ends up letting out a short laugh when he nods, satisfied.
From there, the atmosphere becomes more comfortable. Conversations flows naturally, and Hermione finds herself smiling and laughing more than she had in what feels like forever.
It's weeks later and the last day before Viktor returns home.
Hermione feels bereft.
She tries to hide her feelings as they share dinner at a restaurant. It doesn't work, however, and eventually she feels herself grow despondent.
There's a quiet moment and Hermione finds herself staring at the table.
Eventually Viktor speaks up.
"It would be very nice if…" Viktor pauses, "Would you please…" He huffs.
"Viktor?"
He seems to debate with himself before looking up with a determined expression.
"I want to keep seeing you."
"I…" Hermione can feel herself react to that, her cheeks flushing and heart speeding.
Viktor seems almost… flustered. "I have enjoyed my time with you greatly and I would hate to go back to not seeing you again and – "
She put one of her small hands on one of his large, tightly clenched hands. "Viktor."
He goes silent and looks at her imploringly.
Hermione feels her heart swell and a confidence fills her.
"Viktor. I also want to keep seeing you. Not only are you a good friend, I would be very interested in pursuing a relationship. If you're interested." Her confidence stutters a bit and she looks away shyly.
Viktor's hand turns over and grasps hers.
Their meal is momentarily forgotten as they lock eyes.
"Do you…?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Their smiles are as bright as the future that shines before them.
"Thanks for coming, Harry."
Harry looks at Hermione incredulously. "You're insane if you think I'd miss this for any reason."
"I just-"
"I know, I know," Harry puts a hand on her arm, "It's the jitters."
She coughs out a nervous laugh, "Dear Merlin, it's awful."
Harry laughs a more genial laugh, patting her arm, "It's a huge change, it's understandable."
The door opens, and Hermione's mother comes in holding a jewelry box. "I've got them!"
"Oh!" Hermione clasps her hands together.
The jewelry box holds an earring and necklace set of simple but beautiful design, made with pearls and inlaid with diamonds.
Jane Granger holds up the necklace, "These were your great-grandmother's. She wore them for her wedding, as did your grandmother and so did I."
She latches it around Hermione's neck, tears in her eyes. She steps away, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm so happy that I can pass it on." She eventually manages to put in the earrings, after a few more tears. There's a hug that lasts several minutes, afterwards.
Eventually Hermione turns and looks into the full-length mirror.
She's wearing a muggle wedding dress, wanting to bring a bit of her culture to this wizarding wedding. She smooths her hands down over the skirt, admiring the fit. She mumbles to herself, "Something new," she fingers the necklace, "something old."
She turns and admires her bouquet, a mass of beautiful white, blue, and red flowers. She says a bit louder, "Something blue…" She frowns, thinks a moment, and then turns to Harry. "Um…"
Harry smiles, "Yeah, something borrowed, that's me." He turns and picks up a box that somehow Hermione hadn't noticed before. It's rectangular but rather oddly and she can't quite guess at what it is.
He hands it over to her and she opens it reverently. She gasps lightly at the sight.
"I found it in one of the vaults. I don't know how old it is, but I did have it checked for curses or anything nasty." Harry ruffles his hair nervously, making Jane tsk and slap the hand down.
Harry pouts but Hermione is busy pulling out the tiara to notice.
It's a bit old-fashioned, but elegant and well made. It's slim and delicate, made of a silver metal with what looks like diamonds in white and blue. It doesn't quite match the necklace and earrings but she doesn't really care.
"Oh, Harry, this is too much – "
Harry smiles and stops her by putting up a hand. "Come on, I spent a lot of time looking for something like it. You're not gonna put my hard work to waste, are you?" He waves his hand with a pouty face.
Hermione can't help but laugh, "Alright, alright."
Jane puts a gentle hand on her daughter's arm while admiring the tiara, "This is beautiful, thank you Harry."
He smiles broadly, "Only the best for our Hermione!"
There's a chime from somewhere and they all look a bit surprised at the sound.
"Already? Oh dear!"
"That's my cue," Harry says, "I'm off." He steps up to Hermione and kisses her cheek before waving and leaving the room.
Hermione's father, John, comes in after. "Hey, you two."
"There you are. Just a moment," Jane helps Hermione put on the tiara and takes a moment to take in the sight of her daughter. "Oh, honey…"
John comes over and puts an arm around her shoulders and kisses her forehead, "It's time to go sit down, dear."
Jane sniffles a bit and nods. "Right. I'll… I'll be in my seat." She dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief her husband hands her. With a kiss to each of their cheeks, she leaves the room.
Hermione and John look at each other a moment and smile. He caresses her cheek with his knuckles, "You look beautiful, bookworm." She pouts, and he laughs. "But really, Hermione. There are no words for how proud your mother and I are of you. If there was anyone happier than you today, it would be us."
She takes his hand in both of hers and smiles brightly up at him. "I love you."
He presses a kiss to her forehead, "I love you, too. We both do."
They take in the moment, and Hermione takes a deep breath before looking up and nodding.
John turns and offers his arm. She takes it and they turn towards the door.
The doors open with a bit of magic, the music starts, and it's time.
It's time to take that step forward.
Hermione looks up and sees him there, in traditional Romanian wizarding robes. He looks strong, noble, and determined.
He looks at her and she can see the surprise then adoration in his eyes.
It's time to take that step.
And she takes it gladly.
Fin.