"I didn't vant to tell you so soon, but it… it vas true vhat I said," Viktor said as he caught up with Hermione in the hallway. She hadn't been in the library as often lately and he hadn't gotten the chance to explain the second task with her since… well, what he had said to her, anyway.
"Viktor, I…" She stopped, clutching her Transfiguration book closer to her. "I care about you too. This is all just going so fast."
"I know, it's going fast for me too and like I said, I didn't vant it to be out like that so suddenly." He looked at his hands nervously. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away. She was the only girl he had ever feared for in that sense; usually he couldn't scare the girls away with a fire-breathing dragon and the promise to tie them up under a lake… oh wait…
"Herm-own-ninny, follow me?" He could spot the she-vultures coming from one direction and took her hurriedly in another. They walked quickly down another, less populated hallway and then into another deserted side-passageway.
"I'm really sorry if I frightened you vith that is vhat I vas trying to say," he said slowly, trying to get the whole meaning out. Her eyes remained on him, waiting to continue, which he did, blushing. "My accent gets in vay. You mind if I show you instead?"
Hermione shook her head, a small glimmer of mischief in her honey eyes. Viktor took her chin in his hand and brought her face to his, kissing her lightly on her lips and pulling back just as quickly. She opened her eyes again slowly and smiled at him so sweetly that he wanted to kiss her again, but didn't. Kissing her again would be stealing, not by him, but she may steal part of his soul instead.
"Hermione?" he stuttered and she looked up at him. "I hadn't expected to see you again… ever."
She stood from the table and came to hug her old friend. She hadn't changed at all. Her hair was pulled back in a half-back, and her eyes carried the same light that he had remembered so clearly. She was more filled out than she had been in her teen years; carrying two children beautified her more than he could have imagined. As he held her close to him he felt like the seventeen year old standing soaked by the lake with a shivering girl in his arms. She wasn't shivering now, though. She seemed to be radiating warmth and all the tingly feelings that he couldn't repress even now. He felt himself smiling.
"I stopped in to speak to Neville Longbottom about some family matters," she said as they pulled apart. "And he told me that he and Hannah had seen you here. I couldn't believe it. We haven't even written since…"
"Since shortly after the var's conclusion," he finished for her. "I haff missed you greatly, Hermione."
"You say my name so nicely, Viktor Krum. I am impressed," Hermione said, setting her arms akimbo with a large smile painted across her features. "What else has changed about you since we saw each other?"
"Vell, if you haff the time, ve could sit and talk a vhile?" he said, but quickly added. "But if not, I understand. You are a busy voman, I am sure."
"I think I can make the time," Hermione replied, retaking her seat by the window. "I see you're wearing glasses now. That's certainly a change."
"Bludger to the face," he said frankly, taking off the frames and turning them over in his large hands. Hermione cringed in the seat across from him. He chuckled. "Not as big of deal as it sounds. The ball broke my left brow, and the bone damaged vhatever it is… long story short, I need glasses to see out of this eye."
He pointed to his left eye and she leaned forward, looking for a mark of the accident. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"More than okay, I vould say. Optometrist says I vould haff needed them anyvay. I just saved myself a trip to the office," he insisted, replacing the frames on his angular face. Hermione stirred her tea and then replaced the silver spoon delicately on her napkin. He cleared his throat. "Other than that, I haven't changed too much."
"You're looking very well," she noted as he poured himself a cup of tea. "Are you married, Viktor? I never heard mention in Harry and Ron's Quidditch talk, but I never listened well."
"No, I am not," he said shortly, swallowing a rather hot gulp of Darjeeling. "Your friend told me about Ronald. I'm very sorry."
She gave him a sad smile. "I am too. He was an incredible man, and an incredible father. Hugo and Rose just went back to school last week. It's been a really rough month in our household."
"I can't even imagine." Viktor leaned back in his chair. "I've been to a lot of funerals, but it's a whole vorld of difference when it's a spouse. My father vas a vidower."
Hermione sipped at her tea and looked blankly at the table. He studied her for a moment before he noticed tears starting to make their way down her freckled cheeks.
"I never thought I would lose him, Viktor." She rubbed at her eyes furiously. "I never thought it could happen to him. Being an Auror is such a dangerous job, but I couldn't have ever been ready. There was no warning…"
Viktor reached out a hand and rubbed her shoulder. She sobbed into a handkerchief procured from her purse.
"Hermione," he said softly. "Novone is ever ready to lose someone they love. Novone can ever be prepared to see them go and sometimes." He paused as she dabbed the fabric at her eyes and looked into his of deepest brown. "Sometimes ve can't ever see ourselves moving on, but it eventually stops hurting."
He felt he was muttering lies as she sat before him, hurting him immensely, but she sniffed greatly. He noticed his hand was still on her shoulder and he removed it quickly. She smiled as best she could through her tear-streaked face. "Would you like to walk around town with me, Viktor. I'd really appreciate the company."
