A/N: Viktor's in this chapter! Finally! So tell me what you think of this. I mean, really review. I don't get enough love. Bear with me as I try to work out Zee's personality as well. I'm almost to completion with that. Also, if you haven't, start paying attention to the little details about Thaly. There will be a surprise concerning her later on. Leave me a review if you think you know what's coming!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own the rights to Harry Potter. Believe me, if I did, I'd keep Viktor and Draco locked in the basement for my viewing pleasure only!

"So, how bad is your punishment?"

"What?" Zee asked, pulling herself from the view of the commons. The grass under her was cool under her and she spread her fingers through it, trying to think of a way to respond to Thaly's question.

"Punishment. What is it?"

"I didn't get any. Dumbledore understood my situation."

"Then what was the 'certain matter' he wanted your opinion on?"

"Thaly, you ask a lot of questions. It's really annoying right now."

"Well?" Thaly pressed.

"He wanted my opinion on the color of his window curtains," Zee lied quickly, though her words were a little sharp.

"If you say so," Thaly dismissed the subject, "You know you missed dinner again? Aren't you hungry?"

"Not really. I just wanna be alone."

"If you insist. Do you want me to take Quicksilver off your hands?"

Zee watched her black and white puppy dance across the shore by the Black Lake shaking when he got wet and chasing birds. He caught sight of his own tail and snapped at it a few times.

"No, I'll watch him. Thanks though. Will you go tell Hermione or Lavender not to lock me out? I don't know when I'll go back to the common room."

"Sure. If they do lock you out, you're welcome in the Ravenclaw dorm. Just don't show up all moody. It doesn't suit you at all. I want my 'Happy Zee' back!"

"I'll be better in a bit. Thanks for the offer," Zee sighed.

"See ya later!" Thaly said dashing off.

"Yeah," Zee yelled back in agreement.

Zee spent the next half hour watching Quicksilver from under the tree by the lake. She didn't realize that she had worried her lip so much with her teeth that she had raised a bruise. Eventually the Gryffindor got up and began to circle the tree, unable to keep still any longer. Quicksilver took a seat in the grass near her and watched her turn circles. Zee began to talk to herself.

"Why would Dumbledore present me like that? Why would they care who my father was? It's not like I can convince him to do anything for them. He's dead. He's not much good to anyone, really. I mean, it's not like I don't miss him. I'm just not old enough to remember him. I am so confused!"

Zee threw her hands into the air and let out a frustrated growl. Quicksilver whined. Zee turned to him and put her hands on her hips.

"What? Do you have an answer for me? Some kind of clue?"

Quicksilver cocked his head and perked his ears. Zee smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. You know you're cute. C'mere."

The Husky pranced over to the brunette, tail high. She ran her fingers through his fur and gave him a good rub before standing and stretching. Quicksilver rubbed up against her legs, asking for more.

"Nope. No more. Let's hit the Great Hall and see if we can still get something to eat. I'm starving! Haven't eaten since, well, yesterday actually."

Quicksilver whined again.

"Oh, you are so full of it," Zee said, heading to the castle, "I feed you every day. Twice. So stop acting like you starve. Like you would actually do it. You beg food from everyone any way."

The puppy barked. Zee laughed and ran ahead of him, laughing harder when Quicksilver attempted to knock her over. She raced him into the castle and through the halls, passed a few other students and into the Great Hall. Once through the doors, Zee whooped and picked up her dog, giving him a good rub behind the ears. She looked around when she heard cheering.

"Zee's back!" Thaly shouted.

She was sitting with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and another young man Zee didn't know, though she supposed she wouldn't; he was wearing a Durmstrang uniform. Zee waved like a five year-old at her first parade. She swept into an epic bow. Standing up, she realized that her puppy had abandoned her side and was now in the lap of one Harry Potter. Harry scratched his ears and tried to hand him back to Zee when she approached.

"Oh, no. He's in your hands now. Use him wisely," Zee said forebodingly.

Harry laughed and settled the content puppy in his lap. Zee wriggled herself between Ron and Hermione and ended up in front of the man she didn't know.

"Hello," she said simply.

Hermione giggled, "Zaphira, this is Viktor Krum. He's from Durmstrang."

"I noticed, Hermy, but I swear if you call me by my full name again, I'm making you late for your first class Monday morning."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Zee grinned.

"Viktor, this is Zee," Hermione stressed the one syllable name, "And her puppy, Quicksilver."

The puppy wuffed when his name was said.

"Pleasure to meet you," Zee said, "Надявам се пътуването е безопасно и приятно. (I hope your journey was safe and pleasant.)."

Everyone was silent.

"I keep forgetting you can do that!" Thaly burst, "It's infuriatingly frustrating to keep up with!"

The rest of the table laughed. Zee noticed that Viktor's laugh was deep and pleasant to listen to. She smiled and said, "Ако продължа да говори в този език, те никога няма да разбереш за какво говоря. (If I keep speaking in this tongue, they'll never know what I'm saying.)"

Viktor laughed again, harder and deeper than before. Zee decided that she liked that sound. She laughed too and soon the whole table had joined in, though Zee was sure no one else knew why they had even begun. When the laughter died down, Zee murmured, "Виктор, не би се случило, за да знам как този човек в лазарета е, нали? (Viktor, you would not happen to know how the fellow in the infirmary is, would you?)"

Viktor raised an eyebrow and said, "Aleksander? You haff met Aleksander?"

Zee smiled, "You could say I left a lasting impression on him."

It only took the slightest moment, but Viktor caught her meaning. He opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again, "You? You sent Aleksander to ze infirmary? Vhy?"

The rest of the table was watching them.

"Quicksilver tried to make friends," Zee explained, "When I tried to apologize for the inconvenience, he made a few remarks, I questioned the honor of your country, no offence, he grabbed at me and I broke his jaw."'

"It was beautiful!" Thaly said, "She took him down in one swing and he stayed down!"

"You put a Durmstrang student in the Infirmary?" Hermione gasped.

Suddenly the whole table was full of scolding and congratulations. Viktor was the only one to remain silent. Zee's smile softened when she looked to him and promised herself that she would apologize, if only to Viktor.

"What are you even doing in here?" Ron asked.

"Nice use of tact, Ronald," Hermione said.

"You know, I don't remember," Zee said simply.

"Zee," Harry said, trying to hand over Quicksilver, "Please take him. He won't sit still."

The puppy huffed and, instead of going willingly to Zee, crawled into Viktor's lap.

Zee laughed and said, "He gets to sleep in the same bed as me. He wants attention from someone else. Wait a minute. Thaly, what are you doing in here? I thought you were going back to your dorm."

"I got distracted by Harry's devilish charm and boyish good looks," the Ravenclaw said seriously.

Zee hadn't planned on laughing until she spotted the crimson blush sneaking up Harry's neck.

"ListenNadyavam se pŭtuvaneto e bezopasno i priyatno.Ó, na rudaí is mian liom a raibh mé in ann a rá! (Oh, the things I wish I could say!)" Zee sang, "But, alas, you are too young. Except for Viktor. He's rightly of age."

"What in the world would you say?" Ron asked.

"You understood that, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"The whole Weasly family speaks a bit 'o tha Irish," Zee giggled.

"O, kiss 'im he's Irish!" Thaly laughed.

It only took another half of a minute of horribly fake Irish accents for the three other Gryffindors to excuse themselves to bed.

"I'm going too," Thaly said, "See you in the morning, Zee. Goodnight, Viktor."

"Goodnight."

It was awkwardly silent for a moment.

"I apologize, for earlier. I did not mean to insult you or your country," Zee said softly.

Viktor shook his head, "You haff not offended me. I am only surprised. Aleksander is usually more vell behaved."

Zee shrugged. They were quiet until Quicksilver whined and pranced in Viktor's lap.

"It's that time, huh?" Zee asked her dog.

He wuffed.

"He wants to go to bed. I guess he's worn out from his first real day at Hogwarts," She stood and Quicksilver jumped from the Bulgarian's lap, "It was nice to meet you. And I apologize again, but don't tell Aleksaner that. I'm not apologizing to him."

"You should not haff to apologize to him. He should apologize to you.Dictionary - View detailed dictionary I know he vas raised to respect vomen better."

Zee saw in Viktor's deep chocolate brown eyes that he believed what he said. That, in her mind at least, made up for the incident earlier.

"Thank you," Zee said sincerely, "You might want to get to bed too. If you go running like you did last year, you might wanna go earlier in the morning. Maybe then you won't get mobbed by so many fan-girls at once."

Viktor's blush assured the Gryffindor that that had been the Seeker's plan. She grinned, but didn't comment.

"Goodnight, Viktor."

"Goodnight, Zaphira."

For some reason, not that she thought about it much, Zee didn't mind hearing the deep, accented voice say her full name. Not that she noticed. She certainly didn't toss or turn over it that night. Not much, anyway.

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