Happy Sunday night/Monday Morning everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I did, I am sun-fried and bike-ridden out. I feel fantastic! So I didn't get as many reviews as I was hoping to on the last chapter. I felt, personally that it was one of the better ones. Oh well, can't please them all. So with this chapter, sorry if I got some of the concepts wrong or used the wrong wording/tense (you'll find out what I mean). If you happen to be Bulgarian and can correct me on it, I would appreciate the help! Thank you. Without further ado, STORY TIME!

The days and weeks that followed, Viktor didn't push her or make any advances of any kind. They still spent a lot of their free time together; he had no intention of giving that up. She would help him with the muggle horses, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere animals often provided. Tavish took to her quite quickly, which was nice. He provided her with a needed distraction. Maybe he would be a nice gift for her when he was older. Tavish also provided the opportunity for Viktor to get closer to Hermione without being too intimate or imposing. The most intimate they ever were was when she would occasionally take his arm on a walk or when she took his hand when he was helping her over a gate.

November moved into December and both had opted to stay at the castle over the holidays. They wished Happy Christmases to the students and the professors as they left for the holidays. Christmas morning came and Viktor was pleasantly surprised that he received a gift from Hermione. She got him a leather-bound copy of her favourite muggle fairy tales. They would often talk about muggle things when they were working with the horses. Viktor was fascinated by muggle literature but rarely had the opportunity to read them so he was most appreciative of this gift. Still, she shied away when he went to give her a hug to say thank you. She just gave his hand an affectionate squeeze before going into the Great hall. Viktor slumped slightly in disappointment before following in behind her. He couldn't figure her out. She had let him near her after she told him about Ron; she was alright with hugs then. Why the change?

Lifting his head, he felt his body flush green with envy and red with hurt as he watched Hermione give a fellow professor a quick hug after receiving what looked to him like a gift from the semi-familiar face. He couldn't quite place where he knew the young man from. Sitting down sullenly at his usual spot next to her, he quietly asked who the newcomer was.

Hermione heard the hurt in his voice as he asked the simple question and blushed despite herself, knowing her lack of trust cut him deep. Just as quietly she answered, "His name is Neville Longbottom. I went to school here with him when we were kids. I haven't seen him since we finished school. He is filling in for the Herbology professor. He was giving me a herbal potion for dreamless sleep." She didn't know why she was telling all this to him. He didn't want or need to know of her nightmares.

"Vhy you need that? Are you not sleeping vell? Vhy didn't you say anything? Vhy not tell me?" The pain and concern in his voice was like needles in Hermione's ears. She didn't want to hurt him like this.

"It's nothing Viktor, really. I just have bad dreams some nights and I have trouble sleeping. I don't want it to affect my teaching so I asked him for some help."

Viktor nodded, letting it go for the moment. It still bothered him that he had spend every moment possible with her for the past four months and could hardly bear his touch but this other man whom she hadn't seen in ten years was welcomed with open arms. Literally.

A similar occurrence happened on New Years. The students and faculty were having a New Year's party of sorts in the Great Hall and Hermione was all but avoiding Viktor like the plague. And again, she was friendly and happy with Neville; chatting and laughing with him cheerfully. Had everything been in his head? Had he made up the electricity he had felt between them in the fall? Sure, she spoke with him politely throughout the evening but refused do dance with him or anyone else. As the clock struck midnight, shouts of 'Happy New Year!' rang through the hall and she politely accepted hugs and the rare kiss on the cheek from the other faculty, including Neville but again, avoided him altogether.

The last thing Hermione saw that night was Viktor's back as he stalked out of the Great Hall, his fists tightly clenched at his side. She could see him fight not to slam the heavy wood doors as he left. She felt disgusted with herself. She cared for him, deeply. She knew she did, he knew she did but she couldn't let him in…but she wanted to.

Daylight hours seemed to be her 'safe time'. She didn't mind being alone with Viktor when they weren't surrounded by the intimacy of twilight. Since it seemed that the daytime was all that he could get with her, he made the most of it. He made sure that he could be with her as often as possible. He forgave her stand-offish behaviour, helped her catch up on some of her grading so she could get more sleep and she of course, often helped him with the animals. He had organized a school-wide snowball fight in late January, which she participated in and seeing her laugh and giggle the whole afternoon made it worth it. He helped her forget the bad stuff whenever he could. But still, on the rare times that he would walk her to Gryffindor Tower in the evenings, she would pull her hand away before he could kiss it, the way he always used to…before. She would just smile meekly at him as he tried not to slump his shoulders.

One day walking down to the barn, he finally pushed her to tell him of her nightmares.

"Vhat is it that scares you in your sleep? That gives you bad dreams?" He saw her hesitate before adding on an almost pleading "please?" at the end.

"I keep dreaming about him...Ron...coming back. To here, I mean. I keep dreaming that he comes here to Hogwarts and attacks me and the people I care about…the professors, my students…you." Saying the last part, she wrapped her arms tightly around her torso and focused on her steps.

"Hermione, he von't come back. He can't come back here. There are trespassing spells surrounding the grounds, there is no vay for him to get in here." He tentatively reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. For the first time since the fall, he felt her lean into his touch. Taking this as encouragement, he slowly pulled her closer to him and hugged her tight to his body."I von't let him hurt you Hermione. You can trust me. Please, trust me." he whispered in her ear. He felt her arms loosen their hold on his torso and begin to wrap around his instead. He soon felt her body began to shudder with the tears of relief.

He thought he had done it. He thought he had broke through her wall, thought she had let him in. But he hadn't. The next day, she was just as stand-offish as she was before. He didn't know what else he could do.

Valentines day came around and again, he saw her accept a box of sweets from Neville and gave a hug in return while remaining aloof from him. He tried to shrug it off and not let it bother him as he sat down with her at breakfast.

"Here," he said, handing her a small box. He saw her head jerk up in surprise and her mouth open to protest. "It's not a Valentine's gift, I promise. Timing is just coincidental." This seemed to calm her a bit and her blush receded as she opened the ornately carved box. She looked at the small masked figurine with confusion as she watched the charmed figuring stand up and begin to dance.

"Viktor, it's beautiful!" she gave his hand the affectionate squeeze that he had become accustomed to..almost.

"It's a Kukeri figurine. At home, in Bulgaria, they dance to scare away the evil spirits. My Majka gave this one to me vhen I vas a boy. I thought it could help you scare away the evil spirits that make your dreams bad."

"Thank you Viktor but if you've had it since you were a child, I can't take it from you," she said, trying to give it back.

He refused, "no, I have no need for it anymore. I have good dreams now," he finished pushing the closed box back towards her.

"Okay then. Thank you Viktor. Really," she finished, smiling at him sincerely.

He wasn't sure if she just didn't realize or if she had done it on purpose, but she was still holding his hand.

So basically, according to Wiki, and I quote: "A Kukeri is a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with a costumed man performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals (sometimes double-faced) and large bells attached to the belt. Around New Year and before Lent, the kukeri walk and dance through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, and happiness to the village during the year."

I thought that was an interesting concept and somewhat similar to the Dreamcatcher of the North American natives and thought it would do well in this story.