AN: This chapter actually has very little relevance to the overall plot, but I've had tons of reviews wanting more of Hermione and Viktor. So here, have a happy moment before it all goes to hell...
"Viktor?" Hermione stood uncertainly in the doorway. Viktor was stood by the window, shirtless. The angry claw marks across his shoulder still looked very raw. Instead of turning he sought her reflection in the glass, looking as she surveyed the wound.
"Pretty ugly huh?" He said humourlessly. He turned and opened his arms, wordlessly inviting her in. She crossed the room in four quick strides and into his embrace. He held her firmly, grateful for her comforting warmth.
"Hermione, vhat will ve do if I turn? It vill not be safe for me to be around you." She tightened her arms around him, her bushy hair tickling his face.
"We will survive, just like we always do. Once a month you'll have to go out for the night. If it happens." A soft sob made its way out of Viktor. He buried his face deeper into her hair.
"It von't be once a month though, will it. If I turn it means that monster turned me in the middle of the lunar cycle. It means you vill alvays be endangered by me. I don't vant to lose you 'moine."
"You won't lose me Viktor. Not now and not ever. The worst thing you could do when the moon's not full is turn me and well, at least you won't be alone then."
"Hermione! You cannot mean that!"
"I mean every word of it! Yes you may have been cursed, but that curse does not mean you must spend the rest of your life alone."
Viktor was taken aback. His Hermione had always been passionate and stubborn about things, but somehow this devotion was on a new level. And worryingly he didn't doubt that she would follow through on it.
Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. He sighed. Either way, they would know in three nights time.
He had been apprehensive when the old professor had first introduced himself. Admittedly his current experiences with werewolves had been less than encouraging. It was good however to look at someone and not see a hint of fear in their eyes. Even the pity the man had looked at him with was manageable. If anyone could claim to understand what he was going through it was him.
They had talked for quite a while. To begin with it wasn't even about the lycanthropy. Viktor quickly found himself liking this worn looking man.
He had been honest with him. The wolf inside Lupin could sense that the curse was in him too, but he had never heard of anyone being turned by a wolf in human form. That said, he'd also never heard of anyone having the curse without having the ensuing transformations. The outlook? Bleak.
The thought of it all made him want to hold onto Hermione all the more.
"'Mione? How about ve get out of here for today?"
"Out of here? Viktor we are on the run from two sides of a war, we can't get out of here." The idea had already taken root in Viktor's mind however.
"Vhy not? Ve are not against ze muggles are ve. Zey vill not be looking for us. Let's spend the day doing the most muggle things you can think of." Hermione shook her head, but Viktor could already see that he'd won. The look in her eye told him she was just a tempted by it as he.
He smiled at her for a long moment before she caved.
"Fine! What do you want to do?" Hermione said, smiling back.
"You lead, my fine princess, and I vill follow!" Viktor swept into a deep bow, causing Hermione to giggle.
"Okay, okay! Let's just go and tell Harry before we head out." Viktor grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head then together they headed up the stairs to Harry's room. From half way up the stairs however they could hear shouting echoing down.
Hermione and Viktor looked at each other with concern. Whatever was happening up there, Draco sounded upset.
"I do not think ve vant to disturb zat." Hermione shook her head in agreement. She took his hand and led him back down the stairs.
"Kreacher?" She called out uncertainly. She was relieved when the elf came to her, uncertain if he would listen to her call. "Could you please tell Harry and Draco that we have gone out for the day? We will make sure we are careful and promise to be back this evening. Tell them once they leave their room please."
Kreacher bowed and after waiting a moment to ensure there was nothing else, vanished.
"Right then, Viktor. Shall we?" She looped her arm around his and together they stepped out into the chilly winter air. With a smile she disapparated them away.
.
.
The alley they landed in was narrow and graffitied. Sacks of rubbish were piled high next to each back exit, leaving the whole place smelling pungent.
"Wow, Hermione. You really know how to impress a guy." Viktor's comment earned him a not so soft thump in the arm.
"Don't be stupid. I just thought it would be safer to apparate here than into a busy street! Come on, let's get out of here." Hand in hand they exited the alley. A worker from a nearby shop wolf whistled at them before having another drag of his cigarette. Hermione's nose crumpled in distaste, a trait Viktor and come to find quite endearing.
She steered them away down the street, Viktor enjoying her too much to really notice his surroundings. It wasn't until they reached a busy intersection that he finally realised there was something odd about where they were.
He couldn't read any of the signs. Some words he could vaguely pick out from his knowledge of Bulgarian, but beyond that he was lost.
"Vhere are ve, 'mione?" He asked, looking around for more clues. As far as he was concerned they were driving on the correct side of the road, but that only really ruled out England, India and Australia.
"Paris. I thought it would be safer than London and it's closer than Edinburgh which I originally thought of." The lights changed and they crossed the road, heading into more populated streets. A group of tourists had stopped in the middle of the pavement, causing them to weave in-between.
"Paris? Ze city of lovers, no?" Viktor couldn't resist, wandlessly he conjured a rose and with a flourish he presented it to Hermione. She let out a soft squeal before hitting him on the arm as a scolding for using magic in public. A girl nearby looked wishfully at Krum before being pulled away by the crowds.
"You should be more careful! And yes, it is sometimes called that." She was looking slightly pink around the ears. Viktor softly kissed her nose then pulled back, grinning from ear to ear.
He was impressed that Hermione managed to navigate the streets of Paris so well. Within minutes she had them at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Viktor was about to confound a few people to help them get though the queues when Hermione caught his arm.
"You wanted to do what muggles do. Muggles have to queue." She informed him primly. The rose he had conjured for her was still in her hand though, despite her no magic rules.
It took them nearly an hour to get tickets and to the base of the tower. They opted to take the stairs. By halfway up Hermione was regretting the decision but she didn't complain. It was nice to spend so much time with Viktor. With school and all the other various catastrophes, she'd spent very little time with him since the Christmas break.
Once at the top, Viktor wrapped his arms around Hermione as they looked out over the city together. It was early afternoon, and the sun was shining more than it had been at home. The panoramic views were pretty spectacular too.
"You know, I am not all zat fond of heights." Hermione twisted in his arms to look incredulously back at him.
"You fly for a living."
"Yes, but not zis high. No one can see you if you are zis high up." Hermione had to concede he had a point, but that didn't stop her finding it amusing. She snuggled further into Viktor's arms.
"What else do you want to do on our day off?"
"I admit, my princess, I do not know vhat zhere is to do in Paris." Hermione smiled before her natural question-answering streak took over.
"Oh well there is the Louvre of course, that's an art museum, and the Notre Dame is supposed to be very impressive. There are lots of lovely restaurants and things too. And there is always Disneyland." She said the last part with a gleam in her eye, but the word meant little to Viktor.
"Dinseyland? Vhat is that?" Her face seemed to light up even more.
"You poor unfortunate wizard, such a deprived childhood!" She laughed, sounding care free. "That settles it then, Disneyland it is. Although I warn you, it may not be what you had in mind when you said 'city of lovers'"
Viktor Krum had been to many places and seen many things as an international seeker but this 'Disneyland' was unlike anything he had previously experienced. They spent the rest of the evening there. He found Hermione's excitement about the place was immediately contagious even though he didn't understand half the things around him.
They'd been on a few of the rides but Viktor found he wasn't overly fond. It was like flying but with all of the freedom taken away. What was the point?
With it still being early spring the night had fallen around them quickly. The castle and streets were all lit up with thousands of twinkling lights. They sat on a bench eating fast food staring up at the nightly fireworks with not an inch between them.
Tearing his gaze away from the fireworks, he turned to watch Hermione. Her face was open and she was smiling softly. The worries of war had temporarily slipped from her face making her seem younger and so much freer. This is what he wanted for her, a world where she could make a wish upon a star and it actually came true.
But first they had a war to survive. Viktor felt his mood darkening rapidly.
"Hermione? Ve ought to get back, it is getting late." He said softly. She turned to him and nodded gently. Viktor watched as life's worries flooded back. They found a quite spot behind one of the food vendors and apparated away.