Meeting the Enemy
The castle grounds were fairly empty despite the unseasonably fine weather. Most of the students were down at Hogsmeade enjoying the post-holiday sales and pre-holiday sales as everyone began to plan for the equally hoped for and dreaded Valentine's day.
Hermione certainly didn't mind as she slowly walked all over the grounds, seeming talking to herself as she held a fairly small book open with a unique silk pink rose resting between the pages. If anyone walked by the just saw her reading from the book and lowly talking about magical creatures.
True the pink flower caused many to become slightly curious but not enough to possibly get drawn not a small lecture when they didn't have class. Hermione also oddly enough had her hair up today in a tall pony tail, her curls slightly tamed and stretched longer. Most shrugged it off though and kept walking.
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Only Malfoy and his dim goons paused to try and taunt her. "Mudblood, don't you fowl up the classrooms enough with your high pitched cackle. Merlin Goyle, you think at least for today she would lock her ugly self back in her tower and spare the rest of us." The other boy chuckled dimly.
Blaise had been passing by them too caught up in his own book, wizard chess strategy, due to Vlad constantly beating him and hadn't realized what he walked into. "Oy, Blaise, don't you think little Miss Mudblood here ought to do us a favor and stop dirtying the grounds with her ugly self?" Zabini quickly assessed the situation, Hermione looking nice, standing to the side of the path as if someone was next to her, and the package this morning.
Suddenly Potters rumored invisibility cloak clicked in his head and he inwardly winced, hating to be placed between a rock and a hard place. He thought quickly and hoped he could keep from upsetting the most likely invisible slightly temperamental Bulgarian that might be a silent witness to all this.
"Oh I don't know Draco, she did prove to be passably pretty at the ball even if you said her dancing skills made you ill." Malfoy sneered, not getting the support he wanted but still able to taunt the girl that often got him in trouble at home. "True, I suppose she could be acceptable if one removed what was between her ears, and if she couldn't talk all the better."
Hermione heard Viktor's harsh breathing and knew she had to do something. "Honestly Malfoy, your chauvinistic prejudice and stupidity is becoming boring. You can't beat me with a wand no matter how hard you've tried. Even last year without a wand you just clutched your nose and wailed." Seeing the blond boy narrow his eyes she kept going, planning to infuriate him enough so he would just leave.
"I also don't see how I can dirty the grounds although you do with whatever you call cologne. It could very well poison anyone less used to the excessive amounts your 'class' deem necessary." Blaise bit back a laugh at this. "Oh, and you may think I would improve without a brain but the only thing that would improve you is going back to your naturally form; pale inconsequential Ferret."
Crabbe and Goyle were still trying to work out what she had said about cologne but Blaise was watching carefully and saw the pureblood begin to pull his wand out. However Hermione already had hers in hand; having slowly withdrawn it from her sleeve as soon as Malfoy had begun addressing her. She also heard a quiet foreign spell and assumed the magic she felt had been a shield spell.
By the time Draco had his wand halfway up, with what he thought was a fast draw, Hermione Granger had her book closed and own wand drawn, pointing straight at him, her dueling stance flawless and her eyes narrowed. "I may not have Professor Moody's skills yet but I can show you what I am capable of." As the Slytherin narrowed his eyes even further in hate and began to raise his wand further she simply stated, "Try it."
Blaise began to talk then despite not having any plans to get between the two. "Come on now Draco, she may talk tough but to keep humoring her you're acting as if she was your equal." Malfoy sneered at this. "Besides, the Gryffindor Princess has too many silly protectors who would get you when you're not looking. I know Pansy would wail for days if they got your face at all."
The pale Slythering glared a few moments more before dropping his wand arm carelessly, purposefully showing Granger how little she mattered. "True Zabini. If she got too loud Mother would hear about it and be very upset. It's so bothersome when she fusses." He deliberately turned and began walking away before whirling around in a last ditch effort; only to be blasted with a spell before he could utter a sound.
Hermione had her book open again and her wand casually pointed at him as she kept walking. "I didn't touch your face so you don't have to worry about upsetting mummsie." Hermione stated as she left. Draco began checking all over for how she jinxed him but then Crabbe let out a short laugh before Goyle slugged him as he tried to hold in his own laughter.
Draco still couldn't see anything but then he felt his head get heavier and quickly pulled out a mirror. His hair was awful Weasley red and it was slowly growing past his shoulders. Blaise had seen these spells used before, although not at the same time and quickly advised the Slytherin Prince to get up to the hospital wing fast before the bewitched hair reached the floor where it would wrap round anything it came in contact with, thus ensuring his humiliation if he was trapped in a hallway. The color spell could also last for weeks if not removed quickly.
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When they were further along the path Hermione gave in to the grin she had been holding in even as she kept telling Viktor about creatures in the Forbidden Forest as they were almost finished with the list. Viktor though gave in to his need to hold her hand as well as laugh and pulled her behind a well-placed shrub. Hearing Viktor's deep laughter Hermione ended up giving into her own and leaned against her invisible boyfriend since his hand gave her a safe direction to lean in.
Viktor quickly placed simple wards around the area and removed the cloak for a moment as well as summoning something they could sit on. Due to his laughter he wasn't really focusing and it ended up being a bit small. He just sat though and pulled Hermione into his lap like he had been wanting to for weeks.
Hermione gave a final giggle before asking, "Did you see his hair?" Viktor's laughter had quieted to a low rumble in his chest despite his grin. "Da, saw everything Mia." "Oh Madam Pomfrey may be upset at me for that." She said with a grin of her own. "No, vhen you tell was in self-defense she vill laugh too, don't know your med vitch, but anyone who know Malfoy vill laugh."
Hermione blushed when she tried to stand having recovered her breath but was unable to due to two solid arms around her waist. "Well, I had to get him to leave so I figured that embarrassing was the best solution." "Said before, vil say more time am sure, you are vounderful Mia." Hermione grinned up at him, her cheeks still pink. "Do, do you think you can let me up Viktor." The dark heavy brows rose up in a reverse frown and his voice was wistful. "If vant, but would rather sit vith you as tell everything you taunted him vith?"
Viktor gently kissed her cheek before continuing. "Bench too short and vant to hear about nose and ferret. Understand cologne though, is vorse today dan class days." Hermione smiled shyly but stayed seated across his lap as she told him Malfoy's attempted attack on Harry before Professor Moody transfigured him into a ferret. The older teen smirked darkly at this but laughed when he heard about Hermione punching the boy rather than hex him the year before.
He also complemented her dueling skills and she thanked him for the shield charm. "Could tell you vanted to fight him on own, but still vanted to protect." Viktor stated with slightly red ears. Hermione leaned in and kissed him at this, a kiss that became several long soft ones. The gentle breeze passed by them unnoticed as they held each other.
This time Hermione's hand cupped the edge of Viktor's jaw, his facile hair soft as long as she didn't brush it wrong. Hermione went back to her blissful state from earlier and Viktor tried not to lose himself and his manors with the enticing witch he held, simply moving his mostly closed lips against her so very soft ones. Finally they both pulled away with gasps and slightly red faces.
Viktor was glad he had placed Hermione in the middle of his legs when he pulled her onto his lap. Seeing her so fiery when dealing with Malfoy had caused a slight problem despite his worry for her safety and after their first, though short make out session he had a slight problem again.
When Hermione tried to snuggle up to his chest with a happy sigh once they pulled away his eyes widened and he forced himself to think about some of the more disturbing older witches he had seen pursuing quidditch teammates. That didn't help much though with the soft curls directly under his chin and Hermione's small waist still under his arms.
Hermione reached up and began to finger her lips before freezing for a moment, moving her fingers across her lips again and began laughing. Viktor was glad of this distraction even if he didn't know why she was laughing after kissing him. "Vhat?" Hermione peered up at him, her eyes dancing with happiness and her lips enticingly swollen. "It's gone!" she said gleefully, pulling Viktor's attention away from her enticing lips. "Vhat? Vhat is gone?" "The lip gloss! It's gone and the annoying stuff isn't floating in front of me again!" In pure amused shock Viktor began to laugh at his odd but always amusing girlfriend. "Am glad to help vou." He chuckled.
Hermione grinned, understanding how ridiculous she was being. "I told Ginny this morning it want really something I liked to use, and then to have it forced on me magically made me hate the horrid stuff." Viktor's dark brown eyes were warm as he cupped Hermione's slight jaw and cheek. "Vant to make sure is all gone?" Hermione didn't even notice that she blushed slightly or that her eyes darkened at this. She just bit her lip for a moment before nodding her accent. "That's a good idea, if you don't mind making sure for me." She said before Viktor kissed her again.