After the Dueling stopped Hermione instantly got up and headed to the library, Viktor assumed to read more into dueling against large groups, and dueling as teams. He was going to follow but could tell from the metaphorical steam coming out of her ears that she needed some time alone.
"Vill you be joining us for dinner comrade?" Micah asked walking over.
"Or vill you be joining English flower?" Jamous nudged him with a smile.
"She has studying to do, I think I vill join you all tonight…"
"Excellent!" Jamous clapped. With that they all grabbed their items and headed off to the great hall. "So my friend… Why did you let her win?" Viktor looked to Jamous who had a knowing smile.
"I do not know of what you speak…" Viktor said looking away.
"Sure you don't old friend… Sure you don't…"
-o-
After eating dinner with his comrades, he headed to the library himself. By now it was late, and he didn't want Hermione to walk alone to Gryffindor tower. As he walked through the row of books he noticed how deserted the library was. When he had looked in every nook and cranny the large area had he walked up to the librarian.
"Any idea where Hermione Granger is?"
"Yes actually. She went off with Harry Potter. They're in one of the empty class rooms in the west side of the castle. The usual spot they use for their secret Champion training. She thinks we don't know because we don't stop them from doing it but we do." She nodded with a smile. "We do."
"Right… Uhm… Thank you." He bowed before heading off. He now understood why Hermione liked the woman so much. She wasn't the usual stuffy librarian; she was actually a little quirky. After he got to the west side he started looking through the class rooms before he could search his third one he stopped hearing yelling. He rushed to a door and opened it up to see Hermione facing off against Harry and Ron.
"Why don't you pick up the prophet there has been tons of attacks as of late by men in masks and each time someone dies they send the dark mark up. Its death eaters! His death eaters! He's back Harry!" Hermione said.
"No they're not!" he said.
"What about your dreams? You've seen him Harry that means something..." She said.
"I don't know what I saw Hermione!" he said quickly.
"Harry please don't be naive we've been through this before and each time it turns out he's found another way to come back!"
"It can't happen not twice you must know this." He said.
"It can happen though Harry. I've been reading into it. There are these things Called Horc-."
"We don't need a lesson here Hermione we need you to calm down." Ron said.
"How can I when you two are ignoring what's going on!?" Viktor stared he had never seen the trio so at odds with each other.
"You're just upset that we didn't stay today for dueling." Ron said.
"Yes, yes I'm upset. It was a learning experience one we need for survival."
"Hermione Voldemort isn't going to come back Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen." Harry said.
"Dumbledore isn't going to be able to stop him… If he wants to come back he's going to find a way to do so and no one will be able to stop him. We have to start preparing we have to start training."
"I don't need this right now!" he yelled making Hermione jump slightly. "I have way too much pressure on me to add this as well!"
"Who do you think put you into the contest!?" Hermione shouted. "Harry please please just listen to me…" She pleaded. "Horc-."
"Why should I?" he asked cutting her off. "You're not the one who's going to have to face him you're not the one who's going to risk his life!"
"I've risked my life every year I have known you!" she shouted.
"Who asked you to do that?"
"You did…" she said her voice shaking. "You did Harry Potter…"
"If you don't want to do it then stop…" he said.
"God damn it Harry Don't be like this!"
"How am I supposed to be!? Huh Hermione!? How am I supposed to be!?"
"You're supposed to be brave! You're supposed to be strong! You're not supposed to be this naive scared little boy!"
"I don't understand why you're so upset…" he said seeing her quickly wipe an angry tear away.
"Because you're proving to me that I've wasted my time. That I've put myself in danger for nothing!"
"You haven't been through that much Hermione!" Harry yelled as he and Ron began to walk past her to the door that Viktor stood beside. She felt her heart ache and her anger build to a whole new level one she had never experiences.
"Just calm down Hermione…" Harry muttered as they reached for the door to leave.
"God damn it I've fought for you!" she shouted making them stop. They slowly turned to face her. "I've been beaten for you... I've been petrified for you… I've fought werewolves for you… I've broken bones for you… Most of all though… I've bled for you…" she said her voice shaking.
"Hermione…" Harry said quietly his heart filling with guilt.
"Please… Please tell me that my tears, my pain, my anguish, that my blood…. Tell me that they've bought me something other than this…" she motioned to him. "Tell me that I didn't waste my time… Tell me that it was all worth something…" Another tear fell. "Tell me that it wasn't all for nothing… Please Harry…" she pleaded. "Please…" He looked at her for a long moment before glancing down at his feet.
"We'll begin preparing for what's to come after the tournament… It has to wait till then… If Voldemort really did put me in this contest… I have to focus on surviving it…" Hermione slowly nodded. "I'm sorry… For everything… I'm sorry that it took me this long to be what you so deserved… I'm sorry to both of you." He looked to Ron. "We'll talk further later… When others aren't around." He said glancing at Viktor before he and Ron left.
Hermione let out a soft sob as she turned, relief instantly coming over her as she wiped the tears away. She slowly sat at a desk and leaned her head against the cool texture of the wood. Viktor watched her from the door his heart pounding his mind spinning. He had never seen her like that. Never seen her so angry, so distraught, and so desperate. Not once. He had never realized the fear she held for Harry when it came to the fight that was bound to come.
She has so much riding on her… I wish I could make things easier on her… he walked over to her and kneeled beside the desk as his hand went to her back. She wasn't crying instead just seemingly trying to calm herself down. It isn't right that so much is expected of her… It wasn't right what Harry and Ron did… It isn't right what they've always done… Thank Merlin Harry has at least seen the light though I doubt Ron has… My poor Mina… I don't know what to say to her… What should I say to make it better?
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Hermione said after a long while as she slowly sat up while Viktor stood. "Me crying seems to be the only thing that gets through to them."
"They are men they can't help but see light when a vomans tears fall. At least this is what my mother says."
"Your mother is a wise woman…" she said as she ran her fingers through her hair and stood beside the desk.
"What happened exactly to set you off?" Viktor asked moving forward.
"A lot of things had just built up I think… They built up so much that it all just became way too much to take…" She leaned back against the desk. "Today when they refused to watch the team dueling something we will most definitely need to learn I got… I got really scared. I could feel this weight on my shoulders. A weight I've been feeling for a while…"
"What is weight made of Luff?" he asked.
"That when the time comes. When Voldemort is officially back, they won't be prepared… Especially Harry. Who out of all of us needs to be the most prepared. When I told them of my concerns they both went off on me… I hadn't expected Ron to but he did. When I realized that I had been the only one worried about what was going on I flipped… You got to see that part." She looked to him with embarrassment, something he didn't quite understand. "It's just… The pressure they put on me to be perfect, to be all knowing, to be strong, to be brave, to be prepared… its…" her eyes grew teary once more. "It's suffocating… I can't protect them all the time… What if when the time comes for us to take down Voldemort I get hit by a killing curse and they're left all alone and completely un prepared?"
"Not going to happen." He said.
"It's probably going to happen." She muttered.
"Don't say such things…" he said quietly pulling her into his arms while burying his face into the crook of her neck. "I cannot bear to even think of losing you…"
"What if something did happen to me though? Would they be able to stand on their own and know what they need to know?" he slowly pulled away.
"Probably not…" he admitted as he pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "But they are young."
"So am I…" she said. After a moment she laughed. "No wait I'm not because I aged myself with time traveling… For them." She said before snapping her fingers. "I should have added that in my speech… Why didn't I think of that?" she asked herself making Viktor smile.
"If you are old, then I am prehistoric." He said making her laugh. "Ah there it is… That is what I like to see…" he took her hands in his. "Do you feel better Luff? More grounded?" he asked.
"No I'm still deathly worried about this last task. If Harry was really put in this tournament by Voldemort, then the final task will be where Voldemort will make his final move… That maze could be filled with death eaters… There wouldn't be a thing anyone could do about it…"
"What do you mean luff?"
"When you all enter the maze a magical seal is made… No one can enter or leave unless they are a champion…" she looked to him. "You and Harry you'd be on your own in there." He rubbed her shoulders. "Ever since I found out about the maze. I've been thinking of ways Ron and I could slip in-."
"No." he said suddenly. "If death eaters are inside I do not want you there."
"Yeah well don't worry I won't be able to even though I really want to… The task is in less than a week and I've looked at every spell. It's impossible…"
"Good…" he saw her worried expression. "Luff?" she looked to him. "Seeing as you cannot be in maze I vill look out for Harry."
"What?" she asked.
"I vill look out for him. Keep him safe."
"But you have to concentrate on getting out of the maze…"
"And I Vill, with Harry…"
"He won't like that idea…"
"He vill not know…"
"You don't have to do this-."
"Yes I do. I am Boyfriend. Your responsibility is my responsibility…"
"Viktor…"
"I'm doing it." He said taking her hands. "You can't stop me." She smiled softly. "I ask one favor in return."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Before we are to go in maze we are allowed to have anyone with us before we go in, and to wait for us when we come out… Tell me you vill be there with me…"
"I was going to even if you didn't ask." She said with a smile. He took her in his arms.
"I love you…" he whispered in Bulgarian.
"I love you…" she pulled away. "Now how about you and I, we go down to the maze and work on you getting through it huh? It's what I was going to do with Harry and Ron but seeing as they left I have time open."
"Dah sounds good." He took her hand and led her out of the room.
-o-
"So you really think the task is just to get through the maze?" Hermione asked as they walked over the school grounds.
"What else could we be doing?" Viktor inquired. When she didn't say anything he looked to her. "Luff?"
"Oh that wasn't rhetorical?"
"No I wish to know your views…" he said honestly.
"Oh… Well maybe you're supposed to find something…"
"Like last Task? Would they use same concept for two tasks?" he inquired.
"I'm not sure…" she said. "Maybe you're supposed to battle something within the maze."
"No Dumbledore assured it was just us in there. You know besides those death eaters you think vill show."
"The triwizard cup." Hermione said making him look to her.
"What?" he asked.
"It's the final task, I bet if you were to have to find something it would be the triwizard cup."
"You're right… if we are to find something that would be it… you really are brilliant you know that… I would like to walk around in brain see what you know…" he said looking at the top of her head closely.
"I know a spell that can make you do that." She said with a shrug.
"There is spell that allows you to walk around in brain?"
"There's a spell for everything and anything… Even a spell to make a world completely out of shrimp."
"World of Shrimp? This is not world I'd like to be part of."
"You and me both." She said as they reached the maze.
"They put in stands…" Viktor said seeing them set up.
"Then these four points will be where you'll most likely be entering from…"
"Which port should we go through first?" he inquired. Hermione looked to see a Bulgarian flag painted behind a bench.
"Bet you anything you'll be going through the that one there." She pointed to the first cut out in the mazes high hedges. "We should take that one." They entered the maze and both froze when she felt a gush of wind rush up behind them. Hermione and Viktor slowly turned to see the entrance was gone.
"Oh no…" she said.
"What is oh no Luff?"
"Looks like the maze has been activated for use… Probably to allow you all to practice more accurately… Or maybe we weren't supposed to come here at all…" she said looking around nervously. "I have a feeling that is the actual reason… Security."
"Come on luff I am good at mazes I'll get us out." He took her hand and started to walk, Hermione a little more reluctantly then Viktor. "Do you think they haf already put cup inside?"
"Probably not." She said as they turned. Hermione looked around, the floor of the maze was concealed by a heavy layer of fog. As they got further it became more and more dark. The two took out their wands to light the way in front of them. "Sorry that I didn't know we would be closed up in here."
"It's alright luff makes it more real." He said with a smile. "We vill be out of here in…" he stopped as they turned a corner to reveal a dead end. "No that's… That's not right." He said looking around.
"What isn't right?" she asked.
"Before there was a turn here that led to one of the ways out. Now there is not."
"Are you sure this was a way out?"
"Yes… Well I guess not. It is a maze after all… No matter. I know other ways." They turned and headed around another corner.
"This place is really spooky…" Hermione said looking around. "Creepier than the dark forest if that's possible."
"Don't think of it as creepy think of it as… Romantic." He said nudging her slightly.
"Yes because nothing says romance like looming hedges, pitch blackness, heavy fog, and stale cold eerie air."
"You need to use imagination luff… Instead of looming hedges see tall garden walls… Instead of pitch blackness focus on the blue light that has a romantic hue and instead of cold stale eerie are maybe think of it as air that's been made thick by heavy breathing and slight moaning." Hermione laughed as Viktor went to kiss her neck. She pushed him back slightly as they continued to walk.
"As for the fog how is that romantic?"
"You've seen old muggle movies." He said. "With the romantic fog always surrounding young couples."
"We're not young remember, I'm old and your prehistoric." He laughed as did she. "I guess it isn't so bad though…" her arms moved around his and he smiled.
"We could stop looking through maze and start-."
"I want out of here as soon as possible then maybe we could find something… Extra circular to do."
"I do like extra circular." He said with a small smile as he kissed her temple. When they rounded the corner to find a dead end Viktor sighed heavily. "Now I know the maze has changed…"
"Probably to throw you all off when you go inside, to make things more difficult."
"This is not good… If we are only supposed to get out I won't know which way to go…" he looked around, suddenly the maze seemed a lot more frightening to him. "I can't get us out…" He wasn't so much worried about himself but more about Hermione. He was allowed to be at the maze after hours she was not. "This is no good…"
"Maybe I can get us out…" he looked to her. "I created a spell a few years back to help someone find the way home when they're lost…"
"Now would be perfect time to try out." He said with a smile. "Merlin I am lucky to haf brilliant witch as wonderful girlfriend." He said with a smile. Hermione tucked her wand back into her back pocket. She cupped her hands around her mouth and closed her eyes. He heard her breathe heavily and could see a light building with in her hands she brought it away from her mouth.
"Find a way out." She said softly. The light flew away from her quickly. "Oh come on we have to keep up!" she said grabbing his hand and beginning to run. The spell seemed to work at first until they hit a dead end. But with a small ring the light found another route which fifteen minutes later also led to a dead end. After five rounds of this Hermione stopped and sighed heavily. "Enough…" The light stopped and slowly moved back to her. "Thanks for the help…" it flew into the middle of her chest where it disappeared. She turned to Viktor. "We have a problem."
"What?" he asked.
"There is no way out of this maze…" she said.
"Maybe spell did not work."
"My spell worked just fine…" he put his hands up.
"Alright luff I believe you…" he said quickly. She crossed her arms over her chest feeling a little put out. "So what do we do?"
"Oh I'm an idiot, I know." She pulled out her wand. "Accio Mina…" she smiled. "We should have a broom here any moment…"
"Brilliant." He said.
"Occasionally happ…" her voice trailed off as she watched a coat tail disappear from behind a corner of a hedge just behind Viktor.
"What?" he asked.
"I thought I just saw someone…" she said softly walking to his side.
"Maybe another champion?" he asked turning.
"No… Didn't look like Fluer Harry or Cedric…" she began to move and Viktor grabbed her hand stopping her.
"Where are you going?"
"To see who it was." She said as if it were obvious.
"Maybe maze is playing tricks on your eyes." He offered.
"No I know what I saw." She said going to move forward only to have him stop her again. "Viktor we're going to lose who ever that was." She said pulling her hand from his.
"We shouldn't run after someone into the dark." He said.
"I do it all the time." Before he could say anything she ran past him.
"Hermione!" he yelled rushing after her. He kept up with her easy and now he saw what she meant. There was indeed someone with them in the maze, someone who was wearing a long tan coat with buckles. The man was tall and lengthy with raggedy brown hair.
"Stop!" Hermione shouted. When he didn't she threw a spell that stunned the person knocking them to the ground. Viktor stopped her before she could run closer.
"Identify self!" he ordered pushing her behind him. The man slowly stood. They both felt a heavy gust of wind fallowed by a loud rustling. Viktor looked around. "What is that?" he asked. The hedges around the man began to spin levitating him up into the air.
He's going to get away…
"No!" Hermione rushed forward and jumped in to the spinning hedges.
"Hermione!" Viktor went to follow but stopped when the hedges halted revealing a dead end. "Hermione!" he yelled looking around his chest heaving. She was nowhere in sight as he spun around and around in a circle. He started to run around the maze screaming her name as he did to find her.
Hermione turned away from a dead end to see the man in question standing before her. She instantly raised her wand which made him laugh. She stared at him, he seemed familiar. He had gaunt features, and wild eyes. She was sure she had never set her eyes on him before but still he felt so familiar in a way.
"Hermione Granger…" he muttered as he began to circle her. "The great… Hermione… Granger…" He chuckled. "Mudblood extraordinaire…"
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure…" she said keeping her wand pointed at him as he moved around her in the small alcove of the maze.
"Wouldn't be a pleasure love…" he said his tongue darting out across his lips.
"Who are you?" he only tilted his head. "Who are you?" she asked again her voice dropping to a deadly tone. He just smiled his eyes growing more wild. "You will identify yourself to me."
"I don't take orders from filthy beings such as yourself…" he said his eyes narrowing as his tongue darted across his lips once more. She tilted her head at the movement, she had seen it before but she couldn't place it.
"I'm sure I know you…" she said quietly.
"I wouldn't associate myself with the likes of you."
"Who would you associate yourself with?" he smiled and shook his finger at her.
"Won't get anything out of me love…"
"I won't will I? Why is that?" she inquired. He just smiled at her more, the expression making him look more and more deranged. "Maybe you associate with Karkaroff?" The smile faded.
"He's lower than a mudblood, he's a traitor…"
"So you're a death eater?" she asked with a triumphant smile, his eyes instantly narrowed. "No… I won't get anything out of you at all…" she taunted.
"You bitch."
"Ooh call me it again I doth swell with pride." She said with a challenging look. He went to curse her but Hermione flicked her wand at his, it flew out of his hand and into hers.
"Impressive." He said. The wand flew back out of her hand and into his grasp. He smiled while wiggling his eyebrows.
"Not so impressive." She stepped forward and fired a spell which he countered.
Viktor rushed around another hedge to find a dead end. He yelled out in frustration as he went to run once more. He kept looking up to see if the Mina broom arrived, but every time he did all he saw was the sky.
"Hermione!" he shouted. "Hermione answer me!"
"Avadakedavera!" he froze hearing the curse and seeing a flash of green light flood out from around a hedge.
"Hermione!" he rushed forward but stopped when he saw the man from before flying out from around the corner. Viktor began to feel the wind begin to pick up and the loud sound of rustling returned. He waved at Viktor before jumping into a group of spinning hedges before they fell still to reveal a dead end. Hermione came out from the hedge where he had seen the light of the killing curse.
"Coward!" she shouted. "Come out and face me!" Viktor rushed to her side and instantly took her in his arms. She struggled for a moment not realizing it was him before slowly settling. He pulled away and kissed her quickly.
"I thought you had been killed. I saw killing curse haze."
"He missed me." She said. "He killed one of the hedges though." He looked to see that amongst the green walls there was a shriveled dead one.
"We need to get out of here in case he comes back."
"He won't be…" Hermione said.
"How do you know?"
"Have a feeling…" she said. "But I do agree in the fact we need to get out of here." She whistled and a broom dove into a sight. "Get us out of here and to the castle we need to inform Dumbledore that the maze has been tampered with."
"Get on." He said climbing on it, Hermione instantly did what he said. "Hold on tight you made her so she only goes fast."
"I feel safe on her go as high and fast as you want." She said.
-o-
Viktor landed in the hallway outside Dumbledore's office. He stared seeing the man in question standing there Mad eye by his side.
"Professor…" Hermione got off the broom.
"Miss Granger are you alright?" he asked walking to her.
"I'm fine, there was a death-."
"Death eater in the maze." Mad eye said. "We're aware and dealing with it."
"Are you now?" she asked looking at him for a long moment.
"Yes Aurors have arrived and are searching the maze."
"He apperated out sir." Viktor said.
"That's impossible." Dumbledore said.
"It's true professor." Hermione stated.
"It's impossible." Mad eye said.
"I think we've established that." Hermione said. "Even so I saw it."
"If she saw it she saw it Miss Granger isn't one to lie or exaggerate…"
"I also got a good look at the man in the maze a very good look." Hermione said more to Dumbledore then to Mad eye.
"Any idea who it was?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm afraid not."
"We should take a look in her memories… See what she saw…" Mad eye said taking out his wand. Hermione took a step back she didn't know why but she didn't like the look in his eye at all.
"No." Dumbledore said. "I don't want any one tampering with a mind like Miss Grangers."
"I could offer up my memories." Viktor said. "I gladly would."
"I think your headmaster would disagree with that notion… Hermione are you sure you don't know who it was?"
"No… But I feel like I've seen him before there was something familiar about him… But then he did this thing a few times and if he did it before and I knew him then I would have been able to tell who it was."
"What did he do?" Dumbledore inquired.
"It was weird, like a snake he would dart his tongue out of his mouth…" she saw something click in the mind of her head master. "Professor Dumbledore what is it?"
"Come with me you two… Mad eye join the aurors I'll deal with these two."
"Are you-."
"Yes go." The three left the ex auror out in the hallway as they headed up to his office. When they got inside Dumbledore rushed to his desk and grabbed a photo. He came back down and handed it to Hermione. "Is this him?"
"Yes." They both said.
"That's him." Hermione said seeing a picture of the man in question. "He looks more put together here though."
"That's Barty crouch Jr."
"Crouch had a son?" Hermione asked. "He did…" she said remembering. "He was said to have disappeared over 15 years ago." She stopped. "He didn't disappear; he was sent to azkaban wasn't he? For being a death eater."
"You do catch on very quickly…" Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Crouch swept it under the rug? Kept it from leaking out?" Hermione asked getting angry.
"He did." He said. "You have to understand his reasons… It was his son."
"Please don't treat me as if I'm a child…" She stated making Viktor look to her in surprise. He had never heard her talk back to her headmaster before. "He hid the fact his son was a death eater because he was a politician and it would have ruined any chances he had of reelection."
"You really do catch on very quickly." He smiled. "Still I would like you two keep this between us."
"He meddled with the maze sir." Viktor said before Hermione could answer.
"I will take care of it before the final task I assure you… Please don't repeat tonight's happenings to anyone…" Hermione slowly nodded. "Not even Harry or Ron miss Granger."
"I don't understand your reasons for secrecy… but I respect them. I won't say anything. I promise."
"Thank you I do appreciate it." She nodded. The door opened behind them to reveal McGonagall and Karkaroff. "They will escort you back to your rightful places, for safety." The four of them walked out of the office.
"Miss Granger why is it when something terrible happens you are somehow involved?" McGonagall asked. "I'm surprised Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter weren't with you on this one… Still how you all always find trouble I will never know."
"Neither will I…" she said looking to Viktor who smiled at her softly. She smiled at him as the two pairs broke away. Viktor heading to his cabin, Hermione to her room in Gryffindor tower. As she walked away she had a feeling it would be a while until she saw him again.
