A/N: Good morning everyone! Enjoy this truncated Vikmione one-shot. I know I did when writing it ;3
[Name]: Ikuni Hattori
[House]: Ravenclaw
[Subject]: Potions
[Task No.]: #2 Dittany: Write about someone taking time to relax and recharge.
[Title/Link]: "Onsen"
[Summary]: In a Voldemort free world, when Hermione vacations in Japan to take advantage of their libraries and hot springs, she finds that the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team had the same idea for rest and relaxation.
Hermione yawned as she stretched languidly. Last week she had finished her last NEWT, and after celebrating with her friends at Potter Manor, Hermione had booked a flight to Japan as a treat for finally getting everything done. She wouldn't get her NEWT results for another month or so, but she couldn't help but worry about how she did, as was her wont to do. Her friends could attest to her test anxiety and need for perfection. Her parents had discovered this quirk of hers, thankfully, at a very young age, and so planned family vacations during every summer break to help her relax and recharge from the school year. Now that she was 18 and freshly graduated from Hogwarts, it was Hermione's turn to plan the vacation, and fully enjoy her trip. Just as her parents had set goals of travel plans for her academic achievements, she continued the tradition and decided to branch off on her own, leaving the mainland behind in favor of a Pacific Island that had piqued her curiosity for years.
Japan was a country full of culture and history she just couldn't wait to soak up, but the biggest appeal for her was the onsen, specifically the hot springs located in the mountains. Her plan was to soak up the culture and history, and then soak in the hot springs after a long day of adventuring.
Sitting now in one of the private onsen pools at the inn she had booked her room at, Hermione just let the steam rise around her, the hot water melting her muscles in such a delicious way. Somewhere in the room, a water feature trickled a small stream of water onto what sounded like stones, the steam rising and the water trickling the only sounds in the room.
Hermione took a deep breath, letting her mind disconnect from the worries and stress of her day and her low simmering anxiety about her options now that she was out of school. Without the structure of school, she now had to find what she wanted to occupy the rest of her life with. Something possibly with activism, making the world a better place than how she had found it 7 years ago-
No, bad Hermione! No time for worrying. This is relaxation time. You can overthink things as you're getting ready for bed tonight! she admonished herself, giving her arm a small pinch to anchor her back into the here and now. With another deep breath, she forced herself to relax again against the edge of the stone pool she rested in, and laid her towel-clad head back so she could float.
Soft murmuring voices reached her through the swirling steam, and Hermione felt her heart race before she remembered that, while these were private baths, they were all connected and separated by the tall bamboo divider walls that stretched before her. She resettled herself, focusing on the conversation to try to center herself once more.
The newcomers were joined by what seemed like many others, all low voices speaking in another language, and for a moment Hermione thought it was several different rooms worth of people before realizing they could have all been together. Perhaps a group trip, she thought. It took a little while longer to make out what language they were speaking, but as the realization shot through her, a familiar warmth filled her as memories of that same language last spoken to her raced through her mind.
"Viktor!" one of the voices called out before a round of raucous laughter filled the air. Then the sound of rough housing, a bitten out curse, and then a loud crash as two bodies burst through the bamboo wall, taking down an entire panel. Hermione shrieked as she ducked under the water until only her head was visible, hoping that the steam would cover enough to keep her decent.
Seven heads whipped towards her, including the two who had intruded in on her bath. Hermione only had eyes for one, however.
"Her-my-oh-nee!" Viktor called out to her, a large dopey grin alighting his face upon seeing her, his arm wrapped around the head of a man who could only be his teammate.
"Viktor!" she squeaked out in return, and it took them all another moment to realize the situation they were in. Viktor squawked in alarm before turning to what could only be the rest of the National Bulgarian Quidditch Team and barking at them in Bulgarian. With much laughter and good natured jeering, his teammates allowed themselves to be herded back out of the onsen and back to their room, the bamboo wall divider propped up to fill up as much of the hole as possible, and when it was only just the two of them left, he apologized profusely from the edge of her pool of water, his back to her to afford her a bit of privacy.
"The others, they party too hard. Ve here on Team Bonding Exercises, and bath bonding is important, so says Coach," he explained. Hermione drew a little closer to him, her eyes drawn to the planes of muscles in his back from his years of Quidditch playing.
"I finished my NEWTs last week and this is my celebratory vacation treat to myself," she offered as a reply, drifting through the water slowly, cautiously, as if weighing her actions carefully. She saw him nod, and could almost feel the grin in his voice.
"How did they go?" he asked, and she couldn't help but grin in reply.
"I'm on vacation. I'm not allowed to think about it," she primly answered.
"Then vat are you allowed to do on your vacation?" Viktor asked, and Hermione couldn't help but notice the stiff way he held himself as they spoke. She had closed the distance enough that her next step up onto the small bench in the water pulled her flush up against his back, her arms reaching around his neck to give him a short hug, pressing nearly the entire length of her body up against him. His hands came up to rest on her forearms lightly, keeping her in place, and she grinned against his neck.
"I'm allowed to go sight see and learn history in the morning, and only allowed to relax in the afternoon and evening. And since it's night time right now, I'm supposed to be relaxing," she explained. She let a bit of levity enter her tone, hearing his breath hitch in response to her words. She hadn't seen him since her Sixth year, when he had come to visit her during a Hogsmeade trip when his team had come to Scotland to play a few scheduled games. The press had eaten it up, and while they had a short fling while he was in the area, they had lost touch with each other when both of their lives grew too busy to keep up a normal correspondence.
"Since you boys crashing into my bathing area has gotten me all riled up, I think it's only fair that you help me relax again, Viktor," she finished.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked simply. She wasn't sure if the heat in her cheeks was from the hot springs or from the situation, but at that point, she didn't care. Hermione nodded against him, and suddenly Viktor stood and twisted, capturing her in his strong arms, pulling her flush against his body. She suddenly realized that the towel he had kept at his waist was no longer there, and the heat increased in her cheeks.
His mouth then covered hers as he pulled her out of the water the rest of the way, a moan slipping past her lips as her mind went deliciously blank. He twitched against her and she gasped into the kiss, allowing his tongue to slip in as one of his hands rose to grab at the towel keeping her hair at bay, letting her locks spring free. As she lost herself in his arms, she couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Drawing him back into the water, they lost themselves in each other's arms until Hermione laid limp against him, happily sated, and dare she say it, relaxed.
"You'll have to help me relax again tomorrow, if you'll still be around," she murmured into his chest, one of his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her afloat. He nodded against her as he nuzzled her hair.
"Da. Ve vill be here for the rest of the week. I vuld love to help you relax every single night," he replied, and they shared another kiss.
The sound of voices drew them out of their haze, and Hermione looked up at him, a mischievous smile on her face as she pulled away from him, one hand grabbing his.
"Join me in bed for cuddles?" she asked, standing and letting him get a nice long look.
His beaming expression in return was all she needed.