Somewhere Warmer
Hermione stayed in bed until late the next morning, so she wasn't surprised that Viktor was up and dressed when she finally emerged from the bedroom.
"Coffee is ready," he told her. She went into the kitchen and poured a cup. He leaned on the bar that separated the kitchen and the parlor. "I was talking to one of my teammates this morning. His mother is Spanish, and he said it is Las Fallas in Valencia now."
"Never heard of it," Hermione said, bleary-eyed as she sipped her coffee.
"It is a Muggle festival, so most witches and wizards leave for the week. His mother's family has a flat off the Plaça Redona near the magical quarter that he says we can stay in."
"I thought you wanted to go somewhere warm," Hermione said and sipped her coffee.
"It is warmer there than here, and I think a busy festival will be good to take your mind off recent events. The Muggles will not recognize us which is like a vacation too."
"That's certainly true. I guess I could make us a Portkey. I'm supposed to meet with Krastevich this morning, but I can push that off."
"Absolutely not," Viktor said firmly. "You have put it off twice already. That is more important. See her. We will go after."
She frowned but nodded. The idea of letting someone manipulate the scar on her side made her very nervous, even if the end result was to make it less painful. "Fine but I need to drop into work for a few minutes after that, and then I'll come back and we'll go."
"Good. I will pack for us."
Hermione nodded.
xXx
The training facilities for Puddlemere United were in a sprawling, but Muggle-shielded, structure near the River Piddle. Hermione had only ever been there once, for family day, when Viktor was first hired by the team. As she stood looking at the building, she realized she hadn't done much in the way of supporting Viktor's career lately. When they were first dating she went to as many matches as she could, but these days she rarely made an appearance. She chided herself to do better in that regard. He'd been so supportive of her lately. The least she could do was return the favor. She looked the enormous building and shook her head. She knew she was stalling. Blowing out a nervous breath, she marched forward. A witch greeted her at the door with a list. Hermione touched her wand to her name to prove she was who she said she was, but based on the woman's reaction to meeting her, that was just a formality.
"It's such an honor," the woman said. Hermione smiled at her. Even though she was probably only a few years younger than Hermione, she seemed decades younger. Hermione sighed and wished she felt her actual age more often.
"I read in the paper about you getting that Death Eater and about the trial. You're amazing."
"Uh, thanks," Hermione said. She never knew how to respond to those kinds of gushing encounters. She stood their awkwardly.
"Oh," the woman said. "Right. I'll take you back then."
Hermione followed her to the healing facility.
"Here you go," the young woman said. She thrust out her hand, and Hermione shook it. "Wonderful to meet you."
Hermione smiled tightly. "You too." She sighed with relief when the witch went back to her post. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Krastevich was drinking a cup of coffee and looking much more professional than when she'd shown up with her healers' robes over pajamas in Venice. "Good morning," she said smiling. "I was wondering if you'd show."
"I know, I've put this off a couple of times. It's just…I…"
Krastevich smiled. "You're nervous about letting me work on the scar. Understandable. It will be uncomfortable, even painful at times, but in the end, it will be a lot better."
"How long?" Hermione asked.
"How long what?" Krastevich asked.
"How long until it feels better? How many sessions?"
"Oh, it will feel better after today. How long it takes to make it permanently better will depend on how it responds to treatment. I haven't worked on a scar as significant as yours in a long time, but most magical scars respond within five sessions. I'm guessing yours might take twice that, maybe more."
"Okay," Hermione said nervously. "And how long will the sessions be?"
"Ten minutes. Less to begin with if it's too painful."
"Okay." She bit her lip.
"Then let's get started. Do you have something to change into? I need full access to the scar."
Hermione nodded. "Viktor told me to bring running shorts and a T-shirt."
"Perfect. No bra. I need the scar completely exposed."
Hermione nodded and went to change. When she returned, Krastevich directed her to a private room and had her lay on her good side on a padded table and lift her shirt to expose the scar. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing as Krastevich pulled her wand.
"Hermione?"
She opened her eyes and looked at the healer. "Yes?"
"You have to drop the shield for me to work."
Hermione glanced down and realized she'd subconsciously cast Protego. "Sorry." Blushing, she dropped the spell.
"It's okay," Krastevich said. "Impressive that you can cast a wandless, nonverbal shield though." She cast a numbing charm and then reached for a tube of something and put it on her hands.
"Um, thanks," Hermione said. "Wandless, nonverbal shields are kind of my thing. That and Apparition are my most persistently powerful magic."
Krastevich smiled. "You must have been quite an asset in the war."
"That's what they tell me," Hermione said lightly, and then bit back a cry as Krastevich pressed her thumbs along either side of the scar.
"You don't have to hold back," Krastevich said. "I know it hurts. The medical facility has a permanent muffling charm on it, and you're the only one here this morning."
"Can you maybe lighten up a bit."
Krastevich smiled sadly. "I'm barely touching you."
"Seriously? It feels like you're digging under my ribs."
"I'm not. Can you go another minute?"
Hermione gritted her teeth and nodded. What felt like an eternity later, Krastevich stopped and drew her wand again. She cast another spell that Hermione had never heard and began working on the scar again. This time Hermione did cry out.
After a couple more minutes, Krastevich drew her wand for a third time and cast yet another spell. "All right. That's us done for today then."
Hermione let out a relieved sigh and sat up, pulling her shirt back down.
"Just sit for a minute." Krastevich put away the various tubes of goo she'd used on her hands. "Don't get up too quickly."
Hermione nodded and tried to get her breathing under control.
"Viktor tells me you put your scars under glamour charms every morning. Odd, since they're under your clothes."
"I don't like to see them. I don't like for him to see them either."
Krastevich nodded. "Understood, but for the duration of this treatment, I'm going to ask that you not glamour them, and if you can manage to get them in the sunlight, all the better."
"It's March," Hermione said.
"So, cast a warming charm somewhere private. I'm sure you know how to do that." Hermione frowned at her, but Krastevich just smiled at her. "Next week then?"
Hermione got off the table and stood straight, surprised that the scar did, in fact, feel better. "Yes."
"Same time then." Krastevich left her to change.
Hermione put her bra back on, but decided not to change since she wanted to go home and shower before going into work. When she left the treatment room she was surprised to see Viktor waiting for her.
"How did it go?" Viktor asked.
"Good." She was embarrassed to find herself tearing up. "It hurt, really hurt, but now it feels better than it's ever felt." She brushed away a tear that managed to slip past her rapid blinking.
He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I told you she was good."
"And you were right," Hermione said, pressing her face against his shoulder as she pulled herself together. "I'm going to go home and shower, then pop into work for a bit."
"Okay. I will see you back at the flat."
"Yes," Hermione started for the door but turned back. "And Viktor…" He looked at her. "Thank you, for insisting I do this. Based on today's results I think this will be good."
"I am glad," he said, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "Now go get your work done so we can get out of here."
She smiled and pushed through the door.
xXx
Thomas was working at his desk when Hermione lightly tapped on the door frame.
"Hey stranger," he said. "Come in."
"Hi. I thought I'd drop in before I left. I just told Stanhope that I'll be out for the next ten days."
"I can't imagine he cared," Thomas said.
"He didn't. I'm still waiting to hear about the next phase of my Apparition project, so I'd just be milling around down here anyway."
"Before you leave," Thomas said. "I wanted to pick your brain a bit. Have a seat."
"About what?" Hermione sat in one of the wooden chairs in front of his desk.
"Time-turners. I understand you had access to one in school, which I have to say sounds extremely dodgy to me."
Hermione felt a chill run up her spine. "What makes you think I had access to a Time-Turner?"
He smiled. "They're restricted items, the records of their use are quite complete. Serious stuff time travel. How Albus Dumbledore managed to procure one for a student, no matter how precocious, is beyond me. And then, they were all destroyed in a battle, which I believe you took part in."
Hermione cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "Um…"
Thomas cocked his head at her. "You're not in trouble. Nothing of the sort. You just have a unique experience of time that few other people have had. I'd like to interview you about it."
"But I'm on my way to Spain," Hermione said.
"Not a problem. I've studied time for my entire adult life. It's made me surprisingly patient. We can talk when you return."
"Um, all right then," Hermione stood. "Viktor's waiting for me."
"Off you pop then," Thomas said. "Cheerio."
Hermione hurried from the room. She would have to talk to Harry before she talked to Thomas. Although, given the results she'd had with the scar, she felt like she should mention the treatment to Harry anyway, then he could tell Ron about it. She was greatly relieved to return to Viktor's flat and then take the Portkey to Valencia. Getting out of England and somewhere among Muggles, where she wouldn't be recognized, seemed like the best idea ever.
xXx
The flat in Valencia was a small two-bedroom, two-bath on the fourth floor of a lovely old building in the El Mercat section of the city, just a quick walk from Plaça Redona, the beautiful circular shaped city 'square' that was also the entrance to magical Valencia. Hermione stepped out onto the balcony and breathed in the warm air. The temperature was in the upper sixties and sunny which felt balmy compared to London's overcast low fifties. Viktor joined her on the balcony. "This is perfect," she told him.
"I am glad you approve. It was kind of López to offer."
"Yes. This is his parent's place?"
"They own it, but they do not live here all the time. They have another home in Alicante by the sea, where they live most of the time. López uses this apartment when he is home. He grew up in Valencia. I guess his parents moved after he finished school."
"Are they Muggles?"
"His mother is. I think they mostly lived among Muggles when he was young, but then he went to Beauxbatons."
"Did he know Fleur?"
"Actually, yes, quite well. They dated for a while in school. He holds her in quite high regard, as do I."
Hermione nodded. "I rather like her as well. She was very kind to us after the war."
Viktor yawned and stretched. "I think I will go for a run and see what is happening around us. Care to join me?"
She smiled at him. "I don't think so." He was only asking to be polite. She wasn't much of a runner and would only slow him down. She much preferred a long walk to a run. "Go ahead. I want to write a letter to Harry anyway."
"Already? We just got here. What is there to say?"
"It's not that sort of letter. I wanted to tell him about the treatment I had this morning. He has a rather significant scar on his chest that might benefit from the same thing."
"Ah," Viktor said. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I will leave you to it then."
"Have a good run," she said as she dug around in her bag for a quill.
xXx
Ron didn't generally make a practice of trading on his notoriety for favors, but he made an exception when it came to Portkeys. He'd asked for an open Portkey, so he could set the destination and departure time and then went back to his flat. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the conversation he'd had with Harry after he returned from Kenya. He knew Hermione wouldn't stay in England after the trial. He'd watched her life closely via the tabloids, and any time something stressful happened, she went away. He blew out a slow breath and reached under his bed for the wooden box he kept the mementos of their relationship in. It included all her letters to him, photographs, and most importantly, a lock of her hair. There were multiple ways to do a location spell, but the easiest was with some piece of the person you were looking for. Hermione biting off a bit of Draco's ear had made finding him simple. The lock of her hair would make finding Hermione simple and that was one reason he'd always kept it. Hermione had had Ginny cut her hair after the war when she'd been so wounded that even simple grooming spells were taxing. Ron still remembered picking up one of the long ringlets from the floor and surreptitiously slipping it into his pocket. That night he'd carefully tied a string around it and laid it in the box along with her letters. He picked it up and looked at the long curl. How he missed that hair. It made her crazy, but he loved it. Her hair was wild and unruly and felt so good in his hands. She could tame it but only for so long, and then it would be just as it had always been, free and tumbling over her shoulders and down her back.
Harry had been right. If he wanted to talk to Hermione, there was nothing stopping him. Viktor was an extra in this drama. Ron and Hermione were the only players that mattered. He stood by the large globe in his drawing room and drew his wand to cast the charm to locate her. He let go of his wand and it floated over Spain and more specifically over Valencia. He smiled. He would talk to her. They would work this out. They had to. He pulled his wand down and activated the Portkey and stepped out onto the Balcony. A few minutes later, he landed in the oldest part of the city. He magically nicked a map from a street vendor and slipped down an alley to cast a more specific spell, before magically returning the map. She was close. They'd get this sorted in no time at all.
xXx
Viktor returned from his run just as Hermione was returning from the owlry. He smiled at her.
"What?" she said, amused at how pleased he seemed.
"Remember when you said you would like to learn more about tango."
"Yes, I had an introduction to it in dance class when I was younger, but I'd like to know it better."
"There is a dance hall around the corner, and they are doing a seminar and dance tonight."
"Can we get in this late?"
"I am a very talented wizard," Viktor said.
Hermione chuckled. "That's a yes then?"
He winked at her. "I will shower and we will go. It starts in an hour."
"Great," Hermione said. "I'll get dressed."
xXx
Ron was less sure of his plan when the location spell took him to a dance hall. Hermione loved to dance, and apparently, so did Viktor. He'd seen them dance before on several occasions, and it wasn't his favorite thing to witness. They moved so easily together, it was hard not to translate that into how they might move together in other circumstances, which made him sick and angry. He sighed and decided to take a walk around the building and think about how he wanted to approach her or if he still wanted to. What had seemed like a great plan in his flat, seemed ill-advised as he stood in Valencia looking at the dance hall, the name of which he couldn't begin to pronounce. He sighed and started walking.
As he walked down a blind alley next to the building, he realized a side door to the dance hall was propped open. He cast an obfuscation spell and slipped inside, staying to the shadows. Maybe she wasn't with Viktor. He could just take a quick peek. There was small stage at his end of the room and a four-piece band was playing music that he didn't recognize. He found a spot near the side of the stage where he could easily remain hidden among the curtains. He looked around the room. Several couples were dancing, and an instructor moved among them. Sometimes the instructor would step in to show one of the partners a technique. Skill level seemed to vary broadly among the dancers. Some couples barely needed any attention. Others needed quite a lot. As his eyes scanned the dancers, he finally saw Viktor and Hermione. They were on the opposite side of the room far from the stage. Viktor clearly knew the dance. Hermione seemed less sure, but she was following along and paying attention to what the instructor was saying. How like her, Ron thought. As he watched the instruction, he decided he didn't like the dance. Viktor held Hermione too close. Their upper bodies were almost still. They only moved below the waist. As she moved back, he pressed relentlessly forward, always moving to the music, which Ron thought sounded strangely sad, and that wasn't improving his mood. After what seemed like a long time, the instructor clapped her hands, the band stopped playing, and the lights dimmed. The couples moved to the sides of the room, opening up the dance floor. The instructor spoke for a couple of minutes and then one of the other couples moved to the center of the floor. The band started again and the couple danced alone for a few minutes, until they were replaced by another couple. A few more couples went, and then at last, it was Viktor and Hermione's turn. Ron realized they were now potentially going to come a lot closer to where he stood. He cast another obfuscation spell, but he wasn't sure it would help. It was too late to leave without drawing attention, so he stood very still, hardly daring to breathe. If Hermione could feel his presence like he could feel hers, he was screwed.
Viktor and Hermione moved easily through the dance. He clearly already knew the steps well, and she was a quick study. Ron didn't like how high up on her rib cage Viktor's hand was. He was practically touching her breast. He didn't like how close their faces were. It was too intimate, too sexy, and yet somehow the music made it seem sad too. Fortunately, none of the other couples had danced for very long, so it would be over soon. Just as he thought he was in the clear, Viktor turned, and he saw Hermione's eyes flash open in his direction.
Bloody hell, he thought, but the song ended and everyone clapped. The instructor spoke again and Viktor said something to Hermione, and she said something back, and then Viktor walked toward the bar. Ron took the opportunity to slip back into the alley.
xXx
Hermione knew Ron was in the room the minute Viktor danced them toward the stage. She probably would have recognized him sooner had she not been concentrating on learning the tango. An awareness of him flooded her senses, she could feel him, could almost taste him in the air. Ever since she'd shared her magic with him after the war, she could feel his proximity, and she suspected he could do the same. She wondered what he was doing. An emergency wouldn't have him hiding in the curtains. The song ended and everyone clapped. The instructor announced that the bar was now open and that the dance hall would open to its regular customers. The whole class was invited to stay. Viktor smiled at her. "I will get us something to drink."
"That sounds good. I'm going to step out for a cigarette."
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a minute," she said, kissing him lightly on the cheek. A side door was open for ventilation, she saw the air ripple as Ron stepped through it. She followed him into the alley. He must have turned the wrong way, because as she stepped outside she could still feel his presence. It was cooler than it had been when she and Viktor had walked to the dance hall, but it was still pleasant outside. She looked at the dark end of the alley and knew Ron was there, hidden in the shadows. The alley was a dead end, so if he wanted out, he'd have to Disapparate, which she would hear, or he'd have to come past her. She closed the door to the dance hall. "I know you're there," she called to the darkness. "If you have something to say, just say it. You've stalked me to Europe, so there's no sense hiding in the shadows now." No answer came from the darkness, but she knew he was there. She could feel him as clearly as if he were standing next to her. She slipped her wand from her pocket and tapped it against her leg. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or is it that you can't face me if I'm in full possession of my faculties. You had so much to say when I was weak. Where are those words now, Ron? Where's that big tough bloke?"
xXx
Ron swallowed hard in the shadows and silently begged her not to cast an illumination charm or to start throwing curses at him. Going to Spain had been a horrible mistake. She felt stalked. She wasn't pining for him, she was furious. That wand tapping against her thigh filled him with dread while simultaneously turning him on.
"You, unrepentant coward!" she shouted into the night. "Go home. You aren't wanted here."
Ron stepped back as though struck. A coward was the worst thing one Gryffindor could call another, and she'd said it. Worse, she was right. He stayed hidden in the shadows, afraid even to Disapparate, because she'd recognize the sound. Hermione could Disapparate like a whisper, Harry with a quiet pop, but Ron, like most of his family, Disapparated rather loudly, more like a sharp clap. There was nothing to be done about it, but it was awkward at moments when discretion was called for. Unfortunately, using the Portkey would be even more obvious. There was a moment of silence as she stood there staring at the darkness, and Ron thought she could see right through him.
The side door of the dance hall opened and Viktor came out. He handed her a champagne flute.
"Champagne?" Hermione said. "What's the occasion?"
"Cava actually," Viktor said. "But we should celebrate your first tango lesson and that you put that bastard behind bars."
"Even though I rolled around on the floor and bit him?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow, acutely aware that Ron was standing within earshot.
"Especially because you did that," Viktor said, and touched his glass to hers. They each took a long drink. "Do you want to stay and dance?"
"I think I've had enough of this sort of dancing for tonight," Hermione said with a slow smile. She downed half of her cava.
Viktor raised his eyebrows in delighted surprise. "Then we should go," he said, tossing his glass to the ground. Hermione winged her glass as hard as she could in Ron's direction.
"Yes, let's," she said to Viktor.
He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. She returned his ardor and Disapparated with him.
Ron stood in stunned silence with cava dripping down his face. Hermione's glass had shattered just above his head. He felt sick. He thought about the pencil stub in his pocket that was his Portkey home, but he didn't take it. Instead, he started walking. He walked for hours with the phrase 'unrepentant coward' reverberating through his mind. He knew why she called him a coward. Anyone would have, given that he was hiding behind a dumpster when she said it. 'Unrepentant' though, he didn't know that word. 'Unrepentant," he repeated to himself over and over. He wondered if Harry knew what it meant. 'Unrepentant' sounded like a Muggle word. Ron's father had a Muggle dictionary. Maybe it was better to just look it up rather than to ask Harry. As the sun started to rise, Ron realized he'd been walking all night. Suddenly exhausted, he pulled the pencil stub from his pocket and pressed his wand to it. A few minutes later, he was back on the tiny balcony of the flat above his shop.
xXx
Hermione lay awake fuming while Viktor slept soundly beside her. She glanced at him. Despite a rather athletic round of sex, she ended up doing something she never did, she faked an orgasm to bring an end to their evening. Viktor had grinned up at her from between her legs. He'd kissed her thigh. "That took longer than usual."
She'd smiled back at him. "Rough week. It was difficult to relax."
"I understand," he'd said, casting a cleaning charm on both of them. He'd stretched out beside her and leaned over to kiss her. "Go to sleep."
She'd nodded and he rolled over. She didn't go to sleep. Instead she played the encounter with Ron over and over in her mind. It irritated her that he had tracked her to Spain, and then for whatever reason, had hidden in the shadows like some kind of pervert. She wondered how he'd tracked her. Ron was capable of any number of spells, but that didn't mean that he knew them. He'd always been lazy about memorizing spells. If he knew a simple way to do something, he wasn't likely to learn the more complex spells to accomplish the same thing. She suspected the only way he knew to do a location charm was with some piece of the person he was looking for. Not only was it the simplest method, it was the most effective, most precise, and almost impossible to block. He must have something: a fingernail, a bloody rag, or a lock of hair. She clenched her jaw, furious that he would have kept such a thing and then used it in a non-emergency situation. She, in fact, a had a lock of Harry's hair, as well as Ron's, in a box in her beaded bag that she kept for emergencies, but she would never use them for anything that wasn't crucial. The gall of that man!
She started thinking about ways to block him from doing it again. She thought about it for a long time until she started to doze off, and then as sometimes happened to her, just on the edge of sleep, she had a stroke of genius. She sat bolt upright in bed. Viktor was still sound asleep. She slipped out of bed and pulled on a dressing gown and went into the parlor, closing the door quietly behind her.
xXx
Viktor woke to an empty bed. He looked at his watch. It was just after six. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and went out into the parlor. Hermione was at the table, with two large tomes open in front of her, furiously writing on a long piece of parchment. "How long have you been up?"
She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him. "I'm not sure. A while. What time is it?"
"Six," he said yawning.
"Oh, quite a while then."
"What are you working on?"
"Dragon's blood."
"What about it? Or can you not tell me?"
"Oh, I can tell you," she said excitedly. "Dragon's blood is a publicly available potion ingredient. Nothing secret about it."
He looked at the large books on the table. "Where did you get these?"
"They were in my purse."
"You travel with reference books?"
"Don't you?"
"This might surprise you. But no."
She chuckled. "Odd. I always do."
He kissed the top of her head. "You have a fascinating mind. Is there coffee?"
"Yes."
He went into the kitchen to pour a cup. "So, what are you doing with dragon's blood?"
"I think I've thought of another use for it."
Shocked he returned to the parlor. "Are you serious? I thought there were only twelve."
"I think there might be a thirteenth," she said, excitement all over her face. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in helping me test that theory."
"Of course, I would," he said, excited by the possibility. Hermione was not an easy woman, but she was a brilliant witch, which was the most alluring thing about her, and a new use for any potion ingredient was a big deal.
"Fantastic," she said. "We just have to get some dragon's blood. I didn't bring any with me."
"How odd," Viktor teased.
She chuckled.
xXx
Two hours later, they were the first customers of the day at the apothecary in the magical street off the Plaça Redona. Dragon's blood was very expensive, luckily Hermione only needed a little bit, so they bought an ounce and returned to the flat.
"What now?" Viktor asked.
Hermione pulled a large atlas from her bag, causing Viktor to chuckle.
"Oh stop," she said. Next, she took a pair of nail clippers and removed the end of her pinky nail and handed it to him. "I'm going to Disapparate. Come find me. If you haven't found me in five minutes. I'll come back." She took the dragon's blood and put a single, tiny drop on top of her head and set the bottle back on the table. She drew her wand and disappeared.
Viktor cast the location spell on her fingernail, but although his wand floated above the atlas the pages just kept flipping back and forth, never settling on a country. The closest he could figure was that she was somewhere in western Europe, since those were the pages flipping beneath his wand. Five minutes later, Hermione reappeared.
"It worked," she said with a grin.
"Yes," he said, and explained about the European pages.
"Hmm, I wonder if I try again using more blood if that will prevent you from seeing where I am at all."
"Try it."
After two more tries, one with two drops that narrowed it down to the northern hemisphere and then three that completely confused the spell, Hermione was exhausted from all the Apparating.
"Brilliant!" Viktor declared.
"Not entirely. Now you need to test it."
"Why?" Viktor said.
"Just because I can do something, doesn't mean everyone can. However, if you can do it, that will give me cause to test it with progressively lower powered witches and wizards to gauge whether it's really suitable for public release."
He frowned. He didn't like to be reminded that she was more powerful than he was, but he agreed to test it anyway. He trimmed a fingernail, put three drops of blood on top of his head and Disapparated.
Hermione used his fingernail and cast the location spell. She was delighted when her wand couldn't find him. Perfect, she thought. Try and track me again, Ron. See where it gets you.
When Viktor returned, Hermione hugged him. "I can't believe it worked!"
Her enthusiasm was infectious. He picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom, well of aware of how she liked to celebrate this sort of triumph. This time, she didn't fake anything.
xXx
For the rest of their time in Valencia, Viktor and Hermione spent their mornings continuing to test the dragon's blood. Hermione made a chart and they tracked how many drops provided how much coverage and for how long. They were eating enormous quantities of food to make up for all the calories they were burning doing so much Apparition. Breakfast they cooked themselves and then after a long morning of testing, they would go in search of a massive lunch somewhere. Valencia had a lot of good restaurants. After a post-lunch nap, they read or played cards on the balcony under an obfuscation charm and a warming charm so Hermione could lay out and expose the scar to the sun without drawing the attention of their Muggle neighbors or catching a cold. They spent their evenings dancing, mostly tango, and then going out for a late dinner, only to get up and repeat the whole thing again the next day. It was the most fun they'd had since those first few days together.
