Author's Note: Hi, lovelies. Once again, thank you for your support. I appreciate it. Although nobody took a guess about the other person, I hope you've thought about it. Or not. Anyway, here's the reveal. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Uploaded two in one day because I'm really happy. Also, I'm out of town and may not be able to upload soon. AAAAND also because I haven't written a concrete chapter 6 yet.

PS: I finally figured out how to put proper horizontal lines, so hopefully my chapters will look slightly neater.

PPS: This chapter's shorter than the last two. Is that okay?

PPPS: THANK YOU to those who send reviews. I love you guys. xxx

Chapter Five:

It wasn't a very pleasant day. The sky was overcast and the few rays of sunshine that crept through the clouds could not dispel the feeling of despair. A petite woman sat in the midst of the gloom, waiting for her companion, as she struggled to keep herself calm. Her black robes hung behind her chair, adding to the morose appearance and she rubbed her forehead, trying to soothe her growing headache, oblivious to the stranger lurking in the shadows nearby.

"There you go, Hermione," a strapping young man said as he approached her. "There's your tea. Would you like anything else to go with?"

"No, that's alright. Thank you."

She sipped her tea in silence.

"I heard about the Marriage Law," Viktor began abruptly, obviously throwing all norms of conversation out of the window.

"Yeah," the witch replied, non-committally.

"What are you going to do?" Shaking her head at the unpleasant turn of conversation, she replied, "I don't know. After Ron…. I don't know." She put down her tea cup and sighed.

"Hermione," he interrupted her thoughts, "if there's anything I can do to help…. I'd marry you if it'd make this easier." At her wide-eyed expression, he said, "No, I'm serious, hear me out. You know that I care for you. You've been through a lot and if doing that would make it any better…. Look, basically, all I'm saying is that I'd do it. I really would. And I don't expect you to ever love me the way you loved him, or even come close to that, but I could keep you happy."

"Promise me, please."

"Viktor, this is insane. What about Quidditch and… and Bulgaria. What about your life, your friends, your happiness? I couldn't do that to you."

"We'd figure something out; you're not the brightest witch of your age for nothing. My happiness does not rely solely on Quidditch, you know. I'd find new friends, I'd carve out a new niche. Isn't that what life is about - growing and adapting? This is entirely your decision. I made my offer, and it stands till you choose otherwise." He smiled mischievously. "Now, remind me again, why I should consider your British tea when such a thing as Bulgarian coffee exists?"

"Well, for starters, too much caffeine is never advisable," Hermione began, and the odd couple bickered till they had finished their respective beverages and parted ways.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, where on Earth have you been?" Ginny shrieked as she conjured her Patronus and sent it with a message to Harry. "We've been looking for you, especially after we saw Viktor like that…." She zoned out.

"I'd gone to meet him. He asked me if I was free for a chat, and after what that Skeeter woman wrote, I figured I needed some air anyway. What do you mean 'like that'? Like what? Where did you see him?"

"Mr Krum was attacked by Death Eaters after your little… rendezvous, Miss Granger." Hermione swirled around to find Professor Snape sneering down at her. "I presume you have taken leave of your senses; that is the only satisfactory explanation for why you would blatantly disobey the simple instructions given to you and go about making your own rash decisions."

"I… Professor, is he-"

"Miss Weasley, I expect you to escort Miss Granger to the meeting. Tardiness will not be tolerated." And with a swirl of robes and green flames, he was gone.

"What happened? I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about the attacks. How is Viktor? Is he hurt badly?"

"Here, sit down, Hermione, and breathe," Ginny said. "Krum's at St. Mungo's right now. George saw him as he was leaving the shop. Said he looked pretty bad, like he'd been beaten to a pulp. He took him to St. Mungo's and he's there with him right now. I think some Order members went too. Last I heard, he was conscious and the healers said he'd be up and about within a few days. Are you alright, Hermione?"

"He-he asked me…. He said that he would…. Ginny, this is all my fault, I shouldn't have gone," the elder girl whispered, completely miserable.

"Shh, relax Hermione. We've got to go meet McGonagall now, but we'll talk about this when we get back, okay? You look like you could do with a venting session or two." A woosh of green flames later, Hermione and Ginny stepped into Grimmauld Place. Professor McGonagall sat by the fire, a grave expression on her face. Hermione shivered, scooting closer to the fire. "Professor?"

"Hermione. I suppose Miss Weasley has informed you about Mr Krum's attack." Taking the proffered cup of tea, she continued, "Thank you Molly. As I was saying, he was severely attacked this afternoon by Death Eaters. I believe Mr Krum proposed to you today?"

Ginny gasped as Hermione nodded. "It's because of that, isn't it, Professor? They attacked him to get to me? It's because I went to meet him, isn't it?" Professor McGonagall said nothing, but her silence spoke a thousand words. Ginny placed a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. In a more subdued tone, she asked, "What do I do, Professor?"

"Marrying Mr Krum will put him in great danger, to say the least. The choice remains yours, of course. He is, by his own admission, willing to take on any perils that come his way."

"I can't do that to him."

"Then you must choose someone from within the Order."

"And that would be…?"

Hermione looked at the older woman. She looked dejected. "Professor? Is- is there no one?" She was handed a piece of parchment. She glanced down. There, written in unmistakable black ink, were the names of her potential husbands.

Severus Snape

Dedalus Diggle