LMPT

Chapter 5: New Surroundings

The cool, gentle sway from the water awoke Hermione from her slumber. Her face was buried in wet sand, as were her hands. Her feet floated carelessly in the current. She plucked her head from the shore, it felt heavy, like it was a bowling ball and looked around. Miles of endless blue sea stretched behind her, and a small farm house with a few chickens was a little down the road. She pulled herself from the water, and got unsteadily to her feet. Where was she? Where had she come from? She clasped a hand to her head. It seemed right on the edge of her memory, yet she couldn't remember…

            "Whoa vere!"

Hermione whipped her head around. A young man came charging toward her. He had thick eye brows, and was duck-footed, but held a charming smile.

She smiled uncertainly at him. "Hello."

            "Vhat are you doing in the vater?"

Hermione looked to him, and then back to the sea. "I… I dunno…"

He smiled. "Vell, come inside and ve'll get you varmed up." He held out his hand to her.

She raised a brow. Well, it was either him or take her chances with the ocean. She took his hand.

The farm house was quaint and cozy, and Hermione sat in a chair by a fire in this man's heavy robes drinking hot cocoa. He sat across from her. "You must haff had quite a swim."

She nodded. "I don't remember any of it…"

He nodded also. "Memory charm, verhaps."

            "Your accent…"

He grinned. "You are in Bulgaria,"

She spit out her cocoa. Bulgaria! That didn't sound familiar, yet again nothing seemed to.

            "Vare you okay?" he cried, jumping up.

She nodded. "I don't think I'm from here," she said shyly.

He shook his head. "No."

She frowned, and turned to him. She suddenly realized she didn't even know his name. "Your name…"

He grinned. "My name vis Viktor Krum, champion Quidditch player."

            "Quidditch!" she shouted. She suddenly got a memory flash of 14 players on broomsticks, a cute dark-haired guy with amazing green eyes grinning and waving, and a red-haired guy making goofy faces from their brooms. She frowned. "I think I remember that… it's played on brooms?"

He nodded. "Do you remember vour name?"

She thought hard. Her name… her name… she kept drawing blanks. Tears filled her eyes. "No,"

He walked over to her and rubbed her back. "Vet me try vomething," he walked down a small hallway and returned with his wand.

            "What are you going to do?"

            "Perform a Memory-Correcting spell. If you memory vas tampored vith, this vill make you remember."

She closed her eyes.

            "Vit won't vurt," he said. "Gonio Sagio!"

Hermione saw a bright flash on the inside of her eyelids.

            "Vit is okay," Viktor said.

Hermione opened her eyes.

            "Anything?"

She took a deep breath. "My name is…" she took another deep breath. "my name is…" she squeezed her eyes together in concentration. "I still can't remember."

            "You must haff vit your head," Viktor said. "Vit will come back to you in time."

Hermione burst into tears. She had never felt so alone.

            "You may stay here for the time being," Viktor said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I vill take care of you."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

He smiled. "Now, what vis the virst name that pops into your head?"

Hermione thought a moment. "Rachel."

Harry lay on the bed in Lavender and Ron's spare room. He stared up at the ceiling. Lavender and Ron exchanged sympathetic looks from the threshold.

            "He's been like that all night." Lavender whispered.

            "I know," Ron moaned. "He loved… what am I saying. He loves Hermione, Lav. She's half of his world. And apart from you and Harry, she's my best friend."

            "We all love her," Lavender said. "I just hope she's okay."

            "Sirius said they searched through the debris of the palace, she wasn't found, so thank God for that."  Ron said.

Rachel began to cry from the crib in the corner.

            "Oh, the baby…" Lavender said.

            "You get her," Ron said. "I'm going to get Sirius in the fire." He walked toward the fireplace.

            "Anything to avoid doing something fatherly," Lavender moaned and walked to the crib. She picked up Rachel, and began rocking her back and forth. Then, an idea popped into her head. She walked to Harry. "Harry," she said.

No response.

            "Harry, this is your daughter, remember?" Lavender asked.

Harry slowly turned his head to her.

            "Everyone is looking for Hermione," Lavender said. "But your daughter needs you too right now." She offered Rachel to him.

He sat up, and took her. She stopped crying.

            "Awww, daddy's girl," Lavender smiled.

Harry slowly shook his head. "Where is she?"

Lavender wiped a few tears out of her eyes. "I don't know."

            "If it's a fight Vol… You, ah screw it! If Voldemort wants a fight, that's what he'll fucking get! Why take Hermione!?" Harry demanded.

            "Because he wants to hurt you in any way he can," Ron said from the doorway. "But we won't let that happen anymore. He'll have to go through me too."

Viktor watched Hermione sleep. "I know vho you are," he whispered. "But I can't let you know… from the vinute I saw you, I started to fall vin love vith you. And if I tell you, you vill leave vorever."

End of chapter 5!