~Inarticulate~
A/N: Just going a little further into Viktor/Hermione land. Not that I'm going against my R/H beliefs ... I just enjoy exploring :)
~~*~*~~
Viktor peered over the book he was pretending to read at the girl sitting at the table across the library.
Hermione.
He knew her name now, but only from a headline.
After he first saw her in the top box at the Quiddich World Cup, he doubted he'd ever have a chance to get to know her. He'd only seen her for a brief moment, but she could never know the impression she'd made on him.
And now he had another chance ... not that he really saw much hope. It seemed as though she was already preoccupied with the 'famous' Harry Potter. He knew he was about to make a fool of himself, but he couldn't help it. She'd affected him more than even the Veela that traveled with the team ever had.
Gathering up all of his courage, he put his book down, got up from his seat and walked toward Hermione, who was engrossed in a very thick book. He drew a nervous breath and began to say the words he'd rehearsed.
"Excuse me, Hermione?"
She looked up at Viktor with a quizzical look of amusement on her face. He felt himself redden. He knew he wasn't very good at speaking English, but could he really have said something that stupid?
He'd already blown it, hadn't he? He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before turning around and heading for the exit, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Did you want to say something?" Hermione asked. Viktor turned around. Her expression was no longer amused, but genuinely curious. She wanted to hear what he had to say! Maybe there was still a chance ...
"Well, I -- um ..." Viktor struggled to figure out what to say, his carefully rehearsed script completely escaping his memory. "I wanted to talk to you ... but I couldn't find the ... the --" What was the word??? "--courage."
Stupid English, he thought, staring at the ground.
There was a long pause before Viktor continued, "I just wanted to -- well ... the Yule Ball ... I mean ..." He could have kicked himself for being so inarticulate. He gathered up what was left of his pride and went on, "I would be honored if you would go with me."
Hermione let out a soft gasp. I looked up at her. Her face was flushed and she looked unsure of what to say.
"I'm sorry," he stammered, "... well ... if you are going with someone else ..."
"No!" Hermione said abruptly. "I mean - er - it's just that I ... well, no one has ever asked me on a date before." She was blushing harder than ever. "I would love to go with you."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Viktor was so happy that he did something he would never have done under normal circumstances. He took a hold of her hand and kissed it. "I am looking forward seeing you then," he said, and he walked out of the library with a huge grin on his face.
A/N: Just going a little further into Viktor/Hermione land. Not that I'm going against my R/H beliefs ... I just enjoy exploring :)
~~*~*~~
Viktor peered over the book he was pretending to read at the girl sitting at the table across the library.
Hermione.
He knew her name now, but only from a headline.
After he first saw her in the top box at the Quiddich World Cup, he doubted he'd ever have a chance to get to know her. He'd only seen her for a brief moment, but she could never know the impression she'd made on him.
And now he had another chance ... not that he really saw much hope. It seemed as though she was already preoccupied with the 'famous' Harry Potter. He knew he was about to make a fool of himself, but he couldn't help it. She'd affected him more than even the Veela that traveled with the team ever had.
Gathering up all of his courage, he put his book down, got up from his seat and walked toward Hermione, who was engrossed in a very thick book. He drew a nervous breath and began to say the words he'd rehearsed.
"Excuse me, Hermione?"
She looked up at Viktor with a quizzical look of amusement on her face. He felt himself redden. He knew he wasn't very good at speaking English, but could he really have said something that stupid?
He'd already blown it, hadn't he? He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before turning around and heading for the exit, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Did you want to say something?" Hermione asked. Viktor turned around. Her expression was no longer amused, but genuinely curious. She wanted to hear what he had to say! Maybe there was still a chance ...
"Well, I -- um ..." Viktor struggled to figure out what to say, his carefully rehearsed script completely escaping his memory. "I wanted to talk to you ... but I couldn't find the ... the --" What was the word??? "--courage."
Stupid English, he thought, staring at the ground.
There was a long pause before Viktor continued, "I just wanted to -- well ... the Yule Ball ... I mean ..." He could have kicked himself for being so inarticulate. He gathered up what was left of his pride and went on, "I would be honored if you would go with me."
Hermione let out a soft gasp. I looked up at her. Her face was flushed and she looked unsure of what to say.
"I'm sorry," he stammered, "... well ... if you are going with someone else ..."
"No!" Hermione said abruptly. "I mean - er - it's just that I ... well, no one has ever asked me on a date before." She was blushing harder than ever. "I would love to go with you."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Viktor was so happy that he did something he would never have done under normal circumstances. He took a hold of her hand and kissed it. "I am looking forward seeing you then," he said, and he walked out of the library with a huge grin on his face.