I'm sorry I haven't updated in about a billion years. well, more like a few weeks, but that's besides the point. The point is that I am getting a little lazy about my fan fiction, what with all the other stuff I do, so I won't update quite as often. Sorry to all of my reviewers!

~~~~~~ Chapter 3- Krum's Manor ~~~~~~

Hermione breathed a sigh a relief. The train ride had been pure torture. She was still incredibly confused about what Malfoy had done and what he had attempted to do. She searched for Viktor among the crowd.

"Is you Miss Granger?" Squeaked a tiny voice. She looked around, not able to find the person to which it belonged.

"Down here, Miss," squeaked the voice. Hermione looked down and gasped to see a small house-elf with ears quite a few times to big for it's head, "Hello, miss." The elf squeaked happily.

"Yes, I'm Miss Granger," Hermione said a bit uncomfortably, "But PLEASE call me Hermione."

"Okie dokie Miss," the house-elf took Hermione's hand, "Please follow me, miss. Me be Earlay, Miss. I will take you to my master, miss."

(A/N: Earlay is pronounced Eer-lay)

"Viktor, you mean?" asked Hermione as she was dragged through the crowd.

"Ah, Master to Earlay, miss," Earlay said as she pulled Hermione into a waiting carriage, "Please follow Earlay, miss." Once they were seated safely in the carriage, they began conversation again. Hermione felt very uncomfortable, sitting there in the carriage with a house-elf. She felt as though it was a direct violation of S.P.E.W.

"Master says miss might feel uncomfortable," said Earlay sadly, "He says miss might not like Earlay and Earmay."

"Oh, no, Earlay, you've got it all wrong," said Hermione, still as uncomfortable as before, "I love house-elves; I just don't like the way they are treated. Wouldn't you rather be free? And who is Earmay, anyway?"

"Earmay is my sister, miss" Squeaked Earlay, "All house-elves in my family have "ear" at the beginning of our names, miss. It's because of family's big ears, miss." She tugged on hers as if Hermione had not noticed them. "Us houselves like our work, miss. We love our masters. They is our families, miss. To be free is to be bad. It is a disgrace, miss. A big disgrace."

"I hadn't looked at it that way," Hermione said thoughtfully. She was mad at herself for that, too. There was almost never a time that she didn't think things all the way through, I guess that's why other people got so ticked off, she thought sheepishly.

Hermione glanced out the window. They were now travelling through a somewhat mountainous range. Purplish snow-capped peaks grazed the horizon. The town of Domany was shrinking behind them. Hermione saw a spooky- looking stone manor far away.

"Is that where we're going, Earlay?" Hermione asked and pointed.

"That be master's house, miss!" Earlay said gleefully. Spooky, Hermione thought. She stole a glance at Earlay out of the corner of her eye. Earlay was staring out of the window at the distant manor with longing. The longing in her eyes reminded Hermione of the longing in Winky's eyes when she thought of Mr. Crouch.

"Earlay," Hermione asked slowly, "There's something you didn't know. I started an organization to end the keeping of house-elves. I didn't think it was right. Do you think the organization was a bad idea?"

Earlay hesitated slightly, "Earlay does not want to hurt miss's feelings," She said slowly.

"Please, Earlay?" Hermione pleaded, "Please? You won't hurt my feelings, but I really need to know."

"Well, miss," said a still-hesitant Earlay, "I think it is very, very, bad. It is insulting to house-elves to think you is trying to set us free." She frowned slightly.

"It's okay, Earlay," Hermione said, "I'll stop the organization." She felt slightly pained to know that all of her hard work had been for nothing.

(A/N: I know she is still set on S.P.E.W. in the fifth book, but I am doing this to make the story easier to write).

"Earlay likes you, miss," the house-elf squeaked, "You is very kind. Oh look- it is master!" They had finally arrived at Krum's manor. Earlay hopped happily out of the carriage and ran around to open Hermione's door, but Hermione was already out and running towards the front step where Krum was waiting.

"Viktor!"

"Hermione!" Hermione stopped dead in her tracks.

"Krum," she asked, "Did you just say my name?"

"Ah, so you like my English?" he spoke perfect English with a strong Bulgarian accent.

"Oh, Viktor, I love it!" Hermione exclaimed as she ran into his waiting arms. "I'm so proud of you!" she said, though her voice was muffled in the hug. When they let go, Viktor motioned for Earlay.

"Can you go join your sister inside?" he asked gently, "Your dinner is waiting."

"Yes, master!" Earlay said and ran indoors. Once she was gone, Krum's good mood changed entirely.

"Come," he said gravely, motioning to the door, "There is something very important I need to tell you".

Yay! CLIFFHANGER! Not a good one, but a cliffhanger all the same! Hee hee sometimes I do amaze myself. I'm SO HYPER but I can actually write a mature-sounding story. *Giggles* Okay, now review! Please? *Makes a puppy dog face*.