Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Harry Potter

Thanks to my beta Kate Glasgow.

Krum walked moodily behind the person who he was going to have to suck up to for the next year. He kept his dark eyes on the stone floor as he walked. The hair that fell into his eyes annoyed him enough to make him think about cutting it. Viktor does this often but it never means anything. Ever since he first decided to let his hair grow out, he has been thinking about cutting it.

"I guess we should find our rooms," Trabou said, breaking the Bulgarian from his reverie.

"Vhatever," Viktor replied nonchalantly. He continued to trudge behind the more experienced Auror. As he trudged, Viktor remembered a sadder time when he had walked these halls. Cedric's body had looked so real. Just like it was sleeping. Trabou stopped suddenly, causing Krum to tumble to the cold floor.

"Dumbledore said my room was up this flight of stairs, yours is the next staircase to the left." Trabou left quickly,and without a second glance to his so called"apprentice".

Krum continued to go straight after he had passed the staircase he was told would lead him to his room. He looked lovingly at the worn portraits and rusted armor that decorated the halls of his temporary home. He took the next flight of stairs down and found himself at the library. He walked in and went straight to the table that he had monopolized when he first became so attracted to the girl he would now be working with.

Viktor had always thought of this library as far superior to the library at Durmstrang. Durmstrang housed plenty of shady books about the dark arts, if you cared about those. Krum never really cared about those, however, so he found the library quite useless. The Hogwarts library had at least one book for every subject you could imagine. He understood why Madam Pince was so paranoid about the students handling her books.

Viktor breathed deeply and thought to himself how much Hermione smelt of this library. Krum shook his head deeply, as if he was afraid of that thought. It wouldn't do well to have that happen, he told himself. He looked down his crooked nose at the rich, finished wood of the table. The burns in the wood told of late night studying. It made Krum feel at home.

When Krum tore himself from the library, he opened the door to the hard sound of someone hitting the floor. "Watch where you're going jackass!" Echo Narcula's voice cut through the air.

"I am very sorry. I did not know that there vas anyvon there." Krum quickly apologized dropping down to one knee to help her up.

"I am sorry to snap. It was a surprise to have a door swing out at me."

"Yes, vell." Krum's uncomfortable nature was bleeding into the conversation. Without saying another word Echo swept past him and headed down the stairs that were near the entrance of the library. As Krum had nothing better to do he followed her. Echo went down about three flights of the beautifully carven staircase and went into the Great Hall. Krum looked at his watch and realized he had spent longer in the library than he had thought and was surprised to find it was time for dinner.

Krum went into the large hall he had been in before. The house tables were all setup and the professor's table was in the same place it had always been. Krum looked questionably at the top table to see where he should sit. There were only two open seats, one by Trabou and the one right next to it at the end of the table. Viktor knew he was expected to sit next to the grizzly old man. He took the seat at the end. Food appeared before them. The aroma of the food the house elves prepared was enough to make a full man hunger.

Krum picked at his food. Dumbledore made active conversation with Echo. Snape snarled at Trabou, Trabou snarled at Snape. Hermione was missing. Viktor wasn't terribly surprised at that. Hermione much preferred to get lost in a book than to be conscious to the restraints of time and the feeling of her stomach.

When Krum had eaten enough not be considered rude, he excused himself from the table and tried to find his room. He realized he should have paid a lot more attention to the direction Trabou had taken him. Instead of going back and asking for help, Viktor found it much more enjoyable to wander around and hope he found what he was looking for. His head was too full of thoughts to really think about anyone in depth. Thoughts of his new job, of his boss, of this castle, and of Hermione.