Headfirst For Halos

Machiaveli

Ch 2: The Day That Starts It All

It was late, probably around nine in the afternoon. I was laid out on one of the couches in the library, Anne Rice's The Vampire Armand spread open across my lap. I was engrossed with the book, my eyes scanning page after page so fast that people who stopped to look weren't even sure if I was really reading it. The book was enchanting, even more so than the other books of Ann Rice's that I had read, The Mummy, or Interview With a Vampire.

A sudden weight at the end of the couch signaled that I was no longer alone in the almost deserted library. I raised her eyebrows to look at the intruder only to find Viktor Krum sitting by my feet, his nose stuck in a book. He apparently felt the power of my gaze, and looked up from his book. "Do you be minding?" I smiled at the improper grammar.

"N-No, I don't mind." I sunk a bit lower into the couch, knowing there were a few crazed Viktor Krum fans behind at least one of the shelves plotting my slow and painful murder.

But wait, this was Viktor Krum, Durmstrang champion, seeker for the Bulgarian team, famous beyond belief Viktor Krum. Why on earth was he sitting here, in the library of all places, with me? He seemed so completely engrossed in his book that I was almost stunned. He struck me as the tall, dark, handsome, and stupid type. The kind that would come with the response 'we have a library' or the even better 'what's a library'?

I tried to keep reading the book as I had been previously, but every time I looked down, it was as if someone was staring at my. But Viktor and me were the only ones in the library, and the crazed fan girls couldn't see me. Viktor seemed quite absorbed in his book; The Complete Works Of Edgar Allan Poe that made my eye twitch. He also didn't strike me as a Poe type. Maybe I was just bad at judging character.

I could feel the heat radiating off him as I began to read again, determined not to look up, no matter how creepy the feeling got. I didn't know how much time had passed just sitting there, but it was very comfortable. It was all I could do not to snuggle as close to him as possible, and fall asleep. But no, actions like that would get me murdered, or a restraining order filed on me.

Stifling a yawn, I slowly lifted myself off the couch, and shut my book. This time I knew Viktor's eyes were on me as I stretched my unused muscles like a cat. I muttered a "Goodnight then" to Viktor, wondering if he would even care, and then started to walk out of the dim library.

"Vait!" A large, rough hand encased my own, soft, small one. I turned to face him, my breath catching in her throat. "I vould like to be knowing, you name."

"Oh, it's Liv, Liv Everett."

"Iz a beautiful name, Liv." I blushed and shivered when I heard my name roll of his tongue, as if he were speaking of some goddess.

I then realized just how much larger he was that me. The top of my head just barley tickled the bottom of his chin. His large hand, which was still holding mine, could have easily encased both of them. His calloused fingers rubbing against my skin sent tremors up my arm and down my spine. "I-I have to go. Goodnight." I slipped my hand from his, and ran down the hall, leaving a very confused Viktor standing in front of the library.

Once as far away as possible from the library, and as close as I could run to her common room, I stopped, and leaned against a wall. With one hand resting on the stones, I bent over, panting and clutching my stomach. Now that I was out of the situation, I felt very silly to have run away like that. He had asked my name, and held my hand to stop me from leaving, and I had flipped out and ran for it.

I turned around and went to bang my head against the wall until I fell into a coma. Just as I was about to make contact, I felt a hand stopping me from doing so. This wasn't Krum. "Move, your hand, Rachel."

A blonde head appeared in front of my face. "Whatcha doin?"

"Trying to beat myself into unconsciousness."

"Ohh… why?"

"Because… I was just with Viktor Krum in the library, and he asked me what me name was, and I told him, and then, he said it was beautiful and I flipped out, ran for it, and now I'm here, trying to nock myself unconscious because I'm so stupid."

"Though I agree to the stupid part, I don't believe that knocking yourself into a coma is going to help the situation at all." The Gryffindor girl wrapped an arm around my shoulders and walked me down the hall, away from the wall.

"And what do you, wise and all knowing Rachel, purpose I do about it?"

"I don't know, I didn't think you actually ask." I smacked the blonde upside the head.

"You make me twitch."

"Love you too!" And with that, she sprinted down the hallway, in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

No longer in the mood to beat my head against the wall, I made my way after Rachel, and to Gryffindor Tower. I reached the portrait of a lord and lady, and murmured the password "Pied Piper" and crawled into the common room. It was late in the evening, and almost everyone was gone. Only a few dedicated students sat at tables, scribbling frantically at homework, including Rachel standing at the foot of the stairs, waiting for me. A very cozy looking couple sat on the blue plush couch together, their arms wrapped around each other. I resisted the urge to gag.

I walked past the couple on the couch and up the stairs to the 7th year dorm. I was so tired that I didn't even bother to change out of my uniform, and fell right asleep on my large four poster bed.

The next morning dawned bright and chilly. Newly formed frost glittered on the lawn, sparkling in the early morning sun. Tomorrow was the first task, and I was beyond exited. Me and the rest of the girls in her dorm had made a sign that read 'Go Cedric and Harry! Hogwarts Champions!'. The banner was bright yellow and red, the letters flashing black and gold. The champion's house colors.

Slowly, I rose from her bed and walked to the dresser that contained my trunk. The other girls in my dorm were rousing themselves, too, and I could hear the sounds of a shower starting in the bathroom. I pulled out a pair of jeans, a soft tan sweater, and a red, tan, and white scarf. I changed into her clothed and ran a brush through my hair, deciding to leave it down in supple brown ringlets.

After applying lip gloss, blush, and silver eye shadow, I walked down the stairs and into the common room. It was Saturday, and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. The common room was deserted, everyone was either down at breakfast or still asleep.

The great hall was almost as deserted as the common room. A few students from the different schools littered the hall, speaking with their classmates, or new friends from Hogwarts, and there were even less Hogwarts students. I guessed we were just lazier than the other schools. Maybe they had classes on weekends and were used to getting up early on Saturdays.

I slowly seated myself next to Rachel, ho was all ready there, and pulled a plate of bacon towards myself. "What are we going to do today?" I asked.

"Vell, ve could offer to shov your pretty Bulgarian friend around, yes?" Rachel replied, mocking Viktor's accent.

"You know, on Viktor it's kinda sexy. On you it just sounds wrong." I said through a mouthful of eggs.

" All Right, all right, no Bulgarians. How about we hit the Three Broomsticks, then splurge at Zonko's?"

"Now that sounds like a plan!" We both laughed and continued eating as the hall got slowly fuller as students started waking up.

I could feel a pair of eyes on her, again, and when I turned around, I saw none other than Viktor, staring with intense brown eyes. Quickly, I turned around again and stared, fixedly, at her food. Another wave of guilt washed over me when I remembered leaving him down at the library when he was only trying to be friendly. It was like the feeling of kicking a puppy. A very famous, very pretty puppy.

I, unfortunately for me, was not the only who noticed Krum staring at me. The whole way through the blistering chill on the way to Hogwarts, Rachel teased me. We entered the Three Broomsticks shivering, our cheeks pink from cold.

"You know you like him, you want to hold him, you want to kiss him…"

"Damn it, Rachel, if you don't shut up, I'll tell George about Mr. Fluffles." Mr. Fluffles was the teddy bear Elise still slept with. She had a huge crush on George ever since 3rd year. Needless to say, she shut up.

I went to find a table, and Rachel went to get two butter beers from Madam Rosmerta. I finally spotted one tucked in the corner, and sat down before any one else could.

A bell somewhere jingled, and in walked Viktor Krum, with two of his friends from Durmstrang. Somewhere between his entrance, and me trying to make myself as small as possible, Viktor noticed me. After saying something in Bulgarian to his friends, then gesturing subtly to me, he walked towards me. Half of my mind was screaming at him to turn around, totally ignore my presence, and sit with his friends. The other half of my mind flipped their hair, and gave him the 'Come hither' look.

Before I even had a chance to decide what I wanted him to do, he was at my table. "Is this seat taken?"

I looked through the crowd, and saw that Rachel was still talking to Madam Rosmerta. Oh yeah. I was definitely telling George about Mr. Fluffles. "No, go ahead."

He flashed me a smile that made me want to jump up and down, screaming like a little girl, and sat down across from me. "Look, I'm really…" Just as I was about to apologize for leaving him like I had the night before, Rachel walked up to the table, holding three foaming mugs of butter beer.

"I saw Krum and took the liberty of buying him one, too." She placed a mug in front of Krum, who looked very lost indeed, and one in front of me, then seated herself beside me.

"Vat is this?" Viktor's slurred accent broke my train of thought.

"Oh, that. It's butter beer. You do, know what butter beer is, right?" When he just gave my a confused look, her jaw almost hit the floor, as did Rachel's. "Try it, it's the best thing you'll ever taste, ever."

Rachel and I laughed when he looked at it, almost surprised. "I can't believe you've never had butter beer before. What kind of cruel place have you lived in for the past 17 years?" Then I realized just what I said, and covered her mouth, " Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Is quite all right, Liv. I know vat you mean." Then a though hit me, right out of the blue.

Good God, I just gave Viktor Krum his first butter beer.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, only my OC's. Please don't steal them, or my story line, because thats mean. Besides, every time you do, God kills a kitten. Please, think of the kittens!