A Walk by the Lakeside. Chapter 2.
Author: Self-Stirring-Cauldron.
Note: I had originally planned on this story being a oneshot so don't complain to me when the title had nothing to do with the story except for the first chapter.
Disclaimer: As you all know very well, these characters belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, not me. If you actually thought they belonged to me, look up to the top left hand corner. It says fanfiction. Not original fiction. If you still think they belong to me: Are you daft or blind or stupid or all three? Enjoy the story!
Note: Hey, by the way, I have really got no plot here, I'm writing without a net, just typing whatever pops into my head, within reason. If the story meanders a little don't blame me. What-do-you-want-from-me-people? I'm-not-a-miracle-worker! And this chapter isn't, I think, as good as the first one because I was trying really hard to get it up for you, my loyal readers, in time for Christmas, so I probably haven't checked it over enough. Anyway, enjoy!
Viktor and Hermione chatted for about an hour, catching up on everything that had happened to the other since Lord Voldemort's rise had forced them to stop their communication by owl.
At last, Viktor rose from his seat opposite Hermione. "Vell, I should be going," he said. "Oh of course," Hermione said, kicking herself for not thinking sooner. "You must be tired from your trip."
Viktor shrugged. "A little," he said. "I vill see you tomorrow, yes?" Hermione nodded. "Of course," she said. "Goodbye." Viktor exited her office, ducking so as not to bang his head on the extremely low door lintel. "Goodbye, Herm own nee."
Hermione collapsed in her chair for a moment after he left her mind reeling with the experience of seeing Viktor Krum again after seven years. After a moment, she rose and, with a determined expression on her face, marched off to the Minister for Magic's office.
She ignored his timid secretary and burst straight into the room. "Harry!" she demanded. "How could you send Viktor Krum to me without warning me first? Well! I'm waiting for an explanation!"
Harry glanced down at his quill, which had recorded Hermione's outburst on a piece of parchment that had previously held a memo to the Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports, Oliver Wood.
"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said, with an innocent look on his face. "It must've slipped my mind. Being the youngest ever Minister for Magic is quite demanding you know." Hermione snorted. "Don't give me that innocent look Harry, I was there when the twins taught it to you."
Harry appeared quite unconcerned that the world's cleverest witch was standing in front of him, wand out, hair bristling in fury (although not as bushy as it once was, thank God for magical hair straighteners).
"What do you want me to do, Hermione? I sent Krum in. I admit it. You obviously can't be that furious about it or you would have come storming in here an hour ago when I sent him in."
Hermione merely glowered at the perky raven-haired wizard in front of her. How did that saying go? 'You'll always be my friend, you know too much.' Harry did know too much. He even knew about that fateful walk she had taken with Krum by the lake at Hogwarts, which she had conveniently 'forgotten' to mention to Ron.
"You…" she started and then stopped, trying to find words strong enough to suit Harry's crime. "You Rita Skeeter!" Harry's head jerked up at that one. "Ah come on now, 'Mione. That's going a bit far, don't you think?"
"No." Hermione said instantly. Harry spread his hands with a sigh of defeat. "Look, Hermione, once again, I'm sorry. As I said before, you can't be that furious." He looked up at her. "Otherwise you wouldn't be wearing that cloak."
Hermione caught sight of her attire, she was still clad in the fur cloak. Oh well, Harry'd won now. There was no way she could top that trump. Well, she'd really only wanted to make him quiver a bit, she wasn't really angry.
She sank with a sigh into the chair in front of Harry's desk.
Harry grinned at her. "So, are you going to forgive me?" Hermione nodded wearily. Harry's expression grew brighter. "So…" he said, leadingly. "So what?" Hermione inquired.
"So are you going to tell me what happened directly or are you going to tell Ginny and I'll get it out of her later?"
"Your wife is far too liberal with people's secrets."
"Only to me."
"All right"
"All right?"
"All right, I'll tell you. What do you want to know?"
"Everything. Is he all right d'you think? Do I have a fabulous new Auror on my hands? Did he kiss you?"
"Not sure, probably and yes."
"Huh?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well you're certainly not the most articulate Minister for Magic. I'm not sure if he's all right. You might know the Death Eaters killed his parents just like mine. As to the Auror bit, you know his spell work better than I do. All I can tell you is that he can shoot fire out of his wand. And yes, he kissed me."
Hermione blushed slightly as she said the last few words and attempted to cover it up by glaring at Harry, who was grinning more widely than ever.
"You look like Ron did when you told us you kissed Cho Chang," she snapped at him.
"I feel like it too." Harry said cheerfully. "I never really got why Ron laughed till now. This is brilliant."
"I bet you Ron won't think so."
"Ah well you never know." Harry said sagely as he rested his chin in his hand. "He may have grown older and wiser."
Hermione snorted. "Are we talking about the same Ron here? Weasley, very tall, thin, red hair."
"Yes." Harry's smile had grown somewhat less. "You know Ron only lashed out at Krum because he liked you. He might be better now he's going out with Luna."
Hermione shrugged and rose. "You might be right."
"Oh and Hermione?" Hermione turned to look at Harry from the doorway of his office. "I told Krum you'd show him round the Ministry tomorrow. If you don't mind." Hermione glared and Harry grinned again.
"Very well, Minister," Hermione said scathingly as she turned to go out the door. "Oh and Harry?" she said without looking back.
"Yes 'Mione?"
"Don't try and play matchmaker. It doesn't suit you." Hermione swept out of the office in a swirl of fur. Harry sat back in his chair and smiled a secret smile to himself. Despite Hermione's words, he had every intention of playing 'matchmaker'.
The next morning, Hermione woke early and rolled over in bed. She had an odd feeling teasing at the edges of her consciousness. Had something happened yesterday? Something important?
Of course! Viktor was in England! He'd come to the Ministry of Magic to be an Auror. And… she smiled as she thought. To see her. And Harry was blatantly playing matchmaker!
Unused to lazing around Hermione rolled out of bed and commenced her morning toilet early. She took a shower, straightened her hair and dressed with particular care in pretty blue robes that looked lovely against her brown hair and eyes.
Actually, they reminded her of the robes she had worn to the Yule Ball, if more plainly cut. They were nearly the exact same shade of periwinkle blue. Finally satisfied with her appearance she fastened her cloak around her shoulders and left her apartment.
Entering her office, Hermione groaned at the amount of paperwork on her desk. You'd think if Harry was trying to set me and Viktor up he'd actually give me time to do it. She thought. Oh well. I'm here, anyway. Best get to work.
Either an hour or several weeks later, Hermione couldn't tell, she was in a paperwork coma, somebody knocked on the door. "Come in," Hermione called. "Herm own nee?" A voice came from around the door, followed by Viktor.
"Oh right!" Hermione leapt to her feet, reminded that she was supposed to show Viktor around the Ministry. "Er, Potter… er, the Minister, says you vill show me around your Ministry?" Viktor asked tentatively.
"Yes, yes, come in." Krum inserted the rest of himself in the doorway just as Hermione upset a pile of parchment dealing with House-Elf Rights, all over the floor.
"Let me help you." He knelt to pick up the parchment. "Oh, thanks." Hermione quickly gathered the parchment; her head down so Viktor wouldn't see her red face. She piled the parchment she had collected on her desk and then turned to take the ones Viktor was holding.
To her horror, she blushed like a schoolgirl when their hands met. What is wrong with you? She scolded herself. You're twenty-one, not twelve. You should be ashamed of yourself! At this rate, you'll probably even lose his friendship! Stop acting so sentimentally!
"Are you all right, Herm own nee?" Viktor asked. Hermione stifled a gasp. It was as if he could read her thoughts! "Oh yes, fine," she answered hurriedly. "It's rather hot in here isn't it? Not as hot as it was last June but then that was a record temperature wasn't it? Was it hot in Bulgaria then too?"
Shut up! Shut up! Her brain yelled at her. You're babbling! Do you know how stupid you sound? He probably thinks you're insane! Shut up! A tingling sensation stopped this tirade of thoughts. Viktor laid the palm of his hand over the back of hers.
His voice was soft as he spoke. "Hermione," he said. "I am very sorry if I vas too forward last night, vith kissing you and everything. I vos just very happy to see you. I haff missed you. I think I still haff feelings for you and I thought maybe you still had feelings for me. Ve can just be friends if that is vot you vant."
Hermione turned to Viktor, joy welling in her heart. He just always seemed to be able to relieve her fears, even if it was unconsciously. She'd been hoping that he really still had feelings for her when he had kissed her last night and that it wasn't just because he was seeing her, as a friend, for the first time in ages.
Unable to put her thoughts into words, she simply leaned forwards and kissed him. It was still as amazing as it had been all that time ago at the lake, when she had been a young girl receiving her first kiss.
Some things never change, not even in seven years.
Viktor smiled as she pulled back. "Thank you," he said simply. Hermione smiled at him too and they shared a moment of silence, words unneeded to express the happiness in the air.
"So" Krum said eventually, with the mischievous gleam in his eye that she hadn't seen since the days of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. "Are you going to be showing me this Ministry of yours or vill you leave me to find out all by myself?"
Hermione laughed and grinned slyly at him, "Maybe if you ask nicely,"
"Er, pretty please?"
"Hmm…"
"Pretty please vith, er, vot do you call it, sugar on top?"
"Maybe…"
"Pretty please vith a surprise on top of it?"
"You have to show me what the surprise is first."
"How about this?" Viktor leaned down to kiss Hermione again. "Mmm. Good surprise," she mumbled. "Vill you show me now then?" Viktor asked, laughingly. "Well… all right."
The two set off together out of Hermione's office and toward the elevators, ignoring the parchment which had once again cascaded all over the floor.
"So, where do you want me to start?" Hermione asked as they stepped into the elevator, which was filled with flapping, purple, interdepartmental memos.
"At the beginning?" Viktor suggested with a grin. "This place is very big."
Hermione nodded in agreement and launched into a lecture similar to the ones she used to give Harry and Ron at Hogwarts.
"Well, these are interdepartmental memos, just ignore them most of the time, unless one lands on your desk. They're a lot less messy than owls. I suppose we'll go to the Atrium first, that's where everybody Apparates in, and there's fireplaces too in case you want to Floo instead of Apparate…"
Viktor listened carefully to the information spewing out of Hermione's mouth but with his eyes he paid much more attention to her beautiful figure. Her robes seemed slightly familiar. They're the exact same colour as the ones she wore to the Ball he thought.