Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. If I did, I would be filthy rich, and I would not be sitting at home, writing this.
Author's Note: the last chapter was a little short, so I will try to make this longer.
Chapter Ten
"V-viktor?" Hermione practically whispered.
The young man smiled, and hugged Hermione, who was too speechless to do anything but hug him back. Viktor turned to Dumbledore.
"Thank you for letting me see her," he said, smiling, his English much better. (A/N Viktor is only, like, 20, cuz he was only 18 in the fourth book, so, yeah, he would be about that old)
"Mr. Krum has personally asked to see you. I'll let you two get acquainted." Dumbledore sat down.
"Um, Professor?" Hermione asked. "Would it be okay if we talked somewhere more, um, private?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Dumbledore said. He turned to Viktor. "When you are finished, please come back here, and I will find you a place to sleep."
Hermione and Viktor left the Headmaster's office, and walked in the direction of the library.
"So," Viktor asked, breaking the silence. "How have you been?"
"I-I've been good," Hermione said, smiling. If only he knew, she thought. "Um, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what are you doing here?"
Viktor smiled. "Hermione could never be rude. I have decided to take some time off from Quidditch, and I am staying with my uncle. As you know, I am done with school, and my coach thought I should take some time to relax. I will be starting Quidditch again next year, at the beginning of the season. My uncle is taking a trip to Italy, and he asked me to come, but I thought this would be a perfect excuse to visit my favorite witch."
Hermione blushed. They talked some more, enjoying each other's company.
"How are friends, Harry and Ron?" Viktor asked.
"Oh, they're fine," Hermione said. "They aren't going to be to happy to learn that you have taken time off from Quidditch, but they will live."
Viktor looked at his watch. "Wow, how time flies. It is almost four." He stood up. "Professor Dumbledore is expecting me, and you must get to bed." They walked to the Gryffindor Tower.
"I will try to see you tomorrow, Hermione," Viktor said. He leaned down, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then walked away.
Hermione entered the common room to find Ginny, asleep, on one of the armchairs. Hermione woke Ginny up, and asked why she wasn't up in her room.
"I was waiting for you," Ginny said. "I wanted to talk about the dance. Where have you been?"
Hermione told Ginny what had happened after the dance, starting from the library, and ending outside the common room.
"Viktor Krum is back!" Ginny cried.
"Shh, yes, keep your voice down," Hermione said. "I want to keep it quiet until tomorrow."
"You mean later today?" Ginny said, teasingly.
"Later today, tomorrow, whatever," Hermione said. "I am technically dating your brother, and after the Yule Ball, Ron didn't exactly like Viktor. I don't know what I am going to do. Not only is there Ron and Viktor, but Draco. My head hurts."
"Don't worry," Ginny said. "Viktor should be leaving soon, and then you will only have to deal with Ron and Draco."
"Yeah, I feel a lot better," Hermione said. She stood up. "C'mon, let's get to bed."
The two girls went up to the dormitory, and went to bed.
-&-&-&-
Hermione woke up the next morning, and changed into the clothes that Ginny had given her for Christmas. She put her hair up into a messy bun, then she and Ginny went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione noticed that Dumbledore wasn't at his usual place at the Head Table.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Hermione asked Ron.
"I dunno," he said. "He wasn't here when Harry and I got here."
"Oh," Hermione said, going back to her breakfast.
About ten minutes until breakfast was over, Dumbledore walked out from a door, with someone following him.
"Oh, no," Hermione whispered.
"What's Dumbledore doing with Viktor Krum?" Ron asked.
The Headmaster quieted the students, and smiled.
"I am pleased to inform you all that we have a visitor," he said. "We are honored to have Viktor Krum staying with us for the remainder of the holidays. Some of you have already been informed of his arrival-" he looked at Hermione when he said that "-but I wanted to officially announce it. Please make our guest feel welcome." Dumbledore sat down, and Viktor sat down in the seat next to his, in Snape's seat. Snape was seated near the end of the table, and he didn't look happy.
"That's cool that Viktor is staying here," Ginny said. "Right, Hermione?"
"Uh, yeah," Hermione said, weakly.
"Yeah, well, he better leave you alone," Ron said. "I didn't like it when you two went to the Yule Ball, and, now that he is back, I want you to stay away from him."
Ginny smacked herself on the forehead. "Ron, you are such an idiot," Harry said, sighing.
"I can't believe you," Hermione said, anger bubbling up. "It's not your choice who I can and cannot see. That's my choice! I was the one who had already been informed of his arrival," Hermione said, quoting the Headmaster's speech. Ron turned red. "Viktor personally asked for me to see last night, and we had fun, talking, just talking!"
"Don't you mean earlier today?" Ginny asked.
Hermione glared at her, and Ginny shut up. "I don't really care if you didn't like it when we went to the Yule Ball. That was 2 years ago! We've grown up! Well, I have, but it seems that you haven't!" And with that, she stood up, and ran out of the Great Hall.
Ron started to get up, but Ginny put her hand on his arm. "Let me," she said, getting up. She ran after Hermione.
Ginny found Hermione in the library. She sat down across from her.
"Ron's an idiot," she said. "He didn't know what he was talking. He's just really protective."
"Yeah, well, I'm not too happy with him right now," Hermione said, "but okay." She stood up, and linked arms with Ginny. The two girls walked back to the Great Hall, and sat down, miles away from Ron.
-&-&-&-
Hermione and Ginny were relaxing in the Gryffindor Tower, doing nothing, really, when Hermione closed her magazine and stood up.
"Gin, I'm gonna go visit Viktor," Hermione said.
"Oh," Ginny said. "You guys seem to be getting closer."
"Oh, right," Hermione said, sarcastically. "Viktor and I are just friends. I don't know how you could think there is something there. You've been acting pretty weird lately. I'll be back later." Hermione left the tower, leaving Ginny to ponder her thoughts.
The reason Ginny was acting so weird was because she was starting to realize why Hermione had gone to the Yule ball with Krum in the fourth year. He was bloody hot, a brilliant Quidditch player (much better than her brother), and oh, so nice. Ginny knew that Krum would never notice her, as he was four years older than her (about), and he probably preferred older, more mature girls, like Hermione.
Ginny sighed, and returned to her magazine.
-&-&-&-
Hermione found Krum in the library, and sat down across from him.
"You'll never guess what Ginny just told me," Hermione said.
"What?" Krum asked.
"She thought that you and I are 'getting closer', which is totally crazy, right?"
"Yeah," Krum said. "Listen, about your friend, Ginny. Is she seeing any one?"
"She was dating some 6th year from Ravenclaw," Hermione said, "but they broke up after Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw during Quidditch. Christopher, I believe his name is, got mad when Ginny gave Harry a hug for catching the snitch. So, about an hour later, they were split."
"I hear that Ginny has a thing for Harry," Krum said.
"Yeah, like three years ago," Hermione said, chuckling. "She is so over him."
"Really," Krum said, distractedly.
"Why do you wanna know?" Hermione asked. "What, do you like her or something?" When Krum didn't answer, Hermione almost shrieked, then mentally kicked herself for doing things so Lavender and Parvati-ish. "You like Ginny!" she said, quietly, but smiling.
"Yes, I do," Krum admitted. "But please don't tell her. She probably doesn't even realize I am alive."
"Then get her to notice you are alive," Hermione said. "And, in time, she will realize what a wonderful, fantastic person you are."
"Yeah, whatever," Krum said.
-&-&-&-
I am finally done with this chapter. I have spent, like, a month on it, but I've only written for like, two of those weeks. Please review, cuz I need ideas, lots and lots of ideas. Thanks! Plus, the sixth book came out, so no need to say anything there.