My Happy Ending

Humour/Romance - PG - fairytale story - ship: Hermione/Krum
Canon based - the things we missed

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters or plots - all property of the wonderful JK Rowling.

Chapter 2 - The book

Hermione found within the next few weeks that Ginny's words were not of much importance. She had found no evidence of Krum paying any attention to her in the library in the days after and Hermione had come to the conclusion that Ginny had been joking to get her to lighten up. Hermione found she was able to concentrate more in the library now - Madam Pince had temporarily banned the girls from the library after accidentally smearing lipstick over one of the books. She remembered grinning in amusement as she watched them running from the library, one squealing that Krum was going to see her without her mascara applied properly. Hermione had not found anything about anyone ever trying to fight against the House-Elf system, and disgusted, hoped to form the first society for their welfare. She had been so caught up in what she was doing these days that she hadn't eaten lunch for almost a week, instead going to the library - a place she found she could work. Hermione had not felt this ill for a while but knew that everything she was doing was so worthwhile it filled her with happiness.

Hermione found her way to the library quite early one morning - a way to avoid other people talking, and found it wasn't empty. Viktor Krum was sitting at his usual seat, but he was not looking at a book, instead gazing longingly at the door. Hermione looked behind her, nobody was there. She turned back and Krum was scribbling frantically on a piece of parchment.

Hermione shook herself. She focused on S.P.E.W, for that was the name she'd chosen, it stood for the 'Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare', Hermione liked the name very much. She thought that perhaps today she could look up ways for members to take a more active role in S.P.E.W, although none of the small group of people had a House-Elf they could convince to free, or give wages to. She had been very surprised at the lack of interest, actually, she supposed it was because of all the prejudices wizards had - that House-Elves were supposed to look after humans. Hermione didn't believe that for one moment. She even had to tell a couple of muggleborn Gryffindors what House-Elves actually were before they decided not to join. Hermione had advised a couple of good books on the enslavement of magical creatures and urged them to think about joining before leaving to try and get Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown to join, for they had each just stepped into Gryffindor tower.

Hermione sat down and picked up the book she had been reading only the night before from the shelf, it had been very useful-

"Could I haff…" Hermione looked up, torn from her thoughts. It was Krum, but he looked quite at loss as to what to say. Hermione looked at him politely as he struggled to make the end of the sentence come. It occurred to her that he had never spoken in any of the times she had ever seen him before, " - that book?" He pointed to the large, leather bound book Hermione was carrying off to her seat, "if you are finished with it, that is," he added quickly.

Hermione was confused, he had just seen her pick it up - clearly she wasn't finished with it, perhaps he hadn't, Hermione reasoned with herself. She had been hidden by the bookshelf, after all.

Hermione nodded and smiled. She didn't want him to think she was rude.

"Oh, yes, here you are," she said politely, handing it to him delicately. She looked up at him again but could not read the description on his face as Krum uttered his thanks and returned to where he was sitting.

Hermione shook her head and sat back down without her book. Well, she supposed that if she wasn't going to be adding the S.P.E.W then she might as well re-read her potions essay and check for errors. Yes, she thought, that was a fine idea.

She pulled out her school bag from under the table and opened it. She carefully picked up several rolls of parchment and unrolled the first one, looking at it intently. It was half way down she found that she'd missed out a comma, and later on she read something that didn't entirely make sense. Hermione paused and sucked the end of her quill for a moment, wondering how to rephrase it. It was such a shame that they didn't study English at Hogwarts, how was she supposed to get better at writing her assignments. If her Mother hadn't bought her study-at-home books for Maths, Science and English at home, Hermione wouldn't have known how she would have coped. When she'd told Ron of this, he'd laughed and said that she was a witch, and could get quills the corrected spelling mistakes or edited bad grammar. But it was always good to have a little extra to do in the summer holidays.

"I vas hoping you vould…" Hermione turned around at the sound of Krum's voice, but he wasn't facing her, instead he was again heading back to his seat. Hermione supposed he had been speaking to someone else (for a few more early risers were entering now) and that she should mind her own business. She did really need that book, Hermione wondered whether it would be impolite to ask for it back. Krum did look like he was deeply into it. She'd just have to go and have breakfast and hope that when she returned Krum would be gone and have put the book back exactly where she'd found it, ready for her to open up again.

Hermione made to do so, first checking that her essay was complete and rolling it up, she secured it and put it back into her bag. She got up and realised she was actually quite hungry - she hadn't eaten since this time the previous day because she'd been so busy. The night before Ginny had forced her to come back to the common room to play a game of Chess with her before insisting that Hermione looked terrible and should go to bed.

Hermione stood up at exactly the same time Viktor Krum did. She smiled at him as she walked past, but he tapped her on the shoulder. Hermione thought she knew what this was about, maybe she'd stay in the library after all if he was leaving - she could finally use that book. She looked up and waited for him to ask whatever he wanted to ask, though she hoped it would come soon because she'd just spotted the leader of the fan girls sneaking into the library, make up bag in hand.

"Is there something you would like?" Hermione asked after several long moments. The expression on Krum's face might have been amusing - it kept changing - if Hermione wasn't so confused.

"I vould like…" he started, glad that she had given him a lead to build on, "vill you consider coming to the Yule Ball vid me?"

Suddenly hunger or books were the last things on Hermione's mind.

A/N: What did you think? A walk in the grounds in the next chapter is needed, I reckon. Thank you reviewers of the last chapter.