Hermione Has Met Her Match
Fanfiction by Kitsunedajfox based on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter
It was just like any other day at Hogwarts, minus Harry curiously being entered into the tri-wizard tournament not by himself, but by a mysterious other, in a way that was all too familiar to a bushy burnet haired girl named Hermione Granger. Stacks of old grudged books piled high all about her as she sat quietly flipping through Hogwart's newest copy of Nothing BUT a History of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From behind her soft foot steps approached and a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Viktor Krum, an eighteen-year-old Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker whose dark hair would make any raven jealous, stood tall behind her with a puzzled expression beaming down on her.
"May I join you?" he shyly asked. For someone so tall, dark and handsome it was rather odd he would be in such a place. Hermione looked about; she didn't see any other Drumstang students, curious that he would just show up, out of nowhere and just sit down beside her. She continued to allow thousands of little thoughts run through her mind all having nothing to do with the book before her. A hot blush was forming across her face; she could only hope the older student wouldn't notice. Through all of her mad thinking she hadn't noticed that he had continued to speak to her,
"So, 'his is for w'at class?" he asked, obviously dumbfounded that she hadn't heard him for the second time and she was sitting all but three inches away from him. Were all Hogwarts Students so distant?
"Oh! I mean! No! My own personal enjoyment!" She quickly spoke and rather loudly at that. Dear butterbeer, the whole library must be looking at her; her eyes glancing this way and that. Krum just looked back at her blank faced and eyes glazed.
"I'm very sorry, didn't mean to…" he started.
"No, no! You just surprised me, that's all," Hermione spurted back while really thinking, bloody hell, what do you expect just sneaking up on me? Not really processing that he hadn't snuck up on her. "Can I help you with something?" she asked.
"No, 'hat would be against 'he rules," he quickly said, "looking for a book called Midnight Water Creatures, can't seem to find it, the Librarian is out."
"Water creatures? Is that what you think you will be fighting next?"
"I can't exactly say…" his words began to trail off, better not push the subject on the boy, maybe another topic…
"Ah, well, books on mystical creatures are over in section 2B, over there? Do you see?" She rapidly pointed and then in haste added, "Want me to help you look for it?"
"Yes, 'hank you!" A blush escaped her once more in his enthusiasm, why bother her? Weren't there so many other students to ask? Okay, so she was the only one in the Library at the moment, she was sure he could have found the book on his own… Even so, she not-so-gracefully hopped out of her chair, forgetting the book in her lap which jumped up with her. Both students paused as they heard the THUD of the book as it hit the marble floor and Hermione let out a nervous laugh.
"aheh. This way," she said pretending nothing ever happened. She led the way and Krum followed some distance behind her pace. Hermione rounded the corner of one of the many towering bookshelves and smacked into something or rather someone and in a whoosh of dark robes both persons rebounded off of each other.
"Granger! You don't rule this library you know. Other students have the right of passage too!" a girl was running her fingers through golden brown hair hastily trying to put herself in order. Both girls stood as Krum joined them.
"w'at happened?" he asked dumbly. Bright olive eyes shot at him.
"Krum is it? Bulgarians have bad taste of companionship. Truly bad," she rudely spat at him.
"You leave him out of this Archcrest!" Hermione said hotly back. Krum feeling a heated cat fight coming on slowly stepped back his hand waving behind him searching for some form of anchor before the storm. In all of his many years battling against other Quidditch teams none ever became as fierce as two angry teenage witches.
"Please, spare me Granger, go back to your books and maybe I can cure Mr. Krum the pain of having you as his guide," she said as she tightened her blue-green tie the symbol of the Slytherin House. All the 7th year could do was shrug and pretend to look determined,
"No need to argue, Herm-own-ninny can help me find it," he firmly replied.
"Fine, do what you want with your little girlfriend here," she said in a quite frankly sort of way. She slid her lean figure through them and proudly walked away waving back at them as if to say, don't mind me, I'll leave you two alone. Hermione could feel her anger and embarrassment boiling but she felt cooled as her own chocolate eyes scanned Krum's nearby face. He looked as if he was about to laugh. Laugh? There was nothing funny about that Slytherin girl. She had transferred to Hogwarts just before the first event in the Tri-Wizard tournament. Her and her older brother were sorted into houses just like the first years had several months ago. Curious, the two of them were placed into different houses. Fulke Archcrest had in fact been placed in her own House of Gryffindor. Odd, she honestly hadn't seen much of Fulke. Only once or twice while passing through the common room.
"Herm-own-ninny?" Krum asked as if he had been repeating himself for some time.
"Yes?" she asked shocked that she had been caught daydreaming again. She repeated the thought; I must keep myself in the present. I must keep myself in the present.
"'he book?" he said.
"Oh, yes, of course, silly me. Ah…" her index finger ran across the spines of several books, "I think this is it!" She carefully removed it out of its home, wiped a thin layer of dust off of the cover and handed it over to Krum. "Anything else?" she asked him as if she were Library staff.
"No, 'hankyou." He took a firm hold on the book and spun on his heels to walk away. Hermione gave a sigh and put her hand in her hair. She tried to pull it through but with no avail. Krum stopped several feet away and turned around again. Hermione felt her muscles cramp as she felt his attention and her hand on impulse attempted to pull to her side, but yanked at her hair instead. She gave a weak smile as Krum spoke,
"Herm-own-ninny?"
"Yes Viktor?" she asked innocently, her hand still stuck in her hair. Krum nervously ran his left hand through his own hair.
"Would you, if you don't… if you haven't already…" he paused looked away and then continued, "the Yule Ball…" he couldn't find the right words. Hermione's heart began to beat loudly and she tried desperately to free her hand. He looked back at her; a faint crimson tint was peeking at his face.
"wi'h me?" he stuttered. Hermione felt her body turn to lead, her cheeks flushing and her hand still stuck in her hair.
Flabbergasted she coughed her reply,
"Me? Oh… I…" her hand came free from her hair and fell hard to her side, "Yes, I'd be honored!"