A/N: **TRIGGER WARNING: KIDNAPPING**
Have I mentioned that this is a fast story? No? Well, if I haven't then I have now and yes it all gets resolved next week with the final entry! This is, sigh, really sad. ANYWAY! On with the story...
Chapter 4: The Quidditch Match
It had taken some convincing on Viktor's part, but he finally got Hermione to agree to accompany him to his match Saturday against the Canadian team. Neither Hermione nor Pansy had to work at the diner, so they were both available to go. Really, it had been a combined effort between himself and Hermione's friend that ultimately wore her down, but here they both were.
Viktor had secured passes and tickets for the witches in the player's box. After spending all his free time this past week with Hermione, he was looking forward to sharing this part of his life with her. The last two of his matches she'd been to, she'd been a guest with the Weasleys, the first being in 1994 when they didn't know each other. Even though he knew that Hermione could care less about his Quidditch career, it still excited him for her to get to watch him play.
The Friday night before the match had found the Bulgarian players having an early night, so he hadn't been able to visit her at the club. Martin had decided that with the game's start time at two in the afternoon, curfew was to be set for nine. He'd even run off the pair of groupies that the team's Beaters had tried sneaking back into their rooms after dinner.
There was no room for any messing about. Martin was determined that they were going to win both matches and show why they were the reigning world champions.
The next morning came without any fuss and Martin promptly woke everyone right at seven. Even though he'd forewarned Hermione that he wouldn't see her until he flew out onto the pitch, Viktor still felt strange going so long without seeing the little witch.
In the week that he'd been in New York, she'd managed to become such an important part of his life again. Her confession about the state of her marriage had concerned him. Ron Weasley had always seemed like the jealous type of wizard, but Viktor had never pegged him for being an abusive sort. Thinking back on how possessive he'd been at their wedding, Viktor had thought he was just excited for his wedding day. It seemed that he didn't view his wife as his partner, but more as his possession. Going even further back, Viktor could remember how he'd upset Hermione during the Yule Ball, but he'd always thought that Weasley had just needed to grow up.
The scars littering Hermione's body had made him want to hunt Ronald Weasley down and show him what happened when he picked a fight with someone his own size. For each blemish on the witch, Viktor wanted to repay the bastard, an eye for an eye if you will.
Viktor had been raised that women were to be treasured and cared for. You were to spoil them with gifts and affection. Women are to be treated as queens, because they gave life with their bodies and weren't necessarily weaker, but they were special. Never should a man raise a hand or a wand against a witch, and those that did were not worthy of love.
Viktor had to report back to his hotel room. It caused his heart agony to leave her, as she often fell asleep long before he left. The nightmares she suffered while he was still with her, he could hold her firm against his chest, and she would burrow in close to him. After he would have to leave, Viktor worried that she wasn't getting enough rest because of the night terrors.
The day passed at an agonizingly slow pace, as he looked forward to seeing Hermione again. Viktor was excited to get back to his witch and spend the evening with her. Even though she had to work, they'd already agreed on Viktor going to the nightclub and sitting at her bar until she was off work. She warned him with it being Saturday that she wouldn't have any down time to talk to him, but Viktor had just waved her off. He wasn't concerned with that, just the simple pleasure of getting to be near her would make him happy.
"Krum! How do you think you'll do against the Canadian seeker? He's younger and has a leaner build, do you think that will put you at a disadvantage?" A reporter called out to him. Viktor turned towards the small man and flashed him a wide smile.
"I think, I've never missed the snitch before and I'm not about to start now," he answered smoothly, continuing into the locker room.
Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sight of Martin pacing around the white board with handwritten notes out all over it. Plays, defensive maneuvers, and what the Canadian team were well known for, and more were everywhere. "Cap?" Viktor asked, stepping towards the irritated man.
"They have a new keeper. I have no stats, no game footage, no flying history, NOTHING. Krum, I couldn't tell you what his strong side is because the man has never played professionally! Fucking walk on tryouts, got picked up. FUCK!" Martin kicked over a stool, the wood smashing against the wall splintering.
"Do we know who it is?" Viktor asked, keeping his distance from the captain.
"Wesley or something like that. Alright, I'm going to go find the rest of the team. You just start your normal pregame workouts, nothing's changed for you. Same seeker, a lot smaller than you, will wait until you've spotted the snitch instead of looking for it himself then race you to it." Martin said, walking out of the locker room to go round up the remainder of the team.
As Viktor walked into the workout room to start loosening up his muscles, he couldn't help but wonder about the new player.
ooo
As the guest team, the Bulgarian team was the first to be announced and flew out onto the field. Viktor couldn't stop the smile crossing his face as he spotted Hermione snuggled up in his guest box. Next to her was Pansy, who had wound up wearing Aleksandar's spare keepers jersey.
The girls had stopped at the locker room, Hermione already sporting Viktor's own spare uniform that he'd given her the last time they'd seen each other. Pansy had been wearing some fitted designer outfit and when Aleksandar saw her his jaw had dropped open. Watching the young player trying to woon her days earlier had been entertaining enough that Viktor had decided to help him. He'd slipped Hermione the young keeper's extra jersey while he was distracted one night when they'd visited the girls at work. It turned out that Pansy also worked at the club as well as the diner.
Looking up at his teammate Viktor chuckled out loud when the man almost fell from his broom. "Alright there Aleksandar?" He called out over the rushing of the wind.
"I think I'm in love," was all the young keeper said before he sped off doing some fancy flying. The sight apparently worked, because Pansy could be seen rolling her eyes in his direction. She nudged Hermione and the two women dissolved into a fit of giggles.
Viktor couldn't help but feel proud that he'd had a part in making the two witches feel some sense of unfiltered joy again. While he knew that neither woman was particularly fond of Quidditch, they were still laughing and joking with Martin's wife and the other guests that had been invited to sit in the player box. They'd fit seamlessly into his world, as if they belonged there.
Just as they had finished making their final loop of the stand, the call came that it was time to announce the Canadian team. The Keeper was the first position to be announced, and Viktor turned on his broom, curious who their stand in was.
"A NEWCOMER, TRANSFERING ALL THE WAY FROM ENGLAND, HE WAS A WALK ON TRYOUT AND A SHOCKING ADDITION TO THE CANADIAN TEAM, PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THEIR KEEPER, RONALD WEASLEY!"
The streak of the red and white uniform with red hair on the top of his head, Viktor felt a chill before furry in his blood. He whipped his head over to where Hermione was sitting in the stands. Whereas only moments before she'd been laughing and having a good time, her olive skin had turned a grey colour.
Viktor turned on his broom again and watched as Weasley's eyes were scanning the field. He didn't look like he was searching for anyone, but just taking in the excitement of getting to play in a professional match. Maybe, if she was fast enough, Hermione would be able to get out of the stadium before he noticed her.
Fate, of course, had other ideas. The goals that he was to be guarding were located closer to the Bulgarian box, and he had a perfect eye level view of her. Try as she might, Hermione's seat was right in the center of the box, and she wasn't able to extract herself from the row fast enough.
It was easy to tell when Weasley noticed her. His entire body went from enthusiastically waving to stillness. Viktor looked over and saw as Pansy was attempting to block the view of Hermione with her own body, but she was unsuccessful in her efforts. He'd seen her, and he'd seen her wearing Viktor's spare jersey.
Weasley didn't make a move towards her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to chase after her. Instead, he turned on his broom and searched the sky until he found where Viktor was sitting up top his own broom. His face turned red as his furry clearly rose before he turned and got himself into position for the game.
Sensing that his witch needed him, Viktor attempted to maneuver his broom towards an exit, but before he could, Martin was in his path. "Krum, I don't know what's going on and it's not that I don't care. However, you are not leaving this pitch until you've caught the snitch. Make it a fifteen-minute game for all I care, but we have bigger things happening than why your witch just took off."
"Cap, all due respect…" Viktor started to say before he was cut off.
"No, Krum. I don't care if you are the best seeker in the world. I will bloody well bench you if you try to leave right now. We don't need a huge win as the points don't matter, but we need a win. Catch the snitch and then you can skip the after-match press conference, I'll cover for you." His captain told him before flying away to get into position.
A deep breath, and Viktor knew he was right. If he took off right now, this would hinder any of the political dealings that were happening between the North Americans and the Bulgarians. Reluctantly, Viktor rose on his broom and got back into place. The whistle sounded, and he was off.
ooo
The match had only lasted seven minutes before Viktor found and caught the snitch. It was a new world record. 150-0, Bulgaria had won the match, obviously. Typically, Viktor focused on the snitch as soon as it was released, but he would give the Chasers time to build up their lead a bit before he would catch it. Today had been different, he wasn't going to wait for his teammates to grow a lead, he had someone who he needed to get to and protect.
There was a crowd of reporters waiting for him, the flashing lights of their cameras telling Viktor where he didn't want to land his broom. "WHERE IS SHE?" He heard someone yell, just as his feet touched the turf.
Turning his body, Viktor crossed his arms over his chest. Over the years, Ron Weasley had grown. He now stood a good head taller than Viktor, but width wise, they were about the same. "I SAID WHERE IS SHE?" Weasley yelled again as he stalked closer toward Viktor, his face red as the uniform he was wearing.
"That's none of your concern, you abusive piece of shit!" Viktor shot back, he was aware that everyone on the field was listening to their exchange, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "You stay away from her, Weasley." Viktor threatened as the red-headed man came up to him and gave him a shove on his shoulders.
Righting himself so that they were standing toe to toe, Viktor lifted his chin to make eye contact with the furious husband standing before him. "She was wearing your jersey Krum. Now, don't be thick as they say you are and tell me…Where. Is. My. Wife." Weasley said, now pressing the tip of his wand into Viktor's chest.
No matter, two could play at this game. Viktor pulled his own wand from his thigh holster and held it up under the younger man's chin. "I should do everything that you've done to her. Show you the same amount of respect that you did to her," Viktor growled in a low voice as the reporters had started to gather around them.
Viktor didn't have time to prepare himself before he heard "Legilimens" being shouted, and the man was diving into his head. It was painful, like a bull running through destroying all the defenses that he always kept up. Not realizing what attack was coming, Viktor didn't have time to prepare his defenses adequately, and Weasley was met with little resistance. Quickly as it started, Weasley found the napkin that Pansy had given him with their address on it, and then pulled himself from Viktor's mind.
After the intrusion, Viktor dropped to his knees panting and the next thing he knew, he heard a pop of apparition. Looking up in horror, he realized that Weasley was gone. Struggling to stand, Viktor looked around. All his teammates were standing with their wands drawn and pointed towards the Canadian team, who were in submissive positions with their hands up. The flashing and clicking from the cameras were background noise and Viktor knew that this would be splashed across every major news outlet by this evening.
"We don't know anything about his past or relationships. All we know is we needed a Keeper for the match, and he was good at the walk on tryouts. We don't want any trouble." The captain of the other team was saying to Martin who had his wand trained on him.
"Where did he go?" His Captain asked, looking down his nose, still not lowering his wand.
"No idea, we got into the city and spent a little time with him. Honestly, we don't know anything about the guy. Just said that he left England for a chance at playing Quidditch, that's it." The other man said, still holding his hands up.
"Contact the aurors, he got her address and he's sure to be headed there now." Viktor panted, trying and failing to stand. The intrusion into his mind had left his entire body weak, as all his magic had moved to protect his brain. "Aleksandar, could you help get me to the girl's flat?" He asked the young keeper, who still had his wand in his hand, even though he had lowered it.
"Sure, I've never been there so I won't be able to apparate you straight there, you know." Aleksandar replied, glancing over at Viktor before turning his eyes back on the Canadian Chaser that he'd been squared off against.
Hoisting himself up off the ground, Viktor took Aleksandar's arm. He instantly felt the tug of apparition and soon they were standing in the hotel lobby. His legs were still trembling, but with only his willpower driving him, took off at a run towards Hermione's flat. Maybe he shouldn't have caught the snitch so quickly, and given her a chance to run, but Viktor hadn't been anticipating Weasley to read his mind to get her address.
Together he and Aleksandar ran down the hallway towards her flat, but what they found when they reached the green door was devastating. It had been blown off its hinges, and they could hear the cries of a woman inside. Not knowing what they would find, both men pulled their wands and crossed over the threshold.
Huddled in a ball on the floor was Pansy. She had a split lip, and her body was trembling. Black streaks from her makeup ran down her face and her eyes were bloodshot.
"Pansy, where is Hermione?" Aleksandar asked, going over to the crying witch and crouching in front of her while Viktor ran through the apartment calling out Hermione's name. When he wasn't able to find her, he walked back into the sitting room. Aleksandar had been able to move Pansy from the floor and onto a lounge while he tended to her injuries.
"She's gone. He took her. He had a portkey on him, I don't know where they went." She said, her chest rising and falling as her breathing quickened again. "He's going to kill her! He's going to kill my best friend, please! We have to save her!" Pansy said, crying out and clutching to the front of Aleksandar's jersey.
At that point, the aurors had arrived on the scene. Viktor had stood back and watched as they took Pansy's statement and gave their assurance that they would do everything in their power to locate Hermione Granger. "Vick, we're going to have to go looking for her." Aleksandar whispered into his ear as he looked at the witch that had always given off an air of poise and grace.
"We'll find her. I'm not going to lose her again," Viktor told his teammate. As he clenched his fist, Viktor could only hope that when they did find her that it wouldn't be too late.
A/N: Yes, Yes, Yes, I know what I did. Okay. So, I should mention that this is a HEA story. No need to fear for our leading lady!
Also, I apologize for lack of accent on Viktor's part, it was pure laziness on my end. I hope you have enjoyed regardless. Next Week, FINAL CHAPTER! YAY!
