Hermione found herself in the rather uncharacteristic position of being...worried about Viktor. No, not worried. She did not worry about the boy, who had been nothing but a thorn in her side these last few months. No, no. She was...concerned. Perturbed, one might say, or even troubled. But worried? No. No, she was not worried.

"Why do you look like end of term exams are coming up and you've only just started studying for them?" Ron had the audacity to ask as they ate lunch.

"Don't be silly," she dismissed out of hand. "I started studying for them in September."

"Mental." Ron shoveled another piece of chicken into his mouth. "Totally mental."

"Don't think I noticed you didn't reply," Harry said on her other side. "You've been looking a bit...tired."

Harry's attempt at diplomacy fell flat, though Hermione did appreciate the effort. Kind of. "You'd be tired, too, if you had half of what I've got going on—"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Taking too many classes? You don't have to learn everything, 'Mione. You've got to learn to relax. Maybe take a nap!"

"A nap?" she laughed incredulously. "I don't have time for a nap." She'd had to turn back the Time-Turner once already just so she could finish up an assignment and simultaneously eat. But still, somehow, even in the midst of all this, that stupid, niggling worry about Viktor had cropped up.

"Well, excuse me for trying to care!" Ron's face had grown rather red, and Hermione knew he was likely about to say something he regretted.

Instead of having to deal with yet another falling out based on Ron's short temper and her admittedly poor conversational skills, she simply slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you in class," she muttered as she swung a leg over the bench. About to leave, she paused and turned around. "Ron?"

"Yeah?

"Thanks. It's just...there's…." She shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it."

His eyes narrowed. "So there is something going on."

As he exchanged a look with Harry, Hermione suppressed a groan. They both meant well, but how could she explain that she not only was hopping around in the time stream just so she could take a million classes while being simultaneously haunted—er, visited?—by Viktor Krum, Quidditch star extraordinaire, in her dreams? It all just sounded completely implausible.

"Does this have something to do with that mirror Neville knocked off the table in Potions?" Harry asked curiously.

Why was he choosing this time to be observant? For Merlin's sake. "Er," she hedged, "the mirror is just...er...it was just something I thought was funny when I saw it in Hogsmeade, so I bought it!"

"You're a terrible liar, 'Mione," Ron said flatly. "Mirrors like that aren't something you can buy at Zonko's."

"Miss Granger, Mister Potter, Mister Weasley." Professor McGonagall's brisk voice interrupted their conversation. She had come up behind Hermione, a scroll floating next to her as she asked, "Will you all be staying for the holidays?"

Harry abruptly went rather pale and pinched looking even as he replied in the affirmative, and Hermione knew that he wasn't looking forward to the idea of staying at Hogwarts alone for Christmas. Honestly, she couldn't blame him for opting to do so when the alternative was the Dursleys.

Almost without hesitation Ron nodded as well, making some excuse about not being able to stand being Perfect Percy's presence at home for so long, and Hermione confirmed she would be staying as well, saying somewhat truthfully that she'd need to use the library. After all, she was planning on using the time to try and get a little ahead of classes so she'd not be drowning in the spring term.

From the grateful look Harry sent both their ways, though, it was apparent he knew they had stayed for him, and Hermione smiled at him as Ron companionably knocked a shoulder against Harry's.

"How wonderful!" Professor Krum, who was conveniently walking by just as Professor McGonagall was noting their answers, said brightly. "It will be so fun to spend the holidays here with some students. I had feared it would be completely empty."

"You're not going home?" Hermione asked, startled.

"No, no." Professor Krum shook her head. "I have far too much to do with my lesson plans. Professor Trelawny left her notes in some kind of pictographic cypher, and I've had a rather difficult time deciphering it to figure out what she was thinking."

Privately, Hermione thought it likely that Trelawny hadn't been doing much thinking, if any, at all.

"But it's all well and good," the Divination professor continued on with a gleam in her eye. "After all, it gives my children an excuse to travel abroad if they wanted to visit me. You know the saying—big horizons, big minds."

"Blimey," Ron breathed, his mouth hanging open. "Are you—are you saying Viktor might visit?"

Professor Krum shrugged, the movement somehow still elegant. "It depends on several factors, but he said it was a possibility." A sly look at Hermione. "He mentioned there were things he'd like to do and people to talk to if he were here."

She was just sure he did.

"If Viktor came, that would be—that would be the best Christmas present I'd ever get," Ron breathed, hero worship in his eyes.

"He's only a Quidditch player." Hermione sighed. "It's not like he's the best person in the world."

"Viktor also mentioned that Kosta might be able to come as well," Professor Krum said cheerfully, her smile turning downright devious.

Hermione stopped short, her eyes widening. "Really?"

Professor Krum nodded. "Really. Well, regardless of who comes, I'll certainly be happy to see you all during the holidays! You can show me how you all celebrate."

As she headed toward the high table to eat breakfast, Hermione scrambled after her, calling, "Wait, Professor!"

"Miss Granger?" The Divination teacher's surprise was unfeigned as she stopped in her tracks. "Is something the matter?"

"No—well, maybe." Hermione fidgeted under the witch's discerning gaze. "It's just that, you see," she looked furtively around and lowered her voice, though the din of everyone eating breakfast made the chances of anyone overhearing them slim, "I had a dream with Viktor last night, and something strange happened."

"Oh?"

"Right at the end, we were in the middle of talking about this spell I invented, and he was in the middle of speaking—the actual middle of the sentence, you see, and he disappeared!" Hermione knew she was babbling, but getting Viktor's mother involved when she didn't know if anything untoward had truly happened made her a bit out of sorts for some reason.

"Hm." Professor Krum tapped a finger against her mouth thoughtfully. "I'm sure that he was just woken up by something suddenly, but to be awakened in the middle of the night is unusual. Well, no matter. I'll simply contact him using the family mirrors and see if he's alright. Would you like to come with me?"

The prospect of talking to Viktor in real life, as opposed to in a dream, where she could pretend all of this wasn't quite real, made her blood run quite cold.

"No." She shook her head even as she slowly backed away. "No, thank you. I'm sure he's fine. I, er, well—" She motioned at the entrance to the Great Hall. "I, erm, I've got to study for an exam now! Thanksforyourhelp!"

And with that, she fled, leaving an amused Milena Krum behind.

A quick note: I am having substantial health issues which are prohibiting me from writing as much as I prefer. I ask for your patience on this story as I am only human, and I am doing the best I can.