Viktor doesn't see Hermione again until the second day of classes, when she walks into potions class and takes a seat in the front row. He hesitates a moment before switching to the seat next to her; frowning when she flinches as he sits. They sit there in silence until she sighs deeply.
"I'm sorry if I startled you the other night, it's my time of the month and I always get really stressed and flustered at the beginning of the school year." She says, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Vo not lie to me Hermi-ninny. It does not suit you. I vill not ask you vhat happened, vhat is between three of you. I vill ask vether or not you are okay." He asks, placing a hand on her arm.
The two stare at each other for a moment before she nods.
"I'm okay." She smiles, covering his hand with her own. "I promise."
As the other students enter the classroom the girl sighs again.
"You may want to change seats before-"
"Well, if it isn't everyone's least favorite mudblood. Tell me, who let the bitch out of her kennel and into the big dog's class?" Hermione knew this Slytherin, he was two years older than her and an even bigger prat than Draco had been.
Purebloods she scowls.
She looks at the boy holding her arm, grips his hand, and prevents him from standing up.
"Just ignore them, they lose interest fairly quickly. Most of them have the attention span of a slug." She whispers with a faraway look in her eyes, more to herself rather than the angry Bulgarian next to her.
"Sit down, Mr. Rochester." Snape billows in "Open your books to page 209. Today we will be brewing a medicinal…"
Viktor looks at the girl next to him, furiously taking notes, seemingly not bothered by the Slytherin's words despite the firm grip on his hand. After deciding that he would not be getting his questions answered this morning; nor would he be getting his right hand back, he looks down at their hands with a smile.
That's okay, He thinks to himself. I am left-handed anyway.
Snape ends class after grading our potions and assigning us a three-foot essay due on Friday.
Going to stand up, I feel Viktor lace his fingers through mine as he looks at me with a smile.
"We vait okay? I do not trust myself to not throw puny boy through vall." He looks at me with his sea storm blue eyes and I nod, sitting down on my stool once more, feeling a shiver run down my spine. He turns away from me to glare at Rochester as he walks out of the classroom.
"It's okay Viktor, its not worth getting in trouble over. I don't want you to be disqualified from the drawing over this." I grasp his hand tightly, drawing him back to me.
"Da but, you are vorth getting in trouble offer." For the first time, I really look at the man beside me, his dark eyes (that were slightly widened in shock; I don't think he meant to say what he did out loud), light skin, strong jaw, and dimples. His dark hair was cut short and his nose was just a bit off center; he smelled of pine trees and spices.
Ginny was right, he really is a walking Adonis.
He is utterly perfect.
I feel heat rush to my face let out a nervous laugh.
"You don't have to say that. I can deal with them, really. I took down Death Eaters a few weeks ago. I can handle those, puny boys." Viktor just stares at me as I anxiously tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
"You are right I do not haff to say it. I vanted to."
Why is he looking at me like that? Why is he saying these things and why does my hand fit so well in his?
"Mione? Is that you? I haven't seen you all morning." Harry's voice startles me but, Viktor holds my hand tight when I try to pull away so instead, I hold our hands on my lap. "I-Is that Viktor Krum?"
"Uh yes, it is, Viktor, this is my best friend Harry Potter. Harry this is my friend Viktor Krum." I watch the two shake hands; Viktor shoots me a small smile that makes my heart pound and uses his thumb to rub the back of my hand absentmindedly.
"I saw you play at the World Cup, blimey brilliant mate. I'm glad to see you're okay, everyone got really lucky no one was seriously injured. When did you meet Hermione?" Harry continues, blissfully oblivious to any sort of awkwardness.
"We met last night actually!" I cut in and Viktor gives me an odd look.
"Da" he says slowly "I vas looking for Library when we bumped into veech other. Hermio-ninny showed me vhere it vas."
"You're lucky you two found each other then, Hermione could find her way to the Library with her eyes closed." Harry chuckles before looking at me with a serious face "Has Ron apologized yet? Ginny beat some sense into him the other night but, we know how much of a twat he can be when he's in the wrong."
Ah, I almost forgot, I'm just Hermione.
Just Hermione. Stupid Girl.
"No, he hasn't." I say with a sad smile. "It's okay, I have a free block now so I'm going to go to the Library and start next week's coursework."
"I haff free block as vell, do you mind if I come? I must return book." His words said it was a question, but his eyes told me he was coming no matter what I said.
"What book?" Harry asks, apparently not wanting to let this conversation die.
"Hogwarts: A Vistory."
And suddenly, I wasn't willing to let it die either.
"Well I am going to go sit in the corner and wonder what the hell is wrong with you two before class starts. It was nice meeting you Viktor, I'll see you later Mia." I watch him sit down and rest his head on his arms, noticing the bags under his eyes.
He's having nightmares again.
I bite my cheek until I taste blood. I need to talk to Harry more; maybe I'll make him some dreamless sleep draughts. I've been meaning to get him some since the World Cup, from what he told me, it was when they started.
"Viktor, can I meet you in the Library? I have to ask Professor Snape a question."
And probably apologize as well.
"Da, I vill see you there." I have to remind myself to breathe when he kisses my hand before leaving with a smile.
He's just being nice Mia. Don't look into it.
I try to shake out the warm feeling in my chest. It won't do me any good to get my hopes up.
Especially because I don't exactly know what I was hoping for.
Classes fly by, as they always do when balancing them between training. Hooch hadn't shown face at the past two sessions, and for that I couldn't be anymore thankful, but they were still just a rigorous and painstaking. Between classes, training, and dealing with the boys, my only solace was the Library. Viktor was a surprisingly good study partner, quietly doing his own work, every once in a while, asking me how to pronounce a word or for my opinion on an Arithmancy problem. Although it annoyed Madam Pince to no end every time she had to shoo his flock of fans away from the Library. It was relaxing to be able to have someone who didn't ask me for answers and instead asked me to help them understand. Not that he needed my help often, he was truly a brilliant man.
Ginny's elbow in my ribs tears my eyes off the aforementioned Bulgarian from across the Great Hall and instead fix them on the fiery blue goblet in the center of the room. Today was the drawing of the champions. The knot in my stomach grew tighter with every flourish of flames.
First was Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff. The knowledge that Harry was most definitely safe did little to ease my tension.
Fleur Delacour was the second champion chosen, she was petite like me but ridiculously beautiful. The roar of the male students almost put me in a daze. It was, in my opinion, uncalled for.
"Durmstrang is the last one." Ginny shakes her knee in a giddy fashion. As if hearing her words, the goblet flares red again, spitting out a piece of paper into Dumbledore's hand.
"Viktor Krum" He bellows and the cheers from the Durmstrang boys almost match those of Fleur's fans. Whatever knots had been in my stomach had solidified into stone as Viktor catches my gaze before walking into the Champion's room.
I wasn't surprised at him being chosen but, it didn't make the reality of it any less daunting.
"That's no surprise, Viktor is everything a champion should be." Lavender sighs dreamily "Handsome, built, athletic, handsome."
"You said handsome already Lav." Ginny grins painfully, looking at me for some kind of reaction but, my eyes were still glued to the door Viktor had gone through.
"Oi look at that!" Someone yells from the Ravenclaw table, pointing at the goblet as it goes red again and spews out another paper.
My eyes catch the paper and even before it reaches a confused Dumbledore, I know what it says. Harry and I look at each other with a grim realization.
"Harry Potter!"
I feel my eyes start to water when Dumbledore beckons him into the same door that Viktor went through. Looking back at me, I see it on his face how scared he is.
"Mia, what's going on? It wasn't him; it couldn't have been." Gin's words waver slightly in a way I hadn't heard before.
"Course it was him, the bloody git, couldn't let the opportunity of eternal glory pass him up, the sod." Ron growls and I can see the jealousy in his eyes, the rage.
"It wasn't him." I say firmly thought it came out a bit snarkier that I had wanted. It couldn't have been, the age line Dumbledore had made was too good to be bested and, although I love him, Harry wouldn't have been able to find a spell to counter it. Someone set him up and it left a sickly feeling in my mouth.
"Fine! Take his side again Mione', you always do. You probably helped anyway."
"I would do no such thing, and neither would Harry; you know that! Get over your ego for a moment to realize how dangerous this is? They can die." Saying the words out loud made everything feel worse. "They may die." I repeat, more to myself than to Ron. I stand up quickly, gathering my things. "Ginny, please tell Harry to meet me in the Library when you see him."
"Oh so you're going to help him then?" His words themselves weren't necessarily mean but, the way he said them punched a hole in my chest. He had been acting like this since the week Ginny and I went away. He and Harry know that something, more accurately someone, had happened on that trip. Ron had been acting coldly towards me ever since. Ginny doesn't hesitate to smack him in the back of the head.
"Don't be a bloody arse Ron."
"It's okay Gin." I smile, trying not to cause a feud between the siblings. "Just let Harry know okay?"
I tried to reason with myself, that Ron was just upset and that's why his words cut so deep. He didn't actually mean the things he said. He was just hurt. But his words brought up memories I had been trying to forget for months; the smell of his cologne, the feel of his lips on mine, his hands around my throat, the feeling of not being able to get enough air to my lungs, the Dark Mark on his arm, his words he whispered as he tried asphyxiate me.
"Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, found dead in an alley. Naked with her dirty blood on the flagstones. Dumb enough to believe someone'd actually want her. I'm going to kill you and then, I'm going to kill all of your little friends."
I can't remember what happened next, I woke up hours later; the man who had been trying to kill me was gone. I don't know what happened to him but, I haven't had a peaceful sleep since.
"Miss Granger, do you think you could lock up today?" The librarian, Madame Pince, asks as she lays a key down in front of me. Most students disliked her for some reason but, she had always been sweet to me.
"Of course. Should I drop the key in the return slot when I'm done?" I already know the answer is yes but, I relish in the menial conversation that is dragging me from my thoughts. She gives me a nod before pulling on her cloak and leaving with a wave.
With her gone the Library feels almost sinister, lit by a few candles casting shadows on the wall. Another fifteen minutes go by without any sign of Harry.
"He must've just gone to bed." I say to the empty room.
"Vho?" A low voice asks from behind me, causing me to jump and draw my wand under his chin. I look up to see Viktor looking at me with a raised brow and an amused smile; the candlelight making his face appear sharper making it impossible to decipher the odd look in his eyes.
"You really must stop sneaking up on me." I sigh, putting my wand back into the folds of my cloak.
"I vid knock, you just vidn't hear me." His English had gotten better over the past week, he really is a quick learner. He takes a seat next to me, pulling out a book he had been reading the past few days.
"I want you to know that Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet. He didn't even want to watch the tournament; said he'd rather watch paint dry." I don't know why I felt the need to explain this to the man next to me; perhaps I just don't want Viktor or the other Champions to be upset with Harry and single him out in the tasks. Not that Viktor ever would.
"Da, I know." He says, closing his book, before looking at me deeply. "No ovense but, I do not believe he'd find way around the age line. Which would mean, somvone set him up; it is not all vhat surprising considering vho he is. Vhen I brought you to Ginny at the Vorld Cup, she told me vhat vith her group of vriends, she had to stay calm in situation like vhat."
"Thank you for understanding. I-"
"Vhat being said. Harry does not seem to know vhat you vent through there. So, I haff been led to belief that she was not talking about Harry and Von." Silence hangs in the air between us. How is it we could keep this a secret from the entire school and the Ministry for years and, within days, Viktor had gotten closer to the truth than anyone else?
Please don't. Don't ask things I can't answer.
"I know you can't tell me vhat happened that night, not now anyvay, but if you need to talk to somevone, I am here."
I bite my lip, not even attempting to figure out the narrowing of Viktor's eyes.
"I feel as if I should be saying that to you, Harry isn't the only one of my friends in this tournament. You're in just as much danger as he is. These aren't games, they're a gauntlet and I can't help but be worried about you." I sigh, running a hand through my bush of hair. "I can't imagine either of you getting hurt."
He grabs my idle hand with both of his, causing me to face him.
"We are vriends now?" I have half a mind to smack his silly grin off his face. "I vill not promise to not get hurt but, I vill promise to try my hardest not to." His hands on mine and the truth of his words cause the tension, that's been building since his name was called, to ease from my shoulders. "But, I haff one" He pauses, trying to find the right word. "uslovie- condition." He finishes
"You have a condition to promise to try not to get hurt?" I laugh when he shakes his head. "Alright, what is it?"
"Ving to me." My laughter dries up in my throat.
"You want me to sing to you? No, I can't." The refusal falls off my lips easily, as it always did when anyone, but Ginny or Draco asks.
"Da, you can. You ving with Ginny and you ving beautifully. Especially after all of your vinging lessons." On any other face, the smile Viktor was wearing could be called menacing but, I don't think anything this man does could scare me.
"That is blackmail, Mister Krum." I huff through a blush. Instead of answering me, he leans back in his chair with one of his hands holding mine and looks at me expectantly. With another huff, I focus on the book in front of me, refusing to look him in the eyes.
"A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella. Mi niña tiene sueño bendito sea, bendito sea. A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella. Mi niña tiene sueño bendito sea, bendito sea." The lullaby my mother learned while we were in Spain comes to me easily. The words wrapping me in a blanket of fond memories and warm feelings. "Fuentecita que corre clara y Sonora, Ruiseñor que en la selva. Cantando y llora. Calla mientras la cuna se balancea. A la nanita nana nanita ella. A la nanita nana nanita ella. Nanita ella."
"Beautiful voice." Is all Viktor says when I finish the lullaby, causing me to go even redder in the face. "Vhy does it not surprise me you speak Spanish?"
"My mum always stressed the importance of understanding other cultures. She always told me, there's more to the world than tea and crumpets, I took to languages fairly easily." Talking about my parents had begun to hurt less and less over the past few months. It was good to remember the fun times I had with them.
"Your mama is smart woman." I don't have the heart to tell Viktor that she was gone. I didn't want him to pity me as Draco and the girls do.
She really was a smart woman.
I nod with a small smile and start packing up my books. "I think its time to close up and avoid any more embarrassing conditions from you."
He smiles in a way that makes my knees weak and standsstand next to me, so I have to stare up at him. He lays a kiss to the back of my hand with a wink. A far cry from the normally stern faced Viktor Krum that leaves seventh years shaking in their boots.
"Until next time, Hermi- nine."
At least he's trying.