Hermione was still exhausted from her presentation ceremony from the night before and her confrontation with her boss afterwards and her much needed jogging session in the morning. Therefore, had taken the chance of staying behind at the Weasley's home while the entire family was gone. Most of the Weasley's were at work, Ron had gone with George to help in his shop, Harry and Ginny had wanted to use this opportunity to get her supplies for Hogwarts. When they had asked her to join them, she had refused and told them that she would pick up her supplies tomorrow after work and she had insinuated, that she didn't exactly want to intrude on their privacy when they could turn the shopping spree into a date. Mrs Weasley, however, had swiftly declared that she would tag along as she also needed supplies for the house. But Hermione knew. She was playing chaperone. Why was anyone's guess? Molly wasn't born yesterday. She could clearly see that Harry and Ginny couldn't let go of each other. The Lovegoods' which also lived in the Burrow for the time being were meeting another editor from a French Wizarding Magazine.
The bushy-haired girl had made some adjustments to the old sofa, to make it comfier. Technically, she could have snoozed in Ron's bed, but it just didn't feel right. Especially not, when she thought about what she was about to do in a few hours. And she needed to be well-rested for that as Madame Adler had told her while giving strict orders what she was allowed to eat and what she shouldn't even think about touching. Onions and Garlic were forbidden. Yet she craved the taste right now. She turned in the darkened living room. Had there been a knock on the front door? She must have imagined it. Mrs Weasley's knitting needles were clacking busily in the corner. She could hear buzzing bees outside in the high grass. Another knock. Quickly she untangled her feet from her white blanket and rushed through the kitchen towards the main door.
Did the Weasleys expect somebody? Surely, they would have told her that. Had there been an owl she had missed announcing the visitor or even perhaps a floo call? Rubbing her tired eyes, she took a deep breath opened the door a crack, wincing at the sudden brightness from outside. Those round shoulders did look familiar. She gulped. Ron would go ballistic when he'd return and find him here alone with her. There was only so much that the Weasley's would accept and one false accusation could make her lose him and his family. Her heart constricted at that thought. But she was happy to see him.
"Hello, Hermione." He greeted her with his baritone voice, his accent barely audible.
Hermione now became conscious of her dishevelled state and tried to plat her hair. "Hallo, Viktor." She smiled at him. "kakva iznenada (=What a surprise!)" His warm smile grew at her use of his native language. Yes, she had paid attention to his lessons when she had paid him a visit a few years ago.
"Sorry, I didn't expect any visitors today. But why don't you come in. I'm just going to change. Can I offer you something to drink?" she rambled, but he just chuckled. "You don't need to change. You look beautivul" His pronunciation slipped shortly, and Hermione blushed.
I apologize for intruding." He said. Stepping over the threshold. "I was in the country for business and thought that I wanted to pay you a visit."
A few minutes she dashed back down to the kitchen where her favourite Bulgarian sat sipping the orange lemonade, she had given him. Hermione joined him at the table.
"So, what have you been up to lately." She asked him before the awkward silence could continue besides working on your accent."
"You noticed?" He took another sip without breaking eye contact.
"Of course, I do. Your endearing accent was one of your many charms after all." She answered wiggling her eyebrows and mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't flirt with him. He was a friend. Only a friend.
He laughed locking his warm gaze with her. "Well, not much. I renewed my contract with the Bulgarian National Team, passed the Bulgarian equivalent to you're A-Levels in the Muggle world and will begin to study Pharmacy and Economics in Bath this semester."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "That's…wow… That's fantastic! You definitely will have a few hard years ahead of you. But it's amazing." She nodded. "I'm definitely impressed, which is why I'm a rambling idiot right now."
He chuckled. "A speechless Hermione. That is a rare sight." He joked and she just shrugged her shoulders. "What made you chose those particular subjects?" She was curious. It was certainly unusual, that one of the best Quidditch players chose to immerse himself in the Muggle world. With his connections in the wizarding world, he could have all the chances in the world. Economics certainly made sense, but pharmacy? She suspected that his mother might have something to do with that subject.
He sighed. "You did." Hermione straightened in wonder. How could she have made such a big impact in his life?
"You had a unique view of things. Always questioning, always researching. You managed to engage my mother in a discussion about enantiomers for almost two hours and I had no clue what you were talking about. And I don't like not knowing things." Hermione chuckled. Yes, that did sound like him. As an introvert, he didn't talk much, but gaining knowledge was everything to him.
"She was happy talking about things that she could understand. I realized how much I had missed out growing up in the Wizarding World, which is familiar to me. There isn't any adventure anymore. Tons of kiflas (=Bulgarian for superficial girls) are chasing after me. One worse than the other. But the Muggle World surprises me each single day with new inventions, creativity and kindness." He was beaming and her and she just had to join in. It had certainly been a welcome surprise finding out that Viktor had a Muggle mother who taught Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at an exclusive Private school in Sofia. A well-guarded secret considering that he came from a very old Wizarding line, who even counted former Bulgarian rulers to their family tree. "I've made my father proud by making it into the National Team. Now it is time to make my mother proud." He told her matter-of-factly.
"And what about you?" Hermione asked putting her head to the side. "Making people proud is wonderful and all, but what makes you happy? I mean. Are you studying only to make your mother proud or…"
"No!" He interrupted her frowning. "No, I want to study because I want a future. I want to be able to help people. The only future I can have in the Wizarding World is to become a trainer for some Quidditch team or a secretary for sport. I don't want to end up like Ludo Bagman. That's no future. That is a trap. With these studies I can have a real future. Only the sky's the limit."
"Not sure that the sky's the limit at all. Who knows what's out there?" She jested to lighten the mood. He grinned.
"So, what are your plans?" he changed the subject turning serious and Hermione sighed.
"Right now? Completing another year at Hogwarts to graduate. Apart from that I have absolutely no clue."
"You are going back to Hogwarts?" he asked with concern. "I thought that you wanted to continue at Beauxbatons? Fleur told me that she had vouched for you."
Hermione sighed again and closed her eyes. The letter still hurt. She shook her head. "She did, but I received a rejection letter a few days after the acceptance letter, that they had changed their minds and that I wouldn't fit in with them. There was just so much happening at that time. I…I was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't write to you. I'm sorry."
He scowled angrily. "Po dyavolite (=To hell!) You are sorry?! They should be sorry vor rejecting you. You and your friends prevented further calamity. You wrote that Hogwarts introduced extraordinarily high fees and Durmstrang unfortunately still doesn't accept Muggle-borns. Did Gringotts give you a loan?"
She shook her head, her gaze downcast, trying to figure out how much to divulge. "No, Gringotts is still pissed that we were able to flee with their dragon. I…I…managed to get a job." She tensed. "Sort of." "I mean it's not ideal and I certainly never wanted to work there. But I have no other choice. They were the only ones willing to let me work and advanced my fee, so I just have to pay them back."
He gulped, his eyebrows drawing together. "You are indebted? So, you work during the night? Which is why you slept during the day? I'm sorry for waking you up, Hermione. I wasn't thinking. I should have informed you beforehand.
"No, don't apologize, Viktor." She touched his arm reassuringly. "You had no possibility of knowing that I was working late. They trained me to do my job these last few days and I will start for good tonight."
He tensed putting his head to the side and narrowed his eyes assessing her for a moment. Her heartbeat sped up. What if he hadn't recognized her in the establishment and she had just given her away. Would he hate her now?"
"You could have asked me. I would gladly lend you money vor your last year of education." He told her getting hold of her hands and squeezed them gently.
"I know that." She sighed. "Viktor, I did consider asking you, but that was before I found about the amount and that is far above your allowance." She knew that his father was overseeing the family's finances and for the protection of his only son limited his allowance so that he could learn how to spend it reasonably. It could also explain why he had rejected Madame Adler's invitations for so long.
"My allowances were raised. How much are the Hogwarts fees?" he enquired not letting go of her hands when she tried to pull them back. They were uncomfortably warm.
"80 000 Galleons per year in advance. That's around £241,075.78 or…" she calculated "around 553,967.42 Bulgarian Leva."
Now, his jaw dropped, and his eyes narrowed angrily. "Ebasi kopeleta (=Fucking bastards)" he cursed indicating that she had been right. As generous as he was to those, he cared about that amount was far above his allowance. "What are they thinking?! Alienating our kind like that."
"I don't know what they are thinking or if they are capable of using their brain matter at all, but I have the feeling that something is going on," Hermione told him. "Certain parties at the top are either opportunistic at the havoc Voldemort has created or this whole thing has already been planned for a long time."
He leaned back. "You are right. Igor suggested the same." Krum mused. "We will have to wait and see. So, is there anything I could do to help?" he asked locking his warm eyes with her.
Hermione considered him for a moment. "Your friendship is all the help I need. Really, there isn't much that you could do." Her mind wandered to her parents, her grandparents, to her friends their families, lost order members and returned to her friend sitting next to her. Bilge was rising and she fought back tears. They would hate her if they ever found out what she was about to do to get rid of her debts. How many people would she loose to anger and indifference? She sniffed. "I'm sorry." She apologized trying to wipe away her tears. "I'm afraid of losing more people that I care about. I don't know what the future brings, but your friendship… your friendship means the world to me and... "
She couldn't hold it back any longer. Her heart clenched as she shook with waves of tears. She heard a clank from Viktor's side and then his baritone voice next to her "May I hug you?"
She just nodded slumped in her chair. She couldn't remember when she had been hugged the last time. He engulfed her in a tight embrace tucking her head under his chin. Hermione could hear his steady heartbeat and feel the comforting warmth that he radiated. His right hand gently tabbed her shoulders. "It'll be alright. I promise you that no matter what, you will never lose my friendship, Hermione." Viktor promised with a soothing voice. Hermione exhaled brushing her hands over her puffy eyes and nodded.
Suddenly her neck hair straightened her sixth sense tingling. They weren't alone in the kitchen anymore. Both turned and Viktor quickly let go of her.
Her head was still spinning from the tense encounter in the burrow. She knew that Ron was insecure about some things and that he felt threatened by Viktor and it had taken everything to convince him that Viktor didn't have anything to do with her crying or that she wasn't cheating on him. At least not yet. Her job technically was cheating on him and the guilt was already gnarling on her soul. It would surely put a wedge between them and even though she had been promised anonymity by her boss, there was a possibility that Madame Adler was leaking her current profession to the Daily Prophet and that was something truly terrifying. a
Now she had already been dunked and bathed in several different coloured bubble baths by Madame Adler and her house elves, had to rub certain ointments on herself and had to let the little creatures rub other ointments onto her naked body. Her body felt almost foreign to her now. It tingled from head to toe. As if her nerves had been dialled up. Her boss already had berated several times that she should stop asking questions after, yet another ointment was added, that had to dry until she was about to be dunked into the last one. It was a steaming pool filled with white creamy substance mixed with water. Whatever it was had to be expensive. So, at this point she had no idea how indebted she was to the bloody woman, but as eager as she was to get this over with, she just followed her boss's orders when she beckoned her to step into the steep bath.
Hermione yelped when she slipped and lost the ground under her feet. Gasping she broke through the surface again and glared at the chuckling lady.
"You have to be more careful Ms. Granger." She mocked her with a salute. "We don't need a corpse for the auction. Our clients want a living, body."
"Then perhaps you should refrain from drowning me." Hermione hissed back angrily.
"I'm not drowning, you, but as tradition commands, we are preparing you. Currently, you are in the most important pool in the preparation. It seals all the ointments from the previous paths in your skin for tonight. "I need you to take deep breath and let yourself sink down to the ground. Hold your breath until it becomes almost unbearable and then you return to the surface. It must be repeated seven times. Yet slowly."
Hermione rolled her eyes. Seven times. The magical number seven. She rowed herself to the middle of the pool and took a deep breath. A deep breath that seemed to seep through every fibre of her body, which tingled in anticipation. Hermione sunk to the ground, the warm mix of silky milk and water engulfing her entire being. She crossed her legs, sat down on them. Serenity was settling around her, calling to her, strengthening her. Her heartbeat was slowing down. She could feel it. She could hear voices. Heavily distorted. She focused on them and could swear to hear her father's strong commanding voice. Her mind was conjuring up flashes of light. No, not light. Her father was carrying her as he was meandering through narrow streets, descending downwards. Level by Level. Men and women in different shades of colours, blue, dark, light, pink, were passing them. Paying them no heed. They turned around the corner and … she needed air. Hermione reluctantly let go of this dream and resurfaced in the middle of the pool to see Madame Adler at the edge of the pool, white as a sheet and trembling hands.
"Did you have any previous training in holding your breath, Ms Granger?" her boss asked with wavering voice and Hermione shook her head gasping for air.
"You are telling me that you can spend six and a half minutes holding your breath without previous training?" Madame Adler shouted at her. It resounded shrill from the low ceiling making Hermione wince.
"You said that I have to repeat that seven times?" she inquired with a smirk. So, there was a way of rattling this woman and she planned to store her boss's current expression in her mind. With another smirk she took another deep breath and sank down again, trying to find her previous serenity in her meditative position. The voices came back to her, but this time, they weren't calm. They were heated. "You dare to bring a hybrid into our ancestral home!" a blue-skinned giant clad in a strange green suit and hood spoke forcefully pointing his hand at her. "It is forbidden by law of the Supreme Intelligence to carouse with any other species than our own." Another blue-skinned giant stood next to him in the same strange garbs inclining his head in agreement.
"And yet the Supreme Intelligence seems to make exceptions when it benefits our nation." Her father spoke evenly. She …" Hermione broke through the surface again. Whatever her mind was conjuring up, was strange. She put it down to oxygen deficiency. But the voices seemed so familiar. Like a long-forgotten memory. But that couldn't be.
She smirked defiantly at Madame Adler who was leaning against the wall with her hands crossed to hide her tremor. A dark frown on her face. She took another breath and settled down at the ground of the pool again.
"She's weak, like all Terrans." The elder giant told her father. "I will not allow our heritage to be sullied by a weak little Terran hybrid.
"Hermione is still young. She will grow stronger, father. I beg you do not dismiss her like this." Her father's voice beseeched him. "You did not request a test of her DNA. It might change your mind."
"No!" the man told her father. "I will not risk her feeble DNA showing up in any Kree database linking your crime to our house."
"She is more Kree than Terran, father, please. Do consider her." he tried again, but to no avail. Resurfaced once more getting more confused by the second. Those had to have been dreams she had after hearing her father's good-night stories.
"Our clients are getting antsy." Madame Adler told her with a whiff of annoyance in her voice. "Could you speed this up a bit." Hermione turned around. It seemed that she had turned away from her boss when she had aimed to break the surface. When she locked eyes with her. Madame Adler took a step back from her. Her eyes wide.
"What does this bath really do?" Hermione enquired with velvet voice and Madame Adler gulped as if struggling with something. "It is supposed to bring out your more primal nature. So, that you can enjoy your first coupling."
Hermione put her head to the side. She had no idea what exactly was going on, but it seemed to scare her boss. "All in good time, Madame Adler." She purred and diving back under.
"Have you perhaps lost your marbles?" a female voice asked evenly. "Of course, he couldn't consider her. What were you thinking? He could have killed her, and nobody would have beaten an eyelash. He is a high-ranking Accuser. It would have been in his right to cleanse his lineage."
"I know, mother, but Hermione is much too different from the other Terran children." Her father told the woman. "I didn't know what to do. I thought that he might make an exception when he could see her. Ouch!" It seemed that she had whacked her father with something. Hermione knew that voice. It belonged to her elusive grandmother!
"You should have kept her here on Terra and not shown her to your father. Now that he knows about her, he might take her away and put her onto one of the Warships as a slave. If he refrains from doing that, your brother might do it for him." She told him evenly. If your father's wife gets a hold of that information, she might even tell the SI herself to elevate her position.
Her father sighed. "So, how do we keep her safe?"
Hermione emerged once more from the surface. Was she able to access suppressed memories or was she reliving dreams? It made no sense to her. Was her mind trying to figure out why she couldn't get a hold of her?
"You're almost done! Get this over with. Our clients are getting impatient. There is no point in delaying the inevitable." Madame Adler told her but closed her mouth at Hermione's angry glare.
"I'll be fashionable late then." She told her and submerged herself in the water again.
"It won't be enough. We need to do more to protect her." Her grandmother said brushing over Hermione's hair.
"What do you mean?" Her father inquired. "I installed warning systems in to warn us if any Kree ships would enter orbit. You told me that she would be safe."
"That was before I checked her DNA, son." She told him coolly. "And if he were to get a hold of her DNA, then you can be sure that the Supreme Intelligence will do everything in her power get a catch and eliminate her.
"Mother, please stop talking in riddles." Her father sighed. "I didn't leave him any clue or evidence of her DNA."
"Except that you were in his ancestral home with Hermione and he, therefore, knows that there is a female hybrid in his line." she riposted sitting down on a strange metal chair. "His servants, therefore, know as well and they talk and spread the rumour across all of Hala."
"Rumours are circulating all the time. Father will deflect them as he always has. Why are you so concerned about Hermione's DNA? She is a Kree-Terran Hybrid." Hermione's father sat down next to his mother.
"Yes, she is a Kree-Hybrid. But don't ask me how she, unfortunately, inherited the only gift that can become dangerous for the SI. The only gift all female Kree were born with before the SI took over and instituted laws that required all female children to be genetically altered so that they can't do these things and pass them on." She explained with tight lips.
"No!" her father panted. "That's impossible! How did that happen?"
"It's not impossible. Occasionally, children with the gift are born, but the SI forces them to undergo an extremely painful procedure that also destroys the pleasure centre of the mind. If the girls are lucky, they can recover parts of it, but will remain sullen their entire long life. This is not something I want to put her through." She slumped in her chair.
"Then we make sure, that nobody finds out about her gift. We can't even tell her…" Her father said, determination in his voice.
"We have to tell her eventually." Her grandmother interrupted him. "At least before she starts to get sexually active or she might accidentally kill her partner."
Hermione broke the surface and desperately gasped for air. It was this pool. It had to be. Whatever was in there seemed to be affecting and addling her brain. Otherwise, why would her mind come out with such delirious ideas? She was probably high on something. Probably to make her more compliant. She just hoped that it wouldn't hurt too much. She stepped out of the pool towards Madame Adler who was waiting for her with two house-elves. Two seconds later and they had dried her body and wrapped her in a white linen dress. They continued to work on her hair and put on her mask. The eventful night came closer, yet she was eerily calm. Too calm, she considered.