* Meeting at the bookstore *

Hermione wasn't expecting to find HIM, of all people, at Flourish and Blotts that Saturday afternoon. She had lost contact with him over the years after the battle, and between NEWTs, work and raising a child, she didn't really find the time to sit down and write an extensive letter explaining to him everything that had happened. At first, she didn't notice him. She was so wrapped up in a book she was thinking about purchasing that she hadn't noticed when someone walked into her.
"I'm so sorry!" They both said and she upped her gaze to see the person. She looked at him for a minute, as if she recognized him.
"Viktor?" She asked. He smiled
"Hermioniny. I thought it vas you!" He said. They hugged each other.
"Erm... How are you? What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I vas sent to talk to the Quidditch department for next vorld Cup." He said
"You work for the Bulgarian ministry now?" She asked, impressed. He nodded.
"Wow! That's... That's great!" She said.
"Vhat about you? I think I heard you vere a hero now." he said. She blushed a bit.
"I wouldn't say a hero exactly, but yeah. I helped defeat Voldemort a couple of years ago." she said.
"And now you are... reading about Goblins and House elves laws?" he asked, turning his head to see the cover of the book she was holding. She looked at the book as well.
"Oh. Yeah. I work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I'm doing some research on House elves and Goblins rights at the moment." she said enthusiastically. He just nodded.
"That's good. So... you... you vant to go grab something to eat now?" He asked. Hermione took aback. She was about to answer when they heard a crash and many books falling, followed by a few shrieks. She recognized one of them and panicked. She ran to where the noise was coming from, Viktor Krum following her. She kneeled down in front of a redhaired girl who looked at her, fearful.
"I didn't do it." She started as Hermione held her.
"It's alright, sweetheart. Are you alright?" She asked the little girl, pulling a strand of red hair behind her ear. The girl nodded.
"Mommy, can we take this one home?" The girl asked, smiling as she showed her a hardcover book with pictures of Quidditch players. Viktor looked at them, shocked. Did the little girl just call her mommy?
"Are you sure you want this one?" Hermione asked as she looked at the price of the book. The little girl nodded enthusiastically.
"I can read it with daddy. He would love it!" the girl exclaimed. Hermione looked at her. "Can we, mommy? Please?" The girl pleaded, giving her the puppy-eyes look. God! She was so Ron's daughter! Hermione sighed and smiled.
"Fine. We'll take it." She said as the little girl hugged her. A second later, the girl pulled away and looked at her mother, worried. "What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione asked worried. The little girl looked up to the big man standing behind her mother. Hermione turned her head around and stood up. "Oh. Yeah. Sweetheart, this is Viktor Krum, an old friend of mommy's." She said as she held her daughter's hand. Viktor and the little girl looked at each other: him with a shocked look on his face; her with a curious one. "Viktor, this is Belle, my daughter." Hermione said to the Bulgarian guy. Viktor kept looking at the little girl who gave him a little smiled.
"A... daughter. Wow! I-I... I didn't know you vere married." he said.
"I'm not... well, not yet. I'm engaged." She said as she played with her rose-shaped sapphire ring. His eyes got bigger than plates. He wasn't expecting this. First a child, now she was engaged?
"Wow! Con... Congratulations!" He said, a bit of disappointment in his tone. Hermione smiled,
"How... How old is she?" He asked.
"She turned 3 in May." Hermione said looking at the little girl lovingly.
"So... It vas..." He said putting two and two together.
"The year of the Battle. Yeah. She actually was born in the middle of it. Quite convenient!" Hermione sighed, then smiled. He couldn't believe it. She was barely 20 and she was already a mother. Viktor just nodded. Hermione felt her daughter pulling her hand and she looked at her.
"Can we go to Uncle Georgie's shop now?" the little girl asked. Hermione smiled.
"Sure. Go take this to the cashier. I'll be there in a second." she said as she gave the girl her book. Belle took it, then she looked at Viktor and left.
"She's lovely." he said. Hermione smiled.
"She really is." she said proudly.
"Do you... how do you do it?" he asked.
"It's hard. Everybody told us - my parents mostly - that we were ruining our lives by having a child and being so young, but... we manage quite well. Ron is amazing with her! He's been incredible since we found out about her and... well, between his job and mine and everything... we make it work." she explained.
"So... it's Veasley?" he asked, though he knew the answer. It had always been Ron for her. He noticed that. She never looked at him the way she looked at Ron. Hermione nodded.
"Do you ever regret it? I mean, you're only 20." he asked. Hermione shook her head.
"Not for a second. She's my whole world." she said as she saw Belle waving at her. "It was nice seeing you again, Viktor, but I have to go. Hope to catch up soon!" she said, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Viktor just nodded and she left to meet her child.
Of all places and of all people, she had to meet him. Everyone had told her how lucky she was that he had asked her to the Yule Ball and that he was so interested in her and that she should go and be with him. But she knew it in her heart that he wasn't the one for her. She had felt flattered at the time and she had enjoyed having a foreign penpal all those years, but she knew that Viktor was just that. A friend. Because even though he still held a torch for her, she was more than sure that her heart belonged to someone else. Someone who, at this moment, was in the joke shop across the street working and counting the hours to be with her and their daughter. She walked out of the bookstore holding her daughter's hand, and when she got to the shop, she went straight to Ron and kissed him as passionate and sweet as the very first time. Because after meeting HIM today, she was more than sure who her heart really belonged to and that she had made the best choice all along.