Author's Note: Thank you for the kind, lovely, and encouraging reviews - they did make me smile as I mentioned at the end of the last chapter. Some of you wonderful reviewers are very much on-track with insights into Alex's father, so kudos to you :) I must confess that the cranky review referring to me as "foul and loathsome" actually made me laugh in its absurdity! Now, onto the next chapter.


The Long and Winding Road

by Clover Bay

Summary: War and peace, love and loss . . Hermione's return to wizarding Britain has been marred by both. More than three years since travelling to Australia to find her parents, she comes back to the Burrow with her young son. For Hermione, she seeks to reconnect with her old life and find happiness once more.

Disclaimer: All characters and setting references to Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. No infringement is intended.

Chapter 2 - Hermione's Past

"Alex's story began in those final months of the war. Actually, the days before we were taken to Malfoy Manner."

Ron gripped the sofa's armrest tightly; the mere mention of that horrible night made him tense and angry. Harry scooted to the edge of his seat, head bowed and hands clasped tightly together. Hermione knew he was internally berating himself for having spoken Voldemort's name that night. She'd hoped he could forgive himself, though mentioning it as abruptly as she had probably triggered those lingering memories.

Speaking directly to her two dearest friends, she said quietly, as if they were the only ones who could hear her words, "I know there are parts of those months we agreed to never talk about, and I don't intend to break that vow now. But, there are things that haven't been told that pertain to me. And, well, Alex. Things that neither of you would have known about."

She waited for their recognition, which she received immediately from Ron, his blue eyes connecting with hers. It was as if he was trying to convey their camaraderie and friendship with that one look. Harry raised his head, nodding slightly as he began watching her intently.

Addressing the room at large, Hermione resumed her story. "When we were searching for Voldemort's horcruxes, we were constantly on the move." The Weasleys looked ready for her to continue, having already heard the general story of the trio's attempts to win the war.

"We ended up camping in Bulgaria, on the outskirts of Viktor Krum's landed estate. He told us that he felt the wards shift when we entered, and then again when I enacted the protective spells we used at night.

"It had been so long since we had seen one another . . ." she trailed off, thinking of that night and picturing it so clearly.

The nights on the run always seemed disproportionately long compared to their time spent searching for the horcruxes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's brainstorming had long been exhausted, but that night one of them suggested that they continue their search in Eastern Europe. Having combed through the English countryside more times than they cared to count, moving to the site of Voldemort's initial return seemed logical. If the dim-witted Bertha Jorkins could stumble upon him, then surely they could find traces left from his hiding.

Casting the wards around their tent that first night, Hermione felt an unusual back-lash that made her arm tingle. Within moments, a tall, cloaked figure strode into the cordoned off area with his wand drawn. Hermione reacted first as the guys were busy hoisting the tent and securing it. The three were bound so quickly that they ended up laying in a heap on the cold ground.

No sooner than they were captured, they were suddenly freed. Having pushed the hood of his cloak down, the moonlight revealed Viktor Krum to be standing with his wand now relaxed at his side.

Hermione ran into his arms, holding him tightly. "Viktor, Viktor, Viktor." The relief of having a friendly face stumble upon them rather than a pack of Death Eaters made her whole body seem to droop. Her shoulders dropped, and even her knees bent slightly as the rush of adrenaline wore off and exhaustion returned.

"It is so good to find you." He hugged her closer, wrapping his arms like a shield around her emaciated body. "You must come with me, stay inside tonight."

She agreed without acknowledging Harry or Ron. The altered plan offered a solid floor and roof, properly prepared food, and, most importantly to Hermione, Viktor. The months of separation left her desperate, clinging to him.

That began the first of nearly a week spent with Viktor as they resumed their search for the horcruxes.

"Hermione."

She let the memories recede when she heard Fred and George simultaneously call her name.

"Hey Hermione, can we take Alex flying? We just want to circle above the pond . . ."

"And the orchard . . ."

"And the house . . ."

"And . . ."

Hermione interrupted them, remembering how long a split conversation between the two could last. "Only if you use a sticking charm; I don't want him falling off. And he has so sit in front of you, not behind."

They turned see Alex grinning. Flying was one of his most favorite things to do.

"So, I wonder if Alex can fly?" Fred asked George mischievously. But, before they could continue their banter, Alex interrupted them.

"Course I can fly. I'm a Krum." Alex said with as much authority as a three year old can convey. "All Krum's can fly, right mummy?"

"That's right, sweetie. All Krum's can fly."

Everyone, aside from Hermione and Alex, wore expressions of shock at this revelation. Fred and George had missed the entire conversation while they were outside chasing gnomes with Alex. The others had put the pieces of the story together, but it held much more weight when Hermione confirmed the identity of Alex's father.

It was Molly who moved toward Hermione once Alex and twins left the room again. With a warm embrace, she hugged Hermione tightly. After all, it was common knowledge that Viktor Krum was dead.

OoOoOoO

The two women made their way to the kitchen where Molly poured them each a fresh cup of tea. The others remained in the living room, and Hermione was sure she, Viktor, and Alex were the topic of hushed conversations that had probably been quieted by a charm from one of them.

Sitting at the table with a warm cup to occupy her hands comforted Hermione somewhat. Talking face-to-face with only one other person would much easier than discussing Viktor with the room at large. And, while she dearly loved each person sitting in the adjacent room, explaining her relationship with Viktor would be much easier with only one pair of eyes resting on her.

Hermione wasn't so naive as to believe that the others wouldn't be listening, though. In fact, if she were to turn toward the door, the chances were very high that multiple flesh-colored strings would be trailing across the doorway and well into the kitchen area. She truly wanted to include the Weasleys in the secrets of her life these past years, well most of them anyway. Molly proved to be the best person with whom to share, especially after their lengthy letters that had evolved, in Hermione's opinion, into a friendship that lent itself to their current discussion.

Thinking back to the years she spent in both friendship and love with Viktor, Hermione began to describe her life with Viktor, omitting the more intimate details, of course . . .

The world of Hogwarts knew that Viktor asked her to the Yule Ball the year of the Triwizard Tournament. What they weren't aware of was that Viktor had to chase Hermione, asking her repeatedly to accompany him. So few guys at Hogwarts had noticed her as anything but a brainy friend, that she was sure the handsome Durmstrang student and quidditch player must be playing some kind of cruel joke. But, night after night of seeing him brave the twittering throngs of girls to sit near Hermione began to change her opinion; he did nothing but pretend to read while looking over the top of his book to gaze at the girl who had exhibited kindness to those she passed in the halls and help that poor, pudgy boy who couldn't seem to walk in a straight line without falling over. He later told her that he admired her strength at not backing away when the blonde-haired jerk (his words) would push his petty prejudices. She would later confide that she, too, spent much of her time in those weeks staring at him discretely.

What began for Hermione as flattery at being sincerely sought after as Viktor's date for the ball soon evolved into a sweet puppy love. He would walk her through the corridors to class, hold the doors open for her as they entered or exited the castle, and sat with her and the boys during meals at the Gryffindor house table. She was, frankly, overwhelmed by his attention. The first time he kissed her check left her blushing for the better part of the afternoon, including potions class, though Harry, Ron, and the others assumed it heat of the bubbling caldrons was the source of the redness.

At the end of the school term, it felt like a newly-formed piece of her was being pulled away. When Viktor asked permission to write to her over the summer, she was thrilled. The old-world charm that was evident to her even then stole another piece of her heart. The letters they exchanged introduced her to more of his real life outside of confines of school; he sent scrolls of parchment in every city in which he played that summer.

Hermione stared wistfully out the kitchen window, the yellow curtains having been left open. She saw the twins and Alex drifting by as they slowly flew above the pond. Lost in her thoughts, she missed Ron and Harry entering the room. It wasn't until Ron spoke that she became aware of their presence.

"I don't think I've apologized for my behavior that night; there were just so many people suggesting that Viktor was using you that I started to believe it."

"Oh, Ron. It was never like that . . ."

"I know, I know. It just took me a while to figure it out." He looked sheepishly at the table, tracing indiscernible designs onto the table cloth. "But when I did, I made sure everyone else knew it, too."

"What do you mean?" Hermione's curiosity derailed her from her earlier conversation.

"He means," Harry answered, "that he made it a personal mission to, um, 'correct' anyone who tried to tarnish your reputation."

"You didn't?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Well, I couldn't just let people say things that weren't true about you." The tips of Ron's ears reddened at his admission.

"Thank you." Hermione wanted to thank him for coming around and understanding, but she wasn't sure how well he really understood; she wanted to thank him for protecting her reputation, but it didn't seem appropriate after so many years. Mostly, she was just thankful for having Ron's friendship.

Though their letters continued beyond the summer, it wasn't until Christmas break that she saw Viktor in person again. That fated weekend where she, the Weasleys, and Harry holed up in Grimmauld Place to await news of Mr. Weasley after the attack at the Ministry were nerve-wracking. After their initial visit to the hospital, Hermione stayed behind when the others returned. On one afternoon, she saw a familiar form enter the kitchen; his short, dark hair and deep brown eyes were unmistakable. Standing across the room was none other than Viktor. Her Viktor.

She ran around the circumference of the table, colliding into him as he met her. The tender kiss he placed on her forehead seemed to magnify the feelings she'd been harboring for him. Speaking from the muffled vantage point of Viktor's chest, Hermione asked wonderingly, but happily, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, except I've already been informed of the newest inhabitants of the Order's headquarters." Viktor shared more in those few words than he would have been allowed through direct questions. The oath taken by the Order of the Phoenix's members prevented such information from being transferred.

"Really? And you're still able to play and not be detected?" Hermione's eyes were shining with a mixture of happiness at seeing Viktor and relief at the confirmation that they were fighting alongside one another, even though Hermione wasn't officially allowed to declare her allegiance to the Order.

Their relationship changed over the remainder of Christmas break. Mundane and trivial matters gave way to more pressing issues that they were privy to, namely Voldemort and the work of the Order. He confided that Charlie Weasley had recruited him after the Triwizard Tournament. The two met when Viktor played quidditch in Romania. A brief reintroduction, based first on the dragon task of the tournament, led to further meetings, culminating in Charlie bringing Viktor to Dumbledore to be inducted into the Order.

He reassured Hermione that he wasn't in too much danger with his current assignment. And, against the protocol established by the Order, Viktor explained that he was given the daunting task of collecting information from foreign wizards who seemed to help bankroll the Death Eaters' activities. Through his connections as an international athlete, he already identified which of the Durmstrang school governors who had been funneling a portion of the tuition paid by its students to Voldemort's cause. He had further leads, but didn't have any concrete information as of yet.

Viktor's last visit to Grimmauld Place during her winter break left Hermione's lips tingling with their first real kiss. It was soft and sweet, yet purposeful and . . and . . amazing. She had no other words for it. The anticipation that had been building throughout their meetings over the fortnight had been satisfied, fortified for the coming months that would separate them.

After the Death Eaters' ambush and attack at the Ministry of Magic, Viktor managed to visit her in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. He held her throughout the night, rubbing her back gently when she would wake with a night terror of the day's events. He felt her tears soak through his shirt as she cried for the others' injuries and pain caused at the hands of Voldemort's minions. Together, they promised to do all that was in their power to rid the world of them all . . she helping Harry, him helping the Order. That night the war drew even closer to their hearts.

The next morning he formally met her parents; any awkward introductions at being found holding their daughter dissolved when their relief at seeing her healthy overshadowed his position. Plans were soon made to spend a portion of her summer break together, with Hermione and her parents visiting Bulgaria.

Hermione was interrupted by the swinging of the back door as it clanged noisily into the doorstop when Alex came to alert his mum that he was hungry.

"Why don't we ask Mrs. Weasley if she has any biscuits?" Hermione suggested after a quick look at Molly.

"Mrs. Wee . ." Alex shook his head, knowing that wasn't right. "Mrs. Weely, um, Mrs. . . Mrs. Chaw-ley's mum?"

Hermione smothered her laugh. "Yes, Alex, it is Charlie's mum."

Molly couldn't hide her own smile. "Yes dear, you can have a snack. Come with me."

The others, now a table full of Weasleys and Harry, exchanged curious looks at Alex's familiarity with Charlie and Hermione's ease at speaking about him.


And, that's all for chapter 2! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I'll be out of town for a few days, but I'd love to return to find reviews in my in-box :)

~Clover