Chapter 59: Christmas Holidays in Bulgaria

I don't know how Viktor and I manage to keep our relationship from the entire school. All I can hear from the girls along corridors is how manly Viktor is or how good he looked or how his robes fit him perfectly especially with his well-toned body. I admit I do feel jealous at times or maybe it's just that I'm annoyed. Sometimes, I gloat because I'm the one who got the guy. I could just imagine the looks on their faces if they find out everything.

"So, Professor Krum, do you have a girlfriend?" Lavender Brown brazenly asked after a lesson but the bell had not ringed.

Viktor smiled, "Sorry to disappoint you ladies, but my heart is already reserved."

"Who's the lucky girl?" another student asked.

The class yelled in agreement.

"I will not divulge her identity but I can say that a veela is no comparison to her beauty, an angel is no comparison to her pure heart and a dragon is no comparison to her feistiness and bravery," Viktor leaned his back on the table.

"He's going out with the Swedish Shortsnout from the Triwizard!" Nikki yelled while Ianthé kept prodding her seatmate using her elbows.

The whole class erupted in laughter. The bell rang and the students slowly went out of the classroom. Ianthé and Nikki were the only ones left.

"Prettier than a veela do you say?" Nikki inspected Ianthé's face.

"Oh stop it," Ianthé slapped Nikki's hand.

Viktor chuckled, "You better head to your Potions class… But what I said is true, though…"

Ianthé blushed, "If they only knew that the prettier than a veela is the uptight virginal Head Girl…"

Nikki closed Ianthé's mouth with her hand, "We'd better go…"

"What?"

"Come on," Nikki dragged her to the Potions dungeons.

"Ah, Miss Herze…" Professor Slughorn walked towards Ianthé and gave her an envelope in red and green, "I expect to see you enjoying yourself!"

Ianthé smiled weakly and nodded.

"So, are you going?" Ianthé showed Viktor the envelope as she removed her tie. She plopped down the bed.

"There's no harm in going… You have the perfect opportunity to wear the dress robes I gave you…" Viktor sat down next to his fiancée who was already fast asleep.

Ianthé even forgot to remove her shoes. Viktor removed them and gently arranged Ianthé properly. He kissed her forehead and placed a blanket on her.

Ianthé walked nervously towards Professor Slughorn's office. She heard music and laughter inside the office. She was already late for the party as she had made a quick check on the castle grounds.

She opened the door.

"Miss Herze!" Professor Slughorn welcomed her, "You look absolutely radiant and beautiful!"

Viktor was beside Professor Slughorn who had managed to drag the former near Ianthé.

"Isn't she beautiful, Viktor?"

Viktor smiled, "Very beautiful, Professor Slughorn…"

"Ah," Slughorn waved his hands, "Call me Horace. We are colleagues, after all."

Ianthé smiled at the two.

"If she weren't a student of yours, I would want to match you two up! The perfect pair of purebloods I had ever seen! Her brains and beauty with your own brains and masculinity! It's perfect!"

Ianthé and Viktor laughed at the already-inebriated professor.

"I suggest wait for her to graduate and then ask her to go out with you in her graduation!"

"Perfect idea, Horace…"

Slughorn groggily snatched Ianthé's hand and placed it on Viktor's arm, "You two have fun!"

He left the pair blushing.

"We better get to the people, Professor Krum."

Viktor got closer, "It sounds very sexy when you address me like that…"

The crowd looked at the pair.

The male students who were invited had seen Ianthé in a brand new light. She was on her best dress robes, after all.

The girls thought that Ianthé was lucky to have even held Professor Krum's arm.

The music changed into something slow and everybody saw Professor Krum wordlessly gestured the Head Girl to dance with him. The beautiful Head Girl blushed at the silent compliment in the Professor's eyes.

The music ended and Slughorn was the first one to greet the couple.

"A few more months, Viktor, and you can already ask her out!"

"Professor Slughorn, Professor Krum mentioned to us that he already has someone…"

Professor Slughorn smiled, "It's such a shame I can't get you two together…."

Ianthé saw Ernie and dragged him next to Slughorn, "Professor, this is the Head Boy Ernie McMillian…"

"Nice to see you enjoying yourself, Ernie," Slughorn jovially shook Ernie's hand.

Ernie looked pleased when Ianthé personally introduce him to other important people in the party.

Viktor just stood near the drinks table until Ianthé approached him.

"Enjoying the party, Professor?"

Viktor smiled at her and offered her a drink.

"Thanks."

A couple of girls approached Viktor.

"Erm… Professor?"

"Yes?"

"We were just…."

Viktor smiled and gestured them to continue.

"We….just….wanted to….. greet you Happy Christmas…"

The two girls blushed and quickly walked away.

"A couple of your fans, Professor?" Ianthé smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Viktor rolled his eyes, "I think I should ask you to dance with me again…"

"But they might spark rumors…."

Viktor grabbed her hand and whisked her to the dance floor where Slughorn seemed to be smitten by Professor Sprout.

"I don't really care…"

Ianthé smiled and looked into his eyes and felt as if the world around them dissolved.

"So what's going to be your transpo going to Romania?" Ianthé watched Nikki pack her bags.

"Portkey, as usual…" Nikki tried to sit on her trunk to close it.

"I'll be guessing about who is going to pick you up…." Ianthé helped her close the packed trunk.

Nikki smiled, "Charlie owled me and said he's going to meet me in Kings Cross…"

"Ah…." Ianthé put a Weightless Charm on Nikki's trunk.

"He's with his mum when he picks me up…"

"Mrs. Weasley isn't that bad…"

Nikki nodded, "She gives out this huge tight hug that made you wish she was your mother…"

Ianthé laughed at her description, "So, you and Charlie are really official?"

Nikki nodded as they walked out of the girls dormitory and towards the portrait door.

"By the way, you're invited to our house in Bulgaria… Wear your most beautiful dress robes and don't forget to bring Charlie…"

Nikki looked at Ianthé as if she had suddenly seen the light at the end of a dark tunnel, "You mean…?"

Ianthé nodded feverishly.

Nikki jumped for joy and hugged her best friend tightly, "I'm so happy for you!"

Ianthé blinked back her tears of happiness, "He already discussed it with the family…"

"So where's the honeymoon?" Nikki whispered as they loaded her bag on a horseless carriage.

Ianthé shrugged, "I don't know… Bulgaria probably… in about ten feet of snow…"

Nikki laughed at her and hugged her again, "I promise I'll be there!"

She waved goodbye to Ianthé as she rode on the carriage.

"Ready, Théa?" Edmond asked his cousin as they stood outside the castle walls clutching her trunk.

Ianthé nodded and soon she felt a tug on her navel.

They landed on the garden covered with glittering snow.

Viktor's mother hugged her tightly, "Let's get you inside. Viktor's waiting for you."

The three walked towards the white house on top of a hill.

When they walked inside, the house seemed to enlarge itself in epic proportions.

"Pretty big families, cuz…" Jeremiah Turner hugged his beloved cousin and partner-in-crime.

"Hey, Jeremiah… Your parents are here?"

He nodded, "Yeah, would you believe that they're discussing war tactics on the eve of your wedding?"

Ianthé smiled, "Oh, get used to it…. Anyways, I could still see the marks on Romilda's face…"

Jeremiah scoffed, "Served her right… That should teach her a lesson about not crossing the Head Girl…"

Ianthé kissed her cousin on the cheek, "Especially if the Head Girl had a spiteful but talented cousin…"

Jeremiah smiled, "I… er… need your…..erm…. advice on something…"
Edmond smiled, "Jeremiah, the child prodigy and spawn of the devil, stuttering? I think I know what his problem is…."

Jeremiah punched his big cousin on the arm, "Shut it you! Théa, it's about this girl…."

Edmond laughed, "Told you!"

Ianthé glared at him, "You get back to your wife, you insensitive prick!" She put her arm around Jeremiah's shoulder, and led him towards the kitchens, "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"It's just that sometimes she can't see through my Slytherin uniform!"

"I'm guessing she's from another House, then?"

Jeremiah nodded, "Gryffindor…"

"Oh dear… I'm guessing you met her in our meetings…"

Jeremiah nodded, "Yeah…"

Ianthé counted the qualified girls from Gryffindor, "I'm guessing her name's Gwendolin Tang…"

Jeremiah blushed.

"Hey not bad, cuz…" Ianthé patted him on the back, "Just prove her wrong, okay? I know you and you don't give up that easily…"

Jeremiah smiled, "Thanks… We'd better go inside the dining room…"

Ianthé nodded and walked with her cousin to the dining room.

Her jaw dropped when the two of them entered. It seemed that the former already-large room was even more enlarged by magic to greater proportions to fit the Herzes and the Krums. The two heads of the family were on the opposite sides of the table. Viktor stood up and enveloped her with a hug.

Margeaux Herze entered the room, "The food will be served in a few minutes."

Viktor's mother also entered the room and the two of them seated beside their respective husbands.

Viktor led Ianthé towards a seat beside him.

A few seconds later, food appeared on the table.

"Did Slughorn ask where you were going?"

Viktor shook his head, "I think he has a hang-over from last night's festivities… You looked really beautiful last night…"

Ianthé smiled but rolled her eyes, "And so did half of Hogwarts' male population…"

Viktor chuckled, "You noticed? I think I'll have some competition when we get back to school."

"So it's a good thing I will be tied to you as early as possible, then?"

Viktor got closer and whispered into her ear, "The earlier, the better…"

Ianthé raised her right eyebrow, "Oh really? Well, Professor, prove yourself worthy…"

"I'll remember that later…" Viktor whispered in a low growl.

"Guys, quit flirting! You're messing our appetites!" Edmond joked while Andy scowled at her husband and slapped him in the arm.

"Shut your mouth! We're eating!"

Edmond stopped laughing immediately.

The others chuckled at him.

"Looks like someone's cuckolded…." Ianthé commented.

Edmond just rolled his eyes and continued to eat.