Chapter 6: Pub Conversations

Hermione might be able to sleep, but something about funerals made sleeping feel too much like dying to him, so Ron was restless as Hermione dropped off. He didn't want to wake her, so he go downstairs for a pint and a snack.

The pub was nearly empty, probably because it was late afternoon and people were still at work. Ron thought he'd have a quick, quiet drink, but then he saw Viktor sitting at a table by himself with a bottle of Vodka in front of him. Viktor saw him too and gestured for him to join him. Well, at least he speaks English, Ron thought and sat down across from him.

Viktor waved a hand at the barkeep and said something in Bulgarian. A shot glass sailed over and dropped in front of Ron. Ron started to protest that he only wanted a pint, but then thought better of it. What the hell, when in Rome.

Viktor poured him a shot. "Where is Hermione?"

"Upstairs taking a nap." Ron downed the shot. The Vodka was surprisingly smooth and went down a lot easier than he expected.

"That's what Gabrielle is doing," Viktor said, giving Ron a knowing look. He poured Ron another shot and one for himself. "What is it about funerals that make women so horny?"

Ron shrugged and downed his drink. "Don't know exactly. Maybe all that death makes them want to feel alive."

Viktor downed his own shot and poured another one for each of them. "I used to think it was just Hermione, but no, Gabrielle is the same."

The vodka was spreading warmly throughout Ron's belly. "Yeah, Hermione's always been like that. First time I ever felt her up was after Dumbledore's funeral."

Viktor laughed. "You two really have been together a long time."

Ron nodded. "Thirteen years. Well, ten, I guess. She was with you for three of them."

Viktor shook his head. "She was never really with me. She lived with me. She slept with me, but she was never really in love with me." He drank his shot.

Ron, for some reason, felt himself offended on Hermione's behalf. "That's not true. I know her, she wouldn't have stayed with you if she hadn't loved you."

Viktor laughed. "Love: that's a little word that means too many things. Our kind of love was not romantic. It was comfort, support. We, how do you say? Shored each other up."

Ron wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he tossed back his drink by way of reply.

"I was lucky to run into her in that market," Viktor mused. "I don't know how I would have survived Nikolina's death without her. I really don't."

"Nikolina?" Ron asked, pouring them each another shot.

"My fiancé, she was killed by Death Eaters for no good reason."

"Like Hermione's parents," Ron said.

"Yes," Viktor said, and drank his shot. "Senseless loss was most of what we had in common."

Ron nodded. He noticed he couldn't really feel his feet and his ears were hot. He couldn't remember this last time he'd had so much to drink.

"She looks good." Viktor was starting to slur his words but he had a bit of a head start on Ron.

Ron nodded again. Hermione did look good.

"She's put on some weight. She needed that. She was always too thin when we were together. Todor used to pick on her about that. Of course, he picked on her about everything. That was just his way."

"I'm sorry about Todor. He must have been pretty brave though, if he was tough enough to pick on Hermione."

Viktor smiled. "In the beginning, he was just stupid. He underestimated her. Of course, it wasn't entirely his fault. I mean she didn't tell him what she did, because, you know. So I guess he thought she was like a little princess, pretty and talented but frivolous. I remember he used to call her my English queen, and he would salute her whenever he saw her. She ignored him until one day we were at my flat. He and Pietra had come to visit and we got on the subject of politics and the war. I can't remember the comment he made, but it was stupid and unfavorable to English wizards. It must have struck a nerve, because the next thing I know, she'd transfigured him into a mouse and dropped him in a glass. Pietra had gone out shopping with a friend. And Hermione gave her this little mouse when she got home and said 'do you want him like he was, because I can leave him like this.'"

Ron was laughing. "Now that's my girl."

Viktor laughed too. "He did not underestimate her after that, but he still teased her until we went on vacation the first time."

Ron downed another shot. "What did she do to him then?"

"Nothing, but until then he didn't know about her in the war."

Ron looked at Viktor. "How could he not know? I thought everyone knew."

Viktor shrugged. "Everyone in England knows about her. Everywhere else, not so much. Todor was careless about keeping track of the news. Harry Potter is a name everyone knows, but your name, Hermione's name, those you had to pay attention to hear. So, he did not know."

Ron pushed his fingers back through his hair. He was sweating and his hair was a little damp. "So how did he find out?"

"We were in France and Todor had this grand idea to go fishing. So we asked the girls did they want to go, but it was the first day and Hermione was exhausted. She'd had a very rough week at the Ministry, channeling a lot of magic, so you know how she gets."

Ron nodded.

"She said no, she wanted to relax. Pietra agreed and said they would sunbathe while we went fishing. So we go down to this pier, but it takes forever because Todor does not have the right directions, so we get there late and miss the boat."

Ron snickered.

"I know, typical. So we go all the way back to the hotel. But by then, the girls were already down at the beach, so when we got back we had to find them. I never saw Todor look so shocked. He was actually speechless, and I can't tell you how not like him that is." He shook his head.

Ron wasn't sure if he might be drunk and missed something or if Viktor was drunk and forgot to say something. "What?"

"She fell asleep on the beach and the charm wore off, so you could see the scars."

"Hang on," Ron said, struggling to follow. "Why-"

"You know how France is," Viktor said, slapping the table. "Everybody sunbathes topless there. Hermione would always do a charm to hide her scars when we went to the beach. Actually, sometimes she would hide them at other times too, but Todor had never seen them. He had no idea." Viktor shook his head. "He touched her side, where the really bad one is, and of course, she woke up. Furious." Viktor blew out a long breath. "That temper, I do not miss it. Of course, I understood why she was angry. She was very sensitive about, you know, what happened in Amsterdam, not to mention the scars themselves, so that he put his hand on her was a huge affront. But Pietra was right there, so she could not say the things she might have said. Pietra did not know about Amsterdam, still doesn't actually, so Hermione held her tongue, but she was very angry."

"I can imagine." Ron poured them both another shot. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to hear the rest of this story. Some part of him felt like he needed to hear about this Hermione he didn't know.

"She went back to the hotel and stayed in our room for the rest of the day. Later that night, after dinner we were all sitting out on the balcony of our suite watching the ocean and she finally joined us. Todor asked her to tell us what happened to her. And she did. Pietra cried. I thought I might cry too, but Todor just sat there with his mouth open. It's so different hearing a first hand account. The papers leave out so much."

Ron nodded. Suddenly self-conscious, he wished he had his beard back to cover his scar.

"Todor was not the same with her after that. He still teased her some, but much gentler, almost reverent. He respected her too. They often talked very seriously about magic." Viktor tossed back another shot. "I wish he'd talked to her before his last spell. She would have told him not to do it. He might even have listened."

Ron took another sip of vodka. "He sounds like a wild guy."

"He was a good friend, crazy, but good. I will miss him."

They sat in silence for a long time.

Ron leaned back in his chair and stretched. "So when have you got to be back with the team?"

Viktor scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm supposed to be back for practice day after tomorrow, but I promised Gabrielle we could see her parents before we go back to London."

"That Gabrielle, she's a pretty little thing."

Viktor nodded. "But I know what you are thinking. She is too young for me."

Ron shrugged. He hadn't been thinking that actually. He hadn't really been thinking anything. Thinking was hard. But now that Viktor brought it up, Gabrielle was too young for him. "Yeah."

"You're right," Viktor said, but then his face split into an uncharacteristic grin. "But I don't care." He laughed.

Ron laughed too.

"She is like a ray of light in the darkness. I don't care if she's young, she makes me happy."

Ron nodded. "I know just what you mean. Getting Hermione back was like sunshine after a thousand rainy days."

"Yes!" Viktor declared. "Gabrielle is like sunshine."

"To sunshine!" Ron said, and clinked his shot glass against Viktor's.