When Viktor and Hermione arrived in the suite, only Ilya was still up. He was still wary of this girl his son loved. She seemed very nice, but Viktor had been waiting on her for years. Ilya wanted grandchildren and it was time Viktor was married.

Viktor walked Hermione to the door of her room and kissed her forehead. When the door closed behind her, he sat down next to his father in the kitchen of the suite.

"Vell, son, are you making progress? Is she more receptiff to you?" ilya asked.

Viktor silently cast the Muffliato charm before answering, "Yes, Bashta, she and I are much more in accord. I do not think she vill refuse me. But you must let me take this at my own speed. I do not vant to lose her. I haff loffed her for too long to lose her now. I know she cares for me, but I vant to make wery sure."

His father just grinned at him and said, "You know her best. I just do not vant your heart broken, Vitya. Your mayka and sestra love her. They vill velcome her gladly. If she makes you happy, I vill velcome her with open arms. She vill giff you strong, smart, beautiful children."

"I know she vill, Bashta, I helped her attend a birth earlier. Harry's vife vas in labour and he vas frantic. My Hermione kept her head and delivered the child without any problems. I vas so proud of her. I did my best to proof she could depend on me, no matter vhat," Viktor answered.

"You haff alvays been a good son, Viktor. You vill be good husband and father. Go to bed, you haff things to do tomorrow," Ilya said.

But Viktor sat for another hour, staring out at the lights of Paris, wondering if his dreams were ever going to come true.

Morning brought a rush of activity to the Krum suite. Raisa, Anya and Hermione were up, dressed and ready to go down to the conference rooms by nine o'clock. The talk by Rachel Foley Grant was to begin at ten sharp. Hermione had written a list of questions for the author. Raisa and Anya were going to the seminar on improvements in healing spells and potions. Ilya and Vassily were going to visit the French Ministry of Magic.

Viktor had practice in the morning, but after receiving the message from Draco Malfoy, he agreed to meet him that afternoon.

Draco, Harry, and Bill were all waiting for Viktor when he arrived back from practice. They accompanied him up to the suite to shower and change. They then went down to the lounge.

Draco ordered sandwiches and drinks for everyone as they took a table in the back. It had been decided, before Viktor got back, that Harry would bring Hermione up.

Harry wasn't quite sure exactly how to do that, so he just blurted out, "So, Viktor, where do you see your romance with Hermione going?"

Bill and Draco cringed, but waited to what Viktor's answer would be.

Looking at the three men sitting at the table, the husbands of Hermione's best friends, Viktor guessed correctly that they, especially Harry, were concerned about his relationship with her. He answered very carefully, "I vant to spend more time vith her. She is the reason I vant to buy the property that belonged to your great-great-grandmother, Draco. If I can show her I haff a home for us, I think she vill finally consider my suit."

Bill looked at Harry and Draco before saying, "We need to tell you what happened before she came here to Paris. She finally had enough of my youngest brother's nonsense. She wrote him off, Krum. She has always cared about you, that I do know. You are the one man who has never let her down or tried to manipulate her. She trusts you implicitly. Harry will back me up on this; she cares more for you than she ever did for Ron. If you really want our opinion, we think you should ask her to marry you when you are at your sister's wedding."

Viktor looked at each of them and then laughed. "I vas planning on asking her at the property before ve leave Paris for Bulgaria."

Draco finally spoke up, "Then we should be taking you to the property. I hope you'll like it. My father hated it, said it was too rustic for his taste. It was an herb farm when my great-great-grandmother owned it. A lot of the land has gone wild, but could be reclaimed with a bit of work. There are six thousand, four hundred, seventy-four hectares of land surrounding the house. Finish your drink and we'll Floo out there."