"Hush, Mayka, I do not vant her to hear you. I bought the property I vent to look at today. Is an herb farm vith the possibility of running a potion ingredients business from it. There are barns, and out buildings and the house is vonderful. You are all going back to Bulgaria the morning after the game so I vill take her on picnic to the property and see vhat her reaction is. I vill probably ask her to marry me then. I hope."
Raisa kissed her son and replied, "She vill answer you the vay you vant, Vitya. I think she has alvays loffed you as vell, but did not recognise. Do not vorry. It vill be fine. Now, go to bed."
He tossed and turned for most of the night, only falling truly asleep two hours before dawn. At ten thirty he woke up feeling much better about things. He ate breakfast before going in search of Draco Malfoy.
He handed Draco a cheque for the two hundred thousand galleons and grinned happily at him.
Draco surprised him by patting him on the back and saying, "Good luck. And that is not just for the game this afternoon, either."
Bill Weasley caught Viktor as he went back to the lifts. He echoed Draco's comments. Harry was waiting for him outside the suite.
"Viktor, I just wanted to say that I wish you all the best with everything. I know for a fact that she cares more about you than she lets on. She was never quite the same after the Tournament. She was older, more mature. She never said anything, but I think it was because of you. Ron always drove her around the twist. You never did. Congrats, anyway. I know you'll win."
When Viktor entered the suite it was almost time to Floo to the game. Hermione came up to the suite just as Viktor was going to look for her. Raisa and Ilya were with him. Hermione ran into the suite, quickly changed clothes and came to the lifts with them.
The Floo took them to the stadium quickly. Anya and Vassily arrived a bit later. Harry, Luna, Ginny, Draco, James, Thuban, Bill, and Fleur came through the Floo directly afterwards.
The top boxes were not filled so there was plenty of room for the group to spread out. The Basque Team entered the stadium first. But the crowd went wild when the Bulgarians flew in. Viktor took his place high in the stadium as the game started.
It was a fast, vicious game. The Basques tried everything to score on the Bulgarians, but couldn't manage a single goal. The Basque Seeker was darting everywhere trying to catch sight of the Snitch.
After the fifth Bulgarian goal, Viktor spied the Snitch hovering over the Basque Seeker's head about ten feet. He casually started flying around as if he were looking and grabbed the Snitch before the other Seeker even knew what he was doing.
The crowd went wild a second time, yelling Viktor's name over and over. He grinned hugely as he held up the Snitch.
Once they were all on the ground, Viktor and his team congratulated the Basque team on a good game. Then it was time for the showers and after game celebrations.
Harry, Draco and Bill all stood watching as Viktor took Thuban up on his broom and performed a series of rolls and loops to thrill the child. Delighted laughter could be heard from the boy before Viktor returned him to his father.
Hermione had watched Viktor throughout the game. She had gasped every time it had looked like he was about to be struck by a Bludger. She had cheered when he out-flew the other Seeker and screamed when he had captured the Snitch. Her friends had all reacted the same way. Harry had yelled the loudest. Draco and Bill had applauded very loudly. Ginny, Fleur, and Luna had cheered as well. The baby, James, had not woken up, however. Thuban had been jumping up and down on the seat next to his father.
Viktor's family had gone back to the hotel as had Hermione's friends. Viktor emerged from the team tent to find Hermione waiting patiently for him.
A sudden idea occurred to him. Why wait until the morning for the picnic. It was still several hours until dark. They could explore the farm today.
He rushed her through the Floo back to the hotel and up to the suite. Then he called the front desk and ordered the picnic, complete with wine. Within ten minutes, Room Service had delivered a large picnic basket to the door.
Viktor was bubbling over with excitement, Hermione noted. She smiled at his eagerness and walked hand-in-hand with him to the side doors of the hotel.
Outside the doors was a special patio for Disapparation and Apparation. They walked to the Disapparation side and Viktor told her to put her arms around him.
He turned into the Disapparation quickly, so that the slightly dizzying sensation was lessened. They arrived at the back of a house built of golden stone. It was a very old house, dating from the time of Louis XIV. The back gardens had gone wild some years previously, for there were wildflowers everywhere. In the distance, Hermione could see fields of vivid purple.
"We're in Provence, Viktor. Surely a long way for a picnic." She teased.
He chuckled and reached under the flower pot next to the back door of the house for the key.
"I vanted you to see this place, loff. It has captured my imagination. I am thinking I should buy it for Anya and Vassily, yet I vant it for myself, too. Let me show you the house." He held out a hand to her.
He acted as tour guide as they went through the old house. His enchantment with the house grew as he saw how Hermione fell in love with the house. She would touch the carvings on the stairway or open the shutters in a room. This was the house he wanted for the two of them. He was starting to feel more confident about finally asking her to marry him.
At the end of the tour, he unpacked the picnic basket in the country kitchen and opened the bottle of wine, rummaging in the cupboards for glasses.
"Well, loff, do you like it? Would it work for Anya and Vassily?" he asked.
She turned to look at him, tilting her head to the side a bit, she said, "Vitya, you want this house. I know you do. Anya and Vassily need to be closer to his job. But you could live here comfortably, away from the reporters and the crazy fans. I think you should buy it. I would love to have a place like this to come home to. I envy you this house."
He acknowledged her guess with a shrug, handing her a wine glass. They ate leisurely and then went to explore the gardens. The wind had shifted while they were in the house and now it looked like rain. The brisk breeze brought the smell of lavender and other herbs. Lightning suddenly flashed not far away and the rain began in earnest.
Running back to the house, they got drenched. By the time they arrived in the kitchen they were laughing. He couldn't help it, she looked so beautiful, and he had to kiss her, really kiss her this time.
She responded to that kiss by twining her arms around his neck. He had kissed her before, many times, but this kiss was entirely different. This kiss was not the kiss of two friends; it was the kiss of two people who are falling in love, who have finally acknowledged their passion for each other.
He felt himself getting aroused and gently disengaged her arms from his neck.
"Hermione, loff, you do not know what you do to me," he said as he kissed her eyelids and took her face in his hands.
The newly awakened passion in her eyes made his heart sing. He wanted to make love to her so badly, but would wait until their wedding so as to not dishonour her.
She clutched at his arms because she had gone weak in the knees. The spark she had hoped was still there had become a full-fledged conflagration. Her lips were tender, her breasts were tingling, and there was an ache between her legs that was entirely new."
He gently picked her up and walked into the library to set her down on a love seat near the fireplace. The drapes were closed, making the room very dim. She looked around, but saw no candles. Shakily, she used her wand to produce the bluebell flames she loved. The silver bowl on the mantle served as a receptacle for the non-burning flames. They created just enough light for her look at Viktor sitting on the floor in front of her. The flickering of the flames highlighted worry lines on his brow.
"Viktor, what are you worried about? That was the most amazing kiss. I came to Paris to see if that rapport, that spark of what we felt years ago was still there. I guess it is. You absolutely rocked my world with that kiss." She smiled shyly at him.
He took her hands in his and kissed the palms again.
"Loff, I am vorried you think I am moving too fast. I vant to court you, to see if what I feel, vhat I hope you feel..." he stumbled to a halt as she leaned forward to touch her lips to his.
"How long have we been friends, Vitya?" Her voice was soft, sexy, teasing.
He was so dumbfounded he answered her truthfully, "It is twelf years, eight months, nineteen days. since the day ve met."
"And how long have you wanted to kiss me like that?" she asked.
Sheepishly, he hung his head and answered, "Nine years, ten months and one day. Vhy do you ask me this, loff?"
"Because, if you had kissed me like that before, I would never have dithered about which man is the one for me. I would have known." She took his face in her hands and kissed him the way he had kissed her.
"I am a fool. I vanted to give you time, but all I did vas vaste time. I vant us to marry, Hermione. Soon. We haff vaited long enough," he said, when he caught his breath.
"Are you asking me to marry you, Viktor?" she whispered.
"Yes, vill you marry me and make me the happiest man in the vorld, Hermione?" he whispered back.
She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes, before answering, "Yes, oh, yes, Viktor. I will marry you."
He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the ring that had been bought nine years and ten months before. The diamond was set into an antique setting like a book. He slid it onto her finger as she gasped.
"This is the ring we saw in Diagon Alley all those years ago! You are the man who bought it! Oh, Viktor, you are the most..."
He stopped her words by kissing her again.