Past:

"He had to give you up when the first war started to keep you safe. So he gave you to the Grangers because he believed that no one would bother you if they thought you were muggle born. Now that everything is over he feels it is now safe and would like to finally get to know you." Viktor responded.

"I'm not Muggle-born! Who is he?" Hermione asked.

Viktor shifted uncomfortably, " Yes, you aren't a Muggle-born witch. But I can't tell you that here. If you want to know who he is, you'll have to come with me to Bulgaria to meet him."

Hermione thought for a moment, 'If I truly have family remaining, should I meet them?'

"Okay, when do we leave for Bulgaria?" Hermione responded.

Present:

Viktor looked up at her in shock, "I didn't think you would believe me. Let alone want to know who your true parents are."

"Why wouldn't I believe you?" Hermione asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't know. I just figured you would be in denial and wouldn't accept that the Granger's weren't you true parents." Viktor admitted.

"Whether the Granger's are or are not blood-related they are still my parents. They are still the people who raised me to be who I am today. I will always remember that no matter what or who comes along." Hermione confessed thinking of her parent's.

Viktor nodded, "I understand. They raised you, and you'll always have those memories."

Hermione nodded, "Exactly! Plus you have given me no reason not to trust you. So when do we leave for Bulgaria?"

Viktor scrunched up his face in thought. He thought for a minute before responding, "Why don't we leave tomorrow?"

"Oh! What about my job and work?" Hermione faltered thinking of her new job and the promotion she had worked so hard to get. She couldn't just give up on it now. Especially not to just be whisked off to Bulgaria to learn of who her real parents are.

"Just send an owl to your secretary in the morning and tell her that you will be working remotely. That way she can owl you anything that needs your attention to you while you are gone. Then if there is anything that needs you to come back to London you'll know." Viktor answered quickly.

"I guess I could that...but what my friends? And Ron? What should I tell them?" Hermione questioned.

"Send them an owl and tell them that you had to leave immediately on business. You are the Minister of Magic now so they shouldn't question it. The previous minister was always traveling." Viktor advised.

"Okay… Do you have an owl that I could use to send these letters?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Yes, you can use my owl to send the letters." Viktor began, "Is there anything else you are worried about?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so. Where are we going to be staying in Bulgaria?"

"We'll be staying at my family's home," Viktor replied.

"Okay." Hermione yawned.

"Why don't we call it a night and head to bed. You can take my bed, and I'll sleep on the couch. Then when you wake up in the morning, we can leave for Bulgaria."

Hermione nodded, "Sounds good."

Viktor grabbed his wand from his side and flicked it in the direction of the closed door off of the living room. "I set out one of my shirts and shorts on the bed, so you change out of your dress and sleep more comfortably."

Hermione looked down at her dress and Viktor's jacket that she was still wearing. Definitely wouldn't be a dress she would want to sleep in. "Thanks." Hermione smiled as she stood up from the couch and began walking towards the door to his room.

"If you need anything, just let me know," Viktor replied as he laid back on the couch and spread his legs on the spot Hermione had just been sitting in.

"I will," Hermione responded as she opened the door to his room. "Goodnight Viktor."

"Goodnight Hermione."

Hermione stepped into his room and closed the door behind her. The room was dimly lit by a single lamp that was atop of an oak nightstand. With the little light from the lamp, she was able to make out that the room was a dark blue. Along the wall beside her was a medium sized desk with a high back chair pushed into the desk. Across from where she stood at the opening of the room was a large oak dresser. Then in the middle of the room was large bed with a dark blue comforter. On the bed were two pillows with blue pillowcases and a silver border. At the end of the bed, as he promised was a white t-shirt and pair of black shorts. Hermione walked across the room to stand at the end of the bed and began taking off the jacket and dress that she was wearing. She flung both the coat and dress at her feet. Then stepped into the shorts and pulled them on and pulled the shirt over her head. Once, dressed for bed, Hermione pulled back the comforter and sheet on the bed and climbed in pulling them both up to her head as she laid her head on one of the pillows. Hermione reached over and turned off the lamp beside the bed. As soon as the light was off Hermione snuggled into the bed and closed her eyes falling asleep quickly.

The next morning, Hermione awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of the room and light pouring in through a window beside the bed she had not seen last night. Hermione stretched her hands upwards towards the wall yawning as she did it. Once, the yawn was finished Hermione brought her hands down and rubbed her face trying to get rid of any evidence of sleep. She sat up in the bed slowly moving her legs off the edge of the bed to touch the cold wooden floor and saw fresh clothes sitting at the edge of the bed. Hermione reached across the bed to the clothes lying on the side of the bed and brought them over to her to look at them. It was women's clothes. Very different from the clothes she had worn last night to sleep in. In her hands was a blue silk top and a pair of black jeans. The shirt was simple with a high neck and little ruching around the top of the neck with a small teardrop hole from the top of the high collar to above where her chest would be. The jeans were of black denim that looked like they were a skinny fit jean. Hermione checked the size of both the jeans and the top and was surprised to see they were her size. She pulled off the clothes she had worn to bed last night and slipped on the new jeans and top. They both fit perfectly, however, the jeans were a little tighter than she usually liked. But they did perfectly accentuate her curves. She folded the shirt and shorts she had worn and put them on the edge of the bed. Once, she was done she picked up Viktors suit jacket and put it back on as it was still a little cold in his room. She then picked up her dress and zipped it back up and folded it in half and set it on the bed. When she finished, she stood up from the bed and walked over to the desk at the end of the bed. She inspected the desk and saw that it had paper and a quill already on it. She pulled out the high back chair and sat down grabbing the feather for the inkwell and a piece of paper. She quickly wrote a letter to her secretary telling her what Viktor had told her last night. She then sat that letter aside and began writing the next message to Ron letting him know she would be out of the country on business. As she finished that letter, she grabbed her wand from her side and waved it over the one for Ron and created two copies of it. She shook her wand over the first copy and changed it to be addressed to Harry and then she did the same thing with the second copy but changed it to Ginny. Finishing her letters, she stood up from the desk. She pushed the chair back into the desk and picked up the letters she had just wrote. Hermione walked over towards the door and was able to smell the smell of fresh coffee being brewed from the kitchen. Hermione pulled the door leaving it open behind her and started walking towards the aroma of coffee. She entered the kitchen just as Viktor has picked up the pot of coffee and began pouring himself a cup. He looked up at Hermione as she came into the kitchen, "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," Hermione responded. Viktor nodded and pulled out another cup from the cupboard above the coffee pot and filled it up with coffee. Once, the container was filled he set down the pot of coffee and handed the cup over to Hermione.

Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the dark coffee before bringing the cup up to her lips and taking a sip. "Oh that's good," Hermione mumbled bringing the cup down.

Viktor chuckled taking a sip of his own coffee, "Are those the letters for your work and friends?"

Hermione nodded, "Can I use your owl to send them out?"

"Of course!" Viktor exclaimed, "Anya!" He called out extending his arm. As soon as the words had left his mouth, she could hear wings flapping quickly before a grey blur flew past her and landed on his extended arm. "She's not an owl, but she can deliver the letters quicker than any owl could," Viktor announced beaming at the bird on his arm.

Hermione looked at the bird on his arm, she was a light grey with bright yellow feet. Her beak was a dark grey with the same golden yellow around the edge of her beak and around her black eyes. She had never seen anything like it. "What is she?" Hermione asked.

"Anya is a grey kestrel," Viktor answered setting down his now empty coffee cup on the counter.

"Will she able to handle delivering all four of the letters?" Hermione questioned. Anya clicked her beak angrily at Hermione who looked taken aback.

Viktor chuckled, "Yes, she can handle delivering all of the letters. Just tell her who she is delivering them to, and she'll make sure each letter gets to its destination."

Hermione took one last drink of her coffee draining the cup before setting it down and beginning to roll up the letters she had just written. Once the messages were rolled up, Hermione walked over to the bird and placed the letters on her outstretched leg and instructed her who they needed to be delivered to. As soon as Hermione had finished giving the bird instructions, it quickly flew out of the kitchen in a blur just like it had arrived.

Viktor took a moment to look at the clothes he had gotten for Hermione. They fit her perfectly. "Those clothes look nice on you." Viktor began, "And so does my suit jacket." Viktor smiled.

Hermione blushed, "Sorry I was cold this morning when I got dressed so I put it back on." Hermione began to take the jacket off. Viktor crossed the room putting his hand on her own that was trying to remove the coat.

"Keep it on. It completes the look." Viktor requested. Hermione paused looking up into his dark eyes before pushing the jacket back onto her shoulders.

"Okay." Hermione breathed his warm hand still touching her own.

Viktor realizing that he still had a hold of Hermione's hand removed it, "Well are you ready to travel to Bulgaria?"

Clearing her throat Hermione nodded before replying, "Yes, are we just going to apparate?"

"No, beings it's your first time in the country we will need to use the floo network. After that, if you decide to revisit Bulgaria, then you will be able to apparate directly into the country." Viktor paused, "Beings I'm not connected to the floo network at my apartment we will need to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron. Then from there we can floo to the Slithering Snake Saloon in Bulgaria."

"Alright, well let's get going then," Hermione announced.

"Yes, it going to be a long day already. No need to make it longer." Viktor agreed moving closer to Hermione, "I'll apparate us outside of the Leaky Cauldron."

"That works." Hermione accepted grabbing his arm. "I am ready whenever you are."

Viktor nodded pulling his wand out of his holster focusing on the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. They both disappeared from the kitchen in a crack as Viktor apparated them to the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione and Viktor reappeared in the alley beside the Leaky Cauldron in a crack. Hermione let go of Viktor's arm and steadied herself by setting her head on the cold brick wall as her vision focused and head stopped spinning. Apparating by yourself wasn't bad because you were able to focus on the location you were traveling to. But when you are side apparated the person, not in control would be pulled through the world in a flash not being able to focus on the landing point. It was like being on merry go round and spinning very quickly and not being able to focus on a single spot to keep yourself from being nauseous.

"Are you alright?" Viktor asked the girl setting his hand on her shoulder.

Hermione waited a minute before opening her eyes and swallowing down the wave of nausea. "Yeah." As she began to stand upright beside Viktor. Viktor watched her for a moment before starting to walk towards the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione followed the boy as they reached the opening of the Leaky Cauldron. Viktor pushed the door open into the bar. Inside the bar was loud. It was filled with people at every table and at the bar itself all talking. It was a dingy old bar, but you wouldn't know it by all the people that were in it. Viktor and Hermione moved through the bar going to where the fireplace was that was connected to the floo network. As they walked through the crowd of people and finally arrived in front of the fire, Viktor looked around for the floo powder but wasn't able to find it.

"I'll be right back. Got to go get us some floo powder." Viktor announced before walking over to the bar leaving Hermione in front of the fireplace.

As soon as he left, Hermione heard someone call her name. Hermione turned around to see Ron standing behind her holding a pint in his hand.

"I got your letter 'Mione. Where are you going?" Ron slurred gruffly.

Hermione sighed, "I'm leaving on a business trip like I told you in the letter."

"Hermione, are you ready to go? I got the floo powder." Viktor said arriving back in front of the fireplace with a small pouch in his hand that she figured was filled with floo powder.

"Vicky!" Ron growled before turning to Hermione with accusing eyes, "So you are running off with him? Couldn't get enough of him after you spent the night with him instead of your friends and your boyfriend."

"Ron, I am not running off with him like you think…"Hermione began before she was cut off by Ron.

"Oh, so you are denying that you are sleeping with him?" Ron raged.

"Yes, I am. Because it didn't happen. Ron, you are just drunk. Why don't you go home and sleep it off?" Hermione pleaded with her boyfriend.

"No, I am not just drunk." Ron roared, "You are running off to cheat on me some more with Vicky." Ron hissed out his name as if it was poisonous on his tongue.

"Ron, you are wrong." Viktor started trying to calm down the redhead.

"No, you both are just lying," Ron screamed grabbing his wand in anger and sending a spell crashing over both of their heads. The color from the fight with Ron drained from Hermione's face as the spell shot over her head. The Leaky Cauldron was silent as every person in the bar stared at the location of where the spell was fired from.

"We are over Hermione." Ron hissed before drinking the rest of his pint before dropping it on the groundbreaking the glass into many pieces and walking out of the Leaky Cauldron.

The Leaky Cauldron continued to stare at the remaining duo before the barkeeper cleared his throat, "Nothing to see here folks. Back to your own business."

The bar began to buzz again loudly with the mix of all of the voices before Viktor tried to comfort Hermione, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's get going." Hermione responded walking into the unlit fireplace. Viktor followed her lead stepping into the fireplace pulling some powder out of the bag in his hand.

"Slithering Snake Saloon," Viktor shouted throwing down the floo powder into the fireplace. The fireplace erupted into green flames. As Hermione vision began to be pulled from the bar to the new location, she saw a blurred figure of a man standing in front of the fireplace with blonde hair. Hermione tried to focus on the person to see who it was, but her vision went black as she pulled to her new location.