She ran into Ron first thing in the morning almost a week later. They appeared from the entrance of their respective dormitories at the exact same time, and as the common room was deserted save for one or two students, they were forced to acknowledge each other's presence.

The first thing she noticed was that Ron wasn't making a point of ignoring her or glaring at a particular spot near where she stood. He was shifting rather awkwardly on his feet, struggling to maintain eye contact and looking somewhat sheepish. In other words, Harry had finally managed to get through to him.

"Morning," he mumbled.

Hermione was in a vengeful mood. She glared at him. "Ran out of things to accuse me of, I see?"

"Y-yea," he said, flushing red and averting his eyes.

She noticed her bag from Tomes and Scrolls dangling between his fingers and Viktor's wrapped books tucked underneath the same arm and her glare receded a little. She had forgotten that he had her and Viktor's purchases, and couldn't help but feel a little grateful that he took care of them while they were in his possession as she knows that he normally doesn't take very good care of his own things.

He took a deep breath and approached her, a wary sort of determination on his heavily freckled face. She held her ground and lifted her chin haughtily at him, exactly like the way she knew he hated, but that didn't seem to affect him this time. He stopped a foot before her and held out Viktor's books and her bag.

"You forgot your stuff last time," he said. "Thought you'd want them back."

"Thank you," she said after a while, slowly taking the bag and sliding the books from his hands. "Anything else?"

"Yea," he said, running his hands through his flaming red hair in the exact same way he didn't know she liked. "I was wondering if… if I could– I mean, if Harry and I could join you and Ginny for breakfast."

She stared at him for a long time, feeling her anger slowly subsiding. She knew he wasn't very good at apologies, and as much as she wanted to demand that he gives her a proper one, right now she could see that he was still trying very hard. That and she owes him for going with her and Viktor on that Hogsmeade date even though it made him uncomfortable.

That's not saying that she still didn't have words for him, of course. She is, after all, Hermione Jean Granger and she still happens to be cross with him.

"I didn't ask for this, you know," she said, pleased to see him once again avert his eyes in shame.

"I know, or at least now I do," he said.

"Well if that's the case then please try not to forget it next time. I'm trying to understand the magic behind it, and most importantly how to get out of it without hurting Viktor, so it would be of great help to me if you didn't throw a temper tantrum every time I talk to him because until I figure this out I'll have to put up with him trying to… impress me." She paused. She waited for him to glare at her again but she was surprised to see him nodding along instead. "Are we at an understanding, then?"

"Yea," he said, looking up at her again and giving her a lopsided smile. "So… friends?"

She felt the corners of her lips twitching. "Alright. Let's go get breakfast."

All thoughts of her reconciliation with Ron were instantly pushed aside when they sat by a very sick looking Harry. He was looking down at his cold porridge with fear Hermione's never seen before, so she and Ron took it upon themselves to reassure and distract him until he has to leave for the first task. She did most of the reassuring parts, going through the techniques they discussed late into the night and helping him discreetly practice the Summoning charm on the empty cups and plates, while Ron managed the distraction part very well on his own by bringing up the subject of Quidditch and brooms and other terms Hermione wasn't very familiar with.

She looked at the other champions, curious about how they were handling the stress of competing. Cedric Diggory from the Hufflepuff table next to theirs was laughing and talking with his friends but Hermione didn't fail to notice the slight quiver in his voice or that his hands shook and nearly spilled his drink all over his plate. Fleur Delacour was not even touching her food. Viktor Krum was staring at her with a smitten smile on his face, which only seemed to grow when he realized that she was staring back at him. He raised his hand and waved at her, alerting none other than Draco Malfoy who was sitting right next to him. She quickly turned towards Harry and Ron just as Malfoy looked at her, pretending to be engaged in their conversation despite her face gradually turning pink.

It didn't help that Ludo Bagman thought it appropriate to include her in his commentary before the champions and their dragons even had the chance to grace the arena.

"…the sight of the lovely Miss Granger in the very fist row leaning on the rails and searching anxiously for a glimpse of her boyfriend in the champion's tent, no doubt worried about him now that it's been revealed that dragons are the first task, takes me back to my very first match! Miss Granger certainly reminds me of my girlfriend at the time, then supermodel Tatiana, whose concern and unwavering love and support truly gave me the confidence I needed to win that match! Kelly if you're listening to me right now, let me just express my utmost gratitude…"

Hermione didn't hear the rest of it. She had ducked under the benches and pressed her palms to either side of her head, blushing madly and cursing Bagman to high heavens. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die. The whispers and looks she occasionally receives on her way to classes or to the library, that she could take, but an entire makeshift stadium full to the brim with all of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang staring directly at her was too much.

Ginny was instantly on her knees before her, both hands curled around Hermione's wrists in an attempt to yank them away from her face. "Hermione… Hermione, calm down! He's talking about his second wife now, no one is looking this way."

"Don't listen to that stupid git," said George, he and his twin standing guard on either side of her, both looking rather annoyed. "He wants to make this tournament about himself. He's only using you and Krum to get attention."

"Yea, don't worry about it, Granger, we'll get him for you," promised Fred, turning to glare at Bagman. "We've been meaning to, anyway."

"To imply that I'm here for Viktor!" she sputtered, feeling the prickle of angry tears at the back of her eyes. "Harry is my best friend! We've been friends since always, and he's also competing! How could he just make that assumption and… and just…my boyfriend!"

"I know, I know," said Ginny soothingly, slowly helping Hermione back on her feet. "I mean at least he didn't use the word 'mate', right?"

"Great, now everyone thinks I'm here for Viktor!" she moaned, once again covering her face with her hands.

"No they don't," said Ron from her other side, his calm tone surprising her into looking up at him. "It's just Bagman, Hermione. Nobody takes him seriously anymore, at least not with that gut."

He was glowering into the arena, but she felt him trying and couldn't help but smile. He had a strange way of calming people when he puts his head to it and she's always appreciated it's instant effect.

He was the third to compete right after Fleur. His dragon was a Chinese Fireball, and although Hermione had stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and put on her best poker face when he walked into the arena to the roar of the crowd, she still couldn't help but go through everything she's read about the dragon in her head.

Native to China, also called Liondragon, highly intelligent. Females tend to be larger, around twenty-five feet in height and weighing about two to four tons. Name is derived from the mushroom-shaped flame it shoots from its mouth. Diet consists of mainly mammals, preferably pigs and humans.

"…and poor Miss Granger is torn between her loyalty to Hogwarts' champions and to her beau, who is no doubt thinking of her himself as he comes face to face with the formidable Fireball…"

Hermione didn't think it was possible. There was actually someone worse than Rita Skeeter.

The match was over before she could come up with a way for him to get around such a fast, agile breed. He had clearly somehow known about the dragons the same way Harry did and had done his research on them. It was too intelligent and fast to defeat with only a wand, and especially aggressive when nesting, so Viktor chose to blind the dragon using a simple Conjunctivitis Curse that glued her eyes shut. He then easily climbed into the nest and grabbed the golden egg as the dragon roared in blind rage, signaling the end of his match and for the Dragon Keepers nearby to sweep in and tame the dragon.

She couldn't help it. She was impressed, for even she hadn't thought of using a Conjunctivitis Curse.

He looked up at the cheering crowd. Their eyes met. He grinned and waved at her with his free hand, just as one of the Dragon Keepers lifted the curse from the dragon's eyes.

"Look out!" she screamed.

It was too late. The first thing the dragon saw upon opening her eyes was her assailant still standing in her nest holding one of her eggs, and fueled with anger and protective maternal instincts she swung a whip-like tail that narrowly missed a Keeper and hit Viktor straight in the chest, knocking him over the edge of the nest and onto the rocks several feet below.

Hermione would've leapt over the railings if Ron and Ginny hadn't thought of holding her back. Oh god, please be alright! she prayed, desperately searching the arena with her eyes.

Charlie Weasley and another extra Keeper rushed towards where Viktor fell as the rest finally managed to pacify and contain the raging dragon. Several minutes later they appeared with Viktor from between the rocks and the crowd released a mixture of cheers and collective sighs of relief.

"Ginny," she said, gripping her friend's wrist as she stared wide-eyed as Viktor, Charlie, and the other Keeper retreated into the champions' tent. "Ginny, he's limping!"

"Hermione, it's alright, it's probably not that bad," Ginny said, trying to sound reassuring despite her own worried glance towards the tent. "There are Healers on standby, and Madam Pomfrey of course."

"But he's hurt and it's all my fault! I was distracting him from his task and–"

"Come on, Hermione, it's Viktor Krum!" said Ron exasperatingly. "He's taken much worse! Just last year he dislocated his shoulder eight times, broke three ribs, broke his nose in almost every match, nearly fractured his jaw–"

"He could've died, Ron!" she rounded on him, nearing hysterics as he continued listing his idol's many injuries. "This isn't some silly game of Quidditch, this is literally life and death!"

"Silly game of Quidditch?" he said, actually looking offended.

"Yes, compared to the bloody Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch is child's play! Contestants have actually died in the past, and Viktor would've too had the dragon chose to breathe fire instead!"

"Yea, well, it didn't so he's alright–"

"He was limping, Ron! He was just whipped by a dragon's tail! do you even know how powerful they are?!"

"Both of you, shut it!" shouted Ginny, forcing her way between them and placing her palms on their chests to shove them away from each other. "If you weren't so busy fighting like an old married couple you would've heard Bagman announce that Krum is alright. He lost a few points for getting hit, but he's alright and he's still in the lead."

"See? I told you so. He's Viktor Krum and this sort of place is his playground. There's nothing he can't do," said Ron proudly.

"Careful, Ronnie, your crush is showing," sniggered George behind them.

"Shut it!" he shot back, glaring behind his shoulders at the twins as his ears turned a bright red.

"You shut it!" they said in union.

"They took points because he got hit?" Hermione asked incredulously. "He was hit, for goodness' sake!"

Ginny shrugged. "Yea, but he wasn't really paying attention, was he?"

"But he's already got the egg!"

"Doesn't matter, as long as he's in the arena he's still competing."

"That's just so unfair!" she slumped back into the bench, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, and it's all my fault!"

"No it's not," said Ginny resolutely, coming to sit down beside her. "He should've left the arena as soon as he got the egg and he knew that perfectly well. It's his own fault, really, for deciding to play Sir Knight instead. And even if he did loose points he's still in the lead for now."

Hermione nodded but she wasn't convinced. She couldn't stop worrying, and she knew she wouldn't until she sees him with her own eyes.

"Er, I think it's my fault, actually," said Fred after a while, looking sheepish. "You see, I may or may not have cheered for the dragon…"

Harry's turn came before she could scold him. Her thoughts were a great mess by then. She felt like she was in the middle of a brutal game of tug-of-war between her concern over Harry and Viktor, who in her head was lying unconscious on a stretcher somewhere with several broken bones and possibly one or two amputated limbs. It didn't help that Harry, while successful in retrieving the egg, got a bloody shoulder from the Hungarian Horntail's claw that swiped at him when he flew right below her on his broom to make a swift grab for the egg.

She barely paid attention when they announced the results. Viktor and Harry were tied in first place. Bagman didn't add anything about their injuries. She rushed into the infirmary tent as soon as she was allowed to and barreled into Harry when she first saw him lying on one of the beds.

"Hermione," he said, gasping a little as her arms coiled tightly around his neck. "Hermione, I can't breath– Hermione, I'm alright."

"Harry, you were brilliant!" she cried, finally pulling away at Madam's Pomfrey's orders. "You scared me half to death, but you were absolutely brilliant!"

He grinned. "Thanks. Really, Hermione, it was mostly thanks to you."

His spirits were elevated despite him occasionally wincing from the pain. She couldn't tell if it's the lingering adrenaline of facing a dragon or from when the crowd's boos turned to deafening cheers, but either way she was relieved more than anything to see that the injury on his shoulder was shallow and that it was already starting to heal.

Charlie spotted them on his way out before Hermione could stop him. He grinned and shook Harry's free hand.

"Sad to say I didn't see it myself, but from the sounds of it you did great, Harry," he said. "Congratulations on bagging this task."

"Thanks," said Harry, grinning back. "But I didn't exactly 'bag' it. I'm tied with Krum."

Hermione choose then to cut in, too anxious to stand through the conversation politely. "Charlie, how's Viktor?"

"Krum?" He looked over his shoulder towards a bed that had the curtains drawn around it. "He's a real piece of work, I'll tell you that!" He chuckled. "Absolutely refused to take his potion. Said he hated the taste and would rather 'self-heal', or I think that's what he said… got a real thick accent on him, doesn't he? I'm surprised anyone understands him."

"Why would he need potions, what's wrong with him?"

"Oh no, don't worry, it's nothing serious!" he said quickly when he finally heard the urgency in her voice. "It's just a sprained ankle but it still needs to be looked after, you know? He kept refusing so Trevor and I had to hold him down but even that didn't work. He's really a lot stronger than he looks!" he shook his head. "Anyway, Madam Pomfrey had two more champions with burns to look after so we had to sedate him to get it over with. I reckon his ankle is healed by now, but I just left him and he's still quite out of it. Karkaroff left ten minutes ago, so you can go see him now if you want."

She looked up at him, startled. She hadn't even realized that she was staring at the curtained bed the whole time he talked.

"Yes, alright. Thank you, Charlie," she said, averting her eyes as he raised a brow at her.

She was headed towards the bed when Ron stopped her.

"You're not actually going, are you?" he asked, his blue eyes flickering towards the bed then back at her.

"Well, of course I'm going!"

"There's no need, Hermione, Charlie said he's fine."

"I– I know, but still," she bit her lip, fighting down a blush. "I have to see him, Ron."

"Why?" he challenged, narrowing his eyes. "Charlie's word isn't enough?"

"Of course it is, you know I trust Charlie!" she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Now isn't the time for another row. "Look, I just have to see him, alright? I won't be long."

She was a few steps away when she heard him say: "so all that talk about trying to get out it was just a load of bollocks?"

She paused, contemplated a retort, but thought better of it. Instead she responded by walking through the curtains concealing Viktor's bed. Ron just doesn't understand. He insists on seeing Viktor as the villain from the children's tale, not as equally a victim as she is in this whole mess.

True to Charlie's words, Viktor was completely out of it. He laid sprawled on the bed with the comforter thrown unceremoniously on the ground, a clear indication of a struggle, with his dark hair tousled and a dumb grin plastered on his face.

"Pretty lady look like my mate," he said when he finally managed to take note of her presence.

"I am your ma– Hermione," she quickly corrected herself, shaking her head. "Viktor, how are you feeling?"

"Like I am on broom, but without broom. Is very weird. I no like it, but making me happy."

She snorted. "I imagine it would."

She tentatively walked around the bed and picked the blanket from the ground, conscious of his eyes following her. She hesitated before throwing it over his body, going around the corners to make sure that it covered his feet. He took her hand when she tried to pull the cover over his chest and gripped it with surprising strength. She looked at him, briefly wondering if the effects of the sedative potion have worn off already, but he still had the same dumb grin on face.

"You are very beautiful, Hermione," he said. "How many boys telling you this?"

She blushed, and took comfort in the fact that he was far too drugged to notice. "None, actually, but it's alright. I don't really care about these things."

He only seemed to hear the first word. "Ok, I will tell you for them."

"Viktor–"

"I will make you my queen," he vowed. "Or lady, because I no king, but you become most beautiful lady in all of Bulgaria, and also Britain and France and Spain and Italy and Russia and Ukraine and Belgium and Germany and the Netherlands and–"

"I think I get the premise," she said, biting down a smile as she slipped her hand from his to properly tuck him in.

"So you will be my lady?" he asked hopefully.

"We'll– we'll talk about that when you're well rested."

He scoffed. "I am man, Hermione, I no need rest." He yawned. "I can be awake forever…" He slurred as his lids started sliding over his eyes. "…I will show you beautiful things…"

His hand was groping the sheets for hers but she held back. Ron's words were ringing loudly in her ears.

A/N: Ah, there's nothing quite like Ron agonising over his jealousy and love of Viktor Krum! More than anything, I always thought that was hilarious in cannon. Also, Tatiana and Kelly are not the same person. It wasn't a typo. Bagman was two-timing them. Right now he's hardcore shipping Hermione/Viktor, though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that!