Hermione pulled on his hand and began to lead him to where the regular forest and forbidden forest met. She didn't know by what force kept the darkness from seeping into the other part of the forest but whatever it was she was extremely grateful for it.

"Wait…" Hermione suddenly stopped; she could have sworn she had seen a dark shadow dart from one side of the forest to the other. "Did you see that?" she asked quietly.

"See what?" he asked looking to her.

"Nothing come on it's a just a little ways more until we're out of the forbidden forest…" she said as she pulled on his hand and led him towards the invisible border between light and darkness. As they ran Hermione looked over her shoulder to see a large grey spider moving towards them at an alarming speed.

"What are you looking at?" Viktor asked.

"Nothing at all!" she said as she pulled him by his hand and began to run faster. Viktor glanced over his shoulder slightly wide eyed.

"That's huge!"

"What did you say?" she asked. He had yelled something in Bulgarian; she guessed he had seen their predicament. She felt his hand slip out of hers and glanced over her shoulder to see him standing still his wand pointed at the nearing the spider.

"Incendio!" he shouted. A wall of fire was nearing the approaching animal.

"No Viktor!" she shouted stopping. She breathed a sigh of relief when the fire missed the arachnid by inches. His sudden halt had put them in immense danger. The spider was so close there was no way they could out run it. Hermione rushed up to Viktor and jumped in front him. She stared straight into the spider her chest heaving as she took steadying breaths.

"Luff what are you doing?" she ignored him as she felt her palms begin to sweat and her heart race increase.

Stop… stop… stop… stop… STOP! The spider froze mid run and fell motionless to the ground. "Come on." She pulled his hand into hers and rushed him over the line that separated the forbidden forest from the surrounding wood. They ran a few minutes longer just to be sure before both stopped to heave over their hands on their knees as they gasped for air. "That was intense…" Hermione muttered her lungs aching.

"You know wandless magic." he said after a steadying breath.

"Uh yeah just a little…" she said catching her breath.

"What did you do to it?" Viktor asked.

"Froze it in time… It will be fine in a few hours." She said standing up straight as he did the same.

"We could haf killed it." he said. "Been much simpler."

"And tragic." She said looking to him with an angry expression.

"Did I do something bad?" he asked.

"I'd say do you you know how rare those creatures are? Hogwarts has the largest Acromantula population in all of Europe. Besides, if you had killed that Acromantula, we would have had hundreds of its brothers and sisters on us within seconds… Not only was your attack unwarranted and misguided it was also extremely senseless Viktor…"

"I am Sorry… I was not aware they were so important to Hogwarts…" he said. "I did not wish to make you angry."

"I'm not angry…" she said straightening out her clothes. "I was just informing you." He smiled.

"I find myself informed…" he said taking a leaf out of her hair before holding it in front of her face. She smiled as she took it. "So that thing has brothers and sisters?"

"Thousands…" she said.

"Why did they not attack as vell?"

"Well considering the size I would think that's the oldest of Aragogs children… When they hunt I have a feeling it leads then when it secures the prey the family comes and feasts together…"

"Who is Aragog?" he asked.

"The father and leader of the colony." She said.

"You have met this… Spider?"

"Acromantula…" she corrected. "And thankfully no, but Harry and Ron have." She looked up to see more of the large arachnids surrounding its fallen brother. "We should get out of here." She said taking his hand in hers. "They won't cross the border, at least I don't think they will but we shouldn't be here to find out."

"Do you know how to get to castle from this part of forest?" he asked.

"Uhm…" she looked around. "Yeah I'm pretty sure I can…" he smiled at her uneasy look.

"Voman haf no sense of direction." He said. "I vill lead us."

"No way skippy, I'll be leading this little adventure last time you did we got into some arachnid troubles." She said with a small smile as she began to lead him towards the way she was sure led to Hogwarts.

"Skippy?" He asked with an amused smile as he followed.

"Yeah Skippy." She said with a smile. "It's something my mum calls me when I'm super sure of myself." She said.

"Mother calls me Speedy." She chuckled.

"Speedy?" Hermione asked.

"Is fitting yes?" he said with a dazzling smile.

"Very." She said with another small giggle.

"May I haf chance to lead us out of wood?" he asked wanting to prove his navigation skills to her.

"Are you sure you can get us out?" she asked.

"Of course. I am very good with direction." He said with a smile.

"I don't know…" she said looking around a little nervous. She didn't want to be in forest longer then she had to be.

"Trust me." He said with a dazzling smile.

"Oh… Alright… it's not like we can get too lost…" she said with a small smile as he took her hand and began to lead her towards the direction he was sure that led to the castle.

-o-

"I uh… I think we may be lost…" Viktor said after an hour of endless circling. He hated admitting it but he was pretty sure Hermione had noticed. "Yes… Yes we are lost."

"Really?" Hermione asked with an amused smile. "Because I was sure we only past that boulder like ten times…" he turned to see she was smiling her hands on her hips.

"You make jest?" he asked.

"I do. I do indeed jest." She said making him laugh.

"Just give me moment to get bearings now that we know we are going in circles I can redirect us." He said turning to look. "Trust me; Bulgarian men are very good with directions."

"Uh huh…"

"I will get us out of wood very soon." He said with a small smile and a curt nod.

"Mhm…"

"You know I am best navigator in school. So this forest holds no challenge we'll be out in minutez." He said his hands gripping triumphantly at his sides.

"Sure…" her words weren't reassuring to him, not one bit.

"Her-My-knee, do not be upset." He turned to find no one there. "Her-my-knee?" he looked around fear gripping him as he turned to gaze out into the thick forest. "No no…" he muttered. "Hermione!"

"Hey you said my name right again. That's the third time." He looked around.

"Her-my-knee?" he asked blinking.

"Up here!" he looked up to see Hermione high up in a tree.

"What are you doing up there?" he asked startled.

"Getting better bearings, I can see the castle we have to go South…" She said as she started to climb down.

"Be very careful luff." He said. "Do not want you to fall."

"Oh I'll be okay." Just as the words left her mouth a loud snap sounded. A branch underneath Hermione had broke in two sending her sprawling to the ground far below. Hermione closed her eyes tightly and braced herself for impact.

"Oof…." She felt herself fall somewhat roughly into something and sink before slowly being raised. She opened her eyes to see a smiling Viktor looking at her. He had caught her. "You fall more often than any girl I haf ever met." He said.

"I don't fall all the time." She said with a smile.

"You do so." He said.

"Name the times."

"Twice in library, once on first date and then just now." he said. "Perhaps I make you clumsy?"

"Perhaps…" she said with a small smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Want to make me more clumsy?" she asked in an overly sultry voice he instantly quirked an eyebrow. "What too much?" he laughed.

"Just a little." She laughed. "But ask again…"

"Want to make me clumsy… Skippy?" he laughed. "Too much again?"

"No… Not at all…" he said softly before sweeping his lips across hers. When he pulled away Hermione smiled up at him.

"Which way do we have to go again?" he asked before kissing her once more.

"Mmm… South." She said.

"Right onward we shall go!" he said as he started walking, Hermione still held in his arms.

"Uh Viktor, you could put me down." She said.

"Can't risk you tripping from your clumsiness."

"Viktor…"

"Not until I'm sure you can walk."

"Well how will you know if you won't let me walk…"

"This is good point." He said as he continued to walk with a smirk. Hermione sighed before laying her head on his shoulder.

"Well if you won't let me walk can you at least turn around… You're going north." He stopped and looked around.

"Am I?" he asked making Hermione laugh. He turned and started to walk with his own chuckle. Hermione gave a sudden giggle. "What?" he asked with a smile.

"Viktor… You're going west now." he stopped and looked around with another laugh.

"Vell uhm…" he set her on her feet. "Maybe you should lead." He said with an embarrassed look.

"Don't mind if I do…" she said. "I'd carry you but you're uh…" she looked him up and down. "Too big."

"Is that fat joke?" he asked with a very serious look before they both broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Not funny." She said with a giggle.

"Then why do you laugh?" Hermione just smiled as she took his hand in hers. As they walked Viktor looked down at their entwined hands. He couldn't help but notice how perfectly her small hand fit within his. Hermione laughed softly as they broke through the thick trees to face the front of the school. "See I got us out." She said. Viktor looked from the large castle to Hermione who was looking back at him with a glorious smile. What he had tried to do for close to an hour and a half had only taken her mere minutes. He let out an impressed laugh before kissing her on both her cheeks. "I knew it was here all along." He said.

"Sure you did."

"No I did I swear." He said.

"Uh huh." She said with a laugh.

"Maybe I did not but maybe I did guess you'll never know." He said with a cheeky smile. "Haf I failed to impress you Miss Granger?"

"Oh no, you've impressed me in other ways." She said as she moved close to him.

"How's that?" he asked.

"Not telling just yet…" she said before kissing him quickly and beginning to walk off a small giggle being sounded from her as she did.

"You are able to curse death eaters, verbally cut down ignorant blonde boys, fly on hippogriffs, fight of giant spiders-."

"Acramentula." Hermione corrected.

"Fight off giant Acramentula…" he said with a smile. "And you solve local Hogwarts mysteries…"

"Mysteries?" she asked. "Are you saying I'm like a modern day Scooby doo?"

"schoovy who?" he asked.

"Scooby doo… Crime solving talking dog…" she said he just continued to stare at her. "You've never heard of him? Ever?" he shook his head. "That's so… So sad… I have to introduce you to him."

"You know crime solving talking dog?" he asked.

"No no not know I just mean I'll have to show you it, it's a cartoon they have a few movies too though… Wonder if I can get my hands on one…" she said looking up in thought. Viktor smiled getting a good idea. He cleared his throat not wanting her to catch on or to think of it for herself.

"What vere we talking about?" he asked after a moment with an innocent look.

"About all the things I have done."

"Yes yes… I was just wondering with all the things you're capable of doing is there anything you can't do?' he asked with a small chuckle.

"Anything I can't do…" she looked up in thought. "There are tons." She said.

"Like?" he asked.

"Oh if I told you I'd have to kill you." She said with a very serious look that made him laugh.

"Seriously though what are you not good at?"

"Well I don't know… When it comes to magic I'm fair."

"More than fair don't be modest when I've seen you." He said with a smile.

"Alright I'm more than fair… But when it comes to other things I'm not so good…"

"Such as?" he asked.

"Well I don't know… uhm… People may think I'm a neat freak but when I'm at home I'm really terrible about picking up the clothes off my bedroom floor… But only when I'm at home…"

"Me as well." He said. "Only at home, not sure what that is about. What else?"

"Trying to find out my weaknesses are you?" she asked with an amused look.

"No… Maybe." She laughed. "I just want to know everything about you; I feel as though I know much of good things, I also want to know…" he searched for a word. "Not bad things… But…"

"Faults?" she offered.

"Sounds too vigid…" he said.

"Did you mean frigid?" she asked.

"No no no… Uhm… Bigid…" he frowned. "Ridge-ed."

"Oh rigid sorry."

"Is okay you know what I say any time other then now.' he said with a smile. "Mostly girls just nod and smile when I speak."

"It's kind of hard not to… You're so charming after all."

"I think it is not charm that makes them act like such I think they don't listen very hard."

"Well I don't listen very hard I just usually know what you're going to say that's all." She said.

"For this I am grateful, would be terrible if we couldn't communicate." He said.

"Speaking of…" Hermione said. "I was wondering something…"

"What something?" he asked

"Well… It's more of a favor."

"Favor? For you I do anything." He said kissing the back of her hand.

"Teach me how to speak Bulgarian." He raised an eyebrow; no one had ever asked him before.

"You want to learn my language?" he asked, Hermione nodded with an excited look.

"I think it could be fun." She said. "Besides its only fair. You're really putting in an effort to expand you're English, I want to put in an effort to speak your own language as well." She said. He had a strange look on his face that made her frown. "If you don't want me to l-."

"No no that's not it I would like it very much." He said with an excited look before it turned once more into the odd expression.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well I am not so good of an instructor." He said.

"Viktor I've seen you show some of the first years how to fly their brooms you're a great teacher."

"Yes when it comes to flying I'm very good when it comes to other things not so much… I don't want you to be frustrated and more so I don't want you to think me a fool."

"I could never think that Viktor…" she said shaking her head with a serious expression.

"I know… But let me think it over… Besides if you start speaking Bulgarian how vill I practice English?"

"It will take me a while to learn you know." She said.

"No no for you it vill take one lesson." He said with a laugh. "You learn quickly, for this I am very sure."

"It took me two months to learn French, so I won't get it right away you'll have plenty of time to-."

"You speak French?" he asked.

"I didn't tell you that?" she asked.

"Do you speak any other languages?" he asked.

"Well I can speak very formal Spanish and Italian but that's because I learned it out of a text book but I have tested it out and I do speak it well if not you know casually. Ooh and I have a bit of German under my belt from a summer I spent there but not a lot…" she said.

"Any others?" she searched through her memory and then smiled.

"No… I tried learning troll once but I'm not so good at grunting…" he laughed. "What about you speak any other languages?"

"Mostly all of them but not fluently… I can only yell obscenities at them." She raised an eyebrow which made him chuckle. "Vell you see when we face off against other teams and one tries to knock me from broom I must know how to shout… bugger off at them." She laughed.

"Classy Viktor." She said.

"Isn't it?" he asked as he took her hand in his catching the time that was on his watch. "Four… already we were in their longer then I thought."

"The forbidden forest seems to make time fly a little faster than normal." She said. "So what now?" she asked "What would you like to do?"

"Actually I haf to head back to the ship…" He said with a frown. "I haf to meet with a reporter, and the headmaster." He frowned not wanting to leave her. "You could come." He said with a smile.

"I don't know Viktor…" she said.

"You can wait in Jamous's room until I'm finished." He said hopefully.

"I should probably head back to the common room Ron or Harry, maybe both will be waiting for me."

"Or they may still be in feud." He said. "Do you really want to go back to that?" Hermione looked from the castle back to Viktor and then to his hand which held hers so tightly. She looked back to him with a small smile.

"I guess not but I have to be back at the castle by six, to get ready for our date."

"This is true." He said. "I vill get you back in time. No issues." He said with a smile. "I promise, so you vill come?"

"Of course."

"Dah this is good." He said as they began walking to the port that led out to the boat that rested in the middle of the lake.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to come aboard?" she asked.

"We bring vomen back all the time." He said shrugging, he frowned and looked back to see she was raising an eyebrow at him. "By we I mean other classmates. I haf you." He said with a kind smile before looking forward again.

"Where are you two going?!" Hermione heard someone shout something in a different language and turned with Viktor who smiled at a frantic looking Jamous who was rushing towards them. "You can't go there right now." he said to Viktor. "Karkaroff is throwing a fit you are over an hour late I just came back from looking for you."

"We got lost." Hermione said.

"I thought you said you didn't speak the language." Viktor said looking to her.

"Oh I didn't I was just guessing at what he was saying."

"Am I speaking in Bulgarian?" Jamous asked.

"Not now but you just were." Hermione said.

"Ah!" he groaned. "I keep slipping in and out." He said snapping his fingers in frustration.

"So we can't go up?" Viktor asked.

"Well you can but I don't think he'll want to see Hermione on the boat." Jamous said.

"Why not?" Viktor asked.

"She just royally kicked that malvoys butt." Jamous said before turning to Hermione. "Which was how you say… wicked." She smiled.

"Thanks."

"What does that haf to do with anything?' Viktor asked.

"Malfoy is the son of a rumored death eater… and your headmaster has a background as a death eater… if he's still under the rule of you know who then I just attacked a comrade's son." Hermione said like it was obvious.

"You!" they turned at the same time to see Karkaroff rushing down from the boat onto the port.

"Is this yours?" Hermione asked turning to Jamous and pointing to a note book he held.

"Uh yes why?"

"I need it." she said.

"What?"

"I need it hand it over." she whispered.

"Uh alright…" he handed it to her and she instantly turned to Viktor.

"I'm sorry to bother you again Mr. Krum but would you be so kind to give me an autograph?" she asked with a nervous smile as her eyes darted to the very angry karkaroff.

"Oh uh… Do you haf… Quill?" he asked.

"Oh I…" she stood up and patted her coat. "I… I don't…"

"You are not welcome here!" Karkaroff shouted approaching her quite fast.

"Oh I'm sorry I just thought…" Hermiones voice trailed off.

"You do not think!" he shouted at her. "You filthy no good mud blood." Hermione suddenly stiffened and glared into him.

"What did you just call me?" she asked her eyes growing very dark.

"Mud blood." He spat.

"Right then…" She muttered. Hermione clenched her jaw and began to walk away trying to keep her composure. She could take being called a mud blood by school boys who didn't have any other intelligent names, but for a grown wizard to dare spit the word at her she felt her blood boil.

"Filthy Animals, they shouldn't even be allowed in magical world!"

"What did you just say?" Hermione asked turning around and walking back.

"I see you haf trouble hearing…" Karkaroff walked up to her. "I said that filthy animals such as mud bloods shouldn't be allowed in magical world." He repeated.

"I'm a filthy animal?" she asked.

"That is right, a dirt smudge in this world…"

"Really, and what would you call a death eater?" Hermione inquired, his nose flared with anger. "You know what I'd call it?" she asked. "A bloody disgrace."

"I am not death eater!" he bellowed.

"The mark on your arm says differently…" Hermione said.

"You little bitch." He said in Bulgarian.

"That's enough!" Viktor shouted as he moved closer to his head master. "She is a fan don't you dare embarrass me like this…" it was the only thing he could say that would keep not only himself but Hermione safe as well. He turned and walked over to Hermione. "My head master is very ill tempered man, we vould like to apologize by bringing you on boat for private lunch with me." He said.

"No…" Hermione said looking to Viktor for a long moment. "I'm fine." she said before walking off. Viktor frowned as he watched her fuming form leave the area. He shot Jamous a look, who nodded and began to go after her.

"Inviting filthy thing like that-."

"She is not a filthy thing." Viktor said in Bulgarian. "She is one of the most extraordinary witches of her age."

"She is wise but she has no clue of what she speaks." Karkaroff said. "I am not death eater; she has no right to accuse me of such things."

"You may not be a death eater now head master… But you still act like one… If you know who came back you would be the first to jump to his side."

"You really think that?" he asked.

"When you call an impressionable young woman such a word then yes…" Viktor said. "Why were you so angry?"

"She attacked pure blood."

"Malvoy attacked her first, I saw it with my own eyes… He was disgraceful. He surrounded her like a coward." Viktor said.

"Do you have feelings for this witch?" Karkaroff suddenly asked. "This is second time I have seen her asking for autograph, and I could have sworn she was carrying one of our school note pads with Jamous's name on it… You smile at her from across the room… Is she dear to you?" Viktor stared at him for a long moment. "Is she Viktor!?"

Learn from the bravery she has… You can stand up to him… She did after all…

"She is…" Viktor said with a nod. "She is very dear to me." His head master looked him over for a long moment before taking a step back.

"I would have not called her such things if I had known." Karkaroff said.

"Let's just get this interview done-."

"You should go to your woman you can do interview at another time… There will be plenty of chances for you to improve the media image of Durmstrang." He said Viktor only nodded and started to head to the castle. "She is still not to come aboard this ship." Viktor turned.

"Is that so?" he asked. "May I remind you with whose money you were able to get this ship…" Viktor said before heading back to the castle.

He had never felt such freedom before as he did at that moment. He had just yelled, told off, and insulted his head master. It had been something he had wanted to do since coming to Durmstrang, since he had become famous and Karkaroff had started to use him as a media advantage. He had wanted nothing more than to throw Karakroff into the black lake and watch him gargle and drown after he had called his Hermione a mud blood. He frowned remembering the look Hermione had given him before she had walked off. It had been a mixture of hurt and anger, it had sent deep pain soaring through his chest.

I hope she is not angry with me… Of course she is… I didn't defend her right when he said it… What was I thinking?