Hermione looked over the last of the books in the return bin. She wondered why they hadn't figured out some way the books would just fly right back to their places from the bin. She figured it would be too dangerous if books were zipping passed Students heads. As she picked up one of the books she felt a ache spread through her wrist. Instantly she dropped it into the bin.
"Owe…"
"Hey you alright?" she turned quickly to see Harry.
"Harry you startled me…" She said with a soft smile.
"Sorry didn't see you in the great hall I was worried." He said with a kind hearted smile.
"Oh wasn't hungry I had a big lunch and some snacks in the middle." She said with a smile. "Ron's mum makes the best pumpkin bread I swear…" she stopped and slowly looked to Harry who was looking away. "You guys still aren't talking…" she said softly.
"Has he said anything by chance?"
"No…" Hermione said shifting on her feet. "He just mutters a lot, to be honest I try not to spend a lot of time around him every time I do he just tries to bring me into it. He hates that I'm not choosing sides."
"The way you yelled at me by the lake made me think you had."
"Sorry about that, I was really frustrated with Ron not so much you." she leaned against the front desk of the library. "Are you nervous?"
"Nervous?"
"About the dragons." She said with a soft smile.
"Oh no you know, I mean this isn't my first dragon duel…" she laughed while he smiled.
"I saw them you know…" Hermione said after a moment. "That horn tails viscous."
"Well let's hope Cedric gets that one… Or better yet Viktor Krum." An unreadable expression flashed across her face. "Or just… Cedric…" he said after a moment.
"I don't really care just as long as you don't get it." she said turning to grab the books from the bin. She grabbed the heaviest, a shot of pain rushed through her arm as she hissed and dropped the book, it slammed inside knocking the bin to the ground. "Oh now look what I did." she dropped and started picking them up.
"Wait a minute…" Harry got to his knees and took her wrists in his. He pulled up her long sweater sleeves to see one of her arms covered in wrapping. "What happened?"
"Oh nothing..." she said pulling it back as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and stood. "And what's that?" he pointed to bruise in her hair line which had been hidden by the strand of hair that she had pushed away.
"Nothing…" she said again before grabbing a book and heading off.
"Hermione... when did you stop telling me things?" she stopped and took a small breath. "What's going on with you?" she slowly turned and looked to him.
"I want to tell you but…"
"Hermione please I have never kept anything from you…" he said walking to her. She slowly nodded holding the book closer to her chest.
"Can you keep it to yourself?" she whispered. "And promise me you won't do anything about it?"
"Uhm… Okay." He said. Hermione looked around and then to the clock. "Meet me in our usual classroom?"
"Are we going to train or talk?" he asked.
"Bit of both…"
"Alright… Better be mostly talking Mione with those bruises…" with that he walked off. Hermione bit her bottom lip before heading to the bin. She heard some one walk up behind her and turned.
"Hermione do you maybe have plant life of the Amazon in there?" she smiled at Neville.
"Oh I have it here." She handed it over.
"Uhm… I still have a few other books out more than what I'm supposed to…"
"Oh… uhm promise me you'll bring something back tomorrow and we'll wait to sign this one out okay?"
"Okay thanks Mione!" he said before rushing out. Hermione looked to the clock and sighed. It was going to be a long hour until she was to me Harry in the classroom.
-o-
Harry paced the classroom he and Hermione had been using to practice for the first task in. she was over five minutes late and he wondered if she was going to run off and not show at all. When he heard a light click he turned to see the door opening.
"Hermione?" he asked instead he saw a large Bulgarian. "Viktor?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Harry." He said with a soft smile as Hermione walked out from behind him.
"Hi ya Harry." She said with a soft expression and Viktor tilted his head. She had almost taken on a girlish look.
"Not that I mind you being her bloke but Hermione why is Viktor here?" He asked walking to her.
"He's uhm… One of the things I've been keeping from you…" she said softly as the door closed behind her and Viktor stood smiling nervously in the corner.
"Have you been helping him too?" Harry asked. "I don't really care I mean it's not like someone wouldn't seek out your help and you're the helpful kind of bird… But you haven't been teaching him what you've been teaching me right because that could look bad and people already think I'm a cheater."
"She has not helped me." Viktor said shaking a hand in front of him to emphasize. "Well she has in way… But that's not important now."
"Then how have you been hiding him from me? If you can even hide someone such as Viktor Krum… Hermione what's going on?" Harry asked confused. Hermione took a small breath as her fingers played with the hem of her sweater nervously.
"Uhm…" She cleared her throat. "You see… Well it's just… Viktor and I have… Well we've been in a relationship for the past couple weeks." She said the last sentence coming out fast.
"Two months." Viktor corrected with a smile.
"What?" Harry asked. "Like a friendship?"
"No… Viktor is kind of my…"
"Not kind of luff." Viktor said with a smile.
"Well he's my boyfriend…"
"Oh…" Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Well that's… That's fantastic." He said smiling at her. "Congrats!" Hermione instantly relaxed.
"You're not mad that I'm dating your competitor?" She asked with a small smile.
"Of course not!" he said before moving forward and hugging her. Suddenly Harry stopped and stared wide at Viktor. "You son of a bitch!" He shouted as he rushed at him.
"Harry no!" Hermione yelled turning.
"What vid I do!" Viktor asked as he dodged some good hard punches being thrown by the younger man. He was surprised at how strong Harry was.
"Stop moving take it like a man you bastard!"
"Harry stop please!" Hermione pulled her friend back.
"You beat her didn't you that's why she has bruises and hurt wrists!" Harry yelled running at him only to have Hermione pull him back.
"I vould never!" Viktor said appalled.
"A woman beater and a liar you son of a-."
"Harry Malfoy did it Malfoy did it!" Harry stopped in his track his chest heaving his face red.
"Oh…" he said as he straightened his glasses. "Sorry… I just thought…"
"It's fine." Viktor said with a kind look.
"No I should have waited for the whole story… Now that I have it though that Malfoy is going to get a face full of my fists…"
"I appreciate your eagerness to defend me but… Don't do that to Malfoy no one really knows it happened…"
"What happened by the way?" Harry asked.
"A few nights ago Viktor and I were attacked in the library, we were beat up pretty good."
"So vere they though." Viktor said with a laugh.
"Why isn't it around school?"
"Not sure really all I know is that Dumbledore is keeping it quiet…"
"Why would he do that?"
"Because right now the ministry is watching the school closer than usual because of the tournament." She said as she sat down on a desk.
"Makes sense I guess…" he said sitting down across from her.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.
"How am I feeling how are you?" Harry asked with a laugh.
"You know me as strong as Hogwarts." Harry laughed softly. "Been through worse."
"In large part because of me." Viktor watched as Hermione moved forward and took her friends hand in a near motherly way.
"Hey don't pity yourself, and don't worry about me…" Harry smiled as he looked to her. "There's nothing I'd regret helping you with."
"That's why you're a good friend."
"Haven't felt like it lately…" Her head bowed. "You've kind of been left on your own. Ron's too busy being angry and I was too busy with Viktor…"
"Too busy Hermione you've been coming here every other night and in between classes to help me…"
"Yeah but I haven't been there as much as I have before… and I'm sorry for that."
"I'm sorry that Ron and I are putting so much pressure on you…" he looked to her. Viktor tilted his head realizing he was getting a rare look into the inside working of the famous golden trio. "Do you think he'll forgive me?" Harry asked quietly.
"I think that maybe after tomorrow he'll start to feel like an idiot and apologize."
"Why after tomorrow?"
"Well… What kind of idiot would enter a competition with dragons that are likely to take your head off?"
"Thanks Hermione." Viktor and Harry said at the same time.
"Sorry guys but its true…" she said with a small smile.
"It's getting late and we haf to be up early." Viktor said looking to Harry.
"It's true…" Harry said looking to the clock as he stood. Hermione followed his movements and tilted her head seeing her friend grim expression. She smiled softly as she rested a hand on his shoulder bringing his attention away from the clock.
"You're going to do fine Harry…" she said.
"I'm not ready for this Mione…" He admitted quietly and Viktor watched as Hermione's expression stayed sure and strong.
"You'll be alright…" Hermione said with a determined look.
"I'm going to try." He said nervously.
"I promise nothing is going to happen to you…" he looked at her.
"Hermione… What are you planning?" Harry Inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"If that dragon gets to close I'm jumping in the ring." she said, and Harry laughed.
"Leave it to you to be the mental one." She laughed before hugging him tightly.
"See you tomorrow Harry." He nodded as he held her close. "Want to walk back to the tower together?" she asked.
"No I'm going to stay here for a few minutes and collect my thoughts…" She slowly nodded.
"Alright Harry…" She said with a nod before walking to Viktor's side and taking his hand.
"Good luck Comrade." Viktor said to him before Hermione and he took their leave. Harry watched the door close and took a breath.
"So Hermione and Viktor…" he laughed. "Who would have thunk it?" he was happy for his friend but worried as well. Viktor was older, and famous. Then again Hermione had her own fame thanks to the things they had done at Hogwarts, and her own reputation as one of the finest minds of her age. Hermione was like his sister, and there was nothing he wanted more than for her to be happy, but he wondered how happy she would be with a man like Viktor.
He didn't really know Viktor, but he did know him from the papers and magazines. He was a witchanizer. Seen with a different witch almost every month. Then again he had glanced at Viktor and the whole time he had been looking at Hermione with wide brown eyes. It was the look he had seen Mr. Weasley give Mrs. Weasley whenever she wasn't looking. He wanted to believe that Viktor could be with Hermione just them and not with other girls on the side. But the magazine articles and Rita Skeeters gossip on him made him think otherwise. Before he was going to give his absolute blessing he was going to make sure that Viktor was all about Hermione, and no one else. He hoped to god that he was because he wasn't really sure he could take on the large Bulgarian in a fist fight.
Guess that's why I got a wand…