Hermione walked towards the cabin. Her heart was pounding in her chest. This was the first time she would ever wear a dress in front of Viktor. She felt overly girly, and yes she was thoroughly enjoying it. She kept looking down at herself. She felt a little unsure in those moments. Weren't women supposed to feel confidant when wearing dresses? Ginny had gushed when she saw her. Then again Hermione had done the same for her. Ginny had looked amazing in the green dress. Anytime Hermione had attempted to wear it she always ended up looking dead. Hermione got to the cabin door and stopped with a small smile. She was nervous, really very nervous. She took a small breath and mustered all her Gryffindor courage. She slowly knocked on the door and took a step back.
"Come in!" she heard him call.
"Here we go…" Hermione slowly walked in. She stopped and smiled when she saw Viktor. He was wearing grey suit pants a white shirt and a matching grey vest. He was seemingly struggling with a silver tie in his hands. He said something frustrating sounding in Bulgarian. "Is everything alright?" she asked.
"I can't get vis thing straight." He muttered. He stopped seeing Hermione in the reflection of the mirror. He slowly turned with a smile. She was wearing a knee length red satin dress which had a draped neck line. It was fitted through the bodice before flaring out slightly at the skirt. Around her waist was a belt with a rosette sitting on the side. Hermione ran her hands down the fabric.
"It's… Not good is it?" she asked shifting on her feet nervously. He smiled while tilting his head. She really didn't know how gorgeous she was. "I should have worn the blue…" she said quietly.
"No…" he walked over to her. "You look stunning." He said. "I've never seen anyone so beautiful."
"That sounded lovely but it was in Bulgarian so I'm not sure…" she said while he smiled.
"I said… You look stunning… Most beautiful girl in world…" she smiled up at him. "Me on other hand… This as you brits say blasted tie won't tie." He said and she smiled.
"Come…" she walked him over to the mirror and stood behind him her hands moving around his body. She peeked over his shoulder which was a little easier with her five inch heels. "The rabbit jumps over the log…" she said her hands making the movement. "The rabbit crawls under the log…" she tucked the fabric under. "The rabbit runs around the log…" Viktor smiled as she began perfectly tying it thanks to the rhyme. "The rabbit dives through rabbit hole at the top of the log." She walked around and slowly pushed the perfectly square knot up and smiled. "The rabbit rests…" she said before tucking it down into his vest. She smiled as she walked over to a chair where his jacket lay she brought it over and helped him shrug into it.
He wasn't sure why but there was something very intimate about the way Hermione was helping him. It was like a wife helping her husband get ready for an important meeting or a special event. When he pulled it on she buttoned up the jacket. She then dusted off his shoulders smoothing out the wrinkles as she did so. When she was done she looked him up and down.
"Very debonair." She said with a smile.
"This is good?" he asked.
"Very good… You look very handsome." He smiled his chest expanding with pride.
"My parents said they would come here and walk with us I said yes. This is alright with you?"
"Very." She said with a smile. She turned and headed to his bed side table. "Hey you have the book I got you." She said with a smile lifting up the first edition Bulgarian version of a separate peace. "I thought I'd lost it."
"Oh no it fell out of your bag that day we fought… I kept it…"
"How do you like it?" she asked.
"It is very interesting." He said. "You haf good taste in texts but I haf said this many times." She smiled as she put the book down. They stood their looking at each other. Neither really sure what to say. "Haf you given any thought to Christmas yet?"
"Oh uhm I wrote to my parents and asked if I could stay with your family and my mum said yes. Now I'm just waiting for my dad to say yes. He's kind of protective of me…"
"But you would like to come to Bulgaria with me?" He asked.
"Of course." She said with a smile. "I hear it's beautiful in the winter."
"Dah it is." He said with an excited smile. "I hope your father says yes I would much like to show you around the country side."
"I would like that very much as well." Slowly she looked down at herself.
"What is it luff?"
"Are you sure this dress is alright?" she asked looking down. He smiled at her insecurity.
"You look like… Bell of ball." He smiled. "Speaking of which there is-." A knock sounded cutting him off. He smiled quietly. "My parents." He said. She nodded with a smile. He walked over to the door and opened it. He stopped before laughing surprising Hermione. "Nicolai!" he said as an older boy rushed in wrapping his arms around him knocking him back into the cabin. Ivan and Sophia walked in with big smiles.
"My dear brother I am sorry I was late today! I missed your first task but I heard you took that dragon down easily!" he said in Bulgarian.
"No I am glad you could come at all!" he said clapping his brother on the shoulder with a huge smile. "If you couldn't have come I would have understood. America is so very far away…" Nicolai was about to say something in return when he stopped.
"Well…" he walked over to Hermione. "Hallo…" he took her hands and kissed the back while wiggling his eyebrows.
"Uhm… Hello." Hermione said while Viktor just scowled at his older brothers antics.
"My names Nicolai you can call me Nick… Every pretty girl does…"
"This is Hermione." Viktor said walking over. "My girlfriend."
"Oh hands off!" Nick said pulling back his hands in a dramatic way as Hermione laughed lightly. "What a beautiful English flower my brother has snagged for himself." He said in Bulgarian. "Lovely indeed." He said in English.
"Thank you." She said with a small smile.
"Come Hermione let us chat as women do." Sophia said leading the girl away. Hermione smiled as the older woman linked her arm through hers.
"She is quite beautiful." Nick said to his brother with a smile as they followed a short distance behind Hermione and their mother.
"Yes well done." Ivan said to him. "Your mother has taken quite a liking to her." his father mentioned.
"You know when my son first wrote to me about meeting his savior here at Hogwarts I was quite surprised." Sophia said. "I didn't think he would ever be able to track you down…"
"Not really his savior… Helper maybe." Sophia smiled at the girls' modesty. "Wait he wrote to you about me?"
"Yes, his first night he sent me letter saying that he couldn't believe the Hermione Granger was here at Hogwarts."
"He told me he hadn't told you about me. Then again I said the same thing... I've been writing to my mother about him for months you see." Hermione whispered making the woman laugh.
"Well us women we do tell our mothers everything… I still talk to my mother every day."
"As do I." Hermione said.
"You know Hermione… I do not wish to be… How you say… Forward but I never had a daughter… So when I heard that finally one of my sons was committed to a young lady I became quite excited… I hope you will look to me as maybe a motherly figure one day."
"Of course." Hermione said with a smile. "To be honest it's nice to have female magical influences…"
"What of your own mother isn't she in the magical world?" Hermione looked to her.
"Uhm no… Viktor didn't tell you everything I see… Mrs. Krum I hope this doesn't bother you but I'm a muggle born both my parents are muggles."
"Really!?" she said with a bright smile. "I love muggles. Well this keeps getting better and better. Tell me does your mum use muggle make up?" Hermione smiled.
"Yeah yeah she does… Though I have gotten her a week long lip stain potion."
"Don't you love it?" Sophia asked making Hermione laugh.
"She does too." Hermione said with a sigh of relief.
"May I inquire as to why you seem so relieved?"
"Oh well, I'm glad you're okay with me being muggleborn is all."
"You need not worry. Most of the family doesn't care about titles. Blood is blood to us. It's by sheer coincidence that we are pureblood."
"That's good… I've been facing a lot of adversity because of my status."
"I do not understand this. How can anyone meet you and dislike you just because of something as ridiculous as blood. Why I liked you the second I met you." Hermione smiled at her.
"Come dear let's give Hermione and Viktor some time." Ivan said pulling his wife away with a smile. Hermione stopped and waited until Viktor reached her his hand slipping into hers.
"So you've been writing to your mum about me?" he blushed making her smile.
"I did not want you to think it strange. I'm sorry I lied Luff."
"No its okay… I've been writing to my mum about you." She admitted.
"Really?" he asked. She nodded with a smile.
"It's why she said yes to me coming to Bulgaria." He smiled at her.
"I am happy you want to come."
"Me too." Hermione said with a smile. "It's better than being home alone or here at Hogwarts alone."
"Very true." He said. "I vill show you best of time. I promise."
"Just hope my dad says yes."
"Me too…"
"Vwat is she doing here?" They stopped seeing Karkaroff glaring daggers into Hermione. "She is not welcome here!"
"Maybe I should leave…" Hermione said quietly to Viktor. "I don't want to ruin your night."
"She is here because she is my girlfriend." Viktor said. "You may control what I do but you do not control who I love." He said quietly in Bulgarian as he walked past the headmaster. Sophia smiled brightly while Ivan just smiled.
"So he loves her?" she asked.
"She may be the one." Nick said.
"She is the one." Ivan said.
"What did you say to him as we past?" Hermione asked.
"I called him a mean old man." Viktor said with an innocent look.
"Nice touch." She said with a smile.
"I thought so."
-o-
"So tell me Hermione what is it you plan on doing after your school days are done?" Ivan asked. Krum smiled he knew the answer. She didn't know, she had confided in him about not planning much because she didn't know if she would be around to make those plans come true.
"You know a few weeks ago if you asked me I would say I wasn't sure so I'm glad you asked me now." His parents laughed.
"So what is your plan?" Sophia asked.
"Well I've found I have a good head on my shoulders for law… So I'll probably take a ministry position in the humanities most likely. Maybe working on cooperation laws all the way from house elves to giants." Viktor smiled, he knew Hermione would excel at anything she would do, but this would be where she would be most happiest.
"You like to help people." Ivan said.
"It's kind of what I do."
"So we've read." Sophia said. "You are the boy who lived Harry Potters best friend according to the prophet you help him out in all his adventures here."
"I try to help him." she said with a small smile. "I'm more give moral support than anything else."
So very modest… Sophia thought. Her son had chosen well.
"Hermione would you like to get drink with me?" Viktor asked.
"Yes." She said with a small smile. Ivan and Sophia waved the two off with a smile as they watched them head to the punch table.
"Mother had look in her eye like she was going to ask more questions about future…"
"You mean as in marriage and kids things like that?" he only nodded. "Well she's your mum she's… oh no." Hermione said turning.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Malfoy." He slowly turned to see the blonde hair boy smiling at a young woman his hand trailing down her face slowly as she giggled.
"How dare he come aboard this ship..." Viktor went to rush at him.
"Viktor no…" Hermione stood in front him slightly and rested one of her hands on his chest. "Viktor…"
"How dare he show face?"
"Viktor please… Calm down… Calm down…" slowly he felt ease enter him, causing his muscles to settle. "You don't want to sink to his level you don't want him to have the satisfaction… Look your friends they're already taking care of him." he smiled as he watched a few of his friends including Jamous tackle the slytherin boy and drag him off the ship. "Let's take a walk hmm?" she asked.
"Away from crowd that is good plan." He said with a smile. They walked to the other end of the ship far from the eyes of the huge crowd. Hermione smiled as she walked to the railing of the vessel and stared out at the lake. Viktor smiled as he watched a light breeze toss her hair and skirt ever so slightly. She smiled as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled at him over her shoulder. He walked to her and stood beside her at the railing. He glanced at her once more. The moon which hung high and full in the sky casted an angelic glow on her porcelain skin.
"It's pretty out here." She said looking out at the black lake. "Funny how this place as dangerous as it is somehow manages to be so beautiful…"
"Yes very… Very beautiful." He said quietly looking to her. She blushed under his gaze. "I don't want to seem… Forward. But I got you somfing."
"You did?" she asked with a small smile.
"Yes uhm this is good?"
"Yes it's completely fine…" she watched him pull out a rectangle velvet box.
"Here you go…" he said with a small smile. She took it in her hands.
"Is it a pony?" he raised an eyebrow before laughing.
"No afraid not that won't come till one year celebration." She smiled.
"Can I open it?" she asked.
"Yes please do." He said excited to see her reaction. Hermione slowly opened the box and stared.
"Viktor…" she said her hand going over her heart.
"When I saw this I had to get it for you…" he said. Hermione stared down at a white gold necklace with a medium sized rose pendant which looked as though it had been carved out of a single stunning diamond. "It's a Star Jem rose for my English rose…" he said carefully. It sparkled and shown under the moon. Viktor took the necklace while Hermione turned moving her hair to the side. She smiled softly as he draped it over her neck and then clasped it in the back. "Do you like it?" he asked as he watched her turn thumbing the pendant. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I love it… It's really beautiful… Thank you so much…" he smiled as she pulled away and watched as she thumbed the pendant. "Is it really made out of Star Jem?" Hermione asked. Star Jem was the nickname for titusridcus a magical stone which over the years grew such small clear crystals that when cut and smoothed it resembled that of a brilliant diamond. While diamonds were a muggle girl's best friend Star Jems were a witches best friend.
"Yes, the shop keeper told me it was so bright because it's over 300 years old."
"I can tell from the amount of sparkle it has to it." she said with a soft smile as she looked down at it. "It's so gorgeous Viktor… I've never had anything this beautiful in my possession before." She hugged him again kissing his cheek as he pulled back. Viktor rested a hand on her cheek and brushed it with his thumb lightly.
"I can honestly say I haf never met anyone so beautiful…" he said softly before he captured her lips with his. Hermione smiled as her eyes drifted close. When he slowly pulled back Hermione was smiling at him. They both looked up when fireworks flew into the sky bursting with red brilliance. Soft music reached their ears telling them the dancing had begun.
"We should get back to the party it's for you after all." She said.
"Not for me… For pride of school… They can haf that pride without me…" he bowed slightly and took her hand. "May I haf dance?"
"How could I say no?" Hermione smiled as Viktor took her hand and then set his on her waist. They slowly began to move around easily.
"We'll look at that…" Sophia said with a smile. She and Ivan had decided to take a walk only to stumble upon the young couple. "They make a good match don't you think Ivan?"
"Yes… They really do… I can tell the girl has a fire that rivals that of even ten Viktor's." Sophia nodded.
"She's going to be really good for him."
"I agree." He said.
"She is very delicate though." Ivan looked to his wife. "I hope Viktor knows that…" she said softly as he nodded.
"Let's leave them to their dancing…" he said as he took her hand and they began walking.
"I do hope she joins us for Christmas…"
"As do I… It would be nice to have a girl around…"
"We always wanted a daughter."
"We did indeed…" he said.
-o-
Hermione and Viktor had returned to the party after dancing with each other for a half hour. The whole time talking, laughing, and kissing. They never relinquished each other's hands as they talked to different people.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I vwas wondering before we left if I could haf a dance with Hermyknee." Ivan said walking up to the two.
"Of course I'd love to." She said with a smile.
"Shall we then." Viktor smiled as he watched his father pull Hermione out onto the dance floor.
"She fits in beautifully Viktor." Sophia said walking to his side. "I do hope she comes and stays with us."
"Ss do I…" he said.
"So have you told her?" Sophia asked with a knowing smile.
"Told her?"
"We heard you tell Karkaroff you loved her… She did not of course because you said it in Bulgarian…" Sophia said. "Which tells me you have not told her…"
"I do not know what she will say."
"You might never know if you don't tell her."
"I'm just waiting for right moment." He said with a smile as he watched her move around the dance floor easily.
"The right moment was when you gave her that necklace…" he looked to his mother.
"You've been spying momma." He said with a small smile.
"I'm your mother." she pinched his cheek. "It's what I do."
"Would you mind releasing my face?" she smiled as she pulled away. When the song ended Hermione and Ivan walked to the others both laughing.
"You are quite the dancer sir, very skilled." She said with a smile.
"My wife was once Bulgarian ball room champion she's taught me and all our sons well." He said.
"How funny my mom is a ballroom champion as well." She said with a smile.
"I can tell she's taught you well." Sophia said. "Perfect form. I do hope to meet her and your father someday…"
"As do I." she said with a smile.
"Well Ivan Nicolai and myself we sadly have to take our leave… You'll promise to look over Viktor for us?" Sophia asked.
"Of course." Hermione said with a smile. Sophia hugged her son tightly. Then Ivan embraced him while Sophia took Hermione into her arms.
"Such a beautiful girl for my son, I am very pleased." Hermione smiled.
"Thank you…" Hermione said quietly.
"It vwas so good meeting you Hermyknee." Ivan said hugging her tightly. "You'll write to us straight away with news if you'll be coming or not?"
"Of course I should be hearing from my father tomorrow."
"Very good." He smiled as he walked to his wife.
"Hermyknee, if my little brother here ever hurts your feelings feel free to write and I will how you say… Straighten him out."
"I'll be sure to do so." She said with a smile.
"We'll hopefully see you both soon!" Sophia waved as they headed to the floo network on the ship. Hermione took her boyfriends hand as they watched them leave. She looked to him after they had gone.
"I'm sorry they had to go I know you wanted them to stay longer." She said.
"This is okay… At least I haf you." She smiled up at him.
"Hermione!" Ginny said. "Curfew was a half hour ago we got to get back to the common room." She said.
"Oh no." Hermione said checking Viktor's pocket watch.
"Come on!" Ginny said heading off the ship. Hermione turned to him.
"Uhm tonight…" she stopped. "Never mind." She said with a small laugh. "I'll hopefully see you tomorrow." She said with a sweet smile.
"No what is it?" he asked.
"Well…" she glanced at him. "Would you maybe it's just dobby has been sending me huge meals up in my room ever since I was hurt by Malfoy. I think the poor guy feels responsible which makes no sense… but anyways would you want to come to my dorm and have dinner with me?" she asked.
"I would like to but how do I get there?"
"You just fly to my window I'm at the top of Gryffindor tower which is the highest of all the towers." She said with a smile.
"I will be there." He said with a smile.
"Okay good uhm wait a half hour it will take Ginny and I that long to sneak past filch." She kissed him on either cheek.
"Hermione come on!" Ginny grabbed her hand and they ran off the ship together. Viktor leaned against the railing with a smile as he watched Hermione and Ginny rush towards the castle.
"That red head… She's amazing." He turned to see Micah a good friend of his and the youngest on the ship leaning against the railing beside him. He was smiling like a fool. "I'm going to ask her to the ball… Will you ask your… hermananneee…" he struggled to say her name even though speaking in Bulgarian.
"Yes. I most definitely will." Viktor said with a smile.