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Chapter 26
"Do you have to go?" the handsome blond man asked the brown haired beauty for the tenth time.
"I do," she replied, cupping his face with her hand. He leaned down, pulling her closer to him and kissed her once again, this time with a little more passion, and a lot more need.
Their morning had been a peaceful one, just talking and laughing with one another. It was the most fun the young man could remember having. At least since the last time he had spent time with her.
"I have to go," she whispered, gently pushing at his chest.
"I know," he replied, taking a step back. He wasn't sure what one said to the girl he was falling in love with before she went off to talk with another man. Good luck just didn't sound appropriate, nor did the Muggle phrase break a leg. "I'll see you tomorrow," he decided to go with.
She smiled, leaning in to kiss him one more time before muttering the password to her tower. With one more wave, she disappeared behind the portrait of a fat lady.
Sighing heavily, the blond ran his hand through his hair and started back down the stairs, trying to decide just how to tell the Brightest Witch of Their Age that the Prince of Slytherin was helplessly and hopelessly in love with her.
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"There you are!" Ginny exclaimed as Hermione entered the Common Room after her morning with Draco. "I was wondering if you were going to come back here before you went to meet Krum or not."
Hermione sighed as she feel down on the couch, plopping her feet on Harry's lap beside Ginny's colourful socks that were resting comfortably on his lap. Raising an eyebrow at his best friend, he just shook his head, turning the page in the Quidditch book he was reading.
"I should probably take another shower before going and meeting Viktor, but I'm exhausted," she stated, yawning.
"He won't be here for a couple of hours. Why don't you lean back and take a little nap?" Ginny suggested.
"Sounds like a brilliant idea, but I'm not sure if I would wake up in time."
"One of us will wake you up in time to look so smashing for Viktor, he'll wish he had never broken up with you," the red head girl grinned.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but leaned back on the pillow that was at the end of the couch they were sitting on. She turned on her side, snuggling into the couch, rubbing her feet on Harry's leg.
"You comfortable?" he asked, amused as Ginny threw a massive blanket over the three of them. He knew that rubbing her feet against where she was sleeping was part of her pre-sleep pattern from their time camping.
"Nearly," she smiled, quickly drifting off into dreamland.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Mione, it's time to wake up," Ginny said an hour later.
"Ten more minutes," she grumbled, pulling the blanket over her head.
"Okay, but then you might be late to see a certain Bulgarian," Ginny said, grinning.
Hermione sat up quickly, immediately regretting the action. Temporary vertigo caused her to lean her head against the back of the couch. "I've got to stop doing that," she muttered after a moment.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, concerned, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Smiling, finely felling like her head was back on Earth instead of on a Tilt-a-Whirl gone bonkers, she slowly nodded. "I'll be just fine."
"Are you sure?" he asked, still not convinced.
Hermione laughed as she stood up. "Positive. Oh bloody hell, Ginny! It's already 4:30! How am I supposed to fix this?" she asked, pulling a handful of bushy hair further out for the red head to observe. "With only an hour to get ready? How am I going to look halfway cute if I only have an hour?" Hermione looked around the common room, for the first time noticing that the whole room was starring at her and her outburst. Even though she was blushing furiously at the scene she has just created, she held her head high. "Sorry for disrupting your Sunday afternoon. The show is over and you can go back to whatever you were doing. Go on!"
The room as a whole did as it was told; only a few dared to keep looking at the couch that 2/3 of the Golden Trio was occupying.
"I'm so sorry, Ginny. That was uncalled for," Hermione said sincerely.
Ginny shrugged and smiled, as if it were no big deal. "You're under a lot of stress. It's understandable."
"Maybe understandable, but still completely uncalled for," she replied. "I suppose I should go use the hour I have to try and do a little something with this." Hermione sighed and hurried up the stairs.
"Are you going to go and help her?" Harry asked, wondering why his fiancée was still sitting there. Usually, when his best friend was having a fashion or hair emergency, Ginny was there to save the day. Having her sitting on the couch, doing nothing was completely confusing.
"She needs to learn that she is gorgeous and that she is more than capable of fixing herself up," Ginny replied, shrugging. She looked over at Harry, who looked like he barely believed what he was hearing.
"Is that all? You've been helping her with some of her other dates."
"Yes, well those were with my brothers, not a heart breaking keeper, now weren't they?" Ginny finally answered, causing Harry to laugh and pull her close, kissing the top of her head.
"Well?" Hermione wondered an hour later. She had picked out a simple lavender sweater dress and her trusty dress boats. She decided against a shower, but had used a freshening up spell, leaving her hair to be just slightly wavy. It's not much, but it will have to do.
"You look gorgeous," Ginny replied, sounding a little annoyed by the fact. Hermione was so nervous that she didn't notice.
Harry stood and hugged her tightly. "You look amazing. Maybe you should go back and change...put back on your uniform?"
Hermione laughed and slugged him in the arm for teasing her.
"That hurt!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm, grinning.
"Good. It was supposed to."
"Did you want me to come with you?" Ginny offered, seeing how nervous her friend was.
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "No thanks. I think that this is something I need to handle on my own." She looked down at her watch and saw that it was thirty minutes after the Professor was suppose to open her Floo for Viktor. She couldn't put this off any longer.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hermione took a deep breath before knocking on the Head mistresses office door. She heard some shuffling, before the door opened slightly.
"Oh, Hermione!" The Professor exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised that she was standing at her door.
"Hello professor," she replied, smiling.
The older witch stepped completely out of her office, shutting the door behind her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Hermione smiled at the older witch and her obvious concern. "Yes, I am."
Ringing her hands nervously, she nodded. "Alright. I'll leave you to it then. If you need me, I'll be in my quarters. The wards to the fireplace will replace themselves as soon as he leaves."
"Thank you," Hermione said as the professor nodded once more, and walked down the stairs, leaving Hermione alone in front of the closed door. She took one more cleansing breath before opening the door.
"Hermione," a deep voice said, practically breathing her name as if it were a prayer.
A thousand things came crashing back at her, causing her to gasp and stumble at their force. All the memories, the smiles, the kisses, the love. It was overwhelming.
"Hermione! Are you alright?" Viktor asked, rushing to her side to help her to the sofa that was against the wall.
"Yes. I think I'll be fine," she replied weakly.
"Have you eaten lately?" he wondered, folding his arms across his chest.
She shook her head, remembering that she had only had a bowl of oatmeal.
Shaking his head and muttering in his native language, he called for Mitzi.
"Yes, Master, OH! OH! Ms. Hermione! Mitzi is so very happy to see you once again!" the tiny house elf exclaimed, shaking with excitement in her pink dress with matching tutu.
"Mitzi! It's lovely to see you again too," Hermione said sincerely, hugging the tiny creature.
"Mitzi is so happy to see Miss again. I didn't know if Master would ever make his biggest mistake right."
Hermione laughed as Viktor rolled his eyes at the over opinionated house elf. "Mitzi, please would you get Hermione something to eat?"
Mitzi left without a word, in a hurry to get one if her favorite human's food.
"I'm surprised she didn't have more to say before she left," the man mumbled, causing Hermione to chuckle. The way that Viktor and his family treated their house elves, was one of the reasons it had been so easy to fall in love with the man who was standing in front of her.
"It is amazing to me that you still forget to eat when you are busy," Viktor said, smiling.
"And you still feel as if you need to take care of me," she said.
"Yes. You nearly fainted a moment ago," the man reminded her.
Thankfully she was saved from having to explain the real reason she had been faint.
"Mitzi brought you lamb gyro and fresh baklava," the excited house elf announced, handing the meal to the young lady. She then snapped her fingers and a small table appeared, with white linen covering it. Mitzi placed lit candles in the middle if the table and a second plate of Greek food appeared.
"Master Viktor must sit down and do this right, if he wants to win back his princess," Mitzi insisted, pulling the massive man with much ease to the seat across from Hermione.
"I thought I was your master," Viktor said teasingly to the house elf.
"You are one of them, Master Viktor, but Mrs. Aphrodite is Mitzi true master. And she says to make sure her son does not mess this up," Mitzi replied. Viktor's ears grew slowly red, but he smiled at the little elf.
"Thank you, Mitzi. That's all we need." The energetic elf nodded and waved at Hermione before popping away, leaving the two young adults alone in an awkward silence.
Hermione picked up her gyro, taking a big bite. She remembered the first time Aphrodite, Viktor's mum, had fixed this for her. She was a pureblood witch from Greece, but she enjoyed cooking. So much so that she owned and ran several restaurants.
"Merlin, I forgot how delicious this is," Hermione said, moaning in pure happiness.
Viktor had yet to touch his food, too engrossed in watching the radiant being in front of him. In that moment, he was extremely happy that Mitzi had sat him down in his chair. He would have a very embarrassing problem otherwise.
Hermione looked up from her plate and caught sight of the look on Viktor's face. She blushed furiously, suddenly no longer hungry.
"You asked to see me?" she said quietly, wanting to get this conversation started.
"Hermione, I love you," was his reply. "I don't want to just give you a petition. I was a complete and utter idiot, choosing Quidditch over you when it wasn't necessary at all. I want to spend every day of forever, making it up to you. You are my princess Hermione." He got up and walked around the table, never taking his eyes off of her. Taking her hand, he lowered himself on one knee, causing Hermione to gasp. "Will you be my today, my tomorrow, my forever? Will you marry me?" A ring seemed to appear out of nowhere, a beautiful white gold band with tiny white diamonds, leading to a massive gem. Hermione gasped, seeing the bright blue diamond.
"Hermione, love, are you alright?" Viktor asked, growing concerned as all color left her face.
It's the exact color of the flower in my dream, was the last thing she thought before everything turned black.
Thanks to my beta Justbeingsirius, for getting this back to me so quickly. So, what did you guys think? I hope you liked it. I won't know unless you review and you know reviews make me update more quickly. :) And since my beta is going on vacation in a few weeks, I need to get ahead, so you won't think I've abandoned you again. :) Oh and one other thing. There are a few of you (one person really) that thinks that twice a week isn't enough; that I should update twice a day. Well, that would be lovely, if I was a millionaire and didn't need to look for a job or cook food for my husband or do laundry. But, sadly, I am not. :) Anywho, if you review and you don't have a PM block up, I'll reply to the review. :) Sorry for the overly long AN. :) Happy Reading.