We get a Viktor chapter this time.

Rumor mills were vicious.

This was something Viktor knew all too well. When his father married his mother almost forty years ago (following the death of his first wife), everyone seemed to think that she would bring the Zdravkov Empire to ruin. It didn't. In fact, his mother was an amazing real estate agent and had increased the family property portfolio. She was a pureblood, but not wealthy. So, the elite society the Zdravkovs had broken into generations ago looked down their noses at her, which meant that the pressure on their children was more than anyone else's.

Anything they did was under constant scrutiny. Nikolai was fine, being the child of the first wife (and twenty years Viktor's senior). His sisters Diana and Melina (Fifteen and seven years his senior) seemed to have conformed themselves so that all people saw anymore were their achievements, but Viktor and Valko had never been good enough. Maybe it was because they were younger, or perhaps it was because they didn't look the part. Their parents' pressure to succeed and dismissal of school troubles, combined with teachers looking the other way and peers following the lead of their own parents had led to Valko's death and Viktor believing that his life would never truly be his. He was a clay man, ready to be molded into whoever the person in authority wanted him to be.

Surprisingly, falling in love wouldn't have changed that. Meeting Esperanza… It was love at first sight and that was before he realized she was his favorite singer. Her music got him through each day, but he never would have gotten the courage to flirt, to ask her out, if Nia hadn't been his friend. He would have continued living his life in a blur if she hadn't tapped on his shoulder to ask for an autograph at the World Cup, talked to him on the lake shore, invited him to join her study group, and then brought him and Esperanza together under the mistletoe.

His troubles didn't even end when he was out from under Karkaroff's thumb.

How could his own parents not approve of Esperanza? So she had a traumatic childhood. He did, too. Lots of people had traumatic childhoods. She was still a smart, beautiful, successful woman with a solid business as a clothes designer. And that was before she had decided to get back into music when she could hear herself again. And it wasn't enough for them. It didn't matter that she could make precious gems with arithmancy or that her family was successful. A family that spanned back twenty-five mothers. They still believed she would bring the family to ruin, because she refused to conform to their ways like his mother had.

And it was thanks to Nia and Cedric and Fleur, his friends, that he had the courage to remove himself from the equation. Grandfather thought he was making a fool of the family like his father? Fine. He wasn't going to be a part of their family. They hadn't cut him off, but aside from creating a diversion for the horcrux, he didn't access the family vault on principal, only his personal one. What was the point of living if his only expected purpose was to marry someone who would expand the Zdravkov empire, whether or not he loved her? Mergers and marriages were all the same to these people. It was all about the money and power. They didn't even use it except to flaunt how much they had. They didn't do any good with it.

He liked Esperanza's family much more. They had successful businesses, but lived on a budget so they could put the money towards lifting up the community.

He liked the family he found in the veela, swan maidens, and vampires he had befriended. He liked surrounding himself with people who loved and cared unabashedly. People who knew who they were. Who liked him as he was and didn't expect him to change. And talking to Bernice helped him embrace the heritage his mother had tried so hard to forget.

Rumor mills were vicious, though.

Even now, the paparazzi were stalking his property, trying to find a way to get through the wards he placed to take pictures of him working in his garden with his dear friends Nia and Fleur, so they could write articles about how he was cheating on his fiancé with her cousin and friend. They were writing them anyway, but pictures would make the front page and the two women had barely left his house in the entire month they had been here.

He didn't care, really. He knew the truth, Esperanza knew the truth, everyone who was important knew the truth. Why would he turn away his friends when they needed a safe place to be because… what? He was scared a few idiots questioned his dedication to the love of his life? No. They'd move on. They always did.

"Nia," he said.

She looked up from helping him dig for grubs in the garden. Fleur was pruning rotten leaves off the flowers.

"I do not know if I asked yet and it will probably be a long time before Esperanza and I officially marry," he said. "But will you be my Best Man?"

She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She'd had a haunted look about her since she arrived, but she couldn't tell him what exactly was causing her grief.

"I'd be honored," she signed. "I'm going inside. R-E-S-E-A-R-C-H."

"Of course," he said. "I'm glad you took a break. Fleur and I can manage. Just feed those grubs to the chickens."

Her eyes were sad and he remembered Cedric grew up on a farm. Though this was far from a farm, it probably still reminded her of her lost friend. He missed him, too.

"I wish there was something I could do," said Fleur, sitting next to him once Nia was inside. "She gives so much, yet won't accept anything in return. I think… I think she might be punishing herself."

"Punishing? Why?"

"She thinks she should have stopped the attack," said Fleur. "I cannot convince her otherwise."

He shook his head. "She could save kitten from on fire tree and would cry because she could not save tree, too."

"That's our Nia," she agreed.

"Another letter from William arrived this morning," he said, changing the subject. "Have you been responding?"

"Of course I have," she said indignantly. "He just writes one to me every day."

Viktor smiled slightly. "Give him my phone number. It will be cheaper."

"But the letters are so romantic," she gushed.

"If you miss him, why not go home?"

"And deal with the Monster-in-Law?" she scoffed. "Non. She has hated me since I asked Bill to marry me and nothing I have done has changed that."

"At least his siblings didn't threaten you like my brother did to Esperanza," said Viktor. "They… didn't, right?"

"Of course not and I am friends with Ginny now. She sent me a letter saying she hopes I am doing alright and that William is pining for me."

"Then invite him here. We have room," he said. "Besides, I haven't had an affair with man, yet. Can't let paparazzi get too comfortable."

Fleur snorted and smacked his arm with the flat side of her spade. She inhaled deeply and sighed.

"I don't know… I want him here, but I don't want to be treated like an invalid just because my face is no longer pretty. I am still trying to get used to how men treat me now. Before they fawned over me and treated me as object. Now, they ignore me because they cannot fantasize about me."

"They can if they aren't little bitches about it."

She snorted and hid her red face in her knees. Viktor grinned and moved on to picking what was ready. Fleur helped by holding the baskets.

"Remind me to rip up half my zucchini plants," he muttered, looking at the produce.

An ugly brown bird with giant yellow eyes and a wide mouth flew into the garden and dropped a letter into the basket of courgettes. Viktor recognized the thing as Esperanza's bird and eagerly fished out the letter, opening it. Glitter fell out, but he ignored it.

My love,

We have a three week break to pretend to move locations. Can you believe No-Maj tours can require multiple 18-wheelers to get around? It's crazy. I will be home as soon as possible. I don't want to miss that last game. I'm rooting for you to get into the World Cup again.

Love,

Esperanza

She had kissed the area next to her signature. The blue lipstick. He loved how that looked on her.

He smiled and tucked it into his pocket. "Esperanza is on her way home. She wants to catch the last few games of season. We are in finals for World Cup selection, you know."

"Yes, that is exciting. I saw you play then. Bily sent our family tickets." She looked up when the sky rumbled with thunder. "Perhaps we should go inside."

"Good idea." Viktor flicked his wand and the baskets marched themselves towards the house.

Inside, Nia was sitting at the kitchen table with her research spread out. She had taken advantage of the library in town judging by the gold translation spell hovering over the Cyrillic. She stared at her notes, deep in thought.

"Anything I can help with?" Viktor asked while Fleur got to washing the veg for dinner.

Nia tipped her head, then picked up an ancient volume on the Tales of Beedle the Bard and opened it up to the tale of the Three Brothers. She pointed to a drawing on the page that could have easily been mistaken for part of the book. A circle within a triangle with a line dividing it. Grindelwald's mark. Viktor felt a visceral stab of hatred just seeing it. Hatred of Grindelwald was the only thing he and some of his peers could agree on. Just because he went to Durmstrang did not mean they were proud of him. When someone decided to flaunt the mark around thinking themselves the next Big Bad, they would end up in the dumpster behind the kitchens rather than Viktor.

"That is Grindelwald's mark," he said. "You have read of him, yes?"

"Some," she replied and made a face. "B-I-N-N didn't teach us. L-U-P had too much. I had other books to read."

"I see. It's alright, I'm sure you are more focused on Our Good Friend," said Viktor, sitting down. "Fleur, you were taught about him, yes?"

"That's right," said Fleur, waving her wand so the potatoes started peeling themselves. "We had an entire unit on Grindelwald's War."

"Grindelwald was much like Our Good Friend," Viktor explained. "Except he thought all Magic peoples should rise up against No-Magics. And if you were not with him, you and family were killed. Did not matter who you were."

"He still thought M.B.s were inferior," said Fleur. "But managed to convince them to fight on his side until he had no use for them."

Hermione nodded and tapped the mark insistently. She knew all that, she wanted to talk about the mark.

"That mark was originally the crest of the Purwaha family," Viktor explained. This was history. He knew his history like he knew linguistics. "See the Purwahas, two brothers, one sister, left Punjab about sixteen hundred years ago. Much like story of three brothers, it is said they faced Death and received three gifts. Others believe they created the objects themselves, but simply said Yama or Death, depends who you ask, gave them Hallows so they are not asked to make more."

"What do you think is true?" asked Fleur.

"I think they must have been given by Death," said Viktor. "Anyway, siblings split up shortly after. The one with ring joined Kaleja family in Bulgaria, the one with wand settled in Francia— modern-day Germany area—and the sister with cloak married a man named Podhar and they settled in Mierce, which was in England. My mother's family was part of the Kaleja family. The ring was lost long before she was born, we do not know how. It did not stop Grindelwald from torturing my grandfather, demanding to know where Hallows were. He is a man, so surely he knew, yes? No. It was grandmother who knew this story. Grandfather was murdered when my mother was still young. Grandmother told me all of this before she died. Of course, by then the Podhars were known as the Potters, the sister became a brother, and the mark was known as the Peverell crest, so how could Grindelwald have connected the two? I am still uncertain how he discovered the Kaleja connection when it is widely accepted that the 'Peverells' were the original owners."

Nia furrowed her brow and looked at the story in her book.

"Yes, my many times great-grandmother was a zombie," said Viktor. "It explains why we are dead inside." Neither laughed at his joke, so he continued on. "The owner of wand… it is unknown if he lived long enough to have children. The sister, well you know her many times great grandson, he is your brother."

She blinked and looked at him wide-eyed. "You and H-A-R-R-Y are family?"

Viktor nodded. "I realized it when you showed me invisibility cloak. I made the Podhar, Potter connection myself. I don't think that information is in any book Grindelwald could have read."

"Why didn't you say?"

"How do you bring it up? Hello, Harry Potter, yes it is I, Viktor Zdravkov, the person your best friend hates and your competition in this tournament. Guess what, we are distantly related! I would invite you to family reunion, but my mother's side is estranged after their last magic user rejected them and the Zdravkovs are a bunch of racist assholes, so is better if you do not come."

"I see your point," said Fleur. "I think he would still like to know. You can tell him at my wedding."

Viktor tipped his head and looked at Nia. "Why the interest in Deathly Hallows? They bring nothing but pain and will not help you defeat Our Good Friend."

"D-U-M thought it important," she said.

"Well, if Morty is like any dark wizard, he might seek Hallows out for himself," said Viktor. "At very least Elder Wand. It is said whoever wields it is most powerful wizard. Or perhaps he wishes the stone. Though, I think it might only work with whole spirits. Making horcruxes… I don't see how you could bring only pieces back. And the cloak… he does not seem to be type to want to hide away."

"What happens if you have all three?" asked Fleur.

"Legend says you become Master of Death." Viktor shook his head. "Nowadays the crest is used by those who think Grindelwald had right idea. I cannot forgive anyone using it, even meant for its original purpose."

Nia stared pensively at the mark. She hissed in disgust and tossed the book aside. She picked up a pen and wrote in her notebook.

Dum & Grin friends… lovers? Involved.

Marvolo Ring. Horcrux? Hallow? Both? Or neither.

She tapped the second line and looked at Viktor and Fleur. If this were true… Then things were already really bad.

"Do you know where it might be?" asked Viktor. "We might be better getting it before Our Good Friend can recover his losses."

She shook her head and looked distressed. Her hands shook and magic sparked around her fingers. She quickly got up and left the house.

"You should go after her," said Fleur. "You are a calming presence. I think I will work on dinner."

"Alright." Viktor followed his friend and found her pacing around, looking on the verge of a meltdown.

She made a hissing noise through her teeth and was clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Nia."

She turned to look at him and he kept his distance. Esperanza got like this sometimes. It was better to give space.

"Just because we do not know now, does not mean we won't know ever," he reasoned. "You have a lot of people on your side. I know now would be best time to act, but if you are not feeling well, then it might end up worse. Just… take your time. Rest, recover. Esperanza is coming home, I know she will tell you same thing."

She got a quick expression of anguish before it was replaced by apathy. She waved her hand dismissively. Viktor finally reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"Let's go inside," he said. "I have idea, why don't I invite Bily, Rositsa, and Rayna over and we will all play games. We can set all our worries down, they will be there to pick up tomorrow."

She took a deep breath and nodded. Viktor led her back into the house. While he called up his friends, Fleur and Nia chopped up vegetables for dinner.

"They agreed to come by," he said. "They will be over in two hours."

"Oh, are we having a party?"

Viktor's heart soared and he turned around to see Esperanza enter the kitchen. She was as beautiful as ever and had clearly come straight from a show. Her face glittered with makeup and her pink hair was stiff with styling spray. Giddy with love, he crossed the room and lifted her off her feet in a tight hug. She giggled and he was delighted by the sound.

"I thought you wouldn't be home for several more hours," he murmured between kisses.

"Oh, don't you know?" she said with a playful grin. "I had to storm home right away to see exactly what sort of harlots you brought into our house."

"Well, the rest of Nia's harem was unavailable," said Fleur.

Viktor barked out a laugh.

If Esperanza was shocked at the state of their friend, she didn't show it. Instead, she hugged Fleur, kissing her cheeks, before doing the same to Nia.

"I'm so happy to see you," she said. "Fleur, I have your wedding gown to try on, I'm uncertain about the skirt and want your opinion."

"Yes. Sounds wonderful."

"And Nia, how long are you staying?"

Nia raspberried with a shrug and went back to slicing up the vegetables. Esperanza looked at Viktor.

"She isn't speaking," he signed. "But can sign and write just fine."

His fiancée nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to unpack and change. I have three weeks home before the next leg begins."

"I will go with you," said Viktor. "Keep you company."

"Is that what you call it?" said Fleur.

He plucked a grape out of the fruit bowl and threw it at her, making her laugh. Even Nia smiled.

Viktor followed Esperanza upstairs and closed the door to their room to keep the conversation private.

"So, things are that bad?" said Esperanza, setting up Merelin's tank first so she could feed her.

"Yes. Nia is blaming herself for allowing someone to be killed during the Death Eater attack," he said. "I think part of her is also blaming herself for what happened to Fleur. The Greyback thing. After all, they targeted Cedric because she initiated S.A.M.B. and his father publicly spurned it. You know those Death Eaters were after Nia? All of them said their mission was to get rid of her."

Esperanza hummed. "Renata and I better put together a disguise for her then." She kissed his cheek. "Give me a moment."

He sat patiently and waited for her to shower and comb the product out of her hair and wash her face of makeup. It was a chilly summer, so when she was done she put on warm leggings and an oversized sweater before drying her hair out with a spell.

She stepped out and laid down, heaving a sigh.

"My swan?" he laid next to her and twirled a vibrant lock of hair around his finger.

"It feels silly to be focusing on tours and games, doesn't it?" she said. "When Nia's entire future is bleak."

"Yes." He slipped his arms around her, drawing her close. "I've been thinking of ways we can use our jobs to help."

"Tell me."

There were lots of ways they could help. Not just through their jobs, but also through their influence.

After all, rumor mills were vicious.