"Now this is a sport," Mr Granger whistled. "Go Viktor!"
Hermione rolled her eyes at her father's antics. He was behaving in a very similar way to the way he would act at a rugby game, but Hermione had never cared about those. This game was one that she cared about very much.
It was probably the fact that Viktor was playing that made her so invested. She hadn't pulled out the book she had brought with her once. They had only been playing for half an hour, but she was fully invested. By that point in just about every other game she had grown bored and stopped paying attention.
"So like basketball, the chasers try to score points by knocking that ball through the hoop," Mrs Granger went over the rules again.
"But like football, the keeper guards the hoops and tries to stop the other team from scoring points," Hermione said.
"And unlike any other sport, it's awesome!" Mr Granger shouted. "Why do they keep this a secret from muggles?" he asked.
"The statute of secrecy," Hermione said. "Apparently it's dangerous for wizards if muggles knew about us."
"Sounds like a political debate. We aren't that different. After all, don't wizards sometimes have children that can't do magic?" Mrs Granger asked.
Hermione nodded. "They're called squibs by wizards."
"So the question becomes whether wizards or muggles came first. Because it really doesn't sound like there's that much different between us. So why separate?"
Hermione mulled the thoughts over in her head. She knew the worlds were different. She lived in both. And she was constantly amazed by how far muggles had come. They had been to the moon, something most wizards had hardly ever dreamed of. What would happen if they tried working together?
"I think it started sometime in the dark ages," Hermione tried to explain. "You know, when there were witch burnings and everything. While wizards weren't exactly in danger, it became easier to split than to try and face execution every time they used their magic."
Mrs Granger nodded, obviously thinking. Hermione knew that face. Her mother was coming up with a plan that could possibly involve her. And it could wind up with disastrous consequences, or pleasantly surprising ones. Hermione hoped it was the latter in this case.
She turned her attention back to the game, glad to see that Viktor's team was winning. She watched as he dove for the snitch, and caught it. She jumped up, clapping with the rest of the fans. Viktor blew her a kiss as he flew a victory lap.
"That boy really loves you," Mr Granger said.
"I think so."
"I guess we'll have to have him over for Christmas then if that's acceptable."
Hermione squealed and hugged her father excitedly. "That would be wonderful. And magical travel is much faster."
"Darling slow down," Mrs Granger said. "We've got the whole summer to enjoy. Your father and I can work on holiday plans while you're at school."
Hermione couldn't keep the grin off her face as they walked down to the pitch. By the time they got there, most of the people had already gone home. That was one of the perks and disadvantages to being in one of the top boxes.
"Viktor," she said, seeing that he was cleaned up.
"How long does it take to walk down those stairs?" Mr Granger asked.
"Too long," Mrs Granger answered.
"Maybe not," Viktor said. "Is nice to haff time for a shower."
Hermione smiled and hugged him. "I told you. But I do have to admit that you had a point too."
"Not mud, nor toads," he said.
They laughed and both sets of parents looked at each other. Smiles played on both of the mother's lips while both Mr Granger and Mr Krum looked confused.
"What is that?" Mr Granger asked.
"I think that's what some of the kids these days call an inside joke. It's funny to them, but not to anyone else," Mrs Granger told her husband.
"Makes no sense," Mr Krum muttered.
"Perhaps ve should give them some privacy," Mrs Krum said. "Viktor knows how to get home."
"Are you expecting him to fly Hermione home on a broomstick?" Mr Granger asked. "I don't think she'd like that."
Mr Krum shook his head. "Not unless she vants to. Viktor knows how to apparate."
Hermione ignored her father's questions and her mother's soft comments to both of their fathers. Mrs Granger was quite the woman, but that wasn't something Hermione wanted to pay attention to.
"Now I haff you all to myself," Viktor said.
"And what were you hoping would come from that Mr Krum?" she teased.
"This." He leant down and kissed her softly. "It vas vonderful to know you vere vatching me."
"I was watching you at the world cup last year," she said.
"That doesn't count. You vere vatching for soulmate, not at handsome seeker."
She laughed. "In my defence, you didn't tell me who you were."
"I didn't vant lovely vitch to think that I was lying, he said. And I had no idea who you vere."
"You wouldn't have known me. Just some British witch at fourteen, with muggle parents nonetheless."
She looked slightly ashamed of her heritage. It wasn't something she particularly liked to talk about, as much as she said otherwise to Malfoy. She tried not to let it get to her, but being around Ron and other people who had grown up in the magical world made her feel a tad outcast.
"You think that matters?" Viktor said. "I haff found you now. The tournament might haff been elaborate plan to trap Potter, but I like vhat I found."
Hermione smiled, her spirits rising. "Thank you. We should probably get back to your house before my mother tries to abolish the statute of secrecy."
Mrs Granger had actually been arguing over the need for secrecy with Mrs Krum. Mr Granger found that he should probably call it a debate since they never raised their voices or even spoke with intense emotion. It was more an exchange of ideas than anything.
Mr. Granger did think muggles would like quidditch. He loved the match he had seen, and had to admit that it looked like it took a lot of skill. He wondered absentmindedly if you needed to have innate magic in order to fly a broom.
Hermione and Viktor came into the room, grins on their faces and hands intertwined with each other. Viktor whispered something in her ear and she giggled.
"Has mum started trying to change the ministry?" she asked her father.
"I'm fairly certain that she hasn't had quite that much time. But she's certainly grilling Ivanna about everything related to the statute of secrecy in every magical country. Did you know it's almost nonexistent in America?"
Hermione shook her head. "I know the Americans are fa weird sort, but I never thought they'd go as far as that."
"They aren't supposed to do magic needlessly in front of non-magic folks, but they have a very unusual culture. Turns out that's why they won the war back in the 1700's," Mr. Granger mused.
Hermione hummed a response and wandered off to find her mother, leaving her father and Viktor to talk, presumably about quidditch.
"And you're certain that witches and wizards are more than capable of surviving witch burning?" Mrs Granger asked.
"Considering that it's something they still teach students to do at Durmstrang, yes. Besides, there would likely be a lot less magical families if they had succeeded at that."
Hermione leant her weight against the doorframe of the library as her mother gathered up books upon books to read. In that moment Hermione could see herself in her mother, even if she didn't always feel like it.
They shared the same brown eyes, but Helena Granger's hair was a smooth deep auburn. It was almost fully red, but not quite. Other than that, they looked fairly similar for mother and daughter, but Hermione had sometimes felt more like her father. Apart from his passion for sports.
"Found something interesting, Mum?" Hermione asked.
"Beyond interesting, fascinating. Can you imagine how much muggles would pay to go to quidditch games? And I think your father was set on interrogating your boyfriend about how to get a broom himself," Mrs Granger said.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just what I need. One more quidditch crazed man in my life."
"You did want him to be part of your world," Mrs Granger said.
"I do. I just don't know if I'll be able to deal with it. Rugby, football, and quidditch. It's going to be a madhouse."
"It is. But I doubt you'd have it any other way."
A/N: So I guess there are a few things that need to be cleared up. Both of Hermione's parents know about her communication with Viktor, but she hasn't really gone into detail about it with them. And they aren't exactly thrilled about writing on her arm. It's a habit they know will likely continue her entire life, but have still tried to stop.
And I have an idea that seems better than sending the Grangers off to Australia with their memories modified. I'm really excited. I love alternate universes. I am an almighty and powerful god. (Road to El-Dorado seems stuck in my head.)