The next day dawned way too early. Hermione was walking down to the great hall when she came across a swamp. It was huge, taking up a whole hallway, and she wasn't quite sure how to cross it.

A boat drifted up to her. She stepped onto it, feeling dread build up in her stomach. She was nervous beyond all explanation. And she knew exactly why. She was sure that something terrible was going to happen, and she was afraid that there wasn't anything she could do about it.

She worked on her breathing all through the boat trip, and all the way on her walk to the great hall. Umbridge was there, looking worse for wear. The lower half of her robe was wet, as if she had tripped and fallen into the swamp. And she probably had.

Hermione sat down, waiting for everyone else to show up. Most of them had, when Harry showed up, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Wipe that smirk off your face Mr. Potter," Umbridge said. "We're just waiting for two Mr. Weasleys."

"They'll be here in just a moment," Harry said.

He was right, but not in the way that Umbridge expected. The twins flew in on brooms that still bore chains from her office.

"We think you noticed," Fred started.

"Our little gift," George finished.

They then turned their attentions to the students. "We're sad to say that we're going."

"But we're offering half off our products for anyone who promises to use them against this toad," George pointed at Umbridge.

They then sent a stink bomb at Umbridge, one that was specifically targeted so that only she could smell it. Hermione had to admit that it was a bit of ingenious spell work. But it didn't stop Umbridge from being ruthless with the detention.

If anything, she was angrier and more determined to inflict pain on the students. She had given each student a blood quill and instructed them to write lines.

Hermione hesitated. She knew that anything she wrote would show up on Viktor's skin. That was the nature of their bond. And so she decided that she wasn't about to write the prescribed lines. Instead she wrote in Bulgarian.

Viktor. I'm so sorry. I love you.

Each letter carved painfully into her skin. By the time that she had reached the fifth line, the doors to the great hall blew open and there stood several aurors, a distressed Fudge, and Viktor. Hermione dropped her quill, feeling her strength leave her.

Viktor quickly disarmed the acting headmistress, moving over to his girlfriend, carefully checking her over.

"It will be okay," he murmured in Bulgarian. "It will be okay."

"I know," Hermione responded. Her Bulgarian was stilted and very obviously not fluent. But it was understandable.

She clung to him, using him as her anchor, her rock. It certainly helped that Viktor was big enough to be a rock. She held onto him, with all her strength, not knowing what would happen if she let go.

The aurors rounded up the blood quills and took statements from most of the students. Fudge was attempting to deny knowledge of the situation. He was failing rather spectacularly. It was particularly amusing to Harry.

Hermione was rather wrapped up in Viktor to notice what was going on around them.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured.

"Whatever for?"

"I hurt you." Hermione couldn't stop blaming herself for that.

Viktor kissed her, hoping that it would transcend the barrier that words seemed to create. It wasn't the difference between languages. That didn't exactly help, but he couldn't find the right words in any language.

Hermione responded, almost instinctively. She knew that he still cared for her. She had never doubted that. She had just expected less concern and a little more hurt. Even if she hadn't been at fault.

Standing there in the great hall, Viktor's hand was very visible. There was still a slight residue of blood, from where the letters had been carved into his flesh. It looked like it was healing already, but it looked strangely familiar to some of the students.

"You don't think?" Lavender said to Pavarti.

"Sure looks like it," Pavarti said.

"She would have said something," Lavender protested.

Pavarti shrugged. "But not to us."

They both looked at Neville and Padma.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?" Lavender asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Neville said.

"We know quite a few things about Viktor and Hermione," Padma added.

"Like what their favourite colours are," Neville supplied.

Both Pavarti and Lavender rolled their eyes. They turned their attention back to the couple, trying to figure out if their suspicions were correct.

"Marry me," Viktor whispered.

Hermione looked up at him. They had discussed the subject, but had decided that the question was best left until Hermione was of age. Something had changed. Obviously. But she wasn't sure if he was merely asking out of desperation.

"You're sure about this?" she asked.

"As sure as I've been about anything. I love you."

Hermione nodded. "Then yes."

Madame Pomphrey moved through the students. She bandaged up hands, gave pain potions, and made sure that none of them were going to bear scars. It was a long process, and by the time she was done, the aurors had collected enough evidence to arrest Umbridge and reinstate Dumbledore.

"Alright Mr. Potter," Pomphrey said, "that should be everything. But I'll expect to see you next week to check on it."

"You have a standing appointment?" Ron asked.

"He's had one every week since school started," Hermione said.

She managed to keep the grin off her face, but just barely. She was still leaning into Viktor and he hadn't let go of her hand, even though his was probably worse off. Or it looked that way, just because his blood hadn't been used to write.

They were all dismissed to go relax, and spend the rest of the day doing whatever they felt was easiest to get their mind off the morning. Hogsmeade privileges had been opened up for everyone over second year. And the first and second years were quickly organizing a game of pickup quidditch.

Hermione and Viktor wound up in a secluded spot of the astronomy tower. She curled up into his side, relishing the comfort of his physical presence.

"Vhat are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm just glad that I get to spend time with you. I don't know when you'll be going back," she said.

"I haff a few days off," he said. "Especially since your mother is vorking vith our ministry."

Hermione had to admit that there were certain advantages to having a parent who worked with the government. And they'd done well with her mother's ideas and plan. They'd cut back on over half of unnecessary obliviations.

"How's that been going?" she asked. She had an idea, but she mostly just wanted him to talk.

"Your mother is an excellent diplomat," he said. "Ve are lucky to haff her."

He talked on about policy and procedure, occasionally slipping into Bulgarian when the words eluded him. Hermione just listened to him, enjoying the sound of his voice. Being apart from each other had been hard. And she shuddered to think about how long the next two years would be.

"You alright?" Harry asked that evening.

Hermione had been staring at her food with such an intensity that the rest of her friends were slightly surprised that it wasn't catching fire. "What?" she asked, startled out of her focus.

"You've been distracted all day," Padma said. "We know that Viktor was a bit of a surprise, and that you're always a little distracted when he comes to visit, but this is more than normal."

"Oh." She looked down at her plate, a light blush colouring her cheeks. "It's nothing important."

The other four looked at each other. Padma shook her head. Neville nodded at her.

"Sorry 'Mione," Ron said. "Whatever it is, it's pretty big. Which means it's important. Especially this close to O.W.L.s."

Hermione wasn't thinking about exams for once. She knew that she understood the material. She was more interested on the idea of life after school, and tests weren't going to determine the future that she was going to have. At least in the area she was focused on.

"I just got my perspective back. I'll be able to help anyone study anything they need help with," she said. "And you shouldn't have to worry about making sure that I eat."

"I sure hope so," Ron said. "Your boyfriend is scary."

Hermione smiled, knowing something that she wasn't quite ready to share with everyone else yet.