Hermione met her parents in Bulgaria, arriving via portkey directly there. Since Harry and Ron had decided to stay at Hogwarts to watch Malfoy, she felt no obligation to go back to Grimmauld place. And no one was going to blame her for spending more of the holidays with her family.
She'd hugged each of them, sitting down to talk and eat before Viktor got home from training. Bulgaria might have been two hours ahead, but Hermione had left in the morning. He would be at practice until early afternoon.
"How's Hogwarts?" her mother asked.
"It can't be worse than last year," her father added.
"It's not," Hermione said, stirring her food around her plate absentmindedly. "It really isn't. But Harry… He's not exactly himself."
"What do you mean?" John Granger asked.
Hermione sighed. "He didn't even leave Hogwarts for Christmas. He's staying to watch Malfoy."
"I was under the impression that he would want to stay with his godfather," Helena said.
"I was hoping for that," Hermione confessed. "Sirius might have been able to knock some sense into him. Not much. Sirius has never been great at sense. But enough that Harry might have been able to spent the second semester not obsessing."
"I'm not sure that would change much," Helena said.
"There must be someone who can get him to see sense," John added.
"I think only Luna might be able to get through to him," Hermione bemoaned. "And that's a huge maybe."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. A somber air hung over them. No one was sure how to break it.
"Well, this certainly von't do," Mrs. Krum said. "Not when Viktor vill be home soon."
"I'll certainly be glad when he does," Hermione said. "I need a hug."
Helena held a hand up over her mouth in mock indignation. "Are we not good enough for you?"
"You know what I mean," Hermione said. She loved her parents. But she really wanted a hug from the one person who could always manage to make her smile. And could bring her into a calm from any emotion.
"Know vhat?" Viktor asked from the doorway.
"That you are the most wonderful thing I've seen in a long time," Hermione said in Bulgarian.
"Impossible," Viktor said. "For you are the most wonderful thing on the face of this earth."
"Would you two stop flirting," Helena said. For a parent, it was hard to watch. Even if she approved.
Hermione stuck her tongue out at her mother. She might be seventeen, but she still felt as if she could be childish at times. And it wasn't a bad thing.
"You always said the kitchen was the best place for this sort of thing," Hermione said, switching back to English easily.
"She said the kitchen was the best place for this." John kissed his wife.
"Parents," Hermione grumbled under her breath.
"Hopefully one day we'll get to be just as embarrassing as them," Viktor said.
"Maybe," Hermione said. "I think just about everyone is embarrassed by their parents."
"Very much so," Mrs. Krum said.
"Mother," Viktor almost whined.
Hermione giggled. She was fond of it when Viktor was getting embarrassed by his parents instead of her. Much more of an enjoyable experience.
"Fine," Viktor said. He lifted Hermione over his shoulder and strode out of the room.
"Put me down," she said.
"Vill be better vhen no parents are around to make snide remarks," Viktor said. He didn't put Hermione on the ground.
She had to agree with that sentiment. It was typically more enjoyable when they were alone. One of the reasons that Viktor had started looking for a small apartment they could rent for the beginning of their marriage. That way they could have some space that they didn't have to share.
"As true as that may be, can you please put me down?" Hermione asked again.
Viktor let her down from his shoulder, slowly. It was as if she didn't weigh anything. Hermione suddenly felt very tiny.
She wasn't that small. She was of average height and build for her age. And while she was done growing, since both of her parents had stopped at a relatively early age, she wasn't short by any means. She also wasn't the slimmest girl her age.
She wasn't stocky the way that Cho or Ginny were. Both were quidditch players and strangely muscled. She wasn't thin and willowy the way that Luna was. She was sort of in the middle. Sort of like Lavender.
But in that moment, Hermione felt as if she were a delicate piece of china. Almost like a teacup. She knew that she wasn't going to break, but she felt as if she was worth being protected. And valued.
"I love you," she said softly in Bulgarian.
"And I you," he said in English.
While they could, and often did, switch freely between the two languages freely and quickly, they didn't usually mix the two while in the middle of a conversation unless there were other people involved. Sometimes to hide the conversation. Sometimes to include those involved.
But it was each special to them to hear their own native tongues spoken. And it was a distinct effort they made to share the languages of each other. It was a small thing, since they had been speaking and writing in each for a few years. But it meant quite a bit.
Harry was sulking around Hogwarts, watching Malfoy on the map. It was almost religious the way he carried it around and checked it periodically. To anyone watching, it was concerning.
Ron was doing his best to keep Harry in check. He'd written Sirius for any semblance of advice the older man might have. Which hadn't been much. Mostly just that Lucius Malfoy had gotten himself arrested and Draco may actually be up to something.
Without any clue of what he should do, Ron wrote a letter to Hermione and then asked Luna for advice.
"Any clue on how to help Harry?" he asked.
"It depends on what you mean by help," Luna replied. She didn't look up from the radish she was carving.
"Help him not go mad," Ron said. He was trying to find the right words to say. He wasn't sure he was doing a good job, even if he suspected that Luna knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Madness is as madness does," Luna hummed. "Look a little deeper. Maybe you'll find what he's looking for."
"Thanks," Ron said. He had no idea what she was talking about.
"You might find that with the right attention, he'll blossom into something beautiful."
Ron shook his head as he left. He had no idea what, or who, Luna was talking about. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know. It might mean something he wasn't ready for.
Instead he headed back to the common room. Christmas wasn't for two days yet. He still had time to write to Hermione, and send her the present he'd gotten her. He'd forgotten to do that.
"What were you doing with Luna?" Harry asked when Ron came back into Gryffindor tower.
"Talking about you," Ron said. "I was wondering if you'd told her anything about Malfoy."
It wasn't quite the entire truth. But it was enough to quiet Harry. And it wasn't a lie. Ron was curious to know what Luna might have gleaned from Harry. She could see things that people wanted to keep hidden.
"Fine. But don't go getting any ideas."
Ron hadn't even thought about it. He found Luna a little odd. And she was sort of friends with Ginny. Ron had no inclinations of dating, or even thinking about dating, anyone who was friends with his sister. It would be too weird.
"Wasn't going to," he mumbled.
Ron climbed the stairs to his dorm and dug the present he had gotten Hermione out of his trunk. It wasn't big. But he figured she would like it.
Placing the little bracelet he'd made, engraved with his favourite quote on the inside, down on the table, he started the letter. He explained Luna's answer. And he told her about what Sirius had said. He knew she'd written him. But Ron had decided that he was just going to include all the information he had.
Mione,
Yes, I know you don't like to be called that. It's still infinitely shorter than writing your full name. And I'm doing this quickly.
Harry's gotten a bit obsessed. You already knew that. But without classes he's sort of gone crazy. I'm sort of glad you aren't here to see it. You couldn't do anything about it, and we both know that. I'm not fairing any better.
The only one who seems to be able to get through to Harry at all is Luna. Not sure what's going on there. I'm just glad that something's able to distract him. Even if he's gotten a little weird.
Hope you're having a good holiday. Enjoy Bulgaria. Any advice you may have would be appreciated.
He wrote on. Everything went into that letter. Without a second thought he sealed it and sent it off, with just a nod to Harry as he headed off to the owlery.
Hermione smiled as she read Ron's letter. She was worried about Harry. She couldn't deny that. But she was glad that someone was looking out for him. After Slughorn's party, she'd expected something. But she wasn't sure what.
"Something wrong?" her mother asked.
Hermione shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Just the usual."
In a strange way, it was sort of usual. There was always something going on. And Harry always seemed to be right in the middle of it. This year was no different. Even if Hermione and Ron weren't convinced that Malfoy was a death eater the way that Harry was.
Still, she could tell everything was going to be okay. No idea where that feeling came from. But she was certain.
A/N: Not sure how this chapter turned out. Feels a little bit like filler. Hopefully the next one will be exciting. Still, we did get some secondary character development. I'm really starting to enjoy writing Luna. She's super interesting.