Me and Miss Granger II
-o-
By Karategirl666
Disclaimer: Rowlings world absolutely twisted to my liking.
-o-
Viktor sat beside Harry his head hung. Hermione and Ron had gone off to get Harry something to wear for the special service being held for Cedric the next night. He could feel the young wizards gaze go back and forth from the window to him and then back once more. Slowly Viktor looked up and met Harrys gaze. Viktor could tell the young wizard had something to say but instead of speaking whatever it was that was on his mind Harry instantly adverted his eyes.
"You think I'm Lying?" Viktor looked to him wide eyed.
"What?" Viktor asked.
"Do you think I'm lying?" Harry inquired looking down at his hands.
"No…" he instantly said. "Your story is too complicated to be lies Comrade."
"Lies usually are complicated." Harry replied. "A professor of mine who came to visit me. Professor McGonagall… She says a lot of people are going to blame me for Cedric's death, says many will believe that I killed him."
"The people who think this are too scared to believe truth…" Viktor stated
"You are not scared?" he asked looking to him.
"I am scared, but not enough to want to see lies…" Viktor said staring out the window.
"Why do you refuse to look me in the eye?" Viktor looked down at his hands which one held a wand in ready to be used if need be.
"Because of what I did…" he said. "Because of role I played in what happened to you and to Cedric." Harry shook his head.
"That wasn't you. It was the curse…" Viktor looked to Harry before glancing down at his hands in pure shame.
"Curse made me do terrible things…" He muttered. Harry looked to him; he could tell something was weighing on Viktor heavily.
"Viktor... What is it?" Harry watched the older wizard shake his head.
It's nothing you haf to worry about my friend…"
"Viktor a part of me being your friend, being your comrade is you speaking to me when something is weighing on your mind…" Viktor glanced to him. "Come on Mate, what's going on?"
"We should focus on you Comrade."
"I'd rather focus on you…" Harry said, and Viktor knew it was true. "What's going on? Are you and Hermione okay?"
"Yes, but I don't know how…" he said shaking his head before looking to Harry. "Hermione came into the Maze…"
"What?" Harry asked. "How?"
"I don't know…" Viktor said shaking his head. "But she got in… I think she was scared for you, maybe for me… Anyways she found me in there while I was under curse…" he looked at his hands. Harry watched as guilt slowly polluted Viktor's normally cheery expression. "I did things to her… I…" he closed his eyes shaking his head. "I hit her… Voman I love most Harry and I laid hands on her in violent way…" he gazed at the younger wizard. "What kind of man am I to allow curse to make me do this?" Harry took on a thoughtful expression.
"That sort of curse, Viktor… It can't be fought…"
"You would haf been able to fight it. Because you are good man Harry Potter."
"I didn't fight it tonight…" Harry said making Viktor look at him in surprise. "Voldemort put me under it to make me bow in the maze… I felt the force of it… Felt the power… Felt the control… I don't even think a wizard like Dumbledore could fight something like that. Probably why it's one of the unforgivable curses… Because anyone can be put under its control, no matter how great or how powerful a witch or wizard is they are still susceptible to it." Viktor slowly nodded. "I'm sorry that you were put under that curse, and remained under it for such a long time…"
"I'm sorry for what you endured Comrade…" Viktor said. The two looked at each other for a long moment before smiling and looking away. Harry sighed for a long moment before gazing at a Hogwarts Flag that Ron had left on a chair.
"I'm going to miss Cedric…" He stated as he and Viktor locked eyes once more. "He was a uh… A good guy… Never knew how good until tonight…" Viktor slowly nodded.
"He was good guy indeed… I wish I could haf gotten to know him better…" He admitted.
"Me too…"
"Vill you say something at the service tomorrow?"
"No… I don't think I would be able to do… You?" Harry inquired, and Viktor shook his head.
"No… I don't think I'd be able to either…" Harry looked to him.
"Something's happened to Hermione…" Viktor looked to him. "I can see that plainly when I look at her… Other than what happened in the maze between you two, has something else occurred?" Harry inquired.
"Do not know if it is place to say…" He admitted.
"She won't say it herself, not to me after what's happened. She'll think that she shouldn't because of the fact you know who is back… She forgets sometimes that I'm her friend too…"
"She never forgets that…" Viktor said looking to him. "She talks about you more than anyone else… Made me jealous at one time…" he said with a smile. "Still does if I can admit so…"
"What's happened?" Harry asked ignoring Viktor's try at changing the subject. "I need to know so I can better tend to her as a friend… As I said she won't tell me herself…"
"She isn't allowed to go home…" Viktor admitted quietly.
"What?" Harry asked sitting up further in the bed.
"It is true… Her parents found out about everything."
"Everything?" Harry asked. "How? Dumbledore was supposed to run interference."
"Dah I know…" he said. "But he said he couldn't hide you know who…"
"Her father reacted badly I'd take it?"
"Yes… He yelled cried yelled some more… Then he told her to choose between this world and their world… she chose this one…" Harry slowly nodded.
"Poor Mione... Thank you for telling me… You know sense you've come around she's changed." Viktor looked to him. "She's happier… Never seen her so happy actually… She's going to need you in the months to come Viktor… The years even if you choose to be with her that long."
"If she chooses to be with me that long…" he said with a laugh.
"She already has, I can see that plainly…" Harry smiled. "That's the thing about Hermione. When she chooses to be at someone's side, she stays there no matter what…" Viktor smiled as he nodded in agreement.
"I am very lucky man…"
"Don't you forget it…" Harry said making him laugh. "Someday I hope to be as lucky…" the two smiled at each other before Harry sat up quickly. "Ginny?" he inquired in slight surprise.
"Hey Harry…" The red headed girl walked to his side and sat down and Viktor smiled. "Sorry it took me so long to come see you. Dad and Mum were speaking to Fred George and I, now they're speaking to Ron…"
"What about Hermione?" Harry inquired.
"She should be here any minute, she's having Neville get your clothes for her…" he slowly nodded. Ginny took a small breath before moving forward and taking Harry's hand. "You look good considering you were just nearly killed." He laughed and instantly Ginny smiled.
"Really? Because Ron told me I look like Hell." He said.
"Only a bit." He laughed even more. Viktor smiled as he watched Harry and Ginny converse. Harry hadn't realized it yet but Viktor could plainly see that he was already a very lucky man. He wondered how long it would take Harry to realize that he had found a companion in the young Ginny Weasley. Viktor heard a noise and smiled seeing Hermione walking in with a bag in hand.
"Harry I brought your clothes…" She said walking to his side. "A set of robes for the service, and sleep wear so you can now get out of the clothes you wore for the task…" Hermione said before her eyes glanced down to see Ginny and Harry holding hands, she couldn't help but smile at the scene.
That a girl gin… Hermione thought trying to conceal her sheer delight.
"Thanks Mione." Harry said.
"Visiting hours are long and done with Mr. potter needs some rest." Pomfrey said walking over.
"But we are all hurt." Viktor said quickly.
"All of you?" Pomfrey asked.
"Yes…" Hermione said knowing Harry wouldn't want to be alone.
"What's wrong with you all then?"
"I was put under Imperious curse…" Viktor said.
"You?" she asked Hermione.
"I'm in emotional shock about my boyfriend being put under said curse…" Hermione said while Viktor tried not to laugh.
"You?" she looked to Ginny.
"I'm in shock too." Ginny stated as if it was all too obvious.
"Over what?"
"I just found out I'm a ginger…" She said with a shrug. "It's thrown me for quite an emotional loop." Everyone tried to withhold their laughter while the nurses face went red.
"All of you out!" she shouted before heading away to give them a few moments to say their goodbyes.
"Here…" Hermione whispered and gave something invisible to Ginny. "Put it on someone should stay with him…"
"Is this…" she looked down at something she couldn't see but could very well feel in her grasp. "It is…" Harry said with a smile. "Go ahead Gin, put it on." She smiled and Viktor watched as Ginny suddenly disappeared from sight.
So it is real… I thought the cloak of invisibility was just something extra Hermione threw into her stories to make them more excited for Stony to listen too…
"Come on Viktor let's leave Harry alone to his rest…" she waved at Harry before heading off dragging Viktor slightly as she did.
"Right… Amazing that cloak…"
"Hallo…" they stopped outside the hospital wing seeing Jamous. "I'm here to get Viktor to our new sleeping quarters for the night. Afraid he won't be able to sneak off to be with you…"
"That's alright…" Hermione said with a soft smile.
"No I could sneek-."
"I wouldn't try it." Hermione said to Viktor.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure security will be at its highest in years… You go on ahead…" he moved forward and kissed her gently.
"You vill be alright?"
"Sure…" she said with a bright smile and he could see she was clearly not okay.
"Mina…"
"I'll be fine Viktor."
"I don't like this…" He admitted.
"Neither do I…" She said as he took her hands. "We don't have a choice though…"
"Very true… Well… I love you." He said as he cupped her cheek and captured her lips with his once more.
"I love you too…" she said softly. "I'll see you later…" Viktor watched as she headed off in the opposite direction he was going. He wasn't sure how but Hermione was managing quite a convincing brave face.
"Come friend, I know you wanted to be with her but there is no choice in matter…" Jamous said.
"Dah I know…" Viktor said with a nod. "Come comrade…"
-o-
Hermione sat in her work room, her hand moving over a small broom. It was stable and strong as it hung by its own magic in the air. She twirled a paint brush in hand as she looked over the slightly engraved wood. She had carved and painted Elvin symbols figuring Dobby would like it considering he was in fact an elf. When she first started she had figured she would leave the Broom plan. But later on she had decided to make the broom more ornate, feeling that Dobby deserved a beautiful broom rather than a plain one. She heard a small pop and smiled.
"Hello Dobby…" She said without looking as she placed the paint brush away.
"Miss, I came to check on you. I heard of fight with your parents in the headmaster's office…" he inched in one of his many hats held in hand. She turned and looked at him with a thoughtful expression.
"I'm alright… I was just about to call for you." She said as she dried the paint on the broom magically.
"What can I get you?" He asked.
"Nothing… I wanted to give you something." She said with a smile.
"Me?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes… Viktor wants to teach you how to fly and you want to learn, but I realized there were no brooms made just for elves… so I made you one…" she motioned to it as Dobby moved forward wide eyed. "I'm sorry it took me so long… You'll have no time to learn how to use it from Viktor before he moves back to Bulgaria… But maybe you can visit him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
"I have… A broom?" he asked wide eyed as he walked to it. "It's like I'm almost a wizard."
"In my mind you are one. I mean you have a paying job, your own house, a bank account, and now a broom… You have everything a wizard has."
"All I'm missing is a wand." He laughed as he moved his hand across the engraved painted wood. He felt the broom instantly connect o him. "This is most splendorous. Thank you so much misses."
"You can all me Hermione, Dobby…" she said with a smile. "We're friends after all…"
"We are aren't we?" he asked with a smile that she returned. He slowly moved forward and took her hand. "Sense we're friends, you can confide in me… How are you?" she looked down at the small Elfs hand as her shoulders hunched slightly. "Hermione?" a sob escaped her body as her shoulders gave a jerk. He hoped up onto the desk beside her and wrapped his arms around her neck. "It's alright Hermione… It's alright…"
"Everything is so terrible Dobby…" she said wiping the tears away as she took a steadying breath and stopped them from falling. "I just want to curl up into a ball and just pathetically sob."
"Then you should." He said instantly. "You should do just that." She smiled softly before wiping a tear track away.
"I can't… Not yet. I have to be strong for Harry right now…"
"Crying doesn't make you any less strong." Dobby said patting her shoulder as he looked at her with big wide hazel eyes. "You know this you must."
"Am I strong enough?" she inquired wiping the last evidence of tears away.
"You are very strong Hermione…"
"But am I strong enough for what's going to happen?"
"Yes. Of this I am most sure." He said with a smile. "I don't know anyone stronger…"
"What if I'm not? What if I let everyone down?" Dobby looked at her for a long moment. He didn't know how to quell her fears. He didn't know what to do to make it better. So instead he decided to speak from his heart.
"I don't think it's possible for you to let someone down… You've had plenty of chances to and you haven't thus far… So I doubt you will in the future…" she shook her head.
"You're sweet but I have let people down…"
"Who?"
"Well… I let my father down. I could see that in his eyes as I renounced his world of this one…"
"I don't think you let him down. I think you took a stand…"
"What is pathetic is right now all I can think is that I so badly want my mother… But I can't see her, not anymore…"
"I still want for my mother…" Dobby admitted. "And she's been dead for over fifty years…"
"I'm sorry dobby…" she whispered.
"Don't be…" he said waving it off. "I know she's still around… Just as your mother is…" he smiled. "What I heard was true though you can't go home?"
"No… I can't." she said, the realization jabbing her heart painfully.
"Where will you go? Will you buy a house or stay in the one your grandfather left you?"
"Actually Viktor's parents have asked me to stay with them… They're very kind…"
"I see…" he quirked an ear. "Dumbledore is summoning me… I will stay with you."
"No… No. You go on ahead… You can take your broom to show off…" she said with a smile.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes go on ahead… Thanks for comforting me Dobby…"
"Of course Hermione, I'm an elf after all." He said with a wink as he took the broom in his hand and disappeared from sight. Hermione smiled softly as she stared at the spot he had been standing. She stayed sitting there for a long time until a knock made her look up. She came out of her work room and blinked seeing the morning sun hanging high and bright in the sky outside her window. The knock sounded again.
"Come in." She said stretching slightly. Ginny walked in with a smile.
"Hey, I came to see if you wanted to go down to breakfast." She said.
"Already time for breakfast…"
"I know time flies…" she said with a shrug. "Still you want to go?"
"Sure…" she said with a shrug.
"Do you need to change?" Ginny asked.
"No I put this on last night when I came back to my room…" she said moving her hands down her jeans. She walked over to her mirror and checked her makeup and hair. She looked alright considering all that had happened. She straightened out her white long sleeve v neck sweater.
"Ready?" Ginny asked bending down to tie her purple pair of converse.
"Yeah, let's head down…"
"Harry is still in the hospital, probably for the best…"
"Yeah… he doesn't need to face the students right now…" they headed down the stair case into the empty common room and out the porthole. Hermione smiled seeing Viktor Jamous and Padma waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase.
"Hey Gin." Padma waved. "Hermione."
"Hey Padma." They said.
"Luff…" Viktor greeted as he kissed Hermione's cheek. "Think Jamous and I could join you girls at breakfast table?"
"I thought you all weren't allowed to sit at the tables not given to you by the school…" Ginny said.
"The rule has been lifted…" Padma said. "They say the schools need to really band together sense…" her voice trailed off. "Well… You know."
"Yeah…" Hermione nodded. "Let's get going then shall we…"
"You guys will love the Gryffindor table way better than the Slytherin one." Ginny said making Jamous and Viktor chuckle.
"So… How's Harry?" Padma inquired as they walked.
"He's alright…" Hermione said.
"Has he said anything about what happened in the maze? To Cedric I mean…"
"Yes." Hermione said curtly.
"And….." Padma inquired.
"And I don't really think it's any of your business…" Hermione said kindly enough.
"Hey…" Padma said stopping. "Cedric was my friend too you know."
"This isn't about Cedric." Hermione said looking to her as they all came to a halt. "It's about you wanting to get your nose into Harry's business, like you always want to do when something goes down in this school."
"You can't be serious…" Padma said with a glare.
"You know Padma, I never thanked you for telling everyone in Gryffindor tower about my petrification my second year after you witnessed it."
"What?" Jamous asked looking to his girlfriend.
"I… I…" Padma turned speechless to Hermione and glared.
"You didn't even bother telling a teacher I was laying there in the middle of a corridor petrified you just wanted to gossip to all the friends you didn't quite have a hold of yet… You're the same slippery Eel you were back then…" Hermione said shaking her head at her.
"I-I." Padma looked to Jamous completely mortified. "I was young…"
"I didn't realize there was an age limit to doing the right thing." Hermione said making Padma glare into her further.
"Maybe we should stop speaking of this…" Jamous said hating seeing his girlfriend and Viktor's girlfriend fight.
"Yes let's speak of much happier things, yes?" Viktor asked hoping Padma took the hint.
"I just wanted to know how Harry was…" Padma said trying to pull off the persona of a victim.
"He just witnessed Voldemort come back of course he's not okay… You're smart enough to figure that out." Ginny said.
"So he says Voldemort came back? Nice lie…" Padma muttered.
"Harry doesn't lie." Hermione said her temper building.
"So you're telling me that Voldemort somehow came back from the dead?" Padma asked with a slight laugh. "Please…" she fired.
"He's done it once before… In the chamber of secrets." Ginny said.
"So you say, and I still wonder about that…" Padma said as she glared into Ginny.
"How dare you?" Hermione asked taking a step forward. "You have no idea what Ginny or Harry went through that year!"
"I'm just saying the chances are quite slight!" Padma said backing up.
"Slight but they happened… Voldemort is back Padma. Deal with it and move on…" Padma slowly shook her head.
"How am I supposed to deal with that huh? He killed my grandmother at the height of his power… How can I just deal and move on that he's back?"
"I don't know, but find a way and keep your naive ill-informed comments to yourself…" with that Hermione walked off Viktor fallowing.
"Who does she think she is?" Ginny asked trailing beside Hermione.
"Ignore her…"
"I didn't mean to make her so angry…" Padma whispered.
"You really left her alone in corridor after she had been petrified?" Jamous asked Padma who looked at him with big black eyes.
"Well… Yes… But I was young…"
"Hermione was young her first year when she Harry and veasley went to protect some stone… Veasley got hurt she didn't leave him there to go gossip…"
"Jamous I was young…" she said again.
"Hermione was younger then you were when she did that."
"I'm not like her though… I don't have some weird hero complex…" she said quickly.
"Being good person is not Hero complex… I do not think I know you as vell as I once thought…" he said as he backed away from her.
"Jamous?" she asked.
"I think this may be start to a long goodbye Padma…"
"What?" she asked as he started to walk away. "Jamous hey wait…" Padma blinked as she took a desperate step forward. "Jamous?" she asked as he continued to move down the corridor. "Jamous!" he shook his head.
-o-
"Luff you haf to eat more than that…" Viktor said seeing just a plate of toast in front of her.
"I don't feel like I can eat much today…" she said honestly. "My stomach is in knots."
"Here…" Jamous sat next to Ginny across from Viktor and Hermione. "This is small but vill give much energy." A bowl of oatmeal and berries formed in front of him and he pushed to her. "Eat eat." He urged. She smiled at him before looking around the table and back to him.
"Where's Padma?" she inquired softly.
"I am thinking of breaking up with her… Did not know of true nature until just then…" he looked to Ginny. "I'm sorry she questioned what happened your first year. It must haf been traumatic and then for some one question its validity…"
"It's fine…" she said with a soft smile as she sipped on a cup of tea.
"Eat Hermione…" Jamous said again. "You need to grow big and strong for Bulgarian babies." She laughed shaking her head.
"Very nice Jamous…" she said making him smile.
"Am being honest those hips are not ready to bare children."
"Why are you looking at my girlfriends hips Jamous?" Viktor inquired.
"Oh look bacon." Jamous said as a plate came before him and the others laughed at his question dodge. Stacks of papers slowly appeared on every table bringing the small group from their happy thoughts. Viktor reached forward and grabbed one of the prophets. He shook his head with a sigh.
"Let me guess there is nothing in their about Voldemort just that there was a death." Hermione said.
"Dah." He said with a nod. Ginny took one and frowned and the picture of Harry huddled over Cedric's body. She opened the prophet and stared at another picture and then the title of the page.
"Oooh… Have you seen page two?" she asked. Viktor flipped the prophet's page and smiled softly. It was a photo of him and Hermione kissing passionately in front of the maze. He glanced up at the headline.
ME MYSELF AND I:
Love Beyond Blood
By: Rita Skeeter
The picture flashed from their goodbye in front of the maze, to their reuniting kiss, to Viktor's arms wrapped around her as they moved through the crowd of reporters and photographers. Hermione took the paper and flipped the page. Ginny made a noise making the two people in the photograph look up.
"What is it?" Hermione asked seeing her friend chuckling.
"They're calling your post maze kiss with Viktor… And I quote this… The most timeless embrace to ever be witnessed."
"Wonderfull…" she muttered. "What is the title about?" Hermione asked before she read the small article under the picture. "Oh… I get it…"
"What?" Viktor inquired.
"She keeps comparing our blood status…" she muttered.
"You should kidnap her again." Viktor said.
"Wait what?" Jamous asked.
"Well this stupid article wouldn't have been written if you hadn't made me release her from her glass jar prison." Hermione said making her boyfriend laugh.
"True, we should haf kept her." Viktor said while Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Again I ask what?" Jamous inquired.
"Nothing…" Hermione said with an innocent look as an owl flew in and dropped a letter in front of her. "Oh it's from your mum…" she said to Viktor as she opened it up.
"She said she'd write…" Viktor said with a smile.
Dearest Hermione,
Hello, I told you I would write and indeed I have. You've been approved for your ministry pass here to Bulgaria. Now it's just having to figure out how you will get here seeing as the train will not take you Bulgaria itself but instead to London… Our thinking is you may go home with Viktor on ship or maybe to have you both take a port key here or the floo network from the school… I have written to Dumbledore to ask his opinion… By the way I spoke to your mother late last night. I haven't heard anything back yet but am hopeful. I promise Hermione we'll arrange for you to see your mother as soon as possible.
You're surrogate momma,
Sophia
Hermione smiled to herself as she read the bit about seeing her mother over and over again. Some of the crushing weight she had been feeling had started to dwindle as she read the small sentence again and again.
"Is everything good?" Viktor asked.
"It's good…" she said with a smile. "I'm feeling much better now. I think I'll go visit Harry for a bit…"
"I vill come with if you wish."
"After you finish breakfast…" she said with a smile her bowl of oatmeal already gone. "See you all later…" she kissed him on the cheek and headed off. As she walked down a corridor she saw Malfoy sitting on a bench a wide eyed look as he stared down at a letter. As she past him he gazed up at her in what seemed like fear. For a moment she felt like stopping, but then the memory of him stabbing her entered her mind.
He's not worth the bloody consideration… His father has probably been arrested for being a death eater… One can bloody hope at least…
As she walked away she heard something move and turned to see Malfoy had stood up and was looking at her with a strange expression. She reached for her wand on pure instinct. Malfoy averted his eyes his head hanging low for a moment before he turned quickly and walked off.
What was that about? She wondered as she slowly backed away.