The warm early morning sunlight made Viktor grunt slightly as it bled through his tightly closed lids

The warm early morning sunlight made Viktor grunt slightly as it bled through his tightly closed lids. With a sigh he rolled onto his side and let his eyes open slowly. For a moment it occurred to him to wonder why he was buck-naked and lying on top of his covers and then the night before came flooding back in very detailed pictures. A smirk covered his face for a moment then he realized his princess wasn't in the bed with him. A quick look around the room confirmed she was nowhere in sight and her dress was gone. He started to sigh and then spotted it, a scrap of paper he hadn't seen lying on the desk. He crossed quickly and lifted the paper, reading the scrawling handwriting took longer then he would have liked but finally he made it through the letter which read:

Dear Viktor,

First let me say that last night was amazing and do not worry, I do not regret a thing we did. But I do not think Professor Karkaroff can over look me in your bed no matter how much he favors you, and I would rather the teachers at the castle find out that way either. I certainly would not want my parents to find out that way. But I am rambling now and I imagine it is a bit annoying.

Just know that I loved everything we did and I will be waiting for you in the Great Hall after breakfast.

Hermione

Viktor grinned from ear to ear as he tossed on one of his uniforms and boots, and then had to slow himself from running to the door and off the ship. As it was his brisk walk had him running down Karloff and his mocha skinned date Pavarti, whom he was obviously trying to sneak out of the ship.

"Oh Viktor! How did last night go? Good yah?" Karloff was so embarrassed he reverted to Bulgarian instead of asking in English.

Viktor nearly laughed at the embarrassed look on Karloff and the Patil girl's faces and just shook his head and said in English. "No vorries. I vill not tell." Then he headed out the door with a wave over his shoulder.

"That was strange," Pavarti said, "He never answered your question."

"He didn't 'ave to.." Karloff grinned down at Pavarti's confused look. "I 'ave never see Viktor t'at 'appy... in long time."

The girl suddenly grinned, shaking her head. "Never would have guessed that Hermione Granger had it in her. Lord is Ron in for a shock when she ever tells him, I'm certainly not going to."

"Ron is Ron Veasley, yah?" When Pavarti nodded, Karloff shook his head, "If Veasley is smart he vill stay away vrom Viktor and Her-my-knee."

"Well boys are never very smart are they?"

"No…Boys are not," Karloff said with a smirk.

--

-CN-

--

Viktor fairly ran to the castle from the ship, slowing only when he reached the doors to the castle, stopping outside to calm himself before walking in assuming his mask of disinterest. He walked into the Great Hall and could not stop the smile on his face as he spotted her, though whom she was sitting with made him grind his teeth for only a moment. Off to his right he thought he heard someone call his name, probably that Malfoy kid, but he had eyes and ears only for the princess in front of him. Viktor stopped just behind her, ignoring the look on the Hogwarts champion Potter's face, and leaned down to press his cheek against hers. "My princess vurned vo pumpkin vis morning." He felt her shiver against him and had to grin as he leaned in further and kissed her cheek gently then looked at her face to see her blushing brightly and smiling at him sillily. "There is princess. Just needed a kiss. Are you finish?"

"That's done, and yes I am." Hermione smiled as she got up from the table but then frowned a bit as she tilted her head at him, "But what about you? Don't you feel hungry?"

There was a slight spark in his eyes that made her shiver slightly when he said, "Not vor vood. Not at moment anyway."

"Oh," was all she could say. She didn't even say goodbye to Harry and Ron as Viktor grabbed up her bag for her and pulled her out of the Great Hall with him.

Ron stared after the two of them with something akin to shock, rage, and envy all in one mix. "What a prat! He didn't even acknowledge us! What a complete prat! Bloody foreign …"

The rest of what Ron said was muffled by the toast he shoved into his mouth and ground into flakes. Harry figured that was best as McGonagal picked right then to wander by on her way to the head table, nodding a good morning to them both. "Just remember, Ron, you wanted that prat's signature."

Ron nearly choked as he spit his toast back out and glowered at Harry. "Who's side you on here??"

Harry rolled his eyes as a few seats down the table Ron's brothers were laughing it up. It was going to be one of them days.

--

-CN-

--

Viktor finally pulled Hermione into one of the vacant classrooms and then into his arms, dropping her bag beside him on the floor, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her soundly.

When he finally let her breath again Hermione gasped out, "Viktor… Wait! We need to talk." When the look went from fire to sad she hastened to explain. "No wait it's not like that at all. I don't regret what we did, not in the least. It's just that… Well we are both so young… I want this with you, I really really do… just not right now. Can you understand that? I want to graduate first and Harry… has something he must do… and he needs my help as well as Ron's. Please Viktor, please understand."

"I do, Her-my-knee. Vis vas too fast, yah? Mayve we start again yah? Go slower? Ve vriends virst, yah?"

The two left the classroom hand in hand, walked down the hallways together to their first classes, Viktor kissing Hermione's knuckles before letting go and heading down towards the dungeons for his first class with Professor Snape. Hermione couldn't believe it was that easy, but of course he would be more understanding then most boys… he wasn't a boy, he was a man, and for better or worse he had made her a woman; that alone would always keep this Bulgarian Prince Charming in his Cinderelle's heart.

--

-CN-

--

As the Durmstang and Bouxbaton students were getting ready to leave at the end of the year Viktor came up to Hermione, pulled her aside and handed her a note, kissing her ear gently as he said, "Her-my-knee, write to me, promise."

Hermione hugged his neck. "Promise," smiling at him as he pulled away and waved to her, waving back and then joining Ron and Harry to watch them take off. "Everything is going to change now, isn't it?"

Harry placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said with a slight smile, "Yes."

Hermione sighed but then wrapped her arms around the two of them and just said with as much enthusiasm as she could, "Promise you'll write this summer."

"I won't," Ron, said with a grin, "You know I wont."

"Harry will wont you, Harry?"

"Yeah, every week."

The three of them looked at one another and then just laughed.

The End and The Beginning…

Anna: It's over! Or is it? MWAHAHAHAHA!! Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And for those of you who are disappointed in the ending dont worry this wont be the end of Viktor and Hermione, I'll see to that!

-silence in the background-

Anna: Now where the hell did they get off to? -shrugs- Oh well! Join me next time for a new story called Dream of Magic, part of my Dream Saga. Till then! -reverant bow- Happy reading and remember, let you immagination soar!!