A Year Abroad (Hermione/Viktor)

First Impressions

Word had spread fast at Durmstrang that English students were arriving. The consensus was entirely split. Some students anticipated their arrival massively and some wished they would simply stay in their own country. The promise of the first female students was also widely debated. Many of the men drooled over the idea of seeing a girl their age every day at school and others thought them unfit to be at the institute. One student who had thought about it very little was sixth year, Viktor Krum.
"Let them come, see if they can last a month here." He had said in an indifferent tone. The other men hooted and hollered, enjoying his sentiments. It was not that he disliked the English, he just didn't see the point in their trip. The triwizard tournament had been postponed a year, for obvious reasons, following the war and Viktor couldn't help focusing on becoming a warrior for the championship, rather than making new friends.

They had all been lined up, in an orderly fashion, to greet the newcomers. Viktor was placed near the front, next to the new headmaster: Sergei Chigvintsev. He was new to the school and many of the students believed him to be weak, allowing this scheme to take place. Whether they liked to admit it or not, the men were excited for the arrival of the new students and the throng hummed with anticipation as the boat arrived. Viktor, however, tapped his foot impatiently and counted the seconds before he could return to his training.

Hermione stood in awe of the castle. It was smaller than Hogwarts and perhaps more angular, but it was made of a similar stone, which was comforting in a way. The pack of men scared her out of her wits. She had stared into the soul of the most evil wizard who had ever lived, yet seeing hundreds of mean looking men left her shaking in her boots. She took a deep breath as she began to walk. One of the more obvious scars that she had gained from the war was a limp, caused by an injury to her right ankle. She was embarrassed of the obvious impairment, even more so now, with hundreds of people watching her. She struggled along, at the back of the pack, beside Neville.
"Are you sure you don't want-" He began to ask.
"No Neville, thank you." Hermione interrupted him. She did not want to be seen as weak. She was not in any physical pain, only annoyance and until she felt pain, she would walk on her own two feet, unaided.

Viktor looked upon the strange bunch in confusion and a hint of wonder. The first student, also the first girl, wandered in, looking around with an expression of absolute bemusement plastered on her face. Her hair whipped around her face, creating a white haze around her. Viktor dismissed her quickly, finding her rather confusing, but vapid in a way that was uninteresting to him. The boy that followed her was tall and muscular, with a good physique and a confident air about him. He smiled handsomely and stared into the throng of angry men glaring him down. He seemed easy going enough and Viktor was sure he would do well. The boy that walked in the middle of the pack was different. Viktor recognised in him a quiet self respect that he valued massively. He walked, with his hands placed firmly by his sides and his posture straight, staring directly into the masses. There was no fear in his eyes, no anxiety, only a pain that Viktor could not comprehend. Trailing at the back of the pack were the final two students. The boy was tall and large with youthful muscle. Viktor thought if he had a haircut he would look almost like a Durmstrang man. He walked beside a girl, a girl that caused whispers in the crowd. She limped, her step attempting to be graceful , yet failing. Viktor noticed the boy offer help and raised an eyebrow as the girl immediately denied it. However, apart from seeming physically handicapped and possessing hair which he had never seen the likes of before, she was also, very uninteresting.

Hermione stood in awe of the student body, as the Headmaster came to welcome them.
"Hello. Velcome to Durmstrang. Ve all hope you vill enjoy your year here. Please come, I vill escort you to your rooms." He turned and marched away. Hermione noted how harsh and cold he seemed, despite his warm words, but she wondered if that was maybe just the eastern attitude. The crowd parted for them, allowing the students to enter the castle. Hermione felt herself shiver, the temperature of Durmstrang being at least ten degrees below what it had been at Hogwarts.
"It's a bit chilly, isn't it?" Neville whispered to Hermione, who shivered and nodded in agreement.