A Year Abroad (Hermione/Viktor)

Fire

Hermione did not sleep soundly that night. She enjoyed the relationship that she had with Viktor and the idea that it might change made her both worried and uncomfortable. She also feared the pain of rejection. Because even she knew, with her lack of experience concerning men, that Viktor Krum would take no kind of interest in her, things like that just didn't happen.

Krum had also experienced a strange shift in the way he viewed Hermione. She had seen him at his best, performing. She had seen him like the rest of the world had, but she had not treated him accordingly. He enjoyed her indifference to the world of quidditch, but the knowledge that she was a fan made him feel warm in a way he had not felt before.

They sat together at breakfast and remained silent as they ate. Hermione shivered, regretting not bringing the large coat that she detested, but would have served her well at this time. Just as Viktor was about to begin a conversation, Ginny plonked herself down next to Hermione, causing her to jump uncomfortably.

"Hermione, it's fantastic! This man woke me up this morning and gave me these language things." She pushed the hair away from her ear to show off one of her translating aids.
"He's going to be helping me in lessons. Oh, he's calling me over now. I'll see you later." Ginny bounded off and before Hermione even turned to look, she knew the wizard that Ginny spoke of.
"Are you okay?" Viktor asked, watching the redheaded witch sit beside Aage. Hermione nodded, but he could see her lower lip quiver.

Hermione had to dismiss herself when she saw Ginny with Aage. It was not that Hermione was fond of Aage, in fact she disliked him very much. It was that she was being left alone, with no help, left to stumble along through her education. She feared for Ginny, knowing of Aage's antics. But most of all, she worried for herself.

Viktor knew, even if she did not admit it, that the new girl taking Aage away from her had hit her hard. She had been overthrown, someone had been prioritised over her and she had been abandoned. He wondered whether to go and comfort her, but instead, he left her, knowing that for the time being that was what was best.

Hermione sat in Vladimir's office and looked down at her shoes. She was cold, annoyed and unsure how to begin, without getting angry or upset.
"Hermione," He began, in a tentative voice. He could sense that she had been affected by his choice.
"I am alone." Was all that she said.
"No, in fact you are less alone now that you do not have Aage vith you." He explained and Hermione shook her head.
"You are bright enough to survive on your own, to thrive. I haff translated your books, so that you can read." Hermione sent him a small smile, his belief in her did help her massively.
"Today ve are going to focus on fire." And from there on in, all that was spoken of, was Hermione's education.

Viktor worried when he did not see Hermione at dinner. However, when she stumbled in much later than usual, he felt a wave of relief rush through him. She looked a little frazzled, but she still smiled and joined him. He witnessed the boy who could not fly and the blonde man begin to sit together, with the new girl. He wished that Hermione was welcomed with them and he was sure that she might be were she to go over, but she still sat with him, which he was not unhappy for.

Hermione had never felt power quite like creating fire. She felt such a warmth, such a heat, when she produced the flame that she no longer needed her coat. She saw Neville sitting with Cormac and Ginny and she sighed, wondering if perhaps she should be with them to, but knowing that they would not wholly accept her. She hadn't received a response from neither Harry nor Ron and she began to fear that perhaps the impact of what had happened in the war was catching up with them and that she was being isolated from her friend. She had done a great deed, and saved many people, but at what cost?

Hermione opted to sit alone that night. She retreated to one of the classrooms and wrote her diary.

I feel as if the penny has finally dropped and that the weight of what I have done has occurred to those around me. Viktor does not know although I am sure that he shall leave if I tell him. How could something that saved the world be such a mistake and cause me so much pain?

She sighed and continued with her fire work. She conjured an anger within herself, the pain that she felt from being shunned for doing the one thing so many were afraid of. She was not a murderer, she saved so many lives. But people did not see it that way. She was a person to be feared. The flame was a deep red, the colour of inflamed rage. She did not know that he was watching her, that he was stood at the door. He had never seen someone do such a thing. He wondered if her hands burnt, or whether she could project the flame at someone else. However, all of his thoughts dispersed when he saw the flame swell to an enormous size, climbing to the ceiling, in a shade of deep blue. He heard her weeping, saw her sorrow in her flame and wondered to himself what he might do.

Viktor's new training regime had begun for the triwizard tournament. He ran every morning, trained harder in quidditch practice and honed his combat skills. But one skill that he wished to perfect was impossible. He stared down at the frozen river, shaking his head. Then, suddenly an idea occurred to him that could perhaps solve two of his problems.

Hermione was awoken at the crack of dawn. She crawled out of bed, ready to attack whoever was behind the door, but when she saw Viktor stood there, her rage subsided.
"I know you can do it. You are the only one who can do it." He encouraged her, as she stood by the river. She was unsure how he knew that she could conjure fire and heat, but it gave her a strange sense of purpose to be needed in such a way. She stood by the river and imagined the ice boiling away from under its surface and suddenly the ice began to crack and dissolve. It was not due to an open flame, but a dull constant heat that she was creating within the water. Viktor stood and marveled at her skill. Once the ice had completely melted she turned to him, exhausted, still in her pyjamas and said:
"You have an hour before it freezes over again." Viktor was so proud and thankful that he took her hand and pressed it to his lips.
"Thank you." He whispered to her, smiling at her for the first time. He then stripped down to nothing but a vest and shorts, and dove into the river. Hermione was stunned into place, unsure how to act or feel. She slowly pieced her mind back together before turning her back on him and returning to bed. She felt heady, having been kissed by him, even in the smallest of ways. But she had to remind herself of who he was and what their relationship was.