A Year Abroad (Hermione/Viktor)

The Aftermath

It had been three weeks since Hermione had left Viktor and despite her leaving him, she felt a burden that she hadn't expected. Chigvintsev was unsure what to do. He tried to get her training, but he knew she was ready, and soon she would become too powerful for him if he kept teaching her. They sat and ate breakfast one morning. Hermione read the sports section and stared down at a photograph of Viktor, smiling up at her on his broom. She was sure that he would not smile if she knew it was her looking at him. She felt that she had made a mistake, but her pride forbade her to rectify it. She needed someone other than Chigvintsev to talk to about all of this. So he made a few calls.

Viktor put on a mask and pushed himself back into the world. He still had games to play, cameras to impress and journalists to answer. But, when he got home, the mask would come off. Viktor was miserable. He couldn't understand it. He had been happy before Hermione, why couldn't he just go back to that state? She had changed him and he felt uncomfortable with that.

Viktor might have thought that he was fooling everyone, but Andre knew what was going on. He was one of the only people who knew about the split and he could see that Viktor was suffering. He didn't bring it up. He would speak to him when Viktor was ready.

Hermione was shocked when she saw Seamus at the door, his bird on his arm.
"I thought you could spend some time together." Chigvintsev smiled to her and she felt a love for him that she had not felt for anyone in a very long time, a paternal love.

They sat out in the garden. Chigvintsev lived on the south eastern coast of Bulgaria, so the weather was beautiful and the air was salty and clear.
"Hermione, I didn't know." Seamus bowed his head and sighed.
"No one did. I tried to keep it that way." She smiled at him, to try and make him feel better.
"I don't understand, you seemed so happy." Seamus furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
"He's staying in Sofia, to play for Bulgaria." She paused.
"That's not the problem. But he didn't tell me. He left it for me to find out and when I tried to talk to him, he didn't want to speak with me. He just wanted it to go away, for me to go away." She sighed, she felt like a failure once again. If she had any experience in love or relationships, she was sure she could have dealt with this better.

The two were silent for a long while.
"I'm going to Hogwarts, as one of the few supporters that can go for Durmstrang." Seamus announced and Hermione was so happy, happier than she had felt in a long time.
"I am competing. I am going to put my name in the goblet of fire." Hermione told him and Seamus was so happy for her.
"I knew he would take you. You are the best student at Durmstrang, Hermione and I am going to support you every step of the way." He smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you Seamus. You don't know how much that means to me." She hugged him and everything seemed just a little bit brighter for Hermione.

However, things kept getting worse for Viktor. He called in sick two days in a row for practice and Andre knew he had to do something. He knocked at Viktor's door and when there was no answer, he let himself in. He knew it was immoral, but he was going to help his friend.

He searched the house and found him in his bed, in day old pyjamas, on top of the covers.
"Viktor, get up." Andre ordered him. All he received was a groan from Viktor.
"I am being serious. Get up and then we will deal with this problem." He stood there until Viktor finally got up. He looked terrible. He hadn't shaved and his hair had grown out and Andre was unsure of the last time he had bathed. They sat in the dining room, opposite each other.
"Talk to me." Andre ordered Viktor and surprisingly, he did as he was told.
"Her-my-knee left because I did not support her in her going to Hogwarts to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. I failed her." He let his head fall into his hands.
"Do you know where she is?" He asked and Viktor shook his head.
"Do you want her back?" He asked and Viktor looked up at him.
"Yes, more than anything." He replied.
"Well then, you know where she is going to be in a few weeks. She will be a Hogwarts. You need to go and support her. That is all she wants from you, to support her in what she is doing. So you need to go. It is that simple." Viktor thought about it for a short while and Andre was right. Hermione wanted him to support her, so he would. He would go to Hogwarts after she had placed her name in the Goblet of Fire and he would tell her how proud of her he was.

Andre made Viktor shower and took him to a local barber. After cleaning up his appearance, Viktor looked like a new man.
"I am going to go and I am going to show her that she can do anything, that she is strong enough to do anything in this world." Viktor beamed, having a new plan.
"Good. But you need to get someone on the inside who will give you the information of where she goes, what is going on, where you can see her." Viktor knew that he was right and he knew exactly who to go to.

Viktor Krum was the last person that Neville expected to see on the doorstep of his grandmother's home. Viktor had gotten the address from a note that Hermione had left him once, telling him where she had gone.
"Viktor, what are you doing here?" he asked and with Viktor's improved English, he could say that he needed Neville's help.
"Of course. Come in." Neville's Grandmother was a little flustered at having an all star quidditch player in her house. But she left the two boys to speak, glad that Neville had some male friends. Viktor explained the situation to Neville, once he had placed in his translating devices.
"Vhat do you say?" He asked and Neville sent him a sympathetic smile.
"You made a mistake. We all do it from time to time. I know that Hermione loves you. So I am going to help you." Viktor shook his hand firmly.
"Thank you, Neville. You are a true friend to me." He said to Neville and the young man blushed.
"Of course, you two belong together." He smiled and Viktor felt far more positive about his life than he had the day before. He would have to thank Andre in one way or another.