The Aftermath

Chapter 8

Hermione was sitting at her table studying. Both her parents were at work saving the world one smile at a time. She heard a knock on her door and was so into reading she forgot she was waiting for someone to arrive. Coming to her senses, sort of, she walked to the door book in hand and let the visitor in not really thinking and walked towards the living room and continued reading on the couch.

The visitor, who she barely acknowledged, was sat beside her. That was until she needed to jot down some notes and realised they were at her desk in the bedroom. The visitor dutifully went and retrieved her notes admiring the put-togetherness of her room.

Once she was satisfied with the chapter and her notes she finally put the book aside and looked up. "Hello, Viktor."

"Hermione." He said. Face all serious to an outsider but she could see the smile. Feel it even. It was probably why so many were shocked at the ball that he had asked her. She had no problems expressing or understanding her emotions whereas Krum, he didn't seem to have any. Yet he had approached her. And without anyone knowing. And here she was. Doing the same. Only Harry and her parents knew.

Viktor seemed very intrigued by her house. He was from a pureblood family, and also a famous Quidditch player. Most of his life had been spent drowning in magic culture. Yet here he was. In a muggle neighbourhood. In a muggle home, watching the object of his desire study magical beasts. Specifically Dragons. His favourite topic. It was a bit surreal.

"How did you get here?"

"Portkey to the nearest station. Then a train into the city. Was... Different." Hermione imagined he'd probably never been the only wizard on a train before. Or having to navigate muggle money on his own. Yet here he was. He could've just apparated once he was in England. But Viktor seemed intent on muggle transportation to get there. And doing it by himself no less.

"How did paying the cab go?"

"Torturous. Frustrating. I managed." Hermione nodded and went into the kitchen trying to think of what to get him. Wine, water, juice, hard liquor? She did have some fire-whisky that Luna had given her. Maybe a scotch. He seemed like that kind of guy. She poured him a scotch on the rocks and walked back out to him. He was walking around eyeing up the photos and other such things. He picked up a novel by Stephen King and sighed a bit as he tried to read a chapter.

"You okay?" He looked up as she walked over to him and handed him the drink. Viktor took a sip and actually sighed the way you would after the first bite of chocolate. Hermione considered this success.

"I speak good enough. Have to for sports. But reading English hard still. Very."

"Is that why you use such short sentences when you owl me?" Viktor shrugged and held on to the book. Clearly it was not the reason she concluded. Hermione took the book which made him scowl a bit which she found cute.

"Here. It's his first novel. Start there if you really want to read." She could get used to this. Being the talkative know-it-all everyone made her out to be. Reading semi-silent responses was a welcome change. And she doubted she'd have to explain so much with Viktor. He was a very adept magician.

"What is this mirror." Hermione stifled a laugh.

"That is a TV." She explained how it worked and how people got paid to do such things. To her surprise, he wanted to go to a theatre.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Let me get my keys." Hermione hadn't driven in a while and a drive into the city felt like the right thing to do. Just the looks on Viktor's face as she got the engine started and they went on their way was priceless. She parked just outside of the city and they walked in together; not really looking like a couple, just friends.

Viktor was wearing a Dark grey short sleeve hoodie and a platinum chain with his family crest on it. He had a few leather and rope bands of different thickness and styles on his wrists. All from an almost white grey to deep black. He had on dark grey denim-look cargo pants that shaped his legs nicely. He looked like the type of person who worked in a metal shop or anywhere that required heavy manual labour that led to his thick yet athletic build.

Hermione was initially put off by his attractiveness. Especially watching the girls stalk him in fifth year. He was older and famous, and she didn't know him all that well. Assumptions were made. Who would've thought studying in the library, the only place he seemed to find safe, would lead to a dance and inadvertently oppening the door to where they are now. Especially when they stopped talking for a while when she and Ron became serious. Now though, she knew he wasn't about all the attention. He didn't even notice the number of people checking him out as they walked.

When they reached the theatre he paid. She helped him out a bit, glad he wasn't embarrassed by this. They walked in and he navigated ordering food as well. And finally the two went in to watch the movie. It was an action flick. Something set in the future so a world different from both the magic and muggle worlds they knew. 

Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Viktor raised his hand to wrap it around Hermione's shoulder. It felt like the right thing to do. And it made it easier to share the popcorn. The feel of Hermione leaning into him caused him to exhale a little bit. Releasing the tension he didn't notice he was feeling. They remained in this position until the end. With the only real movement being him absentmindedly rubbing Hermione's shoulder.

"Did you like it?" Hermione asked as they left. It was just after two. Still a good time for real lunch. Or at least something light before dinner. Viktor nodded and they walked hand in hand for a while as he took in his very muggle surroundings.

"So why the sudden interest in muggle life?" Hermione wasn't stupid but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Your parent's muggles. I want to know more about you. This world. I like you. Always have. Maybe always will."

Very direct. Hermione appreciated that.  No need to have to try and figure him out.  They opted to share ice cream in a park because Ice cream is life. Then Viktor asked her where the nearest passage to Diagon Alley was. It wasn't too far off. Hermione wondered why these passagesways were always hiding behind wizard Bars masquerading as local pubs. They were heavily charmed and warded so non-magical people never entered them yet no one found it odd they knew no one who's been in. 

As the wall opened up to reveal the wizarding town centre as it were, he took them down a few streets until he came upon a familiar pet store. The very one she got her owl from. The attendant came out with something brown and white that looked like a puppy but had the skin of something reptile.

"Dracanis. Popular pets back home."

Hermione was shocked. She hadn't had a pet since she lost Crookshanks. These were pricey enough to be an impressive gesture yet not so pricey to be out of reach to the average human. Hence their popularity in the country they came from. Maybe they were just cheaper there because they were as common as the regular dog.

When a Dracanis grew it had the proportions of a medium-sized dog accept with more dragon-shaped faces, longer and pointed tails, and scales that grew in a similar fashion to birds feathers. Right now it looked like a harmless, hairless puppy.  That would soon change.

"You like?"

"I love. Having a magical creature as a pet in my neighbourhood will be tricky. But then again,"

"They can cloak themselves to appear more dog-like." Viktor, of course, would know this. Smart man that he was. She took the animal into her arms wondering how anything so cute could become so dangerous.

"Severus. That's what I'm going to call him. Probably the bravest human I've ever known." The two exited the shop and made their way back to the Bar they entered from. Viktor held Severus while she drove them home. It had been an eventful day and now it was time to meet the parents.