Chapter 3
“You fly very vell,” Krum said, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had fallen. They were in an unused classroom. Krum was fiddling with a radio and not looking at Harry.
“Er, thanks,” Harry said, suddenly flustered. “You’re better.”
Krum shrugged and kept fiddling with the radio. Another moment and music started blasting out of it. Harry jumped and Krum lowered it to a more reasonable level. “Sorry,” he said without sounding it as he turned around. “Vould you like to lead?”
Harry snorted. It was nice of Krum to offer but he would rather them not look like complete fools. “No thank you.” Krum’s lips twisted into not quite a smile, not quite a frown. Harry shifted uncomfortably. “I could, though. If you want me to?”
“No, I can lead. Here, put your hand on my shoulder.” Krum was right in front of him and Harry was struck by just how tall he was. Krum gripped his hand and pulled it to his shoulder when Harry made no move to do so himself. He grabbed Harry’s other hand. Harry stiffened when Krum’s other hand landed on his hip. Harry took a steadying breath, but the scent of sandalwood and ozone and… chocolate? He breathed in deep again. Definitely chocolate, threw him off again. Krum smelled as if he’d come straight in from flying. Harry wondered if it was just a part of him. If he spent so much time in the air that it was just how he smelled now.
“It’ll be a count of 3,” Krum said, ignoring Harry’s frozen reaction. His hand, large and calloused, tightened on Harry’s hand. Harry decided to not tell him he had no idea what that meant.
Krum counted out loud to three several times. “You vill step back with this leg,” Krum tightened his hand on Harry’s hip. Harry swallowed hard and tried to pay attention as Krum explained the first steps, but he was a bit distracted.
Krum really was taller than him by quite a bit. Harry had to crane his head back to look up at him. His hand was warm and fully engulfed Harry’s. Harry swallowed past his suddenly dry throat as his brain registered just how close they were standing, and he missed his cue to step back.
Krum stumbled into Harry. “Sorry,” Harry said and tried to shake off the nerves jittering down his spine. Krum didn’t respond, just repositioned them, with a touch of space between their bodies, and tried again.
Harry managed it this time. Krum took them through it several times, but just as Harry was beginning to feel like he had a grip on it, Krum told him there was a dip, a lift, and a spin that they would have to do. Harry stumbled his steps again, but Krum tightened his hold until Harry was steady.
“You mean that wasn’t everything?”
Krum gave him an amused look. “That vas most of it. After every seventh count of three, ve vill do the combo. That’s vhen the magic will intertvine.”
“What?”
Krum grinned. Harry was taken aback at how much it transformed his face. His eyes lightened and Harry wondered why he always seemed so grumpy when a simple smile made him look so much lighter. “You vill see. It is hard to explain properly.”
“Ok. A dip, lift, spin.”
Krum’s grin grew at Harry’s hesitance. “The vork is all on me. You just have to let me take you.” Krum paused, his brow furrowed. “Lead you,” he corrected, his brow still furrowed.
Harry wondered why Krum had even offered to let him lead. He would not have been able to dip or lift Krum. He figured he’d probably be able to spin, but Krum would have to duck way down. It would have been ridiculous. Maybe Krum had wanted to embarrass Harry. Maybe he still did and that’s what this whole thing was about.
Harry shook off his apprehensions and let Krum position them again. The spin wasn’t what he’d thought it would be. It was not how the muggles spun people in Harry’s admittedly limited knowledge of dance. He thought Krum would tip him backward for a dip, then lift his arm for Harry to spin under it.
Instead, Harry was dipped much lower than expected. He lay almost across Krum’s bent knee, near parallel with the floor, then Krum twisted backwards as they came up and spun them both around. Before Harry could get his bearings, Krum lifted him as if he weighed nothing, and settled him back on his feet. Harry gasped at the end and stepped away. Krum released him instantly.
Maybe it was all the physical contact. Harry wasn’t a very physical person. He wouldn’t have wanted it from the Dursleys. He struggled to relax into the hugs Mrs. Weasley insisted on. Hermione and Ron didn’t touch him very often. They used to, he knew, but they stopped, slowly, as Harry didn’t reciprocate. Whatever it was, it had Harry’s pulse pounding. He felt a touch light-headed, almost dizzy when he shouldn’t. As if the air was all zipping out of the room and not leaving enough to breath.
Krum didn’t seem bothered. He let Harry have his space, then said, “Ve can stop here tonight. Vhen vould you like to go again?”
Never, but that wasn’t an option. They had time. It didn’t have to be immediate. “When works for you?”
Krum shrugged. “Tomorrow? Next veek?”
“Next week. I’ve got some essays I need to work on.”
“Can you show me to the door? I don’t vant to get lost. I heard this castle can play pranks on people.”
Harry snorted, feeling back on steady ground now. The odd spell of dizziness passed. “Does your castle not?”
Krum’s vaguely amused look came back. “No. I don’t believe most schools try to prank their students. Vhat kind of pranks do you face?”
“Most are pretty predictable. There’s some trick stairs that you have to remember to jump over or you’ll get stuck in them. The staircases like to move so if you’re running late to class, they make you even later. There’s a cabinet that makes you disappear. Peeves, of course.”
“Peeves?”
“The poltergeist.”
“Ah, of course.”
Harry snorted at Krum’s slightly bewildered expression. “And the forbidden forest is full of stuff that would like nothing more than to kill you,” he said. “Plus a herd of centaurs which is pretty cool. Much better than the acromantulas.” Krum looked like he wasn’t sure if he should believe Harry or not. “What’s your castle like?” Harry asked.
“Much smaller than Hogvarts and not near as nice. Our grounds are beautiful, but it is cold for so much of the year.” He frowned for a bit. “I believe your teachers are much kinder here. I am spared this year because of quidditch, but my first years at Durmstrang were not fun. It is not a place of camaraderie. Ve learn to get ahead however ve can.”
Harry frowned. The worst he dealt with was Snape, but Filch often muttered about wishing he could harm rule-breakers. He supposed he was luckier than he even realized to be able to attend Hogwarts with Dumbledore as headmaster. “It’s thanks to Professor Dumbledore that Hogwarts is the way it is,” Harry said, but he wanted to ask more about Durmstrang. It didn’t feel polite when he barely knew Krum.
They came to the entrance hall. Harry stopped at the doors, then wondered if he was supposed to see Krum back to his ship.
Krum paused with his hand on the door. “The acromantulas… Vas that a joke?”
Harry chuckled and shook his head. “I wish,” he said.
Krum nodded, accepting the answer. “Then I vill see you later.”