Chapter 6
After their eventful fencing match, the Weasley family had built a confident rapport with Mr. Potter and his acquaintances, leaving everyone in attendance with a grand impression of the genial Weasleys and their quirky male heirs.
In the case of Miss Ginny Weasley, it was clear to all how she had captured the entirety of Mr. Potter's affections.
Days after their last meeting, the flame-haired lady continued her girlish rants about the noble Mr. Potter, including the tantalizing proximity of his digits as they sat beside one another on the garden bench.
"Oh, his hand edged so near to mine, I swear I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin!"
Ginny effused dramatically over tea one morning, the bone china cup rattling upon its saucer as she emphasized her words with sweeping gestures.
Mrs. Weasley nodded indulgently, adding another lump of sugar to her tea with a gentle clink of spoon against cup.
The bittersweet aroma of bergamot perfumed the sunlit parlor.
To Hermione, such romantic musings were foreign.
She was happy for her friend, of course. Yet Hermione could not comprehend the allure of suitors and marriage that so preoccupied other young ladies.
In her own time, Hermione could count with a single hand the number of men that had captured her interest, being singularly picky a crime she was in-fact guilty of.
She'd had a brief, now-denied fancy for Draco Malfoy during their first and second years at Hogwarts.
Then she had liked Ron Weasley for a time, though it came to their breakup after two years.
Victor Krum was lovely company, but in essence a balm for her jealousy over Lavender Brown's incessant compulsion to suction Ron's face every ten minutes.
In reality, Hermione admitted to herself, she had never truly been in love.
She supposed her standards were impossibly high, or her feelings guarded.
Either way, no gentleman had yet sparked that elusive, all-consuming romantic passion within her.
She had tasted romance before and found it somewhat...lacking.
Brief trysts with Viktor and Ron were enjoyable but ephemeral. The fervor quickly faded, relationships giving way comfortably to friendship. Hermione wondered if she was broken somehow, immune to true passion.
Yet, Hermione did not pine for a suitor to woo and wed her.
She was content living vigorously through her mind, not her heart. Perhaps she was wired differently than other ladies, perfectly happy without a man to dote on.
Still, a small voice inside occasionally whispered, "What if...?"
What if she was meant to find an impassioned love like in the books she adored?
Hermione swiftly quashed such fanciful notions. She had witnessed firsthand how love addled the mind.
No, she was better off relying on herself.
Hermione Granger had never needed rescuing by a prince charming.
She sighed, returning to the present.
"I swear, every time I speak you take it as a cue to doze off, sister," sighed Ginny, her vibrant hair now styled in a becoming half-updo that accentuated her sweet features.
Smiling apologetically, Hermione picked out a pin and placed it in her own messy chestnut locks.
"Sorry, just-," she offered lamely.
“Thinking, I know.” Ginny finished for her, giving her arm an affectionate squeeze.
As Ginny continued primping excitedly, Hermione wondered what the particular fuss was about this morning.
"You and I are going into town. Mother needs some new ribbons for our dresses, and I think we'd better stop by the bakery," Ginny informed her, a rosy blush blooming on her cheeks.
"The bakery?" Hermione joked knowingly.
"This outing wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Mr. Potter possibly being in town today?"
Feigning shock, Ginny placed a hand to her chest in mock offense. "The things you accuse me of, sister!"
Hermione just chuckled and shook her head. She loved seeing Ginny so happy and hoped sincerely this courtship with Harry would continue flourishing.
Though romance evaded Hermione, she couldn't begrudge her closest friend its gifts.
As they made their way through town, the ladies attracted much attention, men being a species incapable of subtlety. Gentlemen tipped their hats and bowed as Hermione and Ginny passed, eyes trailing appreciatively over their fashionable gowns and beauty.
As they strolled the polished cobblestone streets, the colorful shops and signs captured Hermione's admiration. She paused to peer in windows displaying fine silks, gleaming china sets, and plump geese at the poulterers.
Ginny had to gently tug her along, reminding they were expected at the ribbon shop.
Hermione breathed deep the mingling scents of horses, baking bread, and crisp autumn air. She sighed but obliged, tearing her gaze away from a bookshop's window showcasing leatherbound novels.
As she did so, a sudden contact nearly knocked her off her feet.
"My apologies, Miss!" apologized a familiar voice hurriedly. His tall frame bent solicitously as he extended a hand to steady her.
As they made eye contact, his name flowed from Hermione's lips unthinkingly.
"Victor!" she breathed in surprise.
Puzzled at her apparent knowledge of his name, the burly gentleman furrowed his brow. "Do we know each other, Miss? I'm sure I would remember making your acquaintance." His voice was gruff but polite.
Hermione blushed, flustered by her thoughtless blunder.
Of course, in this reality he was a stranger to her.
"Forgive me, Sir. You reminded me of an old acquaintance for a moment." She offered a conciliatory smile.
He studied her intently another moment before nodding, apparently satisfied. "I should have been more careful in my haste. Please accept my humblest apologies, Miss..."
"Granger," Hermione supplied, dropping him a quick curtsey. The morning sun glinted off his dark, determined eyes.
"Miss Granger. I am Mr. Victor Krum, Auror for the Bureau of Magical Justice." He bowed formerly over her hand, the touch sending a tingle up her arm.
"I hope we shall meet again."
"Certainly," she breathed out meekly, a blush rising unbidden to her cheeks.
With a final lingering glance, Mr. Krum tipped his hat and continued on his way. The scent of pipe smoke and leather lingered in his wake.
It took merely inches of distance before Ginny erupted in vigorous giggles, tugging at Hermione's arm as she swooned.
"My word, Hermione! You truly don't know who he is?"
Hermione turned to her; brows raised in puzzlement.
"Should I? He's only just arrived in town, by his own admission."
"Oh, but he is famous throughout the land! Victor Krum, the legendary seeker who led the Bulgarian National Quidditch team to the World Cup finals before becoming an Auror," Ginny effused enthusiastically.
“And his handsomeness is equally renowned. Tall, broad-shouldered, with those dark brooding eyes and strong Romanesque features..."
She fanned herself dramatically.
"Why, his Witch Weekly covers broke sales records across Europe! Then after retiring from Quidditch, he rose quickly through the ranks of Magical Law Enforcement.”
Ginny clutched Hermione's hands, eyes alight.
“He's one of the most renowned bachelors in all of Britain. And now the famous Victor Krum has acquaintance with you, Hermione!”
Hermione listened to this impassioned speech with a mixture of bemusement and curiosity. It seemed there was far more to Mr. Krum than his brusque manner suggested.
Their day in town continued, with Ginny insistently recounting and analyzing every detail of Hermione's encounter with Mr. Krum.
By noontime, Hermione was nearly driven to madness by Ginny's endless dissection of each word and glance exchanged.
As they finished up their errands, Ginny's disappointment was evident.
There had been no sight of the elusive Mr. Potter in town that day. Hermione squeezed her hand consolingly as they turned toward home, the clip-clop of their heels echoing on the road back to Auburndale.
She spied a familiar chestnut horse in the Weasley family stables. Unable to contain her excitement, Ginny lifted her skirts and broke out in a run, dragging a startled Hermione along.
"He's here!" Ginny exclaimed breathlessly between sprints, her hair flying behind her.
Hermione scrambled to keep up, cheeks flushed from their mad dash toward home.
They burst through the front doors in a frenzy of fluttering shawls and billowing muslin. Ginny frantically smoothed her disheveled curls before hurrying to the sitting room, Hermione on her heels.
There stood Mr. Potter, making polite conversation with Mrs. Weasley. At their sudden entrance, he turned, and his handsome face lit up.
"Miss Weasley, what a delight!"
Ginny beamed, immediately joining him on the divan. Hermione discreetly sat nearby, hiding her knowing smile behind a book.
It seemed Mr. Potter could be nearly as lovestruck as her dear friend.
“Ginevra Weasley, what on earth has happened to your hair?” Mrs. Weasley fussed disapprovingly.
Providing a sheepish grin, the young girl couldn’t care less about her mother’s ire.
Sharing a longing look, Mr. Potter broke the silence.
“I reckon she looks rather fetching, I’ve never seen unruly hair suit a woman so.”
At this, Mrs. Weasley lowered her anger. Her feelings now overcome with second-hand sentiment.
"We had quite given up hope of seeing you in town today," Ginny was saying, hands folded demurely in her lap despite her earlier wild dash.
"I know, I apologize," said Harry earnestly. "I was detained by Mr. Malfoy this morning. As soon as I was able, we rode here directly."
We? Hermione wondered to herself.
What did he mean by we?
The afternoon light filtering through the windows fell softly on Harry and Ginny as they conversed, illuminating her radiant smile and his devoted gaze.
Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by a clattering from the kitchen.
An unfortunately familiar tall frame came into view, crisp green apple held casually in his left hand. Icy blonde locks framed his haughty, angular face, which was uniquely pale under the sun beams peeking through the windows.
None other than Draco Malfoy strode into the sitting room, his expensive black boots clicking arrogantly on the wooden floors, as if he owned the place.
Hermione suppressed an indignant huff, cheeks flushing in irritation.
Trust an entitled brat like Malfoy to invite himself over unannounced, imposing his presence where it wasn't wanted.
Yet unwillingly, her eyes traced over his athletic frame, the dark jacket emphasizing his broad shoulders. She noticed his long, elegant fingers as he took a crisp bite of the apple, the white flash of his teeth unexpectedly appealing.
"Ah, there you are, Potter," drawled Malfoy in his bored aristocratic tone. "Good of you to wait while I watered the horses."
His cool gray eyes alit on Hermione briefly. "Miss Granger." He inclined his head in cursory acknowledgement before flopping down onto a nearby chair.
Hermione fumed silently.
The nerve of him, interrupting Harry and Ginny's idyllic visit with his insolent air! She avoided looking again at the infuriating man, returning to her book.
Hermione tried to focus on the pages in front of her, but Malfoy's sudden presence filled the room like a disruptive storm.
She was acutely aware of his every movement, though feigned indifference.
When he again spoke in that lazy drawl, Hermione's grip on her book cover tightened involuntarily. "You know, Potter, that friend of yours still owes me for the race we had last week. My thoroughbred smoked his old mare easily."
Harry's responding good-natured laugh only irritated Hermione more.
Why was he humoring this arrogant cad?
Surely even dear Harry saw through Malfoy's act.
"Miss Granger, you're looking rather flushed," Malfoy's silken voice said suddenly. "Not coming down with something, are you?"
Hermione's head snapped up to meet his taunting gray eyes, her own flashing defiantly. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she replied coolly.
Malfoy held her angry gaze with obvious amusement.
"She's just flushed over her dreamy encounter earlier with Mr. Krum," disclosed Ginny eagerly, eyes shifting to her mother.
Mrs. Weasley's head snapped toward Hermione, approval and disbelief etched on her features. "You've been acquainted with Mr. Krum?!" she gasped. "When did you think to share this information with me, dear daughter?"
"It wasn't anything significant, he merely bumped into me and caught me before I fell," Hermione explained, cheeks reddening further under the scrutiny.
"Isn't that romantic?" squealed Ginny enthusiastically, Mrs. Weasley nodding in emphatic agreement.
With a derisive scoff, Mr. Malfoy appeared to find amusement in their comments.
"Victor Krum is hardly someone you'd wish to be acquainted with," he remarked snidely.
Unhappy with his input, Mrs. Weasley stood with hands on her hips. "I'll have you know he's the most eligible bachelor in these parts...right after Mr. Potter, of course!"
"I struggle to find anything eligible about that man," Malfoy countered in a bored drawl.
Hermione bristled, the heat of anger rising in her cheeks at Malfoy's mocking tone.
"I don't believe Mr. Krum's merits are any of your concern, Mr. Malfoy," she responded sharply, the crisp words slicing the air between them.
Malfoy's mercury eyes glinted with interest, like shards of glass, at her fiery rebuttal.
"My apologies, Miss Granger," he purred, his voice smooth and low like velvet yet laced with sarcasm. "I suppose he is ideal to support your clumsiness, he did catch you after all."
"That he did," hummed Ginny dreamily, her voice light and airy, lost in her romantic imaginations.
"My occasional clumsiness is also not of your concern, Mr. Malfoy," replied Hermione tersely, the scent of lavender clinging to her as she smiled in anger, maintaining a veneer of politeness through gritted teeth.
Leaning back arrogantly, Malfoy let out a quiet, mocking chuckle, the abrasive sound grating down Hermione's spine.
"I pity the man whose concern it is," he declared, his words daggers piercing the air.
Hermione's cheeks flushed hotly at the implication.
How dare this loathsome man insult not just her character, but that of any potential suitor! She longed to wipe the smug look off his angular face.
"Some matters are above the judgment of vain, idle men," she retorted, each word crisp and cutting. "Those with honor and discretion know when affairs are not theirs to comment on."
The ticking clock marked the tense seconds as she held Malfoy's stormy gaze.
His eyes were quicksilver, glinting with a thrill of intrigue at her audacity.
For a brief moment, his smug mask cracked, genuine interest crossing his regal features. But he quickly hid any reaction behind a careless shrug, the rustle of his jacket a punctuating attempt at nonchalance.
"Well said, Miss Granger," he drawled lightly, dipping his head in elegant acknowledgement. "Just as some matters are improper for dreamy, romance-deluded ladies to comment on."
Oh.
That one cut deep.
Hermione snapped her book shut sharply, the sound cracking the tension in the room.
Mr. Malfoy…No, Draco Malfoy had to be the most selfish, vain, infuriating man she ever had the displeasure of meeting.
Her feelings were crystal clear, no matter what reality they found themselves in.
"Listen, you-" she began hotly, uncaring of how her next words might tarnish the family's reputation.
Before she could unleash her wrath, George burst in, cheeks flushed and eyes wide with excitement. "Mother, you'll never believe who's arrived!"
Before she could inquire, Fred skidded in, face ruddy and hair disheveled from running. "It's Victor Krum!" he crowed, practically bouncing in exhilaration.
At the name, heavy footfalls sounded as Ron thundered down the stairs two at a time. He slid into the room, gangly arms windmilling.
"Why can I see the legendary seeker Victor Krum is here? In our front step? Please say you'll marry him, Hermione!" he pleaded eagerly. "I beg of you sister! Do you know what that would mean for me?”
"For us!" the twins cried enthusiastically, equally enthralled at the prospect of their Quidditch idol joining the family.
Mrs. Weasley nearly lost her head at the twins' announcement, face flushing redder than her hair as she fluttered about in excitement.
Ginny gasped, turning to Hermione with eyes as round as Galleons.
"He's come to call on you!" she exclaimed, clasping Hermione's hands and jumping to her feet.
The women descended on Hermione in a flurry, squealing at a pitch to rival angry Mandrakes as they rushed to fix her appearance before Mr. Krum's arrival.
Mrs. Weasley frantically straightened Hermione's dress while Ginny pinned loose curls back into place. The twins and Ron jostled each other eagerly near the door as servants could be heard welcoming the esteemed visitor.
"Make way, give them space!" Mrs. Weasley bustled the boys aside, their protests ignored.
Mr. Potter watched in bemusement from his seat as they scrambled to make room.
On the other hand, Mr. Malfoy remained rather entertained with his apple, the excitement in the room foreign to him.
Hermione's heart pounded, nerves and astonishment making her palms sweat. Why ever would the famous Mr. Krum come calling on her so soon after their brief encounter?
Hermione had no time to ponder Mr. Krum's sudden arrival before he ducked through the doorway, cutting an imposing figure. His broad shoulders seemed to fill the room.
Dark, deep-set eyes immediately found hers across the room.
"Miss Granger," his accented voice rumbled deeply. He took her hand and bowed low over it. "I trust I find you well?"
Ignoring the avid stares surrounding them, Hermione dipped into a polite curtsy, praying her racing pulse didn't show. "Quite well, thank you Mr. Krum," she managed as steadily as she could.
Mr. Krum raised his eyes and inclined his head respectfully to the others. "Mrs. Weasley...Miss Weasley." He introduced himself properly to the ladies.
Standing up to welcome him, Mr. Potter offered the man a polite greeting. "Mr. Krum, welcome."
Draco Malfoy also rose, his face an inscrutable mask. He extended a hand to Mr. Krum. "Welcome," he echoed Harry's greeting, his tone smooth yet guarded.
Mr. Krum grasped it firmly, the two men sizing each other up. Hermione sensed an unspoken tension simmering beneath the surface of their courteous exchange.
What history did Draco and Mr. Krum share?
And why had the famous seeker come calling today so soon after their encounter?
The Weasley boys gawked unabashedly at their idol standing in their midst. Mrs. Weasley beamed and fussed, urging Mr. Krum to sit and offering tea and biscuits. But his dark, assessing gaze remained fixed on Hermione, his imposing presence battling with Mr. Malfoy’s for dominance of the room.
Under that piercing stare, Hermione fought to remain poised. She gave him a polite smile, hoping it hid her nerves and racing curiosity.
Draco watched them closely, his stormy eyes indiscernible.
Mr. Krum's deep voice broke the tension. "After our sudden meeting in town this morning, I could not continue my day without knowing more of you, Miss Granger," he rumbled. "Fortunately for me, your family has a grand reputation, making you easy to find."
"I see," Hermione answered simply, unsure how to respond.
Around them, the Weasleys buzzed with excitement. Mrs. Weasley looked fit to burst with delight at Mr. Krum's implied intentions.
Ginny's eyes shone, no doubt envisioning a romantic tale unfolding before her.
Mr. Malfoy remained tense, his gaze flickering between Hermione and Mr. Krum like a storm brewing, ready to strike.