“Viktor?” she cried, flinging her arms around him. “What’re you doing here?”

“Vell,” he began to explain. “Ven I invited you to my house for the summer, you said no, so I was thinking instead I’d come see you. You fly much better than I imagined, Herm-own-ninny. I vos watching.”

“Thank ... thank you,” she said breathlessly, still trying to sort things out. “How long are you here for?”

“I just stopped by to see you – I did not want to be a hindrance. I am leaving very soon.”

“You’re not a hindrance,” Hermione laughed. “Would you like to come in and get something eat? I bet supper is almost ready.”

He smiled. “I vould love to.”

As Hermione opened the back door, she heard Ron call through the house. “Hermione, who was it that came to see you? Don’t tell me it was that prat, Malfoy …”

Hermione shook her head and led Viktor to the kitchen where Ron was sitting with his back to the two. Harry looked fun from their game of Exploding Snap and grinned.

Wondering what he was on about, Ron turned around and his jaw dropped open. “Krum?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “It is good to see you again, Ron, and Harry …”

“Krum, in my house,” Ron said faintly.

Mrs. Weasley swooped into the kitchen, stirring a pot of potatoes. “Are you staying for dinner, Viktor?”

“Yes, if you do not mind.”

“Not at all,” she smiled sweetly, turning around. “Harry, Ron, come set the table. Arthur should be home soon, so we’ll get ready to eat. Hermione, if you’d like, you and Viktor could go to the living room and catch up for a while.”

Hermione was amazed at how Mrs. Weasley could take everything in stride. She acted like having a world-renown Quidditch player in her house was an every day occurrence. Laughing, she sat on the couch and pulled Viktor to her side.

“How did you get here? Don’t tell me that you flew!”

He smiled. “No, even I am not that crazy. Mrs. Vesley let me arrive by Floo Powder. She is a very nice voman.”

“Yes, she is,” Hermione agreed.

….

Dinner came and passed, with mixed conversations about Quidditch, school, and the future. Afterwards, Hermione and Viktor sat at the table in the backyard, eating dessert. A lamp was glowing softly between them as they joked about their past together.

“Ah, that one time, vith vot was his name? Filch?”

“Yeah!” she laughed, tears spilling over the corners of her eyes. “I can’t believe he actually thought you were possessed by the spirit of his old cat!”

“Vell, the random bits of meowing helped!”

They giggled for a couple minutes longer, but then silence fell upon them.
“Herm-own-ninny,” he finally spoke. “I … I vanted to know if you vould like to come to see me at my house, sometime during the summer.”

She twisted a strand of hair around her finger thoughtfully, sighing. “I … I’d love to, Viktor.”