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The Lioness And The Badgers	By : sawahhaych Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Cedric Views: 7550 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (Although I am British I am unfortunately not the amazing JK Rowling!). I do not make any money from the writing of this fic.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
The atmosphere in the hall was more than electric. Dinner was split between excited chatter and deathly silence as everyone watched Dumbledore eat, slower than normal, I thought.

Viktor Krum was announced first, followed by Ron's new obsession, the blonde from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour. When Dumbledore caught the Hogwart's parchment out of the cup he smiled to himself and paused for what seemed like a ridiculous amount of time, until finally announcing Cedric.

Now as I lie in bed my emotions are all over the place, I am happy for Cedric, he wanted this but I am worried too. The tournament is dangerous, people have died. At the same time I am proud, proud to have Cedric as our champion because he really does encompass Hogwart's as a whole better than any other person would, I guess it has something to do with him being a Hufflepuff, more rounded than the rest of us.

As I sleep I dream of Cedric, again.

A week has gone by and I haven't spoken to Cedric, I see him in the great hall or in the corridors, he waves and smiles to me but hasn't yet approached me. Maybe he didn't mean it, that he wanted my help, not that I blame him, it would just have been nice to spend some more time with him.

It is this thought that carries me towards the library from the Great Hall on a Saturday morning. I haven't made it far when I hear the sound of someone jogging towards me, I turn to see Viktor Krum approach.

“Hello.” Krum says as he levels with me, stopping.

“Hello.” I say back with a smile. Krum does nothing for a few seconds, I look around awkwardly. “...so...”

Krum studies me for a second before pulling out the handkerchief I gave him the night he arrived. “Thank you for this.” He says handing it to me. “I have had it vashed.” He adds quickly before I take it. “I hope it didn’t upset your boyfriend.”

I feel the puzzlement cross my face. “I don’t know what you mean?”

“That is Cedric Diggory's.” Krum states. “I have seen you vith him, in the hall when he put his name in.”

I feel my face flush. “No, Cedric is just a friend.” I say with a small smile.

I turn as I hear the unmistakable sound of the clipping of high heels on the stone floor not too far away. Krum peers around the corner before muttering something under his breath that I assume is swearing in his native tongue. “I haff to go.” He comments before turning left to go towards the charms corridor.

I reach out and grasp his wrist. “Wait.” I say pulling him back towards me. “If you are trying to avoid them that is not the way to go, the corridor loops around, they will be coming up that way soon.”

The look of horror and panic in his eyes nearly makes me laugh. I tug on his wrist and we make off at a fast jog, I pause at a junction and check the way is clear before beckoning him on.

The run lasts ten minutes before we burst through the library doors which earns us a stern look from Prince. “This way.” I say, breath quickened from the exercise and excitement. I drop his arm and lead the way through the stacks to a secluded table where we are unlikely to be found.

“I see I must thank you once again.” Krum says as he sits down, he unlike myself is not even slightly winded.

I flop down into the seat opposite. “You're welcome.”

Krum gives me the strange non smile he has. “I haff been rude.” I don’t answer as I cannot think what he means. “I haff not introduced myself.” I snort at this, who doesn’t know who he is? However he ignores me, sticks out his hand and says. “I am Viktor Krum, pleasure to meet you.”

I give his hand a look before putting my own in it. “Hermione Granger.”

“I vill probably butcher your name horribly.” This time a real smile does come through and it is unexpected, making him look like a child, cute and kind, pretty much the opposite of what I have observed so far.

“Don’t worry about it.” I say releasing his hand.

We sit in silence for a while, I don’t know what to say but Viktor doesn’t seem to mind, he is looking around us, at the stacks. “You haff good library here.” I don’t comment, just nod. “Can I ask you Qvestion?”

I meet Viktor's dark eyes. “Of course.”

“I do not mean it to sound arrogant, but...” Viktor starts.

I interject. “Why am I not chasing you around with a quill like the rest of the female population?”

Viktor nods. “Half of the males also.” He says with no hint of humour.

I think for a second, I do not want to offend him. “There are a few reasons, mostly I just don’t care about Quidditch, I don’t see what value someone’s signature has and I have seen how Harry's fame has affected him, how much he hates it...” I trail off.

“Harry Potter?” Krum asks.

I nod. “Yes, he doesn’t always cope too well with how people treat him.”

Viktor gently shakes his head. “I cannot imagine vot it must be like to be him.”

It wasn't a question but I feel the need to answer him. “He hates it.” I say with a sad smile. “Every time someone new meets him and knows who he is, they give him this look, they appraise him like some kind of prize animal or something, it's very unsettling and Harry gets embarrassed then he will spend the next couple of days thinking about why he is famous, thinking about his parents, comparing himself to the rest of us who have parents.” I stop, it isn't my place to say this.

Viktor looks thoughtful. “It sounds terrible, I am afraid to say I haff done that to Harry also.”

“So did I.” I admit. “The first time I met him on the train in first year. I hadn't grown up hearing about it but I read enough about him before coming to school.”

Viktor abruptly changes the subject, I think sensing my discomfort. “Vot is it like? Here at Hogvarts?”

I smile. “Brilliant.” I comment. “It's just... home.” I pause to get my thoughts in order. “I love learning and back in the muggle world everything was just so easy for me. But here...” I feel my eyes un-focus and I grin as I continue. “... There are all these new rules to learn about magic, and then the magic itself which isn’t easy, it takes time and practice and I have to actually think about it.”

“You are very happy here.” Viktor states. “At Durmstrang it is different to here, it is stricter but you are right about the learning, it is almost like drug.”

This time it is me who changes the subject. “How are you feeling about the tournament?”

Viktor thinks for a moment. “I am vorried but I vant to do this. I vant to show them that I am not just Qvidditch player, that I am not stupid like people say.”

I get it, people assume he is stupid because he is big, athletic and can sometimes look a little vacant. “Good reason.” I say quirting my eyebrows. “I get the opposite, they call me a know-it-all, not that I want to be athletic or anything, it's just that is all anyone ever sees in me.”

Viktor smiles at me again. “Not Diggory, is he really just friend?”

I nod as I answer. “Yes.”

“You do not vant him to be.” Viktor challenges. I open my mouth and gape at him, he chuckles gently. “I am sorry, it is so obvious, the way you look at him.”

“I didn’t realise I was so transparent.” I mutter back, head hung in embarrassment.

Viktor's smile fades. “I vos not meaning to offend, I vanted just to say I have seen him look the same vay at you.”

I laugh, a full on snort escaping me. “Don't be so silly. He doesn’t even know I exist anymore.”

“Yes he does.” Viktor argues. “I haff seen him look at you and heard him talk about you vith his friends.”

A sad, sideways smile crosses my face. “He hasn't even spoken to me since he was made champion.” I feel the loss of his friendship wash over me, almost making me tear up.

“He has been busy, ve all haff. If I am not training I am studying or sleeping, this is the first time I haff had to myself since being chosen.” Viktor leans down to make me meet his eyes. “You miss him, I think he miss you also, give it time he vill come back.”

My head raises. “Thank you.”

“You are good person, good friend to haff, he vill see sense soon.”

“So are you Viktor.” I reply smiling, feeling better after his little pep talk.

-xXx-

I see Viktor regularly, hiding out in the library and we talk. We talk about everything, for some reason I feel I can say anything to him, mostly I brood over Cedric's continued absence which doesn’t seem to bother Viktor, he in turn tells me how he misses his friends and family back home, none of whom have come to cheer him on at Hogwarts, he is truly alone here.

“Training is going vell.” Viktor says in answer to my question a couple of days later.

“I cant imagine how frustrating it must be not to know what you are training for.” I comment flicking through a book I found dedicated to all Triwizards tournaments that have taken place so far.

Viktor takes an audible breath. “It vill be hard and it is not nice, all ve can do is try to learn everything.”

I grin at Viktor. “Because you just HATE that.”

He returns my smile. “I do enjoy learning, it is still frustrating not knowing what I train for.”

We have been through this a few times now, Viktor, for all his bravado and physical prowess is scared of what is to come, worried in equal parts that he wont be able to handle it mentally or will get injured or even killed. As much as Viktor loves to study he still wants to be a professional Quidditch player for as long as possible, he truly loves the game.

“How's the fan club?” I ask changing the subject, trying to make him feel better with a little teasing.

“They are driving me mad!” Viktor replies exasperated. “They vill not leave me alone, I cannot go for piss vithout audience, I haff taken to holding it until I can go in ship vhere they cannot get to me.”

A laugh, loud enough for Prince to hear and shush from the other end of the library bursts out of my mouth. “That is just ridiculous!”

“I know this.” Viktor shakes his head. “They vill not be happy until they are all my best friend I think.”

“Or got in your pants.” I say without thinking, which earns a laugh from him.

“I do not think there is anyone here who is my type.”

“Really?” I ask genuinely puzzled. “There are also of nice looking girls here, in seventh year.” I add curious.

“You haff not realised?” Viktor asks tilting his head to the side.

“Realised what?” I ask furrowing my eyebrows. I hope to hell he isn’t going to say what I think he is because yes I like Viktor but just as a friend, he is funny and kind and mature but I do not find him attractive, it is not that he isn’t attractive, I know he is, I can appreciate his handsome features but I prefer sharper faces, specifically Cedric shaped ones.

“How do I say?” Viktor asks himself aloud. “There is nothing wrong with your girls here. I am homosexual.” There is a short pause. “No one knows, please do not tell.”

My eyes widen. “Oh... I...” What the hell do I say to that?! There is nothing wrong with being gay, nothing at all it is perfectly natural, even animals have homosexual tendencies. Then I burst out laughing, I am so stupid, the hints have been there all along, little things that when you put them together make total sense. “Sorry, It's just...” I catch my breath between laughs. “I thought you were going to say you liked me!”

Viktor joins in laughing, now I know his secret we talk about other things, things a girl would normally talk to another girl about, it feels comfortable talking about them with Viktor. I don’t think I could say half the things I say to him to Ginny. Viktor is also harbouring a crush for Cedric, so we find private places to fawn over him where no one will hear.

It had been two weeks since the last time I spoke to Cedric when I finally bump into him again.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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The Lioness And The Badgers