The Prophecy

CHAPTER EIGHT - The meeting.

Viktor apparated back to the foyer of his great grandmother's home. The house was dark and silent. Hearing some movement in the dining room, he rushed into the kitchen, his heart pumping wildly. He found only his babushka sitting at the kitchen table, chopping and dicing fragrant herbs. Ada looked up at her great grandson and smiled.

"Viktor, finally! That was a long meeting."

He was both disappointed and relieved. He began pacing around the kitchen, making a concerted effort to avoid Ada's questioning stare.

"Is everything all right? The storm started so quickly this afternoon, I was beginning to worry..."

She didn't have to finish that sentence; Viktor knew exactly what she meant. He was hesitant to reveal anything yet. He needed to speak to Hermione, but first had to organize his thoughts and make sure not to omit any information, or say the wrong thing. Dumbledore, knowing his precarious position, had advised him not to give her too much or too little, and that it was for the best. Knowing Hermione, she would overanalyze each word he said, regardless.

"Babushka, it is not good news at all, but it is not bad, either. Ve haff several leads. Some-von saw something and the ministry is trying desperately to cover it up. I vish I could tell her vot she wants to hear, but I do not haff much besides hope and prayers." Viktor sighed heavily and started walking towards the stairs to Hermione's room. He hesitated for, not knowing whether he should disrupt what little peace she may have found in slumber.

"She's still awake, and she needs you to be with her. I don't think she realizes you are here yet," Ada assured Viktor.

He couldn't make it up the stairs fast enough. His superb physique made it easy for him to skip two steps at a time. He paused outside her door and listened. Trying to catch his breath, and collect his thoughts, he rapped his knuckles lightly against the hard wood.

Hermione, who was currently staring out the window, heard the soft knock. It startled her out of her melancholy daze. She quickly wiped her cheeks, but she knew that it was no use. Anyone could tell what she had been doing.

"Come in," she said softly.

He took one look at her slumped posture and glistening cheeks, and his heart dropped to his stomach. He was by her side in three strides, and even as he was sitting down beside her he was already pulling her into his arms. She promptly began to cry again.

"Shhh...Hermione, it's all right. Please stop crying; I haven't even told you anything yet," Viktor pleaded. He couldn't stand the sound of her sobs. Each hitch of her breath was like a separate knife wound to his heart. He stroked her unruly hair and spoke quietly to her in Bulgarian, trying to calm her down as best he could. Finally she spoke, between spasmodic breaths.

"I'm sorry...I was just so worried when I didn't hear anything from you..." He stroked her back gently. She wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her ear over his still rapidly beating heart. The sound soothed her. She took a deep, shuddering breath. "What happened at the meeting? Does Dumbledore have any news? Did the ministry find my parents? When can I go home?" she asked in rapid succession.

Viktor was surprised by the sudden barrage of questions. He wanted to answer all of them thoroughly, but the last query caused another sharp stab to his heart. When could she go home? The question was so ludicrous (and hurtful) that it took him a moment to formulate a response.

"Hermione, I vill tell you as much as I can. But please don't cry anymore. I cannot bear it." She raised her head from his chest to look into his eyes, those eyes that she loved so much. He gently swept the moisture from her cheeks with his thumbs. Hermione closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. He allowed himself a ghost of a smile before tucking her head securely beneath his chin once more.

"I vill start at the beginning, then. Dumbledore discussed vot he had found out from the ministry, and then vot ve are doing on our own account to help. He gave us all separate assignments, as vell as instructions for every-von's safety. Ve are all in danger, not just you, of course. The Veasley's and Harry haff been moved to a secret location. Molly and Arthur are actively involved in the search and protection, along vith other members of our group." He paused, knowing that the next part would be far more difficult for her to hear. She took the opportunity to release another flood of inquiries.

"What is the ministry saying? Do they have any leads? Where are Harry and Ron staying? Why can't I stay there, too?" she asked. As soon as the last question left Hermione's lips, she noticed a change in Viktor's demeanor. His arms loosened, but his body became more tense. She glanced at his face, and found his eyes were devoid of emotion and his brow was furrowed. She realized how selfish she must sound, and how ungrateful. It made her feel even worse than she already did.

"Viktor, that's not what I mean. I'm extremely grateful that you brought me here, I just...I've spent so much time with Harry and Ron and the rest of the Weasley's that I miss seeing them," she finished lamely. She knew that that was a terrible explanation, but didn't know how best to explain it without hurting his feeling even further. In this time of complete and utter upheaval, she simply wanted to have something that was comfortable and familiar to her. And as much as she adored Viktor, and as effective as he was at relieving most of her fears, many things about him - and their relationship - were still too much of a mystery for her to feel completely at ease.

"I know, Hermione." He gently kissed her forehead. He did understand, mostly at least. Nonetheless, it didn't make him feel any better to hear it. He took a deep breath, then continued.

"Dumbledore told us that the ministry is trying to cover up the disappearance by saying that your parents vere kidnapped by muggles and not by the Death Eaters, since they are still in denial about Voldemort's return..."

Her vision went red, and she exploded with fury. "What?! Those dimwitted, ignorant...how could they deny something like this?!" She struggled in his embrace, wanting to punch something very hard. He held her fast.

"Hermione, ve all agree with you. Every-von is angry, but ve vill not solve anything by being angry vith the ministry. Ve already know they are not very reliable," Viktor said matter-of-factly. He knew that his words would mean little in the face of her considerable rage, but at least she subsided enough to let him continue.

"At the meeting, Dumbledore gave all of us instructions. Each of us has a different role, but together ve are working to find your parents as soon as possible, and protect each other as vell. I haff to contact my ministry here in Bulgaria and try to get them involved. Dumbledore thinks they may haff received some information. The Bulgarian minister is a good friend of my father's, so I vill speak to him first about it, and maybe he vill come vith me to see him."

"And what am I expected to I do? Does Dumbledore just want me to sit here and cry and be useless?" Hermione interjected angrily. He rolled his eyes heavenward, praying to his ancestors to give him the patience to deal with the stubborn woman in his arms.

"Of course not. But right now there is not much you can do. I know vot you are going to say Hermione, and I understand. Trust me when I say this: I vos arguing very hard for you to be involved, because I know that you are capable of much more than they give you credit for. But it vos decided that the best thing for you right now is to stay safe. You can assist me here in some matters, if you vish," Viktor finished, and looked at her for a response.

"Of course I want to help. Anything I can do, I will. I don't want to sit in this room and cry myself to sleep anymore. This is pointless! He can't keep me sequestered away, protecting me from all harm. I'm not Harry!" she fumed. Viktor waited patiently for her to conclude this tirade.

"You vill not be useless, Hermione. I vill need your help soon enough. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you in detail who is doing vot, exactly. This matter is very dangerous now that ve do not have the ministry's support. Ve are on our own. Dumbledore is looking into his foreign connections. Charlie Veasley is helping him, trying to find more information in Romania. I vill be looking here and in Russia. Arthur is trying to get more information from the ministry vithout being fired, and Molly is running around taking care of everything and every-von else." Hermione smiled a little at the accurate description of Mrs. Weasley.

"There are other members that you have not met yet, but soon vill. They are Dumbledore's old friends. There is a voman named Nymph-a-dor-a Tonks..." His face screwed up as he struggled to pronounce each syllable, and she could tell that he had had to practice it for a long time. "She is a character. I think that you vill like her. She is the cousin of Sirius Black. He vos there, too, vhich makes Harry happy." She was glad of that, at least. There was so little joy in Harry's life. Viktor continued, "There vos also your old professor, Lupin, and several other vizards that also work for the ministry but are helping us. I assure you that there are many vitches and vizards doing everything that is in their power to find your parents," Viktor concluded. He watched her face as she processed this information, and was relieved to see some of the anger leave it.

Hermione had known that the Weasley family, Harry, and Viktor would be helping, of course. But the knowledge that so many others were involved came as a surprise to her. Then again, Dumbledore was an extraordinary wizard, and when things needed to be done, he stopped at nothing to make sure that they were done properly. Viktor went on, finally telling her the only useful piece of information that she had heard thus far. He had obviously been saving it for last.

"Dumbledore received an owl from von of his old friends. He vould not disclose the name, but he said that they heard of two muggles being held captive somevere outside of England by Death Eaters. I know that it is not much, but at least it gives us hope that they are unharmed," he finished. He purposefully left out Dumbledore's speculation about why they were still being kept alive, though it seemed fairly obvious. They were going to be used as bait.

Hermione sighed. She had not expected more than that, but that didn't stop her from wishing that there was more information. Her parents were safe for now, and she had to content herself with that. Many thoughts swirled through her head, each of them trying to gain purchase. The anger was still there, but it had dulled a bit. She shifted on the bed and moved closer to him, wanting nothing more at this moment than for him to hold her.

Sensing her unspoken need, he smiled gently at her and maneuvered himself so that he was leaning against the headboard and she was nestled between his legs. He pulled her closer, letting her lean against his chest while he held her in his arms. He continued to tell her in soft tones about what had happened during the meeting, who had said what, the concerns and best wishes from her friends. He had brought her some sweets from Mrs. Weasley and letters from Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She set them aside to read later.

Hermione wanted to be in the lively kitchen at the Burrow with all of them laughing at Fred and George's newest invention, or watching the boys play Quidditch in the garden. She missed them so much that it physically ached, but she knew that they all wanted for her to be safe. And as long as she was in Viktor's arms, in this house in the middle of the forest in Sokrovishte, she knew that she was.

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