Past Present

"Viktor? I vant to apologize," Alexei whispered in the aisle of the confectionery.

"Alexei Poliakoff? Apologize? Whatever for?" Viktor said lightly, putting yet another box back on the shelf and picking up another to consider. Alexei knew it was forced.

"Vhat I said in the hedges this morning. I had no idea. Elena told me. I never vould haff mentioned her name..." Alexei trailed off as the corners of Viktor's mouth pulled down and he looked somewhat ill.

"She knows?"

"She roomed vith her, that year, remember? In the same quad. That is how she found out. You know Elena. I am sure she threatened to skin the other girls in there vith her if they told another soul. I imagine that is as far as it vent."

"Hermione knows?" Viktor turned, if possible, an even whiter shade of pale.

"She does now." Viktor put the box back on the shelf harder than necessary, snatching up the next wordlessly. "She does not think less of you. If anything, it should make her respect you more."

Viktor scowled and ground his teeth together so hard that Alexei could hear them scraping. He barely moved his lips when he spoke. "That is not the point! Would you want Elena to know if some ... some... girl ... treated you like... like... you were some... horse put out to stud! Like you are looking for some kind of brood mare!" he sputtered with poorly suppressed anger.

"Viktor..."

Viktor slammed yet another box back on the shelf, so hard that the shelf vibrated and the wizard at the register leaned out to give them a curious look. "I haff no idea what she likes. The subject of chocolate never came up," he complained, frustrated. From half naked girls leaning over banisters to chocolate and back. Nikolas Krum's hopscotch conversational style would never be dead as long as Viktor lived, Alexei thought to himself.

"Viktor, pick one."

"What do I do wrong, Alexei? Tell me. I would like to know. What the hell do I do that gives them the wrong idea? I attract all the wrong ones like..."

"Wrong. You attracted one right one. That is all you are entitled to in a lifetime. Some people do not even get that. And I do not think she cares vhat you bring back. You cannot go fix getting famous. You did everything right. Those wrong girls, that is vhat they vant, your name. She vants you. Just you. You trust Granger. Forget about the rest of them. You haff nothing to be ashamed of. More than I can say. More than they can say," Alexei spoke softly and put his hand on Viktor's shoulder.

Viktor turned and looked down at him. "She could haff gotten me expelled. If Professor Malatova had been one minute later coming by, maybe she would haff believed her. I wondered what I did wrong, maybe I encouraged her..."

Alexei grabbed his other shoulder and gave him a little shake. "Viktor. Stop beating yourself up. You are not responsible for everyvone else. You are about as encouraging to a girl as a mad hippogriff vith a backache and a bad attitude. Estefania vas a total fruitloop," he said with such sincerity and seriousness that Viktor laughed. "Now! Buy your girlfriend some chocolate, already!" he ordered sternly.

Viktor went and interrupted the middle aged witch with dark hair stocking the glass display with various truffles and chocolate covered fruits. "Look, I give up. I never bought much chocolate. What do I get for a girl?" he asked in Russian.

"One of those Opening Ball dates, hmm? How about a truffle assortment? Guaranteed she will like at least one of them, if she likes chocolate at all. Want me to put one together? One of each kind?" she asked, waving a hand at the rows in the display case.

"Go ahead. I suppose she can take the rest home."

"I vill haff the same," Alexei added.

"This is more money than I haff seen you spend in one day ever. In a month, even," Alexei ribbed in English, nudging Viktor's elbow.

"Say, aren't you Viktor Krum? My wife works at the tailor shop, said she fitted you for your robes. And fifteen girls saying they were going to the Opening Ball as your date," the wizard said as he rang up their purchases.

Viktor nodded to the first query, then waited for him to finish. "No, just one date for me. The one I am taking, she has not been in. She got her robes elsewhere. Could not make it here," Viktor replied simply.

"Too bad. The wife would have given her a deal if the two of you had come in together. She always said you were a nice young man when you came in for your school robes, real polite. If she did that for all of the girls that claimed to date you every ball, though, she would have to redo her price list and be done," the old wizard handed Viktor his wrapped parcel.

"Your wife always does a marvelous job. She even manages to make me look decent. She will not haff to worry about those girls much longer," Viktor told him with a smile. He jerked his head at Alexei, and they walked out the door.