Past Present

"I vas beginning to vonder..." Alexei said as Hermione and Viktor approached. "Now, did I know vhat I vas talking about or not?" he asked Elena.

Elena gave a low whistle. "I haff to admit...much as I hate to... you vere right. Viktor... that is some outfit. You might be the only man alive who can get avay vith formal dress that looks suspiciously like a Quidditch uniform."

"Uniform! That reminds me... Viktor, thank you. The tailor made an entire set of robes for the team, and they look great," Harry said, readjusting his glasses on his nose. Viktor smiled, but stayed silent.

Elena continued, "Good thing you do haff a date. You vill start a new trend. And Hermione... see, I haff done my homework, unlike Alexei... you vill be Miss Granger or Madame for the next six months for him... your robe is fabulous. You look vonderful," Elena said, playing with a fold of Hermione's skirt. "And the both of you need to stop imitating Poppet every time anyvone pays you a compliment tonight. You vill be getting them a lot. You are acting more bashful than Anton and Ivanova's little boy, Viktor."

"Homework? Elena, you at least haff spoken some English your whole life. Some of us vere not so lucky, Viktor and I, ve got our first real English lessons here," Alexei said.

Elena shrugged and smoothed Hermione's skirt back down, then her own. "Liesl and Katrina haff both collared a date, so I do not think you vill suffer too much wrath. Heaven help the poor boys, but at least you do not haff to vorry about either of them blaming you for them being dateless. Oh, and you know that little boy, oh, what was his name? Third year, heart shaped face, and the tiny cowlick he can never get to lie down? Bronsky's House? Hans Hauptmann?"

"The vone who came first in the seeker time trials among the second team tryouts?" Viktor asked.

"Yes, that vone. You vould associate him vith something Quidditch vould you? I think he is interested in Poppet. There has been a lot of staring going on, even out here in the foyer. Maybe you ought to haff a talk vith him," Elena said with a soft smile.

Viktor looked over the crowd and across the large foyer just outside the hall, to a large crowd of third year girls and boys, separated by a few feet. Marianne was with the girls, and sure enough, there was a slender boy with a heart shaped face and rather sharp chin, and a small cowlick that waved above his head like a flag looking at her longingly from among the pack of boys.

"Why? He looks harmless enough, or haff you heard something I haff not?" Viktor asked her after studying them both.

Elena sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Not that kind of talk. He is harmless. He likes her, you big dolt. You just might haff to nudge him toward her, he might take all night to ask her to dance othervise. Or vorse, not do it. Give him some advice. Or do you vant Poppet to stand there all night vhile her friends dance? Or shall ve just draft Ron and Harry rather than letting them talk Quidditch vith that group over in the corner or dance vith somevone else or eat, vhatever they vant? Look, you go plant the idea in his head vhile I take her to the powder room and put a little makeup on her. Not that she needs it, but I need some excuse. You do not mind if I borrow him a moment before we go in?" she asked Hermione, who shook her head.

Elena glided across the corridor, looking as regal and elegant as ever in her light rose robes, and collected Marianne. "Be back in a minute," Viktor told Hermione after they had disappeared around the corner. He strode over to Hans Hauptmann, whose wide eyes got even wider when Viktor spoke to him, pulled him aside and steered him around the opposite corner.

"Quite the matchmakers around here," Ron observed.

"Not normally," Alexei said. "Not Elena, anyvay. Nor Viktor. Do not vorry. Your bachelorhood is safe. She vill not be trying to get you married at this dance."

"Hey, Harry, you think that lot we scrimmaged with will be able to continue that debate on strength versus finesse, or do you reckon most of them will be dancing?" Ron asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Don't know. I only heard one or two of them say they had dates they had to get ready for. We'll see," Harry said.

"You would think you two would get tired of Quidditch all the time. Honestly," Hermione said.

"You would think you would get tired of books all the time, but you don't, now do you?" Ron countered.

"Books are good for you," Hermione said.

"So is Quidditch. Viktor likes both, so it must be possible for them to peacefully coexist in the same brain, now mustn't it?" Ron said sweetly. "Really, you would think Harry and I never cracked a book."

"We almost don't," Harry whispered and made a face. Hermione laughed in spite of herself.

Viktor came back around the corner and deposited a dazed looking Hans back in his group of friends. "Well?" Hermione questioned him.

"Well what?"

"Well... what did he say?" she pressed.

"Nothing. Just gawked at me with his mouth hanging open. It could mean, 'Yes, I'll ask her to dance' or 'I do not speak English" or 'I haff lockjaw' for all I know. I assumed it meant the first. I think there might haff been a nod, but I would not bet on it. It might haff been wishful thinking on my part," Viktor shrugged.

"What did you say to him?" Hermione asked.

"I told him he had better dance with her and behave himself or I would boil him in oil," he said flatly.

"Viktor! You didn't!" Hermione scolded, hoping he was joking.

"Of course I did not! I just told him it would be nice to ask Marianne to dance, if he wanted. I told him I was sure she would be happy to dance with him since neither of them seem to haff a date. Just a suggestion, no more no less. No mention of boiling him in oil. But if he does pull something..."

"You vill keep your big nose out of it," Elena finished for him, having come up behind them, circling back from the powder room. "Time to let go and see if she can valk on her own Viktor. If she falls, she gets back up. Stop being so overprotective. And here I thought I vas a terrible old mother hen."

"But..."

"But nothing. Attend to your own date. Vone is enough to keep you busy. You and Hermione keep each other busy, Alexei and I vill keep each other busy, Ron and Harry keep themselves busy however they vish, and Hans and Marianne keep one another busy if they vish to, agreed? If anyvone deserves boiling for something they do to Poppet, let her do her own," Elena ordered with a raised eyebrow. Hermione was beginning to see that Viktor wasn't the only one who could be pretty stubborn. This was the nearest she had ever heard anyone come to bossing Viktor.

Viktor mirrored her expression for a moment. "Big talk from a lady who just made me go over there and wrestle a third year I haff never so much as said 'good morning' to around the corner to strongly suggest that he pick Marianne as his dancing partner. The least you could do is haff the good grace to be ashamed of yourself for meddling then grouching at me for the same thing. Very subtle Elena. Why did we not just smack him with a club and drag him over there by the hair? Or her," he said.

"Matchmaking is not alvays meddling, Viktor. I am just hurrying things along. I am sure he vould haff gotten up the courage eventually," she countered, but she looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Sure. He looked every bit as eager as a rabbit about to hop into a lion's den, and I probably scared him out of it if he had any inclination," Viktor chuckled, offering Hermione his arm again. The doors had opened and couples and groups were starting to stream into the hall. When they came through the doors, Hermione gasped. She would have hardly recognized it as the same room where they had eaten the night before. The ceiling and walls had been decorated with a deep, shiny blue fabric, and white ribbons and bows dotted it like stars in a midnight sky. The hall was dotted with great stands of flowers she recognized from the garden, including some Tiger Lilies of various colors, mercifully absent their thorns. Elena was sporting her white lily over her right ear, tucked into her neatly pulled back hair. It gathered into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, and once again Hermione was aware of the many little strands brushing the back of her own neck.

"Oi, Harry, there they are. You want to go over and talk to them?" Ron pointed to a clump of boys and girls across the room. All of them looked to be fourth years or older.

"Sure. See you later, Hermione, Viktor, Elena, Alexei," Harry said, ambling after Ron with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't really in the mood to cramp the two couples anyway. Maybe later he would dance with one of the girls from the scrimmage earlier who didn't have a date. Some of them had offered to take a turn. Not the same as dancing with Cho, but they had seemed nice enough, and they weren't all twittery and prissy like some of the girls at Hogwarts. They had seemed content to talk Quidditch and maybe give him and Ron a dance or two. It would be good practice if Hogwarts ever had another ball.

The two couples were just settling into their chairs when a loud voice rang out, "Meet with your approval, ladies?" Potenko had come over from the faculty tables.

"It's beautiful," Hermione said.

"I can never remember the hall looking this vonderful," Elena added.

"I really came over here as much to ask the four of you a favor. To start off the ball," Potenko said, beaming as though he were offering them the chance of a lifetime.

"Of course we all will!" Alexei said with gusto, then an odd expression passed over his face and he jumped in his seat. Hermione got the distinct impression that he had just been kicked solidly under the table by Viktor.

Too bad, I would have liked to kick him myself, she thought. Waltzing at the reception was one thing, here was another story. There... no one had really cared that she and Viktor were together. They were all adults with families of their own, not schoolchildren with nothing better to do than gossip about who was with who. Sure, they had been mildly curious about the girl Viktor had talked about, but no one was likely to be telling Viktor who he should be with, or worse, wanting him themselves, at the reception. The reporters had even been respectful. Probably a requirement to get in, to not act like Rita Skeeter. Here...how many people would want a look at her? The entire room. She had already noticed plenty of open staring her way. At the Yule Ball, she had the advantage of surprise, no one expected Hermione Granger to be Viktor's partner. Half the school had to look three times to recognize her. Here...her reputation preceded her. What was it Elena had called her? His equally famous Yule Ball partner? Her stomach felt as though it had dropped right out of the bottom of her chair.

Viktor bit his lower lip, trying to think of a polite way to refuse. It was a simple enough request. No undue burden. Potenko had not ordered them to open the ball, he had asked politely. He thought he was doing them a great honor. And he was. He does not realize I would rather not, he is not a cruel man. And Alexei had just volunteered them. Nothing came to mind that did not offend. Hermione suddenly looked almost as pale and sick as he felt thinking about the four of them being out there in front of the entire school. Best he could do is put a few more people on the floor with them and delay the inevitable a few minutes. "On one condition. Give us a few minutes to pick some music," he said finally, surrendering to the idea. It is not as though I was going to sit at this table all night, right? I will simply dance a little earlier than I planned. "And that you let me go fetch one more couple," he added, "Third years. Actually, if you could round up at least one couple from each year, maybe that would be better," Viktor said in a rush.

Potenko looked a bit surprised at the request, but he seemed pleased by the idea. "That would be a new tradition. Usually it is only sixth or seventh year couples that get picked. I will recruit a few of the faculty and see who else we can come up with," he said with a large smile, whirling off in his formal robes.

"Alexei!" Elena hissed at him, "You and your big mouth! You could haff let them answer for themselves!"

"Sorry," Alexei shrugged. "Viktor could haff not tried to break my shin vith those big boots of his, too," he muttered. "Vhat other couple?" he asked, looking up from under the table, where he was no doubt massaging his leg.

"I just thought of a way to ensure Marianne gets her dance," Viktor said, sliding his chair back. "Congratulations, Hans Hauptmann, you haff been chosen to help open the Opening Ball for the third years, grab a partner," he said under his breath, dropping his gaze across the room to where the elfin boy stood shyly taking in the hall with his friends, and then setting off across the room like a man on a mission. Elena suppressed a laugh.

"Well, I suppose something good has come of it, then," Hermione said, shaking her head.

Elena turned in her seat and watched Viktor and Hans. "You would think Viktor vas going to eat him alive the way Hans looks! Poor boy, probably thinks he has looked at Poppet crooked and Viktor is going to get him for it! If his eyes get any bigger, they vill roll across the floor," she said, laughing. Viktor had finished talking to Hans and gave him a little push between the shoulder blades toward the three girls in the corner. Toward Marianne.

"Vhat did you tell him this time?" Elena asked as Viktor rounded the table.

"That he does not haff all night, get a move on! Worse than me," Viktor said, shaking his head and pulling the chair back in. "He might get it out by the time we get called out, the timid little mouse! Now, one problem solved, one to go! What do we dance to?" he asked Hermione.

"I think Elena and I should get some choice..." Alexei began, but Viktor interrupted him.

"Oh no you do not! You had no business volunteering me. You forfeit any input. Elena can vote, but you can guess who I am going to side with when it comes down to it, Alexei," Viktor said.

"Oh, I do not care. Pick vhatever you vant," Elena said idly, propping her chin on her fist.

"Something faster?" Hermione ventured. The last thing she wanted was to be standing still for very long. With all those people staring at them.

"Faster...Vivaldi maybe... 'Concerto for Two Trumpets'...or how about 'The Spring' from 'The Four Seasons'? It is long, but not bad to dance to. Or 'The Autumn'. No, too long. They are both ten minutes. That one from 'Swan Lake' maybe. Three minutes or so. Something of the Swans, I cannot remember the name... 'Scene of the Swans', I think. 'Capriccio Italian', Tchaikovsky, but that is worse than ever. Fifteen minutes if it is one. We would drop. No, I haff it. 'Puss-In-Boots' from 'Sleeping Beauty'. Tchaikovsky. Only a few minutes. Even a first year could dance to it. Perfect," he said, smiling.

"I don't know that one," Hermione said softly.

"Oh, sure you do," Elena said dismissively, then began to hum a tune. Hermione was surprised to find that it was indeed familiar, and from a source she would not have expected. It was from the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty she had seen as a child. Of course, they had taken Tchaikovsky's music from the ballet suite. In the movie, Aurora had sung the words 'I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream...' to the same music. To her imagined prince. Then with her real prince as they danced in the woods. She almost blurted this information out, but then realized that no one at the table, least of all Viktor, would know what she was talking about, so she kept it to herself. He would only know about its ballet origins.

"Oh, I do know that one after all," she said simply.

Viktor leapt up and made his way over to the conductor, renewing acquaintance with him and passing on their selection for the first dance. Potenko was coming toward their table with a pack of couples, and Hermione felt her heart leap. That looked like at least one couple to represent each year. "Come on, then, the lot of you. Soon as Viktor comes back to collect his partner, we will begin," Potenko said with an even larger smile than usual. "Rest of you out on the floor," he directed cheerfully.

"Relax. Enjoy it," Elena whispered, giving Hermione's hand a reassuring squeeze as she and Alexei joined the group and Potenko began stationing them at various spots around the floor, leaving a space for Viktor and Hermione. He strode back from the conductor's corner looking far more confident than she felt, stopped in front of her, and offered his right hand wordlessly. She took it and stood, positive her legs would fold when she rose. But they held, and they stood motionless for a moment, looking at one another. He put his left hand on her upper back and guided her gently toward the spot set aside for them. Once there, he stood on the outer rim of the circle, as all the other boys had, they took their positions, and he pulled her close, giving her a light, bracing squeeze toward him and a slight smile. Suddenly having everyone watching didn't seem so bad. Let them watch.

As the horns and violins began to play, they started off, and all her worries about tripping or making a fool of herself or anyone watching, everyone watching, were gone. She found herself smiling broadly, and all the curious onlookers were just part of the scenery. Unbidden, the vague memories she had of the animated scene from the movie she had last seen as much as a decade ago ran through her mind. Ridiculous, really, how familiar this felt, how right, how comfortable. You can't dance for beans, Hermione... now look at you. She could do it, as long as his fingers stayed against her back, as long and he held her hand, as long as he kept looking at her like that. Then the music stopped and they all applauded. "Now, we are off the hook, is that the right phrase? You do not haff to dance the rest of the night if you do not want to..." Viktor said, grinning.

"Oh no, I'm just getting started. I'm going to dance you under the table by the end of the night!" she teased, and she surprised herself by really meaning it.

"I would like to see you try," he said, throwing his chin up and crossing his arms.

"Watch me! Besides, what do I have to worry about? You have to lead! Looks like Hans and Poppet might be hanging around for a few more, too," she added, pointing at the two small blonde heads that lingered on the dance floor not too far from them.

"Good. I might not haff to boil him in oil after all," Viktor murmured. Several more couples streamed onto the floor after the applause died down, and though a few of them stared at her as they passed, Hermione found she didn't mind so much. Even the slightly hostile appraisals from some of the girls. One dark haired girl fixed Hermione with such a glower that Viktor scowled right back at her, so fiercely that she quickly wiped the nasty look off of her face and scurried after her partner so fast that Hermione couldn't help laughing. After that, she paid more attention to the dancing than she did the other dancers. The first few songs took in several composers, most of whom she could identify easily, such as Borodin, Debussy, Mozart, Respighi, and of course, Strauss. They danced to everything that the orchestra played. She even dragged Viktor across the room to request the Emperor Waltz, and they danced to it, slow and stately when the music was, then whirling off madly when the horns came in and the tempo picked up.

"Chopin. Waltz in D... is it flat or sharp or major or minor?" she observed when the tinkling piano and the speedy runs began sounding.

"I cannot remember. What does it matter? Neither one of us are going to be playing it, are we?" he asked.

"But I might want to request it next time," she said without thinking. I'm assuming there's going to be a next time, she realized with a jolt.

Viktor caught it as well. Next time. She said next time. So maybe I have not handled things so badly after all. Next time. Those are the best sounding two words I have heard in a long time. He felt his smile creep a bit wider.

He taught her a reel, and they used a box step on some of the songs, but by far, her favorites were the waltzes. Nothing else made her feel as much like the heroine of a fairy tale or a romantic movie. She almost chided herself for being so stupid and ridiculously giddy over it. It just wasn't sensible to be so full of yourself, to keep hearing this voice in the back of your head saying 'I feel like the queen', but she couldn't help it. Why do I feel like the only person in the room, the only person in the world, when he looks at me like that? How can such a small smile make me feel like I'm about to explode and fly in a million different directions at once? They danced to so many songs that Hermione soon lost count, but many of the other couples had already filtered onto and off of the floor around them multiple times when Headmaster Potenko and Madame Durshenkova waltzed up to them, literally, and the headmaster politely asked if he could cut in on the next dance. "May I cut in? If it is not too big an imposition? I would like to have one dance with the first female guest we have had here in many years. And one of the privileges of being headmaster is that I can be a big oaf and ask for other people's partners and no one thinks less of me. I am sure Madame Durshenkova would be glad to keep Viktor occupied while we take in one dance?" he said to Hermione.

"Certainly," she replied, and they switched partners as the current song ended, the men bowing to their new partners before starting the next dance. Dancing with Potenko wasn't quite as easy as it was with Viktor, but he was nonetheless an able dancer. She just didn't seem to fit into his hands and his arms quite so naturally as she did with Viktor.

"Miss Granger, I thank you for the dance and return you to your rightful partner," he said, bowing low after the music ended and offering her hand back to Viktor. "You have wonderful taste in partners, Mr. Krum. May you two enjoy many, many more dances together," he added warmly, giving her a small wink and giving his short, trimmed beard a tug. She felt a rush of warmth and affection for the brawny headmaster with the twinkle in his eye, so reminiscent of Dumbledore's, as he collected Madame Durshenkova and headed back to the faculty table. He was so different from the sleek, cold, fake exterior that Karkaroff had presented.

"Hot in here, isn't it?" Hermione said airily, "I sure could go for some fresh air... truce on dancing one another under the table for now?" Two hours of dancing had left the both of them hot and ready for a break.

"Truce. I will go get our cloaks," Viktor said and soon returned with his over his arm, holding hers until she could get the clasp fastened. He flung his around his shoulders and they headed for the door to the outside. It was chilly, the air crisp and the stars stark and clear against the black sky, the harvest moon large and with a hint of orange. Hermione was surprised to see her own breath as a foggy mist after the warmth of the day and she shivered a little as the bracing air hit the perspiration that had formed on her forehead and upper lip. They walked the path through the low bushes until they were several yards from the outside entrance to the hall, seeing a few other couples strolling in the moonlight, sitting on the stone benches that dotted the grounds, each in their own world. Indicating a low stone bench out in the open, Viktor asked, "Is this alright?" She nodded her approval.

"Wait a minute," he said, sitting on the bench and fanning out his cloak on the right side, spreading it over the seat and holding it open. "Now, sit. That light cloak of yours is probably not going to be enough once you cool off," he said as she sat next to him. The bench just held the two of them comfortably, and she once more tucked in beside him, their thighs touching, his right arm draped over her shoulder. He flipped the cloak down over her and back toward him, covering her. Once again, she was shocked at the warmth she could feel radiating from him. No wonder he never gets cold, she thought to herself. He's a human furnace. He must burn off everything he eats. How on earth he put the new fifteen pounds on, I'll never know. He must have eaten like Ron does during the entire first part of the summer.

"What is so funny?" he asked, breaking into her train of thought.

"Oh, nothing. Everything. I was just thinking it's no wonder you never get cold. You're twice as hot as I am," she said, smiling.

"The big cloak helps. I should haff warned you it would be pretty cold out here at night," he said with some regret.

"No. No, this is better, I think. No fun being out here in my own cloak. More fun being in here with you," she mused, laying her head against his shoulder and reaching up her hand to take the one he had draped over her shoulder.

"Hermione... you scarlet woman you... you didn't really want to get air," he chided.

"Absolutely. I just suggested air so I could get you alone and take advantage of you... I just wanted to get into your cloak like all the other girls. Then your local Snape can come along and blast us out of the bushes," she said and laughed along with him.

They sat for a few minutes in a silence broken only by their breathing and the occasional strains of music when others opened the doors to enter or exit the hall. When the cold air began to sting her cheeks, Hermione finally raised her head and asked, "Go back in? Let me put you under the table for good? There's what, a good two and a half hours left? This thing goes until one. I'm game if you are."

He ducked his head so that his face was right in front of hers and he could look her in the eye. "I need to tell you something first. I need to tell you several things, but most of them can wait a bit. I should haff said it earlier," he told her in a low voice. "If there is one thing I learned early, it is this. Always say it while you haff the chance, there might not be another," he said, drawing a deep breath, "I love you."

"You already told me that, you wrote it. You even said it out loud," she said, smiling up at him.

"No, I did not. I wrote it, but I did not say it. And I haff kicked myself several times for missing a good chance. Several good chances."

"You called me 'Sokrovishte'."

"Ah. But I thought you would not consider that the same as saying those three words out loud."

"No, it wasn't the same as saying 'I love you'. It meant more. It was better. I would call you that if I could make it sound half as wonderful as it sounds when it comes out of your mouth. I can't do it justice."

He covered her mouth with his and kissed her softly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze and murmuring "Then I must remember to call you Sokrovishte more often," as he pulled back. She was half tempted to suggest they stay where they were, but the hall was looking very inviting. She didn't want him to think that she really was like some of those other girls. And she was ready to dance some more, to wring every moment and every song and every dance she could out of this night.

"There they are. Told you they vould be back," Elena said, gesturing toward the door with her glass of punch. "I think they are trying to kill the rest of us. I do not think they sat down vonce until about tventy minutes ago vhen they vent out," she told Alexei, draining her glass. "And stop the presses. He looks happy. Really and truly happy. Has to be a first at vone of these things."

"Hell must be freezing over as ve speak," Alexei said, nudging her elbow playfully with his own.

"I cannot believe it. They are headed back to the floor. Ve vill haff to hire a lift to get them both out of bed tomorrow morning. Or afternoon," she whispered.

"You are assuming they are going to sleep tonight. Looking at the two of them, I doubt it. They vill not sleep for months. Too high. They vill not vish to. They vould levitate above the bed, in any case," he replied in a low voice.

"I hate to admit it, but you vere right. I do not know exactly vhat she did to him, but vhatever it vas, I am glad she did it. She is goot for him. I do not vorry so much, now."

"Now I know Hell is freezing over as ve speak," Alexei muttered.

"Vhy?"

"You just admitted I vas right about something. Two times in one night."

"Three somethings. You are dating me, no?"