- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- Astronomy Tower
- Characters:
- Hermione Granger Viktor Krum
- Genres:
- General Romance
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Stats:
-
Published: 06/09/2003Updated: 11/20/2003Words: 224,686Chapters: 100Hits: 71,003
Past Present
Miss Yetigoosecreature
- Story Summary:
- Hermione, Harry, and Ron visit Viktor Krum in Bulgaria and discover there's a lot more to Viktor's past than they could have imagined.
Chapter 37
- Chapter Summary:
- Viktor steps outside for some air. No, really, air. Well, okay, maybe for a tiny little conversation...
- Posted:
- 07/15/2003
- Hits:
- 694
- Author's Note:
- Having just gotten a new Wacom Tablet, I had some fun drawing a picture of Viktor in his Opening Ball outfit., which can be seen here : http://web.centre.edu/stacie/IntenseViktor.jpeg
"You can come out now, you little spy," Viktor whispered out in the hall. "Poliakoff," he added in an exasperated tone.
"Just making sure you got back alright. I bet they had to throw you out," Alexei whispered back, walking out of the shadows at the corner. "I take it Granger had a good time?" he asked as he ambled over, his pyjamas wrinkled underneath his open dressing gown and his hair wild. "She certainly seemed keen enough on kissing you, no need to steal anything," Alexei teased.
"Make yourself useful. Stand here for a few minutes. I am going outside for some air," Viktor said, sighing.
"Oh. I see. Air. What we haff inside the castle not goot enough, eh?" Alexei asked with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, alright. Go on. Go outside for your air. Go do whatever it is," he said, fingering his wand, which he had just pulled from his pocket. "I will just tell whoever catches me standing outside Granger's room in my sleeping costume that vith my hair sticking up that I vas sleepvalking," he added, shaking his head.
"I will vouch for you," Viktor replied, also shaking his head, and he turned and went back down the stairs, out the front door. He stood for a moment on the short staircase outside the front door, the toes of his boots hanging over the drop off to the moat, before seeing the dark shape coming in from the lake, across the sky, to light on the railing. The Sentinel folded in its shaggy wings, shuffled on the railing for a moment, and fixed Viktor with a piercing gaze. It resembled nothing so much as a furry, large eagle, with a hooked beak and sharp, powerful talons. The "bird" was a sooty, smudged gray from head to toe, except for the beady yellow eyes.
"Nothing," it whispered in a breathy voice that sounded neither male nor female. "Safe. For now. Not like last year," it added with a shake of its head, as though it were trying to clear cobwebs, or shuddering in the cold. "Last year, bad feelings. Dark. Cold. So cold on the grounds. Sooo cooold," the thing drawled, putting its beak right in Viktor's face. The Sentinels all seem to exhibit the very same disconcerting habits the Guardian displayed, invading your private space, giving you that predatory look. You had to stand your ground, though, not back down. "But you knew that," it said clicking its beak, "See him before you leave for good. Important."
Suddenly it broke eye contact and clicked its beak again, then ruffled a wing and turned, preparing to fly off. Viktor followed it with his eyes, up and over the first tower, heading toward the back of the castle and the mountains. He stood for a long minute, studying his boots and the stone step. Best to go ahead and relieve Alexei. Only a few more hours until dawn, anyway. He will be leaning against the wall, sleeping with his mouth wide open, Viktor told himself, so he turned and went back into the castle.