Past Present

"Ewww. What is that?" Ron asked, unwrapping a pale hunk of cheese.

"Ron, honestly, how rude! You would think you never ate anything new! Would you say 'Ewww! Bouillabaisse!' in front of Professor Delacour?" Hermione said, wrinkling her nose and Ron flushed.

"Sheep's milk cheese. White cheese in Bulgaria. You call it something different, but I cannot remember what it is," Viktor said, unperturbed. "Something short."

Harry timidly broke off and tried a piece of the crumbly cheese. "Feta. It's feta."

"That is it." Viktor shifted a little, then leaned back against the tree trunk again. He cast his eyes up through the canopy of leaves over his head, and noticed the familiar shadow passing over. He didn't remark on it, instead, he turned his attention back to the apple in his hand. By the time they had finished eating, there was little sunlight filtering through the leaves. "Portkey should be leaving soon. Of course, I haff to find it first," he said, getting up from the ground and wandering through the tree line, poking into the grass. "This must be it," he said, pointing to a mangled looking shoe nestled in the gnarled roots of a tree.

"It's been fun," Ron said, when Viktor shook his hand.

"Glad you came," Viktor replied.

"Thank you Viktor, I had a great time," Harry said, and extended his right hand. Viktor clasped it and put his other hand on Harry's shoulder. "Take care, Harry. Be careful," he admonished.

"I will."

"Hermione, your pack," Viktor said, handing her the bag from the ground.

"Three weeks," she said.

"Three weeks," he echoed. "You haff to go now."

They gathered around the shoe, and everyone in the trio laid a finger on it. Soon, they felt the telltale jerk behind the navel, and they were standing on the outskirts of the Hogwarts grounds, where Hagrid and Fang were waiting for them. "Good ter see yeh!" he boomed at them.

Viktor stood alone for a second, listening to nothing but the wind in the leaves and the birds. He turned on his heel to set out back to the castle, he would have to hurry to make it most of the way back before dark, but was brought up short by a pair of eyes on level with his and a blast of hot breath. They belonged to another of the Sentinels, this one resembling a large unicorn, but solid, deepest black, with red eyes. He hadn't heard it come up behind, and he started. "Your guests are gone?" it asked in a deep voice.

"Gone," Viktor replied a little breathlessly, collecting himself somewhat.

"Then our charge is over?"

"Over. Unless they ever happen to set foot on these grounds again, for whatever reason."

"Walking back in the dark?"

"What choice do I haff?"

"The choice of my company. Or a ride." Viktor considered a moment, then forced himself to nod. This Sentinel might make his heart pound and unease him by sneaking up on him, but there were far worse things out here at night. He would never make it all the way back before night fell completely. He didn't relish the thought of even ten minutes in the thick trees in full dark. Heaven only knew what might be out here that he and Alexei hadn't stumbled on in their nighttime forays. What they had found was bad enough.

"I accept. The ride."