Rekindled

Hermione Granger sat in the common room, glancing at the time and trying to concentrate on her Transfiguration homework. She had been studying all day in an attempt to get a head start on the weekend - one in which she hoped to have a little time to herself without worrying about finishing up her end of year homework and exams.

Alright, think! You know the ten steps to transfigure a peanut into a flower... Sighing, she put her quill down and pushed the piece of parchment away from her. Glaring at some giggly third years, she stuffed her books back into her bag and flung herself onto the couch by Ginny Weasley.

Ginny glanced at her friend with a wry smile and pushed a piece of her shocking red hair behind her ear. "Can't concentrate?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Ginny's teasing comment. Her eyes wandered to the giggling third years and she gestured with a quick nod of her head. "Well, considering that the common room is rather noisy at the moment.... Please tell me that I was never like that?"

Ginny put down her book and pulled her legs up underneath her. "Nope. You were definitely not like that. Unless you were reading a Gilderoy Lockhart book that is...."

"Thanks, Gin." Hermione gave her friend a playful push. "And for your information, I decided that I didn't like him as much after second year - given the fact that he didn't really do all of what he wrote about..."

"Really? And just how do you explain that signed photograph that I found during the start of term your fourth year?"

Hermione gave Ginny another exasperated nudge. "That was just a left over memento that I had stashed away," she said haughtily.

Ginny's eyebrow raised and she grinned. "Sure it was.... But, I suppose after Viktor came onto the scene Gilderoy became a distant memory anyways."

Hermione felt her face heat up, but retorted playfully, "Oh, I wouldn't tease me about my crushes 'Miss President of the Harry Potter Fan Club'."

Ginny's mouth dropped in feigned shock and she placed her hand against her chest. "I can't believe you would accuse me of such a thing. I was only Vice President - Collin was President."

Both girls broke into fits of laughter at this and it took them several moments before they could control themselves. Hermione had to wipe the tears off her cheeks with the back of her sleeve and take a few deep breaths. It seemed that Ginny had to do the same - but used a tissue instead of her sleeve.

"Speaking of Viktor, have you heard from him?" Ginny's tone was soft, non-invading and allowing Hermione to not answer the question if she chose to.

"Well, no, not recently." Hermione cast her gaze at the fireplace. "It's been a few months. He was awfully busy with Quidditch this season - what with the World Cup being held next year and all. Lot's of games in the International league he said - I suppose that's how they decide the line up for the World Cup." Hermione shrugged and picked at a non-existent loose thread in her shirt.

"Oh.... Well, I'm sure he'll write soon," Ginny said.

Hermione shrugged again and looked at her friend. "I've been so busy myself that I suppose I haven't really noticed..." Liar, you have too. "Besides, we both decided that being together wasn't something that was working, remember?"

Ginny nodded. "I know, but your still really close. I was just wondering - I'm sorry that I brought it up."

Hermione smiled, showing no hard feelings. Inwardly sighing, Hermione thought, Alright, just because she brought up Viktor doesn't mean that you have to think about him now... Of course, this was a fleeting thought because her mind wandered to her fourth year and when she had first really noticed him.

~*~

Hermione was sitting in the library while everyone else was enjoying one of the last autumn days outside. She was pouring over books about Potions when an eruption of giggly voices interrupted her thought process.

Will they bloody keep it down! She glanced up at a group of girls she vaguely recognized and pushed an annoying piece of unruly brown hair back from her face. What are they on about now...

Her voice trailed off as she followed the girls' line of sight to a guy sitting at a table surrounded by books across from her. It was him. Again.

Hermione muttered to herself and cast the group of girls one last withering glance.

You'd think they'd have better things to do then fawn over some Quidditch player. And if they were, at least they could choose a better looking one.

Hermione paused on that last thought, glancing back up at the boy across from her. Well, she supposed 'boy' wasn't the proper term. He was eighteen after all - though she thought he looked slightly older than that. His shaggy black hair flopped down into his hooded eyes. The surly expression he usually wore was present again today and Hermione absent-mindedly wondered what could make him so unhappy. Her gaze traveled over his cheekbones and followed the line of his jaw, leading towards his rather nice looking lips - the bottom fuller than the top. Of course his nose was hooked and had been intimate with a Bludger one too may times - but, somehow, it fit him perfectly.

Well, I suppose he isn't that bad, Hermione thought. Though he could definitely stand to gain a few pounds.

With a sigh, she became absorbed in her book once again - not noticing that he was now looking at her.

~*~

A loud giggle brought Hermione out of her thoughts. She raised an eyebrow in amusement, thinking of that other pack of giggling girls a few years back. One of the third years cast a glance in her and Ginny's direction and then whispered something to her friends that caused them to burst into another giggling fit.

Hermione cast Ginny a curious look. Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and addressed the third years, "Care to share the joke?"

Noticing that they were being spoken too by older members of their House, the girls shuffled around a few of the magazines they were flipping through and gave each other nervous looks. A non-descript girl with mouse brown hair got up and thrust one of the magazines at Ginny before going back to her friends - who once again resumed their giggling.

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked down at the front cover - Young and Witchy. Hermione leaned over and saw that on the cover was Nayda Dumka winking mischievously - a gorgeous pure blood Russian witch whose father was the Russian Minister of Magic, making Nayda extremely popular among the elite. Not to mention that Nayda herself was an accomplished musician - playing guitar and singing back up in the girl group BeWitched.

"Isn't this..." Ginny began, but trailed off when she saw the perturbed look on Hermione's face.

Viktor's girlfriend, Hermione finished Ginny's sentence silently and rolled her eyes. She watched as Ginny scanned the cover and read the headline out loud, "A Day in Nayda's Life - Not all Fame and Fortune. And look, there's a little picture of Viktor down in the corner."

Hermione perked up at his name and glanced to where Ginny's finger was stationed - pointing out a small picture of Viktor flying on his broom. At least, she thought it was Viktor. The person in the photograph zoomed around so fast that it was hard to tell for sure.

Ginny flipped open the magazine and began skimming through the articles, her eyes darting to the group of third years. "I wonder why they gave us this...."

She continued flipping through the pages, finally stopping on the article about Nayda. Ginny passed it by, seeing that there was nothing worth mentioning. A small gasp caught Hermione's attention and she gave Ginny a curious glance. Ginny looked up and handed Hermione the magazine, her expression giving away nothing.

On the page after the layout about the Dumka heiress was a short, half-page layout about Viktor. There was a nice picture of him and Nayda holding hands. Nayda laughing and blushing; Viktor half smiling and letting Nayda receive the majority of the attention.

Hermione distantly heard Ginny's comment of 'he looks good' because the caption at the bottom of the page had stolen her attention.

Engaged? Resources say Yes!

Viktor was engaged.