Forever Knight [Harmione]

Chapter 31: Mole

Viktor looked terribly amused by this as he patted Solomon’s back.

Lucien grinned toothily.  “Maybe I’ll go looking for you in twenty years or so.  Stefanya ought to be old enough…”

Viktor did not look amused by this at all. 

Solomon clapped a hand to his friend’s shoulder and shook his head.  “Lucien, I tell you this because I am your friend and I would not lie to you: that’s just wrong.”

Hermione glared at Lucien before turning to Viktor.  She gave Viktor a fitful embrace and kissed his cheek one last time.  “Dovisdhane, Viktor.  Vnimavia.”

He nodded, his wan smile softening his hard features.

She stepped back, squeezing his shoulders.  “Az se gordeia s tebe.”

He seemed surprised by what she said, and amidst his sad smile, something profound lit his eyes.  “Blagodaria.”

Hermione said goodbye to the children before they turned and left. 

Their unregistered Portkey allowed them to leave from outside the wards of the Krum stronghold.  Unlike their Portkey coming to Bulgaria, their departure from Bulgaria and their apparition point in London would be their choice.  Given this flexibility, they didn’t have to travel down the mountain to leave from there. 

Walking a bit farther away from the Krum property, Harry realized that their departure from outside the Krum perimeter meant that they would be leaving the snow mobiles in the guardhouse shed. 

Hermione had shrugged when Harry mentioned this.  “It’s just as well.  Those snow mobiles were meant for me, Lucien and Solomon, for when we lived here and had to go to town every once in a while.  Especially with Viktor gone, there’s really no use for them, is there?”

“I hope not,” he said, half jokingly. 

She smirked. 

Ron and her Shadow Kin walked ahead, trying to find a clearing through the trees where they could Portkey from.

Harry reached for her hand.  “Does it hurt you that he chose someone else?”

She looked up at him, confused.  “Sorry?”

“Viktor… and his secret keeper.”

Understanding beset her gaze and she shrugged. “A little, but if I’m to be rational, which I am, it’s completely logical he would choose someone more… secret. In retrospect, I’m kind of an obvious choice if the enemy got the notion to try and find him.”

“So basically it’s alright with you?”  He wasn’t sure why he needed to know.  Vestiges of insecurity, he supposed.  This relationship with Hermione was still something “new”, even if they’d done it before.  They were both different then, and now they were starting on a relatively clean slate.  Besides, he felt no discomfort talking about these things with her; at least not anymore. 

That Hermione spent six months with Viktor didn’t sting as badly anymore as it first did, but there will always be that undeniable fact that one doesn’t spend six months living with someone and not form certain unbreakable bonds.  Even if Hermione and Viktor’s bond hadn’t been obvious all the time, it did show in the most profound moments, when it mattered, like when Viktor confessed his deception, and when Hermione said goodbye.  Harry had felt very separate from her during these times, especially when they spoke in Bulgarian.  It wasn’t her fault, neither was it Viktor’s, but it didn’t change the fact that he wished things were different, that Hermione and Viktor didn’t have their small little world that no one but them could penetrate.