A Year Abroad (Hermione/Viktor)

Here Comes The Rain

Hermione awoke to the smell of beef sizzling in wine. She smiled into her pillow and took a moment to roll around and stretch out her muscles. Then, she pulled on some socks and padded downstairs, to the kitchen. Viktor was stood, still in his kit, flipping meat in a sizzling pan. Hermione leant against the doorframe and watched him for a few moments, smiling to herself before Viktor turned, jumping out of his skin.
"You scared me!" He exclaimed, smiling softly down at her. Hermione felt like she could cry in that moment. Not because she was sad, but because she was joyfully happy that she had such a wonderful person to help her through all of this.

Whilst in this dazed state of mind, Hermione missed Viktor's question, to which he laughed and shook his head. Once she snapped back into reality, Hermione smiled and shook her head, walking towards Viktor and placing her head on his chest.
"Is there anything you can not do?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her.
"Many things." She chuckled against his chest.
"Maybe you vill let me see one of them one day." He joked and she playfully hit his chest, which only caused him to squeeze her tighter.

They ate quietly. Viktor was a wonderful cook and Hermione had no issues in allowing him to take on that duty. After dinner, they sat on the sofa, entangled in one another and they sat, in silence, together. It had been quite some time since they had simply existed without any anxiety or other worry on their mind. So they took this moment to be with one another and to enjoy the company they kept.

The rain came hard, for days and days the rain fell, hard and heavy. Viktor detested training in the rain.. He had gotten so used to Hermione working her magic at Durmstrang that he had gotten used to the dry conditions. He became agitated. He wanted to be alone at lunch and he kept to himself at home. Hermione noticed his change in mood and she wished that there was something she could do. He wanted to be alone, he was too polite to ask but she knew. So she excused herself to visit Seamus. She had promised that they would see each other and it was a promise she was determined to keep.

She apparated outside of his little house in western Ireland and knocked on the large knocker. It was Seamus himself, who answered the door.
"Hermione!" He exclaimed, pulling her into an embrace. He was so excited to see a face that he was not related to that he almost knocked the girl over.

They ended up in the local pub. Seamus could not stand to be in his house for much longer, so he thought the change in scenery would do him some good. Hermione looked out at the torrential rain and sighed.
"It's even raining here. I can't seem to get away from it." She sighed, Seamus noticed, but decided to let her speak. She told him about Draco and everything that had happened.
"You should have come to me, I could have helped you." He sent her a shy, sympathetic smile.
"I know, but I couldn't drag you into this." She shook her head and Seamus sighed.
"It would have added a bit of excitement to my life at least." He laughed and Hermione laughed along with him, shaking her head.
"You could go and see Draco, if you like. It would help me a lot if there was someone else he was seeing." Seamus placed his hand over hers.
"I'll go and see him tomorrow. I promise." He smiled and Hermione felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
"Now tell me about the rain business." He ordered her and she sighed, wondering how to put what she was going through into words.
"It's just Viktor. He hates the rain and he's been training in it for almost a week now. He's grumpy and I know he tries to put a smile on for me, but he's not happy." She looked down at the table, confused and upset. Seamus hated seeing her this way, he wished he could take away the pain, but he couldn't and he knew that.
"Perhaps go and see the coach and see if there is anything you can do to help?" Seamus suggested and Hermione thought that that was potentially a very good idea. So she kept it in the back of her mind to think over at another time.

They parted ways with the promise that they would see each other more.
"Listen, if you're not comfortable going to Draco on your own, then I will go with you. It might be better if someone is there with you from now on." He suggested and Hermione found comfort in this idea.
"Thank you, Seamus. I knew you could help." She smiled before she apparated back to Sofia.

Viktor was already in bed when she returned. Something had to change, and it had to change soon.

Hermione was not the only one who had noticed the change in Viktor. The whole team had become worried by his glum turn and had alerted the coach.
"I don't know what's gotten into him." Andre admitted to Slaven. The burly coach sat back in his chair and thought for a moment.
"The poor boy doesn't like the rain, does he?" The revelation came in a calm, collected way, that was fitting of Slaven.
"Well, none of us like the rain, Sir." Andre contested and Slaven shook his head.
"No the boy really doesn't like rain and it has been tipping for a while now, he is naturally going to be down." Andre was impressed, he would have never guessed that it was the weather that was affecting Viktor so much.
"So what do we do?" He asked, feeling slightly hopeless in this situation. Slaven placed his hand over his chin and fell into deep thought, before remembering an article he had read about a little English witch, who had stopped the rain, for a game at Hogwarts.
"The girl who stopped the rain?" Slaven asked Andre, half thinking aloud.
"Granger?" Andre wondered if Slaven was onto something,
"Yes, Granger. Is there any chance that we could get a hold of her?" He asked, wanting to boost Viktor's moral before their first game.
"They live together." Andre stated matter-of-factly. Slaven was shocked that he had forgotten this information and felt his cheeks turn a rosy hue with embarrassment.
"Well, very good. I will go and see her." Slaven concluded and Andre soon left, feeling a little ashamed for embarrassing his coach.

Hermione had not seen Viktor in a worryingly long time. She knew he had gone to training with the slam of the door that morning. She was determined to make a difference, to help Viktor despite his never asking for it.

She dressed in her yellow raincoat and matching yellow boots, prepared to venture out into the rain. As she was eating breakfast, there was a knock at the door. Hermione finished her mouthful of cereal, then went to answer it. Hermione looked up at the drenched man and paused for a moment, unsure what to say.
"Hello. I am Hugo Slaven, head coach of the Bulgarian quidditch team." The man shouted over the sound of the rain. She wondered why he introduced himself to her again, but brushed it off.
"Oh, please come in, Mr Slaven." Hermione invited the man in, watching him remove his boots and shake out his hair.

Hermione busied herself, making two cups of tea.
"I haff read about you, Miss Granger. You are impressive vitch." Slaven stated as he stood at the threshold of the kitchen. Hermione looked over her shoulder and sent him a flattered smile.
"Thank you, Sir. I try my hardest." She replied, pouring milk into the tea. He thanked her as she passed him the mug and invited him to sit at the table.

The Granger girl looked far older than Slaven had remembered. He had been shocked when he had discovered that she and Viktor were dating. But now, looking at her and being in her company again, he understood that she was older than her years.
"Miss Granger. I haff come here to speak about Viktor." He began, feeling more nervous than he imagined he would. The Granger girl somehow commanded respect that was not expected of someone her age.
"Okay." Hermione nodded, inviting the man to continue.
"Viktor has not been happy, because of the rain. He is alvays stomping around and moping. I need your help." He admitted and the shame he had anticipated was not there. Hermione smiled up at him.
"What would you like me to do?" She asked, glad that she could be of service.
"I haff heard that you can control the veather and I hoped that you vould come and help my boys train vithout the rain for a few days." The large burly man looked up hopefully at the young girl.
"When would you like me?" She asked and Slaven was slightly taken aback by her eagerness. To him, this was not the best of jobs.
"As soon as we can haff you. Even today, if you are free?" He asked and Hermione knew that she could not do it alone.
"I usually have my teacher with me. So I will go to him and ask him when he is free, then I shall come to the grounds." Hermione made her plan, thinking aloud and looked up at Slaven for approval.
"Thank you, Miss Granger." He smiled down at her, bowing before making his way to the door, retying his shoes and braving against the weather once again. He thought about Miss Granger once he had apparated back to his office. She was a remarkable young woman. He could now see what all the fuss was about. He would wait to see what her skill was like, but he was already considering making a place for her somewhere on his team.