A Year Abroad (Hermione/Viktor)

The Garden Party

Hermione received the invite to Viktor's party. It was to be a day party, on a saturday and she thought that very nice. The grass would give her an excuse not to wear heels and she hoped that it would be right for Viktor this time, rather than his mother's creation.

Chigvintsev and Hermione sat together for a long while, wondering what they could gift him for his birthday.
"Anything is better than christmas." She sighed and he remained silent, for a short while.
"I suppose you are right." He told her and they chuckled, after holding eye contact for a moment too long.
"What do you get the man who has everything?" She asked and Chigvintsev sighed.
"Something that no one else can give him." He replied. For him, it was honouring Viktor with a wing of the school. A gift he was sure that Viktor would appreciate. For Hermione, it was a little more private.
"I don't know, Luna, isn't it a little scandalous?" Hermione asked Luna when she sat down and spoke with her about her idea.
"No, definitely not! I think it is perfect! Just what you guys need!" She chuckled at the thought of her buying expensive lingerie to wear for Viktor, on his birthday. But it was something that she wanted to do. They had not been intimate in so long, and she wanted to inject some passion back into their relationship.

Like with every other fashion trip, Luna came along, for moral support more than anything this time. Hermione tried on a white set and shook her head.
"I'll come back to this for the wedding." She told the woman who worked in the shop. They tried on a black set and Hermione shook her head again.
"Too dark, I'm not a slytherin!" She chuckled. Then, the woman pulled out a red set and Hermione fell in love.
"Oh wow." She placed a hand over her mouth as she looked in the mirror. She had never felt this way before. She had never worn clothes like this before. But when she looked at herself, she felt right. Luna couldn't see the set, but she heard Hermione's happiness in her voice and she knew that it was the right choice.

Hermione felt scandalous as she looked over to the bag in the corner of her room. She was unsure how Viktor was going to respond. Was he going to love it? Was he going to think badly of her? She was unsure, but it was a risk that she was willing to take.

Chigvintsev and Hermione made sure that the weather for Viktor's party was perfect. They made it a warm, sunny day, with a cool breeze, not too hot, not too cold. Hermione wore a bright red dress, that touched the back of her calves. She wore a ribbon in her hair and she sprayed sweet perfume onto her neck.

What no one knew was that under that red dress was Hermione's present for Viktor. She blushed as she thought about it. Chigvintsev wondered what she was blushing about as they apparated, but put it down to her seeing Viktor again.

Viktor gasped when he saw Hermione, he dropped the conversation that he was having with his aunt and ran over to her. He had never been more excited to see her in his life. He collided with her, spinning her around, her shoes slipping off of her feet.
"Well, hello to you too." She chuckled, kissing him on the cheek.
"I love you." He told her, wasting no time. He saw the blush in her cheeks and the glint of happiness in her eyes and he thought he might cry.
"And I you, birthday boy." She smiled, taking his hand and slipping on her shoes again.

Hermione had never been skilled at games. She was more of a tactical player and these games were more suited to those with skill. She stood back and watched as Viktor and Chigvintsev pulled on either end of a rope. She chuckled and then sighed, so pleased that this was Viktor's party, with friends and family.

Whilst she was thinking of family, Hermione stood with her Mother. They had managed to form a steady relationship, now that Jane had moved to the wizarding world. They interlocked arms and Hermione looked down at Viktor and Jane could see the love in her daughter's eyes, love that she had never seen before.
"I am so happy." She told her daughter and Hermione could not not hold back her tears. It had never felt so natural with her mum before. But now, everything was slowly falling into place.

Hermione let only two tears fall, but Viktor saw them and went straight to her.
"Vhat is wrong, my love?" He asked and Hermione took his hand.
"Nothing at all, I am just very happy." She told him and he kissed her on the cheek and announced lunch.

They sat and ate sweet treats and drank fancy wine and Hermione wondered how she had gotten here from being a sad little orphan at Hogwarts, wondering how she was going to get over the war, to being surrounded by people she loved, bathed in sunlight and the happiest she had ever been.

She never wanted it to end, but as the guests began to leave, Hermione realised that it was her moment to give Viktor her present. He smiled at her as she led him up to his bedroom at the Vratsa house. She felt her whole body shake as she laid him down on the bed.
"I'll be back in a minute." She told him and he nodded, eyes wide.

Hermione stood in the bathroom and stripped off her dress. She had never done anything like this before. But, when she looked at herself, she thought she looked rather pretty, so she took a deep breath and opened the door.

Viktor's eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw Hermione. She was dressed in red lace, head to toe, looking like a vixen. He had never seen her so confident before. So, before she could make her way over to him, he pounced on her.

Hermione laid awake after and wondered if this was what life as going to be like with Viktor, whether they would lay, entangled in each other each night, the moonlight streaming in through the window, and she so hoped it would be.