The Right Thing To Do

Chapter 34

A few hours later she was headed out to her lunch with Viktor. They met at the same café she and Katya had gone to, and Hermione wondered if it was a Bulgarian thing.

He was already waiting for her, and he stood from the table when she entered.

"Hermyowne," he said, and she thought that was pretty darn close. He pulled her to him and kissed her on each cheek, brushing close to her lips.

They sat and chatted and laughed, and she found the perfect timing to bring up the Golden Snidget campaign. Luckily for her, having Viktor's support on this cost both Viktor and M.C.G. very little. He would need to be interviewed for The Quibbler and the Daily Prophet during their media campaign next week, and as they got closer to the court date, he would need to do a few ads against Golden Snidget hunting.

Viktor was very open to discussing it. He was attentive to everything she had to say, even if he did interrupt her every few minutes to tell her how beautiful she looked, or how her skin glowed when she was fired up about Snidget rights.

She tried to push down what Draco had said about Viktor only being interested in her and not the Snidgets.

At the end of the lunch, she offered to show him the new M.C.G. offices, and let him meet some of her coworkers, including Walter, who had tried his hardest to suppress his Viktor Krum fanaticism that morning.

Viktor walked with her across the street, and they took the service elevator up. Melody's eyes grew wide and greedy, and several girls in the cubicles did a double-take on Viktor Krum. Walter appeared out of nowhere and began shaking Viktor's hand, discussing some Quidditch-related thing. Hermione smiled politely as Wentworth poked his head out of his office and the three of them started in on some old World Cup story.

She stood at the front, watching as Melody tried to keep her eyes off of Viktor a few feet away, and sorted her mail.

Blaise almost knocked her over in the rush to get to Viktor Krum. As she righted herself, Draco appeared on her shoulder.

"How was your date?"

She ignored the phrasing and said, "Excellent. He'll be joining us next week for the media coverage. And he's very interested in the project, thank you very much." She lowered her voice and continued, "I didn't have to show him my tits or anything."

She felt Draco still next to her, and she smiled up at him innocently.

"Great news, Granger."

Viktor was making his way back to Hermione.

"Hermah-nee, I must be going." Viktor looked up at Draco and gave him a tight smile. "Hello, Malfoy."

"Krum," Draco said, extending his hand to shake. "We're so glad to have your support."

"Yes," Viktor said, pulling his hand away from Draco. "Anything for Harmany." Despite the mispronunciation, Viktor managed to very confidently take Hermione's hand and give her knuckles a kiss.

She smiled at him and offered to take him downstairs. She walked him out, past the deliveries door, and onto the street.

She promised to follow up with more details about the media day next week, and he let her know with deep eyes that she could contact him for anything she needed.

Hermione blushed and went to hug him. Viktor kissed her left cheek, then her right, and just as Hermione was pulling away to say farewell, he kissed her lips, soft and insistent.

She blinked at him as he pulled back. He gave her a dashing smile and walked away.

Hermione wandered back inside, stood with buzzing lips in the lifts, and when the doors opened and Draco was still there, pretending to sort mail, she tried to pass him.