Days flew by and the Quidditch tournament drew nearer. The Hogwarts team was given so much leniency that the other students grumbled and sometimes refused to submit their homeworkers on time.
"Students are getting out of hand!" Complained Professor Binns.
"Yes, and it's all because of the Quidditch tournament. But who can blame them? We are showing leniency on the players, and they are bound to be jealous." Said Professor McGonagall, sighing.
Professor Sprout nodded. "But we really do want Hogwarts to win. It would be a shame to loose on our own ground."
And so, the students were given longer time to submit their homeworkers so that the players and the students received equal treatment, as far as possible.
"This is stupid!" Said Hermione one day. "I've finished all my homework and the professors are refusing to collect them in advance, or give me more work!" She complained.
Ron and Harry looked at her in disbelief. "More work? Hermione, you can do mine if you like!" Said Ron.
"I'm not doing your work, Ronald. I'll check it for you though." Said Hermione, taking Ron's homework.
"Mine too? Please?" Said Harry, holding out his parchment.
Hermione sighed but took it anyway.
Ron and Harry grinned at each other. They knew that their homeworkers were as good as done if Hermione checks it.
The heads also had to plan out the menu for the dinner after the Quidditch match, or as professor McGonagall calls it the 'Quidditch Dinner'. But Harry and Ginny took charge of arranging their next Occulemency class and the Quidditch practice which was actually Draco's job, but he'd given it to them so that he could "Help me by organising the Quidditch Dinner. And that I don't need to bother myself coming back to help you after my work is done." Said Ginny, grinning as she told Hermione that Draco would help her instead of Ginny.
Hermione's mouth was wide open. "Does he know that I'm going to be there?"
Ginny gave her an innocent look. "Oh yes, he knows. He doesn't want to bother me by helping you. He said that he doesn't mind helping you while I spend some quality time with 'Potter'. " said Ginny, making quotation marks in the air.
Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "But you will come and help me, right Ginny?"
Ginny gave Hermione a playful smirk. "Oh now, Hermione dear, I wouldn't want to disturb Draco or you while the two of you work."
"Ginny!" Hermione groaned.
Ginny laughed and ran out of the room.
----
"Herminniny?" Said Krum, a day before the Quidditch tournament. "Are you free nov?"
Hermione looked up from her book and hesitated; she really wanted to finish reading about a new way to break spells, but decided against it.
"Yeah I am." She said, smiling at him.
Krum let out his breath that Hermione hadn't noticed he was holding. "Good. I thought you vould vont to finish that book. I can come back later if you vont?"
Hermione shook her head, smiling. "No, it's fine. What happened?"
"Can ve go somevhere else? I vont to catch up vith you." He asked earnestly.
Hermione thought for a second. "Yeah, sure. Where would you like to go?"
Krum got up and and beckoned Hermione to follow him. He took her to the Hermione's favourite balcony.
Then he turned to her. "So," he began.
Hermione blushed a little. Gosh, I need to stop doing that when I'm around him! She thought.
"How's Hogwarts treating you?" She asked.
Krum turned towards the black lake and laughed. "I think Hogvarts is as lovely as always. And of course Hogvarts is treating me vell. My friends really enjoy it here."
Hermione smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Where do you stay at Hogwarts, by the way?"
"Slythereen's. Funny people, they are."
Hermione sighed. "Not all of them are bad."
Krum looked at her. "Yeah. Malfays is not bad."
Hermione shrugged.
"I've missed you, Hermininny." He said, sighing. "The Durmstrang girls can be toov overbearing."
Hermione laughed. She quietly agreed. She remembered seeing some Durmstrang girls complaining to each other how they weren't told about the Quidditch match.
"Ive missed you too, Viktor." She said softly.
Krum smiled at her widely. "Did you finish reading all those books in the library?" He asked after some time.
Hermione grinned. "Not all of the, but it's my personal mission to finish it before I leave Hogwarts. At least, what's left of it." Then she sighed, looking at the black lake that glistened.
"I'm sorry, Hermininny. I heard about the Vor." He said softly.
Hermione closed her eyes. "There's nothing you could've done about it. It's alright."
"If Durmstrang knew it, if Bulgaria knew it, ve vould have helped in the Vizarding Vor." He said, frowning.
Hermione nodded, looking down. Krum was worried. "I'm sorry. I vont talk about it."
She looked up and shook her head. "It's alright."
Viktor at once knew she was not alright. He doubted she'd ever be. He was wise for a sawdust-filled brain (that's what Alastor Moody called him), and he felt bad for bringing up the topic. He wanted to see if she was fine; he knew she was far from it. But then again, he thought, hoo gets fine after a Vor?
He hugged her tightly. So tightly in fact, that she couldn't even get her arms out to return the hug.
"Excuse me." Coughed a voice.
Viktor let go of her at once. He was red, and so was Hermione.
"If it's not too much touble," Draco said, coolly, "I need to talk to Hermione about a meeting we need to have."
Hermione nodded.
"Meeting?" Asked Viktor, curiously.
Draco nodded. "About Quidditch Dinner. It won't take long, don't worry." He said with smiling sarcastically. "I just need to fix the time when both of us are free to meet up."
"Wait, Quidditch Dinner?" Asked Krum.
"Yes," Draco said, in an odd tone. "You'll get to know after the Tournament is over." He said, pulling Hermione.
"I'll see you later then, Hermininny." Said Krum, his eyes on Draco's hand on Hermione's arm.
Hermione blushed furiously. "Okay." Then she turned to Draco. "Stop pulling me! I can go to the common room by myself." She huffed.
"I know." He said, still not letting go of her hand.
Hermione raised her eyebrows.
Then, when they went to the library. Couldn't he just ask me there? She thought, annoyed.
"So when are you free?" Draco asked.
"I'm free now."
"But I'm not free now. Okay, then what about after tomorrow's tournament?" He asked, leaning on the wall.
"What do you mean after tomorrows tournament?" Hermione asked, confused. "It has to be ready by tomorrow!"
Draco chuckled. "The tournament is for three days, Hermione. What, did you actually think it'll be for one?" He asked.
Hermione shrugged. "Maybe?"
Draco sighed. "Then tomorrow it is?"
She nodded. But before she could speak Draco spoke. "So... You and Krum are a thing?" He asked coolly.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "No."
"It certainly looked like it." He said, more casually this time.
"He was just hugging me, Draco. It was nothing. What's the issue with that?"
Draco shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."