Viktor had never been to the muggle world. It was a place that his parents had told him about, but had never allowed him to venture into.
"Muggles don't understand us, Viktor." His mother had told him. But as time had gone on, it had become more and more acceptable to travel between the two words, especially for wizards, less so for muggles. But, old habits die hard, and Viktor had to admit that he was nervous to go to the sporting event with Hermione.
Hermione could tell that Viktor was nervous. She understood. She had been terrified the first time that she had come to the wizarding world. But, he had nothing to fear, he was perfectly passable, so long as he was with Hermione, and resisted the urge to perform magic.
Ada had bought Viktor some muggle clothes. She supposed that it was good that he was getting to know Hermione's culture. But she couldn't help worrying that he was in danger, being in such a public place. She gave Viktor the jeans and jumper, along with the scarf and the coat and entered when he was dressed.
"You look different." She told him. Truth be told, she had never really seen him this way and it shocked her to see her son looking so muggle.
Viktor gazed at himself in the mirror. The colours were right, he guessed, with the jeans - which he had never worn before - being a dark blue shade and the thick knitted jumper being a stone grey. He was warm in the black leather jacket and his usual boots worked with the outfit.
"One more thing." She placed a knitted hat on his head and he looked at himself again. He was unsure if this was the fashion, but he was warm and comfortable, so that was enough for him.
Hermione smiled as she looked in the mirror. She had gone out and bought the outfit especially. Her knitted jumper dress kept her warm, under her thick tan coat. She bundled up in a scarf, knowing that it was going to get cold, and then stuck a white beanie on her head, wanting to be warm.
Hermione stopped in her tracks when she saw Viktor. He looked like a muggle man. A very fashionable one at that. He looked as if he had just hopped off the cover of a GQ winter edition. She sighed, knowing that he would be drooled over by the women at the game. But he was doing all of this for her, and when she thought about it, it was a pretty selfish gift. But she didn't care, because she knew that Viktor would enjoy it.
Ada wanted to coddle him. To tell Viktor not to use magic and to stay warm, and to stay with Hermione at all times. But she looked at him with Hermione and knew that it was not her place anymore. She sighed, knowing that she would have to step back as a mother, but was glad, at the same time, that she would be gaining a daughter.
Viktor was quiet and Hermione had noticed. But she didn't want to press the issue. They apparated to an alley that Hermione had apparated to in London before. Because there was nothing worse than a bunch of wizards apparating into the middle of the capital. It caused questions to be asked.
Viktor was terrified. It was the first time he had shaken since the World Cup. He was ashamed to admit that he was scared. But he understood that it was natural, being a minority in a crowd, to feel uneasy.
Hermione took his hand and he smiled down at her. He envied her, ever so slightly, that she had managed to grow up amongst the two worlds. Whereas, he had waited twenty years before venturing into the unknown territory. But, there was no point worrying about the past now. This was part of Hermione's world and he wanted to know it, so that their family could be as Hermione was, integrated into both worlds.
It was always rowdy at a rugby game. But it was especially so that day. Partly because it was England against Wales and partly because many of the crowd had taken to drinking to battle the cold. Hermione smiled and shivered, remembering the times that she had sat with her Dad and watched the rugby, it made her dreadfully sad for a moment to think that he no longer had that memory. But, she couldn't dwell on that now.
Viktor had been to many a quidditch match, but he had never been in a crowd like this one. He immediately looked down at Hermione, fearing that the rowdiness might scare her. But he was shocked to find her smiling and laughing as the men chanted their catchy phrases at one another.
The men ran onto the pitch and Viktor immediately felt a kinship with them. He was sure, if they were wizards, that they would be quidditch players, and good ones at that. They were giant men, with thighs like tree trunks and noses showing signs of previous breakage, much like his.
He wondered if Hermione had thought of this gift specifically because it seemed similar to quidditch. But when he looked down at her, she was watching the game with intent.
"Have you seen many of these games before?" He asked her in English, knowing that they could not use their translating devices here.
"Yes, my Dad and I used to go to one every weekend. Or we would watch them on the TV if we couldn't make it." Viktor nodded and then turned his face back to the game, unsure what to say.
Hermione sincerely hoped that Viktor was enjoying himself. She loved the game, and it was a special treat that her childhood favourite was playing, which made her blush. She hid it from Viktor, not wanting him to get jealous. But, she was sure he saw, although he never mentioned it.
During halftime, they went down to get drinks and Hermione saw an old friend from school, before she had attended Hogwarts.
"Hermione!" She called out and Hermione waved and called her over.
"Hello Jenny, how are you?" She asked as they embraced.
"Oh yes I'm great. How is America?" She asked and Viktor felt his brows furrow.
"I'm just glad that I never picked up the accent." They laughed and then Jenny looked towards Viktor, sending a hint to Hermione.
"Oh Jenny, this is my fiancé Viktor Krum. Viktor, this is an old school mate of mine, Jenny." He bowed to her and she chuckled and nodded her head. She sent Hermione an impressed look and Hermione giggled.
Just as Jenny was asking what Viktor did, a little boy ran over.
"Mr Krum, Mr Krum!" Hermione's head snapped towards the little boy.
"Can I please have your autograph, Mr Krum?" Viktor went into autopilot and smiled down at the boy, as he signed his shirt.
"What is it that he does again?" She asked.
"He's a sports star, nothing that you would know." Hermione laughed it off, wondering why a wizard boy was at a rugby game. But Jenny was suspicious.
"I see, well you have definitely done well to find one another. I'll see you later Hermione, it was lovely to meet you Mr Krum!" She bounded off and Hermione could feel a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead.
Viktor didn't mention anything, until they were back in the stands.
"America?" He asked and Hermione sighed.
"Yes, that is my cover. Every muggle born witch or wizard has to have a cover, mine is America." She whispered, not wanting people to hear her.
"It is hard, when no one can know who you are. We had to come up with something." She snapped at him and refocused on the game. Viktor sighed, he had no idea what it was like to be anything but pure wizard.
The game ended and an England win had brightened Hermione's spirits a little, but not a lot. Viktor asked her to take him to her favourite place to eat, to cheer him up. He was not used to the underground trains, they didn't have those in the magic side of Bulgaria. Hermione sighed. She wished that she could spend more time in this world. But she had picked her side, she was a witch, not a muggle.
They sat in a cake shop and Viktor took off his hat. Girls looked back as they saw him in the window and Hermione sighed. It seemed, no matter which world they were in, Viktor was irresistible.
"I enjoyed the game." He told her and she nodded, looking down into a cup of tea.
"It was hard, seeing Jenny today. She was one of my best friends and we would spend all summer together when I would come home from Hogwarts. Now, she knows nothing about my life." Hermione sighed. Viktor smiled up at her, a rare sight to be seen in public and she grinned a little.
Viktor wished that he had visited the muggle world before now. He felt that if he had, he would have been far more well equipped to deal with this situation.
"I don't know vhat to say." He told the truth and Hermione smiled up at him a little.
"I'm sorry, I'm ruining your day. I just wanted you to see this part of my life, where I come from." She told him. He placed a hand on hers.
"Then show me, vhere you really come from."
They apparated to a local park. Viktor was surprised and confused. Hermione sat on one of the swings and began to swing herself backwards and forwards.
"This is where I used to play." She began, as Viktor walked towards her.
"Jenny and I would push each other for hours." She closed her eyes and remembered the feeling of the sun on her face as she soared high in the sky, before anything had really happened in her life.
Viktor had never seen such a contraption before. But he guessed, based on what Hermione had said, that he was supposed to push her. So, he gave the back of the seat a little push and heard her giggle quietly. He smiled, enjoying that sound massively.
Hermione allowed herself to be that child again, to swing carelessly and not care about anything. After she had had her fill, they sat together on the roundabout, opposite one another.
"I wish I could be that girl again, who would play here in the sun, not a care in the world." She sighed and shook her head.
Viktor felt so helpless. They left soon after and Hermione said she wanted to be with her Mother. So, Viktor walked with his brother and told him about what happened.
"It sounds pretty traumatic for her." Mladen said and Viktor nodded.
"But there was this moment, when I was pushing her on this thing, this seat, when she laughed and I could see she wasn't stressed anymore." He told Mladen and he could see how much his brother loved Hermione, how much he wanted for her to not be in pain.
"Why don't you buy her one of these contraptions? So she can play on it when she likes?" Viktor thought about the idea and nodded.
"I think she would like that." He thanked his brother and then went to find Jane, who was staying with the Krum family for Christmas.
Hermione sat with Chigvintsev and shook her head.
"I wanted it to be a lovely day, but I ruined it." She sighed and he took her hand.
"I doubt you ruined it." He told her and she told him what had happened.
"Us Wizards don't understand what it is like to be born to muggle parents, so no doubt Viktor is unsure how to help." He told her and she sighed, feeling like a burden to everyone around her.
"I just want to sleep, it is late." She told him and he kissed her on the forehead, before letting her go.
Jane was shocked when Viktor came to her.
"She took you to the park?" She asked, in shock. Hermione had not been back there in years, to Jane's knowledge.
"She misses her Father." Jane nodded, after hearing Viktor explain what happened.
"But there is nothing you, nor I can do, to help that. I am afraid." She sighed.
Viktor then moved onto the swing.
"Oh yes, the swing. She used to love being pushed when she was a child." She smiled back at fond memories of pushing Hermione and hearing her laugh.
"I vant to buy her one. She seemed so care free vhen I vas pushing her." He explained.
"I think she would like that a lot. I will have a look for you, don't worry." She told him and Viktor kissed her on the cheek in thanks.
Hermione laid awake for a long time. She hadn't imagined having the reaction that she had had to visiting the muggle world with Viktor. It seemed so painful, being caught between the two. So, she vowed that she would not go back there unless it was absolutely necessary. She was a witch and she belonged in the magic world.
Viktor needed to be with her. He knocked on her door and padded in, not wanting to wake anyone else in the house. He found her, lying awake, with tears stained on her face. He sighed, he could not see her this way. So, he slid into the bed, beside her, and pulled her into an embrace. Nothing was said, but his large arms encircling her and his warmth encasing her, she felt safe and loved, and decided to put this muggle business behind her for a night.