It wasnât just that they were in a den of snakes - they were inside the mouth of the biggest, most dangerous king cobra, and they were taunting it by dancing on its tongue. It was a wonder that they hadnât already been discovered, and Hermione didnât want to take any more risks than they already had, not when they were so close to being given the information they had been sent to retrieve. Viktorâs presence provided her with a wealth of reassurance. It wasnât just his strong, quidditch-toned physique, or his natural prowessâŚhe radiated a constant, never-ending source of warmth, and she couldnât help but feel by his side was the safest place she had ever known, or - wrapped up in his arms even. She was endlessly grateful that he had allowed her to escort him on his mission, despite the fact that he more than likely felt as if he had to spend an inordinate amount of time showing her the ropes - he had been wonderfully patient throughout at all, and now all of their hard work was finally about to come to fruition. Here they were, perched beneath the stained-glass windowsill that had been left just barely ajar, and less than a half foot away from them was a room filled to the brim with the most dangerous Death Eaters in all of Voldemortâs Army. It would be a miracle if they made it back out of the woods alive and unharmed.
The meeting finally began, and both Viktor and Hermione fell into an unspoken hush, the only noise passing between them the faint sounds of their breath and the scratch of quill against parchment. The Extendable Ears did exactly as promised, and Hermione mentally reminded herself to thank Fred and George once she was able to Grimmauld PlaceâŚas much as she might not have approved of some of their more irresponsible inventions, these ones in particular were a Godsend, and they made it so that both she and Viktor were able to make out every word that was being said just above them. Hermioneâs notes were neat and fastidious, each sheet of parchment completely covered in her tidy, girlish cursive, and she left no detail to the imagination - there was talk of an ambush, an infiltration, and she glanced warily at Viktor to ensure that he understood as well. That couldnât have been good - they would need to relay this information back to the Order as soon as possible. It was more than an hour when the meeting eventually came to an end, and Hermione hardly had time to duck her head in an attempt to seek cover before Viktor was reacting with quick, seeker-honed instincts - he reached out to her with the rough, calloused hands she knew all too well, and as if it were second nature to him, as if it was what he had been trained to doâŚhe pulled her up against him into his broad chest.
Her breath caught in her throat, and they were both lucky that the sound of the glass doors opening was enough to drown it out along with the sudden racing of her heart that seemed to be bound and determined to beat its way out of her ribcage. VIktor was so warm, and the top of her curly head just barely met his impressively strong and muscular shoulders, and as he tugged her flush against him, there was no hiding the way that her dainty little frame melded so effortlessly with his much larger and more powerful one. She felt protected and fragile, but - not in a bad way. Not in the way she felt when Ron and Harry excluded her from their missions, or when Lupin once again assigned her to as pitiful a task as possible - she felt safe, but as a unit with Viktor, as if they were working together as one. As the Death Eaters slowly but surely left the extravagant villa, Hermione remained all but cradled within the warmth of Viktorâs toned arms, the flushed apple of her cheek pressing against his chest as she listened to the steady, reassuring sound of his heart - she had yet to properly sort out her feelings for the older man, and what they meant, butâŚone thing was for certain: here, in this moment, she had never wanted another wizard more - here, in this moment, he was all that she could think about.
It was only the sudden sensation of VIktor relaxing his grip on her tiny frame that alerted Hermione to the absence of voices - now, all that she was able to make out was what sounded like a husband and wife being very, very mean to their house elf, and she instinctively frowned in response to it. It was bad enough that they were Death Eaters, but she knew for certain that she would have had a vendetta against them regardless. She looked up at Viktor, then, still pressed snugly up against him underneath the dim twilight sky that had darkened considerably since the beginning of the meeting, and her brows furrowed together in confusion when he apologized for startling her. âYou kept us safe,â she said softly, and without thinking, one of her small, freckled hands came up and rubbed gently along his sharp and stubble-lined jaw, and - just like that, as if touching him had set off some sort of chain reaction inside of her, she was standing on the tips of her toes and fluttering her eyes shut as she pressed her lips chastely to his. It was a small kiss, a barely-there brush of her mouth against his, but that same warmth that he always seemed to be radiating rushed through her veins regardless, and once again her heart began to pick up its stuttering pace.
Blushing deeply, she averted her gaze for a moment and bit her lip before taking a fumbling step back from Viktor, clearing her throat and rubbing at the flushed hollow of it before speaking once more. âI - that went well, didnât it?â she managed to say even as her mouth tingled in the wake of the brief kiss that they had shared, still barely able to meet his gaze due to the ridiculous amount that she was blushing, and she carefully gathered up all of her supplies - she wouldnât dare leave behind a quill or a piece of parchment, or worst of all, an Extendable Ear. âWe can exchange notes and collaborate on what we heard in the morning - for now, itâs very late, and - it would be best for us to set up camp. According to the map, there should beâŚa hot spring nearby. Did you want to maybe - get cleaned up before we head to bed?â
The sounds of yelling inside the house meant that they were safe outside in the garden. Viktor sneaked another glance at Hermione, who was scowling in reaction to the poor suffering of the House-Elf inside. Even in the most dangerous of situations, she was thinking of others before herself. It was an unbelievably admirable trait- it was no surprise that the other Order members were so anxious to put her out into the field. But to deny her the chance to contribute to the cause only caused more harm than good. âOf course. You are my partner, after all.â He replied warmly, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. Her fingers were light on the crux of his jaw, and he found himself closing his eyes, oddly relaxed in their brief respite. What he hadnât expected was to feel her petal-soft lips against his own- so faint that he wasnât sure if it really happened. Blue eyes met chocolate, a question lingering between their mixed breaths. He took in every faint freckle, and the rush of colour that rose to her cheeks as quickly as it did on his own.
Viktor was stunned, hope fluttering in his throat as Hermione shyly looked away. He hadnât imagined it, but he was uncertain if it had merely been an impulsive moment or if it had meant something more. Had it been the elevated feelings that followed a dangerous situation? Or was it a realization that she felt as deeply for himself as he did for her? Whatever it had been, it had his head addled. The way that she rubbed the base of her throat made his mouth run dry. The next thing he knew, they were gathering up their scattered supplies. The wizard was aware of himself going through the motions of packing, but his thoughts were on anything but ensuring that they left no trace of themselves near the manor. Viktor accidentally snapped one of the quills in half at her passing mention of the hot springs, suppressing an agonized groan while his imagination ran wild.
She was a wicked witch, and she wasnât aware of it.
âYes. The hot springs is a good idea. Getting clean, that is.â He managed, hoping that it didnât sound as strangled as he felt. Viktor broke off a branch from the bush, hiding evidence of their occupation in the gardens. He fell silent, making sure their trail was covered. The strained sobbing of the creature inside the manor helped him to focus, and he reached out to give Hermioneâs hand a reassuring squeeze. His expression hardened, disgusted by the treatment of the poor beast. âWe will come back for the elf soon. When weâve dealt with their master.â Viktor promised, collecting himself as he nodded back towards the forest. And just as they had entered, they left like spectres, the Bulgarian keeping a careful awareness of any suspicious sight or sound around them as they retreated into the safety of the woods.Â
He remained tense long after they had reached their makeshift camp, passing it for the promise of a hot bath to remove the grime that caked the both of them from hours of hiking. The Barrett-Blanche Manor long behind them, the forest opened up to a grotto of steaming rock and water. It was a small oasis in the middle of hell itself, shockingly untouched from the same darkness that tainted just about everything in the area. Viktor took out his wand, coaxing a few bluebell flames to light their surroundings a little better. The light danced off of the water and surrounding rock, creating an ethereal atmosphere. Satisfied, he gladly shed his sweat-drenched shirt, breathing out a sigh of relief now that it was no longer clinging to him like a second skin.Â
Letting out a quiet sigh, Viktor looked up to the night sky. It was a clear night, allowing him to see how low the moon already was on the horizon. If Hermione was as fatigued as he was, then every moment of rest counted. He turned to approach his partner, that same question from earlier once more rising to the surface. But this time there was no reason for him to avoid it. âI am understanding if you wish to take shifts, but it is late. It would save us time if we...shared.â His face coloured at the proposal, but he did not shy away as he had before. Their mission was for all intents and purposes, finished, leaving Viktor and Hermione alone. Nothing else to get between them, and no one around for miles. Regardless, it would be on her terms or not at all. âWill you join me?â
