By Reason Of Birth

Author's Chapter Notes:
Warning: I have no intention of even trying to write a Bulgarian accent, so I’m very sorry, but you have to make it up in your head, lol. I am also assuming that his general speaking and English language skills are better, as he has had two years to perfect them, with Hermione writing to him the entire time in her proper English.


Chapter 34 The Party

Behind her, Hermione she heard Blaise clear his throat. She pulled away with a sheepish smile, and glanced back to Blaise, who was glaring at the world-famous quidditch player. She then turned to the blonde woman, who may well have been the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

“You must be Anastasia,” she said to the witch, who was looking at her wearily. “I’ve heard so much about you, but don’t worry, it was all good,” she rambled before hugging the shell-shocked blonde, though not quite with the same enthusiasm as she had Viktor.

Once everyone was inside the mini-cottage, Viktor took the glamours off his hair, which had kept him from being mobbed. Or hexed. Considering that they were in the middle of the French stronghold, it could have gone either way.

Hermione made introductions, or re-introductions, all the way around, and noticed that when Blaise shook Viktor’s hand, his grip was more than a bit too hard. She rolled her eyes to herself, but stepped closer to her boyfriend and interlocked their arms, leaning her head against his shoulder. He knew that she was reassuring him that he had no competition from Viktor, and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“So, would either of you like something to eat or drink?” Theo asked, acting the host. Viktor turned down the offer, but Anastasia accepted a drink, and the group ventured closer to the refreshment table, with the exception of Seamus and Lavender. Seamus had noticed his girlfriend’s eyes following the Bulgarian, and felt the need to assert himself by way of pulling her into his arms and snogging the breath from her in an effort to keep her eyes from straying.

“So, Krum, what are you doing here?” Harry asked. “Shouldn’t you be at home, relaxing and preparing for tomorrow or something like that?”

“Some of my team mates are doing that, yes, and we will be going back to the hotel early; but it is better for me to put my thoughts on something else.”

“I can see that,” he responded. “I have Hermione in my life, though,” Harry started, sending a cheeky grin to his best friend, “so that’s not really an option. All going over battle plans until my brains are bleeding, along with Ron’s.”

“Hey!” Hermione cried indignantly from where she was standing with Anastasia, Blaise, and Daphne. Seamus and Lavender were still otherwise indisposed, and Astoria had cornered Ron, who looked shell-shocked, at the refreshment table.

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” Harry returned, having to raise his voice over the hidden chuckles of their friends.

Suddenly, the wireless was turned back up, and Astoria had pulled Ron away from the food. He started dancing with her, but was sending looks over her shoulder to his friends, as though he was trying to get their attention.

Daphne excused herself and went over to Harry. “How about a dance?” she asked, her head resting against his shoulder and her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

“Go dance with your girlfriend,” Viktor answered in his stead, chuckling to himself.

Glancing over to the rest of the room, Viktor turned to Theo. “Is there any way I can speak with you and Blaise alone?” he asked. He had noticed that Theo had been even more quiet than usual, and assumed it was due to his presence.

Theo nodded his head and went over to extract his best friend from his sister, who looked on worriedly as the three men disappeared to the kitchen. “So long as your Blaise’s intentions are true, there should be no problems between them, Hermione,” Anastasia said comfortingly.

In the kitchen, Viktor leaned against the island that was in the middle of the room, while Theo and Blaise stood across from him against a counter. “You knew before that she was your sister,” the Bulgarian said to Theo, and while he did not phrase it as a question, it was obvious that he expected Theo to respond.

“I’ve known about her pretty much my whole life, I just couldn’t say anything about it,” came the response.

Viktor nodded, not in the least bit surprised. His accent becoming slightly thicker as the words that he found it hard to say came forth. He glanced quickly over to Blaise before looking Theo in the eyes. “After you hit me, I apologised to her for how I had acted. Now I apologise to you for treating your sister in such a way. She deserves far more than I was willing to give her, and you were defending her honour. You did what any brother would have done, and I wish you no ill will. I had been upset with you before, thinking you to be someone with a crush who was jealous of her affections for me, but I did not retaliate in case I was found out; I did not want to cause disgrace to my school. I would not have been kicked out of the tournament, as that isn’t possible, but my respect would have been lost if I hit a fourth year Hogwarts student, even though you had hit me first. Then, when Hermione told me that you were her brother, I understood everything. I just wanted to make sure you knew that Hermione is still my friend, but I will never seek her out as more.”

Theo and Blaise looked at Viktor in amazement. Neither had ever heard the man say so much at once, despite the fact that they had shared all of their meals with him for the time he was at Hogwarts, and that the Slytherins had often hung around with the Durmstrang students during their stay.

“Thank you for the apology, Viktor, but it isn’t necessary. It was years ago and is long forgotten,” Theo answered, stretching the truth just a bit.

Viktor nodded his head in acceptance, but then turned to Blaise, who unconsciously pressed even closer against the counter he was leaning against when he saw the fierceness in the Bulgarian’s eyes.

“For you, Blaise Zabini, I have a warning. Hermione is one of my closest friends, and you would not do well to hurt her. I may not have followed your country’s Lord Voldemort, but I am an accomplished wizard, and am not someone to trifle with. If you cause her pain, I will cause you pain.”

Blaise had turned pale, while Theo started laughing. When Viktor turned a raised eyebrow on his laughter, Theo explained through his chuckles. “Krum, you are about the tenth person to threaten Blaise. I almost think that if he ever does do anything to her, he will disappear immediately in order to survive, with all the promises of death and dismemberment he has already received.”

Viktor cracked a smile at this, but glanced back over to Blaise. “So long as we are understood.”

“We are,” Blaise answered. He was becoming more worried over time about what would happen should he and Hermione eventually break up. He didn’t want for it to happen, ever, but if he did, he really hoped that it would be amicable, or he would be in for it.

Before anything else could be said, though, Anastasia popped her head into the room. “Viktor, we should be going soon. It is getting late and you need a good sleep tonight.”

Agreeing, Viktor and Anastasia soon took their leave, and the others continued their party, eating, dancing, and gossiping until Brisco and Caoilinn came home. Everyone was still allowed to stay, but as it was getting late, they decided to go back to their own sites so they wouldn’t have to explain to their parents why they would have been arriving back so early in the morning from a party, even though no alcohol had been served.