Eating Humble Pie

Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.

The next couple of meetings were awkward because Hermione ignored Viktor's attempts to make conversation. It was nothing to her if the new professor wanted to get himself fired or arrested or something. It was simply better not to be involved.

Days passed. The other professors arrived, and the school year began. There was another Start-of-year feast where another group of eleven-year-olds was sorted. The same lovely meal as always was provided. Then Minerva, following Dumbledore's habit of waiting until after the meal for a speech, gave the students the same welcoming comments followed by the same directions about staying out of the Forbidden Forest and the marked portions of the school.

The only thing different about the feast was the way so many students craned their necks to get a view of the Defense professor. Hermione wasn't paying attention to that, though. She was very carefully unaware of the way he tried to catch her eye. She didn't watch the way he waved students away when they approached the staff table. She didn't look back when he smirked and looked at her. She was very carefully unaware of everything he did, except that she wasn't.

The introduction of Professor Krum was as dry as most of Minerva's speeches and lessons, but the reaction was not. The students all stood and applauded as if the wizard had just caught a seeker right in front of them. When the staff all stood and joined in, Hermione tried not to notice the way Viktor blushed and shook his head.

When the meal was over and the students were dismissed, the staff table was mobbed, but not at Hermione's end. She smiled wryly into her coffee cup for a few last sips and glanced down at the new professor, who was surrounded by students in a way that hadn't been seen since Gilderoy Lockhart had been a professor. With no one standing in her way, Hermione filed out of the hall with the students and the rest of the staff. She happened to be behind Samantha and Olivia.

“Did he sign anything for you this time?”

“Yes! See, I had a program from the European Cup of '02. He signed that for me. Tough luck that you left all your things in your trunk.”

“I still don't understand why he wouldn't sign my chest the other day.”

“Yeah, what kind of response is that when your fan asks you to sign their body? 'Sorry, I only sign paper things.' Seriously. What a prude”

“I know. He wouldn't even sign my shirt when I asked if that would be all right.”

Both girls sighed in annoyance. Hermione stopped and looked over her shoulder. The staircase gave her a view into the hall, where the students still surrounded Viktor. She swept down the stairs, pushing through the students in her best impression of MacGonagall.

“Here, let Professor Krum go for the night. Simmons, you especially. The way you study, you're going to get a lot of comments from him on your homework. I'm sure he'll autograph that if you ask.”

After some prodding and glowers from Hermione, the students all left, and she was alone with Viktor. Suddenly, she felt awkward. What should she say, now?

“T'ank yu.”

“Pardon?”

“You make students leave. T'ank yu.”

“Oh, you're welcome.”

“Do I offend?”

“Of course not!”

“Yu seem so angry since girls ask for autograph...”

It was time to apologize. “Oh, no! I'm sorry about leaving in a huff the other day. I should have stayed and waited to see what you would do. I ought to have known that you wouldn't do anything so intimate with students.”

“Vith anyone.”

“Anyone?”

“I never sign such things as body, not arm or leg, even... only scrolls and books, or pictures, sometimes a quaffle.”

How could a superstar like Viktor Krum avoid signing some skin from time to time? “Go on!”

He looked at her curiously. “Means yu do not believe me?”

He looked a little sad or hurt, but the way he gazed into her eyes was something else entirely. Suddenly, it was very important that she accept every word he ever said to her. “I believe you.” Then he smiled, and she looked at the floor, trying to remember how to breathe.

* * * * *

The first day of classes found Hermione standing in front of her mirror again. She used half of a new bottle of Sleakeasy to tame her hair, and she was fiddling with various hairstyles today. Fortunately, she was wearing her first-day-of-school robe. There was no worry about that end of things. However, she could do something with her hair. It was usually a big mess. She couldn't be arsed to deal with it half the time. There was always a book to read or a spell to try that was more important, but today she wanted to look nice.

After arranging it in a way that was reminiscent of the Yule Ball during her fourth year, she pulled it all out and ran the brush through it one last time. She twisted it up and viciously stuck pins in it. She couldn't look all girly and sweet. She was the Transfiguration professor, and it was her job to scare those Gryffindors into good behavior.

It was as if the day were scripted. She got to the door of the Great Hall just as Viktor was coming back out. They shrugged at each other and Hermione stepped aside as a dozen students followed him through the door and down the hall to the stairs.

She sat at lunch and looked enigmatically upon the Hufflepuffs who had just left her classroom. She had warned her fourth years that she would rate their work in O.W.L. year based upon O.W.L. standards, and they hadn't believed her. As they looked at her with trepidation now, she smiled to herself while keeping her face neutral.

“Is this seat avay-available?”

She looked up and saw him. “Please, sit down.” She looked at the gaggle of students standing hopefully nearby. “Go get your lunches,” she said, sternly. They scattered like birds.

“They follow me everywhere.”

“Perhaps it will stop after you've graded a few essays.”

“If I liff so long. I get no time vor myself.”

“I'm sure you know an avoidance spell or two.”

“I can use on students?”

Hermione shrugged. “Not exactly, but you can set up an avoidance buffer around yourself. Harry does it whenever he leaves his house.”

Viktor smiled. “Yes. I haf yust the spell. T'ank you.”

Over dinner, Viktor sat near her again. “Afternoon was much better with avoidance spell.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” said Hermione.

“I haff question... vould you be able—or villing—to help me with my Inglish? It is long time since I am in England. I lose practice. I vish students to understand better.”

“Certainly,” said Hermione, “although it may or may not improve their grades.”

Thank you, again, to Blue Artemis for all your help!