1.
Viktor Krum was generally a pleasant enough fellow. A bit surly looking, but he had a rather kind heart and a good outlook on life.
This disposition was not in effect when Viktor was in the Hogwarts Library.
He slouched his way across the carpet, tired as hell but still trying to outshuffle the pack of girls that seemed to be tracking his every move.
Vaguely, he remembered that, in nature, it was not unusual for one gender of a species to preen and make themselves more colourful in order to attract a good mate. However, Viktor was sure that the particular shade of pink splashed across the girls lips was nothing ever found in the great outdoors. He shuddered, and hurriedly made his way behind a large and forbidding stack of Wizarding Law books, pretending to be engrossed in outdated thoughts on Wizarding and Veela marriage.
'Oh, bother,' came a soft voice from across the stacks.
Viktor peeked over the tottering mountain of books to see a short, slim girl with more hair than should be legal reaching for a book that was perched at the very top.
She jumped up and down as quietly as possible, trying not to attract the attention of the vaguely-menacing, bird-like librarian, who was rumoured to keep a switch behind her desk. Viktor chanced a look at the top, and was surprised to see a copy of Tzvetan's Thesis on Morality in the Dark Arts. Viktor had always found this book to be rather interesting, especially when Tzvetan's opinions could be used to counter-weight the dark Wizards where he lived, but most people dismissed it as merely archaic prose.
Which probably means that the words were too big and long for them he mused. Still, it was oddly nice to encounter a female who wasn't trying to attract his attention with horrible colours. Taking a quick glance around, he poked his arm up and tapped the book enough so that it fell over into her hands.
'Great,' she said happily at this sudden turn of fortune, then turned around and headed towards a table in the rear. Viktor hastily circled a few rows on Goblin politics and slid into a nearby table, intrigued by this girl who had no interest in Quidditch, Bulgaria, or bright pink lipstick. He dug a copy of Charms theory from his own bag and started to read, forgetting to watch the girl as he immersed himself in complicated equations.
When he remembered to look up, she was reading through the book at an incredible speed, soaking up all the information she could.
Interesting girl, he thought to himself. A loud squawking noise interrupted his train of thought; the horde of girls were back.
'Kuha lejka,' he muttered to himself. He was strangely happy to see the girl purse her lips at the wild group of girls as they tried to get his attention, tying scarves with his homeland's flag on it. At last, someone who was as annoyed at their stupidity as he was.
He would have to meet this interesting girl soon.
2.
It was a week later, and she still hadn't noticed him, except when he was between her and the herd of cows that insisted on retracing his every move.
He had tried many, many tricks. He had learnt her name from the irritating blonde boy who shadowed him when Viktor walked around the school, pestering him with questions about Durmstrang. It sounded like a cat trying to gargle marbles, but he swore that he would learn it before he tried to speak with her.
'Hernoes-nanny. Herm-nan-nonnies. Harmoninays.'
Damn it. Damn it all to hell.
He had brought plenty of books that he thought might catch her interest. He had pulled a back muscle carrying all fifteen volumes of Väinämöinen's Practical Uses for Impractical Hexes. He had brought himself closer and closer towards her, trying to remain out of eyeshot. Or at least out of scope with the twittering chits that insisted on cluttering up the library.
Nothing. Nothing at all.
This called for drastic measures.
He would get up. He would walk over to her. He would offer her his hands, shake hers, and introduce himself.
He would do it.
He looked up, and saw her shooting the girls a look that should have burnt their robes to a crisp.
He would do it tomorrow.
Viktor swung his legs over the edge of the ship, watching the night sky breathe ripples onto the lake. The Giant Squid waved lazily to him as it went out for its nightly laps around the pool of water. Viktor picked invisible lint of his pants as he pondered the predicament he was in.
It was going on two weeks now, and the only things he had gotten from the girl was a polite nod of the head when they passed one another in the Advanced Arithmancy section, and a murmured 'Thank you' when he retrieved a copy of Olaus Borrichius' So You Want to Make a Philosopher's Stone? from the top shelf for her. Other than that, nothing. Nothing at all.
He turned and looked over his shoulder as a classmate, Alex, approached him.
'Viktor,' he said politely, leaning on the railings.
'Vot do you vant, Alex?' Viktor asked wearily, rubbing his eyes. Most of his schoolmates disdained his sudden need to speak English on a regular basis, but Alex was one of the few who either saw the usefulness of it, or simply didn't care.
Alex shrugged, stretching his arms as he looked into the sky. 'You haff been busy, lately? No one ever can find you. Karkaroff was ready to throw a... fit? Vhen ve could not find you yesterday.'
'Po dyavolite,' he swore harshly, glowering at the tree line. 'Vot did he vant?'
'Something about the Yule Ball, I think,' said Alex. 'Vanted to know who you are taking.' Alex turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. 'Who are you taking? I promise I vill not tell Karkaroff, but I am curious.'
'I'm-' Viktor cut himself off. Up until this point, he had not considered taking anyone to the Ball. Truth be told, he wouldn't go if Karkaroff had threatened to hang him by his ankles if he didn't.
'I'm vorking on it,' he said. 'Now go avay, before I pitch you off the ship.'
'Votever,' said Alex, and walked off. Viktor groaned to himself.
Now he really had to talk to her, before Karkaroff got it in his brain to fix him up with some random girl. He'd probably put him up with a seven foot monster with a moustache and immpeccable blood-lines.
Viktor got up and started back to his room, practising the girl's name again.
'Hear-me-non. Hesaymon- no, that is not even close. Harmahneinee.'
Damn.