Severus pressed a mug into her hand.

"Cocoa for breakfast?" she asked.

"Someone as intelligent as you should know that chocolate has medicinal properties," he reminded her. "I take it young Mr Weasley didn't respond well to the suggestion that his brother might be in league with the Dark Lord?" Severus asked solicitously.

Hermione gave a snort and waved the parchment she had brought at him. "I never got that far. Ron objects to my correspondence."

Severus took the page from her, raising an eyebrow. "May I?"

Hermione nodded, watching him over the rim of her mug as he read.

---

Severus had to concentrate on relaxing his jaw as he reached the bottom of the page. He knew Hermione was watching, and he wasn't stupid enough to alienate her in the same way Weasley had.

"Need I ask whether Weasley actually had any sensible objections?" he asked, the words coming out more clipped than he would have liked.

Hermione sighed. "He might have had, but after he implied I was some sort of star-fucker and that the only reason Viktor would want to be with me was to spy for Voldemort, I didn't stay around to listen to the rest."

---

Hermione fixed her eyes on him, but he displayed the impassive mask he had worn at Hogwarts. "What do you think, Severus?"

"I believe it was your good opinion that Mr Krum was seeking," Severus countered. "Am I to believe that you wish to resume your relationship with him?"

"I..." She drew the word out as long as she reasonably could. "Don't know."

"Is that because you doubt his sincerity?"

"Should I?" Hermione asked. "He makes it sound like part of the reason for the move's because he's under pressure to join the Death Eaters. What if he already caved?"

---

Severus closed his eyes, counting to five. He could so easily prevaricate and let her doubts do the rest, but she deserved better. "I believe it is unlikely. A man can change a great deal in four years, so I make no guarantees... and he has proven himself to be vulnerable to the Imperius Curse, but, no, I don't think he would willingly ally himself with the Dark Lord."

Hermione blinked owlishly, surprised by both his verdict and his certainty. "I didn't think you knew Viktor well enough to form that strong an impression."

"I didn't, but I knew Dumbledore."

---

Hermione frowned slightly, forcing him to explain.

"The champions were not asked who was dearest to them. There was no opportunity for them to lie. Four years ago, Dumbledore revealed unequivocally that you, a Muggle-born, meant more to Krum than his parents or anyone else on this earth. I doubt that he would accept the Dark Lord's policies... or that his affections are other than genuine."

"So you think—"

"I think that such a relationship would be difficult. My advice is to consider whether there is anyone else who might be a better match. Someone you might care for?"

---

Hermione dropped her gaze to the cup she held, swirling the cocoa dregs. "I seem to have a bad habit of falling for my best friends," she whispered.

"Friendship can be a good basis for a more intimate relationship," Severus suggested, trying not to sound hopeful.

"It could... if he were single, and if he didn't prefer guys."

Severus felt his jaw drop open. He'd known that he was too old, too surly, too everything, but to find she had transferred her affection from Weasley to Potter only for this...

He pulled her into his arms, whispering, "I'm so sorry."

---

Minutes passed before Hermione broke the silence. "Why did you say it would be difficult for me and Viktor?"

"Mostly because of the language barrier," Severus admitted. "You're a very cerebral person, and, while I doubt Krum would have made champion on the basis of his Quidditch skills alone, if his English isn't good enough to be able to converse freely, then he might as well have the charm and intellect of Weasley. Of course, your affiliations with the Order will make it difficult to be completely open with him, and Weasley won't be the only one jumping to conclusions..."

---

"It'd be doomed before we started..." Hermione's shoulders slumped.

Severus took pity on the girl. "I said it would be difficult. I didn't say it wouldn't be worth it. He loves you. If there's a chance you might come to return his feelings, it seems to me it's better to be adored, than to pine after someone who cannot appreciate you. If you know now that you could never love him, then send him off to Quiberon... but if there's a chance, love is too precious to waste."

"You're not a Portree fan by any chance, are you?" she asked.

---

Severus watched from his doorway as she checked her transfigured clothing, the potion vial and the letter she planned to send, giving him a last wave before she Disapparated.

He waited until she was gone to rest his forehead against the doorframe. He knew that he should be more concerned about the situation with Percy, especially given the due date for his girlfriend's offspring but, instead, Severus found himself vacillating between Potter-induced outrage on Hermione's behalf and morose melancholy that the hopes he had begun to nurture had been crushed like so many windblown cherry blossoms ground into the mud.

---

Hermione didn't waste any time once she got back to The Burrow, dragging Ron and Harry into a Side-Along Apparition that ended with all three in a back alley near Order headquarters.

"Her-mi-on-e," Ron whined. "What's all this about?"

"This is about shutting you up, once and for all, on the subject of Viktor," Hermione informed him as she stomped off in the direction of the building, barely pausing until she was in her Potions lab. She palmed the vial Severus had given her, pretending to pull it from one of the cupboards.

"I'll dose Viktor... if you do Percy."