Re: Sofia, Bulgaria

[Mya Lupin]

"I don't do this often. Or at all," Hermione mutters. She glances between Viktor's slices and her own, pleased to note that at least her slices are only slightly less uniform than his, even if there are fewer because it takes her so much longer.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

"You're doing fine." He smiled at Hermione, then glanced back at his parents for a brief second. They weren't looking...He looked back at Hermione with a mischievous grin, before taking a carrot from Hermione's chopped veggies and popping it in his mouth. How mature of him.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione's jaw drops and without thinking, she slaps at Viktor's hand. "Behave yourself, you'll ruin your dinner," she says tartly, before turning back to her work. A little flush creeps over her cheeks a few seconds later, when she realises that she's just smacked Viktor's hand and berated him in his parents' home. Oops? She keeps her head down.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Sophia glances back at Viktor and Hermione, and laughs softly to herself as she turns back to the food she's preparing and says something in Bulgarian to Mr. Krum. And it's a good thing Viktor didn't see the look she gave them because he's confused enough about his feelings without his mother assuming things about him and his friend.

"Excuse me. I'm holding a very sharp knife. No hitting," he says firmly to Hermione. He glances back at his parents, then back to Hermione where he sticks out his tongue at her.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione is finding it easier right now to pretend that she and Viktor are alone in the kitchen and is extremely grateful right now that she can't speak Bulgarian and has no idea what Viktor's mother just said. She stares at Viktor, then simply pokes her tongue out in response to his. "Yes, but the foolish thing is that you've given me the bigger knife. Perhaps not the smartest move," she smirks.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Viktor narrows his eyes, and although he knows Hermione is just joking around, he scoots his cutting board a few inches away from her and takes a step away from his friend and her larger knife. For a moment he feels like they've gone back to their usual friendship. The one without all the weird tension and weird sensations, and for now he feels like those feelings he felt before were just his imagination.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione smirks as she notices Viktor scooting away from her, neatly (but slowly) slicing a few more carrots. "Finally learning, are we?" she says, glancing up at him with wide and cheeky eyes. She finishes off her vegetables and puts the knife down. "I'm done. Anything else I can do?"

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Viktor smirks in response and continues chopping up the vegetables. When Hermione finishes up, Viktor takes the knife she placed on the counter and puts it in the sink as he waits for his mother's orders.

Sophia turns around and smiles as she scoops up the chopped veggies and drops them into a bowl. "Thank you. Now...vot else can I have you two do?" She glances around the kitchen, secretly wondering what type of help she can ask of them that would put them in a situation alone together, because she's a matchmaker like that. "Oh, I know. You two can go out to the dining room and set the table," she suggests with an excited grin.

Viktor smiles and nods before turning to show Hermione where the plates and such are. After handing her a few things to carry, he walks out of the kitchen and into the dining room with Hermione. And once they're out of the room, Mr. Krum shoots Mrs. Krum a look of warning because he knows what she's up to, and he doesn't really care who Viktor ends up with. As long as he's happy. But Mr. Krum does recall Viktor's letters about Rolf and doesn't think his wife should be promoting Krumione while Viktor is in a relationship.

Mrs. Krum ignores her husband's look.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione is pretty clueless about these things, so she doesn't notice anything about Sophia's behaviour, or the looks passing back and forth between Viktor's parents. She simply smiles politely and takes an armful of plates into the dining room, setting them out with Viktor. "You really grew up here? It's so beautiful," she says, looking out the window at the snow covered yard.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Viktor pauses after setting down a plate to look out the window with Hermione. It's sort of weird to think that after growing up in this house for 17 years, he no longer lives here with his parents. "Yes. And it hasn't changed at all," he says with a small smile. "That yard is vare I learned how to ride a broomstick."

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione can just picture a young Viktor -too young, in her humble opinion, for the dangers of riding broomsticks- whizzing back and forth, a few inches from the ground, dark eyes alive with happiness. "Didn't your mother ever worry about you, on one of those things?" she murmurs, turning to face Viktor properly. She smiles, and is almost surprised at how unstrained it is.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Viktor returned the smile and shrugged lightly at Hermione's question. "I'm sure she vos probably a little nervous, but I learned on a toy broom. They're perfectly safe, seeing as they only go about a foot or two off the ground."

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione shrugs. "I would still be nervous," she admits. And because we should probably move things on a little bit, Viktor's parents come in with the food and lay it on the table and Hermione's nose is treated to a delicious smorgasboard of smells emanating from the platters and bowls.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Viktor smiles over at Hermione before pulling her chair back, because Viktor is just a gentleman like that. And it clearly runs in the family because Mr. Krum isn't going to sit down until Sophia and Hermione sit first. Call them old fashioned, but that's how things work in the Krum household.

[Mya Lupin]

"Thank you," Hermione says quietly, smiling up at Viktor. She takes her seat, for some reason pleased to note that Viktor, like his father, is a complete gentleman. He's always behaved as one, but seeing it come to him so naturally in his home environment brings a smile to her face. He really is the perfect man. She freezes, because she feels like that is a thought she should not be having. Her eyes fly about for something to distract herself with. "Everything looks wonderful," she tells Viktor's parents, because this is her first experience with authentic Bulgarian food, and it looks amazing.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Luna has the computer now...which means PICTURE TIME
Salad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shopska_salad.jpg
Main Course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Djuvec.jpg
Dessert:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Banica-imagesfrombulgaria.jpg
Buttheywon'twork *cries*

Sophia beams at the compliment, and Mr. Krum looks quite pleased too despite his quiet, shy nature. "Thank you," says Sophia, combined with a small nod of thanks from Mr. Krum. Once everyone is seated, Sophia removes the lids from the food on the table and smiles at Hermione, because she is the guest after all. "Help yourself. I hope you like everything. These are vot most people serve during the holidays on Christmas eve," she tells Hermione with a soft smile as she waits for Viktor's friend to try the homecooking.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione eyes everything eagerly. "I've been so looking forward to trying the Bulgarian cuisine. Viktor's promised to cook some for me back at Hogwarts, but we've not had a chance yet," she tells Viktor's parents, before reaching almost shyly for the dishes. Not wanting to seem rude, or a pig, she takes a little of the salad and a little of the main course to begin with. The links won't work for Mya, which sucks. She'll try again in a minute and hopefully they'll load. Hermione tries a bite of the salad first, chewing and swallowing before smiling politely. "It's very good. What's it called?"

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Luna misses her computer because it would make this easier. *frouts*
Salad: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Shopska_salad.jpg
Main Course: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Djuvec.jpg
Dessert: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Banica-imagesfrombulgaria.jpg Ignore votever that stuff on the right is <.<

"The salad is called Shopska Salad," Sophia says, grinning happily as she watches Hermione enjoy her food. Viktor also fills his plate with some of the food, because it'd be awkward with just Hermione eating. "The main dish is Gyuvetch," continues Sophia as she and Mr. Krum fill their plates. "It is von of Viktor's favorites," she adds with a grin, which leads to Viktor smiling sheepishly while avoiding Hermione's gaze. Hehe. He's a little embarrassed. Just a little.

[Mya Lupin]

I think my connection is misbehaving too, which doesn't help. *kicks*

Hermione grins, noticing Viktor looking sheepish and studiously avoiding her gaze. "I see," she says, turning back to Sophia. "Is it difficult to make? What are the ingredients?" she asks, as if she's just making polite conversation, and not ravenously storing every little piece of information about her best friend's favourite things in her steel trap of a mind.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

*edits last meal to Bulgarian because apparently Bulgarian people call the meal something different*
>.>

"It is not too hard to make," Sophia shrugs lightly before taking a small bite of her own meal. "You bake the beef in the oven and add it to the vegetable stew. You can really put anything you like into it; carrots, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes. I could give you a recipe before you leave if you vould like." Yep. Mrs. Krum does not just do this for everyone. She just likes Hermione...a lot.

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione listens very attentively, because she wants to be sure she gets the details right. It sounds simple enough, but a bit freelance... Hermione... is better with clear instructions, so when Sophia offers her the recipe, her eyes light up. "Really? It's not some family secret that I shouldn't see? That would be wonderful, I'd love to have the recipe. Thank you," she says with a smile, turning back to her delicious dinner that is making Mya hungry.

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

"Anything for the best friend of Viktor," Sophia says cheerfully. And now it's her turn to ask the questions. "Viktor tells us all about you. He says you are very clever. Vot is it that you vould like to do after school?" she asks curiously, wanting to know more about the girl she wishes was Viktor's future wife, as Viktor continues eating and making sure his parents don't ask anything too personal.

[Mya Lupin]

sorry I disappeared for a few minutes - a whole stack of texts just came to my phone from my high school best friend and he's been sick so I called him. *felt bad because I didn't know & it looked like I was ignoring him...* >.>

Hermione smiles and pushes her hair behind her shoulders. "Well, I'd like to work for the British Ministry of Magic, I think. In the Department of Mysteries. I think the studies they'd be doing would be fascinating, and could really make a contribution to the future of the magical community," she says, blushing slightly and strangely wondering if that seems at all appropriate, and if Viktor's parents would think it a good career aspiration. Odd. She shouldn't care. Surely, though, she just wants to make a good impression?

[Viktor Krum - Inactive]

Oops! <.<

Viktor glances up to smile at Hermione because he thinks that sounds like an amazing career for his best friend, and he knows she could be anything that she set her mind to. And he's overjoyed that she's getting along so well with his parents.

"Oh. That is very interesting. Mr. Krum vorks for the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic," she says with a grin before quickly translating everything to Mr. Krum, who smiles again at Hermione and Luna sort of wants to snuggle him because he's kind of adorable. "I'm sure you'd make an excellent Unspeakable. So...You and Viktor are very close, yes? Ve have been hoping to meet you von day."

[Mya Lupin]

Hermione smiles over at Viktor, pleased she's doing alright so far. She'd hate for him to ever regret bringing her here. She turns back to her conversation with Sophia, finding Viktor's mother's attention comfortable, because she's not yet picked up on the fact that Mrs Krum is trying to sound out a potential daughter-in-law. Viktor's mother knows he's gay, after all. Right? Hermione smiles politely at Mr Krum, too, realising that his wife is translating for them. "Viktor is my best friend," she says at once. "I'd really hoped to visit when he invited me the summer after the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but my parents didn't feel comfortable with the idea of my traveling internationally alone at such a young age," she says, omitting the fact that they'd likely have been more open to it had Viktor not been a boy, and a slightly older one at that.

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