The next morning, Nikolina waited for George in the paved courtyard.

"Hello, beautiful," he greeted, taking a seat beside her on a stone bench.

"Hello, my George," she said, her smile brighter than her eyes.

She did it again, he thought. He put an arm around her shoulders and she slid closer to him on the bench.

"I haff something for you," she told him. She pulled out two mirrors and two small journals.

"What are these?" George asked, genuinely confused.

"The mirrors vill let us talk and see one another," she explained. "As long as one of us says the other's name to it. The journals take vot you write and vill send it to the other person. I vas going to give them to Viktor on his birthday, but I vant you to haff them. For vhen I must go."

That's when it hit him. Nikolina would have to return to Durmstrang at the end of the tournament.

"Vot is wrong?" Nikolina asked, very concerned as his demeanor suddenly became somber.

"I kind of forgot that you are going to have to leave at the end of the year," he told her, tracing a random design on her hand.

"It vill be alright my George," she promised. "Ve vill stay in contact. And I vill visit. But let us not concern ourselves at the moment. Let us enjoy this time ve haff vhile ve still haff it."

He took her advice and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She put hers around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

Around ten, Lee and Fred came looking for them.

"George, we need to go to Zonko's," Lee said, his voice almost coming out as a whine.

"Alright, as Nikolina wants to come?" George stated, adding a questioning note to the end.

"Of course I vill come, my George," she replied, kissing him on the cheek.

Nikolina was fine being left with her thoughts as she walked through Hogsmeade with the three boys as they joked.

She would have to return to Durmstrang, and now... She had no idea where her friendship with Viktor stood. He hadn't spoken to her often, in fact, the night before had been the first time in a week he had said a word to her.

"Are you okay, Nikolina?" George asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"I vill be fine," she assured him. "I am just vorried about my return home."

"Krum will come around. You guys will be friends again, I know it."

"Thank you, my George."

She hugged him tightly and he kissed her forehead.

"Would you two get a room?" Lee said.

"Oi, mate, buzz off," George retorted,  keeping his arms around her waist.

That night George lay awake in his bed, unable to sleep. He hadn't yet told his parents about Nikolina and he was almost positive that Ron and Ginny didn't know. He wanted to be sure she wasn't using him to get back at Krum before he told his family.

Feeling lonely, he grabbed the mirror and the journal she had given him nd headed to the common room.

Once seated across from the fireplace,  he lifted the mirror.

"Nikolina," he whispered to it.

Nikolina had been doing some extra studying the Karkaroff assigned her and she was cleaning up her materials for the night.

She just couldn't seem to focus. Her thoughts often drifted between George and Viktor. Mostly George though, and she thought she may have been hallucinating when she heard him say her name.

"Nikolina, are you awake?" He asked. She was quite confused as to where the voice was coming from until she remembered she had given him the mirror.

"My George," she whispered in excitement. "I vos not expecting you to use the mirror so late."

"I was kind of... lonely I guess. Why are you still up?"

"I do not sleep very vell," she told him. "I never haff."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a while, but Nikolina heard Professor Karkaroff walk down the hall.

"I must go, my George," she whispered frantically, not wishing to be caught. "I vill write in the journal."

After a few moments,  she figured it was safe to slowly creep over to her window to use the moonlight to see. She took out her quill and ink and began to write.

I have returned, my George,  she wrote, Karkaroff had been patrolling,  so I apologize.

It's alright Nikolina,  I don't  want you to get in trouble.

You may shorten my name.

To what?

Well, Viktor always called me Lina and others sometimes called me Niko.

I'll work on it.

Alright.  I grow tired, my George. I will see you in the morning.

Good night Nikolina.  I love you beautiful.

She felt quite warm and happy at the way he told her goodnight. She was glad he had already made use of her gifts.