Hestia bit her lip at his words. She wanted to tell him more, she wanted him to know why she was so afraid, but she couldn't drag him into it. She wouldn't let him worry the way that she did, and Hestia knew that she couldn't live with her conscience if anything happened to him because she'd blame herself. She was already blaming herself. "I haven't trusted the Ministry for a long time, but this isn't a place for such discussions," she said to pause the conversation.
At his words, Hestia looked up, her eyes meeting his briefly. "You shouldn't have to make a commitment to me Viktor, not now, especially when I'm working so much and hardly have any time for myself," she said plainly. "And I know that it hasn't mattered to you, that you've been happy with the time that we've spent together, but I don't want you to change your mind about it later," Hestia admitted. And that was true: she didn't want to invest a large portion of her heart in Viktor if he was going to decide later that the long hours she worked created a relationship that was too complicated for him.
She turned toward him, her fingers gently brushing his, and she smiled sadly. "That doesn't mean that I've stopped thinking about you by any means, but I don't think I can deal with another broken heart right now," she whispered.