A/N: I just opened a LiveJournal account under twchy_lttlferet. It is so very basic, so forgive me. I'm new to technology.
Chapter Thirteen: The Queen Returns
The Great Hall was silent, no sound echoing off its dark stone walls. Sunlight drifted in through the windows, particles of dust danced in its beams. There were people in the room but all of them were silent, waiting for the King to speak. Jason was kneeling, penitently, before him.
He looked at the knight for a long time before speaking. "Did you do it?" he asked. "Did you kill the other knights in the Hog's Head?"
"Yes."
"Did you do it alone?"
"No."
"The other former Slytherins were with you?"
"Yes."
"Who gave the order?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"The Queen." There was a small murmur at this.
"And Cragen?"
"The Queen."
"Why?" Harry asked. And for the first time, Jason looked up at him then his gaze fell over the other men.
"Leave us," Harry said quietly.
"Harry, I don't think…" Remus spoke up.
Harry gave him a stern look. Being King did have its perks and everyone left the room, leaving him alone with Jason.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Cragen discovered that you and the Queen were lovers." Harry took an audible slow and deep breath. Jason continued, "I intercepted a letter he sent to the Slytherin King, claiming what he had seen with his own eyes. And…that the Queen is with child, your child."
Harry leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "You intercepted this letter?"
"Yes, my King."
"And you are sure that there were no others?"
"I'm sure of it my King. The Queen made sure that no one would let this slip," Jason replied.
Harry sat back on his throne, his finger played with his lips as he stayed deep in thought. "You are dismissed," he spoke finally.
Jason hesitated in getting up. "The charges against me?"
"What crime was committed?" Harry asked and Jason nodded.
He only had a few moments peace to himself before the rest of his council filed in.
"You let him go free?" Sirius asked.
"But a crime was committed!" Remus said harshly.
"What crime?" Harry answered.
"Harry, the Slytherin knights were murdered on our soil," Sirius said with gravity.
"There was no murder," Harry said quietly.
"No murder…Harry," Remus couldn't believe his ears. "When the Slytherin King finds out about this…"
"He won't," Harry replied.
"I don't understand," Remus was still confused. "The knights have been murdered, the Queen has fled and left her baby here, Jason is acquitted…"
Harry stayed silent.
~*~
Hermione drew her horse to a stop. Her cheeks were flushed from her hard ride and the cool crisp morning air. Upon the hill, she looked down at the road below her, packed with weary travelers.
"Milady, what has happened?" one of the knights spoke at her side.
The travelers looked weary and tired, young children and the elderly rode on wagons that were stuffed with meager possessions. They were dirty and hungry, women tried to soothe crying babies, while the men stayed on guard with any weapon they could find. All of them heading in the same direction, toward Rowena.
"War," Hermione said softly. "The war has come."
She had received the letter while she was in Hogsmeade, a letter from her husband telling her that war was now upon them. And now she saw it before her very eyes.
"Come, let's go."
She urged her horse forward to follow the same road. The people cried and cheered when they saw her, hope sprung in their eyes when they saw the banners of Gryffindor that had accompanied her.
But the congestion got worse the closer she got to the city gates and was dismayed to see them closed. The travelers camped on the outside walls, angry cries and foul words rose in the air.
"Milady! You have returned!"
"Please help us!"
"We are starving to death!"
"My baby! Look at my baby!" A woman held up a screaming child. The mob threatened to close in around her, touching her, pleading and begging her.
"Make way for the Queen!" A voice boomed out and the gates opened, letting out a rush of Slytherin soldiers beating down those in the way.
"NO! STOP THIS!! I ORDER YOU TO STOP THIS!"
Her cries went unheeded as the soldiers ushered her into the safety of the city walls. Inside, it was eerily quiet. The smell of bread baking wafted in the air, taunting those outside. The houses where shuttered, their occupants hiding inside.
Hermione urged her horse to a brisk trot to the castle. Snape was there to greet her.
"Why are the people outside?" she demanded.
"The King thought it unwise to open the gates. He fears for the safety of the city," Snape answered.
"There are people dying out there! Where is he?" She had a few words to say to her louse of a husband.
"He has not yet risen for the day."
Hermione scowled and got off of her horse, tossing the reigns to a stable boy. She gathered her skirts and marched into the castle.
"Open the city gates," she demanded. "Bring the people in, we have plenty of food and water."
"But your Majesty. We do not know friend from foe," Snape protested and Hermione whirled on him.
"A screaming babe is not a foe! Nor the desperate mother who is trying to save him. Open. The. Gates." She was furious.
"Yes, my Queen," Snape groveled and quickly shuffled away.
Hermione stormed through her castle, the servants surprised by her appearance stopped where they were to quickly kneel before her. But she paid no heed as she stormed on her way.
The knights who stood guard at the King's door were caught off guard and quickly scrambled to their feet. "Open the door," she demanded angrily and they hastily met her demand.
She threw the doors open and marched into the room. This used to be her father's room and it churned her stomach to know that Draco was using it…Merlin knows what activities had been done in here.
The curtains around the bed were shut to keep out the light from the sleeping occupant or occupants inside. Hermione threw them open, letting the bright morning sun shine on her husband.
"What the devil?" Draco winced, holding up his hands to block the light. She could tell he was naked underneath the covers.
"Milady! Oh, milady!" The frightened servant girl that occupied the bed with her husband trembled at the sight of her. She, too, was naked and had the sheets held up to cover her breasts.
"I'm sending up breakfast," she said coolly to her husband. "I'll be downstairs." She turned to the servant girl. "You are needed downstairs." And with that, Hermione left the room.
There was a deep ache in her chest. Oh how she missed James and Harry. But she wouldn't cry, she couldn't even if she wanted to, everyone would see her. She channeled her grief into anger at her husband who allowed such an atrocity to happen in Rowena.
"You opened the city gates?" Draco asked, meeting her downstairs.
"Of course I did," she answered.
"I cannot believe you let that filth into our city," he grumbled.
"That filth is our people." Hermione couldn't help but compare him to the king that Harry was.
She preferred Harry.
"I'm glad you are returned," his voice became soft as he slowly approached her. The smooth skin of his fingers held her jaw gently. Smooth hands, not the hands of a warrior, not the gentle roughness of Harry's hands. He kissed her, his lips had been who knows where on the servant girl, and Hermione had to stifle her gag reflex.
"Cragen and the others have returned with you?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him. "Cragen's dead."
"What?"
"The knight you so kindly sent me was a drunken buffoon," Hermione lied through her teeth. "He entered himself in a tournament and lost in the most appropriate way without bringing shame to Slytherin."
Draco groaned and rubbed his head. Hermione continued, "Once the others had seen that he had fallen, they fled. Gryffindor knights had to escort me home."
"Oh Merlin, I don't have to send a note of thanks to the Rider do I?"
"I already did."
"Where is my son?" he asked.
"I left him with family?" she answered.
Draco stepped away from her and looked at her. She did not turn away from his penetrating gaze.
"You left him…in Hufflepuff…in the hands of that…King?"
"He is safe with family, not with the King."
"What makes you think he won't harm him?"
"James is safe. The king wouldn't do anything like that," Hermione said sternly. "Not everyone thinks as you do."
Draco grinned slyly. "And that is why he will be defeated. People don't want kindness from their king, you have to instill fear, you have to vanquish your enemy, use whatever means necessary to bring them to their knees."
Hermione pursed her lips together. "We are on the brink of war, Draco. I do not want James in harms way. He is safe with my family."
Draco sighed. "You're just like my mother. She sent me away at every battle as well, I didn't get to see the victory of battle, the blood of war."
"He's just a baby!"
Draco looked at her. "Very well. If that is what you wish, James may stay in Hufflepuff." He stepped toward her, "It doesn't matter if anything happens to him," he whispered in her ear. "I expect you to bear me more heirs."
Hermione turned away from him. "Draco, we are at war. This is hardly the time for such things."
He moved behind her and slid his hands around her waist as he whispered in her ear. "You are wrong. The call of war makes men's blood run hot, this is the perfect time."
***********************
Harry sat behind his desk looking at the note Hermione had sent him, notifying him of her safe arrival. His fingers ran over the swirls of her writing, the parchment even smelled of her. James cooed in his lap and Harry kissed the top of his baby head.
"I miss her too," he whispered to his son. "Oh, God, I miss her." He held James tighter to him to keep the tears from falling.
"Harry?" Sirius poked his head into the room.
Harry looked up. "Oh…yes. I almost forgot. Please come on in."
Sirius was followed by Remus, Ron and Dumbledore. Two sets of identical brilliant green eyes watched their approach. Minerva came bustling in to take James from Harry, Sirius watched the little babe as he was taken away. He turned back to share a meaningful look with Remus who had also been watching the baby James. The resemblance between Harry and James was more than coincidence.
Harry picked up Hermione's letter. "Your cousin has arrived safely in Rowena."
"Great," Ron grumbled. He didn't want Hermione to leave.
"And on the note of Queens," Dumbledore spoke up and a page stepped forward holding a velvet red pillow. "The smith has finished it and needs only your approval."
Dumbledore lifted a red cloth revealing a shimmering gold crown with rubies in it, a smaller replica of the one Harry had on his head. The Queen's crown. Harry looked at it, sadly picturing Hermione wearing it. The pain of that thought made him turn away from it.
"It will do," he said quietly and turned away to look out the window.
"Good. And on another note…" Dumbledore turned to Sirius who then spoke up.
"This idea was brought up during Ron's wedding. We were wondering, now that Gryffindor has a King again, if you would consider bringing back some of the old customs." Remus took over at this point.
"Since the kingdom wants you wed, it would be a perfect opportunity to bring back the Binding ceremony. It was the old Gryffindor wedding ceremony but since there was no King to approve of the Binding, it was lost."
Dumbledore spoke now. "Now, I understand that young couples in love have used the ceremonies to express their devotion to one another. Your approval of this ceremony may cause some panic and confusion within these couples…and possibly their parents and spouses…but we can review them on a case by case basis. Those that wish to keep their binding or be married by need only your approval-"
"Harry, are you okay?" Ron said with concern. Harry had suddenly turned very pale.
"Harry?" Sirius was concerned as well.
"Bring a bucket!" Remus ordered one of the servants who scrambled to find one. When he returned a few moments later it was thrust in Harry's hands who promptly vomited into it. Sirius and Ron rushed to his side.
"Harry what happened?"
"Are you ill?"
"Poisoned? Someone check the food!"
"I'm fine!" Harry sputtered out. "I'm fine. Just. Please leave me for a moment."
The men nodded and backed off. They looked at each other with apprehension before leaving the King alone in the room.
Harry slid out of his chair, still grasping the bucket in his arms. He began to tremble uncontrollably and lay down on the cool stone floor to relieve the stifling heat that came over him.
The Binding ceremony.
Hermione had bound herself to him.
She had been his. His all along! All this time! And now she was with that…that…
Harry slammed an angry fist into the floor before he quickly stood up. The group of men that had been waiting outside his door jumped back in surprise when the doors burst open and a determined looking Harry marched through.
"Harry, what's going on?" Remus asked as they ran to catch up with him.
"Summon the army," Harry demanded as he marched on. "I want an entire brigade ready before the afternoon sun is up."
"But…"
"NOW!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Sirius said before running to spread the order.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron hissed.
"We're going to Rowena, Ron."
"Rowena?! Why?"
"I'm going to talk to the King."
"What makes you think Malfoy will want to hear what you have to say?" Ron asked.
The two men had reached the stables, the King's orders had already been spread out and there was a commotion of activity as the stable boys hurried to ready everyone's horses. Hedwig was brought out to him.
"He'll listen," Harry said. He watched as Jason entered the stable to retrieve his own horse. "He'll have no choice, I'm giving him something he wants very badly."
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