Chapter Seven: The Diplomat
He left Hermione's tent as dinner was being served, joining Ron at his temporary tent. Ron was standing at the table in the middle, cluttered with maps.
"Did you talk?" he asked as Harry approached.
"We said all we needed to say," he answered dismissively as he looked down at the map.
"Scout reports have come in," Ron said. "The False King has men trapped between Rowena and Arneau Tak," he pointed. "There is a large garrison here," he pointed southeast of Rowena.
"No one near Arneau Tak?" Harry asked.
"Nothing yet, I think he's still scratching his head on why you took Arneau Tak," Ron sighed, the statement was more of a question. Harry had yet to answer why he invaded Ravenclaw.
"We hold at Arneau Tak," Harry said pensively.
"Harry," Ron's voice became serious. "Malfoy has a large garrison at Rowena and more are on their way."
Harry looked at the map, at the Slytherin marker resting on Rowena. He was so close. "Tomorrow we ride for Hogsmeade," he said instead.
"Harry, we have the Slytherin Queen," Ron said meaningfully.
"He won't march into Hufflepuff," Harry shook his head. "Not with the False King at his door breathing down his neck."
~*~
Jason commanded the Slytherin knights to take down the Queen's tent and prepare her things for travel again. He watched as the Queen exchanged the briefest of glances with the True King, knowing that he had spent some time in her tent the evening before. But it was none of his business and he knew damn well that he couldn't compete with a King. But he loved his Queen and he stood by his sworn duty to protect and serve her.
Hermione was very quiet most of the way to Hogsmeade, filled with contemplative silence until she broke it well into their journey.
"Did you see the map?" she asked.
Jason looked down at her. "Yes."
"Where is my husband?"
"Rowena with a large garrison, another soon to follow," he answered but Hermione sensed his pause.
"Go on," she urged.
"There are two large armies of the False King just north of Rowena, in between Arneau Tak," he said.
"Which the True King holds," she finished. Jason had nothing to say and Hermione fell into a contemplative silence again until the village of Hogsmeade could be seen.
The bells rang out to announce the arrival of the King and his entourage as the gates opened. The village was different from what Hermione remembered, larger, happier, wealthier. A village proud to be the home of a King.
Whispers and pointing ran rampant among the crowd as they saw Hermione ride in with her knights and McGonagall by her side. They rode up to the Great Hall, which Hermione saw had towers added since she had last been here. The envoy rode into the protected walls of the Hall, stable boys rushed out to help them. Two familiar faces came out to greet Harry, not bothering to hide their surprise at their unexpected guest.
"Queen Hermione," Dumbledore said respectfully as he and Sirius fell to one knee. "To what do we owe this great honor?"
Harry opened his mouth to reply but Hermione beat him to it. "I'm here representing my husband to negotiate a peace between our lands." Harry looked at her in surprise as did Sirius and Dumbledore. Amongst the crowd, Ginevra and Molly Weasley appeared, kneeling respectfully before her. Hermione dismounted and asked them to rise so she could greet them properly with hugs and kisses.
Harry turned to Sirius. "She is to stay in my quarters," he said. "Send maidens to tend to her every need."
"Oh, Hermione!" Molly cried, hugging her close. Hermione had tears falling down her cheeks. Harry stood off in the distance, glad that he could give her this small reunion with her family that she had left. Ginny and Molly cooed over the baby with Luna joining in the mix when she received word that Hermione had arrived.
"Oh, darling," Luna gave her husband a warm hug. "I'm so happy to see you." Ron held his wife close to him, kissing the top of her head as he watched the tiny bundle in his mother's arms.
~*~
There was a knock at the door and one of the serving girls dutifully let Harry into his room that Hermione was currently occupying. She looked up at him and dismissed her ladies, leaving herself alone with the King.
"You really didn't have to do this," she said, gesturing to the grand room.
"The guest quarters aren't finished just yet," Harry replied. "Here representing your husband?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him. "I had to say something. Besides," she walked over to the large windows to look out at the forests around the village, "running away may not be the answer after all."
Harry stepped closer to her. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I should make myself useful here and demand that you leave Arneau Tak."
"Demand?" Harry asked.
"Why did you capture it?" she asked him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I have my reasons," he said, kissing her neck. She stepped out of his embrace.
"I don't like it Harry," she said pacing restlessly. "What are you planning to do?"
"That is information privileged only to certain parties."
"I am still the Slytherin Queen," she stated, "and I represent the people of Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff marching into Ravenclaw does give me cause for concern."
"Right now, my armies are serving as a buffer between your land and the False King," he said.
"A very ripe property," Hermione added.
"It does have its advantages," Harry agreed.
"Harry," she said seriously, "do you mean to march on Rowena?"
He regarded her closely. "No."
Hermione let out a sigh. "Thank the gods for that," she said. "It would be a massacre." She rubbed her forehead and snuggled into Harry's embrace. "Draco's army would destroy you and I couldn't allow that to happen."
Harry wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers as he looked out the window.
There was a great feast that evening in honor of the Slytherin Queen. Harry was dressed in his finest velvet crimson tunic, his gold crown of rubies shone brightly on his head. The court rose to their feet and Harry felt a bit disconcerted when Hermione entered the dining hall. She wore a fine dress of green velvet, a silver cloak lined with ermine was draped across her back and she wore her silver crown with emeralds.
The Slytherin Queen.
Harry was forcibly reminded that she was indeed Draco's queen. Dumbledore and Sirius sat on either side of him, Hermione sat by Dumbledore and Jason, her favorite Knight sat on her other side. He noticed the low buzz of whispers as Jason sat by the Queen, whispers about the relationship between the Queen and her Knight, fueled no doubt by the intimate nature in which she gave him conversation. Harry struggled with the feeling that came over him, Jason was quickly becoming his least favorite knight.
"Is she your prisoner?" Sirius asked candidly.
"Of course not," Harry said lazily.
"I don't know if it's brave or stupid to have her here," Sirius added.
"It's just as she said, she's here to negotiate a peace."
"She has to go back soon, Harry, if you aren't going to offer peace."
Harry didn't say anything to this. It was supposed to be a wonderful dinner, finally having the love of his life back under his roof. But instead, he was constantly reminded that she was not his to love freely. He gestured away the serving wench from his goblet, his appetite ruined.
That night, as Hermione slipped into the large featherbed, she heard a slight scraping sound. She sat up quickly and gasped when Harry walked into the room from behind the tapestry.
"Harry!" she whispered.
"Got the idea from someone I know," he smiled at her. He walked into the room and went to the cradle at the foot of the bed. James was sound asleep, fists clenched and resting by his head. He looked up and eyed her crown resting on a table.
"I need to send a message to Draco," she said.
"I thought you would want to do that," he said quietly.
She moved off the bed and went to him, reaching out and gently placing her hand on his arm. "Harry," she said quietly, "he will march into Hufflepuff when he learns I am here. I need to tell him this is solely diplomatic."
"Solely diplomatic?" he asked, eyeing her figure in the light of the fire in the fireplace. A faint trace of a smile ghosted over her lips. Harry walked over to her and leaned against the bedpost. "That means you don't intend to stay."
Hermione sighed and looked away. "You know that it wouldn't be a good idea."
"I can hold you prisoner," he suggested and Hermione rewarded him with a scowl.
"Then he would definitely march," she said. "He doesn't fear you, Harry."
"He should," Harry replied seriously but Hermione didn't catch his deeper meaning. He slid his hands over her hips as he pushed her back gently to the bed.
~*~
Draco had been in the Great Hall of Rowena when the message came that his Queen and son were safe. The joy that he should've felt at having learned this was misplaced with a feeling of let down. Gone was his perfect excuse to march into Hufflepuff and teached that overblown Rider a lesson on what it truly means to be a King.
"So she means to negotiate a peace?" Snape said after reading the letter.
"It would seem so," Draco replied harshly.
Snape looked at the maps on the wall. "She is doing the right thing for Slytherin, we have bigger battles to fight."
"I never said she wasn't a great Queen," Draco snapped. "I made her one!"
A large figure stepped out of the shadow, a large Knight, his armor shining, his scarred face half hidden by shadow. His name was Cragen, Draco's new favorite knight.
"You remember who rides with the Rider?" he said gruffly.
Draco's lips pursed. Of course he knew, his wretched betrayer, Jason. The Queen's lover. The thought of him sharing his wife's bed filled him with anger.
He looked up at the rough Knight. "Go to her," he ordered. "I want to know everything that she is up to. Do not hesitate to kill Jason if you see him with the queen. Better yet, send his head back to me with his manhood stuffed in his mouth."
~*~
"She has maps laid out over her tables and she pours over them, hastily putting them away whenever someone walks into the room," Ginny whispered in Harry's ear. "Even Jason." She stood and clapped when her Knight, Neville Longbottom, entered the arena.
There was a joust today and Harry and his court sat in the stands presiding. Luna was with him, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Ginny and of course, the Queen Hermione. Dressed again, to Harry's irritation, in green and wearing the crown of Slytherin.
"Does she know about the False King's armies?" he whispered.
"She must," Ginny answered.
"She's planning on leaving as soon as a peace is negotiated."
"As she should," Sirius contributed. "It is not good for us to have her here. The Slytherin King is looking for any excuse to rise a battle with you, Harry."
"Do not provoke him," Remus added. "He has nothing that you want."
Harry glanced at Hermione. Yes, he has something that I want very much. But he did heed the advice of his friends, he had had another strange dream that night. Hermione was sitting on the throne next to him but instead of the usual Gryffindor colors she wore in his dreams, she wore the colors of Slytherin. In her lap was a coiled snake that she was petting lovingly. Do not cross me, she had said in a sweetly dangerous voice. Harry wasn't sure who the warning was directed at.
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