The Throne Reclaimed

~*~*~ The Throne Reclaimed ~*~*~

Prologue: The Heir of Gryffindor

Hermione gasped and clutched at her bedsheets, her body drenched in sweat as she cried out, trying her best not to say the name she desperately wanted to.

Harry!!!

“Soon, my child,” the witch McGonagall soothed. “The pains are stronger and closer together.”

It had seemed forever ago that she had been walking in the gardens and felt as if she had relieved herself in front of her handmaids and witch. McGonagall explained that it was her waters that had been broken and that the child will make its arrival within the day.

That had been in the afternoon, now it was dark outside and she was all alone.

“Ah!” Hermione cried out as another wave of pain washed over her.

“Breathe with it, my child,” McGonagall said calmly.

Hermione wanted to rip her head off, she wanted to rip everyone's head off. They were standing around useless while she was wracked in bed with pain. Once again, she felt McGonagall put her hands in her most private of areas. She didn't care though, she just wanted this to be over.

McGonagall had arrived at the castle with a message for the Queen and the Queen alone. Hermione was large with the child who would be arriving soon. She brought a letter with her from Dumbledore. He had sent this woman, a witch and a friend of his. She could be trusted to birth the babe and help take care of it. Dumbledore's recommendation was good enough for her and she surprisingly got along very well with the woman. She felt as if she was the only true friend she could have in this castle since Jason had left.

“The next time the pains come, my Queen, I want you to push. It will make you feel better,” the witch said.

Panic seized the Queen. The baby was coming, this was real. And she was all alone. The fastest riders were sent to send word to the King. The King was gone to Rowena to try and stabilize the city when the Ravenclaw Knights suddenly disappeared. It was chaos and Draco was furious. Hermione had learned that he had ordered the Knights of Ravenclaw dead. But he soon received word that the Knights had fled the city and were riding west under the banner of Gryffindor.

The True King had returned.

That was the word across the land. He had returned and was riding across the lands to gather support. He rode with noble Knights, he was handsome and dashing, he extended hand and ear to the poorest of the poor as well as the rich. But there were some who did not trust this new King. Mostly rich land lords who had profited from the lands being divided where now worried about having to bow down to a new King. Especially one who made Lord Voldemort a bit jittery.

At the next wave of pain, Hermione pushed. The witch was right, she did feel a bit better but the pain was still ferocious.

“Good, now relax and rest until the next one,” McGonagall instructed.

Hermione was terrified that she was alone. She wished with all her heart that the baby's father could be here. Harry Potter, the Lost Heir of Gryffindor, the True King. She desperately wanted Harry here by her side, kissing her forehead, telling her that all would be okay.

But he couldn't be.

She was married to Draco Malfoy, King of Slytherin. She had married him, sacrificing herself for Harry, for a chance to defeat Lord Voldemort and put him on the throne. She married the Slytherin King to disguise the fact that the child was indeed, Harry's, that the child would be the Heir to the Throne. And she needed to hide the babe, hide it from Lord Voldemort who would ruthlessly track the child down and kill it.

For, an ancient curse, was held upon the Throne of Gryffindor when Lord Voldemort killed the King many, many years ago. Only the King's blood may sit on the throne and Lord Voldemort had thought he had gotten around this curse by staging a coup and killing the King and all his sons.

Almost all his sons.

One had survived and through the years, Lord Voldemort hunted his heirs down, killing them off one by one. The last one was Harry and he was well protected, it took many years for Lord Voldemort to find him. He had almost had him, he was so close. Harry had been brought to the castle, right in front of him but he had slipped through his fingers.

But now, Harry had proclaimed himself the True King and was gathering his own followers and his own army and would some day return to the Shadowlands to reclaim what is rightfully his.

“Again!” McGonagall ordered and Hermione pushed. Two chambermaids stayed at her side as she held their hands. They knelt on the bed, behind the Queen to give her leverage as she pushed. Hermione gasped and groaned at the pain as she pushed. She felt a burning sensation between her legs.

“Okay, rest,” McGonagall said and Hermione released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

“Milady! I can see its head!” one of the maids proclaimed excitedly. Hermione had no time to think about it, she felt as if she were being stretched down there as another wave of pain hit. “Push gently, my dear,” McGonagall said. Hermione did her best, she was so tired and weak now.

“OH! Ow! Ow! Ow!” she cried out. She was going to die. She felt as if she were being ripped in two, the pain was so great.

Then suddenly, she felt something slide out of her followed by a gush of water. A tiny cry was the only sound in the room as the women waited breathless. The cry quickly escalated to a wail and the women all celebrated in joy. McGonagall cut its life cord and tied it off. She then wiped the child gently with a warm wet cloth.

“It's a boy, my Queen,” McGonagall said proudly. “You have a son,” she said as she placed the wrinkly pink and screaming babe on her chest. The babe began to settle as it recognized the heartbeat of his mother.

“My boy,” Hermione cried. “My beautiful baby.”

Hermione lowered her nightshirt exposing a breast that the baby sought out and began to suckle. McGonagall placed a warm blanket around the child. Hermione looked down at the beautiful babe in her arms, content to be suckling. His dark hair was wet from his washing and curled slightly, his blueberry blue eyes looked up at his mother lazily before closing to sleep.

“A son,” she whispered. “A beautiful baby boy.” She began to cry for want and longing.

Harry, I have given you a son.

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Chapter One: A Father's Suspicion

The morning fog lay thick on the forest floors of Hufflepuff. The air was cool, clean and crisp. The ground had the faintest trace of frost that fought its losing battle to the upcoming spring. The fog's lazy swirling was disrupted by the pounding of hooves that rode on a beaten path to the town of Hogsmeade. Bells tolled in the air, ripping the silence and the gates parted inviting the horses in.

They were a group of riders that filed in, all under the red and gold banner of Gryffindor. At the head of the line was a young man with raven hair, a shadow on his face from not shaving in a few days and emerald green eyes. The townspeople bowed respectively as he rode in followed by his men. As the man dismounted and strolled to the Great Hall, two others fell just behind him. Both were young men of equal age, one with red hair and brown eyes, the other with brown hair and blue eyes.

“I wonder what all this is about?” Ron asked referring to the bells clanging.

As if in answer to his question, Luna Lovegood and Ginevra Weasley ran out to meet the young men. Months ago, Harry and his riders headed toward Ravenclaw just before the orders for the Knights of Ravenclaw to be executed were carried out. They fled in the middle of the night. Ron, feeling his family was in danger, fled with his sister, mother, father and brothers to Hufflepuff where they were now under the protection of the Gryffindor King.

“Oh Harry, Ron! Have you heard?” Ginny said excitedly. “Dumbledore's just received word from Slytherin. Hermione's had her baby! It's a boy! A baby boy!”

“Huzzah!” shouted the riders who were formerly soldiers of Slytherin. Ron let out a shout of joy and picked up his sister swinging her around. He put her down and picked up his intended, Luna, and did the same.

“What's his name?” Ron asked.

“I don't know,” Luna said breathlessly. “Dumbledore didn't say. He had just received word this morning. The child was born a fortnight ago.”

Harry felt Jason's eyes on him, gauging his reaction. “A boy,” he said, his voice in the neutral tone he had perfected where it concerned his Hermione. “Malfoy and the Queen will be very pleased.” There was no way in heaven or hell that he was going to acknowledge Draco Malfoy as her husband. He walked ahead to the Great Hall, feeling the others watching him as he left.

Entering the chamber, Sirius and Remus approached him, smiles on their faces as well but Harry held up a hand, indicating that he did not wish to be spoken to at this moment. He walked into a small room off the side of the Hall and closed the door.

He stuffed a fist into his mouth to suppress the yell that wanted to escape his lips from the moment he had learned that she was with child. That Malfoy had tainted his Hermione with his seed and got her with child. The bastard didn't wait long.

That was Harry's first flag of suspicion. His second came with Jason.

Jason was formerly a Knight of Slytherin charged with the protection of the Slytherin King's bride, Harry's love, the Queen Hermione of Ravenclaw. Jason had fled Slytherin and helped Harry escape the clutches of Lord Voldemort, rescuing him from Bellatrix LeStrange. Although, he had pledged fealty to him, Jason's true loyalties lay with Hermione. It was enough to trust him but it was a bitter acceptance. How close Hermione and Jason truly were was a mystery to Harry that troubled him deep down. Their relationship was enough that Harry and his riders had soon found out that the Slytherin King had put a substantial reward for the person who would bring forth Jason's head, attached or not attached to his body.

And Jason held many of Hermione's secrets. Secrets that Harry didn't know and it took a lot of self control not to be jealous of the man. He knew for sure he was holding back a big one, one concerning him. One Hermione must have told him not to tell anyone except one person. Bellatrix LeStrange.

Before she was beheaded, Jason bent down and whispered a message Hermione had given to him to give her. Harry remembered the look of shock on Bellatrix's face and the way her eyes fell on him. The secret concerned him. And Harry had a suspicion of what that secret might be.

Over the past several months, snippets of news from Slytherin would filter in. Some of it concerning the Queen and her child. Harry noticed that whenever Hermione's pregnancy was mentioned, Jason's eyes would briefly flicker over to him. So quick that no one else would notice, except for Harry, who was beginning to expect it.

The third flag was a real mind turner. And it had come from the most unexpected source. Ginevra and Luna had been talking about Hermione's pregnancy and lamenting on how they couldn't be there by her side. It was far too dangerous for them to think of crossing into the southern and northern parts of Ravenclaw. Harry had heard their complaining before and he told them again that it was too dangerous to go, that Ron would have his head if he let them, etcetera.

“I can't believe it,” Ginny said angrily as they stomped away from the King. “We're supposed to sit here and wait for nine months!”

Nine months. Harry filed that bit of information away in his mind. The child, her child, would be born in the spring. She would be happy about that. A strange thought suddenly came to him, coming into his mind like a beam of sunlight into a darkened room.

What if the child was mine?

Harry laughed off the absurdity of the thought. He had no right to question the paternity of the child.

Or did he?

Yes, he did have a good reason. He had lain with Hermione the night she bound herself to him. He had taken her maidenhood, marked her as his before anyone else could. But Hermione would've told him. He was taken prisoner inside Slytherin, she visited him that night and gave him a plan of escape. She knew he was the True King, knew that he was being taken to the False King. She had sent Jason to free him because Voldemort would've killed him on the spot, just as he killed all his fathers before him…

Just as he would kill any offspring.

It all fell into place, her hasty marriage to the foul creature, Jason, Bellatrix, it was all a cover up. Anger at Hermione had blossomed within him. How dare she keep the child a secret if it was his! It was his right to claim the child as his own and…and then what? The thought of his beloved Hermione, possibly pregnant with his child all alone in that hateful castle, filled him with horror. He thought to go to Dumbledore and send him to the castle to oversee Hermione and the child. But it would be too obvious, it would be like pointing the False King directly at them. He could now appreciate what Hermione was doing by not telling him.

Hermione loved him, Harry never wavered in her love for him. And he loved her enough to appreciate the secret she was keeping. And if it was his child, it was his responsibility to keep them both safe. Instead, he had asked Dumbledore to send a trusted witch to be by her side. If Dumbledore thought the request odd, he didn't show it and he didn't question him. Being King, after all, did have some perks.

Now, all Harry had to do was wait.

And today, the news had come. The child was born a fortnight ago. A little over a month earlier than expected. The child was his. The yell Harry was suppressing was not one of rage but of triumph. He silently put a triumphant fist in the air.

A boy! A son!

Hermione had birthed him a son. He took a deep breath and composed himself before walking out of the door. His next plan of action was tricky and needed to be well thought out. He had to find some way of getting Hermione and his son out of Slytherin without Hermione knowing what he was doing. It was dangerous. Hermione had her own ideas about protecting the child obviously. And it was very dangerous to cross a lioness when it came to protecting her cub. And there was Jason. If Jason somehow got wind of his plans, he wouldn't hesitate in alerting Hermione.

But he had to do it. The safety of his child and the woman he loved was at stake.

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Chapter Two: Homecoming

Hermione watched the procession wind its way through the streets and up to the castle. Her husband had returned. The news of his son being born had made his way to him at Rowena and he had left as soon as possible, that was four weeks ago. She silently drummed her fingertips against the balcony ledge. She had had two glorious months without him and now she would have to deal with her husband back under the same roof.

He had been at Rowena these past months to assist with the law and order that had ceased to exist since the Ravenclaw knights left the town. Draco had ordered the knights dead and relied on his own Knights to do it but they had failed at their task, letting the King down. Hermione turned away from the balcony and headed down the stairs, she was joined by her handmaidens, a few of the King's servants and the witch McGonagall who carried her infant son. They made their way to the front steps of the castle where a crowd roared in approval and stood to greet the King. Hermione had easily won the citizens of Slytherin over with her beauty and grace. She had been filling in for her husband when dealing with matters inside the city, petty arguments between land holders, one citizen claiming some sort of injustice against the other. Hermione listened to both sides then dealt out appropriate solutions or punishments. The citizens were grateful that they had finally had a compassionate queen. The Kings and Queens before were usually cruel and typically sided with those who could pad their royal seats more comfortably.

The crowd roared and the sound of hooves clopping on the cobblestone caught Hermione's attention and she turned to see the procession enter the castle courtyard. The Slytherin King sat upon a black stallion adorned in green and silver. He sat with an air of conceit and of pompousness. Hermione watched him approach with a cool gaze, one she had always reserved for him, one that he never deciphered the true meaning. She did not love him, she loved another.

Draco saw his Queen among those waiting for him and he burst with a smug pride. His days had been troubled ever since that wretched horse rider proclaimed himself to be the True King. The matter worsened when the False King confirmed it and broke ties with Slytherin and was now cowering in his castle. The Shadowlands had been silent. To make matters worse the Queen's former lover, Jason, still had not been turned in. Draco had no proof of their affair but he was sure of it. The Queen had already been plucked before he could take her to the marriage bed and Jason was the only one who kept close company with her. Jason had fled the Kingdom and the Queen said nothing to the ransom put on his head.

“My King,” Hermione said dutifully as she knelt. Draco dismounted from his horse and approached her. “May I present to you your son, James Edward?”

Draco walked past her and to the tiny bundle in the witch's arms. He looked down upon the tiny babe, his eyes were closed as he slept, the soft wisps of brown hair on his head, the tiny fists clenched tightly to its body.

“Is he healthy?” he asked.

“He is in perfect health for a child born too early,” the witch answered. She knew about the lie.

“I told you to refrain from taking those damned walks,” he turned to Hermione who bristled under his glare. “We were lucky this time.”

“My Lord,” Hermione acknowledged.

“He will be a great King,” Draco said, looking down at his heir.

“Yes, he will,” Hermione agreed.

Hermione sat by her husband that evening as he held court, dining with the local nobles and elite, excusing herself once in awhile to feed the baby. She was growing tired, she had been only getting a few hours of sleep at night, baby James was demanding in his feedings but he was growing healthy and strong. But she forced herself to pay attention, she wanted to hear any bit of news of Rowena.

“The armies of the False King still hold the North and Arneau Tak but with our army in the South, Rowena is still safe,” he was saying.

“And do the citizens pledge fealty to you?” a nobleman asked.

“They have to,” Hermione answered. “I am still their Queen, our Kingdoms are now joined.”

“And what about this True King?” another nobleman asked. “I hear he is gathering power in the west.”

“He is of no concern to us,” Draco said dismissively. “He has business with the False King, he has no qualms with Slytherin. The power of our army is enough to keep him at bay.”

“We shall see of his fate, a tradesman has brought me news of a little battle going on in the northeastern border of Hufflepuff.” Hermione's stomach clenched. Harry in battle again?

Draco let out a mirthless laugh. “Like I said, his business is with the False King. He will be foolish to set foot inside Ravenclaw.”

As Hermione dismissed herself for the evening to retire to her bedchamber, Draco escorted her. He had been watching her all evening. Motherhood had done wonders to her figure and she seemed more voluptuous and curvy. He had been without the comforts of his wife for far too long.

Hermione let out a gasp of surprise when her husband stopped her and cornered her into the wall behind her. His rough kiss spoke of what Hermione feared, a pent up lust for her. His hands freely assaulted her breasts, already tender and full with milk. He led Hermione to his bedchamber against her protests and she hoped he would listen to her pleas to be gentle with her.

~*~

Hermione lay in the bed, silent tears escaping the corners of her eyes while Draco lay next to her snoring in his deep slumber. He was not gentle with her, he never was when he took her. He seemed to enjoy it when she struggled against him so Hermione stopped giving him the satisfaction of that. But she couldn't help the grimaces she would make as he mercilessly tore into her.

She summoned up her courage, wiped the tears from her eyes and got up to dress herself. On shaky legs she gathered the rest of her clothes and made her way to her bedchamber. She slipped on a simple nightdress, ignoring the faint pink of blood that ran a little down her thighs. She walked to the other side of the room and opened the door to the nursery to her wailing child.

“My dear, I sent for you but the maids couldn't find you,” McGonagall said as she gently rocked the child in her arms.

Hermione took James from her. “I was with my husband,” she said quietly. She sat down on a chair, slowly and uncomfortably, wincing slightly. McGonagall noticed this and the faint trace of tears on the young woman's face. She frowned.

“You may retire for the evening. I can look after him from here,” Hermione ordered McGonagall.

The witch nodded and went for the door. She looked back once to watch the young woman rock the babe and her heart broke. She promptly left the room resolving to find a way to help this young woman.

Hermione looked down at James' tiny face as he suckled from her. She wiped the tiny tears from his cheeks and murmured sweet and soothing messages to him. She had made a grave mistake and she had to get out of here, at least for her son's sake. She would not allow that vile creature of a husband raise this child to be like him. But she couldn't send the child to his true father, Lord Voldemort would hunt him down and kill him. The thought of any harm coming to James sent Hermione into panic. No, she would have to send him somewhere else.

She looked down at her child and nearly started. She shook her head and blinked her eyes and looked again. No, it must have been her imagination for she was so tired, it had to have been a trick of firelight. She could've sworn that for a moment, James' eyes turned emerald green.

~*~

Harry looked down at the map in front of him, the candle light illuminated his next target. Ron was with him pointing at various locations.

“There's a river here, it's shallow so we'll have no problem crossing. To the north are the plains, you are completely exposed there, they have dragons that are constantly monitoring it from the sky.”

“How many?” Harry asked.

“Six,” Ron replied and Harry let out a low whistle. He was silent for awhile taking in this news.

“The dragons won't be a problem,” Harry said. “They'll be taken care of.”

“Now in front is a large wall, it's steep and the draw bridge is the only way in,” Ron continued. “This thing was built to keep people out.”

“Or keep people in,” Harry grinned.

“Right,” Ron grinned.

“Now, they sent many of the soldiers to fight in the border and they haven't sent reinforcements yet, so their numbers are half. Neville has informed us that the nearest army is three days march from there,” Ron finished.

“We will be going in through here.” Harry pointed to the map. “The dragons will be taken care of by then and the large army and banners will distract them to the front.” He pointed to another location on the map. “Are you sure they haven't discovered this?” he asked.

“Positive,” Ron assured. “My men have been watching it day and night.”

“About how many are there?” Harry asked.

“Three hundred,” he answered.

Harry's brow furrowed in thought. “That should be enough,” he murmured. “Yes, that will do.”

“We're ready to go at your word,” Ron said but with some hesitation.

Harry looked at his friend. “We'll leave a week after your wedding. You need some time afterward to spend with your wife.” Ron looked unsure but a bit relieved. “We need a celebration around here, something to raise everyone's spirits.” He fell silent after this, deep in thought and Ron took that as his cue to leave the tent.

Arneau Tak.

He stared at it on the map. He needed this fort, the importance of this place was greater than his soldiers knew. It would be a calling card to the False King, it would be a knock at the Slytherin King's door, it would smoke out the lioness and her cub who so far have been too quiet. It had to be his, he would succeed in capturing it.

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Chapter Three: A Mother's Plan

Lord Voldemort stormed into the hall and his Death Eaters fell silent. He was again not in a good mood. He had lost another battle to the man who was threatening his reign, Harry Potter and he had a thorn in his side called the Slytherin Queen.

“Leave me!” he shouted out and his Death Eater's scurried out of the room. “Except you, Snape,” he said and the lone Death Eater reluctantly stayed behind.

“What news have you?” he asked.

“It was a boy, milord,” Snape answered. “But he is too well protected by a powerful witch.”

“Of course they would take a precaution like that,” Voldemort snapped. “He's heir to the Slytherin throne! Is there anything else?” he asked and Snape shook his head. “Then why are you still STANDING HERE YOU USELESS LUMP OF FLESH!!” Snape scrambled to his feet and fled the room.

Voldemort paced and massaged his temples. He was going to make her pay, he was going to wring her little neck, torture her in the worst ways he could think of. He just had to draw her out from behind her husband, for she hid behind her powerful King.

The Slytherin Queen murdered his best Death Eater and favorite whore, Bellatrix. She then convinced her husband to cut off all ties with him. He now had no control over Slytherin. On top of that he was losing battles in the borders of Hufflepuff, this Harry Potter was sweeping across the countryside picking up loyal followers. A few of his own soldiers abandoned the Shadowlands and now fought under the banner of Gryffindor.

But he did have one golden ray of light, he had armies that still surrounded Rowena, slowly he had been building up their numbers to retake the city. He would find a way to make that pretty little Queen fall on her knees before him and beg.

~*~

The sound of music filled the air adding to the festive atmosphere. The sun was warm and there was not a cloud in the sky. The courtyard was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers in bloom. Sirius dodged a couple of little girls, giggling as they made their way to a table piled with sweet cakes. They wore pretty white dresses and had streaming ribbons in their hair. He sat down next to Dumbledore and watched the party in front of them. Dancers filled the rectangle created by tables that guests sat at. The entire village was invited and half of them were dancing. In the middle of the melee, he spotted the beautiful bride, flowers in her long blond hair and laughing as she danced with the raven haired King. Her groom looked on clapping in rhythm and laughing good naturedly.

“It's good to see him happy like this,” he said to the old man next to him.

“It is so rare that we see a smile on his face,” the old man replied.

“We need all the smiles we can get,” Sirius said. “We have a tough battle ahead of us.”

“And a surprising one,” Dumbledore looked a little troubled.

“I know,” Sirius sighed. “I don't know what his motives are for this battle. It is such a bold move.”

“My guess is that he wants to make a powerful statement to Voldemort,” Dumbledore shrugged.

Sirius watched as Harry relinquished his dancing partner back to her husband. “Harry told me that the couple had bound themselves to each other when Ronald first came to us.”

“Did they?” Dumbledore asked, smiling. “Ah, young love. Although, I always find that little ritual a bit redundant in cases like these.”

“How so?”

“Well, the binding ceremony used to be the wedding ceremony back in the age when Godric was King of all the lands.” Dumbledore explained. “The couple would draw blood from each other, bind the wounded hands together then say their vows. They did this in front of the King who would make it official with his blessing.” Dumbledore then let out a sad sigh. “Of course, when the King was murdered there were no True Kings to officiate or preside over these bindings so new ceremonies popped up. “

“Wow, I didn't know that,” Sirius said softly. “I wonder if Harry knows about this? I'm sure he would like to bring that ceremony back.”

“Yes, well, it is an old tradition. I image that young lovers such as those two use it to proclaim their undying love for each other. I wonder what trouble it would cause if it were found that they only needed Harry's consent to make it official.” Sirius chuckled at this, the image of flighty young women and their terrified paramours filled his head.

“But it is an idea,” Dumbledore said. “I should bring it up to Harry sometime to see if he wants to bring some of the old traditions back.”

Sirius turned his attention back to Harry who was now dancing with the lovely red-haired sister of Ron.

~*~

Hermione paced back and forth across the room holding James in her arms. “And you're sure it won't harm the baby?” she asked.

“I'm positive it won't. The spell will cloak his eye color, keep them the deep blue that they were,” McGonagall explained.

“And my husband won't suspect a thing?”

“Unless you say something about it, no, he will not.”

Hermione paused. “Very well. Let's get it done with.” She placed him in his cradle against his wishes and he let out a small wail of protest.

With motherly apprehension she watched the witch draw out her wand, murmur a few words and a soft glow appeared briefly around the baby. Hermione picked James up when she was done, his eyes were still the deep blue from at birth.

“They can change back?” Hermione asked.

“Yes, you only need to say the word and I'll reverse the spell.”

Hermione had to do this. James' eyes had slowly been turning the emerald green shade of his father's eyes. Draco need only to take one look at him and know that the child was not his, that it was the True King's. He would murder the child at once.

She took James out with her into the gardens. She had Draco create a nice one for her, the castle was in a dreary gothic style and this place was her own haven. Hermione plucked a flower and sat down on a bench with James in her lap. She twirled the flower slowly back and forth between her thumb and forefinger and James cooed in delight. Hermione smiled and looked out at the view in front of her. To the North was Rowena, to the North was freedom. She had a plan. She would convince her husband to let her go to Rowena on the pretense of wanting to visit her subjects. She would then flee in the middle of the night with the child. She would send word to Jason somehow and have him meet her just outside the city walls. Together they would flee to Hufflepuff. It would be tricky after that, they would be right under Harry's nose and she needed to avoid him. Even though Harry thought that James was Draco's, he was looking like his father more and more every day. Harry would start asking questions if a smaller version of himself was running around Hufflepuff. Hermione didn't know what to do from there, she hadn't planned that far, her main goal was to take James as far away from Draco and the False King.

But how to get a message to Jason?

The answer appeared in front of her. McGonagall was strolling across the courtyard to the castle walls and into the village.

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Chapter Four: Capture the Flag

The half moon was quickly clouded over, plunging the field into near darkness. The stars in the sky twinkled then faded as a cloud passed over them only to shine again when the cloud passed. There was a dim glow of firelight from a couple of tents and the large campfire that was blazing in the middle of it. Six men sat around the fire, lazily drinking mead and feasting on the haunches of an animal that was roasting on a spit. Six dragons were held nearby, the raw meat of sheep was their dinner for the night.

Harry crouched low to the ground as he ran, stopping behind a small hill. Two others shortly followed. Harry peeked over the crest and saw that the men were well occupied as were the dragons. He signaled into the woods behind him, a low hoot of an owl. A group of men came scurrying from the shadows, carrying large bloody bundles. A dragon stopped its feast to lift its nose in the air, the smell of blood was on it and it let out a curious grunt. Harry and another man grabbed a bundle and crept towards the dragons, the others followed in pairs as well. The dragons lifted their heads and watched as the strange beings, that smelled of blood ran amongst them. The men dropped off their bundles into the other carcasses that fed the dragons then quietly crept back into the shadows.

The night watchmen of Arneau Tak paraded along the portcullis, gazing in the distance to the side where the small dragon camp lay, then out to the dark field ahead of them. The half moon and the cloudy night sky was proving to be trying for them. But their confidence against an attack promoted a sense of laziness amongst them. For who would dare attack the fort of Lord Voldemort?

The horizon suddenly seemed to light up with dozens of tiny lights. The night watchmen ran to the balconies, curious.

“What is that?”

“I don't know!”

The lights suddenly seemed to leap in the air and in an arch seemed to head straight for them. At the last minute the men realized that what they were looking at were not tiny lights at all but arrows set aflame.

“ATTACK! We are under attack!”

The whizzing of arrows filled the air before landing inside the fort. The screams of injured men cried out into the night as the arrows made their marks. Soldiers scrambled out of their inaction and readied their posts, coming from different directions in the fort. Another wave of arrows reached them before they could set up their archery squads.

“The dragons!” a man ordered. “Take the dragons to air!”

The steady drumbeat of a battle march could be heard in the distance. An army approached the fort, a large one at that. Men scrambled to unchain the dragons and send them to the air for an aerial assault. They climbed on the backs of the mighty beasts as they snorted and roared, they too felt the excitement of war. With a great whoosh of their leathery wings they took flight and headed for the moving river of the approaching army. The parapets threw their boulders and the dragons swiftly dodged them before they landed inside the moving mass but still they approached. Suddenly, the dragon's wing beats faltered and they made strange gagging sounds. No longer responding to the commands of their riders they began to thrash violently in the air, performing absurd aerial maneuvers before they crashed to the ground.

The dragons no longer a threat, the army marched forward shields up as the arrows flew out of the fort and embedded themselves in them, although a few made their mark. Large fireballs flew into the fort causing large explosions. That was the signal and as the ladders were raised to the forts walls, underneath in a secret tunnel, the second squadron emerged.

The False King's army was ambushed, outnumbered they fell easily and quickly surrendered. They had no choice, the closest army was days away and they could not send word. The flag of the False King was ripped down and in its place was a large crimson one with a gold lion in the middle of it.

~*~

Draco and Hermione sat in the throne room conducting royal business when the doors burst open and a rider for Slytherin came rushing in.

“Forgive me, my King and Queen,” he said as he took off his helmet and knelt to one knee.

“What is the meaning of this?” Draco said angrily and stood abruptly from his throne. Hermione put a calming hand on Draco's forearm, he looked down and visibly relaxed as he sat back down. “What news do you bring that has you rushing in to interrupt the King's business,” she said calmly and kindly.

“Thank you my Queen, may your grace and beauty forever shine on this throne,” the messenger groveled and Hermione sighed wearily and gestured for him to continue with his business. “Arneau Tak has fallen at the hands of Gryffindor a fortnight ago.”

“WHAT?!” Draco roared and stood up. He looked back at Hermione and saw the look of genuine shock on it.

“Good sir,” Hermione stammered. “You must be mistaken. Arneau Tak has been in the hands of the False King for sometime now.”

“There was a great battle. We only received word a few days ago and I was sent to ride here post haste,” the messenger said quickly.

Hermione's left elbow rested on the arm of her throne, her fingers resting on her lips, deep in thought. Harry in Arneau Tak? What was he playing at?

“Arneau Tak?” It was a disbelieving question from the King.

“There's more,” the messenger said nervously.

“More?” Draco said with exasperation.

“His army is rumored to be heading south,” the messenger swallowed, “to Rowena.”

Hermione flew out of her seat. “This is madness,” she said aloud. “Have my ladies pack my things, I am heading to Rowena.”

Draco paced the throne room floor. So, the Gryffindor King wishes to wage a war against Slytherin, Ravenclaw and the Shadowlands. It was time to show the rider that he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Hermione burst into the nursery. “Pack James' things,” she said to his maid then she turned to the witch. “I must speak to you in private.”

She led her into her own chambers and closed the doors. “Ready Jamie,” she said in a low voice. “We leave at midnight.” McGonagall nodded and motioned to leave but Hermione stopped her. “I need your owl.”

McGonagall nodded. “I will send him up to you.”

As her chambermaids packed her and her son's things, Hermione sat down at a writing desk and began to compose one of the most important messages of her life. The snowy white owl that the witch provided her with held out its leg patiently as she tied it on.

“Be quick,” she whispered to the owl. “And be safe.” With its wings spread, the owl flew out of her window and out into the evening sky.

Hermione and the witch planned it perfectly. Selecting two people from the surrounding city and paying them well for their silence. One was a young woman of the queen's build and height, the witch fixed her hair to look like the queen's, even dressing her in the queen's garb. She would be veiled so none could get a good look at her face. An older woman would accompany her, the other one from the city, dressed to look strikingly like the witch. She, too, would be veiled and would be holding a straw bundle in her arms. These two imposters would board the carriage that Draco had ordered and with a heavy entourage, they would make their way to Rowena.

That was the plan for tomorrow, but now at midnight in Slytherin, two cloaked figures crept quietly in the darkness to the gate of the castle. Telling the guards that the queen no longer needed their services, they were able to slip out into the city. The same person that aided the queen earlier with Jason was waiting for them with two horses and let them out past the city gates. Hermione thanked him and dropped another heavy purse filled with gold in his hands. Hermione looked down at the swaddling sling that the witch had made for her, Jamie thankfully still slept and was comfortable and snug.

“He will be safe my Queen,” the witch said. “I put special charms on it that will keep the babe snug while we ride.”

Hermione nodded and closed her cloak around him. She gave a soft click with her tongue and she, James and McGonagall made their ride to the north. To Jason. To freedom.

~*~

Harry walked down a long stone corridor, turned and found he was at a set of stairs. They went up into the darkness where the sound of an infant's cry pierced the silence. For some reason, he knew this sound in his heart. It was his son crying out for him. Harry raced up the stairs, they were never ending and he stumbled with exhaustion. But his son still cried and he kept running.

At last!

He came to a door and burst in. There was a cradle in the middle of the room, draped and adorned in the colors of Gryffindor. He had reached his son. But a terror he had never known crept into his chest and seemed to seize his heart as he watched a serpent slither up the side and hover over his screaming child. He silently pleaded with the snake, take his life, take anything and everything he had. The serpent hissed and Harry watched, paralyzed with horror, as the snake struck his son.

“NOOOOO!!!!” Harry screamed as he sat up in his bed.

A startled Ron jumped away from him. Harry sat there a moment, drenched in sweat and breathing hard.

“Harry,” Ron gasped, Harry had nearly scared the life out of him. “Are you alright?”

Harry got his bearings back and looked at Ron. He said nothing, just jumped out of his bed and put his sword belt on.

“Harry, wait! Where are you going?” he asked as he followed Harry out of his sleeping chamber.

Harry ignored him and kept on walking out of the rooms and into the fort's courtyard where the stables were kept, Ron jabbering on about something the entire way. He stopped suddenly and turned around.

“Where's Hedwig?” he asked.

“That's what I've been trying to tell you!” Ron said exasperatedly. “Jason must've taken her.”

Neville came out of the stables holding the reigns of three horses. “They must have left only a few hours ago, if we leave now we can catch them.”

Harry looked to Ron for an explanation.

“Jason's gone,” Ron said. “And so are the rest of the Slytherin Knights.”

“All of them?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“All of them,” Ron confirmed. The men mounted the horses. “I told you we couldn't trust them. Their loyalties obviously lie elsewhere, for all we know they're off to tell the Slytherin King of our plans.”

“There are twenty of them,” Harry said thoughtfully. “We'll take forty men. We'll leave the rest under the command of Joffrey. We leave now!”

Fifteen minutes later, forty horsemen rode out in the night to hunt down the renegade Slytherin Knights. Harry knew that his plan had been successful in getting Hermione to leave the castle for Rowena. What he miscalculated was Jason's loyalty, the lioness had called for her army. And now, to get to his son, he would have to go through her formidable Knight.

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Chapter Five: All The Queen's Men

The smell of smoke wafted through the air as the sky turned grey with the early dawn. Harry sat upon his horse, Neville and Ron on either side of him at the top of a small hill, looking down at the burning wreck below them.

“Do you think?” Ron whispered. “Do you…”

“There's only one way to find out,” Harry replied and nudged his horse forward.

They had been riding North to Ravenclaw all night, hoping to head Hermione off before she reached the village. The smell hit them a couple of hours ago and since they couldn't see the smoke they followed the trail to the wreckage below. Soldiers slaughtered, the royal carriage bearing the banners of Slytherin smoldering. Ron had turned pale when he saw this, Neville strangely quiet. Harry should've been unnerved by this sight, should've felt the panic deep in his gut but he didn't. He knew Hermione. He remembered the circumstances in which he met her.

Hermione did have the most unusual methods of traveling. And he knew that Hermione and his son were not down there.

What they did find instead were murdered soldiers, a burnt bundle of hay, a murdered older woman and what he assumed was a young woman, Hermione's decoy. Beheaded.

He heard a gagging sound and he turned around to see a young man, barely removed from his mother's apron strings, holding the banner of Gryffindor in one hand, his other trying to stifle the smell of burning human flesh with the other.

“Take him back over the hill,” Harry ordered his men.

“A decoy?” Ron asked, toeing the straw bundle.

Harry nodded.

“She could be in Rowena already,” Neville frowned.

“No, she wouldn't risk that. She's somewhere around Rowena but not in the city itself,” Harry said quietly. He had to think. Who would attack the queen like this? Draco surely wouldn't send for the death of his wife.

Unless he discovered the paternity of the boy.

No, Hermione's decoy had been beheaded and Harry was willing to gamble that the False King had done this. And that her head was currently being transported to the Slytherin King wrapped in the False King's banner. But what were the False King's army doing by Rowena?
As if in answer to his question, a couple of riders came over the hill.

“Your Majesty,” one of them greeted. “There's a small encampment just over the ridge. The False King's banner flies over it.”

“How many?” Harry asked.

“About two thousand men.”

Ron walked up to Harry. “Didn't we pass another encampment on the way here?”

“They're surrounding Rowena,” Harry said grimly. He moved back to his horse and swung himself atop of it. “We leave everything as is,” he ordered, motioning to the burning wreck surrounding him.

Quietly the soldiers rode out quickly and quietly. But they didn't leave the wreckage untouched. They had failed to notice that the young man, who had been so offended by what he had seen had mistakenly dropped something in his haste to leave the scene.

~*~

Hermione cradled James in her arms as he suckled contentedly at her breast, her gaze fixated on the dark window in the room. Minerva sat in a chair by the fire, humming quietly as a pair of needles worked in the air magically, knitting a blanket for the baby. They had made it to a small village on the outskirts of Rowena and had checked into a small and dusty inn as a young mother and grandmother. James finished and Hermione swaddled him and placed him in the middle of the large bed, surrounding him with pillows as his eyelids began to droop over his brilliant green eyes.

“Milady!” Minerva whispered as a tapping was heard against the small window.

The white owl belonging to Minerva fluttered to the ledge. Hermione raced to it and opened the window to let the bird fly in.

“It is time,” she said determinedly.

The women silently gathered their belongings from around the room. Minerva wore the sling and lifted James gently into it as Hermione watching, tying her riding cloak around her.

They slipped out into the darkened corridor, the sounds of the other guests in the inn filtered up to them. Silently they walked down the hall to the servant's door at the end, opening it and quickly making their way down to the kitchen below.

James stirred in his sling as the noisy clang of pots and pans filled the air. Dinner was in full swing and the kitchen was bustling with activity. Curious faces looked up at the two ladies as they passed but no one asked any questions. They didn't have time to stop and chat, the inn was too busy.

Hermione opened the door and stepped out into an alley, the noise from the kitchen penetrating the silence of the night. She drew the hood of the cloak over her head and tighter around her body, glancing back once to check on her baby. Minerva nodded that all was well.

Two women traveling alone in the darkened streets was dangerous and deadly. As they emerged from the alley they heard a quiet hooting sound from her right and with a breath of relief, a familiar figure stepped from the shadows.

“Jason!” Hermione whispered.

His blue eyes lit up at the sight of her and he knelt respectively to one knee. “Milady,” he said.

Hermione flew into his arms, it was so long since she had seen a trusted friend. Jason held her close, knowing it wasn't appropriate for him to do so, knowing that he had to force down those feelings he had for his queen. But he would relish this one moment when she looked at him like he was a king.

“Are you well?” he asked her, breaking the hug and holding her at arms length.

“Yes, yes I am,” Hermione smiled, “But we must leave quickly.”

Jason was accompanied by a few knights and under their protection, Hermione, her son and Minerva made their way through the village undisturbed. They walked a distance away from the village and into some surrounding woods where the horses were tethered. The rest of the knights waited here and dropped to their knees when they saw their queen. Hermione heard a familiar whinny and the beautiful, white horse Hedwig, stamped impatiently for a greeting. Hermione obliged the mare, kissing her velvety nose as Hedwig nudged her.

“How are you girl?” she said quietly to her. “Have you kept your master safe?”

Minerva handed the sling and placed on Hermione who cradled James to her. Jason looked at the bundle in her arms, so small and helpless and unknowing to the fate that hung so heavily above his tiny head. One of the knights held the reigns as he lifted Hermione onto the saddle. With relief, the horse did not protest. It was well known that the horse did not let anyone ride her but the King. It was trouble enough brining the horse this way but Hermione assured him that she could indeed ride the mare. Jason mounted his horse and stood it next to Hermione's.

“Are you sure you're okay to travel?” he asked, nodding to the baby in her arms.

“Yes, we'll be fine,” she answered. Jason nodded then clicked to his steed and the group set off at a steady trot away from the village.

~*~

Draco rode behind the banners that rode ahead of him, spacing himself from them so the dust kicked up by the horses. The smoke rose up in the sky, a white sinewy trail to the heavens. The caravan stopped and Draco dismounted, a knight greeted him on bended knee.

“No one survived, Your Majesty,” he said grimly.

“The queen?” Draco asked. The knight was silent. Draco pursed his lips together. “Show me,” he said stonily.

“Is this wise?” Snape strode up next to him. Draco didn't answer him and instead followed the knight to the burned carriage.

He saw a charred heap of what must have been the witch McGonagall, the queen's companion. Nearby was a blanket covering another body. The knight walked to this and gingerly lifted it. Draco winced. This body was charred as well…and beheaded. Draco nodded and looked up at the sky.

“My son?” he asked.

The knight shook his head. “There is no sign of him,” he said.

Draco pursed his lips together and looked down at his murdered queen. “Who did this?” he asked.

“There were signs of an encampment not far from here but it is abandoned,” the knight said.

Snape who had wandered off to examine the rest of the massacre had returned with something in his hand.

“What is it?' Draco asked as he approached him.

“I found this on the ground,” he said slowly.

Draco took the object from Snape and unfurled it. His lips pursed together in a thin white line of rage. He turned and stormed toward his horse, mounting it. The entourage that accompanied him hustled to their horses to follow the king. Snape caught up with him as they rode to Rowena.

“Do you really think he would've done this?” he asked.

“The man has been angry that she accepted to be my queen. She has refused him countless of times. A jealous lover would go to any extreme,” Draco said absolutely, afterall, he would know.

“What are you going to do?” Snape asked.

“What can I do?” Draco said bitterly. “The man has murdered my queen and stolen my heir.” He looked down at the Gryffindor banner clenched in his fist.

~*~

Jason suddenly came to a halt, bringing the rest of the caravan to a stop. Hermione rode up next to him.

“What is it?” she asked.

He motioned for her to be quiet and listened for a sound Hermione couldn't pick out. “I'll be a moment,” he said, turning his horse around.

“Jason? Jason are we in danger?” she asked, darting a look to Minerva who held her child.

Jason left her side and motioned for a few other knights to follow him as he backtracked over the field and into the forest behind them. Two knights stepped in to take his place next to Hermione. Hedwig tossed her head and pranced nervously.

“It'll be alright, Milady. He's just being cautious,” one of them assured her.

Jason stopped just outside of the woods, peering into the dense forest. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been having for a short while.

The feeling that they were being followed.

He looked to the knights that had accompanied him, they looked back at him for some sort of direction. Jason looked back at the queen, she was well protected. He drew his sword and urged his horse forward slowly with caution.

Harry watched Jason as he stepped into the trees, he watched as he left the two women behind with the other knights. Harry had split his group and sent only a handful into the woods that Jason was walking into. The rest of them waited on the other side of the field in the direction the others were heading toward. He had finally caught up with them earlier in the day and was now trying to cause chaos by separating Jason from the rest of the group. So far it had worked.

Hedwig once again pranced nervously and a feeling of unease settled into Hermione.

“Give James to me,” she said to Minerva who carefully handed the babe over to her.

James fussed in his sling, protesting at being passed around when all he wanted to do was be rocked again. Hermione soothed him then looked around her. Jason had disappeared into the woods but she still had enough riders. Her hands tightened around the reigns.

Jason moved further into the woods, stopping to listen then moving forward again. He had just moved past the thick trunk of a tree when he suddenly felt a blade at his throat and a familiar voice.

“Stop where you are,” Ron said quietly. “Don't move and don't yell.”

He could see that Ron was on his horse. “So, you've been following us.”

“You won't get away with it. The king won't let you,” Ron said.

“And what, exactly, do you think I'm getting away with?” Jason hissed.

“You may have fooled the King with your false loyalty but you haven't fooled me. I will not let you betray him,” Ron said through gritted teeth.

“You're right,” Jason said lightly. “My loyalty does not lie with the King.”

He brought his wrist up and knocked Ron's sword away from him, quickly bringing his own up to block Ron's blow.

Hermione jerked her head up when she heard the shout of men and the faint clinking of swords.

“No,” Harry cursed when he heard the sounds as well. He watched as Hermione kicked into Hedwig and dart off in his direction. He didn't have time to move before Hedwig was upon him, she led Hermione directly to him.

“Harry!?” she said in shock and surprise.

She looked at him on his horse, surrounded by other knights, their swords drawn unprepared for what the Slytherin Knights were going to do. They surrounded the queen and drew their own swords.

“Drop your swords in the name of the Queen!” one of the Slytherin knights ordered.

“Drop yours in the name of the True King!” Neville shouted back.

Harry eyed the bundle in Hermione's arms. His son was with her.

“I do not want any blood shed here today. Please drop your weapons,” Harry said.

Hermione looked around unsure. She didn't want a battle here as well but she had to get past Harry. At that moment, there was a crashing sound behind her and her cousin Ron appeared escorted with more Gryffindor knights in pursuit of Jason and the Slytherin knights that were with him. Jason took one look at the situation, the swords drawn on both sides and he darted to the Queen's side.

“He's a traitor, Harry! You cannot trust him! He admitted that he isn't loyal to you!” Ron accused Jason.

“I know that,” Harry said patiently. He looked at Jason and Hermione. “It is very clear where his loyalty lies.”

“I summoned them to me,” Hermione explained to her cousin and Harry of the Slytherin knights' dissention. “They are to escort me to safe passage.”

“Are you in danger?” Harry asked.

“Let us pass,” Hermione insisted. “Be peaceful, you are in my realm.”

“Unless you are stopping here, the Hufflepuff border is half a day's ride from here. That is where you are headed is it not?” Harry asked, eyebrow raised. Hermione looked away guiltily. The bundle in Hermione's sling moved and he heard a whimper and a chubby fist pop out. Harry so longed to see his son but now was not the time. He moved forward cautiously.

“Hermione, you know you can trust me to take you to safety,” he said in a soft voice, looking at her as if they were the only two people in the woods. “I swear that no harm will come to you…or your child.”

Hermione looked at Harry, the King he had become, the man she loved, the man she risked everything to protect. She had no choice, Harry wouldn't let her go and she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave him now that they had found each other again. But if Harry stayed with her, it was only a matter of time before he quickly discovered that he was James' father.

“Harry, I can't.”

But it was a weak protest. She cursed to herself for her heart betraying her, longing to reach out and hold Harry in her arms once more.

“You know you don't really have a choice,” he said softly. “The True King demands it.”

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Chapter Six: A King's Demand

They made camp just inside the borders of Hufflepuff, stopping only once midday where Hermione slipped away to feed the baby. Harry once again fought down the urge to talk to her, there would be a time and a place. He felt a bit left out, Ron, her cousin, kept her occupied with news of the family and he didn't feel it was his place to interrupt.

Hermione sat back as Jason and a few of the Slytherin knights set her tent, so graciously donated by the True King. Hermione looked over at Harry, so different from the last time she saw him but still the same. He stood with Ronald and Neville overseeing the progress of their camp, so in command of everything, so confident in his men. He had grown into his title as a king. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up at her and she rewarded him with a small smile.

The tent was large enough for beds for Hermione and Minerva and a cradle for James. Rugs lined the floor of it to keep out the coldness from the ground. Ron was playing with James who was laughing and gurgling.

“I'm sorry I missed your wedding,” Hermione said quietly. Ron was hiding behind his hands then reappearing to James' delight. He looked up at her, a dark look fell across his face.

“Yeah, I know you couldn't come.”

She went to him and placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I meant it Ron. I would've loved to come but…it was…”

“He wouldn't let you come,” Ron finished for her and got to his feet. “I know, Hermione,” he repeated. She opened her mouth to say something but he held up a hand to stop her. “Why, Hermione?” he asked, grabbing her hand. “Why did you marry that bastard?”

“I had to, Ron,” she said.

“No, he forced you into it!” he whispered harshly.

“You don't understand.”

“You're right, I don't,” he muttered. He sat back down in front of James, who had taken his thumb in his chubby little fist. There was something so familiar about the child but he brushed it off as looking like his cousin.

“The frustrating thing is,” he sighed heavily, “if you only waited a few weeks more, if you held him off long enough to wait…you could've been queen of Gryffindor.” He looked up at her as he said this but was shocked to see the hardened look on his cousin's face.

“Ron, you must never repeat that again,” she said fiercely. “The wrong ears could hear.”

“So what?” he replied. “He was a king all along, Hermione. Why didn't you marry him? You loved him and he loves you!”

“Ronald!” Hermione hissed. She made a move to silence him with her hand but he knocked it away.

“You belong together!”

She looked at him stonily. “Harry and I can never be. I married Draco, the Slytherin king is my husband,” she said sternly.

“A greedy husband who coerced you into marriage so he could have Ravenclaw under his thumb,” Hermione looked away and Ron began to raise his voice. “A greedy king who made a pact with the devil himself! A greedy king who couldn't wait to take you to the marriage bed! And you willingly parted your legs for him to give him an heir to the throne!”

They heard the sound of the blade being drawn but before Ron could turn his head, he felt the cold steel pressed against his neck.

“Jason!” Hermione gasped.

Jason's voice was cool and even. “The penalty is death for a loose tongue against the queen.”

“Call off your dog,” Ron said through clenched teeth.

Hermione put a hand gently on Jason's arm and he lowered his sword. “He was only speaking the truth,” she said in a quiet voice to Jason. And for a brief second, Ron saw a flash of sadness in his cousin's eyes but it was quickly replaced by a stony look. “Let us go, Jason,” she said. “The babe is in good hands.”

The two of them turned and left the tent, Ron followed to the flap and watched them. He watched as Jason effortlessly lifted Hermione onto her horse. He left his spot and walked back to the cradle and sat down. He wondered what had happened to Hermione, the carefree girl she had once been who shared all her secrets with him. The girl who fell in love with a rider, risked everything for his love only to betray him in the end to marry a king? That girl was now replaced with a woman who held deep secrets, the cheery disposition was iced over and whatever love she had for her husband was tainted by the lover she had taken before the marriage bed could even be warmed…or so people said. And so did the hefty ransom on Jason's head.

A shadow fell across the floor and Ron looked up to see Harry standing at the entrance of the tent.

“Where's Hermione?” he asked, his eyes on the cradle.

“Out with her lover,” Ron muttered without thinking, he instantly regretted it. “I'm sorry,” he said hastily but Harry didn't seem to notice. He nodded absently as he watched James wriggle in his cradle.

Harry shook his head. “Right, um, Neville wanted to speak with you. He's waiting for you on the other side of the camp.”

Ron rose to his feet to leave but then he hesitated. “Perhaps, I summon for McGonagall,” he said.

“No, go ahead and go. I'll watch him,” Harry waived his friend away but Ron held his ground. “What?” Harry asked him.

He shifted uncomfortably as if he didn't want to say what he was about to say. “I…I think it would be best if I stayed.”

“Why?” Harry asked, frowning.

“Harry, your adversary's only son and heir in your care makes me a little nervous. He can't help his father but his mother is still my cousin.”

Harry looked genuinely hurt. “Ron, I wouldn't dare harm this child.”

Ron felt foolish and flushed to the roots of his hair. “Of course! I was just…I…uh, I'll be back.” He hastily made his way out but Harry stopped him one more time.

“What's his name?” Harry asked, his green eyes were bright.

“Huh? Oh, James,” Ron answered. “His name is James Edward.” A strange expression passed over his friend's face. It suddenly dawned on him that James had green eyes and so did Harry. “He, uh, he likes it when you hide behind your hands then reappear.” He offered then left the tent.

Finally!

He had waited so long for the opportunity to be with his son. He looked down at the infant who looked back at him with bright trusting eyes.

Green eyes.

Harry chuckled to himself. No wonder Hermione wouldn't let anyone near the child, it only took one close look to see that there was no sign of Draco in him. He also had a deeper understanding of why she fled Slytherin, Draco would have discovered the truth.

Harry hid behind his hands then peeked out from behind them, making James squirm and smile. He repeated this action a few more times happy to make the child smile.

“Do you know who I am, James?” he asked softly. James blinked up at him. “I'm your father.”

James cooed at him and reached out with a tiny hand. Harry offered a finger. “It's a pleasure to meet you,” he whispered. “My name is Harry.”

An odd urge came over him, driven by instinct and he reached down and carefully lifted James out of his cradle and held him snugly in his arms. Feeling his son's warm little body close to his struck a chord deep within him and it frightened him how strongly he felt the bond with his child. He would cut off his own limbs rather than see his son suffer, he would gladly give up his own life to save his.

Feeling content and safe in his father's arms, James gave a great yawn, declaring that he would now rest. Harry watched him close his eyes slowly, his perfect tiny dark fluttered closed, his perfect little mouth gave a slight smile as he dreamed whatever pleasant little dreams babies had. Harry wondered if his own father had felt like this for him. He probably did, he gave his life for him. And Harry knew at that moment, that if Voldemort himself came after his son he would gladly do the same thing to save his son.

“Ron, you can…” Hermione came into the tent then stopped in her tracks at the sight before her. Harry could see the sudden fear in her eyes, hell, he could smell it.

“Tie the flaps together, Hermione. We need to talk,” he whispered softly.

She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off with a sharp look. She obediently complied and turned to tie the flaps to the entrance to the tent together. Harry gently placed a sleeping James back in the cradle. He then stood up to face her. She opened her mouth to speak but Harry held up his hand.

“I will ask the questions,” he said. “The only time you will speak is to give the answers.” Hermione nodded. “Well, lets just get down to it. He's mine, I know he is, do you deny it?”

“No.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“You know why.”

He reached her in two strides, his finger pointing accusingly at her. “Don't play coy with me,” he snarled. “You could've left Malfoy, we could've raised our son together!”

“And then what, Harry? Have the False King at our heels, live with the constant fear of his life?”

“But you would have Draco believe that he was his?! You would've let Draco raise my son?”

“I thought it was best at the time,” she defended herself.

“Best?!” Harry whispered fiercely.

“Harry, I had to disguise him as Draco's son! The False King wouldn't have paid him any attention! His life wouldn't be threatened!”

“Then, why did you flee?” he snarled. Hermione looked away. “Couldn't keep a glamour charm on him, could you?” he answered his own question.

“Minerva was going to take him to a small village in the southern part of Hufflepuff,” she said. “Your lands are safe and she would raise him until his life was no longer threatened. Jason was to escort us and give us safe passage but you intercepted us.”

Harry scoffed and walked away from her. “My own son would grow up right under my nose, in my own lands,” he shook his head.

“Harry, I'm so sorry,” her voice shook with the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. “I was only trying to do what was best.”

“Did you think it was best to go through your pregnancy alone? Did you think it was best to have him raised by that arrogant prat? Did you think it was best to hide him from his own true father?” Harry fired his questions at her, trying to hurt her so he would feel better but it was only making him feel worse. Hermione was crumbling under his assault and he couldn't stop himself. “Tell me Hermione, is this whole story an excuse to hide the disappointment in who his father is?”

Hermione's heart broke. “I called out for you in the birth! I desperately wanted you by my side but I knew that you couldn't be. I married Draco to protect you! To protect the product of our love. I would rather die than see our child hunted down by the False King! But I left Draco because I realized I didn't want our son growing up thinking that foul man was his father. I fled here because maybe somewhere deep down I was desperately hoping you would catch me. And that you would take one look at him and see that he is your son.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks and Harry had to fight to swallow the lump in his own throat. “But what use would it do?” Hermione sank to the soft rugs. “Yes, he is your son, Harry. Conceived the night we bound ourselves together. But the truth of it is, that he's your bastard and he can't inherit your throne. You're the True King. You will marry a young lady and make her your Queen and she will bear you your true sons. Oh, I've been such a fool!”

Harry went to her, sank to the floor and cradled her head in his hands. He brushed her tears away with his thumbs. “Hermione,” he whispered softly, “don't you know that there can only be one queen for me?”

He bent down and kissed her lips softly, tasting the salt of her tears, feeling their wetness on her cheeks. She opened up to him, clutching him to her as they deepened the kiss. He had not forgotten the way she tasted and he reveled in this moment. She had not forgotten either, the softness of his mouth in contrast to the roughness of his stubble against her chin.

He lowered her on the rugs, feeling the soft curves of her body beneath him. Hermione had almost forgotten what this desire felt like, how long had it been since her body had been awakened like this? Her hands wandered over him, feeling the evidence of his arousal for her. He pressed himself against her but he felt her flinch. Abruptly he stopped.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she breathed but he could see that she was lying. “Harry…stop…no.”

He had moved off of her and lifted her skirts, brushing away her fighting hands until they were bunched to her thighs. He looked at her.

“Did he do this to you?” he demanded.

The inside of her thighs held the evidence of bruises that were fading. He placed his hand gently on one set and was dismayed to see that they matched where his fingertips rested. She pulled down her skirts and hastily scrambled away from him.

“He can be a little rough,” she said quietly. “I used to struggle but I stopped when I found that it only aroused him further.”

Harry muttered a curse. He was dead. Draco was a dead man.

“I would never treat you like this,” he said softly but determinedly.

“I know, Harry. I remember you were a gentle lover,” she said.

He went to her again, undoing the ties on her dress. “Then let me remind you of just how gentle a lover I can be,” he whispered as he pulled the dress down over her shoulders, kissing the exposed skin.

She settled back against the rugs, as Harry undressed himself. “We can't have another child,” she said as he settled between her thighs. Harry groaned as he entered her, remembering her familiar warmth.

“We won't,” he whispered in her ear.

He moved himself within her, trying to be gentle with her but he still felt her flinch once in awhile. But, soon, Hermione didn't care anymore, she wanted him, she hungered for him and their lovemaking grew feverish. She held him close to her and gently bit into his shoulder to suppress the cry of her release. Harry pulled out of her and kissed her hard to suppress his own groan as he released himself into his hand.

The lovers moved to the bed, wrapping themselves in a blanket as it grew dark around them. The tent was softly lit by the large fire and the air was filled with the camfire chatter of the men. Harry pulled Hermione closer to him, kissing her bare shoulder as she slept.

He could hear some of the men singing a song they had heard in the inns they had stayed at. A song about him, Harry, the True King. Just and loyal, honest and fair. He wondered what the men would think of him if they knew of the thoughts that were running through his head now. Thoughts a just and loyal King shouldn't have. Thoughts of murdering another King. Murdering a man just to steal his wife.

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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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Chapter Eight: The Choices We Make

Ronald watched his mother and wife coo over the babe, their high-pitched voices grating irritatingly in his head as they talk gibberish. James did not seem to mind in the least, he laughed and gurgled in their arms.

Baby James.

Baby James with beautiful green eyes.

Very familiar green eyes and he wondered why no one else could see this. Perhaps they did and politely made no comment on it. It was very obvious whose eyes they looked like, obvious even to a Slytherin King? So obvious that it would make the Queen flee with her child. He knew his cousin and the True King were in love with each other, that they belonged together but now he wondered just how far their love had taken them.

His cousin was rumored to already have been plucked before the marriage bed and that Jason was accused of this. Now he wondered if there was someone before Jason, a very certain someone.

This made him angry.

If Harry had taken his cousin to bed, why oh why, did he allow her to marry that Slytherin? Did she consent because she was with child and needed a father?

“Ronald?” his wife's concerned voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up at her. His face must have expressed the anger he was feeling.

“Forgive me,” he grumbled as he got out of the chair he was sitting in. “I'll see you at the evening feast.”

He made his way across the village to the Great Hall, its grey towers rising above it. The dogs barked in the courtyard as he walked briskly, ignoring the calls of the other knights. He found Harry parrying with Neville, laughing good-naturedly.

“Hello Ron!” He called out cheerfully to him. “How is your lovely family…today.” Harry's warm greeting faded at the look on his friend's face.

“May I speak to you in private?” Ron asked him.

“Of course,” Harry replied. He motioned to Neville that he would leave and walked back into the Great Hall, leading Ron to one of the smaller rooms off to the side. “What is it?” he asked when he shut the door.

Ron paced around the room, rubbing his jaw irritatingly. “He's yours, isn't he?” he asked quietly.

Harry blinked. “What are you talking about?” Harry said in a low and dangerous voice.

Ron stopped pacing and looked directly at him. “I'm no fool and neither is the Slytherin King,” he said. “She fled because the boy isn't his, he's yours.” Harry said nothing and placed his hands on the back of a chair.

Ron continued. “Dammit, Harry, you bedded her! You bedded her and for what? So she can flee her snake of a husband with a bastard in her arms?”

Harry's grip on the back of the chair tightened and he flung it across the room. “That's NOT how it happened!” he roared. He reached Ron in two strides and shoved him against the wall.

“That's exactly what happened!” Ron countered. “You could've married her!”

“It was her decision to marry that…that,” Harry was becoming flustered.

“You could've stopped it! We could've ridden back that night!”

Harry released Ron. “And then what? Voldemort would've murdered her.”

“Malfoy will kill her when he finds out that she has given him a bastard son,” Ron said seriously.

Harry stepped away and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Stop calling him that.”

“It's what he is Harry,” Ron said patiently. “What did you think was going to happen? Voldemort will kill him when he finds out. You can't put him on the throne.” He shook his head sadly. “You can't have Hermione. You two made sure that you could never be together when she married the Slytherin King.”

Harry sighed. “She did it for me.”

Ron placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. “He will send for her and she'll have no choice but to return. She can't take James and she will have to make her excuses. But it won't matter, he will want an heir to his throne just as you would want one. Sacrifice or not, she will have to give him a son.”

“That's enough, Ron.”

The men abruptly turned to find Hermione in the doorway, her cold gaze fell upon the men. She glided into the room, the silver crown gleamed atop her head.

“Leave us,” she said quietly.

Ron gave a glance to Harry who nodded then took his leave of the room, for the first time in his life, fearing his cousin.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other for a long time, neither of them speaking.

“How much did you hear?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Enough to know that there is some truth in what he says, even if it was said a bit bluntly.”

He sighed. “I really wonder if we made the right choices. Not a day goes by that I don't regret not riding to Slytherin to take you away that night. You freed me, I should've freed you.”

She walked up to him and brushed her fingers lightly over his hair. “You need Slytherin to defeat Voldemort, you know you do and I am the one to convince my husband of that.”

“Stop calling him that,” Harry turned away from her.

“Harry…”

“NO!” he turned angrily toward her. “I will never, never call him that and you cannot expect me to accept it. In my eyes and heart you do not belong to him, you belong with me. You bound yourself to me,” his voice was full of anguish and grief. “Don't you feel it? The feeling of being lost, of being incomplete?”

“Of course I do.”

“I'm going to ask this of you only because taking action against you would only push you further from me,” Harry began. “Stay.”

She sighed. “You know I can't.”

“Then let James stay, let me see my son grow,” he pleaded. “Make the excuse that he should stay with family, with Molly, Luna, Ginny and Ron.”

“Harry…”

He reached her and held her close to him, cradling her head in his hands. “Let me keep something of you if I can't have you,” he whispered, kissing her lips. He pressed her close to him, softening her will. He gently lifted her crown off of her head.

“Oh, Harry,” she whispered sadly.

He backed her against the heavy wooden door, reaching around her and setting its lock in place. He kissed her passionately, his hands caressing her breasts over dress, listening to her erratic breathing. He lifted her skirts so he could wrap her thighs around his waist, pressing his hardness against her, letting her feel his passion for her.

He carried her to the table in the middle of the room and set her upon it. She lay down as Harry climbed on top of her.

“Promise me,” he whispered when he entered her. Hermione already knew her answer before he even asked it of her. She arched her back as he filled her, pleasantly stretching her.

“Yes,” she whispered as she grasped him. “Yes.”

And he made love to her, slow and passionate. Kissing the salty sweat of her skin, pushing the tendrils that clung to her forehead off of her face. And for the first time, Harry willingly and knowingly broke a promise he had made to Hermione. He held her hands above her head as he spilled his seed inside her. Willing and silently praying to whatever merciful gods out there that it would quicken within her.

She would not give the Slytherin King an heir.

~*~

Harry's illusion that Malfoy would not reach out and ruin his little fanstasy was shattered that very evening at the feast. He presided at his table, laughing at the tales his knights spoke of. Dumbledore and Sirius sat on either side of him, his true love only one seat away laughing and smiling.

Jason entered the room and hastily made his way over to her, bending over to whisper something in her ear. Harry watched as Hermione visibly paled. Whatever news Jason had brought her had not been pleasant and she took a long drink out of her wine goblet as Jason moved across the room.

Harry leaned over Sirius to question Hermione but his attention was quickly taken by a group of knights entering the chamber, Gryffindor flags mixed with the banner of Slytherin.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sirius stood.

“We found them outside of our borders. This one claims to have a message for his Grace,” one of the knights spoke up and the group departed briefly to bring forth a very tall and wide knight with a frighteningly scarred face.

“I do have a message for the…King of Gryffindor,” he spoke, his voice was rough and matched his demeanor.

“Speak then,” Harry said with authority.

“His royal majesty the King of Slytherin, expresses the joy that his wife and child are indeed safe and unharmed. Though the Queen is here on a mission to negotiate peace, His Majesty sent me to ensure the Queen's safety as her escort.”

Harry heard Hermione's quiet but derisive sniff. “Very well,” he said and gestured to an empty seat across the room. “Please join us for a peaceful dinner.”

The knight smirked at him and purposefully strode toward Hermione, taking the empty seat next to her. Hermione stood up abruptly causing the men at the table to do the same.

“Forgive me your Grace,” she said to Harry, “but I feel that I do not have an appetite after all.” She took her leave of the table, the large knight following her.

She stormed through the halls, Cragen close to her heels. “Please do not bother escorting me to my room, I can guarantee you that I am quite safe in these halls,” she said roughly.

“Forgive me my Queen,” Cragen's voice was cool. “But I am under strict orders to oversee your safety.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, it was not her safety that Draco was concerned with, it was the exclusiveness of the marriage bed. Hermione grinned inwardly at the mental image of what Draco would do if he knew just how often it was violated by the Gryffindor King.

“It is the nature of a dog to obey, I suppose,” she said lazily. She opened the door to her chambers but Cragen slammed it shut, Hermione glared up at him.

“Dog or not, I do obey the King,” he leaned in close to her. “I will watch every move you make, walk in your shadow, never leave your side. I am loyal to my King and unlike some Knights I will not be swayed by whatever…charms you possess.” His eyes wandered over her as he said this last part. Hermione stood her ground.

Cragen opened her door, “Good night, my Queen.”

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Chapter Nine: Hostage

“This…this is not good,” Ron muttered. Harry paced back and forth in front of his throne. The large seat that was gilded in gold with plush red velvet cushions and two golden lions at each side.

“We have to separate them,” Sirius said in agreement. “You have a group of knights here sent by the Slytherin king mixing with former Slytherin knights that have deflected to pledge fealty to you.”

“Insults have already been thrown,” Ron said.

“Not to mention the fact that every single one of them is chomping at the bit for a chance to bring Jason's head to their king,” Sirius added.

Harry didn't want to be dealing with this right now, he wanted to be upstairs with Hermione who left the dinner abruptly when that large knight sat next to her.

“It is imperative, Harry, that no blood between the two be shed,” Dumbledore wisely advised. “We are on the brink of war with Slytherin. Slytherin blood spilt by Gryffindor or vice versa would give either side an excuse to war. You must keep the peace.”

“What am I to do?” Harry asked.

“Agree to the Slytherin terms, it's the only diplomatic thing to do,” Remus replied.

“And have Hermione held hostage here?” Harry shot back.

“Those knights were sent to keep her from being a hostage here,” Sirius said.

“To keep…what?” Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wouldn't dare keep Hermione as a hostage here.

“Harry, she is the Slytherin Queen,” Sirius said gravely.

Harry hung his head in defeat. “Very well,” he sighed. “I agree to the terms. Hermione is to be under the surveillance of her knights, who from here on until they leave Gryffindor are under the protection of the me, the King.” Remus was scratching his words down on a piece of parchment and Harry turned to him. He took the quill and signed his name, “Post this around the castle and village.” He turned to Neville and Ron. “House the knights in separate quarters from us, preferably near the stables.”

Harry was tired and dragged himself to his chambers. Two of his own guard stood outside the doors and bowed to him as he entered his room. His page was there to ready him for bed, a washbasin of clean water was already ready for him.

“Will Milord need anything else?” the young boy asked.

“No,” Harry said absently. “You're dismissed.” The boy left his room to lay his head down wherever it was he lay his head.

He needed Hermione tonight, he needed to know that she was alright. He went to a large tapestry in his room, pulled it back and pushed against the brick. It gave way to a passage but he jumped in surprise when he found Hermione on the other side. She gave a startled cry but held a hand up to her mouth to smother it.

“You scared me!” Harry said quietly, stepping back to let Hermione into his room. She had her night robes on, the cream colored ones with gold trim and thin gold embroidery at her slim waist. Her cinnamon colored curls fell softly around her shoulders and down her back. She looked lovely and he felt his lust building for her as he leaned in to capture her lips.

“No,” she said sternly. Her hand stopped him as it rested on his chest.

“No?” Harry asked, a little unsure.

“After what you did this afternoon do you honestly think I'll allow you back in my bed?” she hissed.

“What I did?” Harry asked innocently knowing full well what she meant.

“You promised me! You swore that you wouldn't finish inside me! I cannot bear you another child! I cannot risk it!”

“Hermione…”

“No, Harry,” she said firmly. “Not anymore, we cannot share each other's beds.”

“Are you doing this because of that knight?” he asked.

“Harry, we've been living this wonderful dream but that's all it is. It ends now,” she had tears in her eyes and Harry moved to hold her but she stepped away from him. “No, Harry. Please don't,” she pleaded as the tears fell down her face. “I couldn't bear it if you held me once more.” She moved back into the passageway and closed it behind her.

Harry stood there in shock for a moment then he picked up a goblet nearby and threw it against the wall where it shattered. He flopped down onto his bed, it was cold and empty without her by his side. He closed his eyes and imagined what it felt like to have her next to him, his face buried in her hair, her warm body snuggled against his. His heart ached for her, longed for her. But he wouldn't dare go to her tonight, she just needed her space and time. The knights showing up here had been quite a shock for her but she would return to him eventually.

But she didn't the next night.

Or the night after that.

~*~

Snape reluctantly knocked on the door of the King's chambers. He didn't want to go in there and disturb the King at a time like this but he insisted to be notified as soon as he received any word from Gryffindor.

“What is it?” the King shouted.

Snape opened the door to find the King taking his pleasure between the legs of a pretty blond wench from the kitchens. He averted his eyes.

“Word from Hogsmeade has just arrived for you, Milord,” Snape said.

“Yes? And what did Cragen say?” Draco didn't stop what he was doing to the wench.

“It, uh, is not from Cragen. It is from the Queen,” Snape replied.

Draco's head snapped up and he stopped his motions. “Hermione?” he asked with genuine concern. He moved off of the young woman and tossed her drab dress at her. “Get out of my sight,” he said roughly to her and the young woman ran sobbing from the room with reproach, her dress clutched at her body.

“What did say?” Draco asked as he pulled up his breeches. “Is she well?”

“I did not read it, Milord. As soon as I received it I came here to you,” Snape answered.

Draco snatched the parchment from him. “As rightly you should,” he said briskly.

Dearest Husband, My King,

I am most impressed by the small garrison you have sent to escort me while I am here on my diplomatic mission for peace. If it please you, the Gryffindor King does accept the terms on which they are brought here and their duties. But come now, let us be honest with each other, they are here to guard more than just me. I have half a mind to assign my own garrison to watch over your bed as well. But I can honestly tell you that I only willingly part my legs for one man only.

With Adoration,

Your Loving Wife

Draco laughed after he read the letter and then tossed it into the roaring fire in the fireplace in his room. He looked back at Snape, amusement and adoration for his wife in his eyes.

“Write to my Queen, tell her to be quick with her peace talks and then come back. Her husband misses her presence greatly.”

~*~

“I can't believe you are asking this of me,” Hermione said harshly. “This has nothing to do with me.”

The three men who loomed above her looking just as uncomfortable as she did.

“With all due respect, Hermione,” Ron said tentatively. “This has everything to do with you.” Hermione looked away from him.

“We think you are the only one who can convince him of this,” Sirius said.

“He'll listen to you, he'll heed your counsel,” Remus added.

“Very well, I'll think on it,” she said snappishly. “Now, please leave me in peace.”

The men nodded and left her alone with her thoughts, well almost alone, Cragen lingered by the door. Hermione shook her head and rejoined the ladies who had come to pay her court. Luna and Ginny sat nearest to her to work on a new quilt to present to the King, a harpist sang in one corner singing songs of brave knights and their ladies. Hermione's eyes skimmed over the other ladies in the room. How could she choose? But even as she asked that question she knew the answer.

Cho Chang sat in the corner with her usual group of companions laughing at the juggler. She wore a gown of pale blue and cream, her beautiful long hair fell straight down to the middle of her back.

Her, she had to be the one.

Hermione looked away to keep the tears from building in her eyes. The doors opened and the serving maids came in with refreshments for the court.

“A cream for the Queen?” one of them asked Hermione in a strange voice. Hermione turned around and nearly squeaked in shock. She would recognize those blue eyes anywhere, despite the cap on his head and the horrible dress he was wearing. Hermione couldn't answer him, she was afraid she would burst out laughing if she opened her mouth.

“I heard the Queen was displeased about the state of her room?” the strange maid said.

Hermione caught on and did her best to keep a straight face. “Yes, if you would please come with me.” She stood and led the woman to her room.

She closed the door behind her and leaned back against them. “I must say that color looks absolutely horrid on you,” she giggled.

Jason scowled at her and took off his cap. “It was the only thing I could find in a hurry.”

Hermione walked over to him and reached into his dress pulling out some bunched up rags. Jason snatched them back from her and stepped away, clutching his chest.

“My Queen!” he said in a scandalized voice. Hermione let out a genuine laugh. Jason moved to her and put his hand on her mouth. “Shh,” he said and they stood silent for a moment. The sounds in the other room were loud enough to cover her laugh.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Jason grumbled as he moved his hand away from her. “How are you faring?”

“Better now that I've been given a true laugh.” She shook her head. “Jason, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you, any one of those knights would love to send you to the King.”

“I needed to see that you were faring well under the watch of that…that man,” Jason said irritatingly.

“Jason, I know there is no good blood between the two of you but you must stay away from that man,” Hermione cautioned.

“The tournament is in a few days time and I have half a mind to enter my name next to his.”

“No! No, Jason you mustn't! Swear to me you won't!”

Jason looked down at the frightened face of his Queen, realizing that they hadn't moved away from each other and that her hand was gripped on his arm. It was at that moment that Hermione knew that she did love Jason, not as much as she loved her Harry, but enough to hold a place in her heart. This brave knight who would risk anything for her and she would risk anything for him. A true and trusted friend.

But it was Harry that she loved more.

They moved away from each other. “Has he sent any messages to my husband?” she asked.

“One,” he answered. “I shot it down. It was nothing but announcing his arrival here.”

Hermione paced the room. “I've already sent a letter to my husband about his knights so that has been confirmed by me. But I want all correspondence shot down. No letter is to reach my husband without coming through me first.”

“I have men already stationed in the forests.”

“I want to know what those knights are doing, where they sleep, where they dine, what they are doing while on these grounds.”

Jason grinned. “Already one step ahead of you my Queen.”

Harry walked into the Queen's rooms to see her courtiers laughing and talking. They immediately stopped what they were doing to kneel respectfully. Harry had just noted that Hermione wasn't in the room when her bedroom door opened.

“And I want these changes done immediately,” she was saying to a maid. She stopped and looked up at Harry and the maid did the same but quickly ducked her head. But Harry had immediately recognized Jason. The “maid” hustled from her side and hastily left the room. Harry watched him retreat then turned back to Hermione, surprise on his face.

“Your Grace,” Hermione recovered. “What brings you here?”

“I was hoping to hold court with you,” he answered as Hermione moved to sit down.

“Of course,” she said, “you need not ask. This is your court after all.”

Ronald, Neville, Remus and Sirius were with him and they exchange looks of meaning with her. She nodded slightly then cleared her throat.

“I was…if it would please you Your Grace,” she turned to Harry as he sat next to her. “I am requesting an extra setting at your table.”

A wry grin grew across his face. “Shall I presume it to be for one of my knights?”

Hermione licked her lips nervously. “For Lady Chang, Milord.”

Harry's features grew dark and hard. “Leave us!” he said roughly to the court.

The room came to a stop, wondering if they heard the King correctly but as they saw the look of quiet anger on his face they scrambled hastily from the room leaving Cragen and Harry's companions. Harry got to his feet.

“I assume this is your idea?” he said to Sirius and Remus, circling them.

“The land is at war, the people are united and love their King and they would love for them to have a Queen,” Sirius said. “Having her here reminds them of something they long for.” Harry looked sharply at Hermione who didn't dare meet his gaze.

“Uniting the kingdom would be for nothing if there is no one to pass the throne to,” Remus added. “Make the people believe their sacrifice is worth something.”

Hermione found the courage to speak. “You loved her once, you can love her again.”

~*~

Dinner that night had the finest foods but Hermione couldn't bear to eat it. Something violent wanted to jump out of her throat and she was barely keeping the tears from spilling from her eyes. Lady Cho Chang sat next to the King, laughing and dining happily. Hermione wanted to rip her throat out. She mentally scolded herself, saying that it wasn't right for her to jealous of Lady Chang. Harry needed a Queen and an heir to his throne.

Harry could see that Hermione wasn't eating, not that he was either. He was polite to Lady Chang and held conversation with her. There was already a murmur of talk when she came into the dining hall on his arm and took a place by his side. But it was Hermione that he desperately wanted. He kept gazing at her from time to time only to have her look quickly away from him.

That night she was grateful for dinner to be over and excused herself quickly. She sought solace in her room, Cragen sat outside her door. Her maid had dressed her in her red night robes and brushed her hair out. Hermione gazed into the fire, the anguish and pain filling her. It was long into the night and she couldn't sleep and couldn't rest. She moved to the tapestry and opened the passageway.

Why was she doing this to herself?

She gave a pause at the other door, the door to Harry's room. What if Cho was in there? What if she walked in and saw them together in the most intimate of ways? Did she want to do this? She summoned her bravery and walked into the room.

Harry was sitting in front of the fire, his page had long left him. He saw a movement from the corner of his eye and looked up to see Hermione in her flowing red robes.

“Why do I do this to myself?” she asked.

Harry reached for her and she slid her hand into his. He pulled her down on the rug with him, laying her down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

“The same reason I do,” he whispered as he reached for the knot of her robe.

~*~

The morning was cool and crisp as the maid put some linen in her basket to hang and dry. She walked briskly across the dew tipped grass to hang them. She hummed a little tune as she did her work and didn't hear the person come up from behind. She gasped when his hands went around her throat.

“Are you ready for my morning report?” he hissed in her ear.

The terrified maid gasped and shuddered. “Her bed last night…” she trembled.

“What of it?” the man said silkily in her ear.

“It…it wasn't slept in.” The maid felt him release her and she spun around to find he was gone.

Cragen stepped into the courtyard and met with another one of his knights. “She has a lover,” Cragen grumbled to him.

-->

Chapter Ten: Tension

Harry sat on his throne and listened to the irritated Slytherin knight. His sword was held out in front of him, point down and he was spinning it lazily.

“For the good of our kingdom, I am requesting fresh horses to escort the Queen back to Rowena,” Cragen said.

Harry looked at the man. “Why?” he asked.

“Treason against our King,” the knight answered.

Harry grabbed the sword by the hilt, stopping its momentum. “Treason?”

“While in the company of your court, she has taken a lover,” Cragen explained. Harry raised his eyebrows in a gesture of further explanation. “It is no secret across this land that Jason is the Queen's lover and yet, here they are reunited under your crown.”

“And how do you know that she has taken him again as a lover?” Harry asked.

“I have my ways,” Cragen answered.

Harry began to spin the sword again. “Let me remind you that you are here only to protect the Queen but you are still in my realm.”

Cragen looked as if Harry had fed him something unpleasant. “I have a maid checking her bedsheets every morning. They were not slept in a few nights ago.”

Harry eyed the knight. He was checking Hermione's bedsheets every morning? “So…you wish for me to release the Queen from her duties here and have her return to Rowena where she will be tried for treason by your King?”

“Yes,” Cragen answered.

“No,” Harry replied. The knight looked angered. “I will not send the Queen back under false accusations. I can assure you that the Queen has not taken Jason to her bed. Jason has not been in the castle for some time, he is out scouting. And as for the Queen's absence, are you aware that she has family in Hogsmeade and that she and the babe sometimes stay the night there?”

Cragen shifted uncomfortably. “No.”

“Well, we can just ask the Queen herself,” Harry said. “Send for the Queen,” Harry ordered one of the pages. He and Cragen were left with an uncomfortable silence until Harry broke it.

“Has she bled?” he asked.

“What?” Cragen asked puzzled.

“The Queen. If you are checking her bedsheets, I'm asking you if she has bled yet?”

Cragen looked completely thrown by this question. “N-No, she hasn't.” Harry nodded.

Hermione entered the room wearing a blue gown with silver trim, the sleeves began just over her shoulders revealing her smooth skin. Her eyes briefly reflected the love she had for Harry before quickly evaporating when she saw Cragen with him. Cragen immediately lowered to one knee.

“This is most awkward,” Harry said apologetically, “but Cragen here believes that you have taken a lover again in my knight, Jason.” Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at the knight.

“Jason has been out scouting these past few days,” she said.

“I informed him of how you stay with your aunt and uncle some nights.”

Hermione smirked. “Is that all?”

“He wishes to send you back to Rowena to be tried for treason against the king,” Harry shrugged indifferently.

“Does he?” Hermione walked over to the knight and placed a hand on his shoulder as he still knelt.

“You are betraying your king!” Cragen said roughly to Hermione. Harry palmed the hilt of his sword.

“Go ahead and tell him, Cragen,” Hermione said in a calm voice with an undertone of poisoned honey. “Tell him that I have taken a lover and I'll claim that it is you.” Her hand ran through his hair gently.

“He wouldn't believe it,” Cragen replied belligerently.

“Wouldn't he? I'll deny any accusation you make against me. Who will he believe, the garish knight or the woman who shares his bed?” Cragen looked red with anger. Hermione continued to pour salt on his wounded pride and leaned down close to him. “There are more powerful weapons than swords.”

“Enough,” Harry said curtly. Hermione smirked and shared an amused look with him. The lioness was only batting around her prey playfully.

“Your request is denied,” he continued. “There is no evidence of a treason. You are dismissed.” Harry waved his hand.

Cragen got to his feet and turned but Hermione spoke out and he paused. “Do not cross me,” Hermione said calmly smiling. Something tickled at the back of Harry's mind, causing the hairs on his neck to rise. Cragen continued on his way and the heavy doors to the throne room shut, leaving him with the company of Hermione and his two guards. She sighed and turned to leave.

“He's checking your bedsheets every morning to make sure they are slept in,” Harry said quietly.

Hermione looked over at him over her shoulder, exposing a creamy shoulder. “Then I suppose I should make sure that the bed is thoroughly slept in.”

Harry smiled wryly. “Be careful, Milady. One would think that the Slytherin Queen is trying to seduce the Gryffindor King.”

She slowly turned and walked toward him. He was still sitting on his throne, still spinning the sword point down on the ground. She made a bold move and reached out for the hilt of his sword, wrapping her fingers around it, stopping its motion.

“You would know it if I was,” she said huskily.

Harry looked up at her and without taking his eyes off her spoke aloud to his guards, making his own bold move. “Leave us. I want a moment alone with the Queen.”

There was the heavy click of the doors as they closed and Harry briefly left Hermione's eyes to look over at them before flying out of his chair. The sword fell to a clatter as he pressed Hermione against the closest wall they came to. Her mouth was lovely and hot as Harry plundered them. She worked on his breeches frantically, biting her lip in ecstasy as his lips wandered over her neck gently kissing and biting. She worked them over his hips and buttocks as he gently lifted her, the movement so in contrast to the way he plunged inside her.

She gasped out and dug her fingers into his shoulders. He took her with such ferocity that she was biting her lip to keep from crying out. He drove into her relentlessly, feeling her warm sleek heat surround him, pleasuring him. She was his and his alone, a point he wanted to get across to her every time he pumped into her. He was making her delirious with pleasure and she felt reckless and uninhibited.

“Inside me…” she gasped, “I need you…to finish…inside me.” She grasped him closer to her, clinging to the precipice that Harry was quickly pushing her over. She threw her head back and arched her back as she gasped out her release. Yes, he would follow her over and he would gladly finish inside of her as he had before. She was his, he was hers, forever bound together and he would be damned if she would carry another man's child.

Her walls tightened as she gasped out and she was spiraling down, down, down, helpless to this passion. She felt his grip on her tighten before she felt his warm seed spill inside of her as he whispered her name in the anguish of passion. It was a crazy and reckless thing to do but she wanted him, wanted his seed inside her again, wanted it to quicken, she wanted to give him another child. Lady Chang, Gryffindor Queen or whatever hell she was going to be, be damned. There truly was a power that Hermione wanted to hold over Harry, a claim to him that no other woman could take away.

She felt his hot breath on her neck and her sex ached pleasurably as she ran her fingers through his hair, damp with sweat. He didn't want to pull out of her and leave her just yet. And as the lovers stood entwined with their dwindling passion, Harry whispered in her ear.

“I love you, Hermione.”

Hermione ran her fingers through his hair. “And I love you,” she replied. “Pathetic aren't we?”

*******************

“So, you will ride in the tournament tomorrow.”

Cragen lifted his head from the whore's stomach as she spoke. “That I am.” She avoided making eye contact with his scarred face.

“They say whoever wins shall be granted Knighthood,” she said.

“And it will be me,” he said fiercely.

“You will ride for the honor of your King and for the favor of a fair lady?”

“Knighthood is about power and those capable of wielding it,” he said gruffly, rolling off of her and getting dressed.

“I hear Jason is the favorite.”

Cragen looked up sharply at her. Jason had defeated him in the melee yesterday. But it wasn't his fault, if his bloody sword hadn't been stuck inside Sir Oswald, he would've been able to block Jason's blow. He still cringed at the bitter memory of the ring of roses placed around Jason's neck and the way the ladies threw their favors down at him. Nobody threw any favors at him.

“Jason is a nobody,” he said gruffly.

The whore sighed and looked away, a dreamy look crossing her face, the same one that the ladies usually wore when his name was mentioned. Cragen scoffed.

“Do not get your hopes up. He has the ladies of the court ready and willing to give their maidenhoods to him. He has no need for a whore.”

“Do you not think me pretty enough for him?” the whore asked.

Cragen grabbed his dagger and muffled the whore's screams as he pinned her back down on the bed. He sliced the dagger over the perfect skin of her face leaving behind a thin red line in its wake.

“Now you are scarred like me,” he whispered in her ear. “Now you can only open your cunt to men like me.”

He left her like that, crying and whimpering on the bed.

The smell of hay, dirt, blood and horses filled his nostrils as he listened to the roar of the crowd. The banners of green with the silver serpent lined the arena, the King and Queen in the center box with the Prince Draco looking bored sitting with them.

His grip tightened its hold on his lance as he looked at Jason across the way. They had come this far, Knighthood was only a few turns away. The crowd was chanting that blasted oaf's name. The black banner was dropped and Cragen's steed burst out of the gate. The crowd was drowned out, the pounding of hooves matched the thumping in his heart. He lowered his lance as Jason lowered his.

Then the sharp crack of wood as they met.

He couldn't breath and he was falling through the air. He slammed into the ground as the crowd roared. He was defeated and unseated.

He had to stand next to the wretched man as Jason knelt before the king taking his oath. The oath to serve Slytherin, to honor the king and queen and those who dwelled within the kingdom. He watched as Jason took the oath that was meant for him, the glory that was stolen from him, the green and silver cloak that should've been worn by him.

He walked out into the courtyard to see Jason dismounting from his horse, his green and silver garb traded in for red and gold. He stormed across to him.

“I know you're fucking the queen,” he said gruffly in Jason's face.

Jason smirked and walked away from him.

“I will bring her down,” Cragen threatened. “I will see that she is hanged for her crime.”

“Harm her in any way and you'll never live to see the light of day again,” Jason countered walking back toward him. A crowd of Slytherin knights grew behind Cragen while some of the Gryffindor knights stood behind Jason.

“I knew you would never be loyal to the king,” Cragen sneered.

Jason's face darkened. “I serve loyally to the king, the True King.”

“Malfoy is your king! You swore an oath!”

“I kept my oath. I swore to protect the queen.”

“What the king wishes to do with the queen is none of our concern. But you had to interfere and take her to the marriage bed before the king could,” Cragen accused and Jason smirked.

“If that is what you wish to make of it,” he said calmly, although inside he was raging.

“The Gryffindor King is a fool if he thinks you are loyal to him,” Cragen hissed.

“I am loyal!” Jason said angrily. “He is a king who is just and loyal to his people. The rightful king to this land.”

“You're all traitors,” one of the Slytherin knights stepped forward and spat on one of the Gryffindor knights, one who, like Jason, deflected from Slytherin to serve the True King. Cragen drew his sword as insults were thrown from the Slytherins, Jason drew his in response.

“STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!” Ron's voice roared above the din. The Gryffindors immediately backed off and Jason sheathed his sword. Neville was with him.

“Sheath your sword,” Neville commanded to Cragen.

“I don't take orders from a peasant knight,” he sneered back. The crowd had parted enough for him to see that the two uppity Gryffindor knights were escorted by two ladies, a blond and a red head. Cragen's eyes lingered on the latter one, hair as red as the knight in front of him and beautiful lips and creamy skin.

“Sheath. Your. Sword,” Neville repeated firmly.

Cragen obeyed, his gaze once more lingered on Ginny. “I don't believe in violence in front of ladies,” he said and Jason scoffed and rolled his eyes. He sheathed his sword and walked away, the Slytherin knights following him but not without spitting on the ground before the Gryffindor knights.

***************

Harry held court that afternoon but Ron and Neville took up most of his attentions, much to the chagrin of Lady Chang who sat by his side.

Where Hermione usually sat.

Harry was not happy with this arrangement but Hermione was nowhere to be found at the moment, having successfully evaded her Slytherin guard. No doubt she was with Jason who was regaling his account of the events that morning. Harry didn't like that, not the he was jealous, he just didn't want Hermione to do anything foolish.

Like leave Hufflepuff.

Jason would talk her into something like that. He didn't blame him, he would do the same thing if he wasn't so selfish with her. He sent some knights to find them.

“Something must be done!” Ron urged.

“They have no respect for us and our laws of the land,” Neville said.

“This will only get worse with time.”

“They have to go.”

“Tell Hermione to send them back,” Ron advised.

“She can't do that,” Harry said grimly. “The only way they are going back is if they take Hermione with them.”

Ron frowned, not happy with this news.

“Maybe…” Neville spoke tentatively. “Maybe…she should…leave.”

Ron and Harry looked away. This was hard to digest even if he had a point.

In the library, Hermione was receiving the same news from Jason.

“What does he know?” she demanded.

“The message says that we are once again lovers,” Jason replied as he handed her a rolled parchment. “It was shot down only an hour ago.”

“I've warned him to mind his tongue,” she said bitterly as she tucked the parchment into her dress. She paced the room slowly back in forth, one hand tugged gently on her lip while her other arm was tucked below her chest.

“What are you going to do?” Jason asked gently.

Hermione stopped pacing and looked up at him. “Does he suspect Harry?”

“No, he doesn't.”

“I need you to promise me, Jason,” she said evenly. “Swear to me that you will protect him. Keep him safe.”

“You're leaving,” he said quietly.

“Swear to me, Jason,” she persisted.

He nodded. “Of course I swear. He is my king, you are my queen, you shouldn't have to ask. I'm loyal to you both,” he said in a tone of disbelief. How could she question his loyalty to her? She was definitely on her nerves.

******************

The tension in the castle was palpable. Hermione pricked herself several times as she worked on the cloak with Luna and Ginevra. She was restless and anxious and it felt as if there was something in the air, something dangerous that would explode with the tiniest little spark.

“A flower for the lady,” a gruff voice spoke, breaking Hermione from her thoughts.

Ginevra looked up at her and Hermione was speechless. Cragen held out a delicate white rose to the young maiden.

“T-thank you,” Ginny replied politely, masking her thoughts of utter bewilderment. Hermione quickly composed herself from her disbelief and had the common sense to nudge Luna sharply in the side so she would close her mouth. The two ladies continued their sewing while listening very carefully to the conversation that took place in front of them.

“May we take a turn around the room?” Cragen asked.

“Well…I don't…er…,” Ginny floundered.

“Please?” he asked again.

“It isn't custom for a lady to take a turn with a man she hasn't given a favor to,” Ginny lowered her voice to save the knight his embarrassment.

“Your favor has already been taken for the tournament?” Cragen asked with slight disappointment.

Ginny lowered her gaze. “It has.”

“Very well. It is my fault for not asking sooner,” Cragen said in a pleasant voice. “Would it be impolite to inquire as to who this lucky suitor is?”

“Oh no, not at all,” Ginny beamed, proud of the knight who held her favor. “Neville Longbottom.”

Cragen cracked a smile. “Very lucky indeed. I am sorry to have bothered you.”

“Please, it wasn't a bother,” Ginny replied politely. Cragen smiled at her one more time before taking her leave to return to his post by the door. Hermione watched him with cool regard.

-->

Chapter Eleven: The Tournament

A month.

That was how long Hermione had been in Hufflepuff.

Two weeks.

That's how long these wretched knights from Slytherin had been here. Her patience with them was wearing thin. They were a blight on Harry's kingdom, a thorn in his side and she knew it. But he only tolerated them because he knew that to have them leave meant they would take her with them.

The first day of the tournament had commenced and Harry and his court sat in the box in the center of the arena. He sat behind her, Lady Cho Chang sat next to him. He had asked Hermione to sit by his side but she politely reminded him that it would not be proper. She could feel Harry's scowling gaze on the back of her head. Lady Chang beamed proudly by his side, looking very pretty in her purple gown.

But this didn't bother Hermione.

She just sat there, a slight smile on her lips. Nothing would ruin this day for her. If Jason thought her request odd this morning, he didn't say anything more about it.

“A vial of what?” he asked, confused.

“Chicken blood,” Hermione chirped in reply.

“Chicken blood,” he repeated. “Right.”

She sat with Luna and Ginny. The gates opened and the crowd roared in approval as the horses filed in to make the necessary trot around the arena, stopping at the King's box to give their respect to him and his court.

“Oh isn't he handsome?” Ginny gushed as Neville entered the arena seated upon a chestnut colored mare. His armor polished so the sunlight gleamed off of it.

“Not as handsome as my Ron,” Luna sighed as Ron entered, riding a red beauty.

Hermione smiled endearingly at her two friends as she summoned for a cup of water. She gulped the cool liquid and sat very still, waiting for the sickness to pass. She had already thrown up twice today and now she fought against the smell of the horses in the arena.

Ron and Neville stopped in front of the King's box and lowered their heads in a sign of respect for Harry. He grinned back at his two favorite knights. They turned to Hermione and bowed their heads to her as well. Luna and Ginny stepped forward and offered them each a wreath of roses. They lowered their lances and Ginny slid hers onto Neville's while Luna gave hers to Ron. Lady Chang stood and gave her wreath to Ron with a roar of approval from the crowd. It was a great honor for Ron to wear the favor of the possible future queen of Gryffindor. Hermione smiled inwardly. It was a clever move on Lady Cho's part to give her favor to one of Harry's favorite knights.

There was a stillness in the crowd as Cragen rode in wearing the banner of Slytherin, one of only a handful of Slytherin knights that entered the tournament. She watched him as he made his way around the arena followed by another Gryffindor knight. The crowd began to cheer again as Jason entered riding a large black steed. More than a few roses were thrown down and Hermione had to suppress a giggle at the face Cragen wore. He looked as if he had eaten something that had come from his horse's rear.

Cragen's eyes rested on Ginny as the three knights stopped in front of the box. Jason and the other Gryffindor knight bowed respectfully but Cragan stayed upright. Harry brushed it off but Hermione frowned. Instead, Cragen turned to Hermione and bowed.

“My Queen,” he said.

“May luck be with you,” she said politely. She stood and held out her wreath of roses, her handkerchief tied to it. The crowed rumbled with talk as she placed her favor on the tip of Jason's lance.

“My Queen,” he bowed respectfully. Cragen looked as if he would spit fire.

Jason winked at Hermione then rode away with the others. Harry watched Hermione as she returned to her seat. What was that all about? She was grinning like a cat who had secretly eaten her master's bird. She'd been acting strange all morning. And quite honestly, Harry didn't know why she was so happy. He felt a bit guilty about doing what he had done but the idea had been so tempting. The same maid that Cragen used to spy on Hermione was also reporting what she had told the knight to him. That morning she reported that the lady had finally bled. Was that why Hermione was so cheerful?

~*~

The crack of wood as the lances splintered, the roar of the crowd, the pounding of hooves. It was a great tournament. Nearly all of the Slytherin knights had been eliminated, elevating the spirits of the crowd. Only Cragen remained and he was now pitted against one of Harry's favorite knights.

Hermione held Ginny's hand as Neville and Cragen faced each other. Hermione was truly worried for the Gryffindor knight and by the pressure being applied to her hand, Ginny felt the same way. The flag dropped and the horses galloped forward.

Crack!

Their lances splintered against each other's shields but both riders still were upon their horses. Hermione let out a breath she had been holding. She chanced a glance back at Harry who looked a little tense. He returned her gaze with concern. She had told him about what had transpired between Ginny and Cragen. They both returned their attentions back to the field. Neville's squire was handing him another lance as he adjusted his position on his horse. Ginny reached for Hermione again.

Crack!

“Oh, Merlin!” Ginny gasped.

“Yes!” Harry said softly under his breath.

Neville had landed a good blow and stayed firmly on his horse, Cragen had taken a strong hit and was nearly unseated. The riders rode to their sides to prepare for the next round.

“He's going to win this,” Ginny persisted. “He's going to win this.”

The flag dropped again and the knights rode for each other. With another sickening crack, Neville fell to the ground. Hermione, Ginny and Harry all rose with concern and he motioned for the squires to check on their knight.

“Ah!” Neville groaned from the ground as Ron ran to his side.

Cragen, still on his horse, rode up to the fallen knight. Ron glared up at him but Cragen paid him no heed as he took his lance point to the ground next to Neville's fallen one and took Ginny's wreath of flowers and put it on his own. The squires pulled off Neville's helmet.

“My arm,” he gasped.

Ron looked down and saw a large piece of the splintered lance in his arm. Cragen rode to the King's box and bowed to Ginny. She looked outraged as was Harry but he did a much better job of masking it. Grudgingly, Harry nodded to the page who was keeping score, acknowledging the win to Cragen. Satisfied, Cragen rode off with Ginny's favor still around his lance. The crowd booed and threw their litter into the arena. Luna and Ginny left the stands to be with Neville. Hermione looked to the side of the arena to see Jason watching Neville writhe on the ground in pain, anger on his face. He glanced up at Hermione then disappeared back into the galleys. She stood abruptly and marched to the page.

“Withdraw Jason from the tournament,” she demanded to the now frightened page.

“What?” he said timidly.

“Withdraw him,” Hermione repeated firmly.

“Hermione, you can't do that,” Harry said as he rose.

She rounded on him. “Unless you want a massacre on your hands, you will let me do this!” she hissed then turned back to the page. “Do it.”

With shaky hands, the page crossed Jason's name from the tournament. Satisfied, Hermione marched out of the box and away from the arena.

“Are you going to let her speak to you in that manner?” Cho asked with a scandalized voice.

Harry watched Hermione leave then turned his attention to his injured knight. “I'm going to see Neville,” he said rising from his seat, ignoring her comment.

Cho watched him walk across the grounds to the small group surrounding Neville. She would be his queen, she was so close she could practically taste it. She had almost lost hope of winning Harry's heart when that wretched then-princess walked into their lives. Harry had eyes only for her up until that moment. The memory still stung of the way he had ignored her that night that he danced with Lady Granger at the Hog's Head. He went as far as making himself a knight for her kingdom. Oh, how she had mourned Harry's absence, the Queen had him in her clutches and she would never get him back. But Harry did return and, much to her delight, was declared a King! Hufflepuff had its own King, the lords of the land approved his claim to the land, something about a True King but that wasn't the important point. Harry was a King and a king needed a queen.

Overnight, the ladies of Hufflepuff became ladies-in-waiting and Cho established her dominance from the start. She wanted to make it clear to the others that Harry would be choosing her for a wife, it helped that Harry was once very much enamored with her before. Her father made his presence dominant whenever Harry held court, he made quick friends with Harry's godfather and even planted the seed that the King should wed. Cho's moment of triumph came when the Queen herself invited her to the King's table one evening. Oh how that must have smarted the Queen! She almost had Harry but she went and married the Slytherin King just as Harry was being declared King across the land. Yes, Cho was so close to the throne she could taste it. And out of spite, the Queen would have to come to her wedding to witness that Harry truly did like her better. She would win in the end.

Unfortunately for Cho, she was too naïve to believe that the Queen was no longer a threat to her ascension.

Unbeknownst to both women, Harry had already chosen his queen. He would go through the motions and play the court's games but in the end he knew whom he wanted. There could be only one that he wanted by his side and he was determined to see it through even if she was already married. An excuse to put an end to the Slytherin king was quickly unfolding in front of him.

“We can't let him get away with this!” Ron demanded.

“What he did to Neville, he did on purpose,” Jason added.

“Of course he did it on purpose,” Sirius countered. “He was jousting.”

“Harry, he won the match fairly. You cannot punish him,” Dumbledore advised.

“What will you have me do? Let him run all my knights through with his lance?” Harry asked, irritated.

“It was an accident, I'm sure of it. That is the risk of the joust,” Sirius said.

“That was no accident,” Jason countered.

Hermione stepped forward. “You are using his actions as an excuse to war with Slytherin,” she said quietly. Harry looked away from her. “Why? No blood shall be shed between the two. The kingdom must be united against the False King, not divided.”

Harry stood up from his throne and paced the room. “The tournament continues tomorrow, I want him eliminated right away.”

“Put me against him,” Jason spoke up but Harry shook his head.

“Ron will do it, you are out of the tournament Jason.”

“What?! Why?”

That was the question and Harry looked toward Hermione. Jason looked over at her, questioningly but Hermione couldn't meet his eyes. Hurt and betrayal crossed over his face. Hermione had taken away any glory he could've earned in front of the King.

“My King, if I am no longer needed,” Jason said tersely, not looking at her. Harry nodded for his release.

There was only one safe and quick way to dispose of the Slytherin knights. Hermione spoke up. “Withdraw from Arneau Tak and we'll leave immediately,” she said.

“Our hold on Arneau Tak is the only thing keeping the False King from sweeping into Ravenclaw…and Rowena,” he replied, looking at her.

Sirius and Dumbledore exchanged looks, comprehension suddenly dawning on their faces. They had questioned his taking of the Ravenclaw border town and it was inevitable that he would eventually march onto Rowena. The question had been why? Now the answer was standing in front of them.

“It's not your job to protect Ravenclaw,” Hermione said softly.

“Your husband is doing a wonderful job of it,” he said dryly.

Sirius and Dumbledore knew of Harry and Hermione's past but she married the Slytherin King. She is the Slytherin Queen. Harry had a fight with the False King to contend with, he did not need to drag Slytherin into the melee. But keeping her here was a threat to the kingdom, the Slytherin king's patience would soon run out and Harry would have to yield the Queen.

He. Had. To.

~*~

The messenger walked briskly down the corridor fueled by duty. He walked up to the two knights guarding the Queen's rooms.

“This just came for the Queen,” he said, holding out a rolled parchment.

Cragen held out his hand and confirmed the unbroken seal of the Slytherin King, the winding serpent set in green wax. He nodded to the messenger, sending him away. As was his usual duty, he walked into the empty rooms of the queen to set the scroll onto a small table.

But a movement caught his eye as he turned to leave. There was a small vase of flowers in the room, moving slightly with a hidden breeze. None of the windows of the room were open and castles were notorious for their nooks and crannies. Cragen stepped forward and held his hand out, the breeze was coming from somewhere in this room. He moved carefully about until he came to a tapestry on the wall.

“No, I just wish to be alone. I need to rest for this evening's feast.”

The Queen's voice outside the door sent him into a panic and he ran across the room as she opened the door, barely making it to safely hide himself behind another tapestry. She walked into the room and immediately noticed the parchment. She sat as she broke the seal and read the contents inside. The news must not have been good because she gave a weary sigh, stood and began to pace the room.

She did this for quite awhile and Cragen was beginning to think he should give up his presence when she suddenly darted across the room and vomited into a basin. He moved to step away from the tapestry to assist her when someone else entered the room…

And not by the door.

The Gryffindor king stepped into the room from behind the tapestry that Cragen had inspected earlier, the sound of stone scraping filled the silence.

“Hermione,” he said with concern as he rushed to her side.

“I'm fine, I'm fine,” she insisted.

The king knelt down next to her, gathered her hair and rubbed her back. Curiosity piqued Cragen as he peered out from his hiding place.

“Hermione are you ill?” the king asked gently.

“No…well, yes…,” the Queen sputtered before she once again vomited.

The king stood. “I'm sending for McGonagall.”

“No! No,” the Queen reached for the king and yanked him back down. “Water,” she said. “I would like some water.”

Reluctantly, the king reached for the jug of water and poured the Queen a cup. As she sipped he spoke gently to her.

“Hermione, if you are ill…”

“I'm with child,” she blurted out.

There was a long silence after that until the king broke it. “But…but the maid said you had bled.”

“What?” the Queen asked.

“The maid that Cragen is using is speaking to me as well. I wanted to know everything he knew. She said you bled.”

The Queen smiled. “Chicken blood,” she said. “I sent Jason out for chicken blood this morning.”

The king laughed and got to his feet brining the Queen to hers and lifted her, spinning her around. “Another child!” he exclaimed aloud and the Queen shushed him. “Our child,” he said softly as he set her down and to Cragen's horror began to kiss the queen. He watched as the king maneuvered the Queen back to her bed, setting her back upon it and climbing on top of her.

“Wait, stop,” the Queen said as she broke their kissing. “Not now, Harry,” she said, “I'm still feeling a little sick.”

The king scrambled off of her. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No, no of course not. I'm just not feeling well. But it's okay, I was like this the last time.”

The king gave a small smile of relief. “Well is there anything I can get you? Anything I can do for you?”

“Rest,” the Queen answered. “I would desperately love to rest before the evening feast.”

“Oh! Of course. I'll set extra guards out to see that you are not disturbed. And I'll make sure that James is watched over while you rest.”

The Queen laughed softly. “Thank you, Harry.”

He rushed over to her again, cradling her head in his hands and kissed her one more time. “Another child,” he whispered. He moved away from her and back to the tapestry from where he had come. “I'll be back to check on you later,” he grinned.

“Goodbye, my love,” the Queen answered.

Cragen stood silent and in shock as he waited for what seemed like hours until he heard the deep steady breathing of the Queen. Taking a chance, he stepped from his hiding place and confirmed that the Queen was indeed asleep. Silently, he slipped through the doors.

~*~

Jason turned from the window, the sky was turning purple as evening approached. He was still hurting over the Queen withdrawing him from the tournament. Why she did it, he didn't know but it still hurt that she would do it without telling him. Did she not think him capable of defeating Cragen?

A commotion down the hall caught his attention and he moved silently within the growing shadows. The sound was coming from a room in the messenger's quarters, angry arguing. He immediately recognized Cragen's voice.

“I don't care about you bloody protocol!” he was shouting. “I want this sent immediately, use your fastest ravens or owls, I don't care.”

“Okay! Okay, I'll do it,” the frightened voice of the messenger could be heard.

“Go on!” Cragen said angrily. “I want to see with my own eyes that you send it!”

Jason tore away from his hiding spot and ran down the stairs.

“Jason! What are you…” He nearly bowled over Ron as he left the castle to the stables.

“Don't!” Jason ordered the stable boy who was unsaddling Ron's horse.

“But this is Sir Ronald's!” the boy protested as Jason grabbed a quiver of arrows and mounted the horse.

He set the horse off at a gallop. He heard the raven's cry above him and he notched his arrow. The sky was quickly turning dark and he could barely make out the bird. He let go as the horse continued to barrel down the road.

But he missed.

Jason swore loudly and notched another arrow. The sky was dark and he was quickly losing the bird.

“Come on,” Jason pleaded as he let the arrow go.

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Chapter Twelve: The Slytherin Queen

Hermione had woken up from her rest and was currently readying herself for the dinner feast with the assistance of her chamber maid. Suddenly, there was a commotion at her door, the shouting of men and her door flung open as Jason stepped through and quickly closed it.

“Jason!” Hermione was surprised. “What is this about?”

He said nothing, he only walked to her and handed her the parchment, the seal already broken since he read it. She unfurled the paper and slowly rose to her feet as she read it.

“Leave us!” she said curtly to the chambermaid, who quickly left her presence.

Hermione rerolled the scroll and tapped it against the palm of her hand. “Is this the only one he sent?”

“Yes.”

She began to pace. “But we cannot guarantee his own tongue.” There was a knock at the door. “What?” the Queen asked, irritably.

Luna and Ginny peered in the room, showing surprise at Jason's presence alone with the Queen.

“Are you ready to go down?” Luna asked, cautiously.

“Ready to put on a play?” Hermione answered visciously. “Ready to put on a show?” Luna and Ginny jumped back at their friend's harsh tone. Jason looked back at the Queen and ushered the two women outside of the room.

“Jason,” Ginny whispered. “You're not supposed to be alone with the Queen!”

“Tell someone who gives a damn. The Queen will be down shortly, I'll take her,” he said and closed the door.

Hermione was still pacing angrily. “I swear I'll cut his tongue out myself. I'll have him hanged and gutted.”

“My Queen,” Jason was hesitant due to her temper. “What will you do?”

Hermione stopped pacing and looked at him.

~*~

It took all of Harry's self-control to keep from skipping, running, jumping and dancing the halls. Now that he sat at his chair at his table, overlooking the dinner before him, nervous anticipation at seeing his beloved Hermione filled him. Cho was once again at his side, sitting primly and making polite conversation with Sirius and Dumbledore. There was a nervous anticipation in the air as the buzz of conversation gradually grew louder. The musicians were playing a lively melody, waiting for the time after dinner when the ladies will dance with the knights who held their favor.

Well, Harry was not excited at all for that.

Neville sat amongst the knights, his arm in a sling due to his injury. An injury delivered by Cragen who sat on the other side of the room with the Slytherin knights. He was glancing at Harry once in awhile and Harry met his challenging gaze only to have Cragen back down. They would repeat this performance several times during the night. When Cragen wasn't watching him, he was watching Ginevra. Neville and several of the other Gryffindor knights were eyeing him carefully. She would have to dance with Cragen during the dance of flowers since he had “taken” her favor.

Jason and Hermione's absence was conspicuous.

Their arrival together to the dining hall sent the buzzing to a new level. Hermione held her head up high and proud, the silver of her crown glinted in the torchlight, her emeralds sparkled. Harry's heart swelled at the sight of her but the look was not returned. In fact, she didn't even glance in his direction. He sat back in thought as Hermione took a seat with her Slytherin knights instead of at the King's table. Disapproving looks filled the hall. Jason sat with Neville and leaned toward him in conversation.

“Wine, my King?” Cho asked sweetly, holding out a goblet.

“Thank you,” Harry said politely as he took it, puzzling out the frosty scene in front of him. Sirius and Dumbledore looked equally uneasy at the tense atmosphere the room took. Harry was suddenly thinking it was a very bad idea to invite the Slytherins to the dining hall.

He sent the best cuts of meat and servings to Hermione, bypassing Cho who was silently fuming but politely did not say anything. Still, Hermione would not look at him. It made Harry uneasy with the way that Cragen was looking at her, hate in his eyes. He looked across the room and saw that Jason, too, had a sharp eye on him, his fingers itching to take the hilt of his sword. That made Harry feel a little better, two pairs of eyes on her was better.

“A drink, cousin.”

Harry was drawn out of conversation with Ron by the approach of the Queen. The serving boy was with her as she offered up a goblet of wine to her cousin.

“Of course,” Ron said cheerfully.

Harry's gaze fell on her, silently willing her to look at him but she didn't. She was watching her cousin as he took the goblet, lifted it to her and took a drink. Hermione gave a small smile before taking a drink of her own. That was the closest she would come to Harry that night.

The music started once again more jovially as the ladies sought out the knights who held their favors. Harry's watchful gaze fell on Cragen and Ginny, Neville sat at the table watching as well.

“He'll not try anything under so many watchful eyes,” Jason whispered in Hermione's ear as he took her hand to dance.

“But he has the sense of a pig,” she replied. They clapped twice, separated and came together again.

“If any blood is spilt tonight, it will be mine,” Jason said with a wry smile.

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked as he lifted her in the air in a quick turn.

“The King looks as if he'll have my head on a pike if I chance another dance.” Hermione flushed at his words.

“I think everyone is too preoccupied with Ginevra and Cragen,” she countered.

“Hmm. Did your cousin drink it?” he asked, changing the topic.

“Yes, he did,” she lowered her voice. “I can't believe I just did that.”

Jason stopped dancing and looked directly at her, a sadness in his eyes. “I know you must feel terrible…”

Hermione looked up sharply at him. “I'm the Slytherin Queen. I've learned quickly not to feel remorse for the bad things I have done. I would do anything, anything, to protect the ones I love.” He nodded sagely. He knew very well just what the Queen was capable of.

Harry somehow forgot.

Hermione left the dinner after the dance, Jason also disappeared. Harry stayed dutifully and danced a few dances with Cho and the other ladies of the court but he was anxious to be back with Hermione.

“I don't know,” Ginny shook her head. “Jason was with her, alone, in the room. She was very rude to me and Luna.”

“What did Jason say?” he asked.

“He practically ran us out of the room and shut the door in our faces. I'm telling you, I've never seen her like that before. She was so angry and irritated about something.”

Harry frowned, she sounded so different from the woman he had left earlier that day. But, then again, she hadn't looked or even spoke a single word in his direction tonight. Had he done something wrong?

As soon as he left everyone's company, he went to his chambers and through the passageway to Hermione's room. But when he reached the other side, it was blocked and he couldn't get through to her room. Taking a chance, Harry left his room for hers. He approached her guards, thankfully Cragen was not there.

“I need to speak with the Queen,” he ordered.

“She isn't in her room,” the guard answered.

“Open the door,” Harry demanded and the guard complied. He was right, the room was empty, James' cradle empty. Panic filled Harry and he raced to the stables.

“Has the Queen taken any horses?” he asked the stable master.

He nodded. “No, she hasn't.” Harry gave a great sigh. Where could she be?

She was at her aunt's house with Ginny, Ron and Luna. As she lay her head down on the bed she cuddled James' warm little body to hers. Tears were falling down her face as she took in every little eyelash, his little nose, the tiny puckered mouth, his hands, his little toes. She kissed his little forehead and closed her eyes to try and sleep.

On the other side of the village, the boisterousness of the feast carried into the Hog's Head where the Slytherin knights enjoyed themselves. Cragen was not with them, opting to rest before his tournament. The musicians played loudly and the drinks flowed more freely as the soldiers became drunker and drunker.

The door opened and Jason stepped through, accompanied by some of the Gryffindor knights. The music immediately stopped as they surveyed the scene before them. The bartender looked grateful for their arrival as did many of the ladies in the ale house who were the unwilling entertainment for the knights.

“Well, well, Jason!” one of the drunken knights slurred as he attempted to stand.

“Leave,” Jason said to the barman and the ladies. They hustled out of the room along with the musicians.

“Aw, now why did you go and do that?” another one of the drunken knights spoke up.

Jason drew out his sword and spoke to no one in particular. “Bolt the door.”

~*~

With dawn came chaos in the deWeasley house. Hermione stepped into the corridor to see a servant rushing down the hall.

“What is it? Is all well?” Hermione asked.

The servant dropped to a curtsy. “Sir Ronald, he is sick!” she gasped.

“Sick?” Hermione rushed to her cousin's room.

Ginny was in the doorway while her aunt and Luna stayed at Ron's bedside.

“What has happened?” she asked.

“Ron's ill,” Ginny answered. “Must have had some bad food at the dinner last night. He keeps vomiting.”

They both looked into the room as Ron spoke up. “How can I ride in the tournament today?”

Hermione walked into the Great Hall to find Harry getting ready to break his fast in his room. A knight announced her arrival.

“I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty but the Slytherin Queen wishes a word with you.”

Harry who was beside himself with worry ushered her into the room, closing the door and leaving them alone.

“Hermione where have you been,” he said as he rubbed her arms.

“I've been with my aunt all night. Harry, Ronald is sick and cannot be in the tournament today.”

“He is? What happened?”

“It may have been something he ate at the feast last night,” Hermione shrugged.

“But I ate the same thing he did,” Harry protested. Hermione did not answer him. “Will he be alright?”

“Of course, we just have to wait for this to pass.”

“Well, come sit down with me. Have you broken your fast?”

Hermione sat down and ate with Harry and when the conversation turned flirtatious, he took her to bed. Their lovemaking was gentle and tender because he was afraid of harming Hermione and their unborn child in some way. Satiated with pleasure, Harry moved down her naked body to kiss her lower belly where the baby was nestled safely in its mother's womb. Hermione's fingers ran gently through his hair as he fell into a light nap.

~*~

The horns blared and the drums sounded as the crowd roared and cheered. Jason was inspecting his lances when a soft familiar voice sounded in his tent.

“Leave us,” Hermione commanded and Jason's pages left them alone. She was wearing her emerald colored velvet gown whose sleeves fell just off her shoulders, a silver belt rested at her waist. Jason knelt to one knee.

“My Queen,” he said reverently.

Hermione brought him back to his feet. “Is it done?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered and she took a deep breath. “The horses are ready and waiting for you. I will not be able to accompany you,” he said sadly, “but the others will escort you to safety.”

Hermione nodded. “Will you watch over Harry? Keep him safe?”

“Of course.”

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Jason. For everything.”

Jason hesitantly returned her embrace, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair and committing to memory the feel of his arms around her. She stepped back and Jason brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

She was so close.

But he stepped away. Hermione gave a slight smile. “I am a Knight of Gryffindor. I may love the Queen but I honor my King.”

“And that is why you are the bravest of the knights,” she replied. She moved away from him and left his tent and the knight to his thoughts.

Back in the castle, Neville, his arm still in a sling, was walking across the courtyard to the arena when a villager stopped him.

“Am I allowed back in my tavern?” he asked.

Neville was taken aback. “I'm sorry?”

“My tavern,” the man answered. Neville recognized him as the barman of the Hog's Head.

“Well…yes, of course,” Neville answered.

“Then you'll unlock it?”

The barman led Neville and another knight to the Hog's Head where he showed them the large lock around the front doors of the building. Neville, being injured, gestured to the other knight who smashed the lock. Neville unwound the chain from the handles of the door and opened it.

“Merlin,” he whispered.

Inside, there was blood on the floor, on the walls and on the bar as well as a pile of dead Slytherin knights.

“Who did this?” Neville asked in wonder.

The barman looked at him in bewilderment. “Why…you did.” Neville looked at him for further explanation. “A group of knights came here last night led by Jason.”

“Jason,” Neville whispered and ran out of the building.

“Jason?” Harry said in surprise as Cragen and Jason rode out to the King's box.

“The Queen reentered him in the tournament when her cousin fell ill,” Sirius explained.

Harry sat back in his chair and looked at Hermione. A feeling foreboding came over him. He watched as Jason bowed in respect to him and both of them bowing to Hermione.

“May luck be with you,” she said to both of the knights. She stood with her wreath of roses with the handkerchief tied to it and placed the favor on the tip of Cragen's lance. A murmur went through the crowd and Cragen himself looked surprised. Hermione smiled brightly at him as she sat down.

Both of the knights separated to their opposite sides to ready themselves. Jason's page handed him his lance.

“No, the red one,” he ordered. The page dutifully obeyed. The crowd was stomping in the stands. His hand wrapped tightly around his lance and he looked across the field to Cragen.

Hermione sat with baited breath, heart pounding in her chest as she watched a page march forward with the raised black flag.

“Harry! Your Majesty!” Neville tore into the box winded from his run.

“What, what is it?” Harry asked in surprise.

“They're dead…all of them,” Neville gasped.

“What? Who?” Harry wasn't sure he heard right above the roar of the crowd.

“The Slytherin knights, Harry,” Neville persisted. “They're dead! They're all dead! Jason killed them!”

The flag was dropped.

Jason flipped his visor down, grabbed the reins as the horse sped forward at his command. Hermione stopped breathing.

Harry stood up. In that split second it suddenly came to him from the recesses of his mind. His dream. He remembered it suddenly. Hermione sitting on a throne, lovingly petting the snake in her lap as she said…”Do not cross me.” The exact same words she threatened Cragen with. And the snake that she was petting lovingly in her lap?

“STOP THE JOUST!” Harry shouted as he ran to the front of his box. “COVER THE BANNER!”

A page jumped from the ground and scrambled to put the white cloth over the banner of Gryffindor, signaling the yielding of the tournament. But it was too late, Harry could only watch helplessly the murder being committed in front of him.

Jason held steady as he rode and his aim was true. The moment the wood of his lance pressed against the flesh of Cragen's neck it gave way revealing the cold steel hidden within. In moments, Jason ran his lance through unseating Cragen in a shower of red spray.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before cheering at the demise of the most hated knight. Harry gripped the banister of his box and dropped his head. Hermione had forced his hand and now he would have to let her go. He looked over at her and saw that she was standing, looking at him with tears in her eyes. A lump lodged itself in his throat as he summoned all his strengths to give her the slightest of nods before turning back to the field of the arena. He didn't want to watch her leave him.

Hermione fled the box and ran to the stables where a group of knights stood ready and waiting. They assisted her on to her horse and mounted their own. The gates of the village opened as Hermione and her entourage sped through riding hard and fast to Rowena.

Back to a city on the brink of war with the False King.

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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.”

-->

Chapter fourteen: The March to War

Lord Voldemort's head appeared in the flames in front of Snape. He was alone in his quarters among the various bottles of potions, poisons and remedies.

“Do you understand what you must do?” he asked the greasy-haired man.

“Yes, Milord, I will lead your soldiers into the castle. Rowena will fall at your hand,” Snape answered penitently.

“I want her brought to me alive,” Voldemort said calmly. “I want to see her on her knees before me, begging me to save her pathetic little city. Her king cannot protect her now.”

“What do you want me to do with the king?”

“Draco will willingly give up Rowena to me to save her precious little neck,” Voldemort sneered. “The little traitor is befuddled with her. That is what makes him weak.”

Snape hesitated a moment before speaking. “She was in Hufflepuff to negotiate a peace with the Rider.”

Voldemort frowned. “And?”

“She returned unsuccessful…and I have reason to believe that he is holding Draco's heir hostage.”

“The rider has more guts than I thought,” Voldemort sounded slightly amused. “But this can work in our favor. With their son held hostage, we might make an ally out of Ravenclaw and Slytherin yet.”

~*~

Draco watched from the balcony the approaching army of the False King in the distance. Deep down he knew that they might, might, be able to hold this castle. In truth, he didn't give a damn about Rowena and would rather see it burn to the ground but with the Gryffindor King breathing down his neck at Arneau Tak and the False King trapped in between, Rowena was all that was left between them and Slytherin.

A roar of cheers from the street caught his attention and he rolled his eyes. He had permitted the Rider and a few of his men entrance into the city, ONLY because he was bringing Jason with him. But, Draco still scowled at the reception the rider was receiving. Nobody ever cheered for him like that, lately, the people have forgotten who their king was. What the hell was he to these people, he had only been a knight in their service.

Yet here he came, riding on his white horse, shining armor and the red banners with the gold lions upon them and the people greeted him like he was Merlin himself come to pay a special visit.

“Your Majesty,” a squire announced, “the Gryffindor King has arrived.”

“I know that!” he hissed back. “I can see him with my own eyes.” The squire made a hasty exit.

Draco made his way down to the throne room, summoning for one of his guards. “I want Jason taken to the dungeons immediately.” The guard nodded.

Draco sat on the throne of Ravenclaw as the door opened and a servant announced the Gryffindor King. In he walked with a small entourage of knights, squires and pages. Jason was with him already bound.

“Thank you for opening your city gates to us,” Harry spoke first.

Draco grimaced. “Did I really have a choice?”

“I brought Jason to you as a gesture of goodwill between us.”

“You brought Jason with you as a ticket into the city.”

“Does it really matter? We both gain from this,” Harry sighed lazily. He hated the man that was sitting before him.

“And how is that?”

“I'm relieved of a rogue knight and you get your city saved.”

“Saved? By you?” Draco scoffed.

“You have an army of the False King marching toward you as we speak. You know you are defeated, if we join forces—“

“What, an army of peasants and riders? I'll take my chances with my own properly trained soldiers.”

Draco looked over Harry's shoulder.

“Ah, darling!” Draco announced with over-the-top caring, “come greet our guests. Some old friends of yours, I believe?”

Hermione walked into the hall and stopped at the sight of the Gryffindor banners and she was nearly floored when she saw Harry standing before her. But by now she had grown accustomed to masking her feelings from her husband. Harry wasn't fooled, he saw the look of surprise on her face.

“Milord,” Hermione kneeled politely before Harry.

“Don't kneel to him,” Draco barked.

“She's only displaying proper manners to be received before a King,” Harry defended. “I am glad to see you have arrived back to your home safely,” Harry said kindly to her.

“Thank—“

“Her home is in Slytherin at the castle Anguin,” Draco cut in.

“He meant safely returned to you, Draco,” Hermione put a placating hand on his arm as she walked to his side. Harry's eyes fell on the contact between the two of them, a look that was not lost on Draco.

He turned to Harry, “I'm afraid we'll have to cut our business together short. You see, my wife has been away from me for quite some time and I wish to spend as much…quality time with her as I can.” He stood and slid a hand around Hermione's waist, guiding her out of the room with a smirk on his face. Hermione was about to protest but Harry spoke up.

“I wouldn't be too hasty,” he called out after him and stepped aside so Ron could bring Jason forward. Hermione stopped in her tracks.

“What is the meaning of this?” she looked at her friend who was bound then at her husband accusingly.

She stepped away from her husband and turned on Harry. “Why is he here?” she demanded.

“Love, surely you know about the little bounty on his head,” Draco said sweetly.

“Of course, I do,” she said harshly. “What I want to know is why he is here?” This question was for Harry.

“It was the only way Draco would let us into the city,” Harry answered honestly. Hermione looked very angry but it dissipated into confusion when she looked at Jason and he gave her the slightest nod of his head. Hermione looked back at Harry with questions in her eyes.

“Very well,” she said calmly and turned to a squire. “Give them rooms in the castle,” she ordered.

“Hermione, I don't think—“ Draco began but Hermione whirled on him.

“They are guests in the castle and I would like to show the King the same hospitality that I received in his castle.” Harry couldn't help but smirk at Hermione's words. She sighed and rolled her eyes at this. “I'm going to rest now, I'm through with all of this.”

She marched to the doors with Draco following. “I'll join you shortly,” he said just loud enough for Harry to hear.

Hermione turned. “Don't bother.”

Draco turned red with anger. “You cannot keep denying me,” he hissed.

“Oh yes?” Hermione asked, opening the doors a little wider to reveal the group of Gryffindor knights that had escorted Hermione home. “Try me,” she challenged and the knights stepped forward. Harry made a mental note to reward these knights greatly.

Draco turned back to Harry and his group. “Take Jason down to the dungeons,” he ordered. “And…find them some rooms,” he waved lazily to Harry. “I am done here.”

Ron reluctantly gave Jason over to the Slytherin guards, giving Harry a look that said `I sure hope you know what you're doing.'

~*~

The sun was setting when Hermione heard a knock on her door.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” one of the Gryffindor knights spoke, “but I have a message for you from the Gryffindor King.”

Hermione went to the door and opened it. Ron stood before her. “He asked me to give you this,” he held out a small folded parchment.

“Why did he bring Jason here?” she asked as she took it from him.

“I don't know,” Ron sighed heavily, indicated that he, too, was not pleased with this development.

Library. Sundown.

Hermione nodded then closed her door.

She pinned her hair up and pinched her cheeks before leaving her room for the library. She was escorted by the knights who led her to the library doors, also guarded with some more knights. They moved out of the way and opened the door for her.

“The Queen Hermione,” one of them announced as she entered the room.

Harry had been standing with his back to her, looking out the window at the sunset but turned at this announcement. “Very well, thank you.”

The doors closed behind her, leaving them alone. “It is safe. We are alone,” Harry said softly.

Hermione flew into his arms. “What…are you…doing here?” she asked as she kissed him. Harry gently cradled her head in his hands and kissed her deeply, properly greeting her.

“How are you?” he asked when he broke the kiss, placing a hand on her lower belly where their baby was nestled safely within.

“I'm fine but…what are you doing here?” she asked. “Where's James?”

“James is safe back in Hufflepuff,” Harry led Hermione to one of the cushioned benches. “Thank you for leaving him with me,” he said sincerely.

Hermione smiled and tears filled her eyes. “I miss him so much, Harry. It feels like a part of me is missing.”

Harry brought her into a comforting embrace. “Oh, Hermione. You'll be with him soon. But first,” he lifted her head up and brushed the tears away from her face with the pad of his thumbs. “There's something important I must tell you.”

“What? What is it?” she asked as Harry got up.

“I've had this nagging problem that I've been dealing with for quite some time and I really didn't know any way to solve it. The funny thing is, it's been underneath our noses all along.” He pulled a book from the shelf, a big and dusty one and began to thumb through it. “You see, I'm madly in love with the Slytherin Queen,” he said softly. “But she is married to an oaf of a husband.” Hermione stifled a giggle. Harry smiled and handed her the book, page opened to a passage he wanted her to read.

“The old laws of Gryffindor?” Hermione asked as she took it.

Harry watched her as she read it, watched as the blood suddenly drained from her face. She dropped the book and looked up at him.

“The binding….” She said weakly and Harry nodded.

“It was an old marriage custom, I only just found out about it. I put it into law the day I left, all bindings that wish to result in marriage need only…my…approval.”

The room began to spin around her and she began to sway. Harry was instantly by her side and took her hand, so cold.

“Hermione…Hermione, are you alright?” He knelt in front of her.

“Then we are married?” she asked softly.

“Only if you want it, I'll approve it,” he whispered.

“You have no idea how much I've wished for something like this,” she said quietly. “To be your wife, to be by your side.” She placed her hands on either side of Harry's head. “Yes, of course I wish to be yours.” Harry moved up and kissed her on the lips.

“Then it's done,” he said smiling as he stroked her hair. “I'm yours, you're mine. My wife, my only love, my queen.” Their smiles faded at this and Hermione stood up.

“What do we do, Harry?” she asked as she paced the floor.

Harry stood slowly. “We do nothing, we say nothing.”

“Voldemort,” Hermione whispered the name that stood between now and their future happiness.

“Hermione, I must ask something of you. Please leave the castle in the morning and ride back to Hufflepuff.”

“What? You know I can't. We are on the brink of war, Harry and I cannot abandon my people,” she protested.

“I knew you would say something like that,” he smiled sadly. Hermione walked up to him and rubbed his arms.

“I'll be safe, I promise,” she assured.

Harry wrapped his arms around her. “Everything will be okay, Hermione. I promise you.”

He was planning on leaving in the morning, Draco had not surprisingly refused his offer of help but it was no matter. For now, tonight, as they feasted on dinner, he watched Draco dance with his beautiful wife. He would not interfere. Let him dance this dance with her. He smiled knowingly over his goblet of wine as he watched the couple.

Later that night, Harry snuck into Hermione's room, the room where they bound themselves to one another.

“Harry!” Hermione whispered as she tried to stifle a giggle. Harry heaved himself over her balcony and tumbled to the floor. “Couldn't you use Ginny's room?”

“Ron's got it,” Harry said as he dusted himself off.

She walked up to him and stood on tip toe to kiss him. He slid his hands around her waist and up her to her back to press her closer to him. Her hands moved to undo his tunic as she gently tugged him toward her bed.

“No,” Harry whispered. “Not there.” He bent down and kissed her sensitive skin just below her ear. He moved her to the rug in front of the fire, the place where he had first taken her. “Here,” he murmured as he pushed her robe off over her shoulders.

The lovers, more experienced with each other than their first time together, undressed each other slowly, kissing exposed skin, soft moans and sighs filled the air. And as Hermione lay below him, he entered her, taking her for the first time knowingly as his wife. She sighed, holding him closer as she took him in. He began his familiar rhythm, kissing her gently as he moved within her. She moaned softly, moving her hands over his back, meeting his thrusts with her hips as they danced their familiar dance. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as Harry brought her closer to her pleasure, her sighs filled his ears. The familiar tightening of her walls beckoned him to follow her into the abyss of paradise. She softly cried out his name and Harry kissed her deeply before he tumbled after her.

~*~

The puffs of breath from the horses appeared in the cool morning air as the castle gates opened. The Gryffindor King and his entourage stepped through, feeling the King's and Queen's eyes on him. He chanced a look back at Hermione, silently asking the question once again. Her eyes fell on the horizon where the armies of the False King were marching.

From the dungeon, Jason could hear the chains of the gates being drawn. The Gryffindor King was leaving. His hands no longer bound, he moved them over them over his simple tunic, feeling the fabric until he felt the hardness of metal. Carefully tearing it, he extracted a short metal file and thought back to two nights ago.

The king handed him the tunic. “Because you love her as I do, I can only trust you with her life.”

“What if he kills me?” he asked.

The king nodded no. “He won't. Not with war upon him. As soon as you get the signal, leave the dungeon and find her. Hedwig will be waiting in the stables, Hermione will ride her. Take her back to Hufflepuff, I want her safe and out of harms way until I send for her again.”

Jason looked at the file and began to work on his dungeon door.

Harry had just reached the hills when he heard the war drums of the False King and the horn of battle from Rowena. Neville greeted the men.

“Are we ready?” Harry asked him.

“Six thousand strong, Milord,” he answered.

Harry looked over the other side of the hill to see his army spread out below him. He turned back to Rowena below him.

“My cousin will be safe?” Ron demanded.

Harry nodded.

Neville watched as the army marched closer and closer to the city. “It will be a massacre,” he said, looking at the King.

Harry was unwavering. “We wait,” he said.

Ron sighed. “Rowena will fall.”

“Yes…it will.”

-->

Chapter Fifteen: A King's Wrath

The beat of the war drums of the False King struck fear in the heart of the city. There were people swarming in the streets, eager to reach the safety of the castle, a whole sea of faces pushing, swelling, shouting and crying. The silver glint of the armor of the Slytherin knights stuck out in the crowd as they pushed their way in the opposite direction on their way to the city walls to face the enemy army.

Draco was getting ready himself, his squires dressing him in his finest tunic. “I want you in the castle keep,” he said softly.

“You know I won't go,” Hermione answered. She was on the balcony, looking at the panicked crowd below her.

“You will not serve Rowena dead, my love.”

“Do you not have confidence in your army?” she asked him. He didn't reply. She looked down at the terrified people of the city. “They need me, Draco.”

He grabbed her arm fiercely and Hermione knew that he would leave a terrible bruise. “You are a Queen of Slytherin,” he hissed at her. “You do not mix among the common people.” He looked down at Hermione, her soft skin, her curly hair, her soft fragrance filled his nostrils fueling his desire. Those wretched Gryffindor knights that had been watching over his wife had left with their king and she was here, unprotected.

“Draco,” Hermione protested weakly, seeing the familiar look in his eyes.

“Leave us!” he said briskly to the servants in the room and he didn't bother waiting for them to leave before he shoved Hermione to the floor.

“Draco what are you doing?! Stop it!”

“Go ahead and struggle,” he whispered fiercely in her ear as he pinned her arms to the floor. “You know that I like you that way.”

And she did fight ferociously against him, the sound of fabric ripping terrified her. She belonged to Harry, she always did and she wouldn't let Draco take her. Tears welled in her eyes when her breasts were freed and were plundered brutally. She thrashed against him but it only further fueled his desire.

“Do you hear the drums, Hermione?” he whispered in her ear. “The call of war makes men's blood run hot.”

He let go of one of her arms so he could undo his trousers and Hermione pushed at him, swatting at his head. He couldn't take her, he wouldn't take her. His hand struggled to part her legs for him as she continued to fight ferociously. Her free hand flailed above her head and hit something hard. She looked above her and saw that somehow, a heavy flagon had fallen to the floor. She reached for it, seizing it and swung at Draco.

He cried out in shock and pain when the flagon made contact with his head and he fell away from her. Hermione seized the moment and scrambled away from him. The top of her dress was ruined but she held the rags together to cover her as she ran out of the room.

There was a deafening crash outside of the castle and screams rose from the people. Hermione ran to a window in the castle and looked out to the city to see a heavy slab of stone that had demolished a building. Rowena let loose one of their trebuchets in answer.

The battle had begun.

“Milady! Milady, what do we do?” her servants asked when she reached her room.

“Come, we must move quickly! Find me another dress and then we leave!” she ordered.

Moments later, dressed in a dark blue velvet dress with silver embroidery at the scoop of the neck and sleeves, the women made their way to the castle doors where the common people fled to safety.

“Come!” she ordered a handful of knights and they followed her to the castle keep where a crowd had already formed at the doors.

“Milady!”

“Help us, milady!”

She turned to one of the knights, outside was another deafening crash. “Women and children in the keep. I need every available man armed and sent to the king to be placed in line. We need every available hand.”

Draco watched as one of the turrets along the wall crumbled when a large slab hit it. The loud pounding against the city gates held his attentions. There was a dull ache above his eyebrow marking where his wife had attacked him and left him with his blooding running hot and spoiling for a fight.

“They will breach through here! Be at the ready!” he shouted to his men.

The city had the advantage of the main avenue that the gate opened up into. Any army invading would be forced into the narrow channel of the street where they could be picked off by the archers hiding above in the widows of the buildings that lined the street.

Harry watched from the hill across the valley, the sun had disappeared below the horizon, the fires from the battles below cast an eerie light to the valley. Draco had held onto Rowena for the day.

“Will they last through the night?” Neville asked quietly.

“Draco will hold the city,” Harry replied. “They can't breach the gates.”

“I fear for my cousin,” Ron lamented.

“Hermione is safe,” Harry assured.

~*~

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Then silence. Silence for the longest time that made Draco and the others uneasy. They had ceased their assault on the gate. The sky was turning grey with the impending dawn, the smell of smoke filled the air. Then he heard it. A sound that pierced the hearts of men and made them quake with fear. A roar. Then another. And then another.

“DRAGONS!!!!” the soldiers from the turret yelled.

A great shape flew above them dropping something large. The object landed in the city with an explosion of fire and stone as the men called out in death and surprise.

Inside the castle, Snape heard the roars of the beasts and made his way down to the cellars of the castle. He went to a secret door that he used to make his way in and out of the castle undetected. On the other side of it was Dolohov, General of the False King and fellow Death Eater.

“A little late aren't you?” Snape sneered.

“Tempermental creatures,” Dolohov replied and made his way into the castle with at least a hundred soldiers behind him.

“Where is she?” Dolohov asked.

“She is most likely in the keep. But there are soldiers everywhere,” Snape warned.

Harry raced out of his tent at the sound of the first roar. Neville and Ron quickly joined him on the hill.

“Dragons,” Harry breathed as he watched the assault on the city. It was the sign he had been waiting for, Rowena's last breath, the death rattle. “Ready the men,” he ordered, “we take the dragons first.”

The explosion made the whole keep shake and tremble and the women cried out in fear as the babes whimpered.

“What was that, Milady?” a woman asked frightened.

“I'm not sure,” Hermione held the woman's hand.

There was a commotion outside of the doors of the keep. The sounds of shouts and the clanging of steel against steel before the door burst open and the women screamed.

“The castle is breeched!” someone screamed as a handful of soldiers poured in wearing the emblem of the false king, the skull with a serpent coming from its mouth.

The women scrambled with their children to the back of the keep as the Slytherin soldiers that were keeping guard were quickly slaughtered. A tall soldier of the False King's stepped forward.

“The Queen.”

The women huddled closer together as the small group approached with the swords drawn. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest and a woman held on to her arm.

“The Queen,” he repeated. Hermione made a move to step forward but another arm held her back.

“S-she isn't here,” a woman bravely spoke up.

The soldier stepped forward and put his sword point to the woman's throat as they gasped.

“I won't ask for her again,” the soldier said briskly.

Hermione knelt down, picked up a stone and hurled it at a soldier. It made its mark and the man cried out as the cut poured blood down his face. The tall soldier stepped back but still held out his sword.

“Who did that?” he demanded.

Hermione stepped forward against the wishes of her ladies. “I did,” she boldly stated.

“Take her,” he ordered the other soldiers but Hermione held up a hand.

“I am not going anywhere. You are greatly outnumbered in this room.”

The tall one scoffed. “By women and children.”

Hermione smirked. “By mothers defending their children and I believe you have stepped in the wrong room today.”

A shower of stones followed her words, pelting the soldiers, temporarily blinding them as the women trampled over them in their haste to leave the keep. They spilled back into the castle.

“Go!” she urged the women. “Seek safety elsewhere!”

“Milady! Where are you going?”

Hermione didn't answer, she ran on. There was one more person she needed to get to that was trapped in this castle.

“Jason,” she whispered.

~*~

The city gates turned bright orange as the dragons breathed fire on them. Another bang and the gates shuddered violently. The archers stood at the ready from the buildings, soldiers waited at the end of the street, shields up and spears out. Draco stood behind them all with his men. The trebuchets creaked and groaned and the never ending whiz of arrows flying from both sides of the wall were punctuated with the cries of men when they made their marks. There was a low rumble coming from somewhere and the sound of an unfamiliar warhorn.

The men broke rank and ran for cover as another dragon soared above them, dropping another explosion of stone and fire. It suddenly jerked and screamed as the air seemed to be filled with arrows.

“It's going down!!” someone yelled and the men ran for cover yet again, running out of the way as the beast came tumbling down from the air with a violent thud, crashing into a building and crushing the men inside.

“What is this?” Draco asked bewildered at the broken dragon, covered in arrows.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” a Slytherin knight ran up to him. “It is breeched! The castle is overrun!!”

Draco looked back at the castle and saw some of the False King's men within, women and children were running for cover.

“The keep,” Draco breathed.

BAM!!

The city gates burst open and the False King's army spilled into the city. The rumble became louder.

“HOLD THE LINE!!” Draco bellowed. “You all,” he pointed with his sword to a large group of soldiers. “We make haste for the castle. Find the Queen!”

The loud pounding of the horse's hooves drowned out the war horn that was sounded and the whoosh of arrows that flew overhead taking down the second dragon. It had let go of the iron cauldron it was holding and it fell on the edge of Gryffindor army taking out a handful of riders.

The last dragon was under assault at the city gates. It was unfurling its wings, desperate to take flight but the arrows had ripped through the webbing. The dragon, angry and helpless, let out a roar of fire, setting aflame the brigade of the False King's men nearby it.

The riders pounded into the melee with their King at the head in a clash of swords. Taking advantage of the Slytherin army's confusion, the Gryffindor archers picked off the men keeping watch along the city walls. The False King's army was divided into two, some going into the city and some who fought desperately against the invading Gryffindors.

The enemy poured into the city and were channeled into the streets as planned. The Slytherins let loose their arrows on them, dwindling their numbers. The False King's army were met with more Slytherin soldiers at the end of the streets. The men swarmed into the buildings, taking out some of the archers and setting fire to the other buildings.

“What in the world?” A Slytherin soldier on the wall asked as another horn was sounded.

Behind the riders of Gryffindor came another army of men on foot carrying the crimson banner with the gold lion.

The riders broke through the False Kings army and breeched the city on the wake of the fleeing soldiers. The Slytherin army at the far end of the street was deep in battle but looked up in surprise at the King's army.

“Take them out! Take them out!” A group of archers cried out.

There was confusion and chaos. Take who out? Who were they fighting? Gryffindor took this advantage to engage in battle with the bewildered Slytherin army.

“FALL BACK! FALL BACK!” the False King's army called out to their kin.

Harry thrust his sword deep in the soldiers back, cutting off the cry and removed the sword in time to block another blow. Ron was at his side, fighting his way forward through the familiar narrow street. More Gryffindor soldiers poured into the city and pushed their way closer to the castle.

“Warn the king! Warn the king!” a Slytherin soldier cried out as a group of soldiers broke rank to flee to the castle.

“Ron!” Harry called out and Ron and Neville went after the men, striking them down before they continued on to the castle with Harry hot on their heels.

~*~

Hermione raced down the corridor toward the dungeons. She had to free Jason before the castle was completely taken, to give him a chance to ride to safety. She turned a corner and bumped into someone, hard.

“Well, well, well. What luck do we have today?”

Hermione cried out in fear and surprise at the stranger. He was tall and wore the False King's emblem. Two serpents held a black cloak and his face was masked by its hood and a mask of a human skull. He was accompanied by two other soldiers who also wore the emblem but were obviously of a lower rank. He grabbed her to him.

“Let me go,” she demanded.

“I think not, little Queen. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

Hermione struggled against him, biting, scratching and clawing. Dolohov cursed angrily at her and threw her against the wall.

“Perhaps we should make her go quietly,” he said as he raised his hand to hit her.

But there was a cry of surprise by one of the soldiers as a sword suddenly jutted through him.

“Unhand the Queen,” Jason demanded as he pulled the sword free.

“Does the young Knight want to play?” Dolohov asked as he tossed Hermione to the side.

“Jason,” Hermione pleaded for him.

He glanced once at her before looking back again at the two men standing before him. Jason struck quick and hard, meeting the men's swords and parrying back. The soldier was inexperienced in battle and Jason was able to strike him down first. Hermione cried out as Dolohov swiped at him but Jason leaped out of the way in time. Dolohov swung again, again and again and each time Jason blocked him. On the final strike, Jason grabbed Dolohov's sword arm and pulled him toward him, butting heads with him. Dolohov dropped his sword and cried out in pain as he covered his nose, blood ran down and dripped from his chin. Blinded by the pain, Jason thrust his sword into his belly, putting an end to Hermione's would-be captor.

“Jason! Oh, Jason!” she threw herself in his arms. “I came back for you! I came to free you! How did you get out?”

Jason kissed the top of her head. “Hermione, we can't talk now. I have to get you out of here.”

She looked up at him, “What?”

“Hermione, listen to me. Ha—AH!” Jason's cry cut off his sentence and they both looked down to see a sword in his side.

“I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

Hermione gasped Draco's voice and moved away from Jason's embrace.

“Draco…listen to me. This isn't what it looks like,” she said. His face was filled with rage.

“I knew it,” he whispered angrily as he approached them. “I knew it all along.”

“No, Draco,” she moved Jason behind her. Jason removed his hand from his wound to find it covered in blood.

“I loved you! You were mine but you let him have you before I could!”

“No! Listen!”

“You were mine, Hermione!” He swung his sword out at her but it was blocked by Jason's sword.

“Let her be,” he said.

“NO! STOP THIS!” Hermione cried out.

“Take the Queen to the tower,” Draco said to the two knights who accompanied him. “I'll deal with her later.”

“She's not going anywhere with you,” Jason threatened as he raised his sword to the king and struck.

“No! Let me go!” She struggled against the two knights who dragged her away from the duel.

“Hermione!” Jason moved after her but Draco blocked his way.

“We finish this now Jason!” Draco bellowed.

“Let me go! Unhand me!” Hermione demanded as the two knights dragged her up the stairs.

“We don't obey the whore-Queen anymore!” one of the knights snarled.

“You betrayed the king!” the other chimed in and spat in her face.

“What are you doing? We are in the middle of a battle! Let me go at once!”

“The king said you are to be locked in the tower. Pray that the enemy gets to you first because I can guarantee that your death will be a slow one.”

Ron heard his cousin's shouts. “That's Hermione,” he said to Neville and they raced to the source of the sound. Up the stairs they went, through a maze of corridors and up again a countless number of steps. They turned a corner and found two Slytherin knights dragging Hermione along between them.

“RON!” she screamed out and the two Slytherins were quickly disposed of by the two men.

“Hermione! Hermione you're safe!” Ron held his cousin.

“We have to go back down! We have to get Jason!” she pleaded with them.

Harry walked into the castle, sword in hand disposing of those knights and soldiers that were left straggling. He heard shouts coming from the throne room and followed them.

“I should've known you would be the one to betray me,” Draco snarled as he blocked Jason's blow. “You, the knight that all the maidens loved.”

“You betrayed your people first!” Jason countered. “You betrayed Hermione!”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK HER NAME!” Draco roared and struck but Jason blocked him. “I LOVED HER!”

“You murdered her intended and forced her into marriage!” Jason shot back.

“She thought she had no other choice. I freed her from that miserable match!”

“You gave her no choice!!”

“She was mine!” Draco struck hard and Jason stumbled backward. “Mine! She was MINE! MINE!”

With each word Draco struck hard, mad with grief as Jason tried to fend him off but the final blow stung his hand and by reflex Jason dropped his sword. As the sound of the metal hitting the stone clanged through the room, Draco advanced on him and Jason stumbled in his backward step, losing his balance and falling into a chair behind him. The two men looked up and realized that Jason had fallen onto the King's chair, the throne itself. Draco scoffed lightly at this.

“The irony,” he said softly before he plunged his sword into Jason's chest.

“NOO!” a voice cried out and Draco looked up in time to see the Rider tackle him to the ground.

The men hit the ground hard and Harry pummeled Draco in the stomach. Draco kicked Harry off of him and sprang to his feet. Harry charged at him with sword drawn and Draco had just enough time to grab Jason's sword from off the ground. He blocked Harry's hit but Harry kicked out at him and Draco stumbled backward. Harry advanced and struck again, it was blocked, he struck again, it was blocked. Draco dodged his next blow and struck at Harry but he turned just in time to move out of the way.

The doors of the throne room burst open as the two men continued their fight in the castle foyer. The battle outside had found its way in and separated the men. Harry fought of the False King's men to get at Draco, while Draco struck down a few Gryffindor soldiers that were in his way. He turned and ran up the stairs. Harry swore and shoved people out of his way in pursuit.

Hermione, Ron and Neville ran into the throne room and she let out a scream when she saw Jason.

“NOOOO! NO! NO! OH, NO!” she cried out as she ran to the throne.

“Hermione!” Ron reached her and tried to hold her back but she shrugged away from him and fell to her knees before Jason.

Neville stood and watched her. “Harry,” he whispered. Harry would want to know about this and he turned and ran out of the room to find the King.

Hermione reached out and gently shook his head. “Jason!” she cried. “Jason, wake up! Jason, get up!” She grabbed the hilt of the sword and yanked but it didn't budge. She yanked again and again, tears of frustration fell down her face. Ron reached out and stilled her hand, moving it out of the way. He yanked on the sword, freeing it from the chair and Jason's chest. Jason's body fell forward into Hermione's waiting arms and she crumpled to the floor in tears, rocking Jason in her arms.

Neville ran up the stairs and found Harry and Draco in battle on the high ledge of the castle.

“Didn't think you still smarted over her rejection,” Draco said as he wiped a trace of blood off of his lip.

“Was it true what Jason said?” Harry demanded.

“It's none of your business,” Draco sneered. “She's my wife.” Harry struck at him and Draco winced in pain as he blocked it.

“Because you forced her!” Harry shouted back.

Draco smirked. “She likes being forced,” he grinned. “You should hear her cries when I fuck her.”

Harry snarled and lashed out at him, striking Draco in his side. Draco cried out in shock and pain as he dropped his sword. Harry kicked it away from him.

“That was for Jason,” Harry sneered and raised his sword.

“MERCY!” Draco cried out. “I yield.”

“What was that?” Harry asked angrily.

Draco was breathing heavy and his shoulders drooped. Neville moved forward as Draco took off his cloak, the Slytherin emblem was embroidered on the green fabric. He tossed it to the ground before Harry's feet and fell to his knees.

“Slytherin yields to Gryffindor,” Draco said in defeat. Harry raised his sword to strike.

“Harry,” Neville called out to him and he looked up. “The Slytherin king yields. You know the laws of the land, we have to take him prisoner.”

Harry licked his lips then sheathed his sword. Draco closed his eyes and exhaled in relief.

“Get up!” Harry kicked at him and he staggered to his feet.

Neville began to recite the oath that would hold Draco prisoner under Gryffindor. Harry watched him with disgust. The man who had forced Hermione into marriage, who forced her into his bed and separated him from his true love.

Against Neville's protests, Harry reached out and grabbed a fistful of Draco's clothes and dragged him to him.

“This is for Hermione,” he said softly then grabbed his arm and ran with him to the ledge, hurling him off of it. Draco cried out as he fell and tumbled through the air.

Neville looked at Harry as he walked back toward him. “Harry,” he said softly to him. “Harry, what did you do?”

-->

Chapter Sixteen: The Spoils of War

The bodies of the dead enemy were burned just outside of the city. The people of Rowena looked upon their future with uncertainty and confusion as the Gryffindor soldiers carried out wagons of dead bodies, the False King and Slytherin armies piled upon them. What would become of them now? Gazes would occasionally wander to the top of the castle where the banner of Gryffindor flapped in the breeze. The fate of their king had spread through the town like wildfire, fallen from the top of the castle while battling the Gryffindor King and once hero Ravenclaw Knight.

There was no love lost for the death of the Slytherin King but the people had not heard news of their Queen. What had happened? Was she okay? What would become of her now? And of the baby James? Now that the king was dead, the babe had inherited the Slytherin throne and he was nowhere to be found.

~*~

Harry walked into a small and quiet room off to the side of the throne room. There was no light in the room save a small glow of candlelight. Jason rested on the bed in the room, dead, with his sword held in his hands with the point toward his feet. Hermione was seated at his side, her eyes rimmed red and dry having cried all the tears she could. Harry noticed that she was still wearing her blue velvet gown that was now stained with Jason's blood. She was tenderly stroking his hair.

“He was my only friend in Slytherin,” her voice was a little rough from crying and disuse. Harry said nothing as he listened patiently to his wife. She looked up at him. “He loved me,” she said quietly. “Did you know that? He loved me.”

“Have you slept?” he asked her, changing the subject.

She looked at him, disbelieving. “The city is fresh from battle, judging by the fact that you are standing here before me, Slytherin has yielded and Jason is dead. Ask me again if I've slept,” she said harshly.

Harry walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She sighed and leaned into his hand. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to be harsh.”

He knelt down and turned her so that she faced him. “Hermione…Draco's dead.”

She looked at him for a long time. She didn't need to ask how, deep down she knew that Draco fell by Harry's sword.

“Come,” he said gently, coaxing her to her feet. Reluctantly, she left Jason's side, leaving him alone, cold and dead in the room. There was nothing more she could do. She grieved all she could for him and she felt a piece of her die along with him.

He led her to her rooms where her ladies were waiting for her. Harry left her to them and they carefully took off her dress, her under-robes were also stained red. What her ladies did with the dress, she didn't know. They probably destroyed it. It didn't matter, she didn't want to ever see the dress again.

Sinking into the tub of warm water unlocked something inside of her and more tears sprang to her eyes.

“You'll be alright, Milady,” one of her servants soothed her.

Hermione was dressed in a black dress, the same she wore for the funeral of her father. A pair of Gryffindor knights led her to the throne room. She didn't want to go in there again but she fought down her tears as she entered the room where Jason was murdered.

It was filled with Gryffindor knights, their armor shining and black bands on their arms, Harry stood among them, looking like a king, he also wore a black band. The knights knelt when Hermione entered the room and took her place by Harry's side. Jason was on a litter in the middle of the room, dressed in shined armor and Gryffindor colors.

Harry looked at her with compassion in his eyes. “We cannot move forward until we put the past behind.”

Ron moved to take his cousin's arm and whispered words of comfort as a few knights stepped forward to carry Jason's litter. Hermione would follow with Ron at her side, Harry would be after her surrounded by his best and favorite knights with two places held empty for Ron and Jason. More soldiers would follow and at the end, a riderless horse, symbolizing the master she had lost.

The procession made it's way out of the castle, through the city and its gates out into the field to stop at the riverbank. Jason's body was lowered into a craft and wood was piled against him. A few ladies of the court stepped forward to place flowers upon him, Hermione's chambermaids placed wreaths of lily's around him before Hermione finally stepped forward to place a single red rose on him. Her most loyal friend, her candle in her darkest times had gone out of this world.

The tether was cut and Jason's craft floated slowly down the river to be carried out to the sea. After a long silence, the sound of a single arrow could be heard and Hermione watched its path until it came to land on the craft, setting the pyre aflame. A single tear fell down her face, her last tear she would cry for him. Harry couldn't stand Hermione's grief and stepped toward her to place a hand on her shoulder. This gesture was not overlooked by the Gryffindor knights and the spattering of Ravenclaw's nobility that were at the river's edge and they exchanged nervous glances. The reason for Gryffindor's conquering of Rowena became suddenly very clear.

Hermione turned and looked up at him briefly before stepping away to lead the procession back into the castle. Harry hesitated a moment, flexing the hand that had been on her shoulder, before following her.

~*~

She came to him that night and they made love into the early hours of the morning. Slytherin had yielded to Gryffindor so Harry sent Sirius from Hogsmeade to Slytherin as an ambassador to deliver the news that their king was dead. Harry had Slytherin under his thumb while he kept their Queen close at hand.

Two weeks had passed from the battle's end and Harry and Hermione sat in the throne room, Remus diligently taking notes.

“Gryffindor now holds Ravenclaw and the people shall be taxed under the Gryffindor law,” Harry proclaimed. The Ravenclaw nobles smiled gratefully.

“This will relieve a great burden on the people, for they were heavily taxed under the rule of Slytherin,” Remus said, chancing a glance at Hermione who sat in a throne next to Harry's but her face was impassive.

“The people can now leave the city and be allowed to return to their homes,” Harry was saying.

“They should have protection and assistance. With the aid of the Gryffindor soldiers, it will alleviate some fears and tension,” Hermione advised.

“Will the people accept my help?” Harry asked.

Hermione smiled. “Rowena hasn't forgotten that you were once a favorite Knight of Ravenclaw. The people need to know that their hero still exists in the King.”

Harry looked at her. “Very well,” he said softly and dragged his eyes from her to face the court. “This concludes our negotiations between Slytherin and Gryffindor,” Harry said as the doors opened and Ron stepped into the room against the flow of those who were leaving. He stepped up to Harry to whisper something to him that brought a smile to him and he turned to Hermione.

“Would you care to take a walk in the garden?” he asked her.

Hermione looked back at him with playful suspicion before holding her hand out to him. With his queen on his arm, he led her out of the castle and to the gardens. It was a lovely day, warm and sunny.

“Harry, what are you up to?” she whispered. They were still being watched.

“Just wanted to take a walk,” he shrugged as they stepped into the fragrant haven.

“Take a walk,” Hermione repeated not believing him.

“Okay,” Harry sighed. “There is someone I'd like you to see.” Hermione stopped to look at him and Harry looked over her shoulder. She turned and to her heart's most absolute delight, Minerva stepped from around the corner holding baby James in her arms.

“JAMES!” Hermione shrieked and picked up her skirts to run for the babe. She retrieved him from the witch's arms as James squealed with delight. “James, James, James,” Hermione repeated as she kissed her baby and held his warm little body close to her hers, breathing in his familiar baby scent. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at seeing his wife and son reunited and the beaming smile she sent him filled with love and gratefulness. His family was safe and complete in Rowena with another child on the way.

Minerva left them alone and the family spent the afternoon in the garden. Baby James basked in the love of his mother and father as he discovered the joy of grabbing blades of grass.

~*~

Lord Voldemort slammed his fist down on the table causing the goblet to sway dangerously.

“The Rider holds Hufflepuff, he took Arneau Tak and now that he has captured Rowena…HE HOLDS RAVENCLAW!! That's half the kingdom you miserable excuses for flesh!” he snarled at his Death Eaters. “Not only that, but the filth has more balls than I thought he would and he holds the Slytherin Queen hostage so we might as well concede that he has Slytherin under his thumb as well!”

“But…Milord…”

Voldemort swooped down on them. “I gave you all one simple task. ONE SIMPLE TASK! Take the Queen, take that miserable little queen and bring her here so she can beg for her life and you couldn't even do that! You failed! Now the rider has her under his rule and might I remind you that she will do anything he asks of her as long as he holds her child in Hufflepuff.”

“Then you strike first and you strike hard!” Dolohov stood up.

Voldemort eyed him dangerously. “What did you think I was trying to do?” he said slowly.

Dolohov licked his lips nervously but continued on. “We annihilate Hufflepuff, strike at the Rider's home. Send an army so fierce that Hogsmeade will fall to its knees.”

“And who will I send to do this? What army can I have to spare now that he's BREATHING DOWN MY NECK?!”

“The Slytherin army,” Snape spoke up with cool and calm in his voice.

Voldemort burst out in laughter. “And I suppose you want the Queen to lead it? Lead an army to destroy where her son resides. Her mouth may be a little busy servicing the Rider to save her little neck.”

“Not the Queen…” Snape said slowly and he motioned to the doors. They opened and two of the False King's guards entered, dragging a body between them. “It was not a good day for our little King Draco,” Snape sneered. “Having been tossed off the tallest point of the castle he had the fortune, or misfortune, to fall right in front of Dolohov and I as we were making our escape. I simple incantation halted his demise and well…here you are.”

Voldemort looked at the miserable little king whose hands were bound and mouth gagged. He approached him and struck him across the face, Draco cried out in pain.

“You miserable little traitor,” Voldemort spat at him. “Turned your back on me for the pleasures of your little Queen.” Draco glared at him. “Well, the Rider has her now and I wonder what pleasures he's receiving from her.” Voldemort laughed as Draco yelled obscenities muffled by his gag as he struggled against the two men who held him. Voldemort hit him again and again then yanked his head back by his hair. “Yes, she is probably spreading her legs for him as she once did for you.” Draco muttered something. “Yes, yes it makes you mad doesn't it? I can see it in your eyes.” He circled the young King. “But, I'm going to offer you one last chance to redeem yourself in my eyes. The chance to take revenge on the man who has taken everything from you. Take something of his, take…Hogsmeade.”

Draco paused a moment before laughing. It was a quiet laugh that eventually grew louder. Voldemort looked at him in dismay.

“What? What is it? What is so funny?” he snarled. “Take off his gag!”

The guards obeyed and Draco licked his dry lips, cut and bleeding where the False King had struck him. He glared at him and shook his head.

“Take Hogsmeade? The Rider won't come here begging for a fight for revenge.” Draco sighed lazily. “No, he won't show up at your city walls for that.”

“Then for what?” Voldemort was quickly losing his patience with this man.

“Can I have some water?” Draco asked.

“What?” Voldemort snapped.

“Water.”

Voldemort jerked his head and a guard placed a goblet of water in his hands. Draco eagerly gulped it down.

“For who,” he said as he drank.

“For who what?” Voldemort said impatiently.

Draco smirked. “You don't know your enemy very well, do you?”

Voldemort stepped to him. “You're wasting the air you breathe and I'm anxious to put an end to your miserable short time in this world.”

“You want the Rider to come to you, you capture someone. That will get his attention.”

Voldemort looked at him. “And you know this…someone.”

Draco grinned. “You give me a small army, I'll hand you the last of the Gryffindor Kings.”

-->

A/N: Warning, this is a hard chapter to read. Not very pleasant things happen in this chapter, it's very dark but we don't expect sunshine and roses where Voldemort is concerned.

Chapter Seventeen: A Kingdom Lost

The carriage swayed and Hermione looked out at the passing landscape, the familiar fields of Ravenclaw that would soon give way to the fields of Slytherin.

“Are you alright?” Ron asked her as he peered into the carriage. “Do you want us to stop?”

“I'm fine,” Hermione replied. “I'm just tired.”

She had left Rowena yesterday morning to return to Slytherin. She had to return as Queen Regent to oversee Slytherin since James was far too young for the throne. Harry had been hesitant to let her go but she promised that she would only be there for a couple of weeks before returning to him in Rowena.

Rowena seemed to be Harry's new home. He had sent for Sirius and Dumbledore as well as the de Weasley family. James was quite content to stay with his father, although Hermione doubted that Harry was going to heed her warning about riding on Hedwig with him. Ginny and Luna were delighted to spend more time with the baby and Hermione thought that Minerva was grateful for the extra set of eyes since James had developed the wonderful skill of crawling.

Her husband had sent a garrison with her to protect her during her journey to the castle Anguin. Ron had insisted that he lead it, he too did not want to take any chances. Word of Slytherin's defeat had surely reached the False King's ears and it didn't hurt to take extra precautions.

The two riders who were the lookouts raced over the hill ahead of them, catching Ron's attentions and he rode out to meet them. The horses were breathing fast and the men hard with the fast ride.

“TURN BACK!!” they shouted to him as they approached.

“What?” Ron asked.

“Turn back now. We are being ambushed!”

Hermione moved to the window of the carriage and peered outside.

“Turn the carriage around now!” Ron ordered a group of soldiers.

“Ron, what is happening?” Hermione asked fearfully as the carriage gave a sharp jerk sideways as it turned itself back around to return to Rowena. “RONALD!!”

“Close the windows, Milady!” one of the Gryffindor soldiers ordered her. “This is for your safety.”

Hermione felt trapped and helpless. Although the baby inside her was barely showing as a bump still hidden underneath her clothes, she was in too delicate a position to ride a horse without endangering herself or the child.

But if they were being ambushed, should she take the chance?

She could hear the hoof beats of the horses outside of the carriage, all around her, the shouts of men, the whiz of arrows as they flew by the carriage, a few of them landing with a thud in its side. The carriage swerved wildly as it evaded capture and Hermione clung on for dear life. Her ladies were with her, crying and hugging each other, terrified like she was inside.

But soon, the shouts began to die down and the only sound left was the sound of horses. She was safe. The carriage slowly came to a stop and the door opened revealing a person Hermione least expected to see.

Her companions bent their heads in respect.

“Your Majesty! You are alive!”

They did not bother masking their surprise. Hermione looked at Draco with wide eyes of shock.

“Draco,” she whispered before all went dark.

~*~

The carriage still had its gentle swaying motion and she could hear the clopping for the horses and the laughter of the men outside the carriage. She was lying down and someone was gently stroking her face.

“Open your eyes, Hermione,” Draco said quietly.

Earlier events suddenly came rushing at her and her eyes shot open. She wanted to sit up but Draco gently restrained her.

“Don't sit up so quickly, darling. You'll faint again.”

“Your alive,” she said breathlessly and Draco smiled, mistaking her disbelieve for relief.

“Yes, darling. I am,” he said as he helped her sit up. Panic filled Hermione when she realized that they were alone. “You didn't think that a mere Rider could defeat me?”

Hermione didn't know what to say. Draco reached out and caressed her cheek.

“Tell me, sweet Hermione, did you mourn for me in my absence?” he asked as his fingers moved down to her neck. “Did you cry for me?”

“I mourned for you,” Hermione controlled the level of her voice though her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.

“Did you?” Draco whispered in her ear, moving his other hand to caress the lobe of her ear. He kissed her neck and Hermione had to fight down the urge not to recoil. His hands moved around her neck. “Or did he make you spread your legs for him so he could take everything that was mine?” His voice turned dangerous.

“Of course not!” Hermione tried to sound scandalized but she was frightened out of her wits. She didn't know where she was, what was happening outside of the carriage, was Ronald still out there?

Draco's hold on her neck tightened and he shoved her against the carriage wall. Stars appeared before her eyes from the impact and Draco's finger's tightened around her neck.

“How do I know that you were faithful?” he roared in her ear and she cried out. “How do I know you didn't give yourself willingly to him to save your own neck?”

“Draco! Stop it! You're hurting me!” she cried out, grabbing at his wrists and trying to loosen the hold he had on her. Her throat was slowly being squeezed and she had to fight for every breath she took.

“How do I know? How do I know, Hermione?” he screamed at her. His face was red with anger and she began to hit at him in desperation. “How do I know that you didn't fuck him in every bed in the castle?”

“I didn't!” she gasped out with her last breath. She couldn't breath anymore and she began to hit and kick frantically.

“How do I know you didn't fuck him in my bed because, I'll tell you Hermione, he wanted to. Oh, how he wants to fuck you, he wants to know how you sound when you cry out.”

He let go of her suddenly as he collapsed, kneeling in front of her, resting his head on her breasts. Hermione gasped for breath, welcoming the sweet air in her lungs. Tears of fear and hate began to leak from the corners of her eyes. She wanted to be anywhere but here.

“No, Draco,” she said weakly, still dizzy from lack of air as he began to kiss her neck. “Please, stop,” she cried as his hand began to lift and gather her skirts. “Please, don't.”

~*~

They stopped just before nightfall and Hermione, stepping out of the carriage, was floored to see who her husband was riding with. The False King's banner, the skull with the serpent coming out of it's mouth, flew in the breeze and above the tents that were being set up. Hermione looked back at Draco, demanding an explanation but he ignored her peering looks.

As according to protocol, Draco and Hermione had separate tents, for which Hermione was grateful but as she settled into it with her ladies, Draco stepped in with a group of soldiers.

“Bind her,” he said plainly.

“Bind me?” Hermione asked, bewildered and stepped backward as two soldiers stepped forward with rope in their hands. “Draco? What is going on?” she asked, struggling slightly as they bound her to the main post in the middle of the tent.

“I'm sorry, my love,” Draco truly sounded remorseful. “But you are too valuable to risk escape.”

“Leave us,” she demanded everyone in the tent. The soldiers looked questioningly at Draco who nodded his head.

“Why are you doing this? What is going on?” Hermione asked as Draco approached her. He kissed her hands and stroked her hair.

“You have to trust me, my love. I swear I won't let any harm come to you when we see him.”

Hermione's heart dropped. “You're taking me to…him?” she said hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper.

Draco wouldn't look her in the eye. “I had no choice, Hermione.”

Hermione thought of her unborn baby inside her, her and Harry's unborn child. She began to struggle and tug at the binds. “Draco, I'm begging you. Please don't do this, I'll do anything you ask of me, just please don't do this.” Tears fell down her cheeks and Draco cradled her head.

“Oh love, I'm so sorry for this. I had to do this, I had to,” he whispered in her ear but Hermione continued to plead and struggle against the binds. Her wrists became raw and red and Draco reached out to still her hands. “Hermione, please stop it. You're hurting yourself. Hermione, please.”

“Why would you do this?” Hermione asked. “Why would you give him Slytherin, turn your back on your kingdom.”

“I'm saving the kingdom,” Draco replied. Hermione shook her head.

“No, you're not. Whatever he promised you, he won't keep it. He'll take Slytherin for himself.”

“He's never gone back on his word before,” Draco insisted. Hermione stopped struggling and looked at him.

“Before? What do you mean…before?” she asked. Draco stepped away from her.

“Nothing,” he replied.

Hermione looked at him. “Draco…what have you done?” she asked softly. He couldn't meet her gaze and instead called out for the guards who would watch over her and her ladies.

~*~

Hermione had to endure one more night bound inside her tent before they finally reached the castle of the False King. As the castle loomed closer and closer, Hermione felt the instinctual reaction to flee and save her life and the life of her unborn child. Why was Draco bringing her here? What was going to happen to her? Deep down she knew she was going to die here and she closed her eyes to remember James. The last time she held his warm little body in her arms, kissed the top of his head, his smile when he looked up at her. She remembered Harry, his eyes and smile, the temporary happiness he found having the two of them with him, the tender love they made the morning she left, the feel of his rough hands so gentle on her.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She had to have courage. She wouldn't give Voldemort the satisfaction of having her beg for her death and she wouldn't beg for the life of her unborn child. He would kill her just for that alone. Harry and James were safe in Rowena and she would die with the satisfaction of knowing that the Gryffindor line lived on in Harry and James.

The carriage stopped and the door opened. Draco reached out to help her out but she recoiled from him.

“Don't touch me!” she spat at him. She was beyond fury with him. Draco's jaw clenched and he was shoved aside by a few guards of the False King. They reached for her and yanked her out of the carriage. Hermione nearly stumbled to the ground but their hard grasps on her arms kept her from falling. She scrambled to keep up with them as she walked between them.

“Be gentle with her,” Draco admonished them. “She is the Queen of Slytherin!”

One of the guards stepped forward. “You are in the land of Lord Voldemort. Your orders are worthless here.”

She felt the castle tremble as she entered. The walls were made of dark stone and lit with torches that did little to relieve the gloomy atmosphere. Thunder rumbled angrily in the sky and reverberated throughout the castle. She was led to a foyer where a statue with a lady and a lion stood in the middle. Hermione remembered the story Harry told her about how he had retrieved the sword from this very same statue.

Three figures approached her and she recognized her father's old advisor, Severus Snape, among them.

“Ravenclaw's Queen, the jewel of Slytherin,” a voice hissed and Hermione knew that it was the False King. He approached her and it took all of her courage not to recoil or cry out in fright. He reached out and struck her across the face so quickly that she didn't have time to defend herself. She fell to the floor, a blinding pain flared in her cheek.

“You said you wouldn't harm her!” Draco protested and made to move to her side but he was held back by Voldemort's guards.

Voldemort reached down for her and brought her back to her feet by her hair. “That was for my concubine you beheaded,” he hissed in her ear. He grabbed her jaw and turned her to face him.

“So this is the face that will bring the Gryffindor to his knees,” he said as he looked over her. “This is the face that will keep Slytherin under my control.” Hermione clenched her jaw and glanced at Draco who was being restrained by the guards. “Have you nothing to say to me?” he asked her. Hermione glared at him and spit in his face. The guards drew their swords and stepped forward but Voldemort held up a hand. He wiped the spit off of his face and smiled at her.

“You are full of spirit,” he said softly. “I will break her of that soon enough. Be nice my little queen and I may give you an honorable place by my side as one of my concubines. You have so conveniently created an available space for yourself.”

“I'd rather die,” Hermione shot back.

“You know you will anyway,” Voldemort shrugged indifferently. He gave a nod of his head and Hermione was dragged away.

“Where are you taking her?” Draco protested.

Voldemort held his hand out to Snape, who stepped forward holding a vial in his hands. “Bring in the slave,” Voldemort said as he dropped in a few of Hermione's hairs that he held into the vial. He turned to Draco. “You are to carry out your orders as planned,” he said. “I have an army waiting for you just North of Arneau Tak. You will attack and take back the fortress and hide there. Do not take down the Gryffindor banner. When you capture the Gryffindor, you will bring him directly to me.”

“You told me you wouldn't harm Hermione. The deal is off,” Draco said defiantly.

“Your precious little queen will be poisoned, slowly, every day that the Gryffindor is not in this castle. How many days she lives is up to you. When you bring him here I shall give you the antidote and you will save your queen.” Draco glared up at him but he was distracted by the entrance of a young female slave escorted by guards.

The terrified young woman was approached by Snape who grabbed her jaw and forced her to drink the contents of the vial. She gagged and spluttered but to Draco's complete amazement, the young woman began to change into the woman he loved. His beloved Hermione was standing before him in servant's clothes. A block was brought out the woman was forced to her knees. She began to cry out and plead for her life and Draco had to turn away from her demise as an axe was brought down upon her. He nearly vomited at the sound the axe made as it cut through the flesh and the dull thud of her head hitting the floor.

“Your queen has yet to have her evening meal,” Voldemort spoke. “So I suggest you make haste to the border.”

~*~

“Harry! Harry come quickly!” Neville burst into the throne room, startling baby James causing him to whimper as he clung to his father.

“What is it?” Harry asked as he comforted his son. He heard Luna and Ginny's screams in the castle and Minerva ran forward to take James from him. The baby cried in protest, frightened at the sudden change of atmosphere in the room. A group of Slytherin soldiers spilled into the room, carrying someone on a litter between them. Luna was screaming and crying as Ginny held her.

“Take him out of here,” he ordered Minerva, shielding his son from the horrible sight.

“Ronald!” Luna wailed.

“What happened?” Harry demanded as his Gryffindor knights surrounded the Slytherins.

“We disarmed them at the gates,” Neville said.

“Please, Your Majesty,” one of the Slytherins spoke up as they all fell to their knees. Ron lay bleeding on the litter. He was very pale.

“Make way, make way!” Sirius demanded, pushing his way through the crowd, Dumbledore followed closely behind him.

The venerable wizard bent over Ron, waving his wand over him then looked up at Harry, a grave expression on his face.

“I must work on him right away,” he said.

“Make a room ready for him,” Harry demanded. “Take who and what you must.” Servants scrambled forward to carry the litter away, Ginny and Luna followed, distraught and crying.

“We waited where you asked us to meet her,” the Slytherin knight spoke up. “But no one showed. We waited half a day then crossed into the border to meet her. That's where we found them. They were all slaughtered. We checked for survivors and there was only one. We brought him here right away.”

Harry controlled the shaking in his voice. “The queen?”

The knight swallowed nervously and shared a look with his fellow Slytherins. “Our queen…our queen is dead.”

Harry's legs wanted to give out from under him. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't. “You…saw her body?” he closed his eyes fearing the answer. Blood pounded in his ears and everyone sounded as if he were underwater.

“There was no body,” the knight answered, and Harry clung desperately to this thread of hope. “But we know she is dead. We found this note pinned to your knight's body with an arrow.” He held out a piece of parchment and Harry took it with trembling hands.

You should have killed me you bastard.

Harry stared at the note, its simple sentence. It couldn't be, it couldn't. Harry threw Draco off the top of the castle, he fell to his death. Draco's dead. He had to be.

“It's from our king, isn't it?” another knight spoke up. “We know it is.”

“Harry?” Remus and Sirius looked at him. Harry crumpled up the note in his hand and turned away. A million thoughts were running through his head.

“Our king that you supposedly slain,” the first Slytherin knight spoke up again and Neville drew his sword.

“Hold your tongue,” he said. “You are greatly outnumbered and it would not do to insult the King.”

“Go ahead,” the knight replied defiantly. “We have told the others where we went. We came to return your knight to you. If we are slain, the people of Slytherin will know just how merciful your king is.”

“Neville,” Harry said quietly, gesturing him to put down his sword. He turned back to the knight. “I do confirm that this is your king's handwriting. I recognize it.”

The Slytherin knights exchanged enraged glances with each other before their leader spoke. “Then you should know that our King is a traitor and he didn't do this alone.” He reached inside his tunic and pulled out a cloth, tossing it at Harry's feet. “Our queen is dead,” he said harshly. “Because of you. She should've been allowed to return to Slytherin, you have our heir to the throne and our king has betrayed us. We will kill him if he sets foot inside Slytherin again but we want no part in this war with the False King. Let us mourn her loss and let us be.” He turned and made to the leave the room but the Gryffindor knights blocked the way. Harry nodded, allowing them to leave and the Slytherins filed out of the room.

“Leave me,” Harry said quietly and everyone began to move out of the room. “Neville, Sirius, Remus, you can stay but close the doors behind you.”

The four of them waited until they were all alone before Neville spoke up. “I saw him die. He can't be alive, you killed him.”

Sirius stepped forward and picked up the cloth that the knight had thrown at Harry's feet. “If he's right, the Slytherin king doesn't ride alone.” He held up a tunic of the False King and Harry shut his eyes against the swelling of rage within him. He lashed out in anger, roaring angrily as he cleared off a table in front of him, smashing vases, breaking goblets and tossing chairs across the room. The three of them had to restrain him, wrestle him to the ground. Harry went limp and moaned pitifully.

“Harry, listen to me,” Sirius said in his ear. “Harry, there's nothing you can do.”

“He used her,” Harry said quietly. “He's using her to get to me.” He slowly sat up and held his head, defeated in his hands.

“Harry,” Remus began but Harry cut him off.

“There's still time,” he whispered. “There's still time.” He scrambled to his feet. “Neville, I want you to go to Arneau Tak. Draco has to pass through Ravenclaw to get to the Shadowlands. If we hurry we can stop them in time, cut him off before he has a chance to take her to him.”

“Harry, you can pull troops from Arneau Tak, you'll open up Ravenclaw to attack,” Remus tried to reason with him.

“She left here four days ago Harry and it took those Slytherin knights over a day to get here. They've already crossed by now,” Neville shook his head.

“He's right, Harry,” Sirius agreed.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?” Harry roared. “I can't let Voldemort have her. I can't, I can't…I can't.”

“He'll not harm her, Harry,” Remus spoke up. “If he plans to use her as bait, he won't harm her. But Harry, you can't fall for his trap. You cannot answer his call.”

Harry shook his head. “This war was going to come someday.”

“But you won't win it without Slytherin,” Sirius stepped forward. “Harry, you need the Slytherin army on your side, you can't win without them.”

“Well, in case you didn't hear, they aren't exactly happy with me right now,” Harry sneered.

“Then give them what they want,” Remus said. “Return their heir to them. Return James.”

“NO!!” Harry whirled on them angrily. “You know I can't do that.” Remus opened his mouth to protest but he cut him off. “No, we've all been polite about this but you all know who James' father is. His real father.” They shuffled uncomfortably. “The fact that Draco took Hermione and not James tells me that Draco doesn't know that. But Hermione…”

“Harry, you can't think like that. He'll keep her alive to taunt you and you cannot, you must not give in,” Sirius insisted.

“Harry, you know Hermione wouldn't want you to rise to the challenge. You have both sacrificed so much so you can defeat him. Don't sacrifice the entire kingdom for her.”

“I'm not just sacrificing her life,” Harry slipped out and immediately regretted it.

“What did you say?” Remus asked.

“Oh, Harry,” Sirius sighed.

Harry sat down on the throne. “I love her, Sirius. We were together long before she married that Slytherin, a night that resulted in James. She tried to hide him from me and from Voldemort but when she felt she couldn't anymore, she fled to Hufflepuff. I pursued her. I needed her and couldn't stay away from her.”

“You seized Rowena to take her,” Neville said quietly.

“You killed Draco to take his place. You were planning to make Hermione your queen,” Remus said softly.

“She was never Draco's. The day you came to me about the Binding Ceremony…Hermione and I bound ourselves to each other the night James was conceived. We had no idea at the time what we had done.”

“Then, Hermione is the Gryffindor Queen.”

At the sound of Dumbledore's voice the men turned to face him. “Ronald will make it and is very indebted to the brave knights who brought him here. I spoke to him before he slept and he has confirmed their story. The False King's men, led by King Draco, ambushed them and took the Queen Hermione to Voldemort.”

“What do we do?” Neville asked.

Dumbledore blinked as he looked at him. “We do what the King says. We go to war. Lord Voldemort has taken our Queen, he has brought this onto himself.”

“But what about Slytherin?” Sirius asked.

Dumbledore sighed. “It will be difficult but everything we have sacrificed, what Hermione has sacrificed, has come to this. It ends now. The kingdom must be united.”

“Hagrid has written and said the giants are on our side,” Harry spoke up.

“That is good. We can continue to send diplomats to Slytherin but the only way they will cooperate is if you give them back James.”

“No,” Harry shook his head.

“Harry, you must understand that there is a good chance that Voldemort will discover that Hermione is with your child. He will kill her immediately and you must be prepared for that. The longer you keep James, the more he will grow suspicious. Minerva and I will return James to Anguin and watch over him. No harm will come to him under our watch. You aren't the last of the Gryffindors, Harry.”

“Please don't make me choose between Hermione and James,” Harry pleaded quietly.

Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder. “Being King means you sometimes have to make these decisions. Your father knew this as did his father before him.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

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Chapter Eighteen: The Gryffindor Breaks

The dungeon cell she was thrown into was a small one that smelled of mildew, straw and filth. There was no light, no window, only the dimness of the torches that lined the corridor. There was a filthy mattress of straw and a single bucket, Hermione assumed to relieve herself in. Most of all it was cold, cold and dreary.

But she wasn't planning on staying here very long.

As soon as her guard left her, Hermione began feeling the walls, looking for a loose stone. She remembered Harry telling her the story of how he had escaped from the dungeon when Ronald found a loose stone.

“Who are you?”

“She's a human of course.”

“Didn't you feel the castle?”

“You don't think it was her, do you?”

“The stars have foreseen it.”

Hermione heard these voices whispering nearby her. “Who is there?” she whispered aloud.

From the shadows in the cell in front of her, a strange creature stepped forward. Hermione had never seen anything like it in real life before and she only thought the creature to exist in myths. The front of it had the head and talons of an eagle, the rest of it a horse.

“A hippogriff,” Hermione gasped.

“You're staring,” it said plainly.

“Oh!” she said, remembering that they were very proud creatures. She bent down to greet him and waited for him to bow in return. “I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that I've never seen a hippogriff before.”

“No one has,” it replied. “Not since this foul creature had taken over this castle.”

“But his reign is ending soon,” another voice spoke up.

Hermione moved down her cell to see into the one diagonally across from her where another strange creature resided, half man, half horse, a centaur.

“The stars have said so. The prophecy is true, the Man-King has returned,” the creature finished.

“The one who will unite our lands and bring peace to the kingdom. My herd has wished for this for many years,” the hippogriff said solemnly.

Hermione didn't say anything. She was still in shock at seeing such creatures. A small shadowy figure shuffled forward carrying a tray in its arms. It had large round eyes and large bat-like ears. It looked similar to Dobby, Harry's elf. The creature slid the tray into Hermione's cell, a tray with a steaming broth, bread and a cup of water.

“Don't eat the broth,” the creature said. “Empty it in your bucket. I brought you dried meat instead.”

Hermione moved away from the tray. “I'm not hungry,” she lied. The broth smelled absolutely delicious and she suddenly craved it, needed it.

“You must eat, my Queen,” the little elf squeaked.

“Yes, you must provide nourishment for your foal,” the centaur said and Hermione, shocked, backed away from the bars of her cell and retreated to the shadows. She sat down on the straw mattress and hugged her knees to her chest the best she could. She wanted to be left alone.

~*~

She eventually ate the food, throwing away the broth as the elf instructed her to do, although she did it with much hesitation. The broth just smelled too enticing. At night it was cold and the mattress was useless to protect her from the hard stone floor. In the morning, the elf brought her breakfast, telling her to throw away the porridge and eat the bread and eggs instead, she was even rewarded the delicacy of sweet cream. Noticing that Hermione was shivering, the elf brought her a blanket to keep her warm.

“Why are you so nice to me?” Hermione asked the elf.

The elf looked at her with surprise. “Because we are loyal to the True King and Queen.”

“What did you say,” Hermione swooped down on the elf.

“The True Queen,” the elf repeated. “That's who you are. You are carrying the King's line within you. The castle felt it.” Hermione's heart dropped. The elf leaned forward. “He doesn't know and an elf would rather die than give your secret away.”

Hermione spent her days listening to the debates between her fellow prisoners. She learned that the centaur's name was Firenze and that he was captured in the Dark Forest around the castle for striking a False King's soldier. He was defending his herd from attack.

The hippogriff's name was Buckbeak, leader of his herd, captured for spreading the tale that the Man-King had returned. They asked her questions about him, what he was like, was he just, will he bring peace to the Kingdom, will he be fair to all creatures? Hermione, however, was silent. She honestly didn't know who was friend or foe and too much was on the line to let anything slip. One day Firenze, looking outside of his small window, announced that the time for escape was soon.

“There is a great battle looming on the horizon,” he said. Hermione knew that Harry was marching to war. Did he know that Draco was alive? Did he know that she was alive?

~*~

Ron walked slowly around the garden, his wife and sister by his side. His injuries were healing slowly but his spirit was damaged. It was his job to protect his cousin and he failed miserably. She was taken by the False King, word had spread quickly throughout the land and there was a tension in the air, waiting for news for an outcome of her fate. No one wanted to say it, Harry didn't want to hear it, but the odds were very good that she was dead. Betrayed by her own husband, the Slytherin King. Very few knew of Harry and Hermione's binding but almost everyone knew of the Gryffindor King's feelings toward the young and beautiful Queen.

So it was with a heavy heart and grief that a group of Gryffindor soldiers rode hastily into the castle courtyard. Seeing Ron, they approached him, grief in their eyes.

“She's dead!” one of them said with a shaky voice. “She's dead.”

“No!” Ginny gripped Ron's arm.

They presented him with a bundle, a bloodied small one. Ron didn't want to take it, he knew what was wrapped inside it. Ginny collapsed to the ground in a pile of sobs. Luna went to her and held her as she cried. Ron felt numb, his mind refused to process it, and his legs moved automatically toward the castle.

“Ron, what is it?” Harry asked as he rose from the throne. The room was crowded with Harry's friends and advisors as they were strategizing their next move in this new war.

Feeling oddly detached with no emotion, he held out the bundle. The color faded from Harry's face as he eyed it. Ron set it down on the ground and stepped away. Nobody moved for what seemed like forever until Dumbledore stepped forward.

His back to Harry, he slowly unraveled the bundle revealing the bloodied banner of the False King. There was a sharp intake of breath from Sirius and Ron only had to glance at the familiar locks of brown waves to confirm his deepest fear. There was a sob from someone in the room and a shuffle of footsteps.

“No, Harry,” Sirius held the King back.

“No, let me see,” Harry was struggling against him. Dumbledore quickly wrapped the bundle back up. “Let me see! Let. Me. See!”

He finally broke free and stepped forward.

“Please leave us,” Dumbledore asked the others in the room and they filed out, some began to cry, others shook their heads in disbelief. Word of her death would spread quickly throughout the land.

Ron stayed behind, he felt himself unable to move. Neville stayed with Harry as did Sirius, Dumbledore and Remus.

With shaky hands, Harry slowly unwrapped the bundle, peeling back the layers of cloth until he came upon the head of his true love. He said and did nothing, his fingers ran lightly over her hair, tracing the bridge of her nose and her lips before he wrapped the bundle back up.

Ron had seen enough and left the room. His legs led him through the castle and to the library. He closed the doors behind him and walked by the shelves, his fingers running over the spines of the books his cousin so loved. In his mind, he saw her sitting in her favorite chair by the window, standing to greet him like she always did when he returned from a journey he had been on. But her image faded with the grief that suddenly settled upon him and he cried. He sank to the floor between the bookshelves and cried for the cousin he lost, the cousin he failed to protect.

Harry slowly wrapped up the bundle, his mind fighting to process what he had just seen. She was not dead. She was not dead. Someone called out to him but he didn't know who it was. He stood and walked out of the room. In a haze he went upstairs, was someone following him? He didn't know. In the back of his mind he registered sporadic cries and sobs. He turned down the corridor and Minerva hustled over to meet him, James cradled in her arms.

“Is it true?” she cried at him in desperation. “Is it true?”

Harry moved forward and cradled James' head in his hands and kissed the top of his head before moving on. He went to her room, his beloved Hermione's, locking the door behind him. He needed to be alone. He walked to her dresser where her various lotions and perfumes rested. He ran his hand lightly over these objects. He carefully lifted her brush, a few strands of hair were still embedded in it. He left the dresser to move to a wardrobe, opening the door. Her scent assaulted his senses and he finally registered the wetness on his cheeks. His shoulders shook as he gathered all her gowns in the wardrobe and hugged them to him. He wailed into the fabric, muffling his song of grief as he sank to the floor, taking the gowns with him. Images of her ran through his mind: her laugh when he ran his hands over her body to initiate their love making the morning she left, she and James in the garden playing, the look of intense love that she would give him from across the room, the heartbreak on her face when she first left him in Hufflepuff so long ago before he knew he was king, her dancing at the Hog's Head when he knew that he would lose his heart to her.

“Hermione,” he said in a broken voice. He sat on the floor and let the grief overwhelm him, stifle him until he finally fell into a deep sleep only to be plagued with nightmares of her death.

~*~

He emerged from her room four days later, unclean and unshaven. He immediately went to the nursery to seek out James. He was on the floor playing with wooden blocks, tasting them to see if they were appetizing. James looked up at him, green eyes mirroring his father's.

“Mama?” he asked quietly. Harry closed his eyes, letting the sadness sink in again. James had just spoken his first word.

Harry sat down on the rug and James crawled over to him and into his lap. Harry hugged his son to him. Minerva left the room to give him some privacy and summon servants to assist him.

Harry stroked his son's soft hair. “Mama's gone,” he whispered to him, kissing the side of his head. “But I swear to you James that this is the end. Voldemort will no longer hurt us or hunt us down. I swear it.”

She was laid to rest next to her father and mother, underneath a peaceful and blooming cherry tree. The funeral was held during Harry's seclusion, he knew it but he didn't have the heart to attend. He couldn't even summon the strength to visit her grave site, the wound was still deep and raw. He had a promise to keep to his son and Hermione, the promise to bring an end to Voldemort and to their suffering.

The sky was grey and overcast with the smell of rain heavy in the air. A carriage was ready at the castle steps with numerous soldiers ready to ride with it.

“We will watch over him and keep him safe,” Minerva said to him. Harry nodded. He was holding James in his arms, holding him one last time before relinquishing him to the witch. James let out a cry of protest. Dumbledore stepped behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you sure about this, Harry?” he asked, motioning to a long narrow wooden box. “You will need it to access the throne.”

“I'm not after the throne, I'm after him,” Harry said determinedly. Dumbledore nodded sagely and put a cloth over the box containing the Gryffindor sword within. Harry was marching to war, a war that he may not come back from and he didn't want Voldemort to get his hands on the sword again. If Harry fell, James would inherit the sword and the task his father's before him failed at.

At the head of the horses pulling the carriage was Hedwig, another gift from Harry to his son. “Watch over him,” he whispered to the horse. “Let him grow to be a stronger and better rider than his father.” The horse neighed softly in reply.

Ron wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulder as she and Ginny sniffled softly as the carriage made its way out of the castle gates. Harry watched his son move away from him, move to safety, a rite of passage that it seemed all the fathers in his line had done for their sons.

“What do we do now?” Ron asked, watching his nephew go farther and farther away. Molly was inconsolable and his father held her as she cried.

“We go to Arneau Tak and rally the troops to war,” Harry said, not taking his eyes off of the carriage that rode away with his heart inside it.

~*~

Firenze and Buckbeak's debate on the best way to negotiate with wood nymphs was interrupted by the presence of a Death Eater. He stopped in front of Hermione's cell and a guard opened it up.

“Get up,” the Death Eater said. “The Dark Lord wishes your company for tonight.”

Dread filled Hermione and she shared a glance with Buckbeak and Firenze. They too, had looks of concern on their faces.

“What does he want?” she asked.

“It is not your place to question his actions,” the Death Eater said angrily.

“I'm not going,” Hermione said stubbornly.

“You are going. You do not question the Dark Lord.”

Suddenly, Buckbeak reached out with his beak and clamped down on the arm of the guard. Firenze rushed forward and grabbed the Death Eater, muffling his yells of protest.

“Run, my Queen!” he shouted. But Hermione wasn't going to leave without freeing her new friends. She grabbed the heavy wooden bucket in her cell and swung at the guard, hitting him in the face. He fell to the floor with a thud and Hermione scrambled to get his keys.

“That one, my Queen,” Buckbeak said, motioning to a sharp key. Hermione unlocked the cell and pulled back the gate as the hippogriff rushed through. Buckbeak reared and slashed at the Death Eater, killing him instantly. Hermione freed Firenze next.

“We must hurry,” Buckbeak said. “We have made too much noise.”

“Wait!” Firenze said as he passed a small armory and grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows. “Our only chance is a mad dash through the castle.”

“No!” a voice squeaked and Hermione's elf appeared. “Through this passage!” she motioned to a stone wall. The elf pressed a series of stones and suddenly a doorway appeared. “It is the way the King escaped!”

The four of them splashed through a shallow channel of water that ran underneath the castle. The elf sprinted ahead of them, lighting the way, Firenze was next followed by Hermione and Buckbeak. Hermione stumbled once but Buckbeak gently caught her and brought her to her feet with his beak.

There was a muffled sound of shouts behind them and they knew that their escape had been discovered. Hermione picked up the pace the best she could but her dress was weighing her down.

“Climb on my back,” Buckbeak offered.

Hermione looked at him. It was best if she didn't ride but she had to save her life and take a chance on her unborn child.

“I'll be gentle,” Buckbeak insisted.

Reluctantly, Hermione climbed on his back. They pace quickened after that but suddenly there was a terrifying howl.

“Shadow Hounds,” Firenze stopped to look back. “They have released the Shadow Hounds.”

The reason why they were called this was immediately apparent to Hermione when she saw several sets of glowing red eyes in the tunnel behind her. The hounds were large and jet black so they virtually disappeared the pockets of shadows. Firenze fell behind to let loose a few arrows, each of them making their mark as yelps dotted the air. Buckbeak began to run and Hermione did her best to hold on for dear life. More yelps filled the air but Hermione knew that Firenze was running out of arrows.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they broke free of the tunnel, the hounds hot on their heels.

“Hold on my Queen,” Buckbeak said and Hermione had just enough time to throw her hands around his neck when out of the hippogriffs side, two enormous wings unfurled. He beat them once, twice then three times before she felt the weightlessness of flying. She chanced a glance at the ground below her, the fields around the castle quickly gave way to the Dark Forest where Firenze suddenly disappeared. They was a great cry of yelps from the hounds and Hermione gasped.

“Do not fret for him, my Queen,” he said. “His herd has rescued him. He is safe.”

~*~

Arneau Tak was peacefully quiet as Harry approached it. The Gryffindor banner soared high in the air, flapping in the breeze and he could see the guards walking between the turrets. He had come with a small escort only to see the status of the fort and to plan for provisions since Arneau Tak would be housing his army before they marched into the Shadow Lands.

“Lower the gates for the King!” a guard called out.

And as they rode in, Harry immediately noticed how empty the fort was. His instincts told him to run but just as soon as he processed that thought, there was a loud shout and several archers appeared above the group, surrounding them. The clanking of chains filled the air as the drawbridge was lifted back up sent Harry's army into a panic as they scrambled for the gates.

“It's a trap!” one of them yelled.

The gate slammed shut, trapping the men inside and they all drew their swords and dismounted. Arrows let loose from above and rained down on the men, some of them making their mark as a cry was let out.

“We have to get out, your Majesty!” one of his knights said to him. Harry drew his sword and made his way to the gate, looking for the doors by the gate but there was a group of archers in front of him, taking down his men. It was a massacre.

Harry wielded his sword and met the enemy head on. The sound of steel clanging on steel filled the air as both sides engaged in combat. In his peripheral he could see his men dropping left and right to their demises. He held his own, fighting his way to the door, thrusting and parrying until his sword collided with another and he nearly dropped his own when he saw who he was fighting.

“I take it you got my package?” Draco sneered.

“I've come back to finish the job!” Harry shot back.

“Go ahead, you'll find you're the only one standing now,” Draco said nonchalantly as he ran his sword slowly along the blade of Harry's. Harry paused to take a look around himself and found that, indeed, he was alone. All his men were dead.

“Seeing as I'm about to die, I take comfort in the fact that I'll take your life first,” Harry sneered.

“Oh, I'm not going to be the one to kill you,” Draco smirked as he motioned to a group of soldiers behind Harry as they jumped on him and pinned him to the ground. Harry fought and struggled against them the best he could. He let out a cry of pain as Draco stepped on his wrist, taking the sword away from him. He was quickly bound and gagged and yanked to his feet by his hair.

“I need you very much alive,” Draco said quietly. “The Dark Lord insists.”

“Then I'll make it very difficult for you,” Harry spat back. “All sorts of accidents can happen.”

“If you want Hermione alive, you'll do no such thing.”

Harry blinked at him. “What did you say?” he asked softly, not daring to believe him.

“Hermione's alive,” Draco repeated. “The head I sent you was a false one. The Dark Lord holds her prisoner and is poisoning her for every day I don't bring you to his doorstep. It's been nearly two weeks.” Draco stepped up to Harry who was having trouble processing what he had just heard. “I love her,” he said harshly. “And I will bring you to the Dark Lord if I have to drag you kicking and screaming across the land. You will not stop me, Potter.” He struck Harry hard, sending him to the ground unconscious.

-->

Chapter Nineteen: Underestimating Your Enemy

The sun was warm above him and the grass was soft beneath him. There was the sound of water from somewhere, the happy gurgling sound of a small creek. Hermione was sitting on the ground dressed in a white gown, her belly large with child. She had a wreath of wildflowers in her hair that tumbled loosely down her back and she smiled brightly up at him. She laughed as James toddled over on unsteady feet, unsure of this new talent as he handed his mother a flower then turned to seek out another. Harry smiled and sat down beside his wife, laying down to rest his head in the very little lap space that was available. He ran a hand over her belly, firm and protective of the child growing within. Her fingertips ran lightly through his hair and he basked in her touch.

The sound of hoofbeats was quiet in the distance and Harry knew his dream was ending even though he desperately fought to hold on to it. Hold on to the image of James squatting to grab a flower, hold on to the feel of Hermione's hands in his hair. But with a broken heart he woke up to the feeling of despair and the darkness of the night, still bound and being carried to the man who had tortured his family line. He had been having that dream every single time he had fallen asleep or lost conscious. He wasn't sure what it was, if he had conjured it up himself to take him out of this horrible situation. He was being carried in the back of a wagon, making the familiar journey through the Shadowlands.

“You said her name again,” Draco said as he rode next to him. Harry said nothing to this and sat up, keeping his gaze to the horizon.

“I should cut out your tongue,” Draco continued. A large knight rode forward.

“You will do no such thing,” he said. “The Dark Lord wants him for himself.” Draco scowled.

The knight pulled out a flask and held it out to Harry. “Drink the water,” he said. Draco intercepted him and snatched the flask out of his hands, unscrewed the top and spit inside of it.

“Yes, drink you dog,” he said, handing the flask to Harry.

Harry ran a dry tongue over his dry, cracked and bleeding lips. He took the flask from Draco, smirked and poured the contents over the side of the wagon. Draco looked disappointed.

“You'll have to drink sometime,” the knight said.

“We're here anyway,” Draco sighed as the lights of the castle loomed on the horizon. He had ridded back the fastest he could with the stupid Rider being towed in a wagon. Of course he didn't know what was at stake, the life of a Queen, the life of the woman he loved.

Harry looked to the familiar castle. Was Hermione truly in there? His heart so desperately wanted to believe it but his mind thought that it would break him. Malfoy had said that the False King was poisoning her for every day that he, Harry, wasn't brought before him. Were they too late? Was she still alive? Was their unborn child safe from this poison?

As they came closer, they saw that the castle was bustling with activity, torches burned brightly as they were whisked around the castle. The shouts of men could be heard and the whinny of nervous horses.

“What is this?” one of the knights asked as another group of men rushed forward to meet them.

“She has escaped! Those foul creatures helped her. Is she with you?”

Harry's heart leapt in his throat. Hermione? Were they talking about his Hermione?

“What?!” Draco bounded forward.

“Take them to the Dark Lord!” the knight ordered and Draco was pulled from his horse as Harry was dragged from the wagon.

Once again the castle trembled the moment he set foot inside of it but he hardly noticed. His mind was racing along with his heart. Were they talking about Hermione?

The doors opened from the side and Lord Voldemort strolled through accompanied by two of his Death Eaters.

“I kept my part of the bargain!” Draco called out. “Now free her!”

Voldemort sneered at the brat king and lashed out at him, striking him across the cheek.

“You do not order me, I order you!” he spat in his face. “And one of you did not keep your bargain. Your precious little queen escaped just moments ago.”

Harry suppressed the groan that threatened to escape him. She was alive! She was here only moments ago! His heart longed to reach out to her.

Voldemort's eyes fell on the Gryffindor King, lighting up like a he had just received the greatest gift ever. In a way, he did. The last Gryffindor was in front of him. The throne was as good as his, it was so close he could taste it. He grabbed a fistful of the young man's hair and yanked his head back to get a good look at him. Although generations had passed to get to this young man, he still had the faint traces of Godric upon him.

“I could give you a slow death and just leave you alone with the brat king,” he said quietly. “All this time I have waited for you, taunted you, baited you. When all I needed was the Slytherin Jewel.” He looked into his face. “Not that I blame you. To the victor goes the spoils, does it not? I had the fortune to set my eyes upon her as well and had she not escaped,” he sighed, “I, too, would have loved to see what it was about her that has two kings laying at her feet.” Harry's silent fury slipped through and betrayed him at that moment and the False King laughed, letting go of his head. From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Draco struggling furiously and spitting out vile curses.

Voldemort stood back. “Bring me the sword,” he said lazily, “I've been waiting forever to step into that throne room and claim what is rightfully mine.”

The knight stepped forward and handed him Harry's sword. Voldemort looked down at it in disgust. “Not this one, you idiot!” he snarled. “The king's sword. Gryffindor's sword!”

“This is the sword he was carrying,” the knight explained. Harry began to laugh softly as he looked up at the murderer.

“I'm not that stupid,” he said. Voldemort's face contorted in rage and he reached into his robes and pulled out his wand.

“You will tell me where it is…CRUCIO!!”

Pain washed over Harry, pain like he never knew. He felt on fire, he felt as if he were being ripped apart. It seemed to go on forever but it eventually stopped. He found himself curled on the floor, gasping for painful breath after painful breath.

“Just kill him and get it over with,” Snape said dryly.

“NO!” Voldemort roared. He grabbed a fistful of Harry's hair and yanked his head back. “He knows where the sword is and he will tell me.”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” Harry spat back and Voldemort swooped down on him.

“You will,” he whispered. “I will make you. I will burn down every village dear to you, I will kill those that are closest to you, I will find the one thing that will break you, mark my words.” Harry glared back defiantly.

“I would rather die,” he whispered back. Voldemort sneered and shoved Harry's head back on the floor. There was a blinding pain at the impact and Harry saw black, falling back into unconsciousness, falling back into his dream of Hermione and James collecting flowers.

“And him?” the knight nodded to Draco.

Voldemort slowly walked up to him. “Your Queen may have escaped me but our deal still holds true. You have a new task. Take your Slytherin army and march into Hufflepuff. Burn down every village you come across until you find that sword. Round up the people the Gryffindor is closest to, bring them to me as well.”

~*~*~

The sun had just broken over the horizon when Buckbeak landed in the castle courtyard in Rowena. There was a murmur among the soldiers and the servants that were nearby gave out startled cries.

“You're alive!” Neville approached her with a gaping mouth. Hermione looked at him, surprised.

“Of course, I'm alive!” she said as she made her way into the castle. Buckbeak followed close behind.

“People are staring at me,” he said wonderously.

Hermione looked back at him. “I'm sure they don't mean to be rude.” She turned to a servant who shrieked when she saw the Queen alive in front of her. “Please find some food for my new friend here,” she ordered but the servant just stood there.

“We thought you were dead!” Neville explained.

“Why would you think I was dead?”

“HERMIONE!!”

Ron's shout caught her attention and she turned to see her cousin racing down the hall at a dangerous speed before he bowled into her, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing.

“You're alive! You're alive!” he said as he kissed her face repeatedly, holding her close and crying into her hair.

“Ron! You're alright!” she had been so worried that his life had ended when Draco kidnapped her.

“Oh, Hermione!” he breathed.

“Ron, why does everyone think I died?” she asked.

“He sent your head in his banner,” Neville explained.

“Oh,” Hermione said softly. “Oh, no. Oh, Harry?” she sank to her knees but Ron caught her and assisted her to a nearby chair. Kneeling in front of her, he looked up at her.

“Hermione…he thinks you're dead. We all did,” he said slowly and Hermione let out a cry. “He rode to Arneau Tak to gather the army. The war against the False King has begun.”

“No! No, Ron we have to go and stop him!” she grabbed his arms. “It's a trap! Do you hear me? It's a trap! Draco brought me to the False King as bait for Harry! He's using me to get to him!”

“What?” Ron stood up quickly and turned to look at Neville who had gone pale.

“I'll leave right away,” Neville said then turned to gather a group of men.

“I have to go, too,” Hermione stood to get up but her cousin stopped her.

“No, I don't know how far you've come but you have to rest, Hermione,” he said, glancing down at her belly. Hermione followed his gaze then looked up at him.

“Harry told us. He told us a lot of things,” he said softly. He raised his hand and cradled his cousin's face. “Hermione, why didn't you tell me that you bound yourself to him? That you are the Gryffindor Queen?”

“We had to keep it a secret,” Hermione said softly. “James. Where's my little Jamie?” she stood but Ron gently pushed her back down on the chair.

“Harry sent him back to Slytherin. But he's safe,” he quickly added at Hermione's frightened face. “Dumbledore and Minerva have gone with him.”

“I have to go to him,” she said determinedly.

“Yes, you will. But not now, not today,” Ron insisted. “Rest for now and get some sleep. Tomorrow you will go out and see him.”

Hermione did feel tired from her journey and she suddenly craved the warmth and comfort of her bed. Tomorrow she would leave for Slytherin, she had to rally the army to Gryffindor, Harry needed them to defeat the False King.

~*~

Harry sighed as Hermione gently stroked his head, running her fingers gently through his unruly hair. The warm sun was beating down on him and he could hear James babbling as he brought over another flower for his mother. Hermione praised the little boy and began to work on another flower wreath.

Pain yanked him from his pleasant dream and he found himself writhing on the stone floor before the False King. He lifted his wand and the waves stopped but there were still lingering traces of it running through his body. Harry glared up at the man in front of him.

“You have to eat,” he demanded. “I will not have you dying on me.”

A servant stepped forward, a young woman with a tray of food and set it at Harry's feet. Harry eyed the tray then tipped it over, spilling the contents on the floor. Voldemort frowned at him then left the room. Harry was left alone with his thoughts until he heard a soft shuffling sound. Harry blinked when a house elf came out of the shadows with another plate of food.

“Don't eat what he gives you,” the house elf whispered. “It's poisoned like he did with the Queen.”

“And did she eat it?” he asked.

The elf shook her head. “She wouldn't. I helped her escape.”

“So she is alive and safe?” Harry asked and the elf nodded as she pushed the tray toward him. Harry looked at the food on the tray, his stomach grumbled but once again he tipped it over.

“Please, my King!” the elf pleaded. “You must eat!”

Harry ignored her as he lay back down on the stone floor, praying for sleep to come to him where he would join Hermione and James again.

~*~

Once again, shock and whispers followed Hermione as she ran into the castle at Anguin. Buckbeak had flown her here the morning after they arrived in Rowena. Hermione ran through the halls calling out his name and ran into Minerva.

“Oh, it's you!” the woman cried joyfully and brought Hermione into a motherly embrace.

“Yes, it's me. I'm alive,” Hermione said tearfully.

“Mama!” a tiny voice cried out and Hermione looked up to see Dumbledore carrying James in his arms.

Hermione ran to him, crying out his name and scooped him out of the wizened wizard's arms. She cried as she held him close to her, kissing his face and grateful that she had escaped the False King to be given this chance to hold her little boy once again.

“It is a great pleasure to see you alive and well, Your Majesty,” Dumbledore said with a tear in his eye at the sight of mother and child reunited.

“Thank you for taking him,” Hermione said sincerely to the two wizards but her face turned serious. “I sent Neville to Arneau Tak to stop Harry. He's walking into a trap,” she explained and Dumbledore's face turned grave. “We haven't much time,” she said. “I must speak to the Slytherin Knights. They must be united under Gryffindor.”

“You said Harry was walking into a trap?” Dumbledore asked.

“Yes, I sent Neville…”

“I must go to Arneau Tak as well,” Dumbledore said. “I can get there faster than Neville can.”

“Please hurry,” Hermione said to him.

She had gathered the knights in the Throne Room. They were disbelieving and grateful at the same time at having their queen back. The knights repledged their fealty to her.

“Malfoy will be killed the moment he sets foot back on this land,” Marcus, the lead knight told her.

“Leave me to deal with his treachery,” Hermione stated. “He will return, mark my words.”

“The people are angry with him, he will be mobbed.”

“Maybe but he betrayed Slytherin…as I have,” Hermione added softly.

The Knights looked at each other in confusion. “My Queen?” they asked.

Hermione stood and walked before each of them. “What do we want? We want a land free of the dark lord, the False King. We want to be free of his treachery. We want a land united,” she paused. “Under one king.” The knights murmured amongst each other.

“Like it was before?” one of the knights asked. “Long ago?”
“The True King?” another spoke up.

“And his Queen,” Hermione added softly.

The knights exchanged uneasy looks and Hermione summoned her courage.

“You may be free to judge me but I feel that I owe you, and Slytherin, my honesty and admit that I am and was, before I married your king…the Gryffindor Queen.”

There, she said it. Let the people judge her if they must, she owed them at least that. But to her complete astonishment, one by one, the knights dropped to one knee in front of her.

“You are truly, and forever, our queen,” Marcus spoke up. “You could've turned your back on us. Left us to a traitorous king but you came back.”

Hermione fought back the tears that came to her eyes. “Then you will fight?” she asked.

The knights stood and Marcus spoke again. “The Queen's battles are our battles,” he proclaimed.

~*~

As usual, Harry tipped the food tray over again. It had been three days and Harry began to feel weakened, it took five house elves to hold him down with some sort of magic and force him to eat some bread when Voldemort wasn't there. But it was done against his will. All he wanted was to be left alone to his dreams where he could be at peace.

Voldemort looked down at the young man in front of him. His cruciatus curse was not working on him like he would liked and he had yet to break him to tell him of the sword.

“Send her in,” Voldemort barked and the young servant girl was brought in.

“Tell me where it is!” he demanded. Harry stayed silent. Voldemort lifted his wand and cast the cruciatus on the servant girl. Harry recoiled when her screams filled the air.

“Stop it!” Harry demanded and stepped forward but two Death Eaters blocked his way.

“Tell me where it is and I'll stop it,” Voldemort said calmly.

Harry stepped back and leaned back against the wall behind him. He covered his ears as he sank to the floor, muffling her screams. Soon, even Voldemort had enough and he cast the killing curse and left the room. He didn't bother removing the dead girl's body. Harry just stared at it, wishing he could trade her places.

~*~

“We can send in three brigades,” Marcus said as he pointed to a map in front of Hermione. “One can go through Arneau Tak another can enter just east from it.”

“An attack on three fronts?” Hermione let out a loud sigh.

“Can you get Hufflepuff?” he asked.

“Hufflepuff will bring the Giants, and they can join whoever is left of Rowena,” she replied.

There was a commotion outside of the doors and they flung open as a group of knights holding someone prisoner.

“Release me you traitors!”

Hermione recognized that voice anywhere and she rose to her feet to approach Draco.

“Let me go! Hermione please hang them?”

She glanced at the group of knights that held Draco and nodded to them. They promptly let go of him, letting him fall to the floor. Hermione stood regally in front of him.

“I'll have the heads of all of you, do you hear me?” Draco threatened with hurt pride. Hermione watched him with cool regard. He looked up at her. “I heard you escaped, how clever of you,” he said dryly.

“You sound disappointed,” she replied.

“Considering that Slytherin is still under the thumb of the False King, I'd have to say so. You were supposed to be freed when I delivered the rider to him.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes. “You are under the thumb of the False King. Don't say I didn't warn you. Slytherin does not bow down to him.” She crossed her arms. “Did you deliver him the Gryffindor King?”

Draco grinned evilly. “It went much smoother when I told him you were alive and were being poisoned each day I didn't bring him to the Dark Lord.”

Hermione's lips pursed together. The False King has Harry. She stared down at the pathetic man in front of her. She held out a hand to him and he took as she helped him to his feet.

“Let's get you cleaned up,” she said sweetly to him. “I'll prepare a bed for you and have someone send up something to eat.”

The hot bath his wife had prepared for him was exactly what he needed. He had spent days without a proper wash having to run around the land fetching kings and retrieving armies for a Dark Lord. It wasn't easy work. The feel of soft silk on his skin felt wonderful as he was dressed. He was looking forward to his bed. Surely, his wife would join him, he had gone so long without bedding her. Their last little tryst in the carriage on the way to the Shadowlands hardly counted since she fought like a hellcat the entire time. But as he walked into his chambers he found his wife was lying on his bed of green silk sheets. She wore a matching green silk robe that was, to his absolute pleasure, loosely tied at her waist. A platter of his favorite food lay in front of her.

“Leave us,” she told the servants and they obediently left the room. Lords, his wife giving orders did turn him on. She beckoned him forward with her finger. “Sit down, my King, it has been so long since we were together.” Draco thought to himself that he could definitely get used to more homecomings like this.

He lay down on the bed and Hermione scooted next to him, feeding him a couple of grapes off of the platter. Draco reached out for her. “The food is a lovely gesture, darling but I would like to just skip it.” Hermione stayed his hand and laughed.

“No, first we eat. I want your strength built up for what will be a long night.”

Who could argue with that?

She passed him a goblet of wine and pressed it to his lips as he drank the cool and sweet nectar. She fed him a couple of more grapes before she moved over him and straddled his hips. Draco's body suddenly felt heavy and he chalked it up to his long journey. Hermione kissed his nose.

“So he just let you go?” she asked. “Surely he must have wanted something from you?”

“Hmm, why do you ask?” he sighed when she kissed his neck.

“Didn't he reward you for bringing him the Rider?”

“He asked me to send an army to Hufflepuff to search for his…sword, I think.”

Hermione paused to look at him. “His sword?”

“Yes, I guess the Dark Lord is after some sort of sword.”

“And the Rider didn't have it on him?” she asked.

“No…why do you ask?”

“No reason. Just…imagine the reward when you find it,” Hermione replied.

Draco smirked. “Provided the Rider doesn't break first.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Dark Lord is torturing him every day that he doesn't tell him where the sword is at. He'll push the right wound soon enough.”

Hermione suddenly moved off of him and tightened her robe. He got a good look at her and his eyes fell to the small bump of her belly. He looked up questioningly at her. The expression on her face had changed.

`”I'm with child,” she answered shortly and his heart soared. He had gotten her with child again. He moved to get off the bed but suddenly found that he couldn't move at all. He looked up to his wife for an explanation but saw that she had a small smile on her face.

“Hermione,” he croaked. He felt his voice leaving him as well.

She climbed back on to the bed and sat next to him. She reached out with her hand and brushed his bangs out of his face.

“You took so much from me the night you had Viktor killed and any sympathy I had felt for you died the night you killed Jason,” she said solemnly. “But I'll let you in on a little secret, Jason and I were never lovers.” Draco looked at her with wide eyes. “I know. Impossible you say because I was plucked before you could have me.” There was a knock at the door and Hermione scooted off of the bed. She opened the door and a nursemaid handed her little James. She picked up the child and returned to the bed, dismissing the maid.

“Take a good look at him, Draco,” she said as she held the babe at her hip. “A really good look at him and you'll see exactly what I mean.”

Draco looked at her then his son and immediately saw what he had been so blind to see before. James' eyes were green. The same color as that blasted rider. He looked back up at Hermione. Rage on his face. Tears welled in Hermione's eyes and she looked down at him with hate.

“Don't you dare be angry with me. You knew I loved him. Deep down you know I did. But guess what, Draco? I married him. That's right. I married him before I married you. You stole all that time from us. The baby I carry isn't yours. It's his, just like James. The Malfoy line and the end of the Slytherin Kings finishes with you.” She leaned over him and picked up a small vial from the tray. “Rumor has it that you added this to your mother's food. I put it in your wine.” Draco's eyes widened. Hermione moved away from the bed. “I didn't bother with the antidote. Goodbye Draco,” she said softly before she left the room with James in her arms. Draco stared up at the ceiling. A single tear fell from his eyes.

~*~

Hermione sent a raven to her cousin and to Dumbledore alerting them that Harry indeed had been taken by the False King and was being tortured until he gave up the sword. Minerva had James' things all packed as they prepared to leave for Rowena. She gave Marcus her final orders and he left to march through Ravenclaw to Arneau Tak. She would be joining them shortly.

In the carriage, Minerva had given her a long rectangular package. “Is it what I think it is?” Hermione asked.

“It is the sword,” she answered. “What do you plan to do with it?”

Hermione eyed the box. “Return it to its rightful owner, of course.”

Dumbledore and Neville returned to Rowena the same time that she did with news that Arneau Tak had been deserted and the bodies of the soldiers that rode with Harry the morning he left were piled and burned.

“News of his capture will travel fast,” Sirius said gravely.

“Everything we have fought for will fall apart without our King to lead us,” Remus added sadly.

Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Neville, Ron and Hermione all sat in a quiet and darkened room.

“We still have a queen,” Dumbledore said softly. All eyes fell on Hermione who was sitting on a chair, elbow propped on the armrest, her fingers playing at her lips in thought. She eyed the men.

“I think it is time to reveal to the False King that he still has an enemy to contend with,” Dumbledore said to her. “A powerful one. Do not underestimate yourself as the False King has. A lioness is most dangerous when those she loves are threatened.”

Could she do this?

Yes, she needed to. She knew she would do this the moment she bound herself to him that wonderful night they conceived James. It was her fate, her destiny.

“We have to get him out of that castle,” she said as she moved out of the chair and began to pace. “Voldemort hasn't killed him yet but he will when he learns that there is a Queen. He'll know that I have the sword.”

“So…what are you suggesting we do?” Ron said with a knowing grin.

~*~

Harry opened his eyes to meet the red ones of his nemesis. Voldemort sighed and stepped away from him. There was no tray of food this time and Harry wondered if this would be the day that he would die. It was a willing sacrifice. Hermione and James were safe as was the sword.

“Did you know that you murmur in your sleep?” Voldemort said softly. Harry sat stone faced and disinterested. “You say the same thing. Hermione.” Her name being spoken by the False King felt sacrilegious to him but he still said nothing. Voldemort began to pace in front of him. “You see, I've been wondering how to break you. Nothing has worked, yet. But just today, I thought, maybe I am being to complex about. Maybe…I need to return to where I started.” He squatted right in front of him and pushed his bangs off his forehead with his wand.

“You came for her once. If I capture her, maybe then that would break you. Bring her here, torture her right in front of you. Have my Death Eaters violate her while you watched. Yes…maybe. But,” he put a finger to his lips in thought, “maybe that wouldn't work. Because, I have a theory that she might actually have feelings for you. She didn't escape to save her husband, I can tell you that. I can see it in her eyes that she would rather see him hanged. She would rather die than be tortured in front of you and if I didn't kill her, I'm sure you would out of mercy.” Harry's façade cracked a little and he looked away trying to cast the terrible thoughts from his mind.

“So, I thought some more. As you well know, I have hunted down your line for years trying to rid the world of the Gryffindor line. Each time I think I have done it, the throne remained locked to me. Did you know that you look just like your father?” Harry glared at him. “You do and your grandfather too. I tortured him in this very room,” he looked around. “Yes, you should be proud little Rider, carrying on the family tradition. Your grandfather was stubborn just like you and he held out for a month before he finally died. So I thought, how similar this situation is. How willing you are to give your life up and not reveal the location of the sword. Just like your grandfather…when he was protecting his son.”

“NO!” Harry roared and lunged at Voldemort, tackling him to the ground. He was surprised and caught off guard long enough for Harry to land a few good punches but his Death Eaters ran into the room and pulled him off of him. They held him as they beat him.

“The Slytherin king is an idiot but I am not. Severus told me that his heir was born early and that the king bought that stupid tale his Queen told him. But she hasn't fooled me,” Voldemort shouted in his face. “He's yours isn't he? Little baby James.”

Harry struggled some more. “No! You won't touch him! I swear that I will rip your blasted heart out. I will kill you with my bare hands.” The Death Eaters shoved him to the ground and pinned him there. Harry cried out in pain.

“Send out the dragons. Send out the entire army if you have to!” Voldemort shouted his orders, maniacal with his discovery. “Take the infant and bring him here. I want him to watch as I kill his son. The end of the Gryffindor's is near! Find him! Find him!”

They all left the room, leaving Harry on the ground. Tears were streaming down his face, terrified for his son. He went to the heavy door and yanked on it, banged on it, all the time screaming his son's name. He moved to the brick wall, pressing each and every one of them, tugging at them, scraping and bloodying his fingers in the process.

“Where are you?!” he shouted. “Help me, please!!”

Suddenly the little house elf appeared behind him.

-->

Chapter Twenty: The Final Battle

Hermione knelt before Dumbledore as the venerable wizard placed the gold and ruby crown on her head. Unlike her coronation as the Ravenclaw Queen, this ceremony was held before the Ravenclaw court, in the castle with the people of Rowena as witness. She wore a beautiful gold dress and a red velvet cloak. As she stood, there was a great roar from the crowd below as they cheered and clapped. Riders were sent to the four corners of the land to spread the word.

There was no celebration after, though. The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor armies marched to leave for Arneau Tak. She turned to Minerva who held James in her arms. She felt horrible for leaving him yet again. But she had to, she had to rescue Harry from the hands of the False King.

“He'll be safe, my Queen,” Minerva said to the teary eyed queen.

“Where will you go?” she asked.

“I will take him to a small village in the mountains.” Hermione smiled softly at this. “We'll return when the war is over.”

Hermione kissed the top of her son's head then turned to face her new friend, Buckbeak.

“I will rally my herd to spread the word,” he said.

“Your loyalty is something I am so honored to have,” she replied.

“Every creature has a stake in this war. It is our land and our King in danger,” he said before unfurling his large wings and taking flight in the sky.

Hermione watched him until he was a small dot on the horizon. A touch at her arm brought her attention. Her cousin was at her side, dressed in his shiny Gryffindor armor.

“We should leave,” he said as he gestured to the carriage in front of her.

She climbed inside and looked once more back at the castle, her childhood home. Those familiar turrets that she knew so well grew smaller and smaller as she rode farther away.

The Slytherin army joined them just outside of Arneau Tak and as she laid eyes on the fortress, her unease at being at the very location at which her husband was taken began to settle on her. Did he struggle? Did they hurt him? Was he in pain?

The gate raised and Matt rode out to greet them. “Battle's already begun,” he said seriously. “Scouts have spotted an army marching toward Hufflepuff just half a days ride from here.”

Hermione looked at Ron, who turned back to Matt. “Lead a brigade to intercept them. Hufflepuff has been warned and are gathering an army under Sirius. We don't want them caught off guard before they can reach us.” Matt nodded and rode off to carry his orders.

Ron leaned toward her window and said in a low voice. “I don't like the idea of you riding into the Shadowlands. Let Matt or Jeffrey do it.”

“We have to get him out of there,” Hermione said. “I've been going over the drawing you have given me and what Buckbeak has described of the land around it.”

“But do you have to do this?” he asked.

Hermione eyed the narrow package in her carriage that contained the Gryffindor sword. “Yes, Ron. His reign of terror ends with us. I have to be by Harry's side when he fights the False King.”

Rod nodded solemnly. He knew there was no way to argue against his cousin once she had set her mind on something. And keeping her at the castle would do no good either, she had a tendency to sneak out in disguise anyway.

~*~

The elf peered up at Harry. “There are several guards stationed outside of your door. We will start a commotion in the hallway to draw their attention. At that moment, the door will unlock and you must run for it.”

Harry nodded in agreement and waited for what seemed a lifetime with the tiny elf in his cold, stone prison. At long last there were the shouts of men in the hall followed by the footsteps of running.

“Go!” the elf whispered as the door magically unlocked. Harry didn't hesitate as he ran out of the room. He immediately ran into one of the guards, taking him by surprise. Harry took advantage of that moment and disarmed him, running him through with his own sword. The little elf ran ahead of him, showing him the way out of the castle.

Harry became nervous when they didn't run into anyone else and no alarm had sounded. When he, Ron and Neville escaped they had sent nearly the entire castle after him.

They ran down corridors, down stairs and through doors but no one was in the castle.

“There is a horse ready and waiting for you in the stables,” the elf instructed him when they paused around the corner. The foyer was in front of him, the lady and the lion statue stood in the middle. “Go…now!” the elf urged him forward.

Harry broke out into a sprint for the castle doors but halfway through the room, Death Eaters seemed to appear out of nowhere and surrounded him.

“You didn't think it would be that easy,” a cold voice asked that belonged to Voldemort. The circle of Death Eaters parted briefly to let him though. Harry held out his sword.

Voldemort smirked as Harry rushed him with it. “I don't think you'll be needing that.” And with a wave of his wand, Harry felt the sword fly out of his hands and clatter somewhere in the room. With another wave of his wand, Harry found himself pinned to the floor.

“LET ME GO!!” he roared.

Voldemort laughed carelessly before hitting him with a Crucio. Harry cried out in pain but he began to crawl for the door. Fatherly desperation overwhelming him. He needed to get to James. He needed to get him and Hermione to safety.

There was a sudden shout and the pounding of little feet as a small group of house elves ran to the Death Eaters. To Harry's and the Death Eater's surprise, they attacked them using magic to make the Death Eater's robes attack their wearers. The Death Eaters fell to the floor, wrestling to keep from being strangled as the little elves set their sights on the False King.

Voldemort was not amused.

With a wave of his hand he sent the little elves flying and smashing into the walls that surrounded them. Harry got to his knees and made a dash for the door but Voldemort saw him and with his wand flung him back to the floor. A handful of house elves got up from the floor and rushed again to Voldemort but he blasted each one of them with his wand. Once again, Harry ran for it while he was distracted.

“REDUCTO!!”

This was the last thing Harry heard before something exploded above him. Debris rained down upon him and all went black.

~*~

Hermione woke up with a start. She heard shouting outside of her door and before she could get up and find out what was the commotion, her cousin flung open her door and burst in.

“Dragons, Hermione! Dragons headed toward us!”

She ran out into the courtyard of the fort to see the archers shooting up at the large beasts that flew overhead. The catapults were readied and were flinging large and heavy stones at them. Hermione ran up the stairs to the turrets in time to see one of the dragons fall to the ground below it. She turned to her cousin, a bewildered expression on her face.

“Why aren't they attacking us?” she asked as the dragons continued their flight south toward…

“James…,” Hermione whispered.

“What?” Ron asked.

“James!” she cupped her hands to her mouth in terror. “We have to take them out!” she grabbed Ron's arms.

As if her prayers were answered, there was a loud screech in the air and the shouts of her men. Shouts of triumph.

A large shadow flew over Hermione and Ron and before they could register what it was, it attacked the dragon in flight. More shadows flew above her and Hermione shielded her eyes to see the shape of a hippogriff flying above her, headed toward a dragon, claws out ready to attack. One by one the dragons fell from the sky, not one of them surviving to continue on their journey.

A hippogriff landed in the courtyard and Hermione hustled down to greet it.

“Buckbeak!” she gasped.

“We've been following them for a day and just now caught up with them,” he said as he preened his feathers.

“I am forever grateful to you,” Hermione said earnestly but the hippogriff's face was grave.

“I also bring you terrible news from Firenze about the king,” he said softly.

Hermione began to feel her legs give away from under her but she fought against it and steeled herself for whatever he was to tell her.

“The king attempted an escape three nights ago. He failed and has angered the False King greatly.” Hermione brought a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. Buckbeak paused a moment to have the queen recompose herself. She drew a deep breath then nodded for him to continue. “The King will be tortured horrendously for two days and on the third…he will be executed on the castle steps for all of the kingdom to see. He is turning it into a victory celebration for all the dark creatures of the Shadowlands.”

Ron was horrified and looked over at his cousin, expecting her to break down and cry. He was stunned to find her face was stony and filled with anger and rage. She turned to her cousin.

“Then we leave now,” she said. “March the armies now. Force the False King's hand.”

“You want him to kill Harry sooner?” Ron spluttered.

“Yes and no. Harry will not die, we will rescue him before he does but I want him rushed to gather his army. I want them sloppy and disorganized. Voldemort will move up his little celebration just as we make our move.”

“How many will infiltrate the city?” Buckbeak asked.

“Just a handful,” she answered.

“My herd can take you right away to the Dark Forest to hide. You will join Firenze and his herd there.”

“Gather everyone then,” Hermione turned to her cousin. “We leave as soon as possible.”

~*~

Harry looked over the crowd in front of him of dark creatures, soldiers and Death Eaters. They were stomping, howling and shouting, weapons held above their heads in triumph. He lay bound on the castle steps, spirit broken and in such pain that he'd never felt before in his life. He cried out as a sword as plunged once again in him, his hand scraped on the stone under him, grasping to hold onto something but he found that the ground was already sticky with his blood.

He turned his head to his side, suddenly feeling a ray of warmth. The crowed slowly became silent as a lioness slowly walked down the main aisle. They eyed her warily as they booed and hissed at her but not daring to get near. There was a soft hiss in Harry's ear and he turned away from the lioness to see the biggest serpent he had ever seen in his life perched under the castle doors watching the lioness approach them. It hissed again, dripping its venom from its fangs. The snake eyed Harry then lunged for him. Harry was expecting the blow as he closed his eyes but he felt a rush of wind and a roar. He opened his eyes as the lioness leapt over him and swatted at the snake with her paw sending it flying back into the castle. The lioness paced protectively in front of Harry as he struggled against his binds to free himself.

“No,” he said, “Hermione. Please no.”

The snake coiled and hissed at the cat before striking again. Lioness and serpent collided in battle as Harry watched helplessly struggling against binds that seemed to tighten the more he struggled against them.

“ARGH!!”

The scream of pain jolted Harry from his dream and for once it wasn't coming from him. He was on display like a caged animal in the gallery where Voldemort ruled from his makeshift throne. He had been tortured constantly from the evil man and found a mild relief that for once his wand was being turned on one if his Death Eaters.

The man writhed and cried on the floor apologizing for something he had failed to do.

“I gave you one simple task!” Voldemort shouted. “ONE!! Take the dragons and use them to find the babe and you failed me.”

“It wasn't my fault! She attacked us with her hippogriff army!”

“Hippogriffs?” Voldemort repeated angrily. “HIPPOGRIFFS?!! Those wretched winged pieces of filth?”

“The dragons didn't stand a chance,” the Death Eater said weakly. Voldemort looked down upon the man the lashed out and struck him hard across the cheek.

“You were caught unprepared, you stupid poor excuse for a servant of mine!”

The doors to the gallery burst open and another Death Eater marched in looking worse for the wear and breathing like he had been running.

“What are you doing here, McNair?” Voldemort asked angrily.

“It was a massacre. The men were nearly all slaughtered, we barely escaped with our lives,” McNair replied.

“How unfortunate,” Voldemort said.

“We were attacked a days ride from the Hufflepuff border,” McNair explained. “We were outnumbered.”

“I sent a thousand men with you!” Voldemort spluttered.

“We were seriously outnumbered,” McNair said evenly.

“Who did it?” Snape stepped out from the shadows to stand by the False King.

“The Slytherin army,” McNair replied and Voldemort inhaled sharply. “Under the Gryffindor banner,” the Death Eater continued, “a royal banner.” His eyes flickered to Harry listening behind bars.

Harry's heart nearly stopped when he heard this. He found it hard to breathe.

“So…the traitorous little Slytherin king has gone back on his word,” Voldemort snarled.

“The king wouldn't help Gryffindor. He was nearly killed by your prisoner,” Snape interjected.

“The queen had to have taken control of the kingdom,” Voldemort said quietly. Harry drew his legs closer to his body and wrapped his arms around them. “The point is…she has Slytherin marching under the Gryffindor banner. Ravenclaw will go with her for sure.”

McNair spoke up. “The army is already in the Shadowlands, we were attacked on our own land.”

“Then she means to start a battle,” Voldemort said lazily. He turned and marched toward Harry.

Harry watched him approach. “Bad news?” he asked. Voldemort just sneered at him.

“That meddlesome little Queen wishes to play war,” he said. “I will crush her and her little army, destroy her the same way I'll destroy you.”

Harry approached the bars. “With sending dragons after James?” he asked and laughed. “That worked out well, didn't it?” he smirked. “You'll never get your hands on James. She won't let you.”

“You don't know what I'm capable of,” Voldemort replied.

“I don't think you know what she's capable of,” Harry shot back.

Voldemort scoffed. “You know, I think I'll have your head on a pike on the city wall to greet her.”

“Oh so you think she'll get that far?”

“Enjoy your last night in my company. You're dead tomorrow.”

~*~

As the sun began to rise on the horizon, the traffic began to pick up on the dusty road leading to the dark castle of the False King. There was to be a celebration today, the enemy of the False King had been captured and would be hung today. As the travelers passed the edge of the Dark Forest, they were unaware that they were being watched.

Sirius, Remus and Ron placed broken branches and foliage over the bodies of some soldiers of the False King. They took their armor and dressed themselves disguised in them. Ron made final adjustments on the helmet then joined his cousin at her side.

She was watching the road intently with Firenze at her side, angry that all these people had come to watch her Harry die. She clutched her tattered robe closer to her.

“Are you ready?” he whispered.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” she replied.

“We will be fine. We will be safe,” Dumbledore approached them. He too, was wearing a tattered old robe.

“There is a break coming up,” Firenze whispered, his eyes still on the road.

Ron turned to Hermione as she held out her hands to him. He tied them loosely around her wrists. The look on his face clearly showed how he disliked this.

“You risk too much,” he said with concern, looking into his cousin's eyes.

“Because everything is at stake,” she replied, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Are you ready?” Sirius whispered as he turned to them. Hermione could see Dumbledore being bound by Remus over his shoulder. Hermione reached down and took some mud in her hands, smearing some on her face.

The group emerged from the forest and stepped on the road. Ron and Hermione were in front, Ron holding on to her elbow. Remus, Sirius and Dumbledore followed. The castle loomed closer as they approached and Ron's grip on her tightened. Hermione wasn't sure her bravery would last very long, inside she grew more frightened with each step closer.

But each step closer took her to Harry. That was the root of her bravery, her strength. The man she loved needed her now more than ever and she would not fail him. They had no trouble entering the city gates but it became very crowded as they made their way to the castle courtyard. As they entered, Remus gave Ron the very slightest of nods before the three of them departed ways with them.

Ron stayed close to his cousin's side, protective of her every move. There were dark creatures that mingled among the crowd, shadow hounds, trolls, goblins…Death Eaters. Hermione felt the comforting weight of the Gryffindor sword tied to her side, banging ever so slightly against her leg as they walked.

Fights broke out within the crowd, the huddling masses ebbing and flowing, sometimes knocking Hermione and Ron. Her cousin took the brunt of the hits as they made their way to a galley being set up. Hermione's eyes fell upon it. This is where the False King planned to kill her husband. They were currently testing the strength of the rope on some hopeless prisoners. Hermione looked away as one was hung. Ron didn't look to pleased to be witnessing the mode of his friend's death.

“CRUCIO!!”

Harry tried his best not to scream as he writhed on the floor. Voldemort was getting one last curse on him as they dragged him out of his cell.
“Now you are properly ready to face your death,” Voldemort sneered.

Harry couldn't stand. He had been cursed and beaten all night and early this morning. He tripped and fell to the floor.

“Drag him,” Voldemort ordered.

The crowd roared suddenly and Hermione gasped when she saw Voldemort appear on the balcony. Ron drew a small dagger and cut Hermione's binds. “Stay close,” he whispered as the crowd cheered all around them.

“The battles we have fought to control the kingdom have been long and difficult,” Voldemort addressed the crowd. “The end is finally near. Behold,” he held up a triumphant fist, “the last of the Gryffindors!”

“Oh!” Hermione cried when her eyes fell on Harry as he was dragged out of the castle. He looked beaten down and broken. The crowd around her booed and hissed. They began to throw things at him. Hermione's heart broke and she wanted to cry out for them to stop. Ron placed a comforting hand on her arm.

“Not yet,” he said quietly.

Hermione couldn't look anymore and her eyes began to wander around the crowd. Cloaked figures wound their way through the crowds, two of them passing near the other group as Sirius adjusted his mask around his face.

“Snape,” Ron whispered and Hermione looked up to see him passing by them. Hermione moved her cloak further over her head as she turned away.

Harry's hands were bound in front of him. The sound of boos and taunts filled the air and he did his best to try and block them out. The rope was tight and it cut into his wrists painfully. He was marched out to the platform of the galley, a dead body swung by a noose and it was lowered to be loosened and taken off. The body fell with a sickening thud and kicked carelessly into the crowd where a small pack of shadow hounds pounced on it and began to tear it to pieces.

“Move!” a guard said as he was shoved sharply from behind.

He was marched to the front and stepped onto a smaller wooden platform. The crowd screamed and roared louder as the noose was wrapped around his neck. He scanned the crowd, his one last defiant glance. But something caught his eye, a beggar man who looked oddly familiar.

“Dumbledore,” he said in a whisper.

At either side of him were two guards, one of them lifted his mask slightly to reveal his godfather, the other had to have been Remus. Sirius held a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence.

They were here. They were going to rescue him.

Drums sounded out and the crowd quieted down to an excited buzz. Ron flexed his grip around his sword. He looked to the side of him to the other side of the crowd where Sirius looked over at him and nodded. Harry had seen this exchange and began to search the other half of the crowd, heart beating in his chest as he remembered his dream.

No, no, no. Hermione please don't be here. Please don't be here.

“I have been waiting for this moment for such a long time,” Voldemort said aloud as he drew his wand.

Harry's eyes fell on a tall soldier next to a cloaked person. He was carefully drawing a sword and a patch of red hair stuck out from under the helmet he wore. It had to be Ron. Harry's eyes fell on the cloaked figure next to him and he saw her face. Eyes wide and fearful. Hermione held her breath as she locked eyes with him. Harry broke contact when he saw a Death Eater…Snape's attention caught by Ron's movement and he began to make his way toward them.

“REDUCTO!!” Voldemort shouted.

“NO!! HERMIONE!!” Harry screamed.

Several things happened at once. The wooden platform he had been standing on exploded when the spell hit it. Harry dropped, the noose tightening around his neck for a split second before another wand blast came from the crowd and hit the rope, severing it as he dropped to the galley floor.

“NO!!” he heard Voldemort shout but there was a faint buzzing in the air.

Ron grabbed Hermione and forced her to the ground, taking an anonymous person next them with them and using him as a shield when the first wave of the centaurs arrows rained down upon them.

Harry didn't hesitate as he rolled off the galley and fell into the crowd below. A soldier had already fallen, an arrow through his neck and Harry freed himself of his binds on the edge of the man's sword. A horn was sounded from somewhere outside the castle walls and there was a loud boom as a large slab of rock was hurled at the castle, making its mark. Once again the air filled with the sound of arrows flying and Harry grabbed the man's shield and used it as he clambered his way over in Hermione's direction.

There was chaos as the crowd scrambled to form their lines, the war had begun and Voldemort was screaming out instructions. Hermione was helped to her feet by her cousin as they ran to the walls surrounding the castle.

“We've got to get inside the castle,” Ron said to her.

“Is he okay?” Hermione demanded. “Everything happened so quickly I didn't get a chance to see…”

“Hermione! We don't have time. I'm sure he made it, Dumbledore is a good shot,” Ron grabbed her shoulders. “Now, we have to get inside before we are killed in this courtyard.” Something sharp was jabbed into the side of his neck.

“You aren't going anywhere,” McNair said as he held his wand to his neck.

Ron jabbed the Death Eater with his elbow, buying himself some time. “Run Hermione!” There was an explosion nearby and Hermione jumped into action, running toward the castle, toward Harry.

Voldemort looked down on the chaos before him. How could this have happened? What did he overlook? The Rider had gotten away somehow, his army was in chaos, horribly forming their lines and ranks as they were attacked from outside the castle walls. From his position, he could see arrows coming from the Dark Forests, the centaurs and he shouted to release the shadow hounds into the woods. All around him he could see approaching armies, banners of Ravenclaw, banners of Hufflepuff and the largest one under the banner of Slytherin all marching toward his castle. Fools, all fools, he thought, thinking that they could defeat him.

Dragons screeched overhead and Harry looked up to see them heading outside of the castle. Where were they headed? Who was attacking the castle? Suddenly a dragon plummeted to the ground in front of him. A strange looking horse-eagle creature was standing upon it triumphantly.

Hermione had barely ducked out of the way as the dragon fell near her. She scrambled back to her feet but was grabbed from behind.

“You aren't going anywhere,” Snape said in her ear.

“No, let me go!” she struggled as the Death Eater dragged her along toward the castle.

Harry suddenly saw her on the other side of the dragon. “Hermione!” he screamed, seeing her in the clutches of a Death Eater.

Hermione looked up at her name being called from the most wonderful voice she had ever heard in the world. “HARRY!!” she screamed back.

Voldemort turned his head sharply and saw Snape carrying a writhing peasant and the Rider making his way to them. It wasn't possible. Could it actually be the annoying little queen?

“Expelliarmus!” Snape shouted and Harry's sword once again went flying out of his hand. Harry cursed and pulled another out from a dead body near him. There was a loud boom as the castle gates shuddered. Someone was trying to break them down.

“Let me go!” Hermione writhed and squirmed but his grip was too tight on her.

A wand blast from above narrowly missed Harry and he looked up to see Voldemort casting spells down upon him. “Harry watch out!” Dumbledore said from behind him as he sent a spell back up at the False King.

Voldemort fell to the floor as the spell whizzed above his head. So he has a blasted wizard on his side. Gryffindor Kings always did. There was a loud crack and Voldemort stood in time to see the gates surrounding the castle give way and the enemy's army spill into his courtyard. This couldn't possibly be happening. Yet before his eyes, his dragons were falling from the sky, his army was being slaughtered, the enemy was at his door.

Hermione screamed once again, catching his attention. Voldemort tightened his grip on his wand and dashed out of the room.

The cloth of Hermione's cloak ripped as Snape gave a particularly hard tug. Hermione resisted and the cloak fell away from her, revealing the Gryffindor sword at her side. Snape and Harry stopped fighting as they took sight of it. Snape reached for it but Hermione turned away, flinging the sword into the melee around them.

“Go, Harry!” Hermione said, relenting a little to Snape so he would be more inclined to get her inside the castle instead of going for the sword. “Get the sword!”

“Hermione's right,” Dumbledore said as he cast a spell at Snape but he blocked it. “You need the sword, Harry.”

Through the dust he saw it gleaming on the ground. “Harry please!” Hermione pleaded. Harry swore violently and went after the sword, dodging a few soldiers and wrapped his hand around its hilt. He turned just in time to see Hermione dragged into the castle…into Voldemort's waiting hands.

“Hermione!” Harry shouted at the same time as someone else did. Ron came to his side, bloodied sword in hand and helmet and mask off of his head. Remus and Sirius were behind him and together the men made a mad dash for the castle just as the doors closed and the drawbridge was slowly being drawn up. Harry and Sirius leapt on it as Ron and Remus screamed out some sort of warning.

With a crash the drawbridge slammed back to the ground, splintered under the weight of the enormous dragon that had landed on it. The wind was knocked out of Harry's lungs and he rolled on the ground, grasping for breath. He heard Sirius groaning nearby and saw a large piece of wood sticking out of his leg. Ron wrapped his hands under Harry's arms and dragged him safely out of the dragon's way but Harry shrugged him off when he recovered his breath.

Dumbledore sent a spell that hit the dragon which roared in response, setting aflame the nearest building to it. “Oh, I guess that wasn't the best of ideas, was it?” Dumbledore sighed.

Harry knelt next to Sirius who was groaning. “Can you help him?” he looked up at the wizard.

“Of course I can.” Harry didn't hesitate as he left their side to face the dragon.

It eyed him warily then lunged forward to snap at him. Harry dodged him and lashed out with his sword, swiping the dragons snout. It roared angrily and spit more fire. The sound of galloping hooves surrounded him and Harry saw centaurs around him drawing back their arrows.

“Move over Harry!” a loud booming voice said and Harry turned to see his friend Hagrid leading a small legion of giants.

The centaurs let loose their arrows and Harry saw that they had rope attached to them. At first, Harry thought that they had overshot but the giants surrounded the creature and quickly snatched up the ends of the arrows that landed in the earth. The dragon cried out in fury, fire spitting from its mouth as the giants tugged on the ropes, restraining the creature. The dragon so distracted, forgot about Harry who used some of the ropes to climb it and swing himself into a window inside the castle.

The castle shuddered violently and Hermione, Snape and Voldemort swayed against the wall for balance. Voldemort grimaced then reached out for Hermione again, wrapping his cold fingers around her delicate wrists and yanking her forward.

“This castle is falling apart from under me,” he muttered.

“Because it belongs to the True King!” Hermione spat back.

Voldemort quickly let go of her wrist and struck her across the face. Hermione recovered quickly enough to spit back in his face. Snape took her and shoved her against the wall.

“You will respect your king!” he roared.

“He is not my king! Harry is my king!” she shouted.

“Just like Draco was your king?” Voldemort lashed out at her. Hermione gave no answer, she only smirked knowingly.

“Your reign is over,” she said softly. “Take a look at my hand.” She motioned to the appendage that Voldemort had in his hand.

He looked down at her wrist and turned her hand over, palm side up. He could just barely make out the thin scar along her palm.

“It can't be,” he whispered. “Gryffindor hasn't had a queen since Godric's reign.”

“Neither have they had a king,” Hermione answered.

Voldmort tightened his grip on her as he quickly drew his dagger from his robes and plunged it through her hand. Hermione screamed and fell to the floor, clutching her injured hand to her chest.

“Mind your tongue or it will be next,” he said.

“Let her go!” Harry's voice called out from the corridor.

The three of them turned to see Harry stepping out from the shadows. Voldemort eyed the sword in Harry's hand and he drew his wand.

“CRUCIO!” he said but Harry blocked the oncoming spell by reflex with his sword. The spell bounced harmlessly off of the blade to the surprise of both men and hit Snape who cowered on the floor in pain.

Harry leveled the point of the sword toward the False King. “Let her go,” he repeated calmly.

Voldemort smirked. “I think not,” he said as he raised his wand. “Expelliarmus!”

But nothing happened. Harry rushed at the evil wizard sword raised.

Hermione wrenched herself free of him just as Harry collided with him. Snape staggered to his feet and pointed his wand at the two men who wrestled on the ground. Hermione threw herself at him, knocking his wand from his hand. He threw her off of his arm and snatched up wand from the floor and turned it on her.

“Cruc—“

The sound of quiet little pops filled the air and a handful of little elves appeared in the room and they lunged for the Death Eater. Hermione reached for the torch above her and took it out of its sconce and swung it down on the man who had betrayed her father and her, knocking him out cold on the floor.

The elves climbed over the False King but once again he threw them off with a wave of his hand, sending them flying into the walls. Harry punched Voldemort in the face with this distraction and raised his sword. Voldmort punched him in the stomach and the sword fell from his hands. Voldemort reached for it, grabbing its hilt before he screamed in pain and flung it away from him. It spiraled to a stop at Hermione's feet. Harry moved away from him but Voldemort trained his wand on him.

“CRUCIO!!”

Harry screamed in pain when the spell hit him. Hermione reached down and grabbed the heavy sword. Voldemort smiled maniacally down at the Rider writhing at his feet. Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through him like fire. Hermione had stabbed him in the back pulling the sword out, the blade gleamed with fresh blood.

“Hermione!” Harry called out as the wizard turned on her.

“You stupid little Queen. You'll pay for that!” He cast the Crucio on her but she lifted the heavy sword to block it successfully but the sheer force of the impact knocked the sword out of her hand. Voldemort smile and raised his wand.

“Now, you die before your King.”

Harry lunged for the sword and slid between the False King and Hermione as he swung out. Voldemort cried out in pain as the blade cleanly cut his hand off that was holding the wand. Harry didn't hesitate as he scrambled to his feet and plunged the sword into Voldemort's chest, pushing him towards the balcony.

Voldemort stopped when he hit the banister and he looked around him. His kingdom dying around him.

“It ends now,” Harry said evenly.

Voldemort looked up at him. “Yes, it does.”

He reached for the young man with his remaining hand just as Harry pushed him over. The momentum caused Harry to fall forward, grasping onto the banister. Hermione rushed forward to grab onto him.

“Harry!” she cried out.

Voldemort slammed against the balcony and briefly lost his grip on Harry as he fell. But he reached out and grabbed his ankle. Harry slid over the banister, sliding out of Hermione's grip as she screamed, still clinging to him for dear life. Harry's grip was slipping on the stone.

“Don't let go, Hermione,” he called up to her. Her grip was slipping on him because the blood from her injured hand was causing her to lose her hold.

Voldemort dangled above the ground at a dangerous height, gripping ironically to the man who was his lifeline as well as his poison.

“Harry!” Hermione cried as he continued to slip out of her grasp.

Suddenly a new set of arms reached around her and gripped him. Ron heaved and tugged as he pulled Harry up.

“Let him go!” Hermione swatted at the False King's hands, prying his fingers off of his ankle.

“No!” Voldemort gasped determinedly. He would be damned if he would die alone. If he couldn't take the King, he could take his Queen. And in a risky move he let go of Harry's ankle to grab onto Hermione's hand.

Her injured hand.

Hermione briefly lunged forward with his weight. But Harry, who had just clambered over the balcony, reached out and grabbed her waist, yanking her backward as they tumbled to the floor. Voldemort slipped on her bloodied hand and fell, screaming to his death.

Harry still held on to Hermione, breathing heavy, as he turned her to him and delivered kisses all over her face. Hermione began to shake with her sobs. He ripped some of her dress to wrap the fabric around her bleeding hand.

“It's over,” Harry buried his face in her hair as a few tears fell from his eyes. “It's finally over.”

“Not just yet,” Dumbledore said as he stepped onto the balcony. Remus was with him as was Sirius, who was leaning on him for a crutch.

“The sword Harry,” Sirius said, motioning to the object on the floor. “End it. End his reign.”

Harry got to his feet and helped Hermione to hers. On shaky feet the two of them made their way down to the statue of the lady and the lion…and the throne room. Hermione slipped her hand in his. Harry looked down at her, then at her injured hand.

“You told him?” he asked softly, residual anger at his newly defeated enemy lingered as he eyed his wife's hand. The very hand that he cut to bind himself to her.

“I don't think he was expecting the Queen to rescue her King.”

Harry stilled as she said these words, looking deep into the eyes of the woman he loved.

“I crowned her the day we marched for battle,” Dumbledore said softly behind them.

Harry felt a warmness run through him. The finality of having her as his Queen, to rule with her, to have her by his side forever. She smiled up at him and motioned toward the door.

“Go ahead, Harry.”

Harry reluctantly tore his gaze from her to face the throne room. He lifted his sword and plunged it into the slot in the doors.

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A/N: Sooooo sorry this took me so long to get out. I had it written then I broke the Flash I had it on. I had to write this out from sloppy notes that I had in my head. I really hope you like this ending and we can all finally put this story to rest. Thanks for all the great reviews and recommendations. I have the best and most supportive readers on the planet.

Epilogue

The sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, illuminating the ground beneath that was covered with the fallen golden leaves, signaling the start of Fall. A group of men on their horses stood in a semi-circle surrounding two creatures, arguing, disturbing the peace of the forest.

“It went that way,” the centaur said.

“No, no, no, the tracks show it went that way,” said the hippogriff, nodding in the opposite direction the centaur pointed.

“I know this forest, the stag went that way,” the centaur persisted.

“I too know this forest and I'm telling you it went that way,” the hippogriff did not back down.

Ron sat upon his horse and sighed impatiently, looking at his friend seated on his horse. Harry rubbed his forehead in irritation as if trying to impede the progress of the headache that was slowly building. They had been stopped here for nearly twenty minutes listening to his two friends argue.

Neville was on his other side, newly returned from his honeymoon. He had married Miss Ginevra, Ron's little sister. It was about time, Harry had thought. He had wondered if his friend would ever get around to asking the fair maiden. The wedding was a joyous occasion held at the Gryffindor castle and he recalled fondly presiding over the binding of his friend to the lovely young woman.

Not as lovely of course as his queen.

He drifted away from the argument in the forest to the wonderful image of Hermione kneeling before him as he placed the Gryffindor crown on her head, properly claiming her as his queen, although he had already “claimed” her as such on many, many occasions before. She was crowned in the Great Hall of Gryffindor, where his ancestors had been crowned, finally claiming what was rightfully his, what had been stolen from his family line so many years ago.

She looked beautiful in her white beaded dress, empire waist and a train made of some sort of gauzy material. Her lovely brown hair tumbled down her back in soft curls and he remembered the feel of them as he later tangled his hands in them that night. How long had he dreamed of this, having her by his side. Ever since he had discovered and accepted his fate that he would be King, there was only one woman in the world he wanted by his side as his Queen. He wanted it so badly that he fought battles for her, murdered (or attempted to) her king, brought down the False King's kingdom to have her. Was it selfish? Maybe. He was a just a fair King, but he was also human. And desperately in love with a woman that, at that time, was unattainable to him.

But she was by his side now and every time he woke up next to her, every time he touched her, every time he made love to her, he was grateful for that moment. Grateful that he had chosen the woman, the Queen who would rule gracefully by his side. His friend, his lover, his council.

The Kingdom of Gryffindor was restored somewhat. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff enveloped easily into it but Slytherin, although it remained loyal to the new Kingdom and it's royalty, was its own independent land. There were still pockets of areas in the former Shadowland that still harbored dark creatures and those faithful to the long lost False King. Skirmishes with them were thankfully small and few but like Dumbledore said, there is always a balance in this world, there cannot be good without some evil.

The sound of galloping hooves broke Harry from his thoughts and his men drew their swords, Firenze and Buckbeak became tense and silent. But the horn was sounded and a rider bearing the Gryffindor banner burst from the trees, signaling that he was friend, a messenger sent from the castle.

“My lord,” he addressed the King. “It's the Queen!”

Harry needed no other words as Hedwig broke from the circle and raced through the forest. He heard the others following behind. Hedwig sped along, bringing her master to the white-stoned palace of Gryffindor where crimson banners hung down from the balcony's and their flags waved proudly from the spires.

“Where is she?” Harry asked as he dismounted. Ginny ran to him.

“She's in the bedchamber,” she said. “We sent for you right away.”

He ran through the castle halls until he skidded to a stop in front of the bedchamber doors where a loud moan made him hesitate to open the door. But he summoned up his courage to do so and the sight of his wife on the bed, knees bent greeted him.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!!” she roared at him.

“I…I…” he stammered uselessly. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and cried out in pain again. Harry made himself move to her side.

“It's almost time,” Minerva said to her. “On the next pains I want you to push.”

“Oh, Harry!” she reached out to him. “I didn't mean it my love. I love you.”

Harry smiled endearingly down at her. “I know, I know,” he whispered and kissed her forehead that was damp with sweat. “Hold on to my hand,” he said as she wrapped her delicate fingers around it.

Moments later those delicate fingers squeezed so tight that he was nearly brought to his knees in pain. Though he refrained from voicing that aloud as his wife cried out again.

“A slow and steady push,” Minerva coached gently.

“Yes darling,” Harry croaked out, still in pain. “Push.” She eventually released his hand and he shook it out behind her back. Ow, that hurt!!

Hermione was brave and she was much tougher than he was to endure what she had to do to bring their child into this world. But with more painful grasps of his hand, more tears and more sweat and with a final push…

“It's a girl!” Minerva exclaimed.

“A girl!!” Harry whispered excitedly, eyes on his beautiful daughter. He moved to be immediately by the babe's side, leaving Hermione to flop helplessly on the pillows behind her. Hermione laughed lightly, exhausted from the effort, knowing that she had lost her husband's affections to another.

“Is she okay? You're handling her too roughly! Is she warm? She's cold, wrap her in a blanket! Why is she crying?” Harry fired these statements off at Minerva, hovering over her shoulder.

Minerva wrapped the baby and handed her to Hermione, bringing her tiny head to her bosom. The babe cried and wailed in protest. Hermione looked up at Harry, beaming only to see that he had a worried look on his face, biting his lower lip.

“Would you like to hold her?” she offered and Harry reached out to bring the swaddled bundle in his arms.

She stopped crying immediately.

And has she watched Harry gaze down at his baby girl, Hermione knew that his heart was lost. There would be nothing he would deny her.

“We have to give her a name,” Harry said softly, offering his pinky for her tiny hand to grasp.

“Lily,” Hermione said softly.

Harry looked at her and smiled. “Jane. Lily Jane.”

“Lily Jane it is,” she consented.

Harry bent down and kissed his wife. “I love you,” he said. “Thank you. Thank you for Lily.”

~*~

The nursery doors opened and Ginny and Luna jumped up from their seats, looking eagerly at Harry.

“Is mummy okay?” little James asked with worry on his face.

“Yes,” Harry replied looking at his pint-sized twin. “She's doing just fine.”

“Baby?” Sirius asked, looking up at him from the floor.

Harry scooped up his youngest son, named after his godfather. He had his mother's large brown eyes but still had his father's unruly hair.

“You two have a little sister,” Harry announced and Ginny and Luna squealed with delight.

James wrinkled his nose. “A girl?!!”

“Yes,” Harry repeated, laughing inwardly at the scowl on his son's face. “An adorable baby sister that I fully expect you to help watch over with your brother.”

James' face softened into a thoughtful expression as he took in his new duty as the oldest child.

Ron and Neville were also in the room with their wives. Ron was holding a young little boy with red hair and his mother's blue eyes.

“Congratulations!” he said to his friend.

“Yes, Harry, congratulations!” Neville added.

Ron ventured off into a daydream of what the upcoming feast would be like. There was so much food and ale when Sirius was born, now that Harry had the daughter he had been longing for…oh the possibilities. His stomach grumbled hungrily at the thought.

~*~

There were things in life that Harry would regret, actions taken that he wished he could undo, things he had done that he wished he could take back. But as he sat in a chair by the fire, slowly rocking his daughter who slept in his arms, he suddenly realized that all of those things led to this moment. And that, given the chance to do it all over again, he wouldn't change a thing.

Hermione was resting peacefully in their bed, two lumps representing his and hers hearts and souls were sleeping next to her. Her arm wrapped protectively over her two sons, even in sleep.

Or so he thought.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked softly. Harry got up and put Lily down in her cradle by the bed before going to his wife's side.

“How much I'm in love with you at this moment,” he answered. “How happy I am right now.”

“You deserve it, Harry,” she whispered. “You deserve to be happy.”

He reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “We, Hermione, we deserve to be happy.”

“Sometimes, I feel like this is a dream and I'm waiting for someone to cruelly come along and wake me,” she said.

“I feel like that too, and then I wake up and see that you truly are sleeping by my side.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Harry, I…I'm so sorry I…”

“No, shh, don't,” he cradled her head and kissed her forehead, his thumbs brushing away the few tears that had escaped. There was always a profound sadness and guilt that overcame her whenever she thought about her brief time as Draco's queen.

“You're here now,” Harry whispered. “You're here now.”

A piece of him always died whenever she had left him, first to return as Queen to Ravenclaw and each time she returned to Slytherin. He was devastated when she became his bride and wanted to die when he thought she did. But she had also paid the price for their love, she was torn apart every time she left him, escaped from the clutches of his greatest enemy where she was to be tortured only to return to save him when he was captured. In all this turmoil, their love was their constant, the one thing they could rely on. He had brought the battle to the False King's doorstep, Hermione brought the army.

But above it all, love had truly triumphed.

And as Hermione lay in bed, her sons in her arms on one side of her, her husband and love of her life sleeping on the other, her baby girl slumbering comfortably, she felt at peace. She did not fear the future because whatever fate would throw at them, she and Harry would rise above it.

True love conquers all.

The End.

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