DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!
Hello everybody!
I am really sorry that this has taken so long to get out to you, but if you read the Author's Note in my Profile than you'll know what exactly has happened! I'm sorry….
Now, I really hope you all like this chapter! I hope it was worth the wait and I cannot wait to hear what you have to say! Happy readings from a very sorry author.
To my fellow reviewers...
--- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND PATIENCE GUYS!
Now on with the story...
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Chapter Twenty-Nine
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Hermione walked down the corridors in silent thought as she thought back on all that the two of them had been through to get to this point. Her hands unconsciously traveled to her stomach as she lost herself in thoughts of what the future might bring. She wasn't exactly sure what the future held for them as a family, but she was sure that whatever came along they were ready to face it, together. She found herself excited and hopeful as she leaned into her husband, feeling his strong arm wrap around her protectively as they continued down the hall together.
xxx
Soft light flooded in through the large open windows of Gryffindor Palace as the sun slowly rose from a glowing horizon. It was a damp day and already the promise of rain was clear. This was as typical as any April morning in the realm of Gryffindor.
Within the Palace, the young Princess of Gryffindor slept soundly as her husband laid beside her, admiring her every feature in the light. He had been up for close to an hour now, but didn't have the energy to move. This was going to be on of those `days' it seemed.
There were always days like this, sprinkled throughout the week, when he would awake to find his body drained and aching. His wounds had healed almost completely, but still hurt worse on days like this and his energy was close to non-existent, but he always managed to pull through because of her. She always seemed to make the discomfort melt away, even if for the shortest of time, she always helped.
Harry smiled as he ran his hand along her side, while she slept. She probably had no idea how much of a help she truly was to him. Harry's smile grew as he slid his hand down her waist and to her stomach. He felt a wave of warmth wash over him as he allowed the thought of becoming a father encase him. To be totally truthful, the thought did scare him quite a bit, but at the same time, it made him happier than he had ever been. Hermione was there… and he was going to be a father!
He then pressed his lips softly to Hermione's shoulder as he thought back to what a shock this had initially been. How could she possibly be pregnant… after everything she'd been through? It was impossible… no… no… a miracle. Yes, this was a miracle. This was there miracle…
Slowly, as sunlight filtered through the transparent white silk curtains of their room, a soft hue of pinks and goldens shown against their elaborate walls, and Harry pressed softly against his wife's hip, causing her to turn softly onto her back. He swept a few strands of hair from her face as the sunlight exposed her slightly pale skin and permanent blushing cheeks.
A pang of guild then suddenly rose within him as he took in her paleness. It was from the baby. For the last month or so, she has become very sick; constantly loosing what little food she ate and he constantly blamed himself for it. At first, Harry thought she has caught the flu, but when it lasted longer than a few days, he began to worry. Hermione consoled him, telling him that it was nothing but morning sickness, a common side-effect to pregnancy, but Harry wouldn't listen this wasn't just "morning" sickness… this lasted all DAY! Morning, noon and night she was sick, not to mention neither the fatigue nor the pains. Finally, Harry convinced her that her best move would be to see a mediwitch.
Once they went to see the Madame Pomfrey, who knew of the situation, Harry was assured that all was well with his wife. She was suffering nothing more than what was expected, and that the pregnancy was going smooth. Though still, it bothered Harry to no end that she was constantly sick. But what made it worse was that no one else but Madame Pomfrey and Serenity (who had been awake around the time Hermione had found out) knew.
The news came as a huge shock to Serenity at first when she learned of the news. She had actually been awake the morning after Hermione learned of her condition, and Serenity found out when Madame Pomfrey began feeding her special foods. Serenity couldn't believe it at first! A healer… pregnant? It was impossible! Well, obviously, it wasn't; at least not for Hermione. Witches were different, she kept reminding herself; their bodies work differently. She just couldn't wait to see everybody's reactions!
Although, for some reason, Hermione had developed an innate sense of embarrassment when ever the subject of telling the family came up. Harry wasn't exactly sure why but he had a small inkling that perhaps her embarrassment stemmed not from her pregnancy itself, but in fact, from the fact that she had gotten pregnant in the first place. It seemed silly, but Harry suspected that, to Hermione, it was more of a confession of their intimacy than just mere nervousness.
At this Harry chuckled. He already knew that the Kingdom, let alone their parents, had inkling towards their private lives. But that was ok. If Hermione needed more time, than he would give it to her. He only hoped she would tell them soon… there wasn't much time.
Harry then smiled when he noticed Hermione beginning to awaken. She gently shifted her weight so that her body pressed against Harry's and sighed as she stretched. After she did this, Harry bent down and placed a gently kiss atop her forehead as she slowly began to open her eyes; her lashes fluttered softly against her skin.
"Morning," Harry greeted her once she opened her eyes. She only smiled for a moment as she stretched out her limbs once more.
"Mmm… Morning." Came her reply. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked. Harry said nothing at first as he sighed; pushing a few more fly-away strands from her face.
"Couldn't sleep." He said soon after. Hermione smiled softly as she lay there in their bed, comfortable and relaxed. Suddenly, just after being awake for a mere few minutes, Hermione groaned as she clutched at her stomach. She grimaced as she tried to quell the upset feeling in her stomach. Then quickly, she flung the blankets that covered her body to the side and dashed to the bathroom. Harry let out a groan as well as he too left their bed. When he entered the bathroom, he found her doubled over, the contents of her dinner leaving her body.
Harry then bent down and scooped up her long hair from around her face and held it for her in one hand as the other rubbed gently against her lower back. He could feel the muscles of her back beneath his fingers as they contracted as she coughed.
Finally, Harry began to feel her body relax as she sat back gently upon her knees. Her face was white and tears leaked from her eyes as she sniffed. She hated morning sickness. It was always the same.
Harry helped her weakly stand to her feet as he walked her to the sink. There she rinsed out her mouth and cleaned her face before turning around to Harry. She immediately pressed her face to his chest as her hands held his waist, before groaning. She felt awful. Harry chuckled and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her hair.
"Feel any better?" he asked. Hermione gently slapped his left his as she shook her head. Her throat was throbbing and her head hurt, but she did have to admit that having him there was comforting, making her feel a lot better.
"If by "better" you mean "Terrible"?" she said, sarcasm ribboning her voice, "then yes, I feel much better." Harry let out a laugh and hugged her close before leading her into the bedroom.
"C'mon Mione," he said gently, "lets see if we can find Ron. If not, we'll wake him up!" Harry added with a mischievous grin.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Harry loved teasing his best mate, especially now, due to the circumstances as of late. Ron was just so perfect of a target; he just sets himself up for anything!! Especially since "she" came into the picture!
The thought made Hermione laugh again as she pictured all of the times he and Harry had caught Ron and his blonde "companion" in a tryst. No matter how hard Ron tried to cover it up, it was clear. He was hooked. He loved her… he loved Luna Lovegood.
For the last month, it had become plain and clear that the two held a bond stronger than anyone would have imagined. It seemed Ron himself was a bit taken aback at the course his own feelings decided to take for her. Luna seemed the last person on Earth Ron would get romantically involved with, but there was something about her, and her quirks, that made her… special. She brought out a Ron that neither Harry nor anyone else had really seen before.
It was kind of refreshing, yet ridiculous at the same time. He was always smiling, and always happy, but whenever Luna would enter the room, his expression would change to one of blissful delight. Even the twins couldn't break him out of his reveries, and their evil pranks did nothing to change his happy mood. Knowing Ron, and his eccentricities, none of this came as a surprise to Harry or her, for it was almost … expected, but the facial features he would make just sent Hermione over the edge. He was so funny.
Well he was funny, until it came to Ginny. Ever since Ginny began her "friendship" with Draco, Ron's temper had taken a turn for the worse. At his point, not even Luna had control over him. He was a totally different, sometimes wild, person. He, along with the twins, had already managed to get into 2 fights with the man, each resulting in a bruised Ron, a still stoic yet peeved Draco, a bewildered Luna, an amused Harry, annoyed twins and a fuming Ginny.
Ginny, on the other hand, didn't care what her brothers thought of the matter, nor did she pay any attention to the remarks made by many people of her association with the Slytherin. She found something different within him, she claimed. Someone, who yearned for attention and care behind the shell only sadness and loneliness could have produced. She knew the life he lived was horrible, but it only made her want to get to know him more. She was drawn to him in a way she had never been drawn to any other before.
Throughout Draco's entire 19 years, he had built a sort of shell around him, one he was sure no one could ever break, where he could retreat to, yet Ginny broke through. She had entered a domain impossible for anyone else. She had found her way inside of him, to where his true self dwelled, and that amazed him. He had tried to bush everyone away from him, but she only pushed back, with a stronger force, until she made her way before him, face-to-face. She looked him straight in the eye, with absolute confidence and care, and saw the true Draco. This was something Draco had realized no one else had ever done with him before, not even his own mother, and it astonished him.
Both Harry and Hermione could see the start of a complex relationship forming between the two as the month passed by, but they also saw the strain on which their friendship had pulled on the Weasley family. They were taking it pretty hard. Ron and the twins weren't the only ones affected by this, but so were the rest of them. Mr. Weasley already tried talking Ginny out of further seeing Draco, while Mrs. Weasley tried desperately, and hysterically, to understand the situation. Charlie remained confused, but still kept his distance from the Slytherin, while Ron and the twins found every means of provocation they could find. Bill, it seemed, was the only level-headed one of the lot. He took to Ginny's relationship quite well. Although Ginny could tell that he wasn't too thrilled with the idea, he still gave her the respect of trusting her. Bill knew Ginny too well to know that she wouldn't make such rash decisions, not without fully understanding the situation. She was too much like him. He understood that she saw something within Draco that nobody else could see, and that was her gift. Perhaps she is the one fated to help in revealing the "real" Slytherin Prince.
As Harry and Hermione both changed into their daily clothing, Harry could feel the stiffness in his muscles as they ached. The soft pounding against his skull refused to stop as his headache continued on. He felt completely out of it. He knew Hermione could sense his discomfort as well, and he knew she was beginning to worry, but he was positive that today he was going to make an effort to relieve her of some of her worry. With his ailments, familial problems of the Castle, political tribulations and emotional stresses, Harry knew that all of this was taking a toll on her health. He had to help her - he needed to help her - relieve some of this stress.
Suddenly, a loud voice brought Harry back to reality as it sounded just outside his bedroom. He turned to Hermione, who looked puzzled, and then to the door before moving to open it and see what was going on. When he did, he laughed as he watched two rather tall red-heads run comically passed his door, followed very closely by a flaming Ginny. Harry had never seen her so livid before in his life, that it almost frightened him too!
He cringed as he heard Ginny yell a string of choice words as the three disappeared around the corner. A wide-eyed Hermione then stepped up beside Harry as she too looked down the corridor; Ginny's enraged voice still audible from their room.
"What was all that about?" she asked, her voice full of laughter.
"Trust me, you don't want to know!" came a reply. Both royals turned their heads to their right to find a laughing Serenity and a very amused Li make their way up to their bedroom. Harry laughed as he stepped out of the room with his wife.
"No, seriously," Harry started, "what happened?" Suddenly, the image of the enraged Ginny flashed in his mind and a wave of tremors shot up his spine. She was scary at times!
Serenity then laughed as she recalled what had started this whole mess. Li only shook his head as he leaned up against the wall opposite the three.
"Well," Serenity started. "It all started with a well-intentioned, evil little prank concocted by the "twin twits" this morning. Apparently, as you already know, the twins haven't exactly warmed up to the bloke, nor have they accepted the fact that their little sister has taken quite a strong liking to Prince Draco yet, so…" she drawled, "they decided amongst themselves that pranking him, yet again, was the best way path to getting even for "brain-washing" their little sister. Well, this time… they succeeded," Serenity said with an adorable smile, "and beautifully."
"They did?" Hermione asked, shocked that they had actually succeeded in pranking the Prince. He had been placed under heavy security by the King in order to keep him safe. Even if it meant keeping him safe from certain members of the Castle families. All the while, Harry laughed beside her as she tried to imagine what they had done this time. "How?"
"Well," Serenity started again, "you know that new line of "Delectable Edibles" the twins have been stalking about all month?" Both Harry and Hermione nodded as she continued. "Well, to make a long story short, the twins managed to smuggle a small piece of "tester treats" as they call them, onto Draco's morning breakfast tray this morning, and lets just say they work flawlessly." She said before turning to Li. "What were they called again?"
Li smirked as he raised his head to answer.
"Animalts."
"That's right!" Serenity exclaimed. "Animalts!"
Immediately, Harry let out a loud laugh as Hermione gasped.
"What happened after he ate it?" she asked, half horrified to hear the answer. Her question caused Serenity to laugh while a look of pity washed over her.
"Well," she started, almost sorry to have to answer. It really was a bad prank. "… It began to turn him into a little white ferret." She added quickly.
Had it not been for Harry's aching body, his friends would have found him double over on the floor, roaring with laugher. It was just too good! Hermione shot him a look after he let out another string of loud laughs, but couldn't hide the smile that rebelliously pulled at the corners of her lips.
"What a horrible prank." she exclaimed, despite the hilarious image that currently played in her mind. Just the image of a skinny, angry white ferret made her lose what little composure she tried to keep. "I assume they will be punished for this!"
Suddenly, Harry stopped laughing as he looked at his wife, as would a child who just had his favorite toy taken away.
"Mione," he whined, "what are you saying?" he exclaimed as if it were a blasphemous comment. "It was just a little prank!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and was about to comment when anther thought struck her.
"Serenity, how did he change back?"
"Ahh, well lucky for him, just after he had taken a bite of the "candy", I believe Remus walked in, followed by Dumbledore." She said with a smile. "He hadn't fully transformed, I guess, and by that time looked like a tall skinny white gorilla."
Again, Serenity had to stop as Harry's roar of laugher cut her off. He quickly shut up though as Hermione's evil glare burned a hole straight through him. Serenity watched as he hung his head in shame, muttering a faint "Sorry", all the while pouting like a child, awaiting the rest of the story.
"Go on, Serenity," Hermione said in a stern maternal tone. Li quirked an eyebrow, amused, as Serenity shook her head.
"Anyway, Remus and the Professor quickly set him straight as a Livid Ginny began chasing the hysterical duo. Draco would have gone after them himself had Dumbledore not pulled him aside." Serenity said. "Ginny's been chasing those two for about 20 minutes now, and you don't want to see the hex damage she's done to the lower eastern corridors! She's deadly!"
Hermione shook her head, a small trace of a smile still on her lips, as Serenity concluded the story.
"What is wrong with those two?" she asked. Li watched her for a moment then turned to Harry, who in turn turned to Hermione.
"It was just a little prank." He said again before turning his attention to adjusting his sleeves. "Just some pointless fun. Don't get all upset, Mione."
Hermione then turned on him, surprised and a bit agitated.
"Upset?" she exclaimed. "I'm not upset! And besides, that "pointless fun" was completely unnecessary, Harry. Sure it was a bit amusing, but still unnecessary!"
"Yes, but-"
"No buts, Harry. That was wrong!"
"But it was just a Prank!" he said incredulously. "A joke!"
"At Draco's expense!" retorted Hermione. "And what if that prank had been pulled on our child?" Her cheeks were flushed and her shoulders squared as she sent a pointed look at her husband. Harry stopped for a moment and Li's head shot up as he slowly took in what she had said. ` What?'
"But Hermione, that's different… I would have kicked their as-"
"No, it isn't different Harry." Hermione interjected softly. "That could have gotten very dangerous had Dumbledore and Remus not step in. Don't you understand?" Harry watched her for a moment and smiled.
"Yes I understand, but you have to remember - that is just how the twins are. I've been pranked countless times by those twits and I'm fine." He said to her gently. "It's nothing a spell, and a gallon full of putrid potion, can't cure, trust me."
Hermione smiled and nodded, meaning to reply, when suddenly a loud screech was heard, accompanied by a loud scream.
"Ahhhhhh… Hey, hey, hey, hey, HEY!" cried Ron as he skidded around the corridor corner on one foot. A brilliant jet of green light shot just behind him as Ron took off down the hall, towards Harry and the others, clad only in his pajama bottoms and a thin sleeping tunic. "Harry, help!"
Ron continued to cry for help as he sprinted down the hall, just as a purple jet whizzed past his right ear. Suddenly Harry and the others watched as the attacker rounded the corner, his almost silver hair glowed, catching the rays that poured in through the large cathedral-like windows on the one side of the hall. The young Slytherin came sprinting behind Ron at an amazing speed as he continued to shoot spells in Ron's directions.
"What the bloody Hell is wrong with this maniac?" Ron cried. "Has he gone mad?" He covered his head with his hands as he zigzagged along the corridor for safety.
"Hold still, Weasel, so I can get a good shot at you!" exclaimed an irate Draco.
Harry couldn't help but loose it as he was lost in a wave of violent laughs. He could feel the ache in his back muscles, his stomach muscles, his chest, sides and legs. He could barely breathe as Ron ran passed him.
"He's bloody MAD if he thinks I'm going to stand still so that he can sh…. Ahh BLOODY HELL…!!!!" he exclaimed as Draco shot a perfect shot at Ron's bum. Ron howled as tremors shot through his body, and Harry died laughing as Ron's hands flew to his behind. He only ran faster as he was lucky Draco only with a jolt.
Moments later, Draco, too, ran past a roaring Harry as they continued down the corridor, turning right just as Ginny and the twins had done previously. Hermione, who was now caught between laugher and worry, went over to Harry who was now leaning against their bedroom door, clutching at his aching sides as he tried to take control of his laugher. Mione also stated laughing as she calmed her husband down.
They weren't the only ones laughing, as Serenity and Li also found Ron thoroughly amusing!
"Poor Ron!" Serenity exclaimed as she finally composed herself. "He didn't even have anything to do with it!"
Li, who had already gained his composure (the extent of his laughter being a series of stoic chuckles), shook his head as he reached for Serenity. He pressed her back against his chest as she sighed, the sensation of laugher still tickling her chest.
Finally, Harry also regained his composure as he took in deep breaths; his body still aching from all the tension still. Still he felt good, despite the fact that his best mate was being chased by a crazed Slytherin killer.
"C'mon guys," he said as he took hold of Mione's hand, "let's go save the man." Serenity laughed and nodded as the four of them took off down the corridor they had gone down last.
xxx
Around mid-morning, just about 10 o'clock, a laughing Harry entered the Dining hall, flanked by his wife and his irritated best mate Ron. Serenity and Li lagged behind a bit and laughed as Ron struggled to walk. Due to Draco's impeccable aim, Ron's arse had been left painfully bruised, along with his thighs, arms and right shoulder. Every time he tried taking a step forward, he would cringe as he had to take wide baby steps, making him waddle in the funniest way Serenity had ever seen. In addition to this, Ron's whines and yelps didn't help much to quell her laughter. Because of this, she found it most safe to stay far from arms length, and sight, from he friend.
As the group entered the hall, Serenity and Li stopped as they made to excuse themselves.
"We're going to go train a bit." Serenity told them as they turned to leave. The others nodded and Serenity watched as they made their way to the long, food-filled table. She let out one last laugh as Ron struggled to sit down, while shooting death daggers at Draco's usual seat. It was a good thing that Remus kept Draco and Ginny back for a bit, or there would have been another messy brawl right in the center of the dining hall.
With that thought, Serenity turned towards Li as hey wound through the different corridors on their way to the training hall.
Li, Serenity noted, was incredibly happy this morning, but she could see the clouds of confusion and/or wonder within his eyes.
"What is it, Li?" she asked as she kept her sight set on the hall before her. Li turned to her and smirked.
"Your skills of observation are impressive, milady." Serenity nudged him and smiled before nudging him again, forcing his arm to move, which allowed her slip beside him. Her arm wrapped around his waist and her head rested against his chest contentedly as she nestled beside him.
This caught Li off guard for a moment, but he soon relaxed as he tightened his grip around her. A soft smile appeared on his face as Serenity held him. Why couldn't things have been different?
He then looked back down and Serenity with curious eyes as they neared the corridor that lead to the hall.
"Serenity," he started. She didn't look up but only replied with a gentle "Hmm?" as they continued down the corridor. "How is Hermione?"
Serenity then looked up at Li, surprise in her eyes, and he knew instantly that his assumptions were correct.
"She is well, why do you ask? She replied. She then quickly looked back down, feigning ignorance, but they both knew - Li saw right through her. He smiled.
They continued down the corridors, silence swirling gently around them, but Li remained as cool as ever.
"Serenity," he finally said, breaking through the thick silence, "I know." Serenity immediately stared up at him, in shock and awe. How did he always do that? He always knew!
"I-" she began. "I had a feeling." She ended her sentence with a small smile. He then looked down at her before turning his gaze back up to the end of the hall where the two large double doors to the training hall stood.
"You were surprised." Li stated. Serenity stopped for a moment, then nodded. Again, he was correct.
"Of course I was. I thought it to be impossible." Serenity told him. He didn't say anything for a moment as he stopped before the towering mahogany doors, but Serenity didn't really notice, for she was lost within her own world, in her own memories. Then it was Li's voice that reeled her back, as it was filled with a sort of emotion Serenity couldn't quite pinpoint.
"And were you sad?" he asked. Serenity's eyes shot up as she stared into Li's back. She knew he already knew the answer; this was just his way of helping her manage. He stood before her, tall and intimidating, his back to her, but she could still see the melancholy look he was most likely wearing through the actions of his body.
"Yes, I was." She admitted honestly, no matter how guilty she felt to admit it. It had pained her abit to learn of Hermione's expectancy, and this surprised Serenity very much. She felt no ill feelings for them, and wished them the very best, but it hurt her because in Harry and Hermione, Serenity saw the dream of a future that could never exist for herself and Li. Here was a couple who wanted nothing to do with the other initially, but were forced together by fate's unusual plan, while she herself had tried desperately to be with the only man she could ever love, and was repeatedly heartbroken every time she was denied her happiness.
Despite this sadness, though, Serenity felt an overwhelming sense of excitement at the thought that Hermione was with child, and despite her own personal problems, the mere thought of a child in the future for the two royals was enough to make her smile forever. She was happy for them, and only hoped that her own future could the somehow hold the same happy ending as them.
She could tell that Li felt similarly to what she herself had felt, and a wave of sadness and longing washed over her. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned sadly into his back. Li sighed and touched a single hand to her own as he looked past the doors before him, lost in thought.
"I love you, Serenity." Li said suddenly, finding himself whispering to the princess behind him. He half expected her to act shocked at his comment, but she only tightened her grip around him as she buried her face into his back.
"I love you too."
xxx
Hermione sat quietly along the Dining table, a small smile ever present on her face as she silently admired her husband's different features as he spoke animatedly with his best mate. She wondered who their child would end up looking like, and what he or she might inherit, as she took in her husbands different features for the hundredth time.
She began to wonder who the baby might look more like, along with all the different possibilities, as she sat there. She watched Harry closely, and took in his prominent square jaw, as well as his strong build. His hair was ever messy, much like it always was, but the features that caught her the most; the features that caught her attention from the very beginning, were his eyes. She prayed secretly that if their child were to receive anything from its father, let it be his eyes. Such a vivid green; she had never seen such beautiful eyes before in her life.
Suddenly she realized as his eyes turned upon her, a questionable look in his eyes.
"What is it, Mione?" he asked gently as Ron wobbled over to where Charlie was seated. Hermione only smiled as she shook her head.
"Nothing, I was just thinking." Harry let out a small chuckle as he took a bite of his eggs and toast. She smiled back at him before looking up and across the table to where Queen Lily, her mother and Tonks all stood, beside the large floor to ceiling windows. The darker clouds could be seen in the distance, but the sun was still shining beautifully.
She then noticed that Queen Lily had diverted her attention over to Hermione. Hermione sensed that the Queen wanted to speak to her, and excused herself as she rounded the large table and made her way down the hall.
Queen Lily stood gracefully beside one of the large windows with Tonks and Queen Charlotte as they were deeply engrossed in their own conve rsation. Tonks seemed to be blushing furiously at a comment Lily had just made, and Hermione watched as her eyes darted quickly over to where Remus stood at the opposite end of the hall, speaking to King James on the behavior of the two twin Weasleys along with Mr. Weasley. Remus had also turned his eyes upon her, and the two shared a small smile before turning away, tuning back into the conversations they had just recently tuned out of.
As Hermione finally made it up to her mother and in-law, she began to feel a bit nervous as she noticed Queen Lily staring her down curiously and concernedly. Hermione tried to act as normal as possible,
Hermione turned to where her mother and Queen Lily were chatting with Tonks, but not before catching the attention of her mother.
"Hermione, dear, are you feeling alright?" Queen Charlotte asked concernedly. Hermione smiled and shook her head, unsure of how to answer.
"Yes, I'm alright." Lily didn't seem satisfied as she touched her daughter-in-law's cheek with a tender hand.
"Are you sure? You look awfully pale." Hermione insisted. She was fine, but the women continued to fuss over her as she threw Tonks a desperate look. Tonks, who seemed to be happily out of the Queens' attentions, only smiled before she began to agree with the women.
"Really," Hermione said with a hint of a laugh, "I am perfectly fine," her eyes, however, darted away quickly for a moment before looking back up at the women. They continued to fuss over her, before Harry bravely stepped in to rescue his wife.
"Good morning," he said brightly, wrapping his arm around her waist. "What are you all arguing about?"
"We aren't arguing dear," Charlotte started. "We were just concerned, that's all."
"Concerned? What about?" he looked down at Hermione for a moment, before back at his mother and in-law.
"She just… doesn't look herself today." Lily said with a hinting smile. Harry smiled and hugged Hermione close.
"I'm sure she is fine," he said. Lily was about to reply once again, but commotion at the hall entrance attracted their attentions. It was Mrs. Weasley and Fleur assisting a healed Bill to breakfast. The ever nurturing Mrs. Weasley continued to fuss over him as Fleur hugged him close. His bandages had been removed, and Harry was able to get a good look at the damage that had been done to his body not too long ago. His face, although still quite handsome, now sported a large scarry mess along his right cheek, and a long gash seemed to cut through his eye, as the scar started from his forehead, and ended just along his cheekbone. Although, despite the horrific incident, the damage was not as bad as Harry, or the others, had imagined.
His smile was still as bright as ever, and he seemed to have a greater sense of pride about him. Fleur herself never looked happier, and Harry was thankful that this hadn't done anything to their relationship, but to strengthen it.
Immediately, Harry crossed the hall to greet his friend. Hermione also took this opportunity to escape the two mothers as she followed her husband.
As Bill, Fleur and his mother approached the large dining table, Harry appeared before them, a large smile plastered on his face.
"Bill! Finally out of the hospital wing, I see!" Harry said to him before clasping him in a brotherly hug. Bill smiled. "Glad to see you're healed."
"Hullo, Harry." Bill then looked beyond Harry to the other Royals of the room and nodded. "You're Majesties."
Mr. Weasley and Charlie walked up beside Bill as they watched them enter the hall in great spirits. Arthur was grinning widely as Charlie tried to get his mother to relinquish her outstandingly firm grip upon Bill's arm.
James only laughed as he made his way to where Bill stood.
"Good to have you back, son." James said in a fatherly tone. Bill smiled as he was finally led over to his seat along the table where Mrs. Weasley refused to leave his side and Fleur continued to dote after him constantly.
Harry then went back to his regular seat after pulling a chair out for his wife and making sure she was situated and comfortable. Lily kept a close eye upon the couple, and found it endearing, but odd, that Harry would fuss so much over his wife. She said nothing to the couple, for perhaps he was just paying a little extra attention to her after the happenings of the war, yet still it was a bit strange. There was something Harry and his Princess were not telling them.
Breakfast after that was uneventful for the following twenty minutes or so as the families of the Castle sat and slowly ate at their food as they conversed with each other. Sirius, it seemed, had dominated the conversation, as he usually does, and made wild gestures as he carried on about different things. King James and Remus shortly excused themselves afterwards as they headed to where the twins were currently awaiting their arrival with Professor Dumbledore. Punishments were still in order.
xxx
Shortly after breakfast was over, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Luna, who had entered the dining hall just recently, decided to take a short walk to the gardens before the Royal Conference was to begin at noon. Again, the Kings of the other two Kingdoms of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and their government heads were scheduled to conference with Gryffindor in just a little over an hour.
King Amos and Prince Cedric had just arrived in Gryffindor just the night before, for the conference, and decided to spend another week in Gryffindor before returning to their Kingdom, as well as the Grangers. Throughout this week, daily conferences were scheduled to discuss different aspects of the post-war reconstruction. Slytherin was in desperate need of a ruler, one who would lead them on a straight path, and a cooperative line with the other Kingdoms. This was proving difficult at the moment, but Harry was positive they would find someone worthy of the job, for it had only been one month since the defeat of Voldemort.
At the thought of it, Harry let out a sigh of disbelief at the idea that Voldemort no longer existed, nor did his threat, and a liquid warmth filled his stomach as he imagined the potential of the future.
Again, at that thought, Harry looked down at his wife, who was walking beside him as she spoke to Luna amusedly. He felt like he wanted to laugh at the moment, but couldn't quite understand it. He felt happy; free. He couldn't explain it, but the thought of a safe future for him and his family, his whole family, made him somewhat ecstatic. He wanted to just grab Hermione by the waist and twirl her around, or fly even, and something told him that he would have had he not been interrupted by Ron just moments later.
Curious, and slightly deflated by the interruption, Harry turned to Ron with a brow raised.
"What is it, Mate?"
"Harry, have you seen Ginny anywhere?" asked a narrow-eyed Ron. Harry could tell he looked peeved as hell, and it took all of his energy to hold back a laugh. He had noticed that neither Ginny nor Draco had attended breakfast this morning, and wondered what was keeping the two. He figured they were being reprimanded for their actions, along with the twins, as well as Ron. He watched as Ron's eyes scanned every hall they walked down, and Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud as Ron began checking behind the different tapestries and passageways.
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled his best mate out from behind one of the large statues of Godric Gryffindor and his lion Aiden. "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for my little sister!" he said exasperatedly, "I know she is with that Slytherin somewhere! And she has the guts… the NERVE to be with him after he did this," he exclaimed as he pointed to his damaged rum, "to ME! I'm gonna kill him!""
Harry heard the chuckles from the two women beside him and shook his head.
"Ron, I'm sure she is fine," Hermione told him. "She isn't as young as you think she is. Give her some space!" Ron looked at her like she had grown a third eye and suddenly began shouting at the top of his lungs, ranting on about how horrible the situation was.
"Give her some space? Give her some space? What … have you gone mad? Ginny is out there with a Slytherin! The scum of scum! The lowest of low! Who knows what they might be doing right now, or what he might be doing to her right now! I have got to find her Harry! She has no idea what she is doing! She is attracted to the wrong type of men… she has to learn! She has always been attracted to these types of men… bad-asses and such…" continued Ron as he ranted some more. All the while Harry laughed, finding it all quite amusing, as well as Hermione and Luna.
Hermione couldn't help herself as she followed the two men with Luna, as they watched from behind as Ron's ears filled with a color to rival blood. It was known that whenever Ron was to get sick, embarrassed, or furious, his ears would become a terrible reddish color. Hermione had actually heard Harry talk about it, but had never actually witnessed it to be this bad! And to Hermione, this was quite entertaining.
As she walked beside Luna, she was surprised to feel a sort of contentment wash over her, something she hadn't ever felt while around her. To Hermione it was strange, but welcome just the same. Luna had somehow changed recently, and she carried herself much differently now. She had an aura about her that seemed a bit more... reserved, although her ditsy-ness at times did make up for it. But right now, Hermione was happy to feel so at ease with the Ravenclaw courtier. She seemed to bring back a little bit of home that Hermione seemed to long for every once in a while.
Luna, who had been laughing at the two boys, sighed contently and reached for the bottlecap necklace she wore around her neck. She fiddled with the metal tops as she tapped her nail against them, causing the ticking sound to resonate gently off of the high walls and ceilings.
Hermione looked over at her as she did this and raised an eyebrow as she took in the strange necklace.
"Oh, what is that?" she asked politely as she indicated to the necklace. Luna turned her large dreamy eyes over to Hermione and smiled.
"This?" she asked as she moved the necklace around a bit. Hermione nodded, and immediately a large smile graced Luna's features.
"This is my bottlecap necklace," she said as she looked down at the string of metal. "My mother and I made it a long time ago, when I was a little girl." Luna then paused, and the smile on her face slightly dropped as she looked away for a moment. "It was one of the last things she and I made together."
Mortified, Hermione immediately began apologizing, sorry to have brought that subject up. It was no mystery that Mrs. Lovegood had passed away a little over a decade ago, but it was never brought up, in respect for the feelings of the family members. Hermione apologized once more, but Luna brushed it off, as a smile pulled at her lips.
"Its ok, You're Highness, it was a long time ago." Hermione smiled, and nodded, before taking a closer look at the necklace.
"But how… why bottlecaps?" she asked. Luna only laughed softly and turned to Hermione with a glint in her eye.
"Well, back then, my father's scripting company was just beginning to take flight and many many nights he would go to the pub down the path from the manor and investigate different stories down there. He always said that the details always flowed more easily when the men were riled up and belly full." Luna paused for a moment and chuckled softly at the memory before continuing.
"Well my father was never one too keen on drinking, you know this; for he believed that the drink momentarily took away a man's capability to think properly, and there is nothing more valuable than a man's clear mind. So instead, he would drink bottles of butterbeer while working, and always threw the bottlecaps inside his cloak pocket. Once he would come home, I would raid his pockets and pull them all out. At one point I had collected over a hundred caps! Well, anyhow, one night my mother and I were sitting at home, listening to the rain pour outside our window, and I complained that I was extremely bored. It was then and there that my mother decided that we should have a little fun with the bottlecaps, and she had me bring them all down. That night we both made a necklace out of the caps and promised the other to never take them off. She then passed away just a few months afterwards. I haven't taken it off since."
Hermione smiled, although saddened at the story, finding it endearing and sweet. She had never seen this side of Luna before, and really enjoyed the change. She watched as Luna gazed down sadly at the caps as she ran her thumb gently over the face of a cap.
"My father always said that the caps will always bring you good luck, if you believe in them," she said, almost to herself. Hermione wasn't sure what to say exactly, so she only smiled and touched Luna's shoulder with her own.
"I think it's a lovely necklace, Luna," Hermione said after a few minutes. "And the story was just as sweet." Luna smiled back and laughed.
"Thank you." Hermione smiled and turned her attention before her, as she and Luna turned the corner and exited the doors to the outside, as they began walking under the vine-covered archway to the gardens. Lost in her own thoughts, Hermione took in the tender tone of Luna's voice as she spoke of her mother. It was a sad story, and an unfortunate ending, and Hermione couldn't imagine anything like that ever happening to her.
Suddenly, a thought entered her mind that scared her almost more than the thought before; what if she were to loose her child to death, or vice versa? That would be terrifying, and heartbreaking! She almost couldn't stand the idea.
Disturbed by the thought, Hermione shook her head of the idea and exhaled heavily as her hand rested itself protectively atop her middle. Suddenly she felt like she wanted, almost needed, Harry be beside her. He was her protector, and she only felt completely safe when beside him.
Unconscious of her actions, Hermione began to rub her thumb up and down her stomach protectively. And unaware of seeing eyes, Hermione allowed herself to relax as she and Luna began to catch up with the two men ahead of them.
Luna only smiled to herself as she turned to Hermione casually.
"So, You're Highness," she started out sweetly, "when are you due?" Immediately, Hermione dropped her hand and turned to Luna, her eyes wide.
"I.. I.. I don't know what you're talking about, Luna," she stumbled. Hermione could swear that sweat was beginning to bead along her brow. She was never very good at lying much, and was sure she wasn't doing a convincing job.
"But, Princess, I believe you do." Hermione then narrowed her eyes slightly, before checking around her for listening ears.
"How... how did you know?" she asked in a whisper. Luna only smiled.
"Why, its obvious Princess! Your face is flushed, you've been sick, you constantly rub your stomach, and you hardly touched your breakfast all morning." Hermione was amazed, and yet had no idea she was so obvious, nor that Luna was watching her.
"Wait, how did you know I've been sick?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, I overheard Harry telling your mothers that you were just feeling a bit sick this morning." Luna told her. Hermione raised her eyebrows at this, but said nothing on the subject and only nodded before turning to Luna quickly.
"But please Luna, don't tell anyone. Harry and I are waiting for the right moment to tell everyone." Luna nodded softly, a kind smile on her face.
"Of course. But may I ask you, why are you waiting so long to tell them?" Hermione stopped for a moment and took in what she had said for a few minutes.
"I guess," she started, "I guess I'm just waiting until it feels right." Luna laughed at her and nodded.
"Well you better hurry up, you don't have much time." Luna said with a laugh. Hermione laughed also before catching up to her husband and his best friend.
"Yea, I know…" Hermione trailed on. As she reached Harry, she watched as he turned around, a large smile on his face.
"You know what, Mione?" Harry asked her as she finally caught up with them. Hermione shook her head as she strained her neck to find Ron, who had suddenly disappeared.
"Nothing," she told him. Suddenly a clanking met her ears and she and Luna turned to the noise. Hermione immediately knew what it was, but Luna remained perplexed for a moment.
"What is that?" she asked. Harry turned to her and a questionable look.
"What is what?" he asked her as he looked around. Luna then pointed to the direction of the noise to the large building to her right.
"What is that noise?" As Harry turned his attention to where she was pointing, he smiled as he finally heard what she was talking about.
"Oh that," he said as he turned to the large building she was pointing to in the distance. The building happened to be the Training Hall that connected to the Castle. "That is only Li and Serenity. They do this every morning usually."
"What are they doing?"
"They're sparring." Harry replied. "It's their preferred form of training. Also, it's a way for them to be alone without anybody interfering."
"Oh," Luna replied as she continued to stare at the Training Hall. From their distance, not much could be heard but the singing of the metal as it swung through the air and the chorus as the blades met one another in fluid motion. It wasn't until Ron's loud voice rang through the gardens, did the three divert their attentions from the training hall. They followed the voice until the made it to the gazebo no too far away.
"Aha!" cried Ron, who stood a few yards away from Harry and the girls, as he rounded the large stone waterfall structure. "I knew it! Hey you, get away from my sister!"
Harry and the girls immediately caught up to Ron just in time to see a red faced Ginny and a boiling Ron prepare to have it out in the gardens. Draco stood just a few paces behind Ginny as he stood from his leaning position against the rock face of the waterfall. He had a genuine look of annoyance mixed with vengeance from earlier along his features as he examined Ron before him.
"What are you doing here Ginny?" bellowed an angry Ron. "Do you have any idea what Mum would do if she caught you out here with… him?" He angrily pointed toward Draco, before sneering at him disgustingly.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" snapped Ginny. Her eyes burned with an intensity Harry had never seen before; and intensity he hadn't really known existed within her before.
"You know perfectly well what it means, Ginevra!" Ron yelled. "He's a Slytherin! All he cares about is getting-"
"That's not true! He's not like that! You don't even know him, Ron, and don't go using my full name!" Ginny bellowed back. "He cares about me!" Her hands were shaking by this point, and Hermione was feeling quite uneasy about the entire conversation.
"He cares about you?" Ron mimicked incredulously before he let out a dry laugh. "I'm sure he does…"
"That's right, I do." Draco's voice suddenly chimed. Hermione jumped a bit at the sound of his voice, for it was unexpected, but also, she was quite surprised that he came to Ginny's defense.
For a moment, Ron stood dumbfounded before finding his voice, but Ginny beat him to it.
"You're a prat." Ginny told him. "Move."
And with that, Ginny shoved Ron out of her way. Draco also made to leave, but Ron shoved him back.
"Not so fast," he told the Slytherin. Ron growled as he glared Draco down. "Stay away from my sister."
Draco smirked, but his eyes held the same intense hatred. He took a step forward; as he returned the same direct stare.
"It's going to take more than that to keep me away from her." Draco replied. "Believe what you want, but I'm not going to stop seeing her." With that, Draco pushed passed Ron as he followed after Ginny. But before he was able to get far, Harry grasped his arm, stopping him once more.
"Hey," he started in a subtle whisper. "Watch yourself. If I hear you hurt her in any way, I swear you'll regret the day you set foot in this kingdom."
Draco looked him straight in the eye before allowing a smirk to pull at his lips, before pulling his arm from Harry's grasp, and walking off.
Hermione watched as he disappeared down one of the paths to the rose gardens before turning to Ron, who hadn't moved once from his spot. Hermione couldn't keep the smile from forming on her lips as she took in Ron's pathetic stance. She could tell he was fuming, for his ears were blazing red, and his face matched the shade of his dark red hair perfectly.
"Ron," she then heard Harry say. "Ron, come on." Hermione watched as Ron refused to budge. Caught between anger and embarrassment, he didn't know what to do. But before Harry could do or say anything more, two young stable hands came bounding up to the Royals out of breath and covered in hay. Harry raised his eyebrows at the boys as they bowed respectfully, not being able to take his eyes off of the hay sticking out of their hair.
"You're Highness," the one said to Harry before he turned to Hermione, "Milady."
"Yes?" asked Harry.
"The King requests your presence in the Conference Hall immediately, Sir. He says that the delegates are to be arriving soon, and he hasn't been able to find you anywhere." said the boy.
"And he sent you two all this way to find me?" asked Harry with chuckle. The two boys laughed as the other shook his head.
"Why no, Sir, but you see… Sir Neville has arrived, and… well," stuttered the second boy, on the verge of laughter, "I believe he made some sort of a rumble down in the Hall of Armor and all the servants available are trying to rectify the chaos." Harry raised his eyebrow and smiled as he turned to the other boy.
"We believe it was his… toad, Sir, that done it," the boy said, before he lost the battle with himself, and chuckled as Harry dismissed them, chuckling himself. Hermione giggled a little as she reached for Harry's hand.
"So, Neville's toad knocked down all of the armor in the Hall of Armor, I see." Hermione said to Harry. "How do you suppose he did that?"
"I have no idea!" he told her. "But it's Neville were talking about here, he doesn't
require logical reasons behind his actions."
Hermione laughed as Harry before turning to where Ron still stood. She shook her head and looked up at Harry for a moment. Harry sighed and turned to his best mate. He continued to call out to him and persuade him to move, but Ron refused to budge. Finally, Harry was about to move him himself, when Luna stopped him.
"Hey, I'll handle this. You just go to your father."
Harry smiled and thanked her before heading towards the Castle with Hermione.
xxx
Remus shook his head as he left one of the common rooms in Gryffindor Castle. With him, King James also left, with Dumbledore just behind as he closed the doors with a gentle flick of his wand. Remus couldn't help hide the smile that dominated his face, and James wasn't helping, seeing that he was outright laughing!
"So," James started, "these things turned him into a what?" he asked while examining the small caramel-like candy in his hand. He knew he answer, but just for effect, wanted to hear it again.
"A ferret, James." Remus answered. Again, a roar of laughter came from the King, and Remus found himself joining in, chuckling softly while Dumbledore only smiled, his eyes ever twinkling.
"How do those two come UP with this stuff?" Its genius!" cried James. Remus couldn't help but laugh at his friend. Despite the fact that it was pulled on a very protected Royal member, it was still a great prank, and James was one to always credit a good prank. "I never would have thought of this!"
"Apparently, that candy will turn you into whatever it sees fit." Remus stated. He then looked over at James, a glint in his eye. "Why don't you give it a try, mate? Perhaps you'll turn into … what is your animagus again? A Donkey?"
James shot him a glaring look, but laughed as he socked Remus in the shoulder. "Watch it, Mooney. And for the record, I'm a Stag!"
The two laughed just as Sirius rounded the corner, a stack of scrolls shoved beneath his arm.
"Oi, Padfoot!" James called out. "What's all that?" Sirius smiled as exhausted smile and walked up to his two friends and Hogwart's Headmaster.
"They're the Conference Report scrolls." He said. "Also, Amos wishes to speak with you. He is in your office. He also wishes to speak with the Professor as well." Sirius said as he turned his attention to Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded and excused himself and James nodded as he tossed th3e candy at his friend. "What? Is this it?"
James nodded and Sirius laughed as he turned it over in his hand.
"Where are they now?" Sirius asked a he looked up at them. Remus motioned to the common room doors with his head as James told him.
"In there." Sirius laughed again as he waked over to the doors. He didn't go inside, but instead turned to his two friends.
"And what of their `punishment'?" he inquired, a smile present.
"Well, they are supposed to be being punished as we speak, but I doubt it though." Remus replied.
"All I know is that Molly is raiding their room as we speak, canning any and everything that appears out of place." James added. "Pity."
"So where are Draco and Ginny?"
"They were in the second floor common room last time I checked." Remus said. "That was where I found Draco chasing Ron. Poor man."
"But Ron had nothing to do with it!" exclaimed Sirius. At this James laughed.
"Draco didn't know that." James said. "All Draco knew was that he was that the culprit was a red haired Weasley male. That was all that registered, so when he saw Ron, he attacked, assuming he was in on it too." James then added, "I hear Harry had quite the laugh because of it!"
The three men laughed.
"They really despise each other, eh?" Sirius commented as he tossed the small candy back to James. James caught it with the ease of an athlete and admired it.
"It's a shame those two weren't around while we were in school!" he exclaimed. "They would have been pretty helpful."
Sirius barked out a laugh as he added, "Can you imagine, watching Lucius turning into a ferret? Ahh… if only."
James nodded while Remus only laughed. "A couple of genuine Marauders, eh?" said James. The others nodded as they continued down the halls together. "So, how's Ron's bum?"
xxx
As predicted, the day had turned out to be quite overcast and slightly chilly. Although rain was a definite possibility, Ginny didn't care as she led Draco around the lush gardens surrounding the Gryffindor Castle. All throughout March the gardens blossomed and it was, once again, beautiful.
Ginny loved the gardens, but today Draco found himself following her past the large simulated waterfall, the rose bushes and lilies that she loved so much and spent most of their time around. Instead, she continued to lead him to an area he had never seen before.
`There's something I want to show you.' She had said to him.
Draco conceded and allowed her to drag him wherever it was she wanted to go. As they two of them continued to walk past the gardens, Draco realized that they were heading towards the line of forest that grew just at the edge of the Castle grounds. The weak sunlight barely broke through the forest canopy, and it seemed old and dark, but the look on Ginny's face left Draco with a sense of ease.
He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but he hated forests. Slytherin woodlands were horrendously dangerous and hardly anyone ventured far within them, and usually none came out alive. He wasn't thrilled to be entering a forest, but it was the expression on Ginny's face that pushed him further.
Draco then looked down at the girl beside him that had so quickly taken a liking to him, and watched as her red hair bounced behind her. He remembered this morning, when she had taken off to murder her two brothers, and how she had gotten so worried about him. Something else then washed over him as he continued to watch her, but Draco couldn't explain it. It was an emotion he wasn't accustomed to and he didn't quite know what it was, but every time she walked into a room, or smiled up at him, this feeling would take off. It confused him to no end.
At first he scowled at the feelings, and tried hard to dismiss them, but now he realized that it was impossible. He didn't want to dismiss then, he soon realized, and he didn't want to not be around her. This also scared him. He had never felt this before, and didn't understand it at all.
Suddenly, the shadow of the forest began to fall upon him as Ginny neared the edge. Draco didn't show any sign of reluctance, but peered all around him as they entered. Ginny followed a small, pressed path between the trees, and walked through with excitement as she weaved in and out of tree trunks, and skipped over well known ditches and trips.
As they walked deeper beneath the canopy of the trees, Draco began to feel a bit more comfortable. The forest here was nothing compared to what grew in Slytherin Kingdom. Here the trees allowed large patches of sunlight to flood in, basking the forest floor with a subtle glow, and the undergrowth flourished as it covered the ground completely.
In Slytherin, the ground was bare, packed dirt. It was so unfit for life that not even a single weed could grow down there. The canopy was so thick that no sun was able to break through, so the ground remained lifeless and the forest dark. It was not a place welcoming to life.
The path then began to take a dip, and Draco watched as Ginny began to climb over fallen tree trunks before following her. The flat floor of the forest was beginning to take on a bumpier form, and he could tell that this was only the start of it.
"Come Draco," Ginny then called out to him. "This way." Draco nodded as he followed her, but stopped when she began to balance herself upon a log. Had the log not been about ten feet above ground, he might not have cared as much to see Ginny atop it, but the fact that she was using it as a bridge, ten feet in the air, made Draco slightly nervous.
He didn't show this of course, but he worried for her. The log didn't look as steady as he would have liked it, and he didn't like the fact that Ginny was on top of it. He then tried getting her down, but she refused.
"Draco, I've been coming here since I was five. Its safe." She told him. Draco still felt weary, but pushed that aside as he too began to climb the log. He reached her in minutes and looked down to see a steady little stream flowing beneath them. He heard Ginny laugh as she continued to balance herself upon the log, her hands straight out for balance, and her body tense. She seemed to be loving this.
"Its not too far from here," came her voice. "Just a little further, past those trees there and we'll be there."
"Just where is `there'?" he asked her, still not knowing where they were headed.
"You'll see."
All of a sudden, as Ginny took a step forward, a rock slipped beneath her foot, and she lost her balance as her body began to sway left and right. She could feel herself loosing her balance as she swayed her hands to regain it. She then felt her body beginning to fall to the left, as her torso turned, and she could see the stream beneath her as she felt her upper body beginning to fall forward.
Suddenly, as she felt that her life was over, two strong hands wrapped around her, as one held her stomach, the other her back. Draco. She felt herself being swiftly pulled to Draco's body as he pressed her to him, to keep her steady. He amazingly kept his balance with ease, and held her against him for a few moments until he was sure she had regained her footing.
Ginny could tell that she was blushing madly as he held her. He had never held her before, actually, he had never even touched her before, and here she found herself wrapped tightly within his arms. She could surely get used to this.
Afraid to move, Ginny tried to slowly turn her head so that she could get a better look at him. She then felt as he tightened his grip upon her more as she did this. Finally, she was able to see his face as he looked down upon her with stern eyes.
"Th-thank you, Draco." She said in a breathless whisper. Her heart was pumping a mile a second, and her stomach was flipping. Her body was reacting to his simple touch in the strangest of ways, and she couldn't seem to take control of herself. She felt like a little school girl with a crush. And she was sure she was blushing up to high heaven by now.
"You need to be more careful. It's dangerous up here." Draco told her. She swallowed hard as she nodded, half in embarrassment and half in attraction. His perfect features just looked so much more alluring from this angle.
He then slowly began to loosen his grip around her as the two of them stood perfectly still upon the log. A sense of disappointment shot through Ginny as she felt his arms release her. She let out an inaudible sigh as she took in deep breaths to calm her rapid heart rate before steadily taking her first step. Slowly, she made her way across the log and to the end.
Draco watched as she walked away, slowly assessing each step she took before continuing, and Draco felt disappointed to have had to let her go. She felt so warm, and amazingly, she fit perfectly within his arms. Their contact only began to set off about a hundred new emotions within him. Something was stirring within him and he didn't quite understand it, but all he knew was that he wanted to hold her again. That was all that was registering in his brain at the moment.
He continued closely behind her as she finally reached the end of the log. She leapt off of it gently as she straightened her clothes, her simple skirt a bit dirty from the path taken.
Draco also made it to the end and leapt off as he awaited further directions from Ginny.
Ginny, though, seemed to be caught up in her own thoughts as she replayed the last few moments back in her mind. Again, she felt her lower stomach stir as it flipped and her heart began to pound again as the image of Draco holding her flashed in her mind. She didn't know how long she stood like that, but suddenly she was shaken out of her thoughts as she heard the crunching of sticks and the grunting of Draco as he began ascending the incline before them.
"Hey Draco, wait!" she called.
After finally reaching up to Draco, Ginny resumed as leader, trying her best to get there as quickly as possible as to not loose Draco's attention or his patience. They continued through the forest, but the silence between the two was killing her. Finally, she decided to break the tension.
"I love it here. Although I must admit, this is the most adventurous I've ever gotten." She said with a small laugh. Her laugh then died off a bit as she added, "well, actually, before the war, that is."
She stole a few glances at the prince as they continued to walk, but he continued to say nothing as they kept on walking. She only sighed as she wound off of the path. At last, Ginny could hear the sound of water, and smiled. They were there.
She then turned to Draco, a large smile on her face.
"Just through those trees and we'll be there." She told him. Draco only nodded, as he walked past her, heading towards the trees. He wanted to see what this entire trip was about. He wanted to see what was making her so happy.
"Hey," Ginny yelled, her voice laced with laughter, "wait!" She ran up next to him and continued on until they reached the dense tree growth that obscured their destination from view. Draco could hear the gentle roar of something, and as he reached out to push the leaves aside, Ginny reached out as well, stopping his hand. As she did this, she gently grabbed his hand, unintentionally of course, and Draco's eyes immediately shot to her. Ginny froze for a moment, and all she saw within that few minutes were his eyes. She loved the color of his eyes, but it was the way he was looking at her with them that made her go weak again.
She then quickly pushed his hand away as she stepped up before him.
"Here, I'll do it." She said. Draco didn't say anything as she pulled the thick leaves to the left, like a curtain, and then he saw what was making her so happy.
Before him, Draco watched as a large waterfall cascaded into a clear crystalline pool at the bottom of a rocky cliff. The clear water of the pool flowed a bit, until it spilled over another small drop, before flowing into the stream that Draco had seen earlier. It was a sight.
He took a few steps closer to the fall as he stepped through the thick leaves that surrounded the area. Ginny also stepped through as she walked up to the bank. Draco could see the large smile on Ginny's face and he knew this was perhaps her favorite place to be. He watched her as she dipped her hand into the pool and scooped up a handful of the water. She took a small sip of it before closing her eyes, as a sound of contentment left her lips.
Draco then felt himself riveted by the sight as he watched Ginny do it again. She looked so beautiful to him and he almost felt guilty to feel such things. At that thought he scowled and turned his head, embarrassed to feel, yet happy at the same time. He continued to battle within himself as he clenched at his fists, unsure of what to do, when Ginny suddenly appeared next to him.
"Do you like it?" she asked him. He turned to her, and at first, didn't know what to say, until he finally felt himself nod. Her smile grew as it lit her face and she turned to the waterfall again. "This has always been my favorite place to go when I'm upset or have a lot on my mind. It's so calming."
Draco continued to watch her as she began to walk over to a large rock that sat along the bank of the pool. Ginny then sat upon it as she slipped her feet out of her slippers and dipped them into the cool water. She smiled as she began to sway her feet a bit making the water ripple in a million directions.
It was then that Draco noticed a small stone structure at the center of the pool. It looked as if it was an old fountain underwater, and it was only the tip that seemed to reach the surface of the pool. The tip looked like an intricate bowl with something standing inside it, but the movement of the water obscured it from view and all he could see was the rim of the basin mere inches beneath the surface.
"What is that?" he asked, as he pointed to the stone structure beneath the water. Ginny quirked an eyebrow as she looked in the direction of his point and stared at it. Finally she smiled as she turned up to him.
"Oh, that?" she asked. "That is one of the old ruins left here from Godric Gryffindor's court. Back then this used to be a beautiful court where Godric's Court would gather for meetings and such. This used to always be the main political center of Gryffindorian politics." Ginny said. "It looked nothing like it does now. This place used to be a beautiful courtyard." Ginny looked all around the area as if she were seeing it for the way it was back a thousand years ago. Draco too tried to imagine what it was like. This place was so different from his Kingdom.
"They say that there is still a magical energy that surrounds this place. That is probably why Harry, Serenity, Ron and I love it so much. This is where we would always go when we were younger." Ginny added.
"Then why is that underwater?" Draco asked. Ginny looked back at it and thought for a moment. "What does it do?"
"I'm not really sure. All I know is that it is what's left of Godric's Court." Ginny said. "That and those." She then pointed over to a large stone statue on the other side of the pool. It was shrouded in partial shadow by the trees, so it was hard to see at first, but soon Draco was able to make out the figure.
It seemed beautiful. It was a stone woman, with an angelic face and long hair pulled up onto a ponytail at the top of her head. Her robes were intricate, from what he could see, and they fell down to the forest floor. What surprised Draco was that the stone figure was incredibly lifelike, from her closed eyes to the bottom of her robes, her every feature was precise. But what caught his attention the most was the large circular mirror that she held in her hands.
The mirror was probably the size, or possible slightly larger, of a dinner plate, and she held it before her chest, as if it were showing the looker into very being. The way she held the mirror, though, was strange, for she had her left palm underneath the bottom of the mirror with her fingers pointing to her right, while her right palm was placed at the top of the mirror, with her fingers pointing to the left. The mirror itself looked to be made of stone, but Draco couldn't tell from the distance he was at.
Draco was about to say something about the figure, for it seemed quite strange, but he then noticed Ginny was pointing in the opposite direction as well, behind him. Draco then turned around, and directly behind him, also hidden within the trees, was another stone figure, another woman with an equally angelic and beautiful face, but she was different. She too had her eyes closed, but her hair was not pulled back, but instead hung gracefully down her back and to her knees with an elaborate hair ornament clasped tightly around her lower hair. Her robes were a bit different as well, but just as intricate, and she, like the other figure, held a similar mirror. But unlike the other, this figure held her mirror different. With this one, she seemed to hold the mirror with both hands supporting the bottom of its frame. She had her right wrist crossed over her left, and the mirror sat within the two palms of the statue's hands. These two statues seemed to remind him a lot of Serenity. She was weird, just like these two statues.
"What were they for?" he asked. Ginny looked up at him and smiled. She had never seen him this curious before. He almost looked like a little puppy trying to keep up the appearance of a big bull dog. She found it adorable.
"I don't know. Nobody really does." She said. "They are just… there. There's another one up there as well."
Draco then followed her finger up to the top of the waterfall, and unlike before, he now saw a third statue, with her arms held above her head, a third mirror between her raised palms.
`Three mysterious statues? They aren't here by mere chance… they must mean something.' Draco thought.
Ginny then stood up from the rock she had been sitting on and walked over to where the second statue stood. Draco watched her, curious of her actions, as she knelt down and gently swept a few of the old dead leaves from the previous fall away from the base of the statue. There he saw a square piece of glass at the feet of the statue, inlayed into the ground with engravings carved into it. He walked over to where Ginny was kneeling and knelt beside her as he tried to read the carvings.
It appeared though, that the engravings were in a different language, and he was sure that Serenity's people had something to do with this.
"It's strange. Both statues have the same carvings set at the bottom of the statues, but nobody has ever been able to understand them." Ginny said. "Not even Serenity. She checked all of her people's archives and everything, and still there are no records of this anywhere. It's like an ongoing mystery amongst the Castle families. This place is off limits to the Kingdom's people."
Draco nodded but continued to stare at the words. He then watched as Ginny began to run her fingers over the writing.
"It does look like very pretty language tho- Ouch!" she cried as she stood up quickly. Her finger, it seemed, was cut by the rough carvings of the glass, and it quickly began to bleed. Draco also stood up just as she did, and turned to her as he watched a tiny droplet of blood form atop her index finger. Immediately, he grasped her hand as he stood before her, and looked at her cut. It wasn't bad at all, just a simple little cut and he pressed his thumb atop it as he applied pressure.
Meanwhile, Ginny stood shocked and rooted to the floor as Draco did this. Just his closeness to her made her go weak, but with him holding her hand, she didn't know what to do. She knew she was blushing heavily by now, and as if earlier wasn't enough, she knew her heart rate had hit an all time high.
Finally, Draco's voice brought her back as he spoke to her.
"It's just a little cut." He told her. "Just apply pressure to it and it'll stop." Ginny could only find the energy to merely nod before she watched as he pulled his wand out. `Why am I acting like this? Why am I acting like a little love-struck maiden who goes goo goo eyes at a single touch?' She asked herself. `Why am I going goo goo eyes?'
Without saying a word, Draco pointed his wand to her finger, and immediately a small white ribbon emerged from the tip and wrapped itself around her finger.
"There," he said. "That'll stop the bleeding." Again, Ginny could only nod. She wanted desperately to talk to him, to say anything but she couldn't. She then looked up at him, who had not let go of her hand just yet, and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to do, and didn't understand why this was happening to her, all she knew was that he was standing not even a foot away from her.
Suddenly, without any sort of pre-meditated thought, Ginny tipped up onto her toes and gently pressed her lips to his. As soon as their lips met, Ginny's mind began reeling.
`What am I doing? He's going to kill me! He's never going to talk to me! Move back Ginny! Move back!'
But she couldn't move back. Her body was somehow glued to her position. She could tell that Draco had frozen, caught in shock, for he didn't move, but what surprised her was that he didn't pull back either.
Then, she finally pulled away from the kiss as she pressed her palms against his chest. When she opened her eyes, she could see the shock within his own and she blushed from embarrassment.
`What have I done?'
"I-I'm really sorry." She said. "I don't know what is wrong with me, I… I just… umm…" she didn't know what to say, or what to do, but made to turn around as quickly as she could and run back to the Castle and hide. But as she turned her torso, she suddenly felt a strong hand cup her cheek, and within seconds, Draco had pulled her back into a passionate kiss.
She felt a strong arm encircle her waist as it pulled her flush against Draco's body. She didn't understand what was happening for a moment, but all she knew was that his kisses weren't soft, or chaste. They were hungry and passionate. For her first kiss, she wasn't sure she could handle such emotion.
But was that really what it was? Was it his emotion?
As he kissed her, he kissed her fervently and longingly, and he held her tight as he leaned into her. She felt warmth burst within her, but gasped suddenly as she felt his tongue slide across her lower lip. As soon as she gasped, Draco found himself within her as he continued with his actions.
After this, Ginny lost all coherent trains of thought as she responded to him, playfully and willingly. She wasn't sure if she was doing it right, but Draco didn't seem to be stopping, so she wouldn't worry.
At last, once the two ran out of all oxygen supply, they both pulled apart, though not at all separating, as they both tried to catch their breath.
Draco was shocked he had done that! He was never one to show emotion, to anyone, that is, unless its anger, but emotions like that? Never! And he couldn't understand why it was with her that his body ached for more. He didn't want her out of his sight for a moment! And it scared him…
Lost in his own thoughts, Draco turned his sighs back on Ginny, who was now staring into his chest, her eyes in another world as she touched a finger to her lips. Draco couldn't stop the small smirk that pulled at his lips and couldn't resist not touching her hair that fell on her shoulder.
It would take him some time, though, to figure out what his emotions were really doing to him, and he felt she needed the same thing. But one thing was for certain. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything get between them. Especially her nitwit brothers.
XXX
So what do you think?
I know it was kind of a quick ending, but I'm going to make up for it in the next chapter. Also I know that Hermione didn't declare her pregnancy to all, but she will in the next chapter… but I had to stop because it was getting TOO long. I am at almost 14, 500 words here! The next chapter should be out soon… I hope you liked this.
I wanted to add in the Draco/Ginny scene, I hope you like it! Please tell me what you think!!!
Thank you!
Silver-Magick131
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