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Four Kingdoms by Horcrux Seeker
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Four Kingdoms

Horcrux Seeker

A/N: Sorry for the delay, the season has been really "toxic" and so this gift is a little late.

A million "thank yous" to all of you who have been reviewing and leaving your opinion about the ratings-so far there has been only one "strongly" against raising the rating…but everyone else said it's fine with them…hmmm-I'll give you fair warning if the chapter will be offensive to others-so I guess I have to say that I'm pushing the envelop on PG-13 towards the end of this one.

Again, thanks to VacantSkies (www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies) for adding his dash of potions and spells in making this chapter as magical as it is…

Chapter 9

"Darling, you have a falcon…" Lady Cho told her fiancé, who was lying naked beside her.

"Hmmph…Do they not know what time it is?" Prince Cedric mumbled as he tightened his grip around Cho. They had been separated for almost a month, being that Cedric lent his services to the Prince of Gryffindor who had been recuperating in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw.

"Cedric…Let go love, just for a minute…I've got to get the letter, it has to be important…" Cho found her resolve weakening because of the prince nuzzling her. She nudged him back and swung her legs off the bed as she put on her bed robe. She padded off to the window where a royal falcon was tapping insistently.

Upon letting the bird in, she recognized with alarm the emblem around its neck. "A message from Ravenclaw?!"

Panic arose as she thought of the injured prince; she immediately released the bird of its burden as it squalled out of irritation at having to wait, then took off out of the window.

"Well, if there is no need for a reply, I guess there is no cause for alarm…" Cho then looked at the scroll and read to whom it was addressed to...

Crown Prince Cedric of the venerable House of Diggory heir to the throne of Helga

And

Lady Cho of the venerable House of Chang

Kingdom of Hufflepuff

The penmanship was unmistakably by the printers of Gryffindor but what confounded her was the stationery used was official Ravenclaw parchment, so she had no idea which kingdom sent what looked to be an official letter. She walked back to the bed, seeing her fiancé sit up while rubbing his eyes.

"Cedric, was there an official letter that you were expecting?"

The prince of Hufflepuff shook his head as he regarded the confused expression of Cho, "Is there a problem?"

Cho simply handed him the scroll as she met the eyes of the man she would be wed to in six weeks. The couple had decided that it would be foolish to wait till she finished healer training. The separation they endured made them realize that one year would be too long a time and the incident that had happened to the Prince of Gryffindor made them see that life was too short to waste it on waiting. They had set the date of the wedding a week before the winter holidays since the Kingdom of Hufflepuff was at its finest and quite enchanting all covered in white. The invitations would be sent out in two days but the planning was in full swing.

Worried and wondering what the dilemma was now, Cedric inspected the scroll as Cho waved her wand and muttered "Lumos" as she snuggled closer to him. Cedric broke the seal then immediately scanned the letter. Cho placed a hand on his arm as she saw his eyes widen in wonder. He took a deep breath, swallowed rather loudly, and then re-read the letter.

"Cedric, what is it? Is it the Prince of Gryffindor? Did something happen in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw again? Is Princess Hermione all right? Tell me! You're making me nervous! What's wrong?" Cho's voice started to rise as dread began to invade her.

Then she witnessed Cedric close his eyes as a large smile took over his features. He let out a loud whoop then slapped his forehead as he turned to her and gathered her in his arms for a tight embrace.

"Cedric…" Cho tried to push him away and made a grab for the scroll.

"Bloody hell! He did it…the git pulled it off!" the Prince of Hufflepuff roared in amazement; he let out a hearty laugh before passionately kissing his fiancée.

After the kiss that left Cho breathless she asked, "What did who do?" as she finally got a hold of the scroll and started to read it, noting the elegant Gryffindorian calligraphy on Ravenclaw parchment…

You are cordially invited to a joint kingdom celebration

King James and Queen Lily of the venerable House of Potter

Rulers of the Kingdom of Gryffindor

in union with

King John and Queen Sara of the venerable House of Granger

Rulers of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw

In the official announcement of the engagement of their children

Crown Prince Harry James, heir to the throne of Godric

to

Crown Princess Hermione Jane, heir to the throne of Rowena

The celebration is to be held in the Kingdoms of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw in a fortnight

The official presentation of the betrothed couple

shall be held at the

Great Hall in the Kingdom of Gryffindor

The already engaged couple of Hufflepuff looked at each other, both with big smirks on their faces. Then Cho squealed in joy as Cedric laughed loudly and they tumbled back into bed, happy that Hermione wasn't as stubborn and Harry wasn't as dense as they had both assumed.

XXXXX

"Lady Ginny," Draco whispered "Ginny…Damn it, answer, please."

A woman with red hair and bright hazel eyes appeared in the mirror Draco Malfoy was holding. He exhaled a breath he was unaware of holding; finally he smiled-something he had not done as often since his departure from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw.

But since she gave him that damned bloody kiss in the Great Hall when her father announced he was to receive the Order of Merlin due to his rescue of her, no one allowed Lady Ginevra Molly of the House of Weasley from Gryffindor to stay in the presence of the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin unsupervised, which proved quite a challenge for the new couple.

And what a kiss that had been! Draco's mind was haunted by it-the softness of her lips, the jolt he felt when their lips met, her scent of strawberries, and the sweetness of her mouth. He remembered the shocked look on her face when her mother screamed, "GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!" which caused them to snap open their eyes. Cool gray met warm honey, then she was gone, her mother dragging her out of the Great Hall, followed closely by her only sister-in-law, and he was left just sitting there, his chest bandaged up and her brothers staring at him with unadulterated hostility. If it wasn't for the diplomacy of their father then he would probably not be alive right now.

"Master Draco…" Ginny whispered into the two way mirror which Draco sneaked to her before he left. They had been talking to each other since their separation using this, trying to take the time to at least check in with each other in the morning when they woke up, after lunch and before they slept at night. Their conversation was usually one sided with Ginny telling him about her day while he just listened to her voice as it calmed his spirit.

This was the first time that Draco had tried to contact Ginny mid-afternoon. He just simply missed her and wanted to see her and talk to her.

"I miss you," Draco told his lady in the mirror. He saw her give him a brilliant smile and then blew a kiss to him. He smiled at the cheesy gesture which still made his heart skip a beat.

"I know how you feel Draco, but our time will soon come. Just a week before your ceremony," Ginny whispered. She kept looking up from the mirror as if waiting to be caught.

"An eternity away from you…How are you?" Draco asked.

"Busy! We have just received the invitation to the engagement party of the prince which would take place a week after the awarding," Ginny informed him.

This made Draco frown. "The Prince?-As in the Prince of Gryffindor? To whom?" Looking back at the mirror he voiced his questions.

"Of course. Prince Harry asked for the hand of the Princess of Ravenclaw a week ago. Rumor has it that he had to be hauled back home after that since both their parents thought it would be wisest that they separated the two before the actual formal engagement ceremony. The King and Queen of Ravenclaw in reality caught them snogging before he proposed!" Ginny giggled.

"You sure that he didn't propose because he was caught compromising the princess?" Draco asked, thinking that would have been the rational next step at being caught by the parents of the princess.

"Not according to my brother! Prince Harry had actually tried to romance the princess during his recuperation at Ravenclaw-and obviously it worked. I mean who would not want Prince Harry?" Ginny stated.

This statement made Draco flare with jealousy. Had his lady bluntly tell him that she was smitten with the prince of her kingdom? This did not settle well with the young heir of Slytherin, so he probed further.

"So you wished that you were the intended of your crown prince?" he drawled.

"Well, he is rather fetching, physically. Plus his personality is so vibrant and he is caring and warm," she answered back which made his hackles rise. "But my tastes are with platinum blonds with eyes of gray that warm up only for me…" Ginny's voice trailed.

With that statement, Draco's insecurities were banished. He sighed and before he could continue their conversation, Ginny looked up suddenly and whispered, "Have to go, love. See you in a week." With that, she closed her mirror, causing Draco to stare at his own reflection.

Running his fingers through his hair, Draco let out an oath in frustration of having only a short time with her. He went back to lie down on his bed, not wanting to encounter anyone, especially his father who was becoming too obsessed with their trip to the Kingdom of Gryffindor. Looking back at the two way mirror and still seeing his reflection, he placed it under his pillow as he let his thoughts wander to the petite lady with fiery red hair and the information she'd given him as he fell off to sleep, oblivious to the rat that scurried back through the crack in the wall that would lead him to the father of the young man.

XXXXX

"No worries, your highness, the gowns you have packed will look absolutely smashing on you!" Lady Lavender of the House of Brown stated. She was one of the Princess of Ravenclaw's ladies in wait. Her fashion expertise was impeccable and she, along with Lady Luna, was in the bed chambers of Princess Hermione packing her wardrobe for her trip to the Kingdom of the Lion.

"I told you-no need for formality in my private chambers, Lav," Hermione admonished.

She looked at the other gowns and dresses that were in her closet to see if she had enough in her trunks. Usually, she traveled lightly in functions like these, carrying the necessary gowns for the functions and a couple of daily dress robe for each day which would not even fill one trunk so she would add books to just fill in the space. Now looking at her room she saw that she already had three trunks filled to the rim. One for gowns, another for daily dress robes, and the last for bed robes and unmentionables-she had no idea what possessed her to pack bed robes that were meant to impress and not for functionality. It was the end of autumn and the air was becoming a quite nippy, but the bed robes her ladies had insisted she pack were downright scandalous and quite revealing. Hermione could feel a bad cold beginning just at the mere thought of her wearing it. Not like she was planning to have any one see her wearing them-which made her wonder again why she was packing those bed robes in the first place…

"Prince Harry will never take his eyes off you, he will absolutely drool!" Lady Lavender squealed.

"I certainly hope so…From what I've heard, the ladies at the Kingdom of Gryffindor are in mourning over the death of the bachelorhood of their prince," Luna stated as they giggled.

"Who would have thought we would be celebrating the coronation and engagement ceremonies of our princess in a span of two months? Our logical, levelheaded, bookworm princess literally swept off her feet by the dashing, womanizing prince of Gryffindor!" Lavender rambled as she looked over the footwear the princess was going to pack, she did not notice the horrified expression of the princess at what she had revealed.

"Womanizing?" Hermione choked.

"Do not tell me you had no idea of the reputation that Prince Harry has with the ladies-especially those in Gryffindor," Lavender said, oblivious to the deadly stare Luna was giving her and the unintentional destruction her comments were wreaking on her princess.

"I do not have the faintest…obviously!" Hermione said her voice laced with irritation and disbelief as she slumped down on a cushioned chair.

"Well, from what I've heard, Prince Harry's bed chamber is one of the busiest rooms of the castle-well with all the different women that go on parading through…" Before Lady Lavender could continue with her gossip, Luna stood up and elbowed her in the ribs, effectively shutting her up before she went to kneel at the foot of the chair where their princess was seated with a look of utter revulsion on her features.

"What did I get myself into?" Hermione whispered. She lifted her eyes to meet the source of news that she did not wish to hear. "I still have a chance to change this…so rash of me to actually…I cannot marry someone with a past like that-am I to sleep on a bed with the memories of all those women in it on my wedding night?" she stuttered, starting to really feel nauseous now, literally turning green.

Luna stared daggers at Lavender who now had a look of remorse at her loose tongue. She was a little envious of the princess-having snagged a prize like the Prince of Gryffindor, considering that physically the princess was not as alluring as she. But Lavender had not estimated what the consequences of her gossiping would bring. Now she wanted to rectify it but before she could say anything…

"Hermione, as you had said, it is now in the past-Prince Harry has changed, he improved and you helped him! According to Ronald, Prince Harry was carefree and insensitive to his duties as a prince, a boy who was immature. But you tamed his heart, you made him grow up and he became a better man, the man he was meant to be. He changed not for you but because of you! And if you do not believe that, I can assure you that the love he has for you is pure and deep," Luna stated in a firm voice.

Hermione looked at her best friend as she wiped the tears and felt the doubt in her heart melt at the reassurance of the empath. Hermione did see in the green depths of her prince's eyes that he was true to her and her alone. She watched Lady Lavender flirt with him when they made their announcement to the court of Ravenclaw but Prince Harry had eyes only for her as she did for him.

"Your highness, forgive me. It was not my place to even mention such horrid rumors. I must emphasize, Princess, that they are only rumors…" Lavender said in a contrite voice.

Sighing, Hermione saw the look of remorse on the face of her lady in wait. "No problem, Lav, whether or not what you told me were rumors or the truth, it is all in the past. I am now his present and future and as long as Harry does not forget that, then it does not matter what he did before," she finished with a smile.

With the tension broken, the three women went back to the task at hand and in the end the Princess of Ravenclaw had seven full trunks which she would be bringing with her to the Kingdom of Gryffindor for the award ceremony of the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin and her own engagement ceremony.

XXXXX

The King of Gryffindor had his arms around his wife as they looked out the window of their study in the castle, peering at the scene taking place in the courtyard below. They spied their son laughing along with the other men of the court; they had their brooms in hand having finished a game of Quidditch. The parents of the crown prince had a gloomy expression on their faces. They saw him unconsciously rub the lightning shaped scar on his forehead and wondered if it was just by habit or if it was bothering him.

King James brushed his lips to the temple of his wife. "We should not worry too much, my love. We should just let Harry enjoy what the future has in store for him and the princess…" he said in a voice not convinced of what he just stated.

Queen Lily sighed and looked up to her husband then shifted her eyes to their son, "The prophecies are coming into play, love. Harry and Hermione must be warned of it so they can prepare. Cedric can hold his own, being that he has the gift of foresight and started training in defense against the dark arts long before. But my son and soon to be daughter-in-law are not prepared for the war they are to face…"

"Lily, you yourself said that divination is a volatile field in magic and not all prophecies come true," James countered.

"Yes, it is a very unstable discipline of magic. But you saw that the coronation of the princess was the last piece to the prophecies. Now with the engagement of Harry and Hermione, it only confirms of the dark times to come," Lily stated, anxiety laced in her voice.

"For in no other kingdom shall love bind except in the land of the lion and the eagle…" the words from the prophecy always came to haunt her.

"Lily, maybe Harry felt like he got trapped at being caught with the princess and thought that proposing would rectify his actions?" James stated, doubting the sentence he uttered.

Rolling her eyes, "Please, James; can you not see the love that emanates from Harry? We knew since Princess Hermione's coronation ceremony that our boy had it in for her! Our boy is now a man, and we have the Princess of Ravenclaw to thank for his evolution," Lily retorted irritably, "he was totally devastated when you had Sirius and Remus fetch him from Ravenclaw!"

James let out a chuckle, remembering the falcon he received from his counterpart in Ravenclaw a few hours after the proposal.

James,

Salutations! This is to inform you that your son is in well spirits. Harry has been recuperating quite splendidly. In fact, he has been in the constant presence of my daughter-I have no idea how those two find each other so easily in this vast castle considering I have prohibited Hermione from visiting Harry in his bed chambers. I have a feeling that Lord Weasley and Lady Lovegood has something to do with this…

By the way, it is also my pleasure to enlighten you and Lily that we will in the near future be in-laws. Your son had asked for my daughter's hand in the bond of marriage and she naturally accepted. This was after Sara and I along with some of our Aurors caught them snogging in the outer courtyard! May I also inform you that reports are true that the walls of the castle here shuddered, I give you one guess on the reason why-this, by the way, happened coincidentally during the `emotionally laden activity' that our children were engaging in…

So I wish to let you know that the wedding ceremony may be held here at Ravenclaw but I must insist that their wedding night will be there at the Kingdom of Gryffindor for I believe that your castle is more fortified than mine and I do not wish the walls of my castle to come crumbling about me during that night!

Please come and acquire Crown Prince Harry, as I see that it will be for my own peace of mind that our two children be in separate kingdoms for the time being as Sara and I are having a hard time keeping the hands of two young ones to themselves.

Hoping that you and Lily are pleased with the news I have imparted…

Yours in Merlin,

John

I will have my falcon await your reply on when you plan to send someone for Prince Harry.

He and Lily were naturally elated! But they knew that Sara and John were at nerves end having the two kids in close proximity to each other and they knew how passionate Harry was of the princess. So that same evening, Duke Sirius and Earl Remus flooed to the kingdom of the eagle. The two best mates of the king of Gryffindor were of course not surprised to see that the prince and princess were no where to be found, and Lord Ron and Lady Luna had no idea as to where the couple were-which they knew was a lie.

Being the Marauders that they were, Sirius shifted into his Animagus form of a large black dog and Remus, with his heightened sense of smell, literally sniffed them out. With telltale signs of a blinding light and a faint roar of a lion and a screech from an eagle, they found the Prince of Gryffindor and the Princess of Ravenclaw in a heated liplock at the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw!

Harry was not happy about having to leave the kingdom and Hermione was shocked at the sudden loss of her fiancé! Lady Lovegood was not in good spirits either since Lord Weasley was to go back to his kingdom with the Crown Prince. Sirius and Remus literally had to pull the prince away from the arms of the princess upon their farewell as her parents were amazed at the public display of affection the usually reserved Hermione displayed. In a few days, the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw would arrive in their kingdom ahead of her parents. James had a feeling that this was a sick prank of John in retaliation of having caught their children, so now it was Lily and his responsibility to have Harry and Hermione maintain a proper behavior.

"Good luck on that!" James thought to himself, knowing his son relatively well. "John may have been thinking irrationally when he decided to send his daughter here earlier!"

Harry, being familiar with the secret passages of the castle, would find his way to Hermione's bed chambers no matter what or he would not be the son of James Potter! "Lily and I have got to sit that boy down and educate him right! I don't mind if Harry gets Hermione in a compromising situation-but I doubt John will be happy with it…"

James chuckled at this thought, thinking of how to notify the King of Ravenclaw in case it would happen, "Dear John, it is my pleasure to inform you and Sara that my son Harry knocked up your precious daughter before they were bonded in marriage!" James now had a wicked smirk on his face. "John will end up sending me a ton of Howlers in reply and will undoubtedly declare war on Gryffindor!"

"It is true, my love, Harry and Hermione must undergo training for the war ahead," Lily said, bringing the King of Gryffindor back to their conversation.

"Fine, Lily, we'll talk to them when the princess arrives…I'll send John a falcon about the training," James realized that he again did his wife's bidding. "How does she do that?"

Lily turned to James and kissed him soundly on the lips and left the study with a smug knowing smile on her face.

XXXXX

"So how was the Princess of Ravenclaw?"

"I heard that bookworms are usually tigers in bed…having all that pent up energy…"

"It is not unbridled stamina, it is their extensive knowledge on the topic, having read up on it... and when given an opportunity to put into practice, they let loose!"

"So, does she like the dominant position or are you still the man on top?"

The Crown Prince of Gryffindor was about to blow a fuse as he irritably looked at the men of his court who kept asking. His gaze wandered over to the Weasley twins and his best mate. They were beet red in the face and making subtle gestures to stop the three gentlemen of the court of Gryffindor, Sir Neville Longbottom, Baron Seamus Finnigan, and Lord Dean Thomas who was carrying on the conversation.

Lord Ron Weasley looked at Prince Harry and knew he was about to explode. The Weasleys knew how protective the Prince was when it came to Princess Hermione, being that they were once the target of his fury.

"Good luck mates, it was nice knowing you…" Ron thought as he looked at the three men who were still talking dirty about the Princess.

"Shut your traps…" Harry growled.

Neville, Seamus, and Dean, were shocked speechless at the tone of their prince. They were not used to this; Prince Harry would always serenade them of his many women conquests. Upon his return from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw, he was amazingly quiet when it came to his fiancée. He never let out a peep about what had happened in the kingdom of the eagle and Lord Ron was not the least bit informative either.

It was the loudest whisper among the citizens of Gryffindor that their Prince and the Princess of Ravenclaw were caught in a very delicate situation by the King and Queen of Ravenclaw. Everyone in the lion kingdom, knowing the reputation Prince Harry had with the ladies, thought that this was the only reason that he proposed. Only those who witnessed the actions of the prince since the coronation of the princess knew of the depth of emotions Harry had for his eagle princess.

"But…but you always keep us up to date on the conquest of the week!" Dean sputtered, and immediately shut up when blazing green eyes pinned him down.

"I will have you know that I will easily slash any tongue who speaks poorly of my fiancée. The Crown Princess of Ravenclaw is not some mere chit that I picked up-she is…there are no words to describe her…ne'er, actually there are words to describe her but you will be forever listening to me as I extrapolate on her many fine qualities! She is that valuable to me-and I will have you know, Lord Thomas, that it is treason to speak ill of your future queen…so I beg you to tread carefully on the topic of the woman I have surrendered my heart to," Harry sneered which had the other boys in a flabbergasted state of fear.

They had rarely seen Prince Harry in such an uproar over a woman. "So it was true that love has conquered this wandering soul…" Neville, Seamus and Dean thought.

"I beg you of your forgiveness, your highness," Dean said tersely.

The other two men simply nodded, all of them suddenly silent and red faced.

Harry lowered his head, reflecting how altered his way of life has been since a month ago when he attended the coronation of his now fiancée. He had been so edgy since his departure from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw a few days ago. The only thing that made him leave his bed chambers today in good spirits was the information from Lord Weasley which was passed to him by Lady Lovegood that the Princess of Ravenclaw would be arriving ahead of schedule to his kingdom for the planning of their engagement ceremony. He kept remembering the last time he was with Hermione which kept him sane since their separation as he looked down at the faint scar on his left palm.

They had just finished an early dinner at the Great Hall with Ron and Luna. Then, after a short walk through the castle gardens, to enjoy the sunset he felt the need to show the princess his special place.

Back in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw a week ago…

"Hermione…" Harry murmured as he walked hand in hand with his fiancée.

"Hmmm?"

"Do you trust me?" Harry whispered.

"With my life…" came the immediate response from the princess.

Harry lifted the hand that held her small soft one and kissed her fingers. He smiled as he felt her hand quiver before he released it, looking at her Harry saw the start of a blush gracing her cheeks as her eyes darkened in passion, but was soon repressed as she took a deep shaky breath.

"Accio Firebolt."

Hermione was surprised as the broom of her prince zoomed into his hand. She watched apprehensively when Harry mounted the broom and extended his hand toward her.

"Harry, I hate flying," she started.

"I know, love, but do you trust me?" Harry looked deep into her soft brown eyes.

"I reiterate, with my life…" Hermione muttered softly as if hypnotized by his brilliant emerald eyes.

"There's a place I want to share with you-no one has ever seen this…I want you to be the only one who knows of my secret…sanctum if you wish to call it. I always go there when I want to think or merely get away from everything," Harry said.

"Are you sure you want to show me this place? You may want to escape my insufferable nagging in the future, and you are showing me where you run off to?" Hermione joked with a big grin on her face which brought about a small dimple on her cheek.

"Merlin! Will her beauty never cease? I never knew she had a dimple... It's…adorable!" Harry cleared his throat, noticing it had gone dry all of a sudden. "I will never run from you! Get that in your brilliant head, love, I told you before I will never leave your side. I just do not want to hold any secrets from you."

Hermione detected Harry's voice take on a hurt tone at her accusing him of leaving her. She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, smiling at him she leaned in and kissed him. Her smile grew as she continued their kiss, sensing the shock of the prince - this was the first time she took the initiative to start a kiss-and by Merlin, she loved it! She broke away and said, "Well then, let us go to your hideaway, your highness."

"Yes, dear," Harry replied.

"Good answer! You better get used to saying that a lot when we wed," Hermione laughingly stated as she positioned herself in front of the seated prince. She felt one arm encircle her waist tightly as Harry pulled her securely into him; with another hand on the broom, he kicked off and flew into the air.

Hermione's hair was flying into his face, not that Harry minded. He loved the silkiness of the strands as it brushed him. He deeply inhaled her scent, and it made him heady as it was. Flying had always brought joy to Harry, to feel the freedom of soaring-wind whipping around him; he was in his element when he was in the air. Now he knew that flying WITH Hermione would be when he was happiest-actually just being with her was when he was…at peace.

Having her trust him was what did him in-he didn't think his love for her could still grow, but it did. Harry knew how terrified Hermione was of flying, telling him before that there was no coherent explanation on how a fully grown human being could be suspended in the air by a few inches of wood-even with magic, so she just avoided it. But here she was, tucked in his arms, completely having faith in his ability on the broom. Harry looked down at her. Feeling her gradually relax, he spied that her eyes were closed and she was smiling as the last rays of the sun played on her face, giving her the look of an angel. He tightened his arm around her as they zoomed higher then he stopped soaring and leveled off his broom, now they were hovering in space.

"Open your eyes, my love…" Harry murmured in her ear as he kissed the skin below it. Her immediate reaction was a soft purr and tilting her head to the side to give him better access. Harry promptly continued to nuzzle her neck, inhaling, kissing, and nipping at the soft skin she exposed.

Hermione brought an arm up and buried her fingers in Harry's raven colored hair, savoring the feelings he elicited with his magical lips. Then she let her eyes flutter open, she gasped as her eyes took in the beauty before her as she dropped her arm in awe. The sun had set and all she could see was the sky with brilliant stars puncturing the dark blue canvas. She shivered at the perfection of Harry's hideaway as she whispered reverently, "Harry…It's beautiful…"

Harry had stopped his attack on her neck and looked at her directly as he said, "Yes, just perfect."

Hermione looked up at him questioningly, feeling they were not referring to the same thing. But seeing his shining green eyes staring at her, she knew what he meant. His look left her breathless - as she blushed at the fervor and love in Harry's eyes, she tried to comprehend all the books she'd ever read about love and romance and knew that they did not do justice to the topic.

Sighing and looking around she said, "I can see why you come up here to get away from it all. You could just lose yourself…"

"Do you know, the first time I saw you clearly during your coronation I gasped not only at your beauty but also your gown-it reminded me of the times I came up here, I wondered how appropriate to have a goddess wrapped by the night sky…" Harry said in wonder, remembering that night.

Hermione blushed profusely again at his reference of her as a goddess. She at first thought of him just giving her a line, but the admiration in his voice was sincere. She felt more love for this man gush through her and had only one way of expressing it. But it would mean that they should safely have their feet planted flat on solid ground. Looking up at the man who shared with her his haven, "Harry, bring us home…please?"

"But Hermione…I thought you loved it up hmph…"

Harry did not finish his sentence as Hermione twisted her torso and buried her hand in his hair to pull him forcefully down to her lips. Harry could feel the passion in her and he was stunned when he felt her tongue push against his lips and into his mouth. He moaned as he tasted her, Harry took hold of the broom with one hand and with the other he pulled the princess tighter to him; as he dipped his Firebolt in a maniacal dive down to earth. The wind rushing against him and the tentative tongue movements the princess was experimenting with in his mouth made Harry almost reach orgasmic heights! He could totally let go of himself right there-something which never happened, since he prided himself of control over his body ever since puberty.

Harry tore his mouth from the princess, afraid that if he continued they would come crashing down. Opening his eyes and looking for a place to land, he instinctively searched for the north tower when the castle came in sight, but then he felt her start kissing his neck as her small hand started making circular motions on his thigh where it rested. Her other arm raised itself above his head as she embedded her hand into his hair. Harry shuddered and a loud groan escaped his lips, he felt all the blood leave every part of his body and start to pool in the area between his legs. He was growing dizzy with all the sensations Hermione evoked in him. He had been with women before; in fact, a lot of those women were very experienced in pleasuring him in bed, but Hermione was in a class of her own. Her awkward, hesitant movements caused him more gratification than any woman in his past-for him there was no other woman except Hermione. She'd erased all the memories of any others in his past already.

"Hermione…um…love, if you don't stop what you're doing, I will not be responsible for my actions!" Harry growled.

"Then be reckless, your highness," Hermione murmured back between her kisses as she continued her assault, now kissing his jawline. The princess did not let her inexperience in these matters hinder her as she tentatively ran her hand up Harry's thigh and cupped his buttocks, hearing the prince gasp and shudder violently. This reaction spurred her actions as her hands and lips took on a new confidence.

Harry almost died when he felt Hermione's hand squeeze his rump. Looking around, he knew the castle was too far away for his sanity, so he headed toward the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw, which was the closest as he bent his head down and claimed the lips of the princess. He thanked all heavenly beings for his expertise in flying as he knew lesser skills would have meant disaster by now, but as he felt his feet touch down on the soft grass, he immediately let go of his broom, tightening the arm he already had on the waist of the princess. Not breaking their overheated kiss, he carried her towards the entrance of the pitch, his Firebolt was left forgotten on the spot where they landed as Harry swept Hermione's legs off the ground.

Hermione squirmed till she was able to wrap her legs around Harry's waist. He groaned into her mouth as she purred when her actions brought her warm core to his hard one, separated by layer upon layer of clothing. They both moaned in frustration.

Thankfully Harry remembered where the locker room of the pitch was located, having gone there before the troll attack. He turned and entered the locker room. Placing her down on her feet, he pulled away as he took off his cloak and spread it on the grass. He then pulled his princess down on the makeshift cot.

Reclining back and resting on her elbows, she looked at her fiancé kneeling beside her, pulled out her wand, and cast a cushion charm under them. Looking into the passion filled green eyes of her love, she did not break their eye contact as she aimed her wand to her abdomen and uttered a charm which caused her stomach to glow slightly and feeling a warm sensation fill it; she saw Harry's eyes widen and darken at the realization of what her action meant. His hand cupped her face and he searched her eyes looking for some uncertainty.

"Though I look forward to providing you an heir, my love, I do not think both our parents would like it if there was a bulge in my wedding gown," Hermione jokingly said in a soft voice.

"Oh, Hermione, love not here…Your first time should be in my bed at Gryffindor with candles and flowers around…Love, you deserve much more than the ground on a Quidditch pitch…" Harry began, amazed at his control. Here was the one woman he wanted above all else and here he was, thinking solely of her.

"I deserve you…" Hermione replied.

Harry closed his eyes, his will power crumbling at the three words she'd just said. The next action Hermione did, completely shattered the last resolve he was clutching…

Hermione smiled as she rose to a sitting position; wrapping her arms around his neck, she hugged Harry, raising her lips to his ear she whispered for the first time, "Harry James Potter, I love you…"

Harry felt tears spring up, and he knew his heart had just burst at hearing the words he so desperately wanted to hear. Despite their engagement of only a few hours and him uttering his love for her between kisses and every moment he could sneak it in, this was the first time she'd ever declared her love for him - and she'd said it with such reverence that it filled his very existence with devotion for the lady in his arms.

"I have not even given you an engagement ring yet…"

"Harry, I do not need one. I love you and I know what we are getting ourselves into. Now, if you do not want to…"

"NO! You have no idea how much I want to make love to you, I could just die out of wanting…but love, what would everyone say…"

"I really do not care…"

"I know that and neither do I, but …"

"Harry, to be honest, you make me feel things I have never felt before with anyone and it scares me! Despite the fact that there have been suitors in my past-" Hermione heard Harry inhale sharply in jealousy, but she continued as she placed a hand on his cheek. "For once I do not want to think. I do not want to have a proper explanation to the fact that you have ruined the equilibrium of my life and I love you for it! I will be your wife and you my husband. It is inevitable that we shall be doing this-we are just getting the ball rolling ahead of schedule--if that does not suit your proper decorum then consider this practice for things to come...I want us to make love, it does not matter where. All that matters for me is that it is you I make love to. Do you understand, my prince?"

Harry looked at her with such admiration, respect, and love, that it was bordering on worship. He held his wand with his right hand and though he did not know what had possessed him to do it, he felt that he had to forge a bond between them no matter how crude it was. He would not allow himself and Hermione to give in to the cravings of their flesh with out any bond. He took his left hand and without breaking eye contact with her he muttered, "Diffindo" as he made an incision on his palm.

The princess' eyes widened as she saw what her prince did. She suddenly knew what he wanted them to perform. She held up her left palm and looking into his eyes, she heard him repeat the spell as she winced slightly at the pain of the cut, seeing the eyes of her prince cloud when she flinched.

Together they held their left palms together, their blood intermingling and both said at the same time, "I bind my love, my soul, my life, my body and my magic to you, my mate who the gods have given me and who I have chosen for now on any plane of existence for eternity. Vita amor phasma largior ut mei socius enim infinitio." They felt a wind envelop them and in the distance they heard the roar of a lion and the screech of an eagle. As they sealed their pact with a kiss, they saw a blinding white light and an energy surge from within their souls moving to their mates.

As they pulled apart, panting, each saw the other's eyes glowing. Then it was over. Hermione looked at their hands as the blood was now dripping to the side. She took her wand and waved it over their joined hands as they felt warmth on their palms. The incisions were healed and all that was left was a faint scar. Looking down at their mended palms, a grin grew on both their faces.

Hermione raised her arms as Harry wrapped his around her and they kissed with all the passion they had pent up. Hands were exploring, pulling on clothes as Harry leaned down, pushing Hermione onto the cushioned cloak. He kissed her lips, their tongues playing with each other. Then he moved down the column of her slender neck as she kissed his temple, burying her fingers in his luxurious, soft ebony hair, inhaling his scent. She felt his fingers move down her side, tickling her slightly, then they moved up as they came to rest under her breast, causing both of them to moan at the contact. Harry moved higher; meeting the clasp of her own cloak, he released it and her décolletage was now fully exposed to him. He moved up to kiss her lips again as one hand was raising the skirt of her dress robe.

Hermione copied every move of his hands as her small ones gently ran up and down his lean, muscular back, his sides, over his shoulders - everywhere that she could reach. Harry's hands became bolder as his fingertips brushed on her inner thigh, moving up slowly.

He watched her intently, waiting for any sign she were to give him that would make him stop, but Hermione's hands inched closer to his manhood and when their hands simultaneously met the core of the other, they let out a shaky moan as they shuddered in each other's touch and bucked into the other's hand. Harry then moved up as he kissed her roughly and deeply; Hermione met his meandering tongue every step of the way. As Harry kissed the pulse point on her neck, Hermione turned her head to expose the area further. When she opened her eyes, she saw a black dog and one of the head Aurors from Gryffindor staring at them-she screamed in shock and pandemonium broke loose.

A/N: So how do you like it? I didn't raise the rating to "R" since in my opinion, it didn't really reach that rating-but I know that I'm definitely "toeing the line" at PG-13.

I decided to put this out right now since my Christmas was so hectic and it seems that my New Year's will be going the same frantic route-Da Bears are playing a game on the 31st and my friends and younger family members "volunteered" my place as the party & game zone…so during this calm before the storm-I give you this chapter…I won't be leaving a teaser since I'll be leaving a greeting…

Have a Happy and Safe New Year-don't drink and drive and I hope that the next year will be better and more prosperous than the one we're leaving behind…


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