Such great reviews! Please keep them coming! :D
This chapter was supposed to be posted over the weekend-unfortunately real life intervenes even on the best intentions…
Again-VacantSkies…I cannot thank you enough for your wand waving magic…Well just visit his website-www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies
Disclaimer: never owned them, never will…
Now on to Chapter 6…
Chapter 6
The Crown Prince of Gryffindor had a small, serene smile on his face. He turned to lie on his back and allowed the soft morning light streaming from the window of his bed chambers at the north tower in the castle of Ravenclaw to bathe his face. Harry opened his emerald eyes for a moment and then closed them again; his grin was growing larger by the second. He did not close his eyes to go back to sleep but to recall the memories of the night before…
"Princess, I do not think that I am such an atrocious dance partner that you should find the need to cry…" Harry whispered jokingly into the ear of the lady he held so delicately in his arms leading her around the dance floor in rhythm with the music.
"Prince Harry, as long as you do not step on my toes, I promise that I shall not bawl like a baby till our dance is over," Princess Hermione replied lightly, fighting to keep the tears at bay.
Harry looked at the treasure he held in his arms. Prince Cedric had entrusted her to him and he would not take the task lightly. Something in his chest shattered when he saw two tears escape her eyes and roll slowly down the princess' cheeks.
Now he understood what it meant when he heard the cliché that a woman crying can bring any man to their knees-Harry amusingly thought of the many women who had cried till their eyes had bled out in a last ditch effort to keep him when he ended his tryst with them. Trying to keep the appearance of being equally devastated, he would hold their hands till their tears would stop, or at least slowed in flow. Then, giving them a small peck on the cheek, he would disentangle himself from their arms as quickly as possible-but now here he was, two tears from this woman and he felt totally helpless and completely distressed.
Harry placed her hand on his other shoulder-he heard a few gasps from the crowd and thought, "Propriety be bloody damned! I won't allow any more tears to be shed by Hermione." He brought his free hand up to her cheeks and brushed away the tears, "Please Hermione, stop crying-I'm so sorry for the past, I was a git…a daft git. Please stop crying…" he begged softly, assuming that it was solely his fault the heir of Rowena was crying.
"I can't help it! I feel that I have disappointed my parents! I feel so guilty! I humiliated myself…" Hermione began to whimper, turning her head, trying to avoid his stare, only to be cut off as the prince gently tugged her chin to bring her face back towards his and brought a finger to her lips to prevent her from speaking, her eyes grew wide, completely stunned by the intimate gesture.
"Ssh…You did nothing wrong, Princess. It was my fault, I just assumed wrong and graciously put my foot up my own arse at my outburst at Cedric. If there was any humiliating act done, then that would be mine." Suddenly Harry noticed how soft her lips were under his finger which he still had not removed.
"Dear Merlin, what am I doing…this is not right…what is going on with me? I can't control myself! I bet Princess Hermione cast a spell on me-yes that's it! I did hear that she is the smartest witch of our age…or she probably slipped some potion in my food or cast some sort of love curse on me…That can be the only explanation for me acting like a bumbling idiot in front of her!" Harry tried to rationalize. But he could feel that his brain was not functioning appropriately. He couldn't think since his mind decided to now focus only on anything and everything that had to do with the princess. He could see that there was a confused look on the princess' face; he felt that it reflected the same expression on his. How could this woman have such an impact on him? Crown Princess Hermione was causing such havoc on his mental equilibrium and she was invading his senses so easily!
The heir of Gryffindor removed his finger from her lips, much to his regret and resumed their `appropriate' dancing position, but the arm around her waist tightened and brought them closer together. He looked down at her and became conscious again that her cloak had gathered at her back again and exposed too much of her flesh for his comfort. As they swayed together, Harry tilted his head down, touching their foreheads together; he closed his eyes which heightened his other senses to her.
He reveled at the feel of her warm breath, mingling with his and he breathed her essence of cinnamon and jasmine which he locked in his memory, knowing he'd forever associate those scents to her; he rejoiced in the feel of the soft velvet fabric of her gown under his hand on her waist, knowing that the skin underneath would be a thousand times much more supple.
Harry regrettably became aware that their song was soon coming to an end. He opened his eyes and saw that she, too, had closed hers. The prince moved his head to the side so they were cheek to cheek and as the last chords were being played, he succumbed to the temptation and fleetingly brushed his lips on her shoulder. He heard her gasp along with a few from the crowd around them and felt her shiver.
Harry pulled back; as he released the princess, he was enveloped in coldness and instantly missed the warmth she radiated. With a brilliant smile, the Crown Prince Harry James bowed down as the blushing Crown Princess Hermione Jane curtsied. Then taking her hand, he kissed it and looking into her eyes he said in a sober tone, "I hope you come to realize the truth in what I said to Prince Cedric. I do plan to protect and care for you whether you want me to or not. I also plan to do penance for the many transgressions I committed against you, Princess. But be warned that I intend to never let you go…"
And he didn't for the rest of the night.
At the bed chambers in the west tower of the Ravenclaw castle, another prince awoke, soaked in sweat wearing a troubled look on his face
Heaving, Cedric pushed a hand through his hair. Looking around, he did not see anything amiss. The Crown Prince of Hufflepuff had woken up with a feeling of impending doom. He wracked his brain, trying to recall his dream, but his mind was too clouded. Sitting up abruptly, he knew that something horrendous was about to happen- but what, he did not know.
"I must warn father of this. I will allow him to conduct Legilimency just so that we can find out the vision I had during the night." Prince Cedric thought. He stood up, rushing to prepare himself for the day so he could be at Cho's side to protect her. "But Cho is not the one in danger…or else I would have immediately been able to recall my vision!" Cedric knew that because of the bond he'd since established with his fiancée. He would know if his foresight pertained to her. "If she is not the one in peril, then who?"
Completely frustrated, he hurriedly bathed and dressed for the day. He took his dagger and sheathed it along with his wand and fastened the belt around his waist. "Better to be prepared than to be caught flat footed," he thought. Then he briefly glanced at his reflection in the mirror and exited his bed chambers in search of his father and the love of his life.
At the south tower where the guests from Slytherin resided temporarily in the kingdom of Ravenclaw, a man with platinum blond hair paced before the fireplace, awaiting his son to come out of his bed chambers
"Draco, get up…" Lucius said loudly as he spoke to the wooden door where his son slept. "Draco!"
"Yes, father?" Draco replied, stifling a yawn as he opened the door, dressed for breakfast.
"The plan is to be executed this morning after breakfast, so be prepared for your role," Lucius murmured, looking around afraid that he would be heard.
"Father, I see no reason…" Draco started.
Lucius then backhanded his son across his face. "Traitor! How dare you question this mission we are on?! Do you not know what an honor it is to be so highly trusted by your king for such a pivotal role? Ever since we got here, your behavior has been questionable. I wonder how a son of mine is so weak!" Then he leered at Draco, leaning over him imperiously before asking, "How was your night with that whore from Gryffindor?"
"Father…do not ever call Lady Weasley a whore," Draco countered menacingly. "I will do the bidding of the king-but never, I repeat, NEVER insult Lady Weasley."
"I will do what I want to do. You are only my son Draco; you have no right to ever order me around. Do I make myself clear?" At the silence that answered him, Lucius repeated, enunciating every single word, "Do. I. Make. Myself .Clear?" waiting for his son to reply.
"Yes father, crystal." Draco hissed back and he turned on his heel planning to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast and hoping that Lady Ginny would be down too as they had agreed before her early departure the night before.
"Turn your back to me again before I am finished, Draco, and it may be the last action you may perform on this plane of existence," Lucius called out as he made a grab for his son's shoulders.
"Fine, fine…Are we done now, father?" Draco spat.
At the silence of his father and the scrutinizing stare he gave him, Draco nodded then he hurriedly left the tower, dreading the events to occur after breakfast.
At the Great Hall of Ravenclaw, breakfast was being served; a few round tables were assembled.
"I'm surprised that you'd rather eat breakfast here instead of at your personal chambers, your majesties," Albus said looking at the two couples who entered the Great Hall together, discussing a topic that brought a glow to their faces.
"Albus, we were just talking about the events that took place last night," King James of Gryffindor said while preparing to attack the meal which appeared before him.
"Yes, quite an interesting night... an understatement in description!" King John of Ravenclaw added as he took a bite from his plate, "I was quite unnerved when your son marched over to Hermione and Prince Cedric. Quite an intense young man you've got there, James!"
"Intense indeed," Queen Sara added to her husband's statement. "I, for one, did not know what to do! I saw that Hermione just wanted to escape…Do any of you know what possessed Prince Harry to act that way?" she asked as she looked over to Queen Lily who was seated beside her husband, taking a sip of her hot beverage.
Queen Lily let out an unceremonious snort which added more laughter to those gathered for the early morning feast. "That Sara would be the fault of the Marauders! These men…"
"Elders--dear," James interjected.
"Ah yes, these elders just would not stop needling Harry. Did you know that our son's eyes never strayed from the sight of your beautiful daughter?" the Queen of Gryffindor ended with a giggle.
John's eyes became clouded as he appreciated that his little girl was now a beautiful woman. "When did she grow up all of a sudden? The folly of a father, I guess. In my eyes, my Hermione will always be my little baby girl…" he thought with a sigh.
"Yes, Lily, we noticed that…" John affirmed as he turned to his wife, Sara and took her hand. "And let me add, that the attraction is not one sided, though knowing my dear stubborn daughter, she will try to formulate some sort of reason or calculation to elucidate her emotions. She will deny this fact till Hades freezes over…"
That made all the adults at the table chuckle again. Then they were joined by the two missing Marauders, Duke Sirius Black and Earl Remus Lupin hailing from the Kingdom of Gryffindor, they were closely followed by the ruler of Hufflepuff, King Amos.
"Well, what do we have here? Everyone is in such a good mood-I take it that you were all discussing a very entertaining topic about a certain lion prince and an eagle princess…" Sirius said as he took his seat beside one of his best friends, who just happened to be his king.
"Aye, that we are, mate!" James said, waving them to join the rest of the group already assembled.
"Let the man who produced such a remarkable son through!" John exclaimed looking at King Amos who blushed at the compliment. "I told you, Amos, you did a fine job raising that son of yours. Such a young man with a level head to be able to save a possibly ghastly situation from bearing fruit. Please extend our deepest gratitude to Prince Cedric. We thank him not as the king and queen of Ravenclaw, but as the parents of Hermione…"
"Amos, so do we," James added immediately, then with a sheepish grin he continued, "Sorry though about the impulsive behavior of my own son. It was the fault of these two here." Indicating with a wave of his hand to the remaining Marauders.
"May I remind you, your Majesty." Remus drawled, "That you were there alongside us, pestering your own son?"
"True, Remus. So very true," Lily said as she endearingly ruffled the hair of her husband.
"The younger members of the House of Weasley are just as guilty, dear!" James sputtered.
"So this is how the infamous Marauders conduct themselves when together…" King Amos said, finally able to get his two cents in the fray. He continued, "Lily, I look at you with a new, flagrant, added respect to have to put up with them!"
Again everyone laughed, continuing to eat their breakfast in peaceful camaraderie. Then the atmosphere changed upon the entrance of the father and son from Slytherin who were dressed in black robes. The previously cheerful group swiftly took on a sullen composure. King John, being that he was representing the host kingdom, welcomed the pair, indicating that they should join them, even if not one soul in any of the parties assembled wanted to. But protocol being as it was, the Steward of Slytherin and his heir joined them, the elder Malfoy attempting to smile which became a cross between a grimace and a sneer.
"Good morning everyone, I take it everybody had a restful night sleep as we did?" Lucius Malfoy stated in a soft, cynical voice.
"Yes we did, Lord Malfoy. I am pleased that you found your accommodations on par with your standards. It has been quite a while since anyone ever took residence in the south tower; I was beginning to wonder why it was even erected!" Queen Sara said with an unusually sweet voice, to blunt the double edged meaning of her statement. Some members of the previous group sniggered behind their napkins while others let out a choked cough, looking on admiringly to the Queen of Ravenclaw to deliver such a statement so eloquently.
Lord Malfoy just looked at the Queen and chose not to reply, not like he could answer without getting hexed by the lot at the table. "You will have your day, your Majesty. In fact-it may be this day that I get some payback for that snide speech you delivered," he thought with satisfaction as he took the pretense of attacking his breakfast with fervor.
"Lord Malfoy," Albus Dumbledore started, a rare glint in his eyes, "We seem to have missed your presence so early in the evening. I am surprised that you left so abruptly from the celebrations…"
"Ah, yes. Please excuse me, your majesty," Lucius said while looking directly at King John. "I just felt so exhausted, having arrived just before the coronation ceremonies. Being that I had to attend to many matters before leaving the Kingdom of Slytherin, I did not have the pleasure of coming earlier as the rest did. Please forgive my indiscretion to etiquette of not having bid my leave to the Princess. By the way, how is she this morning? I hope she is not too tired to enjoy the day?"
Draco who had just forked some food into his mouth, suddenly choked at the obvious remark from his father-for him, that is-to fish out some information on the schedule of the princess.
"I believe that she will be having her breakfast in her chambers this morning so she can sleep in a little late. As to whether or not she will be up and about today, I have no idea. I do not keep a close tab on all the details of my daughter's actions during the day," King John replied.
"Speaking of your kingdom, Lucius. How is your king?" Dumbledore inquired.
"There has not been any improvement, I regret saying. As you all know he has been quite ill for the past eighteen years and he does not have the energy to look after the everyday matters of the Kingdom." Lucius lied, trying to avoid the eyes of the overseer of Stonehenge. "If you all knew the truth, you would tremble before the power of my king!" he thought to himself.
Then everyone continued to eat in silence.
Suddenly, Lord Malfoy having finished his breakfast in a rush, stood up and said, "Well as much as I would like to continue being in your company, I have some letters that require I owl them immediately to Slytherin." He then bowed to the lot at the table who nodded their acknowledgments. "Draco…"
"I am not finished, father…" Draco replied.
"Draco, you must assist me in some of the letters I need to get done," Lucius said forebodingly to his son.
"Let the boy be, Lord Malfoy. I am sure that he can find his way back immediately to the south tower as soon as he finishes his meal," Queen Sara said.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, my son has to learn the responsibilities needed as the future steward of Slytherin, as our king does not look like he will be fit to rule any time soon," the present Steward answered her.
Sara held her tongue and looked at the heir of the Steward of Slytherin. She felt sorry for the young boy. She noticed how calculated he acted in the presence of his father, only once did she witness his cold mask fall when encountering a certain red headed lady from Gryffindor.
Draco glanced at the Queen of Ravenclaw, concealing his awe behind a mask of indifference. She was the first person to ever stand up to his father on his behalf-"No, she's the second woman to stand up to father," he thought, recalling his lady from the House of Weasley the night before. Even his own mother never questioned nor answered back to his father for his cause. "I bet my life would have been easier if I had grown up in a different kingdom," he thought, then he immediately reprimanded himself. "Again, where did that sentimental notion come from? I swear, there is something that is making me soft, maybe it's in the water-keep your mind level, Draco! Or it must be the air that is making me act so bloody ridiculous!" With a shake of his head, ridding himself of these ideas, he gave a genuine smile to Queen Sara and then stood up after taking a quick sip from his goblet of pumpkin juice. Bowing to the rest, he followed immediately on the heels of his father, knowing full well what was planned for his day, thinking about it with much trepidation.
Rushing into the Great Hall, a young couple hand in hand barged through the heavy doors, missing the exit of another pair of father and son.
"Father, a word please." The urgency in the voice of Prince Cedric was so evident to his King Amos. Cedric was tightly holding the hand of this fiancée Cho, both were breathless from the run they did in search of the King of Hufflepuff.
King Amos stood immediately as all eyes in the group moved between Amos and Cedric, everyone sobering up. They knew that from the look on both men's faces that Cedric was not the bearer of good news.
"Albus, I believe that we need your assistance in this matter." Amos turned to Dumbledore who had stood up knowing what the King of Hufflepuff needed him to do.
The two other kings had wanted to join them in the private antechamber off the side of the Great Hall, but Dumbledore stopped them by saying, "We will inform you of what the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff envisioned last night, though I ask you to grant us privacy since it is not appropriate to delve into the personal thoughts of another." With that, the duo from Hufflepuff and the overseer of Stonehenge walked to the antechamber.
The group that was left lost their appetite for continuing breakfast as they realized how suddenly their bright morning just turned gray.
XXXXX
At the bedchamber of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw, there was a figure looking out of her window overlooking the Quidditch pitch of her kingdom. She stared unseeingly ahead, nibbling nervously on her thumb. She heard a knock and bid entry to whoever was behind the door.
A member of her personal court and best friend, Luna Lovegood peeked inside. She came in and softly closed the door. "Your highness, you have not touched your food," glancing at the breakfast tray near the bed of her princess. "Do you feel ill?"
The princess smiled still facing her window. She felt ill alright, but it was in the region where her heart was. "Luna, you do not need to keep with formal pretenses in the privacy of my room-you should know that by now." Hermione said.
"Oops, sorry prin-I mean Hermione. I bet a Crumpled-Horn Snorkack just got to me," Luna replied with a giggle and a wave of her hands.
"Forget about it." Hermione shook her head at the weird tangent her friend always seemed to go off on.
Luna then bounced onto the bed of the princess, flipping on her stomach, bending her knees and supporting her weight on her elbows. She looked at the princess and started to probe, "Well, are you going to talk about it or do I have to have garden gnomes pick a game of Quidditch on your brain?"
"There is nothing to talk about, Loony…" using her private nickname for her friend.
Luna let out a very unlady-like snort, the sound almost mimicking a farm animal.
Laughing suddenly, Hermione turned and plopped down ungracefully into the soft cushion chair at her bedside. Then crossing her legs, she looked at Luna and whispered, "Loony, I do not understand what's going on with me. I can't breathe properly, I feel a certain tightness right here," pointing to the middle of her chest. "My mind keeps thinking of…" she sighed "him." The princess then wringing her hands together looked at her friend with wide eyes, "Well?"
"Well what?" Luna said coyly.
"Loony, what is going on?" Hermione asked anxiously "You're the empath! You should be the one who can give a name to what is it I'm experiencing!"
"Ah, well…how do you know that you are not under a nymph's enchantment? I warned you to desensitize the petals that fell on you during your procession!" Luna said, playing with a lock of her flaxen colored hair, trying to evade the princess' question.
"Stop it with your inane correlations, Luna!" Hermione spat. "You know what I'm talking about! Don't make me hex the answer out of you!"
"Hermione, you're the wisest witch alive, how can you not discern for yourself what you're feeling?" Luna groaned, appreciating the uncertainty in her beloved friend's voice. She knew that the princess had already reached the logical conclusion, but reaching the right corollary and accepting it was not one in the same.
"Oh, for bloody sake!" the princess said. "Loony, I know you felt I needed to talk to you, so you came up here by yourself sans the other ladies…Tell me what is it I'm feeling…"
"Princess, be careful what you ask of me. You may not like what you will hear…" Luna warned softly.
"Just tell me, please…" Hermione pleaded.
"You, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger and Heir to the Throne of Rowena are definitely and hopelessly in love with Crown Prince Harry James of the House of Potter and Heir to the throne of Godric..." Luna said smugly.
Shocked, Hermione's jaw dropped as all blood left her face and her eyes grew wide. Luna was right; she did not like what she heard at all.
On the way to the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw, a group of Gryffindor citizens were seen carrying their brooms.
"Well, fess up mate! Don't leave us hanging here, tell us what we need to know!" Lord Ronald Weasley asked his best mate since childhood. He looked at his future king, who had evaded the probing questions of his and his brothers. Since Prince Harry danced with the princess, he noticed a change in his friend, hanging on to her every move the night before. "Merlin, Harry's got it bad-they aren't even in a relationship yet and he's acting like a very whipped man without a doubt!" Ron thought.
"Ron, there is nothing to say, we danced and that was it!" Harry said, carefully checking his voice to remain devoid of any emotion that he felt. He kept his eyes focused forward; concentrating on every step he took, because if he let his sentiments take the better of him, he knew that he'd be skipping around like a ninny!
"That was 'it' indeed…" Sir George Weasley said with a hint of ridicule.
"Indeed, dear brother, that is why when we lost sight of him after the dance, who would have thought that the reputed Prince of the Ladies would be found following the princess like her personal lapdog?" Sir Fred said, agreeing with his twin.
"Lapdog, undeniably!" George placed an arm around the shoulders of his prince, "The Princess' aficionado here did not even stray a good two inches away from the gorgeous vision who we call the Heir of Rowena. Harry, if you plan on being a kept man, at least make it legal…we mustn't let the fairer sex know that we Gryffindor men can easily be kept under foot without a ring around our finger," he concluded, which caused the three Weasley brothers to let out a hearty laugh, much to the annoyance of the prince.
"Honestly! You are all acting like barbaric babies!" Ginny admonished from behind the group.
"Ginny! We didn't see you there…being as pint sized as you are!" Ron stated with a sheepish grin, to which his only sister stuck out her tongue in a childish manner.
"Oh and that was mature, Lady Ginevra?" Fred muttered, and then turned to look at Harry "Now back to this perplexing situation our dear Prince now finds himself in…"
"Sir Fred, I assure you that I am in no situation." Harry answered with shaky conviction as he continued to follow the path to the pitch.
"Yes you are, Harry," George stated knowingly, to which Harry shook his head vigorously.
"I find you confusing," Ron said, pointedly looking at his prince.
"I believe the right word, dear brother, is-besotted," Fred continued.
"I think it's romantic…" Ginny said with a dreamy voice.
"Romantic?" Ron questioned, while taking a side look at his friend who blushed. "My dear innocent sister, our beloved prince only becomes `romantic' as you so described for one reason and one reason alone…I dare not share with you that ulterior motive as to maintain your morals."
Harry suddenly turned to the three gentlemen of his court, glaring at them for all he was worth. "Lord Ronald Bilius Weasley, were you insinuating that I had wanted to merely bed the Princess of Ravenclaw, the heir apparent of Rowena?!" His nostrils flared at the appearance of his notorious temper.
The group abruptly stopped in their tracks, taken aback at the sudden change in demeanor of their usually jovial, carefree prince. Ron recognized the glint in the eyes of his friend. He knew that look and being as close as he was to the prince, he knew that it was time to take cover. Ron gulped rather loudly and his twin brothers' faces grew quite contrite.
"I…I…I was not implying anything, your highness…" Ron said, blushing profusely. Then, taking a deep breath, he gathered his reputed Gryffindor courage and added in a very soft voice, "Harry…what's happening here? What's happening to you?" He knew that his friend would comprehend his rather vague question.
Harry realized that he was contemplating on cursing his best friend to oblivion for his rather off handed insult of the princess. The four members of the House of Weasley watched quietly as their prince's countenance abruptly changed from fury to bemusement and answered Ron in a very confused low voice, "Truthfully Ron, I do not have the slightest idea of what is happening…My mind is in such chaos that I cannot even function properly! One moment I'm so angry at myself for acting so pitifully, and then the next moment I feel like I can walk on air!" The prince ran a hand roughly through his untamable, raven colored hair in a movement of exasperation. "But if any of you do not drop this subject of the princess and me, I may be forced to hex you till next year!" When he looked up at the lot of Weasleys and took in their contrite expressions, he started to grin at the foolishness they had just gone through. "Oi! Come on now, let's forget this conversation ever took place…We're wasting such a good day on such a trivial topic when we could be up in the air picking a game of Quidditch! Let's see if the pitch of Ravenclaw can hold a candle to that of Gryffindor's!" The group's mood lightened.
"Ginny, will Bill and Fleur be joining us?" Fred asked, immediately changing the topic.
"Definitely. In fact, so will Charlie." Ginny answered rapidly.
"Good, but we're two people short to make it an interesting game…" Ron said regrettably. He was hoping to have at least an even group of ten, so that they could have a worthwhile game. He was already running plays in his mind.
Ronald Weasley had an aptitude for strategy, his expertise in wizard chess playing renowned and serving as proof of this, though he was not the sharpest mind when it came to things that mattered to others. He applied his tactical knowledge only in that which interested him, which was chess and Quidditch.
As if an answer to their prayers, a handsome couple came to them from another route, intercepting them before they entered the pitch.
"Oi! Prince Harry!"
"Prince Cedric, fancy meeting you here!" Harry replied warmly, greeting the couple with eagerness, for he was eternally grateful to them. After all, their actions last night on his behalf would keep him forever in their debt.
As Cedric and Cho approached them walking hand in hand, the group noticed that the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff had a strained expression on his face, though it was not that noticeable because of the genuine smile he had on his lips, while his fiancée's eyes had a slightly worried depth in them.
Cedric then said, "Your mum mentioned that you and the members of the House of Weasley were heading this way. Cho and I decided that it was a perfect day for Quidditch and we were hoping to join you."
"Aye, Cedric. We were two people short for a fair game, but you arrived like an answered prayer-as usual." Harry said sheepishly, causing the group to laugh again, knowing what Harry was implying .
"By the way, may I formally introduce the lot of you to my beautiful fiancée, Lady Cho Chang, daughter of the venerable Healer Chang," Cedric said proudly as Cho gave a slight curtsy blushing as she did it.
"Lady Cho, it is a great honor," Harry said as he bowed and taking her hand gave it a swift kiss. "This is Lady Ginevra Molly…"
"Please, I would rather be called Ginny," she said, quite annoyed at the prince for using her full name while she gave a small curtsy.
"Sorry about that. Lady Ginny and this wretched lot which she calls brothers are Lord Ronald and Sirs George and Fred from the House of Weasley. Cedric, we will be shortly joined by the rest. Do you recall Viscount William and his wife Viscountess Fleur? Also Duke Charles shall be rounding out our group of ten." Harry said to take away the formality of having to introduce them when those mentioned would have arrived.
"Aye, I haven't seen Charlie since we had that problem with the dragons in Hufflepuff! I take it that Bill is now a kept man?" Cedric inquired, to which he received an elbow to his ribs from his fiancée and a glaring look from the only red headed female in the group.
"Kept? I'd say chained would be a better description!" Fred said, suddenly getting whacked by his sister.
The group of men grinned knowingly while the females in their presence gave them piercing looks.
"Let's warm up while waiting, shall we?" Ron said. Not waiting for a reply, he flew off toward the rings, subtly declaring that he would play keeper for one of the teams. The rest of the group looked up at him and shook their heads in amusement as they got on their brooms and took off as well.
The late midmorning sun warmed the autumn air slightly as a pair of women walked though the back court yard leading to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, they were whispering amongst themselves, giggling as they strolled slowly.
"Honestly, Luna! I felt no different dancing with the Prince of Gryffindor as I did with the Prince of Hufflepuff. In fact, I would like to state that the best dance partner I had was the Heir to the Steward of Slytherin!" Hermione said, glancing at her friend waiting for a reaction that she knew she'd get.
"Hermione! It's like comparing a wyvern to a skrewt and a flobberworm…No comparison whatsoever!" Luna said matter-of-factly.
"Loony, the correlations you use can make a sane mind spin!" Hermione said, not containing the giggle which erupted from her, for she was feeling giddy, after all.
"All I am saying is the sooner the two of you admit to it, the better for all of us!" Luna replied. Suddenly she pulled out her wand that she had twisted to hold her hair in a bun, causing her ash blond hair to tumble below her shoulders. Then as her eyes widened she spun around ready to protect her princess.
The sudden change of mood demonstrated by her close friend made Hermione's awareness of the area heighten. She too had unsheathed her wand from her side, aiming it towards an unseen enemy. "What did you sense, Luna?" Hermione asked in a soft voice as her eyes wandered around their surroundings.
"I could have sworn that there was a surge of dark aura. Do you have an idea on whether the anti-Apparition wards are still intact?" Luna whispered, still turning her head from side to side. She clutched the elbow of the princess and started rushing her out of the courtyard. Being an empath, Luna immediately sensed a threatening presence in close proximity.
"Your highness, might I suggest," Luna said, not once did her quickened steps falter as she led the princess across the court yard, "that the sooner we arrive at the Grand Library, the better for…"
Luna was not able to finish her statement as they heard thunderous steps approaching them and a loud rumble as an unusually large troll came charging towards them. The club he was carrying rose over his head, ready to attack the two females. Then in the chaos caused by an empath pulling the wisest witch of the age it happened, the princess stumbled backward as she tripped over a loose stone backing away and while at the same time being hauled by her friend. Her wand dislodged from her hand as she crashed to the ground, dragging her friend with her. The two froze, watching in slow, dreaded anticipation for the troll's club to come crashing down towards them. Together they let out a blood curling scream which was heard through the castle.
In a shady corner of the courtyard, a father and son team was waiting, the father giving last minute instructions to his son.
"Draco, do not mess up this assignment. You best remember the first priority of this mission?"
"Yes, father. I should come out as the Princess is about to be attacked by the troll Pettigrew smuggled inside. Then as I save her, the Kingdom of Ravenclaw shall forever be in debt to the Kingdom of Slytherin." The younger Malfoy answered, resigned to the fact that he would be doing this unpleasant task at hand.
"Good. Now get ready…" the hooded figure whispered as he stepped back into the shadows to observe the culmination of his king's plan in action.
Draco had his wand ready and pressed his back against the wall. He was all set to rescue the princess. However, both father and son had not anticipated the companion of the Princess of Ravenclaw that morning. He heard his father hiss as they observed the lady with ash blond hair suddenly pull out her wand, turning to their hiding place but not seeing them. Then the plan was swiftly executed, as the troll stumbled in and the pair ran. Draco readied himself, placing a practiced surprised expression as if he just happened to chance upon the encounter. As he jumped out, ready to complete his mission on the cue of the princess' and her companion's scream, the unexpected occurred. Ten figures on brooms suddenly appeared overhead! Draco almost lost his own composure and abruptly caught himself from letting out his own scream at the sudden intrusion; he couldn't back out now seeing on the expressions of the other rescue party that they had seen him.
Ahead of the group, Draco saw a very determined, very furious prince hailing from Gryffindor swoop from above. He jumped off his broom and stood between the fallen princess and her attacker, his wand ever ready, the tip of which was glowing, prepared to spit out a spell. The right hand of the prince extended and Draco heard the prince shout, "ACCIO SWORD!" Then after a few moments, he saw from the corner of his eye a silver blade charging towards him. He ducked in time as the sword of Gryffindor answered the call of its master and landed in the prince's hand.
Draco ran to the scene, suddenly aware that the hair on his nape standing, knowing fully well that the plan had gone hideously wrong, but trying to recover it the best way he could. His blood was pumping and he was ready to pull the princess to safety, letting Prince Harry deal with the dirty work. Draco witnessed twelve different spells including his own and the princess' companion's, hitting the targeted troll; a bunch of stupefying, conjunctivitis curses, jelly leg jinxes and even a `wingardium leviosa' hit the troll one after another as the Prince of Gryffindor took the stance of charging the troll with his sword preparing to give the final blow. The troll for its part, took a step back as the spells and hexes hit it. Blinded, confused, and livid, it swung its club, thrashing about, just wanting it to come in contact with anything. Then Draco, with his hand almost reaching the shoulder of the princess, halted as he saw a familiar fiery red haired petite figure on a broom hovering too close for his comfort to the swinging bat.
The Heir to the Steward of Slytherin felt his heart jump into his throat, as he saw the tip of the offending club come in contact with his lady's broom and she lost her balance and started to fall. He heard her scream mingling with that of her brothers' own. Forgetting the primary task at hand of saving the princess, Draco leapt into action.
Using a stone bench close by for leverage, he lunged into space, caught his woman of fire and ice in midair, and as they tumbled, he twisted in order to bear the brunt of their combined weight as they came crashing down, his wand in one hand ready to fire any spell to shield them from whatever the overwhelmed troll's next step would be and his other arm securely fastened around his rescued lady, holding her as close to him as he possible could.
Then Draco heard another scream coming from the princess who had gathered her bearings and now stood as she was straining against her companion's resilient grip pulling her away. He then became aware of the men in the group surrounding the troll and trying to contain it while two women were floating above, still casting hexes. The Prince of Gryffindor stormed toward the troll, his sword piercing the tough flesh on the troll's thigh. Draco's gray eyes widened as he took in the next unforeseen action of the troll grabbing the leg of the assailing prince and raising him over its head and brought the prince hurtling back to earth.
Hours after the pickup game started and a few moments before the attack of the troll began…
The Prince of Gryffindor, along with citizens of his court whom he identified as his second family and another royal member from the lineage of Helga with his fiancée was in the middle of their third round in a pick game of Quidditch on the pitch of Ravenclaw. They were laughing and mocking each other in good fashion as they played. The two princes were the seekers of their opposing teams, which were each composed of a seeker, a keeper, two chasers, and a single beater. They had wanted to play with complete ranks but they had to make do without due to the shortage of players. The teams were both at a draw, winning a game each and this one would be the clincher of which team would have bragging rights the rest of the day, as they were starting to grow tired and their stomachs were telling them that lunch was fast approaching.
"Give it up, Potter! You not only lack in experience but also talent, boy!" Prince Cedric yelled with emphasis on the word `boy' even though he was only a mere year older than the prince with jet black hair. The two hovered a few meters above the rest of the players as they kept an eye out for a glimpse of a small golden ball with wings whose capture would end the game.
"Diggory, since I was taught to respect my elders, I will not supply you with a reply to that statement." Prince Harry tauntingly drawled back, then Harry stiffened as he saw the light of the sun catch on a glint of gold floating near the opposite side of the pitch near the rings, both the seekers were at an equal distance from it-being that they were almost side by side in flight, and both were on Firebolts, the fastest known brooms created.
So the race to catch the snitch was on, both princes crouching low on their broomsticks to lessen air resistance and make up for velocity. They were neck to neck, trying to bump each other off course from their intended goal. Out of the blue, the princes heard a spine-chilling screech and they turned toward each other simultaneously, forgetting the tiny golden ball. They both changed their course towards the sound, mutually aware that the other members of their group were following them as the good game came to an abrupt stop.
Harry's awareness heightened as he immediately recognized the owner of the scream, though it was combined with another feminine voice. His heart raced as he felt a sudden panic wash over him. "Please be okay…Please be okay, hold on Luv, I'm coming…Please be okay!" he thought, trying to stretch out his thoughts to the princess for comfort, paying little attention to the unexpected endearment he used. He sped off, not knowing that he left the other prince in his trail. What he saw shocked him!
There were three figures in the courtyard below, two with blond hair - one lighter than the other and a brunette with auburn highlights, who was on her bum. Harry glimpsed a moment earlier the only defense of the princess, her wand, flying out of her hand as she stumbled backwards, her blond female companion trying to pull the princess away as best she could and the male blond approaching them with his wand trained at the troll that was readying its club to come crashing down on the princess.
"Bloody hell! What's a troll doing out in the middle of the day?!" Harry fleetingly thought, anger and resolve filling him as he jumped down from his broom to at least provide his body as a screen between the woman who he swore to protect and the offensive creature before her, summoning his sword simultaneously.
He let out a stupefying hex as he prepared himself to attack the troll with his sword, vaguely aware of the burst of colors from the other spells discharged. Harry would make sure that this troll would pay with its pathetic life for its audacious idea of assaulting the Princess of Ravenclaw. In his field of vision, he saw the Weasley men and the Prince of Hufflepuff, who had all mimicked his action and jumped off their brooms as well, surrounding the troll, stepping back then charging as the troll whipped about in crude movements, each throwing off hexes and a few daggers which were now embedded in the troll's body. Harry charged, feeling his sword make contact and took a few steps to the side in an attempt to slice its leg off. Then he felt his world turning upside down, literally, as the troll grabbed him by one leg and raised him into the air in a last ditch effort to protect itself. Harry knew that it would be his head that would bear the full force of impact so he bent himself at his waist and as he came crashing down, he heard the princess' scream and nonchalantly thought, "Well, I hope she realizes that I was serious in my promise to protect her…" as his body made contact with the hard stone floor of the courtyard and distinctly felt small hands pulling at him as darkness finally envelop him.
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"How can a simple plan go unbelievable wrong in so short a time!" the hooded figure thought as he observed an erroneous scene unfolding before his eyes. He turned his head toward the sound of sprinting footsteps coming towards them, turning to the man that shifted before him from a rat as the troll entered he hissed, "Pettigrew, do not report what just happened--yet! Shift back to your Animagus form and wait for my further instructions. I need to try to recover what little good can still come out of this…"
"Yes, mi'lord," Peter muttered as he began shifting.
When the hooded figure saw the rat scurrying off, he took off his dark cloak which had the markings of the Death Eater emblem, inverted it to display the insignia of Slytherin, and came out of the shadows as if his true intention was that he had heard the screaming and accidentally encountered the events and lending his assistance.
The Steward of Slytherin was seething under his cool demeanor. He had just witnessed his son's rescue of the wrong maiden.
"He was so close to salvaging this mission," he said to himself as he reflected upon the sight of Draco reaching for the princess and then suddenly being in the air, heading in another direction, catching the red headed woman "What the hell was he thinking?! The object of today's plan went completely off beam, and the worst of it is that Pettigrew witnessed my son's rescue of the wrong woman! There will be hell to pay upon our return to Slytherin! I have to do something-anything to redeem this fiasco! " Then meeting up to the running posse from the castle, he began his charade.
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"What the blazes?!" King John exclaimed.
A meeting at the east solarium was once again being held when shattering screams abruptly ended the discussion about security as the group of rulers, royalty, Aurors, an overseer and a caretaker stood up immediately to investigate. The women rushed to the window as the Queen of Gryffindor let out a loud gasp at seeing her son zoom by on his broomstick followed closely by another prince who was pursued closely by a group consisting of three women and five men with unbelievably red hair.
The group simultaneously took out their wands as the Queen of Ravenclaw unsheathed her sword which was immediately conjured to her side as her husband looked at her with apprehension, she gave him an assuring smile and ran to the scene of the crime along with the others, the overseer being absent from the group as he Apparated immediately since he was the only one to do so despite the anti-Apparition wards in effect around the castle.
When Dumbledore arrived at the courtyard, he was stunned at the scene before him. Before he could prevent Prince Harry from attacking the troll with his sword, his attention shifted toward the shady area of the corridor just off the courtyard. As he approached, he heard whispering, then something brushed against his foot which he knew was not coincidental. Before he could get to the spot, the Steward of Slytherin came out, as if out of breath from running toward the commotion, his wand ever ready as if to lend a hand.
But Albus was not the greatest wizard since Merlin for nothing and he knew that this man had something to do with this incident, yet he had to prove it. He glanced over at the setting before him and saw that the other guest from Slytherin was tenderly holding a young lady from the House of Weasley, protecting her from the rampaging troll while the others were trying to stun it or at least control it. Since he shifted his attention, he was not able to avert the attack of the blinded, wounded troll on the young Prince of Gryffindor. Dumbledore was about to levitate an unconscious Harry from his dangerous position under the troll's feet when he saw the fair princess struggling against her friend's hold. When she had broken free, Albus knew that the scene was about to take a more unpleasant turn. Apparating to be in the midst of the fighting and ready to end this, he was dumbfounded at the power of the princess as she protected the prince and shouted out her curse.
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"NO! LET ME GO! HARRYYYY!" Hermione screamed, she felt like she was being torn apart, Luna was tugging her so hard one way as she was viciously pulling herself the other way towards Harry. She clawed at the hands preventing her from reaching the Prince from Gryffindor. "I said LET ME GO!" Her eyes were staring at the motionless body of the prince. Fear gripped her being when she saw the feet of the troll stomping peculiarly too close. Then she finally tore herself free of the hands clutching her and ran to the form of Prince Harry. On her way she seized her wand and then collapsed over the unconscious prince, protecting him with her own body.
Hermione then looked up and aimed her wand at the troll now looming overhead as she roared, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS" A blue bubble surrounded herself and Prince Harry simultaneously as her spell spouted out of her wand.
Silence followed and suddenly a loud boom was heard throughout the castle as the troll, limbs frozen at its sides, toppled over. Those under its path shot out of the way. Everyone was stunned as they took in the sight before them: the princess of Ravenclaw pressed on top of the still unmoving body of the prince of Gryffindor, trying to shield him from further damage, their forms nonetheless surrounded by a fading blue light.
Slowly Hermione lifted her head, knowing that the troll was now down. She kept her concentration trained only on the man under her. A powerful sensation filled her, unaware and uncaring of the others around her, the princess touched the face of her hero of sorts tenderly. She whispered, "Harry, come on, luv. Quit playing around, please open your eyes…Let me see those wonderful green eyes again…"
Hermione felt tears starting to sting her eyes. She knew the prince of Gryffindor was alive, his warm breath had confirmed that; she could not see any major blood pool, only a few scratches on his face. His glasses were shattered so Hermione lifted her wand, and touching the tip to his spectacles, she muttered, "Occulus Reparo" and his glasses were as good as new. She became aware of a loud gasp as the Queen of Gryffindor appeared at her side. Both women looked at each other as the older members from the east solarium arrived, taking in the utter devastation of the attack.
"I am so sorry," Hermione said under her breath as she regarded the pained expression of the mother to the man who stood between her and certain death.
Queen Lily saw the princess' eyes filled with hurt, fear, gratitude and…love. She took the hand of the princess and held it tightly. Lily knew that this woman would now be so much a part of her son's life as she was, "There is nothing to be sorry for, Princess." Lily looked up as a shadow was cast over them; she saw her husband and the parents of Princess Hermione standing above them, Queen Sara bending down as she took hold of the shoulders of her daughter in a hug.
"Come now, Hermione, let the healers do their duty," Queen Sara whispered to her daughter.
"No." Hermione replied flatly.
"It will be fine, Hermione," Queen Lily assured, "This is nothing for Harry. He once fell down from a height of fifty meters during a game of Quidditch, so a troll slamming him to the ground is the equivalent of a simple rap on the head for my son. And take it from me - Harry has a head as resilient as granite." Lily was trying to interject humor to comfort the princess. Her husband James was readying their son to be levitated back to the north tower.
"Please…" Hermione pleaded, not knowing why. She just felt a natural compulsion to remain in the prince's presence. Feeling a strong hand on her shoulder, she looked up and saw Prince Cedric had joined their group.
"Sis, Harry needs to be attended to immediately. You can accompany him if you want, but let the healers take over for now." Cedric explained softly. He himself was frustrated at the turn of events. "What's the use of having the power of foresight if you cannot prevent harm from falling on those you care for?" he thought, wishing he could have changed the situation.
"No, it's my fault he was harmed. He kept on telling me last night that he swore he'll be my protector…In fact…" Hermione pointed out, a rise of anger welling up in her as realization dawned on her, "it is more your fault, Cedric!" She spat out. "If you had not put that preposterous notion in Prince Harry's brain that he was to be my protector, he would not be lying here at Death's door! You placed that responsibility on his shoulders! He told me that he will not allow any harm to befall me because of your ridiculous statement!" Hermione was heaving again; a strong gust was felt by everyone assembled in the courtyard as the air cracked with energy from the elemental magic which was caused by the princess' emotions. "It's as much your fault as it was mine!" Hermione continued shouting as she stood up and started pounding the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff on his chest, who for his part, let her lash out at him standing stoically.
Cedric knew that it would help this woman whom he had adopted as his sibling if she let out her emotions instead of keeping them inside. Also because of her position as an heir, she would be forced to keep up with appearances and keep a tight handle on her feelings. A sharp intake of breath called the attention of Cedric to the companion of the princess. He knew that the ash blond woman was a member of the Hermione's entourage. She had her hands pressed at her temples as her knees buckled, and Lord Ron Weasley being the closest to the lady, caught her in his arms before she fell to the ground.
"Make her stop!" Luna moaned, while rubbing her hands at the side of her head, "Please, your highness -stop!" Being an empath, she was suddenly assaulted by the rush of powerful emotions. She tried to control the battering sensations washing over her which were projected by the princess.
"It's your fault…Your fault!" Hermione kept chanting and pounding at Cedric who now had wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to stop the princess from unintentionally harming her friend any further. As suddenly as Hermione's tirade began so did it end and she slumped weakly in his arms, sobbing wildly as she covered her face with her hands. Looking up at the Prince of Hufflepuff, she said in a hoarse voice, "I am so sorry," realizing what just happened.
"It is okay," Cedric murmured in her hair. "Princess, Prince Harry should be transferred now…" As she nodded, King James flicked his wand and with a heavy heart, levitated his injured son.
Everyone in the courtyard looked on as the prince was floating on air, trailed by his parents and a group of healers, who were flicking their wands as well, trying to assess the damage sustained by the heir of Godric. The Princess of Ravenclaw, supported by the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff followed too.
One thought entered everyone's mind, be it for different intent-"How could a day that started out delightfully end so badly?"[Author ID1: at Mon Nov 20 17:59:00 2006 ]
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A/N: Again I hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter…not as long as the previous chapter but I think it's just the right length. Just tell me what you think about it! :D
Teaser: Chapter 7 just shows us how valuable the Princess of Ravenclaw is to the Prince of Gryffindor as the Princess weaves her magic and another plan is being hatched this time by the Prince of Gryffindor…
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