Chapter Text
Hermione was already dressed in her PJs and was enjoying a cup of tea before heading off to bed when there came a knock on the door of their suite.
Hermione looked up, bemused. She wasn’t expecting anyone and going by the confusion on Draco and Luna’s face, the only other people still up, neither were they.
Draco open the door and stepped out. She couldn’t make out the words in the quiet murmur, but Draco came over to her a moment later.
“It’s a Gryffindor, apparently a Ron Weasley needs to talk to you.” He spoke.
“Oh,” Hermione got up. It was very unlike Ron to ask to see her this late. It must be important.
She switched out her PJ’s for a simple robe, then paused at the disapproving looks she was getting from the other two. Harry would be furious if he found out she left their rooms without a guard. But he was dead to the world, having pushed himself extremely hard lately and only reluctantly gone to bed earlier after Hermione nagged him.
She didn’t want to wake him and ruin all her hard work. And yet she didn’t want to go by herself, as that would only convince Harry to never believe her when she said she would be safe.
“Draco, can you quietly ask Padfoot whether he can escort me?” Hermione said. Draco’s lips twitched, but he nodded and headed to the boy’s dorm. He was thinking the same thing she was. Harry was convinced no other male could protect her as well as he could. But would settle for a fifty kg mass of snarling fangs and superior sense as a substitute.
“Draco and I will stay until you return.” Luna said dreamily. “To fulfil the court awareness of your location.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Luna was right. The rest of the court were far less likely to be annoyed if some of their members knew where she was.
Padfoot came out of the dorm, eyes bright and tail wagging. He pranced over to her side, nudging her eagerly. Hermione tried to frown at him but failed at the joyful exuberance.
“You, mister, are just hoping for some mischief and chaos, aren’t you?”
Padfoot gave a soft bark, not denying it. Draco snorted as he left the dorm and offered his cupped hands to her. Trevor was sitting in them, blinking slowly.
“Take him for backup. The flashing fangs will distract everyone. They won’t realise the genuine danger until too late.”
Hermione nodded her head. She doubted it would be needed, but there was no harm in being overly prepared.
“Is that alright with you Sir Toad?” She asked. Trevor blinked again, then climbed from Draco’s hand up onto Hermione’s shoulder before making himself a hidden cave in her hair. No one would see him unless he was needed.
“My hair?” Hermione asked. It was currently down, forming a wild fuzzy cloud around her head and shoulders. She trusted her court and didn’t see a reason to pull it up when she was relaxing with them. But now that she was about to go out, even if it was late and she wouldn’t meet many people, she couldn’t leave it as it was.
Draco cast a simple spell, stopping any of her hair from being stolen, then conjured a white silk scarf. He placed it on her head and tied it behind her neck, making sure it still hid Trevor and he could get out should he want to.
“It’s night Lady, none can say anything against such simplicity.”
She nodded and squeezed his hand in thanks before heading off.
It was Dean who was waiting outside. He simply blinked at Padfoot before leading them towards Gryffindor tower. Hermione was secretly grateful for all the public appearances she had been doing with the Familiars. People had rapidly lost their instincts to scream and flee at the sight of them.
Dean didn’t take her to the common room, but to a classroom nearby. Inside was a pale faced Ron with his older twin brothers trying to comfort him.
“What happened?” She asked as Dean headed off.
“Lavender’s pregnant.” Ron whispered shamefully.
“Oh,” Hermione said, surprised. They were terribly young. She could see why he was panicking.
“Buck up Ron, it might not be as bad as you think.” Fred said.
“Yeah, this might benefit you.” George added. “You have proof now that you’re a breeder.”
Hermione's face scrunched at that. What a weird and rather tasteless thing to say.
Ron shook his head despondently. “Lavender said she will have to think about the parental rights.” Both twins frowned.
“I don’t understand?” Hermione said. “What parental rights?” this wasn’t something that had been brought up in her time with the Fae.
Fred wrapped his arm around Ron’s shoulder as the younger boy buried his face in his hands.
George face was twisted with unhappiness as he explained.
“Children in the Wixen world belong to their mothers. Whether the father gets any part in their lives entirely depends on the witch in question.”
Hermione blinked in shock. This was not going how she expected.
“I did not know, that’s horrible.”
George shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“What about the fact they are so young?” Hermione asked. Did the Wixen world have the same taboo on teenage pregnancy as the muggle world?
“It’s a bonus for Lavender and mark against Ron.”
“What? Why?”
“Witches have a hard time conceiving. So, the fact Lavender has done so early in her life makes her desirable. Most courts will offer her a place. As every child she has will boost their numbers.
As for Ron, if Lavender doesn’t take him with her as a breeding pair, then it will be held against him. For allowing another court to have a child instead of keeping it for his own.”
This all sounded ridiculous to Hermione. Which made it right about par for the Wixen world.
“Come on,” she said to Ron, pulling him up and giving him a hug. “Let’s go and talk to Snape. He will have some advice on what to do about this.”
The twins gave Ron a hearty pat on the back before fading off while Hermione sent a Patronus to Draco and Luna letting them know where she was headed. She couldn’t help feeling for the young boy tucked under her arm. While she had learnt a lot at the Aos Sí courts, she remembered nothing like this happening. Or maybe it had. There had been plenty of pregnancies celebrated at both courts. But she had never seen what occurred with the male end of the equation.
Severus opened the door to his office, somehow unsurprised to see Hermione, although the Gryffindor fourth year male by her side was an unusual accomplice. He poked his head out, looking for another member of her court, but only found the damn mutt brushing past his legs into the room.
If her court thought the Grim was all the escort she needed, then he certainly would not say otherwise. He really didn’t need the damn mutt proving just how good he was.
As he walked back to his desk, he saw a tiny webbed hand wave from beneath Hermione’s headscarf. Huh, Severus thought. So, the mutt was the bait and distraction then. Making people think Hermione was lightly protected when she had a hidden tank up her sleeve, or under her scarf, as the case may be.
“What seems to be the issue?” He asked, standing by his desk as Hermione hovered over the seated student.
“I’m going to become a Rove!” Ron wailed in despair.
Severus blinked. That was no light declaration. He looked at Hermione for more clarification even as he withdrew a calming draft for the now sobbing child.
“He got another student pregnant,” Hermione replied. “What’s a Rove. And is Ron really going to become one?”
Severus felt dread settle in his stomach. Both at the situation the foolish child had gotten himself into and at the queen’s question. So that part of her education had not been covered then.
“A Rove is an undesired male. One that either has no desirable qualities, so he can’t even find a position as a grunt in the thirteen circle. Or one that is so tainted no Queen will accept them. And yes, Mr Weasley’s actions leave him open for such possibility.”
Hermione did not look thrilled with this answer.
“How do you cope?” A falsely calm Ron asked, staring at him. “Is there any advice you can give me?”
“Wait, you’re a Rove?”
Severus withheld a sigh. Hermione was uncommonly smart. She would have figured it out herself sooner rather than later. How she had gone this far without overhearing it from one of the other Pureblood students he didn’t know and guessed that her own dramas over the years had kept her uninterested in anything else the student were gossiping about.
“You have gallons of brilliant qualities.”
Severus had to smile at her coming to his defence.
“Be as that may be, it doesn’t take away my taint.” He twitched his left forearm. She frowned but didn’t argue it any further.
“I have been uncommonly lucky that a Mangus took pity on me and has kept me under his protection. I know of no other rove that is as blessed as I. My advice is to do everything in your power, not to become one. Professor Dumbledore is the only known Magus in the whole of Brittan. And he is getting rather old now. You don’t want to pin your hopes on him.”
Severus wasn’t sure if Neville had reached Magnus level or not, but it was pointless in either case. Neville belonged to a court. And regardless of your power level, the Queen always had a final say in decisions like this. He walked over to Ron and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as Hermione paced around the room, absorbing all he had revealed.
“If the pregnant witch denies your parental right, perhaps your birth court might take you back. They could get away with calling it sentiment. No other court will take you for they will be seen as weak.”
“Indeed?” came a voice filled with icy disdain.
Severus froze.
That wasn’t the voice of his ward, but of a pissed off Queen. Ron was pale face and staring wide eyed at something just past Severus’ shoulder. Severus gave into his instincts, throwing himself to his knees, ignoring the pain of slamming them onto unforgiving stone. He tilted his head back, baring his throat and raised his hand palms up, begging for supplication.
“Milady, forgive me.” He breathed out.
In his peripheral vison he saw Ron hastily assume the same position. Most of his focus was on the upset predator stalking around them.
Hermione shot him a furious look, but Severus refused to move from this position or say anything else. He was a Rove. The lowest of low. There was nothing he could say in his defence, no excuses that would remove the blame from him. His only option was to accept whatever the Queens accused him of and then pray they were a pleased with his submission.
Even with Hermione, who he had helped raise and was one of his favourites, he would not act differently. He would not dare to assume that he could argue for his rights. He had been a Rove long enough now to know there was only so far a queen who was fond of him will allow him to go.
Hermione stopped before him. There was no hint of the child, the bookworm, know-it-all teacher’s pet. This was a powerful queen. Her very hair crackled with her anger. Not even dressed in a plan robe could deter her authority.
“What are you apologising for?” She asked dangerously quiet.
Severus swallowed the lump in his throat as his heart sank. So, it was going to be this way then. Severus had been here before. Other queens had loved making him confess his sins both real and imagined. He had not thought Hermione would enjoy such games, but it seemed she changed a lot with her time in the Sídhe realms. Severus would begin with the truth and work from there and hope that one of them would suit Hermione’s need. He would then take whatever punishment she devised and thank her for the privilege.
“I delivered news you did not want to hear,” Severus began. “I....”
Hermione held up her hand, halting him.
“Is what you said the truth?”
Severus closed his eyes. He wished she hadn’t given him the chance to change his answer. For he knew this would come back to haunt him when he was suffering through whatever she devised as punishment. The thought that he could have avoided all this if he had just told her what she wanted to hear. He bitterly wished he could be that sort of man. A sycophant who could say sweet lies and flattery to those he wished to appease. While he was a brilliant liar, it was in his role as a spy. He found he could not give up his morals even to please his favourite queen.
“All I have said this evening was the truth.” He confirmed.
Hermione strode towards him, eyes flashing, and Severus braced himself for what was coming next. Would her punishment involve pain? Or humiliation? He did not think she would be the sort to indulge in torture, but couldn’t say that with complete certainty. Whatever it was, he would accept it and, if Lady Fate was kind, still be able to work his way back into her good graces.
Hermione grabbed the hair on the back of his head, tilting him further.
PAIN.
Sudden and sharp, it bloomed from high upon his throat, instantly throbbing with his heartbeat. A heartbeat that paused then restarted at double time as the next sensation washed over him.
CLAIM
Hermione had marked him once again. Her teeth pressed so firmly into his skin he was sure some of them had broken it. Already he could feel the blood collecting to the area.
This was not a punishment, but a reassurance.
The mark would be dark purple and stand out like a beacon come the morning. Letting all and sundry know a queen favoured him so. Severus felt his limbs become weak as relief washed through him. He had to choke back a sob, his emotions battering him before his occlumency took hold of them. It seemed his knowledge about what Hermione would do was wrong, but in the most delightful of ways.
He looked up to see furious but kind eyes observing him carefully. Scrutinizing him for harm or injury.
“Look after Ron,” was all she said.
But her hand was gentle as it cupped the back of his head. The other hand cupped the side of his face as she gazed down at him. Severus couldn’t help leaning into that hand, starved for a friendly touch from a Queen. He was rewarded with a thumb stroking once over his cheek. Then she turned and stormed out of his office.
“Wow,” Came Ron’s weak voice. Eyes wide from what he had witnessed, all thought of his appending doom wiped temporarily from his mind.
Severus was far too limp to even attempt to move. Not wanting to reveal just how affected he was, he to use this as a teaching moment. Anything to prolong having to get up.
“Remember this. You will never see a Queen’s mercy like this again.” He told the boy. “Perhaps if you end up with an uncommonly kind queen, you might see five acts of queen’s mercy over your lifetime. But what you witnessed here was something to be told to your grandchildren. I have never heard of a Queen granting unconditional mercy to a male not part of her court. Let along to a Rove when they have angered her.”
Ron nodded in agreement.
“Come, you will stay here with me. For all the mercy she had shown I would not want to be a Gryffindor tonight.”
Hermione stormed to Gryffindor tower. Everything she had learnt this night swirled in her head, adding fuel to her rage. That two males that she was friends with were so affected by the Wixen stupidity made this very personal for her.
She burst into the common room, unsurprised to find it full with students. Even when she lived there, the students did not adhere to a bedtime. Add in some prime drama like this and there wouldn’t be a single student in bed.
There was a rippling effect as students noticed her and scrambled to get out of her way. Padfoot silently snarling at her side help encourage them to move.
“Oh la, I get so tired. It’s difficult creating a new life, you know,” came Lavender’s proud voice. Hermione turned in that direction, spotting her prey seated in the most comfortable chair by the fire, with extra cushion and blankets covering her.
“You positively glowing already.” Pavarit gushed. Lavender flicked her golden hair, smiling.
“Oh, do you think so?”
The surrounding crowd agreed before freezing as Hermione pushed her way forwards. Without saying a word, she grabbed Lavender by her arm and reefed her out of the chair. Spinning her aside before sitting down in Lavender’s spot. Hermione then released her arm, settling herself admit the cushion.
“This is my chair,” she drawled.
She had learnt how to play power games from the best. The fourteen-year-old girl was hopelessly outclassed. Lavender nodded uneasily and went to go sit in the chair to her right.
“You look tied,” Hermione said a smile on her lips but not in her eyes.
“Oh, um yes,” Lavender stammered.
“Go to bed.” Hermione ordered the smile disappearing.
Lavender looked around, but no one spoke up. She bobbed a curtsy, trying to hind her annoyance at losing her audience before climbing the stairs. The rest of the fourth years girls stood up to join her.
Hermione clicked her tongue, stopping them.
“She is tied,” she drawled. “Busy creating a new life. You will not disturb her. You can stay here with me.”
The girls gave awaked bows. Hermione gestured for them to sit back in their chairs. Where before it honoured them to sit so close to a pregnant witch, now they had to suffer the displeasure that radiated from Hermione. What had started as a prize worth fighting over was now a punishment they couldn’t escape from.
“Come,” Hermione addressed the rest of the frozen common room. “I interrupted your celebration of such ‘joyful news’’ the words were said with such scorn that many people flinched. “I insist we keep celebrating. Start the music up, bring out the drinks.”
The music started again, and they handed drinks around. People continued to mill in their groups. But where before the room had been filled with rambunctious chatter and loud laughter, it had awkward conversations and a nervous air.
The bright, cheerful music was jarring to the senses in the tension filled room. All anyone wanted to do was escape this mockery of a celebration. And yet the Queen sitting on the handmade throne was watching them all with hard, cruel eyes. No one dared go against her commands.
The Weasley Twins and Ginny were the first to gather up their courage and stand before the furious queen.
“Milady, may we approach?” Fred asked. Hermione flickered her fingers in an elegant move, allowing them to come closer.
“This is not a celebration for us, but a reminder of our brother’s mistake.” George said. “We would like to be excused.”
Hermione scanned each of them.
“Granted,” her voice came out cold and dismissive.
None of the Weasley’s looked a gifted horse in the mouth but hurriedly disappeared upstairs. Their retreat was watched with envious eyes. And the brains started thinking.
Slowly in groups of two or three people approached Hermione and told her why this wasn’t a celebration for them. Why they did not take pleasure in Lavender’s good news. And slowly over the next couple of hours, the common room emptied. Until it was just the fourth years girls. Hermione refused to allow them to lie to her and tell her they weren’t excited. And so, the girls had to put up with the loud annoying upbeat music, with a room echoing with how empty it was. They had to suffer the full attentions of a dangerous predator with nowhere to hide and no one else to draw her attentions.
“I’m bored, Entertain me.” The queen drawled.
Shivering with fear, the girls did everything they could to keep her occupied. Stories and whispers about the Sídhe realm had been running ramped ever since the court returned from that realm. The one thing that continued to stay true no matter which rumour you heard was the cruelty of the Sídhe. None of the girls wanted to find out what cruelty Hermione had learnt in that realm.
All the while Lavender was stuck in a room all alone with no one to celebrate her good news or shower her with attention. She heard the party rage on for hours after the Queen banished her. All of her friends abandoned her for the far more popular Queen in their midst. To top it all off, she was feeling queasy. So far, this pregnancy lark wasn’t working out how she expected it to go.
Severus sat at the head table cradling a cup of tea as he watched the students both from Hogwarts and the other two schools slowly trickle in for breakfast. The amount of gossiping was twice as much as normal. And they shot many a questioning look towards the small table where Hermione’s court sat for meals.
He wondered what had happened last night in Gryffindor tower. Nothing too drastic as Minerva was muttering over the daily prophet like normal and not complaining to Poppy and him over the latest saga her lion cubs got up to.
Most of the Gryffindors looked tired, but that told him nothing, as that seemed to be their default mode.
He spotted a girl hovering in the doorway and watched, interested. Most Gryffindors strode straight into the great hall. It was interesting to see one dithering.
Still, the girl decided and entered, head held high. Then something very interesting happened. The girls sat down with what Severus assumed were her friends. Only to have everyone sitting in her vicinity get up from their seat and move to either end of the table. Severus’ eyebrow rose at the shunning. Then rose further as the girl tried to scoot down towards the gathering of students only to have every Gryffindor abandon the table completely. Leaving the girl to sit by herself. Eyes lowered and a red flush of shame covering her face.
The Gryffindor’s all made spots for themselves at the other tables. Most going to Hufflepuff, who welcomed them with confused but willing arms. Still, there was a scattering that sat with friends in Ravenclaw and even a few that slid into the Slytherin table.
All the students of the visiting schools noted this, and the lone Gryffindor girl was the receiver of ongoing glances.
“Goodness,” Minerva stated, watching with concerned eyes. “What on earth have my lions done now?”
“I’m only speculating but there is a high chance Ms Brown is pregnant and refused the father parental rights,” Severus offered.
Minerva’s lips flattened out into a thin line as she stood and headed over to the mortified girl. They spoke a few words before she led her student out of the hall.
Oddly enough, even with her gone, the Gryffindor table stayed abandoned. Just what on earth had Hermione done last night that she had control over the entire house?
Severus hadn’t seen her do a single thing from her normal spot on the smaller table and yet he knew where to lay the blame. Not at least because he could see the smug smile on her face and the Gryffindor’s unsubtly checking her expression.
Ms Brown’s opportunities had just drastically dropped. While the courts were always on a lookout for proven fertile witches. One that had a queen’s displeasure made this public so soon after finding out she was pregnant was not someone most courts would want to deal with.
And it was very public. All of Brittan as well and most of the French and Belgium court would soon hear of this from their children.
So, there was a vicious streak in Hermione after all. Severus felt sorry for the next person who foolishly pissed her off.
Hermione breathed in a slow, controlled breath, then held it for a count of seven before letting it trickle out over her lips. She continued the meditative exercise as she waited. She was in a small antechamber with five other young queens. All of them here for the same reason. To officially call a court and begin their reign.
She had spent the last five months at Hogwarts preparing herself to enter the Wixen society and for this day. Her court had passed their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s qualifying as adults in the British system.
They had made multiple connections and had exchanged details to keep in contact with the French and Belgium Wixen. The name of the Granger court was on hundreds of people’s lips. They had achieved an astonishing amount in such a short time and now her court was in as good a place as possible.
It was up to her to take the next step. To officially open her court and call all those who belonged to her. Her boyos and Luna were waiting in the crowd she could hear through the walls. As were her newly disguised Sídhe members.
When she had first entered the room, the other young queens had curled their lips and shuffled away from her. The ringleader had sneered the word ‘mudblood’ at her. Hermione hadn’t responded the way they expected.
“Aww,” she cooed. “How cute is that, a little queen trying to act all grown up?” Said in a sickly sweet voice. “Don’t worry honey, the adults will give you lessons on how to express your displeasure without coming across as a bitchy teenager.” She assured the other Queen, who had flushed an ugly brick colour and retreated to the other side of the room. The other Queens were at least wise enough to not attempt to cross Hermione.
She was quite content to be left alone. All the trials and tribulation she had gone through helped her to fell far more prepared for what was about to happen. That and talking it over with Severus. He had explained how the process worked and what to expect. The most important bit of information had been that she would step into the middle of a runic array. It would light up if she was a queen. And only allow those who were a part of her court to cross them and join her.
The organisers had placed Hermione first in the cue. Not out of any kindness to her, but so the highest amount of people would be whiteness to her failure. They were so sure she wouldn’t succeed. Most courts, once their queen had called, didn’t bother sticking around unless there was some interesting case coming up after them. The Pure bloods loved a good scandal, after all.
The din of the crowd slowly settled as the time approached. The deep ring of a gong being struck quieten the rest until there was no other sound bar it. At this signal, Hermione left the room and walked to the end of the tunnel. Looking out into the arena.
There was a clear circular space on the ground, ringed by the metal runes. Rising from it was level after level pack to the brim with people. Either waiting to be called by a Queen or here for the show.
Once the sound of the gong faded away, the herald stepped up onto the podium and unfurling the scroll announced.
“Queen Hermione of the Grangers, has come before this noble assembly to, if the fates have decreed it, call a court to her side.”
There were a few sneers and a lot of disapproval at the reminder that Hermione was muggle-born. There had not been a muggle-born Queen in over eight hundred years after all, and the Pureblood were not best pleased that one dare to come forth now.
Hermione stepped forward from the tunnel and walked bare-footed, dressed in white with her hair veiled, looking every inch the young adult traditional witch she was, towards the Amphitheatre. She held her head high and met the gaze of many of the people in the crowd. Proudly coming to claim her position and place in society. She stepped onto the stage and the runic circle lit up, shining brightly, putting away the last doubt anyone might have had that Hermione didn’t have the power, strength and ability to call herself a queen.
The crowd let out a sigh, but no one seemed overly surprised. Anyone with sense would have seen and heard enough about her years in Hogwarts to be convinced of her status, even if they publicly denied it.
This was the part that she was most nervous about. She had never voiced more than a single note at a time before. Now she had to serenade the entire upper society. I can do this, she told herself. I know who and what I am. And now I can show all and sundry what this muggle born is made of. She opened her mouth and as the first note came out the crowd swayed, enchanted. As her call rose and dipped in a spiralling dance, a lot of the crowd had to wipe a tear from their eye. The purity, strength, compassion and fierceness of Hermione’s personality came through crystal clear and she knew she had won her place with the other Queens. No longer would she suffer the slurs or disbelieving looks when she proclaimed her status.
Her call changed slightly, now beckoning, calling to all those who belonged to her court to step forth and claim a place at her side. Harry, Neville and Marcus were the first to step across the circle and join her side. The crowd broke out in a loud murmur, muttering about the Boy-who-lived and what was he doing joining a new court instead of an established one? Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes. The old busybodies had not been paying attention. Neville had been hers right from the first train ride.
The next to cross was Luna, who gave her a wink as she joined the other three. Hermione knew the next person was problematic. He was not supposed to be hers, but she had fought against the Seelie and Unseelie Queen for him. There was no way she would give him up to some milksop mortal Queen.
There was a slight commotion in the crowd, and then they fell deathly silent, holding their breath. Draco was hovering next to the circle.
No one ever dreamed that Draco would be called for what queen could hope to compete with the privilege he was born into. Draco’s face was white and Hermione could see the internal struggle that was going on within. With the next coaxing note she produced, she saw Draco’s face harden with resolve and he confidently step across the circle.
The crowd let out a gasp. The lights were still shining from the ruins. Draco couldn’t have crossed unless he truly belonged to her court. He gave a formal bow to Hermione, who was still calling, then stood next to Harry. The smaller teen wrapped his arm around Draco’s waist possessively, triumph blazing from his eyes.
There was another ripple in the crowd as someone else made their way to the front. The crowd let out a disappointed sigh when an unassuming pair of twins crossed the circle. Cein and Nidaw, looking entirely human, came towards her. Cein stood quietly to the side while Nidaw circled the lot, gave a brisk nod, then planted herself in the middle of the group.
Hermione could tell that her court thought this was it. She was done. There were seven members in her first circle. But Hermione knew differently. She continued to call, waiting for her last member to come.
Hermione’s eyes flickered from face to face, looking for that particular person. She was sure he was here. Marcus had said he overheard him saying he was coming.
The crowd grew restless as they turned, looking among themselves for someone to answer the call. Hermione’s notes turned sad and pleading. Why wasn’t he answering her call? Surely, he must know that she always intended to claim him? She had placed her mark on him in First year and watched as he wore it with pride. He had been a part of her budding court right from the start. So why wasn’t he coming to claim his place? If he didn’t want her to be his queen, he would have said something years ago, right? She wouldn’t stop trusting her instincts now. She was his queen, had been right from the start. Hermione just had to convince him of that.
Her eyes were franticly skimming the crowd, now rising from tier to tier until they reached the highest level. There! He was here! She saw him take a step forward, then freeze. Oh, she thought, understanding crashing over her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her. He just didn’t believe himself to be worthy. Oh Severus, I’m sorry this world has let you down. I’m here now and I will do all in my power to make it up to you.
A smile broke out on her face, and she reached out a hand in his direction. As one, the crowd turned to look at where she was pointing. Unable to refuse her call any longer, he stepped forward, pushing through the crowd. He had only gotten down one level when the crowd parted for him, their faces filled with astonishment. Hermione watched him keep his head high, ignoring all the slurs of Rove or worse. He crossed the runic circle like it wasn’t even there. Walking up the Hermione he placed his hands on her cheeks then bent her head, placing a chase kiss on her head.
“My Queen and My Lady,” He breathed.
Releasing her, he took his place with the rest of Hermione’s first circle. Stern faced once more, but she could see his eyes leaping for joy.
She broke into a brilliant note of triumph as her first circle stood by her side in their entirety for the first time. The crowd broke into applause as the Granger court knelt before her. Magic became visible, swirling around them, tying them inexorably together. Her court had officially started.
Hermione felt jubilant. All she had undergone, learning and adapting to this new traditional culture, finding and accepting her place as Queen and building a court from scratch. Fending off the attentions of the Sídhe and those more powerful than her had acclimatised into this triumph.
Queen Hermione of the Granger court smiled at her first circle.
“Come,” she commanded. “We have work to do.”
The End.