A Swordbound Love.
By
Animalover205
A/N: First off, I would like to thank Danisnape for allowing me to use her basic idea in this story.
Summery: In a world of Sword and Sorcery, can love between people survive? Hermione is about to find out.
Rating: M, for blood, gore, sex, and several other things I'm sure will crop up.
Dedicated to Danisnape
Chapter 1.
Suspended death?
She was dead, she knew that she was dead. After what she had done, Hermione knew for a fact that she would pay for it with her life. She sat in a dungen deep in Malfoy Keep, stronghold of the Malfoy Clan's lands. Hermione didn't blame her friends for what had happened to her, or what was going to happen to her, they did their best to rescue her.
Dobby the elf had led a small force of elves and centaurs to rescue Hermione, Harry, Ron and several others, including one of their other friends Luna Lovegood. In the end, all but Hermione had been rescued. Her centaur, Bane, had been shot out from under her by a crossbow bolt. Dobby had been turned into a pin cusion by the Clan's archers. And Hermione herself had gone up against Lucius Malfoy, the head of Clan Malfoy, one on one in sword combat and had taken his head off his shounders.
After that, Hermione was beaten and locked away, once again, in the dungens. She knew that she would die, there was no other way she could see this ending.
After what might have been hours or days ( there being no way to really keep track of time in the darkness ) Hermione heard the sound that she knew was coming. The sound of feet coming down the stairs and into the dungens with her.
Hermione listened for a moment, then frowned slightly. The footsteps were light, their pace even. She heard no jingle of chain-mail or rattle of plate armor. The door of her cell opened and in stepped the Very Last person that she had expected to see in this world.
" Lady Narcissa Malfoy." Hermione said in even tones, betraying none of the confusion that she was beginning to feel. " Knight Errant Hermione Granger." Lady Malfoy said in the same even tones as Hermione used. Hermione fought the knee-jerk reflex to bow to this woman, even though it had been drilled into her for the last five years to bow to a Noble of any Clan.
Lady Malfoy looked at her, then knelt before the Very stunned Knightrix! Hermione rushed forward slightly, the lightness of her steps simply re-enforcing to her the fact that they had taken her armor when she had been captured the first time, " What are you doing?!" Hermione asked in shocked, almost scandalized tones " Your a Noble you don't bow to a lowly Knightrix like me."
"Normally, no." Lady Malfoy said " But I Do bow to the Head of Clan." she looked up at Hermione as she said this, and Hermione froze in place, her eyes widening in complete and total shock!.
The Kingdom of Magrtin had stood for the last two thousand years. And at it's center stood the the shining hope and strongest bastion of light, Hogwarts. Not only was Hogwarts the Capital of Magrtin, and as such the seat of power for King Albus and Queen Minerva Dumbledor, but it was also the main training Castle for those who entered the Knighthood. For people like Harry and Ron, who were both of Noble Birth, the Castle was a training ground to learn the Knightly arts and the ways of Noblity.
For Hermione, it was her whole world!
Hermione had grown up in the Castle, as the only child of Danile Granger, the Castle blacksmith and Emily Granger the Castle Healer. Growing up she knew that it was expected of her to simply be the next to fallow in line of either carrier, but all she wanted to be was a Knightrix. Being of Common birth, she never thought she'd get her chance, till one day when she was ten and she was caught using one of her fathers training swords by the King himself.
Instead of loping off her hand ( as many of the Pureblood Nobles had practicly demanded ) King Albus decided to allow her into the acadmy, to let her prove herself. And prove herself she did, over the years Hermione had excelled at swordsmanship, even surpassing the talants of her sword instructor Sir Severus.
Years later, during the Battle of Hogsmead, Hermione managed to kill two of the rebel leaders on her own. Both skilled warriors, one even a former Knight, earning her the nickname " The Low Blood" before she had even graduated.
It was during a battle with Voldimort's elite " Death Guard" forcest that Hermione and the others were captured in the far north of Magrtin. They were taken, under orders of the Werewolf Fenrir Greyback, to Malfoy Keep, were everything in Hermione's world changed.
Hermione sat in a chair in the Head of Clan's privet chambers, sipping tea and looking at Lady Malfoy, with large brown eyes. Lady Malfoy was pale, with long hair that was a mix of raven black and pale blonde, she had crystal blue eyes that seemed to see more then anyone could guess at. She was dressed in a flowing dress of cerulean blue, with a plunging neckline that seemed to emphizise her above average bust.
The dress was belted on with a scarlet red sash, through which was thrust a Dirk* and a smaller dagger. The Lady of the Clan was holding her tea mug with both hands, which to Hermione looked almost porcelain pale compared to her own darkly tanned skin. Hermione had short cut, bushy hair that that was almost chestnut brown with skin that was deeply tanned from years spent outdoors, her hands were covered in small scars from years of training and battle.
Narcissa had a very svelte build, a somewhat narrow waist and modest hips. Hermione on the other hand had an athletic body, layered in the long, lean muscles that almost any swordswoman would have with next to no hips at all, and her plain, almost peasant style clothing did thing to hide the fact that she had what could kindly be called a modest bust line.
"Since you killed my husband on his own lands, in his own keep even, you claimed everything he had." Lady Malfoy said, smiling slightly at the stunned look on the Knightix's face " Yes. It's a little used law, but an ancient one. Since you killed Lucius on his own lands, you claim everything he owned." she looked down to her own mug of tea and added in a somewhat subdued voice " Including me."
Hermione looked at her and asked " What do you mean ' Including me' ? And what makes you think that I'll even live long enough to claim it? Knowing your Lord he'll kill me without even a second thought!" a slight frown crossed Lady Malfoy's face and she said " Originally, yes. But...for some reason the Dark Lord seems to have taken a great liking to you. I think he was impressed with the way you had fought Lucius."
Hearing this, Hermione's eyes widened! Lord Voldimort had been in Malfoy Keep at the time when she had killed Lord Malfoy! The most dangerous of renagades had watched as she killed one of his most loyal retainers! " Why in the name of all that's holy am I not dead right now?" Hermione asked in a quiet, shocked voice " Why, if he had seen the way I killed Lucius, am I still drawing breath?" she had heard of Lord Voldimort killing people for even harming one of his snatchers, or taking out an Inferi. It made absolutely no sense.
" The Dark Lord," Lady Malfoy said in an equally queit voice " Honor's ancient tradition. Since you killed the Head of Clan here, on his own lands, you have gained his possition." she looked at Hermione and said " In accordance with that, Hermione, you have been spared. Your death has been suspended until your trial at the Dark Lord's hands."
Hermione looked at her and nodded, stunned into complete silence by what was just told her. She stammered out a confused "Wh-what? A trial? What kind of trial?" Lady Malfoy looked at her and said " The trial of succession, if you pass it, then you gain everything, perminatly. If not, then you die by the Dark Lords hands. And no one elses." Hermione thought for a moment, then asked " You mentioned that I also inherited you, what did you mean by that?"
Lady Malfoy took a little in answering this question, then said " I came to be with Lucius due to a marriage contract between his father and my own." she seemed to have a thousand yard stare for a moment, then said in a quiet voice " I was nothing to him. Just property." Hermione didn't pause to think, she simply reached out and placed her hand on Narcissa's and said " I'm sorry, my lady, for what has been done to you. But, you have Draco, so you must have loved him. At least a little."
To this Lady Malfoy simply snorted " I was nothing more then a fuck toy to him, Sir Knight, a place to dump his cum when he chose to do so. Our Son was nothing more to him then an acident, And he's hated Draco and me ever since for it. He never wanted children, and he made sure to send Draco off as soon as he could." Hermione growled at this, attitudes like this, she found, were common in the Kingdom and were something that the young Knightrix hated with an utmost passion.
Lady Malfoy looked at her and raised an eyebrow before saying with a slight smile " Yes, I do suppose he's learned his lesson now. Hasn't he." Hermione looked down and said " Yes, he has. And good riddince to the sick bastard." Narcissa simply nodded before saying " We've met before, you know."
Hermione looked up, a little stunned, thinking back to her graduation ceramony. Then even farther back, to her trial, when she thought she would lose her hand. " Yes, I see you remember." Lady Malfoy said with a smile " I was one of the few who spoke in your defence." Hermione looked up sharply at this " I..I didn't remember. I'm sorry, it's...it's been a long time between then and now." Lady Malfoy's smile got broader " It has, and I'm glad to see that my faith wasn't misplaced."
Hemione actually blushed at this praise, then looked to the floor and asked " You had faith in me, Lady Malfoy?" Lady Malfoy laughed gently and said " Yes, I did. I always have. And don't call me ' Lady Malfoy ' when you pass the Dark Lord's trial, I'll be Lady Granger, and you will be Lord Granger." Hermione looked at her puzzled " But..what do you mean ' Lady Granger? '"
Narcissa looked at Hermione and said " Simple, either you pass and become recognized by both the Dark Lord and King Albus as Lord Granger and I'll be your wife. Or you'll fail and you, I and Draco will be put to death."
Hey all, sorry about the short first chapter, but I wanted to get this out quickly. I know it's somewhat different then your used to, but I hope that will simply make it more readable. I'll try to get chapters up in a bi-weekly basis, if not then I beg your indulgance. Thanks, and please, remember to read and review.