Author's Note: I own nothing!
England 1534
Lady Hermione Warwick-Granger had been staring at the letter for two days. The anxiety of it's content had caused sleep deprivation and she regretfully resumed the habit of biting her nails. Her mother never failed to express her disgust toward Hermione's 'stress reliever' as she called it. Hermione sighed as she fingered the smooth parchment, her eyes continuously catching the king's seal as it sat perfectly centered while guarding the envelope's potential opening. Her mother had not done her any favors. As soon as the Warwick-Granger matriarch heard King Harry's wife Ginerva, was in need of a lady in waiting, the countess volunteered her only daughter.
Hermione had heard stories of court. Ladies in waiting are viewed as whores with titles. Her mother had once let slip that court had been great; a sanctuary almost, until the previous king, Charlus Potter passed away due to dragon pox, leaving his sole heir unprepared to take the throne. Harry Potter makes the kingdom of Gryffindor look weak, despicable even. Two hundred years ago, the Peverell family of Gryffindor came in to power and saved many across the kingdom from starvation, disease, and famine. Hermione recalled what her mother had told her of the Peverell descendants:
The kingdoms had been affluent under the reign of Ignotus Peverell, who ruled fair and just over the sub-kingdoms of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Although Ignotus was the sole heir, he included his bothers Antioch and Cadmus. Ignotus's eldest brother Antioch had been murdered while sleeping, dying without a wife or heir. Ignotus gave his brother Cadmus the title of Duke of Norfolk, making him the heir to the throne, should anything happen to Ignotus before he can produce a successor.
Ignotus had two children: a son, Aloysius, and a daughter, Avellana. Aloysius took ill at thirteen, and never reached adulthood and Avellana married Erasmus Potter at fifteen, just months before her father had been murdered.
There are several different stories about the death of the beloved Monarch, but most believe his brother Cadmus was behind it. Cadmus had been furious when Ignotus had announced that Erasmus, having married his daughter, would succeed him as king. Shortly after the birth of Charlus Potter, Cadmus traveled to the sub-kingdom of Slytherin, where he married and had one son, Marvolo Gaunt.
While Charlus was in power, there were rumors of Marvolo's bitter demeanor and resentment toward the royal family. Before his death, Cadmus revealed to Marvolo that the throne is theirs by right. Eventually, after his father's death, Marvolo became obsessed with removing the house of potter from power. He couldn't bare to see the unworthy, filthy, vermin on his throne.
Residing in Slytherin, Marvolo raised his two children, Morfin and Merope, to hate just as he had. He taught them to always believe themselves to be better than others, and to despise the royal family, as well as the royal family supporters. He had told his children, "There unworthy of the dirt under our shoes. They stole the throne, where our family belongs. They tainted our bloodlines."
Following Marvolo's death, Merope eloped with Tom Riddle Sr. of Gryffindor. Morfin was furious his sister tainted herself with a disgusting Potter-loving Gryffindor. Merope moved to Gryffindor with Tom, and lived under and illusion of happiness for almost three months, until he fell in love with someone else. Distressed over the life of her unborn child, Merope fled back to Slytherin. Tom Sr.'s abandonment of his sister only seemed to fuel Morfin's hatred of Gryffindor and the royal family.
Merope died in childbirth, and left Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. with his unstable uncle.
England 1534
Sub-Kingdom of Slytherin
Tom turned eleven when he realized his great-grandfather was an insipid fool. His reasons for hating the Potter's were legitimate, but he did not make use of his resources. Although it disgusted him to no end, Tom accepted his distant relation to the insufferable Potters. He could use the relation to his advantage, just as he used his inherited title: The Duke of Norfolk, to gain entry into the prestigious boarding school; Hogwarts.
Tom excelled in every subject, and quickly figured out the art of manipulation. He played on strengths and weaknesses, manipulating himself into the hearts and minds of many. The feeling associated with power: he couldn't describe it. He felt weightless, but weighed down with the power to change a mind or an idea. He needed to take it a step further.
Tom had an intense desire to take a life. He longed to be the deciding factor of someone's last breath of air; or perhaps blood? Yes, Tom had always been fascinated by the red metallic substance.
Lost in his murderous thoughts, Tom flinched when he heard his disgusting uncle scream, "Piece of shit! Get your unworthy ass out here!"
Tom ignored his uncle's words, he would get his sometime soon. Smiling to himself, he grabbed the candle lighting his room and paced across the room, cringing when the door created an inhuman creaking noise. He held his breath for the routine punch and kick to the gut, but in never came. Instead, Morfin dropped an envelope at Tom's feet. Morfin released a disgusting laugh, gagging on his own saliva as he choked out a sentence, "You've been asked to court." Giving up his struggle to contain his laughter, Morfin pivoted on his heel and sauntered down the hall.
A sizeable grin spread out on his angelic face as he figured out a use for his relation to the Potters: He could succeed Potter. Yes, why hadn't he thought of it before? Clearly the Weasly girl is infertile, they've been trying for years, and Tom was always surprised Potter could stand to stick his prick in her, she's vile. Triumphant thoughts coursed through his mind, 'When Potter dies without an heir, I'll be next. I'll take what's rightfully mine, instead of sitting on my ass like my idiot of an uncle.'
Whistling to himself, Tom retrieved his opened envelope and hurried to his room.
England 1534
Hermione wondered how the Riddle boy turned out. She sighed and told her herself it didn't matter anyway, she was just using her mental sidetracking to prolong the inevitable. She picked up a small silver letter opener, engraved with her initials, and slid it straight across the top of the envelope. Pulling the parchment out and laying it flat, she read:
Daughter of The Viscount Hugo of Warwick and Countess Rose of Warwick,
Lady Hermione Warwick-Granger,
His majesty, King Harry Potter, descendent of the Great Ignotus Peverell, has approved your most noble request to aid her majesty, Queen Ginerva, as her Lady in waiting. Your departure will be four days from now. The King begs your forgiveness for the short notice, but the Queen insists on quick, punctual, arrivals. The carriage will arrive at Warwick Manor mid-day. In addition to yourself, the carriage will contain another passenger. Once again his majesty begs your pardon, but his distant cousin is coming to court as well. Perhaps you've herd of him? Tom Riddle, of the house of Gaunt, Duke of Norfolk.
Things are done very differently at court, as you'll soon find out. Congratulations, and safe travels.
Respectfully,
Draco Malfoy, of the house of Malfoy, Archbishop of Canterbury
Head of his majesty's diplomatic duties