Chapter 1: Look Through My Eyes
A long time ago, in the kingdom of Hogwarts, in the year 1526, there lived a young Prince named Ronald Weasley. He lived in the countryside with his true love and hopefully future wife, Hermione Jean Granger.
Once upon a time, Hermione had lived as a simple peasant girl in Hogwarts' outlying villages. That is until the fateful day when the Prince and his best friend, future Lord Harrius James Potter, had captured and brought her to Hogwarts castle to work as a servant girl. Overtime, Hermione's kindness and outspokenness had warmed the Prince's heart, humbling him. He fell in love with her. While off on a mission in the nearby kingdom of Romania, the Prince's evil father, King Arthur (really Arterius) had ordered his guards to violate the peasant girl; the cruel monarch was convinced that Hermione's blossoming relationship with the Prince threatened his crown. Enraged, Prince Ronald returned to Hogwarts, rescued Hermione and invited her to live with him in the castle, confessing his love for her. Soon, Hermione became pregnant with the Prince's child, third in line to the Hogwarts throne. Prince Ronald ingratiated his precious Hermione into the lives of the Hogwarts court, and eventually learned of his "father's" deception, using the help of his real father - the real King Arthur - to ultimately overthrow Arterius.
Now, King Arthur was ruling once again, and the Prince and his future bride had decided to disappear into the surrounding countryside, to live a normal life and raise their child there until Ronald (and also Hermione) were ready to take over the throne.
This is where Hermione found herself now, as she stood at the window, watching Ronald draw water from the well. He had taken to peasantry life so well, though she could tell it had not come without its challenges for him. She was touched at how her Prince took it all in stride, wanting to learn what it was like for her growing up out in the Hogwarts fields. As she watched her husband-in-all-but-clergy, she rubbed her growing pregnant belly and sang a simple tune to the life within her.
"Lavenders green, dilly, dilly, lavenders blue. You must love me, dilly dilly, for I love you. La, la, la, la, dilly, dilly, la, la, la, la….."
She glanced up to see Ron leaning in the doorway, an adoring smile on his face. He strode over and planted a tender kiss on her cheek.
"Teaching our future monarch the first of its many talents, my love?"
Hermione smiled. "She'll learn many more from her father"
"Only because her father has her brilliant, beautiful mother to keep us all alive and in order," Ron smiled, kissing her on the lips this time. Hermione pulled away, eyes shining. Sometimes, she still could not believe that Ron had chosen her to be his Princess, going against all royal traditions. He could have had any girl of royal blood he wanted, yet he chose her, a commoner with no wealth or lands to her name.
"Oh, wait a minute! I forgot to turn off the spigot," Ron realized, as he poured the pail's contents into a pot. "Would you mind doing that and replacing the pail, love?"
Hermione nodded and took the pail from him.
"Don't overexert yourself," Ron warned as she stepped outside. Hermione went to the well and completed her tasks. She then stood back and noticed the other village life around her. Men and women were tending the fields nearby, others were pulling carts along the dirt roads and cobblestone streets. Still others were hawking their wares or working in the shops.
Just then, dust could be seen gathering up in the distance just beyond. Someone called, "A rider, a rider, there's a rider approaching!"
And indeed there was. His future Lordship, Sir Harrius James Potter came galloping along on his horse. He clicked the reins and gave a sharp turn of his foot on the spurs. "Yippee kay ya, heYA! YA!" he whopped as he egged on his steed, making for Ronald and Hermione's small cottage.
Hermione smiled when she saw the familiar insignia upon the rider's armor, and streak of black hair. "Harrius," she smiled. The future Lord of Hogwarts cleared a nearby fence in one bound before his final approach to the cottage of Hogwarts' future rulers. Upon thundering into the Weasleys' yard, Harrius pulled back on the reins and leapt from his ride even before completely stopping. His horse whinnied in slight protest.
"My Queen!" Harrius called out in friendly greeting, before kneeling at Hermione's feet and kissing her hand. Hermione giggled and blushed furiously at the stares she now received from the other villagers.
"Harrius! (laughs) I pray you, please stand up! I am not Queen yet!"
"Ah, but you soon will be!" Harrius flashed her a beaming smile. "And when you are, your people will love you. They will love you for being of a good heart, and for once being a humble commoner like themselves. But even more than this, they will love you for their future Princess of Hogwarts - the life that even now, very now, stirs within your womb."
His future Lordship now stood and admired Hermione's growing stomach. He gave her a brotherly hug. Hermione smiled. She and Harrius had become good friends ever since he and Ron had saved her from a pack of leering knights soon after her arrival as a servant to the castle. The fact that both men had then watched over her and posted some of their own guards for her protection following her rape had only made their bond grow. Most importantly, she appreciated how Sir Harrius had stood by his Prince and never disapproved of her and Ronald's relationship. "And how is the little one?"
Hermione laughed. "She keeps kicking. Ronald and I are getting very excited."
"I should think so," Harrius smiled. "And so is the whole of Hogwarts! They cannot wait for you to return to the castle so we can all meet her! And what of your lord; my Prince?"
"Ronald is taking to peasantry life well. He tries to pretend he has no struggle, but I can tell he has needed some adjustment. Why, just this morning, he milked the cow, only to have the entire bucket overturn!"
"Well, I should say!" Harrius cried, pretending to be outraged. "That cow ought to be taught some manners - defying her ruler like that! Still -" and here, he chuckled, "- a Prince milking a cow! Never thought I'd see the day!"
"And how is your Ginevra?" Hermione asked. The red-haired girl had also been a peasant girl in the nearby kingdom of Romania. Harrius had rescued her when its evil ruler, King Lucious, had laid waste to his own people in conspiracy with Arterius. Upon returning her to her father, the blacksmith Octaveous, in Hogwarts, Harrius had then fallen in love with her and vowed to make her his Lady. Ginevra had delightedly accepted and returned his affections.
"She sleeps in our bed, in my chambers as we speak. No doubt she will wake soon," Harrius replied. "But now, the real reason for my visit, and alas, 'tis not a pretty one." He now lowered his voice. "King Lucious is one the move, my Princess. He is out for revenge, having been ruined by us when we overturned his plans in Romania. Our spies have learned he plans to hunt you, the Prince and the little princess down. He wants all your blood, and will stop at nothing to spill it."
Hermione put a hand to her mouth and her face went pale. Instinctively, her other hand went to her stomach.
"What shall we do?"
"Incidentally, your decision to live here in the village with the Prince could not be more convenient. 'Tis a place where you can hide and blend in."
Hermione breathed out, now more confident. A smile crossed her face. "I would not fret, then, Harrius. Lucious would not dare to attack Hogwarts with Arthur back on the throne. I believe there is nothing further we need to do except keep an eye out."
Harrius did not like this decision at all; that much was clear from his face. "You underestimate Lucious, my lady. He has been gathering forces sympathetic to him, and they may be more powerful than the traitors amongst our forces that Arterius corrupted. I do not doubt that he will try to stage an attack."
"And I very much doubt he will," Hermione countered. "Arthur is a strong and cunning ruler, he will strengthen our borders however he needs to."
"That is not a chance I am willing to take! I will not risk the lives of my future King and Queen!" Harrius fell to his knees imploringly. "Dear lady, I beseech you - let me come and join you and Prince Ronald in the countryside! I will round up the most honest knights I have under my command - men who would fall on their swords and willingly give their lives out of devotion to you."
Hermione sighed. She had the authority to refuse Harrius' offer, but did not yet even feel comfortable giving him orders. "Very well, Harrius. Send for five and thirty of your finest men to accompany you and live with us."
Harrius blinked in astonishment. "You surprise me, my Queen. Five and thirty is too great a number and would be too conspicuous to Lucious and his men, for one little farm. If I may be so bold, this mission does not call for force, but finesse. My men and I must become one with the countryside."
"I couldn't agree more. Which is why I ask for such a number to be spread throughout the village. I want my people to be protected as well as I and my family. I had no intention of housing five and thirty on one plot of land! Five and ten will do; the rest shall protect the other peasants."
Harrius stood and bowed his head to his future Queen. "It shall be done, my lady. And now I must return to the palace. Please give my warmest regards to my Prince and your mother, Abby." He kissed her hand. "Good day to you, Princess Hermione."
Harrius then leapt upon his horse, rearing it up on its hind legs. "Ride, Destiny!" he hollered before taking off for Hogwarts castle at a flying gallop.
Hermione watched him go before turning back to head inside her little cottage.
A week or so later, Prince Ronald had returned to the palace to inspect the knights Harrius had chosen to live out in the village and guard the royal family. When Hermione had told him all that Harrius had said, he feared about Lucious' movements, but liked the plan his best friend had come up with.
After approving of the 35 guards Harrius had chosen, as well as the elite 15 tasked with guarding the royal family's farm, His Highness and his future Lordship took a stroll around the palace grounds to catch up.
"Is your father well, Harrius?"
"Yes. He enjoys being by his true best friend's side again. He and the King have become very close once more." Harrius' father, Lord James Potter, had been made to believe that Arterius was Arthur; the evil king had nearly corrupted the man into murdering his own son along with most of the people of Hogwarts. Upon the real Arthur's return, James had repented for his sins by slaying Arterius.
"And how is the Lady Hermione since I visited last?" Harrius returned.
"She enjoys the countryside very much - it reminds her of how she was raised as a little girl. But, alas, Harrius, I can tell she misses the peace of the castle very much, though she tries to hide it from me - late at night, in our marriage bed, I can hear her as she softly weeps. She cries for her father Roger, for Octaveous, for you and Ginevra, but nobody comes."
"Oh, you break my heart, my Prince, to speak of Her Highness' tears!" Harrius moaned, and he looked truly saddened.
Prince Ronald nodded solemnly. Then, his frown turned into a small smile. "Nevertheless, she awaits her impending motherhood with breathless delight. She glows, Harrius - it fills me with joy! Knowing she is carrying our baby! You will learn soon, my friend, when you and Ginevra have your own children." He now chuckled. "Did you ever imagine we would end up here? Two royal folk who used to be arrogant and brash, only wanting to swordplay and cavort with the concubines Arterius arranged for us! And now we have chosen commoners as our brides! Thank God Hermione changed us. We have been humbled, my dear Harrius - we used to be real arses!"
Harrius laughed too. "Indeed, we were, my Prince! Indeed we were…." The two men now thought back to those youthful days, even in those first few months after meeting Hermione, and how much they had changed since then….
Flashback
It was a couple weeks after Hermione had been brought to the palace. Following her rape at the hands of the evil knight Julian, Prince Ronald had angered Hermione when he had first kissed her as she had thought he, too, only wanted to take advantage of her. She had returned to the fields, and Ronald had not seen her since. Though the Prince was only just beginning to be changed by the peasant girl, he already felt a strange feeling about her. Was it….love? No, it couldn't be….
"I can't understand it, Harrius," Ronald confessed, as the best friends walked along the grounds following a little friendly swordplay. "She refuses to see me again or even send word to me!"
"Well, you haven't exactly gone to the village to seek her out yourself," Harrius reminded him.
"I can't! My father-"
"Oh, bollocks on your father! Ronald, you clearly want something from the girl. And you obviously hurt her somehow. Just go and apologize!"
"I wish I could, if I could figure out what I did wrong! All I wanted was to let her know how happy I was to see her awake and safe and alive after being raped!" Ronald now pondered. He now felt the need to sing his feelings.
"Did I abuse her or show her disdain? Why does she run from me? If I should lose her, how shall I regain the heart she has won from me? Agony! - beyond power of speech! When the one thing you want is the only thing out of your reach."
Harrius was now thinking similar thoughts about the girl he had met out on their mission, Ginevra. He, too, began to express his feelings in song.
"Out in Romania, she sits, entertains ya, maintaing her hair. Blithe and becoming and frequently humming a light-hearted air. Ah…ah-ah….ah-ah….ah-ah - Agony! Far more painful than yours!" He pointed an accusing finger at Ronald. "When you know she would go with you….if you didn't have whores!"
Ronald gave an awkward laugh. "I am agog! I am aghast! Is Harrius in love at last? I've never heard him ooh and ahhh!"
"No, no, my Prince, that's the wrong musical!" Harrius suddenly interrupted, blushing furiously as the music in their heads temporarily vanished.
Ronald cleared his throat and the men picked up where they had originally left off. "Agony! Oh, the torture they teach! What's as intriguing, or half-so fatiguing, as what's out of reach?"
Ronald continued now. "Am I not sensitive? Clever? Well-mannered? Considerate? Passionate? Charming? As kind as I'm handsome? And heir to a throne?"
"You are everything maidens could wish for!" Harrius reassured him.
"Then, why no?"
"Do I know?"
"The girl must be mad!"
Harrius shook in anguished rage. "You know nothing of madness!" he spat. "'Til you're spying her hair and you see her, right there as you're nearing her, all the while hearing her: Ah…ah-ah….ah-ah….ah-ah…ah-ah…ah-ah…ah - Agony!"
"Misery!"
"Woe!"
"Though it's different for each!" they observed together.
"Always ten steps behind…" said Ron.
"Always ten feet below…" groaned Harry.
"And she's just out of reach! Agony! That can cut like a knife! I must have her to wi-i-i-i-ife!"
Having gotten out their pent-up feelings to each other, the two royals resolved to start by finding Hermione in the village again….
End of Flashback
Back in the present, Harrius laughed. "You were already lovesick for Hermione after only a few days - I could see it!"
"No more than you were for Ginevra!" Ron chuckled.
"Yes, but she was in an entirely different kingdom! What could I do? Your girl was only in the next village - what's your excuse?"
"Speaking of which, I must get back before sundown. Hermione is probably cooking and I don't want her to push herself too hard." Ron clapped Harrius on the back. "My best friend, my brother…I will see you and your men in the village in a few days hence. Godspeed!"
"And to you, my Prince!"
A/N: So, the first song was an excerpt of "Agony" from Into the Woods. The brief offroading that Harrius does comes from "Red and Black" from Les Miserables.
