Prologue
Odin sat upon his golden throne watching with his remaining good eye as his people bustled about chattering in merriment around the grand hall. Dinner had just finished. The palace staff busied themselves with clearing the tables. Musicians and dancers took their places in the hall while the diners got up to help themselves to the casks of mead and wine set out by the help. This night's grand banquet was held in his honor. He had just woken up from his longest Odinsleep. A miracle they had declared, but a regret for Odin. His time here was done and longed to rest with his ancestors in Valhalla.
The soft smooth hand of his wife gasped his comfortingly. He looked over at her beautiful face. "Are you well, my dear?" Frigga asked in concern.
He patted her hand, "as well as a million year old man would be." Ever since he woke he felt mortal, ready to die, but he just didn't know how.
His response did little to assuage her worry. Every year that passed while he was asleep, she lost hope of his revival. When he woke his hair was whiter than before and his stature smaller having lost some of weight while he slumbered over the years.
Odin pounded Gungnir. The thudding sound echoed through the hall silencing everything. Odin gripped his staff tightly pulling himself to his feet. Only Frigga noticed the slight struggle or how he leaned a little too much on his staff to support himself. No longer a young god, but his presence and voice still commanded legions and stopped his enemies in their tracks.
"Asgardians, I have been asleep for over a decade. The longest Odinsleep I have ever undertaken." Odin figured he would get the announcement out of the way before his subjects drank themselves into a stupor as was common in these revelries. "I did not know when or if I would wake. But thanks to my beautiful wife and queen, who ruled in my absence, you were not led astray."
There was a round of applause to acknowledge Frigga.
"Thor, my son," Odin continued after the applause died down.
Everyone's eyes fell on Thor, who stood with the Warriors' Three.
"You have made me so proud. I have watched you grow from a boy to a juvenile, arrogant, warmongering fool then a helpless mortal to a redeemed hero, a protector of the realm, and finally someone worthy enough to be called my son."
Thor crossed his arms not really sure how take the double edged compliment his father just served him.
"So it is only fitting that I relinquish my throne to you," Odin announced.
The resounding applause and cheers drowned out the rest of what Odin was going to say so he sat back down. They will come to a consensus as to when the coronation would take place with his council another time. He reached for Frigga's hand and pressed a kiss to it. She withdrew her hand and walked away without a word.
Thor pushed past the numerous people congratulating him nodding and accepting their kind words graciously, but hastily until he reached the exit of the hall. Crossing the threshold into his mother's garden he found who he was looking for. Standing with her back to him, she drank from the bottle in her hand, which she had stolen from the banquet. She began to walk albeit unsteadily from probably the alcohol Thor had thought along the edge of the fountain. Before he could call her name she turned around.
"Congratulations, my king," Hermione bowed her head curtsying wobbly and nearly dropping the bottle in her hand.
He closed the distance slowly taking her appearance in. Frigga had wrangled her hair into a stylish up do, which it actively fought. Strands of her honeyed brown locks had already escaped. She wore a full length gown. A skirt made of soft gauzy layers. The sky blue color complimented her light complexion, while the sweetheart neckline and jeweled bodice accentuated her soft curves reminding him that she was no longer a little girl. Magic or not, mortals lives were fleeting and passed much quicker than he would like. If they were not ravaged by disease or their fragile bodies were not hurt beyond repair, they were lucky to live even a century. "Not yet," Thor responded, "I'm not king yet."
She walked away from him arms extended balancing on the rim of the fountain. Her feet were bare having already kicked off her shoes. "But you will be." She took another swig from the bottle. A few more and she might just strip off this uncomfortable gown and go swimming in the fountain on this pleasantly warm spring night. Maybe she could persuade Thor to join her. "Then you will need to find a queen. A proper Asgardian of course, so you can create an heir to continue the line, while I will be cast aside."
Thor easily caught up with her as she continued to rant. Standing on the edge of the fountain, she was still not quite as tall as him. The top of her head just reached his chin. He glanced behind him. It was just the two of them under the stars. "Hey," he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear his fingers grazing the soft skin of her cheek. His hand trailed down her bare arm before resting on her waist. "As long as I'm here, there will always be a place for you here as well."
Focusing on the ground, she sighed tiredly, "you know I don't belong here."
"That's not true. Asgard will always be your home." He tilted her chin up at him so he could look at her properly. She blinked at him. His grip on her waist tightened as he leaned in. He could smell her natural sweet floral scent mixed with an earthy fruitiness probably from the wine she ingested, which stained her lips a pinkish red. He gently wiped a droplet from the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
She propped her free arm on his shoulder steadying herself. Wrapping her hand around his neck, she pulled him closer. She looked up at him gazing into his eyes. Her gaze drifted to his mouth and for a second it looked as though she was leaning in for a kiss, but then she threw up on his chest ruining his shirt and whatever moment they were about to share.
Embarrassed she clap her hand over her mouth. "I'm really sorry, Thor," she gasped.
"That's alright," Thor grimaced. "It happens to everyone, especially since it is your first time imbibing."
"Here, I'll fix it," Hermione offered. She vanished the mess along with his shirt.
Half-naked and speechless, Thor gave her a questioning look.
"Oops," Hermione said not looking the least bit repentant. Turning her back to him, she started to walk away when Thor stepped onto the stone ledge intercepting her.
She bumped into his chest lightly. Giggling, she turned around and walked the other way seeing as her path was blocked by a rather burly god.
"Alright, no more of that for you," he said reaching for the bottle.
"No!" she protested clutching the bottle to her chest. Thor easily caught her wrapping his arm around her small waist lifting her up. He pried the bottle from her hands, but did not release her.
"Thor!" she half screamed not really fighting him at all. She loved being close him, so she leaned back against his broad chest.
"I think you've had a little too much to drink tonight," Thor said. He hugged her to him relishing the feel of her body pressed against him, warm and soft. Smaller in stature than the other Asgardians, but no less fierce, he loved how easily she fit within his arms. "I think you need to clear your head," he whispered in her ear. "Perhaps a nice cold bath is in order." He effortlessly suspended her over the water by extending his arm.
Hermione shot him a challenging look, "go ahead," she gripped his arm, "but you're coming in with me."
Thor chuckled and lowered her until her feet barely hovered above the water surface. "You don't have enough weight or leverage to take me down with you."
Hermione's eyes gleamed, "but I have magic." All the water in the fountain swirled into a single wave speckled with brightly colored fish. It froze mid-air poised to crash over them.
"Hermione!"
Thor nearly dropped her and the water receded back into the fountain in a gel-like motion that defied physics.
Hermione's eyes widened when she looked past Thor's shoulder knowing that she was in for it now. Standing behind him was Frigga. Regal as ever she marched up to the two of them. "This is not how a proper lady is supposed to behave," she scolded after witnessing that display. "Thor, put her down." She realized that she would have to have separate conversations with the two of them on what was and was not acceptable.
"Yes, mother." Thor climbed off the fountain ledge. He released her carefully setting her down on ground. He ran his free hand through his hair awkwardly not looking avoiding his mother's disapproving gaze.
"Sorry, mum." Hermione stepped away from Thor smoothing out her dress and hair trying to make herself presentable again.
"Thor, your father is looking for you," she informed not taking her eyes off of Hermione. "Get dressed or not. I suppose it won't matter much now." Frigga left Odin in a bit of a conniption just when the crowd inside devolved into its usual debauchery. She came looking for Hermione figuring that it was time to send her to bed anyways. "Bed. Now." Taking her hand, she pulled Hermione away from Thor.
As Frigga dragged her back into the palace in the direction of their sleeping quarters, Hermione looked back longingly at Thor thinking how perfect he looked underneath the stars.
After they disappeared back inside, Thor examined the bottle in his hand and sniffed the opening. Perplexed he brought it to his lips and gulped down a mouthful surprised to taste the familiar tart and sweet flavors of his childhood, plum and honey.
"I do not know what has gotten into you lately." Frigga filled up a basin with cold water and dipped the washcloth soaking it before pressing it up against Hermione's skin. She looked away avoiding Frigga's eyes. "You may be fully grown as a mortal, but here on Asgard you are merely a babe." Despite Frigga's best efforts, that dichotomy had caused a multitude of identity issues for Hermione. She however did not want to repeat the mistake they made with Loki.
"That's hardly fair. I'm not going to live as long. I could be a hundred, feeble, grey and old, and you'll still think of me as a child," Hermione complained as Frigga undid the ties to her dress since she couldn't reach them by herself. She was twenty now and Frigga still fussed over her like she was five.
Frigga didn't correct her. Hermione's magic should extend her life considerably over the average mortal, but it will still not be even a fraction of the long life of an Asgardian. She knew there were ways around that and it involved magic of course. "Of course you'll always be my child. Thor is over a millenia old. He may be King soon, but I'm still his mother just as I am yours and Loki's," she sighed, "wherever he is. The point is that you are all my children no matter how old you are." Frigga opened the ornate wardrobe and pulled out her bedclothes and hung them on the privacy partition.
"That's not what they whisper around the palace," Hermione said quietly behind the dressing screen. She slipped into the soft blue nightgown Frigga had picked out for her.
Frigga paused. While Odin never revealed Loki's Frost Giant heritage because he never wanted him to feel different, she did not want to make the same mistake with Hermione. And given Hermione's age when she arrived on Asgard, they could not keep her origins a secret. She was mortal and while not a threat like Loki had been, she was viewed as weaker and inferior. "I've learned to not pay any mind to palace gossip. You should have heard some of the things they spoke about me before and after I became queen."
Taking a seat at the edge of her bed, Hermione frowned in confusion, "who would dare speak ill of you? You're the All-Mother. Never before in the history of Asgard has a queen ruled as Regent," she recalled fingering the silver emerald jeweled bracelet around her wrist. The only jewelry she wore because it would not come off. She slept and bathed with it on always.
Frigga grabbed a brush from the vanity. She sat down next to Hermione on the bed removing the pins and ties unraveling Hermione's hair. "Many. There were many after the crown that thought they were more deserving."
"I guess I can't imagine that. You're such a great queen. Everyone respects and loves you," Hermione said in awe. Crookshanks having woken up from his nap stretched his front legs before he lazily sauntered across the bed. Bunting Hermione's hands until she removed them from her lap, he settled on top of her like a furry feline loaf purring and slow blinking his eyes.
Frigga laughed softly, "well, it was not always like that. That's the challenge of the throne, you sometimes have to make difficult decisions for the good of your people whether it be levying extra taxes, waging war, or not in our case. No matter what you do, there will always be critics and detractors. I've also had ages to learn and carve a place for myself. You will too someday." Taking her hair in her hands she parted them into sections before methodically brushing out each part. Her hair grew tamer over the years thanks to a bit of magic and potions, but it still required some maintenance. It was also a nightly ritual she had shared with Hermione since she was a little girl in order to bond with her. She came to Asgard older than Loki was when Odin found him with memories of her actual parents. Speaking of potions, Frigga remembered that she needed to brew another tonic for Hermione.
"But I've never belonged anywhere," Hermione said stroking Crookshanks' head. "On Earth, I remembered the other children hated me because of my magic." She didn't remember much else. Even her parents were a fuzzy, distant memory. "Here, I'm a second class citizen because of my birth. I just want to go some place where I don't have to be ashamed of who I am." Not that Thor or Frigga would ever let her leave Asgard. Not while she continued to wear the chain around her wrist or Loki continued to roam free.
Frigga bristled anytime Hermione even mentioned leaving Asgard. It always set her on edge. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. Setting aside the brush, she said, "people have their prejudices. It's not something limited to either the Asgardian or human race." Running her fingers through her hair satisfied that it was smooth and tangle free, she took a small section and began to plait it. "You will encounter this no matter where you go. All I care about is that I raised you to be a strong, capable, respectful and kind young lady."
Hermione sniffed as her eyes filled with tears. She bit her lip and tilted her head toward the high ceiling focusing on the beautiful design and tried to force the tears back inside her body. She repeated to herself how lucky she was and that letting her tears spilled would only convey ingratitude for her privilege and adopted family. She was a princess in all but name.
Frigga noticed her back tensing and the slight trembling of her shoulders. Alarmed, Frigga abandoned her task the braid in her hand unraveled. Rubbing her back comfortingly, "darling? What's the matter?"
"It's nothing." Hermione shook her head her voice congested and wavering.
"Then why are you crying?"
Wiping her eyes, Hermione replied shakily, "sometimes, I wish Thor had left me on Earth," she hiccupped.
Frigga stilled, but stowed her hurt feelings thinking that Hermione was obviously distraught."Do you really think that? Where is this coming from? Hmm?" Grasping her shoulders she turned Hermione to face her. Her motherly instinct kicked in when she saw the hurt expression on her daughter's face."Did someone hurt you?" Frigga demanded, "who was it?" Odin had assumed power again, but that was no deterrent for Frigga. Heaven help anyone that hurt her children because she had no reservations about doling out capital punishment, literally. She would gladly removed the head of whoever touched Hermione. Especially Hermione, of her three children she was the most vulnerable, despite everything she had done to make her less so, because of her heritage.
Eyes blurry with tears, Hermione shook her head,"no," spilling them down her cheeks.
"No? No, as in no one hurt you or no, as in you're not going to tell me who did?" Frigga held her face smoothing the hair away from her sticky face. "Hermione, look at me." She took the end of her sleeve and gently wiped away her daughter's tears. Frigga had noticed something was off for months now. Hermione had been much more sullen and withdrawn. She had chalked it up to human adolescent woes, but if she was honest she was so preoccupied with her responsibilities as queen having just brokered a peace treaty between the Light and Dark Elves that ended a pointless war after so many years of fighting.
Sobbing quietly, Hermione barely got the words out."I'm so sorry…" Against her wishes, the tears kept falling. Crookshanks hopped off her lap when the tears started dripping on him and settled by her feet grooming himself.
"Oh, Hermione," Frigga hugged her resting her head on her shoulder stroking her hair in the same manner she had done when Hermione was a child. "What is there to be sorry for?" In Frigga's mind, Hermione had been the most perfect child after raising two boys. Two boys that grew up to be gods, incredibly destructive gods.
Hermione buried her face in Frigga's shoulder, "you're going to," she sniffed, "be..so mad.."
For the second time that night Hermione ruined someone else's outfit. Frigga shifted Hermione's head to her other shoulder leaving a wet imprint of her face on her dress. She felt Hermione's whole body shake unable to contain the sheer amount of emotions pouring out of her. Something Hermione had kept inside all this time. She wiped her eyes and turned her head resting her cheek on Frigga's shoulder.
"Whatever it is. I will fix it," Frigga promised pressing a kiss on top of her head. Tightening her arms around Hermione, she looked down at her face. "Hermione, what are you not telling me?"
"I'm pregnant."
I actually wrote the outline and the first two chapters of this story last September. I put this on pause and worked on Interlude instead, because that was a much easier and more forgiving story line.
Warning. This fic is going to be a very self indulgent melodrama with multiple story lines. This a very AU canon divergent fusion crossover. I don't like rehashing canon as in replaying the events in sequence of the seven books of Harry Potter combined with the 20+ MCU movies with the crossover cast. I may insert some canon events here and there, but I'm definitely not going to use it as a guide, so timelines don't apply. I love the MCU and consider it to be its own separate canon/universe from the comics. That said I may add some comic book elements that don't contradict the MCU, but I will use those to fill in character backgrounds that the MCU doesn't cover. Hopefully, if I do it correctly, it won't be jarring.