Chapter 12: Lady Prince Returns
Summer seemed to go by so quickly when you are having fun. Hermione had spent most of her summer at the Burrow trying to create some distance between herself and Fred, although she didn't really seem to be succeeding. She was afraid of getting him involved in everything, afraid of losing him a second time, because this time it would surely break her if she lost Fred to death again. Nightmares had been getting worse and just like over the Christmas holidays Hermione often found herself downstairs, but this time Fred was nowhere to be seen.
Most of the summer Hermione had spent in Ginny's room when everyone was awake, everyone assuming she was triple checking and rewriting her summer homework. Instead she had been writing plans upon plans trying to figure out how she could save Cedric. It had taken her most of a month to figure out what she could do, and that Dumbledore's age line might not work on her because of her magical maturity. All Witches and Wizards came into their magical maturity on their seventeenth birthday, it was that not their physical age that the age line looked for, or at least that's what Hermione figured since Fred and George's aging potion failed. As far as she knew even if she was a younger body Hermione's magic was still fully mature, so if all went as planned Dumbledore's age line shouldn't affect her. If it did she would just ask Dobby for help telling him the truth that it was to protect Harry Potter, and he would surely put her name in the goblet.
Of course Hermione did have all of her summer homework finished, but it had only taken her a few days. Her memories of last time allowing her to write it quicker then she had the last time around. Now she was just waiting for the boys to wake up because it was finally time for the Quidditch World Cup again, unfortunately no matter how much she tried Hermione couldn't figure out a way for Hermione Granger to disappear at this time. A few days after the Cup was the arranged time she had Sirius had decided on to go to the cave, although he didn't know all of the details. Both thinking it was better to go then during the middle of the night.
The cup had gone by pretty quickly and basically the same way it had before in the beginning. Fred and George bet with Ludo Bagman, and Hermione pretended she didn't know what they were doing which wasn't really hard when Fred seemed to be trying his hardest not to look her in the eyes. Actually Hermione was a little shocked that George was going through with it considering that he knew what was going to happen. Plus he hadn't even tried talking to her about what they were going to do to save Cedric, unless if he hadn't realized that there was something they could do to save him.
Harry, Ginny, and Ron had gone completely crazy over the match. Watching with baited breath and Hermione just found herself bored. Although she did keep an eye on Winky knowing that Barty Crouch Jr, was beside her under an invisibility cloak. She was just happy to know that the poor house elf was going to be free. She knew she could have stopped Barty Jr. From stealing Harry's wand, but she didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to herself, besides it was him casting the dark mark sign that signalled the Death Eaters and warned the Order that they were needed once again.
Truly the only difference was the fact the Bill and Charlie came with them this time, and the two seemed to be as fanatic about Quidditch as their siblings. She just hoped they wouldn't end up getting in her way later on when she tried to keep the damage and death to a minimum. Both of them would surely end up joining in with other light Witches and Wizards to try and stop the attack.
It was with boredom that Hermione watched as Viktor once again caught the snitch, but lost the game. Looking at Viktor now it was hard for Hermione to even figure out why she had ever agreed to go to the Yule ball with him the first time around. He was hardly her type, and she hated Quidditch so it wasn't like they had much in common, she just couldn't really remember why she had chosen to accept his offer of a date. This time around though she was just happy that there would be no reason for him to think she'd want to date him, although she wouldn't mind if they became friends again.
"Harry I think I see someone I know from before my Hogwarts days, I'll join up with you guys again later." She wouldn't have told him the lie if it wasn't necessary. There was no way that she was going to be with them when the Death Eaters attacked, so if she led them to believe she had met a pre-Hogwarts friend, and then allowed them to think she was going to spend some time with them before going back to the Burrow they hopefully wouldn't link her to Lady Prince.
Harry barely even paid her any attention as Hermione left quickly going into the woods where no one would see her dropping her glamour. It wouldn't look good for her if Mia Prince wasn't seen before the Death Eaters attacked, so she would make it look like she had just been part of the crowd watching the game. She was certain that Arthur would wonder why she hadn't come to say hello, so she would have to try very hard not to be seen by any of the Weasleys.
A few hours later when the screams started Hermione was ready to counter, although she froze for a brief moment before jumping into the fray. Seeing Death Eaters again in those familiar black robes and masks brought her back to the war she had participated in. Reminded her of how much was at stake if she didn't allow certain events to happen, but that there were things she could do to protect some people from their fates.
Her wand felt like it was burning in her hand as Hermione sent hex after hex at the Death Eaters, careful of the muggles they were floating over their heads. She wasn't the only witch trying to fight the Death Eaters off, some only fighting to protect their children. She wished that she had finished her animagus training already, her form surely would have helped in this battle to rescue the muggles, but she could only go as far as to have one hand transformed. It was hard fighting and she had to block out the screams from the muggles above, she was only glad that by jumping in right away she had been able to save them from being crucioed.
Raising a shield Hermione was able to stop an incoming curse, but she felt like something was wrong. Through the entire battle not one unforgiveable had been cast, and it concerned her as to why the Death Eaters weren't trying to kill. Unless if they had family somewhere nearby and worried that one of their curses would end up accidentally killing or hurting someone they cared about.
The battle was over almost as quickly as it had started the Death Eaters fleeing once again the moment the Dark Mark appeared in the sky. Hermione panting for breath since it had been so long since she had to cast so many spells and move so quickly to avoid getting hit. Obviously she had let her training go lax and would have to pick it up again or else next time she might not be so lucky.
Only seconds had passed after the Death Eaters had disappeared that Hermione realized that the muggles were falling from their spots in the sky, the Death Eaters spells no longer holding them upright. Fear powered her, and she didn't even speak a word or coherently think of a spell before one left her wand, stopping their descent only a second before they would have hit the ground. No one else had noticed them falling to concerned with making sure that all the Death Eaters were gone, and they would have either died from the impact or been severely injured at least.
"Quick wand work," a familiar voice from behind her made Hermione freeze slightly, but she ignored the feeling as she carefully manoeuvred the muggles onto the ground not wanting to harm them. She didn't take her wand off of them because she knew their memories would have to be wiped by the Ministry.
"Thank you, I couldn't let them fall now could I," she replied making it seem like her pause had been because she needed to make sure the muggles were safe. Not because she was trying to ignore someone who knew her as Hermione Granger, before he had met her as Mia Prince.
He didn't come into her line of sight or say anything else as the two of them waited for the Ministry to relieve her of the care of the muggles. Her wand couldn't lift the immobilization spells on them because she knew they would try to run the second it was off of them. Instead she just waited patiently and sighed with relief as a ministry figure took them from her, a couple of Aurors flanking the woman as they carefully brought the muggles back to their home in order for their memories to be wiped, and made to believe they hadn't left their bed.
"Bill," a frantic voice called making the man behind her shift slightly. The voice however made Hermione freeze and turn seeing Arthur coming towards them with everyone else behind them. George's eyes were wide as he looked at her, although he tried his hardest to not give away that they had met before. His eyes told her that she would be getting a stern lecture later on, for not bring backup with her.
"Dad, where's Hermione?" Bill asked his eyes taking in the fact that she was the only one missing from their group.
"Hopefully safe with the friend she saw earlier, no one's seen her yet," Arthur replied before his eyes went wide as he took in the witch standing behind his son. "Lady Prince I didn't expect to see you here."
"I was helping fight those masked cowards, but originally came to watch the match," her voice was carefully charmed so she sounded older then she was making it so no one would be able to compare Hermione Granger's voice with Mia Prince's.
Bill turned to look at her in shock, and Hermione figured that he knew she was Fred's betrothed. Actually she was wondering why Fred didn't seem as shocked by the identity of the witch near his older brother, it was almost like he had already met her which was impossible. Instead she gave them all a bright smile hoping that they wouldn't bring up the fact that she was Fred's betrothed and that she could get out of her without an invitation to the Weasleys.
Luckily she got her wish a moment later when a Ministry official approached her to ask her a few questions about how the Death Eaters appeared. Arthur had looked like he wanted to stay, but his concern for his children won out and they went back to their tent probably waiting for her to show up. It only took Hermione a couple of minutes to tell the official everything she knew, although the official looked shocked when she had given her name, but hadn't said another word after she had shown of her Head of House ring.
Once she was done speaking with the official Hermione apparated to just behind the Weasleys tent knowing she would beat them there since they would still be walking over. This way since she shouldn't be capable of apparating they wouldn't wonder why she had appeared just after they had seen Mia Prince and not beforehand. Her glamour being put back up just as the age potion wore off making her the fourteen, almost fifteen, year old Hermione Granger once again.
When the Weasleys, plus Harry, saw her standing unharmed by their tent she was engulfed in a group hug. She felt guilty for having worried everyone, other than George, but it had to be done. She was almost glad that with his curse breaker status that Bill was legally able to make them a portkey to take them to the Burrow immediately.
Although she wasn't able to go to sleep right away because Ron and Harry had to fill her in on everything that she had missed. Including the fact that they had run into a paler then usual looking Malfoy, who had looked like he wanted to throw up, and that he didn't act like the git they were used to. It made Hermione wonder if perhaps she would be able to save him from his own fate and punishment with Sirius being free, if Narcissa decided to leave Lucius she could appeal to Sirius as the Head of the House of Black to take her and Draco back into her maiden house. Maybe when Mia Prince met up with him she might mention that he should try to extend an olive branch to his estranged cousin.
The next morning Hermione wasn't even that shocked that she was in the papers, although she had wished that Mia Prince could have stayed secret a while longer. At least the article hadn't been written by Rita Skitter, and the writer didn't seem to know of her affiliation with the Weasleys just yet. Not because she didn't want Mia Prince affiliated with them, but rather because she was still enjoying the fact that no one would look at Fred wrong for spending so much time with a girl who they believed wasn't his betrothed since they didn't know he was betrothed yet.
George hadn't been able to corner her yet Molly having been suffocating all of her children with hugs since they had woken up. Arthur having let her sleep last night because he hadn't wanted to worry her, although that ended up with his hair being hexed off once she found out what had happened at the World Cup. No one had even bothered asking her where she had been through everything having bought her story that she had gone to see a friend, and assuming that she had stayed with that friend until she was certain that it was safe to go back.
Fred hadn't left her side, except to use the bathroom, since he woke up however, even when his mother tried to suffocate him with hugs, seemingly concerned after having been worried to death about her the previous night. For the brief moment he had left her side for the bathroom Charlie had teasingly told her that it had taken both him and George to hold Fred back the night before, Fred having wanted to go and search for her and only staying once he had seen how terrified his little sister was. No one even mentioned to her that they had run into Fred's betrothed the night before almost like they were trying to hide it from her. She sort of felt betrayed by everyone, except with George since he knew the truth, because they were purposely keeping it from her and she wondered if they had realized she was in love with Fred.
Hopefully Fred wouldn't have this clingy attitude in a few days when she had to leave because she really didn't want to lie to them. She was only planning to tell them that she had some errands to run, and not even bother explaining it in details because she didn't want to lie, but if Fred was still clingy then she would have to figure out some way to lie about the errand she had to run to make it so that no one would want to go with her. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
AN: Sorry for the long wait. April is a pretty busy month for me. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please tell me what you think. Thanks for reading :)
