Not much had happened in the past few weeks. Hermione found herself in the company of Faye and Molly more often, Frigga as well. She had successfully avoided Nolan. In fact, she hadn't even seen him in the halls. Hermione didn't really think that was a bad thing, but if he had lost his job(or his life, as Faye had mentioned) because of Hermione, she felt bad.
She knew that she probably shouldn't feel that way, but she couldn't help it. it was in her nature.
Hermione was currently sitting in her room, reading a book she had gotten from the library in the castle. Odin had recommended it to her a few weeks ago and she couldn't deny that he was right when he told her that the book was far more fascinating than it seemed. It was called Midgardian Clockwork. It sounded like it was about clocks and watches, but it was really about how time worked on Midgard compared to other realms. Hermione had fallen in love with it so easily.
Despite how calm everything had been lately, Hermione was nervous. The ball was in a few days and Hermione still hadn't seen the dress that the tailor had made for her. The last few days had consisted of lessons on how to dance, which Hermione desperately needed as it had been so long since the last time she went to a ball. Hermione had done decent enough during the first lesson, though there were still many things she had to work on. Luckily, she had the chance to improve during the other lessons. The teacher had said that Hermione made quite the improvement since the first lesson, which Hermione was happy about. The lessons had ended only a few days ago.
Adding to how peaceful things had been, Loki hadn't been conversing with Hermione through her head at all. Hermione was happy about that, a lot more than she had expected. She had discovered just how much she hated having conversations through her head. Nobody was allowed to know how she discovered this.
Hermione closed her book, making sure to put back the bookmark so that she didn't lose her place. Sighing, she put her book on the table beside her bed and stood up. She grabbed her robe and walked into the bathroom before turning on the water to the bath. Hermione checked the temperature, making sure that it wasn't too hot or too cold. She let it fill up and took her clothes off before turning off the water and stepping into the tub. The water easily relaxed her muscles, which were slightly sore from the many dance lessons she had had. Hermione closed her eyes and let the water soak into her pores before washing her body and her hair.
After awhile, she just laid there with her eyes closed. It was extremely relaxing.
Everything was peaceful until she heard the bathroom door open and footsteps come towards her. She didn't bother turning around as she was too relaxed. She screamed as she was grabbed and pushed completely under the water. Hermione screamed and fought as she tried to get out of the water. She couldn't see the person, but whoever it was was trying to drown her. She finally managed to open her eyes and could see that it was Nolan. Hermione proceeded to fight back and scream, but it was no use.
Hermione gasped for air as she came up from under the water. A look of terror was on her face as she looked around. She was completely alone. It had been a dream. Hermione was shaking furiously as she stepped out of the tub, tying the towel tightly around her body. She quickly let the water out and sat down on the floor by the tub, gripping the side of it while her body continued to shake. She wasn't sure for how long she had been in there, but it must have been awhile as Faye had come in with a worried look on her face. Molly soon came in and also comforted Hermione, who hadn't stopped shaking yet.
Hermione didn't tell them why she was shaking, simply saying she had had a bad dream. The two didn't question her, deciding it was best that they leave her alone about it. After awhile, Hermione dressed herself in a lilac colored dress that went just past her knees. She decided to straighten her hair as well. Her makeup was very simple, a white eyeshadow, a light pink blush, a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and some light pink lipgloss.
While she liked looking like a bit of a princess, she hadn't quite gotten used to it. She had been here for almost two months and in those two months, she had mainly been wearing dresses. Any normal person would think that she would be used to this by now. Hermione stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection one last time before grabbing her wand and walking out of her room.
She gripped her wand tightly in her hand as she looked down both ends of the hallway. After that morning, she had wanted nothing more than to make sure she had her wand with her. Seeing the halls were empty, she walked fully out of her room and checked to make sure the locking spell was still in place on her door. She sighed in relief and turned down the hall.
Pulling out the map Frigga had given her, she walked down to the kitchens to grab a snack. She had already missed breakfast and was desperately in need of food. Once she arrived at the kitchens, she walked in. The workers all turned to her, bowing and curtseying. "How may we help you, Lady Granger?" One of the workers asked. "I just came in to get a quick snack," she replied. "What are you hungry for?" Asked another worker. Hermione thought for a moment. "Just a piece of fruit will suffice."
The worker nodded and walked over to a fruit basket. "We have oranges, apples, bananas..." The list went on. Hermione settled for an apple and thanked the workers as she left the kitchen with the fruit. She strolled through the halls, eating the apple. Her stomach felt so much better.
As she finished the apple, she approached a trash can. 'Thank god for that,' she thought before throwing the apple core away. She used a spell to make her hands not sticky and then proceeded to the library. Hermione realized she had left her book in her room, but decided that she could put it back the next time she wanted to go to the library.
Walking in, her mood changed from happy to fearful. Nolan stood there, looking through the books. He turned his head at the sound of Hermione's footsteps, his eyes landing on her. "Ms. Granger," he said, a smirk on his face. Hermione quickly pulled her wand out and pointed it at him, gripping it tightly in her hand. "Stay where you are. Don't come any closer or I'll hex you." Nolan just laughed.
"What did I ever do to you?" He asked, an evil look in his eyes. He came closer to her and Hermione didn't hesitate. "Stupify!" A light shot out of her wand and Nolan was thrown backwards into one of the bookshelves. He groaned in pain as Hermione began taking steps backward.
Nolan stood up. His nostrils flared in anger as Hermione quickly ran down the hall. Well, as best as she could in heels. Nolan was right behind her. Hermione was quickly losing her breath, but made it back into her room just before Nolan could reach her. She closed the door behind her and put on another locking spell, preventing Nolan from coming inside.
She was breathing heavily as she stepped away from the door. Hermione sat down on the bed, laying her wand down beside her. "Wandering child, why so afraid?" Hermione gripped the blanket in her fists. "Get out of my head, Loki," she said aloud. "Why do you push me away?" Hermione swallowed. "I said get out of my head." Silence. Hermione sighed as she pulled herself further up the bed, curling up into fetus position, her wand gripped tightly against her chest.
...
Three days had passed. There had been no trouble with Nolan since the library. Hermione was absolutely terrified of leaving her room. She hadn't told anyone about the library incident, though she knew that she should have. Tonight was Thor's ball. Hermione still hadn't seen the dress the tailor had made for her, which made her a bit nervous. Frigga had assured Hermione that the tailor knew what he was doing and that it would be fine. Hermione, while still hesitant about it, trusted Frigga.
Hermione was currently in her room with Faye and Molly. They were cleaning Hermione's room while she sat on her bed, reading the last chapter of Midgardian Clockwork. Nobody said anything, determined to finish their work before the ball that night. Faye finished vacuuming the carpet in the room as Molly began dusting the last shelf in the room. Hermione finished the book soon after. Closing the book, she sighed and put it on the table next to the bed. "May I take the book back to the library for you, Ms. Granger?" Faye asked.
Hermione smiled politely. "I would like that very much. Thank you, Faye." The maid curtseyed and took the book before leaving the room. Hermione turned to Molly as she finished the shelf. "Molly, can I ask you about Faye?" Hermione asked. Molly nodded her head. "Of course, Lady Granger." Hermione adjusted herself on the bed and made a spot on the bed for the maid to sit. Molly shook her head, but Hermione insisted. After Molly took a seat, Hermione began to ask questions. "Where did Faye come from? How did she get here?"
Molly thought for a moment. "Well, nobody knows much about her. The only thing anyone really knows about her is that she came from a big family. How she got here? I suppose she got here the same way everyone else did." Hermione tilted her head to the side. "How did they get here?" She asked.
"Most families are in debt or very poor. Most of the servants are working here to support their families. With Faye coming from a big family, I suppose she has to work the hardest to help out." Hermione looked down at her lap. She hadn't expected the situation to be so similar to those of the past back on Earth.
Faye came back in soon after. "Molly, we have work to do elsewhere," Faye aid, hands clasped in front of her. Molly nodded. Hermione said thank you to both of them before they walked out, leaving Hermione alone again.
...
Later that night, Hermione stood by her bed, looking down at the box that had been placed there. She knew that it was the dress, so why wasn't she opening it? "Come on, Hermione. It's just a dress. Frigga got the best tailor," she whispered to herself. Swallowing, she carefully removed the lid and her eyes widened. It was beautiful. She carefully pulled the dress out of the box. Her dark eyes scanned the red fabric as her hand slid down the side of the dress. Taking a deep breath, she got changed into the dress. It fit her perfectly. Hermione put on the red heels that she had gotten and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Faye and Molly came in soon after to do Hermione's hair and makeup.
When they finished, Hermione felt herself about to cry. She looked absolutely incredible. "You look beautiful," Faye said. Hermione looked at her, tears falling. "Thank you," she said, smiling. "Are you alright?" Molly asked. Hermione nodded. "I'm fine. These are tears of joy." She waved her hands near her face to try to stop crying before she ruined her makeup. Luckily, it worked. After making sure that she hadn't ruined her makeup, Hermione walked down to the ballroom. The hallways were completely empty, except for a few guards, none of which were Nolan. They bowed as Hermione passed them and Hermione gave them a smile in return.
Seeing the entrance to the ballroom, Hermione slowed her walking until she was at a complete stop. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You can do this, Hermione. You are Hermione Jean Granger, the brightest witch of her age. You are a Gryffindor, a survivor of the Battle of Hogwarts. This is nothing." Hermione smoothed out her dress and walked into the room. Heads turned as she entered the room, looking at her in awe. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention that was being drawn to her.
Luckily, Frigga came over to her side. "You look lovely, Ms. Granger," Frigga said. Hermione smiled at her. "Thank you, your majesty. You look lovely as well." Frigga took Hermione's hand in hers. "Please, call me Frigga. Come, dear. Let me introduce you to some of the nobles." Hermione, while hesitant, followed Frigga to a group of four nobles. They were introduced as Julieus and his wife Carina, and Leonardo and his wife Iliana. The two couples had been close friends of Frigga and Odin for a very long time.
They were all very nice people. Leonardo even asked to dance with Hermione, which she kindly accepted. The two danced together, Hermione smiling the whole time. They were dancing to a rather fast song and Hermione was surprised by how much energy Leonardo had. At the end of the song, Leonardo bowed and Hermione curtseyed. Frigga soon approached them and asked if she cold steal Hermione away. Leonardo smiled at Frigga. "Of course, your majesty."
Frigga guided Hermione over to one of the corners of the room. "There was an incident in the library not that long ago. I was wondering if you knew anything about that." Frigga gave her look that said she knew what had happened. "I'm sorry, Frigga. I panicked-"
"I understand, Ms. Granger. Are you sure you don't want me to do anything? If Mr. Ferirson is harming you in any way, please let me know. His behavior is absolutely unacceptable." Hermione shook her head. "I assure you. Everything's fine." Frigga looked at her doubtfully, but questioned her no further. The room suddenly became silent, which Hermione noticed immediately. Frigga and Hermione turned their heads towards where everyone else was looking. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the figure standing in the doorway.
Loki was here.
What made it worse was that he was looking right at her, though nobody seemed to noticed except for Frigga. Hermione swallowed as their eyes met. There was a look on his face, but Hermione couldn't tell what exactly it was. He definitely didn't look scared, that was for sure. Hermione didn't know what to do. She looked at Odin who had stopped paying attention to Loki and gone back to the conversation he was having with two men. It didn't seem to bother him, which immediately made Hermione suspicious.
Everyone else went back to their business, though Hermione could tell that many of them were still a bit weary of him being out of his cell. Loki strolled over to where Hermione and Frigga were standing, hands clasped behind his back. "Mother," Loki said, bowing his head. "Hello, Loki. Are you enjoying the ball?" Hermione was sure she had figured out what was going on.
Loki didn't smile. "For it being to celebrate Thor, I am quite impressed." His eyes landed on Hermione, whose arms were crossed. "It's even better knowing that you're here, Ms. Granger." Hermione wanted to roll her eyes, but stopped herself.
Loki seemed to know that Hermione wasn't fond of him being there. 'Trust me, love. I'm not very fond of being here either.' Hermione's eyes narrowed and Loki smirked. "I'll leave you two alone," Frigga said as she walked off to speak with some of the duchesses. Hermione's eyes followed Frigga before turning back to Loki, who had his hand out. "May i have this dance?" Hermione wanted to say no, but because she didn't want to draw too much attention(though she knew she would either way), she accepted and took his hand.
Loki led Hermione to the dance floor. The music wasn't too slow, which Hermione liked. It meant that she wouldn't be stuck dancing with him during a song that was meant for couples. Thanks to her dance lessons, Hermione avoided stepping on Loki's feet, not that she would mind. 'I could just step on your feet a few times and say it was an accident,' Hermione thought. She wasn't looking at him until his voice echoed in her mind. 'Watch your thoughts, little one. You wouldn't want anyone using them against you.' Loki smirked as Hermione's eyes narrowed again. "It's not polite to read someone's mind," Hermione whispered.
Loki gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Perhaps you should just stop thinking then."
Loki spun her around before dipping her slightly. Hermione's dress fanned out whenever she twirled, much to Loki's amusement. He seemed to enjoy the dress more than Hermione did. As the song ended, Loki bowed and Hermione curtseyed. Hermione was just about to run off when Loki grabbed her hand. "Please, one more dance," he said. Some of the people turned to look at them. Hermione sighed. "I suppose one more wouldn't hurt." She walked closer to him and waited for the music. It was a slow song. Loki smirked at Hermione as he placed both of his hands on her hips. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders.
As the music played, the two danced in perfect harmony. Their eyes locked and Hermione felt herself falling deeper into them. As the two danced, it felt as if there was nobody else around them. It felt like they had been dancing forever before the song ended. She wanted it to end, but at the same time, she didn't. In that moment, she could see that there was more to Loki than she had realized. She would never admit that, though she had a feeling Loki already knew what she was thinking.
Once the song ended, Loki took Hermione's hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles before departing. Hermione let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She watched him as he walked away.
Hermione hung around for awhile. In that time, she had spoken to Thor, met some more of the guests, and tried some of the food, which tasted incredible. Afterwards, Hermione decided to head back to her room. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew that it was probably late since it was dark out and very cold.
As she walked down the halls, Hermione realized that it was silent and that she was completely alone. Hermione stopped once the lights in the hallway began to flicker. She shook her head and began walking, but was suddenly forced against the wall. There stood Nolan, his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her head to keep her in. She hadn't brought her wand, thinking that since Nolan hadn't been around, she wouldn't need it. She should've known better.
"Hello, Ms. Granger," Nolan said as he began twirling a piece of Hermione's hair between his fingers. Hermione was shaking again. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"
"What do you want?" Hermione asked. Nolan smirked, seeing she was afraid. "Isn't it obvious?" He asked, smirking. "I want what I've wanted since I first met you." Hermione swallowed. "And what is that exactly?" Hermione already knew the answer and she hated it. Nolan chuckled darkly. "You." Hermione looked at the floor. She was absolutely terrified. Hermione felt like the worst Gryffindor ever. Gryffindors were supposed to be brave, unafraid. Hermione was quite the opposite in this particular moment.
"You can't have me," Hermione said, working up the courage to look at him. Nolan raised an eyebrow, the smirk never leaving his face. "Can't I?" Hermione tried to push him away, but Nolan was too strong. Hermione felt herself about to cry. Nolan could see this and began stroking her hair. "Hush, Ms. Granger. There's no need to cry." There was a taunting tone in his voice, which only made Hermione angry. "If I can't have you, who can? Surely, not Loki. While everyone else may think you're his second chance, I see something different. You're too good for him. What is he worth to you, huh? He's a monster, you know that."
"Funny how those words can be applied to you, as well." Hermione and Nolan turned to see Loki approaching them. "I admit that I've made some mistakes in the past, but given your position, you have no right to say those things." Nolan backed away from Hermione. "I recommend you stay away from Ms. Granger. If you don't, you will be punished severely." Nolan knew that wasn't an empty threat and immediately ran the other way.
"Are you alright?" Loki asked, turning to Hermione. Hermione nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine." She looked at him and gave him a small smile before continuing to walk to her room. "You know, a 'thank you' would be much appreciated," Loki called as Hermione walked down the hall. She didn't answer him, though Loki wasn't even sure if she had heard him. Of course, she had.
Hermione returned to her room and closed the door behind her, putting on five extra layers of her locking spell. After what had just happened, Hermione was no longer taking things lightly. The next time Nolan decided to come after her, she would be ready.