CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE


Summary: Finding herself one thousand years back in the past and in the legendary Kingdom of Camelot was something Hermione had never seen coming. But with no possible way back to the future and being stuck in the past, Hermione had no option but to form a new life for herself, and hopefully without changing the timeline. Unfortunately, matters of the heart cannot be controlled and she finds herself entwined in the lives of Prince Arthur and the great and powerful sorcerer, Merlin. Hermione x Arthur pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Merlin, and the BBC. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. I'm also making some big changes to the Merlin plotline so don't be surprised that nothing matches with canon. If I'm being honest, it's been years since I last saw the series, so I'm mostly going off what I remember and episode reviews and notes. And I've decided Arthur won't be dying.

AN

All I can say is... DAMN!

That must've been one hell of a cliff hanger as I've never received so many reviews in such a short span of time. Ever! For the fellow Brits like myself, am I right in thinking that it was most definitely an Eastenders moment? I've always wanted one.

For those that have been with me for quite a while, you know I love dropping a good cliff hanger on you but seeing as I was quite mean in leaving it there, especially since this is one of the moments we've been waiting for, and you were review warriors (is that a thing? If not, it is now) I made sure to rush this one out for you. I now have cramp in my hands, blurry vision from both exhaustion and staring at my screen for too long (even wearing my glasses) and backache, but I feel good about this one.

Some might not like the direction this takes, some might. Some might think I've gone a bit overboard, some might not. But I'm happy with it. Given the overlapping times, I thought, eh, have some fun. Put a sprinkle of that here and a dash of this there and viola, we have your next chapter! Oh, and this chapter was way too long to post as a whole. I'd already hit 12,000 words when I realised I was a little over halfway through writing it so I've decided to split it in two, at least allowing for you to see the outcome of Uther's questions whilst I continue working on the other half. And despite splitting it in half, it's still over 9,000+ words. I honestly don't know how I do this sometimes.

Read on to find out the answers to the questions you've been waiting to be answered for almost fifteen chapters. I have no patience; I hate reading slow burns but I love writing them, and you guys are awesome for sticking with me for so long especially since I do love to drag things out.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Hermione evading our Knights, I had a blast writing it.

Q&A

Anakvita – That was quite the review and quite the ego boost, thank you. I have a tendency to drop cliff hangers because part of me likes my reader's shocked responses, but most of the time I feel quite guilty and if the muse is cooperating, I crank out another chapter as soon as possible, just as I have for this one.

Nortia2 – I'm working on it, I promise. 'Pack Life', 'The English Rose' and 'Even in Death' are almost complete but as I said before, I'm not writing or posting anything new until I've had the chance to edit 'PL' and 'EID'. 'TER', however, is being a massive pain in my arse and the muse is not cooperating, but I will get it done eventually. Eventually being the keyword.


Page count: 19


Her heart dropped into her stomach, her head swam with dizziness and she felt bile rise up in her throat, threatening to be released.

Never before had she felt such horror or terror, not in her childhood, not during the war, not during her capture and torture in Malfoy Manor and not when she found herself stuck in the past, for Godric Gryffindor stood beside her.

There was no denying it was the great and powerful Founder of her beloved school. She'd recognise him anywhere having seen his portrait hanging in the Gryffindor common room every day of her school life. Whilst it was clear he was younger than when his portrait had been commissioned (with the lack of wrinkles in his forehead and around his eyes, Hermione being reminded that wizards aged slower than muggles) it was definitely him.

What was he doing there? How had he known to come to Camelot? King Uther hadn't seemed that surprised at his presence, so he'd known? Contacted him possibly? But that can't have been possible. Hogwarts couldn't be seen by muggles and Hermione had deliberately told them the wrong direction of travel to reach it as an added precaution, and she'd been unsuccessful.

She couldn't even be mad herself, she was too busy feeling the panic and fear that coursed through her. King Uther was going to discover the truth, Arthur would hate her and she'd be sentenced for death. She'd come so far, she'd survived the war and had managed to build a life for herself in the past and now, she'd be dead by tomorrow lunchtime. But Hermione didn't fear death, she'd had one too many near misses over the years and just as the Third Brother had in the Deathly Hallows, Hermione would make peace and welcome death as an old friend.

She steeled herself, her body straightening stiffly, her mouth closing and she lifted her chin proudly. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done; it was a matter of her survival.

She turned her eyes to Godric Gryffindor, seeing the way a frown had settled on his forehead and he focused gaze carefully examined her, for her appearance right to her posture and behaviour. His eyes, a similar shade to hers she noticed, seemed to widen in surprise and he took a half step towards her before halting, hesitating. Giving his head a shake, he closed the distance between them, Hermione tipping her head back to keep eye contact with him as she briefly noted Akela releasing a growl of warning, his side brushing her leg when he shifted into a defensive position.

It felt like an eternity had passed as they locked gazes but was only a matter of moments before he took a step back and his eyes fell down to her wolf, his eyebrow arching questioningly and without fear or hesitation, he lifted his hand from resting atop his sword and slowly brought it down, pressing it to Akela's head in-between his ears. Hermione blinked slowly when her overprotective wolf immediately calmed, lowering himself until he lay against the ground by her feet, the atmosphere in the large room being tense and thick as everyone present watched the scene in surprise.

Godric returned his hand to his sword before taking a few more steps backwards, his gaze returning to Hermione.

"King Godric, is she your Granddaughter?" King Uther pressed, his gaze flying between them and the peaceful wolf on the ground.

"You look so much like your mother," Godric breathed out, Hermione once more feeling her eyes widen in surprise and a twisting in her stomach.

"King Godric," the King called, it being evident that he was losing his patience.

Silence filled the room as he kept his eyes on Hermione.

"No."

Hermione's eyes closed. She was going to die. She couldn't bear to see Arthur's heartbroken expression.

"But I do have a daughter, one I have not seen since she was but a young babe."

Hermione's eyes flew open and she felt herself sway on her feet, her gaze darting to Arthur's surprised expression and King Uther's suspicious one.

"A daughter?" Arthur questioned hopefully, a smile threatening to pull at his mouth as he leaned forward in his throne.

"Yes. My wife unexpectedly fell pregnant many years after the birth of my son, we'd tried for another child but came to understand it was not meant to be. When my daughter was born, it was a miracle but Hogwarts was at war and my son had already reached maturity and married. For the safety and protection of my daughter, I tasked my son with taking her far away from the conflict so he might raise her as his own daughter, not his sister."

"You say this woman, Hermione, is your daughter?" King Uther questioned.

"Yes, she is my daughter, Princess Hermione, my heir."

Hermione stumbled back, almost tripping over her own feet. Her wide gaze darted between Godric, Arthur and King Uther before her vision swam with darkness and she felt herself sway.

~000~000~000~

"Hermione!"

Arthur's heart dropped in his stomach as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground, Arthur instinctively springing from his seat in an attempt to reach her before she hit the stone floor despite him knowing it was futile. Thankfully, Sir Leon leapt into action, reaching out and catching her, gently lowering her to the ground.

"I believe she is fine, Sire," Sir Leon spoke once Arthur knelt down beside her, his expression one of worry and surprise. "She fainted. I believe the news of her parentage may have overwhelmed her."

Arthur thought that was more than understandable and not caring for his audience, he reached out, gently pushing her hair back from her face.

"And you are sure she is your daughter? As you said yourself, you have not seen her since she was a young babe."

Arthur barely stopped himself from glaring at his father. What more proof did he need? He had the confirmation of Hermione's royal status from the King himself, despite them discovering she was his daughter, not his Granddaughter, something that had not been expected. She was in the possession of a sword that mirrored the one strapped to King Godric's hip. The man himself had spoken of her resemblance to her mother and Arthur had seen that he and Hermione had shared the same eye colour and unruliness of the hair.

"Yes, I am sure," he replied, looking down at Hermione, his expression softening in a way that spoke of fatherly love and concern. "She is the double of her mother, that cannot be faked. And she is my daughter, no matter how many years have passed or how much she has grown, I am certain I would always be able to recognise her. She is as beautiful as her mother, just as I knew she would be when I held her for the first time."

The King leaned back into his chair, Arthur noting the way his posture relaxed a smile played at his mouth before his gaze darted to him, giving him a single nod. Arthur released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"The Princess has told us of the war you faced, why did you not search for her?"

"When I sent her away, I did so knowing that the possibility of reuniting with her would be exceptionally low. I did not expect to survive the war and when I did and we prevailed, I was unsure of her whereabouts or if she was alive, knowing that my son and his wife had died. I assumed she had perished alongside them. It seems it is Fate that you should find my daughter and reunite us and for that, King Uther, I will forever be grateful and I will forever be in your debt. Thank you for ensuring her health and well-being."

King Uther tipped his head in acknowledgement. "The Princess is truly one of a kind and she will always be welcome in Camelot, I believe she considers this to be her home, she has done some truly remarkable things for the citizens of Camelot."

King Godric's eyes darted to Hermione, his expression hard to read due to the sheer number of emotions that flittered through his gaze and Arthur cleared his throat, not asking for his father's permission regarding his next decision.

"Sir Leon, please take Princess Hermione to her chambers."

"Yes, Sire," he replied, carefully lifting Hermione into his arms before he rose to his feet, turned on his heel and left the throne room, being followed by Akela and Sirs Geraint and Conan.

Arthur rose to full height and turned to face his father, giving him a pointed look, one his father understood as he nodded.

"King Godric, later this evening there will be a feast in your honour, a celebration of reuniting a father with his lost child but until then, perhaps you might wish to visit with your daughter, I imagine you have quite the conversation to be had."

"Thank you, King Uther," he replied, tipping his head.

"Merlin, show King Godric to Hermione's chambers and send word to the kitchens to have tea sent," Arthur instructed.

"Yes, Sire," his manservant replied, stepping out from behind his throne and exiting the room with King Godric following after him.

"I will have the servants show you to your rooms," his father spoke to the other men from King Godric's riding party and with a wave of his hand, several servants appeared from the shadows, guiding them out of the throne room until it was only the Knights, himself, his father, Morgana and Guinevere left in attendance.

"And so the Princess spoke the truth of her parentage, mostly," his father added.

"You doubted her," Arthur commented, unable to keep his disapproval from showing.

"We must always be on our guard, Arthur, I will not apologise for not trusting the Princess' claims no matter that we now know she had not been lying, and I will say no more on the matter. We must allow time for the Princess to process what was revealed this day and for her to spend some time with her true father. Until then, we will not make mention of our wishes of a union between you and the Princess."

"Yes, Father," Arthur reluctantly agreed.

He'd been waiting months to receive a reply to their missive and now that King Godric had unexpectedly visited, he'd wanted to get it all out of the way so he could begin making plans for his future, a future with Hermione by his side. But he reminded himself that he couldn't be selfish, Hermione had learned some truly difficult news and the King had just discovered that his daughter who he hadn't seen in almost two decades was alive and well and all grown up. He could wait a few more days whilst they spent some time together.

~000~000~000~

There was a dull throbbing in her head and the moment her eyes opened, they automatically closed against the too-bright light, it taking a moment or two for her to adjust to her surroundings. She recognised the softness of the mattress and bedding beneath her and knew she was in her chambers, but how has she gotten there?

Releasing a groan, she pushed herself into a seating position, shuffling back until she propped herself against the pillows and her head snapped to the side when she heard movement, a gentle clatter. Her eyes widened at the sight of Godric Gryffindor, casually perched in a chair by her bedside and a steaming cup of tea held in his hand.

"Ah, you have woken," he observed, his eyes carefully examining her the same way they had in the throne room. It was almost as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, closed it, swallowed and then tried again.

"Why did you lie? How did you know of the war I spoke of? Why are you here?"

He tipped his head slightly, taking a rather delicate sip of his tea before setting it down on the bedside table.

"That," he answered, nodding in the direction of the Gryffindor Sword that was mounted on the wall by the door, "And you. I have waited a very long time to meet you."

"Excuse me?" She spluttered.

His mouth tugged in amusement. "I felt the magic of my sword call to me. It drew me here. When I looked into your eyes, I am not ashamed to admit I scoured through your memories, such a difficult life you've had, little cub," his voice softened, sounding almost saddened. "I know everything." Her mouth opened to respond but he spoke over her. "Not to worry, I saw only what I needed to, the secrets of the future are safe. As for why I lied about your identity, I did not."

"I don't understand," Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. She could already feel a headache forming.

"From what I saw in your memories, the future is quite aware that I had a son and yes, he did die young, coincidentally, around the time of your arrival in this time. But, it seems it is not known that I did have a daughter."

Hermione's frown deepened and she folded her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers into the fabric of her dress distractedly.

"She had barely lived before I lost her to illness. When I laid her to rest, my wife, Lillian, a woman who had the rare gift of premonition, made a vow that my daughter would one day return to me."

"That I understand, but I don't understand what that has to do with me," Hermione replied.

His mouth tugged into a smile. "Do you believe in the magic of reincarnation?"

"Yes," she answered honestly, her eyes darting over to Akela as he lay by the unlit fireplace in his pile of blankets, sleeping peacefully. "Yes, I do."

His features seemed to soften slightly as he gave her a pointed look, as if he wanted her to understand what he was trying to tell her without him having to speak the words.

"It is quite the coincidence that my daughter was named Hermione, too, don't you think?"

Hermione's gaze fell to the ground, staring at the grey stone unflinchingly before his words, spoken and not, slammed into her like a tonne of bricks. Her head snapped up to meet his gaze.

"No," she breathed out.

"Yes," he disagreed.

"But... But that's not possible!" She whisper-hissed.

"Yes, it is. Magic is magic, it cannot be explained or understood, it is neither good nor bad, it just is. And because of magic, my daughter, you, have returned to me."

"I don't believe it. I can't! What am I doing here? How did I get here?"

"My wife had two visions. One of your return, one of your death. I knew not where you were or more precisely when you were but I knew I could not lose you again. My wife grew ill several years after your death and before she crossed over, I vowed to bring you home. I wanted a place of peace, of home and safety. A place you might learn of your inherited magic and how to control it safely. You, little cub, are the reason behind my founding of Hogwarts with the others. I did it for you. The school you loved so much, was built for you."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and her head swam with dizziness, and she dug her fingernails through the fabric of her dress and into her thigh, helping to ground her before she fainted. Once was quite enough for one day.

"After ensuring you had a home to return to, with the aid of Rowena, one of the most truly brilliant magical practitioners I have ever met, we spent many years searching for a way to bring you home. Rowena, having a daughter herself, didn't wish to see me lose mine again. And it was two years ago that we felt we had succeeded. With the help of Helga and Salazar, we were able to focus our magical energy and perform the ritual. I had expected for you to arrive at Hogwarts, in the chambers I had made especially for you, but when you did not appear, I knew something had gone wrong. I have since spent the majority of my time sending creatures and owls in search of you. I have never before felt such relief when I felt the pull of my magic from my sword, or when a young hippogriff returned to Hogwarts, surrounded by the essence of your magic."

Hermione's eyes widened a fraction, realising that the hippogriff she and Arthur had seen all those weeks ago, it had come from Hogwarts after deliberately searching for her. That was why she'd wanted Hermione to fly with her, likely so she could take her to Hogwarts.

"This is a lot to take in," she muttered, bringing her hands up to her temples.

As if, Hermione had purposely been brought back through time and to the past because she was the reincarnated daughter of Godric Gryffindor!

"Yes, I am sure it is," he replied sympathetically.

"But how can you be sure that I am who you say I am? How do you know that you didn't accidentally bring back the wrong person?"

His head tilted slightly to the right and he pursed his lips in thought. "Although my daughter died young, she had barely reached her second year of life and she resembled her mother in complexion and they shared the same mouth shape and the same button nose. No matter how many duties or responsibilities I had that needed seeing to, I never missed the nightly routine of reading to my daughter until she fell asleep, I was always the last thing she saw before sleep took her. I would recognise the sparkle in her eyes anywhere, the same sparkle that you possess. Not only are you physically similar to my Lillian but your magical energy is similar to mine, it contains the Gryffindor family magical energy."

"Excuse me?" She frowned.

Godric shifted in his seat before he leaned forward, holding his hands out palms up expectantly. Observing them cautiously, she slowly reached out and set her hands in his and the moment she did so, she felt her entire body relaxing, sinking back into the pillows behind her and a soft sigh slipped past her lips as her eyes fluttered closed.

The slight chill in the room suddenly faded as Hermione was surrounded by a comforting warmth and safety, it brushing over her exposed skin like a summer's breeze, goosebumps erupting over her arms and it seemed to settle around her heart, warming her from the inside out.

"That is the family magics," Godric explained, his voice soft as though he didn't wish to interrupt her. "You are my daughter, Hermione."

The moment broken, Hermione pulled her hands away from him and fisted them in her dress, burying down the urge to reach out for him and feel the warmth and comfort once more.

"I need a moment," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"Of course," he acquiesced, nodding.

A moment became a few, which became minutes, which became a long while of silence and despite the time that had passed, Hermione needed more. She needed help.

"Akela," she called softly, her wolf slowly lifting his head from his paws, blinking lazily.

Without saying anything more, he stood, bowed his back as he stretched and then padded over to her bed, leaping onto the mattress and sitting beside her, Hermione soon wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his fur.

Akela had never before been on her bed, both in Ealdor and Camelot. He wasn't forbidden from resting or sleeping on it but he'd never before shown any interest, Hermione wondering if that was something to do with William's influence but the majority of the time, Akela seemed to be mostly wolf.

She was not quite sure how long had passed and Godric never once tried to interrupt her thought process or coping measure of clinging to her wolf, but she was grateful for both the silence and the wolf that had yet to move despite Hermione knowing his current position can't have been comfortable for him.

She hadn't realised she'd been crying until she felt the damp fur beneath her cheek and she did her best to wipe her face as subtly as possible. Knowing she really ought to pull herself together and accept the situation for what it was, Hermione took several calming breaths and lifted her face from Akela's fur, unwinding her arms from around him. Her wolf did not climb from the bed as she'd expected him to but rather he laid beside her, partially sprawling across her lap, of which she was grateful for as she buried her hands in his fur, giving her hands something to do to stop her from fidgeting.

"How are you feeling, little cub?"

Hermione's breathing halted for a moment before she breathed out slowly and shook her head and then turned her eyes to him.

"Overwhelmed, confused, conflicted, exhausted..." She trailed off before steeling her nerves for what she was about to say. "I do not want to upset you and I hope you do not take my next words too harshly... But, you are not my father. My father was named Richard Granger, I was born to him and Jean Granger. They were both dentists... Teeth healers... They taught me to read and write, they took me to school every day, they read to me at night, comforted me when I fell or injured myself, allowed me to crawl into their bed when I had a bad dream. Whilst I may look like your late wife and I may possess the spirit and magical energy of your daughter, I am not her."

He kept his expression annoyingly blank, she thought.

"That I understand, after observing your memories, the experiences in your life, I understand that you had parents who loved you very much, who raised you with love and kindness. I understand that I am not your father, and you are not my daughter, but you are still my daughter in spirit. I know that I can never take the place of the man that raised you but now that I have found you, I hope that you will allow me to be in your life."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You pulled me from my time, from my life, from the people I loved, and you brought me to a time of which I had no knowledge of, I had no family, no home and no connections. I was stranded and forced to do the best I could to survive."

"I couldn't let you die, not again. I am sorry the ritual did not work as I had intended, I wished to bring you home to safety and as luck would have it, you landed in a Kingdom that forbids the use of magic."

Hermione found her mouth twitching in amusement. "Yes, it has been rather difficult keeping my secret but I have allies."

"Oh?"

Hermione nibbled her lip, wondering if she should reveal the truth of Merlin, but then perhaps he could help him whilst he was in Camelot. Godric could teach Merlin more in a week than she could in her lifetime.

"In the future, there is a well-known Sorcerer that is said to be one of the most powerful magical practitioners to have ever existed." His eyebrow arched in both curiosity and a gesture for her to continue. "His name is Merlin and he is Prince Arthur's manservant, and he is a very good friend of mine. Merlin practices magic of the Old Religion, using it to secretly protect the Prince from harm," she explained and Godric nodded, not looking surprised. "He knows of my magic just as he knows I know of his but he has had no formal tutoring on the practices of magic. As I'm sure you've seen, I did attend Hogwarts and since my arrival in Camelot, I have been doing my best to teach Merlin everything I possibly can but with the differences in our magic, it is difficult. He is too old to attend Hogwarts himself and I don't believe he would wish to leave the Prince unprotected should he be allowed to attend..." She trailed off, nibbling at her lip.

"Is there something you wish to ask me?" He asked amused.

She cleared her throat. "Well... You are also said to be one of the most powerful practitioners to have existed, and if you wouldn't be opposed to it, I was wondering if you might consider helping Merlin with his control whilst you are here? I am not as powerful as Merlin and as I said, there is only so much I can teach him. The magics I know are from future discoveries and inventions, the magics from this time have long since been forgotten, you could teach Merlin more than I ever could, of course, it would have to be done in secret. I have told King Uther that Hogwarts is a Kingdom, not a school of magic, which is why he believes you to be a King. I explained that Hogwarts welcomes magic but not that I possess magic, so you might wish to keep your own magic a secret to avoid conflict," she rambled and his mouth twitched in amusement.

"Little cub, if you say he is powerful and untrained, it would be dangerous not to offer him aid. For the duration of my time here, however long that may be, I will speak with him and see if we might find time to work with one another."

"Thank you," she breathed.

He tipped his head. "There is not much I wouldn't do for you, anything you wish, all you must do is ask." Hermione cleared her throat and shifted. "Why is he protecting the young Prince?" He asked curiously.

Hermione nibbled her lip once more, "Well, Prince Arthur is destined for greatness, something I know to be true. The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights is well known throughout my time, and Merlin is known for being his protector and his most trusted advisor. This time period is known as the 5th century, I am from the 20th century."

Godric frowned slightly. "I had not realised just how far into the future you were born, nor had I expected you to be so young," he gave his head a shake.

She shrugged, there was nothing that could be done about it now... Unless...

"Is there a way to send me back?" She asked, doing her best to squash down any hope she might feel so she wouldn't be too disappointed if he confirmed her suspicions.

"No," he offered her a comforting smile. "The magics that brought you here cannot be replicated or repeated, and they cannot be reversed or altered to send you back."

Hermione nodded, having already known the answer and she ran her hand through the fur on Akela's head, the wolf's eyes closing sleepily.

"You have a bond unlike any I have ever seen," Godric commented, watching her interactions with her wolf intriguingly.

"He is the reason I believe in reincarnation," she confessed, his eyebrow arching questioningly. "When I first arrived in this time, I was injured after fighting in battle..." She saw his eyes harden and wondered if he knew of what she meant and if he didn't, if he would later ask her to clarify. "I was found by a young man who took me to safety and ensured I received medical aid. When I was healed, I stayed in the village and he became my best friend, a brother, someone I loved and someone I trusted not only with my life but with my secret of magic. I met Prince Arthur and Merlin when they came to the aid of the village as we had a bandit problem. My friend, William, was Merlin's best friend from childhood before he left to Camelot to serve the Prince, and he gave his life to save Prince Arthur's. Three days after his death, I stumbled upon Akela injured and healed him and a bond between us formed. I know from future research that some wolves are drawn to magic users and that is what I'd thought had happened, but then I started noticing things, little things that reminded me of William and I soon came to the understanding that he hadn't left me, he's always been with me," she explained, looking down at the half-asleep wolf sprawled across her lap. "How did you calm him? He is very protective of me."

"So I've seen," he replied amusedly. "Gryffindors have always had an understanding with the wolf species, something in our magic calls to them, and that is why I was able to settle him. He was able to recognise the similarities in our magical energy and he knew I meant you no harm. I believe, aside from your friend's reincarnated spirit, that is why he is so taken with you."

"If you are affiliated with wolves, why do you have the emblem of a lion?" She tipped her head.

"Helga, she hates wolves. When I considered the emblem, she threatened to walk away from Hogwarts," he rolled his eyes.

Hermione frowned. "Why does she hate wolves?"

He snorted. "She had chickens when she was younger, she treated them as if they were her children and a wolf snuck onto her father's land and ate them all," he replied, his eyes crinkling as though he were fighting back a laugh.

Hermione nodded. "How long will you stay in Camelot?"

"For as long as King Uther allows, and as long as you would like me to. I was speaking the truth when I said I would like to be in your life, I would like the opportunity to know you as a person. King Uther said you have done many wonderful things for this Kingdom and I would like to see it for myself."

Hermione cleared her throat and slowly nodded. "I would like that, how many others can say they hold the reincarnated spirit of Godric Gryffindor's daughter, who he magically dragged back through time in order to save her life?"

Being in the possession of Godric Gryffindor's daughter's reincarnated spirit and family magic was going to take an exceptional amount of time to get used to. She supposed, as her eyes darted to the sword on the wall, that was why the sword had come to her aid when she'd needed it most, when she hadn't even thought of it or asked for it. It had sensed the family magics within her and her need.

Laughter bubbled out of him and for the first time, something inside Hermione seemed to settle and her laughter soon followed.

~000~000~000~

Arthur sat beside his father, his eyes scanning the many occupants of the formal banquet hall, seeing the Knights of Camelot, nobles and the riding party of King Godric, all waiting for the feast to begin and the arrival of their special guest.

Arthur had not seen Hermione since she'd been taken to her chambers and he was worried about her, knowing that she was currently going through a difficult and unexpected situation. The only thing that had prevented him from going to her chambers and checking on her well-being was Merlin, who'd annoyingly stuck to his side like glue and did anything and everything he possibly could to distract him. Whilst it had annoyed at the time, as he sat waiting for Hermione's arrival, he was glad for it. He didn't want to interrupt her time with her newly discovered father, not when they'd have so much to discuss.

The announcement of their arrival had Arthur's head snapping towards the door, blocking out his father's words.

"Thank you all for attending on such short notice," he spoke, drawing the attention of the audience. "This evening we are not only welcoming an esteemed guest to Camelot, but we are celebrating the reuniting of father and daughter who have been separated for many, many years. Please join me in welcoming, a young woman you all know well, Princess Hermione Gryffindor and her father, King Godric Gryffindor," he finished, the large doors opening wide and whispers picked up at the sudden change in Hermione's relationship as they'd known her as his Granddaughter, not his daughter.

The moment she stepped into the firelight on King Godric's arm with Akela by her side, everyone else seemed to fade away and he could barely take his eyes from her. At this point, he supposed he should be quite used to her beauty but she never ceased to prove him wrong.

Her dress moulded to her body as all of her 'feast dresses' usually did, but this one floated down to the ground as if made from silk, it rippling as she walked. The crimson-red colouring contrasted against her pale skin with her neck and shoulders on display, the sleeves falling all the way down to her wrists and a subtle cleavage being shown. Her hair, whilst looking a little less frizzy than King Godric's, had red flowers entwined through the strands and a golden and ruby-studded tiara sat atop her head, similar to the one he'd given her all those weeks ago.

He'd barely stopped himself from standing and meeting her halfway to escort her to her seat, especially when the King, her father, was already doing so. Once Hermione was seated beside him and King Godric took the chair on the left of his father (a position that was usually left for Morgana who was not in attendance at the feast due to her feeling unwell) and pleasantries were exchanged, the feast began.

Arthur noticed quickly that Hermione placed very small portions of food onto her own plate before she made up a larger plate for her wolf and set it on the ground.

"Hermione?" He questioned in concern.

She turned to him and released a sigh. "I am fine, Arthur." He didn't believe her and his expression conveyed that. "Well, I am not completely fine," she amended, "But I will be. I have taken the time to speak with my father," she stumbled over the word he noticed, "And whilst I know there is much more to discuss, we have both come to an agreement to take the time we have to get to know one another. Right now, I am confused, overwhelmed and exhausted, but I know with a little time and sleep, I will be well."

"If there is anything you need...?"

"Then I will ask, thank you, Arthur," she gave him her first smile of the night and he felt himself relaxing.

They soon fell into comfortable conversation as they usually did and Arthur laughed at Hermione as he always did when she sipped at the ale in her goblet and grimaced, only for Hermione to repay the favour when he slipped food to Akela and the wolf's teeth accidentally nipped his fingers in his over-eagerness, but his father's conversation with King Godric flittered to his ears and Arthur felt his eyes widen in panic and his chest constrict.

"King Godric..."

"Please, Godric is more than acceptable, I have never been one for formal addressings," he interrupted, Arthur briefly feeling amused, knowing that Hermione had the same dislike, before his panic quickly overpowered it.

"Of course, then you must call me Uther," his father tipped his head before continuing. "Now that you have been reunited with your daughter, you mentioned she is your only heir? Will she be expected to depart with you on your return to Hogwarts?"

Godric slowly chewed the food in his mouth before reaching for his goblet and taking a large gulp of ale and setting it back on the table.

"In Hogwarts, Helga, Rowena, Salazar and I, as co-rules of the Kingdom," he started, his eyes darting to Hermione questioningly for a moment and then back to his father, "Collectively decided that no matter the sex of a child, it would be the Royal heir to our respective cities, eliminating the pressure of a male heir needing to be born. Hermione has been away from Hogwarts for such a time I understand that it is no longer her home, I know that she considers Camelot to be her home and whilst I am saddened she was forced to suffer in a war I tried to protect her from, that she has had bad experiences in a Kingdom she was born to one day rule, I am happy she has a place she feels safe. If she wishes to remain in Camelot, then she may..." Arthur released a huge breath of relief. "If she wishes to return to Hogwarts and take her rightful place on the throne once I step down or pass, whichever may come first, then I would be overjoyed."

King Uther made a humming noise before he reached for his goblet of ale, his gaze darting to Arthur, then Hermione and back to King Godric.

"If the Princess is your only heir, why would you not force her to return? I believe she once mentioned you had a brother, would he be next in line?"

"Unfortunately, my brother passed of illness last year," he replied, "And at this moment in time and with the passing of my son, Hermione is my only living heir."

Arthur didn't need to look at Hermione to know she was frowning in confusion, especially when he felt the same.

"I do not understand," said his father.

"I lost my wife several years after we sent Hermione away for her protection and years passed that I was without my wife, my daughter and my son. I was alone. I knew that I would never love another woman the way I loved my Lillian, but I did meet a woman, Anna, with who I didn't feel so lonely. We have been married three years and recently, we have discovered she is with child."

"That is wonderful news," his father said at the same time as Hermione hissed, "What! You never mentioned that you remarried or that you were expecting another child."

Hermione's head spun. Godric only had one son, she knew! But then, she'd never known he'd had a daughter, the one that she was the reincarnation of, so she supposed he could've had a third child, too. It wasn't known that he'd married twice, either. Maybe this was the one that died young, the one people knew about. The man who'd 'raised' her had been old enough to marry and decades had passed since, he would've been in his mid-thirties at least, perhaps not so young given the current time period.

King Godric's expression softened as he turned his eyes to her. "I apologise, little cub, I had not intended to keep such news from you, but we'd had quite the discussion and I did not wish to overwhelm you further."

Arthur saw the way she took a breath and then she seemed to deflate, nodding her head and a smile tugged at her mouth. "Well, I admit that I have always wanted a sibling."

King Godric smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "You are my eldest, Hermione, you will always have a claim to the throne no matter if my wife births a boy or girl."

Hermione nodded slowly before saying, "Whilst I understand that, I hope you understand that I do not wish to rule in Gryffindor city. As you said yourself, I have not been there for quite some time and we both know the citizens are unaware of my existence. I was not raised to rule or sit on a throne and as such, I have no business in doing so. This chid, my brother or sister..." Arthur noticed she stumbled over the words. "Will be raised in Gryffindor and can be groomed for taking the throne."

"Hermione, what you are saying, you need to think carefully about your decision. Once the child grows old enough to take the throne..."

"I am positive," she interrupted, spearing him with an annoyed gaze. "The people deserve a King or Queen who understands them, who will care for them, who will protect them."

"And that is not you?" King Godric replied, locking gazes with her.

Neither of them appeared to be backing down and startlingly, Arthur realised this was where she got her stubbornness from, her father.

Hermione's expression suddenly softened as she released a sigh. "No, it is not." Arthur whole-heartedly disagreed. "I do not want to be Queen of Gryffindor, please respect my wishes. My time is better spent helping those that need it, not sitting on a throne. You have a child on the way, one that you can teach and tutor accordingly. Please, take the time that you could not spend with me and give it to them."

"This is a discussion that we most definitely will be revisiting," he promised.

Hermione scoffed quietly so only he would hear, his father might just choke on his ale if he witnessed such unladylike behaviour from her. Arthur, himself, didn't so much mind it. To him, it was refreshing, something he'd grown used to expect from her and something none of the noblewomen or Princesses would do. She wasn't afraid to be herself around him and he liked that about her.

"We most definitely will not," she disagreed stubbornly.

~000~000~000~

It had been days since he'd seen Hermione. Since the arrival of her father, he and Hermione had not spent any of their evenings together as was routine, they'd not taken a single walk through the marketplace nor had they visited the stream, he knew she hadn't visited with Charles or her charges or the orphaned children in the streets and neither had she or her father been present at dinner, something he'd expected his father to take offence with but he'd done the exact opposite, stating it was imperative that King Godric and Hermione spent as much time together as possible before he took his departure, needing to return to not only his Kingdom but his expecting wife.

If he were being honest, Arthur missed her. It wasn't as though she'd left Camelot, she hadn't even left the castle grounds, but they had a routine and this was the first time it had been broken. This was the longest he'd gone without seeing and speaking with her and it was eating him up inside.

He missed her laugh, he missed the way she'd glare at him for his teasing, the way the wind would blow her hair into her face and she'd huff in annoyance, the way she never failed to complain about her dislike of wearing dresses, being much more comfortable in breeches, tunics and shirts. He missed their conversations, light and comfortable when in public or eating dinner in the banquet hall, private and vulnerable when they were alone and without an audience. He missed her calming voice when she offered him words of advice after a particularly stressful council meeting or when she was reading from one of the books he gifted her, a new one each week. He missed her scoffs and snorts, her bickering with his Knights, he even missed her hushed and whispered conversations with Merlin, her offering him an innocent smile and Merlin an idiotic grin when he questioned them on their behaviour.

He wasn't certain how much longer King Godric would remain in Camelot, and whilst he was happy Hermione had discovered the truth, that she'd learned she had a father and a sibling soon to be born, that was she was taking the time to get to know him and build a relationship with, part of Arthur, the selfish and jealous part of him, wanted King Godric as far away from Camelot as possible so he might get Hermione back.

Her lack of absence had made him irritable and sullen, so much so he was given a wide berth when in the corridors, his Knights observed him carefully and were cautious with their words lest they anger him and he was not merciful when sparring, Merlin fled his presence as soon as he possibly could, Morgana remained quiet and his father always looked torn between amusement and pity. All of this because he had not seen Hermione in three days. Three very long days.

And because of that, he was surprised when he'd caught sight of Hermione and her father when he'd left the castle after finishing breakfast, intending to head to the training grounds. He froze mid-step and almost fell down the remaining steps before he righted his balance, his eyes refusing to move from Hermione's retreating back lest it be a trick of his imagination, only he felt them narrow when he saw the direction they were heading. Out of the castle gates and without guards.

Scowling –the woman was downright maddening!- he descended the remainder of the steps and made his presence known, them both halting to a stop and turning to face him.

"Arthur," Hermione greeted brightly, Arthur blinking slowly before giving his head a shake. He hadn't seen that smile in days.

"Princess, Your Grace," he said, tipping his head to the King.

"Prince Arthur, you may call me Godric, as I have said, I do not care for such formal adressings," he replied with a roll of his eyes, something Hermione did often. Arthur was quickly beginning to understand that whilst Hermione most likely looked most like her mother, she'd definitely gotten her mannerisms from her father.

"What can we do for you?" Hermione asked.

Arthur turned his gaze to her and gave her a knowing look. "You are leaving the castle grounds?"

"Yes, my father," she stumbled Arthur noticed, "And I have spent quite a few days getting to know one another and now I wish to show him the city and marketplace so he might see all that I have done in my time here."

"Understandable," he nodded, "However, I can't help notice you are without the presence of your guards."

Hermione glared at him but Arthur refused to back down. There were many things he would do for Hermione but relenting on her protection detail was not one of them. That was the number one no-no on his list.

"I don't require guards," she argued, folding her arms and lifting her chin, something her father found amusing.

"Yes, you do," he argued. "We have been over this before, Hermione. You have no restrictions in the castle, you are free to go where you wish and do whatever you wish, my father's only condition was that you be escorted outside of the castle walls by guards. With Michel and Emerick due to return to their duties as your personal guards shortly, the Knights are still on rotation as acting guards until they do."

"No,"

"Yes, or I cannot allow you to leave the castle."

"I'm not a prisoner," her voice rose and her cheeks flushed in indignation. Arthur thought she looked adorable.

"You will never be a prisoner of Camelot," he replied, something in his eyes telling her there was a deeper meaning behind it. "But your safety is paramount."

"You're being overprotective again," she warned.

"No, if I were being overprotective I would assign five Knights to guard you," he argued.

"Five!"

"Yes, five," he confirmed.

"Calm, little cub," King Godric said, placing his hand on Hermione's shoulder and she seemed to deflate under his touch. Interesting, he thought. "I can see that you care for my daughter's safety and if it would make you feel more at ease, I will have several of my own guards follow us."

"I mean no disrespect, Your Grace, but I do not trust men I have not fought in battle with to protect the Princess," Arthur spoke boldly, not missing the way the King tilted his head and his eyes narrowed slightly, he seemed to be searching for something and he didn't know what, so Arthur made sure to hold his gaze. "You do not know Hermione as I do. She is quite maddening. She relieved her personal guards from their duties for several weeks so they may spend time with Michel's wife and firstborn. I replaced them with two of my Knights, each day she evaded them, some of them twice, and since, I have righted my mistake and ensured she is always accompanied by three of my Knights and they guard on rotation so it would be harder for to escape them or wear them down until they allow her to do something she wants to do, usually something quite dangerous."

King Godric's gaze darted to Hermione, his expression seeming to be a mixture of amusement, pride and disapproval.

"It seems a guard detail is required," he commented, Hermione sending him a look of betrayal and Arthur smiled smugly. "Perhaps, Young Prince, we might require three of your best Knights to accompany my own guards. One can never be too careful when dealing with a cunning Princess."

"Of course, Your Grace. If you wouldn't mind waiting, I will alert Sirs Leon, Geraint and Robert and they will be here momentarily."

King Godric tipped his head. "That will ensure that I have time to warn my own guards against my daughter's evading tendencies."

When Arthur left, he felt Hermione's glare right in-between his shoulder blades and he felt a smile pull at his mouth. It had been days since she'd looked at him like that. And now, all was right with the world.