AN:/ I'm back! I'm so sorry that it took so long for this update. I know I've said the same thing before about being late to upload so if you want to skip this and start reading, I totally understand.
I had finished the majority of this chapter back in October when I got extremely sick. I was hospitalized for a month and a half and just couldn't find the energy to pick this up when I was discharged. These past couple of months sucked royal ass. BUT, I was given a clean bill of health and have a somewhat moderate grasp on the finances that comes with being sick for so long. Let's do this!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter or the Selection series. I'm just getting my fantasies out on the page.
The Drawing
Chapter Five
"I didn't realize I needed permission to be in my own library," the voice said. Hermione froze. She knew that tenor voice. "Are you alright?"
Hermione forced her eyes open, blinking away the slight fuzziness of her vision. Crouching down in front of her was a lean man. Green eyes examined her head behind a pair of stylish glasses.
Prince Harry frowned, looking concerned as he repeated, "Are you alright?"
Hermione stared at the man – prince – in front of her, mouth dropping open and brain struggling to process what had just happened. She had just yelled at the prince of Hogwarts; yelled and cursed at the very man the kingdom expected her to fight fifteen other women for. He was liable to send her to prison for that – or worse, home.
At that thought, Hermione's fear spiked, "Y-Your Highness…"
"Do you need me to call for a doctor?" the prince asked, his hands hovering awkwardly over her body as if unsure of what to do.
"A doctor?" She was relieved that he wasn't outwardly angry at her for raising her voice. Maybe he wouldn't send her home right away. "No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Prince Harry frowned down at her. "You might have a concussion – you hit your head pretty hard."
The words were out of Hermione's mouth before she could even attempt to stifle them, "And whose fault is that?"
A shocked expression passed across Prince Harry's face as he sat back, eyebrows raised. Hermione slapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide once she realized what she had said. What was wrong with her? She was usually able to censor her thoughts better than that! The hit to the head must have done something to her filter. She was as good as gone now.
"I am so sorry," she sputtered shakily, her pulse racing. "I didn't – I mean – it just slipped out and –"
Laughter cut Hermione off. Prince Harry's shoulders shook as he chuckled, sitting back on his haunches. She bit her lip, eyeing the prince warily as he continued to laugh. After a moment he seemed to regain control and swiped a finger underneath his watering eye. "You know, when I pictured meeting a Lady of the Drawing, this was the last thing I could have possibly imagined."
"I apologize, Your Highness," Hermione murmured. She glanced down awkwardly, her face warm with embarrassment.
"An apology isn't necessary, but I'll accept it anyway," he grinned, standing up. He offered his hand down to her and she stared up at him, momentarily stunned by how… boyish he looked before taking it and allowing him to pull her to her feet. "I was the one who startled you, so it really should be me apologizing, Miss…"
Prince Harry trailed off, raising his eyebrows as he waited for Hermione to answer him. "Hermione Granger," she smiled. "Shouldn't you know the names of your prospective wives?"
Prince Harry gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "I should," he admitted guiltily. "Unfortunately, there have been other matters that have had to take up my time." He reached down, gingerly picking up one of Hermione's hands and lifting it up to his lips. "But you needn't worry about me forgetting you. You've certainly made a lasting impression."
Hermione felt her blood run cold and she froze as Prince Harry brushed his lips against the back of her hand. It was just dark enough in the library that her scars weren't that noticeable but there was still a chance he could see them. Her embarrassment from that afternoon was still fresh and she yanked her hand out of his grip, backing away until she hit the window sill. Her eyes flittered over to the gloves that lay on the table.
"I'm sorry, did I overstep my boundaries?" Prince Harry's confident expression melted into one of confusion and insecurity, making Hermione feel guilty almost instantly.
"No, not at all," she replied quickly. "It's just … complicated."
The excuse sounded weak even to her ears and she inwardly winced. The prince nodded and took a step back, confusion still written all over his face.
"I should probably go," Hermione said. She reached around to pluck her gloves up off of the table and brushed past the prince.
"Lady Hermione?"
Hermione winced, turning around to see the prince standing closer to the window. She took a deep breath and faced him. Was he going to bring up that he saw her scars? Or, an even more horrifying thought, tell her that she would be the first to go home? He continued to look at her and she squared her shoulders. No, she wouldn't go home without a fight. She'd convince him to let her stay, somehow.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't mention our meeting to the other ladies? Technically I'm not supposed to meet anyone until tomorrow."
Hermione blinked. That was it? "Of course," she readily agreed, relief washing over her. She gave a curtsy. "I promise. Good night, Your Highness."
Hermione spun on her heel and left the library as fast as she could without actually running, shoving her gloves on as soon as she was out the door. The area she'd hit her head was pounding painfully and she knew she would have a bruise come morning. She fought back a groan at the thought.
It hadn't even occurred to Hermione that Prince Harry would kiss the back of her hand. That sort of thing didn't happen in the real world, right? She was extremely thankful that their first encounter was in private and in a darker place. The prince seeing her scars in the light of day surrounded by everyone else would be mortifying, especially if cameras were on them.
Hermione managed to find her way back to her room, having to stop and ask a guard once or twice when she got turned around. The relief she felt when she saw her name printed on the door almost left Hermione breathless. She rushed into her room and shut the door behind her, collapsing against it with a heavy sigh.
Tonks and Sally jumped up immediately, their eyes going wide as they took in her flustered appearance.
"Lady Hermione, what happened?" Sally gasped, rushing over to her. Tonks went to a pitcher that sat on one of the bedside tables and poured a glass of water for her.
"Do we need to alert the guard?" she asked, handing Hermione the glass.
"No! No, it's fine," Hermione quickly reassured. She pushed off of the door and walked further into the room, downing half of the water as she did so.
"Are you okay?"
Hermione finished the rest of the water and placed it on the table. "I'm fine. I just got a bit turned around and panicked for a second."
It was obvious from Tonks and Sally's expressions that they did not believe Hermione for one second but thankfully, stayed silent. Sally grabbed the glass Hermione had placed down while Tonks went over to a large dresser. She pulled out a soft looking nightgown and turned back to Hermione. "Shall we get you ready for bed?"
Hermione allowed Tonks and Sally to help wash her makeup off and brush out her hair. Her headache was getting worse and it was too much effort to put up much of a fight even though she knew she could handle doing those things by herself.
As Tonks unpinned her hair, her hand accidentally brushed against the sore spot on her temple. Hermione couldn't stop the hiss of pain that escaped her as she involuntarily flinched away from Tonks' grasp.
"Are you okay?" Tonks asked. Before Hermione could respond she moved the hair and gasped loudly. "Lady Hermione, you have a bruise! What happened?"
Hermione sighed. "I accidentally hit my head in the library," she said, hoping that would be enough to placate them. "On one of the tables."
Tonks and Sally both began to flutter around her offering soothing words. "Sally go get a potion for her head," Tonks instructed. The younger woman nodded and sprinted out of the room as Tonks went through a door Hermione hadn't noticed before. She could hear tap water running and guessed it was a bathroom. Tonks returned moments later, holding a sopping wet hand towel.
"This'll be cold," Tonks warned. She gently placed the towel against Hermione's temple. The cold caused Hermione to flinch but felt instant relief after that moment of shock. She sighed, leaning into Tonks' hand. "You should've let us know about this," Tonks scolded gently, brushing back Hermione's hair. "You could have a concussion."
"Sorry," Hermione grimaced. It was stupid to not tell them but, in her panic, Hermione couldn't think of a way to let them know while not telling them she had met the prince.
Sally burst through the door a few minutes later, her face flushed and breathing heavily. She was holding a small vial filled with a deep blue liquid. "I've got it," she announced. The door closed behind her and she held out the vial.
Tonks removed the towel from Hermione's head and grabbed the potion. "Drink this," she told Hermione. "It'll make your headache go away and prevent a concussion."
Hermione eyed the blue liquid warily, suddenly nervous. She'd never had a potion before; potions were allowed in the Five caste, but they just could never afford them. She took the vial and uncorked it, bringing it up to her nose to sniff it. It had a slight minty scent.
Tonks and Sally stood in front of her, patiently waiting although Hermione could see the confusion in their eyes. They probably didn't know that she'd never had a potion before and was nervous about the taste. Deciding not to bring up that fact, Hermione brought the vial to her lips and downed it like a shot.
It didn't exactly taste good, but it wasn't horrible, either. Almost immediately the pain from her temple started to fade and she sighed in relief.
"You should get to bed," Tonks instructed, taking the empty vial from her. "You have a busy day ahead of you."
Suddenly exhausted, Hermione looked around the room. The clothes she'd worn that day still had to be put away and there was a small trail of water coming from the bathroom where the hand towel had dripped. "I will as soon as I clean up," she promised.
"Leave the cleaning to us," Tonks said. Sally was already grabbing Hermione's discarded dress as Tonks gestured to the bed. "Please, Lady Hermione. You need your rest."
The set in Tonks' shoulders told Hermione that she wasn't going to win this argument. With a sigh, she dragged her feet over to the large bed and climbed into it. She collapsed onto the soft mattress with another sigh, her eyes already heavy. She was out completely by the time Tonks turned off the lights.
[o][o][o]
The sound of curtains being ripped open drew Hermione from her sleep. The noise had just registered with her when bright light hit her face. She hissed, recoiling, and rolled onto her stomach with a long, drawn out, "No."
There was suppressed laughter and the sound of another set of curtains being opened, filling the already bright room with more sunlight. Hermione lifted her head from the pillow, her eyes squinting as they tried to adjust to the brightness.
"Good morning, Lady Hermione," Tonks chirped brightly. "How did you sleep?"
Hermione pushed herself up into a sitting position and yawned. Even though she'd fallen asleep quickly, she'd had a horrible sleep. The bed was too soft, and Hermione kept waking up throughout the night in a panic, forgetting where she was. She snorted to herself. Who ever heard of someone being too comfortable to be able to sleep?
"It was okay."
Tonks looked at Hermione with a sympathetic expression. "Is your head bothering you?"
It wasn't, not really. There was a tiny bit of throbbing at Hermione's temple, but it wasn't anything to make a fuss about. Still, Hermione decided to play it up just so she didn't have to admit that the bed had been too soft for her. "A bit." She tried to smile but wasn't sure if she succeeded. "It isn't too bad, though."
"I can go get you another potion if you want?" Tonks offered.
"No," Hermione said quickly. "I'll be fine, thank you."
Hermione went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and relieve herself as Tonks started to get things ready for the day. While brushing her teeth, Hermione tried to think of different ways to hide her scars from the prince. Gloves were out. She'd worn them yesterday and was sure that people would start to ask questions if she wore them again. That wasn't worth the hassle.
A long-sleeved sweater or dress might do the trick, but Hermione wasn't sure if she had that sort of option to begin with. She hadn't been able to get a good look at the rack of dresses from yesterday and she didn't even think to ask what sort of clothes she'd be wearing from that point on. It was stupid of her, really.
Hermione rinsed her mouth out and went back to her room. Sally had joined Tonks by the table and were talking quietly as they organized a pile of makeup.
"So, I have to ask," Hermione began awkwardly, "is it customary to shake hands when you meet the prince or…?" She trailed off pathetically, trying to ignore the way Tonks' eyes slip down to her hands before going back to her face. "I know we have to curtsy, but is there anything else?"
"It'll all be explained to you this morning before meeting the prince," Tonks said, smiling softy. "I hope you don't mind, but I had an idea of what dress you should wear today."
"Oh?" Hermione perked up at this. She followed Tonks into her walk-in closet and felt her mouth drop open. Like everything else in the castle, the closet was huge and was fully packed with dresses, shoes, and handbags.
Tonks went over to one of the racks and pulled out a dress for Hermione to look at. The dress was beautiful – a baby blue halter with a sweetheart neckline – but she couldn't quite understand why Tonks had suggested it.
"The best part of this dress," Tonks said innocently, "is its pockets."
Hermione's eyes widened and she began to smile. Tonks was amazing. A little overeager, yes, but amazing. "Let's do it."
Hermione walked back into the bedroom and sat on a chair while Tonks and Sally did her hair and makeup. She didn't mind letting them do this for her. Hermione knew she was hopeless to be able to pull off this part by herself and was grateful that the other women knew what to do. Forty-five minutes later, Hermione was standing in front of a full-length mirror. Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, bangs craftily placed to hide the tiny bruise on her temple and the makeup was light.
The best part of the dress really was the pockets. Shoving her hands into them, Hermione twisted her body from side to side, eyeing her reflection. The knee-length skirt had enough flow to it that it didn't look awkward for her to have her hands in her pockets. It wasn't a full solution to her problem, but it helped.
Hermione was deemed ready enough to meet the prince and quickly left the room. Other girls were milling around in the corridor, slowly making their way to the staircase. They were stalling, that much was obvious. The way their eyes turned and scanned Hermione's body when she stepped out of her room sent a shiver down her spine. Parvati may have been kind the previous day but the way her dark eyes analyzed Hermione made one thing very clear.
The game was now on.
Ginny's door opened as Hermione went by and her friend walked out, a confident expression set on her face. "Hermione!" she grinned, falling into line with her and looping her arm through hers. Parvati's eyes skipped from Hermione's body to Ginny's instantly.
They made their way down the stairs and to the Ladies Room. Parvati and Alicia Spinnet fell into step behind them, their stares digging into Hermione's back. She fought to ignore the uneasy feeling it gave her.
Amelia was waiting outside of the Ladies Room for everyone. Her eyes roamed over them as they approached. The way her eyes shifted from each of them made Hermione feel like they were undergoing some sort of inspection.
"Good morning, ladies," she greeted. "Pick a seat inside and wait for the first lesson to begin."
The Ladies Room had once again transformed from when Hermione had last been in it. The furniture that had been replaced the makeshift salon was now pushed aside and there were two long tables sitting in the middle of the room parallel to each other, surrounded by high backed chairs. Each seat had a black placemat with white and gold tableware placed on top of it. Hermione followed Ginny over to the middle of one of the tables, glancing around. More than half of the women were already there, sitting together in clumps and talking while they waited.
Or, they were talking. The moment Hermione, Ginny, Parvati, and Alicia entered, everyone paused in their conversation to turn and stare at them. Hermione instinctively shoved her hands into her dress's pockets.
Ginny faltered for a second under everyone's gaze but continued on, taking a seat and cheerfully calling out, "Good morning, everyone."
Hermione reluctantly followed after Ginny, having no choice but to take a seat between Ginny and Angelina. Angelina smiled warmly at her as Hermione got settled. "How did you sleep?" she asked kindly.
Hermione paused, not sure how to answer. "I slept okay," she lied.
"I kept waking up during the night," Angelina admitted, lowering her voice a touch. "The bed felt a bit… too soft, you know?"
"I slept like a baby," a woman with white-blonde hair piped up from the other table. Angelina glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. Hermione recognized her as Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin. Pansy was resting her elbows against the table, her already lowcut dress showing more cleavage than was necessary.
"I am so happy for you," Angelina said dryly before turning back to Hermione, making it very clear that the conversation with Pansy was over. Hermione couldn't stop the burst of laughter that came from her when she saw the look of absolute outrage that crossed Pansy's face. She brought the back of her hand up to her mouth, trying to smother the sound but it was too late.
Pansy turned bright red as the others who had heard the exchange started to snicker as well. Katie squirmed in her seat, looking uncomfortable as Pansy glared at their side of the table. "The beds are really comfy," she offered.
"Oh, shut up," Pansy grumbled.
Angelina opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Amelia clapping loudly. "Look alive, ladies!" She stood in the doorway to the Ladies Room, giving pointed looks to the few who had yet to take their seat. An older woman with a shock of black hair pulled back into a bun stood beside her. It seemed impossible, but this new woman looked even more stern than Amelia.
Once everyone took their seat, Amelia and the mystery woman walked into the room, coming to a stop in the space between the two tables. "I hope everyone had a good night's rest," Amelia said. Her tone was even and impersonal. "Usually, you will be eating in the dining room but this morning it was decided to combine your breakfast with your first lesson."
Amelia paused and turned towards the unknown woman. She took a step forward, her hands clasped in front of her as her eyes scanned the tables. "My name is Minerva McGonagall," she said. Her voice was sharp, words staccato and to the point. "You may call me Madam McGonagall. I will be the main person conducting your lessons during your stay here at the castle."
A murmur rippled through the two tables. It had been a fair assumption that Amelia would be the one leading their lessons but, clearly, they were wrong.
"In front of you is what you will see at every meal you will have here," Madam McGonagall continued, ignoring the shift around her. "This morning's lesson will be to instruct you all on proper etiquette so there will be no … embarrassments during your dinner tonight with the royal family."
Hermione's head snapped up, her eyes immediately finding Amelia. They were being taught dinner etiquette? That was supposed to be something that was common knowledge, wasn't it? Why would Amelia spend a week with Hermione if they were just going to be taught it anyway?
Amelia kept her expression neutral as she watched Madam McGonagall, not meeting Hermione's eyes. Hermione sat back in her seat. Maybe this was just a cautionary thing so, like Madam McGonagall said, no one would embarrass themselves in front of the royal family. If anything, this was a chance to show off what Hermione knew. Yes, Amelia was the reason that Hermione knew the difference between an oval soup spoon and a place spoon, but it was still something. Hermione so rarely was able to show off that she knew something and a small part of her wanted Madam McGonagall to call on her.
"I will be back after the lesson," Amelia said, drawing Hermione's attention back to her. Her eyes moved over Hermione and she could have sworn that they lingered on her for a second. Amelia nodded at Madam McGonagall and left the Ladies Room.
Madam McGonagall spent the next half hour going over each of the different utensils on the placemat and what they were used for. To Hermione's disappointment, she did not call on anyone to answer questions. It was like Madam McGonagall was assuming that everyone knew nothing about dinner etiquette.
The first time Hermione learned about dinner etiquette she had a hard time trying paying attention – again, who really cares about that sort of thing – and it was almost excruciating to go through it a second time. Hermione was sure her expression mirrored some of the others. Alicia had a glazed look in her eyes as she stared straight ahead while Cho was actively picking at her freshly manicured nails.
Hermione looked to the side at Ginny. She was listening with rapt attention, her eyes focused on Madam McGonagall as she paced back and forth between the two tables. Her gaze went across to the other table to look at Susan. She also had an intense look of concentration. Again, Hermione was hit with the feeling that something wasn't adding up, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Madam McGonagall stopped pacing and turned to look at everyone. She had noticed more than half of them weren't paying attention, it was clear in the way her eyes tightened with annoyance every time they went over Cho or Daphne, but she never called any of them out. All Madam McGonagall did was clasp her hands in front of her tightly and raise her voice, "Let's see how well you were listening."
The doors opened and a long line of Fives came into the Ladies Room, each of them holding a covered plate. Hermione felt herself start to salivate at the thought of food; she hadn't realized how hungry she was until the muted scent of breakfast wafted into the room. The plates were placed in front of everyone and the covers removed. Hermione bit back a groan as the smell hit her full force. The Fives left the room and Madam McGonagall stood, watching them.
As much as Hermione wanted to, she refrained from grabbing the fork and tucking in. One of the first things they had been taught was that they needed to wait until it was clear that they were allowed to start eating. Madam McGonagall gave a small, satisfied small smile when no one began to eat and nodded at them.
The entirety of breakfast was a test to see how well people had been paying attention to Madam McGonagall. It was clear to Hermione that the reason she hadn't called anyone out for not paying attention before was to be able to call them out while actually eating.
"Lady Hannah, I hope you are not eating your eggs with your salad fork."
"Lady Lavender, at what point do you think it is okay to rest your arms on the table?"
"Ladies do not slouch, Lady Hermione."
It was like Madam McGonagall got some sick sense of satisfaction when pointing out the mistakes people made, an almost smug looking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Conversation was sparse, stilted even, everyone too busy focusing on their own actions to really talk. Hermione started second guessing every move of her own, feeling her body tense every time Madam McGonagall scrutinized her. She was suddenly very happy to not be called on.
It was to everyone's relief when breakfast was finished. Hermione leaned back in her seat, letting out a sigh as Fives appeared to take their plates away. She caught Ginny's eye and couldn't stop the grin when her friend gave a small thumbs up. Almost everyone looked at least a little bit stressed, the exception being Cho and Fleur. They were the only ones who didn't get reprimanded.
"It'll do for your first night," Madam McGonagall said once the tables were cleared. "You have a free hour before you need to be back in this room. I would suggest going back to your rooms to freshen up… you will be meeting with the prince, after all. Dismissed."
Hermione felt sick at the thought of having to meet with the prince, the guilt and embarrassment from the previous night coming back to her in full force. Ginny bolted up from her seat and she began speed walking – along with Katie, Hannah, and Lavender – out of the Ladies Room. Madam McGonagall made an exasperated sound but chose not to say anything.
Hermione followed the others out of the room at a much slower pace, not at all looking forward to the upcoming meeting. Ginny stood waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, shifting her weight impatiently. "Come on, Hermione," she whined. They were the only ones left on that level. Hermione could hear the thunderous sound of high heels on marble above them.
"You look fine, Ginny," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She finally reached Ginny and they began ascending the stairs. "I don't get what's the rush, we literally got dressed not even two hours ago."
"Do you know how much I was sweating at breakfast?" Ginny bit back, sounding a mix between incredulous and annoyed. "I am not meeting the prince being clammy and smelling of body odor."
They parted and Hermione slipped back into her room. Tonks was there, sitting at the small table with an embroidery hoop in her hands. She glanced up in surprise. "You're back early," she commented, putting the hoop and standing up.
"Breakfast ended and we have an hour until we're needed." Hermione shrugged. She held out her arms, presenting herself to the other woman. "Do I look like I need to be freshened up?"
Tonks looked confused at Hermione's question. "No," she replied slowly. "Did someone say something?"
"Madam McGonagall said we'll be meeting the prince in about an hour." Hermione's stomach flip-flopped uneasily again. "She suggested we freshen up."
"You look fine, my lady. We can always find something else for you to wear?"
"I'm good, thank you." Hermione's eyes went over to the bookshelf, wondering if she'd have enough time to finish a chapter or two before she was needed when an idea struck her. "Hey, Tonks. Amelia said something about me being able to use a phone? Do you know where one is?"
"Yes!" Tonks nodded eagerly. "We were informed that you would need to use the telephone every once and a while. I can show you where it is?"
"That would be great."
Hermione followed Tonks out of her room and down towards where the main hall was. She tried glancing at the cases filled with antiques as they passed but Tonks was walking too fast for her to really appreciate them. The telephone looked out of place in the corridor, sitting on a small circular table away from the main hall. Hermione picked up the receiver and dialed the number to St. Mungo's.
"Good morning, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. How may I help you?"
"Yes, hi," Hermione began. Tonks had excused herself to give Hermione privacy and she watched the older woman's back as she walked away. "I was hoping to talk to Robert Granger?"
"Oh, yes! Lady Hermione's father!" The cheery woman on the other end of the line perked up. Hermione gave an awkward chuckle, not sure how to respond to that. "Give me one second."
There was a click and Hermione was put on hold. She blew out a breath and her eyes scanned the corridor.
"Hello?" Hermione's heart stuttered as her father's voice suddenly appeared. "Robert Granger speaking."
"Dad." She had to clear her throat to be able to speak clearly. "Dad, it's me."
"Hermione!" Her father's voice perked up at once. "How is the castle? Are they treating you right?"
"They are." Her mind flashed to Cho and Daphne; her father didn't have to know about them. "But don't worry about that, how are you feeling?"
He grunted and mumbled something that Hermione couldn't quite decipher. "Ready to get out of this damn place."
"I bet." She smiled sadly. "If everything goes to plan, you'll be out of there soon."
"Oh yeah?" Her father's voice took on a sly tone. "Planning to bring out the old Granger charm on His Highness, are we?"
"Dad!" Hermione hissed, her face heating up. "It's not – I just got – it's not like that!" Her father's rich laughter let her know that he was just joking. She huffed with mock annoyance. "I'm hanging up."
"Alright, go win the heart of our prince, sweetie."
"This is me hanging up."
Her father's laughter turned into a hacking cough, bringing the lighthearted mood to screeching halt. Hermione worried on her lip as she waited for him to get the coughing under control. After a few minutes he stopped coughing and grunted, "Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize for being sick."
"I should probably let you go," her father said after a pause. "I'm sure you're extremely busy."
"Never too busy to talk to you." Hermione smiled sadly. She could tell his coughing fit had taken a lot out of him but didn't want to admit it. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
The call ended and Hermione leaned against the wall. It felt amazing to be able to talk to her father, and the fact that he was able to joke around with her lessened the guilt she felt for leaving without physically saying goodbye. Hearing his voice strengthened her resolve. She just had to make it far enough in the Drawing to be able to pay for her father's surgery and medical bills.
Her determination renewed, Hermione hurried back to her room. She needed to mentally prepare herself to officially meet the prince.
[o][o][o]
"Look alive, ladies!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to Amelia as she walked into the Ladies Room. She paused, taking in the changes of appearances people had made. Many of the girls had taken Madam McGonagall's advice of freshening up to heart; everyone but Hermione and Fleur had changed into a different dress while Daphne and Parvati were sporting entirely new hairstyles.
"In a few minutes I will be taking you all to where you will get to meet Prince Harry," Amelia announced. Everyone had gathered in a half circle around the older woman. "Once in the room, take your seat immediately. There will be cameramen and photographers around so try your best to ignore them. Looking directly at the camera or trying to get their attention is considered tacky and will only lead to embarrassment on your part."
That wouldn't be a problem for Hermione. She was determined to avoid the cameras as much as was deemed appropriate.
Amelia led them out of the Ladies Room and through a maze of corridors, eventually stopping before yet another set of closed doors. She turned to the women, her eyes roaming over them as they waited anxiously. Ginny reached over and grasped Hermione's arm in anticipation.
"Remember, straight to your seats," Amelia repeated. The doors opened behind her and she stepped aside.
The room was bright with both sunlight and expensive looking lighting fixtures. Two rows of royal blue loveseats were situated over at one end of the room while a single loveseat was off to the side, just far enough away to give the illusion of privacy. At opposite ends of the room were two camera crews. As soon as they stepped into this new room, a few cameras turned towards them.
Hermione straightened, setting her shoulders as she walked behind Ginny. By the time they had reached the loveseats, the entire front row had been filled. Ginny had a pretty little pout on her face as she walked to the back row, taking a seat near the middle. Hermione followed after her, relieved that Romilda's voluminous hairdo would hopefully keep her out of most of the shots.
Amelia quickly took her place in front of the loveseats. "How this will work is Prince Harry will bring each of you over to that loveseat over there." Her tone was muted, making sure her voice didn't carry over to the camera crews. "You each will have a few minutes to meet with the prince and make an impression. When your time is up the prince will bring you back and take the next lady."
Amelia's eyes cut over to the doors behind them and took a deep breath. "I wish all of you the best of luck."
A disembodied voice announced the arrival of Prince Harry and suddenly all cameras were on them. Hermione stood with everyone else and dipped into a curtsy as he walked over to Amelia. Hermione's heart thudded painfully in her chest as they all sat back down. Dressed in a deep green silk shirt, black tie and black dress pants, Hermione had to admit that he looked devilishly handsome.
Prince Harry turned to the first loveseat and held out his hand to Parvati, helping her up from her seat. He murmured something too quiet for Hermione to hear and then bent down, pressing a lingering kiss on the back of Parvati's hand.
Hermione felt her blood run cold and she stiffened as everyone around her sighed wistfully. She clenched her fists on her knees. Ginny's hand reached over and clasped hers, giving a reassuring squeeze. Hermione looked at her friend and received a small smile, although the concern was clear in Ginny's brown eyes.
Everyone began to whisper excitedly to each other as Prince Harry led Parvati over to the isolated sofa and sat down with her. Hermione focused on her breathing, trying to stop herself from freaking out. The cameras had split into two groups; one getting various shots of the prince and Parvati while the other circled around the loveseats, getting reactions from the other girls.
"It'll be okay," Ginny said softly, giving her hand another squeeze. Out of the corner of Hermione's eye she saw a camera focus in on them. She forced herself to smile at Ginny and tried to look as natural as possible. She wasn't sure if she was pulling it off.
"Even if he does see them," Ginny put her head close to Hermione's, giving the illusion that they were having a private conversation, "he won't react. And I highly doubt the cameras will pick them up from where they are."
Ginny's words did manage to calm Hermione down a little bit, and she felt a rush of gratitude towards her friend. In that moment, she couldn't imagine not having Ginny with her in this competition. She'd be lost without her.
One by one, Prince Harry escorted the girls to the loveseat for their introduction. As soon as Prince Harry was out of earshot, whoever was around the girl who just returned swooped in, eagerly whispering for information as subtly as the could… which was not very subtle at all.
The prince made his way through the first row and, before Hermione knew it, he was offering his hand to Ginny. She stood up, a pretty blush dusting across her cheeks as he kissed the back of her hand. Hermione let out a breath as she watched them walk away.
"Look at them," Luna sighed wistfully beside her. She had that ever-present dreamlike expression on her face. "They almost look like the king and queen from the back."
That comment earned Luna glares from those who had heard her. Hermione had to agree with Luna, however. Prince Harry and Ginny did remind her of King James and Queen Lily. They looked good together.
In what seemed like no time at all, Prince Harry was escorting Ginny back to the loveseats. She had a slightly dazed expression as she sat back down and, if it were any other day, Hermione would've been highly amused. Hermione took a deep breath as the prince turned towards her. This was it; there was no turning back now.
Hermione's shaky hand grasped Prince Harry's and she stood up. She kept repeating to herself Ginny's words – Prince Harry would know better than to say anything about her scars, the cameras kept their distance and wouldn't be able to pick them up – but she still felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest.
"Lady Hermione," Prince Harry murmured, lifting her hand up. Hermione braced herself, waiting for his reaction when he saw the scars.
There was no turning back now.
Hermione barely felt the brush of Prince Harry's lips across her knuckles. He kept eye contact with her as he did so, quickly straightening up and guiding her to the loveseat. Hermione fought to keep the confusion off her face as they sat down. The kiss felt much shorter than the ones he gave the others. She hoped she was overanalyzing the entire situation.
There was a slight pause as they got themselves situated on the loveseat. Hermione felt his skin prickle, very aware of all the cameras – and eyes – that were on her.
"Lady Hermione, I'd like to begin with an apology," Prince Harry said quietly.
"Apologize?" Hermione tilter her head. Why on earth would he be the one to apologize? "I'm not sure I follow…"
"You're obviously uncomfortable with what happened last night," he said. His eyes were soft as he looked at her. "And believe me when I say that was not my intention. I deeply apologize."
Hermione's eyes widened at Prince Harry's words. "You don't have to apologize." She shook her head. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. You were just trying to help me, and I reacted horribly."
Hermione's heart was pounding furiously and she felt short of breath but, somehow, she managed to sound calm and collected. She mentally patted herself on her back.
"How about," Prince Harry began, the corners of his mouth twitching upward, "if we both accept each other's apologies?"
"Even though you have no reason to apologize?" Hermione asked, unable to stop herself from smiling.
"Neither do you."
"Fine. I accept your apology."
"And I, yours." Prince Harry's grin softened, and his eyes flickered to Hermione's forehead. "How is your head?"
"It's fine," she replied, resisting the urge to touch the spot where the bruise was.
He nodded, his eyes going back to the other loveseats. He stood up and offered his hand to Hermione. This time, Hermione grasped it without any hesitation. This hadn't been bad, at all. In fact, she enjoyed their conversation.
"It truly is a pleasure meeting you," Prince Harry murmured as they walked.
"The same for you."
Hermione sat back down next to Ginny and Prince Harry moved on to Luna. Ginny reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. Hermione looked at Ginny and grinned, feeling confident. She'd gotten through the first hurdle. This was the first time since arriving that she felt like she could actually do this.
As Prince Harry and Luna walked away, almost everyone turned to look at Hermione. She could see the questions in their eyes. Hermione knew right away that they had noticed that the prince had treated her differently. The smug looking grins she caught Daphne and Cho sending her way made the confidence Hermione had felt shrivel up and run away.
