A Struggle Between Souls, Chapter 2: Rome, Continued
by Icestar
Disclaimer: (sorry I forgot this on the 1st chapter) J.K. Rowling owns all the character's bases, but I'm proud to say that I (partially) invented their names and totally thought of the plot and time thing. Other, original characters (such as Christos and Hermia's father) are mine as well.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far: Landry Anne (I'm taking Latin too, but this is my first year- how dorky is it to be inspired by your homework?), Mjade (see below), Draco's girl, Squin (I reviewed your story too! Great job!), Epequa, Asuka, Sunrissa, and Kat. This is my first posting on ff.net and I wasn't sure how it would go over. Thanks, too, for your suggestion, Mjade- let me explain that I wasn't quite sure how to introduce Harry or Ron, yet. I mean, what was I supposed to call them? Ronus? Harrius? Well, actually, Harrius sounds okay.
Anyways, I'm introducing them in this story as Potius and Wesellius, so keep your eyes open. Keep reviewing, but don't feel like you have too! And I LOVE suggestions, so email me or drop one in my review box, OK?
Love from,
icestar
Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, these are the characters and their Roman counterparts:
Hermia :: Hermione Granger
Draco :: Draco Malfoy
Lucius :: Lucius Malfoy
Potius :: Harry Potter
Wesellius :: Ron Weasley
On with...
Chapter II
Draco threw open the doors to his cold, empty house by the sea. Although his family could certainly afford to keep it heated and lit day in and day out, he dismissed it as an unnecessary luxury.
"Follow me," he snapped to the slaves behind him, each of whom bore a heavy trunk, and to his betrothed, Hermia, and her ladies-in-waiting. He led them around the inner court and baths, stopping in a large alcove that housed the master bedroom. "Leave the clothing trunks here, and take the others to the kitchen," he ordered the slaves, and when Hermia's ladies stayed where they were, he shot something extremely vulgar at them, and they scattered. Hermia herself glared sullenly at him, then turned and stared out the window.
Another wry smile curled Draco's lips as he stared at her back- the tousled russet curls that hung down past her shoulders, her petite figure; she was short enough that he could bend at the neck and still be eight inches above her.
"Why me?" Hermia asked for the second time. Now, though, her voice was sadder, choked with sobs.
"I already told you-" he started, but she shook her head wildly. "No," she said, facing him. Her large, brown eyes were made even larger, magnified somehow by the tears that were pooling there. "I won't believe that you would marry a girl you just met on a lark, just because she was a 'challenge.' That's unbelievably cruel, forcing someone you probably don't even like to live with you!" She spat out the words, emphasizing challenge. Draco could see her trembling with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"There are a lot of things about me that are unbelievable," Draco drawled, advancing on Hermia, that infuriating smirk still on his face.
"Don't touch me," Hermia warned in a deadly whisper. "I'm not one of your simpering admirers." She had seen a group of younger girls- all fourteen, fifteen, sixteen- wave to and kiss him goodbye at his father's estate yesterday.
Draco's mouth went into a hard line, and without any pause, he raised his hand to slap her. Hermia's evasive instincts kicked in; she ducked under his raised arm and fled from the room, disappearing before he could catch her.
Hiding behind the door, two slaves the same age as Hermia had been watching. The one with bright red hair, not native to Rome, cursed under his breath. "Bastard," he added. They had seen everything: her questions and insults, his lewd answer, her chilling rebuffal, his raised hand to hit her. Then, she had rushed past, not seeing them.
The other, whose black hair stuck up in an unruly manner, was quickly calculating. "The wedding is tomorrow," he said. "The aristocratic brat wants to make sure no one gets in the way. So we have to find her as soon as possible."
"Ah, I can help," said the first, moving away from the door. Draco was still inside, after all. "How?" asked the second.
"Er... I sort of, er, know one of her ladies-in-waiting," he said, dancing around the fact that he was seeing one of them.
The black-haired one looked at his friend knowingly. "Well, can you arrange for her to meet us in the courtyard tonight? We really need to talk to her, Wesellius."
"Yes, yes," the redhead assured him. "In the meantime, maybe you should try to find out more about the situation here, Potius."
Potius rolled his eyes. "Fine. See you at... er... right after sunset should work."
Wesellius nodded and dashed off to the slaves' quarters to find Athene.
Hermia finally stopped running somewhere on a thin, sandy strip of shore. She was alone there; the cool, blue water of the Mediterranean lapped against the beach.
Why did I come here? she thought to herself. Certainly not to cry; she smiled. I've certainly done enough of that since I met... him. She thought the name not with dreamy, starry-eyed desire, but with hatred and disgust. How could she possibly understand... discover what his motives were? Why, as she had asked, would he want to marry her?
Suddenly, it hit her.
His father.
Hadn't Carusius said that he was next in line for the position of emperor?
And wasn't her father one of the most influential people in that decision- the emperor's heir?
So, she thought, suddenly understanding Draco and Lucius' thinking. If they made a partnership with Carusius- via Draco's marriage to her- then he would almost certainly choose his brother-in-law for the throne.
She unknowingly repeated Wesellius' words. "The bastard!" she muttered, standing up. She had to get away from here before the marriage.
A/N: Actually, that turned out better than I thought it would ! Sorry for not having a lot of romance with anyone, but I really had to sort of explain why Draco/Malfoy wants to marry Hermia/Hermione. Anyways, I hope everyone likes the new stuff I introduced! Review if you liked it, please- next chapter coming up hopefully tomorrow or the day after.
Love,
icestar
by Icestar
Disclaimer: (sorry I forgot this on the 1st chapter) J.K. Rowling owns all the character's bases, but I'm proud to say that I (partially) invented their names and totally thought of the plot and time thing. Other, original characters (such as Christos and Hermia's father) are mine as well.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far: Landry Anne (I'm taking Latin too, but this is my first year- how dorky is it to be inspired by your homework?), Mjade (see below), Draco's girl, Squin (I reviewed your story too! Great job!), Epequa, Asuka, Sunrissa, and Kat. This is my first posting on ff.net and I wasn't sure how it would go over. Thanks, too, for your suggestion, Mjade- let me explain that I wasn't quite sure how to introduce Harry or Ron, yet. I mean, what was I supposed to call them? Ronus? Harrius? Well, actually, Harrius sounds okay.
Anyways, I'm introducing them in this story as Potius and Wesellius, so keep your eyes open. Keep reviewing, but don't feel like you have too! And I LOVE suggestions, so email me or drop one in my review box, OK?
Love from,
icestar
Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, these are the characters and their Roman counterparts:
Hermia :: Hermione Granger
Draco :: Draco Malfoy
Lucius :: Lucius Malfoy
Potius :: Harry Potter
Wesellius :: Ron Weasley
On with...
Chapter II
Draco threw open the doors to his cold, empty house by the sea. Although his family could certainly afford to keep it heated and lit day in and day out, he dismissed it as an unnecessary luxury.
"Follow me," he snapped to the slaves behind him, each of whom bore a heavy trunk, and to his betrothed, Hermia, and her ladies-in-waiting. He led them around the inner court and baths, stopping in a large alcove that housed the master bedroom. "Leave the clothing trunks here, and take the others to the kitchen," he ordered the slaves, and when Hermia's ladies stayed where they were, he shot something extremely vulgar at them, and they scattered. Hermia herself glared sullenly at him, then turned and stared out the window.
Another wry smile curled Draco's lips as he stared at her back- the tousled russet curls that hung down past her shoulders, her petite figure; she was short enough that he could bend at the neck and still be eight inches above her.
"Why me?" Hermia asked for the second time. Now, though, her voice was sadder, choked with sobs.
"I already told you-" he started, but she shook her head wildly. "No," she said, facing him. Her large, brown eyes were made even larger, magnified somehow by the tears that were pooling there. "I won't believe that you would marry a girl you just met on a lark, just because she was a 'challenge.' That's unbelievably cruel, forcing someone you probably don't even like to live with you!" She spat out the words, emphasizing challenge. Draco could see her trembling with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"There are a lot of things about me that are unbelievable," Draco drawled, advancing on Hermia, that infuriating smirk still on his face.
"Don't touch me," Hermia warned in a deadly whisper. "I'm not one of your simpering admirers." She had seen a group of younger girls- all fourteen, fifteen, sixteen- wave to and kiss him goodbye at his father's estate yesterday.
Draco's mouth went into a hard line, and without any pause, he raised his hand to slap her. Hermia's evasive instincts kicked in; she ducked under his raised arm and fled from the room, disappearing before he could catch her.
Hiding behind the door, two slaves the same age as Hermia had been watching. The one with bright red hair, not native to Rome, cursed under his breath. "Bastard," he added. They had seen everything: her questions and insults, his lewd answer, her chilling rebuffal, his raised hand to hit her. Then, she had rushed past, not seeing them.
The other, whose black hair stuck up in an unruly manner, was quickly calculating. "The wedding is tomorrow," he said. "The aristocratic brat wants to make sure no one gets in the way. So we have to find her as soon as possible."
"Ah, I can help," said the first, moving away from the door. Draco was still inside, after all. "How?" asked the second.
"Er... I sort of, er, know one of her ladies-in-waiting," he said, dancing around the fact that he was seeing one of them.
The black-haired one looked at his friend knowingly. "Well, can you arrange for her to meet us in the courtyard tonight? We really need to talk to her, Wesellius."
"Yes, yes," the redhead assured him. "In the meantime, maybe you should try to find out more about the situation here, Potius."
Potius rolled his eyes. "Fine. See you at... er... right after sunset should work."
Wesellius nodded and dashed off to the slaves' quarters to find Athene.
Hermia finally stopped running somewhere on a thin, sandy strip of shore. She was alone there; the cool, blue water of the Mediterranean lapped against the beach.
Why did I come here? she thought to herself. Certainly not to cry; she smiled. I've certainly done enough of that since I met... him. She thought the name not with dreamy, starry-eyed desire, but with hatred and disgust. How could she possibly understand... discover what his motives were? Why, as she had asked, would he want to marry her?
Suddenly, it hit her.
His father.
Hadn't Carusius said that he was next in line for the position of emperor?
And wasn't her father one of the most influential people in that decision- the emperor's heir?
So, she thought, suddenly understanding Draco and Lucius' thinking. If they made a partnership with Carusius- via Draco's marriage to her- then he would almost certainly choose his brother-in-law for the throne.
She unknowingly repeated Wesellius' words. "The bastard!" she muttered, standing up. She had to get away from here before the marriage.
A/N: Actually, that turned out better than I thought it would ! Sorry for not having a lot of romance with anyone, but I really had to sort of explain why Draco/Malfoy wants to marry Hermia/Hermione. Anyways, I hope everyone likes the new stuff I introduced! Review if you liked it, please- next chapter coming up hopefully tomorrow or the day after.
Love,
icestar