Trouble

No attorneys to plead my case

No opiates to send me into outer space

And my fingers are bejewelled

With diamonds and gold

But that ain't gonna help me now

I'm trouble

Yeah, trouble now

I'm trouble y'all

I disturb my town.

Trouble, Pink

(The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement)

The scent of lavender and rosemary fills Hermione's nostrils as she takes a deep breath before concentrating on the woman on the stage in front of her. As far as parties go, this is one of her favourites—the air around them warms her shoulders, she's surrounded by her close friends and family, and instead of a formal meal, it's all finger foods and cake. And her grandmother chose to set it on the western lawn, surrounded by its vast flower beds and flutterby bushes. The entire shindig has a golden highlight, illuminated by the sun as it slowly descends towards the horizon.

It's a long way from the dinners her grandmother has forced upon Hermione and Nicholas over the past week. Apparently, it's important for any dignitary or politician hoping to come to the wedding next weekend to have a chance to meet the soon-to-be-married couple, although Hermione cannot understand why. Even the President of MACUSA won't be able to put a stop to this runaway Hippogriff.

Plus, the man has already expressed his excitement about Hermione taking the crown next month. It wouldn't be good if she had to let him down. There'd be a lot of paperwork and might even damage the relationship between the UK and USA.

Luckily, Nicholas has taken it all in his stride, smiling through the small talk and conversations about topics that don't even concern him. He expressed his joy about becoming King Consort and the work he hopes to do after the coronation to anyone who asked about it, and was his usual charming self. All formal and posh. Her grandmother's old lady friends cooed and fussed over him, whilst others congratulated Hermione on landing such a lovely man.

At least there are some perks to marrying a man already au fait with high society.

Now, if only she could gain some sort of control over this whole wedding thing. Even though she's not interested in the finer details of the ceremony, or the requirements dictated by royal tradition, this will likely be her only time to get married, so she probably should make sure she'll enjoy the day. But right now, it's hard to summon any enthusiasm for it.

Celestina finishes her short performance on the flower-covered stage to a round of applause. Although Hermione had asked for the Weird Sisters, Celestina is a personal friend of Queen Beatrice and was more than happy to accommodate such a short notice request. She'll be performing at the wedding too.

The attendees rise to their feet, dispersing over the grass to meet with old friends or take advantage of the copious amounts of food and drink available.

"My grandmother told me I have to make sure I introduce you to everyone today," Hermione quips as she holds her hand out to Nicholas.

"Even more people?" He raises his eyebrows at her in response. The smile on his face is the only indication that he's joking. "I thought we'd met absolutely everybody after her series of dinners the past six nights."

"I'm afraid not, although some of these are the most important people in my life and I am quite excited for you to meet them. But shall we get the boring ones out of the way first?"

Nicholas squeezes her hand as they take hold of each other and pays attention as introductions are made. Really, he's perfect at this sort of thing, almost like he's been raised to do this job. Starting with her grandmother's guests, they make their way around the attendees until finally reaching Harry and Ginny, who are hovering at the edge of the lawn, looking out of place amongst the dukes and duchesses from the magical world.

The empty plates in their hands show they've already taken full advantage of the buffet.

"And these are the Potters." Hermione can't stop the smile from spreading over her face as she approaches them. "I've known Harry since our first day at Hogwarts, and Ginny came along not long after. She's another Weasley, but they got married a year or so ago."

Of course, she's already told Nicholas all of this, but it doesn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. Hermione is proud that despite everything that's happened, she's still in touch with them and they're still close. Not many school friends can boast about that. If only I could say the same for Ron and me.

Ignoring Harry's offered hand, Nicholas scoops up Ginny's first and places a soft kiss on top of it, causing the redhead to giggle. Despite being an international Quidditch star—when she's not up the duff—she's still not used to all of the attention. Even after years of hanging around with Hermione.

"I enjoyed your last game with the Harpies," Nicholas gushes. "That final goal you scored, just as Langsley caught the snitch was phenomenal. I look forward to seeing you play next season, hopefully in person."

"Ah, yeah—"

But Harry interrupts, "She's pregnant so she won't be flying anytime soon."

"Hermione did say, but I had forgotten. Congratulations." Nicholas takes Harry's outburst in his stride, finally pivoting to shake Harry's hand.

"It's still early days, but our physician refuses to sign me off to play," Ginny explains. "I'm not even allowed to train anymore."

"But it's for the best and I bet that little bundle of joy will be worth it. I cannot wait until Hermione and I are ready to try. Hopefully, it won't be too long after the ceremony."

Ugh. Hermione's stomach churns at the thought of having to do THAT with Nicholas. It's the stuff of nightmares, having to face reproducing with someone she's not even sure she fancies. With all the dinners and parties they've had to attend recently, Hermione hasn't even had a chance to discuss what he wants, but she should have assumed it would be in the cards eventually. There's no way she's ready to have a kid, not yet, and not with him. That's something else I have to deal with then.

"You've got to make sure there's an heir, right?" Harry chuckles and claps Nicholas on the shoulder, forgetting about his earlier annoyance.

A small wave of relief trickles over Hermione. At least this part is going right. It seems like Ginny has kept her word and has not told Harry about the arrangement. Or if she has, she promised him certain death if he lets slip that he knows. It's not that Hermione likes lying to Harry, she hates it. But he's no good at keeping secrets, especially not with Ron. Even when the redhead is in America, they keep in touch and talk about everything. Hermione has lost count of the number of times Ginny has come to her about something she had only ever told Ron. The Weasley-Potter family have an unhealthy interest in all aspects of each other's lives. Mostly instigated by Molly.

The last thing Hermione needs is Ron finding out about all this farce. He'd probably do something heroic, or even worse, berate her for not standing up for herself and throwing the entire idea of an arranged marriage out of the window. Although he was understanding about most parts of her royal life and the stupid rules they had to abide by, this one is probably a step too far.

The crown is important to Hermione, and if she does end up having a daughter, Hermione has to be Queen to get rid of stuff like this. There's no way any of her children will suffer the way she has on this journey.

Nicholas doesn't get a chance to agree or join in with the conversation. His hand in the air, Harry waves at someone behind the royal couple, a wide grin splitting his face. "Ron, Ron, over here!" he shouts, forgetting where he is. A handful of guests turn to gawp at whoever is creating such a noise, but Harry doesn't even notice, even as both Hermione and Ginny's cheeks turn red.

No, not today. Hermione had been explicit with her grandmother that Ron wasn't invited. "He's here to work, not to play," she'd told her many times and given that Queen Beatrice isn't the biggest fan of Ron, Hermione had hoped she'd listen. Unless he's invited himself.

Spinning around, her hand slips into Nicholas' as Ron strides towards the group. Her heart forgets to beat as she drinks in Ron's midnight blue suit, the way his too-long hair is swept off his face by his aviator sunglasses and the red stubble that dusts his jawline. It's like her knees have been hit with a jelly-legs jinx as she tightens her grip on Nicholas in the hope of remaining upright. Bugger.

Hermione is so swept away by how handsome Ron looks, that she doesn't notice the slim, dark-haired beauty hanging off his arm straight away. But when she sets eyes on her, Hermione's stomach falls out of her chest and hits the floor. Oh no. The girl looks familiar, although Hermione can't place her name. As if sensing her confusion and dismay, Nicholas tenses too. He still hasn't warmed to Ron.

"Sorry I'm late," Ron breathes out as he reaches them. "It was a bit of a late one last night." He high-fives Harry and kisses his sister on the cheek before his gaze reaches the rest of the group. The smile falling from his face, he dips his head in a short bow before adding, "Princess Hermione, Lord Nicholas."

Ron has never been this formal with her before. His tone and behaviour cut her harder than any of their barbed words or shared arguments. Although she deserves it, considering the grief she's been giving him over the past few weeks, it still doesn't stop the yank of pain in her heart.

But she doesn't have long to ponder the feeling. Ginny slaps her brother's forearm and says, "Harry was so sick last night. I'm surprised he's able to stand upright today. What in the name of Merlin's saggy balls happened after I'd left?"

"Ask Astoria, she was the one who kept on going to the bar! Fuck knows what she was buying."

Astoria! Of course! I knew I recognised her from somewhere. She'd been a couple of years below them in school, a Slytherin. They'd never really interacted before so how the hell did Ron meet up with her?

Keeping a tight grip on Hermione's hand, Nicholas takes a risky step into the familiar banter between Ron, Harry and Ginny. Brave man. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

Ron's gaze drifts slowly back to Nicholas and he sets his lips into a tight line as if speaking to the man is beneath him. "Astoria, this is Princess Hermione and Lord Nicholas. You two, this is Astoria," he says with little effort. It's like he's been asked to give Aunt Muriel a foot massage.

"It's so nice to meet you," Astoria says with a pleasant lilt to her voice. "When Ron and I bumped into each other in the Leaky yesterday, and he suggested I come with him to this garden party today, I was so excited I said yes straight away. It's so lovely to get a chance to meet you, Princess Hermione. I always thought—"

A glare from Ron shuts the girl up, but Hermione can't stop the smile from spreading over her face. His ears have turned bright pink. Astoria has given away far more than he intended. Is he trying to pretend they've been together for a while? Playing the jealousy game, are we Ron?

Her eyes still trained on Ron, Hermione says, "Well, that's very nice indeed, and it's a pleasure to have you here. Nicholas, my love, shall we go for a walk? All this hobnobbing is tiring me out."

"Absolutely. I quite agree. How about the rose garden?"

⁂

"I thought you did very well with all the mingling earlier," Nicholas says once they're away from the other guests. "But I'm not surprised you find it tiring. Your grandmother certainly invited a lot of people."

"Thank you."

"I rather like your friends. Well, Harry and Ginny. I can see I'm going to get along with them famously."

"They're good people, and they're extremely important to me. I'm sorry about Ron, though, I don't know—"

"It's fine." Nicholas raises his spare hand to put a stop to Hermione's babble. "I would probably act the same if I was forced to witness you marrying someone else. I know this is an arrangement, Hermione, but I'm growing rather fond of you. Ronald must be kicking himself about letting you go."

Well, that's not quite how it happened. But despite the lack of fluttering snitches or flobberworms in her stomach, a small warmth spreads through her. Lord Nicholas isn't as bad as she keeps on making him out to be and at least he's interested in her. Maybe one day she can return the feeling.

Their conversation turns to more surface-level topics—stories about Hermione's time in school, Lord Nicholas' attendance at Beauxbatons—as they weave their way around the rose bushes. It's pleasant enough, and at least the two of them get on. Hermione could have it a lot worse. She loses track of time as they walk and talk.

"Oh."

Hermione has been so absorbed in sharing her life stories with Nicholas that she'd forgotten where they were and the clash with Ron earlier. Nicholas' declaration brings the couple to a stop, and Hermione lifts her head in time to see Ron and Astoria walking toward them. Is he stalking me now? The pair pause in front of Hermione and Nicholas, and she focuses all her energy on trying to murder Ron with just her gaze. The amount of anger that runs through her veins should be enough to give her the power she needs. Why is he here? Why won't he just give her a moment of peace? Is he trying to get in between Nicholas and her?

But ever the gentleman, Nicholas extends his hand first. "Astoria, I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to say hello to you earlier."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she responds with a soft giggle as he kisses the top of her hand, mirroring Ginny's reaction earlier.

"Astoria," Hermione joins in. "Nice to see you again." With a sneer, she adds, "Ron."

"Sorry Princess," Ron snides. "We didn't see you there. Astoria and I were just discussing her latest achievement. She's been working in St. Mungo's, trying to find a cure to the blood curse that has blighted her family for generations. Last week, she had a major breakthrough and—"

"Ron, please," Astoria interrupts.

"Why not brag? You're an amazing woman."

Fixing a smile on her face, Hermione takes Nicholas' hand again, gripping it so tightly that her fingernails cut into his skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots his eyebrows furl in confusion, but she ignores it as she cuts in, "Astoria, that's phenomenal. Congratulations. When I'm Queen you can write to me and I'll see if I can access any further funding or help for you. Did you know Nicholas has a PhD from Cambridge? He sees the importance of Muggle education, too, just like me. Only his is in Chemical Engineering, so you know, really important things. It helps when he's developing new potions."

"Oh, that's fantastic," Ron says before anyone else can add to the conversation. "Did you know Astoria came top of her class in Potions in all her years?"

That's a low blow! A small tremor starts at Hermione's knee and her eye twitches at the veiled insult from Ron. The only reason she didn't receive that very same accolade as Astoria was because Harry used that stupid book to impress Slughorn during their sixth year. The cheat. Otherwise, Hermione would have had a clean slate in Potions too.

"No way?" she fires back, trying her best to keep her voice calm. "Nicholas spent four years in Austria rescuing falsely imprisoned wizards from Nurmengard Castle."

Hermione's body faces Ron now, her hand yanked out of Nicholas' as she and her ex fight over whose new partner is the best. Her heart pounds like an Acromantula is stomping all eight feet over her chest and her palms grow sweaty. The shakes have taken over her body.

"Oh, Nicholas, I'd like to—" Astoria tries to join the conversation, just as Ron says,

"Well, Astoria has—"

"It sounds like Astoria is trying to say something, Ron. Yes, Astoria?" Hermione glances at the black-haired woman for a second before returning her fiery gaze to Ron. She misses the softer look Astoria gives to Nicholas, but she catches the girl offering the future King Consort her arm. You can't have Nicholas and Ron!

"Nicholas," Astoria asks, "would you like to get a drink? I'd love to hear more about your time in Austria, and I'm pretty sure these two are going to start arguing over who's wand is the biggest. I fear it won't be a pretty fight."

Nicholas laughs, and if he's mad about Ron and Hermione's interaction, he doesn't show it. Instead, he presses a kiss against Hermione's cheek before saying, "I would love to. Excuse us."

As soon as Nicholas and Astoria disappear out of the garden, Hermione swings around to glare again at Ron. How dare he act this way? There are so many things she's itching to say to him, but she's so annoyed that she can't even sputter one word out. The paper fan she'd been using to cool herself down crunches under her tight grip.

"Did I ever mention that you two make such a lovely couple?" Ron finally says, a huge smirk on his face.

"We do, yeah—"

"It's such a shame you're not attracted to him."

"I know, and—"

What?!

Ron lets out a loud laugh and walks in the opposite direction to Nicholas and Astoria, going deeper into the gardens. His feet crunch under the gravel and his shoulders shake with his chuckles. Ugh, he thinks he's so funny. Twat. Her blood boils at his ability to get under her skin like that as she watches him leave.

"You can't walk away from me!" Hermione shrieks in a pitch only dogs can hear as she stomps after him, losing her footing more than once as her heels slip on the pebbles. She should have worn her Converse today.

"Why?" he shoots back over his shoulder. "You've been doing it for the past three weeks."

Why is this man so infuriating? She didn't invite him to the castle, she doesn't want him here, yet every single day he finds a new way to wind her up. What's the point in being almost queen if she can't choose who works for her security detail and if she can't get rid of annoying men when they piss her off?

The sun disappears behind a cloud, sending a chill over her skin as she follows Ron out the other end of the rose garden and into a short maze of bushes. They're far enough away from the party now that the noise is a low murmur but it doesn't worry her. Hermione can walk these paths in her sleep, she spent all of her summers since her sixth year exploring them. Plus Ron isn't a threat, aside from pushing her temper over the edge.

"I will have you know that I am very attracted to Nicholas. I am! He's…We are perfect for each other. Lord Nicholas is charming. He understands me, and more importantly, he understands what it's like to have a title and responsibilities. And he gets on with my grandmother."

"He understands you and your responsibilities and he gets on with your grandmother?" Ron comes to a stop in front of the biggest fountain on the castle grounds and stares at Hermione, his grin so wide you could fly the entire Quidditch team through it. He folds his arms across his chest before teasing, "Wow. That's a passionate relationship right there. Do you love him?"

"Oh, come on, Ron. You need to stop doing this whole jealous thing. It's unbecoming."

"Why would I be jealous of Nicholas? He's the poor bugger who has to spend the rest of his life married to you."

Hermione's face darkens. Would that be so bad? After all, there was once a time in their lives when they thought they'd be spending the rest of their lives together. Clearly, that was a mistake. A dull throb settles over her eyebrows. He was always good at giving her a headache.

Still, despite the pain that weighs over her, she spits out, "Yes, and that's something that you'll never get to do. You know what, Ron, I absolutely loathe you."

"Yeah, well, I loathe you. You've turned into somebody I don't even know anymore. I thought you grew out of all this shit after sixth year, yet here you are, lying to yourself and your friends again."

"Just like you." She takes a step towards him, prodding him in the chest with her finger. "Did you tell Harry and Ginny the real reason we split up?"

"Why would I? Everyone knows you're a self-important witch who only thinks of herself. So they already know the truth anyway." Ron shifts towards her so that they're almost toe to toe.

"I do not! There's other people I think about too."

She means to add 'like my subjects', but his intoxicating smell of sandalwood and cinnamon chooses that moment to fill her nostrils, distracting her from everything else. It spreads like Fiendfyre to her mind, driving her crazy and pushing away the incoming migraine. Ron is so close to her now, that every breath he takes reverberates through her body. Just like old times, as soon as they're in proximity of each other, they become one.

Of course, there are other people I think about.

Her gaze must give her thoughts away as it drops to his lips, watching them move as he challenges, "Like who?"

Like you.

But he'd never believe it if she said it out loud, not after all the arguing these past few weeks. Maybe I could show him?

Hermione isn't thinking straight, her mind only has one goal as she grabs hold of the back of Ron's neck and pushes his head even closer. Eyes fluttering shut, her mouth finds its way to him like it's the most natural thing in the world and a shiver of goosebumps travel over her body as they reconnect finally.

It's like they never stopped kissing as Ron responds with a moan, sliding both his hands to her hips to pull her to him, electricity darting between them as every inch of them glides against each other. The heat from his body, the pressure from his mouth ignites a fire deep in her belly, drenching her core and the way her breasts press against his chest sends a tingle through her nipples. Merlin, I need him.

They part to pull in a breath. "Ron, I—"

But she doesn't have a chance to finish her sentence before he attacks her, paying her back for her first assault. His arms circle her waist, lifting her off her feet as the lights illuminating the maze flicker in the residual magic from their reunion. Chocolate frogs, peppermint pixies and champagne zap over her tongue. Ron always tastes so good.

All of the tension and passion that has been building since they bumped into each other at the start of the month pours out through her mouth, her fingertips, and her thighs as she wraps them around his hips, groaning as his hardness makes contact with her damp core. Even through the barriers of their too many layers of clothes, she can tell he wants her just as much as she needs him. One hand slides into his hair, tugging at it, guiding it to where she needs his kisses. Fuck the party.

As his lips slide to her jaw and kiss their way to her ear, her eyes search the area, looking for a bench, or a large stone or…

"Grandmother!" Hermione shrieks as leaps away from Ron. She tugs down her dress, her cheeks flooding with heat as he turns his back to the queen, not keen to show his excitement that was only a second ago pressing against Hermione.

The livid look on Beatrice's face is enough to quell any of the excitement burning over Hermione's skin. The queen's eyebrows are furled, her tight skin is tinged with pink and a sharp line replaces her mouth. Shit.

"Inside. Now," Beatrice snaps, pointing back towards the castle.

Before Hermione leaves the maze she shoots one last look at Ron, her heart sinking at the regret written all over his face. It hurts even more than that night they broke up, and she suppresses a sob. Tears burn in her eyes, but she forces herself to walk away.

Hanging her head, she weaves her way back to the garden, keeping to the path that circles the lawn, her feet crunching in the stones. Someone calls out to her, it might be Nicholas, but she ignores it. There's no way she can face him right now and deal with his disappointment too.

Stepping up into the castle, she makes a beeline straight for her grandmother's office, even though she wants nothing more than to curl up in her bed and punish herself for such a massive slip of judgement. But it's better to get her telling off over with first.

I'm in deep trouble now.