The Legend of Chastity Lorna
Chapter Nine
By Alicia Jennings
~
Hogwarts Castle was near empty, due to Christmas break. So there was no hurry in getting the King, Queen, and Minister to their homes again.
The Royal Auror Guard were constantly running from one end of the castle to the other. The King and Queen were constantly trying to evade them, acting like teenagers, sliding down stairway railings, sneaking into secret passageways.
"Your Majesties," said Edward, the head of the Auror Guard, "I implore you - beg of you - please don't get out of our sight!"
Harry and Hermione had been discovered in a broom closet this time.
"Can't we have even the slightest bit of privacy?" Harry implored.
"Yes," said Edward, "In your bedroom and bathroom!"
"I get tired of looking at the same walls," said Hermione. "Can't you designate another room that you can give us privacy in too?"
Edward sighed. "All right, I'll give you another private spot. The broom closet we just found you in, Your Majesties!" He bowed, turned on his heel, and stomped off.
"That's not entirely fair at all," said Hermione.
"I guess we'll have to make out on the bathroom floor," said Harry, grinning.
"Or amidst Magical Mess Remover." Hermione grinned back at her fiancee. "Either way, we're going to smell like Lysol."
"Well," Harry said, putting his head very close to hers, and whispering in her ear, "We'll just have to take a shower afterwards, Your Majesty."
"It's a deal," she whispered back. "Shall we seal it with a kiss?"
The two RA guards rounded the corner in time to see the king and queen kissing.
It wasn't exactly surprising, you know.
~
"Good morning, Your Majesties!" said Sirius brightly, plopping down on Harry's side of the bed. "Rise and shine!"
He recieved no response. So, he lowered his head very close to theirs. "GOOD MORNING, YOUR MAJESTIES!"
Harry jumped, and Hermione shrieked and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Who's there?" Harry asked, feeling around on the bedside table for his glasses.
"Your personal assistant."
"I didn't know we had one," said Hermione, pulling the covers up more.
Sirius yanked the covers away, resulting in another shriek from Hermione, who was clad in nothing but a short, white, spagetti-strapped nightgown. "Just your friendly neighborhood soon-to-be-godfather-in-law," he said cheerfully. "Now that you two are sufficiently awake, I want you to be down in the Great Hall in twenty minutes so we can start planning your wedding."
"But...Sirius..." Harry finally found his glasses, and put them on. "It's.....early."
"It's half past seven. And I expect you in the Great Hall at ten minutes to eight." Sirius stood up. "Cheerio!"
Harry continued to stare at the doorway. "He's mental."
"I won't disagree," said Hermione, rising from the bed. "I call the shower!" She ran to the bathroom before Harry could catch her.
"Can't we share?" he asked through the door.
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Please, please, please, Herm?"
There was a pause. "Oh, fine! But we're showering, not anything else! There's no time!" Hermione opened the door, and Harry stepped in.
Hermione loved the shower in their bathroom. It was the size of a large walk-in closet, and was complete with a bench if you just wanted a good steam. And no matter where you were, whether it was at the back of the shower or at the front, you were always under the spray of water because it fell like rain from the ceiling.
Hermione just stood under the hot water for a moment, then reached for the sponge that hung on a hook by the shower door. "Ahh....Harry? I thought there were two sponges."
Harry shrugged. "I thought so to."
Hermione sighed. "Well, you use this while I wash my hair." She put a liberal amount of shampoo in her palm and began washing her hair.
"Hermione, you can relax, you know," said Harry.
"We've got twenty minutes before we start planning our wedding. Of course I can relax!" she snapped, rinsing off the shampoo and reaching for the conditioner. As she put the conditioner in her hair, she felt Harry's hands on her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles gently.
"Hermione, it's all right. Everything will be all right, trust me. Okay?" Hermione nodded. "All right, then. Just be calm, and we'll get through all this mess."
~
As Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat down to a breakfast of sweet rolls, boiled eggs, and strong coffee, Sirius drew forth a notebook.
"All right, then, might as well get started." He himself took a long, generous sip of coffee. "What would you like your colors to be?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other blankly. Harry shrugged, his mouth full. Ron chuckled slightly.
"Blush and bashful?" asked Hermione, grinning. At Harry and Sirius' blank look, she sighed. "You don't watch too many Muggle movies or plays, do you?"
"No," said Harry and Sirius at the same time.
Hermione shook her head. "How about a dark navy blue, a hunter green, maybe a little dark red since it's Christmastime, and silver and gold?"
"That works," said Harry hurriedly.
"Your dress, Hermione?" asked Sirius, scribbling down the colors.
"I'm not wearing white," she said firmly.
"Why not?" asked Harry.
"Because," she said, taking a slow sip of coffee, "Everyone knows white is meant for virgins, and everyone and their mother-in-law knows I'm not one."
Harry turned tomato red. Ron and Sirius coughed, and pretended not to notice.
~~
Details of the wedding fell into place over the next week at Hogwarts Castle. The only place big enough to have the wedding was the Great Hall, so it would be held there on Christmas Eve at three o' clock.
"Hermione!" Sirius ran into their bedroom at seven o' clock in the morning two days before the wedding. "I've found - well, rather recieved - your dress."
Hermione sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "You did?"
"Yeah! Be in the Transfiguration classroom in twenty minutes and they'll fit it to you. Harry's outfit is there too."
Hermione jumped out of bed. Harry did as well. It looked like another double shower this morning.
After showering, they practically ran down to the Transfiguration classroom to avoid being late. And they did avoid being late - by about a second. They burst through the door, startling the seamstress and her assistant.
"Sorry," Hermione panted. "Bit of a late start." Her tiara, which Dumbledore had instructed her to wear everywhere, tumbled off her head and fell with a *clink!* to the floor. "Oh dear." She picked it up, polished it a bit on the sleeve of her robe, and put it back on.
The seamstress and her assistant looked stunned, as if they'd never seen a lady act like her in all their life. "Well," said Harry, "We're here to try on our wedding attire...is it ready?"
The question seemed to jar the seamstress to her senses. "Oh...of course...here, Your Majesy," she said, motioning Harry to a screen. "You can change in there." She now handed Hermione a wrapped package. "For you, Your Majesty. I believe, by looking at your measurements, it might fit perfectly."
Hermione carefully unwrapped the package. Inside lay an ornate midnight-blue silk dress. It had a lacy, low-necked collar, long bell sleeves, and a huge flared-out skirt, all with lace accents. A silver sash went around the waist. Jewels were sewn into it in places - emeralds, rubies, diamonds. Also, with it, was a white veil, the crown of it midnight blue and hunter green. Matching blue soft slippers and gloves, along with a flouncy slip and white stockings, completed the ensemble.
"A gift," said the seamstress.
"But....from who?" As Hermione spoke, a card fluttered to the floor from the folds of the dress. She carefully broke the wax seal and read it. Her eyes widened.
It was a gift from another queen. Queen Elizabeth II - if you wanted to be exact.
Hermione, her hands unsteady, pulled on the lacy slip. Then the seamstress helped her pull the dress over her head and lace the stays. She put on the silky stockings, the soft slippers and the gloves, and the veil. The seamstress' eyes grew wide. "Oh, your Majesty, you look beautiful. Here, you must look in the mirror."
Hermione shook her head. "No. Harry sees it first. I - I can't look."
"But the groom's not supposed to see your dress until your wedding day, Your Majesty," said the seamstress, smiling. "By tradition."
"We're not exactly a traditional marriage, madam," said Hermione, smiling back.
Harry came out, and Hermione smiled nervously at him. He took one look at her and his mouth dropped. She thought he looked rather handsome. He was wearing robes of the same midnight blue, with gold accents. He had on blue slacks under the robes and a starched white shirt. He wore a thin gold mantle with sapphires and rubies on his shoulders, a sign of his kingship.
"Hermione...you're...you're...straight out of the storybooks." Harry made his way over to her. "You're beautiful."
"Is it safe for me to look in the mirror?" she whispered.
"Yes," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Never be afraid to look in the mirror, Hermione. Never be afraid to face yourself. You're always beautiful."
Hermione took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Harry was right. She looked like a queen out of the storybooks. The veil fit behind her tiara, so the teardrop stone that hung down on her forehead was visible. She noticed that it was a bluish color.
"I - I don't think it needs any alterations," said Hermione, her voice faltering slightly. "Ah..Harry...what about your robes?"
"I think they're quite nice," said Harry, looking in the mirror. "Fit me fine too."
"Well, then, that's settled," said Hermione, sliding the gloves off her hands. "Thank you very much for your time, madam."
"It was an honor," said the seamstress, curtsying. "Would you like to change here or in your rooms?"
"Our rooms, I think," said Hermione. "That way we can hang them up immediately and they don't get too wrinkled."
"An excellent idea, Your Majesty," said the seamstress. "I shall be here until your wedding, so if they do need altering, please don't hesitate to come see me."
"Thank you very much," said Harry, taking Hermione's arm and leading her out.
"Harry," Hermione whispered to him as RA guards joined them, "I don't think I've ever worn as fancy a dress in my life."
"You look beautiful," he reassured her. "You do. You look just as beautiful in that as you did in that skimpy bikini the night we met again."
"I'm a bit surprised to hear that from a male," said Hermione lightly. "This dress covers much more than that bikini."
Harry and Hermione slept in different rooms the night before Christmas Eve, the night before their wedding. They wanted the time to themselves to ponder and pray.
~~~
"Is the mole in place?" hissed a voice.
Wormtail, shaking in uncontrollable fear, nodded. "Y-yes, My Lord. He is there."
Voldemort smiled cruelly. "Yes, yes...this will capture Potter once and for all...when you cannot attack the body, attack the heart."
Thousands of miles away from the Albanian Forest, Harry Potter twisted and turned in his sleep, trying to awaken. He could not.
~~~
Hermione went to bed late. She tossed and turned most of the night, only procuring a few precious hours' sleep. She finally rose at five o'clock, unable to bear laying in bed any longer. She didn't want to eat breakfast due to nerves, but knew she should for the baby. She brushed her hair, threw on her robes, and tiptoed past the RA guard who was posted at the end of her hall, asleep and leaning against the wall.
Hermione felt strange without her tiara on. Having to wear the tiara everywhere was strange enough, but Dumbledore had pretty much insisted on Harry and her having their crowns on at all times outside their rooms. She hadn't intentionally left it off, but now that it was off she felt...well, like a common witch again. It wasn't a bad feeling. She twisted her wand for a moment, wondering if she should Summon it. After a short debate, she pocketed her wand and continued to the kitchens.
Hermione missed Hogwarts Castle. The mystique of the castle itself would make anyone miss it. But mostly she missed being a carefree, innocent child. When she was here, she felt protected from the outside world.
But then Hermione thought for a moment. The castle, although quite secure, could not seal out the real world forever. Professor Quirrel had proved that, as well as the basilisk, Wormtail, and Barty Crouch, not to mention others. And it did not protect her forever, she thought, a little bitterly. She glanced down at her arms. Although faint, they bore scars of horrendous tortures.
Lost in her memories, Hermione continued along the castle passageways, staring at the floor as if trying to find something that wasn't there. It was then that she bumped into something - rather, someone - who was rather solid.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry -" She noticed masculine shoes. "Mr. -" She looked up, her hand outstretched. "Viktor?" she whispered.
~
Chapter Nine
By Alicia Jennings
~
Hogwarts Castle was near empty, due to Christmas break. So there was no hurry in getting the King, Queen, and Minister to their homes again.
The Royal Auror Guard were constantly running from one end of the castle to the other. The King and Queen were constantly trying to evade them, acting like teenagers, sliding down stairway railings, sneaking into secret passageways.
"Your Majesties," said Edward, the head of the Auror Guard, "I implore you - beg of you - please don't get out of our sight!"
Harry and Hermione had been discovered in a broom closet this time.
"Can't we have even the slightest bit of privacy?" Harry implored.
"Yes," said Edward, "In your bedroom and bathroom!"
"I get tired of looking at the same walls," said Hermione. "Can't you designate another room that you can give us privacy in too?"
Edward sighed. "All right, I'll give you another private spot. The broom closet we just found you in, Your Majesties!" He bowed, turned on his heel, and stomped off.
"That's not entirely fair at all," said Hermione.
"I guess we'll have to make out on the bathroom floor," said Harry, grinning.
"Or amidst Magical Mess Remover." Hermione grinned back at her fiancee. "Either way, we're going to smell like Lysol."
"Well," Harry said, putting his head very close to hers, and whispering in her ear, "We'll just have to take a shower afterwards, Your Majesty."
"It's a deal," she whispered back. "Shall we seal it with a kiss?"
The two RA guards rounded the corner in time to see the king and queen kissing.
It wasn't exactly surprising, you know.
~
"Good morning, Your Majesties!" said Sirius brightly, plopping down on Harry's side of the bed. "Rise and shine!"
He recieved no response. So, he lowered his head very close to theirs. "GOOD MORNING, YOUR MAJESTIES!"
Harry jumped, and Hermione shrieked and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Who's there?" Harry asked, feeling around on the bedside table for his glasses.
"Your personal assistant."
"I didn't know we had one," said Hermione, pulling the covers up more.
Sirius yanked the covers away, resulting in another shriek from Hermione, who was clad in nothing but a short, white, spagetti-strapped nightgown. "Just your friendly neighborhood soon-to-be-godfather-in-law," he said cheerfully. "Now that you two are sufficiently awake, I want you to be down in the Great Hall in twenty minutes so we can start planning your wedding."
"But...Sirius..." Harry finally found his glasses, and put them on. "It's.....early."
"It's half past seven. And I expect you in the Great Hall at ten minutes to eight." Sirius stood up. "Cheerio!"
Harry continued to stare at the doorway. "He's mental."
"I won't disagree," said Hermione, rising from the bed. "I call the shower!" She ran to the bathroom before Harry could catch her.
"Can't we share?" he asked through the door.
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Please, please, please, Herm?"
There was a pause. "Oh, fine! But we're showering, not anything else! There's no time!" Hermione opened the door, and Harry stepped in.
Hermione loved the shower in their bathroom. It was the size of a large walk-in closet, and was complete with a bench if you just wanted a good steam. And no matter where you were, whether it was at the back of the shower or at the front, you were always under the spray of water because it fell like rain from the ceiling.
Hermione just stood under the hot water for a moment, then reached for the sponge that hung on a hook by the shower door. "Ahh....Harry? I thought there were two sponges."
Harry shrugged. "I thought so to."
Hermione sighed. "Well, you use this while I wash my hair." She put a liberal amount of shampoo in her palm and began washing her hair.
"Hermione, you can relax, you know," said Harry.
"We've got twenty minutes before we start planning our wedding. Of course I can relax!" she snapped, rinsing off the shampoo and reaching for the conditioner. As she put the conditioner in her hair, she felt Harry's hands on her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles gently.
"Hermione, it's all right. Everything will be all right, trust me. Okay?" Hermione nodded. "All right, then. Just be calm, and we'll get through all this mess."
~
As Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat down to a breakfast of sweet rolls, boiled eggs, and strong coffee, Sirius drew forth a notebook.
"All right, then, might as well get started." He himself took a long, generous sip of coffee. "What would you like your colors to be?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other blankly. Harry shrugged, his mouth full. Ron chuckled slightly.
"Blush and bashful?" asked Hermione, grinning. At Harry and Sirius' blank look, she sighed. "You don't watch too many Muggle movies or plays, do you?"
"No," said Harry and Sirius at the same time.
Hermione shook her head. "How about a dark navy blue, a hunter green, maybe a little dark red since it's Christmastime, and silver and gold?"
"That works," said Harry hurriedly.
"Your dress, Hermione?" asked Sirius, scribbling down the colors.
"I'm not wearing white," she said firmly.
"Why not?" asked Harry.
"Because," she said, taking a slow sip of coffee, "Everyone knows white is meant for virgins, and everyone and their mother-in-law knows I'm not one."
Harry turned tomato red. Ron and Sirius coughed, and pretended not to notice.
~~
Details of the wedding fell into place over the next week at Hogwarts Castle. The only place big enough to have the wedding was the Great Hall, so it would be held there on Christmas Eve at three o' clock.
"Hermione!" Sirius ran into their bedroom at seven o' clock in the morning two days before the wedding. "I've found - well, rather recieved - your dress."
Hermione sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "You did?"
"Yeah! Be in the Transfiguration classroom in twenty minutes and they'll fit it to you. Harry's outfit is there too."
Hermione jumped out of bed. Harry did as well. It looked like another double shower this morning.
After showering, they practically ran down to the Transfiguration classroom to avoid being late. And they did avoid being late - by about a second. They burst through the door, startling the seamstress and her assistant.
"Sorry," Hermione panted. "Bit of a late start." Her tiara, which Dumbledore had instructed her to wear everywhere, tumbled off her head and fell with a *clink!* to the floor. "Oh dear." She picked it up, polished it a bit on the sleeve of her robe, and put it back on.
The seamstress and her assistant looked stunned, as if they'd never seen a lady act like her in all their life. "Well," said Harry, "We're here to try on our wedding attire...is it ready?"
The question seemed to jar the seamstress to her senses. "Oh...of course...here, Your Majesy," she said, motioning Harry to a screen. "You can change in there." She now handed Hermione a wrapped package. "For you, Your Majesty. I believe, by looking at your measurements, it might fit perfectly."
Hermione carefully unwrapped the package. Inside lay an ornate midnight-blue silk dress. It had a lacy, low-necked collar, long bell sleeves, and a huge flared-out skirt, all with lace accents. A silver sash went around the waist. Jewels were sewn into it in places - emeralds, rubies, diamonds. Also, with it, was a white veil, the crown of it midnight blue and hunter green. Matching blue soft slippers and gloves, along with a flouncy slip and white stockings, completed the ensemble.
"A gift," said the seamstress.
"But....from who?" As Hermione spoke, a card fluttered to the floor from the folds of the dress. She carefully broke the wax seal and read it. Her eyes widened.
It was a gift from another queen. Queen Elizabeth II - if you wanted to be exact.
Hermione, her hands unsteady, pulled on the lacy slip. Then the seamstress helped her pull the dress over her head and lace the stays. She put on the silky stockings, the soft slippers and the gloves, and the veil. The seamstress' eyes grew wide. "Oh, your Majesty, you look beautiful. Here, you must look in the mirror."
Hermione shook her head. "No. Harry sees it first. I - I can't look."
"But the groom's not supposed to see your dress until your wedding day, Your Majesty," said the seamstress, smiling. "By tradition."
"We're not exactly a traditional marriage, madam," said Hermione, smiling back.
Harry came out, and Hermione smiled nervously at him. He took one look at her and his mouth dropped. She thought he looked rather handsome. He was wearing robes of the same midnight blue, with gold accents. He had on blue slacks under the robes and a starched white shirt. He wore a thin gold mantle with sapphires and rubies on his shoulders, a sign of his kingship.
"Hermione...you're...you're...straight out of the storybooks." Harry made his way over to her. "You're beautiful."
"Is it safe for me to look in the mirror?" she whispered.
"Yes," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Never be afraid to look in the mirror, Hermione. Never be afraid to face yourself. You're always beautiful."
Hermione took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Harry was right. She looked like a queen out of the storybooks. The veil fit behind her tiara, so the teardrop stone that hung down on her forehead was visible. She noticed that it was a bluish color.
"I - I don't think it needs any alterations," said Hermione, her voice faltering slightly. "Ah..Harry...what about your robes?"
"I think they're quite nice," said Harry, looking in the mirror. "Fit me fine too."
"Well, then, that's settled," said Hermione, sliding the gloves off her hands. "Thank you very much for your time, madam."
"It was an honor," said the seamstress, curtsying. "Would you like to change here or in your rooms?"
"Our rooms, I think," said Hermione. "That way we can hang them up immediately and they don't get too wrinkled."
"An excellent idea, Your Majesty," said the seamstress. "I shall be here until your wedding, so if they do need altering, please don't hesitate to come see me."
"Thank you very much," said Harry, taking Hermione's arm and leading her out.
"Harry," Hermione whispered to him as RA guards joined them, "I don't think I've ever worn as fancy a dress in my life."
"You look beautiful," he reassured her. "You do. You look just as beautiful in that as you did in that skimpy bikini the night we met again."
"I'm a bit surprised to hear that from a male," said Hermione lightly. "This dress covers much more than that bikini."
Harry and Hermione slept in different rooms the night before Christmas Eve, the night before their wedding. They wanted the time to themselves to ponder and pray.
~~~
"Is the mole in place?" hissed a voice.
Wormtail, shaking in uncontrollable fear, nodded. "Y-yes, My Lord. He is there."
Voldemort smiled cruelly. "Yes, yes...this will capture Potter once and for all...when you cannot attack the body, attack the heart."
Thousands of miles away from the Albanian Forest, Harry Potter twisted and turned in his sleep, trying to awaken. He could not.
~~~
Hermione went to bed late. She tossed and turned most of the night, only procuring a few precious hours' sleep. She finally rose at five o'clock, unable to bear laying in bed any longer. She didn't want to eat breakfast due to nerves, but knew she should for the baby. She brushed her hair, threw on her robes, and tiptoed past the RA guard who was posted at the end of her hall, asleep and leaning against the wall.
Hermione felt strange without her tiara on. Having to wear the tiara everywhere was strange enough, but Dumbledore had pretty much insisted on Harry and her having their crowns on at all times outside their rooms. She hadn't intentionally left it off, but now that it was off she felt...well, like a common witch again. It wasn't a bad feeling. She twisted her wand for a moment, wondering if she should Summon it. After a short debate, she pocketed her wand and continued to the kitchens.
Hermione missed Hogwarts Castle. The mystique of the castle itself would make anyone miss it. But mostly she missed being a carefree, innocent child. When she was here, she felt protected from the outside world.
But then Hermione thought for a moment. The castle, although quite secure, could not seal out the real world forever. Professor Quirrel had proved that, as well as the basilisk, Wormtail, and Barty Crouch, not to mention others. And it did not protect her forever, she thought, a little bitterly. She glanced down at her arms. Although faint, they bore scars of horrendous tortures.
Lost in her memories, Hermione continued along the castle passageways, staring at the floor as if trying to find something that wasn't there. It was then that she bumped into something - rather, someone - who was rather solid.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry -" She noticed masculine shoes. "Mr. -" She looked up, her hand outstretched. "Viktor?" she whispered.
~