Chapter 65: Revealing the Princess
The weeks leading up to the royal gala passed quickly for Hermione. She spent her time studying how to act properly for a royal. It was annoying for her to have to study something like that on her summer break when she just wanted to spend time with Severus researching potions. She was beginning to get nervous about the gala since she knew she was going to be introduced and her life would change forever. The public would know who she really was and she would never have a normal life again, her life would be like Harry's where she wouldn't be able to go anywhere without people recognizing her.
She and Ginny and Luna went shopping for their gowns and Ginny made her try almost every gown in the 5 stores they went to saying that she had to look the absolute best out of all of them. They were using the excuse that Severus was the highest ranking of the royal court and as his date she had to look the part so that Luna and the rest would not be suspicious. Hermione decided on a deep green gown with gold trim that hugged her curves and looked fabulous. The girls had just finished shopping and arrived back at Harry's to find him missing and Dobby bouncing around. "The baby is being born!" He told them over and over again until the girls quickly handed him their purchases and apparated to St. Mungo's.
They hurried past the welcome witch at the desk and made their way towards the waiting room where Harry was pacing and looking anxious. "Any news yet?" Ginny asked as she hurried up to hold him.
"Nothing yet," Harry told her with a smile. "She wasn't that far along when we came in but I haven't seen Remus since so I know nothing."
They were waiting for another few hours before Remus came out beaming. "It's a boy! I have a baby boy!" He told them before running up to Harry and pulling him into a hug. "You have a baby brother! Come on, they said you could come in now!" Harry grinned, kissed Ginny and ran after his dad.
They were finally all able to see the new baby and congratulate Tonks and Remus. Tonks was in her natural form as she was too tired to try and be her pink haired self. Their baby boy was adorable with sandy brown hair and baby blue eyes for now. "He's adorable," Molly Weasley said as she stared at her new grandson (in her eyes as she considered them extended family). "Have you decided on his name yet?"
"Yes," Remus said with tears in his eyes as he looked at Harry with a smile.
"Everyone, meet my new baby brother James Remus Lupin." Harry told them with a grin before picking up the tiny bundle into his arms and cuddling him. The rest of them left the newly expanded family alone so they could bond with their newest member. Harry had told Remus that he thought James was the perfect name since he would not use it on his own children since there had already been a James Potter and he didn't think any child should have to live up to that namesake.
"So are you ready for your debut?" Severus asked Hermione the morning of the gala. He had found her pacing the lab doing a third inventory since the beginning of the summer. Every time she was nervous she would re-inventory the store room or reorganize the library or some other task that was unneeded.
"I'm terrified," she told him honestly. "I don't really want to be the center of attention. I always hated how people fawned all over Harry when they didn't even know him and now I will be the one they all look to. It's kind of daunting."
"You'll do just fine, besides we have almost the entire night before your father makes the announcement. He said they wouldn't make it until after dinner and halfway through the dancing." Severus told her and kissed her gently.
"I'm scared they are going to take you away from me," she told him as she pressed herself into his chest. "I just have this feeling that my nana is going to make the announcement that is going to make our lives even harder."
"Let's just try and enjoy ourselves tonight and not worry about the announcement until we have to." Severus told her, "Besides, it doesn't matter what they announce I will always stay with you."
The gala was a grand affair showcasing the grandeur of the palace. It was the first time in over 20 years that an event had been hosted there and the press was out in abundance. Every witch or wizard in the royal court was invited as well as other dignitaries such as Arthur Weasley as the minister of magic and Albus Dumbledore for his numerous contributions. The lesser royals and dignitaries had all been announced already and the press had moved inside for the announcement of the royal court. Susan and Ron were standing with his parents as they waited for the rest of their friends to be announced. Victor and Annie were the first couple they recognized and then Neville and Luna followed by Mrs. Longbottom. Draco and Gabrielle were introduced shortly after the Longbottoms along with Mrs. Malfoy. The reporters went crazy when Harry and Ginny were introduced as it was their first public appearance since their wedding.
Severus gave Hermione a reassuring smile before leading her towards the door to be announced. They were announced as "Lord Severus Snape, Potions Master, Order of Merlin 1st Class and only ever recipient of the Golden Phoenix Award along with Miss Hermione Granger, Potions Mistress, Order of Merlin 1st Class."
There were lots of camera flashes and other whispers of why the highest of the royal court invited a muggle born as his date. The silence was profound before the Royal family was announced. Most people had not seen the royal family since they came back to the wizarding world and were anxious to set eyes on their rulers.
Hermione and Severus were seated next to the Prince and Princess as Severus was the next highest of the royal court. This rubbed many of the lesser royals the wrong way as they perceived it as a muggle born sitting way above her stature. After dinner a few of the court approached Severus about his decision to escort Hermione saying that she had no place at the high table let alone sitting next to the prince. "The Queen has befriended her and she is a highly respected member of wizarding society. If the Queen has no problem with where she was seated then why should you. They were informed well in advance whom I was bringing and could have easily altered the seating plan but chose not to. Personally I think it is ridiculous how many are reacting. She is a very powerful and intelligent witch and you are acting like she is someone less than you. She may not have a title but she deserves more respect for what she has done to preserve our way of life." Severus said to the men, giving them his best evil potions master look.
The dancing had yet to begin and Hermione and Severus were standing off to the side of the hall with Harry and Ginny listening to stories of the travels so far on their honeymoon. Both couples were trying to avoid the press and most of the other guests. There was a commotion from the front of the hall near where the Royal family stood greeting their guests. Before most had time to react the outer doors were slammed shut and there were 5 wizards holding the Royal family at wand point while another few were searching the crowd for any who were still in possession of their wands. All wands had supposed to have been checked at the door so that no one could harm the Royal family. Harry quickly handed over his hidden wand he had drawn when the wizard pointed his wand at Ginny instead of him as she was unarmed. Severus had quickly pulled Hermione to him in a mock hug so she could attempt to retrieve her wand from her sleeve without drawing attention, to everyone it looked like he was just comforting her.
"What do you want," The King demanded. "You have no place here nor any reason for disturbing our home."
"We have every reason for interrupting your party," the leader said stepping forward, wand trained on the prince. "We no longer feel your family is capable of ruling. Your wife and son have been gone too long from this world to know what it needs. We need and demand a ruler who will be respected by all. We demand you hand the crown down to the next and more worthy of the court, Severus Snape."
Hermione felt Severus stiffen in anger that they were making such demands, it made it sound as if he had something to do with it. He began to move the two of them closer to the action in hopes he could talk some sense into them without having them harm anyone.
"You have no authority to make demands here," The Queen replied as she glared at the men before her. "We will not renounce the throne. Our family is the direct descendents of Merlin himself. We have more power than any of the other royals and therefore it is our right to rule. I agree that I have been away from society for many years and that my son has spent more time living as a muggle than not, but the solution has already been determined without your interference. We were to announce tonight that once she was ready I would turn my crown over to my granddaughter. She is a respected member of the wizarding community and will do a wonderful job as queen. My son does not wish to become king and therefore he will be passed over for his daughter in a few years once she is ready."
"You have kept your granddaughter's identity a secret, how are we to know she is capable of ruling?" The man sneered. "She has probably been corrupted by her muggle upbringing and will never have enough power or influence to be a competent ruler."
"You may speak of me however you wish but do not speak ill of my daughter or you will be sorry," Phillip said with a growl. He was getting angry and wanted to hurt the men causing the disturbance.
Severus and Hermione were almost upon the group when the leader screamed at the prince, "You would do well to learn your place," and cast crucio on him. Hermione instantly became angrier than she ever had been along with being concerned for her father. Severus stepped back from her as she began to glow purple. Many people noticed that the queen was glowing purple as her powers were manifesting. Some of the attackers were questioning the plan as they remembered how powerful the older woman was. Hermione locked eyes with her grandmother for a second and suddenly a dazzling blue shield was erected around the royal family and the curse was cut off. The attackers were upset and began to fire curses at the bubble but nothing would penetrate it, not even unforgivables.
"Impossible!" Someone from the crowd shouted, "It takes two royals who have come into their full powers to erect Merlin's Shield! How can this be?"
Severus and Hermione quickly took advantage of the attackers' confusion and stunned all of them. They had not turned over their wands, since Hermione was royalty she was exempt and Severus just refused to. They quickly had all the men down and subdued with the help of the aurors in attendance. Harry sneered at the leader and made his ropes extra tight.
Hermione quickly ran to her father, ignoring the gasps as she was able to pass through the bubble. She saw he was still struggling with the curse and was in a lot of pain. "Sev! The potion!" She yelled to him as she helped her mother to sit her father up.
One of the less intelligent reporters saw that Hermione was able to pass through the bubble and hurried forward to try and take photographs of the prince. He was tossed halfway across the room by the bubble. Severus approached the bubble after fishing the Winter's Tale potion from his robes. Hermione reached out of the protective shield and pulled the potion towards her before pouring it down her father's throat. They all were relieved when he relaxed as the pain dissipated.
"Thank you princess," her father said and pulled her into a hug. "And thank you for taking care of those men as well."
Hermione helped her father up and turned to her mother, "Are you alright mum?" She asked and her mother nodded and hugged her as well. "Nana, Pop are you ok?"
"We are fine sweetheart," the king replied with a smile. "You never told us you had come into your powers."
"During the war," Hermione told them, "When Voldemort held me hostage. What is this shield and how do we make it disappear?" She asked her grandmother.
"This is Merlin's Shield. It can only be created by the combined powers of two royals who have their full powers. It is used to protect the royal family and only royalty can pass through unharmed. It is the most powerful magical shield there is. I'm not sure how to remove it," the queen replied. "It has been hundreds of years since two royals have come into their powers. Perhaps we just concentrate on the fact that we are safe again." The blue shield flickered away after a few moments and the crowd began to get restless as they realized many important things had just happened and many realized the identity of the princess.
Queen Amelia stood upon the dais behind her, "May I have everyone's attention please," she called and the room came to order. "Since most of you have already realized the impact of what just happened, it is now my pleasure to introduce you to my granddaughter, your princess and future queen. Many of you will recognize her by the name she has been called since her birth, Hermione Granger."
Hermione joined her family on the platform to tremendous applause from the crowd as well as some very shocked looks from her friends, especially Ron who looked like his eyes were about to bug out of his head. She smiled politely to the crowd and took her place next to her father. She kept her polite smile on her face to hide her nervousness. She gazed out at the crowd to spot those she knew. Neville, Luna, Draco, Gabrielle and Harry all seemed happy for her and although surprised didn't seem too affected. The Weasley's were another story. Susan had been unable to get Ron to close his mouth and both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked stunned. She glanced at Victor and Annie to see that they were shocked as well but Annie looked quite happy. Hermione figured she was looking forward to work for her. The person in the crowd that caught her attention the most was Sylvester Spinnet, he had been given a title from his late cousin Malcolm Baddock. He had been furious when he learned that he would not be able to court Hermione and now he realized why, there was no way he was capable of being king. He then also understood that Hermione most likely never knew she was betrothed before he put his foot in it, he felt very ashamed with how he treated her.
Severus was happy for her but it was easy for those who knew both of them to see that they were both nervous; it was as if they were waiting for some bomb to drop. The reporters were let forward to ask questions of the royal family. "Princess Hermione, when did you find out about your heritage?"
"I was informed last summer before I began my university studies." She told them, trying to keep her answers concise and vague.
"May we inquire as to why your identity was not announced until now?" Another reporter asked.
Her father fielded this question, "I wanted to allow her to finish her schooling without the pressures of being the royal princess. I had a hard time concentrating on my education when all my classmates were vying for my attentions."
"When will the betrothal be announced?" A reporter who had read about Hermione asked.
"We will be announcing her betrothal later this evening," The queen announced and all her friends noticed Severus pale and Hermione look on the verge of tears.
"Do you know who you are betrothed to?" Someone asked her and she was only able to shake her head no and try to keep from crying in public.
"Her betrothed is a wonderful man and will make a great king. We know they will be very happy together even if both are against the idea of an arranged marriage." The queen spoke as she noticed Victoria grasping Hermione's arm to keep her steady. "That will be all the questions for now. Please enjoy the remainder of the party."
Hermione quickly descended the platform and made her way to her friends. Severus took her in his arms and tried to sooth her. He was glad when Ginny came up as well and tried to calm the distraught girl. "It will be alright," Ginny told her calmly. "Everything will work out how you wish it to." Hermione calmed at that knowing that Ginny was a seer and would not say something like that if it were not true. She spent the next hour or so talking to her friends about being the princess. Severus never left her side and she was grateful for it. She was using him as her support to make it through the evening.
Severus and Hermione had just finished dancing with each other and were waiting for the announcement. "I'm scared," she told him quietly so as not to be overheard by anyone.
"We'll get through it," He told her giving her a reassuring smile. "I promise I won't leave you." She did not have time to respond when her grandmother stepped forward again and motioned that she join her on the platform.
"This is it, now we find out how difficult the rest of our lives will be," she whispered to him before joining her family once again.
"I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. Hopefully the next gala we have will not be interrupted as this one was. I will soon be announcing the name of man betrothed to my granddaughter. He is a very talented wizard and a pillar of wizarding society having earned quite a few distinguished awards for his efforts in the war. His mother and I were great friends and were very happy to betroth him to any daughter my son may have as we were disappointed that we both gave birth to boys and were unable to see our children we each other. Now it makes me happy to know that my granddaughter will marry this fine man." The queen said to all those gathered.
Hermione was once again being supported by her mother. She couldn't believe they would just force her into the betrothal when they knew she loved Severus, it was so unfair. They lied to her all her life and now they were forcing her into marriage to someone she didn't even know when she was already in love.
"It is my honor to announce my granddaughter Princess Hermione Granger Kensington's betrothal to Lord Severus Snape." Amelia announced with a part smile part smirk at the gob-smacked man standing with his eyes trained on Hermione.
Severus was in shock, he was the mysterious man his love was betrothed to. He was to marry Hermione; the thought had not quite sunk in before he was brought out of his shock when the entire royal court began to applaud. Hermione was shocked as well; she looked back and forth between her parents to assure herself that she had not just miss heard. Once she processed the information she launched herself off the platform and into Severus' arms.
She didn't realize she was crying with happiness and he held her secure in his arms, raining kisses upon her hair. "I told you that I would never leave you," he told her quietly, "and now I never have to. I love you Hermione, more than anything and I never want to be apart from you." He said as he gently pulled himself from her and dropped to one knee in front of her, finally able to do the one thing he had been waiting for what seemed a life to do. "I have been in love with you for longer than I know. Now there is nothing stopping me from being with you." He pulled the ring out of his pocket where he had been carrying it for a while. "Will you marry me?"
Hermione was smiling at him, her eyes still sparkling with tears. "Oh Sev," she said choked up. "I love you so much of course I'll marry you. You make me the happiest I've ever been." She told him as he slipped the gorgeous diamond ring on her finger. He stood and kissed her. The kiss was intense with both of them forgetting they were in the middle of crowd and all eyes were trained on them. Ginny was so happy for her friends and watched in awe as the golden glow of soul mates began to surround them. There were many gasps from others around the hall as they all saw the formation of a soul bond between their future king and queen. All were awed at the experience. Hermione's family was also surprised but happy for them.
As they broke the kiss they once again became aware of their surroundings. Severus saw the glow and smiled as Hermione grinned and said, "Soul mates, have you been dreaming of me as well?" She asked him as they made their way up to the platform with her family.
"Almost every night since I was young, I dreamt of you before you were born Mia my love." He told her softly in her ear.
"I as well," she told him and they took their rightful place beside her parents. "Nothing will keep us apart now. Are you ready to be my prince?"
"No love, I am ready to be your king," he said with a smirk. "I guess this means we get to live happily ever after now. Is that not what happens to all the princesses in those muggle fairy tales?"
"I like the sound of happily ever after," Hermione said with a grin. "All our friends are happy and content, we are happy, my family is once again where it belongs, and the world is safe and finally crawling out of the darkness. Yes, I think we will be able to manage a happily ever after."