Disclaimer: obviously not mine. Why would it be on a fan fiction site?

NOTE: this story was written before the sixth book came out so you'll just have to ignore everything that doesn't seem to fit. Enjoy!

Chapter two

Hermione was woken the next morning by a young lady with curly blonde hair cut in a bob and a cheeky smile.

"Time to get ready for your ceremony, miss!" she said with a small curtsy. Hermione yawned and spread herself out more effectively across her bed.

"Who are you?" she asked, a little ruder then she meant.

"Kellie" the lady replied. "I'm your maid and carer. Its almost ten o'clock and your already running late!"

Hermione scrambled out of bed and pulled on her jeans from yesterday. (All her belongings, including Crookshanks, were to be delivered later that day)

"What do I have to do to get ready for a ball nine hours early?" Hermione grumbled as Kellie went around the room, opening the windows to let fresh air in.

"First your mother is taking you to the designers to get your gown. Then you'll have a few hours in beauty therapy, then a few hours by yourself. It's all in good fun, miss"

"Call me Hermione" Hermione followed her maid out of the room and back down to the ground floor. They walked quickly through the main room and through a side door into a classical dining room with a long mahogany table with eight, high backed chairs up each side and one chair on each end. A potted fern stood in each corner and the walls were covered in gold-framed pictures of past kings, queens, princes and princesses.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Kellie asked, snapping Hermione out of her trance.

"Uh…Cornflakes or something. Surprise me"

Kellie, shaking her head, left the room via a different door, leaving Hermione quite alone.

Hermione examined each picture carefully and found that all the occupants had similar features; brown hair, brown eyes and a well rounded face. There was a baby photo about halfway along the left wall and Hermione realised, with much shock, that it was she.

"Here you are, Princess, Cornflakes with a side of bacon and orange juice.

"Call me Hermione" Hermione said again, sitting down at one end of the table to eat.

It only took five minutes to finish breakfast and she was rearing to go again.

"You're wearing that?" Her mother exclaimed when they met her by the cars.

"What's wrong with it?" Hermione asked, looking down at what she thought was a good outfit. They were expensive jeans and she didn't see the problem.

"Never mind. In your car, Gail is waiting for us."

They rode through the countryside for some time until they reached the small city of Kirkwall. There they drove down the main street very slowly. People on the street pointed and began chasing the cars, waving wildly.

"The princess has returned! The princess has returned!" some of the closer people yelled.

The car pulled up outside a fancy, nine story building and Hermione exited the car.

The people of the city screamed for her attention from behind police barriers as Charlie shunted her into the building.

They were in a highly rated department store. Hermione examined a red dress closest to her while she waited for her mother to greet the people outside. When Clarisse and her bodyguard, Sam, joined them they walked towards the back of the store where a classy looking lady met them.

"Ah Clarisse" she said in a snotty, uptight voice, kissing Hermione's mother on each cheek. This woman (Gail, Hermione soon found out) had put such an emphasized exaggeration in her words that Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"And where is this dearly awaited Princess of ours?" she asked, completely overlooking Hermione in her casual street wear. Clarisse cleared her voice and Charlie gave Hermione a little nudge forward.

"This is my daughter, Hermione"

"Oh" Gail crossed one arm and raised the other to touch her own cheek. She looked Hermione up and down as if she was some like of hideous creature that had just crawled out of a sewer. "Well…let's get this done then!" Gail then proceeded to lead Hermione and Clarisse to the third floor where there was a large workshop set up.

"Pick a colour and style, dear" Clarisse said, gesturing to a wall lined with countless types and colours of materials. Hermione moved along them slowly, running her hand over each one.

Gail and Her mother were conversing with a few girls that worked with Gail and would be making Hermione's dress.

Hermione finally decided on some silvery-white silk and one of the girls ran off to get a roll of it. Hermione then decided on a slim dress design that fanned out across the floor and had simple spaghetti straps.

Then she had to stand on a stool for almost two hours while the girls and Gail set about making her dress.

"We must get back to do Hermione's hair" Clarisse said finally, with a sharp glance at the wall clock.

"Of course" Gail exclaimed, standing back to admire her work. "I shall deliver the dress to you promptly this afternoon."

Hermione, feet and legs aching, stepped gratefully off the stool and walked briskly back to the car without so much as a backwards glance.

The people were still hanging around outside and Hermione had to stick close to Charlie to get through the seething mob. One girl managed to get close enough to touch Hermione and she screamed.

"Hey, shove off!" Hermione shouted angrily. The girl froze and backed away quickly. As did a few others who had heard the comment.

Hermione didn't bother to apologise.

Back at the Palace, Hermione found a man who called himself Joe De Nora waiting in one of the downstairs parlours. He had a whole beauty centre set up there complete with Blonde helpers who wasted no time in sitting Hermione down and starting on her nails.

"So, my dear" Joe said, running his skilled hands over her messy hair. "What style were you looking for?"

"Erm" Hermione looked down at her left hand where the taller blonde was filing vigorously at her bitten nails. "I…don't know"

"Aye!" Joe said in frustration. "I shall choose one for you. Sit back and relax. I am going to make you beautiful!"

Hermione left the parlour many hours later with her hair in riveting waves, much like her mothers hair, with two small braids on each side, pinned together at the back of her head with a silver clip. Her toe and fingernails were now nicely rounded with a white French tip. Her eyebrows had been plucked to perfection and her eyelashes had been tinted black with temporary silver tips.

Despite her tiredness and aggravation, Hermione was feeling attractively beautiful and once again she thought gleefully of what Malfoy's face might look like when he saw her; Not just a mudblood from the slums of London but a pureblood princess in line for an island country!

Hermione made her way slowly back to her room, careful to keep out of the way of the staff, hurriedly setting up for the ball.

When she reached her room she found that her old belongings, clothes, books, et cetera, had arrived.

Crookshanks was curled up on her bed and he barely opened an eye when she flopped down beside him.

"I think this princess business is to much for me, Crookshanks," she told her orange fluff ball of a cat. He yowled at her then went back to sleep. Hermione wasn't far behind him.

"Wake up, Princess! We are very late, you must get ready!" Kellie roused Hermione by shaking her unceremoniously into consciousness. Hermione sat up and groggily rubbed her now messy hair. It was dark outside but the spectacular lighting from the garden made Hermione do a double take.

Gail, Joe, and their assistants were waiting for Hermione to wake and were quickly setting up the things they would need to neaten her up.

"In the bath, Princess" Kellie said, shunting Hermione towards the bathroom door where a steaming hot bath, scented with lavender and rose oil.

Hermione slid gratefully into the bubbles but was only given five minutes of pleasure before Kellie came barging in, brandishing a strapless silicon bra and a pair of fancy white underwear.

"You want to look nice in case anyone sees" Kellie informed her before rushing her back into the bedroom where Gail and her assistants fitted her into her dress.

Hermione was starting to feel nervous as Joe sat her down to re-do her hair. She could hear people talking, laughing and listening to a classical band playing downstairs in the main room.

"Put these on her" Gail shouted to her youngest assistant who hurried forward to put some strappy heels on her feet. They were only small heels and Gail explained that she needed to look tall, but not taller than the males. They would be instantly turned off by her height.

Joe's two blondes zoned in on either side of her to apply some blush and a shade of silver glitter to her eyelids.

"Ok, lets go!" Joe stood her up and pushed her towards the door. Hermione took one step and stumbled on her heels.

"I don't know how to…"

"Just go, they are waiting!"

The moment Hermione was forced from the room she found herself quite alone until she reached the banister. Her father was waiting for her and he offered his arm to her with a kind smile.

"Presenting to you, for the first time…" an announcer at the bottom of the stairs started. Alfred led Hermione into view of the large group of people, watching from the ground floor. "Hermione Clarisse Anne Granger, Princess of Orkney Island!"

Hermione, led by her father, walked slowly down the stairs, trying hard to keep a smile on her face as she glanced around at the politely clapping crowd. What she saw next made her stumble slightly and she had to grab the guardrail. Draco Malfoy was standing between two excruciatingly beautiful girls, staring at Hermione in shock-horror. Slowly his mouth opened and silently formed the word, 'Granger?'

Alfred and Hermione met Clarisse at the bottom of the stairs and, on her mother's orders, Hermione gave a clumsy curtsy. Everyone continued to clap until Alfred raised one hand to silence the crowd.

"Dinner shall be served in ten minutes, until then, let us continue to enjoy this wonderful music!"

Straight away people turned to their neighbours to comment on the new Princess.

Now out of the limelight, Hermione relaxed a little as her mother took her around and introduced her to some of the older men.

"This is sir Winfred Gustomy, Baron of Luxembourg" her mother introduced her to a fat man with a droopy moustache.

"It's an honour to finally meet you, Princess," he said in a low, drooling voice.

"Charmed" Hermione said as he kissed her hand. She glanced longingly at a group of young people, laughing and dancing by the stage where the band was playing. Malfoy was amongst them and he was watching her over the rim of his champagne glass. His lips curled into a smirk when he noticed her watching and he winked.

Hermione turned away, blushing slightly as Clarisse led her on and introduced her to the duke of Zambia.

"Dinner is served!" the head chef announced as the double doors to the dining hall opened.

The guests filed slowly into the hall and began seating themselves around the magically enlarged table.

Clarisse and Alfred sat at each end of the table and Hermione sat about halfway along between Prince Frederick of Romania and Duchess Marigold of Austria. Marigold looked to be between thirty and forty while Frederick was only between eighteen and twenty-one.

Draco Malfoy entered the hall last and sat down opposite Hermione, still carrying the smirk on his face.

Hermione tried to ignore his piercing gaze by striking up a conversation with Frederick. Lucky for her, he seemed interested enough and was soon talking completely about himself.

Hermione found out that he was nineteen and was under a lot of pressure of late to find a wife before he turned twenty-one.

The four-course meal was absolutely delicious and when it was finished the guests went back to the main room, speaking highly of the chef and the residential family.

The band struck a nice waltzing tune and people began getting together to dance. Kellie had told Hermione earlier that she had to dance with everyone. Hermione now found herself standing at one side of the room by herself, biting her lip and watching Malfoy conversing with the young people again.

"That's Draco Malfoy" her mother came and stood beside her. "I noticed you watching him earlier. Would you like to meet him?"

"Uh…no" but it was too late. Her mother was already striding across the room to Hermione's blonde enemy.

"Master Draco!" Clarisse said as Malfoy turned to face her with a graceful bow.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Majesty"

"And you. Have you met my daughter, Hermione? Hermione, Draco is all set to succeed his father and become Monarch of Denmark"

Hermione's jaw dropped. All these years of thinking that Malfoy had been making up his whole family history about his family being a powerful influence on the magical world had proven wrong! In fact the blonde ferret boy had been modest! He owned a bloody country!

"Nice to meet you, Princess" Malfoy said gently, his eyes glinting maliciously towards Hermione. "Would you like to dance?"

"Uh" Hermione looked at her mother who smiled and walked away.

"Don't tell me you don't know how, Granger," He said even more quietly, passing his champagne glass to a waiter. Hermione blushed and he laughed.

"Come, I'll teach you" he took a surprisingly gentle hold on her wrist and led her out to the middle of the room where everyone else was dancing.

"Well, well, well, Granger. This is a step up in the world for you, isn't it?" he asked leading her into a waltz.

"That's princess to you, Malfoy" she replied, smugly and he laughed again.

"Your not a princess yet, Granger. Look at you, you can't dance, you don't know how to socialize and word on the street is that your already being a bitch to the locals. You are simply called princess for hereditary purposes. You need to earn the title first. Left foot back."

Hermione frowned.

"You know my mother. Why didn't you say something about this at school?"

Malfoy shrugged.

"I thought it simply a coincidence that you have the same last name as the king and queen of Orkney."

"May I cut in?" Frederick tapped on Malfoy's shoulder and the blonde walked away immediately. Hermione, for the first time in her life, didn't want him to leave. She didn't know how to dance and she proved this straight away by stepping on Frederick's foot.

As the night wore on at an agonisingly slow pace, Hermione danced with pretty much every male in the room. She got slightly better at her waltzing, but not by much.

Finally she was able to excuse herself for a break and went to lean on the wall outside the dining room. She was shocked to hear voices from within and was even more shocked when she realised it was her Mother and father, her old mother and father and one completely unrecognisable voice. And they were talking about her!

"…She's no princess!" her mother said angrily. "Did you see the way she was dancing? How she spoke to the locals, and the nobles? And not to mention the way she eats; mouth open, no knife and fork…you were supposed to give her lessons!"

"She didn't want to take them!" Jane argued. "We weren't about to make her do things she didn't want to. We just let her be a normal teenager!"

"You know that there is a vote this year, after Yule, to decide whether to keep her as a princess." The stranger was speaking now. "And if the Nobles don't like her then she gets the kick but if the locals don't like her…"

"Our whole family is sent into exile," Alfred said quietly.
"She needs to know how to dance, eat, walk, talk and act like a princess before Christmas time or you can say goodbye to your throne. And do you know who gets it? The Gustomy's. Do you really want them ruling your country?"

"Should we tell her?" Alfred asked.

"No. We told her she has five years to work herself out. We can't go back on our word or she might do a runner. I guess we'll have to simply hope for the best…"

It was now that Hermione realised her jaw was hanging open. Her family, the old and new, exited the dining room followed by a tall black man who led Jane and Tom from the room via another door.

"Would everyone like to join us for tea in the lounge?" Clarisse announced before walking over to Hermione.

"Dear, your father and I will now have tea with the other nobles to discuss political matters. There has been a gazebo set up in the gardens with a modern band for the youngsters. Your welcome to join them, if you please."

Hermione nodded dumbly and made a beeline for the entrance hall doors. Other teenage nobles were wandering out that way as well and down to a large tent set up in an open area amongst the hedges and gardens.

Hermione stood awkwardly by a small refreshment table with her second glass of Champagne, watching a few girls dancing and flirting with a group of boys. They all knew each other from other functions such as this and they payed Hermione not the slightest bit of attention, despite the fact that this was her party. Hermione suddenly wished she was curled up in her little bed in her little room back in harmless London where she could comment on the Royals with her friends without the slightest problem.

"Hey Princess, great party!" the two girls that had been with Malfoy earlier had come striding over to stand either side of her.

"Uh…Thanks" Hermione mumbled. The girls introduced themselves as Lilly and Jamie-Lyn, helped themselves to some drinks and the three of them stood, watching another group of boys talking loudly by a fountain. Malfoy was amongst them.

"My mother wants me to marry that Draco Malfoy" Lilly said.

"I don't blame her. I'd marry him any day!" Jamie-Lyn voiced with a little giggle. Hermione wrinkled her nose

"Why would you want to marry Malfoy?"

The girls looked at her as if she'd just come from some strange planet.

"Because" Lilly said, speaking if talking to a child. "He's the perfect gentleman, he's rich and extremely powerful."

"And not to mention cute!"

The girls giggled and walked away, leaving Hermione alone once again.

Hermione decided to circulate and thank a few of the kinder looking people for coming.

She was walking behind a blonde girl chatting to Malfoy when she over heard their conversation.

"I would really love it if you came to my family's garden party next month, Draco" she simpered. Hermione screwed up her face and silently mimicked what the girl had just said. Malfoy saw this and snorted with laughter. The girl whipped around, only to find Hermione standing there with an innocent smile on her face.

"More champagne?" she asked, handing the girl a glass before taking a hue gulp of her own.
"So anyway" the girl turned back to Malfoy. "What do you say, can I put you on the list?"

"Sorry, Mandy" he smiled sweetly. "But I'll be at school then. Did you know that the Princess and I go to the same school?"

I bet you want the goodies.
Bet you thought about it.
Got you all hot and bothered.
Mayb' cuz I talk about it.
Lookin for the goodies
Keep on lookin' cuz they stay in the jar
Oh-oh Oh-oh Oh-oh Oh-oh

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