Disclaimer: Pffft! As if I own this stuff….
A/N: Hello! I'm glad to have had some reviews to brighten my day ;). Did you know I actually save all my review alerts in a special folder on my email account? Well, now ya do! Since this is a holiday weekend, I figured I'd add an update while I sit here wasting away my time to work on my research report, watching the end of 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Say…There's an idea for a fic! You're welcome to it if you'd like, I'm quite busy with my own fics. And to those who read 'And you, Hermione' I'd like to apologize. I'm going to re-do it, and have it up as soon as I finish this one.
Chapter Seven: Butlers and Bonding
The hot sun beat down on the pale neck of Prince Harry Potter of Gryffindor. He stood there, out in the lawns watching the courtiers' gossip and chat, earning himself quite the case of sunburn. June had come too fast for his liking this year. Then again, when you were doomed to spend it with the same group of people he had spent all his summers with, June came faster than any month out of the twelve a year.
Of course, this summer, at least he had mastered the art of swimming. The shimmering waters of the lake didn't scare him as they had before, but now he had a mission. His mission was to pay back the gallant creature that had saved him from the deep waters.
After thinking it over for a full two years, Harry had decided against any more foolish pranks. What he should be doing instead, was worshiping the ground Hermione walked on, and show her a good time. Whether or not it had been she who, unintentionally, sent him to the lakeside in the first place.
The courtiers had been talking of the arrival for the whole day, from dawn up until now, when the sun hung high in the sky at noontime. It was just then that he could see and hear the sounds of the oncoming ship from which blue and silver flags announced the approach of Ravenclaw Kingdom.
Standing from the place he sat at a finely crafted wooden bench, Harry moved to meet the Kingdom, amongst the building crowd. Women and Men clasped the sweaty hands of children, leaning on tiptoes to watch the docking ships. They had come this year by boat, instead of by carriage due to the heat wave broken out across all the lands.
King David and Harry's mother embraced quickly, smiling and shouting out greetings over the cheers of the mob. Queen Lily bent down closer to the floor and awarded a mass of brown hair attached to a young girl with a hug. She whispered something in her ear, which made Princess Hermione smile sadly, and nod. Eventually, the courts moved away, leaving behind confetti to be swept up, and a lagging princess. Now was the time to approach her! Harry though to himself (poor little thing, doesn't understand now isn't the time!).
Running a hand through his black messy locks, Harry smiled his most charming grin at the slow moving princess, and did the traditional bow in her direction. Hermione offered him a watery smile, and a deep curtsy. Her knees popped loudly, a sign she wasn't in the mood for formality.
"So, Princess Pris- Hermione, how was your trip? You must be tired. Can I have someone draw you a bath? Or perhaps a nice massage?"
Harry moved behind her, and grabbed the shoulders of her lilac colored satin gown, and kneaded them roughly. Hermione spun around, swatting at him and shrieking angrily about harassment.
"What do you think you're doing? Take you're filthy hands off me!"
"No massage then? Okay, you're cranky. Must be hungry! I'll have the chefs prepare your favorite foods for tomorrow's dinner! As soon as I figure out what they are, that is…"
The meal at the table was prepared especially for Hermione. Sugary pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, fattening bacon, waffles, the whole nine yards, all smoking hot with sweet syrup drizzled overtop.
"This is a…This meal is quite….interesting choices, Harry dear." Queen Lily finished hesitantly, spooning some sticky eggs onto her fork and staring at it with her green eyes.
"Well, I just went with the syrup!" Harry said, looking to Hermione. "Dig in, Princess."
Hermione stared at him with daggers in her gaze. She spooned some on a fork, and shoved it into her mouth. She swallowed with a gulp, and shot another look in Harry's direction. "The meal is sweet. Almost too sweet."
The sour expression was lost on Harry. He seemed to have pleased her, and that was all that mattered in the long run. As acting butler, that is.
The clouds in the sky had cleared away, leaving nothing but blue and sunny sky. The garden flowers were fragrant and bright, and the courtiers were going about their affairs as per usual.
Harry stepped out, and mounted his prized possession- his broom. He had used the broomstick servicing kit 'Hermione' had given him for last Christmas season, and cleaned it up real well. The winds rolled through the air, making it cool, but warm. Perfect flying weather. Flying was one of the things that Harry could do all on his own, and free his soul and mind in the process.
"Hey Hermione! Wanna take a ride with me?" Harry shouted down to Hermione, who was seated on a bench outside with her red-headed friend.
She glanced up, and raised her eyebrows. "Not in this lifetime!"
"You know you want to! Flying is the most exhilarating experience in the entire world!" Harry called, spinning loop-the-loops on his Firebolt broom. He had gotten it special from his Godfather, and he'd used it ever since to play quidditch against the Slytherin Kingdom's team. Hermione would love it! He did, afterall, and that had to count for something, right? Besides, she needed to lighten up and have a bit of fun.
"No, I really don't."
Harry shook his head slightly at her from where he sat hovering a few feet off the ground. "It's never a good thing, denying your desires Princess."
"Whatever that's supposed to mean, Potter…"
Smiling brightly, Harry swooped down in a flourish, and snatched the sleeve of her frilled gown. He pulled up, soaring higher and higher and higher….
The screeching reached the ears of the farthest realms in the four kingdoms. Hermione struggled, and pulled, and kicked, and yelped. "POTTER! GET ME BACK ON SOLID GROUND! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, BOY!"
As Harry gently landed, he shook his head. Hermione had screeched on about cutting off his limbs and beating him with them, and something along the lines of 'I'll kill you with your own broomstick'. He turned to her, and offered her a bright smile.
Big mistake. Hermione had swung her arm back and balled her hand into a fist. She brought it into his face roughly, and smashed his glasses into tiny bits before leaving with a 'Hmpf'!
Smiling brightly, Harry Potter gently shoved some gold galleons into the manicured hands of thirteen year old Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. The girls smiled like maniacs at him, and shoved the gold back away from them.
"Oh, now! No need, no need for payment, Prince Harry! It's free of charge for you…" The one with the black plait- Parvati- cooed.
"Yes, we're happy to serve the Crown…" The second with almond colored eyes purred back at him.
"Okay then….Just…You know, go in there and do whatever it is you do."
With that said Harry approached the guard and pushed open the elaborate wooden door, decorated with delicately carved wood nymphs. The girls rushed in, followed by two house elves with large suitcases and a cart full of tubes, bottles, jars, and vats of creams, lotions, paints, and powders inside.
Harry leaned against the door, and traced the carvings with a sigh. Behind, he could hear the sounds of squeals, snipping of scissors, and, vaguely, was that…growling? He sat there, his ear pressed up against the wood for what seemed like hours, listening and waiting.
The door was thrust open roughly; something Harry hadn't counted on, straight into his face. He cried out loudly as it collided with his nose, a sickening crunch rolling through the air.
"Prince Harry! Prince Harry!"
"Are you alright?!" Two young ladies in canary yellow silk and sapphire blue velvet ran out, petticoats and ruffles sweeping against the tile in their haste to reach him.
"I'll be fine! Dobn't worry aboud me! It's jusd broken. It'll heal." He shoved a handkerchief against his nose and pinched the end to catch the leaking blood. Harry put on a brave face in front of the ladies. Besides, he wanted to see their handiwork.
"If you say so…."
"Let's just bring her out. Princess Hermione?"
"There is no bloody way I'm coming out of this room for the rest of the summer!"
Parvati gave him a slight smile, and disappeared for a moment. The struggle could have been heard down the hallway in the Great Hall on even a crowded evening with visiting royals. Hermione screeched and yelped and dug her heals into the plush carpet, but for such a tiny thing, Lavender had quite a bit of muscle. She succeeded in getting the princess out the door.
There in front of him, stood a young lady. Parvati and Lavender had primed and pushed and primped Hermione into the creature standing in front of him. Dressed in soft peach silk with a sheer, sparkling snow-white gauze skirt flowing out from the waist, parted in the front, Hermione glared out at him. She had pink rouge and red gloss, her hair was twirled and curled into brown tresses stuffed into a loose bun. Tendrils fell out and framed her freckled face, which was screwed up into a pouting, angry look. She was fuming mad.
To be truthful, Harry would have to admit she looked sort of endearing like that. The scrunched up nose was especially sweet, the pouted lips appealing. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Harry applauded for her.
"You know, I put up with the 'massage' and the dinner full of breakfast foods, but this is outrageous! Do not, I repeat, do not ever try to help me in any way similar to what you've been putting me through this summer! Of all the pranks you've pulled this takes the cake!"
Well, she had had a sour face throughout the whole dinner, even though Molly said Hermione loved anything covered in syrup. Not to mention the threats after he'd tried to get her to go flying with him. She hadn't been in a good mood since the second she'd stepped onto Gryffindor soil. Finally noticing this, as well as the glassy way her brown eyes were shining, Harry felt the need to cheer her up a bit.
"And have we a prank today, Prince Harry?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Ah, but of course. My prank for you today is a magic trick!"
"Do you forget, Mr. Potter, that I myself have been practicing magic since age 11- seeing as I'm 13, that's two years- and am fully capable of-"
Harry clamped a hand over her still moving mouth, and smirked impishly. Wagging a finger in front of her face to distract her, he put a hand into his pocket and slipped a sickle up his sleeve.
"Now, now, Miss Granger. We wouldn't want you getting cocky! I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, so to speak…"
Hermione was slowly starting to come out of her distress as she watched Harry put a hand behind her ear and miraculously pull a silver coin out.
"For the lovely lady…" Harry said, handing the cold coin to her and watching as she took it and laughed. She had an odd laugh. It was a mixture between a giggle and a snigger, with a snort here and there in between. It sort of made him smile…
"Why are you doing this for me? Being so nice, I mean. Usually it's a tomato in the face, or a nice flaming torch in my hair."
Ah ha…She had asked the very question Harry was asking himself at the moment. Although it had been his own idea to follow her, and act as a 'butler', he hadn't planned on totally giving up his sarcasm, wit, and bag of tricks. This was ridiculous!
"Well, as a young Prince, I have to learn the art of saving damsels in distress, and based on that sorry excuse for a curtsy, I'm going to have to label you as troubled over something. Unless you've lost you're natural grace, Princess?"
"You speak as if I'd had any to begin with. And I…I was troubled. But I am better now."
"Come, tell me. What's the worst it could do? You dove into a lake to save me. I owe you at least this."
"But after, things go back to the way they were- back to normal? Pranks and all?" There was a tone of hope to her voice, as if she enjoyed the way things worked between them.
"Well, when are we ever really normal, Hermione?" Harry asked with a mischievous twinkle to his green eyes.
"True. Well…I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I…We're thirteen now, and that's considered nearly an adult, you know? I just sort of wish….I want my mother here."
The blunt way she had voiced her problem toward the end of her speech hit Harry hard. She missed her mother like he missed his father. Of course, Hermione had loving Mrs. Wheezy, or whatever her plump red-haired nanny's name was for a mother figure, but the closest to a father for Harry was the cold apothecary that lurked in the shadows of the dungeon, Professor Snape- who just so happened to hate the prince with a passion.
"Yeah. I sort of wish I had my father too. I'm always hearing about how I 'look so much like James' and have my 'father's habits' or 'his knack for stirring up trouble'. It's tough to think of them as an actual person…Not just a bunch of descriptions. They had likes, dislikes, friends."
"Th-they died on my birthday. Visiting me. Sometimes I just feel like they died because of m-"
Harry shook his head quickly and grabbed Hermione's shoulder's tightly. He made sure she was looking at him before speaking in a soothing voice. "Don't even think it, Herms." She smiled slightly at the nickname, "You're mum, my dad, they died to protect us, to protect your kingdom and your friends, your family and your way of life. It wasn't your fault. It was that snake of a man's."
Hermione nodded and stared at the slippers on her feet, before slowly, tightly, hugging Harry. He was surprised, but gently returned the hug, petting her frizzy waves of hair quietly.
If that man ever showed his disgusting face anywhere near himself or Herms again, he swore, right then where he stood comforting a softly crying Hermione, that he would see to it he died a thousand painful deaths, be it the last thing he ever did.
A/N: Can we say "Awww!"? I know I can ;). I thought it was sweet; he was trying to give her a good summer, even if it didn't work out so well…I know what I thought about it, so let me know what you did! I'm trying to transition it into friendship/love without them loosing the whole prank thing. It was cute, and definitely a plot outlet. They're in Gryffindor for the whole summer here, age 13.
Special thanks to my reviewers:
Aquarius Chik 101: Lol, great. Hope you like this one!
the-power-of-love: Glad ya liked it!
lIZ: Well, I try to keep both in. After all, didn't I put it under those genres? Updated for my fave reviewers- that means, well, all of you!
Hermione Graner Potter: Hope to see your update soon! Here is mine! I'll surely try to get around and check out your stories, but I'm a busy busy girl! Don't worry, I shall find time somewhere…
HarryHermioneFan: Lol, I can tell ;). Thanks for reviewing, glad you love my story!
Hyper-Gurl1: Well, I like to think so too! Here's my update!