Disclaimer: Me? Own this stuff? Hahahahahaha! As if.

A/N: I'm in a writing mood this weekend, it seems, and although my new story has zero reviews as of now, I'm going to write more anyway. I know I said three years between, but that was in the beginning. I knew that they should have been a few years apart age-wise, but I decided it was much easier to keep track of the ages of both if they were the same. Please accept my apologies on this, and that middle name mix-up before.

Chapter Nine: Escaping and Engagements

The entire castle was bustling and busied with the news. The event that two kingdoms had awaited for years was finally coming upon them, and everyone knew it. The peasants whispered it in the streets and the nobles gossiped the weeks away. The young royals had finally reached that age.

Seventeen. She was seventeen! The idea of it was hard to grasp on its own, let alone reaching up to wrap her mind around the fact that Princess Hermione Granger was engaged, and going to get married in just a few months. Hermione shook her head and continued to stare out the tower window. This summer had snuck up on her.

It seemed just yesterday she'd aimed a kick at the old tree house Harry and Seamus had constructed. Now, Seamus had moved away with his mother to serve the Hufflepuff castle, and last she'd heard, he was marrying a young lass called Arlene.

Hermione herself was quite the grown-up young lady. Three weeks ago she had finished her education and tutoring with the highest honors awardable. Her teachers even compared her brilliance to her ancestor, Rowena Ravenclaw, said to be the smartest witch of the founders who had formed the four empires.

And her mind wasn't the only thing that had blossomed and grown. Her hair shined auburn in the sun, and hung down to her waist in curls. Hermione's skin was ever pale, the freckles across her nose and cheekbones giving her a girlish charm. She was a head shorter than the other nobles her age that hung around her like flies hung around a horse, but her temper out matched anyone else's in the land.

The princess was brought back to the present by a quiet knocking at her door, and a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Hey. Are you going to let me in, or do I have to kick down the door, Herms?"

"I refuse to let anyone in- if they come in, they'll try to take me out." She stated in annoyance. "And, if you do try to come in, Ronald, I swear I'll-"

Too late. She hadn't even finished barking out her threat when a door banged open, and a triumphant Ron stood in front of her, his wand out. He crossed the room swiftly, pocketing the wand before making a face at her.

"Standard book of spells, chapter seven." He griped, mocking the words Hermione had spoken to him when they'd snuck into the King's private candy stash at age eleven.

Hermione stuck out her tongue and spun around quickly, placing her hands on the window ledge. Sometimes she wondered why she was still friends with him. Probably because there was no one else who was willing to argue with her. Any courtier or noble would simply agree with whatever she said. After all, she was a princess, and with the title came respect- sometimes too much.

"So, shouldn't you be getting ready? You know make-up, dress, perfume, and all that rubbish? It's the usual for the starry-eyed princess meeting her prince charming deal." Ron stated, opening a jar on her vanity and taking a whiff. He made a face, capped it, and put it back before exploring the rest of the contents of her room.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Leave it up to Ron to be so sensitive in a delicate situation such as this one. "That's a cliché, Weasley. I've got no stars in my eyes and I'd hardly call Potter charming."

"Are you sure? Cause the way he got you to loosen up two summers ago was bloody brilliant in my humble opinion, and I'd have to say that I'm-"

"If you're so subtly referring to the time I had my first taste of fire whiskey, you're sorely mistaken. In no way do Potter and that silly little slip-up have anything to do with one another."

"You keep telling your lies, Princess, and hiding behind them. I have a witness- Beatrice Wexler was one of the maids on-hand and she saw the whole thing."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, Ron sneezing into her shimmer powder box. She ran her hands over her trinkets from childhood, opening the hatboxes she'd confined her dolls and crayons to. It was only a matter of time until her keeper came to get her. She would have to get rid of Ron so she could barricade the doors.

"Ron, I think you'd better leave. I don't think you'll want to be around when I'm getting ready." Good. It had to work. He wasn't smart enough to see where she was going.

"Ah, don't think you can fool me, Herms. I totally see where you're going with this." Busted. She thought to herself, leaning her head against the stony wall. "You just want me out of here so you can keep me from messing anything up!" Ron seemed proud of his answer, and Hermione smirked.

"Well, you caught me. But, really, if you please?"

"Sure Hermione. I'll see you later." Ron stood and bumped into her vanity, causing nearly all the contents to spill out across the floor. "I guess I understand why my leaving would be a good idea." He said with a wink. "Take care, and try not to be so nervous!" Ron hugged her and left, closing the door behind him.

Perfect. A scheming smirk erupted over her features, and she glanced around the room, calculating. She whirled around quickly, shooting every locking spell she could think of at the wooden doorway, before settling her gaze on the various objects in the room. There had to be something to get her out of this!

"No."

"Oh, come on Harry dear, you must!"

"No!"

"If you don't open this door right now, I'm going to ground your sorry backside into next century!"

"Fine. Good. By then she'll have married some other poor bloke."

Harry Potter was not happy. Of course, there wasn't anything terribly wrong with Hermione, it was just, well, she was Hermione for Merlin's sake! She nagged and griped and had an annoying habit of being uptight and making that face- the one where she furrowed her eyebrows and scrunched up freckled nose in that cute way. Then again…Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all…Wait. No. He was young, seventeen. He was hardly ready for a long time commitment. His house-elf still did his laundry! Not that he'd ever do his own laundry, but still, one his age might possibly know where the laundry room was at least.

Yet still his mother and Hermione's father insisted on mashing them together. He snorted. Harry had asked his most loyal house-elf Dobby to 'protect' him by keeping the relatives out of the room. So far, it was working, but it would only be so long before Dobby figured out what he was doing. Lily had drummed it into his small brain that this was good for Harry, so if Dobby felt he was keeping Harry from something good for him, the guard would be gone in a literal snap.

Harry rubbed his emerald colored eyes beneath his wire-rimmed glasses and dropped into the chair. He had spent quite a few summers in this room, and each was different in its own way. Somehow his best pranks had come to him while in this room, now if only he could come up with something to help him now.

"Just one more…I…argh!"

Hermione had never liked heights. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Sure, Harry was cute, with his messy black hair, and his dreamy eyes, and sure, he could make her laugh when she was having an off day, but really now, that was hardly enough for marriage to be constituted on.

So, that of course led her to do such a rash thing. There she was, putting those rock-climbing lessons to use. Hermione had tied her bed sheets together to form a long chain, and anchored them with her bedpost. After making sure they were secure, she'd done it. Slipped out the window, and started making her way down the rope-like creation.

If only she'd thought to make sure the rope reached the ground. She needed one more sheet to be home free, just one more! But instead, she was dangling outside the castle tower. She could hear Molly's shouts of outrage and anger above her, as the nanny tried to get inside.

Hermione glanced down once more. Maybe the drop wouldn't be so bad. She would land in the soft underbrush of the tiny courtyard. This particular one hadn't been cared for or touched in what seemed like years, but the life within had flourished on its own. After weighing her options, she decided it would be easier- and more to her advantage- to just let go and make a run for it, rather than to take the time and trouble climbing back up.

Her hands released the death grip she'd had on the sheets, and her body tumbled towards the ground. She braced herself for the pain at impact, but was surprised when it didn't come. At least not the impact she'd been waiting for.

"Oof!"

Hermione made contact with a body, a rather tall, muscular body at that. She'd knocked whoever it was against their back, and the two sunk into a ratted bush. Leaves filled her mouth, and sticks scratched her in places she didn't know she had.

A sputtering noise came from behind her, and she stood up, apologizing.

"Terribly sorry, let me help you." The princess stiffened at the sight of a much disheveled Harry Potter.

"Who needs someone to sweep me off my feet when I've got you to break my fall?" Hermione asked dusting herself off.

"Oh, I agree. I'd rather have a girl who can hit a target than one who can cook and clean." Harry muttered in reply.

Hermione snorted at that. "Me? Cook? It's a good think you wouldn't want me to, last time I attempted a batch of scrambled eggs the castle had to be evacuated due to the massive amounts of smoke."

"So, are you running too?"

"No, Harry, I decided I'd fancy a jump out my window. One of those last minute reckless kind of things."

Harry laughed at that, and slowly the two started to make their way in the direction of the castle wall, the last hurtle to jump until they were free. It loomed in front of them, the only thing standing between the two young royals and the real world. Of course they'd been on outings before, to each other's castle, a venture into the marketplace or to the local school to put in an appearance with the children, but that was it. This was real, and suddenly Hermione was feeling more than a little sheltered.

"Are we really going to do this? I mean run away…together?" The quiver in the princess' voice was evident- she was scared.

"Unless you'd rather get married…Or face the adventure of thieves and bandits and the real world by yourself…"

"Don't get me wrong Harry," Hermione started, grabbing onto some of the stones that made the castle gates. "You're great, but I'd rather not get married at seventeen." Harry laced his fingers together and gave her a foot-up.

"Ah, no offense taken. Besides, who'd want to spend the rest of their natural life with someone who caught your hair on fire."

Harry himself began to climb up after her, avoiding the vast amounts of moss and vines that had twisted themselves across the wall. Inside he was screaming for her to say something in return.

"You know, just when I finally stop bugging you about it, you go and bring that up again. I'm so over it, so you should be too. We were young, and I was a tiny bit irritating to you and Seamus…"

"I'd say a lot irritating, but sure, we'll go with a bit."

By now Hermione had finally reached the top of the wall, and stumbled over the top. Her skirts twisted around her legs, and she nearly fell, but she reached equilibrium and waited for Harry to get to wear she was. As he neared it, the princess reached out a hand to help him up, and pulled. Now, by no means was Harry light, or Hermione extremely strong, so it was only natural that the added weight would cause her to fall. Hermione landed on her backside, cracking her head against the uncomfortable rock beneath her. Harry was on top of her, just as, if not more uncomfortable.

Their noses touched, and their eyes locked: brown to green. Hermione could feel Harry's breath against the skin of her face, and suddenly she was noticing how nice his eyes were. Smokey lashes and pools of green that seemed to go on forever. As if there had been a magnet in both their lips, slowly the Prince and Princess' faces came closer. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, and a warm bubble formed inside of Hermione's stomach.

But it all ended in a flash. A castle guard happened by at that very moment. Of course, you can't have a castle gate without a guard! By then the word was out that they were both missing, and this young man certainly wouldn't give up the glory or possible promotion to captain for finding them both.

"Hey! You there! Stay where you are!"

Harry rolled off of her and onto his feet. He yanked her up off of the ground in a rush, and stepped up onto the ledge. Hermione had no idea what he was thinking, the drop was farther down than out from her window, and she had a sore bum from that alone. Not to mention she was a bit in a daze, and her overcharged senses were throwing her off course.

"Wait! What are you doing!"

"I had some previous arrangements made- c'mon!" He helped her up onto the ledge, pausing to glance back at the approaching guard. Hermione stared at him for a moment before lacing her fingers with his. She made her decision.

"You jump, I jump."

"Are you su-"

She cut him off by jumping first, causing him to do the same. They were home free! With a soft plunk they landed in…in a farm cart being led by horse, carrying mounds of hay? Breathing hard, Hermione watched as Gryffindor castle disappeared slowly, the guard yelling and cursing after them, rushing off probably to inform King David and Queen Lily.

Next to her, Prince Harry Potter of Gryffindor was cracking up as if what they had done was the funniest thing in the world. She stared at him, before the power of his laughter and her own giddiness left from the kiss got her to join Harry in her giggles.

What seemed like hours later they were still seated in the same pile of hay. The driver hadn't even acknowledged them, but Harry assured Hermione he wouldn't mind them hitching a ride. They were bored to the point of road-games.

"I spy with my little eye something…Ooh! Pink!" Hermione said happily, clapping her hands.

"Hmm…I don't know." Harry looked around trying to find something with that description. A wicked grin formed on his face, and he turned to her. He cupped her face with his hands, and forced her to look him in the eye before responding. "Your lips." After the two word answer, Hermione's cheeks burned and colored into a bright shade of red.

Something which Harry apparently found endearing, for he pulled her face to his in a sweet kiss. Hermione rolled her eyes. She was done with this cutesy stuff. She kissed him back, increasing the fervor and passion, twisting her fingers through his messy hair.

Finally, after quite a few minutes, they pulled apart. Hermione smiled, breathless as Harry uttered a quiet 'Wow'. Again, a warm blush erupted over her face, this time itching its way down her neck and chest even.

"Y-you were wrong. It was a bit of used gum stuck to the wheel." That got them to break out into more peals of laughter. "I think we've reached the marketplace." Hermione added, pointing to what looked like a living, breathing ecosystem.

Children ran about, and adults bartered with shopkeepers. Proprietors called out advertising their wares- "Fresh fish!" "Beads, fine beads for a fine woman!" "Try our new scent, Perfume Paradise!".

"Let's go." The two linked arms and jumped from the still moving cart.

The scent of spices and fresh fruit assaulted their senses, bright colors and amusing creatures surrounded them. A storyteller sat in a corner, addressing a gaggle of dirty-faced children in an awe-inspiring voice.

They strolled and shopped, stopping in the shadows of the alleyways for the occasional kiss or two. Hermione had bought herself a new bag, and was intent on filling it with all the goods she could. Harry seemed more interested in watching Hermione's face light up at the sight of the bookshop than shopping- except, of course, when they happened into a joke shop.

Shelves upon shelves of pranks. Boy he could have used some of this back when he and Hermione had been feuding so. Together they ambled around, testing products on each other. Hermione caught him off guard with a stick of grass-flavored gum, and he retaliated with the classic water-squirting flower.

"Have you ever been told you two look just like the Prince and Princess?" A voice came, interrupting the antics. It belonged to an old man with twinkling blue eyes.

Harry looked to Hermione, who was squirming uncomfortably, tugging the scarf she had tied around her head tighter. He then turned to inspect the old man. He had to be at least a hundred years old- his wrinkles had wrinkles. Pale blue eyes with white hair and a long beard, he looked vaguely familiar, but Harry brushed it off.

"You don't say! Well, we'll just have to tell Aunt Mabel about this when we get home, won't we, Emily?"

"Oh, yes, Tom." Hermione said, picking up on his banter. "I'm sure she'll hardly believe us!" She added, cuffing Harry on the shoulder. "We're flattered, sir, but we must be going. Lot's of shopping to do, you know!"

Although the two were escaping through the door, arms around each other's waists, the old man smiled in the place where they'd left him.

"Harry, Hermione, you should be going back, don't you think? They've got the castle guards scouring the four empires for you by now." Albus Dumbledore shook his head, and let out a belly laugh at the sight of their stunned faces. A soft 'pop' was heard, and he disappeared, leaving no evidence of his presence behind.

"You know Harry, we should be heading back. Our parents don't deserve a heart-attack over our little stunt." Hermione said, ever the sensible one.

"Yeah. Besides, I'm more willing than ever to face our fate- this time with a smile on my face." Harry answered.

The reply left a goofy look on both their faces as they hitched another ride back into Gryffindor castle. The knights and nobles inside the palace walls announced their presence, and the gossip mill was already firing up.

"AND WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN!" The roar came from three different directions: Out of the mouth of King David, Queen Lily, and the loudest shout of all from the mouth of a red-faced Molly Weasley.

Molly preened and poked them both, oblivious to what their parents had noticed- the love struck way the youngsters were looking at each other, the pearly white smiles, and the healthy flush in their cheeks. All Molly cared about was the scratches on the teens' arms, and the lump on Hermione's head. She tutted and muttered, calling for the greasy haired apothecary, Professor Snape, to heal the injuries.

"Molly, please, calm down!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm fine, Harry's fine, the world is all fine. I think it best if we all return to Ravenclaw castle, I'll need as much time to plan for the wedding."

"W-wedding, dear?" Molly asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Of course, Molly!" Lily squealed, all but hopping up and down. She embraced both Harry and Hermione, before prancing down the halls, an echoing of her 'whoop!' could be heard from any part of the castle.

"Well, Hermione, as you said, it would be best for us to get going, dear. Molly, you, Ron, and the others stay and pack, we shall leave at once upon the princess' request." King David said, his brown eyes sparkling to match his daughters. "Hermione, sweetheart, you and the prince must say goodbye for now, um…Molly…" The king gestured toward the doorway, hoping to give the other two some private time to say goodbye.

"Well. I guess this is…um…goodbye for now." Hermione muttered. Suddenly she felt nervous, her face covered in blush and tugging on her skirt self-consciously.

Harry laughed out loud at her, and kissed her sweetly before uttering his goodbyes.

Hermione scurried outside after her father, jumping into the carriage where he was waiting. They pulled out into the night on its long journey homeward, the only passengers being herself, her father, and the knight that drove the cart.

"That's odd. The weather was perfect just hours ago, now there seems to be a storm brewing." Hermione observed, her eyes cast in the direction of the evening sky.

King David found this odd. He leaned out the carriage window, and took in the sight. Above, the clouds had turned purple-black. Lightning and thunder boomed loudly, causing the sky to light up and the ground to pulse with energy. This was not a normal storm. This was a magical storm, only one other person could be responsible for a storm of this caliber.

The king's eyes widened, and he called out to the driver. "Driver! Driver, turn this carriage around at once!"

But his cries were short-lived. The carriage driver's screams echoed into the night, and the wheels stumbled and sputtered over bumps, rocks, and puddles. Something was amiss. Hermione said nothing, she was nearly numb from head to toe.

"Father?" She questioned frantically, hoping for some reassurance. She received none.

The carriage finally flipped over onto its side, maniacal laughter heard outside the doors. Hermione's head hit roughly against the door, as she slid to the other side. Her vision was fuzzy, but she could barley make-out a figure looming. The door to the carriage slammed open, as if by magic.

"Stay inside, Hermione."

King David stood and left her there, scared out of her mind.

"I sssswore I'd come back to haunt you David, you ssshould have heeded my warningsss." A snakelike voice hissed at the king.

Magic sparks played out into the night, and a great battle raged on. The king put up his best fight, but he was much too old to keep up as he had once before.

Meanwhile, back at Gryffindor castle, Harry was engaged in a light game of chess with Hermione's friend Ron, who was beating his behind into next Tuesday. His attention was only half on the game, and although Harry wasn't the best at chess, usually he'd have at least checked Ron, who had beaten him three times in the last hour.

The weather conditions had quickly changed, and Molly deemed it enough for them to delay their trip. All Harry could think about was whether or not Hermione and King David had made it back safely or not.

"You should right a book, you know. How to Turn into A Love Struck Fool in Three Hours." The cruel voice of Professor Snape muttered to his left.

"Oh, get off my back." Harry muttered defensively. "I mean, even you have to be worried about something sometime."

"Certainly not."

The small spat was interrupted by the door, which had been thrust open. Raindrops and wind entered the room, along with a muddled man Harry recognized. "That's King David's captain!" He announced worriedly to Ron and Snape.

"We were att-attacked. Attacked by a great…a great animal!"

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, he had mounted his horse and was off onto path through the darkened woods, ignoring the storming weather before Ron or Snape had the time to digest the information. "Hermione? Where are you?" He continued to search, a shiver of fear and a burning pain in his chest upon finding her deserted carriage in shambles.

He pulled the door open roughly, and called her name into the carriage. There he found King David, breathing hard and looking none too good.

"King!"

"P-prince H-Harry…" The king's eyes were rolling upwards, and he didn't seem to have much time.

"Who did this to you?"

"It came so f-fast…A g-great animal! A great an-animal. Listen! Listen to-to me…It's not what it seems, Harry. N-not wha-what it seems!" He muttered, grabbing onto Harry's tunic.

"King David, where's Hermione?" There was desperation in Harry's voice.

"Her-Hermione? H-Hermione is…She's…gone." And with that final word, the noble king died in Prince Harry's arms. There, in a muddy puddle, he found it. A necklace in the shape of a heart, the very same one he had given to her on the first occasion they'd met.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Harry called mournfully into the night, as if the desperation would somehow cause her to appear. But he knew. He knew she wouldn't be appearing.

A/N: Well, I know that that's really far off from what it's supposed to be like, because…I FOUND MY COPY OF THE MOVIE! Yay! Anyway, I'm always trying to put my own spin on things, and I was pleased with the way it turned out, I do hope you liked it- the good stuff has started now! Also- I highlighted a direct quote I used. OH! And, if there are any Gilmore Girls fans reading this, I'm going to shamefully advertise my new fic here, and encourage you to check it out ;).

Review Responses:

Silver-Silhouette6

I've got a soft spot for pranksters. I don't know why…Hmm. Anyway, I mentioned my reasoning in the first author's notes, or you could also read my response to firey-star90's review too. I'm glad you thought that was as sweet as I did! Here's the next installment! Oh, and I'm not sure if he will or not…Something for me to think on though…

fiery-star90

I answered that at the beginning of this chapter. I honestly didn't mean for them to become the same age, but I usually just let the characters write the story, if you understand what I mean…I actually planned to have Victor and Cho in there when I was on my…I think it was the fourth chapter. Anyway, I'm glad you like it!

Jessi-Black33

Lol, you sound like you'll be needing this chapter, here's my latest update!

Hermione Graner Potter

Ooh, b-day in March? Happy early b-day. Mine's at the end of Feb. Sweet 16- license, here I come! I'm actually slightly in the same boat, I'm starting to plan for college. It's a pretty big deal, and I want to be sure of my choice. Thanks for the kind words!

Jade-eye Halliwell

I'm blushing, really ;). I don't think anyone's ever told me that :D.

sally

Good, yes, no? Thanks for reviewing ;).

silver gaze

Here's the update, glad you're liking where it's been going so far.

Aquarius Chik 101

Lol, and who else would the update be for? Anyway, I hope you like this one as much as the last!