Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
A/N: Hey guys, I've been meaning to update for a long time now, I've just put this on the back burner in my story update list. I'm favoring my other story, (also HHr) 'And you, Hermione' which has become my golden ray of sunshine. Okay, so maybe I'm overstating myself…But anyway, I'm sorry again for the huge delay! Here's the next chapter.
Chapter Eleven: Tactics and Tentacles
Queen Lily of Gryffindor was well known for her parties. Extravagance was the key, and quite a bit of the kingdom's proud colors of red and gold was seen throughout a heavily decorated room. She knew the best caterers, hired the best musicians, and could even get the sniveling apothecary Snape to party down.
This particular party was obviously important, and needed all her party-planning tactics and care to bring him out of his rut. Which, of course, was the reason she had devoted herself to party planning twenty four seven. She could often be seen as of late rushing about the corridors of the castle, a long flowing parchment and heavy feathered quill permanently attached to her hand.
"No, no, no!" Lily exclaimed, during one such morning of planning. She scolded the florist, and yanked his selection of pale pink carnations out of his hands. Dropping them on the floor, she stomped her feet over the delicate flowers. "We must have roses, Pierre! Carnations are friendly flowers, we don't want friendly; we want something that says romance, love, marriage, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!"
She had a plan in her head, a perfect vision of what this party was to be. Red roses, and gold plates filled with meat and potatoes, young ladies dancing with young men, music, classy and whimsical floating around the room, which would be stocked with candles and glitter all around.
"Pardon me, Majesty."
"And, you there! Stop the sad, dreary music; we need soft, flowing tunes."
Lily instructed here, made notes there, and bustled about the room. Everything must be perfect, if the ball was to help Harry find a bride, or at least meet a nice young girl. While all this bustling went on, Queen Lily didn't take notice of the approaching prince and his friend, back from another day of practicing.
It wasn't hard to tell what Harry's mother was thinking, to even a simple man it was clear. The wounds from Hermione's absence were still fresh, he didn't particularly care to make merry and dance. Telling his mother so, however, would do nothing to sway her away from the project, determination in scores overflowed in her sparkling green eyes.
But it didn't hurt to try. "Mother, what are you doing?"
Lily turned around to face her son, attempting a look of innocence. "Why Harry, whatever do you mean?"
"He means the party." Ron put in helpfully.
"What party?" Lily said, attempting innocence again. She wasn't a very good liar, or actor, which was one trait a royal shouldn't have been without. She supposed it was just another flaw.
"Mother…" Harry said in a disapproving tone.
"Oh, alright, fine. You've caught me- but, really, it shall only be a…a… a gathering, something small! You haven't seen the royals of the other three kingdoms since you were still young! Come now, it'll do your poor mother some good- Merlin knows I haven't got anything else to occupy my free time with right now." She explained, attempting to reason with him.
"Merlin also knows that 'small gathering' in Lily-speak is translated as a bash with a thousand-page-long guest list, not including staff. No party."
"B-b-but I've worked so hard and I can't cancel the band, they're coming all the way from the M-m-moonlight Mountainside, and I-I certainly can't take back all the food- the pheasant, and the goose, and goodness- th-th-the pies, the dozens and dozens of pies!" Queen Lily broke down, her lip trembling and eyes filling up with tears.
Harry sighed deeply, looking at his mother's tears. He knew she was only trying to help and if it really meant that much to her… "Fine. But it must be small! Nothing over-elaborate."
Lily perked up right then, and smiled happily. She pecked her son on the cheek and clapped her hands. "You won't regret this, Harry, you'll see!"
He doubted she was right.
After the completion of Princess Hermione's story, Hedwig was in tears and Sirius was staring at her with interest. "Oh, you poor thing!" Hedwig exclaimed, hugging her tightly. The owl reminded Hermione immensely of Molly, and she was comforted with the thought.
"Well, it is clear what I must do!" Sirius exclaimed, getting up. Hedwig removed her arms from the princess and looked over amusedly. Hermione was sure that if owl's had eyebrows, her new friend's would have been raised.
"And what is this epiphany you seem to have had?" Hedwig asked.
Sirius raised himself up in a haughty manner- well, as haughty as a large dog could get. "It is clear that as a gentleman of the courts, I must cheer the young Princess as if she were my own daughter, or my dear friend. And, to do that, I must get some flowers!"
Hedwig and Hermione looked at him with interest as he made his way over to the banks of the moat. "What is he doing?" She asked.
"Apparently he's getting you some flowers."
Hermione looked on rather curiously, wondering what on earth would cause him to brave the waters of the moat. Perhaps he had been a Gryffindor then, to hold such bravery. Thinking of the dear kingdom caused tears to spring to the corners of her eyes. 'No, I mustn't think of that, it shall only lead to more tears.' She turned her attention back to the water.
Sirius entered the water cautiously, looking for the oncoming threat of the murky waters. He knew the giant squid resided inside somewhere, and it was possibly armed with mermaids too. Doing the dog paddle in the direction of the castle, he was on his back when he felt the slimy tentacle.
Losing concentration on the task at hand, Sirius stopped paddling and immediately sunk beneath the water. He yelped as the tentacle slid over his back again, and jumped up, propelling himself across the water. His wet paws slipped on the smooth stones at the underside of the moat, as the tentacle continued to follow him. Sirius finally left the lake in a trot, dripping wet and under the heavy black fur, blushing furiously.
By the time he reached the tree which sheltered the two birds, Hedwig was cackling hysterically. "Y-you! And, and the lake, and the yelp, and then…Ha! Ha!" Hedwig rambled on while still laughing.
Noticing the embarrassment of her new friend, Hermione tried to be kind. "Well, I for one, Hedwig, thought it was a very brave and thoughtful thing to do! Thank you, Archduke Sirius!"
His tail wagged momentarily as he bowed low. "Not at all, Princess Hermione."
The three new friends sat and chatted, for what else was there to do? The minutes passed slowly by, and Hedwig and Sirius diverted her attention from thoughts of Harry, of Ron, and of her family. The initial weight of being in captivity was lessened by the joy of having found new friends.
"What was that?" Hedwig asked, spinning her owl's head around in nearly a complete circle. She let out a soft string of hoots and the other two quieted, also looking around. A noise had broken through the trees and reached their ears.
Hearing nothing again, they relaxed for but a moment before a whoosh resounded again. This time it was accompanied by a howl of pain and what appeared to be a small ball of feathers. "Whoa!" A tiny voice cried out. "Oh, they got me; they really, really got me! Straight in the arm, oh sweet death come but quick!"
The tiny thing stopped its rapid movements and came to rest on a soft patch of green grass. Approaching slowly, Hermione examined the little creature. It was a tiny brown owl; a feathered arrow about twice the size of the animal itself ran through its wing.
"Poor thing!" She muttered while wrapping her red wing around the arrow. Hermione pulled it quickly, hoping to save it. She wasn't expecting it to spring to life, its wings twittering violently as it circled around her.
"C'mon, put 'em up, put 'em up!" The owl cried.
"What? I'm trying to help you, sit still! I need to fix your arm."
"My arm? My arm! You hit me with an arrow!"
"I did not!"
"Did too!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes you did, because if you didn't why would you be carrying that arrow in your arm? Huh, huh, huh?" He asked, speaking quickly.
"Because I pulled it out of your arm." She said evenly, rolling her golden eyes.
"Oh. That…might explain it. Pigwidgeon's the name, most call me Pig." He said, settling on the ground and holding out his arm for the Princess to bandage.
"And I'm Hermione. That's Hedwig, and Sirius." She said pointing at the others respectively.
As Hermione busied herself fixing Pig up, the others greeted him and retold, once again, the story of how she had come to be there. Pig sat still for a moment, something it seemed, he had trouble doing most of the time, and a pensive look appeared on the hyper owl's face.
"Well then! It's clear what we must do!"
"And what's that dearie?" Hedwig asked politely.
"Escape!"
A/N: Good, bad, any thoughts at all? Not much happened, but I'm setting it up for events in the next chapter. I also hope you forgive the lateness. If your bored after this chapter or something, do check out my baby, 'And you, Hermione' for a nice light, funny fic. Anyways, until next time!
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