Chapter 3

Ministry of Magic, London

The next two weeks passed in a blur for Hermione. She had never before imagined what being a royal entailed. There were so many things to learn; so many points of etiquette to master in such a short time that she felt there were moments when her head was in danger of exploding. There were certain ways to sit, wave and shake a hand. Techniques on how she should carry herself; the precise tone of address she should use and the courtesy she must extend to all, even those whose politics she vehemently opposed. Speaking of, it had come as a shock to learn that she would not be allowed to vote in any of the elections held inside the kingdom. She had to remain impartial….at least outwardly. She would be the reigning sovereign of the Wizarding European Empire. Her Majesty. Because of it, she must be the essence of neutrality.

I must be above it all.

I must be calm and serene.

I must remember how to hold my teacup.

Yes, there was even protocol regulating that. A specific way that the thumb must be applied. Right hand only. Heaven forbid if one held a tea cup with their left hand. Hermione was tempted to do it just to see what would happen. And the best part of it all?

The rule applied to the queen only.

Talk about feeling targeted.

Hermione was no slouch; she hadn't been raised in a pigsty. Yet, according to the social mores she was learning, she'd been woefully lacking in what was considered proper decorum for the ruling class. Of course, she thought many of the guidelines were pretentious and unnecessary, and according to the norms of modern society, they were. However, they did help her to better understand her Slytherin classmates and what they'd been accustomed to their entire lives. Although ridiculous, the standards she would now have to follow did make her feel…. set apart. Perhaps a cut above? It gave her pause. Due to her real parents' cut-and-run, the Sacred Twenty-Eight families had been forced to become the de facto ruling houses in the King and Queen's absence. Subsequently, their children were taught what should have been her lessons. Her burdens had been theirs, as well as the privileges she would have enjoyed. No wonder so many of them had turned out the way they did. They had, in essence, taken her place.

And so many of them became self-important, entitled little brats.

Hermione knew she would have to be careful. She could fall just as easily. It actually scared her to think of it. Power had a corrupting influence and she wasn't used to the level she would soon have. Would it be too much a temptation for her to resist?

During those moments of doubt, she found Blaise to be the perfect antidote to her fears. He kept her grounded and seemed unflappable; whether that was his training kicking in or just his personality, she didn't know. But he'd quickly proven himself to be a steady and reliable support in helping her transition to her true station in life.

She missed the boys horribly. But she began to see the wisdom in being away from their influence, at least for a time. She needed to concentrate on her new role. For the first time since she'd started Hogwarts, she had to put herself first. The crash course she was embarking on would not have left her with enough time to tend to Ron and Harry. For that's what it would've come down to; taking care of them. That's what it had always been and would still be now had not destiny changed her path. She knew they probably weren't understanding the burden she was now under; if she had to guess, she imagined they were feeling pretty abandoned at the moment, but she couldn't help that. Distance from her friends had given her perspective. She still loved them and knew they loved her back, but it was time for them to grow up and if she were still around, they wouldn't. Not because they were selfish. At least, not deliberately, her inner voice amended. But it was what they were used to.

That's what made her friendship, if that's what she could call it, with Zabini so different. He waited on her; deferred to her. Put her first.

What a change that had been.

Now here they were, the two of them waiting in a reserved conference room on the Auror floor of the Ministry for another courtier to arrive; this one to counsel her on the different political climates within the Commonwealth and the nuance she would need to navigate a peaceful co-existence between the countries.

Lucius Malfoy.

Initially, Hermione had balked and outright refused to have the elder Malfoy as part of her retinue but was told the appointment of the Malfoys to the crown was a binding duty that could not be revoked on pain of death. With no choice in the matter, she finally acquiesced to the inevitable but only after insisting she never be left alone with him. Right now, that meant Blaise had acquired the additional title of royal bodyguard.

Hermione jumped when he touched her knee.

"If you keep bouncing us like this, I'm going to be sick."

She grinned in spite of her nerves. They were sitting side by side on a bench that looked more like a church pew. "Sorry. I guess I'm just nervous."

"He's the one who should be nervous, not you."

"Merlin…..why does it have to be him? I wish this was over," she groused. "I would do anything not to see that horrible man."

"You know that's not possible, your Highness. An imperial commission cannot be rescinded."

"Haven't I told you that you don't have to say your Highness when it's just the two of us?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She narrowed her eyes at his remark, which only made him laugh.

Their levity brought a brief respite to the butterflies flying in her stomach, but when she heard a familiar drawl outside in the hall, they returned en masse. She began to hastily smooth her dress. Hermione might despise Lucius Malfoy, but she cared enough to not give him the satisfaction of saying she didn't look the part of future queen.

Blaise covered the hand that kept ironing out non-existent wrinkles. "Stop. You look beautiful. Even he won't be able to say otherwise."

The double doors to their room creaked open. "Your Highness," interrupted an aide as he walked in the room, "Lord Malfoy is here to see you."

Crow's Nest Pub, Knockturn Alley, London

"So….how did it go?" asked the hooded stranger after taking a sip of the firewhiskey offered.

"Much better than I'd anticipated. Tell our Lord this will definitely work to our advantage. In spite of her supposed brilliance, the girl knows nothing of wizarding politics."

"Ah….so she'll be easy to manipulate."

"Exactly."

"And her lapdog?'

Lucius paused. He'd seen the young wizard watching him closely but didn't think he would be fool enough to get in his way. Even though he was the son of that menacing mantrap, Francesca Zabini, surely he would know better than to cross him. Blaise was more like his father, thank goodness, or he would have never allowed his association with Draco to flourish. Waving his hand, he dismissed the thought. "He's not an issue. The boy has been friends with my son for some time. His family has always maintained neutrality. He won't interfere."

"Excellent. Well done, my friend. The Dark Lord will be very pleased to hear this. But for your own sake, do whatever you must to ensure your continued success. I don't need to tell you what would await you should you fail."

"I will play my part well, don't worry. I will flatter her and praise her and before long…..I'll have her eating out of my hand."

"To what effect?"

"She will do anything I ask. Our Lord will own the Crown."

Hogwarts Castle

Blaise was shaking his head as Hermione once again bit off a corner of a chocolate bar before washing it down with the hot cocoa in her mug. Each time, she appeared to savor the sensation of the warm liquid melting the candy in her mouth before swallowing both with a hum of supreme satisfaction. It made him gag to think about it, but if it made her happy, then that's all that mattered.

Right now, he was with her in the secret apartment she'd been given. Blaise had intended to talk to Draco after the meeting was over, but apparently her Highness had made other plans for his evening. She wanted company, and like the Headmaster had said before, he was it. They had dinner together and once they were done, Hermione rang for chocolate. Lots of it. She was in a rare mood, giggly and silly, something he thought he would never see from the usually serious witch.

It was an amusing distinction between the two houses that Blaise was just now discovering. After a day of mind games and insincere conversation, the typical Slytherin would have wanted to be left alone so they could plot out their next move against their enemy. Apparently, Gryffindors wanted sweets and gossip instead.

"And did you see the guard that was outside the door? He was incredibly handsome."

"That overgrown oaf?"

Hermione chuckled. "Oaf? The man was fit."

"If you say so. Though I honestly don't see what there is to drone on about. He was….average. Nothing remarkable."

"Believe me, my roommates would be doing more than droning on if they'd seen him. Lavender would already have a trace on the man." Snickering at the thought, Hermione accidentally choked on the sip of hot chocolate she'd just taken. She began to cough, some of the chocolate shooting out of her nose. "Yuck," she wheezed, then coughed again.

Blaise couldn't stop a surprised bark of laughter even while making a face. "Ew….that's….yeah. Yuck is right. But you're okay, aren't you?"

"Did you seriously ask me that question?" she asked as the brown liquid dripped from her nose. "Do I look okay?"

"Uh….well…."

"Oh, quit stammering and make yourself useful by handing me a napkin."

He did as she asked but was careful not to get too close, afraid she might spew again. Thanking him, she grinned at his expression. He must have a weak stomach.

Truth was, he sort of did. He couldn't help it; having to watch her binge on chocolate had made him feel queasy; seeing it come out her nose made him doubly so, but she assured him that her bloated tummy and sore nose was a small price to pay for bliss. Chocolate was a miracle drug that could brighten any mood. And considering the day they'd had, she told him she'd needed something to cheer her up after having endured an afternoon with Lucius Malfoy.

It wasn't as if he couldn't understand her feelings; the meeting earlier today with the older wizard left him feeling cold. He knew the man was scheming. Outwardly courteous, the old sinner tried to oil his way around the witch's defenses, but he'd been unsuccessful. Only, he didn't know that. Behaving just as politely as he, she fooled him by letting him think she'd been charmed by his manners. But Hermione had a memory; she'd not forgotten how he treated her and her family at Flourish & Botts, or how he exposed little Ginny Weasley to the darkest magic there was…..how he treated Dobby….and Arthur….and Harry. She remembered what Harry told her about the night Cedric died and Lucius' part in it. No, she hadn't been fooled by his smarminess. Lucius Malfoy was not to be trusted.

Afterwards, she'd let her true feelings be known. "Ugh….he's worse than I remembered," she said, frantically wiping the back of her hand where he kissed it.

"Here." Blaise took her hand, nearly rubbed raw by her vigorous rubbing, and cast a scourgify on it. "There…feel better?"

"Thank you. Yes, for now…... but the thought that I will have to put up with that…person for the rest of my life…"

"I'm sorry. Perhaps in time, a solution will present itself to you. Or maybe he could be persuaded to give the duty to Draco."

"But I thought you said the appointment couldn't be revoked."

"It can't."

"Then how could he give it up? Wouldn't that be breaking an oath?"

"Not if he transferred it to another Malfoy. The commission is to the house, not a particular individual in the lineage."

Hermione's eyes widened at his words, but then her expression became blank as thoughts tumbled through her mind. "That…..you know, that just might…..Blaise, how close are you to Draco?"

"About as close as two people can be. He's always been like a brother to me." Thinking it wouldn't hurt to put in a good word for his mate, he added, "I couldn't ask for a better or truer friend."

"Hmm…well, I guess I'll have to take your word on that," she replied, obviously biting her tongue. "Still, I suppose he's the better option. Do you think he would accept the duty if his father gave it to him?"

I think he'd accept anything that would allow him to be closer to you, Blaise wanted to say. Instead, he answered. "Yes, he would take the responsibility seriously."

"Are you sure? He hates me, you know…always has, really."

Now it was his turn to hold his tongue. For a moment, he considered throwing caution to the winds and telling Hermione the truth. But it wasn't his story to tell. Besides, Draco would kill him if he ever found out. "I know your history with him hasn't been…..the best…."

She snorted.

"….but let me assure you that he would do everything in his power to honor the crown and serve you with distinction."

"Be a suck up, in other words."

He frowned but made no comment. Hermione noticed it; she felt a slight pang of conscience at her own harsh words, but really, hadn't they been the truth? Disregarding her unease, she said, "We're getting ahead of ourselves, though. I can't see Mr. Malfoy letting go of the position, so I guess there's no point in discussing it."

Blaise rubbed his eyes as he made his way back to his dorms. It was late; he'd left the princess slumbering on her couch, a chocolate mustache still decorating her upper lip. He'd had fun, something he hadn't expected when all this started. But Hermione had surprised him. She wasn't the party pooper they'd all thought. She was bright, beautiful and engaging and had a dry wit that was highly entertaining. He sighed. She was the perfect match for his friend. Once again, he felt like hexing Draco for having been such a butt to her and her friends. But bless his poor soul, he knew why he'd been that way; his bullying had come from a place of being bullied himself. However, it had massively backfired on him and now he was paying the price. Well, the pixies had long ago escaped that cage, so there was nothing to be done about it now. Blaise wished he could help, but the only thing he could think of that could possibly work was complete honesty….and he very much doubted if Draco could be persuaded to do that.

Quietly opening their door, he hoped his friend was awake. He still felt he should talk to him about what had happened that afternoon. Blaise hadn't wanted to alert the princess of anything the elder Malfoy might be doing. She had enough to worry about at present. But he needed to talk to someone….and Draco should know if his father was up to no good.

Their room was dark, cast in shadows. Blast, I'm too late. He's already gone to bed.

Squinting into the blackness, he inched forward, mindful of the furniture that was lying in wait for his knees. The air smelled strange….rather like a potion that had bubbled over and burned. Blaise sniffed, trying to figure out what the scent was while still trying to see. With a huff, he finally cast a lumos, mentally apologizing to Draco for the light that would surely wake him. However, a different sight awaited him than that of a sleeping roommate; this one was born of nightmares. He gasped and instinctively took a step back. Their room, normally a neat and tidy space because both he and Draco preferred it that way, had been trashed; by dragons, by the look of it. Bed linens were still smoldering from having been set on fire, and the curtains by the windows were ripped and hanging by a thread.

"Draco?" he whispered, fearing he knew not what.

From a darkened corner he heard a groan, then slowly a form attempted to rise up, only to fall back down again. Blaise uttered an expletive, his pulse going into overdrive. Someone had finally gotten to Draco.

Racing to his side, Blaise gasped again when he saw him. He had burn marks all over him. Angry, red blisters dotted his upper body. A few of them were oozing clear fluid.

"Good God," he exclaimed as he quickly began to cast cooling and reparative charms over the worst spots. "What happened?"

"A mis…understanding. Was set up….on a blind date….with…..blast-ended skrewt," he weakly managed between groans.

"This is not the time for jokes! You're seriously hurt. Who did this to you?"

While his friend frantically administered healing spells, Draco murmured, "Father….paid me a visit."

"Your…father?"

In a feeble voice, he murmured, "Yeah. Dear old dad."

Blaise felt his blood begin to fizz as a rage, the likes he had seldom ever felt, coursed through him. "The Headmaster needs to know at once. Your father shouldn't even have access to you!"

Draco let out a sharp hiss of pain as he sat up. Blaise tried to steady him, but his touch was only causing further pain. Then he remembered the bottle of dittany they had in their bathroom. He jumped up and ran the few steps to find it just where he'd left it in the cabinet. Grabbing it, he raced back to Draco's side. Slowly opening the cork, he began to apply the potion to his wounds. It sizzled when it touched the skin, causing Draco to shudder in pain….but then the skin began to grow and heal until a faint pink outline was all that remained. In time, even that would fade.

As Blaise worked on every burn he could see, Draco explained. "Dumbledore can't stop him. It's…aaughh….the main reason Father…..ow, watch what you're doing!...wanted to be on the Board of Governors….so he could get to me anytime he wanted."

"I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey. Some of these burns aren't responding to the dittany."

"Wait," Draco said. Grabbing Blaise's arm, he implored, "You've got to help me."

"That's what I'm trying to do, Mate."

"No….I don't mean this. I mean…..protecting Granger."

Blaise gave him a hard look. "What did he say?"

Draco let out a bitter laugh. "He was bragging…..about how she'd been putty in his hands today. When he mentioned what he would do if she ever really got into his hands…... I…..I saw red."

"Oh….man. I'm sorry."

"I told him he was vile…..that my mother deserved a faithful husband." Draco choked up. "I should have just been quiet. I shouldn't have let him get to me. I knew that's what he was trying to do. But he's always been able to push my buttons."

"I know. But it's not your fault."

Draco wasn't listening. "Now…because of me…my mother's not safe. You know he'll take it out on her. He has before."

Blaise shut his eyes. Hadn't Lucius already "taken it out" on Draco? Not for the first time, he was afraid for his friend. This was not going to end well for him if he didn't get help. The Malfoy family was like one of those nuclear bombs he'd heard about. One day, something would cause Lucius to detonate. And Draco would be ground zero.

"I don't know how much more time I have before he just…..loses it. So you've got to make sure Granger and Mother stay safe. Promise me, Blaise."

"I promise. But maybe it won't get to that. I'll call my mother. She can take care of making sure your mom is safe." It was the truth, too. For some reason, Lucius feared Francesca. Probably because he knew she wouldn't lose a lick of sleep if she was forced to kill him. She might even enjoy it.

As to her Highness, Blaise was mentally blessing the foresight of the Minister in insisting on stronger protective measures for her while she was at Hogwarts. Draco was right; as a member of the Board of Governors, Lucius was allowed access to the school anytime he wished. After what Draco just said, he did not need to be able to find her.

"You know what's really sick?" Draco's voice pulled Blaise out of his thoughts.

"What's that?"

"He would skin me alive if he knew how I felt about Granger, yet he sees no hypocrisy in wanting her himself. He's twisted beyond belief."

Looking at his friend's tortured flesh, he had to agree.

"Come on. Let me get you to the infirmary."

A/N: It's a goal of mine to be able to post a chapter a week, whether this story or another. I don't know if I will be able to keep it up, but I will try. On another note: It's been pretty quiet out there; are you enjoying this? Not getting much feedback unless you count the trolls who like to keep me busy deleting their comments. But I don't mind. I have "boop" power. It's fun to moderate reviews, especially on the ones that are mean. I just click and...BOOP...the comment is deleted! Don't you wish everything in life was that easy to handle? LOL

To those of you who have commented, thank you, thank you. Your support is so appreciated.