The Drawing

Chapter Seven

"Hermione!"

There was a bang as the door to Hermione's bedroom burst open, ricocheting off of the wall. Tonks and Sally moved to shield Hermione as she jumped up from her seat.

Ginny was out of breath as she leaned against the door, eyes wide and face flushed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Convinced the danger had passed, Tonks and Sally quickly excused themselves and disappeared into the large closet.

"Look!"

Hermione only just stepped back in time to avoid being socked in the face by Ginny's fist. A crumpled piece of parchment was clutched in her hand, barely visible as she furiously waved it in front of Hermione's face. "Would you hold still? I can't see when you're moving like that."

"Prince Harry asked me to join him on a date after our lessons!" Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Ginny was practically vibrating she was so excited.

"What? Just now?" Ginny nodded vigorously. "Ginny, that's amazing!"

"I wonder what we're doing? The note just said to meet him after our afternoon lessons. I can't believe I'm going to be one of the first to go out with Prince Harry!"

"Why?" Hermione laughed. "You two seemed to get on last night."

"Yeah, we did…" Ginny smiled, her tone taking on a dream-like quality. "I'll have to figure out what to wear. He couldn't have given me a hint or clue to what we'll be doing?"

"I'm sure whatever you decide on will be fine."

Ginny preened at that. She tilted her head and looked at Hermione. "Is it weird that we're talking about this so casually?"

"What do you mean?"

Ginny waved a hand between them. "I don't mind talking about this with you," she said. "But when the others talk about going out with the prince it starts to really annoy me."

Hermione didn't know what to say. Maybe she gave off a subconscious vibe that she wasn't here for the prince? She didn't know. "We've only been here three days," she shrugged. "Honestly? Everything about this place has been weird."

"That's an understatement." Ginny snorted. "Hey, why didn't you speak up more at dinner last night?"

It took a moment for Hermione to remember how much (or little) she had interacted with everyone. "I just couldn't find the right words. And you know I don't know anything about Quidditch."

"I guess that is true," Ginny hummed. Her eyebrows furrowed. "You're my friend so I want you to do well. I don't want to see you go home so soon."

"I want you to do well, too." Hermione smiled. "Wait — so soon?"

"Both of us can't win, obviously." Ginny cackled and opened the door. "See you at our lesson!"

[o][o][o]

It took one look from Madam McGonagall for everyone to see the older woman was not pleased when lessons began. Mouth pinched and eyes narrowed—she clearly knew about the argument the previous night.

"I had hoped we could get started on the history of the royal family today," Madam McGonagall said. She circled the cluster of desks. "I had assumed you ladies had enough sense to not argue in places where anyone could be listening." She sniffed. "Obviously, I was wrong."

Hermione squirmed in her seat. The disapproval coming from Madam McGonagall was palpable. It made her stomach queasy. No one said a word, the air thick with tension.

"Do you know what would happen if someone other than Madam Bones had caught you?" The question was obviously rhetorical—Madam McGonagall barely paused for a breath before pushing on. "Not only would you be seen as extremely unprofessional, but untrustworthy as well. What if it had been something important that was overheard? What if what was overheard had something to do with the affairs of the kingdom? What do you think would happen if an enemy overheard vital information?"

No one said a word.

"Therefore," Madam McGonagall huffed a breath to compose herself, "today's lesson will be a continuation of yesterday. Do not get me wrong, I understand that the situation you ladies are in is very unusual. You all have already gone through so much in such a short amount of time, and it is just getting started.

"I also understand that this is -first and foremost- a competition. Everyone in this castle is completely aware that there will be certain… ways of working things to your advantage." Madam McGonagall nodded. "It happened with King James's Drawing and I guarantee it will happen in this one as well.

"However, you ladies need to remember that the kingdom has not been put on hold just because of the Drawing. If we had started on our history lesson today like we should have, you would have learned that there are always negotiations to be made between our allies and enemies. If you want to succeed in this competition –and in this lifestyle– you have to always be aware of your surroundings." A sardonic look washed over her face. "Constant vigilance, as one might say."

After over an hour of non-stop lecturing, Madam McGonagall finally took a breath and looked at the clock on the wall. "Take a twenty-minute break. And when I say twenty minutes, I mean you are in your seats, ready to go in twenty minutes." She looked at Cho and Daphne pointedly, turned, and walked out of the Ladies Room.

A collective groan echoed off the walls as soon as the double doors slammed shut.

"That was absolutely horrible!" Lavender wailed.

"Shut up!" Pansy hissed. "She could be listening!"

"Great job, Angelina." Daphne glared at the woman as she clapped.

"Me? What did I do?"

"If you hadn't stuck your nose where it didn't belong, none of us would be in this situation."

Angelina let out an incredulous laugh. "That's how you want to do this?"

"Stop talking—both of you," Alicia spat.

Ginny gestured for Hermione and Katie to follow her as the bickering around them continued. She led them to the side of the room, just far away enough to not be overheard. "I wanted to let you know before anyone else hears about it." Ginny glanced behind Katie as the othes continued to argue quietly. "I'm meeting with Prince Harry after our lessons."

Hermione stared at Ginny. Was this really a good idea? Katie seemed nice enough, but was it really a good idea for Ginny to let her in?

"What?" Katie's hands flew to her mouth. "You are? When did you find out?"

"This morning" Ginny grinned.

"You're so lucky. Right, Hermione?"

"Yeah." Katie's cheerful demeanour threw Hermione. She did not expect anyone else to be so happy for Ginny. What she expected to happen was currently in process behind them.

Ginny grew more and more restless as the lesson continued, tapping the table with her fingers, fidgeting in her seat, and giving small sighs every few minutes. Her eyes never strayed far from the clock. When Madam McGonagall finally released them for the day (with a strict warning that she better not hear of any more arguments, or else) Ginny bolted out of the room.

"Where's she off to in such a hurry?" Romilda asked.

"No idea," Millicent said.

Hermione felt the curious stares aimed at her so she quickly left the Ladies Room and went back to her room. She didn't want to be the one to let it slip Ginny was one of the first to be asked for a date and hoped that Katie had the common sense not to say anything either.

Tonks and Sally were not in Hermione's room when she returned. Hermione let out a deep breath, happy to just be alone for a while. She wanted to jump onto her bed and just lie there - maybe even have a nap - but knew that meant she'd have to 'freshen up' afterward. Not wanting to go through all of that, she kicked off her heels and curled up in the armchair on the other side of the room.

For a single, glorious hour, Hermione was truly alone. Tonks and Sally never returned and there was no one calling for her or trying to enter her room. Feeling a lot less stressed and anxious, she left her room and made her way back down to where the others were. She wanted to be there in case Ginny needed any help to fend off the others when she returned from her date.

Katie was by her side as soon as she entered the Ladies Room. "There you are!" she said. A glance around the room told Hermione that Ginny was still with the prince. "They wouldn't leave me alone!"

Katie pointedly looked over her shoulder as she said this, not bothering to keep her voice down.

Before Hermione could respond, Alicia walked up to them, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Isn't Ginny with you?"

"No. I haven't seen her since the lesson ended."

"I knew it!" Lavender cried. She sat with Susan and Hannah on one of the sofas. "I told you she's on a date with the prince."

Alicia made a face and crossed her arms petulantly. "We don't know for sure. Maybe she's not feeling well."

Angelina let out a snort, nudging the other girl with her shoulder. "Oh, come on. You saw how they got on last night," she said.

Hermione's eyes swept the room as the others grumbled. She spotted Daphne, Cho, and Romilda seated in the far corner of the room, whispering to each other. "Has it been like this the entire time?" Hermione asked.

Katie hummed confirmation. "You missed the worst of it, I'm afraid."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Such a shame."

"It really is. Some of the theories were pretty creative."

Hermione snorted, shaking her head. She took a seat at a round table by the window and looked outside. It was a clear day outside, not a cloud in the sky, and the perfect weather to be outdoors. Hermione was hit with how much she longed to be outside, to be doing something productive. There wasn't a lot to do in the palace. Lessons took up a good portion of their time, but once those concluded, everything came to a standstill. Hermione couldn't believe she was actually starting to miss working the long hours she previously worked.

A sudden commotion pulled Hermione from her thoughts. Ginny entered the room, spotted Hermione, and made a beeline for her, ignoring the questions thrown at her.

"Ginny!"

"Where were you?"

"Did you go out with the prince?"

Katie arrived at the table at the same time as Ginny did. Behind them, everyone was following with expectant looks. Ginny sat down across from Hermione and gave her a radiant smile.

"So?" Hermione prompted.

"It was amazing." Ginny bounced in her seat and laughed.

"It's true then," Alicia said. "You went on a date with Prince Harry."

Ginny's neck reddened as she nodded. "I received a note from him this morning."

Everyone began talking at once, asking question after question as they crowded around the table.

Where did he take you?"

"What did you do?"

"Did you kiss?"

"Hannah!" Hermione gasped, scandalized.

Hannah rolled her eyes, shrugging. "What? It's a fair question."

"I highly doubt they would kiss on the first date," Katie said.

Angelina leaned forward, her arms braced on the table as she stared directly at Ginny. "But seriously, did you kiss?"

"If you all stopped talking, Ginny could answer." The accented voice of Fleur rose above everyone, causing them to pause. She was standing in the circle they had created and raised one delicate eyebrow at Ginny.

"Um… he took me out to the queen's garden and we had lunch," Ginny said. "After that, we took a walk through the gardens and talked."

"That's it?" Daphne snorted.

"What's wrong with that?" Defense seeped into Ginny's voice.

Daphne shifted her weight, twirling her hand around in front of her. "It seems a bit… pedestrian, as far as first dates go."

Since it was obvious nothing scandalous happened between Ginny and the prince, Daphne, Cho, and Romilda began walking back to their sofa. "I think it's a perfect first date," Cho sneered, glancing back at them. "After all, this is Lady Ginny we're talking about."

Ginny's eyes were alight with anger as she stared at the retreating backs.

"Don't listen to them, Ginny," Katie said. "They're just jealous you're the first to get a date."

"Of course they are," Angelina said, her eyes raking over Ginny before going back to Katie. "I'm jealous. They're jealous. Lavender was beside herself with jealousy – "

"I was not."

"–so can you honestly say that you weren't jealous when you figured it out?"

Katie looked momentarily stunned, her mouth moving silently as she tried to come up with a response. Hermione could see Ginny deflating and became annoyed. Her excitement was being trampled on by everyone else's negativity.

As Katie began to respond, Hermione very loudly and pointedly cleared her throat, leaning into Ginny. "So what did you and the prince talk about?"

Katie and Angelina both turned to look at Hermione, but she studiously ignored them, keeping her gaze on her friend. Ginny's shoulders relaxed as she also leaned forward. "At the beginning, it was a lot of the typical get to know you stuff," she said. "But after that, we started talking about Quidditch and lost track of time."

Alicia snorted, shook her head, and stalked out of the room. Hermione grimaced; she'd forgotten that it was originally Alicia who brought up Quidditch the previous night. As much as she was happy for Ginny, Hermione felt sorry for Alicia.

"After that," Ginny continued, eyeing the doors Alicia had gone through, "we walked around the gardens and Prince Harry told me about how Queen Lily was the one who cared for them. You'd never expect it – it looks professional!"

The others slowly trickled away from them as the excitement wore off. When it was just Hermione and Katie, Ginny leaned forward with a renewed light in her eyes. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the other girls," she said, "but Prince Harry held my hand the entire time we talked."

The pure, unfiltered glee that radiated off of Ginny made Hermione laugh. The way her voice lowered and the proud, almost secretive grin, was something she'd not seen her friend ever do.

"You sly fox," Katie whispered. She was also grinning, looking extremely amused. "We're going to have to watch out for you, aren't we, Hermione?"

"I think so, Katie." Hermione shared a look with Katie and they burst out laughing.

Ginny started giggling as well, burying her now red face in her hands. "Stop it," she moaned.

Ginny returned to her room a while later, claiming she wanted to rest before dinner. It was late enough in the afternoon that the others were splitting up and doing their own thing. Hermione was sick of sitting around in the Ladies Room and decided she wanted to stretch her legs.

Standing up, Hermione looked at Katie. "I'm going to explore," she said. She didn't particularly want Katie to join her, but the other girl had been so kind and welcoming to both her and Ginny that she felt she had to. "Did you want to come?"

"No, thanks," Katie said. She had a copy of the magazine Witch Weekly clasped tightly in her hands. The headline "Meet the Sixteen: One of These Ladies Will Become Hogwarts' Next Queen!" flashed across the title.

"See you, then."

Hermione left the Ladies Room and turned to her left, unable to help the little hop in her step as she set off to explore.

Like everything else in the palace, the decorations along the corridor were grandiose and over the top. Suits of armour towered over Hermione, paintings that were larger than life smiled or nodded to her as she passed by them. A display case caught Hermione's attention and she walked over to it. Ancient looking ornaments were laid out in the display with care.

Hermione's breath escaped her as she brought her hands up to rest against the display. The history that was on display before her. She couldn't believe all that was separating her from them was glass.

"–sorry, Your Highness. But your father insists."

Hermione's head snapped up at the voice. She shoved off of the display case and took a few steps back, her eyes darting to where she had just been. Had she left any smudges?

"I don't know how Father expects me to do all of this at once."

Hermione's eyes widened. That was Prince Harry's voice.

"Your father would not have you do this if it were not important."

"I know," Prince Harry said. The petulance in his voice surprised her. "These rebel—oh."

Prince Harry and an older man turned the corner and stopped once they spotted Hermione. She froze; she shouldn't be there. That was a private conversation she had overheard, something she was not privy to.

Prince Harry and the unknown man stared silently at her, and her mind finally caught up with her. She dipped into a curtsy, bowing her head. Her face felt hot. "Your Highness."

Prince Harry jolted out of whatever stupor he was in and he cleared his throat. "Lady Hermione," he said, dipping his head. Hermione straightened, her hands coming together in front of her nervously. He turned to his companion, brandishing his hand. "May I introduce you to Remus Lupin? He is one of the advisors to my father."

Hermione dipped into another curtsy. The man looked middle-aged with short, sandy brown hair that hung limply on his forehead. He was a sickly looking man; pale skin and bags under his eyes. His gaze, however, was strong. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hermione."

"I hope we weren't interrupting," Prince Harry said.

What an odd thing to say. Hermione cocked her head. "No, not at all."

Remus glanced between the two of them, a tiny smirk appearing on his face. "Let's talk about this later, Your Highness."

"Oh, you don't have to –" Hermione's protest trailed off as he walked away, leaving her alone with Prince Harry.

Even though they had cleared the air between them, there was still a thick blanket of tension around them. Hopefully, this wouldn't become a reoccurring thing; being alone with the prince. She was still mortified from their run.

"Did you have a good morning?" Prince Harry asked.

"I did, thank you."

"Good."

Please let me leave. This was awkward. Hermione didn't know how to talk to royalty, despite all the preparation she'd been subjected to. That was painfully clear by the next thing she said. "You had a nice time with Ginny?"

Hermione winced. Why had she asked that? Prince Harry looked momentarily surprised that she'd brought Ginny up. Pink tinged his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. "Yes, it was lovely. She told you about that?"

She shrugged. "Of course. Everyone knows." At his panicked expression, she quickly scrambled. "She didn't tell everyone, but it was pretty clear where she'd gone after lessons."

"Oh." He nodded to himself, frowning. It was almost like he hadn't expected that the other women to know this. It was almost endearing. He opened his mouth and then promptly snapped it shut.

"For what it's worth, Ginny had a fantastic time." She didn't know why, but something compelled Hermione to say that. Maybe it was because he looked so lost, almost childlike, in his expression. Hermione didn't know why, but she wanted to make that expression disappear.

"She did?" Prince Harry looked up, a smile spreading on his face.

Hermione nodded. "I've known Ginny my entire life. She had a great time."

Prince Harry's cheeks tinged with pink yet again and he shuffled his feet. "Thank you."

Hermione nodded. She glanced over her shoulder. "I should probably get going…"

"Of course." Prince Harry cleared his throat once again, his expression returning to neutral. He dipped his head. "I'll see you at dinner."

Hermione curtsied and quickly left.

Later that evening at dinner, as everyone stood up as the royal family entered the room, Prince Harry caught Hermione's eye and gave a soft smile. For some unknown reason, Hermione felt extremely warm the rest of the dinner.

[o][o][o]

A/N: So... um... hi? Long time no see? I have no excuse for why this took so gosh darn long. Life gets in the way but I've always kept this fic in the back of my mind! I can tell you guys that this will be roughly 42-46 chapters. The skeleton is written and I've got a good chunk of writing finished so it's editing and adding some meat to the story!

Thanks for still being with me!