A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Fantasy February "You're the ruler here, right? Do you rent out dungeon cells? Asking for a friend"
Word Count: 4680
Warning: Fade to black.
The dark carriage rode into the castle. Hermione glanced at it from her throne. It was different from most of the other carriages she'd seen. This one was black with wrought iron embellishments. There were no windows. It stopped and a man dressed entirely in black stepped out. He walked over to Hermione. The guards moved to stop him, but Hermione waved them away. She looked him over, her eyes taking in everything. She couldn't help the fluttering in her chest as she liked what she saw.
"Can I help you?" she asked, wondering what kind of visitor she'd just let into her kingdom. He was pale, dressed a bit strangely, but still something about him made her curious.
"You are the ruler here, correct?" he asked, looking at her. She could feel his eyes moving up and down her body, studying her. She wondered if he was thinking the same as her.
Hermione nodded, giving him a queenly smile.
"Do you rent out the dungeon cells, the ones without windows. I am inquiring for a friend," he asked. Hermione tilted her head.
"An odd friend then, but yes, in some cases when the inns are full I will rent out the dungeons. Have you not tried the inns yet?" she asked, her curiosity growing.
"They are not suitable for my friend. He has very particular requirements," he replied.
"I see," Hermione answered, hiding her face slightly behind her fabric fan. She had heard about men who preferred to sleep in dark rooms, rooms without windows, rooms without light. Could this man's friend be one of them, one of the dare she think it, one of the undead? It was unusual to have vampires visit her kingdom. She had never seen one herself, despite the fact she was well versed in their lore.
"I see no reason not to rent yourself and your friend one of my dungeon cells. I can have one of my guards show you to your accommodations," she said, granting the man a rare smile.
"Thank you, your majesty."
"You are quite welcome," Hermione paused, trying to remember if this man had given her his name.
"Severus, Severus Snape. I am the royal chemist for his majesty King Lucius," Severus said, kneeling in front of Hermione and kissing her hand. She felt her face flush. The guards led Severus from the throne room and down the stairs that led to the dungeons.
Hermione watched him leave, wondering about King Lucius. She'd heard of him, who hadn't? She'd heard he was a very powerful ruler from an ancient bloodline. She also knew no one had seen him in person in several years. She made a mental note to check on her guests in a bit, after they had settled in. It was a nice thing to do and the idea of getting a glimpse at the king only added to her interest.
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The torches flickered as Severus walked down the stairs. He'd already brought all the luggage inside. All that was left was for King Lucius to see his new accommodations. Severus rapped on the side of the carriage. The door creaked open revealing a man with pale skin, pale hair, and worried eyes. The king stepped out of the carriage just as the sun finished setting below the horizon. Lucius leaned slightly on his snake headed cane, his footsteps slow. Some injuries, even being a vampire couldn't fix. His leg was one of them, having been injured by a self-proclaimed hunter.
"Master, I have procured the proper room. Queen Hermione has arranged for us to have one of the dungeon cells, one of the ones without windows."
"Did she now, my Severus? And she didn't question your request?" Lucius asked, following Severus.
"She did, my Lord, but seemed appeased at the answers I gave. Here we are," Severus said, leading Lucius into the dungeons. The room Hermione had selected for them was in the corner. It had rounded walls, no windows, and was equipped with one bed. Lucius eyed the bed.
"I would not dream of sleeping on it. I shall take the floor," Severus stated, getting ready to open his bedroll. It like everything he wore was also black.
"Nonsense, Severus. You sleep on the bed during the dark hours, when I am awake and I shall claim it during the day. How long are we staying in this kingdom?" Lucius inquired. Severus was responsible for making most of their plans. He was the one who had suggested they travel to this particular kingdom.
"I do not know. The maps all lead here, but no one seems to know anything about a curse or breaking one. I spent most of the day gleaming as much information from the village below as possible. Therefore, I can only believe the information we seek, the cure you seek, must lie within the castle walls, or just outside the kingdom."
"Then it might be a while. Very well then. Take your slumber, I shall greet our hostess," Lucius said, smiling at Severus, his fangs glittering in the flickering candle light. Severus nodded, laying his head on the pillow. He was asleep and snoring softly within minutes. Lucius smiled. Severus was a good companion, a better friend, and a man with whom he shared everything. He wondered what would Severus do once Lucius finally found what he was looking for, once this quest was over. Would he stay? Would his feelings for Lucius continue to grow, or would he retire to a quiet life of his own?
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Hermione had started down the stairs when she saw movement coming up. She paused, waiting. Did Severus need something? No, the steps were slow, deliberate. Hermione watched as Lucius stepped into the light. He was breathtaking. His long white blond hair fell to the middle of his back. He was wearing black, with a cape clasp over his shoulders. There was absolutely no question in Hermione's mind who this man was. She bowed, lowering her head.
"King Lucius, how wonderful to finally meet you."
"Queen Hermione, I have heard amazing things about your kingdom. I am honored to be staying in your palace," Lucius stated, taking Hermione's hand and kissing it. Hermione felt her face flush, much the same way it had when Severus had done the same. "You may rise," he added. Hermione lifted her head, meeting his eyes.
"The honor is all mine," Hermione answered. Lucius smiled, keeping his lips closed. Hermione returned the gesture and suddenly Lucius felt something strange in his chest. His heart. It had started beating again. After nearly a century of being one of the undead, made into a creature of the night against his will, his heart was beating. Maybe Severus was right. Maybe the answer to his curse was in this kingdom and its queen was the key.
"This might seem a bit forwards, but my friend and I, we are searching for something, an artifact possibly. There are rumors that something in this kingdom, your kingdom, can break the curse of the vampire?" he asked. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
Hermione laughed, shaking her head. Lucius wondered if she was laughing at his expense, but he saw mirth in her eyes.
"I have not heard of such a thing, and I have long studied the lore, your majesty. However, you and Severus are more than welcome to look at my library. There might be something there with your answers," she replied. "Do you need anything else before I retire?" she asked, remembering the reason she'd been headed down to the dungeon to begin with.
"No, I do not believe so," Lucius answered, watching Hermione.
"Very well then, I shall advise my guards you and Severus have access to the library, it's in the east wing, third door on the left," she stated. Lucius nodded as Hermione turned and headed back to her own chambers.
Lucius admired the way her curls fell over her shoulders, the way her eyes widened as she spoke, he couldn't help but see the beauty in her tanned skin, the way her dress exposed her neck. He shook those thoughts from his head. He was here to find a way to cure himself, not to fall in love with the queen.
Hermione tried not to look over her shoulder. Lucius was everything she'd heard and more. He had to be the man in the prophesy. It was said her bloodline would free an ancient kingdom, that it would unite these two kingdoms and usher in a new world. She had never put much stock into the prophesy. She'd always suspected it had had to do with vampires, part of the reason she'd put so much effort into her research.
"We'll just have to wait and see," she whispering, thinking that if combining bloodlines with Lucius was what the prophesy said, that wouldn't be objectionable at all.
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Severus woke as he heard the door clank open. He groaned, blinking his black eyes open. He wondered if it was morning already. Had he really slept through the night without waking? Had he finally had a night without the nightmares haunting him.
"My heart, Severus, my heart beat," Lucius stated, entering the dungeon. Severus sat up staring at Lucius, his black eyes wide in disbelief.
"My lord? Are you certain?" he asked, rising from the bed and placing a hand on Lucius' chest. He felt nothing, as usual. If his heart had been beating, it had stopped now.
"I am. It started beating, just a few beats, as I spoke to our hostess."
"Queen Hermione?"
"The very same. How? How could she start my heart with just a smile?" Lucius asked, opening one of the chest and rooting through it until he pulled out a leather bound tome. He started flipping through the pages, as if searching for an answer in book he'd read more times than he could count.
"I do not know. Have you found anything else that would have caused this? Maybe she was wearing a pendant or something?"
"No, she did offer use of her library for the pair of us," Lucius commented. Severus only sighed. "Maybe you could even convince her to help you search. Have you noticed how attractive she is?"
"You spent most the night thinking about draining her, didn't you?" Severus muttered. Lucius smiled, letting out a soft laugh.
"I couldn't help it. Have you not seen her, Severus?"
"I have and I have managed to control myself," Severus stated dryly. Lucius only shook his head. He and Severus had been together so long he knew exactly what the man was thinking.
"I know your mind, Severus."
"I will not deny she is attractive, but we are not here for her."
"But what if we are? She made my heart beat, what if she is the cure? What if," Lucius paused, a contemplative look on his face.
"What if love is the cure? That's more than a bit cliche, my lord," Severus replied, taking the book from Lucius' hand. "And there is nothing in the book about love."
"But think about it, Severus. There must be some truth to it, all those tales, too many to count. As for the book, who would love a monster such as myself?"
"Fine, then go kiss her tonight. The sun has risen and I'm certain you require sleep."
Lucius nodded, trading places with Severus. He folded his arms in front of him, closed his deep grey eyes and allows slumber to claim him as the rooster outside the palace started crowing loudly.
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"Good morning, Severus," Hermione greeted as Severus entered the dining room. She hadn't expected to see Lucius this morning. She did, however, expect to see him again after nightfall. She wondered if Lucius and Severus had spoken after she'd gone to bed last night. If Lucius had told Severus of the offer of her library.
"Good morning, your majesty," he mumbled, taking a seat and pouring himself a cup of coffee. Hermione loved the bitter drink, although she did tend to add sugar to it. What good was being queen if she couldn't have a few luxuries?
"I trust King Lucius is sleeping peacefully now?" she asked.
"Why would?"
"Severus, I know what the man you serve is. I met him last night. His pale skin, the way he smiles whilst keeping his lips closed as to not reveal his fangs, he inquired about curing the curse of the vampire. Do you really believe me to be daft?"
"Of course not, I did not realize he'd been so forthcoming," Severus commented, thinking about how easily such a slip could have cost Lucius his life if Hermione had been of the mind that all vampires were evil beings.
"He was, he also kept staring at my neck," she laughed. "I wouldn't have minded, if he'd... well, bitten me," she confessed. Severus stared at her. He'd never encountered anyone who actually wanted to be a vampire. The idea of willingly being turned into something like that, something that dangerous, floored him.
"You want to be a creature of the night, to never see the sun again?"
"To live forever and protect my people from the enemies that keep coming? I would give up every sunrise for their safety," Hermione stated. Severus nodded. He'd heard Hermione was a queen of the people, that she listened to her subjects, that once the kingdom had come under her rule there had been a new age of prosperity and enlightenment.
"It is a curse I would never wish on anyone, not even my own enemies," Severus said after a moment. "Lucius has been searching for a cure."
"I know, I offered use of my library to both of you. Although I'm well versed in the lore and have found nothing even hinting at a cure, only different ways to dispose of a vampire," Hermione admitted.
"Same. My lord believes though, there is a cure, there is a way to change from a vampire back t to human form, to lose immortality, to be mortal again."
"Why does he seek such a thing?"
"I believe he is worried about what will happen in the future. He has seen many he has cared about grow old and die around him. His kingdom, his subjects, that is why he keeps such a distance from all of it."
"I never thought about that part of the curse," Hermione whispered, looking down at the table. The idea of everyone she loved dying before her, the idea that the kingdom would go through generation after generation without her changing. It was something to think about.
"Most do not."
"What can I do to help then?" she asked. "I'm no stranger to getting dirty, to doing research if that is what is required," she added, wondering if this was the proper time to bring up the prophesy.
"Perhaps you could join me in the library? You surely know it better than I will, and a second pair of eyes searching would not be amiss. That is if you can spare a moment of your time."
"I'm queen, I can spare as much time as I wish. I have nothing on the schedule today as is. Shall we adjourn then?" she asked. Severus nodded, almost unable to believe it. The idea of Hermione working with him in the library, the idea of watching her skim numerous tomes, her eyes studying the pages, his own heart nearly skipped a beat. He was beginning to wonder if his will power, his ability to resist her beauty, was as strong as he believed.
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"What about this one, it's not very scientific, in fact, it's just a poem, but it does mention love's kiss saving the beast?" Hermione suggested, holding out a book for Severus to see. He leaned over, their faces nearly touching. He placed a long finger over the page, tracing each line.
"It could work, Lucius even made a comment last night about how speaking to you caused his heart to start beating. I did not want to believe it, as impossible as it seemed. I did not wish to give him false hope."
"If he said it beat, he would know, and from just speaking to me?" Hermione asked. She and Severus had spent nearly all day in the library, even taking in a small lunch around noon. This research was too important to interrupt, at least in Hermione's opinion, and she liked having someone to bounce ideas off of.
"There is something about you, your majesty-"
"Please, just call me 'Hermione'. I get so tired to of your majesty," she laughed. Severus smiled, wondering if it would be too forward to kiss her. Lucius would kill him, there was that.
"Very well, Hermione. And as I was saying, there is something about you, something that..." Severus let his voice trail off, searching for the words.
"Something that makes you and your lord both want to kiss me, or maybe in his case, bite my neck?" she asked. "I see how you've been looking at me, how he looked at me."
"And your thoughts on the matter."
"I said before, I wouldn't object to his bite, even if it doesn't come with eternal life. As for you," she said, setting the book back on the solid oak table. She turned to face him, pressing her lips against his.
"You are the first man who has asked me to help in the library. I find you extremely intriguing and I would like to know you better."
"I warn you, Lucius and I..."
"Are lovers? Are more than just traveling companions? The fact he is only now just searching for this cure, a cure I'm fairly certain he only started searching for once you and he became close?" she asked. Severus nodded slowly. He was finding Queen Hermione to be a much more formidable intellect than he'd ever met.
"And would your lord share?" she asked, a small smile playing across her face.
"I have never asked."
"In that case, I would recommend we wait until tonight before I do that again. Back to research then, Severus. Although, this poem might just be the answer. It's obscure enough no one would ever probably read it, and it's poetry which means-"
"Most people scholarly people wouldn't waste time reading it. Yes, love's kiss does seem to be a reoccurring theme in many spells, but I have never heard it used to cure a vampire."
"Maybe because the world hast painted them as monsters undeserving of love," Hermione suggested.
"Possibly," Severus said, mulling over the idea.
"It's nearly dinner time, I should go. I do have some appearances to keep up," she said, rising to her feet. Severus did the same, only Hermione managed to trip over the leg of the table. Severus caught her in his arms, their faces nearly touching again. Hermione pulled back, blushing brightly.
"Speak to Lucius first before we do something, anything, that would anger him."
"Speaking of which, I should go check on him. The sun shall be setting soon enough."
Hermione nodded, as she and Severus quickly went their separate ways.
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"She's impossible!" Severus yelled, slamming open the dungeon door. Lucius stirred slightly. Severus felt a brief twinge of guilt over waking him. Lucius opened one eye and looked over at Severus.
"Our hostess?" he asked, already knowing the answer. It was all over Severus' face and in his every single thought, well, almost every single thought.
"Who else, Lucius?" Severus asked.
"Then you do fancy her as much as I?"
"How could I not! She's brilliant and funny and we spent all day in the library together. She kissed me!"
Lucius was awake now, looking at Severus.
"And did you return the gesture?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips as he thought about Severus and Hermione kissing.
"No! I froze. She kisses differently than you, my lord."
"Does she know how I feel about you, Severus? How you feel about me?" Lucius asked, rising and dressing.
"She does. She asked if you'd be willing to share."
"Did she now, and what did you tell her?"
"I'm down here talking to you and not in her bedchamber, what do you bloody think I told her?"
"That that question has never been asked. To answer it though, I would not be opposed to sharing you, Severus. Although, I would very much like the queen for myself."
"I know, my lord. We did discover something interesting in our research; a poem. It speaks about love's kiss curing a monster, making him a man again. It doesn't actually mention the word 'vampire', but Hermione thought it might be the case."
"Love's kiss, as I said last night. This only confirms it. The thing we seek, Severus, is not an artifact at all, it is a person. It is the queen herself who can break my curse. The only question is, will she?" Lucius asked.
"I believe she will, my lord," Severus stated. "She has expressed more than a hint of interest in you. If you were to go see her, I'm certain she would be more than open to entertaining the idea. She does not seem to think vampires are monsters, either."
"Come with me, Severus. I want you there, in the moment the spell is broken. Although if it is love's kiss, why hasn't your kiss broken the curse?" Lucius asked, as if trying to puzzle things together.
"I do not know, my lord. It is possible there is something else about the queen that we have not factored into the equation, possibly it is because she is a female?"
"Or because she is of royal blood, there does often seem to be a clause that some spells need royal bloodlines to work," Lucius added. Severus nodded. He was not of royal blood.
"Shall we go then?"
"Let us go pay a visit to Hermione. I have a feeling she is expecting us. How do I look, Severus?" Lucius asked, gesturing to the royal purple attire he wore and the heavy black cape once again clasped over his shoulders.
"You look intimidating and quite attractive," Severus answered, giving Lucius a quick kiss. Lucius' lips returned it before breaking it.
"Good," he stated, sweeping from the dungeon, Severus following him, hoping this would work for both their sakes.
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Hermione adjusted her nightdress for the third time that evening. She'd been watching the sunset, watching and waiting. She knew Lucius would becoming. The poem she'd found, a small part of the prophesy surrounding her family, hadn't been by accident. She only hoped Severus had told Lucius about it, and not let his own feelings for her get in the way.
A knock on her door made her smile. Her maids often didn't knock, that formality having been dropped a while ago.
"Enter," she called out. The door swung open to reveal both Lucius and Severus standing in the hallway. Severus stepped over the threshold to her room, leaving Lucius standing there.
"Right," Hermione muttered. "King Lucius, I invite you to enter my personal chambers," she said. He smiled, stepping inside. Hermione knew vampires had to be invited inside. That would not have stopped him from entering the castle, since it was open to everyone who sought an audience with the queen.
"Thank you, Queen Hermione."
"Just Hermione is fine."
"Very well then, please, call me 'Lucius'," he replied.
"Now, what can I do for you two gentlemen tonight?" Hermione asked, wondering if she should just ditch the formality and kiss Lucius passionately on the lips. That did still leave the question of Severus though...
"Severus told me of your day in the library together. I have a few things to discuss. One, no, I do not mind sharing my Severus."
Severus blushed as Hermione nodded, flashing him a sly smile.
"And the second thing, Lucius? I'm going to guess it concerns the poem?"
"It does. Love's kiss, is what I heard?"
"Correct, and before I do what I have been wanting since I first met you, I must confess something. There is a prophesy surrounding my bloodlines. It was foretold that my blood would unite my kingdom with another, an ancient one. That I would also free that kingdom."
"Interesting, which would be why Severus' kisses, no matter how passionate were not able to break the curse," Lucius mused. Hermione nodded.
"Shall we then?" she asked, walking over to him. He was a bit taller than she, and she had to stand on her toes to reach his lips. She placed a hand on his chest to help balance herself. At her touch, Lucius' heart started beating, as she pressed her lips against his, she could feel his cold skin warming, his coloring went from pale to not quite as pale. He did still have fair skin. His hair remained the almost white blond color. Lucius kissed Hermione back, his lips exploring hers, his tongue tracing her teeth as hers started to do the same, noting that his long canines were gone. Her kiss had cured him of his vampirism. They finally broke to Severus sighing.
"My lord?" he asked, looking at Lucius. Lucius smiled, a perfectly human smile.
"It worked, my Severus. It worked."
Hermione watched Lucius sweep Severus into a passionate kiss. She realized she'd have to get used to sharing too, if this was going to work.
"What does this mean for all of us?" she finally asked.
Lucius and Severus turned to her.
"I mean, I should marry one of you, unite my kingdom like the prophesy said, not that I don't want both of you in my bed," she added. Lucius smiled laughing.
"We shall wed, as it is my kingdom. Severus shall be our constant companion, unless he objects?"
"I would never, my lord," Severus stated.
"Good. Now that we've got that settled, I'd much like to kiss the both of you again, maybe we could share my bed tonight and watch the sunrise together in the morning?" Hermione suggested.
"A very good idea," Lucius stated, looking at the large four post bed in the center of the room. He swept over to it, one arm around Hermione's shoulder, the other around Severus' waist. Hermione purred at his touch, unable to believe the prophesy had been real and she'd finally found the love she so desired. Severus pulled the cords, causing the curtains to close around the bed, despite Hermione's assurance no one would interrupt them.
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"I never realized how much I missed seeing the sun," Lucius commented, looking over the horizon. The sky had only just started to change from a dusky grey to various shades of oranges and yellows.
"And now you can watch it every morning," Hermione purred, leaning against him. Severus was standing on her other side, his arm wrapped around her.
"Very true, Hermione, very true. I am beyond happy to have met you, even happier to have found out you're the one I'd been searching for. For what you have done to help me and Severus... There is no reward big enough."
"I've already been rewarded beyond my wildest dreams, Lucius. Having you and Severus in my life is all I need. Although, you will have to help me pack, I simply must visit your kingdom."
"And you shall. But the question is, where shall we reside?"
"We've got time to figure it out, Lucius, let's not ruin this talk of beauty and sunrises with logistics?"
"Very well," Lucius answered, giving Hermione a quick kiss on the forehead. "We have the rest of our lives, our now normal length lives," he agreed turning his attention back to the sky, which was now smeared with streaks of pinks and yellows.
"The rest of our lives," Severus agreed, touching his head to Hermione's. She turned and smiled at him, her eyes full of love for her men.
