Disclaimer: I'm too lazy to come up with a creative disclaimer. Just refer to the previous chapters, then :)
A/N: Honestly? This is one of my most favorite Edmund/Hermione-filled chapter in the whole story, hehe.
Review afterwards. Enjoy!
Chapter Nineteen: Of Trainings and Budding Feelings
The moment Hermione entered the Dining Hall, she knew that something was… off.
She regarded all of the Narnian monarchs with suspicious eyes and all they returned back were innocent, almost sheepish smiles.
She instantly approached the empty chair beside Lucy. Now that Thalia was gone, her usual position in the table was back and truthfully, she now felt a lot more comfortable.
The wooden doors had burst open and in came the Talking Animals. Hermione spotted Babbity amongst them and waved her hand in greeting. Her furry friend replied back with a genuine smile, placing a platter of scrumptious food in front of Hermione. "Enjoy," Babbity whispered, and Hermione nodded her head as she, with the rest of the Talking Animals, walked out of the Great Hall to leave the monarchs and Lucy's lady-in-waiting in peace.
Breakfast commenced and the strange feeling that Hermione felt still did not leave her. Although the events of yesterday hung over their heads, nobody seemed to say anything about it.
'Strange,' Hermione thought with a frown, absentmindedly slicing the egg on her plate. 'I thought that the first thing that they'd do during breakfast was discuss my revelation and the prophecy in detail.'
"Hermione, love, can you please pass the sugar," Susan pointed out and Hermione immediately did what she was told. The brunette watched as the pregnant queen sprinkled the said condiment all over her plate of egg, earning some raise of eyes from the others. Hermione, with a smile, deduced that Susan was starting to crave for strange, bordering exotic foods.
"After breakfast," High King Peter announced, his eyes finally landing on Hermione, "Hermione will come with me."
Nobody seemed to interject. In fact, they nodded their heads. Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stared back at the high king. "Me? Why?" she cautiously asked, prompting Lucy to giggle beside her.
"Why, for your first lesson of horseback riding, of course!" Peter exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
The others concurred and Hermione sighed in frustration. "I am sorry, but I think I am missing something here," she grumbled, slightly glaring at her meal.
"Well, after what had happened yesterday, we all agreed that it would be good if we train you," Lucy explained, placing a hand on top of Hermione's.
"You see," Edmund piped in, leaning closer to the table so that he could see Hermione's face. "We all believe that you are the Daughter of Eve in the prophecy. The Chosen One, if you may."
Hermione's nose scrunched up. "Chosen One?" she asked in bewilderment, remembering how Harry used to detest that label for him. "Daughter of Eve? Prophecy? Hold on, hold on. I'm not getting anything. Will somebody care to explain everything properly to me?"
Peter released his fork and gently placed it on his plate. Intently staring at Hermione, he gently smiled. "I think you've already figured out that the words you had uttered to us yesterday were part of a prophecy, Miss Hermione Jean Granger," he started. "A prophecy that we tried to hide from our people so that they would not be alarmed and panicked. All of us did not tell it to anybody; thus, it is surprising that you, of all people, know it."
"And so… you think that I am the one in the prophecy?" she asked, disbelief clearly etched on her face.
"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" Edmund asked. "I think the attempt of the Minotaur and the Wolf to kill you is a dead giveaway, Hermione. A possible, and perhaps the most logical reason as to why you were attacked yesterday was because you are the Daughter of Eve in the prophecy and Jadis' and her minions are trying to do everything to dispatch you."
His revelation was met with silence. Hermione's eyes widened in sheer surprise, her jaw also magnetizing down.
"These days had been dangerous," Peter said, his face growing somber. "And I believe that it will be more dangerous for you, Hermione. I have this inkling that Jadis knew you are here already and although I don't know how, she managed to communicate with some of her previous followers and ordered to kill you."
Hermione released a groan whilst rolling her eyes. "Great," she said. "I have to avoid death for the second time around."
"Which is why," Peter continued, "we decided to teach you lessons until the time comes. You can view them as your trainings, Miss Granger, and we are doing this for your safety and readiness."
The High King stood up and then pointed to himself. "I will teach you horseback riding," he said. "I believe this will be useful for you once we are already in the battlefield." His fingers then pointed towards Susan and Caspian, who both smiled warmly at Hermione. "Su and Caspian will teach you archery. Seeing that my sister is pregnant, Caspian will mostly teach you the basics." He then pointed at Edmund. "My brother will teach you swordsmanship." Lastly, he pointed at Lucy. "And Lu will help you with researching. Perhaps on how to conjure magic once again in Narnia."
Hermione's jaw once again fell and she stared at everybody in the table, her disbelief increasing. "I don't think - "
"Yes you do," Edmund had cut in, giving her a pointed look. "I think we've already established that you are quite intelligent for your age, Miss Granger, and I am sure this assumption had crossed your mind already."
She closed her mouth and glowered darkly at Edmund, knowing that he was telling the truth. Of course it had crossed her mind! Shouldn't she start thinking when two strange creatures suddenly attacked her out of nowhere and a strange voice apparently had revealed to her a great prophecy?
"It's dangerous for you, Hermione," Lucy added, offering an apologetic smile to the brunette. "We think that the next logical step is to train you."
Finally, she signed in resignation. "All right, all right, I get your point," she said, raising her hand up in defense. "Just so you know… I'll be a little reluctant but bear with me."
Her confession was met in silence, all perfectly understanding what she was saying. Hermione had been in a Great War before and of course, there would be flashbacks that could hinder her from properly training. After all, the mental trauma that the war had given her was still present in her mind. The nightmares she was having were proof enough.
And thus, with an earnest smile on his face, High King Peter declared, "We will try our best."
"Today, I'm going to teach you how to ride a horse," Peter declared as he led her to the Gentle Meadows. His beloved brown horse, Stardust, was strutting behind them. They were wearing casual attire that was fit for horseback riding. As usual, Susan had graciously lent Hermione some of her clothes since Hermione did not have any.
They stopped at the middle of the meadow and Hermione was thankful enough that the land was bare without any big boulders or trees. Merlin knows how hard it would be and she thought that accidents would be prevented more if they were to practice at a spacious place.
Peter then rummaged inside his sling bag and pulled out a small brush. He gave it to Hermione with a smile and gestured to his horse. "Horses need to be tamed first before being used for riding," he explained. "Befriend the horse. That part is crucial. You can never ride a horse that doesn't like you; else, accidents will be frequent."
He held Hermione's hand and placed it on Stardust's fur. "The best thing to do is to brush his hair," he said, guiding Hermione's hand. "Talk to him softly, perhaps. Just make sure that he would relax. Make him trust you. Promise him you'll take care of him if you will. I've ridden Stardust for quite a while now and he is basically a very nice horse. I am sure you will be able to tame him as soon as possible."
Peter then noticed how his hand was clutching Hermione's for he immediately retrieved his hand back, his cheeks slightly coloring with embarrassment. Hermione brushed his reaction off and continued to brush Stardust's mane. "That's a good boy," she cooed, her free hand running through the bridge of his nose. "I'll properly take care of you, Stardust. That's a good boy."
She had tamed him for minutes until Peter deemed that his horse was already relaxed. The soft neighing elicited from the horse's mouth was enough for him to deduce that saddling Stardust could already be done.
Once again, he rummaged inside his sling back and produced a saddle. He slowly walked towards Stardust and patted his mane. "Before saddling a horse, make sure that there were no wounds that could hurt him or produce some discomfort." He gently placed the saddle on top of Stardust back and buckled him up. "Stardust hadn't been used for days so I'm sure he has no wounds."
Peter then asked Hermione to back away for a bit as he lifted himself up using the stirrup of the saddle. Hermione watched with awe as he sat down on the horse with ease. With a smirk, he hopped back down on the ground and landed with obvious grace.
"Do not startle the horse," he continued. "Startling him might make him resent you, for lack of a better word. Here, I'll help you mount on him."
He offered his hand and Hermione warily stared at them. 'For the sake of training,' she told herself as she reluctantly placed her hand on top of Peter's. He helped her mount on the horse and wasn't able to do it for the first time. "You did it with ease," she accused him, slightly frustrated. Peter chuckled and wordlessly held her hand once again to mount her up.
After a few failures, she was finally able to sit on top of the horse. Her position was a little awkward and she was feeling uncomfortable.
"Don't worry, it would be uncomfortable at first," he assured her. "With practice, of course, you will be able to be in synchronization with your chosen horse."
"Now, hold the reins," he told her, directing at the said material. Hermione gingerly held each of them with both of her hands and looked at Peter, waiting for his further instructions. "Remember, do not startle the horse. Be gentle with him. We must avoid accidents, Hermione."
Through gritted teeth, she replied, "I'll keep that in mind."
His hand wrapped around her right hand. "Relax," he said, rubbing her fist. "Relax and you'll be all right."
Slowly, she loosened her grip with horse and took a deep breath.
"Good, now for the horse to start walking, gently nudge him with your lower leg," he said. "Go on. You can do it."
Hermione did what she was told to do so. With a slight lurch, Stardust started to walk forward.
"Good, good," Peter praised. "Now, remember. Look straight ahead. Don't look down. Maintain a good posture; a crooked posture would confuse the horse when given commands. Keep your legs relaxed and as much as possible, don't fidget too much. You might do something with the horse and he'd think it is a command for him."
Soon, Hermione was starting to relax. Peter had also taught her how to basically turn the horse left and right, and then completely halt him from walking.
"That wasn't bad at all," Peter said with a charming grin, looking up at Hermione who returned his smile. "Truth be told, you are easy to teach, Hermione."
The brunette shrugged and leaned forward to pat Stardust's mane. "Your horse is… good," she said, smiling when the horse neighed. "I'm sure he made our practice a little easier for me. I even think he sensed that I'm a newbie."
Peter once again offered his hand to dismount Hermione. "Carefully," he cried once Hermione held his hand.
Hermione, without meaning too, slightly hit her leg against Stardust. The horse thought it was a command for him to start walking. With a soft shriek, Hermione slipped off the saddle and landed with a dull thud on the grass. Her back made contact with the ground and a groan escaped from her lips.
"Hermione!" Peter cried, immediately jogging towards her side. "Are you all right?" he asked, once again offering his hand.
The brunette winced upon feeling a sharp pain on her elbow, finally seeing that she managed to scrape herself when she landed on the floor. She looked up and stared at Peter's frantic face, unable to suppress the chuckles that soon escaped from her lips.
The High King backpedalled and stared down at her in bewilderment. Hermione, on the other hand, shook her hand and helped herself up, absentmindedly patting Stardust's mane.
"I'm all right, I'm all right," she assured him, wiping off some dusts and dirt from her arm and clothes. "I just got a little klutzy back there."
Peter broke into a small, fond smile and also patted Stardust's mane. "That's good to know," he said, his eyes boring straight into her own.
Hermione's cheeks colored in discomfort and she looked away, clearing her throat. "You said you wanted to show me my new battle horse, yes?" she asked, immediately shifting into a new topic.
He also cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, yes," he said, grabbing Stardust's leash and directing him back to Cair Paravel. Hermione followed and along the way, they talked.
"I'm not entirely sure if you would like him, Hermione," he said, looking at her sideways. "We haven't given him a name yet and I would like to give you the honor of doing so."
The brunette grew curious as they neared the castle. The stable was at the backside of Cair Paravel and that was where Peter had led her and Stardust.
Soon, they were in the stable and horses lined up inside. She could see the different-colored horses. A Telmarine, which she presumed as the stable boy, rushed towards their side and clutched the reigns of Stardust, immediately directing the said horse to its own stall.
Peter, with a smile, grabbed Hermione's arm and brought her to the innermost part of the stable. A lone horse, a black one to be exact, was standing tall and proud, his mane of black hair almost shining under the stable light.
"That's him," he whispered, releasing Hermione's arm as she slowly walked towards the black horse.
The horse seemed to sense the arrival of Peter and Hermione for his eyes swivelled around and landed at Hermione. The brunette heaved a huge breath, startled by the color of the eyes of the horse.
Emerald.
Her eyes almost brimmed with tears as she looked back at Peter, her gratitude immense she felt her heart was almost going to burst.
"Do you like him?" he asked, and Hermione wordlessly nodded.
Once again, she looked back at him and lifted her hand, now gently patting his nose. To her happiness, the horse snuggled his nose against her palm and softly neighed.
"So, what will you name him?"
The moment the horse's eyes landed on her, Hermione already knew what she would name the horse. Earnestly, she smiled up at her new horse and said,
"Harry."
Once Hermione walked inside the room, she caught sight of Edmund.
He was wearing casual clothes, save for the shield that bore Narnian's emblem on his arm and his sword swung over his arm. He was busy reviewing some notes spread out on top of the only table in the room, complete with his knitted eyebrows and pursed lips.
Beside the table was a rack filled with different kinds of swords. Some were long and big, others were either medium or small in size.
Hermione looked down at her dress and decided she dressed inappropriately. With dismay, she looked behind her and knew she should walk a long way back to her bedchambers just to dress nicely.
"You're here," Edmund stated, cutting her off her reverie.
The brunette turned around and slightly curtsied, prompting him to slightly smirk. "I see, a little respectful now," he said, which made her smile.
"Where are we?" she asked, looking around as she strode inside. The room was a little bare, without any ceiling to cover the whole room. The walls were made of bricks and there were a few evidence of moss. 'Is that… blood?' she asked herself with astonishment, seeing a few splatters of dark brown and some, fresh red.
Edmund gestured to the whole room and stated, "Welcome to the Place of Arms, where Narnian soldiers gather around to train for battle."
'So, that explains the blood,' she thought, highly amused as she tried to imagine what ever happened here in this room.
"I do believe that you dressed quite… inappropriately for our lesson today," Edmund pointed out, directing Hermione's attention back to him.
Hermione looked back at her dress and frowned. "I actually thought I was going to do some research with Lucy today in the library but she had prior engagements already," she explained, grabbing the hem of her dress. "Queen Susan and King Caspian couldn't attend to my archery lesson because Queen Susan's been experiencing morning sickness again. And so… here I am. I could change, if you like."
"No, no, don't bother," Edmund said, gesturing her to come closer. "We cannot afford to waste time when time is ticking by."
She cautiously approached him, her eyes trained intently at his sword. "So, swordsmanship, eh?" she said, her eyes now landing on the rack of swords. She grabbed one but deemed it too heavy for her frame. She grabbed another one, but still, it did not feel right.
"Yes, one of the most essential skills that a soldier must learn before going to a war," he said, coming up behind her and peering over her shoulder. "It is important for a soldier to choose the right sword. It doesn't matter how big or small it is as long as the soldier can control the sword, and not the sword on the soldier."
"How very wise," she said, turning around, now the perfect sword clutched tightly in her right hand. "We must commence then."
Edmund smirked and strode towards the table, grabbing an extra shield and giving it to Hermione. "A shield during battle is also essential," he continued. "A good warrior doesn't merely do offensive attacks. One must learn how to defend himself, too."
He tightened his grip with his sword and placed his shield in front of him. "The defense position," he stated. "One must assume this position if the enemy attacks." He placed his shield at his side and pointed his sword towards the front. "The attack position," he continued. "One must assume this position if an enemy is vulnerable."
Hermione lifted her sword and stepped forward, her eyes trained intently on him. "Don't patronize me," she retorted back, a smirk of her own growing on her face. "If you must know, I know quite a lot about swordsmanship."
"You do?" he asked, doubtful.
She scoffed, affronted by his disbelief. "I've been trained by my deceased Headmaster swordsmanship," she explained. "It enhanced my wand-handling. Frankly, there is a reason why I've always been labelled as the brightest witch of her age."
"Well, then," he said, slowly moving forward, "we must see."
And then, Edmund had thrust his sword. Hermione immediately lifted her sword and clanged against his. "I said don't patronize me!" she exclaimed, pushing forward and catching Edmund off-guard.
"Not bad!" he cried back, ducking when she attacked. He lifted his shield and her sword clanged against it. This time, he pushed forward and Hermione almost lost her balance. "But I've loved battles for a reason, Miss Granger. So please, don't underestimate me, too."
He dove forward to avoid Hermione's blow. Using his right foot, he raised himself up and kicked her shield away. Hermione released a shriek of surprise, her shield immediately slipping from her hand, and watched with frustration as Edmund stood up with ease.
"Show off," she grumbled, glaring at his triumphant smirk. Hermione immediately grabbed her shield and thankfully avoided the attack that Edmund had thrown her way. "Oh no, you don't!" She dashed to the right and ran behind him, her infectious laughter ringing all over the room.
"This isn't the time to enjoy!" he shot back, although he failed to suppress the grin that was slowly growing on his face.
"Practice what you preach, your majesty!" she cried back, laughing when she was able to duck and avoid his attack on time. Hermione immediately stood up and charged, her sword clanging noisily with Edmund's. The sound of their swords resounded in the whole room.
"Hmm… not bad," Edmund gasped, his breathing turning a little erratic. "Not bad at all."
She grinned, her breathing also starting to get faster. "Thank you," she said. "You're not bad yourself… but I can do better!" She had caught him off-guard when she charged, throwing her body against him. Edmund lost his balance and fell on the floor, his back painfully hitting the floor.
He released a groan and then stopped as he looked at the sharp edge of Hermione's sword. "Just because I'm a lady doesn't mean I cannot show my strength at all," she told him, carefully putting the cold end of her sword on his throat.
Edmund smirked, a little impressed. "A feminist, I see," he said, his amusement genuine. "Yes, not bad at all."
Hermione laughed and shook her head but because of her excitement, she lost slight control with her sword. For a heart-stopping moment, she released her sword and fell forward. Edmund's eyes widened, the sharp edge of the sword dangerously close to his eyes.
And then, with horror and sheer relief mingled together, Hermione watched as the hilt of the sword hit Edmund squarely on the bridge of his nose.
He groaned in pain and covered his nose. Horrified, Hermione fell down on her knees. "Oh Merlin," she cried, a mixture of amusement, horror, and disbelief swirling at the pit of her stomach. "I'm so sorry."
Underneath her, Edmund started to deeply laugh, his eyes squeezed tightly with both pain and amusement. "I cannot even begin how to explain what I'm feeling right now," he said, his voice strangely muffled. When he opened his eyes, they immediately connected with her worried, brown ones.
Unbeknownst to Hermione, his eyes also held mischief.
It was too late when he immediately lunged forward and grabbed her arm. He rolled around and successfully trapped a stunned Hermione Granger beneath him. "Another basic rule in fighting, Miss Granger," he said, his voice strangely husky. "Never, ever, symphatize with the enemy."
A round of giggles escaped from her lips, shaking her head at how things ended. "Does this mean I lost right now?" she whispered up at him, her eyes shining brightly with mirth. "Too bad. I was actually having fun."
Her words died down in her lips, a small smile following her small declaration. Edmund's smile matched hers, his onyx eyes intently boring hers.
And that was when Hermione understood how compromising their position was. There she was, underneath him and trapped, with his strong hands encircling both of her wrists just so she could not escape. He was using his arms in order to keep himself up just so he could not crush her with his own weight.
Slowly, her cheeks colored with embarrassment. Her eyes widened and silently, she started to panic. "Umm…" she whispered, her voice almost inaudible for him to hear.
Edmund's eyes travelled down to her pink lips and visibly swallowed. "Umm…" he whispered back, his voice strangely husky.
His eyes travelled back to her brown ones. He gazed at her with so much intensity that Hermione found herself gasping loudly underneath. Her chest was falling and rising with great speed and at times, it brushed against his muscular one.
And then, with such daintiness, he released her left wrist. His hand slowly travelled to her cheek and traced the contours of the left side of her face. Her eyes flickered shut, marvelling his touch, and suppressed a sigh that was bubbling at the tip of her tongue.
Suddenly, the moment was broken when the door flew open. "I hate to break your swordsmanship lesson but – OH." Lucy stared, her eyes wide and her jaw ajar, at the very compromising situation regarding her brother and her lady-in-waiting.
Edmund released a humongous sigh and plopped down on his back beside Hermione. His cheeks were burning hot as he then sat up and involuntarily glared at his sister. He ran a hand through his hair and refused to look down at the brunette still lying down beside him. "What is it?" he barked.
Lucy flinched, her eyes moving from Edmund to Hermione and back. "Peter's… summoning both of you for afternoon tea," she cautiously said.
The just king wordlessly stood up and walked out of the room without a single glance back.
Once he was gone, the youngest queen sauntered slowly to Hermione, who was still lying down on her back. The difference, though, was that her face was completely covered with her hands. Lucy was able to make out the traces of a vivid blush underneath Hermione's hands and grew confused.
"Hermione?"
To her surprise, the brunette groaned and hastily sat up.
"Oh, dear Merlin Almighty."
Lucy stared at Hermione, a curious frown present on her face.
The said brunette sat across from her, her eyes blank and unseeing as her hand casually flipped one page to another, obviously not reading a word from the book at all.
The queen's mind went back to yesterday's event. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. The moment she strode inside the Place of Arms, both Edmund and Hermione in a very compromising situation, had made her too dumbstruck for proper words.
Lucy had always known her brother and her lady-in-waiting had a very special, for lack of a better word, relationship. Rivals, if she were to elaborate it more clearly. Hermione sometimes outwitted his brother and Lucy knew how it had drove Edmund insane. The fact when he adamantly told everybody that Hermione was an impostor was enough proof. And now that he was proven right… Lucy smiled disbelievingly and shook her head.
She should have detected it sooner. There was this sudden shift in their relationship and she had no idea when it had happened. There were times when they would act like their usual self, banter over nonsensical stuff, and even have intelligent conversations that made her dizzy.
'But when did everything became so… casual?' she asked herself, watching in amusement as Hermione almost slipped off her chair. Lucy reckoned it was probably during the time when Hermione and Edmund were left all alone in Cair Paravel. The moment she, Peter, Susan and Caspian came back from Archenland, there was something different between the two of them. It was almost indistinguishable but now that Lucy was deeply contemplating, she could detect them already.
"Is everything all right, Hermione?" Lucy asked, lightly touching the brunette's arm.
Hermione jolted in surprise, shot Lucy's hand a look, and furiously blush. "Fine, fine," she hastily said, pulling her arm away. "Everything's all right, Lucy. What makes you think the otherwise?"
'Well, for starters, your behaviour?' Lucy spoke in her mind. She was tempted to say it out loud but the poor girl seemed like she had too many things in her mind lately.
A knock from the library door broke Lucy's train of thoughts. The door screeched open and Babbity's head poked inside. "High King Peter summons the queen and her lady-in-waiting for lunch," she said.
"Thank you, Babbity," the valiant queen said, pulling the still disoriented brunette up to her feet. "We will be there in a few minutes."
The furry Talking Animal nodded her head and closed the door.
Lucy, with a sigh, looped her arm around Hermione. "Come on, now," she said. "I think a meal would help you clear your thoughts."
Hermione cleared her throat, announcing her arrival, and nervously stepped inside the gazebo. Edmund slowly lifted his eyes from his book and had to suppress a smirk.
She was, simply put, a bundle of nerves. Edmund knew it was a wise decision to postpone their swordsmanship lessons for today. He was afraid the brunette could have harmed not only him but also herself.
"Hermione," he greeted, inclining his head. She swiftly nodded her head and trudged towards the chair opposite him, her cheeks a vivid shade of red.
"I'm afraid I must finish this chapter first," he told her, his eyes boring on her. "Would you mind?"
"Oh, go ahead," she said, gesturing at the book. "I am willing to wait."
He stared at her for a moment before nodding his head and lifting the book back in front of his face. Behind the book, he distinctively heard her release a small sigh and he, in spite of himself, fondly smiled.
It had been two days ever since that specific incident in the Place of Arms and everything between them had been awkward. He was quite thankful that he did not need to train Hermione Granger yesterday, seeing that both Lucy and Caspian wished to start their lessons already. Thus, he was left alone to contemplate deeply what had transpired between the two of them.
He must admit, she was a brilliant swordsman. The way she handled her sword, attacked and defended herself made him realize that the deceased Headmaster she was saying had really taught her everything about swordsmanship. She had been agile, yet vigilant; contemplative, yet sly.
Edmund peeked above his book and watched as she slightly fidgeted on her seat, her cheeks already reverting back to their normal color. His eyes then travelled down the bridge of her nose, then to her lips, and paused. His eyes traced the shape of her pink lips and once again, he involuntarily swallowed. Her eyes shot up and he immediately hid his face behind his book.
'Get a grip, Edmund Pevensie,' he told himself, frustrated that he was once again slowly losing his mind. 'She's just a girl.'
He waited for a few more minutes before peeking up again. Thankfully, her eyes were intently gazing outside the gazebo.
His right hand once again tingled, remembering how it involuntarily brushed against her soft cheek. His eyes slightly narrowed as they magnetized on the exact spot where he had touched her. She was… soft and he could faintly smell her – vanilla.
He had always loved the smell of vanilla.
Her eyes once again looked back at him and he hastily hid behind his book. His cheeks colored, guessing he had been caught staring, and mentally cursed inside his head.
"With all due respect, are you done reading now?" she asked, the tone of her voice strangely frustrated.
Edmund took a deep breath and coolly closed the book, placing it on top of the table. He then looked back at her and nodded. "Yes, I'm quite done now," he said.
Hermione immediately looked away from him and pursed her lips. "Why aren't we practicing swordsmanship today?" she asked him.
The king immediately rummaged inside his pocket and pulled out a parchment, followed by a small pen. He clicked it open and smoothed the edges of the parchment. Hermione's curious eyes roved all over the piece of paper and frowned. "It's the prophecy," she stated, prompting Edmund to nod.
"I just thought it is the right time to decipher each line," he said.
He noticed how her eyes lit up and Edmund figured she was thrilled by the challenge.
"All right so… Betrayal of the most unlikely," he started.
Hermione scooted closer, thought for a moment, but then shook her head. "I think that is the hardest line in the prophecy," she said. "There are things that must need patience in order to see its outcome."
Edmund sighed. "Yes, you're right… but caused by a selfish desire?" he asked.
"Greed?" Hermione offered, which made Edmund shrugged.
"Possible," he said. "Perhaps, pride, too."
The brunette frowned. "Again, there are things that must need patience in order to see its outcome."
"All right, all right," Edmund said, crossing out the first three lines of the prophecy. "Turmoil will reign. Darkness will obscure Light."
Hermione involuntarily shivered and pursed her lips. "My best guess for that is that a war is… looming," she whispered, afraid that she might have said something wrong out loud.
But Edmund nodded, concurring. "We all guessed that was what the line had stated," he said. "That is why, we are training you."
She frowned and read the next few lines. "Until a Daughter of Eve, which you all think is me, Princess of the Lions…"
"Now, that's the tricky part," Edmund said, leaning closer to the table and absentmindedly stroking his chin. "Princess of the Lions," he repeated. "Why would you be considered as the Princess of the Lions."
She fell into a deep thought, her eyes rereading the words again and again, until, she jolted and clapped her hands. "I got it!" she cried. "You see, in my school, we are divided into four different Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw." She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "I belonged to the Gryffindor House and our symbol is a lion."
He allowed her words to sunk in before he smiled, realizing that it made sense. "Princess of the Lions," he said, regarding her with slight awe and amusement. His eyes went back to the parchment and continued. "Brought by the Great Fate la la la… Aided by a Magical Stick. Now, that fits you perfectly, seeing that you are a witch."
"But it's currently useless," she reasoned out.
He pointed his finger at the next few words and read it out loud. "But her magic will falter… You said your wand is useless." He grinned and gestured at the prophecy. "It fits you. Each line fits you."
Hermione sighed and nodded. "All right, all right. Everything makes sense," she reluctantly said. "But - "
"EDMUND!"
The brunette was halted from her words as a hysterical Lucy came running towards the gazebo. Her skin was as white as a sheet and Edmund could detect her trembling.
He immediately shot up from his seat and rushed towards his sister. He had arrived beside her just in time since Lucy swayed and almost fell on the floor. He had luckily caught her before she hit the ground.
"Lucy! What is it? Are you all right?" he asked frantically, slightly shaking his sister. At the corner of his eyes, he saw how Hermione stood up from her seat and approached the two of them.
"P-Peter summons you," the valiant queen said, her eyes already brimming with tears. "Oh, Ed. It's starting. The prophecy isstarting… Turmoil will reign."
Edmund blanched. "What do you mean?" he asked softy, afraid of what Lucy's next words would be.
The young queen took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder. A tear trickled down from her eyes as she looked straight into Hermione's eyes.
"The giants from the North are starting to have an uprising," she sobbed.
A gasp escaped from him as he stared at his sister disbelieving.
"And Peter said it's because they discovered that their previous Queen, Jadis, will be rising again soon."
A/N: So, was it good? Bad? Eh? Meh? :)
Ooh, Edmione-filled chapter. How'd ya like the swordsmanship lesson, eh? EH? And haha, the last part where Edmund was, you know, "reading"? Oh, and include a dash of Peter/Hermione with that horseback riding lessons thing. I must admit, I'm a complete noob when it comes to horseback riding so I had to make numerous researches just to make that scene, well, believable. And the horse! In the end! How would Harry react if he discovered that Hermione named a horse after him? *snort*. But seriously, I thought it was fitting because, you know, she was mourning and the emerald eyes thing. I hope you understand me :)
And oh, how can I forget, the last scene with the hysterical Lucy. Things are starting to become more interesting, yeah?
Now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who take their time to read this, and most especially to those who review. I know that my Dramione avid readers are asking for a Dramione fic from me already (you bastards) and swear to all of you that I'm making one. But still, thank you for giving this story a chance. I know that we all miss Draco Malfoy (WHO SERIOUSLY DOESN'T) but at least, I'm able to give my own take on Edmund Pevensie a certain charm of his own :)
So yes, after the twenty-eight reviews in the previous chapters, I think it is right to thank all of you again. I do apologize, though, that I haven't answered all of your questions. I'm busy preparing for my enrolment in college and all (EEP, I'LL OFFICIALLY BECOME A PRE-MED COLLEGE STUDENT TODAY. WISH ME LUCK, MY DEARIES .). I've been rather busy, though I seriously wanted to reply to all of them.
One review caught my attention and I think I will not rest properly tonight without clearing it up. To Pom-frenchreader: What I was trying to say is that there are seven horcruxes + Harry (the unintended). In an AU kind of thing, like this story, there is a part of Voldemort in Harry but he's not a horcrux... you understand now? XD I mean, there was no killing HP to technically "kill" Voldie's soul inside him kind of thing, okay? XD
That's it for now! Once again, send me your lovely reviews. Happy almost weekend, everybody :D
With love
WickedlyAwesomeMe