Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the idea of pairing Hermione Granger with Edmund Pevensie. The rest belongs to J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis (OMG, I just realized that they used the same format to make up their own pen name *mind blown* XD
A/N: So, yay, I updated a little earlier than normal! Well, what can I say? I was so stoked with all your reviews from last chapter. WAH, five more reviews and "When Two Worlds Collide" will have five hundred reviews already. THAT'S HALF A THOUSAND. OMG, I never expected this... I can't even... I think I'm starting to blubber... I-I can't handle this... I... hold on...
ALL RIGHT, haha, sorry for that. I'm just really so happy with you guys. So, without further ado, I present to you, a chapter filled with so many Hermione and Edmund scenes just to show how I love you all, my readers and reviewers alike.
Enjoy! And review afterwards :)
Chapter Twenty-Six: Secret
Lucy stared at her lady-in-waiting with suspicion.
The moment Hermione entered her bedroom to wake her up, the queen already knew that something had happened. Judging from the extra bounce in her step and the ridiculously wide grin on the brunette's face, Lucy knew it was something pleasant. She just, for the life in her, could not understand why.
Of course, Lucy thought it was a good thing. After all the stressful events she had gone through for the past few weeks, coupled with Edmund's ignorance and Peter's proposal, it was a happy change. She observed as they neared the entrance to the Dining Hall that Hermione seemed… healthier today.
A guess formulated in her mind and Lucy's eyes widened. 'Could it be?' she asked herself, thinking particularly of one of her brothers. Her eyebrows knitted together, deeply contemplating of its possibility. 'Could it be she finally understood?'
Her mouth then stretched into a wide grin, noticing how Hermione also smiled with no apparent reason. If her guess was true, then she'd possibly the happiest sister in the whole wide universe. She needed some evidence, though, if she wanted to bring this topic up with Hermione. There was also a possibility that she had thought wrong and if she were to ask her impulsively, she might crush that happy ambiance encircling around her lady-in-waiting.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Hermione asked out of nowhere.
Lucy smiled and looped her arm around the brunette's. "I'm sure it is," she earnestly said. Hermione's happiness was infectious; soon, Lucy felt very happy today.
"Oh, wait!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. She stopped walking, brining Lucy also into a halt, and continued, "I've forgotten something in my room."
"Well, we can go back," Lucy offered, but Hermione vigorously shook her head.
"No, you go on," Hermione said with a kind smile. "Tell your siblings I'll be back soon."
Lucy frowned suspiciously but in the end nodded. "All right," she said. "Just be quick, though. I am starving."
Hermione smiled at Lucy's grumbling stomach. "I figured," she said, now turning around. "I'll be quick!"
The queen watched as Hermione disappeared behind a corner. She contemplated whether to follow Hermione or not but her grumbling stomach seemed to decided for her even before she could make up her mind. As she turned back around and neared the door of the Dining Hall, Lucy firmly decided that before the week ended, she would be able to figure out Hermione's source of happiness.
For now, she would first satisfy her hungry appetite.
Hermione finally expelled a sigh of relief once Lucy disappeared inside the Dining Hall. With a fast, beating heart, she pushed herself away from the wall she was pressed against and quickly walked back to the staircases, patiently waiting for Edmund.
Her heart skipped a beat, just thinking about him. An idiotic smile stretched across on her face and she shyly blushed, remembering the events that had happened last night. It seemed a little surreal to her; she was even almost convinced it was a beautiful dream. But the kiss they had shared, the touches, the meaningful stares… they were all so vivid it was impossible not to be true.
Before they retired back to their bedchambers, sharing a couple more kisses and Hermione had shed a few more tears, Edmund had requested for her to wait for him beside the staircase before they ate breakfast. Hermione did not ask why, but she just heeded his order.
She sat at the last step of the stairs and sighed, placing her chin on top of her palms. She still could not believe that she had confessed to Edmund Pevensie. It made her ashamed to think that she had reprimanded him for thinking that he foolishly fancied her. Last night, with his words of devotion and sheer care, made Hermione realize that what he was feeling towards her were nowhere near petty. His feelings were sincere; any sane person would be able to see it.
Unless they were barmy – like her. She could not believe that she was too blind to see of what he truly felt for her. Hermione blamed it to her experience during the Second War in Hogwarts. She had been surrounded by evil and negativity that such pureness almost seemed foreign to her. She reckoned that she was not used to seeing and feeling sincerity before that it was almost sad.
Everything did not matter anymore, though. They were together already, or Hermione assumed because she reciprocated his feelings. They had kissed quite a few times, too. Although their relationship was still a confusing matter, Hermione was only so sure of something – she loves him. Perhaps, if it was too early to conclude, she is falling in love with him. Her feelings weren't that juvenile to be likened to a schoolgirl crush. It was far more meaningful and sincere; she even succumbed to it despite her great role in Narnia's great prophecy.
Footsteps were then heard, breaking her off from her reverie. She stood up and swivelled around, only to see Edmund at the topmost step of the stairs. He had halted upon seeing her, his eyes immediately connected with hers.
Hermione's cheeks furiously burned, remembering how he had held her to himself, gently and protectively. She felt satisfied, though, when his cheeks inflamed, too, as he wordlessly stared back at her.
"Mark my words that I will do anything, and I mean everything to keep you safe from now on until your final battle with the White Witch."
His words echoed inside her mind and she offered him a small smile. That simple facial expression of hers seemed to snap him off his stupor as he, with surprisingly three big strides, walked down the remaining steps of the stair. As soon as he was in front of her, he placed a hand against her cheek and swooped down, giving her a small kiss on her lips.
"Good morning," he muttered after pulling away. His eyes were lit up with blatant happiness and Hermione found herself grinning widely at his simple, yet truthful greeting.
She tiptoed to give him another swift kiss, grinning when she felt him warm up against her. "Good morning," she answered, falling back to her heels.
As she saw him smile at her greeting, Hermione guessed that the following mornings would be a good one, too.
Hermione walked back to the castle, a basketful of herbs and spices she had volunteered to pick in the forest today for Babbity's recipe clutched tightly in her hand.
It was a beautiful day and Hermione thought it would be a waste to spend it inside the castle, doing nothing at all. Babbity had furiously refused, reasoning out that a lot of things had already happened to her while she was alone in the forest. Her Rabbit friend feared that she would come back bloodied and injured or worse, she would not come back at all as she crumbled away and die in the forest.
Which was ridiculous.
The brunette did not understand why but she had this inkling that Jadis and her minions would stop bothering her now that she knew she was the Chosen One of the great prophecy. It did not entirely put her heart at peace, knowing that a huge time of silence meant that an explosion was awaiting them.
After minutes of persistence and reasoning, Babbity had exhaustedly left her alone. Hermione immediately walked out of the kitchen door without glancing back, afraid that her Talking Animal friend would change her mind.
As she strode all over the forest, looking for the necessary herbs and spices, she was silently relieved that no suspicious activities had happened. Although Babbity's worry was ridiculous, it was perfectly understandable. Hermione still felt a little peachy about the forest, knowing that she had almost died there. Still, it did not stop her from roaming around.
Now she was going back to the castle and she was satisfied in knowing that nothing bad had happened to her. She could already imagine the monumental sigh of relief that Babbity would release as soon as she stepped inside the kitchen.
"OOMPH!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed as she was pushed back roughly. Her bottom collided painfully with the grassy ground and she thankful she was not walking on the stone pavement. Else, she foresaw another bruise.
She groaned, noticing in dismay that all of the contents of her basket were scattered all over the ground. Her basket was upturned beside her and she scowled.
"I am sincerely sorry!" a voice, a masculine one, exclaimed from above.
Hermione squinted her eyes and looked at the crouching man, who was now gathering all of the scattered spices and herbs. As he hastily placed them back inside the basket, Hermione had observed him. He was wearing the Narnian armor, which made her conclude that he was a soldier. His hair was dishevelled, pointing in all different directions, and its black color made her fondly remember of her best friend, Harry Potter. His eyes were slightly squinted in worry and frustration and Hermione noticed that they were a startling shade of grey.
They were beautiful, she noted.
"Excuse me, but… do I know you?" she asked, examining his whole form.
The soldier finally looked at Hermione and his grey eyes widened in recognition. "You were the crying girl!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Hermione. "The one in the gazebo during Caspian the XI's birthday."
Hermione's cheeks colored. "Erm… yes," she said, realization dawning. She remembered him with Lucy when they found her in the gazebo after Peter's proposal. She just did not understand, though, why he was there. When her eyes once again landed on his startling grey eyes, it triggered a memory.
"And he… he has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."
"A-Ardon?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise.
The soldier stopped and stared at her, his eyebrows creased together. "Yes," he said, nodding his head. "But how do you know my name?"
Hermione beamed widely. "Lucy," she simply stated.
The queen's name had an instant reaction from Ardon. His cheeks colored and his eyes widened, his panic resurfacing for a while. Hermione admired how in an instant, he immediately coughed to disguise his nervousness and casually looked away from Hermione. "Yes," he said. "As you can see, I am a soldier and you've probably heard my name from L – Queen Lucy."
The brunette chuckled at his slight slip. She waved a dismissive hand and leaned a little closer. "I know," she said with a lowered voice. "I know, so don't worry about hiding it from me."
He backpedalled and stood up, the panic once again back, this time it was increased tenfold. Hermione laughed at his obvious discomfort and stood up, the basket once again perched on her right arm. "Don't worry, I swore to Lucy I won't tell anybody," she said. "Your secret is safe with me."
She smiled and he scrutinized her words and her expression for a while. Soon, he released a sigh and returned back her smile. "Thank you," he said. "I'm glad."
"By the way, my name is Hermione," she said, offering her hand. "I am Lucy's lady-in-waiting."
The soldier grasped her hand and shook it. "My name is Ardon," he said.
Hermione smiled and nodded. "I've wanted to meet you, but certain events during Caspie's birthday had restricted me to do so… so, it's nice to finally meet you, Ardon," she said.
They had both walked back to the kitchen, already engaging themselves into a conversation.
"So, you and Lucy, huh?" she asked, peering up at the handsome man.
Ardon blush and nodded. "Erm, yes," he said. "For a few months now."
"I don't really understand why you keep your relationship a secret," she said. "Well, her brothers could throw monumental fits if they want to, but nobility or non-nobility, they know well enough that everybody is an equal."
To her surprise, the Telmarine cracked a smile. "Lucy said exactly the same thing," he said, fondness in his voice. "It's a little complicated," he then confessed. "You're a girl. I am not entirely sure if you will understand."
Hermione raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Let me guess," she started. "It has something to do with 'men' and their 'ridiculous pride', yes?"
The Telmarine had burst into merry laughter, regarding Hermione with amusement. "Miss Hermione, I believe you are far more perceptive than what you actually look like," he said.
The brunette grinned and shrugged. "So, I've heard," she said. "That's nothing new to me."
"Well, if you must know, I am a Narnian soldier, training to become one of the Supreme Generals," he explained. "Yes, I have this so-called 'men and their ridiculous pride' thing and I believe that once I achieved that goal, I will be worthy enough for Lucy."
As he said this, conviction was clearly heard in his voice. His eyes were sparkling with determination and they held a promise of fulfilling his goal.
All for Lucy Pevensie.
Hermione grinned. "I have this inkling as to why Lucy came to like you, Ardon," she said, prompting the soldier to blush. "Good luck on your goal and I fervently wish that you and Lucy will have a happy ending."
The soldier coughed behind his hand and offered her a nervous smile. "Thank you," he said.
"ARDON!"
Both the soldier and the brunette flinched at the same time. Ardon flinched, hearing the unmistakable voice of his king. And Hermione flinched, hearing the unmistakable voice of Edmund Pevensie.
They both watched with curiosity, amusement, and fear (shown on Ardon's face) as the just king ran the great length between the kitchen door toward Hermione and Ardon. With sheer speed, Edmund was now standing in front of them, his eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"What are you doing here?" Edmund barked, his eyes straying down on the brunette beside his soldier. "Didn't I tell you to practice in the Place of Arms?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, having this inkling that Edmund's emotions right now were mixed with something regarding her. She studied his face and his movements, noting his clenched fists, his flaring nostrils, and his growing scowl and realized, with a fond smile, that he was jealous.
"I-I came to take a break, sir," Ardon explained, confused with the furious look on the king's face. Of course he knew he had the shortest temper among all of the royalties. It just made him definitely confused as to why he looked like he would murder him soon. "I-I'll be going back now." He then looked down at Hermione and gave her a smile. "It was nice meeting you, Hermione."
The brunette tore her gaze away from Edmund and smiled back at Ardon. "Likewise," she said. At the corner of her eyes, she noticed how Edmund clenched his teeth to control his sudden surge of fury.
The soldier bowed his head in respect at Edmund before marching back inside the castle through the kitchen door. As soon as they heard the door click, Hermione resumed her walk.
Edmund soon fell into place beside her, the expression on his face dark and brooding. "Care to explain?" he demanded, the scowl on his face stretched wide.
Hermione turned her head to look at him. "And what must I explain?" she asked, secretly memorizing his jealous face forever in her mind.
He made an angry noise and gestured at the space where Ardon once stood. "Why are you with him?" he asked. "With Ardon, of all of my soldiers. If you must know, I could hear some female creatures all over the kingdom how they swoon, dear Aslan, over some ridiculous soldier of mine."
She grinned; she could not help it anymore. She stopped walking completely all at the same time and turned to look at him, her eyes lit up with jesting.
"Are you smiling at me?" he spat, unbeknownst that his cheeks were already furiously red.
"Are you jealous of him?" she asked.
"Of course not!" he cried in indignation. "I'm far better than him."
Hermione shook her head. "No, no, you misunderstood," she said. "Are you jealous of him because of… me?"
He opened his mouth, affronted and ready to answer back. But then, with a dismayed frown, he realized that he had nothing to say in return and closed his mouth. "Yes," he said with great difficulty after moments of silence.
The brunette widely grinned. "Ridiculous," she said, amusement written all over her face. She turned back around and started to walk.
Edmund soon caught up once again, what with his unjustly long legs. "Well, excuse me for suddenly feeling jealous, Miss Granger," he said through gritted teeth.
Hermione openly laughed. "Edmund," she said, putting much emphasis on his name. "You are being ridiculous. I just met him today. We bumped into each other while I was on my way back to the kitchen and he was on his way to go to the forest. No need to suddenly go all huffy and puffy to your soldier. And besides, you don't need to think of such preposterous things. If you must know, his eyes are already set on a particular girl, who is not me."
She secretly grinned, thinking about Lucy and how lucky she was for having Ardon by her side. She honestly wished them happiness in the future.
Beside her, Edmund blushed in embarrassment and cleared his throat. "Right," he said awkwardly. "I'm ridiculous."
Hermione bit her bottom lip, thinking he looked strangely endearing. Gingerly, she reached for his swaying hand and held it. His hold was slack for a while, making Hermione think that she had surprised him, but then, his fingers soon interlaced with her own.
"So, what were you doing in the forest?" he then asked, his forehead creased in slight worry.
She showed him the basketful of spices and herbs. "I volunteered to pick these up," she said. "Babbity had to do something else and I had nothing to do."
He frowned. "Well, I heard from your Rabbit friend that she refused to allow you but you persisted," he pointed out, prompting her to sheepishly grin. "I think we both know that you remember, quite well, mind you, of what had happened the last time you lost yourself in the forest, yes?"
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I came back in one piece," she said. "Isn't that enough? And don't patronize me. I know how to defend myself."
"With a useless stick, I know," he said, grinning when she scowled.
"Well, I apologize for being unable to produce any magic right now," she said. "Be warned, Edmund Pevensie. The moment I am able to use my magic again, you will be the first one to be the receiving end of my wand. I am not the brightest witch of her age for nothing."
He raised an eyebrow, challenging her. "I'd like to see you try," he said.
They were nearing the kitchen door now and Hermione felt a little disappointed. It was an unspoken thing between them that they would keep their relationship a secret for now. Narnia had far too many issues and they did not want to include themselves in the growing list. Still, it wasn't exactly a welcomed idea in both parties.
As soon as they stood in front of the door, Edmund pulled his hand away from hers. She frowned at her hand, feeling strangely empty.
Just then, to her surprise, Edmund wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. He swooped down and kissed her even before she was able to react. When he pulled away, he noted with victory that her cheeks were a lovely shade of red.
He bent down and placed his lips against her ear. He smirked, feeling her tensed up against him. "I'll see you in the gazebo later," he whispered. His breath sent shivers down her spine and made goosebumps erupt all over her bare skin. To further startle her, he playfully nibbled her earlobe. He watched with great satisfaction how her ears furiously turned red, down to her neck, until the visible skin above her collarbone.
Hermione merely blinked as he pulled away, his smirk now wide enough for her to see. He leaned once again to kiss her frozen lips and the next thing the brunette knew, he was inside the castle already.
She released a breath she did not realize she was holding. Idiotically, she stared longingly inside the castle and hoped that night would arrive soon.
"Hermione and I will be going to the forest today," Lucy announced as she sat down on her usual place for breakfast. "I asked her to come with me to pick up some ingredients necessary for the new healing serum we were able to research the other day. So, cancel whatever lessons you have with her."
Without blinking, Edmund said, "I'll come with you."
Lucy's eyes immediately fell on him and he cleared his throat. He tried to school his features as much as possible, seeing the slightly panicked look on Hermione's face.
"Why?" his sister asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Edmund raised an eyebrow and nonchalantly looked back at her. "If you remember correctly, both of you almost died inside the forest," he said. "And I believe the only weapons you have are a dagger and useless magical stick. Thus, for me to accompany both of you is the best choice. And besides, I have nothing to do."
Lucy scowled and stared openly at Peter. "Peter," she said. "Tell Edmund we don't need him to accompany us."
The High King stared at his brother and then to his begging sister and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lu," he said. "Edmund is right; both of youalmost died in the forest. It is best if he accompany you. I would have offered myself but I have a meeting with the King of Archenland today."
The valiant queen stared petulantly at her breakfast plate and sighed. "Fine," she said, prompting Edmund to smile triumphantly.
He looked inconspicuously above Lucy's head and saw the small smile that appeared on Hermione's face. This made him smile wider.
He looked back at the occupants on the table and his eyes landed on Sybill's. She was staring at him amusedly, the smile on her face unmistakable. And then she shook her head and returned back to her plate.
"Have patience and perhaps, your most desired wish will come true."
He remembered her last words to him and smiled, once again looking back at the brunette beside his sister.
Edmund vowed that from then on, he would instil patience in him.
Lucy sighed through her nose as Edmund quickly strode down the stairs towards her and Hermione. She glared when her brother patted her head as his greeting.
"Hermione," he said, inclining his head.
Her lady-in-waiting politely smiled and curtsied. "Your highness," she said.
The youngest queen frowned and hooked an arm with Hermione. There was something really off between the two. First of all, they were talking once again, which was a good thing of course. And second was that they seemed extremely polite with each other as if they were hiding something…
"Well, let us go then," Edmund suggested. "Dusk is nearing and Peter warned me that we must go back before the sun sets."
Lucy glared at her brother and wordlessly pulled Hermione. Edmund closely followed behind, which made the queen thankful. She was glad that he somehow got the message that she wanted to spend this whole day with Hermione alone, and her only.
"So, what will we look for today?" her lady-in-waiting asked, eyeing the piece of paper in Lucy's hand.
The queen gingerly opened the paper and scanned the list. "Well, some herbs and spices, as usual," she said. "There's belladonna, if you must know."
"Well, be careful then," Edmund called from behind. "That is one of the most toxic plants in the world, Lucy."
His sister scowled and looked behind, smothering him with a death glare. "Of course I know that, Ed," she snapped.
He raised an eyebrow, amused with her sudden hostility. "Hmm, I was merely reminding," he said.
Lucy sighed. "Why don't you just go back, Edmund?" she asked. "Nothing's going to pounce on us out of nowhere."
"I would have been convinced if both of you were able to defend yourselves while something did pounce on both of you before," he pointed out, making her look at him warily. "Whatever you tell me, I'm not going back, Lu. Just go on with your searching with Hermione. I won't be a bother. I promise."
Wordlessly, Lucy turned her eyes at Hermione and stared at her beseechingly.
"What?" the brunette asked in a soft whisper, loud enough for only Lucy to hear.
"Edmund's being insufferable," she whispered back. "Tell him to leave."
Hermione released a soft chuckle. "I don't really understand why you don't want him to accompany us today," the brunette said. "He offers to protect us, Lucy. I do believe your brother only means well."
Lucy expelled a frustrated sound at the back of her throat. When she looked back, she could see the curious look on his face. "I actually wanted to talk to you about some… girl stuff," she darkly muttered under her breath. "But my worrywart of a brother suddenly butted in and hindered me from doing so."
The brunette once again laughed. "We can talk in your room later. I promise," she said.
"Still," Lucy interjected, "I couldn't shake off the feeling that Ed's acting… weird. Look, he's talking to you now and has quite forgotten that you rejected him. What caused the change, Hermione?"
To her surprise, Hermione evaded her searching eyes and shrugged. "Perhaps, he realized how ridiculous he was acting?" she suggested, a small smile fighting its way on her lips. "I don't know. But, don't you think it's a good thing?"
Lucy suspiciously peered up at her, trying to observe all of the possible facial expressions on Hermione's face. She noted that her lady-in-waiting could hide things perfectly, seeing that she was not able to really read anything on her. In the end, she gave up all together and focused on their current task.
Soon, all three of them were on all-fours, searching for this certain herb that was honestly hard to find. Lucy had been staring at the ground for minutes now, disgruntled that she could not find it. "Have both of you searched for it?" she asked, looking all over her shoulder. To her surprise, Hermione's cheeks were a lovely shade of red and Edmund could not suppress the growing smirk on her face.
She narrowed her eyes.
"I saw it somewhere, but I somehow got distracted by an irritating mushroom," Hermione said through gritted teeth, glaring quickly at Edmund's direction. "Any luck, Lucy?"
The queen slowly shook her head, still looking at them curiously. "No," she said. "We must look for it more, I guess."
Hermione nodded and looked back at the grass, her fingers brushing on top of the grass blades.
Lucy shot a suspicious look at her brother, who merely raised his eyebrow.
Something was seriously going on between the two of them.
But what?
"Irritating mushroom?" Edmund asked under his breath as soon as Lucy looked away from the two of them. "Lovely metaphor, Miss Granger. I did not know that I could be likened to one."
In spite of herself, the brunette grinned. "Get used to it," she said. "My vocabulary is wide. I can make up as much metaphors in the future as possible. Depending on my mood and how you act."
He softly chuckled and looked quickly at Lucy's direction. She was too preoccupied to notice how his hand playfully flicked Hermione's nose. She released a loud shriek of surprise, making Lucy look back at the two of them again.
"Everything all right?" his sister asked. He stared at her innocently and shrugged. Hermione, on the other hand, scowled on the grass.
"I thought I saw it, but it turned out to be a sickening bug," the brunette said. "I'm sorry for surprising you, Lucy."
His sister gave him a hard, long stare before looking back on the ground, searching for that lone ingredient he couldn't care less to find.
"A sickening bug," he then whispered. "Interesting."
"Please, for the love of Merlin, ignore me for once," Hermione declared softly, her eyes wide in desperation. "Lucy's noticing something. You should know that she tends to be too observant for her own good."
Edmund grinned. He loved riling her up. The way her face flushed, her eyes brightened, and her hair frizzed made her look very attractive to him. "All right, all right," he finally said after a soft sigh. "Just be sure to meet me in the gazebo tonight."
She prettily grinned. "Of course," she answered back. "I'll be there."
The king looked at his sister's back and then to Hermione. "I swear this will be the last," he said, holding the top of her hand to lean closer and kiss her squarely on the lips.
"I FOUND IT!" Lucy hollered, jerking them away from each other immediately.
"I FOUND IT!" the queen joyously hollered, pointing towards a certain direction on the ground. She turned around to look at her other companions, only to feel a strange ambiance between the two of them. And was she merely hallucinating or did they immediately jerk back from each? And weren't they a little too close? And was that Edmund's hand on Hermione's hand?
Her eyes widened, her mouth forming into a slight 'o'. Before she could even dwell deeper in the "hallucinations" in her mind, Edmund stood up and brushed the seat of his pants.
"Well then, we must go back," he said, looking up at the sky. It was turning into a beautiful shade of orange, red, and yellow, signalling that twilight was nearing.
"Yes, well," Hermione blubbered, her cheeks once again flaming up. In two, big strides, she was beside Lucy now and bent down to pluck a bunch of the plant. "We must go back now, Lucy. We still need to brew this healing serum."
Lucy looked at Hermione, and then to her brother. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Fine, let's go back," she said, hooking her arm around Hermione's once again.
They passed Edmund and Lucy blatantly stared up at him. Her brother grinned down at her, his eyes glinting mysteriously.
'What in Aslan's name?' Lucy asked, looking at the witch beside her and unable to suppress a growing smile on her face.
"I just realized something," Hermione announced as they all took their lunch in the Dining Hall. "I am going to defeat the White Witch, yes? Or, simply face her according to the prophecy of Sybill here. But then, I realized I have completely no idea who she is, what she does, where she came from so… I thought I must start researching about her."
She looked at Peter, Caspian, and Susan and apologetically smiled. "I'm sorry. Can we cancel the trainings today?" she asked. "I think I need to focus on this today."
"It's all right, Hermione. We understand," Susan said, nodding her head. She absentmindedly shifted baby Caspie on her lap and continued, "I would love to offer my library to you but I'm afraid it has more fictional books there rather than real facts and information."
Hermione blinked. Susan was right. She dragged her eyes and they both landed on Edmund. He lifted an eyebrow at her gaze, and she, without really meaning to, sheepishly smiled. "Then may I use your library for today, King Edmund?" she asked.
"No," he said without skipping a beat. "I have quite a lot of work to do in my library."
She scowled, annoyed that once again, he was playing her around. 'Why must you be impossible?' she asked, noticing how he was trying his very hardest to suppress a smile.
"Edmund," Peter warned.
His youngest brother had the audacity to roll his eyes, acting as if it he was against this. 'Git,' she fondly thought, shaking her head. When she told them they must act normal, she did not really expect him to act like an insufferable person. But then again, that was his normal self.
"All right, fine," Edmund said, expelling a sigh to make his act more believable. "Just keep in mind not to bother me while I work in my library."
She raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge in her gaze.
"I can help you research, if you like," Lucy offered.
"No," was Edmund's reply.
His sister stared at him, affronted, but he merely shook his head. "I said I'm busy," he said. "I have this inkling you'd be a nuisance if you accompanied Hermione in my library today."
"It's all right," Hermione said, placing a hand on Lucy's arm to calm her down. "I can manage all by myself, your highness."
Conflicting emotions appeared on Lucy's face. Finally, she sighed. "All right," she said. "Just tell me if you need help or something, Hermione. I'll be willing to help you."
Hermione nodded her head.
And then, they all resumed their lunch.
"I'll be in King Edmund's library if you need me, Sybill," Hermione said, smiling at her old Divinations teacher.
The older witch smiled at her, amused. "Hmm… do have fun, my dear girl," she said. "And I do hope that you do not let other things distract you if you have to research."
Hermione blinked at her, unsure of what she said. "I'll keep that in mind," she said.
Sybill inclined her head as Hermione turned around and opened the bedroom door. She then approached the staircase at the right side of the hallway and ascended upon it.
As she neared Edmund's library, she remembered the first time she had stumbled inside it. Going inside it was never her intention; she fancied herself into thinking that it was purely accidental when she decided to climb another flight of stairs to go to the third floor. But now that she was ascending the same steps that led her to Edmund's library, she could not help but think that perhaps some unimaginable force had urged her to go to the third floor after all.
She moved towards the second door to the right and twisted the knob. She peeked inside and smiled when Edmund was sitting behind his desk, a huge parchment displayed in front of him.
He lifted his head when he heard his door creak open. When Hermione's face materialized, he smiled.
"May I come in?" she gingerly asked. He raised an eyebrow at her politeness, which prompted her to merely laugh.
"I guess that is a yes, then," she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I won't be a bother, I swear. You can continue doing your work while I… research away."
She curtsied for politeness' sake and immediately lost herself in the shelves filled with books.
Exactly half an hour, five huge bookshelves, and ten thick tomes of books, Hermione was already set to start researching. On her pocket were clean sheets of parchment and pen for her to write down some important facts she was able to see from the books.
She neatly piled the books in her arms. It wobbled precariously and Hermione had to find her balance. She was used to it, anyway; carrying tons of books at the same time, that is. After years and years of practicing in Hogwarts, she was able to master this.
Gingerly, she approached a nearby table. If she were able to look at Edmund's desk, she would be able to see the amused look that he had shot towards her huge pile of books.
Hermione then had placed all of the books with a loud thud. The noise resounded in the silent library and she flinched. She shot Edmund an apologetic look and upon seeing that he was too immersed in his documents, she smiled in relief.
She then sat herself down on one of the chairs and started her research.
Jadis, the White Witch, was one of the most baffling characters in her favourite bedtime story. She did not understand her complexities, her goals, and her way of thinking. Hermione thought she was one of the most complicated characters in the book and knew that researching about her would prove as a challenge.
And a challenge, it was. After an hour of extreme researching, she was only able to research facts that were not exactly essential for the impending war. She had already gone through half her pile and still, nothing.
Hermione released a disgruntled sigh and scooped the five, useless books into her arms. She went to their respective bookshelves, returning them into place. Her eyes scanned the spines of the books again and one title had caught her eye. The disadvantage was that it was placed at a height she couldn't quite reach.
She tiptoed, even jumped several times, but still, she could not get the specific book.
"You could have called for me to help you," Edmund sighed as he stretched out his arm and effortlessly pulled out the book she was meaning to get.
Hermione turned around and was a little surprised at their close proximity."Well, you were busy so I did not bother," she pointed out matter-of-factly.
Edmund laughed and shook his head. He then offered the book to Hermione, who graciously received it. "I'm amused you still haven't figured out it was just a front so that Lucy wouldn't accompany you to my library," he said, grinning widely when her jaw slightly dropped in realization.
She composed herself and slightly smirked. "Your acting is getting a little better," she pointed out. "That's good."
"Hmm…" he said, getting a little distracted already as he stared intently at her face, namely her lips. "Have you found something useful?"
She frowned. "No," she said, knowing that his attention was already divided. "Nothing wonderful that could help me cause the downfall of the White Witch."
Edmund slowly wrapped an arm around her waist. "A little disappointing, eh?" he whispered, his voice turning husky.
Hermione slowly closed her eyes and smiled. "You tell me," she whispered back, her breath brushing against his cheek. His nose bumped against hers and she chuckled. "What's this? Teasing? That's new."
He chuckled and pulled her close. A soft thud was heard when the book slipped away from her grasp. Hermione's arms instantly wound themselves around his neck and she slightly tiptoed. "I live to surprise one Hermione Granger," he said.
Finally, he bent down and captured her lips.
"Lucy, can you go fetch Hermione and Edmund for afternoon tea?" Peter asked without looking up from the papers he was reading.
The young queen frowned, feeling a little lazy to stand up from her throne. She looked at Caspian and Susan, meaning to ask either one of them, but as usual, they were busy taking care of their son. Sybill Trelawney was sitting on one of the windowsills, a book at her hand, and Lucy did not really have the heart to ask the new resident of Cair Paravel. And besides, the witch somehow gave her the creeps.
"Fine," she said with a sigh, slowly lifting herself up from her throne. Lucy stretched her arms above her head and yawned, now descending the steps and walking out of the Throne Room.
Today was somehow a particularly lazy day and Lucy had nothing to do. She tried to amuse herself with numerous things, such as reading and even sewing, but she instantly grew bored of them. Soon, she had found herself with her other siblings in the Throne Room, lazing around and sometimes dozing off on her throne.
Hermione's research in Edmund's library had taken hours now and Lucy wondered if the brunette was able to research something useful. Lucy was growing a little worried for her lady-in-waiting, seeing that she was starting to stress herself out over the impending war in Narnia.
Lucy finally reached the third floor and mindlessly approached the second door to the right. She twisted the knob and barged inside without even bothering to knock.
As she walked inside, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped at the spectacle that beheld her.
From her view, she could see Hermione pressed against one of the bookshelves, her lips pressed against her brother's lips.
Lucy gaped for a full minute, trying to take in the scene before her eyes. She snapped out her stupor and quickly walked back outside. She silently closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief, placing her hand over her heart.
A slow, huge grin stretched on her face as she finally witnessed the source for Edmund and Hermione's strange behaviour. She had guessed rightly, after all. She just needed evidence before jumping into conclusions.
'I can't believe it,' she told herself, lifting her fist and knocking vigorously at door. After knocking for a few more minutes, she had heard a strange sound inside the room. The door then flew open and a displeased Edmund greeted her sight.
"What?" he barked, sounding a bit too rude.
Lucy lifted an eyebrow. "Peter called for you and Hermione for afternoon tea," she said. The queen peeked above Edmund's shoulder and saw Hermione sitting down on one of the chairs in the library, a book opened wide in front of her. She almost laughed at the obvious disguise, especially because the brunette's cheeks were still a lovely shade of red.
The queen's eyes then shifted back at her brother and smirked. "Busy?" she asked.
Edmund glared. "Very," he spat. He then sighed and looked behind him. "We're being called for afternoon tea."
Hermione lifted her eyes and blinked. They landed on Lucy, who gave her a small wave of hand in greeting. "All right," she said, slowly lifting herself from the chair.
The three then ventured off to the garden, unbeknownst that the queen already knew the secret of the two.
Lucy, just to torment them, chose to stand in between Hermione and Edmund; therefore, prohibiting them to do secret touches and glances behind her back.
Hermione quietly closed her bedroom door behind her, careful not to wake up the slumbering Sybill. She then ventured towards Lucy's bedroom, stretching her arms above her head along the way.
This day proved to be a tiring one, albeit very unproductive. It made her disappointed to think that for the first time in history, a library had disappointed her. She was a little surprised that she was able to find a book about time travelling quicker than the White Witch herself. Then again, even the Narnian royalties were baffled by the witch and her strange powers.
It was a good thing that spending time with Edmund made up for this bad day. Blushing shyly, she smiled, remembering their little secret in his library. It was a crying shame that some British custom had stopped whatever they were doing.
The brunette finally arrived in Lucy's bedroom and knocked inside her door. Lucy's soft 'come in' had prompted her to twist open the knob and step inside.
The queen was seated on her bed, an expectant and strangely knowing look on her face. Hermione, with a suspicious look, closed the door behind her and took a few steps forward. Awkwardly, she stood in front of the valiant queen.
"Well?" she asked.
Lucy wordlessly gestured at the chair across from her. Hermione lowered herself down on it, her gaze still firmly fixed on the youngest Pevensie. She observed that Lucy's smile disturbed her a little. Her eyes were twinkling a tad brighter than normal. And her look… Hermione shivered, suddenly feeling a little panicky.
"So you and Edmund," Lucy smoothly said, her eyes never leaving Hermione's form.
Instantly, her lady-in-waiting tensed. Hermione's face froze in shock, her eyes slightly widening and her jaw slackening. "I-I… excuse me?" she stammered, coughing to disguise her nervousness.
The queen rolled her eyes to the heavens above and shook her head. "I should have known," Lucy said. "The fact that he started acknowledging your presence again was a dead giveaway. My brother can be awfully stubborn sometimes; he tends to keep grudges if he wanted to. Thus, the moment you told me you rejected his affections, I knew that he would not talk to you for a while. But now…" Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "I should have known."
Hermione blinked and swallowed. "I still don't understand," she lied through gritted teeth.
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What's this? Denying? I told you about Ardon and me, Hermione," she said. "I think it is fair that you confess, straight from your mouth, that you are now dating my brother."
Hermione flushed, hearing the word 'dating' from Lucy's mouth. Were they dating? She and Edmund? They just confessed their feelings for each other a few days ago. And besides, dating seemed juvenile, especially if it concerned a king of a country.
She then looked at Lucy's expectant face and finally sighed. There was no use keeping it a secret already. "Well…" she started, her cheeks furiously burning up. "We're not exactly dating but I, err… confessed."
The queen released a soft shriek and threw her arms around Hermione. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. "Goodness, Hermione, I couldn't believe it took you this long to realize that you're merely denying your feelings."
The brunette grew confused. "What?" she asked breathily.
Lucy pulled away and stared down at her, a disbelieving smile on her face. "You fancy my brother," she said. "Or, is it childish to call your feelings as such? But anyway, I have been observing you from the first moment you stepped foot in Cair Paravel. I thought they were merely hostility, Hermione, but remember, there is a thin line between love and hate. It's a little frustrating to watch both of you banter your heads off, all the sexual tension too obvious for me not to be bothered."
"Err…" Hermione said, shaking her head. Disbelievingly, a small smile stretched on her face as she regarded her mistress. "Of course, Lucy Pevensie knows. Lucy Pevensie always knows."
The valiant queen chuckled and pulled Hermione into a tight hug again. "I'm glad," she earnestly said. "For both of you. Edmund is lucky to have you, Hermione, and I am glad you opened your heart to him."
"It was hard for me to realize," she whispered back, patting Lucy's back. "But I manage to, in the end. I… I am happy with him, Lucy. It had been a while ever since I felt like this."
Lucy pulled back and sat back down on her bed, suddenly looking grave. "But what about Peter?" she then asked. Alarm crossed Hermione's face, clearly not thinking about it before. "What will you do with him?"
"I… I honestly don't know," she groaned, running a frustrated hand through her face. "I was too blissful of everything that was happening between Edmund and me and I somehow overlooked that Peter proposed to me." Her blood ran cold as she imagined some possible actions that Peter would do if he discovered that Hermione chose his younger brother over him. "What should I do, Lucy? Oh, good Godric, what must I do?"
The queen merely stared sadly at her and held her hands.
Even Lucy did not know.
And Hermione, swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat, knew that some way or another, Peter must know.
And she could foresee that the result would not be good at all.
A/N: So, end of chapter! How'd you like it? Good? Bad? Eh? Meh? You know the drill :)
Wee, so many Edmione feels in me, I can't even XD Lol, Lucy is so adorable, with all the curiosity thingy that she has in her. I personally love the part where she walks into them in the library, kissing, and then pretends that she had not seen it at all XD Edmund, Edmund, must you be so obvious. For now, don't be bothered with Peter, my dear readers. Just bask under all the Edmione love that I sprinkled all throughout this chapter XD
Wah, this will be completely random but has anyone seen the teaser trailer of "Les Miserables: The Movie"? OMG, I'm just a complete geek when it comes to this musical (I mean, come on! THEIR SONGS. 'Nuff said). I think Anne Hathaway did a great job and I actually became teary-eyed at the end of the trailer (everybody was just so... MISERABLE, pun intended). UGH, I seriously cannot wait, so I watched the 10th and 25th anniversaries again. See, I'm a complete geek.
AND, I've finally finished the whole seven seasons of "Supernatural"! CAN ANYBODY FANGIRL WITH ME? I'm totally in love with Castiel and Misha Collins, of course, and I cannot believe that some people are trying to get him fired. Seriously, I always do this happy clap every time I see his name in the opening credits. Oh, of course, the whole plot is so awesome (all hail Kripke) and Jensen and Jared are so perfect for their rolls that I just can't. This is probably the best American show I've ever seen in my whole life and that is saying something, seeing that almost all of my fave TV series are British shows (BBC, anyone? :))
Anyway, that's all. Once again, I am so happy that so many people love this fic. I swear, if I could, I would give all of you cookies :)
That's it for now! See you next Friday!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe